cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel mechanism for activation of the protein kinase Aurora A.

Abstract Segregation of chromosomes during mitosis requires interplay between several classes of protein on the spindle, including protein kinases, protein phosphatases, and microtubule binding motor proteins [1–4]. Aurora A is an oncogenic cell cycle-regulated protein kinase that is subject to phosphorylation-dependent activation [5–11]. Aurora A localization to the mitotic spindle depends on the motor binding protein TPX2 (Targeting Protein for Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2), but the protein(s) involved in Aurora A activation are unknown [11–13]. Here, we purify an activator of Aurora A from Xenopus eggs and identify it as TPX2. Remarkably, Aurora A that has been fully deactivated by Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) becomes phosphorylated and reactivated by recombinant TPX2 in an ATP-dependent manner. Increased phosphorylation and activation of Aurora A requires its own kinase activity, suggesting that TPX2 stimulates autophosphorylation and autoactivation of the enzyme. Consistently, wild-type Aurora A, but not a kinase inactive mutant, becomes autophosphorylated on the regulatory T loop residue (Thr 295) after TPX2 treatment. Active Aurora A from bacteria is further activated at least 7-fold by recombinant TPX2, and TPX2 also impairs the ability of protein phosphatases to inactivate Aurora A in vitro. This concerted mechanism of stimulation of activation and inhibition of deactivation implies that TPX2 is the likely regulator of Aurora A activity at the mitotic spindle and may explain why loss of TPX2 in model systems perturbs spindle assembly [14–16]. Our finding that a known binding protein, and not a conventional protein kinase, is the relevant activator for Aurora A suggests a biochemical model in which the dynamic localization of TPX2 on mitotic structures directly modulates the activity of Aurora A for spindle assembly.
034 Survival of mouse oocytes after cooling in lower cryoprotectant concentrations by ultra rapid warming using an IR laser pulse

Seki and Mazur have recently shown [PLoS One. 2012;7(4)] that about 90% of MII mouse oocytes survive vitrification in solutions of EAFS 10/10 that contain only half the usual concentration of solutes, provided that the warming rate is extremely high (117,000 °C/min). They reported that fewer than 10% survived if the concentration of EAFS were further reduced to 33% of normal. We are currently investigating whether high survivals could be obtained in 0.33× and 0.25× EAFS if the warming rates were still higher. For this purpose we have cooled MII oocytes in these media on Cryotops to −196 °C and warmed them 5 times more rapidly at ∼600,000 °C/min by subjecting them to a 13 joule pulse of 15 msec duration from a Nd:YAG laser. Kleinhans et al in a companion paper at this meeting discuss the physics attributes of the laser and the interactions of the pulse with the sample, as well as the jig he developed to permit the manipulation of the Cryotop before and during its exposure to the laser pulse. The osmotic/morphological survival of 31 samples suspended in 0.25× EAFS was 15.2 ± 22% (standard deviation). The survival of two samples in 0.33× EAFS was 30%. The total molality of these solutions is 1.27 and 1.72, respectively. These are in the range used in standard slow-freeze cryopreservation. For comparison, note that the total molality of full strength 1x EAFS is 7.37 molal, 5.8 and 4.3-fold higher. Although these preliminary results are encouraging, we have two caveats. One is that the variability of the former is high as evidenced by the large standard errors. The other is that the survival of controls subjected to the same cooling procedure but warmed at 117,000 °C/min (no laser) was close to the same (13.3% vs. 15.2%). Source of funding: NIH Grant 8R01 OD 011201, Peter Mazur, PI. Conflict of interest: None declared. pmazur@utk.edu
Marine proteomics: generation of sequence tags for dissolved proteins in seawater using tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract Dissolved proteins in seawater samples from the Gulf of Mexico were concentrated using tangential flow ultrafiltration and methanol/chloroform/water precipitation. Following concentration and purification, two different separation methods were employed. In one method, intact proteins were separated by SDS–PAGE and digested enzymatically in-gel. In the second method, the peptides resulting from a solution proteolytic digest of the whole protein pellet mixture were separated by capillary HPLC. In both methods, the final chromatographic separation was coupled on-line with a mass spectrometer using an electrospray interface, and peptide CID spectra were collected using tandem mass spectrometry (MS). De novo sequencing of the peptide tandem mass spectra generated short amino acid sequences (peptide tags) that were used to search databases for protein class and source information. Trends of conserved sequences for two specific classes of proteins were observed: membrane/envelope proteins and enzymes. Similarity searching of peptide tags produced identification of conserved sequences from several protein homologues originating from many different species, including: long chain fatty acyl CoA synthetase, anthranilate synthase, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase, and luminal binding protein. These results provide new insight into the sources and production mechanisms for dissolved organic matter (DOM), as there is direct evidence for dissolved proteins other than the bacterial outer membrane proteins reported by Tanoue et al. Furthermore, the data presented herein support the idea that physical protection and selective preservation are not mutually exclusive survival mechanisms, but rather these two models are dependent upon one another for explaining the survival of refractory dissolved proteins in seawater.
A randomized trial of three iron dextran infusion methods for anemia in EPO-treated dialysis patients

Forty-three hemodialysis patients receiving recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO, epoietin alpha) were randomized to receive intravenous iron dextran as a total-dose infusion, 500-mg infusion to total dose, or 100-mg bolus to total dose, in each case during the dialysis procedure. The dose of iron dextran was calculated from the patient's existing hemoglobin to achieve a desired hemoglobin. Patients were eligible to receive intravenous iron dextran if they had a serum ferritin of < or = 100 ng/mL or a serum ferritin of 100 to 200 ng/mL, along with a transferrin saturation of < or = 19%. Patients were excluded if they had prior therapy with iron dextran, aluminum intoxication, or transfusion during the study. The time to the maximum hemoglobin, acute adverse reactions, and delayed adverse reactions were analyzed statistically, and no differences were seen in any of the three groups. Total-dose intravenous iron dextran infusion is safe, convenient, less expensive, and as efficacious as divided-dose infusions.
Clinician perception of fine needle aspiration cytology.

Private practitioners in San Francisco were surveyed about their perceptions of fine needle aspiration cytology. The overall response rate was 60% (369/614). The responding group was uncertain about the utility of fine needle aspiration cytology in several specific clinical settings, but 83% (307/369) believed fine needle aspiration cytology will be used more extensively in the future. Diagn Cytopathol 1985;1:249–54.
Optimal single stage restoration of split-beam sonar images via mathematical morphology

Split-beam sonar binary images are inherently noisy and have large quantities of shot noise as well as many missing data points. We address the problem of their restoration via mathematical morphology. Conventional restoration techniques for these types of images do not make use of any of the spatial relationships between data points, such as a qualitative observation that outliers tend to have much larger distances to neighboring pixels. We first define an explicit noise model that characterizes the image degradation process for split-beam sonar images. A key feature of the model is that the degradation is split into two parts, a foreground component and a background component. The amount of noise occurring in the background decreases with distance from the underlying signal object. Thus outliers in the model have the same statistical properties as those observed in training data. Next we propose two different restoration algorithms for these kinds of images based respectively on morphological distance transforms and dilation with a toroid shaped structuring element followed by intersection. Finally we generalize to processing other kinds of imagery where applicable.
Scaled Accelerator Test For the DARHT-II Downstream Transport System

The second axis of the dual axial radiography hydrodynamic test (DARHT-II) facility at LANL is currently in the commissioning phase. The beam parameters for the DARHT-II machine will be nominally 17 MeV, 2 kA and 1.6 mus. This makes the DARHT-II downstream system the first system ever designed to transport a high current, high energy and long pulse beam [2]. We will test these physics issues of the downstream transport system on a scaled DARHT-II accelerator with a 7.8-MeV and 950-A beam at LANL before commissioning the machine at its full energy and current. The scaling laws for various physics concerns and the beam parameters selection are discussed in this paper.
Direct Foreign Manufacturing Investment Decisions for China

AbstractA firm's foreign direct manufacturing investment (FDMI) vehicle choice is a difficult one. Scholars and practitioners alike differ over the best vehicle of entry into foreign markets. The traditional wisdom suggests the formation of an equity joint venture, a choice that reflects the advice offered by the ancient Chinese proverb, “It is a fool who does not hire a guide when entering a foreign land.” Recently, a wave of agreement has washed over scholars and practitioners, who are now promoting the wholly owned foreign subsidiary as the preferred vehicle for entering foreign markets. This article examines 74 FDMI decisions made by manufacturing firms entering the People's Republic of China. Examination of these data suggests a revised FDMI decision framework based on an individual firm's technology, investment size, market scope, new-product development strategy, and government regulation.
Arginine Depletion by Arginine Deiminase Does Not Affect Whole Protein Metabolism or Muscle Fractional Protein Synthesis Rate in Mice

Due to the absolute need for arginine that certain cancer cells have, arginine depletion is a therapy in clinical trials to treat several types of cancers. Arginine is an amino acids utilized not only as a precursor for other important molecules, but also for protein synthesis. Because arginine depletion can potentially exacerbate the progressive loss of body weight, and especially lean body mass, in cancer patients we determined the effect of arginine depletion by pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20) on whole body protein synthesis and fractional protein synthesis rate in multiple tissues of mice. ADI-PEG 20 successfully depleted circulating arginine (<1 μmol/L), and increased citrulline concentration more than tenfold. Body weight and body composition, however, were not affected by ADI-PEG 20. Despite the depletion of arginine, whole body protein synthesis and breakdown were maintained in the ADI-PEG 20 treated mice. The fractional protein synthesis rate of muscle was also not affected by arginine depletion. Most tissues (liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lungs, stomach, small and large intestine, pancreas) were able to maintain their fractional protein synthesis rate; however, the fractional protein synthesis rate of brain, thymus and testicles was reduced due to the ADI-PEG 20 treatment. Furthermore, these results were confirmed by the incorporation of ureido [14C]citrulline, which indicate the local conversion into arginine, into protein. In conclusion, the intracellular recycling pathway of citrulline is able to provide enough arginine to maintain protein synthesis rate and prevent the loss of lean body mass and body weight.
Surface-Enhanced Raman Analysis of some Polycyclic Aromatic Dyes used in the Cosmetics and Food Industries

Abstract The Surface-Enhanced Raman spectra of three important polycyclic aromatic dyes used in the food and cosmetic industries. Erythrosine, Eosine, and Phloxine, are recorded for the first time. The ability of the Surface-Enhanced Raman scattering techniques to detect these dyes at trace level is demonstrated. Such techniques minimize the fluorescence background in these highly fluorescing dyes, bringing out the Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectra features. The Normal Raman Spectra of erythrosine and phtalazine were also recorded and compared with their Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectra to illustrate the fluorescence suppression in Surface Enhanced Raman Spectra. The vibrational spectra features of the three dyes are discussed in terms of their molecular structure and the vibrations of the aromatic rings.
N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea induces mammary cancers in the pituitary-isografted mouse which are histologically and genotypically distinct from those induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea

N-Ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) are alkylating agents which respectively ethylate or methylate nucleophilic centers in the cell such as DNA. In vitro studies with naked DNA and bacterial mutagenesis assays suggest that these two compounds induce different spectra of genetic lesions. In addition, the ethyl-DNA adducts induced by ENU persist longer than the methyl-DNA adducts induced by MNU. Since MNU is a known mammary carcinogen in the pituitary-isografted mouse, these data suggest that ENU may be an even more potent carcinogen than MNU. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ENU was a mammary carcinogen in the pituitary-isografted mouse and if so, to compare the genotype and phenotype of ENU-induced mammary tumors with those induced by MNU. Fifteen adult female virgin BALB/c mice were isografted with two pituitaries and subsequently treated with a single intravenous injection of ENU (50 μg/g body weight). Mammary adenocarcinomas arose in all of the survivors (n = 12) with a median latency of 27 weeks and a mean frequency of 1.4 cancers per mouse. When tumor DNA was analyzed for mutations in the 12th and 61st codons of c-Ki-ras or c-Ha-ras protooncogenes, only wild type sequences were found. This is in contrast to MNU which causes a G to A transition mutation in the 12th codon of the c-Ha-ras proto-oncogene in about one of five mammary cancers induced in pituitary-isografted mice. Furthermore, the ENU-induced tumors were solid viable papillary adenocarcinomas, whereas MNU induced tumors are highly necrotic adenocarcinomas with squamous metaplasia. These results demonstrate that, in the pituitary-isografted mouse, ENU is as potent a mammary carcinogen as MNU and suggest that oncogenes other than c-Ki-ras or c-Ha-ras may be involved in ENU-induced mammary cancers.
Learning and electrical self-stimulation of the brain

Abstract A theory of learning concerning approach behavior in the rat is applied to the phenomena of electrical self-stimulation of the brain. First, the theory is outlined and its application to learning in the intact animal is shown. Examples of subsequently verified predictions are then given. The theory is then applied to the phenomena of intracranial self-stimulation. Here learning is induced by the direct stimulation of parts of the central nervous system. However, such learning differs in many important respects from normal learning. It is shown that its anomalies are to be predicted from the theory. Further experimental verifications to test the theory in its application to intracranial self-stimulation are also described. The reason why a theory based on behavioral evidence can be used to predict at a more physiological level is that it is a hypothesis about what type of system it is which produces observed behavior.
The Change Grid and the Active Client Challenging the Assumptions of Change Agentry in the Penal Process

Following Blake and Mouton's Managerial Grid (1964), a variety of two-dimensional models have been used to explore problems in planned change and administration. The change grid has been used to examine the relationship of change agents and individual changees. This article reexamines the assumptions of that model in the context of individual client adaptations and bureaucratic classification systems, which channel masses of clients into programs that are designed to implement specific change strategies. The article concludes that penal organizations specifically, but perhaps other human service organizations as well, select and place clients so that programs remain stable, rather than sequence programs to meet the needs of clients.
Hindered settling of a suspension at low Reynolds number

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the settling velocity of a dispersion of spherical particles (that is, drops of arbitrary viscosity) depends on concentration. The procedure used entirely avoids the divergent integrals which previous workers in this field have been forced to deal with and yields explicit formulas for the sedimentation velocity. These formulas, accurate to first order in the particle volume fraction, depend on both the physical characteristics of the particles (size, buoyant density, viscosity ratio) as well as on any long range forces (for example, electrical double layer repulsions or van der Waals attraction) which may exist between particles. Sample calculations are given for globular proteins subject to double layer repulsions and for micron size colloids which experience van der Waals attractions in addition to the electrostatics. In the latter case, it is shown how the Hamaker constant can be extracted from sedimentation data. The analysis is extended to more concentrated suspensions by assuming that the hydrodynamic interactions among particles are pairwise additive; comparison with published data shows this analysis to be reasonably accurate, even for dense suspensions, without any adjustable parameters.
Integrated Information Systems for Highway Safety Management: Conceptual Design for Interoperability

The Korea National Police Agency, Korea Highway Corporation, Korea Regional Construction Agencies and the Seoul Metropolitan Government have developed their own highway and traffic safety information management systems. The critical problem is that these systems are not interoperable and compatible, since each agency developed its own system using different platforms and without a standardized data format. There seem to be at least two ways to make these systems interoperable and compatible: (1) consolidate all available information into one system and make all data compatible, or (2) develop standardized mechanisms, such as interfaces, or develop a platform neutral encoding. The first option is difficult to implement, if not impossible. The second approach is the subject of this paper. The purpose of this paper is to design a conceptual model for building an integrated information system for highway safety management (IHSM) which is based on platform neutral encoding. A conceptual model is presented in this paper in a unified modeling language (UML) environment. The conceptual model shall become a base for the development of a logical and physical model for implementing the intended IHSM system.
Treatment of anorexia nervosa with long-term risperidone in an outpatient setting: case study

There are currently few studies focusing on the efficacy of long-term atypical antipsychotics to treat anorexia nervosa in the pediatric population. This case report follows the treatment of a 17 year-old female with anorexia nervosa over her four-year undergraduate career. After two years of multidisciplinary treatment, low-dose risperidone was initiated due to persistence of her disease. She expressed decreased rigidity around meal times, her weight improved and she had resumption of menses. She was compliant with treatment through graduation and maintained her weight gain. Atypical antipsychotics are a treatment option in the management of anorexia nervosa. Risperidone has not been studied as frequently as olanzapine for eating disorders. Risperidone was chosen for its more favorable side effect profile and decreased cost to the patient. Previous studies on anorexia nervosa treatment have occurred during inpatient treatment and have limited follow-up due to patients’ refusal to initiate or maintain medication compliance. This case presents 17 months of outpatient data. The efficacy of risperidone therapy was evaluated with frequent weight checks, subjective decrease in rigidity, serial complete metabolic panels, and restoration of menses. In this case report, an adolescent female treated with low-dose risperidone had decreased rigid thinking, weight gain and resolution of secondary amenorrhea without medication side effects. Therefore, the atypical antipsychotic risperidone may be an effective long-term outpatient treatment option for patients with anorexia nervosa.
When Alamouti codes meet interference alignment: Transmission schemes for two-user X channel

Interference alignment increases transmission rate in terms of multiplexing gain for X channel. In this paper, we propose a fixed-rate transmission scheme over a two-user X channel where each of the two double-antenna transmitters has independent messages for each of the two double-antenna receivers. Each transmitter encodes symbols using Alamouti codes followed by beamformers that align interference at unintended receivers. The receiver removes the aligned interference and decouples symbols using interference cancellation followed by symbol-by-symbol decoding. Our analysis shows that the proposed scheme achieves a diversity gain of 2 at the maximum node-to-node symbol-rate of 2 over 3.
Transport and diagenesis of dissolved and particulate terrigenous organic matter in the North Pacific Ocean

Lignin measurements were made on suspended particulate organic matter (POM), total dissolved organic matter (DOM), high-molecular-weight (HMW) DOM, and low-molecular-weight (LMW) DOM in the North Pacific at Station Aloha. Carbon-normalized yields of lignin and d 13 C measurements indicate that while terrigenous organic matter accounts only for B1% of DOM in seawater, submicron POM has a substantial terrigenous component. The apparent size distribution and terrigenous nature of the particles is consistent with an aerosol source, but these particles could also be delivered to the ocean via rivers. Ratios of syringyl to vanillyl phenols as well as the fraction of dissolved lignin in HMW DOM provide molecular evidence of photochemical oxidation. Several differences in lignin composition and concentrations were evident between water masses. In particular, concentrations in North Pacific Intermediate Water were a factor of two greater than at all other depths. This is likely a reflection of higher riverine input via the Sea of Okhotsk. These trends suggest that lignin could serve as a general circulation tracer in addition to tracing riverine input and diagenetic processing of terrigenous organic matter in the ocean. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Low-effective index of refraction medium using metallic wire array

We investigated the effective medium properties of metallic wire arrays. The extracted effective permittivity and permeability of a physically realizable wire array show that for certain frequency range, both low permittivity and refraction index can be achieved. We confirmed the feasibility of using the wire arrays as an effective low refraction index by studying a 2-D band gap structure embedded in the wire array.
Alternate forms of the AVLT: a procedure and test of form equivalency.

Abstract The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test is frequently used in neuropsychological evaluation and research. However, its utility in the measurement of progressive change is limited by the availability of alternate and equivalent forms. Criteria were developed for word selection to generate new lists. Two alternate forms generated according to these criteria, as well as the original Key AVLT and alternate form, were administered to elderly Medical Center patients and undergraduate volunteers. All four AVLT forms yielded comparable mean recall scores, and alternate form reliability coefficients for each trial varied from .67 to .90. Conclusions from this study, though, must be made with caution as the sample size used was small.
Unified analysis of generalized selection diversity with normalized threshold test per branch

The ability to capture significant amount of transmitted signal energy present in the resolvable multipaths using only a modest number of RAKE fingers (correlators) is an important receiver design consideration for ultra-wideband (UWB) and wideband CDMA communication systems. This, however, is achieved at the expense of RAKE receiver performance. Motivated by this need, several suboptimal hybrid receiver structures have been proposed in the literature. The study on generalized selection diversity combining with normalized threshold test per branch (T - GSC(/spl mu/,L)) is also important from a theoretical standpoint because this model encapsulates both the traditional selection diversity and maximal-ratio combining (coherent detection) or post-detection equal-gain combining (noncoherent detection) schemes as limiting cases. However, mathematical analysis for T - GSC(/spl mu/,L) has been limited to i.i.d. Rayleigh fading channels. This paper derives simple to evaluate formulas for the moment generating function (mgf) of T - GSC(/spl mu/,L) output SNR with L resolvable multipaths. In addition to providing new results for many cases that heretofore has resisted solution in a simple form, our approach also allows some of the previously obtained results to be simplified both analytically and computationally.
Membrane Anchoring of the AgrD N-terminal Amphipathic Region Is Required for Its Processing to Produce a Quorum-sensing Pheromone in Staphylococcus aureus

Quorum-sensing pheromones are signal molecules that are secreted from Gram-positive bacteria and utilized by these bacteria to communicate among individual cells to regulate their activities as a group through a cell density-sensing mechanism. Typically, these pheromones are processed from precursor polypeptides. The mechanisms of trafficking, processing, and modification of the precursor to generate a mature pheromone are unclear. In Staphylococcus aureus, AgrD is the propeptide for an autoinducing peptide (AIP) pheromone that triggers the Agr cell density-sensing system upon reaching a threshold and subsequently regulates expression of virulence factor genes. The transmembrane protein AgrB, encoded in the agr locus, is necessary for the processing of AgrD to produce mature AIP; however, it is not clear how AgrD interacts with AgrB and how this interaction results in the generation of mature AIP. In this study, we found that the AgrD propeptide was integrated into the cytoplasmic membrane by a conserved α-helical amphipathic motif in its N-terminal region. We demonstrated that membrane targeting of AgrD by this motif was required for the stabilization of AgrD and the production of mature AIP, although this region was not specifically involved in the interaction with AgrB. An artificial amphipathic peptide replacing the N-terminal amphipathic motif of AgrD directed the protein to the cytoplasmic membrane and enabled the production of AIP. Analysis of Bacillus ComX precursor protein sequences suggested that the amphipathic membrane-targeting motif might also exist in pheromone precursors of other Gram-positive bacteria.
Natural Convection Heat Transfer from Fractal-Like Fins

The results of a computational investigation into the performance of fractal-like fins under conditions where natural convection is the sole heat transfer mechanism are presented. Fractal patterns such as the Sierpinski carpet have previously been shown to increase surface area significantly, compared to classical geometries, while also reducing mass. This study examines fin performance for a baseline case (a square fin) relative to the first four fractal iterations of fins inspired by the Sierpinski carpet fractal pattern. To evaluate thermal performance, constant heat flux conditions were applied to the base of the fins. Geometric fin parameters, surface heat flux, fin scale, and fin orientation were varied to understand their role with regard to fin effectiveness and fin efficiency. Fin effectiveness was found to be greatly increased through the use of fractal-like fins, due to the increase in surface area per fin volume. Fin effectiveness per unit mass was also found to be improved significantly, whic...
Spectroscopic studies of the two-dimensional magnetic insulators chromium trichloride and chromium tribromide. II

Abstract The splitting, spectroscopic g -factors, polarized relative intensities and temperature dependence of the 2 T 1 , 2 T 2 and 4 T 2 states of CrBr 3 and the 4 T 2 state of CrCl 3 are examined in detail. The 2 T 1 state is split into well-resolved 2 A and 2 E sublevels by the trigonal field, with no apparent complication from vibronic coupling. A hot-magnon-assisted transition to the 2 A sublevel ( h ω mag = 75cm −1 ) is identified and its intensity vs temperature related to the nearest-neighbor two-spin correlation function, which is also used to estimate an excited-state exchange field of 1200 kG from the shift in energy of the 2 E sublevel with temperature. A single-ion intensity mechanism is also found to be important, and the resulting strong dependence of the 2 E sublevel intensity on exchange field direction and temperature (below T c ) is analyzed in terms of 2 T 1 − 4 T 2 and 2 T 1 − 4 T 1 spin-orbit mixing. Closely similar results are found for the 2 T 2 state, including a strong dependence of the 2 E sublevel intensity on exchange field direction and temperature (below T c ) and a hot-magnon-assisted transition to the 2 A sublevel ( h ω mag = 48cm −1 ). Quantitative analysis is very difficult, however, because of a complicated sideband structure, the probable existence of a Jahn-Teller effect and uncertainty as to the rigid-lattice trigonal splitting. A partial interpretation of the structure, based on Jahn-Teller interaction with one or more e g , unit-cell vibrations, is proposed. A strong tetragonal Jahn-Teller effect is found in the 4 T 2 states in CrCl 3 and CrBr 3 , as evidenced by a long progression in the 250 cm −1 and the 150 cm −1 e g , unit-cell vibration, respectively. For CrCl 3 , an analysis of the zero-phonon levels shows that E JT = 500 ±80 cm −1 and indicates that the excited-state exchange field is antiferromagnetic, Isotropie and slightly smaller in magnitude than the ferromagnetic ground-state exchange field. Vibrationally-excited levels of the 4 T 2 state are examined qualitatively, aided by the analysis of the zero-phonon levels. The closely-similar CrBr 3 4 T 2 vibronic structure is also analyzed through a perturbation calculation, and a good description of the splitting, relative intensities and polarizations of the zero-phonon levels is obtained, yielding a value of E JT ≈ 400 cm −1 . Spurious 4 T 2 zero-phonon structure is found in CrCl 3 containing stacking faults but similar complications are not found in CrBr 3 .
Global Brands in the United States: How Consumer Ethnicity Mediates the Global Brand Effect

Abstract Previous cross-cultural research has demonstrated a consistently positive effect of brand globality on consumer perceptions, attitudes, and purchase intentions. The authors evaluate these effects on three ethnic segments of U.S. consumers. Drawing on survey data analysis and the estimates of a structural equation model, the research shows that associations with global brands as a general category vary across ethnic groups. Caucasian consumers show less of an appreciation of global brands, whereas African Americans and Hispanics show patterns similar to those in prior research. Although the average consumer views brand globality as an attribute of little importance, the structural equation findings show a direct effect of globality on attitudes and purchases. Overall, mainstream consumers in the United States are less favorable toward global brands than minority groups but patronize them at the same overall rate.
Avoidance of Counseling: Psychological Factors That Inhibit Seeking Help

How do counselors reach out to individuals who are reluctant to seek counseling services? To answer this question, the authors examined the research on the psychological help-seeking barriers from counseling, clinical and social psychology, as well as social work and psychiatry. Specific avoidance factors that have been identified in the mental health literature; important variations in the setting, problem type, demographics, and cultural characteristics that can influence the degree to which avoidance factors affect professional help-seeking decisions; and suggestions for overcoming these avoidance factors are discussed.
Refusing Masculinity: The Politics of Gender in José María Arguedas

This essay argues that a refusal of dominant masculinity is central to the literary project of the Peruvian novelist and anthropologist Jose Maria Arguedas (1911–1969). In making this argument, I hope to lay the groundwork for a reassessment of the significance of gender in Arguedas’s work. In particular, the author argues that our understanding of the explicit politics of language and culture in Arguedasis is enhanced and enriched by a consideration to the more implicit (and quite likely unconscious) politics of masculinity in his writing.
An improved model in optimal PMU placement considering sensitivity analysis

In this paper, an improved model for completed observability in optimal PMU placement is presented. The proposed model is capable of obtaining the full set of optimal solutions instead of only one or partial solutions. A novel and topology-based method is suggested when zero-injection buses are considered in power grid. The integer linear programming approach is implemented to solve this model. In addition to the goal minimizing the number of PMUs, the sensitivity indicator is developed and introduced into the PMU placement in order to enhance the security of the power system networks. The model is tested in IEEE-14, 30, 57 and 118 buses systems. The simulation results are confirmed with the schemes concluded from authoritative publications. This model characterized by multi-solution provides convenience and flexibility to power company making a practical decision in PMUs' locations.
Disposition of Cocaine and Norcocaine in Blood and Tissues of B6C3F1 Mice

t The biodisposition of cocaine and norcocaine in blood and tissues of immunological importance in B6C3F1 mice following exposure to cocaine or cocaine plus an esterase inhibitor, diazinon, is presented. Analysis of specimens was by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results from these studies indicate that pretreatment with diazinon significantly increases cocaine and norcocaine concentrations in lhe blood, spleen, thymus, and liver. Following acute exposure to cocaine-diazinon, cocaine was found in the spleen and thymus up to 1 hour after exposure. Norcocaine was not detected at this time. Following 7-day exposure to cocaine-diazinon, both cocaine and norcocaine were found in liver, blood, and spleen up to 1 hour after the last exposure; however, only cocaine was detected in the thymus at 1 hour. Cocaine and norcocaine were not detected in any tissues 24
Evaluation of a Fiber-Modified Adenovirus Vector Vaccine against Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Cattle

Novel vaccination approaches against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) include the use of replication-defective human adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) vectors that contain the capsid-encoding regions of FMD virus (FMDV). Ad5 containing serotype A24 capsid sequences (Ad5.A24) has proved to be effective as a vaccine against FMD in livestock species. However, Ad5-vectored FMDV serotype O1 Campos vaccine (Ad5.O1C.2B) provides only partial protection of cattle against homologous challenge. It has been reported that a fiber-modified Ad5 vector expressing Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) enhances transduction of antigen-presenting cells (APC) in mice. In the current study, we assessed the efficacy of a fiber-modified Ad5 (Adt.O1C.2B.RGD) in cattle. Expression of FMDV capsid proteins was superior in cultured cells infected with the RGD-modified vector. Furthermore, transgene expression of Adt.O1C.2B.RGD was enhanced in cell lines that constitutively express integrin αvβ6, a known receptor for FMDV. In contrast, capsid expression in cattle-derived enriched APC populations was not enhanced by infection with this vector. Our data showed that vaccination with the two vectors yielded similar levels of protection against FMD in cattle. Although none of the vaccinated animals had detectable viremia, FMDV RNA was detected in serum samples from animals with clinical signs. Interestingly, CD4(+) and CD8(+) gamma interferon (IFN-γ)(+) cell responses were detected at significantly higher levels in animals vaccinated with Adt.O1C.2B.RGD than in animals vaccinated with Ad5.O1C.2B. Our results suggest that inclusion of an RGD motif in the fiber of Ad5-vectored FMD vaccine improves transgene delivery and cell-mediated immunity but does not significantly enhance vaccine performance in cattle.
Day Laborers, the Contested Time of Work, and Racial Knowledge

This paper explores certain particularities of the labor processes in which day laborers participate with the aim of elaborating the forms of marginalization that befall these workers, largely excluding them from the central temporal tendencies of work processes under advanced capitalism. For a theory of capitalism that highlights the characteristic qualities of labor under advanced capitalism, I turn to Moishe Postone’s reconstruction of Marxist critical theory. Based on a systematic program of interviews I conducted in 2008 with immigrant day laborers in Seattle at the CASA Latina workers’ center, I explore how the self-reported experiences of such workers both reflect and diverge from the social tendencies theorized by Postone. As I show, day laborers’ circumstances depart in fairly dramatic ways from the general trend Postone notes toward the routinization, regulation, and intensification of temporal culture both within the labor process and in society at large. In contrast to the regimentation of labor activity in response to the pressures of socially necessary labor time, a key concept for both Marx and Postone, day laborers grapple with a temporality of work that is highly malleable and varies from job to job, depending on a host of factors only some of which are in the worker’s control. Postone construes the central contradiction of capitalism in temporal terms: it is the advancing tension between the time necessary for producing social wealth measured as accumulated surplus value and the time needed to generate abundant social wealth gauged in terms of material things for human use. If political opposition to the capitalist organization of labor and human social relations depends decisively on labor experiences that bear the direct imprint of this core temporal dualism, then it seems obvious, following my interpretation of the CASA Latina interviews, that day laborers are ill-suited to the tasks of radical political subjectivity. The political possibilities expand, however, when we listen more carefully to the workers’ own typical attempts to explain and interpret their situation. When faced with the bewildering fluctuations in the procession of time, in the qualities of time-flows on the job, and in the wages yielded by their expenditures of labor time, these day laborers attributed much of this variability to the racially-based dispositions of their employers and/or their co-workers. Day laborers could draw radical political consequences from their experiences of time, I argue, were they to cultivate a more critical awareness of the racial power-relations that structure their working lives. Their invocations of racial knowledge, in other words, should prompt serious theoretical attention to the racial dynamics that help constitute the mainsprings of capitalist society, on the part of those who would recuperate conceptions from Marx via Postone for a politically potent critique of capitalism today, in dialogue with immigrant workers.
Interaction of the Octapeptide of Cholecystokinin and Gastrin I With Bethanechol in the Stimulation of Feline Colonic Smooth Muscle

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interaction between the cholinergic agonist, bethanechol; and the gastrointestinal peptides, the octapeptide of cholecystokinin or gastrin I, on stimulation of smooth muscle from the transverse colon of the cat. Myoelectrical activity was recorded with monopolar glass pore electrodes. A subthreshold concentration of bethanechol (10−8 M) did not stimulate an increase in colonic spike activity. The octapeptide of cholecystokinin stimulated a dosedependent increase in colonic spike activity. The concentration of the octapeptide of cholecystokinin which stimulated a threshold effect in the smooth muscle was 10−11 M, and the concentration which stimulated the peak effect was 10−9 M. The simultaneous cidministration of bethanechol had no effect on the dose-response curve for the octapeptide of cholecystokinin stimulation of colonic smooth muscle. Gastrin also stimulated a dose-dependent increase in colonic spike activity. The concentrations of gastrin for producing the threshold effect and the peak effect were identical to the octapeptide of cholecystokinin stimulation. The simultaneous administration of a subthreshold concentration of bethanechol, however, shifted the dose-response curve to the left. The concentration for a threshold effect after the combination was 10−14 M and the peak effect occurred at 10−11 M. The simultaneous addition of atropine (10−7 M) with the octapeptide of cholecystokinin did not affect stimulation of colonic spike activity, but atropine inhibited gastrin stimulation of spike activity. These data suggest: (a) the octapeptide of cholecystokinin stimulates colonic smooth muscle spike activity directly and does not interact with the muscarinic receptor and (b) gastrin stimulation of colonic spike activity is enhanced by a cholinergic agonist and requires the presence of the muscarinic receptor. Thus, gastrin stimulation of colonic smooth muscle requires a permissive action by acetylcholine similar to gastric acid secretion.
Mobile learning as alternative to assistive technology devices for special needs students

Assistive Technology (AT) revolutionized the process of learning for special needs students during the past three decades. Thanks to this technology, accessibility and educational inclusion became attainable more than any time in the history of special education. Meanwhile, assistive technology devices remain unreachable for a large number of students with disabilities, especially in under-developed and developing countries like Morocco due to a number of factors, especially, availability and affordability. Mobile learning, using smartphones and tablets in particular, may provide alternative solutions as special education tools in such countries. Additionally, open source platforms, particularly Google play store with all the applications it accommodates for disabled people, may obviate the need for monofunctional, sometimes expensive, AT devices. The present paper sets out to investigate potentials of using smartphones and tablets as alternative learning tools for assistive technology devices within formal and informal learning environments. It compares seven free Google Play medical apps with seven assistive technology devices at the level of functionality and affordability. The apps are of relevance to cases of physical as well as mental disabilities, namely hearing impairment, visual impairment, autism and speech articulation disorders.
Through the Looking Glass With Alice and Larry: the Nature of Scholarship

This Article, part of a symposium on critical tax theory, describes the benefits of critical tax theory to tax scholarship.
Networked learning: design considerations for online instructors

The considerable increase in web-based knowledge networks in the past two decades is strongly influencing learning environments. Learning entails information retrieval, use, communication, and production, and is strongly enriched by socially mediated discussions, debates, and collaborative activities. It is becoming critical for educators to better understand and become skilled at utilizing online networks and their affordances to improve the quality of learning experiences for their students. Along the same lines, networked learning could be seen as an effort to respond to the advances in electronic networks by putting the focus on the students and paying close attention to their educational needs, learning preferences, and social interactions. The aim of this paper is to review and synthesize empirical research on networked learning for online higher education courses and offer suggestions for future studies based on the gaps found in the literature. Implications of networked learning for instructional ...
Rapid Tomographic Image Reconstruction via Large-Scale Parallelization

Synchrotron (x-ray) light sources permit investigation of the structure of matter at extremely small length and time scales. Advances in detector technologies enable increasingly complex experiments and more rapid data acquisition. However, analysis of the resulting data then becomes a bottleneck—preventing near-real-time error detection or experiment steering. We present here methods that leverage highly parallel computers to improve the performance of iterative tomographic image reconstruction applications. We apply these methods to the conventional per-slice parallelization approach and use them to implement a novel in-slice approach that can use many more processors. To address programmability, we implement the introduced methods in high-performance MapReduce-like computing middleware, which is further optimized for reconstruction operations. Experiments with four reconstruction algorithms and two large datasets show that our methods can scale up to 8 K cores on an IBM BG/Q supercomputer with almost perfect speedup and can reduce total reconstruction times for large datasets by more than 95.4 % on 32 K cores relative to 1 K cores. Moreover, the average reconstruction times are improved from \(\sim \)2 h (256 cores) to \(\sim \)1 min (32 K cores), thus enabling near-real-time use.
Strengthening relationships between pharmacy faculty members and clinical training sites.

Since 2007, the College of Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee has conducted a think tank program to study issues of importance to the college that are broader than the purview of any specific committee. A separate think tank group is appointed for each issue. Each group is charged with
Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of a Terminal Organozinc Fluoride Compound: Hydrogen Bonding, Halogen Bonding, and Donor–Acceptor Interactions

[Tris(2-pyridylthio)methyl]zinc fluoride, [κ4-Tptm]ZnF, the first example of an organozinc compound that features a terminal fluoride ligand, may be obtained by the reactions of either [Tptm]ZnX (X = H, OSiMe3) with Me3SnF or [κ4-Tptm]ZnI with [Bun4N]F. Not only is the fluoride ligand of [κ4-Tptm]ZnF susceptible to coordination by B(C6F5)3 to give the adduct [κ4-Tptm]ZnFB(C6F5)3, but it is also an effective hydrogen bond and halogen bond acceptor. For example, X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate that [κ4-Tptm]ZnF forms an adduct with water in which hydrogen bonding between the fluoride ligands and water molecules serves to link pairs of [κ4-Tptm]ZnF molecules with a [F···(H-O-H)2···F] motif. Furthermore, 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopic studies provide evidence for hydrogen bonding and halogen bonding interactions with indole and C6F5I, respectively.