cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partial Reactions of the ATP Synthesis Reaction in the E. Coli βD380C Mutant F1Fo-ATP Synthase

The initial stage of ATP synthesis by the E. coli wild type (WT) and mutant βD380C F1Fo-ATPase was compared at saturating substrate concentrations and a proton-motive force (pmf) of ∼315 mV. The enzymes catalyze both ATP hydrolysis (Baylis Scanlon et al., 2008, J. Biol. Chem. 283, 26228-26240) and ATP synthesis with similar steady-state parameters. ATP synthesis by the WT enzyme proceeded with neither burst nor lag-phase while ATP synthesis by βD380C (+DTT) showed a burst phase with a stoichiometry of ATP/F1Fo equal to 1. The burst was simulated using a kinetic model in which the βD380C mutant has a less than 10-fold increase in Pi binding rate in combination with a less than 10-fold decrease in ATP release rate compared to WT. Resolution of the burst allows us to distinguish the partial reactions of the ATP synthesis pathway.Comparison of the ATP release rates in ATP hydrolysis (Baylis Scanlon et al., 2007, Biochemistry 46, 8785-8797) and ATP synthesis suggest differences in the cooperative behavior in the two directions of the reaction. In ATP hydrolysis, positive cooperativity in catalysis is induced by nucleotide (ATP) only, while in ATP synthesis it is induced by both nucleotide (ADP) and the pmf. Fast steady-state ATP hydrolysis proceeds through a trisite mechanism, while ATP synthesis uses a bisite mechanism.We further analyzed the effects of the mutation by forming a stator-rotor disulfide cross-link, βD380C-γC87 induced by DTNB. The cross-linked enzyme catalyzed absolutely no ATP synthesis in the millisecond time domain after inducing a pmf. This result suggests that γ subunit mobility is required for the ATP synthetic reaction to occur and is consistent with the model that high affinity Pi binding cannot be achieved without ΔμH+-dependent γ-subunit rotation.
Particle physics: did the Big Bang boil?

Standard theories tell us that, at some point in the Universe's evolution, free quarks and gluons must have become bound together into the hadronic matter we see today. But was this transition abrupt or smooth? The standard model of particle physics predicts two phase transitions that are relevant for the evolution of the early Universe. One, the quantum chromodynamics transition, involves the strong force that binds quarks into protons and neutrons. Despite much theoretical effort, the nature of this transition remains ambiguous. Now Aoki et al. report computationally demanding calculations that suggest that there was no true phase transition. Instead, an analytic crossover took place, involving a rapid, continuous change with temperature as opposed to a jump. This means that it will be difficult to find experimental evidence of a transition from astronomical observations.
Using a small hybrid pulse power transformer unit as component of a high-current opening switch for a railgun

The hybrid pulse power transformer (HPPT) is a unique concept utilizing the ultrafast superconducting-to-normal transition process of a superconductor. When used in the form of a hybrid transformer current-zero switch (HTCS), this creates an approach in which the large, high-power, high-current opening switch in a conventional railgun system can be eliminated. This represents an innovative application of superconductivity to pulsed power conditioning required for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The authors explain the working principles of a 100-kJ unit capable of switching up to 500 kA at a frequency of 0.5 Hz and with a system efficiency of greater than 90%. Circuit analysis using a computer code called SPICE PLUS was used to verify the HTCS concept. This concept can be scaled up to applications in the several mega-ampere levels. >
Spectrograph design using volume holographic optical elements

Design considerations of a spectrograph, employing volume holographic optical elements (HOEs) as the dispersing element and as a spectral filter for rejection of Rayleigh scatter, are discussed. This spectrograph configuration, referred to as axial transmissive, is compared to the Czerny-Turner, another commonly used configuration. In particular, theoretical and experimental comparisons of throughput and signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) are given. Measurements relating to the point-spread function of both spectrographs are presented.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Artificial intelligence and expert systems. Implications for health care delivery.

(1988). Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems: Implications for Health Care Delivery. Hospital Topics: Vol. 66, No. 5, pp. 16-19.
Dental erosion and aspirin headache powders: A clinical report

The causes of tooth erosion are varied, but all are associated with a chemical attack on the teeth and resulting loss of tooth structure. Etiologic factors related to erosion cited in the literature include bulimia, eating acidic foods, soft drink consumption, acid reflux, and swimming, among others. This clinical report suggests that chronic use of headache powders can also be a factor leading to tooth erosion.
Determination of total, commonality, and uniqueness of interpreted structural elements from remotely sensed data in Alaska

Statistical analysis is conducted to determine the unique value of real- and synthetic-aperture side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) to detect interpreted structural elements. SLAR images were compared to standard and digitally enhanced Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) images and to aerial photographs. After interpretation of the imagery, data were cumulated by total length in miles and by frequency of counts. Maximum uniqueness is obtained first from real-aperture SLAR, 58.3% of total, and, second, from digitally enhanced Landsat MSS images, 54.1% of total.
Influence of Enzymes on Germination of Sporocysts Of the Gregarine Pyxinia crystalligera Frenzel

SYNOPSIS. Sporocysts of P. crystalligera readily germinate to permit escape of their sporozoites when placed in an infusion of the contents and the tissue of the midgut of the beetle host, Dermestes vulpinus. To determine the type of digestive enzyme required for germination to take place, sporocysts were exposed in hanging drops to 0.25% (w/v) concentrations of commercial preparations of trypsin and lipase in a saline solution. Sodium taurocholate was used in combination with certain of the enzyme preparations. Up to 99% of the sporocysts exposed to trypsin 1:300 and to a relatively crude preparation of lipase (containing some trypsin) germinated within three hours. A refined preparation of trypsin (2 × crystallized, salt-free) induced up to 65% of the sporocysts to germinate within three hours. Refined lipase (50μl CO2/mg/30 min.) had no germinating effect upon sporocysts, either by itself or in combination with sodium taurocholate. In mixtures, crystallized trypsin seemed definitely to be inhibited by sodium taurocholate, and perhaps was inhibited also by refined lipase. The fact that trypsin is effective in causing germination to take place suggests that the germination of sporocysts in the digestive tract of D. vulpinus depends upon a proteolytic enzyme. Unlike trypsin, which was more active in solutions adjusted to an initial pH of 7.0 and 8.0 (especially the latter, in the case of crystallized trypsin) than in those of pH 6.0, this enzyme was more effective in inducing germination at pH values of 6.0 and 7.0.
In-hospital Death following Inpatient Surgical Procedures in the United States, 1996–2006

Background Over the past decade, improvements in perioperative care have been widely introduced throughout the United States, yet there is no clear indication that the death rate following surgery has improved. We sought to evaluate the number of deaths after surgery in the United States over a 10-year period and to evaluate trends in postoperative mortality.
Planar measurements of the full three-dimensional scalar dissipation rate in gas-phase turbulent flows

A simultaneous planar Rayleigh scattering and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique is described which allows planar measurement of the full three-dimensional scalar gradient, ∇C (x, t), and scalar energy dissipation rate, χ≡D ∇C·∇C, in gas-phase turbulent flows. The conserved scalar used is the jet fluid concentration, where the jet consists of propane and seeded acetone. The propane serves as the primary Rayleigh scattering medium, while the acetone is used for fluorescence. For a given amount of available laser energy, this planar Rayleigh scattering/PLIF technique yields much higher signals levels than would, for example, a two-plane Rayleigh scattering technique. By applying the current technique to a single spatial plane, the errors incurred in measuring a spatial derivative across distinct planes are quantified. The errors are found to be well described by a random distribution, and the magnitude of these errors is found to be smaller than the magnitude of significant events in the true scalar gradient fields. Sample results for the fields of the three-dimensional scalar gradient and scalar energy dissipation in a planar turbulent jet, with outer scale Reynolds numbers between 3200 and 8400, are shown, demonstrating the applicability of these measurements to analyses of the fine scale mixing in turbulent flows. The application of these measurements to determination of the scaling properties of the dissipation rate is also discussed.
Beneficial participation of the polymer: Improvement in polymer-supported oligosaccharide synthesis

Abstract The reagent combination scandium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate and acetic anhydride efficiently cleaves oligosaccharides bound to the polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer-support via the dioxyxylene (DOX) linker. Unexpectedly, the site cleavage is between the DOX linker and the PEG polymer. This method of cleavage allows for the use of DOX as a linker for synthesis on polystyrene-polyethylene glycol, PS- PEG beads.
Influence of crystallographic compatibility on residual strain of TiNi based shape memory alloys during thermo-mechanical cycling

The primary focus of this study was to determine the influence of the inherent microstructure, specifically the crystallographic compatibility between martensite and austenite during the transformation process, on residual strain and strain evolution during isobaric thermal cycling. A series of predominantly single-phase Ti-rich TiNi based shape memory alloys (SMAs), including binary Ti50.1Ni49.9, two ternary TiNiPd25 compositions with slightly different Ni contents, Ti50.5Ni28.5Pt21, and a quaternary Ti50Ni24.5Pd25Sc0.5 alloy, were thermally cycled nominally 100 times at different stress levels. In all cases, the amount of residual strain per cycle was found to decrease asymptotically with increasing number of cycles to some finite value that was related to the compatibility of the transforming phases as determined by the middle eigenvalue of the transformation stretch tensor. In addition, the amount of residual strain generated during the early thermal cycles was also dependent on the resistance of the SMAs against defect propagation, which can be controlled by initial dislocation density and grain size among other factors. In light of these findings, it was concluded that a dimensionally stable SMA actuator for multiple cycle operation should have compatible transforming phases to reduce the generation of defects and a high resistance against defect propagation.
Comparative effects of 3-hydroxy-2-phenylcinchoninic acid (HPC) and aspirin on the acute course of rheumatic fever and the occurrence of rheumatic valvular disease.

Abstract The comparative effects of treatment with 3-hydroxy-2-phenylcinchoninic acid (HPC) and aspirin were observed in a study of sixty-eight patients with acute rheumatic fever. One-half, or thirty-four, of the patients received HPC; the remaining one-half were treated with aspirin. Aspirin exerted a more favorable effect upon arthritis, fever, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate than did HPC. There was no difference between the two treated groups in the course of acute carditis or in the incidence of significant murmurs fourteen to seventeen months after treatment was started. The duration of the acute illness appeared to be equal in the two groups. In the dosages employed in this study, aspirin appears to be preferable to HPC in the treatment of acute rheumatic fever.
The response of US college enrollment to unexpected changes in macroeconomic activity

This paper estimates the extent and magnitude of US college and university enrollment responses to unanticipated changes in macroeconomic activity. In particular, we consider the relationship between enrollment, economic growth, and inflation. A time series analysis known as a vector autoregression is estimated and impulse response functions are calculated to measure the enrollment response to these economic shocks. The results suggest that enrollment patterns differ by gender and are consistent with economic theory.
Spin labeled lipid probes in serum lipoproteins

Abstract Observations are made relating to the local environment and motional behavior of spin labeled lipids incorporated into human serum lipoproteins. Use has been made of ascorbic acid as a spin subtracting agent to determine the accessibility of the labeled site to the aqueous region.
Effects of lighting programs on onset of the ovulatory season in mares

Abstract Using 240 pony mares, lighting regimens were tested for their efficiency in hastening the onset of the ovulatory season. The mean number of days from January 1 to first ovulation was used as the end point. No advantage was gained by beginning a fixed lighting regimen ( 15.5L 8.5D , hours light/hours dark) November 1 (66 ±8) versus December 1 (65 ±9), but beginning on January 1 was less efficient (98 ±8; controls, 132 ±5; P 15L 9D (54 ±5; controls, 142 ±6). A 15L 9D regimen every other day (natural day length on alternate days) resulted in an interval (85 ±7) that was shorter (P 15L 9D regimen. When used with natural day length, a one-hour pulse of light in the evening (15 hours after sunrise) was not effective (141 ±6); a one-hour pulse in the morning 9.5 hours after sunset) was only partially effective (117 ±6). In another experiment, the interval was reduced (P 15L 9D , 75 ±7; controls, 126 ±9). Results indicated that a fixed one-hour pulse of light at 4 a.m., used with natural day length, may provide an acceptable level of stimulation.
Relating the cosmological constant and supersymmetry breaking in warped compactifications of IIB string theory

It has been suggested that the observed value of the cosmological constant is related to the supersymmetry breaking scale ${M}_{\mathrm{susy}}$ through the formula $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\sim}{M}_{p}^{4}{(M}_{\mathrm{susy}}{/M}_{p}{)}^{8}.$ We point out that a similar relation naturally arises in the codimension two solutions of warped spacetime varying compactifications of string theory, in which nonisotropic stringy moduli induce a small but positive cosmological constant.
Convective washout reduces the antidiarrheal efficacy of enterocyte surface-targeted antisecretory drugs.

Secretory diarrheas such as cholera are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. We previously introduced the concept of antisecretory therapy for diarrhea using chloride channel inhibitors targeting the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator channel pore on the extracellular surface of enterocytes. However, a concern with this strategy is that rapid fluid secretion could cause convective drug washout that would limit the efficacy of extracellularly targeted inhibitors. Here, we developed a convection–diffusion model of washout in an anatomically accurate three-dimensional model of human intestine comprising cylindrical crypts and villi secreting fluid into a central lumen. Input parameters included initial lumen flow and inhibitor concentration, inhibitor dissociation constant (Kd), crypt/villus secretion, and inhibitor diffusion. We modeled both membrane-impermeant and permeable inhibitors. The model predicted greatly reduced inhibitor efficacy for high crypt fluid secretion as occurs in cholera. We conclude that the antisecretory efficacy of an orally administered membrane-impermeant, surface-targeted inhibitor requires both (a) high inhibitor affinity (low nanomolar Kd) to obtain sufficiently high luminal inhibitor concentration (>100-fold Kd), and (b) sustained high luminal inhibitor concentration or slow inhibitor dissociation compared with oral administration frequency. Efficacy of a surface-targeted permeable inhibitor delivered from the blood requires high inhibitor permeability and blood concentration (relative to Kd).
Plasma Membrane Polarity and Compartmentalization Are Established before Cellularization in the Fly Embryo

Patterning in the Drosophila embryo requires local activation and dynamics of proteins in the plasma membrane (PM). We used in vivo fluorescence imaging to characterize the organization and diffusional properties of the PM in the early embryonic syncytium. Before cellularization, the PM is polarized into discrete domains having epithelial-like characteristics. One domain resides above individual nuclei and has apical-like characteristics, while the other domain is lateral to nuclei and contains markers associated with basolateral membranes and junctions. Pulse-chase photoconversion experiments show that molecules can diffuse within each domain but do not exchange between PM regions above adjacent nuclei. Drug-induced F-actin depolymerization disrupted both the apicobasal-like polarity and the diffusion barriers within the syncytial PM. These events correlated with perturbations in the spatial pattern of dorsoventral Toll signaling. We propose that epithelial-like properties and an intact F-actin network compartmentalize the PM and shape morphogen gradients in the syncytial embryo.
Low-cost, low-risk approach to tactical reconnaissance

As the cost of acquiring new reconnaissance assets continues to escalate, some are beginning to examine what is really required to fulfill the needs of the tactical community. Combining new technology such as the GPS navigation system with mature technologies like RS-170 video formats in unmanned air vehicles is a path to providing first phase intelligence within a limited budget and preserving highly trained air-crews.
Role of chromatin states in transcriptional memory

Establishment of cellular memory and its faithful propagation is critical for successful development of multicellular organisms. As pluripotent cells differentiate, choices in cell fate are inherited and maintained by their progeny throughout the lifetime of the organism. A major factor in this process is the epigenetic inheritance of specific transcriptional states or transcriptional memory. In this review, we discuss chromatin transitions and mechanisms by which they are inherited by subsequent generations. We also discuss illuminating cases of cellular memory in budding yeast and evaluate whether transcriptional memory in yeast is nuclear or cytoplasmically inherited.
Real-Time Traffic Management in Sensor Networks

In this work we propose a traffic management mechanism to support real-time flows in highly unpredictable sensor network environments. The mechanism is based on a joint traffic regulation and end-to-end scheduling approach; a traffic regulation component adjusts the incoming packet rate to implicitly control the channel load and intelligently rejects packets that are more likely to miss their deadline while a laxity-based scheduling component projects the packets? per-hop delay and compensates for network endto- end delays. Thus, high success ratios without severely degrading the fidelity are achieved. Our mechanism attempts to maintain accuracy in a resource-efficient manner even under extremely unstable network conditions where delays are difficult to model and compute. Furthermore, the adoption of a component-based approach allows for substantial independence from both the MAC and routing layers. We thoroughly evaluate our mechanism and demonstrate its accuracy and performance merits.
Managing resource relationships with vocabularies: a case study

The Kinematic Models for Design Digital Library (KMODDL) exemplifies digital collections in which groups of objects are versions of the same resource and which resources are related to one another taxonomically. Other objects in the collection are supplementary materials that explicitly cite the primary KMODDL resources. To manage the complex relationships among KMODDL objects while maintaining the Dublin Core one-to-one principle, metadata developers established controlled vocabulary encoding schemes that linked related objects. The solution implemented enables users to find in a single search all versions of a resource and all supplementary materials that cite the resource.
THE WORK ORIENTATIONS OF JAIL PERSONNEL: A COMPARISON OF DEPUTY SHERIFFS AND CAREER LINE OFFICERS

Based upon interview data from 60 officers in four county jails, this paper examines the differences in the institutional work orientations and experiences of deputy sheriffs and career line correctional officers. We found that both deputy sheriffs and corrections officers felt they received little support from administrators and were treated as second-class employees. Corrections officers were more likely to emphasize the professionalism of corrections work, to reduce social distance with inmates, and to stress the importance of human relations skills in effective work performance. In contrast, deputies were more likely to emphasize the futility of corrections work, to view inmates with suspicion and distrust, and stress coercive control and order maintenance duties.
A method of determining spatial differences in cell surface permeability.

Abstract An apparatus is described which was used to bathe one portion of the surface of an egg of Nassarius (Ilyanassa) in an isotonic lithium chloride solution while the remaining portion was maintained in lithium-free sea water.
Biosynthesis of lysosomal enzymes in cells of the End3 complementation group conditionally defective in endosomal acidification.

Various aspects of lysosome biogenesis have been studied in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells of the End3 complementation group (designated G.7.1 cells), which display a temperature-sensitive defect in the acidification of endosomes, but not lysosomes. In G.7.1 and normal wild-type cells grown at the permissive temperature (34°C), the lysosomal enzymes α-glucosidase and cathepsin D were synthesized as high-molecular-weight precursors that subsequently underwent intracellular proteolytic processing to yield lower molecular weight mature forms. The mature forms of the enzymes were retained in cells, and small amounts of each precursor were secreted. However, in G.7.1 cells grown at the restrictive temperature (41°C), there was a massive and inappropriate oversecretion of lysosomal enzyme precursors, which resulted in very little of the mature forms being processed and retained by the cells. This mistargeting of lysosomal enzymes was not due to an absence of phosphorylated oligosaccharides on the enzymes, nor to a defect in mannose 6-phosphate (Man6P) receptors. However, it was found that whereas G.7.1 cells had the same number of cell surface Man6P receptors at 34°C and 41°C, the rate of accumulation and degradation of Man6P-containing ligands was about two to three times more rapid in cells maintained at the permissive temperature. There did not appear to be any gross changes in Golgi function as the oligosaccharides of α-glucosidase and the Man6P receptor were processed in a similar fashion at both 34°C and 41°C. In addition to these studies, electron microscopic observations revealed that at 41°C, G.7.1 cells accumulated inclusion-type bodies reminiscent of those found in I-cell disease fibroblasts. Thus, the biochemical and electron microscopic results on G.7.1 cells provide further evidence that acidified endosomes are important for the biogenesis of lysosomes.
In vivo imaging of small animals with optical tomography and near infrared fluorescent probes

A developmental optical tomography has been designed for imaging small animals in vivo using near IR fluorophores. The system employs epi-illumination via a 450 W Xe arc lamp, filtered and collimated to illuminate a 10 cm square movable stage. Emission light is filtered then collected by a high- resolution, high quantum efficiency, cooled CCD camera. Stage movement and image acquisition are under the control of a personal computer running system integration and automation software. During an experiment, the anesthetized animal is secured to the stage and up to 200 projections can be acquired over 180 degrees rotation. Angular sampling of the light distribution at a point on the surface is used to determine relative contributions form ballistic and diffuse photons. We have employed the system to investigate a number of applications of in-vivo fluorescent imaging. In dynamic studies, hepatic function has been visualized in nude mice following intravenous injection of indocyanine green (ICG) and cerebrospinal fluid flow as been measured by injection of ICG-lipoprotein conjugate in the subarachnoid space of the lumbar spine followed by dynamic imaging of the brain. Further applications in physiological imaging, cancer detection, and molecular imaging are under investigation in our laboratory.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Predict Dem Bones

IN A COLLEGE LEVEL DATA STRUCTURES or Algorithms course, students are often asked to write computer-based solutions to a variety of problems. When discussing trees and tree traversals, the topic of backtracking as a programming technique often arises. Certain classics, such as the 8-queens problems, graph-map coloring problem, or knapsack-bin packing problem are often used to elucidate the topic. The author presents a detailed analysis and computer-based solution of a puzzle addressing the arrangement of dominioes on a grid. Like its more famous brethren, the solution makes use of backtracking to generate all possible answer to the problem. Details of how to approach the analysis of a problem requiring backtracking as well as methods and techniques that can be used to map the abstract problem solution into an actual C program code are presented.
Lipophosphoglycan Antigen Shedding By Leishmania Donovani

. The biochemical characterizations of lipophosphoglycans from various Leishmania species reported by other workers may or may not contain several types of lipophosphoglycan molecules. This is the first report in which a specific lipophosphoglycan has been defined by both its antigenie and electrophoretic properties. Furthermore, a purification procedure for this specific lipophosphoglycan is described and some biochemical characterizations are presented. Phospholipase C and the so-called phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C of Bacillus cereus convert the amphipathic form of the lipophosphoglycan antigen to the hydrophilic form. Under equivalent incubation conditions, other phospholipases tested were not effective in conversion of the amphipathic to the hydrophilic form. Since the amphipathic form is present in conditioned media, antigen shedding cannot be explained by phospholipase C digestion of the amphipathic form, which would result in the release of only the hydrophilic form into the medium. Both the pellet and the supernatant fractions of conditioned media contained both forms of the antigen and did not differ in the relative amounts of the two. This observation rules out membrane blebbing as the major mechanism for the release of the amphipathic form.
Support for physical activity policies and perceptions of work and neighborhood environments: variance by BMI and activity status at the county and individual levels.

Abstract Purpose. To examine support for local policies encouraging physical activity and perceived neighborhood environment characteristics by physical activity and weight status of respondents across U.S. counties. Design. We used a random-digit-dial, computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) to conduct a cross-sectional telephone questionnaire in selected U.S. counties in 2011. Setting. Counties with high prevalences of obesity and sedentary behavior (HH; n = 884) and counties with low prevalences of obesity and sedentary behavior (LL; n = 171) were selected nationally. Subjects. Adult respondents from HH (n = 642) and LL (n = 566) counties. Measures. Questions were asked of respondents, pertaining to support for physical activity policies in various settings, neighborhood features, time spent in physical activity and sedentary behaviors, self-reported weight and height, and personal demographic information. Analysis. Means and frequencies were calculated; bivariable and multivariable linear and log...
Diagnosis of Parkinsonian disorders using a channelized Hotelling observer model: Proof of principle

Imaging dopamine transporters using PET and SPECT probes is a powerful technique for the early diagnosis of Parkinsonian disorders. In order to perform automated accurate diagnosis of these diseases, a channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) based model was developed and evaluated using the SPECT tracer [Tc-99m]TRODAT-1. Computer simulations were performed using a digitized striatal phantom to characterize early stages of the disease (20 lesion-present cases with varying lesion size and contrast). Projection data, modeling the effects of attenuation and geometric response function, were obtained for each case. Statistical noise levels corresponding to those observed clinically were added to the projection data to obtain 100 noise realizations for each case. All the projection data were reconstructed, and a subset of the transaxial slices containing the striatum was summed and used for further analysis. CHO models, using the Laguerre-Gaussian functions as channels, were designed for two cases: (1) By training the model using individual lesion-present samples and (2) by training the model using pooled lesion-present samples. A decision threshold obtained for each CHO model was used to classify the study population (n = 40). It was observed that individual lesion trained CHO models gave high diagnostic accuracy for lesions that were larger than those used to train the model and vice-versa. On the other hand, the pooled CHO model was found to give a high diagnostic accuracy for all the lesion cases (average diagnostic accuracy = 0.95 +/- 0.07; p < 0.0001 Fisher's exact test). Based on our results, we conclude that a CHO model has the potential to provide early and accurate diagnosis of Parkinsonian disorders, thereby improving patient management.
Idempotence for sign pattern matrices

Abstract We first characterize the n -by- n irreducible sign-pattern matrices A that are sign idempotent, that is A = A 2 . To identify the n -by- n reducible sign idempotent patterns, we develop the upper diagonal completion process to find the sign pattern of each off-diagonal block in an upper block triangular sign-pattern matrix A , so that A = A 2 . Next we analyze the completion process qualitatively, and then discuss a graph-theoretic interpretation of it. We then formulate the first characterization of sign idempotent patterns in terms of the upper diagonal completion process. Finally we establish a graph-theoretic characterization of sign idempotent patterns.
Sea‐ice interaction and the stability of the thermohaline circulation

Abstract The role of sea‐ice in affecting the stability and long‐term variability of the oceanic thermohaline circulation (THC) is studied in this paper. The emphasis is placed on studying how sea‐ice might affect the stability and the long‐term variability of the THC through modulations of the surface heat and freshwater fluxes. A simple box model is analyzed to elucidate qualitatively the distinct physical meanings of these two processes. The analytical solution of this simple model indicates that, for the long timescales considered here, the thermal insulation stabilizes the THC while the freshwater feedback increases the effective inertia of the coupled ice‐ocean system. Sea‐ice insulation lessens the negative feedback between heat flux and the SST, and therefore, allows the SST to play a greater role in counteracting changes of the THC and high latitude salinity field. The freshwater feedback effectively links the surface heat flux to a freshwater reservoir, and thus, increases the effective inertia ...
A Comparison of Topographic Characterization Parameters in Grinding

Abstract Parameters for characterizing topographies and a method of selecting these parameters are investigated. Conventional and scale-sensitive fractal parameters are tested for cross-correlations, ability to differentiate process variables and ability to relate grinding wheel topography with ground surface topography. Surfaces were ground using different wheels, dress leads and removal rates. Profiles were acquired by contact stylus profiling parallel and perpendicular to the grinding direction on the grinding wheels and the ground surfaces. The conventional height parameters tend to be more cross-correlated than the spacing and fractal parameters. No parameters in this study could differentiate the process variables or could relate wheel and workpiece topographies in all situations. The waviness height (Wt) was the best for differentiating process variables, and a scale-sensitive fractal-based parameter, the smooth-rough crossover (SRC), was best at relating workpiece and wheel topographies.
Review EssayThe growth of international human resource management

Two major events in the field of international human resource management (IHRM) took place in 1990. The first was the founding of the International Journal of Human Resource Management (IJHRM) by M...
Solubility determination of TNT and wax and their fractionation from an explosive material using a supercritical fluid

The solubilities of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and wax have been measured in supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) at three pressures and temperatures under static conditions. The concentrations of each component were determined off-line via ultraviolet (TNT) and evaporative light scattering (wax) detection. The solubility of TNT was an order of magnitude higher than that of wax. Gas chromatographic assay of the wax extract revealed that only the lower molecular weight components dissolved. Fractionation of the TNT and wax from an explosive material referred to as Composition B was attempted by making incremental increases in CO2 density. Composition B contains 59.5% cyclotrimethylene triamine (RDX), 39.5% TNT, and 1% wax. While TNT and wax could be easily isolated from nitramine RDX, attempts to separate TNT from wax were not totally successful. More specifically, the initial fractions contained the lower molecular weight wax components in addition to major amounts of TNT. Since the percentage of TNT was a...
Urinary L-FABP predicts poor outcomes in critically ill patients with early acute kidney injury

Biomarker studies for early detection of acute kidney injury (AKI) have been limited by nonselective testing and uncertainties in using small changes in serum creatinine as a reference standard. Here we examine the ability of urine L-type fatty acid–binding protein (L-FABP), neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) to predict injury progression, dialysis, or death within 7 days in critically ill adults with early AKI. Of 152 patients with known baseline creatinine examined, 36 experienced the composite outcome. Urine L-FABP demonstrated an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.79 (95% confidence interval 0.70–0.86), which improved to 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.75–0.90) when added to the clinical model (AUC-ROC of 0.74). Urine NGAL, IL-18, and KIM-1 had AUC-ROCs of 0.65, 0.64, and 0.62, respectively, but did not significantly improve discrimination of the clinical model. The category-free net reclassification index improved with urine L-FABP (total net reclassification index for nonevents 31.0%) and urine NGAL (total net reclassification index for events 33.3%). However, only urine L-FABP significantly improved the integrated discrimination index. Thus, modest early changes in serum creatinine can help target biomarker measurement for determining prognosis with urine L-FABP, providing independent and additive prognostic information when combined with clinical predictors.
Advanced headway control via adaptive seeking sliding mode for autonomous off-road vehicles

The automated vehicle controller is one of the key technologies enabling the autonomous vehicle system. In off-road operation, the automated vehicle controller faces more challenges from disturbances and non-linearities. To achieve control robustness and adaptability to the off-road operation condition, an Adaptive Seeking Sliding Mode (ASSM) control algorithm is proposed in this paper. A hybrid headway control scheme is developed by taking advantage of the ASSM control methodology. The overall system designed achieves better performances in smooth operation, disturbance rejection and fuel efficiency. Proofs of the stability and performance are presented in this paper with illustrative simulation results.
Marketing rural communities: a qualitative study on the power of community images

What do prospective new residents see when they look at local images on a community website? Are the pictures conveying the meaning that the community wanted? These questions were central to a stud...
Limb Movement: Getting a Handle on Grasp

The mechanical complexity of the hand is indisputable, but there is increasing evidence that its control is simplified in many tasks around synergic groups of muscles that effectively decrease the number of controlled degrees of freedom.
Food Products Made with Glycomacropeptide, a Low-Phenylalanine Whey Protein, Provide a New Alternative to Amino Acid–Based Medical Foods for Nutrition Management of Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria (PKU), an inborn error in phenylalanine metabolism, requires lifelong nutrition management with a low-phenylalanine diet, which includes a phenylalanine-free amino acid-based medical formula to provide the majority of an individual's protein needs. Compliance with this diet is often difficult for older children, adolescents, and adults with PKU. The whey protein glycomacropeptide (GMP) is ideally suited for the PKU diet because it is naturally low in phenylalanine. Nutritionally complete, acceptable medical foods and beverages can be made with GMP to increase the variety of protein sources for the PKU diet. As an intact protein, GMP improves protein use and increases satiety compared with amino acids. Thus, GMP provides a new, more physiologic source of low-phenylalanine dietary protein for people with PKU.
How can we as dentists minimize our contribution to the problem of antibiotic resistance

More than 30 million pounds of antibiotics are used in the United States per year, more than 90% for nontherapeutic purposes in animals. Environmental contamination by trace amounts of antibiotics and highly resistant bacteria can lead to resistant infections in humans. Oral and maxillofacial infections are largely mediated by biofilms, which are resistant to antibiotics. Primary treatment is surgical debridement, removal of the cause of the infection, and drainage of pus. Current best practices indicate the use of antibiotics as adjunctive therapy to surgery only when regional, distant, or systemic spread of the infection is a significant risk.
Physiological Variation in Tissue Culture Regenerated Apomictic Paspalum dilatatum

Summary Tissue culture techniques provide unique opportunities to introduce variability into vegetatively propagated or apomictic plants. We studied 45 regenerates of apomictic common dallisgrass ( Paspalum dilatatum Poir.) derived via tissue culture to search for variability in characteristics related to stress tolerance. Plants were grown in replicated field nurseries. Characteristics measured were heat tolerance as determined by both the solute leakage and tiller survival methods, leaf epicuticular wax content, and survival under severe water stress. In each test, one or more of the regenerates differed from common dallisgrass. In the solute leakage test, two entries had less damage than common, while seven were damaged more than common. In the tiller survival test, two entries were significantly lower in mortality than common dallisgrass. Three entries had better survival than common in the water stress test, while four entries were significantly higher in mortality. The range in wax values observed in the regenerates was relatively narrow. However, two entries were significantly higher in wax than common, but none were significantly lower. In several cases, some entries differed from common for more than one of the parameters tested, although the majority of the entries did not differ from and probably were similar to common dallisgrass. These findings demonstrate that somaclonal variation expressed in plants regenerated through tissue culture include basic physiological characteristics that influence drought and heat tolerance. Because these changes are in an obligate apomict, they are permanently fixed and will be expressed in subsequent generations.
The Delegation of War to Rebel Organizations

States in an international dispute sometimes choose to attack their enemies with their own military forces but other times choose to empower domestic insurgent groups. What explains the decision to act through rebel proxies rather than directly engage a rival? Theories and empirical analyses of international conflict have adopted a state-centric bias, ignoring the substitution between direct uses of force and indirect action through rebel organizations. This note examines the decision to delegate conflict to rebels through the lens of principal—agent theory. While states support rebel groups to forgo some of the costs of conflict, they also lose a degree of foreign policy autonomy. Preliminary evidence of conflict delegation is presented, along with a number of empirically testable propositions. Finally, the consequences of delegation from the rebels’ perspective are explored. This framework serves as a starting point for future research on rebel—patron interactions.
Social Inertia and Hormonal Control of Aggression and Dominance in White-Throated Sparrows

To investigate the effects of familiarity with opponents on the activation of aggression and dominance by testosterone (T) in white-throated sparrows Zonotrichia albicollis, we studied birds in groups of five or six in outdoor aviaries and in a free-living population. Experiments were conducted between January and April, when plasma levels of endogenous gonadal hormones were low. Previously published experiments (ARCHAWARANON & WILEY, 1988) showed that when subjects were given subcutaneous implants of T, held individually in cages for one week, and then grouped with unfamiliar opponents, they established dominance over controls with empty implants. In contracts, the present study showed that low-ranking birds given subcutaneous implants of T and returned to their original groups and aviaries did not change in dominance rank nor in aggression scores over a period of two weeks. When these birds were regrouped with unfamiliar opponents in new aviaries, their dominance ranks and aggression scores increased. This rise in dominance rankings and aggression scores did not result from any effects of regrouping in the absence of hormonal treatments. The sexes did not differ in their responses to these treatments. In the field, T implants markedly increased some individuals' frequencies of aggression but had little or no effect on dominance relationships. The absence of behavioral changes in stable groupings after hormonal treatment, called social inertia, indicates that birds recognize the relative dominance of previous opponents, at least when encountered in familiar locations. Results from the field experiment thus suggest that white-throated sparrows can recognize at least 20 opponents. Hormonal state has more influence on dominance relationships of strangers than on those of opponents familiar with each other in familiar locations.
Stoichiometry and arrangement of heteromeric olfactory cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels

Native cylic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels are composed of alpha and beta subunits. Olfactory CNG channels were expressed from rat cDNA clones in Xenopus oocytes and studied in inside-out patches. Using tandem dimers composed of linked subunits, we investigated the stoichiometry and arrangement of the alpha and beta subunits. Dimers contained three subunit types: alphawt, betawt, and alpham. The alpham subunit lacks an amino-terminal domain that greatly influences gating, decreasing the apparent affinity of the channel for ligand by 9-fold, making it a reporter for inclusion in the tetramer. Homomeric channels from injection of alphawtalphawt dimers and from alphawt monomers were indistinguishable. Channels from injection of alphawtalpham dimers had apparent affinities 3-fold lower than alphawt homomultimers, suggesting a channel with two alphawt and two alpham subunits. Channels from coinjection of alphawtalphawt and betabeta dimers were indistinguishable from those composed of alpha and beta monomers and shared all of the characteristics of the alpha+beta phenotype of heteromeric channels. Coinjection of alphawtalpham and beta beta dimers yielded channels also of the alpha+beta phenotype but with an apparent affinity 3-fold lower, indicating the presence of alpham in the tetramer and that alpha+beta channels have adjacent alpha-subunits. To distinguish between an alpha-alpha-alpha-beta and an alpha-alpha-beta-beta arrangement, we compared apparent affinities for channels from coinjection of alphawtalphawt and betaalphawt or alphawtalphawt and betaalpham dimers. These channels were indistinguishable. To further argue against an alpha-alpha-alpha-beta arrangement, we quantitatively compared dose-response data for channels from coinjection of alphawtalpham and beta beta dimers to those from alpha and beta monomers. Taken together, our results are most consistent with an alpha-alpha-beta-beta arrangement for the heteromeric olfactory CNG channel.
PathogenMIPer: a tool for the design of molecular inversion probes to detect multiple pathogens.

Background: Here we describe PathogenMIPer, a software program for designing molecular inversion probe (MIP) oligonucleotides for use in pathogen identification and detection. The software designs unique and specific oligonucleotide probes targeting microbial or other genomes. The tool tailors all probe sequence components (including target-specific sequences, barcode sequences, universal primers and restriction sites) and combines these components into ready-toorder probes for use in a MIP assay. The system can harness the genetic variability available in an entire genome in designing specific probes for the detection of multiple co-infections in a single tube using a MIP assay. Results: PathogenMIPer can accept sequence data in FASTA file format, and other parameter inputs from the user through a graphical user interface. It can design MIPs not only for pathogens, but for any genome for use in parallel genomic analyses. The software was validated experimentally by applying it to the detection of human papilloma virus (HPV) as a model system, which is associated with various human malignancies including cervical and skin cancers. Initial tests of laboratory samples using the MIPs developed by the PathogenMIPer to recognize 24 different types of HPVs gave very promising results, detecting even a small viral load of single as well as multiple infections (Akhras et al, personal communication). Conclusion: PathogenMIPer is a software for designing molecular inversion probes for detection of multiple target DNAs in a sample using MIP assays. It enables broader use of MIP technology in the detection through genotyping of pathogens that are complex, difficult-to-amplify, or present in multiple subtypes in a sample.