cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Dynamics Study of Cobalt(III) Hexammine Counter-Ion Distributions around B-DNA and A-RNA Duplexes

Multivalent ions are known to induce strong attractive forces between DNA strands resulting in DNA condensation. At the same time, short double-stranded (ds) RNA helices resist condensation by trivalent Cobalt hexammine (Cohex) in the DNA condensing ionic conditions. To explore the factors that could lead to this difference in condensation, we have carried out a set of explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations of 25 base pairs canonical B-DNA and A-RNA duplexes under different salt conditions. Several mixtures of monovalent (Na, Cl) and trivalent (Cohex) ions are considered. The results of simulation show that Co-hex ions effectively displace monovalent Na ions from the major groove of dsRNA binding to the RNA phosphate oxygens. The ions are buried within the major groove with a distribution peak at 7.3 Angstrom from the helix axis. their density rapidly decreases and becomes negligible at 11 A from the axis. In contrast to that, the distribution of Cohex around B-DNA is shifted outside the helix with a peak at 13.3 A from the helix axis. The ions prefer to bind to the phosphate groups on the outer surface of B-DNA. The observed difference in Cohex distributions around B-DNA and A-RNA is in agreement with the proposed explanation of the resistance of RNA to condensation due to a difference in Cohex binding to DNA and RNA (L.Li et al., PRL 106, 108101 (2011)).
Cooperative research and development: who participates and in which industries do projects take place?

Abstract This article identifies the characteristics of industry categories to which cooperative RD firms in RD and, projects tend to be formed in industries which have a strong vertical relationship with the participants. There is evidence that these government-sponsored cooperative R&D projects tend to occur in industries with a large minimum efficient scale in R&D in the 1970s, though this tendency is much weaker or non-existent in other decades. There is no evidence that projects tend to occur in industries which have appropriability problems. On the contrary, there is evidence in the 1970s that projects were formed in industries with strong appropriability conditions.
Induced Losses in Steel Plates in the Presence of an Alternating Current

The presence of current-carrying conductors near conducting surfaces induces eddy-current flow in the conducting surfaces and causes resistive and reactive losses to be reflected to the source of supply. In the heavy current field such losses appear in bus-bar installations, rotating equipment, transformers, and other electrical equipment. In large power transformers in which the low-voltage connections may carry 6,000 amperes rms or more, the resulting magnetic field intensity is 220 oersteds or more at a distance of 3 inches. Test data are presented for two conditions: 1. a single lead parallel to a conducting magnetically permeable surface of typical steel transformer tank plate material and 2. a single lead parallel to the same surface covered with 1/4-inch-thick aluminum plate. A unique test fixture design is descibed with which data have been obtained to establish a correlation between current, conductor-to-plate spacing, and loss. It is shown that loss is not a function of current squared when considering steel alone, but is a function of current to a power less than two, with the power a function of conductor-to-plate spacing. Test data are compared with values calculated from a previous paper relating current in a current filament to induced loss in a semi-infinite solid.1 Electrical and magnetic characteristics are presented for the steel-plate and aluminum-shielding material used in the tests.
Nuclear weapons and theVietnam War

Abstract This article analyzes why US leaders did not use nuclear weapons during the Vietnam War. To date, there has been no systematic study of US decision-making on nuclear weapons during this war. This article offers an initial analysis, focusing on the Johnson and Nixon administrations. Although US leaders did not come close to using nuclear weapons in the conflict, nuclear options received more attention than has previously been appreciated. Johnson's advisers raised the issue of nuclear weapons and threats on several occasions, and Henry Kissinger, Nixon's national security adviser, looked into nuclear options to bring the war to an end. Ultimately, however, both administrations privately rejected such options. The conventional explanation for the non-use of nuclear weapons during the Cold War – deterrence – is insufficient to explain the Vietnam case. This article analyzes the role of military, political and normative considerations in restraining US use of nuclear weapons in the Vietnam War. It ar...
Reproduction in captive Taiwan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) in comparison to other common macaque species

Twenty-five years of reproductive and birth data from a Macaca cyclopis colony at the New England Regional Primate Research Center (NERPRC) indicate that these animals are seasonal breeders with a birth peak between February and May. Interbirth intervals have a mean of 587.5 ± 45.6 days. The age at first reproduction for females is 5.08 ±.357 years and for males 5.01 ± .94. The normal menstrual cycle length ranges from 24–31 (mean 27.9 ± .506) days, with “offseason” long cycles ranging from 43–69 days. For 10 females studied prospectively, the sex skin color cycle ranged from 23–34 days and exhibited no long cycles. The peak estradiol value was 1.35 nmol/L on day 11 (range 10–12) of the menstrual cycle. Estradiol values ranged from 0.7–2.0 nmol/L. The peak progesterone value was 23 nmol/L on day 21 (17–23). Progesterone levels ranged from 10–42 nmol/L. The observed lower fecundability of M. cylopis in a timed mating program is consistent with later ages at first reproduction and longer interbirth compared to the other species in breeding colonies at NERPRC. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bioelectrochemical Systems, Energy Production and Electrosynthesis

“The submitted manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes”.
Oxygen Consumption of individual Pupae during Metamorphosis.

The rates of oxygen consumption of single pupae of blowflies (Phormia terraenovae, Phormia regina, Lucilia sericata), of the flesh fly (Sarcophaga sarracenioides Aldrich), of the Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella), and of the bee moth (Galleria mellonella) during metamorphosis, until emergence, have been determined. The record for each pupa, with the exception of those of blowflies, is practically continuous day and night during the period of pupal development which lasted from 140 to 300 hours, according to the species, at the temperatures used. During pupal development there is first a period of decrease in rate, which is later followed by a steady increase until a short time before emergence, when a sudden decrease occurs. The ‘oxygen curves’ of the blowfly pupae (Diptera) are quite different from those of the flour-moth and bee-moth pupae (Lepidoptera), although all are of the same general U-shaped type. There are strong indications of a specific difference in the curves of the blow-fly pupae. The flour-moth pupae curves differ slightly from those of the bee-moth pupae. During the major part of development the rates of O2 consumption of pupae of both sexes of bee moth and flour moth are about the same, but near the end of metamorphosis the females have higher rates than the males. No such sex difference appears among the dipterous pupae used.
Slow Sodium Channel Inactivation in CA1 Pyramidal Cells

odium channels in many types of excitable tissue often become less likely to open after long depolarizations or repetitive stimuli. This phenomenon has been named slow inactivation, and is distinct from the more common form of fast inactivation (first described by Hodgkin and Huxley) by its slower onset and slower time course of recovery. While the physiological importance and molecular mechanisms underlying this form of inactivation are unknown, it appears to be an important, general feature of most types of sodium channels that have been studied. We and others have previously shown that sodium channels in the somata and dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons undergo a cumulative form of slow inactivation. This type of inactivation is partly responsible for the activity-dependent attenuation of action potentials as they propagate from the axon back into the dendrites of these neurons, and may also influence dendritic spike generation. Gaining a more complete biophysical understanding of sodium channel function thus will give us more detailed insight into the activity dependence of dendritic excitability. It is also important to determine the relationship of the inactivation we have observed to that described by others. To study this inactivation in vitro, hippocampal slices were prepared from 4–10-weekold Wistar rats as previously described. Slices were bathed in a solution containing (in mM): 125 NaCl, 2.5 KCl, 25 NaHCO3, 1.25 NaH2PO4, 1 MgCl2, 2 CaCl2, 25 dextrose, which was maintained at 35–37 °C and bubbled with a 95% O2–5% CO2 gas mixture to oxygenate and maintain a pH of 7.4. Neurons were visualized with infrared differential interference contrast microscopy. Glass electrodes were coated with Sylgard, fire polished, and filled with a solution containing (in mM): 120 NaCl, 3 KCl, 10 HEPES, 2 CaCl2, 1 MgCl2, 30 tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA), 5 4-aminopyridine, pH 7.4 with NaOH. Cell-attached patch recordings were made on dendrites and somata of CA1 pyramidal neurons. Voltage-clamp recordings were made using a Dagan PC-ONE patch-clamp amplifier. Leak and capacitive currents were subtracted on-line by P/(-4) subtraction. We focused our investigation on dendritic sodium channels, which undergo more slow inactivation than somatic sodium channels in CA1 neurons. While characterizing the biophysical parameters of these channels, we found that the recovery time course from either a short or a long prepulse was nearly equal (τrecov = 1.2 vs. 1.3 s, respectively). These results suggest that the “prolonged” inactivation of these sodium channels induced by short pulses and slow inactivation induced by longer pulses (as described by others) may be the same state. In order to examine this issue more directly, we performed the experiments shown in FIGURE 1. We reasoned that a long depolarizing prepulse should induce slow inactivation of
Histocompatibility antigens in affective disorders

Abstract Primary affective (manic depressive) illness has hereditary factors which have yet to be clarified. The histocompatibility antigens (HLA) of 50 patients were determined by a standard lymphocyte cytotoxicity test. HLA13 was present in 12% of affective disorder patients contrasted to 2.4% of controls, HLA5 was present in 24% of patients compared to 12% in controls, HLA12 was present in 10% of patients and 24% of controls, and HLAW5 was found in 34% of patients versus 22.8% of controls. The frequency distribution in the affective disorder population of 24 other HLA antigens did not show any significant difference from controls. The findings of altered frequency of three HLA antigens and a marginal altered frequency of a fourth HLA antigen in this population may suggest the possibility that primary affective disorders have an association with the major histocompatibility complex.
Development of a dynamic control communication system for hybrid power systems

Hybrid power systems are the most attractive option for the electrification of remote locations. There are problems however that keep them from being widely implemented. These include high cost because of system complexity, site-specific design requirements and the lack of available control system flexibility. The solution to these problems is the creation of an appropriate and adaptable supervisory controller. Such a concept includes open standards, automatic component identification and an adaptable control algorithm. It assumes (1) hybrid power system components with communication ports allowing communication with a supervisory controller, (2) a central supervisory controller and (3) a communication network between each component in the system. A Universal Plug and Play specification is used to carry out the necessary functions of automatic component identification and inter-component communication. An experimental system (hardware and software) was constructed to prove the concept and to prepare a foundation for further development in the intelligent adaptable supervisory controller. The hardware involved two personal computers at its core: one containing the supervisory control and identification software and the other containing models of various system components. Tests were conducted that confirm the capability of this concept to use in hybrid power system.
Suboxic to anoxic diagenesis of platform-marginal ooids and bladed-to-fibrous calcite from the Middle Ordovician Ottosee Formation (east Tennessee)

The oolite member of the Ottosee Formation (early Caradoc) has bladed-to-fibrous calcite cement that formed under oxygen-depleted conditions atypical of most abiotic marine precipitates. The sequence of early diagenetic events was as follows: (1) ooid formation, (2) precipitation of rare turbid marine cement, (3) minor dissolution of ooids and initial marine cement, (4) precipitation of translucent bladed-to-fibrous calcite, and (5) stabilization of metastable components, such as ooids and turbid marine cements. Ooids and turbid marine cements precipitated from oxic fluids. Minor dissolution of ooids and turbid marine cements was associated with aerobic degradation of organic material, which decreased alkalinity through generation of CO 2 . Translucent bladed-to-fibrous calcite precipitated from suboxic to anoxic marine fluids that were modified by bacterially mediated Mn 4+ , Fe 3+ , and SO 4 2− reduction. Translucent bladed-to-fibrous cement was originally low-magnesian calcite and has δ 13 C and δ 18 O values near other Caradoc marine values. Conversely, ooids and turbid marine calcite had a metastable magnesian calcite mineralogy. These components were dramatically altered by stabilization as reflected by negative δ 13 C and δ 18 O ooid values. Mineralogical stabilization of ooids and turbid marine cements mainly postdated bladed-to-fibrous calcite formation, but some stabilization preceded bladed-to-fibrous calcite cementation. Additionally, this study documents locally variable cathodoluminescence zonation patterns, which are at variance with the cement stratigraphy paradigm of regionally correlatable CL zones.
Transporter-independent processing of HIV-1 envelope protein for recognition by CD8+ T cells.

CDS+ cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) identify virally infected cells by recognizing processed viral antigen in association with class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules on infected cells1–4. Processing begins in the cytosol5–7 with the generation of peptides, possibly by a protease complex with MHC-encoded subunits, known as the proteasome8–11. Transport of the resulting cytosolic peptides into the endoplasmic reticulum for association with class I molecules is essential and probably involves a heterodimer of the MHC-encoded proteins, Tap-1 and Tap-212–17. The site of processing of viral envelope proteins is uncertain. These proteins are not present in the cytosol because of cotranslational translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum. We show here that the HIV-1 envelope (env) protein is processed in infected cells by a novel Tap-l/Tap-2-independent pathway that seems to be localized to the endoplasmic reticulum.
Using spatial information about recurrence risk for robust optimization of dose-painting prescription functions.

Purpose: To develop a robust method for deriving dose-painting prescription functions using spatial information about the risk for disease recurrence. Methods: Spatial distributions of radiobiological model parameters are derived from distributions of recurrence risk after uniform irradiation. These model parameters are then used to derive optimal dose-painting prescription functions given a constant mean biologically effective dose. Results: An estimate for the optimal dose distribution can be derived based on spatial information about recurrence risk. Dose painting based on imaging markers that are moderately or poorly correlated with recurrence risk are predicted to potentially result in inferior disease control when compared the same mean biologically effective dose delivered uniformly. A robust optimization approach may partially mitigate this issue. Conclusions: The methods described here can be used to derive an estimate for a robust, patient-specific prescription function for use in dose painting. Two approximate scaling relationships were observed: First, the optimal choice for the maximum dose differential when using either a linear or two-compartment prescription function is proportional to R, where R is the Pearson correlation coefficient between a given imaging marker and recurrence risk after uniform irradiation. Second, the predicted maximum possible gain in tumor control probability for any robust optimization technique is nearly proportional to the square of R.
Intergradation of two different venom populations of the Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus) in Arizona.

J. L. Glenn and R. C. Straight. Intergradation of two different venom populations of the Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus) in Arizona. Toxicon27, 411–418, 1989.—Two distinct venom populations of Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus exist in Arizona. The venom of one population (venom A) contains the toxin ‘Mojave toxin’ and is lacking in hemorrhagic and specific proteolytic activities. The other population (venom B) does not contain Mojave toxin but does produce hemorrhagic and proteolytic activities. The venoms of 15 Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus from regions between the venom A and venom B populations in Arizona were examined for the presence of Mojave toxin by immunochemical assay, lethality by mouse i.p. ld50, proteolytic activity and hemorrhagic activity in mice. Venom protein constituents were analyzed using reverse-phase HPLC. Seven venoms contained both the Mojave toxin of venom A and the proteolytic and hemorrhagic activities of venom B. The i.p. ld50 values of the A+B venoms were 0.4–2.6 mg/kg, compared to 0.2–0.5 mg/kg for venom A individuals and 2.1–5.3 mg/kg for the venom B individuals. HPLC illustrated that the A+B venoms exhibited a combined protein profile of venom A and venom B. These data indicate that an intergrade zone exists between the two venom types which arcs around the western and southern regions of the venom B population. Within these regions, three major venom types can occur in Crotalus s. scutulatus.
Influence of the method of fly ash incorporation on the sulfate resistance of fly ash concrete

Abstract The resistance of Portland cement concrete to sulfate attack is affected by the incorporation of fly ash. The effects of fly ash are variable and are dependent on the physical and compositional characteristics of the fly ash. Both ASTM Type I and Type II cements have been partially replaced by both ASTM Class F and Class C fly ashes. Fourteen fly ashes have been used at cement replacement levels of 25 and 35 vol.%. Fly ashes have been added as mineral admixtures at the concrete mixing stage and have been interground with cement clinker and gypsum as in the production of blended cements. Cylindrical concrete specimens immersed in 10% sodium sulfate solution have been monitored for length and mass change for over 500 days to compare their susceptibilities to sulfate-induced damage. This paper investigates the effects of the method of fly ash incorporation on concrete sulfate resistance, including the dependencies of these effects on fly ash and cement types. In particular, mixtures containing Type I cement partially replaced by fly ash are compared with mixtures containing Type II cement alone.
Heterotransplantation of Human Craniopharyngiomas in Athymic “Nude” Mice

Surgical biopsies from 2 human craniopharyngiomas were transplanted subcutaneously into 6 athymic "nude" mice. Morphologically characteristic craniopharyngiomas grew in 5 of these animals. In 4 animals growth was sufficient to allow transplantation into a second generation of animals. In all, 11 craniopharyngiomas were present at autopsy in the 14 animals into which the tumors had been transplanted. The tumors that grew in the animals had the same adamantinomatous architecture, epithelial nests, and keratinized nodules that were present in the original surgical sample and that are characteristic of human craniopharyngiomas. It may be possible to study growth characteristics and therapeutic sensitivities of human craniopharygniomas growing in "nude" mice.
Radium and Fission Product Radioactivity in Thermal Waters

INVESTIGATIONS of the radioactivity of spring waters in Hot Springs National Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas, have been published by Boltwood1, Schlundt2, and Kuroda et al.3. Particular attention was paid to the radon content, which fluctuated considerably from day to day and from season to season. In such waters fission products might be detected, coming from fallout and from fission of uranium ores.
The EYA-SO/SIX complex in development and disease

Eyes absent (EYA) and Sine oculis (SO/SIX) proteins function as transcriptional activation complexes and play essential roles in organogenesis during embryonic development in regulating cell proliferation and survival and coordination of particular differentiation programs. Mutations of the Eya and So/Six genes cause profound developmental defects in organisms as diverse as flies, frogs, fish, mice, and humans. EYA proteins also possess an intrinsic phosphatase activity, which is essential for normal development. Here, we review crucial roles of EYA and SO/SIX in development and disease in mice and humans.
The 2010 Revised Merger Guidelines and Modern Industrial Economics

The new Horizontal Merger Guidelines provide greater transparency into how the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission staffs review horizontal mergers than did the guidelines they replaced. While they reflect some advances in economic techniques for predicting the competitive consequences of mergers (most notabley the Upward Pricing Pressure test), greater attention to costs and efficiencies could further improve merger review.
A general model of heterogeneous system lifetimes and conditions for system burn‐in

Burn-in is a technique to enhance reliability by eliminating weak items from a population of items having heterogeneous lifetimes. System burn-in can improve system reliability, but the conditions for system burn-in to be performed after component burn-in remain a little understood mathematical challenge. To derive such conditions, we first introduce a general model of heterogeneous system lifetimes, in which the component burn-in information and assembly problems are related to the prediction of system burn-in. Many existing system burn-in models become special cases and two important results are identified. First, heterogeneous system lifetimes can be understood naturally as a consequence of heterogeneous component lifetimes and heterogeneous assembly quality. Second, system burn-in is effective if assembly quality variation in the components and connections which are arranged in series is greater than a threshold, where the threshold depends on the system structure and component failure rates. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 50: 364–380, 2003.
Cell fate mediators Notch and Twist in mouse mandibular condylar cartilage.

Objective The objectives of this study were to examine if Twist and Notch 1 are present in the mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) and whether their gene expression can be altered by exogenous FGF-2 and TGF-β2.
Influence of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Neural and Craving Responses to Appetitive Smoking Cues in Naturally Cycling Females

INTRODUCTION Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used extensively in an attempt to understand brain vulnerabilities that mediate maladaptive responses to drug cues. Using perfusion fMRI, we have consistently shown reward-related activation (medial orbitofrontal cortex/ventral striatum) to smoking cues (SCs). Because preclinical and clinical studies generally show that progesterone may reduce reward and craving, we hypothesized that females in the follicular phase of the cycle (FPs; when progesterone levels are low) would have greater reward-related neural responses to SCs compared with females in the luteal phase (LPs). METHODS Sated cigarette-dependent premenopausal naturally cycling females underwent pseudo-continuous arterial spin-labeled perfusion fMRI during exposure to 10-min audio visual clips of appetitive SCs and non-SCs. Brain responses to SCs relative to non-SCs were examined among females grouped according to menstrual cycle (MC) phase at the time of scanning (22 FPs, 15 LPs). Craving scores were acquired pre- and post-SC exposure. RESULTS FPs showed increased neural responses to SCs compared with non-SCs in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (p ≤ .05 corrected), whereas LPs did not. FPs reported SC-elicited craving (p ≤ .005), whereas LPs did not. Within FPs, SC-induced craving correlated with increased neural responses in the anterior insula (r = 0.73, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS FPs may be more vulnerable to relapse during appetitive SC exposure than LPs. Because the influence of MC phase on drug cue neural activity has not been examined, these results contribute to our knowledge of the neurobiological underpinnings of responses to drug cues, and they highlight the importance of monitoring menstrual cycle phase in all areas of addiction research.
AUDITORY SENSITIVITY AND EQUAL LOUDNESS IN THE SQUIRREL MONKEY (SAIMIRI SCIUREUS)1

The effects of the type of reinforcer on auditory sensitivity and equal-loudness data were determined in the squirrel monkey. The monkeys, restrained and provided with earphones, were conditioned to depress and hold a bar down in the presence of a stimulus light and then to terminate the holding response after onset of a tone. In Experiment 1, the specified behavior sequence postponed electric shock; in Experiment 2, a food reinforcer was dependent on bar release during the tone. The shape of the auditory sensitivity function and the acuity level at each frequency were the same for the two procedures. The audible frequency range extended from below 0.125 kHz (lowest frequency used) to 46 kHz. Sensitivity was maximum at 8 kHz. Latency of bar release following tone onset served as the basic data for constructing a family of equal-loudness contours. The type of reinforcer appeared not to be a determinant of either the shape of individual loudness contours or the pattern of family of equal-loudness functions. At the lower sound-pressure levels, the equal-loudness contours closely paralleled the threshold curves. At more-intense levels, the contours tended to flatten and depend less on frequency.
Comparison of spontaneous and adaptive mutation spectra in yeast

Adaptive mutations occur in nongrowing populations of cells to overcome strong, nonlethal selection conditions. Several models have been proposed for the molecular mechanism(s) for this phenomenon inEscherichia coli, but the mechanisms involved in adaptive mutagenesis in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae are largely unknown. We present here a comparison of the mutational spectra of spontaneous and adaptive frameshift reversion events in yeast. In contrast to results fromE. coli, we find that the mutational spectrum of adaptive mutations inS. cerevisiae is not similar to that seen in mismatch repair defective cells, but rather resembles the spontaneous mutational events that occur during normal growth.
Molecular Evolution and Nucleotide Sequences of the Maize Plastid Genes for the α Subunit of CF1 (atpA) and the Proteolipid Subunit of CF0 (atpH)

ABSTRACT The nucleotide sequences of the maize plastid genes for the α subunit of CF 1 ( atpA ) and the proteolipid subunit of CF 0 ( atpH ) are presented. The evolution of these genes among higher plants is characterized by a transition mutation bias of about 2:1 and by rates of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution which are much lower than similar rates for genes from other sources. This is consistent with the notion that the plastid genome is evolving conservatively in primary sequence. Yet, the mode and tempo of sequence evolution of these and other plastid-encoded coupling factor genes are not the same. In particular, higher rates of nonsynonymous substitution in atpE (the gene for the ∊ subunit of CF 1 ) and higher rates of synonymous substitution in atpH in the dicot vs. monocot lineages of higher plants indicate that these sequences are likely subject to different evolutionary constraints in these two lineages. The 5′- and 3′ transcribed flanking regions of atpA and atpH from maize, wheat and tobacco are conserved in size, but contain few putative regulatory elements which are conserved either in their spatial arrangement or sequence complexity. However, these regions likely contain variable numbers of "species-specific" regulatory elements. The present studies thus suggest that the plastid genome is not a passive participant in an evolutionary process governed by a more rapidly changing, readily adaptive, nuclear compartment, but that novel strategies for the coordinate expression of genes in the plastid genome may arise through rapid evolution of the flanking sequences of these genes.
Equivalence of the single- and double-integral formulations of the searchlight problem

Abstract The equivalence of two integral equations associated with the solution of the searchlight problem in a half-space is shown by application of contour integration.
Grain fever syndrome induced by inhalation of airborne grain dust

To study the clinical and physiologic manifestations of the grain fever syndrome and the potentially pathogenic role of complement activation, 12 subjects (six grain workers and six healthy non-grain workers) underwent inhalation provocations with airborne grain dust. The clinical response was characterized by facial warmth, headache, malaise, myalgias, feverish sensation, chilliness, throat and tracheal burning sensation, chest tightness, dyspnea, cough, and expectoration. Fever developed in four grain workers and two controls. Leukocytosis, ranging between 11,700 and 24,300 leukocytes/mm3 with left shift, developed in five grain workers and five controls. There was no evidence of complement activation by the classical or alternate pathway. None of the subjects had serum precipitins to grain dust. The pulmonary response was characterized by a decrease in FEV1, FVC, MMF, Vmax50, and Vmax75, with significant rise in pulmonary resistance and consistent change in dynamic compliance but without changes in static compliance or diffusing capacity. Hence, grain dust inhalation induced diffuse airways obstruction without detectable parenchymal reaction. The airways response to high concentrations of grain dust inhalation were unrelated to the presence of immediate skin hypersensitivity. Although we cannot exclude the etiopathogenetic role of an immunologic reaction to grain dust, our data do not support the hypothesis that the grain fever syndrome is a precipitin-mediated allergic pneumonitis. More likely, the manifestations of grain fever probably reflect the host reaction to grain dust bacterial endotoxins and/or nonallergic mediator release by grain or grain dust constituents.
Convolutions of K/(1 + Χ n )

Consider the probability density functions (pdfs) @? (@g) = K/(1 + @g^n for @g > 0 and n2. Pdfs of this form arise in many areas of mathematical statistics and probability theory. In this note, we derive explicit algebraic expressions for the convolutions of this pdf for n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. We believe that these results will be useful to theoreticians in many areas of mathematical statistics and probability theory.
Isolation and morphology of helically sculptured, rosette-forming, freshwater bacteria resemblingSeliberia

Nine independently isolated bacterial strians of helically sculptured rods were obtained from dilute peptone enrichments of freshwater sources. Enrichment and isolation procedures exploited the oligotrophic character of these bacteria. They exhibited tenacious adhesiveness, asymmetric fission or budding (which was dependent on the cultural conditions), and a polar or subpolar flagellum in their motile stage. Their adhesiveness was mediated by an excreted holdfast at one pole; stellate aggregation (rosette formation) was commonly observed. Motile daughter cells were generated from the apical end of the rod, opposite the adhesive or attached pole. Their fine pili (4 nm diameter) did not seem to be involved in aggregation. Growth on media containing ulmic acid stimulated production of spherical or oval cell-like bodies. These aquatic isolates resemble the soil bacteriumSeliberia stellata in many of their morphological features.
Wyner-Ziv Video Coding using LDPC Codes

Wyner-Ziv video coding aims to design encoders based on the Slepian-Wolf and Wyner-Ziv distributed source coding theorems. In this coding scenario, source statistics are exploited at the decoder so that it is feasible to design simplified encoders. The shift of the computational complexity from the encoder to the decoder is suitable for emerging mobile multimedia applications. Many channel coding techniques are used for the construction of distributed video coding systems. In this paper we present a Wyner-Ziv video coding design using low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. We also present a refined side estimator to further improve the decoded video quality. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the rate-distortion performance of the method.
Local linear smoothing of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves

For measuring the accuracy of a continuous diagnostic test, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is often used. The empirical ROC curve is the most commonly used non-parametric estimator for the ROC curve. Recently, Lloyd (J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 93(1998) 1356) proposed a kernel smoothing estimator for the ROC curve and showed his estimator has better mean square error than the empirical ROC curve estimator. However, Lloyd's estimator involves two bandwidths and has a boundary problem. In addition, his choice of bandwidths is ad hoc. In this paper we propose another kernel smoothing estimator which involves only one bandwidth and does not have the boundary problem. Furthermore, our choice of the bandwidth is asymptotically optimal.
A zinc thiolate species which mimics aspects of the chemistry of the Ada repair protein and matrix metalloproteinases: the synthesis, structure and reactivity of the tris(2-mercapto-1-phenylimidazolyl)hydroborato complex [TmPh]ZnSPh

The tris(2-mercapto-1-phenylimidazolyl)hydroborato ligand, [TmPh], has been used to prepare the zinc phenylthiolate derivative, [TmPh]ZnSPh, which provides a good structural model for zinc enzymes that possess [Zn(Cys)4] motifs; furthermore, the reactivity of the thiolate linkage in [TmPh]ZnSPh mimics the chemistry of the Ada protein and the activation mechanism of matrix metalloproteinases.
Measurement of glucose and lipid metabolism in avian liver explants

1. A mechanical tissue chopper was used to obtain 35-75 mg explants from 21- to 28-day-old chick liver to determine assay conditions (substrates, buffers, time), regulators (metals and hormones) and points of endogenous regulation of de novo lipogenesis (ATPase, reductive potential and protein phosphorylation). High- and low-bicarbonate-based buffers (Earl's balance salts, EBSS and Hanks' balanced salts, HBSS; respectively) were used in conjunction with sources and types of bovine serum albumin (BSA), divalent cations (Mg2+ or Ca2+), substrate (glucose or acetate) and hormones (insulin and catecholamines). 2. Neither EBSS nor HBSS changed in vitro lipogenesis, CO2 or glucose production when 20 mM HEPES was added to these salts. 3. Neither the presence nor the source of BSA (Sigma or Armour) affected metabolism. In contrast, reducing the vessel reaction surface area (5.1 vs 10.5 cm2) decreased metabolic rates. 4. Acetate was more readily utilized than glucose as an in vitro fatty acid precursor. Use of glucose was complicated by production of glucose from endogenous precursors and by label recycling. Divalent cations (Mg2+ or Ca2+) had little affect upon lipogenesis. 5. Chicken insulin (50 ng/ml) did not affect lipogenesis; however, incorporation of acetate into fatty acids was decreased by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. A catecholamine-induced decrease in vitro lipogenesis indicates that major points of regulation are under control of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation steps.
Spontaneous waves in the dentate gyrus of slices from the ventral hippocampus.

Spontaneous negative-going potentials occurring at an average frequency of 0.7 Hz were recorded from the dentate gyrus of slices prepared from the temporal hippocampus of young adult rats. These ev...
Four countries' experiences of universal health coverage implementation: lessons for the future

Abstract Background The WHO defines universal health coverage (UHC) as access for all people to the health services they need (prevention, promotion, treatment, and rehabilitation) without financial hardship. But UHC implementation is a daunting undertaking for many countries. To commit to UHC, countries and their leaders must address questions such as: can the country afford it? What services should be provided and who should have access to them? Who should be responsible for managing insurance? And how can providers project demand and ensure adequate supply of services? Health ministers, who often serve only short terms, must address these questions about UHC, while also managing policy and services for many other health issues. We undertook case studies of four countries' experiences in implementing UHC—Thailand, Ghana, Vietnam, and Rwanda to help inform health ministers from countries still working towards the goal of UHC. Methods We used published information and conducted interviews with leaders from Thailand, Ghana, Vietnam, and Rwanda. We asked questions about how UHC was funded (including the package of services and population covered, with attention to the values informing these choices); the political process accompanying implementation; the sustainability of the programme; and the outcomes achieved so far in terms of measurable health benefits. We compiled each country's experience in case studies and exhibits. Findings Teaching cases were used for a Ministerial Leadership in Health forum held at the Harvard School of Public Health and will be published as part of an open-access case collection in global health delivery. Although each country offers a unique experience and approach, there were some responses common to all countries, the most important of which was the generation of political will and accountability. Other key tactics in the successful implementation of UHC were provision of incentives for expansion of care for the most vulnerable, and adaptation and monitoring of the programme over time. Interpretation Teaching cases that document country experiences of UHC implementation and approaches to other complex health issues will contribute to an understanding of how we can improve health care for populations around the world. Funding This research received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health.
Composition of Gum Tumentines of Pines. XIII. A Report on Pinus albicauclis

The oleoresin of P. albicaulis contains 31 per cent volatile oil and 69 per cent rosin. By fractional distillation, the gum turpentine was found to contain approximately 32 per cent Δ3-carene, 3 per cent a-terpinyl acetate, 10 per cent cadinene, 42 per cent albicaulene, 0.2 per cent albicaulol, 2.5 per cent cembrene, and about 4 per cent of residue and resinous fractions. In this unusual turpentine three compounds not previously reported as constituents of essential oils were found. Albicaulene is a monocyclic sesuiterne and is related to the monocyclic tertiary sesquiterpene alcohol, albicaulol. The diterpene, cembrene, is a monocyclic diterpene.
Two distinct sites in Nup153 mediate interaction with the SUMO proteases SENP1 and SENP2

Numerous enzymes of the mammalian SUMO modification pathway, including two members of the SUMO protease family, SENP2 and SENP1, localize to the nuclear periphery. The SUMO proteases play roles both in processing SUMO during the biogenesis of this peptide moiety and also in reversing SUMO modification on specific targets to control the activities conferred by this post-translational modification. Although interaction with the C-terminal domain of the nucleoporin Nup153 is thought to contribute to SENP2 localization at the nuclear pore complex, little is known about the binding partners of SENP1 at the nuclear periphery. We have found that Nup153 binds to both SENP1 and SENP2 and does so by interacting with the unique N-terminal domain of Nup153 as well as a specific region within the C-terminal FG-rich region. We have further found that Nup153 is a substrate for sumoylation, with this modification kept in check by these two SUMO proteases. Specifically, either RNAi depletion of SENP1/SENP2 or expression of dominantly interfering mutants of these proteins results in increased sumoylation of endogenous Nup153. While SENP1 and SENP2 share many characteristics, we show here that SENP1 levels are influenced by the presence of Nup153, whereas SENP2 is not sensitive to changes in Nup153 abundance.
Methods for Determining Relative Average Number of Channels per Maize Starch Granule and Digestion of Raw Granules of Mutant Maize Cultivars by Amyloglucosidase

AbstractSix methods were investigated for determining the relative average numbers of channels per granule in populations of starch granules. The first method involved digestion of raw starch granules with amyloglucosidase. There were differences in the rates of digestion of starch of the same mutation in two different inbred-line backgrounds, but we concluded that a better method was needed. Three methods involved measuring either all channel proteins or one specific protein. Extraction of granules using 70% 2-propanol containing 1% 2-mercaptoethanol (ME) was successful in removing the majority of external surface proteins (<31 kDa). Further extraction of starch granules using 0.1% SDS containing 0.2% ME, pH 8, removed channel proteins without extracting matrix proteins. By measuring SDS-PAGE band intensities of protein clusters at 31–97.4 kDa or a marker protein at ≈42 kDa, methods to quantify relative average degrees of channelization (RADC) in different maize backgrounds were developed. Using either m...
Educational Data Mining: An Advance for Intelligent Systems in Education

Educational data mining methods have been successful at modeling a range of phenomena relevant to student learning in online intelligent systems. Here, the author considers the current state of the field, outlining recent strides and remaining challenges.
Randomized controlled evaluation of an early intervention to prevent post-rape psychopathology

A randomized between-group design was used to evaluate the efficacy of a video intervention to reduce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems, implemented prior to the forensic medical examination conducted within 72 h post-sexual assault. Participants were 140 female victims of sexual assault (68 video/72 nonvideo) aged 15 years or older. Assessments were targeted for 6 weeks (Time 1) and 6 months (Time 2) post-assault. At Time 1, the intervention was associated with lower scores on measures of PTSD and depression among women with a prior rape history relative to scores among women with a prior rape history in the standard care condition. At Time 2, depression scores were also lower among those with a prior rape history who were in the video relative to the standard care condition. Small effects indicating higher PTSD and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores among women without a prior rape history in the video condition were observed at Time 1. Accelerated longitudinal growth curve analysis indicated a videoxprior rape history interaction for PTSD, yielding four patterns of symptom trajectory over time. Women with a prior rape history in the video condition generally maintained the lowest level of symptoms.
Face recognition with pose variations

A new efficient two-stage algorithm to compute nonlinear features is described. Its implementation on a neural net with adaptive activation functions that raise the input data to an arbitrary power is described. Its use in face recognition with unknown input poses is presented.
Crystal growth of bulk and cored fibre of 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)-3-acetamidonitrobenzene (DAN)

Large crystals of 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)-3-acetamidonitrobenzene (DAN) were grown from solutions by lowering the temperature; and bulk and cored fibre DAN crystals were grown by the Bridgman-Stockbarger (BS) method. The growth conditions and factors which affect the crystal quality were investigated.
SENSORY PROFILING OF CANNED BONED CHICKEN:COMPARISONS OF RETAIL, SCHOOL LUNCH, AND MILITARY CANNED BONED CHICKEN

The lack of domestic retail markets and poor quality and acceptance have hampered the optimum use of spent fowl (old laying hens) as a highly nutritious, inexpensive, and convenient food. Major outlets for canned boned chicken have been developed through USDA and military food programs. The purpose of this study was to compare canned boned chicken products (USDA, military, and retail) using Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) techniques. In general, USDA school lunch products were characterized as having more ground and shredded meat constituents than the retail or military products. School lunch products were also less tender and cohesive, quicker to breakdown on mastication, less juicy, more off-flavored, and less desirable than the retail and military products. Through factor analysis and calculations of factor scores, the original set of 12 numbers to characterize a product was reduced to four numbers that revealed the extent to which products exhibited attributes represented by the factors. All USDA and military products met their minimum specifications for proximate composition and yield. However, USDA school lunch products varied in ranges of moisture, fat, protein, and drained weight.
Benthic faunal associations in the Lower Silurian Solvik Formation of the Oslo-Asker Districts, Norway

In the Asker District of the Oslo Region there occurs an unusually complete and fossiliferous transition between the uppermost Ordovician and lowermost Silurian, which gives a unique opportunity to assess changes in benthic community structure across the boundary. Seven associations of benthic invertebrates are described from the Solvik Formation (Lower Silurian) of the Oslo Region, Norway. Three of these can be subordinated to a Clorinda and four to a Stricklandia equivalent paleocommunity. These early Silurian paleocommunities succeeded the late Ordovician Onniella paleocommunity, although some associations bearing Stricklandia probably took over the niche of the Nicolella paleocommunity. The faunal associations are subcategories primarily related to lithofacies, while the larger-scale paleocommunities are primarily related to distance from shore. This difference is caused by very eurytopic key-members defining the paleocommunities. These key-members can live in most types of lithofacies, but are otherwise dependent on factors more directly related to depth. The dominance of eurytopic key-members in Early Silurian time was affected by the Ordovician-Silurian extinction period, when a eurytopic life style was a great advantage.