cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Memory bias against threat in social phobia.

Objectives. The present study examined whether social phobia is an anxiety disorder associated with a memory bias toward threat. Design. Social phobic (N = 16) and non-anxious (N = 17) individuals were compared on their recall of evaluative threat and neutral prose passage content. Method. Participants were presented with two evaluative threat and two neutral prose passages and completed an immediate free recall task after each trial. Results. Contrary to expectation, individuals with social phobia recalled a smaller percentage of units from the evaluative threat passages than non-anxious individuals. Conclusion. Consistent with the vigilance-avoidance theory, it is suggested that social phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by the avoidance of elaborate processing of threatening material.
The effect of a moving distractor on the initiation of smooth-pursuit eye movements

As a step toward understanding the mechanism by which targets are selected for smooth-pursuit eye movements, we examined the behavior of the pursuit system when monkeys were presented with two discrete moving visual targets. Two rhesus monkeys were trained to select a small moving target identified by its color in the presence of a moving distractor of another color. Smooth-pursuit eye movements were quantified in terms of the latency of the eye movement and the initial eye acceleration profile. We have previously shown that the latency of smooth pursuit, which is normally around 100 ms, can be extended to 150 ms or shortened to 85 ms depending on whether there is a distractor moving in the opposite or same direction, respectively, relative to the direction of the target. We have now measured this effect for a 360 deg range of distractor directions, and distractor speeds of 5-45 deg/s. We have also examined the effect of varying the spatial separation and temporal asynchrony between target and distractor. The results indicate that the effect of the distractor on the latency of pursuit depends on its direction of motion, and its spatial and temporal proximity to the target, but depends very little on the speed of the distractor. Furthermore, under the conditions of these experiments, the direction of the eye movement that is emitted in response to two competing moving stimuli is not a vectorial combination of the stimulus motions, but is solely determined by the direction of the target. The results are consistent with a competitive model for smooth-pursuit target selection and suggest that the competition takes place at a stage of the pursuit pathway that is between visual-motion processing and motor-response preparation.
The uptake of chemical elements from coal ash and settling basin effluent by primary producers I. Relative concentrations in predominant plants

Chemical elements are released to the surface waters in large concentrations from coal ash, when ash is sluiced from the plant to a settling basin, or disposed on land surfaces. The role of primary producers growing in the drainage system receiving ash basin effluent, in removal or cycling of chemical elements from coal ash, has been investigated. Aquatic plants in the drainage system were collected and analyzed by neutron activation to determine concentrations of 23 chemical elements present in the coal ash effluent. The predominant aquatic producers present were Lemna perpusilla (duckweed), Typha Latifolia (cattail), Pontederia sp., Taxodium distichum (bald cypress), and the algae Oscillatoria sp. and Hydrodictyon sp. Leaves were collected from cattail, cypress and Pontederia sp., and the entire plants were collected from duckweed, Oscillatoria sp. and Hydrodictyon for analysis. Analysis of concentrations showed that duckweed, cattail, Oscillatoria sp. and Hydrodictyon sp. were the most efficient biomagnifiers of the 23 chemical elements. All elements were concentrated by the majority of the plants present relative to the concentration of the elements in the water in which the plants grew. This biomagnification of chemicals appears to be an important mechanism for removal of these elements from the drainage system water.
Asymptotics of R-, MD- and LAD-estimators in linear regression models with long range dependent errors

This paper establishes the uniform closeness of a weighted residual empirical process to its natural estimate in the linear regression setting when the errors are Gaussian, or a function of Gaussian random variables, that are strictly stationary and long range dependent. This result is used to yield the asymptotic uniform linearity of a class of rank statistics in linear regression models with long range dependent errors. The latter result, in turn, yields the asymptotic distribution of the Jaeckel (1972) rank estimators. The paper also studies the least absolute deviation and a class of certain minimum distance estimators of regression parameters and the kernel type density estimators of the marginal error density when the errors are long range dependent.
Pattern formation in the Drosophila eye

The insect compound eye is one of the most precise and highly ordered patterns in the living world. It develops from an unpatterned simple epithelium by a series of cell fate decisions and complex morphogenetic movements. In the first days of metamorphosis, this interplay is particularly noticeable. Recent insights have revealed how interactions between neighboring cells drive the process. Interaction between Delta on cone cells and Notch proteins on the surface of their neighbors induces the first pigment cells to differentiate. The primary pigment cells then express a Nephrin protein, Hibris, that interacts with a different Nephrin, Roughest, on their neighbors. Heterophilic adhesion between Hibris and Roughest results in remodeling contacts between cells to favor their contact with the pigment cells. In conjunction, the primary pigment cells signal to their neighbors through the EGF receptor to survive, rather than undergo apoptosis. This sorting and culling process results in a sculpted pattern with a precise number and position of cells that is repeated hundreds of times in each compound eye.
A New Stereoscopic (3D) Media Database and Teaching Strategy for Use in Large-Lecture Introductory Geoscience Courses

ABSTRACT Stereoscopic displays provide geoscience instructors with the ability to teach students the fundamental, and inherently three-dimensional, components of landforms and landscapes; yet the prevalence of such displays in higher education is limited. As costs of these systems continue to decrease, more instructors may wish to take advantage of stereoscopic display systems in their classroom. This paper serves as a guide for instructors who wish to install and use their own stereoscopic display systems using a case study conducted at the University of Kansas. The operational aspects covered include: creating stereo images, displaying stereoscopic images, selecting a stereoscopic display, and developing a new teaching strategy that incorporates the stereo system into the classroom environment. Additionally, a new database of stereoscopic media is provided to help promote the implementation of stereoscopic displays and free and open distribution of 3D teaching material.
Active chloride transport by the skin of a marine teleost is stimulated by urotensin I and inhibited by urotensin II.

The caudal neurosecretory peptide, urotensin I (UI), stimulated in vitro short-circuit current (Isc) across skin from the marine teleost Gillichthys mirabilis. UI reversed the previous inhibition of Isc by both epinephrine and urotensin II (UII), and stimulated untreated skins that had low Isc. UII and epinephrine reduced Isc and net flux of chloride by decreasing chloride efflux; a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IMX), stimulated Isc and chloride net flux by increasing both unidirectional fluxes. The results suggest that UI can antagonize the effects of UII and epinephrine on active chloride transport by chloride-secreting cells of marine teleosts.
Competitive strategies in the lodging industry

Abstract A study of the competitive strategies of lodging firms in the U.S.A. reveals a unique pattern of strategic profiles, particularly within industry segments. Implications suggest that alternative forms of competitive positioning can be identified, however, they may not all be equally viable. These findings provide lodging industry practitioners and students with new evidence of the potential implications of alternative courses of competitive actions.
Simulation of gravity fingering in porous media using a modified invasion percolation model

Abstract We introduce a modified invasion percolation (MIP) model for the immiscible displacement of a nonwetting fluid by a wetting fluid within a porous network. The model includes the influence of gravity and is applicable in the quasi-static limit of infinitesimal flow rate where viscous forces are negligible with respect to gravity and capillary forces. The incorporation of gravity alone creates complicated, pore-scale gravity fingers. To properly model wetting fluid invasion where macroscopic gravity fingers form, we incorporate a pore-scale geometric capillary smoothing function we refer to as facilitation.Facilitation models the physics of wetting fluid invasion of pores by modifying the capillary pressure required to fill a pore based on the number of adjacent necks connecting the pore to the invading wetting fluid. The wetting fluid invasion facilitation process creates compact clusters and macroscopic fronts in horizontal simulations and in combination with gravity, creates macroscopic, gravity fingers that are in qualitative agreement with physical experiments. The MIP model yields much different imbibition front structures than standard invasion percolation. For MIP, capillary fingering, capillary facilitation, and gravity fingering compete to determine the wetted network structure as a function of pore-size distribution.
Intraoperative computed tomography registration and electromagnetic neuronavigation for transsphenoidal pituitary surgery: accuracy and time effectiveness.

Object The authors assessed the feasibility, anatomical accuracy, and cost effectiveness of frameless electromagnetic (EM) neuronavigation in conjunction with portable intraoperative CT (iCT) registration for transsphenoidal adenomectomy (TSA). Methods A prospective database was established for data obtained in 208 consecutive patients who underwent TSA in which the iCT/EM navigation technique was used. Data were compared with those acquired in a retrospective cohort of 65 consecutive patients in whom fluoroscope-assisted TSA had been performed by the same surgeon. All patients in both groups underwent transnasal removal of pituitary adenomas or neuroepithelial cysts, using identical surgical techniques with an operating microscope. In the iCT/EM technique–treated cases, a portable iCT scan was obtained immediately prior to surgery for registration to the EM navigation system, which did not require rigid head fixation. Preexisting (nonnavigation protocol) MR imaging studies were fused with the iCT scans t...
A facile synthesis of piperazines from primary amines

A general procedure is described for converting primary amines to N-substituted piperazines. Reaction of an amine with an N-substituted iminodiacetic acid anhydride (V) yields an iminodiacetic acid monoamide (VI) which closes to a 2,6-piperazinedione (VII) upon treatment with acetic anhydride. The diones are reduced to piperazines with borane-THF. Fourteen examples of this process, using twelve aliphatic or aromatic amines and three iminodiacetic acids, are presented. Yields of piperazines, based upon starting amine, ranged from 21 to 52%. The procedure is rapid and no purification problems were encountered. Alternate methods for preparing the 2,6-piperazinedione intermediates are discussed.
Climatic change special issue: geoengineering research and its limitations

Even under scenarios that assume that humanity will move aggressively away from fossil fuels as the predominant source of energy for the world economy, the equivalent carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is expected to at least double its preindustrial value by the end of this century. If reductions are not aggressive, or if emissions continue their rapid upward trend, then a tripling is likely, and perhaps even a quadrupling by early in the 22 century. Under such emission scenarios, it is likely that the global average temperature will come to exceed levels that numerous experts say will greatly harm ecosystems and human health, security and welfare. Given continuing political inertia surrounding global emissions reductions, such an outcome is becoming more and more difficult to avoid; indeed, at this point, some believe it inevitable if climate policy confines itself to conventional methods, such as mitigation and adaptation. In this context, discussion of “geoengineering”—roughly the “deliberate large-scale manipulation of the planetary environment to counteract anthropogenic climate change” (Shepherd et al. 2009)—has become a hot topic. Proposed geoengineering approaches fall into two broad categories: those that attempt to limit solar radiation (termed solar radiation management, SRM) and those that attempt to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (carbon drawdown and removal, CDR). A landmark study conducted by the United Kingdom’s Royal Society in 2009 concluded that “geoengineering is likely to be technically feasible, and could substantially reduce the costs and risks of climate change”. However, the report also maintained that not all proposed methods are likely to be equally effective, and that there is a need for further research to understand the feasibility, climate impacts and social dimensions (including ethics, law and governance) of proposed geoengineering schemes. One specific recommendation of the report was the need to “develop a code of practice for geoengineering research and provide recommendations to the international scientific community for a voluntary research governance Climatic Change (2013) 121:427–430 DOI 10.1007/s10584-013-1000-4
Eicosanoids and the gastrointestinal tract

Determining the role of eicosanoids in gastrointestinal physiology and pathophysiology has been an active area of investigation over the past 20 years. The landmark discovery of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase and other enzymes involved in the production of arachidonic acid products (lipoxygenases and epoxygenases) ushered in a new era of research. The goal of this review is to distill a large body of work pertaining to studies of eicosanoids in the gastrointestinal tract. This review has been organized according both to functional (secretion and motility) and disease-related (inflammation, mucosal injury, and neoplasia) effects. The aim of this article is to present a clear summary of this area of gastroenterology so that future research can be directed in a logical and productive manner.
A model for metal selenide formation under biological conditions

Abstract The essential trace element selenium is known to be capable of reducing the toxicity of heavy metals like cadmium(II), mercury(II) and silver(I). One mechanism by which this occurs is through the formation of an inert metal selenide like silver selenide. It is not clear why selenide should react in the body preferentially with silver(I) over other metals such as zinc(II), an ion which is capable of forming zinc selenide, and which is present at relatively high levels. A reaction is discussed which can account for the ability of mercury(II) and silver(I) to lead to metal selenide formation in preference to zinc(II). Metal ions which have a sufficiently large formation constant for the metal selenide can induce the disproportionation of elemental selenium to produce the metal selenide; both mercury(II) and silver(I) can induce such reactions, whereas zinc(II) cannot. If this model is accurate, it should provide a basis to predict which metal ions can produce metal selenides in the body, and which ions are unlikely to results in metal selenide formation.
CD28 blockade alters cytokine mRNA profiles in cardiac transplantation

Abstract Background. T-cell response to alloantigen is dependent on T-cell receptor activation and costimulation through the CD28 receptor, because T-cell receptor activation alone is insufficient for optimal immune response. The CD28 receptor on helper T cells interacts with its ligand B7 on activated B cells-macrophages as costimulus to support T-cell activity. CTLA4Ig is a recombinant inhibitor of CD28 receptor activation. In vivo studies with a rat major histocompatibility complex mismatch heterotopic cardiac transplant model demonstrate that CTLA4Ig prolongs cardiac allograft survival. This CTLA4Ig survival benefit is enhanced with prior donor-specific antigen exposure. Methods. To investigate CTLA4Ig mechanisms, we examined the differential expression of B7 and cytokine mRNAs for interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and IL-10 (Th1 or Th2 activation) in cardiac allografts after treatment with CTLA4Ig and donor-specific antigen exposure versus conventional immunotherapy (cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, or antilymphocyte serum). In the above major histocompatibility complex mismatch model, hearts (on day 5 after transplantation at peak rejection) had cytokine mRNA expression determined by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results. Inhibition of B7 expression was observed in CTLA4Ig animals. Expression of IL-2 and IFN-γ was near undetectable in CTLA4Ig and cyclophosphamide rats but was only moderately reduced by cyclosporine and antilymphocyte serum. IL-4 mRNA expression was reduced equally in all animals. Finally, IL-10 levels were unchanged by CTLA4Ig but were decreased by other therapies. Conclusions. The beneficial effect of CTLA4Ig, inhibiting expression of B7, alters Th1 cytokines IL-2 and IFN-γ, with a resultant predominant IL-10 driven, Th2 tolerogenic response.
Molecular constants for the bending modes of acetylene 12C2H2

The problem of the bending vibrations and of the vibrational l-type resonance in the acetylene molecule is briefly reviewed and the vibration-rotation energy matrix is given in explicit form for various higher excited states of the bending modes ν4 and ν5. New extensive data available for the molecule of 12C2H2 are used to obtain a set of vibrational, vibration-rotation coupling, and centrifugal constants in the fourth-order energy expression for the excited bending states. A set of 40 molecular constants capable of reproducing a total of ∼1200 vibrational-rotational energy levels with a standard deviation of 0.006 cm−1 is tabulated.
Prophase II Chromosomes in Wild-Type and a Translocation-Carrying Strain of Blattella germanica (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)

The possible use of prophase II chromosomes in cytogenetic studies was evaluated by comparing their morphology and relative lengths to those of the previously studied prophase I chromosomes. Specific identification of most wild-type prophase II chromosomes, as well as those involved in a translocation heterozygote, T(7;12)/7;12, was accomplished. Deletions in single chromatids occurred in a few cells of most individuals examined. The study shows that chromosome mutations and karyotypic differences may be identified at prophase II, a valuable asset for scoring individuals that lack suitable prophase I chromosomes. Also, single chromatid deletions either difficult to detect or not yet present at prophase I are identifiable at prophase II.
TH‐C‐T‐6C‐04: Estimation of Tumor Dose Enhancement Due to Gold Nanoparticles During Typical Radiation Treatments: A Preliminary Monte Carlo Study

Purpose: To computationally demonstrate possible tumordose enhancement due to the use of goldnanoparticles and to provide quantitative estimates of this tumordose enhancement during typical radiation treatments.Method and Materials: This investigation was conducted with several phantom test cases that simulated typical radiation treatments using orthovoltage x‐rays, high energy photon beams from linear accelerators, and gamma rays from a brachytherapy source. Specifically, possible dose enhancement within a tumor loaded with goldnanoparticles was calculated by Monte Carlo calculations when the phantoms were irradiated by 140 kVp x‐rays, 4 and 6 MV photon beams, and 192 Ir gamma rays. Based on published mice studies, the current study considered three levels of gold concentration within the tumor: 7, 18, and 30 mg Au / g tumor. The Monte Carlo calculations were performed with the BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc code system for the external beam cases and with the MCNP5 code for the 192 Ir cases, respectively. Results: The dose enhancement over the entire tumor volume considered for the 140 kVp x‐ray case can be at least a factor of 2 at an achievable gold concentration of 7 mg Au /g tumor. The tumordose enhancement for the cases involving the 4 and 6 MV photon beams ranged from about 18% to 60%, depending on the amount of gold within the tumor and photon beam qualities. For the 192 Ir cases, the dose enhancement within the tumor region ranged from 5% to 31%, depending on radial distance and gold concentration level. Conclusion: The tumordose can be enhanced significantly by using goldnanoparticles during typical radiation treatments, assuming that the findings from previous mice studies would be applicable in humans. Conflict of Interest: This investigation was supported in part by PHS Grant No. CA 10953 awarded by the National Cancer Institute, Department of Health and Human Services.
Neurotrophic factor - Characterization and partial purification

Recent evidence suggests that neurotrophic activity is required for the normal proliferation and development of muscle cells. The present paper reports a study of the purification and characterization of a neurotrophic factor (NTF) from adult chicken ischiatic-peroneal nerves using two independent quantitative in vitro assay systems. The assays were performed by the measurement of the incorporation of tritiated thymidine or the sizes of single-cell clones by chick muscle cells grown in culture. The greatest amount of neutrotrophic activity is found to be extracted at a pH of 8; aqueous suspensions of the activity are stable to long-term storage at room temperature. The specific activity of the substance is doubled upon precipitation with ammonium sulfate or after gel filtration, and increase 4 to 5 fold after salt gradient elution from DEAE cellulose columns. The active fraction obtained after gel filtration and rechromatography on DEAE cellulose exhibits a 7 to 10-fold increase in specific activity. Electrophoresis of the most highly purified material yields a greatly concentrated band at around 80,000 daltons. Although NTF is purified almost 10-fold as indicated by the increase in specific activity, the maximum activity of the partially purified material is greatly reduced, possibly due to a requirement for a cofactor for the expression of maximum activity.
A Study of High Temperature DC and AC Gate Stressing on the Performance and Reliability of Power SiC MOSFETs

Although high-temperature measurements show a dramatic reduction in the bias-temperature stress-induced threshold-voltage instability of present state-of-the-art devices, a more thorough test methodology shows that several different conclusions may actually be drawn. The particular conclusion depends on the specific post-BTS measurement technique employed. Immediate room-temperature measurements suggest that significant oxide-trap activation may still be occurring. A significant, yet rapid, post-BTS recovery is observed as well. These results underline the importance of making both high-temperature and room-temperature measurements, as a function of stress and recovery time, to better ensure that the full effect of the BTS is observed. Initial AC BTS results suggest a similar level of device degradation as occurs from a DC BTS.
A Magnetic Core Voltage-to-Frequency Converter

In a Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM) telemetering system, there is a need for a subcarrier oscillator with these characteristics: 1) operating frequency a linear function of a dc input control voltage, 2) high input impedance, 3) square wave output with constant amplitude over the entire frequency range, and 4) frequency stability within one cycle during gated on-off operation. This paper describes a method for controlling the frequency of a square-loop magnetic core oscillator by means of a dc voltage to give a voltage-to-frequency converter with the above characteristics. Various design considerations are discussed; and a voltage controlled oscillator that operates from 15 to 5 kc as the input control voltage varies from 0 to +5 volts is used as the design example.
Dynamic root exudation of sorgoleone and its in planta mechanism of action

The oily droplets exuded from the root hairs of sorghum are composed of a 1:1 ratio of sorgoleone and its lipid resorcinol analogue. The production of these droplets appears to be suppressed when c. 20 microg of exudate mg(-1) root dry weight accumulates at the tip of the root hairs. However, more exudate is produced following gentle washing of the roots with water, suggesting that the biosynthesis of lipid benzoquinones and resorcinols is a dynamic process. Sorgoleone interferes with several molecular target sites, including photosynthetic electron transport, in in vitro assays. However, the in planta mechanism of action of sorgoleone remains controversial because it is not clear whether this lipid benzoquinone exuding from the roots of sorghum is taken up by roots of the receiving plants and translocated to their foliage where it must enter the chloroplast and inhibit PSII in the thylakoid membrane. Experiments designed to test the in planta mode of action of sorgoleone demonstrated that it has no effect on the photosynthesis of older plants, but inhibits photosynthesis in germinating seedlings. Sorgoleone is not translocated acropetally in older plants, but can be absorbed through the hypocotyl and cotyledonary tissues. Therefore, the mode of action of sorgoleone may be the result of inhibition of photosynthesis in young seedlings in concert with inhibition of its other molecular target sites in older plants.
Sprouty: a common antagonist of FGF and EGF signaling pathways in Drosophila

Extracellular factors such as FGF and EGF control various aspects of morphogenesis, patterning and cellular proliferation in both invertebrates and vertebrates. In most systems, it is primarily the distribution of these factors that controls the differential behavior of the responding cells. Here we describe the role of Sprouty in eye development. Sprouty is an extracellular protein that has been shown to antagonize FGF signaling during tracheal branching in Drosophila. It is a novel type of protein with a highly conserved cysteine-rich region. In addition to the embryonic tracheal system, sprouty is also expressed in other tissues including the developing eye imaginal disc, embryonic chordotonal organ precursors and the midline glia. In each of these tissues, EGF receptor signaling is known to participate in the control of the correct number of neurons or glia. We show that, in all three tissues, the loss of sprouty results in supernumerary neurons or glia, respectively. Furthermore, overexpression of sprouty in wing veins and ovarian follicle cells, two other tissues where EGF signaling is required for patterning, results in phenotypes that resemble the loss-of-function phenotypes of Egf receptor. These results suggest that Sprouty acts as an antagonist of EGF as well as FGF signaling pathways. These receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated pathways may share not only intracellular signaling components but also extracellular factors that modulate the strength of the signal.
Variable-rate space-time block codes in M-ary PSK systems

We consider a multiple antenna system when combined array processing with space-time coding is used. We present variable rate space-time block codes for two, three, and four transmit antennas and optimize the transmit power so that the average bit-error rate (BER) is minimized. Numerical results show that this optimum power allocation scheme provides significant gain over the equal power allocation scheme. We then classify all the variable rate space-time block codes having the same code rates and identify the unique code that achieves the lowest BER. We explicitly compute the performance of the variable rate codes over a Rayleigh-fading channel. The proposed variable rate space-time block codes are useful for unequal error protection in multiple transmit antenna systems.
Disruption of gastrulation and oral-aboral ectoderm differentiation in the Lytechinus pictus embryo by a dominant/negative PDGF receptor

Little is known about the cell signaling involved in forming the body plan of the sea urchin embryo. Previous work suggested that PDGF-like and EGF-like receptor-mediated signaling pathways are involved in gastrulation and spiculogenesis in the Lytechinus pictus embryo. Here we show that expression of the human PDGF receptor-beta lacking the cytoplasmic domain disrupted development in a manner consistent with a dominant/negative mechanism. The truncated PDGF receptor-beta inhibited gut and spicule formation and differentiation along the oral-aboral axis. The most severely affected embryos arrested at a developmental stage resembling mesenchyme blastula. Coinjection into eggs of RNA encoding the entire human PDGF receptor-beta rescued development. The truncated PDGF receptor-beta caused the aboral ectoderm-specific genes LpS1 and LpC2 to be repressed while an oral ectoderm-specific gene, Ecto-V, was expressed in all ectoderm cells. The results support the hypothesis that a PDGF-like signaling pathway plays a key role in the intercellular communication required for gastrulation and spiculogenesis, and in cell commitment and differentiation along the oral-aboral axis.
Preparation of 125I-labeled receptor-purified Graves' immunoglobulins: properties of their binding to human thyroid membranes.

We have recently reported a method for the receptor purification of Graves' disease-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) using plasma membranes from guinea pig adipocytes as a source of TSH receptor. The preparations of receptor-purified Graves'-IgG (RPG-IgG) thereby obtained were highly enriched (40- to 150-fold) in TSH binding inhibitory activity and were comparably enriched in human thyroid adenylate cyclase-stimulating activity. Unlike the less active preparations obtained by others who have attempted receptor purification but have used human thyroid membranes, our preparations were devoid of the antimicrosomal antibodies and, presumably, the antithyroglobulin antibodies common to the IgG of patients with Graves' and Hashimoto's diseases. We have now succeeded in preparing 125Ilabeled RPG-IgG (RPG-IgG*) by a lactoperoxidase method that permits retention of the original TSH binding inhibitory activity. Such preparations have been employed to study both the direct binding of Graves'-specific IgG to human thy...
Effect of using oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide as active gases in the atmospheric plasma treatment of fiber‐reinforced polycyanurate composites

A study was undertaken to address the effect of using different active gases during the atmospheric plasma treatment of composite specimens for adhesive bonding. The effect of using oxygen, carbon dioxide, or carbon monoxide on the surface chemistry, morphology, and mechanical properties of cyanate ester composites was investigated. CO treatment resulted in a surface profile that could be tailored to create an oxygen/carbon ratio as high as 0.71 with a negligible degree of polymer degradation as verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy. On the other hand, CO2 and O2 treatments resulted in a fairly high degree of chain scission and degradation using otherwise similar treatment conditions. However, significant bond strength improvement (>75%) over conventional abrasion surface preparation techniques was achieved for all three types of gases. XPS of CO-treated specimens showed a large increase in carbonyl species formation in comparison with the weakly bonded carbonates (ash) formed when treating the same composites with CO2 and O2 gas suggesting a different mechanism. These results present a method by which sensitive carbon-based, hydrophobic surfaces can be modified without damaging the underlying substrate as well as improving bond performance over conventional surface preparation methods. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Directional dependence of hydroxyapatite-collagen interactions on mechanics of collagen

Abstract Bone is a biological nanocomposite composed primarily of collagen and hydroxyapatite. The collagen molecules self-assemble to from a structure known as a fibril that comprises of about 85–95% of the total bone protein. In a fibril, the molecular level interactions at the interface between molecular collagen and hydroxyapatite nanocrystals have a significant role on its mechanical response. In this study, we have used molecular dynamics and steered molecular dynamics to study directional dependence of deformation response of collagen with respect to the hydroxyapatite surface. We have also studied mechanical response of collagen in the proximity of (0 0 0 1) and (1 0 1¯0) surfaces of hydroxyapatite. Our simulations indicate that the mechanics of collagen pulled in different directions with respect to hydroxyapatite is significantly different. Similar results were obtained for collagen pulled in the proximity of different crystallographic surfaces of hydroxyapatite.
In Vitro Reconstitution Reveals Key Intermediate States of Trimer Formation by the Dengue Virus Membrane Fusion Protein

The flavivirus dengue virus (DV) infects cells through a low-pH-triggered membrane fusion reaction mediated by the viral envelope protein E. E is an elongated transmembrane protein with three domains and is organized as a homodimer on the mature virus particle. During fusion, the E protein homodimer dissociates, inserts the hydrophobic fusion loop into target membranes, and refolds into a trimeric hairpin in which domain III (DIII) packs against the central trimer. It is clear that E refolding drives membrane fusion, but the steps in hairpin formation and their pH requirements are unclear. Here, we have used truncated forms of the DV E protein to reconstitute trimerization in vitro. Protein constructs containing domains I and II (DI/II) were monomeric and interacted with membranes to form core trimers. DI/II-membrane interaction and trimerization occurred efficiently at both neutral and low pH. The DI/II core trimer was relatively unstable and could be stabilized by binding exogenous DIII or by the formation of mixed trimers containing DI/II plus E protein with all three domains. The mixed trimer had unoccupied DIII interaction sites that could specifically bind exogenous DIII at either low or neutral pH. Truncated DV E proteins thus reconstitute hairpin formation and define properties of key domain interactions during DV fusion.
A renormalization approach to invariant circles in area-preserving maps

Abstract Kadanoff and Shenker introduced a renormalisation approach to invariant circles in area-preserving maps. This paper makes more precise the connection between invariant circles and the renormalisation operator. Restricting attention to noble rotation numbers, the stability of a simple fixed point of the renormalisation is analysed, corresponding to a linear twist map. It is found to be essentially attracting, so that noble circles persist under perturbation, giving a new view on KAM theory. Shenker and Kadanoff found evidence for another fixed point, corresponding to a map with a non-smooth noble circle. Further evidence is given in this paper. It has essentially only one unstable direction, and its stable manifold is believed to give the boundary of the set of twist maps with a noble circle. Finally, noble circles are shown to be locally most robust, in an important sense.
Non-uniform power access in large caches with low-swing wires

Modern processors dedicate more than half their chip area to large L2 and L3 caches and these caches contribute significantly to the total processor power. A large cache is typically split into multiple banks and these banks are either connected through a bus (uniform cache access — UCA) or an on-chip network (non-uniform cache access — NUCA). Irrespective of the cache model (NUCA or UCA), the complex interconnects that must be navigated within large caches are found to be the dominant part of cache access power. While there have been a number of proposals to minimize energy consumption in the inter-bank network, very little attention has been paid to the optimization of intra-bank network power that contributes more than 50% of the total cache dynamic power in large cache banks. In this work we study various mechanisms that introduce low-swing wires inside cache banks as energy saving measures. We propose a novel non-uniform power access design, which when coupled with simple architectural mechanisms, provides the best power-performance tradeoff. The proposed mechanisms reduce cache bank energy by 42% while incurring a minor 1% drop in performance.
Digital forensics research: The next 10 years

Today's Golden Age of computer forensics is quickly coming to an end. Without a clear strategy for enabling research efforts that build upon one another, forensic research will fall behind the market, tools will become increasingly obsolete, and law enforcement, military and other users of computer forensics products will be unable to rely on the results of forensic analysis. This article summarizes current forensic research directions and argues that to move forward the community needs to adopt standardized, modular approaches for data representation and forensic processing.
Hierarchical substring caching for efficient content distribution to low-bandwidth clients

While overall bandwidth in the internet has grown rapidly over the last few years, and an increasing number of clients enjoy broadband connectivity, many others still access the internet over much slower dialup or wireless links. To address this issue, a number of techniques for optimized delivery of web and multimedia content over slow links have been proposed, including protocol optimizations, caching, compression, and multimedia transcoding, and several large ISPs have recently begun to widely promote dialup acceleration services based on such techniques. A recent paper by Rhea, Liang, and Brewer proposed an elegant technique called value-based caching that caches substrings of files, rather than entire files, and thus avoids repeated transmission of substrings common to several pages or page versions.We propose and study a hierarchical substring caching technique that provides significant savings over this basic approach. We describe several additional techniques for minimizing overheads and perform an evaluation on a large set of real web access traces that we collected. In the second part of our work, we compare our approach to a widely studied alternative approach based on delta compression, and show how to integrate the two for best overall performance. The studied techniques are typically employed in a client-proxy environment, with each proxy serving a large number of clients, and an important aspect is how to conserve resources on the proxy while exploiting the significant memory and CPU power available on current clients.
Faculty Career Strategies Preferred by University Administrators and Faculty

Research is needed in a variety of organizations to identify similarities between super visors and subordinates concerning characteristics and behaviors important for subor dinate career advancement. The present research examined the match between university administrator and faculty perceptions regarding the importance of job performance related, power/political, and neutral faculty career advancement strategies. As hypoth esized, no differences were found on job performance or neutral faculty characteristics and behaviors. Differences were found in nearly half of the power/political behaviors and characteristics. The results are discussed in light of functional and dysfunctional uses of political activity within organizations.
The symmetry of nuclear wave functions

Dr. F. Rasetti, working at these laboratories, has clearly shown by his experiments on the Raman effect in nitrogen that the even rotational states of the nitrogen molecule have a greater weight than the odd rotational states in contradistinction to the behavior of the hydrogen molecule.
Getting humanoids to move and imitate

A behavior-based approach to structuring and controlling complex robotic systems is described that uses imitation for interaction and learning. The use of basis behaviors, or primitives, lets humanoid robots dance the Macarena, do aerobics and throw objects.
CALCULATION OF HYHEL10-LYSOZYME BINDING FREE ENERGY CHANGES : EFFECT OF TEN POINT MUTATIONS

The change in free energy of binding of hen egg white lysozyme (HEL) to the antibody HyHel-10 arising from ten point mutations in HEL (D101K, D101G, K96M, K97D, K97G, K97G, R21E, R21K, W62Y, and W63Y) was calculated using a combination of the finite difference Poisson-Boltzmann method for the electrostatic contribution, a solvent accessible surface area term for the non-polar contribution, and rotamer counting for the sidechain entropy contribution. Comparison of experimental and calculated results indicate that because of pKa shifts in some of the mutated residues, primarily those involving Aspartate or Glutamate, proton uptake or release occurs in binding. When this effect was incorporated into the binding free energy calculations, the agreement with experiment improved significantly, and resulted in a mean error of about 1.9 kcal/mole. Thus these calculations predict that there should be a significant pH dependence to the change in binding caused by these mutations. The other major contributions to binding energy changes comes from solvation and charge charge interactions, which tend to oppose each other. Smaller contributions come from nonpolar interactions and sidechain entropy changes. The structures of the HyHel-10-HEL complexes with mutant HEL were obtained by modeling, and the effect of the modeled structure on the calculations was also examined. “Knowledge based” modeling and automatic generation of models using molecular mechanics produced comparable results. Proteins 33:39–48, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Teaching Social Structure in a Poststructural Classroom: A (Mild) Defense of an Economic Deterministic Approach

Teaching social structure is difficult due to the fact that these supposed influences are regularly invisible and often function without the knowledge of those being influenced. At the same time, most of us – in particular undergraduate college students – are resistant to the idea that our actions and choices are somehow constrained or influenced. This essay examines the challenge of teaching social structure to potentially resistant groups and defends the use of a common budget-based exercise to connect students to the potential of structural constraints on individual action.
Studying both sexes: a guiding principle for biomedicine

In May 2014, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will ensure that investigators account for sex as a biological variable (SABV) in NIH-funded preclinical research as part of the agency's rigor and transparency initiative. Herein, I describe in more detail the rationale behind the SABV policy component and provide additional detail about policy goals. In short, studying both sexes is a guiding principle in biomedical research that will expand knowledge toward turning discovery into health. NIH expects that considering SABV in preclinical research will help to build a knowledge base that better informs the design of clinical research and trials in humans. Integrating the practice of studying both sexes in preclinical research will, over time, expand our currently incomplete knowledge base that plays a critical role in informing the development of sex- and gender-appropriate medical care for women and men.
Hypoproteinemia slows lung liquid clearance in young lambs.

To determine whether hypoproteinemia slows the rate at which liquid is cleared from the lung lumen, we studied 36 lambs, 18 of which underwent repeated plasmapheresis, reducing plasma protein concentration by 37% and plasma protein osmotic pressure by 39%. We killed 29 lambs (14 hypoproteinemic and 15 normoproteinemic) and removed their lungs 1, 2, or 6 h after intratracheal instillation of isotonic saline (6 ml/kg body wt). We measured extravascular lung water and determined the percentage of tracheally instilled liquid that was cleared from the lungs by comparison with control lambs that did not receive saline into their airways. The percent liquid cleared from the lungs after 1 and 2 h was significantly less in hypoproteinemic than in normoproteinemic lambs (37 vs. 65% at 1 h, 58 vs. 75% at 2 h, respectively). By 6 h nearly all the liquid (> 92%) was cleared from the lungs of all lambs. Thus hypoproteinemia slows the initial rate of clearance of liquid from the lungs of lambs. To determine whether reduced plasma protein osmotic pressure might redirect this liquid into lung lymphatics, we measured lung lymph flow (Q1) in five lambs (7.7 +/- 1.4 kg, 19 +/- 4 days old) for > or = 2 h before and 6 h after tracheal instillation of saline. In each lamb, paired studies were done 3–6 days apart; between studies the lambs underwent plasmapheresis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Contextualizing trafficking in women and children in Africa

Women and children have been bartered, pawned, bought, and sold within and beyond Africa for longer than records have existed. This chapter examines the changing modalities of the traffic in women and children in the aftermath of the “end of slavery” in Africa, from the late nineteenth century to the present. The formal end of the slave trade and slavery did not end the demand for servile women and children. Slavery and the many forms of bondage, coercion, and subordination that have operated in Africa in the past are often juxtaposed with the nature of trafficking once slavery and the slave trade were made illegal. Contemporary traffic in women is increasingly conflated with prostitution; and descriptions of child trafficking often merge with critiques of child labor practices. Human trafficking is rapidly emerging as a core human rights issue for the twenty-first century. Scholars, human rights activists, and criminologists need to be mindful of the long history of trafficking in order to better assess and confront its contemporary forms.
Functional reflective polarizer for augmented reality and color vision deficiency

We report a functional reflective polarizer that can be incorporated into a compact augmented reality system. The design principle of the functional reflective polarizer is explained and two design examples are illustrated. In the first example, with the specially designed functional reflective polarizer, the transmittance of the augment reality system is relatively high as compared to a polarizing beam splitter or a conventional reflective polarizer. Such a functional reflective polarizer can also be used for vehicular displays. For the second example, the functional reflective polarizer is specially tailored to help those people with color vision deficiency.
Cognitive Deficits after Focal Cerebellar Lesions

Patients with focal cerebellar lesions due to tumor or hematoma were evaluated by a neuropsychological test battery, neurological examination and MRI, and cognitive function was correlated with location of the lesions in a study of 21 adult patients at the Department of Neurosurgery, Christian Albrechts Universitat, Kiel, Germany.
Proof without Words: The Mediant Property

(1990). Proof without Words: The Mediant Property. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 63, No. 3, pp. 172-172.
Modeling of Thermal Conductance at Transverse CNT−CNT Interfaces

This article explores the transverse thermal conductance between two parallel—bonded as well as nonbonded—carbon nanotubes, embedded in an epoxy matrix using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simul...