cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomimetic SERS substrate: peptide recognition elements for highly selective chemical detection in chemically complex media

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is rapidly emerging as a sensitive transduction platform for the trace detection of chemical and biological analytes. A critical challenge that needs to be addressed to propel this technique into real world applications is the poor chemical selectivity of the existing SERS substrates. In this communication, we demonstrate a novel biomimetic approach to enhance the selectivity of plasmonic nanostructures to target chemical analytes. In particular, we demonstrate that material-binding peptides, identified through phage-display, serve as recognition elements for selective capture of target chemical species from a complex chemical mixture. As a proof of concept, we show that a nitroaromatic explosive molecule, trinitrotoluene (TNT), can be detected down to 100 pM concentration even in a complex organic chemical mixture. This ultrasensitive and selective detection is enabled by TNT-binding peptides appended to gold nanorods, which serve as selective SERS media. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a biomimetic SERS substrate facilitating selective and sensitive detection of a target chemical analyte in the presence of numerous unknown interfering species.
Weizsacker correction in the Thomas-Fermi and Thomas-Fermi-Dirac models of static dielectric screening in undoped semiconductors: Impurity donor ions in silicon and germanium.

Thomas-Fermi (TF-\ensuremath{\lambda}W) and Thomas-Fermi-Dirac (TFD-\ensuremath{\lambda}W) statistical models, including the Weizsacker gradient correction with variable coupling coefficient \ensuremath{\lambda}, have been applied to the problem of dielectric screening of an impurity donor ion in a homogeneous and isotropic semiconductor. Nonlinear differential Euler-Lagrange equations for the electron density are solved numerically and self-consistently with the impurity potential function under the screening charge constraint, giving microscopic response functions and screening radii with \ensuremath{\lambda} and ion-charge state as parameters. Illustrations of the numerical results are given for a monovalent donor point charge in silicon and germanium. It is evident that the TF-\ensuremath{\lambda}W and TFD-\ensuremath{\lambda}W screening radii are continuous, single-valued functions of \ensuremath{\lambda} with a minimum value in the range 0\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\le}1. Also, it is found that TF (TFD) and TF-1/9W (TFD-1/9W) spatial dielectric functions are in close agreement, the latter, however, having a smaller screening radius. The gradient correction reduces the nonlinear TF (TFD) screening radius by about 7.5% (9.8%) and 8.4% (12%), respectively, in silicon and germanium. Thus, the theoretical value, 1/9, of \ensuremath{\lambda} leads to better results than the original value, 1, of Weizsacker which is associated with less effectively screened impurity potentials in both theories. The TF-1/9W and TFD-1/9W screening radii differ by about 20% for both semiconductors. It is expected that the nonlinear TFD-1/9W screening functions will further improve the nonlinear TFD donor binding energies for silicon and germanium, which are already in quite good agreement with experiment. The TFD-\ensuremath{\lambda}W theory cannot be regarded as conclusive, since higher-order gradient corrections to the TF kinetic energy and gradient corrections to the Dirac exchange functional and the correlations functional, not to mention self-interaction effects, have not been taken into account here.
Automated flow fluorescent immunoassay for part per trillion detection of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam

An ultra sensitive automated flow fluorescent immunoassay was developed using the KinExAtrade mark 3000 system for quantitative analysis of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam. Five new monoclonal antibodies were obtained and screened with a competitive ELISA. One monoclonal antibody designated as E6VI was evaluated for sensitivity, selectivity and solvent tolerance with the KinExA. Sensitivity determined from the concentration of half-maximal inhibition (IC50) was obtained by plotting KinExA signals to a four-parameter sigmoidal curve as a function of analyte concentrations. For the most sensitive clone, the IC50 and the limit of detection were approximately 30 pg ml(-1) and 16 pg ml(-1), respectively. Cross-reactivity was estimated by measuring the equilibrium constants (K(d)) for four other neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid, dinotefuran, and acetamiprid). E6VI was very specific to thiamethoxam with <0.11% cross-reactivity for tested neonicotinoids. An excellent correlation (r2=0.99) was obtained between spiked and measured concentrations of thiamethoxam in stream and tap water, potato, cucumber, and apple samples.
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor: Actions on the Sympathetic Nervous System and Metabolism*

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) injected into the brains of rats produces hyperglycemia and an increase in plasma concentrations of glucagon, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Neither hypophysectomy nor adrenalectomy prevents CRF-induced hyperglycemia. However, a role of adrenal epinephrine release in mediating CRF-induced hyperglycemia is supported by the finding that the central nervous system-selective somatostatin analog, desAA1,2,4,5,12,13-[D-Trp8]somatostatin, totally prevents the elevation of plasma epinephrine and suppresses the rise of plasma glucose but does not alter the increase in plasma norepinephrine induced by CRF. Pretreatment with the ganglionic blocker chlorisondamine completely prevents the CRF-induced rises in plasma glucose, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These results demonstrate that CRF acts within the brain to stimulate sympathetic outflow, which results in the development of hyperglycemia. In contrast to other peptides that act within the central nervous system, e.g. bombe...
Effect of Ensiling Corn Stover with Alfalfa on Growth, Intake, and Digestion by Yearling Dairy Heifers as Compared with Whole Corn Plant Silage

Abstract To test the feasibility of combining low protein corn stover with high protein alfalfa as a diet for dairy heifers, four diets - 1) 90% whole corn plant and 10% soybean oil meal dry matter, 2) 60% corn stover and 40% alfalfa, 3) 30% corn stover and 70% alfalfa, and 4) 100% alfalfa — were ensiled for at least 45 days and fed to 28 yearling Holstein heifers in a 154-day growth trial. Heifers were housed under freestall conditions and individually fed for ad libitum intake via electronic feedgates. Concurrently four yearling heifers were fed the same diets in a 4 × 4 Latin square digestion trial. Heifers fed diets 1 to 4 averaged daily gains of .66, −.11, .40, and .65 kg on average daily intakes of 7.62, 4.60, 7.11, and 8.11 kg dry matter. Digestion coefficients for dry matter, fiber constituents, protein, and energy did not differ among diets. Average daily gains were related to intake, and intake of the three alfalfa diets was related to percent stover. Addition of corn stover to alfalfa at 30% of the diet or greater did not support adequate gains for yearling dairy heifers.
Computation of the tip vortex off a low-aspect-ratio wing

The viscous transonic flow around a low-aspect-ratio wing has been computed using an implicit, threedimensional, *'thin-layer" Navier-Stokes solver. The grid around the geometry of interest is obtained numerically as a solution to a Dirichlet problem for the cube. The geometry chosen for this study is a low-aspect-ratio wing with large sweep, twist, taper, and camber. The topology chosen to wrap the mesh around the wing with good tip resolution is a C-O-type mesh. Using this grid, the flow around the wing was computed for a freestream Mach number of 0.82 at an angle of attack of 5 deg. At this Mach number, an oblique shock forms on the upper surface of the wing, and a tip vortex and three-dimensional flow separation off the wing surface are observed. Particle path lines indicate that the three-dimensional flow separation on the wing surface is a part of the root of the tip-vortex formation. The lifting of the tip vortex before the wing trailing edge is clearly observed by following the trajectory of particles released around the wing tip.
Extrusion processing for ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX)

The ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX) process, previously run only in a batch reactor, has been adapted to run on a twin-screw extruder. The sugar yield of AFEX material after enzymatic hydrolysis has been increased up to 3.5 times over that of completely untreated material. The ruminant digestibility of corn fodder has been increased up to 32% (from 54–71%) over completely untreated material, and 23% (from 63–77%) over material extruded with no ammonia. Extrusion-treated material proved more digestible by the ruminant at 48 h than material treated in the batch reactor.
The complete nucleotide sequence of apple mosaic virus RNA-3

The complete nucleotide sequence of apple mosaic ilarvirus (ApMV) RNA-3 has been determined from cloned viral cDNAs. The 5′ terminus of RNA-3 was determined by direct RNA sequencing, while the 3′ end was determined by polyadenylation of genomic RNA and sub-cloning using oligo dT. ApMV RNA-3 is 2056 bases in length and encodes at least two open reading frames. It is similar in size and genome organization to the RNA-3 of other members of theBromoviridae, which includes ilarviruses. The CP gene is in the 3′ half of the molecule, and another large open reading frame is upstream of the CP gene and can potentially encode a protein of 32 400 daltons. This peptide is the same size and shows limited sequence homology to an open reading frame located at the 5′ end of RNA 3 in tobacco streak and prune dwarf ilarviruses and alfalfa mosaic virus, which is postulated to be the viral movement protein. The nucleic acid sequence was not homologous to tobacco streak virus, prune dwarf virus, alfalfa mosaic virus or other members of theBromoviridae. The 5′-non-coding region of ApMV RNA-3 contains a 15 base palindromic sequence which encloses a sequence resembling the ICR-2 regions of eukaryotic tRNA gene promoters.
Criteria for performance-based teacher assessments: Validity, standards, and issues

Validity theory, together with currently available and emerging standards for performance assessments, provides guidance for the developers of high-stakes performance assessments. It is imperative, however, that important aspects of validity and standards for quality and fairness of performance assessments be built into such assessments from their very inception. Specifying the target performance in terms legitimate to all of the assessment participants and creating an explicit methodology for integrating diverse points of view provide the foundation for defensible assessments. It is only through painstaking analyses and field work, however, that many validity-related aspects of the assessments can be satisfactorily resolved. Perhaps, with the passage of time, a cycle can be established in which these experiences from the field can inform further development of standards of performance assessment, which can then be used to raise the standard of assessment development practice. Only then can the full promise of modern validity theory be fulfilled.
Species variation in kinetic properties of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase.

Abstract Several kinetic parameters of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase/oxygenase from different species were measured and compared. The CO 2 O 2 specificity ( V c K o V o K c ) was found to be about 80 in the enzymes from several C3 species and two C4 species. Specificity values of 58 and 70, respectively, were found in enzymes from the C4 plants Setaria italica and Sorghum bicolor. Two enzymes from cyanobacteria had values of about 50. Substitution of Mn2+ for Mg2+ reduced the CO 2 O 2 specificity by a factor of about 20 for all enzymes except that of Rhodospirillum rubrum, which was reduced by a factor of 10. Values for KMg2+(apparent) measured at 102 μ m CO2 were found to vary by a factor of 8 between different RuBP carboxylase/oxygenase enzymes. Enzymes with high KMg2+(apparent) values generally had high Michaelis constants for CO2. The rate of CO 2 Mg 2+ activation was inhibited by RuBP in all enzymes, although the concentration of RuBP required to inhibit activation in the enzyme from the cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was increased by an order of magnitude compared to other higher plant structural-type enzymes. The wide variation found in the kinetic properties of RuBP carboxylase/oxygenase isolated from diverse species appears to be determined in part by past evolutionary pressures and the present physiocochemical environment in which the enzyme functions.
Simple enzyme-amplified amperometric detection of a 38-base oligonucleotide at 20 pmol L –1 concentration in a 30-µL droplet

A 38-base DNA sequence has been detected at 20 pmol L–1 concentration in 15–35-µL droplets by means of an electrochemical enzyme-amplified sandwich-type assay on a mass-manufacturable screen-printed carbon electrode. Formation of the sandwich brought the horseradish peroxidase-label of the detection sequence into electrical contact with a pre-electrodeposited redox polymer, making the sandwich an electrocatalyst for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide to water at +0.2 V (Ag/AgCl). Sensitivity twenty times better than that of a related system resulted from: 1. fivefold reduction of the noise by substituting the formerly used poly(N-vinyl imidazole)-co-acrylamide comprising redox co-polymer with poly(4-vinyl pyridine)-co-acrylamide comprising redox polymer, enabling use of the electrodes at a more oxidizing potential at which noise (the rate of non-enzyme catalyzed electroreduction currents of dissolved oxygen and hydrogen peroxide) was lower; 2. doubling of the catalytic electroreduction current upon electrodeposition of a second layer of the redox polymer on the capture sequence-containing film; and 3. doubling of the current by increasing the coverage by the capture sequence.
IMPULSIVITY IN PROBLEM STUDENTS

Summary.-16 high school students with behavioral problems showed less functional impulsivity than 32 normal students but were similar in dysfunctional impulsivity. Finch, Saylor, and Spirito (1982) found that impulsivity among children was associated with the presence of behavior problems. To explore this association, a measure of functional and dysfunctional impulsivity (Dickman, 1990) was administered to 9 male and 7 female students at an alternative high school attended by those who had consistently broken the rules at their regular high schools and also given to 18 male and 14 female students at a regular high school. The mean age of the students was 17.0 yr. (SD = 0.9). The point-biserial correlations for problem and normal students were 0.22 on dysfunctional impulsivity and on functional impulsivity -0.2 1; neither value was statistically significant. However, sex was significantly associated with functional impulsivity scores (point biserial Y = 0.39), and the partial correlation coefficients controlling for sex were 0.22 with dysfunctional impulsivity (not significant) and -0.25 with functional impulsivity (one-tailed p< .05). Thus, the present analyses provided only weak support for the hypothesis that problem students showed more dysfunctional impulsivity and less functional impulsivity.
Behavioral measures of signal recognition thresholds in frogs in the presence and absence of chorus-shaped noise.

Anuran amphibians are superb animal models for investigating the mechanisms underlying acoustic signal perception amid high levels of background noise generated by large social aggregations of vocalizing individuals. Yet there are not well-established methods for quantifying a number of key measures of auditory perception in frogs, in part, because frogs are notoriously difficult subjects for traditional psychoacoustic experiments based on classical or operant conditioning. A common experimental approach for studying frog hearing and acoustic communication involves behavioral phonotaxis experiments, in which patterns of movement directed toward sound sources indicate the subjects’ perceptual experiences. In this study, three different phonotaxis experiments were conducted using the same target signals and noise maskers to compare different experimental methods and analytical tools for deriving estimates of signal recognition thresholds in the presence or absence of “chorus-shaped noise” (i.e., artificial noise with a spectrum similar to that of real breeding choruses). Estimates of recognition thresholds based on measures of angular orientation, response probabilities, and response latencies were quite similar in both two-choice and no-choice phonotaxis tests. These results establish important baselines for comparing different methods of estimating signal recognition thresholds in frogs tested in various masking noise conditions.
Profile analysis of the oviductal wall in rabbits and cattle.

Twelve nulliparous New Zealand White female rabbits, and eight nulliparous Hereford heifers were used for profile analysis of the oviductal layers after in vivo and in vitro fixation of the oviducts. The unstraightened oviducts were cut into eight segments of about 1 cm starting from the uterotubal junction. Using a projection microscope, the areas of the lumen, mucosa + submucosa, and musculature of cross sections from each segment were measured planimetrically. The lumen of segments 5 and 6 (from the fimbriae) had the smallest surface area at all reproductive stages in both species. At about 72 and 168 hours after ovulation, the surface area of the lumen at these two segments increased by two-fold compared to the estrous stage. The ampullary-isthmic junction (AIJ) is probably located at 6/10 to 7/10 of the oviductal length (segment 5 or 6) in both species. The widening of the lumen at the AIJ, 60–70 hours post ovulation, is sufficient to allow the trapped eggs to pass rapidly to the uterus. The whole isthmus and particularly the AIJ seems to function as a sphincter, the closure of which may be coordinated by neuro-endocrine mechanisms.
Climate and the Galapagos Islands

COLINVAUX1 has suggested that the Galapagos Islands were dry during the period from about 30,000 to 10,000 BP and that this was because the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), which at present brings rain to the area in the early part of each year, remained north of the geographical equator during this period. Here I shall examine the obvious alternative possibility, namely that the ITCZ remained south of the geographical equator during the period.
The replication of metagons and mu particles from Paramecium in another cell--Didinium.

1. The maintenance of mu particles and metagons from Paramecium aurelia (stock 540, syngen 1) in another ciliate protozoan Didinium nasutum has been shown to occur. 2. It has been shown that mu particles could not be supported in Didinium without metagons. One particular strain of Didinium has, however, never been able to support mu even when metagons were present. 3. The continued production of metagons in Didinium was shown to take place even when the Didinium was fed on killer Paramecium of genotype m 1 m 1 m 2 m 2 . 4. After destruction of the metagons in Didinium by ribonuclease there was no subsequent reappearance of metagon activity. 5. Metagons and mu particles were eliminated from Didinium during encystment. 6. It is considered that the increase of metagons in Didinium is due to self-replication. In Paramecium the metagons replicate only slowly or not at all. 7. It is concluded that the metagon is a gene product in Paramecium which takes on at least one other property, replication, when introduced into Didinium .
A study of some substituted amides of thioglycolic acid

Abstract Coordination of metals with the group -NH-CO-CH2-SH can possibly occur through the -NH-, -CO- or enolic -OH. Some studies have been made in an attempt to learn more of the nature of such reactions and so establish the most promising course for developing new reagents having this type of reacting group.
“An acrid odor of the 1920s is again in the air”: The Strange Career of American Nativism and the Ongoing Relevance of John Higham's Strangers in the Land

The influence of John Higham and Strangers in the Land on the fields of immigration, ethnic, social, and intellectual history remains unquestionable. Nativism is as relevant to the study of American history in the twenty-first century as it was in 1955, when the book first appeared. Strangers in the Land has endured as an inspiring work of scholarship not only for its substance, but also for the author's commitment “to join historical scholarship with contemporary social concern.” Although he became interested in and wrote about many other subjects after the publication of Strangers in the Land , Higham continued to be concerned about the ebb and flow of nativism in the United States throughout his life. As Michael Kammen pointed out, Higham “remained exceedingly serious about the state of the nation and American society, sometimes verging upon gloom if not despair.” This sense of urgency about the pervasiveness of history in the present emerged in his prologue to the 2002 edition of his book, when he wrote that he feared there was “an acrid odor of the 1920s.” Fifty-five years after its publication, Strangers in the Land still conveyed the importance of its subject and inspired readers to seek an answer to Higham's fear of a resurgence of nativism.
Impact of Resident Involvement on Urological Surgery Outcomes: An Analysis of 40,000 Patients from the ACS NSQIP Database

Purpose: In addition to excellent patient care, the focus of academic medicine has traditionally been resident training. The changing landscape of health care has placed increased focus on objective outcomes. As a result, the surgical training process has come under scrutiny for its influence on patient care. We elucidated the effect of resident involvement on patient outcomes.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from the 2005 to 2011 NSQIP® participant use database. Patients were separated into 2 cohorts by resident participation vs no participation. The cohorts were compared based on preoperative comorbidities, demographic characteristics and intraoperative factors. Confounders were adjusted for by propensity score modification and complications were analyzed using perioperative variables as predictors.Results: A total of 40,001 patients met study inclusion criteria. Raw data analysis revealed that cases with resident participation had a higher rate of overall complications. However, ...
2,5-Dimethyl-2′-hydroxy-9α- and 9β-(3-Methylbutyl)-6,7-benzomorphans and N-Substituted Compounds in the 9α-(3-Methylbutyl) Series: Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Biochemistry

2,5-Dimethyl-2′-hydroxy-9α-(3-methylbutyl)-6,7-benzomorphan, the 9β-analogue, and 9α-N-substituted (N-ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenylethyl, allyl, and cyclopropylmethyl) compounds were synthesized and evaluated biochemically and pharmacologically. The 9β N-methyl compound was found to be as potent as morphine in the mouse hot plate assay and had one-seventh the affinity of morphine for the opioid receptor. The N-alkyl and N-phenethyl 9α-substituted compounds were either inactive or relatively ineffective as antinociceptive agents. None of the examined compounds substituted for morphine in single-dose suppression studies in the rhesus monkey. The N-cyclopropylmethyl compound in the 9α series had half the narcotic antagonist potency of nalorphine and one-eighth of its affinity for the opioid receptor. The 9α-(3-methylbutyl) moiety, unlike bulky substituents in the 9β position of 6,7-benzomorphans, generally lowers affinity for the μ opioid receptor and diminishes their in vivo activity as agonists or antagonists.
Instrumentation bias in the use and evaluation of scientific software: recommendations for reproducible practices in the computational sciences

By honest I don't mean that you only tell what's true. But you make clear the entire situation. You make clear all the information that is required for somebody else who is intelligent to make up their mind. Richard Feynman The neuroscience community significantly benefits from the proliferation of imaging-related analysis software packages. Established packages such as SPM (Ashburner, 2012), the FMRIB Software Library (FSL) (Jenkinson et al., 2012), Freesurfer (Fischl, 2012), Slicer (Fedorov et al., 2012), and the AFNI toolkit (Cox, 2012) aid neuroimaging researchers around the world in performing complex analyses as part of ongoing neuroscience research. In conjunction with distributing robust software tools, neuroimaging packages also continue to incorporate algorithmic innovation for improvement in analysis tools. As fellow scientists who actively participate in neuroscience research through our contributions to the Insight Toolkit1 (e.g., Johnson et al., 2007; Ibanez et al., 2009; Tustison and Avants, 2012) and other packages such as MindBoggle,2 Nipype3 (Gorgolewski et al., 2011), and the Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs),4 (Avants et al., 2010, 2011) we notice an increasing number of publications that intend a fair comparison of algorithms which, in principle, is a good thing. Our concern is the lack of detail with which these comparisons are often presented and the corresponding possibility of instrumentation bias (Sackett, 1979) where “defects in the calibration or maintenance of measurement instruments may lead to systematic deviations from true values” (considering software as a type of instrument requiring proper “calibration” and “maintenance” for accurate measurements). Based on our experience (including our own mistakes), we propose a preliminary set of guidelines that seek to minimize such bias with the understanding that the discussion will require a more comprehensive response from the larger neuroscience community. Our intent is to raise awareness in both authors and reviewers to issues that arise when comparing quantitative algorithms. Although herein we focus largely on image registration, these recommendations are relevant for other application areas in biologically-focused computational image analysis, and for reproducible computational science in general. This commentary complements recent papers that highlight statistical bias (Kriegeskorte et al., 2009; Vul and Pashler, 2012), bias induced by registration metrics (Tustison et al., 2012), and registration strategy (Yushkevich et al., 2010) and guideline papers for software development (Prlic and Procter, 2012).
Active millimeter-wave video rate imaging with a staring 120-element microbolometer array

Passive indoors imaging of weapons concealed under clothing poses a formidable challenge for millimeter-wave imagers due to the sub-picowatt signal levels present in the scene. Moreover, video-rate imaging requires a large number of pixels, which leads to a very complex and expensive front end for the imager. To meet the concealed weapons detection challenge, our approach uses a low cost pulsed-noise source as an illuminator and an array of room-temperature antenna-coupled microbolometers as the detectors. The reflected millimeter-wave power is detected by the bolometers, gated, integrated and amplified by audio-frequency amplifiers, and after digitization, displayed in real time on a PC display. We present recently acquired videos obtained with the 120-element array, and comprehensively describe the performance characteristics of the array in terms of sensitivity, optical efficiency, uniformity and spatial resolution. Our results show that active imaging with antenna-coupled microbolometers can yield imagery comparable to that obtained with systems using MMIC amplifiers but with a cost per pixel that is orders of magnitude lower.
The PsaC protein is necessary for the stable association of the PsaD, PsaE, and PsaL proteins in the photosystem I complex: analysis of a cyanobacterial mutant strain.

Abstract The PsaC protein binds two 4Fe-4S centers, F A and F B , in the photosystem I (PSI) protein complex. In the T398 strain of Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413, the psaC gene encoding this protein has been insertionally inactivated by the introduction of a neomycin resistance gene cartridge in the coding region. Photosystem I complex was purified through native gel electrophoresis of β-dodecyl maltoside solubilized thylakoid membranes from wild-type and T398 strains of Anabaena 29413. The PSI complex from T398 strain retained functionally active P700, the reaction center chlorophylls. Interestingly, purified PSI complex from T398 cells lacked the PsaD, PsaE, and PsaL polypeptides. Western analysis with polyclonal antibodies raised against these proteins indicated that the two stromal exposed polypeptides, PsaD and PsaE, are absent in isolated thylakoid membranes from T398 cells. The PsaL polypeptide could be detected at a level comparable to that in wild-type thylakoid membranes, although it is absent in the PSI preparation from the mutant. These observations suggest that the PsaC protein is essential for the stable association of PsaD and PsaE, two hydrophilic, extrinsic polypeptides. Moreover, PsaL, a hydrophobic protein is loosely associated with PSI and is lost during the isolation of the PSI complex.
The elderly patient with chronic kidney disease

The elderly are a fast growing population in the United States, and they have a high prevalence of chronic kidney disease. The elderly are particularly susceptible to kidney damage from age-related declines in glomerular filtration as well as kidney damage from chronic disease states such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, glomerular, and tubulointerstitial disorders. A significant number of elderly individuals are reaching end-stage renal disease that require renal replacement therapy. This expanding population provides a challenge for health-care providers because the elderly are often referred late to a nephrologist, have a shortened survival on renal replacement therapy as compared with younger individuals, and suffer from more comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, malnutrition, and hearing and visual disabilities. The elderly also have difficulties with dialysis vascular access and often are not candidates for renal transplantation. Despite these obstacles, age alone is not a justification for withholding diagnostic or therapeutic interventions, because many elderly individuals have an improvement in their quality of life and social support once their kidney disease is identified and treated.
Conceiving education: The creative task before us:

Philosophers of education regularly undertake the challenging task of defining their field and what it is they do. John White and Harvey Siegel are no exception: Siegel categorizes philosophy of education as a branch of philosophy, and White responds that philosophers of education would do better to adopt a Deweyan perspective. White claims that philosophy of education is not a sui generis area of philosophy. It does not engage timeless philosophical questions, but draws heavily from ethics and epistemology (and other fields) to address contemporary developments in education. Contrary to White, I view philosophy of education and aesthetics as analogous and, building upon the analogy, suggest that philosophers of education resist totalizing approaches to their field. To this end, I argue that a Wittgensteinian-inspired approach to philosophy of education is particularly valuable for teachers today.
Towards a post-new public management agenda

(2001). Towards a post-new public management agenda. Public Management Review: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 297-303.
Calcifiability Comparison Among Selected Microorganisms

Seven reference-strain bacteria were examined for apatitic calcifiability in a chemically-defined medium and in a metastable calcium phosphate solution. The results support the belief that calcification is limited to certain microorganisms. Additionally, the findings emphasize that determining microbiologic calcifiability only in a calcification-supporting medium is too restrictive.
The Innate Immune Response Transcription Factor Relish Is Necessary for Neurodegeneration in a Drosophila Model of Ataxia-Telangiectasia

Neurodegeneration is a hallmark of the human disease ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) that is caused by mutation of the A-T mutated (ATM) gene. We have analyzed Drosophila melanogaster ATM mutants to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in A-T. Previously, we found that ATM mutants upregulate the expression of innate immune response (IIR) genes and undergo neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. Here, we present evidence that activation of the IIR is a cause of neurodegeneration in ATM mutants. Three lines of evidence indicate that ATM mutations cause neurodegeneration by activating the Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factor Relish, a key regulator of the Immune deficiency (Imd) IIR signaling pathway. First, the level of upregulation of IIR genes, including Relish target genes, was directly correlated with the level of neurodegeneration in ATM mutants. Second, Relish mutations inhibited upregulation of IIR genes and neurodegeneration in ATM mutants. Third, overexpression of constitutively active Relish in glial cells activated the IIR and caused neurodegeneration. In contrast, we found that Imd and Dif mutations did not affect neurodegeneration in ATM mutants. Imd encodes an activator of Relish in the response to gram-negative bacteria, and Dif encodes an immune responsive NF-κB transcription factor in the Toll signaling pathway. These data indicate that the signal that causes neurodegeneration in ATM mutants activates a specific NF-κB protein and does so through an unknown activator. In summary, these findings suggest that neurodegeneration in human A-T is caused by activation of a specific NF-κB protein in glial cells.
Bandstructure Engineering With a 2-D Patterned Quantum Well Superlattice

We present experimental results from an edge-emitting diode laser with an active layer consisting of a 2-D patterned quantum well superlattice. We demonstrate control over the density of optical transitions by engineering the unit cell geometry of the lattice.
Leptin and Amylin Act in an Additive Manner to Activate Overlapping Signaling Pathways in Peripheral Tissues: In vitro and ex vivo studies in humans

Objective - Amylin interacts with leptin to alter metabolism. We evaluated, for the first time, amylin- and/or leptin-activated signaling pathways in human peripheral tissues (hPT). Research design and methods - Leptin and amylin signaling studies were performed in vitro in human primary adipocytes (hPA) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMC), and ex vivo in human adipose (hAT) tissue from male vs. female, obese vs. lean, and subcutaneous (SC) vs. omental (OM) subjects. Results - The long form of leptin receptor (ObRb) was expressed in human tissues and cells studied in ex vivo and in vitro , respectively. Leptin and amylin alone and in combination activate STAT3, AMPK, Akt and ERK signaling pathways in hAT ex vivo , and hPA and hPBMC in vitro ; all phosphorylation events were saturable at leptin and amylin concentrations of ∼50 ng/ml and ∼20 ng/ml respectively. The effects of leptin and amylin on STAT3 phosphorylation in hPA and hPBMC in vitro were totally abolished under endoplasmic reticulum stress and/or in the presence of a STAT3 inhibitor. Results similar to the above in vitro studies were observed in hAT studied ex vivo. Conclusions - Leptin and amylin activate overlapping intracellular signaling pathways in humans and have additive, but not synergistic, effects in signaling pathways studied in hPT in vitro and ex vivo.
Pilot test of prenatal surveillance for birth defects in South Texas.

BACKGROUND: The Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR) does not access prenatal diagnostic facilities to ascertain cases. Objectives of the study were to determine how many cases may be missing from the registry as a result, and to assess the feasibility and utility of prenatal surveillance for birth defects, through a pilot test in one region of Texas. METHODS: A trained abstractor reviewed medical records of all patients with abnormal ultrasound findings during 2004 in all prenatal diagnostic facilities in Texas Health Region 11 (n = 6 facilities). When birth defects were prenatally detected, demographic and diagnostic data were abstracted. Prenatal abstractions were matched to cases in the TBDR. Those that did not match to registry cases were matched to vital records to determine where and when the pregnancy ended; delivery hospital medical records were reviewed for these cases. RESULTS: Approximately 760 patient charts were reviewed at prenatal diagnostic facilities and 365 were abstracted. Of these, 165 (45%) matched to cases in the TBDR. Delivery medical records were located and reviewed for 177 prenatal abstractions, with 170 (47%) indicating at delivery no defects monitored by the registry. Delivery records for one (0.3%) prenatal abstraction were not found by the hospital. Date and place of delivery were unknown for 22 (6%) prenatal abstractions. Only eight additional infants and fetuses (one twin pair) eligible for the registry were identified. CONCLUSIONS: For Texas Health Service Region 11, it is not necessary to conduct surveillance in prenatal diagnostic facilities, and to do so would be very labor-intensive. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 79:788–791, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bartonella henselae as a Cause of Prolonged Fever and Fever of Unknown Origin in Children

A prospective evaluation of 146 children with fever of unknown origin (FUO) and prolonged fever was performed from 1990 to 1996. FUO was defined as a documented daily temperature of > or = 38 degrees C for at least 14 days without diagnostic signs or symptoms. Prolonged fever was defined as fever for at least 14 days and no diagnosis at the time of referral for evaluation. An established diagnosis was made for 84 (57.5%) of 146 patients. The most common infectious disease diagnoses were Epstein-Barr virus infection (22 [15.1%] of 146), osteomyelitis (14 [9.6%] of 146), bartonellosis (7 [4.8%] of 146), and urinary tract infection (6 [4.1%] of 146). Three of seven patients with confirmed Bartonella henselae infection presented with FUO and no ultrasonographic findings compatible with hepatosplenic involvement; two patients presented with FUO and hepatosplenic involvement. The relatively common finding of acute bartonellosis in this population suggests that FUO and prolonged fever in children are other presentations of infection with B. henselae.
Bone marrow transplantation: it's not just about blood anymore!

: Bone marrow transplantation is established as effective cell therapy for hematopoietic disorders. With the recognition that bone marrow also contains mesenchymal stem cells, with the potential to differentiate to a wide variety of mesenchymal tissues, bone marrow transplantation, in theory, may be used to treat many nonhematopoietic disorders as well. Here, we present an overview of the developments of clinically oriented marrow mesenchymal stem cell biology and it's early applications as adjunct cell therapy in conventional stem cell transplantation, and most importantly as stem cell therapy for nonhematopoietic disorders.
Vibrio vulnificus Infection in a Hemodialysis Patient Receiving Intravenous Iron Therapy

A 73-year-old man treated with long-term hemodialysis, erythropoietin, and intravenous iron sucrose infusions developed Vibrio vulnificus infection after eating raw oysters harvested from the Alabama coast. Five of the 31 persons with cases of V. vulnificus infection reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health (Montgomery) during 1996-2002 (including the patient described here) also had renal disease. Persons with renal disease, especially those treated with long-term hemodialysis and intravenous iron infusions, may have an increased risk of infection with V. vulnificus.
Puzzled Solutions and sources

Last month (February 2014) we posted three games in which you were asked to pick a positive integer. The question in each was: What is the highest number you should think about picking? Here, we offer solutions to all three. How did you do?1. Found dollar.Alice and Bob are vying for a found dollar, with lowest number the winner and a tie winning it for neither. Sadly, the only "Nash equilibrium" solution is for both players to choose "1" and the dollar to go unclaimed---a mini "prisoner's dilemma." Collaboration could have won each of them 50 cents.2. Zero sum.Here, the writer of the lower number wins $1 from the other player, unless it is lower by only 1, in which case the player with the higher number would win $2 from the other player. A tie would result in no money changing hands. This problem was published by Martin Gardner, appearing as Problem 11.13 in his The Collossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems (W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 2006). The Nash equilibrium solution would be to write "1," "2," "3," "4," or "5" with probabilities 1/16, 5/16, 1/4, 5/16, and 1/16, respectively. (Gardner did not provide a proof, but it is not difficult to show this is a Nash equilibrium strategy and, with a little more work, the only one.) The highest number either player should consider writing is thus "5." 3. Swedish lottery.This game, which I included in my book Mathematical Puzzles: A Conoisseur's Collection (A K Peters Ltd., Natick, MA, 2001) as "Swedish Lottery," has the surprising property that the equilibrium strategy calls for playing every positive integer with positive probability. There is no largest integer you should consider playing. To see this, imagine for the sake of reaching a contradiction that there is a highest number you (and the other players) should ever play; call it number k. When would you win playing k? Only when the other players choose the same lower number. But if you played k+1, you would win all those times plus the times the other two players both play k. k+1 is thus a better choice than k, contradicting the assumption that the strategy is a Nash equilibrium. There is, in fact, a common Nash equilibrium strategy for Alice, Bob, and Charlie---calling for the number j to be selected with probability (1--r)rj−1 where r is the root of a certain cubic equation and approximately 0.543689. The probabilities for choosing 1, 2, 3, and 4 are about 0.456311, 0.248091, 0.134884, and 0.073335, respectively; the probability of choosing a number greater than 100 is teeny. As an experiment in 2010, I ran a Swedish Lottery among 40 graduate students in Dartmouth's Computer Science Department. The winning number was 6. A much larger version---actually a game a day for 47 straight days---was run in Sweden in 2007 under the name "Limbo." The number of players each day averaged 53,785; the lowest winning number was 162, the highest 4,465. For more, see http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0671.pdf.
Genetic variances and covariances of aerobic metabolic rates in laboratory mice

The genetic variances and covariances of traits must be known to predict how they may respond to selection and how covariances among them might affect their evolutionary trajectories. We used the animal model to estimate the genetic variances and covariances of basal metabolic rate (BMR) and maximal metabolic rate (MMR) in a genetically heterogeneous stock of laboratory mice. Narrow-sense heritability (h2) was approximately 0.38 ± 0.08 for body mass, 0.26 ± 0.08 for whole-animal BMR, 0.24 ± 0.07 for whole-animal MMR, 0.19 ± 0.07 for mass-independent BMR, and 0.16 ± 0.06 for mass-independent MMR. All h2 estimates were significantly different from zero. The phenotypic correlation of whole animal BMR and MMR was 0.56 ± 0.02, and the corresponding genetic correlation was 0.79 ± 0.12. The phenotypic correlation of mass-independent BMR and MMR was 0.13 ± 0.03, and the corresponding genetic correlation was 0.72 ± 0.03. The genetic correlations of metabolic rates were significantly different from zero, but not significantly different from one. A key assumption of the aerobic capacity model for the evolution of endothermy is that BMR and MMR are linked. The estimated genetic correlation between BMR and MMR is consistent with that assumption, but the genetic correlation is not so high as to preclude independent evolution of BMR and MMR.
Soulé's conservation biology as the foundation for econometric ecosystem management

It is never easy to characterize the accomplishments of an individual whose career has been devoted to improving the lot of others. Too often we lapse into cliches that undercut the admiration we feel for another's altruism and selflessness. This is particularly true with respect to the unique legacy ecologists leave behind. We usually consider teachers and scholars to be focused on the needs of other human beings, whereas ecologists, by deliberate choice, seem driven to understand and improve the conditions of non-humans-of animals, plants, species and even whole environments-whose ability to survive in a human-dominated world is lessened daily by the multitude of pressures they face. Just such a legacy confronts us now. Michael Soule's retirement presents a dilemma of description, a challenge of metaphor and anecdote, especially for those in academia, government, or private enterprise forced to confront the truths he has uncovered and, with his own strength of conviction and patient, clear-spoken manner, brought forward for consideration. Soule's dirtbeneath-the-fingernails approach to ecological problem solving has become the basis for an entirely separate science now called conservation biology, a practical alternative to managing ecological crises driven, he says, more often by expediency and practical human need than by any real commitment to protecting species and their habitats. In his own words, the issues are unsettling yet deserve focus and delineation:
Using symmetry and evolutionary search to minimize sorting networks

Sorting networks are an interesting class of parallel sorting algorithms with applications in multiprocessor computers and switching networks. They are built by cascading a series of comparison-exchange units called comparators. Minimizing the number of comparators for a given number of inputs is a challenging optimization problem. This paper presents a two-pronged approach called Symmetry and Evolution based Network Sort Optimization (SENSO) that makes it possible to scale the solutions to networks with a larger number of inputs than previously possible. First, it uses the symmetry of the problem to decompose the minimization goal into subgoals that are easier to solve. Second, it minimizes the resulting greedy solutions further by using an evolutionary algorithm to learn the statistical distribution of comparators in minimal networks. The final solutions improve upon half-century of results published in patents, books, and peer-reviewed literature, demonstrating the potential of the SENSO approach for solving difficult combinatorial problems.
Dynamic Behavior of Ideal Fibre-Reinforced Rigid-Plastic Beams

Abstract : Theoretical solutions are developed herein for the dynamic plastic structural response of some ideal fibre-reinforced beams with boundary conditions and external dynamic loadings which can be reproduced easily and reliably in a laboratory. The theoretical behavior of these beams is also compared to the corresponding dynamic response of rigid perfectly plastic isotropic beams. Generally speaking, it appears that the permanent transverse deflections and response durations of ideal fibre-reinforced beams loaded dynamically are less than the corresponding values for similar rigid perfectly plastic isotropic beams.
Showtime thinks, therefore I am: the corporate construction of "the lesbian" on sho.com's The L Word site.

In 2004 Showtime launched The L Word with a site that encouraged fans to login and chat about the show. Over time, they updated the site with all of the emergent bells-and-whistles: blogs, social n...