cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coupled assays for monitoring protein refolding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Proteostasis, defined as the combined processes of protein folding/biogenesis, refolding/repair, and degradation, is a delicate cellular balance that must be maintained to avoid deleterious consequences 1. External or internal factors that disrupt this balance can lead to protein aggregation, toxicity and cell death. In humans this is a major contributing factor to the symptoms associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases 10. It is therefore essential that the proteins involved in maintenance of proteostasis be identified in order to develop treatments for these debilitating diseases. This article describes techniques for monitoring in vivo protein folding at near-real time resolution using the model protein firefly luciferase fused to green fluorescent protein (FFL-GFP). FFL-GFP is a unique model chimeric protein as the FFL moiety is extremely sensitive to stress-induced misfolding and aggregation, which inactivates the enzyme 12. Luciferase activity is monitored using an enzymatic assay, and the GFP moiety provides a method of visualizing soluble or aggregated FFL using automated microscopy. These coupled methods incorporate two parallel and technically independent approaches to analyze both refolding and functional reactivation of an enzyme after stress. Activity recovery can be directly correlated with kinetics of disaggregation and re-solubilization to better understand how protein quality control factors such as protein chaperones collaborate to perform these functions. In addition, gene deletions or mutations can be used to test contributions of specific proteins or protein subunits to this process. In this article we examine the contributions of the protein disaggregase Hsp104 13, known to partner with the Hsp40/70/nucleotide exchange factor (NEF) refolding system 5, to protein refolding to validate this approach.
A Candidate Brightest Protocluster Galaxy at z = 3.03

We report the discovery of a bright (mR = 22.2) Lyman break galaxy at z = 3.03 that appears to be a massive system in a late stage of merging. Deep imaging reveals multiple peaks in the flux profile with angular separations of ~0.8'' (~20 h−1 kpc, comoving). In addition, high signal-to-noise ratio rest-frame UV spectroscopy shows evidence for at least three individual components based on stellar photospheric and ISM absorption lines. We find a 1D velocity dispersion of σ ~ 450 km s−1 for the three strongest components. Both the dynamics and high luminosity as well as our analysis of a ΛCDM numerical simulation suggest that this is a system with halo mass M ~ 1013 M☉. We find in the simulation that all halos of this mass at z = 3 contain massive subhalos that agree with the observed component properties. These halos typically evolve into M ~ 1014–1014.5 M☉ halos in groups and clusters by z = 0. This discovery provides a rare opportunity to study the properties and components of a z ~ 3 system that is likely to be the progenitor of a brightest cluster galaxy.
The effects of performance rating discrepancies on supervisors and subordinates

Abstract This study, employing 96 undergraduate business majors in a dyadic design, examined the effects of performance rating discrepancies, causal attributions, and subordinate willingness to contest, on subsequent responses of subordinates and supervisors. Subordinates who received relatively higher supervisory ratings were more satisfied with the appraisal and the supervisor. The supervisor′s attributed locus of cause did not interact with the favorability of the rating to affect subordinate responses. Supervisors who were made aware of relatively higher subordinate self-ratings positively modified their initial ratings, gave larger raises, and were less desirous of discussing the appraisals with subordinates. The subordinate′s willingness to contest did not interact with the direction of the discrepancy to affect the supervisor′s responses. Implications for management and for future research are discussed.
A shadowed flow in the stem of the Crab nebula

The faint radio and emission line 'jet' outward from the northern boundary of the Crab Nebula which appears as a neat right cylinder is modelled here as the convected margin of a gas cloud that accidentially cast its shallow across the nearly ballistic flow of the stellar envelope ejected in the supernova explosion. It is shown that this model is consistent with known data on the jet, and that it accounts for the strikingly regular geometrical features in a natural way. In contrast, flow instability models do not easily result in so neat a cylinder.
Electronic structure of piano-stool dimers—VII. Interrelationships among the electronic structure, reactivity and conformational preferences of hydrocarbyl-bridged piano-stool dimerst

Abstract The electronic structure of a number of hydrocarbyl-bridged piano-stool dimers has been calculated by using the non-empirical Fenske-Hall molecular orbital method. It is shown that there is a close connection between a number of electronic structural factors (e.g. the number of available metal-based orbitals, the number and energies of available orbitals on the hydrocarbyl bridge, and the electronic competition between the hydrocarbyl bridge and the ancillary ligands) and the reactivities and conformational preferences of the dimers. Examples are chosen from both low-valent dimers with π-acid ancillary ligands and high-valent dimers with predominantly σ-donor ligands.
Invalidating human gene patenting: the U.S. Supreme Court rules in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics.

In its June 2013 ruling in the Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics (1), the U.S. Supreme Court held that DNA fragments are naturally occurring phenomena that are ineligible for patenting under Title 35, Section 101 of U.S. patent law, regardless of their isolation from the rest of the human genome. This landmark decision clarifies an important area of intellectual property law and deviates from prior positions of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on new plant breeds. The ruling immediately invalidates many breast and ovarian gene patents (BRAC1 and BRAC2) held by Myriad Genetics as well as roughly 4000 other genetic patents now held in the United States. The decision could have a profound impact on health care economics, innovation, and patient care across medical subspecialties worldwide, including neurosurgery. The decision highlights the conflicting interests patent law aims to advance: promoting medical innovation by maximizing personal incentives, while maximizing public access to its benefits. The classic argument supporting genetic patenting has been that companies will not invest in genetic technologies if they do not have protections in place to recoup their substantial investments. In some respects, Myriad Genetics can be viewed as a successful example of this model. BRAC1 and BRAC2 mutation testing by Myriad Genetics has benefited thousands of women in the United States who are at high risk for developing breast or ovarian cancer, and the investors in these technologies have been rewarded. However, this model also has prevented competition from other companies, researchers, and health care providers, likely thwarting further testing innovation and quality improvements. Opponents of genetic patents, including James Watson, the codiscoverer of the double helix structure of DNA and a founding member of the Human Genome Project, believe permitting patents on genes blocks innovation. They believe that this practice has resulted in “hundreds, if not thousands, of individual obstacles to developing and commercializing” new assays. Testifying in the Myriad Genetics case, Watson stated that the practice is unnecessary because “the international effort was proceeding on schedule without the need to file patent applications.” More fundamentally, he argued that patenting genes is morally at odds
Three cytoplasmic DNA polymerases that utilize poly(rA).oligo(dT).

Abstract Three DNA polymerases that use poly(rA)·oligo(dT) were partially purified from cytoplasmic extracts of cultured mouse cells (after removal of mitochondria), and characterized. One is similar to, and may be the same as, the mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ. The other two enzymes, one 7.5 S and the other 3.6 S, share some properties with DNA polymerases β and γ, e.g. their responses to certain inhibitors; however, they are not clearly identified with any previously well-characterized mammalian DNA polymerases. It is also demonstrated that the response of DNA polymerase γ to N-ethylmaleimide is template dependent, and that DNA polymerase α has an authentic (albeit small) activity with poly(rA)·oligo(dT).
Shuttle crew escape tube study

An investigation was performed to examine the feasibility of an escape tube as an aid in crew bailout from the Shuttle Orbiter at subsonic speeds. The deployable escape tube extended from the main side hatch downwards. Wind-tunnel tests with scaled models demonstrated that successful bailout was possible when the tube exit was at least 1 foot below the wing leading edge. The aerodynamics of the Orbiter were only slightly degraded with the tube deployed. Several tube designs were investigated, the most promising of which was an inflatable elastic/fabric 'Airmat' configuration. Loads on the tube were within capability of current airmat technology.
Calcium and Phosphatidylserine Inhibit Lipid Electropore Formation and Reduce Pore Lifetime

Molecular dynamics simulations of electroporation of homogeneous phospholipid bilayers show that the pore creation time is strongly dependent on the magnitude of the applied electric field. Here, we investigated whether heterogeneous bilayers containing phospholipids with zwitterionic and anionic headgroups exhibit a similar dependence. To facilitate this analysis we divide the life cycle of an electropore into several stages, marking the sequence of steps for pore creation and pore annihilation (restoration of the bilayer after removal of the electric field). We also report simulations of calcium binding isotherms and the effects of calcium ions on the electroporation of heterogeneous lipid bilayers. Calcium binding simulations are consistent with experimental data using a 1:2 Langmuir binding isotherm. We find that calcium ions and phosphatidylserine increase pore creation time and decrease pore annihilation time. For all systems tested, pore creation time was inversely proportional to the bilayer internal electric field.
Spatial Microassignment of Travel Demand with Activity Trip Chains

As activity-based approaches gain acceptance for travel demand analysis and forecasting in practice, the unit of analysis in transportation planning models needs to shift from a one-way trip to an activity schedule with associated trip chains. A spatial network assignment process and its application to an actual network are described; the process can be used in conjunction with activity-based travel demand forecasting procedures as well as for traffic operational studies. Two simulation-based dynamic spatial microassignment procedures for travel demand with activity trip chains are presented. The first represents a one-step simulation-assignment procedure in which assignment of trips is based on prevailing travel time. The second is an iterative simulation-assignment procedure in which a user equilibrium solution is obtained. The models are illustrated through various experiments conducted using an actual network (in Fort Worth, Texas) to examine network performance under different activity and trip-chaining scenarios. Different demand levels with different trip chain patterns are considered and compared for an actual transportation network. In addition, a case is made for dynamic microassignment of activity trip chains by contrasting it with current practice and illustrating the pitfalls of inappropriately recognizing trip chains using current-practice assignment. In particular, two different procedures are considered and compared for selected test scenarios with the dynamic assignment models presented. The first procedure corresponds to the case in which the activity and trip-chaining behavior is completely ignored, and only the final destination in the chain is considered. The second procedure treats the links of the chains separately as independent trips, without appropriate linkage between them.
SU‐DD‐A1‐03: Beam's‐Eye‐View Dosimetrics Guided Inverse Planning for Aperture Modulated Arc Therapy

Purpose: To utilize angular beam's‐eye‐view dosimetrics (BEVD) information to improve the computational efficiency and plan quality of inverse planning of aperture modulated arc therapy (AMAT). Materials & Methods: In BEVD‐guided inverse planning, the angular space spanned by a rotational arc is represented by a large number of fixed‐gantry beams with angular spacing of ∼2.5°. Each beam is assigned with an initial aperture shape determined by the beam's‐eye‐view (BEV) projection of the planning target volume (PTV) and an initial weight. Instead of setting the beam weights arbitrarily, which slows down the subsequent optimization process and may result in a sub‐optimal solution,a‐priori knowledge about the quality of the beam directions derived from a BEVD is adopted to initialize the weights. In the BEVD calculation, a higher score is assigned to directions that allow more dose to be delivered to the PTV without exceeding the dose tolerances of the organs at risk (OARs), and vice versa. Simulated annealing is then utilized to optimize the segment shapes and weights. The BEVD‐guided inverse planning is demonstrated by using a pancreatic case and the results are compared with conventional approach without BEVD guidance. Results: An a‐priori knowledge guided inverse planning scheme for AMAT is established. The inclusion of BEVD guidance significantly improves the convergence behavior of AMAT inverse planning and results in much better OAR sparing as compared to the conventional approach. Conclusions: BEVD‐guidance facilitates AMAT treatment planning and provides a comprehensive tool to maximally utilize the technical capacity of the new arc therapeutic modality.
An analysis of cavitation failure incorporating cavity nucleation with strain

Abstract Cavitation failure is analyzed for the condition where there is a continuous nucleation of cavities with strain. A failure criterion is established by assuming that catastrophic fracture occurs when the cavities coalesce. A computer program was developed to calculate theoretical creep curves and times to fracture, and the predictions of the analysis are compared with experimental data. The analysis shows that a decrease in stress leads to (i) an increase in the importance of the strain due to cavity growth and (ii) a decrease in the number of cavities per unit area observed at constant strain. These predictions are consistent with the anticipated behavior.
Improving Group Judgment Accuracy: Information Sharing and Determining the Best Member

Abstract Most approaches to improving the quality of group decisions have focused on structuring the group interaction so as to minimize the negative features present in freely interacting groups. The recent finding that groups often can perform at least as well as their best member on judgment tasks suggests the possibility that group effectiveness could be improved by building on the positive features of group interaction rather than by restricting it. In the present study interacting groups were encouraged to discuss each item of a quantitative judgment task before determining what their group′s estimate would be. Two different instructional interventions were implemented and contrasted to a control condition. Both interventions consisted of giving common sense advice about what the groups should do as they discussed each item. Findings indicate that simply telling groups to either: (a) share task-relevant information, or (b) try to determine the most accurate member led to significantly better group performance. These results suggest two distinct ways in which groups can be as accurate as their best member, even when performing tasks with undemonstrable solutions. Implications of these two approaches for improving group accuracy are discussed.
Effect of microporation on passive and iontophoretic delivery of diclofenac sodium

Skin pretreatment with a microneedle roller (microporation (MP)) appears a simple and inexpensive technique to increase transdermal delivery of topically applied drug products. This study investiga...
Packing and Phase Transitions in DNA Duplexes and Tetraplexes: Similarities and Differences

We have mapped the thermodynamic potentials that drive transitions of DNA in uni- and di-valent salt solutions. The successive mesophases, with measured free energies of deformation and transition, allow computation of interaction potentials as well as transition entropies and enthalpies. We have been able to measure transitions of DNA tetraplexes and duplexes and to compare entropic and enthalpic contributions. Changes in fluctuation free energies are much greater at DNA-ordering transitions for tetraplexes than for duplexes, indicating strong entropic contributions. Disordering due to fluctuations is much greater in the less-ordered (cholesteric) phase, seen in broadening of x-ray scattering peaks. This indicates attraction in the more-ordered phase, where packing is stricter, and the effect of fluctuations is much smaller. This attraction is stronger for quadruplexes than for duplexes.We can read two kinds of information from the x-ray data: the degree of ordering, and the change in density. These changes are much bigger in tetraplexes than in double helical DNA.In addition, we also observe that upon decreasing the applied osmotic stress on the less-ordered phase, there is spontaneous disassembly of tetraplexes. This second transition, from a stack of tetramers to monomers, also depends on temperature, allowing us again to measure transition entropy and free energy.Lowering the temperature in the cholesteric phase favors tetraplex formation. The critical osmotic pressure for the formation of tetraplexes, just as the critical osmotic pressure for inducing the higher-density packing, depends strongly on the temperature.Out next goal is to compare tetraplexes, which lack a linking backbone, with quadruplexes (where the bases are linked) so as to see the stabilizing contributions of a polymer backbone.
Structural Equation Modeling: A Bayesian Approach. Sik-Yum Lee. New York: Wiley, 2007, 432 pages, $130.00 (Hardcover)

The year 2007 seems to be a special year for Professor Sik-Yum Lee for two reasons. The first reason is that he edited the Handbook of Latent Variable and Related Models published by Elsevier (Lee,...
Interests and values in national nutrition policy in the united states

When scientists consider the interaction of science and value judgments, debates often occur. When public policy grows out of science, disagreements between scientists can become even more spirited. This paper examines the case of nutrition policy in the United States, which has been both at the interface between agriculture and medicine and the object of serious discord concerned with the strength and validity of the scientific evidence and the responsibility for action. The development of indirect intervention policies, designed to educate and inform the public on diet and health, is traced as a practical demonstration of the effects of involvements of nutritional scientists of different disciplines and philosophic bents. Controversies centered mainly on the issues of diet and coronary heart disease and of diet and cancer in nutritional guidelines for Americans and the recommended dietary allowances (RDAs). But the arguments turned on a complex web of values and interests as well as scientific questions. A remarkable turnaround by animal agriculture and its scientific support occurred, changing from a defensive, rightist stance to one that appears to recognize a moral responsibility to the public health. The convincing point was likely the changing market. Nutritional scientists, however, remained divided on the issue of whether a public health strategy keyed to public education should replace a strategy to identify persons of high risk and modify the risk by treatment. Our analysis suggests that the tension between libertarian and utilitarian social values of scientists is at least as important as disagreements relative to validity and strengths of the scientific evidence.
Intracarotid infusion of bradykinin selectively increases blood-tumor permeability in 9L and C6 brain tumors

This study investigated the effects of bradykinin on blood-tumor barrier (BTB) permeability in transplanted 9L gliosarcomas (9L) and C6 gliomas (C6) in rats. Permeability, expressed as the unidirectional transfer constant, Ki (microliter/g/min), was measured by quantitative autoradiography. Tracers used to examined permeability included radiolabeled alpha-aminoisobutyric acid ([14C]AIB), sucrose ([14C]sucrose) and dextran ([14C]dextran). Intracarotid infusion of bradykinin (10 mg/kg/min) significantly increased the BTB permeability in both 9L and C6 tumors to [14C]AIB and [14C]sucrose, but did not increase permeability to [14C]dextran. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in normal (non-tumor) brain was not significantly increased to any of the tracers by intracarotid bradykinin infusion. Ki values for [14C]AIB, [14C]sucrose and [14C]dextran of 9L tumors in the bradykinin group versus control group were 41.6 +/- 12.6 vs. 24.8 +/- 6.30 (P < 0.02), 17.5 +/- 9.34 vs. 9.05 +/- 4.36 (P < 0.05), and 3.90 +/- 2.59 vs. 2.42 +/- 1.76, respectively (mean +/- S.D.). Ki values to [14C]AIB, [14C]sucrose and [14C]dextran of C6 tumors in the bradykinin group versus control group were 41.4 +/- 19.0 vs. 19.5 +/- 11.4 (P < 0.01), 18.0 +/- 8.88 vs. 7.06 +/- 3.05 (P < 0.01), and 4.07 +/- 1.45 vs. 2.27 +/- 1.26, respectively (mean +/- S.D.). Intracarotid infusion of bradykinin did not significantly increase the blood volume in tumor or brain tissue despite its known vasodilative effect. Intracarotid infusion of bradykinin may be a useful technique for selective delivery of compounds to brain tumors.
UV laser ablation of parylene films from gold substrates

Parylene coatings on gold substrates were removed by laser ablation using 248-nm light from an excimer laser. Each sample was processed by a different number of pulses in one of three environments: air at atmospheric pressure, nitrogen at atmospheric pressure, and vacuum. The laser-induced craters were analyzed by optical microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Multi-pulse ablation thresholds of gold and parylene were determined.
Commutative semifields from projection mappings

We describe a general projection method to construct commutative semifields in odd characteristic. One application yields a family of commutative semifields of order q 2m with middle nucleus of order at least q 2 for every odd prime-power q and every odd integer m > 1. Another application of the method yields a generalization of the Budaghyan---Helleseth family and also greatly simplifies the construction.
Pilot Designs for Channel Estimation of OFDM Systems with Frequency-Dependent I/Q Imbalances

The advances in semiconductor downscaling have empowered communication devices with significantly enhanced signal processing capability, but with the side effect of larger device impairments. Among those impairments, the I/Q imbalance is a critical one as it causes intercarrier interferences in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. The I/Q imbalances in general exist at both transmitter and receiver, and they can be frequency-dependent. They may vary over time (e.g. due to sudden changes in temperature or the dynamics of the cooperating/relaying users). Under such scenarios, estimation and compensation of the combined effect of the channel and I/Q imbalances are crucial. This paper presents efficient pilot designs for such tasks. The advantages of the proposed designs over the existing ones in terms of estimation performance and overhead efficiency are corroborated by analysis and simulation results.
The Central Domain Is Required to Target and Anchor Perilipin A to Lipid Droplets

The perilipins are the most abundant proteins coating the surfaces of lipid droplets in adipocytes and are found at lower levels surrounding lipid droplets in steroidogenic cells. Perilipins drive triacylglycerol storage in adipocytes by regulating the rate of basal lipolysis and are also required to maximize hormonally stimulated lipolysis. To map the domains that target and anchor perilipin A to lipid droplets, we stably expressed fragments of perilipin A in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblotting of proteins from isolated lipid droplets revealed that neither the amino nor the carboxyl terminus is required to target perilipin A to lipid droplets; however, there are multiple, partially redundant targeting signals within a central domain including 25% of the primary amino acid sequence. A peptide composed of the central domain of perilipin A directed a fused green fluorescent protein to the surfaces of lipid droplets. Full-length perilipin A associates with lipid droplets via hydrophobic interactions, as shown by the persistence of perilipins on lipid droplets after centrifugation through an alkaline carbonate solution. Results of the mutagenesis studies indicate that the sequences responsible for anchoring perilipin A to lipid droplets are most likely domains of moderately hydrophobic amino acids located within the central 25% of the protein. Thus, we conclude that the central 25% of the perilipin A sequence contains all of the amino acids necessary to target and anchor the protein to lipid droplets.
Clinical pharmacology of topiramate versus lamotrigine versus phenobarbital: comparison of efficacy and side effects using odds ratios

Clinical pharmacologists, neurologists, internists, and all health care givers must consider the efficacy, safety, and side effect profile of a given antiepileptic drug (AED) when determining which drug is best for a given patient. The first purpose of this paper is to address whether the "new" AEDs have advantages over the "old" drugs. The second purpose is to teach those interested in clinical pharmacology about the use of Web-based information access to answer a neurology/clinical pharmacology problem: to compare the efficacy and side effects of topiramate versus lamotrigine versus phenobarbital using odds ratios. Cost of all three AEDs was also compared. A number of new AEDs, including topiramate and lamotrigine, have been developed for chronic focal and secondarily generalized epileptic seizures. Efficacy of these drugs as anticonvulsants does not seem to be superior to that of traditional anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital. However, the advantage of the new drugs is a different spectrum of possible adverse events. Newer AEDs may or may not induce sedation and may minimize noncompliance by reducing side effects of lethargy and cognitive impairment. The difficulty in achieving therapeutic dosage because of side effects makes one consider whether these agents are "better" than the oldest and most side effect-prone AED, phenobarbital. The new AEDs have less frequent interactions, leading to improved tolerability with comedication. This exercise compares two "new" AEDs, topiramate and lamotrigine, with phenobarbital by evaluating efficacies and side effects using relative odds ratios, a method commonly used in drug development research. Development of new algorithms and/or new knowledge will bring beneficial tools to all clinical pharmacologists.
Evidence That Cysteine String Proteins Regulate an Early Step in the Ca2+-Dependent Secretion of Neurotransmitter atDrosophila Neuromuscular Junctions

Previous work indicated that the temperature-dependent block of synaptic transmission in cysteine string protein (csp) mutants of Drosophila was attributable to a failure of nerve impulses to trigger transmitter release. The current investigations were undertaken to resolve in more detail the mechanism of this transmission deficit. Our studies reveal that the spider venom toxin α-latrotoxin can trigger a sustained discharge of quanta at neuromuscular junctions of csp mutant larvae at nonpermissive temperature. The same is true of the calcium ionophore ionomycin. However, solutions with an elevated concentration of K or Ca ions fail to circumvent the block of quantal secretion in these mutants. Likewise, 4-aminopyridine, which augments transmitter release at permissive temperature in csp mutants, fails to reverse the inhibition of impulse-evoked transmitter release at elevated temperature. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that there is a deficit either in Ca ion entry or in the ability of Ca ions to trigger exocytosis in csp mutants at nonpermissive temperatures. In part, because of previous work showing that csps are important for the functional expression of N-type Ca channels in frog oocytes, we favor the idea that csps participate in a regulatory interaction involving presynaptic Ca channels.
SOIL LEACHATE RESPONSES DURING 10 YEARS OF INDUCED WHOLE-WATERSHED ACIDIFICATION

Soil solution was collected from zero-tension lysimeters for 10 yr on two small central Appalachian watersheds in West Virginia, U.S.A. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer was applied to one catchment 3 times per year during each year. The other watershed was used as a reference to account for ambient baseline conditions. Ca and Mg concentrations collected below the A- and B-horizons of the treated watershed increased and then decreased over time as a result of the treatment. By contrast, Ca and Mg concentrations in the C-horizon continued to increase throughout the study period. The depletion in Ca and Mg that occurred in the upper levels apparently occurred due to charge pairing and leaching of those base cations with NO3 and SO4. The progressively greater amounts of Ca and Mg carried through the soil with these acid anions provided their continued increasing concentrations in the C-horizon. NO3 concentrations increased progressively with depth due to both the assimilation of NO3 by vegetation and microorganisms in the upper soil layers and leaching of NO3 into deeper soils by mesopore flow. NO3 became a more important ion over time with respect to pairing and leaching with base cations because its concentrations continued to increase in all soil layers, whereas SO4 became retained in all soil layers after after several years of treatment, presumably induced by adsorption from increasing SO4 concentrations.
Perceptions of Victims and Defendants in Criminal Assault Cases

An experiment was conducted to ascertain the manner in which male and female subjects perceive the victim and the defendant involved in criminal assault. Characteristics of the victim, type of crime committed, and sex of the subject were systematically varied. The experiment, therefore, took the form of a 5 (Married Woman/Single, Virgin/Single, Nonvirgin/Divorced Woman/Prostitute) X 3 (Rape/ Attempted Rape/Physical Assault) X 2 (Male Subjects/Female Subjects) factorial design. The findings indicate that as the respectability of the victim decreases, her perceived responsibility for the rape increases. Furthermore, as the victim's respectability declines, the perceived impact of the crime on the victim decreases. In addition, significant sex differences (female > males) emerged in conjunction with the length of jail sentence recommended for the defendant, perceived psychological impact of the crime on the victim, the seriousness of the crime, and the perceived guilt of the defendant. The results are interp...
Simone Weil's Iliad : The Power of Words

Simone Weil's work has always been appreciated for its evocative beauty, but not always for its potential contributions to political thought. In this essay, we engage in a reappraisal of her political thought, and of her relevance to contemporary politics, by way of her discussion of the power of words. Weil shares much with contemporary approaches that view the world as a text to be interpreted. But for Weil, the power of interpretation carries with it an illusion, exemplified in Weil's example of Achilles watching over his war-work, in which the world can be seen, measured, and shaped according to one's will. For Weil, the illusion of control that accompanies this perspective is undermined by our encounter with a world of physical causes and sensations that impact us, quite without us being able to control them.
Simultaneous Extraction and Quantitation of Carotenoids, Chlorophylls, and Tocopherols in Brassica Vegetables

Brassica oleracea vegetables, such as broccoli (B. oleracea L. var. italica) and cauliflower (B. oleracea L. var. botrytis), are known to contain bioactive compounds associated with health, including three classes of photosynthetic lipid-soluble compounds: carotenoids, chlorophylls, and tocopherols. Carotenoids and chlorophylls are photosynthetic pigments. Tocopherols have vitamin E activity. Due to genetic and environmental variables, the amounts present in vegetables are not constant. To aid breeders in the development of Brassica cultivars with higher provitamin A and vitamin E contents and antioxidant activity, a more efficient method was developed to quantitate carotenoids, chlorophylls, and tocopherols in the edible portions of broccoli and cauliflower. The novel UPLC method separated five carotenoids, two chlorophylls, and two tocopherols in a single 30 min run, reducing the run time by half compared to previously published protocols. The objective of the study was to develop a faster, more effective extraction and quantitation methodology to screen large populations of Brassica germplasm, thus aiding breeders in producing superior vegetables with enhanced phytonutrient profiles.
The Urgency of Refugee Legislation in Indonesia and the Present Obstacles

Throughout the world and over the centuries, societies have welcomed frightened, weary foreigners, the victims of persecution and violence in their place of habitual residence. Basically every State has the responsibility of protecting refugees and asylum seekers within its teritory. Protection of refugees and asylum seekers is a classical issue in International Law. Nowadays more than 140 States have adopted International Instruments of Refugee Law. Eventhough the right to seek asylum has been enshrined in the Indonesian Consitution and the Human Rights Act ; up to nowadays Indonesia has not adopted any International Instrument of Refugee Law and has no national operative legislation dealing with the protection of refugee and asylum seeker. The objective of this paper was to discuss the urgency and the stumbling blocks of incorporating International Instruments of Refugee Law into the Indonesian Law. It should be born in mind that a national legislation concerning the protection of refugees and asylum seekers indicate commitment of a State to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers indicate commitement of a State to the protection and promotion of Human Rights in general. An incorporation of refugee law into the Indonesian Legal System would fill the gap concerning the unavailability of operational legal instrument dealing with refugee and asylum seeker in Indonesia.
Austria and the Venetian Question, 1860–1866

In 1866, as the result of the Seven Weeks' War with Prussia and Italy, the Austrian Empire lost both her primacy in Germany and the last remnants of her position on the Italian peninsula. The historical dualism of the empire as both a German and a non-German power was, of course, not ended by the conflict—nor, because of Bismarck's prudent moderation, was Austria destroyed as a great power. But the half-century of Austria's predominant influence in European politics was over. The leadership of Germany passed decisively into the hands of Prussia—as would the leadership of Europe in a few short years—and although Austria retained Italian-populated territories, her dominance over the peninsula was irretrievably lost.
Computer vision and sensor fusion for detecting buried objects

Given multiple images of the Earth's surface from dual-band infrared sensors, a system that fuses information from the sensors to reduce the effects of clutter and improve the ability to detect buried or surface target sites is presented. Supervised learning pattern classifiers (including neural networks) are used. Results of experiments to detect buried land mines from real data are given, and the usefulness of fusing information from multiple sensor types is evaluated. The novelty of the work lies mostly in the combination of the algorithms and their application to the very important and currently unsolved problem of detecting buried land mines from an airborne standoff platform. >
Subreflectarrays for compact dual reflector antenna systems

Reflectarrays are used as a hyperboloidal or ellipsoidal subreflector in dual-reflector antenna systems. The design formulas for reflectarrays acting as hyperboloid are discussed and its location consideration which is important for dual-reflector system is presented. A 48-inch Cassegrain antenna is chosen to demonstrate the application of compact dual-reflector designs. A subreflectarray is designed to emulate a hyperboloidal subreflector and the plots of the reflection phase shift and scattered field of the subreflectarray validate its effectiveness.
Low-temperature mechanical relaxations in polymers containing aromatic groups

Studies have been made of the secondary relaxation processes in the solid state of a number of polymers containing aromatic groups in the polymer chain. The polymers investigated include one, polystyrene, with the aromatic group in side-chain positions, and six high polymers in which phenylene rings lie in the main backbone chain. In polystyrene, wagging and torsional motions of the side chain phenyl rings give rise to a low-temperature δ-relaxation which is centered at 33°K (1.7 Hz) and which has an activation energy of about 2.3 kcal/mol. Most of the polymers with phenylene rings in the main chain exhibit a low-temperature relaxation in the temperature region from 100°–200°K. This relaxation process is centered at 159°K (0.54 Hz) in poly-p-xylylene, at 162°K (0.67 Hz) in polysulfone, and at 165°K (1.24 Hz) in poly(diancarbonate). In poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phenylene oxide), two overlapping low-temperature relaxations are found, one in the range 125–140°K and the other near 277°K (ca. 1 Hz). The low-temperature secondary relaxation process in all of these polymers is believed to be associated with local reorientational motion of the phenylene, or substituted phenylene, rings or with combined motion of the phenylene rings and nearby chain units. For these low temperature relaxation processes, the activation energy is about 10 kcal/-mole. The temperature location of the relaxation appears to depend on the specific units to which the phenylene rings are attached and on steric and polar effects caused by substituents on the ring. In the poly-p-xylylenes the relaxation is shifted to much higher temperatures by a single Cl substitution on the ring but remains at essentially the same temperature position when dichlorosubstitution is made. The effects of water on the magnitude and temperature location of the observed low temperature relaxations, as well as the implications of the study for other polymers containing aromatic groups in their backbone chains, are discussed.
The Archimedes 2 mechanical assembly planning system

We describe the implementation and performance of Archimedes 2, an integrated mechanical assembly planning system. Archimedes 2 includes two planners, two assembly sequence animation facilities, and an associated robotic workcell. Both planners use fully 3 dimensional data. A rudimentary translator from high level assembly plans to control code for the robotic workcell has also been implemented. We can translate data from a commercial CAD system into input data for the system, which has allowed us to plan assembly sequences for many industrial assemblies. Archimedes 2 has been used to plan sequences for assemblies consisting of 5 to 109 parts. We have also successfully taken a CAD model of an assembly, produced an optimized assembly sequence for it, and translated the plan into robot code, which successfully assembles the device specified in the model.
SysProf: Online Distributed Behavior Diagnosis through Fine-grain System Monitoring

Runtime monitoring is key to the effective management of enterprise and high performance applications. To deal with the complex behaviors of todays multi-tier applications running across shared platforms, such monitoring must meet three criteria: (1) fine granularity, including being able to track the resource usage of specific application behaviors like individual client-server interactions, (2) real-time response, referring to the monitoring systems ability to both capture and analyze currently needed monitoring information with the delays required for online management, and (3) enterprise-wide operation, which means that the monitoring information captured and analyzed must span across the entire software stack and set of machines involved in request generation, request forwarding, service provision, and return. This paper presents the SysProf system-level monitoring toolkit, which provides a flexible, low overhead framework for enterprise-wide monitoring. The toolkit permits the capture of monitoring information at different levels of granularity, ranging from tracking the system-level activities triggered by a single system call, to capturing the client-server interactions associated with certain request classes, to characterizing the server resources consumed by sets of clients or client behaviors. The paper demonstrates the efficacy of SysProf by using it to manage two different enterprise applications: (1) detecting performance bottlenecks in a high performance shared network file service, and (2) enforcing service level agreements in a multi-tier auctioning web site.
Deep Democracy, Thin Citizenship: The Impact of Digital Media in Political Campaign Strategy

Digital media strategies are a crucial component of contemporary political campaigns. Established political elites use database and Internet technologies to raise money, organize volunteers, gather intelligence on voters, and do opposition research. However, they use data-mining techniques that outrage privacy advocates and surreptitious technologies that few Internet users understand. Grassroots political actors and average votersbuild their own digital campaigns, researching public policy options, candidate histories, lobbyist maneuvering, and the finances of big campaigns. I examine the role of digital technologies in the production of contemporary political culture with ethnographic and survey evidence from four election seasons between 1996 and 2002. Democracy is deeper in terms of the diffusion of rich data about political actors, policy options, and the diversity of actors and opinion in the public sphere. Citizenship is thinner in terms of the ease in which people can become politically expressive...
Influence of Quantization and of other Nonlinear Distortions of the Holographic Signal

First we will describe why quantization and other non-linearities occur in holography. Then we will show how the influence of those nonlinear distortions upon the quality of the reconstructed image can be understood.
Characterization of DNA synthesis catalyzed by bacteriophage T4 replication complexes reconstituted on synthetic circular substrates

Replication complexes were reconstituted using the eight purified bacteriophage T4 replication proteins and synthetic circular 70-, 120- or 240-nt DNA substrates annealed to a leading-strand primer. To differentiate leading strands from lagging strands, the circular parts of the substrates lacked dCMP; thus, no dCTP was required for leading-strand synthesis and no dGTP for lagging-strand synthesis. The size of the substrates was crucial, the longer substrates supporting much more DNA synthesis. Leading and lagging strands were synthesized in a coupled manner. Specifically targeting leading-strand synthesis by decreasing the concentration of dGTP decreased the rate of extension of leading strands. However, blocking lagging-strand synthesis by lowering the dCTP concentration, by omitting dCTP altogether, by adding ddCTP, or with a single abasic site had no immediate effect on the rate of extension of leading strands.
Note-Prediction Intervals for Warranty Reserves and Cash Flows

This paper presents estimates of cash flows associated with a given warranty policy. Included in the results are prediction intervals for warranty reserves and cash flows. A numerical example is given to illustrate these results.
Gas-phase absorption cross sections of 2-nitrobenzaldehyde and benzaldehyde in the 285-400 nm region, and photolysis of 2-nitrobenzaldehyde vapor at 308 and 351 nm

Abstract We have measured the gas-phase absorption cross sections of 2-nitrobenzaldehyde and benzaldehyde in the 285–400 nm region by using cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRD). Absorption cross sections of 2-nitrobenzaldehyde vapor at 290 and 400 nm are 10.7-fold and 5.5-fold lower than 2-nitrobenzaldehyde aqueous-phase cross section values. The HCO and the NO 2 product channels, after 308 and 351 nm photolysis of 2-nitrobenzaldehyde vapor, were examined. Neither HCO nor NO 2 was detected. Upper limits for the HCO and NO 2 quantum yields are ⩽2.2% and ⩽6.4% at 308 nm, respectively. Preliminary end-product study indicates that 2-nitrobenzaldehyde photodissociates at 308 nm but not at 351 nm.
A recombinant courtship pheromone affects sexual receptivity in a plethodontid salamander.

Pheromones are important chemical signals for many vertebrates, particularly during reproductive interactions. In the terrestrial salamander Plethodon shermani, a male delivers proteinaceous pheromones to the female as part of their ritualistic courtship behavior. These pheromones increase the female’s receptivity to mating, as shown by a reduction in courtship duration. One pheromone component in particular is plethodontid receptivity factor (PRF), a 22-kDa protein with multiple isoforms. This protein alone can act as a courtship pheromone that causes the female to be more receptive. We used a bacterial expression system to synthesize a single recombinant isoform of PRF. The recombinant protein was identical to the native PRF, based on mass spectrometry, circular dichroism spectra, and a behavioral bioassay that tested the effects of recombinant PRF (rPRF) on female receptivity (21% reduction in courtship duration). The rPRF appears to mimic the activity of a mixture of PRF isoforms, as well as a mixture of multiple different proteins that comprise the male courtship gland extract. Pheromones that are peptides have been characterized for some vertebrates; to date, however, rPRF is one of only 2 synthesized vertebrate proteins to retain full biological activity.
Developmental Expression Pattern of Phototransduction Components in Mammalian Pineal Implies a Light-Sensing Function

Whereas the pineal organs of lower vertebrates have been shown to be photosensitive, photic regulation of pineal function in adult mammals is thought be mediated entirely by retinal photoreceptors. Extraretinal regulation of pineal function has been reported in neonatal rodents, although both the site and molecular basis of extraretinal photoreception have remained obscure. In this study we examine the developmental expression pattern of all of the principal components of retinal phototransduction in rat pineal via cRNA in situ hybridization. All of the components needed to reconstitute a functional phototransduction pathway are expressed in the majority of neonatal pinealocytes, although the expression levels of many of these genes decline dramatically during development. These findings strongly support the theory that the neonatal rat pineal itself is photosensitive. In addition, we observe in neonatal pinealocytes the expression of both rod-specific and cone-specific phototransduction components, implying the existence of functionally different subtypes of pinealocytes that express varying combinations of phototransduction enzymes.