cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Mutations That Dissociate G2 and Essential S Phase Functions of Human Ataxia Telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) Protein Kinase

ATR (ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related) contains 16 conserved candidate autophosphorylation sites that match its preferred S/TQ consensus. To determine whether any is functionally important, we mutated the 16 candidate residues to alanine in a single cDNA to create a 16A-ATR mutant. The 16A-ATR mutant maintains kinase and G2 checkpoint activities. However, it fails to rescue the essential function of ATR in maintaining cell viability and fails to promote replication recovery from a transient exposure to replication stress. Further analysis identified T1566A/T1578A/T1589A (3A-ATR) as critical mutations causing this separation of function activity. Secondary structure predictions indicate that these residues occur in a region between ATR HEAT repeats 31R and 32R that aligns with regions of ATM and DNA-PK containing regulatory autophosphorylation sites. Although this region is important for ATR function, the 3A-ATR residues do not appear to be sites of autophosphorylation. Nevertheless, our analysis identifies an important regulatory region of ATR that is shared among the PI3K-related protein kinase family. Furthermore, our data indicate that the essential function of ATR for cell viability is linked to its function in promoting proper replication in the context of replication stress and is independent of G2 checkpoint activity.
Cloning and expression of the porcine myogenin gene

Abstract Myogenin is a member of the myoD family of myogenic regulatory factors which direct the initiation of myogenesis during skeletal muscle development. Myogenin is responsible for the differentiation of proliferating myoblasts into myotubes and the absence of this factor results in severe muscular deficiency. Using PCR primers designed from mammalian myogenin sequences, a 215 bp PCR product was amplified from porcine genomic DNA and found to be 89.7% homologous to mouse myogenin. A porcine cosmid library was screened with the myogenin PCR probe and a 6.5 kb portion of a cosmid containing the pig myogenin gene was sequenced. The sequence includes 5´ flanking region, the entire protein coding region composed of three exons and two introns and 3´ flanking region. The protein coding region was highly conserved (≥92.5%) with mouse and human myogenin coding regions. Transfection of pig myogenin into C3H10T1/2 cells, a multipotential fibroblast cell line, resulted in 28% myogenic conversion assayed by cell...
You Don’t Forget Your Roots: The Influence of CEO Social Class Background on Strategic Risk Taking

Social class is increasingly recognized as a powerful force in people’s lives. Yet despite the long and extensive stream of research on the upper echelons of organizations, we know little about how...
A METHOD FOR QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF LONG WAVES

Abstract In an effort to find tools for the description of long waves in the upper troposphere in addition to those already available, the total field of motion aloft is divided into a nondivergent basic current and perturbations, following standard hydrodynamical methods of wave treatment. After this division the long waves appear in the form of closed perturbation centers so that latitude is added to longitude as a coordinate for defining long waves. Moreover, since the intensity of these centers is also given, the deepening and filling which they experience, as well as their displacements from day to day can be followed, much as in the case of highs and lows on the sea-level chart. Several other measurements that can be made with use of perturbation charts are also indicated. Two examples of the suggested technique are given, and some synoptic consequences are also discussed.
CVD of niobium germanides from partially reacted input gases

Abstract Thermodynamic calculations using Eriksson's SOLGASMIX computer program (15) were used to model changes in the chemical vapor deposition behavior of NbCl 5 -GeCl 4 -H 2 gaseous mixtures as the chemical reactions proceed from their initial stages toward their final equilibrium state. These illustrative modeling studies show the deposition behavior of this system is quite sensitive to changes in experimental variables and to partial reactions of the input gases. The deposition of single-phase Nb 3 Ge at all stages of the progressive CVD reaction processes is favored by the use of higher temperatures and higher concentrations of hydrogen.
Reaction kinetics for the high temperature oxidation of Pu-1wt.%Ga in water vapor

Abstract Oxidation of Pu-1wt.%Ga by water vapor was investigated between 100 and 540 °C at pressures ranging from 0.1 to 15 Torr. Three kinetic stages were identified for the reaction. Stages I and II were controlled by a diffusion process with an activation energy of 15 kcal mol −1 . The pressure dependence for the parabolic stage I process changed from P 0 to P 1 6 at pressures between 1.5 and 15 Torr. Stage II was linear and had a pressure dependence of P 1 4 . The type of pressure behavior for both stages suggests that the diffusing species is an oxygen ion instead of a hydroxyl ion. Stage III was an interface reaction with a linear rate proportional to P 1 and an activation energy of 2.7 kcal mol −1 . This stage is believed to be adsorption controlled.
A Pilot Program of High School Computer-Assisted Instruction Mathematics Courses

Two individually-adaptive mathematics courses for urban high school youth were developed by a Commonwealth CAI Consortium to help satisfy the ninth grade requirement for general mathematics and algebra in Pennsylvania. A description of the courses and of the computer system, and an analysis of the effectiveness of the CAI-mediated mathematics courses are the subjects of this paper.
Photothermally Reduced Graphene as High-Power Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Conventional graphitic anodes in lithium-ion batteries cannot provide high-power densities due to slow diffusivity of lithium ions in the bulk electrode material. Here we report photoflash and laser-reduced free-standing graphene paper as high-rate capable anodes for lithium-ion batteries. Photothermal reduction of graphene oxide yields an expanded structure with micrometer-scale pores, cracks, and intersheet voids. This open-pore structure enables access to the underlying sheets of graphene for lithium ions and facilitates efficient intercalation kinetics even at ultrafast charge/discharge rates of >100 C. Importantly, photothermally reduced graphene anodes are structurally robust and display outstanding stability and cycling ability. At charge/discharge rates of ∼40 C, photoreduced graphene anodes delivered a steady capacity of ∼156 mAh/ganode continuously over 1000 charge/discharge cycles, providing a stable power density of ∼10 kW/kganode. Such electrodes are envisioned to be mass scalable with relati...
Education, Experience, and Allocative Efficiency: A Dual Approach

A generalization of the dual, non-frontier profit function approach to evaluating allocative efficiency is developed that allows for training (human capital) variables to influence the efficiency level directly. An application to Pennsylvania dairy indicates that education and experience are substitutes and play a significant role in the level of efficiency. While these operators are not allocating their variable inputs in an absolutely efficient manner, relative efficiency can be achieved for four of six possible input combinations for prescribed levels of education and experience. Furthermore, the estimates of the efficiency measures suggest that these operators are maximizing production rather than short-run profits.
Dynamics of confined water reconstructed from inelastic x-ray scattering measurements of bulk response functions

Nanoconfined water and surface-structured water impacts a broad range of fields. For water confined between hydrophilic surfaces, measurements and simulations have shown conflicting results ranging from "liquidlike" to "solidlike" behavior, from bulklike water viscosity to viscosity orders of magnitude higher. Here, we investigate how a homogeneous fluid behaves under nanoconfinement using its bulk response function: The Green's function of water extracted from a library of S(q,ω) inelastic x-ray scattering data is used to make femtosecond movies of nanoconfined water. Between two confining surfaces, the structure undergoes drastic changes as a function of surface separation. For surface separations of ≈9 A, although the surface-associated hydration layers are highly deformed, they are separated by a layer of bulklike water. For separations of ≈6 A, the two surface-associated hydration layers are forced to reconstruct into a single layer that modulates between localized "frozen' and delocalized "melted" structures due to interference of density fields. These results potentially reconcile recent conflicting experiments. Importantly, we find a different delocalized wetting regime for nanoconfined water between surfaces with high spatial frequency charge densities, where water is organized into delocalized hydration layers instead of localized hydration shells, and are strongly resistant to `freezing' down to molecular distances (<6 A).
Syntheses with stable isotopes: Sodium cyanide‐13C, methane‐13C, methane‐13C‐d4, and methane‐d4

Hydrogenation of carbon-13C dioxide over ruthenium-on-alumina catalyst at 300–400°C produced methane-13C, which was passed with excess ammonia over platinum at 1000°C to give, after absorption of the product in sodium hydroxide solution, sodium cyanide-13C in 90% overall yield. Methane-13C-d4 and methane-d4 were prepared by reduction of carbon-13C monoxide and carbon monoxide, respectively, with deuterium.
Learning from special education reform movements in four continents

(1998). Learning from special education reform movements in four continents. European Journal of Special Needs Education: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 5-9.
Improvement in off-axis neuromuscular control through pivoting elliptical training: Implication for knee injury prevention

The goal of this study was to investigate the efficacy of off-axis neuromuscular control training using a pivoting elliptical machine. Although knee motion is mainly in flexion/extension, injuries to the knee are usually associated with excessive off-axis movement (tibial axial rotation and valgus/varus). A pivoting elliptical training system was developed to improve neuromuscular control about the off-axes. Six week training was conducted in nine healthy individuals and seven healthy individuals served as control and only participated in evaluation sessions. Our results showed that following the pivoting elliptical training, individuals were able to reduce pivoting instability across different phases of the elliptical cycle (p<0.01) and also mediolateral instability at mid and terminal swing phase (p<0.05). A trend of reduced response time and phase dependent changes in EMG patterns were also observed. The results showed that the pivoting elliptical training is effective to improve off-axis neuromuscular control in healthy individuals and such training protocol can potentially be implemented to prevent knee injury.
Intra-amygdala muscimol decreases operant ethanol self-administration in dependent rats

Dependence is an important factor motivating continued alcohol use in human alcoholics. Development of a model of ethanol (EtOH) consumption in dependent animals would advance the understanding of reinforcement after chronic EtOH exposure and allow for the investigation of the neuropharmacological mechanisms mediating reinforcement in dependent versus nondependent animals. In the present study, rats were trained to lever press for 10% EtOH, surgically implanted with bilateral guide cannulae in the amygdala, and either made dependent on EtOH by exposure for 2 weeks to EtOH or exposed to air in identical vapor chambers. Upon removal, the rats were placed in operant boxes and allowed to respond on levers for 10% EtOH or water during a 12-hr period. Rats were removed briefly at approximately 6.5 hr for intra-amygdala injections of saline or the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol. After the test period, rats were returned to the vapor chambers for 4 days before retest. EtOH-dependent animals responded more for EtOH across the 12-hr test period than did air control nondependent rats; this difference became more pronounced with repeated test sessions. Intra-amygdala muscimol significantly decreased responding for EtOH in EtOH-dependent rats, but had no effect in nondependent controls. These data suggest that the reinforcing effects of EtOH and neurotransmitter pathways mediating reward are altered after the development of dependence, and they support the use of this paradigm for further investigations into the neuropharmacology of EtOH dependence.
Phronesis, Clinical Reasoning, and Pellegrino’s Philosophy of Medicine

In terms of Aristotle’s intellectual virtues, the process of clinical reasoning and the discipline of clinical medicine are often construed as techne (art), as episteme (science), or as an amalgam or composite of techne and episteme. Although dimensions of process and discipline are appropriately described in these terms, I argue that phronesis (practical reasoning) provides the most compelling paradigm, particularly of the rationality of the physician’s knowing and doing in the clinical encounter with the patient. I anchor this argument, moreover, in Pellegrino’s philosophy of medicine as a healing relationship, oriented to the end of a right and good healing action for the individual patient.
Pathophysiology of Vascular Calcification

Vascular calcification can lead to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The initiating factors and clinical consequences depend on the underlying disease state and location of the calcification. The pathogenesis of vascular calcification is complex and involves a transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells to an osteo/chondrocytic cell that expresses RUNX2 and produces matrix vesicles. The imbalance of promoters (such as hyperphosphatemia and hypercalcemia) and inhibitors (e.g., fetuin-A) is critical in the development of vascular calcification. The altered mineral metabolism and deficiency in inhibitors are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is one reason why vascular calcification is so prevalent in that population.
Dynamic Manufacturing Process control

A system and method for linking Quality Function Deployment (QFD) data and actual process data is provided and uses a knowledge based expert system in combination with QFD principles to provide an interactive system capable of allowing dynamic changes to a manufacturing process in response to customer input regarding their requirements and ultimate satisfaction. The system expands upon a central element of QFD analysis, relationships between objects, by providing navigation and manipulation aids. Dynamic evaluation is possible and enables the detection of shifts in customer preference or needs. This is accomplished in part by remodeling the QFD House of Quality by enlarging it to accommodate additional matrices of data not previously associated with the QFD house. Further, a relational database is provided for correlating data about the manufacturing process and customer needs as well as new matrices, one of which maps product parameters to the customer data or the manufacturing process data. Another matrix identifies responsibility for control, or ownership of particular product parameters. Additionally, analysis methods and customer survey data can be identified by matrices added to the relational data-base.
A follow-up study of DSM-III-R generalized anxiety disorder with syndromal and subsyndromal major depression.

Objective: The authors examined the long-term outcome of generalized anxiety disorder with depressive symptoms utilizing both categorical and dimensional analyses. Method: Thirty-nine out-patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with depressive symptoms, both with (n=23) and without (n=16) syndromal major depression (MD) participated in an 11-week clinical trial. Approximately 18 months after initial screening, these individuals were once again evaluated using a structured diagnostic interview and a battery of rating scales. Results: Three distinct groups were discernible at follow-up. Twenty-three (60%) of the patients remained syndromal for GAD; 10 patients (43%) were in partial remission from GAD; six (15%) were asymptomatic. Of the 23 patients who were syndromal for MD at baseline, 13 (56%) remained syndromal for MD at follow-up. All of the patients who were syndromal for MD at follow-up remained syndromal for GAD as well. Conclusions: Outcomes in this study were quite divergent, though they support the concept of GAD as a chronic illness in most patients, with or without MD. The presence or absence of MD versus subsyndromal depression at baseline appeared to have relatively little impact upon the outcome. Patients with subsyndromal anxiety and depressive symptoms may be at special risk for syndromal disorders over time.
Why use noise

Measuring the dependence of visual sensitivity on parameters of the visual stimulus is a mainstay of vision science. However, it is not widely appreciated that visual sensitivity is a product of two factors that are each invariant with respect to many properties of the stimulus and task. By estimating these two factors, one can isolate visual processes more easily than by using sensitivity measures alone. The underlying idea is that noise limits all forms of communication, including vision. As an empirical matter, it is often useful to measure the human observer’s threshold with and without a noise background added to the display, to disentangle the observer’s ability from the observer’s intrinsic noise. And when we know how much noise there is, it is often useful to calculate ideal performance of the task at hand, as a benchmark for human performance. This strips away the intrinsic difficulty of the task to reveal a pure measure of human ability. Here we show how to do the factoring of sensitivity into efficiency and equivalent noise, and we document the invariances of the two factors.
Investigating the structure and measurement invariance of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure in a multiethnic sample of college students.

In this article, we evaluate the factor structure of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM; Phinney, 1992) and test whether the MEIM exhibits measurement invariance across ethnic groups taken from a diverse sample of students from 30 different colleges and universities across the United States (N = 9,625). Initial analyses suggested that a bifactor model was an adequate representation of the structure of the MEIM. This model was then used in subsequent invariance tests. Results suggested that the MEIM displayed configural and metric invariance across 5 diverse ethnic groups (i.e., White, Black, Hispanic, East Asian, and South Asian). There were indications that the MEIM displayed a similar factor structure with roughly equivalent factor loadings across diverse ethnic groups. However, there was little evidence of scalar invariance across these groups, suggesting that mean-level comparisons of MEIM scores across ethnic groups should be interpreted with caution. The implications of these findings for the interpretation and use of this popular measure of ethnic identity are discussed.
Role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa dinB-Encoded DNA Polymerase IV in Mutagenesis

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a human opportunistic pathogen that chronically infects the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality of people afflicted with this disease. A striking correlation between mutagenesis and the persistence of P. aeruginosa has been reported. In other well-studied organisms, error-prone replication by Y family DNA polymerases contributes significantly to mutagenesis. Based on an analysis of the PAO1 genome sequence, P. aeruginosa contains a single Y family DNA polymerase encoded by the dinB gene. As part of an effort to understand the mechanisms of mutagenesis in P. aeruginosa, we have cloned the dinB gene of P. aeruginosa and utilized a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches to characterize the activity and regulation of the P. aeruginosa DinB protein (DinB(Pa)). Our results indicate that DinB(Pa) is a distributive DNA polymerase that lacks intrinsic proofreading activity in vitro. Modest overexpression of DinB(Pa) from a plasmid conferred a mutator phenotype in both Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa. An examination of this mutator phenotype indicated that DinB(Pa) has a propensity to promote C-->A transversions and -1 frameshift mutations within poly(dGMP) and poly(dAMP) runs. The characterization of lexA+ and DeltalexA::aacC1 P. aeruginosa strains, together with in vitro DNA binding assays utilizing cell extracts or purified P. aeruginosa LexA protein (LexA(Pa)), indicated that the transcription of the dinB gene is regulated as part of an SOS-like response. The deletion of the dinB(Pa) gene sensitized P. aeruginosa to nitrofurazone and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide, consistent with a role for DinB(Pa) in translesion DNA synthesis over N2-dG adducts. Finally, P. aeruginosa exhibited a UV-inducible mutator phenotype that was independent of dinB(Pa) function and instead required polA and polC, which encode DNA polymerase I and the second DNA polymerase III enzyme, respectively. Possible roles of the P. aeruginosa dinB, polA, and polC gene products in mutagenesis are discussed.
A note on inorganic oxidation products of I-131 formed in biological systems.

Unknown 2 of Taurog, a soluble iodinated component formed on incubation of sheep thyroid homogenates with I131, is apparently an inorganic oxidation product of iodide. It can be formed in a system containing inorganic iodide, an alkaline buffer, and an inorganic oxidizing agent, and also occurred in some commercial Nal131 preparations. Unknown 2 does not seem to be a natural intermediate in the formation of thyroid hormone.
Design and evaluation of a second generation multi-technology field programmable gate array

In order to extend the flexibility, rapid prototyping and reusability benefits associated with conventional FPGAs into the multi-technology domain, the novel idea of a multi-technology field programmable gate array (MT-FPGA) has been suggested. In this paper we propose an improved version of the MT-FPGA which considerably optimizes speed, area and power when compared to the previous design. This innovative design is also equipped with dedicated carry-chain logic modules in the multi-technology logic clusters to efficiently perform several arithmetic operations. The improved design of the programmable I/O module provides greater observability and controllability. Results comparing the speed, area and power dissipation metrics between the two generations of the MT-FPGAs are presented. These can be used for closely predicting the performance of any M by N array MT-FPGA
Explore Mother’s Educational Expectations and Aspirations: A Case from China

The research presented explores determinants of mother’s educational expectations and aspirations. In contrast to the effects of social economic status (SES) that have been examined in previous research, I have focused on a set of social psychological variables. With the help of data collected from the Gansu Survey of Children and Families, a survey of Chinese 9 to 12-year-old children in rural areas, I have analyzed mothers’ educational expectations and aspirations for their children using multinomial logistic regression. Evidence suggests important effects of personality (specifically confidence) and subjective economic status on mothers’ educational expectations. This lends support to the “pushed-from-behind” theory of attainment in which educational decisions are at least partly driven by opaque (beyond individual consciousness) social psychological mechanisms. The results call for further incorporation of social psychological variables into scholarship on educational decisions, and more generally, into the field of educational stratification. Moreover, the results also shed light on the theoretical and conceptual differentiation between educational expectations and aspirations.
RACCOON: A Real-time Autonomous Car Chaser Operating Optimally At Night

Abstract : RACCOON is a vision system that tracks car taillights at night. It builds a global map in real time of the lead vehicle's position based on the location and separation of the taillights in a sequence of video images. RACCOON has been integrated into a car following experiment on the CMU Navlab II, a computer-controlled HMMWV testbed. The Navlab II safely followed a lead vehicle on a winding road in light traffic at 32 km/h.
Chip-packaging interaction in Cu/very low-k interconnect

Chip-Package interaction (CPI) has drawn much attention for very low-k (VLK) packaging technology development, especially as the electronic industry is moving from SnPb solder to lead-free solder. In this study, a multi-level finite element model is used to optimize the interconnect scheme from a packaging reliability point of view. Factors including top metal (or SiO 2 ) thickness, passivation dielectric layers, and bump pad structure are found to play key roles in packaging process and reliability.
Beam steering mechanism in phased vertical cavity laser arrays

Beam steering with optical phased arrays is accomplished by introducing a relative phase shift between array elements (McManamon et al., 2009). This is typically achieved by altering the refractive index difference between elements, which alters the optical path length of incident radiation traveling through the elements. Beam steering with VCSEL arrays has also been shown to rely on such a refractive index variation (Johnson et al.) which is implemented by adjusting the current injection to the elements. However, if we view the VCSEL array as a waveguide from the active region through the distributed Bragg Reflectors, it can be shown that the index-induced phase shift between elements would only account for less than 1/100th of the observed phase shift. It is thus evident that phased VCSEL arrays rely on a fundamentally different phase-shifting mechanism. To investigate this, we turn to coupled mode theory, which has previously been applied to the dynamics of coupled edge emitting laser arrays and phase tuning in injection-locked VCSELs.
Sphingomyelin, ORAI1 channels, and cellular Ca2+ signaling.

An immunologist, asked to connect sphingomyelin and T lymphocyte signaling, would likely think first of the sphingomyelin metabolite sphingosine-1-phosphate. That thought is understandable in light of the rapid progress that has been made in studies of sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling and its role
Total fundoplication is superior to partial fundoplication even when esophageal peristalsis is weak.

BACKGROUND: About a decade ago, partial (240 degrees) fundoplication became popular for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease in cases where the patient's primary esophageal peristalsis was weak. A total (360 degrees) fundoplication was reserved for patients with normal peristalsis (tailored approach). The theory was that partial fundoplication was an adequate antireflux measure, and by posing less resistance for the weak esophageal peristalsis to overcome, it would give rise to less dysphagia. Short-term results seemed to confirm these ideas. STUDY DESIGN: This study reports the longterm followup of patients in whom a tailored approach (type of wrap chosen to match esophageal peristalsis) was used, and the results of a nonselective approach, using a total fundoplication regardless of the amplitude of esophageal peristalsis. We analyzed clinical and laboratory findings in 357 patients who had an operation for gastroesophageal reflux disease between October 1992 and November 2002. Group 1 was composed of 235 patients in whom a tailored approach was used between October 1992 and December 1999 (141 patients, partial fundoplication and 94 patients, total fundoplication). Group 2 contained 122 patients in whom a nonselective approach was used (total fundoplication regardless of quality of peristalsis). RESULTS: In group 1, heartburn from reflux (ie, pH monitoring test was abnormal) recurred in 19% of patients after partial fundoplication and in 4% after total fundoplication. In group 2, heartburn recurred in 4% of patients after total fundoplication. The incidence of postoperative dysphagia was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that laparoscopic partial fundoplication was less effective than total fundoplication in curing gastroesophageal reflux disease, and compared with a partial (240 degrees) fundoplication, a total (360 degrees) fundoplication was not followed by more dysphagia, even when esophageal peristalsis was weak.
Matching of diffusion tensor images using Gabor features

This paper presents a novel method for feature-based matching of diffusion tensor images using the complete tensor information available at each voxel rather than limited scalar parameters such as the fractional anisotropy. In our method, we characterize each voxel by a rich rotationally invariant feature vector defined using Gabor filters. In order to obtain these features, the gabor filters are evaluated at multiple scales and frequencies and are oriented along the dominant direction of the tensors in a neighborhood around the voxel under consideration. The feature is able to obtain a fine to coarse description of each voxel and fully accounts for the highly oriented nature of the tensor data. The proposed matching paradigm based on these Gabor features has been tested on simulated and real images and produces good correspondences.
The Pervasiveness of 1/f Scaling in Speech Reflects the Metastable Basis of Cognition

Human neural and behavioral activities have been reported to exhibit fractal dynamics known as 1/f noise, which is more aptly named 1/f scaling. Some argue that 1/f scaling is a general and pervasive property of the dynamical substrate from which cognitive functions are formed. Others argue that it is an idiosyncratic property of domain-specific processes. An experiment was conducted to investigate whether 1/f scaling pervades the intrinsic fluctuations of a spoken word. Ten participants each repeated the word bucket over 1,000 times, and fluctuations in acoustic measurements across repetitions generally followed the 1/f scaling relation, including numerous parallel yet distinct series of 1/f fluctuations. On the basis of work showing that 1/f scaling is a universal earmark of metastability, it is proposed that the observed pervasiveness of 1/f fluctuations in speech reflects the fact that cognitive functions are formed as metastable patterns of activity in brain, body, and environment.
Using Domestic Water Analysis to Value Groundwater Recharge in the Hadejia'Jama'are Floodplain, Northern Nigeria

This article values the groundwater recharge function performed by the Hadejia—Jama'are flood-plain which is threatened by planned upstream water utilization schemes. Domestic consumption of groundwater resources for households dependent on groundwater resources is analyzed. Three types of households are identified as(i) those which collect all their water, (ii) those which purchase all their water, and (iii) those which both collect and purchase water. A behavioral model using a household production function approach is developed to model water demand and a panel formed by pooling contingent behavior and observed data is used to estimate demand. Welfare changes are calculated based on these estimates and on hypothetical reductions in the groundwater recharge rate. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.
Caenorhabditis elegans as an Experimental Organism

ThenematodewormCaenorhabditiseleganshasbeenthesubjectofintensivemolecularandgeneticanalysis.Thissimple metazoan animal was selected for two practicalreasons:ﬁrst,itisveryeasytodoC.elegansgenetics,andsecond,C.elegansiswellsuitedforelectronmicroscopicanalysis.SincethepioneeringworkofSydneyBrennerinthe late 1960s, several hundred laboratories around theworldnowstudydiverseﬁeldsofbiologyusingC.elegans.C.elegansistheonlyanimalforwhichtheentirecelllineageandsynapticconnectivityhavebeendetermined,andwasthe ﬁrst metazoan genome to be completely sequenced.Studies in C. elegans have contributed to our under-standing of many biological processes such as signaltransduction, embryogenesis, neural function, pro-grammed cell death and ageing. (
Inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type I

The virally encoded enzyme integrase plays a critical role in HIV-1 replication and has long been considered a promising target for the development agents to treat HIV-1 infection. However, it is only recently that the efficacy of integrase inhibitors has been demonstrated in experimental animal model systems of retroviral infection and in HIV-1 infected subjects. MK-0518 is the most advanced of the clinical candidates in this new class. MK-0518 has demonstrated robust efficacy in short term monotherapy studies and in phase 2 combinations studies in treatment naive subjects and in patients with multi-class resistance. Although the first integrase inhibitors are still in clinical development, insights from the study of integrase function and inhibitor mechanism of action as well as observations from clinical and animal studies suggest important implications for the development of this new antiretroviral class and the effect of these agents on HIV-1 infection.
Phenological Studies in the Mojave Desert at Rock Valley (Nevada Test Site)

Desert regions have an environment characterized by low moisture that is irregularly distributed in space and time, temperatures with large diurnal and seasonal ranges; and periodic strong winds. Plants in deserts have adapted to these conditions by a rapid response when conditions are favorable and to long periods of dormancy or inactivity under poor conditions. Thus they have a phenology that is closely related to rainfall and temperature and, in particular, to soil moisture. Our purpose is to determine the influence of environmental factors on phenology of desert shrubs in an area of the Mojave Desert.
Prevalence of short partial thromboplastin times in a military treatment facility.

ABSTRACTBackground: It was recently noted that a shortened activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) is associated with increased venous thromboembolic events. The prevalence of aPTT shortening remains unknown. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of aPTT results over a 2-month period. These results were not associated with patient clinical information. Results: We obtained 3,376 aPTT samples, which were analyzed in groups: 35.0 seconds (two standard deviations from our laboratory’s normal values). Eighty-six samples had aPTT 35.0 (31.5%). Using chi-square goodness-of-fit, we found a clinically significant greater-than-expected prevalence of low aPTT levels (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Although elevated aPTT samples could be explained by anticoagulation therapy, the reason for our findings of an increased number of low-aPTT studies remains unexplained. Further studies are required to investigate the cl...
Force decay and dimensional changes of thermoplastic and novel thermoset elastomeric ligatures.

ABSTRACT Objectives: To compare over a period of 8 weeks (1) the force decay and (2) the dimensional changes between thermoplastic (TP) and thermoset (TS) elastomeric ligatures. Materials and Methods: TP and TS elastomeric ligatures were obtained from Rocky Mountain Orthodontics™. The TS ligatures were custom made specifically for this study. The sample included 72 clear TP and 72 clear TS elastomeric ligatures. The experiment was performed in a simulated oral environment (pH of 6.75) at 37°C. The remaining forces and the dimensional changes were measured at different time points over a period of 8 weeks. Results: Student’s t-tests revealed significant differences in percent force loss, percent change in outer diameter, percent change in inner diameter, and percent change in wall thickness between TP and TS elastomeric ligatures across all time points (P .05). The mean ...
Chips at work: Picosecond Imaging Circuit Analysis

Picosecond pulses of hot electron luminescence are observed from individual submicron FETs in CMOS circuits. The pulses are synchronous with logic state switching. We have developed a method to simultaneously image and time resolve this weak emission. The emission has been used to measure AC operation of integrated circuits from a simple ring oscillator to a full microprocessor. Examples of circuit characterization and fault diagnosis are presented.
Insights on the identities of sharks of the Rhizoprionodon acutus (Elasmobranchii: Carcharhiniformes) species complex based on three new species of Phoreiobothrium (Cestoda: Onchoproteocephalidea)

Recent molecular work on milk sharks (Rhizoprionodon acutus [Ruppell]) suggests that, rather than a single widely distributed species, R. acutus represents a complex of four narrowly distributed cryptic species. Examination of the cestodes in three of the four members of that complex globally led to the discovery and description of three new species in the onchoproteocephalidean genus Phoreiobothrium Linton, 1889. The host associations and geographic distributions of the new species are fully congruent with the geographic distributions and species boundaries inferred for the sharks from molecular data: Phoreiobothrium jahki n. sp. parasitizes Rhizoprionodon cf. acutus 3 off Borneo, P. nadiae n. sp. parasitizes R. cf. acutus 1 off Senegal, and P. swaki n. sp. parasitizes R. cf. acutus 2 off northern Australia. The new cestodes differ from one another and from their 11 valid congeners in morphological features such as sublocular configuration and number, hook size, and testis number. Given the notoriously oioxenous nature of elasmobranch-hosted onchoproteocephalidean cestodes, these results provide further support for recognition of the milk shark species complex. This work also raises questions about the Phoreiobothrium species reported in cursory descriptions from India; further examination of these cestodes is key because they are potentially hosted by the fourth member of the R. acutus complex. To encourage future taxonomic work on the morphology of sharks in this complex, comparative photographs of representatives of the four potential host species are provided.
Methylcholanthrene Induced Tumors in Chickens

Abstract MANY investigators have attempted tumor induction in chickens with chemical carcinogens, principally tar (Murphy and Landsteiner, 1925; Mcintosh and Selbie, 1939), 3,4-benzpyrene (Oberling and Guerin, 1940; Rothbard and Herman, 1939), 20-methylcholanthrene (Duran-Reynals, 1952; Peacock and Peacock, 1953; Rigdon and Brashear, 1954) 1,2,5,6-dibenzanthracene (Berenblum and Kendal, 1934; Peacock, 1933) and 2-acetylaminofluorene (Campbell, 1955; Peacock and Peacock, 1954). Until recently, few attempts to produce carcinomas have been successful (Peacock and Peacock, 1949). In contradistinction, carcinogens, when injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously, have been shown repeatedly to induce sarcomas. This paper describes tumor induction in chickens following intraperitoneal injections of 20-methylcholanthrene (MCA). The reader is referred to Eastlick and Crispens (1959) for a preliminary report of the study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chickens. White Leghorn, New Hampshire and White Silkie bantam chicks were held until 6 weeks of age in brooder batteries, then moved to broiler batteries. Birds maintained for periods greater than 20 weeks …
Actively Controlled Hexapole Electromagnetic Actuating System Enabling 3-D Force Manipulation in Aqueous Solutions

This paper presents the design, modeling, and calibration of an overactuated and actively controlled hexapole electromagnetic actuating system, which is implemented to stabilize and propel a microscopic magnetic particle in aqueous solutions. Compared to the 2-D quadruple magnetic tweezers in the paper by Zhang et al. ( IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatronics , 2010) and the 3-D magnetic actuator in the paper by Zhang and Menq ( IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatronics , 2011), the new electromagnetic actuating system achieves significantly greater force generation capability and much improved controllability of 3-D force in the workspace. These improvements are accomplished through enhanced design and synthesis of the six electromagnetic poles and improved current allocation of the overactuated system. A lumped parameter hexapole force model of the system is derived and validated through experimental calibration. It is then used to devise inverse modeling, which is implemented to realize real-time current allocation to enable the most effective manipulation of the 3-D magnetic force exerting on the particle at the center of the workspace. The system is designed for use with live cell experiments.
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MEDICINES IN WARD PHARMACY OF PRIMARY HOSPITALS

Objective To discuss on the management of the medicines in ward pharmacy of primary hospitals and explore effective measures to improve the quality of medicines management. Methods Based on the real situation,managing the quantity of medicines in inpatient pharmacy,including the setting of the reasonable quantity,the procedures of storing and delivering,the quality control on the general medicines and the management of high- risk medicines,to improve the quality of management of the medicines in ward pharmacy. Conclusion The use of medicines in ward pharmacy of primary hospitals is becoming more and more standardized and rationalized by strengthening the management of the medicines in inpatient pharmacy.
Multilocus sequence typing of Enterobacter sakazakii isolated from foods and environment

Objective:Enterobacter sakazakii is a conditional pathogen of gram-negative belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family.Enterobacter sakazakii has come to prominence due to its association with infant infections,the ingestion of contaminated reconstituted infant formula,and may cause meningitis,necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC) and bacteremia.Research on the typing of Enterobacter sakazakii takes an important role on epidemiological investigation,tracking and preventing transmission.Methods: 19 Enterobacter sakazakii isolated from rice flour,milk powder,infant food and environment and a standard culture ATCC51329 were genotyped by multilocus sequence typing(MLST) with 7 loci: atpD,fusA,glnS,gltB,gyrB,infB and pps.Results: MLST analysis showed that there were 12 sequence types(STs) identified in 20 isolates,including 9 new sequence types.The discrimination index(DI) was 0.9263.Conclusion: MLST is a more robust means with high discrimination and accurate results for genotyping,which is useful to research for gene evolution and tracking to the source of Enterobacter sakazakii.
Exercise programs for older patients with dementia.

There is some evidence that exercise improves cognitive function and the ability to perform activities of daily living in patients with dementia.
Malnutrition and Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Malnutrition is prevalent in patients undergoing elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Malnutrition has been shown to be an independent risk factor for multiple postsurgical complications following TJA in addition to increasing postoperative mortality. In the current healthcare environment, it is important to recognize and correct modifiable risk factors preoperatively to minimize perioperative complications and improve patient outcomes. Recently, multiple studies have been published focusing on the association between malnutrition and perioperative complications following TJA. The findings of these studies are summarized in this review. Further research is required to determine if optimization of nutritional status preoperatively influence surgical outcomes in the elective TJA patient. Journal of Nature and Science (JNSCI), 2(3):e179, 2016.
We Miss You, James Evans Sr.

In 1974, the American sitcom, Good Times, introduced the fictional character of James Evans Sr. played by actor John A. Amos Jr. as the golden standard of black fatherhood. While featured on the sitcom for only three seasons, the magnitude of his character and the show’s overall influence on the black community are both forever sacred. Long before the black male fathers featured on sitcoms such as The Cosby Show (Dr. Heathcliff “Cliff” Huxtable), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Uncle Philip Banks), and Family Matters (Carl Winslow), James Evans Sr. stood as the black community’s flagship male role model. He is characteristically described as a strong, black family man who took honorable measures to protect his family from the pervasive structural and cultural forces that often destroy black families.
Autoantibody-Mediated Phenocopies of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases

Anticytokine autoantibodies represent an emerging mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of immune deficiency. In contrast to primary immune deficiencies caused by genetic mutations, which are present from birth and, as such, tend to manifest early and irreversibly, immune deficiency due to anticytokine autoantibodies may have a later onset and variable course. Anticytokine autoantibodies have been described in healthy hosts as well as a vast range of diseases, infectious, autoimmune, and malignant. Many of the anticytokine autoantibodies identified in these contexts are low-titer and, although limited functional data exist, it has been hypothesized that in some cases they are a physiologically normal effort to mitigate inflammation. In contrast, a group of diseases is emerging that are characterized by the development of one or a few high-titer and high-affinity anticytokine autoantibodies whereby the disease manifestations are a consequence of the cytokine pathway that is inhibited. Further evidence supporting their role in pathogenesis lies in genetic defects within the same signaling pathway in which a similar disease phenotype is observed. This chapter outlines the syndromes associated with anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis; anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies and severe immunodeficiency; anti-IL-17 A, anti-IL-17 F, and anti-IL-22 autoantibodies and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis; and anti-IL-6 autoantibodies and staphylococcal skin infection. While each syndrome has a unique clinical presentation, they are unified in their tendency to present as phenocopies of those patients with genetic mutations to their respective cytokine pathways.
Transmitters and Receptors in Nicotine Withdrawal Syndrome

Studies with rodent models have shown that, in addition to the nicotinic cholinergic system, nicotine withdrawal involves adaptations of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), endogenous opiate, neuropeptide FF, neuropeptide Y, and still other synaptic transmission systems. In some cases, these may contribute differentially to different nicotine withdrawal phenomena. For example, α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors may be critical for depression-like or anhedonic effects, while α3β4 receptors may be more involved with measures reflecting irritability, such as hyperalgesia and somatically expressed withdrawal behaviors. Thus, there is a link between the diversity of neurochemical adaptations and the diversity of nicotine withdrawal signs and symptoms.