cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amanitin Greatly Reduces the Rate of Transcription by RNA Polymerase II Ternary Complexes but Fails to Inhibit Some Transcript Cleavage Modes

The toxin α-amanitin is frequently employed to completely block RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase II. However, we find that polymerase II ternary transcription complexes stalled by the absence of NTPs resume RNA synthesis when NTPs and amanitin are added. Chain elongation with amanitin can continue for hours at approximately 1% of the normal rate. Amanitin also greatly slows pyrophosphorolysis by elongation-competent complexes. Complexes which are arrested (that is, which have paused in transcription for long periods in the presence of excess NTPs) are essentially incapable of resuming transcription in the presence of α-amanitin. Complexes traversing sequences that can provoke arrest are much more likely to stop transcription in the presence of the toxin. The substitution of IMP for GMP at the 3′ end of the nascent RNA greatly increases the sensitivity of stalled transcription complexes to amanitin. Neither arrested nor stalled complexes display detectable SII-mediated transcript cleavage following amanitin treatment. However, arrested complexes possess a low level, intrinsic transcript cleavage activity which is completely amanitin-resistant; furthermore, pyrophosphorolytic transcript cleavage in arrested complexes is not affected by amanitin.
The Impact of Market Conditions Using Appraisal Models

Purpose – The paper aims to generate estimates of appraised value using two present value appraisal models. Financing for a commercial property is contingent on an appraiser estimate of value. The paper seeks to address the issue of which approach generally provides more conservative estimates‐of‐value.Design/methodology/approach – The Comparative‐Income Growth Model and Mortgage‐Equity Capitalization models are presented and discussed. Estimates of return to equity while holding the lending rate constant are calculated. This analysis is followed by a mathematical side‐by‐side comparison of the value estimated generated by the respective models.Findings – Depending on the discount rate selected using a fixed lending rate the models yielded comparatively higher, the same or lower estimates of value for a hypothetical commercial property. The mortgage‐equity capitalization model yielded significantly high estimates of value at lower discount rates, but at higher discount rates, the comparative‐income approa...
Identifying protein folding cores from the evolution of flexible regions during unfolding.

Abstract The unfolding of a protein can be described as a transition from a predominantly rigid, folded structure to an ensemble of denatured states. During unfolding, the hydrogen bonds and salt bridges break, destabilizing the secondary and tertiary structure. Our previous work shows that the network of covalent bonds, salt bridges, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophobic interactions forms constraints that define which regions of the native protein are flexible or rigid (structurally stable). Here, we test the hypothesis that information about the folding pathway is encoded in the energetic hierarchy of non-covalent interactions in the native-state structure. The incremental thermal denaturation of protein structures is simulated by diluting the network of salt bridges and hydrogen bonds, breaking them one by one, from weakest to strongest. The structurally stable and flexible regions are identified at each step, providing information about the evolution of flexible regions during denaturation. The folding core, or center of structure formation during folding, is predicted as the region formed by two or more secondary structures having the greatest stability against denaturation. For 10 proteins with different architectures, we show that the predicted folding cores from this flexibility/stability analysis are in good agreement with those identified by native-state hydrogen–deuterium exchange experiments.
Breaking the racial barriers: Variations in interracial marriage between 1980 and 1990

Using PUMS data from the 1980 and the 1990 U.S. Census, I apply log-linear models to examine interracial marriage among whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Rarely, but increasingly between 1980 and 1990, interracial marriage of whites occurs most frequently with Asian Americans, followed by Hispanics, and then by African Americans. Interracial marriage tends to be educationally homogamous and the odds of interracial marriage increase with couples ’ educational attainment. Among interracially married couples with different educational attainments, both men and women from lower status racial groups but with high education levels tend to marry spouses from a higher status racial group with low education levels
A clay‐modified electrode for ion‐exchange voltammetry

Clay modified electrodes are characterized and optimized for their analytical use in ion-exchange voltammetry using Ru(NH3) as a test ion. The effect of electrolyte concentration on the conductivity of the film, the time for signal development, the amount of clay coating, and rinsing procedures are investigated. The linear range of the clay-modified electrode was found to be four orders of magnitude, and 100 pmol of the complex were sensed.
The Social-Emotional Side of Learning Disabilities: A Science-Based Presentation of the State of the Art.

For over 30 years, researchers have studied the social-emotional side of learning disabilities (LD). This article highlights the science-based research on three domains of social skills of children with LD: characteristics, interventions, and the impact of policy. The article concludes with concerns regarding the translation of research on social-emotional factors into practice and the likelihood that social-emotional problems are being adequately addressed in public schools.
An intramembrane glutamic acid governs peripherin/rds function for photoreceptor disk morphogenesis.

PURPOSE. Peripherin/rds (P/rds), the product of the retinal degeneration slow (rds) gene, is a tetraspanin protein that plays a pivotal role for photoreceptor outer segment (OS) structure and is involved in a broad spectrum of inherited retinal degenerations. P/rds interacts with the homologous protein rom-1, previously proposed to regulate P/rds function. The authors examined the significance of an intramembrane glutamic acid conserved in all P/rds proteins (and many other tetraspanins) but absent in all rom-1 orthologs. METHODS. The authors performed isosteric glutamine substitution of the conserved glutamate at position 276, in the fourth transmembrane domain of bovine P/rds, and expressed E276Q P/rds in COS-1 cells and in transgenic mouse photoreceptors of rds +/+, -/+, and -/- backgrounds. Western blot, immunoprecipitation, and sedimentation analyses were used to assess protein structure and interactions. Microscopy and electroretinography were used to characterize transgenic protein localization and retinal photoreceptor structure and function. RESULTS. E276Q P/rds was expressed, assembled, and properly localized in photoreceptor OSs of transgenic mice. In contrast to wild-type (WT) P/rds, however, this mutant did not rescue the OS structural defects observed in rds -/- and -/+ mice. Moreover, E276Q expression did not prevent the retinal degeneration that occurred as a consequence of OS disruption. CONCLUSIONS. E276 plays a critical role in P/rds support of photoreceptor OS structure. This finding provides a molecular rationale for asymmetry in P/rds and rom-1 function and for rom-1 regulation of P/rds activity. These findings also suggest that ionizable intramembrane residues may serve regulatory roles for tetraspanin proteins more generally.
Patterns of synaptic interconnections in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of cat and monkey: a brief review

Abstract Electron micrographs of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of cat and monkey demonstrate three major axon types. With suitable fixation each type shows a characteristic preservation of organelles. One type has large terminals which contain round vesicles and pale mitochondria (RLP axons); the second type also contains round vesicles but has small terminals and dark mitochondria (RSD axons); while the third type contains flattened vesicles (F axons). This classification is valid in terms of connections. Comparisons with Golgi sections and with fiber degeneration studies allow tentative identification of RLP as retinogeniculate, of some RSD as corticogeniculate, and of F as intrageniculate axons. Further, several “connectivity rules” that apply to both species and all laminae can be formulated. For example: RSD axons do not make axosomatic contacts; postsynaptic elements are either dendrites of F axons, never RLP or RSD axons. In addition to these major axon types other presynaptic profiles are recognizable occasionally. These include dendrites which contain synaptic vesicles and very fine axons that contact the largest perikarya. Differences between species and between laminae are seen in terms of the part of the geniculate cell that receives the retinogeniculate input and in terms of the complexity of the synaptic zones associated with the retinogeniculate contacts.
The effects of travel activities and seasons on expenditure

The primary objective of this research was to improve the understanding of the relationships among travel activities, seasons and expenditure after controlling for income. Path analysis was used to test all hypothesised causal relationships. In addition to its conceptual contributions, the findings of the study revealed how international travellers spend during travel in response to changes in activity preferences and season of travel. To maximise travellers' expenditure and to generate greater tourism revenues, destination policy-makers and marketers need to identify what types of activities and which season contribute most to their destination. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anti-receptor for advanced glycation end products therapies as novel treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Objective: Rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is a devastating event potentially preventable by therapies that inhibit growth of small aneurysms. Receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has been implicated in age related diseases including atherosclerosis and Alzheimer. Consequently, we explored whether RAGE may also contribute to the formation of AAAs. Results: Implicating a role for RAGE in AAA, we found the expression of RAGE and its ligand AGE were highly elevated in human aneurysm specimens as compared with normal aortic tissue. In a mouse model of AAA, RAGE gene deletion (knockout) dramatically reduced the incidence of AAA to 1/3 of control (AAAs in 75.0% of controls vs. 25.0% knockouts). Moreover, aortic diameter was markedly reduced in RAGE knockout animals versus controls. As to mechanism, we found that RAGE was coexpressed in AAA macrophages with MMP-9, a promoter of matrix degradation, which is known to induce AAA. In vitro, AGE induced the production of MMP-9 in macrophages in a dose-dependent manner while blocking RAGE signaling with a soluble AGE inhibitor prevented MMP-9 expression. In vivo, RAGE gene deficiency eliminated MMP-9 activity that was prevalent in aneurismal wall of the wild-type mice. Conclusions: RAGE promotes the development of AAA by inducing MMP-9 expression. Blocking RAGE in a mouse aneurysm model has a dramatic inhibitory effect on the formation of aneurysms. These data suggest that larger animal and eventually human trials should be designed to test oral RAGE inhibitors and their potential to prevent progression of small aneurysms.
The Laplacian tensor of a multi-hypergraph

We define a new hyper-adjacency tensor A ( H ) and use it to define the Laplacian L ( H ) and the signless Laplacian Q ( H ) of a given uniform multi-hypergraph H . We prove L ( H ) and Q ( H ) are positive semi-definite (PSD) for connected even uniform multigraphs. Some analyses on the largest and smallest H and Z -eigenvalues of L ( H ) are given as well as a comparison of other adjacency tensors.
Photoacoustic monitoring of circulating tumor cells released during medical procedures

Many cancer deaths are related to metastasis to distant organs due to dissemination of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed from the primary tumor. For many years, oncologists believed some medical procedures may provoke metastasis; however, no direct evidence has been reported. We have developed a new, noninvasive technology called in vivo photoacoustic (PA) flow cytometry (PAFC), which provides ultrasensitive detection of CTCs. When CTCs with strongly light-absorbing intrinsic melanin pass through a laser beam aimed at a peripheral blood vessel, laser-induced acoustic waves from CTCs were detected using an ultrasound transducer. We focused on melanoma as it is one of the most metastatically aggressive malignancies. The goal of this research was to determine whether melanoma manipulation, like compression, incisional biopsy, or tumor excision, could enhance penetration of cancer cells from the primary tumor into the circulatory system. The ears of nude mice were inoculated with melanoma cells. Blood vessels were monitored for the presence of CTCs using in vivo PAFC. We discovered some medical procedures, like compression of the tumor, biopsy, and surgery may either initiate CTC release in the blood which previously contained no CTCs, or dramatically increased (10-30–fold) CTC counts above the initial level. Our results warn oncologists to use caution during physical examination, and surgery. A preventive anti-CTC therapy during or immediately after surgery, by intravenous drug administration could serve as an option to treat the resulting release of CTCs.
Role of cholesterol in the action of cereolysin on membranes

Abstract The following evidence supports the concept that cholesterol in membranes is the receptor and target site for the cytolytic action of cereolysin. (i) Of the various phospholipids, gangliosides, and steroids tested, only cholesterol and closely related sterols (sitosterol and dihydrocholesterol) significantly inhibited the hemolytic activity of cereolysin. (ii) Acholeplasma laidlawii cells grown in the presence of cholesterol inhibited the hemolytic activity of cereolysin, but A. laidlawii grown in the absence of cholesterol did not. (iii) Incubation of A. laidlawii cells, grown in the absence of cholesterol, with a cholesterol-Tween 80 mixture reestablished the ability of the cells to bind cereolysin. (iv) Treatment of erythrocyte membranes and A. laidlawii cells containing cholesterol with cholesterol oxidase (EC 1.1.3.6, Brevibacterium species) abolished the ability of these membranes to bind cereolysin and inhibit the hemolytic activity of the toxin, (v) Cereolysin could bind to and alter the permeability of both right-side-out ghosts and inside-out vesicles prepared from human erythrocytes, in agreement with other data that cholesterol is present on both sides of the erythrocyte membrane, (vi) Cereolysin caused the release of [ 14 C]glucose from liposomes containing cholesterol, and this release was dependent on the amount of cholesterol in the liposomes.
Synthesis of Nonproteinogenic Amino Acids to Probe Lantibiotic Biosynthesis

The synthesis of six nonproteinogenic amino acids appropriately protected for Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis is described. These amino acids are (2S,3R)-vinylthreonine, (2S)-(E)-2-amino-5-fluoro-pent-3-enoic acid (fluoroallylglycine), (S)-β2-homoserine, (S) and (R)-β3-homocysteine, and (2R,3R)-methylcysteine. Once incorporated into peptides, these compounds were envisioned to serve as alternative substrates for the lantibiotic synthases that dehydrate serine and threonine residues in their peptide substrates and catalyze the subsequent intramolecular Michael-type addition of cysteines to the dehydroamino acids.
Electron Mobility in a Novel Hyper-branched Phthalocyanine Dendrimer

dendrimer. [12] Although numerous reports have demonstrated thedielectricperformanceofCuPcpolymers,theunderstanding of the electronic and optical behavior in dendrimers is limited, which is essential in the development of new materials. In this communication, the charge carrier mobility of a newly developed CuPc dendrimer is investigated. The synthesis of the CuPc dendrimer has been previously reported and is shown in Scheme 1. [12] This hyper-branched CuPc has dendritic-like structure consisting of four ‐CN groups incorporating into the CuPc core. Moreover, our previous experience in the study of triarylamine-based dendrimers and ladder oligomers using the ultra-fast spectroscopy suggested a coherent energy migration process occurred and polaron delocalization states are possible. [13] Time-resolved spectroscopy measurement has been carried out to study the optical behavior of this dendrimer. Our investigation has suggested the formation of delocalized polarons in the system. The super-conjugation effect from the oxygen atom and an increase of system packing through the self-assembling of phthalocyanine rings give polaron hopping and polaron tunneling between phthalocyanine rings. Inorder toprobe theelectronic properties ofthisdendrimer, we carried out time-of-flight measurements to investigate the electron mobility. CuPc dendrimer was first dissolved in N, N-dimethylacetymide (DMAc) solution at a concentration of 1mg mL � 1 , then the CuPc/DMAc solution was drop-cast on a
Properties of polypropylene fiber reinforced silica fume expansive-cement concrete

Abstract This paper reports on a comprehensive study on the mechanical properties of expansive-cement concrete containing silica fume and polypropylene fibers. Properties studied include those of the fresh mix properties, length change, rapid chloride permeability, compressive strength, flexural behavior, and bond of hardened concrete. Silica fume content used was 5 and 10% and fiber volume fraction was 0.10, 0.30, and 0.50%. Results show that the use of 5% silica fume combined with 0.30% fiber volume fraction results in optimum mixture design for repair applications from the standpoints of workability, bond, strength, length change and permeability.
On the pre-AFL of [log n] space and related families of languages

Abstract New insight into the 1965 conjecture of Lewis et al., that some Context-Free Languages (CFLs) require more than [log n ] space for recognition on off-line Turing machines, is derived from an examination of the pre-AFL properties of [log n ] space. General results about related AFLs are used to reduce this conjecture to the questions of whether the [log n ] class is an AFL and of whether [log n ] recognition is a decidable question for certain related AFLs. One of these is the AFL generated by the [log n ] class itself, which AFL is shown to properly contain all CFLs (Theorem 1) and, also, to be generated via length-preserving homomorphisms from the [log n ] class, using the result that the latter is a pre-AFL (Theorem 2). An example of a related family, which happens to be contained in this newly studied AFL, is the principal AFL, Q , of quasi-real-time languages. Also, the open question of whether [log n ] space is the same deterministically or nondeterministically is related to the above questions.
A Comparison of Detritus Processing Between Permanent and Intermittent Headwater Streams

ABSTRACT The pattern of leaf pack decomposition and density and biomass of the associated invertebrate detritivore community of an intermittent and a perennially flowing headwater stream were compared in autumn and spring. Leaf packs of high (Alnus rugosa) and low (Fraxinus americana) nitrogen content were used. Leaf litter was processed at similar rates in both streams during autumn (−k: 0.015 g d−1). In spring the decomposition rates more than doubled in the permanent stream (−k>0.03) and only slightly increased in the intermittent stream (e.g. Fraxinus: −k: 0.017). Differences in decomposition rates between leaf species were seen only in the fall in the intermittent stream where Fraxinus litter decomposed slower than Alnus. Shredder biomass was greater than other invertebrate guilds in both streams, was reduced in the intermittent stream, and varied with season (spring > fall), particularly in the permanent stream. Shredder biomass was greater in Alnus leaf packs. Shredder densities were significantly ...
Comparative Analysis of Milled Wood Lignins (MWLs) Isolated from Sugar Maple (SM) and Hot-Water Extracted Sugar Maple (ESM)

To further elucidate the advantageous effects of hot-water extraction (HWE) on delignification, milled wood lignin (MWL) was isolated from sugar maple (SM) and from hot-water extracted sugar maple (ESM). Ball-milled wood was analyzed for particle size distribution (PSD) before and after dioxane:water (DW) extraction. The MWL samples were analyzed by analytical and spectral methods. The results indicated that the MWL isolated from SM and ESM was mainly released from the middle lamella (ML) and the secondary wall (SW), respectively. The cleavage of dibenzodioxocin (DB) and spirodienone (SD) lignin substructures during HWE is suggested. The removal of lignin during acetone:water (AW) extraction of hot-water extracted wood indicates that including an additional operation in a hardwood HWE-based biorefinery would be beneficial for processing of wood.
Adhesion properties of amorphic diamond films deposited on zinc sulfide substrates

Amorphic diamond films can be prepared at room temperature with a laser plasma discharge source of multiply charged carbon ions without the use of any catalyst. Composed of packed nanophase nodules, in which the carbon atoms are linked with the tetrahedral bonding of diamond, these non-crystalline films adhere readily to most every material that is used in current industrial applications. The high energy of condensation causes deep penetration of carbon atoms into the substrates, where they form significant interfacial layers. In this work, the adhesion properties of amorphic diamond films deposited on zinc sulfide substrates were studied. It was shown that the adhesion of the films was inversely correlated with the amount of zinc hydride impurity in the substrate. In addition, the role of Zn-C additives to the natural interlayer between films and zinc sulfide substrates was investigated. The interface was built layer by layer by alternating the laser focus between feedstocks of zinc sulfide and graphite ...
Regional Economic Impacts of the World-Wide Recession: A Case Study of Hampton Roads, Virginia

Defense spending accounts for more than 45 percent of all economic activity in the Hampton Roads, Virginia metropolitan region (population 1.67 million and gross regional product $81 billion annually). Between 2008 and 2010, this was highly advantageous. Not only did defense spending double during the decade, but also it increased by about five percent annually during the recession. This buffered the region from extensive recession damage. Hence, in November 2010, the regional unemployment rate was only 7.0 percent, while it was 9.8 percent nationally. However, this scenario has begun to reverse itself. The growth in defense spending has come to a halt and almost surely will decline in the years ahead. Difficult times are on the horizon for Hampton Roads.
Meat Color and Biochemical Characteristics of Unacceptable Dark‐colored Broiler Chicken Carcasses

Spectrocolorimetry, pH, TBARS, total pigment and myoglobin were measured in normal and abnormally dark-colored broiler chicken breast muscle. Analyses of L * , a * and b * values revealed that a * values were highly sensitive and specific to differentiate normal from dark-colored carcasses and thus could be used as a potential diagnostic method for carcass classification at slaughter. Color characteristics (L * , a * , and b * values), pH, total pigment, myoglobin, and iron concentrations were all significantly different in dark-colored muscle when compared with normal muscle. TBARS values and percentage moisture for the two groups were not different.
Phosphonation of aryloxyphosphazenes

Two methods for the addition of pendent dialkyl phosphonate units onto aryloxyphosphazenes, at both the polymeric and cyclic trimer levels, are described. Sodium organophosphites or halogenated organophosphates were used as the phosphonating agents and were allowed to react with bromomethylene- or lithio-functionalized aryloxyphosphazenes, respectively. Phosphonation of bromomethylene−phenoxy side groups proceeded with ∼100% conversion, while phosphonation via lithiophenoxy intermediates yielded 80−85% conversion. The presence of a direct phosphorus−carbon bond in all products was confirmed by 13C NMR. Well-defined, cyclic trimers and polymers were obtained via both methods.
Tumor necrosis factor alpha increases P-glycoprotein expression in a BME-UV in vitro model of mammary epithelial cells.

P-glycoprotein is an efflux pump belonging to the ATP-binding cassette super-family that influences the bioavailability and disposition of many drugs. Mammary epithelial cells express various drug transporters including P-glycoprotein, albeit at low level during lactation. During inflammatory reactions, which can be associated with changes in epithelial barrier functions, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) are elevated in milk and serum. In this study, the role of TNF-α in the regulation of P-glycoprotein was determined in cultured BME-UV cells, an immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cell line. The protein production of P-glycoprotein and mRNA expression of bABCB1, the gene encoding P-glycoprotein, were increased after 24 hours of TNF-α exposure. The highest observed effects for TNF-α on the regulation of P-glycoprotein was after 72 hours of exposure. Protein and mRNA expression also significantly increased after 120 hours of TNF-α exposure, but it was lower than the level that observed in the cells exposed to TNF-α for 72 hours. The apical to basolateral flux of digoxin, a P-glycoprotein substrate, was decreased in the TNF-α-exposed epithelium. This effect was reversed when verapamil or ketoconazole, compounds known to interact with P-glycoprotein, were added together with digoxin into the donor compartment. Probenecid, a compound known to interact with organic anion transporters, but not P-glycoprotein, did not increase the flux of digoxin. This model has important implications for understanding the barrier function of the mammary epithelium and provides insight into the role of P-glycoprotein in the accumulation and/or removal of xenobiotics from milk and/or plasma.
Clinical, psychiatric and manometric profile of cyclic vomiting syndrome in adults and response to tricyclic therapy.

Our goal was to investigate 31 adult patients (mean age 29 years, range 18-62 years) meeting Rome II criteria for cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). All subjects completed a clinical questionnaire, a Ham- ilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) and Zung Depression Inventory. Gastric emptying time was as- sessed in 30 subjects and electrogastrogram (EGG) in 11 between acute attacks. Twenty-seven patients treated with amitriptyline completed a follow-up questionnaire. The mean age of onset of the patients was 30 years (range 14-53 years) and cycles of nausea and vomiting were accompanied by often-severe epi- gastric and diffuse abdominal pain. A typical attack ranged from 1 to 14 days, with the majority being 4- 6 days. The HAM-A revealed that 84% had an anxiety disorder, and based on Zung Depression Inventory 78% suffered from mild-to-severe depression. Only 4 (13%) patients reported migraine, but 14 had a family history of migraine. Gastric emptying time was rapid in 23 (77%), normal in 4 and delayed in 3. The EGG was abnormal in 7 of 11 patients, with 4 having tachygastria. Of 13 patients using marijuana, 7 had symptom relief, while 2 had resolution of CVS after stopping use. The overall treatment experience in the 24 patients receiving amitriptyline up to 1m g kg )1 day )1 for at least 3 months indicated that 93% had decreased symptoms and 26% achieved full remission. Cyclic vomiting syndrome in adults has the following hallmarks: prominence of accompanying abdominal pain and increased prevalence of anxiety and depression, rapid gastric emptying and tachygas- tric EGG, and successful suppression of attacks by chronic amitriptyline therapy.
Control of spectral interference patterns in broad Rabi sidebands toward quasi-comb structures.

The pattern of spectral interference fringes in broad dynamic Rabi sidebands allows for a considerable degree of control by shaping the picosecond driving pulse. We demonstrate experimental evidence of such control and report an analytic and numerical investigation of possibilities to control the fringe pattern to produce a comb-like optical structure. The temporal phase and amplitude shaping of a picosecond driving pulse influence the spectrum envelope, fringe contrast, and fringe spacing variation in the sideband spectra. The sideband spectrum envelope depends on the sharpness of the driving pulse, that is, on the rate at which the temporal distance between the leading and trailing edges grows away from the pulse maximum. Increasing this parameter reduces the variation of the envelope amplitude across the sideband. The fringe contrast, defined by the maximum-to-minimum difference, depends strongly on the asymmetry of the driving pulse. The imbalance between the leading and trailing edges leads to a decrease of the contrast. The variation of interpeak distance within a sideband was controlled using the temporal shape of the driving pulse. In the particular case of a blue-shifted sideband emitted by excited oxygen atoms driven by a picosecond pulse of 800 nm carrier wavelength and ∼5×1010 W cm−2 intensity, a Gaussian pulse shape results in an interpeak distance increasing almost five times over the interval from 1.60 to 1.66 eV, whereas a super-Gaussian shape leads to almost equidistant fringes producing a comb-like spectrum.
Viscoelastic properties of styrene–acenaphthylene copolymers in the transition region

A series of styrene–acenaphthylene copolymers was prepared by thermal polymerization. Homogeneous samples were obtained except for those compositions where the initial concentration of styrene monomer was 40–60 mole-%. Master curves and characteristic viscoelastic parameters were obtained for the homogeneous copolymers. The plot of Tg vs. copolymer composition yielded a linear relationship.
Engineering Principles in Software Development

The next six chapters are primarily addressed to managers to give them an appreciation of the nature of software engineering, but software developers will also benefit from this statement of goals. The aim of engineering is to utilize economically the materials and forces of nature. Software engineers do not deal with natural phenomena, but they still follow the same activities as conventional engineers. Many of these activities are relevant to business reengineering.
A recursive filter for linear systems on Riemannian manifolds

We present an online, recursive filtering technique to model linear dynamical systems that operate on the state space of symmetric positive definite matrices (tensors) that lie on a Riemannian manifold. The proposed approach describes a predict-and-update computational paradigm, similar to a vector Kalman filter, to estimate the optimal tensor state. We adapt the original Kalman filtering algorithm to appropriately propagate the state over time and assimilate observations, while conforming to the geometry of the manifold. We validate our algorithm with synthetic data experiments and demonstrate its application to visual object tracking using covariance features.
Magnesium requirements: new estimations for men and women by cross-sectional statistical analyses of metabolic magnesium balance data

Background Current recommendations for magnesium requirements are based on sparse balance data. Objective To provide new estimates of the average magnesium requirement for men and women, we pooled magnesium data from 27 different tightly controlled balance studies conducted at the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, ND. Design Magnesium balance data (magnesium intake - [fecal magnesium + urinary magnesium]) (664 data points) were collected from 243 subjects (women: n = 150; weight: 71.6 +/- 16.5 kg; age: 51.3 +/- 17.4 y; men: n = 93, weight: 76.3 +/- 12.5 kg; age: 28.1 +/- 8.1 y). Data from the last 6-14 d of each dietary period (> or =28 d) of each study were analyzed and were excluded if individual intakes of calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, or zinc fell below respective estimated average requirements (EARs) or exceeded 99th percentiles of usual intakes of those elements (iron: above the upper limit) from the 1994 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. Daily intakes of magnesium ranged between 84 and 598 mg. The relation between magnesium intake and magnesium output was investigated by fitting random coefficient models. Results The models predicted neutral magnesium balance [defined as magnesium output (Y) equal to magnesium intake (M)] at magnesium intakes of 165 mg/d [95% prediction interval (PI): 113, 237 mg/d; Y = 19.8 + 0.880 M], 2.36 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1) (95% PI: 1.58, 3.38 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1); Y = 0.306 + 0.870 M), or 0.075 mg . kcal(-1) . d(-1) (95% PI: 0.05, 0.11 mg . kcal(-1) . d(-1); Y = 0.011 + 0.857 M). Neither age nor sex affected the relation between magnesium intake and output. Conclusion The findings suggest a lower magnesium requirement for healthy men and women than estimated previously.
Construction of human chromosome 16- and 5-specific circular YAC/BAC libraries by in vivo recombination in yeast (TAR cloning).

Abstract Transformation-associated recombination (TAR) in yeast was exploited for the selective isolation of human DNAs as large circular yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) from two rodent/human hybrid cell lines containing human chromosomes 5 and 16. TAR cloning vectors containing the F-factor origin of replication were constructed for use in these experiments. Presence of the F-factor origin in TAR vectors provides the capability of transferring the YACs generated by in vivo recombination in yeast into Escherichia coli cells and propagating them as bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs). A high enrichment of human versus rodent YACs was observed during isolation of human DNA from the rodent/human hybrid cell lines. Although in vitro ligation, no human/mouse chimeras were observed during TAR cloning. The constructed human chromosome 16 YAC library had approximately 2.6× coverage, represented by 4320 YAC clones with an average insert size of 80 kb. YAC clones generated from chromosome 16 were successfully converted into BACs by electroporation of DNA isolated from yeast transformants into E. coli. The BAC clones represent ∼0.6× chromosomal coverage. Pilot YAC and BAC libraries of chromosome 5 have been also constructed. The chromosomal distribution of YAC/BACs from chromosome 5 and chromosome 16 was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The distribution of FISH signals appeared random along the length of each chromosome. We conclude that TAR cloning provides an efficient means for generating representative chromosome-specific YAC/BAC libraries.
THE KRALL POLYNOMIALS: A NEW CLASS OF ORTHOGONAL POLYNOMIALS

Abstract A new set of orthogonal polynomials is found that are solutions to a sixth order formally self adjoint differential equation. These polynomials are shown to generalize the Legendre and Legendre type polynomials. We also show that these polynomials satisfy many properties shared by the classical orthogonal polynomials of Jacobi, Laguerre and Hermite.
Reimbursement for Thrombectomy Devices in Patients Who Are Ineligible for Intravenous Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator

Intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is an effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke for which efficacy is very time dependent and its greatest benefit occurs with early treatment.1 Not all patients with ischemic stroke who arrive within 2 to 3 hours after stroke onset are eligible for IV t-PA because they have contraindications, such as recent major surgery, ongoing anticoagulation at the time of stroke, etc.2 These t-PA–ineligible patients with moderate and severe strokes are often treated with intra-arterial t-PA via an endovascular procedure and, more recently, thrombectomy devices. Moreover, a sizable proportion of patients with moderate to severe stroke who do receive IV t-PA still have a poor outcome because IV t-PA was unable to lyse the clot or did so after the brain was irreversibly destined for infarction.1,3 Thus, there is a great need for more rapid and effective approaches to reperfusion. The Interventional Management of Stroke (IMS) III trial, a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke–funded study recently published in NEJM , …
Oral toxicity of the cyclic polyethers--12-crown-4, 15-crown-5, and 18-crown-6--in mice.

Abstract The acute and chronic oral toxicities of a homologous series of three crown ethers in mice have been studied. The LD50 values and the partition coefficients (octanol/water) of the compounds have been determined. The LD50 values are as follows: 12-crown-4, 3.15 g/kg; 15-crown-5, 1.02 g/kg; and 18-crown-6, 0.71 g/kg. The compounds follow a general trend of increasing toxicity with increasing ring size and water solubility. There appears to be no cumulative effect of daily ingestion of small amounts (one-half to one-third the LD50 value) of the compounds over a 2-week period.
Sensor fusion for mobile robot navigation

We review techniques for sensor fusion in robot navigation, emphasizing algorithms for self-location. These find use when the sensor suite of a mobile robot comprises several different sensors, some complementary and some redundant. Integrating the sensor readings, the robot seeks to accomplish tasks such as constructing a map of its environment, locating itself in that map, and recognizing objects that should be avoided or sought. The review describes integration techniques in two categories: low-level fusion is used for direct integration of sensory data, resulting in parameter and state estimates; high-level fusion is used for indirect integration of sensory data in hierarchical architectures, through command arbitration and integration of control signals suggested by different modules. The review provides an arsenal of tools for addressing this (rather ill-posed) problem in machine intelligence, including Kalman filtering, rule-based techniques, behavior based algorithms, and approaches that borrow from information theory, Dempster-Shafer reasoning, fuzzy logic and neural networks.
Osteopenia in the Patient With Cancer

Osteopenia is defined as a reduction in bone mass. It is commonly known to occur in elderly people or women who are postmenopausal due to hormonal imbalances. This condition, however, can result because of many other factors, such as poor nutrition, prolonged pharmacological intervention, disease, and decreased mobility. Because patients with cancer experience many of these factors, they are often predisposed to osteopenia. Currently, patients with cancer are living longer and leading more fulfilling lives after treatment. Therefore, it is imperative that therapists who are responsible for these patients understand the risk factors for osteopenia and their relevance to a patient with cancer.
First break refraction event picking using fuzzy logic systems

The authors apply a backpropagation fuzzy logic system (BPFLS) to first break picking. Several features extracted from seismic traces are used as the inputs to a fuzzy logic system to determine whether the peak is a first-break peak. Intertrace continuity is also taken into account. An error backpropagation supervised training scheme is used to determine the full design parameters in the BPFLS. Experimental results indicate that the fuzzy logic system achieves picking accuracy similar to that of a backpropagation neural network (BPNN). However, the BPFLS has a much faster convergence rate in supervised learning than the BPNN. This suggests that a BPFLS should be the first candidate for supervised learning problems, especially when training time is limited. >
Influenza infection causes airway hyperresponsiveness by decreasing enkephalinase

Ferret tracheal segments were infected with human influenza virus A/Taiwan/86 (H1N1) in vitro. After 4 days, the smooth muscle contractile responses to acetylcholine and to substance P were measured. The response to substance P was markedly accentuated, with a threefold increase in force of contraction at a substance P concentration of 10(-5) M, the highest concentration tested. In contrast, the response to acetylcholine was not affected by viral infection. Histological examination of tissues revealed extensive epithelial desquamation. Activity of enkephalinase (neutral metallo-endopeptidase, EC.3.4.24.11), an enzyme that degrades substance P, was decreased by 50% in infected tissues. Inhibiting enkephalinase activity by pretreating with thiorphan (10(-5) M) increased the response to substance P to the same final level in both infected and control tissues. Inhibiting other substance P-degrading enzymes including kininase II (angiotensin-converting enzyme), serine proteases, and aminopeptidases did not affect the response to substance P. Inhibiting cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase activity using indomethacin and BW 755c did not affect hyperresponsiveness to substance P. Pretreating tissues with antagonists of alpha-adrenoceptors, beta-adrenoceptors, and H1 histamine receptors (phentolamine 10(-5) M, propranolol 5 X 10(-6) M, and pyrilamine 10(-5) M, respectively) had no effect on substance P-induced contraction. These results demonstrate that infection of ferret airway tissues with influenza virus increases the contractile response of airway smooth muscle to substance P. This effect is caused by decreased enkephalinase activity in infected tissues.
Structural, magnetic and magnetotransport properties of bi-epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (110) thin films integrated on Si (001)

Abstract We report the growth of bi-epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (110) thin films on Si (001) substrate with cubic yttria stabilized zirconia (c-YSZ)/SrTiO3 (STO) buffer layers by pulsed laser deposition. The La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 and STO thin films were grown with a single [110] out-of-plane orientation and with two in-plane domain variants, which is confirmed by XRD and detailed TEM studies. The growth of STO on c-YSZ can be explained by the paradigm of domain matching epitaxy. The epitaxial relationship between STO and c-YSZ can be written as [110] (001) c-YSZ ‖ [ 1 ¯ 1 1 ¯ ] (110) STO (or) [110] (001) c-YSZ ‖ [ 1 ¯ 1 2 ¯ ] (110) STO. The La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films are ferromagnetic with Curie temperature 324 K and showed metal to insulator transition at 285 K. The La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films showed hysteresis loops in magnetoresistance when magnetic field is applied along both in-plane (110) and out-of-plane [110] directions. The highest magnetoresistance obtained in this study is −32% at 50 K and 50 kOe for in-plane configuration, whereas the room-temperature magnetoresistance is −4% at 10 kOe and −17% at 50 kOe. The hysteresis in the magnetoresistance and the controlled domain boundaries in bi-epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 films integrated on Si can offer significant advantages over the polycrystalline counterparts.
An Empirical Analysis of Soviet Economic Relations with Developing Countries

Soviet trade with the developing countries is analyzed using formal statistical techniques. Soviet imports of primary products are found to grow more rapidly but to be no more stable than imports of these products by market economies. Evidence is found of Soviet price discrimination in trade in favor of LDC members of the CMEA and against LDCs with which it has bilateral clearing agreements (BCAs). BCAs are correlated with greater trade volumes, relatively diverse export structures and more stable LDC exports to the Soviet Union. No evidence exists that Soviet aid deliveries are linked systematically with later Soviet imports. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: 124, 421, 443
Bi-State Bifurcation Control of a Shaped-Comb Parametric Resonator

This work employs behavioral modeling to develop a bi-state control technique capable of servoing at the onset of the microelectromechanical parametric resonant bifurcation setpoint. The parametric resonance features a sharp “turn-on” in oscillation amplitude at the bifurcation, enhancing sensitivity to resonance frequency change. A bi-state controller is constructed to servo at this sharp jump point. It has two states of operation: one state is within the instability tongue where the oscillation amplitude builds up exponentially; another state resides outside of the tongue where the oscillation turns off. The rapid turn on and off of the parametric resonance keeps the resonant amplitude small and circumvents the slow build-up time. Both the simulated and experimental loop transient responses are presented.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The Pivot before the Pivot: U.S. Strategy to Preserve the Power Balance in Asia

American critics of the Barack Obama administration's 2011 “pivot to Asia” policy claim that, despite the lofty rhetoric, the United States has pursued an anemic strategy in Asia. Chinese critics of the pivot to Asia assert that it is a bellicose strategy aimed at containing China's rise. These two conflicting criticisms are addressed in a detailed historical narrative that traces the development and implementation of U.S. strategy, based on declassified documents, some of which have never before been made public, and extensive in-depth interviews with senior policymakers. Neither American nor Chinese critics of the pivot to Asia are correct. If this policy is properly dated and measured, the United States undertook a substantive military, diplomatic, and later economic reorientation toward Asia. That reorientation started in the mid-2000s, well before the pivot announcement. The aim of the reorientation was not to contain China's rise. Rather, the United States sought to manage China's growth through a b...
A control path aware metric for grading functional test vectors

Functional, at-speed test vectors play a critical role in targeting circuit defects not easily detected by traditional scan vectors. Fault simulating these vectors is generally computationally expensive since these tests are often applied at the system level without individual testing of modules within the hierarchy. As a result, fault grading techniques have become necessary to judge the quality of these test vectors. In this work, we propose a control path aware, rule-based statement coverage metric at the Register Transfer Level (RTL) to capture faulty behavior of statements along distinct operation paths within the circuit description. Experiments show that our metric has a strong correlation with gate level defect models across a variety of benchmarks, including the microprocessor or 1200 with a power management unit. Additionally, the metric shows high levels of scalability, providing up to two orders of magnitude reduction in execution time compared to fault simulation and up to an order of magnitude improvement over logic simulation based fault grading techniques.
The handling of contaminated abdominal wounds.

With use of delayed primary closure of the skin and subcutaneous planes, wound hematomas, and infections requiring incision and drainage have virtually disappeared. The fascial closures accomplished with polypropylene have proved to be durable and almost free of trouble related to sinus formation and wound disruption. The authors’ approach has been one of continual liberalization of the indications for using this technique.
Starve a fever to heal a heart? Interleukin-18 gives new meaning to an old adage.

while inflammation is required for proper healing of the myocardium following injury, its unabated persistence promotes the development of pathological hypertrophy and accelerates the progression to decompensated heart failure ([5][1], [10][2], [11][3]). Inflammation is activated by the so-called