cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nectar alkaloids decrease pollination and female reproduction in a native plant

The evolution of floral traits may be shaped by a community of floral visitors that affect plant fitness, including pollinators and floral antagonists. The role of nectar in attracting pollinators has been extensively studied, but its effects on floral antagonists are less understood. Furthermore, the composition of non-sugar nectar components, such as secondary compounds, may affect plant reproduction via changes in both pollinator and floral antagonist behavior. We manipulated the nectar alkaloid gelsemine in wild plants of the native perennial vine Gelsemium sempervirens. We crossed nectar gelsemine manipulations with a hand-pollination treatment, allowing us to determine the effect of both the trait and the interaction on plant female reproduction. We measured pollen deposition, pollen removal, and nectar robbing to assess whether gelsemine altered the behavior of mutualists and antagonists. High nectar gelsemine reduced conspecific pollen receipt by nearly half and also reduced the proportion of conspecific pollen grains received, but had no effect on nectar robbing. Although high nectar gelsemine reduced pollen removal, an estimate of male reproduction, by one-third, this effect was not statistically significant. Fruit set was limited by pollen receipt. However, this effect varied across sites such that the sites that were most pollen-limited were also the sites where nectar alkaloids had the least effect on pollen receipt, resulting in no significant effect of nectar alkaloids on fruit set. Finally, high nectar gelsemine significantly reduced seed weight; however, this effect was mediated by a mechanism other than pollen limitation. Taken together, our work suggests that nectar alkaloids are more costly than beneficial in our system, and that relatively small-scale spatial variation in trait effects and interactions could determine the selective impacts of traits such as nectar composition.
Predicting hospital charge and length of stay for congenital heart disease surgery

Three hundred twenty-two consecutive operations between December 1985 and December 1989 for 10 types of low-risk congenital cardiac malformations were reviewed to determine the hospital charge and postoperative length of stay. Multiple regression analysis of variance was used to predict the influence of the primary diagnosis and various preoperative parameters. The average hospital charge was $27,262 +/- $20,644 and the postoperative length of stay was 9.3 +/- 8.3 days. Age at operation alone did not influence the dependent variables. The diagnosis of atrial septal defect (p = 0.002) or coarctation of the aorta (p = 0.002) decreased the mean charge, whereas the 8 other primary diagnoses did not significantly influence the mean charge. Other preoperative factors found to be predictive of increased hospital charge were: the date of operation (p 100 miles from home to hospital (p = 0.05). A primary diagnosis of atrial septal defect decreased the mean postoperative length of stay by 3.1 days (p < 0.001). Other preoperative conditions increased the mean postoperative length of stay: major extracardiac malformation (p < 0.001), failure to thrive (p < 0.001), and oxygen requirement (p = 0.003). Charge and length of stay equations were generated which may assist in the prediction of resource utilization in this patient population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Characterization of TO-PRO-3 as an intercalator for double-stranded DNA analysis with red diode laser-induced fluorescence detection

Abstract We report the analysis of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) with a blue intercalating dye, TO-PRO-3 (TP3) using a visible diode laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. In the presence of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), such as pd(A) 40–60 or pd(T) 20–40 , TP3 adsorption maximum shifts slightly from 631 to 633 nm and, when intercalated to dsDNA, the absorption maxima shifts to 643 nm. TP3 itself does not fluoresce in the presence of eithet d(A)_ 18 or d(T) 18 alone, but the combination of both oliginucleotide species yielded intense fluorescence, about two orders of magnitude higher. The LIF detection was based on the use of a 2.5-mW diode laser emitting light at 635 nm and the fluorescence of the resulting dsDNA-bound TP3 was collected at 670 nm. The capillary electrophoretic (CE) separation of fragments from 72 to 1353 basepairs (bp) of ΦX174/ Hae III digest were well-resolved within 10 min in the gel-buffer system with TP3. The application of TP3 as an intercalating dye for the analysis of dsDNA fragments produced by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was examined. Excellent correlations between CE-LIF area and fragment size in basepairs were obtained with TP3 and ethidium bromide as the intercalating dyes. TP3-based chemistry along with the diode laser indiced fluorescence detection system is well-suited for rapid, high-sensitivity and automated DNA analysis of the PCR-amplified dsDNA products and DNA restriction fragments.
The implementation of postgraduate training programs through state and local resources

Abstract A profile of implementation strategies for funding postgraduate training programs using local or state resources is described. The need for those implementation strategies as well as basic principles for successful implementation is documented. Two programs are briefly described—a University Affiliated Program (UAP) in western New York and a UAP in Missouri—as the basis for generating implementation strategies. Finally a discussion is provided reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of these strategies.
Sharing data in biomedical Research

In the spirit of openness and service to mankind, scientific investigators should rise above their self-interests and share their research data. The leap necessary to ascend above one's personal best interests defies gravity. This short paper discusses the complexities of creating a zero gravity environment in the scientific community.
Trifluoperazine Stimulates Acetylcholine Receptor Synthesis in Cultured Chick Myotubes

Acetylcholine receptor appearance rate in the presence of the phenothiazines trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine was measured in cultured embryonic chick myotubes by means of 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin. At drug concentrations of 5 to 10 X 10(-6) M, receptor appearance rate was significantly enhanced while receptor half-life, cellular protein, net protein synthesis rate, and acetylcholinesterase levels were not similarly affected. The sulfoxide derivatives were without effect. At concentrations of 3 X 10(-5) M and above, both trifluoperazine and chlorpromazine caused myotube contracture and cell loss. Drug combination experiments revealed that receptor stimulation caused by phenothiazines is overcome by low concentrations of veratridine and ryanodine, but not by membrane depolarization with 20 mM KCl. These results lend support to the role of calcium as an intracellular messenger in acetylcholine receptor synthesis regulation, but are difficult to reconcile with the notion that cytosolic calmodulin serves as the calcium receptor in this signaling pathway. Since the trifluoperazine effect resembles that caused by the calcium antagonist D-600, phenothiazines may stimulate receptor synthesis by blocking a voltage-gated calcium channel.
Fiber sputtering and painting

Abstract The selection of the sigma design for the plate-fiber modules of the SSC calorimeter has reduced by a factor of two the number of fiber ends that will be read directly by photomultiplier tubes. With this design, only one of the ends of a fiber will be connected to a readout channel. In order to avoid wasting the light coming from the other end of the fiber inside the plate, mirroring techniques such as sputtering and painting are being studied. The sputtering and/or painting of optical fibers such as BCF91A considerably increases the light output of the plate-fiber system.
Hadamard products of matrices

The entry-wise product of arbitrary n × ncomplex matrices is studied. The principal tools used include the Kionecker product, field of values and diagonal multiplications. Inclusion theorems for the field of values and spectrum are developed in the general case and refined in special cases. These are employed to obtain inequalities involving the real parts of the characteristic roots and the numerical radius, and previously known results are found to be special cases of several of the theorems. In addition, the case of positive stable matrices is considered and a new class of nonnegative stable matrices is introduced, studied and related to D-stability.
Lecithin protects against plasma membrane disruption by bile salts.

Abstract Introduction.Detergent disruption of epithelial plasma membranes by bile salts may contribute to pathogenesis of cholestasis and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Bile, despite containing high concentrations of bile salts, normally is not toxic to biliary or intestinal epithelia. We hypothesize that lecithin in bile may protect cell membranes from disruption by bile salts. Methods.We studied the interactions of taurine conjugates of ursodeoxycholate (TUDCA), cholate (TCA), chenodeoxycholate (TCDCA), and deoxycholate (TDCA) with erythrocyte plasma membranes with or without large unilamellar egg lecithin vesicles for various times at 23°C. Release of hemoglobin was quantified spectrophotometrically. The concentration of bile salt monomers and simple micelles in the intermixed micellar aqueous phase (IMMC) was determined by centrifugal ultrafiltration. Results.The degree of hemolysis depended on the hydrophobicity of the bile salts and was progressive over time. Addition of lecithin reduced the hemolytic effects of 20 mM TCA or 2 mM TDCA in a concentration-dependent manner at both 30 min and 4 h. Increasing the concentration of lecithin progressively reduced the IMMC of TDCA. Hemolysis following addition of lecithin to 2 mM TDCA was comparable to hemolysis produced by lecithin-free TDCA solutions when diluted to similar IMMC values. Conclusion.We conclude that lecithin reduces plasma membrane disruption by hydrophobic bile salts. This protection may be attributable to association of bile salts with vesicles and mixed micelles, reducing the concentration of bile salt monomers and simple micelles available to interact with cell membranes. Lecithin may play a key role in preventing bile salt injury of biliary and gastrointestinal epithelia.
Frequency of eyewitness identification in criminal cases: A survey of prosecutors

One hundred fifty-seven prosecutors in 30 states were asked to estimate how often they process criminal cases in which eyewitness identification is of critical importance, the total number of felony cases processed each year by their staffs, and the size and composition (urban or rural) of the populations serviced by their departments. Approximately 36% (57) of the prosecutors responded. From their replies it was calculated that eyewitness cases constituted about 3% (median) of their felony cases. Thus, assuming approximately 2,570,000 arrests in the U.S. each year, about 77,000 individuals are suspects in cases in which the only critical evidence is eyewitness identification.
High Efficiency Transformation of Cultured Tobacco Cells

Tobacco calli were transformed at levels up to 50% by cocultivation of tobacco cultured cells with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring the binary transfer-DNA vector, pGA472, containing a kanamycin resistance marker. Transformation frequency was dependent on the physiological state of the tobacco cells, the nature of Agrobacterium strain and, less so, on the expression of the vir genes of the tumor-inducing plasmid. Maximum transformation frequency was obtained with exponentially growing plant cells, suggesting that rapid growth of plant cells is an essental factor for efficient transformation of higher plants.
Evaporative cooling and endothermy in the 13-year periodical cicada, Magicicada tredecem (Homoptera: Cicadidae)

The thermobiology of a cicada, Magicicada tredecem, from a warm, high humidity environment was investigated. Thoracic temperature (Tth) of M. tredecem in the field was strongly dependent on, and consistently higher than, ambient temperature (Tam), averaging 33.0±0.19°C on warm sunny days (Tam=28–29°C, rh=60–75%). Laboratory studies documented cuticle water fluxes high enough (≈ 5mg · cm−2 · h−1 in dry air at 40°C) to result in a significant degree of passive evaporative cooling, but the ability of M. tredecem to actively facilitate evaporative water loss during thermal stress is comparatively limited: water loss rates (WLR) of live M. tredecem at 40°C (dry air) were only 35–45% greater than those of dead cicadas. The limited ability of M. tredecem to facilitate transcuticular WLR is associated with limited surface distribution of the cuticular ducts through which water is actively extruded during evaporative cooling. In the laboratory, active extrusion of water had no appreciable effect on Tth, demonstrating that evaporative cooling was due largely to passive water flux through the highly permeable cuticle. The location of the abdominal pore tracts is such that extrusion of water through the ducts may preferentially cool the heart and perhaps other abdominal tissues. Long-term climatological data indicate that M. tredecem rarely encounters Tam levels high enough (i.e., above its apparent Tth setpoint of 34–35°C) to require evaporative cooling. Inactive M. tredecem can endothermically increase Tth. An hypothesis is proposed to account for the diversity of body temperature setpoints in cicadas.
Chipimpi, Vulgar Clans, and Lala-Lamba Ethnohistory

Common to the matrilineal peoples of eastern central Africa is their clan system, and the reciprocal joking or “funeral friendship,” relations that exist between clans with figuratively complementary names (Cunnison 1959:62-71; Richards 1937; Stefaniszyn 1950). This paper, however, focuses on the southeastern Shaba Pedicle, and the anomalous, one-sided joking between the Vulva and (allegedly pubic) Hair clans of the Lala and Lamba chiefs. I suggest that this joking, like the claim that these clans share a common mythical ancestor, is best explained in terms of nineteenth-century Lala and Lamba history, and of their competing claims to the Pedicle's easternmost end. This region of Bukanda lies between the Aushi to the north (in Bwaushi), the Lala and Swaka to the east and south (in Ilala and Maswaka), and the Lamba (of Ilamba) to the west. The main distinction among these closely-related and adjacent peoples, with their similar customs and languages, is in the histories and traditions of their chiefs.The bizarre relationship between the chiefly Vulva and Hair clans is not widely known. I only heard of it during my fieldwork in Ilamba. The Lala, like the Lamba, straddle both the Congolese and Zambian sides of the Shaba Pedicle, and the literature on this region, in both French and English, is fragmentary and marked by an ahistorical and uncritical acceptance of oral traditions. The Lala are probably best known in relation to Mwana Lesa's Watchtower movement of the 1920s (Verbeek 1977,1983). Norman Long's Social Change and the Individual (Manchester, 1968) is the only modern ethnography on the Lala, yet this study of the enterprising Jehovah's Witnesses has little to say about dieir history or clans. Fortunately, Leon Verbeek's Filiation et usurpation (1987) has sorted through the oral and colonial histories, and has paved the way for comparative ethnohistories of the peoples on both sides of the Shaba Pedicle.
Rapid decomposition of peroxynitrite by manganese porphyrin-antioxidant redox couples

Abstract Mn(III)TMPyP reacts rapidly with the toxic oxidant peroxynitrite (ONOO−) to generate an oxoMn(IV) species, but Mn(III)TMPyP is not catalytic for ONOO− decomposition due to the slow reduction of oxoMn(IV) back to the Mn(III) oxidation state. However, when redox-coupled with biological antioxidants that efficiently reduce oxoMn(IV), Mn(III)TMPyP is transformed into an efficient “peroxynitrite reductase.”
Fidelity at a Distance: Assessing Implementation Fidelity of the Early Risers Prevention Program in a Going-to-Scale Intervention Trial

The present study examined the feasibility of an innovative technology designed to assess implementation fidelity of the Early Risers conduct problems prevention program across 27 geographically dispersed school sites. A multidimensional construct of fidelity was used to assess the quantity of services provided (exposure), the degree to which program strategies conformed to the manual (adherence), and how well implementers delivered the program (quality of delivery). The measurement technology featured a fidelity monitoring system that required (a) weekly reporting on a web-based documentation system to assess program exposure and adherence, and (b) five annually administered telephone interviews with a technical assistant to assess quality of program implementation. The results showed that the fidelity monitoring system was feasible, with all sites achieving 100% compliance in completion of their required on-line reporting and on average over 80% of the required teleconference interviews. User feedback indicated satisfaction with the web-based program. The system was successful in measuring multiple indices of fidelity. The strengths and limitations of measuring fidelity at a distance with web-based and teleconferencing technologies are discussed.
Statistical Detection of Boolean Regulatory Relationships

A statistic tool for the detection of multivariate Boolean relationships is presented, with applications in the inference of gene regulatory mechanisms. A statistical test is developed for the detection of a nonzero discrete Coefficient of Determination (CoD) between predictor and target variables. This is done by framing the problem in the context of a stochastic logic model that naturally allows the inclusion of prior knowledge if available. The rejection region, p-value, statistical power, and confidence interval are derived and analyzed. Furthermore, the issue of multiplicity of tests due to presence of numerous candidate genes and logic relationships is addressed via FWER- and FDR-controlling approaches. The methodology is demonstrated by experiments using synthetic data and real data from a study on ionizing radiation (IR) responsive genes. The results indicate that the proposed methodology is a promising tool for detection of gene regulatory relationships from gene-expression data. Software that implements the COD test is available online as an R package.
Challenges Faced by Staff in Faith-Related Agencies When Dedicated Volunteers Age in Place

This article is based on increasing requests we have received to help staff of faith-related agencies face challenges posed when dedicated volunteers have “aged in place” and change is needed. We begin by identifying challenges faced when dedicated volunteers “age in place” within established organizations, defining concepts such as psychological contracting and role salience that are pertinent to understanding volunteer and staff commitment. We use constructed case examples of two faith-related agencies to illustrate the types of challenges that can occur and then offer potential guidelines for how to assess and address difficult situations in which dedicated volunteers may not be able to continue in their cherished roles.
Snubbing Effects in the Pullout of a Fibrous Rod from a Laminate

Abstract In prior papers, a simple model of the constitutive behavior of a tow (fibrous rod or stitch) that bridges a mixed-mode delamination crack was introduced. The model yielded the relation between the bridging traction supplied by the bridging tow and the crack opening and sliding displacements. A feature of the model is that, when loading includes shear (mode II), a zone arises near the fracture plane where the tow laterally deflects through the surrounding material (e.g., a polymer composite laminate). This paper focuses on the case in which the reinforcement is a fibrous rod (finite length) and extends the model to find explicit solutions in the regime where the rod is pulled out of the laminate, including the regime of large crack displacements. The formulation of the model is generalized to include the possibility of enhanced values of friction acting in the domain of deflection. This is necessary to account for the strong hardening behavior of the pullout process that has been observed experim...
Direct Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Saxitoxin and Neosaxitoxin

Using specific ployclonal antibodies against saxitoxin (STX) or neosaxitoxin (neo-STX) in combination with either STX−horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or neo-STX−HRP, the efficacy of four different direct competitive enzyme-linked immunoassorbent assay (dc-ELISA) formats for the analysis of STX and neo-STX was evaluated. Concentrations causing 50% inhibition (ID50) of binding of toxin−HRP conjugate to the antibodies by free toxins in various ELISAs were found in the range of 0.1−9.0 ng/mL. A dc-ELISA, using either anti-STX/STX−HRP or anti-neo-STX/neo-STX−HRP pairs (ID50 values of 0.28 and 0.18 ng/mL for STX and neo-STX, respectively), was found to be most effective for the analysis of STX and neo-STX in naturally contaminated shellfish samples. The analytical recoveries of STX added to viscera extracts of butter clams, dungeness crab, tanner crab, and blue mussels in the range of 0.5−10 ng/mL-1 g-1 were found to be 88.1, 92.7, 92.2, and 93.5% with coefficients of variation of 3.9, 2.7, 9.7, and 2.8%, respecti...
Very high-brightness fiber-coupled diode lasers

We present the latest development of high brightness, diode laser systems at Coherent Direct Diode Systems. Experimental results on diode laser modules with greater than 100 W with beam quality better than 10 mm•mrad will be presented. Through a combination of diode laser emitter improvements and narrow-band (< 10 nm) wavelength combination, we improve the spatial beam quality of diode laser systems significantly. The presentation will show a path that scales these diode laser systems to a kW-class output power from a 100 μm fiber with a single wavelength.
Cohesive adequacy in the narrative samples of school-age children who use African American English.

Purpose This study explored the type and adequacy of cohesive devices that are produced by school-age children who use African American English (AAE). Method The language samples of 33 African Amer...
The contributing role of physical education in youth’s daily physical activity and sedentary behavior

School physical education (PE) is considered as an effective channel for youth to accumulate moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and reduce sedentary time. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributing role of PE in daily MVPA and sedentary time among youth. The study recruited 67 sixth grade children (29 boys; Mean age = 11.75) from two suburban schools at a U.S. Midwest state, 48 of whom contributed ≥10 hours of physical activity (PA) data per day were included for analysis. An objective monitoring tool (i.e., Sensewear armband monitor) was used to capture the participants’ MVPA and sedentary time for 7–14 days. Pearson product–moment correlation analysis (r), multi-level regression analyses, and analysis of variance were conducted for data analysis. MVPA and sedentary time in PE showed significant positive associations with daily MVPA and sedentary time, respectively (r = 0.35, p < 0.01; r = 0.55, p < 0.01). Regression analyses revealed that one minute increase in MVPA and sedentary behavior in PE was associated with 2.04 minutes and 5.30 minutes increases in daily MVPA and sedentary behavior, respectively, after controlling for sex and BMI. The participants demonstrated a significantly higher level of MVPA (p = .05) but similar sedentary time (p = 0.61) on PE days than on non-PE days. Boys had significantly more daily MVPA (p < .01) and less sedentary time (p < .01) than girls; while higher BMI was associated with more sedentary time (p < .01). PE displayed a positive contribution to increasing daily MVPA and decreasing daily sedentary time among youth. Active participation in PE classes increases the chance to be more active and less sedentary beyond PE among youth.
The Impact of Industrial Restructuring on Earnings Inequality: The Decline of Steel and Earnings in Pittsburgh

Inter-industry employment shifts were largely responsible for changes in the income distribution in the Pittsburgh region during the 1980s. Kernel density estimators were used, together with decomposition techniques developed by DiNardo et al. (1996) to show that industry shifts were responsible for over 90 percent of the earnings reductions at some points on the earnings distribution. Most of the losses at the lower end of the distribution occurred in the early 1980s as the economy plunged into a deep recession. The recovery in the later part of the decade brought little improvement as earnings in the lower part of the distribution continued to fall with the increase in employment of part-time workers in the low-wage trade and service sectors.
A language for specifying compiler optimizations for generic software

Compiler optimization is important to software performance, and modern processor architectures make optimization even more critical. However, many modern software applications use libraries providing high levels of abstraction. Such libraries often hinder effective optimization—the libraries are difficult to analyze using current compiler technology. For example, high-level libraries often use dynamic memory allocation and indirectly expressed control structures, such as iterator-based loops. Programs using these libraries often cannot achieve an optimal level of performance. On the other hand, software libraries have also been recognized as potentially aiding in program optimization. One proposed implementation of library-based optimization is to allow the library author, or a library user, to define custom analyses and optimizations. Only limited systems have been created to take advantage of this potential, however. One problem in creating a framework for defining new optimizations and analyses is how users are to specify them: implementing them by hand inside a compiler is difficult and prone to errors. Thus, a domain-specific language for library-based compiler optimizations would be beneficial. Many optimization specification languages have appeared in the literature, but they tend to be either limited in power or unnecessarily difficult to use. Therefore, I have designed, implemented, and evaluated the Pavilion language for specifying program analyses and optimizations, designed for library authors and users. These analyses and optimizations can be based on the implementation of a particular library, its use in a specific program, or on the properties of a broad range of types, expressed through concepts. The new system is intended to provide a high level of expressiveness, even though the intended users are unlikely to be compiler experts.
Distances, Luminosities, and Temperatures of the Coldest Known Substellar Objects

The coolest known brown dwarfs are our best analogs to extrasolar gas-giant planets. The prolific detections of such cold substellar objects in the past 2 years have spurred intensive follow-up, but the lack of accurate distances is a key gap in our understanding. We present a large sample of precise distances based on homogeneous mid-infrared astrometry that robustly establishes absolute fluxes, luminosities, and temperatures. The coolest brown dwarfs have temperatures of 400 to 450 kelvin and masses almost equal to 5 to 20 times that of Jupiter, showing they bridge the gap between hotter brown dwarfs and gas-giant planets. At these extremes, spectral energy distributions no longer follow a simple correspondence with temperature, suggesting an increasing role of other physical parameters, such as surface gravity, vertical mixing, clouds, and metallicity.
An infectious West Nile virus that expresses a GFP reporter gene.

West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne, neurotropic flavivirus that causes encephalitis in humans and animals. Since being introduced into the Western hemisphere in 1999, WNV has spread rapidly across North America, identifying this virus as an important emerging pathogen. In this study, we developed a DNA-launched infectious molecular clone of WNV that encodes a GFP reporter gene. Transfection of cells with the plasmid encoding this recombinant virus (pWNII-GFP) resulted in the production of infectious WNV capable of expressing GFP at high levels shortly after infection of a variety of cell types, including primary neurons and dendritic cells. Infection of cells with WNII-GFP virus was productive, and could be inhibited with both monoclonal antibodies and interferon-β, highlighting the potential of this system in the development and characterization of novel inhibitors and therapeutics for WNV infection. As expected, insertion of the reporter gene into the viral genome was associated with a reduced rate of viral replication, providing the selective pressure for the development of variants that no longer encoded the full-length reporter gene cassette. We anticipate this DNA-based, infectious WNV reporter virus will allow novel approaches for the study of WNV infection and its inhibition both in vitro and in vivo.
Using light to see and control membrane traffic

Cellular compartmentalization into discrete organelles is maintained by membrane trafficking including vesiculation and tubulation. Recent advances in superresolution imaging have begun to bring these small and dynamic events into focus. Most nanoscopes exploit, and are limited by, switching dyes ON and OFF. Using ground state depletion to switch dyes into long-lived dark states can exploit specific photophysical properties of dyes, such as redox potential or p K a , and expand the repertoire of nanoscopy probes for multicolor imaging. Seeing is not enough, and new technologies based on homodimerization, heterodimerization and selective release can manipulate membrane trafficking in pulse-chase and light-controlled ways. Herein we highlight the utility and promise of these strategies and discuss their current limitations.
Technical and management notes: The role of an engineering economy course

The required senior course in engineering economy now gives a broad perspective to business operations, discusses the engineering functions, and summarizes the techniques for project evaluation. The professional demand for reports and proposals emphasizes the need for clear, concise writing. Proper economic analysis demands thorough planning and scheduling such as offered by the diagrammatic scheduling techniques. Invited presentations by industrial managers enliven the material. These students work with management more willingly and have a better perspective of developing their careers.
Effects of silica fume, latex, methylcellulose, and carbon fibers on the thermal conductivity and specific heat of cement paste

Abstract Due to their poor conductivity, latex (20–30% by weight of cement), methylcellulose (0.4–0.8% by weight of cement), and silica fume (15% by weight of cement) decreased the thermal conductivity of cement paste by up to 46%. In addition, these admixtures increased the specific heat of cement paste by up to 10%. The thermal conductivity decreased and the specific heat increased with increasing latex or methylcellulose content. Short carbon fibers (0.5–1.0% by weight of cement) either did not change or decreased the thermal conductivity of cement paste, such that the thermal conductivity decreased with increasing fiber content due to the increase in air void content. The fibers increased the specific heat due to the contribution of the fiber-matrix interface to vibration.
Protein changes in the albedo of citrus fruits on postharvesting storage.

In this work, major protein changes in the albedo of the fruit peel of Murcott tangor (tangerine x sweet orange) during postharvest ageing were studied through 2D PAGE. Protein content in matured on-tree fruits and in fruits stored in nonstressing [99% relative humidity (RH) and 25 °C], cold (99% RH and 4 °C), and drought (60% RH and 25 °C) conditions was initially determined. Protein identification through MS/MS determinations revealed in all samples analyzed the occurrence of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn SOD), actin, ATP synthase β subunit (ATPase), citrus salt-stress associated protein (CitSap), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), and a cysteine proteinase (CP) of the papain family. The latter protein was identified in two different gel spots, with different molecular mass, suggesting the simultaneous presence of the proteinase precursor and its active form. While Mn SOD, actin, ATPase, and CitSap were unchanged in the assayed conditions, TCTP and APX were...
High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Separation and Spectral Characterization of the Pigments in Turmeric and Annatto

High performance liquid chromatographic separations for the determination of the pigments in the food colorants, annatto and turmeric, were developed. Chromatographic analysis time for the isocratic system was 10 min and 22 min for the gradient system. The isocratic separation employed a 25 cm × 4.6 mm i.d. Zorbax ODS column with a 58/42 (v/v) mixture of water/tetrahydrofuran, THF, at 1 mL/min. A gradient water/THF system using the same components was also developed to improve the resolution between the curcuminoids. Sample preparation consists of dilution and filtration of the extracts. The three major pigments in turmeric, identified from visible and fluorescence stop flow spectra, were curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Absorbance, excitation and emission maxima for the three curcuminoids plus the carotenoids, bixin and norbixin, were determined.
1H NMR investigation of the secondary structure, tertiary contacts and cluster environment of the four-iron ferredoxin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus litoralis.

The solution molecular structure of the four-iron ferredoxin (Fd) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus litoralis (Tl) has been investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy. TOCSY and NOESY experiments in H2O, tailored to detect both weakly and strongly relaxed resonances, together with steady-state NOEs in both H2O and D2O, allowed the identification of 58 of the 59 residues, with one residue near the paramagnetic center undetected. It is shown that the contact shifted and strongly relaxed signals for all four cysteines ligated to the paramagnetic cluster can be assigned by standard backbone connectivities that do not require any assumptions about the tertiary structure. Secondary structural elements identified in Tl Fd are a three-stranded antiparallel β-strand involving the termini of the protein, a double β-strand (also antiparallel), two α-helices and four turns. The existence of a disulfide bridge between the nonligated cysteines is also proposed. Dipolar contacts observed in the NOESY maps and by steady-state NOEs between the ligated cysteines and the ‘diamagnetic’ protein matrix indicate that the overall folding pattern of Tl Fd is very similar to that of the 3Fe ferredoxin from the mesophilic bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas [Kissinger et al. (1991) J. Mol. Biol., 219, 693–723]. The influence of the paramagnetism of the cluster on the relaxation properties of the proton signals of nonligated residues near the cluster, as well as on the ligated cysteines, correlates well with the proximity to the cluster iron(s), as predicted from the crystal structures for homologous protons of other single-cluster ferredoxins. Finally, the potential role of the various identified structural factors in contributing to the hyperthermostability of this protein is discussed.
Religiosity and Sexual Involvement Within Adolescent Romantic Couples

The impact of religiosity in adolescent romantic partnerships on sexual behavior was assessed. Data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health reciprocated couples database using religious- and relationship-oriented variables to predict sexual involvement in 374 couples (748 participants). We found that individual- and couple-based religiosity impacted sexual behavior. These findings provide evidence for dyad religiosity as a component involved in the expression of sexual behavior in romantic relationships. The current results highlight the importance of incorporating a broad social perspective in order to understand the expression of adolescent sexual behavior.
The Content of Carboxyl-Terminal Fragments of Parathormone in Extracts of Fresh Bovine Parathyroids

Fresh parathyroid gland homogenates and fractions thereof were analyzed for their content of PTH and carboxyl- terminal fragments of the hormone. The tissue proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then extracted from gel fractions for RIA. Native PTH and PTH-(37–84) were used as standards to mark the migration positions of these peptides in the gels. The RIA for carboxyl-terminal hormone fragments used PTH-(37–84) as radioiodinated tracer and responded equally on a molar basis to either PTH or PTH-(37–84), making possible quantitative evaluation of both peptides in one assay after their separation. The results indicated that tissue homogenates contain 0.3–0.5 PTH- (37–84) moleq for each mole of PTH. Particulate fractions of the homogenates contained 0.15–0.3 moleq of fragment/mol PTH, while the high speed supernatant fraction of the homogenate contained about 2 moleq of fragment/mol PTH. When the experiments were performed using homogenization and fractiona...
Fibrinolysis in patients with fulminant hepatic failure

Hyperfibrinolysis is well documented in patients with severe liver disease. However, it is uncertain whether this is a primary event or secondary to coagulation activation.1 We report evidence showing the consumption of coagulation factors causes some of the coagulation defects observed in patients with severe loss of hepatic function. Antithrombin-III (AT-III) and thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) serum levels were measured in 10 consecutive patients with fulminant hepatic failure who had impaired coagulation, shown by a markedly elevated prothrombin time. All patients had low serum AT-III levels (mean, 0.33 6 0.097 U/dL; normal, 78 to 120 U/dL) and increased TAT complexes (mean, 189.8 6 70.6 ng/mL; normal, 1.0 to 4.1 ng/mL). There was no correlation between prothrombin time and either AT-III or TAT complex values. The elevated level of serum TAT complexes is clear evidence that patients with fulminant liver failure have excessive activation of thrombin. Depletion because of the inactivation of thrombin explains in part why these patients have low serum AT-III levels. Other investigators have observed low serum levels of coagulation inhibitors, such as protein S, protein C, and AT-III in patients with severe loss of hepatic function. However, it was unclear in those studies whether the low serum level of inhibitors was caused by a loss of synthetic function or by factor consumption.2,3 The current data help clarify this issue by showing evidence of enhanced activation of the coagulation system, leading to increased TAT complexes. However, the poor correlation of prothrombin time with AT-III and TAT values suggests coagulation defects in patients with severe hepatic disease are complex and not caused by coagulation factor consumption alone.
Engineering and scientific visualization using high-performance graphics workstations

Engineering and scientific visualization are terms for the application of computer graphics technology to engineering design and analysis and as scientific research and experimentation. A review of the capacity of the human brain to process visual information leads to the understanding of critical factors which optimize the comprehension of computer-aided designs and scientific research. Improvements in interactivity and photorealism are identified as the two primary areas where computer graphics technology can substantially increase productivity and enhance creativity. Advanced graphics technologies found in state-of-the-art graphics workstations are discussed, and examples are given to show how these capabilities improve engineering and scientific visualization. >
Rational Points on the Sphere

Using only basic tools from the theory of modular forms, the rational points of bounded height on the sphere are counted and shown to be uniformly distributed. The more difficult case of points with a given height is also treated.
Asymptotic expansion for spherical mode phase with application to near-field measurements

The exact-circuit representation of spherical modes allows the derivation of a convenient asymptotic relationship for the phase difference between a plane wave and a spherical wave as a function of the radial position and spherical mode index. One application of this asymptotic form is to allow the effects of range uncertainties on patterns measured in a near-field antenna range to be related simply to the more familiar finite range effects in a direct far-field measurement.
Psychological and Psychiatric Aspects of Treatment of Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Chronic illnesses incur a tremendous cost to American lives in both dollars and quality of life. Outcomes in these illnesses are often affected by psychological, behavioral, and pharmacologic issues related to mental illness and psychological symptoms. This article focuses on psychological and psychiatric issues related to the treatment of obesity and NAFLD, including available weight-loss interventions, the complex relationship between psychiatric disorders and obesity, and special considerations in the use of psychiatric drugs in patients with or at risk for NAFLD and obesity. Recommendations for collaborative care of individuals with comorbid NAFLD and psychological disorders/symptoms are discussed.
Standardization of the world's gravity data

The problems of gravity standardization are discussed from the standpoint of absolute determinations, relative measurements of gravity on a world wide scale for calibration and reference purposes and internal national networks. Work is in progress to improve present standards; in particular, the pendulum program that has been carried out under the auspices of the Air Force Cambridge Research Center and which is being extended as part of the International Geophysical Year program is discussed. The extent of the world program of gravimeter measurements for evaluating present standards, which has been carried out under the auspices of the Office of Naval Research, and a program for the development of an internal network of gravity bases at the principal airports in the United States for use in coordinating and integrating gravity data taken by various groups in this country are presented.
Dispersal limitations and history explain community composition of metaphyton in desert springs of the Bonneville Basin, Utah: A multiscale analysis

We examined patterns of metaphyton community composition from 150 sites in spring wetlands of the Bonneville Basin across three spatial scales: valleys, wetlands nested in valleys, and habitat types nested in wetlands (springs, channels, and marshes) to determine which scale(s) accounted for the greatest variation in metaphyton community composition. We expected local processes at the habitat scale, especially physicochemical differences between springs and marshes, to account for the majority of variation in local community composition but found that the valley scale accounted for 6.3 times more variation than the habitat scale. We suggest the importance of factors that operate at the valley scale, such as historical events (i.e., the draining of ancient Lake Bonneville) and island effects (dispersal limitations) in determining metaphyton community composition. We emphasize that dispersal limitations among valleys may have an important effect on metaphyton community composition despite the prevailing opinion that algae have exceptional powers of dispersal attributed to the worldwide distribution of some species. We base this assertion on three observations: first, the absence of species in isolated springs compared to springs associated with large complexes; second, 67% of the taxa in the Bonneville Basin occurred in only three or fewer sites; and third, the average Bray-Curtis similarity between all sites based on all taxa (242) was only 14.1%, which is an unlikely low value if metaphyton taxa can freely disperse between sites. Future studies should incorporate the potential importance of history and dispersal limitations as researchers continue to explore patterns of algal community composition across multiple scales.
Continental Shelf Structure and Sediments of Gulf of Anadyr: ABSTRACT

Interpretation of continuous seismic reflection profiles indicates that the continental shelf of the northwestern Bering Sea is underlain by up to 1 km of Tertiary End_Page 2492------------------------------ and Quaternary sediments that were deposited in a basin formed by the subsidence of a lithified and folded Mesozoic basement complex. This Anadyr basin is evidently an extension of the depression containing up to 3 km of Tertiary strata below the Anadyr Lowland on the west of the Gulf of Anadyr. A basement sill extends eastward from the southwest corner of the gulf; apparently, the sill is the continuation onto the shelf of the Koryak Mountain structural province. Tertiary layers generally are little deformed over the basement sill, thus it is suggested that this broad arch has been in existence throughout the Tertiary. If the thick Tertiary deposits of the Anadyr, Bristol, Norton, and Chukchi basins are shallow marine in origin, the extent of an exposed Bering Sea shelf during the Te tiary may not have been as great as previously thought. Some draining of the shelf is suggested, however, near the end of Tertiary time by a distinct erosional unconformity below Quaternary sediments in the northwestern part of the Gulf of Anadyr. On seismic profiles Quaternary sediments appear to be highly deformed across parts of the Anadyr shelf. These deformed Quaternary deposits are ascribed to continental ice encroachment on the shelf, and they define the outer limits of ice advance during the maximum glaciation as lying approximately along a line from St. Lawrence Island to a point 150 km east of Anadyr Bay, then south roughly parallel with the coast. Buried erosion surfaces and stream channels within the Quaternary sediments are evidence of sea-level fluctuations during that time. Present bathymetry and the sediments and fauna of 1-m cores suggest a sea level stillstand at approximately -75 to -80 m. Lack of suitable material precludes dating of this stillstand. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2493------------
Happiness by association: Breadth of free association influences affective states

Several studies have demonstrated that affective states influence the number of associations formed between remotely related concepts. Someone in a neutral or negative affective state might draw the association between cold and hot, whereas someone in a positive affective state might spontaneously form the more distant association between cold and sneeze. Could the reverse be true, that generating increasingly broad or narrow associations will put someone in a more or less positive affective state? We test this possibility by using verbal free association tasks, and asking whether the breadth of semantic associativity between cue words and generated responses might predict resulting affective states. Two experiments show that generating broader associations, regardless of their valence, changes affect; specifically, broader associations lowered negative affect and marginally increased positive affect over time. These findings carry implications for theories positing interactions between brain areas mediating associative processing and affect, and may hold promise for enhancing affect in clinical contexts.