cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meiosis-specific formation of joint DNA molecules containing sequences from homologous chromosomes

All recombination models postulate one or more recombination intermediates that are joint molecules containing two homologous parental molecules. A spike of branched DNA molecules not seen in DNA from mitotic cells was found in the two-dimensional gel analysis of meiotic DNA from S. cerevisiae. The mass of molecules in the spike, the timing of its appearance and disappearance, and its absence from a recombination-defective spo11 mutant are consistent with the hypothesis that it contains recombination intermediates. The spike changes in mass as predicted for joint molecules containing DNA from homologous chromosomes rather than sister chromatids in a strain heterozygous for an RFLP. Finally, joint molecules containing DNA from homologous chromosomes were not found, suggesting that the block to recombination between homologous sequences occurs prior to the formation of joint molecules.
Challenges for Career Counseling in Asia: Variations in Cultural Accommodation

Using K. Lewin's (1938) concept of a force field analysis, a model is proposed for examining the challenges of providing career counseling in Asia in terms of prevailing and countervailing forces. The model also suggests a need to avoid a simple importation of Western models of career counseling, which may not be an optimal fit for the Asian cultural context. Instead, the cultural accommodation approach is offered as a viable alternative.
Low Rate of Endophthalmitis in a Large Series of Open Globe Injuries

Purpose To determine the percentage of patients in whom endophthalmitis developed after open globe injury. Design Retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive case series. Methods Charts of all patients (675 in total) treated surgically for open globe injury at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) between January 1, 2000 and July 31, 2007 were reviewed. Cases with at least 30 days of follow-up were included in statistical analyses (558 in total). A standardized treatment protocol was used in all cases. Intravenous vancomycin and ceftazidime were started on admission and were stopped after 48 hours. Patients were discharged on topical antibiotics, corticosteroids, and cycloplegia. Surgical repairs were performed by the chief of trauma, a full-time position rotating yearly, who is on call for all open globe trauma. Data collection variables included timing of injury and repair, mechanism of injury, details of surgical repair, and details of follow-up such as duration, presence of complications, and vision. A primary outcome measure of endophthalmitis and secondary outcome measure of risk factors for endophthalmitis were studied. Results During 7.5 years, 675 open globe injuries were treated at MEEI. Of these, 558 had at least 30 days of follow-up (mean, 11 months) and were used in statistical analyses. The overall percentage of endophthalmitis was 0.9% (3 culture-positive cases and 2 culture-negative cases). Four of the 5 cases achieved final acuity of 20/80 or better. Risk factors for endophthalmitis included intraocular foreign body ( P = .03; odds ratio, 7.52) and primary intraocular lens placement ( P = .05). Conclusions A standardized protocol including surgical repair by a dedicated eye trauma service and 48 hours of intravenous antibiotics was associated with a posttraumatic endophthalmitis percentage of less than 1%.
Behavior and adrenal weights of non-stressed rats with selected limbic lobe lesions

Abstract Aggressive behavior and adrenal enlargement are exhibited in stressed rats following electrolytic septal lesioning. Both these responses are prevented by prior ablation of the amygdalae. It is not clear whether adrenal hypertrophy results solely from modifications of the pituitary-adrenal axis at the hypothalamic level, or is induced via the hypothalamus through modulations of neurogenic stressors at higher levels. Agonistic responses of lesioned animals to excessive handling and provocations during behavioral testing may influence the hypothalamus resulting in increased pituitary-adrenal function and adrenal hypertrophy. In these studies influences of septal, amygdaloid, and septal-amygdaloid (dual) lesions on adrenal weights were investigated in non-stressed (untested) rats. The presence and extent of septal and amygdaloid lesions were ascertained histologically. No significant differences were found in mean adrenal weights of any lesioned group when compared with either the normal intact or sham-operated control groups. Moreover, no significant differences were found in adrenal “specific weight” in lesioned animals compared with adrenal “specific weight” in animals of either control group.
The Effect of X Radiation on Antibody Formation.

ConclusionsThese experiments corroborate Hektoen's original classic findings that antibody formation is suppressed by total-body X radiation. It has been demonstrated, in addition, that if the spleen or appendix of the rabbit is protected by lead shielding during total-body irradiation, the capacity to produce antibodies to an injected particulate antigen is retained to a marked degree even though lymphatic tissue elsewhere in the body is temporarily destroyed.
[Effects of adrenocorticotropic & somatotropic hormones of the hypophysis & cortisone on certain aspects of nitrogen metabolism in experimental toxic hepatitis].

In experimental toxic hepatitis of rats caused by administration of CCl4 a fall is found in the protein content of the liver, and in the rate of incorporation of methionine-S35 into these proteins. When prolonged action ACTH (2–10 minutes) or cortisone (1 mg) are injected at the same time as the CCl4 the rate of incorporation of methionine-S35 is raised. Higher doses (3 mg) of cortisone had the opposite effect. Administration of somatotrophic hormone prevents loss of weight of CCl4-poisoned rats. Only a small rise in the protein content of the liver, and in the rate of incorporation of methionine-S35 into the proteins were found at a dosage level of 2 mg of STH. The protein content of the kidneys, and the rate of incorporation of methionine-S35 are increased with dosage levels of 1 mg of STH. At a dosage level of 3 mg a fall in the protein content of the kidneys was found. Administration of STH did not affect the protein content of muscles, or the rate of incorporation of methionine-S35 into the muscle proteins.
Study of afterglow in x-ray phosphors for use on fast-framing charge-coupled device detectors

There is a need in the x-ray imaging community for phosphors with short persistence (I /Ib<0.1 to 0.01% in less than 0.5 ms). Persistence limits a detector’s performance by defining the minimum xray exposure discernible for a given time after a previous exposure, by ghosting of previous images, and by limiting the dynamic range. We characterize the persistence and relative light output of 25 commercially available and specially synthesized phosphors, five of which are gadolinium oxysulfide (Gd2O2S) with five different activators. The phosphor’s ‘‘practical efficiency’’ is presented for use with either front- or rearilluminated CCDs. The persistence of these phosphors is characterized as a function of x-ray intensity, exposure time, and, when possible, impurity concentrations. Each phosphor’s usefulness for particular x-ray imaging experiments is also discussed.
Computational Studies of Binding of Small Molecule Inhibitors to the DNA Binding Protein Menin

The DNA-binding protein menin is known to play important roles in a number of cancers and may have a role in type-II diabetes (T2D). In particular, based on recent studies of ablation of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 gene (MEN1, which encodes menin) in mice, identifying a novel means to enhance beta cell regeneration by repressing menin is being pursued as a new avenue for T2D treatment. In particular, it has been shown that menin ablation reverses preexisting glucose intolerance, a hallmark of T2D, suggesting that inhitors of menin would also have this effect. Recent crystal structures of menin in co-complex with short peptide fragments as well as small molecule inhibitors have indicated that it has a deep druggable pocket and is known to form complexes with several proteins via this pocket. These characteristics make menin an ideal target for computational docking studies of lead compounds to optimize binding affinity. In this study, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of the recently solved crystal structure of menin and pursue an ensemble (or multiple protein conformation) docking strategy in order to determine a number of different bound conformations of small molecule inhibitors to this protein. While the insilico docking studies of the inhibitors are performed using a flexible-ligand, rigid protein approach, docking to different snapshots of the protein obtained through the molecular dynamics approach allows for implicit protein flexibility. The different docked poses from the high-dimensional dataset are clustered and the most probable conformations are used to suggest new higher affinity ligands. Efforts to procure these ligands and experimentally determine their binding affinities in order to validate the insilico screen/design are simultaneously being pursued.
Elevated chloride and consumer presence independently influence processing of stream detritus

Headwater streams are in close contact with the landscape and known to mediate disturbances to downstream waterways through important ecological interactions. We studied how elevated chloride from road deicer, a pollutant of rising concern in urban ecosystems, influenced the leaf-microbial matrix in streams, and subsequent processing of C and N. In a multi-factorial laboratory experiment, we determined if elevated chloride interacts with nitrogen loading and invertebrate consumer feeding to alter rates of leaf litter breakdown and N immobilization. Naturally colonized leaf litter, the dominant C source in small streams, was collected from five Piedmont streams (Maryland, USA) and subjected to a gradient of NaCl (0, 1,000, 5,000 mg Cl l−1) and dissolved nitrogen (ambient, elevated), and an invertebrate treatment (presence, absence) in a total of 60 microcosms. Loss rate and C:N content were determined from remaining leaf litter after 16 d of incubation. Chloride loading significantly (P < 0.05) reduced loss rate regardless of N loading, and C:N content significantly (P < 0.05) increased with Cl concentration, interacting marginally (P < 0.10) with N loading. Invertebrate feeding had a marginally-significant (P < 0.10), negative effect on loss rate, but not C:N content. Overall, elevated chloride significantly influenced organic matter loss rate and N immobilization, despite N loading and the presence of invertebrates. We conclude that there is the potential for chloride loading as road deicer runoff to negatively influence microbial processing of C and N by stream-dwelling microbial communities.
A 'skewed' lognormal approximation to the probablility distribution function of the large-scale density field

I propose a method to fit the probability distribution function (PDF) of the large-scale density field rho, motivated by a Lagrangian version of the continuity equation. It consists in applying the Edgeworth expansion to the quantity Phi identical with log rho - mean value of log rho. The method is tested on the matter particle distribution in two cold dark matter N-body simulations of different physical sizes to cover a large dynamic range. It is seen to be very efficient, even in the nonlinear regime, and may thus be used as an analytical tool to study the effect on the PDF of the transition between the weakly nonlinear regime and the highly nonlinear regime.
The effect of imipramine treatment on brain serotonin receptors and β-adrenoceptors and on pineal β-adrenergic function in adult and aged rats

Abstract The effect of age and of imipramine treatment on cortical serotonin and β-adrenergic binding sites and on pineal N-acetylserotonin and melatonin were examined in Fischer-344 rats. Cortical serotonin-1 and -2 receptor binding was reduced by 15 and 22.5% respectively, in 24 vs. 6 months old animals. Ten single daily imipramine (10 mg/kg) injections in the aged animals resulted in reductions in both types of serotonin sites, while in adult animals significant binding reduction occurred only at the 5HT 2 site. Cortical β-adrenoceptor binding was also diminished in the aged rats. Imipramine treatment elicited a significantly greater decrease in these adrenergic sites in the aged (39.2%) than in the adult (27.6%) animals. In the pineal gland, N-acetylserotonin and melatonin content were reduced by age; imipramine treatment induced decreases in both indoles in the adult animals and a reduction in N-acetylserotonin in the aged animals. These age-related effects of imipramine on cortical serotonin receptor and β-adrenoceptor binding and on pineal indoles may be a consequence of the higher drug and metabolite (desmethylimipramine) blood and tissue concentrations which were found in the aged animals.
Angiogenesis in cancer, vascular, rheumatoid and other disease

Recent discoveries of endogenous negative regulators of angiogenesis, thrombospondin, angiostatin and glioma-derived angiogenesis inhibitory factor, all associated with neovascularized tumours, suggest a new paradigm of tumorigenesis. It is now helpful to think of the switch to the angiogenic phenotype as a net balance of positive and negative regulators of blood vessel growth. The extent to which the negative regulators are decreased during this switch may dictate whether a primary tumour grows rapidly or slowly and whether metastases grow at all.
Computer processing of SEM images by contour analyses

Abstract Techniques involving the computer processing of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images using a contour approach have been developed. For each picture from one to six different SEM signals are converted from analog to digital form and recorded on magnetic tape for subsequent computer analysis. A program finds and analyzes coordinate arrays representing the reconstructed computer picture. Least squares fitting of the contour arrays to ellipses provides measurements of the aspect ratios and orientations of the picture fields. Line integration techniques produce areas and perimeters. Computer plotting enables both the visual comparison of the reconstructed picture with a photograph of the image on the cathode ray tube of the SEM and an estimate of the accuracy of the ellipse fits.
History of the operational calculus as used in electric circuit analysis

Called one of the most important mathematical advances of the last quarter of the 19th century, operational calculus has become a very useful and powerful tool in modern circuit theory, servo-mechanisms, and transient analysis. This summary survey gives the development and cites the present status of the subject, pointing out the fundamental differences between the more common types of operational calculi currently in use.
Humanistic social work: core principles in practice, by Malcolm Payne

Humanistic social work: core principles in practice, by Malcolm Payne, Chicago, Lyceum Books, 2011, 223 pp., $36.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-93-347830-2 “[Humankind] is a detotalized-totality,” wrot...
LABORATORY SPECTRA OF THE CO2 BENDING-MODE FEATURE IN INTERSTELLAR ICE ANALOGUES SUBJECT TO THERMAL PROCESSING

The infrared absorption features of solid carbon dioxide have been detected by space-based observatories in nearly all lines of sight probing the dense interstellar medium (ISM). It has also been shown that the absorption feature of solid CO2 near 658 cm?1 (15.2 ?m) should be a sensitive indicator of the physical conditions of the ice (e.g., temperature and composition). However, the profile structure of this feature is not well understood, and previous laboratory studies have concentrated on a limited range of temperatures and compositions for comparisons with observed spectra from both the Infrared Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. In the laboratory study described here, the infrared spectra of ices bearing H2O, CH3OH, and CO2 have been measured with systematically varying compositions and temperatures that span the range of the values expected in the ISM. The mid-IR spectra (? = 2.5-25 ?m) were measured for 47 different ice compositions at temperatures ranging from ~5.5 K to evaporation, at 5 K intervals.
Bemerkungen zum Nahwirkungsprinzip in der Qantenphysik

Es wird eine Formulierung des Nahwirkungsprinzips in der Quantenphysik gegeben. Die Beziehung dieses Prinzips zum Problemkreis der Eichinvarianzen und der Statistik der Partikel wird aufgezeigt.
Preserving the humanities in medical education.

Patients are frequently unhappy with medical care because physicians fail to demonstrate humanistic qualities. Immersion in science is a necessary part of medical education but not sufficient. Courses in the history of medicine, the medical narrative in literature, bioethics, medicine and art, and spirituality and medicine will train physicians who will temper technological medicine with a humanistic touch. The rapid growth in biomedical knowledge and the growing demands upon medical students’ time threaten to crowd out time for the humanities. Furthermore, the financing of medical humanities programmes is often tenuous. Medical students must come to understand that much of medical knowledge is a function of time and place, that medicine is a profoundly social enterprise and that the practice of medicine is a value-laden undertaking. The preservation of programmes in the medical humanities will reinforce the social responsibility that should be inherent in medical education.
MATERNAL-FETAL TRANSFER OF CEFAZOLIN

To investigate the maternal-fetal transfer of Cefazolin, (CEZ), a new antibiotic, and its distribution in the fetus, a single 14 mg/kg I.M. dose was administered to 41 gravidas (18-lst trimester, 23-2nd trimester) ¼ to 68½ hours prior to therapeutic abortion and sterilization by hysterectomy. CEZ concentration was assayed microbiologically in maternal serum, myometrium, placenta, fetal tissues (brain, lung, liver and kidney) and fetal fluids (amniotic, CSF, urine and serum). Maternal serum half-life of CEZ was 2.2 hours with a peak serum concentration of 63 ug/ml at To. Half-life and maximum CEZ concentrations were 3.2 hours and 0.16 ug/ml for placenta, 3.9 hours and 7.5 ug/ml for cord blood, and 9.4 hours and 0.8 ug/ml for amniotic fluid. CEZ was not detected in fetal CSF, brain, kidney, lung or liver. CEZ was minimally (< 1 ug/ml) detected in fetal urine from 2 to 12 hours. Only three myometrial samples between ¼ and 1 3/4 hours had minimal CEZ concentrations. There were no differences in CEZ concentrations noted in any tissues or fluids with increasing weeks' gestation. No accumulation of CEZ was demonstrated in the fetus. Fetal serum concentrations were 5 to 10% of the maternal serum and in the MIC range of susceptible organisms.
Embree ray tracing kernels for CPUs and the Xeon Phi architecture

Modern CPUs achieve high computational throughput by implementing increasingly wide SIMD vector units (such as 8-wide AVX or 16-wide SIMD for the Xeon Phi instructions). Achieving optimal performance on these architectures requires leveraging these wide SIMD vector units effectively. We present Embree [Ernst and Woop 2011], an open source ray tracing library developed to show performance-focused graphics programmers how to take full advantage of multiple cores and wide SIMD units in the context of ray tracing. Embree features spatial acceleration structures and traversal algorithms that are optimized for CPUs and the Intel Xeon Phi architecture. In particular, Embree supports hybrid ray packet/single ray traversal algorithms---optimized for both CPUs and Xeon Phi---that are designed to handle both coherent and incoherent workloads efficiently [Benthin et al. 2012]. While a first version of Embree originally focused only on single ray traversal on SSE- or AVX-enabled CPUs, this talk specifically covers the upcoming Embree 2.0 release that explicitly also supports the Xeon Phi architecture, adds support for packet tracing, two level hierarchies, partial scene updates, dynamic content, and virtual intersectors for user defined primitives.
PREPARATION OF PLUTONIUM PHOSPHIDE BY DIRECT COMBINATION OF THE ELEMENTS

Abstract The preparation of plutonium phosphide by reaction of plutonium metal with phosphorus was carried out in a tantalum-lined stainless steel pressure vessel. Constant external pressure was maintained upon the vessel during the heating and cooling cycle by means of spring loading. The reaction product was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and metallographic examination and chemical analysis.
Nash Equilibrium Seeking in Noncooperative Games

We introduce a non-model based approach for locally stable convergence to Nash equilibria in static, noncooperative games with N players. In classical game theory algorithms, each player employs the knowledge of the functional form of his payoff and the knowledge of the other players' actions, whereas in the proposed algorithm, the players need to measure only their own payoff values. This strategy is based on the extremum seeking approach, which has previously been developed for standard optimization problems and employs sinusoidal perturbations to estimate the gradient. We consider static games with quadratic payoff functions before generalizing our results to games with non-quadratic payoff functions that are the output of a dynamic system. Specifically, we consider general nonlinear differential equations with N inputs and N outputs, where in the steady state, the output signals represent the payoff functions of a noncooperative game played by the steady-state values of the input signals. We employ the standard local averaging theory and obtain local convergence results for both quadratic payoffs, where the actual convergence is semi-global, and non-quadratic payoffs, where the potential existence of multiple Nash equilibria precludes semi-global convergence. Our convergence conditions coincide with conditions that arise in model-based Nash equilibrium seeking. However, in our framework the user is not meant to check these conditions because the payoff functions are presumed to be unknown. For non-quadratic payoffs, convergence to a Nash equilibrium is not perfect, but is biased in proportion to the perturbation amplitudes and the higher derivatives of the payoff functions. We quantify the size of these residual biases and confirm their existence numerically in an example noncooperative game. In this example, we present the first application of extremum seeking with projection to ensure that the players' actions remain in a given closed and bounded action set.
Surface and interface roughness in magnetic thin films: a comparison using carbon-nanotube atomic force microscopy and soft-x-ray scattering

Characterization of surface and interfacial morphology of magnetic materials is crucial to understand their properties. While AFM is unparalleled in directly determining surface morphology, x-ray scattering has distinct advantages for measuring both the surface and buried interfaces. However, x-ray scattering (XRS) requires modeling to extract roughness parameters. We review the techniques for performing and modeling XRS and show that the azimuthal transverse scattering geometry offers many advantages to in-plane scattering techniques, including a simplified modeling process and an extended scanning range in reciprocal space. To validate our modeling, the surface morphology of several magnetic thin films (d < 10 nm) is characterized using soft-x-ray scattering and carbon-nanotube tip atomic force microscopy (CNT-AFM). Results for out-of-plane XRS and CNT-AFM are within good quantitative agreement within their shared experimental bandpass.
Sex pheromone receptor specificity in the European corn borer moth, Ostrinia nubilalis.

Background: The European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), exists as two separate sex pheromone races. ECB(Z) females produce a 97:3 blend of Z11- and E11-tetradecenyl acetate whereas ECB(E) females produce an opposite 1:99 ratio of the Z and E isomers. Males of each race respond specifically to their conspecific female’s blend. A closely related species, the Asian corn borer (ACB), O. furnacalis, uses a 3:2 blend of Z12- and E12-tetradecenyl acetate, and is believed to have evolved from an ECB-like ancestor. To further knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of pheromone detection and its evolution among closely related species we identified and characterized sex pheromone receptors from ECB(Z). Methodology: Homology-dependent (degenerate PCR primers designed to conserved amino acid motifs) and homologyindependent (pyrophosphate sequencing of antennal cDNA) approaches were used to identify candidate sex pheromone transcripts. Expression in male and female antennae was assayed by quantitative real-time PCR. Two-electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology was used to functionally characterize candidate receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Conclusion: We characterized five sex pheromone receptors, OnOrs1 and 3–6. Their transcripts were 14–100 times more abundant in male compared to female antennae. OnOr6 was highly selective for Z11-tetradecenyl acetate (EC50=0.8660.27 mM) and was at least three orders of magnitude less responsive to E11-tetradecenyl acetate. Surprisingly, OnOr1, 3 and 5 responded to all four pheromones tested (Z11- and E11-tetradecenyl acetate, and Z12- and E12-tetradecenyl acetate) and to Z9-tetradecenyl acetate, a behavioral antagonist. OnOr1 was selective for E12-tetradecenyl acetate based on an efficacy that was at least 5-fold greater compared to the other four components. This combination of specifically- and broadly-responsive pheromone receptors corresponds to published results of sensory neuron activity in vivo. Receptors broadly-responsive to a class of pheromone components may provide a mechanism for variation in the male moth response that enables population level shifts in pheromone blend use.
Thermoplastic composites from maleic anhydride modified post-consumer plastics

In attempts to identify potential applications for refined commingled postconsumer plastics, a feedstock containing about 80% polyethylene (PE) and lesser amounts of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was modified through functionalization with maleic anhydride in a co-rotating intermeshing twin-screw extruder. The modified and unmodified blends were compounded with various fillers and reinforcements such as glass fibers, mica flakes, talc, and calcium carbonate. Injection molded composites based on the modified matrix had, in general, superior mechanical and thermal properties. These findings are discussed in view of the improved adhesion resulting from reactions and/or enhanced polar interactions at phase boundaries. Several compounds prepared in this work had overall property data comparable to, or approaching those, of equivalent commercial HDPE molding compounds that are commonly used in “durable” applications.
Psychosocial Interventions for Anxiety and Depression in Adult Cancer Patients: Achievements and Challenges†

Psychosocial care is increasingly recognized as an essential component of the comprehensive care of the individual with cancer. Improving patients' access to psychosocial care is important; however, ensuring that the care made available has been shown to be effective is just as important. Accordingly, the goal of this review is to describe an evidence-based approach to the psychosocial care of adults with cancer. The focus is on anxiety and depression because a considerable body of research has examined the impact of psychosocial interventions on these outcomes. After describing the sources, assessment, and prevalence of anxiety and depression in adults with cancer and presenting existing clinical practice guidelines for their management, previous publications that systematically reviewed evidence of the efficacy of psychosocial interventions are summarized. The use of these publications to derive specific recommendations for the use of psychosocial interventions in the management of anxiety and depression is then illustrated. In addition, examples are provided of interventions that are effective against anxiety and depression and have good potential for dissemination in routine clinical practice. The review concludes with a discussion of future directions for the continued development of an evidence-based approach to the psychosocial care of people with cancer.
Relationships between Distribution of Major Milk Proteins and Milk Yield

Abstract Daily yield and composition of casein and serum proteins of milks from Holstein and Jersey cows were studied during two 9-day periods of lactation to determine whether selection for milk yield influences distribution of total protein between casein and serum fractions. Casein number, defined as casein/total protein as percent, was the distribution criterion. Casein number of Holsteins was not associated with daily or mature equivalent yield of milk, estimated real producing ability, or United States Department of Agriculture Cow Index for milk yield. In early lactation, Jerseys had 4.7% more protein as casein than Holsteins. The intralactation repeatability of casein number for Holsteins was .31. Standard deviation of casein number due to cow was 2.3 and was worth $29.60/ 305-day lactation yielding 7483 kg milk.
Optimal disturbance rejection for nonlinear control systems

The problem of optimal disturbance rejection for a general class of multiinput/multioutput (MIMO) nonlinear systems, achieved over a set of stabilizing compensator operators, is formulated in a Banach space setting. Conditions on the operators are imposed on the basis of the inputs as well as the outputs. An existence theorem for optimal solutions is established under some realistic and verifiable conditions. For solving the optimization problem, a generalized recursive nonlinear programming algorithm is passed, and a simple example of nonlinear optimal feedback design is given to show that the problem can be reduced to standard min-max optimization and is hence solvable. >
The N-terminal conserved domain of rubella virus capsid interacts with the C-terminal region of cellular p32 and overexpression of p32 enhances the viral infectivity

Abstract Cellular ‘defense collagens’ are produced to launch virus-specific responses to clear the invading viruses. Cellular p32, the C1q binding protein is one such protein. In this report, we identified the interaction of p32 derived from a human lung diploid cell line (WI-38) with rubella virus capsid (RVCP from Therien strain) N-terminal 28-amino acid domain, which is conserved among several RV strains including the vaccine strains. We further identified that the C-terminal 69 aa of the mature p32 is sufficient to interact with the CP. In addition, we observed that in three independent Vero 76-derived cell lines constitutively overexpressing p32, the RV infectivity was enhanced. Our results suggest that RV has evolved a strategy whereby one of its proteins is recruited to interact with, and exploit the cellular defense machinery to its advantage.
Nuclear data for neutron and proton interactions with 12C in the energy range 0-10 GeV.

Nuclear model codes and nuclear systematics are used to give a first approximation to data for nucleons interacting with a 12 C target over the range 0-10 GeV. Where there are experiments, the trial values are replacea by an eye guide through the measurements. The evaluated data have been placed in computerized form and the available for distribution
Localization of opiate binding sites in kidney and adrenal gland of the rat.

Abstract [ 3 H]ethylketocyclazocine (EKC) and [ 3 H]etorphine bind to an apparent single class of sites in the rat kidney (K d = 7.3 and 5.2 nM; B max = 33.2 and 59.6 fmol/mg protein, respectively). detectable binding was observed for [ 3 H]dihydromorphine and [ 3 H]D-Ala 2 , D-Leu 5 enkephalin. Ligand selectivity pattern strongly suggests that both [ 3 H]EKC and [ 3 H]etorphine label a kappa opiate binding site since (−)bremazocine > EKC > etorphine> naloxone > dynorphin A ⪢ beta-endorphin. In the adrenal gland, [ 3 H]EKC also labels a single class of sites (K d = 20.1 nM; B max = 74.7 fmol/mg protein) while no specific binding was seen with mu and delta ligands. Autoradiographically, [ 3 H]EKC and [ 3 H]etorphine binding sites are highly localized in kidney cortex compared to outer and inner medulla. Rather surprisingly, [ 3 H]EKC binding sites in the adrenal are highly localized in the cortex with only low densities in the medulla. We are currently investigating the possible physiological roles of kappa agonists in kidney and adrenal gland functions.
A 0.013mm 2 5μW DC-coupled neural signal acquisition IC with 0.5V supply

Recent success in brain-machine interfaces has provided hope for patients with spinal-cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, and other debilitating neurological conditions [1], and has boosted interest in electronic recording of cortical signals. State-of-the-art recording solutions [2–5] rely heavily on analog techniques at relatively high supply voltages to perform signal conditioning and filtering, leading to large silicon area and limited programmability. We present a neural interface in 65nm CMOS and operating at a 0.5V supply that obtains performance comparable or superior to state-of-the-art systems in a silicon area over 3× smaller. These results are achieved by using a scalable architecture that avoids on-chip passives and takes advantage of high-density logic. The use of 65nm CMOS eases integration with low-power digital systems, while the low supply voltage makes the design more compatible with wireless powering schemes [6].
Beta decay of 23Mg and 27Si

Abstract The β-decays of 23Mg and 27Si have been studied by observing the delayed γ-radiation. The following branches (and log ft values) have been found for 23 Mg (β + ) 23 Na : 0 keV , 0.914 ± 0.002 (3.67); 440 keV , 0.086 ± 0.002 (4.40); and 2391 keVa (6.9 ± 0.9) × 10 −5 (4.98); and for 27 Si (β + ) 27 Al : 0 keV , 0.9977 ± 0.0002 (3.61); 1014 keV , (4.9 ± 2.4) × 10 −5 (7.3); 2211 keV , (1.80 ± 0.13) × 10 −3 (4.68); 2734 keV , (1.55 ± 0.17) × 10 −4 (5.02); and 2981 keV , (2.59 ± 0.24) × 10 −4 (4.33) . The branches to the 2391 keV level from the 23Mg decay and to the 2734 keV level from the 27Si decay have not been previously reported. A comparison is made between the experimental results and the predictions of the many-particle shell model.
A unified treatment of the weighting problem.

A general procedure is described for obtaining weighted linear combinations of variables. This includes as special cases, multiple regression weights, canonical variate analysis, principal components, maximizing composite reliability, canonical factor analysis, and certain other well-known methods. The general procedure is shown to yield certain desirable invariance properties, with respect to transformations of the variables.
Transport of prion protein across the blood–brain barrier

The cellular form of the prion protein (PrPc) is necessary for the development of prion diseases and is a highly conserved protein that may play a role in neuroprotection. PrPc is found in both blood and cerebrospinal fluid and is likely produced by both peripheral tissues and the central nervous system (CNS). Exchange of PrPc between the brain and peripheral tissues could have important pathophysiologic and therapeutic implications, but it is unknown whether PrPc can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Here, we found that radioactively labeled PrPc crossed the BBB in both the brain-to-blood and blood-to-brain directions. PrPc was enzymatically stable in blood and in brain, was cleared by liver and kidney, and was sequestered by spleen and the cervical lymph nodes. Circulating PrPc entered all regions of the CNS, but uptake by the lumbar and cervical spinal cord, hypothalamus, thalamus, and striatum was particularly high. These results show that PrPc has bidirectional, saturable transport across the BBB and selectively targets some CNS regions. Such transport may play a role in PrPc function and prion replication.
Reduction of prostatic hypertrophy induced by chronic infection: an observational study

Abstract Although chronic prostatitis is a common affliction, infection-induced hypertrophy of the prostate has received little attention. Ten patients with chronic urinary frequency and urgency were assessed for symptoms, pyuria, and prostatic size and tenderness before and after 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment. Pyuria and prostatic tenderness suggested chronic prostatis, and antibiotic therapy improved symptoms, cleared pyuria, and reduced prostatic volume by 30% to 70%. Three patients had serum antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis . Effective antibiotics used in this study included tetracycline, clarithromycin, trimethoprim, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The findings suggest that antibiotic treatment may reduce prostatic hypertrophy induced by chronic infection and that a larger treatment trial with antichlamydial drugs might be warranted for patients with chronic prostatic infections
Limits on integrating motion information across saccades

In two experiments, we investigated whether people could detect changes in the rotary motion of a cube. A rendering of a cube rotating at a constant angular velocity was presented on a video monitor and, at a key point in the trial, a cross was presented to one side of the cube as a cue for a saccade. On some trials, a change in the rotation occurred either about 100 msec before the saccade or during the saccade; on other trials, there was no change. The change consisted of moving the cube to a new position in the “rotation sequence,” after which it continued to rotate at the same angular velocity as before. There was also a control on all trials to ensure that change detection was not due to the detection of low-level motion. Although detection of the change was well above chance when it occurred during the fixation, it was at chance when it occurred during the saccade, except in the case of one participant (who was in both experiments). This chance performance also occurred in Experiment 2 for (1) a slower rotation speed and (2) an axis of rotation that made the rotation planar. The participant who had above chance performance (and as good as that when the change occurred during a fixation) reported using a “strategy” that did not track the path of the cube. It thus appears that there is no natural way in which the visual system tracks this rotary motion, and that detection of change requires some sort of recoding. This finding raises the question of whether good performance in other, apparently similar, motion-detection tasks is a result of similar recoding.
Co-occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: Recommendations for Management and Implementation in the Department of Veterans Affairs

The recently revised Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) offers guidance to treat co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder. The release of the guideline occurred at a time of cultural shifts in recognizing and managing substance use disorders and when major changes were made in the VA to address co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders. The release also coincided with an increasing number of veterans returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who were coming to the VA for PTSD treatment. A key augmentation in mental health staffing has brought many new clinicians to the VA and has made it more feasible to address the two disorders in a coordinated way. In this article the authors describe the recommendations in the revised 2010 PTSD clinical practice guideline to address co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder, review the supporting research evidence behind the recommendation...
Lateral solid mixing measurements in circulating fluidized beds

Abstract A thermal technique has been developed for measurement of solid mixing in fluidized beds. A batch of bed particles is preheated and then injected into the bed. An array of thermistor probes measures the spread of the tracer. A series of experiments has been done in the upper core region of a 7 m tall, 0.20 m diameter test circulating fluidized bed (CFB). The experiments involved one type of particle, having 180 μm diameter and 2350 kg/m 3 density. Models for the spread of tracer particles, transfer of heat from tracer particles to surrounding gas and particles, and for heat transfer to the thermistors were used to make estimates of the radial particle diffusivity in the core region. The diffusivity was on the order of 10 cm 2 /s for the range of velocities and solid concentrations tested. A second set of preliminary solid mixing experiments has been done in the bottom of a 1.8 m tall, 0.16 m square CFB using 55 μm FCC (fluid cracking catalyst) particles. The mixing in this region, although not representative of a strictly diffusional process, appears to be somewhat more vigorous than the core mixing in the upper region of the bed.
CARBOXYL-TERMINAL DOMAIN DIMER INTERFACE MUTANT 434 REPRESSORS HAVE ALTERED DIMERIZATION AND DNA BINDING SPECIFICITIES

Abstract Strong dimerization of the repressor, mediated by the carboxyl (C)-terminal domain, is a prerequisite for forming a specific complex with DNA and cooperative DNA binding to form tetramers. We have generated a computer model of the C-terminal domain of the 434 repressor based on the crystal structure of the homologous UmuD′ protein. This model predicts that residues in the primary sequence between 93 and 168 contribute to the dimer interface. We changed several amino acid residues located in this region. Gel filtration and crosslinking assays were used to characterize the strength and specificity of dimerization of the purified repressor C-terminal domain dimer interface mutants. These results indicate that amino acid residues K121, H139, D161 and N163 contribute to the strength and/or specificity of dimerization. The relative affinity of the bacteriophage 434 repressor for 434 operators is determined, in part, by the repressor’s ability to detect sequence-dependent structural alterations in the non-contacted region at the center of an operator site. We find that the relative ability of C-terminal domain dimer interface mutant repressors to dimerize does not necessarily predict their relative abilities to bind DNA, and that these proteins are deficient in detecting non-contacted base-dependent differences in operator strength. Our results show that the structure of the DNA in complex with these mutant proteins differs from that found in wild-type repressor-operator complexes, even though the sites of these mutations lie in a separate domain from that which contacts the DNA. These observations demonstrate that the structural integrity of the C-terminal domain dimer interface is required to appropriately orient the DNA binding information contained within the DNA-contacting N-terminal domain.
Usefulness of Nutrition Screening of the Elderly

Nutrition assessment is not a component of the routine health screening of the elderly, despite the important role that nutrition plays in the health status of the elderly population. Instruments are available to assess physical, cognitive, emotional, and social functions of the elderly, but each of these focuses on one aspect of health and does not necessarily reflect overall health status. More comprehensive tools are available to detect risk factors; however, they rely heavily on home visits by health professionals and do not include nutrition assessment. Before 1989, measures that included a nutrition component were indices to predict post-surgical outcomes of hospitalized patients and were not aimed at screening community-living people. The Nutrition Screening Initiative was formed as a multidisciplinary effort to promote nutrition screening and awareness and to incorporate nutrition into the healthcare system. The tools developed by the Nutrition Screening Initiative for use by the lay public and by health professionals include: the Determine Your Nutritional Health Checklist, which is an awareness and educational tool that can be self-administered; a Level I Screen, which is a basic nutrition screen designed for use by social service and health professionals; and a Level II Screen, which provides more specific diagnostic information on nutrition status and is administered by health and medical professionals. Manuals were developed to assist the incorporation of screening tools into medical practice, health maintenance organizations, and home care agencies. Nutrition assessment and intervention are worthwhile endeavors that may add years of independent living and decrease medical expenditure for the elderly.
Betaine aldehyde, betaine, and choline levels in rat livers during ethanol metabolism

Betaine aldehyde levels were determined in rat livers following 4 weeks of ethanol feeding, employing the Lieber-De Carli liquid diet. The results showed that the levels of betaine aldehyde are unaffected by alcohol feeding to rats. These levels in both experimental and control animals were found to be quite low, 5.5 nmol/g liver. Betaine aldehyde levels have not been determined previously in mammalian liver because of methodological difficulties. This investigation employed fast atom bombardment-mass spectroscopy to determine the levels of betaine aldehyde, betaine, and choline. The decrease in betaine levels following ethanol administration confirmed the results of other investigators. Choline levels determined during this investigation were lower than previously reported. The reason for starting this investigation was the fact that the enzyme that catalyzes betaine aldehyde dehydrogenation to betaine, which is distributed in both mitochondria and the cytoplasm, was found to also metabolize acetaldehyde with K(m) and V(max) values lower than those for betaine aldehyde. Thus, it appeared likely that the metabolism of acetaldehyde during ethanol metabolism might inhibit betaine aldehyde conversion to betaine and thereby result in decreased betaine levels (Barak et al., Alcohol 13: 395-398, 1996). The fact that betaine aldehyde levels in alcohol-fed animals were similar to those in controls demonstrates that competition between acetaldehyde and betaine aldehyde for the same enzyme does not occur. This complete lack of competition suggests that betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase in the mitochondrial matrix may totally metabolize betaine aldehyde to betaine without any involvement of cytoplasmic betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase.
The role of imperatives in psychopathology: a reply to Ellis

In his recent formulations of rational emotive therapy (RET), Ellis (1985) has increasingly emphasized what he believes to be the central role of necessitous thinking or “musturbation” in the development of depression. In his most recent article (Ellis, 1987), he suggests that necessitous thinking is the primary cognitive component of depression and that RET stands alone in its recognition of the role of this cognitive element. The present study addressed three issues raised by Ellis's paper: (1) Clarify whether necessitous thinking has been neglected by other cognitive theorists, (2) test empirically the role of necessitou thinking in depression relative to other established cognitive constructs, e.g., the cognitive triad (Beck, 1967), and (3) determine whether necessitous thinking is particularly salient in depression as compared with other forms of psychopathology. It was predicted that necessitous thinking would be found in other forms of psychology in addition to depression, and this was confirmed. The results are discussed as highlighting the importance of empirically testing theoretical predictions.