cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gas-phase reactions of the iodide ion with chloromethane and bromomethane: Competition between nucleophilic displacement and halogen abstraction

Guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry techniques are used to measure the reaction cross sections of the collisionally activated process I- + CH3Y → products, where Y = Cl and Br. The Cl- and Br- products are observed at the lowest collision energies. A back-side attack SN2 reaction is responsible for the initial rise from the threshold. At higher collision energies, the ICl- and IBr- ions are observed and signify competition from a front-side-attack, halogen-abstraction reaction. All the reactions are endoergic and exhibit excess threshold energies, E0, when compared with established reaction endothermicities from the literature, ΔH0. The reaction mechanisms are explored with the aid of CCSD(T)/LanL2DZ and CCSD(T)/SDD molecular orbital calculations and phase space theory.
Social Network Theory Applied to Resting-State fMRI Connectivity Data in the Identification of Epilepsy Networks with Iterative Feature Selection

Epilepsy is a brain disorder usually associated with abnormal cortical and/or subcortical functional networks. Exploration of the abnormal network properties and localization of the brain regions involved in human epilepsy networks are critical for both the understanding of the epilepsy networks and planning therapeutic strategies. Currently, most localization of seizure networks come from ictal EEG observations. Functional MRI provides high spatial resolution together with more complete anatomical coverage compared with EEG and may have advantages if it can be used to identify the network(s) associated with seizure onset and propagation. Epilepsy networks are believed to be present with detectable abnormal signatures even during the interictal state. In this study, epilepsy networks were investigated using resting-state fMRI acquired with the subjects in the interictal state. We tested the hypothesis that social network theory applied to resting-state fMRI data could reveal abnormal network properties at the group level. Using network data as input to a classification algorithm allowed separation of medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) patients from normal control subjects indicating the potential value of such network analyses in epilepsy. Five local network properties obtained from 36 anatomically defined ROIs were input as features to the classifier. An iterative feature selection strategy based on the classification efficiency that can avoid ‘over-fitting’ is proposed to further improve the classification accuracy. An average sensitivity of 77.2% and specificity of 83.86% were achieved via ‘leave one out’ cross validation. This finding of significantly abnormal network properties in group level data confirmed our initial hypothesis and provides motivation for further investigation of the epilepsy process at the network level.
Causal System Modeling in Chronic Disease Epidemiology: A Proposal

We propose dynamic systems models as one component of the epidemiologic toolbox. Systems models reflect the fact that diseases are caused within complex molecular, biological, and social systems, with positive and negative feedback. Such models predict empiric observations, provide a framework for clarifying what new data is needed, allow for complex interactions between variables at levels from the subcellular to the community, and incorporate known feedbacks between systems elements at these various levels. In all of these ways, they have the capability to advance the science of epidemiology.
Synthesis and electrochemical properties of submicron LiNi0.5Co0.5O2

Abstract A triethanolamine/sucrose (TEA/sucrose) assisted complexing method has been employed to synthesize LiNi 0.5 Co 0.5 O 2 system which is considered to be a potential candidate as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. The TEA/sucrose ratio has been varied and the changes in the structural and electrochemical properties of the systems have been studied and correlated. The prepared materials were characterized using XRD, SEM and electrochemical charge–discharge cycles. The particle sizes of the prepared materials were in the submicron range of ∼300–350 nm. LiNi 0.5 Co 0.5 O 2 synthesized with a TEA/sucrose ratio 1:8 exhibited improved electrochemical performance which was well complemented by the structural studies. The 1st and the 10th discharge capacities were 152 and 144 mA h/g, respectively.
Human-Wildlife Conflict and Environmental Education: Evaluating a Community Program to Protect the Andean Bear in Ecuador

Environmental education is a widespread, yet relatively unexamined strategy to reduce human-wildlife conflicts. We evaluated knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions toward bear conservation after five years of environmental education in a Quichua community. Conflicts with livestock predation created mixed attitudes and behaviors toward bear conservation. Some program objectives were achieved, such as 88% of participants reported satisfaction with environmental knowledge gained. Behavioral intentions to decrease bear conflicts increased, and multiple regression analysis revealed support for the project was associated with program participation. Focus group meetings with teachers, local policy makers and para-biologists provided a context for recommendations to improve program success and revealed new issues for better bear management.
Neurodevelopmental outcome following antenatal phenobarbital (PB) exposure in a multicenter randomized trial. • 1049

Neurodevelopmental outcome following antenatal phenobarbital (PB) exposure in a multicenter randomized trial. • 1049
Ubiquitin protein ligase 3 mediates the proteasomal degradation of GLABROUS 3 and ENHANCER OF GLABROUS 3, regulators of trichome development and flavonoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

Summary Ubiquitin/26S proteasome (UPS)-dependent proteolysis of a variety of cellular proteins plays an essential role in many basic cellular processes. UPS impacts transcriptional regulation by controlling the stability, and thus the activity, of numerous transcription factors (TFs). In Arabidopsis, trichome development and flavonoid metabolism are intimately connected, and several TFs have been identified that simultaneously control both processes. Here we show that UPS-dependent proteolysis of two of these TFs, GLABROUS 3 (GL3) and ENHANCER OF GL3 (EGL3), is mediated by ubiquitin protein ligase 3 (UPL3). Cell-free degradation and in planta stabilization assays in the presence of MG132, an inhibitor of proteasome activity, demonstrated that the degradation of GL3 and EGL3 proteins is 26S UPS-dependent. Yeast- or protoplast-based two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescent complementation assays showed that GL3 and EGL3 interact via their C-terminal domains with the N-terminal portion of UPL3. Moreover, both TFs are stabilized and show increased activities in a upl3 mutant background. Gene expression analyses revealed that UPL3 expression is negatively affected by mutation in the gl3 locus, but is moderately upregulated by the overexpression of GL3, suggesting the presence of a regulatory loop involving GL3 and UPL3. Our findings underscore the importance of post-translational controls in epidermal cell differentiation and flavonoid metabolism.
Regulatory features of the cysteine desulfhydrase of Salmonella typhimurium

Abstract Cysteine, at concentrations above 10 −4 M, inhibits the growth of Salmonella typhimurium . Cysteine is not as inhibitory when cells have been preadapted to it. This relief of toxicity is overcome by the induction of an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction: Cysteine+H 2 O → pyruvate+H 2 S+NH 3 . This enzyme is induced by the addition of cysteine (or cystine) to growing cultures. The enzyme, once induced, cannot exhaust the cysteine pool, because the velocity-substrate curve for the enzyme is such that the enzyme is relatively inactive at cysteine concentrations below 10 −4 M. Above 10 −4 M the velocity increases in approximate proportion to the square of the cysteine concentration. This enzyme cannot produce H 2 S, a toxic substancem in damaging amounts because sulfide inhibits the enzyme. (Pyruvate and ammonia do not inhibit.) Salmonella thus has three methods at its disposal to regulate cysteine decomposition: induction, substrate activation, and feedback inhibition.
Native American Healing Traditions

Indigenous healing practices among Native Americans have been documented in the United States since colonisation. Cultural encapsulation has deterred the acknowledgement of Native American medicinal practices as a precursor to folk medicine and many herbal remedies, which have greatly influenced modern medicine. Understanding Native American healing practices requires helping professionals to have knowledge of Native American cultural belief systems about health and wellness, with the many influences that create change in the mind, body, spirit, and natural environment. Native Americans believe their healing practices and traditions operate in the context of relationship to four constructs—namely, spirituality (Creator, Mother Earth, Great Father); community (family, clan, tribe/nation); environment (daily life, nature, balance); and self (inner passions and peace, thoughts, and values). This article provides insight into the relationship among each of the constructs and Native American healing traditions...
Measurement of the viscoelastic compliance of the eustachian tube using a modified forced-response test

Abstract Objectives: Eustachian tube compliance (ETC) was suggested to be an important determinate of function. Previous attempts to quantify ETC used summary measures that are not clearly related to the physical properties of the system. Here, we present a new method for measuring ETC that conforms more closely to the engineering definition of compliance. Methods: The forced response test was modified to include oscillations in applied flow after the forced tubal opening. Pressure and flow were recorded during the standard and modified test in 12 anesthetized cynomolgus monkeys. The resulting pressure–flow, hysteresis loops were compared with those predicted by a simple fluid-structure model of the Eustachian tube with linear-elastic or viscoelastic properties. The tubal compliance index (TCI) and a viscoelastic compliance ( C v ) were calculated from these data for each monkey. Results: The behavior of a viscoelastic, but not a linear elastic model accurately reproduced the experimental data for the monkey. The TCI and C v were linearly related, but the shared variance in these measures was only 63%. Conclusions: This new method for measuring ETC captures all information contained in the traditional TCI, but also provides information regarding the contribution of wall viscosity to Eustachian tube mechanics.
The effects of dexamethasone on α-fetoprotein and albumin synthesis in cultured hepatoma 7777 cells

Dexamethasone inhibits α-fetoprotein (AFP) synthesis, and stimulates albumin synthesis, in cultured hepatoma 7777 cells. These changes are due to a decrease in AFT-mRNA, and an increase in albumin-mRNA, in cells.
The Effect of Temperature and Solution pH on the Nucleation of Tetragonal Lysozyme Crystals

Part of the challenge of macromolecular crystal growth for structure determination is obtaining crystals with a volume suitable for x-ray analysis. In this respect an understanding of the effect of solution conditions on macromolecule nucleation rates is advantageous. This study investigated the effects of supersaturation, temperature, and pH on the nucleation rate of tetragonal lysozyme crystals. Batch crystallization plates were prepared at given solution concentrations and incubated at set temperatures over 1 week. The number of crystals per well with their size and axial ratios were recorded and correlated with solution conditions. Crystal numbers were found to increase with increasing supersaturation and temperature. The most significant variable, however, was pH; crystal numbers changed by two orders of magnitude over the pH range 4.0-5.2. Crystal size also varied with solution conditions, with the largest crystals obtained at pH 5.2. Having optimized the crystallization conditions, we prepared a batch of crystals under the same initial conditions, and 50 of these crystals were analyzed by x-ray diffraction techniques. The results indicate that even under the same crystallization conditions, a marked variation in crystal properties exists.
Atom superposition and electron delocalization (ASED) theory for catalysis. Dissociative properties of acetylene on Fe and Ni(100) with coadsorbed O, S, Se and implications for Te☆

Using an atom superposition and electron delocalization (ASED) theory, acetylene is found to bond to the fourfold site on Ni(100) more strongly and with greater CC bond lengthening distortion than on Ni(111). Half-monolayer c(2 × 2) O, S, Se, and Te coverages poison the surface toward acetylene chemisorption. Quarter-monolayer (2 × 2) O and S allow weakened adsorption. A specific destabilization of an acetylene π orbital when bridging two O atoms activates CC bond scission barrier reduction. This is of catalytic significance. Increasing or decreasing the surface Ni charge, as occurs when bonding to more electronegative or electropositive atoms or on an electrode in a dielectric medium, also serves to weaken the barrier. The bonding of S and Se to Fe(100) is treated. The fourfold site is preferred because a high-lying orbital loses its unpaired electron in this site. On quarter-monolayer covered Fe(100), acetylene CC bond scission is accelerated in chalcogen bridging sites by the same wedging effect even though the chemisorption energy is weakened. Chemisorption occurs only on the half-monolayer c(2 × 2) O-covered surface if a high-lying orbital loses its unpaired electron. This possibility is discussed. The relationship of the theory and photoemission spectra is discussed.
Activated protein C resistance in young African American patients with ischemic stroke

Abstract Background: It has been proposed that activated protein C resistance (APCR) due to the factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation may be a risk factor for stroke in young adults. However, this may not be the case for all ethnic groups due to variability in the prevalence of the FVL mutation. Methods: Case series from a university neurology clinic. Patients with an APCR ratio of 2.2 or below were tested for the FVL mutation (nine patients). Patients on warfarin were also tested for the FVL mutation (14 patients). Results: 38 African American patients under age 55 with an arterial stroke were identified. The mean age of the patients is 43.1 years. Five percent had an APCR ratio of 2.0 or below. None of the patients with an APCR ratio of 2.2 or below or the patients directly tested for the FVL mutation had the mutant allele. Conclusions: Activated protein C resistance due to the FVL mutation does not appear to be a major risk factor for stroke in young African Americans. Other, as yet unidentified, mechanisms leading to activated protein C resistance may be important in a small subset of young African American stroke patients.
A Biliographic Footnote on Frelinghuysen's "Spiegel"

Tanis sheds some light on Frelinghuysen's long-lost "Spiegel die met vlyt." He notes that a book, Jodocus van Lodenstein's "Geestelyke opwekker" (Amsterdam, Johannes Douci, 1740) makes note of the book's existance.
Soft Computing: A Continuously Evolving Concept

Abstract. Soft Computing (SC) is a concept with constantly evolving semantics, as researchers have adopted its main philosophy while adding various interpretations and facets to this concept. Originally defined as a loose association or partnership of components, SC has gone through several transformational phases. This paper will trace some of the phases experienced by the author as part of his understanding of the evolution of SC and its role in constructing decision-making models. The first phase is the hybridization phase, driven by the inherit ease of integration of SC components. The second phase is a two-level model characterization, based on the split between object-level and meta-level reasoning. This phase, inspired by traditional AI problem formulation, led to a third phase, in which we addressed the knowledge and meta-knowledge representation required by each of these reasoning levels using a linguistics analogy. The fourth phase is the extension of the heuristics used at the metalevel, e.g. M...
Neuromotor development of preterm and full-term infants

The Neuromotor Behavioral Inventory (NBI), a 16-category measure of muscle tone, developmental motor abilities, quality of movement, neurological reflexes and reactions, and neuromotor outcome was used with 38 infants divided into three groups: healthy preterm (HPT), sick preterm (SPT), and healthy full-term (HFT) infants. Infants were tested at five time points: 40 weeks postconception (newborn) and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age post-term. The intent of the study was two-fold: to determine whether there are developmental differences among the groups of infants and whether the differences persist during the first year of life. Results indicate that HFT and HPT infants score higher than SPT infants in the neuromotor categories of: muscle tone, upper extremity development, head control, and neuromotor outcome rating. HFT infants scored higher than both preterm groups in: trunk rotation, reaction to movement, visual and auditory attention, and fixing. Differences persisted among the groups during the first year of life in the following: the developmental motor ability of trunk rotation, fixing, adaptability, and the neuromotor outcome rating. It appears that neonatal health status is a contributing factor to infant neuromotor development, particularly in the quality of movement reactions.
On Some Techniques for Streaming Data: A Case Study of Internet Packet Headers

We consider the implications of streaming data for data analysis and data mining. Streaming data are becoming widely available from a variety of sources. In our case we consider the implications arising from Internet traffic data. By implication, streaming data are unlikely to be time homogeneous so that standard statistical and data mining procedures do not necessarily apply. Because it is essentially impossible to store streaming data, we consider recursive algorithms, algorithms which are adaptive and discount the past and also algorithms that create finite pseudo-samples. We also suggest some evolutionary graphics procedures that are suitable for streaming data. We begin our discussion with a discussion of Internet traffic in order to give the reader some sense of the time and data scale and visual resolution needed for such problems.
Diffracted SH and SV

CLEARY et al.1 have reported a number of diffracted S waves observed at distances from 99° to 128°. The most striking feature of their observations, as shown in their Fig. 1, is the great amplitude contrast of the diffracted SV and SH waves. While Cleary et al. have explained their observations in terms of the faulting orientation, there is a possible alternative explanation based on the results of several recent investigations.
Weight loss resulting from two behavior modification procedures with nutritionists as therapists

Fifty-four female volunteers, 25–50 yr of age and 15–60% overweight, underwent one of two behavioral weight control treatments administered by a trained nutritionist. One made use of a variety of behavioral self-control procedures including self-reinforcement and punishment, shaping, response blockage, and stimulus control in an effort to reduce overall food consumption. The other, designed with Schachter's research on overweight and overeating in mind, was based primarily on stimulus control procedures, a component of the more popular combination-of-ingredients approach which, individually, holds promise as a weight control technique. Both treatments included extensive information on nutrition and health. Overall, weight losses were large and stable. The two treatment groups, did not differ in effectiveness immediately after treatment but were significantly different ( p
Quality of care for myocardial infarction in rural and urban hospitals.

Improving the quality of care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has garnered considerable attention for over a decade. The American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Joint Commission, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have collaborated since 1993 to develop objective performance measures to track the care of inpatients with AMI at the state and national levels.1 Quality improvement interventions for AMI have been developed by the ACC (Guidelines Applied in Practice) and the AHA (Get With the Guidelines), and been applied by hospitals nationally.2–5 These efforts are reaping benefits. Across the nation, the quality of AMI care has improved, though substantial gaps remain between actual and recommended care.6–8 Whether patients cared for in rural and urban hospitals are reaping similar benefits is unknown. In the mid-1990s, quality of AMI care lagged significantly in rural hospitals.9–11 AMI admissions to rural hospitals were less likely than urban hospital admissions to receive recommended life-saving treatments such as aspirin and reperfusion. Hospital patients in small rural and isolated small rural areas were least likely to receive many of these treatments. Rural hospitals have well-documented and unique challenges (eg, low volume, limited resources)12 to implementing resource-intensive quality improvement programs such as those noted above. In this study, we use the most recent national data on AMI care to examine whether differences in the quality of AMI care have persisted between urban hospitals and hospitals in 3 types of rural area. Identification of remaining gaps can help organizations tailor quality improvement efforts to hospitals in smaller and more isolated rural areas.
Curriculum and Instruction in General Education: Implications for Service Delivery and Teacher Preparation

Despite the many reports describing the benefits of inclusive education, there is a lack of information on the instructional strategies and behavior change procedures that general educators use to ...
Structural Damage Identification in a Mechanically Attached Metallic Panel Using Embedded Sensitivity Functions

A vibration-based structural damage identification method is discussed using experimental embedded sensitivity functions, which are algebraic combinations of measured frequency response functions (FRFs) that reflect changes in the response of mechanical systems when mass, damping, or stiffness parameters are changed. The theory of embedded sensitivity functions is reviewed and applied to identify damage in simulations with a six degree-of-freedom model of a metallic panel and in experiments on the actual panel. Measured FRFs, before and after simulated damage is imposed, are compared to an experimental sensitivity function. By matching the spectral shapes of these two sets of functions, damage is first located and classified as changes in stiffness, damping, or mass. Then the damage is quantified directly in engineering units as changes in stiffness or mass using only the measured data.
Incidence of hypersensitivity in hemodialysis.

Hypersensitivity reactions in hemodialysis are rare. They have been identified only recently, since the U.S. dialysis patient population became sufficiently large for pattern recognition. These reactions might be the result of a variety of factors, including the manufacturing process and patient characteristics. Some reactions may be due to components of the dialysis system other than the dialyzer, such as the tubing sets. Data collected by the Food and Drug Administration showed that in 1982 there were 3.5 severe hypersensitivity reactions per 100,000 hollow-fiber dialyzers sold. This rate of reaction occurrence does not appear to be appreciably different from that in previous years for which information, though scant, was available. Recently, a significant reduction in the rate of the reactions seems to have occurred after some U.S. manufacturers changed their manufacturing procedures.
Stereochemistry of condensation and transaldimination of amino acids by pyridoxal

The stereochemistry of the products of condensation and transaldimination of L-α- and D-α- alanines with pyridoxal has been studied. Structure of intermediate amino alcohols, aminals, and of the final Schiff’s bases depends on their fragments location with respect to the pyridine ring plane. Basing on the collected data, we have proposed the reaction mechanism involving the in-plane attack of the carbonyl group, in contrast to commonly accepted out-of-plane attack.
Women's Economic Status in Rural China: Household Contributions to Male–Female Disparities in the Wage–Labor Market

Abstract Rapid industrial growth in China coupled with economic reforms in the rural areas has created a growing demand for rural women's labor, though often at substantially lower wages than those earned by men employed in the same sector. An analysis of data collected in rural Guangdong province suggests that households may contribute to the observed male–female market wage differential through their influence in the formation of individuals' reservation wages. Under these circumstances, external employment opportunities, while no doubt serving to increase the household's overall level of income, may, on their own, be a less effective mechanism for raising the economic status of women. On the contrary, market wage signals may serve to reinforce, rather than to ameliorate, sex-based differences that arise within the household.
Partitioning of modular equipment for fault isolation

Abstract The purpose of this research is to investigate new approaches to the cost effective design of fault isolation procedures. This effort is oriented specifically toward the design of built-in-test (BIT) diagnostic subsystems for modular military electronics equipment. The objective is to minimize the average costs associated with the repair of electronic systems. Following an equipment malfunction the BIT automatically executes diagnostic tests to isolate the group of modules which contains the faulty unit. Secondary isolation is then performed, by semi-automatic or manual means, to locate the failed unit within a group of modules identified by the BIT primary diagnostic. A basic problem which has been investigated is how to partition the equipment into near optimum groups of modules, such that the average cost of isolating the faulty unit is minimized. A new heuristic approach applied to this problem involves the use of dynamic programming to derive weights for the groups of modules, and a binary linear program to produce a low cost partition based on these weights.
Effects of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenyl-p-nitrophenyl ether (nitrofen) on fetal lung developments in rats

Abstract We have examined whether the neonatal mortality accompanied by lung hypoplasia and atelectasis induced by prenatal exposure to the diphenyl ether herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenyl-p-nitrophenyl ether (nitrofen) could be due to alterations in pulmonary surfactant synthesis. The specific hypothesis we tested was whether in utero exposure to nitrofen accelerated the catabolic metabolsim of glucocorticoids by induction of mixed function oxidase enzymes, leading to a depression in glucocorticoid levels and delay in fetal lung surfactant synthesis. Hepatic aminopyrine-n-demethylase and aniline hydroxylase activities in the 9000 g supernatant were not elevated in rat dams exposed to 50 mg/kg/day on days 8–18 of pregnancy. Cortisone and corticosterone levels in fetal plasma were not altered by nitrofen exposure. Fetal lung surfactant synthesis was also not affected, as indicated by measurements of total lung phospholipids, [14C]choline uptake into lung lipids, and cholinephosphotransferase (CPT) activity. Surface tension values from saline extracts of fetal lungs and fetal plasma corticosterone levels were monotored after co-administration of nitrofen and dexamethasone. Nitrofen exposure alone had no influence on these parameters, while dexamethasone, with or without nitrofen, depressed corticosterone levels and minimum surface tension measurements. These results suggest that the level of glucocorticoids and capacity of the fetal lung to respond to glucocorticoids by synthesizing and releasing surfactant are not affected by prenatal exposure to nitrofen.
Fluorescent heteroduplex assay for monitoring Bacillus anthracis and close relatives in environmental samples.

A fluorescent heteroduplex method was developed to assess the presence of 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) sequences from Bacillus anthracis and close relatives in PCR-amplified 16S rDNA sequence mixtures from environmental samples. The method uses a single-stranded, fluorescent DNA probe, 464 nucleotides in length, derived from a B. anthracis 16S rRNA gene. The probe contains a unique, engineered deletion such that all probe-target duplexes are heteroduplexes with an unpaired G at position 343 (ΔG343). Heteroduplex profiles of sequences ≥85% similar to the probe were produced using an ABI 377 sequencer in less than 3 h. The method divides strains of the Bacillus cereus-Bacillus thuringiensis-B. anthracis group into two subgroups. Each subgroup is defined by a specific 16S rRNA gene sequence type. Sequence type A, containing one mismatch with the probe, occurs in B. anthracis and a small number of closely related clonal lineages represented mostly by food-borne pathogenic isolates of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. Sequence type B, containing two mismatches with the probe, is found in the majority of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis strains examined to date. Sequence types A and B, when hybridized to the probe, generate two easily differentiated heteroduplexes. Thus, from heteroduplex profiles, the presence of B. cereus-B. thuringiensis-B. anthracis subgroups in environmental samples can be inferred unambiguously. The results show that fluorescent heteroduplex analysis is an effective profiling technique for detection and differentiation of sequences representing small phylogenetic or functional groups in environmental samples.
Merlin, the Product of the Nf2 Tumor Suppressor Gene, Is an Inhibitor of the p21-Activated Kinase, Pak1

The Nf2 tumor suppressor gene codes for merlin, a protein whose function has been elusive. We describe a novel interaction between merlin and p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1), which is dynamic and facilitated upon increased cellular confluence. Merlin inhibits the activation of Pak1, as the loss of merlin expression results in the inappropriate activation of Pak1 under conditions associated with low basal activity. Conversely, the overexpression of merlin in cells that display a high basal activity of Pak1 resulted in the inhibition of Pak1 activation. This inhibitory function of merlin is mediated through its binding to the Pak1 PBD and by inhibiting Pak1 recruitment to focal adhesions. This link provides a possible mechanism for the effect of loss of merlin expression in tumorigenesis.
Curved profile spectral moments

For Gaussian surfaces, profile spectral moments can be used to parameterize a model describing the stochastic geometry of a surface. Instead of using straight profiles, the use of curved profiles is presented as an alternative method for measuring profile spectral moments in different directions. By obtaining curved profiles from a spiral profile, a surface can be sampled faster than is possible by taking five straight profiles and profiles in more directions are obtained so a least squares procedure can be used to estimate the surface spectral moments. An error analysis and experimental tests show that with the proper choice of sampling parameters, curved profiles can be used instead of straight profiles for estimating profile spectral moments.
Marked increase in the number and variety of mitochondrial DNA rearrangements in aging human skeletal muscle

Several reports have shown that individual mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions accumulate with age. However, the overall extent of somatic mtDNA damage with age remains unclear. We have utilized full-length PCR to concurrently screen for multiple mtDNA rearrangements in total DNA extracted from skeletal muscle derived from physiologically normal individuals (n = 35). This revealed that both the number and variety of mtDNA rearrangements increases dramatically between young and old individuals (P < 0.0001). We further examined the mtDNA from both the younger and older subjects by Southern blot analysis and observed an age-related increase in mtDNA(s) comparable in size to mtDNA products unique to patients with known mtDNA deletions. These data imply that a wide spectrum of mtDNA rearrangements accumulate in old individuals, which correlates with the marked age related decrease in OXPHOS capacity observed in post-mitotic tissues.
Fine Structure of the Thin-Walled Sensory Pegs on the Antenna of a Beetle, Popilius disjunctus (Coleoptera; Passalidae)

Thin-walled pegs with pores in their wall are present on the antennal flagellum of the passalid beetle, Popilius disjunctus (Illiger). The dendrites of the sensory neurones associated with these pegs have a short ciliary region distal to which neurofilaments are the only cytoplasmic elements to be found within them. Upon entering the peg lumen the dendrites branch and from these branches fine filaments resembling microvilli extend to the wall of the peg and enter the pores in it. The tips of these filaments are exposed to the surrounding atmosphere at the pore openings. The present study demonstrates the occurrence within the order Coleoptera of thin-walled pegs similar to those found on the antennae of.one or more representative species from each of the other major insect orders.
Genetic algorithms with shrinking population size

A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is an evolutionary computation technique inspired by the principle of biological evolution via natural selection. It employs the fundamental components of evolution, such as selection, mating, and mutation, which continue from generation to generation, creating better solutions as time progresses. Although it is mostly used as an optimization tool, GA enjoys a wide spectrum of applications in diverse fields such as engineering, medicine, and ecology, among others. In this study, we propose three different population size reduction methods for a typical GA optimization, aiming to increase efficiency. Additionally, we compare the accuracy and precision of these methods using Monte Carlo simulations.
Characterization of pepsin-resistant peptides present in a glycoprotein isolated from lung lavage of normal rabbit.

Abstract A glycoprotein of M r 36000 has been isolated from lung lavage of normal rabbit and purified to homogeneity by gel chromatography. Three peptides containing hydroxyproline and nearly 30% glycine have been isolated and purified from pepsin-digested native glycoprotein. Partial NH 2 -terminal amino acid sequence analysis on one of the peptides indicated the presence of -Gly-Pro-Hyp-Gly- sequence in the peptide chain, suggesting that collagen-like region(s) may be present in this glycoprotein.
236: Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) expression in adipose tissue of women with excessive versus normal gestational weight gain during pregnancy

1 (ENPP1) expression in adipose tissue of women with excessive versus normal gestational weight gain during pregnancy Aaron Poole, Gayle Olson, Batbayar Tumurbaatar, Kathleen Vincent, Yongquan Jiang, Massoud Motamedi, Gracie Vargas, Manisha Chandalia, Abate Nicola University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Galveston, TX, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Internal Medicine–Endocrinology, Galveston, TX, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, Center for Biomedical Engineering, Galveston, TX OBJECTIVE: ENPP1, a transmembrane glycoprotein, has been shown to modulate adipocyte maturation and insulin receptor signaling. These effects have been associated with systemic insulin resistance and increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Our objective is to measure adipocyte ENPP1 expression in response to gestational weight gain (GWG). STUDY DESIGN: Women scheduled for elective repeat cesarean at term and who fasted at least 6 hours were recruited. Blood was obtained before the initiation of intravenous fluids and subcutaneous fat was biopsied after the skin incision. Adipose cell size was analyzed using 3D multi-photon imaging. Tissue expression level of ENPP1 and phosphorylation of Akt (pAkt) for insulin signaling were measured by Western Blot. Using IOM guidelines, excessive vs normal GWG were compared. Statistical Analysis Software was utilized. RESULTS: Fifteen subjects with excessive GWG were compared to 9 with normal GWG. Maternal age, EGA at delivery and pregestational body mass index (BMI) were not significantly different. Delivery BMI, birthweight, tissue expression level of ENPP1, adipocyte cell size and phosphorylated Akt were significantly different (Table). CONCLUSION: Increased expression level of ENPP1 in women with excessive GWG is associated with decreased adipocyte cell size and phosphorylation of Akt, indicating impaired maturation of adipocytes and insulin signaling. These findings suggest women with excessive GWG may be at risk for future systemic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Sample characteristics–Estimated preterm birth prevalences by subgroup
VEA1 is required for cleistothecial formation and virulence in Histoplasma capsulatum.

Abstract Histoplasma capsulatum is a pathogenic fungus dependent on dimorphism for virulence. Among the four described Velvet family genes, two of them, Ryp2 and Ryp3, have been shown to be required for dimorphism. It is known that Velvet A (VeA) is necessary for sexual development and toxin production in Aspergillus nidulans. However, the role of the VeA ortholog in H. capsulatum has not yet been explored. Vea1, H. capsulatum homolog of VeA, was studied to determine its role in cleistothecial formation, dimorphism, and virulence. H. capsulatum Vea1 restores cleistothecial formation and partially restores sterigmatocystin production in an A. nidulans veA deletion strain. Furthermore, silencing VEA1 in an H. capsulatum strain capable of forming cleistothecia abolishes cleistothecial formation. Silenced strains also switch to mycelial phase faster, and show impaired switching to the yeast phase once in mycelial phase. Virulence in mice and macrophages is attenuated in VEA1 silenced strains and silenced strains demonstrate increased sensitivity during growth under acidic conditions. These results indicate that H. capsulatum Vea1 shares a similar role in development as VeA. H. capsulatum is also more susceptible to growth in acidic conditions when VEA1 is silenced, which may contribute to the silenced strains’ attenuated virulence in mice and macrophages.
Coercive mobility and crime: A preliminary examination of concentrated incarceration and social disorganization

This article explores how incarceration affects crime rates at the neighborhood level. Incarceration is analyzed as a form of residential mobility that may damage local network structures and undermine informal control. Geocoded data are combined with census data, data on incarceration convictions and releases, and crime data for Tallahassee, Florida. The results show a positive relationship between the rate of releases one year and the community's crime rates the following year. They also show that low rates of admissions to prison have an uncertain impact on crime rates, moderate rates reduce crime, and higher rates increase crime. Implications for criminal justice policies are discussed.
Influence of Need for Inclusion on Group Participation

A measures of the personality need for Inclusion were explored to determine their relationship with group membership. Group membership was defined on the basis of participation, ability to communicate, attitudes and feelings and respect for other group members. After 10 group sessions the members were ranked; Kruskal-Wallis H test showed that Wanted Inclusion of FIRO-B and Expressed Inclusion of FIRO-F were significantly related to group membership.
Evaluation of propanil and its N-oxidized derivatives for genotoxicity in the Salmonella typhimurium reversion, Chinese hamster ovary/hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase, and rat hepatocyte/DNA repair assays

Since the herbicide propanil (3,4-dichloropropionanilide) is an aromatic amide and many other aromatic amides are genotoxic via N-hydroxy (N-OH) metabolites, N-oxidized derivatives of propanil and 3,4-dichloroaniline were synthesized and tested for genotoxicity. Propanil 3,4-dichloroaniline, and their N-OH derivatives were not mutagenic in the Salmonella typhimurium reversion assay using tester strains TA97, TA98, TA100, and TA104, in both the presence and absence of exogenous metabolic activation (S9). In addition, the test compounds were not mutagenic in the Chinese hamster ovary/hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (CHO/HGPRT) assay, in both the presence and absence of S9. 3,3',4,4'-Tetrachloroazobenzene (TCAB) and its azoxy derivative (TCAOB), which are synthetic contaminants and/or degradation products of propanil, were also inactive in the S. typhimurium reversion and CHO/HGPRT assays (+/- S9). Unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assays were performed to determine if propanil derivatives were able to induce DNA damage in primary rat hepatocytes. Although TCAB was the only derivative tested which induced an elevation in DNA repair, the extent was not statistically significant. Hepatocyte toxicity, as measured by the release of lactate dehydrogenase 24 hr after exposure, was induced by all the test compounds in a concentration-dependent manner. Incubations of [14C]N-OH-3,4-dichloroaniline with DNA in vitro resulted in only a low level of binding that was not affected by pH. This observation may partially explained the lack of mutagenicity observed in genotoxicity assays with propanil derivatives.
Modeling the biomechanical constraints on the feedforward control of endpoint stiffness

Appropriate regulation of human arm mechanics is essential for completing the diverse range of tasks we accomplish each day. The steady state mechanical properties of the arm most relevant for postural tasks can be characterized by endpoint stiffness, the static forces generated by a limb in response to external perturbations of posture. Endpoint stiffness is directional, resisting perturbations in certain directions more than others. It has been shown that humans can voluntarily control the orientation of the maximum stiffness to meet specific task requirements, although the limits on this control are poorly understood. Both neural and biomechanical factors may limit endpoint stiffness control. The purpose of this work was to quantify the biomechanical constraints limiting the control of stiffness orientation. A realistic musculoskeletal model of the human arm coupled with a model of muscle stiffness was used to explore the range of endpoint stiffness orientations that could be achieved with changes in the feedforward control of muscle activation. We found that this range is constrained by the biomechanics of the neuromuscular system, and by the requirements of the specific task being performed by the subject. These constraints and the sensitivity to experimental conditions may account for some of the discrepancies in the literature regarding the ability to control endpoint stiffness orientation.
Probing grain boundary sink strength at the nanoscale: Energetics and length scales of vacancy and interstitial absorption by grain boundaries in α -Fe

The energetics and length scales associated with the interaction between point defects (vacancies and self-interstitial atoms) and grain boundaries in bcc Fe was explored. Molecular statics simulations were used to generate a grain boundary structure database that contained $\ensuremath{\approx}$170 grain boundaries with varying tilt and twist character. Then, vacancy and self-interstitial atom formation energies were calculated at all potential grain boundary sites within 15 \AA{} of the boundary. The present results provide detailed information about the interaction energies of vacancies and self-interstitial atoms with symmetric tilt grain boundaries in iron and the length scales involved with absorption of these point defects by grain boundaries. Both low- and high-angle grain boundaries were effective sinks for point defects, with a few low-$\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ grain boundaries (e.g., the $\ensuremath{\Sigma}3$${112}$ twin boundary) that have properties different from the rest. The formation energies depend on both the local atomic structure and the distance from the boundary center. Additionally, the effect of grain boundary energy, disorientation angle, and $\ensuremath{\Sigma}$ designation on the boundary sink strength was explored; the strongest correlation occurred between the grain boundary energy and the mean point defect formation energies. Based on point defect binding energies, interstitials have $\ensuremath{\approx}$80$%$ more grain boundary sites per area and $\ensuremath{\approx}$300$%$ greater site strength than vacancies. Last, the absorption length scale of point defects by grain boundaries is over a full lattice unit larger for interstitials than for vacancies (mean of 6--7 \AA{} versus 10--11 \AA{} for vacancies and interstitials, respectively).
Achievement Goals, Feedback, and Task Performance

Prior research indicates that instructions to focus attention on learning versus performance and the nature of feedback provided have distinct implications for subsequent task performance. We first examined how assigned learning and performance goals and feedback valence interact to determine performance change. Individuals with learning goal instructions performed better after negative feedback but worse after positive feedback. In Study 2, we found that implicit theory, an individual difference that is antecedent to general goal orientation, interacted with learning/performance goal instructions to influence performance change after negative feedback. In both studies, goal instructions influenced performance attributions and affective states, but these variables did not mediate the effects of the goal instructions or performance feedback. We discuss the implications of these results for academic and employment settings.
Behavioral discrimination between circumgenital odor from peri-ovulatory dominant and anovulatory female common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Social peer groups of callitrichid monkeys [marmosets and tamarins] exhibit intrasexual dominance hierarchies in captivity. This laboratory study employed two-choice behavioral discrimination bioassys to test the hypothesis that scent from female common marmosets contains chemical cues that permit discrimination between dominant females in the peri-ovulatory versus luteal phase of the ovarian cycle and females holding dominant versus subordinate status. When scent from only dominant females was presented, marmosets directed significantly greater amounts of investigatory behavior toward peri-ovulatory scent versus scent collected during the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle. Animals of both sexes demonstrated significant discriminatory behavior between scent deposited by dominant versus subordinate females, but only when the dominant female was in the peri-ovulatory phase of the ovarian cycle. Test animals directed equal amounts of investigative behavior toward scent from luteal-phase dominant females and subordinate females. Female test subjects deposited significantly more scent marks over presented scents than did male subjects, particularly when the scent had been donated by a peri-ovulatory female. Chemical odors specific to the peri-ovulatory and luteal phases of the ovarian cycle may play a role in mediating behavioral interactions among marmosets. Am. J. Primatol. 46:265–284, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.