cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spin Densities in Dialkoxy-[16]annulene Anion Radicals: Dimerization of Alkoxy-[8]annulenes

The anion radicals of alkoxy-substituted cyclooctatetraenes in hexamethylphosphoramide spontaneously dimerize to form the dianions of dialkoxy-[16]annulenes. The dianions reveal the expected high-field NMR resonance for the internal protons. After electron transfer, the EPR spectra of the corresponding anion radicals reveal that only the 1,5-dialkoxy systems are formed. Further, the measured proton and (13)C spin densities show that the odd electron resides in a molecular orbital with six hydrogens in "deep" nodal positions that completely hide them from EPR detection. This MO corresponds to the nonbonding (singly occupied) MO of higher energy after splitting of the degenerate nonbonding MOs by the two-electron-withdrawing substituents. The surprising electron-withdrawing nature of the alkoxy substituents is attributed to a rather strong mixing of the sigma and pi systems in [16]annulene.
The Smalltalk simulation environment

The Smalltalk language provides easy to use support for discrete event simulation. Smalltalk is an object oriented language which is descended from Simula. There is a set of Smalltalk classes which directly support simulation. A simulation of a multiprocessor computer architecture with snooper caches and shared global virtual memory has been implemented in Smalltalk. This simulation is discussed here to illustrate the techniques involved.
Visual security monitoring gadgets

Security monitoring is the process of maintaining vigilance over the integrity of Information Technology resources: infrastructure and data.Visual tools to monitor the state of system security provide additional instruments that can alleviate the tedious exercise of thwarting the possibility of widespread havoc brought about by cyber attacks. Although there have been numerous works on the application of visualization to information security, most of those works tend to address and process security data that are mostly static and gleaned from historical data.This paper discusses an on-going work on the design and implementation of visual security monitoring gadgets that can be used to monitor, in real-time, the security posture of a system.
Using spatial models to establish climatic limiters of plant species’ distributions

Abstract Plant species’ climatic range limiters provide clues to reconstruct past climates, restore ecosystems, and manage agricultural systems. However, precise climatic limiters are unknown for many important species, and determining them typically involves long-term autecological studies. A new method presented here automatically and quantitatively infers limiters for a plant species using its documented, digitized distribution. The method uses available and accessible elevation and climate datasets from the US Geological Survey (USGS) and NOAA, along with common off-the-shelf (COTS) geographic information software technology (GIS) to determine which variables in the plant distribution climate space are actually limiting the range by restricting its movement into surrounding territory. The method utilizes precision climate interpolation allowing for independent variables in addition to latitude and longitude, via a software package developed at Australian National University (ANUSPLIN). For this first run, elevation and slope were included as independent variables for interpolating precipitation and temperature surfaces. The model defined limits for five Sonoran Desert plant species: Carnegiea gigantea , Cercidium microphyllum , Encelia farinosa , Ferocactus acanthodes , and Larrea tridentata. Results were tested against environmental factors outlined in autecological studies. Important model-derived climatic constraints to the distribution of C. gigantea include insufficient monsoon precipitation, low winter and monsoon temperatures, and excessive monsoon and fall precipitation. The distribution of C. microphyllum is constrained by cold winter and fall temperatures, excessive spring and summer precipitation and insufficient fall precipitation. E. farinosa is restricted by frigid winter temperatures and too much summer rainfall. Key factors limiting F. acanthodes are cold winter temperatures and inadequate fall and monsoon precipitation. An inordinate amount of precipitation during the summer, monsoon, and fall constrict the range of L. tridentata , along with an abnormally cool summer or monsoon. Results indicate that the method adequately resolves plant range limiters consistent with the autecological record. Future changes to the model are offered to improve results.
In vivo tests of an improved method for functional location of the subtalar joint axis

The subtalar joint is important in frontal plane movement and posture of the hindfoot. Abnormal subtalar joint moments caused by muscle forces and the ground reaction force acting on the foot are thought to play a role in various foot deformities. Calculating joint moments typically requires knowledge of the location of the joint axis; however, location of the subtalar axis from measured movement is difficult because the talus cannot be tracked using skin-mounted markers. The accuracy of a novel technique for locating the subtalar axis was assessed in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging. The method was also tested with skin-mounted markers and video motion analysis. The technique involves applying forces to the foot that cause pure subtalar joint motion (with negligible talocrural joint motion), and then using helical axis decomposition of the resulting tibiocalcaneal motion. The resulting subtalar axis estimates differed by 6 degrees on average from the true best-fit subtalar axes in the MRI tests. Motion was found to have been applied primarily about the subtalar joint with an average of only 3 degrees of talocrural joint motion. The proposed method provides a potential means for obtaining subject-specific subtalar axis estimates which can then be used in inverse dynamic analyses and subject-specific musculoskeletal models.
Pituitary and Brain 5α-Reductase Messenger RNA Levels in Control, Castrated, and Dihydrotestosterone-Treated Rats

Abstract In (28- to 40-day-old) male rats, the influence of castration or hormone-replacement treatment with dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) upon pituitary or hypothalamic 5α-reductase was assessed. The efficacy of the treatments was demonstrated by measuring serum LH and ventral prostate weight. Pituitary 5α-reductase enzyme activity was estimated by isolating [5α-3H]DHT by thin-layer chromatography after incubations with [3H]testosterone, and the identity of the [5α-3H]DHT formed was confirmed by recrystallization experiments. Pituitary and hypothalamic 5α-reductase mRNA content was determined by RNA blot analysis utilizing a rat 5α-reductase (type 1 or type 2) cDNA as probe. Pituitary 5α-reductase activity was significantly increased as a function of days after castration, whereas castration plus DHT treatment (at Day 12 post-castration) significantly decreased the activity to less than one-third of control levels. In controls, pituitary 5α-reductase mRNA content was barely detectable using the rat 5α-reductase (type 1) cDNA as probe. However, castration resulted in a clear increase in mRNA abundance, while in DHT-injected castrated animals pituitary mRNA content was undetectable. Hypothalamic mRNA content was clearly detectable in all treatment groups with the rat 5α-reductase type 1 probe. However, there were no apparent changes in hypothalamic mRNA abundance as affected by the treatments. On the other hand, pituitary or hypothalamic 5α-reductase mRNA was undetectable using the rat 5αreductase (type 2) cDNA as probe. These results indicate that in the rat pituitary the content of mRNA encoding 5α-reductase is negatively regulated by DHT. The increase in pituitary 5α-reductase enzymatic activity in castrates is due, in part, to higher mRNA levels detected by the 5α-reductase type 1 probe. Hypothalamic 5α-reductase mRNA levels (type 1) encoding this protein are not regulated by DHT, but presumably are, to some extent, under transcriptional control.
Linguistic change and social meaning: Codeswitching in the media:

This article investigates the relationship between code choice, bilingual identity and language change. Code choice and codeswitches in a bilingual Spanish-English publication are examined with two questions in mind. The first asks the extent to which stylistic and social variables, including identity, govern code choice. The second looks at the relationship of code choice to language change. Based on the pattern of code choice found in a popular women's magazine, I conclude that codemixed discourse is one of three varieties of code available to the bilingual, and where this variety is used intentionally, it is meant to emphasize the speaker's bilingual identity. I also consider structural aspects of codemixed discourse and determine that although the L1-L2 structure of this discourse is distinct from the monolingual L1 and L2 structures, it nevertheless follows from universal principles of grammar and does not require the positing of a third grammar. I further argue that the use of mixed-code discourse, especially in written media, as a pragmatically and structurally distinct variety available to bilingual speakers, falls within the Weinreich, Labov, and Herzog (1968) and Labov (1972 a,b) conceptions of language change. Thus, I suggest that in some contexts, codeswitching, is itself an instantiation of language change
Incomplete pairwise comparisons in the analytic hierarchy process

Abstract The Analytic Hierarchy Process is a decision-analysis tool which was developed by T.L. Saaty in the 1970s and which has been applied to many different decision problems in corporate, governmental and other institutional settings. The most successful applications have come about in group decisionmaking sessions, where the group structures the problem in a hierarchical framework and pairwise comparisons are elicited from the group for each level of the hierarchy. However, the number of pairwise comparison necessary in a real problem often becomes overwhelming. For example, with 9 alternatives and 5 criteria, the group must answer 190 questions. This paper explores various methods for reducing the complexity of the preference eliciting process. The theory of a method based upon the graph-theoretic structure of the pairwise comparison matrix and the gradient of the right Perron vector is developed, and simulations of a series of random matrices are used to illustrate the properties of this approach.
Analysis of xanthophylls in corn by HPLC.

An HPLC method was developed using the C-30 carotenoid column to separate and identify the major xanthophylls in corn (lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-cryptoxanthin). A photodiode array detector and a mobile phase consisting of methyl tert-butyl ether/methanol/water was used. All three xanthophylls eluted in less than 25 min. Yellow dent corn had a total xanthophyll content of 21.97 μg/g with lutein content of 15.7 μg/g, zeaxanthin content of 5.7 μg/g, and β-cryptoxanthin of 0.57 μg/g. Commercial corn gluten meal had a 7 times higher concentration of xanthophylls (145 μg/g), and deoiled corn contained 18 μg/g, indicating that the xanthophylls are probably bound to the zein fraction of corn proteins. Keywords: Xanthophylls; lutein; zeaxanthin; corn; HPLC
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome in Alzheimer's Disease

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) has been the subject of discussion in a number of recent literature reviews1,2; a natural outcome due to the increasing awareness of this potentially lethal disorder. Reviews and case reports suggest that youth is a predisposing factor1,2; there is no case report over 61 years of age. Although organic brain syndrome is cited as a risk factor, there is no documentation to support this. Recently, I treated an episode of NMS in a 65 year old man with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This case brought into focus certain issues relevant to the management of patients with AD.
An Application of General System Theory (GST) to Group Therapy

Abstract The purpose of this article was to demonstrate the compatibility of General System Theory (GST) with the traditional counseling literature in explicating a therapy group's progression through Tuckman's (1965, 1977) developmental stages.
A multi-echelon inventory system with returns

This paper considers a two-echelon inventory system with return flows, where demand and return rates are mutually independent. An open queueing network with finite buffers is used to model this system. The model is analysed using the expansion methodology.
Relation of right ventricular ejection fraction to exercise capacity in chronic left ventricular failure

Although the left ventricle is traditionally viewed as the heart's main pumping chamber, no correlation has been shown between left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) at rest and exercise capacity in patients with chronic LV failure. Because vasodilators with venodilating activity increase exercise capacity more than predominant arterial dilators in patients with LV failure, right ventricular (RV) function may relate to exercise capacity in these patients. In 25 patients with chronic LV failure, caused by coronary artery disease in 12 patients and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in 13 patients, RVEF and LVEF at rest were measured by radionuclide angiography. Maximal upright bicycle exercise testing was also performed to determine maximal oxygen consumption, which averaged only 13 +/- 4 ml/min/kg. The LVEF at rest was 26 +/- 10% and did not correlate with maximal oxygen consumption (r = 0.08). However, the RVEF was 41 +/- 12% and correlated with maximal oxygen consumption (r = 0.70, p less than 0.001) in the same patients. The correlation was stronger (r = 0.88) in patients with coronary artery disease than in those with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (r = 0.60). Thus, RVEF at rest is more predictive of exercise capacity than LVEF in the same patients with chronic LV failure. These results are consistent with the clinical observation that only venodilating agents increase exercise capacity of patients with chronic LV failure.
Methanol and ethanol modulate responses to danger- and microbe-associated molecular patterns.

Methanol is a byproduct of cell wall modification, released through the action of pectin methylesterases (PMEs), which demethylesterify cell wall pectins. Plant PMEs play not only a role in developmental processes but also in responses to herbivory and infection by fungal or bacterial pathogens. Molecular mechanisms that explain how methanol affects plant defenses are poorly understood. Here we show that exogenously supplied methanol alone has weak effects on defense signaling in three dicot species, however it profoundly alters signaling responses to danger- and microbe-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs, MAMPs) such as the alarm hormone systemin, the bacterial flagellum-derived flg22 peptide, and the fungal cell wall-derived oligosaccharide chitosan. In the presence of methanol the kinetics and amplitudes of DAMP/MAMP-induced MAP kinase (MAPK) activity and oxidative burst are altered in tobacco and tomato suspension-cultured cells, in Arabidopsis seedlings and tomato leaf tissue. As a possible consequence of altered DAMP/MAMP signaling, methanol suppressed the expression of the defense genes PR-1 and PI-1 in tomato. In cell cultures of the grass tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea, Poaceae, Monocots), methanol alone activates MAPKs and increases chitosan-induced MAPK activity, and in the darnel grass Lolium temulentum (Poaceae), it alters wound-induced MAPK signaling. We propose that methanol can be recognized by plants as a sign of the damaged self. In dicots, methanol functions as a DAMP-like alarm signal with little elicitor activity on its own, whereas it appears to function as an elicitor-active DAMP in monocot grasses. Ethanol had been implicated in plant stress responses, although the source of ethanol in plants is not well established. We found that it has a similar effect as methanol on responses to MAMPs and DAMPs.
Theoretical Study of Inhibition of Adenosine Deaminase by (8R)-Coformycin and (8R)-Deoxycoformycin

Molecular dynamics and free energy simulations were performed to examine the binding of (8R)-deoxycoformycin and (8R)-coformycin to adenosine deaminase. The two inhibitors differ only at the 2' position of the sugar ring ; the sugar moiety of conformycin is ribose, while it is deoxyribose for deoxycoformycin. The 100 ps molecular dynamics trajectories reveal that Asp 19 and His 17 interact strongly with the 5' hydroxyl group of the sugar moiety of both inhibitors and appear to play an important role in binding the sugar. The 2' and 3' groups of the sugars are near the protein-water interface and can be stabilized by either protein residues or water. The flexibility of the residues at the opening of the active site helps to explain the modest difference in binding of the two inhibitors and how substrates/inhibitors can enter an otherwise inaccessible binding site.
Unsteady flows with free boundaries

Instationare Stromungen mit endlich begrenztem Hohlraum hinter vieleckigen Hindernissen werden unter der Voraussetzung, das freie Rander Stromlinien sind, betrachtet. Das mathematische Problem wird in expliziter Form nach dem ublichen Verfahren der konformen Abbildung gelost und zeigt nicht wesentlich mehr Schwierigkeiten als das klassische Problem der freien Rander fur stationare Stromungen. Die Form des Hohlraums fur symmetrische Stromungen hinter einer ebenen Platte wird diskutiert, und Stromungen mit konstant bleibendem Hohlraum werden mit expliziten Formeln naher umschrieben.
Upper semicontinuity of the attractor for a singularly perturbed hyperbolic equation

Abstract For a smooth bounded domain Ω ⊂R n , n ⩽ 3, and e a real parameter, consider the hyperbolic equation eu tt + u t − Δu = −ƒ(u) − g in Ω with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Under certain conditions on ƒ, this equation has a compact attractor A e in H 0 1 × L 2 . For e = 0, the parabolic equation also has a compact attractor which can be naturally embedded into a compact set A 0 in H 0 1 × L 2 . It is shown that, for any neighborhood U of A 0 , the set A e ⊂ U for e small.
Computer model and data interpretation for a rubber cable tethered wave amplitude measuring buoy

Experimentation with rubber cable tethered buoys, originally used to reduce the watch circle of navigation buoys, has led to a unique wave measuring system. A tensiometer and two angle measurement transducers added to the anchor end of the rubber cable allows measurement of the cable tension and the angle of the cable with the vertical. For small fractional change in length, the cable exhibits a linear displacement-tension characteristic. The system thus allows an indirect measurement of the vertical buoy displacement. The two dimensional computer model consists of a coupled pair of non-linear differential equations formed by summing the component vertical and horizontal forces to the virtual mass times component accelerations. The equations are coupled through the tether force and are non-linear in the drag and buoyant force terms. The driving function for the model is a traveling sinusoidal wave which affects the buoyant force and the drag forces through the orbital water particle velocity. The equations are solved numerically and all component forces, displacements, velocities, and accelerations are available as outputs. The mathematical model of the system predicts that the buoy is a wave follower as long as the buoyant force is predominant over the tether and drag forces.
An evaluation of two procedures used in the study of p-nitrobenzoic acid metabolism by rat liver.

Abstract Enhanced p -nitrobenzoic acid metabolism by liver homogenates from DDT-treated rats vs control rats was not evident when the enzyme activity was measured by the procedure used by Kinoshita et al. (1966). However, a marked enhancement of p -nitrobenzoic acid metabolism by the same homogenates was seen if the NADP concentration and/or if the homogenate concentration and NADP concentration were increased. When comparing control livers with livers from animals treated with inducers it is important to study how the results may depend on the amount of enzyme and/or cofactors added.
Ventricular Assist Device implant (AB 5000) prototype cannula: In vitro assessment of MRI issues at 3-Tesla

To evaluate MRI issues at 3-Tesla for a ventricular assist device (VAD). The AB5000 Ventricle with a prototype Nitinol wire-reinforced In-Flow Cannula and Out-Flow Cannula attached (Abiomed, Inc., Danvers, MA) was evaluated for magnetic field interactions, heating, and artifacts at 3-Tesla. MRI-related heating was assessed with the device in a gelled-saline-filled, head/torso phantom using a transmit/received RF body coil while performing MRI at a whole body averaged SAR of 3-W/kg for 15-min. Artifacts were assessed for the main metallic component of this VAD (atrial cannula) using T1-weighted, spin echo and gradient echo pulse sequences. The AB5000 Ventricle with the prototype In-Flow Cannula and Out-Flow Cannula attached showed relatively minor magnetic field interactions that will not cause movement in situ. Heating was not excessive (highest temperature change, +0.8°C). Artifacts may create issues for diagnostic imaging if the area of interest is in the same area or close to the implanted metallic component of this VAD (i.e., the venous cannula). The results of this investigation demonstrated that it would be acceptable for a patient with this VAD (AB5000 Ventricle with a prototype Nitinol wire-reinforced In-Flow Cannula and Out-Flow Cannula attached) to undergo MRI at 3-Tesla or less. Notably, it is likely that the operation console for this device requires positioning a suitable distance (beyond the 100 Gauss line or in the MR control room) from the 3-Tesla MR system to ensure proper function of the VAD.
Landing North Sea gas in Western Norway

Abstract In this paper, we explore the issues surrounding the decision to land North Sea gas in Norway. Local economic impacts and national and company prestige were the deciding factors. National economic impacts and other landing alternatives were ignored in the decision process, even though Norway could have attained a high level of economic benefits without incurring major costs.
Dueling Ca2+ Sensors in Neurotransmitter Release

Ca2+-triggered neurotransmitter release is characterized by two kinetically distinct components: a fast synchronous phase and a slow asynchronous phase. Yao et al. (2011) now report that double C2 domain (Doc2) proteins function as high-affinity Ca2+ sensors to specifically regulate the asynchronous component of neurotransmitter release.
Acute cocaine effects on stereotypy and defense: an ethoexperimental approach

Abstract Cocaine administration to laboratory animals may produce locomotor hyperactivity and stereotypies that include sniffing and rearing, in addition to anxiety-like effects. A time-sampling study of the effects of 3, 10 or 30 mg/kg cocaine (i.p.) over time following injection indicated early enhancement of locomotion and crouching, with the latter most increased in low- and intermediate-dose cocaine groups, with increased rearing and standing during the second hour of the test period. Additional analyses at 30–60 min post-injection suggested qualitative changes in rearing, with high dose animals showing more, but shorter, rears, and a higher frequency of sniffing. The high dose cocaine enhancement of sniffing was strongly associated with rear and stand behaviors, but also occurred while the animal was crouching. This pattern of changes, with initial crouching/freezing and locomotion (flight?), followed by rearing, standing, and sniffing behaviors similar to those seen in risk assessment suggests that cocaine, particularly at high doses, may elicit defense. An additional study using only saline or the high (30 mg/kg) dose indicated that cocaine produced more sniffing regardless of the direction from which the air stream entered the test cage (i.e. top or bottom). However, cocaine animals oriented their sniffing behaviors toward the incoming air, with reliably more sniffs up in cages with the air stream entering from the top, and more sniffs down, when the air stream entered through a wire mesh cage bottom. Controls showed the same pattern, but their sniff orientation differences were not reliable. These results indicate that the sniffing that follows acute high dose cocaine administration is appropriately oriented toward relevant environmental stimuli, a factor disconsonant with the interpretation of sniffing as a stereotypical behavior, but one that is in agreement with the view that it may reflect a risk assessment component of the defense pattern.
Analysis of Fragmented Analog-State Resonances by Coupled Optical Equations with Effective Nonlocal Potentials

The fragmentation of single-particle analog resonances in proton elastic scattering is accomplished here by means of an effective nonlocal optical potential added to the Lane equations. This potential is inferred from the analogous potential in the parent isobaric nucleus, where it arises from the coupling of the single-neutron states to other degrees of freedom in that system. The new coupled equations are solved numerically by an iterative procedure for the case of ${\mathrm{Sr}}^{88}$+$p$ using an average set of optical-model parameters and the known ($d, p$) spectroscopic factors. The elastic excitation functions calculated in this way compare closely to experiment over a range of energies of ${E}_{p}=4.8 \mathrm{to} 8.1$ MeV, which includes six $2{d}_{\frac{5}{2}}$, $2{d}_{\frac{3}{2}}$, $3{s}_{\frac{1}{2}}$, and $1{g}_{\frac{7}{2}}$ resonances. The sensitivity of the calculations to the various input parameters indicates that the method may be useful for providing independent determinations of both optical-model parameters and spectroscopic factors. Some shortcomings of the model are discussed and future improvements indicated.
Analysis of Experimental Results in Mechanics of MWNT

The interaction between multiple shells in a MWNT structure is still a subject of intense research for theoreticians as well as experimentalists1-4 . Uncertainties arise mainly from the difficulties in calculating the atomic interactions within the material, i.e. graphite sliding5 . In contrast, the other relevant deformation mode; separation, can be modeled through a modified Lennard Jones potential6 . Accepting the validity of continuum mechanics at the relevant scales7 it is possible to define a parameter that while varying from zero to one, spans from frictionless sliding to perfect bonding between individual layers8 . Each individual graphene sheet making a nanotube is considered an isotropic hollow cylinder with a thickness equal to that of the equilibrium separation between layers, leaving no space between layers, in agreement with arguments presented elsewhere9 . The key point of this analysis is the modeling of those interfaces through a single parameter called the shear transfer efficiency. Three loading situations are of interest: extension, twisting and bending. All three have in common that the load is introduced only to the outermost layer and somehow must be transferred to the inner shells. An implicit assumption is that the only stresses responsible for stress transfer between shells are shearing, although there is always normal stress transfer due to Poisson's effects and to the kinematics of the deformation, they are deemed to be of second order due to the low value of Poisson's ratio for graphene and are neglected in the present analysis. Their quantification would lead to the normal transfer efficiency, by analogy with our shear transfer efficiency.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The three‐dimensional structure of troponin‐C: Supersecondary structural homology of calcium binding folds

The X-ray structure of chicken troponin-C at 3 A resolution was recently reported [1]. The structure exhibits an unusual dumbbell shape with the–COOH and—NH2 domains connected by a long α-helix of about nine turns. Only the two Ca2+-binding sites of the—COOH domain are occupied by metal ions. The individual helix-loop-helix (HLH) calcium-binding motifs as well as the combined calcium-binding sites in the—COOH domain exhibit a supersecondary structure similar to that of parvalbumin. However, the helix–loop–helix supersecondary structure of the two putative calcium-binding folds (metal free) in the—NH2 domain, while similar to each other, are markedly different from those of the—COOH domain. The conformational differences between the four Ca2+ (wherein the HLH regions of the—NH2 domain also display the same conformation as the—COOH domain) and two Ca2+ states of TnC would provide a better insight into the conformational changes in TnC and the molecular interactions of TnC with TnI and TnT in the troponin complex.
Higher old gas prices and the staged deregulation of the US gas industry

Abstract Since the passage of the Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA) of 1978, the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has taken a number of important steps aimed at fostering competition at all levels of the gas industry. With the issuance of Order 451, FERC took the next logical step, eliminating separate price categories for old interstate supplies and establishing a single, higher, and generally above-market price ceiling for this gas. Using a simple model of a gas market with price controls, this paper investigates the general conditions under which the average price of gas may be expected to either rise or fall as a consequence of Order 451. The general conclusion of the paper is that, at least for the US market, the old gas stage of this multi-staged price deregulation should be expected to result in lower average gas prices and greater production.
Antibiotic-Resistant Bugs in the 21st Century — A Clinical Super-Challenge

Drs. Cesar Arias and Barbara Murray write that we have arrived at a point as frightening as the preantibiotic era: for patients infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria, there is no magic bullet.
Endothelial nitric-oxide synthase: Evidence for bidomain structure and successful reconstitution of catalytic activity from two separate domains generated by a baculovirus expression system

Abstract A baculovirus system was used to express the oxygenase and reductase domains of human endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (ecNOS) as distinct proteins. The oxygenase domain (residues 1–491) was expressed using a vector containing a His6 tag at the N terminus. The purified oxygenase domain had an apparent molecular mass of ∼54 kDa, and retained the ability to bind L-arginine and form the ferrous CO complex. The purified reductase domain (residues 492-1244) had an apparent molecular mass of ∼82 kDa and retained the ability to catalyze NADPH-dependent cytochrome c reduction, which was enhanced 10-fold by the presence of Ca2+/calmodulin. Both purified domains exhibited immunoreactivity to rabbit anti-ecNOS IgG. The NOS activity was successfully reconstituted by mixing the two domains. These results demonstrate for the first time that the two domains of ecNOS are catalytically intact and can be reconstituted in vitro.
REMEDIAL PROGRAM POLICIES, STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Mounting concern over the perceived decline in student aptitude coupled with increasing interest in assessment of student learning outcomes has forced many institutions to re‐examine the effectiveness of their academic programs. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the remedial programs and services offered by community colleges. A major goal of these programs is to promote human capital development by enrolling students who might otherwise be lost from the postsecondary education system.
Pathogenic bacteria induce aversive olfactory learning in Caenorhabditis elegans

Food can be hazardous, either through toxicity or through bacterial infections that follow the ingestion of a tainted food source. Because learning about food quality enhances survival, one of the most robust forms of olfactory learning is conditioned avoidance of tastes associated with visceral malaise. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans feeds on bacteria but is susceptible to infection by pathogenic bacteria in its natural environment. Here we show that C. elegans modifies its olfactory preferences after exposure to pathogenic bacteria, avoiding odours from the pathogen and increasing its attraction to odours from familiar nonpathogenic bacteria. Particular bacteria elicit specific changes in olfactory preferences that are suggestive of associative learning. Exposure to pathogenic bacteria increases serotonin in ADF chemosensory neurons by transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Serotonin functions through MOD-1, a serotonin-gated chloride channel expressed in sensory interneurons, to promote aversive learning. An increase in serotonin may represent the negative reinforcing stimulus in pathogenic infection.
Calcium intake and disease prevention

While the fundamental metabolic function of calcium is to serve as a second messenger, coupling intracellular responses to extracellular signals, nutritional deficiency of calcium is manifested at a higher level of organization: 1) depletion of the calcium nutrient reserve; 2) inadequate complexation of digestive byproducts; and 3) collateral effects of hormones produced primarily to compensate for low calcium intake. The first mechanism contributes to the osteoporosis problem, the second to kidney stones and colon cancer, and the third to hypertension, preeclampsia, obesity, and insulin resistance, among others. Adequate calcium intakes (1000-1500 mg/d) in adults have been shown in controlled trials to lower the risk of osteoporotic fractures, kidney stones, obesity, and hypertension. The best source of calcium is dairy foods, largely because the disorders concerned depend upon multiple nutrients, not just calcium, and dairy provides a broad array of essential nutrients in addition to calcium, and at low cost.
Plasmapheresis for humoral rejection and severe graft dysfunction after heart transplantation

PLASMAPHERESIS FOR HUMORAL REJECTION AND SEVERE GRAFT DYSFUNCTION AFTER HEART TRANSPLANTATION K. Ramasubbu, D.H. Yawn, V. Thohan, M. Loebe, J.A. Lafuente, G.P. Noon, G. Torre-Amione, M.M. Koerner, Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, Houston, TX; Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, Houston, TX; Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, Houston, TX
A method for building a real-time cluster-based continuous mental workload scale

Mental workload is known to significantly influence an operator's task performance. Extreme levels of mental workload can lead to operator monotony, low performance and operation errors. Measurement of mental workload is thus very important–especially real-time measurement that involves the representation of continuous real numbers. Existing mental workload measures include human subjects’ self-reporting, task performance and psychophysiological signals. Subjects’ self-reporting and task performance measures are used posterior–i.e. after the task is performed–and thus they cannot be used for real-time measurement of mental workload. Measures based on psychophysiological signals are suitable for real-time measurement and currently are usually represented as a set of discrete numbers–so-called levels. Mental workload is essentially a quantity of continuous numbers and defining it as a set of discrete levels can introduce unnecessary constraints on the accurate understanding of mental workload. In this paper...
Evidence for Unexpected Weaknesses in Learning in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Without Reading Disabilities

This study examined the mechanisms underlying verbal learning in children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), none of whom had reading disabilities. Children with ADHD were compared to typically developing children on both process and product scores from the California Verbal Learning Test for Children. The findings indicated that children with ADHD initially learned the same number of words as controls but showed weaknesses recalling the words after delays, suggesting that children with ADHD are less efficient learners. Regardless of ADHD status, boys and girls performed differently. Boys used semantic clustering less frequently and recalled fewer words from the middle region of the list than girls; girls also outperformed boys in terms of overall performance, despite lower verbal IQ scores. These findings show that children with ADHD can exhibit unexpected weaknesses in learning even without a formal learning disability. Gender differences in verbal learning are also illustrated.
Treat or eat: food insecurity, cost-related medication underuse, and unmet needs

BACKGROUND: Adults with chronic disease are often unable to meet medication and food needs, but no study has examined the relationship between cost-related medication underuse and food insecurity in a nationally representative sample. We examined which groups most commonly face unmet food and medication needs. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of data from chronically ill participants (self-report of arthritis, diabetes mellitus, cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, hypertension, coronary heart disease, or presence of a “psychiatric problem”) aged � 20 years, in the 2011 National Health Interview Survey. We fit logistic regression models to identify factors associated with food insecurity, cost-related medication underuse, or both. RESULTS: There were 9696 adult National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) participants who reported chronic illness; 23.4% reported cost-related medication underuse; 18.8% reported food insecurity; and 11% reported both. Adults who reported food insecurity were significantly more likely to report cost-related medication underuse (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.03). Participants with both cost-related medication underuse and food insecurity were more likely to be Hispanic (aOR 1.58), non-Hispanic black (aOR 1.58), and have more chronic conditions (aOR per additional chronic condition 1.56) than patients reporting neither. They also were less likely to have public, non-Medicare insurance (aOR 0.70) and report participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (aOR 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 1 in 3 chronically ill NHIS participants are unable to afford food, medications, or both. WIC and public health insurance participation are associated with less food insecurity and cost-related medication underuse.
Radar Waveform Design using Minimum Mean-Square Error and Mutual Information

This paper addresses the problem of radar waveform design for target identification and classification. Both the ordinary radar with a single transmitter and receiver and the recently proposed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar are considered. A random target impulse response is used to model the scattering characteristics of the extended (nonpoint) target, and two radar waveform design problems with constraints on waveform power have been investigated. The first one is to design waveforms that maximize the conditional mutual information (MI) between the random target impulse response and the reflected waveforms given the knowledge of transmitted waveforms. The second one is to find transmitted waveforms that minimize the mean-square error (MSE) in estimating the target impulse response. Our analysis indicates that under the same total power constraint, these two criteria lead to the same solution for a matrix which specifies the essential part of the optimum waveform design. The solution employs water-filling to allocate the limited power appropriately. We also present an asymptotic formulation which requires less knowledge of the statistical model of the target
A patient-derived cytotoxic T-lymphocyte clone and two peptide-dependent monoclonal antibodies recognize HLA-B27-peptide complexes with low stringency for peptide sequences.

HLA-B27 molecules expressed on the T2 mutant cell line do not have peptides. Such empty HLA-B27 molecules were not recognized by an HLA-B27-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clone (auto-1) derived from synovial fluid. To test for peptide dependency of the clone, B27-T2 cells were incubated with a panel of 48 different peptides. This lack of stringency was compared with that of a peptide-dependent monoclonal antibody, B27.M2. Positive B27.M2 reactivity resulted when the B27-T2 cells were incubated with two peptides: RRKAMFEDI and RRMGPPVGHR, derived from Chlamydia HSP60 and human ribonucleoprotein, respectively. Because of the limited availability of CTL versus monoclonal antibody, the specificity of B27.M2 was studied in greater detail. The importance of the HLA-B27 heavy chain in antibody recognition of class I-peptide complexes was demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis. The stringency of the peptide residues was tested by making analogs of each of the nine residues in RRKAMFEDI, creating a panel of 180 analogs. Although stringency was highest for the sixth position, as many as six different amino acids provided positive reactivity. These results indicate that immune recognition of HLA-B27-peptide complexes might have rather low stringency for the peptide sequences. In theory, then, pathogen-derived peptides which induce autoimmunity by generating autoreactive CTL might not share much sequence similarity with the responsible self peptides.
The evolution of conspecific sperm precedence in Drosophila

Conspecific sperm precedence takes place when females inseminated by both conspecific and heterospecific sperm preferentially produce conspecific rather than hybrid offspring. Although many studies have documented conspecific sperm precedence, most have only identified it between taxa that are already considered to be good species. Here, we test for sperm precedence between two Drosophila pseudoobscura subspecies and between two Drosophila melanogaster races to evaluate how early in evolutionary divergence sperm precedence evolves. We found evidence of weak conspecific sperm precedence between the Drosophila subspecies but none between the Drosophila races. These pairs of taxa are already separated by mating discrimination and/or hybrid sterility, so our observation suggests that conspecific sperm precedence does not always evolve before other barriers to gene exchange.
Play, Imagination, and Creativity: A Brief Literature Review

What the ultimate goal for education is to help students develop their capabilities and in turn to maximize their potentials into practical uses in everyday life. In fact, teachers are critical resources at their disposal to facilitate maximum students learning experience and to release students’ potentials in classrooms. It is believed that creativity is an important capacity for students to possess in order to face this fast-changing world. The purpose of current study is to review related literature on play, imagination, and creativity. By doing so, it is hoped to provide some useful insights for educators to bring those concepts into classrooms in terms of promoting creativity. Finally, several creativity strategies for facilitating creativity are discussed. The overall results of the literature review suggest that educators should bring play and imagination in their classrooms in order to encourage creativity.
New records and description of four new species of spionids (Annelida: Polychaeta: Spionidae) from the Philippines: the genera Dispio, Malacoceros, Polydora, and Scolelepis, with notes on palp ciliation patterns of the genus Scolelepis

Seven species of spionid worms of the Philippines are described based primarily on specimens collected from intertidal sandy beaches in 1999–2000. Four of these species are new to science and two are recorded for the first time from this region. Dispio latilamella sp. n., is distinguished by large, spoon-shaped postsetal notopodial lamellae of setiger 1 and notopodial lamellae of setigers 1–13 with digitiform extensions along margin. Malacoceros indicus (Fauvel, 1928), a widely distributed species, is discovered for the first time in the Philippines. Polydora cavitensis Pillai, 1965 is reported from Manila Bay for the first time since its original description. Four species of Scolelepis were found: S. hutchingsae Dauer, 1985, S. alisonae sp. n., S. magnicornuta sp. n., and S. villosivaina sp. n. Scolelepis hutchingsae was previously only known from Australia; the Philippine specimens closely match the original description. Scolelepis alisonae sp. n. is distinguished by postsetal notopodial lamellae with conical lobes on anterior setigers, bidentate notopodial hooded hooks beginning on setiger 68–99, and bidentate neuropodial hooded hooks beginning on setiger 25–33. Scolelepis magnicornuta sp. n. has a large, conical occipital tentacle with cilia along the sides, unidentate or bidentate notopodial hooded
The power of LXI interumentation — use cases and performances

With over 320 LXI instruments available in a little more than two years, electronic functional and data acquisition test systems can now be implemented with LXI instruments from a wide variety of product categories. Test system builders are often interested in three major areas: reduced system complexity with easier configuration, lower system cost, and increased performance. LXI instruments score high in lowering cost, remote access, and being easier to configure, verify, and debug, but there is discussion over performance in the area of latency and throughput. LXI class A and B instrumentation provide new test system techniques through flexible triggering schemes such as LAN messaging, IEEE-1588 timing, and downloaded scripts. While most LXI instruments are currently class C and are targeted to replace GPIB equivalents, 2007 and 2008 will see an increase of class A and B instruments that provide new and exciting possibilities that can directly improve performance and reduce system complexity. This paper will illustrate and demonstrate how test system challenges are being addressed with existing GPIB and LXI class C instruments and how class A and B instruments will provide exciting new test system capabilities.
Tracking of Left Ventricular Mass in Children: Race and Sex Comparisons The MCV Twin Study

Background—Increased left ventricular (LV) mass is a predictor of cardiovascular disease in adults. The mechanism(s) for these observations are not fully understood. Methods and Results—We repeatedly studied a biracial sample of children from ages 11 through 17 years. At visits 1 through 5, height, weight, and pubertal stage were determined. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured. M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiograms were performed with a 3.5-MHz transducer with the subject in the supine position. LV mass was calculated. Repeated-measures analysis using a mixed modeling approach was performed for LV mass. At all ages, boys had greater LV mass than girls. For the population as a whole, we found significant tracking correlations for LV mass between each interval of measurement and throughout the entire period of examination. The tracking correlation for the entire sample from visit 1 through visit 5 was r=.41. The LV mass in white children tracked from the youngest to the oldest. Black children t...