cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indicators and optical configuration for simultaneous high-resolution recording of membrane potential and intracellular calcium using laser scanning microscopy

The instrumental design and experimental conditions for high-speed, simultaneous optical recording of membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ with subcellular resolution are presented. This method employs an extended version of a high-speed, random-access, laser-scanning fluorescence microscope designed to record fast physiological signals from small neuronal structures with high spatiotemporal resolution (Bullen, Patel, Saggau, Biophys J 73:477-491, 1997). With this instrument, imaging and optical recording functions are conducted separately allowing frame rates up to 3 kHz. Individual scanning points are selected interactively from a reference image collected with differential interference contrast (DIC) optics. At each recording site, fluorescence from two indicators is measured simultaneously by independent photodetectors. To optimize signal strength, spectral separation and the achievable signal-to-noise ratio, several combinations of voltage-sensitive dye, Ca2+ indicator and optical elements (dichroic mirrors, filters, etc.) were considered. The best results were achieved from the combination of the intracellular voltage-sensitive dye Di-2-ANEPEQ and the Ca2+ indicator Calcium Green-1. These indicators have overlapping absorption spectra allowing simultaneous excitation with a single laser line (488 nm). Spectral separation of the fluorescence from these two indicators was accomplished using a secondary dichroic mirror (DCLP580) and emission filters (535/45 and OG590). Representative records obtained with this instrument and this combination of indicators demonstrate the feasibility of simultaneous high fidelity measurements of membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ from the same point at high spatial (2 micrometer) and temporal (<ms) resolution without requiring signal averaging.
Text Extraction of Spatial and Temporal Information

Natural language analysis tools are very important for Intelligence tasks, since a considerable amount of information is available in documents of various types. The recent increase on use of open source (OSINT) has made documents even more abundant. Intelligence analysts require tools to help inspect, classify and analyze all this raw data. Situating documents (that is, finding their temporal and spatial coordinates) is vital to put events in the proper geo-strategical context; this in turn is an important part of the complex task of interpreting such events. Such information can help analysts relate events. In our project, we analyze documents at the sentence level. Each sentence is translated to a recursive structure anchored by a triple subject-action-object.
Phosphatovanadium chemistry: Behavior of phosphato groups covalently bound to only one vanadyl center

The importance of the `Butox` process (the aireal oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride) and the phosphato-vanadium material (`VPO`) that catalyzes it has inspired considerable research into phosphato-vanadium chemistry. Phosphatovanadium and phosphonatovanadium compounds known to date all have bridging phosph(on)-ato groups. The new diethyl phosphato compound (dipic)V({double_bond}O)(O{sub 2}P(OEt){sub 2}) (2) has been prepared by removing the alcohol from mixtures of diethyl hydrogen phosphate and the alkoxy compound [(dipic)V-({double_bond}O)(O{sup i}Pr)]{sub 2}{center_dot}HO{sup i}Pr (1). Compound 2 is dimeric in the solid state with each diethyl phosphato group bridging two vanadium centers, but each diethyl phosphato group is strongly bonded to only one vanadyl center and is surprisingly easily displaced by reaction with alcohols.
Capillary tortuosity and degree of contraction or extension of skeletal muscles

Abstract The effect of muscle contraction, and extension, on capillary anisotropy was investigated in rat m. soleus fixed by vascular perfusion at sarcomere lengths ranging from 1.62 μm (tetanizing stimulation of sciatic nerve) to 2.85 μm (ankle joint maximally flexed. Capillary length density and tortuosity were estimated by morphometry using two sets of sections (0 and 90° to the fiber axis). Capillary orientation distribution was evaluated from a series of sections taken at 0 to 90° (by steps of 5–10°) to the fiber axis in six preparations (sarcomere length range, 1.62-2.85 μm; capillary length density, 900–2000 mm −2 ). The Fisher axial distribution provided a good fit for modeling capillary orientation distribution in each case. For a comparable capillary length density per volume of muscle fiber (⋍2000 mm −2 ), the degree of orientation of capillary segments parallel to the fiber axis was two and four times larger in extended m. soleus than in the muscles fixed at 1.98- and 1.62-μm sarcomere lengths, respectively. In preparations fixed at 2.85, 1.98, and 1.62 μm, capillary length density per volume of muscle fiber was, respectively, 14, 44, and 65% larger than revealed by capillary counts per sectional area of muscle fiber on transverse section only, an often used parameter to compare capillarity in different muscles.
Fatigue behaviour characterization of the fibre-matrix interface

The fracture behaviour of FRP composite materials is significantly influenced by the behaviour of the fibre-matrix interfacial bond. Thus far interfacial bond mechanical characterization has been based upon the critical strength and critical fracture energy of debonding. Characterization of the fatigue behaviour of the interfacial debonding process, however, may be more valuable for composite design and fibre-matrix selection. A fracture mechanics model of interfacial bond fatigue based on the mode II strain energy release rate (G II) is presented. An expression forG II is derived for a single fibre in matrix cylinder model. By fitting the model to single fibre pull-out fatigue test data, fatigue crack propagation plots for specific fibre-matrix combinations can be drawn. These should prove useful for the development of fatigue resistant FRP composite materials.
Petuniasterones from Petunia parodii and P. integrifolia; unusual ergostane-type steroids

Abstract From leaves of Petunia parodii were isolated four epoxy group-bearing petuniasterones. These were shown to be (22 R ,24 R )-7α-acetoxy-4β,5β-epoxy-17β,22,24,25-tetrahydroxyergost-1-en-3-one 22,24,25-[(methylthio)carbonyl]orthoacetate (petuniasterone I); (22 R ,24 R )-7α,12α-diacetoxy-4β,5β-epoxy-22,24,25-trihydroxyergost-1-en-3-one 22,24,25-orthoacetate (petuniasterone J); (22 R ,24 R )-7α-acetoxy-16β,17β-epoxy-22,24,25-trihydroxyergosta-1,4-dien-3-one 22,24,25-orthoacetate (petuniasterone K); and (22 R ,24 R )-7α-acetoxy-16β,17β-epoxy-22,24,25-trihydroxy-ergosta-1,4-dien-3-one 22,24,25-[(methylthio)carbonyl]orthoacetate (petuniasterone L). From leaves of Petunia integrifolia were isolated (22 R ,24 R )-7α,12ξ-diacetoxy-11β,22,24,25-tetrahydroxyergosta-1,4-diene-3-one 22,24,25-orthoacetate (12ξ-acetoxy-11-β-hydroxypetuniasterone D 7-acetate); (22 R ,24 R )-7α,12ξ-diacetoxy-11β,22,24,25-tetrahydroxyergosta-1,4-dien-3-one 22,24,25-orthopropionate (12ξ-acetoxy-11β-hydroxypetuniasterone M 7-acetate); (22 R ,24 R )-7α,22,24,25-tetrahydroxyergosta-1,4-dien-3-one 22,24,25-orthopropionate (petuniasterone M); and (22 R , 24 R )-12α-acetoxy-7α,22,24,25-tetrahydroxyergosta-1,4-diene-3-one 22,24,25-orthopropionate (12α-acetoxypetuniasterone M). From leaves of Petunia hybrida were isolated 30-hydroxypetuniasterone A 7-acetate and petuniasterone C 7-acetate.
Size distribution of particulate emissions from a pressurized fluidized bed coal combustion facility

Abstract Particle size distribution measurements were conducted on the emissions from the pressurized fluidized bed coal combustion test facility at the British National Coal Board, Coal Utilization Research Laboratory, Leatherhead England during September 1979. The particle size samples were taken on stream 1 downstream of the third stage cyclone and upstream of the cascade of turbine blades supplied by Stal Laval. The particle size distribution measurements were performed using an 11 stage Mark 5 University of Washington Source Test Cascade Impactor. The mass median aerodynamic particle diameter of the 14 size distribution tests ranged from about 1.6 to 3.4 μm with an average of around 2.5 μm. The geometric standard deviation of the log-normal approximation of the particle size distributions ranged from 2.3 to 3.6. The particle size distributions were very nearly log-normal in shape with the correlation coefficients between the actual and log-normal approximation ranging from 0.98 to 0.998 with an average of 0.992. The particle mass concentrations ranged from 0.39 to 0.69gm −3 at actual conditions (or 0.11 to 0.21 gm −3 at standard conditions)
Genome-wide gene order distances support clustering the gram-positive bacteria

Initially using 143 genomes, we developed a method for calculating the pair-wise distance between prokaryotic genomes using a Monte Carlo method to estimate the conservation of gene order. The method was based on repeatedly selecting five or six non-adjacent random orthologs from each of two genomes and determining if the chosen orthologs were in the same order. The raw distances were then corrected for gene order convergence using an adaptation of the Jukes-Cantor model, as well as using the common distance correction D' = -ln(1-D). First, we compared the distances found via the order of six orthologs to distances found based on ortholog gene content and small subunit rRNA sequences. The Jukes-Cantor gene order distances are reasonably well correlated with the divergence of rRNA (R (2) = 0.24), especially at rRNA Jukes-Cantor distances of less than 0.2 (R (2) = 0.52). Gene content is only weakly correlated with rRNA divergence (R (2) = 0.04) over all distances, however, it is especially strongly correlated at rRNA Jukes-Cantor distances of less than 0.1 (R (2) = 0.67). This initial work suggests that gene order may be useful in conjunction with other methods to help understand the relatedness of genomes. Using the gene order distances in 143 genomes, the relations of prokaryotes were studied using neighbor joining and agreement subtrees. We then repeated our study of the relations of prokaryotes using gene order in 172 complete genomes better representing a wider-diversity of prokaryotes. Consistently, our trees show the Actinobacteria as a sister group to the bulk of the Firmicutes. In fact, the robustness of gene order support was found to be considerably greater for uniting these two phyla than for uniting any of the proteobacterial classes together. The results are supportive of the idea that Actinobacteria and Firmicutes are closely related, which in turn implies a single origin for the gram-positive cell.
On the lowest resonance in positron-hydrogen scattering below the N=2 hydrogen threshold

Abstract The lowest S-wave resonance in positron-hydrogen scattering below the N=2 hydrogen threshold is investigated using the method of complex-coordinate rotation. Elaborated Hylleraas-type wave functions with up to N=816 terms are used. The resonance position is determined as E=−0.257245 Ry when the finite value of the proton mass is used. This compares with E=−0.257374 Ry obtained by Doolen et al. when the mass of the hydrogen nucleus is assumed to be infinitely heavy.
Relationship of disease characteristics and nutritional status to patterns of growth in children with Crohn disease

Crohn disease is one type of inflammatory bowel disease with frequent occurrence before maturity. Many children with Crohn disease experience linear growth retardation. However, the prevalence and contribution of various factors to growth failure have not been adequately investigated. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of growth deficiency by using multiple criteria based on longitudinal data and to simulatneously evaluate the contribution of disease, demographic, and treatment characteristics to the growth failure in this group of children. A sample of 78 patients assessed retrospectively and 41 patients followed prospectively were drawn from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Data on growth, nutritional status (hematocrit and albumin levels), disease characteristics (severity, site, duration, and age of onset), and steroid dosage were collected for both groups. For the prospective sample, measurements of height, weight, and four skinfold thicknesses were taken. A 24 hour recall and 3 day food record estimated kcal intake. Parental size was taken by report from the accompanying caregiver. When three criteria were used, prevalence of growth retardation was 67% in the retrospective group, higher than most available figures. In the prospective sample, reductions in height adjusted for midparental size were greater than those for weight, and depletion of lower body fat was greater than that of upper body fat. Multiple regression analyses showed that degree of growth retardation as measured by the parent adjusted z score for height was associated with higher steroid dosage and later age of disease onset, but not disease severity or the anatomical site of the disease. Of the nutritional status variables, degree of growth retardation was most closely associated with degree of reduction in lower body fat stores.
Different susceptibilities to cyclosporin A of the mitogenic and potentiating activities of interleukins.

Abstract A dissociation was observed between the mitogenic and potentiating activities of interleukins (ILs)-1 or -2 in murine thymocyte cultures treated with drugs. The direct mitogenic effects of the ILs were unaffected by cyclosporin A (CsA) at concentrations which abolished the potentiating activities of these mediators, i.e. their synergy with lectins. Conversely to CsA, dexamethasone was more inhibitory to the mitogenic activity of the ILs than to their synergistic reactions with the lectins. The resistance to CsA of the mitogenic activity of IL-1 was unexpected since this reponse is assumed to be mediated by newly formed IL-2 and CsA inhibits IL-2 production. This resistance was further tested by coculturing thymocytes with the IL-2-dependent CT6 cells; net gains of thymidine uptake by the cocultures were attributed to IL-2 release. Such net gains were observed in cocultures stimulated with IL-1 alone and were relatively resistant to CsA. On the other hand, net gains stimulated by mitogenic lectins, alone or with IL-1, were eliminated by CsA. These results support the notion that IL-1 direct activity on thymocytes is mediated by newly released IL-2 and show that this IL-1 activity is unusual in being resistant to CsA. Low levels of protection against CsA were also observed in cultures potentiated by IL-1: lymphocytes stimulated by lectins or antigens and IL-1 were inhibited by CsA less than lymphocytes stimulated without IL-1. Yet, this partial protection by IL-1 was achieved only at CsA concentrations about 100 fold lower than those resisted by thymocytes directly stimulated by IL-1.
New configurations for the rotating shear-plate interferometer, a.k.a. shear madness

We present two new devices that contain a lateral shear-plate interferometer, held in a mount that can be rotated about the centerline of the incident laser beam. This configuration ensures constant shear while allowing the shear orientation to be varied. One of these new systems relays the sheared image to a fixed video, 35 mm film, or other camera. With the proper camera, it can record the wavefront quality of optical systems of almost any wavelength. The other system holds a large, 150-mm-diameter shear plate in a light-weight structure that can be set on any of several surfaces. This instrument will shear a 100 mm dia. beam horizontally, vertically, and at +/- 45 degree(s). These tools allow quick and easy measurement of the defocus, and third order spherical aberration, coma, and astigmatism in a system without computerized data reduction. The accuracy is about a quarter of a wave.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Reversed-phase thin-layer chromatographic separations of enantiomers of dansyl-amino acids using β-cyclodextrin as a mobile phase additive☆

Abstract The dl -racemates of nine proteinogenic amino acids were resolved by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography after conversion to their 5-dimethylamino-1-naphthalene sulfonyl (dansyl) derivatives. The chiral selector β-cyclodextrin was used in the mobile phase along with either aqueous acetonitrile or aqueous methanol as an organic modifier. dl -Histidine was separated as both its mono- and didansyl derivatives. It was determined that it was the cyclic nature of two imino acids dl -proline and dl -pipecolic acid that prevented their enantiomeric separations under the conditions employed. The dl -racemates of four non-proteinogenic amino acids, two of which are involved in the urea cycle, were also separated.
Common Issues in Sports Cardiology

Many cardiac conditions found in athletes are amenable to athletic participation if well-managed. As always, a respect for the causes of sudden cardiac death in athletes is paramount. Although rare, sudden cardiac death in athletes is frequently preventable by careful pre-participation screening. The authors hope that more athletes will undergo screening, and that basic investigations, including but not limited to electrocardiography, will become more widespread. A high degree of surveillance for cardiac pathology in athletes is the duty of any sports medicine practitioner.
Morphine and naloxone: Effects on conditioned near as measured with the potentiated startle paradigm

Morphine (0.6 to 10 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent reduction of the potentiated startle effect where acoustic startle amplitude is normally increased in the presence of a light previously paired with a shock. The effect was selective since the same doses did not appreciably depress baseline levels of startle. Naloxone (2 mg/kg) did not significantly affect potentiated startle, but antagonized the ability of morphine (10 mg/kg) to block potentiated startle. Morphine did not block potentiated startle by accelerating extinction. The advantages of this paradigm for studying fear or anxiety were discussed.
Job histories as predictors of career success in management information systems

This research recognizes the lack of knowledge about career issues in data processing and proposes a way of examining the job histories of MIS managers to predict their career success. Job history is defined as a series of job experiences over the span of the person's work life. Results from research in other professional groups suggests that job histories are critical determinants of overall career success. When tested in the MIS environment, the results are expected to show that the series of jobs throughout a data processing manager's career affects the overall level of success achieved and that ability and job history predict career success in an additive rather than an interactive way. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for researchers and practitioners in the MIS area.
Novel roles for the MiTF/TFE family of transcription factors in organelle biogenesis, nutrient sensing, and energy homeostasis

The MiTF/TFE family of basic helix–loop–helix leucine zipper transcription factors includes MITF, TFEB, TFE3, and TFEC. The involvement of some family members in the development and proliferation of specific cell types, such as mast cells, osteoclasts, and melanocytes, is well established. Notably, recent evidence suggests that the MiTF/TFE family plays a critical role in organelle biogenesis, nutrient sensing, and energy metabolism. The MiTF/TFE family is also implicated in human disease. Mutations or aberrant expression of most MiTF/TFE family members has been linked to different types of cancer. At the same time, they have recently emerged as novel and very promising targets for the treatment of neurological and lysosomal diseases. The characterization of this fascinating family of transcription factors is greatly expanding our understanding of how cells synchronize environmental signals, such as nutrient availability, with gene expression, energy production, and cellular homeostasis.
Leukotriene B4 stimulation of an early elevation of phosphatidic acid mass in human neutrophils.

The signal transduction pathway of leukotriene B4 involves phospholipase D activation in cytochalsin B-primed neutrophils, but leukotriene B4 stimulation of increased phosphatidic acid mass in neutrophils has not been demonstrated. Employing the NIH Image program, we have examined the effect of leukotriene B4 on phosphatidic acid mass in human neutrophils incubated with or without cytochalasin B. Our results show that 0.15 μM leukotriene B4 without cytochalasin B was capable of increasing phosphatidic acid mass in neutrophils by 2-fold after 5 s, 2.5-fold after 1 min, and 2-fold after 5 min incubation. Leukotriene B3, leukotriene B4, and leukotriene B5 were equipotent stimuli for phosphatidic acid mass elevation. Leukotriene B4 induced phosphatidylethanol formation at the expense of phosphatidic acid in cells preincubated with 0.25–1% ethanol, indicating phospholipase D activation. Cytochalasin B enhanced leukotriene B4 stimulation of phosphatidic acid mass elevation and phosphatidylethanol formation. There were no measurable changes in 1,2-diglyceride mass after 5 s, but a 1.7-fold increase occurred after 1 min and declined thereafter. Leukotriene B4 stimulation of [3H]glycerol incorporation into phosphatidic acid, diglyceride and phosphatidylinositol was detectable after a 1-min incubation, suggesting increasedde novo synthesis of these lipids. These results suggest that leukotriene B4 stimulation of phospholipase D activity contributes to part of the early increased phosphatidic acid mass and that combined actions of stimulated phospholipases C and D, andde novo phosphatidic acid synthesis contribute to the total increased phosphatidic acid mass.
The influence of muscle length on one-joint shoulder internal and external rotator muscle strength.

AbstractBackground and purpose: Kendall suggests testing the rotator cuff muscles in their maximally shortened position, since one-joint muscles are thought to be strongest. We found little evidence to support this concept. The purpose of this study was to determine if the shoulder internal rotator (IR) and external rotator (ER) muscles are strongest when placed in their shortened length position. Methods: Fifty-three subjects participated. Glenohumeral joint internal rotation and external rotation motion was measured. Muscle strength was then tested using a hand-held dynamometer in four positions: (1) end-range ER; (2) neutral 0°; (3) glenohumeral joint mid-range and (4) end-range IR. Data were analyzed using two repeated measures ANOVA’s. Results: The results suggest that rotator muscle strength is dependent on muscle length. IR strength was weakest at end-range IR in its shortest length; ER muscle strength was weakest at end-range ER in its shortest length. Muscle strength of the IR or ER was not signi...
Course of Nonstutterers' Disfluency Adaptation During 15 Consecutive Oral Readings of the Same Material

Each of 20 adult male nonstutterers read the 331-word “Rainbow Passage” 15 consecutive times. The mean number of instances of disfluency during each of the 15 readings was determined. The initial c...
Simple detection of potential pollutant effects on fungal growth, sclerotia formation and germination

The effects of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, zinc, fluorine, arsenate, borate, and ammonium ion on sclerotia germination and formation and mycelial growth were investigated. Inorganic cations generally inhibited sclerotia formation more effectively than the anions examined; only ammonium ion was not inhibitory. Cadmium was the most effective inhibitor followed in order by zinc, copper, chromium, and nickel. Arsenate was not inhibitory. Only cations, at the concentrations examined, inhibited mycelial growth. Nickel, the least effective inhibitor of sclerotia formation, was the strongest inhibitor of radical mycelial growth and sclerotia germination. 19 references, 3 tables.
ATRIAL FLUTTER WITH 1:1 CONDUCTION IN UNDIAGNOSED WOLFF-PARKINSON-WHITE SYNDROME

Abstract Background Atrial flutter with 1:1 atrioventricular conduction via an accessory pathway is an uncommon presentation of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome not previously reported in the emergency medicine literature. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a form of ventricular preexcitation sometimes initially seen and diagnosed in the emergency department (ED), can present with varied tachydysrhythmias for which certain treatments are contraindicated. For instance, atrial fibrillation with preexcited conduction needs specific consideration of medication choice to avoid potential degeneration into ventricular fibrillation. Case Report We describe an adult female presenting with a very rapid, regular wide complex tachycardia successfully cardioverted in the ED followed by a normal electrocardiogram (ECG). Electrophysiology study confirmed atrial flutter with 1:1 conduction and revealed an accessory pathway consistent with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, despite lack of ECG findings of preexcitation during sinus rhythm. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this? Ventricular tachycardia must be the first consideration in patients with regular wide complex tachycardia. However, clinicians should consider atrial flutter with 1:1 conduction related to an accessory pathway when treating patients with the triad of very rapid rate (>250 beats/min), wide QRS complex, and regular rhythm, especially when considering pharmacologic treatment. Emergency physicians also should be aware of electrocardiographically concealed accessory pathways, and that lack of delta waves does not rule out preexcitation syndromes such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Mechanisms of constitutive activation of Janus kinase 2‐V617F revealed at the atomic level through molecular dynamics simulations

BACKGROUND: The tyrosine kinase Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) is important in triggering nuclear translocation and regulation of target genes expression through signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways. The valine-to-phenylalanine mutation at amino acid 617 (V617F), which results in the deregulation of JAK2, has been implicated in the oncogenesis of chronic myeloproliferative disease. However, both the mechanism of JAK2 autoinhibition and the mechanism of V617F constitutive activation remain unclear. METHOD: In this work, the authors used molecular dynamics simulation techniques to establish plausible mechanisms of JAK2 autoinhibition and V617F constitutive activation at the atomic level. RESULTS: In wild-type JAK2, the activation loop of JAK2-homology domain 1 (JH1) is pulled toward the JH1/JH2 interface through interactions with key residues of JH2, especially S591, F595, and V617, and stabilizes the inactivated form of JH1. In the case of V617F, through the aromatic ring-ring stacking interaction, F617 blocks the interaction of JH1 the activation loop, S591, and F595, thus causing the JH1 activation loop to move back to its activated form. CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated that this simulation-derived mechanism of JAK2 autoregulation is consistent with current available experimental evidence and may lead to a deeper understanding of JAK2 and other kinase systems that are regulated by pseudokinases. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
X-Band electronics for the INSPIRE Cubesat deep space radio

This paper describes the design, fabrication and test results of the X-Band hardware for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) INSPIRE Cubesat deep space radio also known as Iris. The radio communicates with NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) and is the first known deep space Cubesat radio to take part in the DSN communication link. The complete RF electronics stack weighs less than 300 grams, has a modulation bandwidth of greater than 100MHz, puts out greater than 24dBm of RF power and has greater than 50dB of receiver adjustable gain control (AGC) range. The antennas are Right-Hand Circular Polarized (RHCP) patches and are designed to attach to the top and bottom of the Cubesat structure to allow for broad coverage in the case of tumbling. The electronics is composed of Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) parts selected in order to meet the typical Cubesat budget constraints and avoid long lead times. The RF electronics is designed to accommodate the use of custom aluminum covers and commercially available gasket shielding. These cover assemblies were designed and put in place in order to reduce Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), crosstalk and also provide a relatively large thermal mass to help stabilize and spread the heat resulting from dissipated power in the electronics.
Research and Issues in Using Anatomical Dolls

The anatomical dolls have emerged as a promising, but controversial tool in child sexual abuse investigations to assist young children in describing what has happened to them. However, research on issues of doll usage by professionals, structuring the doll interviews and interpreting children's responses to the dolls has been lacking. The Anatomical Doll Project was designed to address these issues and data from three phases of the Project are presented in this paper. Phase I is a study of various professionals, interpretations of young children's interactions with the dolls. In Phase II interviewing guidelines were developed. Finally, a normative study of of 209 preschool-aged children who have not been referred for sexual abuse was conducted in Phase III to examine curiosity and play behaviors with the dolls.
Experiments using higher order logic in developing DSN controller software

This paper presents experiments using the higher order logic (HOL) proof system in developing microwave generic controller (UGC) software for the Deep Space Network. These experiments explore various forms of requirements for the Swi-Int (switch interlock) subject of the UGC software formally specified in a CSP-like real-time process algebra embedded in HOL by Peters (see IEEE Wescon/94, Anaheim, CA, September 27-29, 1994). The behavior of the Swi-Int manager is specified graphically in a knowledge graph and as a process algebra formula written in HOL. In an effort to avoid the possibility of livelock in the behavior of the manager, timing constraints are introduced into the design of the manager. As a result, the parallel behavior of the Swi-Int in Peters is refined to incorporate the refinement of the behavior of the manager. >
Improved prognosis for patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: Analysis of the National Cancer Database 1998-2006.

Summary Background Improvements in prognosis have been reported for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) in international cohorts. We sought to quantify improvement in survival of OCSCC and to determine factors associated with survival in the United States using a large administrative database. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 13,655 patients with OCSCC in the National Cancer Database diagnosed during time periods 1998–2003 and 2004–2006. Statistical methods included chi-square and Cox regression. Results Patients with early (Stages I and II) and late stage (Stages III and IV) disease had improvements of 36.2% and 16.0% in three-year overall survival, respectively. Receipt of adjuvant chemoradiation increased from 8.3% to 36.4% for late stage disease, while receipt of adjuvant therapy in early stage disease remained stable. Patients with early stage disease increased from 64.1% for years 1998–2003 to 67.4% during 2004–2006 (p Conclusions Three-year overall survival has increased dramatically for OCSCC patients. Advanced stage patients have been increasingly treated with chemoradiotherapy, while treatment of early stage patients has remained relatively unchanged. While other factors such as negative surgical margins and undergoing neck dissection may be partly responsible for improvements in early stage patients, further study is needed to understand the observed survival improvements.
Competitive location and capacity decisions for firms serving time-sensitive customers

In this article we explore how two competing firms locate and set capacities to serve time-sensitive customers. Because customers are time-sensitive, they may decline to place an order from either competitor if their expected waiting time is large. We develop a two-stage game where firms set capacities and then locations, and show that three types of subgame perfect equilibria are possible: local monopoly (in which each customer is served by a single firm, but some customers may be left unserved), constrained local monopoly (in which firms serve the entire interval of customers but do not compete with each other), and constrained competition (in which firms also serve the entire interval of customers, but now compete for some customers). We perform a comparative statics analysis to illustrate differences in the equilibrium behavior of a duopolist and a coordinated monopolist. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008
Motion of the DNA-binding Domain with Respect to the Core of the Diphtheria Toxin Repressor (DtxR) Revealed in the Crystal Structures of Apo- and Holo-DtxR

The diphtheria toxin repressor (DtxR) from Corynebacterium diphtheriae is a divalent metal-activated repressor of chromosomal genes that encode proteins responsible for siderophore-mediated iron uptake and also of the gene of certain corynebacteriophages that encodes diphtheria toxin. DtxR consists of two 25.3-kDa three-domain subunits and is a member of a family of related repressor proteins in several Gram-positive bacterial species, some of which are important human pathogens. In this paper, we report on the first high resolution crystal structures of apo-DtxR in two related space groups. In addition, crystal structures of Zn-DtxR were determined in the same two space groups. The resolutions of the structures range from 2.2 to 2.4 A. The four refined models of the apo- and the holo-repressor exhibit quite similar metal binding centers, which do, however, show higher thermal motion in the apo-structures. All four structures reported differ from each other in one important aspect. The N-terminal DNA-binding domain and the last 20 residues of the dimerization domain of each subunit move significantly with respect to the core of the DtxR dimer, which consists of residues 74-120 from both subunits. These results provide the first indication of a conformational change that may occur upon binding of the holo-repressor to DNA.
Effect of Plasma TNF‐α on Filgrastim‐Stimulated Hematopoiesis in Mice and Humans

Study Objective. To delineate possible explanations for a nonmonotone hematopoiesis, dose-response curve with filgrastim therapy after high-dose chemotherapy. Design. Sequential two-phase study. Settings. University teaching hospital and basic pharmaceutical sciences laboratory. Subjects. Thirty-nine patients with breast cancer or melanoma and 15 normal CF-1 male mice. Interventions. Serial blood samples were obtained from patients after high-dose chemotherapy to evaluate hematopoiesis and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations. Murine hematopoiesis was induced by filgrastim with or without coadministration of lipopolysaccharide. Measurements and Main Results. Detection of plasma TNF-α in patients corresponded to substantially slower recovery of granulocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets, and was directly proportional to the prescribed dosage of filgrastim. Lipopolysaccharide stimulated the secretion of TNF-α in mice and totally aberrated filgrastim-induced granulopoiesis. Conclusions. This in vivo evidence suggests that regulatory pathways involving endogenous cytokines may override the effect of recombinant cytokines.
Manganese Enzymes with Binuclear Active Sites

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, to review the recent literature dealing with the mechanisms of catalysis by binuclear manganese enzymes. Second, to summarize and illustrate the general principles of catalysis which distinguish binuclear metalloenzymes from monometallic centers. This review covers primarily the published literature from 1991 up to May 1996. A summary of the major structurally characterized dimanganese enzymes is given. These perform various reaction types including several redox reactions, (de)hydrations, isomerizations, (de)phosphorylation, and phosphoryl transfer. 114 refs.
Bootstrap decoding for the Alamouti space-time scheme with imperfect channel estimation

Imperfect channel estimation results in the introduction of symbols coupling for system with space time codes encoding when decoded by the mismatched filter. The bootstrap algorithm was suggested to be used as a signal separator at the output of the mismatched filter. In this work, this solution is studied in details for the Alamouti's code. An inherent problem of the bootstrap's weights control process causes the algorithm not to converge to the optimal weights, making it inapplicable to this code. Alternatively, a new method of weights calculation is presented and analyzed which enables the use of the bootstrap algorithm.
Host and bacterial factors involved in the innate ability of mouse macrophages to eliminate internalized unopsonized Escherichia coli.

In an effort to better understand genetic and cellular factors that influence innate immunity, we examined host and bacterial factors involved in the nonopsonic phagocytosis and killing ofEscherichia coli K-12 by mouse macrophages. Unelicited (resident) peritoneal macrophages from five different mouse strains, BALB/c, C57BL/6, CD-1, C3H/HeJ, and C3H/HeN, were employed. Additional macrophage populations were obtained from CD-1 mice (bone marrow-derived macrophages). Also, for BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, peritoneal macrophages elicited with either thioglycolate or proteose peptone, bone marrow-derived macrophages, and macrophage-like cell lines derived from the two strains were employed. Two E. coli K-12 strains that differed specifically in their abilities to produce type 1 pili containing the adhesive protein FimH were examined. The parameters used to assess macrophage bacteriocidal activity were (i) the killing of internalized (gentamicin-protected)E. coli during the approximately 4-h assay and (ii) the initial rate at which internalized E. coli were eliminated. Data on these parameters allowed the following conclusions: (i) unelicited or proteose peptone-elicited peritoneal macrophages were significantly better at eliminating internalized bacteria than thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages, bone marrow-derived macrophages, or macrophage cell lines; (ii) the host genetic background had no significant effect upon the ability of unelicited peritoneal macrophages to kill E. coli (even though the mouse strains differ widely in their in vivo susceptibilities to bacterial infection); and (iii) the FimH phenotype had no significant effect uponE. coli survival once the bacterium was inside a macrophage. Additionally, there was no correlation between the bacteriocidal effectiveness of a macrophage population and the number of bacteria bound per macrophage. However, macrophage populations that were the least bacteriocidal tended to bind higher ratios of FimH+ to FimH−E. coli. The effect of gamma interferon, fetal calf serum, and the recombination proficiency of E. coli were examined as factors predicted to influence intracellular bacterial killing. These had no effect upon the rate of E. coli elimination by unelicited peritoneal macrophages.
A method for the determination of proximal pulmonary vein size using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography.

Objectives: We sought to develop a reproducible method for characterizing the anatomy of the proximal pulmonary veins. Background: Contrast‐enhanced three‐dimensional magnetic resonance angiography (CE‐MRA) is a commonly requested test before and after radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. While CE‐MRA readily visualizes the pulmonary veins, there is no standardized method for determining their size and cross‐sectional anatomy. Methods: Data for 24 consecutive patients referred for pulmonary vein CE‐MRA before an elective ablation procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation were analyzed. Detailed measurements of the pulmonary vein diameter, circumference, and cross‐sectional area were obtained at three locations: the juncture of the pulmonary vein with the left atrium (LA) (position 1J), the narrowest segment within 5 mm of the juncture (position 25mm), and at the location in the sagittal plane at which the pulmonary veins separate from the LA and from each other (posit...
Enhancement of luminescence efficiency using surface plasmon polaritons: figures of merit

We develop a rigorous theory of the enhancement of spontaneous emission from a light-emitting device via coupling the radiant energy in and out of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on the metal-dielectric interface. We show that while the efficiency of coupling into the SPP mode can be quite high, the radiative efficiency of the SPP itself is relatively low, with a substantial fraction of the energy lost in the metal. Using the GaN/Ag system as an example we obtain easy-to-interpret analytical results that unequivocally indicate that using SPP pays off only for emitters that have medium-to-low luminescence efficiency; thus the SPP applications should be limited to those in sensing and analysis rather than in the development of efficient light sources.
The Best of Two Worlds, the Worst of Two Worlds: Reflections on Culture and Field Work among the Rural Irish and Pueblo Indians

Despite its title this article does not pretend to be or to offer a study in comparative ethnography, since my expertise in the cultures to be discussed is limited and uneven. I know somewhat more about the rural Irish of the Dingle Peninsula, among whom I lived during 1974–75, than I do about the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, among whom I spent the greater part of the summer in 1979 and again in 1985. Nor do these remarks have any pretense to social history, although it is to these peoples' collective responses to aspects of their histories that the article is addressed. Rather, it should be taken as a critical reflection on the vulnerabilities of the human spirit and on the vulnerabilities of a science that tries to pierce the meanings of that spirit. It is a tale of two cultures, and of the ethnographer as a teller of tales, and of the pitfalls of cultural interpretation.
Three-dimensional capacitance computations for VLSI/ULSI interconnections

Three-dimensional simulations of metallization wires of VLSI/ULSI interconnections that are plagued with unreasonably large memory requirements and execution times are discussed. A strategy is presented for overcoming these problems. A principal feature is the use of a domain contraction technique, which accounts for the fringing electric field throughout the infinite domain above and below the levels where the wires appear and provides a major reduction in the number of nodal points for a finite-difference computation. Moreover, an iterative method (successive over-relaxation) is used to alleviate memory requirements, a nonuniformly distributed nodal array is used to reduce the number of nodal points still further, and parallel processing is used to reduce execution time. It is argued that rounded edges and corners for the simulation of the wires are the only appropriate configurations at current levels of miniaturization. This avoids the problem of electric-field singularities at sharp edges and corners and results in significantly reduced capacitance coefficients. >
Comparison between theoretical and experimental values of the volume changes accompanying rubber extension

The molecular theory of rubber elasticity assumes the free energy to consist of two parts: a liquidlike free energy that is governed by intermolecular interactions and is independent of strain at constant volume and an intramolecular interaction free energy equal to the sum of the free energies of the chains making up the network. The volume increases of rubber samples as a function of their length were found to be considerably larger than predicted by the molecular theory. Therefore, contrary to common belief, the values of (∂E/∂L)V,T might not be related solely to changes in intramolecular interactions with extension. Also, the usual procedure to obtain values of (∂E/∂L)V,T from measurements of (∂f/∂T)p,L with the aid of the molecular theory is not correct.
Massively Parallel Simulations of Diffusion in Dense Polymeric Structures

An original computational technique to generate close-to-equilibrium dense polymeric structures is proposed. Diffusion of small gases are studied on the equilibrated structures using massively parallel molecular dynamics simulations running on the Intel Teraflops (9216 Pentium Pro processors) and Intel Paragon (1840 processors). Compared to the current state-of-the-art equilibration methods this new technique appears to be faster by some orders of magnitude. The main advantage of the technique is that one can circumvent the bottlenecks in configuration space that inhibit relaxation in molecular dynamics simulations. The technique is based on the fact that tetravalent atoms (such as carbon and silicon) fit in the center of a regular tetrahedron and that regular tetrahedrons can be used to mesh the three-dimensional space. Thus, the problem of polymer equilibration described by continuous equations in molecular dynamics is reduced to a discrete problem where solutions are approximated by simple algorithms. Practical modeling applications include the construction of butyl rubber and ethylene-propylene-dimer-monomer (EPDM) models for oxygen and water diffusion calculations. Butyl and EPDM are used in O-ring systems and serve as sealing joints in many manufactured objects. Diffusion coefficients of small gases have been measured experimentally on both polymeric systems, and in general the diffusion coefficients in EPDM are an order of magnitude larger than in butyl. In order to better understand the diffusion phenomena, 10,000 atoms models were generated and equilibrated for butyl and EPDM. The models were submitted to a massively parallel molecular dynamics simulation to monitor the trajectories of the diffusing species. The massively parallel molecular dynamics code used in this paper achieves parallelism by a spatial-decomposition of the workload which enables it to run large problems in a scalable way where both memory cost and per-timestep execution speed scale linearly with the number of atoms being simulated. It runs efficiently on several parallel platforms, including the Intel Teraflops at Sandia. There are several diffusion modes observed depending if the diffusion is probed at short time scale (anomalous mode) or long time scale (normal mode). Ultimately, the diffusion coefficient that need to be compared with experimental data corresponds to the normal mode. The dynamics trajectories obtained with butyl and EPDM demonstrated that the normal mode was reached for diffusion within one nanosecond of simulation. In agreement with experimental evidences, the oxygen and water diffusion coefficients were found larger for EPDM than butyl.
Some Relations Involving the Finite Harmonic Series

and a published solution of Chih-yi Wang [2] made use, essentially, of the novel device that n2 = (n+k)(n-k)+k2 in order to effect a proof of (1). This surely allows a short proof, however it may be of interest to see what may motivate writing down (1) to begin with. To an expert in work with series it is obvious why we might expect some such relation as (1) to hold, namely that by differentiating some more general formula we get (1) as a special case. To one who is accustomed to making guesses this way it is also at once clear that (1) and the following rather well-known formula