cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and characterization of human lung calmodulin-independent cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase.

Abstract A high-affinity calmodulin-independent cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase was purified to homogeneity from human lung tissue. This enzyme has a molecular weight of 60,000, a sedimentation coefficient of 3.2–3.4 S, and an isoelectric pH of 4.6–4.8. Neither Ca2+ nor calmodulin (in the presence or absence of added Ca2+) stimulates the enzymatic activity. This enzyme appears to be very similar to that described previously from dog kidney (W. J. Thompson, P. M. Epstein, and S. J. Strada, (1979) Biochemistry18, 5228–5237). Hydrolysis of cyclic AMP is greatly enhanced by Mg2+ (25–30× at 10 m m Mg2+) and Mn2+ (20× at 10 m m Mn2+). Zn2+, Cu2+, and Co2+ are ineffective at these concentrations. Cyclic AMP is the exclusive substrate with a Km of 0.7–0.8 μ m . The I50 of cyclic GMP is 1 m m using 1 μ m cyclic AMP as substrate. In contrast, aminophylline, MIX, and SQ 20009 have I50s of 0.28, 0.021, and 0.001 m m , respectively). The purified enzyme is susceptible to temperature inactivation and protease degradation. Significant (10%) inhibition is seen at 37 °C for 20 min. Trypsin, at 0.1 μg/ml, destroys 50% of the activity in 30 min at 25 °C. Our observations concerning its lability to temperature and proteases coupled with its lack of response to calmodulin suggest this enzyme is a basic catalytic subunit of other cyclic AMP phosphodiesterases present within human lung tissue.
MyPYTHIA: a recommendation portal for scientific software and services

We outline the design of a recommendation system (MyPYTHIA) implemented as a Web portal. MyPYTHIA's design objectives include evaluating the quality and performance of scientific software on Grid platforms, creating knowledge about which software and computational services should be selected for solving particular problems, selecting parameters of software (or of computational services) based on user-specified computational objectives, providing access to performance data and knowledge bases over the Web and enabling recommendations for targeted application domains. MyPYTHIA uses a combination of statistical analysis, pattern extraction techniques and a database of software performance to map feature-based representations of problem instances to appropriate software. MyPYTHIA's open architecture allows the user to customize it for conducting individual case studies. We describe the architecture as well as several scientific domains of knowledge enabled by such case studies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Awareness of certain articulatory gestures in normal-speaking and articulatory-defective children

A comparison of the awareness of articulatory gestures between normal-speaking children and those with articulation disorders was undertaken. The articulation-disorders group included children receiving speech training, and others placed on an observation list. The results indicate that the groups did not differ with respect to their awareness of articulatory gestures. The majority of the responses from both groups reflected accurate execution of the task.
Hierarchical structures in natural and synthetic polymer science

The founders of our dynamic field uncovered the wonders of both natural and synthetic polymers by using relatively primitive instruments and techniques. They developed the foundations on which we now build complex materials systems. By using the lessons from macromolecular systems in biology, our scientific community is now designing synthetic polymers that mimic natural materials (1, 2). This paper is divided into two parts. 1. Hierarchical structure-property relationships in connective tissues-lessons from biology 2. Micro- and nano- layered polymeric systems
Wave propagation and boundary instability in erodible-bed channels

Wave propagation in one-dimensional erodible-bed channels is discussed by using the shallow-water approximation for the fluid and a continuity equation for the bed. In addition to gravity waves, a third wave, which gives the velocity of propagation of a bed disturbance, is found. An appropriate dimensional analysis yields the quasi-steady approximation for the complete shallow-water equations.The well-known linear stability analysis of free-surface flows is extended to include the erodibility of the bed. The critical Froude number Fc above which the free-surface of the fluid may become unstable is obtained. It is shown that erodibility increases the stability of the free surface, in qualitative agreement with previous experiments if qb > qs, qb and qs being respectively the contact-bed discharge and suspended-material discharge. The stability theory is also used to discuss coupled beds and surface waves. From it, five different configurations have been obtained: a sinusoidal wave pattern moving downstream, a transition zone and antidunes moving upstream, moving downstream and stationary. These bed forms are in agreement with experimental results; hence shallow-water theory seems to give a reasonable explanation of the boundary instability.It is shown that the quasi-steady approximation and Kennedy's (1963) stability analysis will be in agreement if (kh)2 [Lt ] 1, where k is the wave number, and h is the depth of the water. When the phase shift δ is introduced in the quasi-steady approximation, the five bed patterns derived from the full equations are found again.
Quantum mazes: luminescent labyrinthine semiconductor nanocrystals having a narrow emission spectrum.

We exploit the polytypism of group II–VI semiconductors and the long-range dipolar interactions typical of CdSe nanoparticle formation to modulate the geometrical structure and the optical emission properties of novel branched CdSe nanocrystals through shape-dependent quantum confinement effects. X-ray diffraction confirms that these materials incorporate crystalline domains of cubic zinc-blende and hexagonal wurtzite within a polycrystalline growth form whose geometry can be controlled by varying thermodynamic conditions. In particular, labyrinthine-shaped nanoparticles of tunable dimensions are reproducibly synthesized based on a heterogeneous reaction between cadmium acetate in a solution in hexadecylamine and trioctylphosphine with Se as a solid precursor at a relatively low temperature (110 °C). The resulting highly branched CdSe structures resemble labyrinthine patterns observed in magnetic fluids and superconductors films in magnetic fields, and in lipid films and other materials where strong dipol...
Ultrabroadband detection of a mid-IR continuum by chirped-pulse upconversion

Ultrabroadband mid-IR continuum pulses can be detected on a single-shot basis using chirped-pulse upconversion. Converting the mid-IR pulse to the visible reduces the fractional bandwidth and enables use of a silicon CCD camera. Removing the cross-phase modulation of the chirped pulse results in 1cm−1 resolution over a 600cm−1 detected bandwidth.
Role for acetotrophic methanogens in methanogenic biodegradation of vinyl chloride

Under methanogenic conditions, stream-bed sediment microorganisms rapidly degraded [1,2-14C]vinyl chloride to 14CH4 and 14CO2. Amendment with 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid eliminated 14CH4 production and decreased 14CO2 recovery by an equal molar amount. Results obtained with [14C]ethene, [14C]acetate, or 14CO2 as substrates indicated that acetotrophic methanogens were responsible for the production of 14CH4 during biodegradation of [1,2-14C]VC.
Discontinuity-induced bifurcations in models of mechanical contact, capillary adhesion, and cell division: A common framework

Abstract This paper collects four distinct instances of grazing contact of a periodic trajectory in a hybrid dynamical system under a common abstract framework and establishes selected general properties of the associated near-grazing dynamics. In particular, it is shown that for critical choices of parameter values, commonly used physical models of rigid or compliant mechanical contact, capillary adhesion, and cell division satisfy the conditions required by the general framework. The paper relies on the well-known discontinuity-mapping formalism. In contrast to previous treatments, the proposed abstract framework more clearly establishes the origin of the large state-space stretching in the initial (and possibly only) step of the construction of a discontinuity mapping. It further highlights the nonuniqueness in the formulation of the discontinuity mapping and its connection to the choice of a locally smooth map with which the discontinuity mapping is composed to describe the near-grazing dynamics. The analysis is illustrated with examples from tapping-mode atomic force microscopy in the presence of thin fluid layers on the sample and the probe tip and from the study of protein activity during a eukaryotic cell cycle.
Robot motivator: improving user performance on a physical/mental task

We describe the design and implementation of a socially assistive robot that is able to monitor the performance of a user during a combined mental and physical task, with the purpose of motivating the user to complete the task and to improve performance. A three-condition experimental study was constructed for evaluation of the robot and preliminary results of the robot's interaction with human participants are presented.
Alcoholic Liver Disease Patients Treated with S-adenosyl-L-methionine: An In-depth Look at Liver Morphologic Data Comparing Pre and Post Treatment Liver Biopsies

Abstract Background The objective of this study is to assess if there were any changes in liver biopsies after treatment with S-adenosyl- l -methionine(SAMe) in alcoholic liver disease patients. Methods Liver biopsies of 14 patients were randomized for SAMe treatment at week 0 (biopsy #1) and at 24 weeks (biopsy #2). Patients received 1.2 g of SAMe or placebo by mouth daily and stopped alcohol intake. Biopsies were semi-quantitatively scored for: steatosis, inflammation, necrosis, fibrosis, apoptosis by TUNEL stain, percent fibrosis per square field, smooth muscle actin stain, Kupffer cells, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, lipogranules, lymphocytes, balloon cell formation, Mallory–Denk bodies, and duct metaplasia. Results Comparing treatment arm to placebo arm, no significant difference was found between biopsy #1 and biopsy #2. However, when both study arms were grouped together, there was decrease in smooth muscle actin stain, where the P-value = 0.027. Conclusion Treatment with SAMe did not show a statistically significant difference in the characteristics studied. However, when both the treatment and placebo arm data were grouped together to increase the n and power, there was a decrease in the smooth muscle actin stain, reflecting a decrease in stellate cells activation, likely due to the alcohol abstinence. This study suggests that it may not be beneficial to wait for more definitive treatment, like liver transplant in alcoholic liver disease patients, since the liver tissue remained largely with the same degree of pathology six months out, regardless of treatment.
Lennard-Jones fluid between adiabatically moved interacting walls

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations of fluids between adiabatically moved interacting walls are carried out. Local fluid density profiles and solvation forces under the nonequilibrium conditions of adiabatic compression and expansion are calculated and are compared with the equilibrium results. The approach is useful for studying the deformation of thin films, shock waves passing through fluids, solution dynamics of a very large solute molecule, or chemical reactions in the frozen solvent limit.
Are women better off because of the new Medicare drug legislation

The passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 will help to reduce the out-of-pocket burdens women will face in 2006 once the full drug benefit is introduced. Nonetheless, the legislation is less than ideal and creates a number of issues that should be improved to meet women's needs. Three key elements of the legislation that were essential in gaining its passage stand in the way of such improvements: limits on the amount spent on the benefit, requirements to rely on the private sector, and a failure to adequately arrange for future financing. A major overhaul is unlikely, but it is possible that modest improvements to aid Medicare beneficiaries will be considered in the future. Several of those improvements are described here.
Calcineurin downregulation in the amygdala is sufficient to induce anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors in C57BL/6J male mice.

Background The calcium-dependent phosphatase calcineurin is highly expressed in the amygdala, a brain area important for behaviors related to mood disorders and anxiety. Organ transplant patients are administered the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA) chronically and demonstrate an increased incidence of anxiety and mood disorders. It is therefore important to determine whether chronic blockade of calcineurin may contribute to symptoms of anxiety and depression in these patients. Methods Pharmacological (CSA) and viral-mediated gene transfer (adeno-associated viral expression of short hairpin RNA [shRNA]) approaches were used to inhibit calcineurin activity systemically or selectively in the amygdala of the mouse brain to determine the role of calcineurin in behaviors related to anxiety and depression. Results Systemic inhibition of calcineurin activity with CsA or local downregulation of calcineurin levels in the amygdala using adeno-associated viral-delivered shRNAs targeting calcineurin B increased measures of anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, the light/dark box, and the open field test. A decrease in locomotor activity was also observed in mice treated systemically with CsA. In the forced swim model of depression-like behavior, both systemic CsA treatment and shRNA-mediated calcineurin blockade in the amygdala significantly increased immobility. Conclusions Taken together, these data demonstrate that decreasing calcineurin activity in the amygdala increases anxiety-like behaviors and to some extent depression-like behaviors. These studies suggest that chronic administration of CsA to organ transplant patients could have significant effects on anxiety and mood and this should be recognized as a potential clinical consequence of treatment to prevent transplant rejection.
A Model of Hygroscopic Seeding in Cumulus Clouds

Abstract A systematic modeling exploration has been conducted to map the growth and trajectory of hygroscopically initiated precipitation particles. The model used is a one-dimensional, steady-state, condensation-coalescence model with adiabatic cloud water content. Drop breakup and freezing were simulated but competition among precipitation particles was not considered. Sizes of initial hygroscopic seeds varied from 5 to 400 μm in diameter, updraft speed ranged from 1 to 25 m s−1, and cloud base temperature varied from 0 to 20°C. The 23 July 1970 salt seeding case reported by Biswas and Dennis was also analyzed using the model. The numerical simulations reveal several complex interactions: 1) For slow updrafts, the larger hygroscopic seeds travel through a lower trajectory and sweep out less water than small, hygroscopic seeds which are also more apt to grow large enough to break up and create additional large precipitation particles. 2) For fast updrafts, the larger hygroscopic seeds grow into precipita...
Validation of a fish habitat model for lakes

Water temperatures and dissolved oxygen concentrations in 27 classes of lakes have been hindcast by simulation models and related to presence of coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater fishes in 3002 Minnesota lakes. A one-dimensional, dynamic water quality model driven by 25 years of daily weather data was used to model water temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles of these lakes. Fish presence data were available for these lakes from the Minnesota Lake Fisheries Data Base. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen criteria derived from a very large United States Environmental Protection Agency fish-temperature database and dissolved oxygen observations were used to define and link simulated water temperatures and dissolved oxygen conditions to suitability of habitats for coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater fish assemblages. Good agreement was found between fish presence and numerical simulations of fish habitat defined by water temperatures and dissolved oxygen concentrations. Generally water temperature and DO are good indicators of suitable fish habitat.
Proof‐Testing Graphite and Its Design Implications

The influence of proof-testing on the behavior of CFW graphite is described and the improvements in the strength associated with a given probability of failure are established. Damage induced in the graphite by the proof-test process was examined in more detail by conducting low-cycle fatigue tests. Fatigue deterioration of the strength of the graphite is cumulative and the number of cycles of load significantly influences the probability of failure. A modified Gaussian distribution function accounts for the influence of both the stress and the number of load cycles on the probability of failure.
Directional bypass configuration in remotely-pumped EDF/distributed Raman hybrid amplifier scheme for online OTDR monitoring

Novel online OTDR monitoring in a remotely-pumped EDF/distributed Raman hybrid inline amplifier scheme is demonstrated. The wavelength of the OTDR pulse light is optimised for monitoring the gain of remotely-pumped EDF and the line's performance. The proposed directional bypass configuration realises online monitoring without transmission impairment.
Heritability of different measures of smooth pursuit eye tracking dysfunction: A study of normal twins

Research studies have found that smooth pursuit eye movement dysfunction may serve as an index of genetic liability to develop schizophrenia. The heritability of various measures of smooth pursuit eye tracking proficiency and the saccades that occur during smooth pursuit was examined in 64 monozygotic (MZ) and 48 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. Two age cohorts were assessed (11-12 and 17-18 years of age). Intraclass correlations indicated significant similarity in the MZ twins for almost all measures in both age cohorts, whereas few of the DZ twin correlations attained significance. Biometrical modeling indicated that genetic mechanisms influence performance on both global and specific eye tracking measures, accounting for about 40% to 60% of the variance. These findings suggest that the underlying brain systems responsible for smooth pursuit and saccade generation during pursuit are under partial genetic control.
Incorporating trust-in-technology into Expectation Disconfirmation Theory

Continued use of strategic information systems is not always a given. This study proposes that users’ trust in the system may influence their satisfaction and continuance intention. While trust has been found to have strategic implications for understanding consumers’ technology usage, relatively little research has examined how trust’s influence operates over time. To gain insight into trust’s influence on strategic system usage over time and to explain how trust relates to satisfaction and continuance intention, we integrate trust-related constructs with the Complete Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) Model. Our results demonstrate that trust plays a central role in the EDT process and that the EDT process helps explain trust’s role more completely. The study shows that technology trusting expectations influence trusting intention through performance, disconfirmation, and satisfaction. We also show that technology trusting intention adds predictive power to EDT’s satisfaction construct as together they predict usage continuance intention. For research, our results provide a strong combined EDT and trust theory base for future studies that examine expectation management and system development projects. For practice, our study informs systems implementation strategies for technologies that have fewer human-like characteristics and more technology-like characteristics. Our findings underscore that managers need to adopt an EDT process-based view when seeking to build trust, satisfaction, and continuance intention in strategically important information systems.
ASSIMILATION OF NUTRIENTS BY CULTURED HYBRID LOBSTERS (Homarus sp.) FED EXPERIMENTAL DIETS1

Indirect calorimetry and the chromic oxide indicator method were employed to investigate the digestibility and assimilation of nutrients by cultured lobsters (Homarus sp.) growing on experimental diets. Starved and fed lobsters were compared by observing food and oxygen consumption and fecal and urinary excretions in a closed, recirculating metabolic chamber. Apparent digestible and metabolizable energy and nitrogen were determined for 2 diets, which differed in the type and level of protein and carbohydrate. The apparent digestibility of diet 79F, a purified ration containing 46.8% crude protein, was 68.8% on an as-fed basis, with an apparent digestibility of energy of 88.1%. For diet SM25B, which contained 61.1% crude protein including shrimp meal, apparent digestibility was 66.2% as-fed and the apparent digestibility of energy was 91.3%. Metabolizable energy values of 4.59 and 4.65 kcal/g dry weight were obtained for diets 79F and SM25B respectively. Growth on the two diets was similar but lobsters fed 79F consumed and excreted significantly more than those fed SM25B. For both diets protein and lipid were better than 90% digested, but the carbohydrate fraction was only about 65% digestible. The apparent higher nutritive value of SM25B for lobsters may be related to protein quality and improved efficiency of utilization.
Rap1: selective activator of β2 integrins?

In T cells, Rap1 is well-recognized as a major mediator of inside-out signaling to integrins following stimulation by antigen and chemokines. Ghandour and colleagues have identified a selective role for Rap1 in human T cells in chemokine-dependent adhesion via LFA-1, but not VLA-4. Their study highlights the specificity of Rap1 for LFA-1 in SDF-1α–mediated adhesion, and shows that PLC and the Rap1 exchanger CalDAG-GEFI are required.
Insights and surprises from usage patterns: some benefits of data mining in academic online systems

With the rise of cyber-infrastructure in higher education research and teaching, new challenges surface when it comes to understanding users and usage. How, where, and when user activity gets captured and analyzed in academic online systems is particularly critical in internet-based systems. The flexibility that these open systems allow for in promoting easy integration of different technologies (e.g., applications layer, presentation layer, middleware, and data sources) has repercussions for usage analysis: round the clock access, unseen users, distributed logs, and huge volumes of cryptic data.This paper demonstrates how knowledge discovery solutions - particularly web usage mining methods - have been taken up to address these challenges in one higher education setting involving the Sakai collaboration and learning environment. The goals of this paper include: 1) providing some definitions and explications by example of specific data mining processes as they are actually being used; 2) describing the issues and challenges that motivate the use of data mining and 3) showing how data mining integrates with established project management best practices.
Preoperative Issues in Clinical Nutrition

Allowing a patient's nutritional state to deteriorate through the perioperative period adversely affects measureable outcome related to nosocomial infection, multiple organ dysfunction, wound healing, and functional recovery. Careful preoperative nutritional assessment should include a determination of the level of stress, an evaluation of the status of the GI tract, and the development of specific plans for securing enteral access. Patients already demonstrating compromise of nutritional status (defined by > 10% weight loss and serum albumin level
SOME EFFECTS OF GRAIN SIZE OF CHINA CLAYS

Measurements of grain size of a series of china clays were made, and a preliminary investigation of the relation between particle size and some properties was undertaken.
Bender Gestalt Screening for Brain Dysfunction in a Forensic Population

The diagnostic utility of the Lacks adaptation of the Hutt-Briskin (LHB) Bender Gestalt scoring system was examined in 112 male patients incarcerated at a regional state forensic facility. Subjects were independently classified as schizophrenic, organic, or normal, and Bender Gestalt protocols were scored and classified as nonorganic or organic according to LHB rules. Except for those with subnormal intelligence, normal subjects were classified with the greatest accuracy. Schizophrenics were misclassified as organic more frequently than normals. The poorest classification accuracy was observed among the organics, who were classified as normals nearly half of the time. These results suggest that LHB scoring of Bender Gestalt protocols offers a rather poor basis for screening for organic dysfunction among forensic patients.
Predictors of heightened platelet reactivity despite dual-antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Small studies have indicated that drug-drug interactions and such clinical characteristics as diabetes mellitus may increase residual platelet reactivity in patients on clopidogrel therapy. The independent contribution of these variables to high residual platelet reactivity (HRPR) is not well studied. Residual platelet reactivity was assessed using the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (Accumetrics Inc., San Diego, California) in 377 patients with stable coronary artery disease on maintenance clopidogrel therapy. HRPR was defined using a threshold previously shown to predict adverse clinical outcomes. Residual platelet reactivity was significantly higher in women (220 ± 82 vs 200 ± 77 P2Y12 reaction units [PRU]; p = 0.041), non-Caucasians (229 ± 79 vs 202 ± 78 PRU; p = 0.047), patients with diabetes mellitus (220 ± 73 vs 196 ± 80 PRU; p = 0.005), and those treated with nitrates (233 ± 70 vs 200 ± 80 PRU; p = 0.018) or proton-pump inhibitors (218 ± 79 vs 198 ± 78 PRU; p = 0.02), whereas residual platelet reactivity was significantly lower in active smokers (168 ± 82 vs 208 ± 77 PRU; p = 0.006). Independent predictors of HRPR were female gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14 to 3.19, p = 0.014), non-Caucasian ethnicity (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.49 to 6.28, p = 0.002), use of proton-pump inhibitors (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.59, p = 0.035), and active smoking (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.94, p = 0.037). HRPR was associated with increased 6-month mortality rates (3.0% vs 0%; p = 0.016). In conclusion, our findings support the hypothesis that clopidogrel nonresponsiveness is primarily the result of genetic mechanisms and factors that may influence activity of the cytochrome P-450 system.
Will tiny beans conquer the world again? [Java language]

The paper discusses the Java language and its component technology Java Beans. Java Beans allows middleware to work across all desktops. Thus, it has a slight chance against ActiveX. ActiveX compiles into Wintel binaries, while Java compiles into J-code. Microsoft is about to apply some pressure by flooding the Internet with compelling applications that require users to adopt ActiveX.
Perceived Competence and Benevolence of Political Institutions as Culturally Universal Facilitators of Political Trust: Evidence From Arab Countries

Political trust is important to any culture, but there has been a noticeable decline in political trust around the world. In search for the origin of political trust and ways to enhance political t...
Measurement and gender-specific analysis of user publishing characteristics on MySpace

Online social networks have become popular platforms for people to make connections, share information, and interact with each other. In an online social network, user publishing activities such as sending messages and posting photos represent online interactions between friends that involve the use of network and system resources. As more and more businesses use online social networks as a means to promote their 'brand names', a good understanding of user publishing characteristics is important not only for capacity planning (server scaling estimation, network bandwidth provisioning, and performance tuning), but also for marketing analysis and security measures of online social networks. Recently there have been many efforts to measure and analyze various characteristics of online social networks. Most of these studies have focused on the network graph properties such as node degree distribution, clustering coefficient, and connected components. In this work, we measure and analyze the gender-specific user publishing characteristics on MySpace. Our results show that there are recognizable patterns with respect to profile attributes, user interactions, temporal usages, and blog contents for users of different genders. In particular, gender neutral profiles (most of them are music bands, TV shows, and other commercial sites) differ significantly from normal male and female profiles for several publishing patterns.
Quality and effectiveness in web-based customer support systems

The quality of a Web-based customer support system involves the information it supplies, the service it provides, and characteristics of the system itself; its effectiveness is reflected by the satisfaction of its users. This paper presents the results of a study of quality and effectiveness in Web-based customer support systems. Data from a survey of 726 Internet users were used to test theoretically expected relationships. The results of this study indicate that information and system quality determine effectiveness while service quality has no impact. Practical implications for managers and designers are offered.
Molecular dynamics simulations and drug discovery

This review discusses the many roles atomistic computer simulations of macromolecular (for example, protein) receptors and their associated small-molecule ligands can play in drug discovery, including the identification of cryptic or allosteric binding sites, the enhancement of traditional virtual-screening methodologies, and the direct prediction of small-molecule binding energies. The limitations of current simulation methodologies, including the high computational costs and approximations of molecular forces required, are also discussed. With constant improvements in both computer power and algorithm design, the future of computer-aided drug design is promising; molecular dynamics simulations are likely to play an increasingly important role.
BRAF activates and physically interacts with PAK to regulate cell motility

Increased p21 activated kinase (PAK) signaling and expression has been identified in the invasive fronts of aggressive papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs), including those with RET/PTC, BRAF V600E, and mutant RAS expression. Functionally, thyroid cancer cell motility in vitro is dependent on Group 1 PAKs particularly PAK1. In the present study, we hypothesize that BRAF, a central kinase in PTC tumorigenesis and invasion, regulates thyroid cancer cell motility in part through PAK activation. Using three well-characterized human thyroid cancer cell lines, we demonstrated in all cell lines that BRAF knockdown reduced PAK phosphorylation of direct downstream targets. In contrast, inhibition of MEK activity either pharmacologically or with siRNA did not reduce PAK activity indicating MEK is dispensable for PAK activity. Inhibition of cell migration through BRAF loss is rescued by overexpression of either constitutive active (CA) MEK1 or PAK1, demonstrating that both signaling pathways are involved in BRAF-regulated cell motility. To further characterize BRAF-PAK signaling, immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation demonstrated that both exogenously overexpressed and endogenous PAK1 and BRAF co-localize and physically interact, and that this interaction was enhanced in mitosis. Finally, we demonstrated that acute induction of BRAFV600E expression in vivo in murine thyroid glands results in increased PAK expression and activity confirming a positive signaling relationship in vivo. In conclusion, we have identified a signaling pathway in thyroid cancer cells which BRAF activates and physically interacts with PAK and regulates cell motility.
Rapid acquisition scheme for spread-spectrum radio in a fading environment

A modified two-level scheme for coarse code acquisition of spread-spectrum signals in a fading environment is considered. The scheme uses a bank of passive correlators followed by a bank of active correlators. The passive correlators are matched to short sync prefixes, which areinterspersed in the incoming signal. The passive devices correlate over sliding windows (in time), providing a rapid search capability. Threshold exceedances of the passive correlators areused to initiate active correlation over longer time intervals so that high reliability of decision is obtained. The multiple sync prefixes reduce the probability of missing the signal in a fading environment. An analytical model based on queueing and detection theory results is developed, and optimisation of the scheme is treated. A Gilbert model is used to characterise the signal fading on the channel. The performance in the presence of background noise with noisejamming is analysed. Theoretical performance curves and a discussion of the results are also presented.
Flow in an open channel capillary

The problem of capillary-driven flow in a V-shaped surface groove is addressed. A nonlinear diffusion equation for the liquid shape is derived from mass conservation and Poiseuille flow conditions. A similarity transformation for this nonlinear equation is obtained and the resulting ordinary differential equation is solved numerically for appropriate boundary conditions. It is shown that the position of the wetting front is proportional to (Dt)½ where D is a diffusion coefficient proportional to the ratio of the liquid-vapour surface tension to viscosity and the groove depth, and a function of the contact angle and the groove angle. For flow into the groove from a sessile drop source it is shown that the groove angle must be greater than the contact angle. Certain arbitrarily shaped grooves are also addressed.
Intelligibility predictors and neural representation of speech

Intelligibility predictors tell us a great deal about human speech perception, in particular which acoustic factors strongly effect human behavior, and which do not. A particular intelligibility predictor, the Articulation Index (AI), is interesting because it models human behavior in noise, and its form has implications about representation of speech in the brain. Specifically, the Articulation Index implies that a listener pre-consciously estimates the masking noise distribution and uses it to classify time/frequency samples as speech or non-speech. We classify consonants using representations of speech and noise which are consistent with this hypothesis, and determine whether their error rate and error patterns are more or less consistent with human behavior than representations typical of automatic speech recognition systems. The new representations resulted in error patterns more similar to humans in cases where the testing and training data sets do not have the same masking noise spectrum.
Investigating community impacts of a university outreach program through the lens of service-learning and community engagement

Higher education has been encouraged to become more engaged with its constituent communities in recent years. This encouragement has come from many sources—state legislatures, the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-grant Universities, and through the establishment of designations such as the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. As a result, service-learning and community engagement activities have grown over the last two decades and recommendations for best practices have emerged. However, very little study has focused on the communities being engaged in these efforts. Do they receive benefits from student involvement and if so, how can those benefits be defined? This research investigated community impacts of the PLaCE (Partnering Landscape and Community Enhancement) program at Iowa State University’s College of Design. The research involved interviews with stakeholders from communities where engagement activities had taken place. Research results indicated that communities benefitted in several ways from student and university involvement of the PLaCE program. These included physical improvements to the community, expanded community capacity, increased project legitimacy, and stimulation of local dialogue, activities, and creative capacity. Some suggestions for maximizing program outcomes and for targeting further research emerged, such as assessment of a community’s level of support and determining what constitutes a meaningful project conclusion.
Seeding Induced Aligned Microstructures (S.I.A.M.) in Yba2Cu306+X

Annealing of YBa2Cu_Og (12 3) above the peritectic temperature, followed by slow cooling at 0.5 C/min, was found to produce a microstructure containing regions (d - 200 microns) within which the grains were highly aligned. When these regions were used to “seed” 123 powder, an enhanced degree of texture was obtained, where the aligned regions were > 1mm in size.
Mendel: the Swiss army knife of genetic analysis programs

Summary: Mendel is one of the few statistical genetics packages that provide a full spectrum of gene mapping methods, ranging from parametric linkage in large pedigrees to genome-wide association with rare variants. Our latest additions to Mendel anticipate and respond to the needs of the genetics community. Compared with earlier versions, Mendel is faster and easier to use and has a wider range of applications. Supported platforms include Linux, MacOS and Windows.
Comparison of primary motor cortex localization using functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography.

The primary goal of the study was to compare estimates of motor cortex localization from functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Thirteen normal volunteers were studied using both methods. FMRI was performed on a clinical 1.5 T system using gradient-echo acquisitions and basic f-test processing. MEG primary motor field was characterized by a single dipole model. Comparisons between the location of the btst-fitting MEG dipole and the FMRI activation results were made using both fixed regions-of-interest weighted averaging and clustering analysis to reduce the observed FMRI activations to a single representative location. Both FMRI and MEG identified expected anatomic regions of primary motor activity and there was overall agreement to within lfl mm between these two functional imaging modalities. Given the observed agreement between these two techniques, it does not appear that the proposed artifactual mechanisms of local bulk motions or large-vessel sensitivity will seriously preclude the clinical utility of FMRI for preoperative localization of sensorimotor cortex.
Academic Librarians' Attitudes about Advanced-Subject Degrees

Academic librarians have various opinions on the importance of advanced-subject degrees in addition to a master’s in library science (MLS). The authors conducted an online survey to collect opinions from academic librarians on this topic. Arguments in favor of having advanced-subject degrees include development of research skills, credibility, and overall improved job performance. Arguments against it include the fact that the MLS is—and should continue to be—our terminal degree, inadequate salaries, and the validity of developing subject expertise via other means. The need for advanced-subject degrees may vary by many factors, including individual career goals and local institutional culture.
Thioredoxin Is Involved in U(VI) and Cr(VI) Reduction in Desulfovibrio desulfuricans G20

A transposon insertion mutant has been identified in a Desulfovibrio desulfuricans G20 mutant library that does not grow in the presence of 2 mM U(VI) in lactate-sulfate medium. This mutant has also been shown to be deficient in the ability to grow with 100 μM Cr(VI) and 20 mM As(V). Experiments with washed cells showed that this mutant had lost the ability to reduce U(VI) or Cr(VI), providing an explanation for the lower tolerance. A gene encoding a cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP) was identified as the site of the transposon insertion. The remainder of the mre operon (metal reduction) contains genes encoding a thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase, and an additional oxidoreductase whose substrate has not been predicted. Expression studies showed that in the mutant, the entire operon is downregulated, suggesting that the CRP may be involved in regulating expression of the whole operon. Exposure of the cells to U(VI) resulted in upregulation of the entire operon. CdCl2, a specific inhibitor of thioredoxin activity, inhibits U(VI) reduction by washed cells and inhibits growth of cells in culture when U(VI) is present, confirming a role for thioredoxin in U(VI) reduction. The entire mre operon was cloned into Escherichia coli JM109 and the transformant developed increased U(VI) resistance and the ability to reduce U(VI) to U(IV). The oxidoreductase protein (MreG) from this operon was expressed and purified from E. coli. In the presence of thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase, and NADPH, this protein was shown to reduce both U(VI) and Cr(VI), providing a mechanism for the cytoplasmic reduction of these metals.
Basal cell carcinoma masquerading as the chronic ectropion of lamellar ichthyosis.

“Ichthyosis” is derived from the Greek root “ichthys” meaning fishlike and used for those disorders sharing generalized scaling of the skin.1 Lamellar ichthyosis (LI) is characterized by brown fishlike scale, ectropion, eclabium, scarring alopecia, and erythroderma and most commonly complicated by h
Colourful parrot feathers resist bacterial degradation

The brilliant red, orange and yellow colours of parrot feathers are the product of psittacofulvins, which are synthetic pigments known only from parrots. Recent evidence suggests that some pigments in bird feathers function not just as colour generators, but also preserve plumage integrity by increasing the resistance of feather keratin to bacterial degradation. We exposed a variety of colourful parrot feathers to feather-degrading Bacillus licheniformis and found that feathers with red psittacofulvins degraded at about the same rate as those with melanin and more slowly than white feathers, which lack pigments. Blue feathers, in which colour is based on the microstructural arrangement of keratin, air and melanin granules, and green feathers, which combine structural blue with yellow psittacofulvins, degraded at a rate similar to that of red and black feathers. These differences in resistance to bacterial degradation of differently coloured feathers suggest that colour patterns within the Psittaciformes may have evolved to resist bacterial degradation, in addition to their role in communication and camouflage.
Religious Involvement and Its Association to Risk Behaviors among Older Youth in Foster Care

This study examined religious involvement and its association to risk behaviors (sexual behavior, marijuana use, alcohol use, and cigarette use) among older youth in foster care (N=383). Three dimensions of religious involvement were assessed—church or religious service attendance, religious practices, and religious beliefs. Findings showed that gender, ethnic group membership, sexual abuse history, and placement type were significantly associated with older foster care youth’s religious involvement. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses showed that religious service attendance was associated with reduced odds of youth’s engagement in sexual behavior in the past 2 months and current use of cigarettes. In addition, greater religious beliefs were associated with a reduction in odds of youth’s use of alcohol in the past 6 months and current use of cigarettes. The consideration of religious involvement as a positive influence and resource that may reduce unhealthy risk behaviors among older youth in foster care is discussed.
The Study of Islamic Culture and Politics: An Overview and Assessment

▪ Abstract Among the four major world cultural traditions—Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity—Islam appears to have the most pervasive role in contemporary politics. The vast and varied spectrum of the scholarly works that have addressed this distinctive phenomenon started with a tradition that presumed a conflict between Islam and political modernity, while noting the centrality and universality of the faith for Muslims. This conception runs contrary to the admission of the reality of secular politics in historical Islam. If there is, on the contrary, a congruity between Islam and modernity, one still needs to provide an account of the speecificity of Muslim politics. Addressing this issue, another tradition stressed that because of its very survival into the modern era, the great Islamic tradition can play a significant role in political modernization and nation building. While this argument may be true in the cases of the historical experiences of a number of Islamic countries in the early ...
High-speed machining of cast iron and alloy steels for die and mold manufacturing

Abstract This paper gives a brief overview of HSC technology and presents current progress in high performance machining of cast iron and alloy steels used in die and mold manufacturing. This work covers: (a) theoretical and experimental studies of tool failure and tool life in high-speed milling of hard materials, (b) optimization of CNC programs by adjusting spindle RPM and feed rate (program OPTIMILL) to maintain nearly constant chip load in machining sculptured surfaces, and (c) prediction of chip flow, stresses and temperatures in the cutting tool as well as residual stresses in the machine surface layer. Experimental studies are conducted using a 4-axis high-speed milling machine. Tool materials evaluated include carbides, coated carbides, and PCBN. Workpiece materials investigated include H-13 at 46 HRC, P-20 at 20–40 HRC and cast iron.
Sustainability metrics for extending thin-film photovoltaics to terawatt levels

Over the past 12 years, photovoltaics enjoyed an average growth of ∼45% per year that was affected only marginally by the recent global financial crisis. Industrial roadmaps and analysts’ forecasts share visions of solar power becoming a major contributor to national and global electricity grids, with several terawatts of cumulative deployment by 2050 or earlier. For photovoltaics technology to become a major sustainable player in a competitive power-generation market, it must provide abundant, affordable electricity, with environmental impacts dramatically lower than those from conventional power generation. This article summarizes the prospects in each of three basic aspects of sustainability, namely, system costs, environmental impacts, and resource availability, all of which are examined in the context of prospective life-cycle assessment. Indeed, these three aspects are closely related: Increasing the efficiency of material recovery by recycling spent modules will become increasingly important in resolving cost, resource, and environmental constraints on large-scale sustainable growth.