cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trans-editing of Cys-tRNAPro by Haemophilus influenzae YbaK Protein

Prolyl-tRNA synthetases (ProRSs) from all three domains of life have been shown to misactivate cysteine and to mischarge cysteine onto tRNAPro. Although most bacterial ProRSs possess an amino acid editing domain that deacylates mischarged Ala-tRNAPro, editing of Cys-tRNAPro has not been demonstrated and a double-sieve mechanism of editing does not appear to be sufficient to eliminate all misacylated tRNAPro species from the cell. It was recently shown that a ProRS paralog, the YbaK protein from Haemophilus influenzae, which is homologous to the ProRS editing domain, is capable of weakly deacylating Ala-tRNAPro. This function appears to be redundant with that of its corresponding ProRS, which contains a canonical bacterial editing domain. In the present study, we test the specificity of editing by H. influenzae YbaK and show that it efficiently edits Cys-tRNAPro and that a conserved Lys residue is essential for this activity. These findings represent the first example of an editing domain paralog possessing altered specificity and suggest that similar autonomous editing domains could act upon different mischarged tRNAs thus providing cells with enhanced proofreading potential. This work also suggests a novel mechanism of editing wherein a third sieve is used to clear Cys-tRNAPro in at least some organisms.
Recent Progress in the Study of “Die Ernährung der Wassertiere und der Stoffhaushalt der Gewässer”

SYNOPSIS. It is now possible to provide direct evidence for net removal of significant amounts of specific amino acids from naturally occurring dissolved organic material by a marine invertebrate. This demonstration serves to focus attention and invite reconsideration of the large body of less direct evidence supporting the general occurrence of this capacity among soft-bodied marine invertebrates.
Unemployment, insurance and smoking

Using recent state-level data from the United States, this article examines new influences on cigarette demand. In particular, we uniquely focus on the effects of unemployment and health insurance coverage on smoking. Results show that higher cigarette prices, a lack of health insurance and restrictions on smoking at home, all lead to reduced smoking. On the other hand, literacy, income, unemployment, workplace smoking restrictions, smokeless tobacco taxes and tobacco-producing states do not seem to have an appreciable impact. The magnitude of the price elasticity of demand is greater than that found in the pre-MSA era. Policy implications are discussed.
The legal and ethical implications of drone warfare

This article examines whether American drone-based targeted killing program represents a fundamentally new challenge to the traditional legal and ethical standards of armed conflict. It argues that the novelty of drones flows less from the technology itself than from the Obama administration's articulation of a presumptive right of anticipatory self-defense, which allows it to strike anywhere in the world where al Qaeda and its allies are present. It highlights five new legal and ethical dimensions to the Obama administration's drones policy, all of which may lower the traditional barriers to the use of force if other actors begin to follow contemporary American practice.
Plastic deformations of boron-nitride nanotubes: An unexpected weakness

Whereas boron nitride nanotubes have elastic properties similar to those of their carbon counterparts, they can have a very different response to plastic deformation. $(n,n)$ boron nitride nanotubes have comparable plastic limits to those of carbon tubes with similar wrapping angle. $(n,0)$ boron nitride nanotubes, however, have much smaller elastic limits against bond rotations. In $(n,0)$ tubes, bond rotation defects induced by plastic deformation quickly lead to bond breaking and thereby cause tubes in this range of wrapping angles to be substantially weaker than would be expected from their purely elastic response.
Venoarterial communication as a mechanism for localized signaling in the rat uterine circulation.

OBJECTIVE: Venoarterial communication describes the phenomenon whereby molecular signals in a vein directly influence an adjacent artery. The objective of this study was to investigate, in vitro, the existence of such a pathway in the uterine circulation of the rat. STUDY DESIGN: Paired uterine vessels from late pregnant and virgin rats were pressurized and studied in a dual-perfusion vasograph. Veins were perfused with phenylephrine and endothelin-1, alone or in combination, and the vasoactive responses of both vessels were recorded. RESULTS: Venous perfusion of phenylephrine resulted in concentration-dependent arterial, but not venous, constriction. Conversely, veins, but not arteries, demonstrated concentration-dependent constriction to intravenous endothelin-1. Superfusion of endothelin-1 constricted both vessels. Coperfusion of endothelin-1 and phenylephrine constricted the veins and attenuated the previously observed arterial response to intravenous phenylephrine. CONCLUSION: The results of this study support the existence of venoarterial communication within the uterine circulation through an endothelin-1-sensitive pathway.
Best practices in electronic government: Comprehensive electronic information dissemination for science and technology

Abstract The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Scientific and Technical Information Program (STIP) has successfully reinvented the way in which DOE collects, organizes, archives, disseminates, and uses scientific and technical information in the performance of research and development (R&D). Through a suite of innovative Web-based products conceived and developed by the Department’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), information and resources resulting from the Department’s R&D activities, as well as worldwide information needed by the research community, are readily available to all users in a fully integrated E-Government environment. This suite of products is accessible publicly at .
Daily scheduling of nurses in operating suites

This article provides a new multi-objective integer programming model for the daily scheduling of nurses in operating suites. The model is designed to assign nurses to different surgery cases based on their specialties and competency levels, subject to a series of hard and soft constraints related to nurse satisfaction, idle time, overtime, and job changes during a shift. To find solutions, two methodologies were developed. The first is based on the idea of a solution pool and the second is a variant of modified goal programming. The model and the solution procedures were validated using real data provided by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. The results show that the two methodologies can produce schedules that satisfy all demand with 50% less overtime and 50% less idle time when benchmarked against current practice.
Protein phosphatase 2B inhibition promotes the secretion of von Willebrand factor from endothelial cells

Summary. Background: Secretion of Weibel–Palade body (WPB) contents is regulated, in part, by the phosphorylation of proteins that constitute the endothelial exocytotic machinery. In comparison to protein kinases, a role for protein phosphatases in regulating endothelial exocytosis is undefined. Objective and method: In this study, we investigated the role of protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B) in the process of endothelial exocytosis using pharmacological and gene knockdown approaches. Results: We show that inhibition of protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B) activity by cyclosporine A (CsA), tacrolimus or a cell-permeable PP2B autoinhibitory peptide promotes the secretion of ultralarge von Willebrand factor (ULVWF) from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the absence of any other endothelial cell-stimulating agent. PP2B inhibitor-induced secretion and anchorage of ULVWF strings from HUVECs mediate platelet tethering. In support of a role for PP2B in von Willebrand factor (VWF) secretion, the catalytic subunit of PP2B interacts with the vesicle trafficking protein, Munc18c. Serine phosphorylation of Munc18c, which promotes granule exocytosis in other secretory cells, is increased in CsA-treated HUVECs, suggesting that this process may be involved in CsA-mediated WPB exocytosis. Furthermore, the plasma VWF antigen level is also enhanced in CsA-treated mice, and small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of the α and β isoforms of the PP2B-A subunit in HUVECs enhanced VWF secretion. Conclusions: These observations suggest that CsA promotes VWF release, in part by inhibition of PP2B activity, and are compatible with the clinically observed association of CsA treatment and increased plasma VWF levels in humans.
Body awareness: construct and self-report measures.

Objectives Heightened body awareness can be adaptive and maladaptive. Improving body awareness has been suggested as an approach for treating patients with conditions such as chronic pain, obesity and post-traumatic stress disorder. We assessed the psychometric quality of selected self-report measures and examined their items for underlying definitions of the construct. Data sources PubMed, PsychINFO, HaPI, Embase, Digital Dissertations Database. Review methods Abstracts were screened; potentially relevant instruments were obtained and systematically reviewed. Instruments were excluded if they exclusively measured anxiety, covered emotions without related physical sensations, used observer ratings only, or were unobtainable. We restricted our study to the proprioceptive and interoceptive channels of body awareness. The psychometric properties of each scale were rated using a structured evaluation according to the method of McDowell. Following a working definition of the multi-dimensional construct, an inter-disciplinary team systematically examined the items of existing body awareness instruments, identified the dimensions queried and used an iterative qualitative process to refine the dimensions of the construct. Results From 1,825 abstracts, 39 instruments were screened. 12 were included for psychometric evaluation. Only two were rated as high standard for reliability, four for validity. Four domains of body awareness with 11 sub-domains emerged. Neither a single nor a compilation of several instruments covered all dimensions. Key domains that might potentially differentiate adaptive and maladaptive aspects of body awareness were missing in the reviewed instruments. Conclusion Existing self-report instruments do not address important domains of the construct of body awareness, are unable to discern between adaptive and maladaptive aspects of body awareness, or exhibit other psychometric limitations. Restricting the construct to its proprio- and interoceptive channels, we explore the current understanding of the multi-dimensional construct and suggest next steps for further research.
Contributions to a British Association Discussion on the Evolution of the Universe

ANYONE who knows me is quite aware of the fact that I have no qualifications for participating in a discussion of the evolution of the universe, unless perhaps it be because of my interest and activity in the development of our knowledge of the cosmic radiation. Since, however, results in this field now seem destined to exert a profound, if not a determinative, influence upon all theories of stellar evolution, it may not be out of place for me to outline the present status of our experimental findings in it, and to do what I can to show whither they point.
Note on the tectonic significance of deformation lamellae in quartz and calcite

All petrographers are familiar with the tendency for quartz, calcite, and certain other minerals to show a microscopic lamellar structure when they occur as constituents of strongly deformed rocks. Moreover there is convincing evidence that the structure is itself due to deformation, a process of crystal gliding either by translation, twinning or both. Use of the general term “deformation lamellae” seems amply justified. It is not proposed to review this evidence here, since it has been dealt with adequately in a number of recent accessible papers in which the approach is from the petrofabric standpoint. For discussion on lamellae in calcite the reader is referred to Sander [1930, pp. 202–206]; Knopf and Ingerson [1938, pp. 163–166]; Griggs [1940, pp. 1005–1007]: for quartz to Hietanen [1938, pp. 31–38]; Fairbairn [1941], Ingerson and Tuttle [1945]; and Riley [1947, pp. 461–468]. Several of these writers suggest that the mechanims of gliding whereby the lamellae originated may also have been responsible for the condition of preferred orientation of space-lattice displayed by the quartz or calcite grains in which the lamellae occur.
Airship Measurements of Ship’s Exhaust Plumes and Their Effect on Marine Boundary Layer Clouds

High-resolution aerosol, trace gas, and cloud microphysical measurements were made from an airship during transects across ships exhaust plumes advecting downwind of ships in the marine boundary layer (MBL). This study was part of the Office of Naval Research Monterey Area Ship Track experiment designed to understand the mechanisms by which ships produce cloud tracks visible in satellite imagery. Measurements made below clouds and close to the ships are used to define the concentrations and source strength of effluents, and the size distribution of ship-generated aerosols. Measurements made during crossings inside the cloud indicate that shipgenerated aerosol increases the number and decreases the radii of cloud droplets. Case studies of four ships are presented, two of which produced cloud tracks and two that did not. Of the two that did not produce cloud tracks, one did not produce a cloud track because of unfavorable background aerosol loading; the other, because the ship-produced particles were too small relative to the background aerosol. A simple cloud microphysical model that assumes the MBL dynamics remains the same inside and outside the plume is used to study differences in background and plume cloud formation and reveals the intricate relationship among the size and number of background aerosols; MBL dynamics (as it effects cloud supersaturation); and the concentration, size, and composition of ship-generated particles.
Relationship between rate of change in acid exposure along the esophagus and length of Barrett's epithelium.

OBJECTIVE: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) plays a major role in the development of Barrett’s esophagus. Recently, we demonstrated that duration of esophageal acid exposure in the distal esophagus correlates with the length of Barrett’s mucosa. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between the rate of the change in acid exposure along the esophagus and the length of Barrett’s esophagus. METHODS: A total of 17 patients (16 men and one woman; mean age 66 ± 15 yr, range 41–83 yr) with varying lengths of biopsy-proven Barrett’s esophagus were recruited prospectively into the study. Ambulatory 24-h esophageal pH monitoring was performed using a commercially available pH probe with four sensors located 5 cm apart. For each patient, a least squares regression line of the fraction of the study that the pH was <4 against the height of the sensor above the lower esophageal sphincter was fit. The slope of the regression line was used to represent the rate of change in acid exposure. Linear regression analysis was conducted to analyze the relationship between the rate of change in acid exposure and the length of Barrett’s mucosa. RESULTS: The mean Barrett’s length was 5 ± 3 cm (range 1–11 cm). Linear regression demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between the rate of change in acid exposure and the length of Barrett’s esophagus for the 24-h duration of the study, as well as for the fraction of the study that patients were in the upright position (p = 0.0096 and 0.0076, respectively). For the supine position, the relationship did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.095). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated a significant relationship between the rate of change in acid exposure and the length of Barrett’s mucosa. Thus, as the rate at which recorded acid exposure values increases from the proximal to distal esophagus, the length of Barrett’s esophagus significantly increases (for percent total time and upright position).
Abstract 3850: CDKN2a deficiency exposes a requirement for RhoA in maintenance of non-small cell lung cancer

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death world-wide. Tumorigenesis is a multistep process that involves several genetic aberrations. For example, K-RAS (onc-K-RAS), the most commonly mutated oncogene in human cancer, is expressed in about 25% of NSCLC. In addition, NSCLC often carry mutations or epigenetic modifications that affect the expression of the CDKN2a locus, which comprises the p16INK4a and the p14ARF (p19ARF in mice) tumor suppressor genes, which in turn regulate the retinoblastoma and the p53 tumor suppressor pathways. NSCLC tumorigenesis is faithfully recapitulated in transgenic mice where onc-K-Ras expression invariably induces adenomas and, after a long latency, adenocarcinomas. To characterize the consequence of concomitant onc-K-RAS expression and CDKN2a inactivation, we generated p16CDK4/p19ARF null mice expressing onc-K-Ras in the respiratory epithelium. We determined that Cdkn2a deficiency promotes rapid progression of lung adenomas to adenocarcinomas, which display aggressive features. We determined the status of activation of oncogenic signaling networks downstream of onc-K-Ras with phosphospecific antibodies and by expression profiling. We discovered that NSCLC that arises in CDKN2A deficient mice display dysregulation of RhoA, a small GTPase implicated in the regulation of the cytoskeleton, cell adhesion, and motility of cancer cells in culture. These activities are pertinent to tumorigenesis, however it is not known whether RhoA plays a role in the maintenance of established tumors. Surprisingly, we determined that RhoA is required for the survival of NSCLC derived lines expressing onc-K-RAS and deficient for either INK4a or the p53 tumor suppressor both when cultured in vitro and as xenografts in vivo. Cell death was due to a proapoptotic program and was accompanied by disruption of the cytoskeleton. Moreover, by performing loss and gain of function experiments we identified focal adhesion kinase (FAK) protein as the principal downstream target of RhoA responsible for this effect. Experiments in vivo with specific inhibitors are ongoing and will be presented at the meeting. Our findings reveal a previously unappreciated context dependent requirement of the RhoGTPase to maintain viability of established NSCLC. We propose that RhoA and its signaling network are novel therapeutic targets in NSCLC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3850. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3850
On the residue calculus evaluation of the 3‐D anisotropic elastic green's function

An algorithm based upon the residue calculus for computing three-dimensional anisotropic elastic Green's function and its derivatives has been presented in Sales and Gray (Comput. Structures 1998; 69:247–254). It has been shown that the algorithm runs three to four times faster than the standard Wilson–Cruse interpolation scheme. However, the main concern of the Sales–Gray algorithm is its numerical instability that could lead to significant errors due to the existence of multiple poles of the residue. This paper proposes a remedy for the problem by adding the capability to evaluate the Green's function in case of multiple poles of the residue. Further, an improved numerical implementation based on the use of double-subscript-notation elastic constants in determining the Christoffel tensor is also at issue. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Managing Diversity in U.S. Federal Agencies: Effects of Diversity and Diversity Management on Employee Perceptions of Organizational Performance

Diversity in the workplace is a central issue for contemporary organizational management. Concomitantly, managing increased diversity deserves greater concern in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. The authors address the effects of diversity and diversity management on employee perceptions of organizational performance in U.S. federal agencies by developing measures of three variables: diversity, diversity management, and perceived organizational performance. Drawing from the Central Personnel Data File and the 2004 Federal Human Capital Survey, their findings suggest that racial diversity relates negatively to organizational performance. When moderated by diversity management policies and practices and team processes, however, racial diversity correlates positively with organizational performance. Gender and age diversity and their interactions with contextual variables produce mixed results, suggesting that gender and age diversity reflect more complicated relationships. This article provides evidence for several benefits derived from effectively managing diversity.
Theoretical Studies of the Nazarov Cyclization 1. 1,4-Pentadien-3-one.

The mechanism of the electrocyclization of 1,4-pentadien-3-one, known as the Nazarov cyclization, was studied using semiempirical and ab initio methods at the AM1, RHF/3-21G, RHF/6-31G and MP3/6–31G**//RHF/3-21G or RHF/6–31G* levels. At the highest level of theory, the cyclization of the protonated ketone, 2, to the protonated cyclopentenyl system 3 is exothermic by 2.3 kcal/mol with an activation energy for this reaction of 20.6 kcal/mol. The transition state occurs late along the reaction coordinate, with the newly forming carbon-carbon bond length 2.09 angstroms. These values are in sharp contrast to those calculated for electrocyclization of the pentadienyl cation.
De dicto desires and morality as fetish

It would be puzzling if the morally best agents were not so good after all. Yet one prominent account of the morally best agents ascribes to them the exact motivational defect that has famously been called a “fetish.” The supposed defect is a desire to do the right thing, where this is read de dicto. If the morally best agents really are driven by this de dicto desire, and if this de dicto desire is really a fetish, then the morally best agents are moral fetishists. This is puzzling. I resolve the puzzle by showing that on a proper understanding of the interaction between de dicto and de re moral motivation, it is not only not fetishistic, but quite possibly desirable, to be motivated by a de dicto desire to do the right thing. My argument relies partly on an appeal to a non-buck-passing account of moral rightness, according to which rightness is itself an additional reason-giving property over and above the right-making properties of an action. If this account of moral rightness is correct, then we would expect the morally best agents to exhibit de dicto moral motivation. However, since their de dicto desire acts in concert with de re desires, there is no reason to consider it a fetish.
Common chip for use in disk and diskette controllers

The advent of LSI technology makes common microprogrammable controllers very cost-effective today. This paper focuses on the application of microcontrollers for disk and diskette control functions and describes a custom-designed FET chip which is being developed for use in these types of controllers. The architecture, the functional organization, and the physical design of this chip are presented, and the requirement of matching a microcontroller to the application is discussed.
Glycerol, sodium phosphate, and sodium chloride permit the solubilization and partial purification of rat hepatic α1-receptors by 3-(3-cholamidylpropyl)-dimethylammonio-1-propanesulfonate

CHAPS [3-(3-cholamidylpropyl)-dimethylammonio-1-propanesulfonate], a zwitterionic detergent, has been used to solubilize the rat hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic receptor. Although the use of this detergent alone permitted a poor receptor solubilization, the inclusion of sodium phosphate, sodium chloride, and glycerol to the medium allowed 30% of the binding activity observed in plasma membranes to be recovered. Binding of the selective alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist, [3H]prazosin, by the solubilized preparation was saturable and of high affinity. In addition, binding of the radioligand was inhibited by a variety of adrenergic agents with affinity, specificity, and stereoselectivity comparable to that observed in plasma membranes. The use of glycerol in the solubilization medium permitted recovery of the solubilized receptor in a stable form (T1/2 = 72 h at 4 degrees C). Sequential affinity and size-exclusion gel chromatography allowed a 1000-fold purification of the solubilized receptor. The Stokes' radius and the apparent molecular mass of the purified receptor-Chaps complex (48.4 A and 160,000 Da, respectively), determined by gel filtration chromatography, were similar to those previously obtained for the rat hepatic alpha 1-receptor purified after solubilization with the nonionic detergent digitonin. These data indicate that the combination of Chaps, sodium phosphate, sodium chloride, and glycerol permitted the solubilization and partial purification of hepatic alpha 1-receptor in an active and stable form. The use of this technique might be useful for the solubilization of other membrane-bound proteins by Chaps whose biophysical characteristics make it an ideal detergent for reconstitution experiments.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Peptic Ulcer Disease in Children

With advances in diagnostic technology, specifically upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy, peptic ulcer disease in infants and children should no longer be considered rare. Whereas secondary ulcers are usually gastric and are often multiple, primary ulcers occur with almost equal frequency in the duodenum or stomach and tend to be solitary. In spite of intensive scientific investigation, the etiology of peptic ulcer disease remains unclear. Genetic factors appear to play a role and a polygenic mode of inheritance has been proposed. Emotional factors also seem to be important. Children with peptic ulcer disease tend to be of above-average intelligence, are often overachievers who have trouble dealing with frustation, and tend to internalize their feelings. Hydrochloric acid has traditionally been implicated in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer and most therapies are directed at either "neutralizing" acid or blocking its secretion. Recently, local factors such as gastric mucus, alkaline secretion by the gastric mucosal cells, gastric blood flow, and prostaglandins have been shown to be important in local tissue resistance to acid and to digestive enzymes. The diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease depends on a high index of suspicion. Although pain is the most common symptom, there is no typical or characteristic pattern. Nausea and vomiting may also occur in conjunction with the pain. The finding of occult blood in the stool definitely warrants a diagnostic evaluation. An upper gastrointestinal tract radiographic series with small bowel follow-through should be done first. If this is nondiagnostic in a child with persistent pain or in a child with blood in the stool, upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy is indicated. When performed by a skilled pediatric gastroenterologist, this procedure can usually be done under local sedation with minimal discomfort, either psychologic or physical, to the patient. Antacids have been the cornerstone of therapy for peptic ulcer disease and are recommended for the patient younger than 3 years of age. Cimetidine, an H2-receptor blocker, although not officially approved for use in children, is recommended for patients 3 to 12 years of age. Ranitidine, another H2 blocker, is useful in patients older than 12 years of age because of its less frequent (twice daily) dosage schedule. Sulcrafate, a coating agent, is an effective alternative to the above for the treatment of duodenal ulcer. Therapy should continue for 6 to 8 weeks. Repeat gastrointestinal series or endoscopy is only necessary if symptoms persist during therapy or return following cessation of therapy. With earlier diagnosis and newer therapeutic modalities, the long range outlook for complete recovery is good.
Does Acute Volume Overloading in the Setting of Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Pulmonary Hypertension Affect the Defibrillation Threshold

The impact of acute volume overload hemodynamics on the DFT with concurrent moderate left ventricular systolic dysfunction is unknown. Ten mongrel dogs (17.2 kg), using a crossover study design, each had baseline (study 1) hemodynamic, echocardiographic, and DFT measurements. These measurements were repeated after left ventricular dysfunction was induced using a norepinephrine (5 micrograms/kg per min) infusion (study 2). Hemodynamic and DFT parameters were obtained simulating acute heart failure by volume overload with an 0.9% normal saline infusion to an associated mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of > 19 mmHg (study 3). Numerous significant echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters were noted when the animals from studies 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 1 and 3 were compared. A significant difference in the DFT was observed only when study animals 1 and 3 were compared (P < 0.02). None of the dogs were hypoxemic at the time of the acute heart failure DFT. The mechanism of this finding remains unknown. This data would suggest that acute volume overload with associated left ventricular dysfunction does adversely affect the DFT in a canine model.
Parental explanatory style and its relationship to the classroom performance of disabled and nondisabled children

This study examined the relationship between the explanatory style of parents for events involving their school-aged children and the children's classroom performance. Parents and teachers of 52 disabled and 40 nondisabled elementary school students completed questionnaires. Those children whose parents attributed bad events to internal, stable, and global causes tended not to fulfill their potential in the classroom, according to ratings by their teachers. The same patterns held for both disabled and nondisabled children. Findings suggest that the attributional beliefs of parents can affect the behavior of their children.
Is that a smile?: gaze dependent facial expressions

Based on artistic methods used for manipulating perception, we present a technique that creates facial images with conflicting emotional states at different spatial frequencies. The foveal and peripheral components of the human visual system tend to interpret emotional states differently, adding a degree of elusiveness to the facial image. Our technique first isolates the coarser low spatial frequency components and finer high spatial frequency details from two images with differing facial expressions. We then perform image segmentation with edge detection, and morph the images. In practice we have found that high spatial frequency elements determine the dominant expression in the resulting image, while the low spatial frequency elements contribute subtlety.
Anisotropic continuum models for beamlike lattice trusses

Abstract A simple procedure is presented for developing anisotropic continuum models for repetitive beamlike lattice trusses having four or more longerons and rectangular cross-sections. The beam models account for the couplings between the axial and shear effects, and between the bending and twisting effects. Two groups of beam models are developed. The first group has six degrees of freedom (three displacements and three rotations) at each cross-section and is adequate for predicting the global response characteristics of the lattice (e.g., vibration frequencies and buckling loads). The second group has more than six degrees of freedom, accounts for local deformations of the cross-section, and provides accurate prediction of the detailed displacement and force distributions in the lattice. The accuracy and effectiveness of the continuum models developed are demonstrated by means of numerical examples.
Gene network inference via sparse structural equation modeling with genetic perturbations

Structural equation models (SEMs) have been recently proposed to infer gene regulatory network using gene expression data and genetic perturbations. However, lack of efficient inference method for SEMs prevents practical use of SEMs in the inference of relatively large gene networks. In this paper, relying on the sparsity of gene networks, we develop an efficient SEM-based method for inferring gene networks using both gene expression and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data. Simulated tests demonstrate that the novel method significantly outperform state-of-the-art methods in the field.
Deep-sea coral evidence for rapid change in ventilation of the deep North Atlantic 15,400 years ago

Coupled radiocarbon and thorium-230 dates from benthic coral species reveal that the ventilation rate of the North Atlantic upper deep water varied greatly during the last deglaciation. Radiocarbon ages in several corals of the same age, 15.41 ± 0.17 thousand years, and nearly the same depth, 1800 meters, in the western North Atlantic Ocean increased by as much as 670 years during the 30- to 160-year life spans of the samples. Cadmium/calcium ratios in one coral imply that the nutrient content of these deep waters also increased. Our data show that the deep ocean changed on decadal-centennial time scales during rapid changes in the surface ocean and the atmosphere.
Earth's Core-Mantle Boundary: Results of Experiments at High Pressures and Temperatures

Laboratory experiments document that liquid iron reacts chemically with silicates at high pressures (above 2.4 x 10 to the 10th Pa) and temperatures. In particular, (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite, the most abundant mineral of earth's lower mantle, is expected to react with liquid iron to produce metallic alloys (FeO and FeSi) and nonmetallic silicates (SiO2 stishovite and MgSiO3 perovskite) at the pressures of the core-mantle boundary, 14 x 10 to the 10th Pa. The experimental observations, in conjunction with seismological data, suggest that the lowermost 200 to 300 km of earth's mantle, the D-double-prime layer, may be an extremely heterogeneous region as a result of chemical reactions between the silicate mantle and the liquid iron alloy of earth's core. The combined thermal-chemical-electrical boundary layer resulting from such reactions offers a plausible explanation for the complex behavior of seismic waves near the core-mantle boundary and could influence earth's magnetic field observed at the surface.
Management of extensive tibial osteolysis with the Agility™ total ankle replacement systems using geometric metal-reinforced polymethylmethacrylate cement augmentation.

The Agility™ Total Ankle Replacement System, almost exclusively without polymethylmethacrylate cement fixation, was the most commonly used implant in the United States from 1998 to 2007. Much attention has been given to the intraoperative complications and incision healing-related problems. However, it is the intermediate- and long-term complications, specifically, aseptic osteolysis, talar component loosening, subsidence, and progressive malalignment, that require careful consideration, because the revision options are limited. We describe a technique for management of extensive talar aseptic osteolysis for revision of Agility™ total ankle replacement systems with use of geometric metal-reinforced polymethylmethacrylate cement augmentation. This technique preserves the subtalar joint, provides immediate component stability and restoration of component alignment and height, and is a cost-effective alternative to other available options and still allows for additional revision should late failure occur.
Ritual meaning in surgery

The term “ritual” is used in medicine primarily in a negative way. In a surgical context, it is usually used to refer to slavish, unthinking devotion to technique or method, or to unnecessary surgical procedures that have outlived their usefulness. But there is another aspect of ritual that has received far too little attention from medical writers: ritual in its anthropologic sense as a form of stylized behavior that serves as a vehicle for the transmission of meaning. Because a surgical operation is a structured process that takes place within a given social context, it can be analyzed as a “rite of passage” that helps move the patient from “illness” to “health.” Understanding the ritual aspects of surgical operations can help deepen the doctor-patient relationship and improve the quality of care given to surgical patients.
Uncoating protein (hsc70) binds a conformationally labile domain of clathrin light chain LCa to stimulate ATP hydrolysis

Abstract Uncoating of clathrin-coated vesicles is mediated by the heat shock cognate protein, hsc70, and requires clathrin light chains (LC a and LC b ) and ATP hydrolysis. We demonstrate that purified light chains and synthetic peptides derived from their sequences bind hsc70 to stimulate ATP hydrolysis. LC a is more effective than LC b in stimulating hsc70 ATPase and in inhibiting clathrin uncoating by hsc70. These differences correlate with high sequence divergence in the proline-and glycine-rich region (residues 47–71) that forms the hsc70 binding site. For LC a , but not LC b , this region undergoes reversible conformational changes upon perturbation of the ionic strength or the calcium ion concentration. Our results show that LC a is more important for interactions with hsc70 than is LC b and suggest a model in which the LC a conformation regulates coated vesicle uncoating.
On reaction rate constants and rate kernels

Abstract A simple model for a reversible isomerization reaction A ⇋ B is used to show how rate constants and their time-dependent generalizations can be related to microscopic reactive steps and nonreactive internal dynamics (e.g., vibrational relaxation).
Directed Energy Applications for High Power Vacuum Electronics

Vacuum electronics are an important enabling technology for directed energy weapons. The technologies developed by the vacuum electronics community have played in important role in the development of both high power microwave and millimeter-wave systems. Modeling and simulation, leading to virtual prototyping of sources, is now central to the development of vacuum electronics-based DEWs. The future of HPM and mm-wave DEWs rests on the vacuum electronics technology base
Plant defenses against oxidative stress.

Many reactive oxygen species such as ozone, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical, and organic oxyradicals have been implicated in damage to plant organs and biopolymers such as chloroplasts, cell membranes, proteins, and DNA. The principal defenses against these reactive molecules and free radicals in plants include detoxifying enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, etc.) and also lower molecular weight secondary products with antioxidant activity. These latter compounds include a great variety of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, nitrogenous, and sulfur-containing materials. Some of the more important mechanisms of action of the secondary compounds will be discussed, with emphasis on the use of structural and kinetic data to identify the most effective antioxidants against peroxy radical-induced damage, which is perhaps the most important of the oxidative stresses present in the usual environment of plants. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Best practices in commercial real estate financing: essential issues in negotiating A/B note intercreditor agreements

In this quarterly feature the nuts and bolts of loan document structuring and negotiations are investigated, as well as the closing process and loan administration. This issue's paper examines the most hotly negotiated legal issues between the senior and junior lenders in the context of A/B notes originated for the REMIC securitisation market, where both the senior (A) and junior (B) note share a mortgage interest in the same real property. The paper outlines the ways in which the holder of the B note may attempt to protect its interest in the face of actions by the A note holder that could otherwise modify or reduce the borrower's obligations to the B note holder, or eliminate the collateral for the B note. In each case, the author suggests typical compromise positions that should satisfy both the B note holder and the holders of all tranches of the securities backed by the A note. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications
Keynes, Meltzer and Involuntary Unemployment: The Intensional and Extensional Logic of Definitions

Critics often argue as if logical points were involved in definitions where in fact none such are present. Provided definitions are used consistently in a given context, each set will lead to perfectly accurate Fundamental Equations. . . . Moreover, there is a further point which critics are still more liable to overlook ? and one of very great practical importance to anyone who essays to write an intricate work on economics. A definition can often be vague within fairly wide limits and capable of several interpretations differing slightly from one another, and still be perfectly serviceable and free from serious risk of leading either the author or the reader into error, provided that any of the alternative definitions will do so long as it is used consistently within a given context. . . . (J.M. Keynes, 1979, p. 36)
Measurement of low-signal suppression and other parameters of the forced-choice psychometric function

Empirical forced-choice psychometric functions often depart in shape from those based on the theory of normal sensory-excitation distributions and optimal decision processes. The typical departure is that the detectability of small signals is too low compared to that of high signals. Some possible explanations were reviewed and it was emphasized that the source of the effect is not known with certainty. An extra parameter resembling a threshold was introduced for the measurement of the effect, and a method of moments was proposed for estimating the two parameters of the resulting two-alternative forced-choice psychometric function. The method was tried out with success in the task of detecting a 0.1-sec luminance increment to a steady adapting luminance of a large visual target. There were large amounts of low-signal suppression, indicating the advisability of reviewing some current psychophysical practices.
The Rodrigues Equations for the Composition of Finite Rotations: A Simple Ab Initio Derivation and Some Consequences

The well-known Rodrigues' equations for the composition of two finite rotations were introduced in 1840 without a detailed derivation. Although later derivations are available, the one presented here is very simple, is based on rotation results due to Euler, is essentially self-contained, and makes use of analysis techniques familiar to engineering students. As the Rodrigues equations have a strong connection to quaternions, this matter is considered in some detail. Then the equations are used to derive some general results concerning the angle and axis of the composite rotation. If α, β, θ and a, b, d indicate the rotation angles and axes for the two individual rotations and for the composite rotation, respectively, some of the results are as follows. (a) The value of θ does not depend on the order of the two rotations. (b) The vector d is equal to the sum of two vectors, one in the plane Π spanned by a and b, and one perpendicular to Π. Moreover, the vector in Π is always between a and b. (c) The rotation axes for the two possible composite rotations are symmetric with respect to Π. (d) The angle θ decreases from α + β to α − β as the angle between a and b increases from 0 to π. Finally, the Rodrigues equations are used to derive the equations corresponding to the composition of infinitesimal rotations, which are also derived using alternative approaches.
A diallel analysis of brain and body weight in male inbred laboratory mice (Mus musculus)

The inheritance of brain and body weights was analyzed via the diallel cross. Results indicated some conjoint and some separate genetic influences on brain and body weight. The results are discussed with respect to Darwinian fitness.
Placement of the pulmonary arterial catheter before anesthesia for cardiac surgery: A stressful, painful, unnecessary crutch

Cathetcrization of the pulmonary artery (PA) in patients with cardiac or major vascular disease is a popular practice. However, controversy surrounds the question of whether the PA catheter should be inserted before or after the induction of anesthesia. Review of the literature supports insertion after induction for several reasons. First, the information provided by a PA catheter may be misleading, since it does not provide a direct measurement of left ventricular function, but rather, an indirect reflection that is subject to many variables. Second, pharmacologic intervention before anesthesia to correct hemodynamic abnormalities detected by a PA catheter has not been shown to improve induction of anesthesia or outcome after cardiac surgery. Induction of anesthesia with synthetic narcotics in patients with either normal or abnormal hemodynamic function is fast and uneventful, making insertion of a PA catheter before induction unnecessary. Finally, the act of inserting a PA catheter produces cardiovascular stimulation that can lead to myocardial ischemia. Thus, insertion of a PA catheter can be more safely and rationally performed after the induction of anesthesia.
Associations among exercise duration, lameness severity, and hip joint range of motion in Labrador Retrievers with hip dysplasia

Objective—To evaluate factors associated with lameness severity and hip joint range of motion in dogs with hip dysplasia and to assess the association between hip joint range of motion and degree of lameness. Design—Prospective case series. Animals—60 client-owned Labrador Retrievers with hip dysplasia. Procedures—Owners completed a questionnaire regarding their dogs' daily exercise dura- tion and type (ie, low impact vs high impact) and lifestyle. Range of motion of affected hip joints was measured with a transparent plastic goniometer. The presence of subluxation or luxation of hip joints as a consequence of hip dysplasia and the size of the largest os- teophytes or enthesophytes of hip joints on ventrodorsal radiographic images of the pelvis were recorded. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with lameness, loss of hip joint flexion, and loss of hip joint extension and to identify factors as- sociated with the presence of large osteophytes. Results—Exercise was associated with a decrease in the severity of lameness in dogs with hip dysplasia. The strength of this inverse relationship increased with longer exercise dura- tion. Lameness was more severe in dogs with hip joint luxation than in dogs without luxa- tion. Hip joint extension was 1￻ lower for each year of age, and osteophyte or enthesophyte size was 1 mm larger with each 3-year increase in age. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Longer daily exercise duration was associated with lower lameness scores in dogs with hip dysplasia. Dogs with hip joint luxation secondary to hip dysplasia had higher lameness scores than did dogs without hip joint luxation. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2013;242:1528-1533)