cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mutation of the sialyltransferase S-sialylmotif alters the kinetics of the donor and acceptor substrates.

Protein sequence analysis of the cloned sialyltransferase gene family has revealed the presence of two conserved protein motifs in the middle of the lumenal catalytic domain, termed L-sialylmotif and S-sialylmotif. In our previous study (Datta, A. K., and Paulson, J. C. (1995) J. Biol. Chem.270, 1497–1500) the larger L-sialylmotif of ST6Gal I was analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis, which provided evidence that it participates in the binding of the CMP-NeuAc, a common donor substrate for all the sialyltransferases. However, none of the mutants tested in this motif had any significant effect on their binding affinities toward the acceptor substrate asialo α1-acid glycoprotein. In this study, we have investigated the role of the S-sialylmotif of the same enzyme ST6Gal I. In total, nine mutants have been constructed by changing the conserved amino acids of this motif to mostly alanine by site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic analysis for the mutants which retained sialyltransferase activity showed that the mutations in the S-sialylmotif caused a change ofKm values for both the donor and the acceptor substrates. Our results indicated that this motif participates in the binding of both the substrates. A sequence homology search also supported this finding, which showed that the downstream amino acid sequence of the S-sialylmotif is conserved for each subgroup of this enzyme family, indicating its association with the acceptor substrate.
Alpha2-adrenergic receptors influence tyrosine hydroxylase activity in retinal dopamine neurons

Dopamine (DA) is a putative neurotransmitter in a population of interneurons in the mammalian retina that are activated by photic stimulation. Pharmacological studies were conducted to determine if alpha 2-adrenergic receptors influence the activity of retinal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a biochemical indicator of changes in the activity of the DA-containing neurons. TH activity was low in dark-adapted retinas and high in light-exposed retinas. Systemic administration of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists, yohimbine and piperoxane, to dark-adapted rats significantly stimulated TH activity. This effect was apparently mediated locally within the retina because the response could also be elicited by direct injection of yohimbine into the vitreous. The dose-response relationships for the effects of alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists on retinal TH activity were similar to those for the effects on brain noradrenergic neurons, where alpha 2-adrenoceptors have been shown to be involved in the autoregulation of neuronal activity. Clonidine, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, had no effect when administered alone to dark-adapted rats, but it attenuated the stimulatory effect of yohimbine. In contrast, clonidine decreased TH activity of light-exposed retinas, an effect that was reversed by yohimbine. These observations suggest that alpha 2-adrenoceptors influence the activity of retinal DA-containing neurons.
Patterns of craniofacial integration in extant Homo, Pan, and Gorilla

Brain size increased greatly during Pleistocene human evolution, while overall facial and dentognathic size decreased markedly. This mosaic pattern is due to either selective forces that acted uniquely on each functional unit in a modularized, developmentally uncoupled craniofacial complex, or alternatively, selection that acted primarily on one unit, with the other responding passively as part of a coevolved set of ontogenetically and evolutionarily integrated structures. Using conditional independence modeling on homologous linear measurements of the height, breadth, and depth of the cranium in Pan (n = 95), Gorilla (n = 102), and recent Homo (n = 120), we reject the null hypothesis of equal levels of overall cranial integration. While all three groups share the pattern of greater neurocranial integration with distinct separation between the face and neurocranium (modularization), family differences do exist. The apes are more integrated in their entire crania, but display a particularly strong pattern of integration within the facial complex related to prognathism. Modern humans display virtually no facial integration, a pattern which is likely related to their markedly decreased facial projection. Modern humans also differ from their great ape counterparts in being more integrated within the breadth dimension of the cranial vault, likely tied to the increase in brain size and eventual globularity seen in human evolution. That the modern human integration pattern differs from the ancestral African great ape pattern along the inverse neurocranial-facial trend seen in human evolution indicates that this shift in the pattern of integration is evolutionarily significant, and may help to clarify aspects of the current debate over defining modern humans.
Development and Characterization of a Homologous Radioimmunoassay for Equine Prolactin

A specific and sensitive homologous radioimmunoassay has been developed for equine prolactin, suitable for measuring prolactin concentrations in serum of horses. The sensitivity of the assay ranged from 0.4 to 0.6 ng/ml and the intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation averaged 6.9 and 15.4%, respectively, for five doses of hormone. Cross-reactivity with other mammalian and nonmammalian prolactins and growth hormones was less than 20 and 0.3%, respectively. Cross-reactivity with equine growth hormone was less than 0.07%. Equine serum and pituitary extracts showed parallel dilution-response curves with equine prolactin. The percentage recovery of exogenous equine prolactin in serum was 89%. Preliminary analysis of several physiological samples (stallions, pregnant, and nonpregnant mares) yielded values from 0.6 to 12.0 ng/ml.
Why Privatize? The Case of Argentina's Public Provincial Banks

Argentina's experience suggests that bank privatization may succeed only when accompanied by a sound, incentive-compatible system of prudential regulation. Argentina has been a leader among developing countries in restructuring its banking sector. Clarke and Cull analyze the performance of those banks before and after privatization and estimate fiscal savings associated with privatizing Argentina's banks rather than keeping them public and later recapitalizing them. The authors describe the process of privatization, including the creation of residual entities for the assets and liabilities of public provincial banks that private buyers found unattractive and the creation of a special fund (the Fondo Fiduciario) to convert the short-term liabilities of the residual entities into longer-term obligations. They argue that the Fondo, created through cooperation between the Argentine federal government and the World Bank, was key in making privatization of the banks politically feasible. Argentina privatized roughly half of its public provincial banks. The Argentine experience suggests that bank privatization may succeed only when accompanied by a sound, incentive-compatible system of prudential regulation. The regulatory environment affects a bank's solvency. Improved regulation and supervision alone does not deliver the same benefits as improved regulation and supervision combined with privatization. The provincial banks that remained in the public sector did not demonstrate the same performance gains as privatized provincial banks. The decision to maintain a public provincial bank is a costly one. Policymakers should expect privatization to pass through some or all of the following steps: With respect to preprivatization audits, expect losses hidden in these banks to be larger than those indicated in prior audits. If residual entities are created, expect them to hold a large share of the assets and liabilities of the old public provincial bank, if the quality of its loan portfolio was low. Do not expect the price paid for the privatized entity (the so-called good bank) to be great, at least compared with assets and liabilities in the residual entity. If the residual entity is large, the province will be confronted with substantial short-term liabilities. But with assistance and an aggressive asset recovery strategy, governments should be able to navigate their way through short-term difficulty. The costs of privatization are less than the costs of future recapitalization, even if the near-term management of the residual entity does not go well. This paper - a product of Regulation and Competition Policy, and Finance, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to investigate the causes and consequences of bank privatization. The authors may be contacted at gclarke@worldbank.org or rcull@worldbank.org.
Design of Copolymers with Tunable Randomness Using Discontinuous Molecular Dynamics Simulation

We present the results of discontinuous molecular dynamics simulations of a “coloring” reaction performed on A-type homopolymers having length ranging from 100 to 300 units in implicit solvents. Th...
Gonadotropic activity of stalk median eminence extracts in hypophysectomized rats.

Standard preparations of crude or partially purified porcine LH-RF (prepared by molecular sieving on Sephadex-G25) elicited the same depletion of ovarian ascorbic acid in intact and hypophysectomized rats. At doses of 1/16, 1/4, 1 and 4 stalk median eminence equivalents (SME), crude extracts elicited similar depletions in intact and hypophysectomized rats, which increased with dose. At these same doses, purified extracts evoked a linear dose response in intact rats and nonsignificant responses at the lower 3 doses in hypophysectomized rats. The high dose effected similar responses in both intact and hypophysectomized rats. An assay which depends on release of pituitary LH into the blood stream, under the influence of high doses of LH-RF was not able to distinguish between LH and LH-RF. Both compounds evoked higher activities in the plasma of intact than hypophysectomized rats. The partially purified preparations of LH-RF used in these studies were not contaminated with LH since ultrafiltration of LH throu...
Electron-phonon coupling in two-dimensional silicene and germanene

Following the work in graphene, we report a first-principles study of electron-phonon coupling (EPC) in low-buckled monolayer silicene and germanene. Despite the similar honeycomb atomic arrangement and linear-band dispersion, the EPC matrix-element squares of the $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$-${E}_{g}$ and $K$-${A}_{1}$ modes in silicene are only about 50% of those in graphene. However, the smaller Fermi velocity in silicene compensates for this reduction by providing a larger joint electronic density of states near the Dirac point, giving rise to comparable phonon linewidths. We predict that Kohn anomalies associated with these two optical modes are significant in silicene. In addition, the EPC-induced frequency shift and linewidth of the Raman-active $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$-${E}_{g}$ mode in silicene are calculated as a function of doping. The results are comparable to those in graphene, indicating a similar nonadiabatic dynamical origin. In contrast, the EPC in germanene is found to be much reduced.
Thoracoscopic lobectomy for type I pleuropulmonary blastoma in an infant

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare, aggressive, intrathoracic mesenchymal neoplasm associated with cystic lung lesions. The authors describe an 8-month-old male who underwent thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy for a cystic lung lesion initially diagnosed as congenital pulmonary airway malformation. Pathology revealed type I PPB.
Ion storage in a radio-frequency trap with semi-spherical electrodes

Abstract The theory of the ion motion in a radio-frequency quadrupole ion trap with electrodes of semi-spherical cross-sections is developed. The radii of the electrode surfaces of the ion trap are chosen such that, at the same inter-electrode spacing, the resultant potential distribution near the center of the trap is closest to that of an ideal ion trap with hyperbolic electrodes. It is found that the optimum values of the radii are 2.60 z o and 0.55 r o for the end-cap electrodes and the ring electrode, respectively, where z o and r o are the characteristic dimensions of the ion trap. The diagram of stability is given. Th effect of higher-order multipole terms on the ion motion secular frequency is estimated. These results are compared with the storage properties of an ideal hyperbolic quadrupole ion trap.
Revisiting the scapular flap: applications in extremity coverage for our U.S. combat casualties.

BACKGROUND: Combat injuries commonly result in massive bony and soft-tissue destruction within the extremities. These extremity wounds often require large free tissue transfers and/or composite flaps for definitive reconstruction. In U.S. military war trauma experience, the authors' practice has found the scapular flap increasingly useful for reconstruction of complex extremity injuries. The purpose of this study is to report the authors' experience using the scapular flap in extremity reconstruction and evaluate the indications for use in the authors' patient population. METHODS: All consecutive limb salvage cases requiring free flaps from 2009 to 2012 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center were reviewed retrospectively. Scapular flap cases were identified. Data collected included Injury Severity Score, flap characteristics, and complications. RESULTS: Twelve scapular free flaps were performed for extremity reconstruction for combat-related trauma, representing 16.2 percent of all microsurgical reconstructions during that period. Cases included eight traditional scapular flaps, two osteocutaneous scapular flaps, one chimeric latissimus/scapular flap, and one chimeric parascapular/scapular/scapula bone flap. The complication rate was 17 percent, consisting of one flap hematoma and one donor-site dehiscence. Complication rates were similar between scapular flaps, other fasciocutaneous flaps, and muscle flaps. CONCLUSIONS: In a decade of war trauma, the authors' practice has found the scapular flap useful for reconstruction of complex extremity injuries. This flap is uniquely suited to the authors' patients, given the severity of their injuries and rehabilitation needs. The scapular flap continues to have various indications in injuries seen within the authors' military population that may be applicable to the authors' civilian patient counterparts. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.
A taxonomy of approaches to teach spelling

This paper presents a comprehensive taxonomy for classifying major approaches to teach spelling. The Traditional Approach is based on linguistic theory, and is predicated on the assumption that there is regularity to the spelling of words in the English language. Many commercially-based spelling programs use the Traditional Approach. The Remedial Approach can be divided into four subcategories, two of which employ multisensory methods. Horn's remedial method combines elements of visualization, pronunciation, and spelling recall, whereas the phonovisual method is phonetically based, and stresses visual and auditory discrimination of letter sounds. Methods under the Specialized Approach can be considered discrete spelling interventions based on applied behavior analysis, direct instruction, spelling rules, cognitive behavior modification, peer tutoring, or computer applications. The authors' position is that the Specialized Approach offers the optimum combination of instructional efficiency and effectiveness consistent with the concept of the least restrictive alternative. We believe that self-correction is the best exemplar of this approach.
Olfactory coding: sniffing out signals

A report in Nature describes a physiological screen used to identify a previously unknown chemical signal in mouse urine. The chemical's selective response in the olfactory bulb raises interesting questions for how socially relevant odors are encoded.
Bridging the divide: Normatively anchored, problem-driven research in political communication

Drawing on Jacques Gerstle's recent book, La communication politique, this article suggests that empirical research in political communication might benefit from embracing a problem-driven epistemological approach, which allows for an explicit engagement with normative theory. Research which rejects the incorporation of normative ideas on epistemological grounds not only risks legitimizing forms of communication which might be harmful to our democracies, but also misses important tools for discovering and decoding data. Likewise, a normatively anchored, problem-driven approach provides a framework for better engaging with the literature on political communication on both sides of the Atlantic, creating a broader and more diverse set of ideas and findings for researchers to draw upon. This article concludes with a brief example of some recent normatively anchored, problem-driven research in area of political communication on the Internet to illustrate the ways in which such an approach might be useful.
Research and Technology in Neurocritical Care

The daily practice of neurointensivists focuses on the recognition of subtle changes in the neurological examination, interactions between the brain and systemic derangements, and brain physiology. Common alterations such as fever, hyperglycemia, and hypotension have different consequences in patients with brain insults compared with patients of general medical illness. Various technologies have become available or are currently being developed. The session on “research and technology” of the first neurocritical care research conference held in Houston in September of 2009 was devoted to the discussion of the current status, and the research role of state-of-the art technologies in neurocritical patients including multi-modality neuromonitoring, biomarkers, neuroimaging, and “omics” research (proteomix, genomics, and metabolomics). We have summarized the topics discussed in this session. We have provided a brief overview of the current status of these technologies, and put forward recommendations for future research applications in the field of neurocritical care.
Synthesis and structural characterizations of new 12- and 13-vertex metallacarboranes based on supraicosahedral frameworks

Abstract Three new metallacarboranes, closo-1-(η-C5H5)Co-2-(NC)-2,3-C2B10H11, 1, nido-2-(η-C5H5)Fe-8-(CH3OC(O))-6,7,8,9-C4B7H11, 2, and arachno-2-(η-C5H5)Co-8-(CH3OC(O))-7,8,9,10-C4B7H12, 3, having cage structures derived from supraicosahedral frameworks, have been produced from metal-insertion reactions of the arachno-8-(NC)-7,8-C2B10H−14 and arachno-8-(CH3OC(O))-7,8,9,10-C4B8H−12 anions. A structural determination of 1 showed it adopts a distorted closo-docosahedral geometry similar to those previously reported for isoelectronic 13-vertex metallacarboranes. Structural determinations of 2 and 3 showed that they both have open frameworks with that of 2 based on a docosahedron missing one vertex, and that of 3 based on a bicapped hexagonal antiprism missing two vertices.
Some Things Learned; Some Things Yet to Learn

a. The adequacy (and, frequently, the superiority) of self-report measures of bilingual proficiency and bilingual usage-when rather global or summary criteria like those that we have utilized are acceptable-is well documented in this report. Populations that lack any particular ideologized awareness of their proficiency and usage are still able to reply to sociolinguistically significant queries in substantially reliable and valid ways. The purposes of self-report mea255
Job Satisfaction of American Part-Time College Faculty: Results from a National Study a Decade Later

Earlier research published in this journal examined factors associated with various forms of job satisfaction among part-time faculty, both at four-year institutions and community colleges. This research forwarded conclusions at odds with popular accounts regarding part-time faculty. Specifically, it was demonstrated that part-time faculty were satisfied with their roles, were pursuing the careers they had planned for, had reached a degree of satisfaction with their decisions to pursue part-time roles, agreed they would repeat their decision to pursue part-time roles, and indicated a stronger commitment to their institutions than their full-time faculty counterparts. These findings, based upon responses to the 1992–1993 National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF), could be argued to be artifacts of the sample of faculty responding to the 1993 survey. Since then, NSOPF has published data from its 2004 survey. This paper reexamines the findings of the original research, testing the extent to which thos...
An inexpensive alternative bath system for electrophysiological characterization of isolated cardiac tissue

A tissue bath system, to be used as an alternative to complex perfusion chambers, was constructed for use in cardiac electrophysiological studies. This system consists of an acrylic chamber to hold circulating physiological medium such as DMEM, suspended in a water bath warmed by a hot plate. Temperature and pH were controlled to mimic physiological conditions. Rat and porcine cardiac tissues, were used to test viability of the conditions presented in the bath system. Using a cardiac mapping system, the tissues were stimulated and responses recorded. From the recordings we were able to calculate conduction velocities and spatial dispersion of activation indices. The results are comparable to previous in-vivo work, which suggests that the tissue bath system design can maintain tissue viability. This tissue bath system is a relatively simple alternative for ex-vivo testing of cardiac tissues.
Linkage and polymorphism of a gene controlling lactate dehydrogenase in the rat

The amount of lactate dehydrogenase subunit A in rat serum is under the control of the lactate dehydrogenase regulatory gene Ldr-1, and it is determined by two alleles, Ldr-1 a (high) and Ldr-1 b (low). Sex and LDH-A level segregate independently, so the Ldr-1 gene is autosomal. The genes for albino, red eye, hemoglobin, and Ldr-1 are linked (linkage group I), and their order is Ldr-1-Hbb-r-c. Our data put Ldr-1 45 cM from Hbb, and Hbb is 7 cM from c. Data in the literature separate r and c by 0.3 cM.
ANALYSIS OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THEORY, RESEARCH AND POLICY IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the complex relationship between theory, research, and policy in criminal justice. The author argues that one's worldview has an impact on the selection of research questions, the manner in which the question is investigated, and the interpretation of the observations which one makes. Similarly, one's worldview impacts the selection of preferred policy alternatives. Research is not necessarily the basis of policy, and even if policy-makers had the benefit of quality research in the formulation of policy, it is not necessary that they would utilize the research as the basis of policy, or that intervention strategies would be logically evident from the research findings, or that intervention strategies which seem evident would be effective, efficient, or feasible. Furthermore, the policymaker's worldview may lead him/her to reject research findings and intervention strategies which are not consistent with his/her worldview. Specific recommendations for improving the relationshi...
Effects of model layer simplification using composite hydraulic properties

The effects of simplifying hydraulic property layering within an unconfined aquifer and the underlying confining unit were assessed. The hydraulic properties of lithologic units within the unconfined aquifer and confining unit were computed by analyzing the aquifer-test data using radial, axisymmetric two-dimensional (2D) flow. Time-varying recharge to the unconfined aquifer and pumping from the confined Upper Floridan aquifer (USA) were simulated using 3D flow. Conceptual flow models were developed by gradually reducing the number of lithologic units in the unconfined aquifer and confining unit by calculating composite hydraulic properties for the simplified lithologic units. Composite hydraulic properties were calculated using either thickness-weighted averages or inverse modeling using regression-based parameter estimation. No significant residuals were simulated when all lithologic units comprising the unconfined aquifer were simulated as one layer. The largest residuals occurred when the unconfined aquifer and confining unit were aggregated into a single layer (quasi-3D), with residuals over 100% for the leakage rates to the confined aquifer and the heads in the confining unit. Residuals increased with contrasts in vertical hydraulic conductivity between the unconfined aquifer and confining unit. Residuals increased when the constant-head boundary at the bottom of the Upper Floridan aquifer was replaced with a no-flow boundary.
Minimum-volume coil arrangements for generation of uniform magnetic fields

This paper describes an optimization method for designing electromagnetic coil arrangements that generate uniform magnetic fields. The method can accurately and efficiently determine an arrangement that minimizes the volume of the coils. An important advantage of the method is that the solutions it generates are guaranteed to be global minimums. The method may be useful for designing large superconducting magnets, since their cost depends strongly on the amount of superconducting wire required. It is also shown that the method can be applied to minimize the power consumption of resistive magnets.
Improvements in the clinical utility of calculated T2 images of the human brain

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) affords a considerable improvement in image contrast over other methods by virtue of the intrinsic NMR parameters spin density, T1, and T2. However, the clinical utility of routine quantification of these parameters is currently unknown. Calculated T2 images might afford additional disease specific information provided the calculation algorithm generates accurate T2 values. In this study, calculated T2 images of a MnCl2 phantom (spanning a T2 range of interest of 45.7 ms to 346.6 ms at 6 MHz) were generated utilizing a variety of calculation algorithms based upon a data set of 32 sequential spin-echo (SE) images. In general, when utilizing only the earliest sequential SE after the 90 degree pulse for the T2 calculation, the greater the number of SE used in the calculation algorithm, regardless of how they were averaged, the more accurate and less noisy was the calculated image. When only limited numbers of SE were used in the calculation algorithm, accuracy and noise varied with the choice of TE suggesting that there may be optimal timings for TE for a particular T2 range of interest. Forty-two calculated T2 head images of normal subjects, based upon data sets of 16 sequential SE, were evaluated for the T2 values of normal brain. These were compared to T2 images calculated via 7 different algorithms based upon 16 SE data sets from two patients with CNS pathology. An optimal algorithm was identified in which 16 SE Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) were averaged into two images for the T2 calculation. With this algorithm, calculated images could be generated efficiently which were accurate and relatively noise free. The availability of such images maximized whatever disease specificity, and thus clinical utility, T2 information affords.
PARTITIONING THE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND KINEMATIC VISCOSITY ON THE C-START PERFORMANCE OF ADULT FISHES

Temperature has been shown to have a significant effect on swimming performance in teleost fish. This thermal dependence has usually been attributed to correlated changes in muscle contractile physiology. However, the physical properties of all materials, including both water and living tissues, are profoundly affected by changes in temperature. In particular, both the kinematic viscosity of water and the flexible body dynamics of the fish (independent of muscle contractile activity) are substantially higher at lower temperatures. In this study, we investigated the extent to which the observed thermal dependence of locomotor performance of fish simply reflects changes in the biophysical properties of the aqueous medium independent of the changing physiology of the animals. C-starts (escape swimming) of adult goldfish (Carassius auratus, length approximately 8 cm) were video-taped (400 frames s-1) at 5 degreesC and 20 degreesC in fresh water and at 20 degreesC in fresh water containing 1.2 % dextran (kinematic viscosity equivalent to that of water at 5 degreesC). Temperature had a significant positive effect on maximum forward velocity (m s-1), angular velocity (degrees s-1) and total distance moved, but viscosity had no detectable effect on any kinematic parameters at 20 degreesC. Since viscous forces may have more pronounced effects on smaller fish, C-starts of adult guppies (Poecilia reticulata, length approximately 2 cm) were video-taped in fresh water and in fresh water containing 1.2 % and 3. 6 % dextran at 20 degreesC. Viscosity had a significant effect on kinematic variables only at 3.6 % dextran; at 1.2 % dextran, the effects were marginal. It was concluded that most of the observed thermal dependence of C-starts at temperatures normally experienced by these fish was due to changes in physiological processes as opposed to physical changes in the environment.
Self-Evaluation and Creativity

Lack of evaluation potential leads to the social loafing effect, the finding that participants working together expend less effort than participants working alone. In 1988 Bartis, Szymanski and Harkins replicated this effect, showing that the lack of potential for evaluation by the experimenter led participants to generate fewer uses for a common object when they were asked to generate as many uses as possible. However, their research also demonstrated that this lack of evaluation potential facilitated creativity. Szymanski and Harkins have previously shown that the potential for self-evaluation has the same effect on loafing as experimenter evaluation. When participants can self-evaluate, the loafing effect is eliminated. In the present study, the effect of the potential for self-evaluation on creativity was tested. In a replication of the Bartis et al. study, subjects were asked either to generate as many uses as possible for a common object or to generate uses that were as creative as possible. The res...
Feasibility study of optical detection of chatter vibration during milling

This article introduces an optical device for measuring and recording the vibrations during milling. The constructed apparatus is able to discriminate between stable cutting and chatter vibration. A review of various chatter detection methods is presented. It lists basic numerical approximation methods to predict chatter and the devices used to detect unstable cutting. A discussion on the importance of experimental detection versus theoretical predictions is also included. The article further presents the measurement setup, its basic components, and their parameters along with the basic principles of the measurements and the theoretical framework of the stability analysis. The theoretical framework is then applied to show the chatter determining frequencies and to determine what has to be detected during the measurements. Experimental results for slotting and down milling with different immersion ratios are also presented. These include stability maps based on the power spectrum density (PSD) graphs of th...
An Infeasible Point Method for Minimizing the Lennard-JonesPotential

Minimizing the Lennard-Jones potential, the most-studied model problem for molecular conformation, is an unconstrained global optimization problem with a large number of local minima. In this paper, the problem is reformulated as an equality constrained nonlinear programming problem with only linear constraints. This formulation allows the solution to approached through infeasible configurations, increasing the basin of attraction of the global solution. In this way the likelihood of finding a global minimizer is increased. An algorithm for solving this nonlinear program is discussed, and results of numerical tests are presented.
What Do We Know about the Capital Structure of Privately Held US Firms? Evidence from the Surveys of Small Business Finance

This study examines the capital-structure decisions of privately held US firms using data from four nationally representative surveys conducted from 1987 to 2003. Book-value firm leverage, as measured by either the ratio of total loans to total assets or the ratio of total liabilities to total assets, is negatively related to firm age and minority ownership; and is positively related to industry median leverage, the corporate legal form of organization, and to the number of banking relationships. In general, these results provide mixed support for both the Pecking-Order and Trade-Off theories of capital structure. What do we know about the capital structure of privately held US firms? The answer is “not much,” as almost all existing empirical studies of the capital structure of US firms have relied upon Compustat data for large corporations with publicly traded securities. 1 Although such large, publicly traded corporations hold the vast majority of business assets, they account for only a small fraction of the number of business entities. In the United States, for example, there are fewer than 10,000 firms that issue publicly traded securities, yet according to the US Internal Revenue Service, there were approximately 30 million small businesses as of
Weather and Occurrence of Eclampsia

The authors performed a population-based case-control study of the association between weather and occurrence of eclampsia in Washington State. Women who were recorded as having eclampsia on Washington birth certificates from 1980 to 1983 were compared to a random sample of all women who gave birth during those years. For each woman studied, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather data were used to determine the temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, and wind speed on the date of birth at the station nearest the hospital of birth. Categorical analysis revealed that eclampsia was not associated with low temperature, high relative humidity, precipitation, or high wind speed. These results were unchanged after adjustment for race, parity, maternal age, and late initiation of prenatal care. These results do not support an association between eclampsia and weather on the date of delivery in this population.
Measuring efficiency in the hotel industry: A stochastic frontier approach

Abstract This study employs a stochastic frontier technique to estimate managerial efficiency levels in the hotel industry. The only prior efficiency study in this sector employed a linear-programming technique termed data envelopment analysis (DEA). That study found the hotel industry to be operating at a 89% efficiency level. The stochastic frontier approach overcomes many of the potential statistical limitations of DEA and allows for additional insights on efficiency in the hotel market. The average efficiency measures for the hotel industry estimated by the stochastic frontier approach are high and consistent with the results obtained using DEA. In particular, average efficiency was estimated at 89.4%, with the most and least efficient hotels operating at a 92.1% and a 84.3% efficiency level, respectively.
Furniture from the shaft graves: the occurrence of wood in Aegean burials in the Bronze Age

Certain wooden fragments from tomb V at Mycenae are identified as parts of two small tripod tables, which constitute the best-preserved furniture from the prehistoric Aegean. As the epigraphic, iconographic, and archaeological evidence demonstrates, wooden furniture was not common in the Aegean area and belonged chiefly to prosperous persons, who rarely provided it to the dead. Statistically rare, though more widely known, are the wooden structures used from the end of MM III to the LH/LM III A2 period for burials, nearly all richly endowed (with weapons, metal vessels, ornaments, even with furniture). In tombs with multiple burials the dead person, placed on a bed or a bier, is isolated and raised above the others. Burial in a coffin, of whatever material, constitutes a means of individualizing the dead: the wooden coffin has additional value. Thus these modes of burial are explained as one of the customs adopted during the New Palace and Early Mycenaean period, in order to demonstrate the social and economic status of the prominent dead.
Quantitative developmental genetic analysis reveals that the ancestral dipteran wing vein prepattern is conserved in Drosophila melanogaster

Quantitative complementation tests provide a quick test of the hypothesis that a particular gene contributes to segregating phenotypic variation. A set of wild-type alleles is assayed for variation in their ability to complement the degree of dominance of the quantitative effect of a loss of function allele. Analysis of 15 loci known to be involved in wing patterning in Drosophila melanogaster suggests that the genes decapentaplegic, thickveins, EGFR, argos and hedgehog, each of which are involved in secreted growth factor signaling, may contribute to wing shape variation. The phenotype of one deficiency, Df(2R)Px2, which removes blistered/Plexate, is also highly sensitive to the wild-type genetic background and at intermediate expressivity reveals six ectopic veins. These form in the same locations as a projection of the ancestral pattern of dipteran wing veins onto the D. melanogaster wing. This atavistic phenotype indicates that the wing vein prepatterning mechanism can be conserved in highly derived species, and implies that homoplasic venation patterns may be produced by derepression of vein primordia.
Circularly Polarized Meshed Patch Antenna for Small Satellite Application

A circularly polarized meshed patch antenna design is presented. The proposed antenna consists of two square meshed patches, which generate two orthogonal linear polarizations at two slightly different frequencies. A common proximity feedline is utilized to excite the two patches, and a 90 ° phase difference can be achieved between the two resonant frequencies, which is needed for circular polarization. The overall structure of this antenna is highly compatible with solar panels; thus, it is of great significance for small satellite applications. The measured results of the antenna prototype show that it has a 3-dB axial-ratio (AR) bandwidth of 15 MHz, a 10-dB impedance bandwidth of 2%, and a gain of 5.15 dB at its center frequency 2.47 GHz.
Prevalence of Plantar Verrucae in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection During the Post-Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Era

Background: Since the implementation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the life expectancy of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has significantly increased. This is likely to cause changes in podiatric medical manifestations, such as plantar verrucae, in this population. Methods: Attendees at a San Francisco street fair in 2008 provided information about HIV status and the presence of verrucae via a survey. A total of 504 surveys were analyzed and compared with 1995 data, before HAART implementation. We examined if there was a statistically significant change in the increased likelihood of plantar verrucae in HIV-positive patients from 1995 to 2008. Then we examined the likelihood of HIV-positive patients (compared to HIV-negative patients) presenting with plantar verrucae in 2008, by using logistic regression, and controlling for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results: Patients with HIV infection were 5.2 times more likely to present with plantar verrucae compared to patients...
Genetic resource banks for conserving wildlife species: justification, examples and becoming organized on a global basis

Abstract The cryopreservation of germ plasm and embryos combined with assisted reproduction play a continuing, vital role in sustaining and improving animal agriculture. It only is logical that similar types of technologies could be useful for preserving other forms of bio- and genetic-diversity, many of which are under the threat of extinction. The benefits of genetic resource banking for conservation purposes are even more profound than for domesticated livestock. In addition to preserving genetic vigor and enhancing captive propagation, these frozen repositories could provide a high level of insurance against further losses of diversity or entire species. Particularly important is that biological material could be recovered from free-living animals, stored and used without removing more individuals from native habitats. Three ongoing research projects at the National Zoological Park involving cervids, mustelids and felids are reviewed to demonstrate the potential of assisted reproduction for species preservation. Furthermore, rapidly evolving global strategies are discussed that will provide organization to the systematic collection, storage and use of germ plasm, embryos, blood products, tissue and DNA. Even given current restricted financial support for efforts, all evidence suggests that genetic resource banks will be contributing significantly to the conservation of rare wildlife species as we enter the 21st century.
Urinary Protein Binding Does Not Affect Response to Furosemide in Patients with Nephrotic Syndrome

Response to loop diuretics in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) is subnormal. Studies in animal models of NS have suggested that binding of diuretic to urinary albumin is one of the mechanisms that may be operative in this diuretic resistance. To explore this hypothesis, 12 patients with NS were studied to determine whether displacement from urinary protein binding with sulfisoxazole would restore response to 120 mg of furosemide. The study was stopped after treating seven patients because it was clear that sulfizoxazole had no effect. Sodium excretion (mean +/- SD) from furosemide alone was 239 +/- 90 versus 240 +/- 115 mEq/8 h with sulfisoxazole. Sulfisoxazole had modest effects on serum pharmacokinetics of furosemide but had no effect on either the time course of furosemide urinary excretion or overall amount excreted: 49 +/- 15 mg versus 54 +/- 12 mg for furosemide alone and furosemide plus sulfisoxazole, respectively. It is concluded that urinary protein binding of loop diuretics is not a major mechanism for the diuretic resistance of NS. In turn, strategies aimed at displacing such binding are unlikely to be clinically helpful.
Fisetin, a novel dietary flavonoid causes apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in human prostate cancer LNCaP cells

Novel dietary agents for prevention and therapy of prostate cancer (PCa) are desired. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of fisetin, a tetrahydroxyflavone, on inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis in human PCa cells. Treatment of fisetin (10-60 microM, 48 h) was found to result in a decrease in the viability of LNCaP, CWR22Rupsilon1 and PC-3 cells but had only minimal effects on normal prostate epithelial cells as assessed by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazoliumbromide assay. Treatment of LNCaP cells with fisetin also resulted in G(1)-phase arrest that was associated with a marked decrease in the protein expression of cyclins D1, D2 and E and their activating partner cyclin-dependent kinases 2, 4 and 6 with concomitant induction of WAF1/p21 and KIP1/p27. Fisetin treatment also resulted in induction of apoptosis, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage, modulation in the expressions of Bcl-2 family proteins, inhibition of phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase and phosphorylation of Akt at Ser(473) and Thr(308). There was also induction of mitochondrial release of cytochrome c into cytosol, downregulation of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein and upregulation of second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase/direct inhibitor of apoptosis-binding protein with low pI on treatment of cells with fisetin. Treatment of cells with fisetin also resulted in significant activation of caspases-3, -8 and -9. Pretreatment of cells with caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) blocked fisetin-induced activation of caspases. These data provide the first evidence that fisetin could be developed as an agent against PCa.
Overlapping Mental Representations of Self, In-Group, and Partner: Further Response Time Evidence and a Connectionist Model

People’s reports on their own characteristics are facilitated by matches with their relationship partner’s or in-group’s perceived characteristics and inhibited by mismatches. These results suggest that mental representations of the self, partner, and in-groups overlap. A previously untested implication is that judgmental facilitation or inhibition should operate in the reverse direction as well. The authors find that reports on the characteristics of a relationship partner or in-group are facilitated or inhibited by matches or mismatches with the participant’s own characteristics. The size of the effect for the partner is linearly related to perceived relationship closeness. These findings, in combination with the previous ones, suggest that representations of self, other people, and social groups are constructed on-line rather than being stable, static entities, and the authors advance a connectionist model of this construction process.
Assessment of Insulin Resistance and Its Clinical Application

인슐린은 1922년, Banting 등[1]에 의해 처음 발견된 이 래 당뇨병의 치료에 널리 이용되고 있으며, 생체 내 포도당 대사 및 생명 현상의 유지에 필수적인 펩타이드 호르몬이다. 인슐린은 근육과 지방 조직에서 포도당이 흡수되어 적절히 이용되게 하고, 간에서 당신생을 억제하여 혈중 포도당을 일 정하게 유지하는 작용을 한다. 인슐린은 이러한 전통적인 대 사작용 외에도 뇌, 췌장 베타세포, 심장, 혈관내피세포 등에 작용하는데 대사작용과 연계하여 생명 현상을 조절한다. 대표 적인 예로 인슐린은 혈관내피세포에서 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)를 경유하는 세포 내 신호전달체계를 통하 여 nitric oxide (NO)를 생성함으로써 혈관확장 효과를 나타 내고, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)를 경유하 는 세포 내 신호전달체계를 통해 강력한 혈관 수축 물질인 endothelin-1 (ET-1)을 생성하여 혈관수축작용을 나타내는 데, 건강한 상태에서는 이 두 가지 신호전달체계가 적절히 균형을 이루고 있지만, 이 균형이 깨어지게 되면 각종 병적 인 상태가 나타나게 된다[2]. 인슐린 저항성이란 1936년, 더 많은 용량의 인슐린이 치료에 필요한 당뇨병 환자를 기술하 면서 처음 제안된 개념으로[3], 전통적으로 인슐린 감수성이 감소한 상태, 즉 인슐린 매개 포도당 흡수와 간에서의 당신 생을 억제하는 인슐린의 대사 작용에 대한 반응이 감소한 상태를 일컫는다. 인슐린 저항성은 제2형 당뇨병의 발생에 주된 역할을 할 뿐만 아니라 이와 관련된 고혈압, 비만, 관 상동맥질환, 이상지질혈증 등의 주요 보건 문제와 더불어 이 들 대사질환과 심장혈관질환들의 집합체로 정의되는 대사증 후군의 핵심적인 원인요소로 잘 알려져 있다[4]. 전 세계적 으로 비만한 인구의 폭발적인 증가는 제2형 당뇨병의 발생 률과 유병률, 그리고 이와 관련된 심혈관계 합병증의 급격한 증가로 이어지고 있다[5]. 따라서 인슐린 저항성을 인체와 실험 동물에서 정확하게 측정하여 인슐린 저항성의 유병률 과 병태생리학적인 기전, 치료 효과, 인슐린 저항성을 가진 환자의 임상 경과 등을 규명하고 이를 임상에 적용하는 것 은 매우 중요하기 때문에 인슐린 저항성을 정확히 측정하는 방법을 고안하는 것은 매우 중요하다. 본 지상강좌에서는 인 슐린 저항성의 측정을 위하여 개발된 각종 기법들에 대해서 설명하고, 이를 임상 연구와 환자의 진료에 적용하는데 도움 이 되고자 하였다.
The Effect of Gastric Bypass on the Pharmacokinetics of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Morbidly obese patients treated with serotonin reuptake inhibitors for mood and anxiety disorders frequently relapse following gastric bypass surgery. Of 12 patients followed, drug absorption 1 month postoperatively dropped to an average of 54% of preoperative levels (range: 36%–80%) in eight patients but returned to baseline levels by 6 months for six patients. Those who relapsed into depression with low blood levels frequently failed to lose weight as well.