cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Universal banking and US banking in the 1990s

Results of a test for differential performance applied to data for universal and non‐universal banks revealed that the performance of universal banks was not superior to that of the non‐universal banks. The study, therefore, does not support the performance theory as a basis for the global trend towards universal banking. Rather, there is implied support for the theory that loss of comparative advantage by commercial banks in the credit market and an increasingly competitive global market for financial services are both pushing major countries to adopt the universal model. Specific attention was given to the NAFTA countries bordering the USA. A test for convergence revealed that relatively new universal banks in those countries were converging towards the performance levels of other established universal systems; the project impact on the non‐universal US banking system in the 1990s is of serious concern.
Current Management of Burns

Abstract Major burns are relatively frequent injuries that carry a high risk for morbidity and mortality. Patients at the extremes of age or with concomitant inhalation injury are at increased risk for complications and death from their thermal injuries. The initial management of thermal injuries continues to prioritize maintenance of the airway, breathing, and circulation with prompt consideration for transfer to a specialized burn care center. Early fluid resuscitation is best accomplished with an isotonic crystalloid solution to maintain tissue perfusion, hemodynamic stability and prevent remote organ failure. The necessary fluid volume is estimated from the patient's weight and percentage of body surface area burned and adjusted as determined by the patient's clinical response. Patients who have sustained an inhalation injury are at increased risk for pneumonia and require additional fluid resuscitation, meticulous pulmonary toilet and, occasionally, mechanical ventilation. Wound care following fluid resuscitation is based on topical antimicrobial therapy followed by early surgical excision and grafting to achieve wound closure and control infection. Adequate enterai nutrition is required to minimize the loss of lean body mass. Progressive improvements in the understanding of burn shock, early wound excision and closure, the control of infection, nutritional requirements and the treatment of inhalation injuries have significantly improved the survival of burn patients in recent years.
Poliovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (3Dpol): structural, biochemical, and biological analysis of conserved structural motifs A and B.

We have constructed a structural model for poliovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (3Dpol) in complex with a primer-template (sym/sub) and ATP. Residues found in conserved structural motifs A (Asp-238) and B (Asn-297) are involved in nucleotide selection. Asp-238 appears to couple binding of nucleotides with the correct sugar configuration to catalytic efficiency at the active site of the enzyme. Asn-297 is involved in selection of ribonucleoside triphosphates over 2′-dNTPs, a role mediated most likely via a hydrogen bond between the side chain of this residue and the 2′-OH of the ribonucleoside triphosphate. Substitutions at position 238 or 297 of 3Dpolproduced derivatives exhibiting a range of catalytic efficiencies when assayed in vitro for poly(rU) polymerase activity or sym/sub elongation activity. A direct correlation existed between activity on sym/sub and biological phenotypes; a 2.5-fold reduction in polymerase elongation rate produced virus with a temperature-sensitive growth phenotype. These data permit us to propose a detailed, structural model for nucleotide selection by 3Dpol, confirm the biological relevance of the sym/sub system, and provide additional evidence for kinetic coupling between RNA synthesis and subsequent steps in the virus life cycle.
Pharmacological identification of the α-adrenergic receptor type which inhibits the β-adrenergic activated adenylate cyclase system in cultured astrocytes

The adrenergic agonist norepinephrine can exert its influence on cell function by activating both alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors. In astrocytes, the alpha-adrenergic receptor activity of norepinephrine is known to inhibit the cyclic AMP response elicited by its action at beta-adrenergic receptors. Pharmacological studies were conducted to identify the subtype of alpha-adrenergic receptor which mediates this inhibitory action. The alpha 2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine potentiated the cyclic AMP response elicited by norepinephrine, whereas the alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin did not affect the response. The alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine inhibited the cyclic AMP response elicited by the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol and this inhibition could be blocked by yohimbine but not by prazosin. In contrast, the alpha 1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine did not inhibit the cyclic AMP response to isoproterenol. These studies indicate that the inhibitory action of norepinephrine is mediated by its action at alpha 2-adrenergic receptors.
Working Women Making It Work: Intimate Partner Violence, Employment, and Workplace Support

Partner violence may have significant consequences on women's employment, yet limited information is available about how women cope on the job with perpetrators' tactics and the consequences of her coping methods on employment status. This article investigates whether there is an association between workplace disclosure of victimization and current employment status; and whether there is an association between receiving workplace support and current employment status among women who disclosed victimization circumstances to someone at work. Using a sample of partner victimized women who were employed within the past year (N = 485), cross-tabulation and ANOVA procedures were conducted to examine the differences between currently employed and unemployed women. Binary logistic regressions were conducted to examine whether disclosure and receiving workplace support were significantly associated with current employment. Results indicate that disclosure and workplace support are associated with employment. Implications for clinical practice, workplace policies, and future research are discussed.
Data structures for optimizing linear spline approximations

Abstract We describe the algorithms and data structures used for optimizing linear spline approximations of bivariate functions. Our method creates a random initial triangulation of a given data set and then employs a simulated annealing algorithm to improve this initial approximation. In every iteration step, the current approximation is changed in a random but local way, and the distance measure between it and the data is re-calculated. Depending on the difference between the old and new distance measures, an iteration step is either accepted or rejected. We discuss the basic operations and data structures of our optimization technique. We present a variant of the half-edge data structure and associated algorithms.
The Consensus Conference and Combined-Integrated model of doctoral training in professional psychology--overview of part 1: nature and scope of the Combined-Integrated model.

This special series of articles on the Consensus Conference and Combined-Integrated (C-I) model of doctoral training in professional psychology consists of 13 articles in two successive volumes of the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Six articles are presented in Part 1 (Vol. 60, Issue 9), which collectively describe the “nature and scope” of the C-I model (e.g., historic and definitional issues; the potential advantages of this model; implications for the profession). In Part 2 of this special series (Vol. 60, Issue 10), articles 7 through 12 address the broader implications and potential applications of the C-I model within a range of professional and societal contexts (e.g., for interprofessional collaboration; the health care field; development of a global curriculum; the unified psychology movement; issues of assessment and professional identity; and higher education); article 13 provides a summary of the series as well as a discussion of future directions. As an overview, this paper provides the abstract for each of the articles in Part 1, and describes the various topics of the articles in Part 2. Taken together, the articles in this special series are designed to provide a coherent account of how and why the C-I model is timely and relevant, and therefore warrants serious consideration by the larger education and training community in professional psychology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol.
Parents of Multiples and Decision-Making

In this journal, parents of multiple births have added their perspective on decision-making in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).1 All who care for neonates should thank the author for communicating new information, wisdom and practical points. For example, while most know the importance of photographs to parents, are we as aware of the meaning of having photographs of multiples together even if extreme duress or death is present? I was not.
Facial augmentation with core fat graft: a preliminary report.

Background Facial rejuvenation with autologous fat has the advantage of replacing or augmenting tissue with like tissue. The results of injected fat are unpredictable because of cellular trauma and other factors. Excised whole or en bloc fat grafting has been shown experimentally to have a greater percentage of adipocyte survival when compared with blunt cannula delivery techniques. En bloc grafting, however, requires an incision for the harvesting and placement of the fat graft with visible scars. A novel, less traumatic cylinder core fat harvest and delivery technique for facial augmentation with minimal incisional access is reported here. Methods Twenty-six facial augmentation procedures were performed involving the malar area, buccal area, lips, nasolabial folds, and mental region. Fat transfer volume ranged between 1 and 4 cc per site. In this report, 16 patients' results were documented 6 to 16 months postoperatively (mean follow-up time, 9.5 months) with a postoperative questionnaire and photographs. Results Social recovery for patients was short, with a recovery time of 2 to 20 days (mean, 10.91 days). There were no procedure-related complications at the fat harvest or recipient graft sites. The need for overcorrection was minimal. Graft maintenance during the average follow-up at 9.5 months appeared excellent and without appreciable volume loss. The mean patient satisfaction score was 7.64 +/- 2.97 on a scale of 0 to 10. Conclusions The authors' preliminary results have demonstrated that this technique is effective and highly predictable. The surgical time was short, and patient recovery time has been significantly reduced compared with recovery time after other fat injection techniques.
“The Spider Is Alive”: Reassessing Becker's Theory of Artistic Conventions through Southern Italian Music

Howard Becker wrote that art is constructed, and understood, according to conventions. However, Becker does not adequately explain how artists negotiate historical circumstances affecting their work. Using the southern Italian phenomenon of tarantism and its music, I address how contemporary musicians employ conventions to transform sounds with deviant connotations. The alteration of musical conventions reflects material social conditions in the Salento region and provides insight into the formation of a Salentinian cultural movement's ideology. By accounting for how social groups contend with history, I argue that sociologists must reconsider the theory of artistic conventions.
A clinicopathologic study of a cartilaginous hamartoma of the orbit: a rare cause of proptosis.

Abstract The clinical and morphologic features of a unique intraorbital cartilaginous tumor are described. This lesion was excised from the orbit of an 11-year-old girl who was known to have a mild prominence of the right eye since at least age 6 years. This mass was not situated in the vicinity of the trochea or adjacent to the orbital bones, and we speculate that it arose from primitive orbital mesenchyme, which normally only differentiates into cartilage in the trochlea. We have designated this lesion as a cartilaginous hamartoma because it seems to be a tumor-like malformation composed of tissues that are constituents of the normal orbit rather than a true chondroma.
Reverse osmosis properties of bentonite/glass bead mixtures at low compaction pressures

Abstract It is well-known that clays and shales can be membrane-functioning. When a hydraulic head difference exists across a membrane-functioning barrier, a portion of the solute is rejected from solution passing through the membrane. Many engineering structures such as landfill liners, mixed soil augered barriers, and retention pond liners consist of soil-clay mixes, which may have clay contents as low as 12%. Some shallow geologic environments may also contain similar clay/soil mixes. No previous testing has been performed to investigate hydraulic-head-induced solute rejection in such mixed soils. Therefore, we performed six experiments using five different mixes of Na-bentonite and glass beads (100%, 50%, 25%, 12%, and 0% clay) to determine if any of these mixes exhibited membrane properties and to determine what effect clay content had upon the membrane properties. All the mixtures were compacted to 690 kPa and the compacted soil samples were 0.56–1.40 mm thick. An approximately 35 ppm Cl − solution and a hydraulic head of approximately 90 kPa were used for all experiments. Experimental data shows that these simulated clay–sand mixtures do exhibit measurable membrane properties with as low as 12% clay by weight under these conditions. Calculated reflection coefficient values ranged from a low of 0.07 for 12% Na-bentonite to a high of 0.26 for 100% clay. Solute rejection ranged from 12.6% for 12% clay to a high of more than 40% for the 50% and 100% clay samples. The glass beads represent fine-grained sand and were shown to have no membrane properties.
MILLICENT TODD BINGHAM: HUMAN GEOGRAPHER AND LITERARY SCHOLAR

Millicent Todd Bingham was the first and only woman to earn a Ph.D. in the Department of Geology and Geography at Harvard. A talented linguist, she published in the classic tradition of the French school of human geography. Her professional geographic career came to a halt when she elected to edit the poems and letters of Emily Dickinson, work originally begun by her mother, Mabel Loomis Todd. Bingham's efforts resulted in the publication of several books and articles fundamental to the Dickinson scholarship. She credits her geographic training for much of her literary success.
TLS man-in-the-middle laboratory exercise for network security education

A novel laboratory exercise is presented that demonstrates a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack on web browser sessions that use the "secure" HTTPS protocol. The exercise presents the students with six different scenarios and challenges the student to determine if a MITM attack is taking place when they browse any website using the HTTPS protocol. Each scenario is defined in a single computer running Microsoft Windows Server with VMWare Workstation as an application. The virtual machines running in VMWare are connected and configured in such a way that a MITM attack is possible. Students log into a virtual machine running Microsoft Windows XP and use four different browsers, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome to browse the Internet and go to sites secured with HTTPS. Depending on the scenario, the MITM attack may or may not be present, and a malicious root certificate may or may not be installed in the web browser. Students are challenged to explain the browser behavior and to determine if a MITM attack is under way. The Windows Server images for the six scenarios can be automatically scheduled to be loaded on available blade servers based on reservations made by the students. Students then use the Remote Desktop Protocol to remotely log into the Windows Server host machine and perform the exercises. This exercise demonstrates the chain of trust of certificates in PKI, the importance of the authenticity of root certificates, the behavior of different web browsers under a MITM attack, and the ability to perform an undetectable MITM attack if the private key corresponding to a root certificate is know by the attacker. The experience of using this laboratory exercise during the spring semester of 2010 will be discussed along with student reactions.
Will retiring boomers really cause a stock market meltdown

The meltdown hypothesis predicts a large fall in stock prices when baby boomers cash in their equity holdings to fund their retirement. Using an estimated vector autoregression model this paper finds empirical evidence that retiring baby boomers will induce a drag on the stock market, but most likely not of meltdown proportions. An important discovery is that the response to shocks to the supply of equity securities is a key factor in short-term market price movements. Foreign buying associated with the current account deficit is shown to be a minor influence on stock prices.
Wetland gloom and wetland glory

Mountains were once no less feared and loathed than wetlands. Mountains, however, were aesthetically rehabilitated (in part by modern landscape painting), but wetlands remain aesthetically reviled. The three giants of American environmental philosophy--Thoreau, Muir, and Leopold--all expressed aesthetic appreciation of wetlands. For Thoreau and Muir--both of whom were a bit misanthropic and contrarian--the beauty of wetlands was largely a matter of their floral interest and wildness (freedom from human inhabitation and economic exploitation). Leopold's aesthetic appreciation of wetlands was better informed by evolutionary natural history and ecology. For example, cranes--wetland denizens--are more ancient than other large American avifauna and this evolutionary information and perspective enhances our aesthetic experience of them; and the ecological relationships between wetland species--such as sphagnum moss, tamaracks, and pitcher plants--informs our aesthetic experience of the wetlands biotic community...
Are loyal visitors desired visitors

Abstract Cruise managers strive to increase visitor loyalty for it is generally assumed that retaining current passengers is more viable and profitable than searching for new passengers. Yet, Opperman (Consumer psychology of tourism, hospitality and leisure. Wallingford, UK: CABI Publishing, pp. 19–37) argues that empirical evidence has yet to show that loyal customers are any better than new customers, and that loyalty segmentation must account for the vast differences between first time visitors and multiple time visitors. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to determine if loyal cruise visitors (passengers) are more desirable (based on repurchase intentions, word of mouth publicity, price sensitivity, money spent and risk-adjusted profitability index than both first time visitors and less loyal visitors. Results found that loyal visitors were found to be more likely to visit in the future, spread word of mouth advertising and to offer a lower risk associated with their profitability, while first time visitors and less loyal visitors are less price sensitive, and spend more. Specific managerial implications are discussed.
Evaluation of reticuloendothelial system phagocytic activity during systemic Candida albicans infection in mice.

SummaryMice infected with Candida albicans exhibited enhanced RES phagocytosis as measured by the clearance of colloidal carbon from the blood stream. Production of accelerated carbon clearance required living organisms. The time of onset of acceleration seemed to be dependent upon the size of the infecting inoculum and return to normal of the clearance occurred as the infection terminated. While accelerated clearance of colloidal carbon was produced by the infection, no change was seen at any time in the rate of clearance of microaggregated human serum albumin.We thank Mr. Joseph Edelin for his expert technical assistance.
A model of eldercare in the People's Republic of China.

Rapid industrialization in the People's Republic of China (PRC) since the late 1970s offers a unique opportunity to explore the relation between the political economy and the social support systems for the growing proportion of the elderly. Four categories of aged are identified and assistance to the aged is provided through three support systems. Analysis reveals that the future of the elderly in the PRC will be greatly influenced by: 1) the political agenda, 2) the degree to which traditional values toward the aged are preserved, 3) the degree to which the eldercare support system continues to be built on the existing social structure, 4) the degree to which the eldercare program becomes institutionalized in the state budget, and 5) the degree to which the elderly continue to be integrated into society.
Some remarks on direct execution computers

As Direct-Execution Computers (D.E.C.s) are expected to reduce the semantic gap between the software and the hardware concepts to zero, they have been considered to be innovative in computer architecture. It is our objective to discuss this claim in the light of some major issues such as hardware technology, multilanguage environment, etc.
A case of Nerium oleander toxicity: a thorny predicament.

Oleander plants are decorative, thorny shrubs that are commonly found in many parts of the world, including large areas of the southern United States. Regardless of the species of oleander, they contain significant concentrations of cardiac glycosides that may prove fatal if ingested. The effects of oleander poisoning have previously been reported in the toxicology and emergency medicine literature but, to our knowledge, have not previously been reported in the context of psychiatric care. Here we report the case of a man who presented with a variety of symptoms after eating leaves from an oleander plant.
Knee contractures as the presenting manifestation of scleroderma

Musculoskeletal disorders may be the primary manifestations of scleroderma. The case is reported of a patient admitted for an evaluation of severe knee flexion contractures who was diagnosed as having scleroderma but lacked the typical presenting features of the disease. Radiographic, serological, and histological support for this diagnosis are presented. Scleroderma should be considered in the diagnostic evaluation of joint contractures.
Reducing Uncertainty: Information Analysis for Comparative Case Studies

The increasing integration of qualitative and quantitative analysis has largely focused on the benefits of in-depth case studies for enhancing our understanding of statistical results. This article goes in the other direction to show how some very straightforward quantitative methods drawn from information theory can strengthen comparative case studies. Using several prominent “structured, focused comparison” studies, we apply the information-theoretic approach to further advance these studies' findings by providing systematic, comparable, and replicable measures of uncertainty and influence for the factors they identified. The proposed analytic tools are simple enough to be used by a wide range of scholars to enhance comparative case study findings and ensure the maximum leverage for discerning between alternative explanations as well as cumulating knowledge from multiple studies. Our approach especially serves qualitative policy-relevant case comparisons in international studies, which have typically avoided more complex or less applicable quantitative tools.
Use of 2-Ethoxyethanol and α-Amylase in the Neutral Detergent Fiber Method of Feed Analysis

Use of 2-ethoxyethanol in the NDF procedure for feed analysis was reevaluated, because justification for its use in the NDF procedure has diminished and 2-ethoxyethanol poses potential health hazards. Initial rationale for addition of 2-ethoxyethanol was to minimize inhibitory effects of decalin on filtration and to facilitate starch solubilization. Decalin is no longer recommended in the procedure; alpha-amylase is commonly used to facilitate starch solubilization. Objectives of this study were to evaluate effects on NDF values of: 1) eliminating 2-ethoxyethanol from the procedure and 2) addition of and timing of addition of alpha-amylase. Deletion of 2-ethoxyethanol resulted in lower NDF values than neutral detergent solution with 2-ethoxyethanol (61.95 and 62.06%, respectively). Neutral detergent fiber values were lower for samples treated with alpha-amylase just prior to filtration (61.86%) than for samples not treated with alpha-amylase (62.13%). Addition of alpha-amylase 30 min after onset of boiling resulted in lower values (62.07%) than with no alpha-amylase addition (62.29%) in solutions containing 2-ethoxyethanol but not in solutions without 2-ethoxyethanol. Observed treatment differences were small, however, and probably not of practical significance. No differences in NDF values were noted due to timing of alpha-amylase addition. Inclusion of samples requiring alpha-amylase to filter increased overall mean CV and resulted in no statistical differences between neutral detergent solutions or alpha-amylase treatments. Suggested modifications to the NDF procedure include elimination of 2-ethoxyethanol and addition of alpha-amylase just prior to filtering.
THE TAMOXIFEN CONTROVERSY : CLINICAL CHEMOPREVENTIVE AGENT AND EXPERIMENTAL CARCINOGEN

While dramatic decreases in the mortality of heart disease, the major fatal disease in the United States, have occurred since 1950, there has been a slight but measurable increase in the cancer mortality rate since 1950 in this country. The reasons for the former precipitous decline in death from heart disease are a balanced combination of prevention and early detection of risk factors combined with improved treatment modalities. While improved treatment modalities of neoplasia have led to significant decreases in certain cancers such as that of testis, Hodgkin's disease, acute lymphatic leukemia in children, and several other cancers, mortality rates from the major cancers, namely lung, breast, prostate, and colon, have either increased or not changed during this period (1). Since the treatment arm of cancer control has not exhibited the dramatic successes seen in, for example, heart disease therapy, many have and are advocating the importance of cancer prevention.Cancer prevention may be designated as e...
Give them what they want or give them what they need? Ideology in the study of leadership

Summary In recent years, a number of new, values-based, or ideological models focusing on leader behavior have been proposed. These models include authentic, servant, character-based, ethical, spiritual, and aesthetic leadership. In the present effort, we argue that these models, despite some differences in key dimensions, are tied together by a focus on moral behavior. The available evidence indicates that these models have only modest predictive power with respect to organizational performance criteria. More centrally, we argue that tests of these models are characterized by significant methodological problems with respect to both measurement and control. Moreover, these models suffer from some serious substantive concerns, including the explicit confounding of leadership and morality, discounting of system impacts, inappropriate assumptions about follower needs, and inappropriate scientific inferences. These models also fail to provide viable new approaches for leader development. We conclude that caution must be exercised when these models are employed as a basis for understanding leadership. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microarray analysis reveals novel gene expression changes associated with erectile dysfunction in diabetic rats

To investigate the full range of molecular changes associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) in Type 1 diabetes, we examined alterations in penile gene expression in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and littermate controls. With the use of Affymetrix GeneChip arrays and statistical filtering, 529 genes/transcripts were considered to be differentially expressed in the diabetic rat cavernosum compared with control. Gene Ontology (GO) classification indicated that there was a decrease in numerous extracellular matrix genes (e.g., collagen and elastin related) and an increase in oxidative stress-associated genes in the diabetic rat cavernosum. In addition, PubMatrix literature mining identified differentially expressed genes previously shown to mediate vascular dysfunction [e.g., ceruloplasmin (Cp), lipoprotein lipase, and Cd36] as well as genes involved in the modulation of the smooth muscle phenotype (e.g., Kruppel-like factor 5 and chemokine C-X3-C motif ligand 1). Real-time PCR was used to confirm changes in expression for 23 relevant genes. Further validation of Cp expression in the diabetic rat cavernosum demonstrated increased mRNA levels of the secreted and anchored splice variants of Cp. CP protein levels showed a 1.9-fold increase in tissues from diabetic rats versus controls. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated localization of CP protein in cavernosal sinusoids of control and diabetic animals, including endothelial and smooth muscle layers. Overall, this study broadens the scope of candidate genes and pathways that may be relevant to the pathophysiology of diabetes-induced ED as well as highlights the potential complexity of this disorder.
A Wife’s Separate Financial Arrangement in Contemporary Japan

This article tests the applicability of Treas’s transaction cost economic framework to contexts outside the allocation of bank accounts among married couples in the United States. Using the Japanese Panel Study of Consumer Life, the authors apply logistic regressions among Japanese couples who have joint accounts to predict (a) the chance that the wife has a separate bank account from the joint account and (b) the chance that she has an allowance. The results provide only partial support for the hypotheses based on Treas’s framework. Whereas Treas argues that the potential discontinuity of a marriage has a major influence on a couple’s separate financial arrangement, the study finds no evidence consistent with this argument. Although some of Treas’s hypotheses are well supported when predicting the chance that a Japanese wife has an allowance, the same hypotheses are not supported when predicting the chance that she has a separate bank account.
The Home Care Work Environment for Personal Assistance Service Workers

Occupational injury is a prevalent problem in long-term care. However, there is a noticeable lack of research related to workers providing Personal Assistance Services (PAS) – the personal care and housekeeping tasks that enable elderly and other disabled adults to live in community settings. We conducted a statewide computer assisted telephone survey of PAS providers (n=855) from California's In Home Supportive Services program to describe the homecare environment and its impact on the worker's health and ability to provide care. PAS providers reported on a variety of household and personal care tasks, including client lifting and transfers, as well as on barriers to care delivery. A total of 262 providers (31%) reported musculoskeletal symptoms or acute injuries causing at least moderate pain (defined as ‘prominent’ problems) that had occurred in the prior 12 months; 25% of that group (n=65) reported 12 or more episodes in the previous 12 months of probable work-related musculoskeletal symptoms. Because...
Two light-transducing membrane proteins: bacteriorhodopsin and the mammalian rhodopsin.

Abstract Site-directed mutagenesis has provided insight into the mechanisms of action of bacteriorhodopsin and rhodopsin. These studies are summarized here.
Heterotopic ossification in rectal cancer: Rare finding with a novel proposed mechanism.

The rare finding of heterotopic ossification in a case of primary rectal adenocarcinoma is described along with a review of the literature. Immunohistochemistry for a bone morphogenic protein (BMP-2) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), both of which induce and stimulate bone formation, was performed and revealed overexpression of BMP-2 by the tumor cells, elucidating a possible mechanism which up to now had been based merely on speculation.
Seizing the means of reproduction: entanglements of feminism, health, and technoscience

The ability to alter human reproduction through emerging technologies of the twenty-first century such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis or the transnational politics of the morning after pill h...
NMR Structure and Dynamics of the Response Regulator Sma0114 from Sinorhizobium Meliloti

Receiver domains control intracellular responses triggered by signal transduction in bacterial two-component systems. Here, we report the solution NMR structure and dynamics of Sma0114 from the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, the first such characterization of a receiver domain from the HWE-kinase family of two-component systems. The structure of Sma0114 adopts a prototypical α5/β5 Rossman-fold but has features that set it apart from other receiver domains. The fourth β-strand of Sma0114 houses a PFxFATGY sequence motif, common to many HWE-kinase-associated receiver domains. This sequence motif in Sma0114 may substitute for the conserved Y-T coupling mechanism, which propagates conformational transitions in the 455 (α4-β5-α5) faces of receiver domains, to prime them for binding downstream effectors once they become activated by phosphorylation. In addition, Sma0114 lacks the fourth α-helix of the consensus 455 face and 15N relaxation data show that it is replaced by a segment that is flexible on the ps-ns timescale. Secondary structure prediction of Sma0114 and other HWE-kinase-associated receiver domains suggests that the absence of helix α4 may be a conserved property of this family. In spite of these differences, Sma0114 has a conserved active site, binds divalent metal ions such as Mg2+ and Ca2+ that are required for phosphorylation, and exhibits μs-ms active site dynamics similar to other receiver domains. Taken together, our results suggest that Sma0114 has a conserved active site but differs from typical receiver domains in the structure of the 455 face that is used to effect signal transduction following activation.
CA2+-CALMODULIN PROMOTES SURVIVAL OF PHEROMONE-INDUCED GROWTH ARREST BY ACTIVATION OF CALCINEURIN AND CA2+-CALMODULIN-DEPENDENT PROTEIN KINASE

The cmd1-6 allele contains three mutations that block Ca2+ binding to calmodulin from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that strains containing cmd1-6 lose viability during cell cycle arrest induced by the mating pheromone alpha-factor. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) of alpha-factor for the calmodulin mutant is almost fivefold below the LD50 for a wild-type strain. The calmodulin mutants are not more sensitive to alpha-factor, as measured by activation of a pheromone-responsive reporter gene. Two observations indicate that activation of the Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin contributes to survival of pheromone-induced arrest. First, deletion of the gene encoding the calcineurin regulatory B subunit, CNB1, from a wild-type strain decreases the LD50 of alpha-factor but has no further effect on a cmd1-6 strain. Second, a dominant constitutive calcineurin mutant partially restores the ability of the cmd1-6 strain to survive exposure to alpha-factor. Activation of the Ca2+-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) also contributes to survival, thus revealing a new function for this enzyme. Deletion of the CMK1 and CMK2 genes, which encode CaMK, decreases the LD50 of pheromone compared with that for a wild-type strain but again has no effect in a cmd1-6 strain. Furthermore, the LD50 of alpha-factor for a mutant in which the calcineurin and CaMK genes have been deleted is the same as that for the calmodulin mutant. Finally, the CaMK and calcineurin pathways appear to be independent since the ability of constitutive calcineurin to rescue a cmd1-6 strain is not blocked by deletion of the CaMK genes.
Opinion Leadership and Social Contagion in New Product Diffusion

We study how opinion leadership and social contagion within social networks affect the adoption of a new product. In contrast to earlier studies, we find evidence of contagion operating over network ties, even after controlling for marketing effort and arbitrary systemwide changes. More importantly, we also find that the amount of contagion is moderated by both the recipients' perception of their opinion leadership and the sources' volume of product usage. The other key finding is that sociometric and self-reported measures of leadership are weakly correlated and associated with different kinds of adoption-related behaviors, which suggests that they probably capture different constructs. We discuss the implications of these novel findings for diffusion theory and research and for marketing practice.
A 100-kHz-22-GHz instrumentation photoreceiver

A photoreceiver consisting of a high-speed p-i-n photodetector and a 100-kHz to 22-GHz distributed amplifier is described. Photoreceiver calibration is accomplished by optical heterodyne techniques. The photoreceiver is used with a microwave spectrum analyzer to produce a fully amplitude-calibrated 22-GHz-bandwidth lightwave signal analyzer system for displaying intensity-modulated light with -65-dB (optical) sensitivity at 1300-nm and 1550-nm wavelengths. >
Prolonged sublethal exposure to the protein phosphatase inhibitor microcystin-LR results in multiple dose-dependent hepatotoxic effects

The purpose of this study was to relate dose-dependent hepatotoxicity stemming from prolonged exposure to sublethal concentrations of the cyclic heptapeptide microcystin-LR (Mcyst) to hepatic Mcyst concentrations and protein phosphatase activity. Mcyst is a potent inhibitor of protein phosphatase types 1 and 2A (PP1 and PP2A). Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused continuously with 0, 3, 6, or 9 micrograms Mcyst/day for 28 days using intraperitoneal mini-osmotic pumps containing highly purified toxin or saline. At the end of 28 days, dose-dependent increases in several serum biochemical tests including sorbitol dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and bile acids had occurred. Serum albumin decreased in a dose-dependent fashion. Liver activity of both PP1 and PP2A decreased in a dose-dependent manner, but with a relatively greater effect on PP2A than PP1. Liver cytosol Mcyst concentrations, measured by direct competitive ELISA, also increased in a dose-dependent manner, although at a higher rate than would be predicted from the incremental increase in dose given. This disproportional increase is suggestive of the bioaccumulation of Mcyst with increasing dose. Histopathological abnormalities included hepatocellular apoptosis and cytosolic vacuolation of principally zone 3 hepatocytes. Immunohistochemical stains revealed Mcyst predominantly within pericanalicular regions of zone 3 hepatocytes. It was concluded that prolonged exposure to sublethal concentrations of Mcyst results in multiple dose-dependent hepatotoxic effects that correspond to decreased hepatic serine/threonine protein phosphatase activity and increasing cytosolic Mcyst concentrations. The disproportional increase of hepatic Mcyst concentrations observed may suggest the bioaccumulation of toxin and an increasing relative risk of hepatotoxicity with increasing dose.
The Plight of the Novice Teacher

Abstract Once hired, beginning teachers face the daunting and demanding task of setting up a classroom and becoming a teacher that influences student achievement in positive ways. This article addresses some of these challenges and provides meaningful suggestions for principals and administrators hoping to support, sustain, and retain their novice teachers.
Provisioning for large scale cloud computing services

Resource provisioning, the task of planning sufficient amounts of resources to meet service level agreements, has become an important management task in emerging cloud computing services. In this paper, we present a stochastic modeling approach to guide the resource provisioning task for future service clouds as the demand grows large. We focus on on-demand services and consider service availability as the key quality of service constraint. A specific scenario under consideration is when resources can be measured in base instances. We develop an asymptotic provisioning methodology that utilizes tight performance bounds for the Erlang loss system to determine the minimum capacity levels that meet the service availability requirements. We show that our provisioning solutions are not only asymptotically exact but also provide better QoS guarantees at all load conditions.
Range Contamination and Its Effect on Measurements

Increased sensitivity and dynamic range of the instrumental techniques used in conjunction with experiments on ballistic ranges have brought to the fore many problems arising from contamination in the ranges themselves. This is seldom discussed when experimental results are presented but is frequently the controlling limitation on the accuracy of the measurements. The authors discuss contamination due to dirt and debris resultant from gun operation, gaseous impurities, and projectile-borne impurities as they have occurred at the Re-entry Simulating Range of Lincoln Laboratory. The effects of these contaminants on measurements are discussed and illustrated, and measures for controlling them are outlined. Finally, a particular range operation is described from the standpoint of impurity control.
Semantic Provisioning of Children's Food: Commerce, Care and Maternal Practice.

Drawing upon in-depth interviews with mothers in the US about feeding their young children, this article examines how consumer culture — broadly construed — constitutes part of the indispensable context of mothering practices. The argument put forward is that mothers not only provide food and sustenance for their children, but necessarily encounter, engage with and make use of commercial meanings of foodstuffs as part and parcel of the caring work they accomplish while providing food and meals. The concept of ‘semantic provisioning’ is meant to capture the meaning-making labor of mothers as it arises in sometimes contentious negotiations with children over ‘proper’ and ‘appropriate’ foodstuffs and meals. The approach offered seeks to demonstrate how commerce, sentiment, caring and children’s subjectivities interweave at the level of practice.
Was Newton right? A search for non-Newtonian behavior of weak-field gravity

Empirical tests of Einstein's metric theory of gravitation, even in the non- relativistic, weak-field limit, could play an important role in judging theory-driven extensions of the current Standard Model of fundamental interactions. Guided by Galileo's work and his own experiments, Newton formulated a theory of gravity in which the force of attraction between two bodies is independent of composition and proportional to the inertia of each, thereby transparently satisfying Galileo's empirically informed conjecture regarding the Universality of Free Fall. Similarly, Einstein honored the manifest success of Newton's theory by assuring that the linearized equations of GTR matched the Newtonian formalism under "classical" conditions. Each of these steps, however, was explicitly an approximation raised to the status of principle. Perhaps, at some level, Newtonian gravity does not accurately describe the physical interaction between uncharged, unmagnetized, macroscopic bits of ordinary matter. What if Newton were wrong? Detecting any significant deviation from Newtonian behavior, no matter how small, could provide new insights and possibly reveal new physics. In the context of physics as an empirical science, for us this yet unanswered question constitutes sufficient motivation to attempt precision measurements of the kind described here. In this paper we report the current status of a project to search for violation of the Newtonian inverse square law of gravity.
Mortality in Perspective: Mifepristone-Misoprostol Medical Abortion

During recent months, the number of deaths attributable to medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol has raised much concern among government regulators, Congress, and healthcare providers in the United States. Exactly which component of the medical abortion was the cause has been a source of much speculation. Despite the ease with which such speculation has been offered and, in some cases, acted upon, the evidence for each putative cause must still be considered. The mortality risk associated with medical abortion is similar to that of spontaneous abortion and is much lower than that of childbirth itself. And, what risk does exist more likely is attributable to social and policy-related issues that exist only in the United States than to the medical abortion process itself. Seven deaths coinciding with medical abortion have been reported since 2001, 4 of which were related to infection with a rare organism, Clostridium sordellii. 1 Two of these deaths were recently reported; one has been clearly deemed to be unrelated to the medical abortion, and the other is still under investigation. One other temporally related death was found not to be attributable to the medical abortion. Several organizations including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have voiced concern that differences in medical abortion regimens may explain some of these deaths. The vast majority of women undergoing medical abortions and all of the women who died did not use the regimen approved by the FDA. However, to understand the risks of medical abortion, it is important to first understand the specifics of the regimens, to put the risks into perspective, and to understand what other factors might be related—beyond the medications themselves.
Characterization of a Novel Intestinal Glycerol-3-phosphate Acyltransferase Pathway and Its Role in Lipid Homeostasis.

Dietary triglycerides (TG) are absorbed by the enterocytes of the small intestine after luminal hydrolysis into monacylglycerol and fatty acids. Before secretion on chylomicrons, these lipids are reesterified into TG, primarily through the monoacylglycerol pathway. However, targeted deletion of the primary murine monoacylglycerol acyltransferase does not quantitatively affect lipid absorption, suggesting the existence of alternative pathways. Therefore, we investigated the role of the glycerol 3-phosphate pathway in dietary lipid absorption. The expression of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT3) was examined throughout the small intestine. To evaluate the role for GPAT3 in lipid absorption, mice harboring a disrupted GPAT3 gene (Gpat3−/−) were subjected to an oral lipid challenge and fed a Western-type diet to characterize the role in lipid and cholesterol homeostasis. Additional mechanistic studies were performed in primary enterocytes. GPAT3 was abundantly expressed in the apical surface of enterocytes in the small intestine. After an oral lipid bolus, Gpat3−/− mice exhibited attenuated plasma TG excursion and accumulated lipid in the enterocytes. Electron microscopy studies revealed a lack of lipids in the lamina propria and intercellular space in Gpat3−/− mice. Gpat3−/− enterocytes displayed a compensatory increase in the synthesis of phospholipid and cholesteryl ester. When fed a Western-type diet, hepatic TG and cholesteryl ester accumulation was significantly higher in Gpat3−/− mice compared with the wild-type mice accompanied by elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase, a marker of liver injury. Dysregulation of bile acid metabolism was also evident in Gpat3-null mice. These studies identify GPAT3 as a novel enzyme involved in intestinal lipid metabolism.