cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic interactions between clathrin and locally structured elements in a disordered protein mediate clathrin lattice assembly.

Abstract Assembly of clathrin lattices is mediated by assembly/adaptor proteins that contain domains that bind lipids or membrane-bound cargo proteins and clathrin binding domains (CBDs) that recruit clathrin. Here, we characterize the interaction between clathrin and a large fragment of the CBD of the clathrin assembly protein AP180. Mutational, NMR chemical shift, and analytical ultracentrifugation analyses allowed us to precisely define two clathrin binding sites within this fragment, each of which is found to bind weakly to the N-terminal domain of the clathrin heavy chain (TD). The locations of the two clathrin binding sites are consistent with predictions from sequence alignments of previously identified clathrin binding elements and, by extension, indicate that the complete AP180 CBD contains ∼ 12 degenerate repeats, each containing a single clathrin binding site. Sequence and circular dichroism analyses have indicated that the AP180 CBD is predominantly unstructured and our NMR analyses confirm that this is largely the case for the AP180 fragment characterized here. Unexpectedly, unlike the many proteins that undergo binding-coupled folding upon interaction with their binding partners, the AP180 fragment is similarly unstructured in its bound and free states. Instead, we find that this fragment exhibits localized β-turn-like structures at the two clathrin binding sites both when free and when bound to clathrin. These observations are incorporated into a model in which weak binding by multiple, pre-structured clathrin binding elements regularly dispersed throughout a largely unstructured CBD allows efficient recruitment of clathrin to endocytic sites and dynamic assembly of the clathrin lattice.
Image Fidelity Improvements in Turbid Confocal Microscopy by Modal Imaging

Experimental support of bi-modal field redistribution in the suppression of scattered background is presented; a 2.5X improvement in image fidelity is realized. This work points to a more useful point spread function for turbid imaging.
Vernacular dialogue and the rhetoricality of public opinion

Discussions of public opinion are dominated by visions that regard it as a rational ideal or as an objective datum. The evident differences between these interpretations reflect distinct ideologies and disparate scholarly and research interests. Without gainsaying their consequences, attention to these differences has muffled their shared illumination of public opinion as a product of discourse. Even when they give discourse thematic priority, rhetorical norms become buried amidst the rationalism of ideal communication or the instrumentalism of degenerate manipulation. Neither characterization shows satisfactory empirical fidelity to the complex process whereby public opinion is formed and communicated because neither accounts for the dialogical engagements by which an active populace participates in an issue's development; the contours of the public sphere that color their levels of awareness, perception, and participation; the influence on opinion formation of sharing views with one another; and the ter...
Differences in geometry of pedestrian crashes in daylight and darkness.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have shown that increased risk in darkness is particularly great for pedestrian crashes, suggesting that attempts to improve headlighting should focus on factors that likely influence those crashes. The current analysis was designed to provide information about how details of pedestrian crashes may differ between daylight and darkness. Method: All pedestrian crashes that occurred in daylight or dark conditions in Michigan during 2004 were analyzed in terms of the variables included in the State of Michigan crash database. Additional analysis of the narratives and diagrams in police accident reports was performed for a subset of 400 of those crashes-200 sampled from daylight and 200 sampled from darkness. Results: Several differences were found that appear to be related to the characteristic asymmetry of low-beam headlamps, which (in the United States) distributes more light on the passenger's side than the driver's side of the vehicle. These results provide preliminary quantification of the how the photometric differences between the right and left sides of typical headlamps may affect pedestrian crash risk. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The results suggest that efforts to provide supplemental forward vehicle lighting in turns may have safety benefits for pedestrians. Language: en
Ascorbic acid reduces the dopamine depletion induced by MPTP

The administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to mice was found to cause a long-lasting depletion of striatal dopamine concentrations, but did not alter striatal serotonin concentrations. The concomitant administration of ascorbic acid attenuated this MPTP-induced dopamine depletion. These observations are discussed in reference to the possible mechanisms through which MPTP exerts its neurotoxic actions on dopaminergic neurons.
Attention and visual perception

Somewhere between the retina and our conscious visual experience, the majority of the information impinging on the eye is lost. We are typically aware of only either the most salient parts of a visual scene or the parts that we are actively paying attention to. Recent research on visual neurons in monkeys is beginning to show how the brain both selects and discards incoming visual information. For example, what happens to the responses of visual neurons when attention is directed to one element, such as an oriented colored bar, embedded among an array of other oriented bars? Some of this research shows that attention to the oriented bar restricts the receptive field of visual neurons down to this single element. However, other research shows that attention to this single element affects the responses of neurons with receptive fields throughout the visual field. In this review, these two seemingly contradictory results are shown to actually be mutually consistent. A simple computational model is described that explains these results, and also provides a framework for predicting a variety of additional neurophysiological, neuroimaging and behavioral studies of attention.
Federal Register document image database

A new, fully-automated process has been developed at NIST to derive ground truth for document images. The method involves matching optical character recognition (OCR) results from a page with typesetting files for an entire book. Public domain software used to derive the ground truth is provided in the form of Perl scripts and C source code, and includes new, more efficient string alignment technology and a word- level scoring package. With this ground truthing technology, it is now feasible to produce much larger data sets, at much lower cost, than was ever possible with previous labor- intensive, manual data collection projects. Using this method, NIST has produced a new document image database for evaluating Document Analysis and Recognition technologies and Information Retrieval systems. The database produced contains scanned images, SGML-tagged ground truth text, commercial OCR results, and image quality assessment results for pages published in the 1994 Federal Register. These data files are useful in a wide variety of experiments and research. There were roughly 250 issues, comprised of nearly 69,000 pages, published in the Federal Register in 1994. This volume of the database contains the pages of 20 books published in January of that year. In all, there are 4711 page images provided, with 4519 of them having corresponding ground truth. This volume is distributed on two ISO-9660 CD- ROMs. Future volumes may be released, depending on the level of interest.
Molecular characterization and functional expression of a substance P receptor from the sympathetic ganglion of Rana catesbeiana

Abstract Substance P is an important neuropeptide neurotransmitter in the central, autonomic and enteric nervous systems. In sympathetic ganglia, substance P is thought to play a role in modulating synaptic transmission. Release of substance P by neuronal stimulation or direct application of substance P to ganglionic neurons increases neuronal excitability. An amphibian substance P receptor complementary DNA has been cloned and characterized from bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana , sympathetic ganglion complementary DNA libraries. The deduced primary structure contains features indicative of a seven transmembrane domain G-protein-coupled receptor. The deduced protein sequence shows 69% identity to previously cloned mammalian substance P receptors. In situ hybridization analysis performed on bullfrog sympathetic ganglia using digoxigenin-labelled complementary RNA probe demonstrated that approximately 75% of the principal neurons displayed reaction product above background levels. Radioligand binding studies were performed on stably transfected cells with [ 125 I]Tyr-1-substance P as the ligand. Substance P had an IC 50 of 16 nM and the agonist potency profile was substance P>neurokinin A>>neurokinin B. The order of potency for three tachykinins to increase intracellular calcium when applied to a stably transfected clonal cell line was substance P>neurokinin A>>neurokinin B. This order of agonist potency also held for inhibition of the M-type potassium current in intact bullfrog sympathetic neurons. The non-peptide substance P antagonists CP-96345 and RP-67580 at concentrations that block mammalian substance P receptors had little or no effect on the responses to substance P at the bullfrog receptor. Overall, these results demonstrate that the cloned sequence has the features consistent with and characteristic of a substance P receptor. The results are discussed with reference to the established pharmacology of the bullfrog substance P receptor and known structure–activity relationships of mammalian tachykinin receptors.
Effect of mechanical interactions on the scaling of fracture length and aperture

The aperture (or opening) of a fracture indicates the energy available for fracture growth and controls fracture permeability. The relationship between aperture and fracture length can therefore be used to infer the factors affecting fracture formation at different length scales and is of practical importance to hydrogeologists and petroleum engineers. A recent study1 of the scaling properties of tensile fractures in the Krafla fissure swarm, Iceland, revealed a distinct break in slope in the aperture–length scaling relationship, corresponding to fractures a few metres in length: this break in slope was interpreted qualitatively as indicative of non-universal, scale-dependent growth mechanisms1. Here we show, using quantitative fracture simulations, that the observed non-universal scaling of fracture apertures can be reproduced without recourse to multiple growth mechanisms. We argue that the break in slope is instead intrinsic to the fracturing process and represents the maximum length scale at which the apertures of smaller fractures are affected by stress perturbations induced by larger fractures.
The Role of Hospitalists in the Management of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Heart failure and episodes of acute decompensated heart failure have an important effect on the US health care system, especially the elderly Medicare population. Efforts to improve the quality of care for patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure have focused on creating standardized treatment guidelines based on substantial clinical evidence, but inadequate implementation of these guidelines continues to result in excess morbidity and mortality from heart failure. Hospitalists specializing in inpatient treatment strategies may play an important role in implementing clinical guidelines because their main commitment is to overall clinical treatment of inpatients. This review focuses on current recommended guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of patients with acute decompensated heart failure and the hospitalist's role in providing the oversight needed to adhere to these guidelines and manage this complex disease state.
Research Note: Affective Responses to Everyday Life Events and Music Listening:

This study investigated the relation between self-reported affective response to everyday life events and affective responses to music listening. The influence of formal music training on affective responses to music was also assessed. Undergraduate music and non-music majors (N = 107) first completed the Affect Intensity Measure (AIM), then a music-related survey assessing the subjects' affective attitudes to their preferred music (habitual responsiveness) and three similar surveys with corresponding listening examples (situational responsiveness). Two of the four AIM sub-scales showed small significant correlations with habitual responsiveness. AIM sub-scales did not reliably predict situational responsiveness, whereas preference ratings for the examples and habitual responsiveness did. Music majors reported significantly higher responsiveness than non-musicians; however, both groups did not differ reliably on AIM sub-scales. It is argued that reported affective response in music is partially mediated b...
Role of stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase in lipid metabolism

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) (EC 1.14.99.5) is an endoplasmic reticulum-bound enzyme that catalyzes the Δ9-cis desaturation of saturated fatty acyl-CoAs, the preferred substrates being palmitoyl- and stearoyl-CoA, which are converted to palmitoleoyl- and oleoyl-CoA, respectively. These monounsaturated fatty acids are used as substrates for the synthesis of triglycerides, wax esters, cholesteryl esters and membrane phospholipids. The saturated to monounsaturated fatty acid ratio affects membrane phospholipid composition and alteration in this ratio has been implicated in a variety of disease states including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, neurological disease, skin disorders and cancer. Thus, the expression of SCD is of physiological importance in normal and disease states. Several mammalian SCD genes have been cloned. A single human, three mouse and two rat are the best characterized SCD genes. The physiological role of each SCD isoform and the reason for having three or more SCD gene isoforms in the rodent genome are currently unknown. A clue as to the physiological role of the SCD, at least SCD1 gene and its endogenous products came from recent studies of asebia mouse strains that have a natural mutation in the SCD1 gene and a mouse model with a targeted disruption of the SCD1 gene. In this review we discuss our current understanding of the physiological role of SCD in lipid synthesis and metabolism.
Strain rate effects on the nonlinear development of hydrodynamically unstable flames

Abstract In this study we numerically implement the hydrodynamic model for a premixed flame as a nonlinear free boundary problem where the flame is tracked via a level set equation and the flow is described by a solution of the variable density Navier–Stokes equations. Unlike an earlier similar study, the present model is enriched by fully accounting for hydrodynamic strain in the flame stretch relation which, in turn, affects the local flame speed. The objective is to comprehensively analyze the effect of strain on the onset of the hydrodynamic instability and on the nonlinear development that takes place beyond its inception. The initial evolution is corroborated with the results of a linear stability analysis for which strain rate effects are fully included. We show that while strain provides an additional stabilizing effect on the short wavelength disturbances, thereby delaying the onset of the hydrodynamic instability, it acts to sharpen the cusps near the troughs of the corrugated flame that develops beyond the stability threshold resulting in a larger flame surface area and a higher propagation speed.
Remembering emotional events.

Recent experiments have implied that emotional arousal causes a narrowing of attention and, therefore, impoverished memory encoding. In contrast, other studies have found that emotional arousal enhances memory for all aspects of an event. We report two experiments investigating whether these differing results are due to the different retention intervalsemployed.inpaststudies or to their different categorization schemes for the to-be-remembered- materiaL-Our results indicate a small role for retention interval in moderating emotion’s effects on memory. However, emotion had markedly different impacts on different types of material: Emotion improved memory for gist and basic-level visual information and for plot-irrelevant details associated, both temporally and spatially, with the event’s center. In contrast, emotion undermined memory for details not associated with the event’s center. The mechanisms for emotion’s effects are discussed.
Vaginal contraceptive activity of aryl 4-guanidinobenzoates (acrosin inhibitors) in rabbits☆

Abstract Nine aryl 4-guanidinobenzoates were synthesized as inhibitors of the sperm enzyme acrosin. These esters were prepared from 4-guanidinobenzoic acid and a number of phenols which had been approved by the FDA for clinical use. The vaginal contraceptive activity of the inhibitors was evaluated in the rabbit at nonspermicidal concentrations (0.1 mg/ml). All the inhibitors except the 2′-carboxamidophenyl and the 2′-isopropyl-5′-methylphenyl 4-guanidinobenzoates caused significant reductions in fertilization compared to the controls. Several of the aryl 4-guanidinobenzoates appeared to be particularly effective. Nonoxynol-9, under the same conditions but at 10- and 100-fold higher concentrations, also showed an antifertility effect. However, even at these increased dose levels, the contraceptive efficacy of nonoxynol-9 was no higher than that of most of the inhibitors and was less consistent than that of the most active aryl 4-guanidinobenzoates. The relatively high in vivo antifertility activity exhibited by several of the aryl 4-guanidinobenzoates encourages their further evaluation as vaginal contraceptive agents.
Ultrasonic spray deposition for production of organic solar cells

Abstract Recent improvements of organic photovoltaic power conversion efficiencies have motivated development of scalable processing techniques. We compare chlorobenzene and p-xylene, as solvents with similar bulk properties, in a case study of ultrasonic spray depositions of bulk heterojunction layers in photovoltaic devices. Structure and morphology of spray-deposited films are investigated via small-angle X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy. Unique phases are observed in bulk heterostructure films sprayed from p-xylene. Films sprayed from chlorobenzene resulted in higher device efficiencies than p-xylene due to large differences in film morphologies. Carrier loss mechanisms are also investigated. Post-production annealing increases power conversion efficiency to 3.2% when chlorobenzene is used.
Evidence that the ability to respond to a calcium stimulus in exocytosis is determined by the secretory granule membrane: Comparison of exocytosis of injected bovine chromaffin granule membranes and endogenous cortical granules in Xenopus laevis oocytes

1. To understand better the mechanisms which govern the sensitivity of secretory vesicles to a calcium stimulus, we compared the abilities of injected chromaffin granule membranes and of endogenous cortical granules to undergo exocytosis inXenopus laevis oocytes and eggs in response to cytosolic Ca2+. Exocytosis of chromaffin granule membranes was detected by the appearance of dopamine-β-hydroxylase of the chromaffin granule membrane in the oocyte or egg plasma membrane. Cortical granule exocytosis was detected by release of cortical granule lectin, a soluble constituent of cortical granules, from individual cells. 2. Injected chromaffin granule membranes undergo exocytosis equally well in frog oocytes and eggs in response to a rise in cytosolic Ca2+ induced by incubation with ionomycin. 3. Elevated Ca2+ triggered cortical granule exocytosis in eggs but not in oocytes. 4. Injected chromaffin granule membranes do not contribute factors to the oocyte that allow calcium-dependent exocytosis of the endogenous cortical granules. 5. Protein kinase C activation by phorbol esters stimulates cortical granule exocytosis in bothXenopus laevis oocytes andX. laevis eggs (Bement, W. M., and Capco, D. G.,J. Cell Biol. 108, 885–892, 1989). Activation of protein kinase C by phorbol ester also stimulated chromaffin granule membrane exocytosis in oocytes, indicating that although cortical granules and chromaffin granule membranes differ in calcium responsiveness, PKC activation is an effective secretory stimulus for both. 6. These results suggest that structural or biochemical characteristics of the chromaffin granule membrane result in its ability to respond to a Ca2+ stimulus. In the oocytes, cortical granule components necessary for Ca2+-dependent exocytosis may be missing, nonfunctional, or unable to couple to the Ca2+ stimulus and downstream events.
Local release polymeric-controlled immunotherapy of cardiac transplants in rats

Systemic immunosuppression frequently results in severe side effects. To evaluate a method of limiting the adverse effects of immunosuppression, we implanted controlled release matrices containing cyclosporine-A (Cy) embedded (0.2 or 1 mg/kg/day released), steroid embedded (2%, 0.2% and 0.02% dexamethasone, Dex) or both (Cy 0.2 mg and Dex 0.2%) locally around the transplanted heart at the time of rat heterotopic (neck) heart transplants. Controls received empty (non-drug) matrix implants. To elucidate a local effect, additional groups received Cy (0.2 mg) or Dex (0.2%) matrix implanted in a subdermal distal leg pouch at the time of heart transplant, without a local neck implant. Rejection was determined by the lack of transplanted heart contractions. Recipient animals received no other form of immunosuppression. The Cy (0.2 mg) animals had whole-blood Cy levels monitored for 6 weeks following transplantation. Cy levels peaked at 7–10 days after transplant (119 ± 26 ng/ml) and decayed to 9,000 ng/mg). Furthermore, while low-dose Cy (0.2 mg) demonstrated significant survival benefit, these animals had clinically negligible blood Cy levels on day 6 (<100 ng/ml) and very low kidney Cy levels. Interestingly, the lowest dose of Dex demonstrated no survival benefit, while the mid- and high-Dex doses demonstrated good survival benefit: however, the high-Dex dose had poor wound healing. Cy and Dex combination did not increase efficacy, perhaps due to release problems from physicochemical interactions. Local immunosuppression with a controlled release matrix resulted in a significant survival advantage and was effective in delaying rejection. This approach may prove advantageous clinically, in extending transplantation and lessening immunosuppression side effects.
Work, Health, Music: The enduring Rusyn model of a good life amid changing socioeconomic contexts of progress

Rusyns in Eastern and Central Europe have experience with two predominant models of “progress”: the Soviet-style communist and the neoliberal. Proponents of each system promised to better the lives of all but did not take into account what “better” meant to local populations, including Rusyns. Increasingly, European governmental and nongovernmental organizations are redefining notions of progress and development to accord with values of sustainability and a capability approach (CA) to well-being. Giovanola (2005) and Robeyns (2005) have argued that scholars of the CA need to better develop concepts of “personhood” and “human flourishing”, and to better explain the importance of social group membership and norms to living a valued life. The emerging anthropological focus on well-being, emphasizing culturally specific definitions of what happiness and a good life mean, can provide these conceptualizations. As a case in point, I use freelist and interview data obtained from residents in the Presov Region of Slovakia and the Zakarpattia Oblast of Ukraine along with Rusyn cultural narratives drawn from poems, folktales, plays, songs, interviews, and speeches to identify prevalent models of “personhood” and “a good life”. I discuss how these narratives intersect and diverge with discourses of happiness and progress along with the implications for Rusyn s ' ability to flourish.
Mucolipidosis II: unusual presentation with a congenital angulated fracture

A newborn infant who was subsequently shown to have mucolipidosis II was noted to have a congenital angulated fracture. The appearance of the fracture led to an original clinical impression of osteogenesis imperfecta. Although pathologic fractures are frequently evident by roentgenographic examination, to our knowledge this is the first report of a congenital angulated fracture in a patient with mucolipidosis II.
Diurnal Variation in the Plasma Iron Level of Man.

SummaryIt has been shown that the plasma iron of man undergoes a regular diurnal variation. These results have been compared with those of other investigators.
Learning, Rare Events, and Recurrent Market Crashes in Frictionless Economies without Intrinsic Uncertainty

Abstract In this paper I consider a dynamically complete market model without intrinsic uncertainty. The only uncertainty is modelled by sunspots. Agents' beliefs are hetero- geneous, but eventually become homogeneous in the sense that agents' beliefs are identical in the limit. I show that if some states of nature occur rarely, then arbitrarily large market crashes may occur infinitely often. This result contrasts with Cass and Shell'sJ. Polit. Econ.91(1983), 193–227) results which show that when beliefs are homogeneous, in complete markets without intrinsic uncertainty, sunspots do not matter.Journal of Economic Literatureclassification number: D83
Maternal Reports of Child Health Status and Health Conditions: The Influence of Self-Reported Maternal Health Status

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to examine the influence of maternal health status (MHS) on the relationship between child health conditions and child health status (CHS). Methods The study sample included 38 207 children aged 5 to 17 years in the 2001 to 2008 National Health Interview Surveys whose mothers were the survey respondent for the child and herself. Information was collected about CHS, MHS, diagnosed child health conditions, and sociodemographic characteristics. Responses to a question on general health status were used to rate CHS and MHS as "better" (excellent/very good health) or "worse" (good/fair/poor health). The percentage of children with worse CHS, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, was estimated using logistic regression. Results Adjusting for child and family sociodemographic characteristics had a negligible effect on the association between CHS and a 4-level variable that classified children by both MHS and child health conditions. The adjusted percentage of children with worse CHS was higher among children whose mothers had worse MHS compared with children whose mothers had better MHS. Moreover, among children whose mothers had worse MHS, there was a weak relationship between child health conditions and worse CHS. Among children whose mothers had better MHS, there was a strong relationship between child health conditions and worse CHS. Conclusion Because mother-reported CHS is used widely in epidemiological studies as a measure of a child's actual state of health, it is important to consider how maternal characteristics may influence a mother's report of a child's status. In particular, CHS reported by mothers with worse health status merits further investigation.
Enrichment and characterization of an anaerobic methyl ethyl ketoxime degrading culture from an anoxic/anaerobic/aerobic activated sludge sequencing batch reactor

An anaerobic enrichment culture was developed from an anoxic/anaerobic/aerobic activated sludge sequencing batch reactor using methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO), a potent nitrification inhibitor, as the sole carbon and energy source in the absence of molecular oxygen and nitrate. The enrichment culture was gradually fed decreasing amounts of biogenic organic compounds and increasing concentrations of MEKO over 23 days until the cultures metabolized the oxime as the sole carbon source; the cultures were maintained for an additional 41 days on MEKO alone. Turbidity stabilized at approximately 100 mg/l total suspended solids. Growth on selective media plates confirmed that the microorganisms were utilizing the MEKO as the sole carbon and energy source. The time frame required for growth indicated that the kinetics for MEKO degradation are slow. A batch test indicated that dissolved organic carbon decreased at a rate comparable to MEKO consumption, while sulfate was not consumed. The nature of the electron acceptor in anaerobic MEKO metabolism is unclear, but it is hypothesized that the MEKO is hydrolyzed intracellularly to form methyl ethyl ketone and hydroxylamine which serve as electron donor and electron acceptor, respectively.
Wavelet-Based Multi-Fractal Spectrum for Machine Defect Identification

This paper presents a technique based on the wavelet-based multi-fractal singularity spectrum for rotary machine defect identification. Specifically, vibration signals measured by accelerometers are decomposed into a series of scales, with each scale corresponding to a sub-frequency band, by means of the continuous wavelet transform (CWT). The multi-fractal spectrum is then calculated from the wavelet coefficient modulus-maxima lines. Comparing to other signal processing techniques, the inherently flexible time-frequency resolution property of the wavelet transform characterizes the scaling properties of the multi-fractal spectrum, thus is more effective in singularity identification. Experimental studies on rolling bearings and a gearbox have shown that the presented technique provides an effective tool for defect identification.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
The origin of cross section thresholds in H+H2: Why quantum dynamics appears to be more vibrationally adiabatic than classical dynamics

In this paper, cross sections and J=0 reaction probabilities from the results of quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) and accurate quantum reactive scattering calculations are presented and compared for H+H2 (v=0) and H+H2 (v=1). For both v=0 and v=1, the energies associated with the effective thresholds for reaction in the quantum results are consistent with the adiabatic treatment of bending motions along the reaction coordinate. This is best illustrated by comparing the 3D J=0 reaction probabilities with those from analogous collinear calculations, and with collinear calculations in which the bending zero point energy is added in adiabatically at every point in collinear configuration space. The quasiclassical trajectory cross sections and probabilities, on the other hand, have thresholds which are well below the quantum thresholds, primarily because of reactive trajectories which have little or no energy in bending near the effective reaction bottleneck. This effect is especially important for H+H2 (v=1) a...
Network delay tomography using flexicast experiments

Summary. Estimating and monitoring the quality of service of computer and communications networks is a problem of considerable interest. The paper focuses on estimating link level delay distributions from end-to-end path level data collected by using active probing experiments. This is an interesting large scale statistical inverse (deconvolution) problem. We describe a flexible class of probing experiments (‘flexicast’) for data collection and develop conditions under which the link level delay distributions are identifiable. Maximum likelihood estimation using the EM algorithm is studied. It does not scale well for large trees, so a faster algorithm based on solving for local maximum likehood estimators and combining their information is proposed. The usefulness of the methods is illustrated on real voice over Internet protocol data that were collected from the University of North Carolina campus network.
Strategic Options in the Digital Era

The collapse of the dot-com euphoria coupled with the downturn in the business cycle is driving many firms to abandon their high-growth strategies in favor of current earnings. This article argues that, whilst hedging against adverse future conditions, firms must retain an ability to seize up-side business benefits by framing IT investments as strategic options. The authors use three illustrative examples to develop a strategic management process that they term the “Strategic Options Navigator”. They conclude by drawing implications for CEOs, CIOs and CFOs.
Farm work practices and farm injuries in Colorado.

Study objectives: To describe the farm work patterns and the relationship between hours spent working on specific farm tasks and task specific work related injuries among women and men. Design: A cross sectional survey of farm operators and their spouses in an eight county area of Colorado was conducted. Personal interviews were conducted between 1993 and 1997. Interviews took between 45 minutes to two hours to complete, depending on the complexity of individuals' personal histories. Farms were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Setting: Eight counties in Northeastern Colorado representing 47% of agricultural production in the state. Participants: A total of 301 women and 459 men who were farm residents and involved in farm work were recruited. Outcome measure: Self reported injuries resulting in medical attention or treatment other than first aid, or inability to do normal work activities, or loss of consciousness, or transfer to another job were assessed in relationship to the specific job task being performed at the time of the injury. Results: Women were at higher risk for injury than men when involved with other farm chores (rate ratio 8.18). For all other task related injuries, men and women were at similar risk when compared using hours of exposure to the farm tasks. Conclusion: Farm safety training and injury prevention programs need to include women working on farms.
Detection, quantitation and identification of enteroviruses from surface waters and sponge tissue from the Florida Keys using real-time RT-PCR

A method was developed for the quantitative detection of pathogenic human enteroviruses from surface waters in the Florida Keys using Taqman (R) one-step Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with the Model 7700 ABI Prism (R) Sequence Detection System. Viruses were directly extracted from unconcentrated grab samples of seawater, from seawater concentrated by vortex flow filtration using a 100 kD filter and from sponge tissue. Total RNA was extracted from the samples, purified and concentrated using spin-column chromatography. A 192-196 base pair portion of the 5' untranscribed region was amplified from these extracts. Enterovirus concentrations were estimated using real-time RT-PCR technology. Nine of 15 sample sites or 60% were positive for the presence of pathogenic human enteroviruses. Considering only near-shore sites, 69% were positive with viral concentrations ranging from 9.3 viruses/ml to 83 viruses/g of sponge tissue (uncorrected for extraction efficiency). Certain amplicons were selected for cloning and sequencing for identification. Three strains of waterborne enteroviruses were identified as Coxsackievirus A9, Coxsackievirus A16, and Poliovirus Sabin type 1. Time and cost efficiency of this one-step real-time RT-PCR methodology makes this an ideal technique to detect, quantitate and identify pathogenic enteroviruses in recreational waters.
Fundamentals Of Laser Photoemission For Testing High Speed Devices And Circuits

Photoelectron emission has been widely exploited for the understanding of the electronic structure of materials. This knowledge base, both the underlying physics and the instrumention, may provide a valuable basis for recent interest in applying photoemission to the voltage testing of high speed semiconductor devices and circuits. By coupling photoemission measurements to advanced laser systems, it appears that rapid measurements can be made with picosecond time resolution to determine ac switching transient waveforms as well as dynamic logic states. Laser photoemission testing also provides the possibility of truly damage-free contactless testing (laser photon energy below insulator band gap), parallel (simultaneous) measurement at an array of points on the chip, and measurement at wiring nodes which lie beneath passivation (insulator) layers. This paper reviews the physics of photoemission and current ideas for exploiting laser photoemission for high speed contactless voltage measurements.
Research on Data Center of Wind Power Based on Cloud Computing

Building data center and data mining of wind power is essential to detect potential safety problems. The traditional data centers requires a lot of computing device and also have some disadvantages, such as limited scalability, high cost and low reliability. This paper presents the remote fault diagnosis system of wind power based on cloud computing and thoroughly analyzes construction demands and functional structure. Experimental results show that this system can effectively analyze mass monitored data, accurately assess equipment failure and reduce costs and the operating costs. This provides a new idea for cloud computing applied to data center of wind power.
An Analysis of Compensation in the U.S. Venture Capital Partnership

Abstract Venture capital limited partnerships are an attractive arena to study cross-sectional and time-series variations in compensation schemes. We empirically examine 419 partnerships. The compensation of new and smaller funds displays considerably less sensitivity to performance and less variation than that of other funds. The fixed base component of compensation is higher for younger and smaller firms. We observe no relation between incentive compensation and performance. Our evidence is consistent with a learning model, in which the pay of new venture capitalists is less sensitive to performance because reputational concerns induce them to work hard.
Procedure for Predicting Blast Loads Acting on Bridge Columns

Historical data show that terrorist attacks against transportation assets have increased in recent years and that the vast majority of these attacks have been bombings. As such, there is growing interest in protecting highway infrastructure from blast loads. To address this concern, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) sponsored a project to investigate the performance of highway bridges subjected to the nearby detonation of an explosive, and this paper presents research that advances the understanding of blast loads acting on bridge columns. Unlike large wall panels for which much of the existing knowledge about blast effects against structures has been established, the research presented in this paper focuses on slender structural components in which the effects of cross-sectional geometry, engulfment of blast pressures, and clearing effects strongly influence loading history. Based on the findings obtained from this study, a simplified procedure for predicting blast loads acting against bridge columns is proposed.
Object support reconstruction from the support of its autocorrelation using multiresolution genetic algorithms

The problem of reconstructing the support of an imaged object from the support of its autocorrelation is addressed within the framework of genetic algorithms. First, we propose a method of coding binary sets into chromosomes that is both efficient and general, producing reasonably short chromosomes and being able to represent convex objects, as well as some non-convex and even clustered ones. Furthermore, in order to compensate for the computational costs normally incurred when genetic algorithms are applied, a novel multiresolution version of the algorithm was introduced and tested. The multiresolution genetic algorithm consists of a superposition of multiple algorithms evolving at different resolutions, sequentially. Upon occurrence of some convergence criteria at the current scale, the genetic population was mapped at a superior scale by a coarse-to-fine mapping that preserved the progress registered previously. This mapping is implemented in a genetic algorithm framework by a new genetic operator called cloning. A number of experiments of object support reconstruction were performed and the best results from different genetic generations were depicted in chronological sequence. While both versions of genetic algorithms achieved good results, the multiresolution approach was also able to substantially improve the convergence speed of the process. The effectiveness of the method can be extended even further if a parallel implementation of the genetic algorithm is employed. Finally, alternate coding methods could be readily used in both the standard and the multiresolution approaches, with no need for further adaptations of the basic structure of the genetic algorithm.
Risk of QT/QTc Prolongation Among Newer Non-SSRI Antidepressants

Objective: To review QT prolongation potential with newer nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (non-SSRI) antidepressants. Data Sources: A PubMed literature search was performed from 1982 through June 16, 2014. Search terms included bupropion, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, levomilnacipran, mirtazapine, venlafaxine, and vilazodone in combination with each of the following terms: cardiac toxicity, QTc prolongation, QT prolongation, torsades de pointes, and TdP. Study Selection and Data Extraction: English-language human studies, case reports, package inserts, manufacturer electronic communications, and ArizonaCert database were utilized. Data Synthesis: Rare QT prolongation has been reported with venlafaxine at therapeutic doses and in overdose. Bupropion has also been linked to QT prolongation in overdose situations. In elderly patients with a variety of high-risk comorbidities, mirtazapine did demonstrate higher odds of sudden cardiac death and ventricular arrhythmias when compared with paroxetine. Lar...
Vaccine Protection of Leukopenic Mice against Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infection

The risk for Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (BSI) is increased in immunocompromised individuals, including patients with hematologic malignancy and/or chemotherapy. Due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, designated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), staphylococcal BSI in cancer patients is associated with high mortality; however, neither a protective vaccine nor pathogen-specific immunotherapy is currently available. Here, we modeled staphylococcal BSI in leukopenic CD-1 mice that had been treated with cyclophosphamide, a drug for leukemia and lymphoma patients. Cyclophosphamide-treated mice were highly sensitive to S. aureus BSI and developed infectious lesions lacking immune cell infiltrates. Virulence factors of S. aureus that are key for disease establishment in immunocompetent hosts-α-hemolysin (Hla), iron-regulated surface determinants (IsdA and IsdB), coagulase (Coa), and von Willebrand factor binding protein (vWbp)-are dispensable for the pathogenesis of BSI in leukopenic mice. In contrast, sortase A mutants, which cannot assemble surface proteins, display delayed time to death and increased survival in this model. A vaccine with four surface antigens (ClfA, FnBPB, SdrD, and SpAKKAA), which was identified by genetic vaccinology using sortase A mutants, raised antigen-specific immune responses that protected leukopenic mice against staphylococcal BSI.
Differential Immersion Survival by Populations of Cicindela hirticollis (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)

In the past 20 yr, populations ofCicindelahirticollis Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) that inhabit river shorelines have declined dramatically. These habitats have routinely sooded in winter and spring historically, but they have been altered by damming and controlled water releases for irrigation and power generation. We tested the ability of C. hirticollis larvae from two river and one bayshore population to survive immersion in severely hypoxic water. This is the Þrst report of population-level differences among insects in immersion survival and likely relates to exposure to different sooding regimes. The larvae from the Chesapeake Bay population survived 3do f im- mersion, and those from river populations survived about a day longer. Despite survival differences between riverine and seashore populations, recovery times after exposure to severe hypoxia were comparable. Second and third instars from the seashore population had similar survival at 9.0 and 16.5C. Survival times of larvae more than doubled under aerated conditions. Adults survived 30 h of immersion in severely hypoxic water, substantially longer than reported for other tested tiger beetle species. Although riverine populations survive longer periods of immersion, dams cause habitats used by riverine populations of this species to be inundated for weeks at a time, far longer than larvae were able to survive under hypoxic or aerated conditions in the laboratory. Thus, alteration of sooding regimes and subsequent larval habitat immersion is probably a major cause of the observed decline of riverine populations of C. hirticollis. Moreover, these data represent the Þrst report of signiÞcant physiological differences among populations of an insect species exposed to different frequencies of immersion and thus have both important experimental and evolutionary implications.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE pH OF FOLATE RECEPTOR-CONTAINING ENDOSOMES AND THE RATE OF HYDROLYSIS OF INTERNALIZED ACID-LABILE FOLATE-DRUG CONJUGATES

Despite the widely accepted assumption that most endosomal compartments are acidic, evaluation of the efficiency of pH-dependent drug release from a ligand-targeted drug conjugate during receptor-mediated endocytosis is lacking. Therefore, we have characterized the kinetics of pH-dependent drug release from a model folate-drug conjugate during folate receptor (FR)-mediated endosomal trafficking. For this purpose, we synthesized an acid-labile folate-fluorescence resonance energy transfer reporter (ALFR) that emits green fluorescence (BODIPY FL, 6-((4,4-difluoro-5,7-dimethyl-4bora-3a,4a-diazas-indacene-3-propionyl)amino)hexanoic acid) only after acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the acyl hydrazone linker. In a cell-free system, cleavage of ALFR was found to be efficient only at acidic pH values (t1/2 1.95, 4.63, and 75 h at pH 4, 5, and 6, respectively) and essentially resistant to hydrolysis at pH 7. Curiously, when applied to folate receptor-expressing cancer cells, the acid-labile folate-linked probe exhibited little or no recovery of BODIPY FL fluorescence (green), even after 55 h of incubation, arguing very inefficient cleavage within the FR endocytic pathway. To understand this unanticipated observation, we measured the pH of FR-containing endosomes using ratiometric fluorescence microscopy and observed that most FR endosomes are only mildly acidic (average pH 6.5). Taken together, these data argue that the FR-trafficking pathway does not involve acidic compartments and that acyl hydrazone linkers may constitute a poor option for FR-mediated drug delivery.