cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the cold lability behavior of rabbit muscle phosphofructokinase.

Abstract Rabbit skeletal muscle phosphofructokinase has been previously shown to exhibit the characteristic of cold lability in phosphate buffers at pH values below pH 7 [ Bock, P.E. and Frieden, C. (1974) Biochemistry 13 , 4191–4196]. Studies of the residual activity as a function of pH, reflecting the equilibrium between active and inactive forms of the enzyme, have been performed. These experiments show that the cold lability can be ascribed to a shift of the apparent pK describing the pH-dependent inactivation to lower pH values at higher temperatures. The apparent pK, Hill interaction coefficient and heat of ionization for this process indicate that the equilibrium between the inactive and active forms of the enzyme may be controlled by the ionization of one or more histidine residues per enzyme subunit. In addition the apparent pK for the pH dependence of the residual activity at constant temperature is influenced by the presence of ligands which are substrates or effectors of the phosphofructokinase reaction.
Sarah Osborn's World: The Rise of Evangelical Christianity in Early America. By Catherine A. Brekus. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2013. Pp. xv, 432. $35.00.)

In this book, which is part biography, part narrative history, the author narrates the life and times of a devout eighteenth‐century evangelical woman. Locally famous in her own day for her religio...
Syntheses of mycobactin analogs as potent and selective inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Three analogs of mycobactin T, the siderophore secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) were synthesized and screened for their antibiotic activity against Mtb H37Rv and a broad panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The synthetic mycobactins were potent (MIC90 0.02–0.88 μM in 7H12 media) and selective Mtb inhibitors, with no inhibitory activity observed against any other of the microorganisms tested. The maleimide-containing analog 40 represents a versatile platform for the development of mycobactin-drug conjugates, as well as other applications.
Immune modulation of atherosclerosis.

The notion that inflammation plays a role in atherosclerosis dates to separate observations by Virchow and von Rokitansky in the middle of the 19 th century that atherosclerotic blood vessels contained evidence of cellular inflammation. This concept remained stagnant until the 1970s, when Russell Ross demonstrated that monocyte adhesion to the endothelial surface was an early and essential feature of atherosclerosis.1 These observations, coupled with knowledge that modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL) supports foam cell formation and promotes atherosclerosis disease activity,2 focused early investigative efforts on monocytes and macrophages, the foam cell precursors. Indeed, it is clear that neutrophils3 and monocytes enter lesion-prone arterial sites, the latter differentiate into macrophages, and then take up accumulated LDL-cholesterol to form foam cells and early atherosclerotic lesions. Innate immune responses, such as recognition of modified LDL-derived epitopes via macrophage Toll-like receptors, prompts cytokine-mediated recruitment of other inflammatory cells to the lesion4 that, in turn, promote the adaptive immune responses responsible for the chronic inflammation of atherosclerosis. Emerging evidence has helped to refine this paradigm and identify critical events in adaptive immunity that could represent therapeutic opportunities for immune modulation of atherosclerosis. Activated endothelium is characterized by adhesion molecule expression and reduced barrier function that mediate the recruitment of both monocytes5 and T-cells into lesion-prone sites in the arterial wall. With regard to T-cells, histological examination of atherosclerotic lesions demonstrate the presence of both CD4+ T helper (Th) cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T (Tc) cells, and regulatory T cells (Treg) in lesions, although Th cells generally predominate. Lesional T-cells represent a cellular minority …
Wal-Mart: An Analysis of the Glocalization of the Cathedral of Consumption in China

This paper examines the methods adopted by Wal-Mart to cater to local cultures in China. This analysis draws on glocalization, a concept that refers to the interaction of the global and the local, or the incorporation of local elements into global products and/or services. This paper is important for two reasons. First, glocalization, in and of itself, has the capacity to enhance scholarly understanding of globalization with reference to global agency and cultural differentiation. Second, not only is China a nation where Wal-Mart had to glocalize the most; China is also the fastest growing market in the world. So, this analysis can bring fresh insights into today's reality of globalization processes. One of the consequences of Wal-Mart's strategy of glocalization is that it contributes to its status of ‘cathedral of consumption’ even more. A cathedral of consumption refers to an incomparable magnitude of global success (achieved by a major corporation) that gives birth to a consumer religion and a display...
Use of biomass in electric power generation: the california experience

This paper considers the performance and operating characteristics of the 46 power plants in central and northern California presently generating electric power using wood wastes and/or agricultural residues to fire steam turbines. The paper is a synopsis of an assessment of the more than 750 MW of biomass-fueled capacity providing power to the PG&E grid which came on line during the past decade, following the passage of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act. The plants are fueled by sawdust or pulp process wastes, hog fuel, in-forest thinnings, clean landfilled wood, orchard and vineyard wastes, and other agricultural residues. The challenges associated with combustion of agricultural residues have proved to be much greater than had been anticipated. The smallest plant provides less than 3 MW of power to the utility grid and the largest nearly 50 MW. Overall they consume more than 7 million bone dry tons (BDT) of fuel each year, using about 1 BDT to generate 1 MWh, an overall efficiency of about 20%. Lack of a fuels supply infrastructure resulted in a very tight fuels market and resultant high spot market prices during 1989 and 1990. Nevertheless, most of the plants have had a capacity factor of greater than 80%, though there have been problems associated with design, management and fuels procurement at some others. Some of the plants were constructed from rehabilitated boilers and turbines and have minimal environmental controls; others reflect the best of fluidized bed combustion technologies, with non-catalytic deNOx and “zero-discharge” water treatment capability. Future research should include work on harvesting and collection technologies, better characterization of the fuel resources and integrated programs to produce and use biomass to fuel advanced generation technologies, such as gas turbines and fuel cells.
The Copper Vapor Laser Pumped By A Fast Transverse Electrical Discharge

A copper vapor laser was developed with a flat-plate Blumlein circuit that can generate a fast transverse discharge current pulse with a risetime of 9 ns. This design opens up a new possibility for the development of the high-power copper vapor laser.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The effects 3f infrared absorbing gasses on window heat transfer: A comparison of theory and experiment

Abstract This paper extends an existing heat transfer model of multipane windows filled with gasses to include the effects of infrared absorption within the gasses. A one-dimensional, finite-element, control-volume approach for calculating the heat transfer across a horizontal window filled with an infrared absorbing gas is presented. This model includes the coupled effects of conduction and radiation but not convection. Experimental data on the heat transfer rates through windows filled with infrared absorbing gasses and heated from above (to minimize convection) agree with results from this model. Infrared absorbing gasses are shown to have a small effect on reducing heat transfer through common window systems and are not as effective as low-emittance coatings for reducing radiative heat transfer.
Multiple actions of β-bungarotoxin on acetylcholine release at amphibian motor nerve terminals

The action of β-bungarotoxin (β-BuTX) on spontaneous transmitter release, as monitored by miniature endplate potential (MEPP) frequency, and nerve-stimulated release, which relates directly to endplate potential (EPP) amplitude, was studied at frog sciatic nerve-sartorius muscle junctions. Three phases were found for both spontaneous and evoked release: a transient decrease followed by an increase and a later decrease leading to complete failure. The initial inhibitory phase for both spontaneous and neurally-evoked release occurred at the same time and was independent of stimulation frequency. Both the excitatory and late inhibitory phases for both types of release had a more rapid onset when stimulation frequency was increased, with the effects on evoked release occurring more rapidly than the effects on spontaneous release. Even though EPP amplitude decreased to low levels while MEPP frequency was still high, EPPs did not completely fail until the MEPPs had also declined to very low levels. In elevated K+ solutions, the number of quanta released after toxin application was only about half that released during the control experiment. During the terminal part of the late inhibitory phase of β-BuTX action on MEPP frequency, no effect or only small transient increases were observed after La3+ administration, elevated [K+]0, or increased osmotic pressure. The present study suggests that depolarization of nerve terminals by the toxin is responsible for initiation of the excitatory phases of both types of release followed by inhibition of nerve-evoked release, and then depletion of vesicular transmitter accounts for the eventual disappearance of both MEPPs and EPPs.
Geographic Differentials in Property Tax Rates: a Test of the Backward Shifting Hypothesis

The hypothesis that local rates of property taxes levied on the value of industrial property may be shifted backward onto labor is formulated and tested with inferences drawn from a sample of labor market areas in Michigan. The analysis is carried out in the context of a two-factor production fuaction for property and labor, for two goods, home and export Products, in a two-sector world comprising the differentially taxed community and all other communities. No a priori assumption about the direction of the backward shifting effect is made. The regression analysis suggests that labor in the differentially taxed area is not burdened by an onerous local property tax charge. Rather wages tend to be higher, the higher the net property tax differential, in labor market areas comprised of firms possessing extensive market power.
Prime Lands—Definition and Policy Problems

As a proposed policy statement authored by an urban legislator, this quotation from proposed AB 15 seems to epitomize the increasingly popular cry to save or preserve prime agricultural land. Since prime connotates first in importance in terms of quality or value, intuitive support of such cries seems most appropriate.
The Future of Private Equity

A distinguished University of Chicago financial economist and longtime observer of private equity markets responds to questions like the following: • With a track record that now stretches in some cases almost 30 years, what have private equity firms accomplished? What effects have they had on the performance of the companies they invest in, and have they been good for the economy? • How will highly leveraged PE portfolio companies fare during the current downturn, especially with over $400 billion of loans coming due in the next three to five years? • With PE firms now sitting on an estimated $500 billion in capital and leveraged loan markets shut down, are the firms now contemplating new kinds of investment that require less debt? • If and when the industry makes a comeback, do you expect any major changes that might allow us to avoid another boom-and-bust cycle? Have the PE firms or their investors made any obvious mistakes that contribute to such cycles, and are they now showing any signs of having learned from those mistakes? Despite the current problems, the operating capabilities of the best PE firms, together with their ability to manage high leverage and the increased receptiveness of public company CEOs and boards to PE investments, have all helped establish private equity as “a permanent asset class.” Although many of the deals done in 2006 and 2007 were probably overpriced, the “cov-lite” deal structures, deferred repayments of principal, and larger coverage ratios have afforded more room for reworking troubled deals. As a result of that flexibility, and of the kinds of companies that get taken private in leveraged deals in the first place, most troubled PE portfolio companies should end up being restructured efficiently, thereby limiting the damage to the overall economy. Part of the restructuring process involves the use of the PE industry's huge stockpile of capital to purchase distressed debt and inject new equity into troubled deals (in many cases, their own). At the same time the PE firms have been working hard to rescue their own deals, some have been taking significant minority positions in public companies, while gaining some measure of control. Finally, to limit overpriced and overlev-eraged deals in the future, and so avoid the boom-and-bust cycle that appears to have become a predictable part of the industry, the discussion explores the possibility that the limited partners and debt providers that supply most of the capital for PE investments will insist on larger commitments of equity by sponsors to their own funds and individual deals.
Abstract 2138: Targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts using antibodies recognizing fibroblast activation protein-alpha.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC An expanding body of work suggests that the tumor stroma plays an integral role in the initiation and development of epithelial cancers. Within the stroma, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are involved in several functions that form integral aspects of tumor progression, including immune suppression, metabolism, and invasion and metastasis. Despite the demonstrated importance of CAFs within the tumor microenvironment, targeting CAFs in a therapeutic context remains a challenge. The work presented here details the isolation and characterization of antibody fragments targeting multiple epitopes of fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAP), a membrane-bound protease selectively overexpressed on CAFs in numerous epithelial cancers. The combination of a minimalist antibody fragment library and yeast surface display allowed for the isolation of more than 50 unique antibodies recognizing the human or murine forms of FAP, with close to 30 exhibiting cross-reactivity. To narrow the pool of cross-reactive antibodies to a biologically relevant subset, the fragments were converted to an antibody-like format that could be secreted from yeast. Without purification, the soluble proteins were first used to investigate the abilities of individual fragments to recognize FAP transiently expressed on the surface of HEK293 cells. Proteins for which binding to FAP could be confirmed were then used in combination with antibody fragments displayed on the surface of yeast in order to determine which sets of fragments bind distinct epitopes of FAP. Flow cytometry-based assays revealed that the isolated fragments recognize two or more distinct epitopes of the antigen. A handful of fragments is currently being subjected to affinity maturation and conversion to IgGs, and work to further investigate the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of the proteins is ongoing. These proteins may allow for the ablation of cancer-associated fibroblasts or interference with the proteolytic activity of FAP in the tumor microenvironment, providing biological insights into the roles of CAFs and therapeutic approaches to cancer treatment. Furthermore, the general antibody isolation and characterization approaches used in this work are accessible to many single-investigator laboratories and should be applicable to the targeting of numerous cancer antigens. Citation Format: James A. Van Deventer, Karl D. Wittrup. Targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts using antibodies recognizing fibroblast activation protein-alpha. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2138. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2138
On the wavelength dependence of the effects of turbulence on average refraction angles in occultations by planetary atmospheres

Two recent adjacently published papers on the average effects of turbulence in radio and optical occultation studies of planetary atmospheres appear to disagree on the question of wavelength dependence. It is demonstrated here that in deriving a necessary condition for the applicability of their method. Hubbard and Jokipii neglect a factor which is proportional to the square of the ratio of the atmospheric or local Fresnel zone radius and the inner scale of turbulence. They also fail to establish sufficient conditions, thereby omitting as a further factor the square of the ratio of atmospheric scale height and the local Fresnel zone radius. The total descrepancy, which numerically is typically within several orders of magnitude of 10/sup 11/ for radio and 10/sup 7/ for optical occultations, means that their results correspond to geometrical optics and not to wave optics as claimed. Thus their results are inherently inapplicable in a discussion of the wavelength dependence of any parameter, such as the bias in the average refraction angle treated by Eshleman and Haugstad. We note that for power spectra characterized by the (--p) exponent of the turbulence wavenumber, the average turbulence-induced bias in refraction angles depends on the radiation wavelength as lambda/sup( p/--4)/2,more » or as lambda/sup en-dash1/6/ for Kolmogorov turbulence. Other features of the Hubbard-Jokipii analysis are also discussed.« less
Bayesian Restoration of Partially Coherent Imagery in Conventional and Scanning Microscopy

The use of bayesian techniques for image restoration under conditions of partial coherence in both CTEM and STEM is investigated. Amplitude or phase objects are considered, assuming only a single intensity measurement. The weak-phase approximation is not used. An iterative algorithm for determining the maximum a posteriori probability restored image is determined by using the steepest ascent method. The effect of coherence and noise on the object restorability is assessed.
LOUPE-ASSISTED MODIFIED ONE-LAYER VASOVASOSTOMY

Several studies indicate that microsurgical modified one-layer vasovasostomy is comparable to the two-layer anastomosis with respect to patency and pregnancy rates. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and result of modified one-layer vasovasostomy under loupe magnification only. Thirty-two patients aged 28 to 64 years (mean 41.3 +/- 6 years) underwent vasovasostomy at CGMH from July 1997 to June 2002, with all operations being a modified on-layer anastomosis created with the aid of a 3 x loupe. The estimated duration of vasectomy ranged from 4 months to 27 years, with a mean of 9.2 +/- 4.8 years. Postoperative semen analysis and pregnancy were examined. Each patient was followed up at 1,4, and 12 weeks postoperatively. The total operation time ranged from 118 to 228 minutes (average 150 +/- 35 minutes). There was no operation-related complication such as hematoma or wound infection. The patency rate was 89% (25/28), and the pregnancy rate at 2 years or more of follow-up was 39% (11/28). The patency and pregnancy rates were similar to those obtained in most studies of microsurgical vasovasostomy. For uncomplicated vasectomy reversal, this simple loupe-assisted modified one-lyer vasovasostomy seems to provide an adequate anastomosis.
The role of fine‐needle aspiration cytology in the evaluation of metastatic clear cell tumors

BACKGROUND Clear cell tumors (CCTs) occur as primary neoplasms in a number of anatomic sites. Due to their overlapping morphologic features, these tumors can be challenging for the cytologist, particularly when they present as metastatic lesions. METHODS Forty-nine fine-needle aspirations (FNA) of metastatic CCTs from 46 patients (age range, 29–87 years; mean, 64 years) were reviewed retrospectively. In addition to the routine smears and cell block preparations, ancillary studies were performed in selected cases. Clinical and/or histologic follow-up was obtained for all patients. RESULTS The sites of the 49 FNAs were the lung (12 cases), lymph nodes (9 cases), liver (7 cases), bone (7 cases), soft tissue (4 cases), pelvis (2 cases), adrenal gland (2 cases), pancreas (1 case), thyroid (2 cases), peritoneum (2 cases), and vagina (1 case). Twenty-seven patients had a previous history of a CCT and the FNA material in these cases was consistent with a metastasis. The primary anatomic sites in these cases were the kidney (20 cases), ovary (2 cases), salivary gland (1 case), and cervix (1 case). On light microscopy, these tumors had a similar appearance and often were indistinguishable. Nineteen patients did not have a prior history of malignancy; 12 of these patients had a concurrent renal mass and the diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma was made. The anatomic site of origin of seven of the ten remaining tumors (kidney [2 cases], lung [2 cases], ovary [1 case], germ cell [1 case], and endometrium [1 case]) was established through immunocytochemical studies of cytologic material and clinical follow-up. CONCLUSIONS FNA plays an important role in the diagnosis of metastatic CCT. Cytologic examination, ancillary studies, and clinical information can establish the anatomic site of origin in the majority (95%) of cases, precluding the necessity of obtaining additional tissue. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 1999;87:380–9. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Metric Learning: A Survey

The metric learning problem is concerned with learning a distance function tuned to a particular task, and has been shown to be useful when used in conjunction with nearest-neighbor methods and other techniques that rely on distances or similarities. Metric Learning: A Review presents an overview of existing research in this topic, including recent progress on scaling to high-dimensional feature spaces and to data sets with an extremely large number of data points. It presents as unified a framework as possible under which existing research on metric learning can be cast. The monograph starts out by focusing on linear metric learning approaches, and mainly concentrates on the class of Mahalanobis distance learning methods. It then discusses nonlinear metric learning approaches, focusing on the connections between the non-linear and linear approaches. Finally, it discusses extensions of metric learning, as well as applications to a variety of problems in computer vision, text analysis, program analysis, and multimedia. Metric Learning: A Review is an ideal reference for anyone interested in the metric learning problem. It synthesizes much of the recent work in the area and it is hoped that it will inspire new algorithms and applications.
Social Marketing and Social Change Strategies and Tools for Health, Well-Being, and the Environment

Social Marketing and Social Change: Strategies and Tools for Health, Well-Being, and the Environment is a text by one of the most experienced and respected national and international leaders in soc...
Expression of α5 integrin rescues fibronectin responsiveness in NT2N CNS neuronal cells

The extracellular matrix protein fibronectin is implicated in neuronal regeneration in the peripheral nervous system. In the central nervous system (CNS), fibronectin is up-regulated at sites of penetrating injuries and stroke; however, CNS neurons down-regulate the fibronectin receptor alpha5beta1 integrin during differentiation and generally respond poorly to fibronectin. NT2N CNS neuron-like cells (derived from NT2 precursor cells) have been used in preclinical and clinical studies for treatment of stroke and a variety of CNS injury and disease models. Here we show that, like primary CNS neurons, NT2N cells down-regulate alpha5beta1 integrin during differentiation and respond poorly to fibronectin. The poor neurite outgrowth by NT2N cells on fibronectin can be rescued by transducing NT2 precursors with a retroviral vector expressing alpha5 integrin under the control of the murine stem cell virus 5' long terminal repeat. Sustained alpha5 integrin expression is compatible with the CNS-like neuronal differentiation of NT2N cells and does not prevent robust neurite outgrowth on other integrin ligands. Thus, alpha5 integrin expression in CNS neuronal precursor cells may provide a strategy for enhancing the outgrowth and survival of implanted cells in cell-replacement therapies for CNS injury and disease.
Simulation of ISAR imaging of moving targets

The simulation of inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging of moving targets is described and the effects of the target's rotations on ISAR imaging are analysed. The simulation of ISAR imaging of an aircraft with a circular motion is demonstrated. An ideal ISAR image of a target can be derived by projection of the target onto an image projection plane. Time-varying Doppler shifts induced by roll, pitch and yaw motions are analysed using the rotation matrix and the effective rotation vector. Through the simulation, the individual effect of roll, pitch and yaw motion on ISAR imaging is observed and studied.
Reactions of resorcinol and its chlorinated derivatives with monochloramine: Identification of intermediates and products

An investigation of the reaction of resorcinol (compound 1) and its chlorinated derivatives 4-chlororesorcinol (compound 4), 4,6-dichlororesorcinol (compound 5), and 2,4,6-trichlororesorcinol (compound 2) with monochloramine (NH 2 Cl) in ether and aqueous solution (pH 7) is reported. NH 2 Cl reacted with compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 to give the pentachloro intermediate, 2,2,4,4,6-pentachloro-5-cyclohexen-1,3-dione (compound 3), which underwent ring opening with H 2 O and loss of CO 2 in the presence of NH 2 Cl to produce the following: 1,1,3,5,5-pentachloro-3-penten-2-one (compound 6), 1,1,1,3,5,5-hexachloro-3-penten-2-one (compound 7), and 1,1,3,5,5,5-hexachloro-3-penten-2-one (compound 8). Compound 6 reacted further with NH 2 Cl to give compounds 7 and 8; in the presence of NH 2 Cl, compound 7 rearranged to compound 8. Mechanisms for the preceding reactions are analyzed in detail. Another aspect of the investigation involved a determination of the amounts of chloroform, CHCl 3 , which is produced from compound 3 with NH 2 Cl (4%) and with NaOCl (50%). The low production of CHCl 3 from compound 3 and NH 2 Cl is discussed in connection with the probable reactions of compounds 7 and 8 with NH 2 Cl and H 2 O.
Resolving Collisions Via Incremental Redundancy: ARQ Diversity

A cross-layer approach is adopted for the design of finite-user symmetric random access wireless systems. Instead of the traditional collision model, a more realistic physical layer model is adopted. An incremental redundancy automatic repeat request (IR-ARQ) scheme, tailored to jointly combat the effects of user collisions, multi-path fading, and channel noise, is proposed. The diversity-multiplexing-delay tradeoff of the proposed scheme is analyzed for fully-loaded queues, and compared with that of the Gallager tree algorithm for collision resolution and the network-assisted diversity multiple access (NDMA) protocol of Tsatsanis et at.. The fully-loaded queue model is then replaced by one with random arrivals, where the three protocols are compared in terms of the stability region and average delay. Overall, our analytical and numerical results establish the superiority of the proposed IR-ARQ scheme and reveal some important insights. For example, it turns out that the performance is optimized, for a given total throughput, by maximizing the probability that a certain user will send a new packet and minimizing the transmission rate employed by each user.
Cortisol-Cortisone Interrelationship in the Late Gestation Rhesus Monkey Fetus in Utero

The metabolic interrelationship between cortisol (F) and cortisone (E) was studied in four long term catheterized rhesus monkey fetuses in utero during the last third of gestation. The MCR of E (50.8 ± 5.4 liters/day) was greater than that of F (22.4 ± 2.1, P < 0.005) as was the plasma concentration (187.9 ± 5.0 us. 86.1 ± 2.5 ng/ml, P < 0.001). The production rate of E (9.6 ± 1.4 mg/day) was several-fold greater than for F (1.9 ± 0.2, P < 0.005). Of all fetal F, 79.5 ± 7.0% was metabolized to E, and 43.4 ± 3.9% originated from E within the fetal circulation. A significant mass of F was infused in these experiments because of the low specific activity of [14C]F. Nevertheless, the fetus was able to maintain F concentrations in the normal range. The MCR of F was similar to that which we previously found using trace amounts of [3H]F. This indicates that the fetus regulates the amount of F in the fetal compartment, probably by decreasing fetal adrenal secretion rate. We conclude that F in the primate fetus is...
Measures of change in token-economy programs

Abstract Thirty-nine patients, mostly schizophrenics, on a token-economy ward were available to attend up to 30 occupational therapy (OT) sessions divided into 5 reinforcement conditions: free, patients paid, free, patients were paid, free. Four groups of patients were identified according to the condition and session in which they first responded. Group 1 patients began to attend without reinforcement by the third free session. Group 2 patients who began to attend by the second session in the second free condition were less sensitive to rewards than Group 1 members but possibly modeled their behavior after Group 1. The Group 3 members began to attend when given token reinforcers. Group 4 members never emitted the required response. Inadequacies of the grouped-data statistics used by previous researchers in evaluating token economy programs are discussed and it is suggested that in evaluation procedures patients should be separated into groups and the responses from each group be presented in cumulative curves.
MIMO time reversal communications

A time reversal mirror (TRM) exploits spatial diversity to achieve spatial and temporal focusing, a useful property for communications in an environment with significant multipath. Temporal focusing (pulse compression) mitigates intersymbol interference (ISI) while spatial focusing enables a straightforward extension to multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) communications. Furthermore, the time reversal process can be combined with adaptive channel equalization to remove the residual ISI and compensate for the channel variations, providing nearly optimal performance. At-sea experimental results for MIMO multi-access/multi-user communications demonstrate the effectiveness of time reversal communications in underwater acoustic channels.
The yeast rapid tRNA decay pathway competes with elongation factor 1A for substrate tRNAs and acts on tRNAs lacking one or more of several modifications

The structural and functional integrity of tRNA is crucial for translation. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, certain aberrant pre-tRNA species are subject to nuclear surveillance, leading to 3' exonucleolytic degradation, and certain mature tRNA species are subject to rapid tRNA decay (RTD) if they are appropriately hypomodified or bear specific destabilizing mutations, leading to 5'-3' exonucleolytic degradation by Rat1 and Xrn1. Thus, trm8-Δ trm4-Δ strains are temperature sensitive due to lack of m(7)G(46) and m(5)C and the consequent RTD of tRNA(Val(AAC)), and tan1-Δ trm44-Δ strains are temperature sensitive due to lack of ac(4)C(12) and Um(44) and the consequent RTD of tRNA(Ser(CGA)) and tRNA(Ser(UGA)). It is unknown how the RTD pathway interacts with translation and other cellular processes, and how generally this pathway acts on hypomodified tRNAs. We provide evidence here that elongation factor 1A (EF-1A) competes with the RTD pathway for substrate tRNAs, since its overexpression suppresses the tRNA degradation and the growth defect of strains subject to RTD, whereas reduced levels of EF-1A have the opposite effect. We also provide evidence that RTD acts on a variety of tRNAs lacking one or more different modifications, since trm1-Δ trm4-Δ mutants are subject to RTD of tRNA(Ser(CGA)) and tRNA(Ser(UGA)) due to lack of m(2,2)G(26) and m(5)C, and since trm8-Δ, tan1-Δ, and trm1-Δ single mutants are each subject to RTD. These results demonstrate that RTD interacts with the translation machinery and acts widely on hypomodified tRNAs.
Boric acid destabilizes the hyphal cytoskeleton and inhibits invasive growth of Candida albicans

Exposure of Candida albicans to sub-lethal concentrations of boric acid (BA) restricts the dimorphic fungus to its yeast morphology and prevents the formation of invasive hyphae on solid substrates. Exposure to BA causes a rapid and reversible disappearance of polarisome and Spitzenkorper in growing hyphae. In BA-treated hyphae of C. albicans, actin quickly reorganizes from cytoplasmic cables to cortical patches and cell wall growth switches from an apical to an isotropic pattern. As a result of the cytoskeletal changes, the hyphal tips broaden and directional growth of hyphae ceases in the presence of BA. An analysis of homozygous deletion strains showed that mutants with constitutive or enhanced hyphal growth (tup1, nrg1, ssn6, rbf1) are BA-sensitive, demonstrating that cellular morphology is a major determinant of BA tolerance. The screening of deletion mutants also showed that deficiencies of the main activator of hyphal gene expression, Efg1, and the Rim101-signalling cascade, leading to Efg1 activation, cause BA resistance. Taken together, the data presented show that the selective inhibitory effect on BA on C. albicans hyphae is rooted in a disruption of apical cytoskeletal elements of growing hyphae.
Inhibition of endotoxin-induced macrophage chemokine production by vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide in vitro and in vivo.

Inflammatory chemokines recruit various populations of immune cells that initiate and maintain the inflammatory response against foreign Ags. Although such a response is necessary for the elimination of the Ag, the inflammation has to be eventually resolved in a healthy organism. Neuropeptides such as vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), released after antigenic stimulation, contribute to the termination of an inflammatory response primarily by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Here we investigated the effects of VIP and PACAP on chemokine production. We report that VIP and PACAP inhibit the expression of the macrophage-derived CXC chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and KC (IL-8), and of the CC chemokines MIP-1α, MIP-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and RANTES in vivo and in vitro. The inhibition of chemokine gene expression correlates with an inhibitory effect of VIP/PACAP on NF-κB binding and transactivating activity. The VIP/PACAP inhibition of both chemokine production and of NF-κB binding and transactivating activity is mediated through the specific VIP receptor VPAC1, and involves both cAMP-dependent and -independent intracellular pathways. In an in vivo model of acute peritonitis, the inhibition of chemokine production by VIP/PACAP leads to a significant reduction in the recruitment of polymorphonuclear cells, macrophages, and lymphocytes into the peritoneal cavity. These findings support the proposed role of VIP and PACAP as key endogenous anti-inflammatory agents and describe a novel mechanism, i.e., the inhibition of the production of macrophage-derived chemokines.
Perceptions Related to Falls and Fall Prevention Among Hospitalized Adults.

BACKGROUND Prevention of falls during hospitalization depends in part on the behaviors of alert patients to prevent falls. Research on acutely ill patients' intentions to behave in ways that help prevent falls and on the patients' perceptions related to falls is limited. OBJECTIVE To explore hospitalized adults' perceptions related to risk for falling, fear of falling, expectations of outcomes of falling, and intention to engage in behaviors to prevent falls. METHODS Adult, alert, acutely ill inpatients (N = 158) at risk for falling completed a survey consisting of 4 scales and 3 single items. Nurses' assessments and patients' perceptions of the risk for falling were compared. RESULTS Decreased intentions to engage in behaviors to prevent falls were correlated with patients' increased confidence in their ability to perform high-risk behaviors without help and without falling (P < .001), decreased fear of falling (P < .001), and decreased perceived likelihood of adverse outcomes if they did fall (P < .001). Although nurses' assessments indicated a risk for falls, 55.1% of the patients did not perceive a high likelihood of falling while hospitalized. Whereas 75% of patients intended to ask for help before getting out of bed, 48% were confident that they could get out of bed without help and without falling. CONCLUSIONS Although assessments may indicate a risk for falling, acutely ill inpatients may not perceive they are likely to fall. Patients' intentions to engage in behaviors to prevent falls vary with the patients' fall-related perceptions of confidence, outcomes, and fear related to falling.
Temperature effect on hydrothermal liquefaction of Nannochloropsis gaditana and Chlorella sp.

Abstract Temperature effect on hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of Nannochloropsis gaditana and Chlorella sp. was investigated with 10% biomass loading at HTL temperatures of 180–330 °C, and reaction time of 30 min. Maximum yields of 47.5% for Nannochloropsis sp. and 32.5% biocrude oil yields for Chlorella sp. were obtained at 300 °C. The higher heating values of biocrude oils produced in this work ranged between 34 and 39 MJ/kg. 79% of energy in the Nannochloropsis sp. was recovered at 300 °C and 62% of energy recovery from Chlorella sp. was achieved at 200 °C. Valuable nutrients (NH3–N and PO43−) produced during the HTL process were quantified from the aqueous phase for both strains of biomass. The aqueous phase samples obtained at all temperatures were also analyzed for amino acids and carbohydrates. The suitable temperatures for extraction of lipids, amino acids and carbohydrates have been identified. Sequential HTL experiments conducted have shown the prospect of recovering nutrients and other valuable byproducts along with biocrude oil. The experimental results and analysis indicate that sustainable biofuel production requires the development of strain based strategies for the hydrothermal liquefaction process.
Decreased protein S-palmitoylation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia

Recent reports suggest abnormalities of neurotransmitter receptor trafficking, targeting, dendritic localization, recycling, and degradation in the brain in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that a potential explanation for these findings may be abnormal posttranslational modifications that influence intracellular targeting and trafficking of proteins between subcellular compartments. Dysregulation of protein palmitoylation is a strong candidate for such a process. S-palmitoylation is a reversible thioesterification of palmitoyl-groups to cysteine residues that can regulate trafficking and targeting of intracellular proteins. Using a biotin switch assay to study S-palmitoylation of proteins in human postmortem brain, we identified a pattern of palmitoylated proteins that cluster into 17 bands of discrete molecular masses, including numerous proteins associated with receptor signal transduction. Using mass spectrometry, we identified 219 palmitoylated proteins in human frontal cortex, and individually validated palmitoylation status of a subset of these proteins. Next, we assayed protein palmitoylation in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from 16 schizophrenia patients and paired comparison subjects. S-palmitoylation was significantly reduced for proteins in most of the 17 schizophrenia bands. In rats chronically treated with haloperidol, the same pattern of palmitoylation was observed but the extent of palmitoylation was unchanged, suggesting that the diminution in protein palmitoylation in schizophrenia is not due to chronic antipsychotic treatment. These results indicate there are changes in the extent of S-palmitoylation of many proteins in the frontal cortex in schizophrenia. Given the roles of this posttranslational modification, these data suggest a potential mechanism reconciling previous observations of abnormal intracellular targeting and trafficking of neurotransmitter receptors in this illness.
Uniform Moment Theory for Charged Particle Motion in Gases. 2. Second Approximation

The Boltzmann equation governing the motion of trace amounts of ions in a dilute gas that may contain a small amount of reactive neutral is written in terms of moments. The resulting moment equations are equivalent to Maxwell’s equations of change. Four smallness factors are introduced, governing time derivatives, spatial gradients, reactive moments, and non-reactive moments that are of minor importance. The first approximation equations in paper 1 of this series are obtained by keeping the time derivatives but setting the other smallness factors equal to zero. The second approximation equations derived here are shown to extend the first-approximation equations for ion drift velocity and energy to situations where diffusion occurs or where there are infrequent chemical reactions. They also give results for the temperature tensor, the heat flux vector and the dyadic energy. Numerical applications to ion motion in drift-tube mass spectrometers show that the successive approximations appear to be converging.
A Busy March for Arctic Affairs Watchers

March 2016 witnessed brisk activity on Arctic issues. A summit between President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau culminated in a joint statement on climate change impacts on the Arctic and the White House issued a progress report on implementing its National Strategy for the Arctic Region and a Framework for the coming years. In Fairbanks, Alaska, the Arctic Council, the US Arctic Research Commission,a Model Arctic Council, and the Arctic Science Summit Week all brought much needed attention to Arctic issues.
The Effect of Open-Marsh Water Management on Summer Bird Populations on Topsail Island, North Carolina

Open-marsh water management (OMWM) manipulates selected areas of an estuarine marsh by constructing narrow, deep ditches that harbor resident populations of predators of mosquito larvae. It does not, however, alter the surrounding vegetation by deposition of spoil mounds. We censused the summer (breeding and nonbreeding) bird populations in two adjacent salt marsh sites on Topsail Island, North Carolina, for two summers before OMWM ditching occurred and for four seasons postditching. A total of 53 nonbreeding species and five breeding species of birds were encountered on the study sites. None of the interannual changes in bird populations can be attributed to OMWM.
Quantum Confinement Effects in ZnSe/ZnMnSe Strained-Layer Superlattices

Photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy have been used to identify excited state energy levels in ZnSe/ZnMnSe strained-layer superlattices. Several ZnSe/ZnMnSe superlattices have been grown by MBE with different concentrations of Mn in the barrier material and consequently with different degrees of lattice mismatch between the ZnSe well and ZnMnSe barrier materials. A strain-induced decrease of the band gap is observed in these structures. Photoluminescence excitation spectra reveal a strain dependent splitting of the heavy and light hole n=1 subbands. The magnitude of this splitting, as well as the observed photoluminescence red-shift, are compatible with expectations based on calculated strains and the deformation potentials of ZnSe.
Regime complexity and global governance: The case of trafficking in persons:

What are the consequences of increasing regime complexity and institutional proliferation on global governance? Does the growing density and overlaps among institutions facilitate or hinder the abi...
Collaborative Spectrum Sensing via Online Estimation of Hidden Bivariate Markov Models

Collaborative spectrum sensing exploits multiuser diversity by combining spectrum sensing information from multiple secondary users to make joint decisions about spectrum occupancy. In hard fusion schemes, each secondary user makes a hard decision on spectrum occupancy and a fusion center makes a final decision by combining the individual hard decisions according to a fusion rule. In soft fusion schemes, each secondary user provides a signal power measurement to the fusion center, which performs further processing on the collection of all observations to make a final decision. In this paper, we propose hard and soft fusion collaborative spectrum sensing schemes based on the online hidden bivariate Markov chain modeling of the signals received by secondary users. Compared with prior collaborative sensing schemes, the proposed model-based schemes do not rely on precomputed thresholds or weights, and achieve superior performance. The online estimation of hidden bivariate Markov models provides predictive information that can be used to improve the performance of the dynamic spectrum access. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the performance and communication overhead tradeoffs of the proposed collaborative spectrum sensing schemes.
On the Inference of Partially Correlated Data with Applications to Public Health Issues

Correlated or matched data is frequently collected under many study designs in applied sciences such as the social, behavioral, economic, biological, medical, epidemiologic, health, public health, and drug developmental sciences in order to have a more efficient design and to control for potential confounding factors in the study. Challenges with respect to availability and cost commonly occur with matching observational or experimental study subjects. Researchers frequently encounter situations where the observed sample consists of a combination of correlated and uncorrelated data due to missing responses. Ignoring cases with missing responses, when analyzing the data, will introduce bias in the inference and reduce the power of the testing procedure. As such, the importance in developing new statistical inference methods to treat partially correlated data and new approaches to model partially correlated data has grown over the past few decades. These methods attempt to account for the special nature of partially correlated data.
Evaluation of Occupational Hazards Control in A Construction Project of Printed Circuit Board of A Enterprise

[Objective]To evaluate the occupational hazards control in a construction project of printed circuit board of a enterprise.[Methods]Spot occupational hygiene investigation and occupational hazards monitoring of workplace were adopted according to GBZ/T 197-2007 "Evaluation Technique Guide on The Control Effect of Occupational Hazards in A Construction Project".[Results]The major occupational hazards of this enterprise were chemical poisons,noise and dusts.The single index and the composite index were both in line with the relative standards.[Conclusion]The comprehensive hygienic assessment degree of this company is grade I,but it is still necessary to make security control and protective measure from a long-term goal of sustainable development.