cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vulnerability to alcohol and other drug disorders in rural women

Alcohol and other drug disorders (AOD) are a growing problem among women, with estimates as high as 11 million U.S. women affected. This article is a report of the results from 2 studies investigating risk factors for AOD disorders in rural women. Samples of the 2 studies were combined for a total of 267 women. Analyses focused on victimization as a vulnerability factor for AOD disorders in rural women. Comorbid Axis I mental disorders and nursing implications are discussed. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Weaning management of newly received beef calves with or without continuous exposure to a persistently infected bovine viral diarrhea virus pen mate: Effects on health, performance, bovine viral diarrhea virus titers, and peripheral blood leukocytes1

Exposure to animals persistently infected (PI) with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) results in immunomodulation of cohorts that may have health and growth consequences; however, effects may differ in low-risk, preconditioned (PC) vs. high-risk, auction market (AM) beef cattle. Our objective was to compare health and performance of PC or AM management systems with (PI) or without (CON) presence of a PI-BVDV pen mate using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Four shipment blocks of crossbred PC steers (n = 236) from 3 ranch-origins were weaned, dewormed, vaccinated, tested for PI-BVDV, and kept on the ranch for ≥42 d. Subsequently, PC steers were transported to a stocker receiving unit (RU), weighed (251 ± 2 kg), blood sampled, stratified by d -1 BW, and assigned randomly to treatment (PCPI or PCCON) with no additional processing. Simultaneously, 4 blocks of crossbred AM calves (n = 292) were assembled from regional auction markets and transported to the RU ± 36 h from PC arrival. The AM calves were weighed (245 ± 1.3 kg), stratified by gender and d -1 BW, processed under the same regimen used for PC steers at their origin ranch except bull calves were castrated, and then assigned randomly to treatment (AMPI or AMCON). Treatment pens (0.45 ha) were arranged spatially such that PI did not have fence-line or water source contact with CON. Calves were fed identically and followed the same antibiotic treatment protocol. Daily BW gain for the entire 42-d receiving trial was greater (P < 0.001) for PC (1.2 kg) compared with AM (0.85 kg). There was an exposure effect (P = 0.002) on ADG from d 28 to 42; CON gained 1.12 kg vs. 0.90 kg BW for PI cohort. Morbidity was markedly greater (P < 0.001) in AM (70%) vs. PC (7%), resulting in (P < 0.001) an antibiotic treatment cost of $20.52 and $2.48/animal, respectively. Treatment with a third antibiotic occurred more often (P = 0.04) for PI cohort, and the percentage of chronically ill cattle was greatest (P = 0.06) for AMPI. Upon arrival, BVDV type 1a, 1b, and 2a titers were greater for PC (treatment × day, P < 0.001), and the percentage seropositive to BVDV type 1a on d 0 was 100% for PC vs. 23% in AM. Platelets increased transiently (P < 0.001) with greater platelets observed in AM (P < 0.001). Results indicate that PC calves gain faster and require fewer antibiotic treatments during the receiving period. Exposure to PI reduced BW gain from d 28 to 42, increased the number of calves treated thrice, and increased chronically ill cattle for AM.
What's hot in anatomy: Of talking heads and drawing organs

he location in the brain for thesite of “language” is a topic thathas been debated intenselysince the time of Broca in the 1860s.Few topics have been as emotionallycharged as this one, due to the obvi-ous importance the answers have tounderstanding the very nature of whatmakes us human. Link the question ofhow language areas “evolved” and youhave fertile ground for intense inves-tigation and discussion.The study by Sherwood et al. (2003)and the accompanying commentaryby Braun (2003) in the April 2003 is-sue of
Control of Cavity Resonance Using Steady and Oscillatory Blowing

An experimental study to investigate the effect of steady and oscillatory (with zero net mass flux) blowing on cavity resonance is undertaken. The objective is to study the basic mechanisms of the control of cavity resonance. An actuator is designed and calibrated to generate either steady blowing or oscillatory blowing with A zero net mass flux. The results of the experiment show that both steady and oscillatory blowing are effective, and reduce the amplitude of the dominant resonant mode by 1OdB. The oscillatory blowing is however found to be more superior in that the same effectiveness could be accomplished with a momentum coefficient an order of magnitude smaller than for steady blowing. The experiment also confirms the results of previous computations that suggest the forcing frequency for oscillatory blowing must not be at harmonic frequencies of the cavity resonant modes.
Atrial fibrillation in patients after cardiovascular surgery: incidence, risk factors, preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery is a common problem, occurring in 25–50% of patients. Older patients and those with a prior history of atrial fibrillation are at highest risk, as are those patients in whom preoperative treatment with β-blockers has been discontinued. The immediate sequelae of this common complication include hemodynamic instability and congestive heart failure with long-term consequences including thromboembolic phenomena and increased cost and length of hospitalization. β-Blockers, amiodarone, and sotalol have all been shown to decrease the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation, but their use may be limited by their adverse effects. Other agents have some promise as prophylactic agents, but need further verification. Biatrial pacing has been shown to be effective, especially when β-blockers are used simultaneously. The goals for the treatment of atrial fibrillation include maintaining hemodynamic stability, controlling ventricular rate, preventing thromboembolic complications, and restoring sinus rhythm. The most effective strategy for the prevention of atrial fibrillation is to identify the highest-risk patients and target them for prophylaxis with β-blockers, amiodarone, sotalol or pacing.
TEAM‐BASED EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS: EFFECTS OF DESIGN AND ADMINISTRATION

In recent years, many organizations have attempted to pursue continuous improvement through team-based employee involvement programs (EIPs). As a result, increased practical emphasis has been placed on how to design and administer EIPs, though empirical work has been slow to emerge. In the present research, a pilot study of 68 EIP administrators was used to identify those design and administrative variables thought to be associated with EIP effectiveness. Data were then collected from 72 EIP teams in two organizations and associated with participant and supervisory assessments of EIP effectiveness. Results suggest that the significant predictors of team effectiveness were the degree of openness of a team's information access structure, the degree of heterogeneity in the job functions performed by team members, and the team's size. Implications for EIP research and practice are discussed.
Social Sources of Women's Emotional Difficulty After Abortion: Lessons from Women's Abortion Narratives

CONTEXT: The experiences of women who have negative emotional outcomes, including regret, following an abortion have received little research attention. Qualitative research can elucidate these women’s experiences and ways their needs can be met and emotional distress reduced. METHODS: Twenty-one women who had emotional diffi culties related to an abortion participated in semistructured, in-depth telephone interviews in 2009. Of these, 14 women were recruited from abortion support talklines; seven were recruited from a separate research project on women’s experience of abortion. Transcripts were analyzed using the principles of grounded theory to identify key themes. RESULTS: Two social aspects of the abortion experience produced, exacerbated or mitigated respondents’ negative emotional experience. Negative outcomes were experienced when the woman did not feel that the abortion was primarily her decision (e.g., because her partner abdicated responsibility for the pregnancy, leaving her feeling as though she had no other choice) or did not feel that she had clear emotional support after the abortion. Evidence also points to a division of labor between women and men regarding pregnancy prevention, abortion and childrearing; as a result, the majority of abortion-related emotional burdens fall on women. Experiencing decisional autonomy or social support reduced respondents’ emotional distress. CONCLUSIONS: Supporting a woman’s abortion decision-making process, addressing the division of labor between women and men regarding pregnancy prevention, abortion and childrearing, and off ering nonjudgmental support may guide interventions designed to reduce emotional distress after abortion.
Investigation of the oxygen-induced radicals in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene

Abstract Electron spin resonance (ESR) technique was employed for detection of oxygen-induced radicals in x-irradiated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Initial oxidation was found to occur when allyl radicals were exposed to oxygen. Presumably, peroxy radicals were formed; however, under normal experimental conditions at room temperature, ESR spectra did not show the finger prints of peroxy. When the microwave power was increased from 1 mW to 32 mW and the temperature was decreased to 118 K, the resonance lines due to alkyl and allyl were suppressed (saturated) and those due to peroxy became very clear. The peroxy radical was found to be very short-lived (half-life less than 1 h), and its characteristic g-values were g∥ = 2.032 and g⊥ = 2.003. The long-lived oxygen-induced radical in UHMWPE, which is known to produce a single line in the ESR spectrum (width ∼10 G and g = 2.0015) at room temperature, was found to exhibit hyperfine lines (separation 5 G) at 106 K. Power saturation behavior suggest that there are more than one species present of which one could be oxygen-centered radical.
Morphometry of nuclei, nuclear envelopes and nuclei in aging hamster cerebrum

Abstract The neuromal nucleus and nucleus undergo extensive dimensional and configurational changes during maturation and aging, as shown in this study of pyramidal cells of the hamster motor cortex. With maturation, the increase in nuclear perimeter length per unit nuclear area was associated with an increased amount of nuclear invaginations. With maturation and aging, there was a change in nuclear caliper shape, from spherical to very nonspherical. The number of nucleoli containing microbodies peaked first at 15 days and again at 600 days. It is concluded that area, perimeter and form factor relate to nuclear caliper shape and the presence of nucleolar microbodies. The correlated changes in these parameters appear to differentially reflect stage-specific metabolic conditions related to two critical phases:-(1) an early phase (10–15 days) at the inception of configurational changes leading to maturity, and (2) a late phase (600–700 days) at the inception of configurational changes leading to old age.
Without surreptitious rehearsal, information in short-term memory decay

Reitman (1971) found that subjects could retain three words perfectly for 15 sec while detecting tones in noise and supposedly avoiding rehearsal. These results were taken to indicate lack of support for the decay principle of STM. Two studies reported here test two assumptions in the Reitman study: that 100% recall reflects not a ceiling effect but the absence of forgetting, and the lack of disruption of interpolated detection performance indicates lack of rehearsal. Major results indicated that (1) the 1971 study did involve a ceiling effect; (2) tonal detection is measurably disrupted when subjects rehearse; and (3) when subjects detect equally well in the retention interval as in a control interval they forget 33% of what they can recall immediately, and when they detect syllables instead of tones, they forget about 44% more. There is clear evidence for both decay and simple interference in STM.
Incorporation of 35S-sulfate into the oviducts and egg jelly of the newt, notophthalmus viridescens

Abstract 35S-sulfate, when injected into female newts (Notophthalmus viridescens), was incorporated into region A of the oviducts and secreted into layer J1 of the egg jelly. No label was noted in other regions of the oviduct. The evidence suggests that the label is incorporated into acid mucopolysaccharide, possibly into a compound with characteristics similar to those of chondroitin sulfate C or heparin. There was some indication that labeled material may move from layer J1 into layer J2, but there was no clear evidence of such movement into the oocyte or into jelly layers J3, J4, or J5. Suggestions as to the role of secretions of region A include possible involvement in sperm penetration and in the cell movements of gastrulation.
Leading Questions and the Eyewitness Report of a Live and a Described Incident

Summary.-Loftus found that false presuppositions included in questions given afte; i film increase the likelihood that those presuppositions will be remembeted as part of the film itself. This finding has been extended to two conditions chosen to simulate more closely nonlaboratory situations. In one condition 27 undergraduates unexpectedly witnessed a live incident and in another condition 27 different undergraduates heard a descriprion of that incident. In a series of experiments Loftus (Loftus, 1975; Loftus & Palmer, 1974; Loftus & Zanni, 1975) has demonstrated that the form of questions asked immediately after an incident can affect later recall of that incident. In particular, questions containing false presuppositions increase the likelihood that subjects will later report those false presuppositions as part of the original incident. For instance, asking subjects "How fast was the car going when it passed the stop sign?" when in fact no stop sign was present increases the likelihood that they will report having seen a stop sign. Lofcus' research has been restricted to films and slides, but generalizations to real world, three-dimensional events and other modes of input are necessary for validity in courtroom applications. The present study therefore provides an extention to an actual incident in one condition and a verbal description of that incident in another. The resr of the experiment was intended to follow Loftus' procedures except that the subjects were not explicitly warned that there would be a recall task. This change was made in order to more closely simulate the conditions of most eyewitness testimony situations. Each of two groups of 27 undergraduate volunteers was asked to take a pencil-andpaper form of a Locus of Control test (James, 1973). During this task two male confederates, who were not known by the subjects, entered the test room and performed a rehearsed 45-sec. sequence that included several disruptions such as slamming a door and bumping into an ashtray. The confederates also removed a slide projector, an action that could have been considered a crime. One minute after the confederates left the room, the experimenter interrupted the subjects and asked them to fill out 3 questionnaire of 10 questions concerning the incident. Two forms of the questionnaire were given. On one form false presuppositions were inserted into the odd questions and on the othec form false presuppositions were inserted into the even questions. One week after the first session all subjects received a questionnaire consisting of 10 filler questions made from the 10 prior questions with the false presuppositions removed and 10 new questions based on the false presuppositions themselves. As any one subject had only seen five of the 10 false presuppositions in the first session, the five remaining false presuppositions served as controls. A second group of subjects had a nearly identical procedure. Instead of witnessing
Actively induced experimental allergic orchitis in Lewis-resistant (Le-R) rats: reversibility of disease resistance by immunization with Bordetella pertussis

Differential susceptibility to the induction of experimental allergic orchitis (EAO) was examined in Lewis/NCr and Le-R subline rats. Lewis/NCr rats were found to be fully susceptible to the induction of EAO whereas Le-R subline rats were not. Disease resistance exhibited by Le-R rats could be overcome by including Bordetella pertussis in the immunization protocol. However, reversal of resistance with B. pertussis was dependent on the dose of rat testicular homogenate in the inoculum and found to be effective only at lower doses of antigen (10 mg/rat). Disease resistance in Le-R rats as well as B. pertussis-induced reversal of resistance did not appear to be associated with either (1) a significant difference in the number of mast cells in the ductus efferentes, the anatomic location of the earliest inflammatory infiltrates, or (2) an alteration in the phenotypic expression of either innate or B. pertussis-induced sensitivity to vasoactive amines. The results are discussed in the context of the role of B. pertussis in other animal models of organ-specific autoimmune diseases. It is proposed that the phenotypic expression of resistance to EAO in Le-R rats is a result of a mutation in a common regulatory locus affecting susceptibility to multiple autoimmune diseases and whose immunoregulatory action is normally exerted during the sensitization phase of the immune response.
Molecular Determinants of Dengue Virus 2 Envelope Protein Important for Virus Entry in FcγRIIA-Mediated Antibody-Dependent Enhancement of Infection

Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection may cause severe illness in patients suffering a secondary infection by a heterologous dengue virus (DENV) serotype. During ADE of infection, cross-reactive non- or poorly-neutralizing antibodies form infectious virus-Ab complexes with the newly infecting serotype and enhance virus infection by binding to the Fcγ receptors (FcγR) on FcγR-bearing cells. In this study, we determined that molecular determinants of DENV2 envelope protein critical for virus entry during non-ADE infection are also required for ADE infection mediated by FcγRIIA, and binding of virus-Ab complexes with FcγRIIA alone is not sufficient for ADE of infection. The FcγRIIA mainly plays an auxiliary role in concentrating the virus-Ab complex to the cell surface, and other primary cellular receptors are required for virus entry. Understanding the viral entry pathway in ADE of DENV infection will greatly facilitate rational designs of anti-viral therapeutics against severe dengue disease associated with ADE.
Kinetics of regulatory enzymes: effect of adenosine triphosphate on yeast citrate synthase.

Abstract We have suggested ( Hathaway and Atkinson, 1963 ) that modulation of the kinetic behavior of DPN-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase by AMP is part of a complex control system by which the utilization of acetyl coenzyme A (AcSCoA) for fat production is regulated in response to the momentary energy needs of the cell. This proposal suggested the possibility that the alternative fate of AcSCoA—entry into the citric acid cycle—might be under complementary control. This paper presents evidence that the kinetic properties of the appropriate initial enzyme, citrate synthase [citrate oxaloacetate-lyase (CoA-acetylating) EC 4.1.3.7] are directly modulated by changes in ATP concentration within the physiological range.
Constant electrophoretic mobility of the cysteine-containing histone in plants and animals.

Abstract The electrophoretic patterns of histones from diverse groups of living organisms have been compared. Two histone fractions show a total constancy of electrophoretic mobility no matter from what source they were isolated. The remaining three histone fractions (particularly the lysine-rich fraction) show distinct variations in electrophoretic mobility depending on the source of the histone. The implications of the data are discussed.
Results of Car Following Analyses Using Global Positioning System

One of the key elements in the evolution of traffic flow theory has been the development of the car following theory. Applications of this research can be seen in traffic simulation models, such as CORSIM, that use car following models to simulate traffic flow and predict operational performance characteristics on arterial roadways. Researchers at Louisiana State University have recently developed a technique using the Global Positioning System to record and analyze car following behavior. In this study, these procedures were used to collect vehicle motion data and compare aspects of driver behavior recorded in the field to those predicted by the General Motors car following models. These comparisons were also used to develop numeric values of driver sensitivity and time lag from field data.
The Radical Right Gender Gap

In this article, the author argues that a gender gap exists in the vote for the radical right and that this gender gap can be explained using techniques drawn from the literature on mainstream gender gaps. The analysis emphasizes the impact of the immigration issue on the vote for the radical right. Logit and regression analysis are used to determine what can be explained by structural, situational, and political factors versus gender alone in France, Germany, and Austria. It is found that there is a gender gap, but it varies across the three cases; that attitudes toward political issues, particularly immigration, have a disproportionate impact on the probability of voting radical right but not on the gender gap specifically; and that there is a difference between men and women on the immigration issue, and blue-collar workers are more likely to be anti-immigrant than those in other sectors.
A Walsh-Hadamard Based Distributed Storage Device for the Associative Search of Information

A computer model for a distributed associative memory has been developed based on Walsh-Hadamard functions. In this memory device, the information storage is distributed over the entire memory medium and thereby lends itself to parallel comparison of the input with stored data. These inherent economic storage and parallel processing capabilities may be found effective especially in real-time processing of large amount of information. However, overlaying different pieces of data in the same memory medium creates the problem of interference or crosstalk between stored data and may lead to recognition errors. In this paper, a crosstalk reduction technique utilizing the gradient descent procedure is developed first. This minimizes the memory processing error and enhances memory saving. Second, for an efficient implementation of the memory structure, these associative memories are configured in a hierarchical structure which not only expands storage capacity but also utilizes the speed of tree search. Finally, a self-correcting technique is developed which achieves error-free recognition of near neighbors for any training pattern even among the presence of crosstalk.
A 74-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, cough, and a lung mass.

(CHEST 1999; 116:1798 ‐1801) T he patient was a 74-year-old white man with a history of stage IV chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) diagnosed 6 years previously. The last cycle of chemotherapy that he received was fludarabine 14 months prior to admission. Additional history was significant for bouts of recurrent bronchitis over the previous 6 months. One month prior to admission, the patient presented with a persistent cough, and he was noted to have a decreased hematocrit and platelet count. Chest CT done at that time demonstrated increased subcarinal, mediastinal, and hilar adenopathy. Therefore, a decision was made to restart fludarabine treatment. The patient presented to the clinic 1 day after initiation of fludarabine with complaints of severe cough that was productive of greenish-yellow, blood-tinged sputum. He also complained of increased shortness of breath, shaking chills, and fever to 38.8°C. Physical Examination
EMISSIONS FROM TWO OUTBOARD ENGINES OPERATING ON REFORMULATED GASOLINE CONTAINING MTBE

Air and water pollutant emissions were measured from two 9.9 HP outboard engines: a two-stroke Evinrude and its four-stroke Honda counterpart. In addition to the measurement of regulated air pollutants, speciated organic pollutants and particulate matter emissions were determined. Aqueous samples were analyzed for MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) emission rates. Compared to the four-stroke engine, the two-stroke had dramatically higher levels of toxic organic and particulate matter emissions. The organic material emitted from the two-stroke engine resembles the test gasoline due to the predominance of unburned fuel. Emission rates for PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less) are equal to those for PM2.5, implying that emitted particles are all in the respirable range. Aqueous emissions from the two-stroke are also higher: the two-stroke's BTEX and MTBE emissions are, on average, 5 and 24 times higher, respectively, and 3−10% of the MT...
1H NMR chemical shifts of gaseous amines

Gas-phase 200 MHz 1H NMR spectra of nineteen primary and nine secondary aliphatic amines were obtained at total densities below 0.15 amagat at 148.6 °C. Theoretical predictions of 1H chemical shifts of ammonia and methylamine are compared with the gas-phase experimental values. The amino proton chemical shifts move downfield with increasing alkyl group size. For series of amines with similar structural geometry about the amino nitrogen, the 1H amino proton chemical shifts correlate reasonably well with gas-phase basicities as measured via ion cyclotron resonance spectroscopy (r = 0.95 for a linear fit of chemical shift to the gas-phase basicity for the primary amines and r = 0.93 for the secondary amines). Gas-phase 1H NMR spectra for linear diamines, hydroxyamines, cyclic amines and substituted anilines were also obtained.
Anti-glycosyl antibodies: antibodies directed against the carbohydrate moieties of a glycoprotein.

Summary Glucoamylase is an unusual type of glycoprotein containing twenty single mannose units and twenty-four oligosaccharide chains of mannose, glucose and galactose attached O-glycosidically to serine and threonine residues of the protein. The immunogenicity of glucoamylase has now been shown to reside in the oligosaccharide chains. Antibodies specific for the oligosaccharide moieties of glucoamylase have been isolated by affinity chromatography on an adsorbent of Sepharose with glucoamylase ligands. Such antibodies should prove useful for studying the mechanism and the locale of glycosylation of a nascent protein during the biosynthesis of the glycoprotein.
Identification of cis-Acting Repressor Activity within Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Protease Sequences

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) Rev overcomes negative elements within viral RNAs to allow expression of gag, pol, and env. The effect of Rev on protein and RNA expression of HIV-1 protease (PR)-containing constructs was investigated utilizing transient transfection of COS cells. Rev, through the Rev response element (RRE), resulted in a large increase in proteolytic activity and cytoplasmic RNA accumulation. Furthermore, Rev increased the level of total RNA produced by a PR-containing construct. The increase in cytoplasmic RNA accumulation in the presence of Rev indicated the presence of cis-acting repressor sequences (CRS) within the RNA produced by this construct. Therefore, components of the construct were analyzed for CRS activity. PR sequences in both sense and antisense orientations exhibited CRS activity. RRE sequences alone conferred a small CRS effect. Additional CRS activity was present within an unspliced RNA containing only nef and LTR sequences. These results indicate a novel form of cis-acting repressor activity within HIV-1 PR; this activity is exerted regardless of the orientation of PR and appears to function at the level of cytoplasmic or nuclear RNA stability.
The effect of stress factors on asthma induced in guinea pigs by aerosolized antigens

Abstract 1.1. Asthma of controllable degree has been produced in passively sensitized guinea pigs by the inhalation of aerosolized crystalline ovalbumin. 2.2. Using this aerosol-induced asthma as an indicator it has been shown that a protective effect can be demonstrated by pretreatment of these animals with any of the following procedures: Pyribenzamine, cortisone, ACTH, localized chemical inflammation, yeast suspension, sodium nucleate, and human serum. 3.3. A pyrogenic bacterial polysaccharide, Piromen, failed to produce significant protection. 4.4. The method described and possible future modifications of it may be used advantageously in the study of basic factors in the production and alteration of hypersensitivity.
Bi-directional networks for large parallel processors

In SIMD parallel processors, the interconnection network is the subject of much design effort. A simple trick is presented which allows a multi-stage network to realize more communication patterns with the same wiring topology. Examples are given of bi-directional networks which produce several useful permutations that the standard networks cannot.
Selecting high quality protein structures from diverse conformational ensembles.

Protein structure prediction encompasses two major challenges: 1), the generation of a large ensemble of high resolution structures for a given amino-acid sequence; and 2), the identification of the structure closest to the native structure for a blind prediction. In this article, we address the second challenge, by proposing what is, to our knowledge, a novel iterative traveling-salesman problem-based clustering method to identify the structures of a protein, in a given ensemble, which are closest to the native structure. The method consists of an iterative procedure, which aims at eliminating clusters of structures at each iteration, which are unlikely to be of similar fold to the native, based on a statistical analysis of cluster density and average spherical radius. The method, denoted as ICON, has been tested on four data sets: 1), 1400 proteins with high resolution decoys; 2), medium-to-low resolution decoys from Decoys ‘R’ Us; 3), medium-to-low resolution decoys from the first-principles approach, ASTRO-FOLD; and 4), selected targets from CASP8. The extensive tests demonstrate that ICON can identify high-quality structures in each ensemble, regardless of the resolution of conformers. In a total of 1454 proteins, with an average of 1051 conformers per protein, the conformers selected by ICON are, on an average, in the top 3.5% of the conformers in the ensemble.
Reactivity in vitro toward substrate and inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase isozymes from electric eel electroplax and housefly brain

Abstract Five acetylcholinesterase isozymes from electric eel eletroplax ( Electrophorus electricus ) and four from housefly brain ( Musca domestica L.), were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis combined with specific substrate staining and gel scanning procedures. The K m values for acetylthiocholine varied over a 2.4-fold range for eel and a 4.2-fold range for housefly. The sensitivities to inhibition also varied: for eel, the range was 2.2-fold for malaoxon, 2.6-fold for Tetram and 2.1-fold for eserine. The corresponding values for housefly were 2.3, 1.5, and 1.9.
Deactivation rate equations from batch of solids/batch of gas experiments

Abstract This paper shows how to extract kinetic rate equations from experiments which use a batch of solids and a batch of gas in catalytic systems of deactivating solid catalyst. A new experimental method, the batch of solids/sequential batch of gas experiment, is developed. This method has great flexibility, allowing many kinetic forms to be tested, and is useful for both rapidly and slowly deactivating catalysts.
Germanium on Silicon Modulators and Nanometallic-Enhanced Detectors for Optical Interconnects

For optical interconnect to or on the chip, very efficient optoelectronic devices are required. We discuss the physics and device structures of optical modulators using germanium quantum wells grown on silicon substrates. We also show results and prospects for nanometallics structures to concentrate light into deeply sub-micron optoelectronic devices, and discuss limits to miniaturizing optical components.
The Meaning of Housing in America

Abstract Housing activity—households using dwellings—forms a central feature in the human use of the earth. A house is a structure; a home is an experience. Housing is an interactive process with meanings tied to status, social position, wealth, power, aspirations, and personal identity. Housing decisions reflect social drives for congregation and segregation within U.S. cities, thus making social and cultural categories of urban society visible, intelligible, and stable. U.S. urban housing landscapes are destabilized by changing population age structure, wealth transfers among neighborhoods, foreign immigration, and interregional wealth shifts. Despite vigorous initiatives to break down neighborhood lass barriers, zoning laws and court decisions staunchly protect single-family housing areas, perhaps as an expression of a basic conservative instinct to protect and nurture human life. Valiant efforts to modify zoning laws to improve the position of weaker classes without threatening the stronger may produc...
Effects of insulin and oral anti-diabetic agents on glucose metabolism, vascular dysfunction and skeletal muscle inflammation in type 2 diabetic subjects.

Background To test potential differences between the actions of antidiabetic medications, we examined the effects of oral hypoglycaemic agents versus glargine–apidra insulin therapy in T2DM. Methods T2DM subjects were randomized to either oral hypoglycaemic agents (pioglitazone, metformin and glipizide, n = 9) or insulin therapy (n = 12) for 6 months. Carotid intimal media thickness, vascular reactivity (flow-mediated vasodilatation; percent change in brachial artery basal diameter post-ischaemia) and sublingual nitrate were measured with ultrasonography. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic (80 mU/m 2 ) clamp with [3]-3H-glucose and muscle biopsies were performed. Results Fasting plasma glucose (∼257 to ∼124 mg/dL, oral hypoglycaemic agents and ∼256 to ∼142 mg/dL, IT) and HbA1c (∼10. 3t o∼6.4%, OHA and ∼10. 7t o∼7.1%, IT) improved comparably. Endogenous glucose production (∼2. 1t o∼1.7 mg/kg/min, oral hypoglycaemic agents and ∼2. 3t o ∼2.0 mg/kg/min, insulin therapy) and endogenous glucose production suppression by insulin (∼0. 4t o∼0.3 mg/kg min, oral hypoglycaemic agents and ∼0. 5t o∼0.7 mg/kg min, insulin therapy) were different. Total glucose disposal × 100 increased in the oral hypoglycaemic agents group (∼5. 2t o∼8.1; p = 0.03), but not in insulin therapy (∼6. 0t o∼5. 4m g/kg/min/µU/mL × 100). OHA reduced CIMT (∼0.080 to ∼0.068 cm; p < 0.05), whereas insulin therapy did not (∼0.075 to ∼0.072 cm). After sublingual nitrate, brachial artery basal diameter increased in the OHA group (∼8. 7t o∼18.2%), but not in insulin therapy (∼11. 2t o∼15.0%; p < 0.02). Except for plasma adiponectin (∼ 7t o∼15, oral hypoglycaemic agents versus ∼ 6t o∼10, IT), changes in inflammatory markers in the circulation and in muscle (IκBα, super-oxidase dismutase 2, monocyte-chemo-attractant protein 1, p-ERK and JNK) were equivalent. Conclusions Oral hypoglycaemic agents and insulin therapy treated patients achieved adequate glycemic control and the effects on circulating and muscle inflammatory biomarkers were similar, but only oral hypoglycaemic agents improved insulin sensitivity, vascular function and carotid intimal media thickness. These findings in a small sample suggest that the use of oral hypoglycaemic agents provides additional benefits to patients with T2DM. Copyright  2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of magnesium infusion on thoracic epidural analgesia

Introduction: Patients of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) having an ASA status III or more are likely to be further downgraded by surgery to critical levels of pulmonary function. Aim: To compare the efficacy of thoracic epidural block with (0.125%) bupivacaine, fentanyl combination and (0.125%) bupivacaine, fentanyl combination with adjunctive intravenous magnesium infusion for the relief of postoperative pain in patients undergoing LVRS. Methods: Patients were operated under general anesthesia. Thirty minutes before the anticipated completion of skin closure in both groups, (Group A and Group B) 7 ml of (0.125%) bupivacaine calculated as 1.5 ml/thoracic segment space for achieving analgesia in dermatomes of T4, T5, T6, T7, and T8 segments, along with fentanyl 50 ΅g (0.5 ml), was administered through the catheter, activating the epidural block, and the time was noted. Thereafter, in patients of Group A, magnesium sulfate injection 30 mg/kg i.v. bolus was followed by infusion of magnesium sulfate at 10 mg/kg/hr and continued up to 24 hours. Group B was treated as control. Results and Analysis: A significant increase in the mean and maximum duration of analgesia in Group A in comparison with Group B (P<0.05) was observed. Total epidural dose of fentanyl and bupivacaine required in Group A was significantly lower in comparison with Group B in 24 hours. Discussion: Requirement of total doses of local anesthetics along with opioids could be minimized by magnesium infusion; therefore, the further downgradation of patients of LVRS may be prevented. Conclusion: Intravenous magnesium can prolong opioid-induced analgesia while minimizing nausea, pruritus, and somnolence.
Environment aware chemical detection & classification

Each chemical agent especially, explosive chemical agent exhibits a distinct infra red (IR) absorption spectrum or signature. To identify them uniquely, we need high resolution spectrometers in the absence of smart algorithms. Such spectrometers' optical components are bulky and expensive. The cost of a spectrometer can be traded with resolution. In such a situation, the detection and classification algorithm should be smart. The smartness is coming from the algorithms that extract unique features and recognize the patterns in the features. In this paper, we describe these algorithms and provide the classification results obtained by using IR absorption spectra of different explosive chemical agents. Our preliminary results of classification of 14 explosives indicate that we can obtain 100 % classification accuracy.
Determining the Primary Drivers of Liking to Predict Consumers' Acceptance of Fresh Nectarines and Peaches

A generic descriptive analysis using 11 judges provided 16 sensory attributes that described the aroma, flavor, and texture characteristics of 7 nectarine and peach cultivars selected for their predominant sensory attributes. Simultaneously, the "in-store" acceptability of these cultivars was evaluated by 120 consumers from northern California. The relationships among instrumental measurements (flesh firmness, ripe soluble solids concentration (RSSC), and ripe titratable acidity (RTA), sensory panel descriptors, and consumer hedonic responses were studied. In these cultivars, RSSC was the only instrumental measurement significantly related to overall liking. Cultivars with medium acidity and/or flavor/aroma were liked "very much," and consumer willingness to pay more was correlated with overall liking without regard to cultivar. Cluster analysis revealed 3 segments that were associated with ethnicity and consumer preferences within each segment. Sweetness was the main driver of liking for 2 consumer clusters; however, for the 3rd cluster, the perception of fruit aromas described as grassy/green fruit and pit aromas were the main drivers of liking. There was a high correlation between instrumental measurements and their sensory perception; however, the sensory attribute measurements explained cultivar characteristics better than instrumental measurements alone. Sweetness correlated positively with overall liking and consumer acceptance.
Anisotropic diffusion of surface normals for feature preserving surface reconstruction

For 3D surface reconstruction problems with noisy and incomplete range data measured from complex scenes with arbitrary topologies, a low-level representation, such as level set surfaces, is used. Such surface reconstruction is typically accomplished by minimizing a weighted sum of datamodel discrepancy and model smoothness terms. We introduce a new nonlinear model smoothness term for surface reconstruction based on variations of the surface normals. A direct solution requires solving a fourth-order partial differential equation (PDE), which is very difficult with; conventional numerical techniques. Our solution is based on processing the normals separately from the surface, which allows us to separate the problem into two second-order PDEs. The proposed method can smooth complex, noisy surfaces, while preserving sharp, geometric features, and it is a natural generalization of edge-preserving methods in image processing, such as anisotropic diffusion.
Precise assay of TATB by the determination of total amino and nitro functional groups

Methods have been developed for the precise assay of the explosive l,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) using procedures that quantitatively measure total nitro and/or total amino functional groups. The method for the determination of total nitro groups is based on the dissolution of TATB in DMSO-NaOH, electrolytic reduction of -NO2 to -NH2, and measurement by controlled-potential coulometry. The reduction is carried out at a mercury pool electrode at −0.60 V versus standard calomel electrode (SCE) in a supporting electrolyte 1 M in H3PO4 and 3 M in HClO4. Background corrections are low, and samples containing 0.1 mg to 2 mg of TATB per ml can be analyzed with a precision and accuracy of 0.25% to 0.5%. The method for determining total amino groups is based on the conversion of -NH2 to NH3 in a Kjeldahl-type apparatus. The sample does not require an acid digestion step. The - NH2 groups are readily converted to NH3 and distilled from a solution of NaOH and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Individual samples of 120 mg-170 mg of TATB can be conveniently assayed for amino groups with an accuracy and precision of about 0.25%.
Impact of glider data assimilation on the Monterey Bay model

Abstract Glider observations were essential components of the observational program in the Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN-II) experiment in the Monterey Bay area during summer of 2003. This paper is focused on the impact of the assimilation of glider temperature and salinity observations on the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) predictions of surface and subsurface properties. The modeling system consists of an implementation of the NCOM model using a curvilinear, orthogonal grid with 1–4 km resolution, with finest resolution around the bay. The model receives open boundary conditions from a regional (9 km resolution) NCOM implementation for the California Current System, and surface fluxes from the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) atmospheric model at 3 km resolution. The data assimilation component of the system is a version of the Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation (NCODA) system, which is used for assimilation of the glider data into the NCOM model of the Monterey Bay area. The NCODA is a fully 3D multivariate optimum interpolation system that produces simultaneous analyses of temperature, salinity, geopotential, and vector velocity. Assimilation of glider data improves the surface temperature at the mooring locations for the NCOM model hindcast and nowcasts, and for the short-range (1–1.5 days) forecasts. It is shown that it is critical to have accurate atmospheric forcing for more extended forecasts. Assimilation of glider data provided better agreement with independent observations (for example, with aircraft measured SSTs) of the model-predicted and observed spatial distributions of surface temperature and salinity. Mooring observations of subsurface temperature and salinity show sharp changes in the thermocline and halocline depths during transitions from upwelling to relaxation and vice versa. The non-assimilative run also shows these transitions in subsurface temperature; but they are not as well defined. For salinity, the non-assimilative run significantly differs from the observations. However, the glider data assimilating run is able to show comparable results with observations of thermocline as well as halocline depths during upwelling and relaxation events in the Monterey Bay area. It is also shown that during the relaxation of wind, the data assimilative run has higher value of subsurface velocity complex correlation with observations than the non-assimilative run.
Ritualized fighting and biological armor: the impact mechanics of the mantis shrimp's telson.

SUMMARY Resisting impact and avoiding injury are central to survival in situations ranging from the abiotic forces of crashing waves to biotic collisions with aggressive conspecifics. Although impacts and collisions in biology are ubiquitous, most studies focus on the material properties of biological structures under static loading. Here, we examine the mechanical impact properties of the mantis shrimp9s telson, a piece of abdominal armor that withstands repeated, intense impacts from the potent hammer-like appendages used by conspecifics during ritualized fighting. We measured the coefficient of restitution, an index of elasticity, of the telson and compared it with that of an adjacent abdominal segment that is not impacted. We found that the telson behaves more like an inelastic punching bag than an elastic trampoline, dissipating 69% of the impact energy. Furthermore, although the abdominal segment provides no mechanical correlates with size, the telson9s coefficient of restitution, displacement and impact duration all correlate with body size. The telson9s mineralization patterns were determined through micro-CT (Computed Tomography) and correspond to the mechanical behavior of the telson during impact. The mineralized central region of the telson ‘punched’ inward during an impact whereas the surrounding areas provided elasticity owing to their reduced mineralization. Thus, the telson effectively dissipates impact energy while potentially providing the size-related information crucial to its role in conspecific assessment. This study reveals the mechanical infrastructure of impact resistance in biological armor and opens a new window to the biomechanical underpinnings of animal behavior and assessment.
To Charter or Not to Charter: Developing a Testable Model of Charter Authorization and Renewal Decisions

The authorizers of charter schools are an understudied piece of the charter reform process. The local school boards, state agencies, and higher education institutions that act as authorizers play a significant role in the market, determining which operators get to enter the market and which are forced to exit. This article provides an economics-based framework for understanding the objectives of authorizers that can be used to test empirically the relative importance of three main objectives: student achievement, parental satisfaction, and political influence. Which of these objectives authorizers pursue could have a significant impact on which schools are authorized and renewed and therefore on the success of the charter schools generally.
Bispectral analysis of speckled images

Coherent speckle noise is modeled as a multiplicative noise process. Using a logarithmic transformation, this speckle noise is converted to a signal independent, additive process which is close to Gaussian when an integrating aperture is used. Bispectral reconstruction of speckle-degraded images is performed on such logarithmically transformed images when independent multiple snapshots are available. >