cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of affinities of lanthanide-binding proteins using chelator-buffered titrations.

Abstract The recent discoveries of the first proteins that bind lanthanides as part of their biological function not only are relevant to the emerging field of lanthanide-dependent biology, but also hold promise to revolutionize the technologically critical rare earths industry. Although protocols to assess the thermodynamics of metal–protein interactions are well established for “traditional” metal ions in biology, the characterization of lanthanide-binding proteins presents a challenge to biochemists due to the lanthanides' Lewis acidity, propensity for hydrolysis, and high-affinity complexes with biological ligands. These properties necessitate the preparation of metal stock solutions with very low buffered “free” metal concentrations (e.g., femtomolar to nanomolar) for such determinations. Herein we describe several protocols to overcome these challenges. First, we present standardization methods for the preparation of chelator-buffered solutions of lanthanide ions with easily calculated free metal concentrations. We also describe how these solutions can be used in concert with analytical methods including UV–visible spectrophotometry, circular dichroism spectroscopy, Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and sensitized terbium luminescence, in order to accurately determine dissociation constants (Kds) of lanthanide–protein complexes. Finally, we highlight how application of these methods to lanthanide-binding proteins, such as lanmodulin, has yielded insights into selective recognition of lanthanides in biology. We anticipate that these protocols will facilitate discovery and characterization of additional native lanthanide-binding proteins, will motivate the understanding of their biological context, and will prompt their applications in biotechnology.
Active Share and the Predictability of the Performance of Separate Accounts

Separate accounts are a large and unique, but understudied, part of the investment management industry. Within our sample, on net, the average separate account underperforms, but for those with high active share, we find positive performance persistence. Among high active share separate accounts, a portfolio of those with strong past performance has a subsequent net alpha of 1.38% per year (t-stat = 2.11). That result strengthens when return dispersion is high and among separate accounts with a small cap style, a fundamental investment approach, or lower cash holdings. These results provide out of sample support for the predictive utility of active share.
Preparing for the 2070s: Reflections from the Journal of Community Psychology's initial decade: Pathways to Community Psychology's continuing maturation.

This virtual monograph celebrates the 50 th anniversary of the Journal of Community Psychology (JoCP) by reprinting selected commentaries and peer-reviewed papers from JoCP's initial decade. Selected articles focused on the originating goals and priorities of the discipline of community psychology. Each article is followed by reflections. The monograph final section challenges contemporary discipline leaders to identify goals for the coming decades and milestones for measuring progress in their achievement.
Supervillin: a membrane skeleton protein at podosomes and invadopodia

1349 Cells interact with the extracellular matrix (ECM) through specialized adhesion sites, including focal adhesions and podosomes, and through formation of invadopodia. Podosomes are dynamic, F-actin rich adhesion structures associated with Src family kinases; invadopodia are F-actin rich protrusions associated with matrix degradation. Supervillin (SV) is a myosin II- and F-actin-binding peripheral membrane protein that co-purifies with matrix metalloproteinase MT6-MMP/MMP-25 as a component of the neutrophil membrane skeleton (Nebl et al., 2002). SV also transactivates the androgen receptor (Ting et al., 2002) and negatively regulates cell-substrate adhesion in cultured cells (Takizawa et al., 2006). Five-fold overexpression of EGFP-SV in COS7 cells decreases the numbers and extent of stress fibers with a concomitant increase in F-actin punctae. Consistent with the possibility that these structures are a type of podosome, endogenous SV localizes to apical surfaces of the F-actin cores of podosomes generated by constitutively active Src. Like classical podosomes (Evans et al., 2003), F-actin punctae induced by EGFP-SV are highly dynamic, exhibiting fusion and fission by time-lapse microscopy. Unlike podosomes but like invadopodia precursors (Yamaguchi et al., 2005), EGFP-SV punctae also move laterally. Besides F-actin, SV punctae contain cortactin, a key invadopodial component, but are devoid of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and vinculin, proteins present in podosomes but absent from invadopodia (Bowden et al., 2006, Artym et al., 2006). Hence, EGFP-SV punctae resemble invadopodia precursors. Furthermore, EGFP-SV induces the redistribution of cortactin from the cell periphery to internal regions of the cell, including SV punctae. Colocalization of EGFP-SV with constitutively active Arf6 at PIP2-rich membrane vesicles and tubules, structures implicated in invadopodia function (Hashimoto et al., 2004), suggests a role in trafficking. EGFP-SV and endogenous SV localize with invadopodia at regions of matrix degradation in MDA-MB-231 cells. RNAi-mediated knockdowns of SV are underway to determine whether SV is necessary for invadopodia formation and/or function. Taken together, our results suggest that supervillin is a component of Src-induced podosomes and invadopodia, and the F-actin punctae formed by EGFP-SV have characteristics of pre-invadopodial complexes. The emerging model is that SV and associated proteins modulate invadopodial assembly either at the plasma membrane and/or through directed intracellular trafficking. Supported by NIH grant GM33048.
Cosmological Interpretation of Redshift Data on Quasars Through the V/Vmax Test

The ultimate aim of statistical studies of redshift, magnitudes and flux densities of quasars is to derive the general luminosity function Φ(z, Fopt, Frad, α,…) which describes the space density as a function of redshift, intrinsic optical luminosity, intrinsic radio luminosity, spectral index, etc. We assume throughout that the emission-line redshifts z of quasars are cosmological. The function Φ contains information that will be pertinent for any theory of the formation and evolution of quasars.
Laying Claim to the World: The "Glorious Energy" of Richard Wilbur's Poetry for Childre

Richard Wilbur (1921- ) was born in New York City and spent his childhood in North Caldwell, New Jersey, in a rural setting conducive to his love of nature. He graduated from Amherst College (1942), married Mary Charlotte Hayes Ward of Boston (an alumna of Smith College; the couple has four children), and served in World War II with the 36th 'Texas' Division in Europe. He began writing poems during the chaos of war as a (to quote Robert Frost) "'momentary stay against confusion.'" Returning home, Wilbur did graduate work in English at Harvard, and upon the completion of his degree (A.M. 1947) became a junior fellow on the Harvard faculty. In the same year he brought out his first volume of poems, The Beautiful Changes and Other Poems . Continuing at Harvard until 1954, he went on to teach at Wellesley College and Wesleyan University, and from 1977 until his retirement in 1986 served as writer-in-residence at Smith College. Over his long and prolific career as a teacher, poet, translator, critic, and editor, Wilbur has won a prodigious number of awards, including the Pulitzer prize and National Book Award for his Things of This World (both 1957) , served as poetry consultant at the Library of Congress and as poet laureate of the U.S. (1987-88). His English translations of the French dramatists Moliere and Racine are considered the definitive versions; his translation of Tartuffe won the Bollingen Prize (1971). New and Collected Poems (1988) garnered a second Pulitzer. His work for children has won numerous awards, including Book World's Children's Spring Book Festival award (1973) for Opposites: Poems and Drawings . The craftsmanship and elegance of his poetry, with its reflections on natural phenomena and meditations on spiritual and metaphysical topics, is universally praised. His verse written specifically for young readers, celebrated for its 'wit,' radiates an ageless appeal.
A study of emotional information present in articulatory movements estimated using acoustic-to-articulatory inversion

This study examines emotion-specific information (ESI) in the articulatory movements estimated using acoustic-to-articulatory inversion on emotional speech. We study two main aspects: (1) the degree of similarity between the pair of estimated and original articulatory trajectories for the same and different emotions and (2) the amount of ESI present in the estimated trajectory. They are evaluated using mean squared error between the articulatory pair and by automated emotion classification. This study uses parallel acoustic and articulatory data in 5 elicited emotions spoken by 3 native American English speakers. We also test emotion classification performance using articulatory trajectories estimated from different acoustic feature sets and they turn out subject-dependent. Experimental results suggest that the ESI in the estimated trajectory, although smaller than that in the direct articulatory measurements, is found to be complementary to that in the prosodic features and hence, suggesting the usefulness of estimated articulatory data for emotions research.
Institutional Aspects of Tort Reform

poorly.. Moreover, the situation, if anything, is getting worse. Courts and administrative agencies are encountering increased difficulty in attempting to implement present compensation systems.2 The one major change in substantive tort law that has gained general acceptance by both courts and legislatures--comparative negligence-holds little promise for promoting a more effective tort system.3 Indeed, this "reform" may well increase still further the extraordinarily high transaction costs of the present system.4 In the meantime, notwithstanding the scores of proposals for tort
Magnetic Resonance Guided Radiofrequency Ablation: Creation and Visualization of Cardiac Lesions

Current management of atrial fibrillation (AF) refractory to pharmacological therapy involves the creation of lines of conduction block in the atrial tissue either by direct surgical incision or fluoroscopy guided radiofrequency (RF) ablation. While these techniques have been shown to be effective in terminating atrial fibrillation, open heart surgery carries considerable inherent risk and fluoroscopy guided approaches are technically difficult and result in extremely long radiation exposure times. Magnetic resonance (MR) guided ablation therapy may represent a safer and more practical alternative for creating lines of conduction block in patients with AF. We have developed a novel MR compatible system that permits simultaneous high resolution MR imaging, cardiac electrical mapping, and RF energy delivery. This system has, for the first time, made it possible to perform a comprehensive MR guided electrophysiology study including guidance, delivery, and monitoring of cardiac ablation therapy.
Altered pulsatile insulin secretion associated with endurance training.

Endurance exercise training reduces glucose-stimulated insulin secretion while elevating insulin action on target tissues. Under some conditions, hormone action is enhanced by pulsatile delivery to...
BAR domains go on a bender

How do cells make vesicles, a process that requires the bending of membranes? In their Perspective, [Lee and Schekman][1] discuss new findings ([ Peter et al .][2]) that identify a domain called the BAR domain in proteins, such as amphiphysin and endophilin, that induces the curvature of membranes at different points during vesicle formation. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/303/5657/479 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/303/5657/495
Asymmetric synthesis of cis-5-tert-butylproline with metal carbenoid NH insertion.

The highly stereoselective intramolecular metal carbenoid insertion reaction of sulfinimine-derived δ-amino α-diazoesters is used to prepare cis-5-tert-butylproline. A concerted or nearly concerted metal carbenoid N−H insertion reaction mechanism is proposed.
Quantum Yields of the Photocatalytic Oxidation of Formate in Aqueous TiO_2 Suspensions under Continuous and Periodic Illumination

Quantum yields φF for the oxidation of formate in periodically illuminated TiO_2 suspensions are always smaller than, but approach, at sufficiently high intermittence, the φ_F's measured under continuous exposure at equivalent average photon absorption rates 〈I_a〉. We find that φ_(F,cont) = (0.031 ± 0.003)×I_a^(-0.39±0.03) in the range 0.089 ≤ I_a/μeinstein L^(-1) s^(-1) ≤ 2.02. Under periodic illumination, φ_F begins to rise from its minimum value: φ_(F,long τ) = φ_(F,cont)(I_(a,max)) = 0.021, for light periods τ_L ≤ 1 s, regardless of the duty cycle γ. Thereafter, φ_F climbs to its upper limit: φ_(F,short τ) = φ_(F,cont) (〈I_a〉 = γI_(a,max)), after a single inflection at τ_L ∼ 200 ms for γ = 0.35, but only after a second inflection at τ_L ∼ 10 ms for γ = 0.05. Thus, the photocatalytic oxidation of formate in ∼10 nm TiO_2 nanoparticle suspensions under periodic illumination behaves kinetically as a homogeneous photochemical system; i.e., φ_F's are not limited by mass diffusion, or by adsorption/desorption, but by carrier recombination. The latter has a characteristic time of about 0.1 s under present conditions. Sparse carriers, such as those present in γ = 0.05 experiments at short τ_L's, are deactivated within ∼6 ms. Therefore, photocatalytic quantum yields on nanoparticle surfaces are actually insensitive to events in the sub-milliseconds domain.
Reduction of m-nitrobenzaldehyde

The reduction of m-nitrobenzaldehyde with lithium aluminium hydride gave m,m′-azobenzyl alcohol rather than the reported m-aminobenzyl alcohol.
Overhang of a heavy elastic sheet

A flexible elastic sheet overhangs from a corner. The deflection due to its own weight depends on a parameterK which represents the relative importance of overhang length to the bending length (EI/ϱ)1/3.
The sensitivity of the climate response to the magnitude and location of freshwater forcing: last glacial maximum experiments

Abstract Proxy records indicate that the locations and magnitudes of freshwater forcing to the Atlantic Ocean basin as iceberg discharges into the high-latitude North Atlantic, Laurentide meltwater input to the Gulf of Mexico, or meltwater diversion to the North Atlantic via the St. Lawrence River and other eastern outlets may have influenced the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation and global climate. We have performed Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) simulations with the NCAR Community Climate System Model (CCSM3) in which the magnitude of the freshwater forcing has been varied from 0.1 to 1 Sv and inserted either into the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. In these glacial freshening experiments, the less dense freshwater provides a lid on the ocean water below, suppressing ocean convection and interaction with the atmosphere above and reducing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This is the case whether the freshwater is added directly to the area of convection south of Greenland or transported there by the subtropical and subpolar gyres when added to the Gulf of Mexico. The AMOC reduction is less for the smaller freshwater forcings, but is not linear with the size of the freshwater perturbation. The recovery of the AMOC from a “slow” state is ∼200 years for the 0.1 Sv experiment and ∼500 years for the 1 Sv experiment. For glacial climates, with large Northern Hemisphere ice sheets and reduced greenhouse gases, the cold subpolar North Atlantic is primed to respond rapidly and dramatically to freshwater that is either directly dumped into this region or after being advected from the Gulf of Mexico. Greenland temperatures cool by 6–8 °C in all the experiments, with little sensitivity to the magnitude, location or duration of the freshwater forcing, but exhibiting large seasonality. Sea ice is important for explaining the responses. The Northern Hemisphere high latitudes are slow to recover. Antarctica and the Southern Ocean show a bipolar response, with warming and reduced sea ice. This warming continues after the cessation of the freshwater forcing and shows a dependence on the duration of the freshwater forcing. Equatorward of the expanded sea ice, the simulated temperature and salinity anomalies are sensitive to the amount of colder and fresher waters that are advected out of the subpolar North Atlantic. In the tropical Atlantic, the recovery of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) from its more southerly position during the freshwater forcing is much more rapid than the recovery of the AMOC, and is more related to the recovery of low-latitude surface temperatures than Greenland temperature or sea ice. These results have implications for using proxy records as indirect measures of the AMOC.
Infrared Spectral Search for Mixtures in Large-Size Libraries

A routine for searching large spectral libraries with spectra of mixtures is presented. The dimensionality of a 3169-compound library is reduced to 12% of its original size by using Fourier transform compression and principal component analysis. A principal component regression is performed and used as a prefilter in selecting spectra having features (and chemical groups) similar to those of the unknown mixture. A dot-product metric is then used to identify a target component from the subgroup formed by the prefilter. This is followed by the application of an adaptive filter to remove the similarity of the target component from the subgroup and from the unknown mixture; the search is repeated on the modified data. Successive applications of the adaptive filter will produce minimum residuals if the correct identifications are made. Once the residuals are minimized, a similarity index is calculated to determine the closeness of the unknown mixture spectrum to a spectrum reconstructed from the library spectra. Four out of five two- and three-component spectra were correctly identified. One of the two components in the fifth mixture was correctly identified, and the residual values flagged the improper identification of the second component. After the adaptive filter was applied to the entire library, the second component was correctly identified. Results for this new algorithm are compared to those from four more traditional search routines, which were only completely successful on one of the unknown mixtures.
The role of the Schwann cell in trophic support and regeneration.

Schwann cells show remarkable versatility in undertaking a broad repertoire of functions. Ensheathment and myelination are specifically regulated by contact with axons, and the Schwann cell is centrally. involved in extracellular matrix production in the peripheral nerve trunk. Additional Schwann cell functions include the promotion of both peripheral and central nervous system regeneration, provision of a versatile source of trophic factors, the capacity to remyelinate central nervous system axons, and the restoration of electrophysiological conduction. Since it is now possible to isolate Schwann cells both from neonatal and adult human peripheral nerve, their ability to promote regenerative efforts by many central neurons suggests a role for Schwann cell autografts in influencing central nervous system repair.
Effects of Pt incorporation on the isothermal oxidation behavior of chemical vapor deposition aluminide coatings

The effects of Pt incorporation on the isothermal oxidation and diffusion behavior of low-sulfur aluminide bond coatings were investigated. Aluminide (NiAl) coatings and Pt-modified aluminide (Ni,Pt)Al coatings were synthesized on a low-sulfur, yttrium-free single-crystal Ni-based superalloy by a high-purity, low-activity chemical vapor deposition (CVD) aluminizing procedure. The isothermal oxidation kinetics and scale adhesion behavior of CVD NiAl and (Ni,Pt)Al coatings before and after isothermal oxidation were determined by electron microprobe analysis. Platinum did not reduce oxide-scale growth kinetics. No significant differences in bulk refractory metal (W, Ta, Re, and Mo) distributions were observed as a result of Pt incorporation. Spallation of the alumina scale and the formation of large voids along the oxide-metal interface were commonly observed over the NiAl coating grain boundaries after 100 hours at 1150 °C. In contrast, no spallation of Al2O3 scales occurred on (Ni,Pt)Al coating surfaces or grain boundaries, although the sulfur content in the CVD (Ni,Pt)Al coatings was higher than that of the CVD NiAl coatings. Most significantly, no voids were observed at the oxide-metal interface on (Ni,Pt)Al coating surfaces or cross sections after 200 hours at 1150 °C. It was concluded that a major beneficial effect of Pt incorporation on an aluminide coatings oxidation resistance is the elimination of void growth at the oxide-metal interface, likely by mitigation of detrimental sulfur effects.
Ethylene loss from the gas phase of container‐seal systems

Ethylene losses from the gas phase of various container-seal systems were studied to develop acceptable methods for containing ethylene during experiments. Ethylene at an initial amount of 104 μI I-1 was stored in glass vials at near atmospheric pressure for 20 h at 25–27°C and at 35% relative humidity external to the vials. Crimped serum vials sealed with saturated (NH4)2SO4 solution, neoprene rubber septa, nitrile rubber (Hycar) septa, butyl rubber septa, and brown translucent silicone rubber septa lost ethylene at the rate of 1.8, 10.2, 16.2, 16.5, and 40.2 nl m-2s-1, respectively, over the 20-h period. Screw-capped reaction vials sealed with white silicone rubber septa lost ethylene at the rate of 30.2 nl m-2s-1. The (NH4)2SO4 solution was utilized as a seal by inverting a vial so that the salt solution covered the internal surface of the vial septum. Saturated (NH4)2SO4 solution is an effective seal. Silicone rubber should be avoided as a seal in systems for containing ethylene. Ethylene production values in the literature may be underestimates where silicone rubber seals have been used.
Some Traveler's-Eye Views of the Jerseyman

Coad reveals travel accounts by visitor to New Jersey from the seventeenth century to the present and the remarks they made about the Jerseyman and Jerseywomen.
Modulation of PTH-stimulated cyclic AMP in cultured rodent bone cells: The effects of 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 and its interaction with glucocorticoids

Parathyroid hormone (PTH)-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in rat osteoblastlike (OB) cells has been shown to be modulated by steroid hormones; glucocorticoids are known to increase the level, while the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 are inhibitory. In the present study, we found that the PTH-stimulated cAMP responses are similar in neonatal mouse and fetal rat OB cells. Dexamethasone (0.13–13nM) augmented PTH-stimulated cAMP in both species. Mouse cells showed a higher maximal response to dexamethasone (100% increment) than rat cells (60–70% increment) with similar sensitivity to dexamethasone (ED50 ∼ 1.0 nm). On the other hand, 1,25(OH)2D3 decreased PTH-stimulated cAMP, but the effect required pharmacological levels of hormone; mouse cells responded at a lower dose (1.3 nM) and were more sensitive than rat cells (responded at 13 nM) to 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment. Introduction of physiological concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D3 (0.013–1.3 nm) in addition to dexamethasone (13 nM) resulted in a synergistic enhancement of PTH-stimulated cAMP in rat cells. In contrast, a dose-dependent antagonistic effect was observed in mouse cells. In summary, our findings demonstrate species and concentration-dependent differences in hormonal responses to 1,25(OH)2D3 and a complex interplay among PTH, dexamethasone, and 1,25(OH)2D3.
Validity of percent body fat estimations in males.

STOUT, J. R., J. M. ECKERSON, T. J. HOUSH, G. O. JOHNSON, and N. M. BETTS. Validity of percent body fat estimations in males. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 632–636,1994. The present investigation examined the validity of selected skinfold (Sum3), near-infrared interactance (F5000 and F1000), and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) equations for estimating percent body fat (% fat) in young adult males (JOURNAL/mespex/beta/00005768-199405000-00017/ENTITY_OV0398/v/2017-05-02T160727Z/r/image-png age ± SD = 22 ± 3 yr) by comparing the estimates with values obtained from underwater weighing. Fifty-seven Caucasian male (JOURNAL/mespex/beta/00005768-199405000-00017/ENTITY_OV0398/v/2017-05-02T160727Z/r/image-png % fat ± SD = 15.1 ± 6.2) volunteers served as subjects. The statistical analyses included examination of constant error (CE), standard error of estimate (SEE), r, and total error (TE). The results indicated that the Sum3 equation had the lowest SEE (2.7% fat) and TE (3.6% fat) as well as the highest validity coefficient (r = 0.90). The F5000, however, had the lowest CE (-1.0% fat). Based on these findings, the Sum3 equation is recommended over the F5000 (TE = 4.2% fat), F1000 (TE = 6.1% fat), and BIA(TE = 5.0% fat) equations for estimating % fat in young adult males.
Classification of adhesive domains in the Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 family.

The Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (PfEMP1) family of cytoadherent proteins has a central role in disease from malaria infection. This highly diverse gene family is involved in binding interactions between infected erythrocytes and host cells and is expressed in a clonally variant pattern at the erythrocyte surface. We describe by sequence analysis the structure and domain organization of 20 PfEMP1 from the GenBank database. Four domains comprise the majority of PfEMP1 extracellular sequence: the N-terminal segment (NTS) located at the amino terminus of all PfEMP1, the C2, the Cysteine-rich Interdomain Region (CIDR) and the Duffy Binding-like (DBL) domains. Previous work has shown that CIDR and DBL domains can possess adhesive properties. CIDR domains grouped as three distinct sequence classes (α, β, and γ) and DBL domains as five sequence classes (α, β, γ, δ, and e). Consensus motifs are described for the different DBL and CIDR types. Whereas the number of DBL and CIDR domains vary between PfEMP1, PfEMP1 domain architecture is not random in that certain tandem domain associations — such as DBLαCIDRα, DBLδCIDRβ, and DBLβC2 — are preferentially observed. This conservation may have functional significance for PfEMP1 folding, transport, or binding activity. Parasite binding phenotype appears to be a determinant of infected erythrocyte tissue tropism that contributes to parasite survival, transmission, and disease outcome. The sequence classification of DBL and CIDR types may have predictive value for identifying PfEMP1 domains with a particular binding property. This information might be used to develop interventions targeting parasite binding variants that cause disease.
INTERNAL DEFORMATION OF A UNIFORM ELASTIC SOLID BY ACOUSTIC RADIATION FORCE

Tissue elasticity estimation is a growing area of ultrasound research. One proposed approach would apply acoustic radiation force to displace tissue and use ultrasonic motion tracking techniques to measure the resultant displacement. Such a technique might allow noninvasive imaging of tissue elastic properties. The potential of this method will be limited by the magnitude of displacements which can be generated at reasonable acoustic intensity levels. This paper presents methods for estimating the internal displacements induced in an elastic solid by acoustic radiation force. These methods predict displacements on the order of 400 μm in the human vitreous body, 0.008 μm in human breast, and 0.020 μm in human liver at an acoustic intensity of 1.0 W/cm2 (in water) and an operating frequency of 10 MHz. While the displacement generated in the vitreous should be readily detectable using ultrasonic methods, the displacements generated in the breast and liver will be much more difficult to detect. Methods are al...
A Research Review— Perceptions on Characteristics of Effective Schools:

After reviewing the literature to determine which characteristics of effective schools should be the dominant feature of any local school environment, this educator has identified 18 major char acteristics that are important determinants of academic excel lence.
The structure of ecological state transitions: Amplification, synchronization, and constraints in responses to environmental change

Abstract Effects of environmental change may be either amplified and facilitated, or constrained, by the network of state-changes in ecological systems. Network structure affects system response independently of the dynamics of the individual subsystems. Ecological responses were represented as state-and-transition models (STMs), and analyzed as mathematical graphs. Three metrics were applied that reflect: (1) the extent to which environmental change is amplified or filtered by state transitions; (2) network synchronizability and the rate of propagation of state changes; and (3) the extent of system structural constraints to the spatial propagation of state transitions. These were determined for seven archetypal graph structures representing common forms of connectivity in ecological networks, and linked to distinct modes of ecological change. Radiation-type structures are the least synchronized and most constrained patterns, with the most limited amplification, followed by other low-connectivity patterns such as those associated with monotonic succession. The maximum-connectivity rigid polygon structure (any state can transition to any other) has the strongest amplification and synchronization and least constraints. Structural constraints to change propagation are most sensitive to increasing numbers of transitions for a given number of states, and synchronization also increases at least linearly with the number of links. Amplification, however, does not increases as rapidly; as long as a graph is connected, increasing the number of links does not proportionally increase it. Because the more densely connected structures have much higher synchronization than other patterns, and fewer constraints on change propagation, environments characterized by these types of STMs may be prone to rapid, complex transitions in response to environmental changes. STMs for rangelands in two regions of Texas show that the rigid polygon structure is very common. If this phenomenon is more general, it suggests that relatively abrupt landscape reorganizations may be more likely than more orderly successions of change along environmental gradients. This analysis shows that identification of STMs and their network structure is useful for recognizing environments at higher risk for complex reorganization, and for identification of management actions to either retard or facilitate propagation of state changes.
Torsional Defects and Photoinduced Charge Transfer in Ring-Containing Polymers

Abstract The importance of ring torsion angle for photoinduced charge generation and transfer in phenyl-ring-containing polymers such as polyaniline and polyparaphenylene sulfide is discussed. The magnitude of the ground state ring torsion angle in these materials is determined by the competition between electron delocalization, favoring planar rings, and the steric repulsion between rings, favoring rings twisted far out of the plane. Upon photoinduced charge transfer, the hole formed upon removal of an electron from the valence band becomes self-localized into a polaronic state in part through changes in ring torsion angle; the effective mass of this defect is estimated to be at least an order of magnitude greater than that of bond-alternation defects. The existence of these ring-torsional defects is borne out by the experimental observation of large effective masses, long relaxation times, and weak photoconductivity for photoexcited defects, as well as by x-ray structural evidence of the dependence of t...
Acute west nile virus in two patients receiving interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C.

Acute West Nile Virus in Two Patients Receiving Interferon and Ribavirin for Chronic Hepatitis C
Complete sequence of pEC14_114, a highly conserved IncFIB/FIIA plasmid associated with uropathogenic Escherichia coli cystitis strains.

Abstract Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are known to cause important diseases of humans and animals, and they have been shown to carry a variety of plasmids associated with increased virulence and decreased antimicrobial susceptibility. Here, the completed DNA sequence of a human uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC; O6:H31 isolate) plasmid, pEC14_114, was determined. The plasmid was 114,222 bp in length and was highly similar to plasmid sequences or draft contiguous sequences from three other human cystitis-associated UPEC isolates. pEC14_114 contained 141 coding regions, including a number of genes associated with mobile genetic elements, F-type transfer, plasmid maintenance and stability, colicin immunity, and plasmid replication. This plasmid also possessed a “genetic load” region containing genes with predicted similarity to iron acquisition systems and virulence factors. The prevalence of pEC14-associated genes was determined for a collection of 1456 E. coli isolates, including those from food products, humans, dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. pEC14_114-associated genes were found significantly more often (16–35%) among human UPEC and neonatal meningitis-associated isolates than among food- and animal-source isolates (0–8%). Overall, this plasmid represents a novel IncFIB/FIIA plasmid type associated with human ExPEC belonging to the B2 phylogenetic group. The overall role of this plasmid, if any, in human ExPEC infections remains to be determined.
Lion taming: desktop management of Apple devices

As Apple devices have become more popular on our campus, management is a greater necessity. SUNY Geneseo's desktop management of Apple devices has evolved from treating them as individual, personal devices to deployment built, domain bound, remotely accessible, and profile manager controlled computers. We will demonstrate how we use Apple Profile Manager, Netinstall, and other tools to tame our Apple desktop deployment.
High-Strain Ionomeric-Ionic Liquid Composites via Electrode Tailoring

Ionomeric polymers are a class of electromechanical transducer consisting of an ionomeric substrate with metal-plated electrodes. Application of a low voltage ( 10 Hz) but this effect is small compared to the increase in strain produced by maximizing the capacitance. Increasing capacitance produces a transducer that is able to achieve > 2% strain at voltage levels of +/- 3 V.© 2004 ASME
Tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase gene polymorphisms and risk of incident myocardial infarction.

Abstract Tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (WARS) gene polymorphisms have been associated with the patho-physiology of vascular angiogenesis and homeostasis. Data from a recent genome-wide linkage analysis suggested a potential role of WARS in the risk of myocardial infarction. However, no genetic-epidemiological data are available. From a prospective cohort of 14,916 initially healthy American men, we evaluated five common polymorphisms within or close to the WARS locus, all with a minor allele frequency >0.10, amongst 386 individuals who subsequently developed myocardial infarction and 386 matched individuals who remained free of reported cardiovascular events during follow-up. The polymorphisms were: a G>C substitution in the 5′-flanking region (dbSNP rs2273804), an A>G substitution in intron 1 (dbSNP rs941931), a 335T>C substitution in exon 10 (dbSNP rs9453), a C>T substitution in intron 10 (dbSNP rs1570305), and a C>T substitution in the C14orf68 region (dbSNP rs3736951). The observed genotypes were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in the control group. Genotype- and haplotype-frequency distributions were similar between cases and controls. Further investigation using a haplotype-based matched logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, smoking, randomized treatment-assignment (likelihood ratio test: χ 3 2 = 3.20 , p =0.36) or with additional adjustment for BMI, hypertension, and diabetes (likelihood ratio test: χ 3 2 = 2.38 , p =0.50) yielded similar null findings. An alternative haplotype analysis based on evolutionary arguments again yielded null results. In conclusion, we found no evidence for an association between the common polymorphisms or haplotypes of the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase gene tested and risk of myocardial infarction.
Effect of epostane, a competitive inhibitor of the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme, in cyclic sows

Abstract The effect of epostane, a 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) inhibitor, on the levels of plasma cortisol and progesterone and on the length of the estrous cycle in sows was examined. Epostane was administered orally on Days 0 to 2 (n = 3), Days 4 to 6 (n = 3), Days 10 to 12 (n = 2) or Days 17 to 19 (n = 3) of the estrous cycle, or subcutaneously on Day 0 (n = 3), Day 4 (n = 3), Day 10 (n = 4) or Day 17 (n = 3). Eleven days after the first dose of epostane, the treatments were repeated. One group of sows (n = 3) that was bled during a single estrous cycle served as controls. Cortisol levels in each of the eight groups of sows that received epostane did not differ (P>0.05) from those in control sows. In contrast, progesterone was lowered (P
Heating of the solar wind by pickup ion driven Alfvén ion cyclotron instability

Pickup ions in a ring velocity distribution are unstable to several kinetic plasma instabilities. At large heliocentric distances where the overall plasma β (ratio of kinetic to magnetic energy) is dominated by the energy density of interstellar pickup ions and pickup is perpendicular to the interplanetary magnetic field, the dominant of these is the Alfven ion cyclotron instability (AIC). We demonstrate by hybrid particle simulation that, for conditions where the solar wind β is low, AIC driven by the pickup ions couples to the solar wind. The result is perpendicular heating, leading to an anisotropic solar wind distribution. This process may contribute to enhanced solar wind temperatures at large heliocentric distances and may allow for indirect measurement of interstellar pickup ions.
Rheological properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane) filled with fumed silica. II: Stress relaxation and stress growth

Abstract The steady-state viscosity, stress relaxation, and stress growth function were measured for a 3.0% by weight dispersion of fumed silica in poly(dimethylsiloxane); using a two-step shear rate history. For short rest times the stress growth function η+ increased monotonically towards steady-state, while at long rest times η+ exhibited large overshoot followed by a monotonic decrease to steady-state. For intermediate rest times η+ exhibited more complicated transient behaviour. The effect of both shear rates in the two-step shear-rate history on η+ have been studied, and the resulting rheological behaviour is discussed in terms of phenomenological microstructural models.
How to teach a psychiatry trainee: Individual and team supervision

Individual and group supervision of psychiatry residents are a critical vehicle to develop core competences of medical knowledge, clinical care, interpersonal communication, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice. Effective trainee supervision involves setting clear goals, timely, specific and constructive feedback with follow-up, and a graduated approach to move the trainee from direct supervision toward autonomy.
Maximizing Genetic Gain under Multiple-Stage Selection

Abstract In selection theory a goal of selection is to maximize the mean of the selected group. With two stages of selection, a more appropriate goal for the first stage of selection might be to choose those members that give maximum expected response to the sum of both stages of selection. An index procedure is developed that considers both the animal's estimated breeding value and the accuracy of its evaluation for the first stage of selection. This procedure chooses a group of animals with lower expected mean but larger expected variance by favoring individuals estimated with less accuracy. A potential application of the index is in choosing young bulls to be progeny tested. Monte Carlo results in a progeny test program indicate that selection on the index would give only .36% (±.26%) faster genetic gain than selection on estimated breeding values alone.
Interpretation of nutrient ratios in plant tissue

Abstract Nutrient ratios in plant tissue have often been used as diagnostic tools with varying degrees of success depending on whether or not they have been misunderstood or misinterpreted. The meaning of a nutrient ratio is explored so that the relationship between yield and a given ratio can be clearly defined and understood. When a nutrient ratio has an optimal value, any yield is possible, the actual level being determined by the factors contributing to yield. When a ratio is too low, a response to the element in the numerator will be obtained if, indeed, it is limiting. If the element in the denominator is in fact excessive, a yield response may or may not be recorded depending on the level of other yield factors. When the ratio is too high, the reverse is true. Thus consideration of a nutrient ratio in isolation does not permit one to identify which of the two nutrients being considered is limiting yield. However, as the number of nutrient ratios considered simultaneously increases, identification o...
Automated search for patient records: classification of free-text medical reports using conditional random fields

The purpose of this research is to develop a classifier to automatically identify qualified patients for breast cancer clinical trials from free-text medical reports. Specifically, we trained a conditional random field based classifier to identify patterns in sentences from free-text reports that are consistent with trial criteria. Experimental results indicate that this method works well, outperforming several competing techniques. Our work is important in two ways. First, it could be used to increase efficiency and decrease the cost of the patient enrollment process for clinical trials. Second, it could be extended and adapted to other patient identification problems.
Inhibition of amyloid-β aggregation by coumarin analogs can be manipulated by functionalization of the aromatic center

Aggregation of the amyloid-β protein (Aβ) plays a pathogenic role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, and small molecules that attenuate Aβ aggregation have been identified toward a therapeutic strategy that targets the disease's underlying cause. Compounds containing aromatic structures have been repeatedly reported as effective inhibitors of Aβ aggregation, but the functional groups that influence inhibition by these aromatic centers have been less frequently explored. The current study identifies analogs of naturally occurring coumarin as novel inhibitors of Aβ aggregation. Derivatization of the coumarin structure is shown to affect inhibitory capabilities and to influence the point at which an inhibitor intervenes within the nucleation dependent Aβ aggregation pathway. In particular, functional groups found within amyloid binding dyes, such as benzothiazole and triazole, can improve inhibition efficacy. Furthermore, inhibitor intervention at early or late stages within the amyloid aggregation pathway is shown to correlate with the ability of these functional groups to recognize and bind amyloid species that appear either early or late within the aggregation pathway. These results demonstrate that functionalization of small aromatic molecules with recognition elements can be used in the rational design of Aβ aggregation inhibitors to not only enhance inhibition but to also manipulate the inhibition mechanism.
Simulation and Prediction of the Motion of a Human in a Vertical Jumping Task

In this work, we offer an optimization based motion prediction of a vertical jumping task for a human. The human model has 55 degrees of freedom. This is a multi-objective optimization problem where the mechanical energy and discomfort are minimized at the same time and an additional motion capture tracking objective function is used to have a more natural motion, specially for less determinant degrees of freedom in the jumping task. The problem is subject to all the Newtonian motion constraints such as ZMP constraint while on the ground and projectile motion constraints for a dynamic system (6 independent constraints that determine the changes in the net linear and angular momentum of the system) while off the ground. In this simulation the height of jump can either be specified by the user or maximized by the optimization module. This simulation is able to predict both the kinematic and dynamic effects of different inputs on the motion where kinematic effects refer to changes in the motion and dynamic effects refer to changes in forces and torques. Different inputs consist of but are not limited to: changes in the human size, mass, strength properties, changes in the mass and inertia of the equipments attached to the human and changes in the height of jump (for specified height jumps).Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Brownian motion in infinite dimensional manifolds

We discuss the extension to infinite dimensional Riemannian—Wiener manifolds of the transport approximation to Brownian motion, which was formulated by M. Pinsky for finite dimensional manifolds. A global representation is given for the Laplace—Beltrami operator in terms of the Riemannian spray and a homogenizing operator based upon the central hitting measure of the surface of the unit ball with respect to the Brownian motion on the model space.
Retrieval and feedback models for blog feed search

Blog feed search poses different and interesting challenges from traditional ad hoc document retrieval. The units of retrieval, the blogs, are collections of documents, the blog posts. In this work we adapt a state-of-the-art federated search model to the feed retrieval task, showing a significant improvement over algorithms based on the best performing submissions in the TREC 2007 Blog Distillation task[12]. We also show that typical query expansion techniques such as pseudo-relevance feedback using the blog corpus do not provide any significant performance improvement and in many cases dramatically hurt performance. We perform an in-depth analysis of the behavior of pseudo-relevance feedback for this task and develop a novel query expansion technique using the link structure in Wikipedia. This query expansion technique provides significant and consistent performance improvements for this task, yielding a 22% and 14% improvement in MAP over the unexpanded query for our baseline and federated algorithms respectively.
Highly Efficient 1300 nm Emission in Bismuth Doped AlGeP-silica Fiber

Bismuth doped AlGeP-silica fibers prepared by aerosol deposition have a 1300 nm emission band extending from 1100-1450 nm when pumped at 808 nm. The radiative efficiency was measured to be near unity.