cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Making Money: Commercial Banks, Liquidity Transformation and the Payment System

We consider the interaction between the roles of a bank as a facilitator of payments in the economy and as a lender. In our model, banks make loans by issuing digital claims to an entrepreneur, who then uses them to pay for inputs. Issuing digital claims has two effects on a bank’s liquidity. First, some of these claims used as payment are cashed in before the project is over, necessitating transfers in the inter-bank market to meet these intermediate liquidity needs. Second, the lending bank must transfer reserves to the other banks when the project is done to settle its claims. Each of these transfers has a cost; the endogenous interest rate in the inter-bank market and a settlement cost for final transfers. These costs, in turn, are frictions that affect bank lending. Banks in our model are strategic. If productivity is similar, a high cost of final transfers leads to a coordination friction and multiple equilibria, with each bank trying to match the average number of digital claims issued by other banks. We consider the effects of financial innovations (i.e., FinTech) on the payments system and show that a reduction in the need for intermediate liquidity can lead to an increase in the inter-bank interest rate, because it also induces each bank to increase its lending. We also show that innovations may shift investments from more productive to less productive regions.
Power assertion in everyday mother–infant interactions

Mothers' power assertion was assessed following everyday infant transgressions. Power assertiveness showed limited stability, increased with age, and was higher when infants were harming others and when the physical danger was more severe. Naturalistic research is key to understanding how power assertion influences social development.
In Capable Hands: An Experimental Study of the Effects of Competence and Consistency on Leadership Approval

Current research demonstrates that instances where leaders’ promises and actions are inconsistent leads to lower public approval and support. While there are exceptions to this trend there is no cohesive framework to address this issue. We introduce a conceptualization where public reactions to a leader’s inconsistency is placed in a broader context of public perception of the leader’s overall competency. We claim the public evaluation of the leader is dependent on her competency. And while inconsistency of a particular act can negatively affect public evaluations of the leader, the extent of that effect is conditioned by leaders’ competency. To test this perspective we experimentally manipulate both the competency of the leader as well as her consistency in following up on her promises. Furthermore, we expand the context of inconsistency to include both international and domestic domains. We find both leaders’ competency and inconsistency matter in public approval. Our findings hold across policy domains and levels of issue salience.
Strategies for overcoming anti-tumor necrosis factor drug antibodies in inflammatory bowel disease: Case series and review of literature.

Strategies for overcoming anti-tumor necrosis factor drug antibodies in inflammatory bowel disease: Case series and review of literature
Bayesian misclassification and propensity score methods for clustered observational studies

Bayesian propensity score regression analysis with misclassified binary responses is proposed to analyse clustered observational data. This approach utilizes multilevel models and corrects for misc...
Launching the Journal

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Cliodynamics: The Journal of Theoretical and Mathematical History.
Total Intensities of Lines

In many situations in astrophysics we are limited to data giving only the total energy emitted or absorbed by a spectral line with little or no information concerning the shape of the line. This is particularly true for stellar spectra and for present data for the solar XUV spectrum. It is useful in these situations to seek methods for relating the total energy, or equivalent width, of a spectral line to the thermodynamic and chemical properties of the atmosphere. Such analyses cannot be expected to yield the same quality or quantity of information as the line profiles, but, correspondingly, analyses of equivalent widths can be reduced to much simpler form than the analyses of profiles. Thus, in working with equivalent widths we sacrifice information but we gain simplicity. The added simplicity permits the handling of much more data, which helps to offset the loss of information in individual lines.
Ideas from Our Evolutionary Past

Anthropologic data now suggest that the human species has not experienced a significant physiologic change for one to two million years. During most of this period, humans lived as hunters and gatherers. Thus, our physiologic processes and genetic make-up were probably adapted to the life of hunting and gathering during this long time period (Fig. 1.) The small square in the lower right-hand corner indicates the approximately 10,000 years that humans have had the agricultural mode of existence. The 200-year span of our present industrialized society is represented by an almost invisible dot, a period too short for evolutionary adjustment to occur. This long history of evolutionary adaptation during which our biology, molded by the environment, slowly evolved practices related to childbirth and the raising of young children has provided the conceptual framework for productive research. The behavior of hunters and gatherers is a source of many interesting ideas but doesn’t necessarily tell us what to do about childbirth and the care of children today (Konner, 1976). It has been profitable to use observations of the behavior of hunters and gatherers, as well as those behaviors almost universally noted in agricultural societies, to generate questions about human physiologic processes that could then be tested in industrial societies. As an example of an agricultural society that has continued many of the same practices for centuries, let us consider an Indian village in the highlands of Guatemala. Figure 2 is a photograph of a newborn infant, her mother, and grandmother in a Guatemalan home in the village of Santa Marie Cauque. A number of the customs experienced by this teenage mother during her pregnancy, labor, and delivery and in the care of this infant are almost universally practiced in agricultural societies. Let us consider some of these, starting with a number of issues related to infant care and feeding and then returning to the perinatal period to look at birthing practices.
Disordered protein interactions for an ordered cellular transition: Cdc2-like kinase 1 is transported to the nucleus via its Ser-Arg protein substrate.

Serine–arginine (SR) proteins are essential splicing factors that promote numerous steps associated with mRNA processing and whose biological function is tightly regulated through multi-site phosphorylation. In the nucleus, the cdc2-like kinases (CLKs) phosphorylate SR proteins on their intrinsically disordered Arg–Ser (RS) domains, mobilizing them from storage speckles to the splicing machinery. The CLKs have disordered N termini that bind tightly to RS domains, enhancing SR protein phosphorylation. The N termini also promote nuclear localization of CLKs, but their transport mechanism is presently unknown. To explore cytoplasmic–nuclear transitions, several classical nuclear localization sequences in the N terminus of the CLK1 isoform were identified, but their mutation had no effect on subcellular localization. Rather, we found that CLK1 amplifies its presence in the nucleus by forming a stable complex with the SR protein substrate and appropriating its NLS for transport. These findings indicate that, along with their well-established roles in mRNA splicing, SR proteins use disordered protein–protein interactions to carry their kinase regulator from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.
Translation of Diverse Aramid- and 1,3-Dicarbonyl-peptides by Wild Type Ribosomes in Vitro

Here, we report that wild type Escherichia coli ribosomes accept and elongate precharged initiator tRNAs acylated with multiple benzoic acids, including aramid precursors, as well as malonyl (1,3-dicarbonyl) substrates to generate a diverse set of aramid-peptide and polyketide-peptide hybrid molecules. This work expands the scope of ribozyme- and ribosome-catalyzed chemical transformations, provides a starting point for in vivo translation engineering efforts, and offers an alternative strategy for the biosynthesis of polyketide-peptide natural products.
When Rural Hospitals Close, The Physician Workforce Goes.

Rates of rural hospital closures have been increasing over the past decade. Closures will almost certainly restrict rural residents’ access to important inpatient services, and they could also be r...
Mental Health Difficulties of Incarcerated Women: The Influence of Childhood and Adulthood Victimization

With the aim of identifying avenues for targeted implementation of trauma-informed care in correctional contexts, this study engaged in a secondary data analysis to examine comorbidity patterns in ...
Successful Personalization of Propylene Glycol Free Melphalan (PGF-MEL) for Multiple Myeloma (MM) and AL Amyloidosis (AL) Patients Undergoing Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (AHCT) Using Pharmacokinetic (PK)-Directed Dosing

Background Body surface area-based dosing of melphalan prior to AHCT for MM and AL patients causes inter-patient variability in exposure measured by area under the curve (AUC). Higher AUC is associated with increased toxicity, but prolonged survival (Shaw et al., BBMT 2012). Using Evomela (PGF-MEL, Acrotech Biopharma LLC), a more stable and possibly less toxic intravenous formulation of melphalan, we examined the feasibility of PK-directed dosing to individualize and optimize therapy. Methods Prospectively, patients received 100mg/m2 of PGF-MEL on day -2 prior to AHCT. Serum samples were collected at 5, 15, 30, 40, 75, and 150 min after the dose and AUC PK modeling (Phoenix WinNonlin v6.4) was used to determine the dose required to achieve a target AUC of 13.5mg/L*h (+/-1). On day -1, patients received the balance of the calculated dose with samples collected at the same timepoints to calculate the total AUC. After 5 patients were enrolled, the protocol was amended to increase the maximum allowable dose to the equivalent of 260mg/m2 from 220mg/m2. On day +1, 6, 11, 30, 60, and 90, patients reported symptom burden was collected using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory – MM (MDASI-MM). Results Results of 15 patients are presented with 11 having MM and 4 AL, 60% male, median age 62yr (range 48-71), median body surface area 1.9 (range 1.5-2.2), and median creatinine on day of Mel 0.8mg/dL (range 0.7-1.6). Target doses were calculated and given in 100% of patients. Thirteen of 15 patients (87%) achieved the target AUC. The median AUCs on day -2 and day -1 were 6.3 mg/L*h (range 4.2-11.4) and 5.6 (range 3.1 – 8.4) respectively, with a median total AUC of 13.2 (range 9.6-15.2, Figure 1). Three patients received the capped dose of 220mg/m2 prior to the amendment and achieved their predicted AUC; 1 patient received the minimum 140mg/m2 and also achieved the predicted AUC which was higher than the target AUC, as expected. 9/15 patients had AUCs between 12.5-14.5 with 4/6 patients out of range for the above reasons. Neutropenic fevers occurred in 40% and grade 2 diarrhea for at least 1 day in 80% (median 2 days, range 0-7). Median time to neutrophil engraftment was 9 days (range 9-12). The median number of red cell and platelet transfusions required were 0 (range 0-3) and 1 (range 0-8), respectively. Engraftment syndrome was seen in 30% of patients. The hematologic response rate post AHCT was 100%, including complete remission in 20% and ≥ very good partial response 73%. With median follow-up of 6.4 months (range 2.8-13.1 months), one patient with MM whose AUC was below the target (10.1 units) has relapsed. No patient has died. Conclusion We show for the first time that personalization of therapy to a target AUC using PK-directed PGF-MEL was logistically feasible and prevented underdosing. Full trial results for 35 patients, as well as patient-reported outcomes and toxicities will be presented at the meeting.
Myocardial longitudinal strain, fitness, and heart failure risk factors in young adults

AIMS To investigate the relationship between fitness, heart failure (HF) risk factors (age, blood pressure, and obesity), and global/regional myocardial longitudinal strain in young adults undergoing stress testing. METHODS Individuals 25-55 years old without any significant medical history, not taking medications, and with a normal maximal stress echocardiogram were eligible. Global and regional longitudinal strain (LS) was evaluated by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography. RESULTS One hundred and seventy patients were included, of which 60% were males. The mean age was 43 years old, 49% had optimal blood pressure, and 30% were obese. On average, patients achieved 10.5 (3) METS, and the global LS was -19.9 (3.1) %. Reduced fitness was associated with decreased global longitudinal strain (GLS). Those in the top GLS quartile walked on average 1 minute and 21 seconds longer compared with the lowest quartile (P < .001). The effect of fitness on LS was preferential to the mid and apex, such that there was an apex-to-base gradient. Obesity was also independently associated with reduced GLS. However, the reduction in LS in obese individuals was more prominent at the base and mid-walls with relative sparing of the apex. Similar to fitness, aging was also associated with an increase in the apex-to-base gradient of LS. Furthermore, diastolic filling parameters correlated distinctively with regional LS. CONCLUSIONS In young adults without cardiovascular disease, low fitness and obesity are independently associated with reduced left ventricular longitudinal strain. There is a differential effect of HF risk factors on regional longitudinal function.
Beyond Access: Indigenizing Programs for Native American Student Success

Beyond Access: Indigenizing Programs for Native American Student Success is an essential tool for educators, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to expand their knowledge and understa...
Imbedded renewal process

In the preceding section we were concerned with the transition from a stable state i; in this section we are concerned with the transition to a stable state j. From the analytical point of view, the contrast is that between Theorems 3.1 and 3.2. However, there will be a difference in the presentation. In § 15 it we have developed everything probabilistically without the aid of Theorem 3.1; here recourse will be made to the corresponding Theorem 3.2. Another way is to use Theorem 3 of the Addenda.
Stable source of Holocene spring precipitation recorded in leaf wax hydrogen-isotope ratios from two New York lakes

Abstract Changes in synoptic atmospheric circulation patterns are thought to play a role in establishing millennial scale climate periods during the end of the late glacial and the Holocene. In the northeastern United States, multi-proxy evidence documents fluctuations in effective moisture and temperatures for this time period, but constraining the relationship between atmospheric processes and these climate regimes is not straightforward. Because the hydrogen-isotope ratios of sedimentary terrestrial leaf waxes can reflect precipitation δD, these long-chain hydrocarbon compounds are an excellent tool to investigate moisture sourcing. Here we present lake sediment and leaf wax carbon- and hydrogen-isotope records that span the past ∼14.0 thousand years from Heart Lake and Moose Pond in the Adirondack Mountains (ADK), New York. High initial lake productivity after basin inception is reflected in low C:N ratios (
Volar Plating versus Headless Compression Screw Fixation of Scaphoid Nonunions: A Meta-analysis of Outcomes.

Background Headless compression screw fixation with bone grafting has been the mainstay of treatment for scaphoid nonunion for the past several decades. Recently, locked volar plate fixation has gained popularity as a technique for scaphoid fixation, especially for recalcitrant or secondary nonunions. Purpose The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare union rates and clinical outcomes between locked volar plate fixation and headless compression screw fixation for the treatment of scaphoid nonunions. Methods A literature search was performed for studies documenting treatment outcomes for scaphoid nonunions from 2000 to 2020. Inclusion criteria consisted of (1) average age > 18 years, (2) primary study using screw fixation, plate fixation, or both, with discrete data reported for each procedure, and (3) average follow-up of at least 3 months. Exclusion criteria consisted of studies with incomplete or missing data on union rates. Data from each study was weighted, combined within treatment groups, and compared across treatment groups using a generalized linear model or binomial distribution. Results Following title and full-text review, 23 articles were included for analysis. Preoperatively, patients treated with plate fixation had significantly longer time from injury to surgery and were more likely to have failed prior surgical intervention. There was no significant difference between union rates at 92 and 94% for screw and plate fixation, respectively. However, plate fixation resulted in longer time to union and lower modified Mayo wrist scores. Conclusion Patients treated with locked volar plate fixation were more likely to be used for recalcitrant or secondary nonunions. There was no statistically significant difference in union rates between screw and plate fixation. The results from this meta-analysis support the select use of locked volar plate fixation for scaphoid nonunion, especially recalcitrant nonunions and those that have failed prior surgical repair.
Abstract 1417: Curtailing epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity for improved response to breast cancer therapy

Introduction: Two major hurdles faced in clinical cancer therapy are metastatic progression that results in the majority of cancer deaths, and resistance to therapy that fuels tumor relapse. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible cellular program that contributes to the intratumoral heterogeneity of carcinoma cells and confers traits that promote metastatic progression and resistance to chemotherapy. This proposal focuses on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which accounts for 8-15% of all cases of breast cancer. The first-line choice for neoadjuvant chemotherapy is cyclophosphamide, followed by doxorubicin and paclitaxel in combination. In case of advanced/metastatic disease, third-line eribulin is administered as a single agent. In some cases of advanced disease, vinorelbine has also demonstrated efficacy. Eribulin, vinorelbine, and paclitaxel are microtubule poisons that act via mitotic blockade. Knowledge gap: Despite major advances in our understanding, the contributions of EMT research to improvements in cancer therapy have been minimal and yielded no clinically viable strategies to selectively modulate EMT in human tumors. Results:Our new data reveals that eribulin also utilizes a microtubule-independent mechanism to epigenetically induce MET. Using thermal proteome profiling and mass spectrometry analyses, we identify candidate target proteins of eribulin that enable it to act in an epigenetic fashion to induce MET.Eribulin is only able to induce MET in cells that received no prior chemotherapy; in cells pretreated with anthracyclines and taxanes, eribulin is unable to induce MET. Additionally, cells that were resistant to first-line taxane treatment were also resistant to eribulin-induced cell death. Using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, we have determined the optimal sequence of eribulin administration to maximize its MET-inducing and cytotoxic effects. Conclusions: We uncover that, working through altering the chromatin landscape and transcriptional profile of cells, eribulin induces MET and primes cells for subsequent chemotherapy. Additionally, the efficacy of eribulin is highest when administered in the treatment-naive setting. By developing an understanding of eribulin9s mechanism of action, treatment strategies can be optimized to maximize therapeutic potential by exploiting its effects in both mitotic blockade as well as MET. Upon completion of this study, we will better understand how MET-induced tumor differentiation would work and the impact that it would have on current conventional therapeutic strategies. Acknowledgements: Eribulin studies funded by Eisai Inc. Citation Format: Meisam Bagheri, Ian S. LaCroix, Xiaofeng Wang, Scott A. Gerber, Diwakar R. Pattabiraman. Curtailing epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity for improved response to breast cancer therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1417.
A Systematic Study of Chinese Adolescents Self-cognition Based on Big Data Analysis

Self-recognition plays an important role throughout life, especially during the transitional period: adolescence. The establishment and improvement of self-cognition play a guiding role in adolescent’s behavior choice. This paper mainly studies the self-cognitive ability system of Chinese teenagers based on big data analysis. This paper adopts the method of cluster sampling, selects students from three middle schools in this city, gives out self-perception scale on the spot, and uses big data analysis technology to conduct data analysis. According to the analysis results, the higher the education level of parents, the higher the self-cognition score of teenagers; the higher the per capita monthly income of the family, the higher the level of adolescents’ self-cognition. This paper enriches the assessment methods of adolescents’ self-cognition level, provides an effective and practical measuring tool for the effective assessment of adolescents’ self-cognition level, and contributes to the data-driven implementation of mental health management for adolescents.
From Empires to Ngos in the West African Sahel: The Road to Nongovernmentality

1. Knowing the post-colony 2. A new republic 3. 'French' Muslims in Sudan 4. West Africans as foreigners in postimperial France 5. Governing famine 6. Human rights and Saharan prisons.
Hypothesis Tests, Multiplicity of

Standard procedures for controlling error rates of statistical inferences assume that only a single inference is drawn from the analysis of a body of data. When an investigation yields a multiplicity of inferences, an adjustment of the error rates from standard procedures is required. Here we distinguish between two forms of multiplicity, ‘multiple determination’ and ‘multiple comparisions.’ For both, we set forth techniques for the control of a particular error rate; the rate of false discoveries (as proposed by Benjamini & Hochberg). The techniques are illustrated by applying them to state-by-state results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Extensions are discussed, with special attention to whether levels of the independent or classification variables should be considered ‘fixed,’ ‘variable,’ or neither.
The Aging Brain

This chapter provides an overview of some of the changes in brain structure and function that have been observed with normal human aging. Information about neuroanatomical changes is presented first, followed by discussion of selected neurotransmitter changes and neurophysiological investigations. Each section is organized in two parts, with descriptions of biological measures and their age-related changes preceding reviews of studies that attempt to relate biological and behavioral measures.
Effects of Mullerian anomalies on in vitro fertilization outcome.

Purpose: To assess the effect of Mullerian anomalies on pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Methods: The records of 37 patients with and 819 patients without Mullerian anomalies undergoing a first cycle of IVF between December 1995 and July 1998 were included in this retrospective study. Outcome variables included maximal estradiol level, number of days of stimulation, number of follicles, number of oocytes, fertilization rate, and ongoing/livebirth pregnancy rate. Results: Patients with Mullerian anomalies had a significantly lower ongoing pregnancy rate (8.3%) than did controls (24.8%). No patients with diethylstilbestrol (DES)-related anomalies had an ongoing pregnancy. Conclusions: Among women with Mullerian anomalies, those with DES exposure in utero demonstrated the poorest outcome.
A simple surrogate test method to rank the wear performance of prospective ceramic materials under hip prosthesis edge-loading conditions

This research has developed a novel test method for evaluating the wear resistance of ceramic materials under severe contact stresses simulating edge loading in prosthetic hip bearings. Simply shaped test specimens – a cylinder and a spheroid – were designed as surrogates for an edge-loaded, head/liner implant pair. Equivalency of the simpler specimens was assured in the sense that their theoretical contact dimensions and pressures were identical, according to Hertzian contact theory, to those of the head/liner pair. The surrogates were fabricated in three ceramic materials: Al2O3, zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA), and ZrO2. They were mated in three different material pairs and reciprocated under a 200 N normal contact force for 1000–2000 cycles, which created small (<1 mm2) wear scars. The three material pairs were ranked by their wear resistance, quantified by the volume of abraded material measured using an interferometer. Similar tests were performed on edge-loaded hip implants in the same material pairs. The surrogates replicated the wear rankings of their full-scale implant counterparts and mimicked their friction force trends. The results show that a proxy test using simple test specimens can validly rank the wear performance of ceramic materials under severe, edge-loading contact stresses, while replicating the beginning stage of edge-loading wear. This simple wear test is therefore potentially useful for screening and ranking new, prospective materials early in their development, to produce optimized candidates for more complicated full-scale hip simulator wear tests. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 311–321, 2014.
High levels of expression of full length human pro-α2(V) collagen cDNA in pro-α2(V)-deficient hamster cells

A full length cDNA encoding human pro-α2(V) collagen was constructed. Partial sequencing of the cDNA and primer extension analysis of mRNA from fibroblasts found that pro-α2(V) mRNA differs from the mRNAs of other fibrillar collagens in the increased length of its 5′-untranslated region. The pro-α2(V) cDNA was placed downstream of the human cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter/regulatory sequences for expression studies in cultured Chinese hamster lung cells. These cells have been shown previously to synthesize large quantities of pro-α1(V) homotrimers as their only collagenous product. Transfection resulted in a number of clonal cell lines that express human α2(V) RNA at levels comparable to, and in some cases greater than, levels found in normal human skin fibroblasts. Pro-α2(V) chains produced in the majority of clonal lines were of sufficient quantity to complex all available endogenous pro-α1(V) chains. Chimeric heterotrimers, composed of hamster α1(V) and human α2(V) chains in a 2:1 ratio, were stable to pepsin digestion and were found predominantly associated with the cell layer. Surprisingly, pro-α2(V) chains, in excess to pro-α1(V) chains, were found in the extracellular matrix and, in much greater abundance, in media. These chains were pepsin sensitive, indicating that pro-α2(V) chains can be secreted as nonstable homotrimers or as free chains.
Abuse of Iodin, Especially of Iodized Salt, in The Prevention of Goiter

Excerpt It may seem presumptious for me to attempt to discuss any phase of the relation of iodin to goiter at this time, when such an authority as Dr. Marine is to talk to you on the same subject, ...
Nuremberg’s Contributions to International Law

This Article explores the establishment of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg beginning with the Moscow Declaration in 1943 and focusing on the Charter of the Tribunal in 1945, which, along with its charges, altered the course of international human rights law. Focusing on the way the Charter and its charges were devised, the author notes that the Tribunal’s existence was not a certainty after World War II and in fact it almost did not occur due to intense political debate that occurred in both domestic and international arenas. The Article argues that the creation of the Nuremberg Tribunal was the most signiacant development in human rights law in the twentieth century, as it has been used as the model for the tribunals established to deal with the horrors that occurred in Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Theoretical study of the structure, energetics, and dynamics of silicon and carbon systems using tight-binding approaches

Semiempirical interatomic potentials are developed for silicon and carbon by modeling the total energy of the system using tight-binding approaches. The parameters of the models were obtained by fitting to results from accurate first-principles Local Density Functional calculations. Applications to the computation of phonons as a function of volume for diamond-structured silicon and carbon and the thermal expansions for silicon and diamond yields results which agree well with experiment. The physical origin of the negative thermal expansion observed in silicon is explained. A tight-binding total energy model is generated capable of describing carbon systems with a variety of atomic coordinations and topologies. The model reproduces the total energy versus volume curves of various carbon polytypes as well as phonons and elastic constants of diamond and graphite. The model has also been used in the molecular-dynamics simulation of the properties of carbon clusters. The calculated ground-state geometries of small clusters (C{sub 2}--C{sub 10}) correlates well with results from accurate quantum chemical calculations, and the structural trend of clusters from C{sub 2} to C{sub 60} are investigated. 67 refs., 19 figs.
Calmodulin Point Mutations Affect Drosophila Development and Behavior

Calmodulin (CAM) is recognized as a major intermediary in intracellular calcium signaling, but as yet little is known of its role in developmental and behavioral processes. We have generated and studied mutations to the endogenous Cam gene of Drosophila melanogaster that change single amino acids within the protein coding region. One of these mutations produces a striking pupal lethal phenotype involving failure of head eversion. Various mutant combinations produce specific patterns of ectopic wing vein formation or melanotic scabs on the cuticle. Anaphase chromosome bridging is also seen as a maternal effect during the early embryonic nuclear divisions. In addition, specific behavioral defects such as poor climbing and flightlessness are detected among these mutants. Comparisons with other Drosophila mutant phenotypes suggests potential CAM targets that may mediate these developmental and behavioral effects, and analysis of the CAM crystal structure suggests the structural consequences of the individual mutations.
The Molecular Genetics of Red and Green Color Vision in Mammals

To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of red-green color vision in mammals, we have cloned and sequenced the red and green opsin cDNAs of cat (Felis catus), horse (Equus caballus), gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and guinea pig (Cavia porcellus). These opsins were expressed in COS1 cells and reconstituted with 11-cis-retinal. The purified visual pigments of the cat, horse, squirrel, deer, and guinea pig have lambdamax values at 553, 545, 532, 531, and 516 nm, respectively, which are precise to within +/-1 nm. We also regenerated the "true" red pigment of goldfish (Carassius auratus), which has a lambdamax value at 559 +/- 4 nm. Multiple linear regression analyses show that S180A, H197Y, Y277F, T285A, and A308S shift the lambdamax values of the red and green pigments in mammals toward blue by 7, 28, 7, 15, and 16 nm, respectively, and the reverse amino acid changes toward red by the same extents. The additive effects of these amino acid changes fully explain the red-green color vision in a wide range of mammalian species, goldfish, American chameleon (Anolis carolinensis), and pigeon (Columba livia).
Frequency Domain Design for Maximizing the Size of a Step Disturbance in Linear Uncertain Systems

A design methodology is developed for a linear, uncertain, SISO system for maximizing the size of a step disturbance in the presence of hard time domain constraints on system states, control input, output and the bandwidth. It is assumed that the system dynamics can be represented by a combination of structured uncertainty in the low frequencies and unstructured uncertainty in the high frequencies. The design procedure is based on mapping the time domain constraints into an equivalent set of frequency domain constraints which are then used to determine an allowed design region for the nominal loop transfer function in the plane of amplitude-phase. Once such a region is found, classical loop shaping determines a suitable nominal loop transfer function. The pole-zero structure of the compensator is a natural consequence of loop shaping and is not preconceived. An illustrative example demonstrates the trade-off between controller bandwidth, or the cost of feedback, and the tolerable size of step disturbance.
Statistical mechanics of noncovalent bonds in polyamino acids. III. Interhelical hydrophobic bonds in short chains

A partition function is derived for a simple model of interacting helices in a short (20 residues) chain of poly-L-alanine. It is found that interhelical hydrophobic bonds effect a marked stabilization of helical forms, and give rise to a sharp transition of the type found in many proteins.
Differences in Nanoscale Elasticity of Planar and Nanofibrillar Tissue Cultures

Astrocytes are cellular bridges between the neurons and capillaries in the blood brain barrier. It was recently suggested that the nanophysical properties of the basement membrane of the blood brain barrier can influence astrocyte and neuron responses. In this work, cerebral cortical astrocytes were cultured on standard poly-L-Lysine coated glass substrates, Aclar substrates, and electrospun polyamide nanofibers whose properties may recapitulate those of the basement membrane. The nanoscale elasticity of each culture environment was investigated by force curve analysis and compared. The elasticity of the individual nanofibers on nanofibrillar surfaces was also investigated. Finally, variations in elasticity of scaffolds were correlated with astrocyte responses.
Building Operations Efficiencies into NASA's Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle Design

The U.S. Vision for Space Exploration guides the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA's) challenging missions that expand humanity s boundaries and open new routes to the space frontier. With the Agency's commitment to complete the International Space Station (ISS) and to retire the venerable Space Shuttle by 2010, the NASA Administrator commissioned the Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS) in mid 2005 to analyze options for safe, simple, cost-efficient launch solutions that could deliver human-rated space transportation capabilities in a timely manner within fixed budget guidelines. The Exploration Launch Projects Office, chartered in October 2005, has been conducting systems engineering studies and business planning over the past few months to successively refine the design configurations and better align vehicle concepts with customer and stakeholder requirements, such as significantly reduced life-cycle costs. As the Agency begins the process of replacing the Shuttle with a new generation of spacecraft destined for missions beyond low-Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars, NASA is designing the follow-on crew and cargo launch systems for maximum operational efficiencies. To sustain the long-term exploration of space, it is imperative to reduce the $4.5 billion NASA typically spends on space transportation each year. This paper gives top-level information about how the follow-on Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) is being designed for improved safety and reliability, coupled with reduced operations costs.
In situ bioremediation of chlorinated solvents

Abstract This past year, reports have raised expectations that the in situ biodegradation of chlorinated solvents and chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon contaminants in groundwater may soon become a reality. Both anaerobic reductive dehalogenation to non-chlorinated products and complete aerobic oxidation offer greatly increased promise for potential applications.
Toward an ideal competency-based computer science teacher certification program: the Delphi approach

The downward migration of computer science courses from university to secondary and even junior high school level is accelerated by the increasing computer usage in schools and the increasing demands of both parents and students for quality computer education. Teacher training is a major vehicle to the success of this migration. However, at this time, there is no consensus concerning how the secondary school computer science teacher should be certified and what should be included in the study of a computer science teacher certification program. This paper collects data from various computer expert groups through the use of Delphi technique to provide valuable guidelines for establishing a computer science teacher certification program as well as a model curriculum based on the minimum competency required of a successful secondary school computer science teacher.
Adaptation, selection, and benefit-cost balances: Implications of behavioral-physiological studies of social dominance in male vervet monkeys

Abstract This paper reviews findings from studies of physiological-behavioral relationships in captive male vervet monkeys ( Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus ). Among dominant males whole blood serotonin levels exceed levels for subordinate males; social status changes are accompanied by changes in whole blood serotonin and basal cortisol levels; and animals of different social status behave differently in individual behavior tests. Reported findings are used as a background for speculation on relationships between social dominance, adaptation, selection, and benefit-cost interpretations of behavior.
Limits on ν ¯ μ →ν ¯ e oscillations

The result of a search for the neutrino oscillation mode ν¯μ→ν¯e in a fine-grained tracking detector is reported. The average neutrino energy is 40 MeV and the average detector distance from the neutrino source is 26.8 m. No evidence for neutrino oscillations through this mode is observed. Limits on δm2 and sin2(2θ) are presented.
Entrained sprays from meshed-interface occurring in a heat pipe

An experimental study was performed to investigate the parameters governing the liquid (water) entrainment caused by a high-speed airstream flowing over a saturated screen-mesh interface. Experimental correlations for both critical velocity and droplet Sauter mean diameter for entrained sprays were determined
Comparison of DES vs DES + chlorambucil in women with first recurrence of breast cancer.

Thirty-four women with first recurrence of breast cancer were randomized into two groups, and received either Diethylstilbestrol (DES) 5 mg orally (PO) t.i.d. alone, or in combination with Chlorambucil (CB) 0.1--0.2 mg/kg/day PO. All patients randomized were greater than 5 years postmenopausal at the time of the study and had no prior chemical or hormonal therapy. Estrogen receptors were not available. There was no significant difference between Groups A and B with respect to frequency of objective response or mean duration of that response, with the values for Group A being 46.2% and 4.8 months, respectively, and for Group B, 46.7% and 4.8 months (P greater than 0.05). The most common toxicities noted for both groups were nausea and vomiting, edema, weakness, and thrombophlebitis. The risk of major toxicity necessitating withdrawal from the study was greater in Group B due to the added danger of thrombocytopenia/pancytopenia. The addition of CB to DES does not appear to offer any significant advantage over DES alone in women with first recurrence of breast cancer.
Arc-connectedness of the set of efficient allocations in overlapping-generations economies

Abstract The arc-connectedness of the set of Pareto efficient allocations is examined. This property was first announced for overlapping-generations economies by Y. Balasko and K. Shell ( J. Econ. Theory 24 (1981), 112–142). In their proof, a certain technical assumption is made about the structure of the Pareto efficient set that, while generally true if the time horizon is finite, is generally false if the horizon is infinite. The point of this paper, then, is to establish arc-connectedness for the infinite-horizon case.
PDC-109 (BSP-A1/A2) Promotes Bull Sperm Binding to Oviductal Epithelium In Vitro and May Be Involved in Forming the Oviductal Sperm Reservoir

Sperm reservoirs have been found in the oviducts of several species of mammals. In cattle, the reservoir is formed by the binding of sperm to fucose-containing glycoconjugates on the surface of oviductal epithelial cells. A fucose-binding molecule was purified from sperm extracts and identified as PDC-109 (BSP-A1/A2), a protein that is secreted by the seminal vesicles and associates with the plasma membrane of sperm upon ejaculation. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that PDC-109 promotes bull sperm binding to oviductal epithelium. PDC-109 was purified from bovine seminal plasma, and polyclonal antibodies were produced in rabbits. The antibodies detected PDC-109 on ejaculated sperm by indirect immunofluorescence and Western blots of extracts, but PDC-109 was not detected on epididymal sperm. When added to epididymal sperm, purified PDC-109 was absorbed onto the plasma membrane overlying the acrosome, as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence and by labeling sperm directly with fluorescein-conjugated PDC-109. When added to explants of oviductal epithelium, significantly fewer epididymal sperm than ejaculated sperm became bound. Addition of PDC-109 to epididymal sperm increased epithelial binding to the level observed for ejaculated sperm. In addition, binding of ejaculated sperm to oviductal epithelium was inhibited by addition of excess soluble PDC-109. Ejaculated sperm lost the ability to bind to oviductal epithelium after heparin-induced capacitation, but treatment with PDC-109 restored binding. These results demonstrate that PDC-109 enables sperm to bind to oviductal epithelium and plays a major role in formation of the bovine oviductal sperm reservoir.
Damage characterization and modeling of a 7075-T651 aluminum plate

Abstract In this paper, the damage-induced anisotropy arising from material microstructure heterogeneities at two different length scales was characterized and modeled for a wrought aluminum alloy. Experiments were performed on a 7075-T651 aluminum alloy plate using sub-standard tensile specimens in three different orientations with respect to the rolling direction. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to characterize the stereology of the final damage state in terms of cracked and or debonded particles. A physically motivated internal state variable continuum model was used to predict fracture by incorporating material microstructural features. The continuum model showed good comparisons to the experimental data by capturing the damage-induced anisotropic material response. Estimations of the mechanical stress–strain response, material damage histories, and final failure were numerically calculated and experimentally validated thus demonstrating that the final failure state was strongly dependent on the constituent particle morphology.
Splenosis mimicking an intra-abdominal malignancy

Splenosis is the autotransplantation of fragmented splenic tissue, occurring as a result of traumatic splenic rupture onto the peritoneum, abdominal viscera, and occasionally extra-abdominal surfaces [ 11. It is usually an incidental finding, but it occasionally mimics primary and metastatic tumors seen on radiologic studies. We describe a patient in whom multiple abdominal masses were identified radiographically and a diagnosis of metastatic tumor implants was initially entertained. However, because of his history of post-traumatic splenectomy, splenosis was suspected and later confirmed by review of the peripheral blood smear, radionuclide scanning, and percutaneous needle aspiration cytology. The history of splenosis, its clinical significance, and diagnostic procedures are reviewed. CASEREPORT A 46-year-old white man was first seen at this institution in October 1986 after transfer from another hospital with an acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage. He had been taking ibuprofen and penicillin for a tooth abscess when, on the day of admission, he had nine melenic stools associated with nausea, weakness, and orthostatic lightheadedness. Nasogastric lavage produced an intermittent coffee ground-like aspirate. Past medical history revealed a history of cigarette smoking, a splenectomy at age seven after a motor vehicle accident, and an appendectomy at age 26. He abused ethanol and had six prior episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding over the preceding four years. Physical examination revealed a pale, obese, white man with a regular pulse rate of 115 beats/minute and a blood pressure of 140/80 mm Hg. There were multiple perioral telangectasias. The abdomen was soft, mildly distended, and tympanitic. The liver edge was firm with a lo-cm span in the mid-clavicular line by percussion. Rectal examination showed melenic, heme-positive stool.
First Observation of a New Narrow Meson at 2632 MeV/c2

We report the first observation of a charm-strange meson D sJ + ( 2632 ) at a mass of 2632.5 ± 1.7 MeV / c 2 in data from SELEX, the charm hadro-production experiment E781 at Fermilab. This state is seen in two decay modes, D s + η and D0K+. In the D s + η decay mode we observe a peak with 101 events over a combinatoric background of 54.9 events at a mass of 2635.4 ± 3.3 MeV / c 2 . There is a corresponding peak of 21 events over a background of 6.9 at 2631.5 ± 2.0 MeV / c 2 in the decay mode D0K+. The decay width of this state is 17 MeV / c 2 at 90% confidence level. The relative branching ratio Γ ( D 0 K + ) / Γ ( D s + η ) is 0.14 ± 0.06. The mechanism which keeps this state narrow is unclear. Its decay pattern is also unusual, being dominated by the D s + η decay mode. The full vesion of this paper has been submitted to PRL [A.V. Evdokimov [SELEX Collaboration], “First observation of a narrow charm-strange meson D sJ + ( 2632 ) → D s + η and D0K+,” arXiv:hep-ex/0406045 , Submitted to PRL]. Here I have reproduced only the mass difference signal plots for the D s + η and D0K+decay modes.
Projectile interception using a neural network

Neural networks (NNs) serve as a versatile and robust tool for many engineering problems. A NN can be used as a very accurate approximator for multivariable nonlinear equations such as that of the projectile interception. While there is an established algorithm to solve the equation of the projectile interception, it is computationally time consuming for real time applications. The accurate and reliable solution given by a NN reduces the computation time to a constant low value. In this paper, a NN is used to develop a real time projectile interception controller with a performance comparison against the conventional method of using an iterative numerical algorithm. In this study it is demonstrated that the NNs are capable of yielding comparable accuracy and reliability while being less computationally time consuming.