cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A single measure for point and interval predictions of coalition theories

Some theories of coalition formation (e.g., the weighted probability model) make specific point predictions about the probabilities that various coalitions will form, while others predict only that some coalitions should be more likely than others, without making specific predictions about probabilities. Similarly, some theories make point predictions about the distribution of rewards within a coalition, while others (e.g., the bargaining set) make range predictions rather than point predictions. These theories apply to decision processes of living systems at the levels of groups, organizations, societies, and supranational systems. A measure is developed for evaluating competitively these otherwise incomparable types of predictions. The measure, E, is the mean squared distance between the experimental distribution of proportions and the whole set of probability distributions consistent with the prediction. A “proportional reduction in error” version of E is also suggested.
Evidence that dimethyl sulfoxide inhibits defects of copper deficiency by inhibition of glycation

Abstract Prior studies have indicated that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), when fed to rats, can inhibit the cardiac enlargement and anemia of a concurrent dietary copper (Cu) deficiency. Because DMSO is capable of chemically destroying the hydroxyl radical, its inhibition of defects of Cu deficiency was taken as evidence that those defects resulted from oxidative stress. To examine this conclusion further, rats were fed Cu-adequate (6.4 μg/g) and -deficient (0.5 μg/g) diets and given water with or without 5% DMSO. Two additional groups of rats were pair-fed to test for the effects of reduced food intake caused by DMSO. To test for mechanism of action of DMSO, indices of lipid peroxidation and nonenzymatic glycosylation of protein (glycation) were measured. Compared to Cu-adequate rats, Cu-deficient rats were anemic and had enlarged hearts, increased serum malondialdehyde (MDA), increased heart thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and an enhanced percentage of glycated hemoglobin (Hb A 1 ). Both DMSO administration and pair feeding ameliorated the anemia of Cu deficiency; pair feeding reduced the cardiac enlargement of Cu deficiency. Neither DMSO nor pair feeding inhibited the rise in serum MDA or heart TBARS, but both caused a similar degree of inhibition of the rise in Hb A 1 . Although dietary Cu deficiency is associated with an increase in products of peroxidation, the inhibition of defects by DMSO appears to be related to food restriction and inhibition of glycation.
Binding of amphiphilic peptides to a carboxy-terminal tryptic fragment of calmodulin

Calmodulin (CaM) fragments 1-77 (CaM 1-77) and 78-148 (CaM 78-148) were prepared by tryptic cleavage of CaM. CaM 78-148 exhibited Ca2+-dependent binding to mastoparan X, Polistes mastoparan, and melittin with apparent dissociation constants less than 0.2 microM as judged from changes in the fluorescence spectrum and anisotropy of the single tryptophan residue of each of these cationic, amphiphilic peptides. This interaction was accompanied by a large spectral blue shift of the peptide fluorescence spectrum. These findings are consistent with earlier results [Malencik, D.A., & Anderson, S.R. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 2420-2428] on the binding of mastoparan X to CaM fragment 72-148. The binding of the peptide to CaM 78-148 also caused a significant loss of the accessibility of the peptide tryptophan to the fluorescence quencher acrylamide. The CaM 78-148 induced effects on the fluorescence spectra and tryptophan accessibility of the peptides were most pronounced for mastoparan X, a peptide with tryptophan on the apolar face of the putative amphiphilic helix. The data were comparable with results from parallel experiments on the Ca2+-dependent interaction of these peptides with intact CaM. Difference circular dichroic spectra suggested that binding to CaM 78-148 was associated with the induction of considerable degrees of helicity in the amphiphilic peptides, which by themselves have predominantly random coil structures in aqueous solution. This finding is also reminiscent of the interaction of these peptides with intact CaM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft safing design

Abstract In common with other interplanetary spacecraft, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft spends long periods of time out of ground contact. Even during ground contacts, the speed-of light limits realtime telemetry and commanding. Under these conditions, detection and correction of faults (safing) is a key area of spacecraft design. The goal of the safing design is to detect health-threatening faults, and to keep the spacecraft safe until the next ground contact. Fault diagnosis and correction (beyond that needed to keep the spacecraft safe) is a Mission Operations function. The critical aspects of spacecraft safety are power and communications. Because the spacecraft can operate on battery power only for a short period, keeping the fixed solar panels pointed towards the sun and the spacecraft load below the solar panel output is the first priority of the safing design. The second priority of the safing design is to place Earth within the pattern of an antenna that can be used to communicate throughout the mission. In keeping with the distributed spacecraft design, safing functions are likewise distributed between the Command and Data Handling subsystem and the Guidance and Control subsystem. Simple, reliable coordination of safing conditions and actions are required. Drivers of the safing design are the need to delay finalizing the safing algorithms as late as possible in the system development, to introduce flexible safing algorithms, and to create a testable system.
Properties of β-mercaptopyruvate transsulfurase chromatographically resolved in the presence of β-mercaptoethanol

Abstract 1. 1. The enzyme, β-mercaptopyruvate transsulfurase, has been reisolated by gradient elution on chromatography DEAE-cellulose columns, specially pretreated by β-mercaptoethanol. 2. 2. The molecular weight, Cu, −SH content, and total amino acid composition of the enzyme have been determined. 3. 3. Catalytic properties, e.g. stability, and the formation of enzyme-substrate complexes were measured and a catalytic mechanism suggested. 4. 4. Evaluation of chemical and catalytic studies suggest that the enzyme may exist in a stable tetrameric and unstable monomeric form.
THE SYNTAX OF OBJECTS AND THE REPRESENTATION OF HISTORY: SPEAKING OF SLAVERY IN NEW YORK

The representation of history continues to evolve in the domain of museum exhibitions. This evolution is informed in part by the creation of new display methods―many of which depart from the traditional conventions used to achieve the "museum effect"―in part by an increased attention to the museum-visitor relationship. In this context the ethical force of bearing witness, at times a crucial aspect of the museum experience, has emerged as a particularly compelling issue. In seeking to represent and address atrocity, injustice, and the abrogation of human rights, museums have the potential to become "sites of conscience" and to encourage "historical consciousness." Through a series of three exhibitions devoted to slavery, the New-York Historical Society demonstrated how such sites can be constructed and how objects can be deployed to represent extreme or "limit cases." In this review/essay I investigate and interrogate these exhibitions, looking closely at the use of objects as a source of "indirect testimony" (Marc Bloch) and at the "dialogical situation" (Paul Ricoeur) that might arise in an encounter among objects, exhibit narratives, and visitors. Thinking in terms of point of view, I look at the variety of rhetorical platforms from which objects speak in these exhibitions; thinking in terms of syntax, I look at the effects of ordering and of the radical juxtaposition of objects; thinking in terms of irony, I look at the provocations of double-voiced narratives and at how objects are used to support those historical sentences.
Bias in estimating the systematic risk of extreme performers: Implications for financial analysis, the leverage effect, and long-run reversals

Abstract We show how bias can arise systematically in the beta estimates of extreme performers when long-run return reversals are present and partly, or wholly, due to sign changes in unanticipated factor realizations. Our evidence is consistent with this bias being responsible for the large shifts in the beta estimates of extreme performers, more so than the leverage effect, which has been the predominant explanation in prior literature. Bias in these contemporaneous realized betas, estimated with the same returns that are to be risk adjusted, arises due to the general problem of “overconditioning,” where betas are estimated conditional on information that is not yet known. Several methods for conditioning betas on out-of-sample returns are evaluated and found to be lacking, although some offer improvement under certain circumstances. We also show evidence of this bias in the Fama–French Three-factor loadings of extreme performers. Our findings indicate not only that previous studies of long-run reversals understate contrarian profits but that bias is prevalent in the OLS beta estimates of extreme performers, and this has implications for estimating the cost of capital and measuring long-run performance. We offer recommendations for identifying when this bias is likely present, as well as general methods to correct for it.
Implementation of Smoothed Profile Modeling in Two Phase Flow Analysis of RBCs in Blood

Analysis of blood as a two phase flow of densely packed finite size particles is a challenging problem that requires a numerical approach that can efficiently and accurately handle large numbers of objects moving through a fluid. Numerical schemes such as the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian method (ALE), Distributed Lagrangian Multiplier (DLM) or the Immersed Boundary Method (IBM) are useful for simulating particulate flows. However, in the development of a multiscale framework where the dynamics of particles may be evolved at different scales, these methods may be too expensive for the desired resolution.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
On the Sensory Discrimination of Intensities.

Although the relationship between sensory intensity and physical intensity of the excitatory agency cannot be directly established, it is possible to measure properties' of the process whereby sensorial discriminations of differences of intensity are achieved. This is the classical problem of psychophysics. -It is also a type problem for experimental biology. In general, as in the case of sensory intensity, the nature of the event or process which controls and determines a particular sort of regularity in the performance of an organism is not open to direct examination; it must be inferred from its quantitative properties. Inferences of this sort are likely to be based upon the use of averages of measurements of performance. An examination of the properties of the data of intensity discrimination indicates that such use of averages may be misleading, significantly in the sense that it involves ignoring a large part of the really useful information the measurements give. Averaging is commonly employed as a means of overcoming variation in the individual measurements. This variation, however, in homogeneous series of measurements, is a definite property of the reacting or performing organism, and cannot be dismissed as "experimental error"; its laws are discoverable, and describe an essential aspect of the process by virtue of which the measurements arise.1 A homogeneous series of measurements is one involving equal numbers of measurements on each organism at various values of the inciting variable, based upon the performance of either (a) a single individual, within a period in which the absence of irreversible spontaneous or other changes in capacity for performance is demonstrable; or (b) a group of individuals genetically alike and otherwise demonstrated to be effectively equivalent for the purpose of the measurements.2'1
Quadro: a solution to packet switching in optical transmission networks

Abstract To provide very high end-to-end bandwidth, all-optical networks need to maintain the transmitted information in the optical domain throughout the network. Through packet switching, this bandwidth can then be flexibly shared among a large number of users according to the demands of their applications. In this process users need to share the various optical communication-handling network resources, such as wavelengths, switches, receivers and transmitters. Extant packet switching solutions, based on electronic buffering and processing, are not appropriate for the optical environment, as, due to the relatively slower electronic rates, their use leads to the “electronic performance bottleneck”. In this paper we overview a recent approach termed Quadro (Queueing Arrivals for Delayed Reception/Routing Operation), that supports the sharing of resources in an optical system without the need for O/E and E/O conversions, or electronic buffering and processing of the data packets. We then show how the Quadro resource sharing solution can be generalized to provide optical packet switching. The proposed solution opens a new direction for optical networking, allowing optical network realization without the need to wait for the technological realization of optical processing devices to replace the relatively slow nodal electronic processing in existing networks. The design and operation of Quadro is presented and demonstrated for different types of LAN and MAN systems.
Synapses and Growth Cones on Two Sides of a Highwire

The formation of the nervous system during embryonic development is controlled by a complex network of signaling pathways which ensure proper migration and targeting of neuronal projections. Likewise, the function of the adult nervous system relies on complex dynamic interactions between the presynaptic and postsynaptic terminals. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the molecular pathways underlying these seemingly distinct processes. These studies reveal that the conserved E3 ubiquitin ligase PHR (PAM, highwire Rpm-1) controls a regulatory protein degradation pathway essential both for axonal targeting during embryonic development as well as for the proper formation and function of neuron muscular junctions (NMJ).
Estimation of torsional-flutter probability in flexible bridges considering randomness in flutter derivatives

Abstract Torsional-flutter instability is an aeroelastic phenomenon of interest to the bridge engineer, corresponding to a torsionally unstable vibration regime of the deck driven by wind excitation and appearing beyond a certain critical wind velocity. In this study a method for the derivation of the flutter probability for long-span bridges with bluff decks is proposed. In the first part of this study the deterministic problem is addressed. In contrast with the classical solution method in the frequency domain based on a numerical procedure for assessing the critical wind velocity, a single-mode “closed-form” algorithm for the derivation of the critical velocity was investigated. A polynomial representation of the aeroelastic-loading coefficients (flutter derivatives), necessary for torsional-flutter analysis, was utilized. In the second part an algorithm for estimating the torsional-flutter probability was developed, considering randomness in bridge properties, and flutter derivatives in particular due to their preeminent role in torsional-flutter velocity estimation. Experimental errors in the extraction of flutter derivatives from wind tunnel tests were analyzed. The “closed-form” algorithm, developed in the first part, allowed for a direct numerical solution of the flutter probability in a simple way. The torsional-flutter probability for three simulated bridge models with rectangular closed-box and truss-type girder deck was numerically determined. A set of experimental data, available from the literature, was employed. The simulations enabled the validation of the proposed algorithm.
Processes of fear-reduction in systematic desensitization: Cognitive and social reinforcement factors in humans

Systematic desensitization (SD) is a technique which usually takes place in a social context and involves the use of imagery and possibly other symbolic/cognitive processes as well. Research and theory bearing on these two sets of uniquely human variables are critically reviewed. The main conclusions are as follows: (a) a conceptualization of SD as a procedure which is effective via the induction of counterphobic cognitions has failed to find replicable support and is, furthermore, questionable on a priori grounds because of the doubtful relevance of attribution theory to the alteration of severe, long-standing phobias; (b) expectation of gain can produce increments in beneficial effects arising from SD but does not appear to account for all improvement; (c) deliberately induced self-instructions may increase the efficacy of SD and may, furthermore, be operating in uncontrolled but important ways in the procedure as currently practiced; (d) the word “cognitive” is used in both a descriptive and an explanatory sense in the literature, threatening even more obfuscation than already exists; (e) experiments designed to determine the role of the desensitizer as a social reinforcer for increased (imaginal) approach behavior are either inappropriate in conception, confounded in design, or productive of inconclusive results; and (f) stimulus-response formulations are proposed not to be ipso facto incapable of usefully conceptualizing and manipulating covert processes, including imagery.
Results after laparoscopic lysis of adhesions and placement of seprafilm for intractable abdominal pain.

Background: The surgical treatment of patients with chronic abdominal pain resulting from intraabdominal adhesions is controversial. We report our experience with treatment of this challenging patient population using laparoscopic lysis of adhesions (LOA) and placement of Seprafilm (Genzyme, Cambridge, MA, USA). Methods: The participants in this study were 19 consecutive patients (2 men and 17 women) who underwent laparoscopic LOA and placement of Seprafilm between July 1998 and July 2001. Patients with abdominal pain resulting from irritable bowel syndrome, hernias, or endometriosis were excluded. The patients had undergone a mean of 6.4 previous abdominal procedures (range, 1–14) and 2.3 previous LOAs (range, 0–10). They had experienced chronic, intractable abdominal pain for at least 4 months (range, 4–180). Eight patients had preoperative obstructive symptoms. Results: A completely laparoscopic procedure was used to treat 16 patients, whereas the procedure for 3 patients was converted to open surgery because of dense adhesions. Perioperative complications included two patients in whom enterocutaneous fistulae developed and one patient with intraabdominal hematoma. At follow-up (mean, 9.6 months; range, 1–32 months), 14 patients (73.7%) had completely discontinued all pain medications. At this writing, 12 of these patients are completely symptom free. Two patients are taking nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as needed, and three patients require round-the-clock narcotics. Three patients were readmitted with small bowel obstruction, which was managed nonoperatively. One patient had diagnostic laparoscopy for recurrent pain 6 months postoperatively, but had no adhesions. Conclusion: Chronic intractable abdominal pain is relieved in most patients via this approach. Repeat laparoscopy in two patients showed no intraabdominal adhesions. Laparoscopic LOA and placement of Seprafilm is an excellent approach to this challenging patient population with symptoms caused by intraabdominal adhesions.
Distribution of Tissue Kallikreins in Lower Vertebrates: Potential Physiological Roles for Fish Kallikreins

Fish skeletal muscle prokallikrein was purified from black sea bass, Centropritis striata, and used for the production of polyclonal antiserum. Tissue proteins from primitive fish and teleosts, an alligator, and an insectivore were resolved by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blotted, and probed with fish muscle prokallikrein antiserum. A recurring theme was the presence of approximately 36 and 72 kDa kallikrein-like proteins in skeletal muscle, heart, gill, kidney, and spleen of higher teleosts and in selected tissues of sturgeon, shark, alligator, and mole. The presence of immunoreactive kallikreins in osmoregulatory organs such as the gills of teleosts and the rectal gland of sharks signifies a potential role for these proteins in osmoregulation. Black sea bass, rock bass, and sturgeon contained many immunoreactive kallikreins in their swimbladders, which implicates a role for kallikreins in the regulation of blood flow and vascular permeability to facilitate gas exchange within the bladder. Kallikreins were consistently identified in skeletal muscle and heart of all the species evaluated and may regulate local blood flow, muscle contraction or relaxation, or participate in various transport processes. The antiserum to fish prokallikrein recognized immunoreactive kallikreins from pancreatic tissues from fish and lower vertebrates, but not from the pyloric caecum of sea bass. The wide distribution of tissue kallikrein in lower vertebrates suggests that it may participate in a variety of physiological functions.
Mist therapy: Rationale and practice

Nasal respiration permits the bulk of humidification of inspired air to be performed in the nose; oral respiration shifts the burden of humidification distally. Nebulization therapy, by decreasing the drying effect of inspired air on upper airway mucous membranes and by deposition of droplets on the mucus and exudates of the lower airways, would be anticipated to be of value in disorders of the airways. Jet nebulizers produce mist with moisture content 25 to 35 mg. H 2 O per liter. Their efficiency can be increased through the use of saline or propylene glycol. Ultrasonic nebulizers produce mists with moisture content up to 175 mg. H 2 O per liter of air. The approach to nebulization therapy is greatly altered by the site of pathology, and the presence or absence of nasal respiration. The proper position of nebulization in the physician's armamentarium has not been established.
Late quaternary uplift rates of marine terraces on the Pacific coast of North America, southern Oregon to Baja California sur

Abstract Marine terraces are common landforms along the Pacific coast of North America from southern Oregon to southern Baja California. We report 60 new uranium-series ages of marine terrace corals, hydrocorals, and other fossils. Terraces representing the ca. 80 ka and ca. 125 ka high stands of sea are the most common along the Pacific coast and we have used these ages, along with terrace shoreline angle elevations and paleo-sea-level estimates, to calculate Late Quaternary uplift rates. Uplift rates in the forearc region of the Cascadia subduction zone range from 0.45–1.08 m/kyr. Farther south, along most of the coast west of the San Andreas fault zone, uplift rates range from 0.15–0.35 m/kyr, but some areas have significantly higher rates of uplift and others have apparently experienced little or no uplift in the last 125 ka. In Baja California Sur, west of the East Pacific Rise, little or no uplift has occurred during the Late Quaternary. On average, the magnitude of rates of uplift for the tectonic regimes is as follows: Cascadia subduction zone > San Andreas fault zone region > East Pacific Rise region.
The effects of rearing light level and duration differences on the optic nerve, brain, and associated structures in developing zebrafish larvae: a light and transmission electron microscope study

The ultrastructure of the optic nerve, brain, and some associated structures of larval zebrafish, grown under three different light regimens were studied. Fish grown under cyclic light (control), constant dark (CD), and constant light (CL) were studied for 4 and 8 days postfertilization (dpf). We also studied the control and CD fish at 15 dpf. The brains of the control and CL fish were larger at 4 dpf than at 8 dpf. In all 4 dpf fish, the brain occupied the entire expanse between the two retinas and the optic nerve extended the shortest distance between the retina and the brain. The 15 dpf zebrafish had the smallest brain size. Groups of skeletal muscle cells associated with the optic nerves became visible in all older larvae. In the 15 dpf larvae, bulges and dilations in the optic nerve occurred as it reached the brain and optic chiasms occurred proximal to the brain. Electron microscopy yielded information about myelinated and unmyelinated axons in the optic nerve, the dimensions of neurotubules, neurofilaments, and myofilaments, including a unique variation in actin myofilaments, and a confirmation of reported myosin myofilament changes (but with dimensions). We also describe the ultrastructure of a sheath-like structure that is confluent over the optic nerve and the brain, which has not been described before in zebrafish. Also presented are images of associated fibroblasts, epithelial cells lining the mouth, cartilage plates, blood vessels, nerve bundles, and skeletal muscle cells, most of which have not been previously described in the literature.
Inheritance of a Long Terminal Raceme in Soybean

The objective of this study was to determine the inheritance of long terminal racemes in soybean. Crosses were made between two breeding lines with long terminal racemes and two commercial cultivars with short terminal racemes
Isolation of prolactin from human amniotic fluid.

Abstract Amniotic fluid, obtained from women at term, was centrifuged and concentrated by ultrafiltration. The concentrated amniotic fluid was purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The fractions obtained during purification procedures were assayed for prolactin and somatotropin activities by respective radioimmunoassays. The prolactin-rich fraction obtained from ion-exchange chromatography was further purified by isoelectricfocusing. A yield of 0.21 mg of highly purified prolactin containing 40 units/mg was obtained from 1 liter of the amniotic fluid. The prolactin was free of somatotropin and human placental lactogen.
Excitation spectrum of bismuth donors in silicon

The excitation spectrum of the group-V impurity bismuth in silicon has been studied using quantitative uniaxial stress and polarized radiation in conjunction with a high-performance spectrometer and data processing system. This investigation revealed several transitions not reported previously for any donor impurity in silicon, as well as several not reported for this impurity; the energies of all these transitions agree with the calculations of Faulkner. The shear deformation potential constant ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}_{u}$ of the $\ensuremath{\Delta}$-conduction-band minima of silicon has been determined from the effect of uniaxial stress on the excitation spectrum of this impurity; the value of ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}_{u}=8.70\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.18$ eV agrees very well with earlier measurements using other donor spectra. Harris and Prohofsky and Rodriguez and Schultz have developed a theory for the anomalous width of the $2{p}_{0}$ transition in this spectrum based on the interpretation by Onton et al. that this is due to a resonant interaction with an optical phonon; the shape of this transition has been carefully compared with the theory using a curve-fitting program in conjunction with the use of uniaxial stress to vary one of the parameters in the theory, the energy of the electronic state. This comparison shows that the theory is qualitatively correct when the energy of the electronic state is larger than the resonance energy, and is inadequate both for the case of electronic energy smaller than the resonance energy and for the case of the interaction with the $2{p}_{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ state.
A Feasibility Investigation on Improving Structural Integrity of Thermoelectric Modules With Varying Geometry

This study investigates the feasibility of improving the structural integrity of thermoelectric modules (TEMs) with varying geometry. For this purpose, six different TEM models with various thermoelectric leg geometries were designed and modeled in order to perform a thermal stress FEA using ANSYS Workbench. Temperature dependent material properties were used since some properties such as coefficients of thermal expansion change with temperature. Significant decrease in thermal stresses and leg deformations were observed with some models. Particularly, the cylindrical TE leg geometry model has approximately 54% lower Von Mises stresses (294MPa) and 13% lower TE leg deformations (3.9μm) than those of the typical TE leg geometry model (635MPa and 4.5μm). Power generation analyses of the models were performed to evaluate the effect of new TE leg geometries on the performance. TEM model with cylindrical TE leg geometry has the highest power generation (29.3mW) among all the models.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
FATE OF OVARIES WHICH HAVE BEEN GRAFTED IN THE EAR FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME12

THE FIRST EVIDENCE of a dual hormone secretion from ovaries was probably collected by Lipschiitz (1), and has been more recently studied and analyzed by an increasing group of workers (2–13). Some investigators (9, 14, 15) have found some androgenic activity as a result of injection of corpus luteum materials in castrated male rats although negative results were obtained in the mouse (5). Takewaki (7, 8) has studied the effect of ovarian androgens on the mouse adrenal, and also the effect of transplanting the adrenal. Zuckerman and Groome (11) recently made an interesting and thorough study of an intersexed pig, and discussed the presence of structures and possible correlation with physiology. Lipschiitz (12,) stated, relative to his work in the guinea pig, that experimentally produced ovarian androgenie activity was in no way correlated with histological changes suggestive of intersexuality. He further stated that medullary ovarian tubules and epithelial development does not necessarily mean androgenic a...
In vitro induction of crawling in the amoeboid sperm of the nematode parasite, Ascaris suum

In a highly synchronous process, the immotile spermatids of Ascaris suum extend pseudopods and become rapidly crawling sperm when treated with an extract from the glandular vas deferens of the male under strict anaerobic conditions. Within 9-12 min, a pseudopod develops, elongates rapidly, and exhibits a continuous flow of membrane specializations, the villipodia, from tip toward base. When attached to acid-washed glass, the pseudopod pulls the cell body along at speeds exceeding 70 microns/min. The pseudopod length remains constant while retrograde flow of villipodia proceeds at the same rate as the sperm's forward movement. Cohorts of about 15 villipodia form at the leading edge, move rearward together, and disappear at the junction of pseudopod and cell body. These are the terminations of branched, refringent fibers, which extend the length of the pseudopod. The latter are the fiber complexes that form its cytoskeleton (Sepsenwol et al.: Journal of Cell Biology 108:55-66, 1989). Locomoting cells sometimes change direction when another crawls by and follow each other. When cells are exposed to air, forward movement ceases in a predictable pattern: the forward extension of the leading edge ceases, the pseudopod shortens from the base, and the cell body continues to be pulled forward. These data contribute to a model for Ascaris sperm amoeboid motility in which independent processes of continuous extension at the leading edge and continuous shortening at the base of the pseudopod act to propel the cell forward.
pH effects on collagen fibrillogenesis in vitro: Electrostatic interactions and phosphate binding

Abstract Collagen self-assembly in vitro was conducted in the pH range from 6.0 to 10.5 at 30 °C in order to investigate the electrostatic interactions that occur during fibril formation. A sigmoidal curve was observed in the growth rate of fibrils. Collagen fibril morphologies imaged by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) present bundling of fibrils with a small amount of non-fibrillar collagen. At a low pH of 6.6, collagen molecules form small fibrils with a diameter of 85 nm. In the pH range from 6.9 to 8.0, they form fibrils with a diameter of approximately 200 nm, even though the rate of fibrillogenesis accelerates with increasing pH in this range. Zeta potential measurements of soluble collagen indicate that the net surface charge of collagen molecules is not only affected by the pH of medium but also by the presence of added salts. The acceleration of fibrillogenesis rate with increasing pH from 6.6 to 9.2 is consistent with a reduction of surface net charge since the isoelectric point of soluble collagen is approached. The native D-periodicity of 62 nm was found except at pH 7.1 where collagen molecules form short banding of 50–60 nm in the early stage of fibrillogenesis which might be caused by an unusual alignment of collagen molecules in fibrils.
Model Checking Implicit-Invocation Systems

While implicit invocation (publish-subscribe) systems have good engineering properties, they are difficult to reason about and to test. Model checking such systems is an attractive alternative. However, it is not clear what kinds of state models are best suited for this. In this paper, we propose a structural approach, which factors the model-checking problem into two parts: behavior specific to a particular implicit invocation system, and reusable run-time infrastructure that handles event-based communication and delivery policies. The reusable portion is itself structured so that alternative run-time mechanisms may be experimented with.
Spatial heterogeneity in soil nutrient supply modulates nutrient and biomass responses to multiple global change drivers in model grassland communities

Changes in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide ([CO2]), nutrient availability and biotic diversity are three major drivers of the ongoing global change impacting terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. While it is well established that soil nutrient heterogeneity exerts a strong influence on the development of plant individuals and communities, it is virtually unknown how nutrient heterogeneity and global change drivers interact to affect plant performance and ecosystem functioning. We conducted a microcosm experiment to evaluate the effect of simultaneous changes in [CO2], nutrient heterogeneity (NH), nutrient availability (NA) and species evenness on the biomass and nutrient uptake patterns of assemblages formed by Lolium perenne, Plantago lanceolata and Holcus lanatus. When the nutrients were heterogeneously supplied, assemblages exhibited precise root foraging patterns, and had higher above- and belowground biomass (average increases of 32% and 29% for above- and belowground biomass, respectively). Nutrient heterogeneity also modulated the effects of NA on biomass production, complementarity in nitrogen uptake and below: aboveground ratio, as well as those of [CO2] on the nutrient use efficiency at the assemblage level. Our results show that nutrient heterogeneity has the potential to influence the response of plant assemblages to simultaneous changes in [CO2], nutrient availability and biotic diversity, and suggest that it is an important environmental factor to interpret and assess plant assemblage responses to global change.
Rearrangement of energetic and substrate utilization networks compensate for chronic myocardial creatine kinase deficiency.

Non-Technical Summary Continuous and vigorous heart work is powered by the energetic grid consisting of mitochondria, miniature ATP-generating fuel cells, and molecular connecting circuits transferring and distributing high-energy phosphoryls. The creatine kinase (CK) phosphotransfer circuit is the major component of the energetic network, coupling mitochondria with ATP utilization sites, and CK deficiency is a hallmark of cardiovascular diseases. Identification of mechanisms that compensate for reduced CK function would foster approaches leading to recovery and repair of injured hearts. Here, using advanced stable isotope metabolic technologies, we demonstrate that genetic CK deficiency induces a shift in heart energy distribution and substrate utilization networks by redirecting phosphotransfer flux through alternative adenylate kinase, glycolytic and guanine nucleotide systems. Such energetic re-wiring, together with increased mitochondrial and glycolytic capacities, defines an adaptive metabolomic phenotype of CK deficiency. These findings advance our understanding of cellular energetic infrastructure and provide new perspectives for regulation of energy distribution in disease states. Abstract Plasticity of the cellular bioenergetic system is fundamental to every organ function, stress adaptation and disease tolerance. Here, remodelling of phosphotransfer and substrate utilization networks in response to chronic creatine kinase (CK) deficiency, a hallmark of cardiovascular disease, has been revealed in transgenic mouse models lacking either cytosolic M-CK (M-CK−/−) or both M-CK and sarcomeric mitochondrial CK (M-CK/ScCKmit−/−) isoforms. The dynamic metabolomic signatures of these adaptations have also been defined. Tracking perturbations in metabolic dynamics with 18O and 13C isotopes and 31P NMR and mass spectrometry demonstrate that hearts lacking M-CK have lower phosphocreatine (PCr) turnover but increased glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P) turnover, glucose utilization and inorganic phosphate compartmentation with normal ATP γ-phosphoryl dynamics. Hearts lacking both M-CK and sarcomeric mitochondrial CK have diminished PCr turnover, total phosphotransfer capacity and intracellular energetic communication but increased dynamics of β-phosphoryls of ADP/ATP, G-6-P and γ-/β-phosphoryls of GTP, indicating redistribution of flux through adenylate kinase (AK), glycolytic and guanine nucleotide phosphotransfer circuits. Higher glycolytic and mitochondrial capacities and increased glucose tolerance contributed to metabolic resilience of M-CK/ScCKmit−/− mice. Multivariate analysis revealed unique metabolomic signatures for M-CK−/− and M-CK/ScCKmit−/− hearts suggesting that rearrangements in phosphotransfer and substrate utilization networks provide compensation for genetic CK deficiency. This new information highlights the significance of integrated CK-, AK-, guanine nucleotide- and glycolytic enzyme-catalysed phosphotransfer networks in supporting the adaptivity and robustness of the cellular energetic system.
Finding Common Ground: Shared Benefits of the PMI PMBOK and the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook

The evidence for the need to have further collaboration between systems engineering (SE) and project management (PM) is all around us: in the rampant overruns in our technology projects, in the increased internal organizational friction, in the clinging to archaic technologies for fear of what may come next. This paper investigates two leading guides for these organizations: the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook (SE) Handbook and the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Research indicates three areas for collaboration that might benefit integrating the two: defining tasks, integrated risk management, and stakeholder management.
Language dominance determined by magnetic source imaging: a comparison with the Wada procedure.

Objective: To evaluate the validity of data derived from magnetic source imaging (MSI) regarding cerebral dominance for language in patients with intractable seizure disorder.Method:— The authors performed functional imaging of the receptive language cortex using a whole-head neuromagnetometer in 26 consecutive epilepsy patients who also underwent the intracarotid amobarbital (Wada) procedure. During MSI recordings, patients engaged in a word recognition task. This task was shown previously to activate language areas in normal adults as well as in patients who undergo intraoperative language mapping, allowing confirmation of MSI findings. Language laterality indices were formed for both the Wada and the MSI procedures. In addition, clinical judgments regarding cerebral dominance for language were made using the two methods by independent raters. Results: Cluster analysis indicated excellent agreement between the quantitative MSI and Wada indices. Rater judgments showed almost complete agreement as well. Conclusion: MSI is a promising method for determining cerebral dominance for language.
New stability criteria for systems with time-varying delay

This paper studies the problem of stability for continuous-time systems with time-varying delay. By defining novel Lyapunov functionals and using the Jenson integral inequality, new delay-dependent stability conditions are obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Unlike previous methods, the upper bound of the delay derivative is taken into consideration even if this upper bound is greater than or equal to 1. It is proved that the newly proposed criteria may introduce less conservatism than some existing ones. Meanwhile, the computational complexity of the presented stability criteria is reduced greatly since fewer decision variables are involved. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Ecological energetics of decomposer invertebrates in a deciduous forest and total respiration budget

The analysis of ecosystems has recently received the increasing attention of investigators as they attempt to characterize the functional dynamics of natural systems by quantifying their component processes and the interconnections of these processes. The ecosystem concept implies that an understanding of the processes and their interactions can provide the ability to predict changes in ecosystem behavior resulting from changes imposed on those processes. While many attributes of ecosystems can be characterized, all are inextricably related to the carbon and mineral element metabolism by organisms composing that system.
The CIPRES science gateway: a community resource for phylogenetic analyses

The CIPRES Science Gateway (CSG) provides researchers and educators with browser-based access to community codes for inference of phylogenetic relationships from DNA and protein sequence data. The CSG allows users to deploy jobs on the high-performance computers of the TeraGrid without requiring detailed knowledge of their complexities. Use of the CSG has grown rapidly; through March 2011 it had more than 2,200 users and enabled more than 180 peer-reviewed publications. The rapid growth in resource consumption was accommodated by deploying codes on Trestles, a new TeraGrid computer. Tools and policies were developed to insure efficient and effective resource use. This paper describes progress in managing the growth of this public cyberinfrastructure resource and reviews the domain science that it has enabled.
Normal stresses on the surface of a rigid body in an Oldroyd-B fluid

We present a proof showing that the contribution from the extra stress tensor to the normal component of the stress on the surface of a moving rigid body in an incompressible Oldroyd-B fluid is zero
Nucleon-Nucleon Interactions at Energies greater than 1012 eV

An emulsion stack consisting of 100 sheets of Ilford G-5. 15 x 30 cm, and flown for 8 hr at 104,000 feet on a Skyhook balloon flight over Texas ( lambda = 41 deg N),was scanned for high-energy events. Two events seemed particularly suitable for analysis. The first event can be interpreted as a nucleon-nucleon interaction in which a high-enengy proton collided with a hydrogen nucleus or a single proton on the periphery of a heavy nucleus. The angular distribution of the secondaries was measured. and the momentum of each individual track was determined by the measurement of multiple Coulomb scattering. It was found that particles in the central core of the shower carried such a high energy that the momentum could be deternfined only by usuig track-to-track scatteming. Utilizing this method, moments up to about 100 Bev/c were measurable. Knowing the momenta and angular distrlbution of secondaries, it was possible to deduce a reliable estimate of the energy of the primary proton of 5 x 10/sup 12/ ev. The average energy of the charged particles was only 1.4 Bev. The second event was found at a distance of 5.7 cm from the primary star. a neutral interaction consisting ofmore » a high-energy fet. The distance from the origin indicates the event was produced by a K/sup 0/. a neutron, or an antineutron. The energy and angular distributions were analyzed and indicated the neutral particles had an energy of 2 x lO/sup 12/ ev. (A.C.)« less
Beating Market Expectations, Analysts’ Forecasts Dispersion and the Pricing of Credit Default Swaps

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of beating analysts’ forecasts and the impact of analysts’ forecast dispersion on the pricing of firms’ credit default swaps (CDSs). CDS premium is the compensation required by investors for bearing firms’ credit default risk. Sell-side analysts collect market, industry and firm information and provide important information in the form of stock recommendations, stock price targets and accounting number forecasts. For that reason, the information contained in their forecasts may provide additional information to investors to price CDSs. My results show that firms that beat analysts’ earnings and revenue forecasts, and firms with less dispersed analysts’ earnings and revenue forecasts have on average a reduction in their CDS premia around the earnings announcement date. These effects are stronger for firm that jointly beat the two forecasts and for firms with high risk of default. I also document that the effect of beating analysts’ earnings (revenue) forecasts is stronger for firms with more (less) earnings quality.
Multiple Scattering of Neutrons

A variational principle is derived for the probability that a neutron, incident upon a body of arbitrary shape and suffering multiple collisions within the body, will be absorbed by the body. Using...
Alcohol Use and the Alcohol Use Disorders Over the Life Course: A Cross‐Level Developmental Review

We review the diagnostic criteria and core defining characteristics of the alcohol use disorder (AUD) phenotype and briefly characterize the epidemiology of alcohol use, problems, and disorder. We also describe the heterogeneity that exists in emergence and course of both nonspecific and alcohol-specific risk, and summarize the evidence for cross-level causal influences for these multiple phenotypes from early childhood to late adulthood. Separate sections address the genetic etiology of behavioral risk, and the salience of individual differences in the neural circuitry of risk for underlying problem use and addiction. Last, we assemble the empirical findings that have individually characterized segments of the dense causal network of gene x brain x behavior x environment x development pathways that define the multilevel, interactive matrix for behavioral undercontrol, alcohol problems, and alcohol use disorder. Keywords: nonspecific risks; specific risk; heterogeneity of course; genetics of use, abuse, and disorder; neural circuitry; G×ExD
The Scientist as Illustrator

Proficiency in art and illustration was once considered an essential skill for biologists, because text alone often could not suffice to describe observations of biological systems. With modern imaging technology, it is no longer necessary to illustrate what we can see by eye. However, in molecular and cellular biology, our understanding of biological processes is dependent on our ability to synthesize diverse data to generate a hypothesis. Creating visual models of these hypotheses is important for generating new ideas and for communicating to our peers and to the public. Here, I discuss the benefits of creating visual models in molecular and cellular biology and consider steps to enable researchers to become more effective visual communicators.