cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Overview of Project Finance and Infrastructure Finance--2009 Update

Provides an introduction to the fields of project finance and infrastructure finance, and gives a statistical overview of project-financed investments over the years from 2005 to 2009. Examples of project-financed investments include the $1.4 billion Mozal aluminum smelter in Mozambique, $4 billion Chad-Cameroon pipeline, $6 billion Iridium global satellite telecommunications system, 900 million A2 Toll Road in Poland, $20 billion Sakhalin II gas field in Russia, and the $28 billion Dabhol power project. Globally, firms financed $240 billion of capital expenditures using project finance in 2009, down from $409 billion in 2008 as the financial crisis hit the Western markets. The use of project finance has grown at a compound rate of 0% over the last five years, 4% over the past 10 years, and 12% over the past 15 years. This note focuses primarily on private sector investment in industrial and infrastructure projects, and contains four sections. The first section defines project finance and contrasts it with other well-known financing mechanisms. The second section describes the evolution of project finance from its beginnings in the natural resources industry in the 1970s, to the U.S. power industry in the 1980s, to a much wider range of industry applications and geographic locations in the 1990s, and most recently to infrastructure finance in the 2000s. The third section provides a statistical overview of project-financed investment over the last five years (2005 to 2009), and looks at industry, project, and participant specific data. The third section also provides recent data on infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships. The final section discusses current and likely future trends.
Putting transfer back on trial: Modeling individual differences in the transfer of decoding-skill gains to other aspects of reading acquisition

The authors explored a new means of assessing responsiveness to decoding-skill intervention to model individual differences in the transfer of decoding-skill gains to other aspects of reading acquisition in 35 children, Grades 3 through 5, with reading disabilities. Seven different parameters, representing responsiveness to decoding instruction, were estimated for each child and used to predict gains on standardized reading tests assessing word attack, word identification, and text reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Results indicated that several estimates of an individual's responsiveness to instruction were related to gains in other aspects of reading. Results also suggested that the most appropriate unit of analysis for examining transfer is the individual, not the group.
Catharanthus Alkaloids XXVI: Isolation of Cathanneine, a New Alkaloid from Catharanthus lanceus

A new dihydroindole alkaloid, having the composition C24H30N2O5, was isolated from the leaf (A) fraction of Catharanthus lanceus. The isolation procedure and physical characterization of this new base, named cathanneine, are described.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF STARFISH OOCYTES

The stiffness of the starfish oocyte was determined from the degree of deformation when it was compressed by a definite force between a pair of parallel plates. The deformation of the oocyte increases during continued application of a constant force, indicating visco-elasticity of the cell. A cyclic change in stiffness of the oocyte accompanying meiotic divisions was found: the stiffness of the oocyte decreases during early stage of meiotic division, increases before the onset of the first polar body formation, then decreases, increases again before the onset of the second polar body formation, and decreases thereafter. Deuteration causes increase in stiffness of the oocyte.
Protection of the glutamate pool concentration in enteric bacteria

The central nitrogen metabolic circuit in enteric bacteria consists of three enzymes: glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase (GOGAT), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). With the carbon skeleton provided by 2-oxoglutarate, ammonia/ammonium (NH4+) is assimilated into two central nitrogen intermediates, glutamate and glutamine. Although both serve as nitrogen donors for all biosynthetic needs, glutamate and glutamine play different roles. Internal glutamine serves as a sensor of external nitrogen availability, and its pool concentration decreases upon nitrogen limitation. A high glutamate pool concentration is required to maintain the internal K+ pool. The configuration of high glutamate and low glutamine pools was disrupted in GOGAT− mutants under low NH4+ conditions: the glutamate pool was low, the difference between glutamate and glutamine was diminished, and growth was defective. When a GOGAT− mutant was cultured in an NH4+-limited chemostat, two sequential spontaneous mutations occurred. Each resulted in a suppressor mutant that outgrew its predecessor in the chemostat. The first suppressor overexpressed GDH, and the second also had a partially impaired glutamine synthetase. The result was a triple mutant in which NH4+ was assimilated by two enzymes instead of the normal three and yet glutamate and glutamine pools and growth were essentially normal. The results indicate preference for the usual ratio of glutamate and glutamine and the resilient and compensatory nature of the circuit on pool control. Analysis of other suppressor mutants selected on solid medium suggests that increased GDH expression is the key for rescue of the growth defect of GOGAT− mutants under low NH4+ conditions.
Do exchange rates respond asymmetrically to shocks in the crude oil market

Abstract The paper argues that exchange rates respond asymmetrically to different shocks to the crude oil market. We apply Kilian's (2009) methodology to disentangle shocks to the crude oil market into distinct demand and supply shocks, and examine the response of the U.S. real and nominal trade-weighted U.S. dollar exchange rate indexes, as well as six other bilateral exchange rates to these shocks. Our analysis indicates that oil supply shocks have no significant effects on exchange rates, while global aggregate demand and oil-specific demand shocks lead to depreciations. We further show that exchange rates respond asymmetrically to shocks in the crude market depending on whether the shocks are large versus small, or positive versus negative.
Mouse major histocompatibility class I gene expression begins at midsomite stage and is inducible in earlier-stage embryos by interferon.

Abstract To determine the timing of major histocompatibility complex class I gene expression during embryonic development, binding of anti-class I antibodies and appearance of class I gene transcripts were examined in mouse embryos from the egg-cylinder stage through day 16 of gestation. By using two series of monoclonal antibodies reactive with monomorphic and polymorphic determinants of class I antigens, it was found that cell-surface expression of the antigens becomes detectable at a low level only after midsomite stage on gestation day 10, at a time when embryos are developed beyond primordial organogenesis and have partial blood circulation. In agreement with the above finding, a low level of class I mRNA became detectable in day 9 and older embryos in blot hybridization. The level of class I transcripts in embryos at least to day 13 remained less than 1/50th that in adult spleen cells. Cells from head-fold stage embryos (gestation day 8), which otherwise do not have an appreciable amount of class I mRNA or surface antigens, begin to express a high level of antigens upon treatment with mouse alpha/beta or gamma interferon. This induction of class I antigen expression appears to be stage specific in that embryos in an earlier egg-cylinder stage (day 6) failed to express the antigens after interferon treatment. A possible role of interferons in activating class I genes during in vivo embryonic development is suggested.
Lesions of the cerebellar interpositus nucleus abolish both nictitating membrane and eyelid EMG conditioned responses

Both nictitating membrane extension and eyelid EMG activity were measured during classical conditioning of rabbits to tone-airpuff pairings. Both measures were highly correlated. Over trials, learning criterion was met earlier with eyelid EMG activity than with nictitating membrane extension. Within a trial, eyelid EMG preceded and was more robust than nictitating membrane extension. The rabbits were lesioned in the cerebellar interpositus nucleus and then trained for up to 26 days. Detailed analyses of tone alone trials demonstrate that the lesion abolished conditioned responses for both measures. These data confirm that conditioned responses are abolished by lesion of the cerebellar interpositus nucleus.
Ballots and plane trees

The correspondence of certain plane trees and binary sequences reported by D. A. Klarner in [1], and a ballot interpretation of the latter, are used to make an independent evaluation of the number of classes of isomorphic, (k + 1)-valent, planted plane trees with kn + 2 points. This provides an interesting multivariable identity for binomial coefficients.
Some Differential Factors Affecting Population Movement: The Nubian Case

This paper is an analysis of selected aspects of population movement, with special reference to the case of Nubia. It examines a portion of the data collected in the years 1961-1964 during the course of an anthropological-sociological study of Nubian society, including both the villages of Egyptian Nubia and the urban communities of Egypt and the Sudan. Specifically, the paper describes the Nubian community in historical perspective, sketching out some of the salient geographic, economic and demographic features. The empirical data is analyzed with reference to a selected theory of migration phenomena.
Non-Religious Ethics?

The History Workshop was a movement of radical social historians which flourished in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s. Its goal was to promote ‘history from below’ – to tell the stories of those left...
Conjugate point properties for linear quadratic problems

Abstract Analogs of certain conjugate point properties in the calculus of variations are developed for optimal control problems. The main result in this direction is concerned with the characterization of a parameterized family of extremals going through the first backward conjugate point, t c . A corollary of this result is that for the linear quadratic problem (LQP) there exists at least a one-parameter family of extremals going though the conjugate point which gives the same cost as the candidate extremal, i.e., the extremal control is optimal but nonunique on [ t c , t f ]. An analysis of the effect on the conjugate point of employing penalty functions for terminal equality constraints in the LQP is presented, also. It is shown that the sequence of approximate conjugate points is always conservative, and it converges to the conjugate point of the constrained problem. Furthermore, it is proved that the addition of terminal constraints has the effect of causing the conjugate point to move backward (or remain the same).
Citrinin mycotoxicosis in the rat. I. Toxicology and pathology

In a series of four trials, citrinin was administered by the ip route as a single dose or in daily doses to determine its acute toxicity for the rat. The single dose LD50 (Trial I) for citrinin dissolved in equal parts by volume of dimethylsulphoxide and 50% ethanol was 64 mg/kg body weight. Administration of this LD50 dose after seven daily doses of either 32 or 48 mg citrinin/kg body weight killed only one of 19 rats (Trial II). In Trial IV, rats were killed 3, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hr after receiving a single ip dose of 50 mg citrinin/kg for examination of kidneys and other tissues. The principal gross and microscopic alterations in the citrinin-treated rats were in the kidneys. Vacuolar degeneration of the renal tubular epithelium found 3 hr after treatment had progressed to extensive necrosis 33 hr later. Necrosis was the dominant lesion 36-72 hr after treatment. Regeneration of tubular epithelium, characterized by an increase in the nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio and the presence of cytoplasmic basophilia, was minimal 72 hr after treatment, but was prominent after 144 hr (Trial III).
Amyloid immunization in Alzheimer’s disease: do we promote amyloid scavenging at the cost of inflammatory degeneration?

A large number of epidemiologic studies have indicated that the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may prevent or delay the clinical features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) [3,8,12]. The pharmacological activity of NSAIDs is generally attributed to the inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX), a rate-limiting enzyme in the production of prostaglandins (PGs). However, the mechanism by which these anti-inflammatory drugs, influence the clinical progression of AD dementia and/or AD neuropathology has yet to be defined. Further, evidence has indicated that COX inhibitors may also prevent AD-type amyloid (A ) neuropathology in experimental animals [6]. Interestingly, recent studies in murine models of AD have found that immunization with A peptides can mitigate A neuritic plaque pathology through the activation of the brains resident macrophages (microglia) [1,4,9,10]. Based on observations from these models, it has been demonstrated that either passive (intraperitoneal injection (IP) of pre-derived A antibodies) or active (IP injection of A peptides) immunization with A can activate pro-inflammatory microglial cells through immunoglobulin receptor signaling, and result in the clearance and degradation of A plaques [1,10]. This suggests a potential beneficial role for features of inflammation in AD. However, we note that the induction of pro-inflammatory cascades, e.g. microglial cytokine synthesis and generation of free radicals [5], is little understood and has been previously implicated in neuronal injury [13]. In humans, evidence has suggested that inflammation is integrally involved in the progression of AD dementia, and that separate segments of inflammatory cascades, may play important and possibly independent roles in different phases of the disease. For example, the induction of several cytokine inflammatory mediators, particularly those generated by microglial activation (such as IL-6 and TGF1, but not IL-1 , IL-1 , TNF and , among others), are
Locating a residue in the diphtheria toxin channel

We are studying structure-function relationships in the Diphtheria Toxin (DT) channel using a combination of site-directed mutagenesis and electrophysiology in artificial lipid bilayers. We made site-directed mutations of charged residues in the toxin's channel-forming B fragment, and after expressing the mutant proteins in Escherichia coli, we analyzed the single channels they formed in lipid bilayers. Changing aspartate 352, which is located in a short hydrophilic loop separating two hydrophobic stretches, to asparagine or lysine dramatically reduces the single-channel conductance of the pore at pH 5.3 cis, 7.2 trans (5.3/7.2). Lowering the pH on both sides of the membrane essentially eliminates the difference between wild-type and D352N; this finding is consistent with the idea that an aspartate with a (protonated) neutral side-chain and the always neutral asparagine have similar electrostatic influences on permeant ions. Using a high concentration of permeant buffer to clamp the pH of the cis compartment and the pore, and varying the pH on the trans side, we have located D352 at or near the trans compartment. We further find that D352N channels, in contrast to wild-type, display conductances independent of trans pH. This observation allows us to determine the titration curve of aspartate 352 in the wild-type toxin, establishing its pKa at approximately 5.5.
The democratic wish : popular participation and the limits of American government

This book reinterprets more than 200 years of American political history as the interplay between the public's dread of government power and its yearning for communal democracy. James Morone argues that Americans will never solve their collective problems as long as they instinctively fear all public power as a threat to liberty. This revised edition includes a new final chapter about contemporary populism, government bashing, and democratic wishes.
842 BLUNTED MUSCLE RESPONSIVENESS TO INSULIN IN THE NEONATAL RAT

Peripheral muscle responsiveness to insulin was studied in neonatal rats in vivo by measuring incorporation of labelled glucose to glycogen in diaphragm. 14C glucose (4.2mM) was injected intraperitoneally (100 μl/10gm) with or without (control) insulin(570 mU/ml) into pups from 17 litters of Sprague Dawley rats by the Rafaelson technique. Diaphragms were excised after a 30-minute incubation at birth, 24, 48, 72, or 168 hrs. of age and in 12 adult rats. In control animals ml; by 72 hrs. of age, there was no significant difference in incorporation of labelled glucose. In insulin treated animals there was always an increased incorporation of labelled glucose in comparison to age-matched controls (p<.025). The insulin stimulated percent incorporation of labelled glucose was lower at birth (211%) and at 24 hrs. (235%), but increased with advancing age and approached adult levels by 168 hrs. (1815%). At birth and at 24 hrs. a 5 log insulin dose response curve showed significant incorporation only at 570 mU/ml; by 72 hrs. a significant increase was noted at 5.7 mU/ml insulin. Total muscle glycogen was high at birth (1.22gm%), fell to 50% of the birth value from 24 through 168 hrs., and would not account for the decreased insulin response noted. Preliminary studies of glucose transport using C deoxyglucose did not fully explain the reduced muscle response to insulin. Our data suggest a blunted responsiveness of muscle to insulin during the 1st 24 hrs.in rats probably related to attenuated intracellular response.
NMR Assignments of Cis- and Trans-Capsaicin

Abstract The spectral properties of trans-capsaicin, the principal pungent ingredient in many Capsicum species and varieties, and its synthetic cis-isomer were assigned unambiguously by a combination of COSY, HMQC, and HMBC NMR techniques.
Anomalous Dispersion in Biconically Tapered Optical Fibers

Biconically fused optical fiber couplers and tapers are used as power splitters, wavelength division multiplexers, and wavelength and mode filters[1-8].
HapStick: A High Fidelity Haptic Simulation for Billiards

This paper presents the work in developing a high fidelity haptic device and virtual environment for playing billiards. The haptic device features a natural user interface to simulate realistic play of billiards. The paper also discusses the physics behind the virtual reality game, the kinematics and dynamics of the force feedback device and finally an implementation of a computed torque control for providing haptic feedback. Complete information about calibration and comparative performance measures for the device has also been provided. The paper also aims to serve as a template for anyone who is interested in building their own beginner level haptic interface. Information regarding the device and the necessary code and blueprints has been uploaded on the lab's research Web site to facilitate the same
Linear Spaces and Operators

Matrix theory can be studied with no mention of linear spaces, and most of the results in this book are of such a nature. However, the introduction of linear spaces and the role of matrices in defining or representing linear transformations on such spaces add considerably to our insight. Most importantly, perhaps, the notions of linear spaces and linear transformations give a geometrical basis to matrix theory, which aids both in understanding as well as in suggesting proofs and new results.
Daily routines of body mass gain in birds: 2. An experiment with reduced food availability

Theoretical models predict that small birds should adjust daily patterns of body mass gain in response to environmental and internal factors. In a companion paper, we described a model on daily fattening that allows the analysis of precise changes in the shape of hourly patterns of body mass. In this study, we tested one of the main predictions of the model: the inflexion point of the body mass trajectory should be delayed in response to a decrease in food availability, increasing body mass as soon as possible when food is scarce. This effect might be stronger in subordinate than in dominant birds. We tested both predictions with four pairs of coal tits, Periparus ater, kept in cages where food was delivered at high and low rates. Daytime increase in body mass was 1 g in both treatments. As predicted by the model, the tits increased body mass as soon as possible when food was delivered at a low rate, and the inflexion point of the body mass trajectory was 16.7% delayed compared to the high food delivery rate. However, dominance rank had no significant effect on the shape of daily body mass increase. To our knowledge, this is the first precise estimate of the change in the shape of body mass trajectories. Our findings have important implications for the analysis of daily patterns of body mass and for the design of studies of body mass in small birds.
Possible catalytic effects of ice particles on the production of NO x by lightning discharges

Abstract. It is well known that lightning produces NOx as a result of the high temperatures in discharge channels. Since most viable proposed electrification mechanisms involve ice crystals, it is reasonable to assume that lightning discharge channels frequently pass through fields of ice particles of various kinds. We address the question of whether ice crystals may serve as catalysts for the production of NOx by lightning discharges. If so, and if the effect is large, it would need to be taken into account in estimates of global NOx production by lightning. In this theoretical study, we make a series of plausible assumptions about the temperature and concentration of reactant species in the environment of discharges and we postulate a mechanism by which ice crystals are able to adsorb nitrogen atoms. We then compare production rates between uncatalyzed and catalyzed reactions at 2000 K, 3000 K, and 4000 K, which are reasonable temperatures in lightning channels as they cool down. Ice crystal catalysis is expected to produce 2.7 times more NO than if ice crystals were not present. Catalyzed NO production rates are greater at 2000 K, whereas uncatalyzed production rates are greater at 4000 K. Thus, temperatures that favor rapid NO production without ice crystals adsorbing nitrogen atoms are unfavorable for NO production in the presence of ice crystals, and vice versa. The density of atmospheric ice crystals is much larger at 10 km where intracloud (IC) flashes peak than at 5 km where cloud to ground (CG) flashes peak, thus catalytic processes are expected to be more important for IC flashes than CG flashes, perhaps explaining a portion of the discrepancy in IC and CG production rates.
Actin-Related Protein2/3 Complex Component ARPC1 Is Required for Proper Cell Morphogenesis and Polarized Cell Growth in Physcomitrella patens

The actin-related protein2/3 (Arp2/3) complex functions as a regulator of actin filament dynamics in a wide array of eukaryotic cells. Here, we focus on the role of the Arp2/3 complex subunit ARPC1 in elongating tip cells of protonemal filaments of the moss Physcomitrella patens. Using RNA interference (RNAi) to generate loss-of-function mutants, we show dramatic defects in cell morphology manifested as short, irregularly shaped cells with abnormal division patterns. The arpc1 RNAi plants lack the rapidly elongating caulonemal cell type found in wild-type protonemal tissue. The absence of this cell type prevents normal bud formation even in response to cytokinin treatment and results in filamentous colonies lacking leafy gametophores. In addition, arpc1 protoplasts show an increased sensitivity to osmotic shock and are defective in their ability to properly establish a polarized outgrowth during regeneration from a single cell. This failure of arpc1 protoplasts to undergo proper tip growth is rescued by ARPC1 overexpression and is phenocopied in wild-type protoplasts treated with Latrunculin B, a potent inhibitor of actin polymerization. We show in moss that ARPC1, and by inference the Arp2/3 complex, plays a critical role in controlling polarized growth and cell division patterning through its regulation of actin dynamics at the cell apex.
Desirable Advances in Cyber-Physical System Software Engineering

The scale and complexity of advanced cyberphysical systems (CPSs) are steadily growing. Most newgeneration CPSs being developed or to be developed involve networked embedded computing (NEC) devices. The state of the art in software engineering for such network-based CPSs is weak. Major problems faced are the low quality of networkbased CPS software and the low productivity of CPS software engineers. One type of desirable advance in enhancing the state of the art is to establish high-level programming tools boosting the productivity of software engineers. Here additional types of desirable advance are discussed. Specifically, the establishment of methods and tools for quantitatively analyzable fault tolerance design as well as for design of time-constrained security enforcement is proposed.
An application of linear programming to object location in r dimensions

This report describes an approach to locating an object in an r-dimensional scene. The location problem is reduced to a problem in computational geometry, then solved by linear programming methods.
Remaking Media Participation in Early Modern England

This article seeks to begin to recover the multiplicity of media participation by focusing on its remaking during the spread and consolidation of a capitalist economy in early modern England. It develops a distinction between unidimensional and multidimensional conceptions of media participation, and uses this to identify and explore the implications of specific cultural forms and media practices which refashioned media participation from medieval into modern forms. The article concludes by arguing that current critical/radical efforts to challenge dominant media practice must confront the entire complex of forms and practices that enable and support modernist conceptions and practices of media participation.
Isoparametric and Dupin Hypersurfaces

A hypersurface M n 1 in a real space-form R n , S n or H n is isoparametric if it has constant principal curvatures. For R n and H n , the classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces is complete and relatively simple, but as ´ Elie Cartan showed in a series of four papers in 1938-1940, the subject is much deeper and more complex for hypersurfaces in the sphere S n . A hypersurface M n 1 in a real space-form is proper Dupin if the number g of distinct principal curvatures is constant on M n 1 , and each principal curvature function is constant along each leaf of its corresponding principal foliation. This is an important genera- lization of the isoparametric property that has its roots in nineteenth century differential geometry and has been studied effectively in the context of Lie sphere geometry. This paper is a survey of the known results in these fields with emphasis on results that have been obtained in more recent years and discussion of important open problems in the field.
Heme polymerase: Modulation by chloroquine treatment of a rodent malaria

The biosynthesis of the beta-hematin of malarial pigment (hemozoin) is catalyzed by a newly discovered enzyme, heme polymerase, which is described for Plasmodium berghei in this report. This novel enzyme is present in the insoluble fraction of hemolysates of infected erythrocytes but is not present in normal erythrocytes. The substrate is ferriprotoporphyrin IX (FP) released from hemoglobin. At pH 5 and 37 degrees C the enzyme is saturated by 100 microM FP. The pH optimum is between 5 and 6 and the reaction is linear for 6 hours. All heme polymerase activity is destroyed by heating at 100 degrees C for 3 minutes. Chloroquine treatment of malarious mice reduces by 80 percent the activity of this enzyme, without inhibiting release of FP from hemoglobin, and thereby causes excess nonpolymerized, nonhemozoin FP to accumulate. Since the accumulated FP is accessible to bind chloroquine, we propose that it is the mediator of the antimalarial activity of chloroquine.
Repeated cocaine administration suppresses HVA-Ca2+ potentials and enhances activity of K+ channels in rat nucleus accumbens neurons.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is an important forebrain area involved in sensitization, withdrawal effects, and self-administration of cocaine. However, little is known about cocaine-induced alterati...
Creating a CCGbank and a Wide-Coverage CCG Lexicon for German

We present an algorithm which creates a German CCGbank by translating the syntax graphs in the German Tiger corpus into CCG derivation trees. The resulting corpus contains 46,628 derivations, covering 95% of all complete sentences in Tiger. Lexicons extracted from this corpus contain correct lexical entries for 94% of all known tokens in unseen text.
Regulation of Expression of the adhE Gene, Encoding Ethanol Oxidoreductase in Escherichia coli: Transcription from a Downstream Promoter and Regulation by Fnr and RpoS

The adhE gene of Escherichia coli, located at min 27 on the chromosome, encodes the bifunctional NAD-linked oxidoreductase responsible for the conversion of acetyl-coenzyme A to ethanol during fermentative growth. The expression of adhE is dependent on both transcriptional and posttranscriptional controls and is about 10-fold higher during anaerobic than during aerobic growth. Two putative transcriptional start sites have been reported: one at position -292 and the other at -188 from the translational start codon ATG. In this study we show, by using several different transcriptional and translational fusions to the lacZ gene, that both putative transcriptional start sites can be functional and each site can be redox regulated. Although both start sites are NarL repressible in the presence of nitrate, Fnr activates only the -188 start site and Fis is required for the transcription of only the -292 start site. In addition, it was discovered that RpoS activates adhE transcription at both start sites. Under all experimental conditions tested, however, only the upstream start site is active. Available evidence indicates that under those conditions, the upstream promoter region acts as a silencer of the downstream transcriptional start site. Translation of the mRNA starting at -292, but not the one starting at -188, requires RNase III. The results support the previously postulated ribosomal binding site (RBS) occlusion model, according to which RNase III cleavage is required to release the RBS from a stem-loop structure in the long transcript.
Deflation Methods for Sparse PCA

In analogy to the PCA setting, the sparse PCA problem is often solved by iteratively alternating between two subtasks: cardinality-constrained rank-one variance maximization and matrix deflation. While the former has received a great deal of attention in the literature, the latter is seldom analyzed and is typically borrowed without justification from the PCA context. In this work, we demonstrate that the standard PCA deflation procedure is seldom appropriate for the sparse PCA setting. To rectify the situation, we first develop several deflation alternatives better suited to the cardinality-constrained context. We then reformulate the sparse PCA optimization problem to explicitly reflect the maximum additional variance objective on each round. The result is a generalized deflation procedure that typically outperforms more standard techniques on real-world datasets.
Trophic and Population Ecology of Introduced Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris in the Tar River, North Carolina

Abstract Pylodictis olivaris (Flathead Catfish) are large piscivores native to western Gulf of Mexico drainages that have been widely introduced into Atlantic Slope drainages with largely unknown consequences for native lotic faunas. From 2009–2011, we assessed the diet, demography, growth, and spatial distribution of Flathead Catfish in the lower Tar River in east-central North Carolina. We documented current presence of Flathead Catfish using electrofishing at 27 sites in the Tar River and its tributaries Fishing and Sandy creeks and examined diet and growth rates in the lower Tar River population. Stomach contents revealed that Tar River Flathead Catfish are primarily piscivorous but also consumed a diverse range of prey items. Canonical correspondence analysis found that Flathead Catfish ≥500 mm TL appeared to consume centrarchids at greater rates than smaller Flathead Catfish, suggesting a shift to larger prey in larger, older fish. Body-condition analysis found that condition did not change with bod...
Tovaxin for multiple sclerosis

Introduction: A potential therapeutic possibility for multiple sclerosis (MS) is provided by Tovaxin, a personalized autologous T-cell immunotherapy utilizing myelin-reactive lymphocytes from peripheral blood. Areas covered: This review covers the production of the vaccine, which follows a series of steps after the acquisition of T-cells. This includes identification of the subsets that are myelin reactive, expansion ex vivo and, also extrinsically, inactivation of their replication capacity by cellular irradiation. Once attenuated, the modified cells are reintroduced into the donor. This process appears to induce a vigorous immune response towards specific populations of autoreactive T-cells determined to attack the myelin and its derivatives by trafficking from the vascular space into the CNS in MS. Historical aspects of the T-cell vaccination with Tovaxin, the process to obtain reactive T-cells and their attenuation techniques ex vivo are described. The clinical results obtained from clinical trials ar...
Strange nucleon form factors from ep and vp elastic scattering

Resumen en: The recent parity-violating ep forward-scattering elastic asymmetry data from Jefferson Lab (HAPPEx and G0), when combined with the νp elastic cross sect...
Response of primary colon cancer cells in hybrid spheroids to 5-fluorouracil.

We have measured the clonogenic survival of cells isolated directly from colon cancer surgical specimens and treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Enzymatically dissssociated cells were incorporated into hybrid spheroids, consisting predominantly of nonproliferating HeLa feeder cells. Aliquots were exposed for 1.5 hr to a range of concentrations of 5-FU. From the decrease in clonogenic survival, as deduced from the frequency of colony formers among hybrid spheroids after chemical treatment, we were able to construct survival curves in 50% of the surgical specimens tested. A striking revelation was the presence of a resistant plateau in the survival curves, reminiscent of the solid tumor response to treatment with 5-FU. This resistance was absent in monolayer cultures. Evidence is presented that this resistance is due to the absence of, or delay in, cell cycle progression of cells residing in hybrid spheroids.
Estrogen Receptor α Inhibits p53-Mediated Transcriptional Repression: Implications for the Regulation of Apoptosis

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) and tumor suppressor protein p53 exert opposing effects on cellular proliferation. As a transcriptional regulator, p53 is capable of activating or repressing various target genes. We have previously reported that ERα binds directly to p53, leading to down-regulation of transcriptional activation by p53. In addition to transcriptional activation, transcriptional repression of a subset of target genes by p53 plays important roles in diverse biological processes, such as apoptosis. Here, we report that ERα inhibits p53-mediated transcriptional repression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays reveal that ERα interacts in vivo with p53 bound to promoters of Survivin and multidrug resistance gene 1 , both targets for transcriptional repression by p53. ERα binding to p53 leads to inhibition of p53-mediated transcriptional regulation of these genes in human cancer cells. Transcriptional derepression of Survivin by ERα is dependent on the p53-binding site on the Survivin promoter, consistent with our observation that p53 is necessary for ERα to access the promoters. Importantly, mutagenic conversion of this site to an activation element enabled ERα to repress p53-mediated transcriptional activation. Further, RNA interference–mediated knockdown of ERα resulted in reduced Survivin expression and enhanced the propensity of MCF-7 cells to undergo apoptosis in response to staurosporine treatment, an effect that was blocked by exogenous expression of Survivin. These results unravel a novel mechanism by which ERα opposes p53-mediated apoptosis in breast cancer cells. The findings could have translational implications in developing new therapeutic and prevention strategies against breast cancer. [Cancer Res 2007;67(16):7746–55]
Observational Pain Scales in Critically Ill Adults

Pain is a common and distressing symptom in critically ill patients. Uncontrolled pain places patients at risk for numerous adverse psychological and physiological consequences, some of which may be life-threatening. A systematic assessment of pain is difficult in intensive care units because of the high percentage of patients who are noncommunicative and unable to self-report pain. Several tools have been developed to identify objec- tive measures of pain, but the best tool has yet to be identified. A comprehensive search on the reliability and validity of observational pain scales indicated that although the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool was supe- rior to other tools in reliably detecting pain, pain assessment in individuals incapable of spontaneous neuro- muscular movements or in patients with concurrent conditions, such as chronic pain or delirium, remains an enigma. (Critical Care Nurse. 2013;33(3):68-79)
Genetically Determined Resistance to Lethal Vesicular Stomatitis Virus in Syrian Hamsters

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), the prototype for the Rhabdovirus group of single-stranded RNA viruses, is indigenous to and pathogenic for cattle and horses. Under most conditions VSV is nonpathogenic for adult members of other mammalian species; if the virus is administered intracerebrally, however, death will usually follow; e.g., intracerebral injection of 25 plaque-forming units (PFU) of VSV will result in the death of an adult mouse within two days (1), whereas intraperitoneal (IP) or intravenous (IV) injection of as many as 108 PFU of VSV is not lethal (2,3). In contrast, we have found that adult animals of certain inbred strains of Syrian hamsters are extremely susceptible to infections of VSV and succumb between 48 and 72 hours after IP injection of as few as 10 PFU per animal. We also found that one inbred strain is resistant to relatively high doses of VSV (106 PFU), which implies that the susceptibility/resistance to lethal infections of VSV is genetically determined.
Feature Selection Using Gustafson-Kessel Fuzzy Algorithm in High Dimension Data Clustering

The performance of objective function-based fuzzy clustering algorithms depends on the shape and the volume of clusters, the initialization of clustering algorithm, the distribution of the data objects, and the number of clusters in the data. Feature selection is also one of the most important issues in high dimension data clustering specifically in bioinformatics, data mining, signal processing etc., where the feature space dimension tends to be very large, making both clustering and classification tasks very difficult. It is evident that the feature subset needed to successfully perform a given clustering and recognition task depends on the discriminatory qualities of the chosen features. We propose a new hybrid approach addressing feature selection, based on informative weights, which takes into account the membership degrees of the features performed by Gustafson-Kessel fuzzy algorithm. The purpose is to efficiently achieve high degree of dimensionality reduction and enhance or maintain predictive accuracy with selected features. The candidate feature subsets are generated by using iterative feature elimination procedure which results in estimation of feature informative weights. We use both supervised and unsupervised methods in order to evaluate the clustering abilities of feature subsets.
Comparative response of normal and cirrhotic rats to intravenously injected bacteria.

SummaryLabelled (I131) bacteria infused into portal vein of normal rats were promptly cleared and destroyed with release of ionic I131 and its prompt excretion into the urine. In cirrhotic rats the clearance process was normal, but capacity to destroy bacteria was impaired. This resulted in persistence of ingested bacteria and of “bacteria bound” radioactivity in liver, lung, and spleen, and continued reseeding of the blood stream from such foci.
The work of language interpretation in health care: complex, challenging, exhausting, and often invisible

The value of qualified language interpretation services for limited-English-proficient patients is gaining increasing recognition by policy makers and researchers in the United States. Yet the actual work experiences of health care interpreters have not been adequately studied. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the work experiences of formal and informal interpreters (n = 27). The core narrative finding from the interview data was the complex, challenging, exhausting, and often invisible work of language interpretation. Critical examination of health care interpreters' complex work and interactions with patients, providers, and administrators is needed to provide more effective and integrated services for limited-English proficient patients.
SPONTANEOUS NEPHROSIS, WITH PROTEINURIA, HYPERGLOBULINEMIA, AND HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA IN THE RAT.

SummaryA form of spontaneous nephrosis characterized by proteinuria, hyperglobulinemia and hypercholesterolemia occurs in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Proteinuria exists at weaning, and microscopically observed changes appear at 60 days of age. Degree of proteinuria corresponds with severity of lesions, and both increase with age. In young rats, globulin is the chief protein component excreted in the urine. In older animals, the albumin fraction predominates. Serum globulin increases with age, but serum albumin shows little change. Hypercholesterolemia is observed in 640-day-old rats.
Student Interest in Contemporary Problems

training, and/or pays higher or lower wages than the job at which previously employed. z) Change from employee to entrepreneur. b. Each change in location of work and employer whether or not it involves a change in kind of work. Detailed tabulation of occupational shifts according to this outline would lead to a more elaborate pattern of occupational mobility than that represented by the industrial and the socio-economic classifications now in use.
Computational Models of Interacting Loop Regions in pH-Dependent Gating of OmpG

Outer membrane protein G (OmpG), a monomeric beta-barrel membrane protein, has the potential to be used as a nano-sensor device. To achieve this goal, it is important to understand OmpG's ion current conducting properties. Previous studies have demonstrated pH-dependent gating, namely, current flow through the porin decreases as the pH decreases. While it is thought that loop regions have strong influence on the OmpG gating state, there is uncertainty on the mechanism that induces the functional switch as the pH is altered. Based on the DiSGro method of protein loop modeling, we extensively sample the three-dimensional conformations of multiple interacting loop regions of OmpG at various pH levels. Specifically, 10,000 loop samples are generated at pH 5 and pH 7 for each of 6 mutant OmpG variants and the wild type. These loops are used to study the conformations of mutant OmpG variants with experimentally observed differences in gating properties.
Potential utilization of green tide-forming macroalgae from Patos Lagoon, Rio Grande-RS, Brazil

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to evaluate the biochemical and nutritional characteristics of naturally occurring estuarine macroalgae in the Patos Lagoon (Rio Grande, Brazil). The study of these macroalgae, dominated by Ulva and Cladophora species, contributes to current research on the potential utilization of green tide-forming algae. Although high levels of carotenoids (378 ± 0.02 µg g−1) and antioxidant activity (75.0% for DPPH) were found in the naturally occurring macroalgae, these macroalgae cannot be used in the food industry due to the presence of toxic levels of arsenic (exceeding the thresholds of both French and Brazilian legislation for food). Regarding the potential of the studied macroalgae as a biofuel source, the low lipid and very high carbohydrate contents suggest a possible use in the fermentation of ethanol, butanol, or methane.
Continental-scale biogeographic variation: provinces versus gradients in the Upper Ordovician of Laurentia

Abstract. Although provinces are widely used to delimit large-scale variations in biotic composition, it is unknown to what extent such variations simply reflect large-scale gradients, much as has been shown at smaller scales for communities. We examine here whether four previously described Middle and Late Ordovician provinces on Laurentia are best described as distinct provinces or as biotic gradients through a combination of the Paleobiology Database and new field data. Both data sets indicate considerable overlap in faunal composition, with spatial patterns in Jaccard similarity, quantified Jaccard similarity, and nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination structure that correspond to variations in substrate type, specifically from carbonate-dominated strata in western Laurentia to mixed carbonate—siliciclastic strata in the midcontinent to siliciclastic-dominated rocks in easternmost Laurentia. Because samplingwas limited to shallowsubtidal settings, this gradient cannot be attributed to variation...
The persistence of ant-following birds in small amazonian forest fragments

Mist-net captures of army ant-following bird were monitored during the isolation of central Amazonian forest fragments of 1 ha (n = 5), 10 ha (n = 4) and 100 ha (n = 1). Post-isolation captures of the three obligate ant-following birds Dendrocinela merula, Pithys albifrons, and Gymnopithys rufigula decreased significantly in all fragments. post-isolation captures of four facultative ant-following species were not significantly different in forest fragments of 1 ha and 10 ha, although two species decreased significantly in the 100 ha fragment. Experimental introductions of obligate species into small forest fragments in the absence and presence of introduced Eciton burchelli army ant colonies resulted in significantly greater recaptures of introduced birds when active army ant colonies were present. Of the 105 birds introduced, 58 ' 55%) crossed 100-320 m od dedorested area an were recaptured in continuous forest.
Plasma shock waves excited by THz radiation

The shock plasma waves in Si MOS, InGaAs and GaN HEMTs are launched at a relatively small THz power that is nearly independent of the THz input frequency for short channel (22 nm) devices and increases with frequency for longer (100 nm to 1 mm devices). Increasing the gate-to-channel separation leads to a gradual transition of the nonlinear waves from the shock waves to solitons. The mathematics of this transition is described by the Korteweg-de Vries equation that has the single propagating soliton solution.
Evolutionary Trends, Sexual Selection, Gene Loss, Mass Extinctions, “Progress”, and Behavioral Versus Ecological Inheritance and Novelties Versus Stability

When confronted with the increasing number of publications reviving Baldwin’s organic selection, many authors—particularly Neo-Darwinists—raise the following question: why do we need organic selection if Neo-Darwinism and natural selection are enough to explain the evolutionary phenomena seen in nature?
The Polarizing Effects of Online Partisan Criticism: Evidence from Two Experiments:

Affective and social political polarization—a dislike of political opponents and a desire to avoid their company—are increasingly salient and pervasive features of politics in many Western democrac...