cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study of formaldehyde formation during methanol oxidation over PtRu bulk alloys and nanometer scale catalyst

Abstract The oxidation of 1.0 M CH3OH in 0.1 M H2SO4 was carried out over PtRu bulk alloy and nanometer scale catalyst materials. The H2CO produced as a stable by-product during brief (180 s) electrolysis periods was determined quantitatively for potentials (measured vs a reversible hydrogen electrode reference) in the range of 0.5–0.8 V. Electrolysis was performed in a cell that accommodated a small (∼50 μL) sample volume. The experimental conditions kept the reactant depletion in the cell below 1%. Three arc melted bulk alloys were employed with respective Ru mole fractions (XRu) of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.9. The alloy surfaces were cleaned by bench top methods prior to measurements. For reaction potentials ⩾0.7 V, H2CO yields tended to become lower as the Ru content of the alloy electrode increased. However, at low (0.5 V) potentials the H2CO yields were at a minimum in reactions over the XRu = 0.3 bulk alloy. The oxidation of CH3OH over bulk polycrystalline Pt produced H2CO yields that were greater than those of the PtRu alloys, with the largest differences occurring for the XRu = 0.3 sample. For CH3OH oxidation over nanometer scale PtRu catalyst, the metal loadings (50–100 μg/cm2) were in a range known to be favorable for conversion of CH3OH to CO2 owing to a porous, multilayer structure formed by the particles on the support (Au) electrode which enables partial oxidation products to undergo multiple encounters with catalytic sites within the film. The nanometer scale catalyst materials studied (Pt and PtRu with XRu ≈ 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5) produced H2CO yields below 10% for all reaction potentials. Although the H2CO yields were low, trends similar to those of the bulk materials are apparent.
Evidence for an underlying opponent process during morphine elicited hyperactivity in the hamster

Abstract Two experiments investigated the effects of naloxone on morphine elicited hyperactivity in the hamster. In Experiment 1, naloxone (0.4 mg/kg) administered two hours after morphine (15 mg/kg) produced sedation in animals running at high rates under the influence of morphine. Saline control animals running at comparable rates were unaffected by naloxone. In Experiment 2, naloxone administered two hours after morphine converted morphine elicited hyperactivity into sedation. These results are discussed in terms of a modified dual-action hypothesis which holds that morphine elicited hyper-activity masks an underlying opponent process.
55Mn nuclear magnetic resonance in antiferromagnetic MnO

Abstract One of the two 55 Mn nuclear magnetic resonances in MnO at 4.2°K is found to be only slightly dependent upon the magnet field, wherease the second is relatively strongly pulled with decreasing field and unobservable below 12 kOe.
Probabilistic Analysis of Monitoring Systems for Detecting Subsurface Contaminant Plumes

We study the probabilities that monitoring systems will be capable of detecting subsurface contaminant plumes. The analysis is an extension of previous research which focused on detection of ore bodies and contaminant releases to the subsurface using probabilistic models; the previous research assumed that releases to the subsurface are elliptical in shape, and that detections are absolute when a monitoring point intercepts a release. New features are introduced into the analytical framework that include irregular, rather than regular, sampling arrays, as well as nonuniform probabilities of a release occurring at a particular location of the site. These features allow the user to optimize the location of sampling devices based on site knowledge, by concentrating monitoring locations where a release is believed more likely. The stratified Monte Carlo approach used in this paper is tested on a number of cases with uniform and nonuniform sampler distribution and release probabilities. The results provide statistical probabilities that one is capable of finding releases of different sizes with a system of monitoring points.
UNC-6 and UNC-40 promote dendritic growth through PAR-4 in Caenorhabditis elegans neurons

Several axonal guidance molecules have a dual function in directing dendritic growth as well. UNC-6 (Netrin) in C. elegans is one such molecule. Here, Teichmann and Shen show how UNC-6's action in axon versus dendrite can be specified. Axons navigating through the developing nervous system are instructed by external attractive and repulsive cues. Emerging evidence suggests the same cues control dendrite development, but it is not understood how they differentially instruct axons and dendrites. We studied a C. elegans motor neuron whose axon and dendrite adopt different trajectories and lengths. We found that the guidance cue UNC-6 (Netrin) is required for both axon and dendrite development. Its repulsive receptor UNC-5 repelled the axon from the ventral cell body, whereas the attractive receptor UNC-40 (DCC) was dendritically enriched and promotes antero-posterior dendritic growth. Although the endogenous ventrally secreted UNC-6 instructs axon guidance, dorsal or even membrane-tethered UNC-6 could support dendrite development. Unexpectedly, the serine-threonine kinase PAR-4 (LKB1) was selectively required for the activity of the UNC-40 pathway in dendrite outgrowth. These data suggest that axon and dendrite of one neuron interpret common environmental cues with different receptors and downstream signaling pathways.
2,3,9,10-Tetrachlorobenzo[1,2-b: 4,5-b']bis[1,4]benzodioxin, a homologue of TCDD

Catechol and 4,5-dichlorocatechol have been condensed with 1,5-dichloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene to provide benzo[1,2-b: 4,5-b ]bis[1,4]benzodioxin and its 2,3,9,10-tetrachloro derivative, respectively. The latter compound is a novel homologue of the extremely toxic 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).
Low nuclear levels of nuclear factor-κB are essential for KC self-induction in astrocytes: Requirements for shuttling and phosphorylation

Stimulation with the chemokine KC induces an autocrine response in mouse astrocytes. A requirement for NF-kappa B was established for KC self-induction. NF-kappa B inhibitors, p65 antisense oligonucleotides, or dominant-negative Ikappa Balpha inhibited this autocrine response. Mutation of a specific kappa B site in the KC promoter also blocked KC self-induction. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and in vivo footprinting confirmed the direct binding of NF-kappa B to the KC promoter. However, neither NF-kappa B nuclear translocation, increased Ikappa B degradation, nor upregulation of NF-kappa B DNA binding activity was observed after KC stimulation. Reporter gene assays demonstrated KC-upregulated NF-kappa B transcriptional activity, and this effect was inhibited by dominant-negative IkappaBalpha. Accumulation of NF-kappaB was noted within the nucleus in the presence of nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B, demonstrating constitutive shuttling of NF-kappa B between the cytoplasm and nucleus. Blocking NF-kappa B shuttling inhibited KC transcription. KC induced p65 phosphorylation, which was critical for NF-kappa B activation as determined with the Gal-4-p65 fusion protein and mutation of p65 phosphorylation sites. In conclusion, low-level nuclear NF-kappa B is essential for KC self-induction, and this effect is mediated by shuttling and phosphorylation of NF-kappa B. The results outline a novel mechanism for NF-kappa B participation in transcription regulation.
The Science and Communication Needed to Help Communities Plan for Sea Level Rise

From the shores of Bangladesh to the bayous of Louisiana, sea level rise will affect communities across the globe and will likely be exacerbated by other threats such as severe weather. Local and national decision makers face a myriad of challenges as they prepare for or adapt to changing coastal conditions while trying to manage increasing population and development along the coasts. In the United States alone, approximately 39% of the population lives in a coastal county.
A discrete LINE-1 transcript in mouse blastocysts.

Abstract The LINE-1 (L1) repetitive elements of mammalian genomes are retrotransposons lacking LTRs; L1-encoded reverse transcriptase probably mediates an important step in the generation of new copies. Most L1 transcripts are non-specific, but discrete full length transcripts are present in embryonal carcinoma cells. We report here an abundant L1 transcript in mouse blastocysts but not in oocytes. The transcript is about 8 kb, sense strand, polyadenylated, and includes the 5′ end of the two open reading frames. We propose that retrotransposition which generates pseudogenes and mammalian SINES as well as the L1 family occurs around the blastocyst stage of the germ cell cycle.
Hidden Beta-Lactamases in the Enterobacteriaceae – Dropping the Extra Disks for Detection, Part I

Abstract Resistance to our beta-lactam and carbapenem antibiotics is becoming daunting for antimicrobial therapy for infections involving the Enterobacteriaceae . Similarly, laboratory testing to detect these resistance mechanisms is becoming more complex and perplexing for microbiology laboratories. Automated testing alone will not detect all of the resistance patterns that occur via beta-lactamases and carbapenemases. Failure to detect organisms with these enzymes can result in erroneous reports that would indicate an isolate is susceptible to beta-lactam and/or carbapenem antibiotics. In addition to the risk of compromised care of the patient, when pathogens with these enzymes go undetected, necessary infection control measures are precluded, thereby allowing the risk that these resistant organisms will become endemic in a hospital environment. Supplemental testing in addition to the routine susceptibility tests of isolates has become necessary in order to detect the deluge of beta-lactamases and carbapenemases that clinical laboratories face today. Part I of this article reviews some of the major mechanisms of bacterial resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, and methods for their laboratory detection.
Further study of the intrinsic safety of internally shorted lithium and lithium-ion cells within methane-air

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers continue to study the potential for lithium and lithium-ion battery thermal runaway from an internal short circuit in equipment for use in underground coal mines. Researchers conducted cell crush tests using a plastic wedge within a 20-L explosion-containment chamber filled with 6.5% CH4-air to simulate the mining hazard. The present work extends earlier findings to include a study of LiFePO4 cells crushed while under charge, prismatic form factor LiCoO2 cells, primary spiral-wound constructed LiMnO2 cells, and crush speed influence on thermal runaway susceptibility. The plastic wedge crush was a more severe test than the flat plate crush with a prismatic format cell. Test results indicate that prismatic Saft MP 174565 LiCoO2 and primary spiral-wound Saft FRIWO M52EX LiMnO2 cells pose a CH4-air ignition hazard from internal short circuit. Under specified test conditions, A123 systems ANR26650M1A LiFePO4 cylindrical cells produced no chamber ignitions while under a charge of up to 5 A. Common spiral-wound cell separators are too thin to meet intrinsic safety standards provisions for distance through solid insulation, suggesting that a hard internal short circuit within these cells should be considered for intrinsic safety evaluation purposes, even as a non-countable fault. Observed flames from a LiMnO2 spiral-wound cell after a chamber ignition within an inert atmosphere indicate a sustained exothermic reaction within the cell. The influence of crush speed on ignitions under specified test conditions was not statistically significant.
Top Quark Properties at the Tevatron

Top quark physics is currently one of the most exciting laboratories for looking for physics beyond the standard model (SM). Using integrated luminosity of 2 fb −1 from CDF and DO, we present three searches for such new physics.
Insulin Gene Patent Litigation

I found Eliot Marshall's article (News, [22 Aug., p. 1028][1]) about the 1977 cloning of the rat insulin gene and the subsequent patent litigation engrossing. However, some remaining uncertainties need to be resolved. 1) If the letters Judge Hugh Dillin characterized as “smoking guns” were intended to make a record of what transpired, why were the letters and the events they recorded never mentioned in the 14 October 1977 memo by William Rutter and Howard Goodman? The University of California, San Francisco, biosafety committee and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) administrators investigating the events surely would have found the letters directly pertinent. The statement by Rutter and Goodman in the NIH files says nothing about retaining DNA. 2) Was DNA from the original pBR322 experiment retained or not? If so, what was done with it? The chronology is puzzling. It seems that destruction of the original pBR322 clones happened on 19 March and registered letters saying that not all the DNA was destroyed were dated several days later. But the claim seems to be that DNA was neither retained nor used. 3) What are the accession numbers of the pMB9 deposits at the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) mentioned in the final paragraph of the article? Sequencing the original pMB9 clones might indeed resolve some of the controversy (although, depending on any subcloning process details, it might not). I asked ATCC staff about these, but to date they have not been able to identify any such deposits. # {#article-title-2} Response : After Science went to press, Rutter's attorney called to correct Rutter's suggestion that the 1977 cloning work could be verified by examining the original pMB9 clones, said to be on deposit at the ATCC. Rutter later explained in a note to Science that no such clones exist:After our conversation, I thought I should check on this point to be sure. Having looked into the matter further, I learned that, in fact, we had combined two pMB9 clones, pAU-1 and pAU-2, into a composite subclone and had used pBR322 as a vector, since this work was done after pBR322 had been certified [as safe] by NIH. Thus, the deposit made with the ATCC was this subclone in the pBR322 vector. This indicates how rapidly Rutter and his colleagues were working in the spring of 1977. In January, they put the insulin gene into a nonpermitted pBR322 vector, and in March they destroyed that material after being told its use was not allowed by NIH. They recloned the gene into a permitted vector (pMB9), publishing a paper on it in Science (17 June 1977, p. 1313). But in connection with a May patent application, they recloned the insulin into the (then permitted) pBR322 vector, which they deposited at the ATCC. Thus, the vector on deposit is not from the experiment described in Science and cannot be used to answer lingering questions about it. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.277.5329.1028
Attitudes for Effective Teaching

This article briefly describes the conceptual foundations of a theory of practice entitled, Invitational Education. The author proposes that educators can improve their teaching by choosing to adopt and incorporate the basic elements of the theory into their teaching practices.
Parental provisioning and offspring fitness: size matters

Parental food deliveries are generally assumed to promote offspring fitness in altricial birds, mainly because mass at fledging often predicts recruitment as breeding adults. We studied how such provisioning influences recruitment in house sparrows, Passer domesticus, through both a traditional two-step indirect analysis (via fledging mass) and a single direct analysis. In our study, total parental deliveries predicted neither fledging mass nor recruitment. Instead, delivery of the largest food items (‘e-prey’) predicted both. Offspring recruitment was determined only by personal mass, but from a parental perspective, the number of recruits per brood hinged principally on two factors, brood size and mean nestling mass at fledging. As in other species, recruitment probability declined across the breeding season, even though deliveries of the largest food items increased. Within the natural range of provisioning that parents achieved, the function relating e-prey and recruitment appeared to be accelerating, indicating that parents could rapidly enhance offspring success if bringing more of those items were possible. The failure of adults to do so suggests that the associated foraging costs are likely to be prohibitive, illustrating what has been called a ‘food ESS’ for parental care.
Stress Relaxation across Grain Boundaries in Metals

In order to elucidate further the concept of relaxation of shear stress across grain boundaries in metals, the temperature dependence of internal friction and rigidity modulus of 99.991 percent aluminum have been measured as a function of frequency of torsional vibration and as a function of grain size of the specimen. It has been found that for the same specimen, an increase of frequency of vibration shifts the internal friction curve and the rigidity relaxation curve (${Q}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and $\frac{G}{{G}_{U}}$ versus temperature) to higher temperatures; and when the frequency of vibration is kept constant, a change in grain size of the specimen has the same effect as a change of the frequency of vibration The observed internal friction and rigidity relaxation can be expressed as functions of the parameter $(\mathrm{G}.\mathrm{S}.)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}f\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{exp}(\frac{H}{\mathrm{RT}})$, where (G.S.) is the grain size or average grain diameter of the specimen, $f$ is the frequency of vibration, and $H$ is the heat of activation. It is shown that all these observed phenomena are necessary manifestations of the stress relaxation across grain boundaries arising from the viscous behavior of the grain boundaries in metals, which behavior has been demonstrated by previous anelastic-effect measurements.
Penetration of benzene through human skin.

Although it is known that benzene may be absorbed from inhaled air, the amount that may enter the system by percutaneous absorption is less well established. We have measured the penetration of benzene through human abdominal skin in vitro from solutions in water, gasoline, hexadecane, and isooctane and found permeability constants which averaged 111.0, 1.4, 0.9, and 3.7 × 10 −3 cm · h -1 , respectively. The stratum corneum/water partition coefficient for benzene has been measured and averages 30.0. The partition coefficients for the other vehicles are very low and cannot be measured by the method used for water. A new method is presented for calculating these coefficients, however, and they are 0.11, 0.14, 0.17, and 0.19 for gasoline, hexane, isooctane, and hexadecane. The flux of benzene through epidermis in vitro from air saturated with benzene at 31°C averages 1.0 μl cm -2 · h -1 . Solvents may alter the barrier characteristics of the stratum corneum. Polar and nonpolar molecules probably traverse the stratum corneum via different pathways. By measuring the change in the permeability constants for tritiated water (a polar molecule) and for benzene (a relatively nonpolar molecule) before and after exposure to different solvents, alterations of the polar and nonpolar pathways have been shown to differ. Since benzene penetrates normal intact human skin more rapidly than many small organic molecules, and is potentially toxic, the skin should be considered a portal of entry for benzene. Good hygiene should be maintained and care taken to avoid lengthy exposure to solvents containing benzene.
Central limit theorems for extreme Sojourns of stationary Gaussian processes

Let X(t), t ≧ 0, be a real stationary Gaussian process, and, for u > 0 and t >0, let Lt(u) be the time spent by X(s), 0 ≦ s ≦ t, above the level u. Here u is taken to be a function u(t) of t, and Lt is defined as Lt(u(t)). It is shown that the distribution of (Lt – ELt)/(Var Lt)1/2 converges, for t ∞ and u(t) ∞, to a standard normal distribution under various conditions relating the growth of u(t) to the decay of the covariance and other functions associated with it.
SEDIMENTS AND WATERS OF SOMES SOUND, A FJORDLIKE ESTUARY IN MAINE1,2

Bottom sediments in the Somes Sound estuary coarsen progressively seaward from clay in the upper and middle parts through silt and sand to gravel at the mouth. Most contain <5% CaCO3 except in the lower sound where shell fragments are abundant and concentrations reach 20%. Organic carbon is most abundant (3–5%) in the clay of the upper sound, which smells strongly of II2S. Epifauna, especially holothurians, cover most of the bottom near the mouth of the sound. Infauna predominate in the fine sediments of the middle and upper sound but are absent where II2S is high. Waters in the sound during August 1969 were well mixed and well oxygenated (6.7– 4.7 ml/liter) from surface to bottom, despite the shallow sill that restricts water circulation at the narrow mouth. Anaerobic bottom waters were not observed. The movement of a bottom drifter suggests that the net direction of flow of bottom water is landward, and the distributions of some sediment components that bottom-water flow is counterclockwise. Particulate matter suspended in the water ranged from 0.6–4.1 mg/liter, with greatest concentrations in bottom waters above areas covered with fine-grained sediments.
Positively Charged Oligonucleotides Overcome Potassium-Mediated Inhibition of Triplex DNA Formation

The formation of triplex DNA using unmodified, purine-rich oligonucleotides (ODNs) is inhibited by physiologic levels of potassium. Changing negative phosphodiester bonds in a triplex forming oligonucleotide (TFO) to neutral linkages causes a small increase in triplex formation. When phosphodiester bonds in a TFO are converted to positively-charged linkages the formation of triplex DNA increases dramatically. In the absence of KCl, a 17mer TFO containing 11 positively-charged linkages at a concentration of 0.2 microM converts essentially all of a 30 bp target duplex to a triplex. Less than 15% of the target duplex is shifted by 2 microMolar of the unmodified TFO. In 130 mM KCl, triplex formation is undetectable using the unmodified TFO, while triplex formation is nearly complete with 2 microM positively-charged TFO. With increasing potassium, TFOs containing a higher proportion of modified linkages show enhanced triplex formation compared with those less modified. In contrast with unmodified TFOs, triplex formation with more heavily modified TFOs can occur in the absence of divalent cations. We conclude that replacement of phosphodiester bonds with positively-charged phosphoramidate linkages results in more efficient triplex formation, suggesting that these compounds may prove useful for in vivo applications.
The (Ir)relevance of Procedural Justice in the Pathways to Crime

Process-based approaches to compliance argue that normative considerations, such as procedural justice and legitimacy, have the potential to reduce offending. This perspective was formalized with Tyler’s (1990, 2003) Model of Procedural Justice and subsequently was evaluated among adult and adolescent offenders alike. However, extant evaluations do not consider whether and how individual offending histories affect the relevance of the concepts of procedural justice and legitimacy on offending behavior. This void is problematic given the growing concern that judgments of procedural justice and perceived legitimacy may not always be relevant with respect to compliance (Tyler & Jackson, 2013). This research integrates a developmental perspective with the procedural justice model to evaluate the effects of procedural justice and legitimacy on offending among early-onset and adolescent-onset offenders. Using a sample of convicted adolescent offenders, evidence suggests that the relevance of the procedural justice model varies across age of onset. The normative considerations of procedural justice and legitimacy are unrelated to recidivism among early-onset offenders, yet they affect subsequent offending among adolescent-onset offenders, although not always in the direction specified by theory.
A Review of the Role of Blood Lactate Measurements in the ICU

The production of hyperlactatemia in the critically ill patient has previously been thought to be primarily related to anaerobic conditions. Newer data suggests that lactate accumulates under aerobic conditions in clinical settings that were previously thought to solely represent anaerobic processes. This review summarizes the present understanding of lactate metabolism and reviews the data supporting use of lactate determinations in the critical care setting. The use of lactate as a marker of inadequate tissue perfusion as well as its role as a prognostic indicator are discussed. The utility of managing lactic acidosis with various buffers is also reviewed.
A Windows CE implementation of a middleware architecture supporting time-triggered message-triggered objects

The time-triggered message-triggered object (TMO) programming scheme has been established to remove the limitation of conventional object programming techniques and tools in developing applications containing real-time (RT) distributed computing components. It is a unified approach for efficient design and implementation of both RT and non-RT distributed applications. As a cost-effective facility for supporting TMO-structured distributed RT programming, a middleware architecture that can be adapted to various well-established commercial software/hardware platforms has been established. It has been named the TMO support middleware (TMOSM). In this paper, an adaptation of TMOSM to the Windows CE platform is discussed. The internal structure of the prototype implementation, TMOSM/CE, and some implementation techniques adopted are discussed.
Malicious Interfaces and Personalization's Uninviting Future

Being online isn't as fun as it used to be. Online advertising increasingly intrudes, distracts, and interferes with accomplishing even simple tasks; purposely misleading menus make navigation confusing and unintuitive; and, far too often, the cost of getting to desired content involves divulging personal information that isn't relevant to the task at hand. In short, malicious interface designs are propagating across the Web.
Early Pulmonary Interstitial Emphysema in the Newborn: A Grave Prognostic Sign

Chest radiographs and clinical records of 58 newborns with pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) were reviewed to determine the diagnostic and prognostic significance of this finding in the first 24 hours of life. Thirty-nine infants developed PIE before 1 day of age (early PIE). In the absence of infection, early PIE was associated with younger gestational age, lower birth weight, lower 1 and 5 minute Apgar scores, and higher mortality, as compared with patients in whom air leak occurred later. Survival in infants with PIE seemed to be influenced mainly by coexisting risk factors such as extreme prematurity, birth asphyxia, and perinatal infection. Most cases of early PIE in newborns less than 30 weeks gestational age occurred at peak ventilation pressures less than 25 cm H2O, and probably reflect increased sensitivity of the underdeveloped lung to barotrauma. In infants older than 30 weeks gestational age, early PIE was strongly associated with bacterial sepsis. These data indicate that the occurrence of PIE in the first 24 hours of life is a particularly ominous sign, and is frequently associated with clinical conditions which carry a poor prognosis.
2012 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Enrollments Enrollments Decline for Second Year in a Row

Enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs in the United States have declined over the last two years, reversing a pattern of growth that has sustained the field for twenty years. It...
Employment impact and financial burden for families of children with fragile X syndrome: findings from the National Fragile X Survey.

Background The employment impact and financial burden experienced by families of children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) has not been quantified in the USA. Method Using a national fragile X family survey, we analysed data on 1019 families with at least one child who had a full FXS mutation. Out-of-pocket expenditures related to fragile X were reported. We used logistic regression to examine the role of insurance, number of affected children, and number of total co-occurring conditions in predicting the financial burden and employment impact of FXS, while adjusting for race, education, marital status and other sociodemographic predictors. Results Almost half of families affected by FXS reported that they had experienced an increased financial burden and nearly 60% stated that they had had to change work hours or stop work because of FXS. Families with health insurance that met family needs were significantly less likely to report an excess financial burden. The type of insurance (private or public) was not associated with the reported financial burden. Affected children's mutation status, especially male children with the full mutation, was associated with employment impact. The total number of co-occurring conditions was associated with both financial burden and employment impact. Conclusions Families affected by FXS experienced a significant employment impact and financial burden. Policies designed to help families with FXS need to take into consideration the dimension of co-occurring conditions.
Virus-cell interactions as probes for vacuum-ultraviolet radiation damage and repair.

Irradiation of biological materials in the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV*-wavelengths below 200nm) is inhibited by the substantial absorption of water, air, and of the material itself. We have made a rough estimate of the penetration of radiation to the center of three kinds of cells and three viruses of different sizes at three wavelengths in the VUV (155 nm, 170 nm, and 200 nm) and two wavelengths in the far-UV (220 nm and 250 nm). With the exception of bacteria, absorption limits the penetration of wavelengths below 200 nm to the center of the cell, to less than one percent of the radiation striking the cell surface. Thus, effects on the genetic material when cells larger than bacteria are irradiated with VUV should be insignificant. However, even the largest viruses were relatively transparent to all the wavelengths that we used. Therefore viruses can be considered to be model organisms for VUV studies; we list some of the maj or advantages of using them as probes to study cellular responses to VUV biological damage. The use of viral probes to study membrane phenomena also is noted since damage by VUV often is limited to cell surfaces. We suggest that the use of viruses may make possible biological experiments in the VUV that were not feasible with cells alone.
The challenge of financing higher education and the role of student loans scheme: an analysis of the student loan trust fund (SLTF) in Ghana

Student loans program is one of the most controversial phenomena in financing higher education in Ghana, but its importance as a cost sharing mechanism is incontestable. This paper describes the challenge of financing higher education in Ghana. It provides a critique of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Student Loans Scheme, and analyzes the present Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) policy. The paper outlines the new policy framework, critically looks at some implementation problems and provides some practical policy recommendations. The paper questions the mechanisms put in place to ensure the sustainability of the new policy? It concludes that a more efficient student loans scheme should strike the balance between lenders risk and borrowers aversion.
Lactobacillus reuteri (American Type Culture Collection Strain 55730) versus simethicone in the treatment of infantile colic: a prospective randomized study.

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to test the hypothesis that oral administration of Lactobacillus reuteri in a prospective randomized study would improve symptoms of infantile colic. METHODS. Ninety breastfed colicky infants were assigned randomly to receive either the probiotic L reuteri (10 8 live bacteria per day) or simethicone (60 mg/day) each day for 28 days. The mothers avoided cow’s milk in their diet. Parents monitored daily crying times and adverse effects by using a questionnaire. RESULTS. Eighty-three infants completed the trial: 41 in the probiotic group and 42 in the simethicone group. The infants were similar regarding gestational age, birth weight, gender, and crying time at baseline. Daily median crying times in the probiotic and simethicone groups were 159 minutes/day and 177 minutes/day, respectively, on the seventh day and 51 minutes/day and 145 minutes/day on the 28th day. On day 28, 39 patients (95%) were responders in the probiotic group and 3 patients (7%) were responders in the simethicone group. No adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS. In our cohort, L reuteri improved colicky symptoms in breastfed infants within 1 week of treatment, compared with simethicone, which suggests that probiotics may have a role in the treatment of infantile colic.
What Makes Teams Work: Group Effectiveness Research from the Shop Floor to the Executive Suite

In this article, we summarize and review the research on teams and groups in organization settings published from January 1990 to April 1996. The article focuses on studies in which the dependent variables are concerned with various dimensions of effectiveness. A heuristic framework illustrating recent trends in the literature depicts team effectiveness as a function of task, group, and organization design factors, environmental factors, internal processes, external processes, and group psychosocial traits. The review discusses four types of teams: work, parallel, project, and management. We review research findings for each type of team organized by the categories in our heuristic framework. The article concludes by comparing the variables studied for the different types of teams, highlighting the progress that has been made, suggesting what still needs to be done, summarizing key leamings from the last six years, and suggesting areas for further research.
Distinct and redundant roles of the non-muscle myosin II isoforms and functional domains.

We propose that the in vivo functions of NM II (non-muscle myosin II) can be divided between those that depend on the N-terminal globular motor domain and those less dependent on motor activity but more dependent on the C-terminal domain. The former, being more dependent on the kinetic properties of NM II to translocate actin filaments, are less amenable to substitution by different NM II isoforms, whereas the in vivo functions of the latter, which involve the structural properties of NM II to cross-link actin filaments, are more amenable to substitution. In light of this hypothesis, we examine the ability of NM II-A, as well as a motor-compromised form of NM II-B, to replace NM II-B and rescue neuroepithelial cell–cell adhesion defects and hydrocephalus in the brain of NM II-B-depleted mice. We also examine the ability of NM II-B as well as chimaeric forms of NM II (II-A head and II-B tail and vice versa) to substitute for NM II-A in cell–cell adhesions in II-A-ablated mice. However, we also show that certain functions, such as neuronal cell migration in the developing brain and vascularization of the mouse embryo and placenta, specifically require NM II-B and II-A respectively.
Passive transfer of resistance to tuberculosis through use of monocytes.

SummaryExperiments are reported which demonstrate passive transfer of a limited degree of increased resistance to tuberculosis through use of monocytes from immunized animals. Use of monocytes from normal animals had no effect on resistance. No increased resistance was seen in animals receiving plasma, spleen homogenate, or spleen filtrate obtained from either normal or immunized animals.
On becoming ready to pursue a goal you don't know you have: Effects of nonconscious goals on evaluative readiness

Findings showed that the nonconscious activation of a goal in memory led to increased positive implicit attitudes toward stimuli that could facilitate the goal. This evaluative readiness to pursue the nonconscious goal emerged even when participants were consciously unaware of the goal-relevant stimuli. The effect emerged the most strongly for those with some skill at the goal and for those for whom the goal was most currently important. The effect of implicit goal activation on implicit attitudes emerged in both an immediate condition as well as a delay condition, suggesting that a goal rather than a nonmotivational construct was activated. Participants’ implicit attitudes toward a nonconscious goal also predicted their goal-relevant behavior. These findings suggest that people can become evaluatively ready to pursue a goal whenever it has been activated—a readiness that apparently does not require conscious awareness or deliberation about either the goal or the goal-relevant stimuli. Theoretical implications of this type of implicit goal readiness are discussed.
Aircraft Design for Reduced Climate Impact

xemissions are less severe and persistent contrail formation is less likely. By considering these altitude eects and additionally applying climate impact reduction technologies, impacts can be reduced by 45-70% with simultaneous direct operating cost savings of 0.6%. Uncertainty is assessed, demonstrating that relative climate impact savings can be expected despite large scientic uncertainties. Additionally, operating cost savings are predicted over a wide range of fuel prices. Strategies for improving climate performance of existing aircraft are also explored, revealing potential climate impact savings of 20-40%, traded for a 2% increase in total operating costs and reduced maximum range.
Making Sense of the New Financial Deal

In this Essay, I assess the enactment and implications of the Dodd-Frank Act, Congress’s response to the 2008 financial crisis. To set the stage, I begin by very briefly reviewing the causes of the crisis. I then argue that the legislation has two very clear objectives. The first is to limit the risk of the shadow banking system by more carefully regulating the key instruments and institutions of contemporary finance. The second objective is to limit the damage in the event one of these giant institutions fails. While the new regulation of the instruments of contemporary finance - including clearing and exchange trading requirements for derivatives - is promising, its treatment of systemically important financial institutions is likely to create a troublesome partnership between these institutions and the government. I also argue that our financial world is just as prone to bailouts after Dodd-Frank as it was before, and that it would have made a lot more sense to focus on bankruptcy as the solution of choice for troubled financial institutions.After this initial assessment, I discuss the CEO compensation issues that have gotten so much attention in the press. I conclude by considering the legislation from a distinctively Christian perspective.
Integrative Tumor Board: a case report and discussion from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

A 34-year-old female carrying a BRCA1 gene and a significant family history was diagnosed with T1c, N1 breast cancer. The tumor was estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER-2/Neu negative. The patient received dose-dense chemotherapy with Adriamycin and Cytoxan followed by Taxol, and left breast irradiation. Later, a bilateral S-GAP flap reconstruction with right prophylactic mastectomy and left mastectomy were performed. During her treatment, the patient had an integrative medicine consultation and was seen by a team of healthcare providers specializing in integrative therapies including integrative nutrition, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, and yoga. Each modality contributed unique benefit in her care that led to a satisfactory outcome of the patient. A detailed discussion regarding her care from each modality is presented. The case elucidates the need of integrative approaches for cancer patients in a conventional medical setting.
Deregulation of Internal Ribosome Entry Site-Mediated p53 Translation in Cancer Cells with Defective p53 Response to DNA Damage

Synthesis of the p53 tumor suppressor and its subsequent activation following DNA damage are critical for its protection against tumorigenesis. We previously discovered an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) at the 5' untranslated region of the p53 mRNA. However, the connection between IRES-mediated p53 translation and p53's tumor suppressive function is unknown. In this study, we identified two p53 IRES trans-acting factors, translational control protein 80 (TCP80), and RNA helicase A (RHA), which positively regulate p53 IRES activity. Overexpression of TCP80 and RHA also leads to increased expression and synthesis of p53. Furthermore, we discovered two breast cancer cell lines that retain wild-type p53 but exhibit defective p53 induction and synthesis following DNA damage. The levels of TCP80 and RHA are extremely low in both cell lines, and expression of both proteins is required to significantly increase the p53 IRES activity in these cells. Moreover, we found cancer cells transfected with a shRNA against TCP80 not only exhibit decreased expression of TCP80 and RHA but also display defective p53 induction and diminished ability to induce senescence following DNA damage. Therefore, our findings reveal a novel mechanism of p53 inactivation that links deregulation of IRES-mediated p53 translation with tumorigenesis.
Global, Seasonal Surface Variations from Satellite Radiance Measurements

Global, daily, visible, and infrared radiance measurements from the NOAA-5 Scanning Radiometer (SR) are analyzed for the months of January, April, July, and October 1977 to infer surface radiative properties. A radiative transfer model that simulates the spectral and angular characteristics of the NOAA-5 SR measurements is used to retrieve monthly mean surface visible reflectances and temperature at 25 km resolution. These surface properties were found sufficiently accurate for simulation of clear sky radiances to determine global, seasonal variations in cloudiness. Further comparisons of these results with other data highlight the analysis difficulties and radiative model shortcomings that must be overcome to monitor regional and seasonal variations of earth's surface. These preliminary results also provide an estimate of the magnitude of these variations.
Teaching RDA in Belize: A Case Study

In early 2013, Belizean librarians from the Consortium for Belize Educational Cooperation (COBEC) intimated the need to have training in Resource Description and Access (RDA). Their request was for a weeklong workshop that would coincide with a future COBEC conference and that would be offered to all tertiary-level institutions in the country. The objective for this training would be to give the Belizeans practical experience with cataloging a variety of collection materials according to the new international standard. This case study documents the experience of the trainers in developing and implementing RDA training for the librarians in the country of Belize. It includes the design and development of an RDA workshop that spanned 5 days, funding for the workshop, assessment of the workshop's effectiveness, and the provision of Continuing Education Unit certificates from Valdosta State University. Future developments for providing additional RDA training conclude the report.
Agreement of BMI-Based Equations and DXA in Determining Body-Fat Percentage in Adults With Down Syndrome

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate measurements of body-fat percentage (BF%) in 4 body-mass-index- (BMI) -based equations and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Ten male and 10 female adults with DS volunteered for this study. Four regression equations for estimating BF% based on BMI previously developed by Deurenberg et al. (DE(BMI-BF%)), Gallagher et al. (GA(BMI-BF%)), Womersley & Durnin (WO(BMI-BF%)), and Jackson et al. (JA(BMI-BF%)) were compared with DXA. There was no significant difference (p = .659) in mean BF% values between JA(BMI-BF%) (BF% = 40.80% ± 6.3%) and DXA (39.90% ± 11.1%), while DE(BMI-BF%) (34.40% ± 9.0%), WO(BMI-BF%) (35.10% ± 9.4%), and GA(BMI-BF%) (35.10% ± 9.4%) were significantly (p < .001) lower. The limits of agreement (1.96 SD of the constant error) varied from 9.80% to 16.20%. Therefore, BMI-based BF% equations should not be used in individuals with DS.
Neural signal processing and closed-loop control algorithm design for an implanted neural recording and stimulation system

A fully autonomous intracranial device is built to continually record neural activities in different parts of the brain, process these sampled signals, decode features that correlate to behaviors and neuropsychiatric states, and use these features to deliver brain stimulation in a closed-loop fashion. In this paper, we describe the sampling and stimulation aspects of such a device. We first describe the signal processing algorithms of two unsupervised spike sorting methods. Next, we describe the LFP time-frequency analysis and feature derivation from the two spike sorting methods. Spike sorting includes a novel approach to constructing a dictionary learning algorithm in a Compressed Sensing (CS) framework. We present a joint prediction scheme to determine the class of neural spikes in the dictionary learning framework; and, the second approach is a modified OSort algorithm which is implemented in a distributed system optimized for power efficiency. Furthermore, sorted spikes and time-frequency analysis of LFP signals can be used to generate derived features (including cross-frequency coupling, spike-field coupling). We then show how these derived features can be used in the design and development of novel decode and closed-loop control algorithms that are optimized to apply deep brain stimulation based on a patient's neuropsychiatric state. For the control algorithm, we define the state vector as representative of a patient's impulsivity, avoidance, inhibition, etc. Controller parameters are optimized to apply stimulation based on the state vector's current state as well as its historical values. The overall algorithm and software design for our implantable neural recording and stimulation system uses an innovative, adaptable, and reprogrammable architecture that enables advancement of the state-of-the-art in closed-loop neural control while also meeting the challenges of system power constraints and concurrent development with ongoing scientific research designed to define brain network connectivity and neural network dynamics that vary at the individual patient level and vary over time.
MAINTENANCE OF PREGNANCY IN PROTEIN-DEFICIENT RATS WITH SHORTTERM INJECTIONS OF OVARIAN HORMONES.

SummaryEven in the complete absence of dietary protein the placenta can successfully carry fetuses to term provided estrone and progesterone are administered on days 5–9 of pregnancy. Pregnancy can be maintained also in rats hypophysectomized on day 5 of gestation when supported with hormones between days 5–11.
Preparation of Diphtheria Toxoid. The Action of Formaldehyde: Precipitation by Calcium

This investigation continues earlier studies' on the preparation of diphtheria toxoid and records experiments outlined to determine the optimum conditions for detoxification without loss of antigenicity, as well as a method for the preparation of toxoid by precipitation with calcium chloride. Studies are also presented which deal with the action of formaldehyde on the crude toxin and on toxin purified by ultrafiltration.
The Nominal Categories Item Response Model

The Original Context The nominal categories model (Bock, 1972, 1997) was originally proposed shortly after Samejima (1969, 1997) described the first general item response theory (IRT) model for polytomous responses. Samejima’s graded models (in normal ogive and logistic form) were designed for item responses that have some a priori order as they relate to the latent variable beingmeasured (θ); the nominal model was designed for responses with no predetermined order.