cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of the monotopic membrane protein (S)-mandelate dehydrogenase at 2.2 Å resolution

The x-ray structure of the monotopic membrane protein (S)-mandelate dehydrogenase (MDH) from Pseudomonas putida reveals an inherent flexibility of its membrane binding segment that might be important for its biological activity. The surface of MDH exhibits a concentration of the positive charges on one side and the negative charges on the other side. The putative membrane binding surface of MDH has a concentric circular ridge, formed by positively charged residues, which projects away from the protein surface by ∼4 A; this is an unique structural feature and not observed in other monotopic membrane proteins to our knowledge. There are three α-helixes in the membrane binding region. Based on the structure of MDH, it is possible to propose that the interaction of MDH with the membrane is stabilized by coplanar electrostatic interactions, between the positively charged concentric circular ridge and the negatively charged head-groups of the phospholipid bilayer, along with three α-helixes that provide additional stability by inserting into the membrane. The structure reveals the possible orientation of these helixes along with possible roles for the individual residues which form those helixes. These α-helixes may play a role in the enzyme's mobility. A detergent molecule, N-Dodecyl-β-maltoside, is inserted between the membrane binding region and rest of the molecule and may provide structural stability to intra-protein regions by forming hydrogen bonds and close contacts. From the average B-factor of the MDH structure, it is likely that MDH is highly mobile, which might be essential for its interaction in membrane and non-membrane environments, as its substrate (S)-mandelate, is from the cytoplasm, while its electron acceptor is a component of the membrane electron transport chain.
Nanoparticles Self-Assembly within Lipid Bilayers.

Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are used to model the self-assembly of small hydrophobic nanoparticles (NPs) within the interior of lipid bilayers. The simulation results reveal the conditions under which NPs form clusters and lattices within lipid bilayers of planar and spherical shapes, depending on the NP–lipid coupling strengths. The formation of nanopores within spherical bilayers with self-assembled planar NPs is also described. These observations can provide guidance in the preparation of functional bio-inorganic systems.
Examining the Relationship Between Neurosteroids, Cognition, and Menopause With Neuroimaging Methods

Previous literature has shown inconsistent findings regarding the effects of neurosteroids on the brain in postmenopausal women. The goal of this paper is to examine how and whether advances in neuroimaging have helped elucidate the relationship between the withdrawal of and/or treatment with neurosteroids and cognition at menopause. Neuroimaging techniques such as structural and functional MRI have been used in recent studies to examine the relationship between neurosteroids and brain structure and functioning. However, the recent literature shows that different formulations of postmenopausal hormones given at different times, through different routes of administration, and in different combinations with progestins result in a variety of relationships with the brain outcomes. We suggest that still further research is needed to understand how the structural changes resulting from estrogen withdrawal or therapy at menopause can influence cognitive functioning. However, imaging studies are time-, resource-, and expertise-intensive. We believe that this information will help uncover the mechanisms and relationships that can aid in the explanation of the individual differences in the effects of menopause on the brain as well as how this menopause-related hormone change influences risk for pathological aging.
Secrecy sum-rate analysis of massive MIMO systems under dual-threat attacks using normalization methods

Abstract Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) has been considered as an emerging technology to enhance the spectral and energy efficiency for the upcoming wireless communication systems. This paper derives a closed-form approximation for the Ergodic Achievable Secrecy Sum-Rate (EASSR) by considering the joint impact of eavesdroppers and jammers. Two widely used linear precoding techniques, Zero-Forcing (ZF) and Maximum Ratio Transmission (MRT), were used in conjunction with matrix and vector normalization to analyze the secrecy performance. Closed-form expressions are used to explain how the secrecy performance is affected when using the ZF and MRT precoding in the eavesdropping and jamming attack models. We also analyze and compare the performances of different combinations of normalization method and precoding technique in various scenarios. From the analytical expressions and simulation results, we observe that the vector and matrix normalization perform better for the ZF precoding than for the MRT precoding in high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) scenarios. However, in low SNR, the MRT with matrix normalization outperforms the ZF with vector normalization regardless of the number of users in the system. Further, we observe that the MRT fails to serve more than two users in high SNR scenario. Numerical results obtained from Monte Carlo simulation are used to corroborate the accuracy of the asymptotic secrecy analysis.
Decreased quality of life (QoL) in hypopituitary patients: involvement of glucocorticoid replacement and radiation therapy

Hypopituitary patients are assumed to have decreased QoL due to GHD. However, in placebo controlled trials, the effects of GH replacement are no different from placebo. Hydrocortisone dose > 20 mg/day and pituitary radiation are independently associated with poorer QoL. We assessed QoL in panhypopituitary GH- deficient patients never treated with GH. Study group was divided into: (a) surgery followed by radiation (n = 21) and (b) surgery alone (n = 32). Mean duration of GHD was 71.4 ± 7.8 months and mean daily hydrocortisone dose was 15 ± 0.7 mg. Control group had transnasal surgery for benign sinus conditions (n = 54). AGHDA scores were significantly worse in the entire study group compared to controls (8.1 ± 1.0 vs. 5.1 ± 0.9, p = 0.03). In patients with history of radiation therapy AGHDA scores were significantly worse than in controls (9.1 ± 1.5, p = 0.02) and SNOT-22 (Sino-Nasal Outcome Test) scores were also significantly worse (15.8 ± 2.0 vs. 23.2 ± 3.5, p = 0.04). However, AGHDA scores in patients without history of radiation and on “physiological” dose of hydrocortisone were similar to those in controls (5.1 ± 0.9 vs. 7.3 ± 1.3, p = 0.17). Replacement with hydrocortisone doses not exceeding 20 mg/day and avoidance of radiation therapy was accompanied by normal QoL in patients not replaced with GH. Thus, we suggest that the decreased QoL in hypopituitary patients may not be due to GH deficiency per se, but rather to high hydrocortisone doses and to aftereffects of cranial radiation.
Effect of harvest date on off-flavor development in mandarins following postharvest wax application

Abstract Mandarins (Citrus reticulata Blanco) are very prone to off-flavor formation following the postharvest application of wax and it had been previously observed that off-flavor also increases with advanced fruit maturity. To more fully evaluate the maturity effect on off-flavor and to determine potential causal mechanisms for it, ‘Owari’ and ‘China S-9’, two Satsuma varieties, were harvested at three to four dates within the harvest season, waxed and placed into storage for either 2 weeks at 5 °C or 1 week at 5 °C + 1 week 20 °C, the latter treatment being expected to develop off-flavor. The testing was conducted over three seasons with ‘W. Murcott’, a non-Satsuma variety, being included in the third season. In all three seasons analyses were conducted for various parameters related to fruit internal atmosphere composition. At the end of the storage period, in the first two seasons, the fruit were evaluated for flavor using a semi-expert sensory panel. Consistently, in seasons 1 and 2 where flavor was evaluated, both Satsuma varieties did not develop off-flavor or a loss in acceptability in the initial harvest. In subsequent harvests, however, off-flavor became increasingly noticeable and was correlated with the decline in flavor acceptability. There were occasional impacts on other flavor attributes, but the results were inconsistent. Advancing maturity in all three seasons was associated with a decrease in internal oxygen and an increase in internal carbon dioxide, except in the case of ‘W. Murcott’ where there was little or no change in internal oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide. Enhanced fermentative metabolism was indicated in the later harvests in the form of higher ethanol in the Satsuma varieties. Peel gas permeance measurements performed in season 3 showed no meaningful relationship with the internal gas concentrations measured during the season. Respiration rate, however, strongly increased during the season in the Satsuma varieties and decreased in ‘W. Murcott, both changes being associated with the internal gas composition. It is concluded that maturity influences the propensity for off-flavor development in mandarins, but it does not occur in every instance and is influenced by year, storage and temperature. The potential mechanism modulating the change in the three varieties examined in this study appeared to be changes in the rate of respiration, since when respiration is sufficiently high, oxygen levels decline to a level where fermentation occurs, and off-flavor becomes apparent.
Feasibility study of deep neural networks to classify intracranial aneurysms using angiographic parametric imaging

Purpose: Angiographic Parametric Imaging (API) based on Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) of Intracranial Aneurysms (IA) can provide parameters related to contrast flow. In this study we propose to investigate the use of a Deep Neural Network (DNN) to analyze API parameters to classify IAs as un-treated or treated, quantify the prediction accuracy, and compare its performance with the Naive Bayes (NB) and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithms. Materials and Methods: DSA scans were obtained from patients with un-treated and treated IAs. Three datasets were created based on treatment method: coiled, flow-diverted and combined. These scans were analyzed to provide API parameters for the IA and corresponding main artery. IA parameters were normalized to the main artery parameters. Data was augmented by adding Gaussian noise. The DNN, NB and KNN models were trained on API parameters and tested to classify aneurysms as un-treated or treated. This was performed on each dataset for both normalized and un-normalized data. Results: The DNN had an accuracy and ROC AUC of 72.4% and 0.80 respectively on un-normalized coiled data, 87.9% and 0.95 respectively on normalized coiled data, 73.9% and 0.79 respectively on un-normalized flow-diverted data, 85.3% and 0.80 respectively on normalized flow-diverted data, 62.9% and 0.64 respectively on un-normalized combined data, 64.8% and 0.73 respectively on normalized combined data. Conclusions: This study proves feasibility of using DNNs to classify IAs and make other clinical predictions using normalized API data with treatment methods separated, in addition to being more effective than other classifiers.
Draft Genome Sequences of Seven Legionella pneumophila Isolates from a Hot Water System of a Large Building

Public health data show that a significant fraction of the nation's waterborne disease outbreaks are attributable to premise plumbing. We report the draft genome sequences of seven Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 isolates from hot water lines of a large building. Genomic analysis identified the isolates as belonging to sequence type 1.
Reliability and Validity of the Berg Balance Scale in the Stroke Population: A Systematic Review

Aims: The aim of this systematic review is to assemble literature on the reliability and validity of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) to determine its suitability as a clinical tool in patients post-st...
Acute stress imposed during adolescence yields heightened anxiety in Sprague Dawley rats that persists into adulthood: Sex differences and potential involvement of the Medial Amygdala.

Abstract Stressors experienced during adolescence have been demonstrated to have a long-lasting influence on affective behavior in adulthood. Notably, most studies to date have found these outcomes after chronic stress during adolescence. In the present study we tested how exposure to a single episode of acute footshock during early adolescence would modify subsequent adult anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Adolescent rats were exposed to inescapable footshock (80 shocks, 5 s, 1.0 mA, 90 sec variable inter-trial interval (ITI)) at Post-natal day (PND) 29-30 and remained undisturbed until adulthood where they were evaluated with several behavioral assays for anxiety as well as depressive-like behavior via forced swim. In addition, gene expression changes were assessed immediately after a 30 min forced swim challenge in adulthood among several stress-related brain regions including the Central Amygdala (CeA), Medial Amygdala (MeA), ventral Hippocampus (vHPC), and Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN). Studies used real-time RT-PCR to examine the cytokines Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), the immediate early genes c-Fos, c-Jun, Egr1 and Arc, and several genes relating to corticosteroid receptor function (glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor (GR and MR, respectively), Gilz (glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper), Sgk1 (Serum and Glucocorticoid regulated Kinase 1)). Behaviorally, males displayed signs of increased anxiety, most notably in the light-dark box, whereas females did not. No notable depressive-like behavior was observed in forced swim as a result of adolescent stress history, but adolescent footshock exacerbated the c-Fos response in the MeA produced by swim in both sexes. Forced swim led to increased IL-1β expression in the PVN regardless of adolescent stress history, whereas most HPA (hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal) axis-related genes were largely unaffected in the vHPC. To determine the potential for β-adrenergic receptors to contribute to the male-specific anxiety-like behavior, two further studies applied a β-adrenergic agonist (isoproterenol) or antagonist (propranolol) in male rats. These studies found that propranolol administered 2 h after footshock led to a reduction in some anxiety-like behaviors as compared to controls. Overall, these findings suggest that exposure to a single, intense stress challenge imposed during adolescence may have sex-specific consequences across the lifespan and may implicate the MeA in developmental plasticity.
Tracing the Equilibrium Phase of Cancer Immunoediting in Epidermal Neoplasms via Longitudinal, Intravital Imaging.

Recognition of transformed cells by the immune system can sometimes generate a rate-limiting equilibrium phase, wherein tumor outgrowth is prevented without complete neoplasm elimination. Targeting premalignancies during this immune-controlled bottleneck is a promising strategy for rational cancer prevention. Thus far, immune equilibrium has been difficult to model in a traceable way, and most immunoediting systems have been limited to mesenchymal tumor types. Here, we introduce a mouse model for fluorescent tracing of somatic epithelial transformation. We demonstrate that transplantation can be used to prevent a confounding artificial tolerance that affects autochthonous inducible models. Using this system, we observe the expected dichotomy of outcomes: immune-deficient contexts permit rapid tumorigenesis, whereas initiated clones in immunocompetent mice undergo elimination or equilibrium. The equilibrium phase correlates with localization within hair follicles, which have been characterized previously as relatively immune-privileged sites. Given this, we posit that valleys in the immune surveillance landscape of a normal tissue can provide a cell-extrinsic alternative to the canonical cell-intrinsic adaptations believed to establish the equilibrium phase. Our model is a prototype for tracing immunoediting in vivo and could serve as a novel screening platform for therapies targeted against immune-controlled premalignancies.
Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy and Simple Adaptive Control Methods for Alleviating the Seismic Responses of Coupled Buildings with Semi-active Devices: Comparative Study

This paper describes two adaptive control methods for mitigating the seismic responses of two connected buildings with MR dampers at different levels. First method developed in this study is the adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller which consists of a fuzzy logic controller provided with learning algorithm based on adaptive neural networks. The learning algorithm is implemented to modify the parameters of the fuzzy logic controller such that its outputs track the behavior of predetermined training data. Second method is the simple adaptive controller which falls into the category of model-following adaptive strategies. In this method, a plant is commanded to follow a well-designed reference-model with desirable trajectories through a closed loop action. The coupled system consists of two adjacent buildings having different heights in order to separate the model shapes of the individual buildings. Different types of feedbacks such as displacement, velocity, and acceleration are employed to identify their impacts on the performance of the developed adaptive controllers. Numerical analyses are carried out for the complex system assuming no change in the nominal design parameters and then for the system where a change in these parameters is introduced. The results reveal that using the adaptive controllers developed in this study to regulate the MR dampers connecting the two adjacent buildings can successfully alleviate the seismic responses under various types and intensities of earthquakes.
LePrimAlign: local entropy-based alignment of PPI networks to predict conserved modules

Cross-species analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks provides an effective means of detecting conserved interaction patterns. Identifying such conserved substructures between PPI networks of different species increases our understanding of the principles deriving evolution of cellular organizations and their functions in a system level. In recent years, network alignment techniques have been applied to genome-scale PPI networks to predict evolutionary conserved modules. Although a wide variety of network alignment algorithms have been introduced, developing a scalable local network alignment algorithm with high accuracy is still challenging. We present a novel pairwise local network alignment algorithm, called LePrimAlign, to predict conserved modules between PPI networks of three different species. The proposed algorithm exploits the results of a pairwise global alignment algorithm with many-to-many node mapping. It also applies the concept of graph entropy to detect initial cluster pairs from two networks. Finally, the initial clusters are expanded to increase the local alignment score that is formulated by a combination of intra-network and inter-network scores. The performance comparison with state-of-the-art approaches demonstrates that the proposed algorithm outperforms in terms of accuracy of identified protein complexes and quality of alignments. The proposed method produces local network alignment of higher accuracy in predicting conserved modules even with large biological networks at a reduced computational cost.
A Condensed View of the Chromosome Passenger Complex.

The inner centromere is a region on the mitotic chromosome that serves as a platform for mitotic signaling and possesses unique biophysical properties that enable it to withstand relatively large pulling forces that are generated by kinetochores (KTs) during chromosome segregation. The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) localizes to and is the key regulator of inner centromere organization and function during mitosis. Recently, we demonstrated that in addition to its kinase and histone code-reading activities, the CPC also can undergo liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and proposed that the inner centromere is a membraneless organelle scaffolded by the CPC. In this perspective, we explore mechanisms that can allow the formation and dissolution of this membraneless body. The cell-cycle-regulated spatially defined assembly and disassembly of the CPC condensate at the inner centromere can reveal general principles about how histone modifications control chromatin-bound membraneless organelles. We further explore how the ability of the CPC to undergo LLPS may contribute to the organization and function of the inner centromere during mitosis.
Peer Ostracism as a Sanction Against Wrongdoers and Whistleblowers

Retaliation against whistleblowers is a well-recognized problem, yet there is little explanation for why uninvolved peers choose to retaliate through ostracism. We conduct two experiments in which participants take the role of a peer third-party observer of theft and subsequent whistleblowing. We manipulate injunctive norms (whether company policy is ambiguous or unambiguous regarding the action) and descriptive norms (whether others behave similarly). Both experiments (1) support the core of our theoretical model, based on social intuitionist theory (Haidt in Psychol Rev 108:814–834, 2001), such that moral judgments of the acts of wrongdoing and whistleblowing influence the perceived likeability of each actor and ultimately influence intention to ostracize each actor and (2) indicate more willingness to ostracize the whistleblower than the wrongdoer. When we vary norms for the wrongdoing in Experiment 1, we find that descriptive and injunctive norms indirectly influence intentions to ostracize both the wrongdoer and whistleblower. These relationships are serially mediated by the observers’ moral judgments of the act (wrongdoing or whistleblowing) and likeability of the actor (wrongdoer or whistleblower). When we vary norms for whistleblowing in Experiment 2, the injunctive norm manipulation affected moral judgment of the action of whistleblowing, and we do not observe any other significant effects of the norm manipulations on moral judgments of the actions of wrongdoing or whistleblowing.
COVID-19 vaccine development: a pediatric perspective.

Purpose of review Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has caused substantial morbidity and mortality. Operation Warp Speed aims to accelerate the development of a safe and effective vaccine by early 2021. Multiple vaccine candidates with reassuring safety and efficacy profiles have advanced to phase 3 clinical trials in adults. The purpose of this review is to describe the burden of COVID-19 in children, to update pediatricians about adult COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, to discuss the importance of COVID-19 vaccine trials in children and to instill confidence in the established vaccine development and licensure processes. Recent findings Children of all ages are at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease manifestations. Children are also susceptible to downstream effects of COVID-19, including social isolation and interruption in education. Developing a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine could prevent disease, mitigate downstream effects and enable children to re-engage in their world. Summary Children could benefit both directly and indirectly from vaccination. In light of the safety and immunogenicity results from recent adult COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, children should have the opportunity to be included in clinical trials in parallel to ongoing adult phase 3 clinical trials in a manner that is careful, methodical and transparent.
‘Maybe this is the place for me:’ a qualitative study examining needs and length of stay in recovery house residents

The current qualitative study recruited 10 first-time Oxford House residents to participate in semi-structured interviews to explore their needs and factors affecting their length of stay. Intervie...
U.S. radiation oncology and medical oncology department faculty diversity trends by sex and underrepresented in medicine status over five decades.

11010Background: Academic faculty are critical in training future generations of oncologists to care for our increasingly diverse cancer patient population. It is unclear if the growing imperative ...
Nuclear Norm Based Spectrum Estimation for Molecular Dynamic Simulations

Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations are used to probe molecular systems in regimes not accessible to physical experiments. A common goal of these simulations is to compute the power spectral density (PSD) of some component of the system such as particle velocity. In certain MD simulations, only a few time locations are observed, which makes it difficult to estimate the autocorrelation and PSD. This work develops a novel nuclear norm minimization-based method for this type of sub-sampled data, based on a parametric representation of the PSD as the sum of Lorentzians. We show results on both synthetic data and a test system of methanol.
The relationship between ventilatory function and cognitive and behavioral impairment in ALS.

Objective: To study the association between ventilatory function and cognitive and behavioral impairment in ALS patients accounting for the effects of pertinent covariates. Methods: Four hundred an...
Effect of stress triaxiality and penny-shaped pores on tensile properties of laser powder bed fusion Ti-6Al-4V

Abstract In this study, the effect of internal penny-shaped pores on the strength and ductility of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V under uniaxial tension and notched tension loading was investigated. The behaviors of fully dense samples were compared to those of samples containing pores whose diameters ranged from 150 µm to 3000 µm within 6 mm diameter gauge regions. For uniaxial tension specimens, loss of strength occurred for samples containing pores larger than 870 µm (2.1% of the cross-sectional area), while ductility decreased for pores larger than 150 µm (0.07% of the cross-sectional area). The notched tension specimens – also with 6 mm diameter gauge regions and subject to greater stress triaxialities than uniaxial tension – were more severely affected by the pores; pores larger than 150 µm resulted in a reduction of strength, while all pore sizes significantly reduced ductility. Dense finite element simulations showed that plastic strain to failure was dependent on stress triaxiality in samples containing pores with a diameter of 540 µm (0.8% of the cross-sectional area) and smaller, while samples with larger pores failed with negligible plastic strain regardless of stress triaxiality. X-ray computed tomography showed negligible volumetric growth of pores for samples loaded to 75% of their displacement to failure.
Mitonuclear interactions alter sex-specific longevity in a species without sex chromosomes.

Impaired mitochondrial function can lead to senescence and the ageing phenotype. Theory predicts degenerative ageing phenotypes and mitochondrial pathologies may occur more frequently in males due ...
Using Fundamental Groups and Groupoids of Chord Spaces to Model Voice Leading

We model voice leading using tools from algebraic topology, principally the fundamental group, the orbifold fundamental group, and related groupoids. Doing so is a natural extension of modeling voice leading by continuous paths in chord spaces. The resulting algebraic precision in the representation of voice leadings and their concatenations allows for new distinctions between voice crossing cases, and enhanced connections with other approaches to voice leading.
Determination of the strong coupling constant ({alpha}{sub s}) and a test of perturbative QCD using W + jets processes in the D0 detector

The D0 experiment has accumulated data for a study of inclusive W production corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 14.3 {plus_minus} 1.7 pb{sup {minus}1} during the 1992--1993 Fermilab Tevatron collider run. The total number of W {yields} e + {nu} candidates is 9770. The ratio of the number of W + 1 jet events to that of W + 0 jet events has been measured as a function of jet minimum E{sub T}. Using this ratio the strong coupling constant, {alpha}{sub s} at Q{sup 2} = M{sub W}{sup 2} is measured to be {alpha}{sub s}(M{sub W}{sup 2}) = 0.124 {plus_minus} 0.005(stat) {plus_minus} 0.006(MC) {plus_minus} 0.008(theory){sub {minus}0.022}{sup +0.026}(sys) or ({sub {minus}0.025}{sup +0.028} combined) with a jet minimum E{sub T} of 25 GeV. A quantitative test of perturbative QCD has been made by comparing the experimentally measured ratio with the theoretical predictions. The theoretical predictions of the ratio in both the leading order and next-to-leading order are in good agreement with the measured ratio.
Sex differences observed in forearm exercise vasodilation are not mediated through differences in nitric oxide or prostaglandin signaling (1106.3)

We hypothesized exercise vasodilation in skeletal muscle differs between sexes due to nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX) signalling. 39 healthy adults (19 females, F, 20 males, M,...
Web image transcoding and a proxy-based solution for small devices

Small portable devices like personal digital assistants (PDA) are increasingly becoming a common tool for Internet browsing. These devices are recently coming to the market with Internet-ready features such as Wi-Fi ready connections. One of the challenging tasks about Internet browsing on these devices is to display and browse images downloaded from Web servers. This is due to the fact that these devices have limited capabilities in terms of device resources such as display/size, memory, storage, computation power, and battery power. In this paper we first introduce some popular transcoding technologies, and then we propose a proxy-based transcoding solution to enhance small devices to browse Web pages efficiently.
Haplotype blocks in small populations

Data on the human genome are showing conserved haplotype blocks. In order to assess whether these are the footprints of selection or reflect hotspots of recombination, it is first necessary to understand the effects of population history and demography on the survival of ancestral chromosome segments in the absence of these phenomena. In this paper, we present results on the mean and variance of lengths of ancestral segments and shared segments in chromosomes from a current population. In a small population, patterns of growth and population subdivision may have a substantial impact on observed patterns of chromosome segments, and the length distributions have high variance and are heavy-tailed.
Women's Experiences With Feelings and Attractions for Someone Outside their Primary Relationship

The purpose of this article is to explore women's experiences with attractions and feelings for people outside their primary romantic relationship. In an anonymous Internet-based survey, 160 women answered open-ended questions about crushes. Women had varied experiences with, and diverse strategies for, managing crushes. The majority of women reported the crush did not impact their primary relationship; participants also reported that these crushes improved their desire for their partner. The majority of women in this sample did not communicate with their partners about their crushes. This research can be used by therapists and counselors working with patients experiencing these feelings.
Atmospheric science: Sea-spray particles cause freezing in clouds.

Ice clouds in marine regions at high latitudes might form in warmer and drier air than was previously believed because of freezing induced by airborne particles that contain organic materials from ocean surface waters. See Letter p.234 The presence of ice in clouds can have an influence on cloud lifetime and radiative properties. It remains uncertain to what extent sea spray may act as ice nucleating particles that facilitate the formation of ice in clouds. This study finds that organic material at the sea–air interface, probably derived from phytoplankton cell exudates, nucleates ice under conditions relevant for ice cloud formation in the atmospheric environment. Model simulations suggest that marine organic material may be an important source of ice nucleating particles in remote marine environments such as the Southern Ocean.
Accelerating adaptation of natural resource management to address climate change.

Natural resource managers are seeking tools to help them address current and future effects of climate change. We present a model for collaborative planning aimed at identifying ways to adapt manage- ment actions to address the effects of climate change in landscapes that cross public and private jurisdictional boundaries. The Southwest Climate Change Initiative (SWCCI) piloted the Adaptation for Conservation Targets (ACT) planning approach at workshops in 4 southwestern U.S. landscapes. This planning approach successfully increased participants' self-reported capacity to address climate change by providing them with a better understanding of potential effects and guiding the identification of solutions. The workshops fostered cross- jurisdictional and multidisciplinary dialogue on climate change through active participation of scientists and managers in assessing climate change effects, discussing the implications of those effects for determining management goals and activities, and cultivating opportunities for regional coordination on adaptation of management plans. Facilitated application of the ACT framework advanced group discussions beyond assessing effects to devising options to mitigate the effects of climate change on specific species, ecological functions, and ecosystems. Participants addressed uncertainty about future conditions by considering more than one climate-change scenario. They outlined opportunities and identified next steps for implementing several actions, and local partnerships have begun implementing actions and conducting additional planning. Continued investment in adaptation of management plans and actions to address the effects of climate change in the southwestern United States and extension of the approaches used in this project to additional landscapes are needed if biological diversity and ecosystem services are to be maintained in a rapidly changing world.
Fate of Agrobacterium radiobacter K84 in the environment

Agrobacterium radiobacter K84 is an effective, commercially applied, biological control agent for the plant disease crown gall, yet little is known about the survival and dissemination of K84. To trace K84 in the environment, spontaneous antibiotic-resistant mutants were used. Growth rates and phenotypes of streptomycin- or rifampin-resistant K84 were similar to those of the parental K84, except the rifampin-resistant mutant produced less agrocin 84 as determined by bioassay. K84 and a strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens established populations averaging 10(5) CFU/g in the rhizosphere of cherry and persisted on roots for 2 years. K84 established rhizosphere populations between 10(4) and 10(6) CFU/g on cherry, ryegrass, and 11 other herbaceous plants. Populations of K84 declined substantially in fallow soil or water over a 16-week period. K84 was detected in the rhizosphere of ryegrass located up to 40 cm from an inoculum source, indicating lateral dissemination of K84 in soil. In gall tissue on cherry, K84 established populations of 10(5) CFU/g, about 10- to 100-fold less than that of the pathogen. These data demonstrate that K84 persists for up to 2 years in a field environment as a rhizosphere inhabitant or in association with crown gall tissue.
El Caiman Yacaré Negro (Melanosuchus niger Spix) en Colombia

La Seccion de Herpetologia del Museo de Historia Natural de La Salle ha sido aumentada con la adquisicion de una piel y craneo de Melanosuchus niger o Caiman Yacare Negro (*), de algo mas de 3.50 metros de longitud. El ejemplar fue coleccionado en 1928 par la Comision de Limites que demarco la linea fronteriza entre Colombia y el Brasil, y durante largos anos permanecio depositado como trofeo en la sala de recibo de una distinguida familia bogotana. A principios de 1955 fue obsequiado al citado Museo por el doctor Rafael Ruiz Manrique y por el R. H. Tomas Bernardo, profesor del Instituto de La Salle. Este ejemplar es el primero que se conoce de este genero en las colecciones cientificas de Colombia. Al mencionar el Caiman Yacare Negro en la revista CALDASIA hace diez anos (**) el doctor E. R. Dunn dice: "Hasta ahora el unico ejemplar de Melanosuchus niger que se ha senalado en Colombia fue fotografiado en Leticia por el senor Carlos Lehmann; su tamano era algo mayor de cuatro metros".
An Automated Fluorometric Method for Determination of Lactic Dehydrogenase in Serum

A simple automated method for the determination of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in serum by the forward lactate → pyruvate reaction is presented. Enzyme activity is determined by measuring the fluorescence of DPNH formed after a fixed incubation time. Detailed studies of various parameters of the reaction, reproducibility, and recovery data, and a comparison with two manual methods for LDH are presented.
Certain reactions of 2-bromo-3,4,5,6-tetrafluorophenyllithium

Abstract 2-Bromo-3,4,5,6-tetrafluorophenyllithium has been prepared. Its stability, benzyne formation and reactions with water, trimethylchlorosilane and mercuric chloride have been studied. Anomalous reactions on carbonation of this organolithium reagent have been noted, and a reasonable explanation in terms of rates of carbonation is given.
Response of the Rat Submaxillary Gland to Pilocarpine: A Quantitative Analysis of Gross and Microscopic Changes

The gross weight, gross volume, and the relative volume of certain microscopic components were determined for the submaxillary glands of rats given injections of pilocarpine. On comparison with control rats, there were significant differences in the weight and volume of the whole glands and in the relative volume of the microscopic components.
Effect of Pleurotomy on Pulmonary Function After Median Sternotomy

Abstract To determine whether pleurotomy during median sternotomy worsens postoperative pulmonary function, patients whose pleurae remained intact (N = 7) were compared with those whose pleural spaces were entered during median sternotomy (N = 31). Thirty-eight adults performed spirometry and N 2 washout to determine functional residual capacity preoperatively and 2, 24, 48, and 72 hours after extubation. Two mediastinal drainage tubes were placed in every patient; no pleural drainage tubes were inserted. Chest roentgenograms were performed preoperatively and 24 and 72 hours after extubation. Preoperatively, functional residual capacity, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ), and FEV 1 /FVC did not differ between groups. Postoperatively, in all patients developed a restrictive pulmonary defect, but mean functional residual capacity, FVC, FEV 1 , and FEV 1 /FVC did not differ between groups. In contrast to earlier reports, entering the pleural space did not worsen the restrictive pulmonary defect that results from median sternotomy when direct pleural drainage was avoided.
Client as designer in collaborative design science research projects: what does social science design theory tell us?

This paper reports a study of a design science research project in which researchers in computer science and earth science collaborated to attack a looming problem in the earth sciences – the need ...
The interaction of mercury with cadmium and zinc in mammalian embryonic development.

Abstract Mercuric acetate (Hg) together with either cadmium sulfate (Cd) or zinc sulfate (Zn) were administered intravenously to pregnant golden hamsters on the eighth gestation day in order to study their effects upon embryogenesis. Upon sacrifice on either Day 12 or 14 of gestation, the resorption and malformation rates were determined and all living embryos were scrutinized for gross malformations. Several generalizations can be made regarding these experiments. (1) The detrimental effects of the Hg + Cd combinations are much more severe than those of the Hg + Zn combinations. (2) With both combinations the severity of the embryotoxicity depends upon the method by which the metals are introduced and to some extent upon the dosage level of the Hg. (3) The protective value of Zn against the embryopathic effects of Hg is also determined by the method of administration of the two metals. (4) Both the types of malformations observed after the administration of either Cd or Hg alone are detected in the animals treated with Hg + Cd. (5) The Hg + Zn combinations produce only a few miscellaneous malformations. The results are briefly correlated with known biological actions of Cd, Hg, and Zn.
Differences in Sexual Risk Behavior and HIV/AIDS Risk Factors Among Foreign-Born and US-Born Hispanic Women

Hispanic women in the United States (US) are disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. There are very limited data on the sexual risk differences among US-born Hispanic women (USBHW) and foreign-born Hispanic women (FBHW). Sexually active USBHW and FBHW were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Demographics, sexual history, testing for HIV or sexually transmitted infection (STI), condom use, partner sexual risk and alcohol/substance use were compared between USBHW and FBHW. FBHW were 3.5 years older than USBHW at first sexual experience (95% CI: 2.8, 4.1; P 1 reported sexual partner in the last year. FBHW reported fewer risk behaviors and lower rates of STI and alcohol/drug abuse. However, FBHW were less likely to have been tested for HIV. HIV prevention strategies would better target Hispanic women in the US if differences in risk behavior between FBHW and USBHW were incorporated.
Interval-based algorithms to extract fuzzy measures for Software Quality Assessment

In this paper, we consider the problem of automatically assessing sofware quality. We show that we can look at this problem, called Software Quality Assessment (SQA), as a multicriteria decision-making problem. Indeed, just like software is assessed along different criteria, Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is about decisions that are based on several criteria that are usually conflicting and non-homogenously satisfied. Nonadditive (fuzzy) measures along with the Choquet integral can be used to model and aggregate the levels of satisfaction of these criteria by considering their relationships. However, in practice, fuzzy measures are difficult to identify. An automated process is necessary and possible when sample data is available. Several optimization approaches have been proposed to extract fuzzy measures from sample data; e.g., genetic algorithms, gradient descent algorithms, and the Bees algorithm, all local search techniques. In this article, we propose a hybrid approach, combining the Bees algorithm and an interval constraint solver, resulting in a focused search expected to be less prone to falling into local results. Our approach, when tested on SQA decision data, shows promise and compares well to previous approaches to SQA that were using machine learning techniques.
Affinity purification of Hydra glutathione binding proteins

The association of glutathione (GSH) with putative external chemoreceptors elicits feeding behavior in Hydra. In the present study, solubilized membrane proteins were chromatographed on an affinity column of immobilized GSH in order to isolate GSH-binding proteins that may represent the Hydra GSH chemoreceptor. The most abundant of the affinity-purified proteins was a triplet of peptides ranging in molecular weight from 24.5–26 kDa. Antiserum generated against the 24.5–26 kDa triplet peptides inhibited GSH-stimulated feeding behavior by 47%, implicating a role for one or more of these peptides in Hydra chemoreception.
Les pressions de radiation et leur aspect tensoriel

Lorsque des ondes elastiques sont emises, absorbees ou reflechies par des corps, ceux-ci sont soumis a des efforts dus aux tensions de radiation. Dans le cas d'une onde plane non perturbee, l'evaluation du tenseur des efforts moyens permet de connaitre les efforts agissant sur un obstacle. Le tenseur des efforts moyens est d'abord evalue dans le cas d'un milieu non dispersif (vitesse de phase independante de la frequence), puis dans le cas d'un milieu dispersif. Des exemples d'application sont etudies et en particulier la notion de section efficace d'un obstacle spherique se trouve precisee.
Fast Poisson solvers for MIMD computers

Abstract The methods of cyclic reduction, Fourier analysis and the resulting hybrid algorithm FACR( l ) are formulated for a shared memory multiprocessor and applied to the two-dimensional Poisson equation. The complexity of the algorithms is analyzed, performance curves are given and optimal values of the parameter l are determined for various problem sizes and degrees of parallelism. The algorithms are implemented on a shared memory multiprocessor and performance results are discussed.
Effects of partial hepatectomy on organ-specific toxic response to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

The organ-specific toxic potency of subcutaneously administered 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) was compared in partially hepatectomized and sham-operated rats over a dose range of 20–80 mg kg−1 to assess the roles of hepatic and extrahepatic metabolism in protection against acute renal and gonadal injury. Relative kidney weight and the severity of DBCP-induced renal proximal tubular cell necrosis were increased in rats subjected to a partial (70%) surgical hepatectomy 48 h prior to treatment with DBCP at 80 mg kg−1. Relative liver weight was reduced by DBCP in the hepatectomized, but not in the shamoperated, rats. The severity of DBCP-induced (80 mg kg−1) hepatocellular centrilobular necrosis was greater in hepatectomized than in sham rats. DBCP reduced the relative weights of the testis and epididymis in a progressive manner and produced dose-dependent seminiferous tubular atrophy within 12 days of treatment. The morphologically apparent lesions of the testis and epididymis were enhanced by hepatectomy. The concentration of non-protein sulfhydryl groups (NPS) in rat liver was increased by partial hepatectomy. Because of the resulting decrease in liver size, however, the total amount of hepatic NPS per kg body weight 48 h post-surgery was lower than in sham rats. The surgery had no effect on renal, testicular or epididymal NPS concentrations or organ weights. Partial hepatectomy greatly increased pentobarbital and ethanol sleeping times, while sleep induction time for pentobarbital was decreased. These results are consistent with previous studies indicating that the metabolism of DBCP and conjugation with glutathione in the liver protects extrahepatic organs from toxic insult. Moreover, since extrahepatic toxicity was still evident, and often enhanced, after partial hepatectomy, extrahepatic necrogenic or cytotoxic responses would not appear to be dependent on hepatic metabolism of DBCP to a direct toxicant.
Reducing swing of model helicopter sling load using input shaping

Helicopter sling-load operations are extremely useful, but they can also be dangerous. Excessive swinging of the load can degrade control, cause the payload to collide with obstacles, or allow the suspension cable to get tangled with objects. Suppressing load swing could increase safety and productivity. Input shaping is a control technique that has been used to suppress vibration of flexible machines, such as robots, satellites, and cranes. To investigate the use of input shaping on helicopters, a dynamic model is formed to characterize the translational response of a model helicopter and sling load to lateral control inputs. This translational model is used to simulate point-to-point movements with and without input shaping for a range of move distances. The input-shaped movements show greatly-reduced residual swing, with only a minor increase in move time. Data from an experimental trial using a model helicopter is presented.