cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Full-length trimeric influenza virus hemagglutinin II membrane fusion protein and shorter constructs lacking the fusion peptide or transmembrane domain: Hyperthermostability of the full-length protein and the soluble ectodomain and fusion peptide make significant contributions to fusion of membrane vesicles

Influenza virus is a class I enveloped virus which is initially endocytosed into a host respiratory epithelial cell. Subsequent reduction of the pH to the 5-6 range triggers a structural change of the viral hemagglutinin II (HA2) protein, fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes, and release of the viral nucleocapsid into the cytoplasm. HA2 contains fusion peptide (FP), soluble ectodomain (SE), transmembrane (TM), and intraviral domains with respective lengths of ∼ 25, ∼ 160, ∼ 25, and ∼ 10 residues. The present work provides a straightforward protocol for producing and purifying mg quantities of full-length HA2 from expression in bacteria. Biophysical and structural comparisons are made between full-length HA2 and shorter constructs including SHA2 ≡ SE, FHA2 ≡ FP+SE, and SHA2-TM ≡ SE+TM constructs. The constructs are helical in detergent at pH 7.4 and the dominant trimer species. The proteins are highly thermostable in decylmaltoside detergent with Tm>90 °C for HA2 with stabilization provided by the SE, FP, and TM domains. The proteins are likely in a trimer-of-hairpins structure, the final protein state during fusion. All constructs induce fusion of negatively-charged vesicles at pH 5.0 with much less fusion at pH 7.4. Attractive protein/vesicle electrostatics play a role in fusion, as the proteins are positively-charged at pH 5.0 and negatively-charged at pH 7.4 and the pH-dependence of fusion is reversed for positively-charged vesicles. Comparison of fusion between constructs supports significant contributions to fusion from the SE and the FP with little effect from the TM.
A conceptual model for self‐sustained active‐break Indian summer monsoon

[1] The Indian summer monsoon (ISM) exhibits a salient intraseasonal oscillation (ISO), and there have two ISO variability centers that are located at the equatorial Indian Ocean (EIO) and ISM regions, respectively. The prevalence of these two centers indicates that this active-break monsoon cycle has a prominent stationary oscillation. To understand this aspect of the ISM ISO, a two-box model is advanced to represent the ISO in these two variability centers. Linking by the local Hadley circulation, these two boxes can enhance each other's variability, but air-sea interaction is shown to be necessary for producing a sustainable model ISO. Associated with a positive (negative) precipitation dipole anomaly, the reduced (enhanced) short wave radiation cools (warms) the sea surface and leads to an anomalous sea surface temperature dipole, which in turn stimulate development of a reversed precipitation dipole. This leads to a transition from one to the other phase of the monsoon cycle. This model demonstrates that even without the northward propagation, the air-sea interaction, in cooperation with the instability caused by the local Hadley circulation and frictional boundary layer moisture convergence, can produce a self-sustained ISM ISO.
Digital integrated circuit testing for art historians and test experts

Summary form only given. This paper is an attempt to identify the basic concerns in digital IC production testing. The details, too often, crowd in and prevent us from understanding why we are having difficulties: why testing is too costly or why too many bad chips escape (pass) the test despite our best efforts. Then some of the myths representing the common wisdom about testing are explored. The author's opinions are supported by the results of experiments - not simulations, but real-world tests - carried out on actual chips from various technologies.
Distributed Approximating Functions for Real-Time Quantum Dynamics

The application of path integrals to real-time quantum dynamics is of great interest because of the potential for circumventing severe difficulties which make standard scattering calculations for multiparticle systems unfeasible.1–22 These difficulties are consequences of the extremely large matrix dimensions encountered in systems involving more than 3 atoms, or even 3 atom systems involving only heavy atoms. In addition to the rapid increase in computational effort with matrix dimension, the extremely large memory required as basis size becomes large is also a serious problem. However, the Feynman path integral utilizes the coordinate representation, short real-time propagator, so that the local potentials (which are normally encountered in chemical physics) are diagonal, and the kinetic energy portion of the propagator is of a relatively simple form. By compounding the short real-time propagator N-times (for the step τ, so that t = Nτ), the full propagator is obtained approximately as an NG-dimensional integral (the discretized Feynman path integral1). Here, G represents the number of atoms in the system (or if the center of mass motion has been separated, G equals the number of atoms less one). Because N is typically large, such a result suggests that one resort to Monte Carlo methods for evaluating the Feynman amplitude, but the extremely oscillatory nature of the exact short real-time propagator makes such a procedure totally impossible.1–22
A Progress Report on the SO(5) Theory of High Tc Superconductivity

In this talk I give a brief update on the recent progress in the SO(5) theory of high Tc superconductivity [1]. Reviewed topics include SO(5) ladders, the unification of BCS and SDW quasi-particles in the SO(5) theory and the microscopic origin of the condensation energy.
Physical Activity and Wellness: Applied Learning through Collaboration

This article describes how two university professors teamed up to initiate a university-sponsored physical activity and wellness expo in an effort to promote an authentic and transformative learning experience for preservice students.
Compiler supported coarse-grained pipelined parallelism: why and how

The emergence of grid and a new class of data-driven applications is making a new form of parallelism desirable, which we refer to as coarse-grained pipelined parallelism. Here, the computations associated with an application are carried out in several stages, which are executed on a pipeline of computing units. This paper reports on a compilation system developed to exploit this form of parallelism. We use a dialect of Java that exposes both pipelined and data parallelism to the compiler. Our compiler is responsible for selecting a set of candidate filter boundaries, determining the volume of communication required if a particular boundary is chosen, performing the decomposition, and generating code in which each filter unpacks data from a received buffer, iterates over its elements, and packs and forwards a buffer to the next stage. We have developed a one-pass algorithm for determining the required communication between consecutive filters. We have developed a cost model for estimating the execution time for a given decomposition, and a greedy algorithm for performing the decomposition. We have carried out a detailed evaluation of our current compiler using four data-driven applications. Our experimental results show the following: (1) The compiler decomposed versions achieve an improvement between 10% and 150% over versions that use pipelined parallelism in a default fashion, (2) In most cases, increasing the width of the pipeline results in near-linear speedups, and (3) For the two applications where we could compare against a manual version, the compiler generated versions were generally quite close to the manual versions.
Certification of morphine-3-β-D-glucuronide in a human urine standard reference material

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed and certified a standard reference material, SRM 2382, for use in testing for bias in the determination of morphine present as a glucuronide in human urine. This SRM consists of three levels of morphine-3-β-D-glucuronide (M-3-G) in lyophilized urine. Two independent hydrolysis procedures, enzymatic and acidic, for quantitative release of morphine were investigated. The results of hydrolysis efficiency from these two procedures agreed well. These two hydrolysis procedures along with two analytical methods developed previously for measurement of free morphine [1] were used to certify M-3-G in SRM 2382. Enzymatic hydrolysis was used with the GC/MS method and acidic hydrolysis was used with LC/MS. The results from these two pairs of methods were in good agreement, and were statistically combined to yield certified values of 209 ± 20, 437 ± 21, and 853 ± 39 ng/mL for morphine, as the free base. Round-robin studies on this material among ten military laboratories demonstrated the suitability of the SRM for its intended purpose.
Physiological Signaling Specificity by Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are now recognized to be involved in a multitude of signaling events that control fundamental biological processes such as cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell movement. PTPs, which were initially thought to be less discriminating in their actions compared with their protein tyrosine kinase counterparts, are now known to regulate these various biological processes in a precise manner. This review will focus on the concept that PTPs exhibit remarkable signaling specificity through intrinsic differences between their PTP domains and through various modes of regulation that endows them with the capacity to promote unique physiological responses.
ERK5 activation of MEF2-mediated gene expression plays a critical role in BDNF-promoted survival of developing but not mature cortical neurons

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family whose biological function in the CNS has not been defined. In contrast to ERK1 and ERK2, which are activated by neurotrophins (NTs), cAMP, and neuronal activity in cortical neurons, ERK5 is activated only by NTs. Here, we report that ERK5 expression is high in the brain during early embryonic development but declines as the brain matures to almost undetectable levels by postnatal day (P) 49. Interestingly, expression of a dominant-negative ERK5 blocked brain-derived neurotrophic factor protection against trophic withdrawal in primary cortical neurons cultured from embryonic day (E) 17 but not P0. Furthermore, expression of a dominant-negative ERK5 induced apoptosis in E17 but not P0 cortical neurons maintained in the presence of serum. We also present evidence that ERK5 protection of E17 cortical neurons may be mediated through myocyte enhancer factor 2-induced gene expression. These data suggest that ERK5 activation of myocyte enhancer factor 2-induced gene expression may play an important and novel role in the development of the CNS by mediating NT-promoted survival of embryonic neurons.
The growth of BaTiO3 films on (001) MgAl2O4 substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique

Abstract The microstructural evolution of the BaTiO3 films grown on (001) MgAl2O4 spinel substrates at different temperatures by means of pulsed laser deposition technique is studied via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The BaTiO3 film grown at 850 °C consists of columnar grains of random orientations. Once the substrate temperature is over 900 °C, the BaTiO3 films grow on (001) MgAl2O4 substrates epitaxially. The cross-sectional TEM study reveals that the boundaries and interfaces act as the sources to emit stacking faults and twins which are detrimental to the film quality. The quality of epitaxial films increases with the growth temperature, and is optimized at the growth temperature of 1050 °C. The evolution of film microstructures with the growth temperature is discussed in view of the growth temperature, the surface structure of MgAl2O4 substrates, and the phase transition of BaTiO3.
Sediment transport and trapping in the Hudson River estuary

The Hudson River estuary has a pronounced turbidity maximum zone, in which rapid, short-term deposition of sediment occurs during and following the spring freshet. Water-column measurements of currents and suspended sediment were performed during the spring of 1999 to determine the rate and mechanisms of sediment transport and trapping in the estuary. The net convergence of sediment in the lower estuary was approximately 300,000 tons, consistent with an estimate based on sediment cores. The major input of sediment from the watershed occurred during the spring freshet, as expected. Unexpected, however, was that an even larger quantity of sediment was transported landward into the estuary during the 3-mo observation period. The landward movement was largely accomplished by tidal pumping (i.e., the correlation between concentration and velocity at tidal frequencies) during spring tides, when the concentrations were 5 to 10 times higher than during neap tides. The landward flux is not consistent with the long-term sediment budget, which requires a seaward flux at the mouth to account for the excess input from the watershed relative to net accumulation. The anomalous, landward transport in 1999 occurred in part because the freshet was relatively weak, and the freshet occurred during neapetides when sediment resuspension was minimal. An extreme freshet occurred during 1998, which may have provided a repository of sediment just seaward of the mouth that re-entered the estuary in 1999. The amplitude of the spring freshet and its timing with respect to the spring-neap cycle cause large interannual variations in estuarine sediment flux. These variations can result in the remobilization of previously deposited sediment, the mass of which may exceed the annual inputs from the watershed.
THE DETERMINANTS OF MARITAL FERTILITY IN THE UNITED STATES, 1968-1970: INFERENCES FROM A DYNAMIC MODEL

Criticizing the static assumptions of previous socioeconomic and microeconomic models of marital fertility, particularly regarding the sequential and stochastic facets of family building, this paper advocates a dynamic perspective. Of particular concern is the assumption of equilibrium family size made by those who employ the static perspective. The equilibrium family size assumption implies that the parameters relating social and economic variables to fertility will be similar for all births, regardless of order. To test this assumption of constancy, a two-equation model of fertility and female employment is introduced. Contrary to the static perspective’s implication of constant effects, substantial parity differences in the estimates of parameters for both equations are reported, as are several differences between blacks and whites. On the basis of this evidence, I conclude that the static decision-making framework should be replaced by a dynamic approach to marital fertility.
Effect of vagus nerve stimulation during transient focal cerebral ischemia on chronic outcome in rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on infarct volume and neurological recovery up to three weeks following transient focal cerebral ischemia. Transient ischemia was produced by filament occlusion of the proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) in rats. The right vagus nerve was stimulated starting 30 minutes after MCA occlusion and consisted of 30 second pulse trains (20 Hz) delivered to the animal’s right vagus nerve every 5 minutes for a total period of 60 minutes (n=10). All the procedures were duplicated but no stimulus was delivered in a control group (n=10). Neurological evaluations were performed in all animals at 24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks after MCA occlusion, and animals were euthanized and neuronal damage evaluated in H&E stained sections. The ischemic lesion volume was smaller in the VNS-treated animals in comparison to the non-stimulated group (p<0.02). Although the functional score in both treated and untreated groups improved over the three week observation period (p<0.001), there was still a statistically significant improvement due to VNS treatment compared with control animals (p<0.05). Cerebral blood flow changes in the MCA territory during ischemia did not differ between the VNS-treated animals (31.9±10.4 % of baseline) and control (29.9±9.1 %) animals (p=0.6). Stimulation of the vagus nerve for only a brief period early in ischemia provides neuroprotection in transient ischemia with neuroprotection persisting for at least three weeks.
Purification development and characterization of the zinc-dependent metallo-β-lactamase from Bacillus anthracis

Metallo-β-lactamase from Bacillus anthracis (Bla2) catalyzes the hydrolysis of β-lactam antibiotics which are commonly prescribed to combat bacterial infections. Bla2 contributes to the antibiotic resistance of this bacterium. An understanding of it is necessary to design potential inhibitors that can be introduced with current antibiotics for effective eradication of anthrax infections. We have purified Bla2 using Ni(2+)-affinity chromatography with over 140-fold increase in activity with a yield of 3.5%. The final specific activity was 19,000 units/mg. Purified Bla2 displays different K ( m ), V ( max ), and (k ( cat ) /K (M)) with penicillin G and cephalexin as substrates and is also sensitive to pH, with maximum activity between pH 7.0-9.0. The IC(50) (50% inhibition concentration) value of EDTA against Bla2 is 630 nM, which can be understood by observing its three-dimensional interaction with the enzyme.
Tribology of WC/C coatings for use in oil-less piston-type compressors

Compressors are being required to operate at increasingly severe conditions in order to increase efficiency, and with the transition from CFC to HFC and natural refrigerants, protective ferrous chloride films have been eliminated. To recover lost wear resistance and transition to oil-less operation, greater protection is sought through the application of hard coatings with enhanced tribological properties. Controlled reciprocating pin-on-disk experiments imitating the wrist pin-connecting rod interface were performed using a High Pressure Tribometer under unlubricated conditions. Specimens used for these experiments included WC/C coated cylindrical 52100 steel wrist pins and uncoated cast iron disks. The performance of WC/C with temperature variation as well as running-in characteristics were evaluated using surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that steady-state friction coefficients decreased with increasing temperature while friction coefficients increased during the running-in period. Also, wear decreased from testing in room temperature up to 80 °C and beyond that, increased due to unstable running-in. Based on the research presented in this work, hard coatings have the potential to replace oil in future compressors.
14.9 ps/2.2 mW charge-buffered active-pull-down ECL circuit

An ECL circuit with a charge-buffered active-pull-down emitter-follower stage is described. Implemented in a 0.8 μm double-poly trench-isolated selfaligned bipolar process, unloaded gate delays of 14.9 ps/2.2 mW, 20.7 ps/1.2 mW, and 24.5 ps/0.77 mW have been achieved.
Acoustic biosensor for monitoring antibody immobilization and neurotransmitter GABA in real-time

Abstract The conventional detection methods for neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) have concentrated on using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and enzymatic reaction, which do not allow for much needed real-time monitoring. Here we report a novel acoustic impedance immunosensor for real-time measurement of GABA in buffer solution. The adsorption process of anti-GABA on a well-defined gold electrode surface of the quartz crystal and the immuno-interaction between GABA and anti-GABA in liquid were measured in real-time by a network analyzer and changes in the electrical equivalent circuit parameters (Δ f , C 0 , R 1 , L 1 , C 1 ) were recorded simultaneously. These impedance parameters were used to analyze changes in the interfacial viscoelastic properties during adsorption of liquid anti-GABA in air and during binding between GABA and anti-GABA in liquid phase. It was found that water plays a critical role in the antibody immobilization process. We also found that the proposed immunosensor can detect down to 38.0 μM of GABA in buffer solution. The specificity of this immunosensor against common neurochemical interferents, like l -aspartic acid, was also investigated. The electrode surface of sensor was also characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We conclude that the acoustic immunosensor offers a novel and promising approach to monitor the dynamics of neurotransmitter GABA concentration in liquid in real-time.
Coordinated transformations for high-level synthesis of high performance microprocessor blocks

High performance microprocessor designs are partially characterized by functional blocks consisting of a large number of operations that are packed into very few cycles (often single-cycle) with little or no resource constraints but tight bounds on the cycle time. Extreme parallelization, conditional and speculative execution of operations is essential to meet the processor performance goals. However, this is a tedious task for which classical high-level synthesis (HLS) formulations are inadequate and thus rarely used. In this paper, we present a new methodology for application of HLS targeted to such microprocessor functional blocks that can potentially speed up the design space exploration for microprocessor designs. Our methodology consists of a coordinated set of source-level and fine-grain parallelizing compiler transformations that targets these behavioral descriptions, specifically loop constructs in them and enables efficient chaining of operations and high-level synthesis of the functional blocks. As a case study in understanding the complexity and challenges in the use of HLS, we walk the reader through the detailed design of an instruction length decoder drawn from the Pentium/spl reg/-family of processors. The chief contribution of this paper is formulation of a domain-specific methodology for application of high-level synthesis techniques to a domain that rarely, if ever, finds use for it.
Portulacaria afra Jacq. — A potential browse plant

One of the most valuable South African fodder trees is Portulacaria afra Jacq. This large shrub or small tree is included in the list of fodder trees of South Africa by Palmer and Pitman (1961). Its most common vernacular name is spekboom. The name Gya-nese is associated with the plant in the Cape Province (Sim, 1907). In Zululand, it is known as inDibili-enkula, isAmbilane (Zulu) and iGwanishe (Xhosa). It is also known as "elephants' food" because elephants consume large quantities of the foliage (Palmer and Pitman, 1961). Records of the Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture indicate that spekboom has been introduced into the United States over a period of seven decades. Despite the reported successful establishment of spekboom in southern California soon after the turn of the century it has met with only limited success in the continental United States. The economic and aesthetic value of the plant is enhanced by its widespread distribution and multifarious utilization. Portulacaria afra should be evaluated further in the southwestern United States as a range plant in view of its widespread distribution in dry areas of South Africa and for its known value for browse.
Understanding Community-Specific Rape Myths: Exploring Student Athlete Culture

Using multiple measurement methods offers an opportunity to gain culturally specific information about rape myths. This study focuses on the subculture of student athletes and uses a survey, focus groups, and individual interviews to explore the meaning and role of rape myths. Although the survey indicates a low acceptance of rape myths, this finding is contradicted by the results of the focus groups and individual interviews. Subtle, yet pervasive, rape myths are discovered, as are myths that are unique to the student athlete community. This method provides a framework for social workers to explore rape myths in other communities and to subsequently develop appropriate educational and intervention programs to address and ultimately prevent rape.
Increase of the proportion of corticosteroidogenic activity of acth versus immunoreactive acth in rat plasma extracts during stress

Abstract The relationship between bioactive and immunoreactive adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) was studied under various conditions. Rats were stressed by ether and the immunoreactive (I-ACTH) and bioactive (B-ACTH) ACTH levels were compared to the normal values obtained from “handled” rats. The bioactivity was determined by measuring the corticosteroid production in an isolated rat adrenal cell system. Stress exposure enhanced both the I-ACTH and B-ACTH levels. I-ACTH rose from 86.9 ± 37.9 to 363 ± 148.7 pg/ml, whereas the B-ACTH levels rose from 34.2 ± 11.9 to 424.2 ± 170.9 pg/ml. The bioactive to immunoreactive ratio (B/I ratio) was calculated as 0.47 ± 0.13 in the control group and rose to the significantly higher value of 1.10 ± 0.22 in the stressed rats. The conclusion is that under normal circumstances only about 50% of plasma immunoreactive ACTH shows corticosteroidogenic activity and that the B/I ACTH ratio might be a useful tool to estimate the physiological phase of the pituitary releasing activity.
The hydropolitical Cold War: The Indus Waters Treaty and state formation in Pakistan

Abstract This paper develops the framework of the “developmentalist passive revolution” to analyze the politics of water development during the Cold War. This framework is developed by drawing on Marxist geopolitics and critical water geography, and is offered as a way to facilitate comparative analysis of engineering and nationalism in the context of Cold War hydropolitics. The concrete historical engagements of the paper relate to the signing of The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 between Pakistan and India and the associated Indus Basin Plan to transform the Pakistani waterscape. What historical and geopolitical-economic conditions enabled the signing of the IWT? What legacies did the IWT have for state formation in Pakistan? Drawing on the negotiation records of the IWT, archival materials relating to Pakistani river development during the 1960s, and fieldwork conducted in Pakistan in 2012, this paper argues that Cold War hydropolitics are best analyzed through the cultural and economic interactions of asymmetrically empowered developmentalist state elites at multiple scales.
Iodine in Pregnancy: Is Salt Iodization Enough?

Iodine deficiency affects more than 2.2 billion individuals worldwide (38% of the world’s population). Decreases in maternal T4 associated with even mild iodine deficiency may have adverse effects on the cognitive function of offspring (1,2), and iodine deficiency remains the leading cause of preventable mental retardation worldwide. It has recently been suggested that mild iodine deficiency may also be associated with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorders in offspring (3).
Investigating chronic symptoms in HIV: An opportunity for collaborative nursing research

Because of improved life expectancy for people with HIV infection, today's clinician needs to understand and manage chronic symptoms that limit function and quality of life. The authors describe two collaborative HIV symptom-management studies conducted by the Division of Intramural Research of the National Institute of Nursing Research. Studies such as these are necessary to provide nurses and other healthcare personnel with the knowledge essential for appropriate, comprehensive, and quality patient care.
Lower activation energy in organic field effect transistors with carbon nanotube contacts

Abstract We study temperature dependent charge transport properties of pentacene field effect transistors (FET) with carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes. The field effect mobilities at different temperatures and gate voltages follow activated hopping behavior from which we calculate an activation energy of 48 meV for the CNT contacted pentacene FET. This value is lower than that of our control Pd contacted pentacene FET device (83 meV). The lower activation energy of the CNT contacted devices is attributed to improved CNT/pentacene interface.
Anomalous Atmospheric Events Leading to the Summer 2010 Floods in Pakistan

orogrAphiC rAinstorms seen by trmm. Major rainstorms can occur in mountainous regions when air is lifted over the terrain. When the environment is especially unstable, storms may form that contain locally intense buoyant updrafts, heavy downpours of rain, and sometimes hail. High winds may occur where downdrafts, forming in raining regions, reach the ground and spread out. When a sequence of convective upand downdrafts occurs, the precipitating cloud systems take the form of a “mesoscale convective system” (MCS; for a thorough description see Houze’s 2004 article in Reviews in Geophysics), in which some “convective cells” die out while other new ones form, and the older dying storms morph into regions of wider-spread “stratiform rain.” This process is described by Houze in a 1997 Bulletin article. The stratiform region features gentler rain but covers a much greater area and can last for long periods of time if the environment is favorable. Even if the instability is modest but the environment is humid enough to support the persistence of the stratiform regions of MCSs, or if the MCS stratiform region is enhanced by orographic or synoptic-scale upward motion, a great amount of rain can be produced by the MCS. As a result, if MCSs are the principal rain-producing cloud systems over a region such as the upslope side of the Himalayas, the mountains can affect the rainstorms in two important ways: 1) Airflow over rising terrain may trigger new intense convective cells, thus revitalizing and maintaining the vigorous convective region of the MCS for a longer period of time; and 2) the orographic upward air motions may sustain and broaden the stratiform region of the MCS so that the gentler (but nonetheAnomalous Atmospheric Events Leading to the Summer 2010 Floods in Pakistan
Neurophysiology of spastic, a behavior mutant of the mexican axolotl: Altered vestibular projection to cerebellar auricle and area acoustico-lateralis†

The spastic mutant of Ambystoma mexicanum shows deficiencies in swimming coordination and equilibrium. Behavior "phenocopy" experiments done previously indicated that vestibular projections to cerebellum and hindbrain interneurons might be responsible for mutant behavior patterns. To test function in mutant vestibular projections, single unit recordings were carried out in the vestibulo-cerebellum (auricle) and hindbrain area acoustico-lateralis (AAY) of wild-type and mutant animals in response to natural vestibular stimulation. Vestibular unit types responding during longitudinal tilting or to sustained tilt were encountered in equal proportions in both animal types. However, mutants showed a significant increase in spontaneously active units in these areas indicating possible deficiencies in inhibitory circuitry. In addition, the topographic location of vestibular units changed under the influence of the spastic gene. In mutants, significant numbers of units were found "translocated" into a ventro-caudal auricular zone abutting the AAL. Anatomical studies detailed in the following paper have shown this same area to contain grossly "translocated" cerebellar cells and afferent fiber tracts in mutants. These data are drawn together in a model in which deficiencies in the (form and) inhibitory function of the vestibulo-cerebellum is postulated to underly the behavioral abnormalities of the spastic phenotype.
Immunological Characterization of Primate C-Type Virus Reverse Transcriptases

Antisera to the reverse transcriptase of C-type viruses provides a method for classifying the species of origin; the newly isolated primate C-type viruses are found to have reverse transcriptases which are immunologically distinguishable from those of C-type viruses of lower animals.
Characteristic group frequencies of bromo and iodoalkanes in the cesium bromide region

Abstract The infrared spectra of 74 normal and branched bromo and iodoalkanes have been recorded and studied in the range of 667-286 cm−1. It was found that the number and position of the frequencies characteristic of the CX stretching vibration are dependent on the rotational isomers present as well as the structure of the alkyl substituents in the vicintiy of the CX group. Conformational structures and representative spectra are presented along with correlation charts which list the CX stretching vibration for various primary, secondary and tertiary bromo and iodoalkanes.
THE FREE ENTROPY DIMENSION OF SOME L∞[0,1]-CIRCULAR OPERATORS

We find the microstates free entropy dimension of all in a large class of L∞[0,1]-circular operators, in the presence of a generator of the diagonal subalgebra.
Measurements of Microwave Emission from a Foam-Covered, Wind-Driven Sea

Abstract Measurements were made from aircraft of the 1.55-cm microwave emission from the North Sea and North Atlantic at surface wind speeds ranging from less than 5 to 25 m sec−1. Brightness temperatures in the nadir direction increased almost linearly with wind speed from 7 to 25 m sec−1 at a rate of about 1.2C (m sec−1)−1. At 70° from nadir the rate was 1.8C (m sec−1)−1. This increase was directly proportional to the occurrence of white water on the sea surface. At wind speeds <7 m sec−1, essentially no white water was observed and brightness temperatures in the nadir direction were ∼120K; at wind speeds of 25 m sec−1 white water cover was on the order of 30% and average brightness temperatures at nadir were −142K. Maximum brightness temperatures for foam patches large enough to fill the entire radiometer beam were 220K.
Effects of Endpoint Temperature on the Internal Color of Pork Patties of Different Myoglobin Form, Initial Cooking State, and Quality

: :The effects of several parameters on the development of internal cooked color in ground pork were evaluated. Patties were made from normal or pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) pork and the pigment converted to either oxymyoglobin or deoxymyoglobin. Patties from these 4 treatment combinations were cooked from the frozen or thawed states to 5 endpoint temperatures. PSE patties and those containing oxymyoglobin exhibited premature browning as they appeared cooked and were more (P < 0.05) tan at lower temperatures than normal patties or those with deoxymyoglobin which had a slightly pink internal color at 71 °C. Percentage myoglobin denaturation increased as cooking temperatures increased (P < 0.05) for both types of meat and was greater in patties containing deoxymyoglobin than in those with oxymyoglobin. Patties cooked frozen had lower a* values (P < 0.05) than thawed patties at every endpoint temperature.
Radiant surface temperatures of Angus-Holstein calves in an unheated barn

Abstract Radiant surface temperatures of calves may be predicted from air temperatures using linear regression equations derived from remotely-measured radiant temperature data for 46 points on the animal's surface. Isopleths of similar temperatures illustrate steeper temperature gradients when air temperatures are low. The measured radiant temperatures were very similar for neonates to 1 1 2 months old and a 12–15 month-old heifer.
An NEXAFS investigation of the reduction and reoxidation of TiO2(001)

Abstract The near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) technique was applied to characterize the oxidation states of titanium cations on TiO 2 (001) surfaces reduced by argon-ion bombardment and reoxidized by thermal treatment. Although many characterization studies of reduced TiO 2 have been performed, none of these has applied both surface-sensitive (electron yield) and bulk-sensitive (fluorescence yield) NEXAFS to characterize reduced TiO 2 (001) single-crystal surfaces. The fluorescence yield NEXAFS of polycrystalline samples of the suboxides TiO and Ti 2 O 3 were used as standards to fingerprint reduced cations on the TiO 2 (001) surface. NEXAFS has allowed us to estimate the concentration of oxygen and titanium in the near-surface region of reduced and reoxidized samples. The results of this study demonstrate that oxygen is preferentially removed during ion bombardment, that the depth of the altered layer is comparable to the ion penetration depth, and that the electronic environment of cations in the altered layer is comparable to that of cations in titanium suboxides. The extents of reduction calculated from NEXAFS results for reduced and reoxidized surfaces as a function of annealing temperature compare favorably with those previously determined by analysis of Ti 2p XPS data.
Risk of Hemolytic Anemia with Intravenous Administration of Famotidine to Hospitalized Cats

Background: Famotidine administered IV has been associated anecdotally with hemolysis in cats, and some veterinarians recommend using injectable famotidine only by the subcutaneous (SC) route for cats. However, the actual risk of such a reaction is not known. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that famotidine, when given IV slowly, would not be associated with a clinically significant drop in packed cell volume (PCV) in hospitalized cats. Animals: One hundred and forty-two hospitalized cats. Methods: A retrospective medical record review was performed for hospitalized cats prescribed famotidine IV (n = 56), famotidine SC (n = 48), or no famotidine (n = 38) at a veterinary medical teaching hospital over the period from January 2004 through December 2006. Results: Baseline signalment, observation times, and famotidine dosage (in treated cats) were similar among groups. Median baseline PCVs were significantly lower in the IV (31.5%) and SC (32.0%) groups compared with the control group (35.0%; P= .04). The median percent drop in PCV (3–4%), however, was no different in cats that received famotidine by either route compared with the control group (P= .90), and no cats in either famotidine group were observed to have any clinical signs of hemolysis. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: We conclude from this retrospective study that famotidine IV was given to 56 hospitalized cats without evidence of hemolysis, and that the IV route appeared safe when famotidine was administered over 5 minutes. We could not document a safety advantage of SC versus IV administration in this group of cats.
Simulations of Modelocking Dynamics in Octave-Spanning Micoresonator-Based Frequency Combs

We use the Lugiato-Lefever model to simulate the temporal dynamics of modelocking in microresonator-based frequency combs spanning thousands of modes. Our simulations are able to predict many of the features observed in experiments.
Landing distance in a synchronic North American firefly

The flash communication system of Photinus carolinus in Great Smoky Mountain National Park (Tennessee) is characterized by male firefly synchrony. Photinus carolinus males signal a conspecific female with synchronic trains of flashes. A solitary responding female attracts several males, which is not common in North American rover fireflies. The female and the group of males that she attracts are called a cluster. It is hypothesized that the first male attracted to the female would land closer to the female than would additional males because there would be less tendency for visual confusion. This hypothesis is explored under controlled conditions by replacing the responsive female with an appropriately flashing light-emitting diode (LED) located in the center of a flat target area. When infra-red videography is used to measure the first male and the additional males’ landing distances from the counterfeit female (LED), most fireflies land within 15 cm of the target LED, and the first male does not land closer than the additional males. It is suggested that cluster formation is a by-product of male synchrony and is facilitated by the tendency of males to land near, but not on, females.
Knowledge-based design of optoelectronic packaging and assembly automation

In this paper, we present an automation technique that yields high performance, low cost optoelectronic alignment and packaging through the use of intelligent control theory and system-level modeling. Our control loop design is based on model predictive control, previously popularized in process and other control industries. Our approach is to build an a priori knowledge model, specific to the assembled package’s optical power propagation characteristics, and use this to set the initial "feed-forward" conditions of the automation system. In addition to this feed-forward model, our controller is designed with feedback components, along with the inclusion of a built in optical power sensor. The optical modeling is performed with the rigorous scalar Rayleigh-Sommerfeld formulation, efficiently solved using an angular spectrum technique. One of the benefits of using our knowledge based control technique is that the efficiency of the automation process can be increased, as the number of alignment steps can be greatly reduced. An additional benefit of our technique is that it can reduce the possibility that attachment between optical components will occur at local power maximums, instead of the global maximum of the power distribution. Therefore, our technique improves system performance, while reducing the overall cost of the automation process.
Clinical pharmacology of the new beta-adrenergic blocking drugs. Part 5. Pindolol (LB-46) therapy for supraventricular arrhythmia: a viable alternative to propranolol in patients with bronchospasm.

Abstract Pindolol (LB-46) is a new beta-adrenoceptor blocking agent with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. In order to evaluate the efficacy of pindolol in the treatment of patients with supraventricular arrhythmias and propranolol-induced bronchospasm, 18 patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, multifocal atrial tachycardia or junctional tachycardia, were treated with placebo followed by pindolol in intravenous and then oral form. Following a no-response placebo period (in all patients), intravenous pindolol converted six out of seven patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia to normal sinus rhythm. In six patients with atrial fibrillation, three reverted to normal sinus rhythm, and three remained in atrial fibrillation but with a slower ventricular response (less than 100 beats/minute). Of two patients with atrial flutter, one converted to normal sinus rhythm, while the other patient failed to respond. Both patients with junctional tachycardia and one with multifocal atrial tachycardia converted to normal sinus rhythm. Long-term oral pindolol therapy sustained these responses in most patients, as documented by serial Holter ECG studies. There was no deterioration in indices of airway resistance ( FEV 1·0 VC ) in patients treated with pindolol (both intravenously and orally), in contrast to a marked deterioration in FEV 1·0 VC in the same patients treated with propranolol. Pindolol appears to be a reasonable substitute for propranolol in patients with bronchospastic illness who require beta-blockade for control of supraventricular arrhythmias.
Fracture Energy Approach to Characterize Concrete Crack Surface Roughness and Shear Stiffness

In many concrete structural applications, such as concrete pavements, joints or cracks are relied upon to transfer load between adjacent slabs in order to better distribute the stresses in the material. This study has developed a new method to characterize the shear transfer ability of preexisting concrete cracks and joints. The measured concrete surface roughness and fracture energy ( GF ) were related to a concrete mixtures ability to transfer shear load across a preexisting cracked surface. The wedge splitting test (WST) was used to obtain the concrete’s fracture energy. A modified method for determining GF based on WST is presented. A novel laser profilometer was implemented for quantifying the three-dimensional cracked concrete surface characteristics. The fracture energy was found to characterize both the physical and mechanical properties of the concrete crack face better than previously used surface parameters. In addition, the surface roughness of the concrete crack was related to the fracture en...
Inbred Strain-Specific Effects of Exercise in Wild Type and Biglycan Deficient Mice

Biglycan (bgn)-deficient mice (KO) have defective osteoblasts which lead to changes in the amount and quality of bone. Altered tissue strength in C57BL6/129 (B6;129) KO mice, a property which is independent of tissue quantity, suggests that deficiencies in tissue quality are responsible. However, the response to bgn-deficiency is inbred strain-specific. Mechanical loading influences bone matrix quality in addition to any increase in bone mass or change in bone formation activity. Since many diseases influence the mechanical integrity of bone through altered tissue quality, loading may be a way to prevent and treat extracellular matrix deficiencies. C3H/He (C3H) mice consistently have a less vigorous response to mechanical loading vs. other inbred strains. It was therefore hypothesized that the bones from both wild type (WT) and KO B6;129 mice would be more responsive to exercise than the bones from C3H mice. To test these hypotheses at 11 weeks of age, following 21 consecutive days of exercise, we investigated cross-sectional geometry, mechanical properties, and tissue composition in the tibiae of male mice bred on B6;129 and C3H backgrounds. This study demonstrated inbred strain-specific compositional and mechanical changes following exercise in WT and KO mice, and showed evidence of genotype-specific changes in bone in response to loading in a gene disruption model. This study further shows that exercise can influence bone tissue composition and/or mechanical integrity without changes in bone geometry. Together, these data suggest that exercise may represent a possible means to alter tissue quality and mechanical deficiencies caused by many diseases of bone.
Mass transfer effects on the electropolymerization current efficiency of 3-methylthiophene in the magnetic field

3-Methylthiophene was chosen as a representative conducting polymer precursor, whose electropolymerization proceeds through the coupling of cation radicals. The density of the solution that contains electrogenerated 3-methylthienyl radicals and early oligomers is higher than the density of the surrounding solution, and at low (<0.2 M) monomer concentrations the diffusion layer falls, compromising the electropolymerization current efficiency. Applying a homogeneous magnetic field (3.0 T) perpendicular to the electrode surface (θ=0°) produces concentration gradient paramagnetic forces (F ∇C) that hold the diffusion layer in contact with the electrode. This gives time for more oligomers to get oxidized and for more cation radicals to couple so that the current efficiency increases from 0.028 to 0.037 at 0.05 M of monomer concentration, and from 0.051 to 0.071 at 0.1 M. With the magnetic field parallel to the electrode surface (θ=90°) Lorenz forces causing magnetohydrodynamic convection, in combination with F ∇C forces keeping the flow pattern in contact with the electrode, increase the current efficiency even more, to 0.048 at 0.05 M of monomer concentration, and to 0.076 at 0.1 M. At higher monomer concentrations (>0.2 M), the rate of radical coupling is evidently fast enough so that, even in the absence of a magnetic field, no natural convection effects are observed and the current efficiency (0.7–0.8) is not affected by the magnetic field.