cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification and analysis of long-range electrostatic effects in proteins by computer modeling:aspartate transcarbamylase.

While ion pairs are readily identified in crystal structures, longer range electrostatic interactions cannot be identified from the three-dimensional structure alone. These interactions are likely to be important in large, multisubunit proteins that are regulated by allosteric interactions. In this paper, we show that these interactions are readily detected by electrostatic modeling, using, as an example, unliganded Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase, a widely studied allosteric enzyme with 12 subunits and a molecular weight of 310 kD. The Born, dipolar, and site-site interaction terms of the free energy of protonation of the 810 titratable sites in the holoenzyme were calculated using the multigrid solution of the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation. Calculated titration curves are in good agreement with experimental titration curves, and the structural asymmetry observed in the crystal structure is readily apparent in the calculated free energies and pK1/2 values. Most of the residues with pK1/2 values that differ substantially from those of model compounds are buried in the low dielectric medium of the protein, particularly at the intersubunit interfaces. The dependence of the site-site interaction free energies on distance is complex, with a steep dependence at distances less than 5 A and a more shallow dependence at longer distances. Interactions over distances of 6 to 15 A require a bridging residue and are often not apparent in the structure. The network of interactions between ionizable groups extends across and between subunits and provides a potential mechanism for transmitting long-range structural effects and allosteric signals. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Implementation of an intervention study: CAReS (committed to assisting with recovery after stroke)

Once a grant is received, the work of implementing the study so that it can be replicated by other researchers really begins. CAReS, a 5-year, randomized clinical intervention study, funded by the NINR began mid-2001. The first 3 months involved finalizing the budget and subcontracts, developing brochures, hiring and training the staff, finalizing procedures, meeting with recruitment sites and securing final approvals from review boards in all affiliated institutions. Forty specific protocols that guided the intervention (recovery, therapy, stress, coping, special problems and lifestyle) were finalized. A project Access database was developed to track participants in the longitudinal study to insure timely assessments and decrease attrition. A second Access database was developed to track the types of intervention protocols used with each couple and the specific content covered, as well as process details such as the time spent in the home and the individuals participating in the visit.
Chemical surface modification of parylene C for enhanced protein immobilization and cell proliferation.

Abstract To introduce the adhesion site of proteins and/or cells on parylene C (PC)-coated medical devices that can be used as implantable biosensors or drug delivery capsules, the PC surfaces were initially modified by the Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction to generate active chlorines. These chlorines were then employed to initiate the atom transfer radical polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate (TBA) and form a polymer brush layer of polyTBA on PC; the acrylate groups in the polymer brushes were hydrolyzed to carboxylic acid groups and further activated into succinimidyl ester groups via the 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide coupling reaction. The PC surface grafted with polymer brushes and activated by succinimide showed efficient attachment of proteins, including gelatin, contortrostatin (CN) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), all at high density on the PC surface. The CN density on the surface was evaluated for both monolayer and polymer brush-based coatings. Based on fluorescence measurements, the polymer brush gives a 60-fold higher surface protein density than the monolayer-based system. Gelatin was used as a model protein and covalently coated onto the modified PC surface for cell culture study. Substrates with gelatin coating showed a significantly higher cell attachment and proliferation in 7 days cultures as compared to the uncoated substrates. In addition, a conventional photolithography technique was coupled with the surface chemistry to successfully pattern the BSA labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate on the modified PC surfaces.
Non‐linear stochastic controllers for semiactive and regenerative systems with guaranteed quadratic performance bounds—Part 2: Output feedback control

In earthquake engineering applications of feedback control, the inherent vulnerability of external power sources has stimulated significant interest in dissipative systems with controllable passive parameters. Semiactive dampers (i.e. viscous dampers with controllable coefficients) constitute the simplest example of such actuation. Regenerative force actuation (RFA) networks are an extension of semiactive technology, whereby mechanical energy is first converted to electrical energy, which is then dissipated in a controllable resistive network. They have advantages in that they can transmit energy between remote locations in a structure, and can store energy for reuse. Recent research has shown that they, like semiactive systems, can be viewed as variable-coefficient damping systems. In this paper, a general approach to control synthesis for semiactive and regenerative systems is presented which is analytically guaranteed to outperform optimal linear viscous damping in stationary stochastic response, under the standard quadratic-Gaussian performance measure. Furthermore, it is shown that control systems utilizing RFA networks can be designed to outperform optimal linear viscous damping by an analytically computable margin. In Part 1 of this paper, the analysis assumes a linear structural model with feedback access to the full, uncorrupted system state vector. Part 2 extends the method to the more practical case of noise-corrupted and incomplete (i.e. output) feedback measurements. The approach is illustrated on a simple simulation example. Comparisons are made to clipped-optimal controllers, which are designed by a similar process but which do not exhibit guaranteed performance margins. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Survival and tissue distribution of human t-cell clones in SCID mice

Evidence from animal experiments and clinical trials suggests that in vitro expanded T-cell clones could be useful in adoptive therapy of cancer and viral infections. To establish an in vivo model for adoptive therapy with cloned human T cells, we studied the survival and tissue distribution of human αβ CD4 + T-cell clones transplanted intraperitoneally into mice with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) mice. Four clones, expanded in vitro in recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2), were injected into 14 cyclophosphamide-conditioned mice, subsequently inoculated daily with IL-2. Using flow-cytometry analysis, human T cells were detected in the peritoneal cavity wash (PCW) but not in other tissues of 12 mice at 1 to 4 weeks after injection. A reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) specific for the constant region of human TCR β chain revealed a positive signal in 12 of 14 mice in PCW, eight in spleen, seven in lymph nodes, seven in liver, six in bone marrow, and two in blood. The frequency of human T-cell detection decreased with time. Five to seven sites were positive in mice killed at 1 week, one to four sites at 2 weeks, none to one site at 3 weeks, and three sites at four weeks. Thus human T-cell clones transplanted in SCID mice can survive for at least 4 weeks, even in the absence of specific antigen. The clones migrate at low levels outside the peritoneal cavity ; therefore, the SCID mouse might serve as a model to study adoptive therapy with cloned T cells.
Fast visualization methods for comparing dynamics: a case study in combustion

Visualization can be an important tool for displaying, categorizing and digesting large quantities of inter-related information during laboratory and simulation experiments. Summary visualizations that compare and represent data sets in the context of a collection are particularly valuable. Applicable visualizations used in these settings must be fast (near real time) and should allow the addition of data sets as they are acquired without requiring rerendering of the visualization. This paper examines several visualization techniques for representing collections of data sets in a combustion experiment including spectral displays, tiling and geometric mappings of symmetry. The application provides insight into how such visualizations might be used in practical real-time settings to assist in exploration and in conducting parameter space surveys.
Detection and identification of underwater objects in acoustic daylight

Supported by ONR for the past decades, researchers have succeeded in 'imaging' underwater with background noise, 'Acoustic Daylight.' In this paper, the authors will discuss their success in detecting underwater objects in background noise. This detection method is not an imaging technique. It is a broadband resonant scattering detection technique based on the theory of resonance and/or resonant scattering of the elastic sphere illuminated by 'Acoustic Daylight.' Using the resonant detection technique, it appears that underwater targets can be detected and identified in background noise, 'Acoustic Daylight.'
A multiple scale solution for circular cylindrical shells

Abstract A solution is presented for the differential equation governing the axisymmetric small deformation of a circular cylindrical shell having a thickness that varies in an arbitrary manner along its axis. The method of analysis used is Cochran's method of multiple scales which is a formalized technique for solving singular perturbation problems. The results are compared with known closed form solutions where such solutions exist.
Origin of caves and other solution openings in the unsaturated (vadose) zone of carbonate rocks: A model for CO2 generation

The enigma that caves and other solution openings form in carbonate rocks at great depths below land surface rather than forming from the surface downward can be explained by the generation of CO 2 within the aquifer system. In the proposed model, CO 2 is generated by the oxidation of particulate and/or dissolved organic carbon that is transported from the land surface deep into the unsaturated zone by recharging ground water. The organic material is oxidized to CO 2 by aerobic bacteria utilizing oxygen that diffuses in from the atmosphere. Because gas transport in the unsaturated zone is controlled largely by diffusion, steady-state generation of even minute amounts of CO 2 deep in the unsaturated zone results in the creation of large concentrations of CO 2 at depth as it establishes a concentration gradient to the surface or other sink. Ground water descending into these areas of high CO 2 concentration becomes thermodynamically subsaturated with respect to carbonate minerals and is able to dissolve them, thus forming the observed solution opening at depth.
The use of positive feedback control systems to improve reactor performance

Positive feedback control systems sometimes can be used to make stable chemical reactors generate periodic outputs. For one set of system parameters the time average conversion obtained from the oscillating reactor was approximately 20% higher than the economic optimum steady state value; for another case the time average operating cost was approximately 5% lower than that corresponding to the optimum steady state design. A general method for predicting when an improvement can be obtained is presented.
Fibrin configuration on glass led to decrease of neutrophil adherence in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Abstract Using a previously developed in vitro assay of glass adherence of neutrophils following blood clotting, we compared the results of new patients with systemic lupus erythemetosus (SLE), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and those of normal controls. In acute phase of the disease, all 33 patients (100%) of SLE, 2 of 35 patients (5.7%) with JRA had a significantly low neutrophil adherence to glass surface (less than 25% of the normal values). During 2 years follow-up in 18 patients with SLE from the onset of the disease, we consistently observed the low cell adherence during the relapses of the disease in all the patients. When remains of glass surfaces were examined under scanning electron microscope (SEM), we found a notable morphologic difference of fibrin configuration between the specimens of active SLE and normal controls. We conclude that the varied results of neutrophil adherence on glass may reflect the forming of different fibrin configuration induced by the in vitro contact system of coagulation. The findings may explain the increased thrombotic complications reported in patients with active SLE.
Singularity formation in a model for the vortex sheet with surface tension

In a recent analytical study, the author has proved well-posedness of the vortex sheet with surface tension. This work included using a formulation of the problem introduced by Hou, Lowengrub, and Shelley for a numerical study of the same problem. The analytical study required identification of a term in the evolution equations which can be viewed as being responsible for the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability; this term is of lower order than the surface tension term. In the present work, the author introduces a simple model for the vortex sheet with surface tension which maintains the same dispersion relation and the same destabilizing force as in the vortex sheet with surface tension. For the model problem, it is found that finite-time singularities can form when the initial data is taken from a certain class. For the vortex sheet with surface tension, the only observed singularities thus far in numerical work have coincided with self-intersection of the fluid interface. There is no analogue of self-intersection in the model problem, and thus the singularities observed in the present work may well be related to a previously unobserved singularity for the full vortex sheet problem.
Equivariant constrained symplectic integration

We use recent results on symplectic integration of Hamiltonian systems with constraints to construct symplectic integrators on cotangent bundles of manifolds by embedding the manifold in a linear space. We also prove that these methods are equivariant under cotangent lifts of a symmetry group acting linearly on the ambient space and consequently preserve the corresponding momentum. These results provide an elementary construction of symplectic integrators for Lie-Poisson systems and other Hamiltonian systems with symmetry. The methods are illustrated on the free rigid body, the heavy top, and the double spherical pendulum.
Acute Lead Poisoning in Construction Workers: The Failure of Current Protective Standards

Abstract Construction workers who use oxyacetylene torches to cut lead-painted metal are at high risk of acute and subacute lead poisoning. Poisoning results from inhalation of submicron-diameter particles of lead fume generated in paint burning. We describe a series of 14 cases of lead poisoning in ironworkers cutting a lead-painted bridge in New York City. Peak blood lead levels ranged from 2.32 to 5.80 μmol/l (48–120 μg/dl). Median duration of employment was 4 wk. Two workers required chelation therapy. Personal (breathing zone) exposures to airborne lead ranged from 600 to 4 000 μg/m3. Construction workers are specifically exempted from the provisions of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lead standard. The data from this study indicate that such exemption is not warranted. A need exists for improved protection of construction workers against occupational exposure to lead.
Can trade costs explain why exchange rate volatility does not feed into consumer prices

Abstract If countries specialize in imperfectly substitutable goods, trade costs increase the share of expenditure devoted to domestic output, reducing the exposure of consumer price inflation to exchange rate changes. I present a multi-country flexible-price model where expenditure shares are inversely related to trade costs through a gravity equation. In this setting, consumer price inflation can be approximated as an expenditure-share-weighted average of the contributions to inflation from all countries. I use data from 24 OECD countries, 1970–2003, to estimate a structural gravity model. I combine the fitted expenditure shares from the estimation with actual data on exchange rates to construct predictions of inflation. The behavior of these predictions indicates that trade costs can explain both qualitatively and quantitatively the failure of exchange rate volatility to feed into inflation.
The development of behavioral sensitization to apomorphine is blocked by MK-801

The effects of the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801 (dizocilpine), on the development of sensitization to the mixed dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine were examined. Rats pretreated with MK-801 (0.25 mg/kg) prior to 2.0 mg/kg apomorphine failed to show a progressive sensitization to the activating effect of apomorphine across six preexposure sessions, nor did they show enhanced activity relative to control rats in response to 0.5 mg/kg apomorphine, given alone, during a subsequent test for sensitization. These results support the view that MK-801 interferes with long-term neural changes underlying sensitization to stimulant drugs.
Research notes: Comparison of disease susceptibility and resistance in three lines of chickens experimentally infected with infectious laryngotracheitis virus

The susceptibility of three F1 hybrid lines of chickens to graded doses of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) was investigated. The three F1 hybrid lines, each produced from mating two inbred lines, included the SC (B2B2) and TK (B15B21) lines and the 15I5 x 7(1) (B2B15) line. Although at 1 d of age all three lines were susceptible to ILTV, SC birds were significantly less susceptible (10%) than TK (80%) or 15I5 x 7(1) (50%) birds when exposed to 5,000 pfu of virus at 4 wk of age. The ability of each inbred F1 hybrid line to establish a protective immune response to ILTV was also determined. The SC birds required a smaller immunizing dose of virus (500 pfu) to mount a protective immune response to ILTV than the 15I5 x 7(1) line (5,000 pfu). A 5,000 pfu immunizing dose did not elicit a protective immune response in the TK line to a 10(6) pfu challenge dose of ILTV. These results also correlated with the ability to produce ILTV-specific antibodies. This study confirms and expands on observations that lines of chickens differ with respect to their susceptibility and resistance to ILTV.
The influence of non-metallic inclusions on the threshold behavior in fatigue

Abstract The effect of inclusion content on (a) the endurance limit S e for crack initiation in a smooth specimen and (b) the threshold value ΔK th of the stress intensity factor for crack propagation has been examined in 0.8 wt.% carbon fully pearlitic steels. The data show that the inclusion content, morphology and orientation with respect to the specimen surface will influence the value of S e . This effect is attributed to the stress concentration produced by non-metallic inclusions and its contribution to fatigue crack initiation. ΔK th was found to be independent of the non-metallic inclusion content in pearlitic steels within the range of inclusion content from 0.097 to 0.318 area %. The results presented in this paper show the independent nature of S e and ΔK th .
Antioxidant Activity of Degradable Polymer Poly(trolox ester) to Suppress Oxidative Stress Injury in the Cells

Oxidative stress is a pathological condition that has been implicated as a central player in a variety of diseases, including vascular and neurodegenerative diseases. More recently, oxidative stress has also been shown to be involved in the biological incompatibility of many materials, especially at the nanoscale. As such, there is a critical need for new biomaterials that can inhibit this response, improving the compatibility of medical devices. In this work, trolox, a synthetic antioxidant and water-soluble analogue of Vitamin E, is polymerized to form an oxidation active polymer as a new class of biomaterial. Synthesized poly(trolox ester) polymers were formulated into nanoparticles using a single emulsion technique, and their size was controlled by changing the polymer concentration in the organic solvent. Nanoparticle cytotoxicity, protective effects against cellular oxidative stress, and degradation kinetics were all evaluated. Poly(trolox ester) nanoparticles were found to have little to no cytotoxicity and were capable of suppressing cellular oxidative stress induced by cobalt nanoparticles. In vitro degradation studies of poly(trolox ester) nanoparticles indicate that the antioxidant activity of nanoparticles was derived from its enzymatic degradation to release active antioxidants.
Who made the sky

Origin and Evolution of Planetary and Satellite Atmospheres. By S. K. Atreya J. B. Pollack and M. S. Matthews University of Arizona Press: 1989. Pp. 881. $45, £38.95.
Yeast DNA-repair gene RAD14 encodes a zinc metalloprotein with affinity for ultraviolet-damaged DNA.

Abstract Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients suffer from a high incidence of skin cancers due to a defect in excision repair of UV light-damaged DNA. Of the seven XP complementation groups, A-G, group A represents a severe and frequent form of the disease. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD14 gene is a homolog of the XP-A correcting (XPAC) gene. Like XP-A cells, rad14-null mutants are defective in the incision step of excision repair of UV-damaged DNA. We have purified RAD14 protein to homogeneity from extract of a yeast strain genetically tailored to overexpress RAD14. As determined by atomic emission spectroscopy, RAD14 contains one zinc atom. We also show in vitro that RAD14 binds zinc but does not bind other divalent metal ions. In DNA mobility-shift assays, RAD14 binds specifically to UV-damaged DNA. Removal of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers from damaged DNA by enzymatic photoreactivation has no effect on binding, strongly suggesting that RAD14 recognizes pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproduct sites. These findings indicate that RAD14 functions in damage recognition during excision repair.
Some thoughts on space station science

Abstract US government proposals to cut the scientific budget of the ISS are placed within the historical context of the US space program. The author divides this into three phases—early days to the end of Apollo, the Shuttle era, and the Space Station era—and shows that all of these have suffered from decisions to reduce scientific capabilities. Even without cuts, it is unlikely that the Station can produce scientific outcomes that are commensurate with the investment that has taken place and it is imperative that policy makers learn from the lost opportunities of the two earlier phases if greater disappointment is to be avoided.
Salutary Properties of YC-1 in the Cardiovascular and Hematological Systems

The soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) second messenger system provides a complex and highly regulated mechanism for signal transduction events and ensuing functional responses through a cascade of serine/threonine protein kinase-dependent pathways. Nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), two unique diatomic gases endogenously produced by the respective enzymes nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and heme oxygenase (HO), stimulate cellular sGC and synthesize cGMP within the vasculature. Emerging evidence suggests that the independent NOS and HO systems provide reciprocal and complimentary approaches that act to regulate cardiovascular and hematological homeostasis as well as provide protection to the vasculature in response to inimical stimuli or following the onset of vasoproliferative disease. Recent results from our laboratory and others suggest that the newly identified, chemically synthesized benzyl indazole derivative YC-1 is capable of exerting multifunctional and broad-ranging effects in the cardiovascular and hematological systems. YC-1 has been demonstrated to possess redundant biochemical mechanisms that confer significant stimulation upon NO- and CO-regulated, cyclase-dependent events. Ultimately, these acute molecular processes eventuate in YC-1-dependent modulation of platelet and vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) and endothelial cell (EC) function under both eutrophic and deleterious conditions. Based on accumulating evidence, YC-1 has been suggested to serve as a potential therapeutic adjuvant to be used in interventional medicine, and these results may indicate the existence of an endogenous " YC-1-like" compound that would be the focus of much anticipated investigation. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to provide update information on the mechanisms and physiologic and pathophysiologic roles of the pivotal new multifunctional agent YC-1 in the cardiovascular and hematological systems, and to provide evidence for its potential use as a clinically relevant salutary agent.
Continental shelf sedimentology: scales of investigation define future research opportunities

Abstract Investigations of continental shelf sedimentology can be separated into small-scale sediment–fluid-interaction studies and large-scale sediment-survey techniques. Small-scale studies rely on time-series observations from benthic tripods using current meters, turbidity sensors, CTDs, cameras, and acoustic altimeters and sonars. Large-scale studies rely on repeated spatial surveys using side-scan sonar, acoustic profiling methods, and coring techniques. Over the past four decades these approaches have been very successful in describing the sediments on continental shelves and interpreting the physical forcing mechanisms and resulting sediment transport pathways, depositional sites, sediment budgets, and strata formation. Results from shelf studies carried out off the west coast of North America and the Amazon River are used to illustrate the many insights gained from small-scale and large-scale investigations. Recent developments of new sensors and observational techniques have greatly improved our ability to investigate the sedimentology of continental shelves. The time and spatial scales of resolution for both small-scale and large-scale investigative approaches have begun to overlap, and the possibility of concurrent investigations defines exciting new opportunities for future research.
Surface reactions with nonequilibrium adsorption

Abstract The kinetics of competitive adsorption plus a bimolecular surface reaction are investigated for the case where Reactant A is far from adsorption-desorption equilibrium. The overall rate goes through a sharper than normal maximum with reactant pressure, giving a very large negative order to A in the region past the maximum.
Permanent diversion rates after neoadjuvant therapy and coloanal anastomosis for rectal cancer.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to assess the rate of permanent diversion in patients undergoing coloanal anastomosis after neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients with rectal cancer who underwent a total mesorectal excision of a tumor within 9 cm of the anal verge. Results There were 201 patients who underwent resection with coloanal anastomosis, with a mean follow-up period of 51 months. The average tumor distance from the anal verge was 7 cm (range, 4–9 cm). Neoadjuvant therapy was administrated in 145 patients, 47 had no radiation, and 9 received radiation postoperatively. Thirty-two patients (16%) had long-term complications including incontinence, fistulas, and strictures. Twenty-five patients (12%) had recurrent disease, 16 of these were local recurrence. The total rate of permanent diversion was 29 (14%). Reasons for diversion included local recurrence in 12 patients (6%), complications in 10 patients (5%), and poor function in 7 patients (3%). Conclusions Poor bowel function, late complications, and local recurrence all contribute to permanent diversion after a coloanal anastomosis. Neoadjuvant therapy in conjunction with a total mesorectal excision and coloanal anastomosis leads to acceptably low permanent diversion rates in the vast majority of patients.
Gas chromatographic investigation of raw wastewater from coal gasification

Abstract Tars produced from a fixed-bed laboratory coal gasifier were characterized using two glass capillary gas chromatography systems. In one system, sulfur heterocyclics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were simultaneously monitored by splitting the column effluent to a sulfur specific dual-flame photometric detector and a flame ionization detector. In the other system, nitrogen heterocyclics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were simultaneously monitored using a nitrogen-specific detector and a flame ionization detector. Typical dual-detector profiles for tars produced from gasification of a bituminous coal and a lignite are presented and discussed.
New gas phase inorganic ion cluster species and their atmospheric implications

Recent experimental laboratory observations, with high-pressure mass spectroscopy, have revealed the existence of previously unreported species involving water clustered to sodium dimer ions, and alkali metal hydroxides clustered to alkali metal ions. The important implications of these results concerning the existence of such species are here discussed, as well as how from a practical aspect they confirm the stability of certain cluster species proposed by Ferguson (1978) to explain masses recently detected at upper altitudes using mass spectrometric techniques.
Possible nodal superconducting gap in Fe 1+y (Te 1-x Se x ) single crystals from ultralow temperature penetration depth measurements

Using a radio-frequency tunnel diode oscillator technique, we measured the temperature dependence of the in-plane London penetration depth $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{ab}(T)$ in Fe${}_{1+y}$(Te${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Se${}_{x})$ single crystals, down to temperatures as low as 50 mK. A significant number of samples, with nominal Se concentrations $x=0.36$, 0.40, 0.43, and 0.45, respectively, were studied and in many cases we found that $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{ab}(T)$ shows an upturn below 0.7 K, indicative of a paramagnetic-type contribution. After subtracting the magnetic background, the low-temperature behavior of penetration depth is best described by a power law with exponent $n\ensuremath{\approx}2$ and with no systematic dependence on the Se concentration. Most importantly, in the limit of $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, in some samples we observed a narrow region of linear temperature dependence of penetration depth, suggestive of nodes in the superconducting gap of Fe${}_{1+y}$(Te${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Se${}_{x})$.
Research in image indexing and retrieval as reflected in the literature

Documents relevant to the subject of image indexing and retrieval, obtained from the SCI and SSCI databases, were examined and analyzed. The study confirms that there exist in this rapidly growing field two distinctive research groups employing the content-based and description-based approaches, respectively. However, research in the content-based domain is currently dominating in the field, while the other approach has less visibility. Although researchers using the content-based approach actively communicated with colleagues from the same group, collaboration between the different clusters of scientists should be further promoted and encouraged to advance research and development in image indexing and retrieval.
Identifying Changes in Youth's Subgroup Membership Over Time Based on Their Targeted Communication About Substance Use with Parents and Friends

Using latent class/transition analyses, this study: (a) identified subgroups of youth based on their targeted communication about substance use with parents and friends, (b) examined subgroup differences in substance use, and (c) considered changes in subgroup membership over four years. Among 5,874 youth, five subgroups emerged, with parents-only communicators having the lowest substance use. Friends-only and consequence-focused communicators reported the overall highest use. Subgroup membership was mostly stable across the four years. If, however, youth transitioned, those who began as parents-only, consequence-focused, or friends-only communicators during the first year were most likely to transition to comprehensive communicators by the last year. Youth who started as noncommunicatorsorcomprehensivecommunicatorsweremostlikelytoendupasparents-only communicators.
Physiological roles of the melanocortin MC3 receptor

The melanocortin MC(3) receptor remains the most enigmatic of the melanocortin receptors with regard to its physiological functions. The receptor is expressed both in the CNS and in multiple tissues in the periphery. It appears to be an inhibitory autoreceptor on proopiomelanocortin neurons, yet global deletion of the receptor causes an obesity syndrome. Knockout of the receptor increases adipose mass without a readily measurable increase in food intake or decrease in energy expenditure. And finally, no melanocortin MC(3) receptor null humans have been identified and associations between variant alleles of the melanocortin MC(3) receptor and diseases remain controversial, so the physiological role of the receptor in humans remains to be determined.
The ethical imperative to relieve pain at life's end.

Evidence continues to amass, revealing that many patients, and especially the terminally ill, experience serious, debilitating pain, in a variety of medical settings. 1–4 Only recently has pain at end of life been viewed as a public health problem of significant enough proportions to instigate widespread efforts at improvement. 5,6 Traditionally, pain (other than that associated with painful medical/surgical procedures) has been seen as a harbinger of illness and as a symptom whose patterns are useful to aid in diagnosis. However, it became clear a few decades ago during the expansive years of critical care, surgery, and anesthesiology that pain was more than a symptom signaling tissue injury, inflammation, or ischemia. Uncontrolled pain with its resultant physiological stress responses contributed to pathophysiological events, leading to preventable morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and pulmonary catastrophes. Aggressive treatment of pain in perioperative and trauma settings is becoming the standard of care, as a response to the ethical obligation to prevent and cure disease and its manifestations when possible. What has been slower to develop is the same sense of urgency around researching and treating persistent debilitating pain associated with chronic progressive disease states. This, in spite of overwhelming evidence pointing to the high prevalence rates of pain that greatly impact quality of life and functional capacities in many chronically ill patients. At one end of the spectrum are patients with imminently life-limiting diseases, such as those with advanced malignancies, that account for more than 20% of deaths in the United States. 7 On the other end is the common occurrence of chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis, other joint and spinal degenerative disorders, postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy, post-stroke central pain, and many more common conditions experienced by our aging population. 8
Obsidian provenance determination by back-scattered electron imaging

Obsidian glass is a significant component of the lithic artefact assemblage of primitive cultures; the ability to characterize and correlate artefacts with specific sources provides significant information about prehistoric patterns of procurement and exchange1. Because visual and light-optical microscopic methods have proved ineffective in characterizing obsidian, chemical methods such as X-ray fluorescence2 (XRF) and instrumental neutron-activation analysis3 (INAA) are usually used to try to determine provenance. Here we show that electron microscopy, specifically back-scattered electron (BSE) imaging, may be used to characterize obsidian petrographically. The variety and number of BSE-observable features are generally sufficient to petrographically 'fingerprint' individual obsidian sources. Sources are also sufficiently homogeneous so that BSE characterization can determine provenance for individual artefacts of archaeological obsidian.
Involvement of Amygdala Dopamine and Nucleus Accumbens NMDA Receptors in Ethanol-Seeking Behavior in Mice

Although progress has been made identifying neural mechanisms underlying ethanol's primary reinforcing effects, few studies have examined the mechanisms mediating ethanol-induced conditioned effects. A recent lesion study suggests that expression of ethanol-conditioned behaviors depends upon an intact amygdala and nucleus accumbens core. However, specific mechanisms within these nuclei are unknown. In the present experiments, we used site-specific microinfusions of dopamine and NMDA receptor antagonists to examine the roles of accumbens and amygdala in the expression of ethanol conditioned place preference (CPP) in mice. In experiments 1 and 2, a D1/D2/D3 receptor antagonist (flupenthixol) was infused into accumbens or amygdala before testing, whereas experiment 3 used pretest infusions of an NMDA antagonist (AP-5) to examine the role of intra-accumbens NMDA receptors. Dopamine antagonism of accumbens was without effect, but intra-amygdala infusions of flupenthixol blocked CPP expression. Moreover, this effect was dependent upon dopamine antagonism within the basolateral nucleus but not the central nucleus of the amygdala. Antagonism of NMDA receptors in accumbens also blocked CPP expression. The present findings suggest that expression of the ethanol-conditioned response depends upon amygdala dopamine and accumbens NMDA receptors. These are the first studies in any species to show a role for amygdala dopamine receptors and the first studies in mice to implicate accumbens NMDA receptors in ethanol-induced conditioned effects.
Seasonal Climate Variability and Change in the Pacific Northwest of the United States

Observed changes in climate of the U.S. Pacific Northwest since the early twentieth century were examined using four different datasets. Annual mean temperature increased by approximately 0.68‐0.88C from 1901 to 2012, with corroborating indicators including a lengthened freeze-free season, increased temperature of the coldest night of the year, and increased growing-season potential evapotranspiration. Seasonal temperature trends over shorter time scales (,50yr) were variable. Despite increased warming rates in most seasons over the last half century, nonsignificant cooling was observed during spring from 1980 to 2012. Observations show a long-term increase in spring precipitation; however, decreased summer and autumn precipitation and increased potential evapotranspiration have resultedin larger climatic water deficits over the past four decades. A bootstrapped multiple linear regression model was used to better resolve the temporal heterogeneity of seasonal temperature and precipitation trends and to apportion trends to internal climate variability, solar variability, volcanic aerosols, and anthropogenic forcing. The El Ni~ Oscillation and the Pacific‐ North American pattern were the primary modulators of seasonal temperature trends on multidecadal time scales: solar and volcanic forcing were nonsignificant predictors and contributed weakly to observed trends. Anthropogenic forcing was a significant predictor of, and the leading contributor to, long-term warming; natural factors alone fail to explain the observed warming. Conversely, poor model skill for seasonal precipitationsuggeststhatotherfactorsneedtobeconsideredtounderstandthesourcesofseasonalprecipitation trends.
An introduction to life cycle assessment with hands-on experiments for biodiesel production and use

Abstract This paper describes a hands-on project that introduces first year engineering students to life cycle assessment (LCA) through the comparison of the environmental impact of the production and use of three diesel fuels: petroleum diesel, biodiesel from new vegetable oil, and biodiesel from waste vegetable oil. The purpose of this LCA project was to incorporate life cycle thinking into the engineering design process, to apply the four main steps of LCA (definition and scope, inventory analysis, impact assessment and improvement assessment), and to explore some of the challenges associated with each step. The inventory for biodiesel production (from both new and waste vegetable oils) was based on measurements obtained by the students in laboratory experiments. The fossil diesel production inventory was obtained from the SimaPro ® database. The inventory for the use of all three fuels was obtained from measurements taken during combustion of the fuels in a generator. A cradle-to-grave life cycle analysis was then conducted using SimaPro ® for each fuel. The assessment of learning outcomes indicates a significant increase in conceptual understanding of the four stages of life cycle assessment, and an average gain of over 55% in overall knowledge of life cycle assessment.
Towards a Dialogical Pedagogy: Some Characteristics of a Community of Mathematical Inquiry

This paper discusses a teaching model called community of mathematical inquiry (CMI), characterized by dialogical and inquiry-driven communication and a dynamic structure of intertwined cognitive processes including distributed thinking, mathematical argumentation, integrated reasoning, conceptual transformation, internalization of critical thinking “moves,” and collectively constructed concepts. As a form of pedagogy, community of inquiry is non-hierarchical, democratic, pluralistic, ethically and culturally sensitive, and inherently egalitarian. In addition, the structure of the inquiry process in CMI is understood as one in which every individual has an effect on the system as a whole, which is therefore emergent, self-correcting, self-directed, and self-organizing. This paper draws some implications of this form of pedagogy for mathematics education.
Identification of genes involved in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung using synchronized data from DNA copy number and transcript expression profiling analysis

Summary Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world and squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) is the second most common in this group. Genomic DNA copy number alterations are fundamental genetic events in the development and progression of SqCC as well as other epithelial-derived cancers. The ability to identify tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and oncogenes that are affected during tumor initiation and progression could facilitate the identification of novel molecular targets for therapeutic intervention and provide diagnostic biomarkers. Despite the association of many genetic alterations in lung cancer the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression remain ambiguous since often too many candidates are revealed using conventional genetic microarray analysis. To overcome this limitation, we have identified genes in SqCC which show concordant gene expression changes defined using microarray analysis with DNA copy number alterations defined by BAC-array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) in the same tumors. An in-house overlay algorithm was used to synchronize the data resulting from the two analyses. Although the expression levels of many genes were altered when compared to normal controls, those which correlated with copy number changes were far fewer, providing a manageable number for biological studies. We identified over 2000 genes which displayed both gene expression alterations and mapped to BACs which demonstrated a corresponding loss or gain. A further stringent statistical analysis identified minimal regions of overlap for losses or gains which displayed a coincident decrease or increase in the expression of genes mapping to those regions. Consistent gains involved 3q23–q29, 5p15.1–q11.1 and chromosomes 18 and 20, while consistent losses involved 3p26.3–p12.3, 9p24.3–q34.3, and chromosomes 17 and 19. The concordance finding between these two approaches suggests that DNA copy number alterations can directly influence gene expression patterns that impact on tumorigenesis in SqCC of the lung.
Resource Management for Safe Languages

Safe programming languages offer safety and security features making them attractive for developing extensible environments on a wide variety of platforms, ranging from large servers all the way down to hand-held devices. Extensible environments facilitate dynamic hosting of a variety of potentially untrusted codes. This requires mechanisms to guarantee isolation among hosted applications and to control their usage of resources. While most safe languages provide certain isolation properties, typically resource management is difficult with the current standard APIs and existing virtual machines.This one-day workshop brought together practitioners and researchers working on various approaches to these problems to share ideas and experience.
The interpretation of the triploid intersexes of Solenobia.

J. Seiler1and his students have enriched our science with a wealth of data on triploid intersexuality in the psychid moth, Solenobia triquetrella, in which all individuals produced by fertilization of diploid parthenogenetic eggs and therefore of the triploid constitution 3A + XXY are intersexual. The simplest formal genetic explanation for these intersexes is, of course, the old one derived from the Lymantria case, namely that the balance between male determiners in the X-chromosomes and female determiners outside of them is intermediate between the normal balances for females and males respectively. The detailed study of the morphology of these triploid intersexes showed considerable differences from the facts found in the diploid intersexes of Lymantria, indicating that the explanation of the structure of the Lymantria intersexes by the so-called time law could not be simply transferred to the Solenobia intersexes. It is regrettable that it was not always realized by both parties to the discussion, i.e. Seiler1 and myself, that the completely different genetic situation (i.e. female and male chromosomal constitution in Lymantria, intersexual chromosomal constitution in Solenobia) could hardly result in a completely identical interpretation of both cases. It is still more regrettable that some of the workers in the field and also some in related fields indicated that the possible non-applicability of the laws found in Lymantria to the divergent facts in Solenobia would reflect upon the analysis of the Lymantria case, based upon greatly different genetic and morphological facts. This unfortunate and unjustifiable generalization is the more deplorable because outsiders who are are not sufficiently acquainted with the facts become confused and no longer know what is proved and what is disproved. The result is plainly seen in many superficial, even distorted and unobjective quotations in some of the recent literature on sex-determination.
The Cultural Politics of Mixed-Income Schools and Housing: A Racialized Discourse of Displacement, Exclusion, and Control.

In this article, I examine the contested and racially coded cultural politics of creating mixed-income schools in mixed-income communities. Policymakers claim deconcentrating low-income people will reduce poverty and improve education. However, based on activist research in Chicago, I argue these policies are grounded in “culture of poverty” theories that pathologize Black1urban space. They legitimate displacement and gentrification and further the neoliberal urban agenda while negating that urban communities of color and their schools are spaces of community.[mixed income, race, neoliberalism, cultural politics]