cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and biochemical characterization of the 19-kDa signal recognition particle RNA-binding protein expressed as a hexahistidine-tagged polypeptide in Escherichia coli.

Abstract The signal recognition particle (SRP) is a ribonucleoprotein complex that mediates translocation of proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum. Protein SRP19 is an essential structural component of SRP and is believed to promote assembly of the particle. In order to have a convenient source for the purification of milligram amounts of SRP19, we expressed in Escherichia coli a human SRP19 cDNA with an amino-terminal addition of six histidine residues. Expression at 25°C eliminated formation of insoluble SRP19 and resulted in accumulation of soluble hexahistidine-SRP19 to 68% of total cell protein after 24 h. Metal chelation chromatography yielded 40 mg of hexahistidine-SRP19 per liter of culture, with a purity slightly greater than 97%. To examine protein function, the RNA–binding properties of the purified protein were determined by RNA electromobility shift assays. The histidine-tagged SRP19 bound specifically to a 150-nucleotide RNA derived from SRP RNA, with an apparent K d of 1 n m , and bound, with greatly reduced affinity, to a mutagenized form of the SRP RNA derivative that contained an altered helix 6 tetranucleotide loop. The purified protein was also photochemically crosslinked to the 150-nucleotide SRP RNA fragment, providing the means to potentially identify portions of hexahistidine-SRP19 which are in close proximity to the RNA molecule.
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN NORMAL CHILDREN AND EARLY ADOLESCENTS

This study assessed 4 dimensions of aggression (A): Physical aggression against peers (PAAP), verbal aggression against adults (VAAA), aggressive impulses (AI) and aggressive inhibitory responses (AIR). 43 boys and 63 girls aged 10-12 years completed the Olweus Multifacted Aggression Inventory following Tanner staging. 36% of boys (Pub-B) and 45% of girls (Pub-G) were in early puberty (EP). The remaining boys (Pre-B) and girls (Pre-G) were prepubertal. Wilcoxon's signed ranks test for independent samples was used to compare median Olweus scores (OS). Pub-B had higher PAAP scores (p<.001) and boderline higher VAAA scores (g=1.90) than Pre-B who had higher AIR scores (p<.05). Pub-B had higher VAAA (p<.05) and PAAP (p<.001) scores than Pub-G who had higher AIR scores (p<.01). AI scores were the same in all groups. There were no differences in any OS scores between Pre-B and Pre-G nor between Pre-G and Pub-G. The finding that OS do not differ in Pre-G vs. Pre-B suggests that sex related variables influencing A are randomly distributed before EP. The higher OS in Pub-B may reflect changes associated with EP, ie. increase in testosterone. The failure to detect differences in AI suggests that the feelings of A are similar in both sexes, before and during EP. Higher AIR scores in Pub-G vs. Pub-B suggests that control of AI is different between sexes. Sex related variables associated with EP may play a role in the development of A in normal youth.
Appalachian Anxiety: Race, Gender, and the Paradox of “Purity” in an Age of Empire, 1873–1901

Abstract This article positions emergent interest in the southern mountains at the end of the nineteenth century within the broader context of U.S. imperialism and immigration. In these years, observers proclaimed that the Appalachian South was a reserve of “pure American stock.” Accordingly, Appalachian people were said to have provided a bulwark to the effects of immigration within the nation, but equally as crucial, the region was protected from the supposedly dangerous racial contamination that occurred from exposure to, and contact with, colonized peoples abroad. However, other observers recorded dangerous levels of moral and behavioral decline in the mountain South. This article exposes the tension of an allegedly superior population that is perceived to have declined into abject poverty and moral depravity. Doing so provides insight as to why Appalachia looms as a contradictory place of much fascination in the U.S. cultural imaginary.
Polyphyly of Caddoidea, reinstatement of the family Acropsopilionidae in Dyspnoi, and a revised classification system of Palpatores (Arachnida, Opiliones)

Among the least studied harvestmen are the members of the family Caddidae sensu Shear, 1975, a group of Opiliones with massive eyes and the putative sister group of the remaining Eupnoi. Caddids were originally described as two families, Caddidae and Acropsopilionidae, but these are currently treated as subfamilies of Caddidae. These minute arachnids are rarely collected and present some interesting biogeographical patterns, including a disjunct distribution between East Asia and eastern North America, and some of the few cases of trans-Pacific genera in southern hemisphere Opiliones. We therefore obtained samples from most of the landmasses inhabited by Caddidae and undertook a phylogenetic study using nuclear and mitochondrial genes for as many samples as possible. Our results, based on a broad taxonomic sampling, surprisingly showed polyphyly of Caddidae, with the genus Caddo forming the sister group of the remaining Eupnoi, whereas the southern hemisphere genera, many of which were originally placed in Acropsopilionidae, within Dyspnoi, formed the sister clade of the remaining Dyspnoi. In addition, the more recently described genus Hesperopilio, from Western Australia and Chile, was unrelated to either Caddidae or Acropsopilionidae, despite having the supposedly diagnostic large ocularium, and instead appeared deeply nested within the Eupnoi superfamily Phalangioidea. Our results are robust to analytical treatment and to homology scheme (dynamic vs. static notions of homology), resulting in a new phylogenetic proposal for Eupnoi and Dyspnoi. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that the ancestral Palpatores was probably a tiny harvestman with an enlarged ocularium and glandular palpal setae in its enlarged and armed palps. We take the following taxonomic actions: Acropsopilionidae is removed from synonymy under Caddidae and its family status and membership in Dyspnoi are restored. Hesperopilio Shear, 1996 is removed from Caddoidea/Caddidae and transferred to Phalangioidea, but it is not assigned to any family.
Precise quantitation of palgg: A new radiometric microtechnique

We report the development of a radiometric assay for platelet-bound IgG that is both sensitive and quantitative. The assay utilized 96-well millititer plates incorporating a 0.2 microns filter membrane in the bottom. A 125I-labeled monoclonal antihuman IgG, as a secondary antibody, detected the platelet-bound human IgG. Since 5 x 10(6) platelets were used for each assay, tests for platelet-bound IgG can be performed on persons with severe thrombocytopenia. For the detection of circulating antiplatelet alloantibodies, as little as 10 microliters of platelet-free plasma per assay is required. Antiplatelet IgG was quantitated by using anti-PIA1 antibody that was purified with affinity and elution and DEAE chromatography. This purified antiplatelet antibody was labeled with 125I and was used to determine the binding ratio of secondary antibody to primary antibody. Under our standard conditions, this ratio was found to be stable at approximately 0.35 over the sensitivity range of the assay. The assay can detect approximately 200 molecules of human IgG per platelet (0.1 ng of secondary antibody bound per 5 x 10(6) platelets). It has a linear range from 0 to 7,000 molecules per platelet. Quantitation of anti-PIA1 binding for platelets stored for up to 6 months under refrigeration showed no change in number of PIA1 binding sites. Clinical studies showed that 18 of 19 ITP patients had an increased number of IgG molecules per platelet as did patients with malignancy and drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia. Patients who had received multiple platelet transfusions had antiplatelet antibody in their plasma. Normal amounts of PAIgG were observed in platelets and plasma of patients with nonimmune thrombocytopenia. The advantages of this method are that it is: 1) a more precise quantitation of PAIgG via direct measurement of binding ratio with PIA1 antibody; 2) performed with small amounts of platelets and plasma; 3) both sensitive and specific; and 4) reliably reproducible with both fresh and stored platelets.
Antagonists of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and of bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide (BN/GRP) suppress the expression of VEGF, bFGF, and receptors of the EGF/HER family in PC-3 and DU-145 human androgen-independent prostate cancers

BACKGROUND Antagonists of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) as well as antagonists of bombesin/gastrin releasing peptide (BN/GRP) inhibit the growth of various malignancies (cancers) including prostate cancer. METHODS We investigated the effects of GHRH antagonists MZ-J-7-118 and RC-J-29-18, BN/GRP antagonists RC-3940-II and RC-3940-Et and the combination of MZ-J-7-118 and RC-3940-II on the growth of PC-3 and DU-145 human androgen independent prostate cancers xenografted s.c. into nude mice. To elucidate the mechanisms of action of these analogs, growth factors like IGF-II (insulin-like growth factor-II), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and epidermal growth factor receptor/human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R/HER) family were measured in tumors as well as IGF-I in serum. RESULTS Antagonists of GHRH and BN/GRP alone or in combination significantly inhibited growth of PC-3 and DU-145 tumors, the greatest inhibition of tumor volume being achieved by combination of MZ-J-7-118 (5 μg/day) and RC-3940-II (10 μg/day). BN/GRP and GHRH antagonists and their combination also decreased the expression of VEGF significantly in PC-3 and non-significantly in DU-145, as measured by radioimmunoassay for VEGF protein and RT-PCR for mRNA levels of VEGF. GHRH and BN/GRP antagonists reduced bFGF concentrations and the maximal binding capacity of EGF receptors, and their mRNA levels in PC-3 and DU-145 tumors. mRNA levels for HER-2 and -3 were also diminished in PC-3 tumors by GHRH and BN/GRP antagonists. No changes in HER-4 were found after treatment. Serum IGF-I and tumoral IGF-II levels were not affected by the analogs. CONCLUSIONS BN/GRP and GHRH antagonists inhibit growth of PC-3 and DU-145 prostate cancers by suppressing the expression of tumoral growth factors such as VEGF and bFGF as well as the receptors for EGF and related HER-2 and -3. Additive effects on tumor inhibition (TI) in vivo, but not on VEGF, bFGF, or members of the EGF/HER receptor family, can be achieved by the joint administration of both classes of analogs. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Citizens' perceptions of aggressive traffic enforcement strategies

In this study we examine citizens' support for aggressive traffic enforcement strategies and discuss whether the implementation of two different types of traffic enforcement decreases public support. We also examine whether citizens' perceptions of crime, quality of life, and the police are influenced by an increased police presence in their neighborhood. The public opinion data presented here are taken from two experimental target areas and one comparison area. Overall the findings suggest that citizens strongly support aggressive traffic enforcement practices and that the implementation of such strategies does not reduce their support. Residents of areas where police are using these types of tactics do not think that the police are harassing them. Citizens living in one of the experimental areas are significantly more likely to support the police, and think that the police work well with the neighborhood. Residents of the areas that experienced two types of aggressive enforcement, however, did not think...
Biological Control of Chestnut Blight

After 77 years of being attacked by the chestnut blight fungus, American chestnut trees continue to sprout from gradually declining root systems. The blight fungus in Italy is now associated with virus-like agents that limit its pathogenicity, and attempts have been made to introduce these controlling agents into the blight fungus in the United States. If a way can be found to help the spread here of strains of the fungus with controlling agents, it may be possible to save the American chestnut trees in our eastern forests.
Cellular automaton models of the CA3 region of the hippocampus

From the known properties of the hippocampal slice the authors have abstracted a cellular automaton model that incorporates many of the features of the CA3 region of the hippocampus, but which represents the neurons as binary variables. The model is simple enough to allow efficient numerical simulation. Results of simulations of a finite-size model with up to 10000 neurons, as well as the properties of the corresponding infinite-size limit, are shown to be in good agreement with the observed collective behaviour of hippocampal slices.
Synthesis of interaction in multivariable control systems

A method for the synthesis of interactions in a multivariable system is proposed. The objective of the method is that of utilizing interactions advantageously in the control of multivariable systems. The method ensures the improvement of the performance of the system in a realistic and changeable environment. To effect a description of the environment, the inputs are regarded as belonging to an appropriate function space in the case of the deterministic problem. A vector space of statistical characteristics is utilized for statistical problems. The concept of the interacting domain is introduced to indicate the subset of the input space for which the superiority of the interacting system is guaranteed. Conditions for the existence of several types of interacting domains for linear systems are derived analytically and expressions for their boundaries are obtained. An experimental procedure is proposed for determining the interacting domains without reference to (oi knowledge of) the equations of the system. Several examples are discussed and further research areas in this direction are indicated.
Interplay between RORγt, Egr3, and E Proteins Controls Proliferation in Response to Pre-TCR Signals

The response of thymocytes to pre-T cell receptor (pre-TCR) signaling includes proliferation and gene rearrangement, two cellular processes that are incompatible. The control of proliferation by pre-TCR signals depends on the activities of the transcription factors RORgammat, Egr3, E12, and E47. Here, we describe a regulatory network in which interplay between these factors ensures transient proliferation that is temporally distinct from gene rearrangement. RORgammat expression was elevated after pre-TCR signaling, and RORgammat promoted gene rearrangement in CD4+, CD8+ cells by inhibiting cell division, promoting survival via Bcl-X(L), and inducing Rag2. Egr3 was transiently induced by pre-TCR signals and promoted a distinct proliferative phase by reducing E protein-dependent RORgammat expression and interacting with RORgammat to prevent induction of target genes. After Egr3 subsided, the expression and function of RORgammat increased. Thus, transient induction of Egr3 delays the effects of RORgammat and enables pre-TCR signaling to induce both proliferation and gene rearrangement.
Computational strategies for non-convex multistage MINLP models with decision-dependent uncertainty and gradual uncertainty resolution

In many planning problems under uncertainty the uncertainties are decision-dependent and resolve gradually depending on the decisions made. In this paper, we address a generic non-convex MINLP model for such planning problems where the uncertain parameters are assumed to follow discrete distributions and the decisions are made on a discrete time horizon. In order to account for the decision-dependent uncertainties and gradual uncertainty resolution, we propose a multistage stochastic programming model in which the non-anticipativity constraints in the model are not prespecified but change as a function of the decisions made. Furthermore, planning problems consist of several scenario subproblems where each subproblem is modeled as a nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear program. We propose a solution strategy that combines global optimization and outer-approximation in order to optimize the planning decisions. We apply this generic problem structure and the proposed solution algorithm to several planning problems to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method with respect to the method that uses only global optimization.
System-level integrated server architectures for scale-out datacenters

A System-on-Chip (SoC) integrates multiple discrete components into a single chip, for example by placing CPU cores, network interfaces and I/O controllers on the same die. While SoCs have dominated high-end embedded products for over a decade, system-level integration is a relatively new trend in servers, and is driven by the opportunity to lower cost (by reducing the number of discrete parts) and power (by reducing the pin crossings from the cores to the I/O). Today, the mounting cost pressures in scale-out dat-acenters demand technologies that can decrease the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). At the same time, the diminshing return of dedicating the increasing number of available transistors to more cores and caches is creating a stronger case for SoC-based servers.This paper examines system-level integration design options for the scale-out server market, specifically targeting datacenter-scale throughput computing workloads. We develop tools to model the area and power of a variety of discrete and integrated server configurations. We evaluate the benefits, trade-offs, and trends of system-level integration for warehouse-scale datacenter servers, and identify the key "uncore" components that reduce cost and power. We perform a comprehensive design space exploration at both SoC and datacenter level, identify the sweet spots, and highlight important scaling trends of performance, power, area, and cost from 45nm to 16nm. Our results show that system integration yields substantial benefits, enables novel aggregated configurations with a much higher compute density, and significantly reduces total chip area and dynamic power versus a discrete-component server.Finally, we use utilization traces and architectural profiles of real machines to evaluate the dynamic power consumption of typical scale-out cloud applications, and combine them in an overall TCO model. Our results show that, for example at 16nm, SoC-based servers can achieve more than a 26% TCO reduction at datacenter scale.
An intercomparison of bulk aerodynamic algorithms used over sea ice with data from the Surface Heat Budget for the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) experiment

[1] The presence of sea ice fundamentally changes the energy and momentum exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere in the Arctic. Thus an accurate representation of the surface turbulent fluxes in climate models is a necessity. An intercomparison of bulk aerodynamic algorithms that calculate surface turbulent fluxes in four climate and numerical weather prediction models is undertaken using data from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) field experiment, which occurred on the ice in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas north of Alaska from October 1997 to October 1998. Algorithm deficiencies include the consistently higher wind stresses produced by the Arctic Regional Climate System Model (ARCSYM) algorithm; the lower sensible heat fluxes under stable conditions by the algorithms in ARCSYM, the National Center for Environmental Prediction's Global Forecasting System model, and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model; and the lower wind stresses by the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Community Climate System Model (CCSM) algorithm under stable conditions. Unlike the constants used in most of the four model algorithms, the roughness lengths for momentum can be fitted by an exponential function with parameters that account for the seasonality in the roughness length. The roughness lengths for heat, zot, can be considered a constant (e.g., that used in CCSM, 0.5 mm), similar to what was found by Andreas et al. (2004). When these roughness lengths were implemented into the CCSM and ECMWF algorithms, they produced slightly better wind stresses and sensible heat fluxes most of the time.
Isoforms of platelet-derived growth factor and its receptors in epiretinal membranes: Immunolocalization to retinal pigmented epithelial cells

Epiretinal membranes (ERMs) form on the inner surface of the retina in conjunction with various ocular disease processes, but the factors controlling their development are not understood. The predominant cell types involved are retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells and retinal glia. Cultured RPE cells secrete platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which is chemotactic and mitogenic for both RPE cells and retinal glia and, therefore, could be involved in the development of ERMs. In the present study, we performed immunohistochemical staining for PDGF A chain (PDGF-A), PDGF B chain (PDGF-B), and both types of PDGF receptors (PDGF r α and PDGF r β ) on ERMs associated with various disease processes. PDGF-A is detected in most ERMs, regardless of the associated disease process, and it appears to be localized predominantly in RPE cells, recognized by the presence of pigment and the immunohistochemical demonstration of some or all of the following RPE-associated epitopes: class III β -tubulin, keratin, the 65-kDa microsomal protein recognized by the RPE9 antibody, and cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein. PDGF-B is found only in minor subpopulations of cells in about half of the ERMs evaluated and, with only occasional exceptions, appears to be localized almost entirely in blood-borne cells found in and around vessels in vascularized ERMs. Both PDGF r α and PDGF r β are demonstrated in most ERMs with neither isotype consistently predominating: they are found predominantly on RPE cells with many cells expressing both receptor types. ERMs with little or no RPE cell component contain little or no PDGF and PDGF receptor, whereas those in which the RPE cell represents the major cell type, have widespread PDGF and PDGF receptor positivity. These findings show that RPE cells in ERMs produce PDGF-A and PDGF α and PDGF β receptors and suggest that autocrine and paracrine stimulation with PDGF may be involved in ERM pathogenesis.
Autoimmune regulator-1 messenger ribonucleic acid analysis in a novel intronic mutation and two additional novel AIRE gene mutations in a cohort of autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy patients.

Context: Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a rare autosomal recessive disease associated with mutations in the AIRE gene. Objective: Our objective was to investigate clinical and mutational characteristics of 12 Slovenian patients from 10 families with APECED. Methods: Direct sequencing, restriction fragment length polymorphism, and amplification refractory mutation system analyses were used to identify AIRE gene mutations. Autoimmune regulator (AIRE)-1 mRNA analysis was used to confirm pathogenicity of the intronic mutation. Results: The prevalence of APECED in Slovenian population was estimated to be 1 in 43,000, which is significantly higher compared with the neighboring populations. Three novel mutations were identified among six different mutations detected in the AIRE gene. The first novel mutation was an intronic mutation (653-7_-5delCTC) affecting proper splicing by using a nearby new acceptor splice site as demonstrated by AIRE-1 mRNA analyses. The second ...
Prolonged Acetaminophen-Protein Adduct Elimination During Renal Failure, Lack of Adduct Removal by Hemodiafiltration, and Urinary Adduct Concentrations After Acetaminophen Overdose

Elevated concentrations of serum acetaminophen-protein adducts, measured as protein-derived acetaminophen-cysteine (APAP-CYS), have been used to support a diagnosis of APAP-induced liver injury when histories and APAP levels are unhelpful. Adducts have been reported to undergo first-order elimination, with a terminal half-life of about 1.6 days. We wondered whether renal failure would affect APAP-CYS elimination half-life and whether continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF), commonly used in liver failure patients, would remove adducts to lower their serum concentrations. Terminal elimination half-lives of serum APAP-CYS were compared between subjects with and without renal failure in a prospective cohort study of 168 adults who had ingested excessive doses of APAP. APAP-CYS concentrations were measured in plasma ultrafiltrate during CVVHDF at times of elevated serum adduct concentrations. Paired samples of urine and serum APAP-CYS concentrations were examined to help understand the potential importance of urinary elimination of serum adducts. APAP-CYS elimination half-life was longer in 15 renal failure subjects than in 28 subjects with normal renal function (41.3 ± 2.2 h versus 26.8 ± 1.1 h [mean ± SEM], respectively, p < 0.001). CVVHDF failed to remove detectable amounts of APAP-CYS in any of the nine subjects studied. Sixty-eight percent of 557 urine samples from 168 subjects contained no detectable APAP-CYS, despite levels in serum up to 16.99 μM. Terminal elimination half-life of serum APAP-CYS was prolonged in patients with renal failure for reasons unrelated to renal urinary adduct elimination, and consideration of prolonged elimination needs to be considered if attempting back-extrapolation of adduct concentrations. CVVHDF did not remove detectable APAP-CYS, suggesting approximate APAP-protein adduct molecular weights ≥ 50,000 Da. The presence of urinary APAP-CYS in the minority of instances was most compatible with renal adduct production and protein shedding into urine rather than elimination of serum adducts.
The 4D Cluster Visualization project

It is becoming increasingly common to image time-resolved flow patterns through the vascular system in all three spatial dimensions using non-invasive methods. The capability to generate four-dimensional (4D) (x, y, z and time) vascular flow data is growing in several modalities. Vastly undersampled Isotropic PRojection (VIPR) is one such method using high-resolution, fast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the vasculature system during intravenous contrast injection. VIPR currently produces 4D data sets of twenty to forty frames of 256 3 voxels each, and stronger magnets will allow higher resolution time series that generate gigabytes of data. Real-time visualization and analysis of 4D data can quickly overwhelm the memory and processing capabilities of desktop workstations. 4D Cluster Visualization (4DCV) offers a straightforward, scalable approach to interactively display and manipulate 4D, reconstructed, VIPR data sets. 4DCV exploits the inherently parallel nature of 4D frame data to interactively manipulate and render individual 3D data frames simultaneously across all nodes of a visualization cluster. An interactive animation is produced in real-time by reading back the 2D rendered results to a central animation console where the image sequence is assembled into a continuous stream for display. Basic 4DCV can be extended to allow rendering of multiple frames on one node, compression of image streams for serving remote clinical workstations, and local archival storage of 3D data frames at the cluster nodes for quick retrieval of medical exams. 4D Cluster Visualization concepts can also be extended to distributed and Grid implementations.
The numerically stable reconstruction of Jacobi matrices from spectral data

We present an expose of the elementary theory of Jacobi matrices and, in particular, their reconstruction from the Gaussian weights and abscissas. Many recent works propose use of the diagonal Hermitian Lanczos process for this purpose. We show that this process is numerically unstable. We recall Rutishauser's elegant and stable algorithm of 1963, based on plane rotations, implement it efficiently, and discuss our numerical experience. We also apply Rutishauser's algorithm to reconstruct a persymmetric Jacobi matrix from its spectrum in an efficient and stable manner.
Mutual diffusion studies of polystyrene and poly(xylenyl ether) using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

The concentration versus depth profile in diffusion couples initially consisting of layers of pure polystyrene (PS) and poly(xylenyl ether) (PXE) were measured. To reveal the profile, the PXE molecules (after diffusion) were preferentially stained in the glass by exposing the couple to a solution of 2 mol % Br in methanol; the covalently bound Br nuclei serve as heavy nuclear tags which permit a sensitive determination of the PXE depth profile by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The samples were annealed at temperatures,T, ranging from 177–210 °C that are above the glass transition temperature,T g, of the pure PS (105 °C) but below theT g of pure PXE (216 °C). The measured concentration versus depth profile is markedly asymmetric, with a low slope at low values of the volume fraction of PXE, φPXE, but with a much greater slope at high values of φPXE. These results are in qualitative agreement with the variation in the mutual diffusion coefficient,D, expected as φPXE increases, causing theT g of the blend to increase towards, and finally exceed, the diffusion temperature. Values ofD extracted from these concentration versus depth profiles at low values of φPXE using the Boltzmann-Matano analysis are in good agreement with those measured by forward recoil spectrometry (FRES) in deuterated-PS: PXE couples with only small composition differences.
Northerly surface winds over the eastern North Pacific Ocean in spring and summer

[1] Persistent spring and summer northerly surface winds are the defining climatological feature of the western coast of North America, especially south of the Oregon coast. Northerly surface winds are important for upwelling and a vast array of other biological, oceanic, and atmospheric processes. Intermittence in northerly coastal surface wind is characterized and wind events are quantitatively defined using coastal buoy data south of Cape Mendocino on the northern California coast. The defined wind events are then used as a basis for composites in order to explain the spatial evolution of various atmospheric and oceanic processes. Wind events involve large-scale changes in the three-dimensional atmospheric circulation including the eastern North Pacific subtropical anticyclone and southeast trade winds. Composites of QSCAT satellite scatterometer wind estimates from 1999 to 2005 based on a single coastal buoy indicate that wind events typically last 72–96 h and result in anomalies in surface wind and Ekman pumping that extend over 1000 km from the west coast of North America. It may be useful to consider ocean circulation and dependent ecosystem dynamics and the distribution of temperature, moisture, and aerosols in the atmospheric boundary layer in the context of wind events defined herein.
Influence of Ammonia on Membrane-Electrode Assemblies in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

An experimental investigation of contamination of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) membranes and catalyst layers with ammonia (NH3 ) is reported. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) scans and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses show that trace amounts of ammonia can significantly contaminate both the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) and the catalyst layers. The results show that the catalyst layer contamination can be reversed under certain conditions, while the membrane recovery tends to be much slower, and permanent effects of ammonia contamination is observed. Mechanisms of contamination of the polymer electrolyte and catalyst layers, and performance degradation of the PEFC are also postulated.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Transcriptomic Profiling of Primary Alveolar Epithelial Cell Differentiation in Human and Rat.

Cell-type specific gene regulation is a key to gaining a full understanding of how the distinct phenotypes of differentiated cells are achieved and maintained. Here we examined how changes in transcriptional activation during alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) differentiation determine phenotype. We performed transcriptomic profiling using in vitro differentiation of human and rat primary AEC. This model recapitulates in vitro an in vivo process in which AEC transition from alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells to alveolar type 1 (AT1) cells during normal maintenance and regeneration following lung injury. Here we describe in detail the quality control, preprocessing, and normalization of microarray data presented within the associated study (Marconett et al., 2013). We also include R code for reproducibility of the referenced data and easily accessible processed data tables.
The Effect of Status on the Evaluation of Behavior: Elderly, Adults, and Children Aged 5-65

Age stratification theory's assertion that expectations and prestige vary according to age raises the question of how people respond when age-related expectations are violated. A status theory of the evaluation of behavior was delineated, proposing that evaluation of age-related behavior of adults, children, and elderly persons would be affected by the relative rankings of these role positions. Greater prestige was found to be assigned to adults and least to children, with elderly persons assigned an intermediate level. Ninety-six undergraduates provided approval ratings of either appropriate... or cross-age-role behaviors. It was found that deviation from age-role expectations resulted in a greater loss of approval for higher-status actors. Thus, adults who exhibited elderly behavior lost more approval than did elderly persons who engaged in adult behavior. There was also evidence that the impact of status on approval may have been due to the tendency for higher-status roles to be perceived as having gre...
Automated Random Testing to Detect Specification-Code Inconsistencies

An interface specification language such as JML provides a means to document precisely the behavior of program modules such as Java classes, and it is being adopted by industry. However, few practical tools exist for programmers to assure the correctness of their interface specifications. Nonetheless, the correctness of an interface specification is a prerequisite for the use of the specification, both as a precise API documentation and as a foundation for formal verification of and reasoning about the implementation. We propose automated random testing as a practical tool to assure the correctness of interface specifications. The key idea of our approach is to fully automate dynamic, random testing to detect as many inconsistencies as possible between the specification and its implementation. For this, we use a runtime assertion checker as a test oracle, and the goal of our testing is to generate as many non-duplicate test cases as possible that incur a certain type of runtime assertion violations. Our approach has been implemented for Java/JML in a prototype tool called JET, and a preliminary experiment shows that it has a potential to be a valuable testing tool for Java/JML. Our approach can be adapted for other interface specification languages.
Chronic portal vein obstruction in dogs from silica cirrhosis.

Many attempts have been recorded 1• 13 to produce full blown portal hypertension and esophageal varices in experimental animals. In dogs, only moderate elevations of portal vein pressure, of 12 to 16 em. above normal, have been irregularly achieved. Attempts to produce esophageal varices have been almost uniformly unsuccessful. We9 concluded in 1950, that the report of Rousselot and Thompson1 alone presented evidence of successful production of dilatation of submucosal esophageal veins as a result of chronic obstruction of the portal vein. This had been accomplished in a small group of dogs by producing silica fibrosis of the liver from repeated injection of ground quartz into the splenic vem. We have attempted to reproduce these experiments in the hope of obtaining regularly a marked portal hypertension and, in turn, true submucosal esophageal varices. These goals have not been achieved. However, progressive fibrosis of the liver, leading to marked disturbances in hepatic function, has resulted in impressive portal vein collateral circulation and occasionally in the formation of ascites.
Sexual Compulsivity in HIV-Positive Men and Women: Prevalence, Predictors, and Consequences of High-Risk Behaviors

Most HIV-positive individuals do not engage in sexual behavior that places their partners at risk for contracting HIV. However, a small minority continues to engage in unprotected sexual activity with HIV-negative partners or partners of unknown HIV status. One factor that may play a role in high-risk sexual activity is sexual compulsivity or sexual addiction. The present study investigated the role of sexual compulsivity as a contributing factor to high-risk sexual behavior in a sample of HIV-positive men and women ( N = 294). Participants completed measur es assessing sexual compulsivity, sexual behavior, substance use, and mental health variables. Men and women scoring high in sexual compulsivity ( n = 49) reported engaging in unprotected anal and vaginal intercourse with HIV-negative partners or partners of unknown HIV status more frequently than participants scoring low in sexual compulsivity ( n = 243). Mathematical modeling of sexual risk behavior indicated that four times as many new HIV infection...
Zooplankton behavioral responses to solar UV radiation vary within and among lakes

Zooplankton taxa exhibit varying tolerances to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), with rotifers and copepods tending to be more UV tolerant than cladocerans, regardless of lake UV transparency. On the basis of these differences, we hypothesized that UV avoidance behavior would be greatest in zooplankton with low UV tolerance, particularly in high-UV systems. Both downward and upward movements of zooplankton were examined in cylindrical acrylic columns that either transmitted full sunlight or blocked UV-B and short wavelength UV-A radiation. Columns were suspended vertically in the surface waters of a high- and low-UV lake at varying times of day and cloud cover. In the high-UV lake, the cladoceran Daphnia catawba displayed a distinct avoidance of the surface waters in the UV+ treatment but often showed a preference for the surface in the UV– treatment. Copepods were less responsive to UVR with calanoids displaying a somewhat greater UV avoidance than cyclopoids. In the low-UV lake, no behavioral differences were observed among UV treatments. These results suggest that UVR may influence the vertical distribution and habitat partitioning of certain zooplankton taxa in high-UV lakes while other factors, such as predation and food limitation, may be more important in low-UV lakes.
Dissection of circadian organization of Aplysia through connective lesions and electrophysiological recording

(1)Aplysia californica exhibit a diurnal circadian locomotr rhythm (Strumwasser, '67). The rhythm appears to be timed by circadian pacemakers located within the eye, although extraocular photoreceptors and pacemakers also influence locomotor behavior (Strumwasser, '73; Lickey et al., '77). (2) The present study was undertaken in an attempt to identify the pathways ganglia, which are responsible for generatating locomotor movements. A lesion study was performed in which either of the two pairs of bilaterally symmetrical cerebral connectives were cut and the effect on locomotor behavior evaluated. (3) The results indicate that the cerebro-pleural connectives are not involved in control of locomotor acitivity (Fig. 2). On the other hand, the cerebro-pedal connectives are critical for ocular and extraocular control of locomotor thythmicity (Figs. 3,4). Animals with bilateral cerebropedal lesions are arrhythmic on light cycles. (4) Multiunit recording in vivo and in vitro revealed the presence of a descending signal in the cerebropedal connective upon the application of a light pulse to the animal. Further experimentation localized the origin of these signals to the tentacles, rhinophores and eyes (Figs. 6, 7). (5) We conclude that the elements comprising the circadian system of Aplysia are located in a restricted portion of the central nervous system including the cerebral and buccal ganglia, and sensory structures served by cerebral or buccal nerves.
A colorimetric assay for chemical heparin in plasma.

Abstract A simple, rapid colorimetric assay for plasma heparin is presented. The assay employs the metachromasia of azure A when heparin is added. It is useful for 0 to 10 units/ml and does not depend on heparin's anticoagulant activity. Heparin concentrations determined with this assay are not exactly the same as those determined with coagulation assays. This is probably because azure A determines chemical heparin, not anticoagulant active heparin.
Nighttime Lights Compositing Using the VIIRS Day-Night Band: Preliminary Results

Dramatically improved nighttime lights capabilities are presented by the launch of the National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day Night Band (DNB) sensor. Building on 18 years of experience compositing nighttime data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS), NOAA’s NGDC Earth Observation Group has started adapting their algorithms to process these new data. The concept of compositing nighttime data comprises combining only high quality data components over a period of time to improve sensitivity and coverage. For this work, flag image are compiled to describe image quality. The flag categories include: daytime, twilight, stray light, lunar illuminance, noisy edge of scan data, clouds, and no data. High quality data is defined as not having any of these attributes present. Two methods of reprojection are necessary due to data collection characteristics. Custom algorithms have been created to terrain-correct and reproject all data to a common 15 arc second grid. Results of compositing over two time periods in 2012 are presented to demonstrate data quality and initial capabilities. These data can be downloaded at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/eog/viirs/download_viirs_ntl.html .
Sarcomere length of free and restrained bovine muscles at low temperature as related to tenderness

Tenderness of semitendinosus and psoas major bovine muscles was markedly affected by: (1) allowing the muscle to undergo rigor mortis and the associated contraction, following pre-rigor excision, or by (2) pre-rigor excision followed by restraint in a stretched state while the muscle undergoes rigor mortis. The extent of stretch or contraction induced by pre-rigor treatment was reflected by the sarcomere length. The average sarcomere length of the semitendinosus and psoas major muscles differed widely when samples were removed post-rigor from the carcass. The data indicate that the state of contraction (measured by sarcomere length), when altered in different portions of the same muscle by treatment, or when varying naturally in different muscles, was associated with tenderness.
Pyrolytic Reactions and Products of Biomass

The biomass or commonly available lignocellulosic materials could be converted to different types of fuel and chemical feedstock by a variety of thermochemical processes. Each of these processes involves two highly significant and inter-related general aspects: first, material and energy transformations that could be explored and understood through the discipline of chemistry; second, material transport and heat transfer that could be investigated and designed through the disciplines of process engineering. Variations of the reaction conditions and the processing design, which are closely related, are often investigated in a sporadic or empirical manner in order to define the optimum conditions that provide high yields of operational efficiency.
Amending the Standard Model of Particle Physics

Some of my earlier arguments, suggesting modifications of the Standard Model of Particle Physics (see ref. 1), are elaborated and extended. Rules deduced from the known properties of elementary fermions are sharpened and extended in the first part. Conclusions drawn from the rules in the second part are also honed and expanded and an estimate of the neutrino mass eigenstates is added. In the third part, a tentative explanation of the rules is discussed. In my earlier paper, I suggested replacing the point-sources postulated by the Standard Model for each generation by finite 'source-shapes', equal for all elementary fermions of a generation and systematically decreasing in volume from the first to the third generation, thus increasing the effect of self-interactions. According to the rules a correlation exists between the mass of an elementary fermion and the strength of its self-interaction, thus an increase in self-interactions would resolve the problem of the hierarchical masses. A possible connection between the existence of only three generations and the three-dimensionality of space also is discussed. In the epilogue the question is explored whether finite source-shapes for the elementary fermions can be reconciled with fundamental theoretical tenets.
Body fat distribution with long-term dietary restriction in adult male rhesus macaques

Dietary restriction (DR) is the only intervention that has been shown to increase average and median life span in laboratory rodents. The effect of long-term, moderate DR on body composition and fat distribution was evaluated in male rhesus monkeys. Thirty animals (8-14 years of age)fed either 30% less than baseline intake (R, n = 15) or allowed to eat to satiety (C, n = 15), have been assessed semiannually using somatometrics and dual-energy alpha-ray absorptiometry (DXA)for 7.5 years. R subjects have reduced body weight (p <.0001), total body fat (p < .0001), and percentage body fat located in the abdominal region (p < .05). In addition, there has been a sustained reduction in plasma leptin concentrations (p <.001). These findings suggest reduced risk for common morbidities, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, that are associated with advancing age and increased levels of bodyfat, especially in the visceral depot.
The OpenTM Transactional Application Programming Interface

Transactional Memory (TM) simplifies parallel programming by supporting atomic and isolated execution of user-identified tasks. To date, TM programming has re quired the use of libraries that make it difficult to achieve scalable performance with code that is easy to develop and maintain. For TM programming to become practical, it is important to integrate TM into familiar, high-level environments for parallel programming. This paper presents OpenTM, an application programming interface (API) for parallel programming with transactions. OpenTM extends OpenMP, a widely used API for shared-memory parallel programming, with a set of compiler directives to express non-blocking synchronization and speculative parallelization based on memory transactions. We also present a portable OpenTM implementation that produces code for hardware, software, and hybrid TM systems. The implementation builds upon the OpenMP support in the GCC compiler and includes a runtime for the C programming language. We evaluate the performance and programmability features of OpenTM. We show that it delivers the performance of fine-grain locks at the programming simplicity of coarse- grain locks. Compared to transactional programming with lower-level interfaces, it removes the burden of manual annotations for accesses to shared variables and enables easy changes of the scheduling and contention management policies. Overall, OpenTM provides a practical and efficient TM programming environment within the familiar scope of OpenMP.
Biology and mechanism of trypanosome cell motility.

Movement of microbial pathogens plays an important role in pathogen biology, host-pathogen interaction, and disease pathogenesis. Microbial pathogens employ a variety of mechanisms for cell locomotion, including passive movement within their host's circulation, cooptation of host cytoskeletal and