cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lunasin, with an arginine–glycine–aspartic acid motif, causes apoptosis to L1210 leukemia cells by activation of caspase-3

Lunasin is a novel chemopreventive peptide featuring a cell adhesion motif composed of arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) which has been associated to cytotoxicity to established cell lines. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of lunasin on the viability of L1210 leukemia cells and to understand the underlying mechanisms involved. Pure lunasin and lunasin enriched soy flour (LES) caused cytotoxicity to L1210 leukemia cells with IC(50) of 14 and 16 microM (lunasin equivalent), respectively. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion showed that 25% of the original amount of lunasin survived 3 h of pepsin digestion and 3% of lunasin remained after sequential pepsin-pancreatin digestion for a total of 6 h. Cell cycle analysis showed that lunasin caused a dose-dependent G2 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Treatment of L1210 leukemia cells with 1 mg/mL of LES for 18 h led to an increase in the amount of apoptotic cells from 2 to 40%. Compared to untreated cells, treatment with 1 mg/mL LES showed a 6-fold increase on the expressions of caspases-8 and -9, and and a 12-fold increase on the expression of caspase-3. These results showed for the first time that lunasin, a naturally occurring peptide containing an RGD motif, caused apoptosis to L1210 leukemia cells through caspase-3 activation.
Metastable phases in the AuCo system formed by ion mixing

Abstract Two AuCo metastable crystalline phases (MX1 and MX2) were formed by 300 keV Xe+ irradiation at 250 °C of multilayered samples with overall composition around Au2Co8. At an early stage of irradiation, MX1 is formed, which transforms to MX2 when the whole multilayer is uniformly mixed. At even higher doses, the overall composition of the mixed film changes as a result of sputtering and MX2 transforms back to MX1. The mechanism of metastable phase formation is discussed.
Meniscal transplantation and degenerative articular change: An experimental study in the rabbit

Over the past several decades, scientific evidence has substantiated the vital role of the meniscus in the function of the knee. Using a modified Mankin method, this study evaluated the efficacy of immediate and delayed meniscal transplantation to prevent the degenerative articular changes seen after medial meniscectomy. Significantly fewer degenerative changes occurred in the articular cartilage from New Zealand white rabbits receiving a meniscal transplantation immediately after meniscectomy when compared with control animals killed 3 months after meniscectomy (P < .05). Rabbits who received a delayed transplantation 3 months after meniscectomy and were killed at 6 months, showed significantly fewer degenerative changes in the articular cartilage compared with control animals killed 6 months (P < .05) or 3 months (P < .05) after meniscectomy. These studies show that both immediate and delayed meniscal allograft transplantation offer some initial protection to the cartilaginous surfaces of the knee following meniscectomy. These studies also suggest that delayed meniscal transplantation may reverse initial postmeniscectomy degenerative changes for the short term.
Greenbug Resistance in Commercial Sorghum Hybrids in the Seedling Stage

In the seedling stage, commercial sorghum hybrids that were resistant to Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) displayed various degrees of tolerance. Antibiosis and nonpreference in the resistant hybrids were not detected in newly emerged seedlings in laboratory or field tests. Data indicated that greenbug damage sustained in the seedling stage was due to more than localized leaf-tissue destruction. No significant differences in tolerance levels were detected among the 3 sources of resistance in the commercial hybrids tested. Heterozygous resistant hybrids withstood 1.5–2X as many greenbugs as did the susceptible hybrid, and the homozygous resistant hybrid withstood more than twice as many greenbugs as its susceptible counterpart. Results demonstrate the value of greenbug resistance in seedling stage sorghum. High infestations at the time of plant emergence could result in economic damage and require insecticide treatment of resistant hybrids.
Transcriptional responses to oxidative stress: pathological and toxicological implications.

Abstract The utilization of molecular oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor for energy production has in many ways shaped the evolution of complex life, physiology, and certain disease processes. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), either as by-products of O2 metabolism or by specialized enzymes, has the potential to damage cellular components and functions. Exposure to a variety of exogenous toxicants also promotes ROS production directly or through indirect means to cause toxicity. Oxidative stress activates the expression of a wide range of genes that mediate the pathogenic effect of ROS or are required for the detection and detoxification of the oxidants. In many cases, these are mediated by specific transcription factors whose expression, structure, stability, nuclear targeting, or DNA-binding affinity is regulated by the level of oxidative stress. This review examines major transcription factors that mediate transcriptional responses to oxidative stress, focusing on recent progress in the signaling pathways and mechanisms of activation of transcription factors by oxidative stress and the implications of this regulation in the development of disease and chemical toxicity.
Mentoring in Health Sciences Education: A Review of the Literature

Mentoring is a concept that has been around for many years, but has only gained popularity in health science education programs over the past 20 years. Nursing, in particular, has recognized the short- and long-term benefits of mentoring students. The primary benefits are career and psychosocial development, which enables students to be successful in their educational programs. Mentoring also assists with easing the transition from student to graduate in a shorter period. In this literature review, the authors examined mentoring programs from nursing, medical school, pharmacy, and occupational therapy educational programs. Each of these health science programs reported favourable outcomes for their students involved in mentoring relationships, such as decreased stress and anxiety about their education, increased feelings of belonging to their programs and professions, and increased self-confidence and self-esteem. These studies help to confirm that mentoring can have a dramatic influence on the success and retention of students enrolled in health science programs. Unfortunately, no recent literature is available that specifically addresses mentoring practices in the medical radiation sciences. This article will attempt to show that results from current research in other health science educational programs could be used in forming medical radiation sciences mentoring programs. Developing these programs could have the same positive effects on recruitment and retention as they have in related disciplines.
An Examination of the Social, Behavioral, and Cognitive Influences of Infamous Individuals on Media Consumers

This article presents a substantial extant and predictive statement on social cognitive theory (SCT), a well-known interpersonal communication theory coined by Bandura (1986) and researched by prominent scholars in the social sciences. An important rationale behind conducting this analysis is that it provides several groundbreaking and unique applications of SCT through the exploration of infamous celebrities (i.e., Michael Jackson, Keith Richards, Robert Downey, Jr., and sexually perverted religious leaders) published in global media outlets. The objective is to demonstrate the socially influential effects that these notorious individuals pose on media consumers and interested parties, in line with theoretical assumptions posited by SCT.
Truck Driver or Nurse? The Impact of Gender Roles and Occupational Status on Children’s Occupational Preferences

Three experiments examined how US children perceive occupational status and gender roles. In Experiment 1, 107 6-to-12-year-olds rated the status and gender roles of 54 occupations. Feminine occupations were underrepresented among the perceived high status jobs. In Experiment 2, 28 6-to-8-year-olds, and in Experiment 3, 36 9-to-12-year-olds, reported their preferences for equally high status masculine and feminine occupations and low status masculine and feminine occupations. In both experiments, girls preferred feminine to masculine occupations and status only affected preferences for masculine occupations. The younger boys’ preferences were based on both variables, whereas older boys’ preferences were based on status. These findings imply that occupational status may influence boys’ vocational preferences more than pressure to conform to masculine gender roles.
Noise considerations in dual energy CT scanning.

Dual energy CT scanning (tomochemistry) has been proposed as a method for determining various parameters relating to the elemental composition of the tissues. In this paper, our aim is to study the relative noise inherent in two proposed techniques for dual energy scanning: a ‘‘two crystal’’ technique and a ‘‘two kV’’ technique. In the two crystal technique, a split crystal detector is used to simultaneously obtain the high and low energy data during one scan at high kV. The two kV technique requires two scans taken with widely different kV settings. We first review three commonly used approaches for utilizing the scan data to compute the relevant parameters. A theoretical formalism is constructed which aids in understanding these methods. Then this formalism is used to study the influence of CT image noise on measurement precision in the case where the unknown parameters are densities. It is shown that, (1) the unavoidable overlap in the spectral data obtained by the two crystal technique results in a much lower signal‐to‐noise ratio than can be obtained by using the two kV technique, (2) the necessity for hard filtration of the high energy beam in the two kV technique has not heretofore been appreciated, and (3) the dose for a given x‐ray tube heat load is also lower with the two kV technique.
Dissociation of biological catch-bond by periodic perturbation.

The analysis of the P-selectin/PSGL-1 catch-slip bond that is periodically driven by a detaching force predicts that in the frequency range on the order of 1 s−1 the bond lifetime undergoes significant changes with respect to both frequency and amplitude of the force. The result indicates how variations in the heart rate could have a substantial effect on leukocyte and lymphoid cell transport and adhesion to endothelial cells and platelets during inflammatory processes.
Aircraft Power Generators: Hybrid Modeling and Simulation for Fault Detection

Integrated drive generators (IDGs) are the main source of electrical power for a number of critical systems in aircraft. Fast and accurate fault detection and isolation (FDI) are necessary components for safe and reliable operation of the IDG and the aircraft. IDGs are complex systems, and a majority of the existing FDI techniques for the electrical subsystem (brushless generator) are based on signal analysis and heuristic methods derived from experience. Model-based fault diagnosis techniques are hypothesized to be more general and powerful in designing detection and isolation schemes. However, building sufficiently accurate models of brushless generators is a difficult task. dq models have been developed for single generators, but these models are not suitable to represent the complete brushless generator either in normal or fault situations, where the generator may become unbalanced. In this paper, we develop a novel hybrid dynamical model for the complete brushless ac generator. We exploit the hybrid modeling capability to accurately model different rectifier diode faults and rotor winding faults, reported as the most severe brushless generator faults. We simulate the hybrid model for nominal and different faulty conditions, and develop fault signatures for different machine faults.
Folate metabolism in methotrexate-sensitive and -resistant Ehrlich ascites cells☆

Abstract A methotrexate-resistant subline of the Ehrlich ascites carcinoma contained approximately 14-fold more dihydrofolate reductase activity than did the drug-sensitive parent neoplasm. The activities of a number of tetrahydrofolate-dependent enzymes (i.e., of N 5 -formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase, N 5 , N 10 -methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, N 5 -formyltetrahydrofolate isomerase, and serine hydroxymethylase) in cells of the resistant subline were similar to those of the sensitive neoplasm; thus, the increase in dihydrofolate reductase activity in the methotrexate-resistant cells was specific. Several properties of partially purified dihydrofolate reductase preparations from each cell line were similar, suggesting that no quantitative changes in the enzyme accompanied the transition to the resistant state. The elevated dihydrofolate reductase activity in the drug-resistant variant appeared to be sufficient to account for the refractoriness of this neoplasm, since considerable enzyme activity could be detected in these cells after large amounts of methotrexate. The problems of relating in vitro enzyme assays to events occurring in vivo are discussed.
Outcome of pulmonary function in Lemierre's disease-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Pulmonary function in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) survivors typically returns to normal with the exception of a persistent reduction in carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLco). Septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein, (Lemierre's syndrome or postanginal sepsis) is a well-described, albeit uncommon cause of ARDS in which metastatic pulmonary thromboemboli precipitate respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support. We describe convalescent pulmonary function in two survivors of Lemierre's disease-associated ARDS, suggesting that the subset of Lemierre's syndrome induced ARDS survivors have an excellent long-term pulmonary prognosis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2007; 42:389–392. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A decentralized approach for multi-UAV multitarget tracking and surveillance

In this paper, we consider the problem of cooperative multitarget tracking and surveillance with multiple UAVs in a decentralized network architecture. In sensor fusion, we developed a decentralized particle ltering approach to maintain target location estimates. Sample sets are converted to Gaussian Mixtures using expectation maximiza- tion, and communicated between agents using a request/response strategy. Upon receiving Gaussian Mixtures from other agents, each UAV fuses them into its own estimates using generalized covariance intersection. In decision making, we decoupled the problem into two abstraction levels. At the higher level, leaders are selected for each subnetwork. Each leader, then, assigns operating regions to other agents within its subnetwork. At the lower level, individual agents plan their own motions to actively track targets within their assigned regions. Our approach is evaluated in a number of simulation runs. The results demonstrate the eectiveness of our decentralized approach.
Association constants for 1,2,4,5‐tetracyanobenzene and tetracyanoethylene charge‐transfer complexes with methyl‐substituted benzenes revisited

The association constants for charge-transfer (CT) complex formation of a series of methylated benzene donors with 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene and tetracyanoethylene as acceptors were measured. In several cases the values determined previously using standard analysis techniques, such as Benesi–Hildebrand or related methods, were shown to be incorrect and a new method for determining the association constants for weak complexes is presented. A systematic error occured in the determination of these constants when standard analysis was carried out on weakly bound complexes. In general, the thermodynamic stabilities have been underestimated and the extinction coefficients for the CT absorptions overestimated. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the ground-state stabilization of the complexes studied here is due primarily to non-bonded interactions and that the ion-pair contributions are minor in the ground state. A notable exception may be the tetracyanobenzene–hexamethylbenzene complex where preliminary evidence points to a significant contribution of the ion-pair state to the ground-state stability. This study raises significant questions about what is currently known concerning the thermodynamics of CT complexes because much of what is believed may be based on incorrectly determined constants. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Partial trisomy 6q and bilateral retinal detachment.

An eight-year-old boy with trisomy 6q13 → q21 is described with growth retardation, severe mental retardation, unusual facies, cleft palate, joint contractures and bilateral retinal detachment. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case in which such an association has been recorded.
A Comparison between the ACM/IEEE Computer Science 2013 Curriculum Guidelines and the Information Technology 2008 Curriculum Guidelines

This poster session examines the ACM/IEEE undergraduates programs for computer science and information technology with a focus on the learning outcomes. The IT guidelines were completed in 2008 and are due to be redone in the next couple of years. A database was created for each of the guidelines storing the Knowledge Area (KA), Knowledge Unit (KU) and the Learning Outcome (LO). Queries were generated to allow comparison between the two programs. The computer science guidelines are recent with some significant changes made compared to the older version. This poster will also examine the various knowledge areas and units within each of guidelines showing similarities and differences. Added into the database was the institution's IT and CS programs' student learning outcomes as well which gives us the opportunity to see how we compare as well.
Savanna tree influence on understory vegetation and soil nutrients in northwestern Kenya

Contrary to observations and models in which trees and herbaceous plants are viewed as competitors, we found that trees in an African savanna have positive impacts on herbaceous biomass production and compo- sition, and on soil nutrient status. In the Turkana District of northwestem Kenya, we investigated vegetation and soil gradients along equi-angular transects radiating from the boles of individual Acacia tortilis trees. Total herba- ceous biomass averaged 260 ? 17(se) g/m2 at the bole and declined to 95 ? 8 g/m2 in the tree interspaces. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations were greatest (0.72 % and 0.083 %, respectively) in shallow soils near the bole and declined rapidly toward the inter- spaces and with increasing depth. Transects were also established between tree pairs to assess effects of differ- ential canopy proximities. Grass production averaged 220 + 21 g / m2 below overlapping canopies, 150 ? 15 g / m2 under individual canopies, and 95 ? 8 g / m2 in interstitial areas. Detrended correspondence analysis revealed that shifts in species composition were correlat- ed with distance from tree bole out to the edge of the canopy. Species response, in terms of relative cover, to increasing distance from the bole, seemed to fall into five general classes: 1) greatest at the bole, 2) increasing with distance from the bole, 3) greatest in the mid canopy zone, 4) least at the bole and 5) no response. Trees did not influence herbaceous composition beyond tree canopies. It is assumed that shade cast by the tree canopy with subsequent reductions of understory water stress and temperature and increased nutrient concentrations may be the most important factors affecting understory soil and vegetation.
The short-range order structure of a water-quenched Ni-12.5 at. pct Si alloy-a synchrotron x-ray diffuse scattering study

A wide-angle X-ray diffuse scattering measurement of a water-quenched Ni-12.5 at. pct Si alloy single crystal was performed using synchrotron radiation. The Cowley-Warren short-range order (SRO) parameters and static displacement terms between atom pairs were obtained. The first seven SRO parameters were fitted in an 8000-atom model, from which it was deduced that no orderedγ′ domains existed in the water-quenched structure, but an enhancement of the C16 and C17 nearest-neighbor configurations did occur as compared to a completely random model. The C16 configuration is the basic structural unit of the L12 ordered structure, and the C17 may be thought of as a faulted variant thereof. These results were confirmed by performing equivalent SRO modeling in a 140,608-atom model. Silicon-silicon nearest neighbors show a repulsive strain of approximately 12 pct, while Ni-Ni pairs contract by less than 1 pct.
Cross-country evidence on deposit-insurance

1. IntroductionDuring the last few decades, the world has experienced a series of systemic banking crises.These crises have occurred in developed and developing countries alike. To make banking-system breakdowns less likely and to limit the costs they generate when they occur, citizens inevery country expect policymakers to erect a ﬁnancial safety net. Among safety-net policies,theuseofexplicitdeposit-insurancehasspreadparticularlyrapidlyinrecentyears.Establishingexplicit deposit-insurance guarantees has come to be seen as one of the pillars on which anytruly modern ﬁnancial system must be built. Indeed, the number of countries offering explicitdeposit-insurance guarantees has almost tripled during the last 26 years. Today, most OECDcountries and an increasing number of developing countries feature some form of explicitdepositor protection.This is not to say that it is easy to design and operate a deposit-insurance system efﬁciently.The heart of the difﬁculty is that safety-net managers are assigned conﬂicting objectives. Theyare asked: (a) to protect against ﬁnancial crises and related economic shocks, but (b) to avoidsubsidies to bank risk-taking that encourage inefﬁcient risk-taking and other imprudent bank-ing practices. Striking an appropriate balance between preventing and resolving crises andcontrolling bank risk-taking is the central challenge safety-net managers face.Given the complexities involved in designing and operating a safety net, policymakers oftenseekexpertadviceonhowbesttodesignanexplicitdeposit-insurancesystem.Untilrecently,anempiricalbasisforgivingsuchpolicyadvicedidnotexist.Twobodiesofevidencewereneeded:
QCD thermodynamics with two flavors at Nt=6.

The first results of numerical simulations of quantum chromodynamics on the Intel iPSC/860 parallel processor are presented. We performed calculations with two flavors of Kogut-Susskind quarks at {ital N}{sub {ital t}}=6 with masses of 0.15{ital T} and 0.075{ital T} (0.025 and 0.0125 in lattice units) in order to locate the crossover from the low-temperature regime of ordinary hadronic matter to the high-temperature chirally symmetric regime. As with other recent two-flavor simulations, these calculations are insufficient to distinguish between a rapid crossover and a true phase transition. The phase transition is either absent or feeble at this quark mass. An improved estimate of the crossover temperature in physical units is given and results are presented for the hadronic screening lengths in both the high- and low-temperature regimes.
Tort and Contract Jurisdiction via the Internet: The ‘Minimum Contacts’ Test and the Brussels Regulation Compared

One of the most difficult topics in both American and European procedural law is the jurisdictional reach of courts over defendants in tort and contract actions. This has become particularly evident with the exponential increase in the use of the Internet as a communication and marketing device. Questions regarding the proper forum in, for example, defamation actions or consumer disputes present difficult questions for both American and European courts. The European Union's adoption of a new Regulation for cases filed on or after 1 March 2002 (the ‘Brussels Regulation’) presents an opportunity for fresh examination of this important topic.
An easy access of 2′,3′-dideoxy-3′-α-C-formyl-adenosine and -guanosine analogs via stereoselective CC bond forming radical reaction

Abstract A large-scale, facile and stereoselective synthesis of 1-[5- O -( tert -butyldiphenylsilyl)-2,3-dideoxy-3-α- C -formyl-β-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl] -adenine ( 7b ) and - N 2 -isobutyrylguanine ( 7c ) using an intermolecular radical CC bond formation reaction is reported. The utility of these nucleosides ( 7b and 7c ) as building blocks for antisense oligonucleosides is discussed.
q -transformation theory

We obtain the complete set of states of theq-oscillator in both configuration space and momentum space as well as the transformation between these spaces. The states as well as the matrix elements lie in the SU q (2) algebra. To obtain transition probabilities, one must take the ‘Woronowicz square.’
Patterns of metallothionein expression in oyster embryos

Metallothioneins (MT) play important roles in amelioration of metal toxicity and also in Zn and Cu regulation during normal growth and development. Metal-rich proteins of oyster embryos (Crassostrea virginica) that eluted in the same position as mammalian, crab, and adult oyster MTs after size-exclusion HPLC were further purified by anion exchange HPLC. The patterns of MT expression under conditions that did not perturb embryogenesis (control; 20 μg/liter Cd; 10 μg/liter Cu; 10 μg/liter Cd and Cu simultaneously), and during exposure to a concentration of Cu (20 μg/liter) that interfered with calcification were determined. In control embryos, four constitutive MTs (Zn or ZnCu isoforms) were observed. During exposure to Cd, two additional isoforms were produced: one major Cd-binding MT and a second minor component. During Cu exposures, excess Cu was associated with a peak that eluted at the same position as the second Cd peak, and probably represents a MT isoform that is inducible by Cu and Cd (CuCdMT). Simultaneous exposure to Cd and Cu resulted in inhibition of expression of the first CdMT, and increased binding of Cd to Cu MTs. Under these non-perturbed conditions, constitutive MTs did not change. However, constitutive MTs of embryos exposed to 20 μg/liter Cu were significantly reduced. These results indicate that bivalve embryos may represent a valuable experimental system for elucidating the functional significance of MT isoforms, discovering roles of MTs in distinct physiological processes, studying regulation of MT expression, and distinguishing patterns of MT expression that signal toxicity.
Multihormonal control of tyrosine aminotransferase activity in developing rat liver.

Tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) enzymatic activity was undetectable in fetal rat liver until 1 day before birth (21 days). In utero injection of (Bu)2cAMP induced both catalytic and mRNA activity. By contrast, in utero injection of hydrocortisone acetate did not elicit the appearance of TAT enzyme or its functional mRNA. Injection of both the steroid hormone and the cyclic nucleotide elicited the appearance of nearly adult levels of the enzyme and its mRNA. By 24 h after injection of (Bu)2cAMP alone or in combination with hydrocortisone acetate, enzymatic activity had returned to basal levels. Functional TAT mRNA levels, however, remained elevated. The role of insulin as a potential repressor of TAT activity in utero was examined. Reducing circulating fetal insulin levels by injection of streptozotocin was not sufficient to induce TAT enzyme activity. In vitro, either (Bu)2cAMP or hydrocortisone acetate alone induced TAT enzymatic activity in liver explants from fetuses as early as the 16th day of gestati...
Source of variation on lingual vibrotactile thresholds: II. Adequate experimenter training

Vibrotactile thresholds were obtained from the anterior midline of the tongue for 10 randomly selected normal adults. Results were subsequently compared with an initial set of data obtained from three different examiners with varying degrees of exposure to threshold assessment technique. The examiner for this study was the inexperienced examiner from the initial investigation, who obtained significantly poorer threshold results than the other two experienced examiners. The purpose of this investigation was, therefore, to further explore what constituted adequate lingual vibrotactile threshold training for the novice examiner. Results of statistical analysis revealed that further practice on the part of the inexperienced examiner in threshold testing led to threshold values that were similar to those of the original experienced examiners. Implications of adequate experimenter training are discussed.
Hydrogen interactions with Ag(111): bound state scattering resonances and interaction potential determination

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the elastic and rotationally resolved inelastic scattering of H 2 , D 2 , and HD supersonic molecular beams from Ag(111). These examinations are undertaken primarily for two reasons—to determine the laterally averaged isotropic and anisotropic components of the hydrogen/Ag(111) interaction potential, and to test the accuracy of different levels of quantum gas-surface scattering calculations. Very weak minima in specularly reflected H 2 and O 2 beams are detected as a function of incident angle and azimuthal crystal orientation for several beam energies. These minima are found to be predominantly due to diffractive selective adsorption scattering resonances. However, a few of the scattering resonances precess in the K x –K y momentum plane about the (00) reciprocal lattice vector-indicating that rotationally mediated selective adsorption is also occurring. The bound levels and coupling G-vectors are labeled for each arc. The one arc which precesses about the (00) G-vector is due to rotationally mediated selective adsorption associated with the J=0→2 inelastic transition.
Adsorption of pathogenic prion protein to quartz sand.

Management responses to prion diseases of cattle, deer, and elk create a significant need for safe and effective disposal of infected carcasses and other materials. Furthermore, soil may contribute to the horizontal transmission of sheep scrapie and cervid chronic wasting disease by serving as an environmental reservoir for the infectious agent. As an initial step toward understanding prion mobility in porous materials such as soil and landfilled waste, the influence of pH and ionic strength (I) on pathogenic prion protein (PrPSc) properties (viz. aggregation state and ζ-potential) and adsorption to quartz sand was investigated. The apparent average isoelectric point of PrPSc aggregates was 4.6. PrPSc aggregate size was largest between pH 4 and 6, and increased with increasing I at pH 7. Adsorption to quartz sand was maximal near the apparent isoelectric point of PrPSc aggregates and decreased as pH either declined or increased. PrPSc adsorption increased as suspension I increased, and reached an apparent...
A normative construction of Gulf War syndrome.

In early 1992, U.S. troops returning from the Gulf War began report- ing a variety of nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, skin rash, headache, muscle and joint pain, and loss of memory. These reports marked the beginning of what was to be identified as the Gulf War Syndrome (GWS). In the years since the war, as many as 100,000 troops have claimed they suffer from this mysterious disease. In our culture, the existence of disease as a specific entity is fundamental to ensuring the validity of that disease. The legitimacy of GWS has been repeatedly called into question because no specific physiological etiology has been confirmed, and it is becoming more and more likely that the origin of GWS will never be clearly delineated. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the complicated process of defining GWS as a legitimate illness in the absence of etiological evidence and to suggest a method of treatment for individ- uals who still suffer from its sequelae.
Combustion and flow in a two dimensional spouted bed

A planar, two-dimensional spouted bed laboratory combustor has been studied to determine the interaction among the gas flow, particle flow, and combustion. The facility designed for a maximum thermal power of 5 kW, has a quartz front wall providing full optical access to particle flows and combustion processes. The combustor was characterized in terms of pressure, temperature, gas velocity, and particle velocity profiles and operating limits. Premixed propane and air and a fixed bed height, bed material, injector slot width, and combustor geometry were employed. As in previous investigations of axisymmetric spouted beds, the ratio of particle mass circulation rate to jet mass flow rate was observed to be about ten. Combustion increased this ratio by about ten percent. A pulsating mode of operation was noted with a characteristic frequency of about ten Hz, controlled by the interaction of the particle and gas flows. A simple model for the prediction of particle velocities in the spout agrees with experimental observation.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of codeine in end-stage renal disease

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of codeine and its metabolites codeine glucuronide, morphine, and morphine glucuronide were assessed after the administration of a single 60 mg oral dose of codeine sulfate and a single 60 mg intravenous dose of codeine phosphate in six healthy volunteers and six patients on chronic hemodialysis. Plasma and urine drug and metabolite concentrations were determined by sensitive and specific RIA procedures. Pharmacodynamics were assessed by pupillometry and vital sign determinations. Codeine elimination half-life and mean residence time were increased significantly in the hemodialysis group (18.69 +/- 9.03 hours and 12.77 +/- 7.09 hours, mean +/- SD, respectively) compared with the healthy volunteer group (4.04 +/- 0.60 hours and 3.90 +/- 0.52 hours, respectively). The total body clearance and volume of distribution of codeine were not significantly different between groups. Peak concentrations, times to peak concentrations, and AUCs for the three metabolites were also not significantly different between the groups, in part as a result of significant interpatient variability in the hemodialysis group. Examination of pupillometry and vital sign data did not reveal clinically significant differences in pharmacodynamics between the groups. Adjustment of dosage regimen may be required in some patients with uremia receiving multiple-dose codeine therapy.
Molecular and biochemical impacts of environmental factors on wheat grain development and protein synthesis

Wheat grain yield and flour quality are strongly influenced by the effects of environment during grain fill. Environmental variables such as temperature, water and fertilizer influence the rate and duration of wheat grain development, protein accumulation and starch deposition in unique ways, and by different mechanisms. The effects of environment are superimposed on the intrinsic temporal patterns of gene expression during grain development. Integration of genomic and proteomic studies with developmental studies under controlled environmental conditions should make it possible to resolve complex patterns of gene expression during grain development, pinpoint key regulatory processes that are influenced by the environment, and reveal the molecular basis for environmental impacts on flour composition and quality.
Hiv diagnostic tests: an overview

This article provides an overview of different HIV diagnostic tests, describing how they work and the advantages and limitations of the various tests. This article also briefly reviews the structure and genetic diversity of HIV, the mechanism the virus uses to infect host cells and the different phases of HIV infection. This information is included to facilitate understanding of how HIV diagnostic tests work and what molecular markers these tests use to pinpoint an HIV infection.
The fluoride affinity of SO2

Abstract Energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation (CID) experiments using a flowing afterglow-tandem mass spectrometer (MS) have been performed on SO2F−. The results give a 298 K bond enthalpy of D(SO2F−)=225±9 kJ mol−1. G3/B3LYP and G3(MP2) calculations give corresponding values of 215 and 217 kJ mol−1, in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. The experimental result is 42 kJ mol−1 higher than results previously reported using ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) equilibrium techniques, but is in good agreement with relative values.
Determination of energy efficiency for a direct methanol fuel cell stack by a fuel circulation method

Abstract A method of fuel circulation with a fixed amount of fuel was employed to investigate a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) stack that was built with metal foam flow fields for the air and fuel flows. The stack power output increases significantly with environmental temperature from 20 to 40 °C. The average peak power per cell at 40 °C is 26 mW cm−2 per cell. The average discharge voltage per cell at peak power does not change with temperature but remains at 0.3 V. The energy output of the stack was determined at constant current or constant voltage with a fixed amount of methanol to feed the anode of the stack until the fuel was consumed. The results by constant current discharge show that at higher temperature the stack has remarkably higher energy output; while at the same temperature only a suitable magnitude of discharge current can achieve the highest energy output. The results by constant voltage discharge show that the Faradic efficiency is 86%, and the energy efficiency is 17% at 30 °C.
Minimizing content provisioning cost in heterogeneous Social Wireless Networks

This paper introduces an optimal cooperative caching policy for minimizing electronic content provisioning cost in Social Wireless Networks (SWNET). The SWNETs are typically formed by a collection of mobile devices, such as data enabled phones, net-books, electronic book readers etc., sharing common interests in electronic content, and physically gathering in settings such as University campuses, work places, malls, airports, train stations and other public places. Electronic object caching in such SWNETs are shown to be able to reduce the content provisioning cost which depends heavily on the service and pricing dependencies among various stakeholders including the content provider, the network service provider, and the end consumers. Drawing motivation from Amazon's Kindle electronic book delivery business, this paper develops practical network, service, and pricing models which are then used for creating two optimal caching strategies, namely Split Cache and Distributed Benefit for minimizing content provisioning costs in networks with homogenous and heterogeneous object demands. In addition to proving the optimality of the mechanisms, the paper constructs extensive analytical and simulation models for analyzing the proposed caching strategies and their optimal operating points.
Single-Stranded DNA Translocation of E. coli UvrD Monomer Is Tightly Coupled to ATP Hydrolysis

Abstract Escherichia coli UvrD is an SF1A (superfamily 1 type A) helicase/translocase that functions in several DNA repair pathways. A UvrD monomer is a rapid and processive single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) translocase but is unable to unwind DNA processively in vitro. Based on data at saturating ATP (500 μM), we proposed a nonuniform stepping mechanism in which a UvrD monomer translocates with biased (3′ to 5′) directionality while hydrolyzing 1 ATP per DNA base translocated, but with a kinetic step size of 4–5 nt/step, suggesting that a pause occurs every 4–5 nt translocated. To further test this mechanism, we examined UvrD translocation over a range of lower ATP concentrations (10–500 μM ATP), using transient kinetic approaches. We find a constant ATP coupling stoichiometry of ∼ 1 ATP/DNA base translocated even at the lowest ATP concentration examined (10 μM), indicating that ATP hydrolysis is tightly coupled to forward translocation of a UvrD monomer along ssDNA with little slippage or futile ATP hydrolysis during translocation. The translocation kinetic step size remains constant at 4–5 nt/step down to 50 μM ATP but increases to ∼ 7 nt/step at 10 μM ATP. These results suggest that UvrD pauses more frequently during translocation at low ATP but with little futile ATP hydrolysis.
Prenatal contributions to epilepsy: lessons from the bedside

While epilepsy can present at any age, this condition often occurs because of adverse events early in life. Pathogenetic mechanisms also cause deleterious consequences to the brain during prenatal life. For the epileptologist to fully appreciate developmental epileptogenesis, one must apply an ontogenetic approach (i.e. "nature-nurture-niche") in order to study the epileptic condition from a fetal neurology perspective. Genetic susceptibility can involve pre-fertilization and post-fertilization mechanisms that dictate the timing and form of major malformations associated with specific epileptic syndromes. Maternal, fetal, and placental disease conditions also contribute to either brain malformations or injuries, depending on events during the first or second half of pregnancy. Sequential stages during prenatal brain development, from embryonic through perinatal periods, specify which gray and white matter structures may be adversely altered, with later expression of seizures in the context of motor, cognitive and behavioral deficits. Translational research from bench to bedside should consider the acquired causes of pediatric and adult epilepsies in the context of the patient's genetic environment.
Representation discovery using harmonic analysis

Representations are at the heart of artificial intelligence (AI). This book is devoted to the problem of representation discovery: how can an intelligent system construct representations from its experience? Representation discovery re-parameterizes the state space - prior to the application of information retrieval, machine learning, or optimization techniques - facilitating later inference processes by constructing new task-specific bases adapted to the state space geometry. This book presents a general approach to representation discovery using the framework of harmonic analysis, in particular Fourier and wavelet analysis. Biometric compression methods, the compact disc, the computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner in medicine, JPEG compression, and spectral analysis of time-series data are among the many applications of classical Fourier and wavelet analysis. A central goal of this book is to show that these analytical tools can be generalized from their usual setting in (infinite-dimensional) Euclidean spaces to discrete (finite-dimensional) spaces typically studied in many subfields of AI. Generalizing harmonic analysis to discrete spaces poses many challenges: a discrete representation of the space must be adaptively acquired; basis functions are not pre-defined, but rather must be constructed. Algorithms for efficiently computing and representing bases require dealing with the curse of dimensionality. However, the benefits can outweigh the costs, since the extracted basis functions outperform parametric bases as they often reflect the irregular shape of a particular state space. Case studies from computer graphics, information retrieval, machine learning, and state space planning are used to illustrate the benefits of the proposed framework, and the challenges that remain to be addressed. Representation discovery is an actively developing field, and the author hopes this book will encourage other researchers to explore this exciting area of research. Table of Contents: Overview / Vector Spaces / Fourier Bases on Graphs / Multiscale Bases on Graphs / Scaling to Large Spaces / Case Study: State-Space Planning / Case Study: Computer Graphics / Case Study: Natural Language / Future Directions
Habitat bottlenecks in stage-structured species: hermit crabs as a model system

The availability of habitat at one stage of a species' life history may limit the ultimate population size of that species. In particular, species that use distinct juvenile habitats may experi- ence bottlenecks at an early life stage that have important and potentially unexpected consequences for adult population sizes. I used intertidal hermit crabs Pagurus samuelis and P. hirsuitisculus as a model system to test experimentally the effect of increasing juvenile and adult habitat (snail shells, Littorina sp. and Tegula funebralis) availability on adult population size. Despite strong evidence from these experiments that juvenile hermit crab population size was limited by juvenile habitat availability, adult population size was not. Instead, results indicated that adult populations were probably limited by recruitment and adult habitat availability. Consequently, these results (1) demon- strate that identifying true habitat bottlenecks can be challenging, (2) show that identifying true bottlenecks requires one to evaluate the effect of bottlenecks on adult population size, and (3) offer a rigorous empirical test of the assumption that hermit crab populations are limited by the availability of large shells. These results also highlight how conservation and management strategies designed to protect species with stage-structured life histories must consider the actual role different habitats play in controlling adult population size if they are to be most effective.
The Rise of Class Culture Theory in Educational Anthropology

This article chronicles how the ideas of neo-Weberians, Marxists, feminists, and critical race thinkers have merged to create a new cultural production or class culture paradigm of schooling. Reviews of recent ethnographic work illustrates how the articulations among class, race, gender, and sexual identity practices in schools are studied without privileging one standpoint over another. This paradigm shift signals the demise of earlier cultural transmissions and modernization paradigms in the field. [class culture theory, cultural production, articulations, cultural transmission]
Macrodiversity packet combining for the IEEE 802.11a uplink

The paper proposes and analyzes a packet-level macrodiversity combining scheme for improving the performance of the uplink of IEEE 802.11a networks operating in infrastructure mode. By receiving the mobile station's signal at three equidistant access points, a gain of between 6 dB and 8 dB is observed at a packet error rate of 10/sup -2/ when the receiver is able to estimate the channel perfectly. A similar gain is found when the receiver operates without channel state information and must estimate the channel. Results are presented showing the improvement in packet error rate and throughput for several different mobile station positions. It is found that the gain due to macrodiversity combining diminishes as the mobile station moves closer to a single access point.