cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vibrational Trapping and Interference with Mating of Diaphorina citri

Microcontroller-platform devices have been constructed that detect Diaphorina citri male vibrational communication calls and broadcast mimics of female vibrational replies. The devices successfully interfere with mating of virgin pairs of Diaphorina citri in 1-h tests on citrus trees, reducing the mating percentage significantly from 57% in the control to 13% in disruption tests. Video and audio monitoring of searching behaviors in laboratory bioassays indicate that males are attracted to the source of the female reply mimics. The percentage of mating may be reduced by the following: (1) interference of a louder and earlier reply mimic more attractive to the male than the female reply; (2) masking of the female reply by the louder mimic; or (3) reduction of female responsiveness in the presence of other female replies, or combinations thereof. In male D. citri trapping bioassays, the device has successfully trapped 45% of males stimulated to initiate search behavior in 1-h tests on citrus trees. Positive and negative effects of social, flush-seeking, and phototactic behaviors of males and females are discussed that may affect the utility of these devices in field applications. In addition, potential applications are discussed for low-cost, modified microcontroller-platform devices that discriminate insect-produced feeding and movement vibrations from background noise in field studies.
Study of Local Mechanical Responses in an Epoxy–Carbon Fiber Laminate Composite Using Spherical Indentation Stress–Strain Protocols

Successful deployment of the highly heterogeneous, laminated, polymer matrix composites (PMCs) in high-performance structural applications is currently hindered by the lack of reliable experimental protocols for evaluation of the local mechanical responses at the salient meso-length/structure scales present in these material systems. Our main interest in this paper lies in establishing and demonstrating protocols for high-throughput evaluation of the local mechanical responses in PMCs at a length scale larger than the fiber diameter but smaller than the individual laminate (i.e., ply) thickness. This goal was accomplished in this work through a successful extension of the spherical indentation stress–strain protocols demonstrated recently for metallic samples. Specifically, plies with fibers at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° to the indentation direction were tested, and the means and standard deviations of their indentation moduli and the indentation yield strengths were measured and reported in this paper. The measured values of the indentation moduli were validated with finite element (FE) simulations performed using estimated values of the effective single laminate stiffness parameters. Furthermore, the measured variation in the indentation moduli was shown to correlate extremely well with the corresponding FE predictions that accounted for the measured variation in the local fiber volume fractions in the primary indentation deformed zones in the sample. These comparisons provided strong support for the validity of the extended spherical indentation protocols developed in this work for PMC samples.
Kinetics of Barium Sulfate Deposition and Crystallization Process in the Flowing Tube

Barium sulfate deposition is one of the most serious problems in the flow assurance issues in the industry. The kinetics of barium sulfate deposition inside the flowing tubing has been studied. The...
Gγ and Aγ Globin-Chain Biosynthesis by Adult and Umbilical Cord Blood Erythropoietic Bursts and Reticulocytes

Abstract We examined γ-globin-chain biosynthesis by adult and umbilical cord blood erythropoietic bursts in methylcellulose clonal culture and γ-chain synthesis by cord blood reticulocytes. Globin chains were labeled with 14C-amino acids and quantitated by using autoradiography or fluorography. Alpha, beta, and Gγ and Aγ chains were separated by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels containing 8 M urea and 3% Nonidet P-40 (a nonionic detergent). Time course examinations of the γ-chains synthesized by the bursts revealed no changes in the Gγ:Aγ ratio between days 10 and 18 of culture. The ratio of Gγ/(Gγ + Aγ) in cultures of adult circulating erythroid precursors was 0.38 ± 0.09, which corresponds to the known ratio in adult peripheral blood erythrocytes. The relative G7-chain biosyntheses in the cord blood bursts and reticulocytes were 0.56 ± 0.02 and 0.66 ± .008, respectively. Both are intermediate between the accepted newborn and adult ratios. Natal erythropoietic precursors appear to be in the transitional stage with respect to the switching of Gγ:Aγ ratios.
Risk and protective factors for intuitive and rational judgment of cybersecurity risks in a large sample of K-12 students and teachers

Abstract K-12 students and teachers are a vulnerable population for cybersecurity risks. Identifying both risk factors and protective factors associated with intuitive and rational judgment of cybersecurity risks would help them develop strategies to tackle cyber risks. A total of 2703 K-12 students and teachers from 45 GenCyber Summer Camps participated in the survey study at the beginning of the camps, and a total of 1021 K-12 students and teachers participated in the follow-up survey at the end of the camps. The Cybersecurity Judgment Questionnaire was developed and administered to assess intuitive and rational judgments of cybersecurity risks. Two major findings of the study include: (1) three significant risk factors associated with both intuitive and rational cybersecurity judgment were Age Group, Region, and Prior GenCyber Camp Experience. That is, younger students, the campers from the West region, and participants attending the camps before tended to have a lower level of cybersecurity judgment; and (2) two significant protective factors were Cyber Use Length and Current GenCyber Camp Experience, i.e., the experiences of both using computers, Internet, cellphones and participating in the current camps having significant advantages in judging cybersecurity risks intuitively and rationally. Thus, it is critical to use both the push strategy to minimize the risk factors and the pull strategy to maximize the protective factors. It is concluded with a summary of limitations and future studies, i.e., replicating the findings in regular K-12 schools, examining more risk and protective factors, conducting longitudinal studies, and studying underlying mechanisms.
ARROYOS AND AGRICULTURE

Archaeologists debate the scale, degree of integration, and level of socio-political complexity of the polity centered on Chaco Canyon. The economic organization of the Chacoan system is fundamental to these debates, yet relatively little research has been directed at investigating agricultural potential, a basic variable. To add to a small but growing body of relevant information, we evaluated the agricultural potential of the Pueblo Pintado Great House community using earth science techniques. Geomorphic observations, pedological (soil) studies, and archaeological data suggest that the inhabitants practiced multiple agricultural techniques and farmed several settings as a strategy for reducing risk. Farming on the floodplain of Chaco Wash probably was particularly productive. Continued research of this type, both in the canyon and at outlying communities, could further illuminate which models of the Chacoan system are most plausible.
Role of Biotransformation Reactions in Prenatal and Postnatal Chemical Toxicity

Drugs and other chemicals may produce qualitatively and quantitatively different toxicologic effects in embryos, fetuses and newborns than in the adult of the same species. When such toxicity occurs during embryogenesis congenital malformations may result. On the other hand, agents which produce toxicity during late fetal development, or during the neonatal period, may impair development or produce toxicity qualitatively similar to that seen in the adult. During embryogenesis there are embryological and non-embryological factors which determine an organism’s susceptibility to an agent, such as the nature of the agent, the dose, and maternal physiology (Wilson, 1965). Agents which disrupt embryonic development may initially act at any of the processes essential for normal development, e.g., cell division, differential gene expression, changes in the surface properties and shapes of cells, or general cellular metabolism. Most organs have a period of particular susceptibility to teratogens which probably coincides with the early and critical developmental events for that organ. During the fetal and neonatal period, however, after differentiation of cells is largely completed, chemical toxicity may involve interference with cell growth.
Chapter 3 Theory and Practice of High-Speed Microbore HPLC

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the theory and practice of high-speed microbore high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The chapter also explores the absolute limits to separation speed as predicted by well-established theory. The development of high-speed HPLC systems has received less attention than gas chromatography. They were able to achieve complete resolution of seven aromatic compounds on microbore packed columns (1 m I.D.) within 20 to 30 seconds. The continuing interest in microbore HPLC (6–10) and its application to high-speed separations gives the impression that microbore HPLC is intrinsically faster than larger bore columns. It can become more obvious from the equations presented that bore size has little effect upon separation speed. Some performance advantages of narrow-bore columns are becoming evident, such as reductions in the wall effects or improved dissipation of frictional heat. In addition, because columns can be efficiently coupled, shorter column segments can be connected to produce column lengths closely matched to separation needs. Microbore HPLC is attractive for high-speed HPLC for a variety of practical, rather than theoretical reasons.
Three- and Four-Dimensional Heteronuclear NMR

The principal source of geometric information used to solve three dimensional structures of macromolecules by NMR resides in short (< 5A) approximate interproton distance restraints derived from nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) measurements (1–5). In order to extract this information it is essential to first completely assign the 1H spectrum of the macromolecule in question and then to assign as many structurally useful NOE interactions as possible. The larger the number of NOE restraints, the higher the precision and accuracy of the resulting structures (5–7). Indeed, with current state-of-the-art methodology it is now possible to obtain NMR structures of proteins at a precision and accuracy comparable to 2 A resolution crystal structures (7–9)
Estrogen-dependent trypsin-like activity in the rat uterus. Localization of activity in the 12,000g pellet and nucleus.

Abstract Direct evidence was obtained for the presence of hormone-stimulated trypsin-like protease activity in the rat uterus. Ovariectomized rats were either untreated (U), treated with estradiol (E), or estradiol plus progesterone (EP). The uteri were excised and subcellular fractions were prepared. Each fraction was assayed for protease activity using protamine as substrate, the cleavage products being quantitated fluorometrically following reaction with 4-phenylspiro[furan-2(3H),1′-phthalan]-3,3′dione (Fluram). Fractions from U rats yielded negative results, whereas the 12,000 g pellets and nuclei from the uteri of E and EP rats exhibited appreciable activities. No significant increase in protease activity was observed in thymus and diaphragm following hormone treatment, indicating organ specificity. The enzyme (or enzymes) from the 12,000 g pellet was solubilized and some characteristics were determined. The apparent K m is about 1.0 × 10 −6 m , the temperature optimum is about 44 °C and maximum velocity is achieved in the alkaline range (pH ~ 8.5). The protease is a plasminogen activator and is inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, Antipain, and Leupeptin. These properties resemble those of trypsin.
Lula VS. Larry Rohter: Misconceptions in international coverage

This article discusses the conﬂ ict between the New York Times foreign correspondent Larry Rohter and Brazil’s President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva over a story published by the American newspaper on May 9, 2004 accusing the President of being a drunkard. Larry Rohter’s piece was criticized for its lack of facts and of reliable sources, and for its ironic overtone. President Lula was criticized for cancelling the journalist’s visa, a measure later revoked because of public pressure. The case exempliﬁ es a well-know sequence of misconceptions and stereotypes from both sides (the world’s most prestigious newspaper and the president of the largest country in Latin America), which brings to light a much needed discussion on the quality of international news coverage, press freedom and social responsibility. This article also attempts to advance the discussion on how framing – second level agenda-setting —may inﬂ uence how we think about foreign political leaders.
Glucocorticoid action on rat thymus cells. II. Interrelationships between ribonucleic acid and protein metabolism and between cortisol and substrate effects on these metabolic parameters in vitro.

Abstract In rat thymus cells incubated with carbohydrate substrate the steady state rate of incorporation of uridine into RNA generally parallels the rate of incorporation of amino acids into protein. In both instances glucose is required for continued maximal incorporation rates, a requirement that is only partially satisfied by other readily metabolized substrates such as pyruvate, lactate, or β-hydroxybutyrate. The inhibitory effects of cortisol on the incorporation of uridine into RNA parallel those on the incorporation of amino acids into protein and appear to be largely on the carbohydrate-dependent portion. Substantial differences in relative rates of incorporation of RNA and protein precursors are revealed, however, by a study of the rapid changes that occur after the delayed addition of carbohydrate; an immediate burst in the incorporation of uridine into RNA, maximal at 1 to 2 min, precedes the slower rise in the incorporation of amino acids into protein. Moreover, in cells previously treated for 2 hours with cortisol there emerges from the moment of carbohydrate addition a maximal cortisol inhibition on uridine incorporation, about 40% of the carbohydrate-induced rise, whereas cortisol inhibition of amino acid incorporation emerges gradually after a 10-min lag. Studies with actinomycin and puromycin reveal that, for both the stimulatory effects of carbohydrates and the inhibitory effects of cortisol that emerge after delayed carbohydrate addition, the changes in RNA and protein metabolism are independent of each other since the influences of both carbohydrates and cortisol on the incorporation of precursors into either macromolecular species persist when the synthesis of the other species has been blocked by antibiotic. It is concluded that the late, 2-hour, effects of cortisol on the labeling of both RNA and protein are secondary to early hormonal inhibition of carbohydrate metabolism, possibly mediated through alterations in adenine nucleotide metabolism.
SiC/SiC Composites for Structural Applications in Fusion Energy Systems

Silicon carbide composites are attractive for structural applications in fusion energy systems because of their low activation and afterheat properties, excellent high-temperature properties, corrosion resistance and low density. Another attractive property includes the potential to engineer their properties by location within a component or system to meet variable performance requirements. This can be accomplished by tailoring the fiber type, volume fraction and architecture by location within the component. Also β SiC exhibits very low swelling (< 0.2%) over the temperature range of 800 to 1000°C.These composites are relatively new materials with a limited data base; however, there is sufficient understanding of their performance to identify key issues in their application. These issues include: mechanical, chemical and radiation stability, nuclear transmutation, hermetic behavior, thermal conductivity, mechanical and thermal fatigue, thermal shock, joining and design methodology. Progress is being made...
Diagnostic beam pulses for monitoring the SLC linac

The Stanford Linear Collider is a pulsed machine with a repetition rate of 120 Hz. By using fast devices such as kickers and triggers, individual pulses can be modified, measured and diagnosed, and then dumped to avoid any background in the experiment. For more than five years, a diagnostic pulse has been used to kick the beams onto off-axis screens at the end of the linac every 6 seconds. This provides a visual monitor of the beam size and loses about 0.14% of the rate or two minutes a day. The sensitivity of the linac optics to temperature and phase variations makes it desirable to monitor the phase advance between different locations in order to make local corrections. In principle, the feedback systems can measure the phase advance using the natural jitter of the beam. In practice, the phase jitter of the beam with respect to the RF may dominate the betatron jitter and distort the measurement. By using a large induced betatron oscillation, the two effects can be separated. To improve the monitoring of phase advance, a small kicker at the beginning of the linac is fired every few seconds and the orbit of this particular beam pulse measured and analyzed. The sensitivity, the measured variation and the correction scheme will be discussed.
Biochemical Studies of Bacterial Sporulation and Germination XIII. Adenylate Kinase of Vegetative Cells and Spores of Bacillus subtilis

The spore and vegetative cell adenylate kinases of Bacillus subtilis, purified about 1,000-fold, proved indistinguishable by several physical and functional tests, including polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, DEAE cellulose chromatography, and specificity toward substrates. Adenylate kinase activity in cell extracts, followed throughout growth and sporulation, was found to reach a maximum near the end of exponential growth, remain at that level during sporulation, until shortly before the appearance of refractile forms, and then decline, along with total protein, during the subsequent maturation of the spores. The enzyme, stable in extracts of exponential growing cells, was unstable in extracts of sporulating cells, presumably as a result of degradation by protease(s) appearing after the end of exponential growth.
Intimate Heritage: Creating Uyghur Muqam Song in Xinjiang

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Nathan Light Year: 2008 Pages: 352 Publisher: LIT Verlag ISBN: 978-3-8258-1120-4 (soft cover).
Joint action recognition and pose estimation from video

Action recognition and pose estimation from video are closely related tasks for understanding human motion, most methods, however, learn separate models and combine them sequentially. In this paper, we propose a framework to integrate training and testing of the two tasks. A spatial-temporal And-Or graph model is introduced to represent action at three scales. Specifically the action is decomposed into poses which are further divided to mid-level ST-parts and then parts. The hierarchical structure of our model captures the geometric and appearance variations of pose at each frame and lateral connections between ST-parts at adjacent frames capture the action-specific motion information. The model parameters for three scales are learned discriminatively, and action labels and poses are efficiently inferred by dynamic programming. Experiments demonstrate that our approach achieves state-of-art accuracy in action recognition while also improving pose estimation.
The anatomy of government failure

Government failure is a much bigger problem than its contemporary treatment implies. Setting aside natural disasters, most of the great catastrophes of human history have been government failures of one sort or another. We argue that many so-called market failures are government failures because government defines the institutions in which markets succeed or fail. The concept of government failure has been trapped in the cocoon of the theory of perfect markets. Narrowly defined deviations from market perfection have been designated market failures, for which government corrections may or may not really be a solution. Government failure in the contemporary context means failing to resolve a classic market failure. We propose an alternative approach for evaluating whether government fails: the Pareto standard. If an available Pareto improvement is not chosen, or is not implemented, that is a government failure. We organize government failure into two types: substantive and procedural. Substantive failures include the inability or unwillingness to maintain order, to maintain sound fiscal and monetary policies, and to reduce risks of transaction costs, which we classify as corruption, agency and rent-seeking. Procedural failures are inadequacies of available social choice mechanisms, causing collective decisions to be arbitrary, capricious, or manipuated. We conclude with some reflections on human rationality and the implications of behavioral economics.
Development of the perforating pathway: An ipsilaterally projecting pathway between the medial septum/diagonal band of Broca and the cingulate cortex that intersects the corpus callosum

The perforating pathway (PFP) intersects the corpus callosum perpendicularly at the midline in the dorsoventral axis. Therefore axons in either the PFP or the corpus callosum make different axonal guidance decisions in the same anatomical region of the developing cortical midline. The mechanisms underlying these axonal choices are not known. To begin to identify these guidance mechanisms, we characterized the development of these two pathways in detail. The development of the corpus callosum and its pioneering projections has been described elsewhere (Shu and Richards [2001] J. Neurosci. 21:2749--2758; Rash and Richards [2001] J. Comp. Neurol. 434:147--157). Here we examine the development, origins, and projections of axons that make up the PFP. The majority of axons within the PFP originate from neurons in the medial septum and diagonal band of Broca complex. These neurons project in a topographic manner to the cingulate cortex. In contrast to previous reports, we find that a much smaller projection originating from the cingulate cortex also contributes to this pathway. The pioneering projections of the PFP and the corpus callosum arrive at the corticoseptal boundary at around the same developmental stage. These findings show that ipsilaterally projecting PFP axons and contralaterally projecting callosal axons make distinct guidance decisions at the same developmental stage when they reach the corticoseptal boundary.
Diagnostic alterations for post-traumatic stress disorder: examining data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication and National Survey of Adolescents.

BackgroundTwo alternative models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to represent the disorder's latent structure better than the traditional Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) three-factor PTSD model. The present study examines the impact of using these structural models for the diagnosis of lifetime PTSD while retaining the DSM-IV PTSD's six-symptom diagnostic requirement.MethodData were gathered from large-scale, epidemiological datasets collected with adults (National Comorbidity Survey Replication) and adolescents (National Survey of Adolescents). Two alternative, empirically supported four-factor models of PTSD were compared with the DSM-IV three-factor PTSD diagnostic model.ResultsResults indicated that the diagnostic alterations resulted in substantially improved structural validity, downward adjustments of PTSD's lifetime prevalence (roughly 1 percentage point decreases in adults, 1–2.5 percentage point decreases in adolescents), and equivalent psychiatric co-morbidity and sociodemographic associations.ConclusionsImplications for modifying PTSD diagnostic criteria in future editions of DSM are discussed.
Comparison of cleft and papillary muscle position in cleft mitral valve and atrioventricular septal defect

Differentiation of cleft mitral valve from atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) is surgically important because of different conduction pathways. The purpose of this study was to find echocardiographic markers for differentiating cleft mitral valve from AVSD. We examined 11 children with cleft mitral valve, 11 children with AVSD, and 11 normal children. We defined a fixed reference point (0 degrees of arc) at the medial junction of the right ventricular free wall with the posteroinferior ventricular septum. Left ventricular papillary muscle and cleft position was measured clockwise in degrees of arc from 0 degrees around a point representing the center of the left ventricle in the parasternal short-axis views. Mural leaflet size was expressed by the arc between the bases of the papillary muscles. Papillary muscle position in cleft mitral valve was similar to that in normals (anterolateral ventricular papillary muscle:cleft mitral valve 194 +/- 10 degrees, normals 191 +/- 8 degrees; posteromedial ventricular papillary muscle:cleft mitral valve 329 +/- 10 degrees, normals 329 +/- 14 degrees). In AVSD, both left ventricular papillary muscles originated closer to each other and were rotated counterclockwise (anterolateral papillary muscle: 182 +/- 7 degrees; posteromedial papillary muscle: 287 degrees +/- 17 degrees). The mural leaflet size was similar in cleft mitral valve and in normal children. In AVSD, the mural leaflet was significantly smaller than in cleft mitral valve and in normals. The cleft position did not permit distinction between cleft mitral valve and AVSD. In conclusion, echocardiographic measurements of papillary muscle position and mural leaflet size permit differentiation of cleft mitral valve from AVSD.
Electron scattering by highly polar molecules. III - CsCl

The crossed electron-beam - molecular-beam scattering technique has been used to measure relative values of differential 'elastic' scattering cross sections at electron impact energies of 5.4 and 20 eV for the angular range from 20 to 130 deg. The absolute values of these cross sections have been obtained by normalization to the classical perturbation theory of Dickinson (1977) at a scattering angle of 40 deg. These differential cross sections have then been used to calculate the integral and momentum-transfer cross sections. An energy-loss spectrum at 100 eV electron impact energy and 15 deg scattering angle has also been obtained. Two weak features at the energy losses of 6.74 and 8.82 eV appear. Their energy positions are compared with the recent calculations of Kahn et al. (1974).
The Impact of Dynamically Heterogeneous Multicore Processors on Thread Scheduling

Although most current multicore processors are homogeneous, microarchitects are now proposing heterogeneous core implementations, including systems in which heterogeneity is introduced at runtime. This article shows that operating system schedulers must consider dynamic heterogeneity or suffer significant power-efficiency and performance losses.
Reactance or Rationalization? Predicting Public Responses to Government Policy

The public’s attitudes toward new governmental laws and regulations are frequently at the forefront of public policy debates. Will the public react negatively to a newly implemented public safety r...
Collateral resistance of a dideoxycytidine-resistant cell line to 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine.

Exposure of a human lymphocytic cell line, H9 cells, to 0.5 microM and 5.0 microM dideoxycytidine (ddC) resulted in isolation of ddC-resistant H9-ddC0.5w and H9-ddC5.0w cell lines. In addition, these cell lines were also resistant to azidothymidine and had reduced deoxycytidine kinase and thymidine kinase activities. We now show that these cell lines are 4-fold and 2000-fold collaterally resistant to 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUR), respectively, but not to 5-fluorouracil (FU). Biochemical evaluations show that, compared to the parental cells, the FdUR phosphorylation was reduced to 36.3% and 9.2% and the FdUMP levels were decreased to 48.1% and 1.2% in these cell lines. Taken together, the data suggest that ddC, an antiviral agent, is capable of inducing resistance to FdUR-a drug that is not its analog and which has a different metabolism, target site, and mechanism of action.
Executive Control of Thought and Action: In Search of the Wild Homunculus

Executive control is studied in many areas of psychological research using a wide variety of procedures. This article focuses on studies of the executive processes involved in switching between tasks. The experiments discussed were designed to isolate and measure the duration of the executive processes required to switch from one task to another. However, the research is open to alternative interpretations that do not hypothesize executive processes, suggesting that task-switching procedures may not measure the duration of executive control. Further research is required to determine whether or not behavioral effects reflect the involvement of executive processes.
An optimal two-stage phase II design utilizing complete and partial response information separately

Phase II clinical trials in oncology are performed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a new treatment regimen. A common measure of efficacy for these trials is the proportion of patients who obtain a response measured by tumor shrinkage. It is standard practice to classify this response into the following categories: (1) complete response (CR); (2) partial response (PR); (3) stable disease; and (4) progression of disease. Tumor response is then treated as a binary variable whereby patients who achieve either a CR or a PR are considered responders and all others nonresponders. A two-stage design that allows for early termination of the trial if the treatment shows little efficacy such as Gehan or Simon gives equal weight to a CR and a PR. However, a CR, defined as complete disappearance of the tumor, is more likely than a PR to signal an important antitumor effect and result in a survival advantage. We argue that CRs and PRs should be considered separately, and hence we propose a two-stage design with a multilevel endpoint (i.e., CR, PR, and nonresponders). This design is an extension of Simon's optimal two-stage design and is based on a trinomial model. For most scenarios the proposed design results in an improvement in expected sample size compared to Simon's optimal design. Design optimization was performed by a direct search based on enumerating exact trinomial probabilities. Sample size tables are provided for parameter sets commonly used in the oncologic setting. Software is available by contacting the authors.
Surface Plasmon Resonance Study of Protein−Carbohydrate Interactions Using Biotinylated Sialosides

Lectins are carbohydrate binding proteins found in plants, animals, and microorganisms. They serve as important models for understanding protein-carbohydrate interactions at the molecular level. We report here the fabrication of a novel sensing interface of biotinylated sialosides to probe lectin-carbohydrate interactions using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR). The attachment of carbohydrates to the surface using biotin-NeutrAvidin interactions and the implementation of an inert hydrophilic hexaethylene glycol spacer (HEG) between the biotin and the carbohydrate result in a well-defined interface, enabling desired orientational flexibility and enhanced access of binding partners. The specificity and sensitivity of lectin binding were characterized using Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) and other lectins including Maackia amurensis lectin (MAL), concanavalin A (Con A), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). The results indicate that alpha2,6-linked sialosides exhibit high binding affinity to SNA, while alteration in sialyl linkage and terminal sialic acid structure compromises the affinity by a varied degree. Quantitative analysis yields an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 777 +/- 93 nM for SNA binding to Neu5Ac alpha2,6-LHEB. Transient SPR kinetics confirms the K D value from the equilibrium binding studies. A linear relationship was obtained in the 10-100 microg/mL range with limit of detection of approximately 50 nM. Weak interactions with MAL, Con A, and WGA were also quantified. The control experiment with bovine serum albumin indicates that nonspecific interaction on this surface is insignificant over the concentration range studied. Multiple experiments can be performed on the same substrate using a glycine stripping buffer, which selectively regenerates the surface without damaging the sialoside or the biotin-NeutrAvidin interface. This surface design retains a high degree of native affinity for the carbohydrate motifs, allowing distinction of sialyl linkages and investigation pertaining to the effect of functional group on binding efficiency. It could be easily modified to identify and quantify binding patterns of any low-affinity biologically relevant systems, opening new avenues for probing carbohydrate-protein interactions in real time.
Effect of partial methionine oxidation on the nutritional quality of soy isolate and casein.

The bioavallabllity of methionine sulfoxide residues in two food proteins, casein and soy isolate, was determined in weanling (21- day-old) and mature rats (101-day-old). Methionine sulfoxide residues within these two proteins had no significant effect on protein digestibility in either group of rats or on the growth of mature rats, but slowed the growth of weanling rats. The impact of methionine sulfone on the protein efficiency ratio (PER) bioassay for protein nutritional quality, which uses weanling rats, was also measured. Results from this study indicated that for each 10% of the methionine residues which are present as partially oxidized methionlne sulfone, the PER of the protein is lowered by 0.085 units.
Evaluation of hypertensive males for primary coronary heart disease events using conventional risk factors and maximal exercise testing.

Whereas hypertension is a risk factor for primary coronary heart disease events, the relative contributions of other risk factors and abnormal responses to symptom-limited maximal exercise are not well-established. After 5.2±1.5 years of follow-up of 633 men with clinically-diagnosed hypertension based upon criteria of examining physicians (whether or not the men were currently treated for hypertension), 54 primary events were revealed. The annual coronary heart disease (CHD) event rate of 16.9/1000 men at risk was significantly higher than the annual rate of 3.6/1000 found for healthy men (p<0.0001). Variables associated with increased risk were smoking cigarettes, risk factor count or tally, chest pain during exercise, percentage of functional aerobic impairment, and percentage heart rate impairment, the latter two variables suggesting early evidence of left ventricular dysfunction on strenuous exertion. Ischemic ST depression was not an important predictor. The three exercise variables were included in an exercise predictor count, and multivariate analysis revealed that this count and the risk factor count were the most important predictors of primary CHD events. Combining the risk factor count and the exercise predictor count, three groups with increasing risk of primary CHD events were identified. In those persons with both a risk factor count and exercise predictor count of zero, the annual rate was 7.3 events/1000 man-years; when either count was one or more, the rate was 15.5 events/1000 man-years; when both counts were one or more, the rate was 49.5 events/1000 man-years.
Mutational Analyses of the Enzymes Involved in the Metabolism of Hydrogen by the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus.

Pyrococcus furiosus grows optimally near 100°C by fermenting carbohydrates to produce hydrogen (H2) or, if elemental sulfur (S0), is present hydrogen sulfide instead. It contains two cytoplasmic hydrogenases, SHI and SHII, that use NADP(H) as an electron carrier, and a membrane bound hydrogenase (MBH), that utilizes the redox protein ferredoxin. We previously constructed deletion strains lacking SHI and/or SHII and showed that they exhibited no obvious phenotype. This study has now been extended to include biochemical analyses and growth studies using the ΔSHI and ΔSHII deletion strains together with strains lacking a functional MBH (ΔMbhL). Hydrogenase activities in cytoplasmic extracts of ΔSHII and the parent strain were similar but were much lower (<10%) in the ΔSHI strain, and no activity was detected in the ΔSHIΔSHII double deletion strain, indicating that SHI is responsible for most of the cytoplasmic hydrogenase activity. In contrast, the ΔmbhL strain showed no growth in the absence of S0, confirming the hypothesis that, in the absence of S0, MBH is the only enzyme that can dispose of reductant (as H2) generated during sugar oxidation. The deletion strain devoid of all three hydrogenases also grew only in the presence of S0 and did not produce any detectable H2. When grown in the presence of limiting S0, both H2S and H2 were produced by the parent and ΔSHI/ΔSHII strains. A significant amount of H2 was also produced by the ΔmbhL strain, showing that SHI can produce H2 from NADPH in vivo, although this does not enable significant growth of ΔmbhL in the absence of S0. We propose that the physiological function of SHI is to recycle H2 and provide a link between external H2 and the intracellular pool of NADPH needed for biosynthesis. This likely has a distinct energetic advantage in the environment, but it is clearly not required for growth of the organism under the usual laboratory conditions. The function of SHII, however, remains unknown.
Trends in Atypical Antipsychotics Prescribed to Children Six Years of Age or Less on Medicaid in Kentucky

Abstract Objective: Studies have shown an increase in the use of antipsychotics to preschoolers for disruptive behavior and aggression. This study investigated the use of atypical antipsychotics in children ≤6 years of age in Kentucky who were on Medicaid. Methods: Kentucky Medicaid prescription claims data between 2001 and 2010 were examined for all children ≤6 years of age who had received an atypical antipsychotic. Drug type, diagnosis codes, and geographic trends were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 70,777 prescriptions were written to 6915 distinct children ≤6 years of age. The use of atypical antipsychotics in this age group increased over the years 2001–2010 with a peak ∼ 1.0% in 2004, and averaged 0.75% in 2010. Older male children were more likely to receive atypical antipsychotics, and risperidone accounted for two thirds of the prescriptions written. Mood disorders, primarily bipolar disorder, accounted for almost 75% of the diagnoses provided. Only 32% of the prescri...
Indoor Spawning and Egg Development of the Red Claw Crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus

In 1991 and 1992, indoor hatchery experiments were conducted with red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus a large tropical crayfish from northern Australia. Six fiberglass tanks were stocked with 40–190 g mature red claw crayfish at 10/m2 and a 1:2 male to female ratio. Water temperature was maintained at 28 ± 1 C. Photoperiod was provided by natural daylight in 1991 and controlled lighting in 1992. With natural lighting, monthly spawning rates (% of females spawning/month) ranged from an average of 15% during months with less than 12 h of light per day to over 35% in months with more than 12 h of light per day. Peak spawning occurred from May to July, too late to obtain juveniles for spring stocking. During the second year, photoperiod was increased from 10L:14D in December to 14L:10D in February and maintained at this level until July. Red claw spawning increased with increasing day length. Peak spawning rates of 50% per month and higher occurred from March to May. Spawning rates decreased dramatically after May, even though photoperiod and temperature remained constant. Eggs per spawn increased with an increase in female size. Fecundity average 7.3 juveniles per gram of body weight for females from 40 to 190 g, regardless of size. Egg color was useful for predicting stage of development.
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Potassium Salts of Phosphane-Substituted (Cyclopentadienyl)iron Dicyanides, and Their Use as Bridging Ligands for Copper(I) Phosphane Derivatives

Phosphane-substituted CpFe(CN)2 anions have been synthesized by photochemical decarbonylation of KCpFe(CN)2CO in the presence of various mono- and diphosphanes. The synthesis and characterization of uniquely bridged diphosphane derivatives, [KCpFe(CN)2]2-μ-(Ph2P)2−(CH2)n (n = 2−4), are particularly noteworthy. These phosphane-substituted CpFe(CN)2− units have afforded stable mixed-metal complexes upon reaction with CuI in the presence of tricyclohexylphosphane in acetonitrile solution. X-ray crystallography shows these derivatives to display two-dimensional diamond-shaped structures with copper(I) of the form [Fe(CN)2Cu]2, where the CuI centers exhibit both trigonal and tetrahedral geometries. Infrared data reveal that the withdrawal of electron density from the iron centers in these mixed metal cyanides via the cyanide ligands is enhanced upon replacing CO in CpFe(CN)2CO− with phosphanes. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)
TOTAL DOSE EFFECTS IN LINEAR BIPOLAR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

Electronics systems that operate in space or strategic environments can be severely damaged by exposure to ionizing radiation. Space-based systems that utilize linear bipolar integrated circuits are particularly susceptible to radiation-induced damage because of the enhanced sensitivity of these circuits to the low rate of radiation exposure. The phenomenon of enhanced low-dose-rate sensitivity (ELDRS) demonstrates the need for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of total dose effects in linear bipolar circuits. The majority of detailed bipolar total dose studies to date have focused on radiation effects mechanisms at either the process or transistor level. The goal of this text is to provide an overview of total dose mechanisms from the circuit perspective; in particular, the effects of transistor gain degradation on specific linear bipolar circuit parameters and the effects of circuit parameter degradation on select linear bipolar circuit applications.
Space-time characteristics of visual input modulations resulting from saccades

To determine the average spectral characteristics of the visual input that neurons experience immediately after saccades, we recorded the eye movements of 14 observers during free-viewing of natural images. For each saccade, we reconstructed a movie of the spatio-temporal stimulus on the retina (the visual input resulting from scanning the image following the eye trace) and quantified the characteristics of this input signal via spectral analysis. Vision is active
Age- and transgene-related changes in regional cerebral metabolism in PSAPP mice.

In parallel to imaging studies in humans with Alzheimer's disease (AD), we have mapped brain metabolic activity in transgenic mouse models of AD. Our aim in both is to provide new surrogate markers of progression to help clarify disease mechanisms and rapidly screen candidate therapeutics. Since previous findings of preferential reductions in posterior cingulate glucose metabolism may have been confounded by morphological abnormalities in previously studied "PDAPP" transgenic mice, we first assessed hippocampal and callosal anatomy in PSAPP (PS1×APP) mice, another transgenic mouse model of AD, and found no major abnormalities. We then used fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) autoradiography in older and younger PSAPP and wildtype mice to assess the functional state of 56 regions-of-interest across group, age and increasing amyloid load. Reductions in FDG uptake in aged transgenic mice, with significant interactions between group and age, were found in retrosplenial cingulate gyrus, found to be metabolically affected in persons affected by or at risk for AD, and in brain regions known to participate with retrosplenial cingulate in networks contributing to spatial learning deficits found in these animals. Like patients with AD, PSAPP mice have age-related metabolic reductions in posterior cingulate cortex, a finding that does not appear to be related to morphological abnormalities. If longitudinal studies support these progressive and preferential reductions in retrosplenial metabolism in PSAPP mice, these reductions could provide an indicator of disease progression, help bridge the gap between human and animal studies of AD, and aid in clarification of disease mechanisms and screening of promising treatments.
Ditching the Desks: Kinesthetic Learning in College Classrooms

In this article we argue that social science instructors at all levels should openly embrace kinesthetic learning as an everyday pedagogical tool. The standard model of instruction at the college level relies on lecture, perhaps with special alternative activities (e.g., simulations) scattered throughout each semester. We argue that students benefit from alternative instruction styles incorporated into their everyday classes. We outline several alternative instruction techniques we have used in our classrooms centered on kinesthetic learning. The kinesthetic activities that we present require little to no additional work on behalf of the instructor but allow the students to engage more fully with the given material and with each other. Furthermore, these simple examples allow instructors to remain relevant in physical classrooms, offering a straightforward counterpoint to the recent trend toward MOOCs (massive open online courses) in higher education.
Aging: Fruit Flies Break the Chain to a Longer Life

Mitochondria have long had an enigmatic role in the biology of aging. New research in Drosophila reveals an evolutionarily conserved function for the mitochondrial electron transport chain in the modulation of animal lifespan.
Space-qualified fiber optic link for radar altimeter applications

This paper reports on the system design of an rf-modulated optical link for spaceborne radar altimeter applications and presents results of rf carrier phase noise and phase stability measurements. Our study involved the transmission of rf-modulated optical signals at 834 nm wavelengths using Bias-T and Mach-Zehnder modulators. The rf/microwave signals' phase coherence, modulation levels, and insertion loss are reported. Phase noise measurements revealed a noise floor of at least -118 dBc/Hz at frequencies greater than 100 Hz from a 5-MHz carrier with direct modulation. The phase noise was degraded by about 10 dBc/Hz for external modulation techniques. The rf insertion losses appear smallest for the Bias-T intensity modulators (approximately 30 dB at an 834 nm optical carrier with 5 MHz modulation). The results of modulation experiments with 320 MHz radar altimeter chirps are also presented with an emphasis on coherence, stability, and rise and fall time. The linear FM chirp signal ramps down at a rate of -3.125 MHz/microsecond(s) (+/- 0.5%) and is flat to within +/- 1 dB. Measurements show that this type of FM chirp modulated on optical carriers at 834 nm meets radar altimeter system requirements.