cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing and evaluation of forward-looking GPR countermine systems

In the last few decades, the Army has developed and tested vehicular platforms for detecting landmines in roadways. These platforms include ground penetrating radar (GPR), infrared (IR) cameras, electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensors, or some combination of the three. Typically, the sensors are mounted at the front of the vehicle and are directed downward. Detecting surface laid and buried landmines at standoff require that the sensors be forward-looking. Issues of critical importance to the testing and evaluation of forward-looking sensors include geo-location and scoring. We present here detailed descriptions of tests designed to evaluate forward-looking GPR sensors used for landmine detection. We find that careful test design and analysis is necessary to accurately assess the performance of forward-looking GPR as applied to mine detection.
Consumption and environment: some conceptual issues

Abstract Consumption ranks with population and technology as a major driver of environmental change and yet researchers and policymakers have paid it scant attention. When the topic is addressed, its conceptual foundations are either taken as self-evident or are conflated with production, overall economic activity, materialism, maldistribution, population or technology. The risk is to adopt the latest buzzword in the environmental debate, stretch the concept to encompass all conceivable concerns, and forfeit any advantage—for analysis or for behavior change—that may accrue to a new perspective on environmental problems. Consumption must be distinguished conceptually from other approaches to environmental problems. One approach is to work within the consumption–production dichotomy, examining not just purchasing but product use and non-purchase decisions. A second approach, one that challenges the prevailing dichotomy and its propensity to relegate consumption to a black box, is to treat all resource use as consuming, that is, ‘using up’, and ask what risks are entailed. Consumption can then be seen as material provisioning where risks increase with increasing distance from the resource; as background, misconsumption, or overconsumption depending on the social concern raised; or as a chain of decisions that compel the behaviors of restraint and resistance among ‘producers’. Pursuing the consumption and environment topic engenders resistance among a wide range of actors for reasons that are personal, analytic, and policy related. Nevertheless, the topic appears to have the potential of helping analysts and others transcend conventional approaches to excess throughput.
Non-identical tropomyosin subunits in rat skeletal muscle.

Abstract Tropomyosins from the red and white portions of rat semitendinosus muscle were isolated in the presence of a proteolytic inhibitor and separated electrophoretically into their constituent α- and β-chain subunits. Densitometric analyses of fast green-stained gels indicated approximate α:β ratios of 1.5:1 and 3:1 for purified red and white tropomyosins, respectively. Identical peptide maps were obtained when the α-subunits from the two portions of the muscle were compared. Peptide maps of the β-subunits from the two preparations were identical to each other but differed significantly from those of α-subunits. These results provide evidence for the presence in skeletal muscle of non-identical tropomyosin chains.
A meta-model for developing simulation games in higher education and professional development training

Games and simulations can be powerful educational tools for higher education and professional development training. At the same time, the labor and technical costs of development is sufficiently high that simulation games tend to be rather static and course or program specific. The main contribution of this paper is an effort to define a new meta-model for educational simulation games that is transferable to a broad range of disciplines and technical training fields. A meta-model provides a formal structure upon which similar categories of game play components are tied to specific learning objectives and easily updatable knowledge content while offering an infinite combination of playing experiences and maintaining consistent pedagogical standards. To illustrate, this paper draws from the application of our meta-model as used in developing a simulation game for software engineering education. Preliminary validation results are presented, in which the meta-model is used as a foundation in the architecture for a game development platform.
Response to three generations of selection for increased body weight in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, grown in earthen ponds

Abstract Selection response for body weight at marketable size was measured for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, grown in earthen ponds at 7500 fish/ha. Three generations of mass selection for increased body weight in Kansas and Marion strains of channel catfish increased body weight from 453 to 583 g or 29%, and from 530 to 642 g or 21%, respectively, with cumulative realized heritabilities of 0.17±0.016 and 0.19±0.012, respectively. Realized heritabilities for the third generation alone were 0.16±0.016 and 0.23±0.015 for Kansas and Marion strains, respectively. The results indicate that body weight can be significantly increased via mass selection in channel catfish, which should result in increased production and profitability in the catfish farming industry.
New approach to areal sampling in ecological surveys

Abstract Underpinning the majority of ecological surveys is some form of areal sampling. The sample is determined by randomly placing a plot within the boundaries of a population of known area and collecting information about a number of attributes found within the boundary of the plot. A plot may have a fixed or variable size or may comprise a cluster of plots. The shape of these plots is usually circular or rectangular and the attributes measured on the plot can be either a sum of discrete objects (e.g. number of trees and the sum of their volume) or some measure of a continuous attribute (e.g. proportion of the plot covering forest, percent crown cover, and length of boundaries). A general approach for areal sampling is presented that can accommodate both discrete and continuous attributes. The approach demonstrates that the estimators associated with areal sampling are functions of the random variable that generates the locations of the plots. The advantage of this approach is that the statistical background required to understand these techniques is greatly reduced and the estimators can be derived from a single equation. A technique is presented that should help sampling practitioners design efficient and practical inventories without the use of formulae.
A multiple objective decision theoretic approach to one-machine scheduling problems☆

Abstract This paper presents a decision theoretic approach for treating one machine scheduling problems with multiple objectives. We encode value tradeoffs over performance criteria such as flow times, tardiness and the number of jobs tardy in a multriattribute value function. We then present an implicit enumeration procedure for finding preferred job processing sequences. Two illustrative examples and some computational experience are given at the end.
Mamillary or mammillary? What's in an "m"?

Few debates grow more heated than those in which neuroanatomists argue over nomenclature; often, the more obscure the point of contention the greater the degree of heat generated. Most such argumen...
Static and fatigue testing of hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer-concrete bridge superstructure

This paper presents the experimental results from static and fatigue testing on a scale model of a hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)–concrete bridge superstructure. The hybrid superstructure was designed as a simply-supported single span bridge with a span of 18.3 m. Three trapezoidal glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) box sections are bonded together to make up a one-lane superstructure, and a layer of concrete is placed in the compression side of those sections. This new design was proposed in order to reduce the initial costs and to increase the stiffness of GFRP composite structures. Static test results showed that the bridge model meets the stiffness requirement and has significant reserve strength. The bridge model was also subjected to two million load cycles to investigate its fatigue characteristics. The fatigue testing revealed that the structural system exhibits insignificant stiffness degradation.
A Direct Optimization Approach to Hidden Markov Modeling for Single Channel Kinetics

Hidden Markov modeling (HMM) provides an effective approach for modeling single channel kinetics. Standard HMM is based on Baum's reestimation. As applied to single channel currents, the algorithm has the inability to optimize the rate constants directly. We present here an alternative approach by considering the problem as a general optimization problem. The quasi-Newton method is used for searching the likelihood surface. The analytical derivatives of the likelihood function are derived, thereby maximizing the efficiency of the optimization. Because the rate constants are optimized directly, the approach has advantages such as the allowance for model constraints and the ability to simultaneously fit multiple data sets obtained at different experimental conditions. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the performance of the algorithm. Comparisons with Baum's reestimation suggest that the approach has a superior convergence speed when the likelihood surface is poorly defined due to, for example, a low signal-to-noise ratio or the aggregation of multiple states having identical conductances.
Dynamics of deep‐bed filtration. Part I: Analysis of two limiting situations

The dynamic behavior of deep-bed filtration was studied by considering two limiting situations. In the first case it was assumed that deposition leads to the presence of a reasonably smooth deposite layer over filter grains. In the second case particle aggregates, once formed, were assumed to remain rigid and the deposited particles to act as additional collectors. The effect on filter performance of the media change resulting from the presence of these two types of deposits was examined quantiatively.
Lung injury induced by mycobacterial cell walls: effects on connective tissue.

Abstract Intravenous injection of cell walls from Mycobacterium bovis strain BCG results in increased lung mass in the rat 4 months after injection. Histologically, there is a simultaneous increase in interstitial material and the formation of granulomata. The granulomata do not show increased staining for collagen by a trichrome stain. Prominent reticulin is present in the granulomata as shown by a silver stain. Lung dry weight is significantly increased 4 months after the injection of 300 μg cell walls; the total amount of collagen is significantly increased, but its concentration (amount per mg dry weight) is similar to that of controls. At 6 months, lung collagen amounts in BCG-treated animals are not significantly different from those of controls. By 10 months the granulomata largely disappear, lung architecture returns to normal, and lung collagen amounts are at control levels. In this model of lung injury, increases in lung connective tissue proteins are not selective and they do not persist as the lung returns to normal histologically.
On the possibility of room-temperature superconductivity in double stranded DNA

Abstract On the basis of Little's formalism, the possibility is outlined that at room-temperature the virtual excitations of the π, of the σ and of the lone pair electrons in one chain of double stranded DNA may cause a superconductive type behavior of the delocalized π electrons in the other chain and vice versa.
Narcotics and other analgesic agents.

The doses and some of the side effects of the opiate and opioid drugs are compared. A chief disadvantage to the use of these types of drugs is the possibility of addiction; but, since much of the acute pain encountered in a dental practice is short lived, the probability of producing addiction usually is small. Two new, nonnarcotic analgesic agents—dextro-propoxyphene and ethoheptazine—may prove to be useful in dentistry.
Availability of airborne hybrid FSO/RF links

Recently, a hybrid architecture that utilizes the complementary nature of free-space optics (FSO) and radio frequency (RF) links with respect to their individual weather sensitivities was proposed to significantly increase availability for terrestrial broadband links. For this architecture, we developed a channel model integrating both the RF and FSO channels. Based on the model and cloud distribution data obtained from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, availability of an airborne hybrid FSO/RF link is evaluated. From the results, we conclude that if the FSO link is used by itself, clouds hamper availability, due to introduction of attenuation and temporal dispersion. On the contrary, RF signals are relatively immune to the cloud effects, thus improve the availability in a hybrid of RF and FSO links, significantly.
NIGHT DRIVING (MESOPIC) VISUAL ACUITY IN SOBER MALE ALCOHOLICS WITH AND WITHOUT LIVER DISEASE

Night driving (mesopic) visual acuity and recovery after dazzle has been reported to be reduced in patients with liver disease. Mesopic visual acuity and dazzle recovery were evaluated in 32 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, 29 alcoholics without liver disease, and 27 age-matched normal controls. All subjects were sober for at least 7 days prior to visual testing, a mean sobriety period of 22 and 39 weeks in alcoholics and cirrhotics, respectively. Serum vitamin A levels and/or dark adaptation were normal in all. Mean best decimal acuities were not significantly different among the groups: alcoholic cirrhotics, 0.32 ± 0.02; alcoholics, 0.32 ± 0.02; and normals, 0.33 ± 0.03 at 2 min. Although cirrhotics had significantly higher SGOT and lower albumin levels than alcoholics, mesopic acuity did not relate to liver blood tests. Decimal acuity following a dazzle stimulus was not significantly worse in cirrhotics and alcoholics compared to normals. Sober patients with alcoholic cirrhosis or a history of alcoholism have no evidence of a static mesopic visual defect and therefore may not have impaired night driving vision.
Laser cooling below a photon recoil with three-level atoms.

We demonstrate a new cooling technique which is used to cool sodium atoms in one dimension to an effective temperature of 100 nK, less than 1/10 of the single photon recoil temperature ${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{B}}$${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{rec}}$=(\ensuremath{\Elzxh}k${)}^{2}$/2M.
α-Melanocyte stimulating hormone and ghrelin: Central interaction in feeding control

Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and ghrelin play significant yet opposite roles in the regulation of feeding: alpha-MSH inhibits, whereas ghrelin stimulates consumption. The two peptidergic systems may interact in the process of food intake control. A single report published thus far has shown that a synthetic agonist of the melanocortin receptors, MTII, injected in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) decreases feeding generated by ghrelin. We found that very low doses of alpha-MSH and MTII administered ICV significantly reduced ghrelin-dependent hyperphagia. However, an endogenous molecule, alpha-MSH, infused in the PVN did not exert an inhibitory effect on ghrelin-induced consumption, whereas the effective dose of PVN MTII exceeded that necessary to decrease short-term deprivation-induced feeding. We conclude that it is likely that in feeding regulation alpha-MSH and ghrelin "interact" at the central nervous system level, but the involvement of the PVN in this interaction appears questionable.
Removing clones from the code

In this paper we discus the elimination of function and class clones from industrial object-oriented code. Clone removal can decrease code size and facilitate maintenance. We eliminate clones by reengineering scenarios that are based on automated restructuring tools. The paper presents examples of clones, reengineering scenarios, and restructuring tools. The usefulness of the approach is demonstrated in a case study
Specifying distributed trust management in LolliMon

We propose the monadic linear logic programming language LolliMon as a new foundation for the specification of distributed trust management systems, particularly the RT framework. LolliMon possesses features that make it well-suited to this application, including rigorous logical foundations, an expressive formula language, strong typing, and saturation as a proof resolution strategy. We specify certificate chain discovery in full RT for authorization in a distributed environment where certificates may be stored non-locally and selective retrieval is necessary. The uniform LolliMon specification of authorization and certificate chain discovery eases formal reasoning about the system, and scales to a rich collection of trust management features. The executable LolliMon specification also serves as a prototype implementation.
ISOCHROMATIC FRINGE SHARPENING AND MULTIPLICATION

Since the isochromatic fringes of photoelasticity are broad, uncertainties in the locations of fringe centerlines (intensity minima and maxima) limit the accuracy of the experimental data. This paper presents an image processing scheme to combine the light field and dark field isochromatic fringes. It produces highly sharpened isochromatic fringe contours with twice as many contours as the number of fringes in the light or dark field. Although simple, the method is robust. It produces sharpened fringe contours everywhere in the field, independent of background noise. Fringe sharpening is remarkable even for the region where the difference of principal stresses vary slowly. In this paper, the mathematical and physical description of the method is presented and the method is demonstrated by a simply supported beam in flexure.
Behavioral factors and blood pressure in black college students

The relationship of behavioral factors and resting blood pressure was assessed in a random sample of 192 young middle class black adults. Framingham Type A behavior was positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.17, p less than 0.05) among the women. Also, anger-in and trait anxiety were positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure for the women, r = 0.20, p less than 0.05 and r = +0.28 and p less than 0.01, respectively. After control for body mass index, trait anxiety and anger-in remained independent predictors of diastolic blood pressure among the women. For men, marijuana use was positively associated with blood pressure. Marijuana use was an independent predictor for systolic blood pressure after adjusting for body mass index among the males. The present study demonstrated a sex difference related to behavioral factors and blood pressure in young middle class blacks.
The eruption of third molars in adults: a 10-year longitudinal study.

Abstract Among 829 participants of the Veterans Administration Dental Longitudinal Study examined over four triennial cycles, 97 persons (11.7%) had one or more unerupted third molars, for a total of 151 teeth, when the study was initiated. During the first 10 years of the study, 10 subjects had 14 unerupted third molars extracted, while in 10 persons 11 third molars erupted. Four of the latter persons each had one third molar removed subsequent to eruption. Three of the 11 erupted third molars were in functional occlusion. The position of 4 of the 11 “erupting” third molars appeared to remain unchanged relative to radiographic landmarks. Thus, their apparent clinical eruption may have been due to a reduction in the level of the gingival tissue in the area distal to the second molar tooth in association with periodontitis. The eruption of third molars in older adults appears to be a more frequent phenomenon than was previously recognized. Most erupting third molars had some associated pathologic condition, including caries and periodontitis.
Test generation, design-for-testability and built-in self-test for arithmetic units based on graph labeling

In this article we discuss a test generation, design-for-testability and built-in self-test methodology for two-dimensional iterative logic arrays (ILAs) that perform arithmetic functions. Our approach is unique because a single graph labeling procedure is used to generate test vectors, implement design-for-testability as well as design the circuitry for built-in self-test. The graph labeling is based on mathematical properties of full-addition such as symmetry and self-duality. Circuit modifications are introduced by a systematic procedure based on the graph labeling, that enable them to be tested with a fixed number of tests irrespective of their size. The approach is novel as it also greatly simplifies the processes of on-chip test vector generation and response comparison that are necessary for built-in self-test. Each circuit module is tested in a pseudo-exhaustive manner with deterministic as opposed to random test sequences. This results in a comprehensive test of the circuit for which built-in self-test is designed.
Phase relationship between the low-frequency oscillatory components of cerebral [HbO] and [Hb] assessed by NIRS during sleep in human subjects

We measured the phase of low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) of [Hb] and [HbO] in the human brain during sleep. We found that, on average, the phase lead of [Hb] vs [HbO] LFOs is greater during slow-wave sleep than during REM sleep.
The endoplasmic reticulum–associated Hsp40 DNAJB12 and Hsc70 cooperate to facilitate RMA1 E3–dependent degradation of nascent CFTRΔF508

Relative contributions of folding kinetics versus protein quality control (QC) activity in the partitioning of non-native proteins between life and death are not clear. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) biogenesis serves as an excellent model to study this question because folding of nascent CFTR is inefficient and deletion of F508 causes accumulation of CFTRΔF508 in a kinetically trapped, but foldable state. Herein, a novel endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated Hsp40, DNAJB12 (JB12) is demonstrated to play a role in control of CFTR folding efficiency. JB12 cooperates with cytosolic Hsc70 and the ubiquitin ligase RMA1 to target CFTR and CFTRΔF508 for degradation. Modest elevation of JB12 decreased nascent CFTR and CFTRΔF508 accumulation while increasing association of Hsc70 with ER forms of CFTR and the RMA1 E3 complex. Depletion of JB12 increased CFTR folding efficiency up to threefold and permitted a pool of CFTRΔF508 to fold and escape the ER. Introduction of the V510D misfolding suppressor mutation into CFTRΔF508 modestly increased folding efficiency, whereas combined inactivation of JB12 and suppression of intrinsic folding defects permitted CFTRΔF508 to fold at 50% of wild-type efficiency. Therapeutic correction of CFTRΔF508 misfolding in cystic fibrosis patients may require repair of defective folding kinetics and suppression of ER QC factors, such as JB12.
Failure of muscle relaxants to produce cleft palate in mice.

This study was designed to examine the validity of the theory that descent of the tongue, which is presumably induced by fetal muscular movements, is essential for normal closure of the secondary palate in mice. Nulliparous CD1 mice were given the following “muscle-paralyzing” agents on day 13° of gestation, i.e., 1 day before the onset of the critical period of palate closure: d-tubocurarine chloride, gallamine triethiodide (Flaxedil), phenobarbital sodium, chlorphenesin carbamate (Maolate), and ethyl ether. The full paralytical effect of each drug was maintained for 42 hours, i.e., until day 15 1/3 of gestation, by means of subsequent fractional doses. Various combinations of barbiturates, anesthetics, and muscle relaxants were also employed. All litters were recovered by laparotomy on day 15° of gestation. The presence of fetuses that were flaccid, limp, apneic, and unresponsive to stimulation was accepted as evidence of transplacental passage of the employed compounds. No cleft palates were found in 656 recovered fetuses. This may be viewed as an indication that muscular activity — either spontaneous or reflexogenic — is not essential for normal closure of the secondary palate in mice.
Mapping of Stochastic dynamics onto associated quantum models and (d+l)-dimensional classical and static systems

Much effort has been devoted to the subjects of dynamic, quantum, and classical critical phenomena, although these research fields developed rather independently. Recently, however, remarkable connections have been established, achieved by using the connection between the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation (TDGL) in d dimensions, describing critical dynamics, and the Fokker-Planck equation. The latter is then reduced to an imaginary-time Schrodinger equation, defining the Hamiltonian of the quantum system, which in turn can be mapped onto a static and classical (d + 1)-dimensional counterpart. Another interesting aspect of these mappings is the simulation of quantum systems in terms of Langevin equations and the construction of quantum systems with soluble ground-state expectative values.
Assessing Oropharyngeal Dysphagia After Lung Transplantation: Altered Swallowing Mechanisms and Increased Morbidity

Background Gastroesophageal reflux is associated with lung transplantation (LT) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, limiting allograft functional longevity. LT patients may also develop post-operative oropharyngeal dysphagia, exposing the allograft to further risk. However, the magnitude of this problem is unknown. We examined LT recipients post-operatively for swallowing disorders and correlated findings with pre- and post-operative variables. Methods Two hundred sixty-three LT patients (January 2001 to July 2005) at a single center were retrospectively reviewed. Each underwent clinical swallowing assessment. Provocative swallowing evaluation (SE) was performed in 149 patients (Group 1); 114 patients did not receive formal SE (Group 2). SE studies were considered positive with laryngeal penetration (PEN) or tracheal aspiration (ASP) of thin liquids. Groups were compared with respect to pre-, peri- and post-operative variables using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests. Results After LT, 56.7% of patients underwent post-operative SE (mean 19 ± 20 days), most of whom (87.9%) had fiber-optic endoscopic studies. SE was positive for PEN or ASP in 70.5% ( n = 105). Aspiration occurred in 63.8% ( n = 67) of positive SEs; 77.6% ( n = 52) of ASP assessments were clinically silent. Pre-operative gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and post-operative complications, including vocal cord paresis, pleural processes, venous thromboses and severe rejection episodes, were more common among Group 1. Group 2 had a significantly reduced hospital length of stay ( p = 0.004). Conclusions Prospective SE identified strikingly high rates of dysphagia after LT. Because many of these deficits are silent, aggressive pulmonary toilet is especially important after post-operative LT. Pre-operative SE may clarify those at increased risk for new-onset oropharyngeal dysphagia after LT.
Planetary science: the impact of Deep Impact.

A good look at the Deep Impact cometary encounter was taken by the Rosetta mission, itself on the way to a rendezvous with a comet in 2014. So what is a comet — icy dustball or dusty iceball?
Preparticipation physical examinations: a collegiate experience.

OBJECTIVE To determine the relative frequency of limiting conditions in collegiate preparticipation physical examinations. DESIGN Prospective recording of physical examinations over a 2-year period. SETTING West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. PARTICIPANTS A total of 596 student athletes, including 405 men and 191 women, involved in 22 sports at the intercollegiate level. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The number of all athletes that passed, passed with follow-up or restriction, and failed the preparticipation examinations were recorded along with the specific abnormalities that resulted in follow-up/restriction or failure. RESULTS Of the athletes, 512 (85.9%) passed without significant medical or orthopedic abnormalities; 83 (13.9%) passed with a condition requiring follow-up or restriction; and one (0.2%) failed the examination. Medical and orthopedic abnormalities were responsible for 55.4% and 44.6% of the restricted athletes, respectively. Elevated blood pressure was the most common medical condition (47.8%), and knee problems were the most common orthopedic abnormality (43.2%). CONCLUSION Outcome results of collegiate preparticipation physical examinations compare favorably with results in high school students and support the need for detailed examinations before competition. The results also underscore the importance of proper rehabilitation of previous injuries.
Frankia inoculation, soil biota, and host tissue amendment influence Casuarina nodulation capacity of a tropical soil

The effects of soil biota, Frankia inoculation and tissue amendment on nodulation capacity of a soil was investigated in a factorial study using bulked soil from beneath a Casuarina cunninghamiana tree and bioassays with C. cunninghamiana seedlings as capture plants. Nodulation capacities were determined from soils incubated in sterile jars at 21 °C for 1, 7, and 28 days, after receiving all combinations of the following treatments: ± steam pasteurization, ± inoculation with Frankia isolate CjI82001, and ± amendment with different concentrations of Casuarina cladode extracts. Soil respiration within sealed containers was determined periodically during the incubation period as a measure of overall microbial activity. Soil respiration, and thus overall microbial activity, was positively correlated with increasing concentrations of Casuarina cladode extracts. The nodulation capacity of soils inoculated with Frankia strain Cj82001 decreased over time, while those of unpasteurized soils without inoculation either increased or remained unaffected. The mean nodulation capacity of unpasteurized soil inoculated with Frankia CjI82001 was two to three times greater than the sum of values for unpasteurized and inoculated pasteurized soils. Our results suggest a positive synergism between soil biota as a whole and Frankia inoculum with respect to host infection.
Entropic folding pathway of human epidermal growth factor explored by disulfide scrambling and amplified collective motion simulations.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) regulates cell proliferation and differentiation by binding to the EGF receptor (EGFR) extra-cellular domains. Human EGF is a small, single-chain protein comprising three distinct loops (A, B, and C), which are connected by three disulfide bridges (Cys6-Cys20, Cys14- Cys31, and Cys33-Cys42). These disulfide bridges are essential for structural stability and biological activity. EGF was extensively studied by disulfide scrambling, an experimental technique for the conformational entrapment of intermediate states, which allows us to study the folding pathway of proteins containing disulfide bonds. The experimental results showed that there is a major 2-disulfide intermediate (denoted EGF-II) and that the native disulfide bonding pattern is less prevalent in one of the mutants. In this article, we investigated for the first time the solution conformations of wild-type EGF, EGF-II, and the mutant S9C through extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in water using both the standard MD technique and a recently developed amplified-collective-motion (ACM) sampling method. Compared to standard MD simulations, we achieved a much more enhanced sampling by the ACM simulations, and the structures were sufficiently relaxed to estimate configurational entropies. The simulation results suggest a predominantly entropic folding pathway governed by the disorder of three functional loop regions. Although EGF-II exhibits two native disulfide bonds (Cys14-Cys31 and Cys33- Cys42), its large configurational entropy inhibits a direct transition to the native structure in the folding process. When Ser9 is mutated into Cys, a non-native disulfide bridge Cys9- Cys20 is slightly more favorable than the native Cys6-Cys20 because a less constrained N-terminus affords larger entropy. Isomers that are functionally less active also exhibit a more localized dynamics of the functional loop regions, which may suggest a possible mechanism for the modulation of EGF activity.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the treatment of end-stage open-angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: Evidence exists that the administration of cannabinoid derivatives can lower intraocular pressure. Some patients with glaucoma believe they are being deprived of a potentially beneficial treatment. Therefore, the Research Advisory Panel of California instituted the Cannabis Therapeutic Research Program to permit compassionate access to cannabinoid derivatives. Data about the potential therapeutic usefulness and toxicity of these agents were collected. This study reviews the results of this program with the specific aim of providing further direction for these investigational efforts. METHODS: A survey of local ophthalmologists indicated an impressive interest in participating in and contributing patients with glaucoma unresponsive to treatment to this study. Appropriate patients were treated with either orally administered delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol capsules or inhaled marijuana in addition to their existing therapeutic regimen. RESULTS: Although 20 ophthalmologists were approved as investigators, only nine patients were enrolled in the study. An initial decrease in intraocular pressure was observed in all patients, and the investigator's therapeutic goal was met in four of the nine patients. However, the decreases in intraocular pressure were not sustained, and all patients elected to discontinue treatment within 1 to 9 months for various reasons. CONCLUSIONS: This uncontrolled, unmasked, nonrandomized study does not permit definitive conclusions about the efficacy or toxicity of cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma. There is an impression that this treatment can lower intraocular pressure, but the development of tolerance and significant systemic toxicity appears to limit the usefulness of this potential treatment. Both patients and ophthalmologists greatly appreciated the opportunity to participate in this study.
Adventures in The Scientific Method (TSM)

The Scientific Method! So elegant and so necessary to any discipline claiming to be scientific, and yet so dull as a lecture topic. As a result, we either bore our students when we lecture about it, or we ignore it altogether, merely commenting that, like all scientists, we use The Scientific Method (TSM) as our guiding methodology for doing anthropology. This surely shortchanges students who need a strong dose of TSM early in their careers as social scientists and need particularly to know how it is used anthropologically. One way to stimulate students to want to discover TSM is to get them involved in a group project that involves them as data collectors, makes them generate hypotheses based on their observed data, and requires them to test those hypotheses, at least on paper. By experiencing TSM, they not only master the steps, they learn why each successive step is necessary. They learn how to collect simple data, what hypotheses are, how to formulate them, how to test them, and what "testing a hypothesis" means; i.e., that it is a good guess now supported by data, rather than a proof of anything. By making it a group project, it is hoped that students feel they are an important part of the project, and that they will be intrigued by the comparison of their own findings with the findings of the whole group and with other data on the same topic. I stewed over a lecture on TSM for a large social science class until I recalled reading the results of a simple, clean, elegant study of "book carrying behavior" (Jenni and Jenni 1976). This study seemed to fit the bill. Any group of students can do it on campus, it takes no money or equipment, and students find it interesting. Thus, they learn TSM by doing it. In addition, it has the anthropological advantage of dealing with potential biological and cultural explanations and is suitable for any social science or anthropology course, introductory or advanced, where human behavior is given both biological and cultural treatment. It also demonstrates that even the simplest of our human behaviors can be looked at scientifically.
The Effects of Prosthetic Foot Roll-Over Shape Arc Length on the Gait of Trans-Tibial Prosthesis Users

The Shape&Roll prosthetic foot was used to examine the effect of roll-over shape arc length on the gait of 14 unilateral trans-tibial prosthesis users. Simple modifications to the prosthetic foot w...
How Does the Comforting Process Work? An Empirical Test of an Appraisal-Based Model of Comforting

Burleson and Goldsmith’s (1998) comforting model suggests an appraisal-based mechanism through which comforting messages can bring about a positive change in emotional states. This study is a first empirical test of three causal linkages implied by the appraisal-based comforting model. Participants (N = 258) talked about an upsetting event with a confederate trained to display low, moderate, or high levels of person centeredness and nonverbal immediacy. After the conversation, participants completed several scales. Latent composite structural equation modeling was used to examine the model, which showed that person-centered and immediate emotional support exerted a direct effect on emotional improvement. Above and beyond this direct effect, personcentered comfort also encouraged people to verbalize their thoughts and emotions. These verbalizations facilitated cognitive appraisals, which in turn exerted a strong direct effect on emotional improvement. Mediation analyses further suggested that verbalizations of positive emotion words in conjunction with reappraisals partially mediated the influence of person-centered comfort on emotional improvement.
Distributed automatic test pattern generation with a parallel FAN algorithm

The generation of test patterns for digital circuits is known as an NP hard problem. Due to the backtracking mechanism in the sequential algorithms for test pattern generation it is difficult to speed up the process. In this paper we present a parallel formulation of the FAN algorithm implemented on a heterogeneous cluster of workstations. Two different methods are used to take into account easy- and hard-to-detect faults. We show the strategies for our parallel implementations as well as implementation details. Linear speedups are shown with the results. Furthermore we introduce a new method for test vector compaction using a genetic algorithm. This results in smaller test sets compared to traditional methods. The reader should be familiar with notations of the FAN algorithm.
Fate of air emboli in the pulmonary circulation

The lung serves an important nonrespiratory function by trapping and excreting venous air emboli. The site of trapping and the mechanism of excretion, however, are uncertain. To observe the behavior of bubbles in the pulmonary circulation, we injected venous air emboli into anesthetized dogs and videotaped their elimination from the pulmonary microcirculation by using in vivo microscopy. Small intravenous bubbles lodged exclusively in pulmonary arterioles and were eliminated from that site. To determine whether the gas was dissolving into nearby blood and then was carried to the capillaries for excretion, the rate of bubble radius change was measured during nonperfused conditions produced by balloon occlusion of lobar blood flow and compared with perfused conditions. Bubble volume decreased at the same rate during perfused and nonperfused conditions and thus was independent of regional blood flow. Molecular diffusion of gas directly across the arteriolar wall into alveolar spaces was the most likely mechanism of elimination because calculations based on the Fick equation for molecular diffusion predict an elimination rate nearly identical with those observed experimentally.
Ash Rae's Approach To Solar Collector Test Standards

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), working through a Task Force appointed from Technical Committee 6.7, Solar Energy Applications, has completed and is now ready to distribute Proposed Standard 93-P, "Method of Testing for Rating Solar Collectors Based on Thermal Performance". This document is based on an earlier draft prepared in 1974 by J. E. Hill and Tamami Kusuda of the National Bureau of Standards for the National Science Foundation which then was the Federal agency responsible for solar energy research. The Hill-Kusuda proposal was carefully reviewed by competent groups drawn from ASME, ASHRAE and the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and a number of changes were made by the authors before their proposed test procedure was published in December, 1974 as NBSIR 74-635. This proposal has already been used widely and specifications are being written requiring that it be followed in testing collectors that are being offered for sale to government agencies. However, NBSIR 74-635 is not an officially adopted standard and it will undoubtedly be superceded by ASHRAE Proposed Standard 93-P which is the subject of the following paper. 93-P, prepared by a group of specialists drawn from universities, government agencies, private testing laboratories, manufacturers and users, provides for outdoor testing under the sun and indoor testing using a solar simulator. It also covers methods of determining collector time constants and incident angle modifiers. It is equally appropriate for use with concentrating and with flat plate collectors. It is anticipated that the new Standard will be issued early next year, following the usual review procedure, bearing the identifying number 93-77 to designate that it is the 93rd ASHRAE Standard and that its year of adoption is 1977.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ketosis Proportionately Spares Glucose Utilization in Brain

The brain is dependent on glucose as a primary energy substrate, but is capable of utilizing ketones such as β-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, as occurs with fasting, starvation, or chronic feedi...
Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Persistent Leonid Trains

The first infrared spectroscopy in the 3–13 micron region has been obtained of several persistent Leonid meteor trains with two different instrument types, one at a desert ground-based site and the other on-board a high-flying aircraft. The spectra exhibit common structures assigned to enhanced emissions of warm CH4, CO2, CO and H2O, which may originate from heated trace air compounds or materials created in the wake of the meteor. This is the first time that any of these molecules has been observed in the spectra of persistent trains. Hence, the raid-IR observations offer a new perspective on the physical processes that occur in the path of the meteor at some time after the meteor itself has passed by. Continuum emission is observed also, but its origin has not yet been established. No 10 micron dust emission feature has been observed.
Interferon-Stimulated Gene Expression in Black and White Hepatitis C Patients During Peginterferon Alfa-2a Combination Therapy

Background & Aims: Black American patients are less likely to eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections during treatment with peginterferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin. We hypothesized that racial differences in IFN-stimulated antiviral gene induction during treatment might be responsible. Methods: We examined myxovirus resistance-A (MxA), RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase (2,5-OAS), and adenosine deaminase-1 (ADAR1) gene expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 31 black and 11 white HCV genotype 1 patients at baseline and at weeks 4–12 during PEG-IFN alfa-2a combination treatment. The primary study end point was the early virologic response (EVR)—either an undetectable serum HCV-RNA level or a ≥2-log decrease in serum HCV-RNA level at week 12 compared with week 0. Results: The EVR rate was 67.7% in blacks and 63.6% in whites. Both blacks and whites experienced a significant (200%–500%) increase in 2,5-OAS, MxA, PKR, and ADAR1 expression at treatment weeks 4–12 compared with baseline (P
Presumed competence reflected in the educational programs of students with IDD before and after the Beyond Access professional development intervention

Background Judgements about students’ competence influence the goals of their individualised education programs (IEPs), the location of service delivery, and their placement in general education (GE) as opposed to special education (SE) classes. The purpose of this study was to describe how presumed competence to learn the GE curriculum was reflected in the IEPs of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and in the reported percentage of time that these students spent in GE classes prior to and following the Beyond Access professional development intervention. Method Five educational teams of students with IDD participated in a professional development intervention that emphasised students’ presumed competence to learn grade-level GE curriculum. Students’ pre- and post-intervention IEPs were qualitatively analysed and team member reports of percentage time spent in GE classes were averaged. Results Five categories of presumed competence were identified. Following intervention, emphasis on learning the GE curriculum, a shift in location of service delivery from outside to within the GE classroom, and increased time spent in GE classes were reported. Conclusions The Beyond Access intervention shows promise for enhancing views of the competence of students with IDD to learn the GE curriculum and for increasing their inclusion in GE classrooms.
Performing Advanced Bit Manipulations Efficiently in General-Purpose Processors

This paper describes a new basis for the implementation of a shifter functional unit. We present a design based on the inverse butterfly and butterfly datapath circuits that performs the standard shift and rotate operations, as well as more advanced extract, deposit and mix operations found in some processors. Additionally, it also supports important new classes of even more advanced bit manipulation instructions recently proposed: these include arbitrary bit permutations, bit scatter and bit gather instructions. The new functional unit's datapath is comparable in latency to that of the classic barrel shifter. It replaces two existing functional units-shifter and mix-with a much more powerful one.
Effects of dose and infusion delay on cocaine self-administration choice in rhesus monkeys.

Rationale Drug abuse is often considered a problem related to impulse-control disorders, but little is known about the factors that determine the choice to self-administer a drug in a self-control/impulsivity paradigm.