cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolism of Gentiobiose in Aerobacter aerogenes

Cleavage of gentiobiose in cell extracts of gentiobiose-grown Aerobacter aerogenes was dependent on the presence of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP). The enzymes that participate in the overall reaction were shown to be a β-glucoside kinase, which catalyzes the phosphorylation of gentiobiose with ATP to form gentiobiose monophosphate [6-O-phosphoryl-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-d-glucose], and a phospho-β-glucosidase, which catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of gentiobiose monophosphate to form equimolar amounts of d-glucose and d-glucose 6-phosphate. Although the β-glucoside kinase was previously shown to catalyze the phosphorylation of many β-glucosides that serve as growth substrates (i.e., gentiobiose, cellobiose, cellobiitol, salicin, arbutin, methyl β-d-glucoside, and phenyl β-d-glucoside), mutant analysis and induction studies indicate that it functions only in the metabolism of gentiobiose, cellobiose, and cellobiitol.
Superposition in quantum and classical mechanics

Using the mathematical notion of an entity to represent states in quantum and classical mechanics, we show that, in a strict sense, proper superpositions are possible in classical mechanics.
Wake detection: a multichannel approach (SAR image)

The detection of a wake obtained from satellite images using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques is discussed. After both 2-D and 1-D spectral analysis of both simulated and measured wake images, it is concluded that the wake can be considered narrowband temporally and broadband spatially, implying that a plane-wave decomposition may provide a reliable detection approach. In fact, it is shown that the frequency-wavenumber spectrum can be utilized for detection, since the wake decomposition yields plane wave components in symmetric pairs. Various narrowband processors are implemented along with spatial smoothing to provide a reliable frequency-wavenumber estimator. After estimating all of the symmetric wavenumber pairs, various detection schemes are investigated. >
Lifestyle regularity and cyclothymic symptomatology

The social zeitgeber theory emphasizes the importance that social rhythm regularity may play in promoting internal synchronization of circadian rhythms in individuals with or at risk for bipolar spectrum disorders. This study examined the relationship of lifestyle regularity, affective symptomatology, and sleep in 71 individuals exhibiting cyclothymic mood and behavior patterns. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group in which they were encouraged to regulate their daily routines or to a control group. Participants in the experimental group were able to successfully regulate their daily schedules. Although relationships between regularity and severity of depressive symptoms, across-day variances in mood and behavior, and sleep duration were identified during baseline, increased lifestyle regularity did not differentially result in changes in these variables.
The television, school and family smoking prevention/cessation project. II. Formative evaluation of television segments by teenagers and parents – implications for parental involvement in drug education

Abstract Introduction The present study assessed attitudes of 45 seventhgraders and of an independent sample of 52 unre-lated parents (of seventh grade students) regard-ing a mass media-enhanced social psychologicallyoriented cigarette smoking prevention program.The assessment represented a formative evaluationof family-involvement related variables to aid inthe development of a future family-focused sub-stance-abuse prevention program. The resultswere: (0 adults and youths expressed much inter-est in having parents be actively involved in pre-vention interventions; (ii) adults favored minimal-ly assertive interaction strategies in family-oriented prevention strategies with their children,although they encouraged their children to beassertive regarding parental cessation efforts;(iii) two of the most interesting prevention com-ponents to adults (peer and media influences) werethe least interesting components to youths; and(iv) learning of prevention material was consistentwith the differentia] interest results, althoughparents generally knew the prevention knowledgeitem answers even at pretest. This study high-lighted the usefulness of a pretest—media presen-tation-posttest formative evaluation procedurewith independent samples differing in family rolestatus to help improved family-oriented drugeducation programming.
SU-GG-T-513: Patient-Specific Independent GammaPlan Quality Assurance for Gamma Knife Perfexion

Purpose: One of the most important aspects of Quality Assurance (QA) in radiation therapy is redundancy of patient treatmentdose calculation. This work is focused on the patient‐specific time and 3D dosetreatment plan verification for stereotactic radiosurgery using Lexell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ (LGK PFX). Method and Materials: The virtual model of LGK PFX was built in Matlab™, based on the physical dimensions of this modality supplied by the manufacturer. However, in our model, the ring‐specific linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) and output factors (OFs) reported by the manufacturer were replaced by the measurement‐based collimator size‐specific OFs and a single LAC=0.0065 mm−1, as the manufacturer‐supplied parameters resulted in 6–9% lower absolute dose in all cases. Depths for each LGK PFX shot was obtained by ray‐tracing technique, and the dose calculation formalism was identical to the one used by GammaPlan treatment planningsoftware. The architecture of the QA process was based on the in‐house on‐line database search code that retrieved the LGK PFX plan‐specific information. A series of QA phantom plans was examined to verify geometric and dosimetric accuracy of our software. This was followed by calculation of a series of patient plans, which aimed at establishing action limits for our QA process. Results: The shot time/focus point dose verification for each shot takes less than 1sec/shot with 3Disodose verification taking about 30sec/shot, database access time being less than 0.05sec. The geometric accuracy (location of the point of maximum dose) of the phantom and patient plan was dependant on the resolution of the original dose matrix and was of the order of 1–1.5pixel. Dosimetric accuracy of our calculated phantom and patient point dose was within 3–3.5% from the GammaPlan with the mean=2.3% and SD=1.1%. Conclusion: The process for independent pre‐treatment patient‐specific Gamma Knife Perfexion time and dose verification was created and validated.
The realization and design considerations of a flip-chip integrated MEMS tunable capacitor

Abstract Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based radio frequency (RF) components are being developed for various microwave and millimeter-wave applications. Using standard foundry processes, it is possible to create very complex MEMS devices. However, most RF MEMS need to be fabricated using GaAs, ceramics, high resistivity silicon or other RF-compatible materials. Such fabrication techniques are not commonly used by the mainstream silicon-based MEMS manufacturing infrastructure. As a result, the complexities of these MEMS devices are very limited. What is needed is a way to utilize the existing cost effective foundry processes, but not sacrifice RF performance. Utilizing a flip-chip transfer process, a complex, foundry fabricated, MEMS tunable capacitor has been demonstrated that yields high quality RF performance ( Q ∼100 at 10 GHz, 1050 at 1 GHz). The transfer process is described, and its performance (control, success rate, etc.) is presented. Several major design considerations for implementing the tunable capacitor using flip-chip technology are presented, including warpage, actuator design, and structural rigidity. Using the transfer process and design considerations, there is an opportunity to integrate complex MEMS onto any RF compatible substrate without the silicon semiconductor effects. Thus, it is possible to manufacture complex MEMS cost-effectively for a new generation of RF MEMS with superior functionality.
The experience engineering framework applied in two contexts

Analysis of existing User-centered Design methods revealed an underlying common framework consisting of three components and three principles. The components are (1) a multi-faceted view of experience, (2) a set of goal driven phases, and (3) a repository of best practices for navigating those phases. The principles are (1) team-based design, (2) facilitation of divergence and then convergence of ideasce, and (3) alignment of teams and phases. We call this framework the Experience Engineering Framework (EEF) and use it to construct a UCD process tailored for each project or design problem by using the right components and principles for that project. This abstract briefly presents two applications of the EEF in two very different contexts.
Reliable radiation hybrid maps: an efficient scalable clustering-based approach

The process of mapping markers from radiation hybrid mapping (RHM) experiments is equivalent to the traveling salesman problem and, thereby, has combinatorial complexity. As an additional problem, experiments typically result in some unreliable markers that reduce the overall quality of the map. We propose a clustering approach for addressing both problems efficiently by eliminating unreliable markers without the need for mapping the complete set of markers. Traditional approaches for eliminating markers use resampling of the full data set, which has an even higher computational complexity than the original mapping problem. In contrast, the proposed approach uses a divide-and-conquer strategy to construct framework maps based on clusters that exclude unreliable markers. Clusters are ordered using parallel processing and are then combined to form the complete map. We present three algorithms that explore the trade-off between the number of markers included in the map and placement accuracy. Using an RHM data set of the human genome, we compare the framework maps from our proposed approaches with published physical maps and with the results of using the Carthagene tool. Overall, our approaches have a very low computational complexity and produce solid framework maps with good chromosome coverage and high agreement with the physical map marker order.
Thiol Level in Liver and Kidneys of Chickens: Effect of Strain and Age

Abstract MILLER et al. (1959a, b; 1967) have reported that one strain of inbred chicks (R) retained more mercury in liver and kidneys following injection of several mercurials than a second strain (S). These lines of chicks were selected by Bearse et al. (1963) for resistance (R) and susceptibility (S) to avian leukosis. Since mercury has been reported to attach to protein thiol groups in the animal body (Hughes, 1957; Shoemaker, 1957; Berlin and Gibson, 1963) an investigation was undertaken to determine stress factors that may increase or decrease the thiol level in R and S chickens. The normal thiol level in liver and kidneys of these chickens at various ages is reported here. METHODS AND MATERIALS Chicks hatched from the R and S strains were brooded on wire in a battery and given commercial feed and water ad libitum. At various ages the chicks were killed. The livers and kidneys . . .
An algorithm for locating adjacent storage blocks in the buddy system

A simple scheme for the determination of the location of a block of storage relative to other blocks is described. This scheme is applicable to the buddy type storage allocation systems.
A Resident Helps Redesign How One Institution Provides Emergency Care

A front-line provider explains why doctors-in-training are best positioned to increase the value of care for patients.
Structure of the moving piezoelectric polaron

Both the intermediate-coupling theory and a strong-coupling theory appropriate for a moving polaron give an anomalous energy-momentum relation, $E(P)$, for the piezoelectric polaron. This relation starts out quadratic at small $P$, but at large $P$ it asymptotes to a straight line with slope equal to the speed of sound $s$. It is shown that the states represented by this anomalous $E$ vs. $P$ relation are such that the electron is clothed by its concomitant lattice distortion and that this lattice distortion becomes larger as the polaron velocity $v\ensuremath{\rightarrow}s$. This indicates that in this limit an increasing number of phonons are gathering in the "phonon cloud" around the electron. In both theories the constant lattice-potential surfaces become flattened in the forward and backward directions as the polaron starts to move.
Characterizing the radar ambiguity functions

Ambiguity functions are expanded relative to cross-ambiguity functions associated with a special orthonormal basis of signal space related to a rectangular pulse. The cross-ambiguity functions are simply related to the well-known ambiguity function of a rectangular pulse. The description of ambiguity functions in terms of these well-known and interrelated cross-ambiguity functions facilitates the ease with which desired calculations can be made. Indeed, one can compute the ambiguity function of a signal as easily as taking the Fourier series of a periodic function. The characterization of ambiguity functions resulting from this expansion is applied to prove two general results about the set of all ambiguity functions. We prove that the set of ambiguity functions is closed on the square-integrable topology and that, except in a trivial case, the sum of two ambiguity functions is never an ambiguity function.
Effects of irrigation and vegetation activity on early Indian summer monsoon variability

We examined the effects of land cover change over the Indian subcontinent during pre-monsoon season (March, April, and May—MAM) on early Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall using observed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and July precipitation for the period of 1982–2003. MAM NDVI anomalies have increased in the Indian subcontinent and the increases are significantly correlated with increases in the irrigated area, not preceding rainfall. July rainfall significantly decreased in central and southern India, and the decrease is statistically related to the increase in the preceding MAM NDVI anomalies. Decreased July surface temperature in the Indian subcontinent (an expected result of increased evapotranspiration due to irrigation and increased vegetation) leads to a reduced land–sea thermal contrast, which is one of the factors driving the monsoon, and therefore weakens the monsoon circulation. A weak early ISM appears to be at least partially a result of irrigation and the resultant increased vegetation and crop activity prior to the monsoon. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Lessons of studies of breast-conserving therapy with and without whole-breast irradiation for patient selection for partial-breast irradiation

Partial-breast irradiation is a promising approach for treating patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer. There are still few studies of partial-breast irradiation that address critical issues, such as criteria for patient selection. However, an enormous body of experience has been accumulated regarding the results in patients treated with "conventional" breast-conserving therapy using whole-breast irradiation and for patients treated with conservative surgery without radiotherapy of any kind. This article will therefore review portions of this existing experience that may aid the development of partial-breast irradiation and give perspective on the overall role that partial-breast irradiation may ultimately play in our therapeutic armamentarium.
Heterogeneous Structure in Dense Gas-Solid Riser Flows

Recent measurements by Electric Capacitance Tomography (ECT) reveal that, under certain operation conditions, the solid concentration distribution in the dense and acceleration regimes of gas-solid riser flows exhibits a strong heterogeneous structure within the same cross-section. This core-annulus-wall heterogeneous structure, significantly different from the commonly-known “core-annulus (wall)” two-zone structure in riser flows, becomes unstable with the increase in solids loading, which eventually leads to the occurrence of choking [1]. In this study, we propose a mechanistic model to investigate the formation mechanism of these interesting heterogeneous structures. Our model simulation shows that the commonly known “core-annulus (wall)” flow structure occurs at low solid loadings and/or high gas velocities whereas the core-annulus-wall flow structure is formed at moderate solids loading and/or at low gas velocities. With a high solids loading at low gas velocity, sever back mixing results in a solid concentration peak formed in the core, which not only causes the flow instability but also possibly triggers the choking. Model simulations are validated by direct comparisons against measurements in solid concentrations as well as pressure drop along the riser, which shows a fairly good agreement.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
A Meta-Analytical Review of the Demand/Withdraw Pattern of Interaction and its Associations with Individual, Relational, and Communicative Outcomes

This meta-analysis reviews the findings of 74 studies (N = 14,255) examining the associations between the demand/withdraw pattern of interaction and individual, relational, and communicative outcomes. When both the individual behaviors of demanding and withdrawing and the pattern of demand/withdraw are considered collectively, the cumulative evidence indicates a moderate, meaningful relationship between demand/withdraw and overall outcomes (r=.360). Similar overall effect sizes were observed for wife demand/husband withdraw (r=.380) and husband demand/wife withdraw (r=.392), although the overall effect size for demand/withdraw patterns in studies that included distressed/clinical participants (r=.413) was greater in magnitude than that obtained for studies that included nondistressed participants (r=.345). On average, higher correlations were observed for relational (r=.423) and communicative outcomes (r=.418) than for demographic (r=.239) and well-being outcomes (r=.249).
CAPSULATION OF PNEUMOCOCCUS WITH SOLUBLE C-LIKE (Cs) POLYSACCHARIDE : I. BIOLOGICAL AND GENETIC PROPERTIES OF Cs PNEUMOCOCCAL STRAINS

Capsulated mutants of pneumococcus producing a capsule of soluble polysaccharide related immunologically to the C or cell wall polysaccharide of pneumococcus have been isolated from several noncapsulated variants of this organism. The capsular material of these strains reacts with antisera both to homologous strains and to noncapsulated strains of pneumococcus and with human C-reactive protein. C-reactive protein has been shown to give a positive capsular precipitin or Quellung reaction with Cs pneumococcal variants and to agglutinate them. The genetic locus which determines the production of Cs polysaccharide is situated in a region of the pneumococcal chromosome distinct from that controlling normal capsular polysaccharide synthesis. Binary and ternary capsulated pneumococci, one of the capsular components of which is Cs polysaccharide, have been isolated following DNA-mediated transformation.
Dating the age of the SIV lineages that gave rise to HIV-1 and HIV-2.

Great strides have been made in understanding the evolutionary history of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and the zoonoses that gave rise to HIV-1 and HIV-2. What remains unknown is how long these SIVs had been circulating in non-human primates before the transmissions to humans. Here, we use relaxed molecular clock dating techniques to estimate the time of most recent common ancestor for the SIVs infecting chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys, the reservoirs of HIV-1 and HIV-2, respectively. The date of the most recent common ancestor of SIV in chimpanzees is estimated to be 1492 (1266–1685), and the date in sooty mangabeys is estimated to be 1809 (1729–1875). Notably, we demonstrate that SIV sequences sampled from sooty mangabeys possess sufficient clock-like signal to calibrate a molecular clock; despite the differences in host biology and viral dynamics, the rate of evolution of SIV in sooty mangabeys is indistinguishable from that of its human counterpart, HIV-2. We also estimate the ages of the HIV-2 human-to-human transmissible lineages and provide the first age estimate for HIV-1 group N at 1963 (1948–1977). Comparisons between the SIV most recent common ancestor dates and those of the HIV lineages suggest a difference on the order of only hundreds of years. Our results suggest either that SIV is a surprisingly young lentiviral lineage or that SIV and, perhaps, HIV dating estimates are seriously compromised by unaccounted-for biases.
Changes in Tetracycline Susceptibility of Enteric Bacteria following Switching to Nonmedicated Milk Replacer for Dairy Calves

A randomized intervention study was conducted to determine if discontinuing use of calf milk replacer medicated with oxytetracycline results in increased tetracycline susceptibility in Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. and Escherichia coli in dairy calves over a 12-month period. Dairy herds with enteric bacteria with known low tetracycline susceptibility were enrolled for the study. Fecal samples from preweaned calves and environmental samples were collected from eight dairy herds in Michigan and New York State. Samples were collected monthly for 3 months prior to and 12 months after four of the eight herds discontinued medicated milk replacer feeding. Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. and E. coli were isolated, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using automated broth microdilution. A total of 804 intervention and 1,026 control calf fecal samples and 122 intervention and 136 control environmental samples were collected for testing. No differences in owner-reported morbidity and mortality between treatment groups were seen. The intervention was significantly associated with increasing tetracycline susceptibility in E. coli and Salmonella. Tetracycline susceptibility increased in intervention herds for the first 3 months after switching to nonmedicated milk replacer but declined in subsequent months. Discontinuing the practice of feeding medicated milk replacers to calves increased tetracycline susceptibility in E. coli and Salmonella on dairy farms, without increasing cattle disease, but declines in effectiveness after 3 months suggest that other factors contribute to decreasing susceptibility on the farm.
Reduction of quantum contents of synaptic potentials after postsynaptic axotomy

THE loss of synaptic transmission in the chick ciliary ganglion that is observed after the postganglionic section of the ciliary nerves is accompanied by both a decrease in acetylcholine (ACh) sensitivity of the axotomised cells and a change in the transmitter release characteristics of the presynaptic terminals1,2. Evidence for the presynaptic change included a decrease in the mean quantum content m of the excitatory postsynaptic potentials (e.p.s.p.s) and a greater susceptibility to fatigue during repetitive stimulation. The reduction in quantum content after axotomy was inferred from an increase in the coefficient of variation of the e.p.s.p. amplitude distribution in the depressed state. In the experiments reported here it was possible to measure miniature synaptic potentials (m.e.p.p.s) in axotomised preparations so that more accurate estimates of the mean quantum content of e.p.s.p.s could be made.
PRODUCTION OF COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR BY HUMAN MACROPHAGES

Abstract The monocyte is the cell present in human peripheral blood which produces a factor stimulating bone-marrow colony formation in agar. Monocytes give rise to macrophages, both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, to define a possible physiological role for the tissue macrophage in human leucopoietic regulation, monocyte-derived macrophages and human pulmonary macrophages were tested for colony-stimulating activity. Macrophages and conditioned media prepared from macrophage cultures were highly active in stimulating human bone-marrow granulocyte and mononuclear cell proliferation in vitro. These observations suggest that tissue macrophages may be involved in the control of leucopoiesis and that these cells may function both as phagocytes and recruit new granulocytes and monocytes for host defence.
Traditional Institutions as Tools of Political Islam in Bangladesh

Since 1991, salish (village arbitration) and fatwa (religious edict) have become common features of Bangladesh society, especially in rural areas. Women and non-governmental development organizations (NGOs) have been subjected to fatwas delivered through a traditional social institution called salish. This article examines this phenomenon and its relationship to the rise of Islam as political ideology and increasing strengths of Islamist parties in Bangladesh. This article challenges existing interpretations that persecution of women through salish and fatwa is a reaction of the rural community against the modernization process; that fatwas represent an important tool in the backlash of traditional elites against the impoverished rural women; and that the actions of the rural mullahs do not have any political links. The article shows, with several case studies, that use of salish and fatwa as tools of subjection of women and development organizations reflect an effort to utilize traditional local institut...
Convergence of Numerical Sequences – a Commentary on “the Vice: Some Historically Inspired and Proof Generated Steps to Limits of Sequences” By R.P. Burn

Burn (2005) proposes a genetic approach to teaching limits of numerical sequences. The article includes an explanation of the Method of Exhaustion,1 a generalization of this method, and a description of how this method was used for obtaining areas and lengths in the seventeenth century. The author uses these historical and mathematical analyses as a basis for proposing an alternative definition of the limit of a sequence. The paper focuses on the fine mathematical and historical detail of the notion of limit. Reading it made me reflect on the explicitly or implicitly involved didactical aspects, which I would like to share with ESM readers.
Consistency of self-reported alcohol consumption on randomized and sequential alcohol purchase tasks.

Behavioral economic demand for addictive substances is commonly assessed via purchase tasks that measure estimated drug consumption at a range of prices. Purchase tasks typically use escalating prices in sequential order, which may influence performance by providing explicit price reference points. This study investigated the consistency of value preferences on two alcohol purchase tasks (APTs) that used either a randomized or sequential price order (price range: free to $30 per drink) in a sample of ninety-one young adult monthly drinkers. Randomization of prices significantly reduced relative response consistency (p 95%). Self-reported alcohol consumption across prices and indices of demand were highly similar across versions, although a few notable exceptions were found. These results suggest generally high consistency and overlapping performance between randomized and sequential price assessment. Implications for the behavioral economics literature and priorities for future research are discussed.
Cardioprotection and altered mitochondrial adenine nucleotide transport

It is becoming increasingly clear that mitochondrial dysfunction is critically important in myocardial ischemic injury, and that cardioprotective mechanisms must ultimately prevent or attenuate mitochondrial damage. Mitochondria are also essential for energy production, and therefore prevention of mitochondrial injury must not compromise oxidative phosphorylation during reperfusion. This review will focus on one mitochondrial mechanism of cardioprotection involving inhibition of adenine nucleotide transport across the outer mitochondria membrane under de-energized conditions. This slows ATP hydrolysis by the mitochondria, and would be expected to lower mitochondrial membrane potential during ischemia, to inhibit calcium uptake during ischemia, and potentially to reduce free radical generation during early reperfusion. Two interventions that similarly inhibit mitochondrial adenine nucleotide transport are Bcl-2 overexpression and GSK inhibition. A possible final common mechanism shared by both of these interventions is discussed.
Imaging Protein-Protein Interactions Using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Microscopy

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) detects the proximity of fluorescently labeled molecules over distances >100 A. When performed in a fluorescence microscope, FRET can be used to map protein-protein interactions in vivo. We here describe a FRET microscopy method that can be used to determine whether proteins that are colocalized at the level of light microscopy interact with one another. This method can be implemented using digital microscopy systems such as a confocal microscope or a wide-field fluorescence microscope coupled to a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. It is readily applied to samples prepared with standard immunofluorescence techniques using antibodies labeled with fluorescent dyes that act as a donor and acceptor pair for FRET. Energy transfer efficiencies are quantified based on the release of quenching of donor fluorescence due to FRET, measured by comparing the intensity of donor fluorescence before and after complete photobleaching of the acceptor. As described, this method uses Cy3 and Cy5 as the donor and acceptor fluorophores, but can be adapted for other FRET pairs including cyan fluorescent protein and yellow fluorescent protein.
Maternal transfer and retention of supplemental selenium in neonatal calves.

Selenium concentrations in blood serum of heifer calves from dams fed 0, 1, or 5 mg supplemental selenium daily during the dry period were compared. Dry cows were fed corn silage top dressed with a soybean meal mineral mix containing the desired amount of selenium. At birth, calves were assigned to one of six treatments in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement. Calf treatments were 0, 1 (at birth), or 2 (at birth and 14 days of age) injections of selenium/vitamin E with feeding of starter commencing at 14 or 28 days of age. Dosage per injection was .078 mg selenium and 5.4 IU vitamin E per kilogram body weight. Selenium concentrations of blood serum of cows at parturition were 14, 32, and 58 ppb for cows fed 0, 1, and 5 mg selenium per day. Amount of selenium fed to cows affected selenium concentrations in blood serum of their calves with those from cows fed 5 mg selenium having the greatest concentrations. Calves from cows fed no supplemental selenium showed increased selenium in serum at day 28 and 42 when given one or two injections of selenium. Two injections, however, were necessary to elicit a response in calves from cows fed 1 mg per day. Selenium in blood serum of calves from cows fed 5 mg per day was not elevated when calves were given one or two injections of selenium. Prepartum selenium supplementation of the dam elevated selenium of blood serum in the calf at birth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Applications of VVT and VCR on Fuel Economy Improvement Based Engine Electronic Control

Variable valve timing (VVT) and variable compression ratio (VCR) are two technologies to obtain fuel economy benefit. On the other hand, there is a tradeoff among fuel economy, engine performance and emission levels. Advantages of two technologies vary a lot on different engine operating regions. Recently some experiments are conducted on a Port Fuel Injection (PFI) engine in a city drive cycle to investigate the fuel economy impact from VVT, VCR and the technology integration. The testing results show clearly that the synergy of two technologies has further improved the fuel economy, while suitable operating regions need to be determined where the maximal benefit can be achieved. A typical 1.8L four-cylinder gasoline engine is used for experiments using VVT and VCR technologies for fuel economy improvement. The objective is to create a synergy scheme for the optimal fuel economy performance. The supercharged testing engine with VVT and VCR can implement similar performance to that of a larger replacement engine. The fuel economy optimization problem is simply converted into searching for the lowest engine power output region with respect to the same fuel economy improvement level. These optimal points are useful to determine potential best fuel economy operating regions whether VVT and VCR should be implemented individually or combined together.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Distributed Hypothesis Testing With Social Learning and Symmetric Fusion

We study the utility of social learning in a distributed detection model with agents sharing the same goal: a collective decision that optimizes an agreed upon criterion. We show that social learning is helpful in some cases but is provably futile (and thus essentially a distraction) in other cases. Specifically, we consider Bayesian binary hypothesis testing performed by a distributed detection and fusion system, where all decision-making agents have binary votes that carry equal weight. Decision-making agents in the team sequentially make local decisions based on their own private signals and all precedent local decisions. It is shown that the optimal decision rule is not affected by precedent local decisions when all agents observe conditionally independent and identically distributed private signals. Perfect Bayesian reasoning will cancel out all effects of social learning. When the agents observe private signals with different signal-to-noise ratios, social learning is again futile if the team decision is only approved by unanimity. Otherwise, social learning can strictly improve the team performance. Furthermore, the order in which agents make their decisions affects the team decision.
West Antarctic Ice Sheet Collapse

Charles R. Bentley (Perspectives, [21 Feb., p. 1077][1]) suggests that a useful estimate of the probability of a West Antarctic ice-sheet collapse in the next 100 years can be obtained by assuming it to be a random event occurring once every 100,000 years. He bases this view on results of a single
Morphological instabilities and branching processes at the initiation of the eutectoid transformation

A linearized stability approach has been used to study the initiation of lamellar growth in pearlite via a branching mechanism. It is quite apparent, even from the very simple analysis presented in this paper, that the morphological instability of two growing phases with coupled diffusion fields is highly interdependent; that is, the morphological instability of the ferrite will drive branching processes in the cementite. This type of coupled instability would contribute to the branching processes in the cementite. This type of coupled instability would contribute to the branching mechanism proposed by Hillert for the initiation of a lamellar growth in pearlite and is consistent with experimental observation.
A Copper-Carbodiimide Approach to the Phomopsin Tripeptide Side Chain.

A one-step copper-carbodimide elimination was used to provide the (E)-dehydroisoleucine moiety in the phomopsin side chain stereoselectively. An efficient approach to the phomopsin tripeptide side chain was developed to be used in the total syntheses of phomopsins A and B.
The in vitro conversion of male sex steroid, [1,2-3H]-androstenedione in normal and inflamed human gingiva

Abstract The metabolism of androstenedione in inflamed human gingiva was studied. High activity of 17β-hydroxy-C 19 -steroid oxidereductase was shown by the formation of testosterone as the major product from androstenedione. Other enzyme activities were present including 5α-reductase and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, but the amount of androsterone formed from androstenedione was low. The metabolism was compared with that in normal gingiva where it was found that the extent of metabolism was much less. The average rate of conversion of androstenedione to testosterone in normal and inflamed gingiva was 3.5 × 10 −7 and 7.3 × 10 −7 μ M/g/min respectively. The possible significance of the products formed and the differences between normal and inflamed gingival metabolism are discussed.
A Maximum-Likelihood Method for the Estimation of Pairwise Relatedness in Structured Populations

A maximum-likelihood estimator for pairwise relatedness is presented for the situation in which the individuals under consideration come from a large outbred subpopulation of the population for which allele frequencies are known. We demonstrate via simulations that a variety of commonly used estimators that do not take this kind of misspecification of allele frequencies into account will systematically overestimate the degree of relatedness between two individuals from a subpopulation. A maximum-likelihood estimator that includes F(ST) as a parameter is introduced with the goal of producing the relatedness estimates that would have been obtained if the subpopulation allele frequencies had been known. This estimator is shown to work quite well, even when the value of F(ST) is misspecified. Bootstrap confidence intervals are also examined and shown to exhibit close to nominal coverage when F(ST) is correctly specified.
Structural biology: Insulin meets its receptor

The hormone insulin has a central role in human physiology, yet the answer to a fundamental biochemical question — how it binds to its cell-surface receptor — has remained elusive, until now. See Letter p.241 Despite more than three decades of research, the three-dimensional structure of the complex between insulin and its receptor has proved elusive, confounded by the complexity of producing the receptor protein. Here is a first glimpse of the interaction between insulin and its primary binding site on the insulin receptor — a view based on four crystal structures of insulin bound to truncated receptor complexes. Surprisingly, the bulk of the interaction with the receptor leucine-rich repeat ligand-binding domain is indirect and mediated through a helical peptide segment (αCT) that is provided by the alternate insulin partner in the receptor dimer.
The measurement of Social Power on the Community Level: An Exploratory Study*

IN VIEW OF THE GREAT AMOUNT of attention being focused on the subject of social power, the lag in the development of adequate techniques for its measurement is rather surprising. With many writings now available on the scope and nature of social power, there is an increased need for intensive research into the areas of the subject which have already been charted and partially explored. In this venture the progressive understanding of the structures and dynamics of social power will become increasingly dependent upon a more exact specification of both what constitutes social power and techniques for its measurement. The delineation of empirical referents or indices of social power would facilitate the testing of specific hypotheses and their subsequent affirmation or elimination. Therefore, the primary purpose of this investigation has been to ascertain whether indices of social power can be developed from data which are presently available. The exercise of political power on the community level was selected as the setting for the study. I
The Restructuring of Spatial Scale and the New Global Geography of Uneven Development

The widespread recognition of globalization in the 1980s and 1990s has encouraged the belief that geographical space is less relevant to the progress of capital accumulation. Contrary to many official accounts, globalization is not stimulated by the internationalization of finance capital so much as by the internationalization of production capital. Beneath globalization, a much more comprehensive process is taking place-a thoroughgoing restructuring of geographical scale. This paper argues that capital accumulation has entered a new stage in which, with the relative demotion of the nation-state in economic terms, the global-local nexus is increasingly definitive. This in turn leads to a new pattern of uneven geographical development in which a number of Asian and Latin American economies have been conditionally integrated into the core of global capital while Africa and marginalized populations throughout the world are increasingly excluded from it.
Inflationary expectations and monetary policy: evidence from Bangladesh

This article first estimates inflationary expectations using a Blanchard–Quah VAR model by decomposing the nominal interest rate into expected inflation and the ex ante real interest rate. Then I utilize this expected inflation along with other macroeconomic variables as inputs to the monetary policy function in a recursive VAR model to identify exogenous policy shocks. To calculate inflationary expectations, I assume that ex ante real interest rate shocks do not have a long-run effect on the nominal interest rate. This article finds that the public expects lower inflation for the future during periods of high inflation. Estimated results from the recursive VAR suggest that a contractionary policy shock increases the real interest rate, appreciates domestic currency, and lowers inflationary expectations and industrial output. However, I find a lagged policy response from Bangladesh Bank to higher inflationary expectations.
A Longitudinal Study of Forgiveness and Postdisclosure Experience in Mixed Orientation Couples

Mixed-orientation couples (MOC) are under-represented in the literature. Often when sexual minorities disclose their sexual orientation it is a stressful experience for their spouse who progresses through stages and experiences both negative and supportive responses as they address disclosure-related issues. Participants completed an online survey and then repeated the same process a year later to measure changes in forgiveness and experience. Forgiveness was shown to play a role in how spouses progress through the post-disclosure stages. In addition, forward movement was seen in both forgiveness and stages over the course of one year. Implications for therapy with MOC are discussed.
Modulation of the Conductance of Unitary Cardiac L-Type Ca2+ Channels by Conditioning Voltage and Divalent Ions

Although a considerable number of studies have characterized inactivation and facilitation of macroscopic L-type Ca(2+) channel currents, the single channel properties underlying these important regulatory processes have only rarely been examined using Ca(2+) ions. We have compared unitary L-type Ca(2+) channel currents recorded with a low concentration of Ca(2+) ions with those recorded with Ba(2+) ions to elucidate the ionic dependence of the mechanisms responsible for the prepulse-dependent modulation of Ca(2+) channel gating kinetics. Conditioning prepulses were applied across a wide range of voltages to examine their effects on the subsequent Ca(2+) channel activity, recorded at a constant test potential. All recordings were made in the absence of any Ca(2+) channel agonists. Moderate-depolarizing prepulses resulted in a decrease in the probability of opening of the Ca(2+) channels during subsequent test voltage steps (inactivation), the extent of which was more dramatic with Ca(2+) ions than Ba(2+) ions. Facilitation, or increase of the average probability of opening with strong predepolarization, was due to long-duration mode 2 openings with Ca(2+) ions and Ba(2+) ions, despite a decrease in Ca(2+) channel availability (inactivation) under these conditions. The degree of both prepulse-induced inactivation and facilitation decreased with increasing Ba(2+) ion concentration. The time constants (and their proportions) describing the distributions of Ca(2+) channel open times (which reflect mode switching) were also prepulse-, and ion-dependent. These results support the hypothesis that both prior depolarization and the nature and concentration of permeant ions modulate the gating properties of cardiac L-type Ca(2+) channels.
Receptor-guided alignment-based comparative 3D-QSAR studies of benzylidene malonitrile tyrphostins as EGFR and HER-2 kinase inhibitors.

The overexpression and/or mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor family of tyrosine kinases, namely EGFR and HER-2, have been implicated in poor prognosis of human solid tumors and are under investigation as molecular targets for cancer therapy. To gain insights into selectivity in the interaction of inhibitors at the ATP site of the two kinases, we have carried out docking, comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA), and comparative molecular similarity analysis (CoMSIA) 3D-QSAR studies on 50 benzylidene malonitrile derivatives. Docking studies indicate different binding modes (A, B, C, D, and E) that are dependent on the R1 substituent of the compounds. Binding modes A and B are favored by compounds having a hydroxyl substituent at R1 whereas a methoxy substituent at R1 results in compounds occupying binding modes, C, D, and E. The compounds preferred modes A, B, and C in the apo-enzyme whereas modes B, D, and E were preferred in the enzyme in complex with erlotinib. For 3D QSAR studies, bas...
Patient reports of health status as predictors of physiologic health measures in chronic disease

Accurate assessment of health status and forecasting of risk for poor outcomes in chronic disease require a broad representation of health measures. To support this conclusion, the health of patients with diabetes (N = 73) and hypertension (N = 105) was assessed using measures of physical and role functioning, perceived health, and disease severity (blood sugar or diastolic blood pressure, respectively, for diabetes and hypertension). Health questionnaires measuring functional limitations, overall health rating, level of health concern, perceived susceptibility to illness, and number of health problems were administered at study enrollment. Laboratory tests for blood sugar (hemoglobin A1) and diastolic blood pressures were performed at enrollment and were repeated at a subsequent clinic visit, from 3 to 6 months later. Functional limitations correlated significantly with elevated blood sugar (r = 0.57) and blood pressure (r = 0.49) at study enrollment. Perceived poor health was not substantially related to either physiologic measure at enrollment. Using ordinary least squares regression, the best predictor of both blood sugar and blood pressure at follow-up was baseline blood sugar and blood pressure, respectively. However, both functional limitations and perceived poor health made significant and independent contributions to the prediction of blood sugar and blood pressure at follow-up. The results underscore the value of both health survey measures and clinical measures in studies of chronic disease.
A New Graves Disease–Susceptibility Locus Maps To Chromosome 20q11.2

Summary The autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) include two related disorders, Graves disease (GD) and Hashimoto thyroiditis, in which perturbations of immune regulation result in an immune attack on the thyroid gland. The AITDs are multifactorial and develop in genetically susceptible individuals. However, the genes responsible for this susceptibility remain unknown. Recently, we initiated a whole-genome linkage study of patients with AITD, in order to identify their susceptibility genes. We studied a data set of 53 multiplex, multigenerational AITD families (323 individuals), using highly polymorphic and densely spaced microsatellite markers (intermarker distance P =.00043); this score also was obtained at marker D20S195. Multipoint linkage analysis yielded a maximum LOD score of 3.5 for a 6-cM interval between markers D20S195 and D20S107. There was no evidence for heterogeneity in our sample. In our view, these results indicate strong evidence for linkage and suggest the presence of a major GD-susceptibility gene on chromosome 20q11.2.