cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D visualization development at NOAA forecast systems laboratory

Visualization transforms numeric data into a visual form that enables users to conceptualize and understand the information. Three-dimensional (3D) visualization is the ability to display, analyze, manipulate and interact with 3D data in 3 space. New visualization tools, 3D in nature, are being designed to display meteorological datasets for use in operational forecasting.Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) has been supporting the development of 3D visualization software and applications since 1990. Until recently, the emphasis has been on research application. Using commercial visualization software called the Application Visualization System (AVS5), both analysis and forecast 3D data were displayed and investigated. The software was used for visual analysis and scanning of data for the presence of desired features. For example, plotting of the station observations with forecast-generated data allows visual comparison of the two. Figure 1 shows 3D images of weather parameters from the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) analysis output, which is created automatically on an hourly basis for the World Wide Web.Operational meteorologists who issue forecasts and warnings for the nation from the various Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs; see http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/wrhq/nwspage.html for a display of WFOs across the nation) currently utilize two-dimensional displays of analyses and numerical model output, combined with images from satellites and radar. They do this on a system developed at FSL call the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS). Visualization has been used successfully in the research context for some time. The next logical step was to determine if 3D visualization can offer added value in an operational setting. This required developing a 3D visualization workstation application, conducting a forecast exercise using the system and evaluating feedback from the exercise. An experimental workstation application, Display 3D (D3D), was developed at FSL to investigate the complexities and 3D structure of atmospheric parameters, and potential value added of 3D displays in an operational forecast setting. The D3D system was designed to be used with the two-dimensional AWIPS operational system known as D2D.The scope of this article covers the development of the D3D application, plus a brief description of the D3D real-time exercise (RT98).
An examination of cores surface collected from the Williamson site (44DW1): A Paleoindian quarry-related site located in southeastern Virginia

Williamson (44DW1) is a quarry-related Paleoindian site located in southeastern Virginia. The site was studied between 1992 and 1994 and involved both excavation and uncontrolled surface collection. The surface collection portion of the investigation was conducted in the upland area of the site, where stratigraphic integrity was limited and a preponderance of exposed Paleo-indian lithic artifacts was present. Over the two-year period, 161 cores and core fragments were recovered. By type and quantity, the whole forms included: 29 bifacial-discoidal, 23 angular-spheroid-amorphous, 12 tabular-block, and 6 polyhedral-conical cores. Approximately 55 percent of the collected cores contained cortex. It was concluded that the Williamson site occupants prepared and used a wide variety of core sizes and shapes. This finding was thought to be related to the diversity of raw material present at Williamson, including nodules, tabular plates, cobbles, and boulders. Apparently, primary material deposits were more common...
High-dose acyclovir and intravenous immune globulin reduce the incidence of CMV disease after liver transplantation

We attempted to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in liver transplant (LTx) recipients by means of a combined prophylaxis regimen consisting of high-dose acyclovir (HDA) and immune globulin (IVIG). In 259 consecutive patients, HDA was given for 3 months post-LTx; recipients seronegative for CMV also received IVIG. The previous 94 patients comprised our control group; in this group, low dose acyclovir was given to prevent herpes, and prophylaxis of CMV consisted of IVIG given only to seronegative recipients of seropositive donors. The overall incidence of CMV disease was lower in the HDA group (10.8%) than in the control group (27.6%); (P < 0.001). The CMV disease rate associated with primary exposure was 26.3% in the HDA group and 83.3% in the control group (P < 0.001). The incidence of CMV disease occurring after acute rejection was 9.5% in HDA patients and 24.6% in controls (P < 0.005) The HDA protocol was associated with a trend toward a lower incidence of CMV in patients requiring OKT3 therapy (16.7% vs 29%). High-dose acyclovir/IVIG thus reduces the incidence of CMV disease in seronegative recipients after LTx and lowers the risk of CMV disease associated with therapy for rejection.
Technical Note: Wear Corrosion: Separation of the Components of Corrosion and Wear

Abstract An apparatus has been designed that permits separation of the wear and corrosion components of wear corrosion. A loaded ruby ball describes a circular track on a sheet specimen in a corros...
Anticipatory conditioning of spelling-to-sound translation☆

Abstract College students’ pronunciations of initial c and g were examined in English words and nonwords, both monosyllables and polysyllables. Pronunciations were influenced by adjacent context—whether the following letter was e or i—and by long-distance context—whether the item contained a suffix or spelling pattern characteristic of Latinate words. Pronunciations were also influenced by whether students had studied a language such as French in which c and g are systematically fronted before those vowels. The findings were not well fit by either a dual-route or a single-route reading model. Although skilled readers were affected by the contextual patterns in the input, they did not use these patterns to the extent that would be expected given the patterns’ reliability in the English vocabulary. The results are discussed in terms of the size of the window within which spelling-to-sound translation takes place and the nature of the units that are used.
Infrared multiple photon decomposition of hexafluorodisilane as a source of difluorosilylene ; Preliminary investigation of its reactions

Abstract Infrared Multiple Photon Decomposition (IRMPD) of hexafluorodisilane was a source of difluarosilane, which attacked the CC band of ethylene; vinyldifluorosilane was a final product. The insertion reactions of SiF2 into HH or DD bands did not take place.
Arabidopsis cpFtsY mutants exhibit pleiotropic defects including an inability to increase iron deficiency-inducible root Fe(III) chelate reductase activity.

Summary All plants, except for the grasses, must reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II) in order to acquire iron. In Arabidopsis, the enzyme responsible for this reductase activity in the roots is encoded by FRO2. Two Arabidopsis mutants, frd4-1 and frd4-2, were isolated in a screen for plants that do not induce Fe(III) chelate reductase activity in their roots in response to iron deficiency. frd4 mutant plants are chlorotic and grow more slowly than wild-type Col-0 plants. Additionally, frd4 chloroplasts are smaller in size and possess dramatically fewer thylakoid membranes and grana stacks when compared with wild-type chloroplasts. frd4 mutant plants express both FRO2 and IRT1 mRNA normally in their roots under iron deficiency, arguing against any defects in systemic iron-deficiency signaling. Further, transgenic frd4 plants accumulate FRO2-dHA fusion protein under iron-deficient conditions, suggesting that the frd4 mutation acts post-translationally in reducing Fe(III) chelate reductase activity. FRO2-dHA appears to localize to the plasma membrane of root epidermal cells in both Col-0 and frd4-1 transgenic plants when grown under iron-deficient conditions. Map-based cloning revealed that the frd4 mutations reside in cpFtsY, which encodes a component of one of the pathways responsible for the insertion of proteins into the thylakoid membranes of the chloroplast. The presence of cpFtsY mRNA and protein in the roots of wild-type plants suggests additional roles for this protein, in addition to its known function in targeting proteins to the thylakoid membrane in chloroplasts.
Chemical reaction analysis of copper indium selenization

A chemical reaction analysis of the selenization of copper indium layers to form copper indium diselenide is presented. Time-progressive selenization reactions were carried out in a laminar flow tubular reactor in a dilute H2Se atmosphere at 400°C. Copper, indium and copper-indium thin films were reacted for 1–60 min. The reacted films are analyzed by x-ray diffraction and atomic absorption spectrophotometry to identify the chemical species present in the reacted films. A reaction network for film formation is proposed and data from time-progressive selenizations were analyzed to obtain species composition profiles. Rate expressions are postulated and a mathematical model for the selenization is developed. The behavior of the model is compared with the experimentally determined species compositions to obtain specific reaction rate constants.
16O( gamma, pi +)16N reaction at 320 MeV photon energy.

The pion angular distribution for the /sup 16/O(..gamma..,..pi../sup +/) /sup 16/N reaction leading to the lowest quartet of states in /sup 16/N has been measured at 320 MeV photon energy. The results are compared with a distorted-wave impulse approximation calculation.
Electrical engineering graduate studies: Program of the California Institute of Technology

The California Institute of Technology has been indicated as a leader in the field of graduate work in electrical engineering, and thus a consideration of its pattern for such studies should be of profit. Some phases of the institute's program are presented, not because they are considered wholly unique, but because they are of considerable merit and did help to pioneer the way to a high standard of graduate work.
DSMC Modeling of Dropwise Condensation With Variable Wettability

Recent heat transfer studies on nanostructured surfaces have shown that enhanced dropwise condensation heat transfer can be attained through clusters with reduced droplet sizes. A Direct Monte Carlo Simulation (DSMC) approach is used here to investigate the limitations of dropwise condensation as droplet sizes are reduced. The model is idealized by assuming uniform droplet distribution with an effective diameter. To minimize computational time, the model further uses symmetry to focus the analysis on a quarter segment of a single droplet condensing on a cold wall. The effects of surface wettability are explored by accounting for variations in droplet conduction with contact angle, while changes of interfacial resistance with droplet curvature are also incorporated into the model. To investigate the effect of reduced droplet sizes, the simulations were run for droplets with radii between 1μm down to 5nm. The simulations were run for standard atmospheric conditions at different levels of subcooling and accommodation. In all instances, the same behavior is observed as non-continuum effects become significant at reduced diameters, causing heat transfer coefficients to reach a maximum. The predictions of the DSMC model are compared to previous work attempting to capture similar effects. The significance of the observations for current and future research in dropwise condensation is discussed in detail.© 2012 ASME
Simulation of unsteady flow and solute transport in a tidal river network

A mathematical model and numerical method for water flow and solute transport in a tidal river network is presented. The tidal river network is defined as a system of open channels or rivers with junctions and cross sections. As an example, the Pearl River in China is represented by a network of 104 channels, 62 nodes, and a total of 330 cross sections with 11 boundary sections for one of the applications. The simulations are performed with a supercomputer for seven scenarios of water flow and/or solute transport in the Pearl River, China, with different hydrological and weather conditions. Comparisons with available data are shown. The intention of this study is to summarize previous works and to provide a useful tool for water environmental management in a tidal river network, particularly for the Pearl River, China.
Microbial transformations of natural antitumor agents. 7. 14-alpha-hydroxylation of withaferin-a by cunninghamella elegans (NRRL 1393)

Microbial transformation experiments were conducted with the steroidlactone, withaferin-A (1a). Cunninghamella elegans (NRRL 1393) converts withaferin-A into two major metabolites, one of which has been indentified as 14alpha-hydroxywithaferin-A (1b). The metabolite is obtained in 37% yield, and its structure was determined on the basis of pmr and mass spectral evidence. The metabolite has the same level of antitumor activity as withaferin-A against the Sarcoma-180 tumor test system in mice.
Geochemistry of coalbed gas – A review

Coals are both sources and reservoirs of large amounts of gas that has received increasing attention in recent years as a largely untapped potential energy resource. Coal mining operations, such as ventilation of coalbed gas from underground mines, release coalbed CH4 into the atmosphere, an important greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere is increasing. Because of these energy and environmental issues, increased research attention has been focused on the geochemistry of coalbed gas in recent years. This paper presents a summary review of the main aspects of coalbed gas geochemistry and current research advances.
Excitotoxicity and N‐methyl‐D‐Aspartate receptors

In this article, the potential role of excitotoxic mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases and the prospects for controlling such disease processes by the application of antiexcitotoxin drugs will be examined
The pathway for anaerobic carbohydrate dissimilation in Hymenolepis diminuta

Abstract 1. 1. In vitro preparations of the tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta incorporate glucose-1-C14, glucose-2-C14, glucose-3-4-C14 and glucose-6-C14 into succinate in accordance with the mechanism of the Embden-Meyerhof scheme of glycolysis followed by CO2 fixation into pyruvate and reduction of the product to succinate. 2. 2. Sufficient quantities of C14O2 are fixed to account for the amounts of succinate which accumulate. 3. 3. The incorporation of glucose-C14 into succinate occurs with a minimum amount of isotope dilution indicating an apparent in vivo inhibition of glycogenolysis by exogenous glucose. 4. 4. Glucose-C14 is incorporated into glycogen at a rate approximately 20 times more rapid than is C14O2. Succinate is metabolized by H. diminuta, but this acid is not incorporated detectably into glycogen. 5. 5. The lack of C14O2 production from glucose-1-C14 and glucose-6-C14 under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions indicates the absence of both a functional tricarboxylic acid cycle and a quantitatively significant pentose shunt pattway. In addition, succinate formation is inhibited by the presence of air. 6. 6. The comparative significance of succinate formation in parasitic helminths is discussed.
The relevance of dissociations and the irrelevance of dissociationism: a reply to Schwartz and Pritchard.

This note examines Schwartz and Pritchard's critique of Donchin and Lindsley's study of the ERPs and retroactive masking. The critique is seen to be an example of the Dissociationist posture in which the failure to confirm a reported relationship between performance and ERPs is reported. The Dissociationist treats psychophysiology as an attempt to establish universally applicable correlations between performance measures and physiological measures. Such universality seems to be the necessary attribute of “physiological correlates” of psychological constructs. To demonstrate that ERPs are not correlates of perception, Schwartz and Pritchard try to show that the correlation reported by Donchin and Lindsley does not hold for U-shaped masking functions. Donchin and Lindsley did not, however, attempt to establish a universal correlation. Rather, they attempted to utilize the parallelism between ERPs and two-flash interactions to test models proposed to account for retroactive masking and enhancement. That the relationship is not universal, in that there are masking phenomena wherein the correlation fails, is quite irrelevant to the purpose. The methodology used by Schwartz and Pritchard is also questioned here. Specifically, it is noted that they err in combining in one curve, data obtained with a single stimulus with data obtained with two stimuli. They are thus led by focusing on a product, the d', to the unwarranted assumption that the underlying processes are uniform.
Increased leukocytes in infants with intraventricular hemorrhage.

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) with changes in the peripheral blood count. Total peripheral leukocytes, absolute neutrophils, platelets, and nucleated erythrocytes from the first 3 days after birth were compared in very–low-birth-weight infants with (n = 100) and without (n = 388) IVH and cystic PVL (n = 16). After controlling for potential confounding variables, infants with IVH had an increase in total leukocytes and absolute neutrophils and a reduction in nucleated erythrocytes compared with infants without IVH. No difference in any parameters studied was evident with regard to cystic PVL. After controlling for potential confounding variables by logistic regression, infants with a peripheral leukocyte count greater than 25,000/mm 3 beyond 24 hours of age had an odds ratio of 2.1 (95% confidence interval=1.1-4.3) for developing IVH. We conclude that IVH is associated with an increase in total leukocytes and absolute neutrophils for 72 hours after birth in very–low-birth-weight infants. Further investigation is required to determine whether this leukocytosis is important in the pathophysiology of brain injury or is an associated factor.
Temperature compensated silicon resonators for space applications

This paper presents piezoelectric transduction and frequency trimming of silicon-based resonators with a center frequency in the low megahertz regime. The temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) of the resonators is reduced using both passive and active compensation schemes. Specifically, a novel technique utilizing oxide-refilled trenches is implemented to achieve efficient temperature compensation while maintaining compatibility with wet release processes. Using this method, we demonstrate high-Q resonators having a first-order TCF as low as 3 ppm/°C and a turnover temperature of around 90 °C, ideally suited for use in ovenized platforms. Using active tuning, the temperature sensitivity of the resonator is further compensated around the turnover temperature, demonstrating frequency instability of less than 400 ppb. Such devices are ideally suited as timing units in space applications where size, power consumption, and temperature stability are of critical importance.
The Role of Conflict in Continuity and Change: Life Events Associated With Identity Development in Racially and Ethnically Diverse Women

In this archival study, life events were identified that served as precursors to identity transitions in 149 European American, African American, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican women. The data were collected during a period from the late 1970s to the early 1980s in the United States. Participants were interviewed and asked to describe events that had influenced their understanding of themselves. Events were coded into relational, career, education, personal, health-related, and miscellaneous categories. Results indicated that women were more likely to report life events regarding their relationships than events in other categories. A reexamination of the data revealed that that there were more similarities than differences among the racial and ethnic groups in terms of the life events described. Respondents were more likely to report continuity than change in their identities in response to life events serving as possible precursors to change. Results also revealed that when change did occur, it was a...
Recognition of tetrahedral 1,10-phenanthroline-cuprous chelates by transcriptionally active complexes does not depend on the sequence of the promoter

Abstract Background : The open complex formed at the initiation site of transcription within the active site of RNA polymerase is unique to actively transcribing genes and is thus an ideal target for the design of transcription inhibitors. Many redoxactive tetrahedral cuprous chelates of 1,10-phenanthroline (OP) or derivatives cleave the single-stranded template, principally at sequence positions -7 to -3, whereas the redox-inactive tetrahedral cuprous chelate of 2,9-dimethyl-OP (neocuproine) blocks transcription, but does not cleave. The octahedral (OP) 3 -Fe 2+ chelate has no effect. Different promoters can give different cleavage patterns. We therefore searched for structural determinants of the open complex that are important in the cleavage reaction. Results : Using site-directed mutagenesis, we systematically altered the nucleotides at the cleavage sites of the Escherichia coli lac UV-5-RNA polymerase open complex (positions -6 to -4), which are highly variable in E. coli promoters. Surprisingly, these changes had little effect on catalytic activity, on transcription inhibition by the cuprous complex of neocuproine and on the cleavage patterns generated by the cuprous chelates of OP derivatives. The scission pattern of a lac UV-5 promoter mutant in which the cleavage sites have the sequence of the trp EDCBA promoter is that of the lac UV-5 promoter, not the trp EDCBA promoter. Conclusions : Nucleotide-specific interactions are not responsible for the observed cleavage patterns. The recognition of the tetrahedral OP chelate must be due to a specific structure of the single-stranded regions, determined by RNA polymerase-DNA interactions in the upstream regulatory region.
Processing and Localization of ADAMTS-1 and Proteolytic Cleavage of Versican during Cumulus Matrix Expansion and Ovulation

Abstract ADAMTS-1 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs-1) is a member of the ADAMTS family of metalloproteases which, together with ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5, has been shown to degrade members of the lectican family of proteoglycans. ADAMTS-1 mRNA is induced in granulosa cells of periovulatory follicles by the luteinizing hormone surge through a progesterone receptor-dependent mechanism. Female progesterone receptor knockout (PRKO) mice are infertile primarily due to ovulatory failure and lack the normal periovulatory induction of ADAMTS-1 mRNA. We therefore investigated the protein localization and function of ADAMTS-1 in ovulating ovaries. Antibodies against two specific peptide regions, the pro-domain and the metalloprotease domain of ADAMTS-1, were generated. Pro-ADAMTS-1 of 110 kDa was identified in mural granulosa cells and appears localized to cytoplasmic secretory vesicles. The mature (85-kDa pro-domain truncated) form accumulated in the extracellular matrix of the cumulus oocyte complex (COC) during the process of matrix expansion. Each form of ADAMTS-1 protein increased >10-fold after the ovulatory luteinizing hormone surge in wild-type but not PRKO mice. Versican is also localized selectively to the ovulating COC matrix and was found to be cleaved yielding a 70-kDa N-terminal fragment immunopositive for the neoepitope DPEAAE generated by ADAMTS-1 and ADAMTS-4 protease activity. This extracellular processing of versican was reduced in ADAMTS-1-deficient PRKO mouse ovaries. These observations suggest that one function of ADAMTS-1 in ovulation is to cleave versican in the expanded COC matrix and that the anovulatory phenotype of PRKO mice is at least partially due to loss of this function.
Bioinformatics and the eye

Bioinformatics evolved to become a recognized scientific discipline during the last decade of the twentieth century, due in part to the Human Genome Project and the introduction of microarray expression profiling, both of which involved critical computational activities. By 2000, the National Institutes of Health had established the Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative (BISTI), which defined bioinformatics as “Research, development, or application of computational tools and approaches for expanding the use of biological, medical, behavioral or health data, including those to acquire, store, organize, archive, analyze, or visualize such data [1].” Otherwise stated, the methods of bioinformatics allow the biomedical scientist to more completely interpret his data. Bioinformatics was already an important aspect of ophthalmic and vision research in 2000. For example, following early descriptions of microarray expression profiling in the mid 1990s [2], this methodology was quickly applied to studies of development and aging of the retina [3,4]. The current issue of the Journal of Ocular Biology, Diseases and Informatics highlights the role that bioinformatics is playing in various fields of eye-related research today. Scientific reports and reviews contributed from an international group of laboratories demonstrate the use of different computational techniques in studies of normal biology and diseases of the eye.
Hyperinsulinemia Enhances Transcriptional Activity of Nuclear Factor-κB Induced by Angiotensin II, Hyperglycemia, and Advanced Glycosylation End Products in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Pathogenesis of macrovascular complications of diabetes may involve an activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) by hyperglycemia and advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs). Activation of NF-kappaB is believed to be dependent on activation of the Rho family of GTPases. Although the precise mechanism of the Rho-mediated action is not completely understood, posttranslational modification of the Rho proteins by geranylgeranylation is required for their subsequent activation. We observed that in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), insulin stimulated the activity of geranylgeranyltransferase (GGTase) I and increased the amounts of geranylgeranylated Rho-A from 47% to 60% (P:<0.05). GGTI-286, an inhibitor of GGTase I, blocked both effects of insulin. Increased availability of prenylated Rho-A significantly augmented the abilities of angiotensin II (Ang II), hyperglycemia, and AGEs to activate NF-kappaB, as measured by NF-kappaB response-element luciferase reporter activity. Preincubations of VSMCs with insulin for 24 hours doubled NF-kappaB transactivation by Ang II, hyperglycemia, and AGEs. This priming effect of insulin was completely inhibited by GGTI-286. We demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that insulin potentiates NF-kappaB-dependent transcriptional activity induced by hyperglycemia, AGEs, and Ang II in VSMCs by increasing the activity of GGTase I and the availability of geranylgeranylated Rho-A.
Europe 1992 and a unified Germany: opportunities and threats for United States firms

In My View In the May 1990 issue of The Executive, I reported on opportunities and threats for United States companies in the new European Community because of the EC 1992 program.' The fast-moving events in Eastern Europe, particularly in East Germany, demand an addendum. The recent unification of Germany provides opportunities in former East Germany; but opportunities are accompanied by risks. The purpose of this article is to explore both.
Ghevond's Text of the Correspondence between ʻUmar II and Leo III

There is a persistent tradition in the Eastern Christian Churches, often referred to by Oriental Christians even at the present day, to the effect that early in the VIIIth century there was an exchange of letters on the question of the respective merits of Christianity and Islam, between the Umayyad Caliph ʻUmar II (717–720) and the Byzantine Emperor Leo III, the Isaurian (717–741), in which the Emperor gloriously refuted the claims of Islam. If this is so, it will represent one of the earliest documents in the Muslim-Christian Controversy known to us. Carl Guterbock rightly states that the beginnings of literary discussions concerning Islam among the Greeks can be traced back to the middle of the VIIIth century, when Leo III was succeeded by his son Constantine V (741–775), but he begins his account of the Byzantine polemists with John of Damascus (†754) and his pupil Theodore Abū Qurra (c. 825). A polemical epistle of Leo III to ʻUmar must have been written before 720, and would thus be earlier than any known Byzantine tractate on this controversy.
A case study: identifying a new case of Wilson's disease.

Purpose To present a case of Wilson's disease that presented with fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, and splenomegaly. Patient information, diagnostic tests, etiology, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, assessment, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, medical treatment, nursing interventions, patient education, and research findings related to Wilson's disease are discussed. Data Sources Case study and scientific literature from Internet, journals, and medical textbooks. Conclusions Wilson's disease is a hereditary, autosomal-recessive disease affecting copper excretion. As copper accumulates, signs and symptoms appear. Individuals often present with nonspecific findings, making diagnosis difficult. Implications for Practice This article reviews this rare but potentially devastating disease. Early diagnosis is vital to prevent copper accumulation leading to hepatic cirrhosis, basal ganglia degeneration, and irreversible organ damage.
Quantitation of oligosaccharides released by the β-elimination reaction

A quantitative micromethod has been described for monitoring the rate and extent of the S-elimination reaction as applied to 0-glycosyl-glycoproteins utilizing alkaline tritiated borohydride. The procedure simultaneously labels the released oligosaccharides by their reduction to the corresponding tritiated alditols. The alkaline tritiated borohydride treatment also results in the labeling of the protein moiety of the glycoprotein and this can be quantitatively separated from the carbohydrate moiety on a cation exchange resin; the carbohydrate moiety is not adsorbed, while the protein moiety is adsorbed and then eluted with HCI. The radioactivity in the aqueous eluate of the resin is therefore a direct measure of the amount of oligosaccharides released by the p-elimination reaction. The sensitivity of the method is dependent on the specific activity of the tritiated sodium borohydride used. The stoichiometry of the reaction has been established by the use of N-acetylgalactosaminyl-0-glycoproteins, demonstrating that at the completion of the /?Ielimination reaction: (a) none of the radioactivity attributable to the protein moiety contaminates the carbohydrate moiety, (b) all the carbohydrate components of the glycoprotein are found in the aqueous eluate from the cationic exchange resin, (c) all the radioactivity in this aqueous eluate is associated with the sugar known to be at the reducing end of the oligosaccharide chain bound to serine or threonine of the glycoprotein (in the examples discussed, N-acetylgalactosamine), and (d) there is no additional hydrolysis of the oligosaccharide chains during the processing.
Red Cell Hydrolases

A 0.1% Triton X-100 extract of human erythrocyte plasma membranes contained high proteolytic activity as determined by a very sensitive assay utilizing3H-acetylated hemoglobin (162 cpm/pmole) as a substrate. Two proteolytic enzymes having optimum activity at pH 3.4 and pH 7.4 were isolated from Sephadex G-100. The protease active at pH 3.4 was 75 times as active as the pH 7.4 enzyme and it was purified 182-fold over the original homogenate and characterized. A linear relationship for activity versus time and activity versus concentration of enzyme was found. The optimum temperature was 37°C and theKm was 1×10−5m hemoglobin. No enzyme activation was observed with any cation studied and EDTA had no inhibitory effect; (10mm Fe+3 and Hg+2 were inhibitory). The pH 3.4 protease was stable indefinitely at −20°C in 0.1% Triton X-100. Gel electrophoresis was performed on a sodium dodecylsulfate-mercaptoethanol enzyme preparation and two protein bands (mol. wt. 33,000 and 54,000) were evident for the Sephadex G-200 eluate containing the pH 3.4 protease.
Changes in the absorption spectra of proteins and representative amino acids induced by ultraviolet radiations and ozone.

Abstract The absorption spectra of serum and egg albumin, globulin, and gelatin and of mixtures of aromatic or aliphatic amino acids and of amino acids tested singly are altered by both ozonation as well as by exposure to ultraviolet radiations (UV). Each treatment produces a characteristic change which is sometimes opposite in nature. Possible mechanisms of action of each agent are discussed. Because of the antagonistic action of ozone and UV the likelihood of explanation of UV effects on the basis of ozone produced during exposure is rendered improbable.
Atomic-Vapor-Based High Efficiency Optical Detectors with Photon Number Resolution

The ability to detect very weak optical fields with high efficiency ($g99%$) and to distinguish the number of photons in a given time interval is a very challenging technical problem with enormous potential payoffs in quantum communications and information processing. We propose to employ an atomic vapor as the active medium, prepared in a specific quantum state using laser radiation. The absorption of a photon will be aided by a dressing laser, and the presence or absence of an excited atom will be detected using the ``cycling transition'' approach perfected for ion traps. By incorporating an appropriate up-conversion scheme, our method can be applied to a wide variety of optical wavelengths.
Kinetics of Pulmonary Platelet Deposition and Clearance During Thrombin-Induced Microembolism in Rabbits

Using 111In-labeled autologous platelets, we studied the kinetics of pulmonary platelet deposition and clearance in relation to hemodynamic and structural events during thrombin-induced pulmonary microembolism in rabbits. Autologous platelets were radiolabeled and returned to animals prior to infusion of thrombin (100 units/kg over 15 min) (n = 20) or saline (n = 6). All animals were pretreated with tranexamic acid, an inhibitor of fibrinolysis. Thrombin-treated animals manifested progressive increases in mean pulmonary platelet activity, reaching a maximum of 38% above baseline (p less than .0001), whereas no change was observed in saline-treated controls. Animals that died during, or immediately following, thrombin infusion manifested significantly greater increases in pulmonary platelet uptake (mean 1.55 +/- 0.47 times baseline), compared to surviving animals (1.14 +/- 0.16; p less than .05 survivors vs. nonsurvivors). In surviving animals, following cessation of thrombin, pulmonary platelet activity cleared gradually, with a half-time of approximately 12 min. Thrombin reduced circulating platelet counts (p less than .001), increased mean pulmonary artery pressure (13 +/- 3 mm Hg to 18 +/- 6 mm Hg; p less than .0001), and reduced mean systemic arterial pressure (55 +/- 10 mm Hg to 44 +/- 7 mm Hg; p less than .001). The time courses of these events approximated that of thrombin-induced pulmonary platelet uptake. Furthermore, the increase in pulmonary artery pressure occurred predominantly in the group of animals in which the increase in pulmonary radiolabeled platelet activity exceeded the median value of 20%. Postmortem histology showed extensive pulmonary thrombus extending from small arterial to capillary levels in animals that died during, or immediately following, thrombin infusion, but not in surviving animals. Our findings suggest that platelet aggregation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hemodynamic change following thrombin-induced pulmonary embolization.
Quickly identifying tree species susceptible to extinction: a case study of seven tree species at Northeast China Transect

Summary Quickly predicting which species are most susceptible to extirpation in a defined area is important for conservation and environmental monitoring. We hypothesised that the susceptibility of tree species to extinction in an area could be inferred by the spatial and temporal dynamics of its populations. Here we use change in population size, population spatial variability, spatial autocorrelation, spatial cohesion, crash rate, and recovery rate to characterise the relative susceptibility to extirpation for seven tree species along the Northeast China Transect from 1986 to 1994. Betula dahurica Pall. and Populus davidiana Dode. were found to have a higher susceptibility to loss than Pinus koraiensis Siebold et Zucc., Betula costata Trautv., and Larix olgensis A. Henry in this area during this time period. The same methods could be useful to monitor and predict the susceptibility of species extinction at a larger regional scale.
A review of robust design methods for multiple responses

Problems in engineering design often involve determining design variable settings to optimize individual product performance for multiple criteria, which are often in conflict. We review mathematically rigorous techniques from the statistical literature for finding a vector x of design variable settings, which produces an optimal compromise solution among a group of prioritized response variables. The best compromise solution is typically gained by optimizing an objective function, which incorporates the prioritized demands of multiple responses. Since most multi-response objective functions are constructed by combining the functions used to optimize univariate responses, a review of the prominent univariate approaches is presented first. A multivariate approach from the engineering literature called the compromise decision support problem (cDSP) is also reviewed. Finally, a table comparing the relative merits of the different multivariate approaches summarizes the article in a concise and user-friendly fashion.
A Computational Method for Temporal Logic Reasoning and Model Checking

Temporal logic is widely used to specify hardware and software systems. Reasoning in temporal logic has been used as an algorithmic approach for model checking for automatically verifying whether a hardware or software system functions correctly. In this paper, we present a computational method for direct computation of Groebner bases (GB) in Boolean rings for temporal logic reasoning and model checking. In contrast to other known algebraic approaches, the degree of intermediate polynomials during the calculation of Groebner bases using our method will never grow resulted in a significant improvement in running time and memory space consumption. We also show how calculation in temporal logic for model checking can be done by means of our direct and efficient Groebner basis computation in Boolean rings. We compare our novel method with previous known methods and report our experimental results.
Genetic Tests for Sale

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing of medical tests, services, and products has become a trend in the field of health care. Direct-to-consumer tests are those tests which consumers can order, typically via the Internet, without any discretion or triage from a health care provider. Take, for example, Direct Laboratory Services, Inc, a laboratory primarily involved with DTC health care services, whose Web site boasts that “a simple inexpensive lab test could save your life.” The assertion by the company is that “disease prevention…is now made even simpler [and] a Doctor’s appointment is not necessary.” 1 Many other online medical testing companies are also being established, and their development is receiving mixed attention in the media. These companies advertise a variety of medical tests available for direct consumer purchase that range from cholesterol levels to tests for sexually transmitted diseases. Sales of medical products for the home such as glucometers, pregnancy and ovulation detectors, thermometers, and otoscopes are also on the rise. Furthermore, pharmaceutical companies are aware of the potential impact of DTC sales, resulting in a near saturation of commercial television and print media with a variety of advertisements for drugs, such as Wellbutrin and Cialis. While laboratory involvement in the development of DTC marketing of medical services appears to be almost universally on the rise, there is some disconnect between laboratories and this type of approach as evidenced by Quest Diagnostics recent discontinuation of DTC tests through its DTC division QuesTest. 2
EFFECT OF POSITIVE‐END‐EXPIRATORY‐PRESSURE ON RIGHT VENTRICULAR OUTPUT IN LAMBS WITH HYALINE MEMBRANE DISEASE

. Cotton, R. B., Lindstrom, D. P., Kanarek, K. S., Sundell, H. and Stahlman, M. T. (Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA). Effect of positive-end-expiratory-pressure on right ventricular output in Iambs with hyaline membrane disease. Acta Paediatr Scand, 69:603, 1980.—Right and left ventricular outputs, pulmonary and systemic blood flows, and blood flows in both directions through the ductus arteriosus were measured before and during positive-end-expiratory-pressure in 5 premature lambs with induced hyaline membrane disease. During positive-end-expiratory-pressure, right ventricular output increased in all Iambs without any significant change in left ventricular output or pulmonary vascular resistance. Left-to-right ductus flow decreased in lambs which initially had large left-to-right ductus shunts. Significant right-toleft ductus flow did not occur before or during positive-end-expiratory-pressure.
Activated Antigen-Specific CD8+ T Cells Persist in the Lungs Following Recovery from Respiratory Virus Infections

The poor correlation between cellular immunity to respiratory virus infections and the numbers of memory CD8(+) T cells in the secondary lymphoid organs suggests that there may be additional reservoirs of T cell memory to this class of infection. Here we identify a substantial population of Ag-specific T cells in the lung that persist for several months after recovery from an influenza or Sendai virus infection. These cells are present in high numbers in both the airways and lung parenchyma and can be distinguished from memory cell populations in the spleen and peripheral lymph nodes in terms of the relative frequencies among CD8(+) T cells, activation status, and kinetics of persistence. In addition, these cells are functional in terms of their ability to proliferate, express cytolytic activity, and secrete cytokines, although they do not express constitutive cytolytic activity. Adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that the long-term establishment of activated T cells in the lung did not require infection in the lung by a pathogen carrying the inducing Ag. The kinetics of persistence of Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells in the lung suggests that they play a key role in protective cellular immunity to respiratory virus infections.
Isolation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis from Free-Ranging Birds and Mammals on Livestock Premises

Surveys for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection in free-ranging mammals and birds were conducted on nine dairy and beef cattle farms in Wisconsin and Georgia. Specimens were collected from 774 animals representing 25 mammalian and 22 avian species. Specimens of ileum, liver, intestinal lymph nodes, and feces were harvested from the larger mammals; a liver specimen and the gastrointestinal tract were harvested from birds and small mammals. Cultures were performed by using radiometric culture and acid-fast isolates were identified by 16S/IS900/IS1311 PCR and mycobactin dependency characteristics. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was cultured from tissues and feces from 39 samples from 30 animals representing nine mammalian and three avian species. The prevalence of infected wild animals by premises ranged from 2.7 to 8.3% in Wisconsin and from 0 to 6.0% in Georgia. Shedding was documented in seven (0.9%) animals: three raccoons, two armadillos, one opossum, and one feral cat. The use of two highly polymorphic short sequence repeat loci for analysis of 29 of the 39 strains identified 10 alleles. One allelic pattern broadly shared in domestic ruminants (“7,5”) appeared in approximately one-third of the wildlife M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis isolates studied. Given the few cases of shedding by free-ranging animals compared to the volume of contaminated manure produced by infected domestic ruminant livestock, contamination of the farm environment by infected wildlife was negligible. Wildlife may, however, have epidemiological significance for farms where M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis recently has been eliminated or on farms free of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis but located in the geographic vicinity of farms with infected livestock.
Toward the accurate first-principles prediction of ionization equilibria in proteins.

The calculation of pK(a) values for ionizable sites in proteins has been traditionally based on numerical solutions of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation carried out using a high-resolution protein structure. In this paper, we present a method based on continuous constant pH molecular dynamics (CPHMD) simulations, which allows the first-principles description of protein ionization equilibria. Our method utilizes an improved generalized Born implicit solvent model with an approximate Debye-Huckel screening function to account for salt effects and the replica-exchange (REX) protocol for enhanced conformational and protonation state sampling. The accuracy and robustness of the present method are demonstrated by 1 ns REX-CPHMD titration simulations of 10 proteins, which exhibit anomalously large pK(a) shifts for the carboxylate and histidine side chains. The experimental pK(a) values of these proteins are reliably reproduced with a root-mean-square error ranging from 0.6 unit for proteins containing few buried ionizable side chains to 1.0 unit or slightly higher for proteins containing ionizable side chains deeply buried in the core and experiencing strong charge-charge interactions. This unprecedented level of agreement with experimental benchmarks for the de novo calculation of pK(a) values suggests that the CPHMD method is maturing into a practical tool for the quantitative prediction of protein ionization equilibria, and this, in turn, opens a door to atomistic simulations of a wide variety of pH-coupled conformational phenomena in biological macromolecules such as protein folding or misfolding, aggregation, ligand binding, membrane interaction, and catalysis.
A Farmer's Choice of Weed Control Method and the Impacts of Policy and Risk

The importance of risk in a farmer's decision to use herbicides should not be forgotten. This paper presents a theoretical model of the weed control decision and develops a MOTAD programming model. The model uses herbicides at levels of risk aversion found in previous empirical studies. This result was not changed by equal (or even higher) ASCS yields for not using herbicides, a tax on herbicides, or the elimination of deficiency payments. The variability of returns was more important in influencing a farmer to choose herbicides than the higher expected returns in a nonherbicide system.
Computing Fenchel-Nielsen coordinates in Teichmuller shape Space

Teichmuller shape space is a finite dimensional Riemannian manifold, where each point represents a class of surfaces, which are conformally equivalent, and a path represents a deformation process from one shape to the other. Two surfaces in the real world correspond to the same point in the Teichmuller space, only if they can be conformally mapped to each other. Teichmuller shape space can be used for surface classification purpose in shape modeling.