cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Densities, lattice parameters and defect chemistry of pure non-stoichiometric compounds

General relations are derived between the quantities describing the defect chemistry of pure, non-stoichiometric compounds and the experimental values of lattice parameters and densities of these materials. These relations show how to analyse the experimental data without the need for arbitrary assumptions about the defect situation. The theory is applied to published data of non-stoichiometric TiO, TiS2, Ti2S3, and Bi2Te3. The models assumed in the literature, in order to interpret the experimental data, are shown to be only the most simple among a series of possible defect situations which are consistent with the data.
Conformational comparison of cyclic peptide and pseudopeptide structures with intramolecular hydrogen bonding

An nmr spectral comparison of a model cyclic pentapeptide cyclo(Gly-Pro-Gly-D-Phe-Pro) with an analogous pseudopeptide has been made. The pseudopeptide contains a ψ[CH2S] amide bond replacement at the only amide linkage that, in the model, is not involved in an intramolecular hydrogen bond. Both proton and carbon-13 nmr spectral evidence confirms the retention of β- and γ-turns in the pseudopeptide in chloroform. Characteristic chemical shifts, temperature dependence, and glycine α-resonances support this interpretation. However, evidence of a more flexible conformation involving cis–trans proline isomerism is seen on addition of dimethylsulfoxide.
An analytical model for the performance of buffered multicast banyan networks

Banyan networks have been used for the interconnection of processors in scalable parallel computers and have been proposed for use in ATM high-speed communications networks. This article addresses the performance issues of supporting multicast communication in banyan networks. Multicast is the ability to transmit information from a single source node to multiple selected destination nodes in a network. Current trends in networking applications indicate that there will be an increasing demand in future networks for multicast communication. Previous work on the performance of banyan networks has been primarily for the networks which can support only unicast communication. In this article, we present an analytical model for the performance of buffered banyan networks which support multicast communication. Our model indicates that the throughput of a multicast banyan network is generally higher than that of a unicast banyan network. We also discuss the effect of network design parameters such as buffer length and switch size on network performance. Our results, expressed in terms of throughput, packet transfer time and packet loss probability, outline the performance of buffered multicast banyan networks.
An improved sensor head for cross-correlation intravital velocimetry

A new sensing unit has been designed for intravital velocimetry using cross-correlation techniques. Using a photodiode and low-noise operational amplifier, residual noise has been greatly reduced. At low light levels with equal-frequency passbands, signal-to-noise ratios are improved by greater than a factor of 10. Part of the improvement has been traded for increased frequency range that will allow accurate measurements of velocity 10 to 100 times greater than the unit that was used previously. The precise upper limit for flow velocity measurement with the modified unit will depend on factors such as the spatial fine structure of the RBC column and the digital sampling of the cross-correlation unit, but a cursory examination indicates that most flow velocities in the microcirculation can be measured. The increased frequency range combined with light-level-independent characteristics will greatly improve the accuracy of RBC velocity measurements made in vivo.
Experimental investigation of silane combustion and particle nucleation using a rapid-compression facility

Abstract Ignition and reaction kinetics of silane/oxygen/diluent (SiH 4 /O 2 /Ar/N 2 ) mixtures have been studied using a rapid compression facility (RCF). Time-resolved pressure profiles and absolute, quantitative hydroxyl radical mole fraction ( χ OH ) time histories were obtained for a range of conditions representing different heating rates. At the moderate temperatures studied (∼630 K), ignition was observed to occur in two stages with no OH detected during the first stage. The separation of the two stages was typically >5 ms, thus the long test times provided by the RCF were critical to the studies. The second stage of reaction is identified by significant production of OH ( χ OH = 45–82 ppm). Experimental uncertainty in χ OH was 32/−29% with a 15 ppm detectivity limit. The results were examined in the context of proposed silane combustion and particle nucleation reaction mechanisms. Existing silane combustion kinetics mechanisms capture many of the experimentally observed features of the system, yet fail to quantitatively reproduce the OH time histories in their entirety.
Gradient bounds for solutions of nonuniformly elliptic oblique derivative problems

INTRODUCTION IN THE theory of quasilinear elliptic equations, there are three archetypical forms which seem to embody the various possible behaviors of solutions: Laplace’s equation (or more generally a uniformly elliptic equation), the minimal surface equation, and a sort of false minimal surface equation (Sii + DiUDiU)D,U = 0. For each of these equations, the behavior of solutions to the Dirichlet problem is wellunderstood; see, for example, [3,5,10,11]. Additionally. uniformly elliptic conormal problems were studied in [5, Chapter lo] and minimal surface-type conormal problems xvere studied in [l, 13, 61; the class of equations considered in [6] was much broader than those in [l, 131 but did not include the false minimal surface equation. Finally. uniformly elliptic oblique derivative problems were studied in [7, 91, while minimal surface-type oblique derivative problems are the subject of [4]. Here we examine the oblique derivative problem on a smooth domain Q C 2:
Specificity analysis of three clonal and five non-clonal alpha 1,3-L-fucosyltransferases with sulfated, sialylated, or fucosylated synthetic carbohydrates as acceptors in relation to the assembly of 3'-sialyl-6'-sulfo Lewis x (the L-selectin ligand) and related complex structures.

Unique specificities of the cloned α1,3-l-fucosyltransferases (FTs), FT III (Lewis type), FT IV (myeloid type), and FT V (plasma type), and the α1,3-FTs of Colo 205 (colon carcinoma), HL 60 (myeloi...
Clinical outcomes of temporary shunting for infants with cerebral pseudomeningocele.

Although in the case of subdural collections temporary shunting has been suggested as a viable alternative for definitive drainage of the accumulated fluid until restoration of the normal CSF dynamics, there is no agreement on the best management strategy for pseudomeningocele. The authors performed a retrospective chart review in order to evaluate the clinical outcomes of infants temporarily shunted for pseudomeningocele without encephalocele at our institution (The University of Illinois at Peoria/Illinois Neurological Institute) in the period from 2004 to 2012. The epidemiological characteristics, clinical management, and final outcomes of such subpopulation were compared with a control group which received temporary shunting for subdural hematomas (SDH) during the same period. Four patients (100 % male) ranging in age from 8.9 to 27.1 months (mean = 13.88) with pseudomeningocele and 17 patients (64.7 % male) ranging in age from 1.9 to 11.8 months (mean = 4.15) with SDH were identified. Although the initial management included sequential percutaneous subdural tapping in 82 % of the patients, all children ultimately failed such strategy, requiring either subdural–peritoneal (81 % of the cases) or subgaleal–peritoneal (19 % of the cases) shunting. The mean implant duration was 201 days for the pseudomeningocele group and 384 days for the SDH one. Mean post-shunt hospitalization was 2 days for patients with pseudomeningocele and 4 days for patients with SDH. There was no statistical difference in terms of complications, length of hospitalization post-shunting, or clinical outcomes between the patients with pseudomeningocele and those with SDH. Temporary shunting of infants with pseudo-meningocele constitutes a viable therapeutic alternative with favorable clinical outcomes and a low risk of shunt dependency similar to those of children with SDH.
Undergraduate TEM instruction by telepresence microscopy over the Internet

The use of telepresence microsopy (TPM) over the Internet for teaching is demonstrated. A high-resolution field-emission gun transmission electron microscope (TEM) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was operated by undergraduate students at Lehigh University, 800 miles away. The remote operation used commercial software and freeware. The advantage of computer-controlled TPM and is that students can access dedicated equipment not available in their home laboratory and also parallel hands-on access and instruction can be given to a much larger group of students than usually can be taught on a TEM. Drawbacks include the bandwidth of the Internet.
Platelets do not express the oxidized or reduced forms of tissue factor.

Expression of tissue factor (TF) antigen and activity in platelets is controversial and dependent upon the laboratory and reagents used. Two forms of TF were described: an oxidized functional form and a reduced nonfunctional form that is converted to the active form through the formation of an allosteric disulfide. This study tests the hypothesis that the discrepancies regarding platelet TF expression are due to differential expression of the two forms.Specific reagents that recognize both oxidized and reduced TF were used in flow cytometry of unactivated and activated platelets and western blotting of whole platelet lysates. TF-dependent activity measurements were used to confirm the results.Western blotting analyses of placental TF demonstrated that, in contrast to anti-TF#5, which is directed against the oxidized form of TF, a sheep anti-human TF polyclonal antibody recognizes both the reduced and oxidized forms. Flow cytometric analyses demonstrated that the sheep antibody did not react with the surface of unactivated platelets or platelets activated with thrombin receptor agonist peptide, PAR-1. This observation was confirmed using biotinylated active site-blocked factor (F)VIIa: no binding was observed. Likewise, neither form of TF was detected by western blotting of whole platelet lysates with sheep anti-hTF. Consistent with these observations, no FXa or FIXa generation by FVIIa was detected at the surface of these platelets. Similarly, no TF-related activity was observed in whole blood using thromboelastography.Platelets from healthy donors do not express either oxidized (functional) or reduced (nonfunctional) forms of TF.
On Lp-Multipliers of Mixed-Norm Type

Given a sequence (gn) of Fourier multipliers for Lp(R), 1 < p < ∞, let g ≔ Σ∞−∞gnχn, where χn denotes the characteristic function of the interval [2n, 2n+1] in R. Assuming (gn) ∈ ls(M(p)) for some s with 0 < s ≤ ∞, we determine the values of s for which g is, or is not, a multiplier of Lp(R). Our results sharpen a result of Littman et al. who, in 1968, considered the case when s = ∞. The same problem is also considered for multipliers in Lp-spaces defined on a locally compact Vilenkin group.
Freshness assessment of six New England fish species using the torrymeter

Six New England marine species, yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea), whiting (Merluccius bilinearis), scup (Stenotomus chrysops), butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and herring (Clupea harenqus), were stored on ice whole, dressed or skin-on fillets and tested for freshness using the GR Torrymeter. Whole forms of flounder, whiting, scup and butterfish were examined for odor and general appearance. Torrymeter variability and linear relationships during the storage period were established. While the total pattern of Torrymeter decline followed a polynomial regression, quality curves had linear portions with significant correlation coefficients up to 7–8 days of storage. The rate of deterioration of fatty fish was faster than for flounder or scup. A significant linear correlation existed between sensory data and Torrymeter values.
Effect of the Hypnotic Flurazepam on the Sleep of Pentazocine and Heroin Addicts during Withdrawal

Fourteen male heroin addicts being detoxified on methadone and 14 male pentazocine addicts being detoxified drug-free were observed over a 24-hour period for 2 weeks in their sleeping patterns to assess the effects of flurazepam upon sleep during withdrawal. Results of objective and subjective measures find that flurazepam use is associated with more objective nighttime arousals and less total sleep for the heroin group compared to the pentazocine group. Heroin patients felt they had a poorer quality of sleep and took flurazepam more frequently than did the pentazocine patients. Heroin patients' assessments of their sleep and number of arousals correlated poorly with observations.
FK506 and sildenafil promote erectile function recovery after cavernous nerve injury through antioxidative mechanisms.

Introduction Immunophilin ligands and phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are touted to promote erectile function recovery after cavernous nerve (CN) injury. However, the mechanisms for their effects remain unclear.
Solubility extension and phase formation in gas-condensed Co–W nanoclusters

Co–W alloy clusters with extended solubility of W in hcp Co were produced by inert-gas condensation. The structural state of the as-deposited Co–W clusters was found to be critically dependent on processing parameters such as the cooling scheme and sputtering power. For the water-cooled clusters, the mean size and percent crystalline were strongly dependent on sputtering power, while the percent crystalline of the liquid nitrogen-cooled clusters was not as affected by the sputtering power. At low sputtering powers, the water-cooled clusters were predominantly amorphous, but became increasingly more crystalline as the sputtering power increased. The predominant crystalline phase was hcp Co(W), but high-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that very small and very large clusters contained fcc and Co3W structures, respectively. For liquid nitrogen cooling the clusters were predominantly amorphous regardless of sputtering power, although at the highest sputtering power a small percentage of the clusters were crystalline. The magnetic properties were dependent on cooling schemes, sputtering power, and temperature, with the highest coercivity of 893 Oe obtained at 10 K for water-cooled clusters sputtered at 150 W. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the water-cooled sample increased with increasing sputtering power, with the highest anisotropy of 3.9 × 106 ergs/cm3 recorded for clusters sputtered at 150 W. For liquid nitrogen-cooled samples, the anisotropy was approximately constant for all sputtering powers.
p21ras activation following hypoxia-ischemia in the newborn rat brain is dependent on nitric oxide synthase activity but p21ras does not contribute to neurologic injury.

Abstract Hypoxia–ischemia (HI) in the perinatal period is associated with significant infant mortality and neurologic morbidity. Increase in the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and increased release of nitric oxide (NO) are cardinal events in the pathophysiology of stroke and perinatal asphyxia. Cell culture studies suggest that the GTP-binding protein p21ras (Ras) is activated by NO in an NMDA-receptor-dependent pathway. These findings imply that Ras may be activated in vivo by NO released in response to glutamate stimulation during HI. The contribution of downstream Ras activation to neurologic injury after perinatal HI is unknown. We used a postnatal day 7 rat model of perinatal hypoxia–ischemia to determine the response of Ras to HI, the role of NO in Ras activation and the effect of Ras inhibition on neurologic injury in vivo. Ras is activated in both hippocampus and cortex within 2 h after HI. This increase is prevented by treatment with the NOS inhibitor, aminoguanidine (AG) and by a farnesyl/protein transferase inhibitor, manumycin (MAN). Inhibition of NOS, but not Ras, significantly reduces neurologic injury after a 7-day recovery period. This data suggests that Ras is activated during the initiation of the cellular response to HI in both hippocampus and cortex and that this activation is NO-dependent. Ras does not, however, contribute to the pathophysiologic NO-dependent mechanisms of neurologic injury in this model.
Attractive interaction potentials and the binary collision approximation

Abstract The binary collision approximation (BCA) is applied to interatomic potentials with an attractive region surrounding a repulsive core. The evaluation of the collision apsis is modified and the time integral is reformulated. A new program, TABULA, was developed to study different formulations of the BCA and methods of numerical quadrature and to tabulate the scattering integrals and related quantities. TABULA is illustrated by calculations for Moliere and Morse potentials. These show the new time integral equation to be more accurate than the older one. The modifed BCA was installed in a new version of MARLOWE. The increased accuracy reduces the lengths of replacement sequences. Attractive potentials are illustrated by cascade calculations in Au with similar Moliere and Morse potentials. The results show systematic differences related to differences in the potentials and in the kinematics of collisions.
Simulation based validity testing of an outlier accommodation method for minimax absolute error regression

Abstract In previous work, a mixed integer programming model was proposed for the systematic identification of potential outliers in connection with minimax absolute error regression. This method simultaneously estimates the regression parameters in the process of outlier identification. In this paper we report on some validity testing for the method based on simulated outlier inclusion. The results suggest that the method is effective in identification of such simulated outliers.
Sunspot‐activity and radio transmission fade‐outs

This paper contains a description of solar observations made at the Mount Wilson Observatory of the Carnegie Institute of Washington to investigate a possible connection between sunspot-activity and a series of high-frequency radio transmission fade-outs occurring at intervals of about 54 days. These observations were made at the request of Dr. J. H. Dellinger, Chief of the Radio Section of the National Bureau of Standards, who first called attention to the phenomenon (Phys. Rev., v. 48, p. 705, 1935, and Science, v. 82, p. 351, 1935). The effect, as originally reported, consists of a sudden and complete disappearance for about 15 minutes of all high-frequency radio transmission over the illuminated half of the Earth. The first fade-outs reported occurred in 1935 on March 20, May 12, July 6, and August 30.
Software visualization for end-user programmers: trial period obstacles

Software visualization for end-user programmers is a relatively unexplored opportunity area. There are advances in software visualization research pertinent to this, but the adoption stage has been entirely ignored. In this paper, we focus on a popular facilitator of adoption decisions: the free trial period. We conducted a case study of an end-user programmer (an accountant) in this situation, as she tried out a commercial spreadsheet visualization tool to make an adoption decision. The results have implications for both theory and design, revealing open questions, design opportunities, and strengths and weaknesses of theoretical foundations.
Threshold prediction for noise-modulated electrical stimuli using a stochastic auditory nerve model: Implications for cochlear implants

The effect of a low level additive noise process on the input and output characteristics and threshold behavior of auditory nerves (ANs) is studied by means of a stochastic computational model. This paper derives the stochastic properties of the model input and output for adaptive threshold procedures. A closed form solution for the input, or amplitude, probability distribution is obtained via Markov models. The output statistics are derived by integrating over the noise-free probability mass function (PMF). All theoretical PMFs are verified by simulations. Theoretical threshold predictions as a function of noise level are made based on these PMFs and the results indicate that threshold is adversely affected by the presence of low levels of noise.
A Cell Lens Model for Transverse Modes in Optofluidic Intracavity Spectroscopy

Optofluidic intracavity spectroscopy of individual cells from canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA) and canine lymphoma cancer cell lines exhibit relatively uniformly spaced multiple transverse modes repeated in each free spectral range of a microfluidic Fabry-Perot cavity, while similar spectra of healthy canine monocytes and lymphocytes have minimal or no transverse-mode peaks. Modeling of the cells as thin lenses allows paraxial Gaussian beam resonator analysis that produces spectral features that quantitatively match the frequencies of transverse modes and qualitatively agree with the trends in maximum transmission of the modes when aperture losses are included. Cell focal lengths of 600 and 300 μm, respectively, are extracted for canine HSA and lymphoma cells from the ratio of transverse to longitudinal frequency spacing, while the spectra of canine monocytes indicate that they have a focal length ≥ 580 μm. Under an assumption of constant refractive index, the focal lengths imply a radius of curvature for the top surface of the cells that is much greater than their lateral radius.
The vaginal microbiota of pregnant women who subsequently have spontaneous preterm labor and delivery and those with a normal delivery at term.

This study was undertaken to determine whether the vaginal microbiota of pregnant women who subsequently had a spontaneous preterm delivery is different from that of women who had a term delivery. This was a nested case–control study of pregnant women who had a term delivery (controls) and those who had a spontaneous preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation (cases). Samples of vaginal fluid were collected longitudinally and stored at −70°C until assayed. A microbial survey using pyrosequencing of V1-V3 regions of 16S rRNA genes was performed. We tested the hypothesis of whether the relative abundance of individual microbial species (phylotypes) was different between women who had a term versus preterm delivery. A suite of bioinformatic and statistical tools, including linear mixed effects models and generalized estimating equations, was used. We show that: 1) the composition of the vaginal microbiota during normal pregnancy changed as a function of gestational age, with an increase in the relative abundance of four Lactobacillus spp., and decreased in anaerobe or strict-anaerobe microbial species as pregnancy progressed; 2) no bacterial taxa differed in relative abundance between women who had a spontaneous preterm delivery and those who delivered at term; and 3) no differences in the frequency of the vaginal community state types (CST I, III, IV-B) between women who delivered at term and those who delivered preterm were detected. The bacterial taxa composition and abundance of vaginal microbial communities, characterized with 16S rRNA gene sequence-based techniques, were not different in pregnant women who subsequently delivered a preterm neonate versus those who delivered at term.
Quasi-monoenergetic and tunable X-rays from a laser-driven Compton light source

Quasi-monoenergetic Compton X-rays tunable in the range ∼70 keV to >1 MeV are generated in a laser-driven scheme.
Simulation of self-neutralization techniques for charged particle thrusters

There is an emerging class of nanospacecraft thrusters under development that use colloids or nanoparticles that can be charged either positively or negatively to provide thrust. An issue to be examined is how the ability to charge equal number of particles to both polarities is beneficial to the system in terms of being able to provide self-neutralization of the thruster1. An important consideration here is that, unlike traditional ion thruster technology, which emit a single particle polarity and is separately neutralized by highly mobile electrons, this neutralization scheme will be predicated on equal charge, equal mass, massive, cold particles to provide neutralization. Thus, different issues need to be examined, such as strong electric fields near the spacecraft.
Effects of norepinephrine on expression of IGF-1/IGF-1R and SERCA2 in rat heart

Objectives : The effects of norepinephrine on expression of cardiac genes during pathological cardiac growth and heart failure are not fully understood. Tissue insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and its receptor (IGF-1R) play an important role in the regulation of the hyperplastic capacity of cardiac myocytes. Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2), on the other hand, is important in regulating cardiac contractile function. The present study examined the effects of elevated levels of NE on expression of IGF-1/IGF-1R and SERCA2 mRNAs. Methods : Rats were infused with NE using osmotic minipumps for 3 and 6 days at a rate of 50 μg/kg/h and also at a higher dose (130 μg/kg/h) for 6 and 14 days. Levels of expression of IGF-1/IGF-1R and SERCA2 mRNAs were determined by ribonuclease protection assay and by Northern blotting, respectively. Results : NE treatment significantly increased IGF-1 mRNA levels in both left- and right-ventricle; however, levels of IGF-1R increased in the left- but not the right-ventricle. By contrast, NE infusion at both the lower dose and the higher dose failed to alter expression of SERCA2 mRNA. Conclusion : Our results suggest that NE treatment differentially regulates expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1R in the ventricles of rat heart and that NE appears not to affect expression of SERCA2 mRNA.
Metabolism of dibenzothiophene and naphthalene in Pseudomonas strains: complete DNA sequence of an upper naphthalene catabolic pathway.

Abstract From a soil isolate, Pseudomonas strain C18, we cloned and sequenced a 9.8-kb DNA fragment that encodes dibenzothiophene-degrading enzymes. Nine open reading frames were identified and designated doxABDEFGHIJ. Collectively, we refer to these genes as the DOX pathway. At the nucleotide level, doxABD are identical to the ndoABC genes that encode naphthalene dioxygenase of Pseudomonas putida. The DoxG protein is 97% identical to NahC (1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene dioxygenase) of P. putida. DoxE has 37% identity with cis-toluene dihydrodiol dehydrogenase. DoxF is similar to the aldehyde dehydrogenases of many organisms. The predicted DoxHIJ proteins have no obvious sequence similarities to known proteins. Gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector and mass spectroscopy confirmed that the DOX proteins convert naphthalene to salicylate and converting phenanthrene to 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid. doxI mutants convert naphthalene to trans-o-hydroxybenzylidenepyruvate, indicating that the DoxI protein is similar to NahE (trans-o-hydroxybenzylidenepyruvate hydratase-aldolase). Comparison of the DOX sequence with restriction maps of cloned naphthalene catabolic pathway (NAH) genes revealed many conserved restriction sites. The DOX gene arrangement is identical to that proposed for NAH, except that the NAH equivalent of doxH has not been recognized. DoxH may be involved in the conversion of 2-hydroxy-4-(2'-oxo-3,5-cyclohexadienyl)-buta-2,4-dienoat e to cis-o-hydroxybenzylidenepyruvate. doxJ encodes an enzyme similar to NahD (isomerase). Our findings indicate that a single genetic pathway controls the metabolism of dibenzothiophene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene in strain C18 and that the DOX sequence encodes a complete upper naphthalene catabolic pathway similar to NAH.
Structural and functional roles of tyrosine-50 of yeast guanylate kinase

Publisher Summary Tyrosine is one of the most commonly found residues at non-helix phosphate-binding sites in proteins. Tyr-50 is identified to be at the GMP binding site of yeast guanylate kinase (GK) by X-ray crystallography. It is strictly conserved among GKs and other related proteins. X-ray crystallography reveals that the hydroxyl group of Tyr-50 is hydrogen bonded to the phosphoryl group of the bound GMP in the GK GMP complex. It is hydrogen bonded to the main-chain carbonyl oxygen of Asp-98 in the unliganded enzyme. To evaluate the roles of these hydrogen bonds in catalysis and structure, Tyr-50 is replaced by a phenylalanine. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterizations of Y50F suggest that the conformation of the mutant is very similar to that of the wild-type GK. Thus, the hydroxyl group of Tyr-50 is not important for proper folding of the protein. However, it stabilizes the native structure by 2.3 kcal/mol as determined by Gdn-HCl-induced denaturation. This chapter describes evaluation of the structural and functional roles of Tyr-50 by site-directed mutagenesis in conjunction with kinetics, 2D NMR and guanidine hydrochloride-induced denaturation. The chapter shows that Tyr-50 stabilizes the GK GMP complex by 2.2 kcal/mol, the ternary complex by 2.1 kcal/mol, and the transition state by 3.2 kcal/mol. Tyr-50 is not essential for proper folding of the enzyme but it contributes to the conformational stability by 2.3 kcal/mol.
The Use of Strain Gage Transducers to Study Gastroduodenal Motility in Turkeys

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if extraluminal strain-gauge transducers (SGT), which have not been tested in birds, could be used to accurately monitor gastroduodenal motility in turkeys. Recordings of gastroduodenal motility obtained from implanted SGT’s were compared to recordings obtained simultaneously using measurements of intraluminal pressure (ILP), a method previously used in birds. Frequencies, durations and amplitudes of GI motility as determined by the ILP method were highly significantly correlated with those determined by the SGT method with one exception. The mean amplitude of the force of the contractions of the thin muscle of the muscular stomach was not significantly correlated with the ILP amplitude occurring during this contraction. This exception can be accounted for. In general, although recordings of the same GI events simultaneously obtained by the two methods were not identical, they were similar. Most importantly, similar information about the gastroduodenal contraction cycle was obtained by either monitoring method.
ABDB-LIKE HOX PROTEINS STABILIZE DNA BINDING BY THE MEIS1 HOMEODOMAIN PROTEINS

Recent studies show that Hox homeodomain proteins from paralog groups 1 to 10 gain DNA binding specificity and affinity through cooperative binding with the divergent homeodomain protein Pbx1. However, the AbdB-like Hox proteins from paralogs 11, 12, and 13 do not interact with Pbx1a, raising the possibility of different protein partners. The Meis1 homeobox gene has 44% identity to Pbx within the homeodomain and was identified as a common site of viral integration in myeloid leukemias arising in BXH-2 mice. These integrations result in constitutive activation of Meis1. Furthermore, the Hoxa-9 gene is frequently activated by viral integration in the same BXH-2 leukemias, suggesting a biological synergy between these two distinct classes of homeodomain proteins in causing malignant transformation. We now show that the Hoxa-9 protein physically interacts with Meis1 proteins by forming heterodimeric binding complexes on a DNA target containing a Meis1 site (TGACAG) and an AbdB-like Hox site (TTTTACGAC). Hox proteins from the other AbdB-like paralogs, Hoxa-10, Hoxa-11, Hoxd-12, and Hoxb-13, also form DNA binding complexes with Meis1b, while Hox proteins from other paralogs do not appear to interact with Meis1 proteins. DNA binding complexes formed by Meis1 with Hox proteins dissociate much more slowly than DNA complexes with Meis1 alone, suggesting that Hox proteins stabilize the interactions of Meis1 proteins with their DNA targets.
“It's just reflex now”: German Language Learners’ Use of Online Resources

This study examined how often and to what extent university learners of German use online resources (e.g., online dictionaries and translators) in relation to German coursework, their motivations for use, and their beliefs about online resources and language learning. Data for this study consisted of open-ended surveys (n=71) and face-to-face interviews (n=13) with students from second-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-semester language courses. Results from both the survey and interview data revealed that learners consistently used online resources, including online dictionaries, translation sites, and other websites for reasons related to time efficiency, vocabulary, to “check” or “compare” their work, and general reference. As to whether or not the use of online resources contributes to learning, learners had mixed beliefs regarding the advantages and disadvantages of using online resources.
Gapping Is Not (VP-) Ellipsis

Pseudogapping is no misnomer. Despite their many tempting similarities, gapping and pseudogapping are distinct constructions. Pseudogapping is a special instance of VP-ellipsis, while gapping, I argue, is a special instance of across-the-board movement. Squeezing gapping into across-the-board movement has its own discomforts, however, which I suggest can be remedied by retailoring our syntax to include string-based output constraints. I sketch one such alteration that involves apparent Left Branch Condition violations.
Streaming H.264/AVC video over the Internet

We propose a novel end-to-end architecture for streaming H.264/AVC (advanced video coding) unicast video over the Internet. The proposed video streaming architecture is based primarily on a new transport layer protocol, the stream control transmission protocol (SCTP). We show that the network-friendly specification of H.264/AVC and the novel technical characteristics of SCTP, when coupled together are able to provide a highly adaptive and flexible system for unicast video streaming. With simulation results we prove (1) that our system is capable of maintaining good perceptual quality under various loss conditions and (2) that the proposed system maintains TCP-friendliness.
Human body parts making: Educational challenges for Engineered Physiology, biorobotics, and biofabrication

This short paper describes a Master's program design to meet the educational demand for body parts making, both from physiological and non-physiological nature (prostheses). The paper gives a new definition of an organ to allow both types of human body parts. It also introduces the concept of Engineered Physiology in the educational system.
A Multi-Path Selection Protocol in Fourth Generation Wireless Networks

Fourth generation wireless systems can be characterized by the collaboration between various radio access networks providing a broad range of services to the users anywhere, anytime. The development effort toward the integration of these technologies is called "Beyond 3G Systems" or the composite radio concept. In a multi-access radio environment provisioning of the required capacity and quality of service for the users' traffic flows in a cost-effective way is a challenging task. The users should be able to select among various radio access technologies that can satisfy the users' capacity and quality of service requirements. We present a novel protocol that allows users to discover multiple, least cost paths collectively providing the required services for end users. The selection of the new paths is based on statistical measurements of network nodes' past performances in providing the requested quality of service with a competitive cost.
Comparative genomics identifies genes mediating cardiotoxicity in the embryonic zebrafish heart

Retinoic acid (RA) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) activate distinct ligand-dependent transcription factors, and both cause cardiac malformation and heart failure in zebrafish embryo...
Inactivation of cdc2 kinase during mitosis requires regulated and constitutive proteins in a cell-free system

Inactivation of the cyclin-p34cdc2 protein kinase complex is a major requirement for anaphase onset and exit from mitosis. To facilitate identification of specific molecules that regulate this event in mammalian cells, I have developed a cell-free assay in which cdc2 kinase associated with a chromosomal fraction from metaphase tissue culture cells is inactivated by a cell-cycle-regulated cytosolic system. In vitro kinase inactivation requires ATP, Mg2+ and the dephosphorylation of one or more sites in the chromosomal fraction by protein phosphatase 1 and/or 2A. Cyclin B is destroyed during inactivation, while the level of p34cdc2 remains constant. Ammonium sulfate fractionation resolves the cytosolic inactivating system into at least two distinct protein components that are both required for inactivation and are differentially regulated during mitosis.
Delivery Rates on Kickstarter

Using a large survey with 47,188 backers of Kickstarter projects, I examined the factors that led to projects failing to deliver their promised rewards. Among funded projects, a failure to deliver seems relatively rare, accounting for around 9% of all projects, with a possible range of 5% to 14%. There are few indicators at the time of project funding as to which projects might ultimately fail to deliver rewards, though small projects (and to a lesser extent very large projects) are more likely to fail to deliver rewards, as are some project categories. The demographics of project creators (including gender, education level, and family status) did not significantly affect the chance of a project succeeding.
Thorium Oxide and Electronics

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the practical applications of thorium oxide emitters, and outlines the outstanding problems and the types of research and development that are under way. The introduction of thorium oxide into the field of practical electronics came about because of its metallurgical as well as its thermionic properties. The thermionic emission of thorium oxide means the maximum space-charge limited emission or field-free emission. Thus, thorium oxide becomes appropriate for applications where conditions are: to deactivate or destroy a barium oxide cathode and the use of pure tungsten is impracticable because of the high temperature requirement, or possibly because of the difficulties of fabrication. The chapter also describes the phenomena concerning the behavior of thorium oxide in the state in which it is always used as a cathode emitter— that is, a composite mass of small crystals, sintered, or otherwise. It also describes the work on optically clear homogeneous specimens of the fused oxide, work concerning color changes, and absorption spectra followed by conductivity studies on sintered thoria and those using crystalline specimens.
The Nation after the Age of the Global

In his innovative and often transformative book, National Consciousness and Literary Cosmopolitics: Postcolonial Literature in a Global Age (henceforth NC ), Weihsin Gui takes up the question of how postcolonialism should inform our understanding of the global moment by re-invigorating literature’s relationship to nationalism. Analyzing works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Derek Walcott, Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, Twan Eng Tan, and Preeta Samarasan, he does what very few of the books of this genre manage; he tightly defines his use of the national and the global to avoid bland paeans to either term and avoids making one subservient or even counter-purposed to the other. He focuses on a “national consciousness and literary cosmopolitics, rather than a study of economic and demographic flows and movements” (3). He rethinks nationalism as a constellation of interdependent relationships, some local and others global, using Theodor Adorno’s negative dialectics. The openness of the negative dialectics allows Gui to read multiple, simultaneous attachments to the nation—as diasporic and native, linguistically major or minor, commodity or aesthetic—without the tension between these oppositions being determinative or fated to resolution. Read through the aesthetic experiments in poetry and prose that NC brings into an unexpected space of comparison, these relationships simultaneously critique and define forms of national belonging without resorting to a blithe rejection of the nation in favor of an idealized cosmopolis. “[N]egative dialectics,” Gui writes, “points to an arrangement or a reconfiguration of national consciousness and cosmopolitics as intertwined concepts as opposed to the triumph of postnational globalism in which transnational flows render nations moribund and obsolete” (22). What makes NC substantively different from other efforts to unseat nationalist discourses is that it addresses literary texts neither as producers nor as products of an antinationalist counter-discourse but rather according to the unexplored aesthetic and formal resonances already at work within a writer’s national consciousness. Gui makes room for postcolonial interventions from novels, stories, and poems that might at various moments be classified as national, transnational, diasporic, and global texts, thus making their canonicity irrelevant, or at least uninteresting in comparison to the way each text is simultaneously produced by and critical of nationalisms.
Epigenetics and prenatal influences on asthma and allergic airways disease

Educational aims Describe how genetic studies have explained a small portion of asthma heritability Discuss how epigenetic marks are influenced by the environment and are important in T-cell lineage differentiation Describe animal studies of the role of DNA methylation in the development of allergic airway disease Summarise human studies on the role of DNA methylation in asthma and allergy
Ranolazine for atrial fibrillation: Too good to be true?

Several management options for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) available today were not even in the realm of discussion two decades ago. These advances, however, have primarily involved invasive management options for patients with drug refractory arrhythmia.1-3 After the recognition that electrical isolation of the thoracic veins benefits patients with paroxysmal AF, a slew of more involved ablative techniques evolved.4-8 Major breakthroughs in antiarrhythmic therapy, however, have not paralleled this meteoric development of invasive techniques. The drive for invasive procedures has, in fact, been widely based on the lack of availability of simple, effective, and safe pharmacological options for AF.9-11 The introduction of dronedarone into clinical practice represented a recent addition to antiarrhythmic therapy options for use in the management of patients with AF. This agent is an analogue of amiodarone but devoid of the iodine moiety which allows its use without the well-recognized and dreaded organ toxicity associated with long-term use. Nevertheless, a significant need exists for a drug with limited side effects that can be used for symptomatic intermittent AF without the need for daily chronic use, fear of organ toxicity, and concern regarding proarrhythmia in patients with structural heart disease.
Perceptions, Uses of, and Interests in Complementary Health Care Approaches in Depressed Pregnant Women The PAW Survey

Depression affects up to 23% of pregnant women and is associated with adverse physical/mental health outcomes for both the mother and baby. Depressed pregnant women may be more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that contribute to an increased risk for chronic disease. Little is known regarding depressed pregnant women's perceptions, uses of, and interests in complementary health approaches. Study participants (mean age 28.7 ± 6.8; n = 1032) included pregnant women ≥8 weeks gestation who responded to a survey assessing physical and mental health and wellness practices. Of those completing the survey, depressed pregnant women (n = 272) had significantly higher levels of anxiety (P < .001) and stress (P < .001) and had poorer sleep quality (P < .001), mindfulness (P < .001), and social support (P < .001) compared to nondepressed pregnant women (n = 760). A majority (84%) of depressed pregnant women would consider using a complementary health approach for weight and/or stress management during pregnancy, and more than 50% were interested in yoga.
Study on the best choice of adjuvant on passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in rats

Objective To get the best choice of adjuvant by researching the influence of the adjuvant whether it is added or not on passive cutaneous anaphylaxis test and the distinction of different adjuvant which is used on passive cutaneous anaphylaxis( PCA) test. Methods With ovalbumin( OVA) as allergens,SD rats were injected three different adjuvant,pertussis bacteria liquid( 0. 25 m L per animal),aluminium hydroxide( 0. 5 m L per animal),diphtheria- pertussis- tetanus combined vaccine( DPT)( 0. 25 m L per animal) on PCA test. The skin allergic reaction was investigated. Result Each group can cause allergic reaction with different degrees. The incidence of allergic reaction in adjuvant group was obviously higher than blank group. According to the incidence and severity of allergic reaction,the result from large to small is DPT vaccine,pertussis bacteria liquid,aluminium hydroxide. The number of animals with allergic reaction in female rats is higher than the number in male rats. Conclusion Allergic reaction using different adjuvant on PCA test was different. Taking comprehensive consideration of different adjuvant in different factors,such as purchase,transportation,price and the sensitization effect,aluminium hydroxide can be the best choice on PCA test.
Homeobox protein VentX induces p53-independent apoptosis in cancer cells.

// Hong Gao 1, 2, * , Bin Wu 1, 3, * , Yi Le 1 , Zhenglun Zhu 1 1 Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02115, Massachusetts, USA 2 Current address: Department of Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, 02115, Massachusetts, USA 3 Current address: Department of Gastroenterology, Third Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Zhenglun Zhu, e-mail: zzhu@partners.org Keywords: ventX, apoptosis, p53, caspase-3, PARP Received: December 18, 2015 Accepted: April 24, 2016 Published: May 09, 2016 ABSTRACT Identifying novel tumor suppressors holds promise for improving cancer treatment. Our recent studies identified VentX, a homeobox transcriptional factor, as a putative tumor suppressor. Here we demonstrate that VentX exerts strong inhibitory effects on the proliferation and survival of cancer cells, but not primary transformed cells, such as 293T cells. Mechanistically, both in vitro and in vivo data showed that VentX induces apoptosis of cancer cells in a p53-independent manner. We found that VentX expression can be induced by chemotherapeutic agents. Taken together, our findings suggest that VentX may function as a novel therapeutic target in cancer treatment.
Regulation of lung surfactant secretion by intracellular pH.

We investigated secretion of lung surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PC) using isolated perfused rat lung preparation after labeling the lung lipids in vitro with [methyl-3H]choline. The perfusion med...
A predictive model for the tokamak density limit

We reproduce the Greenwald density limit, in all tokamak experiments by using a phenomenologically correct model with parameters in the range of experiments. A simple model of equilibrium evolution and local power balance inside the island has been implemented to calculate the radiation-driven thermo-resistive tearing mode growth and explain the density limit. Strong destabilization of the tearing mode due to an imbalance of local Ohmic heating and radiative cooling in the island predicts the density limit within a few percent. Furthermore, we found the density limit and it is a local edge limit and weakly dependent on impurity densities. Our results are robust to a substantial variation in model parameters within the range of experiments.