cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamic parameters for the glutamate dehydrogenase catalyzed α-imino acid—α-amino acid interconversion

Delta 1-Piperidine 2-carboxylic acid, an alpha-imino acid, is reduced by 1,4-dihydropyridines to pipecolic acid, an alpha-amino acid, and the corresponding pyridinium ions. This nonenzymatic reaction occurs only in the direction of pipecolic acid production. Glutamate dehydrogenase catalyzes this reaction when the reductant is NADPH and gives as products L-pipecolic acid and NADP+. The reaction velocity for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction is measurable in either direction. The pH-independent equilibrium constant, Keq, for the reduction of the imino acid by NADPH to give pipecolic acid anion and NADP+ was determined from the equilibrium conditions and the pKa values of pipecolic acid (10.72) and of the cyclic imino acid (8.10). The value of Keq was found to be 175 +/- 30; the values of delta G0, delta H0 and delta S0 are -3.1 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol, 5 +/- 1 kcal/mol and 27 +/- 4 e.u., respectively. The data indicate that the reactants are far more solvated than the products and that there must be a large degree of solvent reorganization during the course of the reaction. If these thermodynamic parameters apply to the redox step of the enzyme-catalyzed glutamate reaction, then the burst phase which results upon mixing the enzyme, L-glutamate and NADP+ in stoichiometric amounts must contain a hidden nonredox step of large delta H0 value to account for the curved Arrhenius plot observed for this phase (A.H. Colen, R.T. Medary and H.F. Fisher, Biopolymers 20 (1981) 879).
A continuous colorimetric assay for rhinovirus-14 3C protease using peptide p-nitroanilides as substrates.

Human rhinovirus encoded 3C protease is an attractive target for antiviral drug development. However, lack of a convenient and selective assay for 3C protease has been a hindrance in characterization of this enzyme and evaluation of a large number of potential inhibitors. In the present study we describe development of a simple, continuous colorimetric assay for this enzyme using peptide p-nitroanilides (pNA) as substrates. Several peptides mimicking the native 3C cleavage site of HRV-14 polyprotein have been synthesized with an N-acylated p-nitroaniline at position P1' and examined as substrates for the purified 3C protease. In these peptides, amino acids downstream from the original cleavage site have all been replaced with a chromophoric p-nitroaniline moiety which is directly linked to the bond undergoing enzymatic cleavage, thereby generating a new cleavage site Gln-pNA for the enzyme. Hydrolysis of these pNA peptides by 3C at the newly formed scissile bond releases free p-nitroaniline which is yellow-colored and can be continuously monitored at a visible wavelength. Kinetic parameters of 3C protease toward these peptides have been measured and analyzed. In addition, the pNA peptides have been modeled within the active site of the 3C protease to investigate the ability of the pNA group to act as a replacement for Gly-Pro in the prime side. The selectivity and applicability of this assay and its advantages over the previously described methods have been demonstrated and discussed. Since multiple tests can be performed simultaneously in one microtiter plate, the assay is ideal for evaluation of a large number of samples.
Experimental Investigation of Natural Convection Heat Transfer in Volumetrically Heated Spherical Segments

External cooling of a light water reactor vessel by flooding of the concrete cavity with subcooled water is one of several management strategies currently being considered for accidents in which significant relocation of core material is predicted to occur. At present, uncertainty exists with respect to natural convection heat transfer coefficients between the pool of molten core material and the reactor vessel wall. In the present work, experiments were conducted to examine natural convection heat transfer in internally heated partially filled spherical pools with external cooling. In the experiments, Freon-113 was contained in a Pyrex bell jar, which was cooled externally with subcooled water. The pool was heated using a 750 W magnetron taken from a conventional microwave. The pool had a nearly adiabatic free surface. The vessel wall temperature was not uniform and varied from the stagnation point to the free surface. A series of chromel-alumel thermocouples was used to measure temperatures in both steady-state and transient conditions. Each thermocouple was placed in a specific vertical and radial location in order to determine the temperature distribution throughout the pool and along the inner and outer walls of the vessel. In the experiments, pool depth and radius were varied parametrically. Both local and average heat transfer coefficients based on maximum pool temperature were obtained. Rayleigh numbers based on pool height were varied from 2 X 10 10 to 1.1 X 10 14 . Correlations for the local heat transfer coefficient dependence on pool angle and for the dependence of average Nusselt number on Rayleigh number and pool depth have been developed.
Aerial image registration incorporating GPS/IMU data

We describe a methodology for multiframe image registration of airborne high resolution, multi-camera imagery. In the absence of predetermined camera and lens models, parameters are optimally determined from imagery and known ground reference locations. GPS and IMU data collected from the sensor platform and the identified camera model parameters are used to perform an initial orthorectification and georeferencing of each image. Multiple KLT, Sift, or featureless point-match correspondences are identified and validated using RANSAC techniques. Affine transform hypothesis are then generated, inconsistent hypothesis are removed using a RANSAC approach, and a final optimal transform is generated as the least squares optimal fit of the remaining correspondences. To eliminate long-term drift, key frames are selected and cross-registered. Performance improvements can also be demonstrated using a mask to eliminate correspondences not on the ground plane. This approach is illustrated using the 2007 AFRL Columbus Large Image Format dataset.
Influence of edible fruit coatings on Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) oviposition and development

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is a highly invasive vinegar fly recently detected in the United States that severely threatens the viability of soft skinned fruit production. Insecticides mitigate some of this damage, but alternative methods to manage D. suzukii infestation are needed. We tested three edible coatings to determine if they could prevent or reduce oviposition by D. suzukii females or affect immature survivorship and development in two important host crops, blueberry and raspberry. None of the coatings prevented oviposition, but some reduced the number of eggs laid. Two carnauba wax-based coatings, PrimaFresh 45 and Raynox, dramatically reduced survivorship of immature D. suzukii in raspberries, but not in blueberries. Our results suggest that obtaining thorough, even coverage in the field will be essential if edible coatings are to be used as a management strategy for D. suzukii.
Have U.S. Financial Institutions' Real Estate Investments Exhibited “Trend-Chasing” Behavior?

This paper uses real estate investment data for major groups of U.S. financial institutions—commercial banks, thrifts, and life insurance companies—to evaluate their investment timing performance over the 1970–1989 period. Our major finding is that real estate investments by commercial banks and thrifts have largely been driven by past real estate and market returns rather than by future expected returns. This apparent “trend-chasing” investment strategy—of buying high and selling low—offers an explanation for the poor performance of their real estate investments. We argue that imposing market value accounting on such institutions may actually reinforce their “trend-chasing” behavior.
Conditioned adaptation to prismatic displacement

Adaptation to prismatic displacement was conditioned to the wearing of a pair of goggles in 240 min of training by employing Taylor’s alternation training technique. The alternation was between training exposures with both the prism and the goggles presented to S and with both absent. After the training, both the pointing to a visual target test and the pointing straight ahead test measured more adaptation and more aftereffects of adaptation when the goggles were
Fiber-Optic Rotation Sensors

Possible approaches to the design of fiber optic inertial frame rotation sensors based on the Sagnac effect are reviewed under two general categories: (1) single frequency interferometers which generate a phase shift proportional to inertial rotation rate, and (2) dual frequency interferometers for which the beat frequency is proportional to rotation rate. The principal variations within the single frequency class involve the way in which the nonreciprocal phase bias is used and techniques for generating the nonreciprocal bias. Within the dual frequency class, the various approaches differ principally in the way in which the counter-circulating frequencies are established.
Relative Vitamin K Potency of Two Water-Soluble Menadione Analogues

Abstract MENADIONE sodium bisulfite, a water-soluble form of the provitamin 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, is used as a source of vitamin K in poultry feeds. This form differs in its vitamin K activity from the fat-soluble menadione (Frost and Spruth, 1955). The data presented in this report indicate that this difference is not necessarily a function, or, at least, not only a function of the change in solubility status, since another water-soluble form of menadione, namely, menadione dimethyl pyrimidinol bisulfite, 2 differs in its activity from menadione sodium bisulfite. EXPERIMENTAL Fourteen groups of 20 cross-bred, female chicks received a purified vitamin K-deficient diet (Griminger, 1962a) from hatching to 1 week of age. At that time group uniformity was increased by eliminating 4 chicks with extreme weights. From 1 to 3 weeks of age the chicks received the K-deficient diet supplemented with 0.2% sulfaquinoxaline and with seven graded levels of each of the two water-soluble menadione…
Is specialty care associated with improved survival of patients with congestive heart failure

Abstract Background Implementation of the complex treatment strategies that have been shown to improve survival of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) may require certain expertise. We wanted to examine the association between pattern of outpatient care and survival of patients with CHF. Methods In a retrospective cohort study conducted with national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) databases, we examined the association between the pattern of outpatient care and survival in 11,661 patients discharged from VA hospitals between October 1, 1991, and September 30, 1992, with the primary diagnosis of CHF (cohort 1). Patients were divided into 4 groups, on the basis of their pattern of outpatient care over a 12-month period after discharge: 1) general medicine clinic visits only (GM-only); 2) cardiology clinic visits only (CARD-only); 3) general medicine and cardiology (MIXED) clinic visits; and 4) neither general medicine nor cardiology clinic visits (no-GM/CARD). We used the Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate 1-year survival, controlling for clinical and demographic factors. Consistency of our results was examined by performing identical analysis on a cohort of patients discharged from VHA hospitals between October 1, 1994, and September 30, 1995 (cohort 2, n=10,141). Results The overall 1-year mortality rate was 23% in the primary cohort. The unadjusted mortality rate was highest for patients in the no-GM/CARD follow up (29%) and lowest for patients in the MIXED group (19%). By use of the MIXED group as reference and adjusting for important clinical and demographic factors, the risk of death (risk ratio [95% CI]) was 1.12 (0.94-1.34) in the CARD-only group, 1.26 (1.15-1.38) in the GM-only group, and 1.48 (1.28-1.72) in the no-GM/CARD group. Cohort-2 results were consistent with cohort 1 for most covariates, and significant survival differences were again found between GM-only and the MIXED group (1.25 [1.14-1.37]). Conclusions We found an improved survival associated with cardiologist care and a mixture of general practitioner and cardiologist care compared with general practitioner care. The pattern of outpatient care may therefore be important for the survival of patients with CHF. (Am Heart J 2003;145:300-9.)
Parametric excitation of two internally resonant oscillators

Abstract The response of two-degree-of-freedom systems with quadratic non-linearities to a principal parametric resonance in the presence of two-to-one internal resonances is investigated. The method of multiple scales is used to construct a first-order uniform expansion yielding four first-order non-linear ordinary differential (averaged) equations governing the modulation of the amplitudes and the phases of the two modes. These equations are used to determine steady state responses and their stability. When the higher mode is excited by a principal parametric resonance, the non-trivial steady state value of its amplitude is a constant that is independent of the excitation amplitude, whereas the amplitude of the lower mode, which is indirectly excited through the internal resonance, increases with the amplitude of the excitation. However, in addition to Poincare-type bifurcations, this response exhibits a Hopf bifurcation leading to amplitude- and phase-modulated motions. When the lower mode is excited by a principal parametric resonance, the averaged equations exhibit both Poincare and Hopf bifurcations. In some intervals of the parameters, the periodic solutions of the averaged equations, in the latter case, experience period-doubling bifurcations, leading to chaos.
Blood-borne angiotensin II acts in the brain to influence behavioral and endocrine responses to psychogenic stress

This study elucidates the neural circuits by which circulating angiotensin II (ANGII) acts in the brain to influence humoral and behavioral responses to psychological stressors. To test the hypothesis that systemic ANGII mediates stress responding via the subfornical organ (SFO), we first found that the timing of increased systemic ANGII in response to 60 min restraint coincides with increased c-fos mRNA expression in the SFO. Next, we administered an anterograde neuronal tract tracer into the SFO and found that fibers originating there make appositions onto neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus that are also c-fos positive following restraint stress. To determine whether circulating ANGII stimulates the release of stress hormones via activation of angiotensin type 1 receptors (AT1R) within the SFO, we delivered lentivirus to knockdown AT1R expression locally in the SFO. Inhibition of AT1R specifically within the SFO blunted the release of adrenocorticotrophin-releasing hormone and corticosterone in response to restraint stress and caused rats to spend more time in the open arms of an elevated-plus maze than controls, indicating that inhibition of AT1R within the SFO is anxiolytic. Collectively, these results suggest that circulating ANGII acts on AT1R in the SFO to influence responding to psychological stressors.
PROKARYOTIC AND EUKARYOTIC REPLICONS

The replicon model, proposed by Jacob and Brenner (1963) to explain the regulation of prokaryotic DNA replication, has proved remarkably robust. Despite the manyvariations in initiation mechanism discovered since 1963, the replicon model may be applicable, with minor modifications, to regulation of DNA replication in all organisms. For several years, the Replicon Club of Paris, a group of French scientists interested in regulation of replication, has been meeting to discuss new results. This year, with support from the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the Replicon Club sponsored an international Jacques Monod Conference on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Replicons. The meeting was organized by G. Buttin (Institut Pasteur, Paris) with assistance from A. Falaschi (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy) and M. Kohiyama (Institut Jacques Monod, Paris) and was held at the CNRS’s Centre Paul Langevin in the Alpine village of Aussois, France, from June 18-22, 1995. There, invigorated by beautiful surroundings and excellent cuisine, scientists from around the world provided evidence both for the vitality of the replicon model and for substantial advances in our understanding of the regulation of replication.
Observations on the adaptation of induced motion.

Induced motion (IM) was measured before and after a 10-min adaptation period during which subjects viewed the IM display without judging 1M magnitude. The inducing stimulus was a rectangle, which contains both horizontal and vertical reference detail. The magnitude of IM was significantly lower following the adaptation period. This result is inconsistent with the hypothesis that adaptation of IM represents an instance of perceptual learning wherein the contribution of relative motion to motion perception is reduced. In a separate study, similar results were obtained when the inducing stimulus was a single vertical bar presented either to the left or to the right of the fixation stimulus. In addition, adaptation was obtained when the location of the inducing bar was changed during test measures, demonstrating that this effect is not specific to the retinal locus of the adaptation stimulus.
Performance of bare and sol-gel-coated DKDP crystal surfaces exposed to multiple 351-nm laser pulses in vacuum and air

We have investigated the surface degradation of bare and sol-gel coated deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP) crystals when exposed to 351-nm laser pulses in atmospheric air and nitrogen and at pressures ranging from atmospheric down to 10{sup -5} Torr vacuum. Optical microscopy, surface topography, surface chemical analyses, 351-nm pumped photoemission maps, and photometry results have been used to characterize these samples. We report the occurrence of two potentially linked surface degradation phenomena: the development of increased photoemission and the development of unacceptable surface roughening in the region exposed to the beam in vacuum. We note no degradation for surfaces exposed in air or nitrogen at pressures exceeding 1 torr. Diamond-turned DKDP surfaces show a ubiquitous, low-intensity photoemission signature before exposure to any laser fluence. The observed reduction of this emission signal as a function of operating pressure and accumulated laser energy when crystals are exposed to 351-nm laser pulses in air can be correlated with the removal of surface carbon.
Mainstreaming the autistic‐type child

Abstract Mainstreaming as a philosophy guiding education is as important for the autistic child as for any other individual with special needs. While attempts at mainstreaming the autistic‐type child may be problematic, modifications of the concept itself can be useful. Adopting a normalization principle, together with strategies designed to facilitate transition to more normal instructional settings can improve chances for success.
Tacr1 Gene Variation and Neurokinin 1 Receptor Expression Is Associated with Antagonist Efficacy in Genetically Selected Alcohol-Preferring Rats

Background Genetic deletion or antagonism of the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) decreases alcohol intake, alcohol reward, and stress-induced alcohol relapse in rodents, while TACR1 variation is associated with alcoholism in humans. Methods We used L822429, a specific antagonist with high affinity for the rat NK1R, and examined whether sensitivity to NK1R blockade is altered in alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Operant alcohol self-administration and progressive ratio responding were analyzed in P-rats and their founder Wistar line. We also analyzed Tacr1 expression and binding and sequenced the Tacr1 promoter from both lines. Results Systemic L822429 decreased alcohol self-administration in P-rats but did not affect the lower rates of alcohol self-administration in Wistar rats. Tacr1 expression was elevated in the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala of P-rats. In central amygdala, elevated Tacr1 expression was accompanied by elevated NK1R binding. Central amygdala (but not prefrontal cortex) infusion of L822429 replicated the systemic antagonist effects on alcohol self-administration in P-rats. All P-rats, but only 18% of their founder Wistar population, were CC homozygous for a−1372G/C single nucleotide polymorphism. In silico analysis indicated that the Tacr1 −1372 genotype could modulate binding of the transcription factors GATA-2 and E2F-1. Electromobility shift and luciferase reporter assays suggested that the−1372C allele confers increased transcription factor binding and transcription. Conclusions Genetic variation at the Tacr1 locus may contribute to elevated rates of alcohol self-administration, while at the same time increasing sensitivity to NK1R antagonist treatment.
Laparoscopic diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma metastatic to the liver: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract In this report we describe how a laparoscopic procedure confirmed a confusing and exceptional case of Ewing's sarcoma metastatic to the liver.
Program structure as basis for the parallelization of global register allocation

We propose a model for global register allocation via graph coloring that uses knowledge about program structure to guide global register allocation. We define restrictions that must be met by the live ranges of loops and conditionals such that the corresponding portions of the register conflict graph are interval graphs. This knowledge is used to locate clique separators in register conflict graphs. We discuss how clique separators can be used both to improve sequential register allocation and as a a platform for parallelized global register allocation. We conclude this paper by presenting measurements for a benchmark of C kernels for most of which our method found all clique separators.
A Man for All Seasons Partisan Constraints on U.S. Senate Majority Leaders

In this article, I examine the roll-call voting behaviour of U.S. Senate Majority Leaders, finding that Leaders generally locate around the ideological mean and median of their party at selection a...
Early Intervention and Treatment Acceptability Multiple Perspectives for Improving Service Delivery in Home Settings

Family members who interact with early interventionists do so within a context of particular social, cultural, systemic, and developmental variables. To serve families optimally, early interventionists need to grasp the breadth and depth of these variables, because they may influence the receptivity of family members to our professional recommendations. The aim of the present article is to illuminate issues related to the topic of treatment acceptability by applying concepts pertaining to collaboration, cultural difference, compliance and freedom of choice, family life cycles, and systems theory. The heuristic value of research procedures for obtaining informed consent from parents and children also is recognized. A paradigm is presented for designing home-based intervention plans with families of preschoolers with behavior disorders, and an illustrative case is presented.
Designing hollow-fiber contactors

Hollow-fiber contactors can provide fast mass transfer without flooding or loading. They are a promising alternative to packed towers for gas treating, and to centrifugal extractors for liquid-liquid extraction. Hollow-fiber contractors can be designed effectively using the mass transfer correlations reported in this paper. The correlations, based on aqueous deaeration and carbon dioxide absorption, are similar to earlier heat and mass transfer correlations, but can be complicated by diffusion across the fiber wall and by alterations in fiber geometry.
The Effects of Deep Pressure Touch on Anxiety

Occupational therapists who work with hyperactive children and adults who are in an aroused state sometimes employ deep pressure touch (DPT) as a therapeutic method to achieve calmer behavior. This pilot study attempts to measure effects of DPT on objective and subjective anxiety. Twenty-three healthy college students, serving as their own controls, self-administered DPT via a specially designed apparatus. Heart rate and self-reported anxiety were compared under conditions of DPT (experimental) and confinement without DPT (control). Data on subjects' trait anxiety also were analyzed. Although the group as a whole did not relax significantly more under experimental conditions than under control conditions, the degree of subjective relaxation was greater in the experimental group. These results, coupled with a significant intragroup difference in the response of subjects with high trait anxiety, were encouraging. This study provides direction and focus to investigators interested in further research on the validation of an empirically useful treatment technique.
Economics and markets of semiconductor optical amplifiers

In telecommunications, SOAs find application in many roles. We will discuss the most important ones, including amplification in access networks, amplification of an optical supervisory channel in long-haul systems, and application as the core gain element in widely tunable lasers, and we will discuss the inter-relationship of the economics of manufacturing and the markets in which the devices are being applied.
High-latitude Forest Structure: Methodological Considerations and Insights on Reconstructing High-latitude Fossil Forests

Abstract Throughout much of earth history globally warm intervals prevailed over ice age conditions. Without the constraints imposed by cold climates, forest vegetation populated high-latitude land masses. There are no modern analogs for these biomes, thus fossil remains provide information vital to understanding the structure and function of these forests. This paper reviews methods (some common in neoecology) by which forest structure, biomass and productivity can be quantified from analysis of fossil remains. Common metrics of forest structure, such as stand density, stem diameter, basal area and tree height, can be determined for most fossil forest localities using the methods described herein. When fossils are preserved as in situ forest layers (so-called fossil forests), additional analyses involving detailed stem measurement or the application of allometric regression models may yield estimates of aboveground biomass. Annual growth rates, when paired with estimates of stem wood volume production, p...
Mapping the Interaction between High Molecular Mass Kininogen and the Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor

The urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a multifunctional, GPI-linked receptor that modulates cell adhesion/migration and fibrinolysis. We mapped the interaction sites between soluble uPAR (suPAR) and high molecular mass kininogen (HK). Binding of biotin-HK to suPAR was inhibited by HK, 56HKa, and 46HKa with an IC50 of 60, 110, and 8 nm, respectively. We identified two suPAR-binding sites, a higher affinity site in the light chain of HK and 46HKa (His477-Gly496) and a lower affinity site within the heavy chain (Cys333-Lys345). HK predominantly bound to suPAR fragments containing domains 2 and 3 (S-D2D3). Binding of HK to domain 1 (S-D1) was also detected, and the addition of S-D1 to S-D2D3 completely inhibited biotin-HK or -46HKa binding to suPAR. Using sequential and overlapping 20-amino acid peptides prepared from suPAR, two regions for HK binding were identified. One on the carboxyl-terminal end of D2 (Leu166-Thr195) blocked HK binding to suPAR and to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). This site overlapped with the urokinase-binding region, and urokinase inhibited the binding of HK to suPAR. A second region on the amino-terminal portion of D3 (Gln215-Asn255) also blocked HK binding to HUVEC. Peptides that blocked HK binding to uPAR also inhibited prekallikrein activation on HUVEC. Therefore, HK interacts with suPAR at several sites. HK binds to uPAR as part of its interaction with its multiprotein receptor complex on HUVEC, and the biological functions that depend upon this binding are modulated by urokinase.
New perspectives for maximum likelihood time-delay estimation

This paper introduces a new realization for maximum likelihood time-delay estimation (TDE) that illuminates the relationships between maximum likelihood TDE and other methods. We obtain the result by deriving the likelihood function using a fundamental method that appears to be new to the field of array processing. This method is a natural complement to the generalized Karhunen-Loeve expansion.
e + e − hadronic cross section and the muon g − 2

After a brief introduction to the muon anomalous magnetic moment, the current status of the ( g − 2) µ measurement is given. The three standard deviations of discrepancy between a µ calculations and the direct measurement by the E821 experiment at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA) calls for more precise measurements of the e + e − hadronic cross section. This article contains a not inclusive review of the main results and the state of the art on the hadronic cross section measurements from BABAR and other experiments.
Philippine Legislators and Their Changing Universe

r HE PHILIPPINES, as is true of developing nations in general, is faced with the persistence of patterns of human behavior that set massive limits upon the type and rate of change possible. Despite grim warnings from the central Luzon tenants stretching over four decades that the agrarian system will have to be changed if the larger political system is to survive, ameliorative acts extending over nearly as long a period have as yet had little positive effect. Equally intractable is the problem of food supply. No combination of policies seems able to reverse the trend which leaves the Philippines each year importing more foodstuffs-especially rice and fish-than it did the year before, even though the nation should, according to its population/land ratio, be a food-exporting one. Finally, the best laid plans of highly competent men have not significantly shifted the export economy of the Philippines away from its reliance upon a narrow range of primary agricultural products. These have not been radically changed since the period of the American occupation and are not greatly dissimilar from the late Spanish era. But if such continuities determine which problems will repeat themselves to each generation of men in the developing nations, the cumulative pressures from changes already accomplished have their own logic to present in the dialectic. A steadily expanding network of roads, for example, coupled with the ever more readily available inter-island ocean and air transportation facilities create a situation within which a vastly wider variety of responses to endemic problems is possible. If an accelerating revolution has been taking place in Philippine transportation, a comparable series of
Finite Amplitude Measurements of the Nonlinear Parameter B/A for Liquid Mixtures Spanning a Range Relevant to Tissue Harmonic Mode

The objective of this investigation was to measure the nonlinear parameter B/A using an enhanced finite amplitude distortion technique, based on nonlinear propagation effects analogous to those associated with tissue harmonic imaging. These measurements validate an improved method for measuring the nonlinear parameter B/A, the small-signal speed of sound, and the attenuation coefficient from a single set of ultrasonic measurements. To test the method, measurements were performed on 11 different mixtures of isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) and water that span the range of concentrations from 0% to 100% isopropanol. Results for B/A ranging from approximately five to 11 were found to be reproducible and in good agreement with previously published values obtained using a thermodynamic method.
BONE MORPHOGENETIC PROTEINS INDUCE THE EXPRESSION OF NOGGIN, WHICH LIMITS THEIR ACTIVITY IN CULTURED RAT OSTEOBLASTS

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) induce the differentiation of cells of the osteoblastic lineage and enhance the function of the osteoblast. Growth factors are regulated by binding proteins, but there is no information about binding proteins for BMPs in skeletal cells. Noggin specifically binds BMPs, but its expression by cells of the osteoblastic lineage has not been reported. We tested for the expression of noggin and its induction by BMP-2 in cultures of osteoblast-enriched cells from 22-d-old fetal rat calvariae (Ob cells). BMP-2 caused a time- and dose-dependent increase in noggin mRNA and polypeptide levels, as determined by Northern and Western blot analyses. The effects of BMP-2 on noggin transcripts were dependent on protein, but independent of DNA synthesis. BMP-2 increased the rates of noggin transcription as determined by nuclear run-on assays. BMP-4, BMP-6, and TGF-beta1 increased noggin mRNA in Ob cells, but basic fibroblast growth factor, platelet- derived growth factor BB, and IGF-I did not. Noggin decreased the stimulatory effects of BMPs on DNA and collagen synthesis and alkaline phosphatase activity in Ob cells. In conclusion, BMPs induce noggin transcription in Ob cells, a probable mechanism to limit BMP action in osteoblasts.
1,1,3 Tricyano-2-amino-1-propene (Triap) stimulates choline acetyltransferase activity in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract 1,1,3 Tricyano-2-amino-1-propene (Triap) is a small molecule that has neurotrophic properties similar to nerve growth factor (NGF). Studies have shown that NGF increases choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of acetylcholine, in several cell lines and in the CNS of adult animals. To investigate whether Triap can cause similar increases in ChAT enzyme activity, we used the PC12 cell line and primary cultures of rat fetal brain tissue to examine Triap's effects. Nanomolar concentrations of Triap produced a 4.2- and 2.1-fold increase in the ChAT activity of PC12 cells and cultured rat fetal brain cells, respectively. This stimulation reached a plateau within 4 days of treatment in the primary fetal brain cultures with the first increases evident within 24 h. In the PC12 cell line, Triap's stimulation of ChAT activity was significantly greater than increases produced by optimal concentrations of NGF. Triap also matched NGF's stimulation of ChAT activity in primary neuronal culture. Triap also potentiated NGF's actions on ChAT activity in the PC12 cell line and in primary fetal neuronal cultures. These increases in enzyme activity correlated with increases in cellular enzyme levels as assessed using immunochemical identification of the ChAT enzyme. We also conducted experiments to determine if Triap also induced these same increases in ChAT activity in adult animals. Ten-day chronic injections of Triap in mice resulted in significant increases in specific ChAT enzyme activity in the cortex and septal-hippocampal area. Similar increases in ChAT enzyme levels were also detected using western blotting techniques. Thus, it appears that Triap increases ChAT activity, similar to NGF, in both cultured cells and in adult animals. Triap's effects on ChAT enzyme activity seem to be mediated primarily through increases in enzyme concentration. These results show that Triap is a neurotrophic agent with potent effects on the cholinergic nervous system and may be useful as a potential therapeutic agent in diseases exhibiting cholinergic deficits.
Relation of Pectic and Fatty Acid Changes to Respiration Rate During Ripening of Avocado Fruits

SUMMARY The ripening of a lot of hard mature avocado fruits (Persea americana Miller, CW. MacArthur) was followed at 15°C by measuring respiration rate and softening. The climacteric rise in respiration was accompanied by rapid softening of the flesh, a drop in content of protopectin and in degree of pectin esterification, and a rise in soluble pectin. Eight fatty acids were identified in the oil, but the oil composition did not change significantly, suggesting that the storage oil of the tissue has no major metabolic role in fruit ripening.
Characteristics of chronic pain associated with sleep difficulty in older adults: the Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly (MOBILIZE) Boston study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate pain severity and distribution in relation to sleep difficulty in older adults. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: Community within a 5-mile radius of the study center at the Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL), Boston. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred sixty-five participants of the Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly (MOBILIZE) Boston Study aged 64 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Pain severity was measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Pain Severity Subscale. Musculoskeletal pain distribution was grouped according to no pain, single site, two or more sites, and widespread pain (upper and lower extremities and back pain). Three aspects of sleep difficulty were measured using items from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Revised (trouble getting to sleep, sleep more than usual, and restless sleep). RESULTS: Prevalence of trouble getting to sleep according to BPI severity was 17.8%, 19.7%, 32.0%, and 37.0% for the lowest to highest pain severity quartiles, respectively. Similar relationships between pain and sleep were observed across sleep measures according to pain severity and distribution. Adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, chronic conditions, and health behaviors, chronic pain was strongly associated with trouble sleeping (?1 d/wk) (single-site pain, odds ratio (OR)=1.77, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.10�2.87; multisite pain, OR=2.38, 95% CI=1.48�3.83; widespread pain, OR=2.55, 95% CI=1.43�4.54, each compared with no pain). Similar associations were observed for restless sleep and sleeping more than usual. For specific pain sites alone or in combination with other sites of pain, only modest associations were observed with sleep problems. CONCLUSION: Widespread or other multisite pain and moderate to severe pain are strongly associated with sleep difficulty in older adults. Further research is needed to better understand the burden and consequences of pain-related sleep problems in older adults.
Reverse engineering system for generator engine parts

In this modern world, there are always pressure on the designer and the manufacturer to respond to the consumer needs. Rapid product development (RPD) assists manufacturers and designers in meeting the demands by reducing product development time. Engineering involves designing, manufacturing, constructing, and maintaining of products, systems, service and structures. There are two types in a design process: 1) forward engineering; 2) reverse engineering. In this paper, an attempt has been made to derive all the parameters, which are necessary for designing the components of a generator using reverse engineering. Even though lots of methods are available for redesigning, the reverse engineering is selected by performing analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The data acquisition is done using laser scanner device. The data sculpt software draw profile lines using scanned data. Then the exact model is created using Pro E software. The manufacturing drawing is prepared using the collected data.
Lipoprotein(a) and Apolipoprotein(a) in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Objective Levels of lipoprotein(a), Lp(a), an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), are affected by sex hormones. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have elevated androgen levels and are at increased CVD risk. We investigated the impact of PCOS-related hormonal imbalance on Lp(a) levels in relation to apo(a) gene size polymorphism, a major regulator of Lp(a) level. Design Cross-sectional. Patients Forty-one Caucasian women with PCOS based on the NIH criteria. Measurements (1) Apo(a) gene size polymorphism measured as Kringle (K) 4 repeat number; (2) total plasma Lp(a) level; (3) allele-specific apo(a) level assessing the amount of Lp(a) carried by an individual apo(a) allele/isoform; and (4) sex hormone levels. Results The mean age was 32 ± 6 years, and the mean BMI was 35 ± 8 with 66% of women classified as obese (BMI >30 kg/m2 ). LDL cholesterol was borderline high (3·37 mmol/l), and HDL cholesterol was low (1·06 mmol/l). The distribution of Lp(a) level was skewed towards lower levels with a median level of 22·1 nmol/l (IQR: 6·2-66·5 nmol/l). Lp(a) levels were not correlated with age, body weight or BMI. The median allele-specific apo(a) level was 10·6 nmol/l (IQR: 3·1-31·2 nmol/l), and the median apo(a) size was 27 (IQR: 23-30) K4 repeats. Allele-specific apo(a) levels were significantly and inversely correlated with K4 repeats (r = -0·298, P = 0·007). Neither Lp(a) nor allele-specific apo(a) levels were significantly associated with testosterone or dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels. Conclusions The apo(a) genetic variability remains the major regulator of plasma Lp(a) levels in women with PCOS.
Critical Psychologies of Religious Matters: A Late Modern Enterprise

Drawing upon illustrations of research in psychology and religion, this essay sketches a historical account of twentieth century scholarship in terms of three phases. In the early modern phase research was “problem-centered”: scholars customarily drew upon expertise in cognate areas of inquiry in solving a problem. In the modern phase research is “specialization-based”: scholars develop competence in the perspectives, concepts, and methods peculiar to their subfield. In the late modern phase research is “interdisciplinary” and “multidisciplinary”: scholars achieve proficiency in cognate subfields and acquire fluency in coordinating the assumptions, concepts, and methods of those subfields. This historical account provides the context and warrant for formulating an enterprise expressing the spirit of the late modern phase: critical psychologies of religious matters.
Behavioral responses to an alkylpyrazine from the mandibular gland of the antWasmannia auropunctata

Mandibular glands of the ant,Wasmannia auropunctata, contain 2,5-dimethyl-3-isopentylpyrazine, a compound which attracts nestmates to disturbed workers. During interspecific aggressive encounters, this small ant may utilize the alkylpyrazine as a repellent as well as disabling opponents with its potent sting venom. Alkylpyrazines have been previously identified as cephalic products from ants of the subfamilies Ponerinae, Formicinae, and Dolichoderinae but this is the first report of an alkylpyrazine from the mandibular glands of a member of the Myrmicinae.
Spectral Scaling in a Supersonic Reattaching Shear Layer

Simulations of a Mach 2.9 turbulent shear layer in a back-step/ramp configuration are performed using Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulations (IDDES) techniques. For this configuration, the separation point of the turbulent boundary layer is essentially fixed at the edge of the back-step, with the point of reattachment allowed to move freely along the ramp. The influence of boundary layer thickness at separation on the reattachment shock system is explored. Power spectra from the surface pressure fluctuations along the ramp are used to characterize the unsteady reattachment shock system and attempts are made to correlate the data through scaling.
Reasons and Precautions for Nurse-Patient Disputes In the Pediatric Outpatient Intravenous Transfusion Room

Objective: Discussing the factors relating to the Nurse-Patient disputes in Pediatric Intra-venous Transfusion Room,in order to realize the goal of a safe and efficient nursing in the outpatient transfu-sion room.Methods: on the basis of actual situation of our hospital and analysis of related factors,relevant countermeasures were proposed.Results:It is found that the medical environment and program,the nurses,pro-fessional skill and working attitude,the parents anxious feeling are all connected with the disputes.Conclusion: Through the improvement of medical circumstances and medical procedures,improving nurses business skill and the service requirements can reduce the occurrence of the dispute and promote the harmonious environment in the outpatient transfusion room,and realize the the goal of a safe and efficient nursing in the outpatient trans-fusion room
Linking Building Energy-Load Variations with Occupants’ Energy-Use Behaviors in Commercial Buildings: Non-Intrusive Occupant Load Monitoring (NIOLM)

Abstract Studies indicate that occupancy-related energy-use behaviors have a significant influence on overall energy consumption in commercial buildings. In this context, understanding and improving occupants’ energy-consuming behaviors shows promise as a cost-effective approach to decreasing commercial buildings’ energy demands. Current behavior-modification pursuits rely on the data availability of occupant-specific energy consumption, but it is still quite challenging to track occupant-specific energy-consuming behaviors in commercial buildings. On the other hand, individual occupants have unique energy-consumption patterns at their entry and departure events and will typically follow such patterns consistently over time. Thus, analyzing occupants’ energy-use patterns at the time of their entry and departure events plays a critical role in understanding individual occupants’ energy-use behaviors. To this end, this paper aims to develop a non-intrusive occupant load monitoring (NIOLM) approach that profiles individual occupants’ energy-use behaviors at their entry and departure events. The NIOLM approach correlates occupancy-sensing data captured from existing Wi-Fi networks with aggregated building energy-monitoring data in order to disaggregate building energy loads to the level of individual occupants. Results from a 3-month long period of tracking individual occupants validate the feasibility of the NIOLM approach by comparing the framework's outcomes with the individual metering data captured from plug-load sensors. By utilizing existing devices and Wi-Fi network infrastructure, NIOLM provides a new opportunity for current industry and research efforts to track individual occupants’ energy-use behaviors at a minimal cost.
High-performance battery electrodes via magnetic templating

In lithium-ion batteries, the critical need for high-energy-density, low-cost storage for applications ranging from wearable computing to megawatt-scale stationary storage has created an unmet need for facile methods to produce high-density, low-tortuosity, kinetically accessible storage electrodes. Here we show that magnetic control of sacrificial features enables the creation of directional pore arrays in lithium-ion electrodes. The directional pores result in faster charge transport kinetics and enable electrodes with more than threefold higher area capacity (for example, >12 mAh cm−2 versus <4 mAh cm−2 in conventional electrodes) at practical charge–discharge rates. We demonstrate these capabilities in laboratory cells under various test conditions, including an electric vehicle model drive cycle. Electrode materials with pores generally have high tortuosity, which is detrimental to battery performance. Here the authors develop a magnetic alignment approach that produces battery electrodes with low-tortuosity porosity and high capacity.
Conservatism Agonistes: Leaving the Stag Hunt

This chapter highlights the radicalism of modern American conservatism, which is out of step with Western political thought in its refusal to acknowledge most collective action problems and the active role that government must often play to solve them. It has inherited, however, a narrow set of ideas from Calvinism and social Darwinism, which deny the influence of circumstances on one’s destiny and, as a result, hold people accountable for their own successes and failures in life. The upshot is the modern conservative commitment to laissez faire, small government, and property rights.