cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A tRNA identity switch mediated by the binding interaction between a tRNA anticodon and the accessory domain of a class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase.

Identity elements in tRNAs and the intracellular balance of tRNAs allow accurate selection of tRNAs by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The histidyl-tRNA from Escherichia coli is distinguished by a unique G-1·C73 base pair that upon exchange with other nucleotides leads to a marked decrease in the rate of aminoacylation in vitro. G-1·C73 is also a major identity element for histidine acceptance, such that the substitution of C73 brings about mischarging by glycyl-, glutaminyl-, and leucyl-tRNA synthetases. These identity conversions mediated by the G-1·C73 base pair were exploited to isolate secondary site revertants in the histidyl-tRNA synthetase from E. coli which restore histidine identity to a histidyl-tRNA suppressor carrying U73. The revertant substitutions confer a 3−4-fold reduction in the Michaelis constant for tRNAs carrying the amber-suppressing anticodon and map to the C-terminal domain of HisRS and its interface with the catalytic core. These findings demonstrate that the histidine tRNA anticodon...
Teleoperator maneuvering system

The teleoperator maneuvering system (TMS), consisting of the vehicle, the shuttle orbiter bay cradle with airborne support equipment, and the aft flight deck control station, is described. The vehicle is a reusable remotely controlled free flying vehicle capable of a variety of missions including payload placement, retrieval, servicing, viewing, and large space systems assembly support. The TMS flies preprogrammed trajectories as well as being controlled or reprogrammed from the aft flight deck or the ground. A building block design philosophy is described which permits the evolution of capability as it is needed and delays cost as much as possible. Various mission operations are discussed.
Directive planar antennas based on leaky waves

This presentation overviews recent advances in the area of directive planar antennas based on leaky waves. This includes one-dimensional periodic leaky-wave antennas and two-dimensional leaky-wave antennas, also known as Fabry-Perot resonant cavity antennas.
Multiobjective Optimization in Multifunction Multicapability System Development Planning

Properly allocating resources to achieve system development objectives has remained a challenge in systems engineering management. Various optimization models have been developed to optimize respective figures of merit (FOMs) subject to development constraints. System readiness level (SRL) is a system FOM that was originally introduced to assess the maturity of a system during its development lifecycle and has evolved to cover the development of multifunction multicapability (MFMC) systems. Optimization models which include SRL as either the objective or a constraint have been proposed for system development planning. Building on the definition of the recently enhanced MFMC SRL, this paper proposes a multiobjective optimization model, called MO_SRL, to simultaneously optimize the following: 1) the maturity of the system's selected functions or capabilities and 2) the consumption of development resources. An evolutionary algorithm is used to obtain a Pareto set of optimal solutions, where each solution represents a development plan informing which system components should be advanced to which maturity levels without exceeding a certain amount of resource consumption. With the consideration of SRL correlation to typical system development lifecycle, this model can identify several development alternatives for improving the system maturity to more advanced phases with minimum resource consumption, and these multiple alternatives provide systems engineering managers with flexibility in planning system development.
Long‐term pulmonary toxicity of multiagent chemotherapy including bleomycin and cyclophosphamide in osteosarcoma survivors

Purpose: To assess long-term pulmonary effects of multiagent chemotherapy, we studied serial pulmonary function tests (PFTs) of 35 children with osteosarcoma up to 12 years after diagnosis. Patients and Methods: We analyzed 84 sets of PFTs from 35 patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma between 1981 and 1991. The received bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, doxorubicin, cisplatin, and actinomycin D over 9-12 months and we performed PFTs from 3 days to 152 months after diagnosis. Time period I included 36 PFTs (43%) performed between 1 and 5 months from diagnosis, time period II included 20 PFTs (24%) performed between 8 and 12 months from diagnosis, and time period III included 28 PFTs (33%) performed between 12 and 119 months from diagnosis. Total lung capacity (TLC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) were analyzed. Maximal respiratory pressures and arterial blood gases were measured to assess muscle weakness and gas exchange, respectively. Mean differences in PFTs were compared among the three time periods and between time period pairs. Results: All mean PFT values showed significant differences among time periods. Significant decline in DLCO; (P = .012), TLC (P = .020), and FEV1 (P = .028) between time periods I and II were noted followed by a trend towards recovery between time periods II and III. Time periods I and III were not significantly different from one another. Mean PFTs performed after 2 years of diagnosis were note different from mean PFTs performed from diagnosis to 2 years. Conclusion: This dosage regimen of multiagent chemotherapy for osteosarcoma patients caused a transient, but significant, decline in PFTs within 8-12 months after administration but appears to cause no significant long-term pulmonary function abnormalities.
Sub-Half Micrometer Gate Lift-Off By Three Layer Resist Process Via Electron Beam Lithography For Gallium Arsenide Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MIMICs)

A three layer resist process for gate lift-oft on Gallium Arsenide MIMICs by electron Dean and optical lithographies are described. The electron beam lithography process consists of Poly (Dimethyl Glutarimide) PMGI as tne planarizing layer, a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition silicon nitride (SiN) as an intermediate barrier layer and Poly (Methyl methacrylate), PMMA, as the top imaging layer. The PivimA is exposed by Cambridge Electron beam system EBMF 6.4 at 20kev and developed in Methyl Ethyl Ketone/Iso Propyl Alcohol. The pattern is then transferred to the SiN layer by cF4/o2 plasma etcning. The SiN layer is then used as the mask to transfer the pattern to the PMGI layer by 02 kteactive Ion Etching until tne GaAS is exposed. The various processing parameters are optimized to obtain lip or overnang suitable for lift-off with 0.20μm gate dimension. After the GaAS has been recessed (to reduce the parasitic source resistance), a thick 9000A Ti/Pt/Au gate metal is evaporated and the unwanted gate metal is lifted oft using PMGI stripper. To use the three layer resist process in optical litnograpny, the MG.'. planarizing layer and PECVD SiN layer is used along with optical pnotoresist AZ1450J as a top imaging layer. inc sofcbake, uV exposure dose (436 nm) and development time for AZ145UJ are optimized to obtain 0.5μm to 1.0μm gate dimensions. The etch parameters for the pattern transfer to SiN and tnen to PMGI layers are same as in tne above process. The process levels such as mesa, source/drain, contact and metal levels for GaAs mlivilt,s are defined by UV lithography (Karl Suss contact aligner) using single layer pnotoresist. A nign overlay accuracy is obtained by use of gold metal Dumps as registration marks for aligning tne electron Dean exposed gate to optically exposed source/drain channel. Thus a higher tnrougnput and better linewidtn control are obtained using electron beam/optical lithography tecnniques. This approach is currently used to fabricate a 0.20μm gate Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors on GaAS. These results are discussed in detail.
Genes for two small cytoplasmic Ro RNAs are adjacent and appear to be single-copy in the human genome

Anti-Ro autoantibodies precipitate several small cytoplasmic ribonucleoproteins from mammalian cells. The RNA components of these particles, designated hY1-hY5 in human cells and mY1 and mY2 in mouse cells, are about 100 nucleotides long. We have analyzed a genomic clone that appears to contain true RNA-coding regions for two of the human Ro RNAs, hY1 and hY3. These RNAs exhibit many sequence and secondary structure homologies, both with each other and with the recently sequenced hY5 RNA. The hY2 RNA is a slightly truncated form of hY1; several shorter versions of hY3 are also detected in cell extracts and immunoprecipitates. The human hY1 and hY3 genes cross-hybridize with the mouse Ro RNAs, mY1 and mY2, respectively; we show that the mouse Ro RNAs are exclusively contained in Ro particles. The genes for hY1 and hY3 are transcribed in vitro by RNA polymerase III. In contrast with all other mammalian class III genes described, they appear to be present as single copies in the human genome.
Peptides of normal and variant cells of tobacco

Polypeptides solubilized from established normal and variant cell lines of Nicotiana tabacum L cv “Wisconsin 38” have been analyzed by one-dimensional and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. There was little variability observed in the polypeptide profile in an established cell line; polypeptides present in different clonal lines of cells, all derived from an initial established cell culture, were very similar, if not identical. However, a large fraction of the observed polypeptides present in cytokinin-habituated cell lines (up to 3.8% of the total polypeptides analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis) were different from those found in the cytokinin-requiring cells from which they were selected. The habituated nature of the selected cell lines was demonstrated to be epigenetic; tissue cultures that were reisolated from plantlets regenerated from habituated cell lines did require cytokinin. Further observations demonstrate: (1) that epigenetic events that alter a cellular phenotype change the expression of a relatively large number of polypeptides, (2) that a single epigenetic phenotype may be the result of any one of a number of possible patterns of gene expression, and (3) that epigenetic events are not random events.
Institutionalizing Civic Engagement: Shifting Logics and the Cultural Repackaging of Service-Learning in US Higher Education

Institutionalists in organizational sociology have developed a good deal of evidence about the role of field logics in shaping the practices of organizations. In this paper, we extend this imagery to multiple fields, highlighting how shifting logics in a superordinate field enable the infrastructural development of a subordinate field. In particular, we track how initially marginal, anti-institutional service-learning practices became a legitimate component of mainstream curricula in the field of US higher education. While service-learning proponents have always made claims about the importance of generating knowledge and insight by helping others in the community, service-learning entrepreneurs had to build a field infrastructure to support their claims and culturally repackage the aims of service-learning in a way that articulated with broader logics in the field of higher education. We argue that the shift from an unarticulated closed-system logic to a situation of contending closed-system and open-sys...
Gutzwiller variational method for intersite Coulomb interactions: The spinless fermion model in one dimension

We study the Gutzwiller method for the spinless fermion model in one dimension, which is one of the simplest models that incorporates the intersite Coulomb interaction. The Gutzwiller solution of this model has been studied in the literature but with differing results. We obtain the Gutzwiller solution of the problem by a careful enumeration of the many-particle configurations and explain the origin of the discrepancy in the literature to be due to the neglect of the correlation between the neighboring bond occupancies. The correct implementation of the Gutzwiller approach yields results different from the slave-boson mean-field theory, unlike for the Hubbard model with on-site interaction, where both methods are known to be equivalent. The slave-boson and the Gutzwiller results are compared to the exact solution, available for the half-filled case, and to the numerical exact diagonalization results for the case of general filling.
INVASIVE V. NON-INVASIVE MEASUREMENT OF ARTERIAL PRESSURE: Comparison of Two Automatic Methods and Simultaneously Measured Direct Intra-Arterial Pressure

Two indirect arterial pressure monitors, the Finapres and the Accutorr, were investigated and compared with the direct measurement of intra-arterial pressure. Pressures in patients in a variety of circulatory states were measured and analysed in relation to two types of random error: first, the "intra-individual standard error" (within one session of measurement) and second, the "inter-individual standard error" (between sessions). (This distinction is important, since in routine monitoring of arterial pressure one is usually dealing with the first type of error only.) This study showed that sudden changes in pressure were closely followed by the Finapres. A pressure reading of the Accutorr takes about 15-20 s, meaning that, within this period, variations will not be observed. The accuracy or reproducibility of each method, as expressed in intra-individual variance, diminished in the order Intra-Arterial-Line, Finapres, Accutorr. The inter-individual variation decreased in the order Intra-Arterial-Line, Accutorr, Finapres. Most of the inter-individual variance of the Finapres is probably real because of the more peripheral position of its cuff. A correlation between malfunctioning of the Finapres and vasoconstriction or hypothermia of the finger could not be demonstrated.
Paradoxical hypertension after repair of coarctation of the aorta: a review of its causes.

Abstract Correction of a coarctation of the aorta, an apparent simple cause of hypertension, paradoxically can provoke two hypertensive responses, one of which is potentially fatal. The first, limited to the first 24 hours, occurs in nearly one half of the patients. This is likely due to the high set of the carotid baroreceptors. The second, which may be associated with abdominal pain and, in some, with necrosis of the small bowel as a result of severe arteritis confined to arteries arising from the aorta below the coarctation, develops in about one half of the first responders. Norepinephrine excretion greatly increases for several days, whereas angiotensin levels are elevated for 3 to 4 days. The hypertension responds to β-blockers, to arterial smooth muscle relaxants, and to angiotensin converting enzymes. A theory is advanced to explain the second response. It is the adaptation gone awry that ensures adequate flow to exercising muscles below the coarctation, above and beyond that delivered by increasing the systolic pressure. It could be a regionally controlled mechanism similar to the rationing of blood flow in diving mammals.
Oscillations in a laboratory flotation machine

Abstract In a laboratory Denver machine, worn impeller/stator assemblies lead to strong, rapid oscillations of the water level in the standpipe at impeller speeds just below self-aeration. Frequency depends linearly on impeller speed, decreasing with impeller depth. Amplitude passes through a maximum with speed, increasing with depth. A mechanism accounting for oscillation is suggested. The possibility that the phenomena lies in the operating range of commercial-size machines is discussed. The described effects are confined to standpipe/self-aeration machines. Oscillation can be prevented by supplying air with an external blower, a growing trend even with traditionally self-aerating designs. Oscillation recommences just prior to flooding.
Experimental studies of U-Pu-Zr fast reactor fuel pins in the experimental breeder reactor-ll

Argonne National Laboratory’s Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) concept has been under demonstration in the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) since February 1985. Irradiation tests of U-Zr and U-Pu-Zr fuel pins to >15 at. pct burnup have demonstrated their viability as driver fuel prototypes in innovative design liquid metal reactors. A number of technically challenging irradiation effects have been observed and are now under study. Microstructural changes in the fuel are dominated early in exposure by grain boundary cavitation and fission gas bubble growth, producing large amounts of swelling. Irradiation creep and swelling of the austenitic (D9) and martensitic (HT-9) candidate cladding alloys have been measured and correlate well with property modeling efforts. Chemical interaction between the fuel and cladding alloys has been characterized to assess the magnitude of cladding wastage during steady-state irradiation. Significant interdiffusion of the uranium and zirconium occurs producing metallurgically distinct zones in the fuel.
Global synchronous changes in the carbon isotopic composition of carbonate sediments unrelated to changes in the global carbon cycle.

The carbon isotopic (δ13C) composition of bulk carbonate sediments deposited off the margins of four carbonate platforms/ramp systems (Bahamas, Maldives, Queensland Plateau, and Great Australian Bight) show synchronous changes over the past 0 to 10 million years. However, these variations are different from the established global pattern in the δ13C measured in the open oceans over the same time period. For example, from 10 Ma to the present, the δ13C of open oceanic carbonate has decreased, whereas platform margin sediments analyzed here show an increase. It is suggested that the δ13C patterns in the marginal platform deposits are produced through admixing of aragonite-rich sediments, which have relatively positive δ13C values, with pelagic materials, which have lower δ13C values. As the more isotopically positive shallow-water carbonate sediments are only produced when the platforms are flooded, there is a connection between changes in global sea level and the δ13C of sediments in marginal settings. These data indicate that globally synchronous changes in δ13C can take place that are completely unrelated to variations in the global carbon cycle. Fluctuations in the δ13C of carbonate sediments measured during previous geological periods may also be subject to similar processes, and global synchroniety of δ13C can no longer necessarily be considered an indicator that such changes are related to, or caused by, variations in the burial of organic carbon. Inferences regarding the interpretation of changes in the cycling of organic carbon derived from δ13C records should be reconsidered in light of the findings presented here.
Optical signal processing with magnetostatic waves

Magneto-optical devices based on Bragg diffraction of light by magnetostatic waves (MSWs) offer the potential of large time-bandwidth optical signal processing at microwave frequencies of 1 to 20 GHz and higher. A thin-film integrated-optical configuration, with the interacting MSW and guided-optical wave both propagating in a common ferrite layer, is necessary to avoid shape-factor demagnetization effects. The underlying theory of the MSW-optical interaction is outlined, including the development of expressions for optical diffraction efficiency as a function of MSW power and frequency, device geometry, materials properties, and other relevant parameters. Recent experimental observations of anisotropic Bragg diffraction and collinear TE↔TM mode conversion induced by MSWs in yttrium iron garnet (YIG) thin films suggest that high-performance MSW integrated-optical devices are feasible. Diffraction levels as large as 4% (7-mm interaction length) and a modulation dynamic range of ∼30 db have been demonstrated. Potential signal processing applications are mentioned, including: spectrum analyzers, convolvers/correlators, deflectors, non-reciprocal optical isolators, and tunable narrowband optical filters. Advantages of these MSW-based devices over the analogous acousto-optical devices include: much greater operating frequencies, tuning through the MSW dispersion relation by varying either the rf frequency or the applied bias magnetic field, simple MSW transducer structures (e.g., a single stripline), and the potential for very high diffraction efficiencies.
The structural and magnetic properties of films of Pr2Fe14B and Nd2Fe14B cosputtered with Ta

Abstract The results of structural and magnetic measurements on films, produced by serially depositing R2Fe14B (R = Nd, Pr) and Ta, are reported. The materials were deposited 10–200 A at a time onto 500–700°C Ta substrates. The structures of the resulting films were examined by large- and small-angle X-ray diffraction. The magnetic properties were studied at room temperature in a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) with a maximum field of 17.1 kOe, and at cryogenic temperatures in a VSM with a maximum field of 80 kOe. The structural and magnetic properties depend upon the nominal thickness of the Ta, even though interlayer diffusion appears to be significant for Ta thickness less than about 30 A. The trends in the coercivities can be qualitatively explained by assuming a nucleation mechanism for magnetization reversal and correlating the coercivity with the degree of c-axis alignment in the 2:14:1 phase.
A machine learning approach for optimal disassembly planning

With the vast amounts of environmental waste being created on a daily basis, many companies are trying to find ways optimally to reuse and recycle obsolete products. Owing to tedious and intensive nature of optimal disassembly planning, expert systems which ease the decision making process are becoming much more prevalent. This paper discusses one such system where a machine learning approach based on a disassembly Petri net (DPN) and a hybrid Bayesian network (HBN) is used. In particular, this method models the disassembly process and predicts the outcome of each disassembly action by examining the probabilistic relationships between the different aspects of the disassembly process. An overall view of the disassembly process and a simple, specific case are provided to illustrate the operation of this expert system.
The complex filling of alae crater, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Since February 1969 Alae Crater, a 165-m-deep pit crater on the east rift of Kilauea Volcano, has been completely filled with about 18 million m3 of lava. The filling was episodic and complex. It involved 13 major periods of addition of lava to the crater, including spectacular lava falls as high as 100 m, and three major periods of draining of lava from the crater. Alae was nearly filled by August 3, 1969, largely drained during a violent ground-cracking event on August 4, 1969, and then filled to the low point on its rim on October 10, 1969. From August 1970 to May 1971, the crater acted as a reservoir for lava that entered through subsurface tubes leading from the vent fissure 150 m away. Another tube system drained the crater and carried lava as far as the sea, 11 km to the south. Much of the lava entered Alae by invading the lava lake beneath its crust and buoying the crust upward. This process, together with the overall complexity of the filling, results in a highly complicated lava lake that would doubtless be misinterpreted if found in the fossil record.
Excited state properties utilizing effective core potentials

Effective core potentials are utilized in conjunction with polarization propagator calculations of excited state properties. The propagator method employed is based on an antisymmetrized geminal power wave function as the reference state. Calculations are presented on the low-lying excited states of HF and NaH. All-electron and valence-electron results are compared for HF. The choice of basis set is found to be very important for obtaining good results.
Academic factors that affect undergraduate research experiences.

Undergraduate research experiences are considered an essential component in college curricula, and there is an ideological push to provide these experiences to all students. However, it is not clear whether engagement in research is better suited for higher ability undergraduates late in their programs or for all undergraduates and whether benefits vary according to gender and major discipline. This study applied an assessment instrument, the Undergraduate Research Questionnaire (URQ), which measures cognitive factors associated with benefits from doing research, to a broad sample of undergraduates at a large public research university. Additionally, behavioral and demographic data were collected. Significant predictors of URQ factors were grade-point average (GPA), college credits, lab course credits, gender, major discipline, and the frequency of faculty and peer meetings. Men achieved higher URQ scores than women. Students with below-average GPAs and students with average or below-average participation in research showed a decline in research benefits as they moved through their college years. Gains from research varied by major discipline. Overall, these findings show that all students do not benefit from doing research and that the means to achieving the ideological goal of involving all students in research may vary across disciplines. There is a need for more attention to student differences as they apply to research participation, including academic ability, gender, and college level, and to the academic resources and practices that more inclusively and effectively involve students in research. Supplemental material for: Academic factors that affect undergraduate research experiences: http://supp.apa.org/psycarticles/supplemental/a0026851/a0026851_supp.html
STUDIES ON THE CHEMISTRY OF THE MELANOPHORE HORMONE OF THE PITUITARY GLAND1

AN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE for the concentration and isolation of a hormone is a simple and accurate method of assay. The purpose of this paper is to evalu ate some of the variables in the available (1) assay methods and to report a simple controlled procedure for the quantitative determination of the melanophore hormone of the pituitary gland. We further wished to ascertain whether or not the alkali potentiated hormone could be validly compared with standard pituitary pow er. After having tried various test animals, such as the chameleon (Anolis), the salamanders (Amblystoma Tvlexicanum and A. tigranum) and the red bellied dace (Chrosomus eos), we decided to employ exclusively the hypophysectomisedfrog (Rana pipiens) because of its ready availability, hardiness and ease of hypophysec tomy (1, 2, 3). The frogs were obtained from commercial supply houses and kept in a deep sink with slowly running water. No food was given to the frogs at any time. The animals were hypophysectomized a few days after arrival.
Root system adjustments: regulation of plant nutrient uptake and growth responses to elevated CO2.

Nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) often limit plant growth rate and production in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Limited availability of these nutrients is also a major factor influencing long-term plant and ecosystem responses to rising atmospheric CO2 levels, i.e., the commonly observed short-term increase in plant biomass may not be sustained over the long-term. Therefore, it is critical to obtain a mechanistic understanding of whether elevated CO2 can elicit compensatory adjustments such that acquisition capacity for minerals increases in concert with carbon (C) uptake. Compensatory adjustments such as increases in (a) root mycorrhizal infection, (b) root-to-shoot ratio and changes in root morphology and architecture, (c) root nutrient absorption capacity, and (d) nutrient-use efficiency can enable plants to meet an increased nutrient demand under high CO2. Here we examine the literature to assess the extent to which these mechanisms have been shown to respond to high CO2. The literature survey reveals no consistent pattern either in direction or magnitude of responses of these mechanisms to high CO2. This apparent lack of a pattern may represent variations in experimental protocol and/or interspecific differences. We found that in addressing nutrient uptake responses to high CO2 most investigators have examined these mechanisms in isolation. Because such mechanisms can potentially counterbalance one another, a more reliable prediction of elevated CO2 responses requires experimental designs that integrate all mechanisms simultaneously. Finally, we present a functional balance (FB) model as an example of how root system adjustments and nitrogen-use efficiency can be integrated to assess growth responses to high CO2. The FB model suggests that the mechanisms of increased N uptake highlighted here have different weights in determining overall plant responses to high CO2. For example, while changes in root-to-shoot biomass allocation, r, have a small effect on growth, adjustments in uptake rate per unit root mass, [Formula: see text], and photosynthetic N use efficiency, p*, have a significantly greater leverage on growth responses to elevated CO2 except when relative growth rate (RGR) reaches its developmental limit, maximum RGR (RGRmax).
Improved hydrogen detection sensitivity in N-polar GaN Schottky diodes

Pt/GaN Schottky diodes fabricated on m-plane (N-polar) layers grown on sapphire exhibit much larger responses to dilute concentrations (4% in N2) of hydrogen at room temperature than comparable Ga-polar devices. This is consistent with previous density functional theory indicating a very high affinity of hydrogen for the N-face surface of GaN. The rectifying current-voltage characteristics of N-face diodes make a transition to more Ohmic-like behavior after hydrogen exposure, leading to very large (∼106) maximum percentage changes in current relative to Ga-face (∼10%) or AlGaN/GaN heterostructure diodes (∼170%). The strong affinity of the N face of GaN for hydrogen also leads to a slower recovery of these diodes when hydrogen is removed from the ambient.
Iodine recovery from brine solutions

Abstract Iodine has been produced by the reaction of iodide with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of the catalyst ferrous sulfate. The presence of high concentrations of chloride or bromide in both natural and synthetic brines have no effect on the reaction specificity or kinetics. The approach is potentially a less caustic method for the recovery of iodine from brine as compared to the most commonly used chlorine displacement methods.
Role of the nursing order in social development of mountain lion kittens

Early patterns of social interaction, including fighting while nursing, social grooming, and social play, were analyzed in a litter of mountain lion kittens to determine if interactive patterns formed during nursing persist into subsequent social stages (i.e., social grooming and social play). The data suggest that the nursing order established by mountain lion kittens has an important role in early social development by initially directing interactive patterns among littermates.
An alternative way to establish the necessity part of the classical result on the statistical independence of quadratic forms

Abstract This paper provides an alternative to existing proofs of the necessity part of the classical result on the statistical independence of quadratic forms (or of second-degree polynomials) in normal variates. The alternative proof makes use of a lemma on polynomials in a single real variable. This lemma can be regarded as a variation on a result on polynomials in two variables that has been used in the traditional proof. This lemma, which can also be useful in establishing the necessity of the necessary and sufficient condition(s) for a quadratic form (or a second-degree polynomial) to have a noncentral chi-square distribution, is shown to be a consequence of rather elementary properties of polynomials.
Tumor-Recruited Neutrophils and Neutrophil TIMP-Free MMP-9 Regulate Coordinately the Levels of Tumor Angiogenesis and Efficiency of Malignant Cell Intravasation

Tumor-associated neutrophils contribute to neovascularization by supplying matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), a protease that has been genetically and biochemically linked to induction of angiogenesis. Specific roles of inflammatory neutrophils and their distinct proMMP-9 in the coordinate regulation of tumor angiogenesis and tumor cell dissemination, however, have not been addressed. We demonstrate that the primary tumors formed by highly disseminating variants of human fibrosarcoma and prostate carcinoma recruit elevated levels of infiltrating MMP-9-positive neutrophils and concomitantly exhibit enhanced levels of angiogenesis and intravasation. Specific inhibition of neutrophil influx by interleukin 8 (IL-8) neutralization resulted in the coordinated diminishment of tumor angiogenesis and intravasation, both of which were rescued by purified neutrophil proMMP-9. However, if neutrophil proMMP-9, naturally devoid of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP), was delivered in complex with TIMP-1 or in a mixture with TIMP-2, the protease failed to rescue the inhibitory effects of anti-IL8 therapy, indicating that the TIMP-free status of proMMP-9 is critical for facilitating tumor angiogenesis and intravasation. Our findings directly link tumor-associated neutrophils and their TIMP-free proMMP-9 with the ability of aggressive tumor cells to induce the formation of new blood vessels that serve as conduits for tumor cell dissemination. Thus, treatment of cancers associated with neutrophil infiltration may benefit from specific targeting of neutrophil MMP-9 at early stages to prevent ensuing tumor angiogenesis and tumor metastasis.
Combining Public Key Encryption with Schnorr Digital Signature

This article presents a new signcryption scheme which is based on the Schnorr digital signature algorithm. The new scheme represents my personal contribution to signcryption area. I have implemented the algorithm in a program and here are provided the steps of the algorithm, the results and some examples. The paper also contains the presentation of the original Signcryption scheme, based on ElGamal digital signature and discusses the practical applications of Signcryption in real life. The purpose of the study is to combine the public key encryption with Schnorr digital signature in order to obtain less computational and communicational costs. Signcryption primitive is a better approach then Encrypt-then-Sign or Sign-then-Encrypt methods regarding the costs. All these algorithms offer the possibility to transmit a message over an insecure channel providing both authenticity and confidentiality.
Metabolic Control of Oocyte Apoptosis Mediated by 14-3-3ζ-Regulated Dephosphorylation of Caspase-2

Summary Xenopus oocyte death is partly controlled by the apoptotic initiator caspase-2 (C2). We reported previously that oocyte nutrient depletion activates C2 upstream of mitochondrial cytochrome c release. Conversely, nutrient-replete oocytes inhibit C2 via S135 phosphorylation catalyzed by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. We now show that C2 phosphorylated at S135 binds 14-3-3ζ, thus preventing C2 dephosphorylation. Moreover, we determined that S135 dephosphorylation is catalyzed by protein phosphatase-1 (PP1), which directly binds C2. Although C2 dephosphorylation is responsive to metabolism, neither PP1 activity nor binding is metabolically regulated. Rather, release of 14-3-3ζ from C2 is controlled by metabolism and allows for C2 dephosphorylation. Accordingly, a C2 mutant unable to bind 14-3-3ζ is highly susceptible to dephosphorylation. Although this mechanism was initially established in Xenopus , we now demonstrate similar control of murine C2 by phosphorylation and 14-3-3 binding in mouse eggs. These findings provide an unexpected evolutionary link between 14-3-3 and metabolism in oocyte death.
Digital signal processing in biometric identification: a review

In this context, "biometrics" is the "automatic identification or identity verification of living, human individuals based on physiological and behavioral characteristics". Biometrics is a subset of the larger field of human identification science. The term "automatic" in the definition means that digital computers will usually (but not always) be used. We consider the general state of digital signal processing in biometrics by examining the computational approaches to speaker, fingerprint, and face recognition. We note the generally weak relationship between physiology and biometric "features" and the potential for use of "models" to compensate for intra-class variation.
Differences in Defensive Volatiles of the Forked Fungus Beetle, Bolitotherus cornutus , Living on Two Species of Fungus

Forked fungus beetles, Bolitotherus cornutus, feed, mate, and live on the brackets of several species of shelf fungus that grow on decaying logs. In response to the specific threat stimulus of mammalian breath, B. cornutus beetles produce a volatile defensive secretion. We tested beetles collected from different host fungi to determine whether defensive secretion blends varied with host type. Using solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we detected large amounts of the alkylated benzoquinones, methyl-p-benzoquinone (toluquinone) and ethyl-p-benzoquinone, and smaller quantities of p-benzoquinone, 3-methylphenol (m-cresol), 3-ethylphenol, 2-methylhydroquinone, and 2-ethylhydroquinone in secretions. Volatile composition did not differ between male and female beetles. Secretions did differ between beetles collected from two species of fungus, Ganoderma applanatum and Fomes fomentarius, with the relative amount of p-benzoquinone secreted being the most important factor. Other relationships among the volatile components are discussed.
DIII-D cryogenics control system status

The DIII-D cryogenics system provides liquid helium for various auxiliary systems at the DIII-D tokamak facility. The system described here executes control and supervision of the cryogenics plant and associated load systems which include four neutral beam injectors, superconducting magnets, and an in-vessel tokamak cryocondensation pump. The recent addition of this divertor cryopump represented a major increase in the scope of the control system end greater need for reliable and automatic operation. The pump must be precooled, cooled and regenerated in a relatively short period of time under automatic control. Since the pump is located in the tokamak primary vacuum, coordination with the machine vacuum control system and consideration for the requirements of physics operations and vessel wall conditioning are required. A programmable logic controller is the central element in the cryogenics control system and exercises direct or supervisory control over the liquefier, gas management and loads. In the time since the control system was built during 1989, additions and improvements have been made to simplify operation and support upgrades. Cryogenics system capacity has been upgraded by the purchase of a new 150 l/hr helium liquefier, a second 400 hp helium compressor and additional gas storage. The new liquefier incorporates a controller of its own which exchanges information with the cryogenics control system. This independent controller relieved the main system of liquefier process control tasks but necessitates much finer control of the system high and low pressures. The control system upgrades and automation will be discussed with emphasis on the divertor cryocondensation pump control.
Metamorphosis of the cerebral neuroendocrine system in the moth Manduca sexta

We have examined the morphology and neuronal elements of the cerebral neuroendocrine system in the larval, pupal, and adult stages of the moth Manduca sexta with a variety of neuroanatomical techniques. The larval brain contains several discrete groups of neurosecretory and non-neurosecretory cells that project to the associated neurohemal organs (the corpora cardiaca-allata complex, or CC-CA) and to a variety of more peripheral structures. A previously undescribed set of cells in the subesophageal ganglion have also been found that project out the neurosecretory nerves. During metamorphosis, the cerebral neuroendocrine system undergoes a dramatic structural reorganization, including the reduction or loss of many larval nerves and a repositioning of the cell groups and their dendritic fields. Despite these changes, most of its central elements are retained. In addition, by the completion of adult development a new cluster of cells can be found on either side of the dorsal midline of the brain. We have also determined the relative contributions of the different cell groups to the moth neuroendocrine system by intracellular iontophoresis of dye into individual cells. Within the dorsal protocerebrum, five separate morphological types of cells can be recognized, each with a distinctive pattern of dendritic arborization in the brain and terminal neurohemal processes that project to the CC, the CA, the aorta, or to a combination of these regions. The large intrinsic cells of the CC have also been filled, revealing an unusual set of morphological features in these peripheral neurosecretory cells.
Comparison of mine waste assessment methods at the Rattler mine site, Virginia Canyon, Colorado

In a joint project, the mine waste-piles at the Rattler Mine near Idaho Springs, Colorado, were sampled and analyzed by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). Separate sample collection, sample leaching, and leachate analyses were performed by both groups and the results were compared. For the study, both groups used the USGS sampling procedure and the USGS Field Leach Test (FLT). The leachates generated from these tests were analyzed for a suite of elements using ICP-AES (CSM) and ICP-MS (USGS). Leachate geochemical fingerprints produced by the two groups for composites collected from the same mine waste showed good agreement. In another set of tests, CSM collected another set of Rattler mine waste composite samples using the USGS sampling procedure. This set of composite samples was leached using the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG) leach test, and a modified Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) leach test. Leachate geochemical fingerprints produced using these tests showed a variation of more than a factor of two from the geochemical fingerprints produced using the USGS FLT leach test. We have concluded that the variation in the results is due to the different parameters of the leaching tests and not due to the sampling or analytical methods.
Constitutional Review and the Selective Promotion of Case Results

A significant majority of the world’s constitutional courts publicize their decisions through direct contact with the national media. This interest in public information is puzzling in so far as constitutional judges are not directly accountable to voters. Ia rgue that the promotion of case results is consistent with a theory of judicial behavior in which public support for courts can undermine incentives for insincere decision making. In this article, I develop a simple game theory model that identifies how case promotion is linked to judicial choice. Results of a simultaneous equations model estimating the Mexican Supreme Court’s merits decisions and its choices to publicize those decisions by issuing press releases to national media outlets support an account of constitutional review in which judges believe they can influence their authority through case promotion.
Immuno-electron microscopic tracing of lactoferrin, a regulator of myelopoiesis, into a subpopulation of human peripheral blood monocytes.

Summary. Lactoferrin (LF), an iron binding glycoprotein present in the specific granules of mature granulocytes, is capable of suppressing the production of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulatory factors (GM-CSF) by monocytes and macrophages in vitro and rebound myelopoiesis in vivo. By an immuno-electron microscopic technique (peroxidase-antiperoxidase procedure) in combination with a three-step fixation and detergent treatment of mononuclear blood cells pulsed with LF, intracellular localization of LF in a sub-population of human monocytes with a well-preserved subcellular morphology was demonstrated. LF was found in the monocytes after a 30 min pulse with concentrations of LF as low as 10−14m. Under the electron microscope, deposits of approximately 110 nm diameter appeared scattered in the area of the endoplasmic reticulum. Large numbers of smaller deposits (20–70 nm) were found in the euchromatin. The heterochromatin and other cytoplasmic organelles were free of LF. These results suggest that the euchromatin might be the functional site for LF inhibition of the production of GM-CSF by a subpopulation of human monocytes.
Role of Protein Kinase CK2 in the Regulation of Tumor Necrosis Factor–Related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand–Induced Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells

Protein kinase CK2 (formerly casein kinase 2 or II) is a ubiquitous and highly conserved protein Ser/Thr kinase that plays diverse roles such as in cell proliferation and apoptosis. With respect to the latter, we originally showed that elevated CK2 could suppress various types of apoptosis in prostate cancer cells; however, the downstream pathways that respond to CK2 for mediating the suppression of apoptosis have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report studies on the role of CK2 in influencing activities associated with tumor necrosis factor–related ligand (TRAIL/Apo2-L)–mediated apoptosis in prostate carcinoma cells. To that end, we show that both androgen-insensitive (PC-3) and androgen-sensitive (ALVA-41) prostate cancer cells are sensitized to TRAIL by chemical inhibition of CK2 using its specific inhibitor 4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzotriazole (TBB). Furthermore, we have shown that overexpression of CK2α using pcDNA6-CK2α protected prostatic cancer cells from TRAIL-mediated apoptosis by affecting various activities associated with this process. Thus, overexpression of CK2 resulted in the suppression of TRAIL-induced apoptosis via its effects on the activation of caspases, DNA fragmentation, and downstream cleavage of lamin A. In addition, the overexpression of CK2 blocked the mitochondrial apoptosis machinery engaged by TRAIL. These findings define the important role of CK2 in TRAIL signaling in androgen-sensitive and -insensitive prostatic carcinoma cells. Our data support the potential usefulness of anticancer strategies that may involve the combination of TRAIL and down-regulation of CK2. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(4): 2242-9)