cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stark Field Modulated Microwave Detection of Molecular Chirality

Patterson, Schnell, \& Doyle, {\it Nature} {\bf 497}, 475 (2013) introduced a microwave experiment that produces a perpendicularly polarized molecular emission when chiral molecules are resonantly excited in the presence of a Stark Field that is then adiabatically switched off before observation of the emission. The sign of the signal is opposite for two stereo-enantiomers and thus the magnitude of the signal gives the enantiomeric excess of the sample. This paper presents a detailed presentation of the theory behind this and provides expressions for the absolute calculation of the expected signal strength for different transitions.
A Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Latency-Associated Transcript Mutant with Increased Virulence and Reduced Spontaneous Reactivation

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) latency-associated transcript (LAT) gene is essential for efficient spontaneous reactivation of HSV-1 from latency. We previously reported that insertion of the LAT promoter and just the first 1.5 kb of the 8. 3-kb LAT gene into an ectopic location in the virus restored wild-type spontaneous reactivation to a LAT null mutant. This mutant, LAT3.3A (previously designated LAT1.5a), thus showed that the expression of just the first 1.5 kb of LAT is sufficient for wild-type spontaneous reactivation. We also showed that in the context of the entire LAT gene, deletion of LAT nucleotides 76 to 447 (LAT mutant dLAT371) had no effect on spontaneous reactivation or virulence. We report here on a LAT mutant designated LAT2.9A. This mutant is similar to LAT3.3A, except that the ectopic LAT insert contains the same 371-nucleotide deletion found in dLAT371. We found that LAT2.9A had a significantly reduced rate of spontaneous reactivation compared to marker-rescued and wild-type viruses. This was unexpected, since the combined results of dLAT371 and LAT3.3A predicted that spontaneous reactivation of LAT2.9A would be wild type. We also found that LAT2.9A was more virulent than wild-type or marker-rescued viruses after ocular infection of rabbits. This was unexpected, since LAT null mutants and LAT3.3A have wild-type virulence. These results suggest for the first time (i) that regions past the first 1.5 kb of LAT can compensate for deletions in the first 1.5kb of LAT and may therefore play a role in LAT dependent spontaneous reactivation and (ii) that regions of LAT affect viral virulence.
Affine invariant wavelet transform

We present a two-dimensional wavelet transform that is invariant to affine distortions of the input signal. Affine distortions include geometric effects such as translation, reflection, uniform and anisotropic scaling, rotation, and shearing of the input signal. Invariance of the wavelet transform to affine distortions is achieved in our work by developing an algorithm that reduces replicas of a signal related by affine distortions to a unique prototype signal. The affine invariant wavelet transform is then defined as the two-dimensional wavelet transform of the prototype signal, which provides the wavelet coefficients that are invariant to affine distortions of the input signal. We describe our algorithm and show examples that demonstrate our claims.
IL-12 and Type-I IFN Synergize for IFN-γ Production by CD4 T Cells, Whereas Neither Are Required for IFN-γ Production by CD8 T Cells after Listeria monocytogenes Infection

Differentiation of Ag-specific T cells into IFN-γ producers is essential for protective immunity to intracellular pathogens. In addition to stimulation through the TCR and costimulatory molecules, IFN-γ production is thought to require other inflammatory cytokines. Two such inflammatory cytokines are IL-12 and type I IFN (IFN-I); both can play a role in priming naive T cells to produce IFN-γ in vitro. However, their role in priming Ag-specific T cells for IFN-γ production during experimental infection in vivo is less clear. In this study, we examine the requirements for IL-12 and IFN-I, either individually or in combination, for priming Ag-specific T cell IFN-γ production after Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) infection. Surprisingly, neither individual nor combined defects in IL-12 or IFN-I signaling altered IFN-γ production by Ag-specific CD8 T cells after Lm infection. In contrast, individual defects in either IL-12 or IFN-I signaling conferred partial (∼50%) reductions, whereas combined deficiency in both IL-12 and IFN-I signaling conferred more dramatic (75–95%) reductions in IFN-γ production by Ag-specific CD4 T cells. The additive effects of IL-12 and IFN-I signaling on IFN-γ production by CD4 T cells were further demonstrated by adoptive transfer of transgenic IFN-IR +/+ and IFN-IR −/− CD4 T cells into normal and IL-12-deficient mice, and infection with rLm. These results demonstrate an important dichotomy between the signals required for priming IFN-γ production by CD4 and CD8 T cells in response to bacterial infection.
Overlay caching scheme for overlay networks

Recent years have seen a tremendous growth of interests in streaming continuous media such as video over the Internet. This would create an enormous increase in the demand on various server and networking resources. To minimize service delays and to reduce loads placed on these resources, we propose an Overlay Caching Scheme (OCS) for overlay networks. OCS utilizes virtual cache structures to coordinate distributed overlay caching nodes along the delivery path between the server and the clients. OCS establishes and adapts these structures dynamically according to clients' locations and request patterns. Compared with existing video caching techniques, OCS offers better performances in terms of average service delays, server load, and network load in most cases in our study.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Work in progress: Weekly innovation challenge: Changing the mindset one step at a time every week

While the value of the entrepreneurial mindset in engineering is now well recognized, faculty members are still struggling to find curricular and extracurricular activities to instill this mindset. This paper presents weekly innovation challenges as a relatively easy to implement set of activities that can be incorporated into: • Existing courses as impromptu competitions and icebreakers that require no major curricular overhaul • Extracurricular activities to effectively engage students and faculty, and • Outreach activities to promote STEM and entrepreneurship through summer camps, engineers week competitions, K-12 outreach, and open-house events. The goal of the weekly innovation challenges is to instill the entrepreneurial mindset and foster interdisciplinary team to address a need under tight time constraints. In the long-term, the challenges have the potential to change the eco-system of the entire school. This paper provides insights into the organization of such challenges and logistics in conducting them.
Bush, Obama: (in)formality as persuasion in political discourse

This paper, framed under the scope of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), explains social processes by analyzing discourse practices. It proposes (para)linguistic variables employed in the creation of (in)formality in discourse in relation to two Aristotelian persuasive modes: Ethos and Pathos (Kennedy 1991). These modes of persuasion reveal different ways to convey a political message in the current U.S. political scene.This paper compares the stylistic differences in speeches given by George W. Bush and Barack Obama to justify escalating troops in the conflicts of Iraq (2007) and Afghanistan (2009), respectively. I propose (para)linguistic indicators of formality associated with Aristotelian modes at the level of linguistic choices (“lexical variables” [Schilling-Estes 2004] and “marked register usages” [Myers-Scotton 2001]), textual organization (structure and predictability), non-verbal communication (i.e. laughter; Jefferson, Sacks & Schegloff 1987), and intertextuality (Blackledge 2005; Fairclough 1992, 2003) by means of new voices (Bakhtin 1981) into the here-and-now moment of discourse. Keywords: Political discourse; Bush; Obama; formality; style; intertextuality; persuasion
Ecology, pollution and business: A proposed planning solution

Abstract Pollution has, for many years, been a major issue on the international scene. Discussion has been generated by opposing views which range between those who view the ecological issue as a crisis situation as against those who believe in the ability of technology to solve all environmental problems. This paper examines some of the issues and indicates alternative methods of control and their implications for the business institution. Pollution is not a new problem or a new phenomenon; excavations of previous civilizations have shown layers of pollution. Nevertheless, recently pollution has become a major issue involving governmental control and therefore one of fundamental importance to businesses when evaluating new projects, and therefore yet another pressure on the business executive.
Synthesis of aza substituted polycycles via rhodium (II) carboxylate induced cyclization of diazoimides

Abstract Treatment of several substituted diazoimide derivatives with rhodium (II) carboxylates results in nitrogen-containing cyclic carbonyl ylide formation followed by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition.
On the Applicability of Mathematics to Nature: Roger Bacon and his Predecessors

Roger Bacon has often been victimized by his friends, who have exaggerated and distorted his place in the history of mathematics. He has too often been viewed as the first, or one of the first, to grasp the possibilities and promote the cause of modern mathematical physics. Even those who have noticed that Bacon was more given to the praise than to the practice of mathematics have seen in his programmatic statements an anticipation of seventeenth-century achievements. But if we judge Bacon by twentieth-century criteria and pronounce him an anticipator of modern science, we will fail totally to understand his true contributions; for Bacon was not looking to the future, but responding to the past; he was grappling with ancient traditions and attempting to apply the truth thus gained to the needs of thirteenth-century Christendom. If we wish to understand Bacon, therefore, we must take a backward, rather than a forward, look; we must view him in relation to his predecessors and contemporaries rather than his successors; we must consider not his influence, but his sources and the use to which he put them.
Bacterial growth efficiency varies in soils under different land management practices

Abstract Transformations of plant-derived carbon into soil organic carbon (SOC) influences both local and global carbon cycles. Soil bacteria play a major role in SOC transformations, which are important for maintaining soil fertility and for stabilizing carbon in soil. SOC is consumed by bacteria in soil and transformed into biomass or respired to carbon dioxide. This bacterial-driven partitioning of SOC is defined as Bacterial Growth Efficiency (BGE) and it is an integral component of models that simulate carbon dynamics. We tested the variability of BGE in microbial communities from soil by measuring bacterial production (BP) and respiration (BR), the two components of BGE, in slurries of soils collected from deciduous forests and croplands at the Kellogg Biological Station Long Term Ecological Research site. BP was measured as 3H-leucine incorporation into protein and BR as oxygen consumption. The differences in BP and BR in soil under different land management practices revealed that BGE was not static but varied from 0.23 to 0.63, supporting more recent SOC models. Bacterial communities from soils of soybean monoculture cropland tended to have a higher BGE than those from deciduous forests. BGE of cropland soil microbes exhibited a large seasonal variation not observed in forest soils. Nutrient amendments on rotation cropland soil microcosms showed that BGE is sensitive to substrate availability and nutrient stoichiometry. Using a range of growth efficiency expected of terrestrial ecosystem, simulations of carbon dynamics in a forest using the DAYCENT model revealed the sensitivity of equilibrium soil carbon values to changes in growth efficiency. Decreasing the default growth efficiency of 0.45 to a growth efficiency of 0.35 reduced the active carbon fraction by 22%. This sensitivity emphasizes the importance of site-specific BGE measurements for improving the predictive capacity of SOC models, especially when investigating the effects of changes in land management practices on labile SOC transformation. The weak correlation of BP and BR in most soil tested also showed that BGE is a more valuable measurement than the common interpretation of bacterial activity based on BR.
Transcription Factor ATF Interacts with the TATA Factor to Facilitate Establishment of a Preinitiation Complex

The mammalian activator protein ATF stimulates transcription from the adenovirus E4 promoter by binding to multiple upstream promoter and enhancer elements. DNAase footprint analyses have revealed that there are cooperative interactions between ATF and TFIID (the mammalian TATA factor) when both are bound simultaneously to the promoter and that these interactions in turn facilitate promoter recognition by RNA polymerase II and the general initiation factors TFIIB and TFIIE. However, the complex of TFIID and the other general factors is stable following oligonucleotide-mediated dissociation of ATF from the complete preinitiation complex. These results indicate that TFIID is a direct target for ATF, that these interactions facilitate assembly of a complete preinitiation complex, and that the role of ATF might be transient.
Postprocessor for structured FORTRAN

Structured FORTRAN is an extension of FORTRAN language with constructs like DO WHILE, CASE, IF THEN ELSE, etc., that will allow people to write structured programs in FORTRAN. Many preprocessors have been. developed for various versions of structured FORTRAN that will convert programs written in it into regular FORTRAN programs. The resulting programs are then compiled with the regular FORTRAN compiler. This arrangement prohibits teaching structured FORTRAN language to beginning students in computer science because the actual debugging is done on the converted program in regular FORTRAN and then re-converted back to structured FORTRAN. It also poses problems for running experiments comparing programming efforts between a structured FORTRAN language and regular FORTRAN.One solution to these difficulties is to develop a postprocessor. A postprocessor is a processor which will collect the information produced by regular FORTRAN compiler and correlate the information with the program written in structured FORTRAN. This way, by appending a preprocessor and a postprocessor to structured FORTRAN, programmers will not be aware of the intermediate conversion steps that took place during the compilation of their programs. This postprocessor will also eliminate the need of a new structured FORTRAN compiler since the combined function of preprocessor, FORTRAN compiler and postprocessor exactly carries out the functions of a structured FORTRAN compiler.A general design of a postprocessor is described in this paper. Its impact on the existing FORTRAN compiler is kept to a minimum and its communication with the preprocessor is kept simple. The actual implementation will differ for each FORTRAN compiler due to the very fact that compilers are machine dependent. A set of proposed uses of the postprocessor will also be summarized in the paper.
Detection of Small Airway Dysfunction Using Specific Airway Conductance

Study objective To assess the potential utility of specific airway conductance (sGaw) in detecting small airways dysfunction, the postlung-transplant bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) was used as a model of small airways dysfunction. BOS is defined as an otherwise unexplained 20% reduction in FEV 1 . We hypothesized that if sGaw is sensitive to small airways dysfunction, it should decrease before the decline in FEV 1 Design/methods The pulmonary function test and sGaw measurements of patients who underwent heart-lung or bilateral lung transplantation between May 1981 and January 1993 were reviewed. Patients with and without BOS were identified. A significant decrease in sGaw was defined as a 20% fall from baseline. Results Twenty-six BOS and 15 non-BOS patients had at least three sGaw measurements such that trends could be examined. Eleven of the 26 BOS patients (42%) had a significant decrease in sGaw before a 20% decrease in FEV 1 , as compared to 2 of the 15 non-BOS patients (13%) (p=0.08). In comparison, 12 of the 26 BOS patients (46%) and 4 of the 15 non-BOS patients (27%) had a significant decrease in forced expiratory flow at 25 to 75% of the forced lung volume (FEF25-75) (p=0.32), an accepted test of small airways dysfunction. Conclusion sGaw tended to decrease before FEV 1 in BOS. The trend in sGaw was similar to the trend in FEF25-75. We conclude that (1) small airways may contribute more to airway conductance than previously thought, and (2) further prospective studies are warranted to better define the relative contribution of small and large airways to sGaw.
Neural activation during encoding of emotional faces in pediatric bipolar disorder.

Objective: Neurobiological understanding of bipolar disorder (BD) is limited by a paucity of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research examining correlates of psychological processes. To begin to address these limitations, the current study tests the hypothesis that pediatric BD (PBD) subjects exhibit altered neural activation during encoding of emotional faces compared to typically developing controls. Methods: Pediatric BD subjects (n = 23; mean age = 14.2 ± 3.1 years) and controls (n = 22; mean age = 14.7 ± 2.3 years) were matched on age, gender, and IQ. In this event-related fMRI study, subjects were scanned while viewing emotional faces and given a surprise recognition memory test 30 min postscan. Our main outcome measure was between-group differences in neural activation during successful versus unsuccessful face encoding. Results: Pediatric BD youth exhibited reduced memory for emotional faces, relative to healthy comparisons, particularly on fearful faces. Event-related fMRI analyses controlling for this behavioral difference showed that PBD subjects, compared to controls, had increased neural activation in the striatum and anterior cingulate cortex when successfully encoding happy faces and in the orbitofrontal cortex when successfully encoding angry faces. There were no between-group differences in neural activation during fearful face encoding. Conclusions: Our results extend what is known about memory and face emotion processing impairments in PBD subjects by showing increased fronto-striatal activation during encoding of emotional faces. Further work is required to determine the impact of mood state, medication, and comorbid illnesses on these findings.
Membrane glycoprotein choreography

It is generally understood that interactions of the integral plasma membrane proteins with the underlying cytoskeleton are responsible for many cellular processes, including cell motility, cell adhesion, cell polarity, and membrane internalization. Although a few membranecytoskeletal interactions have been defined at the molecular level, there has been no clear consensus about the overall organization of the cell cortex, a structure that includes both the membrane bilayer and its associated cytoskeleton. Views on the organization of the plasma membrane range from those in which all but a select set of plasma membrane proteins are free to diEuse in the plane of the membrane [1,2] to those in which the majority of membrane proteins are anchored in place by the cytoskeleton [ 3,4]. Furthermore, investigations of cell motility have often emphasized that the cortical actin cytoskeleton and components of the cell surface exist in a constant state of flux [ 51. Can all of these diverse views be incorporated into an overall model of the cell cortex?
On the Origins of the Office of Head of the Jews in the Fatimid Empire

Students of medieval Near Eastern Jewish history have long recognized the immediate relevance of Islamic legal sources delineating the status of dhimmīs (i.e., all non-Muslim protected peoples) to understanding the position of Jews in Islamic domains.1 Jews are rarely singled out in the sources relating to the legal status of the religious minorities. For instance, the extant versions of the so-called Pact of ‘Umar, the document which spells out the obligations and privileges of the dhimmī communities, specify Christians as the recipients. Hence inferences about the position of the Jews in Islamic law have perforce had to be drawn from records referring to dhimmīs in general, or to Christians in particular. relating to the legal status of the religious minorities. For instance, the extant versions of the so-called Pact of 'Umar, the document which spells out the obligations and privileges of the dhimmī communities, specify Christians as the recipients. Hence inferences about the position of the Jews in Islamic law have perforce had to be drawn from records referring to dhimmīs in general, or to Christians in particular. In a similar vein, attention has properly been paid to the fact that such documents as the important Caliphal charter for a twelfth-century Nestorian Catholicos, head of the principal Christian denomination in the eastern Islamic lands, shed light on the administrative relationship between the Islamic state and the Jewish minority.
Occipital cortical neurons with transient pyramidal tract axons extend and maintain collaterals to subcortical but not intracortical targets.

Abstract During the early postnatal development of the rat large numbers of pyramidal tract neurons are present in layer V of the occipital cortex, but by the end of the third postnatal week the distribution of pyramidal tract neurons becomes restricted to the more rostral cortical areas31,38. This restriction is brought by selective collateral elimination rather than by cell death38. We have found, by using retrogradely transported fluorescent dyes as either short-term or long-term markers, that occipital cortical neurons which had transiently extended pyramidal tract axons maintain subcortical axonal connections to either the superior colliculus or the pons, and, at least in the case of the corticotectal projection, that the maintained collateral is present prior to the elimination of the transient pyramidal tract collateral. Further, it appears that at no time during postnatal development do the occipital pyramidal tract neurons form either callosal or ipsilateral cortico-cortical collaterals. Thus in the early postnatal occipital cortex the neurons which project through the pyramidal tract constitute a population of cells which is separate from neurons which make cortico-cortical connections, but which largely overlaps with the population of corticotectal and corticopontine neurons.
Parental Alcoholism and Gender as Moderators of Maladaptive Schema Endorsement following Childhood Emotional Maltreatment

Experiences of childhood emotional maltreatment exert powerful yet heterogeneous effects on individuals, suggesting that other factors play a significant role in determining long-term adaptation. This study examined whether childhood emotional maltreatment, parental alcoholism, and gender predicted endorsement of early maladaptive schema domains. College students (N = 301) completed questionnaires assessing trauma exposure, parental alcoholism, maladaptive schemas, and posttraumatic symptoms. Analyses revealed that experiences of childhood emotional maltreatment predicted each of the four schema domains (i.e., disconnection, impaired autonomy, impaired limits, and exaggerated standards). Parental alcoholism moderated the relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and the impaired autonomy schema domain. Gender moderated the relationships between childhood emotional maltreatment and the impaired autonomy and impaired limits schema domains. These findings support Young, Klosko, and Weishaar's (20...
Using near Infrared Spectroscopy to Monitor the Preparation of Compounds for Screening as Antituberculosis Drugs

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy provides an opportune method for assessing the progress of reactions leading to compounds for evaluation as tuberculostats. The advantages of NIR include convenience of sample handling and ease of quantification. Rate estimates obtained from NIR are useful in categorising reactions and adjusting preparative conditions.
A Case of False Negative NIPT for Down Syndrome-Lessons Learned

Down syndrome or trisomy 21 is the most common cause of prenatal chromosome abnormalities with approximately 50% of all reported chromosome conditions. With the successful introduction of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for Down syndrome into routine prenatal care, it is important to understand the risks, benefits, and limitations in order to guide patients in making an informed decision. Herein, we describe the first published case report of a patient whose fetus tested “negative” for Trisomy 21 by NIPT but was diagnosed postnatally with trisomy 21. We present the importance of proper pretest and posttest genetic counseling to ensure prenatal patients are able to make informed decisions and are educated appropriately about NIPT.
How electron cryotomography is opening a new window onto prokaryotic ultrastructure

Electron cryotomography is an emerging technology that enables thin samples, including small intact prokaryotic cells, to be imaged in three dimensions in a near-native ‘frozen-hydrated’ state to a resolution sufficient to recognize very large macromolecular complexes in situ. Following years of visionary technology development by a few key pioneers, several laboratories are now using the technique to produce biological results of major significance in the field of prokaryotic ultrastructure. Recent discoveries have included the surprising generality and complexity of the cytoskeleton, the connectivity of key membrane compartments, the location and architecture of large macromolecular machines such as the ribosome and flagellar motors, and the structure of some extraordinary external appendages. Through further technology development, identification of the most revealing model systems and sustained effort, electron cryotomography is poised to help resolve many fundamentally important questions about prokaryotic ultrastructure.
Ionic strength parametric pumping: effect of operating parameters on the separation process☆

Abstract Purification of alkaline phosphatase was experimentally investigated by semi-continuous pH-ionic strength parametric pumping, a technique found to be most promising for purification and separation of proteins that have similar or very close isoelectric points. Several factors were found to affect the purification process, including buffer ionic strength, flow rate, displacement, feed concentration, type of adsorbent, and amount of product withdrawn.
Theory and Method in Religious Mobility Research

Abstract Whitt and Babchuk′s (1992, Social Science Research 21, 204-215) continued advocacy of adjustment procedures for religious mobility tables is misguided. Contemporary sociological theories of religious mobility reject the old notions of "social gravity" and denominational hegemony. Denominational size is not necessarily an asset for developing social ties which are imbued with religious content . In fact, theory suggests that size may hinder denominational attractiveness and retentiveness. Further, the proposed adjustment procedure produces statistical estimates which are then treated as data. I show that these models: (1) do not allow a meaningful discussion of model fit or origin-destination association; (2) do not control for size in a manner consistent with Whitt and Babchuk′s (1992) theoretical justification; and (3) produce distorted results which alter substantive findings. In place of these models I present analysis of association models of religious mobility, and suggest that we can learn more from individual-level analyses.
Hypoxia regulates CD44 and its variant isoforms through HIF-1α in triple negative breast cancer.

Background The CD44 transmembrane glycoproteins play multifaceted roles in tumor progression and metastasis. CD44 expression has also been associated with stem-like breast cancer cells. Hypoxia commonly occurs in tumors and is a major cause of radiation and chemo-resistance. Hypoxia is known to inhibit differentiation and facilitates invasion and metastasis. Here we have investigated the effect of hypoxia on CD44 and two of its isoforms in MDA-MB-231 and SUM-149 triple negative human breast cancer cells and MDA-MB-231 tumors using imaging and molecular characterization. Methods and Findings The roles of hypoxia and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) in regulating the expression of CD44 and its variant isoforms (CD44v6, CD44v7/8) were investigated in human breast cancer cells, by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to determine mRNA levels, and fluorescence associated cell sorting (FACS) to determine cell surface expression of CD44, under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. In vivo imaging studies with tumor xenografts derived from MDA-MD-231 cells engineered to express tdTomato red fluorescence protein under regulation of hypoxia response elements identified co-localization between hypoxic fluorescent regions and increased concentration of 125I-radiolabeled CD44 antibody. Conclusions Our data identified HIF-1α as a regulator of CD44 that increased the number of CD44 molecules and the percentage of CD44 positive cells expressing variant exons v6 and v7/8 in breast cancer cells under hypoxic conditions. Data from these cell studies were further supported by in vivo observations that hypoxic tumor regions contained cells with a higher concentration of CD44 expression.
Emotional Eating in a Morbidly Obese Bariatric Surgery-Seeking Population

The impact of presurgical eating patterns on postoperative outcomes is poorly understood. The results of previous studies are mixed regarding the impact of presurgical binge eating on weight loss after surgery. However, many patients describe other maladaptive eating patterns prior to surgery, such as eating in response to emotions.The goals of this study were to describe presurgical emotional eating patterns in morbidly obese individuals, determine whether these individuals were binge eaters, and assess the effect of this eating behavior on weight loss after surgery. Prior to surgery, 144 Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) patients completed the Questionnaire of Eating and Weight Patterns (QEWP) or QEWPRevised (QEWP-R) and the Emotional Eating Scale to assess eating patterns prior to surgery. Their eating behavior, levels of depression, and weight were assessed after surgery. High emotional eaters tended to have higher levels of depression, binge eating, and eating in response to external cues than low emotional eaters prior to surgery.However, there appeared to be a distinct group of individuals who were high emotional eaters but who did not engage in binge eating. At a mean of 8 months after surgery, High Emotional Eaters and Low Emotional Eaters were indistinguishable on these subscales and there were no differences in weight lost. RYGBP has an equally positive impact on eating behavior and weight loss for both High Emotional Eaters and Low Emotional Eaters. Further replication is needed with longer follow-up times and larger samples.
‘The Promiscuous Gospel’: The religious complexity and theological multiplicity of rap music

Over the past several decades, there has been increased attention to the religious exploration of popular culture, including rap music. However, as is often the case, such attention has resulted in a narrowing of rap music's religious and theological meaning – a forcing of rap music into preconceived cartographies of life. In this article, I suggest that the slippery, messy and complex nature of the sacred dimensions of rap music can only be addressed in a rigorous way through the use of theoretical and methodological tools that are flexible. This article proposes this type of flexible framework can be achieved through combining Anthony B. Pinn's notion of complex subjectivity and his nitty-gritty hermeneutic with Laurel C. Schneider's theory of multiplicity.
Death Anxiety and Cancer-Related Stigma: A Terror Management Analysis.

In a study designed to examine correlates of cancer-related stigma, 405 college students were assigned randomly to listen to an audiotaped interview in which the target's cancer type and smoking status were manipulated. In the lung cancer conditions, target gender also was manipulated. Social distance and emotional responses differed according to participant gender, death anxiety, and target cancer type. Participant gender and target characteristics also were associated with perceptions of the target's character. Findings partially support terror management theory and suggest that death attitudes, gender norms, and diagnostic status influence social distancing from individuals with cancer.
Intention, intentional action and moral considerations

Adams, F. 1986. Intention and intentional action: the simple view. Mind and Language 1: 281–301. Adams, F. 1997. Cognitive trying. In Contemporary Action Theory, vol. 1, ed. G. Holmstron-Hintikka and R. Tuomela, 287–314. Dordrecht: Kluwer. Bratman, M. 1987. Intention, Plans, and Practical Reason. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Cosmides, L. and J. Tooby. 1994. The Adapted Mind. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Grice, H. P. 1989. Studies in the Ways of Words. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Harman, G. 1976. Practical reasoning. Review of Metaphysics 29: 431–63. Knobe, J. 2003a. Intentional action and side effects in ordinary language. Analysis 63: 190–94. Knobe, J. 2003b. Intentional action in folk psychology: an experimental investigation. Philosophical Psychology 16: 309–24. Malle, B. and J. Knobe. 1997. The folk concept of intentionality. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 33: 101–21. Malle, B., L. Moses and D. Baldwin, eds. 2001. Intentions and Intentionality: Foundations of Social Cognition. Cambridge, MA: MIT/Bradford. McCann, H. 1986. Rationality and the range of intention. Midwest Studies in Philosophy 10: 191–211. Mele, A. 1992. Springs of Action. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mele, A. 2001. Acting intentionally: probing folk notions. In Intentions and Intentionality: Foundations of Social Cognition, ed. B. Malle, L. Moses and D. Baldwin, 27–43. Cambridge, MA: MIT/Bradford. Mele, A. and S. Sverdlik. 1996. Intention, intentional action, and moral responsibility. Philosophical Studies 82: 265–87.
Phospholipid transfer protein activity is associated with inflammatory markers in patients with cardiovascular disease

Abstract Plasma phospholipid lipid transfer protein (PLTP) has several known key functions in lipoprotein metabolism. Recent studies suggest that it also may play a role in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory cell activity contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. To seek further evidence for the association of PLTP with inflammation, we studied the relationship between PLTP activity and five inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), interleukin 6 (IL-6), white blood cells (WBC), and fibrinogen] in 93 patients with low HDL and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Plasma PLTP activity had the strongest correlation with CRP ( r = 0.332, P r = 0.239, P = 0.021). PLTP, CRP, and SAA were significantly associated with body mass index (BMI), insulin or glucose, apolipoprotein (apo) B, and/or apo E level ( r = 0.264–0.393, P r = 0.373–0.472, P n = 56), but not particles with apo A-II. Smoking was associated with increased PLTP activity, CRP, and WBC, and hypertension with increased PLTP activity. In linear models, CRP remained significantly associated with PLTP after adjustment of CVD risk factors and insulin resistance. Also, much of the variability of plasma PLTP activity was explained by CRP, BMI, Lp(A-I), smoking, glucose, and blood pressure . These findings show for the first time that plasma PLTP activity is associated positively with CRP in CVD, a state of chronic inflammation.
Patterns and processes of brain diversification within esociform teleosts.

The richness of nervous systems represented by extant fishes has not yet been fully determined; the brain morphology of many groups remains undescribed. For this reason we have begun to examine the brains of esociforms, a group representing basal euteleosts, focusing here on three goals: 1) to provide the first general descriptions of the brains of two esociform teleosts, Esox masquinongy (muskellunges) and Esox lucius (northern pikes); 2) to describe the neuronal development of E. masquinongy; and 3) to compare the differences in neuronal features between E. masquinongy and E. lucius with reference to the ontogeny of E. masquinongy. We demonstrate that relative to the brains of E. lucius and other basal euteleosts, the brains of E. masquinongy exhibit several paedomorphic features involving the position and morphology of nuclei present throughout the brain. This heterochronic shift parallels differences in nonneural morphological features described between these two species. We conclude that at finer taxonomic levels in some groups such as esocids, aspects of neuronal diversification may be explained by evolutionary transformations involving all body systems. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Lead in pharmaceutical products and dietary supplements.

Abstract The objective of this study is to determine lead concentrations in a variety of widely used pharmaceutical products, and to assess the risk of lead exposure from using these products. Lead concentrations of 45 products were measured with inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Six products had lead concentrations greater than 100 parts per billion (ppb), and the highest measured concentration was 500 ppb. The average mass of lead delivered to consumers by all products examined in this study when taken as directed was 0.22 micrograms per day, which is expected to increase the blood lead level of an adult by less than 1%. Five products were found to deliver more than 1 μg of lead per day when used as directed. Current tolerable lead limits in pharmaceutical substances vary widely, and in some cases exceed 10,000 ppb. The products examined in this study have lead concentrations far below these levels. However, in light of recent research demonstrating adverse effects in both children and adults from low level lead exposure, current lead limits for pharmaceutical substances are unacceptably high. Uniform lead limits that reflect current manufacturing capabilities are needed to insure the lowest achievable exposure to lead from these products.
The Dual Morphisms in C-Algebras

Abstract Let (A, B, f) and (U, V, g) be C-algebras and ψ : (A, B, f) → (U, V, g) a C-algebra homomorphism. Let (A, Bˆ f , f) and (U, Vˆ g , g) be the dual C-algebras of (A, B, f) and (U, V, g), respectively. In this article we define a dual morphism ψˆ : (U, Vˆ g , g) → (A, Bˆ f , f) for ψ, and use this dual morphism to establish the bijection between the quotient subsets of B and the C-subsets of its dual Bˆ f obtained in [Blau, H. I. (1995a). Quotient Structures in C-algebras. J. Algebra 177:297–337]. This approach provides a conceptual proof of this very important bijection.
Biased Voting for Improved Yield in Nanoscale Fabrics

Various fault-tolerance techniques have been proposed in recent years to tolerate the high defect rates expected in emerging nanofabrics with unconventional nano-manufacturing techniques. The proposed techniques include modular redundancy schemes that use majority voters to vote on the '0' or 1' outputs of redundant modules. Novel nanoscale computational fabrics employ new circuit and logic styles where the likelihood of occurrence of faulty '1's and faulty '0's may not be identical. This provides an opportunity for using biased voting (towards logic '1' or '0') to achieve improved yield. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of using biased voters as opposed to majority voters in such nanoscale fabrics. We analyze the Nanoscale Application Specific Integrated Circuits (NASIC) fabric and show that faulty '1's may be up to 12x more likely than faulty '0's, paving the way for applying biased voting successfully. For NASIC modules with a fan-in of 10, biased voting configurations are shown to achieve more than 27% increase in the probability of producing a correct output.
Calcium transients in single mammalian skeletal muscle fibres.

1. We studied the transient changes in myoplasmic Ca2+ concentration under current- and voltage-clamp (double Vaseline-gap technique) in cut fibres of rat extensor digitorum longus muscle using mag-fura-2 (furaptra) as Ca2+ indicator, at 3.6-3.8 microns sarcomere length and 17 degrees C. Mag-fura-5 and fura-2 were also used in order to characterize some aspects of the Ca2+ transients. 2. The peak [Ca2+] in response to a single action potential was 4.6 +/- 0.4 microM (n = 5). The time to peak of the Ca2+ transient was 4.6 +/- 0.42 ms, with half-width of 8.2 +/- 1.5 ms, time constant of the rising phase 1.15 +/- 0.25 ms, time constant of the decaying phase 3.26 +/- 0.65 ms, and delay between action potential and Ca2+ transient 2.0 +/- 0.2 ms. 3. Ca2+ transients were studied under voltage-clamp conditions at different voltages and pulse durations. The rising phase showed a complex temporal course with a fast initial increase and a second component. Both components were separated by a plateau or a brief decrease of the Ca2+ concentration. The peak Ca2+ transient was 10.5 +/- 1.3 microM (n = 22). 4. After interrupting the pulse, Ca2+ concentration decayed exponentially. The time constant of decay of the Ca2+ transient increased with the pulse voltage and duration, reaching a maximum value at potentials more positive than +10 mV and pulses longer than 200 ms. An analysis of the decaying phases of the Ca2+ transients suggests that only the removal process operates after fibre repolarization. 5. The rate of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum was calculated using the Melzer, Rios & Schneider model. The value of 17.2 +/- 3.1 micronM ms-1 (n = 10) estimated in these calculations was intermediate between those obtained by other authors from cut frog muscles (10 microM ms-1) and intact frog fibres (100 microM ms-1) using antipyrylazo III (AP III) as the Ca2+ indicator.
An angular velocity profile in cycling derived from mechanical energy analysis.

Abstract The contributions of this article are twofold. One is a procedure for determining the angular velocity profile in seated cycling that maintains the total mechanical energy of both legs constant. A five-bar linkage model (thigh, shank, foot, crank and frame) of seated (fixed hip) cycling served for the derivation of the equations to compute potential and kinetic energies of the leg segments over a complete crank cycle. With experimentally collected pedal angle data as input, these equations were used to compute the total combined mechanical energy (sum of potential and kinetic energies of the segments of both legs) for constant angular velocity pedalling at 90 rpm. Total energy varied indicating the presence of internal work. Motivated by a desire to test the hypothesis that reducing internal work in cycling will reduce energy expenditure, a procedure was developed for determining the angular velocity profile that eliminated any change in total energy. Using data recorded from five subjects, this procedure was used to determine a reference profile for an average equivalent cadence of 90 rpm. The pahse of this profile is such that highest and lowest angular velocities occur when the cranks are near vertical and horizontal respectively. The second contribution is the testing of the hypothesis that the reference angular velocity profile serves to effectively reduce internal work for the subjects whose data were used to develop this profile over the range of pedalling rates (80–100 rpm) naturally preferred. In this range, the internal work was decreased a minimum of 48% relative to the internal work associated with constant angular velocity pedalling. The acceptance of this hypothesis has relevance to the protocol for future experiments which explore the effect of reduced internal work on energy expenditure in cycling.
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent kinase in cystic fibrosis tracheal epithelium.

Abstract Cl-impermeability in cystic fibrosis (CF) tracheal epithelium derives from a deficiency in the beta-adrenergic regulation of apical membrane Cl- channels. To test the possibility that cAMP-dependent kinase is the cause of this deficiency, we assayed this kinase in soluble fractions from cultured airway epithelial cells, including CF human tracheal epithelial cells. Varying levels of cAMP were used in these assays to derive both a Vmax and apparent dissociation constant (Kd) for the enzymes in soluble extracts. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase from CF human tracheal epithelial cells has essentially the same Vmax and apparent Kd as non-CF human, bovine, and dog tracheal epithelial cells. Thus, the total activity of the cAMP-dependent kinases and their overall responsiveness to cAMP are unchanged in CF.
Non-suicidal self-injury, attempted suicide, and suicidal intent among psychiatric inpatients

Although attempted suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) differ in several important ways, a significant number of individuals report histories of both behaviors. The current study further examined the relations between NSSI and attempted suicide among psychiatric inpatients. Self-report questionnaires were administered to 117 psychiatric inpatients at a general hospital (M=39.45 years old, S.D.=12.84 years, range=17-73 years). We found that presence and number of NSSI episodes were significantly related to presence and number of suicide attempts. Supporting the importance of NSSI assessment, patients' history of NSSI (presence and frequency) was more strongly associated with history of suicide attempts than were patients' depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and symptoms of borderline personality disorder, and as strongly associated with suicide attempt history as current levels of suicidal ideation. Finally, among patients with a history of suicide attempts, those with an NSSI history reported significantly greater lethal intent for their most severe attempt, and patients' number of prior NSSI episodes was positively correlated with the level of lethal intent associated with their most severe suicide attempt.
Spatial Diagnostics in Inhomogeneous Flames with a Copper Vapor Laser System: Absorption, Two-Wavelength Fluorescence, and Two-Wavelength Ionization

Two-wavelength laser-excited fluorescence and laser-enhanced ionization are investigated for use with spatial profiling applications. A recently introduced absorption technique (which involves measuring the differential absorption of a probe beam with a pump beam on and off) is also investigated for use with spatial profiling applications and determination of absolute number densities. A high-repetition-rate, high-average-power copper vapor laser with a computer-controlled data acquisition and beam scanning system was used for speed, repeatability, and ease of data collection. Design, construction, and associated operating parameters are reviewed. Preliminary results are presented from an application of these techniques to the measurement of sub-part-per-million concentrations of sodium in a separated acetylene-oxygen-nitrogen flame.