cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-Contradiction in Faculty's Talk about Writing: Making and Unmaking Autonomous Models of Literacy

In Writing Across the Curriculum/Writing in the Disciplines and Academic Literacies, researchers have produced compelling evidence of the disjunction between faculty members’ assertions that good writing is universal—i.e., the autonomous model of literacy—and faculty’s own tacit practice of discipline-specific conventions. In studies of race and language in education, scholars have identified disconnections between what teachers profess to value—e.g., students’ right to their own language—and how they actually grade. Contradictions are a natural part of any ideology, and these are commonly understood to demonstrate the resilience of the autonomous model. In this article, however, I introduce a set of theoretical tools from the sociology of scientific knowledge—namely, the concept of interpretative repertoires and of variability in participants’ interpretations as an analytic resource—that can reveal cracks in the autonomous model. Although these tools are over thirty years old, they have not circulated widely in literacy and composition studies. I apply the tools to text-based interviews with two faculty writers who had espoused universal “rules” for writing. After identifying apparent disconnections between the rules and their own practices or those of other writers with whom they worked, I present this evidence to them and analyze their explanations: They maintain that the rules still apply, but their accounts are complex, shifting, and self-contradictory. These case studies reveal, rather than its strength, the inherent instability of the autonomous model. Ultimately, I hope that these research tools can, in conjunction with systemic efforts, aid in dismantling the construct of “good writing” and its inherent privileging of white language practices.
Aerodynamic Tethered Sails for Scientific Balloon Trajectory Control: Small-Scale Experimental Demonstration

High-altitude scientific balloons are often prohibited from flying due to the risk associated with flying over populated areas. One solution to this problem is the use of a trajectory control syste...
THE PROGENITORS OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE. I. ARE THEY SUPERSOFT SOURCES

In a canonical model, the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are accreting, nuclear-burning white dwarfs (NBWDs), which explode when the white dwarf reaches the Chandrasekhar mass, M{sub C} . Such massive NBWDs are hot (kT {approx} 100 eV), luminous (L {approx} 10{sup 38} erg s{sup -1}), and are potentially observable as luminous supersoft X-ray sources (SSSs). During the past several years, surveys for soft X-ray sources in external galaxies have been conducted. This paper shows that the results falsify the hypothesis that a large fraction of progenitors are NBWDs which are presently observable as SSSs. The data also place limits on sub-M{sub C} models. While SN Ia progenitors may pass through one or more phases of SSS activity, these phases are far shorter than the time needed to accrete most of the matter that brings them close to M{sub C} .
Psycholinguistic Screening for Cognitive Decline in Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study.

OBJECTIVES To test the feasibility of using psycholinguistic speech analysis as a proxy for cognitive function in men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. SAMPLE A SETTING Audio-recorded speech samples were collected from 13 men enrolled in a parent study at the University of Kansas Cancer Center in Kansas City. METHODS A VARIABLES Audio-recorded speech samples, collected from clinical interviews and in response to a prompt question during the parent study at two time points, were evaluated to determine feasibility relationships between neurocognitive and psycholinguistic measures. RESULTS Correlations between neurocognitive and psycholinguistic measures were identified for prompted speech, but the strength of relationships varied between time points. No relationships were identified in clinical interview speech samples. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Feasibility was demonstrated for recording, transcribing, and analyzing speech from clinical interviews, and results suggest relationships between neurocognitive and psycholinguistic measures in prompted speech. If validated, psycholinguistic assessments may be used to assess cognitive function in cancer survivors. Advances in natural language processing may provide opportunities for automated speech analyses for cancer treatment-related cognitive decline.
Glioblastoma with deep supratentorial extension is associated with a worse overall survival.

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) with deep-supratentorial extension (DSE) involving the thalamus, basal ganglia and corpus collosum, poses significant challenges for clinical management. In this study, we present our outcomes in patients who underwent resection of supratentorial GBM with associated involvement of deep brain structures. We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent resection of GBM at our institution between 2012 and 2018. A total of 419 patients were included whose pre-operative MRI scans were reviewed. Of these, 143 (34.1%) had GBM with DSE. There were similar rates of IDH-1 mutation (9% versus 7.6%, p = 0.940) and MGMT methylation status (35.7% versus 45.2%, p = 0.397) between the two cohorts. GBM patients without evidence of DSE had higher rates of radiographic gross total resection (GTR) compared to those with DSE: 70.6% versus 53.1%, respectively (p = 0.002). The presence of DSE was not associated with decreased progression-free survival (PFS) compared to patients without DSE (mean 7.24 ± 0.97 versus 8.89 ± 0.76 months, respectively; p = 0.276), but did portend a worse overall survival (OS) (mean 10.55 ± 1.04 versus 15.02 ± 1.05 months, respectively; p = 0.003). There was no difference in PFS or OS amongst DSE and non-DSE patients who underwent GTR, but patients who harbored DSE and underwent subtotal resection had worse OS (mean 8.26 ± 1.93 versus 12.96 ± 1.59 months, p = 0.03). Our study shows that GBM patients with DSE have lower OS compared to those without DSE. This survival difference appears to be primarily related to the limited surgical extent of resection owing to the neurological deficits that may be incurred with involvement of eloquent deep brain structures.
Scheduling Unit Jobs with a Common Deadline to Minimize the Sum of Weighted Completion Times and Rejection Penalties

We study the problem of scheduling unit jobs on a singlemachine with a common deadline where some jobs may be rejected. Each job has a weight and a profit and the objective is to minimize the sum of the weighted completion times of the scheduled jobs plus the sum of the profits of the rejected jobs. Our main result is an \({O}({n \log n})\)-time algorithm for this problem. In addition, we show how to incorporate weighted tardiness penalties with respect to a common due date into the objective while preserving the \({O}({n \log n})\) time bound. We also discuss connections to a special class of unit-demand auctions. Finally, we establish that certain natural variations of the scheduling problems that we study are NP-hard.
The Unity of the Self

It has long been thought that the findings of psychoanalysis challenge the common sense idea of the unity of the self. As is well known, Freud produced two subdivisions of the self as the best conceptualizations of the data of psychoanalysis, first, the topographical division in terms of the “systems” conscious, preconscious, and unconscious, and later, the structural subdivisions in terms of ego, id, and superego. In producing some such subdivisions, Freud was not without impressive forerunners, including Plato’s tripartite division of the soul, Hume’s separation of reason from the passions, or Nietzsche’s Dionysian versus Apollinian characters. Unique to Freud’s theory, however, is the seriousness with which it attributes actions, mental states, awareness, purpose, character structure, and sometimes even responsibility, to these subdivisions of the mind. These “characters” are given attributes usually reserved for whole persons. Hence, the fracturing done by psychoanalytic theory to the unity of the self seems to be much more serious than that of its predecessors.
Artificial intelligence: Robots with instincts

An evolutionary algorithm has been developed that allows robots to adapt to unforeseen change. The robots learn behaviours quickly and instinctively by mining the memory of their past achievements. See Letter p.503 Autonomous mobile robots would be extremely useful in remote or hostile environments such as space, deep oceans or disaster areas. An outstanding challenge is to make such robots able to recover after damage. Jean-Baptiste Mouret and colleagues have developed a machine learning algorithm that enables damaged robots to quickly regain their ability to perform tasks. When they sustain damage — such as broken or even missing legs — the robots adopt an intelligent trial-and-error approach, trying out possible behaviours that they calculate to be potentially high-performing. After a handful of such experiments they discover, in less than two minutes, a compensatory behaviour that works in spite of the damage.
Adenovirus type 5 virions can be assembled in vivo in the absence of detectable polypeptide IX.

Abstract Mutant dl313 is an adenovirus type 5 deletion mutant which lacks 2,307 base pairs, including the 5' portion of the polypeptide IX gene. Mutant virions did not contain detectable levels of this polypeptide. They were substantially more thermolabile than wild-type particles and did not produce hexon nonomers upon pyridine disruption.
Distributed nonlinear modeling and stability analysis of axial compressor stall and surge

This paper presents a nonlinear formulation of the Moore-Greitzer rotating stall model that is suitable for control analysis and design. The model is validated by comparing stall inception experiments to simulated stall inception transients. The shape of the nonlinear compressor characteristic is shown to be a primary determinant of stall inception transient behavior. A Lyapunov stability analysis procedure is then presented. This procedure allows basins of attraction to be determined for various system operating points. Examples are given, and implications for design of rotating stall/surge control systems are discussed.
The effect of migration distance and timing on metabolic enzyme activity in an anadromous clupeid, the American shad (Alosa sapidissima)

The American shad (Alosa sapidissima) is a common anadromous fish species with ecological and economic importance on the east coast of North America. This iteroparous species undergoes an energetically costly upriver spawning migration in spring. To evaluate metabolic changes associated with this migration, we assessed the maximum activity of five metabolic enzymes (citrate synthase (CS), phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), β-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (HOAD), alanine aminotransferase (GPT)) in liver, red muscle and white muscle during upstream migration in two successive years in the Connecticut River. For aerobic capacity (CS), glycolytic capacity (LDH) and utilization of stored lipid and protein energy (HOAD and GPT), there is a general pattern of increasing activity with a subsequent decline at the most upriver sites. Red muscle CS activity increased by as much as 40% during the migration while white muscle CS activity was 120% higher in the river than in the ocean. In contrast, muscle anaerobic capacity, indicated by PFK, was low as fish entered the river and then increased 5-fold at the most upriver sites. White muscle HOAD increased ∼30% while red muscle HOAD and muscle GPT increased as much as 60%. There were interannual and sex-associated differences in enzyme activity during upstream migration and through time at a single location. In some cases interannual differences can be larger than those seen during upriver migration as in the case of red muscle CS where sampling years differed by 125%. These interannual differences may be a result of differing river conditions that affect migratory effort. We have demonstrated that American shad use tissue and sex-specific regulation of enzyme activity during migration and we suggest that American shad metabolically acclimate to upstream migration.
A molecular simulation study of the glass transition of cross-linked poly(dicyclopentadiene) networks

Abstract Cross-linked polymer networks are widely used as structural and protective materials, which require strength and toughness. Experiments have shown that cross-linked poly(dicyclopentadiene) (pDCPD) networks provide similar strength but superior fracture toughness relative to commonly-used network chemistries like epoxy. To better understand pDCPD, we use atomistic molecular dynamics to study the properties of pDCPD networks across the glass transition as a function of molecular weight between cross-links. Moreover, we identify molecular mechanisms that potentially control mechanical and transport properties. The alpha-relaxation (the glass transition) is linked to intra-chain motions and large-scale segmental motions, while sub-Tg relaxations are linked with more localized motions.
Thymol treatment of bacteria prior to matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometric analysis aids in identifying certain bacteria at the subspecies level

Rationale The identification of bacteria based on mass spectra produced by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) has become routine since its introduction in 1996. The major drawback is that bacterial patterns produced by MALDI are dependent on sample preparation prior to analysis. This results in poor reproducibility in identifying bacterial types and between laboratories. The need for a more broadly applicable and useful sample handling procedure is warranted. Methods Thymol was added to the suspension solvent of bacteria prior to MALDI analysis. The suspension solvent consisted of ethanol, water and TFA. The bacterium was added to the thymol suspension solvent and heated. An aliquot of the bacterial suspension was mixed directly with the matrix solution at a 9:1 ratio, matrix/bacteria solution, respectively. The mixture was then placed on the MALDI plate and allowed to air dry before MALDI analysis. Results The thymol method improved the quality of spectra and number of peaks when compared to other sample preparation procedures studied. The bacterium-identifying biomarkers assigned to four strains of E. coli were statistically 95% reproducible analyzed on three separate days. The thymol method successfully differentiated between the four E. coli strains. In addition, the thymol procedure could identify nine out of ten S. enterica serovars over a 3-day period and nine S. Typhimurium strains from the other ten serovars 90% of the time over the same period. Conclusions The thymol method can identify certain bacteria at the sub-species level and yield reproducible results over time. It improves the quality of spectra by increasing the number of peaks when compared to the other sample preparation methods assessed in this study. Published in 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The Arab Peace Initiative: Now or Never

It has been almost a year now since President Obama set out for Cairo to deliver what has been seen as one of the largest overtures by the United States to publicly engage the Middle East. Unfortunately, despite the high hopes that this new administration garnered and the continuous efforts of high-level American officials to put an end to the Arab–Israeli conflict, there is little fruit to bear on the ground. More often than not, the diplomatic breaches and hurdles to even get to the negotiating table have consumed the headlines, and 1 year later the multilateral relations in the region seem tepid at best. The repeated failures of the bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and Israel and Syria may be attributed to a number of factors, including a deep-seated mistrust that has not been addressed, concerns over the long-term security, and domestic political constraints to make the required concessions to reach an agreement. Yet while all of these elements contributed to the despondent current state of affairs, the one critical missing ingredient has been the absence of a comprehensive framework for peace representing the collective will of the Arab states. Now more than ever, the Arab Peace Initiative (API) offers the best possible chance of achieving an inclusive peace, provided that all parties to the conflict understand its significance and historic implications that have eluded all parties for more than six decades. The likelihood that the current lull in violence will continue if no progress is made on the political front is slim. If the Arab states want to show a united front, especially as the Iranian nuclear advances threaten the regional balance of power, they must finally and publically resolve to promote the API in earnest.
Conservation-withdrawal and mental retardation in medical and surgical patients

Abstract Conservation-withdrawal and mental retardation should be considered in evaluating inactive, apathetic medical and surgical patients. The management of conservation-withdrawal per se requires only realistic reassurance based on the patient's progress. Diagnosing mental retardation enables implementation of an appropriate treatment, tailored to the patient's limited ability to cooperate. Psychological testing is a valuable adjunct to the psychiatric examination when the diagnosis is unclear and when conservation-withdrawal or mental retardation is suspected.
Constraints on continuous beam models of the jet in 3C 273

The one-sidedness, 'superluminal' motion, and detailed spectra observed for 3C 273 put significant constraints on continuous beam models for the source of the extended emission in 3C 273 A. The one-sidedness of the extended emission implies that the age of the radio-frequency cloud is probably about 3-5 Myr. The 'superluminal' motion observed with VLBI constrains the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet to be more than about 10. Finally, the observed X-ray emission from the jet provides a method for deciding the question of beam composition: for a given beam power, an electron-positron beam would produce a much higher (beamed) inverse-Compton X-ray flux off extended-jet optical photons than an electron-proton beam would, thus making the observed weak jet X-ray flux a strong indicator of a proton positive component to the jet. Remaining experimental uncertainties in the case of 3C 273 make it impossible to decide the question of beam composition at present, but the next generation of experiments may make this possible for 3C 273 and other 'superluminal' objects. The above arguments have the advantage of not depending on the details of the mechanism for producing the high-energy radio-cloud electrons.
My experience of the DFCASA exam including recommendations to potential candidates

My experience of the new Diploma in the Forensic and Clinical aspects of Sexual Assault and how this could be used as guidance for future candidates.
HPLC and GC/MS determination of deuterated vitamin K (phylloquinone) in human serum after ingestion of deuterium-labeled broccoli.

The ability to intrinsically label plant constituents with stable isotopes has the potential to advance the study of vitamin K-absorption and metabolism in humans. Broccoli, a primary food source of phylloquinone (VK-1), was grown hydroponically using 31 atom % deuterium oxide in order to label VK-1 within the food matrix. Deuterium-labeled broccoli (115 g; 168 μg VK-1) was fed to one male subject in a single serving. Multiple serum samples were drawn throughout the subsequent 24-hr period. Reversed-phase HPLC was used to extract and purify VK-1 in both broccoli and serum. Ion abundances of the deuterium-labeled and unlabeled (endogenous) VK-1 were determined using GC/MS in negative chemical ionization mode. No sample derivatization was required. Endogenous VK-1 produced isotopomers from m/z 450 to m/z 453. The labeled VK-1 isotopomers in the broccoli were from m/z 452 to m/z 467, with the most abundant isotopomer being m/z 458 (14.1% of total labeled VK-1). The GC/MS chromatograms from serum revealed both endogenous VK-1 and VK-1 derived from the deuterium-labeled broccoli. The profile of labeled VK-1 isotopomers in serum was identical to the VK-1 isotopomer profile in labeled broccoli, indicating that no deuterium was lost due to exchange either in the body or in sample preparation. At 4 hr following broccoli intake, there was an 81.1% enrichment of phylloquinone in serum; labeled VK-1 was no longer detectable in serum at 24 hr. Use of isotope labeled vegetables enables one to discriminate exogenous intake of VK-1 from endogenous pools and ultimately to determine bioavailability of VK-1 from foods.
Relationship between radiation dose rate and lethality of diploid clones of Solanum

Abstract A preliminary study was carried out to establish the relationship between dose rate and the lethal effect of 60Co radiation. Clonal rooted cuttings of Solanum were exposed to 9 kR, a predicted lethal dose, during twelve different periods of time corresponding to dose rates of 2250 R/min through a geometric progression to 1·09 R/min. The 9 kR dose was lethal when the dose rate was 70·3 R/min or greater. The dose was progressively less effective when delivered at lower rates, presumably as a result of operation of repair mechanisms, and at the lowest rates used the irradiations had a negligible effect.
A Quantitative Method for Estimation of Volume Changes in Arachnoid Foveae with Age

Age-related changes of arachnoid foveae have been described, but objective, quantitative analyses are lacking. A new quantitative method is presented for estimation of change in total volume of arachnoid foveae with age. The pilot sample consisted of nine skulls from the Palmer Anatomy Laboratory. Arachnoid foveae were filled with sand, which was extracted using a vacuum pump. Mass was determined with an analytical balance and converted to volume. A reliability analysis was performed using intraclass correlation coefficients. The method was found to be highly reliable (intraobserver ICC = 0.9935, interobserver ICC = 0.9878). The relationship between total volume and age was then examined in a sample of 63 males of accurately known age from the Hamann-Todd collection. Linear regression analysis revealed no statistically significant relationship between total volume and age, or foveae frequency and age (alpha = 0.05). Development of arachnoid foveae may be influenced by health factors, which could limit its usefulness in aging.
Sir Brian Gerald Barratt-Boyes—Pioneer Cardiac Surgeon

N t h F t Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA (D.P.S.). B orn on January 13, 1924, in Wellington, New Zealand, Brian Barratt-Boyes attended Wellington College and then Victoria University, both in Wellington. He graduated in medicine from Otago Medical School (Dunedin, New Zealand) in 1946. He received initial surgical training in New Zealand and then trained with pioneering cardiac surgeon John Kirklin at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from 1953 to 1955. Following a 1-year Nuffield Fellowship in England—a program endowed in 1940 by Viscount Nuffield of Oxford (William Morris, founder of Morris Motors) to support research in health care policy—BarrattBoyes was recruited by Sir Douglas Robb, New Zealand’s pioneer of heart surgery, to Green Lane Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. At Green Lane, Barratt-Boyes pioneered the development of cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, using this technique for the first time on a patient in New Zealand in 1958. He was also one of the first surgeons to implant a pacemaker (a prototype built in a university laboratory) in the human heart before these devices became commercially available in 1961. He credited these early successes in part to the remoteness of New Zealand with its accompanying freedom from the distractions of large urban centers, and he compared this to the single-minded devotion that the small city of Rochester had allowed Kirklin. In 1962, independently and almost simultaneously with Donald Ross of London, Barratt-Boyes introduced human cadaveric aortic homografts for aortic valve replacement. He championed the physiologic advantages of such grafts and simplified their surgical implantation technique. He also introduced the use of hypothermia and cardiac arrest for major surgery in neonates and infants. He was coauthor t
Expression of Streptococcus pneumoniae Virulence-Related Genes in the Nasopharynx of Healthy Children.

Colonization and persistence in the human nasopharynx are prerequisites for Streptococcus pneumoniae disease and carriage acquisition, which normally occurs during early childhood. Animal models and in vitro studies (i.e. cell adhesion and cell cytotoxicity assays) have revealed a number of colonization and virulence factors, as well as regulators, implicated in nasopharyngeal colonization and pathogenesis. Expression of genes encoding these factors has never been studied in the human nasopharynx. Therefore, this study analyzed expression of S. pneumoniae virulence-related genes in human nasopharyngeal samples. Our experiments first demonstrate that a density of ≥104 CFU/ml of S. pneumoniae cells in the nasopharynx provides enough DNA and RNA to amplify the lytA gene by conventional PCR and to detect the lytA message, respectively. A panel of 21 primers that amplified S. pneumoniae sequences was designed, and their specificity for S. pneumoniae sequences was analyzed in silico and validated against 20 related strains inhabitants of the human upper respiratory tract. These primers were utilized in molecular reactions to find out that all samples contained the genes ply, pavA, lytC, lytA, comD, codY, and mgrA, whereas nanA, nanB, pspA, and rrgB were present in ∼91–98% of the samples. Gene expression studies of these 11 targets revealed that lytC, lytA, pavA and comD were the most highly expressed pneumococcal genes in the nasopharynx whereas the rest showed a moderate to low level of expression. This is the first study to evaluate expression of virulence- and, colonization-related genes in the nasopharynx of healthy children and establishes the foundation for future gene expression studies during human pneumococcal disease.
Enzymatic activity of desquamin.

Abstract We have previously described the properties of desquamin, a cell adhesion molecule in the stratum corneum with lectin-like properties specific for amine sugars. We report here that desquamin is also a trypsin-like serine proteinase. It degrades several chromogenic peptides with arginine in the P1 position, with greatest activity for the tissue plasminogen activator peptide; it has no chymotrypsin-like activity. The enzymatic activity of desquamin is inhibited by aprotinin, leupeptin, and soybean trypsin inhibitor. The K m for all active substrates is in the millimole range and the pH for optimal activity is near 10. The enzymatic activity is stable in the temperature range from 37 to 80°C, peaking near the upper end; it is only partially inhibited at 100°C. Using zymogels with immobilized substrates, we show that desquamin degrades both casein and human keratins. Because desquamin is localized to the lipid envelopes of the stratum corneum and can function as an enzyme (and is extremely resistant to chemical and thermal degradation), it is in a position to play a crucial role in desquamation.
Asymmetric information, accounting manipulations, and partnerships

Abstract I present a simple model that illustrates how asymmetric information can generate a theory of the formation of partnerships. In the model I develop there are a large number of pairs of entrepreneurs, and each pair must decide whether to form a partnership or remain separate. Each entrepreneur is of either high or low ability, and entrepreneurs require bank financing. There are two sources of asymmetry of information: the fact that banks do not observe entrepreneurial ability; and the possibility of accounting manipulations in which a partnership shifts profits from the line-item account of one of its partners to the line-item of the other. Analysis of the model reveals a small and intuitively appealing set of possible equilibria, in which some entrepreneurial pairs merge and others do not. In particular, pairs of similar ability are most likely to merge, and pairs of unlike ability in which the high ability individual controls the more informative technology are least likely to merge. The model also has implications for merger policy, and suggests a relationship between interest rates and merger activity.
Networks immune to isolated line failures

A network is immune to a set of failures if all message transfers between operative sites can be completed in the presence of such failures. A set of line failures is isolated if no two failing lines are incident to the same site. Several classes of isolated line failure immune (ILFI) networks are defined, including a class with fewest lines for a given number of sites. An algorithm is presented which turns an arbitrary tree into one of these minimum ILFI networks and computes routing tables for the new network.
Seasonality in river phytoplankton: multivariate analyses of data from the Ohio River and six Kentucky tributaries

Two years of physical/chemical and algal abundance data obtained from national Stream-Quality Accounting Network records of 10 river sites in Kentucky USA (4 Ohio River sites and 6 Ohio River tributaries) were analyzed to determine how seasonal changes in river phytoplankton related to changes in physical and chemical parameters. Phytoplankton assemblages differed among rivers as a function of drainage basin characteristics, but exhibited common seasonal changes related to temporal variation in the physical/chemical environment. Distinct shifts in algal dominance were identified between spring (March, April), late summer (July, August, September), and transitional (May, June, November) periods in the 10 systems. Nine common algal genera were found to differ in their response to changes in physical or chemical parameters. Abundances of Anacystis, Oscillatoria, Scenedesmus, and Melosira were strongly positively correlated with temperature while Chlamydomonas and Navicula abundances were inversely related to temperature. Other physical/chemical factors that were significantly positively ( + ) or negatively ( - ) correlated with algal abundances included discharge and alkalinity (Oscillatoria, +), pH CChlamydomonas and Cyclotella, (both + ), turbidity (Anacystis, \s- ; Navicula + ), silica (Cyclotella, - ), and ammonium/organic N (Anacystis, -). Genera within the same algal division exhibited different seasonal patterns and responded to different physical/chemical parameters.
Defining Battlefield Archaeological Context at Fort Madison, Iowa

AbstractThe NRHP-listed Fort Madison site is the premiere Iowa location preserving War of 1812 materials. Previous excavations demonstrated that portions of the fort retained integrity, but the condition of surrounding associated features remained unknown. Recent investigations directly west of the fort revealed intact archaeological deposits representing the fort-era and battlefield activities, including portions of a landscape feature described in historical documents and now dubbed "Black Hawk's ravine." A portion of this ravine was used by American Indian forces as a strategic area of cover from which to conduct military actions against the fort, and fort-era artifacts are preserved within buried but intact ravine deposits in stratigraphically correct position relative to the fort. This investigation has greatly expanded knowledge of this early and significant historic site and provides the basis for refining site boundaries to more accurately encompass the battlefield and associated fort for research...
Aging, genetics, and the environment: Potential of errors introduced into genetic information transfer by metal ions

Abstract Metal ions, which are introduced into living organisms from the environment, are required in every aspect of genetic information transfer. However, the “wrong” metal ion, or even the “right” metal ion in the wrong concentration, can produce deleterious information transfer effects. Metal ions react with nucleic acids in many different ways, and virtually all of these reactions effect major changes in the structure of the nucleic acids. Cellular metal ion concentrations change with age. The effects of such concentration changes on genetic information transfer suggest the possibility that metal ions can influence the aging process. A specific example of such influence is the accumulation in brain cells of aluminum ions, which may have a relationship to Alzheimer's disease.
Mediator and medium: doors as interruption gateways and aesthetic displays

Office doors are more than entrances to rooms, they are entrances to a person's time and attention. People can mediate access to themselves by choosing whether to leave their door open or closed when they are in their office. Doors also serve as a medium for communication, where people can broadcast individual messages to passersby, or accept messages from others who stopped by when the door was closed. These qualities make the door an excellent location for designing solutions that help people better manage their time and attention. In this paper, we present a study of doors, derive design insights from the study, and then realize some of these insights in two cooperating implementations deployed in our workplace.
The possible effect of altitude on regional variation in suicide rates

In the United States, suicide rates consistently vary among geographic regions; the western states have significantly higher suicide rates than the eastern states. The reason for this variation is unknown but may be due to regional elevation differences. States' suicide rates (1990-1994), when adjusted for potentially confounding demographic variables, are positively correlated with their peak and capital elevations. These findings indicate that decreased oxygen saturation at high altitude may exacerbate the bioenergetic dysfunction associated with affective illnesses. Should such a link exist, therapies traditionally used to treat the metabolic disturbances associated with altitude sickness may have a role in treating those at risk for suicide.
The association of default risk factors with the systematic risk of corporate bonds

This study examines the association between bond betas and default risk factors. We find that both long-term debt and the relative ratio of long-term debt to short-term debt increase the bond beta; two measures of profitability, net income/total assets and EBIT/total assets and a cash flow measure of cash flow from operations/total assets decrease the bond beta. A proxy measure of standard deviation of returns is also significantly negatively related to bond betas, confirming the prediction from the option pricing model. In addition, by using new cash flow measures in the discriminant analysis, we improve on the successful prediction rate of bond ratings.
Association of holidays, full moon, Friday the 13th, day of week, time of day, day of week, and time of year on case distribution in an urban referral small animal emergency clinic.

Objective – To interrogate the association of variables: day of week, time of day, day of the year (major holidays, Friday the 13th, and the full moon), and month of year with the caseload of an urban academic emergency service. Design – Retrospective study. Setting – Urban small animal teaching hospital emergency clinic. Animals – Cats and dogs that were presented to the emergency clinic. Interventions – None. Measurements and Main Results – The hospital computer database was searched for all visits to the Emergency Service of the Mathew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from January 1, 1987 through December 31, 2002. Variables included in the electronic data were date of admission, time of day of admission, species (dog or cat), hospital service the case was transferred to for ongoing care and whether the case was discharged directly from the emergency service. The association of caseload with day of week, time of day, day of the year (major holidays, Friday the 13th, and the full moon), and month of year was described and statistically evaluated. Saturdays and Sundays were the busiest days of the week and significantly increased caseload was noted for the majority of holidays (except Easter Day and Thanksgiving Day) with Memorial Day being the busiest. Midweek evenings as well as Saturday and Sunday afternoons were the busiest periods of the day. There was no association with caseload and Halloween, the full moon, or Friday the 13th. Conclusions – The busiest times were midweek evenings, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and most major holidays.
Depressive subtype a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity.

Corresponding author Meera Narasimhan, MD Office of Biological Research, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Suite 301,15 Medical Park, 3555 Harden Street Extension, Columbia, SC 29203, USA. E-mail: MNARASIM@gw.mp.sc.edu Current Psychiatry Reports 2008, 10:191–194 Current Medicine Group LLC ISSN 1523-3812 Copyright © 2008 by Current Medicine Group LLC
The Contest between the Ipiutak, Old Bering Sea, and Birnirk Polities and the Origin of Whaling during the First Millennium A.D. along Bering Strait

Abstract Warfare, whaling, and participation in long distance trade intensified in the Bering Strait region 600–1000 A.D. The development of complex social organization involved the control of resource hot spots from coastal promontories and access to iron from distant East Asian centers. Stylistic similarities, recognized as early as the 1920's, provide the basis to recognize peer polity interaction. Despite >800 excavated burials from Point Hope, St. Lawrence Island and East Cape (Siberia), only a variable data base is available for establishing contemporaneity, the extent of interaction, the functioning of societies and the intensity of warfare. Burials do show pronounced internal status differences at Point Hope and Ekven/Uelen at East Cape. Radiocarbon ages reveal a disjunct pattern in settlement histories; Cape Krusenstern settled most densely at 400–650 A.D., Point Hope at 400–900 A.D., while Ekven peaked between 800–1200 A.D. and at NW Cape, St. Lawrence Island, population was greatest between 1000 and 1200 A.D. The relationship of East Cape to Point Hope suggests a close alliance that dominated the Bering Strait region and controlled access to metal and technological innovations from East Asia. Physical evidence of warfare in burials is greater in the NW Cape area, but the extent and contemporaneity of conflict is uncertain. The Birnirk culture controlled only marginal locations, often in very close proximity to Ipiutak sites. The development of whaling is sporadically documented but appears associated with technological innovations in Old Bering Sea and Birnirk polities while the influence of Ipiutak was achieved without a reliance on whaling.
Pseudo-halogen sugar derivatives: Synthesis and hofmann-rearrangement reactions; 6-O-[2-(N,N-dichlorocarbamoyl)-ethyl]-1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-galactopyranose

6-O-[2-(N,N-Dichlorocarbamoyl)ethyl]-1,2:3,4-di- O-isopropylidene-α-d-galactopyranose, a highly reactive pseudo-halogen, was conveniently prepared in 97% yield by addition of sodium hypochlorite to an aqueous acidic (pH <2) solution of 6-O-(2-carbamoylethyl)-1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-galactopyranose. Mild, reductive dechlorination or alkaline hydrolysis readily converted the nonpolar N,N-di-chloroamide sugar derivative into the corresponding water-soluble N-monochloroamide form. Hofmann rearrangement of the N-chloroamide group provides a synthetic route to novel binary sugar-derivatives having carbamoyl, ureylene, and allophanoyl linkages. Structural proof for the pseudo-halogens and their Hofmann-rearrangement products was obtained from i.r., 1H-n.m.r., mass-spectral, and chemical data.
Signal-dependent N-CoR requirement for repression by the Ski oncoprotein.

The oncoprotein Ski represses transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and nuclear receptor signaling. To achieve this, Ski has been proposed to recruit the corepressor N-CoR to either the TGF-β-regulated Smad transcription factors or nuclear receptors. Here we define the role of the Ski/N-CoR interaction in Ski-mediated repression of TGF-β and vitamin D signaling. We show that Ski can negatively regulate vitamin D-mediated transcription by directly interacting with the vitamin D receptor. More importantly, a Ski single point mutant lacking N-CoR binding revealed that the Ski/N-CoR interaction is essential for repression of vitamin D signaling, but, surprisingly, not TGF-β signaling. Thus, Ski modulates transcription in either an N-CoR-dependent or -independent manner depending on the signaling pathways targeted.
Erythropoietin protects CA1 neurons against global cerebral ischemia in rat: potential signaling mechanisms.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone that is neuroprotective in models of neurodegenerative diseases. This study examined whether EPO can protect against neuronal death in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus following global cerebral ischemia. Recombinant human EPO was infused into the intracerebral ventricle either before or after the induction of ischemia produced by using the four-vessel-occlusion model in rat. Hippocampal CA1 neuron damage was ameliorated by infusion of 50 U EPO. Administration of EPO was neuroprotective if given 20 hr before or 20 min after ischemia, but not 1 hr following ischemia. Coinjection of the phosphoinositide 3 kinase inhibitor LY294002 with EPO inhibited the protective effects of EPO. Treatment with EPO induced phosphorylation of both AKT and its substrate, glycogen synthase kinase-3β, in the CA1 region. EPO also enhanced the CA1 level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Finally, we determined that ERK activation played minor roles in EPO-mediated neuroprotection. These studies demonstrate that a single injection of EPO ICV up to 20 min after global ischemia is an effective neuroprotective agent and suggest that EPO is a viable candidate for treating global ischemic brain injury. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Development of hippocampal α7 nicotinic receptors in C3H and DBA/2 congenic mice

The time course and pattern of development of hippocampal alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors is discernibly different in C3H and DBA/2 mice. In C3H mice, the alpha7 receptor is initially expressed on embryonic day 13, exhibits an increase in density in area CA1 perinatally and is characterized by a dense, diffuse band of alpha-bungarotoxin binding at the CA3/CA1 border in the adult. In contrast, the alpha7 receptor is initially expressed on embryonic day 16 in DBA/2 mice, does not exhibit a transient perinatal increase in binding density in area CA1 and is characterized by alpha-bungarotoxin binding to numerous Nissl-stained structures in CA1 lacunosum/moleculare in the adult. Currently, it is not known whether these developmental differences occur solely as a result of the different alleles of the alpha7 receptor gene (Chrna7) expressed by the two strains or whether strain-specific background factors also play a role. The present study qualitatively examines this question by comparing alpha7 receptor development in congenic mice in which the DBA/2 allele of Chrna7 has been introgressed onto a C3H genetic background and, conversely, the C3H allele of Chrna7 has been introgressed onto a DBA/2 genetic background. The data suggest that hippocampal alpha7 receptor development is controlled predominantly by a region of mouse chromosome 7 that contains the strain-specific Chrna7 allele.
Die Rekonstruktion von Narbenhernien – Intraoperative Tensiometrie zur Objektivierung der Verfahrenswahl

Das Wiederauftreten eines Narbenbruches nach erfolgter Rekonstruktion ist abhangig von der Grose des Bruches und der Spannung der Bauchwand. Ein zusatzlicher Risikofaktor ist die ansteigende Bruchwertigkeit, d. h. wieviele Rekonstruktionen bereits erfolgten. Den entscheidenden Einflus hat die Operationstechnik und die bei dieser Rekonstruktion angelegte Spannung zur Rekonstruktion. Um eine funktionelle Rekonstruktion zu erreichen, mus die Bruchlucke verschlossen und die Bauchwand in ihre ursprungliche anatomische Lage gebracht werden. Die jeweils dazu erforderliche hohe Zugspannung mus durch die jeweilige Technik toleriert werden. Wird willkurlich eine Spannung an eine Rekonstruktion angelegt, so weisen Direktverschlus, Fasciendoppelung wie auch die Implantation von Fremdmaterial Stos auf Stos hohe Rezidivraten auf. Durch die intraoperative Spannungsmessung (Tensiometrie) kann eine individuelle Zuordnung des jeweiligen Bruches (Grose, Wertigkeit, Spannung) zur geeigneten Technik vorgenommen werden. Die Inlay/Onlay-Technik toleriert hierbei grosere Spannungen bis maximal 3,5 kp. Mit diesem Verfahren und der Maximalspannung von 3,5 kp konnten 65,1 % der Narbenhernienrezidive komplett funktionell rekonstruiert werden und weisen eine Rezidivrate von 2,3 % auf. Narbenhernien – Rezidive – intraoperative Tensiometrie – Inlay/Onlay-Technik.
The G-actin → F-actin transformation as studied by the fluorescence of bound dansyl cystine

Abstract Dansyl l -cystine was covalently coupled to sulfhydryl groups of actin. When conjugated with G-actin the emission maximum of this probe shifts from 545 to 527 nm, with approximately a 20% increase in relative quantum yield. The excitation spectrum has a peak near 280 nm indicating energy transfer from protein chromophores to the bound probe. When the G-actin conjugate is polymerized there is a 5-nm blue shift in the emission maximum and an increase in both the relative quantum yield and energy transfer, suggesting a shift of one or more dansyl cystine sites to a less polar environment. The temperature dependence of the fluorescence polarization of the attached probe indicates a rotational relaxation time for G-actin of 44.7 nsec, close to the value expected for a spherical molecule of mol wt 47,000. Polymerization of the actin or addition of heavy meromyosin to the G-actin eliminates the temperature dependence of the polarization. This result shows that the rotational relaxation times of the resulting polymers are very long compared to the excited state lifetime of the dye (approximately 14 nsec).
EXPERT SYSTEM APPROACH USING GRAPH REPRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS FOR VARIABLE-STROKE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE DESIGN

Even though AI technology is a relatively new discipline, many of its concepts have already found practical applications. Expert systems, in particular, have made significant contributions to technologies in such fields as business, medicine, engineering design, chemistry, and particle physics. This paper describes an expert system developed to aid mechanical engineering designers in the preliminary design of variable-stroke internal-combustion engines. Variable-stroke engines are more economical in fuel consumption but their design is particularly difficult to accomplish. With the traditional design approach, synthesizing the mechanisms for the design is rather difficult and evaluating the mechanisms is an even more cumbersome and time-consuming effort. Our expert system assists the designer by generating and evaluating a large number of design alternatives represented in the form of graphs. Through the application of structural and design rules obtained from design experts to the graphs, good quality preliminary design configurations of the engines are promptly deduced. This approach can also be used in designing other types of mechanisms.