cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Provision of Contraception: Key Recommendations from the CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released comprehensive recommendations for provision of family planning services. Contraceptive services may be addressed in five steps and counseling may be provided in a tiered approach whereby the most effective options are presented before less effective options. Clinicians should discuss all contraceptive methods that can be used safely by the patient regardless of whether a method is available on site and even if the patient is an adolescent or a nulliparous woman. Physical assessment is usually limited to blood pressure evaluation before starting hormonal contraceptives or pelvic examination before placing an intrauterine device. Monitoring the patients weight also may be helpful. If it is reasonably certain that the patient is not pregnant any contraceptive may be started immediately. When hormonal contraceptives are selected one years supply should be prescribed to reduce barriers to use. Condoms should be made readily available. Documentation of visits for contraception should include patient understanding of use benefits and risks plus an individualized follow-up plan. Bleeding irregularities generally are not harmful and may resolve with continued use of the contraceptive method. All patients-including adolescents; those who identify as lesbian gay bisexual or transgender; and patients with disabilities or limited English proficiency-should receive high-quality care in an accommodating nonjudgmental environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports advance provision of emergency contraceptives. Because no test reliably verifies cessation of fertility it is prudent to consider contraceptive use until menopause or at least until 50 to 55 years of age.
Conformational changes involved in sGC activation

Background Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is a central target of nitric oxide (NO) action. sGC is a heterodimeric hemoprotein. The ferrous heme efficiently traps NO and plays an intimate role in activation of the enzyme to catalyse the conversion of GTP to cGMP. sGC is also the target for cardiovascular therapies involving small molecules that stimulate sGC directly or activate oxidized or apo sGC. Efforts to fully characterize sGC catalysis have been hampered by the lack of structural information. High-resolution structures of sGC fragments (domains) have been determined and have provided important detail; however, a structure of the full-length protein, an essential piece of the puzzle, remains unsolved.
Sparsely-Sampled Phase-Insensitive Two-Dimensional Arrays: Spatial Interpolation and Signal-Dependent Aperture

Phase-cancellation at a piezoelectric receiving transducer is an instrumental effect which arises because the voltage generated by a piezoelectric receiving element is proportional to the integral of the pressure over its aperture. Although this is the same property which yields the desirable directional characteristics of piezoelectric transducers, under some experimental conditions phase-cancellation results in quantitative errors in estimates of the energy in an ultrasonic field. Phase-cancellation has been shown to result in artifacts both in transmission measurements1 and in scattering measurements2. A number of phase-insensitive detection schemes have been developed to reduce or eliminate this effect. These methods include true power or energy detection via radiation force measurements3, the transient thermoelectric effect4, and the acoustoelectric effect in piezoelectric semiconductors5. Other approaches have been based on linear and phased arrays6,7. Shoup, et. al.8, proposed the use of sparsely-sampled two-dimensional arrays a number of years ago, and the research group at the University of Michigan9 currently builds and uses actual sparsely-sampled two-dimensional arrays for the phase-insensitive detection of transmitted ultrasonic beams and scattered ultrasound.
The travel industry: what's in a name?

The travel and tourism industry is enormous in both size and importance. There can be little doubt that the field is striving to accommodate the diversity of opinion concerning what the industry is and how it can be improved and enlarged even further. Resistance to critiquing long-held beliefs about the industry may inhibit its future. Deconstruction, a postmodern method of analysis, is proposed as one tool with which to engage in reflection upon what the industry is and where it may be headed.
Cooperative Learning and Social Skills: What Skills to Teach and How to Teach Them

Cooperative learning strategies can be successful with students of all ages, learning styles, and ethnic backgrounds. However, students who have never been taught the prerequisite social skills cannot be expected to work together effectively. This article links cooperative learning arrangements with social skills instruction to accelerate student learning and to improve students' social relationships.
Telescope and focal plane instrumentation for the ORION MIDEX mission

To fulfill the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's some of the goals of the Origins program, we present the candidate Middle Class Explorer, ORION. ORION will image all the nearby star forming regions at high resolution at several astrophysically relevant emission lines. By imaging the nearby star forming regions ORION will answer profound questions about the origin of stars like the Sun, and therefore the planets that may contain life elsewhere in the universe. To compete with existing instruments, both in space and on the ground, we make use of new technologies and our ability to optimize the design for a single purpose.
Dynamic Response of a Rotor-Hybrid Gas Bearing System Due to Base Induced Periodic Motions

Rotating machinery in transportation systems experiences intermittent excitation from road conditions. Internal combustion (IC) engines exert (multiple) periodic load excitations into passenger vehicle turbochargers, for example. Too large base motions can produce severe rotor-bearing system damage, even failure. The paper shows the reliability of a rotor-hybrid gas bearing system to withstand intermittent base foundation motions induced by a shaker. The test rig consists of a rigid rotor, 190mm in length, 0.825 kg in mass, and 28.6 mm in diameter, supported on two hybrid, flexure pivot tilting pad type, gas bearings. The whole system, weighing 48 kg, is supported on two soft coil springs and its lowest natural frequency is just ∼5 Hz. The rod connecting the shaker to the base plate is not affixed rigidly to the test rig base. The rod merely pushes on the base plate and hence the induced based motions are intermittent with multiple impacts and frequencies. The base induced motions are at a low main frequency (5–12 Hz) relative to the operating speed of the rotor-bearing system (max. 35 krpm). The recorded rotor responses, relative to the bearing housings, also contain the main excitation frequency and its super harmonics; and because of the intermittency of the base motions, it also excites the rotor-bearing system natural frequency, in particular when the gas bearings are supplied with a low feed pressure. Predicted rotor dynamic displacements induced by the base excitations show reasonable agreement with the test data.© 2010 ASME
Anisotropy of L X-rays emitted from gold atoms aligned by proton impact ionization

Abstract The L-X rays emitted from gold atoms impact-ionized by 65° scattered 1 MeV protons were measured at 0° and 90° relative to the normal of the reaction plane using a coincidence technique. The anisotropy determined is used to deduce roughly the degree of alignment due to the difference in the differential ionization cross section of |M j | = 1 2 and 3 2 magnetic substrate
4 Analyzing Tool Interoperability Relative to Systems & Software Engineering Data Workflow

At Raytheon Systems Company, Fullerton Operations, systems and software engineering have taken the approach that programs need a ‘tool thread’, which supports model-based development with connectivity across all engineering phases. The study group has conducted an extensive analysis, examining many tools for each of the system engineering domains — requirements management (RM), systems architecting (SA), system software development (SW), and system integration and test (I&T). This analysis scored not only the performance of the tool in the applicable engineering domain and its support to model-based development, but also scored a tool's interfaces to other tools. This analysis is a practical tool selection approach supporting the three tenets of simulation-based acquisition: integrated engineering environment, iterative acquisition process, and evolved acquisition culture.
Understanding the Impact of Parent School Involvement on Children's Educational Outcomes

Parent school involvement in children's education is associated with positive educational outcomes. This association has prompted efforts to increase such involvement through formal programs. However, among the few programs that have been rigorously evaluated, most do not appear to improve child outcomes. Using data from a study of 193 Los Angeles area 2nd- and 5th-grade children and their mothers, the authors attempted to confirm the relationship between parent involvement and child outcomes and understand what underlies it. The findings indicate that parent school involvement contributes to positive child outcomes. However, such involvement appears to be a manifestation of parental enthusiasm and positive parenting style. Parent-involvement programs might be more effective if they focused on such underlying constructs.
Modulating Optical Properties of Graphene Oxide: Role of Prominent Functional Groups

To modulate the electronic and optical properties of graphene oxide via controlled deoxidation, a proper understanding of the role of the individual functional group in determining these properties is required. We, therefore, have performed ab initio density functional theory based calculations to study the electronic and optical properties of model structures of graphene oxide with different coverages and compositions. In particular, we considered various concentrations of major functional groups like epoxides, hydroxyls, and carbonyls, which mainly consititute the graphene oxide and the reduced graphene oxide. Our calculated electron energy loss spectra (EELS) demonstrate the π plasmon peak to be less sensitive, while π + σ plasmon is found to have a significant blue shift of about 1.0–3.0 eV, when the concentration of epoxy and hydroxyl functional groups in graphene oxide vary from 25% to 75%. However, the increase in carbonyl groups in the center of the graphene sheet creates holes, which lead to the ...
are familists amoral? a test of Banfield's amoral familism hypothesis in a South Italian village1

The findings of research conducted in a South Italian village failed to support the two key propositions of Banfield's amoral familism hypothesis. Specifically, it was found that (1) the ethos of the community does not reduce to the rule of amoral familism—“Maximize the material, short-run advantage of the nuclear family;…” and that (2) this rule alone does not accurately represent the villager's orientation toward extrafamilial social behavior.
Abstract 2982: Activation of checkpoint kinase Chk2 by cisplatin and its role in cisplatin resistance

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC One of the mechanisms of platinum resistance in cancer chemotherapy is the activation of DNA damage checkpoint pathways. Chk2 is a multifunctional key component of the DNA replication-monitoring S/G2 checkpoint system, which mediates DNA damage signaling following genotoxic stress and leads to DNA repair or apoptosis. Developing checkpoint kinase inhibitors for better treatment of cancer has been a major target in drug discovery over the past decade. In our study, flow cytometric experiments show that cisplatin induces an initial accumulation of cells at S phase of cell cycle followed by an increase of cell fraction at G2 phase, suggesting cisplatin-induced cell cycle arrest. Treatment of cisplatin in human ovarian carcinoma cells resulted in Chk2 phosphorylation at Thr-68 and p53 phosphorylation at Ser-15. The observed cisplatin-induced increase in p53 phosphorylation preceded (by about 12 hours) the observed increase in Chk2 phosphorylation. Elevated protein levels of ATM, p53 and P21 by cisplatin in these cells appear in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, overexpression of p53 by cDNA transfection in cells with wild type p53-function doubled the amount of Chk2 phosphorylation 48 hours after cisplatin treatment, whereas p53 knock-down by specific siRNA greatly reduced Chk2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, selective Chk2 Inhibitor (C3742) potentiated the cell-killing effect of cisplatin in both sensitive and resistant ovarian cancer cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that after cisplatin exposure the DNA damage response pathway is activated with greatly increased Chk2 phosphorylation which is modulated by p53. Inhibition of Chk2 with a small-molecule inhibitor may overcome cisplatin resistance in cancer chemotherapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2982.
MECA: multivalued electronic-circuit analysis

A user-oriented computer program based on the iterative piecewise-linear method is described, which offers a more general approach for analysing multivalued networks than the more commonly used Newton-Raphson method.
Scaling-Law Equation of State for Gases in the Critical Region

The Widom-Kadanoff scaling-law equation of state has been confirmed for a variety of gases in a range of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}50% of the critical density and within a few percent above and below the critical temperature. Using a new procedure motivated by the scaling law, the exponent $\ensuremath{\delta}$ describing the shape of the critical isotherm was found to be close to 5 while the compressibility exponents $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ were both found to be equal to about 1.4.
Silapentadienyl−Iridium−Phosphine Chemistry(1)

A series of η1-silapentadienyl−iridium complexes have been synthesized by reacting (η2-cyclooctene)(X)Ir(PMe3)3 (X = Cl or Me) with butadienyldimethylsilanes, and the reactivity of these species has been investigated. Treatment of (η2-cyclooctene)(Cl)Ir(PMe3)3 wi th E- or (Z-butadienyl)dimethylsilane produces, via Si−H bond activation, (η1-E-dimethylsilapentadienyl)(H)(Cl)Ir(PMe3)3, 1E. Similarly, treatment of (η2-cyclooctene)(Me)Ir(PMe3)3 with E- or (Z-butadienyl)dimethylsilane produces η1-E- or (η1-Z-dimethylsilapentadienyl)(H)(Me)Ir(PMe3)3, 2E or 2Z. Upon heating in benzene at 100 °C (under pressure), 2E decomposes, but 2Z loses methane and coordinates the terminal double bond of the silapentadienyl ligand, producing (η1,η2-dimethylsilapentadienyl)Ir(PMe3)3, 3. Treatment of (η2-cyclooctene)(Cl)Ir(PMe3)3 with (E-2,3-dimethylbutadienyl)dimethylsilane produces (η1-E-2,3,5,5-tetramethylsilapentadienyl)(H)(Cl)Ir(PMe3)3, 4E. In acetone, this species isomerizes via 2,3-dimethylbutadienyl migration from silico...
Field measurement of tension in a T-142 tank track

This paper describes a method employed by the Engineering Measurements Section at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to measure the tension developed between neighboring track sections of a T-142-track mounted on an M-60 tank at the Yuma Proving Grounds. Such information is important for input to the computer models that are being developed by the laboratory for the US Army Tank-Automotive Command. A section of track was instrumented with strain gages and mounted in a tensile testing machine. The strain gage output was then calibrated as a function of tension. The calibrated track section was mounted on the tank and connected through a hard-wire electrical tether to a portable data acquisition system. A video recording system with a clock common to the data acquisition system was used to correlate environmental inputs to tension data. Initial track pre-tension levles were measured. Data were also acquired when the tank traversed several objects, moved uphill over an obstacle, and executed pivot turns. This data have been used in the new computer models at LLNL.
Attachment of Nitrogen and Oxygen Centered Radicals to Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Salts

Carbon nanotube salts, prepared by treating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with lithium in liquid ammonia, react with N-halosuccinimide by electron transfer to generate transient radical anions that yield succinimidyl radicals and halide anions. Similarly, alkyl peroxides, when treated with SWNT salts, give rise to alkoxy radicals and alkoxides. The free radicals add to the sidewalls of nanotube salts to form succinimidyl and alkoxy derivatized SWNTs. The functionalized SWNTs can then be converted to amino and hydroxyl SWNTs by hydrolysis with hydrazine or with fuming sulfuric acid, respectively. Hydrolysis of alkoxy derivatized SWNTs with D2O/D2SO4 led to the deuterated analogue of hydroxy SWNT, as shown by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. These reactions constitute a two-step synthesis of aminated and hydroxylated SWNTs. Covalent sidewall functionalization was confirmed by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission e...
Molecular thermodynamics for volume-change transitions in temperature-sensitive polymer gels

Abstract A molecular-thermodynamic model is presented to predict volume change transitions in temperature-sensitive polymer gels. The model uses an extended Flory-Huggins theory as a mixing contribution and a new interpolated affine model suggested by Birshtein as an elastic contribution. The Flory χ parameter is given by the product of a temperature-dependent and a composition-dependent term. Our model also differs from those presented previously because the temperature-dependent term is given by the incompressible lattice-gas model by ten Brinke and Karasz that accounts for specific interactions such as hydrogen bonding. Following conventional practice, the van't Hoff equation is introduced to represent the effect of a small number of ionizable segments in the network chain. Calculated swelling-ratio curves for neutral and weakly ionized aqueous N -isopropylacrylamide gels use molecular parameters obtained from phase-equilibrium data for (non-crosslinked) polymer solutions. In agreement with experiment, the calculated volume-transition temperature of the gel is about 1°C higher than the lower critical solution temperature of the (non-crosslinked) polymer solution.
CHARACTERISATION OF EXCITED ATOM REACTION DYNAMICS BY LASER INDUCED FLUORESCENCE.

Recent advances in laser technology have made available to chemists reliable sources of tunable, narrow bandwidth radiation in the ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet regions. It has thus become possible to detect with unprecedented sensitivity the diatomic products of bimolecular chemical reactions with resolution of electronic, vibrational, rotational, and even fine structure states. In our laboratory, special attention has been given to studies of the reactivity of optically metastable, electronically excited carbon an0 oxygen atoms, C( D) and 0('D). Examined in detail has been the reaction of C('D) with H2 in which the population of the product CH(v"=O) A doublet states is found to Be inverted. The reaction was further shcown to proceed via a long-lived 'CH collision complex. Extensive studies of 0(±D) + H2 ? OH + H using hydrogen isotopes have demonstrated the importance of angular momentum constraints on the dynamics of HOH collision complex dissociation. Most recently, we have been successful in detecting the CN product of C('D) + NO ? CN + 0('D), evidence for excited oxygen formation having been inferred from the observed CN product energetics. Also to be discussed will be the detection of highly vibrationally excited OH radicals by off-diagonal LIF in the Av = -1i -2 progressions. These experiments provide the first direct evidence that 0('D) + H2 proceeds exclusively by insertion/dissociation with no significant contribution from direct hydrogen abstraction.
Creep analysis of polymer structures

One of the important aspects in designing polymer structures and predicting their lifetime is the computation of time-dependent deformation. A tensile creep law for constant uniaxial stress was developed using talc-filled polypropylene as an example. A simplified finite-element creep analysis technique for polymer structures was developed with only one time step, an isochronous stress-stress formulation, and a deformation plasticity-type analysis, With an elastic analysis and this one-step nonlinear analysis for a given time and temperature, the displacement of a critical location in the polymer structure can be calculated for any time and temperature without further finite-element analysis. Comparisons of calculations with this one-step analysis and with the standard time-stepping analysis and experimental results for a beam in bending and a plate with a hole demonstrate the usefulness of this approach.
Use of D-dimer to aid in excluding deep venous thrombosis in ambulatory patients.

Abstract Background Duplex imaging is currently the gold standard for diagnosing deep venous thrombosis (DVT), but its nonselective use overburdens vasuclar laboratories, particularly during off hours. It is the purpose of this study to determine if a new D-dimer assay could be used as an aid in determing whether duplex imaging could be performed on an elective or emergent basis in patients with suspected DVT. Methods D-dimer levels were measured and venous duplex examinations were obtained in all patients. D-dimer assays were performed using the Tina-quant latex agglutination test (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). Venous duplex examinations were performed using colorflow doppler. Results Between September 1, 2002 and April 30, 2003, 148 patients were seen in the emergency department for suspected DVT. Nineteen patients (12.8%) had positive venous duplex examinations and 129 (87.2%) duplex examinations were negative. None of the 19 patients with positive venous duplex studies had D-dimer levels within of the normal range (0 to 0.49). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the D-dimer test were 100%, 48.8%, 22.4%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusion The D-dimer test can effectively used without adjuncting risk straification as an aid in excluding the diagnosis of DVT in ambulatory patients. Its routine use could significantly reduce the need for the performance of emergent venous duplex examinations.
Pentecost and Trinity Sunday: Preaching and Teaching New Creation:

Any renewal of preaching and teaching on Pentecost and Trinity Sundays will be helped by revisiting the nature of these feasts as inseparable from the larger paschal cycle. From the perspective of ...
AN OPTIMAL MACRO ECONOMIC POLICY MIX FOR SLOVENIA AFTER EU ACCESSION

Abstract This paper analyses the design of macroeconomic policies for Slovenia during the process of full integration into the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). “Optimal” monetary and fiscal policies are determined as solutions of optimum control problems with a quadratic objective function and the macroeconometric model SLOPOL as constraint. Several optimization experiments under a flexible exchange rate, a fixed exchange rate and a crawling peg scenario are carried out. It is shown than the best policy results are obtained under a crawling peg regime with a decreasing depreciation rate.
Time-Domain Simulation of Vertical External Cavity Semiconductor Lasers

Power-scaling issues, such as the role of Amplified Spontaneous Emission, are studied in Vertical External Cavity Semiconductor Lasers (VECSEL) by numerical simulation. Comprehensive simulation approach is described.
Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Introduction Cardiac morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are attributable to myocardial injury, decreased ventricular function, and ventricular arrhythmia (VA). Our objective was to test the relationships between QTc prolongation, VA, and survival after SAH.
Prognostic significance of continuous EEG monitoring in patients with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Introduction Predicting outcome in patients with poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may help guide therapy and assist in family discussions. The objective of this study was to determine if continuous electroencephalogram (cEEG) monitoring results are predictive of 3-month outcome in critically ill patients with SAH.
Evidence for activities of rabbit reticulocyte elongation factor 1 analogous to bacterial factors EF-Ts and EF-Tu.

Abstract Preparations have been obtained from rabbit reticulocyte elongation factor 1 (EF-1) that exhibit activities analogous to the heat stable and heat labile factors, EF-Ts and EF-Tu, of Escherichia coli . The heat stable fraction, prepared by heating EF-1 in the presence of GTP, has virtually no activity in poly (U)-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis. The fraction exhibiting activity similar to bacterial EF-Tu is obtained by the interaction of EF-1 with GTP and phenylalanyl-tRNA followed by passage of the solution through a nitrocellulose filter. The filtrate, which alone has low activity in polyphenylalanine synthesis, when combined with the heat stable fraction gives high activity suggesting that the heat stable preparation catalyzes recycling of the filtrate component.
Thinking outside the channel: Timing pulse flows to benefit salmon via indirect pathways

Using models to represent relationships between flow and fishes has important practical applications for managing reservoir releases. Attempts to model such relationships often neglect indirect mechanisms by which flow influences fish. For example, growth of salmon juveniles is measurably faster when flows inundate floodplain and promote higher production of invertebrate prey, but out-of-channel flows have not yet been incorporated into models. The QUANTUS model developed here represents indirect linkages between flow and freshwater survival, mediated by temperature and prey availability, for fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Quantiles of spawning time and place were used to define cohorts of salmon in a regulated Central Valley, California river. Survival of these quantile-cohorts was simulated through incubation, juvenile growth, and eventual downstream migration. A genetic algorithm was used to optimize the seasonal timing of pulse flows. Simulated survival was highest for flow regimes that provided a modest, temperature-moderating pulse flow in early summer and, for wetter years, a second, larger pulse of over-bank flow in late winter. For many rivers of the Pacific coast that support fall Chinook salmon, the thermal window of opportunity for spawning and rearing is narrow. Optimized flows made the most of this window by providing access to accelerated juvenile growth and early survival in floodplain habitat, a result that should be verified with field experiments. Timing of optimized pulse flows differed in some respects from the region's natural hydrograph, dominated by spring runoff. This suggests that understanding the mechanisms by which flow influences fishes can be important when shaping flows in the changed context of a regulated river.
The effects of 41°C hyperthermia on the DNA repair protein, MRE11, correlate with radiosensitization in four human tumor cell lines

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine if reduced availability of the DNA repair protein, MRE11, for the repair of damaged DNA is a basis for thermal radiosensitization induced by moderate hyperthermia. To test this hypothesis, we measured the total amount of MRE11 DNA repair protein and its heat-induced alterations in four human tumor cell lines requiring different heating times at 41°C to induce measurable radiosensitization.Materials and methods: Human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (NSY42129, HT29 and HCT15) and HeLa cells were used as the test system. Cells were irradiated immediately after completion of hyperthermia. MRE11 levels in whole cell extract, nuclear extract and cytoplasmic extracts were measured by Western blotting. The nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts were separated by TX100 solubility. The subcellular localization of MRE11 was determined by immunofluorescence staining.Results: The results show that for the human tumor cell lines studied, the larger the endogenous amount of MR...
Executive compensation and non-financial risk: An empirical examination

Abstract Executives face potentially severe (non-financial) personal risks if firm environmental performance is below industry best practice. We examine the relation between CEO compensation and the non-financial risk associated with environmental exposure, and how use of environmental performance as an explicit determinant of compensation affects this relation. We find evidence that CEOs are compensated for exposure to environmental risk, even after controlling for financial risk. We also find that this premium is reduced when the CEO has greater opportunities to improve the firm’s environmental performance.
Effect of voltage-gated plasma membrane Ca2+ fluxes on IP3-linked Ca2+ oscillations

Abstract We present a theoretical investigation of the effect of Ca 2+ influx through ion channels in the plasma membrane on Ca 2+ oscillations induced by agonist stimulation of Ca 2+ release from internal stores. We expand a recent model of internal Ca 2+ oscillations based on activation and inhibition of the IP 3 -receptor in the endoplasmic reticulum by introducing plasma membrane voltage-gated Ca 2+ and K + channels based on patch-clamp experiments on mouse pancreatic β cells. Simulations of voltage- and current-clamped experiments are carried out. The amplitude and frequency of the oscillations as well as the sensitivity to agonist are strongly affected by altering the value of the voltage-clamp. We show that the fundamental quantity governing voltage clamp measurements is the inward flux of Ca 2+ , which acts as a control parameter to alter characteristics of the oscillations. Under current clamp conditions (I applied = 0) that lead to continuous spking electrical activity, we examine the couping between electrical activity and Ca 2+ by introducing a small whole cell Ca 2+ -activated K + conductance. Results of calculations are similar to those observed in agonist-stimulated β cells and gonadotrophs. We conclude, however, that glucose-induced bursting and agonist induced bursting in β cells are distinct phenomena and suggest a mechanism by which agonist-induced Ca 2+ oscillations might potentiate insulin secretion. This leads to a general principle for selective signal transduction by Ca 2+ oscillations.
Oil-Soluble Black Dye in Larval Diet Marks Adults and Eggs of Tobacco Budworm and Pink Bollworm

Oil Soluble Deep Black BB® dye incorporated in the larval diet of the tobacco budworm. Heliothis virescens (F.). and the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), marked the adults internally. Concentrations from 0.05 to 0.10% premixed with 0.30% cottonseed oil (COS) anti then mixed with the larval diet gave the best internal dull blue tag in the to bacco budworm; also, during the 1st 5 days of oviposition, eggs laid by female tobacco budworms fed 0.1% dye in 0.6% CSO were light blue. Pink bollworm moths were marked distinctly dull blue internally when the larvae were fed diet treated with 0.11% dye premixed in 0.70% COS. However this dye concentration, with or without 0.70% csa . reduced the percentage of female eclosion and overall hardiness. Moths were also marked internally when the larvae were fed diet treated with 0.05–0.08% dye premixed with 0.35% CSO. Also. blue eggs were laid during the 1st 4 days of oviposition by female pink bollworms reared from larvae fed a diet treated with 0.08–0.11% dye premixed with 0.35–0.70% CSO.
Efficacy of sanitized ice in reducing bacterial load on fish fillet and in the water collected from the melted ice.

This study investigated the efficacy of sanitized ice for the reduction of bacteria in the water collected from the ice that melted during storage of whole and filleted Tilapia fish. Also, bacterial reductions on the fish fillets were investigated. The sanitized ice was prepared by freezing solutions of PRO-SAN (an organic acid formulation) and neutral electrolyzed water (NEW). For the whole fish study, the survival of the natural microflora was determined from the water of the melted ice prepared with PRO-SAN and tap water. These water samples were collected during an 8 h storage period. For the fish fillet study, samples were inoculated with Escherichia coli K12, Listeria innocua, and Pseudomonas putida then stored on crushed sanitized ice. The efficacies of these were tested by enumerating each bacterial species on the fish fillet and in the water samples at 12 and 24 h intervals for 72 h, respectively. Results showed that each bacterial population was reduced during the test. However, a bacterial reduction of 3 log CFU reductions were obtained in the waters sampled after the storage of whole fish and the fillets, respectively. These reductions were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the water from sanitized ice when compared with the water from the unsanitized melted ice. These results showed that the organic acid formulation and NEW considerably reduced the bacterial numbers in the melted ice and thus reduced the potential for cross-contamination.
Stability analysis of slopes with general nonlinear failure criterion

The upper bound method of limit analysis of perfect plasticity is applied to stability problems of slopes with a general nonlinear failure criterion. Based on the upper bound method, a numerical procedure is suggested, which converts the complex system of differential equations to an initial value problem. Using this numerical procedure, an effective numerical method, called the inverse method, suitable for the solution of slope stability problems in soil mechanics with a general nonlinear failure criterion, is presented. A general nonlinear failure criterion for soils is also suggested, from which the effects of nonlinear failure parameters on the stability of slopes are discussed.
Electron Transfer in Subunit NuoI (TYKY) of Escherichia coli NADH:Quinone Oxidoreductase (NDH-1)

Bacterial proton-translocating NADH:quinone oxidoreductase (NDH-1) consists of a peripheral and a membrane domain. The peripheral domain catalyzes the electron transfer from NADH to quinone through a chain of seven iron-sulfur (Fe/S) clusters. Subunit NuoI in the peripheral domain contains two [4Fe-4S] clusters (N6a and N6b) and plays a role in bridging the electron transfer from cluster N5 to the terminal cluster N2. We constructed mutants for eight individual Cys-coordinating Fe/S clusters. With the exception of C63S, all mutants had damaged architecture of NDH-1, suggesting that Cys-coordinating Fe/S clusters help maintain the NDH-1 structure. Studies of three mutants (C63S-coordinating N6a, P110A located near N6a, and P71A in the vicinity of N6b) were carried out using EPR measurement. These three mutations did not affect the EPR signals from [2Fe-2S] clusters and retained electron transfer activities. Signals at gz = 2.09 disappeared in C63S and P110A but not in P71A. Considering our data together with the available information, gz,x = 2.09, 1.88 signals are assigned to cluster N6a. It is of interest that, in terms of gz,x values, cluster N6a is similar to cluster N4. In addition, we investigated the residues (Ile-94 and Ile-100) that are predicted to serve as electron wires between N6a and N6b and between N6b and N2, respectively. Replacement of Ile-100 and Ile-94 with Ala/Gly did not affect the electron transfer activity significantly. It is concluded that conserved Ile-100 and Ile-94 are not essential for the electron transfer.
Phylogeny of Cryptocercus species (Blattodea: Cryptocercidae) inferred from nuclear ribosomal DNA.

The wood-feeding cockroaches of the genus Cryptocercus occur in temperate forests. Of the seven known species, five occur in the United States and two in Eurasia. Until 1997, all populations in the United States were considered a single species. Populations in the western United States were elevated to a species status based on variation in DNA sequence and morphology. In 1999, three new species were described from the eastern United States based on variation in chromosome number and mitochondrial DNA, bringing the number of species in the United States to five. The objective of this study was to determine if the DNA sequence of nuclear rRNA also signals the existence of four species in the eastern United States and to compare the inferred relationships with those proposed based on mitochondrial sequences. We obtained the DNA sequence from a portion of the 5.8S and 28S rRNA genes and the entire ITS2 region from 38 individuals and 30 additional clones to assess intraindividual, intraspecific, and interspecific variation. We found extensive sequence variation among the various species and little or no intraindividual and intraspecific variation. Phylogenetic analysis indicated the existence of monophyletic lineages among the eastern United States samples, which largely corresponded to the four species previously described. The inferred relationships were well-supported by bootstrap analysis and decay indices. Although the nuclear rRNA sequences resulted in a coherent phylogenetic tree, the ITS2 region contained many insertions and deletions, which may introduce homoplasy and ambiguity in alignment as more taxa are added to the data set.
Effects of divalproex and atypical antipsychotic drugs on dopamine and acetylcholine efflux in rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex

Mood stabilizers (e.g., valproic acid) and antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are commonly co-administered in the treatment of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The basis for any synergism between these classes of drugs in either group of disorders has been little studied. Previous studies have shown that atypical APDs (e.g., clozapine) preferentially increases dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh) efflux in rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus (HIP), both of which have been suggested to contribute to their ability to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia. We have recently reported that the anticonvulsant mood stabilizers (AMS), valproic acid, carbamazepine, and zonisamide, but not lithium, also preferentially increase DA efflux in the rat mPFC, and that, at subthreshold doses, the AMS also augment the ability of the atypical APDs clozapine and risperidone to increase DA but not ACh efflux in the mPFC. The present study examined the ability of divalproex (DVX), which is chemically related to valproic acid, to enhance DA and ACh efflux in the HIP and to augment the effect of atypical APDs on ACh efflux in the HIP and mPFC. DVX, 500 mg/kg, significantly increased DA and ACh efflux in the HIP, and DA, but not ACh, efflux in the mPFC, whereas a lower dose of DVX, 50 mg/kg, had no effect on DA or ACh in either region. However, DVX, 50 mg/kg, combined with the atypical APDs olanzapine (1.0 mg/kg) or aripiprazole (0.3 mg/kg) significantly potentiated the effect of both APDs on DA, but not ACh efflux in the HIP and mPFC. Pretreatment of olanzapine or aripiprazole with the selective serotonin 5-HT(1A) antagonist, WAY100635 (1.0 mg/kg) partially but significantly blocked the effect of the combination of DVX, 50 mg/kg, and olanzapine or aripiprazole, on DA efflux in both the HIP and mPFC. WAY100635 did not affect the ability of the combination of olanzapine or aripiprazole and DVX to enhance ACh efflux in the HIP or mPFC. Subchronic administration of the combination of DVX, 50 mg/kg, and risperidone, produced significantly greater increases in DA and ACh efflux in the mPFC, but these increases were not significantly different from those following the acute administration of the combination of risperidone and DVX. These results provide further evidence that the AMS, DVX, augments the ability of atypical APDs to increase DA or ACh efflux in either the HIP or mPFC or both. The clinical significance of this potentiation for the beneficial clinical effects of this combination of agents and the differences between AMS in this regard warrants further study.
Analysis of synchrony demonstrates that the presence of pain networks prior to a noxious stimulus can enable the perception of pain in response to that stimulus

Our previous study has shown that directed attention to a painful stimulus is associated with increased synchrony between electrocorticographic (ECoG) oscillations in pain-related cortical structures. We now test the hypothesis that the synchrony or functional connectivity of this pain network differs between events during which pain is or is not perceived (pain or non-pain events) in response to a noxious cutaneous laser stimulus. ECoG recordings were made through subdural electrodes implanted in a patient for the treatment of epilepsy. The patient was instructed that the stimulus could be painful or non-painful on any given presentation. Synchrony between ECoG signals at different sites was measured during the pre-stimulus interval, and the difference in the number of sites with significant pre-stimulus synchrony was compared between pain and non-pain events. Pre-stimulus synchrony was more common during pain versus non-pain events among electrodes overall, and in the subset of electrodes at which laser-evoked potentials (LEPs) were recorded. This difference between pain and non-pain events was also significant for the subset of electrodes over medial cortex, including anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), but not for subsets of electrodes over the superior and inferior convexity, including primary somatosensory (S1) and parasylvian cortex (PS), respectively. These results suggest that dynamic changes in the functional connectivity between ACC and other cortical regions enable the perception of pain in response to noxious stimuli.
Double-quantum cross-polarization NMR in solids

Double-quantum NMR is a useful way to obtain spectra of quadrupolar nuclei (/sup 2/D, /sup 14/N, ...) in solids. This allows measurements of the chemical shifts for these nuclear spins. The theory of Hartmann-Hahn cross polarization between I=1/2 and such S=1 spins is discussed. Particular attention is drawn to the cross polarization of the double-quantum transition. The thermodynamics and the dynamics of the process are evoked in detail using a fictitious spin-1/2 formalism. The spin S=1 Hamiltonian can always be factored into two commuting parts (independent thermodynamic reservoirs), one of which behaves as a fictitious spin 1/2 which is cross polarized with the I=1/2 spins. Modified Hartmann-Hahn conditions emerge from the theory, and the dependence of cross-polarization times T/sub I/S on rf intensity and frequency for spin locking and adiabatic demagnetization in the rotating-frame experiments are calculated. Measurements on the /sup 1/H-/sup 2/D double resonance in dilute solid benzene-d/sub 1/ are reported, verifying the predictions and indicating that cross polarization provides a sensitive means of detecting the /sup 2/D double-quantum transition. Values are reported for the thermodynamic parameters and cross-polarization times as a consequence. Three possible versions of double-resonance detection of double-quantum spectra are possible: direct detection of the cross-polarizedmore » double-quantum decay, indirect detection of the frequency spectrum following Hartmann and Hahn, and indirect detection of the free-induction decay following Mansfield and Grannell.« less
Tom n Jerry

Tom chases Jerry in the airport, where they bump into a terrorist who tries to threaten the police with a bomb. Finally, they get on the airplane.
The Facebook Study: A Personal Account of Data Science, Ethics and Change

Big social data, such as that produced by Facebook and Twitter, have the potential to transform the social sciences and lead to advances in understanding human behavior. At the same time, novel large-scale methods and forms of collaboration between academia and industry raise new and important ethical questions. In this talk I will discuss the Facebook Emotion study and step through several aspects of the study that involve important ethical decision points, and provide some insights on why the study generated such massive attention and criticism. I will also discuss the experience of an Internet-scale controversy, from the personal costs to the gift of criticism, and the potential opportunities to move the discussion forward.
Characterization of the Functionally Critical AXAXAXA and PXXEXXP Motifs of the ATP Synthase c-Subunit from an Alkaliphilic Bacillus.

The membrane-embedded rotor in the F0 sector of proton-translocating ATP synthases is formed from hairpin-like c-subunits that are protonated and deprotonated during energization of ATP synthesis. This study focuses on two c-subunit motifs that are unique to synthases of extremely alkaliphilic Bacillus species. One motif is the AXAXAXA sequence found in the N-terminal helix-1 instead of the GXGXGXG of non-alkaliphiles. Quadruple A→G chromosomal mutants of alkaliphilic Bacillus pseudofirmus OF4 retain 50% of the wild-type hydrolytic activity (ATPase) but
Assessment of Phialophora species based on ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers and morphology

AbstractFifty-one isolates of Phialophora americana, P. parasitica, P. richardsiae, and P. verrucosa (deuteromycetes) were initially characterized by restriction enzyme mapping of the ribosomal DNA...
Greenhouse emission guidelines

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued its revised guidelines for voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, and emission reduction, the agency announced on 22 March. DOE Secretary Samuel Bodman said the guidelines “represent another significant step in our broad national effort to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the U.S. economy, and address the risk of global climate change.” He added that the guidelines provide a transparent accounting system to encourage increased participation in voluntary efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective manner.
Exploratory investigation of failure mechanisms in transition regions between solid laminates and X-cor® truss sandwich

Abstract Small sub-component specimens consisting of solid laminates at the ends that transition to X-cor® truss sandwich in the center, were tested in a combination of three point bending, uni-axial tension, and combined tension and bending. The failure process in the transition region was documented for each loading using digital video and high-resolution cameras. For the three-point bending tests, most of the deformation occurred in the solid laminate regions on either end of the specimen. Some pin debonding from the skin of the X-cor® truss sandwich was observed in the transition region and was accompanied by audible “pings” throughout the loading. Tension loaded specimens failed in the sandwich skin in the middle of the gage length, accompanied by separation of the sandwich core from the back skin and by delamination between the top skin and bottom skin at the transition region. The pinging associated with pin debonding occurred as the load was increased. However, the frequency of the pinging exceeded any visual observations of pin debonding in the video of the transition region. For specimens tested in combined tension and bending, the greatest amount of pinging occurred during initial application of the axial load. High-resolution images in the transition region indicated that the pinging corresponded to pins debonding and buckling due to the through-thickness Poisson contraction of the specimen. This buckling continued to a much smaller extent as the transverse load was applied.
Involving Noncustodial Parents in Their Student's Education:

Current school policies inhibit the involvement of noncustodial parents in the education of their children. School administrators can, however, help noncustodial parents become more involved in edu...