cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure/Function Relationships Responsible for Coenzyme Specificity and the Isomerase Activity of Human Type 1 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase/Isomerase

Human type 1 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase (3β-HSD/isomerase) catalyzes the two sequential enzyme reactions on a single protein that converts dehydroepiandrosterone or pregnenolone to androstenedione or progesterone, respectively, in placenta, mammary gland, breast tumors, prostate, prostate tumors, and other peripheral tissues. Our earlier studies show that the two enzyme reactions are linked by the coenzyme product, NADH, of the 3β-HSD activity. NADH activates the isomerase activity by inducing a time-dependent conformational change in the enzyme protein. The current study tested the hypothesis that the 3β-HSD and isomerase activities shared a common coenzyme domain, and it characterized key amino acids that participated in coenzyme binding and the isomerase reaction. Homology modeling with UDP-galactose-4-epimerase predicts that Asp36 is responsible for the NAD(H) specificity of human 3β-HSD/isomerase and identifies the Rossmann-fold coenzyme domain at the amino terminus. The D36A/K37R mutant in the potential coenzyme domain and the D241N, D257L, D258L, and D265N mutants in the potential isomerase domain (previously identified by affinity labeling) were created, expressed, and purified. The D36A/K37R mutant shifts the cofactor preference of both 3β-HSD and isomerase from NAD(H) to NADP(H), which shows that the two activities utilize a common coenzyme domain. The D257L and D258L mutations eliminate isomerase activity, whereas the D241N and D265N mutants have nearly full isomerase activity. Kinetic analyses and pH dependence studies showed that either Asp257 or Asp258 plays a catalytic role in the isomerization reaction. These observations further characterize the structure/function relationships of human 3β-HSD/isomerase and bring us closer to the goal of selectively inhibiting the type 1 enzyme in placenta (to control the timing of labor) or in hormone-sensitive breast tumors (to slow their growth).
Diffuse optical tomography in the presence of a chest wall

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) has been employed to derive spatial maps of physiologically important chromophores in the human breast, but the fidelity of these images is often compromised by boundary effects such as those due to the chest wall. We explore the image quality in fast, data-intensive analytic and algebraic linear DOT reconstructions of phantoms with subcentimeter target features and large absorptive regions mimicking the chest wall. Experiments demonstrate that the chest wall phantom can introduce severe image artifacts. We then show how these artifacts can be mitigated by exclusion of data affected by the chest wall. We also introduce and demonstrate a linear algebraic reconstruction method well suited for very large data sets in the presence of a chest wall.
New Systems for Measurement and Control

ABSTRACT Companies' attempts to adapt to today's technological capabilities and globally competitive environment have been greatly constrained by antiquated accounting systems. Improved management accounting systems can be designed: 1) for operational control, to motivate the learning and improvement activities for managers and employees, and to provide feedback on the efficiency of operating processes; 2) for activity-based costing, to calculate accurately the profitability of individual products and customers; and 3) for capital investment decisions, to guide decisions on acquiring advanced technological capabilities. The paper summarizes recent advances in all three applications.
Spatial modeling of wetland condition in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region.

Summary. We propose a spatial modeling framework for wetland data produced from a remote-sensing-based waterfowl habitat survey conducted in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). The data produced from this survey consist of the area containing water on many thousands of wetland basins (i.e., prairie potholes). We propose a two-state model containing wet and dry states. This model provides a concise description of wet probability, i.e., the probability that a basin contains water, and the amount of water contained in wet basins. The two model components are spatially linked through a common latent effect, which is assumed to be spatially correlated. Model fitting and prediction is carried out using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The model primarily facilitates mapping of habitat conditions, which is useful in varied monitoring and assessment capacities. More importantly, the predictive capability of the model provides a rigorous statistical framework for directing management and conservation activities by enabling characterization of habitat structure at any point on the landscape.
Assessing fracture risk using gradient boosting machine (GBM) models

Advanced bone imaging with quantitative computed tomography (QCT) has had limited success in significantly improving fracture prediction beyond standard areal bone mineral density (aBMD) measurements. Thus, we examined whether a machine learning paradigm, gradient boosting machine (GBM) modeling, which can incorporate diverse measurements of bone density and geometry from central QCT imaging and of bone microstructure from high-resolution peripheral QCT imaging, can improve fracture prediction. We studied two cohorts of postmenopausal women: 105 with and 99 without distal forearm fractures (Distal Forearm Cohort) and 40 with at least one grade 2 or 3 vertebral deformity and 78 with no vertebral fracture (Vertebral Cohort). Within each cohort, individual bone density, structure, or strength variables had areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) ranging from 0.50 to 0.84 (median 0.61) for discriminating women with and without fracture. Using all possible variables in the GBM model, the AUCs were close to 1.0. Fracture predictions in the Vertebral Cohort using the GBM models built with the Distal Forearm Cohort had AUCs of 0.82-0.95, while predictions in the Distal Forearm Cohort using models built with the Vertebral Cohort had AUCs of 0.80-0.83. Attempts at capturing a comparable parametric model using the top variables from the Distal Forearm Cohort resulted in resulted in an AUC of 0.81. Relatively high AUCs for differing fracture types suggest that an underlying fracture propensity is being captured by this modeling approach. More complex modeling, such as with GBM, creates stronger fracture predictions and may allow deeper insights into information provided by advanced bone imaging techniques.
Some Effects of Increasing Environmental Temperatures on Pullets

Abstract SOME of the seasonal variations in egg production, fertility and hatchability are attributed by poultrymen to be due to environmental effects. Hence, the role of environment on the performance of chickens has long been recognized. Birds have highly variable body temperatures according to Baldwin and Kendeigh (1932). They found that muscular activity was the most important factor causing variations in body temperature. Normal body temperatures in eight species of passeriform birds were found to vary as much as 10°F., ranging from the lowest normal body temperature of 102.0°F. to the highest which was 112.3°F. The normal body temperature of chickens varies from 104.6 to 109.4°F. according to Fronda (1931). This agrees with the normal temperatures during the spring of 106.1±.09 and 105.4±.03°F. reported by Lee et al., (1945) for Leghorns and Australorps respectively. Heywang (1938) found that body temperature of hens was affected by environmental temperature. Lamoreux and Hutt (1939) . . .
Dynamics of an age-structured prey with density- and predation-dependent recruitment: The Dungeness crab and a nemertean egg predator worm

Abstract We analyzed stability of a discrete-time model of an age-structured egg predator and an age- and sex-structured prey, then used the results to evaluate the contribution of an egg predator nemertean worm to cycles in Dungeness crab abundance in northern California. Dynamics of the egg predator-prey system were found to be similar to an intraspecific, density-dependent recruitment mechanism, except that the relative importance of different age classes depended on the equilibrium egg mortality rate. Stable limit cycles occurred when the normalized slope of the egg survival function was sufficiently negative. The frequency of these cycles depended on equilibrium level. From comparisons of (1) egg survival data to the derived stability condition and (2) the frequency of observed cycles to those of the model, we concluded that the worm is not the sole cause of the cycles in the northern California crab catch. Changes in the model, survival of the worm past one year, and density-dependent efficiency of prey conversion were shown to be destabilizing, but they did not change the conclusion that the worm was not the sole cause. A model with both the egg predator and density-dependent recruitment in the prey indicated that these mechanisms in combination could produce the observed cycles, even when each by itself could not.
Hydrogeologic Control and Statistical Prediction of Active Mass Movement

Based on an extensive research study of selected natural slopes on three continents, a special type of wide-spread mass movement is noted, explained and quantitatively analyzed. The paper focuses on the long-observed intensity of landslides on slopes consisting of permeable materials overlying cohesive soils. In non-arid areas, the overlying aquifer, in acting as a reservoir for infiltrated precipitation, furnishes a steady supply of water to the slope. This initiates and reactivates mass movement mainly by sustaining high pore water pressures in the slope-forming materials. Pore-pressure induced failure is not exclusive to the mass-movement scenario addressed. However, the accelerated rate of failure is. This is because the rate of failure is a direct function of the sustained supply of water from the overlying aquifer. Hydrogeologic variables are discussed in relation to other controls contributing to patterns and activity of mass movement. New knowledge is contributed not so much by the further explanation of a relatively well-known concept, but by the presentation of a systematic methodology involving the collection of quantitative data from aerial photographs, and the processing of these data by means of computer-assisted techniques. The results obtained are consistent both with geotechnical theory and field data and have predictive value in terms of estimating the extent of mass-movement activity on slopes. As such, the methodology outlined offers an approach for researching similar problems.
Factors that influence the mutagenic patterns of DNA adducts from chemical carcinogens.

Carcinogens are generally mutagens, which is understandable given that tumor cells grow uncontrollably because they have mutations in critical genes involved in growth control. Carcinogens often induce a complex pattern of mutations (e.g., GC-->TA, GC-->AT, etc.). These mutations are thought to be initiated when a DNA polymerase encounters a carcinogen-DNA adduct during replication. In principle, mutational complexity could be due to either a collection of different adducts each inducing a single kind of mutation (Hypothesis 1a), or a single adduct inducing different kinds of mutations (Hypothesis 1b). Examples of each are discussed. Regarding Hypothesis 1b, structural factors (e.g., DNA sequence context) and biological factors (e.g., differing DNA polymerases) that can affect the pattern of adduct mutagenesis are discussed. This raises the question: how do structural and biological factors influence the pattern of adduct mutagenesis. For structural factors, three possibilities are considered: (Hypothesis 2a) a single conformation of an adduct giving rise to multiple mutations -- dNTP insertion by DNA polymerase being influenced by (e.g.) the surrounding DNA sequence context; (Hypothesis 2b) a variation on this ("dislocation mutagenesis"); or (Hypothesis 2c) a single adduct adopting multiple conformations, each capable of giving a different pattern of mutations. Hypotheses 2a, 2b and 2c can each in principle rationalize many mutational results, including how the pattern of adduct mutagenesis might be influenced by factors, such as DNA sequence context. Five lines of evidence are discussed suggesting that Hypothesis 2c can be correct for base substitution mutagenesis. For example, previous work from our laboratory was interpreted to indicate that [+ta]-B[a]P-N(2)-dG in a 5'-CGG sequence context (G115) could be trapped in a conformation giving predominantly G-->T mutations, but heating caused the adduct to equilibrate to its thermodynamic mixture of conformations, leading to a decrease in the fraction of G-->T mutations. New work is described suggesting that [+ta]-B[a]P-N(2)-dG at G115 can also be trapped predominantly in the G-->A mutational conformation, from which equilibration can also occur, leading to an increase in the fraction of G-->T mutations. Evidence is also presented that the fraction of G-->T mutations is higher when [+ta]-B[a]P-N(2)-dG at G115 is in ss-DNA ( approximately 89%) vs. ds-DNA ( approximately 66%), a finding that can be rationalized if the mixture of adduct conformations is different in ss- and ds-DNA. In summary, the factors affecting adduct mutagenesis are reviewed and five lines of evidence that support one hypothesis (2c: adduct conformational complexity can cause adduct mutational complexity) are discussed.
Cerebral infarction: effects of dose and magnetization transfer saturation at gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging.

PURPOSE: To determine contrast enhancement after cerebral infarction at T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with delayed, gadolinium-enhanced, and magnetization transfer (MT) techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients aged 40-81 years with recent infarctions ( .05). Initial and delayed standard-dose MT images were ranked lowest (P < .01) and were not distinguishable from each other. CONCLUSION: M...
Cadmium telluride solar cell: From device modeling to system implementation

The mathematical modeling of the voltage dependent current-voltage (I–V) characteristics of Cadmium Telluride (CdS/CdTe) Solar cell and utilizing that modeling mathematics in to circuit or industrial level application has been analyzed in this paper. A single cell is developed based on the mathematical model and a solar module/network is constructed considering a series and parallel combinations of the single cell. The I-V characteristics of the cell is used as a source. The module performance is analyzed under various operating conditions. To extract the power from the solar cell, Perturb and Observe (P&O) Maximum power point technique has been used. A general resistive load is used in the circuit presented in the paper. Then instead of simple resistive load, a battery including the charge controller to discharge any load is used in the analysis.
Analysis of quantitative computed tomography scans using a Sun workstation

CT scans were taken of processed and unprocessed bone grafts. The CT images were transferred from magnetic tape to the hard disk of a Sun Microsystems SPARCstation 2 GX. Each CT image was stored in a separate image file. The bone sample images were then analyzed using image processing software to obtain a measurement of bone mineral density for each sample. >
A 415 MHz direct digital quadrature modulator in 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS

With a 32-bit frequency-control-word and two 15-bit (I and Q) data inputs, while employing less hardware than a conventional 2-multiplier/DDFS approach, this interleaved IC provides a quadrature DDFS (nearly for free!) with 100 dB spurious-free dynamic range and produces a 16-bit modulated sinusoidal output. Power dissipation is 0.5 W at an 830 MHz clock-rate with a 2.5 V supply.
A Java based system for specifying hierarchical control flow graph models

The portion of the Hierarchical Modeling And $mulation System-Java (HiMASS-j) used for specifying Hierarchical Control Flow Graph (HCFG) Models is described. The specification of HCFG Models in HiMASS-j is by visual interactive modeling through the use of graphical user interfaces and dialog boxes. HCFG Models are specified using two complementary hierarchical specification structures, one to specify the components that comprise a model and how these components are interconnected, and the other to specify the behaviors of the individual atomic components.
EUS visualization and direct celiac ganglia neurolysis predicts better pain relief in patients with pancreatic malignancy (with video)

Background EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN) improves pain control in patients with pancreatic cancer. EUS allows visualization of the celiac ganglion. Objective To determine predictors of response to EUS-CPN in a cohort of 64 patients with pancreatic malignancy. Design Retrospective analysis of prospective database. Setting Academic medical center. Patients Sixty-four patients with pancreatic cancer referred for EUS between March 2008 and January 2010. Interventions EUS-CPN injected directly into celiac ganglia when visible by linear EUS or bilateral injection at the celiac vascular trunk. Main Outcome Measurements Predictors of pain improvement at week 1 by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results At week 1, 32 patients (50%) had a symptomatic response. In a multivariate model with 8 potential predictors, visualization of the ganglia was the best predictor of response; patients with visible ganglia were >15 times more likely to respond (odds ratio 15.7; P Limitations Retrospective design and lack of blinding. Conclusions Visualization of celiac ganglia with direct injection is the best predictor of response to EUS-CPN in patients with pancreatic malignancy.
Using machine learning to predict wind turbine power output

Wind turbine power output is known to be a strong function of wind speed, but is also affected by turbulence and shear. In this work, new aerostructural simulations of a generic 1.5 MW turbine are used to rank atmospheric influences on power output. Most significant is the hub height wind speed, followed by hub height turbulence intensity and then wind speed shear across the rotor disk. These simulation data are used to train regression trees that predict the turbine response for any combination of wind speed, turbulence intensity, and wind shear that might be expected at a turbine site. For a randomly selected atmospheric condition, the accuracy of the regression tree power predictions is three times higher than that from the traditional power curve methodology. The regression tree method can also be applied to turbine test data and used to predict turbine performance at a new site. No new data are required in comparison to the data that are usually collected for a wind resource assessment. Implementing the method requires turbine manufacturers to create a turbine regression tree model from test site data. Such an approach could significantly reduce bias in power predictions that arise because of the different turbulence and shear at the new site, compared to the test site.
Über die Wirkung von Seifen und Waschmitteln (Detergents) auf die Haut

Die Beziehungen zwischen kosmetischen Produkten und der Haut sind recht vielfaltig, und fur die Beurteilung mus eine Reihe von Faktoren berucksichtigt werden. The Effect of soap and Detergents on the Skin The relations between cosmetic products and the skin are rather manifold. For the valuation, a number of factors has to be taken into consideration.
Current Perceptions of Marital Rape Some Good and Not-So-Good News

The current study extends previous research on marital rape and acceptance of general rape myths by comparing the perceptions of undergraduate college students (n = 85) to those of college alumni/ae (n = 44) who graduated from the same university three decades earlier. Participants read a hypothetical rape scenario that depicted the perpetrator as either the victim's husband or neighbor and completed three measures of different aspects of rape myth acceptance. Results indicated that although participants reported fairly low levels of support for different aspects of rape myths, certain rape myths were more strongly endorsed than were others. Furthermore, rape myth acceptance was stronger for marital rape than for acquaintance rape and for undergraduates than for college alumni/ae. Practical and theoretical implications of this study are discussed.
Injection timing determines whether intragastric ethanol produces conditioned place preference or aversion in mice

Previous studies have shown that mice develop conditioned place preference (CPP) when ethanol is administered by intraperitoneal (ip) or intravenous (iv) injection. The present studies examined CPP in mice using the intragastric (ig) route of administration. Inbred mice were surgically implanted with chronic intragastric cannulae and exposed to an unbiased place conditioning procedure in which infusion of ethanol (2 or 4 g/kg) was paired with a conditioned stimulus (CS+). A different CS was paired with water. In Experiments 1-2, ethanol was infused just before exposure to CS+. Contrary to previous studies involving intraperitoneal injection, infusion of 4 g/kg ig ethanol produced a significant conditioned place aversion (CPA). However, when a 5-min delay was inserted between infusion and CS exposure (Experiments 3-4), the same dose produced CPP. These outcomes are not consistent with expectations derived from a recent study in selectively bred rats, suggesting that sensitivity to ethanol reward is enhanced by intragastric administration. However, the finding that intragastric ethanol can produce either CPP or CPA depending on dose and injection timing is consistent with previous intraperitoneal ethanol studies in mice. Although the parameters differ for each route of administration, it appears that the same underlying processes can be invoked to explain how manipulation of injection timing affects the direction of ethanol-induced place conditioning. More specifically, in both cases, CPA can be attributed to an initial, short-lived aversive effect, whereas CPP can be attributed to a delayed rewarding effect of ethanol.
Complicating What it Means to ‘Struggle’: One Young Child's Experience with a Mandated Literacy Initiative:

In this article, the author explores the implementation of the K-3 Reading First initiative and its recommendation for scientifically based reading curricula. During a time of high-stakes testing and accountability, this policy has emphasized a skills-based approach to reading and placed importance on scripted teaching models. Using data from a qualitative study in a public school in New York City, the author draws on the experiences of one young child to see how the standardization of early literacy curriculum shaped his school-based literacy practices.
Types of Minority Discrimination and Terrorism

Qualitative research suggests that discrimination against minority groups precipitates terrorism in countries. This study adds to this body of research by determining which specific manifestations of minority discrimination—political, socioeconomic or cultural—are important and substantive predictors of terrorist activity. To do so, I conduct a series of negative binomial estimations and substantive effects simulations on a cross-national dataset of terrorist attacks and the treatment of minority groups in four specific areas: political participation and representation, economic status, religious and language rights. The results indicate that socioeconomic discrimination against minorities is the only consistently significant and highly substantive predictor of terrorism. The study concludes by discussing the implications of these findings to the scholarly literature on terrorism.
Learning from peers in signaling game experiments

We investigate peer group eects in laboratory experiments based on Milgrom and Roberts' (1982) entry limit pricing game. We generalize Heckman's (1981) dynamic discrete choice panel data models by introducing time-lagged social interactions, using the unbiased GHK simulator to implement the computationally cumbersome maximum likelihood estimation. We …nd that subjects'decisions are signi…cantly in‡uenced by past decisions of peers on several dimensions including potential entrants'choices and strategic play of like-type monopolists. The proposed model and estimation method may be applicable to other experiments where peer group eects are likely to play an important role.
A-complete Single Supply Dual 18-bit Audio DAC

A complete 18-bit dual voltage-out audio DAC (digital-to-analog converter) was developed on a 2 mu m BiCMOS process with laser-trimmable SiCr thin film resistors. A combination of segmented elements and R-2R networks was chosen to achieve high performance while maintaining low power consumption and a small die size. The device operates from a single 5 V supply with 50 mW power dissipation. It achieves 0.004% (-88 dB) THD (total harmonic distortion)+noise, 97.5 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and 115 dB channel separation. The die size is 2.65 mm*3.43 mm (104 mil *135mil). >
Walsh's Rules and the Small Bond Angle States of Triatomic Dihydride Molecules

A series of excited electronic states of AH2 molecules having extremely small bond angles has been discovered theoretically. Systems which have shown this characteristic to date include H2O+, NH2, CH2+, and NH2+. In the present research ab initio studies were carried out using a double zeta plus polarization basis set. Configuration interaction including all Hartree-Fock interacting single and double excitations was performed. For the 2B2 state of CH2+, the predicted equilibrium geometry is θe(HCH) = 35.2°, re(C-H) = 1.41 A. This state is bound by 20.3 kcal/mole relative to the separated C+ + H2 ground electronic state. The analogous state of BH2 is not substantially bound, but the neutral C + H2 system shows some very interesting features. All of these results may be qualitatively understood in the context of Walsh's rules.
Participant skepticism: If you can't beat it, model it

For a variety of reasons, including the common use of deception in psychology experiments, participants often disbelieve experimenters' assertions about important task parameters. This can lead researchers to conclude incorrectly that participants are behaving non- normatively. The problem can be overcome by deriving and testing normative models that do not assume full belief in key task parameters. A real experimental example is discussed.
The sequential syntheses of [76Br]FBAU 3′,5′-dibenzoate and [76Br]FBAU

Thymidine analogs labeled with positron emitting radionuclides are potential proliferation markers for positron emission tomography (PET). Bromine-76 (T 1/2 = 16.2 h) is our choice of radionuclides because it allows for maximal DNA incorporation of the tracer. Following the literature descriptions, 76 Br was produced using the 75 As ( 3 He, 2n) 76 Br reaction. We then recovered 76 Br from the target in the form of [ 76 Br]NH 4 Br with a yield of 60 ± 12% (n = 32). Peracetic acid was used as the oxidant for electrophilic bromodestannylation to prepare [ 76 Br]FBAU 3',5'-dibenzoate (71.2 ± 12.1%, RCY) and a basic hydrolysis of the dibenzoate then yielded [ 76 Br]FBAU. The yield of the hydrolysis reaction was 53.1 ± 9.2% when heated at 100°C for 15 min or quantitative (decay corrected) when left at room temperature overnight. The sequential synthesis of [ 76 Br]FBAU 3',5'-dibenzoate and [ 76 Br]FBAU allowed us to perform a side-by-side comparison of their metabolic stabilities. While [ 76 Br]FBAU 3',5'-dibenzoate was hydrolyzed to [ 76 Br]FBAU within 10 minutes by hepatocyte at 37°C, [ 76 Br]FBAU was stable and no [ 76 Br]Br was released from either radiopharmaceutical. Both compounds are potential proliferation markers for PET.
Dual-color imaging of tumor cell and nuclear shape changes during extravasation in living mice

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 5673 Cancer cell extravasation is an important but poorly understood step in metastasis. We report here imaging the extravasation of the dual-color fluorescent HT-1080 human fibrosarcoma and [MMT06056][1] mouse mammary tumor cells that are arrested in microvessels. In order to image cellular and nuclear dynamics during extravasation, cancer cells were engineered to express red fluorescent protein (RFP) in the cytoplasm, and green fluorescent protein (GFP) linked to histone H2B in the nucleus. To observe the tumor cells in the microvessels, we made a skin-flap on the abdomen of nude mice and spread it on a flat stand. The dual-color cancer cells were injected into the epigastrica cranialis vein of the nude mice. Immediately after injection, we could observe round or oval cancer cells in microvessels in the skin-flap of living mice. Extravasation was found to be infrequent in the HT1080 cells which were visualized by dual-color imaging to be frequently undergoing apoptosis. Mouse mammary tumor cells, in contrast, frequently extravasated beginning approximately 18 hours after cell injection. The cytoplasm of the MMT cells exited the vessels first, and subsequently the whole cancer cell extravasated. The results show a large difference between cancer cell lines in their ability to extravasate. Future studies will focus on the cell biology of extravasation. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=GENPEPT&access_num=MMT06056&atom=%2Fcanres%2F65%2F9_Supplement%2F1334.5.atom
The Summum Bonum and Value-Wholes: Aspects of a Husserlian Axiology and Theology

For Husserl, values are noematic correlates of acts of evaluation, i.e., acts which often are encompassed under “emotions” and “feelings.” These acts and their value-correlates are founded in the sense that they rest on ontifying acts, acts in which a categorial determination of the things in the world is constituted. Appreciation of something requires that there be something to appreciate. Whether Husserl held finally that we first engaged things denuded of all value properties and then slapped value properties upon them seems quite unlikely. Rather he came to emphasize a kind of primacy of a sense of will which caused him to maintain that nothing crosses our experience which is completely value free or indifferent to this elemental sense of will. At this level we have a coincidence of the elemental nisus of passive synthesis and the pre-categorial. Thus, within the existential context of this elemental sense of will, what I have elsewhere called the “general will,” he gave up the theory of “adiaphora,” i.e., value-neutral experiences. This sense of will, which is the teleological nisus of passive synthesis, must be contrasted with evaluation as well as will in the proper sense of the Fiat, i.e., doing (or ceasing to do) something, as an action, promise, decision, resolve, etc.
Building Regulatory Capacity in Environmental Agencies: Through Tailored Training

The Australian Government’s Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts is an emerging regulator. Upon commencement of its cornerstone legislation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts inherited significant regulatory powers. Concurrent to this was the groundswell from other local, State and Federal environmental regulators, all of which had identified a need for greater coordination and interoperability between co-regulators and partneragencies.Arising out of this amalgam is a career path in its own right, which now includes a professional association of like-minded entities together with a hierarchy of nationally accredited vocational qualifications that have been customized for the environmental compliance professional. These vocational qualifications articulate fully into a similarly customised post graduate qualification.
Adaptive Learning for Multi-Agent Navigation

When agents in a multi-robot system move, they need to adapt their paths to account for potential collisions with other agents and with static obstacles. Existing distributed navigation methods compute motions that are optimal locally but do not account for the aggregate motions of all the agents. When there are many agents that move in a crowded space, the result is an inefficient global behavior. To address this issue, we propose a new approach which leverages techniques from machine learning and game theory. Agents using our approach dynamically adapt their motion depending on local conditions in their current environment. We validate our approach experimentally in a variety of scenarios and with different numbers of agents. When compared to other machine learning techniques, our approach produces motions that are more efficient and make better use of the space, allowing agents to reach their destinations faster.
Glucose and insulin levels across the nonpregnant sheep uterus with varying blood flows.

Abstract Blood glucose and plasma insulin levels were measured on the arterial and venous side of the nonpregnant sheep uterus. No gradient was found and this was not altered by changes in the uterine blood flow. The intravenous injections of estrogens had an acute effect of raising the rate of uterine blood flow but it did not alter the glucose or insulin level.
Capital Appreciation Bonds: The Creation of a Toxic Waste Dump in Our Schools

Capital Appreciation Bonds are a relatively new phenomenon, created as a result of declining property values and the need for increasing amounts of funding by school districts. These bonds are similar to zero coupon bonds and not the more typical current interest bond. They are issued for periods well in excess of the normal 25 year municipal bond. A normal payback for a municipal bond is 2 to 3 times the amount borrowed by the municipal bond issuer. This paper explores the consequences of having issued these capital appreciation bonds for a 40 year period frequently with no insurance, on a non- callable basis with no sinking fund and compounding deferred interest resulting in a payback of 3.5 to 23.4 times the amount borrowed. Effectively this passes on the debt to a new generation and imposes on that generation the consequences of a probable default.
HCF1 and OCT2 Cooperate with EBNA1 To Enhance OriP-Dependent Transcription and Episome Maintenance of Latent Epstein-Barr Virus

ABSTRACT Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) establishes latent infections as multicopy episomes with complex patterns of viral gene transcription and chromatin structure. The EBV origin of plasmid replication (OriP) has been implicated as a critical control element for viral transcription, as well as viral DNA replication and episome maintenance. Here, we examine cellular factors that bind OriP and regulate histone modification, transcription regulation, and episome maintenance. We found that OriP is enriched for histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation in multiple cell types and latency types. Host cell factor 1 (HCF1), a component of the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) histone methyltransferase complex, and transcription factor OCT2 (octamer-binding transcription factor 2) bound cooperatively with EBNA1 (Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1) at OriP. Depletion of OCT2 or HCF1 deregulated latency transcription and histone modifications at OriP, as well as the OriP-regulated latency type-dependent C promoter (Cp) and Q promoter (Qp). HCF1 depletion led to a loss of histone H3K4me3 (trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4) and H3 acetylation at Cp in type III latency and Qp in type I latency, as well as an increase in heterochromatic H3K9me3 at these sites. HCF1 depletion resulted in the loss of EBV episomes from Burkitt9s lymphoma cells with type I latency and reactivation from lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs) with type III latency. These findings indicate that HCF1 and OCT2 function at OriP to regulate viral transcription, histone modifications, and episome maintenance. As HCF1 is best known for its function in herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) immediate early gene transcription, our findings suggest that EBV latency transcription shares unexpected features with HSV gene regulation. IMPORTANCE EBV latency is associated with several human cancers. Viral latent cycle gene expression is regulated by the epigenetic control of the OriP enhancer region. Here, we show that cellular factors OCT2 and HCF1 bind OriP in association with EBNA1 to maintain elevated histone H3K4me3 and transcriptional enhancer function. HCF1 is known as a transcriptional coactivator of herpes simplex virus (HSV) immediate early (IE) transcription, suggesting that OriP enhancer shares aspects of HSV IE transcription control.
Broadening the tent: expanding the strategic use of tent-making in cross-cultural mission

Tent-making is often used to gain access to nations that do not allow missionaries. This article provides biblical, missiological, and practical rationale for the use of tent-making in nations whic...
Stormwater Two-Ramp Drop Structures

The chapter summarizes the hydraulic characteristics of the latest type of drop structure - two-ramp drop structure - used for diverting flows from near-surfac…
Insights into the Electronic Structure of Molecules from Generalized Valence Bond Theory.

In this article we describe the unique insights into the electronic structure of molecules provided by generalized valence bond (GVB) theory. We consider selected prototypical hydrocarbons as well as a number of hypervalent molecules and a set of first- and second-row valence isoelectronic species. The GVB wave function is obtained by variationally optimizing the orbitals and spin coupling in the valence bond wave function. The GVB wave function is a generalization of the Hartree–Fock (HF) wave function, lifting the double occupancy restriction on a subset of the HF orbitals as well as the associated orthogonality and spin coupling constraints. The GVB wave function includes a major fraction (if not all) of the nondynamical correlation energy of a molecule. Because of this, GVB theory properly describes bond formation and can answer one of the most compelling questions in chemistry: How are atoms changed by molecular formation? We show that GVB theory provides a unified description of the nature of the bo...
Synthesis and Analysis of Macrocyclic Peptides with 310-Helical Structure

Macrocyclic peptides were designed and synthesized for secondary structural analysis. A PyBroP-based cyclization protocol was employed and was facilitated by solid-phase synthesis. After systematic NMR analyses of each macrocycle, multiple structures were found to exist as 3 10 -helices.
Model calibration for a soft elastomeric capacitor sensor considering slippage under fatigue cracks

A newly-developed soft elastomeric capacitor (SEC) strain sensor has shown promise in fatigue crack monitoring. The SECs exhibit high levels of ductility and hence do not break under excessive strain when the substrate cracks due to slippage or de-bonding between the sensor and epoxy. The actual strain experienced by a SEC depends on the amount of slippage, which is difficult to simulate numerically, making it challenging to accurately predict the response of a SEC near a crack. In this paper, a two-step approach is proposed to simulate the capacitance response of a SEC. First, a finite element (FE) model of a steel compact tension specimen was analyzed under cyclic loading while the cracking process was simulated based on an element removal technique. Second, a rectangular boundary was defined near the crack region. The SEC outside the boundary was assumed to have perfect bond with the specimen, while that inside the boundary was assumed to deform freely due to slippage. A second FE model was then established to simulate the response of the SEC within the boundary subject to displacements at the boundary from the first FE model. The total simulated capacitance was computed from the model results by combining the computed capacitance inside and outside the boundary. The performance of the simulation incorporating slippage was evaluated by comparing the model results with the experimental data from the test performed on a compact tension specimen. The FE model considering slippage showed results that matched the experimental findings more closely than the FE model that did not consider slippage.
Robustness Analysis and Enhancement of MANETs Using Human Mobility Traces

Understanding network behavior that undergoes challenges is essential to constructing a resilient and survivable network. Due to the mobility and wireless channel properties, it is more difficult to model and analyze mobile ad hoc networks under various challenges. In this paper, we provide a model to assess the vulnerability of mobile ad hoc networks in face of malicious attacks. We analyze comprehensive graph-theoretical properties and network performance of the dynamic networks under attacks against the critical nodes using real-world mobility traces. Motivated by minimum spanning tree and small-world networks, we propose a network enhancement strategy by adding long-range links. We compare the performance of different enhancement strategies by evaluating a list of robustness measures. Our study provides insights into the design and construction of resilient and survivable mobile ad hoc networks.
Experimental Research on Temperature Coefficient of Resistance of Energy-Saving Conductors of New Type

In this paper, high-temperature oil-bath test bench for temperature coefficients of conductor resistance, which can increase conductor temperature by oil bath, has been designed. The test bench can eliminate the temperature difference between inside and outside and control the conductor temperature accurately, with which the tests for temperature coefficients of the new types of energy-saving conductors, such as high conductivity aluminum conductor steel reinforced, high conductivity aluminum conductor aluminum alloy reinforced and medium strength all aluminum alloy conductor, have been carried out to provide guidance for the engineering design.
Release of Interleukin-1 and Interleukin-6 From Human Monocytes by Antithymocyte Globulin: Requirement for De Novo Synthesis

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is an effective treatment in patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Its mechanism of action remains unclear, although it has been assumed to be immunosuppressive. However, ATG has also been shown by several laboratories to be immunostimulatory. Recently, interleukin-1 (IL-1) production has been found to be decreased in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated peripheral blood monocytes obtained from SAA patients. We have investigated the ability of ATG to function as an immunostimulatory agent via the production of IL-1 and IL-6 by normal human monocytes in vitro. Supernatants from ATG-stimulated monocytes were assayed for biologically active and immunoreactive IL-1 and IL-6. We have found that ATG, via its F(ab')2 fragment is a powerful inducer of IL-1 and IL-6 production. Furthermore, ATG induction of both cytokines from normal monocytes required de novo synthesis, as determined by 35S-methionine incorporation. Because these two cytokines synergize with other cytokines at both the stem cell and progenitor levels, these stimulatory properties of ATG may be relevant to the treatment of SAA. This would favor the hypothesis of a bimodal mechanism for ATG as an inducer of hematopoietic growth factors and as an immunosuppressive agent.
Science, Politics, and Two Unicorns: An Academic Critique of Science Advice

Providing an “academic critique” of science advice, or rather the discussions of science advice that appear in the volume, is quite a challenge. In one sense, assembling the recollections of the seven living Presidential science advisors in this volume is a great public service and a tribute to seven men who committed many difficult years to improving the life of the nation through reason. During their tenures – ranging from the Kennedy Administration to the George W. Bush Administration and broken in continuous representation here only by the hand of fate – these men contributed to the recurrent demonstration that the federal government and the scientific community can partner for acclaimed achievements in building knowledge and using science to advance legitimate political goals.
Empirical and Theoretical Background

In this chapter I discuss the empirical and theoretical issues that inform this study. Several questions and intellectual problems guided this research. First, I was skeptical of the claim that African Americans do not participate in any of the large-scale vowel rotations in American English (e.g. Labov 1994, 2001; Bailey and Thomas 1998; Thomas 2001). Wolfram (2007) characterizes the assumption that “… regionality in African American English is invariably trumped by the trans-regional, common core of shared vernacular traits” as a myth and also labels this assumption as the “exotic variety syndrome.” It is important to investigate the extent to which speakers of AAE do or do not participate in contemporary vowel changes in American English. To this end, I investigated the patterning of /u/ and /Ʊ/ for the Southern migrant participants in this study. Fronting of these vowels is widespread in American English (see Section 2.1.5). I also examine a more local change for the African American participants in this study, the glide-weakening of /ai/ in the pre-voiceless context, a change that—until recently—was associated with progressive Southern White, but not African American, varieties. Second, I wanted to employ a framework which used local categories relevant to speakers rather than categories imposed by the researcher. Third, I investigate the relationship between internal constraints on and external motivations for language change in a framework that is sensitive to the influences of coarticulation. Socioacoustic work that considers context effects such as coarticulation is also rare.
EFFICIENT TAX REPORTING: THE EFFECTS OF TAXPAYER LIABILITY INFORMATION SERVICES

The complexity of the individual income tax system can give rise to both under- and overreporting of liability, thus creating a wedge between taxpayer perceptions of the price of public services and their actual cost, and potentially leading to budget misallocations and associated efficiency losses. This study uses theory and experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of taxpayer service programs that endeavor to resolve uncertainty over tax liability. To do so, we induce uncertainty over tax liability and investigate the effects of both service accuracy and reliability. We find participants are less likely to file when tax liability is uncertain but the provision of information offsets this effect; furthermore, it appears that simply providing a service, even one that imperfectly reveals liability, increases the propensity to file and the accuracy of the filing. When a service that promises to resolve uncertainty completely is requested but not delivered, the result is underreporting even more severe than in a setting where no service is available. (JEL H2, H26, C91)