cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aromaticity at position 37 in human epidermal growth factor is not obligatory for activity

The third disulfide loop (amino acids 33 to 42) of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) encompasses the region of highest amino acid conservation among all of the EGF-like family of molecules. The importance of some of these highly conserved residues for the maintenance of biological activity, especially the aromatic amino acid tyrosine at position 37, has until now been considered essential on the basis of previous studies with the EGF-like molecule transforming growth factor alpha. Variants at the Tyr-37 position of hEGF were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. The substituting amino acids were phenylalanine, histidine, serine, alanine, aspartic acid, arginine, and glycine. The variants were tested for their ability to competitively displace native [125I]hEGF from its receptor and to stimulate the protein-tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor; the order of efficacy of substituting amino acids was Phe greater than His greater than Ser greater than Ala greater than Asp greater than Arg greater than Gly in both assays. All were effective, with no or only moderate reduction in potency, in stimulating the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into acid-insoluble material of quiescent mouse A31 cells. Only Tyr-37----Ala, Tyr-37----Arg and Tyr-37----Gly were slightly less potent in the cell assay. Thus, neither tyrosine nor another aromatic amino acid at position 37 in hEGF is essential for full biological activity.
Inorganic Nutrient Use by Marine Microorganisms

The Major Nutrients Trace Elements as Enzyme Cofactors Sodium, Chlorine, Potassium, and Calcium: Osmotic Balance and Salt Bridges Keywords: nitrogen in marine microorganisms; marine environment; sphorus in marine microorganisms; siderophores in marine bacteria; silicon in marine microorganisms; trace elements in marine microorganisms
Disabled Yet Disqualified: Is It “Unreasonable” to Demand Accommodations for Employees with Depression Under the Americans with Disabilities Act?

What rights does an employee with depression have against discrimination in the workplace? Imagine, for example, Claudia Peterson, a hypothetical employee diagnosed with depression1 working in a typical nine-to-five office setting. Despite her depression, Claudia has consistently performed well; however, in order for her to seek treatment for her disorder she needs to take an extended lunch break once a week to meet with her therapist. Her employers do not want to grant the extended lunch break because they think Claudia merely wants a more favorable schedule than her co-workers. In response to her request, Claudia‘s employers reduce her hours from full-time to part-time employment. Does Claudia have any recourse against her employers? Is she entitled to such an accommodation?
Artificial Insemination: An Overview

This article presents an overview of the indications for and techniques of artificial insemination, including artificial insemination of husband's/partner's sperm and artificial insemination of donor sperm. Important issues related to psychologic, legal, and ethical concerns are addressed, as well as long-term ramifications and implications for nursing.
Computer service rates and user support

The meteoric decline in hardware costs now in progress will result in computing becoming a personnel-intensive enterprise. Most of this personnel will be devoted to software development and support of computing users. The financing and budgeting in most university computing centers is centered on hardware and computing cycles. How, then, can university computing best adapt to the changing economic structure of the information processing industry?Who should provide user support services? The central computing service center? Individual departments and/or colleges? Are there significant economies of scale in user support? If there are, do they outweigh the responsiveness that can be provided by a decentralized network of user support services?Who should pay for user support services? The users? The university? If the university pays, should centralized or decentralized arrangements be made for the services?Who should determine the level of expenditure on user support services? The market? The departments and colleges? The central administration? The computing center management?What will be the policy implications of the alternate answers to the questions above? Will they enhance or retard the decentralization of computing services? Will they encourage users to depend on internal or external facilities? Will they lead to a growth or decline of user support activity within the computing center?All of the above questions are now and have been debated strenuously regarding the provision of computing cycles. There is every reason to believe that the same debate will take place regarding support services. Strong user support services will be the sine qua non of high quality university computing in the future, and it will not be available unless we deal promptly with the issues of pricing, budgeting, and organization outlined above.
Effect of Pitch Rate on Near-Surface Topology on a Delta Wing

The near-surface flow structure and topology on a delta wing of moderate sweep angle are investigated using a technique of high-image-density digital particle image velocimetry. The focus is on the time evolution of the surface topology during relaxation of the flow after termination of a pitching maneuver for a wide range of pitch rates. The near-surface patterns at the instant corresponding to termination of the maneuver are a strong function of the magnitude of pitch rate and show substantial differences. On the other hand, irrespective of the severity of the flow distortion at the end of the pitching maneuver, the relaxation of the flow involves the same sequence of universal topological states. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that there exists a critical universal state that marks an abrupt transformationbetween twodistinctly different states of thenear-surface topology.Moreover, it is demonstrated that the changes of the topological features observed during the early stages of the relaxation process are analogous to the alterations of the surface patterns obtained for the stationary wing at smaller angles of attack.
Small sample properties of simultaneous error components models

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate the small properties of the simultaneous error components model's estimators in the static case, and to analyse the small sample and ‘semi-asymptotic’ properties of these estimators in the dynamic case.
The Challenger: Vadim Sidur and His Art

Abstract This article introduces the art of the Russian sculptor Vadim Abramovich Sidur (1924-86), whose innovative sculptural style contrasted the canons of Socialist Realism. Different periods in Sidur’s work are united by universal themes: love and violence, death and birth, the horror of war and its deadly effects on human life. His sculptural heritage is a symbolic reflection of the troubling reality of people whose existence is blighted by hatred and oppression in different forms and shapes. His work combines an apparent lack of emotion with an inner emotional strength that is highly expressive.
Faith Organizations and Ethnically Diverse Elders: A Community Action Model

SUMMARY In this article we argue that faith organizations should become involved in developing social service programs for older adults in the community. In the current political climate, the government is providing fewer social service programs, and future prospects for services are bleak. The literature provides evidence that religion and faith-based organizations are important in the lives of Americans, particularly the current cohort of ethnically diverse elders. Our earlier Korean church study found that Korean older people benefit from church-based services and church-involved, older Koreans had higher rates of well-being. Churches remain untapped resources and we believe they should be extensively involved in provision of community programs. We offer a twelve-step model for the development of community programs under the auspices of faith organizations: The Faith-Based Community Action Model (FBCAM).
Advanced clinical KCD scanner for digital radiography

One of the goals of medical imaging scientists and bioengineers remains the development of digital electronic technologies that can replace film-based methods of acquiring x-ray images. With the achievement of this goal, all diagnostic imaging technologies would be based on digital techniques with all the attending benefits. Based on the performance of numerous research prototype small-field and one large-field Kinestatic Charge Detector (KCD) system for digital radiography, a large-field clinical KCD scanner is currently being designed and built for technical evaluation and for clinical evaluation of 200 volunteer patients (including clinical comparisons with film, storage phosphor, and other available clinical systems). The state of development of this clinical KCD system, including detector, data-acquisition system and scanning gantry design, is reviewed in this paper.
Look Ma, no PCNA: how DNA polymerase ε synthesizes long stretches of DNA without a processivity factor

The long-awaited crystal structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA polymerase e reveals a unique domain never before observed in family B DNA polymerases. This novel domain endows polymerase e with a capacity for highly processive DNA synthesis.
Detergent application of the measurement of critical micelle concentration

The measurement of critical micelle concentration is discussed from the viewpoint of practical detergent application. Micelles are briefly characterized, and methods for measurement are discussed. The difficulties of measuring nonionic surfactant critical concentrations is indicated, and several applicable methods are described. The practical detergent applications of critical micelle concentration (cmc), as affected by electrolyte builder combinations, are illustrated. A concise summary of the principles governing micelle formation has been developed.
Assessing the Costs and Benefits Accruing to the Public from a Graduated Sanctions Program for Drug‐Using Defendants

This paper presents a cost-benefit analysis of the returns to the public from reductions in recidivism associated with a graduated sanctioning program for drug felony defendants. Estimates of program costs for operating a court-based drug testing and sanctioning program are presented with estimates of the value of potential benefits of averted criminal incidents and crime control. The results, based on the evaluation of the Superior Court Drug Intervention Program in Washington, D.C., found that the program saved two dollars in averted crime-related costs for every dollar spent on the program. This paper presents explicit description of the methods used to derive these results so that they may be applied to the evaluation of other experimental/quasi-experimental programs.
Iron (III) tris(monohydrogen phosphito) chloride—a novel complex

This paper describes the spectral and magnetic properties of a novel complex, iron(III) tris(monohydrogen phosphito) chloride, obtained unexpectedly by the reaction of ferric chloride, L-valine, and phosphorous acid.
Development and validation of PRISM: A survey tool to identify diabetes self-management barriers

Abstract Aims Although most children with type 1 diabetes do not achieve optimal glycemic control, no systematic method exists to identify and address self-management barriers. This study develops and validates PRISM (Problem Recognition in Illness Self-Management), a survey-based tool for efficiently identifying self-management barriers experienced by children/adolescents with diabetes and their parents. Methods Adolescents 13 years and older and parents of children 8 years and older visiting for routine diabetes management ( n = 425) were surveyed about self-management barriers. HbA1c was abstracted from the electronic health record. To develop PRISM, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used. To assess validity, the association of PRISM scores with HbA1c was examined using linear regression. Results Factor analyses of adolescent and parent data yielded well-fitting models of self-management barriers, reflecting the following domains: (1) Understanding and Organizing Care, (2) Regimen Pain and Bother, (3) Denial of Disease and Consequences, and (4) Healthcare Team, (5) Family, or (6) Peer Interactions. All models exhibited good fit, with χ 2 ratios 0.92, and weighted root mean square residuals Conclusions Our findings suggest at least six different domains exist within self-management barriers, nearly all of which are significantly related to HbA1c. PRISM could be used in clinical practice to identify each child and family's unique self-management barriers, allowing existing self-management resources to be tailored to the family's barriers, ultimately improving effectiveness of such services.
High-affinity DNA binding of HU protein from the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima.

Prokaryotic genomes are compacted by association with small basic proteins, generating what has been termed bacterial chromatin. The ubiquitous DNA-binding protein HU serves this function. DNA-binding properties of HU from the hyperthermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga maritima are shown here to differ significantly from those characteristic of previously described HU homologs. Electrophoretic mobility shift analyses show that T. maritima HU (TmHU) binds double-stranded DNA with high affinity (K(d)=5.6(+/-0.7) nM for 37 bp DNA). Equivalent affinity is observed between 4 degrees C and 45 degrees C. TmHU has higher affinity for DNA containing a set of 4 nt loops separated by 9 bp (K(d)=1.4(+/-0.3) nM), consistent with its introduction of two DNA kinks. Using DNA probes of varying length, the optimal binding site for TmHU is estimated at 37 bp, in sharp contrast to the 9-10 bp binding site reported for other HU homologs. Alignment of >60 HU sequences demonstrates significant sequence conservation: A DNA-intercalating proline residue is almost universally conserved, and it is preceded by arginine and asparagine in most sequences, generating a highly conserved RNP motif; V substitutes for R only in HU from Thermotoga, Thermus and Deinococcus. A fivefold increase in DNA-binding affinity is observed for TmHU in which V is replaced with R (TmHU-V61R; K(d)=1.1(+/-0.2) nM), but a change in the trajectory of DNA flanking the sites of DNA intercalation is inferred from analysis of TmHU-V61R binding to DNA modified with 4 nt loops or with substitutions of 5-hydroxymethyluracil for thymine. Survival in extreme environments places unique demands on protection of genomic DNA from thermal destabilization and on access of DNA to the cellular machinery, demands that may be fulfilled by the specific DNA-binding properties of HU and by the fine structure of the bacterial chromatin.
Isotonic Solutions: IV. Urea and Urea Derivatives

The purpose of the present investigation was to obtain data by the hemolytic method that might be of value in the preparation of isotonic solutions, since other methods generally used are based on assumptions often giving erroneous results. Experiments were conducted to determine what effect urea and various urea derivatives have in preventing hemolysis of rabbit and human erythrocytes.
Optimal reactor design from a geometric viewpoint — III. Critical CFSTRs

Abstract For a specified network of chemical reactions and a specified feed, the attainable region is the full set of outputs (in some suitable state space) that can be realized by means of all possible reactor configurations (within a generally broad class). The boundary of the attainable region and, in particular, its extreme points represent the outer limits of what is achievable. In a previous article we showed that, for the class of steady-state isothermal designs involving only reaction and mixing, critical combinations of plug flow reactors, sidestream reactors, and CFSTRs invariably play a crucial role in shaping the attainable region's boundary. In still another article, we deduced special design equations that critical sidestream reactors must respect. Here we show that CFSTRs giving rise to attainable region extreme points must also conform to certain special design equations. For a specified CFSTR feed, these equations indicate that there are only very exceptional (and generally computable) values of the residence time for which the effluent composition can be extreme. Moreover, these equations indicate how, for the specified kinetics, only certain exceptional compositions can serve simultaneously as CFSTR effluents and as attainable region extreme points.
Effect of cross sectional geometry on PDMS micro peristaltic pump performance: comparison of SU-8 replica molding vs. micro injection molding

Two different fabrication methods were employed to fabricate micropumps with different cross-sectional channel geometries. The first was to fabricate rectangular cross-sectional microchannel geometries using the well known fabrication method of replica molding (REM). The second, and far less utilized fabrication technique, was to create microchannel molds using an in-house fabricated handheld micro injection molding apparatus. The injection mold apparatus was designed for use with elastomeric room temperature vulcanization (RTV) polymers, as opposed to most other injection molding machines, which are designed for use with thermoplastic polymers. The injection mold's bottom plate was used as a microchannel molding template. The molding template was created by threading a small-diameter wire (150 μm or less) through the injection mold's bottom plate, with subsequent adhesion and smoothing of a thin piece of aluminum foil over the wire-raised injection mold template. When molded against, the template produced a rounded/Gaussian-shaped PDMS microchannel. The design of the injection mold will be presented, along with a direct comparison for micropump performance metrics such as flow rate, valving characteristics, and maximum backpressures attainable for each of the respective micropump channel geometries.
Collaborative fisheries management in the Northeast US: Emerging initiatives and future directions

Abstract The nature of participation by fishing organizations in fisheries management in the Northeast US is changing. Evidence of this is the number of groups that are actively seeking opportunities for group governance of marine resources. This article explores emerging collaborative or co-management arrangements in this region (a process whereby decision-making is shared between federal/council level and fishery stakeholder groups) and the shift towards an ecosystem-based approach to the management of marine fisheries. This research suggests that it is an opportune time for the development of a regional policy in the Northeast that provides an enabling environment in support of decentralized governance of federally managed marine fisheries. It also suggests that these initiatives can play a key role in operationalizing ecosystem-based management.
E1 protein of bovine papillomavirus 1 is not required for the maintenance of viral plasmid DNA replication.

Derivatives of bovine papillomavirus 1 (BPV1) with temperature-sensitive and dominant-negative mutation the E1 gene were used to determine the requirement for E1 in the maintenance of viral plasmid DNA replication. The abilities of these mutant BPV1 genomes to replicate as nuclear plasmids were monitored at permissive (32°C) and nonpermissive (37°C) temperatures in mouse C127 cells. We found that the temperature-sensitive E1 mutant BPV1 genomes replicate as nuclear plasmids as efficiently as does wild-type BPV1 in C127 cells after shifting to the nonpermissive temperature. These findings indicate that BPV1 does not require E1 for the maintenance of viral plasmids.
Is winter depression a bipolar disorder

Sixty-one winter depressive patients were evaluated for evidence of bipolar illness. Using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version and the General Behavior Inventory, only nine (15%) could be considered bipolar. On prospective evaluation of patients during the summer following winter depression, few showed signs of manic or hypomanic symptoms. Also, few patients had a family history of bipolar illness. When patients were asked to evaluate symptoms of winter depression, lack of energy was found to be the most prominent feature of the syndrome.
Do illustrations enhance preschoolers' memories for stories? Age-related change in the picture facilitation effect.

Abstract This study investigated whether illustrations facilitate story recall in preschoolers ( N = 58) 46 to 63 months of age. Each child was exposed to either a verbal story narrative with illustrations (Verbal and Picture condition), the narrative alone (Verbal Only condition), the narrative with uninformative illustrations (Verbal and Irrelevant Picture condition), or the illustrations alone (Picture Only condition). Children recalled the story immediately and after a 1-week delay. With increasing age, the Verbal and Picture group increasingly outperformed the other verbal groups, particularly when recalling central details conveyed by both narrative and illustrations. Performance did not vary among the three verbal groups at lower values of age, whereas the Verbal and Picture group recalled more than the other verbal groups at the older ages. Regardless of age, all verbal groups outperformed the Picture Only group, suggesting that preschoolers are unlikely to spontaneously generate a narrative from pictures alone.
How to stake a territory in the field of family therapy in three easy lessons

Three strategies to claim a piece of territory in the increasingly populated field of family therapy are spelled out and exemplified for easy use by readers.
Operator expectation values, self-energies, cutting rules, and higher-order processes in quantum many-body theory

Abstract The high-order structure of diagrammatic expansion in real-time many-body theory is examined. The existence of cutting rules is demonstrated for diagrams that can correspond to the expectation values of operator products, self-energies, etc. The rules permit one to express these quantities, as convolutions of retarded amplitudes with the Green's functions corresponding to densities, extending over the past of a many-body system. The quasiparticle limit of the results is discussed. As an example, the resummation is carried over the repeated interactions between excitations in a medium, for the self-energies that correspond to single-particle absorption and production rates. The imaginary nucleon optical potential, that is used in nuclear physics, is identical with the combination of the rates. Futher, the formulae for the absorption and production rates of collective excitations are derived.
On the diagnosis of minimal breast cancer in a screenee population

As a result of screening of 8100 consecutive volunteers, 67 breast cancers have been detected. Fourteen percent of these cancers were found in women aged 35-44 years. Eighty percent of the cancers found in this age group were minimal breast cancer. This percentage decreased significantly in each subsequent decade until age 65 years, or older, when it began to rise once more. While mammography was responsible for detecting the majority of in situ or minimal cancers, 13 were found on physical examination, six of which were found only by physical examination.
Structural optimization using biological variables to help understand how bones design holes

Bones do not normally fracture near blood vessel holes. This in part may be related to spatial distribution of porosity, mineralization, and microstructure observed near the holes, as these parameters are known to affect bone stiffness and strength. Material parameters representing physical variables are optimized in this paper using a simple two-dimensional model of the bone in an attempt to duplicate the observed material distributions. The objective is to minimize the failure index defined (stress-strength ratio) under a given uniaxial load. In addition to tailoring the elastic properties (by changing porosity and mineral density), and orthotropy (via optimizing material orientation) the study also investigates the effect of the shape of the hole. Of the three variables, shape was the most effective in minimizing the failure index, followed by tailoring of the elastic properties and lastly material orientation. The elastic modulus distribution in the optimum design was similar to that observed around foramen holes in bones. The contributions of the physical variables in minimizing the failure index were almost independent of each other. The optimization was able to reduce the failure index compared to a hole in a homogeneous plate but was not sufficient to prevent failure at the hole. This can be attributed to the limitations of the shape functions used to describe the spatial distribution of mineralization and volume fraction and limitations in models used to relate composition and microstructure to elastic properties. The shape functions used to describe the spatial distribution of mineral mass fraction and volume fraction and the constraints imposed on them resulted in a non-convex design space.
Induction of tyrosine-3-monooxygenase in superior cervical ganglia after axotomy of postganglionic nerves.

Abstract Interruption of the major postganglionic nerve fibres did not prevent the induction of tyrosine-3-monooxygenase elicited by trans-synaptic or direct stimulation of postsynaptic receptors in superior cervical ganglia. The results suggest that the induction of tyrosine-3-monooxygenase does not depend on an intact retrograde transport system for trophic substances.
Health goal cognition and adjustment in women with fibromyalgia.

The purpose of this study was to identify individual differences in symptom-specific goal for persons diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and to determine whether those differences are related to adjustment outcomes. Women with FMS (N = 71) rank ordered 12 FMS-specific goals and completed a packet of psychosocial outcome measures. Cluster analysis suggested that there were three relatively homogeneous subgroups defined. Cluster 1 ranked goals related to seeking professional care higher than all other groups. Cluster 2 ranked self-sufficiency goals higher than the other two groups. Cluster 3 ranked social-validation goals higher than the other two clusters. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) and post-hoc tests showed that goal profiles covaried with differences in pain, negative affect, goal-specific social support, general social support, goal-related interference, and negative life events. Differences between groups are discussed in the context of proposed relations between goals and environmental support.
Activity of the uptake-1 norepinephrine transporter as measured by I-123 MIBG in heart failure patients with a loss-of-function polymorphism of the presynaptic α2C-adrenergic receptor

Abstract Background Patients with a deletion of 4 consecutive amino acids in the gene encoding for the α2C–adrenergic receptor (α2CDel322-325) have an increased prevalence of clinical heart failure, worse clinical status, and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction compared with patients without this deletion. We postulated that patients with the α2CDel322-325 polymorphism would have a compensatory increase in norepinephrine uptake-1 transporter activity as measured by iodine 123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG). Methods and results Thirty-nine patients with heart failure related to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were studied. Demographic characteristics, left ventricular ejection fraction, maximum oxygen consumption, exercise duration, and plasma norepinephrine levels did not differ between patients with the α2C receptor polymorphism (n = 9) and those without it (n = 30). Patients with the α2CDel322-325 polymorphism had significantly greater heart-to-mediastinum ratios of I-123 MIBG at 4 hours after tracer injection (1.60 ± 0.19 vs 1.41 ± 0.19, P = .0117) and greater background-corrected heart counts per pixel at 4 hours compared with patients without the polymorphism. Conclusions Patients with genetic impairment of the α2C–adrenergic receptor have augmented activity of the norepinephrine uptake-1 transporter as measured by I-123 MIBG. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism by which uptake-1 transporter activity is increased in this setting.
Perceptual quality of video with frame rate variation: A subjective study

This work investigates the impact of periodic frame rate variation on perceptual video quality. Among many dimensions of frame rate variation, as a first step we focus on videos in which two frame rates alternate over fixed intervals. We present subjective test results, and analyze the influence of several factors (including the average frame rate, the frame rate deviation, and the video content) on the perceptual quality.
Water soluble I blood group substance in the secretions of rhesus monkeys.

. Water soluble I blood group substance is present in the milk and saliva of rhesus monkeys, but the antigen is not present on their red cells. The AB and I group antigens thus have a parallel distribution on the cells and in the secretions of these animals. The results support the conclusion of other workers that the ABO and I group antigens are closely interrelated.
Assessment of Sexual Preference Using a Choice Reaction Time Task

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of a choice reaction time task, during which slides of sexually explicit and neutral stimuli were used as an interference task, to differentiate between groups of individuals on the basis of their sexual preference. Twenty subjects, in each of the four groups (heterosexual males, heterosexual females, homosexual males, and homosexual females), participated in this study. Sexual orientation was determined by self-report. Subjects were given a choice reaction time with interference task, followed by a recall incidental learning task. A significant higher-order interaction was found among gender, orientation, and stimulus type for all four groups. This interaction indicated a longer reaction time to slides depicting preferred sexual partners than to nonpreferred sexual partners or neutral scenes. These results indicate that sexual arousal does interfere with cognitive processing. A main effect for gender was found for the incidental learning task, with males having the fewest errors.
Model of Transcriptional Activation by MarA in Escherichia coli

The AraC family transcription factor MarA activates approximately 40 genes (the marA/soxS/rob regulon) of the Escherichia coli chromosome resulting in different levels of resistance to a wide array of antibiotics and to superoxides. Activation of marA/soxS/rob regulon promoters occurs in a well-defined order with respect to the level of MarA; however, the order of activation does not parallel the strength of MarA binding to promoter sequences. To understand this lack of correspondence, we developed a computational model of transcriptional activation in which a transcription factor either increases or decreases RNA polymerase binding, and either accelerates or retards post-binding events associated with transcription initiation. We used the model to analyze data characterizing MarA regulation of promoter activity. The model clearly explains the lack of correspondence between the order of activation and the MarA-DNA affinity and indicates that the order of activation can only be predicted using information about the strength of the full MarA-polymerase-DNA interaction. The analysis further suggests that MarA can activate without increasing polymerase binding and that activation can even involve a decrease in polymerase binding, which is opposite to the textbook model of activation by recruitment. These findings are consistent with published chromatin immunoprecipitation assays of interactions between polymerase and the E. coli chromosome. We find that activation involving decreased polymerase binding yields lower latency in gene regulation and therefore might confer a competitive advantage to cells. Our model yields insights into requirements for predicting the order of activation of a regulon and enables us to suggest that activation might involve a decrease in polymerase binding which we expect to be an important theme of gene regulation in E. coli and beyond.
Biomarkers of adult and developmental neurotoxicity

Neurotoxicity may be defined as any adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system by a biological, chemical, or physical agent. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to assess adult and developmental neurotoxicity due to the complex and diverse functions of the nervous system. The overall strategy for understanding developmental neurotoxicity is based on two assumptions: (1) significant differences in the adult versus the developing nervous system susceptibility to neurotoxicity exist and they are often developmental stage dependent; (2) a multidisciplinary approach using neurobiological, including gene expression assays, neurophysiological, neuropathological, and behavioral function is necessary for a precise assessment of neurotoxicity. Application of genomic approaches to developmental studies must use the same criteria for evaluating microarray studies as those in adults including consideration of reproducibility, statistical analysis, homogenous cell populations, and confirmation with non-array methods. A study using amphetamine to induce neurotoxicity supports the following: (1) gene expression data can help define neurotoxic mechanism(s), (2) gene expression changes can be useful biomarkers of effect, and (3) the site-selective nature of gene expression in the nervous system may mandate assessment of selective cell populations.
Water potential, temperature, and clay-coating of Beauveria bassiana conidia: effect on Spodoptera exigua pupal mortality in two soil types.

Abstract When Spodoptera exigua pupae were buried for 10 days at 24°C in nonsterile soil inoculated with Beauveria bassiana conidia, 1 × 10 7 conidia/cm 3 of soil was the lowest conidial density to produce disease in pupae and adults. At water potentials of −37 and −200 bars (24°C), adult emergence was reduced when 3.2 × 10 7 or 1 × 10 8 conidia/cm 3 was used in Yolo fine sandy loam (YFSL) and Staten peaty muck (peat). In these dry soils, adult emergence was as low as 6% at 1 × 10 8 conidia/cm 3 . At water potentials of −0.3, −2, and −15 bars, a concentration of 1 × 10 8 conidia/cm 3 was necessary to reduce adult emergence. In these treatments, 18 to 62% of the pupae eclosed to the adult stage. Thus, adult emergence was greater at water potentials from −0.3 to −15 bars that at −37 and −200 bars. Also at −0.3 and −2 bars, adult emergence was greater in peat than in YFSL. Uninoculated control soils had 85–94% adult emergence. Adult emergence increased as the temperature decreased from 25° to 8°C. At 8°C, adult emergence was the same in inoculated and uninoculated soil. Clay-coating of conidia, to increase conidial longevity, did not influence S. exigua mortality.
Forecasting of global and direct solar irradiance using stochastic learning methods, ground experiments and the NWS database

We develop and validate a medium-term solar irradiance forecasting model by adopting predicted meteorological variables from the US National Weather Service’s (NWS) forecasting database as inputs to an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. Since the inputs involved are the same as the ones available from a recently validated forecasting model, we include mean bias error (MBE), root mean square error (RMSE), and correlation coefficient (R2) comparisons between the more established forecasting model and the proposed ones. An important component of our study is the development of a set of criteria for selecting relevant inputs. The input variables are selected using a version of the Gamma test combined with a genetic algorithm. The solar geotemporal variables are found to be critically important, while the most relevant meteorological variables include sky cover, probability of precipitation, and maximum and minimum temperatures. Using the relevant input sets identified by the Gamma test, the developed forecasting models improve RMSEs for GHI by 10–15% over the reference model. Prediction intervals based on regression of the squared residuals on the input variables are also derived.
Attitudes and perceived approval of drinking as mediators of the relationship between the importance of religion and alcohol use.

Objective: Previous research has consistently demonstrated that religiosity and personal importance of religion are associated with lower levels of alcohol use among both adolescents and college students. Although a number of different mechanisms have been proposed to account for this, few studies have empirically examined potential mediators of this relationship. Given the extensive literature on the impact of social norms on the drinking behavior of college students, the present study evaluates the role of perceived drinking norms as a mediator of the relationship between the importance of religion and alcohol use. Specifically, we examined both personal attitudes and perceived injunctive norms with regard to reference groups that vary in their proximity to students (i.e., close friends and typical college students). Method: Participants were 1,400 undergraduate students (60.6% women) who were assessed using self-report measures of alcohol consumption, importance of religion, attitudes, and perceived no...
Inverse source problem for three-dimensional partially coherent sources and fields

The inverse source problem for arbitrary, three-dimensional, wide-sense stationary, spatially and temporally partially coherent sources is formulated. The formulation is based on an extension of the Porter–Bojarski inverse source integral equation (ISIE) for deterministic fields and is developed in the space–frequency domain. The known data are assumed to be the cross-spectral density of the field generated by the source, along with its normal derivative, elevated on a surface enclosing the support volume of the source, whereas the unknown is the cross-spectral density of the source itself. The solution of the partially coherent ISIE is shown to be nonunique, the nonuniqueness being intimately related to the nonuniqueness of the corresponding deterministic equation. Special cases of source coherence are shown to lead to unique inversions; however, the results do not completely parallel the deterministic case. An exact solution for the radiating portion of the source cross-spectral density is presented in the form of an eigenfunction expansion, and this is compared with the space-frequency expansion developed by Wolf [ J. Opt. Soc. Am.72, 343 ( 1982)] for arbitrary source cross-spectral densities.
Hierarchical tree-based versus ordinary least squares linear regression models : Theory and example applied to trip generation

Given the continual need for transportation professionals to forecast trends and the increasing availability of sophisticated and improved modeling methods in new and improved software packages, new methods should be explored to determine whether they can replace or supplement more classical statistical methods. One commonly used classical statistical technique for relating a continuous dependent variable with one or more independent variables (continuous or discrete) is ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. This method is routinely applied in transportation to forecast such things as energy use, trip attractions, trip productions, automobile emissions, and growth in vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Despite its widespread use and tremendous utility, however, OLS regression has limitations. It does not deal well with multicollinear independent variables, interactions between independent variables must be specified, the functional relationship between dependent and independent variables must be known (or ap...
Kinetics of metastability in doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon

Abstract Thermodynamic equilibrium of doped hydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si: H) is explored using dark-conductivity measurements of small thermal perturbations. Raising the temperature increases the electron and hole densities owing to the activation of additional dopants, while decreasing the temperature causes the opposite effect of dopant passivation. The equilibration kinetics of P- and B-doped material are different and depend strongly on the deposition temperature. The activation kinetics of P-doped a-Si:H follow a stretched exponential with a temperature-independent β value of 0.85 whereas dopant passivation in the same temperature range is also stretched-exponential decay, but with values of β<0.8. In contrast, the kinetics of B activation and passivation are of a stretched-exponential type with equal β values. The time constant τ to achieve equilibrium for both activation and passivation is thermally activated with energies of about 1.1 eV for P- and B-doped a-Si: H. τ has a weak dependence on th...
Identification of essential residues in potyvirus proteinase HC-pro by site-directed mutagenesis

Two virus-encoded proteinases are responsible for proteolysis of potyvirus polyproteins. One of these, HC-Pro, is a multifunctional protein that autolytically cleaves at its carboxyl-terminus (J.C. Carrington et al., 1989, EMBO J. 8, 365-370). To identify the class of proteinase to which HC-Pro belongs, tobacco etch virus (TEV) HC-Pro mutants containing single amino acid substitutions at serine, cysteine, aspartic acid, and histidine positions were synthesized by in vitro transcription and translation and were tested for autoproteolytic activity. Combinations of these residues are constituents of the active sites of diverse groups of cellular and viral proteinases. Only those positions that were strictly conserved among four potyvirus HC-Pro proteolytic domains (for which sequences have been deduced) were mutagenized. Of the 19 mutant proteinases synthesized and tested, only those with alterations at Cys-649 and His-722 were defective for HC-Pro autolytic activity. Most of the other mutant proteinases exhibited no impairments in processing kinetics experiments. The spectrum of essential residues, as defined by this genetic analysis, supports the hypothesis that HC-Pro most closely resembles members of the cysteine-type family of proteinases.
A burst-dependent hippocampal excitability defect elicited by potassium at the developmental onset of spike-wave seizures in the Tottering mutant

Hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons in the adult epileptic mutant mouse tottering (tg) show normal intrinsic membrane properties, yet fire abnormally prolonged paroxysmal depolarizing shifts (PDS) during in vitro exposure to elevated extracellular potassium solutions. Intracellular recordings in immature mutants reveal that this network burst abnormality is present during the developmental period that coincides with the onset of seizures in the mutant (19-20 postnatal days), and is significantly more pronounced at this age than at adulthood. These data are inconsistent with the hypothesis that the mutant PDS prolongation represents a secondary consequence of a prolonged history of repeated seizures and suggest that it may reflect a cellular epileptogenic phenotype more directly related to the primary neuropathological expression of the tg gene.
On the projectivity of B-ovals

In this paper, a method of coordinatizing a B-oval is introduced which gives rise to a ternary ring structure called anoval ternary ring (or OTR). By examining these OTR's, we can deduce sufficient conditions for a B-oval to be projective. The connections between OTR's and the Hall ternary rings, which arise from the coordinatization of a projective plane, are also examined.
The hydrothermal synthesis and crystal growth of various whitlockites and a manganese containing graftonite

Abstract Single crystals of whitlockite, Ca18M2H2(PO4)14, with M2+ = Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu, and Ca2Mn(PO4)2, which crystallizes in the graftonite structure-type, have been produced hydrothermally by reacting the appropriate metal orthophosphate and hydroxyapatite in a 0.1MH3PO4 mineralizer solution.
Part of speech tagging in context

We present a new HMM tagger that exploits context on both sides of a word to be tagged, and evaluate it in both the unsupervised and supervised case. Along the way, we present the first comprehensive comparison of unsupervised methods for part-of-speech tagging, noting that published results to date have not been comparable across corpora or lexicons. Observing that the quality of the lexicon greatly impacts the accuracy that can be achieved by the algorithms, we present a method of HMM training that improves accuracy when training of lexical probabilities is unstable. Finally, we show how this new tagger achieves state-of-the-art results in a supervised, non-training intensive framework.
Randomized trial comparing needle-knife and pull-sphincterotome techniques for pancreatic sphincterotomy in high-risk patients.

Background Accepted techniques for pancreatic sphincterotomy include use of a needle knife or a pull sphincterotome to ablate the sphincter. There are no prospective studies comparing outcomes between both techniques. Aim Compare post–ERCP pancreatitis rates among high-risk patients undergoing pancreatic sphincterotomy with the pull-sphincterotome versus needle-knife technique. Study Design Prospective, randomized trial. Methods Patients diagnosed with pancreatic sphincter hypertension at sphincter of Oddi manometry were randomized to undergo pancreatic sphincterotomy with a pull sphincterotome (followed by pancreatic stenting) or a needle knife over a pancreatic stent. Main Outcome Measurements To compare post-ERCP pancreatitis rates between the pull-sphincterotome and needle-knife groups. Results Forty-eight patients were randomized. Patient demographics and the incidence of patient and procedure risk factors for pancreatitis were similar in both treatment groups. The trial was stopped early after an interim analysis showed that post-ERCP pancreatitis was significantly higher among patients undergoing sphincterotomy with a pull sphincterotome than a needle knife (7/24 = 29% [95% CI 13-51] vs 0/24 = 0% [95% CI 0-12]; P = .01). No other complications were encountered. At a mean follow-up of 12 months (range 6-18 months), 60% of patients had complete symptom relief, 15% partial symptom relief, and 25% recurrent symptoms. Reintervention rates and clinical outcomes were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Limitations Short duration of follow-up. Conclusions Pancreatic sphincterotomy is safer in high-risk patients when performed with a needle knife over a pancreatic stent.
Suppository Preparation: Density Factor Determination for Some Over-the-Counter Analgesic Products:

Background: The formulation of analgesic suppositories by the compounding pharmacist may offer an alternative to patients who cannot take medications orally. Objective: To determine the density factor (DF) for 9 nonprescription nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, aspirin, and acetaminophen for use in compounding suppositories. Methods: Nine nonprescription analgesic products were purchased from local stores in North Carolina. All products were solid dosage forms (ie, tablets, caplets, or geltabs). The solid units were pulverized with a porcelain mortar and pestle and then incorporated into a cocoa butter base for formulating the suppository. The DF estimation was evaluated according to the Paddock method. Results: The highest DF value (mean ± SD) among the products tested was for St. Joseph Aspirin (1.45 ± 0.78); the lowest value was for Motrin IB (ibuprofen) (1.06 ± 0.23). Overall, 11.1% (40/360) of all compounded suppositories had some sort of defect. The most often encountered defect was chipping (3.6%; 13/360); the least encountered was sticking to molds (0.83%; 3/360). Conclusions: A practical method for preparing compounded suppositories provides a viable alternative for patients who require analgesic medications but cannot take them orally.