cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Denatured States of Tick Anticoagulant Peptide COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS OF UNFOLDED SCRAMBLED ISOMERS

In the presence of denaturant and thiol catalyst, a disulfide-containing protein denatures and converts to a mixture of scrambled isomers, which can be purified and structurally characterized. Scrambled isomers adopt a different conformation and a varied extent of unfolding. Their relative concentration (composition) signals the state of unfolding of the denatured protein and is determined by the denaturing condition. In this report, tick anticoagulant peptide (TAP) (60 amino acids and 3 disulfides) has been denatured in the presence of urea, guanidine hydrochloride, guanidine thiocyanate, organic solvents, and at elevated temperature. The recoveries of scrambled TAP were analyzed. The results demonstrate that each denaturing condition generates a unique structure (composition of scrambled species) of denatured TAP. Among various species of scrambled TAP, the beads-form species contains the smallest disulfide loop and appears to represent the most extensively unfolded state. The yield of the beads-form species as a fraction of the total denatured TAP is invariably determined by the strength of the denaturing condition.
The Effects of Self-Esteem and Source Credibility on Self-Denying Prophecies

Self-fulfilling prophecies are a well-studied phenomenon. The study of self-denying prophecies, however, is rare. Self-denying prophecies shift people's behavior in the direction opposite to the prophecy. The existence of self-denying prophecies was investigated in 222 students. The effects of self-esteem and the source of the prophecy were also investigated. The results suggest that self-denying prophecies exist and that self-esteem is an important moderator of self-denying prophecies. If managers and industrial/organizational psychologists had an understanding of self-denying prophecies, they might be better able to structure negative performance reviews in a way that could lead to improved employee performance.
The social context for risky sexual behavior among adolescents

This study supports a model of adolescents' risky sexual behavior in which this behavior is seen as a product of the same peer and family factors which influence a wide range of problem behaviors. The Patterson et al. (1992) model of peer and parental factors associated with adolescents' sexual risk-taking behavior was tested on three independent samples of adolescents, ages 14 through 18. Adolescents whose peers were reported to engage in diverse problem behaviors were more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. Poor parental monitoring and parent-child coercive interactions were associated having deviant peers, and poor parental monitoring also had a direct relationship to risky sexual behavior. Family involvement was associated with fewer parent-child coercive interactions. Less availability of parental figures in the family was directly associated with risky sexual behavior and was also associated with poorer parental monitoring.
Interdiffusional effects between TiBe12 and NiAl intermetallics

The TiBe12/NiAl composites fabricated by a powder metallurgy technique were examined for the extent of interdiffusion between its components, using scanning Auger microscopy. The results revealed an evidence of a reaction between the two component intermetallics after annealing at 1300 K for 100 h, with a 95-micron reaction zone extending from the TiBe12/NiAl interface. The concentration profile across the reaction zone showed that the Ni, Al, and Be concentrations were in a 1:1:2 ratio, while Ti was present in only very small amounts.
Essay: On Stars

This 2014 Consortium of Universities for Global Health essay examines the ethical dilemmas of working as a senior dental student at a free clinic in rural New England.
Circuits Kit K–12 Outreach: Impact of Circuit Element Representation and Student Gender

Outreach to K-12 schools is important for attracting students to electrical engineering. Circuits kits provide K-12 students hands-on interactions with electrical circuits. The goal of this experimental study was to investigate the effects of two types of electrical circuit element representations on the self-reported perceptions of the outreach activity and learning of elementary and high school students. In the abstract representation type, the circuit elements were marked with the standard engineering symbols. In the concrete representation type, the circuit elements, such as batteries and light bulbs, were familiar to the students. Perceived student enjoyment, understanding, and cognitive load were assessed through surveys. Student learning was measured with a post-test. The impacts of student gender and developmental level were also analyzed. Results indicate that for elementary school students, the concrete representation led to higher understanding ratings and lower cognitive load ratings than the abstract representation, while there was no difference in student learning between the two representation conditions. For high school students, there were no significant differences in student perceptions or learning between the two representation conditions. However, male high school students gave significantly higher interest and understanding ratings as well as lower cognitive load ratings than their female counterparts, even though there was no significant difference in student learning between the genders. Elementary school students reported higher enjoyment for the circuits kit activity and higher cognitive load than the high school students.
The effects of chlorpromazine and secobarbital on matching from sample and discrimination tasks in monkeys.

Monkeys were trained in the performance of a matching from sample task and in two simultaneous visual discrimination tasks differing in level of difficulty. In the case of the matching task, four doses each of chlorpromazine and of secobarbital were administered to the animals according to a balanced design. The procedure was then replicated. The results of the matching task indicated that chlorpromazine produced many errors of omission and few errors of commission. The latter kind of error as well as other measures of confused responding were seen primarily with secobarbital. In the case of the visual discriminations, secobarbital produced greater impairment of the more difficult (pattern) task than of the simpler (color) task; chlorpromazine had equivalent effects on the two tasks. The similarity between the secobarbital action and the behavioral consequences of certain cortical lesions in the monkey was discussed.
Coral reef health and effects of socio-economic factors in Fiji and Cook Islands

This research focuses on coral reef health in the South Pacific region, an area of high global coral diversity. Coral reef health surrounding four island case studies in the Cook Islands and Fiji have been assessed in areas that have not been previously surveyed. This study compares four islands with barrier and fringing reefs that have different levels of economic development, population pressure, land-use practices, and marine management practices. This interdisciplinary research methodology includes both ecological and social data collection to further understanding of human environment interactions. In comparing the reefs with different socio-economic factors, this research shows that reefs with traditional systems of resources management are healthier, population pressure is not the main factor causing the demise of the reefs and agro-industry is the main industry causing the degradation of the reef in these four South Pacific Islands. In addition, researchers need to use a whole reef perspective to examine coral reef health.
Acute effects of perinatal hypoxic insult on concentrations of dopamine, serotonin, and metabolites in fetal monkey brain.

Abstract Seven monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ) were laparotomized under general anesthesia (halothane, nitrous oxide, oxygen). Fetal hypoxia was induced in four monkeys by occlusion of the umbilical cord with a hydraulic occluder for 5–6 min. Three sham-operated fetuses served as controls. After unclamping, the fetuses were allowed to reperfuse for 20–30 min. To monitor hypoxia, the fetal electrocardiogram was recorded continuously. Hypoxic insult was associated with a decrease in fetal heart rate during the occlusion. After reperfusion, fetuses were immediately sacrificed and neocortex regions dissected on ice, frozen on dry ice and stored at −70°C. Dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were assayed by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC/EC) in hippocampus, caudate nucleus and cortical regions. In the hippocampus, there was a significant increase in 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid concentration. In prefrontal cortex, there was a trend toward an increase in serotonin but no effects on dopamine and homovanillic acid concentrations. Dopamine, serotonin and metabolites were not altered in the caudate nucleus. These data demonstrate that fetal hypoxia followed by reperfusion produced an increase in serotonin concentration measured within the hippocampus and selected cortical areas known to be targets of hypoxic injury.
Ultrahigh-resolution study of autodetachment in C 2 −

We describe a new coaxial laser-ion-beam photodetachment spectrometer designed to measure high-resolution photodetachment spectra of negative ions, and the measurement of ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ autodetachment rates with it. The apparatus resolution of 10 MHz is sufficient to resolve linewidth and line shape of autodetaching resonances in ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. Autodetachment rates of the $B^{2}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+}$ state have been measured for a variety of rotational levels with ${v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=6, 7, 8, \mathrm{and} 9$. The observed rates vary between ${10}^{7}$ and ${10}^{10}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, depending on vibrational and rotational state. Autodetachment of high vibrational levels (${v}^{\ensuremath{'}}=19$) of the $A^{2}\ensuremath{\Pi}_{u}$ state has been seen to be slower than ${10}^{8}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The physical processes giving rise to these results are discussed in some detail.
Foster care and the educational attainment of Jamaican children

Though informal fostering, the placement of children in the care of relatives or friends, is common in developing countries little research has been performed to ascertain its implications for the welfare of foster children. Previous studies on fostering are generally concerned with the circumstances that result in fostering. We investigate the relationship between foster care and educational opportunities and achievement. The relationship between fostering and a child’s educational achievement is crucial because education has a strong influence on the long-term welfare of the individual. Our findings are unique in that we redefine foster care to exclude children living with their biological father. This redefinition results in significantly different findings on the effect of foster care on the educational investment of the household towards foster boys. Under the new definition foster boys are significantly more likely to be educationally disadvantaged.
Theorizing Race and Imprisonment: Towards a New Penality

This article compares historical and contemporary notions of race in France, England and Wales, and the United States, in order to explain each nation's prison population. It seeks to demonstrate how the distinct interpretations and ways of documenting race in each place correspond with an over-representation of specific populations in that nation's prison system. After describing the prison population in each country, the paper analyzes the historical and cultural construction of ideas of race in France. Of particular importance is the Enlightenment and the 19th century love of taxonomy that articulated, mapped and reified Otherness and which is also considered to be the birth of prison and criminology. Thus, the genealogical approach may provide a new understanding of the conceptual and practical interdependence of race and imprisonment, which is then applied to the U.S. and England. This paper aims to help criminologists move beyond merely documenting the over-representation of minorities to critiquing the structures of race and punishment, grounded in colonialism and slavery, that serve to legitimate strategies of social control.
Selected Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Esters may Provide Analgesia for Some Central Pain Conditions

Central pain is an enigmatic, intractable condition, related to destruction of thalamic areas, resulting in likely loss of inhibitory synaptic transmission mediated by GABA. It is proposed that treatment of central pain, a localized process, may be treated by GABA supplementation, like Parkinson's disease and depression. At physiologic pH, GABA exists as a zwitterion that is poorly permeable to the blood brain barrier (BBB). Because the pH of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) is acidic relative to the plasma, ion trapping may allow a GABA ester prodrug to accumulate and be hydrolyzed within the CSF. Previous investigations with ester local anesthetics may be applicable to some GABA esters since they are weak bases, hydrolyzed by esterases and cross the BBB. Potential non-toxic GABA esters are discussed. Many GABA esters were investigated in the 1980s and it is hoped that this paper may spark renewed interest in their development.
Ensemble Dynamics and Bred Vectors

AbstractThe new concept of an ensemble bred vector (EBV) algorithm is introduced to assess the sensitivity of model outputs to changes in initial conditions for weather forecasting. The new algorithm is based on collective dynamics in essential ways. As such, it keeps important geometric features that are lost in the earlier bred vector (BV) algorithm. By construction, the EBV algorithm produces one or more dominant vectors and is less prone to spurious results than the BV algorithm. It retains the attractive features of the BV algorithm with regard to being able to handle legacy codes, with minimal additional coding.The performance of the EBV algorithm is investigated by comparing it to the BV algorithm as well as the finite-time Lyapunov vectors. With the help of a continuous-time adaptation of these algorithms, a theoretical justification is given to the observed fact that the vectors produced by the BV, EBV algorithms, and the finite-time Lyapunov vectors are similar for small amplitudes. The continuu...
Leader-member exchangeand job satisfacton: Cross-industry comparisons and predicted employee turnover

The present research analyzes quality of leader-member exchange (LMX) and job satisfaction and predicts employee turnover rates in the food manufacturing, restaurant, and banking industries resulting from low-quality LMX and job dissatisfaction. It confirms the reliability and construct validity of the well-known LMX scale and Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) in cross-industry comparisons. It also identifies the shape of the hypothesized relationships among the three industries. Comparisons indicate that in the service sector, quality of LMX is significantly higher than in manufacturing, that the level of job satisfaction is higher in manufacturing than in service, and that satisfaction with supervision has a significant impact on job satisfaction.
A predictive bandwidth management scheme and network architecture for real-time VBR traffic

Abstract Many bandwidth management schemes for ATM network require detail traffic description and accurate traffic model. These informations, however, are not always available, especially in the case of real-time VBR video traffic. Predictive bandwidth management scheme solves this problem by using the on-line traffic measurement—it predicts the future traffic rate from the measurement and allocates the bandwidth accordingly. In this article, we firstly introduce an adaptive wavelet predictor for dynamic bandwidth allocation. Our simulation results show that, compared with the time-domain least-mean-square (LMS) predictor, our wavelet predictor improves the prediction accuracy and significantly reduces the cell-loss-rate when used in the dynamic bandwidth allocation. We secondly present a prediction-based bandwidth allocation scheme and the corresponding network architecture. In particular, a Bandwidth Allocation Unit (BAU) at the network access node is suggested.
Survey of intra- and inter-mission flexibility in space exploration systems

Abstract An increasingly common objective in the design of new space systems is the property of flexibility, or the capability to easily modify a system after it has been fielded in response to a changing environment or changing requirements. The body of research on this topic has been growing, but substantial work remains in developing metrics for characterizing system flexibility and trading it against other metrics of interest. This paper samples from the history of space exploration to glean heuristic insight into characteristics of flexibility in space exploration systems and their potential application to future systems. Divided into categories of intra- and inter-mission modification, examples include the Hubble Space Telescope, Mir space station, International Space Station, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and the robotic Venera program. In several cases, metrics are identified which show clear performance gains due to changes after a system is fielded, and in all cases, environment or requirement changes that prompted system change are identified. Also discussed are examples in which flexibility proved critical to mission success. Modular design and separation of functionality are recognized as likely flexibility-enabling characteristics. Finally, examples of non-configurational flexibility (e.g., software and trajectory flexibility) in space exploration applications are identified and discussed.
Integrating emergency medicine residents into a well-established helicopter program.

Abstract Introduction: The institution of an emergency medicine residency in a university-affiliated Level 1 trauma center in July 1993 provided a challenge to develop a curriculum and on-line learning experience for emergency medicine residents in a well-established helicopter program. The purpose of this study was to survey flight crew members, emergency medicine attending physicians, and emergency medicine residents on the anticipated roles and educational experience of integrating the emergency medicine residents from a new emergency medicine residency into the flight crew of a well-established helicopter program. Methods: A survey consisting of multiple choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions was distributed to flight crew members (RN, RT, pilots, communication specialists, EM attendings, and EM residents [n = 72]). Results: 92% of surveys were returned. These surveys identified specific issues of concern and those areas believed to be of academic importance for the emergency medicine residents. Conclusions: The results of this study allowed for the creation and implementation of a progressive flight experience for EM residents that incorporates increasing responsibility on the flight crew as experience is gained.
An exploration of combined dynamic derivatives on time scales and their applications

It is becoming evident that different dynamic derivatives play increasingly important roles in approximating functions and solutions of nonlinear differential equations for their great flexibility in grid designs. Different dynamic derivatives on time scales not only offer a convenient way in practical applications, but also show their distinctive features in approximations. It may be worthwhile to investigate if such useful features can be maintained or even improved in certain senses while different dynamic derivatives are used in the same application simultaneously. Under this consideration, we will introduce the combined delta (, or forward) and nabla (∇, or backward) dynamic derivatives, explore their basic properties, and investigate their applications for approximating classical derivative functions and for solving differential equation problems in this paper. Proper forward jump, backward jump and step functions will be introduced and utilized. It is found that while the combined dynamic derivatives possess similar properties as and ∇ derivatives, they offer more balanced approximations to the targeted functions and differential equations at satisfactory accuracy. The combined dynamic derivatives also reduce the unexpected computational spuriosity, and therefore lead to more reliable numerical algorithm designs. Computational examples are given to further illustrate our results. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. MSC: 34B10; 39A10; 65D25
Science for nonmajors ... And majors.

Maureen Scharberg's letter “Importance of teaching” ([24 May, p. 1086][1]) appears to miss the point of the News article about the National Science Foundation (NSF) report ([1][2]) on undergraduate education (J. Mervis, [19 Apr., p. 345][3]). The issue raised by the report has nothing to do with
Genomic Analyses of Musashi1 Downstream Targets Show a Strong Association with Cancer-related Processes

Musashi1 (Msi1) is a highly conserved RNA-binding protein with pivotal functions in stem cell maintenance, nervous system development, and tumorigenesis. Despite its importance, only three direct mRNA targets have been characterized so far: m-numb, CDKN1A, and c-mos. Msi1 has been shown to affect their translation by binding to short elements located in the 3′-untranslated region. To better understand Msi1 functions, we initially performed an RIP-Chip analysis in HEK293T cells; this method consists of isolation of specific RNA-protein complexes followed by identification of the RNA component via microarrays. A group of 64 mRNAs was found to be enriched in the Msi1-associated population compared with controls. These genes belong to two main functional categories pertinent to tumorigenesis: 1) cell cycle, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis and 2) protein modification (including ubiquitination and ubiquitin cycle). To corroborate our findings, we examined the impact of Msi1 expression on both mRNA (transcriptomic) and protein (proteomic) expression levels. Genes whose mRNA levels were affected by Msi1 expression have a Gene Ontology distribution similar to RIP-Chip results, reinforcing Msi1 participation in cancer-related processes. The proteomics study revealed that Msi1 can have either positive or negative effects on gene expression of its direct targets. In summary, our results indicate that Msi1 affects a network of genes and could function as a master regulator during development and tumor formation.
Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Pulsed Inductively Coupled Plasmas for Deposition of Thin Polyethylene Glycol-like Polymer Films

In this work we characterize pulsed inductively coupled of plasmas of two organic precursor molecules, isopropyl alcohol and 1, 4 dioxane using Langmuir probes and in-situ mass spectrometry. We identify the key ionized species diffusing to the substrate and offer an explanation as to how they are generated. We also analyze the deposited films using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and suggest a correlation between the measured plasma ion mass distributions and chemical bonding character of the deposit. The ultimate goal of this work is to develop predictable models for PECVD processes for thin polymer films with functionalized surfaces.
Interrater reliability and accuracy of clinicians and trained research assistants performing prospective data collection in emergency department patients with potential acute coronary syndrome.

Study objective Clinical research requires high-quality data collection. Data collected at the emergency department evaluation is generally considered more precise than data collected through chart abstraction but is cumbersome and time consuming. We test whether trained research assistants without a medical background can obtain clinical research data as accurately as physicians. We hypothesize that they would be at least as accurate because they would not be distracted by clinical requirements. Methods We conducted a prospective comparative study of 33 trained research assistants and 39 physicians (35 residents) to assess interrater reliability with respect to guideline-recommended clinical research data. Immediately after the research assistant and clinician evaluation, the data were compared by a tiebreaker third person who forced the patient to choose one of the 2 answers as the correct one when responses were discordant. Crude percentage agreement and interrater reliability were assessed (κ statistic). Results One hundred forty-three patients were recruited (mean age 50.7 years; 47% female patients). Overall, the median agreement was 81% (interquartile range [IQR] 73% to 92%) and interrater reliability was fair (κ value 0.36 [IQR 0.26 to 0.52]) but varied across categories of data: cardiac risk factors (median 86% [IQR 81% to 93%]; median 0.69 [IQR 0.62 to 0.83]), other cardiac history (median 93% [IQR 79% to 95%]; median 0.56 [IQR 0.29 to 0.77]), pain location (median 92% [IR 86% to 94%]; median 0.37 [IQR 0.25 to 0.29]), radiation (median 86% [IQR 85% to 87%]; median 0.37 [IQR 0.26 to 0.42]), quality (median 85% [IQR 75% to 94%]; median 0.29 [IQR 0.23 to 0.40]), and associated symptoms (median 74% [IQR 65% to 78%]; median 0.28 [IQR 0.20 to 0.40]). When discordant information was obtained, the research assistant was more often correct (median 64% [IQR 53% to 72%]). Conclusion The relatively fair interrater reliability observed in our study is consistent with previous studies evaluating interrater reliability for cardiovascular disease in the inpatient setting. With respect to research data, we found that prospective ascertainment of clinical data is more often correct when done by research assistants compared with clinicians simultaneously evaluating patients.
Variability in infection control measures for the percutaneous lead among programs implanting long-term ventricular assist devices in the United States.

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are a surgical treatment for heart failure. These devices may be implanted as a bridge to transplant or as destination therapy. After surgical recovery and education regarding device care, patients are discharged home. Meticulous care of the driveline must be taken to prevent infection and trauma of the site throughout the perioperative event and for the duration of support. Currently a standardized protocol for care of the driveline and exit site does not exist. VAD coordinators from across the country discussed the variability in care at different centers in the United States through a series of conference calls. A survey consisting of 16 questions was developed. The survey included questions on preoperative antibiotic recommendations, driveline placement and exit site suturing, frequency of dressing changes, and showering practices. VAD coordinators shared center-specific dressing protocols and any driveline success stories. This survey was sent to 73 centers; 38 cente...
A model for the mechanism of polymerase translocation

A general mechanism for polymerase translocation is elaborated. The central feature of this mechanism is that a rapid translocational equilibrium is established after each cycle of nucleoside monophosphate incorporation such that the polymerase distributes itself by diffusional sliding between all accessible positions on the template with relative occupancy determined by relative free energy. While alternative models for translocation have not been fully developed, much of the language currently used to describe this step suggests an active mechanism coupled to conformational transitions in the polymerase. For example, a recent study of force generation by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase during transcription suggests that it is a mechanoenzyme analogous to kinesin of myosin motor proteins. While the proposed mechanism does not rule out conformational transitions during polymerase translocation, it suggests that they may be unnecessary and that translocation can be explained in terms of the affinity of the active site for nucleoside triphosphate and the relative free energies of the polymerase bound at different positions on the template. This mechanism makes specific predictions which are borne out experimentally with polymerases as distinct as E. coli DNAP I, phage T7 RNAP, and E. coli RNAP.
Boundary-Forced Planetary Waves: A Simple Model Mid-Ocean Response to Strong Current Variability

Abstract A simple linear model of the barotropic basin response to forcing imposed along the northern boundary is described. The dependence on latitude of the response may include oscillatory behavior or not, depending on whether the forcing frequency is smaller or greater than the fundamental free basin mode frequency. When oscillatory behavior is found, the forced solution may resemble oceanic mesoscale eddies. The relevance of this simple model to a description of the eddy fields of several mesoscale resolution general ocean circulation numerical experiments is examined. It is found that a single term of the analytical solution can very well describe the numerically produced eddy fields, away from the regions of strong currents. The possibility that this general mechanism might account for the existence of mesoscale eddies in the ocean is briefly discussed.
A Child Constructs an Understanding of a Water Wheel in Five Media

(1996). A Child Constructs an Understanding of a Water Wheel in Five Media. Childhood Education: Vol. 72, No. 5, pp. 269-273.
Bimodal star formation - Constraints from the solar neighborhood

The chemical evolution resulting from a simple model of bimodal star formulation is investigated, using constraints from the solar neighborhood to set the parameters of the initial mass function and star formation rate. The two modes are an exclusively massive star mode, which forms stars at an exponentially declining rate, and a mode which contains stars of all masses and has a constant star formation rate. Satisfactory agreement with the age-metallicity relation for the thin disk and with the metallicity structure of the thin-disk and spheroid stars is possible only for a small range of parameter values. The preferred model offers a resolution to several of the long-standing problems of galactic chemical evolution, including explanations of the age-metallicity relation, the gas consumption time scale, and the stellar cumulative metallicity distributions.
The cytoskeleton as a target for organophosphorus ester-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN)

Although the immediate action of organophosphorus esters is the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, some of these compounds also produce a neurodegenerative disorder known as organophosphorus ester-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN). Tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) first produced this condition in humans and later in sensitive animal species. OPIDN is characterized by a delay period prior to onset of ataxia and paralysis. The neuropathologic lesions are Wallerian-type degeneration of the axon and myelin in the distal parts of the large tracts in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. In the past decade we have demonstrated that the pathognomonic features of OPIDN are an aberrant increase in autophosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin kinase II (CaM kinase II) and an increase in phosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins, i.e., MAPs, tubulin, neurofilament triplet proteins, and myelin basic protein. Protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins plays a critical role in regulating the growth and maintenance of the axon. We hypothesize that, in OPIDN, hyperphosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins and axonal swelling are causally linked. Hyperphosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins decreases their transport rate down the axon relative to their rate of entry into the axon, thus leading to their accumulation. Consistent with this hypothesis is our finding of the anomalous accumulation of phosphorylated neurofilament aggregates in the central and peripheral axons of hens treated with TOCP.
Towards Information Coordination and Reduced Team Size in Space Flight Mission Operations

Teamwork and task coordination is essential in spaceflight mission operations for organizations such as NASA. However, future operational requirements in the Constellation Program suggest a need to reduce fulltime mission operations staffing. Technology to achieve these goals must focus on supporting operator teamwork and team coordination, helping increase knowledge sharing between flight controllers. Several problems will be faced in the transition to a smaller flight controller team size. Many of these problems can be mitigated by augmenting flight data and controller training by adding context, integration, aggregation, and projection of vehicle state and trend data. Increased sharing of context and operational horizons of flight data can more effectively support flight controllers during sensemaking, decision making, and coordination and handoff tasks.
Affective synesthesia: Extracting emotion space from simple perceptual stimuli

Several experiments and reanalyses of archival data were performed in which sets of common emotions were mapped onto visual and auditory perceptual stimuli of varying degrees of complexity. Subjects showed reliability across several different experimental paradigms and diverse stimulus sets. Furthermore, the results were reducible to a two-dimensional emotion space of valence and activity, after the work of Osgood, Succi, and Tannenbaum (1957). The perceptual locus of an aesthetic stimulus in this two-dimensional space is hypothesized to provide a first approximation to how the synesthetic qualities of a percept provide a basis for emotional responses to such stimuli. More generally, this direct mapping of percept onto emotion provides an interesting conundrum for theories of emotion research.
Über die Gitterenergie und die Ablösearbeit von Elektronen bei Calcium

Berechnung der Gitterenergie und der Austrittsarbeit der Elektronen fur Calcium aus der Annahme eines bestimmten Elektronengitters. Zusammenfassung am Ende.
Architecture and performance of server-directed transcoding

Proxy-based transcoding adapts Web content to be a better match for client capabilities (such as screen size and color depth) and last-hop bandwidths. Traditional transcoding breaks the end-to-end model of the Web, because the proxy does not know the semantics of the content. Server-directed transcoding preserves end-to-end semantics while supporting aggressive content transformations.We show how server-directed transcoding can be integrated into the HTTP protocol and into the implementation of a proxy. We discuss several useful transformations for image content, and present measurements of the performance impacts. Our results demonstrate that server-directed transcoding is a natural extension to HTTP, can be implemented without great complexity, and can provide good performance when carefully implemented.
The Impact of Accounting Regulatory Events Upon Earning Response Coefficients: The Case of SFAS No.8 and SFAS No.14

ABSTRACT The research empirically tests the theoretical framework developed by Holthausen and Verrecchia [1988] for investigating the association between U.S.—based MNEs' earnings and security returns through the use of SFAS Nos. 8 and 14. It provides added insight into the accounting determinants of the intertemporal and cross-sectional variation in firms' earnings response coefficients. The results of this study provide convincing evidence that a significant reduction in the association between magnitudes of unexpected earnings and magnitudes of risk-adjusted price changes occurred subsequent to the implementation of SFAS No.8. No significant change in the association between magnitudes of unexpected earnings and magnitudes of risk-adjusted price changes is observed for non-multinational firms during the same time period. The SFAS No. 14 geographic segment disclosures appear to have had no significant incremental impact upon the earnings response coefficients of U.S.—based MNEs.
Steady-State Point-Source Excitation of a Laminated Composite

Abstract : Steady-state periodic excitation at a point of an extended periodically laminated elastic composite is considered in anti-plane strain. The curves of constant phase are determined in the geometric optics approximation. The associated distribution of group velocity is also calculated. (Author)
Defective transcription factor activation for proinflammatory gene expression in poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1-deficient glia

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) activity is detected in both neuronal and nonneuronal cells in the CNS, and excessive PARP-1 activity is known to be detrimental to tissue because of the cellular energy loss. Accordingly, PARP-1-deficient (PARP-1-/-) mice have been shown to be resistant to cerebral ischemia and several forms of inflammation. Recently, PARP-1 in glial cells has been shown to mediate the expression of proinflammatory genes in response to inflammatory stimuli by, in part, enhancing cognate DNA-binding capacities of transcription factors such as NF-κB and activator protein 1. Here, we demonstrate an additional mechanism whereby a significant reduction of proinflammatory gene expression such as IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor α, and inducible nitricoxide synthase in PARP-1-/- glial cells is linked to defective inflammatory stimuli-induced p38MAPK-mediated phosphorylation of ATF-2 and cAMP-response element-binding protein and phosphorylation of NF-κB p65. Importantly, an inflammatory stimuli-induced p38MAPK activation is impaired in PARP-1-/- glial cells in a signaling pathway- and cell/tissue type-specific manner. These findings indicate that PARP-1 is an essential host factor among factors that actively mediate excessive production of proinflammatory molecules in glial cells, which may in turn contribute to the initiation of neuronal injuries.
Stability and bifurcation in age-dependent population dynamics

Abstract A general form for an integral cohort model reflecting Easterlin's hypothesis is constructed. It is found that the basic dynamics of the model can be determined by a knowledge of the slope of the net reproduction rate at the equilibrium. Several forms for the net reproduction rate are examined numerically, and the resulting bifurcation processes are compared with those of the related first order difference equation modeling a two age group population. The results suggest that the situation usually described as “chaos” is likely to be less prevalent than earlier studies of first and second order difference equations have suggested.
Worst-case error analysis for the fast fourier transform

Tight worst-case error bounds are derived for the results of the fast Fourier transform (f.f.t.). The following f.f.t. algorithms are analysed: (i) standard method of complex multiplication without scaling (ii) standard method with prescaling (iii) standard method with stagewise scaling (iv) Buneman's method of complex multiplication without scaling (v) Buneman's method with prescaling (vi) Buneman's method with stagewise scaling. The results establish the maximum number of least-significant bits which can become noisy in the computed spectrum for a given number N of data points, a given accuracy in the arithmetic, and a given accuracy in the tabulated coefficients of the f.f.t. The results are compared with the r.m.s. errors obtained earlier from statistical considerations.2,3 The comparison indicates that the worst-case values cannot be extrapolated from the r.m.s. values, since their dependence on N is different.
Liaison psychiatry and the burn center.

Abstract The extreme physical trauma suffered by burn patients is often accompanied by major problems of adjustment. Physiologic changes may produce associated organic psychiatric changes, ranging from anxiety to delirium to psychosis. Treatment of burns is itself painful and often very disturbing to the staff members who administer it. The liaison psychiatry team can contribute substantially to managing these problems. Case histories and descriptions of treatment during the four phases of burn recovery illustrate the application of several psychotherapeutic approaches.
Abstract 104: Breast cancer stem cell extinction models: Implications for HER2 targeted therapy

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Treatment with trastuzumab therapy has been shown to dramatically improve survival and reduce recurrence of breast cancer in patients with overexpression of HER-2/neu. A subpopulation of cells in human breast tumors has been identified with characteristics of cancer stem cells. These breast cancer stem cells (BC SCs) have been recently shown to have increased expression of HER-2/neu, suggesting that BC SCs might have a chance of being eradicated with therapy targeting HER-2. We propose a mathematical model to examine the feasibility of eradicating breast cancer stem cells with HER-2 targeted therapy. Using a linear birth-death process model, we can predict the likelihood that BC SCs have become extinct after a year of trastuzumab therapy. We examine the effects of varying degrees of HER-2/neu overexpression and susceptibility of BC SCs to trastuzumab therapy by changing the death rates under targeted therapy (see Table). We also quantify the average time to extinction of BC SCs and the average number of BC SCs remaining after a year of therapy. We conclude that trastuzumab may be effective in eradicating BC SCs in the adjuvant therapy setting, even in patients in whom the bulk of the tumor population does not overexpress HER-2/neu. View this table: BC SC population size and extinction likelihood for varying death rates. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 104.
CC Chemokine Receptor 5 and CXC Chemokine Receptor 6 Expression by Lung CD8+ Cells Correlates with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Severity

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease associated with a cellular inflammatory response. CD8+ T cells are implicated in COPD pathogenesis, and their numbers significantly correlate with the degree of airflow limitation. Dendritic cells (DCs) are important sentinel immune cells, but little is known about their role in initiating and maintaining the CD8 T-cell response in COPD. To investigate the mechanisms for CD8+ T-cell recruitment to the lung, we used resected human lung tissue to analyze chemokine receptor expression by CD8+ T cells and chemokine production by CD1a+ DCs. Among 11 surveyed chemokine receptors, only CC chemokine receptor (CCR5), CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR) 3, and CXCR6 correlated with COPD severity as defined by criteria from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. The CD8+ T cells displayed a Tc1, CD45RA+ effector memory phenotype. CD1a+ DCs produced the respective ligands for CCR5 and CXCR3, CCL3 and CXCL9, and levels correlated with disease severity. CD1a+ DCs also constitutively expressed the CXCR6 ligand, CXCL16. In conclusion, we have identified major chemokine elements that potentially mediate CD8+ T-cell infiltration during COPD progression and demonstrated that CD1a+ mucosal-associated DCs may sustain CD8+ T-cell recruitment/retention. Chemokine targeting may prove to be a viable treatment approach.
Electroactive Films of Multicomponent Building Blocks

A ligand consisting of a 2,2'-bipyridine core and two 4,4'-bipyridinium arms terminated by a thiol group is prepared following a multistep synthetic procedure. Two of these ligands assemble around a single Cu I center as a result of the tetrahedral coordination of their 2,2'-bipyridine cores by the metal. Both the ligand and the complex adsorb spontaneously on the surface of polycrystalline-gold electrodes .The surface coverage of the films prepared by immersing a gold substrate into a solution of the ligand increases from monolayer to multilayer values with immersion time. Instead, the complex can only form monolayers. The cyclic voltamograms of the resulting films show the characteristic response for the reversible reduction of the 4,4'-bipyridinium dications to their radical cations. In the case of the complex, a wave for the monoelectronic oxidation of the metal center can also be observed. The back reduction wave, however, is markedly broader and appears at significantly lower potentials. Model studies in solution indicate that this response is a result of the presence of free thiol groups and is consistent with a change in the coordination geometry of the metal. Specifically, the oxidation of the Cu I center to a Cu II ion is, presumably, accompanied by the folding of one of the thiol groups back to interact with the metal. Thus, oxidation/reduction cycles of the metal center can in principle, be exploited to control reversibly large amplitude molecular motions at the electrode/solution interface in the shape of the folding/unfolding of oligomethylene chains.
The LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) AlsR indirectly regulates expression of the Bacillus subtilis bdhA gene encoding 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase

Bacillus subtilis ferments pyruvate to 2,3-butanediol via α-acetolactate synthase, α-acetolactate decarboxylase, and butanediol dehydrogenase (BDH), encoded by the alsSD operon and the unlinked monocistronic bdhA gene, respectively. Upstream and divergent from alsSD is the alsR gene that encodes AlsR, a member of the LysR-type transcriptional regulator family. AlsR directly stimulates alsSD transcription by binding to characteristic sites preceding the alsS promoter, but its effect on bdhA expression was unknown. The effect of AlsR on bdhA expression was assessed in a wild-type strain and a congenic strain carrying an alsR::spc knockout mutation by measuring: (a) expression of a transcriptional bdhA-lacZ fusion; (b) bdhA mRNA steady-state levels by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR; and (c) expression of BDH enzymatic activity. Activation of bdhA expression occurred in early stationary phase, and expression was lowered, but not abolished, in the alsR::spc mutant. Mapping the transcriptional start site of bdhA by primer extension revealed a 268-nucleotide 5′-untranslated region preceding the bdhA initiation methionine codon. Transcription initiation was not reduced in the alsR::spc mutant, and by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, purified AlsR protein did not bind to the bdhA promoter region, suggesting that bdhA expression is indirectly under AlsR transcriptional control.
Meanings of Education for University Students: Academic Motivation and Personal Values as Predictors

We conducted two studies to determine the meanings that undergraduate students ascribe to their education and how these meanings relate to relevant psychological constructs: academic motivation and values. Ten meanings emerged: career preparation, independence, finding direction for the future, learning, self-development, taking the next step, making social connections, changing the world, stress, and escape. Support was found for many of the predicted relationships. For example, enjoyment motivation positively predicted all of the meanings, except taking the next step, stress, and escape. Also as expected, the values of intellectualism and academic achievement positively predicted learning, self-development, and changing the world. However, contrary to expectations, valuing physical development also emerged as a significant predictor of several of the meanings of education.