cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Science or Sacrilege: Native Americans, Archaeology and the Law

Science or Sacrilege: Native Americans, Archaeology and the Law. 1996. 60 minutes, color. video by Nicholas Nicastro. For more information contact University of California Extension Center for Media and Independent Learning, Berkeley, CA 94704 (510/624-0460).
Arp10p Is a Pointed-End-associated Component of Yeast Dynactin

In metazoans, dynein-dependent vesicle transport is mediated by dynactin, containing an actin-related protein, Arp1p, together with a cargo-selection complex containing a second actin-related prote...
Oxidative stress activates FUS1 and RLM1 transcription in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in an oxidant-dependent Manner.

Mating in haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae occurs after activation of the pheromone response pathway. Biochemical components of this pathway are involved in other yeast signal transduction networks...
Heuristic Approaches to Energy-Efficient Network Design Problem

Energy management remains a critical problem in wireless networks since battery technology cannot keep up with rising communication expectations. Current approaches to energy conservation reduce the energy consumption of the wireless interface either for a given communication task or during idling. However, a complete solution requires minimizing the energy spent for both communication (i.e., for data and control overhead) and idling. This problem can be expressed as an energy-efficient network design problem, which is, not surprisingly, NP-hard. Therefore, in this paper, we study three heuristic approaches. Our study shows that the first approach that prioritizes communication energy conservation does not save energy. The second approach, which tries to reduce energy used for both data and in idling, becomes cost-prohibitive due to its high control overhead. Hence, we propose a third approach that prioritizes idling energy conservation. Due to its low control overhead, this approach meets the challenge of operating the network with low energy cost.
Extinction rate, historical population structure and ecological role of the Caribbean monk seal

The productivity and biomass of pristine coral reef ecosystems is poorly understood, particularly in the Caribbean where communities have been impacted by overfishing and multiple other stressors over centuries. Using historical data on the spatial distribution and abundance of the extinct Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis), this study reconstructs the population size, structure and ecological role of this once common predator within coral reef communities, and provides evidence that historical reefs supported biomasses of fishes and invertebrates up to six times greater than those found on typical modern Caribbean reefs. An estimated 233,000-338,000 monk seals were distributed among 13 colonies across the Caribbean. The biomass of reef fishes and invertebrates required to support historical seal populations was 732-1018 gm(-2) of reefs, which exceeds that found on any Caribbean reef today and is comparable with those measured in remote Pacific reefs. Quantitative estimates of historically dense monk seal colonies and their consumption rates on pristine reefs provide concrete data on the magnitude of decline in animal biomass on Caribbean coral reefs. Realistic reconstruction of these past ecosystems is critical to understanding the profound and long-lasting effect of human hunting on the functioning of coral reef ecosystems.
Consumer financial anxiety : US regional financial service firms’ trust building response to the financial crisis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how small and medium-sized, regional financial service firms reacted to the financial crisis by helping their customers cope with their heightened state financial anxiety during the Economic Crisis of 2008. It also examines the variety of strategies pursued by these firms to rebuild consumer trust in their brands in the ensuing years. Design/methodology/approach – The authors relied on grounded theory as a methodological approach to understand the unfolding situation of the financial crisis and to inductively develop a framework explaining managers’ experience with consumer financial anxiety and trust. Data collection involved key informant interviews with 20 CEOs and senior marketing and sales professionals of financial service firms in the USA. Findings – The study discloses a desire among many retail financial institutions to re-personalize their relationships with customers following the financial crisis. One motivating factor for this has been a deman...
Coverage and preventive screening.

A number of studies have examined the effects of cost sharing on preventive care. One early study found that higher cost sharing was associated with less cholesterol testing, mammography, and prostate examination (McWilliams et al. 2003). Other studies found that increased cost sharing was associated with a lower probability of receiving cancer screening (Friedman et al. 2002; Varghese et al. 2005; Trivedi, Rakowski, and Ayanian 2008;). Still other studies found no association between cost sharing and use of preventive care (Cherkin, Grothaus, and Wagner 1990; Tye et al. 2004; Rowe et al. 2008;). Few studies, however, have examined specifically the effects of adding first-dollar preventive care coverage across a range of low- and high-deductible plans, despite the fact that many employers now offer such plans. Recognizing that cost sharing may reduce utilization of important preventive care, Congress included in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 a provision that allows firms to incorporate first-dollar coverage (FDC) of preventive care services in tax-preferred health savings account plans. FDC for preventive care means that insurers can provide coverage for preventive services without first requiring enrollees to meet the plan deductible. In 2004, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service clarified which preventive services would qualify under this provision: annual physicals, routine prenatal and well-child care, immunizations, tobacco cessation programs, obesity weight-loss programs, and many screening services (U.S. Department of the Treasury 2004). In theory, coupling FDC of preventive care with a high-deductible plan should give consumers a financial incentive to seek out preventive services before they meet their plan deductible while at the same time preserving the financial incentive to avoid inappropriate nonpreventive care. A growing number of Americans are enrolled in “consumer-directed” health plans that have high deductibles (Plans 2008). Proponents argue that such plans slow the growth of health expenditures and reduce the use of unnecessary or inappropriate services by making consumers more conscious of the cost of their care (Goodman and Musgrave 1992). Critics, however, assert that such plans primarily benefit healthy people in high income tax brackets (Park and Greenstein 2006). In addition, they worry that increased cost sharing will reduce the use of appropriate care, especially among low-income people with chronic illnesses (Center on Budget and Policy Priorties 2006). In this observational study, we used health insurance claims data from two multinational corporations before and after one corporation introduced FDC in 2003 to assess whether such coverage was effective in increasing utilization among healthy individuals. Additionally, we separately analyzed patients selecting high-deductible, zero premium plans from those electing low-deductible plans with higher premiums, to determine whether the impact of expanded coverage differed between these self-segregating groups.
A 300-MHz quadrature direct digital synthesizer/mixer in 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS

A 300-MHz quadrature direct digital frequency synthesizer/complex mixer (QDDSM) chip is presented. With a 32-bit input frequency control word, the tuning resolution is 0.07 Hz at the operating frequency of 300 MHz. The 12-bit I and Q inputs and 13-bit I and Q outputs offer a spurious-free dynamic range of 90.3 dB. The tuning latency is 13 clock cycles, which corresponds to 43 ns at 300 MHz. The tuning bandwidth (half the operating frequency) is 150 MHz. The IC is realized in 0.25-/spl mu/m TSMC CMOS technology with 4180 standard library cells and occupies a core area of 0.36 mm/sup 2/. At 300 MHz, the power dissipation is less than 400 mW. A key feature of the design is the creation of conditionally negating multipliers.
Systematic intervention of transcription for identifying network response to disease and cellular phenotypes

Motivation: A major challenge in post-genomic research has been to understand how physiological and pathological phenotypes arise from the networks of expressed genes. Here, we addressed this issue by developing an algorithm to mimic the behavior of regulatory networks in silico and to identify the dynamic response to disease and changing cellular conditions. Results: With regulatory pathway and gene expression data as input, the algorithm provides quantitative assessments of a wide range of responses, including susceptibility to disease, potential usefulness of a given drug, or consequences to such external stimuli as pharmacological interventions or caloric restriction. The algorithm is particularly amenable to the analysis of systems that are difficult to recapitulate in vitro, yet they may have important clinical value. The hypotheses derived from the algorithm were biologically relevant and were successfully validated via independent experiments, as illustrated here in the analysis of the leukemia-associated BCR--ABL pathway and the insulin/IGF pathway related to longevity. The algorithm correctly identified the leukemia drug target and genes important for longevity, and also provided new insights into our understanding of these two processes. Availability: The software package is available upon request to the authors. Contact: zhanmi@mail.nih.gov Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Effect of carbon tetrachloride upon glucuronide formation by guinea pig liver.

SummaryIntraperitoneal injection of CCI4 causes reduction in hepatic glucuronide conjugating capacity of the guinea pig as measured by p-nitrophenol glucuronide formation in vitro. This reduction is apparent in 24 hours but is demonstrable as early as 2 hours after injection. Glucuronyl transferase activity of isolated microsomes however is not diminished. Therefore, reduction in hepatic glucuronide conjugation induced by CCI4 is due to a quantitative change in microsomal transferase activity rather than to a qualitative one.
Appropriating the city: space, theory, and bike messengers

Over the last 30 years, social theorists have increasingly emphasized the importance of space. However, in empirical research, the dialectical relationship between social interaction and the physical environment is still a largely neglected issue. Using the theory of structuration, I provide a concrete example of why and how space matters in the cultural analysis of an urban social world. I argue that bike messengers—individuals who deliver time-sensitive materials in downtown cores of major cities—cannot be understood outside an analysis of space. Specifically, I connect the cultural significance of messenger practices to the emplacement of those practices inside the urban environment. Bike messengers work in the downtown cores of major metropolitan areas. Their services are most useful in older cities whose business districts, developed long before the primacy of automobiles, are prone to traffic congestion and are continually hampered by insufficient parking. Outside of these areas, bicycle couriers are largely unknown, and their existence is considered quaint, if anything. Yet, inside these major urban centers, the bike messengers' presence is considered an intriguing or even disturbing cultural phenomenon. As one newspaper article explained, "They live the life you may have dreamed of but never had the courage or foolish disregard to try" (Cheney 1993:A1). They are "toned, tattooed daredevils who cut through exhaust and traffic all day long delivering just about anything that will fit in their shoulder bags" (Sanders 2003:2). They are also "law-flouting, obscenity-spewing, bath-needing, wild-riding, pedestrian-smashing madmen" (Levy 1989:E4) who are "maniacal and dangerous" (Lee 2001:14), and, thus, "richly deserve our wholehearted contempt and an attache case or umbrella plunged into their spokes" (Rosenthal 1987:50). In one of the early statements of what would become the Chicago School of urban research, Park (1923) notes, "The small community often tolerates eccentricity. The city, on the contrary, rewards it. Neither the criminal, the defective, nor the genius
The accessibility of functional groups to intermolecular hydrogen bonding in polymer blends containing a liquid crystalline polymer

FTIR has been utilized to examine the effect of polymer rigidity and copolymer composition on the accessibility of functional groups to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds in polymer blends. The results illustrate that the accessibility of functional groups to intermolecular hydrogen bonding increases as the distance between these groups along the polymer backbone increases, in agreement with previous studies. The results also demonstrate that an increase in the distance between hydrogen-bonding donating groups also minimizes the importance of the rigidity of the other polymer on the ability to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds. This suggests that in order to form a miscible blend between a rigid and an amorphous polymer, the functional groups that participate in hydrogen bonding should be separated along the backbone polymer chain.
Dissection of behavior and psychiatric disorders using the mouse as a model

Mouse genetic models have played an important role in the elucidation of molecular pathways underlying human disease. This approach is becoming an increasingly popular way to study the genetic underpinning of psychiatric disorders. Genes within candidate regions for susceptibility to psychiatric illness can be evaluated through the phenotypic assessment of mutants mapped to the corresponding regions in the mouse genome. Alternatively, one can search for mouse mutants displaying characteristics that might correspond to physiological and behavioral markers of a psychiatric disorder, sometimes referred to as endophenotypes. Mice with anomalies in these traits can be generated by targeted mutagenesis in known genes (gene-based mutagenesis or reverse genetics), or can be identified among progeny of mice in a random mutagenesis screen (phenotype-based mutagenesis or forward genetics). In this review, we discuss recently generated behavioral mutants in the mouse. We also give an overview of several robust and commonly used behavioral phenotypes, their relevance to human disease and lessons learned from recent successes in mouse behavioral genetics.
DNA synthesis and incorporation of P32 in irradiated Ehrlich ascites cells.

SummaryExperiments were carried out 4 to 6 days after inoculation of approximately 2 × 107 Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in mice. When the 2-hour incorporation of P32 into DNA was measured at various times after irradiation (800 r total body x-irradiation), no significant depression in DNA specific activity was observed until 1 day. Measurements of mean cell volume, mean DNA content per cell, and mean total nucleic acid content per cell at 13 and 20 hours revealed that all 3 quantities increased at approximately the same rate, closely matching the growth rate of the unirradiated tumor and rate of DNA formation estimated from the incorporation data. The increased DNA content per nucleus after radiation was confirmed by Feulgen microspectrophotometry. At 48 hours after irradiation cell volume and total nucleic acid per cell had risen even higher while DNA per cell showed little further increase. The data suggest that the irradiated cells continue to synthesize DNA until they reach the premitotic DNA content (...
Definitions and Demographics

In the fifth century a.D., a fierce Germanic tribe, the Vandals, plundered Gaul, North Africa, Rome, and other conquered territories. Their heavy destruction of buildings and works of art lent their name in perpetuity to the behaviors of concern herein. Perhaps then, which particular behavior could be called vandalistic was clear. That is certainly not the case now. Like many other behavior-descriptive terms (e. g., stress, anxiety, dependency, aggression), behaviors contemporaneously subsumed under the term vandalism are many and varied. So, too, its very definitions. In the present chapter I will seek to bring a beginning sense of order to what Christensen, Johnson, and Brookes (1992) correctly asserted has become a “hodgepodge concept,” Levy-Leboyer (1984) termed a “ragbag” of meanings, and Rubel (1980) called a “catch-all.”
Opportunities and barriers to demand response in China

Abstract China is quickly installing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), which could provide tremendous opportunities in developing and utilizing demand response resources. Demand response may potentially create a profitable industry and contribute to efficiency improvement, cost reduction, and pollution mitigation of the entire electricity sector. However, China lags behind the developed world in utilizing demand response. Institutional barriers, including the lack of competitive electricity market and the resistance by the state grid corporations, are preventing the commercialization of demand response. In order to fully realize the potential of smart grid, China needs to push forward the reforms toward establishing an open access electricity market so the pollution-free demand response resources may compete with power generators on leveled field.
Introduction and review

In reviewing the Jurassic papers in the Proceedings of the 4th Conference on the ‘Petroleum Geology of Northwest Europe’ Fraser (1993) drew attention to the fact that over 50% of the reserves in the UK sector of the Northern and Central North Sea were contained in the Jurassic (Cordey 1993). Fraser went on to state that ‘. . . the Jurassic probably contains the majority of the undiscovered reserves in the North Sea basin in subtle structural and stratigraphic traps, many of which may only be defined using novel interpretation techniques, such as sequence stratigraphy, in concert with 3D seismic interpretation’. The regional and field specific use of detailed lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy was demonstrated by a variety of workers, in particular from BP and Exxon, to provide a basis for a rigorous and systematic approach to understanding the stratigraphic evolution of North Sea Jurassic basin fill processes. The 1992, 4th Barbican Conference dedicated several sessions to the Jurassic alone, entitled ‘The Jurassic: from regional models to field development; the impact of sequence stratigraphy on hydrocarbon geology,’ and the purpose of the Jurassic session at the 5th Conference was to review our current thinking on these concepts and their application to successful hydrocarbon exploration. The underlying assumption is that virtually all of the economic Jurassic four-way dip and up-thrown fault closures in the North Sea have been drilled. The search for additional reserves in the Jurassic must therefore target more subtle features such as: 1. downthrown fault closures; 2. stratigraphic traps 3. untested sequences identified . . .
Children’s at Home: Dedicated Social Media for Parents of Adolescents With Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Purpose: To evaluate Children’s at Home (C@H), a social media website created for parents of adolescents with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1.) Methods: Interventional study for parents of adolescents with NF1 aged 13-18 years including 2 phases: (1) Creating Video Intervention/Prevention Assessment (VIA) visual narratives on smartphones about parenting a child with NF1; (2) Interacting on C@H, a secure, medically-moderated social media website, with phase 1 visual narratives and responses using video and text. C@H was evaluated qualitatively via semi-structured phone interviews at: enrollment (T0), after creating video narratives (T1), and after interacting with other parents on C@H (T2).
Stumbling Toward a Social Psychology of Organizations: An Autobiographical Look at the Direction of Organizational Research

I recount some of my early experiences in the field and how they shaped my views about conducting research. As I describe it, my entry into organizational behavior was not at all seamless, requiring a series of adjustments along the way. Like many of my colleagues who had moved into the field of organizational behavior, I had to find a source of valued added—a new perspective or set of alternative ideas to contribute to the field. This process of adjustment, I fear, is no longer so prevalent in the field today. Although many social psychologists have migrated to business schools, they are still by and large doing social psychological rather than organizational research. They often extend social psychological theories to the business context, but they rarely seek to reframe and reformulate core organizational issues and problems. For this to change, I argue that future research needs to become more contextual and phenomenon-driven. My hope is that, with the recent upsurge in talent entering the field, we c...
Extracardiac to coronary anastomoses support regional left ventricular function in dogs.

Intramyocardial implantation of a systemic artery [the internal mammary artery (IMA)] causes angiogenesis, with formation of systemic to coronary anastomoses. In dogs, we assessed the magnitude of IMA-derived nutritive flow and determined its influence on regional contraction. We also sought to determine whether acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF), an angiogenic peptide, could enhance myocardial neovascularization. Ameroid constrictors and hydraulic balloon occluders were placed on the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) of 23 dogs, and the left IMA was implanted in the LAD territory. Dogs were randomized to receive continuous infusions of acidic FGF with heparin, heparin alone, or placebo directly into the IMA for 8 wk. Regional myocardial blood flow was assessed in the conscious state 3 days and 8 wk after operation. Left ventricular function was determined in the anesthetized state at the 8-wk conclusion of treatment. In all dogs, IMA occlusion reduced mean maximal LAD zone perfusion by 28...
A longitudinal study of the impact of intrapreneurial programs in fortune 500 firms

The global impact of intrapreneurship has become more evident in major corporations both nationally and internationally and while much research effort has focused on the entrepreneur, the concept of taking the idea into the corporate arena requires not only differing terminology, but also a completely different set of standards (Sarbough-Thompson, 1998; Macmillian, 1986). Eight years ago the researchers investigated the impact of intrapreneurship and related programs within Fortune 500 corporations. The purpose of this study is to provide a longitudinal investigation as to the continued impact of intrapreneurial activity within the specified corporations. This research initiative includes the responses of nine of the initial respondents in an attempt to determine current status as to the concept and to investigate further nuances that drive their success.
Improved Tribological Properties of Diamondlike Carbon/Metal Nanocomposites

One of the many forms of carbon, diamondlike carbon (DLC), consists mainly of sp3-bonded carbon atoms. DLC coatings possess properties close to diamond in terms of hardness, atomic bonding, and chemical inertness. Unfortunately, DLC exhibits poor adhesion to metals and polymers. The adhesion of the DLC film is determined by internal stresses in the film and by interfacial bonding. This work involves processing, characterization and modeling of diamondlike composite films on metal and polymer substrates to improve adhesion and wear properties. A novel target design was adopted to incorporate metal (silver or titanium) atoms into DLC films during pulsed laser deposition. STEM of the DLC/metal nanocomposites has shown that the metals that do not form carbides (e.g., silver) form 2–10 nm inclusions within the DLC matrix. Wear resistance measurements made on these samples have demonstrated that DLC/metal nanocomposites possess exceptional wear resistance. Diamond-like carbon nanocomposites also exhibit significantly enhanced adhesion. Careful analysis of the Raman data also indicated a significant shift to shorter wavelength in DLC nanocomposite films, indicating a reduction in compressive stress within these films. The sp3 content of these films was studied using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). By varying the metal concentration as a function of distance from the interface, we have created functionally gradient DLC nanocomposites. These DLC/metal nanocomposite coatings have multiple biomedical applications.
Biology and Larval Feeding Habits of Three Species of Renocera (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) That Prey on Fingernail Clams (Mollusca: Sphaeriidae)

Information is provided on the life cycles and larval feeding habits of 3 North American species of Renocera that prey on fingernail clams. Adults of R. brevis (Cresson) occur in open, permanently wet marshes; those of R. amanda Cresson are associated with vernal pools and seepage areas in deciduous woodlands; and those of R. longipes (Loew) usually are found in wet ecotone habitats between open marshland and lowland forests. Adults of R. amanda and R. brevis emerge in May, but R. longipes is temporally separated from the other 2 species by delaying its adult emergence time until mid-June. Renocera brevis has at least 2 generations/yr; whereas both R. amanda and R. longipes are univoltine. Larvae of all 3 species prey solely on fingernail clams of the molluscan family Sphaeriidae. Newly-hatched larvae leave the surface film and seek out small clams among bottom debris. They remain within the mantle cavity of their prey 4–8 days before killing it. Older larvae remain at the surface film of shallow pools and feed as overt predators, killing prey quickly and remaining with it for only a few hours. Individual larvae kill between 14 and 25 clams. Puparia are formed at the water's surface or in shoreline debris. Species of Renocera are among the 1st insects and the 1st Sciomyzidae known to attack members of the molluscan class Pelecypoda; nearly all other species of the family feed on members of the class Gastropoda. A key to the 5 Nearctic species of Renocera is presented.
Macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced bone marrow macrophages do not synthesize or release prostaglandin E2.

Previously, we found that murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (MO) induced in vitro by MO-specific colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) have little capacity to release prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and other eicosanoids. This work focused on the functional and transcriptional expression of the key enzymes for the PGE2 synthesis in the MO. Nonadherent bone marrow cells were cultured with RPMI1640 plus 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) further supplemented with either M-CSF or granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF and interleukin-3 (IL-3). Cellular PGG/H synthase (cyclooxygenase) levels were quantified by cytometric analysis with antibodies specific for the two isozymes of PGG/H synthase (PGG/H synthases 1 and 2). The enzyme activity was monitored by adding exogenous arachidonic acid (AA) substrate to the bone marrow MO cultures and to the cell-free particulate fractions. The levels of PGE2 converted were quantitated by radioimmunoassay (RIA). mRNA levels of the enzymes were detected by Northern blot analysis hybridized with mouse PGG/H synthase cDNA probes, 2.7 kb (PGG/H synthase 1) and 4.2 kb (PGG/H synthase 2). In addition, cellular phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities were detected with sn-2–14C-arachidonyl phosphatidylcholine as a substrate. Cells proliferating in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-3 for more than 4 days showed significant release of PGE2 (> 7 ng/10(6) cells) when stimulated by AA. These cells also expressed significant amounts of PGG/H synthase 1 protein, its mRNA (2.7 kb) and cellular PLA2. M-CSF-induced MO, in sharp contrast, expressed little PGG/H synthase protein, mRNA, cellular enzyme activity, or PGE2 release, despite comparable levels of cellular PLA2 activity. These data suggest that the capacity of differentiating marrow-derived MO to form PGE2 is growth factor-dependent.
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition: "we have evolved".

Several pieces of legislation passed in Cleveland, Ohio, from 2007 to 2011, focused on improving the city’s food environment through urban agriculture initiatives. We used qualitative, case study methods, including interviews with 7 key informants, to examine the policy development process and investigate the role of the Cleveland–Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition in developing and implementing 4 pieces of legislation. In this article, we focus on 2 pieces of legislation: zoning designation of an urban garden and allowance of small farm animals and bees on residential property. Five key themes emerged: impetus for policy came from community needs; education and raising awareness helped mitigate barriers; a cultural shift took place among policy makers; social connections and individual champions were needed; and concerns over food access and health influenced policy decisions. Legislative actions are important tools to influence the nutrition environment, as long as they are based on local needs and context.
The Three Class Worldviews

In the broadest terms, testing the theory of the New Class is very simple. We first identify people holding liberal or leftist attitudes. Then we see whether such people are concentrated among those groups (the highly educated, professionals, perhaps government employees) whose objective class interests incline toward the expansion of government and toward hostility toward those institutions (the business firm, the family, the church) that rival government.
Multifaceted Role of Sialylation in Prion Diseases

Mammalian prion or PrPSc is a proteinaceous infectious agent that consists of a misfolded, self-replicating state of a sialoglycoprotein called the prion protein or PrPC. Sialylation of the prion protein N-linked glycans was discovered more than 30 years ago, yet the role of sialylation in prion pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Recent years have witnessed extraordinary growth in interest in sialylation and established a critical role for sialic acids in host invasion and host-pathogen interactions. This review article summarizes current knowledge on the role of sialylation of the prion protein in prion diseases. First, we discuss the correlation between sialylation of PrPSc glycans and prion infectivity and describe the factors that control sialylation of PrPSc. Second, we explain how glycan sialylation contributes to the prion replication barrier, defines strain-specific glycoform ratios and imposes constraints for PrPSc structure. Third, several topics, including a possible role for sialylation in animal-to-human prion transmission, prion lymphotropism, toxicity, strain interference and normal function of PrPC, are critically reviewed. Finally, a metabolic hypothesis on the role of sialylation in the etiology of sporadic prion diseases is proposed.
Investigation of the impacts of local-scale hydrogeologic conditions on sinkhole occurrence in East-Central Florida, USA

Sinkholes occur when surface soils gradually subside or suddenly collapse into subsurface cavities and voids due to raveling and erosion of surficial soils caused by dissolution and washing-off of underlying soluble carbonate bedrock. Sinkhole occurrence is related to local-scale hydrogeologic conditions (groundwater recharge rate and hydraulic head difference between water table and potentiometric level). Historical data have shown that sinkholes are more likely to occur in the beginning of wet season and the frequency of occurrence varies seasonally. In this study, the East-Central Florida region, which is vulnerable to sinkhole hazard, is selected as the study area, and the relationships between temporal and spatial distributions of observed sinkholes and hydrogeologic conditions are quantitatively investigated. The analysis results indicate that the seasonality of sinkhole occurrence is due to the seasonal variation of rainfall and groundwater level, and sinkholes are most likely to occur when the local-scale head difference stays constant at a peak value after a sharp increase over a short period of time. In space, sinkhole density increases linearly with increases in groundwater recharge rate and hydraulic head difference.
Impact of Health Behaviors and Health Management on Employment After SCI: Psychological Health and Health Management

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between employment and psychological health and health management as described by individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who were employed at least once following injury. Methods: A qualitative approach used 6 focus groups at 2 sites with 44 participants who were at least 10 years post SCI. All had been employed at some point since injury. Heterogeneous and homogeneous groups were delineated based on specific characteristics, such as education, gender, or race. Group sessions followed a semi-structured interview format with questions about personal, environmental, and policy related factors influencing employment following SCI. All group sessions were recorded, transcribed, and coded into conceptual categories to identify topics, themes, and patterns. Inferences were drawn about their meaning. NVivo 10 software using the constant comparative method was used for data analysis. Results: Narratives discussed the relationship between empl...
Adaptive Max Pressure Control of Network of Signalized Intersections

Abstract: The control of a road network of signalised intersections is considered. Variants of a decentralised universal feedback control policy (UFC) are evaluated and compared with an open loop traffic regulator periodically distributing the same actuation duration to each stage (set of permitted movements). At the beginning of each cycle and for a particular intersection, the Max-Pressure (MP) controller selects a stage to actuate as a function of the adjacent queues to that intersection. Vehicle movements are modelled as a store and forward (SF) queuing network. A controller stabilises a demand if the mean queue length remains bounded. The current MP version requires no knowledge of the demand while estimates turn probabilities. A section near LA comprised of 16 intersections and 76 links is employed. The network performance is appraised when regular traffic conditions, congestions or unforeseen feasible demand fluctuations take place. The conducted study assesses the potential benefits of MP and confirms its adaptability. Each control strategy is evaluated in terms of queue lengths, delays, travel times etc. by discrete event simulations confirming the provided theoretical guaranteed (queue) bounds of MP.
The Queerness of the Drive

The view of sexuality Freud first proposed in the Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality contains a discrepancy between the sexuality perverse and polymorphous described in the first two essays an...
Sonographic Characteristics of Extensor Tendon Abnormalities and Relationship With Joint Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES To characterize abnormalities in the dorsal extensor tendons of the hand and determine the importance of these findings in rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional study was done on 26 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who had sonography of their hands. B-mode and power Doppler joint activity were scored, and the extensor tendons were examined for B-mode changes and power Doppler signals. B-mode changes included anechoic fluid around tendons, hypoechoic tissue around tendons, paratendon tissue and tendon thickening, as well as vascularity around the tendon, for which peritendon power Doppler signals were recorded. RESULTS Forty-one hands and 205 joints were reviewed. Anechoic fluid around the tendons and peritendon power Doppler signals were observed in 41% and 39%, respectively; 44% and 28% of patients had B-mode and power Doppler scores in the upper tertile, respectively. For both B-mode and power Doppler scores, 3 categories or tertiles were created, 0 to 0.9, 1 to 1.9, and 2 to 3. We reported the percentage of patients with power Doppler and B-mode scores in this category. The severity of synovitis was associated with anechoic fluid around the tendons and peritendon power Doppler signals according to the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test. The common odds ratio was 3.52 (95% confidence interval, 1.45- 8.53) for anechoic fluid around the tendons and severe synovitis. The common odds ratio was 2.52 (95% confidence interval, 1.13-5.63) for peritendon power Doppler signals and severe synovitis. CONCLUSIONS Findings at the dorsal extensor tendons were anechoic fluid around tendons, hypoechoic tissue around tendons, peritendon power Doppler signals, and tendon thickening. Patients with anechoic fluid and power Doppler signals were found to have more severe disease activity at the joints based on B-mode and power Doppler scores.
Assessment of Genetic Variation in the Presence of Maternal or Paternal Effects in Herbivorous Insects

A long-standing issue in evolutionary ecology has been the evolution of diet breadth in herbivorous insects. Because the history of an insect species’ ecological circumstance is built into current patterns of host-plant utilization, we have attempted to speculate how and why insects eat particular host-plant species using phylogenetic, geographic, and life history relationships among extant insect taxa. These approaches have produced some robust generalizations about host-use patterns among herbivores (e.g., coevolutionary anus race) but provide less information on the microevolutionary processes involved (but see Mitter and Futuyma 1983). Investigations of the relationship between preference and performance (Futuyma 1983; Singer et al. 1989), the role of nonnutritional factors in host use (Rossiter 1987; Bernays and Graham 1988; Hunter 1992), and the physiology of host utilization (e.g., Martin et al. 1987) have permitted inferential but speculative conclusions about the microevolution of plant-insect relationships. About 15 years ago, a new approach to the empirical study of herbivore evolution was taken up by Rausher (1984) and Via (1984) in response to the work of quantitative biologists who extended the theoretical genetic basis of quantitative genetics, developed by Fisher (1918), Wright (1921), and Haldane (1932) for the improvement of crops through artificial selection, to the study of evolutionary change in wild populations under natural selection (e.g., Lande 1979; Lande and Arnold 1983). Their quantitative genetics (QG) approach was particularly appealing for its ability to make estimates of genetic variation in insect populations under variable host environments. This foundation provided a general experimental approach for the study of microevolutionary aspects of the evolution of host utilization.
Black phosphorous optoelectronic devices

Black phosphorus recently emerged as a promising two-dimensional material due to its widely tunable and direct bandgap, high carrier mobility and remarkable in-plane anisotropic electrical, optical and phonon properties. It serendipitously bridges the zero-gap graphene and the relatively large-bandgap transition metal dichalcogenides such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). In this brief review manuscript, we will first cover the basic properties of few-layer and thin-film black phosphorus. Then we will present a few potential applications of black phosphorus such as radiofrequency transistors and wideband photodetectors. Finally we will discuss the recent observation of efficient bandgap tuning in black phosphorus thin films in a dual-gate transistor, and conclude with the discussion of synthesis of large area and high quality black phosphorus thin films.
Identifying Cognitive Impairment in Hospitalized Older Adults to Prevent Readmission: Two Case Studies

ABSTRACTObjective: To describe two patient outcomes post-discharge from an acute hospital admission. Both patients underwent cognitive testing during hospitalization.Methods: A battery of cognitive tests was administered to two hospitalized older adult patients. Both patients were evaluated in their homes within 72 hours of discharge and again at 14- and 30-days by a nurse practitioner.Results: One of the patients was readmitted within 30 days of hospital discharge due to complications from an amputation. This patient did not perform well on cognitive measures which may have been related to his pain levels and/or his medication regimen.Conclusions: Not all readmissions are avoidable; however, if readmissions are related to cognitive impairment, implementing strategies tailored to this population may reduce readmission rates.Clinical Implications: Risk factors for readmission should be identified so the discharge team can develop a tailored plan of care. Including both the patient and an informal caregiver...
Effects of Fixed and Alternated Payoff Inequity on Dyadic Competition

Two experiments investigated the effects of payoff inequity on dyadic competition when a noncompetitive alternative providing equitable payoffs was concurrently available, on the hypothesis that the maintenance of competition may be inherently no less problematic than that of cooperation. In Experiment 1, one person’s competitive payoffs were equal to (equity), twice (low inequity), or four times (high inequity) the other person’s during a 48-trial matching game. Frequency of competition by the underpaid subject was found to vary inversely with magnitude of inequity. Experiment 2 found a preannounced midpoint reversal of the beneficiary of inequity significantly weakened the inequity effect. Results are compared with those from similar studies of the maintenance of cooperation under inequity and are contrasted with those from studies using mixed-motive matrix game formats.
Linear Stability Analysis

To date, only one study presented a linear stability analysis of pattern formation in buoyancy-thermocapillary convection which correctly predicts the formation of a stationary pattern at Bo D = O(1). This study by Priede and Gerbeth [18] is, however, based on a one-layer model where phase change is neglected and the free surface is considered adiabatic. While this description may be acceptable for nonvolatile liquids or at high concentrations of noncondensables, it fails to describe volatile liquids at lower concentrations of noncondensables. This chapter therefore describes a more general linear stability analysis that also accounts for heat and mass flux across the interface associated with phase change. In order to avoid dealing with the boundary conditions near the end or side walls, the horizontal liquid layer and the gas layer above the liquid are both assumed to be laterally infinite, with constant thicknesses d l and d g , respectively. The interface is assumed to be flat and non-deformable. Finally, the base flow (SUF) is assumed to correspond to a mean horizontal temperature gradient τ.
Abstract P051: Induction of Cardiac Nitrosative Stress and Cell Death by Chronic Alcohol Consumption in an Angiotensin II-, PKC-, and NOX-Dependent Manner

Alcohol induced cardiac cell death is causative of cardiomyopathy, but the mechanisms responsible for alcoholic cardiac cell death remain largely unknown. We hypothesize that alcohol-induced Ang II plays a critical role in cardiac nitrosative stress, cell death and cardiomyopathy. To test this hypothesis, male C57BL/6 mice were pair-fed an alcohol or isocaloric maltose dextrin liquid diet for 2 months. Alcohol feeding caused significant cardiac cell death and nitrosative damage (shown by TUNEL positive cells, caspase-3 activation and protein nitration) and cardiac remodeling (shown by hypertrophy and fibrosis) along with increases in serum Ang II and cardiac AT1 expression. Mechanistic study in which cardiac H9c2 cells were treated with 100–400 mM alcohol for 24h revealed that alcohol exposure induced cell death, nitrosative damage and fibrosis, along with NADPH oxidase p47 phox (NOX) activation in a dose-dependent manner. Pre-treatment of alcohol-treated cells with NOX inhibitor (apycinin), peroxynitrite scavenger (urate), NOS inhibitor (L-NAME) and superoxide dismutase mimic (MnTMPyP) significantly abolished alcohol induced cell death. Furthermore, exposure to alcohol significantly up-regulated the expression of angiotensin II (Ang II) and its type 1 receptor (AT1) in these cultured cardiac cells. Either PKCα/β1 inhibitor or AT1 blocker completely prevented alcoholic NOX activation, and AT1 blocker inhibited the expression of PKCβ1, implying that alcoholic NOX activation is dependent of PKCα/β1 activation via AT1. To validate the in vitro findings, alcohol-fed and pair-fed mice were treated with MnTMPyP (5 mg/Kg) daily for 2 months, which did not change blood pressure, alcohol-induced cardiac PKC and NOX activation, but significantly prevented alcohol-induced cardiac nitrosative damage and cell death, along with a prevention of cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction. These results suggest that alcohol-induced cardiac cell death is mediated by up-regulated Ang II that via AT1 induces PKCα/β1-dependent NOX activation. The cardiac cell death plays a critical role in the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Mainstream Classrooms as Engaging Spaces for Emergent Bilinguals: SFL Theory, Catalyst for Change

This chapter discusses how a sustained collaboration among a principal, researchers and teachers supported a shift in the monolingual culture of an elementary school. Specifically, the study explores how a longitudinal professional development initiative supported monolingual teachers in developing effective writing instruction for emergent bilingual learners. Data was collected through participant-observation during the literacy block of three teachers who had emergent bilinguals in their classroom. Drawing on grounded theory, videotape transcripts and field notes were analyzed to characterize teachers’ practices, and their emergent bilingual students’ participation. Findings point to the ways in which their SFL-informed writing approach with its Teaching and Learning Cycle resulted in full participation of emergent bilinguals and the use of hybrid language practices in previously English-only classroom environments.
The role of education in technological competitiveness

According to the author, the educational system in the USA is in trouble. In 1986, for instance, half of the high schools in the USA failed to provide a single physics course, and one quarter offered no chemistry courses. The reason for this is a lack of qualified science leathers. Since the mid–1970s the numbers of bachelor and PhD degrees awarded to US citizens has levelled off, while demand has continued to increase. The resulting shortfall puts US technological competitiveness at risk. The author asks what can be done about this situation, and offers some suggestions.