cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of thermodynamic and kinetic effects between the Leu32-->norvaline and Leu35-->norvaline substitutions of the three-fragment complex of cytochrome c.

Abstract The three fragment complex (1-25)H · (28-38) · (39-104) of horse cytochrome c (e.g., (1-25)H, the heme fragment containing residues 1 to 25) closely resembles the native protein except for residues 39 to 55, which are flexible. We have investigated how the Leu35→Nva (norvaline) substitution differs from the Leu32→Nva in the perturbation of the stability of this complex. The side chains of Leu32 and Leu35 are adjacent in the well-packed hydrophobic core of tuna cytochrome c (T. Takano and R. E. Dickerson (1981) J. Mol. Biol. 153, 95-115). We measured the effects of the substitutions on (i) the binding of (28-38) with ferri- and ferrocomplexes on the right side of the heme (Dickerson′s orientation); (ii) the heat stability of the 695-nm band which monitors the Fe-S bond on the left side of the heme (cf. Takano and Dickerson, 1981); and (iii) the rate constant for the direct dissociation of (39-104) of the ferrous complex as a function of temperature. The results suggest that the Leu32→Nva is unique in that the stabilizing energy associated with the ground state is markedly more perturbed in the Leu32→Nva than in the Leu35→Nva. This is true despite the fact that both substitutions introduce no stereochemical conflict and remove only the γ-methyl groups of the Leu side chains which are presumably positioned adjacently with respect to each other in the core. Furthermore, the effect of the perturbation of the structure imposed by the removal of the Leu32 γ-methyl group propagates itself perhaps through the core and affects the stability of the Fe-S bond and the binding strength of (39-104). These properties resemble the core domain-domain interaction (A. Fisher and H. Taniuchi (1992) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 296, 1-16).
Instrumentation for positron emission tomography

Positron emission tomography with a spatial resolution of 2 mm full width at half maximum for quantitation in regions of interest 4 mm in diameter will become possible with the development of detectors that achieve ultrahigh resolution. Improved resolution will be possible using solid-state photodetectors for crystal identification or photomultiplier tubes with many small electron multipliers. Temporal resolution of 2 seconds and gating of cyclic events can be accomplished if statistical requirements are met. The major physical considerations in achieving high-resolution positron emission tomography are the degradation in resolution resulting from positron range, emission angle, parallax error, detector sampling density, the sensitivity of various detector materials and packing schemes, and the tradeoff between temporal resolution and statistical accuracy. The accuracy of data required for physiological models depends primarily on the fidelity of spatial sampling independent of statistical constraints.
Conjugated polyelectrolyte-grafted silica microspheres.

A direct method for preparation of conjugated polymer-grafted silica particles is reported. Silica particles (0.3 and 5 μm diameter) are treated with a 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylamine derivative that is functionalized with an aryl iodide unit. A solution step-growth polymerization reaction is performed in solution that contains a dispersion of the aryl iodide-functionalized particles. The reaction is a Pd(0)-catalyzed (Sonogashira) A−B-type polymerization of an oligo(ethylene glycol)-fuctionalized diiodobenzene and a bis(propyloxy)sulfonate-substituted diethynylbenzene. The overall process affords silica particles that feature a surface graft layer of an anionic poly(phenylene ethynylene)-type conjugated polyelectrolyte. The particle surface modification process was monitored by infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and the polymer-grafted silica particles were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, confocal fluorescence microscopy, and absorption and fluorescen...
Synthesis and secretion of α‐amylase by rice callus: Evidence for differential gene expression

Rice seed callus expressed and secreted alpha-amylase at high levels. Twenty percent of the protein secreted by the callus was alphaamylase. The callus secreted about 840 mug alpha-amylase with 10.9 x 10(3) units of activity per gram dry weight callus per day. The alpha-amylase from callus exhibited a more complex isoform pattern than the germinating seed alpha-amylase. In addition, the level of mRNA expression by the five alpha-amylase gene groups was markedly different between callus and the germinating seed. The rice callus culture has features which it attractive as a potential system for expression proteins in plant cell fermentation systems.
Tasking solutions to the Sieve of Eratosthenes

Shapiro and later Bokhari described a multiprocessing view of the Sieve of Eratosthenes, to test load balancing on shared-memory multiprocessors. Shapiro proposed the following parallel version of the sieve:Eratosthenes starts off with a large number of slaves and instructs the first one to write down the integers 2, 3, 4, … on the ground in a field. A second slave is dispatched with instructions to cross out all multiples of 2. Eratosthenes now moves down the "list" of numbers and dispatches a new slave whenever an uncrossed number is encountered. Thus, the third slave is sent off with instructions to cross out the multiples of 3, the fourth crosses out all multiples of 5, and so on. The uncrossed numbers that remain at the end of this process are the primes.It turns out that Ada (especially Ada95) supports multiprocessing well in the Sieve of Eratosthenes. One may make use of static and dynamic tasks, protected types, communication, and synchronization in a relatively small program, making the sieve an excellent choice for instruction. In a graduate course we offer at William & Mary, Theory of Programming Languages, we give students a multiprocessing assignment. At this stage, students have rarely done parallel programming, except for low-level threads and locks in operating systems courses. So a parallel programming assignment in a high level language adds an extra tool to their arsenals and gives them an idea of an important part of computing today.
Timolol-induced interstitial lung disease

Timolol maleate is a non-selective beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent with demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of open-angle glaucoma. A 76 year old female who presented with productive cough, progressive dyspnea and hypoxia after starting timolol maleate opthalamic drops following glaucoma surgery. The patient was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease secondary to timolol treatment and after cessation of the offending agent along with corticosteroid treatment, symptoms improved drastically. Elimination of other possible causes of disease along with evolution of radiological and functional signs left us with a diagnosis of timolol-induced interstitial lung disease. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of timolol-induced interstitial lung disease.
Snobby people and just plain folks: Social stratification and rural, low‐status, Appalachian women

Ethnographers have noted the coexistence of a social stratification system and egalitarian beliefs in rural Appalachian communities. For most local people, the conflict inherent in these two perspectives is balanced by community norms that call for informality in personal interactions and modesty in displaying one's status. The assignment of social position is thus unspoken but understood. A study of low‐status women in a rural, Appalachian community found that the women strongly believe in the egalitarian ethic. These same women speak, however, of numerous interactions with higher‐status persons, which result in feelings of being put down, ignored, undervalued, or insulted. The low‐status women revealed their strategies for confirming their view of the world and maintaining their self‐esteem in the face of these insults to self. They tell their stories to sympathetic listeners, apply negative labels to the offenders, and seek out higher status champions. The women's search for economic resources for thei...
The milspouse battle rhythm: communicating resilience throughout the deployment cycle.

Military spouses (milspouses) enact resilience through communication before, during, and after military deployments. Based on an organizing framework of resilience processes (Buzzanell, 2010), this study examined milspouses’ communicative construction of resilience during an increasingly rapid military deployment cycle. Narratives from in-depth interviews with military spouses (n = 24) revealed how resilience is achieved through communication seeking to reconcile the often contradictory realities of milspouses who endure physical, psychological, and social difficulties due to prolonged separations from their partners.
Ventral midbrain involvement in copulatory behavior of the male rat.

Abstract Stimulation bound copulation was obtained from a ventral midbrain extension of the hypothalamic medial forebrain bundle. Electrical stimulation at this site accelerated the achievement of ejaculation and the resumption of copulation after ejaculation. Sexual activity was temporarily depressed immediately after stimulation. The results are discussed in terms of a preoptic medial forebrain bundle ventral midbrain system influencing copulation in the male rat.
Amino acid composition of monomeric and polymeric human serum albumin.

Abstract All previous amino acid analyses of crystalline human serum albumin (HSA) have been performed on preparations which have been shown by gel electrophoresis to contain a number of polymeric forms. Monomeric albumin was separated from its higher M.W. components by means of a Sephadex G-150 column with Tris NaCl buffer at pH 8.1 using crystalline human albumin (Kabi) as the starting material. The physicochemical characteristics of the monomeric and polymeric fractions were investigated by means of acrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis. Their amino acid composition was determined by automated ion-exchange chromatography. Although no significant differences were found between the original albumin sample and its monomer, some of the analytical data obtained differed from those of other investigators. The polymeric fraction showed some significant differences in amino acid composition from the monomer that require further verification.
Effect of Photoperiod on Isoenzymic Composition of Citrus and Poncirus

Long day photoperiod treatments given to Dancy and Clementine tangerines (Citrus reticulata Blanco.), the Mineola tangelo (C. parodisi Macf. × C. reticulata Blanco.) and the Rubideaux trifoliate (Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.) produced 1.5 to 2.5 times the stem area, total linear growth and number of branches compared to short day treatments. Growing shoot tips were snbjected lo etectrophoretic analyses of tbe isoenzymic composition of esterases, teucine aminopeptidases, peroxidases and amylases. Differences were observed in the number and activity of the isoenzymes between the sbort and the long day treated plants of the three Citrus species aiid Hnbideaux trifoliate orange. The possible significance of tbese differences is discnssed in relation to Ihe growth in response to the photoperiodic treatments.
Advanced alignment optical system for DUV scanner

Advanced scanners need an extremely high accuracy wafer alignment system, and nowadays it is also necessary that the alignment marks occupy a smaller area in order to expand the available area for IC patterns. Therefore, narrower lines with a smaller pitch must form the alignment marks. In this paper, a higher Numerical Aperture (NA) and lower aberration alignment optical system are studied for these requirements. At first the small alignment marks are shown, and suitable NA in the optical system is then discussed. As a result, the necessity for higher NA is shown. As for low aberration, the necessary specification of wavefront aberration is discussed. Assuming it is possible to suitably select the NA and the illumination NA in the optical system, the results of simulation -- that simulate image signals and perform image processing -- are reported. These results show the optical system that has aberration causes position shift, so that the specification of wavefront aberration is estimated in order that the position shifts may be sufficiently small. To make sure that with such a strict specification the system will be possible, a trial optical system has been made. Finally the techniques of manufacturing and the results of evaluation are reported.
Confocal Light Absorption and Scattering Spectroscopic Microscopy

We have developed a novel optical method, called confocal light absorption and scattering spectroscopic microscopy, for observing submicrometer intracellular structures in living cells. It combines confocal microscopy, a well-established high-resolution microscopic technique, with light-scattering spectroscopy.
(+/-)-3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced changes in the basal activity and pharmacological responsiveness of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons.

The present study examined the effects of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on the basal activity and pharmacological responsiveness of rat nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons. Under standard in vivo extracellular single-unit recording conditions, acute MDMA administered alone (i.v.) inhibited the firing rate of nigrostriatal DA neurons in a dose-dependent fashion. The potency of MDMA to elicit this inhibition was significantly reduced following depletion of either serotonin or DA. Acute MDMA pretreatments (10 mg/kg i.v., 90 s) also profoundly enhanced the sensitivity of nigrostriatal DA neurons to the rate-inhibitory effects of the D-2 DA receptor agonist quinpirole but not apomorphine. It has previously been demonstrated that the ability of quinpirole and apomorphine to inhibit nigrostriatal DA neuronal activity is dependent on the basal firing rate of the cell. Both acute MDMA and a single dose of MDMA (15 mg/kg i.p.) one week prior eliminated the rate dependency of quinripole- and apomorphine-induced inhibition of the firing rate of these cells. These data suggest that, although MDMA is known to be a serotonergic neurotoxin, this compound may also exert direct functional effects on the nigrostriatal DA system.
nSMase2 activation and trafficking are modulated by oxidative stress to induce apoptosis.

We have previously shown that accumulation of ceramide, triggered by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), induces apoptosis of human airway epithelial (HAE) cells. Under oxidant exposure, a lung sphingomyelinase (SMase) is activated and displays continued ceramide generation and pro-apoptotic signaling, thus leading to the pathological apoptosis that causes lung injury. In a search for a specific SMase that is modulated by oxidative stress, we recently cloned nSMase2 from monkey lung tissue and HAE cells. Here, we show that this nSMase2 is up-regulated by an oxidant (H2O2) and is inhibited by an antioxidant (glutathione (GSH)). Moreover, nSMase2 subcellular localization is governed by oxidant exposure, which leads to its preferential trafficking to the plasma membrane, where it generates ceramide and induces apoptosis. On the other hand, exposure to GSH results in nSMase2 trafficking to the nucleus, where it neither generates ceramide nor induces apoptosis.
Extravasating Neutrophil-derived Microparticles Preserve Vascular Barrier Function in Inflamed Tissue

Emerging evidence suggests that gap formation and opening of the endothelial junctions during leukocyte extravasation is actively controlled to maintain the integrity of the vascular barrier. While the role for endothelial cells to this process has been well defined, it is not clear whether leukocytes are also actively contributing to endothelial barrier function. We have recently showed that extravasating leukocytes deposit microparticles on the subendothelium during the late stages of extravasation, which is LFA-1 dependent. Using multiphotonintravital microscopy (MP-IVM) of mouse cremaster muscle vessels in the current work, we show that microparticle formation and deposition maintains the integrity of the microvascular barrier during leukocyte extravasation. Inhibition of neutrophil-derived microparticle formation resulted in dramatically increased vascular leakage. These findings suggest that deposition of microparticles during neutrophil extravasation is essential for maintaining endothelial barrier function and may result in temporal difference between neutrophil extravasation and an increase in vascular leakage.
Inhibition of tumor growth by the use of non-homogeneous magnetic fields

We have investigated a new and as yet totally unevaluated method for retarding the growth of tumor cells by either transient in vitro exposure of tumor cells or palpable in vivo exposure of the tumor to a non-homogeneous magnetic field. Ten million mammary adenocarcinoma (H2712) mouse tumor cells were exposed to a 38 kilogauss magnetic field (field gradient, 12 kilogauss /mm) for 20 minutes, and subsequently, were injected in equal parts into C3H/HeJ mice, the carrier strain. Mice receiving tumor cells exposed to the magnetic field had a mean survival of 18 ± 1.3 days; the mean control survival was 9.0 ± 1.3 days. In addition, another group of C3H/HeJ mice with a barely palpable mammary adenocarcinoma tumor in the hind leg (48 hours post-injection) were exposed to the same field strength for 20 minutes, with a resulting mean survival of 18.3 ± 2.25 days, compared to a mean survival of 7.9 ± 1.4 days in controls. A repeated exposure of these in vivo tumors for 20 minutes at 72 and 96 hours post-injection produced a mean survival of 21.1 ± 2.0 days. Tissue temperature within the field remained normal, and there was no obvious damage to skin or surrounding normal tissues. These experiments have demonstrated that a non-homogeneous magnetic field is a potent inhibitor of tumor cell viability and growth rate, both in vitro and in vivo, and offers promise for clinical application.
Improving source identification of fine particles in a rural northeastern U.S. area utilizing temperature‐resolved carbon fractions

[i] Integrated, 24-hour, ambient PM 2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) samples were collected at a rural monitoring site in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Wednesdays and Saturdays using Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) samplers. Particulate carbon was analyzed using the thermal optical reflectance method, which divides carbon into four organic carbon (OC), pyrolyzed organic carbon (OP), and three elemental carbon (EC) fractions. A total of 910 samples and 36 variables collected between March 1992 and May 2001 were analyzed using positive matrix factorization, and 11 sources were identified: sulfate-rich secondary aerosol I (48%), gasoline vehicle (13%), aged sea salt (8%), sulfate-rich secondary aerosol II (7%), nitrate-rich secondary aerosol (6%), sulfate-rich secondary aerosol III (5%), sea salt (4%), airborne soil (4%), diesel emission (3%), incinerator (2%), and oil combustion (1%). Temperature-resolved carbon fractions enhanced source separations including three sulfate-rich secondary aerosols and two traffic-related sources that had different abundances of carbon fractions different between sources. Conditional probability functions using surface wind data and deduced source contributions aid in the identification of local sources. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis shows the regional influence of sulfate-rich secondary aerosols. Backward trajectories indicate that the highly elevated airborne soil impacts at the monitoring site were likely caused by either Asian or Sahara dust storms.
The impact of wage rate growth on tourism competitiveness.

This study tests whether national labour costs affect international competitiveness in the tourism industry. Using a fixed effect model design and two-stage least squares (2SLS) estimation, a set of 40 countries is examined during the period 1990�2010. The study reveals that labour costs may be an important supply-side determinant of tourism expenditures, and supports the hypothesis of a negative relationship between these two variables. Implications of the reported findings for industry and for government macroeconomic policy are provided. Potential extensions of these findings to the tourism area life cycle model are also discussed.
A Metabolite of Equine Estrogens, 4-Hydroxyequilenin, Induces DNA Damage and Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Estrogen replacement therapy has been correlated with an increased risk of developing breast or endometrial cancer. 4-Hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) is a catechol metabolite of equilenin which is a mino...
Kinematic Analysis and Synthesis of Deterministic 3-2-1 Locator Schemes for Machining Fixtures

This paper addresses the problem of generating a well-conditioned, near-optimal deterministic 3-2-1 location scheme. Given are a workpart with identified planar datum faces, each with an associated convex region of admissible locator positions, and a set of disturbing twists (resulting from the processing operations on the workpart). First, screw theory is used to identify easily implementable necessary and sufficient conditions for deterministic positioning of the workpart in a 3-2-1 locator scheme. Next, the conditioning of a location scheme is studied and combinatorial algorithms are developed for synthesizing near-optimally conditioned locator schemes. Interesting decomposition and restrictions on the search space are identified to make the synthesis procedure efficient.
You can win but I can't lose: Bias against high-status groups increases their zero-sum beliefs about discrimination

Abstract What leads people to espouse zero-sum beliefs (ZSBs) – the perspective that gains for one social group come at the cost of another group – and what are the consequences of those beliefs? We hypothesized that high-status groups (Whites and men) would be more likely than low-status groups (Blacks and women) to endorse ZSBs, particularly in response to increasing perceptions of discrimination against their own groups. We found that high-status groups endorsed ZSBs more when they contemplated increasing bias against their group than when they contemplated decreasing bias against their low-status counterparts. Furthermore, we demonstrated that greater ZSB endorsement corresponded with efforts to decrease outgroups' ability to compete in society and efforts to increase the ingroup's ability to compete. We discuss how this pattern may perpetuate social inequality.
Permeability estimation algorithm to simultaneously characterize the distribution media and the fabric preform in vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process

In vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), available pressure for resin injection is limited to 1 atm. Therefore, layers of high-permeability fabrics, called the distribution media (DM), are included in the lay-up to enhance the resin flow. During injection, resin flows initially in-plane saturating the DM, and subsequently through the thickness impregnating the bulk preform. Therefore, the DM permeability governs the planar resin flow pattern and lead length, which is defined as the difference between the flow position in the DM and in the bottom preform layer adjacent to the tool surface. In this study, the DM permeability was investigated as a function of the preform lay-up. A new permeability estimation method, called permeability estimation algorithm (PEA), that can estimate permeability values of the DM and the preform simultaneously from a single experiment, was developed and validated. Using PEA, it has been shown that the DM permeability does vary with the preform lay-up.
Reducing the degrees of freedom in chemistry classroom conversations

Five high-school chemistry teachers were asked to enact a lesson in which they posed a problem for which students were likely to generate solutions based on reasoning that was not aligned with accepted principles of chemistry. Four teachers selected a problem related to the stoichiometry of a reaction; the fifth chose a problem associated with periodic trends. The goal of the research was to understand the kinds of strategies used by these teachers to support students' progress towards more sophisticated conceptualizations of the phenomena being explored. Transcripts of teacher interviews and the discourse contained within the videotapes of the lessons were analyzed to identify similarities and differences in the strategies teachers employed. The data suggest that all of the teachers operated off a common lesson schema that caused them to implement certain pedagogical practices—especially certain discourse moves. This ‘traditional cognitive conflict’ schema from which the teachers' discursive practices seemed to be derived reduced the opportunities for them to gain full access into their students' thinking related to the principles underlying the problems posed. Moreover, it eliminated possible pathways the teachers could have laid down between the conceptions of students and those of chemists. For researchers this study suggests the need to further explore the prevalence of such practices and what prompts their utilization; for teachers this study shows the influence their choice of certain discourse moves can have on a lesson's conceptual trajectory.
Semiempirical computation of homolytic O-H bond dissociation energies of alcohols: comparison of the AM1 and PM3 methods

Abstract The heats of formation of various alcohols and alkoxy radicals were calculated using the AM1 and PM3 semiempirical methods, which were then used to calculate the bond dissociation energies of the alcohols. Both restricted Hartree-Fock (RHF) and unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) calculations were performed to determine which technique was most applicable to the computation of bond dissociation energies within the semiempirical frameworks. It was determined that AM1/RHF calculations gave the most accurate results for O-H bond dissociation energies of alcohols. The effect of using configuration interaction calculations to calculate bond dissociation energies within the semiempirical framework was also examined.
Structure of cytochrome c′: a dimeric, high-spin haem protein

The bacterial cytochromes c′ (ref. 1) occur in various photosynthetic and denitrifying bacteria, where they are presumed to function in electron transport2. Most cytochromes c′ are isolated as dimeric molecules composed of two identical subunits of ∼14,000 molecular weight (MW), with each polypeptide chain incorporating a protohaem IX prosthetic group covalently bound through thioether linkages formed by condensation of two cysteine side chains with the haem vinyl groups3. Although a similar mode of covalent haem attachment is found in members of the well studied mitochondrial cytochrome c family4, the cytochromes c′ are, in contrast, high-spin haem proteins (hence the prime designation) which bind neutral ligands5, characteristic properties generally associated with members of the oxygen-binding globin family6. Here we present a preliminary structural description of the cytochrome c′ derived from the photosynthetic, purple non-sulphur bacterium Rhodospirillum molischianum, and show that it bears little structural resemblance to members of either the cytochrome c or globin structural families. The cytochrome c′ monomer structure is, instead, principally organized as a left-twisted, 4-α-helical bundle, a structural motif previously observed in several other sequentially and functionally unrelated proteins7 13.
QTL analyses reveal clustered loci for accumulation of major provitamin A carotenes and lycopene in carrot roots

QTLs associated with products of the carotenoid pathway, including lycopene and the provitamin A carotenes α- and β-carotene, were investigated in two unrelated F2 carrot populations, derived from crosses between orange cultivated B493 and white wild QAL (Population 1), and orange cultivated Brasilia and dark-orange cultivated HCM (Population 2). The mapping populations of 160 and 180 individuals, respectively, were analyzed with single-marker and interval-mapping statistical approaches, using coupling linkage maps for each parent. Single markers were selected for further analysis based on the Wilcoxon sum-rank non-parametric test. Interval mapping performed with Population 2 detected four, eight, three, one and five putative QTLs associated with accumulation of ξ-carotene, α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene and phytoene, respectively. Among these, the major QTLs explained 13.0%, 10.2%, 13.0%, 7.2% and 10.2% of total phenotypic variation. In Population 1 single-marker analysis identified loci explaining up to 13.8%, 6.8%, 19.3%, 5.7%, and 17.5%, respectively, of total phenotypic variation for these same carotenoids. Overall analysis demonstrated clustering of these QTLs associated with the carotenoid pathway: the AFLP loci AACCAT178-Q and AAGCAG233-Q, on linkage group 5, explained 17.8%, 22.8% and 23.5% of total phenotypic variation for ζ-carotene, phytoene and β-carotene in Population 1. Two major clusters of QTLs, with LOD scores greater than 1.8, mapped to intervals no larger than 2 cM for ζ-carotene, β-carotene, α-carotene and lycopene on linkage group 3, and for ζ-carotene and phytoene on linkage group 9, and these explained 3.7% to 13.0% of variation for each carotenoid product. Thus, these results suggest that clustering of related pathway loci is favored during evolution, since closely linked "pathway mates" are not easily separated by recombination.
A Combined Derivation of the Integrated and Vertically Resolved, Coupled Wave–Current Equations

AbstractThere exist different theories representing the effects of surface gravity waves on oceanic flow fields. In the past, the author has conjectured that the vertically integrated, two-dimensional fluid equations of motion put forward by Longuet-Higgins and Stewart are correct and that theories that differ from their theory cannot be entirely correct; this paper explores these differences. Longuet-Higgins and Stewart deduced vertically integrated, two-dimensional equations featuring a wave radiation stress term in the fluid dynamic, momentum equation. More recently, the author has proposed vertically dependent, three-dimensional equations that have required correction but when vertically integrated, agreed with the earlier, two-dimensional equations. This paper derives both vertically independent and vertically dependent equations from the same base and, importantly, using the same expression for pressure in the belief that the paper will contribute to the understanding and clarification of this seemi...
Ionospheric Electron Content and the [OI] 6300 Å Nightglow

SEVERAL emission features of the night airglow in the tropics are measured regularly at the Haleakala Observatory of the Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii. Simultaneously, determinations of the ionospheric electron content are being made by the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Hawaii, in Honolulu.
Leptin reverses diabetes by suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

Leptin treatment reverses hyperglycemia in animal models of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes (T1D), spurring great interest in the possibility of treating patients with this hormone. The antidiabetic effect of leptin has been postulated to occur through suppression of glucagon production, suppression of glucagon responsiveness or both; however, there does not appear to be a direct effect of leptin on the pancreatic alpha cell. Thus, the mechanisms responsible for the antidiabetic effect of leptin remain poorly understood. We quantified liver-specific rates of hepatic gluconeogenesis and substrate oxidation in conjunction with rates of whole-body acetate, glycerol and fatty acid turnover in three rat models of poorly controlled diabetes, including a model of diabetic ketoacidosis. We show that the higher rates of hepatic gluconeogenesis in all these models could be attributed to hypoleptinemia-induced activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in higher rates of adipocyte lipolysis, hepatic conversion of glycerol to glucose through a substrate push mechanism and conversion of pyruvate to glucose through greater hepatic acetyl-CoA allosteric activation of pyruvate carboxylase flux. Notably, these effects could be dissociated from changes in plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations and hepatic gluconeogenic protein expression. All the altered systemic and hepatic metabolic fluxes could be mimicked by infusing rats with Intralipid or corticosterone and were corrected by leptin replacement. These data demonstrate a critical role for lipolysis and substrate delivery to the liver, secondary to hypoleptinemia and HPA axis activity, in promoting higher hepatic gluconeogenesis and hyperglycemia in poorly controlled diabetes.
Electronic conferencing—issues beyond software selection

Electronic Conferencing is rapidly becoming a popular medium for communication. We have witnessed wide-spread installations of Electronic Conferencing systems on college campuses and in academic settings that provide information and resource sharing in a variety of ways. Probably you have already made the decision to purchase or develop an Electronic Conferencing package for your site. You may already be using it to meet some of the demands of your user community.But once the conferencing software has been chosen and installed, there still exists the potential for a myriad of problems to arise. Anticipating these issues and planning for them before-hand could determine whether Electronic Conferencing is considered a success at your installation.This paper examines a variety of issues on a multi-level basis. It focuses primarily on problems that are dealt with at the administrative level and at the individual conference-coordinator level. Issues such as qualifications of conference coordinators, selection procedures of coordinators, proposal guidelines for creation of new conferences, accessibility, and establishment of conference etiquette are discussed. The paper also looks at issues at the conference-user level, such as how first-time users react to the new medium and the degree of involvement of the users in the planning process.Every institution is unique in its resources, its climate, and its purpose. The types of issues raised by this paper are the kind that have unique answers for each community posing the questions. This paper discusses scenarios that can be resolved to satisfaction in many ways, depending on your own situation. It also presents a checklist of administrative-level considerations, and describes an example of a successful implementation of Electronic Conferencing.
Feasibility and acceptability of an early childhood obesity prevention intervention: results from the healthy homes, healthy families pilot study.

Background. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a home-based early childhood obesity prevention intervention designed to empower low-income racially/ethnically diverse parents to modify their children's health behaviors. Methods. We used a prospective design with pre-/posttest evaluation of 50 parent-child pairs (children aged 2 to 5 years) to examine potential changes in dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors among children at baseline and four-month follow-up. Results. 39 (78%) parent-child pairs completed evaluation data at 4-month follow-up. Vegetable intake among children significantly increased at follow-up (0.54 cups at 4 months compared to 0.28 cups at baseline, P = 0.001) and ounces of fruit juice decreased at follow-up (11.9 ounces at 4 months compared to 16.0 ounces at baseline, P = 0.036). Sedentary behaviors also improved. Children significantly decreased time spent watching TV on weekdays (P < 0.01) and also reduced weekend TV time. In addition, the number of homes with TV sets in the child's bedroom also decreased (P < 0.0013). Conclusions. The findings indicate that a home-based early childhood obesity prevention intervention is feasible, acceptable and demonstrates short-term effects on dietary and sedentary behaviors of low-income racially/ethnically diverse children.
Significance of sensory inflow to the swallowing reflex

Summary These results indicate that selected denervation of muscles active during the buccopharyngeal phase of swallowing in the cat will not alter the sequence of electromyographic activity in the remaining active muscles. In addition, electroneurograms of 3 cranial nerves active during swallowing, the hypoglossal, vagus and recurrent, indicate the sequence of their activity remains intact despite extensive alteration of exteroceptive input from the oro-pharyngo-laryngeal mucosa, denervation of the tongue, suprahyoid, infrahyoid, laryngeal, and esophageal regions, and the initiation of motor paralysis. These data suggest that tonic peripheral inflow, either from mucosal surfaces evoking swallowing, or from muscles and joints active during the buccopharyngeal phase is not essential to the sequence of over 20 muscles of the head and neck region contracting during swallowing. The results suggest that this brain stem reflex is pre-dominantly controlled by a ‘prewired network’ of neurons which activate several brain stem and spinal cord motoneuronal pools when ‘triggered’ by patterned peripheral input.
High-Performance and Compact Architecture for Regular Expression Matching on FPGA

We present the design, implementation and evaluation of a high-performance architecture for regular expression matching (REM) on field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Each regular expression (regex) is first parsed into a concise token list representation, then compiled to a modular nondeterministic finite automaton (RE-NFA) using a modified version of the McNaughton-Yamada algorithm. The RE-NFA can be mapped directly onto a compact register-transistor level (RTL) circuit. A number of optimizations are applied to improve the circuit performance: 1) spatial stacking is used to construct an REM circuit processing m ≥ 1 input characters per clock cycle; 2) single-character constrained repetitions are matched efficiently by parallel shift-register lookup tables; 3) complex character classes are matched by a BRAM-based classifier shared across regexes; 4) a multipipeline architecture is used to organize a large number of RE-NFAs into priority groups to limit the I/O size of the circuit. We implemented 2,630 unique PCRE regexes from Snort rules (February 2010) in the proposed REM architecture. Based on the place-and-route results from Xilinx ISE 11.1 targeting Virtex5 LX-220 FPGAs, the proposed REM architecture achieved up to 11 Gbps concurrent throughput for various regex sets and up to 2.67× the throughput efficiency of other state-of-the-art designs.
An evaluation of factors influencing pore pressure in accretionary complexes : Implications for taper angle and wedge mechanics

[1] At many subduction zones, accretionary complexes form as sediment is off-scraped from the subducting plate. Mechanical models that treat accretionary complexes as critically tapered wedges of sediment demonstrate that pore pressure controls their taper angle by modifying basal and internal shear strength. Here, we combine a numerical model of groundwater flow with critical taper theory to quantify the effects of sediment and decollement permeability, sediment thickness, sediment partitioning between accretion and underthrusting, and plate convergence rate on steady state pore pressure. Our results show that pore pressure in accretionary wedges can be viewed as a dynamically maintained response to factors which drive pore pressure (source terms) and those that limit flow (permeability and drainage path length). We find that sediment permeability and incoming sediment thickness are the most important factors, whereas fault permeability and the partitioning of sediment have a small effect. For our base case model scenario, as sediment permeability is increased, pore pressure decreases from near-lithostatic to hydrostatic values and allows stable taper angles to increase from ∼2.5° to 8°–12.5°. With increased sediment thickness in our models (from 100 to 8000 m), increased pore pressure drives a decrease in stable taper angle from 8.4°–12.5° to 15° to <4°) with increased sediment thickness (from <1 to 7 km). One key implication is that hydrologic properties may strongly influence the strength of the crust in a wide range of geologic settings.
Experimental test of time reversal invariance using beta-polarization-gamma angular correlations in beta decay.

A measurement of the transverse beta spin polarization in a ..beta..-..gamma.. nuclear cascade gives information on time reversal invariance. Results from a preliminary experiment, using /sup 203/Hg decay, are presented. The one previous experimental investigation, which used /sup 198/Au decay, is also reanalyzed in light of more recent information on Mott scattering polarization analysis. No time reversal violations are indicated in either experiment.
Serum suppression of lymphocyte activation in vitro in acquired immunodeficiency disease.

Sera from nine men and one woman having the recently described acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome (AID) were studied for effects on healthy control lymphocyte activationin vitro by two T-lymphocyte activators, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and allogeneic lymphocytes in the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) reaction. Selected sera were also tested for blocking of endogenous natural killer (NK) activity against the K562 tumor target. The results obtained demonstrated that all of the sera tested had a strong capacity to block the normal T-cell response and that this blocking effect could be diluted out. Some of the sera blocked α-interferon (αIFN)-induced NK activity but not endogenous NK activity. All of the patients had abnormal lymphocyte responses to T-cell activators in pooled normal human serum-supplemented cultures. There was no simple correlation between patient lymphocyte deficiency and percentage blocking capacity of patient serum. Sera were absorbed against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and against allogeneic cells. SRBC absorption was effective in removing serum factors blocking normal lymphocyte responses to PHA and, in some cases, to allogeneic cells, whereas allogeneic absorption did not prevent serum inhibition of the PHA response. Conversely, allogeneic absorption removed serum factors blocking normal responses in MLC at least as well as or better than SRBC absorption. Increasing the number of absorptions increased the efficacy of allogeneic absorption. The positive effect of allogeneic absorptions was observed only when the stimulating allogeneic cell pool in the MLC was the same pool as that used in absorptions. The results suggest that both anti-T lymphocyte- and anti-major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-linked determinants are present in the sera of patients with AID. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Analysis of various mRNA potentially involved in cisplatin resistance of murine leukemia L1210 cells.

Abstract Enhanced DNA repair has been identified as a major mechanism of resistance to the anticancer drug cisplatin in murine leukemia L1210 cells. Studies of other cells have implicated the elevation of a variety of RNA transcripts in cisplatin resistance. This study investigated potential changes in transcription of these genes as well as genes involved in DNA repair. No elevation in any of the following transcripts was observed: thymidylate synthase, dihydrofolate reductase, DNA polymerase α, DNA polymerase β, topoisomerase II, Ha-ras, β-tubulin, metallothionein and the DNA repair genes ERCC1 and ERCC2. Thymidine kinase was increased no more than 2-fold. None of these RNA were induced by incubation with cisplatin. High levels of cisplatin produced selective decreases in certain RNA. These results demonstrate that the previous observations of elevated RNA can not be universally applied to all cisplatin-resistant cells.
Identification of a Novel Antiviral Inhibitor of the Flavivirus Guanylyltransferase Enzyme

Arthropod-borne flavivirus infection causes serious morbidity and mortality worldwide, but there are currently no effective antiflaviviral chemotherapeutics available for human use. Therefore, it is critical that new therapeutics against virus-specific targets be developed. To identify new compounds that may be used as broadly active flavivirus therapeutics, we have performed a high-throughput screening of 235,456 commercially available compounds for small-molecule inhibitors of the dengue virus NS5 RNA capping enzyme. We identified a family of compounds, the 2-thioxothiazolidin-4-ones, that show potent biochemical inhibition of capping enzyme GTP binding and guanylyltransferase function. During the course of structure-activity relationship analysis, a molecule within this family, (E)-{3-[5-(4-tert-butylbenzylidene)-4-oxo-2-thioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl]propanoic acid} (BG-323), was found to possess significant antiviral activity in a dengue virus subgenomic replicon assay. Further testing of BG-323 demonstrated that this molecule is able to reduce the replication of infectious West Nile virus and yellow fever virus in cell culture with low toxicity. The results of this study describe the first inhibitor that targets the GTP-binding/guanylyltransferase activity of the flavivirus RNA capping enzyme.
An element eigenvalue theorem and its application for stable time steps

Abstract An eigenvalue theorem which yields bounds on the extremal element eigenvalues for numerically integrated elements using two or more quadrature points is introduced. Numerical examples show that the theorem gives rather accurate estimates on frequencies for the fully integrated and the selective-reduced integrated 4-node quadrilateral elements. These bounds provide stable time steps for explicit time integration schemes.
Reactive Oxygen Species Sensitivity of Angiotensin II-dependent Translation Initiation in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Translation initiation, the rate-limiting step in protein synthesis, is a key event in vascular smooth muscle cell growth, a major component of vascular disease. Translation initiation is regulated by interaction between PHAS-I and the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Although angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced vascular smooth muscle cell hypertrophy requires the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the ROS sensitivity of these events and their upstream activators remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of ROS in the regulation of PHAS-I phosphorylation on Thr-70 and Ser-65, an event required for the release of eIF4E from PHAS-I. Ang II-induced Ser-65 phosphorylation was ROS-dependent as assessed by pretreatment with ebselen (3.6 +/- 0.2 versus 1.1 +/- 0.2), diphenylene iodonium (3.6 +/- 0.2 versus 1.0 +/- 0.1), and N-acetyl cysteine (3.6 +/- 0.2 versus 1.2 +/- 0.1), but Ang II-stimulated phosphorylation of Thr-70 was ROS-insensitive. Although phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway inhibition by LY294004 blocked both Ser-65 and Thr-70 phosphorylation (3.8 +/- 0.1 versus 0.8 +/- 0.1 and 3.2 +/- 0.2 versus 1.0 +/- 0.01, respectively), protein phosphatase 2A inhibition by okadaic acid selectively increased (3.3 +/- 0.1 versus 5.2 +/- 0.1) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibition by SB203580 selectively decreased (3.8 +/- 0.1 versus 1.4 +/- 0.3) Ser-65 phosphorylation. Dominant negative Akt adenovirus also inhibited only Ser-65 phosphorylation (3.7 +/- 0.1 versus 1.0 +/- 0.03). These results demonstrate a unique differential ROS sensitivity of two separate residues on PHAS-I, which seems to be explained by the selective involvement of distinct signaling pathways in the regulation of these phosphorylation events.