cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A norditerpenoid alkaloid from Delphinium elatum

Abstract A new norditerpenoid alkaloid, elanine, and three known alkaloids, pacinine, delectinine and ajaconine, have been isolated from the seeds of Delphinium elatum . The structures of these alkaloids have been determined on the basis of their spectral data and chemical correlation. Oxidation of delpheline afforded pacinine. 13 C chemical shifts assigned to C-3, C-6, C-12 and C-18 of ajaconine have been revised on the basis of DEPT 13 C NMR measurements.
Pharmacology of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid

Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are triterpenoid compounds that exist widely in food, medicinal herbs and other plants. This review summarizes the pharmacological studies on these two triterpenoids. Both oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are effective in protecting against chemically induced liver injury in laboratory animals. Oleanolic acid has been marketed in China as an oral drug for human liver disorders. The mechanism of hepatoprotection by these two compounds may involve the inhibition of toxicant activation and the enhancement of the body defense systems. Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid have also been long-recognized to have antiinflammatory and antihyperlipidemic properties in laboratory animals, and more research is warranted to develop a therapy for patients. Recently, both compounds have been noted for their antitumor-promotion effects, which are stimulating additional research in this field. Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are relatively non-toxic, and have been used in cosmetics and health products. The possible mechanisms for the pharmacological effects and the prospects for these two compounds are discussed.
Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition: potential for antiseizure, antiepileptogenic, and epileptostatic therapy.

New epilepsy treatments are needed that not only inhibit seizures symptomatically (antiseizure) but also prevent the development of epilepsy (antiepileptogenic). The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway may mediate mechanisms of epileptogenesis and serve as a rational therapeutic target. mTOR inhibitors have antiepileptogenic and antiseizure effects in animal models of the genetic disease, tuberous sclerosis complex. The mTOR pathway is also implicated in epileptogenesis in animal models of acquired epilepsy and infantile spasms, although the effects of mTOR inhibitors are variable depending on the specific conditions and model. Furthermore, beneficial effects on seizures are lost when treatment is withdrawn, suggesting that mTOR inhibitors are “epileptostatic” in only stalling epilepsy progression during treatment. Clinical studies of rapamycin in human epilepsy are limited, but suggest that mTOR inhibitors at least have antiseizure effects in tuberous sclerosis patients. Further studies are needed to assess the full potential of mTOR inhibitors for epilepsy treatment.
Ubiquitination of HIV-1 and MuLV Gag.

Abstract Our previous biochemical studies of HIV-1 and MuLV virions isolated and identified mature Gag products, HIV-1 p6 Gag and MuLV p12 Gag , that were conjugated to a single ubiquitin. To study the importance of the monoubiquitination of Gag, a series of lysine to arginine mutants were constructed that eliminated ubiquitination at one or both of the lysines in HIV-1 NL4-3 p6 Gag and both lysines in Moloney MuLV p12 Gag . HPLC and immunoblot analysis of the HIV-1 mutants demonstrated that either of the lysines in p6 Gag , K27 or K33, could be monoubiquitinated. However, infectivity assays showed that monoubiquitination of HIV-1 p6 Gag or MuLV p12 Gag is not required for viral replication in vitro. Pulse-chase radiolabeling of HIV-1-producing cells revealed that monoubiquitination of p6 Gag does not affect the short-term release of virus from the cell, the maturation of Pr55 Gag , or the sensitivity of these processes to proteasome inhibitors. Experiments with protease-deficient HIV-1 showed that Pr55 Gag can be monoubiquitinated, suggesting that p6 Gag is first modified as a domain within Gag. Examination of the proteins inside an HIV-1 mutant found that free ubiquitin was incorporated into the virions in the absence of the lysines in p6 Gag , showing that the ubiquitin inside the virus is not initially brought in as a p6 Gag conjugate. Although our results establish that monoubiquitination of p6 Gag and p12 Gag is not required for viral replication in vitro, this modification may be a by-product of interactions between Gag and cellular proteins during assembly and budding.
Bovine Coronavirus 5′-Proximal Genomic Acceptor Hotspot for Discontinuous Transcription Is 65 Nucleotides Wide

Coronaviruses are positive-strand, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase-utilizing viruses that require a polymerase template switch, characterized as discontinuous transcription, to place a 5′-terminal genomic leader onto subgenomic mRNAs (sgmRNAs). The usually precise switch is thought to occur during the synthesis of negative-strand templates for sgmRNA production and to be directed by heptameric core donor sequences within the genome that match an acceptor core (UCUAAAC in the case of bovine coronavirus) near the 3′ end of the 5′-terminal genomic leader. Here it is shown that a 22-nucleotide (nt) donor sequence engineered into a packageable bovine coronavirus defective interfering (DI) RNA and made to match a sequence within the 65-nt virus genomic leader caused a template switch yielding an sgmRNA with only a 33-nt minileader. By changing the donor sequence, acceptor sites between genomic nt 33 and 97 (identical between the DI RNA and the viral genome) could be used to generate sgmRNAs detectable by Northern analysis (∼2 to 32 molecules per cell) by 24 h postinfection. Whether the switch was intramolecular only was not determined since a potentially distinguishing acceptor region in the DI RNA rapidly conformed to that in the helper virus genome through a previously described template switch known as leader switching. These results show that crossover acceptor sites for discontinuous transcription (i) need not include the UCUAAAC core and (ii) rest within a surprisingly wide 5′-proximal “hotspot.” Overlap of this hotspot with that for leader switching and with elements required for RNA replication suggests that it is part of a larger 5′-proximal multifunctional structure.
Development of an improved ELISA for antibody detection and use in production of a hybridoma secreting a monoclonal antibody specific for crystal protein of Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis.

Murine hybridomas were constructed by fusing spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized with soluble crystal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis (B.t.i) to the murine myeloma cell line SP2/O-AG14. A direct ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) for detection of antibodies specific for crystal protein of B.t.i. was modified to produce 100- to 1,000-fold increased sensitivity and was used to identify hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibody specific for the B.t.i. crystal protein. Analysis of the hybridoma culture supernatant fluid indicated production of monoclonal IgG3 antibodities, specific for the 68,000 dalton protein presumed to be the insecticidal δ-endotoxin of B.t.i.
Quality-optimized downlink scheduling for video streaming applications in LTE networks

As the next generation of all-IP mobile communication system, LTE offers unprecedented data transmission speed and low latency for a variety of applications and services. However efficient QoS provisioning for wireless networks is challenging due to unreliable and resource-constrained radio interface. In this paper, we investigate the important downlink scheduling problem in LTE networks with a focus on video streaming applications. Unlike the conventional scheduling rules which exploit the network layer metrics, our scheme is directly targeted on optimizing the application-layer video quality within the required end-to-end delay bound. The video quality optimized scheduling is formulated as a complex combinatorial optimization problem with an exponentially-growing search space. To solve this complex optimization problem, we exploit the GA (genetic algorithm) based metaheuristic approach. The intrinsic strength of population based solution of GA offers a superior advantage for this type of scheduling problems. Performance of the proposed crosslayer design and the GA solution is evaluated against the well-known M-LWDF scheduling rule and a trajectory method. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the GA based quality-optimized approach. It can enhance the video quality significantly and satisfy the delay bound.
Chemical composition of Pasadena aerosol by particle size and time of day. IV. Carbonate and noncarbonate carbon content

Abstract The carbon content of atmospheric particles is in the form of the element, organic compounds and carbonates. In urban aerosol the noncarbonate carbon is probably of anthropogenic origin. Carbonates more likely result from surface erosion. To obtain information on these matters we have developed a method for measuring 10 μg or more of carbon in size-segregated collections. The results of a preliminary study conducted during photochemical smog episodes in Pasadena, California, indicate that carbon in particulate matter measured as a function of size and time of day may be a useful indicator of aerosol origin. The carbonate C was consistently less than 1. 0 μg/m 3 . The noncarbonate C ranged from about 20 to 35 μg/m 3 and constituted from 18 to 44% of the total particulate matter.
PS186. Inferior Vena Cava Placement Utilization Among Over 250,000 Patients: National Trends, Complications, and Relative Contraindications

Objectives: Compression therapy is routinely used after endovenous saphenous ablation therapy (EVLT) for the treatment of varicose veins. The rationale for compression therapy is enhancement of vein closure and prevention of superficial thrombophlebitis (STP). A common patient complaint postoperatively is the discomfort elicited by the compression. The present work aims to determine whether compression therapy is necessary as an adjunct to EVLT. Methods: A total of 77 consecutive lower extremities in 62 patients were treated with EVLT. Forty-two of the treated extremities had postoperative compression, and 35 did not. All patients had duplex evaluation at 1 week after EVLT and then were clinically evaluated at 1 and 3 months. Primary end points were status of the treated vein, presence or absence of STP, and the degree of varicose vein resolution. Results: There was no difference between compression and no-compression groups in sex (63% vs 63% female), age (59 vs 55 years), CEAP class (C2-C3, 81% vs 91%; C3-C4, 19% vs 9%), extent of varicose veins ( 6 mm, 40% vs 34%), type of vein treated (great saphenous vein, 80% vs 66%; small saphenous vein, 9% vs 20%; accessory, 11% vs 14%) and operative variables. There was a 95% follow-up rate at 1 week, and all lower extremities demonstrated saphenous vein closure. Three patients in the compression group and no patients in the no-compression group had STP. No patients had deep venous thrombosis. At 1 month, both groups had the same rate of varicose vein regression and need for secondary procedures. Conclusions: Compression therapy does not add any further benefit to EVLT and therefore consideration should be given to eliminating it, thus simplifying and improving the postoperative recovery.
Mark tests for mirror self-recognition in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) trained to touch marks.

In Experiment 1, three capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) were exposed to a mirror in their home cage for 3 days and then given food treats for touching orange marks located on the surface of an experimental chamber. Following training, a mirror was added to the chamber to see if the monkeys would use it to guide non-reinforced contacts with an orange mark on their foreheads that was only visible as a mirror reflection (mark test). Two monkeys touched the head-mark more often with the mirror present than absent, but no mark touches were emitted while looking at the mirror. In Experiment 2, the monkeys were rewarded for touching orange marks on their bodies that were directly visible, followed by another head-mark test. Again, two monkeys touched the mark more often with the mirror present than absent, but these contacts were not emitted while looking at the mirror. Since facing the mirror while mark touching was not required for reinforcement during training, Experiment 3 further tested the possibility that increased mark touching in the presence of the mirror during Experiments 1 and 2 was the result of a memorial process. For this, a final, novel mark test was conducted using an orange mark on the neck that was only visible as a reflection (Experiment 3). No monkeys passed this test. These are the first mark tests given to capuchin monkeys. The results are consistent with the finding that no monkey species is capable of spontaneous mirror self-recognition. The implications of sequential training and mark testing for comparative evaluations of mirror self-recognition capacity are discussed. Am. J. Primatol. 69:989–1000, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Behavioral Coaching in the Development of Skills in Track

The use of behavioral coaching to improve track skills with three high school runners was examined. Subjects were trained using verbal instruction, modeling, and prompting for the specific behavior...
Robotic surgery in urologic oncology: gathering the evidence

In less than a decade, the widespread application of robotic technology to the field of urologic oncology has permanently altered the way urologists approach malignancy. The short-term benefits of minimally invasive surgery using robotic assistance (i.e., decreased blood loss, improved convalescence and ergonomic appeal), as well as a broad marketing campaign, have helped the technology gain traction in the field of urology. Although the long-term benefits of its use in urologic surgery are less clear and the costs of robotic surgery are consistently greater than those of other approaches, the numbers of prostate, kidney and bladder cancer cases continue to rise. Identifying transferable surgical processes of care that matter most for each of the robotic cases in urologic oncology (e.g., prostatectomy, cystectomy and partial nephrectomy) is a next step toward broadly improving the quality of urologic cancer care. To this end, urologic professional societies and their surgeons should aim to identify underw...
Role of Global Disease Assessment by Combined PET-CT-MR Imaging in Examining Cardiovascular Disease

Atherosclerosis is considered a chronic inflammatory disease, and thereafter the degree of this pathologic process is considered to be a major determinant in plaque stability and in forecasting future events. Over the past decade, (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography has become a well-established imaging modality in evaluating various inflammatory disorders, and has been shown to be very useful in evaluating plaque activity in major arteries. This emerging noninvasive imaging modality has great potential in evaluating plaque vulnerability and in predicting the risk of future rupture and consequent thrombosis.
College Women’s Feminist Identity: A Multidimensional Analysis with Implications for Coping with Sexism

This study examined components of women’s feminist identity and possible relations to their reported coping responses to sexism. A sample of 169 undergraduate women (M = 19.4 y, SD = 1.2) from diverse ethnic backgrounds completed surveys assessing their experiences and gender-related views. The first set of analyses revealed that women’s social gender identity, exposure to feminism, and gender-egalitarian attitudes independently contributed to feminist identification; moreover, non-stereotyping of feminists further predicted feminist self-identification. A second set of analyses tested the relative contribution of feminist identity components to women’s cognitive appraisals of coping responses to sexual harassment. Seeking social support was predicted by self-identification as a feminist (for White European American women only). Confronting was predicted by social gender identity, non-stereotyping of feminists, and public identification as a feminist. Findings highlight possible components of women’s feminist identity and their possible impact on coping responses to sexism.
Are social workers sexists? a replication

Dennis M. Dailey, DSW, is Associate Professor, School of Social Welfare, University of Kansas, Lawrence. This investigation was supported by Grant No. 3275 x 038 from the University of Kansas General Research Alloca tion. Versions of this article were presented at the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, Boston, Massachu setts, March 1979, and at the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists National Sex Institute, Washington, D.C., April 1979. The author wishes to thank Regina Mcintosh, Research Assistant, and Patricia Ewalt for helpful comments. One of a very few controlled studies replication of their study, indicating addressing the issue of sex-role stereothat if their findings are duplicated, typing in social work practice was the social workers may have to drastically article "Are Social Workers Sexists?" alter their assumptions about the ex by Fischer and his associates. The auistence of sexism in social work prac thors' intent was "to examine the postice, especially in regard to anti-male sibility that social workers, knowingly bias. or unknowingly, may have differential Although the use of replications in norms for the assessment and treatsocial work research is not as common
Stem Dynamics of the Shrub Alnus Incana SSP. Rugosa: Transition Matrix Models

We constructed transition matrices from observed rates of sprout production and stem growth in two New York state populations of a clonal shrub, Alnus incana ssp. rugosa. The largest real eigenvalue of the transition matrix, X, summarized current pop- ulation rates of growth. An old-field alder thicket showed slow population decline over all 3 yr of study. The other population, in an undisturbed natural swamp, showed decline in each year but overall increase when data from all 3 yr were combined. Sensitivity matrices were calculated from the stable size distributions and reproductive value vectors for each 3 yr matrix. Sensitivity of population growth rates to specific tran- sitions was illustrated by changing values of the matrix elements and calculating resultant X values. Population growth rates were least affected by changes in survivorship of small stems, and most affected by altering sprout production rates and large stem survivorship. Annual variations in demographic rates, and comparisons between actual stem size class distributions and the stable distributions predicted by the matrix models, confirmed the inadequacy of assuming constant transition probabilities. In such a case, transition matrix models are best viewed not as projections of long-term population behavior, but as indi- cators of current demographic trends.
The Business of Slow Journalism

This study examines the commercial viability of Slow Journalism in light of its recent efforts to reinvent the business model in the news industry today that relies heavily or exclusively on display advertising for revenue. Some Slow Journalism companies, such as De Correspondent and Delayed Gratification, have defiantly positioned themselves in opposition to advertising’s prominent role in mitigating free online news production and consumption, which they argue is both philosophically and financially anathema to the intimate journalist–reader interface. Still others, such as Narratively, have also eliminated display advertisements, but openly embrace brand sponsorship through events, creative agency, and native advertising. Touting visually pleasing high-end production values for immersive reading environments free of distracting display advertisements, many publishers promote a relation in which supply meets demand without undisclosed, conflicting third-party or corporate interest. This research explore...
Mediating the distal crime-drug relationship with proximal reactive criminal thinking.

This article describes the results of a study designed to test whether reactive criminal thinking (RCT) does a better job of mediating the crime → drug relationship than it does mediating the drug → crime relationship after the direct effects of crime on drug use/dependency and of drug use/dependency on crime have been rendered nonsignificant by control variables. All 1,170 male members of the Pathways to Desistance study (Mulvey, 2012) served as participants in the current investigation. As predicted, the total (unmediated) effects of crime on substance use/dependence and of substance use/dependence on crime were nonsignificant when key demographic and third variables were controlled, although the indirect (RCT-mediated) effect of crime on drug use was significant. Proactive criminal thinking (PCT), by comparison, failed to mediate either relationship. The RCT continued to mediate the crime → drug relationship and the PCT continued to not mediate either relationship when more specific forms of offending (aggressive, income) and substance use/dependence (drug use, substance-use dependency symptoms) were analyzed. This offers preliminary support for the notion that even when the total crime-drug effect is nonsignificant the indirect path from crime to reactive criminal thinking to drugs can still be significant. Based on these results, it is concluded that mediation by proximal reactive criminal thinking is a mechanism by which distal measures of crime and drug use/dependence are connected. (PsycINFO Database Record Language: en
The Discrete Kalman Filter

In Chapter 6, we discussed the problem of making recursive estimates of a random vector X. The problem was static in the sense that every measurement was used to update or improve the estimate of the same random vector X. We now consider the case where the random vector changes in time, between measurements, according to a specified statistical dynamic.
Mechanisms of DRA recycling in Intestinal Epithelial Cells: Effect of Enteropathogenic E. coli

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a food-borne pathogen that causes infantile diarrhea worldwide. EPEC decreases the activity and surface expression of the key intestinal Cl(-)/HCO3(-) exchanger SLC26A3 [downregulated in adenoma (DRA)], contributing to the pathophysiology of early diarrhea. Little is known about the mechanisms governing membrane recycling of DRA. In the current study, Caco-2 cells were used to investigate DRA trafficking under basal conditions and in response to EPEC. Apical Cl(-)/HCO3(-) exchange activity was measured as DIDS-sensitive (125)I(-) uptake. Cell surface biotinylation was performed to assess DRA endocytosis and exocytosis. Inhibition of clathrin-mediated endocytosis by chlorpromazine (60 μM) increased apical Cl(-)/HCO3(-) exchange activity. Dynasore, a dynamin inhibitor, also increased function and surface levels of DRA via decreased endocytosis. Perturbation of microtubules by nocodazole revealed that intact microtubules are essential for basal exocytic (but not endocytic) DRA recycling. Mice treated with colchicine showed a decrease in DRA surface levels as visualized by confocal microscopy. In response to EPEC infection, DRA surface expression was reduced partly via an increase in DRA endocytosis and a decrease in exocytosis. These effects were dependent on the EPEC virulence genes espG1 and espG2. Intriguingly, the EPEC-induced decrease in DRA function was unaltered in the presence of dynasore, suggesting a clathrin-independent internalization of surface DRA. In conclusion, these studies establish the role of clathrin-mediated endocytosis and microtubules in the basal surface expression of DRA and demonstrate that the EPEC-mediated decrease in DRA function and apical expression in Caco-2 cells involves decreased exocytosis.
Justice Frank Murphy, Michigan’s Leading Citizen

A profile of the varied legal career of Justice Frank Murphy (1890-1949). The article highlights Murphy’s service as a Recorder’s Court Judge and Mayor of the City of Detroit, Governor of the State of Michigan, Attorney General of the United States, and a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The essay appeared as part of the Michigan Bar Journal’s “Michigan Lawyers in History” series.
Ethics for the Ex-Juror: Guiding Former Jurors After the Trial

When jurors complete their service, they often encounter situations in which they must decide whether to reveal or discuss what went on in the jury room during their jury service. In the United States a prohibition of such speech by former jurors would generally run afoul of the First Amendment and be unenforceable. Nevertheless, there are ethical principles that former jurors should consider before speaking about their deliberations. This essay addresses those ethical considerations and canvasses situations in which former jurors might have to choose whether to talk, to whom to speak, and what to say. It concludes with a sample jury instruction on the topic for judges to give to jurors at the end of their service.
Modulation of Superficial Zone Protein/Lubricin/PRG4 by Kartogenin and Transforming Growth Factor-β1 in Surface Zone Chondrocytes in Bovine Articular Cartilage.

ObjectiveSuperficial zone protein (SZP)/lubricin/PRG4 functions as a boundary lubricant in articular cartilage to decrease friction and wear. As articular cartilage lubrication is critical for norm...
High-resolution paleoecological records from Lake Malawi show no significant cooling associated with the Mount Toba supereruption at ca. 75 ka

The impact of the ca. 75 ka Mount Toba (Indonesia) supereruption on regional and global climate has been controversial. East Africa is pivotal for qualifying this impact, specifically in addressing a hypothesis that this eruption caused a volcanic winter leading to a genetic bottleneck in anatomically modern human populations. If the Toba eruption caused a volcanic winter in East Africa, effects should be recorded in sediments from climatologically sensitive ecosystems. In deep tropical lakes, cooler temperatures would have reduced the density contrast between the epilimnion and hypolimnion, causing increased mixing, hypolimnion oxygenation, and enhanced nutrient advection. Such environmental changes produce noticeable and predictable responses in lake fossil assemblages and sediment loading. Here we present the first paleoecological evidence from East Africa of environmental conditions surrounding the eruption in a high-resolution (∼8–9 yr) analysis of two cores collected by the Lake Malawi Drilling Project. These cores contain an undisturbed record of sedimentation before, during, and after deposition of the youngest Toba Tuff. Concentrations of climate-sensitive ecological indicators such as phantom midges, diatoms, and other algae through a >270 yr interval bracketing the Toba cryptotephra show no unusual or sustained deviations from background variability within Lake Malawi associated with the hypothesized post-Toba cooling. We find no evidence for significantly enhanced mixing or ecosystem disturbance that would be anticipated following a volcanic winter.
BREBAJE PALO: A CASE STUDY AMONG THE INDIGENOUS HEALERS OF IQUITOS (PERU)

This study was conducted in the city of Iquitos (Peruvian Amazon) where the vast majority of indigenous healers use the psychotropic beverage ayahuasca, which owes its powerful effect mainly to the combination of two plant species, Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) C.V. Morton and Psychotria viridis Ruiz & Pav. Brebaje palo is an alternative psychotropic drink, which has a similar effect to that of ayahuasca but is prepared with other plants. This research aimed to understand the preparation, the modality of the healing session, the efficiency, and the pharmacognosy of this drink and compare it to ayahuasca. It was found that brebaje palo, made with bark of different plants, has similar characteristics to ayahuasca. Alkaloids are present in brebaje palo and this could explain the psychotropic activity of the beverage that may be considered an alternative to ayahuasca. Recently, the ecological sustainability of the species used as ingredients of brebaje palo and ayahuasca was studied, as they might be threatened due to the intense and indiscriminate use in the region.
A unified relation for the solid-liquid interface free energy of pure FCC, BCC, and HCP metals

We study correlations between the solid-liquid interface (SLI) free energy and bulk material properties (melting temperature, latent heat, and liquid structure) through the determination of SLI free energies for bcc and hcp metals from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Values obtained for the bcc metals in this study were compared to values predicted by the Turnbull, Laird, and Ewing relations on the basis of previously published MD simulation data. We found that of these three empirical relations, the Ewing relation better describes the MD simulation data. Moreover, whereas the original Ewing relation contains two constants for a particular crystal structure, we found that the first coefficient in the Ewing relation does not depend on crystal structure, taking a common value for all three phases, at least for the class of the systems described by embedded-atom method potentials (which are considered to provide a reasonable approximation for metals).
Analysis of the Influence of Mixed Path Soil on Lightning Radiation Magnetic Field

For improving the positioning and amplitude estimation accuracy of lightning detection,so as to realize the telemetry of lightning,we studied the law of lightning radiated magnetic field propagation along the mixed path soil,put forward the frequency-domain method to calculate the lightning radiation magnetic field above single-layer,double-layer,three-layer,as well as mixed path with arbitrary constitution soil,and obtained the time-domain calculation formula for lightning radiation magnetic field.Taking the double-layer and three-layer mixed path as example respectively,we investigated the effect of soil conductivity on lightning radiation magnetic field.The result indicates that the contribution of the soil is mainly embodied in the rise time of the lightning magnetic field.Based on the accuracy evaluation of the attenuation function for mixed path with arbitrary constitution,the simple method on the basis of Millington formula is recommended for the soil model of these types.Moreover,the inversion method of lightning current from observed lightning magnetic field waveform with consideration of mixed path is summarized.
Enrichment of activated carbon adsorption-flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of trace lead in beverages and copper

Objective:To improve flame atomic absorption spectrophotometric determination of lead and copper beverage sensitivity.Methods:The use of activated carbon adsorption in water phase can be characterized by elements of trace heavy metals,activated carbon absorption by the sample after elution of a certain acidity,samples were enriched not only by post-adsorption with the separation of interfering substances,direct flame atomic determination of absorption.Results:The lower limit of detection: Pb 0.05 mg/L,Cu 0.005 mg/L,the recovery rate Pb 88.0%~102.0%,Cu 92.0%~106.0%,to meet the analysis requirements.Conclusion:The use of activated carbon adsorption enrichment-flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of trace lead in beverages and copper.
Event Semantics for Service Composition in Pervasive Computing.

In a pervasive environment, prior knowledge of tasks is not always possible owing to the characteristic uncertainty of the tasks. Moreover, we may not be able to define any tasktemplate at all that can be modeled as a goal for a service composition process. In this paper, we have modeled a service composition process as an event-handling process in the domain of pervasive computing. We have also shown how event semantics (i.e. the initial and the final states) can define the way events should be handled by a particular pervasive system. The objective is to find the best eventtarget. This can only be guaranteed if the contexts of the end services producing such event-targets are compatible with the desired event-target contexts. This requires a source service whose context is compatible with that of the event to be handled. Thus, we define Context-Aware Ontology Framework for Events and Services, called CAOFES, which lies in the semantic formalization of the contextual effects of environmental dynamics that can be brought about by services and events. In addition, we present formal definitions of the three different compatibilities: service-toservice compatibility, service-to-event compatibility, and service-to-event target compatibility. The notion of these compatibilities form the essential basis for logically integrating contexts of services participating in a composition process into event-specific contextual boundaries called a Situation Boundary (SB). We have evaluated the performance of compatibility computation of the proposed SB model based on randomly generated service network and contextual information.
Aortic homograft obstruction.

At the Mayo Clinic from September, 1967, to November, 1972, 128 patients underwent operations in which an aortic homograft was used to establish right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery continuity. Recently, we studied 18 of these patients who had calcified, obstructed aortic homografts. Seven patients had histories of significant dysrhythmias, all of which required medication and two of which were life threatening. Seventeen of the patients had systemic or suprasystemic pressure in the right ventricle before replacement of the calcified homografts. After replacement of the homograft with a Hancock prosthesis, the pressure in the right ventricle of 12 patients was one half the systemic pressure or less. There were no operative deaths, and only 2 patients developed any significant postoperative problems.
Henry Agard Wallace - The First Vice-President to Develop Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and the Early ALS Research Program at the National Institutes of Health - "Reflections of an ALSer" (P2.399)

Objective: Review the thoughts of former Vice-President Henry Agard Wallace on the cause and course of his terminal amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Background: Henry Agard Wallace, an agricultural expert whose development of higher-yielding corn strains resulted in major advances in plant genetics, was the Secretary of Agriculture from 1933-1940 and then the 33rd Vice President of the United States from 1941-1945 under Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was the editor of the liberal weekly The New Republic from1946-1947 before running for President in 1948 for the Progressive Party. He was the author of America Must Choose (1934), The Century of the Common Man (1943), Sixty Million Jobs (1945) and The Long Look Ahead (1960). Methods: Review of primary historical sources Papers of Henry A Wallace Series X: Writings by Wallace Articles 1941-1997 http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/scua/msc/tomsc200/msc177/index_articlesby1941to1977.htm Series X: Box 12 "Reflections of an ALSer" and secondary sources. Results: Henry Agard Wallace developed left foot drop in 1964 while climbing a pyramid in Guatemala several days following chewing on and spitting out a bitter nut in El Salvador that he was told was poisonous. Wallace eagerly pursued treatment at the National Institutes of Health then headed by WK Engel MD. ALS spread from his left leg to his left arm. He noted that “The labor of eating was equal to running half a mile” Originally at odds with Rachel Carson regarding her book Silent Spring, Wallace began to study whether his ALS was related to pesticide exposure from his agricultural work. Conclusions: Henry Agard Wallace faced his ALS with attention to detail and equanimity. He left NIH after establishing the Henry Agard Wallace Fellowship at George Washington University and the National Institutes of Health to promote the continuation of ALS clinical research at NIH. Disclosure: Dr. Brooks has nothing to disclose.
Luteal phase serum estradiol and progesterone in in vitro fertilization

One hundred seventy-five cycles in patients with irreparable tubal disease were stimulated by human menopausal gonadotropin/human chorionic gonadotropin for the purpose of in vitro fertilization. The pregnancy rate was found to be related to the height and pattern of serum estradiol (E2) response in the follicular phase. The mean serum E2 and progesterone (P) during the luteal phase showed no statistically significant difference between the pregnant and nonpregnant patients in the series except after luteal day 11. The mean serum E2 in most of the luteal phase days was highest in the high responders followed by the normal and the low responders. However, the mean P values were similar for the high and normal responders but higher than the low responders on cycle days 18, 20, and 22. The mean serum E2 and P in the luteal phase showed no statistically significant difference among the three most common patterns. This was also true for the pregnant and nonpregnant values in each category of height and pattern of response. We concluded that the success and failure of in vitro fertilization was probably less related to the peripheral E2 and P in the luteal phase than to the number and quality of eggs.
Is outcome after blunt splenic injury in adults better in high-volume trauma centers?

An association between outcome and case volume has been demonstrated for selected complex operations. The relationship between trauma center volume and patient outcome has also been examined, but no clear consensus has been established. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has published recommendations on optimal trauma center volume for level 1 designation. We examined whether this volume criteria was associated with outcome differences for the treatment of adult blunt splenic injuries. Using a state trauma database, ACS criteria were used to stratify trauma centers into high-volume centers (>240 patients with Injury Severity Score >15 per year) or low-volume centers, and outcome was evaluated. There were 1,829 patients treated at high-volume centers and 1,040 patients treated at low-volume centers. There was no difference in age, gender, emergency department pulse, emergency department systolic blood pressure, or overall mortality between high- and low-volume centers. Patients at low-volume centers were more likely to be treated operatively, but the overall success rate of nonoperative management between high-and low-volume centers was similar. These data suggest that ACS criteria for trauma centers level designation are not associated with differences in outcome in the treatment of adult blunt splenic injuries in this regional trauma system.
Constructing and refining causal explanations from an inconsistent domain theory

Recent work in the field of machine learning has demonstrated the utility of explanation formation as a guide to generalization. Most of these investigations have concentrated on the formation of explanations from consistent domain theories. I present an approach to forming explanations from domain theories which are inconsistent due to the presence of abstractions which suppress potentially relevant detail. In this approach, explanations are constructed to support reasoning tasks and are refined in a failure-driven manner. The elaboration of explanations is guided by the structuring of domain theories into layers of abstractions. This work is part of a larger effort to develop a causal modelling system which forms explanations of the underlying causal relations in physical systems. This system utilizes an inconsistent, common-sense theory of the mechanisms which operate in physical systems.
Time-Series Analysis for Forecasting Asphalt-Cement Price

AbstractVariations in the price of asphalt cement have become a serious challenge for Departments of Transportation in proper budgeting of transportation projects. This issue has also pressed contractors in their efforts to develop appropriate cost estimates for transportation projects. Although the price of asphalt cement increases over the long term, it is subject to significant short-term variations. In the current state of practice, the following approaches have been utilized to predict the future price of asphalt cement: (1) adding a fixed percentage of the estimated total cost of asphalt cement to escalate the price of asphalt cement (i.e., adding a risk premium); (2) inflating the estimated cost of asphalt cement to the expected midpoint of construction period to estimate the total cost of asphalt cement; and (3) conducting Monte Carlo simulation analysis to characterize uncertainty about future price of asphalt cement. None of these methods consider autocorrelation in the historical records of asp...
Humanitarianism’s Proselytism Problem

Debates about the ethics of humanitarianism increasingly recognize the significance of faith-based organizations in the provision of aid. Critics charge that the primary problem with faith-based groups, especially Christian organizations, is their propensity to proselytize. We agree that proselytism is problematic. However, we argue that the focus on religious agents alone indicates a secularist presumption and lack of knowledge about the complexity of religious ethics that a) tend to mask significant differences among Christian groups in their ethics of aid, and b) prevent scholars from addressing an additional form of undue pressure in aid provision. We call this undue pressure “donor proselytism.” Our interviews with Christian groups in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and the United States demonstrate the contestation among Christian humanitarians about what constitutes proselytism. Our interviews and NGO conference observations also show how donor pressures shape aid to conform to neoliberal conceptions of efficiency, sustainability, and measurable results. Ultimately, we assert that donor proselytism is in fact the more pervasive of the two. Both scholars and policymakers, therefore, should take into account the complexity of religious ethics regarding proselytism as well as the power of donor proselytism to affect the lives of those receiving humanitarian assistance.
Web Browser Intelligence: opening up the Web

The World-Wide Web has brought us two important resources: ubiquitous browsers and a global information repository. In the current model, these two resources are tightly coupled. By introducing the concept of a programmable intermediary between browser and server, Web Browser Intelligence (WBI) has relaxed this coupling. WBI allows the browser to execute arbitrarily complex commands using the network of Web servers as an information resource. This architecture enables automatic personalization of the Web for individual users, automatic restructuring of information on servers, and collaboration among Web users.
AUTOMOBILE EXHAUST EMISSION CONTROL BY CATALYSTS

This paper presents a short history of the use of catalysts for controlling automobile exhaust emissions in the United States from 1975 through 1989. The evolution of catalyst materials over that time period is reviewed.
Chaperone activity of human small heat shock protein-GST fusion proteins

Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a ubiquitous part of the machinery that maintains cellular protein homeostasis by acting as molecular chaperones. sHsps bind to and prevent the aggregation of partially folded substrate proteins in an ATP-independent manner. sHsps are dynamic, forming an ensemble of structures from dimers to large oligomers through concentration-dependent equilibrium dissociation. Based on structural studies and mutagenesis experiments, it is proposed that the dimer is the smallest active chaperone unit, while larger oligomers may act as storage depots for sHsps or play additional roles in chaperone function. The complexity and dynamic nature of their structural organization has made elucidation of their chaperone function challenging. HspB1 and HspB5 are two canonical human sHsps that vary in sequence and are expressed in a wide variety of tissues. In order to determine the role of the dimer in chaperone activity, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) was genetically linked as a fusion protein to the N-terminus regions of both HspB1 and HspB5 (also known as Hsp27 and αB-crystallin, respectively) proteins in order to constrain oligomer formation of HspB1 and HspB5, by using GST, since it readily forms a dimeric structure. We monitored the chaperone activity of these fusion proteins, which suggest they primarily form dimers and monomers and function as active molecular chaperones. Furthermore, the two different fusion proteins exhibit different chaperone activity for two model substrate proteins, citrate synthase (CS) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH). GST-HspB1 prevents more aggregation of MDH compared to GST-HspB5 and wild type HspB1. However, when CS is the substrate, both GST-HspB1 and GST-HspB5 are equally effective chaperones. Furthermore, wild type proteins do not display equal activity toward the substrates, suggesting that each sHsp exhibits different substrate specificity. Thus, substrate specificity, as described here for full-length GST fusion proteins with MDH and CS, is modulated by both sHsp oligomeric conformation and by variations of sHsp sequences.
Note on the Geometry of Solids

Using Lesniewski's Mereology,Tarski based 3-dimensional geometry on the primitive "sphere". This note is a simplification.
Measuring Interpersonal Liking as a Cognitive Evaluation: Development and Validation of the IL-6

The purpose of the present project is to present a conceptually derived, six-item, interpersonal liking measure (the IL-6) based on a cognitive evaluation of liking. Results from three studies with a total sample size of N = 1,959 indicate high reliabilities (ranging from .87 to .91) across studies. Results of confirmatory factor analyses are reported along with data supporting content, criterion, discriminant, and convergent validity. Results indicate that the IL-6 is both valid and reliable and is a short but effective means for accurately assessing interpersonal liking across various relational contexts.
Mechanisms of Insecticide Resistance in a Strain of Cat Fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)

Possible mechanisms of insecticide resistance were investigated in a known-resistant strain of cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis Bouche. In the acetylcholinesterase study, ability of two insecticide...
Introduction: Who’s Afraid of Hilda Hilst? An Author Between Brazil and “World Literature.”

Among Brazilian writers, scholars, and critics, Hilda Hilst (1930–2004) is certainly not a well-kept secret. Her work received numerous prizes, generated a significant critical bibliography, and inspired a legion of devoted readers. Although her reach outside Brazil does not match that of better-known authors such as Machado de Assis and Clarice Lispector, her versatility remains unparalleled. Not only do her dozens of works span poetry, fiction, and drama; they also encompass a variety of styles and registers from across classical, medieval, and early modern lyrical traditions, and prose styles associated with both high modernism and postmodern literature. Yet her writing is often unmistakable and seldom derivative. In spite of her growing prestige, Hilda Hilst remains controversial among readers of Portuguese. Frequently provocative and sometimes hermetic, her literature elicits a constant tension between a desire for recognition and communication, and an aversion to banality. Hilda Hilst’s texts never fail to push the boundaries of readers’ expectations.
Abstract 262: Preferences for Primary versus Specialty Palliative Care Among Patients With Heart Failure

Background: More than 5 million people in the USA suffer from heart failure (HF). Palliative care (PC) is both a clinical subspecialty and overall approach to care that focuses on promoting serious...