cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Web 3.0, Litbots, and TPWSGWTAU

Digital literacies are typically distinguished from traditional literacy either in terms of content (media vs. print) or practice (page turning vs. keyboarding and clicking). This article presents a case for an approach that emphasizes the “who” of reading by contrasting traditional and digital literacies in terms of who counts as a reader. Whereas traditional literacy views reading as a uniquely human act, digital literacies are introducing meaning-making technologies that open the door to machine readers. Furthermore, these meaning-making technologies will drive the next iteration of the Web (Web 3.0), forcing reading educators, reading teachers, and researchers to rethink some of our most basic assumptions about readers and texts.
Single-molecule Studies of RNA Unzipping Kinetics Using Nanopores

The α-Hemolysin protein pore has been previously used to study the unzipping kinetics of DNA duplexes, taking advantage of its sub-2nm pore constriction, which permits single stranded nucleic acids but not double stranded structures. Here we present the first extensive nanopore study of RNA unzipping kinetics as a function of voltage and temperature, and compare it with DNA unzipping of molecules with identical primary sequence. Our studies reveal clear differences between RNA and DNA, having similar bulk melting properties, highlighting the nanopore ability to probe subtle differences in nucleic acids' free energy and their interactions with the pore. In addition, we find that RNA hybrids with different overhang sequences display large difference in both unzipping times and current blockage signals. These results may be interpreted in the context of strong interactions between poly-A tail and the pore. Our work sheds light on the mechanics of nanopore unzipping and its sensitivity to small differences in nucleic acid base pairing stability. We currently in the process of developing a theoretical model to explain these observations, which will also set the stage for further studies involving multiple hairpin structures of RNA, and to more complicated and interesting biological problems, involving RNA-helicase interactions.1. Mathe, J., Visram, H., Viasnoff, V., Rabin, Y. & Meller, A. (2004) Nanopore unzipping of individual DNA hairpin molecules. Biophys J 87, 3205-3212.2. Dudko, O., Mathe, J., Szabo, A., Meller, A. & Hummer, G. (2007) Extracting kinetics from single-molecule force spectroscopy: Nanopore unzipping of DNA hairpins. Biophys. J. 92, 4188-4195.
Ghost symmetry and an analogue of Steinitz’s theorem

A ghost symmetry of a point configuration is a symmetry which appears in one or more of its projections. Generally, ghost symmetries are more interesting when they are abundant. Presented here is a necessary and sufficient condition for a list of three involutions to correspond to a point configuration whose ghost symmetries realize those involutions. Associated with any such triple of involutions is a Tait-colored graph, and the characterization is essentially 3-connectedness. The main theorem therefore appears to be a close analogue of the classical characterization of edge graphs of 3-dimensional convex polytopes due to Steinitz.
Parenting Stress and the Child With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Presents a critical review of research concerning the stress of parenting a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Four lines of research have been pursued. First, studies demonstrate increased stress reported by parents of hyperactive children. Second, studies of parental psychopathology suggest that for some parents such disturbance is independent of the child's pathology and reflects a genetic substrate for the same and related disorders. Third, ADHD is associated with increased parental marital discord. Fourth, research regarding parent-child interaction patterns suggests a child-to-adult direction of effect more than the reverse. Directions for future research are recommended.
The development of a model of psychological first aid for non-mental health trained public health personnel: the Johns Hopkins RAPID-PFA.

Introduction The Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness, which houses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center, has been addressing the challenge of disaster-caused behavioral health surge by conducting training programs in psychological first aid (PFA) for public health professionals. This report describes our approach, named RAPID-PFA, and summarizes training evaluation data to determine if relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes are imparted to trainees to support effective PFA delivery. Background/rationale In the wake of disasters, there is an increase in psychological distress and dysfunction among survivors and first responders. To meet the challenges posed by this surge, a professional workforce trained in PFA is imperative. Methods/activity More than 1500 participants received a 1-day RAPID-PFA training. Pre-/postassessments were conducted to measure (a) required knowledge to apply PFA; (b) perceived self-efficacy, that is, belief in one's own ability, to apply PFA techniques; and (c) confidence in one's own resilience in a crisis context. Statistical techniques were used to validate the extent to which the survey successfully measured individual PFA constructs, that is, unidimensionality, and to quantify the reliability of the assessment tool. Results/outcome Statistically significant pre-/postimprovements were observed in (a) knowledge items supportive of PFA delivery, (b) perceived self-efficacy to apply PFA interventions, and (c) confidence about being a resilient PFA provider. Cronbach alpha coefficients ranging from 0.87 to 0.90 suggested that the self-reported measures possessed sufficient internal consistency. Discussion Findings were consistent with our pilot work, and with our complementary research initiatives validating a variant of RAPID-PFA with faith communities. Lessons learned/next steps The RAPID-PFA model promises to be a broadly applicable approach to extending community behavioral health surge capacity. Relevant next steps include evaluating the effectiveness of trained providers in real crisis situations, and determining if PFA training may have potential beyond the disaster context.
Locating Existing Best Management Practices Within a Watershed: The Value of Multiple Methods†

There is an increasing need to document the impacts of conservation-related best management practices (BMPs) on water quality within a watershed. However, this impact analysis depends upon accurate geospatial locations of existing practices, which are difficult to obtain. This study demonstrates and evaluates three different methods for obtaining geospatial information for BMPs. This study was focused on the Eagle Creek Watershed, a mixed use watershed in central Indiana. We obtained geospatial information for BMPs through government records, producer interviews, and remote-sensing aerial photo interpretation. Aerial photos were also used to validate the government records and producer interviews. This study shows the variation in results obtained from the three sources of information as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each method. Using only one method for obtaining BMP information can be incomplete, and this study demonstrates how multiple methods can be used for the most accurate picture.
The downsides of a major medical advance.

When positive, the results of randomized controlled trials designed to evaluate the effectiveness of new options are released with great fanfare. This is especially true for difficult to treat conditions for which there are few treatment alternatives. This scenario recently played out at the 2009 American College of Rheumatology National meeting when the long anticipated RAVE (Rituximab versus Cyclophosphamide for Induction of Remission in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis) trial results were announced. Since then the results of the RAVE and RITUXVAS trials have demonstrated that rituximab is as effective at inducing remission in patients with ANCA positive vasculitis as cyclophosphamide. Prior to these trials, cyclophosphamide was the option of choice for this potentially life threatening disease, and physicians have long hoped for a viable alternative given the significant toxicity associated with this medication, particularly infection, infertility, and cancer. While the results of the trial were justifiably received with great enthusiasm, practical clinical experience has revealed some noteworthy downsides to this important medical advance.
Map Learning with Uninterpreted Sensors and Effectors

This dissertation presents a set of methods by which a learning agent, called a "critter," can learn a sequence of increasingly abstract and powerful interfaces to control a robot whose sensorimotor apparatus and environment are initially unknown. The result of the learning is a rich, hierarchical model of the robot's world (its sensorimotor apparatus and environment). The learning methods rely on generic properties of the robot's world such as almost-everywhere smooth effects of actions on sensory features. At the lowest level of the hierarchy, the critter analyzes the effects of its actions in order to define control signals, one for each of the robot's degrees of freedom. It uses a generate-and-test approach to define sensory features that capture important aspects of the environment. It uses linear regression to learn action models that characterize context-dependent effects of the control signals on the learned features. It uses these models to define high-level control laws for finding and following paths defined using constraints on the learned features. The critter abstracts these control laws, which interact with the continuous environment, to a finite set of actions that implement discrete state transitions. At this point, the critter has abstracted the robot's world to a finite-state machine and can use existing methods to learn its structure.
Decreased lipid efflux and increased susceptibility to cholesterol-induced apoptosis in macrophages lacking phosphatidylcholine transfer protein.

Macrophages are the predominant cellular component of atherosclerotic lesions, where they scavenge oxidatively modified lipoproteins while defending themselves against cholesterol-induced cytotoxicity by adaptive mechanisms that depend in part on the synthesis, distribution and efflux of phosphatidylcholines. PC-TP (phosphatidylcholine transfer protein) is a START (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer) domain protein that catalyses the intermembrane transfer of phosphatidylcholines and promotes apolipoprotein AI-mediated lipid efflux when overexpressed in the cytosol of Chinese-hamster ovary cells. To explore a role for PC-TP in the adaptive responses of macrophages to cholesterol loading, we utilized peritoneal macrophages from mice with homozygous disruption of the gene encoding PC-TP (Pctp−/−) and wild-type littermate controls. PC-TP was abundantly expressed in macrophages from wild-type but not Pctp−/− mice. In cholesteryl ester-loaded macrophages from Pctp−/− mice, the apolipoprotein AI-mediated efflux of phospholipids and cholesterol was decreased. This could be attributed to proportional decreases in the expression levels of ATP-binding cassette A1. Also, in response to free cholesterol loading, the absence of PC-TP from macrophages was associated with marked increases in apoptotic cell death. These findings suggest that PC-TP in macrophages may serve an atheroprotective role by defending against cholesterol-induced cytotoxicity.
Occupational therapy program development for medical-psychiatry units: a cognitive model

Occupational therapy programs form an essential component of the overall treatment program on medical psychiatry units for patients with depression, physical debilitation, and cognitive dysfunction. This article outlines theoretical and practical aspects of developing an occupational therapy program for medical-psychiatric inpatients. Emphasis is placed on accurate assessment of cognitive and physical functioning to facilitate stratification of patients into appropriate therapeutic activities that are commensurate with their level of functioning. The theoretical basis and orientation of occupational therapy is also discussed vis-a-vis its relevance to the treatment of patients with concurrent medical and psychiatric illness.
Advantages of preelectrophoretic conjugation of polypeptides with fluorescent dyes

Abstract A rapid simple procedure is described for the conjugation of proteins, glycoproteins, and peptides with the fluorescent dye fluorescein isothiocyanate during the time required to polymerize a polyacrylamide gel. Such conjugation does not perturb the electrophoretic mobility of the polypeptides in detergent containing gels. The location of polypeptide · dye conjugate is evident by inspection immediately upon removal of a gel from an electrophoresis cabinet avoiding the time required for postelectrophoretic staining and destaining procedures. The sensitivity of detection of polypeptide · fluorescein conjugates is at least equivalent to that obtained using Coomassie blue.
Symptomatic remission in a multiracial urban population of older adults with schizophrenia.

Objective Symptomatic remission has been reported in younger patients with schizophrenia. This study aims to determine the prevalence of symptomatic remission in older adults with schizophrenia. Methods The Schizophrenia Group consisted of 198 persons aged 55+ years living in the community who developed schizophrenia before age 45 years. Our definition of remission was adapted from the criteria of the Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group. To attain remission, persons had to have scores of Results Forty-nine percent of the sample met the criteria for symptomatic remission. In logistic regression analysis, four variables—fewer total network contacts, greater proportion of intimates, fewer lifetime traumatic events, and higher Dementia Rating Scale scores—were significantly associated with remission. Conclusions Remission rates were consistent with those reported in younger samples. Our findings suggest that symptomatic remission is an attainable goal and that treatments focused on those variables associated with remission may augment outcomes in older persons with schizophrenia.
Ames interactive molecular model building system: A 3-D computer modelling system applied to the study of the origin of life☆

The investigation of specific interactions among biological molecules must take into consideration the stereochemistry of the structures. Thus, models of the molecules are essential for describing the spatial organization of potentially interacting groups, and estimations of conformation are required for a description of spatial organization. Both the function of visualizing molecules, and that of estimating conformation through calculations of energy, are part of the molecular modeling system described in the present paper. The potential uses of the system in investigating some aspects of the origin of life rest on the assumption that translation of conformation from genetic elements to catalytic elements would have been required for the development of the first replicating systems subject to the process of biological evolution.
Resource Patch Formation and Exploitation throughout the Marine Microbial Food Web

Abstract: Exploitation of microscale (μm–mm) resource patches by planktonic microorganisms may influence oceanic trophodynamics and nutrient cycling. However, examinations of microbial behavior within patchy microhabitats have been precluded by methodological limitations. We developed a microfluidic device to generate microscale resource patches at environmentally realistic spatiotemporal scales, and we examined the exploitation of these patches by marine microorganisms. We studied the foraging response of three sequential levels of the microbial food web: a phytoplankton (Dunaliella tertiolecta), a heterotrophic bacterium (Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis), and a phagotrophic protist (Neobodo designis). Population‐level chemotactic responses and single‐cell swimming behaviors were quantified. Dunaliella tertiolecta accumulated within a patch of \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd...
Gender and Emotion Expression: A Developmental Contextual Perspective

Small but significant gender differences in emotion expressions have been reported for adults, with women showing greater emotional expressivity, especially for positive emotions and internalizing negative emotions such as sadness. But when, developmentally, do these gender differences emerge? And what developmental and contextual factors influence their emergence? This article describes a developmental bio-psycho-social model of gender differences in emotion expression in childhood. Prior empirical research supporting the model, at least with mostly White middle-class U.S. samples of youth, is presented. Limitations to the extant literature and future directions for research on gender and child emotion are suggested.
Microsurgical management of incompletely coiled and recurrent aneurysms: trends, techniques, and observations on coil extrusion.

OBJECTIVE: With the growing volume of aneurysms treated with endovascular meth- ods and the unavoidable risks of incomplete coiling or recurrence, the volume of coiled aneurysms requiring surgical management is growing. We present a consecutive surgical experience with previously coiled aneurysms to examine clinical trends, the phenomenon of coil extrusion, microsurgical techniques, and morphological features affecting clippability. METHODS: During a 10-year period, 43 patients underwent surgical management of an incompletely coiled or recurrent aneurysm (Gurian group B). Most patients (88%) presented initially with subarachnoid hemorrhage, most commonly (28%) located in the anterior communicating artery, and 42% of aneurysms were large or giant sized. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients had incompletely coiled aneurysms and 22 patients had recurrent aneurysms, with a mean time to recurrence of 28 months. Coil extrusion was observed in 1 of the incompletely coiled (5%) and 12 of the recurrent aneurysms (55%). Overall, 33 aneurysms were clipped directly, 7 unclippable aneurysms were bypassed, and 3 were wrapped. Three patients died (surgical mortality, 7%), 1 patient (2%) experienced permanent neurological morbidity, and the remaining 39 patients (91 %) had good outcomes (mean follow-up, 4.3 years). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a sharp increase in the incidence of coiled aneurysms requiring surgery, reflecting the increasing numbers of patients opting for endovascular therapy initially. Coil extrusion occurs more often than expected, is often misdiagnosed on angiography as simply compaction, and seems to be a time-dependent process not seen acutely. Direct clipping is the preferred microsurgical treatment of coiled aneurysms and may be predicted by the relationship between coil width and compaction height (C/H < 2.5, or a wedge angle < 90 degrees). We recommend a bypass strategy for unclippable coiled aneurysms because it can be executed methodically; has predictable ischemia times; and is associated with more favorable results than thrombectomy, coil extraction, and clip reconstruction.
An Early Snowball Earth

In their article “A Neoproterozoic snowball Earth” (Reports, 28 Aug., p. [1342][1]), Paul F. Hoffman et al. report that global ice-house conditions existed during the Proterozoic, as inferred from negative carbon isotopes in carbonate rocks from Namibia. These conditions are said to have led to
Vitamin E deficiency and neurologic disease in childrenwith cholestasis: A prospective study

CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC CHOLESTASIS may develop a characteristic progressive and disabling neurologic disease related to vitamin E deficiency, ~4 but neither the earliest signs nor the time required for its development is known. Therefore we thought it important to ascertain the incidence and severity of vitamin E deficiency in children with cholestasis. In this prospective clinical study we determined serum vitamin E concentration and performed systematic and sequential neurologic examinations in 48 children with previously identified cholestasis and in 23 others with either noncholestatic malabsorption or progressive ataxia.
Vascular Access Channeling to Increase Meniscal Regeneration in the Dog

A technique to enhance meniscal regeneration following partial meniscectomy was investigated in the dog. Twenty-four dogs underwent a partial meniscectomy (to simulate excision of a bucket handle tear in the caudal body of the medial meniscus). The excision did not communicate with the synovia. Twelve of the dogs also received a vascular access channel in which an incision was made from the free cut edge of the meniscus to the vascular synovia. The dogs were terminated at 4,8, and 16 weeks for gross, vascular, and histologic examination of the operated menisci. In all dogs, and at all time periods, the dogs receiving a vascular access channel showed increased regeneration compared to dogs undergoing partial meniscectomy alone.
Optional vena cava filters for patients with high thromboembolic risk: questions to be answered.

The use of vena cava filters has increased rapidly over the past few years to more than 140,000 filters inserted worldwide in 2003. Continued improvements in filter design have increased the safety of intravascular caval filtration. Although there are many factors attributed to this increase, the most significant contributing factor has been the development of optional vena cava filters. That is, filters that can be left as a permanent device or can be removed endovascularly at a later date. Three filters are approved for removal in the United States, the Gunther Tulip, the OptEase, and the Recovery. Recent reports have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of these devices in appropriate patients, but a number of questions have arisen regarding their use.
A suite of metrics for assessing the performance of solar power forecasting

Abstract Forecasting solar energy generation is a challenging task because of the variety of solar power systems and weather regimes encountered. Inaccurate forecasts can result in substantial economic losses and power system reliability issues. One of the key challenges is the unavailability of a consistent and robust set of metrics to measure the accuracy of a solar forecast. This paper presents a suite of generally applicable and value-based metrics for solar forecasting for a comprehensive set of scenarios (i.e., different time horizons, geographic locations, and applications) that were developed as part of the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative’s efforts to improve the accuracy of solar forecasting. In addition, a comprehensive framework is developed to analyze the sensitivity of the proposed metrics to three types of solar forecasting improvements using a design-of-experiments methodology in conjunction with response surface, sensitivity analysis, and nonparametric statistical testing methods. The three types of forecasting improvements are (i) uniform forecasting improvements when there is not a ramp, (ii) ramp forecasting magnitude improvements, and (iii) ramp forecasting threshold changes. Day-ahead and 1-hour-ahead forecasts for both simulated and actual solar power plants are analyzed. The results show that the proposed metrics can efficiently evaluate the quality of solar forecasts and assess the economic and reliability impacts of improved solar forecasting. Sensitivity analysis results show that (i) all proposed metrics are suitable to show the changes in the accuracy of solar forecasts with uniform forecasting improvements, and (ii) the metrics of skewness, kurtosis, and Renyi entropy are specifically suitable to show the changes in the accuracy of solar forecasts with ramp forecasting improvements and a ramp forecasting threshold.
A GT box element is essential for basal and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate regulation of the human surfactant protein A2 gene in alveolar type II cells: evidence for the binding of lung nuclear factors distinct from Sp1.

The gene encoding surfactant protein-A (SP-A) is developmentally regulated in type II cells of the fetal lung. In humans there are two SP-A genes, SP-A1 and SP-A2. The SP-A2 gene is more highly regulated by cAMP and during fetal development than SP-A1. In earlier studies we determined that 296 bp of sequence flanking the 5′-end of the SP-A2 gene is sufficient to mediate high basal and cAMP-inducible reporter gene expression in primary cultures of transfected type II cells, suggesting that this region contains important cis-acting elements involved in tissue-specific and hormonal regulation of SP-A2 promoter activity. We also observed that mutagenesis of a cAMP response element (CRE)-like sequence at− 242 bp (CRESP-A2) greatly reduced basal and cAMP-stimulated expression in transfected type II cells. In the present study, we identified a GT box (GGGGTGGGG) at −61 bp of SP-A2 5′-flanking sequence that is highly conserved among the SP-A genes of different species. In type II cell transfection studies, we fou...
Climate Change: Length of Growing-Season in the U.S. Corn Belt, 1911-2000

Length of growing-season data were obtained from 90 weather stations covering the core of the U.S. Corn Belt from 1911-2000 and analyzed qualitatively and statistically to ascertain if any systematic trends in warming were/are occurring within the context of global warming. We found that the 1920s were statistically cooler and the 1990s warmer. No discernible trend was statistically found throughout the 90-year period. Qualitatively, the onset of the growing season occurred at an earlier date as the 20th century progressed, but was not found statistically significant. Trends regarding termination dates were inconclusive.
TU‐C‐BRB‐04: A Monte Carlo‐Based Small Animal Dosimetry Platform for Pre‐Clinical Trials: Proof of Concept

Purpose: The development of novel agents for targeted radionuclide therapy has led to an important need for accurate dosimetry characterization during pre‐clinical trials. The purpose of this study is to discuss our progress in developing a fully automated Monte Carlo‐based dosimetry platform for external and/or internal absorbed dose quantification in small animals. Methods: The dosimetry platform was built entirely around the Monte Carlo code Geant4 version 9.3. CT and PETimage datasets of a mouse injected with CLR1404, a novel tumor target pharmaceutical that is tagged with both I‐124 and I‐131 for imaging and therapy, were used for this preliminary study. The activity distribution in the tumor acquired from the PET scan was modeled as a simple spherical source. The same CTimage set was used to generate external dose distributions from a 6 MV photon beam spectrum. Results: The external dose distributions from the 6 MV photon source and the internal dose distributions from CLR1404 were combined to get a relative dose distribution within the mouse. Conclusions: We provided a proof‐of‐concept for a fully automated dose calculation platform in small animals that can be used for developing protocols for pre‐clinical trials. We are currently working on additional modifications to better represent both the external beam source for our small animal irradiator as well as the activity distributions gathered by the PET scan.
Empathy training for resident physicians: a randomized controlled trial of a neuroscience-informed curriculum

Background Physician empathy is an essential attribute of the patient–physician relationship and is associated with better outcomes, greater patient safety and fewer malpractice claims.
Significance of observing no fluid at amniotomy.

Summary Thirty patients with oligohydramnios observed at artificial rupture of membranes were studied to determine the significance of this finding. Fifteen were subsequently found to have meconium-stained amniotic fluid and 21 had abnormal fetal heart rate tracings. This clinical observation warrants close intrapartum surveillance and preparation for delivery. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1990;162:1006-7.)
Pressure Drop Study and Correlation Development for Two-Phase Flow of R134a in Annular Helicoidal Pipe

Pressure drop characteristics of R134a in annular helicoidal pipe was investigated experimentally with R134a flowing in the annular section. The experimental results revealed that when more R134a vapor was condensed, the liquid phase pressure drop increased largely while the vapor phase pressure drop decreased slightly. By comparing with the experimental data obtained from the same test section with R134a flowing in the inner circular tube of the helicoidal pipe, it was observed that the pressure drop for refrigerant in the annular section was always larger. It was also observed that the helicoidal pipe orientation showed little effect on the pressure drop variations. A pressure drop correlation was developed from the experimental data in terms of pressure drop multiplier with respect to Lockhart-Martinelli parameter.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
The Roller Tube Tissue Culture Technic in the Evaluation of the Primary Irritancy Producing Capacity of Topical Medicaments and Chemicals1

The purpose of this paper is to report our findings in exploring further the possible application of tissue culture technics in evaluating the potential primary irritancy producing capacities of drugs and chemicals when applied to skin and mucous membranes. In previous studies1,2sp> on this subject, we have employed the hanging-drop tissue culture technic; the roller tube method was used in the present study.
Near-infrared spectroscopy: potential clinical benefits in surgery.

bulk flow to the various tissues of the body; and diffusion into the mitochondrial sink of every cell. This scheme does not defy the laws of physics; oxygen transport ultimately depends on simple diffusion at the level of the lung-blood interface and the blood-tissue interface. Becauseoxygenispoorlysolubleinwaterandplasma, most multicellular organisms with a cardiovascular system have evolved a respiratory pigment that serves to bind oxygen for transport in the blood. In invertebrates, the respiratory pigment (usually hemocyanin) circulates freelyinsolution.Invertebrates,therespiratorypigment (always hemoglobin) is packaged in red blood cells, where it is protected from the oxidative stress of the environment and where oxygen binding may be finely tuned according to allosteric and cooperative interactions. The red blood cells of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds are nucleated; the anucleate red blood cell is unique to mammals. There are several possible evolutionary explanations for the loss of the red blood cell nucleus. First, exclusion of the nucleus potentially provides more room in the cell for hemoglobin. Second, an anucleateredcellshouldweighlessandbemoredeformable.Finally,perhapsthemostcompellingexplanationis that a red blood cell without a nucleus is a cell without mitochondria and oxidative phosphorylation. So the anucleate red blood cell avoids the conflict of interest that would be associated with being both a consumer and a deliverer of oxygen.
Enhanced Retention of the α-Particle-Emitting Daughters of Actinium-225 by Liposome Carriers

Targeted α-particle emitters hold great promise as therapeutics for micrometastatic disease. Because of their high energy deposition and short range, tumor targeted α-particles can result in high c...
XPCache: An Efficient Query Processor for Client-Server Architecture

This study addresses the problem of distributed XML queries in client-server architecture. Distributed XML documents can be large and complex. Due to the overhead involved in decomposing the queries, sending the decomposed queries to remote site(s), and executing structural join operations to compose the results, it can be difficult to rapidly execute queries on these distributed XML docs. We propose a query processor called XPCache to tackle those problems. We describe a Global Query Graph, a novel mechanism used by XPCache to classify queries based on their type and frequency. We then describe XPCache's mechanisms that exploit those classifications to improve query response time. Queries classified under the same type are given the same query optimization plan. These plans are cached at the central site. Queries classified as frequently used are answered from the central site cache, which improves query response time. The performance of XPCache is compared with another system and the results showing marked performance improvement.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHLORITES

By the application of the same methods of investigation as those used in the study of the micas,(1) I have determined the structure of the chlorites, a group of minerals morphologically similar but distinctly different in chemical composition. This structure is described in the following paragraphs.
Production of red water-soluble Monascus pigments

Water-soluble and thermal, as well as photo-stable, red Monascus pigments, were prepared by reacting the extracted pigment with aminoacetic acid and aminobenzoic acid. These modified pigments were compared to those using glutamic acid and gelatin as the modifying agents, showing that the colors and stabilities of these modified pigments were similar. Red pigments extracted from the mycelia could be dissolved in ethanol, propylene glycol, or in gelatin solution and freeze-dried. These red pigment concentrates or freeze-dried pigments could also be used as food colorants.
Electron Injection through a Specific Pathway Determines the Outcome of Oxygen Activation at the Diiron Cluster in the F208Y Mutant of Escherichia coli Ribonucleotide Reductase Protein R2

Protein R2 of ribonucleotide reductase from Escherichia coli contains a dinuclear iron cluster, which reductively activates O2 to produce the enzyme's functionally essential tyrosyl radical by one-electron oxidation of residue Y122. A key step in this reaction is the rapid injection of a single electron from an exogenous reductant (Fe2+ or ascorbate) during formation of the radical-generating intermediate, cluster X, from the diiron(II) cluster and O2. As this step leaves only one of the two oxidizing equivalents of the initial diiron(II)-O2 adduct, it commits the reaction to a one-electron oxidation outcome and precludes possible two-electron alternatives (as occur in the related diiron bacterial alkane hydroxylases and fatty acyl desaturases). In the F208Y site-directed mutant of R2, Y208 is hydroxylated (a two-electron oxidation) in preference to the normal reaction [Aberg, A., Ormo, M., Nordlund, P., & Sjoberg, B. M. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 9845-9850], implying that this substitution blocks electron injection or (more likely) introduces an endogenous reductant (Y208) that effectively competes. Here we demonstrate that O2 activation in the F208Y mutant of R2 partitions between these two-electron (Y208 hydroxylation) and one-electron (Y122 radical production) outcomes and that the latter becomes predominant under conditions which favor electron injection (namely, high concentration of the reductant ascorbate). Moreover, we show that the sensitivity of the partition ratio to ascorbate concentration is strictly dependent on the integrity of a hydrogen-bond network involving the near surface residue W48: when this residue is substituted with F, Y208 hydroxylation predominates irrespective of ascorbate concentration. These data suggest that the hydrogen-bond network involving W48 is a specific electron-transfer pathway between the cofactor site and the protein surface.
Genomic Instability Causes HGF Gene Activation in Colon Cancer Cells, Promoting Their Resistance to Necroptosis

Background & Aims Genomic instability promotes colon carcinogenesis by inducing genetic mutations, but not all genes affected by this process have been identified. We investigated whether genomic instability in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells produces mutations in the hepatocyte growth factor ( HGF ) gene. Methods We genotyped human colon tumor tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues collected from 78 patients University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences and Veterans Hospital, along with 40 human CRC and adjacent nontumor tissues in a commercial microarray. We used cellular, biochemical, and molecular biological techniques to investigate the factors that alter HGF signaling in colon cancer cells and its effects on cell proliferation and survival. Results All tested human CRC tissues and cell lines that had microsatellite instability contained truncations in the regulatory deoxyadenosine tract element (DATE) of the HGF gene promoter. The DATE was unstable in 14% (11 of 78) of CRC samples; DATE truncation was also polymorphic and detected in 18% (13 of 78) of CRC tissues without microsatellite instability. In CRC cell lines, truncation of DATE activated expression of HGF, resulting in its autocrine signaling via MET. This promoted cell proliferation and resistance to necroptosis. HGF signaling via MET reduced levels of the receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 1, a mediator of necroptosis, in CRC cells. High levels of HGF protein in tumor tissues correlated with lower levels of receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 1 and shorter survival times of patients. Conclusions Thirty-one percent of CRC samples contain alterations in the DATE of the HGF promoter. Disruption of the DATE increased HGF signaling via MET and reduced levels of receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 1 and CRC cell necroptosis. DATE alteration might be used as a prognostic factor or to select patients for therapies that target HGF−MET signaling.
Another Look At the Agenda-Setting Function of the Press:

The agenda-setting hypothesis asserts that the media have an effect indirectly by choosing certain issues for emphasis, thus making those issues more salient to the audiences. The hypothesis, stated in such general terms, presents formidable conceptual and methodological difficulties that are dealt with in this article. A controlled study of the audiences of two newspapers with differing content emphases was conducted during the 1972 presidential campaign. The results show only moderate support for the agenda-setting hypothesis; the honesty in government issues, given heavy play in one of the two newspapers, failed to generate much enthusiasm among readers of either paper. In addition the results suggest agenda setting is not a broad and unqualified media effect. Predicted differences mainly were restricted to the less involved and less motivated partisans who were heavily dependent on the newspapers for their political news. Finally, the importance of studying issue saliences apart from political attitud...
School Choice and the Pressure to Perform Déjà Vu for Children with Disabilities

Major principles underlying school choice—such as market competition and parental autonomy—are in serious tension with the principles underlying inclusion from both philosophical and legal perspectives. In this article, the authors explicate this tension and then examine the empirical evidence indicating that exclusion of students with special needs, particularly by schools that market themselves on the basis of test scores, has been a result of the implementation of school choice. The authors suggest that school choice has turned back the clock by once again encouraging public schools to exclude students with special needs on the ground that educating such students is beyond the scope of their mission.
Fighting Inflation in a Transitional Regime: Russia's Anomalous Stabilization

Russia's recent experience fighting inflation--dramatic success in 1995-96 after repeated failures in 1992-94--poses a challenge for existing theories of the politics of macroeconomic stabilization. Monthly inflation rates fell to close to zero despite a deeply unpopular president distracted by heart disease, a government penetrated by economic lobbies, a far-from-independent central bank, a parliament dominated by opposition factions, a lively election season, and the fiscal pressures of fighting a regional war. The article reviews this experience, shows its incompatibility with existing political economy theories, and proposes an explanation with implications for other reforming regimes. Success was achieved by offering previous beneficiaries from inflation--major commercial banks and subsidized sectors--other sources of government-protected rents that did not increase the money supply. Even when expropriating powerful rent seekers is politically infeasible, it is sometimes possible to trade them less-inflationary rents for ones that are more inflationary.
Analogous analogies? Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth

This article attempts to show that Karl Barth and Thomas Aquinas are not as divergent as often thought. Taking Eugene Rogers's argument as a working hypothesis, I argue for two points of convergence between Barth and Aquinas, specifically on their understandings of analogy. First, both root analogy in christology. Using Christ as the great magister, Aquinas shows how Christ teaches us to see him, despite its difficulty, in his trinitarian divinity. Barth, using the imagery of the prodigal son, discusses how the incarnation places humanity in an ontological relationship within God's own dialogue within the Trinity. Second, both understand analogy as a theological practice, not a metaphysical mechanism or abstract doctrine, though metaphysics and doctrine are at play in their work. Both Aquinas and Barth attempt to train their readers in the judgement necessary to speak truthfully about God. This analogical relationship between Barth and Aquinas I call the analogia Christi.
Strategic Management of Technological Change

Strategic management has become a subject of increasing importance. Medium- to long-term planning is essential now to position companies, governments, and other entities under conditions of continuous change not to develop rigid medium- to long-term guidelines, but to introduce a sense of direction based on overall medium- to long-term objectives. This is necessary to assure that opportunities are not missed.
Pyrethroid sorption to Sacramento River suspended solids and bed sediments

Sorption of pyrethroid insecticides to solid materials will typically dominate the fate and transport of these hydrophobic compounds in aquatic environments. Batch reactor isotherm experiments were performed with bifenthrin and λ-cyhalothrin with suspended material and bed sediment collected from the Sacramento River, California, USA. These batch reactor experiments were performed with low spiking concentrations and a long equilibration time (28 d) to be more relevant to environmental conditions. Sorption to suspended material and bed sediment was compared to examine the role of differential sorption between these phases in the environmental transport of pyrethroids. The equilibrium sorption data were fit to the Freundlich isotherm model and fit with r2 > 0.87 for all experiments. Freundlich exponents ranged from 0.72 ± 0.19 to 1.07 ± 0.050, indicating sorption nonlinearity for some of the experimental conditions and linearity for others over the concentration range tested. The Freundlich capacity factors were larger for the suspended solids than for the bed sediments, and the suspended material had a higher specific surface area and higher organic carbon content compared to the bed sediment. Calculated organic carbon-normalized distribution coefficients were larger than those previously reported in the literature, by approximately an order of magnitude, and ranged from 106.16 to 106.68 at an equilibrium aqueous concentration of 0.1 µg/L. Higher than expected sorption of pyrethroids to the tested materials may be explained by sorption to black carbon and/or mineral surfaces. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011; 30:787–792. © 2010 SETAC
Electric linear dichroism and birefringence of biological polyelectrolytes

The phenomenon of electro-optic orientation was discovered by John Kerr in 1875 and has been used extensively for determining the optical polarizability anisotropy of small molecules and for high-speed transmission of optical signals. Measurements on biopolymers have been made at least since 1950, but only in the last decade have these yielded definitive structural and physical information. In the course of this review, it should become obvious that among the reasons for this late development is the inherent difficulty of analysing optical data that depend simultaneously on intrinsic optical-structural properties of the molecules, and on their degree of orientation under the conditions of the experiment. The problem has been particularly difficult far biopolymers such as the nucleic acids, whose polarization in an electric field is dependent on their special polyelectrolyte properties. These unique electrostatic properties are an important feature in the interpretation of the experimental observations.
Opioid receptor types and membrane ion channels

Abstract Activation of μ- or δ-receptor types causes an increase in a potassium conductance of the neuronal membrane. On a given neurone, this potassium conductance may be identical to the one activated by α 2 -adrenoceptor agonists and somatostatin, but it is not known whether μ and δ-receptors co-exist on the same neurone. Activation of receptors of the κ type has a quite different effect: it causes a reduction in a voltage-dependent calcium conductance. Receptors of the κ type can co-exist with those of the μ (or δ) type. In both cases the net result is a reduction in the rate of neuronal discharge, and a reduction in the amount of transmitter released by each action potential.
Backpropagation and Ordered Derivatives in the Time Scales Calculus

Backpropagation is the most widely used neural network learning technique. It is based on the mathematical notion of an ordered derivative. In this paper, we present a formulation of ordered derivatives and the backpropagation training algorithm using the important emerging area of mathematics known as the time scales calculus. This calculus, with its potential for application to a wide variety of inter-disciplinary problems, is becoming a key area of mathematics. It is capable of unifying continuous and discrete analysis within one coherent theoretical framework. Using this calculus, we present here a generalization of backpropagation which is appropriate for cases beyond the specifically continuous or discrete. We develop a new multivariate chain rule of this calculus, define ordered derivatives on time scales, prove a key theorem about them, and derive the backpropagation weight update equations for a feedforward multilayer neural network architecture. By drawing together the time scales calculus and the area of neural network learning, we present the first connection of two major fields of research.