cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
For a Culture and Political Economy of the Prophetic: Critical Scholarship and Religious Politics After the 2008 Election:

The 2008 election crystallized a growing tension between different understandings of the “prophetic” element of religious faith. The contrast between Sarah Palin and Barack Obama’s “pastor problems” reflects a struggle between those who would consolidate established power and those who seek to expand democratic ideals by demanding greater integrity from the social institutions that claim to represent them. Competing discourses of the prophetic unfold in the context of a critical juncture in media and religion, as demographic and technological shifts promise to alter the course of religious politics. The current moment is an opportunity for critical scholars to intervene on behalf of a new, more progressive religious politics. This article contributes to such intervention in two ways: first, by analyzing how competing discourses of the prophetic unfolded during the election and second, by explaining how the “prophetic” can serve as a key organizing concept in contemporary critical scholarship.
Correlating corneal arcus with atherosclerosis in familial hypercholesterolemia

A relationship between corneal arcus and atherosclerosis has long been suspected but is controversial. The homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia patients in this study present a unique opportunity to assess this issue. They have both advanced atherosclerosis and corneal arcus. This is a cross-sectional study of 17 patients homozygous for familial hypercholesterolemia presenting to the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health. Plasma lipoproteins, circumferential extent of arcus, thoracic aorta and coronary calcific atherosclerosis score, and Achilles tendon width were measured at the National Institutes of Health. Patients with corneal arcus had higher scores for calcific atherosclerosis (mean 2865 compared to 412), cholesterol-year score (mean 11830 mg-yr/dl compared to 5707 mg-yr/dl), and Achilles tendon width (mean 2.54 cm compared to 1.41 cm) than those without. Corneal arcus and Achilles tendon width were strongly correlated and predictive of each other. Although corneal arcus was correlated with calcific atherosclerosis (r = 0.67; p = 0.004), it was not as highly correlated as was the Achilles tendon width (r = 0.855; p < 0.001). Corneal arcus reflects widespread tissue lipid deposition and is correlated with both calcific atherosclerosis and xanthomatosis in these patients. Patients with more severe arcus tend to have more severe calcific atherosclerosis. Corneal arcus is not as good an indicator of calcific atherosclerosis as Achilles tendon thickness, but its presence suggests increased atherosclerosis in these hypercholesterolemic patients.
Magnitude and phase characteristics of frequency modulation in directly modulated GaAlAs semiconductor diode lasers

The magnitude and phase of the small-signal injection current-to-frequency modulation transfer function in GaAlAs semiconductor diode lasers has been measured over the frequency range 100 Hz-1300 MHz using network analyzers. Channeled substrate planar (CSP), buried heterostructure (BH), and crank transverse junction stripe (TJS) laser structures were investigated and will be compared. Approximately 180, 180, and 90° phase differences between the low frequency, thermal frequency modulation (FM), and the high-frequency carrier-density FM was observed for BH, TJS, and CSP laser structures, respectively. The origin of this phase difference and its implications for FM optical communications will be discussed, A rate equation analysis for small-signal injection current modulation (using Mason's flowgraph representation) indicates the presence of a real-axis left half-plane zero in the carrier-density small-signal frequency modulation response. Experimental evidence for this feature has been observed in the measured injection current-to-FM transfer functions.
The active form of local anesthetics

Abstract The pH dependence of the local anesthetics procaine, tetracaine and dibucaine has been tested on nerve bundles of the crab and on the Ranvier node of single fibers of frog sciatic nerve. Whereas the potency of action on the bundles increases with rising pH, the optimum action at Ranvier nodes is observed at pH 7. The observations support the assumption that the cationic form is the intrinsically more potent one in the reaction with the acetylcholine receptor protein. The neutral form, however, appears to penetrate more readily the structures which surround most axons and form a barrier for lipid-insoluble compounds.
In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy with fast beams of rare isotopes: Experiments to elucidate the structure of very exotic atomic nuclei

Abstract Accelerator facilities dedicated to the efficient production of particle beams of rare isotopes allow experimenters to employ new techniques that can make meaningful measurements of experimental observables with very low beam rates. This talk illustrates the state of experiments that employ in-flight separated beams and exemplifies the additional scientific reach provided by the large luminosity gains that arise in particle- γ coincidence experiments.
A Minor Modification of the Hughes' Operation for Lower Eyelid Reconstruction

Purpose/Methods We modified the Hughes' technique to decrease the frequency of persistent conjunctival hyperemia on the reconstructed lower eyelid margin. Results/Conclusion When the conjunctival flap is divided at the second stage of the operation, the tissue is trimmed flush with the reconstructed lower eyelid margin rather than advancing the flap over the eyelid margin. This minor modification has yielded satisfactory functional and aesthetic results in 70 patients.
Dependency of γ-secretase complex activity on the structural integrity of the bilayer.

Abstract γ-secretase is a membrane protein complex associated with the production of Aβ peptides that are pathogenic in Alzheimer’s disease. We have characterized the activity of γ-secretase complexes under a variety of detergent solubilization and reconstitution conditions, and the structural state of proteoliposomes by electron microscopy. We found that γ-secretase activity is highly dependent on the physical state or integrity of the membrane bilayer – partial solubilization may increase activity while complete solubilization will abolish it. The activity of well-solubilized γ-secretase can be restored to near native levels when properly reconstituted into a lipid bilayer environment.
Three-year sustained benefit from enhanced external counterpulsation in chronic angina pectoris

Abstract Both the short-term and now long-term (over a 3-year period) clinical benefits of EECP appear to be maintained in almost all patients treated for chronic disabling angina. That most patients maintained their 3-year benefits suggests that long-term improvement in myocardial perfusion can occur. Future angiographic studies are planned to evaluate collateral function in these patients.
On the solution of moment problems by reproducing kernel methods

Abstract A general method is presented for finding necessary and sufficient conditions in order that a complex-valued function be represented as an integral of a given integrand with respect to some bounded nonnegative measure on the real axis. Extensions of the method to Hilbert space representations and multivariant representations are noted.
Victims or Aggressors? Ethno-Political Rebellion and Use of Force in Militarized Interstate Disputes

Current scholarship on the international relations of ethnic conflict holds that such domestic-level conflict can spread to become interstate conflict. Empirical research, theoretical discussions, and case studies have concluded that states suffering from violent ethnic conflict, specifically ethno-political rebellion, can be either the victims of aggression or themselves the aggressors when ethnic conflict spreads to the international level. From both a scholarly perspective and the standpoint of policymaking it is important to know which possibility is more likely. This paper examines the behavior of states involved in militarized interstate disputes to test two possibilities: first, that states contending with ethnic rebellion are more likely to be the victims of aggression by outside actors. Alternatively, that states contending with ethnic rebellion are more likely to take aggressive action against outside states. Statistical analysis of ethnic rebellion data and militarized interstate dispute data covering the period 1980–1992 finds that states suffering from ethnic rebellion are more likely to use force and use force first when involved in international disputes than states without similar insurgency problems.
Relationships among Adrenal Weight, Corticosterone, and Stimulated Adrenocorticotropin Levels in Rats

Based on results of previous studies, we tested the hypothesis that increased adrenal weight in the absence of increased corticosterone secretion would inhibit the magnitude of the ACTH response to ether vapor. Adrenal hypertrophy was induced by treatment of rats for 3 days with aminoglutethimide, cyanoketone, or metyrapone, three agents that act to inhibit enzymes required for corticosterone synthesis. On the fourth day, resting plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels were normal; however, the logarithm of the ACTH response to ether was directly related to total adrenal weight. This result did not support the hypothesis. Unilateral adrenalectomy and treatment with cyanoketone resulted in total adrenal weight equivalent to that of control rats bearing two adrenals. Resting ACTH levels were normal, but stimulated ACTH was significantly greater in these rats than in controls or in rats with two adrenals, suggesting that there is an interaction between the effects of unilateral adrenalectomy and adrenal enzyme inhibition. As anticipated, adrenal hypertrophy with increased corticosterone production caused by ACTH infusion resulted in a significant negative relationship between resting and stimulated ACTH levels and adrenal weight. We conclude that when adrenals are enlarged by means that prevent excessive corticosterone secretion, there is a mechanism associated with the increase in adrenal weight that correlates directly with the magnitude of stimulated ACTH secretion. We have reexamined the results of our previous results in the light of these experiments.
Effects of iontophoretically applied (+)- and (-)-naloxone on rat hypothalamic and septal neurons.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible independent actions of both (+)- and (-)-naloxone on individual neurons in the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus (POAH) and septal area (SA) of the rat brain. Morphine and (-)-naloxone were applied to 31 neurons in the SA (n= 11) and the POAH (n= 20). Morphine depressed the spontaneous activity in 19 of 31 neurons. (-)-Naloxone at currents less than 10 nA did not influence these neurons. However, (-)-naloxone applied in excess of 10 nA reduced spontaneous activity in 28 of 29 neurons. This effect of (-)-naloxone was stereospecific; (+)-naloxone did not alter the spontaneous rate in 12 of 14 cells when alternately applied with (-)-naloxone at the same current intensity. Application of (+)- and (-)-naloxone at supramaximal currents produced a diminution of spike amplitude and an increase in the duration of the action potential. The results of this study indicate that naloxone reduces spontaneous activity via two mechanisms. One involves a direct stereospecific action, and a second produces a non-specific reduction in spike amplitude and a prolongation of spike duration.
Traces of certainty : Recording death and taxes in fifteenth-century tuscany

Official statistics reflect the presuppositions and theories of the societies that they represent. Results derived from data contained in a set of tax declarations from fifteenth-century rural Tuscany show that deaths of males eligible for the head tax were reported more often than deaths of other family members, because these reports lowered households' tax assessments. The results also show that heads of households were overrepresented among dead males, most likely because tax officials used the names of heads of households to organize the tax rolls. This reliance on the head of the household in data collection—a common technique in contemporary and historical censuses—may produce results that overrepresent heads of households.
The failure mechanism of chromium as the interlayer to enhance the adhesion of nanocrystalline diamond coatings on cemented carbide

Chromium as an interlayer has been developed to enhance the adhesion of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) coatings to cemented carbide cutting tool materials. This study showed that Cr did not play the expected role and that the NCD coating delaminated during the Rockwell C indentation test. A systematic study of the morphologies, composition, and phase components of the failed samples showed that although Cr prevented the outward diffusion of Co to the diamond interface, the chromium carbides formed during the NCD deposition contained microcracks, which provided a path for delamination in the presence of high tensile thermal stresses generated when cooling the coating to room temperature. This work provides additional criteria to choose an appropriate interlayer to enhance the adhesion of diamond coatings to cutting tool materials.
Judgments of Sexual Abuse Victims

Three experiments address how people react to a sexual abuse victim compared to a nonvictim when a justification for negative evaluation is available or not available. A harm-doing victim was rated lower on expected job performance and higher on desired social distance than a harm-doing nonvictim. When subsequent harm-doing was absent, judgments of a victim and nonvictim did not differ on expected job performance or social distance. Experiment 2 replicated the results of Experiment 1 and revealed that the order in which victimization history and harm-doing information were presented had no effect. Experiment 3 showed that participants desired greater social distance from a harm-doing victim compared to a non-harm-doing victim to the extent they thought the target should have derived benefits from the childhood victimization. Implications for judgments of harm-doers—depending on whether their victimization history is known or not—are considered.
National “Beauty” and Yahweh’s “Glory” as a Dialectical Key to Ezekielian Theology

Abstract The message of the book of Ezekiel is addressed to three nations: Phoenicia (chaps 26-28), Egypt (chaps 29-32), and Judah. Its judgment oracles are predominantly “announcements of doom.” But at certain junctures the author states the “reason” for the coming destruction. In each case, the fundamental “reason” for imminent divine punishment is trust in one’s own “beauty” (yph): Phoenicia (27:3, 4, 11; 28:12, 17); Egypt (31:3, 8, 9); Judah (16:14, 15, 25). In stark contrast to this self-fascination, Yahweh’s “glory” (kbd) appears in a theophanic vision recurring throughout the book: over against Phoenicia (18:22), Egypt (31:18, by implication), and Judah/Jerusalem (1:28; 3:12, 23 [2x]; 8:4; 9:3; 10:4 [2x], 18, 19; 11:22, 23; 43:2 [2x], 4, 5; 44:4). This dialectic between Yahweh’s “glory” and nations’ preoccupation with their own “beauty” seems to be the theological thread which holds the book of Ezekiel together.
Pituitary adrenocortical response to chronic intermittent stress.

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate the pituitary adrenocortical response to stress. In the first experiment, rats received chronic and/or acute cold stress over a period of three weeks or three months. Plasma corticosterone, adrenal wet weight, and body weight were assessed. Three month chronically stressed rats had large adrenals, weighed less, and secreted less corticosterone in response to an acute stressor than did control rats stressed for the first time. Furthermore, their basal level of plasma corticosterone equalled the level secreted after acute stress. In Experiment two, repeated ACTH measures were taken in rats chronically stressed for three weeks. Plasma ACTH was significantly elevated after stress with no change in baseline levels. Taken together, these experiments suggested that rats adapt to stress and that a decreased hormonal stress response reflects conditioning and metabolic conservation rather than exhaustion of resources.
Nighttime heartburn is an under-appreciated clinical problem that impacts sleep and daytime function: the results of a Gallup survey conducted on behalf of the American Gastroenterological Association

Nighttime heartburn is an under-appreciated clinical problem that impacts sleep and daytime function: the results of a Gallup survey conducted on behalf of the American Gastroenterological Association
Preparative Procedures Markedly Influence the Appearance and Structural Integrity of Protein Storage Vacuoles in Soybean Seeds

In legumes, vacuoles serve as the final depository for storage proteins. The protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) of soybean contain electron-transparent globoid regions in which phytic acid (myo-inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate) is sequestered. This paper reports the effect of preparative procedures on the appearance and ultrastructural integrity of PSVs in soybeans. Electron microscopy examination of both developing and mature soybean seeds that were postfixed with osmium tetroxide revealed PSVs that had a homogeneous appearance with very few globoid crystals dispersed in them. Numerous electron-dense lipid bodies were readily seen in these cells. Omission of osmium tetroxide strikingly altered the appearance of PSVs and aided the visualization of the location of the globoids in the PSVs. In contrast to the osmicated tissue, lipid bodies appeared as electron-transparent spheres. The choice of dehydration reagent or staining procedure had little influence on the appearance of the PSVs. The results of thi...
A new pediatric vision screener employing polarization-modulated, retinal-birefringence-scanning-based strabismus detection and bull's eye focus detection

Purpose Commercially available pediatric vision screening devices that test for amblyopia’s primary causes (strabismus and defocus) can detect strabismus only indirectly and inaccurately via assessment of the positions of external light reflections from the cornea, but they cannot detect the anatomical feature of the eyes where fixation actually occurs (the fovea). Methods Our laboratory has been developing technology to detect true foveal fixation, by exploiting the birefringence of the uniquely arranged Henle fibers delineating the fovea, using retinal birefringence scanning (RBS), and we recently described a new, polarization-modulated approach to RBS that enables entirely direct and reliable detection of true foveal fixation, with greatly enhanced signal-to-noise ratio and essentially independent of corneal birefringence. Here we present a new pediatric vision screener (PVS) that employs polarization-modulated RBS for strabismus detection, and double-pass focus detection using a bull’s eye photodetector and improved target system with accommodative control. Results Performance tests in adult volunteers and pediatric patients demonstrate that our new PVS 1) is capable of detecting even small angles of eye misalignment (at least 0.75° or 1.3 PD), 2) has the potential to detect spherical focus within ±1.00 D, and 3) has the potential to detect the misalignment in patients with accommodative esotropia who only develop a crossed eye when focusing intently on a near target. Conclusion In conclusion, the new PVS shows real promise in supplying the demand for a reliable, automated strabismus/defocus screening tool for children at risk for amblyopia.
The middleness concept in children.

To test the concept of middleness, 4 series of 7 problems each consisting of 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 blocks were administered to 402 male and 381 female children between the ages of 36 and 155 mo. The task required S to select the middle block and the results showed that this ability began to emerge at the 3-yr. level, developed rapidly through year 6, and became asymptotic by the eighth year. A wide variance in the ability was exhibited but perfect performance on all of the problems was not found until age 13½. The use of the task as a test of cognitive development is discussed as well as alternate variations involving blocks of different colors, asymmetrical arrangements, paper-and-pencil forms, and verbal reinforcement.
The effects of a binary mixture of benzo(a)pyrene and 7H-dibenzo(c,g)carbazole on lung tumors and K-ras oncogene mutations in strain A/J mice.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and N -heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NHA) are environmental pollutants formed during the incomplete combustion of organic materials. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and 7H-dibenzo(c,g)carbazole (DBC) are well-characterized representatives of the PAH and NHA classes of compounds, respectively. Both are demonstrated carcinogens that frequently co-occur in environmental mixtures. This preliminary study was conducted to investigate the effects of a binary mixture of BaP and DBC on lung carcinogenicity in the strain A/Jmouse as manifested by tumor development and mutations in the K-ras gene. Male A/Jmice were administered the following single intraperitoneal dose (mg/kg) combinations of BaP and DBC dissolved in a 0.2-mL volume of tricaprylin - 10 DBC:10 BaP; 2 DBC:10 BaP; 2 DBC:100 BaP; and 10 DBC: 100 BaP, and each of the compounds alone at the same doses. Mice were sacrificed 8 months after carcinogen treatment and lung tumor multiplicity and K-ras mutations determined (high...
Poverty as a Contextual Factor Affecting Sexual Health Behavior Among Female Sex Workers in India

A thorough understanding of the environmental and structural factors that precipitate unsafe sexual practices is necessary for HIV/AIDS-prevention research among high-risk population groups like commercial sex workers. I examined how poverty contextualizes sexual health behavior, including condom compliance among commercial female sex workers in a red light district in Calcutta, India. For my research I did an ethnographic study and conducted in-depth interviews of 37 commercial female sex workers. I found that poverty, instead of serving as a catalyst for poor health choices among sex workers, acted as an impetus for pursuing safe sex practices and remaining healthy. The results indicate that sex work, poverty, and health do not always have a paradoxical relationship.
The interaction of message frames and reference points in prosocial persuasive appeals

This research seeks to reconcile inconsistent results obtained in prior framing research in prosocial persuasion contexts by proposing that the reference point (self or self-other) invoked in a persuasive appeal moderates the impact of a particular message frame (positive or negative) on attitudes and behavioral intentions. Two experiments were conducted in which frame and reference point were manipulated in persuasive messages promoting either recycling or prevention of HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. The results indicate that in persuasive social contexts, negative frames may be most persuasive with self-referencing appeals while positive frames work best when benefits to self as well as others are emphasized. This suggests that developers of prosocial communications should be cognizant of both the message frame and the reference point invoked in these messages in order to have maximum persuasion impact. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
REAL: The Technology-Enabled, Engaged, and Active Learning Classroom

This design case highlights a new initiative, the technology-rich active learning classrooms at Michigan State University. The classrooms are intended to promote student engagement, collaborative active learning, and faculty-student interaction in a technology-rich environment that allows for digital information sharing and co-creation of content. The article describes the process of planning and design, integration of room features, and creation of user experiences.
Analysis of Pushing Manipulation by Humanoid Robot BHR-2 during Dynamic Walking

Taking pushing handcart as a typical example, this paper describes pushing manipulation by humanoid robot BHR-2 during dynamic walking. When robot moves, the displacement of shoulder which is same as waist will affect hands motion without any control of arms. To perform the pushing manipulation, it has to achieve dual arm manipulability that to keep both hands' posture according with desired motion mode of manipulation task during movement. We analyze characteristics of the pushing manipulation, establish task modeling, present the kinematics of dual arm and realize arm motion for manipulation. The leg trajectory is known and arm trajectory is calculated realtime with inverse kinematics. The effectiveness of dual arm manipulability for pushing handcart during dynamic walking is demonstrated by simulation and experiment.
A variable-rate filtering system for digital communications

We propose an efficient programmable transmit-receive digital filter structure consisting of a pulse shaping filter (PSF) and a cascaded integrator-comb (CIC) filter which is applicable to variable-rate digital communication systems. The CIC structure is a hardware-efficient means of constructing programmable interpolation and decimation filters, but it introduces a large amount of intersymbol interference (ISI). We solve this problem by proposing a filter design method that determines the PSF coefficients such that the cascade of the PSF and CIC filter exhibits the desired frequency response.
A common precursor for hematopoietic and endothelial cells

Embryonic stem cell-derived embryoid bodies contain a unique precursor population which, in response to vascular endothelial growth factor, gives rise to blast colonies in semi-solid medium. Upon transfer to liquid culture with appropriate cytokines, these blast colonies generate both hematopoietic and adherent, stromal-type cells. Cells within the adherent population display characteristics of endothelial lineage including the expression of CD31, flk-1, flt-1, tie-2, the capacity to take up acetylated LDL and the presence of cytoplasmic Weibel-Palade bodies. Mixing studies demonstrated that the hematopoietic and endothelial precursors within the blast colonies develop from the same cell, the blast colony-forming cell. Kinetic analysis showed that the blast colony-forming cell represents a transient cell population that develops early and is lost quickly during embryoid body development. These findings provide strong evidence that the blast colony-forming cell represents the long-hypothesized hemangioblast, the common precursor of the hematopoietic and endothelial lineages.
Application of tree-ring analysis to paleoseismology: Two case studies

Knowledge of earthquake probabilities is essential for planning earthquake hazard mitigation, and valid estimation of future probabilities requires precise information on past earthquake occurrences. Previous studies documented effects of earthquakes on trees and how these effects are recorded by tree rings. Tree-ring analysis can be combined with other disciplines to date and delineate earthquake induced disturbance. Two case studies show the impact of the 1964 Alaska earthquake on shoreline trees and how a previously unknown southern San Andreas fault earthquake was recorded in tree rings.
Mate choice and optimal search behavior: fitness returns under the fixed sample and sequential search strategies.

The behavior of a female in search of a mate determines the likelihood that she encounters a high-quality male in the search process. The fixed sample (best-of-n) search strategy and the sequential search (fixed threshold) strategy are two prominent models of search behavior. The sequential search strategy dominates the former strategy—yields an equal or higher expected net fitness return to searchers—when search costs are nontrivial and the distribution of quality among prospective mates is uniform or truncated normal. In this paper our objective is to determine whether there are any search costs or distributions of male quality for which the sequential search strategy is inferior to the fixed sample search strategy. The two search strategies are derived under general conditions in which females evaluate encountered males by inspection of an indicator character that has some functional relationship to male quality. The solutions are identical to the original models when the inspected male attribute is itself male quality. The sequential search strategy is shown to dominate the fixed sample search strategy for all search costs and distributions of male quality. Low search costs have been implicated to explain empirical observations that are consistent with the use of a fixed sample search strategy, but under conditions in which the original models were derived there is no search cost or distribution of male quality that favors the fixed sample search strategy. Plausible alternative explanations for the apparent use of this search strategy are discussed.
Presidential Influence on Police Practices: The U.S. President’s Indirect Impact on Fourth Amendment Case Outcome Through Supreme Court Appointments

Utilizing presidential influence theory as a conceptual framework, this study examines the extent to which U.S. presidents effect police practice case outcome through the Supreme Court justices they nominate. Through their confirmed nominees, presidents can have an enduring political impact long after they have left office. Results from a sample of 253 Fourth Amendment police practice cases from 1953–1997 demonstrate that presidents do have an indirect influence on police search and seizure practices. While presidents do not vote in Supreme Court cases, they still have an effect on case outcome because their appointees generally vote along similar ideological lines. Specific results, study limitations, and policy implications for law enforcement agencies are discussed.
Nutritional Homeostasis in Batch and Steady-State Culture of Yeast

We studied the physiological response to limitation by diverse nutrients in batch and steady-state (chemostat) cultures of S. cerevisiae. We found that the global pattern of transcription in steady-state cultures in limiting phosphate or sulfate is essentially identical to that of batch cultures growing in the same medium just before the limiting nutrient is completely exhausted. The massive stress response and complete arrest of the cell cycle that occurs when nutrients are fully exhausted in batch cultures is not observed in the chemostat, indicating that the cells in the chemostat are "poor, not starving." Similar comparisons using leucine or uracil auxotrophs limited on leucine or uracil again showed patterns of gene expression in steady-state closely resembling those of corresponding batch cultures just before they exhaust the nutrient. Although there is also a strong stress response in the auxotrophic batch cultures, cell cycle arrest, if it occurs at all, is much less uniform. Many of the differences among the patterns of gene expression between the four nutrient limitations are interpretable in light of known involvement of the genes in stress responses or in the regulation or execution of particular metabolic pathways appropriate to the limiting nutrient. We conclude that cells adjust their growth rate to nutrient availability and maintain homeostasis in the same way in batch and steady state conditions; cells in steady-state cultures are in a physiological condition normally encountered in batch cultures.
Image Restoration Using A Norm Of Maximum Information

Image interpreters often express the desire to extract a "maximum of information" from a given picture. We have devised a new norm of restoration that, in fact, realizes this aim. The image data are forced to contain a maximum of information about the object, through variation of the object estimate. This maximum information (MI) norm restores the ideal object which, had it existed, would have maximized the throughput of information from object to image planes. Or, the object estimate achieves the "channel capacity" of the image-forming medium. The following simple model for image formation is used. The imaging system is regarded as a transducer of photon position, from x in the object plane toy in the image plane. Then the conditional probability p(y1 x) is just s(y-x), the point spread function for the imagery, plus an unknown noise probability law n(y) independent of x (signal) for those transitions to y that are due to noise. The average information per photon transition x-y may then be calculated, using the correspondence of probability law p(x) with the object and p(y) with the image. When the image law p(y) is constrained to equal the data, the only set of unknowns remaining is the object, which may be varied to maximize the information. Restorations by this method are compared with corresponding ones by maximum entropy and show some advantage over the latter.
Label-free Relative Quantification of Co-eluting Isobaric Phosphopeptides of Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS

Intracellular signal transduction is often regulated by transient protein phosphorylation in response to external stimuli. Insulin signaling is dependent on specific protein phosphorylation events, and analysis of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) phosphorylation reveals a complex interplay between tyrosine, serine, and threonine phosphorylation. The phosphospecific antibody-based quantification approach for analyzing changes in site-specific phosphorylation of IRS-1 is difficult due to the dearth of phospho-antibodies compared with the large number of known IRS-1 phosphorylation sites. We previously published a method detailing a peak area-based mass spectrometry approach, using precursor ions for peptides, to quantify the relative abundance of site-specific phosphorylation in the absence or presence of insulin. We now present an improvement wherein site-specific phosphorylation is quantified by determining the peak area of fragment ions respective to the phospho-site of interest. This provides the advantage of being able to quantify co-eluting isobaric phosphopeptides (differentially phosphorylated versions of the same peptide), allowing for a more comprehensive analysis of protein phosphorylation. Quantifying human IRS-1 phosphorylation sites at Ser303, Ser323, Ser330, Ser348, Ser527, and Ser531 shows that this method is linear (n = 3; r2 = 0.85 ± 0.05, 0.96 ± 0.01, 0.96 ± 0.02, 0.86 ± 0.07, 0.90 ± 0.03, 0.91 ± 0.04, respectively) over an approximate 10-fold range of concentrations and reproducible (n = 4; coefficient of variation = 0.12, 0.14, 0.29, 0.30, 0.12, 0.06, respectively). This application of label-free, fragment ion-based quantification to assess relative phosphorylation changes of specific proteins will prove useful for understanding how various cell stimuli regulate protein function by phosphorylation.
Calcium dynamics of hemocytes of the gastropod Biomphalaria glabrata: effects of digenetic trematodes and selected bioactive compounds

. Two fluorescent calcium indicators, Calcium Green AM (CG) and Fura Red AM (FR), were used in conjunction with confocal microscopy to monitor hemocyte calcium dynamics following exposure to digenetic trematode larvae or relevant bioactive compounds. Changes in intracellular calcium levels, as measured by fluctuations in the CG/FR ratio, were correlated with hemocyte morphological changes. Hemocytes exposed to culture medium remained spread and had few calcium transients. However, following exposure to sporocysts, sporocyst secretory-excretory products, or small rediae of Echinostoma paraensei in culture medium, significantly more hemocytes both rounded up and exhibited calcium transients, though some hemocytes showed one response or the other but not both. Hemocytes did not respond significantly to large rediae, to sporocysts of another digenean (Schistosoma mansoni), or to bacterial lipopolysaccharides. Exposure to either zymosan particles or mannose BSA provoked responses similar to those seen with sporocysts of E. paraensei Caffeine caused rounding but no calcium transients, and phorbol myristate acetate provoked calcium transients but no rounding. The results show that sporocysts and small rediae of E. paraensei have pronounced effects on hemocyte rounding and calcium dynamics, and that these two events can occur independently of one another. This suggests that parasites may influence hemocytes in at least two separate ways.
Characterizing Uncertain Outcomes with the Restricted HT Transformation

Rcs[rictions on the hyperbolic trigonometric (HT) transformation are imposed to guarantee that a probability density fi~nction is obtained from maximu~n likelihood estimation. Performance of the restricted HT transformation sing data generated from normal, beta, gamma, logistic, log-normal, Pareto, Weibull. order statistic, and bimod;~l populatio~is is investigated via sampling experiments. Results suggest that the restricted HT transthrmation is sufficiently flexible to compele with the actual population distributions in most cases. Application of the restricted HT transformation is illustr:~tecl by characterizing uncertain net income per acre for com~l~unity-su~> ~>c~rted agricultur-e far~ns in the northeastern United States. Key Wovt1.r: farm management, hyperbolic trigonometric transformation. uncertainty
Mechanisms for vagal modulation of ventricular repolarization and of coronary occlusion-induced lethal arrhythmias in cats.

Our goal was to better understand the mechanisms underlying muscarinic receptor actions on the ventricle in vivo. Therefore, we studied the effects of vagal stimulation on ventricular repolarization and of vagal tone on lethal arrhythmias induced by 30 minutes of left anterior descending coronary artery ligation in anesthetized cats. Experimental groups included normal control cats subjected only to coronary ligation and cats pretreated with atropine, pertussis toxin (PTX), or propranolol. All cats received bilateral cervical vagal stimulation (Vstim) at 1, 3, and 5 Hz for 1 minute at 10-minute intervals. Before coronary ligation, Vstim slowed sinus rate, prolonged the PR interval, and lowered blood pressure. Most important from the point of view of electrophysiological function was a vagally induced acceleration of ventricular repolarization in paced and unpaced hearts, which could be explained by the effects of acetylcholine (ie, shortening the subepicardial muscle action potentials). The effect on repolarization was blocked by atropine or PTX but not by propranolol. The extent of sinus slowing and acceleration of repolarization was directly related to the level of functional PTX-sensitive G protein (P < .05). Coronary occlusion was performed during atrial pacing such that the heart rate in all groups was equal. The incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) was 10% in the control group and 50% and 54% in atropine and PTX groups, respectively (P < .05). During atrial pacing before coronary occlusion, a vagal index was calculated as percent QTc shortening during Vstim. When the vagal index was 13% to 26%, the incidence of VF during occlusion was zero. When the vagal index was 0% to 12%, VF was 52% (P < .01). Conclusions are as follows: (1) Vstim accelerates ventricular repolarization in cats via a pathway that incorporates a PTX-sensitive G protein and involves an altered gradient between epicardium and endocardium. (2) Removal of vagal tone during ischemia favors VF, as predicted by a vagal index.
Blind reverberation mitigation for robust speaker identification

Reverberation poses detrimental effects on performance of automatic speaker identification (SID) systems. This paper proposes a blind spectral weighting technique for combating the late reverberation effect (aka overlap-masking effect) on SID systems. The technique is blind in the sense that prior knowledge of neither the anechoic signal nor the room impulse response is required. Performance of the proposed technique is evaluated in terms of: 1) accuracy obtained from closed-set SID experiments, using speech material from the TIMIT corpus and four different measured room impulse responses from Aachen impulse response (AIR) database, and 2) equal-error rate (EER) obtained from experiments on a new data corpus well suited for speaker verification experiments under actual reverberant mismatched conditions, entitled MultiRoom8. Results prove that incorporating the proposed blind technique into the standard MFCC feature extraction framework yields significant improvement in SID performance.
Development of an Inspector Satellite Using Photostructurable Glass/Ceramic Materials

Photostructurable glass ceramics are unique materials that can be used to make mechanical, thermal, optical, and multi-functional structures in small spacecraft. Laser patterning of Foturan TM , a commercially available photostructurable glass ceramic, provides rapid micron-scale patterning of the amorphous glass and crystalline ceramic phases in a single substrate. We designed and fabricated a laboratory-class cold gas propulsion module out of Foturan TM that meets the propulsion requirements for a weeklong, 1-kg class satellite inspector mission. We have demonstrated rudimentary one-axis attitude control on an air table and intend to demonstrate position control. Many basic functions required for a satellite inspector, such as command and control, communications, and attitude control are implemented at a preliminary level in this subkg mass vehicle.
Efforts to Improve Durability of Concrete in Virginia

This paper addresses some of the notable improvements in the durability of concrete for bridge structures, mainly decks, and of pavements by the Virginia Department of Transportation since 1938. These improvements are intended to extend service life with minimal maintenance. Improvements have been made in the design, material ingredients, proportioning, and construction practices for bridge structures and concrete pavements.
A portable, disposable system for negative-pressure wound therapy

Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) imparts a number of clinical effects that promote a healing response and, as such, is a well-established means of treating a variety of wound types. Historically, the technique has been primarily used in the hospital setting; however, the introduction of more portable devices has led to an increase in the use of NPWT in the homecare setting, thereby facilitating early discharge of patients from hospital and continuity of care in the community. Portable NPWT devices also have the potential to impact positively on patients' quality of life, allowing increased mobility and freedom to undertake normal activities of daily living. Following the development of its standard Avance® NPWT system and associated dressing kits, Molnlycke Health Care (Gothenburg, Sweden) has introduced a single-patient-use, disposable NPWT system; Avance Solo. This has been developed with a view to maximising patient freedom and mobility, providing a single-patient-use NPWT solution for multi-week...
The polarity and magnitude of ambient charge influences three-dimensional neurite extension from DRGs.

Sulfated proteoglycans have inhibitory effects on neurite extension, and the negative charge of the glycosaminoglycan side chains may be involved in the inhibitory process. The main goal of this study is to investigate the effects of charge on three-dimensional neurite extension. Various concentrations of dermatan sulfate (DS), a chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan, and consequently, various degrees of negative charge were presented on three-dimensional agarose hydrogels and the effect of charge on neurite extension from primary neurons was investigated. Dose-response experiments were also performed with the polycationic (positively charged) polysaccharide chitosan covalently coupled to agarose. The amount of DS or chitosan coupled to the agarose gel was quantified via metachromatic dye or Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy methods, respectively. The length of embryonic day 9 (E9) chick dorsal root ganglia neurites extended through charged agarose gels is dependent on the polarity and quantity of ambient charge. The inhibitory effects of the sulfated DS and the enhancing effects of the polycationic chitosan on neurite extension decrease as the amount of DS or chitosan coupled to agarose is decreased. These findings indicate that primary neural process extension is influenced by the polarity of ambient charge in a dose-responsive manner.
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY AS A FUNCTION OF INTERNAL PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION IN FRESHWATER PHYTOPLANKTON(1).

Single-cell alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity is being increasingly used to characterize phosphorus (P) status of individual species of phytoplankton. As phytoplankton growth rates depend more directly on the internal rather than external P concentrations, we determine the AP activity in the two species of freshwater phytoplankton, Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turpin) Breb. and Asterionella formosa Hassall, as a function of internal P concentration. AP activity strongly correlated with cellular P, increasing almost linearly with decreasing cellular P in both species. The dynamics of initial responses of AP activity to P limitation, as well as the final levels of AP activity, when cellular P approached minimum quotas, differed in two species. After P addition, cellular P concentrations increased rapidly, but AP activity remained high for several days. The lag in AP activity down-regulation following an increase in cellular P made it difficult to infer current P status of cells under dynamic P conditions.
Beyond sub-Gaussian measurements: high-dimensional structured estimation with sub-exponential designs

We consider the problem of high-dimensional structured estimation with norm-regularized estimators, such as Lasso, when the design matrix and noise are drawn from sub-exponential distributions. Existing results only consider sub-Gaussian designs and noise, and both the sample complexity and non-asymptotic estimation error have been shown to depend on the Gaussian width of suitable sets. In contrast, for the sub-exponential setting, we show that the sample complexity and the estimation error will depend on the exponential width of the corresponding sets, and the analysis holds for any norm. Further, using generic chaining, we show that the exponential width for any set will be at most √log p times the Gaussian width of the set, yielding Gaussian width based results even for the sub-exponential case. Further, for certain popular estimators, viz Lasso and Group Lasso, using a VC-dimension based analysis, we show that the sample complexity will in fact be the same order as Gaussian designs. Our general analysis and results are the first in the sub-exponential setting, and are readily applicable to special sub-exponential families such as log-concave and extreme-value distributions.
A unified framework for mesh refinement in random and physical space

In recent work we have shown how an accurate reduced model can be utilized to perform mesh refinement in random space. That work relied on the explicit knowledge of an accurate reduced model which is used to monitor the transfer of activity from the large to the small scales of the solution. Since this is not always available, we present in the current work a framework which shares the merits and basic idea of the previous approach but does not require an explicit knowledge of a reduced model. Moreover, the current framework can be applied for refinement in both random and physical space. In this manuscript we focus on the application to random space mesh refinement. We study examples of increasing difficulty (from ordinary to partial differential equations) which demonstrate the efficiency and versatility of our approach. We also provide some results from the application of the new framework to physical space mesh refinement.