cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protonation of porphyrin in iron-free cytochrome c: spectral properties of monocation free base porphyrin, a charge analogue of ferric heme

Charged groups reside mainly on protein surfaces, but for proteins that incorporate redox centers, a charge typically exists at the prosthetic group within the interior. How a protein accommodates a buried charge and the effect of redox changes on protein stability are thermodynamically related problems. To examine these problems in cytochrome c, the metal-free protein was used as a model. When pH is lowered, the neutral, monocation, and dication forms of the porphyrin are progressively formed as indicated by their characteristic absorption spectra. Infrared studies of the protein over this pH range show that the protein remains in a predominately alpha-helical structure, although the carboxyl groups of the dicarboxylic amino acids become protonated at lower pH. The monocation porphyrin form (which has not been previously reported in a protein and is a charge analogue of ferric heme) has a fluorescence maximum at 609 nm. The pKs for the respective one and two protonation of the porphyrin pyrrole Ns are 3.2 and 1.6 for the folded protein, and 4.4 and 3.1 for the unfolded protein. These values indicate that the protection of the polypeptide chain for protonation is approximately 3 kcal.
A Resampling Analysis of Federal Family Assistance Program Quality Control Data An Application of the Bootstrap

Federal quality control (QC) programs for the measurement of payment allocation errors in federally funded Family Assistance Programs have been at the center of a hot controversy. In 1986, Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study these QC programs. The Academy's Panel on Quality Control of Family Assistance Programs has recently completed its work on the study. Existing federal QC methodology employs a two-phase sampling scheme, giving rise to a regression estimator of the allotment error rate. A key issue in the QC debate is the appropriateness of the regression estimator in view of marked departure of the QC data from the standard model-based conditions for linear regression -linearity, constancy of variance, and normality of error. In this study, we employ bootstrap resampling methods to investigate the effects of these departures on the efficiency of the regresscon estimator of the error rate. The analysis is based upon ac...
Effects of Item Difficulty on the Retrieval of Solutions during Cognitive Skill Acquisition: Age Differences

In cognitive skill learning, shifts to better strategies for obtaining solutions often occur while associations between problems and solutions are being strengthened. In two skill learning experiments, we examined the effects of item difficulty on the retrieval of solutions and the learning of problem-solution associations in younger and older adults. The results of both experiments demonstrated an 'easy effect' in both younger and older adults, such that the retrieval of solutions as well recognition memory for problems was best for the easier items. In addition, a 'hard effect' was found in younger adults, but not in older adults, whereby the retrieval of solutions as well as recognition memory for problems was better for harder items than for medium-difficulty items. The finding that increased computational demands at the item level delayed item memorization and the retrieval of solutions in older adults but not younger adults is consistent with a general-resources account of age-related differences in skill learning.
In vitro activation of rat cardiac glucocorticoid antagonist- versus agonist-receptor complexes.

Abstract The synthetic antiglucocorticoid RU 38486 interacts with cardiac cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptors and competes for in vitro binding with the potent agonist triamcinolone acetonide. In addition to binding to receptors with high affinity, RU 38486 also facilitates the in vitro conformational change in the receptor which is a consequence of the physiologically relevant activation step during which the receptor is converted from a non DNA- to a DNA-binding form. This ability of RU 38486 to promote receptor activation is reflected by both the appropriate shift in the elution profile of [ 3 H]RU 38486-receptor complexes from DEAE-cellulose as well as by an increased binding of these complexes to DNA-cellulose. Although less effective than triamcinolone acetonide, RU 38486 promotes in vitro receptor activation under a variety of experimental conditions, including incubation of labeled cardiac cytosols at 25°C for 30 min or at 15°C for 30 min in the presence of 5 mM pyridoxal 5′-phosphate. Once thermally activated, the cardiac [ 3 H]triamcinolone acetonide and [ 3 H]RU 38486-receptor complexes bind to nonspecific DNA-cellulose with the same relative affinities, as evidenced by the fact that 50% of both activated complexes are eluted at approx. 215–250 mM NaCl. Thus, this pure antiglucocorticoid does promote, at least to some extent, many of the crucial in vitro events including high-affinity binding, activation, and DNA binding which have been shown to be required to elicit a physiological response in vivo.
The Impact of Market Competition on Organization Structure and Effectiveness: A Cross-Cultural Study

In the past decade, several organization theorists have examined the organization-environmental interface in the functioning of complex organizations. The purpose of this article is to further examine the validity of the findings of these theorists with reference to firms operating in Mexico and Italy. The results provide some support for the contingency theory of organization, but also indicates some areas of disagreement.
Synthesis of some poly(4‐alkyl‐4‐azaheptamethylene‐D‐glucaramides)

Six 4-alkyl-4-azaheptane-1,7-diamines, characterized as their solid bis(D-gluconamides), were prepared in a two-step synthesis: bis(cyanoethylation) of the primary alkylamines (C8–C18, even-numbered) followed by an efficient lithium aluminum hydride reduction of the resulting bisnitriles. The azadiamines were then used as monomers in condensation polymerizations with methyl D-glucarate 1,4-lactone in a methanol solution, yielding polyhydroxypolyaminopolyamides isolated directly as white solids with varying hydrophobic/hydrophilic character. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3892–3899, 2000
Meaning and the External World

Realism, defined as a justified belief in the existence of the external world, is jeopardized by ‘meaning rationalism,’ the classic theory of meaning that sees the extension of words as a function of the intensions of individual speakers, with no way to ensure that these intensions actually correspond to anything in the external world. To defend realism, Ruth Millikan (1984, 1989a, b, 1993, 2004, 2005) offers a biological theory of meaning called ‘teleosemantics’ in which words, without requiring any contribution from the speaker’s intensions, are supposedly matched directly with their extensions by external norms. But even if one granted as a theoretical possibility that word meaning might possibly be stabilized through an external process, nonetheless, realists who wish to appeal to teleosemantics for a semantic proof of the external world must be capable of identifying these external norms, something that Millikan describes as highly fallible. Furthermore, because they can be aware of these norms only as these are internally represented, it would also be necessary for realists to verify that these internal representations accurately reflect the norms as they occur in the external world. But given that this is virtually the same stumbling block to realism found in meaning rationalism, it is concluded that teleosemantics is not likely to restore faith in this worldview.
Bounds on the Effective Anisotropic Elastic Constants

Hill [12] showed that it was possible to construct bounds on the effective isotropic elastic coefficients of a material with triclinic or greater symmetry. Hill noted that the triclinic symmetry coefficients appearing in the bounds could be specialized to those of a greater symmetry, yielding the effective isotropic elastic coefficients for a material with any elastic symmetry. It is shown here that it is possible to construct bounds on the effective elastic constants of a material with any anisotropic elastic symmetry in terms of triclinic symmetry elastic coefficients. Similarly, it is then possible to specialize the triclinic symmetry coefficients appearing in the bounds to those of a greater symmetry. Specific bounds are given for the effective elastic coefficients of cubic, hexagonal, tetragonal and trigonal symmetries in terms of the elastic coefficients of triclinic symmetry. These results are obtained by combining the approach of Hill [12] with a representation of the stress-strain relations due, in principle, to Kelvin [25,26] but recast in the structure of contemporary linear algebra.
Metabolic regulation of the tryptophan operon of Escherichia coli: repressor-independent regulation of transcription initiation frequency.

Abstract Examination of the transcriptional and translational yields from the tryptophan operon of Escherichia coli in trpR − (repressor-negative) cultures growing in various media has revealed that expression of the operon is modulated despite the absence of the operon-specific repression system. When trpR − cultures are grown in minimal medium supplemented with various single carbon-energy sources, the rate of synthesis of trp operon mRNA and enzymes varies directly with the cell growth rate. This direct proportionality between cell growth rate and the rate of expression of the operon is not observed when trpR − cultures are grown in glucose minimal medium supplemented with amino acids, or in L-broth. In these “rich” media the rate of synthesis of trp mRNA and trp enzymes is reduced approximately twofold relative to the rate observed in glucose/minimal medium. The depression of the rate of constitutive trp operon expression in both poor and rich media apparently results from some general control(s) which modulate gene expression when cells are in different metabolic states. Experiments are presented which show that this metabolic regulation modulates operon expression by changing the frequency of transcription initiations on the operon. These experiments also show that the average number of ribosomes which translate each trp mRNA molecule is nearly constant over a fourteenfold range of cell growth rates. Findings are presented which suggest that the rate of transcription initiations on the constitutive trp operon may under some circumstances be affected by the availability of RNA polymerase molecules, although other control mechanisms have not been ruled out.
Diffusion of organic solvents in isobutylene-based polymers

Diffusion behavior of several organic solvents in polyisobutylene (PIB) and in poly(p-methylstyrene-co-iso-butylene) (PMS-BR) with different monomer ratios has been studied. The experiments have been conducted over a temperature range of 50 to 100°C using a conventional gravimetric Sorption technique. The PMS-BR copolymers contained 2, 7, and 15 weight percent p-methylstyrene, respectively. Although employing temperatures were far above the glass transition temperatures of polymers, the diffusion coefficients are correlated well with the Vrentas-Duda free-volume theory. For all the solvents, the PIB shows the highest diffusivity while the copolymer with the 15% p-methylstyrene gives the lowest value. This behavior can be explained by the amount of fractional free-volume present in a system.
The tactile-stimulated startle response of tadpoles: acceleration performance and its relationship to the anatomy of wood frog (Rana sylvatica), bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), and American toad (Bufo americanus) tadpoles.

I described the tactile-stimulated startle response (TSR) of wood frog (Rana sylvatica), bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), and American toad (Bufo americanus) tadpoles. One purpose was to rank species in terms of maximum acceleration performance. Also, I tested whether anatomical indicators of performance potential were predictive of realized performance. TSRs were elicited in a laboratory setting, filmed at 250 Hz, and digitally analyzed. TSRs began with two, initial body curls during which tadpoles showed a broad spectrum of movement patterns. TSR performance was quantified by maximum linear acceleration and maximum rotational acceleration of the head/body, both of which tended to occur immediately upon initiation of motion ( wood frog > American toad. The species' rank order for the anatomical indicator of rotational acceleration potential was bullfrog > wood frog = American toad. Thus, the anatomical indicators roughly predicted the rank order of interspecific average performance. However, the anatomical indicators did not correlate with individual tadpole performance. Variability in behavioral patterns may obscure the connection between anatomy and performance. This is seen in the current lack of intraspecific correlation between a morphological indicator of acceleration capacity and acceleration performance.
High-pressure liquid chromatographic separation of 3-glucosides, 3,5-diglucosides, 3-(6-O-p-coumaryl)glucosides and 3-(6-O-p-coumarylglucoside)-5-glucosides of anthocyanidins

Abstract A high-pressure liquid chromatomagraphic method has been developed for separation of anthocyanins from fruits and their products on a μBondapak c 18 analytical column. Separation of 3- and 3,5-diglucosides f anthocyanidins can be achieved with aqueous acetic acid. That of the p -coumaryl-3 and 3,5-diglucosides requires an aqueous methanolic acetic acid solution. For the separation of complex mixtures of anthocyanins containing members of all four above mentioned pigment groups, a programmed non-linear-gradient elution between aqueous acetic acid and aqueous methanolic acetic solution is required. This technique enables a relatively fast separation and identification of twenty anthocyains in one run without prior treatment of the plant extract, or derivatization of the piments.
Cervical Cancer in Developing Countries: Effective Screening and Preventive Strategies With an Application in Rwanda

In this article we explore literature regarding cervical cancer screening methods available in developing countries. Cervical cancer is a preventable and curable disease, but it continues to threaten the lives of many women. Eighty-five percent of cases and the majority of deaths occur in developing countries. Cytology via Papinicolaou (Pap) smear is not generally a suitable method of screening in low-resource regions. Alternative methods include visual inspection by acetic acid (VIA), human papillomavirus-deoxyribonucleic acid (HPV-DNA), and careHPV-DNA. Education is needed for health care providers and women about preventive immunization and screening. A Rwandan project is described to demonstrate effective program planning and implementation.
ILX: Extending the .NET Common IL for Functional Language Interoperability

Abstract This paper describes several extensions to the .NET Common Intermediary Language (CIL), each of which is designed to enable easier implementation of typed high-level programming languages on the .NET platform, and to promote closer integration and interoperability between these languages. In particular we aim for easier interoperability between components whose interfaces are expressed using function types, discriminated unions and parametric polymorphism, regardless of the languages in which these components are implemented. We show that it is possible to add these constructs to an existing, “real world” intermediary language and that this allows corresponding subsets of constructs to be compiled uniformly, which in turn will allow programmers to use these constructs seamlessly between different languages. In this paper we discuss the motivations for our extensions, which are together called Extended IL (ILX), and describe them via examples. In this setting, many of the traditional responsibilities of the backend of a compiler must be moved to ILX and the execution environment, in particular those related to representation choices and low-level optimizations. We have modified a Haskell compiler to generate this language, and have implemented an assembler that translates the extensions to regular or polymorphic CIL code. I am very grateful to Nick Benton, Cedric Fournet, Andrew Kennedy, Andy Gordon, Simon Peyton Jones, Claudio Russo, Reuben Thomas, Andrew Tolmach and the anonymous referees for their help and advice with this work.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolites as novel lipidomic biomarkers for noninvasive diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Lipotoxicity is a key mechanism thought to be responsible for the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Noninvasive diagnosis of NASH is a major unmet clinical need, and we hypothesized that PUFA metabolites, in particular arachidonic acid (AA)-derived eicosanoids, in plasma would differentiate patients with NAFL from those with NASH. Therefore, we aimed to assess the differences in the plasma eicosanoid lipidomic profile between patients with biopsy-proven NAFL versus NASH versus normal controls without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD; based on MRI fat fraction <5%). We carried out a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective nested case-control study including 10 patients with biopsy-proven NAFL, 9 patients with biopsy-proven NASH, and 10 non-NAFLD MRI-phenotyped normal controls. We quantitatively compared plasma eicosanoid and other PUFA metabolite levels between NAFL versus NASH versus normal controls. Utilizing a uniquely well-characterized cohort, we demonstrated that plasma eicosanoid and other PUFA metabolite profiling can differentiate between NAFL and NASH. The top candidate as a single biomarker for differentiating NAFL from NASH was 11,12-dihydroxy-eicosatrienoic acid (11,12-diHETrE) with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 1. In addition, we also found a panel including 13,14-dihydro-15-keto prostaglandin D2 (dhk PGD2) and 20-carboxy arachidonic acid (20-COOH AA) that demonstrated an AUROC of 1. This proof-of-concept study provides early evidence that 11,12-diHETrE, dhk PGD2, and 20-COOH AA are the leading eicosanoid candidate biomarkers for the noninvasive diagnosis of NASH.
Ultrasonic attenuation calculations for magnesium, zinc, and cadmium. I. Longitudinal waves

The ultrasonic attenuation due to conduction electrons has been calculated for the hexagonal metals magnesium, cadmium, and zinc using the real metal theory of Pippard and Fermi surfaces of these metals based on band structure calculations. For most cases when the calculations are compared with experimental data excellent agreement is obtained. Since the calculations assume isotropic deformation parameters, the ultrasonic attenuation is determined principally by strictly geometrical features of the Fermi surface.
Multi-center validation of proposed disk diffusion susceptibility testing interpretive criteria for lomefloxacin using more than 1,500 clinical isolates.

Abstract The accuracy of disk diffusion susceptibility testing of lome-floxacin was evaluated using 1,555 recent clinical isolates from ten medical centers. The isolates were rapidly growing nonfastidious aerobic species (1,501 isolates) and Haemophilus species (54 isolates), each found as an indicated species in the product package insert. Applying the recently proposed modification of disk diffusion interpretive criteria (susceptible at ⩾20 mm and resistant at ⩽16 mm), absolute categorical agreement for nonfastidious aerobes (1,501 strains) was 95.5% with 0.5% very major and 0.1% major errors (error rates calculated using all tested strains as the denominator). The intermethod discord (MIC vs disk diffusion) was 0.5%. This contrasts to the current NCCLS recommended criteria (susceptible at ⩾22 mm and resistant at ⩽18 mm) where the absolute categorical agreement was significantly less (89.6%) with 0.2% very major, and 0.3% major errors, and the intermethod discord was 7.1%. For Haemophilus species (54 strains), intermethod agreement was complete using either the current NCCLS interpretive criteria or the modified criteria. These multicenter (ten laboratories) data support the acceptance of the proposed modification of disk diffusion interpretive criteria for 10-μg lomefloxacin disks.
Nrf2 protects human bladder urothelial cells from arsenite and monomethylarsonous acid toxicity.

Abstract Arsenic is widely spread in our living environment and imposes a big challenge on human health worldwide. Arsenic damages biological systems through multiple mechanisms including the generation of reactive oxygen species. The transcription factor Nrf2 regulates the cellular antioxidant response that protects cells from various insults. In this study, the protective role of Nrf2 in arsenic toxicity was investigated in a human bladder urothelial cell line, UROtsa. Using a UROtsa cell line stably infected with Nrf2-siRNA, we clearly demonstrate that compromised Nrf2 expression sensitized the cells to As(III)- and MMA(III)-induced toxicity. On the other hand, the activation of the Nrf2 pathway by tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) and sulforaphane (SF), the known Nrf2-inducers, rendered UROtsa cells more resistant to As(III) and MMA(III). Furthermore, the wild-type mouse embryo fibroblast (WT-MEF) cells were protected from As(III)- and MMA(III)-induced toxicity following Nrf2 activation by tBHQ or SF, whereas neither tBHQ nor SF conferred protection in the Nrf2−/−MEF cells, demonstrating that tBHQ- or SF-mediated protection against As(III)- and MMA(III)-induced toxicity depends on Nrf2 activation. These results, obtained by both loss of function and gain of function analyses, clearly demonstrate the protective role of Nrf2 in arsenic-induced toxicity. The current work lays the groundwork for using Nrf2 activators for therapeutic and dietary interventions against adverse effects of arsenic.
Acquisition of cocaine self-administration in male Sprague-Dawley rats: effects of cocaine dose but not initial locomotor response to cocaine.

Rationale We have previously described a model in which adult outbred male Sprague–Dawley rats are classified as either low or high cocaine responders (LCRs or HCRs, respectively) based on acute cocaine-induced open-field activation. This model revealed important individual differences in cocaine's effects, including that LCRs exhibited greater responding than HCRs on a progressive ratio schedule of cocaine reinforcement. However, no LCR/HCR differences in acquisition of cocaine self-administration (0.25 mg/kg/12 s infusion) were observed under these conditions.
Dissociations between featural versus conjunction-based texture processing in infancy: analyses of three potential contributing factors.

Many models of object perception posit that adults encode individual features in visual scenes before processing the conjunction relations among these features to generate holistic representations. Prior research suggests that infants detect textural discrepancies based on individual features more readily than those based on feature conjunctions. While these results suggest adult-like qualitative differences in infants' processing of features versus conjunctions, there are potential alternative explanations. We examined three such explanations: (1) failure to process one of the features that constitute the conjunction, (2) failure to encode and remember conjunction information that is necessary to detect conjunction-based textural discrepancies, and (3) the fact that conjunction-based discrepancies involve stimuli that are more similar to original stimuli than those involving feature-based discrepancies. None of these factors could explain 5.5-month-olds' superior processing of featural than conjunction-based textural discrepancies. Thus, in infancy, as in adulthood, features and conjunction relations appear to be processed by qualitatively different mechanisms.
The case for diethylstilbestrol.

Treatment for metastatic prostate cancer (D0 to D2 and so forth) has been the subject of much investigation. Androgen deprivation has been the treatment of choice since Huggins and Hodges noted the influence of orchiectomy and estrogens on carcinoma of the prostate. 1 With only minor modifications our treatments have progressed little from their original findings. Orchiectomy and estrogen therapy were originally mainstays of therapy and they remain so in many ways today. However, estrogen research and therapy have been neglected in view of the possible thromboembolic and cardiovascular events shown in the Veterans Administration Co-Operative Study. 2 In this study 5 mg. diethylstilbestrol (DES) were used and a significant number of cardiovascular deaths occurred compared with orchiectomy. A European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer study showed that the remission rate of metastatic prostate cancer produced by 1 mg. DES daily was equal to that of orchiectomy with “no difference in the time to progression of metastatic disease as defined by the protocol criteria and survival including death from any cause.” 3 The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 30805 study also indicated that 1 mg. DES was equivalent to orchiectomy. 3 In that study cardiovascular complications in 13% of cases were associated with DES, whereas there were none in the orchiectomy group. These events were primarily venous in the form of edema and deep venous thrombosis. RESEARCH
Adrenalectomy increases reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase activity in the rat spinal trigeminal subnucleus caudalis.

Abstract Neurons exhibiting reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase activity (NADPHd) were quantified at 500 μm rostrocaudal intervals in spinal trigeminal nucleus (Vsp) of adenalectomized (ADX), ADX + corticosterone, and sham-ADX rats 6–12 days after surgery. NADPHd neurons were found predominantly in Vsp subnucleus caudalis (Vc) and in dorsomedial subnucleus oralis. ADX significantly increased the number of NADPHd neurons in superficial laminae of Vc, an effect reversed by chronic corticosterone replacement. ADX effects on NADPHd in superficial laminae of Vc but not in deep laminae of Vc or in the periobex region of Vsp paralleled previously observed sites of ADX enhancement of noxious stimulus-induced Fos-like immunoreactivity. The results indicate that chronic changes in adrenal steroid status regulate NADPHd, a mechanism that may both derive from changes in nitric oxide synthase expression and influence the processing of nociceptive information by central trigeminal neurons.
StarCAT: A CATALOG OF SPACE TELESCOPE IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH ULTRAVIOLET ECHELLE SPECTRA OF STARS

StarCAT is a catalog of high resolution ultraviolet spectra of objects classified as stars, recorded by Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) during its initial seven years of operations (1997-2004). StarCAT is based on 3184 echelle observations of 545 distinct targets, with a total exposure duration of 5.2 Ms. For many of the objects, broad ultraviolet coverage has been achieved by splicing echellegrams taken in two or more FUV (1150-1700 A) and/or NUV (1600-3100 A) settings. In cases of multiple pointings on conspicuously variable sources, spectra were separated into independent epochs. Otherwise, different epochs were combined to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). A post-facto correction to the pipeline data sets compensated for subtle wavelength distortions identified in a previous study of the STIS calibration lamps. An internal fluxing procedure yielded coherent spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for objects with broadly overlapping wavelength coverage. The best StarCAT material achieves 300 m s–1 internal velocity precision; absolute accuracy at the 1 km s–1 level; photometric accuracy of order 4%; and relative flux precision several times better (limited mainly by knowledge of SEDs of UV standard stars). While StarCAT represents a milestone in the large-scale post-processing of STIS echellegrams, a number of potential improvements in the underlying final pipeline are identified.
Communication coverage for independently moving robots

We consider the task of providing communication coverage to a group of sensing robots (sensors) moving independently to collect data. We provide communication via controlled placement of router vehicles that relay messages from any sensor to any other sensor in the system under the assumptions of 1) no cooperation from the sensors, and 2) only sensor-router or router-router communication over a maximum distance of R is reliable. We provide a formal framework and design provable exact and approximate (faster) algorithms for finding optimal router vehicle locations that are updated according to sensor movement. Using vehicle limitations, such as bounded control effort and maximum velocities of the sensors, our algorithm approximates areas that each router can reach while preserving connectivity and returns an expiration time window over which these positions are guaranteed to maintain communication of the entire system. The expiration time is compared against computation time required to update positions as a decision variable for choosing either the exact or approximate solution for maintaining connectivity with the sensors on-line.
Energetic solar proton vs terrestrially trapped proton fluxes

The relative importance of solar and trapped proton fluxes in the consideration of shielding requirements for geocentric space missions is analyzed. Using models of these particles, their fluences encountered by spacecraft in circular orbits are computed as functions of orbital altitude and inclination, mission duration, threshold energy (10 to 100 MeV), and risk factor (for solar protons only), and ratios of solar-to-trapped fluences are derived. It is shown that solar protons predominate for low-altitude polar and very high-altitude missions, while trapped protons predominate for missions at low and medium altitudes and low inclinations. It is recommended that if the ratio of solar-to-trapped protons falls between 0.1 and 10, both fluences should be considered in planning shielding systems.
Yang—Mills theory - a string theory in disguise

Abstract An examination of the Schwinger - Dyson equations of U( N ) lattice Yang - Mills theory shows that this theory is exactly equivalent to a theory of strings that interact with one another only through their topology.
From Counselor Skill to Decreased Marijuana Use: Does Change Talk Matter?

Client language about change, or change talk, is hypothesized to mediate the relationship between counselor fidelity in motivational interviewing (MI) and drug use outcomes. To investigate this causal chain, this study used data from an MI booster delivered to alternative high school students immediately after a universal classroom-based drug abuse prevention program. One hundred and seventy audio-recorded MI sessions about substance use were coded using the motivational interviewing skill code 2.5. Structural equation modeling showed that percentage of change talk on the part of the client mediated three of the four relationships between MI quality indicators and marijuana outcomes, while percentage of reflections of change talk showed a main effect of counselor skill on marijuana outcomes. Findings support change talk as an active ingredient of MI and provide new empirical support for the micro-skills of MI.
Validity, sensitivity and specificity of the mentation, behavior and mood subscale of the UPDRS.

Abstract Objective: The unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) is the most widely used tool to rate the severity and the stage of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mentation, behavior and mood (MBM) subscale of the UPDRS has received little investigation regarding its validity and sensitivity. Three items of this subscale were compared to criterion tests to examine validity, sensitivity and specificity. Methods: Ninety-seven patients with idiopathic PD were assessed on the UPDRS. Scores on three items of the MBM subscale, intellectual impairment, thought disorder and depression, were compared to criterion tests, the telephone interview for cognition status (TICS), psychiatric assessment for psychosis and the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Non-parametric tests of association were performed to examine concurrent validity of the MBM items. The sensitivities, specificities and optimal cutoff scores for each MBM item were estimated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Re...
Muscle Manor: the Use of Sport Metaphor and History in Sport Sociology

This paper looks at one historical paradigm in the study of sport. Using social traits reflective of feudalism and capitalism, big time bodybuilding developed a set of seemingly contradictory institutions and values. Atavistic social and political relations were fused with a modern capitalist economic base. Two important traits in bodybuilding's ideology - dependency and individualism - are examined as reflective of these different epochs. It is shown that feudal ideology and social traits at times function to obscure capitalist relations and vice versa. The consequence of such interplay is to reinforce existing political and economic configurations by preventing competition and retarding cohesion within bodybuilding's rank and file.
Adaptive resource management for downlink OFDMA system with imperfect CSI

The effect of the imperfect channel state information (CSI) on the system performance of radio resource management is addressed for a downlink OFDMA system. Differing from the previous works, it is shown that the imperfect CSI introduces a signal-and-power dependent noise term, and then a new method is proposed to evaluate the utility function. Numerical simulations show that the signal-and-power dependent noise yields a non-negligible degradation to the system performance.
Obesity increases operating room times in patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty: a retrospective cohort analysis

Background. Obesity impacts utilization of healthcare resources. The goal of this study was to measure the relationship between increasing body mass index (BMI) in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) with different components of operating room (OR) time. Methods. The Stanford Translational Research Integrated Database Environment (STRIDE) was utilized to identify all ASA PS 2 or 3 patients who underwent primary THA at Stanford Medical Center from February 1, 2008 through January 1, 2013. Patients were divided into five groups based on the BMI weight classification. Regression analysis was used to quantify relationships between BMI and the different components of total OR time. Results. 1,332 patients were included in the study. There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, height, and ASA PS classification between the BMI groups. Normal-weight patients had a total OR time of 138.9 min compared 167.9 min (P 35 kg/m(2) each incremental BMI unit increase was associated with greater incremental total OR time increases. Conclusion. Morbidly obese patients required significantly more total OR time than normal-weight patients undergoing a THA procedure. This increase in time is relevant when scheduling obese patients for surgery and has an important impact on health resource utilization.
Microscopic description of normal parity excitations in the 208Pb(p, p′) reaction at 135 MeV and the shape of the nucleon-nucleon interaction

Abstract A microscopic study of new 135 MeV inelastic proton scattering data for the excitation of normal parity levels in 208 Pb with spins covering the range J =2 to 10 is reported. The short range repulsion in the central nucleon-nucleon interaction results in small central contributions to the cross sections for the transitions with J =8 and 10.
Variant of ∊ expansion (homotopy parameter expansion) applied to the self-avoiding walk

On propose un nouveau schema de developpement analytique pour etudier le parcours self-evitant et les phenomenes critiques. Ce schema est illustre par le calcul de la fonction de distribution de densite de la distance entre extremites d'un parcours. Ce nouveau schema est moins systematique et plus flexible que la methode habituelle de developpement e, et peut donner des resultats avec au moins le meme ordre de precision des resultats du developpement e
Industry-Sponsored Clinical Research: A Broken System

controversial character rather quickly. The faculty moves on—and this should encourage other AMCs to appoint their own task forces to design and implement change. As change becomes embedded in medical centers, it will be vital to analyze outcomes both qualitatively and quantitatively. There are many important questions to be answered: Do attitudes and practices change over time? Do house staff and medical students experience the change in terms of an intensified commitment to professionalism? Do disclosure requirements affect appointments to formulary committees or teaching assignments? As visits from pharmaceutical representatives decline, do physicians’ prescriptions for generics increase? What effect on research funding might occur? Does the pharmaceutical industry devise new strategies that undercut the policies, and if so, how do the AMCs respond? Last, but certainly not least, will AMCs make sufficient progress to obviate the need for government intervention?
Species composition interacts with fertilizer to control long-term change in tundra productivity

Fifteen years of N and P fertilizer addition to an Alaskan moist tundra increased aboveground biomass and primary production by 2.5 times. Species composition of the fertilized vegetation also changed dramatically, from a mix of graminoid, evergreen, deciduous, and moss species to strong dominance by a single, deciduous shrub species, Betula nana. Analysis of these simultaneous changes allows insights into the interactions between changes in resource availability and changes in species composition in regulating vegetation biomass, production, and element use. By the 15th year (1995), both new leaf production and total leaf mass were lower in fertilized than in control plots, although leaf area in fertilized plots was twice that of controls. This occurred because Betula produced thinner leaves than other species, with a high specific leaf area (SLA, leaf area per unit leaf mass). Woody stem mass also increased dramatically in fertilized plots, with secondary growth accounting for over half of aboveground net primary production, NPP. The large increase in wood production was made possible, in part, by the low cost of production of Betula's thin leaves, allowing greater allocation to secondary growth. Wood also had lower N concentrations than leaves, allowing large accumulations of wood at low N cost. Overall, aboveground N concentration in Betula did not change in fertilized relative to control plots, because its low-N wood mass increased more than its high-N leaf mass (with high SLA). Because Betula was so strongly dominant on the fertilized plots and was better able to dilute its greater N supply with new growth, community production and biomass in fertilized plots were higher, and N concentration was lower, than would have been the case if species composition had not changed. Aboveground biomass and leaf area of individual species and functional types were predicted accurately by regression against the number of hits per point-frame pin across the full range of data, including both treatments. Changes in overall canopy structure and leaf display due to fertilization were thus due mainly to changes in species composition, with no detectable effect of treatment on size/structure relationships within species or functional types.
Invited applicant evaluation of an online interview scheduler implemented by a residency program in obstetrics and gynecology.

OBJECTIVE: To assess invited resident applicants' views of the feasibility and acceptability of a point-and-click online interview scheduler. METHODS: An online program was created for invited applicants to schedule themselves. The program presented the invitees with a series of interview dates with available slots for which they could click and receive immediate confirmation of their selected date. The majority of the invitees were asked to schedule online. These invitees received a brief survey to assess their views of the online scheduler. RESULTS: Eighty-three applicants were invited by e-mail for a resident interview, 71 of whom were offered the online scheduler. Of these 100% booked themselves online within 3-4 days of invitation. After three e-mail reminders 100% of the invitees completed the survey. Sixty-five of the 71 (92%, 95% confidence interval [Cl] 85.4-98.6) said they liked the scheduling program, and most (77%, 95% Cl 67.2-86.8) preferred to book online rather than telephone or e-mail. Eighty percent (95% Cl 70.7-89.3) found the online scheduler easier to use. Overall, 72% (95% CI 60.5-81.6) felt that having an on-line scheduler did not affect their opinion of the quality of the program. Invitees in favor of the scheduler liked the convenience of anytime scheduling, the immediate confirmation, a quick view of available dates and times, and the ability to schedule without depending on someone else. CONCLUSION: Our online scheduler proved to be easy to use, eliminated phone calls with applicants, and satisfied most of the invitees.
Determination of adenosine deaminase activity using high-pressure liquid chromatography.

Abstract A method of assaying adenosine deaminase, using high-pressure liquid chromatography to isolate products, has been developed, which has several advantages over available procedures. The method has inherently low background values, affording high sensitivity. Ten picomoles of product can be reliably detected, so that as little as 0.008 unit of enzyme can be determined. Up to six samples per hour can be assayed. The procedure has been applied to erythrocytes and lymphocytes.
Engineered Protein Cages for Nanomaterial Synthesis

Self-assembled particles of genetically engineered human L subunit ferritin expressing a silver-binding peptide were used as nanocontainers for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The inner cavity of the self-assembled protein cage displays a dodecapeptide that is capable of reducing silver ions to metallic silver. This chimeric protein cage when incubated in the presence of silver nitrate exhibits the growth of a silver nanocrystal within its cavity. Our studies indicate that it is possible to design chimeric cages, using specific peptide templates, for the growth of other inorganic nanoparticles.
Seasonal activity of stored-product insects in and around farm-stored wheat.

This study was conducted to examine the activity of stored-product insect pests outside farm storage facilities during the first 2 mo of storage and to relate that activity to colonization of the grain by insects. Environmental parameters describing the grain storage environment also were analyzed to help in explaining the relationship between insect densities inside and outside grain bins. The most abundant species collected were Ahasverus advena (Waltl), Tyhaea stercorea (L.), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), and Cryptolestes spp. Farms with high numbers of stored-product insects outside of storage facilities had high numbers of insects in 25-bu experimental bins, and farms on which few insects were detected outside also had fewer insects in 25-bu bins. However, this relationship was not true for commercial farm bins, possibly because of the use of insecticide on the grain or residual pest populations in farm bins. Grain moisture and test weight and the presence of livestock tended to affect insect numbers in the untreated experimental bins, but the effects were not always consistent among species. In farm bins, the use of protectants on the grain tended to obscure expected relationships to environmental parameters.
Combining brain imaging with microarray: isolating molecules underlying the physiologic disorders of the brain.

Many diseases of the nervous system cause dysfunction by impairing neuronal physiology more than by altering brain anatomy—including age-related cognitive decline, most psychiatric disorders, and even the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease. The absence of clear anatomical markers makes it difficult to identify targeted cells, which in turn impedes attempts to isolate the pathogenic molecules that cause physiologic disruption. Here we show how brain imaging and microarray can be used as complimentary techniques that together can characterize the cellular and molecular aspects of this class of diseases.
Observations of the Crab Nebula's Asymmetrical Development

We present the first Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 imaging survey of the entire Crab Nebula, in the filters F502N ([O III] emission), F673N ([S II]), F631N ([O I]), and F547M (continuum). We use our mosaics to characterize the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and its three-dimensional structure, the ionizational structure in the filaments forming at its periphery, the speed of the shock driven by the PWN into surrounding ejecta (by inferring the cooling rates behind the shock), and the morphology and ionizational structure of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) fingers. We quantify a number of asymmetries between the northwest (NW) and southeast (SE) quadrants of the Crab Nebula. The lack of observed filaments in the NW, and our observations of the spatial extent of [O III] emission lead us to conclude that cooling rates are slower, and therefore the shock speeds are greater, in the NW quadrant of the nebula, compared with the SE. We conclude that R-T fingers are longer, more ionizationally stratified, and apparently more massive in the NW than in the SE, and the R-T instability appears more fully developed in the NW.
Differential expression of protein kinase A, AKAP79, and PP2B in pregnant human myometrial membranes prior to and during labor.

Objective:We have previously shown that the association of protein kinase A (PKA) with purified myometrial plasma membrane declined at the end of pregnancy in the rat. This study was designed to determine if a similar decline in PKA occurred in pregnant human myometrium.Methods:Myometrial plasma membranes were isolated from lower uterine segment tissues from not-in-labor (NIL) and in-labor (IL) patients undergoing cesarean delivery. Membrane proteins were subjected to Western blot analyses to detect PKA-catalytic (PKA-cat) and PKA-regulatory (PKA-reg) subunits, the PKA binding protein A-kinase anchoring protein 79 (AKAP79), protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B), and Gαq, a guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein. Protein levels were expressed relative to caveolin-1, which was invariant between the two groups.Results:The amount of PKA-cat, PKA-reg, AKAP79, and PP2B in plasma membranes from myometrium of women in early labor decreased significantly compared with that in tissues from women not in labor. In cont...
Relative stability of 1,2-difluoroethylenes

The relative energy of cis- and trans-1,2-difluoroethylene is investigated by ab initio molecular orbital theory. Hartree—Fock theory predicts the cis isomer to be most stable with the largest basis set used. Some evidence is found for steric attraction between fluorine atoms. Mol·er—Plesset theory indicates that correlation energy corrections further increase the relative stability of the cis structure.