cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inducible Sterilization of Zebrafish by Disruption of Primordial Germ Cell Migration

During zebrafish development, a gradient of stromal-derived factor 1a (Sdf1a) provides the directional cue that guides the migration of the primordial germ cells (PGCs) to the gonadal tissue. Here we describe a method to produce large numbers of infertile fish by inducing ubiquitous expression of Sdf1a in zebrafish embryos resulting in disruption of the normal PGC migration pattern. A transgenic line of zebrafish, Tg(hsp70:sdf1a-nanos3, EGFP), was generated that expresses Sdf1a under the control of the heat-shock protein 70 (hsp70) promoter and nanos3 3?UTR. To better visualize the PGCs, the Tg(hsp70:sdf1a-nanos3, EGFP) fish were crossed with another transgenic line, Tg(kop:DsRed-nanos3), that expresses DsRed driven by the PGC-specific kop promoter. Heat treatment of the transgenic embryos caused an induction of Sdf1a expression throughout the embryo resulting in the disruption of their normal migration. Optimal embryo survival and disruption of PGC migration was achieved when transgenic embryos at the 4- to 8-cell stage were incubated at 34.5°C for 18 hours. Under these conditions, disruption of PGC migration was observed in 100% of the embryos. Sixty-four adult fish were developed from three separate batches of heat-treated embryos and all were found to be infertile males. When each male was paired with a wild-type female, only unfertilized eggs were produced and histological examination revealed that each of the adult male fish possessed severely under-developed gonads that lacked gametes. The results demonstrate that inducible Sdf1a expression is an efficient and reliable strategy to produce infertile fish. This approach makes it convenient to generate large numbers of infertile adult fish while also providing the capability to maintain a fertile brood stock.
Dispersion of single walled carbon nanotubes in amidine solvents

The excellent electronic and material properties of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) makes this nanomaterial very attractive for incorporation into flexible and stretchable electronics. However, the widespread application of SWNTs in electronic devices is still limited. To purify, process and place SWNTs, appropriate solvents for dispersion are needed. However, a fundamental understanding of the reasons why certain solvents are capable of dispersing SWNTs is still missing. Here we report on two new potential solvents containing amidine moieties, 1,8-diazabicycloundec-7-ene (DBU) and 1,5-diazabicyclo(4.3.0)non-5-ene (DBN). Even though these solvents? molecular structures differ by only two ?CH2? groups, we found that DBU is capable of dispersing SWNTs, while DBN is not. We carried out density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the interaction between DBU and DBN, and we elucidated the reasons for the different performances of the two solvents. DBU has a preferential edge-on interaction with the SWNT, thus allowing for a higher solvent coverage than DBN. In addition, the CH2?SWNT interaction present for DBU substantially increases the adsorption energy compared to DBN. Our results point to the important interplay between the interaction of pi electrons, nitrogen lone pairs and the ?CH2? groups present in aprotic solvent molecules and the delocalized pi electrons in SWNTs.
A Selection and Testing Procedure for Comparing Several Experimental Treatments with a Control

We consider a selection and testing procedure for comparing k experimental treatments with a control treatment where the treatments are assumed to be normally distributed with unknown means and a common, unknown variance. Stein-type sampling is used in the selection phase to screen for an experimental treatment that exhibits evidence of being better than the control treatment and each of the other experimental treatments, where better is defined in terms of the largest mean. In the testing phase, the best experimental treatment is compared to the control using a hypothesis test. If no experimental treatment indicates that it is an improvement over the control during the selection phase, our procedure allows for early termination. We provide definitions of level and power appropriate for our hybrid procedure and compute procedure parameters required to implement our procedure.
Ionomer-Like Structures and π-Cation Interactions in Argonne Premium Coals

The increase in the amount of pyridine-soluble material obtained from Argonne Premium coals after acid treatment is examined. The amount of pyridine-soluble material in most of the coals increases significantly with acid treatment. In low and to some extent medium rank coals this is largely a result of the presence of ionic clusters formed by carboxylate groups. In higher rank coals we are proposing that π-cation interaction play a major role. These ion/coal interactions are of sufficient strength to act as “reversible” cross-links, in the same way as ionic clusters behave in ionomers.
Non-commutative field theory with twistor-like coordinates

Abstract We consider quantum field theory in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime, with the position coordinates represented by twistors instead of the usual world-vectors. Upon imposing canonical commutation relations between twistors and dual twistors, quantum theory of fields described by non-holomorphic functions of twistor variables becomes manifestly non-commutative, with Lorentz symmetry broken by a time-like vector. We discuss the free field propagation and its impact on the short- and long-distance behavior of physical amplitudes in perturbation theory. In the ultraviolet limit, quantum field theories in twistor space are generically less divergent than their commutative counterparts. Furthermore, there is no infrared–ultraviolet mixing problem.
Regional Variation in Medicare Imaging Utilization and Expenditures: 2007-2011 Trends and Comparison with Other Health Services

Purpose A 2008 federal report expressed concern regarding substantial regional variation in imaging expenditures. The aims of this study were to evaluate trends in regional variation in Medicare imaging utilization and expenditures from 2007 to 2011 and to compare these trends with regional variation in other health service categories. Methods Data were based on CMS's Chronic Condition Data Warehouse and organized on the basis of 306 US health referral regions (HRRs). Imaging costs per beneficiary, standardized for regional differences in reimbursement rates, and imaging utilization per beneficiary were recorded per HRR from 2007 through 2011. Costs and utilization were also recorded for other service categories in 2011. Regional variation was assessed via relative risk (RR; the ratio between the highest and lowest HRRs) and coefficient of variation (CV; the standard deviation divided by the mean among all HRRs). Correlations between imaging and other service categories were assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results There was minimal change in regional variation in imaging costs or utilization between 2007 and 2011. Regional variation in imaging costs (RR, 5.70−5.88; CV, 33.0%−33.3%) was considerably greater than variation in imaging utilization (RR, 2.11%−2.25%; CV, 14.2%−14.6%). Imaging costs and utilization showed moderate to strong correlations with those of other service categories ( r = 0.572−0.869). In 2011, regional variation in imaging utilization (RR, 2.25; CV, 14.2%) was considerably lower than variation in utilization of other service categories (RR, 2.80−10.78; CV, 20.9%−33.3%). Conclusions Regional variation in imaging utilization is considerably lower than both variation in imaging costs and variation in utilization of other major service categories. It is unclear whether variation in imaging utilization provides an optimal individual target for major policy decisions.
Fairness and partial order semantics

Causality-based partial order semantics allows an easy formulation of weak fairness. It is demonstrated that this is true also for other partial order semantics, namely for partial words and interval semiwords.
Development of an Instrument to Assess and Predict Satisfaction and Poor Tolerance Among Patients Undergoing Endoscopic Procedures

We aimed to test the reliability of a developed questionnaire that measures and predict aversive endoscopic experience. Two questionnaires (pre- and postprocedure) were given to patients presenting for routine endoscopy. The first questionnaire elicited demographics, prior endoscopic experience, history of drug or alcohol use, patient expectations, and levels of anxiety and nervousness before procedure. After endoscopy, tolerance and willingness to repeat the examination were determined. The primary outcome of "adverse endoscopic experience" (AEE) was defined as a score of > or =5 on the postprocedure overall level of satisfaction or unwillingness to repeat endoscopy. Thirteen of 148 subjects reported an AEE. Items measuring the primary outcome were internally validated by reliability analysis which significantly correlated with measures of aversive experience like pain, nervousness, and suffering during the procedure. Preprocedure factors that were associated with AEE in the univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were nervousness (P = 0.02) and chronic use of psychotropic drugs or alcohol (P = 0.03). In conclusion, we have developed a questionnaire that reliably measures aversive endoscopic experience. Nervousness before procedure and chronic use of psychotropic drugs are reliable predictors of such experience.
Development of CAPS and dCAPS markers for CYP82E4, CYP82E5v2 and CYP82E10 gene mutants reducing nicotine to nornicotine conversion in tobacco

Nornicotine accumulation in tobacco is of concern because nornicotine is a precursor of N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), a tobacco constituent recognized as a carcinogen by the health community. Nornicotine is derived from nicotine through a demethylation process catalyzed by nicotine demethylase enzymes. Three genes (CYP82E4, CYP82E5v2, and CYP82E10) have currently been identified that encode for these enzymes. Ethyl methane sulfonate has been used to introduce mutations into each of these genes to prevent production of functional gene products. These mutants represent a valuable tool for reducing nornicotine and NNN levels in cured tobacco leaves and their derived products. Methods are currently needed to rapidly and efficiently develop new cultivars possessing these mutant alleles. The objective of this study was to develop efficient, user-friendly DNA markers to identify these mutations based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Four dCAPS (derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence) markers were designed for a truncation mutation in CYP82E4, and a single marker was developed for a similar mutation in CYP82E5v2. Two CAPS (cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence) markers were designed for a missense mutation in CYP82E10. Because of the co-dominant nature of the CAPS and dCAPS markers, heterozygous and homozygous plants can be easily differentiated. Genotypes determined by the CAPS and dCAPS marker methods were validated by DNA sequencing and phenotypic analysis of plants carrying various mutant combinations. These markers can be used in marker-assisted selection programs to quickly introgress the desired mutations into commercial varieties in order to reduce nornicotine and NNN levels in tobacco leaves.
Phylogenetic footprinting reveals multiple regulatory elements involved in control of the meiotic recombination gene, REC102.

REC102 is a meiosis-specific early exchange gene absolutely required for meiotic recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sequence analysis of REC102 indicates that there are multiple potential regulatory elements in its promoter region, and a possible regulatory element in the coding region. This suggests that the regulation of REC102 may be complex and may include elements not yet reported in other meiotic genes. To identify potential cis-regulatory elements, phylogenetic footprinting analysis was used. REC102 homologues were cloned from other two Saccharomyces spp. and sequence comparison among the three species defined evolutionarily conserved elements. Deletion analysis demonstrated that the early meiotic gene regulatory element URS1 was necessary but not sufficient for proper regulation of REC102. Upstream elements, including the binding sites for Gcr1p, Yap1p, Rap1p and several novel conserved sequences, are also required for the normal regulation of REC102 as well as a Rap1p binding site located in the coding region. The data in this paper support the use of phylogenetic comparisions as a method for determining important sequences in complex promoters. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemoreceptor-mediated polymerization and depolymerization of actin in hair bundles of sea anemones.

Hair bundles located on tentacles of sea anemones are morphodynamic mechanoreceptors employed to regulate discharge of nematocysts into swimming prey. Activation of chemoreceptors for N-acetylated sugars is known to induce anemone hair bundles to elongate while shifting discharge to lower frequencies matching those produced by calmly swimming prey. In the continued presence of N-acetylated sugars, activation of proline receptors is known to induce hair bundles to shorten while shifting nematocyst discharge to higher frequencies presumed to correspond to movements produced by wounded, struggling prey. In the present study, N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) causes stereocilia to become more intensely fluorescent in confocal optical sections of phalloidin-stained specimens, suggesting that receptors for N-acetylated sugars initate processes to increase the density of F-actin within stereocilia. Computer analysis of electron micrographs is consistent with this interpretation for large diameter stereocilia but not for small diameter stereocilia. In the continued presence of NANA, proline causes flurescence intensity of phalloidin to decrease to or below control levels. DNaseI uniformly stains large diameter stereocilia, suggesting that these stereocilia contain a pool of G-actin. Fluorescence intensity of DNaseI in stereocilia is significantly less bright in specimens exposed to NANA alone than in specimens exposed to proline in the continued presence of NANA. It appears that whereas activated receptors for NANA induce G-actin to polymerize in large diameter stereocilia, activated receptors for proline induce F-actin to depolymerize, restoring G-actin pools. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Formation of dimeric parent cations in aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract Third-order rate coefficients have been determined at 295 K for the formation of dimeric parent cations in benzene, benzene-d6, toluene, the xylenes, mesitylene, and fluoro- and chlorobenzene using the NBS high pressure photoionization mass spectrometer. The reactions are all quite fast, the rate coefficients falling in the range 0.5–6 · 10−25 cm6 molecule−2 s−1. The differences in rates observed are rationalized in terms of structural (geometric) considerations, and upper limits are established for the binding energies in (C6H6)2+ and (C6H5CH3)2+. The temperature dependence for production of (C6D6)2+ has been determined from 227 to 316 K, and the rate coefficient seems to obey a simple 1/T relationship over this range. The detection of trimeric species in benzene is also reported for the first time. Additional experiments involving benzene-nitric oxide mixtures are also reported, which include detection of an apparent equilibrium of the type NO+ + C6H6 ⇆ C6H6+ + NO.
Global offshoring of engineering project teams: trust asymmetries across cultural borders

Offshoring represents a new way to organize engineering project work, enabling firms to leverage global cost differences and growing talent pools, particularly in emerging economies. How can such firms build trust across onshore and offshore sites when the project team members differ in cultural value systems and practices? How can resulting asymmetries in trust be managed? The literatures on virtual teams, trust, and culture highlight important differences when teams are largely operating in technology-mediated spaces vs. when they come together in face-to-face spaces. Our findings from ethnographic studies on global engineering projects suggest the need for high levels of trust, but project teams have few capabilities to meet this need. The conditions of project teams engender asymmetrical trust in cross cultural contexts. There is a paucity of work on global engineering project teams, asymmetrical trust, and trust repair in large complex global projects. The research opportunities remain ample.
De Novo Design of Protein Function: Predictable Structure−Function Relationships in Synthetic Redox Proteins

The de novo designed redox proteins described show measured electron-transfer rates fully consistent with current theory. These data show for the first time that it is possible to design functional proteins whose reactivity can be predicted from structure with quantitative precision. The observation of a strong distance dependence over several orders of magnitude in time confirms that the helical structure is robust over the time regimes studied. Such designed proteins can offer a way to address questions of protein design and function within a single, well-defined motif that are difficult to address with natural proteins.
Grounded Theory and Grounded Action: Rooted in Systems Theory

The research methodologies of grounded theory and grounded action are framed by a systems perspective, from which they contribute their own unique properties and processes to the evolution of systems thinking. The author provides definitions for systems, theory, grounded theory, grounded action, and systems thinking, and explores the relationships between theory, grounded theory/grounded action, and systems thinking with regard to purpose, context, and usefulness for the resolution of social concerns and systemic change.
Biofeedback and self-control of physiological functions: clinical applications.

The parameters amenable to biofeedback learning are mentioned, including brainwaves, muscle tension, temperature, the cardiovascular system, and others. A discussion follows of the clinical application of biofeedback in the treatment of such disorders as tension headaches, neuromuscular re-education, epilepsy, “dysponesis,” cardiac arrhythmias, blood pressure and migraines. The usefulness of biofeedback has been demonstrated also in the field of psychotherapy for purposes of desensitization, treating anxious patients, encouraging specific personality changes, and indicating stress to patients.
Colchicine reduces myelin thickness and axoplasm volume

Abstract A Silastic cuff containing either colchicine (1% w/v) or no colchicine was placed around the lingualchorda tympani nerve of the Mongolian gerbil. After 3 days of exposure to colchicine, the mean period of the myelin sheaths was 23% less than the period observed in nerves treated with cuffs lacking colchicine, while the average number of lamellae was unaltered. At the same time colchicine reduced the volume of axoplasm by an average of 19%, an effect which was independent of fiber diameter.
Automated RNA Selection

In vitro selection can be used to generate nucleic acid ligands (aptamers) to target molecules ranging in size and structure from cations to cells. However, the selection process is repetitive and time-consuming. We have automated a protocol for in vitro selection using an augmented Beckman Biomek 2000 pipetting robot. The automated selection procedure requires the integration of four devices and the optimization of four molecular biology methods, and is one of the most complex automated protocols attempted to date. Initial attempts at selection yielded robust replication parasites, but optimization of the automated selection procedure suppressed the emergence of these parasites and led to the selection of true nucleic acid ligands. Automated selection can now be used to generate nucleic acid aptamers in days rather than weeks or months.
Renal handling of homocysteine during normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.

Maternal plasma homocysteine decreases in normal pregnancy and is significantly increased in preeclampsia. Thegoal of this study was to investigate the role ofthe maternal kidney in the changes of plasma homocysteine during normal pregnancy and preeclampsia. Plasma and 24-hour urine samples were collected in the same women before, during (first, second, and third trimesters), and after normal pregnancy; and in a separate cross-sectional study ofnormal pregnant, preeclamptic and nonpregnant women and homocysteine concentrations were measured. Longitudinally, maternal plasma homocysteine decreased significantly by the first trimester compared with prepregnancy and postpartum levels (5.6 ± 1.8 versus 6.8 ± 0.5 and 7.4 + 0.4 pM, respectively, P <.05 by analysis ofvariance) and paralleled a significant increase in the renal clearance of homocysteine (2.9 ± 0.4 versus 1.8 + 0.2 and 1.6 ± 0.2 L/24 hours, respectively, P <.001). In addition, plasma homocysteine was significantly elevated in preeclampsia compared with normal pregnancy (4.4 + 0.6 versus 3.2 ± 0.2 μM, P <.04); however, renal clearance was not diferent (1.2 ± 0. 1 versus 1.0 0. 1 L124 hours, P =.55). Increases in renal clearance contribute to the decrease in plasma homocysteine during normalpregnancy. However, changes in renal handling do not appear to contribute to the increase in plasma homocysteine in preeclampsia. (J Soc Gynecol Investig 2004;11:45–50
Scrutinizing the Higgs signal and background in the 2e2μ golden channel

Kinematic distributions in the decays of the newly discovered resonance to four leptons are a powerful probe of the tensor structure of its couplings to electroweak gauge bosons. We present analytic calculations for both signal and background of the fully differential cross section for the ‘Golden Channel’ e + e − μ + μ − final state. We include all interference effects between intermediate gauge bosons and allow them to be on- or off-shell. For the signal we compute the fully differential decay width for general scalar couplings to ZZ,γγ,andZγ. For the background we compute the leading order fully differential cross section for q q annihilation into Z and γ gauge bosons, including the contribution from the resonant Z → 2e2μ process. We also present singly and doubly differential projections and study the interference effects on the differential spectra. These expressions can be used in a variety of ways to uncover the nature of the newly discovered resonance or any new scalars decaying to neutral gauge bosons which might be discovered in the future.
Bacteriorhodopsin: photosignal transduction and photoenergy transduction in different biological systems.

Living organisms use light as a source of energy and as a source of information. They have developed highly specialized photoenergy and photosignal transducing devices which serve these functions. Membranes are essential parts of both photosignal and photoenergy transducing systems. In photoenergy transduction a substantial part of the absorbed energy is conserved for times very long compared to the lifetime of excited states and converted finally to chemical free energy of ATP and other forms in which it can be stored for further use by the organism. In photosignal transduction light typically triggers an event which dissipates much more energy than is absorbed in the form of light. The additional energy had been stored previously by the organism through some energy transducing systems.
Patients as teachers: an integrated approach to teaching medical students about the ambulatory care of HIV infected patients

Our experience with medical students in a large inner city hospital left us concerned that students' fears affect their ability to learn about and care for HIV-positive people. Therefore, we decided to create an environment in which the students could feel safe exploring their own attitudes and feelings about HIV. To accomplish the goal, we developed a curriculum in the ambulatory care of HIV-positive people. We recruited and trained patients from an HIV support group at our hospital to work with students in one-on-one sessions to teach interviewing, physical exam, and patient counseling skills. As part of a 4-week ambulatory clerkship for third year students we developed a minicourse which included four sessions with didactic and experiential components. The first week consisted of an orientation and group discussion in which patients told the students about what its like to live with HIV. During each of the following three sessions, students met with a preceptor to learn about HIV in an ambulatory care setting. The didactic session was followed by one-on-one student/patient encounters in which students practised skills discussed that week and patients gave them feedback. At the close of the day, the entire group reconvened to discuss what had happened. As a result of this integrated approach, students are experiencing the relational aspects of providing medical care, often for the first and only time. In the process they are learning to take good social histories and are learning how patients with HIV relate to and sometimes reorganize their family and social support systems. Students have the opportunity to get to know, in depth, a relatively healthy person who is living with a chronic, stigmatizing illness. Both patients and students are talking to each other on a level of intimacy that is rare in the training environment. Patients express a new appreciation of their own role and power in the relationship and a new insight into the struggles of the provider. Faculty experience a renewed commitment to the importance of creating an environment where the students can discover for themselves the joy of the connection between doctor and patient. Students have an opportunity to relate to patients not as pathology, but as people with lives before and beyond the medical system. This model is practical and may be useful in teaching about other chronic diseases in the ambulatory setting.
Intraindividual consistencies in cross-modal matching across several continua

To determine the relationship between individual exponents for cross-modal stimulus matches for both directions of matching, and to assess the transitivity of individual exponents, subjects were asked to adjust both the judgment and criterion stimuli. Experiment 1 involved four continua paired in 12 ordered combinations; Experiment 2 involved five continua and 20 ordered combinations. Two subjects served in each experiment. The individual exponent of the power function for matches of A to B was close to the inverse of the exponent for matches of B to A, but there was systematic deviation, indicating the presence of a small regression effect. Transitivity of individual exponents was determined by forming ratios of exponents from matches involving other continuum pairs to predict obtained exponents; the means of the distribution of deviations of obtained from predicted values was −.02 log units, and the standard deviation was .15 log units, indicating that, on the average, predicted values were close to obtained exponents—that is, transitivity of exponents holds for individuals.
The Significance of Perrow's Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies

The article presents a review of the book “Normal Accidents: Living With High-Risk Technologies” by Charles Perrow.
Distributed Monitoring and Aggregation in Wireless Sensor Networks

Self-monitoring the sensor statuses such as liveness, node densityand residue energy is critical for maintaining the normal operation of the sensor network. When building the monitoring architecture, most existing work focuses on minimizing the number of monitoring nodes. However, with less monitoring points, the false alarm rate may increase as a consequence. In this paper, we study the fundamental tradeoff between the number of monitoring nodes and the false alarm rate in the wireless sensor networks. Specifically, we propose fully distributed monitoring algorithms, to build up a poller-pollee based architecture with the objective to minimize the number of overall pollers while bounding the false alarm rate. Based on the established monitoring architecture, we further explore the hop-by-hop aggregation opportunity along the multihop path from the polee to the poller, with the objective to minimize the monitoring overhead. We show that the optimal aggregation path problem is NP-hard and propose an opportunistic greedy algorithm, which achieves an approximation ratio of $\frac{5}{4}$. As far as we know, this is the first proved constant approximation ratio applied to the aggregation path selection schemes over the wireless sensor networks.
ENTEROKINASE AND INTRALUMINAL TRYPSIN ACTIVITY: DISTURBED RELATIONSHIP IN CHRONIC DIARRHEA IN CHILDREN

Enterokinase initates digestion of protein by conversion of trypsinogen into trypsin. The possible failure of this function and the interactions between the two enzymes were investigated in two groups of infants with chronic diarrhea. The first group, included six infants (age 1 to 3 months) with intractable diarrhea of infancy, revealed reduced mucosal entnrokinase activity (9.5±6.5 μM/gP/min) and low intraluminal trypsin and enterokinase activities. After treatment with I.V. alimentation the activities of enzymes returned toward normal (enterokinase values = 49.6±17.5 μM/gp/min; normal values 91.0±43.2 μM/gP/min.). The mucosal morphology of all the pretreatment biopsies showed Grade III atrophy which improved to Grade I and II after treatment. The second group consisted of eight children (age 6 months to 4 years) with chronic nonsoecific diarrhea. Their intestinal mucosa demonstrated normal morphology and disaccharidase activities but decreased activity of enterokinase (10.4±3.8 μM/gp/min.) and intraluminal trypsin. These findings suggest that enterokinase deficiency and reduced trypsin in intractable diarrhea in infancy may be a contributing factor to the protein malabsorption and consequent malnutrition. The enterokinase deficiency in chronic nonspecific diarrhea has not been reported previously and may represent a new entity.
Symmetry arguments in physics

Abstract Physicists often appeal to the beauty of a theory as a way to judge its credibility, and the most prevalent component of this beauty is symmetry. This paper describes the role and structure of symmetry arguments in physics. It demonstrates that the epistemic authority of an appeal to symmetry is based on empirical evidence and is independent of any aesthetic judgment. Furthermore, symmetry in nature is not evidence of design. Just the opposite, symmetry indicates a lack of planning. It is about nature's disregard for details.
Optimal bounds on the dimension of the attractor of the Navier-Stokes equations

Abstract In this article we derive optimal upper bounds on the dimension of the attractor for the Navier-Stokes equations in two-dimensional domains, these bounds fully agree with the lower bounds obtained by Babin and Vishik (1983) (see also Ghidaglia and Temam, and Liu (1993)). As in Babin and Vishik (1983), we consider here elongated domains and leaving the density of volume forces and the viscosity fixed, we let the shape ratio of the domain become large so that the Grashof number is large. The estimates derived here are based on the general methods for estimating attractors dimensions as in Constantin et al. (1988), on a new version of the Lieb-Thirring inequalities for elongated domains and on techniques developed for such domains in RS (1993), and Temam and Ziane (1996). At the end of the article, we also give some partial results in the three-dimensional case for which we need a physical assumption on the Reynolds number introduced in Ghidaglia and Temam.
Gender violence and legally engendered selves

In recent years, growing efforts to control violence against women through batter‐ers’ training programs and the criminalization of spouse abuse reflect a more activist stance by the legal system toward domestic violence. The collaboration of feminist activists and the law provides new possibilities for protecting women from male violence. It offers new gender identities to both women and men. Battered women are offered legally endowed selves while men encounter the criminalization of violent behavior viewed as “natural” to men. By endowing women with autonomous selves who can choose to stay or leave a violent man, but by failing to provide the economic means to leave such men, the discourse of the courts reconstructs women who fail to leave as undeserving of help. The study focuses on a violence control program in a small town in Hawai'i during a period of rapid social and economic change which has opened a space for new legal initiatives against domestic violence.
Combinatorial library designs for quantifying thin film adhesion via the edge delamination test

We have demonstrated a combinatorial thin film library design for investigating the adhesion between film and substrate as measured by the edge delamination test. This library design allows rapid screening of critical parameters that control thin film reliability and bond strength in films and coatings. Specifically, our library design was aimed at quantifying the effect of film thickness and composition on the interfacial integrity between the film and underlying substrate by applying thermal stress. To create the combinatorial library, a single specimen was fabricated having a thickness gradient of an epoxy film on glass or silicon substrates. After sectioning the film into individual squares, a temperature gradient was applied orthogonal to the thickness gradient to induce debonding events where the adhesion is below a critical value. In addition, another combinatorial library was carried out using the epoxy films with concentration gradient and constant thickness, and applying a constant temperature. The combined results clearly demonstrate that our combinatorial library design and approach provide a large parameter space for accurately and reproducibly mapping the interfacial integrity and bond strength of film/substrate systems.
Laboratory evidence for microbially mediated silicate mineral dissolution in nature

Abstract Bacteria may potentially enhance or inhibit silicate mineral dissolution in nature by a variety of mechanisms. In the laboratory, some microbial metabolites enhanced dissolution rates by a factor of ten above the expected proton-promoted rate by an additional ligand-promoted mechanism focussed principally at Al sites at the mineral surface. In investigations with bacteria, it was found that organic acids are produced in organic-rich/nutrient-poor cultures, resulting in increased mineral dissolution rates compared to abiotic controls. Alginate and poly-aspartate inhibited dissolution rates either by a reduction in surface reactivity or reactive surface area (or both). Bacteria may also influence dissolution rates by creating and maintaining microenvironments where metabolite concentrations are higher than in the bulk solution.
Use of a simultaneous sentence perception test to enhance sensitivity to ease of listening.

The purpose of the study was to determine if a divided-attention, sentence-recall task was more sensitive to distortion of the speech signal than a conventional focused-attention task. The divided-...
Food Insecurity, Processes of Care, and Self‐Reported Medication Underuse in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Results from the California Health Interview Survey

Objective To assess the independent association of food insecurity with processes of care and delays in filling prescriptions.
Aqueous Latexes Formed from Polymer/CO2 Suspensions. 2. Hydrophilic Surfactants in Water

Stable aqueous latexes were made by transporting viscous liquid poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate) suspensions in carbon dioxide into water containing hydrophilic surfactants. The surfactants were composed of poly(ethylene oxide) hydrophilic blocks and either poly(propylene oxide) or poly(butylene oxide) anchor blocks. The polymer suspensions were synthesized in supercritical CO2 utilizing poly(dimethylsiloxane)-g-pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid as a stabilizer. Rapid expansion of these suspensions through a nozzle into the aqueous solution produces stable latexes. Alternatively, CO2 may be vented from the polymer suspensions, and the resulting viscous polymer may be redispersed in an aqueous surfactant solution with mild stirring. Polymer concentrations up to 40 g in 100 g of water were stabilized with low concentrations of hydrophilic surfactant. The latexes may be utilized as environmentally benign coatings and adhesives without the need for organic solvents.
Thermodynamics of Heavy Fuels Operation in Gas Turbine

This paper discusses the effects of deposition on a gas turbine performance when operating on ash forming fuels. Parameters affected by ash deposits which cause turbine efficiency degradation are presented. Thermodynamic relationship between turbine nozzle flow area reduction, efficiency loss and firing temperature variation on two different methods of firing temperature control are derived.Copyright © 1980 by ASME
Artificially maintained controversies: Global warming and Fijian cannibalism

Tracant un parallele avec la politique du doute mise en oeuvre par certains a propos de la controverse sur l'origine humaine du rechauffement climatique, l'A. propose quelques commentaires sur le maintien artificiel des controverses sur l'existence precoloniale du cannibalisme a Fidji. Selon l'A., ces controverses (postmodernistes et deconstructivistes) s'inscrivent dans une disposition post-ologique d'une certaine anthropologie contemporaine qui s'appuie sur la mefiance excessive envers des faits (historiques ou ethnographiques) bien attestes, sous pretexte de leur collusion avec une ideologie sinistre et un pouvoir hegemonique (occidental). Ce deni du cannibalisme illustre comment le concept de pouvoir est devenu une boite noire theorique, en passe de devenir un trou noir : dans lequel les curiosites culturelles, et notamment la curiosite des anthropologues, sont irremediablement absorbees. Il est alors necessaire de recuperer le cannibalisme fidjien a travers la culture et la parole des Fidjiens eux-memes.
Proteomic Analysis of Stationary Phase in the Marine Bacterium “Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique”

“Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique,” an abundant marine alphaproteobacterium, subsists in nature at low ambient nutrient concentrations and may often be exposed to nutrient limitation, but its genome reveals no evidence of global regulatory mechanisms for adaptation to stationary phase. High-resolution capillary liquid chromatography coupled online to an LTQ mass spectrometer was used to build an accurate mass and time (AMT) tag library that enabled quantitative examination of proteomic differences between exponential- and stationary-phase “Ca. Pelagibacter ubique” cells cultivated in a seawater medium. The AMT tag library represented 65% of the predicted protein-encoding genes. “Ca. Pelagibacter ubique” appears to respond adaptively to stationary phase by increasing the abundance of a suite of proteins that contribute to homeostasis rather than undergoing a major remodeling of its proteome. Stationary-phase abundances increased significantly for OsmC and thioredoxin reductase, which may mitigate oxidative damage in “Ca. Pelagibacter,” as well as for molecular chaperones, enzymes involved in methionine and cysteine biosynthesis, proteins involved in ρ-dependent transcription termination, and the signal transduction enzyme CheY-FisH. We speculate that this limited response may enable “Ca. Pelagibacter ubique” to cope with ambient conditions that deprive it of nutrients for short periods and, furthermore, that the ability to resume growth overrides the need for a more comprehensive global stationary-phase response to create a capacity for long-term survival.
Serum estradiol and progesterone during pregnancy and the status of the corpus luteum at delivery in cynomolgus monkeys (Macacafascicularis)

Abstract Levels of estradiol and progesterone in peripheral serum of seven cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis ) were measured from about the 30th day of pregnancy until parturition. Although the pattern of each steroid in circulation differed somewhat from the respective patterns in rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ), there were basic similarities. On the day of delivery, the corpus luteum was excised and in vitro incubation of dispersed luteal cells was performed. Isolated luteal cells produced progesterone under control conditions and responded to the addition of HCG with enhanced steroidogenesis. Accordingly, “rejuvenation” of the corpus luteum may occur during advanced gestation in cynomolgus monkeys. These findings, along with establishing the efficacy of the Subhuman Primate Pregnancy Test kit to diagnose pregnancy in this macaque, extend previous evidence for utility of cynomolgus monkeys as a primate model for study of steroid hormones in pregnancy.
In Defense of Mathematics and Its Place in Anarchist Education.

This article reclaims mathematics from the measures of profit and control by first presenting an anarchist analysis of mathematics’ status quo societal uses and pedagogic activities. From this analysis, a vision for an anarchist math education is developed, as well as suggestions for how government school practitioners sympathetic to anarchism can insert this vision into their current work. Aspects to this vision include teacher autonomy, freedom from hierarchical curriculum structure and math class as a non-coercive, happy place. Finally, mathematics is argued to be essential knowledge for anarchistic society for three potentialities: in solving social and technological problems through application, as an analytic technology and for increasing individual happiness via the aesthetic dimension.
Activity-dependent regulation of dendritic growth and patterning.

One of the most remarkable features of the developing brain is its ability to undergo structural change in response to experience. Among the cellular elements that show this kind of plasticity are dendrites, which are the components that receive and process synaptic information. Recent observations indicate that calcium signalling in neurons can regulate dendritic growth and remodelling by several mechanisms, and these mechanisms are likely to be key mediators of structural plasticity in the developing brain.
Effects of Aspergillus fumigatus and Alternaria alternata on Human Ciliated Epithelium in Vitro

Fungi represent the etiologic agent in a large number of patients with chronic sinusitis. Despite this, no study has examined the effects of fungi on ciliated epithelium. This study evaluates the effects of cultures and filtrates of Aspergillus fumigatus and Alternaria alternata on ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in vitro. CBF was recorded after exposure to either a control or experimental solution. A statistical comparison of control and experimental values was performed to determine significance at P < 0.05. A statistically significant inhibition of CBF in cultures and filtrates of A fumigatus and A alternata was demonstrated. We conclude that a soluble metabolite produced by clinical isolates of both A fumigatus and A alternata causes inhibition of CBF and may represent one virulence factor involved in the development of fungal sinusitis.
Quantifying differential gene connectivity between disease states for objective identification of disease-relevant genes

Network modeling of whole transcriptome expression data enables characterization of complex epistatic (gene-gene) interactions that underlie cellular functions. Though numerous methods have been proposed and successfully implemented to develop these networks, there are no formal methods for comparing differences in network connectivity patterns as a function of phenotypic trait. Here we describe a novel approach for quantifying the differences in gene-gene connectivity patterns across disease states based on Graphical Gaussian Models (GGMs). We compare the posterior probabilities of connectivity for each gene pair across two disease states, expressed as a posterior odds-ratio (postOR) for each pair, which can be used to identify network components most relevant to disease status. The method can also be generalized to model differential gene connectivity patterns within previously defined gene sets, gene networks and pathways. We demonstrate that the GGM method reliably detects differences in network connectivity patterns in datasets of varying sample size. Applying this method to two independent breast cancer expression data sets, we identified numerous reproducible differences in network connectivity across histological grades of breast cancer, including several published gene sets and pathways. Most notably, our model identified two gene hubs (MMP12 and CXCL13) that each exhibited differential connectivity to more than 30 transcripts in both datasets. Both genes have been previously implicated in breast cancer pathobiology, but themselves are not differentially expressed by histologic grade in either dataset, and would thus have not been identified using traditional differential gene expression testing approaches. In addition, 16 curated gene sets demonstrated significant differential connectivity in both data sets, including the matrix metalloproteinases, PPAR alpha sequence targets, and the PUFA synthesis pathway. Our results suggest that GGM can be used to formally evaluate differences in global interactome connectivity across disease states, and can serve as a powerful tool for exploring the molecular events that contribute to disease at a systems level.