cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cooperative Helix Formation in the (AAQAA)3 Peptide Obtained with the Drude Polarizable Force Field

Molecular simulations can provide atomic-level details of protein folding. However, their accuracy is limited by approximations made in the underlying empirical force fields. Recently we presented a force field for peptides and proteins that includes explicit treatment of electronic polarization based on the classical Drude oscillator model.[1] The Drude force field was found to maintain protein native structures during microsecond molecular dynamics simulations of multiple folded proteins, and leads to significant variability of backbone and side chain dipole moments as a function of environment.[2] Here we report replica exchange simulations of the helix-forming (AAQAA)3 peptide and the β-sheet-forming GB1 hairpin using this fully polarizable model.Polarizable simulations of (AAQAA)3 reveal the presence of folding cooperativity consistent with experimental observations. The cooperativity is significantly larger than that modeled by currently available non-polarizable force fields and is shown to be directly associated with enhanced dipole moments of the peptide backbone upon helix formation.[3] The GB1 hairpin is found to be less stable with the Drude force field compared to the experimental observation. Results from these extensive condensed phase simulations of peptide folding will be utilized, together with QM calculations of model alanine polypeptide systems, to further refine the backbone parameters in the Drude protein force field. In summary, our results demonstrate that the inclusion of explicit electronic polarizability leads to a fundamentally improved model of the physical forces dictating the structure and dynamics of polypeptides.[1] P. Lopes, J. Huang, J. Shim, Y. Luo, H. Li, B. Roux, and A.D. MacKerell, J. Chem. Theo. Comput., 2013, 9, 5430.[2] J. Huang, P. Lopes, B. Roux, and A.D. MacKerell, J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2014, 5, 3144.[3] J. Huang and A.D. MacKerell, Biophys. J., 2014, 107, 991.
Fatigue deformation of silver single crystals: STM evidence for crack nucleation, measurements of slip irreversibility and verification of a new scaling relationship for fatigue life

Abstract Silver single crystals oriented in the single glide orientation were fatigued in air and vacuum. The surface morphology was observed using a scanning tunneling microscope. A gold film deposited on the silver surface was used as a reference marker so that the same region can be observed upon repeated fatigue cycling. Pit-shaped features were observed to form within a narrow range of cycles and to eventually develop into micro-sized cracks, lending support to the notion that cracks are formed by a nucleation process. In addition, by measuring the slip band height and spacing as a function of cycling, we were able to determine the slip irreversibility and the Coffin-Manson exponents in both environments. With these two sets of data, we were able to verify a new scaling relationship for fatigue life based on our earlier theoretical work.
Valvular and thoracic aortic calcium as a marker of the extent and severity of angiographic coronary artery disease.

Abstract Background The presence of calcified extracoronary structures as a useful indicator of underlying coronary artery disease (CAD) has not yet been established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether valvular and thoracic aortic calcification is associated with obstructive CAD. Methods We evaluated 99 patients who underwent both coronary angiography and electron beam tomography (EBT) coronary scanning. We identified the presence, absence, and amount of calcification in the aortic valve (AVC), mitral annulus (MAC), descending aorta (DAC), and ascending aorta (AAC). The extent of CAD was graded according to the number of vessels diseased (VD). Results Patients with multivessel disease (MVD) had a higher proportion of DAC. The presence of DAC significantly increased the specificity of EBT to detect CAD (58% with a calcium score >0 to 88% for calcium score>0 and DAC >0, P P P Conclusion AVC and thoracic aortic calcification as detected with EBT are associated with the angiographic extent and severity of CAD and add incremental diagnostic value to the coronary artery calcium score. MAC does not add incremental value. (Am Heart J 2003;145:xxx–xxx.)
Reflections on the dependence of plastic anisotropy on texture

Our present understanding of how anisotropic yielding behavior is related to crystallographic texture is built on a foundation laid by G.I. Taylor. Today, with the aid of computers, we can calculate the shape of yield loci from texture data and a knowledge of the slip systems. Simulation of such calculations has led to postulation of continuum yield criteria with high exponents. These criteria describe anisotropic yielding behavior much better than the quadratic criterion postulated by Hill and have been used sucessfully in analyses of metal forming.
Heartburn in pregnancy

Half of pregnant women have heartburn during pregnancy. Most primaparas and some multiparas are spontaneously relieved in the last weeks as the uterus descends, but all are invariably relieved immediately after delivery. The heartburn is a newly experienced burning sensation of variable severity in the throat or substernal region, frequently radiating from one area to the other.
A new simulation approach to estimating expected values of functions of Bernoulli random variables under certain types of dependencies

Consider an n-component system, where each component either works or is failed. With X i equal to one if component i works and zero otherwise, a new simulation approach is presented that is based on an innovative use of stratified sampling, for estimating E[h(X 1, …, X n )], when h is a monotone function and the vector X 1, …, X n is exchangeable. It is shown how to extend the proposed approach to the case where there is a random environmental parameter Θ such that, conditional on Θ = θ, the components act independently, with component i working with probability θ p i . Improvements in the method when the components are independent are also indicated.
Solving linear systems involved in constrained optimization

Abstract Many interior point methods for large scale linear programming, quadratic programming, the convex programming solve an ( n + m ) × ( n + m ) linear system in each iteration. The last m equations require exact solutions in order to maintain the feasibility. Current implementations reduce that step to solving an m × m linear system. The solution must be exact, because otherwise the error would be entirely passed on to the last m equations of the original system. This makes the computation costly and sometimes impractical. In this paper, we propose an inexpensive iterative method for solving that ( n + m ) × ( n + m ) system. It guarantees exact solutions to the last m equations. The convergence is proved, and the implementational issues are discussed. Some preliminary numerical results are also reported.
Laser surgery for nodules and other benign laryngeal lesions.

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to describe the potential use of lasers in the treatment of benign superficial lesions of the larynx and discuss possible roles for vocal nodules.Recent findingsAlthough there are many articles that describe the use of lasers in benign laryngeal lesions
Adaptive time-frequency decompositions with matching pursuit

To compute the optimal expansion of signals in redundant dictionary of waveforms is an NP complete problem. We introduce a greedy algorithm, called matching pursuit, that performs a suboptimal expansion. The waveforms are chosen iteratively in order to best match the signal structures. Matching pursuits are general procedures to compute adaptive signal representations. With a dictionary of Gabor functions, a matching pursuit defines an adaptive time-frequency transform. We derive a signal energy distribution in the time-frequency plane, which does not include interference terms, unlike Wigner and Cohen class distributions. A matching pursuit is a chaotic map, whose attractor defines a generic noise with respect to the dictionary. We derive an algorithm that isolates the coherent structures of a signal and an application to pattern extraction from noisy signals is described.
What does innovation mean for moral educators

This article examines the links between prosocial moral education, educational innovations and concerns of school system personnel during an innovation's implementation process. The role of social innovations in promoting prosocial moral education is discussed with attention given to the challenges and processes associated with implementing such innovations. Promising moral and prosocial education innovations are reviewed with outcomes. The authors then describe implementation challenges identified by the original designers of the reviewed moral education interventions. Among the challenges is the difficulty of maintaining fidelity as the moral education innovation is expanded to educational settings. The analysis of prosocial moral education innovations leads to a recommendation of an important new direction for scholars and practitioners as they support diffusion of the moral education innovation. The recommendation highlights the importance of monitoring the affective concerns of facilitators as they d...
Traceability-Driven System Development and its Application to Automotive System Development

In these days systems are increasingly complex and customer requirements are constantly changing. So, traceability becomes more important than ever before because the quality of impact analysis is one of key players to shorten development time and keep quality of systems. But, the creation and maintenance of the traceability are mundane and error-prone tasks even if a tool is employed. So, this paper introduces the traceability-driven system development to address the problems of traceability management. In the approach, to address domain-specific needs, both development artifacts and traceability are modeled using metamodel. Thus, metamodel guides the creation and maintenance of artifacts and enforces the traceability up-to-date. Also, the paper shows the application of the approach to automotive system development.
Leaves in the lowest and highest winds: temperature, force and shape

Contents Summary 13 I. Introduction 13 II. Very low but steady wind 14 III. Very low and fluctuating wind 17 IV. Very high winds 20 V. Leaf form as adaptation 23 Acknowledgements 24 References 24 Summary Climatic extremes can be as significant as averages in setting the conditions for successful organismal function and in determining the distribution of different forms. For lightweight, flexible structures such as leaves, even extremes lasting a few seconds can matter. The present review considers two extreme situations that may pose existential risks. Broad leaves heat rapidly when ambient air flows drop below c. 0.5 m s−1. Devices implicated in minimizing heating include: reduction in size, lobing, and adjustments of orientation to improve convective cooling; low near-infrared absorptivity; and thickening for short-term heat storage. Different features become relevant when storm gusts threaten to tear leaves and uproot trees with leaf-level winds of 20 m s−1 or more. Both individual leaves and clusters may curl into low-drag, stable cones and cylinders, facilitated by particular blade shapes, petioles that twist readily, and sufficient low-speed instability to initiate reconfiguration. While such factors may have implications in many areas, remarkably little relevant experimental work has addressed them.
Non-invasive anesthesia for children undergoing proton radiation therapy.

Abstract Background Proton therapy is a newer modality of radiotherapy during which anesthesiologists face specific challenges related to the setup and duration of treatment sessions. Purpose Describe our anesthesia practice for children treated in a standalone proton therapy center, and report on complications encountered during anesthesia. Materials and methods A retrospective review of anesthetic records for patients ⩽18 years of age treated with proton therapy at our institution between January 2006 and April 2013 was performed. Results A total of 9328 anesthetics were administered to 340 children with a median age of 3.6 years (range, 0.4–14.2). The median daily anesthesia time was 47 min (range, 15–79). The average time between start of anesthesia to the start of radiotherapy was 7.2 min (range, 1–83 min). All patients received Total Intravenous Anesthesia (TIVA) with spontaneous ventilation, with 96.7% receiving supplemental oxygen by non-invasive methods. None required daily endotracheal intubation. Two episodes of bradycardia, and one episode each of; seizure, laryngospasm and bronchospasm were identified for a cumulative incidence of 0.05%. Conclusions In this large series of children undergoing proton therapy at a freestanding center, TIVA without daily endotracheal intubation provided a safe, efficient, and less invasive option of anesthetic care.
Extreme career criminals

Although murder, rape, and kidnapping are considered extremely serious crimes, little criminal career research has focused on these perpetrators. This study examines 500 habitual offenders who have accumulated at least 30 entries in their arrest histories. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and negative binomial regression solutions indicate that murderers, rapists, and kidnappers totaled more violent Index arrests, netted more felony convictions and prison sentences, and offended for a longer span than other chronic recidivists. Given the policy relevance of career criminal research, more scholarly attention should focus on extreme offenders.
Relationships between Microstructure and Surface Acidity of Ti-Si Mixed Oxide Catalysts

The surface acidities and reactivities of titania, silica, and a series of Ti-Si mixed oxides have been investigated with a variety of surface-sensitive techniques, including temperature-programmed desorption/reaction of ammonia and 2-propanol, IR spectroscopy of adsorbed ammonia, and catalytic reaction of 1-butene. Results from TPD, TPR, and IR spectroscopy indicated that total acidity and relative acid strength decreased as silica was incorporated into titania. However, the areal rate of 1-butene isomerization was almost four times greater over a titania-rich mixed oxide than over pure titania. Infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed ammonia revealed that all of the acid sites on pure titania were of the Lewis type, whereas about 80% of the sites on the mixed oxides were of the Bronsted type. Therefore, the enhancement of butene isomerization activity over titania-rich mixed oxides was attributed to the Bronsted acid sites that were not present on pure titania. The appearance of Bronsted acidity in titania-rich mixed oxides was due to the local charge imbalance associated with tetrahedrally coordinated silica chemically mixing with the octahedral titania matrix. In silica-rich mixed oxides, Ti substituted isomorphously for Si in the tetrahedral silica matrix, thus eliminating the local charge imbalance that caused Bronsted acidity. The molar ratio of NH3(ads)/Ti for a silica-rich mixed oxide was approximately 0.3, which was nearly the same as the fraction of nontetrahedrally coordinated Ti in the sample.
Structural basis of carotenoid cleavage: from bacteria to mammals

Carotenoids and their metabolic derivatives serve critical functions in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including pigmentation, photoprotection and photosynthesis as well as cell signaling. These organic compounds are also important for visual function in vertebrate and non-vertebrate organisms. Enzymatic transformations of carotenoids to various apocarotenoid products are catalyzed by a family of evolutionarily conserved, non-heme iron-containing enzymes named carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (CCOs). Studies have revealed that CCOs are critically involved in carotenoid homeostasis and essential for the health of organisms including humans. These enzymes typically display a high degree of regio- and stereo-selectivity, acting on specific positions of the polyene backbone located in their substrates. By oxidatively cleaving and/or isomerizing specific double bonds, CCOs generate a variety of apocarotenoid isomer products. Recent structural studies have helped illuminate the mechanisms by which CCOs mobilize their lipophilic substrates from biological membranes to perform their characteristic double bond cleavage and/or isomerization reactions. In this review, we aim to integrate structural and biochemical information about CCOs to provide insights into their catalytic mechanisms.
Chemical, mechanical and tribological characterization of ultra-thin and hard amorphous carbon coatings as thin as 3.5 nm: recent developments

Abstract Diamond material and its smooth coatings are used for very low wear and relatively low friction. Major limitations of the true diamond coatings are that they need to be deposited at high temperatures, can only be deposited on selected substrates, and require surface finishing. Hard amorphous carbon (a-C), commonly known as diamondlike carbon (DLC), coatings exhibit mechanical, thermal and optical properties close to that of diamond. These can be deposited with a large range of thicknesses by using a variety of deposition processes, on variety of substrates at or near room temperature. The coatings reproduce substrate topography avoiding the need of post finishing. Friction and wear properties of some DLC coatings can be very attractive for tribological applications. The largest industrial application of these coatings is in magnetic storage devices. Recent developments in the chemical, mechanical and tribological characterization of the ultra-thin coatings are reviewed in this paper. The prevailing atomic arrangement in the DLC coatings is amorphous or quasi-amorphous with small diamond (sp3), graphite (sp2) and other unidentifiable micro- or nanocrystallites. The mechanical and tribological properties of the DLC coatings are dependent upon the deposition technique. Thin coatings deposited by filtered cathodic arc, ion beam and ECR-CVD hold a promise for tribological applications. Coatings as thin as 5 nm in thickness provide wear protection.
Nicotine withdrawal in U.S. smokers with current mood, anxiety, alcohol use, and substance use disorders.

Background The current study examined tobacco withdrawal symptoms and withdrawal-related discomfort and relapse in smokers with and without current mood disorders, anxiety disorders, alcohol use disorders (AUD), and substance use disorders (SUD).
Limb-sparing procedures: Postoperative planar bone scan appearance

Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the postoperative technetium-99m-labeled methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) scintigraphic appearance of limb-sparing procedures in patients treated for bone tumors.Materials and methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and assessed planar bone scans, subjectively and semiquantitatively, of all patients treated with limb-sparing procedures at our institution who survived at least 1 year following resection of the primary lesion.Results. The operative sites of 20 of the evaluable 45 patients (44 %) demonstrated normal tracer avidity during follow-up (median 12 months). Nine patients (20 %) demonstrated normal avidity on their first follow-up bone scans (median 6 months). Coincident99mTc-MDP bone scans were obtained on 11 patients who developed 12 postoperative complications or injury during the study and accurately identified the lesion in eight (67 %).Conclusion. Although many patients have abnormal99mTc-MDP avidity in the operative site after limb-sparing surgery, almost half eventually have normalization of uptake. However, planar bone scans have limited use for assessing the primary tumor site postoperatively as persistent abnormal avidity may preclude detection of changes associated with development of postoperative complications.
Does Age Affect Analgesia Provision at Discharge among Children with Long Bone Fractures Requiring Emergency Care

Abstract Background Inadequate treatment of painful conditions in children is a significant and complex problem. The wide range of cognitive abilities associated with a child's age is a particular challenge for providers treating children with painful conditions. Study Objective To examine the effect of patient age on the provision of analgesic medicines at discharge in children treated emergently for a long bone fracture. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all patients during a 1-year period with a long bone fracture treated in two urban pediatric Emergency Departments (EDs). Results Eight hundred seventy-eight patients were identified who met our inclusion criteria. Nearly 60% of patients received a prescription for an opioid-containing medicine and 19% received a prescription for an over-the-counter analgesic medicine at ED discharge. Patients younger than 4 years old had lower pain scores, less severe fractures, and overall were significantly less likely to receive an opioid-containing prescription compared to children 4 years old or greater. In children with more severe fractures requiring reduction in the ED, no significant age-related differences were noted in opioid prescription rates. No age-related significant differences were noted for over-the-counter prescription analgesic medicines provided at discharge. Conclusion Young patient age is associated with different analgesic prescription patterns in children treated in the ED for a long bone fracture.
Mechanical Properties of an Off‐the‐Road Tire

Abstract Four 20.5‐25/16 PR off‐the‐road tires have been tested in order to obtain their static and dynamic properties. Quasi‐static tests were performed to obtain static spring rates and loss energies. Drop tests were conducted with various weights and tire inflation pressures to obtain dynamic spring rates and damping coefficients. Dynamometer tests were performed at various loads, speeds, and inflation pressures in order to determine temperature buildup. Yawed roll tests are reported that provide carpet plots of cornering force and aligning torque versus slip angle and normal load.
A new model for tabular-type uranium deposits

Tabular-type uranium deposits occur as tabular, originally subhorizontal bodies entirely within reduced fluvial sandstones of Late Silurian age or younger. This paper proposes that belts of tabular-type uranium deposits formed in areas of mixed local and regional ground-water discharge shortly after deposition of the host sediments. The general characteristics of tabular-type uranium deposits, especially the most studied deposits, those in the Uravan mineral belt, Henry basin, and Grants uranium region, indicate that their essential feature was the formation at a density-stratified ground-water interface in areas of local and regional ground-water discharge. Reconstruction of the paleohydrogeology is the key to understanding the formation of these deposits. Gravity-driven ground water recharged in major highlands and discharged in lowlands at major concave changes in paleotopographic slope. Shallow local and deep regional ground-water systems were characterized by dilute and saline water, respectively. Typically, underlying marine rocks, especially evaporites, provided the solutes to the deep regional ground water. A density-stabilized interface existed at the ground-water divide between local and regional flow systems. Tabular-type uranium deposits formed where these divides or interfaces intersected pockets of reduction where organic matter accumulated. The precipitation of humate and uranium at an interface accounts for the tabular shape and the tendency of deposits to rise stratigraphically into the basin. Geologic ground-water controls that favor discharge, such as the pinch-out of major aquifers, are also favorable for uranium ore. The combination of topographic and geologic features that both cause discharge is most favorable for ore deposition.
Architecture of the Golgi apparatus of a scale-forming alga: biogenesis and transport of scales.

Mechanisms of transport of secretory products across the Golgi apparatus (GA) as well as of scale formation in prymnesiophytes have remained controversial. We have used a quantitative morphological approach to study formation and transport of scales across the G A in haploid cells ofPleurochrysis sp. The GA of these cells differs from the GA of higher plants in at least six morphological characteristics. Our results show that scales form in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and transit the TGN in heretofore unrecognized prosecretory vesicles. Prosecretory vesicles differentiate into secretory vesicles prior to exocytosis of scales to the cell surface. Because prosecretory vesicles are only fragments of TGN cisternae, the classical model of cisternal progression is not a valid mechanism of transport in this alga. TGN transport vesicles are also involved in scale formation; however, the role of tubular connections between cisternae of a single stack-TGN unit is not clear. The relationship of two morphological types of cisternal dilations to a membrane-associated, bottlebrush-shaped macromolecule of novel morphology suggests a new hypothesis for the biogenesis of scales.
NMR structure determination of the conserved hypothetical protein TM1816 from Thermotoga maritima

and the backboneatom root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) value of 0.35 Afor the best 20 DYANA conformers after energy-minimiza-tion [Fig. 1(A) and Table I] are representative of a high-quality structure determination. The structure of TM1816contains 3 -helices and a 5-stranded -sheet. The se-quence arrangement of the regular secondary structures, [Fig. 1(A and B)], is similar to that of theribonuclease H superfamily. The -sheet is comprised ofthe residues Met 1–Val 7 ( 1), Tyr 26–Val 32 ( 2), Val39–Glu44( 3),Leu67–Val70( 4),andLys87–Ile89( 5)with topology 54123. Strand 1 is parallel to 3, 4, and 5, and antiparallel to 2. The helices 1 (residues 56–62)and 2 (residues 75–84) are arranged in parallel on oneface of the -sheet, and 3 (residues 96–105) is approxi-mately perpendicular to 1 and 2 on the opposite face ofthe -sheet. The loop connecting 1 and 2 (L1; Figs. 1(B)and 2(A)] is 19 residues long, with several hydrogen bondsand hydrophobic residue contacts that tether it to the restof the structure.The crystal structure of TM1816, which includes a12-amino acid N-terminal tag [Protein Data Bank (PDB)ID: 1O13], was also determined by the JCSG. The NMRand X-ray structures are very similar, with the residues4–43 and 55–110 superimposable with a pairwise back-bone RMSD of 1.1 A [Fig. 1(C)]. The regions with thelargest variations are loop L3 and helix 3. Loop L3 [Figs.1(B) and 2(A)], which is disordered in the NMR structure[Fig. 1(A)], is well-ordered in the crystal structure. Anumber of crystal contacts seem to account for thesevariationsbetweentheNMRandX-raystructures.Speciﬁ-cally, intermolecular interactions of loop L1 and strand 3are found with loop L3 of a symmetry-related molecule,which includes formation of a short intermolecular paral-lel -sheet between strand 3 (residues 38–42) and loopL3 (residues 51–54). Additional intermolecular contactsare made between loop L2 and helix 3.TM1816 belongs to the Cluster of Orthologous Group(COG) 1433, which contains 28 functionally uncharacter-izedconservedproteinsfrom13differentorganisms,whichare predominantly archaeal species. The structures of 2other COG 1433 members, MTH1175
Whole pelvis megavoltage irradiation with single doses of 1000 rad to palliate advanced gynecologic cancers

Abstract This study reviews the experiences at M. D. Anderson Hospital of treating advanced gynecologic malignancies for palliation with single doses of 1000 rad per fraction. When feasible, this treatment was repeated twice (for a total of 3 treatments between intervals of 3–4 weeks. The patients who received 3 treatments had the best palliation; 2 treatments were more effective than 1. The palliative response was good in cervix, vagina and vulva, poor in endometrial and ovarian carcinoma. The follow-up was short in some cases, but the acute complications appear minimal.
Why is it difficult to see in the fog? How stimulus contrast affects visual perception and visual memory

Processing visually degraded stimuli is a common experience. We struggle to find house keys on dim front porches, to decipher slides projected in overly bright seminar rooms, and to read 10th-generation photocopies. In this research, we focus specifically on stimuli that are degraded via reduction of stimuluscontrast and address two questions. First, why is it difficult to process low-contrast, as compared with high-contrast, stimuli? Second, is the effect of contrastfundamental in that its effect is independent of the stimulus being processed and the reason for processing the stimulus? We formally address and answer these questions within the context of a series of nested theories, each providing a successively stronger definition of what it means for contrast to affect perception and memory. To evaluate the theories, we carried out six experiments. Experiments 1 and 2 involved simple stimuli (randomly generated forms and digit strings), whereas Experiments 3–6 involved naturalistic pictures (faces, houses, and cityscapes). The stimuli were presented at two contrast levels and at varying exposure durations. The data from all the experiments allow the conclusion that some function of stimulus contrast combines multiplicatively with stimulus duration at a stage prior to that at which the nature of the stimulus and the reason for processing it are determined, and it is the result of this multiplicative combination that determines eventual memory performance. We describe a stronger version of this theory— the sensory response, information acquisition theory—which has at its core, the strong Bloch’s-law-like assumption of a fundamental visual system response that is proportional to the product of stimulus contrast and stimulus duration. This theory was, as it has been in the past, highly successful in accounting for memory for simple stimuli shown at short (i.e., shorter than an eye fixation) durations. However, it was less successful in accounting for data from short-duration naturalistic pictures and was entirely unsuccessful in accounting for data from naturalistic pictures shown at longer durations. We discuss (1) processing differences between short- and long-duration stimuli, (2) processing differences between simple stimuli, such as digits, and complex stimuli, such as pictures, (3) processing differences between biluminant stimuli (such as line drawings with only two luminance levels) and multiluminant stimuli (such as grayscale pictures with multiple luminance levels), and (4) Bloch’s law and a proposed generalization of the concept ofmetamers.
The Relationship of Commitment-Free Behavior and Commitment Behavior: A Study of Attitude Toward Organ Transplantation

A highly reliable Likert-type summated rating scale was constructed to measure attitude toward organ transplantation, judged to be a contemporary topic with ambiguous normative guidelines. Subsequently, a sample of subjects was presented the opportunity to sign a legal document providing for posthumous donation of their organs. Responses to the criterion situation provided an eight-point Guttman scale of commitment behavior. There was a substantial relationship between attitude scores and criterion behavior as expressed in a Pearson correlation coefficient of .58.
Structure of Powdered Milk and its Possible Relation to the Keeping Quality of Whole Milk Powders

Summary The structure of whole milk powders made by the spray and drum methods is described. It is suggested that the presence of air within the granules of powder made by the spray process has an important bearing on the fact that this type of whole milk powder is especially prone to undergo tallowy, i.e., oxidative, deterioration.
“Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses”: Immigration to America

During the decade 1970 to 1979, more than 11 million immigrants came to the United States. The only comparable period in the nation's history was from 1900 to 1909, when entire towns emigrated from Italy, Poland, and Russia, and eight million immigrants arrived in America.
Microwave/millimeter wave via-only bandpass filters for LTCC applications

This paper presents novel via-only bandpass filters for a wide range of microwave/millimeter-wave frequencies. The design is based on rigorous field-theory analysis of a dielectric-loaded inductive-iris waveguide section combined with an impedance-inverter-based filter synthesis to realize maximally flat or Chebyshev characteristics. The new filter configurations are simple to realize, easy to fabricate, and highly suitable for LTCC and organic technologies. This study is carried out in order to examine the effect of the placement of continuous vias replacing the conducting side walls in iris-waveguide filters. Three bandpass filters in the new configuration are designed at center frequencies of 10, 14, and 29 GHz for the X, Ku, and Ka bands, respectively. For all the designs, the theoretical responses have been validated with commercially available full-wave electromagnetic simulation software. Since the design methodology is based on rigorous full-wave field-theory analysis, the proposed technique offers a high degree of accuracy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 47: 215–218, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21127
Circle geometry in higher dimensions. II

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a definition of a d-dimensional circle-geometry for each integer d ≥2. The definition is framed in such a manner that the circle-geometries of dimension 2 are precisely the inversive planes and that the circle-geometries of dimension d embrace all regular spreads of (d − l)-dimensional projective subspaces of a (2d − l)-dimensional projective space. Inversive geometry is the study of those properties of figures that are preserved by a generalization of a type of transformation of the Euclidean plane, called inversion. These transformations preserve angles and map generalized circles into generalized circles, where a generalized circle means either a circle or a line. Many difficult problems in geometry become much more tractable when an inversion is applied.
The Social Functioning of Preschool-Age Children Whose Mothers Are Emotionally and Physically Abused.

Abstract In this study, the social interactions and emotional adjustment of 21 preschool children of battered women and 25 same-age children from nonviolent homes were assessed. Mothers rated the frequency of emotional and physical abuse during the past year, their mental health, parenting qualities, and the child's adjustment. The free play of each child in a small group setting was evaluated by two observers on three separate occasions. The levels of emotion expression and regulation, interaction with peers and caregivers, and the observers' ratings of the child were assessed. Children who were exposed to parental violence had many more behavioral problems, exhibited significantly more negative affect, responded less appropriately to situations, were more aggressive with peers, and had more ambivalent relationships with their care-givers than those from nonviolent families. Regression analyses show that emotional abuse of the mother and mother's self-esteem were the most significant predictors of the ch...
Binding Kinetics of Tetrachloro-1,2-diaminocyclohexaneplatinum(IV) (Tetraplatin) and cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum(II) at 37 °C With Human Plasma Proteins and With Bovine Serum Albumin. Does Aquation Precede Protein Binding?

Experiments were conducted at 37 degrees C to study the kinetics of (a) binding of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP) and of a racemic mixture of d- and l-isomers of trans-tetrachloro-1,2-diaminocyclohexaneplatinum (IV) [or tetraplatin (TP)] to protein [human plasma proteins or bovine serum albumin (BSA)]; (b) aquation (acid hydrolysis) of CDDP and of TP; and (c) binding of charged (aquated) CDDP species to BSA. The experiments were performed at clinically relevant concentrations for CDDP, so that the proportional concentrations of platinum complexes relative to the concentrations of other chemical species in blood plasma were similar to those obtaining in the clinical use of the drug. "Free" (unbound) platinum complexes were separated from the protein-bound complexes were separated from the protein-bound complexes by gel filtration chromatography. By use of ion-exchange chromatography, charged platinum species were separated from the uncharged species and free charged platinum species of CDDP were separated from those bound to BSA. Platinum in various fractions was quantitated by atomic absorption spectrophotometry with electrothermal atomization; proteins were quantitated by te Bradford method with Coomassie blue dye. The kinetic data obtained by the application of these methods for CDDP are in good agreement with those obtained by other methods, e.g., binding rates based on separations by centrigugal ultrafiltration. The overall protein-binding reaction of CDDP was consistent with a binding process comprising two consecutive first-order reaction steps: the rate-controlling aquation reaction [half-life (t 1/2), approximately 2 hr] followed by a more rapid binding reaction of the charged (aquated) CDDP species to the protein (t 1/2, approximately 23 min). However, the results for TP indicated that prior aquation was not required for protein binding, and we could surmise that binding of TP to protein proceeds via a direct nucleophilic attack. An unexpected finding was the marked, reproducible difference in rates of aquation between the two lots of TP that we used; this finding suggests the need for cautions evaluation of pharmacokinetic data describing the behavior of TP.
39: Use of a Murine Transcutaneous Ventricular Assist Device Driveline Model To Characterize S. epidermidis SDRF Binding

Use of a Murine Transcutaneous Ventricular Assist Device Driveline Model To Characterize S. epidermidis SDRF Binding M. von Bayern, C. Arrecubieta, I. Matsunaga, S. Oz, M. Cadieras, Y. Naka, M. Deng, F. Lowy, T. Asahi, Medicin, Columbia University, New York, NY; Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY; Division of Infectious Diseases, Columbia University, New York, NY; Pathology, Columbia University, New York, NY
Thermodynamic Instability of A Self-Assembled 16-Residue Alanine-Based Oligopeptide in Aqueous Media: Hydrogel, Fibril, and Beaded Filament Formation

Oligoalanines with greater than ca. 14 residues, which have been doped with charged residues (e.g. lysine), usually adopt α-helical conformations in aqueous media.1 In contrast, Ac-(AAKA)4-NH2 aggregates instantaneously when dissolved in aqueous media at concentrations ranging from 70 μM to 7 mM. Evidence from UV circular dichroism (UV-CD) and FTIR spectroscopies suggest a mostly β-sheet like conformation. Kinetics studies of the initially formed conformations suggest a transition from a mostly β-like to a mostly PPII-like conformation, in contrast to typical fibril formation/growth studies. AFM images of freshly prepared samples indicate a porous, tissue-like architecture. Addition of salts (e.g. NaCl) stabilizes this architecture, resulting in the formation of a macroscopic hydrogel. β-sheet and hydrogel formation by such an amino acid sequence is quite unusual, as it does not obey typical rules required for peptide hydrogel formation. In particular, there are no alternating complimentary charges, nor alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic residues. Without the added stabilization provided by the addition of salts, however, the peptide transitions from a mostly β-sheet-like structure to a PPII-like conformation, possibly via triple helix formation, as evidenced by both electronic and vibrational CD. AFM images suggest the formation of a heterogeneous mixture of assemblies, including bead-like filaments as well as networks of well-defined, intertwined fibrils. Potential applications for peptide hydrogels include drug delivery devices and tissue engineering scaffolds. In this regard, release studies of model peptides which have been trapped within the peptide hydrogel will be presented, as well as rheological characterization of the hydrogel as a function of salt and peptide concentration.[1] Scholtz, J. M.; Marqusee, S.; Baldwin, R. L.; York, E. J.; Stewart, J. M.; Santoro, M.; Bolen. D. W. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.1991, 88, 2854-2860.
Preliminary investigation of learning processes applied to a satellite acquisition problem

Numerous studies dealing with computational techniques to solve optimal control problems result in what is commonly referred to as open-loop control. However, the control designer seeks closed-loop or automatic control in order to assure desirable system behavior in a variety of situations. This paper discusses some experimental results of preliminary studies for synthesizing automatic controllers for reasonably complex systems from optimum open-loop data.
Multi-transceiver optical wireless spherical structures for MANETs

Due to its high bandwidth spectrum, Free-Space-Optical (FSO) communication has the potential to bridge the capacity gap between backbone fiber links and mobile ad-hoc links, especially in the last-mile. Though FSO can solve the wireless capacity problem, it brings new challenges such as frequent disruption of wireless communication links (intermittent connectivity) and the line-of-sight (LOS) requirements. In this paper, we study a multi-transceiver spherical FSO structure as a basic building block for enabling optical spectrum in mobile ad-hoc networking. We outline optimal designs of such multi-transceiver subsystems such that coverage is maximized and crosstalk among neighboring transceivers is minimized. We propose a low-level packaging architecture capable of handling hundreds of transceivers on a single structure. We also present MANET transport performance over such multi-element mobile FSO structures in comparison to legacy RF-based MANETs.
Sp2 DNA Binding Activity and trans-Activation Are Negatively Regulated in Mammalian Cells *

Abstract Previous studies have indicated that Sp2 binds poorly to GC-rich sequences bound by Sp1 and Sp3, and further functional analyses of Sp2 have been limited. To study Sp2-mediated transcription, we employed a PCR-based protocol to determine the Sp2 consensus DNA-binding sequence (5′-GGGCGGGAC-3′) and performed kinetic experiments to show that Sp2 binds this consensus sequence with high affinity (225 pm) in vitro. To determine the functional consequence of Sp2 interaction with this sequence in vivo, we transformed well characterized Sp-binding sites within the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) promoter to consensus Sp2-binding sites. Incorporation of Sp2-binding sites within the DHFR promoter increased Sp2-mediated trans-activation in transient co-transfection experiments but also revealed Sp2 to be a relatively weak trans-activator with little or no capacity for additive or synergistic trans-activation. Using chimeric molecules prepared with portions of Sp1 and Sp2 and the human prostate-specific antigen promoter, we show that Sp2 DNA binding activity and trans-activation are negatively regulated in mammalian cells. Taken together, our data indicate that Sp2 is functionally distinct relative to other Sp family members and suggest that Sp2 may play a unique role in cell physiology.
Soil biota drive expression of genetic variation and development of population‐specific feedbacks in an invasive plant

Invasive plant species alter soils in ways that may affect the success of subsequent generations, creating plant–soil feedbacks. Ailanthus altissima is an invasive tree introduced two centuries ago to North America. We hypothesized that geographically distinct populations of A. altissima have established feedbacks specific to their local environment, due to soil communities cultivated by A. altissima. We collected seeds and soils from three populations in the eastern United States, and in the greenhouse reciprocally planted all families in all collected soils as well as in a control mixed soil, and in soils that had been irradiated for sterilization. There were positive plant–soil feedbacks for two populations in the live field-collected soils, but strong negative feedbacks for the third population. There were no population-level performance differences or feedbacks in the sterilized population locale soils, supporting a soil biotic basis for feedbacks and for the expression of genetic differentiation in ...
Early treatment response in anxious outpatients treated with diazepam.

– Two hundred and two moderately chronic psychiatric outpatients, all suffering from anxiety of at least moderate severity and all diagnosable as cases of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, participated in a single-blind 6-week trial of diazepam (15–40 mg/day). The trial was preceded by a 1 week placebo washout, and provided for evaluation visits after 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks of diazepam treatment. Patients were divided into High, Medium and Low Initial Improvers using 1 week change in Hamilton Anxiety Scale total score to assign patients to three subgroups of equal size. These groups did not differ significantly on those demographic factors and attributes of illness history which were documented, nor on assessments of symptom and illness severity, and mode of intake. Examination of a number of patient and physician assessments of illness severity revealed that the High group had the greatest 6-week improvement, the Low group the least. During the first week, the High group attained 86%, the Medium group, 65%, and the Low group, 29% of its full 6-week drug response. Diazepam dose levels were lowest for the High group and highest for the Low group. Placebo response was least for the High group and greatest for the Low group. An attempt to find distinctive attributes of the three initial improvement groups was unsuccessful.
Integration of active learning in a collaborative CRF

We present an active learning approach for visual multiple object class recognition, using a conditional random field (CRF) formulation. We name our graphical model dasiacollaborativepsila, because it infers class posteriors in in stances of occlusion and missing information by assessing the joint appearance and geometric assortment of neighboring sites. The model can handle scenes containing multiple classes and multiple objects inherently while using the confidence of its predictions to enforce label uniformity in areas where evidence supports similarity. Our method uses classification uncertainty to dynamically select new training samples to retrain the discriminative classifiers used in the CRF. We demonstrate the performance of our approach using cluttered scenes containing multiple objects and multiple class instances.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration Matters

These investigators found that elevated vancomycin MICs were associated with increased mortality in patients with MRSA infections, a result mostly driven by outcomes of bloodstream infections (BSIs). In contrast, excess mortality in association with elevated MICs was not seen in non-BSI MRSA infections. Among patients with MRSA BSI, although an Etest MIC $2 lg/mL was associated with increased mortality, an Etest MIC of 1.5 lg/mL was not. Throughout the analysis of van Hal