cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examining Heterogeneity of Functional Recovery Among Older Adults With Hip Fractures

Objective To examine heterogeneity in 1-year functional recovery following postacute rehabilitation among older adults with hip fracture. Methods Two hundred twenty-five community-dwelling older adults with hip fracture who received postacute rehabilitation in 5 rehabilitation facilities in Baltimore, Maryland, were recruited during postacute rehabilitation (baseline) and follow-up at 2, 6, and 12 months following postacute rehabilitation discharge. Functional recovery was measured by the activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scores. A mixed-effect model was used to examine factors associated with postacute rehabilitation functional recovery; fixed and random effects estimates from the models were used to demonstrate heterogeneity in functional recovery. Results Results indicated that there was an overall trend in both ADL and IADL functional improvement at 2 months following postacute rehabilitation, with continued improvement to 6 months, after which functional recovery slowed down and remained constant through the year. Individuals whose functional recovery did not conform to these patterns were identified and their functional recovery that deviated substantially from the group mean was demonstrated. Conclusions Functional recovery patterns in elderly hip fracture patients are heterogeneous. To foster functional independence, health care professionals should consider individual recovery trajectories using a modeling approach appropriate for longitudinal or repeated measurement data such as a linear mixed-effects model when designing individualized rehabilitation and postacute rehabilitation care plans.
Spacial patterns in a uniformly fed membrane reactor

Abstract A novel reactor, consisting of a thin membrane with each side exposed to fluid from a well-stirred flow reservoir, has been developed for the study of sustained chemical spatial patterns. This reactor bears some similarity to another continuously fed unstirred reactor with a uniform feed, the disk-shaped reactor developed by Tam et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 88 (1988) 3395], but the present reactor differs in two important aspects: (1) The effective residence time, which is determined by the thickness of the gel, can be very short (of the order of seconds). (2) The feed is from two reservoirs rather than one; this opens up new regions of chemical composition for study. Examples are presented of patterns obtained for the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in the membrane reactor.
Striate cortex responses to periodic patterns with and without the fundamental harmonics.

1. The visual system has been modelled as a set of independent linear channels each tuned to a limited band of spatial frequency with the average bandwidth being approximately 1 octave. A great deal of psychophysical and physiological evidence supports this basic notion. However, Henning, Hertz & Broadbent (1975) have shown reciprocal masking between a fundamental frequency (1F) and a complex grating composed of higher harmonics several octaves removed ((4+5+6)F); their results clearly indicate a lack of independence. 2. We recorded the activity of cells in the striate cortex of monkeys and cats using stimuli similar to those of Henning et al. to make comparisons with their psychophysical data and to test specific physiological predictions. 3. We found that cells tuned to the fundamental frequency did not produce an excitatory response to the (4+5+6)F pattern. However, the response of such cells to 1F could be reduced by simultaneous presentation of (4+5+6)F. Similarly, the response of cells tuned to high frequencies, when presented with (4+5+6)F, was reduced by simultaneous presentation of 1F. However, this reciprocal inhibition could be produced between single harmonics (e.g. 1F and 4F) and was not dependent upon a special relationship between 1F and (4+5+6)F. 4. When cells tuned to high frequencies were presented with the (4+5+6)F pattern they generated predictable responses in the higher harmonics (4, 5, 6) but they also generated an unexpected, non-linear, response at the fundamental frequency, 1F, even though no such low frequency component was present in the stimulus. This effect is due to the response rectification which striate cells show. 5. In support of the linear independent spatial frequency channel model, we find (a) striate cells provide an excitatory response to only a limited range of frequencies, (b) they do not provide such responses to the `apparent' yet `missing' fundamental in the (4+5+6)F beating pattern, and (c) the response wave form to complex stimuli like (4+5+6)F is reasonably predictable (at least for simple cells) from the model. Against the model we find that (a) frequencies outside the excitatory bandpass can produce inhibition and (b) the rectification of the response wave form introduces harmonics not present in the stimulus.
Partial limbic kindling—Brain, behavior, and the benzodiazepine receptor

Partial kindling (PK) of the left perforant path (PP) lastingly increased feline defensiveness. Perforant path PK produced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the amygdalo-ventromedial hypothalamic (AM-VMH) pathways in both hemispheres, and in the ventroamygdalofugal (VAF)-VMH efferents of the amygdala of the left hemisphere. Long-term potentiation paralleled behavioral changes. Perforant path PK did not affect recurrent inhibition in area CA3 of the ventral hippocampus. Long-term potentiation of CA3 EPSP and population spikes appeared, but before behavioral changes. Changes in excitability of the periaqueductal grey also accompanied behavioral changes. After kindling, the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, flumazenil, reduced defensive response to rats in a drug-dependent manner. Flumazenil also reduced LTP in the AM-VMH pathway, but did not affect LTP in the VAF-VMH pathway. Therefore, flumazenil was acting in the amygdala, and not at the VAF-VMH synapse. Kindling caused flumazenil to act like an agonist on behavior, and in the amygdala, and as an agonist or an inverse agonist in area CA3 depending upon the physiological measure taken.
The Formulation of an Integrated Physicochemical-Hydrologic Model for Predicting Waste Nuclide Retardation in Geologic Media

The inability of empirical single value elemental Rd values to model radionuclide retardation in natural groundwater systems has demonstrated the need for developing a comprehensive integrated phenomenological model of the physicochemical and hydrologic mechanisms involved in retardation. The model must account for: (1) radioactive decay, (2) chemical precipitation/dissolution of bulk phases, (3) chemical substitution reactions, (4) isotopic exchange reactions, (5) cation and anion exchange, (6) specific adsorption, (7) diffusion into adjacent flow paths, (8) diffusion into fluid not involved in flow, (9) diffusion into the solid matrix and (10) ultrafiltration. The formulation of such a model is proposed, based on a reaction-path-simulation code with modifications for adsorption processes (by a surface-complexation site-binding model) and diffusional processes. The coupling of the physicochemical portion of this model to a ground-water transport code can be achieved by alternately iterating through the chemical and physical portions of the code during each time step. Sensitivity analysis used to determine dominant species, dominant retardation mechanisms and temporal and spatial homogeneities in the flow system will allow the integrated model to be reduced to a manageable form.
Efficiency: An inappropriate guide to structural transformation

Abstract This article argues that efficiency, and outcomes-based theory generally, is both theoretically flawed and inimical to the transition process. Utilitarian social welfare theory (SWT), the genesis of the efficiency standard, contemplates theoretical constructs that cannot meaningfully be defined. Moreover, the moral force of rights and correlative duties cannot be accommodated by SWT. Worse still, SWT can be employed to argue that corruption may actually improve efficiency. Granting all of this, I argue that the efficiency standard should not be employed to guide structural transformation. Rather, attention should center on an explicitly normative, constitutional approach that focuses less on consequences and more on procedures; an approach that emphasizes the importance both for economic growth/development and social interaction of ethical norms.
Prevalence and Associated Features of Depression and Psychological Distress in Polio Survivors

Abstract This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of psychological distress and depression among 116 polio survivors. It investigates demographic, medical, and coping differences between subjects with ( n = 17) and without ( n = 99) these symptoms. Subjects were administered the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Coping with Disability Inventory (CDI), and a questionnaire about their polio histories. The BSI provided measures of psychological distress and depression that defined the subgroups. The CDI assessed coping behaviors. BSI scores for the overall sample were within the normal range indicating no major distress, depression, nor elevated somatic complaints. Several significant differences were found between the two subgroups. On average, depressed/distressed subjects reported an increase in pain ( p p p p p
Interdisciplinary Collaborative Team for Blastocyst Implantation Research: inception and perspectives

Implantation and the establishment of pregnancy in mammals involves an intricate interplay of hormones, cytokines, growth factors, proteins, lipids, ions and the extracellular matrix between the uterine epithelium, stroma, immune cells and the conceptus trophectoderm. The divergent nature of implantation in the mouse, human and pig provides not only an interesting contrast in the establishment of pregnancy and early embryonic development but also intriguing similarities with regard to early endometrial-conceptus signaling. An interesting pro-inflammatory cytokine expressed in a number of mammalian species during the period of implantation is interleukin-1β (IL1B). The presence of IL1B might be involved with immunotolerance at the maternal-placental interface and has been proposed as one of the mediators in placental viviparity. The production of IL1B and other proinflammatory cytokines might play a role in establishing pregnancy through modulation of the nuclear factor kappa-B (NFKB) system in a number of species. A model for the regulation of cellular progesterone receptor expression and NFKB activation for endometrial receptivity and conceptus attachment is continuing to evolve and is discussed in the present review.
Binary choice probabilities between gambles: Interlocking expected utility models ☆

Abstract This paper discusses two models for describing an individual's binary choice probabilities between gambles whose outcomes are measured along a unidimensional scale on which a larger outcome is preferred to a smaller outcome. The models are based on a presumed underlying von Neumann-Morgenstern utility function. They view each pair of gambles in an interlocking fashion rather than as two separate entities. The first model is an incremental expected utility advantage model which is proposed for the context in which gambles are presented to the individual in terms of their outcome probabilities without specific reference to chance events. The second model, an expected utility loss generalization of Edwards' RELM rule, is intended for contexts in which outcome probabilities are tied to designated chance events. The models are proposed in a tentative spirit. Data from previous studies lend some support to the models as descriptors of binary choice probabilities in gambling situations.
870 PLASMA BICARBONATE LEVELS AND TISSUE LEAD DISTRIBUTION

Among factors known to enhance the toxicity of lead (Pb) are dehydration and acidosis. In this study the effects of reduction of plasma bicarbonate (HCO3) concentration on the uptake of plasma Pb by red blood cells (rbc) and other tissues was investigated. Depletion of HCO3 in human plasma was accomplished with comparable results by ultrafiltration, dialysis or CO2 absorption with alkali. Following standardization of plasma pH, the uptake of Pb210 by added rbc was measured. Depletion of plasma HCO3 to levels below 10mEq/L resulted in a consistent decrease in the transfer of Pb from plasma to rbc. At 10 minutes, 38.0 ± 12.6% (9) of Pb210 in HCO3 - depleted plasma was taken up by rbc, as compared to 75.4 ± 7.9% (20) from control plasma (p<.001). Addition of NaHCO3 or replenishment of plasma HCO3 by gassing with CO2 resulted in an increased Pb uptake by rbc to control levels. In the anaesthetized rat, acidosis and reduction of plasma HCO3 by I.P injection of HC1 resulted in an increased uptake of intramuscular Pb210 by plasma (+118%,p<.01), liver (+97%,p<.05) and heart (+63%,p<.01) and decreased Pb uptake by kidney (-63%,p<.05). The change in distribution of blood and tissue Pb following the reduction of plasma HCO3 is similar to that observed when iron salts are added to plasma. It is of particular interest that both iron and HCO3 are specifically bound by transferrin. These findings suggest an interaction between Pb and HCO3 which may be mediated by transferrin and which affects the tissue distribution of Pb.
Metabolism and toxicity of benzo(a)pyrene-4,5-oxide in the isolated perfused rat liver.

Abstract Metabolically generated arene oxides are believed to be responsible for much of the biological activity of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Epoxides are further metabolized in vitro by epoxide hydrase (EC 4.2.1.63) and by glutathione S-transferases (EC2.5.1.18). This is a report of the metabolism and toxicity of benzo(a)pyrene 4,5-oxide (BP-4,5-oxide), a metabolite of benzo(a)pyrene, in the isolated perfused rat liver and also in ether-anesthetized rats. [G-3H]BP-4,5-oxide was metabolized predominantly to conjugates (mainly thioether derivatives) and to a lesser extent to the dihydrodiol. These results reflect the activities of the two major epoxide-metabolizing pathways described in in vitro studies. The metabolites were released from the livers into the vascular circulation, but biliary excretion was the major route of removal of the metabolic products from the liver. Metabolism of BP-4,5-oxide in rats and in the isolated perfused liver was quantitatively and qualitatively similar, but recovery of applied materials was reduced in rats due to redistribution of the radioactivity within the animal. BP-4,5-oxide caused periportal damage in isolated perfused livers and was found to be covalently bound to tissue DNA, RNA, and protein. The covalent binding may be a causative factor leading to the tissue damage.
Microfluidic-based cell sorting of Francisella tularensis infected macrophages using optical forces.

We have extended the principle of optical tweezers as a noninvasive technique to actively sort hydrodynamically focused cells based on their fluorescence signal in a microfluidic device. This micro fluorescence-activated cell sorter (µFACS) uses an infrared laser to laterally deflect cells into a collection channel. Green-labeled macrophages were sorted from a 40/60 ratio mixture at a throughput of 22 cells/s over 30 min achieving a 93% sorting purity and a 60% recovery yield. To rule out potential photoinduced cell damage during optical deflection, we investigated the response of mouse macrophage to brief exposures (<4 ms) of focused 1064-nm laser light (9.6 W at the sample). We found no significant difference in viability, cell proliferation, activation state, and functionality between infrared-exposed and unexposed cells. Activation state was measured by the phosphorylation of ERK and nuclear translocation of NF-κB, while functionality was assessed in a similar manner, but after a lipopolysaccharide ch...
Structure of strobic acid

Abstract Strobic acid, a new diterpene resin acid from Pinus strobus , has been shown to have structure 1a by degradation and CD correlation.
Multiple forms of pectinesterase in tomatoes

Abstract Four forms of pectinesterase have been identified in extracts of tomatoes by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A50. Green fruit of the variety Marion contained two pectinesterases. On ripening, the level of one of the enzymes decreased while the second increased several fold and a third component developed. Fruit of the variety Pixie also contained three pectinesterases, but one of the Pixie enzymes was not present in the other varieties. The pectinesterases were different in terms of MW, stability to heat, and their responses to pH and cation concentration.
Effect of ammonia on new particle formation: A kinetic H2SO4-H2O-NH3 nucleation model constrained by laboratory measurements

[1] A clear understanding of the nucleation mechanisms is important to understand the lifecycle of atmospheric particles and to provide reliable predictions of climate change associated with aerosols. On the basis of the classical ternary homogeneous nucleation (THN) theory developed in recent years, the presence of ppt level NH3 concentration significantly enhances nucleation rates. Here we compare the predicted NH3 enhancement with that derived from several reported experiments. We find that the differences between results predicted and observed are very large. Compared to the binary homogeneous nucleation of H2SO4-H2O (no NH3), the classical THN theory predicts up to ∼30 orders of magnitude enhancement in the nucleation rates in the presence of ppt level NH3, while the laboratory measurements show only one to two orders of magnitude enhancement in the presence of several ppt to several ppm level of NH3. Furthermore, the classical THN theory predicts a decrease in nucleation rates as RH increases, but the measurements indicate an opposite trend. Since experimental results are probably more reliable than the theoretical model, we developed a kinetic THN model so that the nucleation enhancement effect of NH3 derived from these experimental results could be included. The kinetic model assumes that H2SO4 is the principal specie dominating the cluster growth and nucleation, while H2O and NH3 are secondary species influencing the cluster compositions and hence the evaporation coefficient of H2SO4 from the clusters. The kinetic model is a new approach to simulating THN, and it can take into account the thermodynamic data of molecular clusters derived from density functional theory study and prenucleation cluster measurements. The preliminary simulations using the kinetic THN model constrained by the experimental results indicate a negligible contribution of THN to new particle formation in the boundary atmosphere. Our analysis suggests that the kinetic THN model is unlikely to underpredict the real ternary nucleation rates by much as long as there is no significant error in the experimental results. The implication of this finding and areas for further investigations are discussed.
CO2 distributions in the equatorial Pacific during the 1991–1992 ENSO event

Abstract As part of the U.S. JGOFS Equatorial Pacific Process Study, measurements of CO2 species concentrations were made in the atmosphere and in the surface waters of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific during the boreal spring and autumn of 1992. Surface water fCO2 data indicate significant differences between the springtime El Nino conditions and the autumn post-El Nino conditions. The autumn fugacity (ΔfCO2) maxima were approximately 15–55 μatm higher than in the spring. The lower surface ΔfCO2 values in the spring data set were the result of: (i) advection of CO2-depleted water from the west at the equator near 170°W; and (ii) reduced upwelling and lower ΔfCO2 distributions as consequence of lighter zonal winds in the eastern Pacific from 140°W to 110°W. Assuming the springtime data are representative of the El Nino conditions and the autumn data are representative of the post-El Nino conditions, it is estimated that the net annual C02 flux during the 1991–1992 ENSO period is 0.3 Gt C. Over 60% of this flux occurred during the 4-month period in the autumn when ΔfCO2 values were close to normal. The net annual reduction of the ocean-atmosphere CO2 flux during the 1991–1992 El Nino is estimated to be on the order of 0.5–0.7 Gt C.
An extensive network of PHFτ-rich dystrophic neurites permeates neocortex and nearly all neuritic and diffuse amyloid plaques in Alzheimer disease

Previous studies demonstrated paired helical filament τ (PHFτ) in neuritic but not diffuse β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Re-examination of amyloid deposits with antibodies to Aβ and PHFτ by conventional and confocal microscopy using double label immunohistochemistry showed that PHFτ is a component of both diffuse and neuritic plaques in AD. Unlike controls, a dense network of PHFτ positive dystrophic neurites extended throughout the AD neocortex permeating nearly all neuritic and diffuse plaques. Thus, PHFτ-rich dystrophic neurites are common components of neuritic and diffuse plaques in AD neocortex.
Natural resistance of exotic wood species to the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival and wood consumption of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, on ten different species of wood used as commercial lumber. Six of the wood species had natural resistance to termites and caused an average of >75% mortality. Southern yellow pine and spruce were the most palatable and teak was the most resistant of the wood tested. A test was also conducted to compare survival of termites on resistant wood with survival under starvation conditions after three and six weeks. After six weeks, survival of termites on teak was significantly lower than in the starvation control, suggesting that at least some of the termite mortality on teak may have been due to toxicity. Toxic chemical components of teak hold the most promise as wood preservatives.
Competition and coexistence in sympatric bobcats and pumas

Space use and diets of sympatric bobcats Lynx rufus and pumas Puma concolor were compared using sign surveys and scat analysis during 1997–2002 in south-eastern Arizona, USA. Bobcats appeared to use grassland, scrub, riparian and woodland habitats equally, but pumas had higher activity in riparian and woodland habitats. There was little evidence that bobcats avoided pumas in space use. Bobcats ate primarily rodents (33% of items in scats), lagomorphs (32%) and ungulates (16%), whereas pumas ate primarily ungulates (69%) and carnivores (21%). Pumas had a narrower dietary niche breadth than bobcats, and puma diet overlapped bobcat diet by 56%, suggesting that pumas may be more vulnerable to changes in prey density than bobcats. Pumas also killed and consumed bobcats, indicating that interference competition may be manifesting through intraguild predation.
Covalent Binding of Inhaled Formaldehyde to DNA in the Respiratory Tract of Rhesus Monkeys: Pharmacokinetics, Rat-to-Monkey Interspecies Scaling, and Extrapolation to Man

Abstract DNA-protein cross-links were formed in the respiratory tract of rhesus monkeys exposed to [14C]formaldehyde (0.7, 2, or 6 ppm; 6 hr). Concentrations of cross-links (pmol/mg DNA) were highest in the mucosa of the middle turbinates; lower concentrations were produced in the anterior lateral wall/septum and nasopharynx. Very low concentrations were found in the larynx/trachea/carina and in the proximal portions of the major bronchi of some monkeys exposed to 6 ppm but not to 0.7 ppm. No cross-links were detected in the maxillary sinuses or lung parenchyma. The pharmacokinetics of cross-link formation in the nose were interpreted using a model in which the rate of formation is proportional to the tissue concentration of formaldehyde. The model includes both saturable and nonsaturable elimination pathways and describes regional differences in DNA binding as having an anatomical rather than a biochemical basis. Using this model, the concentration of cross-links formed in corresponding tissues of different species can be predicted by scaling the pharmacolinetic parameter that depends on minute volume (V) and quantity of nasal mucosal DNA (MDNA). The concentration-response curve for the average rate of cross-link formation in the turbinates, lateral wall, and septum of rhesus monkeys was predicted from that of F-344 rats exposed under similar conditions. There was significant overlap between predicted and fitted curves, implying that V and MDNA are major determinants of the rate of cross-link formation in the nasal mucosa of different species. Concentrations of cross-links that may be produced in the nasal mucosa of adult men were predicted based on experimental data in rats and monkeys. The results suggest that formaldehyde would generate lower concentrations of cross-links in the nasal mucosa of humans than of monkeys, and much lower concentrations in humans than in rats. The rate of formation of DNA-protein cross-links can be regarded as a surrogate for the delivered concentration of formaldehyde. Use of this surrogate should decrease the uncertainty of human cancer risk estimates derived by interspecies extrapolation by providing a more realistic measure of the delivered concentration at critical target sites.
Soot Combustion Dynamics in a Planar Diesel Particulate Filter

The dynamic features of soot combustion on a single layer, planar diesel particulate filter (DPF) were studied using IR imaging. At a feed temperature of 635 °C, the soot combustion rate was unifor...
Photosensitizer-doped conjugated polymer nanoparticles with high cross-sections for one- and two-photon excitation

We report a novel nanoparticle that is promising for photodynamic therapy applications, which consists of a π-conjugated polymer doped with a singlet oxygen photosensitizer. The nanoparticles exhibit highly efficient collection of excitation light due to the large excitation cross-section of the polymer. A quantum efficiency of singlet oxygen production of 0.5 was determined. Extraordinarily large two-photon excitation cross-sections were determined, indicating promise for near infrared multiphoton photodynamic therapy. Gel electrophoresis of DNA after near-UV irradiation in the presence of nanoparticles indicated both purine base and backbone DNA damage.
Reduced-complexity hybrid time/frequency channel estimation for DVB-H

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is the modulation scheme of choice for digital video broadcasting-handheld (DVB-H) which is required to operate under high mobility conditions resulting in significant Inter-Carrier Interference (ICI). Under these conditions, the conventional one-tap per subcarrier channel estimation and equalization is suboptimal since it does not account for ICI effects. A hybrid frequency and time-domain channel estimation method was developed in [1] to mitigate the ICI due to time-variation within one OFDM symbol. We show that significant additional complexity reductions can be achieved by exploiting the special structure of the channel matrix over both the time and frequency domains. Our simulation results show that the proposed method has much less complexity with small performance loss under fast-varying channel conditions for DVB-H system.
Sex‐role orientation as a predictor of preferential cognitive response style

This study investigated the relationship between sex-role orientation and cognitive preferential response style (N = 60). It attempted to use scores on the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) to predict the Erlebnistypus (EB) ratio of the Rorschach. Although masculine and androgynous individuals were expected to demonstrate extratensive and intraversive cognitive styles, respectively, no such distinction was apparent. However, feminine individuals did demonstrate significantly an ambitent response style in which neither human movement nor weighted color was dominant. Results were discussed in terms of increased construct validity for both of the measures utilized.
Coping and psychological adjustment among mothers of children with ASD: an accelerated longitudinal study.

Utilizing a cohort sequential design and multilevel modeling on a sample of 113 mothers, the effects of four coping strategies (engagement, disengagement, distraction, and cognitive reframing) on multiple measures of maternal adjustment were assessed over a 7 years period when children with autism spectrum disorders in the study were approximately 7–14 years old. Findings indicated increased use of disengagement and distraction to be related to increased maternal maladjustment over time, while increased use of cognitive reframing was linked to improved maternal outcomes (findings regarding engagement’s effects on adjustment measures were mixed). In addition, results indicated that use of different coping strategies at times moderated the effects of child behavior on maternal adjustment. Study findings are discussed in light of prior research and study limitations and clinical implications are highlighted.
Big data: How do your data grow?

Scientists need to ensure that their results will be managed for the long haul. Maintaining data takes big organization, says Clifford Lynch. In Nature this week, features and opinion pieces on one of the most daunting challenges facing modern science: how to cope with the flood of data now being generated. A petabyte is a lot of memory, however you say it — a quadrillion, 1015, or tens of thousands of trillions of bytes. But that is the currency of 'big data'. We visited the Sanger Institute's supercomputing centre, and its petabyte of capacity. Wikipedia's success shows how well the 'wiki' concept of open-access editing can work. It could work too as a way of coping with the data flows of modern biology. The world's leading search engine is ten this month. Eleven years ago few would have predicted Google's domination: undaunted we ask scientists and business people to try to predict the next big thing, a Google for the petabyte era. Digital data are easily shared, and just as easily wiped or lost. The problem of keeping on-line data accessible is especially difficult for the smaller lab. In Books&Arts, Felice Frankel and Rosalind Reid champion the cause of data visualization as a way of finding meaning in an otherwise daunting data stream. From the 1700s to the mid 1950s, most 'computers' were human. Best known were the 'Harvard computers', a group of women working from the 1880s until the 1940s, at the Harvard College Observatory. Employed to classify stars captured on millions of photographic plates, some of the 'computers' made significant contributions to science. Online databases are a vital outlet for publishing the data being produced by biological research. But the data need to be properly organized. This is the role of the biocurator, but as a team of authors from 15 of the world's major online research resources explains, biocuration is now sadly neglected. An aspect of the data boom with a political dimension is the environment: how much data to collect, how much money to spend. For 'Big data' online, go to http://www.nature.com/news/specials/bigdata/ and to http://www.nature.com/podcast .
NUTRIENT ANTIOXIDANTS IN GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASES

Oxidative stress appears to play a role in the pathogenesis of a number of gastrointestinal disease states, including pancreatitis; gastric and duodenal ulcer disease; IBD; gastric, esophageal, and colon cancers; and hepatic injury secondary to alcohol, metal storage disorders, hepatitis, and ischemia/reperfusion injury. The nutritional antioxidants are attractive potential therapeutic and chemopreventive agents because they are inexpensive and have a relatively low toxicity profile. A word of caution should be noted: Some antioxidants, such as vitamin C, can be prooxidant under certain conditions, and systemically altering the redox state may have untoward effects on the inflammatory response in certain disease states. Thus, at the current time, antioxidant therapy should be restricted to randomized, controlled clinical trials, in which treatment effects can be closely monitored, and therapeutic efficacy can be determined with scientific accuracy.
Flammability limit measurements for dusts and gases: Ignition energy requirements and pressure dependences

Data are presented for the flammability limits of Pittsburgh Seam bituminous coal dust, polyethylene powder, and methane in air at pressures in the range 0.5 to 3 bar. Explosibility test chambers of 20 and 120 L were used, and ignitability limitations were overcome with efficient pyrotechnic ignitors with nominal energies of 500 to 5,000 J. The propagation criterion used was based on the maximum explosion pressure and the size-normalized maximum rate of pressure rise. The latter is a dynamic criterion that tends to minimize “overdriving” effects as the 20-L data are taken to their asymptotic limits at high ignition energies. The measured lean limits in air at atmospheric pressure are 90 g/m 3 for the coal dust, 35 g/m 3 for polyethylene, and 4.9 vol pct for methane. The rich limit for methane is 18–19 vol pct, whereas the dusts have no rich limits out to concentrations as high as 4,000 g/m 3 . A linear, lean-limit pressure dependence was measured for the dusts which was essentially the same as the pressure dependence measured for methane when all are expressed in comparable units: namely, mass concentration of fuel per unit volume of air. This observation further confirms a lean limit dust flame propagation mechanism that is controlled by the gas-phase reaction rate. The limit concentrations are then determined by the dust loading required to generate a lean limit concentration of pyrolysis products in the volatiles-air mixture, and the dust behaves as an equivalent “homogeneous,” premixed gas, regardless of the initial pressure.
The method of Glowinski and Pironneaufor the unsteady stokes problem

The unsteady Stokes problem, i.e., the Stokes problem with a constant multiple of the velocity included in the velocity-pressure equation, is often central to methods used to solve the nonstationary Navier-Stokes equations and the equations governing viscoelastic flows. The Glowinski-Pironneau finite-element method for the Stokes problem decomposes the problem into a series of Poisson's equations, providing a potentially efficient approach for large problems in two or three dimensions. The goal of this paper is to present a complete development and analysis of the Glowinski-Pironneau method for the unsteady Stokes problem, along with numerical results which confirm the analytical estimates.
Faith-Based Organization and Transnational Voluntarism in China: A Case Study of the Malaysia Airline MH370 Incident

This paper examines the relief work of a faith-based organization (FBO)—Tzu-Chi (Buddhist Tzu-Chi Compassion Relief Organization) in China as a response to the Malaysia Airlines MH370 incident. The study first shows that crises facilitate a synergetic relationship of co-production for social services among states, corporate enterprises, and FBOs. FBOs deliver services that states and corporate enterprises cannot easily provide. This case-study shows how a FBO derives strength from its transnational networks, moral teachings, and compliant political attitude toward the government. The findings underscore the lack of discussion on FBOs in the Chinese civil society literature. Furthermore, they contribute to the understanding of how FBOs may benefit state welfare provisions following a 2012 policy shift in which religion was encouraged to participate in social provision.
Spontaneous exposure and “self-control” in the treatment of compulsive checking

Abstract This case study describes a treatment developed for an obsessional patient for whom neither in vivo nor verbal exposure was effective in eliciting obssional thinking. The treatment consisted of increasingly more strict temporal parameters the patient was to impose when obsessional thoughts spontaneously occured. These parameters stipulated the amount of time he was to wait between the occurrence of obsessional thoughts and compulsive checking, and the amount of time he was to spend checking. Over a period of several months, these self-imposed temporal parameters were effective in completely eliminating persistent and intractable obsessional thinking of 11 years' duration.
The lure of the local: landscape studies at the end of a troubled century

‘Our streets! Our world!’ So answered the amazing coalition of activists – labor, environmental, peace and justice, anti-genetically modified food, health, housing – gathered in Seattle in the waning weeks of the twentieth century to protest the (not-so-new) world order under construction by the World Trade Organization. Facing down tear gas and rubber bullets, no less than the condescending pronouncements of such tribunes of the global ruling class as The Economist or the The New York Times’ Thomas Friedman, activists were making a remarkable, and remarkably sophisticated, argument about the nature of ‘globalization’. So-called ‘free trade,’ they were saying, was a shibboleth for cementing elite control over the spaces of our lives, from city streets to nation-states, from the dinner table to the circuits of capital that span the globe. In response ‘Our streets! Our world!’ stood as a stark recognition that democratic control had to be actively grabbed and staunchly defended, but doing so would only be possible if democratic control of the streets of Seattle (or Dakar or Jakarta) was linked to democratic control over the globe itself – the patterns and reasons for trade, the parceling out of the burdens such trade inevitably brings with it, and the purposes behind the production and consumption of goods. This activist linking of the local to the global (and back again), while clearly a response to linkages already wrought on behalf of global capital, marks a significant advance over the old slogan of the 1970s: Progress in Human Geography 25,2 (2001) pp. 269–281
Study of the kaufmann method for determining iodine numbers

A study has been made of the effect of heat, light, time of reaction, and size of sample on iodine numbers obtained by the Kaufmann method. The iodine numbers of several oils have been determined by this method and compared with those found by other well-known methods. The formation of acid by the reaction between the Kaufmann reagent and a number of oils, has been investigated.
Effects of feeding ration on larval swimming speed and responsiveness to predator attacks : implications for cohort survival

We conducted laboratory experiments to examine the effects of feeding ration on the routine swimming speed of larval striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and their responsiveness to simulated-predator a...
Exposure and temperature dependence of elongated blister formation in complex radiation environments

Blistering of platinum alloy surfaces by /sup 252/Cf alpha particle and fission fragment radiations occurred at relatively low concentrations of implanted helium during exposures at room temperature as well as at 1000/sup 0/C. Distinctive configurations of the blisters resulting from transport of atoms displaced by the fission fragments persisted during the high temperature exposures. Post-exposure heating of specimens exposed at room-temperature produced no additional blistering until temperatures of 1300/sup 0/C were reached. Post-exposure heating of 1000/sup 0/C blistered specimens produced only thermal etching effects. The low helium concentrations required for blistering and the distinctive blister configurations produced by /sup 252/Cf exposures suggest a unique mode of surface distortion resulting from the large number and highly localized distributions of atom displacements generated by /sup 252/Cf fission fragments. Such conditions may not be duplicated in the He-ion and fast neutron radiation environments of fusion reactors.
Field primatology and biomedical research.

The article by Jon Cohen (News of the Week, 5 Feb. p. [772][1]) reporting that human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) probably originated in central African chimpanzees has prompted calls for collaboration between biomedical scientists and field-workers to investigate the natural epidemiology
A computer-based, image-analysis method to quantify HIV-1 infection in a single-cycle infectious center assay

Rapid and precise quantitation of the infectivity of HIV is important for molecular virologic studies as well as for measuring the activities of antiviral drugs and neutralizing antibodies. In the present study, an indicator cell line and image-analysis software were used to quantify HIV infectivity. Cells of the P4R5 line, which express the receptors for HIV infection as well as β-galactosidase under the control of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat, were infected either with CXCR4- or CCR5-using viruses, including primary isolates, then stained 2 days later with X-gal to turn infected cells blue. Digital images of monolayers of the infected cells were captured using a high resolution CCD video camera and a macro video zoom lens. A software program was developed to process the images and to count the blue-stained foci of infection. The assay was applied to assess the infectivity of site-directed viral mutants, and to measure the activity of antiviral drugs and neutralizing antibody. The results indicate that the described method allows for the rapid quantitation of infected cells over a wide range of viral inocula with reproducibility, accuracy and relatively low cost.
Kazrin, and its binding partners ARVCF- and delta-catenin, are required for Xenopus laevis craniofacial development

The novel adaptor protein Kazrin associates with multifunctional entities including p120-subfamily members (ARVCF-, delta-, and p0071-catenin). Critical contributions of Kazrin to development or homeostasis are indicated with respect to ectoderm formation, integrity and keratinocyte differentiation, whereas its presence in varied tissues suggests broader roles. We find that Kazrin is maternally loaded, is expressed across development and becomes enriched in the forming head. Kazrin's potential contributions to craniofacial development were probed by means of knockdown in the prospective anterior neural region. Cartilaginous head structures as well as eyes on injected sides were reduced in size, with molecular markers suggesting an impact upon neural crest cell establishment and migration. Similar effects followed the depletion of ARVCF (or delta-catenin), with Kazrin:ARVCF functional interplay supported upon ARVCF partial rescue of Kazrin knockdown phenotypes. Thus, Kazrin and its associating ARVCF- and delta-catenins, are required to form craniofacial tissues originating from cranial neural crest and precordal plate.
Renal injury of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats

Renal injury of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats. Abnormalities in lipid metabolism frequently accompany renal disease and may be important in the pathogenesis of progressive renal injury. In the present study, the effects of a high cholesterol diet on renal histology, cortical lipids, and glomerular hemodynamic function were examined in normal rats with and without reduced renal mass. Cholesterol feeding for 19 weeks increased serum cholesterol from 66 ± 10 mg/dl to 256 ± 93 mg/dl in two-kidney rats, and from 73 ± 15 mg/dl to 407 ± 274 mg/dl in nephrectomy rats (P
Urea perturbation and the reversibility of nucleohistone conformation

Urea effect on conformation and thermal stabilities in nucleohistone and NaCl-treated partially dehistonized nucleohistones has been studied by circular dichroism (CD) and thermal denaturation. Urea imposes a CD change at 278mm of DNA base pairs in native and NaCl-treated nucleohistones which can be decomposed into two parts: a decrease in Deltaepsilon(278) for histone-free base pairs and an increase for histone-bound base pairs. The reduction by urea of Deltaepsilon(220) of bound histones is approximately proportional to the increase of Deltaepsilon(278) of histone-bound base pairs. Urea also lowers the melting temperatures of base pairs both free and bound by histones. The presence of urea indeed destroys the secondary structure of bound histones, causing changes in the conformation and thermal stabilities of histone-bound base pairs in nucleohistone. Such a urea perturbation on nucleohistone conformation is reversible.
Politics and history in Gramsci

Abstract The work of historian John Cammett underlines the intimate relation that Gramsci establishes among thought, history and politics. Gramsci's political thought is an extended discourse on the relation between party and class, and on the formation of hegemonic and subaltern forms of consciousness. Reading Cammett highlights Gramsci's passion for a politics that would renovate and remake the world. Both Gramsci and Cammett looked within the existing society for the trace elements from which would emerge a new politics to construct a new order and a new historical reality.
Simple Preparation of 8−5-Coupled Diferulate

Diferulates are important products of ferulate-mediated cross-linking of plant cell walls. Coupling of ferulates by radical mechanisms produces a range of diferulates. One of the major isomers, 8−5-coupled diferulate, can be synthesized by single-electron oxidants, but the yields are relatively low and purification is nontrivial. Significant quantities of this dimer are required for various analytical and reactivity studies. A simpler preparation utilizing the biomimetic peroxidase−H2O2 system allows the production of gram quantities of pure diethyl 8−5-diferulate. Keywords: Ferulate; diferulate; ferulic acid; diferulic acid; peroxidase; radical coupling; cross-linking
Management and prevention of postoperative Crohn's disease

Postoperative Crohn's disease (CD) recurrence is a common occurrence after intestinal resection. Currently, the optimal management of patients who have undergone surgical resection is unknown and treatment remains subjective. Clinicians in conjunction with patients must balance the risks of recurrence against the potential risks associated with treatment. For those at very low risk of recurrence, no therapy may be needed; however, for patients at moderate risk immunomodulators should be considered. For those at highest risk of recurrence, biologic therapy, specifically antitumor necrosis factor agents, have emerged as appropriate treatment. Any postoperative management strategy should include a colonoscopy 6-12 months after surgery to identify recurrence. This review discusses current evidence for various pharmacologic approaches in the prevention of postoperative recurrence and provides guidance for clarifying patient risk.
Effect of reductive treatments on Pt behavior and NOx storage in lean NOx trap catalysts

Abstract Lean NO x trap (LNT) catalysts represent a promising approach to meet increasingly stringent NO x emission regulations on diesel and other lean-burn engines. Pt material properties, including dispersion and particle size, are known to be important factors in determining NO x uptake performance, since Pt provides active sites for NO oxidation to NO 2 necessary for storing NO x as nitrates, and for the reduction of nitrates to N 2 . In this work, the physicochemical properties of Pt in Pt–BaO/Al 2 O 3 LNT catalysts, such as the Pt accessible surface area and particle size, were investigated by using various tools, such as irreversible volumetric H 2 chemisorption, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), following successive reductive treatments at elevated temperatures. NO x uptake activities were also measured to establish a relationship between the properties of Pt and NO x storage following identical high-temperature reductive treatments. We find that the reductive treatments of Pt–BaO/Al 2 O 3 lean NO x trap catalysts at temperatures up to 500 °C promote a significant increase in NO x uptake explained, in part, by an induced close interaction between Pt and BaO phases in the catalyst, thus enabling facilitation of the NO x storage process.