cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classification of Quadric Surfaces

A quadric surface is the 3-dimensional generalization of a conic section. Such a surface is determined by an equation in the variables x, y, z so that each term is of second degree; for example, $$ {x^2}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{\rm{2}}xy\;{\rm{ + }}\;3{z^2}\; = \;{\rm{1}}{\rm{.}} $$ The general form of the equation of a quadric surface is $$ a{x^2}\;{\rm{ + }}\;2bxy\;{\rm{ + }}\;2cxz\;{\rm{ + }}\;d{y^2}\;{\rm{ + }}\;2eyz\;{\rm{ + }}\;f{z^2}\;{\rm{ = }}\;{\rm{1,}} $$ (1) where the coefficients a, b, c, d, e, and f are constants. We would like to predict the shape of the quadric surface in terms of the coefficients, much in the same way that we described a conic section in terms of the coefficients of an equation $$ a{x^2}\;{\rm{ + }}\;2bxy\;{\rm{ + }}\;c{y^2}\;{\rm{ = }}\;{\rm{1}} $$ in two variables.
Sparse Hard Sets for P

Sparse hard sets for complexity classes has been a central topic for two decades. The area is motivated by the desire to clarify relationships between completeness/hardness and density of languages and studies the existence of sparse complete/hard sets for various complexity classes under various reducibilities. Very recently, we have seen remarkable progress in this area for low-level complexity classes. In particular, the Hartmanis’ sparseness conjectures for P and NL have been resolved. This article overviews the history of sparse hard set problems and exposes some of the recent results.
Legalization of Sunday alcohol sales and alcohol consumption in the United States.

Aims To investigate the relationship between legalization of Sunday alcohol sales and alcohol consumption in the United States. Design State-level per capita consumption of beer, wine and spirits was analyzed using difference-in-differences econometric methods. Setting United States. Participants Five treatment states that repealed their laws restricting Sunday alcohol sales during 1990–2007 and 12 control states that retained their Sunday alcohol laws during the same period. Measurements Outcome measures are state-level per capita consumption of overall alcohol, beer, wine and spirits. Findings Among the states that legalized Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Mexico experienced significant increases in overall alcohol consumption (P < 0.05). However, the effect of the legalization of Sunday alcohol sales in Massachusetts and Rhode Island on per capita alcohol consumption was insignificant (P = 0.964 and P = 0.367). Conclusions Three out of five states in the United States that repealed their laws restricting Sunday sale of alcoholic beverages during 1990–2007 experienced significant increases in per capita alcohol consumption. This finding implies that increased alcohol availability leads to an increase in alcohol consumption.
Completions of mapping class groups and the cycle $C - C^-$

In this paper we study the proalgebraic completion of mapping class relative to their maps to the symplectic group. The main result is that the natural map from the unipotent (a.k.a. Malcev) completion of the Torelli group to the prounipotent radical of the Sp_g completion of the mapping class group is a non trivial central extension with kernel isomorphic to Q, at least when g \ge 8. The theorem is proved by relating the central extension to the line bundle associated to the archemidean height of the cycle C - C- in the Jacobian of the curve C. We also develop some of the basic theory of relative completions.
Capacity specification for hybrid energy storage system to accommodate fast PV fluctuations

To accommodate the fast power fluctuations associated with PV generation, a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) consisting of a battery energy storage system (BESS) and super-capacitor is evaluated in this paper. A probabilistic approach for determining the power capacity specification for the HESS is proposed. This method would allow the capacities of the BESS and super-capacitor to be properly designed to optimize the characteristics of high energy density of the BESS and high power density of the super-capacitor. Results show that the super-capacitor within the HESS helps to mitigate the high frequency fluctuations, which contributes to the extension of BESS lifetime. In addition, the super-capacitor helps to address the peaks in solar power fluctuations without the severe penalty of round trip losses associated with a BESS. The proposed approach has been simulated using real PV generation data from an existing PV power plant in Long Island, New York.
Bovine cells expressing bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) glycoprotein IV resist infection by BHV-1, herpes simplex virus, and pseudorabies virus.

Abstract We expressed the bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) glycoprotein IV (gIV) in bovine cells. The protein expressed was identical in molecular mass and antigenic reactivity to the native gIV protein but was localized in the cytoplasm. Expressing cells were partially resistant to BHV-1, herpes simplex virus, and pseudorabies virus, as shown by a 10- to 1,000-fold-lower number of plaques forming on these cells than on control cells. The level of resistance depended on the level of gIV expression and the type and amount of challenge virus. These data are consistent with previous reports by others that cellular expression of the BHV-1 gIV homologs, herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D, and pseudorabies virus glycoprotein gp50 provide partial resistance against infection with these viruses. We have extended these findings by showing that once BHV-1 enters gIV-expressing cells, it replicates and spreads normally, as shown by the normal size of BHV-1 plaques and the delayed but vigorous synthesis of viral proteins. Our data are consistent with the binding of BHV-1 gIV to a cellular receptor required for initial penetration by all three herpesviruses and interference with the function of that receptor molecule.
Keeping the Faith in Late Life; Growing Old in Christ

These two books take very different approaches to aging and religion. One is an edited collection of essays, and the other a single-author empirical work; partially owing to this obvious difference...
Sense of Community and Political Mobilization in Virtual Communities: The Role of Dispositional and Situational Variables

This paper explores the psychological processes that connect virtual communities to political behavior. Drawing on previous findings in political psychology, I argue that the psychological sense of community may be an important mechanism that dictates people’s behavioral responses toward incoming information or mobilization pressure in the online environment. I then discuss the role of different dispositional and situational variables in: a) contributing to the formation of sense of community in the virtual world, and b) serving as potential moderators to influence the strength of virtual sense of community and its subsequent impact on individuals’ political behavior. Finally, I consider the methodological approaches that may be used as well as the theoretical implications for future research in this area.
The Impact of Title II Regulation of Internet Providers On Their Capital Investments

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has requested comments on a proposal to end the regulation of Internet Service Providers ISPs) as information companies under Section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934 and regulate ISPs as common carrier telecommunications companies under the more extensive and restrictive provisions of Title II of that Act. This study presents a new approach for estimating how regulation of the ISPs’ wireline data services under Title II would affect their future capital investments. We first estimate the portion of capital investment from 2009 to 2014 subject to Title II regulation and the portion unencumbered by Title II, using a sample of five incumbent service providers headquartered in the United States, including the two largest providers (ATT and the wireline investments by these firms would be between 17.8 percent and 31.7 percent lower than expected. These reductions would reduce the efficiency of the Internet and potentially adversely affect its rate of innovation.
Comparison of Commonly Used Placement Sites for Activity Monitoring

Background: No accepted standard exists to evaluate nonsleep-related activity in nursing facility residents where monitors are variously placed at the ankle, waist, wrist, thigh, or embedded in sheeting and set to record activity frequency. Objectives: To determine optimal placement of activity monitors by site—at the ankle, waist, or wrist for nursing facility residents. Methods: Nursing facility residents (N = 16) wore accelerometers at three sites: the nondominant ankle, waist, and wrist, while recording activity in three modes: frequency, duration, and intensity. Results: The natural log activity mean for each mode by site and time revealed no significant differences between the three sites for activity intensity, F(2, 62.78) = .15, p = .86; activity duration, F(2, 69.84) = .50, p = .61; and activity frequency, F(2, 70.04) = 1.25, p = .29. There were no significant site—time interactions. The natural log activity by site and mode indicated no significant differences by site for the 24-hr mean, F(2, 10...
Positive Solutions to a Class of Elliptic Boundary Value Problems

Abstract We prove the existence of positive solutions to the boundary value problems[formula]where Ω is a bounded domain inRN,a: Ω → Rmay change sign,f(0) > 0, and λ > 0 is sufficiently small. Our approach is based on the Leray–Schauder fixed point theorem.
Revisiting the free nipple graft: an opportunity for nipple sparing mastectomy in women with breast ptosis.

Objective Nipple areolar complex (NAC) sparing mastectomy improves the cosmetic outcome of patients with breast cancer. However, women with significant breast ptosis are not candidates for this technique due toexcessive skin flap length and ensuing risk of NAC ischemia.1–3 We report a novel technique using free nipple graft during skin sparing mastectomy for patients with significant ptosis while concurrently maintaining oncologic integrity.
Synthesis, crystal structure and molecular modeling of aquo magnesium tetra(methoxyphenyl)porphyrin

Abstract 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin magnesium(II) monohydrate, (H 2 O)MgT(OME)PP, has been synthesized. An X-ray structure determination was carried out for (H 2 O)MgT(OME)PP·HCCl 3 . The crystals are monoclinic, space group I 2, with cell parameters a = 15.966(5), b = 9.192(1), c = 14.882(4) A and β = 100.38(2)°. The structure was solved by direct method and refined to R = 0.068 and R w = 0.070 for 1297 observed reflections measured by diffractometer. The unit cell contains two molecules requiring that the molecule possess two-fold crystallographic symmetry. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding results in the formation of two-dimensional infinite polymers; such an occurrence in this structure provides the further support for a model of chlorophyll aggregation in photosynthetic organisms. In addition, molecular mechanics calculations on this compound gave a result in good agreement with the crystal structure determination and showed that the hydrated complex has a lower energy than its non-hydrated counterpart.
Diffractive Process in Six Prong Proton Proton Interactions at 205-GeV/c.

We have studied the 6-prong events in a 50000-picture exposure of the Fermilab 30-inch hydrogen bubble chamber to a 205-GeV/c proton beam. The data consist of complete measurements of 442 events, each containing a proton track with ${P}_{\mathrm{lab}}l1.4$ GeV/c. A low-mass diffractive peak is seen in the event with 5 charged particles in the forward center-of-mass hemisphere. An analysis based on the rapidity distributions of the outgoing tracks and the missing mass gives a single diffractive cross section of 0.88\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12 mb for both hemispheres of which the final state $\mathrm{pp}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ contributes 0.18\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07 mb. In the diffractive sample, only 0.20\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06 mb corresponds to events decaying through an intermediate state containing a ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}^{++}$. We measure an upper limit for the double diffraction cross section of 0.38\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12 mb.
An Exploratory Study of the Characteristics that Prevent Youth from Completing a Family Violence Diversion Program

Youth perpetrated violence against a family member has gained the attention of social service workers and law enforcement, yet professionals working with these youth have little understanding of the characteristics of the population that would impede intervention success. This article presents an exploratory study of youth (N = 209; 50 % males and 50 % females, average age 15.7 years) who participated in a court-diversion program for first time offenders of family violence and examined socio-demographic and delinquency characteristics and the role they play in completing the program. Findings indicate that delinquency characteristics, specifically having a prior violent arrest and skipping school, carry significance in preventing youth from successfully completing the Family Violence Intervention Program. These findings lend support to the current literature and address the need for a more tailored approach to treating and retaining youth in a family violence intervention program.
Bacterial clogging of porous media: a new modelling approach

A comparison is made between existing mathematical models and experimental data that relate the reduction of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) of a porous medium to the porosity reduction caused by microbial growth. The models yielded a realistic prediction of a data set obtained with a model porous medium consisting of millimeter‐size glass spheres, but failed to predict the clogging behaviour observed in smaller‐than‐1‐mm sand. A new modelling approach, semi‐mechanistic in nature, is proposed that gives good predictions of fine sand media as well. It relaxes the assumption about uniformly‐thick biofilms by allowing a second arrangement to occur, i.e. discrete plugs filling the pore lumen. The new model requires input data on two intrinsic properties of the system, which renders it sufficiently flexible as to fit very different data sets. The two model parameters are Kmin, the minimum K value when all porosity is filled with microorganisms, and Bc, the biovolume fraction at which most cell detachm...
Plasma volume and protein restoration after hemorrhage: Role of the left thoracic duct versus transcapillary refilling

Abstract Following intravenous administration of RISA in splenectomized dogs, there is a steady semilogarithmic decline in plasma albumin specific activity. Concurrently there is a rapid rise in lymphatic albumin specific activity as assayed from left thoracic duct fistulas. A maximum value is found around 255 minutes after which the albumin specific activities in this lymph decline parallel with the ones in plasma. In animals subjected to a rapid 16% of blood volume hemorrhage 90 minutes after administration of the RISA, there is a lessened disappearance of specific activity from plasma and a decreased appearance of activity within the TDF lymph. No increase in TDF flow was found after hemorrhage and a decreased quantitiy of thoracic duct albumin was returned with time because of progressive protein dilution. It is postulated that these findings after hemorrhage are consistent with a decreased permeation or flow of albumin across the capillaries in the liver and viscera drained by the left thoracic duct. The most likely mechanism is a simple decrease in visceral perfusion of a smaller capillary area of normal permeability after hemorrhage although a decreased regional capillary permeability is possible. The net result is conservation of intravenous albumin. This effect appears to be of such a magnitude as to be a major component in the plasma albumin refilling seen after experimental hemorrhage.
Cardiology -- Division or Department?

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the organization of medical schools and hospitals was simple. There were usually four clinical departments representing the traditional disciplines -- medic...
S. H. A., Alexander Severus 43, 6-7: Two Emperors and Christ

Texte donne| ce passage de l'Histoire Auguste, recemment reponctue, dit que c'est Alexandre Severe (et non Hadrien) qui a ete empeche d'executer le projet d'un temple dedie au Christ. L'A. attire l'attention sur Septime Severe 24, 4 (texte donne) ou une formule semblable appuie la nouvelle ponctuation d'Alex. Sev. 43, 6-7.
Occurrence of intracellular crystals in leaves of Thalassia testudinum

Abstract Refractive, rhomboidal, intracellular crystals were identified in leaves of Thalassia testudinum Banks ex Konig (turtlegrass) from the Bahamas (Lee Stocking Island); Florida (Key Largo and Key West); and Texas (Laguna Madre). At all four collection sites, crystals were present in leaves of all ages and in most but not all epidermal cells. Crystals were not found in mesophyll cells. Epidermal cells generally contained a single, large crystal, but leaves collected from Key West frequently exhibited cells containing two or more conjoined crystals. Crystals dissolved in concentrated HCl and were partially soluble in concentrated NaOH. Transmission electron microscopy showed that crystals were contained within a vacuole. The size (as large as 12 μm × 6 μm), morphology, and distribution of crystals in turtlegrass leaves are similar to proteinaceous crystals described in marine red and brown macroalgae, but histology and spectroscopy results suggest a closer affinity to calcium oxalate crystals found in flowering plants. Although crystalline inclusions within plant cells have been linked to (inter alia) deterrence of herbivory and regulation of intracellular calcium ion concentrations, their function within leaves of turtlegrass remains to be determined.
Marangoni Instabilities in Microencapsulation

Hollow spherical shells used as laser targets in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments are made by microencapsulation. During the final phase of manufacturing the spherical shells contain a solvent (fluorobenzene, FB) and a solute (polystyrene, PAMS) in a water environment. As the solvent evaporates it leaves behind the desired hardened plastic spherical shells, 1–2 mm in diameter. Perfect sphericity is demanded for efficient fusion ignition. We model this drying process and investigate conditions for incipient instabilities driven by surface tension dependence on concentration (buoyant forces are negligible in this micro-scale problem).Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Pictorial feature distortion in a pyramid

Recently, Pyramid data structures employing several levels of resolution have become popular as tools for facilitating the analysis of pictures. These pyramids are usually generated by taking averages over regions of a digitized picture. In this paper the distortion of pictorial features brought about by one such averaging transformation is investigated. The smearing of spots and edges, object separability, and distortion of features detectable with templates are discussed. Considerations for feature extraction, such as compact representation of templates, are also discussed.
Pregnenolone for cognition and mood in dual diagnosis patients

Mood and substance-use disorders are both associated with cognitive deficits. Patients with mood and substance-use disorders have poorer cognition than patients with only a mood disorder. Pregnenolone may have beneficial effects on mood and cognition. In a proof-of-concept investigation, 70 participants with bipolar disorder or recurrent major depressive disorder and history of substance abuse/dependence (abstinent for > or =14days prior to enrollment) were randomly assigned to receive pregnenolone (titrated to 100mg/day) or placebo for 8weeks. Participants were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Trail Making Test (TMT-B), and Stroop Test. Mood was assessed bi-weekly, while cognition was evaluated at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8. Groups were compared using a random regression analysis that used all of the available data. The pregnenolone group showed trends toward greater improvement, relative to placebo, on the HRSD and YMRS. A post hoc analysis of completers found a statistically significant reduction in HRSD scores with pregnenolone as compared to placebo. Pregnenolone appeared to be safe and well tolerated. Findings suggest that pregnenolone use may be associated with some improvement in manic and depressive symptoms, but not cognition in depressed patients with a history of substance use. Larger trials examining the impact of pregnenolone on mood in more narrowly defined populations may be warranted.
Depletion approximation analysis of an exponentially graded semiconductor p-n junction

Estimation of important properties of p-n junctions such as reverse leakage current and capacitance is greatly facilitated by the depletion approximation. Computation of the electrostatic potential and electron and hole concentrations within this approximation are commonplace in the microelectronics industry. The depletion approximation requires appropriate and accurate boundary conditions. Thus far, such reasonable boundary conditions have been widely applied only for the case in which the p-type and n-type impurity concentrations are spatially uniform. The author derives the solution of the depletion approximation with appropriate boundary conditions for the case in which the impurity concentration on one side of the diode decays exponentially with distance. He plots the potential and charge density of this exponential depletion approximation and compares these results to full numerical solution of the semiconductor equations. The agreement between the proposed approximation and the numerical solution validates this approximation scheme. >
Finite-element approximation of viscoelastic fluid flow with slip boundary condition

We present a theoretical study of a creeping, steady-state, isothermal flow of a viscoelastic fluid obeying an Oldroyd-type constitutive law with slip boundary condition. The slip boundary condition is appropriate for problems that involve free boundaries and other examples where the usual no-slip condition u = 0 is not valid, such as fiber spinning and microfluidics. First, we study the Newtonian problem with slip boundary condition where the viscoelastic stress is added into the list of unknowns. In addition, the normal viscoelastic stress component associated with the slip boundary condition is introduced. In order to balance its effects, a second inf-sup condition is proven. To treat the discrete case, we assume that the continuous solution of the non-Newtonian problem exists and is small and smooth. Approximating the extra stress, velocity, pressure, and normal viscoelastic stress component via P"1 discontinuous, P"2 continuous, P"1 continuous, and P"0 discontinuous elements, respectively, yields a stable finite-element scheme. Finally, via a fixed point argument, we establish the existence of an approximate solution and derive error estimates.
New false fairy wasps in Cretaceous amber from New Jersey and Myanmar (Hymenoptera: Mymarommatoidea)

Abstract Three new species of the parasitoid wasp superfamily Mymarommatoidea (Proctotrupomorpha: Bipetiolarida) are described and figured in Cretaceous amber from New Jersey (Turonian) and Myanmar (Albian-Cenomanian boundary). The new taxa are Archaeromma carnifex Engel and Grimaldi, new species, in New Jersey amber, A. gibsoni Engel and Grimaldi, new species, in New Jersey amber (both Mymarommatidae), and Galloromma kachinensis Engel and Grimaldi, new species, in Burmese amber (Gallorommatidae).
Transposon-mediated rewiring of gene regulatory networks contributed to the evolution of pregnancy in mammals

A fundamental challenge in biology is explaining the origin of novel phenotypic characters such as new cell types; the molecular mechanisms that give rise to novelties are unclear. We explored the gene regulatory landscape of mammalian endometrial cells using comparative RNA-Seq and found that 1,532 genes were recruited into endometrial expression in placental mammals, indicating that the evolution of pregnancy was associated with a large-scale rewiring of the gene regulatory network. About 13% of recruited genes are within 200 kb of a Eutherian-specific transposable element (MER20). These transposons have the epigenetic signatures of enhancers, insulators and repressors, directly bind transcription factors essential for pregnancy and coordinately regulate gene expression in response to progesterone and cAMP. We conclude that the transposable element, MER20, contributed to the origin of a novel gene regulatory network dedicated to pregnancy in placental mammals, particularly by recruiting the cAMP signaling pathway into endometrial stromal cells.
The Role of Secondary Plant Substances in the Food Specificity of the Colorado Potato Beetle

An artificial diet without leaf materials, which supports moderate feeding and growth of fourth-instar larvae of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), was used to evaluate the chemical basis of plant acceptance and rejection. Additions of powders or certain extracts of potato leaves to this diet enhanced feeding and growth. Eighty-four species of solanaceous and nonsolanaceous plants were studied by testing the effect of the addition of 4% leaf powder to this diet on growth of the fourth-instar larvae. Fifty-seven species showed inhibitory effects and two, Nicotiana rustica and Dryopteris marginalis, were toxic to the larvae. The ether extracts, water extracts, and resulting residues of 27 species also were tested. Among the plants exerting favorable effects as leaf powders, the active substances were not confined to a particular fraction. In some species the water extract and in others the ether extract or residue promoted feeding and growth. In the nonacceptable plants, inhibitory substances were found mostly in the water extract, and rarely in the ether extract, or the residue of leaf powder. This evidence indicates that the resistance of plants to feeding by potato beetle larvae is regulated by chemically and botanically unrelated inhibitors. These findings stress the importance of secondary plant substances as determinants of resistance to feeding by the Colorado potato beetle.
Did Amrika promise Morocco's independence? The nationalist movement, the Sultan, and the making of the ‘Roosevelt Myth’

In January 1943, the leaders of the Allied Forces met in Casablanca to discuss their war strategy. During the course of the Anfa Conference, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) had a private dinner with Sultan Mohamed ben Youssef, which came to change the course of Moroccan history. Although the details of the conversation between the two statesmen remained shrouded in mystery due to FDR's untimely death just two years later, the Moroccan side later claimed that the American leader had promised to support their country's independence once the Second World War had ended. This article sheds fresh light on both the meeting and its impact on the trajectory of Moroccan history by utilising a number of new sources. It argues that the Sultan and the local nationalist movement seized this opportunity and created a ‘Roosevelt Myth’, thus turning FDR into a saint-like figure whose anti-colonial stance legitimised their own aspirations to abolish the French and Spanish Protectorates established in 1912. Until they...
Content Analysis of New York Times Coverage of Space Issues for the Year 2000

Human activities in space have changed and grown significantly in magnitude and complexity over the past several years, prompting an investigation of the extent to which media coverage reflects the current state of the space arena. This study provides overviews of recent developments in the space arena and of previous research on space coverage. A content analysis was conducted of all space-related stories and editorials found in the New York Times during the time period 1 January to 31 December 2000.The study characterizes New York Times coverage of the main elements of the space arena (civil, commercial, national security, and the associated legal/regulatory issues) during that time period and discusses some implications of this coverage.
Regulation of Membrane Proteins by Dietary Lipids: Effects of Cholesterol and Docosahexaenoic Acid Acyl Chain-Containing Phospholipids on Rhodopsin Stability and Function ☆

Purified bovine rhodopsin was reconstituted into vesicles consisting of 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine or 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl phosphatidylcholine with and without 30 mol % cholesterol. Rhodopsin stability was examined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal unfolding transition temperature (T(m)) of rhodopsin was scan rate-dependent, demonstrating the presence of a rate-limited component of denaturation. The activation energy of this kinetically controlled process (E(a)) was determined from DSC thermograms by four separate methods. Both T(m) and E(a) varied with bilayer composition. Cholesterol increased the T(m) both the presence and absence of docosahexaenoic acid acyl chains (DHA). In contrast, cholesterol lowered E(a) in the absence of DHA, but raised E(a) in the presence of 20 mol % DHA-containing phospholipid. The relative acyl chain packing order was determined from measurements of diphenylhexatriene fluorescence anisotropy decay. The T(m) for thermal unfolding was inversely related to acyl chain packing order. Rhodopsin kinetic stability (E(a)) was reduced in highly ordered or disordered membranes. Maximal kinetic stability was found within the range of acyl chain order found in native bovine rod outer segment disk membranes. The results demonstrate that membrane composition has distinct effects on the thermal versus kinetic stabilities of membrane proteins, and suggests that a balance between membrane constituents with opposite effects on acyl chain packing, such as DHA and cholesterol, may be required for maximum protein stability.
A potyvirus polymerase interacts with the viral coat protein and VPg in yeast cells.

Abstract The two-hybrid system was used to test for pairwise interactions between the tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV)-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (or NIb protein) and two other TVMV-encoded proteins: the NIa protein, which consists of genome-linked protein (VPg) and proteinase domains, and the viral coat protein (CP). Using this approach, we find that the NIb protein interacts with both the NIa protein and the CP in yeast cells. Moreover, we find that a mutation in the conserved GDD domain of the NIb protein diminishes the NIb–CP interaction but not the NIb–NIa interaction. Likewise, mutations in the vicinity of the NIa protein to which the genomic RNA is covalently attached eliminate the NIb–NIa interaction. We conclude that the NIb protein interacts with the VPg domain of the NIa protein and that this interaction requires a functional RNA attachment site. This interaction may be important for the initiation of viral RNA synthesis in infected cells. We also conclude that the CP interacts with the NIb in a manner that is sensitive in changes in the highly conserved GDD motif. The role of this interaction in the functioning of the NIb protein or the CP is unclear, but may involve regulation of viral RNA synthesis in infected cells.
Maternal insulin sensitivity and cord blood peptides: Relationships to neonatal size at birth**

Objective To examine the relationship of multiple maternal and cord blood correlates of newborn size to determine the relative strength of the insulin-like growth factor-I association. Methods Thirty-seven venous cord blood specimens were obtained at the time of delivery. Ponderal index and birth weight percentile were calculated at birth. Neonatal length estimates were performed with a measuring board. All mothers were nonsmokers and had normal glucose tolerance. There was a wide range of maternal prepregnancy body mass indexes (BMI) (19.6–43.4). Neonates had a wide range of ponderal indexes (2.12–2.75) and birth weight percentiles (7–99th percentile). Univariate correlation coefficients were calculated to determine simple relationships. Stepwise linear regression analyses were performed to determine the relative contribution of potential explanatory variables to both ponderal index and birth weight percentile. Potentially explanatory independent variables included maternal prepregnancy BMI, weight gain in pregnancy, and maternal insulin sensitivity at 32 weeks' gestation. Maternal insulin sensitivity was estimated using the minimal model technique. Neonatal variables included sex, cord blood albumin, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1, and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3. Results Significant positive univariate correlations were identified between cord blood insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 with neonatal ponderal index and birth weight percentile. Maternal insulin sensitivity demonstrated a negative correlation with birth weight percentile ( r = −.35, P r = .32, P r 2 = .41, P r 2 = .38, P Conclusion These data support a unique relationship between cord blood insulin-like growth factor-I and newborn size under normal growth conditions. This is manifest by the strength and independence of the association between insulin-like growth factor-I and neonatal birth weight percentile ponderal index.
Guest mobility increases hemicarceplex kinetic stability

When acetophenone is incarcerated within hemicarcerand 1, constructed with o-xylyl linker units, the guest resides exclusively along the long axis of the host. In contrast, the unsymmetric guests incarcerated within the more flexible hemicarcerand constructed with butylene linker units, 2, show clear evidence of exchange between the hemispheres. The barriers of rotation proceed as: acetophenone > quinoline > indole. Host 2 retains acetophenone more strongly within its interior than 1. The difference in stability is primarily due to an increased enthalpic component to the activation free energy for acetophenone egress from 2.
Farnesyltransferase as a target for anticancer drug design

The currently understood function for Ras in signal transduction is in mediating the transmission of signals from external growth factors to the cell nucleus. Mutated forms of this GTP-binding protein are found in 30% of human cancers with particularly high prevalence in colon and pancreatic carcinomas. These mutations destroy the GTPase activity of Ras and cause the protein to be locked in its active, GTP bound form. As a result, the signaling pathways are activated, leading to uncontrolled tumor growth. Ras function in signaling requires its association with the plasma membrane. This is achieved by posttranslational farnesylation of a cysteine residue present as part of the CA1A2X carboxyl terminal tetrapeptide of all Ras proteins. The enzyme that recognizes and farnesylates the CA1A2X sequence, Ras farnesyltransferase (FTase), has become an important target for the design of inhibitors that might be interesting as antitumor agents. Several approaches have been taken in the search for in vivo active inhibitors of farnesyltransferase. These include the identification of natural products such as the chaetomellic and zaragozic acids that mimic farnesylpyrophosphate, bisubstrate transition state analogs combining elements of the farnesyl and tetrapeptide substrates and peptidomimetics that reproduce features of the carboxyl terminal tetrapeptide CA1A2X sequence. This last group of compounds has been most successful in showing highly potent inhibition of FTase and selective blocking of Ras processing in a range of Ras transformed tumor cell lines at concentrations as low as 10 nM. Certain peptidomimetics will also block tumor growth in various mouse models, with apparently few toxic side effects. These results suggest that farnesyltransferase inhibitors hold considerable promise as anticancer drugs in the clinic.
EXTREMAL SYMPLECTIC LATTICES

We study the Jacobians of the genus 3 Picard and Fermat curves with respect to the problem of maximizing the minimum non-zero norm. We use criteria for symplectic lattices related to the criteria of perfect and eutactic for classical lattices. We show that the Picard curve is a local maximum, but the Fermat curve is not.
Conjecture Mapping: An Approach to Systematic Educational Design Research

Design research is strongly associated with the learning sciences community, and in the 2 decades since its conception it has become broadly accepted. Yet within and without the learning sciences there remains confusion about how to do design research, with most scholarship on the approach describing what it is rather than how to do it. This article describes a technique for mapping conjectures through a learning environment design, distinguishing conjectures about how the design should function from theoretical conjectures that explain how that function produces intended outcomes.
Cluster isomerization. The case of M4B4metallaboranes

Abstract Approximate molecular orbital theory (Fenske-Hall) combined with fragment analysis is used to explore the relationship between geometric and electronic structure for metallaboranes containing M 4 B 4 cluster cores. It is demonstrated that the isomers B,Fe-conjuncto-{Fe 2 (CO) 6 B 2 H 4 } 2 ( I ) and B,B-conjuncto-{Fe 2 (CO) 6 B 2 H 4 } 2 ( II ) are reasonably considered as either Fe 2 (CO) 6 B 2 H 4 fragments joined by two three center-two electron bonds or chain and diamond shaped B 4 H 8 moieties, respectively, coordinated by diiron fragments. However, the results also suggest that these compounds can be regarded as intermediates on the way to dodecahedral clusters similar to {(η 5 -C 5 H 5 )M} 4 B 4 H 4 , M  Co, Ni. The latter compounds are known to “violate” the cluster electron counting rules in that they have 8 and 10 cluster bonding pairs, respectively. A synthetic route to a dodecahedral M 4 B 4 cluster containing 9 cluster bonding pairs is proposed.
Nonequilibrium ionization due to thermal diffusion and mass flows

Recent calculations of diffusion coefficients are used in the continuity equation to compute ion populations of carbon in the solar transition region. Thermal diffusion causes strong departures from ionization equilibrium in the region where the temperature gradient is steepest. Mass-conserving flows are also included in our calculations. These dominate over thermal diffusion depending on the magnitude of the flows and also lead to departures from ionization equilibrium. These results have important implications for the interpretation of EUV line emission.
Cytochromes and gastric acid secretion. A reevaluation of mucosal acidification experiments.

Abstract Using an improved spectrophotometer, we have reinvestigated the report (Hersey, S.J. (1974) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 344, 157–203) that acidification of the mucosal surface of frog gastric mucosa produces a crossover point between flavoprotein and cytochrome b , thus identifying a site of energy coupling between the cytochrome and H+ transport systems. While we find spectrophotometric changes upon addition of HCl to the mucosal solution, we find similar changes upon addition of NaCl without pH change, but no changes when the pH is lowered by substitution of H+ for Na+ at constant osmolality. We show that osmolality changes, with consequent alteration in tissue light scattering, are responsible for these effects. Further, we can show that the pH changes used do not inhibit acid secretion, and that one cannot do so without osmolality increase. We conclude that the imputed crossover point is not demonstrated, and that models based on its existence must be revised.
A decision support expert system for correction of manufacturing process problems

As computer-integrated manufacturing technology replaces human operators with robots and automated equipment, the thinking and reasoning abilities of the operators are also removed. Unexpected events in a manufacturing operation are an everyday occurrence, so the loss of the operator's reasoning abilities in solving process problems can be devastating. In order to keep complex equipment functioning efficiently, a decision support expert system prototype for correcting machining process problems is presented in this paper. The development and the long range goal of using the expert system for correcting process problems are also discussed.
Exercise participation barrier prevalence and association with exercise participation status in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Exercise participation barrier prevalence and association with exercise participation status in individuals with spinal cord injury
Surgical Management of Intra- and Postoperative Fractures of the Femur About the Tip of the Stem in Total Hip Arthroplasty

Six techniques for the surgical management of fractures of the femur about the tip of the stem of a total hip arthroplasty were evaluated. Seven embalmed human femurs were prepared to receive the correct-size femoral component of a total hip system. A transverse osteotomy was performed at the level of the tip of the stem. Stability and strength of each reconstruction were tested on each femur under semidynamic loading conditions. This study showed that cementless revision to a long-stem prosthesis does not provide adequate stability. The highest strength and stability were achieved by supplementing the long-stem conversion with allograft struts and cable cerclage. Good results were obtained by lateral compression plating with unicortical screws proximally. Failure was due to pull-out of the proximal screws.
LAPAROSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS AND CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF A SOLITARY NONPALPABLE CRYPTORCHID TESTICLE IN A POSTPUBERTAL MALE

The incidence of cryptorchidism is 0.8% at age 1 year with nonpalpable testes in 13% to 34% of patients.1 About half of these nonpalpable testes are intra-abdominal and half are absent.1, 2 Management of nonpalpable testes requires accurate testicular identification and localization to determine the best surgical approach. Diagnostic techniques to localize a nonpalpable testicle, such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography (CT) and venography, are limited by the inability to identify the testis, inability to diagnose absent testes reliably, radiation exposure and lack of application in smaller children.
Factors that Affect the Synthesis and Accumulation of a Polypeptide of the Light-Harvesting Chlorophyll-Protein Complex II in Euglena gracilis

Summary Cultures of photoheterotrophically grown Euglena gracilis Z maintained at 33 ° experience a time-dependent loss of chlorophyll and the preferential loss of the 24,500Mr polypeptide associated with lightharvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein the complex of Photosystem II. It is, therefore, important to establish whether temperature or chlorophyll loss is the overriding factor affecting the ability of bleaching plastids to accumulate the 24,500 Mr species. In this study we show that treatment with levulinic acid, an inhibitor of chlorophyll biosynthesis, resulted in a complete loss of the 24,500 Mr species from thylakoids. Light-grown cells exposed to darkness for up to 15 hours, on the other hand, experienced a rapid loss of chlorophyll but little or no reduction in the levels of the 24,500 Mr component. These observations suggest that, in Euglena , loss of chlorophyll and loss of the 24,500 Mr polypeptide from thylakoids are not always directly correlated. We also show that despite the reduction in the levels of the 24,500 Mr species from bleaching thylakoids the polypeptide continues to be synthesized at 33 °C. The failure of bleaching thylakoids to accumulate this polypeptide can be explained by an increased turnover of the newly synthesized polypeptide.
Endogenous synthesis of coenzyme Q in eukaryotes

Coenzyme Q (Q) functions in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and serves as a lipophilic antioxidant. There is increasing interest in the use of Q as a nutritional supplement. Although, the physiological significance of Q is extensively investigated in eukaryotes, ranging from yeast to human, the eukaryotic Q biosynthesis pathway is best characterized in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. At least ten genes (COQ1-COQ10) have been shown to be required for Q biosynthesis and function in respiration. This review highlights recent knowledge about the endogenous synthesis of Q in eukaryotes, with emphasis on S. cerevisiae as a model system.
Source-oriented topology aggregation with multiple QoS parameters in hierarchical networks

In this paper, we investigate the problem of topology aggregation (TA) for scalable, QoS-based routing in hierarchical networks. TA is the process of summarizing the topological information of a subset of network elements. This summary is flooded throughout the network and used by various nodes to determine appropriate routes for connection requests. A key issue in the design of a TA scheme is the appropriate balance between compaction and the corresponding routing performance. The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, we introduce a source-oriented approach to TA, hich provides better performance than existing approaches. The intuition behind this approach is that the advertised topology-state information is used by source nodes to determine tentative routes for connection requests. Accordingly, only information relevant to source nodes needs to be advertised. We integrate the source-oriented approach into three new TA schemes that provide different trade-offs between compaction and accuracy. Second, we extend our source-oriented approach to multi-QoS-based TA. A key issue here is the determination of appropriate values for the multiple QoS parameters associated with a logical link. Two new approaches to computing these values are introduced. Extensive simulations are used to evaluate the performance of out proposed schemes.
Degradation of Terfenol-D particle epoxy composites under low-frequency cyclic magneto-mechanical loading at the matrix glass transition start and finish temperatures

The present paper presents cyclic strain amplitude and longitudinal strain measurements of longitudinally compressed Terfenol-D particle samples subjected to magneto-strain cycling. A comparison is made of the responses of material strain cycle tested at temperatures near the matrix glass transition start temperature, and material strain cycle tested at a temperature near the matrix glass transition finish temperature. The cyclic strain amplitude of the material was significantly larger when tested at a temperature near the matrix glass transition finish temperature. A useful range of longitudinal applied stress exists where the composite suffers little apparent degradation. Beyond this range the composite exhibits steadily decreasing cyclic strain amplitude with increases in longitudinal compressive stress magnitude.