cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of a putative collagen-binding protein from chicken skeletal muscle as glycogen phosphorylase

We have purified and generated antisera to 1 95 kDa skeletal muscle protein that constitutes the largest mass fraction of gelatin-agarose binding proteins in skeletal muscle. Preliminary results indicated that this 95 kDa chicken skeletal muscle protein bound strongly to gelatin-agarose and type IV collagen-agarose, suggesting a possible function in muscle cell adhesion to collagen. However, N-terminal sequencing of proteolytic fragments of the 95 kDa protein indicates that it is the chicken skeletal muscle form of glycogen phosphorylase, the binding of which to gelatin-agarose is unlikely to be biologically relevant. Further characterization showed that the skeletal muscle form of glycogen phosphorylase is immunologically distinct from the liver and brain forms in the chicken, and suggests that, unlike mammalian skeletal muscle, chicken skeletal muscle may have two phosphorylate isoforms. Furthermore, immunolocalization data and solubility characteristics of glycogen phosphorylase in muscle extraction experiments suggest the enzyme may interact strongly with an unidentified component of the muscle cytoskeleton. Thus, this study yields a novel purification technique for skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase, provides new information on the distribution and isoforms of glycogen phosphorylase, and provides a caveat for using gelatin affinity chromatography as a primary step in purifying collagen-binding proteins from skeletal muscle.
Effect of proteolytic activity of Streptococcus cremoris on cottage cheese yields

Abstract Using only a proteinase-negative variant of Streptococcus cremoris UC310 to manufacture cottage cheese increased theoretical yields by 2.26% compared wth the proteinase-positive parent. Yield differences between positive and negative variants were strain dependent and not detected with variants of UC73 and UC97. Growth of proteinase-negative variants in bulk culture required pH control and addition of sufficient nitrogenous stimulant to provide carry-over activity into the cheese milk. Cultures developed normally when the bulk medium contained 5% of a blend of yeast extract and casein hydrolyzate. Proteinase-negative culture successfully completed acidification of cottage cheese milk after direct acidification to pH 5.2 with phosphoric acid. Lactic culture strain selection is suggested for maximizing product yields with proteinase-negative cultures.
Using a Tablet PC and OneNote 2007 To Teach Chemistry

Microsoft OneNote 2007 is a very powerful program that can be used for electronic delivery of chemistry lectures. Its features make it much more versatile than PowerPoint. Documents can be organized in a structured manner, and annotations can be easily added. Links to Web sites can be included and accessed on the fly. Clippings from external programs can be inserted with ease. A calculator feature allows mathematical expressions to be built and evaluated in real-time, right inside the document. When used with a tablet PC and a stylus, this system can be effective in teaching chemistry, eliminating the need for blackboards, whiteboards, or other presentation software. The ability to write and draw chemical symbols and to perform numerical calculations “live” in front of the classroom makes this type of technology ideal for any level chemistry course, although it is particularly helpful for first- and second-year undergraduate courses.
Firm-level political behavior in the global marketplace

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the political behaviors which firms use to deal with the political imperatives associated with international markets. The overarching hypothesis was that as political imperatives baring foreign market access increase so too will firm-level political behaviors designed to reduce these imperatives. Using a mail questionnaire data collection format, 171 completed survey instruments were obtained from executive-level decision markers at major U.S. corporations. The results show that: (1) firms engage in political activities designed to reduce the effects of political imperatives in foreign markets, and (2) the emphasis placed on these activities differs significantly depending upon the political imperative in question. Firms facing high levels of foreign transfer restrictions emphasize foreign lobbying, political industry alliances, political inducements, and political action committees. Firms facing high levels of domestic transfer restrictions do not significantly emphasize political inducements, but add domestic lobbying, public relations, and friendships with U.S. government officials to the activities associated with foreign transfer restrictions. On the other hand, firms facing high levels of ownership/control restrictions emphasize foreign lobbying and political industry alliances.
The status of observations and theory of high latitude ionospheric and magnetospheric plasma turbulence

A review is given for the current status of both observations and theory of high latitude ionospheric plasma turbulence. The principal purpose of this review is to draw connections between the existing body of experimental evidence of fluid-like plasma turbulence in the ionosphere and the predictions of various fluid plasma models which have been proposed to describe the dynamics of the turbulent ionosphere. To place the ionospheric problem in perspective, a tutorial summary of 3-D and 2-D turbulent cascade theory is included along with citations of its applications in neutral fluid turbulence and the supportive experimental evidence found mainly in atmospheric flows. The high latitude observational evidence for low frequency (ω < Ω i) macroscale (L > ϱ i) turbulence is summarized. The evidence includes observations of irregularities which occur over an altitude range of 400 km to 8000 km or possibly higher, and vary over scale sizes of 5 meters (ϱ i) to about 2000 km. At the shorter wavelengths the irregularities are known to be nonpropagating hence convective nonlinear processes are important and this suggests that turbulence is the rule. The mathematical description of the turbulent dynamics of much of the ionosphere is suggested to be embodied in a low frequency fluid model, the essential features of which have been discussed in the literature. Application of standard cascade theory to this model leads to testable predictions of the power spectra for the density and electric field. A comparison of the spectral theory and the observations indicates significant agreement in some cases and ambiguity in others, but no apparent contradictions. Suggestions are made for future experimental diagnostics which could resolve ambiguities.
The Non-commutative Flow of Weights on a Von Neumann Algebra☆☆☆

Abstract The flow of weights of Connes and Takesaki is a canonical functor from the category of separable factors to the category of ergodic flows. The non-commutative flow of weights is another canonical functor from the category of separable factors to the category of covariant systems of semi-finite von Neumann algebras equipped with trace scaling one parameter automorphism groups with conjugations as morphisms. The constructions of these two functors are very similar. The flow of weights functor is obtained by looking at all semi-finite normal weights on a factor with the Murray–von Neumann equivalence relation. The non-commutative flow of weights functor is obtained by relating an arbitrary pair of faithful semi-finite normal weights by the Connes cocycle. Not only does this construction put a period to the search for a canonical construction of the core of a factor of type III, but it also allows us to put the characteristic square of a factor obtained by Katayama, Sutherland, and Takesaki in a new perspective. The power of this new approach is seen in an ultimate solution to a long standing question of extending the extended modular automorphism of a dominant weight to an arbitrary weight, which has been left open ever since the introduction of extended modular automorphisms by Connes and Takesaki over 20 years ago. The construction of the functor ties together the theory of L p -spaces of Haagerup, Kosaki, Hilsum, Terp, and Izumi to the structure theory of a factor of type III. In fact, the non-commutative flow of weights is obtained by the analytic continuation of L p -spaces to a pure imaginary value of p .
Defective Release of Corepressor by Hinge Mutants of the Thyroid Hormone Receptor Found in Patients with Resistance to Thyroid Hormone

On positive thyroid hormone response elements (pTREs), thyroid hormone receptor (TR) binding to DNA in the absence of ligand (thyroid hormone, T3) decreases transcription (silencing). Silencing is due to a family of recently described nuclear corepressor proteins (NCoR and SMRT) which bind to the CoR box in the hinge region of TR. Ligand-dependent activation of TR is associated with displacement of corepressors and recruitment of coactivating proteins. Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) is due to mutations in the beta isoform of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR-beta). To date, three RTH mutations reportedly with near-normal T3 binding (A234T, R243Q, and R243W) have been described in or near the CoR box. To determine the mechanism of RTH caused by these mutants, the interaction of wild type (wt) and mutant TRs with the corepressor, NCoR, and the coactivator, SRC-1, was tested in gel-shift assays. As expected, NCoR bound wt TR in the absence of T3 and dissociated from TR with increasing T3 concentration. SRC-1 failed to bind wt TR in the absence of T3, but bound to TR with increasing avidity as T3 concentrations rose. At no T3 concentration did both NCoR and SRC-1 bind to wt TR, indicating that their binding to TR was mutually exclusive. Hinge mutants bound NCoR normally in the absence of T3; however, dissociation of NCoR and recruitment of SRC-1 was markedly impaired except at very high T3 concentrations. Importantly, hinge mutant TRs when complexed to DNA bound T3 poorly despite their near-normal T3 binding in solution. These binding studies correlated with functional assays showing defective transactivation of pTREs by hinge mutants except at high T3 concentrations. Thus, we describe a novel mechanism of RTH whereby TR hinge mutants selectively affect T3 binding when complexed to DNA, and prevent NCoR dissociation from TR. Our data also suggest that solution T3 binding by RTH mutants may not accurately reflect physiologically relevant T3 binding by TR when bound to DNA.
Effects of tetrahydrocannabinol on hippocampal evoked afterdischarges in cats.

Abstract The effects of repeated doses of the psychoactive component of marijuana, Δ 9 -THC, on epileptiform EEG activity were examined. Hippocampal after-discharges evoked at various stimulus intensities in chronically prepared cats were significantly changed in duration and threshold under repeated doses of several drug levels in comparison to predrug controls. Under Δ 9 -THC, an elevation of threshold was indicated by a reduction in the probability of obtaining any afterdischarge to weak stimulus intensities. However, in response to strong hippocampal stimuli, a marked increase in the variance of afterdischarge duration was observed. This latter finding reflected an increase in the frequency of both long and short afterdischarges after administration of Δ 9 -THC.
Proportional hazards models of infrastructure system recovery

Abstract As emphasis is being placed on a system's ability to withstand and to recover from a disruptive event, collectively referred to as dynamic resilience, there exists a need to quantify a system's ability to bounce back after a disruptive event. This work applies a statistical technique from biostatistics, the proportional hazards model, to describe (i) the instantaneous rate of recovery of an infrastructure system and (ii) the likelihood that recovery occurs prior to a given point in time. A major benefit of the proportional hazards model is its ability to describe a recovery event as a function of time as well as covariates describing the infrastructure system or disruptive event, among others, which can also vary with time. The proportional hazards approach is illustrated with a publicly available electric power outage data set.
The pathlength distribution of simulated aerogels

Abstract The diffusion limited cluster aggregation (DLCA) model is a simple algorithm that simulates the growth of silica aerogels and can be used to compare with scattering experiments. In order to study the properties of helium liquids within aerogel we have extended application of the DLCA model to lengthscales larger than the mean free path. Of particular importance are the effects of the model's periodic boundary conditions. When these are accounted for the distribution function beyond a few hundred Angstroms develops into a simple exponential decay which can be extrapolated, allowing a precise determination of the mean free path, l. We find l is inversely proportional to the density, ρ , over the range investigated, 0.001 ρ
Genetic effect of apolipoprotein(a) and apolipoprotein E polymorphisms on plasma quantitative risk factors for coronary heart disease in American black women.

The distributions of plasma total cholesterol, apolipoproteins A-I and B and lipoprotein(a) levels as well as genetic typings of apolipoprotein(a) and apolipoprotein E were determined in a randomly selected sample of American Black women (mean age 22.2 +/- 6.5 years) . Mean plasma levels of cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein(a) were 184.5 +/- 3.0 mg/dl, 138.0 +/- 3.1 mg/dl, 79.5 +/- 1.8 mg/dl and 24.5 +/- 1.5 mg/dl, respectively. Plasma lipoprotein (a) levels correlated significantly with apolipoprotein B and cholesterol. The contribution of apolipoprotein (a) and apolipoprotein E polymorphisms in affecting these quantitative traits was evaluated. The apolipoprotein(a) locus was extremely polymorphic with 27 alleles, while the 3 common alleles were observed in the apolipoprotein E gene. The frequencies of the APOE*2, APOE* and APOE*4 alleles were 0.094, 0.674 and 0.232, respectively. An inverse relationship was observed between the size of apolipoprotein(a) isoforms and lipoprotein(a) levels (r = 0.37; P = 0.0001). The apolipoprotein E polymorphism revealed a significant genotypic effect on apolipoprotein B (P = 0.0008) and cholesterol (P= 0.005) levels; these concentrations were lower in the APOE 2-3 genotype and higher in the 3-4 and 4-4 genotypes compared with the common 3-3 genotype. The apolipoprotein E polymorphism explained 15.8% and 6.3% of the phenotypic variance in apolipoprotein B and cholesterol levels, respectively. This study demonstrates that genetics play an important role in determining quantitative risk factors for coronary heart disease among American Black women.
Flat panel display prototype using gated carbon nanotube field emitters

A flat panel display prototype has been fabricated using gated carbon nanotubes as electron emission source. The gate structure is made by a self-aligned method. The pixels are turned “on” and “off” by controlling the gate electrode with a 50 V source. The operating properties of the display show much promise for further development. It is believed that this technology can lead to easy-to-make and inexpensive flat panel displays with low driving voltage.
Optical Properties of Rb between 3.3 and 10.5 eV

The optical and dielectric constants of Rb have been determined from reflectance measurements for photons of energy between 3.3 and 10.7 eV. Reflectance measurements were made as a function of incident angle at a Rb-substrate interface in an ultrahigh-vacuum system. The refractive index ($n$) was determined from the critical angle for total internal reflection, and the absorption coefficient ($k$) from the slope of the reflectance curve at the critical angle. The real part of the dielectric function (${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}$) and the optical conductivity ($\ensuremath{\sigma}=\frac{\ensuremath{\omega}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}}{4\ensuremath{\pi}}$) were derived from $n$ and $k$. In $\ensuremath{\sigma}$, we find a broad strong peak centered at 7 eV. It is attributed to absorption processes involving plasmon-assisted interband transitions and to direct interband transitions to "$f$" bands. ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}$ is analyzed in terms of a nearly-free-electron model to obtain a value for the contribution of core polarization to ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}$ of $4\ensuremath{\pi}{n}_{0}\ensuremath{\alpha}=0.25\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02$, and an effective mass of ${m}_{\mathrm{eff}}=(1.03\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02){m}_{0}$.
High field thermal transport properties of indium

Abstract Measurements of the Hall and Righi-Leduc coefficients in polycrystal indium have been made which yield the free electron Lorentz number in the high field limit. In addition, a reversal in sign of the Righi-Leduc coefficient has been observed to occur at low field.
Implications of leaf nitrogen recycling on the nitrogen isotope composition of deciduous plant tissues

Summary • The effect of nitrogen (N) recycling on tissue δ 15 N was studied using drought-deciduous shrubs ( Encelia farinosa and E. frutescens ) and deciduous trees ( Quercus rubra and Q. alba ) to determine if isotope discrimination occurs with N reabsorption or reallocation. • There was substantial reabsorption of leaf nitrogen before abscission in all species, yet there was no difference in the δ 15 N of living vs abscised leaves, suggesting no isotope discrimination with reabsorption. However, the contribution of stored N for leaf production resulted in a difference in foliar and absorbed nitrogen δ 15 N, suggesting that isotope discrimination occurs with reallocation. • The contribution of stored nitrogen to leaf production varied with timing of leaf development: leaves produced first had a δ 15 N that reflected utilization of both absorbed and stored N, yet the contribution of stored N decreased over time. • The results from this study as well as previous research on intraplant variation in isotopic composition suggest that caution needs to be exercised when interpreting foliar δ 15 N because it is not always a reliable indicator of whole-plant δ 15N.
Defect-mediated snaking: A new growth mechanism for localized structures

Stationary spatially localized patterns in parametrically driven systems are studied, focusing on the 2:1 and 1:1 resonance tongues as described by the forced complex Ginzburg–Landau equation. Homoclinic snaking is identified in both cases and the nature of the growth of the localized structures along the snaking branches is described. The structures grow from a central defect that inserts new rolls on either side, while pushing existing rolls outwards. This growth mechanism differs fundamentally from that found in other systems exhibiting homoclinic snaking in which new rolls are added at the fronts that connect the structure to the background homogeneous state.
The extreme ultraviolet dayglow of Jupiter

Abstract Processes involving both resonant scattering and fluorescence of the incident solar flux in the wavelength region 300 A–1300 A have been considered for the upper atmosphere of Jupiter, and calculations have been performed for the intensities of the spectral features that would be observed from outside the atmosphere. The principal features were found to be the resonance lines of atomic hydrogen and helium at 1216 A and 584 A respectively. It is noted that a significant amount of radiation can be carried in the wings of the line when there are large amounts of scattering atoms present. The radiative transfer problem for this case is formulated and solved for the hydrogen and helium radiations. The emerging intensity of the resonantly scattered helium line depends upon the relative total amounts of H2 and He in the atmosphere, the dependence arising through photoabsorption of the helium line by molecular hydrogen. The emerging intensity also depends upon the temperature and diffusion processes. The hydrogen Lyman alpha line will appear due to resonance scattering with a minor contribution due to the decay of excited hydrogen atoms formed through photodissociative excitation. The intensity of the HI Lyman alpha glow is a function of the amount of atomic hydrogen present, which in turn depends upon diffusion processes in the atmosphere and is less dependent upon the relative amounts of hydrogen and helium. Simultaneous measurements of these lines may be used to determine the relative total amounts of molecular hydrogen and helium in the atmosphere. Minor features in the Jovian ultraviolet spectrum will be the following. The HeII λ303 A line is formed primarily through photoionization excitation and is found to be less than 5 R in intensity. The H2 Lyman bands, produced through resonance fluorescence, will be of approximately 25 R in intensity. The Rayleigh and Raman scattered HI Lyman-α lines will be virtually unobservable, being of order 0.05 R or less.
Fatal lymphoreticular disease in the scurfy (sf) mouse requires T cells that mature in a sf thymic environment: potential model for thymic education.

Abstract Characteristic lesions in mice hemi- or homozygous for the X-linked mutation scurfy (sf) include lymphohistiocytic proliferation in the skin and lymphoid organs, Coombs' test-positive anemia, hypergammaglobulinemia, and death by 24 days of age. The role of the thymus in the development of fatal lymphoreticular disease in the scurfy mouse was investigated. Neonatal thymectomy doubles the life span of scurfy mice, moderates the histologic lesions, and prevents anemia, despite the continued presence of high levels of serum IgG. Animals bred to be nude and scurfy (nu/nu; sf/Y) are viable, fertile, and free of scurfy lesions. Bone marrow from scurfy mice can reconstitute lethally irradiated, H-2-compatible animals but does not transmit scurfy disease. We conclude, from these data, that scurfy lesions are mediated by T lymphocytes that mature in an abnormal (sf) thymic environment.
Deeply Integrated GPS/Low-Cost IMU for Low CNR Signal Processing: Concept Description and In-Flight Demonstration

A deeply integrated GPS/low-cost IMU system is developed and applied to re-acquire and track GPS signals with low carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR). The system provides continuous carrier phase tracking without requiring the knowledge of navigation data bits. Flight data with a 90-degree turn are applied to demonstrate re-acquisition and continuous carrier phase tracking of 15 dB-Hz GPS signals.
Mapping the T helper cell response to acid α-glucosidase in Pompe mice

Pompe disease is a neuromuscular disease caused by an inherited deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid α-glucosidase (GAA). The resulting accumulation of glycogen causes muscle weakness with the severe form of the disease resulting in death by cardiorespiratory failure in the first year of life. The only available treatment, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant GAA (rhGAA), is severely hampered by antibody responses that reduce efficacy and cause immunotoxicities. Currently, Pompe mice represent the only pre-clinical model for development of new treatments and for immunological studies. While antibody formation following ERT in this model has been described, the underlying T cell response has not been studied. In order to define the T helper response to rhGAA in Pompe mice, immunodominant CD4+ T cell epitopes were mapped in GAA−/− 129SVE mice using ELISpot. Additionally, cytokine responses and antibody formation against rhGAA during ERT were measured. Among the three CD4+ T cell epitopes identified, only epitope IFLGPEPKSVVQ, predicted to be the strongest MHC II binder, consistently contributed to IL-4 production. Frequencies of IL-4 producing T cells were considerably higher than those of IL-17 or IFN-γ producing cells, suggesting a predominantly Th2 cell mediated response. This is further supported by IgG1 being the prevalent antibody subclass against rhGAA during ERT and consistent with prior reports on IgE formation and anaphylaxis in this model. These results will facilitate mechanistic studies of the immune response to rhGAA in Pompe mice during development of new therapies and tolerance protocols.
An Investigation of the Limiting Behavior of Particle-Like Solutions to the Einstein-Yang/Mills Equations and a New Black Hole Solution

A mathematical investigation of the limiting behavior of particle-like solutions of Einstein-Yang-Mills equations leads to a discovery of a new type of black hole solution.
Analysis and Generalizations of the Linearized Bregman Method

This paper analyzes and improves the linearized Bregman method for solving the basis pursuit and related sparse optimization problems. The analysis shows that the linearized Bregman method has the exact regularization property; namely, it converges to an exact solution of the basis pursuit problem whenever its smooth parameter $\alpha$ is greater than a certain value. The analysis is based on showing that the linearized Bregman algorithm is equivalent to gradient descent applied to a certain dual formulation. This result motivates generalizations of the algorithm enabling the use of gradient-based optimization techniques such as line search, Barzilai-Borwein, limited memory BFGS (L-BFGS), nonlinear conjugate gradient, and Nesterov's methods. In the numerical simulations, the two proposed implementations, one using Barzilai-Borwein steps with nonmonotone line search and the other using L-BFGS, gave more accurate solutions in much shorter times than the basic implementation of the linearized Bregman method with a so-called kicking technique.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Ion-Exchange Resins. I. Effect of Counter Ion

Abstract The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of packed beds containing the cation exchanger Dowex 50W-X8 in water vary with counter ion. Chemical shifts for water protons internal to the resin bead are in the order H+ (lowest frequency) » Zn2+ ≊ Cd2+ ≤ Pb2+ ≊ Mg2+ ≤ Ag+ ≤ Ca2+ ≊ Tl+ ≊ NEt+ 4 ≊ Ba2+ ≊ Li+ ≊ NMe4 + ≊ Sr2+ ≤ NH4 + ≤ Rb+ ≊ K+ ≊ Na+ ≊ NBu4 +. The concentrated electrolyte model of ion-exchange resins is substantiated by generally good agreement between 1) chemical shifts/g equiv./kg for cations in aqueous solutions referred to NH4 + and 2) chemical shifts/g equiv./kg for resin forms referred to NH4 + form resin.
Testing the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia

A study in this issue presents a new mouse model that directly tests the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia. The study reports that a decrease in NMDA receptor signaling during a particular developmental window in interneurons can induce cellular and behavioral changes similar to those seen in schizophrenia.
Involvement of c-src in β-Casein Expression by Mammary Epithelial Cells

Abstract HC11 mouse mammary epithelial cells were stably transfected with c-src or a dominant negative mutant of c-src driven by a MMLV promoter. Prolactin increased c-src activity in control and c-src transfected cells, while dominant negative c-src reduced the prolactin-induced increase in c-src activity. Dominant negative c-src also reduced the ability of insulin, hydrocortisone, and prolactin to induce β-casein accumulation to levels one-half to one-third that of control cells. This effect was uncorrelated with any change in cell proliferation or laminin accumulation and was observed both in cultures grown to confluency in the presence of EGF and in cultures grown on laminin.
Numerical Investigation of Serpentine Plasma Actuators for Separation Control at Low Reynolds Number

Abstract : Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators with serpentine shaped electrodes cause a change in the operational behavior of the flow control mechanism relative to the standard linear actuator due to the introduction of fully three dimensional vortices. A parametric study is performed on a partially separated transitional flow over an SD7003 airfoil. This study examines the change in behavior as a function of geometric parameters, in particular the geometric amplitude of the serpentine geometry as it is flattened out, reverting back to the standard linear actuator. Continuous operation of the actuator does not fully remove the separation, but it does modify the properties of the separated boundary layer. Separation is eliminated when the actuator is operated with a duty cycle.
DEVELOPMENT OF A FAN AIRFLOW STATION FOR AIRFLOW CONTROL IN VAV SYSTEMS

A fan airflow station has been developed by the authors. This station is used to determine fan airflow using fan speed and fan head as inputs. These inputs can be measured accurately in variable air volume (VAV) systems, so they can be used as a cost-effective control monitoring method for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Theoretical models have been developed for the flow station using both second and third order relationships between the airflow and the inputs. The theoretical model has been experimentally tested and excellent agreement between the model and the experimental values was found. The second order model was within 1.71% of the experimental values, and the third order model was within 1.52%. The second order model, which is much simpler, is considered adequate for use in buildings.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
N-linked glycosylation at Asn3 and the positively charged residues within the amino-terminal domain of the c1 inhibitor are required for interaction of the C1 Inhibitor with Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium lipopolysaccharide and lipid A.

The C1 inhibitor (C1INH), a plasma complement regulatory protein, prevents endotoxin shock, at least partially via the direct interaction of its amino-terminal heavily glycosylated nonserpin region with gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To further characterize the potential LPS-binding site(s) within the amino-terminal domain, mutations were introduced into C1INH at the three N-linked glycosylation sites and at the four positively charged amino acid residues. A mutant in which Asn3 was replaced with Ala was markedly less effective in its binding to LPS, while substitution of Asn47 or Asn59 had little effect on binding. The mutation of C1INH at all four positively charged amino acid residues (Arg18, Lys22, Lys30, and Lys55) resulted in near-complete failure to interact with LPS. The C1INH mutants that did not bind to LPS also did not suppress LPS binding or LPS-induced up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages. In addition, the binding of C1INH mutants to diphosphoryl lipid A was decreased in comparison with that of recombinant wild-type C1INH. Therefore, the interaction of C1INH with gram-negative bacterial LPS is dependent both on the N-linked carbohydrate at Asn3 and on the positively charged residues within the amino-terminal domain.
Is windswept tree growth negative thigmotropism

Abstract The scientific investigation of the influence of wind on tree growth has been conducted for over 200 years. One influence of wind on trees is the formation of an asymmetric crown, usually characterized as being windswept under moderate windy conditions. As wind exposure increases, the terms applied to this growth form include flag-tree, banner-tree, and krummholz. The modification in crown morphology has been widely recognized and studied, especial in the area of wind prospecting or as a bioindicator of wind speed in environments lacking monitoring stations. However, the causes and physiology underlying this response is little understood. The windswept morphology is consistent with the morphologies associated with other tropisms (i.e. phototropism and gravitropism). Tropisms are defined as a growth response towards (positive) or away (negative) from an environmental stimulus. The asymmetric growth form of windswept trees appears to be a negative thigmotropic growth response to wind. In this review, evidence will be presented to support or reject two hypotheses; H 1 the windswept growth form is the result of a negative thigmotropic growth response or H 2 the windswept growth form is determined by the biophysical properties of wood. It is argued that the windswept growth form is more likely the product of biomechanical properties (accept H 2 ) than of a physiological thigmotropic growth response (reject H 1 ). However, proper testing of both hypotheses is still required before a final confirmation can be established.
Sulfur poisoning of CeO2–Al2O3-supported mono- and bi-metallic Ni and Rh catalysts in steam reforming of liquid hydrocarbons at low and high temperatures

Abstract In order to develop a better understanding on sulfur poisoning of reforming catalysts in fuel processing for hydrogen production, steam reforming of liquid hydrocarbons was performed over CeO 2 –Al 2 O 3 supported monometallic Ni and Rh and bimetallic Rh–Ni catalysts at 550 and 800 °C. XANES was used to identify the sulfur species in the used catalysts and to study their impacts on the metal surface properties probed by XPS. It was found that both monometallic catalysts rapidly deactivated at 550 °C, and showed poor sulfur tolerance. Although ineffective for the Ni catalyst, increasing the temperature to 800 °C dramatically improved the sulfur tolerance of the Rh catalyst. XANES revealed that metal sulfide and organic sulfide are the dominant sulfur species on the used Ni catalyst, while sulfonate and sulfate predominate on the used Rh catalyst. The presence of sulfur induced severe carbon deposition on the Ni catalyst at 800 °C. The superior sulfur tolerance of the Rh catalyst at 800 °C may be associated with its capability in sulfur oxidation. It is likely that the formation of the oxygen-shielded sulfur structure of sulfonate and sulfate can suppress the poisoning impact of sulfur on Rh by inhibiting direct rhodium–sulfur interaction. Moreover, XPS indicated that the metal surface properties of the Rh catalysts after the reaction without and with sulfur at 800 °C are similar, suggesting that sulfur poisoning on Rh was mitigated under the high-temperature condition. Although the Rh–Ni catalyst exhibited better sulfur tolerance than the monometallic catalysts at 550 °C, its catalytic performance was inferior compared with the Rh catalyst in the sulfur-containing reaction at 800 °C probably due to the severe carbon deposition on the bimetallic catalyst.
An investigation of indicators for measuring sustainable manufacturing

This paper presents an investigation of sustainable manufacturing indicators in both industry and academia. While the concept of Sustainable Manufacturing has been brought up for a long time, little consensus has been researched so far with respect to how to define or measure it, especially in Economic and Social dimensions. This research tries to investigate current application status of sustainable indicators within U.S. manufacturing companies, and explore various views from academia in regards to weighting Economic / Social indicators through Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The paper concludes with a summary of statistical results as well as recommendations for its further development and practical application.
Advances in High Power Distributed Amplifiers

The high power distributed amplifier system for the Princeton-Pennsylvania Accelerator employs a total of 166 Eimac 4CX300A tetrodes to achieve an average power gain of 5000. The system is designed to work over a range of frequencies of 2.5 to 30Mc/s, but is capable of amplifying 60 Mc/s at a reduced duty cycle. The high level stages of the system limit the effective duty cycle to 25%, at the normal range of frequencies. Design criteria and practice are discussed.
Who Are Patients on Conventional Antipsychotics

The advent of atypical antipsychotics presented psychiatrists with an effective way of treating psychosis without the many side effects associated with conventional agents. Given the superiority of atypical antipsychotics, we examined demographic information and treatment histories of patients currently treated with conventional antipsychotics, especially in regard to treatment with atypical agents. Medication histories and demographic information for 276 patients admitted to an urban hospital were obtained by patient/family interviews and review of medical records. Chi-square and logistic regression tests were used to analyze data for possible predictive factors of which patients within the sample were still receiving conventional antipsychotics for treatment. Seventy-eight (28%) patients were currently being treated with conventional antipsychotics. More than half of them had never received a trial of an atypical agent. African-Americans, who are more likely to suffer adverse effects from conventional antipsychotics, and substance abusers were overrepresented in this group. It is unclear to what extent ethnic or cultural bias played a role in determining medication choice. Because conventional antipsychotics are associated with more side effects and greater medication nonadherence, these patients should be evaluated for appropriateness of a trial with an atypical agent even if they are currently stable with a conventional antipsychotic.
In vitro metabolism of the methylthio group of 2-methylthiobenzothiazole by rat liver.

1. When 2-methylthiobenzothiazole and 35S-labelled glutathione (GSH) were incubated with rat liver homogenates, both 35S-labelled S-(2-benzothiazolyl)-glutathione and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole were isolated from the reaction mixtures. Glutathione-S-transferase appears to be involved in the S-(2-benzothiazolyl)glutathione (GBZ) formation.2. The evidence indicates that 2-methylthiobenzothiazole is oxidized to its corresponding methylsulphoxide and/or methylsulphone which becomes a substrate for GSH conjugation.3. Degradation products identified from the methylthio group were formaldehyde and sulphate.4. Although sulphur is exchanged in this pathway, the net result of this pathway which involves oxidation of the methylthio group and GSH conjugation is an apparent S-demethylation of the methylthio group.5. Another S-demethylation pathway which does not involve GSH conjugation also functioned in vitro.
THE DIFFICULT LAPAROSCOPY

As others have emphasized, a progressive and structured training process is necessary to understand and avoid the potential pitfalls of laparoscopy. A surgeon who is poorly trained or has minimal skills and experience finds that many cases are "difficult." Nevertheless, even those with appropriate skill and experience encounter intellectual and technical challenges in laparoscopy. It is also very important to realize that some procedures simply should not be done laparoscopically. A review of 77,604 laparoscopic cholecystectomies documented that more than half the deaths were from technical complications occurring during the procedure. Traditional methods of surgery may have their own characteristics of limitations and morbidity, but in most cases, the old operation might still be a very good one in the face of unfavorable laparoscopic conditions.
Complementing IR-Genes Located in the I-A Subregion and between the S and D Regions are Required for the Response to TNP-Ficoll

Efforts in our laboratory to establish probes for defining new recombinatorial events demonstrated that the primary in vitro immune response to the TI-2 antigen TNP-Ficoll was under strict Ir-gene regulation. Further investigation indicated that the response was controlled by two complementing loci, the first located in the I-A subregion with high responder alleles s, d, and k, and a second located in or to the right of the I-E subregion where the b and. s alleles resulted in high responder animals. High responder alleles must be present at both loci to produce a high responder phenotype. Results of these experiments are shown in Table I.
The Economic Impact of Technical Change in the Local Treatment of Breast Cancer

Some studies suggest that breast-conserving treatment increases the cost of breast cancer. Estimates from a social perspective show that incremental cost depends on the proportion of lumpectomies done in outpatient facilities and on the demand for reconstructive surgery. Conservative treatment reduces spending within a reasonable range of values.
Failures of Intermediate Forms: A Study of the Suzuki Zaibatsu

This paper examines the technical and institutional factors leading to the 'fail ure' of a zaibatsu — a pre-World War II Japanese form of conglomerate organ ization that combined market and hierarchical elements. It suggests that coor dination and legitimacy problems can be particular threats to the survival of some intermediate organizational forms. Drawing on historical and archival materials, the paper chronicles the collapse of the Suzuki zaibatsu, a business empire with sales that at one point equalled 10 percent of Japan's GNP. Suzuki's coordination problems and resource misallocations were the outcome of three factors: (a) the lack of mechanisms to coordinate relations between operating units and the holding company, (b) the failure of the 'owners', in this case a merchant family, to correct managerial inadequacies and, (c) the parallel failure of the group's 'organ bank' to discipline managers. Suzuki's legitimacy problems included a shortage of support from political parties, the bureaucracy and ...
Ab initio calculations of the melting temperatures of refractory bcc metals

We present ab initio calculations of the melting temperatures for bcc metals Nb, Ta and W. The calculations combine phase coexistence molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using classical embedded-atom method potentials and ab initio density functional theory free energy corrections. The calculated melting temperatures for Nb, Ta and W are, respectively, within 3%, 4%, and 7% of the experimental values. We compare the melting temperatures to those obtained from direct ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and see if they are in excellent agreement with each other. The small remaining discrepancies with experiment are thus likely due to inherent limitations associated with exchange–correlation energy approximations within density-functional theory.
Immunoprotection against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli diarrhea in rabbits by peroral administration of purified colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I)

Development of reliable methods for producing artificially induced immunoprotection against the enterotoxigenic enteropathogens Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coil (ETEC) has been the subject of much investigation [1-6]. Numerous experiments with cholera vibrios, cholera toxin, various cholera toxoids and ETEC heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) as immunogens in various animal species have been reported [25,7,8]. These studies generally lead to the conclusion that immunoprotection against V. cholerae and ETEC diarrhea is primarily dependent upon stimulation of an adequate local immune response in the intestine, the primary mechanism being secretion of specific secretory IgA antibody [2-6,9]. In approaching the problem of immunoprophylaxis against ETEC diarrhea, consideration must be given to the choice of antigens for study. Since numerous different ETEC serotypes produce antigenically identical LT [10,11] this antigen is considered to be a good candidate as an immunogen. On the other hand, since the first step in ETEC infection is intestinal colonization it follows that protection from colonization should be equivalent
Computational discovery of cis-regulatory modules in Drosophila without prior knowledge of motifs

We consider the problem of predicting cis-regulatory modules without knowledge of motifs. We formulate this problem in a pragmatic setting, and create over 30 new data sets, using Drosophila modules, to use as a 'benchmark'. We propose two new methods for the problem, and evaluate these, as well as two existing methods, on our benchmark. We find that the challenge of predicting cis-regulatory modules ab initio, without any input of relevant motifs, is a realizable goal.
A method for fast generation of bivariate Poisson random vectors

It is well known that trivariate reduction --- a method to generate two dependent random variables from three independent random variables --- can be used to generate Poisson random variables with specified marginal distributions and correlation structure. The method, however, works only for positive correlations. Moreover, the proportion of feasible positive correlations that can be generated through trivariate reduction deteriorates rapidly as the discrepancy between the means of the target marginal distributions increases. We present a specialized algorithm for generating Poisson random vectors, through appropriate modifications to trivariate reduction. The proposed algorithm covers the entire range of feasible correlations in two dimensions, and preliminary tests have demonstrated very fast preprocessing and generation times.
Modeling uncertainty in flow simulations via generalized polynomial chaos

We present a new algorithm to model the input uncertainty and its propagation in incompressible flow simulations. The stochastic input is represented spectrally by employing orthogonal polynomial functionals from the Askey scheme as trial basis to represent the random space. A standard Galerkin projection is applied in the random dimension to obtain the equations in the weak form. The resulting system of deterministic equations is then solved with standard methods to obtain the solution for each random mode. This approach can be considered as a generalization of the original polynomial chaos expansion, first introduced by Wiener [Am. J. Math. 60 (1938) 897]. The original method employs the Hermite polynomials (one of the 13 members of the Askey scheme) as the basis in random space. The algorithm is applied to micro-channel flows with random wall boundary conditions, and to external flows with random freestream. Efficiency and convergence are studied by comparing with exact solutions as well as numerical solutions obtained by Monte Carlo simulations. It is shown that the generalized polynomial chaos method promises a substantial speed-up compared with the Monte Carlo method. The utilization of different type orthogonal polynomials from the Askey scheme also provides a more efficient way to represent general non-Gaussian processes compared with the original Wiener-Hermite expansions.
Accuracy of in vivo palpation-guided acromioclavicular joint injection assessed with contrast material and fluoroscopic evaluations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of in vivo acromioclavicular (AC) joint injections without fluoroscopic guidance and assess whether patient demographics affected the accuracy of injections. A consecutive cohort of patients who presented with painful acromioclavicular joints was prospectively evaluated. All patients had clinical and radiographic evidence of AC arthritis, had failed conservative measures, and thus had received intraarticular corticosteroid injections. All injections were performed by experienced fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists and by blinded digital palpation technique. Accuracy of injections was assessed with biplanar fluoroscopic views. Forty-one AC injections in 22 males and 16 females with a mean age of 51 years (range 18 to 78) were identified. Twenty-three injections were in the right shoulder and 18 in the left. Only 15 injections were confirmed to be in the intraarticular AC joint, yielding an accuracy of 36.5 %. There were no significant differences in the mean age (54 vs. 52 years; p = 0.58), male-to-female ratio (p = 0.73), and side of the injection between the accurate and inaccurate injections, respectively. Based on the findings of the present study, the authors encourage the use of image guidance for corticosteroid treatment of the AC joint. Level of Evidence: Level IV Therapeutic Case Series