cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationships between Job Motivation Variables and Interest Measures.

Abstract Eight-hundred and sixty graduating high school seniors responded to 120 items of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank designed to measure six interests and revised forms of the Job Description Inventory, the Job Diagnostic Survey, and Alderfer's Existence, Relatedness, and Growth needs measures. Holland ( Making vocational choices: A theory of careers , Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1973 ) hypothesizes that preferences for occupations indicate personality and motivational differences among respondents. The present study was conducted to determine if people who expressed high interest in a set of occupations could be characterized by a unique set of motivations. Canonical analysis revealed that the interest measures and the job-related motivational measures were significantly related along three dimensions. The low level of common variance between the two sets of measures, however, suggests that additional information concerning a person's possible career and job satisfaction and performance may be gained by using the job motivation variables in addition to the interest measures.
The Relationship between R&D and Performance of Listed Company in China

Using data on R&D over the period 2001-2006 as example, and taking the stock price and operating profit as proxy variable of company's future performance, we examine the relationship between R&D and performance of listed company in Shanghai Stock Exchange of China. Based on multiple linear regression model and VAR model (impulse response function and variance analysis), we find that R&D expenditure positively affect firm performance. The influence duration of R&D on future performance is 8 years, and the impact reaches maximum value 3 years later of R&D investment.
Effect of preparation techniques on kinetics of oil agglomeration of fine coal

Abstract The present study was carried out to establish whether the air adsorbed on fresh coal particle surfaces created by dry grinding affects the subsequent agglomeration of an aqueous suspension of the particles with oil. The agglomeration response of coal suspensions which had been degassed by applying a moderate vacuum were compared to those which had not been degassed. Aqueous suspensions of No. 2 Gas Seam coal from Raleigh County, West Virginia, were agglomerated with hexadecane in a closed mixing system. A photometric dispersion analyzer was used to monitor the turbidity of a suspension undergoing agglomeration. The behavior of both wet- and dry-ground samples was established in a series of runs made with oil dosages ranging from 1 to 33 v/w%. The presence of an air film on highly hydrophobic coal particles appeared t increase both the initial rate and final extent of agglomeration by making it easier for the oil to wet the coal particle surface and by reducing the amount of oil required to bond the agglomerates. The effects were particularly pronounced when low oil dosages were used. The presence of an air film was significant only for dry-ground coal. Since different results were achieved with wet-ground coal and dry-ground coal which had been degassed, it does not seem possible to simulate wet grinding by degassing dry-ground coal prior to agglomeration.
A view from the Common Cold Unit.

Abstract I have been asked to stand back and describe in broad terms the view I have had of common colds — probably the most frequent of acute human diseases and a long-lasting scientific problem — and in particular our recent work on antivirals. I should be able to do this for two reasons. Like everyone else I have suffered from colds, but in addition I have been studying the problem from the virological and clinical point of view for over 35 years — for the last 31 at the Common Cold Unit, Salisbury. As a result I may have problems with perspective — it is not possible to give a personal view and at the same time to describe something from every possible angle, and quite impossible to be comprehensive, but I have done my best and readers will make their own judgements and corrections.
Sex, strain, and housing: Variables influencing the effects of prior shock exposure on shock-induced aggression

A series of experiments was conducted to investigate sex, housing conditions, and strain as possible factors influencing the interference effect of prior exposure to shock on shock-induced aggression. In albino subjects, female rats and rats housed in community cages evidenced the greatest suppression in aggression following prior exposure to shock. In addition, ten sessions of prior exposure to shock produced a greater suppression in shock-induced fighting than 20 sessions of prior exposure to shock. The prior shock effect was not obtained with hooded subjects. Responsivity to shock was also investigated to determine whether the prior exposure to shock attenuation of shock-induced fighting was a consequence of reduced activity in response to shock. Responsivity to shock measured with an isometric platform accounted for less than 4% of the variance in shock-induced fighting in the single experiment that obtained a correlation between responsivity and shock-induced aggression.
High-performance liquid chromatography and field desorption mass spectrometry of hypothalamic oligopeptides

Abstract A high-performance liquid chromatographic system employing a chemically bonded alkyl phase and a tetraalkylammonium phosphate buffer has been evaluated for separation of synthetic mixtures of hypothalamic oligopeptides. Separation of two peptides in the mixture having very similar adjusted retention times has been achieved. Sensitivity down to 5 ng is attained. Peptides range in size from three to 31 amino acids. Field desorption mass spectra illustrate novel structural elucidation methods for individual peptides and signal a quantification method.
Resilient consensus control for linear systems in a noisy environment

This paper presents multi-agent based control of networked systems in the presence of environmental noise. The subsystems are assumed to be linear time invariant with Gaussian white noise appearing as an exogenous input. The control protocol is based on output information received from other subsystems through the communication channel. We show that the multi-agent system arrives at a collective weak consensus in the sense that the sum of the mean square state errors between various subsystems converges to a small bound. Resilience is demonstrated in that the controller maintains collective stability in the event of communication or subsystem failures, with a degradation of performance. Simulation results are presented to illustrate the methodology.
ALVEOLAR PRESSURE AND TIDAL VOLUME DURING HIGH FEEQUENCY VENTILATION

Alveolar pressures and tidal volumes have not been quantified during high frequency ventilation. We have measured dynamic and mean pressures at the airway opening, trachea, and alveoli as well as delivered volumes and blood gases in vivo in closed-chest adult rabbits ventilated at rates of 2-37.5 Hz with the Emerson flow-interrupting high frequency ventilator. Alveolar pressure was measured by opening the chest, gluing an adapter to the visceral pleural surface, puncturing the pleura and lung surface through the adapter, closing the chest, and attaching a pressure transducer. Delivered volume was measured with a pressure plethysmograph. As frequency increased, alveolar pressure swings decreased from 26 to 8% of pressure swings at the airway opening, and 100 to 42% of those in the trachea. Delivered volume decreased from 5.3±0.5 to 0.6±0.1 ml/kg as frequency increased. Respiratory system impedance fell initially with increasing frequency, then tended to remain relatively stable with no resonance seen. Lung tissue plus chest wall impedance behaved as an elastance and fell as frequency increased. Muscle paralysis had no effect on alveolar pressure swings, but excision of the rib cage resulted in a decrease. Mean pressures were equal at the airway opening, trachea and alveoli at all frequencies. The clinical implication of these results is that if gas exchange can be maintained with constant tracheal pressure swings, alveolar barotrauma may be minimized by choosing the highest possible frequency for ventilation. (Supported in part by HL 27372.)
Epidemiology and impact of aspiration pneumonia in patients undergoing surgery in Maryland, 1999-2000

ObjectiveThe epidemiology of aspiration pneumonia and its impact on clinical and economic outcomes in surgical patients are poorly defined. We sought to identify preoperative patient characteristics and surgical procedures that are associated with an increased risk for aspiration pneumonia and to de
Sacrifice and cosmic war

Sacrifice is also a central theme in Judaism’s most famous off-shoot, Christianity. The New Testament contains a sacrificial paradox, however, for its most holy figure largely eschews the role of priest; instead he plays the role of the sacrificed lamb. Self-sacrifice–martyrdom –may be found in several ancient traditions. Moving away from the subject of motivation, and returning to the displacement of violence and the role that religion plays in it, according to both S. Freud and Rene Girard, symbolic sacrifice is the primary mechanism for displacing violence. The rhetoric of warfare is as prominent in modern religious vocabulary as is the language of sacrifice, and virtually all cultural traditions are filled with martial metaphors. Cosmic warfare is more than just a metaphor; it is the grand context in which all of life’s struggles, including political ones, make sense. Rituals of sacrifice fit into this general pattern of religious rhetoric: they are enactments of cosmic war.
The neurosurgeon's neurosurgeon: Cushing operates on a penfield

In his autobiography, Dr. Wilder Penfield relates the medical history of his sister, Mrs. Ruth Inglis, who developed a right frontal oligodendroglioma. Penfield performed the initial craniotomy on her, and after her death, reported the case in a paper on frontal lobe function in humans. Although Penfield has provided more than adequate information on certain aspects of his sister's illness, little has been published concerning her subsequent operation performed by Dr. Harvey Cushing at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. We feel this case is significant for several reasons. First, it sheds some light on Penfield's personal relationship with Cushing and his sister; it also shows the deep interest that Dr. Cushing took in his patients. Second, this case nicely illustrates how Cushing used his postoperative drawings to make his operative notes more precise. Finally, we see a sample of the work done by Dr. Louise Eisenhardt as pathologist at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital.
LOCALIZATION IN NONUNIFORM MEDIA : EXPONENTIAL DECAY OF THE LATE-TIME GINZBURG-LANDAU IMPULSE RESPONSE

Instanton methods have been used, in the context of a classical Ginzburg-Landau field theory, to compute the averaged density of states and probability Green{close_quote}s function for electrons scattered by statistically uniform site energy perturbations. At tree level, all states below some critical energy appear localized, and all states above extended. The same methods are applied here to macroscopically nonuniform systems, for which it is shown that localized and extended states can be coupled through a tunneling barrier created by the instanton background. Both electronic and acoustic systems are considered. An incoherent exponential decay is predicted for the late-time impulse response in both cases, valid for long-wavelength nonuniformity, and scaling relations are derived for the decay time constant as a function of energy or frequency and spatial dimension. The acoustic results are found to lie within a range of scaling relations obtained empirically from measurements of seismic coda, suggesting a connection between the universal properties of localization and the robustness of the observed scaling. The relation of instantons to the acoustic coherent-potential approximation is demonstrated in the recovery of the uniform limit. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
N-β-Alanyldopamine levels and synthesis in integument and other tissues of Manduca sexta (L.) during the larval-pupal transformation

Abstract N - β -Alanyldopamine (NBAD) and other diphenols in tissues of the fifth larval instar of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.), were analyzed by HPLC with electrochemical detection. NBAD accumulated in the integument during the intermolt feeding period, with maximal levels in the wandering stage (6 mmol/g). It then declined to a low level during apolysis and endocuticle digestion, while hemolymph NBAD increased during the same interval to a peak concentration (3 mM) shortly before pupal ecdysis. Trachea and foregut contained lesser amounts of NBAD (0.5 mmol/g), perhaps associated with cuticle, whereas fat body, muscle, midgut and hindgut had 0.1 mmol/g or less. Dopamine (DA), N -acetyldopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) were at least 10-fold less abundant than NBAD in the integument. NBAD synthase, which catalyzes the formation of NBAD from DA and β-alanine, was assayed in both integument and fat body. Highest activity was detected in the integument, where two peaks were observed, one at day 3 near the end of larval feeding and the other at day 9 as pupal cuticle tanning was initiated. Fat body enzyme was substantially less and was detected only in the pharate pupa. Maximal NBAD synthesis by integument cultured in vitro was dependent upon DA supplementation of at least 1.4 mM. 20-Hydroxyecdysone did not alter NBAD synthesis in vitro in either the integument or the fat body, even though injection of this hormone into isolated larval abdomens induced synthesis and/or transport of integumental NBAD back into the hemolymph. The rate-limiting steps in the NBAD biosynthetic pathway appear to be the production of DOPA and DA, because β-alanine occurs in the hemolymph at relatively high levels throughout larval-pupal development.
A behavioral language for motion planning in building construction

This paper reports on the development of a motion language to describe the behavior of automated agents in a dynamically changing environment. The language is based on a general representation that uniformly characterizes a wide variety of automated agents, using motion rules as a means of establishing the configuration of an agent at any given time. Motion planning is briefly discussed and the rudiments of a general three dimensional motion planning algorithm are presented. The results are illustrated in a simulation program with application to building construction.
Asymptotic solutions for solute transport in dual velocity media

Dual velocity (often called dual porosity) models exist to describe a variety of solute transport processes. These exist for both chemical and geochemical systems. All current models reviewed in this paper can be represented by a generalized form. Characteristics of the solutions are obtained by investigating moments of the solution. Of particular interest is the simple asymptotic behavior. To verify the approach, an example problem is investigated where the exact analytical solution is compared to the asymptotic solution. It is shown that many dual velocity models can be well-represented by the inclusion of an increased dispersion term in a simpler single velocity model.
Clinical and Ethical Aspects of Financial Capacity in Dementia: A Commentary

In contrast to issues such as treatment and research consent capacity, financial capacity has received relatively little clinical and ethical attention in the dementia literature. Yet issues of financial capacity emerge frequently in patients with Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and related dementias, and commonly present ethical and clinical challenges for clinicians treating these patients. These issues include whether a patient with possible dementia has sufficient capacity to manage independently their financial affairs, needs referral for financial capacity assessment, and/or is being financially exploited or abused by others. The accurate identification, assessment and successful handling of such financial capacity issues can have a substantial impact on the financial and psychological well-being of patients and their family members. This commentary presents an overview of financial capacity and associated clinical and ethical issues in dementia and describes a set of possible clinician roles regarding these issues as they arise in clinical practice. The commentary concludes with a section describing educational resources available to clinicians and bioethicists seeking additional guidance in handling financial capacity issues. The ultimate goal of the article is to focus clinical and ethical attention on a neglected capacity that is of fundamental importance for patients, families, and healthcare and legal professionals.
Genetic Literacy and Patient Perceptions of IBD Testing Utility and Disease Control: A Randomized Vignette Study of Genetic Testing

Background: Findings from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) genome-wide association studies are being translated clinically into prognostic and diagnostic indicators of disease. Yet, patient perception and understanding of these tests and their applicability to providing risk information is unclear. The goal of this study was to determine, using hypothetical scenarios, whether patients with IBD perceive genetic testing to be useful for risk assessment, whether genetic test results impact perceived control, and whether low genetic literacy may be a barrier to patient understanding of these tests. Methods: Two hundred fifty seven patients with IBD from the Johns Hopkins gastroenterology clinics were randomized to receive a vignette depicting either a genetic testing scenario or a standard blood testing scenario. Participants were asked questions about the vignette and responses were compared between groups. Results: Perceptions of test utility for risk assessment were higher among participants responding to the genetic vignette (P , 0.001). There were no significant differences in perceptions of control over IBD after hypothetical testing between vignettes (P ¼ 0.24). Participant responses were modified by genetic literacy, measured using a scale developed for this study. Participants randomized to the genetic vignette who scored higher on the genetic literacy scale perceived greater utility of testing for risk assessment (P ¼ 0.008) and more control after testing (P ¼ 0.02). Conclusions: Patients with IBD perceive utility in genetic testing for providing information relevant to family members, and this appreciation is promoted by genetic literacy. Low genetic literacy among patients poses a potential threat to effective translation of genetic and genomic tests. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2014;20:901–908)
What Happens During Instruction Is Any Metaphor Necessary

This article provides a response to Stone's review and analysis of the scaffolding metaphor as it is applied to research applications for students with learning disabilities. We propose that, to advance the field of instructional research with students with learning disabilities, all available literature should be used when interpreting findings for instructional procedures for students with learning disabilities. Only when all of the intervention research literature in learning disabilities is examined can reliable conclusions be drawn regarding the efficacy of instructional procedures.
T-lymphocyte subsets in the lesional skin of allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplant patients.

• Cutaneous biopsy specimens obtained from bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients, most with graft-vshost disease (GVHD), were analyzed for infiltration by helper, cytotoxic, and suppressor T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. Lesional skin from patients with early mild GVHD and drug reactions showed a CD4/CD8 ratio of 5.0 or more, but later biopsy specimens from patients with acute GVHD and the majority of sections from those with chronic GVHD showed a CD4/CD8 ratio of 0.8 to 3.0 due to increased numbers of presumably cytotoxic cells. Significant numbers of suppressor (CD11 + CD16b-) cells were found in only one patient with severe chronic GVHD. Natural killer cells were not found. Preliminary examination of lesional skin from seven autologous BMT patients showed a similar trend of decreased CD4/CD8 ratios in the three patients with a syndrome that resembled GVHD. Analysis of CD4/CD8 ratios in serial biopsy specimens from patients with GVHD may allow more accurate monitoring of the progression of cutaneous GVHD and may help to elucidate the mechanism of development of the GVHD-like reaction in autologous BMT patients. (Arch Dermatol1988;124:1795-1801)
First record of gars (Lepisosteidae, Actinopterygii) on Madagascar: Late Cretaceous remains from the Mahajanga Basin

ABSTRACT Gars (Lepisosteidae, Actinopterygii) are reported from Madagascar for the first time, from exposures of the Upper Cretaceous (?Campanian) Maevarano Formation in the Mahajanga Basin, northwestern Madagascar. The material includes relatively common isolated scales, and vertebral centra, teeth, fin rays, and dermal cranial elements, all assigned to Lepisosteus sp. This new record from Madagascar adds to previously documented Cretaceous Gondwanan gar occurrences in India, Africa, and South America, as well as in Laurasia. The overall pattern points to a Pangean distribution in the Cretaceous and a Jurassic or earlier origin for the gar clade. The extant endemic fishes of Madagascar are not phylogenetically close to gars or to other Late Cretaceous fishes known from the island, suggesting that the ichthyofauna now there likely evolved from post-Mesozoic colonizers.
Back-Scattered Detection Provides Viable Signals in Many Conditions

Precision position sensing is required for many microscopy techniques. One promising method, back-scattered detection (BSD), provides position sensing at the level of several picometers, and is compatible with platforms that have restricted optical access (e.g. magnetic tweezers, atomic force microscopy, and microfluidics). However, widespread adoption of BSD may be limited by recent theoretical modeling that predicts diminished signals under certain conditions. In BSD the position of a micron-sized bead is measured by back-scattering a focused laser off the bead and imaging the resulting interference pattern onto a detector. Theoretical modeling of the detector response assumes the bead acts as a Mie-Debye scatterer and creates a first order interference pattern in the back-focal-plane of the collection lens. According to this Mie-Debye scattering model the BSD signal reverses sign many times for bead radii between 100 nm and 2000 nm and that for some radii (e.g. 1000 nm) the BSD response would be vanishingly small, limiting the applicability of BSD. We directly measured the BSD response while varying the experimental conditions, including bead radius, medium refractive index, and numerical aperture of the objective. Contrary to the proposed theory, we find that the signal increases with bead radius. Furthermore, the signal sign does not fluctuate, as predicted, over the tested parameters of radius, numerical aperture, and medium refractive index. We conclude that BSD provides a viable signal in a plurality of conditions.
Brief announcement: a calculus of policy-based routing systems

The BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the single inter-domain routing protocol that enables network operators within each autonomous system (AS) to influence routing decisions by independently setting local policies on route filtering and selection. This independence leads to fragile networking and makes analysis of policy configurations very complex. To aid the systematic and efficient study of the policy configuration space, this paper presents a reduction calculus on policy-based routing systems. In the calculus, we provide two types of reduction rules that transform policy configurations by merging duplicate and complementary router configurations to simplify analysis. We show that the reductions are sound, dual of each other and are locally complete. The reductions are also computationally attractive, requiring only local configuration information and modification. These properties establish our reduction calculus as a sound, efficient, and complete theory for scaling up existing analysis techniques.
Induction of glutathione S-transferase by phenobarbital and pesticides in various house fly strains and its effect on toxicity

Abstract The effect of phenobarbital and certain pesticides on glutathione S-transferase activity was investigated. The maximum amount of enzyme induction occurred 96 hr after phenobarbital treatment. Chlorinated hydrocarbons were more effective inducers than the other pesticides evaluated. Phenobarbital treatment did not alter the apparent Km value but altered the V max value of glutathione S-transferase to 3,4-dichloronitrobenzene. The amount of reduced glutathione was not increased by phenobarbital treatment. Pretreatment of house flies with phenobarbital provides some protection against methyl parathion, methyl paraoxon, azinphosmethyl, and methidathion toxicity.
Family Functioning and High Risk Adolescents’ Aggressive Behavior: Examining Effects by Ethnicity

The relationship between family functioning and adolescents' physical aggression has been well established, but whether these relationships might differ by ethnicity has received less attention. Ethnic variations may be important for targeting prevention programs to specific youth and families. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between family cohesion, parental monitoring, and physical aggression using data from the Multisite Violence Prevention Project sample of high-risk youth (elevated aggression). Participants were 1,232 high-risk middle school students (65% male; 70% African American; 15% Hispanic). Meaningful demographic variations were identified. After controlling for intervention condition and study site, family cohesion was significantly negatively related to physical aggression, more so for Hispanic youth. Parental monitoring was negatively associated with physical aggression for African American youth only. Our findings point to the importance of developing culturally sensitive family interventions to prevent physical aggression in middle school.
Improving the catalytic activity of a thermophilic enzyme at low temperatures.

Enzymes from thermophilic organisms often are barely active at low temperatures. To obtain a better understanding of this sluggishness, we used DNA shuffling to mutagenize the trpC gene, which encodes indoleglycerol phosphate synthase, from the hyperthermophile Sulfolobus solfataricus. Mutants producing more active protein variants were selected by genetic complementation of an Escherichia coli mutant bearing a trpC deletion. Single amino acid changes and combinations of these changes improved growth appreciably. Five singly and doubly altered protein variants with changes at the N- and C-termini, or at the phosphate binding site, were purified and characterized with regard to their kinetics of enzymatic catalysis, product binding, cleavage by trypsin, and inactivation by heat. Turnover numbers of the purified variant proteins correlated with the corresponding growth rates, showing that the turnover number was the selected trait. Although the affinities for both the substrate and the product decreased app...
Story processing in right-hemisphere brain-damaged patients.

Abstract The understanding of stories requires sensitivity to structural aspects of narrative, the emotional content conveyed by the narrative, and the interaction between structural and emotional facets of the story. Right-hemisphere-damaged (RHD) and normal control subjects performed a number of different analytic tasks which probed their competence at story comprehension. Results revealed that RHD subjects perform at a level comparable to that of normal controls with stories that follow a canonical form and that they show few difficulties with structural aspects of narrative. Contrary to expectation, they are strongly influenced by the “interest” level of a story and by other factors that tap emotional sensitivity. Findings are discussed in terms of the processing and arousal mechanisms which may give rise to the observed pattern of difficulties in RHD patients.
Identification and Characterization of Solvent Filled Channels in Human Ferrochelatase

Ferrochelatase catalyzes the formation of protoheme from two potentially cytotoxic products, iron and protoporphyrin IX. While much is known from structural and kinetic studies on human ferrochelatase of the dynamic nature of the enzyme during catalysis and the binding of protoporphyrin IX and heme, little is known about how metal is delivered to the active site and how chelation occurs. Analysis of all ferrochelatase structures available to date reveals the existence of several solvent-filled channels that originate at the protein surface and continue to the active site. These channels have been proposed to provide a route for substrate entry, water entry, and proton exit during the catalytic cycle. To begin to understand the functions of these channels, we investigated in vitro and in vivo a number of variants that line these solvent-filled channels. Data presented herein support the role of one of these channels, which originates at the surface residue H240, in the delivery of iron to the active site. Structural studies of the arginyl variant of the conserved residue F337, which resides at the back of the active site pocket, suggest that it not only regulates the opening and closing of active site channels but also plays a role in regulating the enzyme mechanism. These data provide insight into the movement of the substrate and water into and out of the active site and how this movement is coordinated with the reaction mechanism.
Genetic structure of apple maggot fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) populations.

Patterns of genetic variation in the apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), were analyzed at 19 enzyme genes by starch gel electrophoresis. Eleven populations from the eastern United States, the native range of the fly, showed high levels of genetic variation within, but relatively low levels of heterogeneity among populations. In contrast, R. pomonella from parts of the western United States, where it has been widely found only during the past decade, were significantly different from flies in the native range. Flies from Utah were depauperate in genetic variation, had diagnostic allele frequency shifts at remaining polymorphic genes, and exhibited substantial heterogeneity among populations. Samples from the Pacific Northwest had somewhat less genetic variation than eastern flies and showed evidence of hybridization with the snowberry maggot, R. zephyria Snow, endemic to that region. A sample of R. pomonella from Colorado is more similar to eastern than to Utah flies. Comparisons of fly populations from sympatric hawthorn and apple reinforce previous findings of genetic differences between apple maggot host races.
Electron transfer components in the photosynthetic system of the diatom Navicula pelliculosa.

Abstract From Navicula pelliculosa, cytochrome c-554 (an f-type cytochrome), NADP+reductase (NADPH: (acceptor) oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.99.1) and ferredoxin were isolated and purified. Electron transfer reactions related to photosynthesis were investigated with these purified components. Cytochrome c-554 showed absorption maxima at 418, 523 and 554 mμ in the reduced form; the ratio of Aγ(reduced)/Aγ(reduced) was 6.77. Em,7 of the cytochrome was about +0.34V at pH 7.0. Oxidized ferredoxin exhibited absorption peaks at 442 and 466 mμ; ϵ422mμ was 6.9·103 1·mole−1·cm−1 on the basis of non-haem iron. Reduced benzylviologen could function as electron donor in the reduction of NADP+, catalyzed by the reductase. Ferredoxin facilitated this reaction. Na2S2O4-reduced ferredoxin also functioned as sole electron donor. NADP+ reductase showed the absorption spectrum of a flavoprotein with peaks around 400 mμ and 460 mμ; a trichloroacetic acid extract of the enzyme showed the absorption spectrum of a typical flavin. The flavin derived from the enzyme was not FMN, but probably FAD. The enzyme anaerobically reduced NADP+ with reduced benzylviologen, very rapidly reduced cytochrome c-554 with NADPH in the presence of ferredoxin, and possessed both NADPH-2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol reductase and transhydrogenase activities.
New Experimental Techniques for Characterizing Cement-Based Materials

Several new techniques have been developed that quantitatively characterize the microstructure of cement-based materials.They are helping to understand the three-dimensional microstructure as well as providing information about non-dried material. In turn, new techniques have been develop that investigate damage and crack propagation as well as electrical and other transport properties. Essentially all of these techniques require sophisticated computer technology with large amounts of information stored in memory. Computer models for the development of microstructure share this characteristic. With the aid of computer models numerical representation of microstructure can be related quantitatively to properties.
Instability of Kinetic Roughening in Sputter-Deposition Growth of Pt on Glass.

Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we have studied the kinetic roughening in the growth of Pt sputter deposited on glass at room temperature for a film thickness range of 15\char21{}140 nm. The growth exhibits an irregularly growing mound morphology and shows an instability with anomalous scaling behavior characterized by the $\sqrt{\mathrm{ln}(t)}$ dependence of the local slope, where $t$ is the growth time, and also by the roughness exponent $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.9$ and interface growth exponent $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\simeq}0.26$. These characteristics clearly indicate that the growth is consistent with a statistical model of linear diffusion dynamics.
The Gini coefficient of inequality: a new interpretation

The Gini coefficient is a well-known measure of income inequality. It corresponds to the percentage of area below the 45 $$^\circ $$ line that is between the 45 $$^\circ $$ line and the Lorenz curve on a graph of cumulative income versus cumulative population. In this paper, new interpretations of the Gini coefficient are provided by disaggregating the Lorenz curve into a hierarchy of curves. These are based on hierarchical redistributions of income, where the population is first divided into “high-income” and “low-income” groups for purposes of the initial reallocation from the former group to the latter. Subsequent rounds further subdivide these groups and additional redistribution is carried out within them to remove remaining inequality. The Gini coefficient may be thought of as the expected percentage of total income that individuals will be involved with through this hierarchical redistribution process. A second, graphical interpretation showing the Gini coefficient as a weighted sum of the scaled Hoover indexes associated with a hierarchy of Lorenz curves is also provided. This latter interpretation allows for analyses that view inequality as an aggregate of inequalities that exist along different segments of the income distribution.
The binding of oxidized low density lipoprotein to mouse CD36 is mediated in part by oxidized phospholipids that are associated with both the lipid and protein moieties of the lipoprotein.

There is growing evidence that CD36 has an important physiological function in the uptake of oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) by macrophages. However, the ligand specificity and the nature of the ligands on OxLDL that mediate the binding to CD36 remain ill defined. Results from recent studies suggested that some of the macrophage scavenger receptors involved in the uptake of OxLDL recognized both the lipid and the protein moieties of OxLDL, but there was no conclusive direct evidence for this. The present studies were undertaken to test whether a single, well characterized OxLDL receptor, CD36, could bind both the lipid and protein moieties of OxLDL. COS-7 cells transiently transfected with mouse CD36 cDNA bound intact OxLDL with high affinity. This binding was very effectively inhibited ( approximately 50%) both by the reconstituted apoB from OxLDL and by microemulsions prepared from OxLDL lipids. The specific binding of both moieties to CD36 was further confirmed by direct ligand binding analysis and by demonstrating reciprocal inhibition, i.e. apoB from OxLDL inhibited the binding of the OxLDL lipids and vice versa. Furthermore, a monoclonal mouse antibody that recognizes oxidation-specific epitopes in OxLDL inhibited the binding of intact OxLDL and also that of its purified protein and lipid moieties to CD36. This antibody recognizes the phospholipid 1-palmitoyl 2-(5'-oxovaleroyl) phosphatidylcholine. This model of an oxidized phospholipid was also an effective competitor for the CD36 binding of both the resolubilized apoB and the lipid microemulsions from OxLDL. Our results demonstrate that oxidized phospholipids in the lipid phase or covalently attached to apoB serve as ligands for recognition by CD36 and, at least in part, mediate the high affinity binding of OxLDL to macrophages.
Ergodic properties of infinite-dimensional stochastic systems

The ergodic properties of two stochastic models ∑I and ∑II are investigated. Each model is described by a fieldx(t),t ⩾> 0, on the lattice г =Zd,d < ∞. For ∑I,x(t) evolves according to the equations wherexs(t) eR for eachs eF. Here the {ws(t): s e Г} are independent, one-dimensional Wiener processes, Φ2 is a bounded interaction between adjacent lattice sites, and the potentials Φ1 and Φ2 satisfy appropriate regularity conditions. It is shown that for each model,x(t) is a Markov process on an infinite-dimensional phase spaceX. The probability measures onX that satisfy the Dobrushin-Lanford-Ruelle (DLR) conditions are stationary for this process and have a mixing property. Moreover, for ∑I any stationary, time-reversal-invariant probability measure that has certain regularity properties must satisfy the DLR conditions.
Progress On The Scaling Of The X-Ray Preionized Discharge Pumped Xec1 Laser

Discharge pumped rare gas halide lasers have been demonstrated to have high efficiency and to operate reliably but the single pulse energies attainable from these devices have been limited by the difficulties associated with scaling to larger volumes. In this paper we discuss the preliminary results obtained from a twelve liter active volume device. This laser system, which is capable of exciting up to 3-0 liters, uses x-rays to preionize the gas. The design and operation of the system to date is presented.
Learning Tolerance Revisited: A Quasi-ExperimentalReplication

This paper replicates an earlier project that tested the impact of comparative politics courses on students' levels of intercultural sensitivity. Using a standardized instrument, the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), I pre- and posttest students taking an on-campus East-Central European politics course taken in the fall semester and an off-campus course on the politics of the Czech Republic headquartered in Prague during the month of January. The first study, conducted during the 2003–2004 academic year, demonstrated that comparative politics courses have a positive significant impact on students' levels of intercultural sensitivity, that there is no difference between on- and off-campus courses in terms of these differences, and that students who take both courses experience higher rates of positive change than students taking only one of the two courses. The results of the replication, conducted during the 2005–2006 academic year, confirm the original findings that link strongly comparative pol...
Energy Centrality Relationship Reduces False Positive Prediction in Protein Docking

Interacting protein networks are responsible for a multitude of biological functions. These Functionally-Linked Interacting Proteins (FLIPs) occur at specific interfaces. The structures of most FLIPs are identified via X-ray crystallography, which can also reveal contacts that are functionally uncorrelated (FunCs) and the result of aggregation during crystallization. We hypothesize the Energy Centrality Relationship (ECR) concept that evolutionary pressure to maintain FLIPs will generate signature characteristics that can discriminate between aggregation and association. In our ECR analysis, we assess the amino acid energetic variation upon computational alanine scanning as a function of distance from the centroid of the interface. Here, we show that positional and energetic correlation patterns can discriminate FLIP/FunC and when clustered can differentiate between proteins belonging to different FLIP/FunC sub-categories. In addition, by generating docking decoys for structures of representatives of protein functional categories, we demonstrate ECR also greatly reduces false positives in quaternary structure prediction.
Estimation of Native Screwworm (Calliphoridae: Diptera) Reproductive Activity by Release and Recapture of Sterile Females

Reproductive capacity and activity patterns of native screwworm ( Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel)) males were evaluated by release and recapture of sterile females in central Belize. On six occasions 4,000 virgin, 1-d-old sterile females were released at a central location. A total of 382 sterile females and 66 native females were recaptured on sentinel sheep at four locations. Ratios of virgin to mated recaptured females were used to calculate an estimated number of matings per release. During the 65-d period of the test, numbers of recaptured females and mating percentages increased, then decreased for the last release. Location of sentinel animals, day after release, and individual releases were significant factors explaining capture rates for mated and nonmated released females and captures of native females. Mating capacity for the native population of screwworm males over the 10-d recapture period was estimated to range from 70 to 1,735 matings for the dispersal area of these females. These data and estimates suggest that although screwworm males have relatively low population densities, they have significant excess mating capacity, and that production and release of competitive sterile males is important for the success of the screwworm eradication program.
The subrenal capsule tumor implant assay as a predictor of clinical response to chemotherapy: 3 Years of experience

The clinical response to chemotherapy of a series of female patients with advanced pelvic malignancies was compared to the response of their tumors to the same agents in the murine subrenal capsule implant assay. A total of 194 different patients were studied in 242 different assays; 89.3% of the assays were evaluable. There were 83 prospective assays (assays performed before the patient received the chemotherapy) of 66 different patients for which clinical correlations were available. In these assays the sensitivity (frequency of positive test results in responding patients) was 85.0%, the specificity (frequency of negative test results in nonresponding patients) was 57.1%, and the efficiency (percentage correctly classified) was 63.9%. There were 100 retrospective assays (assays performed after the patient had been treated with the chemotherapy) of 69 different patients for which clinical correlations were available. In these assays the sensitivity was 66.7%, the specificity 70.7%, and the efficiency 70.0%. Thirty-one of the patients had both prospective and retrospective assays. There were 59 patients for whom the clinical response to chemotherapy could not be determined. It is believed that the clinical utility of the SRC assay has been validated by the good prospective sensitivity of the assay.
Ultrasonic evaluation of filled polymers: I. Techniques and models for the elastic moduli of a resin filled with iron spherical inclusions

The ultrasonic technique for the nondestructive evaluation of elastic moduli is described. Its use in the application to polymers, whereby viscoelastic effects are eliminated, is discussed. Experimental results are given for composites containing high contrast (iron) spherical inclusions. The measurements are discussed in terms of available theoretical models. It is clearly demonstrated that models that account for the microscopic details of the material offer the best description of the bulk properties.
B{ä}cklund-Darboux Transformations and Melnikov Analysis for Davey-Stewartson II Equations

The Backlund-Darboux transformations are successfully utilized to construct heteroclinic orbits of Davey-Stewartson II equations through an elegant iteration of the transformations. In [17], we successfully built Melnikov vectors with the gradients of Floquet discriminants. Since there is no Floquet discriminant for Davey-Stewartson equations (in contrast to nonlinear Schrodinger equations [17]), the Melnikov vectors here are built with the novel idea of replacing the gradients of Floquet discriminants by quadratic products of Bloch functions. Such Melnikov vectors still maintain the properties of Poisson commuting with the gradient of the Hamiltonian and exponential decay as time approaches positive and negative infinities. This solves the problem of building Melnikov vectors for Davey-Stewartson equations without using the gradients of a Floquet discriminant. Melnikov functions for perturbed Davey-Stewartson II equations evaluated on the above heteroclinic orbits are built.
Real-Time Imaging and Quantification of Amyloid-β Peptide Aggregates by Novel Quantum-Dot Nanoprobes

Background Protein aggregation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. However, direct real-time imaging of protein aggregation, including oligomerization and fibrillization, has never been achieved. Here we demonstrate the preparation of fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystal (quantum dot; QD)-labeled amyloid-beta peptide (QDAbeta) and its advanced applications. Methodology/principal findings The QDAbeta construct retained Abeta oligomer-forming ability, and the sizes of these oligomers could be estimated from the relative fluorescence intensities of the imaged spots. Both QDAbeta coaggregation with intact Abeta42 and insertion into fibrils were detected by fluorescence microscopy. The coaggregation process was observed by real-time 3D imaging using slit-scanning confocal microscopy, which showed a typical sigmoid curve with 1.5 h in the lag-time and 12 h until saturation. Inhibition of coaggregation using an anti-Abeta antibody can be observed as 3D images on a microscopic scale. Microglia ingested monomeric QDAbeta more significantly than oligomeric QDAbeta, and the ingested QDAbeta was mainly accumulated in the lysosome. Conclusions/significance These data demonstrate that QDAbeta is a novel nanoprobe for studying Abeta oligomerization and fibrillization in multiple modalities and may be applicable for high-throughput drug screening systems.