cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational Search of Evidence for the Division of Amino Acids into Transitional Groups in a Virtual State Protein. Phase I: Equilibrium Fluctuations

Core-Shell model postulates that beyond certain resolution, non-equilibrium states are virtual, non-testable as proteinous, because they are not “domesticated” by evolution. We propose that during (un)folding, the {Cα, Cβ, Cγ, Cδ, Cɛ}-backbone of residue does an elementary move, transverse to peptide backbone. Sliding mechanism assigns amino acids into three transition groups based on residue stereochemistry. According to model, this division is masked in folded conformation. Search of evidence for such division begins with study of fluctuation of folded molecule, using united-residue protein model of sperm whale myoglobin to simulate Monte Carlo conformational trajectories. For alpha-carbon fluctuations along polypeptide chain, reasonable qualitative agreement between simulated and crystallographic B-factor (PDB ID: 108M) profiles is reached. Nearly equal amount of average rms-fluctuation contribution is found for T-groups: T1 (1.13±0.12A); T2 (1.17±0.14A); T3 (1.18±0.09A); with 1.13±0.11A being for the whole molecule. Model predicts constant-rate built-up of rms-fluctuation amounts as protein unfolds. Myoglobin has high symmetry of architecture and unusual sextet of amino acid pairs. For comparison, their rms-fluctuation amounts are: [Trp(2),Asn(2)] (1.38±0.57A); [Met(3),Tyr(3)] (0.85±0.00A); [Pro(4),Arg(4)] (1.25±0.14A); [Gln(5),Thr(5)] (1.14±0.09A); [Ser(6),Asp(6)] (1.25±0.18A); [Phe(7),Val(7)] (1.08±0.12A).View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Weak, classical and intermediate solutions to full von karman system of dynamic nonlinear elasticity

Full on Karman suystem describing nonlinear oscilations in dynamic elasticity is considered. The system is equipped with nonlinear boundary conditions prescribing moments and shears subject to a nonlinear, monotone damping. The main result of the paper is the wellposedness theory (existence and uniqueness) for weak, regular and “intermediate” solutions to this problem. in particular, this paper provides an affirmative asnwer to a long-standing open problem in the literature related to the uniqueness of weak (finite energy) solutions in dynamic nonlinear elasticity.
TM scattering by a dielectric cylinder in the presence of a half-plane

The problem considered is the transverse magnetic (TM) scattering by a dielectric cylinder in the presence of a perfectly conducting half-plane. An integral equation, involving the half-plane Green's function in its Kernel, is obtained for the equivalent volume currents representing the dielectric cylinder. This integral equation is solved by the method of moments. Numerical results are compared with measurements for the echo width of a dielectric slab on a half-plane. The dielectric slab surface impedance and the fields inside the dielectric are also shown.
Integrating seismic attribute maps and well logs for porosity modeling in a west Texas carbonate reservoir: addressing the scale and precision problem

Abstract A 3-D porosity field in a west Texas carbonate reservoir is modeled conditional to both “hard” porosity data sampled by wells and 2-D seismic attribute map with less vertical resolution than the well log data. The difference-of-scales between the two sources of data is resolved by a prior 2-D estimation of vertically averaged porosity using well and seismic data. These 2-D estimates are then used to condition the 3-D stochastic simulation of porosity. The algorithm used to merge 2-D average values and 3-D data values, i.e., to solve the difference-of-scale problem, is a form of block kriging, which ensures that vertical averages of the 3-D estimates reproduce exactly the 2-D average data values. The precision of the 2-D conditioning data is also addressed. Several new geostatistical algorithms, such as automatic covariance modeling and direct sequential simulation algorithms, are weaved into the application. These new algorithms facilitate the process of integration of the soft data in petrophysical modeling.
Steroid-Responsive Chronic Cerebellitis With Positive Glutamate Receptor δ2 Antibody

We report the clinical course of a 4-year-old girl with chronic cerebellitis (onset 2 days after diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccination at 1 year and 7 months old) associated with anti-glutamate receptor δ2 antibody, who improved dramatically with steroid therapy (methylprednisolone pulse therapy plus oral prednisolone). Recently, it has been reported that the anti-glutamate receptor δ2 selectively expressed at the post-synaptic site of parallel fiber—Purkinje cell synapses has an important role in cerebellar function in the developing brain. The present case suggests that anti-glutamate receptor δ2 antibody plays a primary role in an immune-mediated process causing chronic cerebellar symptoms, and the lesion site seems to be localized to the parallel fiber—Purkinje cell synapse. Because the cerebellum is strongly involved in language acquisition as well as motor development, treatment must facilitate time for language learning while reducing the side effects of the corticosteroid therapy.
Privacy and profitability in the technological workplace

VI. Conclusion New communications technology inevitably creates new problems of privacy; think of the introduction of telephones (when party lines were common), faxes (which can lie in a room accessible by many people before reaching the addressee), and cell phones (which allow bystanders to hear one side of seemingly confidential communications). Computer monitoring of performance, e-mails, and Internet access are no different in this regard. Each development requires adjustments.
Health effects associated with exposure to radioactively contaminated gold rings

This study was designed to assess the health risks associated with exposure to radioactively contaminated gold rings. A group of 135 exposed individuals, who were identified through a statewide jewelry screening program, were studied to determine the frequency of carcinoma and other skin problems on the ring finger. Severity of skin problems increased with increasing length of wear. Forty-one of the exposures were associated with mild to severe skin problems. Nine of the individuals studied were diagnosed as having histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinomas at the site of exposure. The incidence of skin cancer on the ring finger was eleven times that expected for men and forty-five times that expected for women. These data indicate that physicians who have patients with skin lesions of the ring finger should be aware of the possibility of exposure to a radioactive gold ring.
How the structure of universities determined the fate of American legal education – A tribute to Larry Ribstein

Abstract Prior to 1862, with insignificant exceptions, American colleges and universities were either strongly tied to a particular religious denomination or they reflected an elitist social consciousness that, like religion, helped define the “mission” of the schools. The non-profit status (usually a charitable trust) was perfectly consistent with this mission, as the last thing wanted by the founders was consumer sovereignty or a competitive market for higher education. There were no “departments” as we know them today and little intellectual specialization; philosophy, the classics and theology constituted the standard curricular fare. These schools were “vocational” only in the ancient sense of preparing students for the ministry or possibly elementary-level teaching. Other kinds of vocational training, such as for engineers, chemists, architects, lawyers, or doctors, was done overwhelmingly through either apprentice-type training (actually a form of proprietary education) or in proprietary institutions. There had to have been – very little is known about this – an enormous and thriving for-profit educational sector. All this changed with the establishment of the land-grant schools under the first Morrill Act in 1862 which eventually caused massive failures of both the private religious schools and the proprietary ones. The land-grant schools were highly vocational in their mission, but they retained the governing structure of their private not-for-profit predecessors, a structure consistent with the fact that no one in charge really wanted consumer sovereignty or a competitive market for students. Vocationalism, of course, mandated specialization, and the departmental system was born. Each department (or “school”, as in the cases of medicine and law) became a semi-autonomous “firm” competing outside their hallowed halls only for the most appropriate new colleagues, i.e. those who would fit most tranquilly – and ideologically – with the existing faculty. Since there were no proprietary interests and success could not be judged by profitability, a status hierarchy evolved among departments or schools. Attitudes and approaches adopted by the school at the top of the hierarchy would be filtered down the hierarchy because professors, aspiring to gain the next higher level in status (and, it so happens, money), would tend to reflect the positions prevailing in that next higher rung. Thus, at any given moment, a single ideology or methodology would tend to dominate throughout a particular field. In law, as in other fields with no constraining market to answer to, schools tend to reflect the intellectual and ideological preferences of the faculties at the standard-setting schools, and their quasi-governmental powers are rarely noted.
Changes in composition of solvent-refined coal with severity of hydrogenation

The effects of mild and severe hydrogenation on the chemical composition of solvent-refined coal (SRC) produced from Wyodak subbituminous coal in the direct coal liquefaction SRC-I process were investigated. The yields of solvent-derived fractions of ‘oils’ and ‘asphaltenes’ increased with increasing severity of hydrogenation at the expense of ‘preasphaltenes’. Further separation of ‘oils’ and ‘asphaltenes’, each into three compound-class fractions, revealed more compositional changes. Concentrations of hydrocarbons, nitrogen compounds and hydroxyl aromatics in ‘oils’ increased with increasing severity of hydrogenation. ‘Asphaltenes’, containing nitrogen compounds and hydroxyl aromatic fractions but almost no hydrocarbons, showed an increase in nitrogen-compound concentration with increasing severity of hydrogenation. Hydroxyl aromatic concentration in ‘asphaltenes’ increased under mild but decreased under severe hydrogenation conditions. High-performance liquid chromatography followed by field-ionization mass spectrometry analysis of the hydrocarbon subfractions revealed a complex picture of structural transformations. Over fifty homologous series of aromatic and hydroaromatic hydrocarbons covering a carbon number range from about C12 to C50 were identified and approximate concentrations obtained. Small amounts of partly aromatized pentacyclic triterpane ‘biomarkers’ and their hydrogenation products were found.
Response of mediastinal hodgkin's disease to radiotherapy: rate of tumor regression not predictive of outcome

Abstract The record of 18 patients with Stage II Hodgkin's disease and large mediastinal masses, who received radiation therapy as sole treatment for their disease, were reviewed. The ratio of each patient's maximum tumor diameter to his maximum transthoracic diameter was measured from radiographs taken prior to treatment, and at two intervals approximating 1 3 and 2 3 the total radiation dose. The slopes of the resulting graphed data points were correlated with patient outcomes. No correlation could be drawn between prompt or slow tumor regression and freedom from tumor recurrence. It is concluded that the rate of tumor mass regression in Hodgkin's disease is not predictive of the ultimate success or failure of radiation therapy, and should not be used as a criterion by which to judge the need for additional systemic chemotherapy.
Object-level bandwidth adaptation framework for 3D tele-immersive system

3D Tele-Immersion (3DTI) system brings 3D data of people from geographically distributed locations into the same virtual space to enable interaction in 3D space. One main obstacle of designing 3DTI system is to overcome its high bandwidth requirement when disseminating the 3D data over the network. Bandwidth adaptation framework is needed to handle the heterogeneity of the available network throughput. In this work, we propose an object-level bandwidth adaptation framework for 3DTI system (OBA3D). Unlike existing adaptation frameworks which work at the frame level or Group-of-picture (GOP) level, OBA3D takes advantage of the 3D semantics contained in the 3D frame. It conducts bandwidth adaptation at the object-level and achieves more fine-grained control over 3D video quality. We evaluate the performance of OBA3D on a real 3DTI testbed. OBA3D is shown to achieve good quality-of-experience when the network throughput is substantially lower than the required bandwidth for data transmission.
Thermodynamic Synthesis of Rotaxanes by Imine Exchange

By utilizing the dynamic nature of imine bonds, it is possible to construct [2]rotaxanes from a ring and a preformed dumbbell under thermodynamic control. These dynamic [2]rotaxanes, which exhibit reversible supramolecular-like behavior in the presence of appropriate catalysts, can be “fixed” by reduction of their imine bonds.
Central and peripheral aspects of writing disorders in Alzheimer's disease

It is currently assumed that lexical and phonological dysgraphia emerge in different stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) as a consequence of the progressive impairment of lexical and phonological knowledge. We studied patients affected by mild and severe dementia. No differences emerged in the distribution of surface and orthographic errors in the two groups of patients. Attention and memory disorders correlated with central and peripheral errors and language disorders with central errors. Our data suggest that AD dysgraphia is firstly produced by a reduction of general cognitive resources and only marginally by disorders of specific spelling sub-components.
Functional heterogeneity of vascular endothelial cells.

This review has highlighted some of the well-described differences in endothelial cells derived from different sites of the vascular tree. In presenting a select group of endothelial properties, there was no intention to imply that these are the only properties of endothelial cells that exhibit heterogeneity. Nonetheless, having described endothelial heterogeneity in regard to a number of defined properties, we are left with persistent questions including: Are these divergent properties of endothelial cells fixed? Alternatively, can we alter the properties of endothelial cells by affecting the signals from the environment? A number of reports strongly suggest that endothelial cells are capable of acquiring new properties. Stewart and Wiley investigated the role of the neural tissue environment on the differentiation of brain capillary endothelial cells. These authors transplanted ectopic sites, i.e. vascular segments of brain from very young quail embryos to chick coeliac cavity, and a quail somites to chick brain ventricles. The distinctive morphology of quail cells provided a cell marker to differentiate host from graft. The results of this study demonstrated that mesenteric or somatic vessels growing into grafted brain developed functional, structural and histochemical features specific for neural capillaries. Conversely, capillaries in mesodermal tissue that had been grafted to the brain were devoid of the neural capillary characteristics, indicating that brain vessels do not form a barrier when they are made to vascularize non-neural tissue. Milici and Carley reported that bovine adrenal capillary cells cultured on plastic exhibited occasional diaphragmed fenestrations and no transendothelial channels. However, if these same cells were cultured on a basement membrane (matrix) laid down by MDCK cells (a canine nephron epithelial cell line), the cells responded by increasing the number of diaphragmed fenestrations and transendothelial channels. This cell culture study supported an earlier whole animal study in which the importance of the epithelium and/or epithelial basal lamina in the maintenance of endothelial ultrastructure was demonstrated in a developmental study of rat intestinal capillaries. In this earlier study, it was noted that epithelial development coincided with the formation of fenestrations by the endothelium. Enzymatic activities of endothelial cells can also be altered by environmental signals. For example, primary cerebral microvascular endothelial cells exhibit barrier features and are enriched in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity, yet rapidly lose the activity when subcultured.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Extraction of lithium from neutral salt solutions with fluorinated β-diketones☆

Abstract Lithium was selectively extracted from near-neutral aqueous solutions of alkali metal salts. The mechanism by which this was achieved involves the formation of the trioctylphosphine oxide adduct of a lithium chelate of a fluorinated β-diketone, which is then readily extractable into an organic diluent. High separation factors were obtained from sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium. The selectivity of the fluorinated β-diketones for lithium over the alkaline earths was found to be poor. A suggested general flowsheet for the recovery of lithium from a salt brine concentrate is included.
Bioengineered vascular grafts: improving vascular tissue engineering through scaffold design

Arteriosclerosis has accounted for three quarters of the deaths related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Arteriosclerosis is a vascular disease that is characterized by a thickening of the arterial wall and subsequent decrease in the arterial lumen, eventually causing loss of circulation distal to the site of disease. Small diameter arteries (
Folding and assembly of oligomeric proteins in Escherichia coli

High levels of expression of oligomeric proteins in heterologous systems are frequently associated with misfolding and accumulation of the polypeptides in inclusion bodies. This reflects aspects of the folding and assembly pathways of oligomeric proteins, which generally proceed from either folding intermediates or native-like metastable species that are not in their final conformation. Methods for optimizing the yield of correctly assembled oligomers are discussed.
Isolation, lactoperoxidase catalyzed radioiodination, and recovery of proteins bound to insoluble immunoadsorbents

Abstract A method for the direct radioiodination and recovery of proteins specifically adsorbed to an insoluble immunoadsorbent is described. The optimal conditions for adsorption, washing, radiolabelling by lactoperoxidase catalyzed iodination, and elution of radiolabelled proteins from the immunoadsorbent have been determined. The technique is a rapid and efficient means of isolating and radioiodinating specific proteins present in biological fluids and has been applied to the detection of immunoglobulin and histocompatibility antigens in mouse cell culture supernates. This method should be particularly applicable in research situations in which the specific antisera are available but the antigen concentration is low or the volume of material to be analyzed is limited.
Evanescent imaging with induced polarization by using a solid immersion lens

Image contrast enhancement, high lateral resolution, and height information are obtained with induced polarization evanescent imaging using a solid immersion lens. Experiments are conducted by imaging features on a patterned Si substrate. Imaging theory is used to predict optimum orientation of high-spatial-frequency samples, and a topographical image is derived from the induced polarization image through a calibration procedure. A numerical aperture of 1.5 is used in the experiment. Height accuracy of +/-2 nm is demonstrated with a known sample.
Putting a local information system online using pre-packaged software

Many small organizations have the need for information storage and retrieval systems which they dream of putting on-line for ease of access. Such a project designed with modest equipment and pre-packaged software can achieve three important objectives: allow users to design their own access toolsclarify the information needs of a communityimprove information access.These goals may be sufficient in themselves in many situations, but they may also become interim steps which prepare users for involvement in larger institutional projects at some later time by enabling them to think through their information needs in concrete and manageable terms.During an information management project with the nursing department of a Midwest community hospital, a standard PC data base became the vehicle for introducing each of these benefits to the department and for preparing the department to participate in a larger main frame project already in progress in their hospital.
This flame, our eyes: Greek/American/IOC relations, 1984–2002, an ethnographic memoir

This article presents an ethnographically based analysis of Olympic flame relay (OFR) relations among the Hellenic Olympic authorities and the Greek public sphere, three American Olympic organizing...
Practical use of tracer controls

For optimum results a tracer control system must be designed into a machine tool — it cannot be regarded as an attachment. It must have numerous machine features added or changed to allow the tracer to perform at its best and to make the machine's operation practical from the operator's viewpoint.
Effect of single-screw extruder die temperature, amount of distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and initial moisture content on extrudates

ABSTRACT Corn distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was extruded with corn meal in a pilot plant single-screw extruder at different extruder die temperatures (100, 120, and 150°C), levels of DDGS (0, 10, 20, and 30%) and initial moisture contents (11, 15, and 20% wb). In general, there was a decrease in water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), radial expansion, and L* value with an increase in DDGS level, whereas a* value and bulk density increased. Increase in extruder die temperature resulted in an increase in WSI and WAI but a decrease in L* and bulk density. Peak load was highest at 30% DDGS as compared with 0, 10, and 20% DDGS extrudates. Die temperature of 120°C and initial moisture content of 20% resulted in least peak load. The a* value remained unaffected by changes in extruder die temperature. Radial expansion was highest at extruder die temperature of 120°C. Maximum WAI, WSI, radial expansion, and L* value were obtained at 15% initial moisture content. An increase in ...
Biogeochemistry: Less nickel for more oxygen.

The availability (or lack) of oceanic trace elements is providing fresh lines of explanation for turning points in Earth's history — the Great Oxidation Event being one such momentous occasion. The Great Oxidation Event (GOE), an era on Earth about 2.4 billion years ago when oxygen began to accumulate in the atmosphere, is widely thought to have been triggered by a decrease in atmospheric methane levels. What could have caused methane to start to disappear has remained uncertain. Now based on the discovery of a decline in the molar nickel to iron ratio in banded iron formations, sedimentary rocks laid down about 2.7 billion years ago, Konhauser et al. offer a new hypothesis to explain the loss of methane. They attribute the scarcity of nickel to a reduced flux of nickel to the oceans due to a fall in upper mantle temperatures and a decreased eruption of nickel-rich ultramafic rocks at that time. Nickel is a key cofactor in several enzymes found in methanogens, so its decline may have stifled the activity of methane producing organisms in the ancient oceans and disrupted the supply of biogenic methane.
PARATHYROID HORMONE AND MITOCHONDRIAL RESPIRATION.

Parathyroid hormone added in vitro stimulates anion-dependent respiration in isolated liver and kidney mitochondria. This response depends upon Mg++ (or Mn++) and substrate and is inhibited by uncouplers and inhibitors of electron transport but not by oligomycin or triethyltin, inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation. The response is dosedependent and can be used as a biological assay for this hormone. As reported previously (18, 19), the respiratory stimulation is a concomitant of anion uptake. The nature of the coupling of these 2 processes is not known, but evidence is presented to show that there is a bidirectional flux of anion and that only the entry or uptake process is coupled to respiratory chain activity. The nature and site of coupling between ion transport and electron transport are discussed. (Endocrinology 75: 431,1964)
Proton magnetic relaxation of adenosine 5′-monophosphate in solution

Abstract Measurements have been made of the longitudinal proton magnetic relaxation of the non-exchangeable protons of 5′ AMP in D 2 O solutions at 300 MHz from 278 to 333 K. The proton relaxation times are dominated by dipolar interactions modulated by the relative motion of the 5′ AMP molecules in solution and by hindered intramolecular motions around the glycosidic and the C 4′ C 5′ , bonds. Activation energies characterizing the intramolecular motions range between 6.2 and 14.7 kJ/mole and 16.9 and 40.4 kJ/mole, respectively.
The impact of age on the atrial substrate: insights from patients with a low scar burden undergoing catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation

Background Advancing age is a strong risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, its impact on the left atrial (LA) substrate in patients is not well defined.
Conservation genetics of population bottlenecks: the role of chance, selection, and history

Conservation genetics studies of populations bottlenecks are commonly framed under the detrimental paradigm of inbreeding depression. This conceptual paradigm presupposes a direct and unambiguous relationship between population size, genetic diversity, fitness, and extinction. Here, I review a series of studies that emphasize the role of chance, selection, and history in determining the genetic consequences of population bottlenecks. The variable responses of bottlenecks to fitness, phenotypic variation, and heritable variation emphasize the necessity to explore the relationship between molecular genetic diversity, fitness, adaptive genetic diversity, and extinction beyond the detrimental paradigm of inbreeding depression. Implications for conservation and management are presented as guidelines and testable predictions regarding the potential effects of bottlenecks on population viability and extinction.
Thin film and substrate cracking under the influence of externally applied loads

Cracking in thin film systems subject to residual tension is examined. The existing solution for the case of a crack tip in the substrate is modified to provide a solution of greater accuracy. The influence of external tensile loads on thin film and substrate cracking is examined. An approximate superposition scheme is presented for the determination of the energy release rate. Crack arrest is examined and parameters for determining the possibility of crack arrest are presented. For compliant films it was found that crack arrest does not occur when the substrate stress has the same magnitude as the residual stress. The influence of externally applied loads on crack channelling and conditions under which channelling will occur in the substrate are presented.
E1-M2-E3 mixing of the 1159.3 keV transition in 176Hf

The half-life of the I, Kπ = 2, 2− state at 1247.7 keV in 176Hf has been measured in the decay of 176Ta to be 4.58 ± 0.23 ns. The analysis of all known data on the depopulating transitions yields strong arguments that the 1159.3 keV 2, 2− → 2, 0+ transition is a mixed E1-M2-E3 transition (E3 ≈ 20%), analogous to the 2, 2− → 2, 0+ transition in 182W, for which E1-M2-E3 mixing (E3 ≈ 25%) is well established. It is concluded one should often find significant E1-M2-E3 mixing in ΔI = (0, 1), |ΔK|>1 transitions from octupole vibrational states to the ground state rotational band. Additional candidates for transitions with appreciable dipole-octupole mixing are discussed.
Measurement of three-dimensional positions and motions of large numbers of spherical radiopaque markers from biplane cineradiograms

Abstract A practical technique has been developed for obtaining accurate three-dimensional positions of multiple identical moving spherical radiopaque markers using conventional biplane cineradiographic systems. Using a cineradiographic system operating at 90 frames/s, we are obtaining an rms accuracy of 0.1 mm in measuring the position of multiple 1-mm-diameter markers in a variety of test objects including canine ventricles in vivo . The high accuracy permits automatic image pairing between biplane views. The accuracy is achieved by making some additional exposures with special fixtures containing similar makers placed in known positions to provide the information to compute system distortions and X-ray source and film plane locations. The positions of the images of these markers and the markers in the test object are digitized for computer processing to determine the three-dimensional trajectory of each marker during the test sequence. No modification of the X-ray system is required, and no special setup or alignment procedures are required. This report describes the principles of the method and the logic of the computer programs for processing the data.
MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF THE SCAPULA IN TREE SQUIRRELS, CHIPMUNKS, AND GROUND SQUIRRELS (SCIURIDAE): AN ANALYSIS USING THIN-PLATE SPLINES

The mammalian scapula, like many bones, is a single structural element that serves as an attachment site for several muscles. The goal of this study was to determine whether the scapula evolves as an integrated unit, or as a collection of distinct parts. Shape differences among the scapulae of tree squirrels, chipmunks, and ground squirrels were described using thin-plate spline analysis. This technique produces a geometric description of shape differences that can be decomposed into a series of components ranging in scale from features that span the entire form to features that are highly localized. Shape differences among tree squirrel scapulae were found only in large-scale features, indicating spatially integrated shape change. Chipmunks and ground squirrels differ from tree squirrels in several features, but shared differences reflecting divergence of their common ancestor were found only in the small-scale features. Divergence of ground squirrels from the common ancestor involved some large-scale changes but was dominated by small-scale changes. Divergence of chipmunks was dominated by large-scale changes. Thus, the scapula evolved as an integrated unit during some transitions but as a collection of distinct parts during others. These results suggest that evolutionary patterns of the postcranial skeleton may be as complex as the patterns that have been described for skulls and feeding mechanisms.
Effects of nonmaternal restraint on the vocalizations of infant rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

This study explored the effects of restraint by females other than the mother on the vocalizations of infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in a captive social setting. In this species, females are very attracted to young infants and will frequently approach, groom, and hold the infant. Incompetent handling, abusive behavior, or extended periods away from the mother that prevent the infants from nursing represent potentially significant risks for infants. Vocal responses to such risky conditions appear to be the infants' only means to promote a return to their mothers. We examined the association between the severity of the threat posed to the infant and the nature of its vocal response to restraint, and whether the infants' calls influenced the behavior of their mothers or captors. The results suggest that situations posing greater risks for the infants, i.e., longer periods of restraint, were associated with a greater use of noisy screams. Furthermore, mothers' responding was associated with a greater use of noisy screams as well. The mothers' reactions, however, could be described as cautious, and consisted mostly of closer monitoring; such tempered response might be related to the risk of injury to the infant that could result from a more forceful and direct attempt at retrieval.
Mouse bone collagenase inhibitor: Purification and partial characterization of the inhibitor from mouse calvaria cultures☆

The organ culture of neonatal mouse calvaria produced both collagenase and collagenase inhibitor. The inhibitor was purified by a series of column chromatographies: DEAE-cellulose and CM-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography, concanavalin A-Sepharose and heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, and finally by Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. The purified inhibitor migrated as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and had a molecular mass of 28,000. The inhibitor was purified 140-fold to a specific activity of 163 units/mg with a yield of 18% over the first step of the purification by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The inhibitor stained positively for carbohydrate with periodic acid-Schiff's reagent indicating, in conjunction with its affinity to concanavalin A, that the inhibitor is a glycoprotein. In addition to mouse bone collagenase, this inhibitor also inhibited chick bone, rat bone, rabbit corneal, and human gingival collagenase, but did not inhibit bacterial collagenase.
Artificial Intelligence and Generalized Qualitative‐Response Models: An Empirical Test on Two Audit Decision‐Making Domains

Machine learning methods are currently the object of considerable study by the artificial intelligence community. Research on machine learning carries implications for decision making in that it seeks computational methods that mimic input-output behaviors found in classes of decision-making examples. At the same time, research in statistics and econometrics has resulted in the development of qualitative-response models that can be applied to the same kind of problems addressed by machine-learning models—particularly those that involve a classification decision. This paper presents the theoretical structure of a generalized qualitative-response model and compares its performance to two seminal machine-learning models in two problem domains associated with audit decision making. The results suggest that the generalized qualitative-response model may be a useful alternative for certain problem domains.
South African Rollback: Revisiting Monitoring and Verification Lessons after 20 Years

As the only country in history to have created, then voluntarily renounced, a nuclear arsenal, South Africa is often referenced as a potential model for nuclear disarmament. However, this article argues that there are sharp limitations on the extent to which the South African case can be applied as a model for other countries to follow. Because South Africa unilaterally dismantled its program and only brought in inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and key member states after the dismantlement was complete, information vital to the verification process was lost to the international community. As a model of a cooperative verification, South Africa thus highlights both the difficulties that monitoring and verification regimes will encounter, as well as the opportunities that they afford.
Laterally coupled buried heterostructure high-Q ring resonators

All-buried InP-InGaAsP ring resonators laterally coupled to bus waveguides are demonstrated. The buried configurations offer a lower built-in refractive index step along the resonator periphery, which affords enhanced optical coupling coefficients between the waveguides and reduced scattering losses caused by the resonator sidewall imperfections. Very low optical intensity attenuations of 0.4 cm/sup -1/ and coupling-limited quality factors of greater than 10/sup 5/ are observed from 200-/spl mu/m-radii ring resonators. The measured spectral linewidth is as narrow as 0.0145 nm.
The examination of fats and fatty acids for toxic substances

The chick edema disease factor was found to be present in a number of distillates and residues that were obtained during the production of commercial fatty acids. The raw materials from which the toxic samples were produced included inedible animal tallows, acidulated vegetable oil foots, and oils recovered from tin plate manufacture. The chick edema factor was found to be present in several oleic acids and in a triolein. Twenty stearic acid samples which were examined were nontoxic.
Notch Ties a Knot on Fistula Maturation

The arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred type of vascular access for maintenance hemodialysis because AVFs that mature successfully require fewer interventions, have lower rates of infection, and function longer than synthetic arteriovenous grafts or central venous catheters. However, the advantages of this vascular access type are less compelling if one considers that up to 60% of AVFs fail to mature sufficiently to provide adequate dialysis.1
Glass‐Forming Ability in Calcium Aluminate‐Based Systems

Glass formation and stability of calcium aluminate-based glasses were assessed, qualitatively, by changing melt volumes and cooling rates. Stable glasses, obtained through the addition of sodium, barium, and strontium to the binary system, were investigated in detail. Glass stability was evaluated via DTA analysis. The crystallization products were determined by X-ray diffraction techniques. In addition, IR spectroscopic measurements were performed to gauge the relative water contents of the glasses and to assess the influence of composition upon the IR cutoff. It was determined that such additions greatly improve the glass-forming ability and do not appear to negatively impact the optical properties of the glass.
Scene understanding from propagation and consistency of polarization-based constraints

We show how the more general capabilities of polarization vision can be used to significantly enhance the understanding of imaged scenes particularly at regions containing specular and mirror reflections, and occluding contours. Intensity-based methods are easily confounded by specular reflection. Specular mirror reflection of an object is indistinguishable from the object itself when using intensity and color, but is shown to be distinguishable when reflected polarization is analyzed. Polarization-based methods also enhance the identification of occluding contour edges, and regions that are in the vicinity of occluding contour edges. In past work local polarization constraints have been shown to accurately label specularities and occluding contours in simple scenes. In more complicated scenes under general conditions local polarization constraints are usually not sufficient to produce an accurate labeling of these phenomena. The main new idea presented in this paper is to extract much more additional information by enforcing physical consistency between neighboring local polarization constraints and propagating these constraints across pixel edges and regions with significant partial polarization. Initial labeling of pixels is produced from local polarization constraints at edges. We present well-defined physically motivated rules for relabeling pixels where physical inconsistencies result between neighboring local polarization constraints. Propagation rules allow physically consistent labeling of regions of significant partial polarization, and a refinement rule allows some more detailed labeling of edges. We include the previously unstudied case of specular reflection at/near occluding contours. In all 10 edge and region labels are generated. Experimental results on a complex scene is presented demonstrating the vast amount of information that can be extracted from these new physical principles of polarization vision. >
Maximising energy efficiency in 3D multicore systems: a formalised approach

Three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs) present an intriguing challenge for both circuit and system engineers due to their diverse cooling efficiency among the stacked dies. Several recent proposals advocate multiple techniques for thermal management of 3D ICs at different levels of the design, while operating within the confines of thermal heterogeneity. In this article, we analyse for the first time, the role of thermal heterogeneity on the energy efficiency of the system by incorporating temperature dependent leakage power. We develop a novel convex optimisation framework to optimise the energy efficiency in 3D ICs incorporating: (a) leakage aware thermal provisioning using temperature dependent full-chip leakage model, (b) heat flow in vertically stacked systems using a grid based compact thermal model and (c) a concrete application for workload provisioning in 3D multicore systems. Detailed simulation-based experiments with our proposed optimisation framework shows 5–17% improvement in the ene...
Corn Semiochemicals and Their Effects on Insecticide Efficacy and Insecticide Repellency Toward Western Corn Rootworm Larvae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Volatile corn seedling (pre-stage 0 germinated seed) semiochemicals are attractive to larvae of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte and were evaluated with insecticides in laboratory soil bioassays to determine attraction and increased mortality of larvae. Insecticides from four different chemical classer were tested. These were carbofuran (carbamate), fonofos (organophosphate), tefluthrin (pyrethroid), and 2’-bromo-4’-nitro-perfluorocyclohexane carboxanilide (EL-499, experimental, Eli Lilly Company). For each of the four insecticides tested in bioassays in soil with insecticide present in a central core, significantly more larvae were killed after 24 h when corn seedling volatiles were present in the core than when they were not. The enhanced rate of mortality was the result of larval attraction. In bioassays without soil present, significantly more larvae contacted an insecticide source after 30 min when corn seedling volatiles were present than when they were absent. Insecticide repellency was evaluated in soil bioassays (24 h) and in Petri dish bioassays (30 min) in the presence and absence of volatile corn seedling semiochemicals. Only fonofos was repellent, but the attractiveness of corn seedling semiochemicals overcame that repellency.
Evaluating group visits in an uninsured or inadequately insured patient population with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

PURPOSEthis study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a managed-care approach (group visits) on delivering care to uninsured or inadequately insured patients with type 2 diabetes.METHODSOne hundred twenty patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive care in group visits or usual care for 6 months. At baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, the feasibility and acceptability of this model of healthcare delivery were assessed through the patients' responses to the Primary Care Assessment Tool and the Trust in Physician Scale. Attendance records were kept for each group.RESULTSPatients who received care in group visits showed an improved sense of trust in their physician compared with patients who continued to receive usual care. There was a tendency for patients in groups to report better coordination of their care, better community orientation, and more culturally competent care. Patient attendance at the groups also indicated good acceptance of this form...
A human DNA repair activity specific for O4-ethylthymine: identification and partial characterization

An O4-ethylthymine-specific antibody and immunoslot blot assay were used to identify an enzymatic activity in human tissue and cell extracts, specific for removing O4-ethylthymine from ethylated DNA in vitro. The assay allowed the quantitation of activity in the range of 2 fmol O4-ethylthymine removed per mg cell-free protein extract. The specific activities in human brain, kidney and liver tissue extracts ranged from 5.2 to 26.0 with mean levels of 12.8, 9.9 and 12.3 fmol/mg protein respectively. The activity in extracts prepared from cultured kidney and liver epithelial cells ranged from 8.4 to 16.0 fmol/mg protein, exhibiting mean levels of 10.3 and 13.5 fmol/mg protein respectively. The similar levels of repairing O4-ethylthymine in human liver, kidney and brain contrast the organ-specific activity of the O6-alkylguanine DNA-methyltransferase. The repair activity for O4-ethylthymine was not inhibited by preincubation of the extracts with either O4-methylthymine or O6-methylguanine, indicating that the loss of O4-ethylthymine was not mediated by an alkyltransferase. However, there was no detectable activity in extracts prepared from the GM006 mer- cell line lacking O6-alkylguanine DNA-methyltransferase. These data suggest that the activity for repairing O4-ethylthymine may be due to a protein distinct from the O6-alkylguanine DNA-methyltransferase. The low, but significant, level of repair activity specific for O4-ethylthymine identified in human tissue and cell extracts is consistent with the slow, but active, repair of this adduct in vivo.
An experimental evaluation of the subscriber antenna pattern effect in a MIMO-OFDM system

The antenna pattern impact on a 2/spl times/2 MIMO-OFDM broadband system is studied by evaluating radiation efficiency, received power, antenna pattern correlation, and the spatial characteristics of various antennas and pairs of antennas. Four different multiple antenna portable devices are described and analyzed. Three of the devices were developed with current Motorola cell-phone plastics where the antennas were mounted. The fourth device was developed on a laptop. Antennas and pairs of antennas for the different devices are compared, first apart from the environment through analysis of anechoic chamber measurements of the antenna patterns, and then in indoor environments through field measurements. Spatial characteristics in an outdoor environment are predicted by incorporating the measured portable antenna patterns into the suburban propagation environment estimated in previous data collection efforts with vehicle rooftop antennas.
The Obesity-Survival Paradox in Hemodialysis Patients: Why Do Overweight Hemodialysis Patients Live Longer?

Obesity is increasingly common in the United States, and it frequently coexists with diabetes and hypertension. Given that diabetes and hypertension are the 2 most common causes of end-stage renal disease, it is not surprising that obesity is also highly prevalent in the US hemodialysis population. However, unlike in the general population, obesity is associated with improved survival in hemodialysis patients. This phenomenon, the obesity-survival paradox, is neither universally accepted nor completely understood. In this article, we review the available data and provide potential reasons for the obesity-survival paradox in the dialysis population.
Compact thermal model for phase change memory nanodevices

Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST)-based phase change memory (PCM) is a digital memory technology set to replace flash because of its greater scalability, lower programming power requirements, faster read-write times, and enhanced durability. Modeling efforts have focused on characterizing the coupled electrical, thermal, and phase-transition processes that define PCM switching events. Understanding the effects of device geometry and cell material properties on temperature distribution, heat flow, and thermal switching times is critical for design optimization. This work develops a compact thermal model that efficiently calculates transient and steady-state temperature scaling trends associated with GST thickness, width, and thermal conductivity. Compact model results indicate that there is an optimal phase-change layer thickness for maximizing cell peak temperature. Lowering GST thermal conductivity enhances PCM scalability by decreasing this optimal thickness and also shortens device programming times. In contrast, decreasing phase-change layer width increases cell peak temperature at the expense of programming speed. Thermal boundary resistance affects both spatial and temporal scaling trends.