cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A family of proteins implicated in axon guidance and outgrowth.

Rapid progress in the identification and characterization of axon guidance molecules and their receptors has left the field poised to explore the intracellular mechanisms by which signals are transduced into growth cone responses. The TUC (TOAD/Ulip/CRMP) family of proteins has emerged as a strong candidate for a role in growth cone signaling. The TUC family members reach their highest expression levels in all neurons during their peak periods of axonal growth and are strongly down-regulated afterward. When axonal regrowth in the adult is triggered by axotomy, TUC-4 is reexpressed during the period of regrowth. Mutations in unc-33, a homologous nematode gene, lead to severe axon guidance errors in all neurons. Furthermore, the TUC family is required for the growth cone–collapsing activity of collapsin-1. An important role for the TUC family is also suggested by its high degree of interspecies amino acid sequence identity, with the rat TUC-2 protein showing 98% identity with its chick ortholog and 89% identity with its Xenopus ortholog. Information gained from the study of the TUC family will be of key importance in understanding how growth cones find their targets. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 41: 158–164, 1999
Solution of PBE by MOM in finite size domains

Abstract A new approach to solve PBE (Population Balance Equations), FCMOM (Finite size domain Complete set of trial functions Method Of Moments), is presented. The solution of the PBE is sought, instead of the [ 0 , ∞ ] range, in the finite interval between the minimum and maximum particle size; their evolution is tracked imposing moving boundaries conditions. After reformulating the PBE in the standard interval [ - 1 , 1 ] , the size distribution function is represented as a series expansion by a complete system of orthonormal functions. Moments evolution equations are developed from the PBE in the interval [ - 1 , 1 ] . The FCMOM is implemented through an efficient algorithm and provides the solution of the PBE both in terms of the moments and in terms of the size distribution function. The FCMOM was validated with applications to particle growth (constant, linear, diffusion-controlled), simultaneous particle growth and nucleation, particle dissolution, particle aggregation (constant, sum, product, Brownian kernels) and simultaneous particle aggregation and growth.
NAM: Influential Lobby or Kiss of Death?

During Congressional debate on the Taft-Hartley proposal several Congressmen charged that the National Association of Manufacturers wrote the bill.L Both the CIO and the AFL also alleged that the measure was drafted by the NAM." The Association promptly responded that it neither drafted nor sponsored any labor bill in the 80th Congress. Senator Taft and Congressman Hartley similarly denied the charges.3 Yet, at various times in the past the NAM has proudly claimed credit for influencing Congress to enact, modify, or refuse to enact certain measures. On other occasions NAM officials have repeated the charge that Association approval of a bill has condemned it to failure. Which is the case? Is the NAM an influential political interest group or does its support bear the kiss of death? To answer this question it will be necessary first to construct a frame of reference for the studio of the influence and effectiveness of political interest groups.
Effect of alcohol on behaviorål and autonomic thermoregulation in mice

Abstract Male, BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with ethyl alcohol (ethanol) in dosages of 0, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 g/kg and then placed in a temperature gradient which permitted the measurement of preferred ambient temperature (Ta). The 3 g/kg dosage of ethanol resulted in a slight, but statistically equivocal, lowering of the preferred Ta during the first 30 min of placement in the gradient. A replication of this experiment using a higher sample size indicated that a 3 g/kg dosage of alcohol caused a statistically significant decrease in preferred Ta. In another experiment, BALB/c mice were treated with the aforementioned ethanol dosages while metabolic rate (MR), evaporative water loss (EWL), and colonic temperature were measured 60 min postinjection at Ta's of 20, 30, and 35°C. At a Ta of 20°C a dosage of 3 g/kg caused a significant decrease in MR, EWL, and colonic temperature. At a Ta of 30°C this same dosage caused significant reduction in colonic temperature, however; at a Ta of 35°C ethanol had no effect on these parameters. In conclusion, mice treated with a relatively large dose of ethanol will select a significantly cooler Ta, which is associated with hypothermia. These combined behavioral and autonomic thermoregulatory effects suggest that ethanol led to a decrease in the set-point body temperature.
Nuclear-structure effects in atomic parity nonconservation.

It has been suggested to measure ratios of atomic parity-nonconservation observables in strings of isotopes to cancel atomic-structure effects. Nuclear-structure-effects nevertheless play a significant role in extracting weak-interaction parameters. Uncertainties in nuclear structure, especially in the neutron distribution, severely limit the precision of extracting the weak-interaction parameters. On the other hand, the sensitivity to the neutron distribution could provide a unique method for accurately determining rms radii of neutron distributions.
Interconversion between γ-valerolactone and pentenoic acid combined with decarboxylation to form butene over silica/alumina

Abstract Reaction kinetic studies were carried out of the reversible interconversion between γ- valerolactone (GVL) and pentenoic acid (PEA) combined with the irreversible decarboxylation of both species to form butene and CO 2 over a SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 catalyst at pressures from atmospheric to 36 bar, temperatures from 498 to 648 K, different concentrations of GVL and PEA, as well as in the presence of water. The catalyst exhibited reversible deactivation within the initial 24 h on stream (losing about 50% of the initial catalytic activity), followed by a slower rate of deactivation of roughly 0.4–0.5% per hour on stream. Decarboxylation of γ -valerolactone, producing equimolar quantities of butene and CO 2 , may possibly occur by two distinct pathways: a direct route from the lactone and an indirect route from PEA. 1-butene is the primary product of decarboxylation, formed via β-scission of intermediate carbenium ions. The apparent activation barrier for decarboxylation of GVL (175 kJ mol −1 ) is higher than for decarboxylation of PEA (142 kJ mol −1 ). A simple kinetic model with rate expressions accounting for adsorption and unimolecular surface reactions of GVL and PEA is sufficient to describe the trends measured for the rates of GVL ring opening to PEA, GVL decarboxylation, PEA cyclization to GVL, and PEA decarboxylation at different reaction conditions.
Silicon-on-Insulator microresonator-based source of frequency-bin entangled comb of photon pairs

We present a quantum theory for frequency-bin entangled photon-pair generation via four-wave mixing from a Silicon-on-Insulator microresonator. We also provide design principles for such a microresonator through extensive numerical simulations.
Reliable Identification of Genomic Variants from RNA-Seq Data

Identifying genomic variation is a crucial step for unraveling the relationship between genotype and phenotype and can yield important insights into human diseases. Prevailing methods rely on cost-intensive whole-genome sequencing (WGS) or whole-exome sequencing (WES) approaches while the identification of genomic variants from often existing RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data remains a challenge because of the intrinsic complexity in the transcriptome. Here, we present a highly accurate approach termed SNPiR to identify SNPs in RNA-seq data. We applied SNPiR to RNA-seq data of samples for which WGS and WES data are also available and achieved high specificity and sensitivity. Of the SNPs called from the RNA-seq data, >98% were also identified by WGS or WES. Over 70% of all expressed coding variants were identified from RNA-seq, and comparable numbers of exonic variants were identified in RNA-seq and WES. Despite our method's limitation in detecting variants in expressed regions only, our results demonstrate that SNPiR outperforms current state-of-the-art approaches for variant detection from RNA-seq data and offers a cost-effective and reliable alternative for SNP discovery.
Users to the rescue: the role of user-generated content (UGC) in the Minnesota affordable care act (ACA) website launch

This paper examines the potential of User-Generated Content (UGC) as a site of research for web usability. Specifically, this paper shares a case study of blog responses that detailed user experiences with the 2013 launch of MNsure.org, a high-stakes website created to facilitate the online purchase of health insurance in response to the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA). A content analysis of blog responses, informed by qualitative content analysis [1], revealed poor usability of the site, including a low effectiveness rate, several critical errors, and low satisfaction. User stories were remarkably detailed, offering valuable information for website repairs. Connections between UGC and traditional web usability methods such as usability testing were explored in terms of "community," "participation," and "metrics." Overall, the case demonstrated the potential value of UGC content analysis as a complement to traditional usability testing.
Comparison of contemplation and hypnosis for the reduction of anxiety and discomfort during dental surgery.

Abstract Complex moving visual stimuli are used to induce states of relaxation, hypnosis and revery. To test the efficacy of using aquarium contemplation to induce relaxation, 42 patients were randomly assigned to one of five treatments prior to elective oral surgery: 1) contemplation of an aquarium, 2) contemplation of a poster, 3) poster contemplation with hypnotic induction, 4) aquarium contemplation with hypnosis, and 5), a non intervention control. Blood pressure, heart rate, and subjective and objective measures of anxiety were used as dependent measures. Pretreatment with aquarium contemplation and hypnosis, either alone or in combination, produced significantly greater degrees of relaxation during surgery than poster contemplation or the control procedure. Two-way analysis of variance demonstrated that a formal hypnotic induction did not augment the relaxation produced by aquarium contemplation.
Polyketal Nanoparticles: A New pH-Sensitive Biodegradable Drug Delivery Vehicle

In this report, we present an acid-sensitive drug delivery vehicle, termed polyketal nanoparticles, which are designed to target therapeutics to the acidic environments of tumors, inflammatory tissues, and phagosomes. The polyketal nanoparticles are formulated from poly(1,4-phenyleneacetone dimethylene ketal) (PPADK), a new hydrophobic polymer which contains ketal linkages in its backbone. The polyketal nanoparticles undergo acid-catalyzed hydrolysis into low molecular weight hydrophilic compounds and should therefore release encapsulated therapeutics at an accelerated rate in acidic environments. Importantly, the polyketal nanoparticles do not generate acidic degradation products after hydrolysis, as with polyester-based biomaterials. Dexamethasone-loaded nanoparticles, 200-600 nm in diameter, were fabricated with PPADK via an emulsion procedure using chloroform and water. The hydrolysis half-life of PPADK was measured to be 102 h at pH 7.4 and 35 h at pH 5.0. PPADK was synthesized by a new polymerization strategy based on the acetal exchange reaction. This new delivery system should find numerous applications in the field of drug delivery because of its ease of synthesis and excellent degradation properties.
Vitreous and retinal amino acid concentrations in experimental central retinal artery occlusion in the primate.

Vitreous and retinal amino acid concentrations in experimental central retinal artery occlusion in the primate
When to Break the Ice: Self-disclosure Strategies for Newcomers in Online Communities

Online communities have become a prevailing cyberspace for people to communicate, collaborate, share information and experiences. Their high reliance on user-generated content makes their success tied to the continuous flow of newcomers and their subsequent effort. Our previous study suggested that newcomers' introductions positively affect their subsequent effort. In the current work, we identified two different introduction strategies in terms of the presence of initial participation before introduction to the community. Our analysis of these two strategies shows that providing introduction after some initial participation in the community has significant positive associations with newcomers' commitment to the community.
User interfaces for continuum robot arms

This paper presents new results for intuitive teleoperation of continuous backbone "continuum" robot manipulators. Continuum robots present unique challenges due to the nonintuitive (to humans) nature of their basic movements. We present a series of mappings, at both position and velocity levels, which provide human operators with a versatile and intuitive suite of options for joystick control of continuum robots. Results from implementations on two types of continuum manipulator hardware are summarized.
High School, Community Colleges, and Universities: Partners in Teacher Education and National Efforts

This chapter focuses on the activities and outcomes of the Teacher Education Partnership Commission in Arizona and the efforts of the newly formed National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs.
Fish‐Community Response To Protective Liming in Thrush Lake, Minnesota

A protective limestone treatment was applied to an acid-sensitive lake in northeastern Minnesota as part of the Acid Precipitation Mitigation Program. This 6-year study evaluated the impact of that treatment on lakes in the upper Midwest that experience episodes of acid stress but have not lost basic species integrity and community structure. Several changes in the fish community can be directly or indirectly attributed to the addition of 4.6 tonnes of calcium carbonate early in the third year of the study. An almost 30-fold increase in the population of Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow) a year after liming, based on mark-recapture estimates from trap netting and snorkeling, was attributed to a pH increase and a three-fold increase in the calcium concentration of the epilimnion. After the initial increase, the abundance of fathead minnows declined in subsequent years, as did the elevated pH and calcium concentrations. The Salvelinus fontinalis (brook trout) population also increased in the lake following application of limestone, but this was due in part to closing the lake to fishing. An increase in survival of stocked brook trout to age 1+ and an increase in growth of older brook trout after liming were attributed to the increased forage that the fathead minnows provided. Fathead minnows may have also reduced predation pressure on young brook trout by older brook trout. This study demonstrated that liming of a slightly acidic lake did not adversely affect the integrity of the fish community, and in fact may have increased the abundance and biomass of the forage fish community and indirectly increased the survival, abundance, and growth of brook trout.
A nonequilibrium analog of the Percus-Yevick equation

A new theoretical description of nonequilibrium phenomena has been obtained that is analogous to the very successful Percus-Yevick equation of equilibrium fluids. The success of the equilibrium Percus-Yevick theory in describing hard-core systems suggests the nonequilibrium analog will also be quite good. Previously, we reported a new construction of the equilibrium Percus-Yevick equation which is applicable in the nonequilibrium domain and utilizes the BBGKY hierarchy in addition to some elementary ideas of functional expansions. The nonequilibrium Percus-Yevick theory contains an appealing physical picture wherein two fluid particles interact via an effective interaction Liouville operator which is the “true” interaction Liouville operator weighted by the (renormalized) second correlation function. The Percus-Yevick analog equation includes the usual “simple ring” and “repeated ring” dynamical processes in addition to more unusual “ring within ring” processes. The equilibrium Percus-Yevick theory indicates these “ring within ring” processes should be quantitatively important especially for dense gases and liquids.
Anaphase initiation is regulated by antagonistic ubiquitination and deubiquitination activities

The spindle checkpoint prevents chromosome mis-segregation by delaying sister chromatid separation until all chromosomes have achieved bipolar attachment to the mitotic spindle. Its operation is essential for accurate chromosome segregation, whereas its dysregulation can contribute to birth defects and tumorigenesis. The target of the spindle checkpoint is the anaphase-promoting complex (APC), a ubiquitin ligase that promotes sister chromatid separation and progression to anaphase. Using a short hairpin RNA screen targeting components of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in human cells, we identified the deubiquitinating enzyme USP44 (ubiquitin-specific protease 44) as a critical regulator of the spindle checkpoint. USP44 is not required for the initial recognition of unattached kinetochores and the subsequent recruitment of checkpoint components. Instead, it prevents the premature activation of the APC by stabilizing the APC-inhibitory Mad2–Cdc20 complex. USP44 deubiquitinates the APC coactivator Cdc20 both in vitro and in vivo, and thereby directly counteracts the APC-driven disassembly of Mad2–Cdc20 complexes (discussed in an accompanying paper). Our findings suggest that a dynamic balance of ubiquitination by the APC and deubiquitination by USP44 contributes to the generation of the switch-like transition controlling anaphase entry, analogous to the way that phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of Cdk1 by Wee1 and Cdc25 controls entry into mitosis. During cell division the spindle checkpoint ensures that chromosome segregation is delayed until all chromosomes are properly attached to the mitotic spindle. Two papers now identify a new regulatory mechanism that controls the spindle checkpoint. This involves the fine-tuned ubiquitination and de-ubiquitination of a coactivator of the anaphase promoting complex APC/C to regulate the timing of APC/C activation and thereby the onset of anaphase.
Weight change in adolescents who used hormonal contraception

Abstract Purpose: (a) To compare weight change at 1 year between adolescents 13–19 years old who were using either depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) or oral contraceptives (OC), and (b) to determine if age, baseline body mass index (BMI), race/ethnicity, or weight gain at 3 months predicted which subjects would gain excessive weight. Method: The setting was a Planned Parenthood Teen Clinic with chart review of variables of interest. Excessive weight was defined as weight gain > 10%. Results: Baseline variables were similar in the two groups, except that DMPA users ( n = 44) had a greater mean BMI ( t test, p = .05) than OC users ( n = 86). Mean (standard deviation) and median weight gains at 1 year were 3.0 (4.5) and 2.4 kg in the DMPA users and 1.3 (3.9) and 1.5 kg in the OC users (difference in medians not significant, Wilcoxon rank sum test, p = .10). Fifty-six percent of DMPA and 70% of OC users lost weight or gained p = .17, Fisher exact test); 25% of DMPA users and 7% of OC users gained > 10% of their baseline weight ( p = .006). Age, baseline BMI, or race/ethnicity did not affect the likelihood that either group would gain > 5% or > 10% of their baseline weight. Of adolescents who gained > 5% of baseline weight at 3 months, 13 of 14 (93%) gained even more weight at 12 months. Conclusions: The majority of adolescents who used hormonal contraception for 1 year lost weight or gained 10%. Subjects who gained > 5% of baseline weight at 3 months were at high risk (93%) of gaining even more weight by 1 year.
Quantitative Crawling Wave Sonoelastography of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to determine if crawling wave elastography, a novel sonoelastography technique, can be used to provide quantitative measurements of thyroid tissue shear veloci...
Study of the biosynthesis of 1-octen-3-ol using a crude homogenate of Agaricus bisporus in a bioreactor.

: 1-Octen-3-ol and 10-oxo-trans-8-decenoic acid are metabolites of the breakdown of linoleic acid (LA) by mushroom enzymes. These compounds can be produced in a bioreactor using a crude mushroom homogenate and the exogenous addition of LA and oxygen. The factors' duration of blending, mushroom–buffer ratio, effect of a surfactant, whole against partially clarified reaction broths, purity of LA, and utilization of stumps instead of whole mushrooms were studied for their effect on reaction yield using a 1-L bioreactor. The results showed the feasibility of using the more inexpensive 60%-pure LA instead of the 99%-pure LA even when a yield loss was involved. Waste stumps could be used instead of whole mushrooms with a yield decline of 26%.
Slope of pp elastic scattering at small momentum transfer

The pp differential elastic scattering cross sections at high energies and small momentum transfer are obtained from a phenomenological analysis using the measured total cross sections and the ratios of the real to the imaginary part of the forward nuclear scattering amplitude. Shrinkage and the observed ''break'' in the slope are correctly described for all incident momenta in the range 5 < or approx. = p/sub lab/ < or approx. = 2000 GeV/c. (AIP)
Cloning of the nodulation (nod) genes of Rhizobium phaseoli and their homology to R. leguminosarum nod DNA

In Rhizobium phaseoli strain 8002, a large indigenous plasmid, pRP2JI, had previously been shown to carry many of the genes necessary for the induction of nitrogen-fixing nodules on Phaseolus beans. A cosmid clone library was constructed using DNA from strain 8002. From this library, two overlapping recombinant plasmids (pIJ1097 and pIJ1098) were isolated which spanned about 43 kb of pRP2JI DNA. These plasmids could restore nodulation to some, but not all nodulation-deficient strains of R. phaseoli, indicating that the nodulation genes were not clustered within one small region of pRP2JI. The cloned R. phaseoli nodulation region shared extensive DNA homology with the nodulation genes of R. leguminosarum, and on the basis of DNA hybridization, the nitrogenase genes were found to be within 10 kb of the R. phaseoli nodulation genes. Close to the nodulation genes of R. phaseoli was located a sequence that was repeated on pRP2JI but which was not present elsewhere in the genome of strain 8002.
Alliance Formation and General Deterrence: A Game-Theoretic Model and the Case of Israel

This article studies the relationship between alliance formation and general deterrence in regional rivalries. In a game-theoretic model under complete information, an alliance is formed only when the potential ally would not intervene without one and would always intervene with one. General deterrence succeeds under complete information unless the potential attacker is stronger than the target and values the stakes highly, and the potential ally would never intervene. When incomplete information is added to the game, alliances are sometimes formed even when the potential ally's behavior would be unaffected by the alliance. Additionally, general deterrence under incomplete information sometimes fails because of the potential attacker's mistaken beliefs about the probability that the target would win or the potential ally would intervene. The model is illustrated by examining the conflict between Israel and its rivals, Egypt and Syria, taking into account the role of the United States as Israel's potential...
Remote plasma nitridation, deuterium anneal and pocket implant effects on NMOS hot carrier reliability

Abstract There are several advanced processes which are being actively studied as candidates for sub-0.25 μm technology. This paper studies the effects on NMOS hot carrier reliability from remote plasma nitrided oxide (RPNO), deuterium anneal and pocket implant. It is found that RPNO will not affect the SiO 2 /Si interface. The hot carrier reliability is better for the same device channel current. This is due to making the effective oxide thickness thinner and achieving the same drive current with longer channel length. The deuterium anneal can improve the hot carrier reliability, even with nitride sidewall, if proper annealing is done. While the pocket implant can reduce short channel effects, the hot carrier lifetime is degraded unless optimization is done.
Genetic manipulation of vectors: A potential novel approach for control of vector-borne diseases

Kokoza et al. (1) recently reported the genetic engineering of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to express abundantly an anti-microbial immune effector molecule in the hemolymph of a vector. In the realm of vector-borne diseases, this is a very significant event with provocative implications. Vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, leishmania, trypanosomiasis, dengue, yellow fever, West Nile encephalitis, etc., are resurgent through out much of their former distributions and/or are emerging in new geographic areas. The morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases are overwhelming: billions of people are now at risk for infection, each year hundreds of millions of infections occur, resulting in millions of deaths, and the morbidity associated with vector-borne pathogen infections is inestimable [see Nakajima, H. (1996) The World Health Report (World Health Organization) at http://www.who.int/whr/1996/whr-e.htm]. In addition, these diseases impose major economic and social burdens on populations least able to afford them. The situation is bleak, and it is especially disconcerting that many of these diseases were previously controlled to some extent.
Site Specific X-ray Anomalous Dispersion of the Geometrically Frustrated Kagomé Magnet, Herbertsmithite, ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2

Structural characterization, exploiting X-ray scattering differences at elemental absorption edges, is developed to quantitatively determine crystallographic site-specific metal disorder. We apply this technique to the problem of Zn−Cu chemical disorder in ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2. This geometrically frustrated kagome antiferromagnet is one of the best candidates for a spin-liquid ground state, but chemical disorder has been suggested as a mundane explanation for its magnetic properties. Using anomalous scattering at the Zn and Cu edges, we determine that there is no Zn occupation of the intralayer Cu sites within the kagome layer; however there is Cu present on the Zn intersite, leading to a structural formula of (Zn0.85Cu0.15)Cu3(OH)6Cl2. The lack of Zn mixing onto the kagome lattice sites lends support to the idea that the electronic ground state in ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2 and its relatives is nontrivial.
Recession Watch: End the obsession with interest

Regulating leverage, not interest rates, is the answer to a troubled economy, says John Geanakoplos. Can science thrive during an economic downturn? In a series of seven Commentaries, introduced on page 957, specialists in policy-making, history, economics and innovation offer advice that might help. Jeffrey Sachs says that now's the time for developed nations to invest in the developing world to ensure environmental sustainability. Ian Taylor cautions against spending too much on blue-skies research: it's time to concentrate on ideas with immediate application. Eric Rauchway is encouraged by the scientific fallout from US government efforts to counter the Great Depression. In Japan too, the recession-spurred 'lost decade' of the 1990s resulted in a boost to basic science funding, as Atsushi Sunami and Kiyoshi Kurokawa explain. John Browning's advice to recent startups: sell whatever you can and cut costs drastically. Noreena Hertz sees an opportunity for global capitalism to become more egalitarian. And John Geanakoplos tells economists and governments how to avoid the next recession: collateral is king, and governments need to regulate how loans are issued with that in mind. More on http://www.nature.com/recessionwatch and http://www.nature.com/podcast .
BINDING OF TETRACYCLINE TO THE 30S RIBOSOMES AND TO POLYURIDYLIC ACID.

Abstract 1. 1. Tetracycline binds specifically to the 70S and 30S ribosomes of B. cereus and E. coli , both in vivo and in vitro . Incubation of E. coli ribosomes with ATP and amino acids reduces the amount of tetracycline bound. 2. 2. Tetracycline binds strongly to poly U in vitro . 3. 3. The binding of tetracycline to ribosomes and poly U occurs in the presence of EDTA, suggesting that this binding is not Mg++ dependent. 4. 4. It is suggested that tetracycline binds directly to mRNA, thus inhibiting the binding of sRNA to mRNA.
Disseminated microsporidiosis in a renal transplant recipient: Case report and review of the literature

Microsporidia are opportunistic pathogens that usually cause a limited disease in the gastrointestinal tract. Occasionally, they can cause disseminated disease. In solid organ transplant recipients, disseminated disease has been reported only rarely. We describe a 68-year-old woman who presented with fever, cough, and acute kidney injury 6 months after kidney transplantation. Dissemination was confirmed by identification of microsporidial spores in urine and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Polymerase chain reaction analysis identified the species as Encephalitozoon cuniculi.
Self‐control and belief

Abstract Although the extent to which motivational factors are involved in the production and sustaining of biased or ‘irrational’ beliefs continues to be a controversial issue in social psychology, even those who urge that such beliefs are often explained by non‐motivational tendencies admit that biased beliefs sometimes have motivational sources. Sometimes toe are influenced by motivational pressures in ways proscribed by principles that we accept for belief‐acquisition or belief‐revision ('doxastic’ principles). Many garden‐variety instances of self‐deception are cases in point. We are not always helpless victims of those pressures, however. This paper examines the nature of doxastic self‐control (roughly, a capacity to counteract motivational pressures that incline us to acquire or retain beliefs that would violate our doxastic principles) and explores our prospects for avoiding motivationally biased believing by exercising self‐control.
Spectral Studies on Aromatic Esters of 9-Anthroic Acid

Abstract Substitution of a carboxyl group onto the 9 position of anthracene, as in 9-methyl anthroate (9-COOMe), results in some significant differences in the spectral properties of the ester relative to those of the anthracene parent molecule. For example, the fluorescence quantum yield (⊘f) and fluorescence maximum (υmax) of 9-COOMe become quite solvent dependent due to an excited state geometry change in which the excited singlet takes on significant charge transfer character (1,2).
Alterations in heart failure of cyclic AMP-dependent inotropic and lusitropic properties of cardiac and skeletal muscle.

: A central working hypothesis in our laboratory is that deficient cellular cyclic AMP concentrations may be responsible, at least in part, for striated muscle dysfunction, both cardiac and skeletal, in heart failure. These results suggest that therapy aimed at restoring cyclic AMP to normal levels may be effective with regard to improving systolic and diastolic function in the heart and may decrease the development of fatigue in skeletal muscle of patients with failure. The use of cyclic AMP-dependent drugs in clinical practice has been limited by side effects associated with raising total cellular content of this cyclic nucleotide. However, evidence suggesting that separate pools of cyclic AMP may exist within the cell raises the possibility that those pools associated with excitation/contraction coupling could serve as more specific therapeutic targets.
Behavioral and temperature effects of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in human-relevant doses in rats

Marijuana smoking dramatically alters responses to various environmental stimuli. To study this phenomenon, we assessed how delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a primary psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, affects locomotor and brain (nucleus accumbens or NAcc), muscle and skin temperature responses to natural arousing stimuli (one-min tail-pinch and one-min social interaction with another male rat) and iv cocaine (1 mg/kg) in male rats. THC was administered at three widely varying doses (0.5, 2.0 and 8.0 mg/kg, ip), and the drug-induced changes in basal values and responses to stimuli were compared to those occurring following ip vehicle injections (control). Each stimulus in control conditions caused acute locomotor activation, a prolonged increase in brain and muscle temperature (0.6–1.0°C for 20–50 min) and transient decrease in skin temperature (−0.6°C for 1–3 min). While THC at any dose had a tendency to decrease spontaneous locomotion as well as brain and muscle temperatures, true hypothermia and hypoactivity as well as clearly diminished locomotor and temperature responses to all stimuli were only seen following the largest dose. In this case, temperature decreases in the NAcc were stronger than in the muscle, suggesting metabolic brain inhibition as the primary cause of hypoactivity, hypothermia and hyporesponsiveness. While weaker in strength and without associated vasodilatation, this response pattern is mimicked by general anesthetics, questioning to what extent the hypothermic action of THC is specific (i.e., mediated via endogenous cannabinoid receptors) or non-specific, reflecting drug interaction with membrane lipids or other receptors. In contrast, weaker behavioral and temperature effects of THC at lower doses resemble those of diazepam, whose locomotion- and temperature-decreasing effects are evident only in activated conditions, when rats are moving and basal temperatures are elevated.
Enhanced output power by eigenfrequency shift in acoustic energy harvester

In our previous studies, multiple piezoelectric cantilever plates were placed inside a quarter-wavelength straight tube resonator to harvest low frequency acoustic energy. To investigate the modification of eigenmodes in the tube resonator due to the presence of piezoelectric plates, the eigenfrequency shift properties by introducing single and multiple rectangular blockages in open-closed ducts are studied by using 1D segmented Helmholtz equations, Webster horn equation, and finite element simulations. The first-mode eigenfrequency of the duct is reduced when the blockage is placed near the open inlet. The decrease of eigenfrequency leads to the enhancement of absorbed acoustic power in the duct. Furthermore, the first half of the tube resonator possesses high pressure gradient resulting in larger driving forces for the vibration motion of piezoelectric plates. Therefore, in our harvesters, it is better to place the piezoelectric plates in the first half of the tube resonator to obtain high output voltage and power.
A Comparison of Hydraulic and Propellant Fracture Propagation in a Shale Gas Reservoir

This paper describes laboratory and field experiments that were conducted to compare hydraulic and propellant fracturing techniques in the Mancos Shale of Colorado. The Mancos is a Cretaceous shale approximately 2,000 feet thick (1) . Although mainly considered a source rock for other formations, the Mancos is also productive in certain areas. To better understand how stimulation technologies might be used to commercially develop the shale, four unique data sets were compared including results from both laboratory and field hydraulic and propellant fracturing. The results of this work are presented and include the following conclusions: the propellant fractures in the block test were constrained by relative strengths of the strata; the layering of the Mancos shale resulted in better height containment than expected in field test stimulations, although the mechanism of containment in the field tests is still not fully understood; and both propellant and hydraulic fracturing can provide stimulation benefits, but only when applied in appropriate situations.
Association of a new intronic polymorphism of the SOD2 gene (G1677T) with cancer.

There is growing evidence of the correlation between cancer and reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially superoxide. Low expression levels of the Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD2) enzyme have been reported in cancer patients. Genetic variation in the regulatory regions of the SOD2 gene may increase the risk of cancer. We identified a genetic variation (G1677T, rs2Y758Y339) in the vicinity of the enhancer region located in intron 2 of the SOD2 gene that creates a potential glucocorticoid responsive element, and developed an assay to screen DNA samples of 220 individuals (73 control, 59 prostate cancer survival individuals and 88 lung cancer biopsies). There were no significant differences in the genotype frequency distribution among prostate, lung cancer and control (p = 0.074 and 0.057, respectively). However, we identified an association of T allele with a decreased risk of lung cancer (OR = 0.525, p = 0.037). The use of the G1677T polymorphism of SOD2 gene as a genetic risk marker may suggest new approaches for detection, prevention, treatment, and prognosis of cancer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comparison of pose estimation techniques: hardware vs. video

Robotic navigation requires that the robotic platform have an idea of its location and orientation within the environment. This localization is known as pose estimation, and has been a much researched topic. There are currently two main categories of pose estimation techniques: pose from hardware, and pose from video (PfV). Hardware pose estimation utilizes specialized hardware such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to estimate the position and orientation of the platform at the specified times. PfV systems use video cameras to estimate the pose of the system by calculating the inter-frame motion of the camera from features present in the images. These pose estimation systems are readily integrated, and can be used to augment and/or supplant each other according to the needs of the application. Both pose from video and hardware pose estimation have their uses, but each also has its degenerate cases in which they fail to provide reliable data. Hardware solutions can provide extremely accurate data, but are usually quite pricey and can be restrictive in their environments of operation. Pose from video solutions can be implemented with low-cost off-the-shelf components, but the accuracy of the PfV results can be degraded by noisy imagery, ambiguity in the feature matching process, and moving objects. This paper attempts to evaluate the cost/benefit comparison between pose from video and hardware pose estimation experimentally, and to provide a guide as to which systems should be used under certain scenarios.
Drosophila melanogaster syncytial nuclear divisions are patterned: time-lapse images, hypothesis and computational evidence.

Abstract Time-lapse microscopy of biological systems has provided new and exciting information about the dynamics of cellular and developmental events. However, these events are often complex and difficult to analyze. This paper describes a study in which computation was indispensable for formulating and evaluating a cellular/developmental hypothesis directly from observations of time-lapse fluorescence images. Previous analyses of time-lapse microscopy sequences of Drosophila melanogaster embryonic syncytial nuclear cycles 10–13, when the nuclei form an evenly spaced monolayer at the surface of the embryo, have failed to identify any pattern in these divisions. However, computational analysis of the data has provided evidence that the direction of syncytial nuclear mitosis is not random, but is clearly influenced by the relative positions of neighboring nuclei. An approximate law governing mitotic direction that is based on a scheme that compromises among “votes” made by neighboring nuclei is introduced.
The Riddle of Technology and Social Education

Heroic stories, legends, and myths have existed, and indeed exist to this very day, in diverse civilisations and within multitudes of cultures. These heroic stories, hereafter referred to as myths, are historically important. People have used the basic elements of myth to structure social interactions, to model civic expectations, and to provide cultural unity. A key element within such myths has been the riddle. For millennia riddles have provided a creative mechanism in which to entertain, while at the same time, and perhaps more importantly, to educate. While numerous myths regarding education currently exist, and vary tremendously from one culture to another, in many ways, regardless of geography or society, very real riddles that transcend culture lie before educators of the very young, particularly social educators of the very young. The purpose of this article is to question, and begin to consider, the role technology should play within social education. To what extent should technology be incorpor...
HYDROCARBON DISTRIBUTION AND WEATHERING CHARACTERISTICS AT A TROPICAL OIL SPILL SITE

ABSTRACT A study was performed on the state of an oil spill site on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. The location of the study was Bahia Sucia, the site of the Zoe Colocotroni spill of 17 March, 1973. Particular attention was given to the weathering characteristics of the stranded oil remaining at the sites and to the presence of biogenic hydrocarbons in the sediments. High resolution gas chromatography of the aliphatic and aromatic fractions of the sediment hydrocarbons was used to distinguish the types of hydrocarbons present and their distribution. It was observed that oil weathers much more rapidly in a tropical environment as compared with spills in temperate areas. Even in the most heavily impacted areas, the Zoe Colocotroni oil had weathered practically to the point of being tar. It was also observed that a tropical site has a significant chronic input of hydrocarbons from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Gas chromatograms of extracts of leaf waxes from live mangroves compared with biogen...
An examination of the strain-induced orientation of hard segment domains in 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate)-based polyurethane-diacetylene segmented copolymers

Abstract The orientation of hard segments during tensile deformation in diacetylene containing polyurethanes was examined using visible dichroism. The visible spectra of 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate)-poly(tetramethylene oxide)-based polyurethane films containing fully extended polydiacetylene chains in their hard domains were measured with polarized light in the stretched and relaxed state. It was found that the hard segments were prefentially oriented normal to the direction of stress at strain levels up to about 500%, indicating that the long axis of the hard domains was orienting parallel to the stretch direction during the deformation process. The orientation of these domains was relatively reversible, with only small to moderate degrees of residual orientation present in the relaxed state of the polymer. The results also showed evidence of significant stress levels in the hard domains oriented in the stretch direction at strains as low as 40%, whereas hard domains in the transverse direction are essentially load free except at very high strains. The hard domains appeared to remain structurally intact following strains of at least 300%–400%; however, at strain levels higher than 500%, there is some evidence of hard domain disruption.
EQUINE STRESS RESPONSES TO ANAESTHESIA

Information on equine stress responses to anaesthesia and surgery is sparse. Six ponies were anaesthetized for 2 h with halothane and no surgery was performed. Plasma concentrations of glucose, lactate, non-esterified fatty acids, cortisol, insulin, catecholamines and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured. The results were compared with those obtained in the same group of ponies over the same time period on a different day with the animals conscious. Anaesthesia induced an increase in plasma concentrations of glucose, lactate, cortisol and ACTH and a decrease in plasma concentration of insulin. The response was the same when the study was repeated 18 months later. This suggests that anaesthesia alone, with a commonly used clinical technique, induced a substantial stress response in the horse. More benign anaesthetic techniques should be sought in this species.
Cardiovascular support and management in the intensive care unit

No Abstract. Keywords : intensive care unit; trauma; cardiovascular support; multiple injury; resuscitation Archives of Ibadan Medicine Vol. 7 (1) 2006: 18-21
Multilayer Platform for Low-Power/Passive Configurable Photonic Device

We demonstrate the possibility of forming ultra-compact, field-configurable, and low-power resonance-based passive integrated photonic structures based on charge accumulation in a high-quality multilayer material platform comprising Si/SiO2/Si layers prepared through direct bonding of SOI wafers.
Vitamin D deficiency and childhood obesity: interactions, implications, and recommendations

Vitamin D deficiency and childhood obesity have been classified as epidemics throughout the world, and both share some common risk factors including poor diet and inactivity. Observational and clinical studies show that vitamin D status and fat mass are inversely correlated. It is not clear whether vitamin D deficiency contributes to, or is a consequence of obesity, or whether there are regulatory interactions between excess adiposity and vitamin D activity. The effects of this deficiency in childhood obesity appear to have negative influences on overall health, including insulin resistance, inflammation, and impeded bone mineralization, as well as increased future risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. The rather ubiquitous distribution of the vitamin D receptor and the 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1α-hydroxylase throughout the body, including evidence for a role of vitamin D in adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism, may in part explain these widespread effects. Most of the findings to date suggest that the vitamin D needs of obese children are greater than the nonobese. Although ultraviolet B-induced skin synthesis is a main source of vitamin D, its use is neither feasible nor prudent due to limited sun availability for many and concerns for skin cancer. Likewise, obtaining adequate vitamin D from natural food sources alone is generally not achievable, and even in countries that allow fortification, vitamin D intakes are low. Therefore, in obese children, vitamin D supplementation is warranted. Weight loss interventions using energy restriction and physical activity may also improve the poor vitamin D status associated with obesity. More research is needed to define optimal vitamin D status in this vulnerable population, including investigations to determine the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in attenuating the con - ditions associated with childhood obesity, and to further elucidate the mechanisms by which vitamin D exerts its effects on health.