cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acylsugars of Lycopersicon pennellii Deter Settling and Feeding of the Green Peach Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Feeding behavior of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), differed on Lycopersicon pennelli (Corell) D Arcy (LA 716) and ‘VFT Vendor’ tomato ( L. esculentum [Mill.]). Fewer aphids initiated feeding on L. pennellii (LA 716), and time to first probe was significantly greater. Also, percentage of time spent probing and number of probes were less on this accession of L. pennellii . Time to first probe was significantly greater, while percentage of time spent probing and number of probes were less on L. pennellii (LA 716) than on L. penllellii (LA 1912), an accession that lacks acylsugar production. There were no significant differences between the behavior of the aphids on L. pellnellii (LA 1912) and L. esculentum for time to first probe or percentage of time spent probing. The effect of acylsugars obtained from L. pennellii (LA 716) on settling of M. persicae was determined by feeding-cage experiments. In choice tests, the proportion of aphids that settled on a treated port was a decreasing function of application level of acylsugars, with a maximal effect at application levels of 50 mg acylsugars per square centimeter and greater.
Factors impacting successfully competing for research funding: an analysis of applications submitted to the Plastic Surgery Foundation.

BACKGROUND Federal research funding is decreasing, forcing specialty organizations to have an increasingly important position in developing and fostering research.1,2 As the research and innovation arm of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The Plastic Surgery Foundation (PSF) has a key role in supporting promising plastic surgery research. Understanding the grant review process, as well as factors that contribute to funding well-written grant funding applications, is paramount for aspiring academic surgeons.
Thyroid cancer update: dramatic changes in the treatment of a rare disease.

The paper by Higgins et al published in this issue highlights the important advances that have been made in the treatment of advanced thyroid cancer over the past few years. Patients with iodine-refractory metastatic thyroid cancer have suffered badly due to the reputation of thyroid cancer as being a “good” cancer to have.
A critical evaluation of oxygen disappearance during stop flow in the gerbil brain.

AbstractThe rate of oxygen disappearance from the gerbil cerebral cortex was measured during bilateral carotid artery occlusion with an oxygen rnicroelectrode at normal tissue PO2 and under hyperbaric oxygenation. The oxygen disappearance rate (ODR) was found to be heavily dependent on the PO2 at occlusion due to the desaturation of hemoglobin-bound oxygen. When the tissue PO2 was elevated to a level high enough to saturate hemoglobin, the ODR reflected the oxygen consumption rate which was calculated to range from 1.6–7.4 cc O2/100 cc tissue-min. for ten barbiturate-anesthetized animals.The fall in PO2 was found not to be totally linear to zero in many cases, but instead consisted of a linear phase followed by a period of decreasing slope. We believe this phase of changing slope represents a diminishing oxygen consumption rate. The exact nature of this decrease is not known but perhaps is an inhibitory response to the accumulation of metabolites as a result of the circulation arrest.
Systematic Targeting of Protein–Protein Interactions

Over the past decade, protein–protein interactions (PPIs) have gone from being neglected as ‘undruggable' to being considered attractive targets for the development of therapeutics. Recent advances in computational analysis, fragment-based screening, and molecular design have revealed promising strategies to address the basic molecular recognition challenge: how to target large protein surfaces with specificity. Several systematic and complementary workflows have been developed to yield successful inhibitors of PPIs. Here we review the major contemporary approaches utilized for the discovery of inhibitors and focus on a structure-based workflow, from the selection of a biological target to design.
Dexamethasone increases the expression of retinoid X receptor genes in rat hepatoma cell lines

BACKGROUND Glucocorticoids and retinoic acid (RA) exert their effects through nuclear receptors; trans-acting factors that regulate the expression of target genes. Both glucocorticoids and retinoic acid have been shown to control hepatocyte phenotype to regulate expression of many liver specific genes such as alpha-fetoprotein and albumin. Two classes of receptors for retinoic acid have been identified, retinoic acid receptor and retinoic x receptor (RXR). RXRs, the receptors for 9-cis-RA (c-RA), are auxiliary factors that form heterodimers with retinoic acid receptors, vitamin D receptors, and thyroid hormone receptors and enhance the binding of the receptors to their cognate responsive elements. Thus, the level of RXR may be a crucial parameter to determine the effects of other hormones. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The current study was designed to analyze the regulation of RXR gene expression by other hormones in hepatoma cells. The effects of c-RA, all-trans-RA, 3,3',5-Triiodo-L-Thyronine, estrogen, and dexamethasone on RXR genes were examined. The expression levels of RXR mRNAs were quantitated by northern hybridization. RESULTS Dexamethasone, a crucial agent for hepatocyte differentiation, is the only hormone that up-regulates the levels of liver specific RXR alpha mRNA in three phenotypically different rat hepatoma cell lines. In addition, dexamethasone enhances the expression of RXR gamma mRNA in two cell lines but has no effect on RXR beta gene in any cell line. The regulation of RXR alpha gene is time- and dose-dependent and can be blocked by actinomycin D. However, cycloheximide has no effect on the dexamethasone induced RXR alpha gene expression. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that dexamethasone enhances the expression of RXR alpha gene probably by increasing the transcription of RXR gene and that glucocorticoids may enhance the differentiation effects of c-RA by increasing the levels of the RXRs in hepatoma cells.
Exact Methods for ODEs

This chapter reviews exact methods for ordinary differential equations. It discusses the use of the adjoint equation. The adjoint equations are applicable to linear differential equations to yield a linear differential equation of a lower order. Bernoulli equation is applicable to ordinary differential equations of the form y' + P(x)y = Q(x)y n . By a change of dependent variable, a Bernoulli equation (which is a nonlinear equation of the form y' + P(x)y = Q(x)y n , where n is not equal to 1) can be transformed to a first order linear equation. This linear equation can be solved by the use of integrating factors.
Cell Biology of Tactile Afferents

This chapter reviews our current understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of sensory transduction and neurotransmission in mammalian tactile afferents. Recent advances from in vitro studies and rodent models have provided important insights into the cell biology of tactile afferents. The chapter covers fundamental mechanisms of mechanotransduction in cells, how these mechanisms relate to C-tactile afferents, and mechanisms of neurotransmission in these neurons.
Sex Determination Based on Raman Spectroscopy of Saliva Traces for Forensic Purposes.

The forensic analysis of body fluids has made great strides in recent years. Body fluids can easily be identified, and DNA analysis can be used to link a stain found at a crime scene to a specific person. When no reference DNA profile is available and the recovered DNA does not yield a match in a database, it would be incredibly useful if the evidence could still provide investigators with useful information. Biocatalytic and immunoassays can be used to determine a donor’s sex, race, and other phenotypic characteristics. However, these tests depend on chemical reactions and are destructive to the sample. Here, we used Raman spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis to develop a nondestructive technique that could be used at a crime scene to determine the sex of a saliva donor. Our internally cross-validated classification model correctly identified 44 (92%) of the 48 donors used for model training. Subsequent external validation correctly identified 11 (92%) of the 12 donors saved for testing. This proo...
MIMO equalization of 16-QAM signal blocks using an FFT-based alphabet-matched CMA

In this work we investigate the blind equalization of signal blocks of data, which have been transmitted over a multiple-input/multiple-output channel using 16-QAM modulation. We apply the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in order to improve the efficiency of the blind equalizer update. Our equalizer is based on a cost function, which is specified as the sum of the constant modulus algorithm (CMA) and the alphabet-matched algorithm (AMA). The equalization is done using a block processing multistage approach as was introduced in [3], but with an FFT implementation. In this work, a 3-input/7-output MIMO communication system is considered, and the performance of the MIMO equalizer is analyzed using Monte Carlo simulations. Performance is measured based on the average symbol error rate (SER) and the total number of equalized cases. In addition, initial comparative results are provided for a fixed number of transmit antennas, but with varying numbers of receive antennas.
Arrestment and detection of excreta by the terrestrial red mite Balaustium murorum (Erythraeidae) to mark suitable crevices for survival

ABSTRACTWe report an arrestment response by Balaustium murorum that is chemically mediated by excreta of conspecifics. Deutonymphs and adults arrest on saline extracts of their excreta and the excreta of each other. The arrestment could be mimicked by guanine, one of excreta’s principal components, but arrestment to it was lower than to excreta. Hypoxanthine, uric acid, xanthine, and adenine had arrestment properties, except for adenine in the adult. Adult appendages were removed by cauterizing. Without the palps, the adults did not arrest. Arrestment occurred with the first pair of legs removed, but with a decrease in response. Removal of the second pair of legs had no effect on arrestment. Thus, excreta act as an arrestant pheromone that allows mites to recognize suitable refuges under bark close to where pollen falls and arthropod prey are present. Detection of this arrestant pheromone occurs by using the palps and, to a lesser extent, the first pair of legs.
Policy Agendas and Economic Inequality in American Politics

This article investigates the relationship between economic inequality and US congressional agendas. Longstanding insights into the influence of political spending on public policy suggest that mon...
WeAllWalk: An Annotated Dataset of Inertial Sensor Time Series from Blind Walkers

We introduce WeAllWalk, a dataset of inertial sensor time series collected from blind and sighted walkers using a long cane or a guide dog. Ten blind volunteers (seven using a long cane, one using a guide dog, and two alternating use of a long cane and of a guide dog) as well as five sighted volunteers contributed to the data collection. The participants walked through fairly long and complex indoor routes that included obstacles to be avoided and doors to be opened. Inertial data were recorded by two iPhone 6s carried by our participants in their pockets and carefully annotated. Ground-truth heel strike times were measured by two small inertial sensor units clipped to the participants’ shoes. We also present an in-depth comparative analysis of various step counting and turn detection algorithms as tested on WeAllWalk. This analysis reveals interesting differences between the achievable accuracy of step and turn detection across different communities of sighted and blind walkers.
The Effects of Exercise, Aspirin, and Celecoxib in an Atherogenic Environment.

Introduction Optimal vascular function is a hallmark of cardiovascular health. Specifically, the balance of vasoconstricting and vasodilating substances is recognized as a marker of vascular health. One of the greatest challenges to vascular health and vasodilatory balance is tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)-mediated inflammation. Uncovering effective strategies that maintain a vascular environment that is more vasodilatory and antithrombotic in the face of an inflammatory challenge is favorable. Purpose To test the ability of various antithrombotic and provasodilatory treatments, as well as combinations thereof, to prevent unfavorable changes in markers of endothelial dysfunction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells when presented with an inflammatory challenge. Methods Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were pretreated with exercise-like levels of laminar shear stress (LSS), aspirin, celecoxib, and their combination before a TNFα challenge. Western blot analysis as well as colorimetric assays were used to determine levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and prostacyclin (6-keto PGF1α)/thromboxane (TXB2) metabolite ratio, respectively. Results Neither aspirin nor celecoxib were effective in preventing TNFα-induced reduction in eNOS. Further, aspirin was unable to maintain baseline levels of prostacyclin/thromboxane ratio in the face of the inflammatory challenge. Laminar shear stress, aspirin/LSS combination, and celecoxib/LSS combination were all able to prevent TNFα-induced alterations in eNOS levels and prostacyclin/thromboxane ratio. Conclusions Effective strategies to maintain a healthy endothelium, and therefore resistance vessel health, need to include exercise-levels of shear stress to be effective.
Solving the multistage PMU placement problem by integer programming and equivalent network design model

Recently, phasor measurement units (PMUs) are becoming widely used to measure the electrical waves on a power grid to determine the health of the system. Because of high expense for PMUs, it is important to place minimized number of PMUs on power grids without losing the function of maintaining system observability. In practice, with a budget limitation at each time point, the PMUs are placed in a multistage framework spanning in a long-term period, and the proposed multistage PMU placement problem is to find the placement strategies. Within each stage for some time point, the PMUs should be placed to maximize the observability and the complete observability should be ensured in the planned last stage. In this paper, the multistage PMU placement problem is formulated by a mixed integer program (MIP) with consideration of the zero-injection bus property in power systems. To improve the computational efficiency, another MIP, based on the equivalent network flow model for the PMU placement problem, is proposed. Numerical experiments on several test cases are performed to compare the two MIPs.
Regulation of Airway Smooth Muscle Contraction by Ca2+ Signaling: Physiology Revealed by Microscopy Studies of Lung Slices

Signaling…?>An examination of the physiology of airway smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in lung slices from mice, rats, and humans with laser scanning microscopy reveals that agonist-induced airway SMC contraction is driven by Ca2+ oscillations. An increase in the frequency of Ca2+ oscillations correlates with an increase in airway contraction. In addition, contractile agonists simultaneously increase airway SMC Ca2+ sensitivity to enhance the action of the Ca2+ oscillations. These Ca2+ oscillations are primarily mediated by the activity of the inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R). Although airway SMCs contract in response to membrane depolarization, Ca2+ influx via voltage-gated Ca2+ channels does not appear to have a major role in agonist-induced airway SMC contraction. Airway relaxation induced by β2-adrenergic receptor agonists involves both a reduction in the Ca2+ oscillation frequency and Ca2+ sensitivity.
Interactions between vasopressin and the renin--angiotensin system.

Publisher Summary Vasopressin and the renin-angiotensin system interact in two major ways; angiotensin II, the physiologically active component of the renin-angiotensin system, acts centrally to stimulate the release of vasopressin, and vasopressin, in turn, acts on the kidney to inhibit the secretion of renin. This chapter provides an overview of the interactions between vasopressin and the renin-angiotensin system. The chapter also describes the current concepts concerning the site and mechanism of these actions, as well as their physiological significance. The available evidence indicates that vasopressin can suppress renin secretion by a variety of mechanisms. During long-term administration, the suppression appears to be secondary to retention of water and expansion of body fluids. With short-term administration, the suppression of renin secretion may be partly secondary to vasoconstriction; however, other mechanisms almost certainly play a role, because analogs of vasopressin, which lack vasoconstrictor activity, also suppress renin secretion. There is some evidence that vasopressin can inhibit renin secretion by direct action on the juxtaglomerular apparatus; however, the relative importance of these different mechanisms is not clear.
Measures of Stereotyping and Prejudice: Barometers of Bias

Twenty-first century intergroup biases are more automatic, ambivalent, and ambiguous than were old-fashioned biases such as authoritarianism and overt racism, which overtly expressed intergroup hostility. Beyond traditional self-report measures of ethnocentrism and hostile sexism, current measures tap more subtle manifestations of bias. Social dominance orientation assesses beliefs about the desirability of group hierarchies and predicts social attitudes such as ethnocentrism. The stereotype content model maps societal groups’ stereotypes, based on perceived social structure, predicting emotional prejudices and discriminatory tendencies. Recent racism measures tap modern policy-related attitude configurations, relatively automatic associations between groups and evaluations, and indirect indicators of intergroup attitudes. Current sexism scales assess modern versions oriented toward policies and an ambivalent version separating benevolence and hostility. Ageism scales measure both modern beliefs and prescriptive ambivalence toward older people. Current measures are less direct than earlier ones, consistent with 21st century patterns.
Preparing Teachers for Jewish Schools: Enduring Issues in Changing Contexts

This chapter examines two “experiments” in Jewish teacher education, the Teachers Institute at the Jewish Theological Seminar in its early years under the leadership of Mordecai Kaplan and the DeLeT program currently operating at Brandeis University and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). In both cases, the emergence of a new kind of Jewish school requiring a new kind of Jewish teacher made possible the creation of full-time programs of Jewish teacher preparation. The cases are used to illuminate some enduring issues in Jewish teacher education and to outline a research agenda to inform policy and practice.
Direct and indirect effects of a common cyanobacterial toxin on amphibian-trematode dynamics

Abstract: Wildlife diseases are emerging at unprecedented rates. While there are likely several factors at play, human-mediated environmental alterations may play a significant role. Of growing interest is the effect that microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a cyanotoxin, may have on disease outcomes. In this study, using an amphibian-trematode model we examined (1) the lethal effects of MC-LR on cercariae of trematodes; (2) the sublethal effects of MC-LR exposure on the ability for trematodes to infect green frog tadpoles; and (3) the sublethal effects of MC-LR on green frog tadpole susceptibility to trematodes. We found that environmentally-relevant concentrations of MC-LR at 50, 100, and 500 μg L−1 increased cercariae rate of mortality (LC50–14h = 134.24 μg L−1). However, sublethal exposure of trematodes to 2 and 10 μg L−1 MC-LR did not alter their infectivity. Conversely, sublethal exposure of tadpoles to 2 μg L−1 increased their susceptibility to trematodes by 147%. However, 10 μg L−1 of MC-LR did not affect tadpole susceptibility to trematodes, indicating a non-linear response to sublethal MC-LR exposure. Overall, our findings suggest that high concentrations of MC-LR (≥50 μg L−1) have the potential to limit trematode transmission to amphibian hosts through MC-LR-induced mortality. However, at lower concentrations (
Examining Students’ Attitudes and Readiness for Interprofessional Education and Practice

This study examined RN-to-BSN and Master of Social Work students’ attitudes and readiness for interprofessional (IP) practice and educational experiences. The Attitudes toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) developed by Heinemann et al. measures attitudes toward health care teams including the quality of care/process and physician centrality. Students’ readiness for IP education was measured by the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) developed by Parsell and Bligh. Discussion of an interprofessional activity including student reactions is provided. Statistically significant differences were found in the mean scores for the Patient-Centeredness subscale of the RIPLS and in overall ATHCTS scores as well as the Physician Centrality subscale scores. Overall, participants demonstrated readiness and benefits of IP education.
Activation of the mTORC1/PGC-1 axis promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and induces cellular senescence in the lung epithelium.

Cellular senescence is a biological process by which cells lose their capacity to proliferate yet remain metabolically active. Although originally considered a protective mechanism to limit the for...
Hardwiring diagnostic stewardship using electronic ordering restrictions for gastrointestinal pathogen testing

Objective:To evaluate the impact of a hard stop in the electronic health record (EHR) on inappropriate gastrointestinal pathogen panel testing (GIPP).Design:We used a quasi-experimental study to evaluate testing before and after the implementation of an EHR alert to stop inappropriate GIPP ordering.Setting:Midwest academic medical center.Participants:Hospitalized patients with diarrhea for which GIPP testing was ordered, between January 2016 through March 2017 (period 1) and April 2017 through June 2018 (period 2).Intervention:A hard stop in the EHR prevented clinicians from ordering a GIPP more than once per admission or in patients hospitalized for >72 hours.Results:During period 1, 1,587 GIPP tests were ordered over 212,212 patient days, at a rate of 7.48 per 1,000 patient days. In period 2, 1,165 GIPP tests were ordered over 222,343 patient days, at a rate of 5.24 per 1,000 patient days. The Poisson model estimated a 30% reduction in total GIPP ordering rates between the 2 periods (relative risk, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63–0.78; P 72 hours.
A perovskite/noble-metal composite as a bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst for alkaline electrochemical cells

Abstract Alkaline-based metal-air batteries require a low-resistance, bifunctional oxygen electrode to perform fast oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR/OER) during discharging and charging cycles, respectively. However, achieving good ORR/OER bifunctionality with single materials has proven challenging. Here we report a composite material as a bifunctional oxygen electrode for ORR and OER. The composite oxygen electrode consists of an ORR-active 20 wt% Pt/C and an OER-active perovskite La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ (LSCO). The study focuses on identifying the optimal LSCO:Pt/C ratio through electrochemical DC voltammetry techniques. The results show that the addition of Pt/C into the LSCO catalyst greatly enhances the ORR activity, due to Pt/C’s superior ORR capabilities, while LSCO retains good OER performance, which is known to be poor for Pt/C. The optimal LSCO:Pt/C ratio among the seven compositions studied is found to be 60:40 (wt%) and is tested for stability through using a square-wave potentiostatic method. Overall, this study demonstrates a synergetic effect between LSCO and Pt/C, with each one contributing towards one of the electrode reactions in a positive manner.
Differences in outcome between colorectal cancer (CRC) patients (pts) with Lynch syndrome (LS) versus MLH1 hypermethylation (MLH1 HM).

1556 Background: In ~15% of CRC tumors mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) is observed and is usually caused by LS (germline mutations in MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 or PMS2) or sporadic inactivation of MLH1 (h...
Development of a Decision Support System for Ankle-Foot Orthosis (AFO) Design Based on Lumped Parameter Models for Human Locomotion Prediction:

This work aims to develop a decision support system (DSS) to help orthotic clinicians design AFOs to correct pathological gait patterns that result from various nerve impairments. The DSS utilizes ...
Representation by the Minute: The Influence of Ethnicity, Partisanship and District Fit on Legislator One-Minute Floor Speeches

AbstractMuch of the research on minority representation in the U.S. House has focused on how group preferences are reflected in recorded votes, yet most opportunities for position-taking exist outs...
Collectively stabilizing and orienting posterior migratory forces disperses cell clusters in vivo.

Individual cells detach from cohesive ensembles during development and can inappropriately separate in disease. Although much is known about how cells separate from epithelia, it remains unclear how cells disperse from clusters lacking apical–basal polarity, a hallmark of advanced epithelial cancers. Here, using live imaging of the developmental migration program of Drosophila primordial germ cells (PGCs), we show that cluster dispersal is accomplished by stabilizing and orienting migratory forces. PGCs utilize a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR), Tre1, to guide front-back migratory polarity radially from the cluster toward the endoderm. Posteriorly positioned myosin-dependent contractile forces pull on cell–cell contacts until cells release. Tre1 mutant cells migrate randomly with transient enrichment of the force machinery but fail to separate, indicating a temporal contractile force threshold for detachment. E-cadherin is retained on the cell surface during cell separation and augmenting cell–cell adhesion does not impede detachment. Notably, coordinated migration improves cluster dispersal efficiency by stabilizing cell–cell interfaces and facilitating symmetric pulling. We demonstrate that guidance of inherent migratory forces is sufficient to disperse cell clusters under physiological settings and present a paradigm for how such events could occur across development and disease. During development, primordial germ cell clusters undergo dispersal but how cell–cell adhesion and contractility are coordinated during this process in vivo is unclear. Here, the authors show that Drosophila primordial germ cells utilize migratory forces to disperse through G-protein coupled receptor mediated collective guidance of front-back polarity outwards from the cluster.
Internet search patterns reveal clinical course of COVID-19 disease progression and pandemic spread across 32 countries

Effective public health response to novel pandemics relies on accurate and timely surveillance of pandemic spread, as well as characterization of the clinical course of the disease in affected individuals. We sought to determine whether Internet search patterns can be useful for tracking COVID-19 spread, and whether these data could also be useful in understanding the clinical progression of the disease in 32 countries across six continents. Temporal correlation analyses were conducted to characterize the relationships between a range of COVID-19 symptom-specific search terms and reported COVID-19 cases and deaths for each country from January 1 through April 20, 2020. Increases in COVID-19 symptom-related searches preceded increases in reported COVID-19 cases and deaths by an average of 18.53 days (95% CI 15.98-21.08) and 22.16 days (20.33-23.99), respectively. Cross-country ensemble averaging was used to derive average temporal profiles for each search term, which were combined to create a search-data-based view of the clinical course of disease progression. Internet search patterns revealed a clear temporal pattern of disease progression for COVID-19: Initial symptoms of fever, dry cough, sore throat and chills were followed by shortness of breath an average of 5.22 days (3.30-7.14) after initial symptom onset, matching the clinical course reported in the medical literature. This study shows that Internet search data can be useful for characterizing the detailed clinical course of a disease. These data are available in real-time at population scale, providing important benefits as a complementary resource for tracking pandemics, especially before widespread laboratory testing is available.
Identifying primary and secondary stressors, buffers, and supports that impact ECE teacher wellbeing: implications for teacher education

Stress has been shown to negatively impact early childhood teachers’ abilities to provide high quality, responsive environments for young children. Previous studies of early childhood teacher stres...
On the complexity of inverse semigroup conjugacy

We investigate the computational complexity of various decision problems related to conjugacy in finite inverse semigroups. We describe polynomial-time algorithms for checking if two elements in such a semigroup are ~p conjugate and whether an inverse monoid is factorizable. We describe a connection between checking ~i conjugacy and checking membership in inverse semigroups. We prove that ~o and ~c are partition covering for any countable set and that ~p, ~p* , and ~tr are partition covering for any finite set. Finally, we prove that checking for nilpotency, R-triviality, and central idempotents in partial bijection semigroups are NL-complete problems and we extend several complexity results for partial bijection semigroups to inverse semigroups.
Chapter 23 Future development of general circulation models

This chapter focuses on the future development of general circulation models (GCMs) and points out some modeling issues that should be considered more seriously. Numerical models including GCMs are now indispensable tools for studying and predicting a variety of atmospheric phenomena. In numerical modeling of the atmosphere, one must formulate complicated atmospheric processes with a limited number of degrees of freedom. The geographical distribution of sea surface temperature (SST) was prescribed as an external condition in most GCM applications during the second phase. The new “great challenge” third phase will require more than simple extrapolations of what was achieved in the past. The emphasis will now be on formulations of the interactions of various processes by the dashed arrows for the second phase and the solid arrows for the third phase. Modeling efforts during the third phase will pose new problems for basic research on the interactions between individual boxes. Extensive use of large-eddy simulation and cloud-resolving models (LESs and CRMs) will become more indispensable for the future progress of the modeling capability.
C-V advisor knowledge base (CVA-KB): a high frequency C-V plot analysis tool

A high-frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) plot analysis tool, the CVA-KB, has been developed using an expert system shell. The CVA-KB is designed to be used by semiconductor diffusion engineers and technicians to help solve problems with the interpretation of C-V plots and to suggest a course of action in the solution of diffusion area problems as revealed by C-V analysis. The CVA-KB also aids in the training of C-V plot interpretation by providing a context-sensitive on-line help system. >
Bis-(disubstitutedphosphinyl)-alkanes—VII: Solvation of thorium nitrate by bis-(dialkylphosphinyl)-methanes and trialkylphosphine oxides☆

Abstract The complexes of thorium nitrate with bis-(di-n-hexylphosphinyl)-methane, HDPM, bis-(di-2-ethylbutylphosphinyl)-methane, EBDPM, tri-n-octylphosphine oxide, TOPO and tris-(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphine oxide, TEHPO, have been studied. Partition, saturation, conductivity, and infra-red data are presented on the nature of the complexes. In the presence of excess extractant, the species Th(NO3)4·2HDPM, Th(NO3)4·2EBDPM, Th(NO3)4·3TOPO and Th(NO3)4·3TEHPO predominate. At low ligand:metal ratios and when the metal is in excess other species exist.
Enzymatic Breakage of Deoxyribonucleic Acid II. PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF ENDONUCLEASE IV FROM T4 PHAGE-INFECTED ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract An endonuclease activity was purified about 150-fold from T4 phage-infected Escherichia coli B. This enzyme has been named T4 endonuclease IV and introduces breaks preferentially into single stranded DNA. The enzyme produces oligonucleotides as small as 150 nucleotides long from fd DNA. These oligonucleotides contain 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate termini. T4 endonuclease IV produces breaks exclusively adjacent to cytosine residues in both fd and denatured λ DNA. This enzyme has no effect on denatured T4 DNA, whether glucosylated or nonglucosylated, and may therefore be involved in the breakdown of host cell DNA which occurs after T4 phage infection.
Rectal bleeding in infants and children, with a hitherto unreported etiological factor.

Summary Possible etiological factors have been considered in a child who presents himself with rectal bleeding. A previously unreported entity,chronic recurrent sigmoidal intussusception, is described as a cause for rectal bleeding. A basic work-up for rectal bleedingis suggested. A series of 143 patients with rectal bleeding is reviewed as to causes and over-all prognosis.
Regioselective oxidation of phospho-NSAIDs by human cytochrome P450 and flavin monooxygenase isoforms: implications for their pharmacokinetic properties and safety

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Phospho-ibuprofen (MDC-917) and phospho-sulindac (OXT-328) are highly effective in cancer and arthritis treatment in preclinical models. Here, we investigated their metabolism by major human cytochrome P450s (CYPs) and flavin monooxygenases (FMOs).
Zealotry and the Jeremiad in American Political Thought

The concern of this paper is to determine the specifically American character of abolitionist and anti-abortion zealotry and in so doing to reconsider the relationship between extremism and American political thought. It does so through an investigation in these movements of the use of the trope of the American jeremiad, or the notion that America is a “chosen,” “exceptional” nation with a special duty or errand to fulfill in human history. I argue that abolitionist and anti-abortion fanatics embrace the notion of an exceptional nation and believe they have a special mission to fulfill in within this errand, but they reject the American jeremiad’s narrative of gradual, steady progress toward fulfilling that errand. The zealot insists on achieving utopia immediately, else disaster is imminent. Abolitionist and anti-abortion extremists also challenge the very notion of chosenness, criticizing the nation for excluding African Americans, and “the unborn,” respectively, from the “chosen.” These zealots’ intensification and critique of the American jeremiad shows that such extremism is indigenous to the American political experience rather than an invasive species or a fringe “paranoid style.” Extremism is an approach to politics that seeks to ratchet up social conflict in order to challenge the liberal consensus and redefine the “common sense” of society.
Finite e○+β jahn-teller systems : A continued-fraction approach

A recursive method is developed to treat electrons coupled to phonons. It is applied to small systems with $E\otimes\beta$ Jahn-Teller coupling. Two cases are considered, a model with one electron and two orbitals on a single site (related to the Rabi Hamiltonian) and a model with two electrons on two sites. The corresponding Green's functions are represented by rational functions. It is found that the spectra change substantially when one phonon couples to the electron but are relatively robust under an increasing number of phonons.
Do Public Firms Invest Differently than Private Firms? Taking Cues from the Natural Gas Industry

We study how listing status affects investment behavior. Theory offers competing hypotheses on how listing-related frictions affect investment decisions. We use detailed data on 74,670 individual projects in the U.S. natural gas industry to show that private firms respond less than public firms to changes in investment opportunities. Private firms adjust drilling activity for low capital-intensity investments. However, they do not increase drilling in response to new capital-intensive growth opportunities. Instead, they sell these projects to public firms. Our evidence suggests that differences in access to external capital are important for explaining the investment behavior of public and private firms.
Genetic variations in nitric oxide synthase and arginase influence exhaled nitric oxide levels in children.

To cite this article: Salam MT, Bastain TM, Rappaport EB, Islam T, Berhane K, Gauderman WJ, Gilliland FD. Genetic variations in nitric oxide synthase and arginase influence exhaled nitric oxide levels in children. Allergy 2011; 66: 412–419. Abstract Background: Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a biomarker of airway inflammation. In the nitric oxide (NO) synthesis pathway, nitric oxide synthases (encoded by NOS1, NOS2A, and NOS3) and arginases (encoded by ARG1 and ARG2) compete for L-arginine. Although FeNO levels are higher in children with asthma/allergy, influence of these conditions on the relationships between variations in these genes and FeNO remains unknown. The aims of the study were to evaluate the role of genetic variations in nitric oxide synthases and arginases on FeNO in children and to assess the influence of asthma and respiratory allergy on these genetic associations. Methods: Among children (6–11 years) who participated in the southern California Children’s Health Study, variations in these five genetic loci were characterized by tagSNPs. FeNO was measured in two consecutive years (N = 2298 and 2515 in Years 1 and 2, respectively). Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate the associations between these genetic variants and FeNO. Results: Sequence variations in the NOS2A and ARG2 loci were globally associated with FeNO (P = 0.0002 and 0.01, respectively). The ARG2 association was tagged by intronic variant rs3742879 with stronger association with FeNO in asthmatic children (P-interaction = 0.01). The association of a NOS2A promoter haplotype with FeNO varied significantly by rs3742879 genotypes and by asthma. Conclusion: Variants in the NO synthesis pathway genes jointly contribute to differences in FeNO concentrations. Some of these genetic influences were stronger in children with asthma. Further studies are required to confirm our findings.
Generalised electrographic seizures presenting as perioral myoclonia

A 41-year-old man, during a neurological consultation, reported “chin twitching” over a period of a week, which was diagnosed as intermittent perioral myoclonia. With only one tonic-clonic seizure seven years before, he had mentioned several episodes of chin twitching over the years. In the clinic, there were intermittent chin movements without apparent confusion, as he was able to provide a complete history and was fully oriented with intact memory. His video-EEG showed paroxysms of polyspike and slow-wave activity, with the longest burst-free interval being 20 seconds. Discharges were maximal over the fronto-central regions, correlating with the chin myoclonus. He was able to tap his hand continuously, and remained alert. The case represents an atypical presentation of idiopathic generalised epilepsy without manifestation of absence or limb myoclonus. Although juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and other idiopathic epilepsies are rarely associated with perioral myoclonia, this sign was the principal clinical feature for this patient. Oral treatment with levetiracetam resolved his seizures. [Published with video sequences]
The lower and upper critical fields in the heavy electron superconductor UPt3

Abstract We have measured both the lower and upper critical fields in single crystals of UPt3 within a single technique for field orientations both parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis. The ‘kink’ or the upward curvature in the upper critical field, Hc2 for H‖basal plane seen in earlier measurements is found to be sharper in single crystals of better quality. Correlated with this feature in Hc2 we also find a ‘kink’ in the lower critical field, Hc1 for H‖basal plane. These observations add further support to the two-dimensional order-parameter model for UPt3 proposed to explain the recent observation of two jumps in the specific heat. For the orthogonal field orientation H‖c-axis we find no such anomaly in Hc1 within the resolution of our measurements.
Ensemble empirical mode decomposition of impact-echo data for testing concrete structures

Abstract Ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) is investigated to decompose the impact echo (IE) testing data into different spectral composition for defect signal extraction. The effects of critical EEMD parameters are studied. As IE signals have strong surface waves with wide bandwidth, the amplitude of the added white noise is larger than that normally used for other applications to successfully decompose all interested modes. The number of ensemble trials increases with increasing noise amplitude. The influence of the frequency of the signal to be extracted on the EEMD performance is also analyzed. The results show that the high frequency resonance mode is easier to be extracted than the low frequency resonance mode from the IE signal. The effectiveness of the EEMD method for IE signal decomposition is demonstrated using both numerical simulations and experimental tests.
Computational Investigation of the Changing Patterns of Subtype Specific NMDA Receptor Activation during Physiological Glutamatergic Neurotransmission

NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are the major mediator of the postsynaptic response during synaptic neurotransmission. The diversity of roles for NMDARs in influencing synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival is often linked to selective activation of multiple NMDAR subtypes (NR1/NR2A-NMDARs, NR1/NR2B-NMDARs, and triheteromeric NR1/NR2A/NR2B-NMDARs). However, the lack of available pharmacological tools to block specific NMDAR populations leads to debates on the potential role for each NMDAR subtype in physiological signaling, including different models of synaptic plasticity. Here, we developed a computational model of glutamatergic signaling at a prototypical dendritic spine to examine the patterns of NMDAR subtype activation at temporal and spatial resolutions that are difficult to obtain experimentally. We demonstrate that NMDAR subtypes have different dynamic ranges of activation, with NR1/NR2A-NMDAR activation sensitive at univesicular glutamate release conditions, and NR2B containing NMDARs contributing at conditions of multivesicular release. We further show that NR1/NR2A-NMDAR signaling dominates in conditions simulating long-term depression (LTD), while the contribution of NR2B containing NMDAR significantly increases for stimulation frequencies that approximate long-term potentiation (LTP). Finally, we show that NR1/NR2A-NMDAR content significantly enhances response magnitude and fidelity at single synapses during chemical LTP and spike timed dependent plasticity induction, pointing out an important developmental switch in synaptic maturation. Together, our model suggests that NMDAR subtypes are differentially activated during different types of physiological glutamatergic signaling, enhancing the ability for individual spines to produce unique responses to these different inputs.
Role of ground reaction torque and other dynamic measures in postural stability

To compare the sensitivity of different balance parameters of movement of the center of pressure (COP) and ground reaction torque (GRT) measurements, data from balance tests are presented. To examine dynamic parameters and possible quantitative interpretations, data are presented for an identical test condition (feet tandem, eyes closed) for a traumatic brain-injured patient and a norm. It is shown that the plot of the COP position during a balance test, the stabilogram, was a less sensitive measure of balance than dynamic parameters of radial velocity or GRT. >
First order phase transitions in a sector of fixed charge

Abstract We compute the physical properties of non-topological solitons of the Q-ball type when surface effects are important. This leads to a consideration of first order phase transitions in a sector of fixed charge Q. We find that the transition occurs in two stages. First, a Q-ball appears while the symmetric vacuum is still preferred. As the asymmetric vacuum drops in energy, the Q-ball expands smoothly. Then, when the asymmetric vacuum becomes preferred by an energy gap calculated in this paper, a singularity arises, the Q-ball fills space, and the phase transition is complete.
The effects of neurotransmission on neuronal gene expression

Gene expression is primarily controlled at the level of transcription. Of the 100,000 genes expressed in the human body, 30–50% may be specifically expressed in nervous tissue. Some of this gene expression is genetically determined and is therefore preprogrammed. However, neuronal gene expression can also be affected by environmental factors, mediated through neuronal transmission. It is hypothesized that neurotransmission has a primary role in developmental and adult neuronal plasticity, and that these effects are mediated through alterations in gene expression. Pathological neurotransmission, such as that seen after seizures, may be disruptive to these patterns of gene expression. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chinese ideological and political education in the information age -A preliminary study of the changing roles of university teachers

With the information technology modernization and rapid developments in electronic media and the World Wide Web within the last thirty years, every country have to be information technology equipped and competent in every field, especially in education sector. So it is in China. The Ministry of Education (MOE) implemented rigorous plans for both teachers and students to possess the necessary skills and knowledge, especially making the major task for the teachers who mainly bear ideology and political courses. Based on preliminary interviews with practitioners and academics in the area of Education, this paper gives an insight to the changes that have been taking place in the education system in universities of China, especially in what case of university of Xi'an in Shanxi province of China. Overview of the changing roles that ideology education teachers have to assume, a brief discussion on how establish education information management system to make the process of Ideological and political education management and team construction in line with the needs of modern information technology.