cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resonance transition energies and oscillator strengths in lutetium and lawrencium.

The transition energies and oscillator strengths for $\mathrm{nd}^{2}D_{3/2}\ensuremath{-}(n+1)p^{2}P_{1/2,3/2}^{o}$ transitions in Lu ( $n\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}5$, $Z\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}71$) and Lr ( $n\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}6$, $Z\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}103$) were calculated with the multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock method. The present study confirmed that the ground state of atomic Lr is $[\mathrm{Rn}]{5f}^{14}{7s}^{2}7p^{2}P_{1/2}^{o}$. The calculation for Lr required wave function expansions of more than 330 000 configuration states. In Lu, the transition energies, with Breit and QED corrections included, agree with experiment to within $126{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. In lighter elements, core correlation is usually neglected but was found to be of extreme importance for these heavy elements, affecting the oscillator strengths by a factor of 3 and 2 in Lu and Lr, respectively.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-activating Polypeptide Inhibit Interleukin-12 Transcription by Regulating Nuclear Factor κB and Ets Activation

The vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the structurally related neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) act as "macrophage-deactivating factors". We showed previously that VIP and PACAP inhibit the production of macrophage-derived tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, nitric oxide, and IL-12. This study examines the molecular mechanisms involved in the VIP/PACAP inhibition of IL-12 production. VIP and PACAP inhibit IL-12 (p40) gene expression by affecting both NF-kappaB binding and the composition of the Ets-2 binding complex. Both neuropeptides prevent the activation-induced nuclear translocation of the NF-kappaB components p65 and c-Rel by inhibiting the reduction in cytoplasmic IkappaBalpha. Moreover, VIP and PACAP inhibit the synthesis of the interferon responsive factor-1. The decrease in nuclear interferon responsive factor-1 and c-Rel results in alterations of the Ets-2-binding complex. Two transduction pathways, a cAMP-dependent and a cAMP-independent pathway, are involved in the inhibition of IL-12 gene expression and appear to differentially regulate the transcriptional factors involved. Because IL-12 participates in T cell activation and cytolytic T lymphocyte activity and promotes the differentiation of T helper cells into the Th1 subset, the understanding of the mechanisms that affect IL-12 production in normal and pathological conditions could contribute to immune response-based therapies or vaccine designs.
Understanding the ecology and development of children and families experiencing homelessness: Implications for practice, supportive services, and policy.

The experience of homelessness can pervade multiple levels and facets of a child and family’s world. In view of the historical risks in the lives of children who are experiencing homelessness (e.g., growing up under conditions of poverty, exposure to family violence), it is clear that interventions, services, and supports need to be equally comprehensive to have a positive influence on child functioning and development. Consequently, service systems, providers, and community supports need to address the circumstances of children and families experiencing homelessness and, more specifically, better attend to their ecologies and the diverse factors that can affect their well-being and adjustment trajectories. Such an approach is needed to better understand the range of factors and influences on the development and adaptation of these youngsters at home, at school, and with their peers as well as to guide the identification and implementation of adequate family-centered services and supports.
A comparison of alternative client/server architectures for ubiquitous mobile sensor-based applications

Mobile devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, and music players are ubiquitous. These devices typically contain many sensors, such as vision sensors (cameras), audio sensors (microphones), acceleration sensors (accelerometers) and location sensors (e.g., GPS), and also have some capability to send and receive data wirelessly. Sensor arrays on these mobile devices make innovative applications possible, especially when data mining is applied to the sensor data. But a key design decision is how best to distribute the responsibilities between the client (e.g., smartphone) and any servers. In this paper we investigate alternative architectures, ranging from a "dumb" client, where virtually all processing takes place on the server, to a "smart" client, where no server is needed. We describe the advantages and disadvantages of these alternative architectures and describe under what circumstances each is most appropriate. We use our own WISDM (WIreless Sensor Data Mining) architecture to provide concrete examples of the various alternatives.
Features and strategies of supervisor professional community as a means of improving the supervision of preservice teachers

Abstract This article explores whether features associated with effective professional communities among K-12 teachers are relevant and sufficient for improving the practice of supervisors in teacher education programs. Interview and observational data from nineteen supervisors in one teacher education program illuminate what supervisors want in order to improve their professional practices and how their needs could be met through ongoing collaboration. The article proposes five features of professional communities that can help supervisors improve their work: norms promoting collaboration; trust and familiarity; activities deprivatizing practices; access to logistical information and shared expectations about the role of supervisors; and time for collaboration.
Speaking of Privilege: Family Therapy Educators’ Journeys toward Awareness and Compassionate Action

This study explores how family therapy educators from privileged social locations understand issues of privilege and the process by which they integrate their personal and professional journeys to create and model equity in family therapy training and professional development. These educators developed awareness about issues of privilege and oppression and owned their privilege. Increased awareness involved personal struggles with guilt and managing internalized voices of prejudice that are constantly reinforced in society. These educators adopted a stance of action and accountability for equity. We hypothesize that the process leading to owning one's privilege involves the ability to be compassionate for others' suffering and one's own limitations.
The Authoritarian Personality, 50 Years Later: What Questions Are There for Political Psychology?

Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswik, Levinson, and Sanford's The Authoritarian Personality is probably the most deeply flawed work of prominence in political psychology. The methodological, procedural, and substantive errors of this study are well known, but they are frequently simply attributed to poor methodological judgments, issues of scaling (such as response set), or Freudian theories that legitimated circular interpretations. But a more fundamental bias arose from the attempt to empirically verify the existence of a “type” of person whom the researchers thought dangerous and with whom they did not empathize. This attempt involved two dangerous procedures: (1) the fusion of nominalist research procedures (in which empirical results were used to type respondents) with a realist interpretation of types (in which some people “just were” authoritarians and others not), and (2) a theoretically rich critique of the authoritarians and a lack of interest in the psychodynamics of liberals. This combination led to an intrinsically biased interpretive project that could not help but accumulate damning evidence about authoritarians. These subtler problems have haunted contemporary work in political psychology that avoids the methodological problems of Adorno et al.; Altemeyer's work on authoritarianism, which not only is free from the defects of the Adorno et al. study but also involves some methodologically exemplary experiments, is similarly distorted by asymmetries. The same fundamental problems seem to be at the heart of the weaknesses of the theory of symbolic racism to which critics have pointed. Political psychologists should regard The Authoritarian Personality as a cautionary example of bias arising from the choice of methodological assumptions.
The Surface Stress Theory: Non-Vitalism in Action

D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson (1917, 1946) spent the two world wars writing and then rewriting On Growth and Form. His strictly reductionist thesis is that biology reflects engineering principles. He detailed two tenets. Firstly, biological structures are constructed, whether by a ‘creator’ or by Darwinian evolution, with the same design considerations that a human engineer or architect would employ. Secondly, biological systems use engineering principles to achieve biological ends.
Localized Cathodic Protection of Simulated Prestressed Concrete Pilings in Seawater

Abstract Corrosion-induced deterioration of prestressed concrete pilings in seawater has been established as the predominant failure mode for bridge substructures in coastal Florida waters. A technology involving localized impressed-current cathodic protection (CP) of the splash-zone region in association with conductive rubber anodes was developed to mitigate this deterioration. A series of experiments involving cathodic polarization of simulated prestressed concrete piling specimens partially immersed in seawater was performed. Variables included the concrete mix design, specimen cross section, anode dimensions, and water level. An interactive aspect of CP-operating parameters in association with water level was identified as important if excessively negative potentials and possible tendon embrittlement were to be avoided. The data were evaluated with regard to the interdependence between depolarization magnitude, potential, and concrete relative humidity. Results were reviewed within the context of CP ...
Descartes' physiological method: position, principles, examples.

*Part of a wider study of Descartes' biomedical works supported by Washington University and by National Science Foundation Grants GS-967 and GS-1985. The author appreciates the help received from Robert Penella, Harvard University, a research assistant whose appointment was made possible under the indicated grants. jAbbreviations used in the notes: AT Charles Adam and Paul Tannery, Oeuvres de Descartes (Paris: Cerf, 1897-1910 [republ., 1956-7, and 1964-7]), cited by volume and page. K C. G. Kuhn, Medicorum graecorum quae exstant (Leipzig: Knobloch, 1821-1833), cited by volume and page. 1. Written in French in 1632. First published posthumously in a Latin transl. by F. Schuyl, De Homine Figuris et Latinitate Donatus (Leyden: apud P. Leffen & F. Moyardum, 1662). Original publ. later, L'Homme de Rene Descartes [et un Traitte de la formation du foetus du mesme auteur, see below, note 2] avec les Remarques de Louys de la Forge, . . . (Paris: Angot, 1664), AT 11:119-202. Note on the terms biology, biological, biologist. Objections are sometimes raised to the anachronistic application of these terms to events or persons that antedated the introduction of the terms themselves. But this objection seems narrow. From Greek times, science has investigated the conditions and varied manifestations of life in general, and from this point of view it seems permissible to think of Aristotle-and Descartes-as biologists, and of their endeavors as biological.
9:15-9:30. Use of a Spherical 3-D Blob Analysis Program as a Method of Determination of Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) for Following Tumor Response to Chemotherapeutic Agents (CTA).

Abstract Malignant tumors exhibit increased glucose metabolism which can be quantitated by SUV. SUV is criticized for its variability resulting from many factors including the method of drawing region of interest (ROI) over the tumor. The most common method manually draws or places ROI on various slices displaying highest FDG activity. This time consuming method is associated with significant individual variation. We describe a more reproducible, efficient spherical 3-D blob analysis method of SUV and tumor volume (TV) determination to evaluate CTA response. The spherical 3-D Blob analysis program is a completely automated method with data processing performed using IDL (RS Inc., Colorado). A threshold value is set for the ROI; all voxels above threshold are grouped by connectivity. Grouped voxels, called “blobs”, are displayed and statistics are calculated for each group. The threshold set for blob extraction and SUV determination is usually three times above background and is constant on repeat scans. Eight patients with metastatic carcinoma underwent PET/CT/MRI prior to and one week after chemotherapy. Three patients also had scans at one month. Maximum and average SUV's and TV were determined and appeared to be very reproducible when there was no clinical response or change on CT/MR. In these patients, repeat SUV's and volumes of the lesions (n = 38) varied by less than 20% of baseline. An increase/decrease in maximum SUV or TV correlated with a similar change in lesion size on CT/MR. The average SUV did not change. The spherical 3-D blob analysis program appears to be a reliable, efficient method of determining maximum SUV and volumetric measurements for following tumor response to CTA.
Pathological and haematological responses of cats experimentally infected with Toxocara canis larvae.

Abstract Responses of eight adult cats to one or two infections with larvae of Toxocara canis were studied up to 39 days post infection (DPI). Clinically, all cats remained normal throughout the study. The major necropsy finding was multifocal, white to grey nodules mainly within the liver, lungs and kidneys; live larvae were found in liver nodules, Histologically, the nodules were eosinophilic granulomas. Granulomas containing a larval section were observed mainly within the liver. All infected eats had variably severe, eosinophilic arteritis and bronchiolitis and medial hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the pulmonary arteries. No inflammatory eye lesions were detected. Circulating eosinophil levels increased in all infected cats; peak values of 15,790 and 10,050 eosinophils μ −1 were observed at 25 or 32 DPI in cats receiving a single or double infection, respectively. Bone marrow of all infected cats exhibited marked eosinophilic hyperplasia which did not correlate with the level of circulating eosinophilia. Thus, infection of cats by the larvae of T. canis causes disseminated eosinophilic and granulomatous disease with marked pulmonary artery and airway lesions.
Designing networks with compact routing tables

Classes of network topologies are identified in which shortest-path information can be succinctly stored at the nodes, if they are assigned suitable names. The naming allows each edge at a node to be labeled with zero or more intervals of integers, representing all nodes reachable by a shortest path via that edge. Starting with the class of outerplanar networks, a natural hierarchy of networks is established, based on the number of intervals required. The outerplanar networks are shown to be precisely the networks requiring just one interval per edge. An optimal algorithm is given for determining the labels for edges in outerplanar networks.
Physical interaction between the herpes simplex virus 1 origin-binding protein and single-stranded DNA-binding protein ICP8

We had previously demonstrated that the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) single-stranded DNA-binding protein (ICP8) can specifically stimulate the helicase activity of the HSV-1 origin-binding protein (UL9). We show here that this functional stimulation is a manifestation of a tight interaction between UL9 protein and ICP8. By using protein-affinity chromatography, we have demonstrated the specific binding of purified UL9 protein to immobilized ICP8 and vice versa. Furthermore, ICP8 is specifically retained by a column on which the C-terminal 37-kDa DNA-binding domain of the UL9 protein was immobilized. The interaction between ICP8 and the DNA-binding domain of the UL9 protein was confirmed by cochromatography of the two proteins. These results suggest that the UL9 protein and ICP8 form a tight complex that functions in origin recognition and unwinding.
On the inverse kinematics, statics, and fault tolerance of cable‐suspended robots

This paper examines some issues concerning the inverse kinematics and statics of cable-suspended robots and studies some of the inherent workspace limitations that result from the fact that the robot is cable actuated. The paper presents necessary and sufficient conditions for a cable-suspended robot to stay in a given configuration (i.e., to achieve static equilibrium). Another important issue is the extent to which the cables constrain the robot. For example, fully constraining the robot is critical for space applications in which the robot must work in a zero-gravity environment. Conditions for completely constraining the robot are derived. The problems of achieving static equilibrium and fully constraining the robot are formulated in terms of the left null space of a manipulator inverse Jacobian. This null space formulation is also used to study the fault tolerance of cable-suspended robots that are redundantly actuated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Educational services in Swedish prisons: successful programs of academic and vocational teaching

This article examines Swedish prison academic and vocational programs. The article synthesizes various case studies reported concerning Sweden’s prisons and describes the use of successful practices. Data from a previous study conducted in Swedish prisons are presented to show the need for education for offenders and its benefits. A key concept of successful prison management, the Normalization Principle is discussed. In addition, the Prison Treatment Act, established by Sweden in 1994, shows the need for prisoners to be provided with suitable work. This information aids in establishing positive foundations for offender’s lives leading to successful re-integration back into society.
The secondary hardening phenomenon in strain-hardened MP35N alloy

Abstract Mechanical testing and microscopy techniques were used to investigate the influence of aging on the structure and strengthening of MP35N alloy. It was confirmed that aging the deformed material at 600°C for 4 h provided additional strengthening, here referred to as “secondary hardening”, in addition to the primary strain hardening. The secondary hardening phenomenon was shown to be distinctly different from typical age hardening processes in that it only occurred in material deformed beyond a certain cold work level. At moderate strains, aging caused a shift in the entire stress–strain curve of the annealed material to higher stresses while at high strains, it produced shear localization and limited work softening. The secondary hardening increment was also found to be grain size dependent. The magnitude of the secondary hardening appeared to be controlled by the flow stress in the strain hardened material. A model is proposed to explain the observations and is supported by direct experimental evidence. The model is based on formation of h.c.p. nuclei through the Suzuki mechanism, that is segregation of solute atoms to stacking faults, on aging the strain hardened material. The h.c.p. precipitates appear to thicken only in the presence of high dislocation density produced by prior cold work.
Providing secure interoperability while maintaining sovereignty

A persistent issue that confronts many of the industrialized nations today is the ability to form secure interoperable coalition networks while maintaining country-unique sovereignty. In some aspects, there canpsilat be one without the other... interoperability with other nations is a necessity in todaypsilas world, but protecting a nationpsilas ldquosecretsrdquo is always a primary objective. The availability of a cryptographic solution that can be reprogrammed (i.e., take on a different personality) based on a particular operational scenario, as well as solve the interoperability issues while maintaining sovereignty will be ldquosecond-to-nonerdquo. The National Security Agency (NSA) has defined a set of Suite B cryptographic algorithms (encryption, digital signature, key exchange and hashing) that may be used as the basis for communication interoperability across a broad range of operating environments, including voice and data networking applications. These Suite B algorithms can also support country-specific sovereignty needs through unique keying and algorithm variations. This paper will focus on how Suite B can be used as the basis for communication interoperability across multiple national and secure environments.
Performance on two cognitive tasks by dysphoric and nondysphoric students

Mildly and moderately dysphoric undergraduates and normal controls participated in two tasks: estimating the percentage of reinforcements they had received on an ambiguous laboratory task and recognition of negative and positive adjectives after a 2-week presentation-test interval. The results indicated that moderately dysphoric subjects responded in a more negative direction than normals on both tasks; however, they displayed “distorted” processing on only one measure (underestimation of reinforcement rate in a low reinforcement condition). In contrast, the nondysphoric group displayed a positive, self-enhancing bias on virtually all the measures. The results are discussed in relation to theories of depression, and with regard to problems in assessing cognitive processes.
Evidence for recent changes in a surface-air warming singularity in late winter over central North America

[1] Evidence for an earlier onset of spring in recent years is supported by daily temperature data from central North America. From 1976–1999, mean temperatures during February 15th through 24th were appreciably higher (5°C or more over large areas) than during 1952–1975. This is associated with a strengthened Aleutian Low for those calendar days during 1976–1999, with negative pressure anomalies extending well into North America. This apparently reflects a decrease in strong, cold, high-pressure systems moving from western Canada into the north central United States during late February. These changes appear to be related to conditions in and over the North Pacific Ocean, possibly in conjunction with global warming, although the latter signal is not clearly obvious. Comparison of time series of daily minimum temperatures for the earlier period (1952–1975) and the recent period (1976–1999) indicates other times of the year when an appreciable warming has occurred; such warming is largely confined to the first half of the calendar year.
Evidence of Aortopathy in Mice with Haploinsufficiency of Notch1 in Nos3-Null Background

Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. While the exact etiology is unknown, genetic factors play an important role. Mutations in NOTCH1 have been linked to bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and aortopathy in humans. The aim of this study was to determine if haploinsufficiency of Notch1 contributes to aortopathy using Notch1+/−; Nos3−/− mice. Echocardiographic analysis of Notch1+/−; Nos3−/− mice reveals effacement of the sinotubular junction and a trend toward dilation of the aortic sinus. Furthermore, examination of the proximal aorta of Notch1+/−; Nos3−/− mice reveals elastic fiber degradation, a trend toward increased matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression, and increased smooth muscle cell apoptosis, features characteristic of aneurysmal disease. Although at a lower penetrance, we also found features consistent with aortopathic changes in Notch1 heterozygote mice and in Nos3-null mice. Our findings implicate a novel role for Notch1 in aortopathy of the proximal aorta.
Stimulation of NADH oxidation during NADPH dependent microsomal electron transport reactions

Abstract Initiation of NADPH oxidation by rat liver microsomes results in a marked stimulation of the rate of NADH oxidation. The amount of NADH rapidly oxidized depends on the ratio of NADPH NADH and the presence of various substrates for the function of cytochrome P-450. The present paper illustrates a simple direct method of quantitatively assessing these changes in NADH oxidation and the influence of the anaesthetic, halothane, or the drug, ethylmorphine, on the pattern of changes in NADH oxidation during microsomal electron transport reactions.
Using influence and persuasion to shape player experiences

In this paper we present a pilot study on the use of influence to guide player behavior in an interactive storytelling environment. We discuss the need for authoring support in drama management systems and present computational models of influence as a method to meet that need. To investigate some of the benefits of using influence, we implement an authoring tool and web-based mixed-media choose-your-own-adventure-style storytelling system, using it to conduct a pilot study. The pilot study is based on hand-authored static content, but the results indicate promise for generalizing to dynamic content. Further, we provide an analysis of the data that indicates the potential effectiveness of influence statements on affecting player decisions and comment on players' perceptions of self-agency with or without those statements.
Work in progress — A biomedical motif for teaching Artificial Intelligence in Context

The majority of the classes in a typical computer science program focus on the computer as an entity and the resulting development infrastructure. Examples include hardware principles, architecture and theory, along with software development tools and processes. Recent studies have suggested that a focus on the computational infrastructure in the absence of an external application domain may reinforce the stereotype of CS student fixation on the computer for some, while alienating a subset of students, especially women, who may be attracted to using the computer to solve broader problems. Recognizing this situation has inspired recent explorations on teaching computer science within an application context. Even classes traditionally focused on techniques and problems beyond the computer itself, such as Computer Graphics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), are often presented as a collection of techniques, programs, and principles without systematic "real-world" grounding. Inspired by work on teaching Computer Graphics in context, this work-in-progress describes an infrastructure for embedding a biomedical motif into the traditional Artificial Intelligence course.
'I could a tale unfold...': Adaptations of Shakespeare's Supernatural for Children, from the Lambs to Marcia Williams.

The greatest horrors are always unspeakable and can only be imagined. As Hamlet's ghost cannot reveal the horrors of the underworld, he describes the effect that such a description (“a tale”) would have on the listener. Among the various instances of the supernatural that can be found in Shakespeare's plays, from more “substantial” ghosts, fairies, and goblins to more subjective apparitions and hallucinations, Hamlet's meeting with his dead father in Act I, sc. 3 is perhaps one of the scenes that has most captivated and inspired the Western collective imagination. Whether the ghost's place of origin is Hell or Purgatory (critics are more inclined towards the latter, from Dover Wilson to Stephen Greenblatt), the child reader is confronted with a pedagogically challenging situation to say the least, in which a barbaric request issued by an enraged and vindictive spirit has to be considered by the protagonist. How has this unseemly solicitation to commit murder, contrary to Christian ethics and common morali...
Performance of side-cooled high-heat-load mirrors

X-ray undulator beamlines at third-generation synchrotron facilities use either a monochromator or a mirror as the first optical element. In this paper, the thermal and optical performance of an optimally designed contact-cooled high-heat-load x-ray mirror used as the first optical element on the 2ID undulator beamline at the Advanced Photon Source is reported. It is shown that this simple and economical mirror design can comfortably handle the high heat load of undulator beamlines and provide good performance with long-term reliability and ease of operation. Availability and advantages of such mirrors can make the mirror-first approach to high-heat-load beamline design and attractive alternative to monochromator-first beamlines in many circumstances.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cool, warm, and heat‐pain detection thresholds: Testing methods and inferences about anatomic distribution of receptors

We recently found that vibratory detection threshold is greatly influenced by the algorithm of testing. Here, we study the influence of stimulus characteristics and algorithm of testing and estimating threshold on cool (CDT), warm (WDT), and heat-pain (HPDT) detection thresholds. We show that continuously decreasing (for CDT) or increasing (for WDT) thermode temperature to the point at which cooling or warming is perceived and signaled by depressing a response key ("appearance" threshold) overestimates threshold with rapid rates of thermal change. The mean of the appearance and disappearance thresholds also does not perform well for insensitive sites and patients. Pyramidal (or flat-topped pyramidal) stimuli ranging in magnitude, in 25 steps, from near skin temperature to 9 degrees C for 10 seconds (for CDT), from near skin temperature to 45 degrees C for 10 seconds (for WDT), and from near skin temperature to 49 degrees C for 10 seconds (for HPDT) provide ideal stimuli for use in several algorithms of testing and estimating threshold. Near threshold, only the initial direction of thermal change from skin temperature is perceived, and not its return to baseline. Use of steps of stimulus intensity allows the subject or patient to take the needed time to decide whether the stimulus was felt or not (in 4, 2, and 1 stepping algorithms), or whether it occurred in stimulus interval 1 or 2 (in two-alternative forced-choice testing). Thermal thresholds were generally significantly lower with a large (10 cm2) than with a small (2.7 cm2) thermode.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
α-Synuclein immunoreactivity in dementia with Lewy bodies : morphological staging and comparison with ubiquitin immunostaining

α-Synuclein is a presynaptic protein recently identified as a specific component of Lewy bodies (LB) and Lewy neurites. The aim of this study was to assess the morphology and distribution of α-synuclein immunoreactivity in cases of dementia with LB (DLB), and to compare α-synuclein with ubiquitin immunostaining. We examined substantia nigra, paralimbic regions (entorhinal cortex, cingulate gyrus, insula and hippocampus), and neocortex (frontal and occipital association cortices) with double α-synuclein and ubiquitin immunostaining in 25 cases meeting neuropathological criteria for DLB. α-Synuclein immunostaining was more specific than ubiquitin immunostaining in that it differentiated LB from globose tangles. It was also slightly more sensitive, staining 4–5% more intracytoplasmic structures, especially diffuse α-synuclein deposits that were ubiquitin negative. In addition to LB, α-synuclein staining showed filiform and globose neurites in the substantia nigra, CA2–3 regions of the hippocampus, and entorhinal cortex. A spectrum of α-synuclein staining was seen in substantia nigra: from diffuse “cloud-like” inclusions to aggregated intracytoplasmic inclusions with variable ubiquitin staining to classic LB. We hypothesize that these represent different stages in LB formation.
Deploying RNA and DNA with Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes internalize into cells and are potential molecular platforms for siRNA and DNA delivery. A comprehensive understanding of the identity and stability of ammonium-functionalized carbon nanotube (f-CNT)-based nucleic acid constructs is critical to deploying them in vivo as gene delivery vehicles. This work explored the capability of f-CNT to bind single- and double-strand oligonucleotides by determining the thermodynamics and kinetics of assembly and the stoichiometric composition in aqueous solution. Surprisingly, the binding affinity of f-CNT and short oligonucleotide sequences was in the nanomolar range, kinetics of complexation were extremely rapid, and from one to five sequences were loaded per nanotube platform. Mechanistic evidence for an assembly process that involved electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and π-stacking bonding interactions was obtained by varying nanotube functionalities, oligonucleotides, and reaction conditions. 31P NMR and spectrophotometric fluorescence emission data...
Molecular analysis of heterochronic changes in the evolution of direct developing sea urchins

The sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma is a direct developer; it progresses directly from the gastrula to the juvenile adult without forming a pluteus larva. No larval skeleton is formed by mesenchyme cells, but formation of the juvenile skeleton is accelerated. We have examined two alterations in mesenchyme cell behavior that accompany this striking change in developmental pattern. 1) Rapid cell proliferation produces 1700–2200 mesenchyme cells by mid-gastrula, compared to 30–60 primary mesenchyme cells in species with typical larval development. This change may reflect the accelerated production of adult structures in H. erythrogramma. 2) B2C2 is a monoclonal antibody that recognizes primary (Anstrom et al., 1987) and adult mesenchyme cells associated with skeleton formation in typical developers. The altered pattern of B2C2 staining in H. erythrogramma (e.g., a later initial appearance of the B2C2 antigen) suggests that H. erythrogramma has deleted part of a larval program of development and accelerated its adult program of development. These results indicate that cellular and molecular heterochronies accompany the morphological changes in H. erythrogramma development.
Vegetation structure and the habitat specificity of a declining North American reptile: A remnant of former landscapes

Abstract Although all species provide some spatial information about past environments, remnant populations of habitat specialists can serve as biological legacies and natural archives of historical landscapes. The endangered longleaf pine ecosystem is home to an array of imperiled fauna that specialize on the habitat. Often referred to as pine savanna, the ecosystem was characterized by longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ), but included an array of open-canopy habitats within a grassland matrix dominated by a variety of tree species. In this study, we used a coarse scale of description to quantify habitat associations of a declining reptile, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake ( Crotalus adamanteus ), historically associated with pine savannas of the southeastern United States. We made cross-scale habitat comparisons and controlled for land use and geographic variability. Habitat models of within home range and microhabitat selection indicated that the species was associated with an open-canopy savanna community structure. We identified the eastern diamondback rattlesnake as a remnant of the historical southeastern savanna, which is important for species conservation and broader management of the southeastern savanna community. Given their longevity and habitat specificity, remnant eastern diamondback rattlesnake populations are biological legacies of the southeastern savanna community and act as a surrogate for the prioritization of land conservation. Thus, the species’ presence provides spatial information that can be used by conservationists to identify habitats that have high restoration potential, and also increases the probability that other species associated with pine savanna occur locally.
Chameleon effect and the Pioneer anomaly

The possibility that the apparent anomalous acceleration of the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecrafts may be due, at least in part, to a chameleon field effect is examined. A small spacecraft, with no thin shell, can have a more pronounced anomalous acceleration than a large compact body, such as a planet, having a thin shell. The chameleon effect seems to present a natural way to explain the differences seen in deviations from pure Newtonian gravity for a spacecraft and for a planet, and it appears to be compatible with the basic features of the Pioneer anomaly, including the appearance of a jerk term. However, estimates of the size of the chameleon effect indicate that its contribution to the anomalous acceleration is negligible. We conclude that any inverse square component in the anomalous acceleration is more likely caused by an unmodeled reaction force from solar radiation pressure rather than a chameleon field effect.
Effect of 9p21.3 Coronary Artery Disease Locus Neighboring Genes on Atherosclerosis in Mice

Background—The human 9p21.3 chromosome locus has been shown to be an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis in multiple large-scale genome-wide association studies, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We set out to investigate the potential role of the 9p21.3 locus neighboring genes, including Mtap, the 2 isoforms of Cdkn2a, p16Ink4a and p19Arf, and Cdkn2b, in atherosclerosis using knockout mice models. Methods and Results—Gene-targeted mice for neighboring genes, including Mtap, Cdkn2a, p19Arf, and Cdkn2b, were each bred to mice carrying the human APO*E3 Leiden transgene that sensitizes the mice for atherosclerotic lesions through elevated plasma cholesterol. We found that the mice heterozygous for Mtap developed larger lesions compared with wild-type mice (49623±21650 versus 18899±9604 μm2 per section [mean±SD]; P=0.01), with morphology similar to that of wild-type mice. The Mtap heterozygous mice demonstrated changes in metabolic and methylation profiles and CD4+ cell counts. The Cdkn2a ...
EFFECTS OF NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT ON WITHIN‐STAND CYCLING IN A MANGROVE FOREST

Within-stand nutrient cycling is dependent on many factors, including pri- mary productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, nutrient resorption, sclerophylly, decomposition, nutritional quality of plant tissue, and allocation to defense. The efficiency of these plant- mediated processes depends on nutrient availability in the environment and inherent func- tional properties of plants. However, little is known about how nutrient availability will affect these processes in forested wetlands in the tropics. In a factorial experiment we fertilized 48 dwarfed Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove) trees along tidal-elevation and water-depth gradients at Twin Cays, a range of intertidal, peat-based offshore mangrove islands in Belize, Central America. Initial results indicated that phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major factor limiting primary productivity. Phosphorus-fertilized trees had a significant decrease in P-use efficiency and P-resorption efficiency, but a significant increase in nitrogen (N)-use efficiency and N-resorption efficiency in their leaves compared with controls and N-fertilized trees. Sclerophylly decreased dramatically in P-fertilized trees, while the nu- tritional quality of the plant tissue increased. Phosphorus fertilization did not affect P leaching from green leaves. We found no fertilizer effect on the decomposition rates of leaf tissue, possibly due to higher phenolic concentrations in the P-fertilized trees compared with controls and N-fertilized trees. However, belowground decomposition of cotton strips increased in the substrate associated with P-fertilized trees. Environmental conditions re- lated to position along a tidal gradient may be as important as nutrients in controlling belowground decomposition.
Correlation of increased azithromycin concentrations with phagocyte infiltration into sites of localized infection

Azithromycin reaches high concentrations in phagocytic and other host cells, suggesting that they may transport this agent to specific sites of infection. Models of localized infection (Haemophilus influenzae middle ear infection in gerbils, Streptococcus pyogenes implanted contaminated paper disc and Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia in mice) that induced severe inflammatory response after challenge were used to explore this hypothesis. Animals were given a single 100 or 50 mg/kg po dose of azithromycin at various times from 2 to 120 h following introduction of a pathogen or sterile medium. When azithromycin was given during a period of little or no inflammation, there was marginal difference between concentrations found in infected or non-infected sites (bulla, disc, lung). However, when the compound was given during a period of inflammation, considerably higher drug concentrations were found in infected sites than in non-infected sites at 5-24 h after dosing (0.38-0.44 mg/c compared with 0.07-0.14 mg/L of bulla wash; 1.01-1.75 micrograms compared with < or = 0.01-0.03 microgram at the disc site; 1.72-5.28 mg/kg compared with 0.7-1.53 mg/kg of lung). When the observation periods were extended to include 48, 56 or 96 h after dosing, the ratio of azithromycin infection site concentration: serum concentration steadily increased with time in all model systems (middle ear, implanted disc and pneumonia), reflecting the maintenance of concentrations at the sites of infection, while serum concentrations declined. Bioassay of cell pellets and supernatants, obtained from pooled bulla washes of gerbils treated with azithromycin during a period of inflammation, revealed that cellular components accounted for about 75% of the azithromycin detected. These data show that increased azithromycin concentrations occur at sites of localized infection. This correlates with the presence of inflammation and is associated with the cellular components of the inflammatory response. Therefore, phagocytes may be important vehicles for delivering azithromycin to and sustaining azithromycin concentrations at sites of infection.
Aberrant splicing and transcription termination caused by P element insertion into the intron of a Drosophila gene.

Insertional mutagenesis screens using the P\[lacZ, rosy+\] (PZ) transposable element have provided thousands of mutant lines for analyzing genes of varied function in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster. As have been observed with other P elements, many of the PZ-induced mutations result from insertion of the P element into the promoter or 5' untranslated regions of the affected gene. We document here a novel mechanism for mutagenesis by this element. We show that sequences present within the element direct aberrant splicing and termination events that produce a mRNA composed of 5' sequences from the mutated gene (in this case, pipsqueak) and 3' sequences from within the P[lacZ, rosy+] element. These truncated RNAs could yield proteins with dominant mutant effects.
MULTISCALAR MODEL OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS AND COMMUNITIES IN LATE CLASSIC COPAN MAYA SOCIETY

A variety of models contribute to our understanding of Classic Maya sociopolitical structure. Few, however, consider the variability that existed within Maya systems, and the temporal and spatial scales of analysis have often been limited, especially with respect to the commoner segment of society. One model that has focused attention on this component of the Maya is the sian otot, described by Charles Wisdom (1940 The Chorti Indians of Guatemala. University of Chicago Press) and introduced for the Copan Maya by William Fash (1983 Deducing Social Organization from Classic Maya Settlement Patterns: A Case Study from the Copan Valley. In Civilization in the Ancient Americas: Essays in Honor of Gordon R. Willey. University of New Mexico Press and Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University). Based on data from a 135-km2 regional settlement survey and excavations of the Copan Valley in Honduras, it is argued that this model, in conjunction with other, broader models of Classic Maya society, offers a useful perspective from which to construct a multiscalar model of ancient Copan social organization. The variability among sian otot, particularly in terms of economic production, is considered. The ceramic data from Copan suggest that ceramic production among commoner units was communal, and the possibility for community cooperatives is raised. Finally, the dynamic scale and productive relations among the commoners are considered in light of broader sociopolitical changes in the processual history of the Copan polity. It is concluded that the intersection of social, political, and economic institutional frameworks needs to be more comprehensively investigated from varied scales, both temporal and settlement, to appreciate fully the diversity of Maya social organization during the Late Classic/Terminal Classic transition.
Portable mini-fluoroscopy improves operative efficiency in hand surgery

A paired case cohort study was performed using retrospective review of operative times for defined hand surgical procedures in an attempt to quantify efficiency with and without the use of portable fluoroscopy. Patients included in the study underwent 1 of 4 defined surgical procedures controlled to ensure similar operative technique (total wrist fusion, in situ 4-corner fusion, closed reduction/internal fixation using K-wires of phalangeal shaft fractures, and metacarpophalangeal or interphalangeal joint fusions using K-wires). One group used intraoperative standard film radiographs and the other used portable mini-fluoroscopy to examine hardware placement. Both groups were paired by operative procedure to eliminate procedure bias on overall operating time. Analysis demonstrated a 38% reduction in total operative time in the group using portable mini-fluoroscopy compared with standard intraoperative radiographs.
Activity–Composition Relations of Chromium Oxide in Silicate Melts at 1500°C under Strongly Reducing Conditions

The solubility and activity–composition relations of chromium oxide in melts of the systems CaO–CrOx–SiO2 and CaO–Al2O3–CrOx–SiO2 have been determined at 1500°C by equilibrating melts with Pt–Cr alloys at known oxygen pressures. It is shown that the increase in the concentration of divalent chromium ions, as the oxygen pressure and the basicity of melt decrease, results in a dramatic increase in the solubility of chromium oxide in the liquid phase. An increase in the Al2O3 content of the melt leads to a decrease in the solubility of chromium oxide over the whole composition range studied. The activity coefficient of CrO has been found to increase with increasing melt basicity and decreasing oxygen pressure whereas the activity coefficient of CrO1.5 decreases sharply with increasing melt basicity for siliceous melts but levels off at a basicity ratio (wt% CaO/wt% SiO2) of about 0.7. An increase in the Al2O3 content of the melts results in an increase in the activity coefficient of CrO.