cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef in eight hours

Abstract A new method involving enrichment and immuno-polymerase chain reaction is presented for rapid and sensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ground beef. The bacteria in the spiked beef sample were enriched in a non-selective medium for 250 min and the E. coli O157:H7 cells were captured rapidly from the culture medium, using magnetic beads coated with E. coli O157-specific antibody. Partial stretches of sequences encoding Shiga toxins (Stx1 and Stx2) were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. Detection of a 215/212-base pair amplicon indicated contamination of the test sample with E. coli O157:H7. The method enabled detection of a single colony-forming unit of E. coli O157:H7 conclusively in 8 h. The suitability of the method to real life pathogen monitoring applications was demonstrated by accurate confirmation of E. coli O157:H7 in coded culture-positive samples of naturally contaminated ground beef and hamburger patties.
Collapse transition of branched polymers with a tunable number of loops.

Branched polymers described by bond lattice animals will undergo a collapse transition if the fugacity for loops is increased. Based on analysis of extensive enumerations by Sykes and collaborators of cubic-lattices embeddings, we conclude that the specific heat diverges if the tricritical point is approached, keeping the number of occupied sites constant, but exhibits a cusp if the number of bonds is fixed. This behavior is explained in terms of a ``Fisher renormalization.''
LEVELS OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR FUZZY IMPLICATION

Fuzzy implication operators have been proposed as a tool for measuring the strength of connections between recorded concepts. Hasse diagrams are used to graphically illustrate the sometimes complicated relationships between such concepts. Establishing measures of significance for fuzzy implications is the focus of this paper. Lower and upper bounds for mean implication using the Kleene-Dienes operator are established. Examples of the intended use of these measures are given.
Operational federalism: Organization for the provision of public services in the American federal system

Scholarship in American political science during much of the twentieth century has been pre-occupied with conceptions of representative democracy and political responsibility which owe more to Bagehot's theory of parliamentary government than to the doctrines of divided and limited rule inherent in the American political formulae. Bagehot's conception of parliamentary government was based upon a linear model of political authority as contrasted to an equilibrium model maintained by a system of checks and balances. Bagehot's analysis in: the English Constitution provided Woodrow Wilson with the conceptual tool for his critique in Congressional Government1 and for the formulation of his proposals to reform administration in order to ". . . rescue executive methods from the confusion and costliness of empirical experiment and set them upon foundations laid deep in stable principle." 2
Direct in vivo gene transfer into porcine myocardium using replication-deficient adenoviral vectors.

BACKGROUNDEfficient methods of introducing genes into myocardial cells must be developed before local somatic cell gene therapy can be implemented against myocardial disease. Although adenoviral (Ad5) vectors have been used to target rodent hearts and plasmid DNA has been directly injected into the myocardium of rats and dogs, the amounts of recombinant protein produced by these procedures have not been reported, and adenoviral vectors have not been used in large mammalian hearts.METHODS AND RESULTSReplication-deficient recombinant adenoviral vectors carrying either the luciferase or lacZ reporter genes were injected directly into the ventricular myocardium of adult domestic swine for evaluation of reporter gene expression. This procedure did not affect regional myocardial function as assessed by systolic wall thickening using ultrasonic crystals. Luciferase activity was detected 3 days after injection, increased markedly at 7 days, and then declined progressively at 14 and 21 days. Luciferase production ...
Object tracking under compressed domain

Currently, most approaches for object tracking are under spatial domain using optical flow and depth, or some model- based methods which need to uncompress those video sequences then do further disposal. The computation for uncompressing is expensive and not good for real time control. Although there are also some researchers doing object tracking under compressed domain, they only use part of DCT values of I frames in a video sequence, which doesn't take advantage of the information under compressed domain. In this paper we consider a new method for object tracking which uses the information only supplied in compressed domain through the MPEG encoder. The main scheme we have performed is to get the motion vectors of P and B frames directly from the MPEG video without decompressing it then cluster objects based on the motion vectors. In particular, camera motion is also taken into account since camera's motion can influence the objects' motion and segmentation results dramatically. Experiments based on the method mentioned above have been carried out in several videos. The results obtained indicate that tracking object in compressed domain is very promising.
The kinetics of the chromic acid oxidation of diphenylmethane

Abstract The kinetics of the chromic acid oxidation of diphenylmethane in aqueous acetic acid solution has been studied. The rate law is v = k [φCH 2 φ][CrO 3 ] h 0 a kinetic isotope effect, k H / k D = 6·4 at 30°, was noted, and electron releasing groups were found to moderately facilitate the reaction (ϱ + = −1·17). These, and related data, suggest that the initial reaction is the abstraction of a hydrogen atom forming a benzhydryl radical. The latter may then be further oxidized to give the product, benzphenone. It is noted that the chromic acid oxidations which must involve hydrogen abstraction all show a kinetic dependence on the total chromium (VI) concentration, whereas those which are believed to proceed via an ester mechanism have a kinetic dependence on only the acid chromate ion. This difference is suggested as a possible method of distinguishing between these two mechanisms. The effect of the water content of the solvent on the rate of the reaction is discussed, and a tentative, relative, H − scale for some of these solutions is suggested. This may permit one to determine the number of molecules of water which are involved in a reaction.
Acoustic monitoring of first responder's physiology for health and performance surveillance

Acoustic sensors have been used to monitor firefighter and soldier physiology to assess health and performance. The Army Research Laboratory has developed a unique body-contacting acoustic sensor that can monitor the health and performance of firefighters and soldiers while they are doing their mission. A gel-coupled sensor has acoustic impedance properties similar to the skin that facilitate the transmission of body sounds into the sensor pad, yet significantly repel ambient airborne noises due to an impedance mismatch. This technology can monitor heartbeats, breaths, blood pressure, motion, voice, and other indicators that can provide vital feedback to the medics and unit commanders. Diverse physiological parameters can be continuously monitored with acoustic sensors and transmitted for remote surveillance of personnel status. Body-worn acoustic sensors located at the neck, breathing mask, and wrist do an excellent job at detecting heartbeats and activity. However, they have difficulty extracting physiology during rigorous exercise or movements due to the motion artifacts sensed. Rigorous activity often indicates that the person is healthy by virtue of being active, and injury often causes the subject to become less active or incapacitated making the detection of physiology easier. One important measure of performance, heart rate variability, is the measure of beat-to-beat timing fluctuations derived from the interval between two adjacent beats. The Lomb periodogram is optimized for non-uniformly sampled data, and can be applied to non-stationary acoustic heart rate features (such as 1st and 2nd heart sounds) to derive heart rate variability and help eliminate errors created by motion artifacts. Simple peak-detection above or below a certain threshold or waveform derivative parameters can produce the timing and amplitude features necessary for the Lomb periodogram and cross-correlation techniques. High-amplitude motion artifacts may contribute to a different frequency or baseline noise due to the timing differences between the noise artifacts and heartbeat features. Data from a firefighter experiment is presented.
The R* rule and energy flux in a plant-nutrient ecosystem.

Abstract The R* rule predicts that the species that can survive in steady state at the lowest level of limiting resource, R*, excludes all other species. Simple models indicate that this concept is not necessarily consistent with Lotka's conjecture that an ecological system should evolve towards a state of maximum power, Max(G), where G is the power, or rate of biomass production of the system. To explore the relationship in detail, we used a published model of a plant-nutrient system in which a plant can use various strategies, S, of allocation of energy between foliage, roots, and wood. We found that the allocation strategy, SMinR*, that leads to Min ( N pore * ) , where N pore * is a limiting nutrient in soil pore water in our model (and equivalent to R* in Tilman's notation), is the same as the strategy, SMaxG_root, for which energy flux to roots is maximized. However, that allocation strategy is different from the strategy, SMaxG, that produces maximum power, or maximum photosynthetic rate, for the plant system, Max(G). Hence, we conclude that Min ( N pore * ) and Max(G) should not necessarily co-occur in an ecological system. We also examined which strategy, Sfit, was fittest; that is, eliminated any other strategies, when allowed to compete. The strategy Sfit differed from SMinR*, SMaxG, and SMaxG_root, which we demonstrated mathematically. We also considered the feasible situation in which a plant is able to positively influence external nutrient input to the system. Under such conditions, the strategy, SMaxG_root, that maximizes energy flux to roots was the same as the strategy, SMaxR*, that leads to maximum concentration of available nutrient in soil pore water, Max ( N pore * ) , and not same as SMinR*, for Min ( N pore * ) .
Abstract 5181: Dynamic cellular adhesivity of breast cancer cells conferred by CD44 varies with mesenchymal or epithelial phenotype

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL CD44 is a highly pleiotropic molecule whose many structural variants and glycan modifications determine function, particularly with respect to cell adhesion. In this study, we investigated the E-selectin ligand function of CD44 and its relationship with the mesenchymal versus epithelial cell phenotypes of breast cancer cells. Real time RT-PCR analysis for epithelial and mesenchymal cell markers showed that MDA-MB-231 and Hs-578T breast cancer cells are mesenchymal-like cells, but BT-20 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells are epithelial-like cells. Flow cytometry revealed that all cell lines expressed CD44. Further exploration of the expression of specific CD44 isoforms at the mRNA level (by real time RT-PCR) and at the protein level (by flow cytometry) showed that mesenchymal-like breast cancer cells predominantly expressed CD44s but nearly undetectable levels of CD44v isoforms. On the other hand, epithelial-like cells expressed CD44s as well as CD44v isoforms. These results indicate that there are divergent CD44 isoform expression patterns in mesenchymal-like versus epithelial-like breast cancer cell lines. Further distinctions were observed in CD44 function in cells of the two phenotypes. Western blot analysis demonstrated that CD44 expressed by BT-20 cells were positive for E-selectin ligand activity, whereas CD44 of MDA-MB-231 cells failed to exhibit such functionality. Moreover, CD44v isoforms expressed by BT-20 cells, but not CD44s by MDA-MB-231 cells, mediated E-selectin adhesion under physiological flow conditions. Despite the positive ligand activity, none of the CD44v isoforms expressed by BT20 cells possessed HECA-452 reactivity by Western blot analysis. This finding indicates the absence of conventional sialofucosylated carbohydrates and the presence of potentially novel E-selectin reactive glycans. Collectively, these results show that CD44 expressed by epithelial-like cells, but not mesenchymal-like cells, are functional E-selectin ligands. Our investigation therefore implies an association of breast cancer cell adhesivity with the epithelial phenotype. Thus, future studies mechanistically linking the E-selectin ligand activity of CD44 isoforms with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition may provide targets for novel breast cancer diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5181. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5181
Pleistocene ‘periglacial’ phenomena in southern Africa

True ‘periglacial’ forms and deposits of late (and middle) Pleistocene age can be recognized in the Drakensberg and the adjacent parts of the Cape Province in the latitudinal zone 28° 30′-31°20′ S; lower limits in the eastern Cape and Natal appear to lie near 1500–1800 m, rising from southwest to northeast, and at 2600 m in Lesotho. Significant nivation in the Drakensberg is also indicated, but at higher elevations. Alleged ‘periglacial’ phenomena in Rhodesia, the Transvaal, the Cape Folded Ranges and their coastal margin are not acceptable as such and include no evidence for cryonival or geliflual proceses. Nonetheless, there is bonafide evidence for several phases of accelerated Pleistocene frost-weathering, including sections of the Cape Coast that experience next to no frost today and would require a winter temperature depression of at least 10° C. It cannot be disputed that southern Africa has experienced cold, glacial-age climates, but there is a serious problem about many of the geomorphological observations or their interpretation.
Demand management of electric vehicle loads

In this paper, demand-side management problems for electrical vehicles (EVs) are studied, by treating EVs as power and energy devices, respectively. Accordingly, power management and energy management problems for EV loads are proposed and examined. Our approach has two key features: (1) EV charging requests are classified into a relatively small number of load types and (2) a two-layer scheme is proposed to simplify original optimization problems. These features allow us to manage the computational burden even as the number of vehicles increases.
The Effect of OPC Factor™ on Energy Levels in Healthy Adults Ages 45–65: A Phase IIb Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Objective: To determine the efficacy of the food supplement OPC Factor™ to increase energy levels in healthy adults aged 45 to 65. Design: Randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blind cros...
PREDICTION OF SUCCESS IN AUDIO‐LINGUAL AND COGNITIVE CLASSES

The audio-lingual habit theory relates more closely to a mechanistic theory of learning while the cognitive code-learning theory corresponds more nearly to a mentalistic interpretation. Although both researchers and teachers have tended toward an insistence upon one approach or the other as being the better method, the findings of this study indicated that the student ability factors which affect achievement in language learning are not the same under both methods of instruction. Furthermore, the results of the analyses suggested that, on the basis of information available to the counselor, it would be possible to assign a student to the type of class which would be most suitable to his particular capabilities.
Evolution of the Sex-lethal Gene in Insects and Origin of the Sex-Determination System in Drosophila

Sex-lethal (Sxl) functions as the switch gene for sex-determination in Drosophila melanogaster by engaging a regulatory cascade. Thus far the origin and evolution of both the regulatory system and SXL protein’s sex-determination function have remained largely unknown. In this study, we explore systematically the Sxl homologs in a wide range of insects, including the 12 sequenced Drosophila species, medfly, blowflies, housefly, Megaselia scalaris, mosquitoes, butterfly, beetle, honeybee, ant, and aphid. We find that both the male-specific and embryo-specific exons exist in all Drosophila species. The homologous male-specific exon is also present in Scaptodrosophila lebanonensis, but it does not have in-frame stop codons, suggesting the exon’s functional divergence between Drosophila and Scaptodrosophila after acquiring it in their common ancestor. Two motifs closely related to the exons’ functions, the SXL binding site poly(U) and the transcription-activating motif TAGteam, surprisingly exhibit broader phylogenetic distributions than the exons. Some previously unknown motifs that are restricted to or more abundant in Drosophila and S. lebanonensis than in other insects are also identified. Finally, phylogenetic analysis suggests that the SXL’s novel sex-determination function in Drosophila is more likely attributed to the changes in the N- and C-termini rather than in the RNA-binding region. Thus, our results provide a clearer picture of the phylogeny of the Sxl’s cis-regulatory elements and protein sequence changes, and so lead to a better understanding of the origin of sex-determination in Drosophila and also raise some new questions regarding the evolution of Sxl.
Resistance to extinction as a function of sequence of events in partial reinforcement

Two partial reinforcement groups, which differed in the type and frequency of run lengths experienced, were run in a Humphreys Board situation. These groups differed in extinction as predicted by sequential theory, and both were more resistant than a continuous reinforcement group. It was suggested that sequence learning may be independent of reinforcement contingencies.
An Application of Computer Simulation to Quality Control in Manufacturing

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to report on a successful application of computer simulation to quality control for a large multi-national firm. The company was using a standard skip lot procedure with a single sampling by attributes plan at the initiation of this study. An analysis of the situation revealed that the complex skip lot procedure was inappropriate and that the use of multi-stage attribute sampling plans could improve inspector productivity by lowering the average sample number per lot undergoing inspection. To demonstrate these proposals to management, a computer simulation model was developed which simulated the system in use by the company and a variety of other possible systems. Based on the simulation results, the management decided to implement a system employing uniform skipping between lot inspections and multi-stage attribute sampling plans. The system resulted in marked improvements in operating performance as measured by six months' actual results. A detailed description of t...
Corticosteroids alter the 5-HT(1A) receptor-mediated response in CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells.

The hippocampus, prolonged excessive corticosterone secretion, and the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurotransmitter system are implicated in the etiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Corticosterone regulates CA1 hippocampal physiology and the 5-HT1A receptor-effector pathway; however the effect of chronic stress levels of corticosterone is unknown. Bilateral adrenalectomy (ADX), adrenalectomy with high dose corticosterone replacement (HCT), or surgical sham (SHAM) treatments were for 2 weeks. Standard intracellular recording techniques were used in hippocampal slices to measure active and passive cellular properties and 5-HT1A receptor-mediated responses in CA1 pyramidal cells. The magnitude and half-decay time of the slow after-hyperpolarization (sAHP) were decreased and the membrane time constant (tau) was increased by HCT treatment. The Emax and EC50, but not the slope, of the concentration-response curve for 5-HT activation of the 5-HT1A receptor were reduced in cells recorded from HCT versus SHAM treated rats. The net effect of treatment with stress levels of corticosterone was to increase the excitability of the CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cell through changes in membrane properties and 5-HT1A receptor-mediated response.
The Circulation of the Tropical Stratosphere in the Years 1954–1960

Abstract The circulation is described in terms of three components: the long-term mean, the annual cycle and a newly-discovered 26-month cycle, referred to as the equatorial stratosphere wind oscillation. Mean winds are everywhere easterly, except that very weak westerlies may possibly exist near the equatorial tropopause. The easterlies increase with height and are strongest between latitudes 10N and 15N. The amplitude of the annual cycle rises from near zero at the equator to a maximum of about 10 m/sec at approximately 25N and undergoes little change with height. Peak easterlies occur in late July or early August. The amplitude of the 26-month cycle is greatest near the equator, attaining a value in excess of 20 m/sec at the 25-mb level. Below this level the amplitude decreases, and the oscillation fades away in the vicinity of the tropopause. In the poleward direction it is still faintly detectable near 30N. The phase varies with height, each band of easterly or westerly winds appearing first at the h...
Periodic-compartmental distribution of acetylcholinesterase in the superior colliculus of the human brain.

Abstract The superior colliculus of the human brain was studied in autopsy material stained by the acetylthiocholinesterase methods of Geneser-Jensen & blackstad (1971) and Karnovsky & roots (1964) . The histochemical findings suggest that in the human, as in common laboratory mammals, the superior colliculus is characterized by a periodic vertical segmentation in addition to a horizontal stratification into layers. In frontal sections through the superior colliculus in each of three human brains, acetylthiocholinesterase staining in the middle gray layer was distributed in a series of 200–400 μm wide patches separated by less densely stained zones. The patches were irregular in shape and some were composed of a core of intense enzyme activity surrounded by a rim of weaker stain. Comparable concentrations of the enzyme were not apparent in the superficial collicular layers. Dorsalview reconstructions of the enzyme patches were prepared in two cases from drawings of serial sections. The resulting planar maps showed that the patches present in frontal sections form parts of narrow bands of varying length that run in a roughly longitudinal direction through the colliculus. This pattern of banding is remarkably similar to that observed with cholinesterase methods in the intermediate gray layer of the cat superior colliculus and recalls also the bands formed by nigrotectal terminals in this layer. It is not yet clear which tissue elements are being stained by the cholinesterase method. Nevertheless, the finding of histochemically distinct repeating units in the human superior colliculus demonstrates the existence, in the brain of man, of a periodic ordering with many of the characteristics of columnar organization.
A statistical method for investigating the perceptual confusions among geometric configurations

Abstract The concept of a binary communications channel suggests a way of investigating statistically some of the encoding habits a person may utilize in recognizing patterns. As a way of illustrating this procedure in more detail, sixty-four geometric forms were first constructed by connecting the different vertices of a square with line segments. Since all of these patterns have an obvious representation as six-tuples of zeros and ones, they may be interpreted formally as potential messages to be transmitted to a person. A confusion matrix between the configurations was then obtained by tachistoscopically exposing each of the patterns to a subject and requiring its complete written reproduction for a response. By relaxing the usual assumption of independent errors in the reproduction of the individual components of a pattern, the confusion matrix was theoretically reconstructed in various ways and several reasonable sources of statistical dependency among the confusion errors were identified.
Trends in Cataract Surgery and Intraocular Lenses in the United States

Cataracts are the second leading cause of blindness in the United States. The rate of cataract surgery has greatly increased in the past several years, in part because of the extensive use of intraocular lenses for aphakic correction. It is estimated that more than 600,000 cataract operations were done in 1982. During a similar period, an estimated 496,000 intraocular lenses were implanted. Thus, more than 70% of all cataract operations in the United States involved intraocular lens implantation. Although iris fixation lenses accounted for 52% of all intraocular lenses implanted in 1978, during the six-month period from July 1982 through January 1983 57% of all implanted intraocular lenses were posterior chamber lenses and 40% were anterior chamber lenses.
Mechanotransduction of Primary Cilia in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer causes more than 1 million deaths worldwide annually [1]. In a recent study by the American Cancer Society in 2011, more than 221,000 new cases of lung cancers were reported [2]. Out of these, the mortality rate was found in roughly 70% of the cases [2]. Lung cancer is divided into two major categories: small cell and non-small cell. In the United States, non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 85% of all lung cancers and is considered the most common type of lung cancer [2]. It is usually resistant to chemotherapy, therefore making it extremely difficult to treat [3]. Furthermore adenocarcinomas, a type of non-small cell lung cancer, occur towards the periphery of the lungs and are the most common type accounting for 40–45% of all lung cancer cases [3]. Epithelial cells in the healthy lungs undergo stresses during inhalation and expiration of normal breathing. In addition to the forces of normal breathing, lung cancer cells may also experience abnormal mechanical forces due to pre-existing lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other tumor associated structural changes. These conditions can significantly alter the structure of the lungs and cell phenotype [4]. The change in the structure of the lungs affects the mechanical environment of the cells. Changes in extracellular (ECM) stiffness, cell stretch, and shear stress influence tumorigenesis and metastasis [5]. One mechanism through which the cells sense and respond to the cellular mechanical environment is through the primary cilia [6–7]. Primary cilia are non-motile, solitary structures formed from the cellular microtubules and protrude out of each cell. They have also been shown to play an important role in facilitating common cancer signaling pathways such as Sonic Hedgehog and Wnt/β-catenin signaling [8–9]. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that lung cancer cells respond to mechanical stimuli with the formation of primary cilia that are necessary for 3 hallmarks of tumor progression: proliferation, epithelial mesenchymal-transition, and migration.© 2012 ASME
Fine structural observations on the process of spermiation in the holocephalan fish Hydrolagus colliei.

The process of spermiation in the ratfish Hydrolagus colliei is described and compared with that in mammals and amphibians. Spermiation in this species involves prior fluid space expansion both within the apical parts of the Sertoli cytoplasm and in the spaces between Sertoli cells and spermatids. The apical ends of Sertoli cells fragment, including the parts immediately around the spermatid acrosomes. Intercellular material between the spermatid tips and the Sertoli cells dissolves. Concurrently an opening from the seminiferous follicle into the efferent ductule is made by means of changes in cell shape and separation of Sertoli cells and efferent ductule cells that adhere to each other up to the time of sperm release.
Exploiting special structure in Karmarkar's linear programming algorithm

We propose methods to take advantage of specially-structured constraints in a variant of Karmarkar's projective algorithm for standard form linear programming problems. We can use these constraints to generate improved bounds on the optimal value of the problem and also to compute the necessary projections more efficiently, while maintaining the theoretical bound on the algorithm's performance. It is shown how various upper-bounding constraints can be handled implicitly in this way. Unfortunately, the situation for network constraints appears less favorable.
Formation fracturing with foam

Over 60 wells have been treated with hydraulic fracturing techniques, with foam as the fracturing fluid. These foams contained as much as 95% gaseous phase; most treatments used foams with gas contents in the 65% to 85% range. Foam has several desirable properties for use as a fracturing fluid: high sand-carrying and sand-suspending capability, low fluid loss, low hydrostatic head, low pressure drops due to friction, quick fluid recovery, low formation damage, and no reduction of fracture conductivity due to fluid ingredients. Most applications of foam as a fracturing fluid have been in low permeability gas reservoirs. However, several oil reservoirs also have been successfully treated. Cost of the treatment is approx. the same or slightly less than a treatment with conventional fluids of comparable volume and rate. (25 refs.)
Characterization of a novel cis-syn and trans-syn-II pyrimidine dimer glycosylase/AP lyase from a eukaryotic algal virus, Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus-1

Endonuclease V from bacteriophage T4, is acis-syn pyrimidine dimer-specific glycosylase. Recently, the first sequence homolog of T4 endonuclease V was identified from chlorella virus Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus-1 (PBCV-1). Here we present the biochemical characterization of the chlorella virus pyrimidine dimer glycosylase, cv-PDG. Interestingly, cv-PDG is specific not only for the cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, but also for the trans-syn-II isomer. This is the first trans-syn-II-specific glycosylase identified to date. Kinetic analysis demonstrates that DNAs containing both types of pyrimidine dimers are cleaved by the enzyme with similar catalytic efficiencies. Cleavage analysis and covalent trapping experiments demonstrate that the enzyme mechanism is consistent with the model proposed for glycosylase/AP lyase enzymes in which the glycosylase action is mediated via an imino intermediate between the C1′ of the sugar and an amino group in the enzyme, followed by a β-elimination reaction resulting in cleavage of the phosphodiester bond. cv-PDG exhibits processive cleavage kinetics which are diminished at salt concentrations greater than those determined for T4 endonuclease V, indicating a possibly stronger electrostatic attraction between enzyme and DNA. The identification of this new enzyme with broader pyrimidine dimer specificity raises the intriguing possibility that there may be other T4 endonuclease V-like enzymes with specificity toward other DNA photoproducts.
Strong coupling and degeneracy effects in inertial confinement fusion implosions.

Accurate knowledge about the equation of state (EOS) of deuterium is critical to inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Low-adiabat ICF implosions routinely access strongly coupled and degenerate plasma conditions. Using the path integral Monte Carlo method, we have derived a first-principles EOS (FPEOS) table of deuterium. It is the first ab initio EOS table which completely covers typical ICF implosion trajectory in the density and temperature ranges of $\ensuremath{\rho}=0.002--1596\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{g}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ and $T=1.35\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}--5.5\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$. Discrepancies in internal energy and pressure have been found in strongly coupled and degenerate regimes with respect to SESAME EOS. Hydrodynamics simulations of cryogenic ICF implosions using the FPEOS table have indicated significant differences in peak density, areal density ($\ensuremath{\rho}R$), and neutron yield relative to SESAME simulations.
Quadratic Approximations of the Portfolio Selection Problem When the Means and Variances of Returns are Infinite

This paper derives quadratic approximations of the standard one-period portfolio selection model under the assumption that means and variances of returns are infinite. Samuelson [Samuelson, P. A. 1970. The fundamental approximation theorem of portfolio analysis in terms of means, variances, and higher moments. Rev. Econom. Stud.37 October.], among others, has derived mean-variance approximations when moments are finite; hence, this paper weakens conditions sufficient to obtain quadratic approximations.
Construction of bicyclic ring systems via a transannular SmI2-mediated ketone-olefin cyclization strategy.

The development of novel methods and strategies for the formation of polycyclic ring structures is of utmost importance in organic synthesis. The present study describes the investigation of a transannular cyclization strategy for constructing bicyclic ring systems. To test the viability of the approach, the SmI2-mediated ketone−olefin coupling reaction, a method previously developed in this laboratory, was examined. Investigation of the transannular cyclization of cyclooctene, cyclodecene, and cycloundecene derivatives revealed that the process proceeds with high yield and diastereoselectivity, and in the case of larger ring-sized compounds, with excellent regioselectivity. The regioselectivity of the annulation process could be rationalized based on examining the low energy conformations of the keto alkene starting materials. These results demonstrate the efficiency and the potential of the transannular cyclization tactic for the creation of bicyclic ring systems.
Distributed source imaging of alpha activity using a maximum entropy principle

Abstract Objective : We present a method based on the distributed dipole source model to localize sources of spontaneous human brain activity, such as the alpha rhythm. The proposed method relies on the generalized maximum entropy principle and is implemented in frequency-domain. Methods : Several computer simulation studies of synchronous and asynchronous distributed dipole sources were carried out to test the validity of the method. The method was also applied to spontaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings from human subjects to estimate the sources of alpha activity. The locations of these sources were registered with actual magnetic resonance images for anatomical visualization. Results : The simulation studies suggest the validity of the proposed method and its capability to detect distributed and fairly deep synchronous dipole sources. Results of human studies with 6 subjects suggest that the generators of alpha rhythm are mainly concentrated over the posterior regions of the cortex. Conclusion : The proposed distributed source imaging method is a promising technique for localizing rhythmic brain activity.
The project-syllabus method in experiential education

The project-syllabus is an outgrowth of the individual contract system used in experiential education. It is a mass-produced contract containing experiential objectives, field resources to be tapped, a listing of topical inquiries, grading procedures, and a format for preparing reports. The mass-produced form eliminates much of the cost of faculty working individually with students to devise an experiential program. Yet, flexibility to fill individual needs and interests is assured in two ways: (1) more options are provided than are required to be completed, and (2) other areas may be substituted for listed topics. Through these choices students convert a standardized system into a unique experience.
Endotoxin Tolerance Attenuates TNF|[alpha]| Signalling in 10 Day Old Rat Hepatocytes 259

TNFα decreases hepatocyte gluconeogenesis in 10 day old rats. Endotoxin injection does not induce hypoglycemia in 10 day old rats with early endotoxin tolerance. Hypoglycemia during septic shock in the newborn is primarily due to decreased gluconeogenesis. Therefore, we hypothesize that TNFα signalling is attenuated during early endotoxin tolerance. Materials and Methods Eight day old Sprague-Dawley rats received S.enteritidis LPS (10 μg/kg) or saline ip. Hepatocytes(106 cells/ml) were isolated 2 days later and incubated in RPMI1640 media plus [14C]-lactate with TNFα (0, 4.5×103 or 4.5×105 U/ml) for 3 hours. TNFα signalling was assessed by radiolabeled glucose production (μM/106 cells) and by Northern blot analysis for PEPCK mRNA abundance (expressed as% saline+noTNFα).Results (glucose:μM/106 cells, PEPCK mRNA:%) X±SEM, n=3-5 in each group,*p<0.05 vs Saline groups.Table
Geomagnetic Pulsations Workshop

On October 17–18, 1985, a 2-day workshop on hydromagnetic waves in the earth's magnetospheric plasma was held at Columbia University, New York, N.Y. The workshop was sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and by Columbia University. Some 40 scientists attended. They discussed the following topics: generation of hydromagnetic waves in the frequency range of geomagnetic pulsations, Alfven resonances in the earth's magnetosphere, effects of the ionosphere on geomagnetic pulsations,and spacecraft and ground observations of geomagnetic pulsations in high latitudes (considerable attention was devoted to day cusps pulsations).
Neuroglian-positive plasmatocytes of Manduca sexta and the initiation of hemocyte attachment to foreign surfaces.

Observations of hemocyte aggregation on abiotic surfaces suggested that certain plasmatocytes from larvae of Manduca sexta act as foci for hemocyte aggregation. To establish how these particular plasmatocytes form initial attachments to foreign surfaces, they were cultured separately from other selected populations of hemocytes. While all circulating plasmatocytes immunolabel with anti-β-integrin monoclonal antibody (MAb), only these larger plasmatocytes immunolabel with a MAb to the adhesion protein neuroglian. Neuroglian-negative plasmatocytes and granular cells that have been magnetically segregated from the majority of granular cells adhere to each other but fail to adhere to foreign substrata; by contrast, neuroglian-positive plasmatocytes that segregate with most granular cells adhere firmly to a substratum. Hemocytes form stable aggregates around the large, neuroglian-positive plasmatocytes. However, if neuroglian-positive plasmatocytes are separated from most granular cells, attachment of these plasmatocytes to foreign surfaces is suppressed.
Hidden symmetry, exact relations, and a small parameter in surface growth models with diffusion

Abstract An exact relation between the Green's function and the dressed three-point vertex function Γ was found for the Langevin equations describing surface growth with diffusion in 1 + d dimensions. This relation follows from a hidden symmetry of the problem with a gauge function depending on time only and turns out to be exactly the same as that found by Lebedev and L'vov for the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation of surface roughening. By a similar analysis as was done for the KPZ equation we conclude that in the region of strong coupling Γ − Γ ∼ 0.1Γ0, where Γ0 is the bare value of the vertex Γ.
Efficient context sensitivity for dynamic analyses via calling context uptrees and customized memory management

State-of-the-art dynamic bug detectors such as data race and memory leak detectors report program locations that are likely causes of bugs. However, programmers need more than static program locations to understand the behavior of increasingly complex and concurrent software. Dynamic calling context provides additional information, but it is expensive to record calling context frequently, e.g., at every read and write. Context-sensitive dynamic analyses can build and maintain a calling context tree (CCT) to track calling context--but in order to reuse existing nodes, CCT-based approaches require an expensive lookup.This paper introduces a new approach for context sensitivity that avoids this expensive lookup. The approach uses a new data structure called the calling context uptree (CCU) that adds low overhead by avoiding the lookup and instead allocating a new node for each context. A key contribution is that the approach can mitigate the costs of allocating many nodes by extending tracing garbage collection (GC): GC collects unused CCU nodes naturally and efficiently, and we extend GC to merge duplicate nodes lazily.We implement our CCU-based approach in a high-performance Java virtual machine and integrate it with a staleness-based memory leak detector and happens-before data race detector, so they can report context-sensitive program locations that cause bugs. We show that the CCU-based approach, in concert with an extended GC, provides a compelling alternative to CCT-based approaches for adding context sensitivity to dynamic analyses.
Expression of the SV40-transformed phenotype in hybrids between conditional and wild-type transformants.

Abstract The nature of two different SV40-transformed cell lines which are temperature sensitive (ts) for the expression of the transformed phenotype has been analysed by somatic cell hybridization. Ts 23A cells are temperature sensitive in their ability to grow in medium containing low serum; in hybrids between these cells and a standard SV40-transformed BALB/c 3T3 cell line, the mutation seems to be dominant, at least for some parameters. One hundred percent of the hybrid clones have a very low efficiency of plating in medium containing 1% serum, but only 50% of them show growth inhibition in mass culture under the same conditions. Ts H615 cells revert to a normal phenotype at 39 °C for most parameters of transformation. The mutation appears to be recessive, as the hybrids generally behave like transformed cells at 39 °C. However, the expression of this mutation is not completely suppressed, since DNA synthesis after confluence shows some degree of inhibition in the hybrids at 39 °C. A considerable variation in the behavior of individual hybrid clones and in the degree of inhibition of some parameters has been observed and is discussed in terms of possible mechanism(s) of transformation.
Spin polarization effects in the 3He(d, 3He p)n and the 3He(d, t p)p reactions at Ed = 17 MeV

Abstract Triple-differential cross sections and vector analyzing powers were measured for the 3 He(d, 3 He p)n and the 3 He(d, t p)p reactions at E d = 17 MeV. Data are presented for four pairs of coplanar detection angles for the 3 He/triton and proton where quasi-free scattering (QFS) or quasi-free reaction (QFR) processes are expected to be dominant, and for five sets of angles where the kinematics favor the nucleon-nucleon final-state interaction (NN FSI). Tensor-analyzing-power measurements, T 20 and T 22 , are also presented for two sets of angles. For the angle pairs where the QFS/QFR mechanism is important, the data are compared with the predictions of PWIA and DWIA calculations. While both calculations are only partly successful in describing the shapes of the quasi-free peaks, the DWIA better predicts their magnitudes. The vector analyzing powers (VAP) in the quasi-free region are at best only qualitatively reproduced by both calculations for the QFS, while for the QFR there is quantitative agreement between both calculations and the data only in the energy region near the center of the QFR maximum. Data obtained for the angle pairs where the NN FSI is present are compared to the predictions of a simple two-step model. The reaction is assumed to proceed by pickup of a nucleon from the 3 He by the deuteron, followed by breakup of the recoil dinucleon system. These calculations describe the shapes and magnitudes of the NN FSI peaks reasonably well. The VAP predictions are for the most part also consistent with the two-step assumption. In all of the data, strong contributions are present from nucleon-trion FSI corresponding to the 0 − and 2 − resonances in 4 He at E x = 21.1 and 22.1 MeV, respectively.
Postcolonial Sun Dancing at Wakpamni Lake

Postcolonial theory assists in making apparent the essentialism of self and other that characterizes Eurocentric colonial discourse. A North American postcolonial hermeneutic is proposed that focuses on the oral voice of tradition embodied in the lived experience of an indigenous community. Postcolonial interpretation entails an interpreter entering into ritual relationship with a traditional community so that the hegemonic pattern of dominant-culture discourse is circumvented. The traditional practices of the Wakpamni Lake community on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota provide the local context for understanding Sun Dancing as a postcolonial undertaking. The postcolonial character of Sun Dancing at Wakpamni Lake is identified through four interrelated features described as four ways of respect. This Sun Dancing expresses a religious praxis, described as a politics of kinship, that contradicts the colonizing power relations rooted in European American cultural heritage. This politics of kinship offers the dominant culture a way to intercultural relationship that disarms the entrenched essentialism of self and other.
State, capital, and the transformation of dependence: The Brazilian computer case

Abstract Brazil's policy of reserving the lower end of the computer market for indigenous firms has been controversial since its introduction 10 years ago. This paper examines the implications of the Brazilian computer case for the “dependency approach” and for current thinking on the role of the state in development. The case is considered to demonstrate that dependence is a dynamic condition whose character is continually being transformed and that the state, while it may play a crucial role in the initiation of new industries, is limited in its ability to act autonomously once an industry is established.
Ultrasonic attenuation and velocity in AS/3501-6 graphite fiber composite

The ultrasonic group velocity and attenuation were measured as a function of frequency for longitudinal and shear waves in the epoxy matrix (3501-6) and in the principal directions of the unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite (AS/3501-6). Tests were conducted in the frequency ranges 0.25 Mz to 14 MHz and 0.5 Mz to 3 MHz for longitudinal and shear wave modes, respectively. The attenuation increased with frequency for all wave modes, but the group velocity was independent of frequency for all wave modes. The effects of pressure and couplant at the transducer-specimen interface were studied and it was found that for each transducer type there exists a frequency dependent 'saturation pressure' corresponding to the maximum output signal amplitude.
Maximum likelihood estimation of logistic regression parameters under two-phase, outcome-dependent sampling

SUMMARY Outcome-dependent sampling increases the efficiency of studies of rare outcomes, examples being case-control studies in epidemiology and choice-based sampling in econometrics. Two-phase or double sampling is a standard technique for drawing efficient stratified samples. We develop maximum likelihood estimation of logistic regression coefficients for a hybrid two-phase, outcome-dependent sampling design. An algorithm is given for determining the estimates by repeated fitting of ordinary logistic regression models. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency loss associated with alternative pseudolikelihood and weighted likelihood methods for certain data configurations. These results provide an efficient solution to the measurement error problem with validation sampling based on a discrete surrogate.