cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anaerobic growth of gonococci does not alter their Opa-mediated interactions with human neutrophils.

Gonococci grown anaerobically (anaerobic gonococci) in the presence of nitrite induce the expression of at least three novel outer membrane proteins (PANs 1 to 3). Although PAN 1 is expressed by gonococci during gonorrhea, the function of the PAN proteins remains unknown. In the absence of serum, gonococci possessing opacity-associated (Opa, formerly PII) outer membrane proteins adhere to, stimulate, and are phagocytically killed by human neutrophils. Gonococci lacking Opa proteins demonstrate none of these activities. We investigated whether the PAN proteins, or any other characteristics of anaerobic gonococci, altered the ability of nonpiliated, Opa+ or Opa- gonococci to adhere to, stimulate, or be phagocytically killed by neutrophils. The expression of Opa4 by strain F62, as determined by its relative mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, appeared to be unaltered by anaerobic growth, as seen previously (V. L. Clark, L. A. Campbell, D. A. Palermo, T. M. Evans, and K. W. Klimpel, Infect Immun. 55:1359-1364, 1987). Anaerobic and aerobic Opa+ gonococci adhered to and stimulated neutrophils to the same extent. Similarly, anaerobic and aerobic Opa- gonococci adhered to and stimulated neutrophils equally poorly. Finally, anaerobic and aerobic Opa+ gonococci were equally sensitive to phagocytic killing by neutrophils, while anaerobic and aerobic Opa- gonococci were equally resistant to killing. Thus, the role of Opa proteins in mediating the interactions of gonococci with human neutrophils appears unaltered by anaerobic growth, and the PAN proteins, or other cryptic properties of anaerobic gonococci, do not seem to modulate or mediate these phenomena. Images
A time coding analog-to-digital converter

An idea for a time-coding analog-to-digital converter using an exponential voltage sweep is presented. The technique inherently offers the possibility of convenient automatic recalibration in order to compensate for long-term drift. Thus, the converter is particularly well suited for on-line use in automatic digital data reduction systems. Attention is paid to the calibration and use of the converter. A design procedure is suggested and the obtainable accuracy evaluated in terms of the design parameters. Some comments are made concerning the merits of the scheme as compared with the most common existing systems.
A comparison of reciprocal inhibition and reactive inhibition therapies in the treatment of speech anxiety: A methodological critique

Calef and MacLean's (1970) comparison of systematic desensitization and reactive inhibition treatments for public speaking fear is criticized on three different grounds: faulty experimental design, including inadequate controls and serious confounding; poor choice of dependent variables; and inappropriate statistical analysis of the data.
Clinical trial participant characteristics and saliva and DNA metrics

Clinical trial and epidemiological studies need high quality biospecimens from a representative sample of participants to investigate genetic influences on treatment response and disease. Obtaining blood biospecimens presents logistical and financial challenges. As a result, saliva biospecimen collection is becoming more frequent because of the ease of collection and lower cost. This article describes an assessment of saliva biospecimen samples collected through the mail, trial participant demographic and behavioral characteristics, and their association with saliva and DNA quantity and quality. Saliva biospecimens were collected using the Oragene® DNA Self-Collection Kits from participants in a National Cancer Institute funded smoking cessation trial. Saliva biospecimens from 565 individuals were visually inspected for clarity prior to and after DNA extraction. DNA samples were then quantified by UV absorbance, PicoGreen®, and qPCR. Genotyping was performed on 11 SNPs using TaqMan® SNP assays and two VNTR assays. Univariate, correlation, and analysis of variance analyses were conducted to observe the relationship between saliva sample and participant characteristics. The biospecimen kit return rate was 58.5% among those invited to participate (n = 967) and 47.1% among all possible COMPASS participants (n = 1202). Significant gender differences were observed with males providing larger saliva volume (4.7 vs. 4.5 ml, p = 0.019), samples that were more likely to be judged as cloudy (39.5% vs. 24.9%, p 0.21, P < 0.001), but negatively correlated with % human DNA content (saliva volume r = -0.148 and all P < 0.010). Genotyping completion rate was not influenced by saliva or DNA clarity. Findings from this study show that demographic and behavioral characteristics of smoking cessation trial participants have significant associations with saliva and DNA metrics, but not with the performance of TaqMan® SNP or VNTR genotyping assays. COMPASS; registered as NCT00301145 at clinicaltrials.gov.
A q-analog of the campbell-baker-hausdorff formula

The C-B-H Formula of Lie theory guarantees that exp(x)exp(y)=exp(w), where w can be expressed as an infinite series of (iterated) commutators, [a, b]=ab-ba, when x and y are noncommuting variables. It is shown here in Section 1 that a q-analog of this formula exists with the exponential replaced by its q-analog and the commutator replaced by the q-bracket [a, b]=qab-ba. In fact, the q-brackets span the ring of power series in x and y. Section 2 contains a little history of this problem, and a class of related algebras called q-Lie algebras is introduced in Section 3.
Theory of Inexact Krylov Subspace Methods and Applications to Scientific Computing

We provide a general framework for the understanding of inexact Krylov subspace methods for the solution of symmetric and nonsymmetric linear systems of equations, as well as for certain eigenvalue calculations. This framework allows us to explain the empirical results reported in a series of CERFACS technical reports by Bouras, Fraysse, and Giraud in 2000. Furthermore, assuming exact arithmetic, our analysis can be used to produce computable criteria to bound the inexactness of the matrix-vector multiplication in such a way as to maintain the convergence of the Krylov subspace method. The theory developed is applied to several problems including the solution of Schur complement systems, linear systems which depend on a parameter, and eigenvalue problems. Numerical experiments for some of these scientific applications are reported.
Mature bovine adrenodoxin contains a 14-amino-acid COOH-terminal extension originally detected by cDNA sequencing

Since the nucleotide sequence of bovine adrenodoxin cDNA is at variance with protein sequencing data in that it encodes an additional 14 amino acids at the COOH terminus, we used a specific antibody raised against this 14-amino-acid segment to examine its presence in: (a) nascent precursor polypeptide chains, (b) the processed mature adrenodoxin and (c) mitochondria of both steroidogenic and nonsteroidogenic tissues. These studies reveal the presence of the extra peptide in the precursor form derived from in vitro translation and in the newly synthesized mature form as shown by [35S]methionine labeling of proteins in adrenocortical cells. Both the purified COOH-terminal synthetic peptide and purified mature adrenodoxin competed with radiolabeled adrenodoxin for immunoprecipitation by the anti-peptide antibody. Immunoblots revealed the presence of the extra peptide in purified adrenodoxin and in bovine adrenocortical, corpus luteal, kidney and liver mitochondria while it was not detectable in heart mltochondria. Thus, we conclude that mature adrenodoxin and its homologs in nonsteroidogenic tissues contain the C-terminal extension following uptake into mitochondria. These results indicate structural homology between adrenodoxin and the iron-sulfur proteins of the kidney and liver and also suggest the presence of a second iron-sulfur protein in kidney and liver.
Cervical Barrett's esophagus : a common complication of gastric tube reconstruction

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed on 14 of our 18 long-term (more than 2 years) gastric tube esophagus survivors, with special attention paid to cervical gastric metaplasia. Barrett's esophagus was found in 10 patients. In eight cases, this could also be histologically verified. Three patients had esophagitis, but no verified gastric metaplasia. Isotope reflux studies were performed on six patients, all having both endoscopically and histologically shown pathology in the cervical esophagus. Reflux was provoked by putting patients in different positions. Only one patient showed gastrotubal reflux, and only in the prone Trendelenburg position. We conclude that Barrett's esophagus is a common complication of gastric tube patients, and is probably due to acid secreted by the tube itself. Life-long endoscopic follow-up of these patients is warranted.
Experimental and theoretical studies of the reaction Ba+(D2, D)BaD+: sequential impulse model for endothermic reactions

Abstract The sequential impulse model for direct reactions of Mahan, Ruska and Winn is extended to include endothermic reactions. The model is outlined and used to predict the variation in cross section with kinetic energy for heavy atom—light homonuclear diatom reactions. The results are found to agrees well with experimental data for the reaction Ba+(D2, D)BaD+. The bond dissociation energy of BaD+, 2.5 ± 0.1 eV, and the proton affinity of Ba, 250 ± 3 kcal/mol, are derived.
The 4A's improvement approach: a case study based on UNI EN ISO 9001:2008

A quality management system is an important tool for improving an organisation's performance. It is widely applied in private companies, but is rarely used in the field of scientific research by public bodies. The aim of this study is to describe how an ISO 9001:2008 quality system can improve the performance of a research institute by introducing the 4A's strategy: Audit, Awareness, Assessment, and Accountability. Data collected before 2007 are compared to those obtained in the period between 2008 and 2012, and data analysis shows a general improvement in all Institute performance indicators. We could assert that paying maximum attention to the transparency of objectives, prevention, and systematic evaluation of continuous improvement provide surprising scientific and economic dividends even in a public research body with very limited carrot-and-stick potential regarding incentives and rewards for personnel.
Individual differences in amygdala activity predict response speed during working memory.

The human amygdala has classically been viewed as a brain structure primarily related to emotions and dissociated from higher cognition. We report here findings suggesting that the human amygdala also has a role in supporting working memory (WM), a canonical higher cognitive function. In a first functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study (n = 53), individual differences in amygdala activity predicted behavioral performance in a 3-back WM task. Specifically, higher event-related amygdala amplitude predicted faster response time (RT; r = −0.64), with no loss of accuracy. This relationship was not contingent on mood state, task content, or personality variables. In a second fMRI study (n = 21), we replicated the key finding (r = −0.47) and further showed that the correlation between the amygdala and faster RT was specific to a high working memory load condition (3-back) compared with a low working memory load condition (1-back). These results support models of amygdala function that can account for its involvement not only in emotion but also higher cognition.
Characterization of a rabbit fast skeletal troponin I cDNA: A comparative sequence analysis of vertebrate isoforms and tissue-specific expression of a single copy gene

A cDNA encoding skeletal fast troponin I (Tnlf) has been isolated and characterized from an adult rabbit fast skeletal muscle cDNAlibrary. This cDNA contains the entire coding region of 549 base pairs (bp), the 3' untranslated (UT) segment of 78 bp and the 5' UT segment of 74 bp. The 3' UT segment shows the predicted stem-loop structure characteristic of eukaryotic mRNAs. The cDNA-derived amino acid sequence is not identical to the chemically-derived and the recently reported cDNA-derived amino acid sequences for rabbit Tnlf, and thus enables to make the necessary corrections in the sequence information. The rabbit Tnlf is encoded by a single copy gene which is expressed in adult fast skeletal muscle in a tissue-specific manner. Comparative sequence analysis of the vertebrate Tnl isoforms and their cDNAs shows a high level of sequence conservation in the coding region among the Tnlf interspecies isoforms. The sequence similarity is markedly decreased among the fast, slow and cardiac intra-and inter-specie...
Preparedness Planning Before Mechanical Circulatory Support: A “How-To” Guide for Palliative Medicine Clinicians

The role of palliative medicine in the care of patients with advanced heart failure, including those who receive mechanical circulatory support, has grown dramatically in the last decade. Previous literature has suggested that palliative medicine providers are well poised to assist cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and the multidisciplinary cardiovascular team with promotion of informed consent and initial and iterative discussions regarding goals of care. Although preparedness planning has been described previously, the actual methods that can be used to complete a preparedness plan have not been well defined. Herein, we outline several key aspects of this approach and detail strategies for engaging patients who are receiving mechanical circulatory support in preparedness planning.
Dynamic sensor-based control of robots with visual feedback

Sensor-based robot control may be viewed as a hierarchical structure with multiple observers. Actuator, feature-based, and recognition observers provide the basis for multilevel feedback control at the actuator, sensor, and world coordinate frame levels, respectively. The analysis and design of feature-based control strategies to achieve consistent dynamic performance is addressed. For vision sensors, such an image-based visual servo control is shown to provide stable and consistent dynamic control within local regimes of the recognition observer. Simulation studies of two- and three-degree-of-freedom systems show the application of an adaptive control algorithm to overcome unknown and nonlinear relations in the feature to world space mapping.
Predictors of early initiation of sexual intercourse among high-risk adolescents

This longitudinal study assessed the characteristics that predicted the timing of first sexual intercourse in a high-risk sample of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 14 years. The analyses were conducted with 162 adolescents (total sample of 215) who were virgins at baseline and for whom it was possible to determine the date of first sexual intercourse. Event history analyses were employed and predictor variables were defined using multimethod and multiagent assessments. The modal age of first intercourse was 14 years. Pubertal status externalizing ratings delinquency substance use monitoring and deviant-peer involvement were univariate predictors of age of first sexual intercourse whereas deviant-peer involvement was the sole predictor in the multivariate analysis. These results suggest that precocious sexual initiation can be understood using models of the etiology of other problem behavior and that deviant-peer involvement is a particularly salient dimension of this trajectory. (authors)
Crystal Structure of Human Taspase1, a Crucial Protease Regulating the Function of MLL.

Taspase1 catalyzes the proteolytic processing of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) nuclear protein, which is required for maintaining Hox gene expression patterns. Chromosomal translocations of the MLL gene are associated with leukemia in infants. Taspase1, a threonine aspartase, is a member of the type 2 asparaginase family, but is the only protease in this family. We report here the crystal structures of human activated Taspase1 and its proenzyme, as well as the characterization of the effects of mutations in the active site region using a newly developed fluorogenic assay. The structure of Taspase1 has significant differences from other asparaginases, especially near the active site. Mutation of the catalytic nucleophile, Thr234, abolishes autocatalytic processing in cis but does not completely block proteolysis in trans. The structure unexpectedly showed the binding of a chloride ion in the active site, and our kinetic studies confirm that chlorides ions are inhibitors of this enzyme at physiologically relevant concentrations.
The sources and levels of mercury in the sewage of a university campus.

Since the report that mercury and its inorganic ccmi0ounds are converted in natural waters to biologically active organic species (JENS~4 and JEENELOV 1969, JERNELOV ]970, WOOD et al. 1968), several reports have appeared concerning levels of mercury in surface and ground waters (MATIDA and KU~ADA 1969, UNDERDAL and HASTEIN 1971) and the relationships of these levels of mercury to specific industrial sources (JOHNELS et al. 1967, [~HE et al. 1973). Recently EVANS et al. (1973) repo---rted---data which ~d~ated that purely domestic sources may be as important as industrial sources of mercury in seerage in scine cases. In a limited study of five central Illinois municipalities, the latter authors found back c~ound levels of 2 ppb mercury in the raw sewage of the ccm~mities which lack any significant industry. The values exceed the tolerance level for sewage established by the Illinois Pollution Control Board (Illinois PCB) which specifies "no effluent to any public sewer system shall include mercury or any of its compounds in excess of 0.0005 mg/l as Hg at any time."
Somatic complaints and homeostasis in psychiatric patients.

In a study of 135 patients with somatic complaints, observed in a veterans' mental hygiene clinic, the author found a considerably greater incidence of overt, borderline and latent psychosis than anticipated. Physical signs developed in 36 cases only. Headache and cardiovascular symptoms seemed less prone to be associated with psychosis; genito-urinary, gastro-intestinal, endocrine, allergic, skin and musculoskeletal complaints more prominently so. In cases where a low overt-psychosis rate contrasts with a high borderline-psychosis rate, for instance, in gastro-intestinal complaints, a precarious balance may exist for years without leading to complete psychotic decompensation. In cardiovascular disorders and headaches, where hostility can be abreacted through socially acceptable channels, the danger of a psychotic outbreak was found to be considerably less than in those disorders which are more closely related to the early infant-mother relationship (genito-urinary, gastro-intestinal, skin, musculoskeletal complaints). The emergence of somatic complaints seems to indicate an attempt by the organism to restore homeostasis; thus keeping under control overt and latent psychotic symptoms, preventing decompensation or bringing about remission of active psychosis. Somatization apparently can be an effective safeguard against psychosis as well as against the development of organic pathology. Psychotherapy in psychiatric patients with somatic complaints should be handled cautiously, always with the possibility in mind that serious psychopathology might be mobilized by upsetting the equilibrium of somatic and emotional defenses.
Fibonacci Search for High-Yield Well Sites

In areas where the bedrock is irregular, depressions in the bedrock formation can yield significantly higher amounts of water because the aquifer has a greater saturated thickness. Finding these areas by drilling test holes is a common practice but one that can be conducted more economically if an efficient search procedure is utilized. This paper describes such a technique called the Fibonacci Search and shows that it can save thousands of dollars in the cost of drilling test holes when compared to “brute-force” methods.
Diamide reduces cadmium accumulation by human lung carcinoma A549 cells

Human lung carcinoma A549-T27 cells were used to determine the effect of diamide on cadmium accumulation. Treatment of the cells with diamide decreased their cellular glutathione content to 51.6 +/- 7% of control and significantly decreased their cadmium accumulation both as a function of time and as a function of Cd2+ concentration. Verapamil also decreased cadmium accumulation. Its effect compares well in magnitude with that which resulted from diamide treatment. No additive effect was observed when the cells were simultaneously treated with diamide and verapamil. The results suggest that a change in the GSH/GSSG ratio affects cadmium uptake. Further, calcium channels may be involved in cadmium uptake by A549-T27 cells in a fashion that is dependent on sulfhydryl status.
Moving beyond empiric continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) trials for central sleep apnea: A multi-modality titration study

There is no universally accepted method to determine effective therapy for central sleep apnea (CSA). Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) applied acutely most often does not eliminate apneas and hypopneas. We hypothesized that the application of two or more therapeutic modalities after the diagnostic phase of polysomnography, a multi-modality titration study (MMTS), would identify a successful CSA treatment more often than a standard split-night study (SNS) and obviate the need for additional polysomnograms to determine a successful therapy. We retrospectively analyzed polysomnograms of patients diagnosed with CSA at our Sleep Disorders Center. We defined a therapy trial that resulted in an apnea-hypopnea index < 10 with at least one treatment modality as a therapeutic success. One hundred fifteen patients with CSA were studied. Sixty-six patients (57.4%) underwent a SNS, and 49 patients (42.6%) underwent a MMTS. SNS yielded only 8/66 (12.1%) successes on the first night, whereas a MMTS yielded 19/49 (38.8%) successes (p = 0.001, two-tailed Fishers exact). Patients who underwent a SNS eventually had similar rate of success as patients studied with MMTS (60.6 vs 63.3%, NS), but required more testing. Adaptive servo-ventilation was the most successful modality tested, yielding 36/46 (78.3%) successes. Trials of additional modalities following a failed trial of CPAP often produce a successful option that may guide therapy in patients with CSA. This approach may lead to establishing the diagnosis and treatment plans faster, while reducing unnecessary testing.
Coagulation effects of cyclosporine in liver transplantation

Thromboembolic complications have been described in graft recipients receiving cyclosporine (CS). Whether these individuals have a hypercoagulable state when compared to healthy controls was evaluated. Recalcification times (RT) of saline-incubated citrated whole blood and endotoxin-incubated whole blood of both control and transplant patients were determined. There was no difference between the RT saline or RT endotoxin groups in both patient groups. These data suggest that CS alone has no procoagulant effects, but that additional factors such as endotoxin and/or graft-induced antigen production may provoke the thrombotic complications.
Design and performance of ternary blend high-volume fly ash concretes of moderate slump

Abstract One approach to increasing the sustainability of concrete construction is to replace a significant portion of the ordinary portland cement (OPC) with a supplementary cementitious material, such as fly ash. This paper presents mixture proportions and measured properties for a series of six high-volume fly ash (HVFA) concretes, five containing a ternary component of a fine limestone powder, with cement replacement levels of 40% or 60% by volume, targeting moderate slump (150 mm) applications. Special emphasis is given to electrical resistivity measurements, comparing measurements conducted in a uniaxial vs. a surface configuration, and assessing the capability of measurements of the bulk resistance of the fresh concrete to anticipate setting times in these HVFA mixtures. The degree to which relationships exist between compressive strength and either cumulative heat release or uniaxial resistivity are presented. In general, ternary blend HVFA concretes can be formulated to provide acceptable strengths at both early ages and over the longer term, with an increased resistivity that implies an enhanced durability and increased service life. However, to achieve moderate slumps at the requisite lower water-to-cementitious material ratios, high dosages of high-range water-reducing admixtures (HWRA) will likely be required, which can negatively impact early-age properties (e.g., setting time and 1 d strengths). Thus, optimum mixture proportioning will require the careful selection and evaluation of the available HRWRA products, both individually and in potential combinations. Finally, another viable route to reducing cement content is to increase the aggregate volume fraction, as demonstrated by the OPC control concretes investigated in this study where aggregate volume fraction was increased from 70% to 72.5%, concurrently achieving a 10% reduction in cement content. In the ternary blend HVFA mixtures, further increases to 75% aggregates were possible, resulting in overall cement reductions (per unit volume of concrete) of between 45% and 63%.
Juvenile delinquency in search of a practice model: Family health, Differential association, and social control

ABSTRACT Historically, practice research on juvenile delinquency has often been guided by the theories of differential association and social control. However, current research indicates that no matter what theory of delinquency is pursued, it has had little effect on decreasing juvenile arrest and violent crime rates. This article will explore the dynamics of the theories of differential association and social control in relation to juvenile delinquency. These linear, normative, and deficit-based theories are then contrasted with family health practice, an alternative theory and intervention model which focuses on the multiple forms and needs of families and their strengths. Specific family health practice principles and interventions are suggested for practice with families in which juvenile delinquency occurs. Finally, a case example utilizing family health interventions is presented.
Survival of cultured mammalian cells exposed to ultrasound.

The colony-forming ability of cultured mammalian cells exposed to monochromatic ultrasonic vibrations of different frequencies (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.3 MHz) was studied. The combined effect of x rays and 1.0-MHz ultrasonic waves on the survival of M3-1 cells was also investigated. Split-dose experiments showed that cells exposed to ultrasound are “sensitized” to a subsequent exposure. Almost twice as many cells survive a given ultrasonic dose when exposed in the M phase as when exposed in the S phase. A small amount of synergism between ultrasound and x rays has been observed. The extent of synergism depends on the experimental factors, and may be due to an interaction between nuclear damage caused by x rays and the damage to the cell membrane caused by ultrasound.
On the use of Fourier averages to compute the global isochrons of (quasi)periodic dynamics

The concept of isochrons is crucial for the analysis of asymptotically periodic systems. Roughly, isochrons are sets of points that partition the basin of attraction of a limit cycle according to the asymptotic behavior of the trajectories. The computation of global isochrons (in the whole basin of attraction) is however difficult, and the existing methods are inefficient in high-dimensional spaces. In this context, we present a novel (forward integration) algorithm for computing the global isochrons of high-dimensional dynamics, which is based on the notion of Fourier time averages evaluated along the trajectories. Such Fourier averages in fact produce eigenfunctions of the Koopman semigroup associated with the system, and isochrons are obtained as level sets of those eigenfunctions. The method is supported by theoretical results and validated by several examples of increasing complexity, including the 4-dimensional Hodgkin-Huxley model. In addition, the framework is naturally extended to the study of quasiperiodic systems and motivates the definition of generalized isochrons of the torus. This situation is illustrated in the case of two coupled Van der Pol oscillators.
Bubble detachment by diffusion-controlled surfactant adsorption

Abstract The effect of the diffusion-controlled adsorption of the surfactant Triton X-100 on detachment of gas bubbles adherent to the wall in pipe flow is studied. Air bubbles of known volume (scaled bubble dimension λ=0.8, 1.0, 1.5) are maintained in tubes inclined at 25°, 45°, 65°, or 90°. Triton X-100 is infused into the bulk flow to achieve a final mixed bulk concentration of either 10% or 100% of the critical micelle concentration. Pressure and flow waveforms are recorded, and video images of bubbles before and during exposure to the surfactant are captured. Surfactant-induced reductions of the surface tension and contact angle lead to distinct regimes of dynamic bubble behavior including static and oscillatory interfacial deformation, deformation with axial displacement, and complete bubble detachment from the wall. The surfactant-mediated responses depend on the interrelated effects of Triton X-100 concentration, bubble size, and tube angle. A high bulk concentration of Triton X-100 produces rapid changes in bubble shape and promotes wetting, increasing the potential for bubble detachment. Bubble detachment occurs more readily with larger bubble volume. For vertical tubes (i.e. no contact forces present) and non-vertical tubes (i.e. contact forces present), the bubble may be displaced axially in either the direction of or opposite to the bulk flow direction following introduction of Triton X-100. Bubble axial motion and detachment result from the surfactant effects on contact line mechanics. For moving contact lines, the contact line velocities corresponding to rates of shrinkage of de-wetted surface area (or, alternatively, rates of gas–liquid interfacial dilation) along with time-dependent contact front length are determined from the experimental data. Potential effects of Triton X-100 on interfacial remobilization are described. Soluble surfactants have the potential to be used for dislodging gas bubbles adherent to a pipe wall by intentional manipulation of interfacial shape and wetting properties.
LAA ligation using the LARIAT suture delivery device: Tips and tricks for a successful procedure☆

intracranial bleeding (the most serious complication) to increased propensity for mechanical injury (the least serious complication). The resumption of OAC in patients who have suffered a life-threatening complication due to OAC is associated with a much higher risk of such events in the future. Alternative treatment options for this subset of patients include surgical and percutaneous catheter–based exclusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA). Of these, the percutaneous catheter–based LAA ligation procedure with the LARIAT suture delivery device (SentreHEART, Inc, Redwood City, CA) is an option that uses a combined endocardial and epicardial approach for LAA closure. It is technically feasible and has been shown to produce complete and long-term closure of the LAA. 3–5 We provide a step-bystep approach to LAA ligation with the LARIAT suture delivery device. This article provides useful hands-on information on a successful procedure with the LARIAT device but is not a substitute for proctoring—a necessity for the initial cases. A flow diagram of the steps involved in the procedure is depicted in Figure 1, and an overview of these steps is depicted in Figure 2 and Online Supplemental Movie 1. Preprocedural planning Patient selection On the basis of the published data, we consider performing this procedure in patients with AF who have risk factors for stroke and contraindications to OAC (Table 1). The percutaneous LAA ligation procedure requires the LARIAT device to be freely mobile within the pericardial space; therefore, prior open heart surgery is an absolute contraindication. A clinical history of severe pericarditis, epicardial VT ablation, uremia, pectus excavatum, and severe obesity are relative contraindications.
Characterization of protein kinase CK2 from Trypanosoma brucei

CK2 is a ubiquitous but enigmatic kinase. The difficulty in assigning a role to CK2 centers on the fact that, to date, no biologically relevant modulator of its function has been identified. One common theme revolves around a constellation of known substrates involved in growth control, compatible with its concentration in the nucleus and nucleolus. We had previously described the identification of two catalytic subunits of CK2 in Trypanosoma brucei and characterized one of them. Here we report the characterization of the second catalytic subunit, CK2α’, and the identification and characterization of the regulatory subunit CK2β. All three subunits are primarily localized to the nucleolus in T. brucei. We also show that CK2β interacts with the nucleolar protein NOG1, adding to the interaction map which previously linked CK2α to the nucleolar protein NOPP44/46, which in turn associates with the rRNA binding protein p37. CK2 activity has four distinctive features: near equal affinity for GTP and ATP, heparin sensitivity, and stimulation by polyamines and polybasic peptides. Sequence comparison shows that the parasite orthologues have mutations in residues previously mapped as important in specifying affinity for GTP and stimulation by both polyamines and polybasic peptides. Studies of the enzymatic activity of the T. brucei CK2s show that both the affinity for GTP and stimulation by polyamines have been lost and only the features of heparin inhibition and stimulation by polybasic peptides are conserved.
Alternative temporal control systems for hypodermal cell differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans

IN certain multicellular organisms, genetic regulatory systems that specify the timing of cell division, differentiation and morpho-genesis1–3 must accommodate environmental and physiological contingencies that perturb or arrest development. For example, Caenorhabditis elegans can either develop continuously through four larval stages (L1–L4) or arrest indefinitely as a 'dauer larva' at the second larval (L2) moult, and later resume L3 and L4 development4–7. At the larva-to-adult (L4) moult of both con-tinuous and 'post-dauer' development, hypodermal cells switch (the 'L/A switch') from a proliferating state to the terminally differentiated state. Four temporal regulators, lin-4, lin-14, lin-28 and lin-29, have been identified in C. elegans by mutations that cause precocious or retarded expression of stage-specific post-embryonic development events, including the L/A switch (refs 3, 8, 9; Fig. la). These genes have been organized into a genetic pathway that controls the timing of the L/A switch during continuous development10: lin-29 activates the switch and the other heterochronic genes regulate it indirectly by regulating lin-29. We have now examined how the proper timing of this event is specified in alternative developmental pathways. In continuously developing lin-4, lin-14 and lin-28 mutants the L/A switch occurs at abnor-mally early or late moults3,8, but during post-dauer development of the same mutants the L/A switch occurs normally. Thus hypodermal cell differentiation is regulated by separate temporal control systems, depending on the developmental history.
Analysis of Transition-Metal Compounds Containing Tetrathiafulvalene Phosphine Ligands by Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry: Limitations and the Development of Matrix Additives for the Desorption of Multiply Charged Complexes

A series of new complexes incorporating the functionalized tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) ligands ortho-(CH3)2(P(C6H5)2)2TTF (o-P2) and (P(C6H5)2)4TTF (P4) have been prepared and studied by fast atom bom...
Project selection criteria by strategic orientation

Abstract One information planning decision involves project selection from among a portfolio of options. This involves multiple steps, including selection and weighting of alternatives. Choice and weighting on criteria become crucial in the selection of the projects to pursue. A survey conducted by the authors found that organizations with an expectation of future IS importance rely heavily on organizational goals, management support and environmental factors. Organizations with low strategic expectations of IS rely more heavily on management support, political considerations, and risk. The results allow managers to position selection criteria according to their strategic use of information technology.
The Effects of Rehabilitative Voir Dire on Juror Bias and Decision Making

During voir dire, judges frequently attempt to “rehabilitate” venirepersons who express an inability to be impartial. Venirepersons who agree to ignore their biases and base their verdict on the evidence and the law are eligible for jury service. In Experiment 1, biased and unbiased mock jurors participated in either a standard or rehabilitative voir dire conducted by a judge and watched a trial video. Rehabilitation influenced insanity defense attitudes and perceptions of the defendant’s mental state, and decreased scaled guilt judgments compared to standard questioning. Although rehabilitation is intended to correct for partiality among biased jurors, rehabilitation similarly influenced biased and unbiased jurors. Experiment 2 found that watching rehabilitation did not influence jurors’ perceptions of the judge’s personal beliefs about the case.
A wide cold‐frontal rainband and its relationship to frontal topography

A wide cold-frontal rainband associated with a vigorous surface cold front was investigated using conventional meteorological data and the velocity and reflectivity data from high-resolution Doppler radar. It was found that the movement of the rainband was closely related to the velocity of the frontal surface, and that the substructural features of the rainband corresponded closely with the topographical features of that surface. The evolution of the topography of the frontal surface is described, and some processes that might affect frontal topography, and therefore the structure and movement of rainbands, are examined.
Accuracy evaluation for region centroid-based registration of fluorescent CLSM imagery

We present an accuracy evaluation of a semiautomatic registration technique for 3D volume reconstruction from fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) imagery. The presented semiautomatic method is designed based on our observations that (a) an accurate point selection is much harder than an accurate region (segment) selection for a human, (b) a centroid selection of any region is less accurate by a human than by a computer, and (c) registration based on structural shape of a region rather than based on intensity-defined point is more robust to noise and to morphological deformation of features across stacks. We applied the method to image mosaicking and image alignment registration steps and evaluated its performance with 20 human subjects on CLSM images with stained blood vessels. Our experimental evaluation showed significant benefits of automation for 3D volume reconstruction in terms of achieved accuracy, consistency of results, and performance time. In addition, the results indicate that the differences between registration accuracy obtained by experts and by novices disappear with the proposed semiautomatic registration technique while the absolute registration accuracy increases.
Local Spin III: Wave Function Analysis along a Reaction Coordinate, H Atom Abstraction, and Addition Processes of Benzyne

The recently derived local spin operator 〈SA2〉 directly determines the spin state of an atom or molecular fragment A, whereas the 〈SA·SB〉 operator represents the Heisenberg Hamiltonian spin coupling between A and B. Although one typically associates such spin properties with open-shell molecules, in the single-determinant molecular orbital approximation, these operators may be related to chemically relevant quantities such as bond order regardless of whether the system has unpaired electrons. Here we demonstrate the usefulness of these operators as molecular properties that can be applied to wave functions for which many properties are not defined, namely, multideterminant wave functions. Analysis of the wave functions of o-, m-, and p-benzyne indicates that these spin operators are able to detect subtle differences in electronic structure within a series of isomers with unpaired electrons. Hydrogen atom addition and abstraction processes are then used to illustrate that the operators are able to track ch...
NADPH Oxidase-Mediated Triggering of Inflammasome Activation in Mouse Podocytes and Glomeruli During Hyperhomocysteinemia

Abstract Aim: Our previous studies have shown that NOD-like receptor protein (NALP3) inflammasome activation is importantly involved in podocyte dysfunction and glomerular sclerosis induced by hyperhomocysteinemia (hHcys). The present study was designed to test whether nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-mediated redox signaling contributes to homocysteine (Hcys)-induced activation of NALP3 inflammasomes, an intracellular inflammatory machinery in podocytes in vitro and in vivo. Results: In vitro confocal microscopy and size-exclusion chromatography revealed that upon NADPH oxidase inhibition by gp91phox siRNA, gp91ds-tat peptide, diphenyleneiodonium, or apocynin, aggregation of inflammasome proteins NALP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and caspase-1 was significantly attenuated in mouse podocytes. This NADPH oxidase inhibition also resulted in diminished Hcys-induced inflammasome activation, evidenced by reduced caspase-1 activity and interleukin-1β production. Si...
Recognition of component differences in two-dimensional oculomotor tracking tasks

Abstract A tracking task was constructed, wherein the target moved with a sinusoidal motion along a line at 35° to the vertical, and with a low-pass filtered Gaussian random motion in the orthogonal direction. It was found that the oculomotor system did not simply track vertical and horizontal components. Rather, the oculomotor system recognized the two-component structure of the target motion and rotated its frame of reference so that the two tracking channels coincided with the directions of the two distinct target motion components. This recognition occurred even when both orthogonal components were random sequences, but with different bandwidths.
Martin Buber and Dialogical Psychotherapy

This article has a quadruple thrust: first, to present Martin Buber’s philosophy of dialogue; second, to give a full account of Maurice Friedman’s 10 elements of Dialogical Psychotherapy; third, to...
Microheterogeneity of arylsulfatase a from human tissues

Abstract Human arylsulfatase A (cerebroside-3-sulfate 3-sulfohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.8) exhibited microheterogeneity on isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels. Pure urinary enzyme gave 3 bands of activity with pI values of 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9, whereas purified liver enzyme yielded six equally spaced bands from pI 4.4 to 4.9. Detection of enzyme in the gel was made by either methylumbelliferyl sulfate or nitrocatechol sulfate. Crude enzyme preparations from human liver, kidney, placenta, brain and testis showed the six-banded pattern with varying amounts of activity in the different bands. The banding pattern of cultured human fibroblast extracts was distinctive: in addition to activity in the area of Bands 1–6 a sharp band at pI 5.1 was observed with both enzyme stains. This latter band was also present in metachromatic leukodystrophy fibroblast extracts. However, in this case the band did not appear when the specific arylsulfatase A stain was used. Enzyme Bands 1, 2 and 3 from urine were isolated by extraction of the gel. The three bands refocused in their initial positions; showed nearly identical enzymatic activities toward methylumbelliferyl sulfate, nitrocatechol sulfate, cerebroside sulfate and ascorbic acid 2-sulfate; and demonstrated equivalent immunological competence by antibody titration. The banding pattern of urinary arylsulfatase A was unchanged with neuraminidase treatment, whereas Bands 4–6 of the liver enzyme were converted to Bands 1–3 by this treatment. It appears that Bands 4–6 are due to sialylation of arylsulfatase A but that Bands 1–3 are probably due to some other type of postribosomal protein modification.
“Too Legit to Quit”: Free Speech Clause Protection For Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Broadcasters

Unlike other types of media, broadcasters do not enjoy full First Amendment protection against government restraints on speech. 1 The government’s authority to restrain broadcast speech derives from the intrinsic limitations of early radio signal modulation technology. 2 Early radios were designed to communicate with each other by decrypting radio signals that were broadcasted over a single radio frequency. 3 Interference with the per frequency operation of radios impeded early listeners’ abilities to hear speech from competing broadcasters and contributed to a perceived scarcity of broadcast frequencies (i.e., broadcast spectrum) for delivering free speech. 4 Amid such perceived scarcity and due to the competition for access to the airwaves between broadcasters and the listening public interest, government restraints on broadcasters developed concomitantly with lowered First Amendment protection for broadcasters. 5 Since then, broadcasters must apply for costly government-issued licenses to speak over the airwaves, and unlicensed broadcasters face sanctions.
Inhibition of Pseudogymnoascus destructans growth from conidia and mycelial extension by bacterially produced volatile organic compounds.

The recently identified causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has been implicated in the mortality of an estimated 5.5 million North American bats since its initial documentation in 2006 (Frick et al. in Science 329:679–682, 2010). In an effort to identify potential biological and chemical control options for WNS, 6 previously described bacterially produced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were screened for anti-P. destructans activity. The compounds include decanal; 2-ethyl-1-hexanol; nonanal; benzothiazole; benzaldehyde; andN,N-dimethyloctylamine. P. destructans conidia and mycelial plugs were exposed to the VOCs in a closed air space at 15 and 4 °C and then evaluated for growth inhibition. All VOCs inhibited growth from conidia as well as inhibiting radial mycelial extension, with the greatest effect at 4 °C. Studies of the ecology of fungistatic soils and the natural abundance of the fungistatic VOCs present in these environments suggest a synergistic activity of select VOCs may occur. The evaluation of formulations of two or three VOCs at equivalent concentrations was supportive of synergistic activity in several cases. The identification of bacterially produced VOCs with anti-P. destructans activity indicates disease-suppressive and fungistatic soils as a potentially significant reservoir of biological and chemical control options for WNS and provides wildlife management personnel with tools to combat this devastating disease.
A survey of cryptographic approaches to securing big-data analytics in the cloud

The growing demand for cloud computing motivates the need to study the security of data received, stored, processed, and transmitted by a cloud. In this paper, we present a framework for such a study. We introduce a cloud computing model that captures a rich class of big-data use-cases and allows reasoning about relevant threats and security goals. We then survey three cryptographic techniques - homomorphic encryption, verifiable computation, and multi-party computation - that can be used to achieve these goals. We describe the cryptographic techniques in the context of our cloud model and highlight the differences in performance cost associated with each.