cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychopathy is associated with an exaggerated attention bottleneck: EEG and behavioral evidence from a dual-task paradigm

Psychopathy is a personality disorder associated with a chronic disregard for the welfare of others. The attention bottleneck model of psychopathy asserts that the behavior of individuals higher on psychopathy is due to an exaggerated attention bottleneck that constrains all information processing, regardless of the information’s potential goal-relevance. To date, the majority of research on the attention bottleneck model of psychopathy conceptually applied the tenets of the model but did not implement methods that directly test an exaggeration of the bottleneck in psychopathy. Accordingly, the presence of an exaggerated bottleneck, the exact expression of that bottleneck, and its potential mechanistic relevance for behavior in individuals higher on psychopathy remains untested. To address these gaps, a sample of 78 male community members, evaluated for psychopathic traits using the Self-Report Psychopathy-III scale, completed an EEG-based dual-task paradigm examining short stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA; 300 ms), long SOA (1,100 ms), and single-task baseline conditions. Additionally, participants were asked about their frequency of real-world risky, impulsive, and antisocial behaviors. Psychopathy was associated with slower reaction times to second targets (T2s) presented during the dual-task conditions, relative to the baseline condition. Psychopathy also was associated with blunted P300 responses, a neural index of stimulus evaluation, across all types of T2 events. Finally, bottleneck-related interference during the short SOA events mediated the relationship between psychopathy and real-world behavior. These findings suggested that individuals higher on psychopathy exhibit an exaggerated bottleneck which produces intense and long-lasting interference, impacting all information processing and partially contributing to their maladaptive behavior.
Feasibility and Evaluation of Surgical Simulation with Developed Crisis Scenarios: A Comparison of Performance by Vascular Surgery Training Paradigms.

OBJECTIVES Surgical simulation is an integral component of training and has become increasingly vital in the evaluation and assessment of surgical trainees. Simulation proficiency determination has been traditionally based on accuracy and time to completion of various simulated tasks, but we were interested in assessing clinical judgment during a simulated crisis scenario. This study assessed the feasibility of creating a crisis simulator station for vascular surgery and evaluated the performance of vascular surgery integrated residents (0+5) and vascular surgery fellows (5+2) during a technical testing with an integrated crisis scenario. METHODS A Modified Delphi method was used to create vascular surgery crisis simulation stations containing a clinical scenario in conjunction with either an open or endovascular simulator. Senior level vascular surgery trainees from both integrated residencies (0+5) and traditional vascular surgery fellowships (5+2) were then evaluated on two simulation stations: 1) Elective carotid endarterectomy (CEA) where the crisis is a postoperative stroke and 2) Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA). Each simulation had a crisis scenario incorporated into the procedure. Assessment was completed using a performance assessment tool containing a Likert scale. Total score was calculated as a percentage. Scores were also sub-divided in the following four categories: Situation Recognition and Decision-making, Procedural Flow, Technical Skills, and Interpretation and Use of Imaging Skills. Student's t-test was used for analysis. RESULTS 40 senior-level trainees were evaluated (27 fellows and 13 integrated residents) completing 80 simulations. The CEA crisis simulation yielded similar results between both groups (0+5 vs. 5+2, p = 1.00). The 0+5 residents in vascular surgery were graded to be more proficient in the EVAR for rAAA crisis simulation and demonstrated significant differences in Total Score (p = 0.04), Procedural Flow (p=0.03), and Interpretation and Use of Imaging Skills (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS The creation of crisis-based simulation for trainees in vascular surgery is feasible and actionable. Integrated 0+5 residents performed similarly to 5+2 fellows on an open carotid endarterectomy (CEA) crisis simulation, but 0+5 residents scored significantly higher compared to traditional 5+2 fellows in an endovascular rAAA crisis simulation. Crisis simulation may offer better educational experiences and improved value compared to routine simulation. Further studies using different procedural models and clinical scenarios are needed to assess the validity of crisis simulation in vascular surgery and to better understand the performance disparities found between these training paradigms.
Incorporation of Manganese Carbonyl Sulfide ((Mn2S2 (CO)7) and Mixed Metal Oxides-Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide (MnFeCoO4/rGO) as a Selective Anode Toward Efficient OER from Seawater Splitting Under Neutral PH Conditions

Herein, we propose a novel material combination, which exhibits higher OER activity and selectively over chlorine evolution reaction (CER) during simulated saline water electrolysis under neutral pH conditions. The proposed hybrid nanocomposite system, based on electroactive mixed metal oxides-decorated reduced graphene oxide (MnFeCoO4/rGO) which is incorporated with manganese carbonyl sulfide (Mn2S2(CO)7), are fabricated by a single-step hydrothermal technique. Benefiting from their heterogeneous interfaces, lower charge transfer resistance, and higher electrochemical (EC) and BET surface area, the hybrid graphene MnFeCoO4/Mn2S2(CO)7 nanocomposite (HGNC) yields the best performance among various options towards OER from pH-neutral seawater (1 M PB + 0.6 M NaCl; pH 7.0) electrolysis, with small Tafel slope of 74.1 mVdec-1 and correspondingly low overpotential of ∼310 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mAcm-2. The high activity at the aforementioned current density allows for overpotential operation below the minimum thermodynamic requirement needed for activating CER, thus ruling out progression of CER. Further, benefiting from the strong coupling effect between the MnFeCoO4/Mn2S2(CO)7 species and the graphene support, appreciable stability was achieved for 15 hours to deliver steady-state current stability without obvious decay, which demonstrating that HGNC is a promising candidate as an OER electrocatalyst for neutral seawater electrolysis.
Quenching Behavior of the Electrochemiluminescence of Ru(bpy)32+ /TPrA System by Phenols on a Smartphone-Based Sensor.

Phenolic compounds such as vanillic and p-coumaric acids are pollutants of major concern in the agro-industrial processing, thereby their effective detection in the industrial environment is essential to reduce exposure. Herein, we present the quenching effect of these compounds on the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of the Ru(bpy)32+ /TPrA (TPrA=tri-n-propylamine) system at a disposable screen-printed carbon electrode. Transient ECL profiles are obtained from multiple video frames following 1.2 V application by a smartphone-based ECL sensor. A wide range of detection was achieved using the sensor with limit of detection of 0.26 μM and 0.68 μM for vanillic and p-coumaric acids, respectively. The estimated quenching constants determined that the quenching efficiency of vanillic acid is at least two-fold that of p-coumaric acid under the current detection conditions. The present ECL quenching approach provided an effective method to detect phenolic compounds using a low-cost, portable smartphone-based ECL sensor.
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Considerations in Metastatic Bone Disease

Abstract This article will focus on the role that diagnostic and interventional radiologists play in actively managing metastatic bone disease. The radiologic appearance of osseous metastases, and imaging features suggesting high impending fracture risk, and screening strategies for skeletal metastases will be reviewed. The feasibility, prudency, and accuracy of percutaneous bone biopsy, and the indications for a range of minimally invasive therapeutic treatment options for skeletal metastases will also be considered.
Managing Risk, Recovery & Project Management

Healthcare institutions are tasked with improving the quality of service reducing costs. The management of these organizations requires an easy method to gain quick, actionable insights to ensure they are providing quality service in a sustainable business environment. Operation improvements are to put attention on the practices planned to achieve the goals within the business on the organization. The key activities of operation improvements focus on product development. Quality of the product is the key factor as this involves customer satisfaction. Maria R. Shirey 2009 in Volume 31 of the article The Journal for Healthcare Quality (JHQ) endorses the art and science of healthcare quality preparation to improve the health results and advance the exercise in affecting situations. There are already multiple factors to improve operations and quality. However, a data analytics solution can be developed to provide insights to clinical laboratory and hospital management about the performance of the healthcare organization via series related metrics and reports which also can provide insights into current industry conditions and emerging trends. The core laboratory operation metrics module can be designed to provide insights related to the operational performance of the core laboratory.
Navigating Food Insecurity as a Rural Older Adult: The Importance of Congregate Meal Sites, Social Networks and Transportation Services

Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana USA; Sustainable Food Systems Science, The Ostrom Workshop, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana USA; Food Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana USA; Department of Geography, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana USA; Center for Rural Engagement, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana USA
Amicus Curiae Brief of the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law at New York University School of Law in Support of Petitioners (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Electric Power Supply Association, Supreme Court of the United States)

NYU Law’s Guarini Center submitted this amicus brief to the Supreme Court supporting the US government’s position in the case Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Electric Power Supply Association.The outcome of the case will determine the extent to which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) can regulate and promote demand response programs in wholesale electricity markets. These programs pay consumers for reducing their electricity consumption when demand is high, such as on hot summer days.The brief argues that the Court should reverse the D.C. Circuit’s holding below, which took a restrictive interpretation of FERC’s jurisdiction, and thereby preserve FERC’s authority over wholesale demand response programs. The brief emphasizes that these programs play a critical role in promoting the performance of the organized wholesale electricity markets that FERC regulates by enabling market operators to meet electricity needs through the lowest cost means available. Wholesale demand response programs benefit consumers by reducing the cost of electricity, and can confer environmental benefits, such as facilitating the incorporation of renewable energy sources in the electricity system.For over fifteen years, FERC has worked step by step to incorporate demand response programs into the wholesale energy markets as the Commission has become increasingly convinced of the benefits such programs provide. The D.C. Circuit decision could undo this long and careful process. The brief accordingly urges the Supreme Court to reverse the Court of Appeals’ jurisdictional decision.The brief was a collaborative effort of the Guarini Center’s Faculty Director Richard B. Stewart, Energy Program Director Katrina M. Wyman, and Executive Director Danielle Spiegel-Feld. Michael Lenoff, a member of the JD class of 2007, provided research assistance.
The Problem of Agency and the Problem of Accountability in Kant's Moral Philosophy

: This paper discusses the function and scope of incompatibilist or transcendental freedom in Kant's moral philosophy. The prevailing view among scholars, most notably Allison, is that the function of transcendental freedom is to enable us to articulate a first-person conception of ourselves as rational agents involved in deliberation and choice. Thus, the scope of transcendental freedom is rational agency in general. In order to perform this function, freedom has to be merely conceivable. Pace Allison, I argue that our first-person conception is neutral with respect to causal determinism, and that the function of transcendental freedom is to provide the metaphysical conditions of the possibility of genuine moral responsibility and perfect justice, and to get rid of moral luck. In order to perform this function, transcendental freedom has to be not just conceivable, but metaphysically real. My view suggests that we only have reason to attribute freedom to ourselves in situations in which we are aware that the moral law commands us categorically. We do not have a similar reason to believe we are free in purely prudential choices. Thus, the scope of transcendental freedom is not rational agency in general, but only moral agency.
Dissociation of slow waves and fast oscillations above 200 Hz during GABA application in rat somatosensory cortex

Fast electrical oscillations (FOs; > 200 Hz), superimposed on vibrissa-evoked slow potentials, may support rapid sensory integration in neocortex. Yet, while it is well established that the positive/negative (P1/N1) slow wave of the somatosensory evoked potential primarily reflects sequential activation of supragranular and infragranular pyramidal cells mediated chiefly via excitatory chemical synaptic pathways, little is known about the generation of FOs. In this study, laminar current source–density analysis and principal component analysis indicated that FOs are generated by two dipolar current sources situated in the supra- and infragranular layers, similar in laminar location to the two current dipoles associated with the slow wave. However, exogenous GABA application reversibly abolished the N1 slow wave, leaving the P1 intact, while the FO was unaffected by GABA. Furthermore, reductions in both supra- and infragranular cortical unit discharge during application of GABA suggests that FO generation is not dependent on the same intracortical synaptic circuits that are associated with the N1 slow wave. These data suggest a marked functional dissociation between neural mechanisms underlying the slow and fast components of the vibrissa-evoked response.
Intrauterine growth retardation.

Intrauterine growth retardation is known to be associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality rates but fetal growth is still hard to assess. Factors known to show correlations with it include parity weight of other siblings maternal height and weight sex of the fetus size of the placenta multiple gestations high altitudes and maternal alcoholism. Asphyxia is the most common associated cause of perinatal mortality. Conservative management of pregnancy is advised if there are no exceptional circumstances. At delivery the physician should be aware of the characteristic morbidity of small-for-gestational-age infants and take steps to monitor or prevent these problems from arising. These should include suctioning of nares and nasopharynx when the head appears adequate heat to prevent hypothermia monitoring of blood sugar and hematocrit determinations to identify the occasional polycythemic infant.
Laboratory Studies of the Optical Properties of Young Sea Ice

Laboratory experiments were performed to determine the optical properties of young salt ice and to examine correlations between the optical properties and the state of the ice. Ice was grown at different temperatures (–10, –20, –30, and –37°C) from water of different salinities (0, 16, and 31‰). The experiments were conducted in a cylindrical tank 1 m in diameter designed to approximate natural ice growth and to permit in situ optical measurements. Observed incident, reflected, and transmitted irradiances were used in conjunction with a modified Dunkle and Bevans photometric model to determine spectral albedos and extinction coefficients. Cold ice only 0.25 m thick had albedos which were comparable to the values for 2 to 3 m multi-year ice examined by previous researchers during the summer melt season; extinction coefficients were 1.5 to 15 times greater. As the ice temperature and hence brine volume decreased, both albedo and extinction coefficient increased; when the ice temperature dropped below the eutectic point, they increased sharply. In addition, ice grown at lower air temperatures had greater albedos and extinction coefficients even when ice temperatures were the same. Variations in the optical properties of the ice are determined by changes in the amount of brine and its distribution; thus the optical properties of salt ice depend not only on ice temperature but on initial growth rate. Variations in ice salinity over the range 4‰ to 14‰ produced no detectable changes in the optical properties.
Do Alien Plants Reduce Insect Biomass

Alien plants, defined here as species whose evolutionary history occurred elsewhere, are replacing native vegetation in natural ecosystems and anthropogenic landscapes throughout North America (Williamson 1996; Mooney & Hobbs 2000; Pimentel et al. 2000). At least 5000 alien plant species have been introduced to the United States, either intentionally or by accident. Hundreds are now well established in natural ecosystems, but many more reside as ornamentals in managed gardens. Some species are aggressively invasive and disperse rapidly by wind, water, and animal transport, whereas others with no invasive characteristics are planted each year in millions of suburban hectares from which native plants have been removed. A number of biotic and abiotic consequences of the large-scale replacement of native vegetation have been recognized (e.g., Randall 1996; Cox 1999; Levin 2002). However, one potentially important impact that has received little empirical attention concerns the replacement of native plants that are palatable to a diverse array of specialist and generalist insect herbivores with alien species predicted to be partially or entirely unpalatable to most native phytophagous insects. Several researchers have examined the relationship between phytophagous insects and alien plants from the phytocentric perspective of how insects affect the fitness of such plants (reviewed in Keane & Crawley 2002). Others have shown that the diversity of invertebrates in a habitat is reduced by alien species (Olckers & Hulley 1991; Samways et al. 1996), but no one has explicitly designed a study to measure the impact of alien plants on the production of native insect biomass. Such studies are essential to the management of natural and anthropogenic landscapes for biodiversity because phytophagous insects play a critical role in transferring energy from plants to higher trophic levels (Wilson 1987). An estimated 37% of all animal species are insects that eat green plants (Weis & Berenbaum 1989), and these, or the predatory and parasitic insects that eat them, comprise essential parts of the diets of innumerable species of reptiles, amphibians,
Phonological neighbourhoods in the developing lexicon

Structural analyses of developing lexicons have provided evidence for both children's holistic lexical representations and sensitivity to phonetic segments. In the present investigation, neighbourhood analyses of two children's (age 3;6) expressive lexicons, maternal input, and an adult lexicon were conducted. In addition to raw counts and frequency-weighted counts, neighbourhood size was calculated as the proportion of the lexicon to which each target word is similar, to normalize for vocabulary size differences. These analyses revealed that children's lexicons contain more similar sounding words than previous analyses indicated. Further, neighbourhoods appear denser earlier in development relative to vocabulary size, presumably because children first learn words with more frequent sounds and sound combinations. Neighbourhood density as a proportion of the size of the lexicon then decreases over development as children acquire words with less frequent sounds and sound combinations. These findings suggest that positing fundamentally different lexical representations for children may be premature.
Adverse Effects of Cigarette and Noncigarette Smoke Exposure on the Autonomic Nervous System: Mechanisms and Implications for Cardiovascular Risk

This review summarizes the detrimental effects of cigarette and noncigarette emission exposure on autonomic function, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms of acute and chronic modulation of the sympathetic nervous system. We propose that the nicotine and fine particulate matter in tobacco smoke lead to increased sympathetic nerve activity, which becomes persistent via a positive feedback loop between sympathetic nerve activity and reactive oxidative species. Furthermore, we propose that baroreflex suppression of sympathetic activation is attenuated in habitual smokers; that is, the baroreflex plays a permissive role, allowing sympathoexcitation to occur without restraint in the setting of increased pressor response. This model is also applicable to other nontobacco cigarette emission exposures (e.g., marijuana, waterpipes [hookahs], electronic cigarettes, and even air pollution). Fortunately, emerging data suggest that baroreflex sensitivity and autonomic function may be restored after smoking cessation, providing further evidence in support of the health benefits of smoking cessation.
Modeling the catalyst resting state in aryl tin(IV) polymerizations of lactide and estimating the relative rates of transamidation, transesterification and chain transfer

The preparation and characterization (IR, 1H, 13C{1H}, 119Sn NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and single crystal X-ray structure determination) are reported for Ph3SnOCMe2C(O)OEt (1) and Ph2Sn[OCMe2C(O)NMe2]2 (2). In the solid state, compound 1 contains four-coordinate tin with evidence for incipient bond formation to the ester oxygen: Sn⋯O = 2.648(2) A. Compound 2 contains six-coordinate tin in a pseudo-octahedral geometry. The OCMe2C(O)NMe2 groups form cis-chelates with short, ca. 2.03 A, and long, ca. 2.26 A, Sn–O bonds to alkoxide and amide oxygen atoms, respectively. In solution, compound 1 remains four-coordinate but compound 2 exists as an equilibrium mixture of six-coordinate and five-coordinate species as judged by NMR spectroscopy. At −50 °C in toluene-d8, the six-coordinate isomer is favored and the NMR data are consistent with the structure observed in the solid state. At +50 °C, the NMR data are consistent with a five-coordinate species in which reversible chelation of η2- and η1-OCMe2C(O)NMe2 is fast on the NMR time scale. The molecular structure of 2 and its dynamic solution behavior is proposed to resemble that of Ph2Sn[OCHMeC(O)NMe2]2 formed in the polymerization of L-lactide by Ph2Sn(NMe2)2. The high formation tendency of this compound is proposed to be responsible for the preferential formation of cyclic lactide oligomers (LA/2)n by intrachain transesterification, in contrast to polymerizations employing Ph2Sn(OPri)2, which produce long chains of H–(LA/2)n–OPri where LA = [OCHMeC(O)OCHMeC(O)]. The kinetics of the reactions between Ph3SnX and each of Me2CHC(O)OMe, Me(MeO)CHC(O)OEt and Ph3SnOCHMeC(O)OEt, have been determined from NMR studies in benzene-d6 where X = NMe2 or OPri. Similarly, the reaction between Ph3SnOBut and (p-tolyl)3SnOPri has been followed. The former reactions represent transamidation and transesterification, and the latter models chain transfer. These findings, when compared to the earlier studies of the ring-opening of lactide and its subsequent ring-opening polymerization, indicate that the rate follows the order: chain transfer > ring-opening > ring-opening polymerization > transesterification, although the latter is influenced by the ester end-group.
Better hollow fiber contactors

Abstract Current hollow fiber contactors are often designed to maximize mass transfer per volume. Such designs make sense for applications in heart-lung machines but not for commercial membrane separations. For commercial separations, better designs minimize the cost per mass transferred. The implications of minimizing the cost per mass transferred, explored here for simple contactor designs, are optimum fiber sizes around 100–200 μm. At smaller fiber sizes, pumping costs are excessive; at larger fiber sizes, membrane costs are unnecessarily high.
Machining-induced surface residual stress behavior in Al2O3-SiC nanocomposites

The machining and subsequent annealing behavior of an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiC nanocomposite (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} + 5 vol% 0.2 {micro}m SiC particles) was compared to that of single-phase Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The machining-induced residual line force was determined by measuring the extent of elastic bending in thin disk specimens, and the surface roughness was evaluated by profilometry. The results showed that, when the two materials were subjected to the same grinding conditions, they developed compressive residual stresses and surface roughness values of similar magnitude. The maximum thickness of the residual stress layers was estimated to be {approximately}10 {micro}m for the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and {approximately}12 {micro}m for the nanocomposite. A direct linear correlation was observed between the residual force and the surface roughness for different machining treatments. Annealing of the machined samples produced complete relaxation of residual stresses in the single-phase Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, whereas only partial stress relaxation occurred for the nanocomposite.
Occurrence of proteins immunoreactive with anti-coupling factor B in phosphorylating membrane preparations.

Abstract Coupling factor B has been isolated from beef heart mitochondria, apparently in multiple forms which differ in molecular weight and specific activity. Since it has no known intrinsic catalytic activity, detection and quantitation have been based upon the factor B-dependent stimulation of ATP-linked activities in factor B-deficient submitochondrial particles. This communication reports the development of a reliable and more universally applicable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection and quantitation of factor B in soluble or membranous preparations. The assay requires nanoliter volumes of rabbit antiserum raised against purified factor B and will detect nanogram amounts of the coupling factor. Analysis of beef heart submitochondrial particles using a competitive binding ELISA indicated a factor B content of 0.27 nmol/mg protein, making factor B stoichiometric with F1 (0.3–0.6 nmol/mg). Furthermore, application of the factor B ELISA has indicated the presence of material cross-reacting with the beef heart factor B-antiserum in phosphorylating membranes from chloroplasts, Escherichia coli, Paracoccus denitrificans and the thermophilic bacterium, PS3. Negative results were obtained with mitochondria and microsomes from rat liver, purple membranes from Halobium halobacterium and sarcoplasmic reticulum from rabbit skeletal muscle.
Conditioning, intervening, and decision

Clark Glymour, together with his students Peter Spirtes and Richard Scheines, did pioneering work on graphical causal models (e.g. Spirtes et al., in Causation, prediction, and search, 2000). One of the central advances provided by these models is the ability to simply represent the effects of interventions. In an elegant paper (Meek and Glymour, in Br J Philos Sci 45: 1001–1021, 1994), Glymour and his student Christopher Meek applied these methods to problems in decision theory. One of the morals they drew was that causal decision theory should be understood in terms of interventions. I revisit their proposal, and extend the analysis by showing how graphical causal models might be used to address decision problems that arise in “exotic” situations, such as those involving crystal balls or time travelers.
Surface analysis and adhesive bonding I. Fluoropolymers

Abstract Detailed physical and chemical surface characterization of fractured adhesive joints, guided by qualitative fracture mechanics theory, constitutes a semiempirical method to elucidate adhesive bonding phenomena. Inherent flaws, interfacial separation, viscoelastic and plastic responses, and crazing and crack propagation are the main factors governing overall bond strength. Surface analyses (primarily by SEM/EDAX2 and ESCA3) provide an estimate of the nature and extent of each mechanism. Results from various fluoropolymer joints are presented and rationalized in terms of the elastic modulus and fracture work in the failure zone. Bond strength on untreated fluoropolymers is negligible, but ESCA shows a small amount of fluorocarbon transfer to the adhesive. Surface treatments increase surface energy via a hydrocarbon layer ∼20 to >500 A thick, and useful peel strength results. SEM shows fracture relatively deep in the fluoropolymer with pronounced microdeformation. When the surface treatment is depleted by heat or light, bond strength varies with surface composition. Also, copolymers with perfluoropropylvinyl ether side chains in place of perfluoromethyl groups are superior hot melt adhesives. The combination of SEM and ESCA shows cohesive failure in both instances, but the latter separates closer to the interface and with relatively little deformation.
The human alkaline phosphatases: What we know and what we don't know

A review of the human alkaline phosphatases dealing specifically with (1) the gene loci, (2) characterization and discrimination of the various enzymes, (3) polymorphism at the enzyme level, (4) cDNA and gene structures, (5) membrane binding, (6) the carbohydrate moieties, (7) hypophosphatasia, (8) alkaline phosphatases in malignancies, (9) function.
Hydrophilic polymer emboli: an under-recognized iatrogenic cause of ischemia and infarct

With the increased use of percutaneous intravascular diagnostic and therapeutic devices, there is potential for embolization of materials introduced into the vasculature. We report nine cases of foreign body emboli in patients who underwent vascular procedures using hydrophilic-coated medical devices. The procedures performed included cardiac catheterization (four cases), diagnostic cerebral angiography (two cases), therapeutic cerebral angiography with coil embolization of intracerebral aneurysm (one case), lower extremity angiography (one case), and/or orthotopic cadaveric organ transplantation (three cases). Other procedures in these patients included hemodialysis and peripheral arterial or central venous catheterization. Clinical sequelae ranged from undetectable (no symptoms) to pulmonary infarction, stroke, ongoing gangrene, and/or death occurring within days to weeks of suspected embolization of foreign material. Microscopic findings in biopsy or autopsy tissue revealed aggregates of amorphous or lamellated, non-refractile, non-polarizable, predominantly basophilic foreign substances occluding intrapulmonary, intracerebral, or peripheral arteries. This is the largest series documenting embolization of polymer gel materials. Polymer gel is now widely used on several devices for interventional procedures worldwide, and we suspect that complications associated with iatrogenic embolization of this substance are under-recognized.
Invariants of Composite Networks Arising as a Tensor Product

We generalize Brylawski’s formula of the Tutte polynomial of a tensor product of matroids to colored connected graphs, matroids, and disconnected graphs. Unlike the non-colored tensor product where all edges have to be replaced by the same graph, our colored generalization of the tensor product operation allows individual edge replacement. The colored Tutte polynomials we compute exists by the results of Bollobas and Riordan. The proof depends on finding the correct generalization of the two components of the pointed Tutte polynomial, first studied by Brylawski and Oxley, and on careful enumeration of the connected components in a tensor product. Our results make the calculation of certain invariants of many composite networks easier, provided that the invariants are obtained from the colored Tutte polynomials via substitution and the composite networks are represented as tensor products of colored graphs. In particular, our method can be used to calculate (with relative ease) the expected number of connected components after an accident hits a composite network in which some major links are identical subnetworks in themselves.
The Politics of Legitimation and the Revival of Popular Religion in Shaanbei, North-Central China

From the early 1980s onward, popular religion has enjoyed a momentous revival in Shaanbei (northern Shaanxi province), as in many other parts of rural China. But despite its immense popularity, popular religion still carries with it an aura of illegality and illegitimacy. Not properly Daoism or Buddhism, which are among the officially recognized religions, popular religion in theory constitutes illegal, superstitious activities. This article addresses questions of the legality and legitimacy of popular religion by analyzing the case of the Black Dragon King Temple in Shaanbei and its temple boss. It examines how not just popular religiosity but the actions of local elites and local state agents have enabled the revival of popular religious activities, focusing particularly on the legitimation politics engaged in by temples and their leaders.
Structure and Optical Bandgap Relationship of π-Conjugated Systems

In bulk heterojunction photovoltaic systems both the open-circuit voltage as well as the short-circuit current, and hence the power conversion efficiency, are dependent on the optical bandgap of the electron-donor material. While first-principles methods are computationally intensive, simpler model Hamiltonian approaches typically suffer from one or more flaws: inability to optimize the geometries for their own input; absence of general, transferable parameters; and poor performance for non-planar systems. We introduce a set of new and revised parameters for the adapted Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (aSSH) Hamiltonian, which is capable of optimizing geometries, along with rules for applying them to any -conjugated system containing C, N, O, or S, including non-planar systems. The predicted optical bandgaps show excellent agreement to UV-vis spectroscopy data points from literature, with a coefficient of determination , a mean error of −0.05 eV, and a mean absolute deviation of 0.16 eV. We use the model to gain insights from PEDOT, fused thiophene polymers, poly-isothianaphthene, copolymers, and pentacene as sources of design rules in the search for low bandgap materials. Using the model as an in-silico design tool, a copolymer of benzodithiophenes along with a small-molecule derivative of pentacene are proposed as optimal donor materials for organic photovoltaics.
Photoreactivation of killing in Streptomyces. II. Kinetics of formation and photolysis of pyrimidine dimers and adducts in S. coelicolor and S. griseus PHR-1.

— A pyrimidine adduct, 6-4‘-[pyrimidine-2’-one] thymine (PO-T)‡, observed in DNA hydrolysates of 254-nm ultraviolet (u.v.) irradiated conidia of Streptomyces coelicolor, increases linearly with u.v. dose up to 2 × 105 ergs/mm2. Yields of thymine dimer (T○) and uracil-thymine dimer (U○) level off at much lower doses. Initial relative rates of formation of these u.v. photoproducts are: 1:1.3:4.8 for PO-T, T○ and U○, respectively. Similar results were obtained with a Streptomyces griseus mutant, PHR-1. An equation is derived to estimate the ratio of the amount of PO-T to the total amount of thymine-derived photoproducts at low (biological) u.v. doses. The observed PO-T fractions compare well with the calculated values. Rapid photolysis of the precursor of PO-T was observed by post-u. v. treatment at 313 nm of conidia of S. coelicolor and of S. griseus PHR-1. The photolysis was much slower at 365 nm and did not occur at all at 405 nm. Pyrimidine dimers were not appreciably affected by post-u. v. treatment at the above wavelengths in these Streptomyces strains. Both of these strains are phenotypically photoreactivation-deficient, and the present results indicate that they do not possess active photoreactivating enzyme. In earlier papers[3,4,5], the pyrimidine adduct found in acid hydrolysates of DNA was loosely referred to as “uracil-thymine adduct (U-T adduct)”. Such terminology is not strictly correct. The pyrimidine adduct in acid hydrolysates is PO-T (sometimes called P2B), which could theoretically result from removal of ammonia from a C-T adduct or removal of water from a U-T adduct (see [6]).
The E3 Ligase TRAF6 Regulates Akt Ubiquitination and Activation

Akt signaling plays a central role in many biological functions, such as cell proliferation and apoptosis. Because Akt (also known as protein kinase B) resides primarily in the cytosol, it is not known how these signaling molecules are recruited to the plasma membrane and subsequently activated by growth factor stimuli. We found that the protein kinase Akt undergoes lysine-63 chain ubiquitination, which is important for Akt membrane localization and phosphorylation. TRAF6 was found to be a direct E3 ligase for Akt and was essential for Akt ubiquitination, membrane recruitment, and phosphorylation upon growth-factor stimulation. The human cancer-associated Akt mutant displayed an increase in Akt ubiquitination, in turn contributing to the enhancement of Akt membrane localization and phosphorylation. Thus, Akt ubiquitination is an important step for oncogenic Akt activation.
Optimal constant splitting for efficient routing over unreliable networks

We study the question of routing for minimum average drop rate over unreliable servers that are prone to random buffer failures. Such a generic setup can be used to model scenarios of interest in unreliable data or manufacturing networks. Interestingly, we first reveal that the traditional Join-the-Shortest-Queue (JSQ) or optimal Randomized Splitting (RS) strategies are consistently outperformed by the Constant Splitting Rule (CSR) where the incoming traffic is split with a constant fraction towards the available servers. This finding motivates us to obtain the optimal splitting fraction under CSR. However, the objective function to be minimized depends on the mean queue length of the servers, whose closed-form expression is not available and often intractable for general arrival and service processes. Thus, we use non-derivative methods to solve this optimization problem by approximately evaluating the objective value at each iteration. To that end, we explicitly characterize the approximation error by utilizing the regenerating nature of unreliable buffers. By adaptively controlling the precision of this approximation, we show that our proposed algorithm converges to an optimal splitting decision in the almost sure sense.
Large Scale Purification of Detergent-soluble P-glycoprotein fromPichia pastoris Cells and Characterization of Nucleotide Binding Properties of Wild-type, Walker A, and Walker B Mutant Proteins

P-glycoprotein (Pgp; mouse MDR3) was expressed inPichia pastoris, grown in fermentor culture, and purified. The final pure product is of high specific ATPase activity and is soluble at low detergent concentration. 120 g of cells yielded 6 mg of pure Pgp; >4 kg of cells were obtained from a single fermentor run. Properties of the pure protein were similar to those of previous preparations, except there was significant ATPase activity in absence of added lipid. Mutant mouse MDR3 P-glycoproteins were purified by the same procedure after growth of cells in flask culture, with similar yields and purity. This procedure should open up new avenues of structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies of Pgp. Equilibrium nucleotide-binding parameters of wild-type mouse MDR3 Pgp were studied using 2′-(3′)-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)adenosine tri- and diphosphate. Both analogs were found to bind withK d in the low micromolar range, to a single class of site, with no evidence of cooperativity. ATP displacement of the analogs was seen. Similar binding was seen with K429R/K1072R and D551N/D1196N mutant mouse MDR3 Pgp, showing that these Walker A and B mutations had no significant effect on affinity or stoichiometry of nucleotide binding. These residues, known to be critical for catalysis, are concluded to be involved primarily in stabilization of the catalytic transition state in Pgp.
Toward distributed optimal movement strategy for data harvesting in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we address how to design the distributed movement strategy for mobile collectors, which can be either physical mobile agents or query/collector packets periodically launched by the sink, to achieve successful data gathering in wireless sensor networks. Formulating the problem as general random walks on a graph composed of sensors, we analyze how many data can be successfully gathered in time under any Markovian movement strategies for mobile collectors moving over a graph (or network), while each sensor is equipped with limited buffer space and data arrival rate to each node is heterogeneous. In particular, from the analysis, we obtain the optimal movement strategy among a class of Markovian strategies so as to minimize the data loss rate over all sensors, and explain how such optimal movement strategy can be made to work in a distributed fashion. We demonstrate that our distributed optimal movement strategy leads to about 2 times smaller loss rate than the simple random walk strategy under diverse scenarios. In particular, our strategy can result in about 50% cost savings for the deployment of multiple collectors to achieve the target data loss rate than the simple random walk.
Patent Foramen Ovale Is Indicted, but the Case Hasn’t Gone to Trial

In humans, birth itself is primarily a cardiorespiratory event. The fetus has outgrown its inefficient circulatory dependence on the mother and needs an effective oxygen-delivery system: the umbilical cord clamps off, the lungs aerate, the ductus arteriosus involutes, and the foramen ovale seals shut. A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is, by far, the most commonly persistent abnormality of fetal origin, occurring in 10% to 15% of the normal adult population. Because the thin, left-sided septum primum is pushed against the thicker septum secundum by higher left atrial pressures, a PFO only permits intracardiac shunting during those transient periods (eg, sudden changes in intrathoracic pressures or right heart compliance) when right atrial pressure exceeds left atrial pressure. Although common, a PFO is invariably, or almost invariably, benign. …
Hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay Tributaries: Worsening effects on Macrobenthic Community Structure in the York River

We assessed the effects of hypoxia on macrobenthic communities in the York and Rappahannock Rivers, Chesapeake Bay, in box-core samples before and after hypoxic episodes in 2003 and 2004. Hypoxia occurred in both years and was associated with a decrease in biomass and a shift in community structure toward opportunistic species in both rivers. Long-term data indicate that the frequency of hypoxia in the York has increased over the last 22 years. In previous work from ∼20 years ago, the macrobenthic community structure did not change in response to hypoxia in the York; however, in the present study hypoxia was associated with a reduction in community biomass and a change in community structure. We conclude that currently hypoxia is a more important environmental problem in the York than in previous years. Hypoxia likely negatively affects the estuarine food web, as lower macrobenthic biomass could decrease food availability to epibenthic predators.
Temperature influences on California rainbow trout physiological performance.

Although thermal influences on the physiology of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have been widely studied, there is little information about the responses of different genetic strains to temperatures. The effects of water temperature (10, 14, 19, 22, and 25 °C) on food consumption rate, growth rate, gross conversion efficiency, resting routine oxygen consumption rate, upper critical thermal tolerance and critical swimming velocity were investigated in juvenile rainbow trout of the Eagle Lake (O. m. aquilarum) subspecies and the Mt. Shasta strain. No strain-related differences in conversion efficiency, oxygen consumption rates, thermal tolerance or swimming performance were observed in 1995 (19, 22, and 25 °C) or 1996 (10, 14, and 19 °C), but Mt. Shasta strain trout grew faster at highest temperatures than did Eagle Lake trout. Food consumption rates, growth rates, conversion efficiency, and oxygen consumption rates declined at the extreme temperatures (10 and 25 °C) in both Eagle Lake and Mt. Shasta trout. Swimming performance was temperature-independent between 10 and 19 °C (overall mean: 5.43 body lengths s−1).
Cyclic fatigue of high strength optical fibers in bending

Optical fiber may experience cyclic stresses at frequencies ranging from a few hertz in aerial cables to over a kilohertz due to vibration of machinery. The fatigue behavior of brittle materials typically gives times to failure that correspond to a suitably time-averaged applied stress and is independent of the frequency. Previous studies have been limited in the frequencies used but generally show agreement with this simple model. In this paper we describe results for the cyclic fatigue behavior of high strength fused silica optical fibers as a function of stress amplitude and frequency in the range of zero to 100 Hz. The results confirm that fatigue of this material is indeed accurately described by the subcritical crack growth model and the results are shown to be frequency independent in the range studied.
Detecting environmental changes and trends

Abstract Detecting changes in climate variables is a difficult process that depends on several parameters. These parameters include not only the size of the trend and the accuracy of the measurements, but also the magnitude of variability and the autocorrelation of the observations. The ability to detect a trend can vary from location to location and can vary with height at a single location. These differences are illustrated using observations from the Forecast Systems Laboratory Radiosonde Database to determine the natural variability and autocorrelation of temperature data as a function of altitude. As an example, the results for Topeka, Kansas, a mid-continent, stable monitoring site, indicate that trends of a fixed magnitude are easier to detect in the free troposphere than in either the boundary layer or the lower stratosphere. The free troposphere may be an important region for climate monitoring, especially given general circulation model projections of a nearly vertically-constant warming throughout the tropospheric altitudes. These types of investigations, which use past data to determine the natural variability and memory inherent in environmental parameters, can help identify geographic and altitude regions that may be critical for climate monitoring.