cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health-related quality of life in bereaved HIV-positive adults: relationships between HIV symptoms, grief, social support, and Axis II indication.

Objective: This study evaluated a model of the impact of borderline and antisocial personality disorder indications on HIV symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in AIDS-bereaved adults, accounting for grief severity, social support, and years since HIV diagnosis. Design: Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model in a sample of 268 HIV-seropositive adults enrolled in an intervention for coping with AIDS-related bereavement. Main Outcome Measures: Functional assessment of HIV infection, HIV symptoms. Results: The proposed model demonstrated excellent fit with study data and all hypothesized paths were supported. Personality disorder indication was directly related to HIV symptoms and HRQoL and indirectly related through both social support and grief severity. Social support was negatively related to HIV symptoms and positively related to HRQoL, while grief severity was positively related to HIV symptoms and negatively related to HRQoL. Finally, HIV symptoms had a direct negative relationship with HRQoL. Conclusion: Personality disorders have a direct negative effect on HIV symptoms and HRQoL and indirect effects through grief severity and social support.
Developmental regulation of MCM replication factors in Xenopus laevis.

Abstract At the midblastula transition (MBT) during Xenopus laevis development, zygotic transcription begins [1], and the rapid, early cleavage cycles are replaced by cell-division cycles that lengthen and acquire G (gap) phases [2] and checkpoints [3–5]. This cell-cycle remodeling may result from either a loss of maternal products, the transcription of zygotic genes, or the replacement of maternal proteins by zygotic gene products. We have identified an example of the third possibility: distinct maternal and zygotic genes encoding a member of the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein family. The mcm genes were identified in yeast by mutations that blocked replication of artificial chromosomes or perturbed the G1/S transition in the cell cycle [6,7]. In Xenopus eggs, the MCM2–MCM7 proteins assemble as multimeric complexes at chromosomal origins of replication [8–14]. The sequential, cell-cycle-dependent assembly of the origin replication complex (ORC), CDC6 protein and the MCM complex at origins of replication ensures that DNA replicates only once per cell cycle [15,16]. The periodic association of the MCM complex with chromatin may be regulated via phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) [11]. We have cloned the first example of a developmentally regulated mcm gene, zygotic mcm6 (zmcm6) , expressed only after gastrulation when the cell cycle is remodeled. The zMCM6 protein assembles into MCM complexes and differs from maternal MCM6 (mMCM6) in having a carboxy-terminal extension and a consensus cyclin–Cdk phosphorylation site. There may also be maternal–zygotic pairs of other MCMs. These data suggest that MCMs are critical for cell-cycle remodeling during early Xenopus development.
Spectroelectrochemical Sensing Based on Multimode Selectivity Simultaneously Achievable in a Single Device. 18. Preparation and Characterization of Cross-Linked Quaternized Poly(4-vinylpyridinium) Films

A novel selective film comprised of cross-linked quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) has been developed for use in a spectroelectrochemical sensor. The development, performance and characterization of this film are described. Ferrocyanide was used as a model spectroelectrochemical analyte. This film has demonstrated a number of advantages over other films used in the sensor, including outstanding ruggedness and selectivity, rapid response, capability for multiple measurements on one film, and a fast, simple preparation. Ion pairing between ferrocyanide and quaternized pyridine in the film was observed, causing asymmetry in cyclic voltammograms of ferrocyanide. Physical changes in the film were monitored using spectroscopic ellipsometry as the film was exposed to supporting electrolyte and ferrocyanide/supporting electrolyte solutions. The sensor exhibits a linear response to ferrocyanide over the range 0.008–0.2 mM.
Cyrus fay and the real origin of the modern day extraction forcepts

In the town of Reitgate near London, England, the event was celebrated by a grand toast and buffet supper was served to a small group of local art cognoscente. Once more, the occasion was well publicized in The Herald and County Post and The Surrey Mirror of September 24th, 1976, where the lead .articles were headlined, "Art Riddle is Solved" and "Buffet Marks Picture Exhibit." The participants in this local but gala event were in fact celebrating a unique occasion, the restoration and ceremonial hanging of an 150-year-old portrait of M. Cyrus Fay, Esquire, Dental Surgeon. The story had begun some nine years earlier when Michael Harvey, an art critic of The Surrey Mirror, was given a mildewed, cracked and darkened old painting by his father. The life-sized portrait of a distinguished and handsome middle-aged man had been discovered in the basement of Essex House off the Strand in London where it has been resting in their archives for some 35 years. The picture had survived an almost direct hit during the London blitz and, given the fact that it had nearly a century and a half of London smog and bomb damage on its surface, it was in a miraculous state of preservation. Although the portrait was in less than perfect condition, it was easily apparent that it was technically well painted and esthetically pleasing, although Mr. Harvey and his professional art colleagues had no idea as to the identity of the person portrayed, nor indeed that of the artist who painted it. Mr. Harvey showed the painting to experts at The National Portrait Gallery and they, too, were unable to definitely assign the picture. They suggested that the portrait resembled the work of
Motility and Fertility of Frozen Bull Spermatozoa in Tris-Yolk and Milk Extenders Containing Amikacin Sulfate

Amikacin sulfate, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, effective against some streptomycin-resistant organisms, was tested in bull semen extended with whole milk and egg yolk-Tris extenders in a 6 X 5 X 2 factorial arrangement. Semen from six bulls was frozen in extenders containing 500, 1000, and 2500 microgram/ml of amikacin, a control containing 500 IU/ml of penicillin plus 1000 micrograms/ml of streptomycin plus 500 IU/ml of polymyxin, and control plus amikacin (1000 micrograms/ml). Semen was frozen in .5 ml polyvinyl chloride straws in liquid nitrogen vapor and stored in liquid nitrogen for 2 wk. Straws were thawed in a water bath at 35 degrees C for 30 s. Postthaw motility of spermatozoa in each treatment was assessed using two straws by two observers independently. At amikacin concentrations of 500, 1000, or 2500 micrograms/ml, the percentage of motile spermatozoa averaged 47, 45, and 36% in whole milk and 52, 46, and 46% in egg yolk-Tris. Control and control plus amikacin (1000 micrograms/ml) were 49 and 47% in whole milk and 48 and 52% in egg yolk-Tris. Only amikacin in milk at 2500 micrograms/ml, depressed sperm motility. A fertility trial was conducted to compare the control mixture of antibiotics in whole milk with whole milk also containing 500 micrograms/ml of amikacin. The nonreturn rate to 1182 first service inseminations with semen treated with amikacin (500 micrograms/ml) plus control antibiotics was 70.4% compared with 70.5% for 1494 first service inseminations with control semen. Amikacin can safely be added to whole milk and egg yolk-tris extenders to control streptomycin-resistant organisms.
Cocaine self-administration in the mouse: A low- cost, chronic catheter preparation

Intravenous drug self-administration is the most valid animal model of human addiction because it allows volitional titration of the drug in the blood based on an individual’s motivational state together with the pharmacokinetic properties of the drug. Here we describe a reliable low-cost mouse self-administration catheter assembly and protocol that that can be used to assess a variety of drugs of abuse with a variety of protocols. We describe a method for intravenous catheter fabrication that allows for efficient and long-lasting intravenous drug delivery. The intravenous catheters remained intact and patent for several weeks allowing us to establish stable maintenance of cocaine acquisition. This was followed by a dose response study in the same mice. For collaborators interested in premade catheters for research please make a request at www.neuro-cloud.net/nature-precedings/pomerenze.
The effect of indenter shape on the transient current response and surface microstructures in Fe-16wt.% Cr-16wt.%Ni alloy

Abstract The effect of indenter shape on the transient current response of Fe-16 wt.%Cr-16 wt.%Ni alloy has been investigated in an 0.01 M H2SO4-0.01 M KCl electrolyte. Various Rockwell hardness indenters with C-Brale, Vickers, 1 16 in and 1 8 in balls at their tips have been used in this study to produce scratches of different shapes on the alloy when the specimen was being rotated at 1500 rev min−1 in the given electrolyte. The transient current increases linearly with increasing impact force of the stylus. The transient current response in itself indicates various stages corresponding to passivation, depassivation and repassivation kinetics of the samples. The details of the kinetics have been discussed in this paper. The scanning electron micrographs indicate that the area of the scratches increased with increasing applied load, and the morphologies of the scratches appear to be quite different in air and electrolyte. The scratches are usually more elongated in the electrolyte.
Structure and Morphology of Hydroxylated Amorphous Alumina Surfaces

The effect of hydroxylation on the surface structure of amorphous alumina is investigated using classical molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the hydroxylated amorphous alumina surface is terminated by hydroxyl groups singly and doubly coordinated to aluminum. Root-mean-square roughness calculations and density profiles across the film indicate that hydroxylated surfaces are rougher than non-hydroxylated surfaces. The power spectrum identifies different vibrational stretching frequencies for the singly and doubly coordinated surface OH groups. The role of the surface OH groups in surface reactivity is discussed.
Corporal punishment in schools: myths, problems and alternatives

In many countries, corporal punishment of school children continues to be an officially or unofficially sanctioned form of institutional child abuse. Continuing support for the use of corporal punishment is related to the following factors: (1) widely held beliefs regarding the effectiveness of corporal punishment, (2) an unawareness of problems resulting from the use of physical punishment, and (3) a lack of knowledge about effective disciplinary alternatives. The purpose of this paper is threefold: One is to show that many of the beliefs are myths, e.g., corporal punishment is not needed to build character. The second purpose is to show that physical punishment can lead to more problems than it appears to solve, e.g., the punitive teacher is avoided, and thus, is not a positive factor in the child's education and development. The third purpose is to discuss two types of alternatives to punishment, the social learning approach and communication skills training. These positive methods of discipline not only enhance classroom behavior, but also facilitate learning. In an atmosphere free of abusing and demeaning acts and in a classroom characterized by positive mutual regard, teachers can maximize their effectiveness as teachers and students can maximize their effectiveness as learners.
Practitioner productivity and the product content of medical care in publicly supported health centers.

Abstract The productivity-patient care content relationship in general practice and primary health care has never been a popular topic among medical practitioners. Yet the time a physician spends with patients of the number of patients treated in a fixed time interval would appear to be a critical factor in the content of this care. While current research has demonstrated a clear effect with respect to psychosocial care, the evidence with respect to technical care remains equivocal. The purpose of this study is to assess how physician production—measured as the number of patients seen per hour—affects the technical care performance of preventive and well care in 6 major patient management areas. The analysis uses data collected from 15 publicly supported, primary care centers in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. The care received by 1424 patients over a seven month period (4695 medical encounters) is reflected in the analysis; the work of 64 full time physicians is also represented. Using both linear and piecewise regression techniques, the analysis uncovered evidence that production levels do influence the performance of medical care procedures. The strength, direction and functional form of the relationship, however, depends upon the specific medical component under scrutiny. The impact of encounters per hour is especially telling for the provision of medical history items and preventive care directed at the female patient. The implications of these findings are discussed and inferences about the physician style dynamics which might link productivity and consultation content are presented.
Cyclic Voltammetry of Hexachloroiridate(IV): An Alternative to the Electrochemical Study of the Ferricyanide Ion

An instrumental analysis experiment on the cyclic voltammetry of hexachloroiridate(IV) is described in this paper. The hexachloroiridate(IV)/hexachloroiridate(III) redox couple allows the analytical chemistry student to study the behavior of electrochemically reversible electron transfer with no complications. The cyclic voltammetric response of hexachloroiridate(IV)/hexachloroiridate(III) is compared with the ferricyanide/ ferrocyanide redox couple, which has been known to exhibit quasireversible electron transfer as a result of film formation on the electrode surface. Considerations regarding the stability of the hexachloroiridate(IV) ion in 0.1 M KNO3 are also addressed.
Full-field optical coherence tomography using a spatial filter

We present a simple and effective method of reducing the background noise of a full-field optical coherence tomography system that improves the image quality of the system. The system is based on a modified Michelson interferometer providing such new features as a tilted cubic beam-splitter and a spatial filter incorporated in the back focal plane of an imaging lens. The new arrangement reduces background noise significantly. The effects of the tilted beam-splitter and spatial filter on the optical image are also studied, and experimental results are provided.
The Feasibility of Using Nature-Based Settings for Physical Activity Programming: Views from Urban Youth and Program Providers

Background and Purpose Given the urgency to design programs to increase physical activity, especially to combat obesity in children, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions and opinions of a nature-based physical activity intervention designed for low-income urban adolescents. Methods Four focus groups of adolescents, ages 11 to 14, were conducted, as well as 5 individual interviews with youth programming experts. Results Focus group interviews revealed how children perceive the outdoors, including their fears and barriers to exercising outside. Expert interviews discussed the necessity of becoming embedded within a network or working alongside community programs with strong ties to a target community in order to be trusted to carry out such an intervention. Discussion and Translation to Health Education Practice Health education practitioners can use our qualitative findings in the planning, promotion, design, and evaluation of a nature-based physical activity program. Being cogn...
Common variants in CLOCK are not associated with measures of sleep duration in people of European ancestry from the Sleep Heart Health Study

In humans, sleep is primarily regulated by two processes: the circadian process and the homeostatic process of sleep (1; 2). Although much is known about the molecular processes driving the circadian clock, the molecular components of human sleep duration remain elusive. Sleep duration has a genetic component, with heritability estimated at 17–34% (3–11). To date a variant of PER3 shown to affect diurnal preference reportedly associates with decreased REM and slow-wave sleep (12), a familial mutation in BHLHE41 (formerly DEC2) decreases sleep duration (13), and a region near MYRIP may be associated with sleep duration based on a genome-wide association study (5).
System-wide support for safety in pervasive spaces

This paper addresses issues of safety in pervasive spaces. We show how pervasive systems are different from traditional computer systems, and how their cyber-physical nature ties intimately with the users. Errors and conflicts in such space could have detrimental, dangerous or undesired effects on the user, the space, or the devices. There are no support systems or programming models conscious of the issue of safety. Unrestrained programming is the model de jour, which is inadequate. We need a programming model that encourages and obligates various roles engaged in the development of pervasive spaces to contribute to increasing safety. We propose a model that utilizes role-specific safety knowledge, and that takes advantage of the rich sensing and actuations capabilities of pervasive systems to detect and handle “conflicting contexts” and prevent or detect/avert “impermissible contexts”. We present our model and discuss how it mitigates overall safety risks in presence of uncertainty due to multiple independent roles.
The effects of salt water on bubble cavitation

Experiments were performed to examine differences in bubble cavitation inception, form, and acoustic emission in fresh and salt water. The tests were conducted on an axisymmetric headform known as the ITTC body, and acoustic emission, cavitation bubble size, and cavitation event rates were measured for a variety of cavitation numbers and dissolved air contents at a fixed dynamic head for both fresh and salt water. Differences were detected in the cavitation inception index, cavitation bubble size distribution, and the resulting overall acoustic emission. These differences may be attributed to variations in the freestream nuclei population, and it is hypothesized that the solution of salt reduced the number and size offreestream nuclei. Differences in the overall acoustic emission were attributed to variation in the bubble event rate and average maximum bubble size between the fresh and salt water cavitation.
Body Weight Alterations Under Early Corticosteroid Withdrawal and Chronic Corticosteroid Therapy With Modern Immunosuppression

Weight gain is a well-known complication of corticosteroid maintenance therapy. The purpose of our study was to compare patterns of weight gain under chronic corticosteroid therapy (CCST) to those observed under early corticosteroid withdrawal (CSWD) in renal transplant recipients. Methods. Renal transplant recipients who underwent early CSWD in IRB-approved prospective trials were compared to a historical control group of patients receiving CCST who were matched for age, sex, and race. Results. One hundred sixty-nine patients with early CSWD were compared to 132 patients who received CCST. Mean population weight gain was significantly higher in CCST patients at 12 months (5.52 kg vs 3.05 kg, P 30) demonstrated a greater reduction in weight gain with CSWD at 1 year (mean reduction in weight gain with CSWD 5.3 kg/patient and 4.4 kg/patient) than did patients of normal weight (BMI < 25; 0.1 kg/patient, P <.01 and <.05 versus BMI < 25). Conclusions. Early CSWD patients gain significantly less weight than CCST patients following transplantation. Marked variations in the effect of early CSWD on weight gain may be observed due to race and pretransplant BMI. Caucasians and overweight patients demonstrate greater benefits from CSWD than African Americans and patients with normal BMI.
High-Resolution Microwave Images of Saturn

An analysis of high-resolution microwave images of Saturn and Saturn's individual rings is presented. Radio interferometric observations of Saturn taken at the Very Large Array in New Mexico at wavelengths of 2 and 6 centimeters reveal interesting new features in both the atmosphere and rings. The resulting maps show an increase in brightness temperature of about 3 K from equator to pole at both wavelengths, while the 6-centimeter map shows a bright band at northern mid-latitudes. The data are consistent with a radiative transfer model of the atmosphere that constrains the well-mixed, fully saturated, NH_3 mixing ratio to be 1.2 x 10^-4 in a region just below the NH_3 clouds, while the observed bright band indicates a 25 percent relative decrease of NH_3 in northern mid-latitudes. Brightness temperatures for the classical rings are presented. Ring brightness shows a variation with azimuth and is linearly polarized at an average value of about 5 percent. The variations in ring polarization suggest that at least 20 percent of the ring brightness is the result of a single scattering process.
One-Electron Reduction of Vanadium(V) by Flavoenzymes/NADPH

Abstract The biochemical mechanism underlying vanadate-stimulated NAD(P)H oxidation is controversial. Some reports favor an exclusive role for a superoxide (O − 2 -mediated radical chain reaction, while others cite data that suggest a contribution from O − 2 -independent enzymatic pathways. We recently reported that a vanadium(IV) species accumulates over a period of about 30 min in phosphate-buffer mixtures of vanadate, NAD(P)H, and a flavoenzyme such as glutathione reductase, lipoyl dehydrogenase, or ferredoxin-NADP + oxidoreductase. The concentration of this vanadium(IV) species was found to depend critically on the simultaneous presence of the enzyme and NAD(P)H, but not on superoxide dismutase, or a nitrogen atmosphere. It was thus concluded that the flavoenzyme/NAD(P)H system acts as a vanadate reductase. However, a subsequent report put forth an alternative hypothesis in which the accumulation of this vanadium(IV) species is ascribed to direct reduction of vanadate by NAD(P)H itself, starting when buffer-dissolved molecular O 2 and H 2 O 2 have been depleted. We have reexamined our earlier data, and carried out new measurements to evaluate the effect of dissolved oxygen and related factors on the kinetics of vanadium(IV) generation in vanadate/NAD(P)H/flavoenzyme mixtures. The new data support our earlier suggestion that the above-mentioned fiavoenzymes can indeed act as NAD(P)H-dependent vanadate reductases.
Microangiopathic injury and augmented PAI-1 in human diabetic nephropathy.

Microangiopathic injury and augmented PAI-1 in human diabetic nephropathy . Background Microvascular injury and mesangial dysfunction contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic glomerulosclerosis. We investigated the extent of microvascular injury characterized by fragmented red blood cells (RBCs) in the mesangium of glomeruli in diabetic nephropathy, and its clinicopathologic significance. We also investigated the possible contributions of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which has been implicated in thrombosis and sclerosis, and the novel steroid receptor superfamily member, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ (PPARγ), implicated in monocyte-foamy macrophage transformation in atherosclerosis and improved insulin responsiveness in diabetes. Methods Sixty-four diabetic nephropathy (DN) cases in our renal biopsy files at VUMC, diagnosed between 1997 and 1999, were reviewed. Patients were classified based on the presence or absence of fragmented RBCs in the mesangium (M+, M-). PAI-1 and PPARγ immunostaining was performed with double staining for the macrophage marker CD68. Results M+ lesions were present in 21.9% of cases, and in positive cases, involved on average 10.2 ± 2.1% of glomeruli. M+ patients were 40- to 78-years-old (mean ± SD, 60.4 ± 9.8), the female/male ratio was 2.5, and the white/black ratio was 6. In M-, the patients' ages ranged from 29 to 81 years (57.6 ± 13.3, P = NS vs. M+), the female/male ratio was 0.5 ( P P = 0.1 vs. M+). Mean 24-hour urine protein in M+ was 9.9 ± 13.6 g/24 h, versus 4.0 ± 2.8 g/24 h in M- ( P Conclusions Mesangial RBC fragments are indicative of microvascular injury and mesangiolysis in DN and are associated with worse proteinuria, and possible worse prognosis. Possible pathogenic mechanisms involve the fibrinolytic/proteolytic system and locally activated PAI-1.
Improved versus deteriorated physical functioning among long-term disabled elderly

The usual prognosis for long-term disabled elderly is that they are not likely to improve or regain independent functioning. But computed transition probabilities reveal a significant proportion of improvement. Based on the National Long-Term Care Surveys of 1982 and 1984, this study identifies the personal characteristics that are associated with changed functional status between these 2 years and estimates how much each characteristic contributes to this change. The study distinguishes four mutually exclusive statuses of disabled older persons: improved, remaining unchanged, deteriorated-alive, and deteriorated-dead. It shows that cognitive impairment reported in 1982, high-risk medical events that occurred during the year before the 1982 interview, and hospitalization between 1982 and 1984 predict an increased risk of deterioration by 1984. However, similar estimates do not predict improvement. Yet, data compatible with reported improvement suggest that acute medical problems might have caused a temporary worsening of functional status. When the recovery from this status takes more than 3 months, the ensuing change may be recorded as a long-term disability in the initial survey and as an improvement over time. However, long-term disabled elderly seldom improve to such an extent that they regain complete independence in physical functioning. In this study, most of the elderly who improved ended with a functional status similar to that of persons whose ADL disabilities remained unchanged over time.
Black hole superradiance in dynamical spacetime

We study the superradiant scattering of gravitational waves by a nearly extremal black hole (dimensionless spin $a=0.99$) by numerically solving the full Einstein field equations, thus including backreaction effects. This allows us to study the dynamics of the black hole as it loses energy and angular momentum during the scattering process. To explore the nonlinear phase of the interaction, we consider gravitational wave packets with initial energies up to 10% of the mass of the black hole. We find that as the incident wave energy increases, the amplification of the scattered waves, as well as the energy extraction efficiency from the black hole, is reduced. During the interaction the apparent horizon geometry undergoes sizable nonaxisymmetric oscillations. The largest amplitude excitations occur when the peak frequency of the incident wave packet is above where superradiance occurs, but close to the dominant quasinormal mode frequency of the black hole.
Detection of Splenic Anti‐Platelet Antibody Synthesis in Idiopathic Autoimmune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ATP)

Summary. A significant decline in the serum anti-platelet antibody titre, as measured by the platelet factor 3 (PF-3) immuno-injury technique, followed splenectomy in seven out of eight patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP). Anti-platelet antibody could be eluted from the splenic extracts of 11 of 13 patients with ATP. The anti-platelet antibody detected could be adsorbed with washed human platelets and could be removed with rabbit anti-human IgG (RAHIgG). Extracts of spleens from six ‘control’ patients (five with hereditary spherocytosis and one with Milroy's disease) had no detectable anti-platelet antibody. Minced spleen from nine patients with ATP and five ‘controls’ were cultured for 17 hr in a medium containing 14C amino acids. Washed platelets adsorbed at least five times more Ladioactivity from globulin fractions of cultured ATP spleens than did ‘control’ spleens. In contrast, washed granulocytes failed to adsorb significant radioactivity. Supernatants obtained from these splenic incubates were also tested for anti-platelet antibody (PF-3 test). Anti-platelet antibody was detectable in all seven ATP patients tested and was absent in the three control subjects tested. The anti-platelet antibody could be adsorbed with washed human platelets but not with washed human granulocytes or red blood cells. These data suggest that the spleen might be a significant site for anti-platelet antibody synthesis in ATP.
Peatland succession and long-term apparent carbon accumulation in central and northern Ontario, Canada

Despite their importance as globally significant carbon (C) stores, basic knowledge of post-glacial peatland history and C accumulation are lacking for the Canadian Boreal Shield and James Bay Lowland (JBL) of central and northern Ontario, Canada. Radiocarbon dates, plant macrofossil analysis, and soil C estimates from an eight-core transect of the JBL and surrounding regions are used to reconstruct the timings and patterns of fen to bog transitions, and the ranges and patterns of long-term apparent rate of C accumulation (LARCA). Peatland initiation lagged the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet, the drainage of glacial lakes, and isostatic uplift by 810–6050 years. Transition from Carex-dominated fen to Sphagnum-dominated bog had a median timing of 3500 years following peatland establishment and ranged from 640 to 6970 years. LARCA was variable geographically and over time with median values ranging from 13.4 to 31.6 g C/m2/yr. LARCA anomalies were generally high ~6.1 kyr (kyr = 1000 calibrated years be...
Synthetic efforts towards the marine polyketide peloruside A

Peloruside A is a highly oxygenated marine polyketide isolated from specimens of Mycale hentscheli collected from the Pelorus Sound on the north coast of the south island of New Zealand. Due to its potent cytotoxicity and performance in initial preclinical studies, peloruside A appears to have significant chemotherapeutic potential. Isolation alone is unlikely to provide sufficient quantities of peloruside A for early clinical development. This manuscript will review the current state of synthetic efforts towards the production of peloruside A up to April 2008.
Insect P450 enzymes.

The P450 enzymes (mixed function oxidases, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases), a diverse class of enzymes found in virtually all insect tissues, fulfill many important tasks, from the synthesis and degradation of ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones to the metabolism of foreign chemicals of natural or synthetic origin. This diversity in function is achieved by a diversity in structure, as insect genomes probably carry about 100 P450 genes, sometimes arranged in clusters, and each coding for a different P450 enzyme. Both microsomal and mitochondrial P450s are present in insects and are best studied by heterologous expression of their cDNA and reconstitution of purified enzymes. P450 genes are under complex regulation, with induction playing a central role in the adaptation to plant chemicals and regulatory mutations playing a central role in insecticide resistance. Polymorphisms in induction or constitutive expression allow insects to scan their P450 gene repertoire for the appropriate response to chemical insults, and these evolutionary pressures in turn maintain P450 diversity.
Feedback Flow Control of a Shear Layer for Aero-Optic Applications

A Reduced Order Model (ROM) is formulated for the shear layer behind a backward facing step for the purpose of developing feedback control strategies. The ultimate goal of controlling the shear layer is the mitigation of optical aberrations caused by large scale density variations in the flow field. The results of simulations of the unforced and openloop forced shear layer, based on the compressible Navier-Stokes equations, were used to compile a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) database of the flow states. A Reduced Order Model for the POD time coefficients was then built using Wavenets (WN). This WN model was utilized to simulate closed loop dynamics and ultimately develop feedback control algorithms. Results obtained from applying direct adaptive control to the WN model indicate that a 35% reduction in the optical aberrations is possible.
One of the key characteristics of ancient DNA, low copy number, may be a product of its extraction

DNA from ancient sources is generally believed to be of low copy number, despite minimal attention towards direct measurement of DNA loss accumulated through the extraction process. We developed synthesized “standards” to measure the efficiency of some common DNA extraction methods for degraded skeletal samples, and used quantitative PCR to estimate a known quantity of DNA subjected to a given extraction method (i.e. “copies in”) versus quantity of DNA retained (i.e. “copies out”). All methods performed poorly in retaining short segments of DNA, giving low copy number results even when pre-extraction copy numbers exceeded those expected of ancient samples. These findings challenge low copy number expectations, suggesting that ancient specimens may contain far more preserved genetic material than previously recognized. Furthermore, they emphasize the importance of optimizing and/or developing specialized extraction methods for retrieving degraded DNA.
Motion recovery in light-attenuating media from image-shading variations.

One of the requirements for providing some autonomy in the operation of robotic vehicles is an accurate knowledge of position, orientation, and motion relative to nearby objects and the environment. Passive-vision sensing provides a useful tool for extracting such information from the images of the scene. Some applications, including the operation of undersea vehicles, involve working under artificial lighting in an attenuating medium. The extraction of motion, position, and orientation information requires models of image brightness that incorporate the effects that are due to the illumination attenuation and the illumination variation resulting from the motion of the light source. We investigate the problem of motion recovery from image-shading variations for a configuration common in many undersea applications. On the basis of the image model developed earlier [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A8, 217 ( 1991)], we show that the motion of a vehicle can be determined in closed form by using three Lambertian planar surfaces as optical beacons.
The Automatic Generation Of Digital Terrain Models From Satellite Images By Stereo

Satellites can provide cost-effective remotely sensed images. The usefulness of these images is increasing, as the sensors improve with each new satellite. Furthermore, satellite-acquired imagery is in digital form, suggesting the possibility of automating remote sensing tasks such as mapping. To date however, satellite imagery has only yielded two-dimensional planimetric information. With stereo pairs of satellite imagery, the capability for generating the third dimension, height, exists as well. The French SPOT Satellite (Chevrel, Courtois and Weill, 1981) for example, can image high-resolution stereo pairs. Depths are generated from such stereo pairs by stereo matching, normally the task of the human stereo vision system. This paper describes a computer system which automates the process of stereo matching. With this system, the digital equivalent of a contour map (a digital terrain model [DTM]) can be generated automatically directly from digital satellite images. Digital terrain models are quite useful, serving every purpose that a contour map does, and others as well. For example, terrain-dependent parameters such as volumes can be computed easily from DTMs, and DTMs are used in the production of orthophotos. Unfortunately, generating a DTM manually requires many hours. This cost has motivated many attempts to automatically correlate stereo images, without much success. Recent computational vision research has reported some progress in this area (Barnard and Fischler, 1982). This paper describes work that extends these results and applies them to digital satellite images. The result is a system for generating DTMs with significant capability, demonstrated with results from both simulated SPOT images and real Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) images. DTMs with height accuracies better than 60 metres have been obtained from Landsat images. Before these results are presented, the problem is discussed in detail, and the algorithm which has been developed is described.
A Fidgeter's Calculation

J. A. Levine et al. (Reports, 8 Jan. p. [212][1]) fed extra calories to human subjects and attributed the lack of weight gain in some of them to their fidgeting. Since my wife describes me as a consummate fidgetarian, I initially thought that one of life's little mysteries, the fact that I do not
Slurry sampling for determination of lead in marine plankton by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract A slurry sampling method has been developed for the determination of Pb in marine plankton by ETAAS using a freshwater plankton certified reference material (CRM 414). Slurries were prepared in 1–3% m/v range with 1% v/v HNO 3 by ultrasonic agitation for 5 min. The effects of several chemical modifiers, including Ir(NO 3 ) 2 , Mg(NO 3 ) 2 , Pd(NO 3 ) 2 , Pd(NO 3 ) 2 + Mg(NO 3 ) 2 , and Mg(NO 3 ) 2 + NH 4 H 2 PO 4 , were investigated for the stabilization of Pb during thermal pretreatment. Lead in slurries was effectively stabilized up to 1000 °C with Ir, Pd and Pd + Mg modifiers among which Pd + Mg provided the best results with complete atomization at 1850 °C. Firings in the presence of Ir were, problematic due to ash formation inside the atomizer. Water, dilute HNO 3 and HF were examined as suspension medium. Dilute HNO 3 (1–2% v/v) proved to be advantageous over water as it afforded extraction of Pb from plankton almost quantitatively in 5 min agitation. Hydrofluoric acid was the least suitable medium. Increasing HF concentration up to 5% v/v resulted in inaccuracy and substantial background absorption. Fast-heating furnace method provided comparable accuracy and precision to that of conventional-heating in slurries of CRM 414. Detection limits and characteristic masses were, respectively, 0.49 μg L − 1 and 32 pg for the conventional method and 0.62 μg L − 1 and 37 pg for the fast-heating method. However, fast-heating approach suffered from distorted peaks at high temperatures and incomplete pyrolysis of matrix at lower temperatures. Analysis of marine plankton samples for Pb was performed by using the conventional furnace program. The results showed a high correlation with those obtained by solution ICP-MS. Differences were statistically insignificant within 95% confidence interval.
Opportunities for concurrent dynamic analysis with explicit inter-core communication

Multicore is now the dominant processor trend, and the number of cores is rapidly increasing. The paradigm shift to multicore forces the redesign of the software stack, which includes dynamic analysis. Dynamic analyses provide rich features to software in various areas, such as debugging, testing, optimization, and security. However, these techniques often suffer from excessive overhead, which make it less practical. Previously, this overhead has been overcome by improved processor performance as each generation gets faster, but the performance requirements of dynamic analyses in the multicore era cannot be fulfilled without redesigning for parallelism.Scalable design of dynamic analysis is a challenging problem. Not only must the analysis itself must be parallel, but the analysis must also be decoupled from the application and run concurrently. A typical method of decoupling the analysis from the application is to send the analysis data from the application to the core that runs the analysis thread via buffering. However, buffering can perturb application cache performance, and the cache coherence protocol may not be efficient, or even implemented, with large numbers of cores in the future.This paper presents our initial effort to explore the hardware design space and software approach that will alleviate the scalability problem for dynamic analysis on multicore. We choose to make use of explicit inter-core communication that is already available in a real processor, the TILE64 processor and evaluate the opportunity for scalable dynamic analyses. We provide our model and implement concurrent call graph profiling as a case study. Our evaluation shows that pure communication overhead from the application point of view is as low as 1%. We expect that our work will help design scalable dynamic analyses and will influence the design of future many-core processors.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The Cost and Benefits of Biofuels: A Review of Recent Peer-Reviewed Research and a Sociological Look Ahead

This article reviews scientific, peer-reviewed literature on the costs and benefits of biofuels. Four peer-reviewed journals—Science, Natural Resources Research, Renewable Energy, and Journal of Cl...
Hamsters Use Predator Odors as Indirect Cues of Predation Risk

Golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) use olfactory cues to assess traits of conspecifics such as kinship, individual identity, and reproductive status. The environment, however, is full of a wide variety of other olfactory information such as signals emitted by some of the hamster’s primary predators. Given this, we hypothesized that hamsters use odors from predators as an indirect sign of increased predation risk in the environment. In addition, based on data that show that wild hamsters are diurnal while laboratory hamsters are nocturnal, we hypothesized that if golden hamsters did respond to the predator odors, perceived predator risk might influence daily activity patterns in hamsters. We tested male and female hamsters over 5 d with scent gland secretion from domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) and compared their behavior to that observed when they were exposed to a clean arena. In response to the predator odor, subjects significantly decreased the amount of time active outside of their burrow, returned to their burrow more quickly, and spent less time near the predator odor than the clean control stimulus. These results strongly support our hypothesis that hamsters, like other species of small mammals, avoid predator odors. The results did not, however, support our second hypothesis that exposure to predator odors during the dark phase of the light cycle would elicit a switch to a more diurnal pattern of activity. More work is needed to understand how environmental cues and internal mechanisms interact to shape activity patterns.
The Place of the Gospel of Philip in the Context of Early Christian Claims about Jesus' Marital Status

It has long been recognized that one of the main topics of the Gospel of Philip is ritual, including ‘the bridal chamber’, and numerous studies have discussed what practices and attitudes toward sexuality and marriage are implied by this imagery. This article will build on these studies to argue that the Gospel of Philip portrays the incarnate Jesus as actually married (to Mary Magdalene) and it represents that marriage as a symbolic paradigm for the reunification of believers with their angelic (spiritual) doubles in Christian initiation ritual, a ritual which effectively transforms initiates into members of the body of Christ and also enables ‘undefiled marriage’ for Christian partners by freeing them from demonic influences. The article aims to show that this distinctive position on Jesus' marital status was catalyzed by reading Ephesians 5 in conjunction with Valentinian incarnational theology.
The Underwater Vehicle Cabins Wave Loads Linear-Simplified Calculation Method

Based on the research of wave loads calculation methods for the submarine and ship, compared the date of wave loads obtained by strip theory with that obtained by linear-simplified calculation method, we proved the engineering feasibility of linear-simplified calculation method of wave loads on underwater vehicles cabin when sailing on the water surface and near the water surface, the linear-simplified calculation method shorten the calculation cycle and guarantee the engineering accuracy.
Technical Aspects of Pediatric CMR

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) of the pediatric patient involves a unique set of technical challenges above and beyond those encountered in adult imaging. Anatomical structures are smaller, demanding greater spatial resolution; heart rates are high, demanding greater temporal resolution; and patients maybe sedated or uncooperative, rendering breath-hold imaging strategies useless. Despite these difficulties, CMR offers several advantages over other imaging modalities, including soft tissue contrast, lack of ionizing radiation, a capacity for true three-dimensional imaging, accurate flow quantification, and freely selectable imaging planes. These advantages and continued advances in MR hardware, software, and imaging techniques are bringing CMR into more widespread use in pediatric cardiology.This review is a summary of the primary techniques used in pediatric CMR for both congenital and acquired cardiovascular disease. The fundamentals of CMR pulse sequences and physiological synchronization of data acq...
Activation of c-Ha-ras by Benzo(a)pyrene in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Involves Redox Stress and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor

Repeated cycles of vascular injury by benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) increase the onset and progression of atherosclerotic lesions in laboratory animals. This atherogenic response is partly mediated by activation of cis-acting antioxidant/electrophile response elements that enhance c-Ha-ras transcription in vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs). Activation of antioxidant/electrophile responsive cis-acting elements may depend on metabolism of BaP by cytochrome P450s to intermediates that induce oxidative stress and modulate gene expression. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated mitogen-activated c-Ha-ras expression in vSMCs treated with BaP or its metabolic intermediates alone, and in combination with agents that modulate cellular redox status. BaP (0.3 and 3 microM), BaP-3, 6-quinone (0.3 microM), or hydrogen peroxide (50 microM) enhanced serum-activated c-Ha-ras. Ellipticine (0.01 nM), a known inhibitor of cytochrome P450 metabolism and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) antagonist, inhibited c-Ha-ras induction by BaP (3 microM). Serum challenge of G(0) synchronized cultures of vSMCs with DL-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (0.1 mM), a depletor of cellular glutathione, increased c-Ha-ras mRNA levels during the early phase of the mitogenic response. Combined BaP/DL-buthionine-(S, R)-sulfoximine challenge was cytotoxic to the cells and inhibited c-Ha-ras expression, whereas up-regulation of antioxidant capacity by N-acetylcysteine (0.5 mM) precluded BaP-induced ras expression. BaP increased formation of reactive oxygen species and depleted cellular glutathione, but these changes did not correlate with the kinetics of c-Ha-ras induction. BaP did not enhance c-Ha-ras expression in vSMCs from AhR knockout mice, although aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity was constitutively expressed in these cells. These results suggest that c-Ha-ras activation in vSMCs by BaP involves a redox-sensitive mechanism that is coupled to AhR receptor-dependent functions.