cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational discovery of biochemical routes to specialty chemicals

A computational framework has been developed for the construction and evaluation of metabolic pathways given input substrates and knowledge of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Application of the framework creates new and existing routes to both chems. known to exist in biol. systems and chems. novel to biol. systems. In the present application, we focus on biosynthetic routes to 7-carboxyindole, a specialty chem. currently produced by org. synthesis, using chorismate as a starting compd. and the enzyme actions native to the biosynthetic route from chorismate to tryptophan. Graph theory and its assocd. algorithms are exploited to represent mols. and perform enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Through repetitive application of the set of operators representing the enzymic reactions of interest to the reactants and their progeny, reaction pathways are generated automatically. The concept of generalized enzyme function is introduced and defined as the third-level enzyme function (EC i.j.k) according to the four-digit transformations of the enzyme classification system (EC i.j.k.l). This concept maps enzyme-catalyzed reactions to transformations of functional groups and enables the generation of novel species and pathways. Thermodn. properties are calcd. using a group contribution method "on-the-fly" in order to provide one assessment of the relative feasibility of the novel pathways. [on SciFinder (R)]
An equilibrium model system for transportation corridors and its application

Abstract The paper describes a method for equilibrating travel demand and transport level of service when both demand and service levels are expressed by means of equations. Following the non-rigorous presentation of the method, its application as part of a complete model system in a transportation corridor study is discussed.
OFDM-based distributed estimation for rich scattering environments

A preliminary investigation has been conducted into the use of orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access for distributed estimation. The key difference from previous work in the literature is that the channels between the sensors and the fusion center contain multiple paths with time lags, amplitudes, and phase rotations due to fading. Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing has been proven to be an effective modulation scheme in the presence of multipath channels, and thus has been utilized in these experiments. This estimation system was designed to operate in a heavily scattered environment where synchronizing the transmitters and developing channel statistics has proven difficult to achieve. Sensors measure a signal in noise, modulate the measured data over an OFDM subcarrier, and transmit this to a fusion center over a Gaussian multiple-access channel. The transmissions are received at the fusion center using an OFDM receiver, and the estimation process is completed. Simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique.
CLCNKB-T481S and essential hypertension in a Ghanaian population.

Objective Prior to the discovery of chloride channel Kb with a variant threonine change to serine at position 481 (CLCNKB-T481S) there were no variants or clinical disorders associated with gain-of-function defects in thick ascending limb of the kidney channels or transporters. CLCNKB-T481S is a novel gain-of-function variant that has been associated with essential hypertension. This finding has not been replicated until our current study. In this study, we re-examined CLCNKB-T481S using a large homogenous population from Ghana, and coupled genetic analyses with the functional characterization of this polymorphism using a mammalian expression system. Methods We genotyped CLCNKB-T481S in four ethnically defined control populations and a homogenous cohort of normotensive and hypertensive Ghanaians. Functional analysis was performed by whole-cell patch-clamp recording of tsA201 cells (a cell line derived from the human renal cell line, HEK-293) transiently transfected with CIC-Kb and barttin. Results CLCNKB-T481S was found more commonly in the African and Caucasian-Americans when compared with the Asian and Hispanic American populations, having minor allele frequencies of 0.20, 0.15, 0.06 and 0.01 respectively. Additionally, CZ-CA/KB-T481S was significantly associated with hypertension in Ghanaian males. In stratified logistic regression analysis with Ghanaian males, we observed a significant odds ratio of 3.29 (1.17-9.20 95% confidence interval, P= 0.024) in the recessive model (TT versus ATT however, further studies are needed to understand its sex and ethnic segregation as well as to identify cellular factors that account for the divergent functional expression of CIC-Kb-T481S plus barttin in Xenopus oocytes and mammalian cells.
Functional expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of the novel polyketide chain extension unit, methoxymalonyl-acyl carrier protein, and engineered biosynthesis of 2-desmethyl-2-methoxy-6-deoxyerythronolide B.

A subcluster of five genes, asm13−17, from the ansamitocin biosynthetic gene cluster of Actinosynnema pretiosum was coexpressed in Streptomyces lividans with the genes encoding the 6-deoxyerythronolide B (6-DEB) synthase from Saccharopolyspora erythraea, in which the methylmalonate-specifying AT6 domain had been replaced by the methoxymalonate-specifying AT8 domain from the FK520 cluster of Streptomyces hygroscopicus. The engineered strain produced the predicted product, 2-desmethyl-2-methoxy-DEB, instead of 6-DEB and 2-desmethyl-6-DEB, which were formed in the absence of the asm13−17 cassette, indicating that asm13−17 are sufficient for synthesis of this unusual chain extension unit. Deletion of asm17, encoding a methyltransferase, from the cassette gave 6-DEB instead of its hydroxy analogue, indicating that methylation of the extender unit is required for its incorporation.
Neutrino quantum kinetics

We present a formulation of the quantum kinetic equations (QKEs), which govern the evolution of neutrino flavor at high density and temperature. Here, the structure of the QKEs is derived from the ground up, using fundamental neutrino interactions and quantum field theory. We show that the resulting QKEs describe coherent flavor evolution with an effective mass when inelastic scattering is negligible. The QKEs also contain a collision term. This term can reduce to the collision term in the Boltzmann equation when scattering is dominant and the neutrino effective masses and density matrices become diagonal in the interaction basis. We also find that the QKEs include equations of motion for a new dynamical quantity related to neutrino spin. This quantity decouples from the equations of motion for the density matrices at low densities or in isotropic conditions. However, the spin equations of motion allow for the possibility of coherent transformation between neutrinos and antineutrinos at high densities and in the presence of anisotropy. Although the requisite conditions for this exist in the core collapse supernova and compact object merger environments, it is likely that only a self-consistent incorporation of the QKEs in a sufficiently realistic model could establish whether or not significant neutrino-antineutrino conversion occurs.
Isotope ratio determinations by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry for zinc bioavailability studies

A method is described for the measurement of 67Zn/6*Zn and 70ZN/68Zn ratios by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry with ultrasonic nebulization. The method provides sufficient accuracy and precision for zinc bioavailability studies that use samples of human feces or blood plasma. Extraction of zinc from ashed samples yields aqueous solutions sufficiently devoid of matrix ions that could affect count rates and isotope ratios. Effects of sodium matrix, zinc concentration, and instrumental parameters on the precision of isotope ratio determinations are documented. Additions of spikes enriched in 67Zn and 70Zn to natural-abundance fecal samples verify that ratios can be determined on solutions 30 μM in zinc (<300 nmol of zinc per sample) with relative accuracies of <1% and relative standard deviations (r.s.d.) of ⩽1% over the range from natural abundance to 370 atom% excess of 70Zn and to 84 atom% excess of 67Zn.
Ten years reactive polymers

It is only with quite some reluctance that I have let myself be persuaded to write about the first ten years of Reactive Polymers. Is it not true that the worst person to review a play is an actor who had a major role? The "play", be it a Broadway production or a scientific journal, is what the public sees, and only the public has the perspective to do it justice. What the public does not see and is usually not even interested in is how the play originated and took form. Only on that score can I contribute, however little and from a very personal point of view.
The direction of bladder displacement by adnexal masses

Impression on the bladder, or its displacement, indicates the presence of a mass or mass effect. The direction of the displacement aids in the formulation of an appropriate differential diagnosis. We present for discussion two cases in which preoperative lateral bladder displacement was attributed to adnexal masses. When the anatomy of the paravesical spaces is reviewed, it is apparent that lateral bladder displacement is generally not compatible with such masses.
Primary igneous anhydrite: Progress since its recognition in the 1982 El Chichón trachyandesite

Abstract Primary igneous anhydrite was first identified in 1982 El Chichon pumices. Analysis of the sulfur budget for the eruption provided compelling evidence that the pre-eruptive magma contained a significant gas phase at ∼ 7 km depth in order to account for the “excess gas release” of ∼ 5–9 million tons of SO2 to the stratosphere by the eruption. Primary igneous anhydrite and a larger “excess gas release” of ∼ 20 million tons of SO2 were noted for the significantly larger eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, for which a separate gas phase at ∼ 7–9 km depth was also required by the sulfur budget. Pumices from both eruptions have mineral assemblages dominated by plagioclase and hornblende, with minor biotite, and show evidence for co-nucleation and mutual inclusions of anhydrite and apatite. Both magmas were also very water-rich and highly oxidized, with oxygen fugacities $1 log unit above the synthetic Ni–NiO buffer. Furthering the similarities between these two eruptions, ion-microprobe analyses of sulfur isotopic compositions of anhydrites in pumices from El Chichon and Mount Pinatubo both showed that individual crystals are isotopically homogeneous, but inter-crystalline variations in δ34S are well beyond analytical error. This study reviews the history of thought regarding primary igneous anhydrite. Ten volcanic and plutonic analogues to the El Chichon and Mount Pinatubo magmas are discussed. All were similarly water-rich and highly oxidized magmas. Hornblende is the dominant mafic phenocryst in all but one plutonic example; in that case so much early anhydrite precipitated that no calcium remained to form hornblende. Biotite is very abundant in that exceptional plutonic case, and is present in six of the other examples with primary igneous anhydrite. Sphene is known as an indicator mineral of high magmatic oxygen fugacity; it was present in the 1982 El Chichon pumices, and in 6 of the other anhydrite-bearing samples. Hornblende and biotite phenocrysts are also characteristic of the intermediate-to-felsic plutonic rocks that typically host porphyry–Cu deposits. Such magmas are also known to be water-rich and highly oxidized. A close spatial and petrogenetic connection exists between magmas with primary igneous anhydrite and magmatic–hydrothermal ore deposits.
Multiple time scale Hartree–Fock molecular dynamics

This is the first application of a rigorous, established multiple time-step method to ab initio molecular dynamics. The resulting algorithm is conceptually simple and easy to implement, but very effective. It translates the large mass differences present in ab initio molecular dynamics into substantial savings in computer time while retaining high accuracy. This transforms ab initio molecular dynamics from a desirable but prohibitively expensive possibility into a viable method, at least for short-time phenomena in small systems or for otherwise inaccessibly complicated potential energy surfaces. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effect of small-scale shear on grazing and growth of the dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida

Abstract Low turbulence environments have been hypothesized to be necessary for toxic outbreaks of the heterotrophic/mixotrophic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida. A toxic Pfiesteria outbreak occurred in the shallow waters (the flats) of the lower Pocomoke River, MD, USA, in 1997. During August 1999 and May and August 2000, data were collected with a Shallow Water ADV Turbulence Tripod (SWATT) to estimate turbulent shear at a location monitored for Pfiesteria on the flats. Approximately 78% of the observed shears were ≤1 s−1 and 98% were ≤2 s−1. Densities of Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates were low in the Pocomoke River during 1999 and 2000 and no toxic outbreaks occurred. In the laboratory, Couette cylinders were used to determine the effect of small-scale shear on feeding and growth of cultured P. piscicida growing on cryptophyte prey. Shear of 1 s−1 had little or no effect on feeding or growth but 3 s−1 reduced feeding and survival/growth of Pfiesteria zoospores. Small, rapidly dividing Pfiesteria cells were most susceptible to negative effects of shear. Pfiesteria appears to be more sensitive to small-scale shear than are most autotrophic dinoflagellates. However, in the lower Pocomoke River, turbulent shear is rarely high enough to inhibit the growth of non-toxic Pfiesteria zoospores. Toxic functional types (TOX-A and TOX-B) may be more sensitive to small-scale shear; it will be important to determine the responses of these types of Pfiesteria in order to predict the affects of wind and tidal mixing on toxic outbreaks.
CD44, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1: biomarkers in search of validation in lymphomas

In this issue of Leukemia and Lymphoma, Shah and colleagues report on the ability of three exploratory biomarkers to predict the outcomes of patients with indolent lymphoma [1]. The investigators f...
Evaluating the A-Subunit of the Heat-Labile Toxin (LT) As an Immunogen and a Protective Antigen Against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)

Diarrheal illness contributes to malnutrition, stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, and high morbidity rates in children worldwide. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major contributor to this diarrheal disease burden. ETEC cause disease in the small intestine by means of colonization factors and by production of a heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and/or a small non-immunogenic heat-stable enterotoxin (ST). Overall, the majority of ETEC produce both ST and LT. LT induces secretion via an enzymatically active A-subunit (LT-A) and a pentameric, cell-binding B-subunit (LT-B). The importance of anti-LT antibodies has been demonstrated in multiple clinical and epidemiological studies, and a number of potential ETEC vaccine candidates have included LT-B as an important immunogen. However, there is limited information about the potential contribution of LT-A to development of protective immunity. In the current study, we evaluate the immune response against the A-subunit of LT as well as the A-subunit’s potential as a protective antigen when administered alone or in combination with the B-subunit of LT. We evaluated human sera from individuals challenged with a prototypic wild-type ETEC strain as well as sera from individuals living in an ETEC endemic area for the presence of anti-LT, anti-LT-A and anti-LT-B antibodies. In both cases, a significant number of individuals intentionally or endemically infected with ETEC developed antibodies against both LT subunits. In addition, animals immunized with the recombinant proteins developed robust antibody responses that were able to neutralize the enterotoxic and cytotoxic effects of native LT by blocking binding and entry into cells (anti-LT-B) or the intracellular enzymatic activity of the toxin (anti-LT-A). Moreover, antibodies to both LT subunits acted synergistically to neutralize the holotoxin when combined. Taken together, these data support the inclusion of both LT-A and LT-B in prospective vaccines against ETEC.
Context determines the sex appeal of male zebra finch song

We explored the conditions under which playbacks of male zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, song induced reproduction in females. In a laboratory study, a rise in faecal oestrogen levels predicted egg laying. Song playbacks by themselves induced a decrease in oestrogen levels. There was an increase in oestrogen levels, followed by egg laying, when the song was broadcast from inside a male model positioned away from the nest. However, this effect occurred only when a second, silent male model was perched on the rim of the nest. If song was broadcast from inside the model perched on the nest, there was no increase in oestrogen levels. We conclude that tests of song efficacy in female songbirds must respect some contextual rules, which are likely to vary between species. Only then does it become possible to ascertain which sounds are most effective in inducing physiological changes leading to reproduction. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Nitric Oxide–Generating Compounds Inhibit Total Protein and Collagen Synthesis in Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) participates in the regulation of vascular tone and smooth muscle cell proliferation, but little is known of its effect on total protein and matrix synthesis in smooth muscle. We studied the effects of the NO-generating compounds S -nitroso- N -acetylpenicillamine (SNAP, 0.4 to 1.2 mmol/L) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 0.1 to 0.5 mmol/L) on total protein (using [ 3 H]leucine) and collagen (using [ 3 H]proline) synthesis in cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells. Both agents caused dose-dependent inhibition of the relative rate of protein (maximum reduction of 87% [SNAP] and 80% [SNP]) and collagen synthesis, as measured by trichloroacetic acid–precipitated label. The magnitudes of percent inhibition of total protein and collagen synthesis were approximately equal. Inhibition of protein synthesis by SNAP and SNP was prevented by hemoglobin (10 μmol/L), suggesting that the protein synthesis inhibition was due to NO release. Inhibition of protein synthesis was reversible after removal of SNAP and SNP and was not caused by damage to the cells. These results suggest that NO may function as a modulator of vascular smooth muscle cell protein synthesis and production of extracellular matrix components.
Lithium-initiated copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate. III

Data are presented for copolymer composition as a function of monomer composition in the system styrene-methyl methacrylate initiated by lithium in tetrahydrofuran and hydrocarbons. The data are interpreted in the light of the electron exchange initiation and ion-radical propagation mechanisms previously proposed. Revised r1 and r2 values for strictly anionic copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate are presented on the basis of data obtained with the use of n-butyllithium and phenylsodium as typical anionic initiators in hydrocarbons. Sodium dissolved in liquid ammonia and sodium dispersion in hydrocarbons gave results identical with those obtained with true anionic catalysts. This is in sharp distinction to the results obtained with lithium.
Growth of Juvenile Red King Crabs, Paralithodes camtschaticus, Through Sequential Molts in the Laboratory

Studies of crustacean growth, including king crabs, have typically used modal analysis rather than growth of individual crabs. I studied the individual growth of several hundred juvenile red king crabs (initial size 14-35 mm carapace length, CL) that were captured from a pod in Kodiak, Alaska, in July and August 2000, and retained in the laboratory for up to 14 months. During that period, 295 crabs molted at least once, including a subset of 52 that molted twice, and a subset of 9 that molted three times. Mean molt increment (MI) was 5.5 mm, and did not differ significantly between the three molts. MI increased significantly with premolt size for molt 1, and proportional growth rate at molt 1 was greater than that of molts 2 or 3. The first molt occurred earlier (August-October) and at warmer temperatures among smaller crabs than among larger crabs, which molted in January-February at colder temperatures. Post-molt CL for first molts was a simple ratio: Post-molt CL = 1.25·(Pre-molt CL) (R 2 = 0.9587, df = 291). Growth during the second molt was less than during the first molt, possibly reflecting a limitation imposed by the holding conditions. This is the first study to record growth information for individual juvenile red king crabs in the size range of 15-50 mm CL through sequential molts, and results can be used to fill a gap in current growth models.
Power reduction through work reuse

412.268-1 167 ABSTRACT consumption has become one of the big challenges in designing high performance processors. The rapid increase in complexity and speed that comes with each new CPU generation causes greater problems with power consumption and heat dissipation. Traditionally, these concems are addressed through semiconductor technology improvements such as voltage reduction and technology scaling. This work proposes an alternative solution to this problem, by dealing with the power consumption in the very early stage of the microarchitecture design. More precisely, we show that by modifjmg the well-established out-of-order, superscalar processor architecture, significant gains can be achieved in terms of power requirements without performance penalty. Our proposed approach relies on reusing as much as possible fiom the work done by the fiont-end of a typical pipelined, superscalar out-of-order via the use of a cache nested deeply into the processor structure. Experimental results show up to 52% (20% on average) savings in average energy per committed instruction for two different pipeline structures.
Zapatista corn: A case study in biocultural innovation

In November 2001, Nature published a letter in which University of California Berkeley's biologists claimed to have found evidence of genetically modified (GM) DNA in regional varieties of maize in Oaxaca, even though the Mexican government had banned transgenic corn agriculture in 1998. While urban protesters marched against the genetic 'contamination' of Mexican corn by US-based agricultural biotech firms, rural indigenous communities needed a framework for understanding concepts such as GM before they could take action. This article analyzes how the indigenous organization, the Zapatistas, mobilized a program to address this novel entity. Their anti-GM project entailed educating local farmers about genetics, importing genetic testing kits, seed-banking landrace corn and sending seeds to 'solidarity growers' around the world. This article explores material-semiotic translations to explain one of the central aspects of this project, the definition and circulation of Zapatista corn--an entity defined not only through cultural geography, but also technological means. Through its circulation, Zapatista corn serves to perform a biocultural engagement with Zapatista's political project of resistance to neoliberalism. While much has been written about both regulatory policy and consumer activism against GM in the Global North, Zapatista corn also provides a case study in indigenous, anti-GM activism founded on biocultural innovation and the creation of alternative networks for circulating corn.
MLK Day and Racial Attitudes: Liking the Group More but Its Members Less

Intuition suggests that the Martin Luther King holiday (MLK Day) should improve racial attitudes toward African Americans. However, its influence may depend on whether African Americans are evaluated as a group or individually. In two studies, we assessed racial attitudes either on MLK Day or on a control day. As might be expected, participants had more sympathetic attitudes towards African Americans as a group on MLK Day compared to control days; however, they evaluated individual African American exemplars more negatively on MLK Day compared to control days, who presumably seemed worse by comparison to the eminent political figure.
Domain-wide displacement of histones by activated heat shock factor occurs independently of Swi/Snf and is not correlated with RNA polymerase II density.

We show that histone-DNA interactions are disrupted across entire yeast heat shock genes upon their transcriptional activation. At HSP82, nucleosomal disassembly spans a domain of 3 kb, beginning upstream of the promoter and extending through the transcribed region. A kinetic analysis reveals that histone H4 loses contact with DNA within 45 s of thermal upshift. Nucleosomal reassembly, prompted by temperature downshift, is also rapid, detectable within 60 s. Prior to their eviction, promoter-associated histones are transiently hyperacetylated, while those in the coding region are not. An upstream activation sequence mutation that weakens the binding of heat shock factor obviates domain-wide remodeling, while deletion of the TATA box that nearly abolishes transcription is permissive to 5-end remodeling. The Swi/Snf complex is rapidly recruited to HSP82 upon heat shock. Nonetheless, domain-wide remodeling occurs efficiently in Swi/Snf mutants despite a sixfold reduction in transcription; it is also seen in gcn5, set1, and paf1 mutants. Contrary to current models, we demonstrate that a high density of RNA polymerase (Pol) is insufficient to elicit histone displacement. This finding suggests that histone eviction is modulated by factors that are not linked to elongating Pol II. It further suggests that histone depletion plays a causal role in mediating vigorous transcription in vivo and is not merely a consequence of it.
Human prostatic acid phosphatase: purification, characterization, and optimization of conditions for radioimmunoassay

Abstract Prostatic acid phosphatase was isolated from benign hypertrophic prostate tissue by ammonium sulfate precipitation and affinity chromatography procedures. The purified enzyme was characterized by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and shown to have a cluster of protein spots with an apparent molecular weight of 48 000 at pI 5.9 to 6.3 in 9 mol/l urea. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 723 and 659 U/mg protein with α-naphthyl phosphate at 30°C and para -nitrophenyl phosphate at 37°C respectively. An antibody to the purified enzyme was raised in rabbits and used in a radioimmunoassay (RIA). The use of a phosphate buffer, pH 6.6, and iodination of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) by the Bolton-Hunter procedure improved the precision of the assay when compared to RIA's using a phosphate buffer, pH 7.0 or 7.3, or PAP iodinated by a chloramine-T procedure. The former RIA displaced 50% of the tracer at 2 μg of enzyme per liter of serum. The between-run coefficient of variation for 11 assays ranged from 3.9–7.7% with serum at 1.3 to 5.6 μg PAP/l.
Malaria intermittent preventive treatment in infants, chemoprophylaxis, and childhood vaccinations.

Summary Context Malaria accounts for 1–3 million deaths yearly worldwide, mostly in children under 5 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. Laboratory and clinical studies show an association between acute malaria and a decreased response to diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and to meningo-coccal, salmonella, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccinations. Malaria treatment, chemoprophylaxis, or other forms of parasite suppression might improve the immune response to childhood vaccinations. However, the antimalarial 4-aminoquinolones are immunodepressive, such that antimalarial drugs might depress the vaccine response. Starting point Last year, Julius Massaga and colleagues reported a randomised double-blinded placebo-controlled study in 291 infants aged 12–16 weeks in Tanzania ( Lancet 2003; 361 : 1853–60). At enrolment, children received their third dose of combined diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and poliomyelitis expanded vaccines with the first of three daily doses of amodiaquine intermittent preventive treatment (IPTi) or placebo. After 60 days, children receiving amodiaquine had significantly fewer malaria fevers than controls. Where next The increasing concordance of malaria control and vaccination, movement toward co-administration of IPTi with immunisation, and the increase in travellers to malarious areas who receive concurrent vaccinations and chemoprophylaxis warrant further study.
Modification of the orthodromic temporalis tendon transfer technique for reanimation of the paralyzed face.

Objective. To report a modification of the temporalis tendon transfer technique used in facial paralysis where dynamic adjacent muscle transfer is determined to be the best treatment option.Study d...
Commercial Air Crew Detection of System Failures: State of the Art and Future Trends

The generally safe and dependable commercial aviation industry has never had properly designed Caution and Warning Systems (CAWS) to alert the aircrew to operational or system malfunctions or emergency situations. When flight systems were simpler, relatively crude CAWS were manageable. Today, however, the complexity and size of modern avionics systems makes it crucial to have optimal systems to alert the crew to problems, and to assist them in handling them.
Evidence Supporting Open-Loop Control During Early Vergence

Disparity vergence eye movements were analyzed to determine if the early component of this response operates under open-loop, or preprogrammed, control. The analysis compares ratios of peak velocity to response amplitude (i.e., main sequence ratios) for the isolated early component and for the entire disparity vergence response. The stimuli were limited a 4 deg step changes in vergence so that any differences in movement dynamics (i.e., peak velocities) were due only to internal noise. Nine binocularly normal subjects were studied. A significant correlation between peak velocity and amplitude was observed during the early portion of the movement (p < 0.002), but not for the overall vergence response. Results support the widely held, but unproven assumption that the early component of symmetrical vergence is guided by open-loop, or preprogrammed, control processes while the overall response is influenced by external and/or internal feedback
The potential value of discordant studies.

Many aspects of the clinical application of gated-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have been well established by multiple trials and studies. However, its utility in the elderly (i.e., the Medicare population in the USA) remains unclear. This is an important population due to its rapid growth, coupled with the increasing prevalence of coronary artery disease with age. A paper in this issue, Predictive value of exercise myocardial perfusion imaging in the Medicare population: the impact of the ability to exercise , indicates that while gated-SPECT clearly directs the performance of interventions at the level of the coronary arteries in the elderly, outcomes are worse for those receiving an intervention vs. those receiving medical therapy. While some literature supports this observation, there are also well documented studies that indicate that the opposite is the case. As consumers of discordant studies, we find ourselves in the unenviable position of having to pull at the threads of evidence and follow them through in an attempt to reconcile the conflicting literature. This is reminiscent of the mythical Gregorian knot, a knot that was impossible to unravel by conventional means. However, it was “solved” by cutting it with a sword. In our case, the sword that we have is the removal of bias. It has been said that there are no unbiased studies, since we only measure what we believe and we tend to believe what we measure. This is further compounded in clinical practice since the Hippocratic Oath requires that the physician first does no harm. Therefore it follows that whatever action is done is at least not detrimental to the patient. These are powerful belief systems that on the one hand allow us to rapidly discard “irrelevant” information and quickly get to the important point, but on the other hand they may inhibit us from seeing what is truly of value. Discordant and negative studies are important disruptors along the path to easy data assimilation, and force us to seek out sources of bias which otherwise may go unnoted. In the case of the above paper we might look past the perfusion data to the more important cardiac functional data which may contribute to changing the focus of diagnosis and treatment strategies, thus slicing through a little more of the knot.
Salmonella infections modelling in Mississippi using neural network and geographical information system (GIS)

Objectives Mississippi (MS) is one of the southern states with high rates of foodborne infections. The objectives of this paper are to determine the extent of Salmonella and Escherichia coli infections in MS, and determine the Salmonella infections correlation with socioeconomic status using geographical information system (GIS) and neural network models. Methods In this study, the relevant updated data of foodborne illness for southern states, from 2002 to 2011, were collected and used in the GIS and neural networks models. Data were collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MS state Department of Health and the other states department of health. The correlation between low socioeconomic status and Salmonella infections were determined using models created by several software packages, including SAS, ArcGIS @RISK and NeuroShell. Results Results of this study showed a significant increase in Salmonella outbreaks in MS during the study period, with highest rates in 2011 (47.84±24.41 cases/100 000; p Salmonella outbreaks compared with other states (36±6.29 cases/100 000; p Salmonella outbreaks in MS in 2010 and 2011 showed the districts with higher rates of Salmonella . Regression analysis and neural network models showed a moderate correlation between cases of Salmonella infections and low socioeconomic factors. Poverty was shown to have a negative correlation with Salmonella outbreaks (R 2 =0.152, p Conclusions Geographic location besides socioeconomic status may contribute to the high rates of Salmonella outbreaks in MS. Understanding the geographical and economic relationship with infectious diseases will help to determine effective methods to reduce outbreaks within low socioeconomic status communities.
Chondrocytes, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, and Their Combination in Articular Cartilage Regenerative Medicine

Articular cartilage (AC) is a highly organized connective tissue lining, covering the ends of bones within articulating joints. Its highly ordered structure is essential for stable motion and provides a frictionless surface easing load transfer. AC is vulnerable to lesions and, because it is aneural and avascular, it has limited self-repair potential which often leads to osteoarthritis. To date, no fully successful treatment for osteoarthritis has been reported. Thus, the development of innovative therapeutic approaches is desperately needed. Autologous chondrocyte implantation, the only cell-based surgical intervention approved in the United States for treating cartilage defects, has limitations because of de-differentiation of articular chondrocytes (AChs) upon in vitro expansion. De-differentiation can be abated if initial populations of AChs are co-cultured with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which not only undergo chondrogenesis themselves but also support chondrocyte vitality. In this review we summarize studies utilizing AChs, non-AChs, and MSCs and compare associated outcomes. Moreover, a comprehensive set of recent human studies using chondrocytes to direct MSC differentiation, MSCs to support chondrocyte re-differentiation and proliferation in co-culture environments, and exploratory animal intra- and inter-species studies are systematically reviewed and discussed in an innovative manner allowing side-by-side comparisons of protocols and outcomes. Finally, a comprehensive set of recommendations are made for future studies.
Crack-propagation behaviors

Fracture behaviors commonly found in hard plastics, glasses and metals with restricted plasticity are discussed relative to their force requirements. These are onset and arrest of rapid crack extension, the stable balance of crack speed against driving force of the running crack, the limiting crack speed and crack division. A method is given for calculating the stress-field driving forceG for closely and evenly spaced radial cracks. The Kerkhof ultrasonic-ripple-marking technique for determination of crack speed is discussed. These procedures are illustrated with experimental tests of crack division and crack arrest.
Autocorrelated random environments and their effects on gene frequency

In the previous paper (Cook and Hartl, 1974) we considered the distribution of gene frequencies in a population evolving in a fluctuating environment when the environmental changes were uncorrelated. In the present article we extend the theory to include autocorrelations in the environment. WVe consider three models. The first (denoted model III in the previous paper) assumes a population reproducing in discrete, nonoverlapping generations accompanied by changes in fitness that occur at regular intervals. The second (called model IVA) assumes a population reproducing continuously in overlapping generations when the random variable on which fitness depends changes at arbitrarily chosen times. And the third (model IVB) assumes a population with overlapping generations in which the environment changes continuously. As before, the transition from model IVA to model IVB is obtained by a limiting procedure. Of the three models, model IVA is the most powerful because it includes the others as special cases and because it is sufficiently general to permit consideration of environments in which the rates of environmental change are themselves changing. One interesting case of model IVA is model IVB. This has recently been analyzed in detail by Gillespie (1972), and here we confirm his results using a markedly different approach.
Classifying Resistance Severity in Field Populations: Sampling Inspection Plans for an Insecticide Resistance Monitoring Program

Detecting insecticide resistance before it increases above a critical level has been a driving force in developing tests to estimate resistance severity in field populations. Here, estimates of resistance severity ( r ) are classified into one of three categories. The classificationis based on comparing r with two preselected levels of resistance severity (θ) to obtain a three decision sampling plan. Using the example of fen valerate resistance in beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), each θ was selected by comparing resistance test responses of populations that differed in resistance and exposure to insecticides. Test response wascorrected for survival of moths after exposure to a 1,000 μg/g concentration of fen valerate. This concentration was selected by comparing probit lines of susceptible and fen valerate-selected strains. The determination that r was greater or less than each θ was made using sampling inspection plans based on the binomial distribution. A sequential sampling plan using the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) required less sampling effort than single sampling plans of equal strength and was suited to our operational needs. Using the same susceptibility test, sequential analysis of survival proportions from the 1,000 μg/gconcentration was also compared with probit analysis of survival proportions from multiple concentrations. Sampling effort required for the SPRT was substantially lower than that required for probit analysis. Despite differences in probit analysis and SPRT assumptions, probit estimates of resistance severity at 1,000 μg/gagreed with sequential classificationof r using a 1,000 μg/gconcentration.
Responses of ‘Kentucky-31’ Tall Fescue to Varying Forcipata loca DeLong & Caldwell Infestation Levels: Growth Chamber Study (Homoptera: Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae)

The effects of various infestation levels of Forcipata loca Delong & Caldwell on the yield, tillers/plant, yield/tiller, leaf elongation rate, carbon dioxide exchange rate, specific leaf weight, leaf diffusive resistance, and water soluble carbohydrate concentration of ‘Kentucky-31’, tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb., were studied. The growth response of tall fescue to 9 and 27 leafhoppers/9.5 cm diam. plastic pot was increased tillering with corresponding decreases in yield and yield/tiller after each of 2 infestation periods. Leaf elongation rates were less at the low infestation level of 3 leafhoppers/pot. Photosynthesis and specific leaf weight were only affected at the high feeding level (27 leafhoppers/pot) and only after a second infestation period. There was no significant reduction in leaf diffusive resistance at either infestation level. Water soluble carbohydrate concentration in the leaves decreased with increasing infestation levels.
Purification of human placental α-l-fucosidase by affinity chromatography

Abstract Human placental α- l -fucosidase has been purified 670-fold with a 57% yield by a one-step affinity chromatographic procedure using agaroseepsilon-amino-caproyl-fucosamine.
A Statistical Nowcast System for Galveston Bay

The National Ocean Service (NOS) installed a Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS) in June 1996 in Galveston Bay, Texas. The PORTS water surface elevation, currents at National Ocean Service prediction depth (~4.6m below MLLW) as well as near-surface and near-bottom temperature and salinity, and meteorological information are scheduled to be made available at six-minute intervals. Due to biofouling, cable snagging, and an assortment of maintenance issues, these data are either not available or degraded part of the time. A Continuous Operational Real-time Monitoring System (CORMS) has been implemented to quality control the PORTS data. Under the present operational scheme, if data are suspect, data dissemination is suppressed. This paper investigates the possibility of statistically nowcasting these missing data to at least provide an estimate to the mariner for missing data values. A computer program is developed to acquire the PORTS screen data every six-minutes and to statistically nowcast missing water level, current, near-surface salinity and temperature, as well as wind and atmospheric pressure. A proof of concept is demonstrated for two PORTS screen datasets, each with missing data. The statistical nowcast procedures involving linear regression of subtidal water level and along channel axis currents are evaluated for a typical dry season month (July 2001) and a typical wet season month (January 2002). The evaluation results are discussed and demonstrate the utility of the statistical nowcast for both water levels and currents when contrasted to harmonic analysis. Water level and current statistical nowcasts are compared with nowcasts produced by the NOS Experimental Nowcast/Forecast System, which is based on a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for Galveston Bay and a one-way coupled fine resolution Houston Ship Channel model (Schmalz, 1998). Next, the role of statistical nowcasting within an operational nowcast/forecast system for Galveston Bay is considered. Finally, conclusions are drawn and additional statistical nowcast enhancements are discussed.
The Optimal Filter and Estimation of a Kind of the Random Signals of the Unmeasurable Components Based on Its Measurable Components in the Generalized Process

The article discusses the problem of the optimal filter and estimation in the signal transmition system. To improve the efficiency of the system's successfully, what is fivst to set up is the multi-dimensional generalized stationary stochastic (sequence) with fraction rational spectral density, and in the process it gets the best linear estimation and mean sgnare analysis for the unmeasurable component according to the measurable random signals. So, the optimal filter and the random signal (estimation) in the generalized process are deeply studied. The result shows that the optimal recursive filtering algorithm, (recursive) filtering and the best linear estimation equation are good for this optimal filter and estimation of the random signal in the generalized process. And a very effective mathematic method is thus developed to improve the efficiency of this (systemforettere.)
Ultraviolet curable cqvercoat material for flexible circuitry

Ultraviolet light is finding increasing use in a variety of imaging and non-imaging applications. Many of the UV-curable polymeric systems used in the electronics industry today are based on vinyl polymerization, especially of acrylates, which are generally quite brittle when cured. The system under consideration in this paper is different. It involves the UV initiated addition of a thiol group to a carbon — carbon double bond to give a flexible film.
Studies on s-RNA synthesis. II. Assay and method of purification of s-RNA alpha, beta and gamma.

Abstract Methods are described for the assay and for the purification of components of the enzymic system from rat liver which incorporates ribonucleotide units derived from ribonucleoside triphosphates into a soluble form of ribonucleic acid.
How Much Do We Really Know About Employee Resilience? More, If We Include the Sport Psychology Resilience Research

Britt, Shen, Sinclair, Grossman, and Klieger ( 2016 ) present an argument for consolidation and conceptual unification of the resilience research. As one of the few industrial–organizational (I-O) psychologists who regularly work in the sport psychology field, I was compelled to note the omission by Britt et al. of any reference to the resilience research in the sport psychology domain. As an I-O psychologist practicing sport psychology, I have stood on the shoulders of giants in applying with athletes and coaches our I-O theory and knowledge in areas such as motivation (e.g., Locke & Latham, 2002 ), training (e.g., skill acquisition, automaticity, deliberate practice, expertise, adaptive expertise, error based learning; e.g., Chen, Thomas, & Wallace, 2005 ; Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Romer, 1993 ; Ericsson, & Lehmann, 1996 ; Logan, 1988 ; Lorenzet, Salas, & Tannenbaum, 2005 ), leadership, and group and team dynamics (e.g., Colquitt, Noe, & Jackson, 2002 ; Salas, Cooke, & Rosen, 2008 ). I-O psychology tends to be on the vanguard in these areas, whereas sport psychology lags somewhat behind (compare Locke & Latham, 2002 , with Gould, 1993 , and Weinberg & Weigand, 1993 ; compare Vroom & Yetton, 1973 , with Chelladurai & Haggerty, 1978 ). However, resilience has been a central research focus for sport psychologists for some time; it is a relatively recent area of interest for I-O psychologists. Interestingly, Britt et al. did not include even a single reference from the sport psychology literature. I strongly encourage I-O psychologists studying resilience to review, borrow, and build on the sport psychology research in this area.