cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Helicobacter pylori RNA polymerase α-subunit C-terminal domain shows features unique to ɛ-proteobacteria and binds NikR/DNA complexes

Bacterial RNA polymerase is a large, multi-subunit enzyme responsible for transcription of genomic information. The C-terminal domain of the α subunit of RNA polymerase (αCTD) functions as a DNA and protein recognition element localizing the polymerase on certain promoter sequences and is essential in all bacteria. Although αCTD is part of RNA polymerase, it is thought to have once been a separate transcription factor, and its primary role is the recruitment of RNA polymerase to various promoters. Despite the conservation of the subunits of RNA polymerase among bacteria, the mechanisms of regulation of transcription vary significantly. We have determined the tertiary structure of Helicobacter pylori αCTD. It is larger than other structurally determined αCTDs due to an extra, highly amphipathic helix near the C-terminal end. Residues within this helix are highly conserved among ɛ-proteobacteria. The surface of the domain that binds A/T rich DNA sequences is conserved and showed binding to DNA similar to αCTDs of other bacteria. Using several NikR dependent promoter sequences, we observed cooperative binding of H. pylori αCTD to NikR:DNA complexes. We also produced αCTD lacking the 19 C-terminal residues, which showed greatly decreased stability, but maintained the core domain structure and binding affinity to NikR:DNA at low temperatures. The modeling of H. pylori αCTD into the context of transcriptional complexes suggests that the additional amphipathic helix mediates interactions with transcriptional regulators.
Biological autoxidation. I. Decontrolled iron: an ultimate carcinogen and toxicant: an hypothesis.

Abstract Ionic iron at physiological pH hydrolyzes into insoluble aggregates, which disperse on slight acidification. Uncontrolled ionic iron promotes autoxidation, which crosslinks biomolecules and produces destructive activated oxygen. Defenses against autoxidative crosslinking include: 1. ferritin, the macromolecular scavenger of iron; 2. metabolic turnover, which prevents irreversible crosslinking through early catabolic degradation and replacement; and 3. enzymatic deactivation of oxygen. I am proposing that the anticrosslinking defenses are defeated by transient actions of metabolic perturbations, toxicants, oxidants and "foreign bodies", which cause oxidative crosslinking of proteins and lipids into irreversible tissue imprint: indigestible bodies containing porous limited-access spaces (LASs). The pores exclude the macromolecular ferritin and the digestive and antiautoxidation enzymes but admit ionic iron which, sheltered from ferritin, accumulates into decontrolled-iron pathogen (DIP). DIP utilizes the energy of ambient pH fluctuations to erupt from the LAS, swamp the available ferritin, poison the surroundings, catalyze autoxidation and crosslink cell components into additional LAS carriers. With time and sufficient promotion by pH fluctuations or metal-complexing agents, DIP and LAS expand. DIP injures through heavy-metal inhibition of life processes and catalysis of autoxidation. Typically, carcinogenic initiators are protein denaturants, cell poisons, "foreign bodies" and autoxidation catalysts. These are DIP-initiating properties, and DIP may be a preneoplastic stage of carcinogenesis. A DIP-model interpretation is given for the growth of asbestos bodies. DIP is an inorganic parasite. It may envelope and attack phagocytized particles.
Gas Evolution from a Solid Rocket Propellant during Depressurization to Produce a Quench

Mass flow rate of gas evolution from burning solid rocket propellant during transient depressurization of combustion chamber
Treatment of cement variables in the domain decomposition method for Maxwell’s equations

In this contribution we focus our attention on the cement variables of the DDM and consider their theoretical and practical treatment. We first determine the correct functional space of the continuous variables and then examine two possible representations in the VFEM. One choice is shown to provide superior solver convergence though its use results in sub-optimal error convergence. We then propose and validate a remedy to this problem by special treatment of non-planar interfaces. Finally, we demonstrate the scalability of the resulting method.
Distinct developmental profiles in typical speech acquisition

Three- to five-year-old children produce speech that is characterized by a high level of variability within and across individuals. This variability, which is manifest in speech movements, acoustic...
Acid phosphatase activity: a marker of androgen action in prostate explant cultures.

Acid phosphatase activity in rat ventral prostate explants has been assayed to determine if this parameter could serve as a specific and quantitative marker of androgen action in this in vitro model. Dihydrotestosterone (10 nM) caused an absolute increase in both total (42.5 +/- 2.9 vs control 27.1 +/- 4.0 nmoles p-nitrophenol generated in 30 min/micrograms DNA, P less than .01) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity (34.1 +/- 1.5 vs control 17.2 +/- 2.8 U/micrograms DNA, P less than .05), and this effect was maximal on the 4th day of culture. This was the time when explant weight and DNA content tended to fall or only to be maintained by androgen. Similar changes were observed with the potent synthetic androgen, mibolerone. The addition of either the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate or flutamide in a 100-fold excess to that of androgen caused significant inhibition in acid phosphatase activity. No significant change was observed at low concentrations of estradiol or progesterone, and only minimal and inconsistent increases in activity were noted at high concentrations. No increase was noted when cortisol, cyproterone acetate, or flutamide was added to the media. We conclude that measurement of acid phosphatase activity in cultured explants of rat ventral prostate provides a biochemical marker of androgenicity that is more specific than measurement of [3H]-thymidine incorporation.
A research bibliography on the Förster, Dexter, and Inokuti-Hirayama fluorescence models

Abstract I have prepared an annotated research bibliography on the Forster, Dexter, and Inokuti-Hirayama parametric fluorescence models. It is available upon request.
Review of Calculation vs. Context: Quantitative Literacy and Its Implications for Teacher Education by Bernard L. Madison and Lynn Arthur Steen (Editors)

Madison, Bernard L. and Steen, Lynn Arthur (Eds.). Calculation vs. Context: Quantitative Literacy and Its Implications for Teacher Education. (Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 2009). 197 pp. Softcover. ISBN 978-0-88385-908-7. Available free on the MAA website at http://www.maa.org/ql/ calcvscontext.html The papers in Calculation vs. Context discuss the role of quantitative literacy in the K-12 curriculum and in teacher education. The papers present a varied set of perspectives and address three themes: the changing environment of education in American society; the challenges, and the necessity, of preparing teachers to teach quantitative literacy and of including quantitative literacy in the K-12 education; and cross-disciplinary approaches to quantitative literacy. While the conclusion reached by several of the authors is that the best place to teach quantitative literacy is at the college level, the book offers serious considerations of how quantitative literacy can and should inform the K-12 curriculum. The book also marks a turning point in the quantitative literacy movement as “QL explorers,” as Lynn Steen calls them, move beyond issues of definitions and content to a discussion of how to bring quantitative literacy into a broader setting.
Horizontal Burning Rates of Fabrics with Low Add-Ons of Fire Retardant:

Plain-weave, scoured, and bleached cotton (103 g/m2) and polyester/cotton (92 g/m2) fabrics were treated with two durable, fire-retardant, durable-press finishes. The retardants were based on Fyrol 76® (contained phosphorus) and Caliban® F/R P®-44 (contained bromine). Oxygen index (OI) and horizontal burning rates at atmospheric oxygen concentration were studied with emphasis on fabrics with low add-ons of the retardants.OI values increased as add-ons increased; however, the OI values were increased about twice as much by 2% add-on at low levels of add-on as with 2% at high levels of add-on. Rate of burning of both type fabrics was greatly affected by very low add-ons of the retardant. The burning rate of cotton with about 1 to 3% add-on was increased as much as 58%; that of the polyester/cotton was increased 24%. The increased burning rate is apparently related to theamount of cotton in the fabric. Polyester/cotton (PE/C) fabric required substantially less retardant than cotton to become self-extinguishi...
The cost of data flow testing: an empirical study

A family of test data adequacy criteria employing data-flow information was previously proposed, and a theoretical complexity analysis was performed. The author describes an empirical study to determine the actual cost of using these criteria. The aim is to establish the practical usefulness of these criteria in testing software and provide a basis for predicting the amount of testing needed for a given program. The first goal of the study is to confirm the belief that the family of software testing criteria considered is practical to use. An attempt is made to show that even as the program size increases, the amount of testing, expressed in terms of the number of test cases sufficient to satisfy a given criterion, remains modest. Several ways of evaluating this hypothesis are explored. The second goal is to provide the prospective user of these criteria with a way of predicting the number of test cases that will be needed to satisfy a given criterion for a given program. This provides testers with a basis for selecting the most comprehensive criterion that they can expect to satisfy. Several plausible bases for such a prediction are considered. >
The role of perceived risk on purchase intention in internet shopping

The growth of internet marketing encourages marketing researchers to look at how traditional consumer behaviour theories and models apply in the internet context. The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and scope of consumers' perceived risk in internet purchasing based on traditional consumer behaviour research methodologies. Using a national sample of internet purchasers in USA, the results of the study supported the generalisation that the relationship between risk and purchase that has been found in catalogue and in-store retailing also holds to internet retailing. Risk is detrimental to the internet purchase decision. Consumers perceive more convenience risk, monetary risk, functional risk, and physical risk than social risk or psychological risk in purchasing on the internet. Positive purchase experience that reduces perceived risk increases the probability of purchase on the internet.
Alternate representations of stochastic processes with applications to infinitesimal perturbation analysis

Alternate representations of stochastic processes and their implication for derivative estimation for discrete event dynamic systems are considered. Beginning with the trivial case of a single random variable, conditions on the necessary form of such representations are developed. The extension to stochastic processes is discussed. >
Proton magnetic resonance spectra of variously treated nylon 66

A proton NMR study on variously treated nylon 66 has been made to gain additional information on hydrogen bonding in solids. The nylon sample was found to be 48% amorphous based on the deuterium exchange of amide protons. The broad line NMR spectra of all samples consisted of a superposition of a broad and narrow component at all temperatures studied. Dried nylon and dried deuterated nylon afforded identical NMR spectra. This identity was interpreted as indicating a possible electrostatic rather than overlap description of hydrogen bonds in amorphous regions. Additives, such as water, deuterium oxide, methanol, and deuterium methoxide, lowered the temperature at which the narrow-component line width was further reduced. Such effect was consistent with other studies that indicated such additives were associated with hydrogen bonds in amorphous regions of the polymer. This effect appeared to saturate at a concentration of additive equal to that for the amide functions in the amorphous regions. Contrary to our previous studies, little difference in spectra were found for proteo and the corresponding deutero additives.
The effect of bivalve excurrent jet dynamics on mass transfer in a benthic boundary layer

Predictions of phytoplankton depletion by benthic bivalves in shallow, tidally driven estuaries must account for the formation of concentration boundary layers resulting from the dynamic interaction of bivalve siphonal currents with the overlying turbulent boundary layer. To study the near-bed hydrodynamics of the benthic boundary layer, we conducted experiments in a laboratory flume using multiple jets and sinks to represent feeding by the siphonate species Tapes japonica and Potamocorbula amurensis. Refiltration fractions were determined by monitoring the concentration of dye ingested by incurrent siphons, and PLIF (planar laser- induced fluorescence) was used to characterize the concentration fields. Results show that refiltration fractions can be as high as 48% and are a function of several dimensionless parameters: animal spacing (S/d,), velocity ratio (Uj : u*), siphon height (h,ld,), and crossflow Reynolds number (Re,). (S is the mean distance between animals, d, the excurrent siphon diameter, h the animal siphon height, ui the excurrent jet velocity, and u* the mean shear velocity.) WC found that a good estimate of maximum refiltration (n,,, ) based on animal spacing is (nmax, Y/d,) M 2-3 and have incorporated this result into a conceptual mass-transfer model. Differences in concentration profiles calculated from PLIF images are likely due to the relative influence of four sources of turbulence in the Ilow: boundary-layer shear, boundary roughness, jet in a crossflow,, and multiple jet interactions.
Return of ambiguity attacks

The ambiguity attack, or invertibility attack, was described several years ago as a potential threat to digital watermarking systems. By manipulating the invertibility of watermark embedding, one could negate or subvert the meaning of a copyright mark. These attacks were easily prevented, however, with the appropriate application of one-way functions and cryptographic hashes in watermarking protocols. New research in watermarking, however, has caused the ambiguity attack to resurface as a threat, and this time it will not be as easy averted. Recent work in public-key watermarking create scenarios in which one-way functions may be ineffective against this threat. Furthermore, there are also positive uses for ambiguity attacks, as components in watermarking protocols. This paper provides an overview of the past and possible future of these unusual attacks.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cutaneous vascular and core temperature responses to sustained cold exposure in hypoxia.

We tested the effect of hypoxia on cutaneous vascular regulation and defense of core temperature during cold exposure. Twelve subjects had two microdialysis fibres placed in the ventral forearm and were immersed to the sternum in a bathtub on parallel study days (normoxia and poikilocapnic hypoxia with an arterial O(2) saturation of 80%). One fibre served as the control (1 mM propranolol) and the other received 5 mM yohimbine (plus 1 mM propranolol) to block adrenergic receptors. Skin blood flow was assessed at each site (laser Doppler flowmetry), divided by mean arterial pressure to calculate cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC), and scaled to baseline. Cold exposure was first induced by a progressive reduction in water temperature from 36 to 23°C over 30 min to assess cutaneous vascular regulation, then by clamping the water temperature at 10°C for 45 min to test defense of core temperature. During normoxia, cold stress reduced CVC in control (-44 ± 4%) and yohimbine sites (-13 ± 7%; both P 0.05). We conclude that hypoxia increases cutaneous (non-noradrenergic) vasoconstriction during prolonged cold exposure, while core cooling rate is not consistently affected.
Use of human immunoglobulin in addition to glucocorticoids for the initial treatment of dogs with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.

Objective –To determine the utility of human intravenous immunoglobulin (hIVIG) for the initial treatment of canine immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA). Design –Blinded, randomized, clinical trial. Setting –Veterinary teaching hospital. Animals –Twenty-eight, client-owned dogs with primary IMHA. Interventions –At enrollment, after diagnosis of IMHA, dogs were randomly assigned to receive either hIVIG or placebo, in a blinded fashion. For the next 14 days, all dogs received glucocorticoids as the sole immunosuppressant agent. All dogs received low-molecular-weight heparin as an anticoagulant. D-dimer concentrations were evaluated at the beginning and end of the study protocol to monitor for thromboembolic complications. Measurements and Main Results –Twenty-five of 28 dogs (89%) were discharged from the hospital. Thirteen of those received hIVIG and 12 received placebo. Twenty-four dogs (86%) were alive 14 days after enrollment, and of these 13 received hIVIG and 11 received placebo. D-dimer concentrations were elevated in 86% of all dogs at the time of diagnosis. Conclusions –For initial treatment of dogs with IMHA, the addition of hIVIG to corticosteroid treatment did not improve initial response, nor did it shorten hospitalization.
Concurrence via entanglement witnesses

We derive an experimentally observable lower bound on concurrence of mixed quantum states in terms of an entanglement witness, relating measurements on single states with those on two copies.
Ensuring content and intention consistency in real-time group editors

Real-time group editors allow distributed users to work on local replicas of a shared document simultaneously to achieve high responsiveness and free interaction. Operational transformation (OT) is the standard method for consistency maintenance in state-of-the-art group editors. It is potentially able to achieve content consistency (convergence) as well as intention consistency (so that the converged content is what the users intend), while traditional concurrency control methods such as locking and serialization often cannot. However, existing OT algorithms are often not able to really guarantee consistency due to important algorithmic flaws that have been there for fourteen years. We present a novel state difference based transformation (SDT) algorithm to solve the problem. Our result also reveals that the standard priority schemes to break ties in distributed systems should be used with more caution.
Sidelobe mitigation in MIMO radar with multiple subcarriers

This paper presents the studies on the reduction of peak sidelobe level in distributed MIMO radar with multiple subcarrier signals. Multiple subcarriers with sufficient frequency spacing become an alternative to increasing the number of sensors for sidelobe reduction. It is shown that the multiple subcarrier signals are most effective in reducing sidelobes at locations far from the target. Two signaling methods, namely continuous carrier transmission and Gaussian-OFDM signals are studied with respect to the sidelobe mitigation properties. The paper also presents an upper bound to the peak sidelobe level considering the non-coherent combining. It is shown that with non-coherent combining, the peak sidelobe of the localization metric scales down as 1/MNLsin(3π/2L) where L is the number of subcarriers, and M, N are the number of transmit and receive sensors. While there are grating lobes present in the metric with non-coherent combining, there is a grating lobe free region around the mainlobe, lower bounded by ρ = ±Lρ 0 /2B . With coherent processing, multiple subcarriers are effective in reducing the sidelobes as well as grating lobes.
Reducing energy consumption in residential buildings in Charlottesville, Virginia

The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) has been investing its efforts in convincing homeowners in Charlottesville, Virginia to renovate their homes for reduction of energy consumption. Although LEAP had conducted a focus group, which emphasized comprehending homeowners' perceptions about home energy efficiency renovations, and determined several potential incentives that could lead homeowners to renovate their homes, the organization was ambivalent about how to present the incentives in an effective manner. By applying human factors knowledge and statistical analysis to the problem, the objective of informing and educating the residents in the community about retrofits and resulting benefits and, in turn, convincing them to renovate their homes can be met. The results of the focus group revealed that retrofit costs were the main barrier while potential savings in utility bills were the main incentive for homeowners to renovate their homes. Therefore, presenting real case scenarios of home retrofits appeared most feasible. Through observations and studies of the process and the results of past home retrofits, home profile conceptual designs were formulated. The designs display retrofit costs, returns on investments, and factors, other than renovations, that could have potentially affected savings results. Secondary incentives such as comfort, environmental impact, civic duty, and trust in contractors were also incorporated into the home profiles as appropriate. Once several variants of home profile designs were created, homeowners from Charlottesville viewed the profiles and the effectiveness of each was measured. Effectiveness was statistically measured in terms of how well each design informs and educates the viewers about retrofits and resulting benefits and, in turn, convinces them to renovate their homes. Although the usability test did not suggest a clear-cut winner from the several alternative designs, strengths and weaknesses of each design were determined.
Local Interference with Deciduoma Formation in the Rat by an Intrauterine Foreign Device

Experiments were designed to study the relationship between the site of uterine trauma and the location of an intrauterine foreign device (IUFD) on the production of a decidual reaction in the rat. After two estrous cyces were observed an IUFD (3 to 6 mm of 3-0 braided silk suture) was placed in the lumen of the cervical half of one uterine horn. Two estrous cycles were again observed, and at estrus of the third cycle the cervices were stimulated with a glass rod. On day four of pseudopregnancv a specific part of the uterus was traumatized. The rats were divided into groups according to the location of the trauma: control (opposite) horn (8 anima’s), at the IUFD (11 animals), slightly below the IUFI) (7 animals), slight!v above the IUFD (11 animals), and remote from the IUFD (8 animals). The animals were autopsied three days later. The decidual response occurred with different intensities, the greatest being in the control uterine horns and in that group traumatized farthest from the IUFD .A lesser decidual reaction was present in rats traumatized just above the IUFD. In the other groups there were no gross changes and only a few scattered dccidual cells were seen microscopically. Evidently the inhibitory effect of the SUED is primarily local and not widespread throughout the uterine horn.
Determination of a Consistent Time for the Extratropical Transition of Tropical Cyclones. Part II: Potential Vorticity Metrics

As a tropical cyclone moves poleward and interacts with the midlatitude circulation, the question of whether it will undergo extratropical transition (ET) and, if it does, whether it will reintensify or dissipate, is a complex problem. Uncertainties include the tropical cyclone, the midlatitude circulation, the subtropical anticyclone, and the nonlinear interactions among these systems. A large part of the uncertainty is due to a lack of an understanding of when extratropical transition begins and how it progresses. In this study, absolute potential vorticity and isentropic, or Ertel’s, potential vorticity is examined for its ability to more consistently determine significant times (i.e., beginning or end) of the ET life cycle using the Navy Operational Global Assimilation and Prediction System gridded analyses. It is found that isentropic potential vorticity on the 330-K potential temperature isentropic level is a good discriminator for examining the extratropical transition of tropical cyclones. At this level, a consistent ‘‘ET time’’ is defined as when the TC-centered circular average of isentropic potential vorticity reaches a minimum value. All 82 tropical cyclones moving into the midlatitudes meet this criterion. The completion of extratropical transition for the reintensifying cases is defined as when the storm exceeds an isentropic potential vorticity threshold value of 1.6 PVU at the 330-K potential temperature isentropic level. The success rate of this threshold value for the completion of extratropical transition for the reintensification cases is found to be 94.3% with a 27.6% false-alarm rate.
Assessing situational curiosity and motivation in open-ended design electives

Our institution has recently committed to develop five new entrepreneurially-minded elective courses called “IDEAS studios”. The entrepreneurially-minded aspects of IDEAS studios include close interaction with industrial partners and an emphasis on topics such as value proposition, opportunity recognition, intellectual property, and customer engagement. We hypothesize that in addition to specific topics and competencies these courses facilitate develop attitudinal skills needed for an entrepreneurial mindset. Such skills — which include persistence, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control — typically cannot be measured using standard assessment methods. In this work-in-progress, we have identified seven structural attributes of IDEAS studios which we hypothesize support the courses' ability to foster the attitudinal aspects of an entrepreneurial mindset. We have designed and are in the process of conducting a study of students enrolled in these courses to assess the impact of both the courses as a whole and the individual attributes on students' situational motivation and curiosity. We hypothesize that the open and student-centered nature of IDEAS studios will foster greater curiosity and intrinsic motivation than will courses that lack these seven attributes. This paper reports on a pilot study of students enrolled in IDEAS studios to assess the impact of these seven structural attributes on students' situational motivation and curiosity.
Parkinson-Like Tremor Production by Transcranial Stimulation

The mode of anesthesia and sleep production by electrical current remains an enigma. Numerous reports have appeared on satisfactory anesthetic states produced by wide range of frequencies, various levels of current and different types of electrodes(1,2). The attraction of electroanesthesia (EA) is the immediate recovery from the anesthetic state once the electrical current is off. Electrosleep (ES) offers a potential alternative to electroconvulsive therapy due to its low current levels (3). However, widespread use of these procedures must be guarded until the mechanism of action is more clearly elucidated.
Tests of QED with Intense Lasers

We have seen in the previous chapters that many materials respond nonlinearly to an externally applied electric field. On the other hand, Maxwell’s equations for the electromagnetic (em) field in vacuum are absolutely linear. This conclusion is not valid any more if we include quantum-mechanical effects, such as the production of particles from the vacuum, in the description of the em field. The particles need not be real but can be virtually produced and reabsorbed (in a time interval t) as long as the uncertainty relation E t ’ h holds. Such processes are at the center of all calculations in quantum electrodynamics (QED) and also endow the vacuum with nonlinear properties. That the vacuum would exhibit nonlinear behavior in the presence of em fields was recognized over 70 years ago [1, 2, 3] and since then QED has been developed into a highly accurate theory in perfect agreement with all observations. However, it is only recently that direct experimental evidence was obtained on the nonlinear behavior of the vacuum in the production of eþe pairs in photon–photon collisions. One expects to observe such nonlinear effects in the presence of strong em fields. Indeed, the interaction of electrons with the intense fields at the focus of short laser pulses has been considered by many authors. Some typical early work is that of refs. [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The scattering of visible light from a free electron can be understood classically and leads to the well-known Thomson cross-section. However, in an intense field the motion of the electron can become relativistic and this results in the emission of higher harmonics of the incident light. This nonlinear effect is particularly pronounced in the interaction of intense lasers with atomic electrons. An early observation of harmonic generation in laser free electron scattering was reported in [9]. A more recent and detailed study of nonlinear Thomson scattering of an intense laser from quasi-free electrons is given in [10].
Le désir et la trace : écritures de l’impensable

L'evolution psychiatrique - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since jeudi 7 janvier 2016
Vernetzung und Modularisierung - (Re-)Organisation von Medienunternehmen

Die Medienindustrie ist eine der dynamischsten Branchen in Deutschland. Auch wenn sie verglichen mit anderen Branchen relativ klein ist, so wachst sie schneller. Der Anteil der Medienausgaben am privaten Verbrauch stieg in den vergangenen Jahren [Seuf96a, 169] und es spricht einiges dafur, das diese Entwicklung sich fortsetzen wird. Allein in den Jahren 1992 bis 2010 wird sich die Nachfrage nach Medienprodukten und -diensten mehr als verdreifachen [Seuf96b, 503]. Diese immense Wachstumsdynamik stellt die Fuhrung in vielen Unternehmen vor umfassende Neu- und Reorganisationsaufgaben.
The Role of Mindfulness in Kairos

The natural inclination of writers is toward mindlessness or inattention to the present moment despite the benefits understanding the present can bring to writing. Although temporal consciousness i...
Preference for photographs as a function of frequency of presentation

Frequency of presentation has been shown to increase preference for music and nonsense syllables. Evidence also suggests that frequency of interpersonal contact increases liking. These considerations led to the prediction that ratings of photographs of young men would become more favorable as a function of frequency of presentation. This prediction received support in a sample of 80 undergraduate females.
Active Biaxial Mechanical Properties of Bladder Wall Tissue

The urinary bladder is a smooth muscle organ whose main functions are to store and to void urine. Since the most important aspect of the storage function of the bladder is to maintain low intravesical pressure in order to protect the upper urinary tract from backflow of urine, the compliance of the bladder wall is one of the key functional paramters to assess the health of this organ. Previously, our laboratory reported, for the first time, the biaxial mechanical properties of bladder wall tissue in the inactive state (in the absence of calcium in the testing bath solution and thus smooth muscle contraction was abolished) (Gloeckner et al. 2002). The bladder in vivo, however, normaly exhibits passive smooth muscle tone during filling and active contraction during voiding. Therefore, in order to completely characterize the bladder tissue mechanical behaviors, it is necessary to examine the load-deformation relationship of the bladder under the passive and active states. In the present study, a novel experimental model was designed to allow collection of biaxial stress-strain data from urinary bladder wall tissue under passive, active and inactive states.© 2003 ASME
Rulers and the Ruled: Patterned Inequality and the Onset of Mass Political Violence

The theory of patterned inequality between rulers and ruled provides a valuable analytic approach to the relationship between inequality and political violence. Under conditions of a bifurcated pattern of inequality, the probability of political violence is likely to be greater than under a more generalized inequality typically measured by the Gini index. A strong systematic relationship between patterned inequality in Latin American landholdings and deaths from political violence was discovered using the exponential distribution as a model for the lower portion of the land distribution and the log-exponential for the upper. This degree of association was far stronger than that found between the Gini index of land inequality in Latin America and deaths from political violence. Evidence supporting the theory was also found in an analysis of Middle Eastern landholdings.
Comment on Pickersgill's “Cultivated Plants as Evidence for Cultural Contacts”

Pickersgill has proposed situations in which cultivated plants cannot be used as evidence for contacts between areas, and are evidence against contacts. Alternative hypotheses involving contacts are presented. Pickersgill's examples of “independent” domestications are also questioned.
Analysis of the financial security level and organization staffing of county centers for disease control and prevention in Henan Province

Objective To provide related financial data and suggestions for the effective operation of all levels of disease control and prevention institutions,promote the healthy development of county center for disease control and prevention.Methods Selected 29 county centers for disease control and prevention from Henan Province by randomly stratified sampling,analyzed the financial data about staff,income and expenditure,financial security.Results The results indicated that there were some problems in the county-level disease control and prevention institutions,such as serious supernumerary,imbalance of staffing,balance of payments structure need to be optimized,single source of income and low level of financial security.Conclusion Accelerate innovations in the reform of disease prevention and control system and mechanism,strengthen the government responsibility and set up and improve the financial security mechanism; intensify the administration and supervision and improve the utilization efficiency of fiscal fund.
Evaluationof the long-term effect of transurethral resection of the prostate and open prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia

Objective To evaluate the long-term effect of open prostatectomy(OP) and transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH).Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted.Patients with BPH were treated with OP or TURP.In the 3rd,6th and 12th month during follow-up,IPSS and BPHQLS were adopted to evaluate IPSS and quality of life of patients.Results The score of IPSS of both groups reduced,while the score of quality of life rose.The lower urinary tract symptoms of both groups had no difference in the 3rd,6th and 12th month.The quality of life of the OP group(278.95±19.68,291.91±59.14) was higher than that of TURP group(252.59±18.85,253.49±29.52) in the 3rd and 12th month.Conclusions Both OP and TURP can improve the lower urinary tract symptoms,but OP has more strength in improving the long-term quality of life than TURP.
The ethics of complementary and alternative medicine.

1. Brenda J. Mears, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas at Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Tex. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is being used by a significant segment of society. To aid families who are using or considering CAM, pediatricians need to educate themselves about the available modalities and make this information available to these families. (1)(2) The 2007 National Health Interview Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics estimated that 38.2% of adults and 11.8% of children had used some type of CAM in the preceding 12 months. (3) The rates may range as high as 70% in some groups. (4) In one survey, 87% of pediatricians had been asked by patients or parents about CAM, although as many as 66% may not tell their physicians when they do use CAM. (4)(5) Some of the cost of this care may be covered by insurance or government programs, but much is paid directly by families. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health defines CAM as “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.” Everything from whole medical systems such as homeopathy or naturopathy; mind-body medicine such as meditation, prayer, yoga, biofeedback, hypnosis, guided imagery, and art or music therapy; biologically based practices such as herbs, vitamins, and nutritional therapy; manipulative and body-based practices such as chiropractic or massage; and energy medicine such as biofield and bioelectromagnetic therapies has been considered CAM by some people. (6) When families use alternative medicine, these therapies are used instead of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine uses these therapies as …
Selective Disruption of the AKAP Signaling Complexes

Synthesis of the second messenger cAMP activates a variety of signaling pathways critical for all facets of intracellular regulation. Protein kinase A (PKA) is the major cAMP-responsive effector. Where and when this enzyme is activated has profound implications on the cellular role of PKA. A-Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs) play a critical role in this process by orchestrating spatial and temporal aspects of PKA action. A popular means of evaluating the impact of these anchored signaling events is to biochemically interfere with the PKA–AKAP interface. Hence, peptide disruptors of PKA anchoring are valuable tools in the investigation of local PKA action. This article outlines the development of PKA isoform-selective disruptor peptides, documents the optimization of cell-soluble peptide derivatives, and introduces alternative cell-based approaches that interrogate other aspects of the PKA–AKAP interface.
SAGE White Paper on discoverability in the Twenty-First Century: Collaboration opportunities for publishers, vendors, and librarians

Discoverability enables scholars to locate the content needed to advance their research and other creative activities. Improved discovery experiences require heightened collaboration among: (1) scholarly publishers and their published authors; (2) search engine developers, database providers, abstracting and indexing services, and academic publishers; (3) electronic resource management and integrated library system vendors, and ; (4) librarians who advance institutional discoverability. To further exploratory cross-sector conversations, SAGE commissioned a White Paper, "Improving Discoverability of Scholarly Content in the Twentieth Century: Collaboration Opportunities for Librarians, Publishers, and Vendors," released in January 2012. The research report presents highlights of interviews conducted from July to October 2011 with fourteen value chain experts. The White Paper also summarizes results of peer-reviewed publications and proprietary research studies to further characterize the currently fragmented discovery environment. In conclusions, the authors propose cross-sector conversations among publishers, vendors, and librarians to further visibility and, ultimately, usage of the scholarly corpus on the open Web and within library services.
“What makes a pro eating disorder hashtag”: Using hashtags to identify pro eating disorder tumblr posts and Twitter users

Eating disorders are detrimental to emotional and physical health conditions. The proliferation of content promoting eating disorders (pro-ED) on social media is a concerning trend that has received attention in recent years. On popular social network websites such as Tumblr and Twitter, there exist online pro-ED communities that focus on having eating disorder as a lifestyle choice as opposed to psychiatric illness. In this paper, we used hashtags to develop two well-trained classifiers: one identifies pro-ED Tumbler posts, and the other identifies pro-ED Twitter users. We also compared pro-ED hashtags across these two networks.
Using digital camera and Landsat imagery with eddy covariance data to model gross primary production in restored wetlands

Abstract Wetlands have the ability to accumulate large amounts of carbon (C), and therefore wetland restoration has been proposed as a means of sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to help mitigate climate change. There is a growing interest in using the C services of wetlands to help reduce habitat loss and finance restoration projects. However, including wetlands in C markets worldwide requires a better mechanistic understanding of CO2 and methane exchange and instruments and models that can accurately and inexpensively monitor and predict these fluxes across global wetlands. Remote sensing technology, including near-surface and satellite instruments/approaches, is an effective tool for modeling C fluxes including gross primary productivity (GPP) from the site to global scale. In this study, we evaluate the potential of using digital cameras as a simple, cost-effective means of estimating GPP in restored wetlands, and assess the suitability of using Landsat data to model GPP in these environments for regional upscaling. Our research focused on restored temperate freshwater marshes due to their high C sequestration potential. As observed in other ecosystems, daily GPP was strongly correlated with site greenness derived from camera imagery (GCCcam). Based on this, we show the potential of using GCCcam and eddy covariance data to adapt and parameterize a light use efficiency (LUE) model to predict daily GPP. The LUE model combining GCCcam and meteorological data was able to explain up to 91% of the variation in daily GPP at the restored marshes, and predict annual GPP budgets within 0% to 20% of observed budgets. However, model performance decreased with increasing site complexity, highlighting the need to explicitly consider spatial heterogeneity in LUE models. We also tested a similar model using Landsat-derived indices, and found that although model performance was high at a homogeneous wetland dominated by emergent vegetation, data-model agreement decreased at a site comprised of a mixture of open water and vegetation, reflecting limitations of Landsat data. Nonetheless, we show that digital camera and Landsat imagery can be used to model photosynthesis in restored wetlands, providing low-cost methods for monitoring C capture that can be used in C market-funded wetland conservation and restoration.
School context influences the ethnic identity development of immigrant children in middle childhood

The present paper describes a study investigating the ethnic identity development of Latino immigrant children (n = 155) in middle childhood (ages 8–11) in a predominantly White community. The study examined how ethnic identity was related to children's school context. School context was operationalized at the structural level, as the ethnic composition of the teachers and peers, as well as the schools' implicit messages about their valuing of multiculturalism; and the proximal interpersonal level, as children's perceptions of peer discrimination and teacher fairness. Results indicated that both the structural and proximal context predicted children's ethnic label choices, the importance placed on their ethnic identity, the positivity of their ethnic identity, and their American identity.
The citation impact of hydrology journals

We examine a suite of journal-level productivity and citation statistics for six leading hydrology journals in order to help authors understand the robustness and meaning of journal impact factors. The main results are (1) the probability distribution of citations is remarkably homogenous across hydrology journals; (2) hydrology papers tend to have a long-lasting impact, with a large fraction of papers cited after the 2 year window used to calculate the journal impact factor; and (3) journal impact factors are characterized by substantial year-to-year variability (especially for smaller journals), primarily because a small number of highly cited papers have a large influence on the journal impact factor. Consequently, the ranking of hydrology journals with respect to the journal impact factor in a given year does not have much information content. These results highlight problems in using citation data to evaluate hydrologic science. We hope that this analysis helps authors better understand journal-level citation statistics, and also helps improve research assessments in institutions and funding agencies.
Systematic design for trait introgression projects.

Using an Operations Research approach, we demonstrate design of optimal trait introgression projects with respect to competing objectives. We demonstrate an innovative approach for designing Trait Introgression (TI) projects based on optimization principles from Operations Research. If the designs of TI projects are based on clear and measurable objectives, they can be translated into mathematical models with decision variables and constraints that can be translated into Pareto optimality plots associated with any arbitrary selection strategy. The Pareto plots can be used to make rational decisions concerning the trade-offs between maximizing the probability of success while minimizing costs and time. The systematic rigor associated with a cost, time and probability of success (CTP) framework is well suited to designing TI projects that require dynamic decision making. The CTP framework also revealed that previously identified ‘best’ strategies can be improved to be at least twice as effective without increasing time or expenses.
Abstract 392: Metabolic Signaling Mechanisms Governing Heart Regenerative Capacity

Energy metabolism and metabolic signaling circuits orchestrate cell commitment to self-renewal, lineage specification, differentiation and regeneration. When energy resources are plenty, cell can grow, proliferate and regenerate, however when energy is low - augmented adenylate kinase (AK)-mediated AMP signaling turns on AMPK which silences p53/p21/cyclin cell cycle metabolic checkpoint and halts cell division. Using mouse neonatal hearts, with high and low regenerative capacity, we have determined metabolomic profiles and dynamics of phosphotransfer circuits using 18O-phosphoryl labeling mass-spectrometric and 18O-assisted 31P NMR techniques. We demonstrate that loss of heart regenerative capacity after birth is associated with marked changes in heart AK-catalyzed phosphotransfer flux and AMP signaling along with changes in expression levels of p21, cyclin A and E and thymidine kinase. It appears, that in adult heart increased expression of AK isoforms (AK1, AK2 and AK1β) and augmented high energy phosph...
Cross‐Border Residential Lending: Theory and Evidence from the European Sovereign Debt Crisis

We examine bank strategies to rebalance residential mortgage portfolios toward other geographical regions in the context of the European sovereign debt crisis. For banks in Greece, Ireland, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, and Spain (GICIPS), we find evidence of flight-to-quality if banks were undercapitalized and had high funding cost, and evidence of risky-lending if banks were undercapitalized but without funding problems. For banks in core safe European countries, we find evidence of flight-to-quality among banks with high capital ratios, and risky-lending among banks with low funding cost. We rationalize these empirical results with a general equilibrium model of cross-border mortgage lending. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved