cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of eicosanoid biosynthesis modulates basal fluid secretion in the Malpighian tubules of the yellow fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti)

Abstract Inhibition of eicosanoid biosynthesis in in vitro preparations of Malpighian tubules isolated from adult females of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti substantially reduced basal fluid secretion rates. The phospholipase A 2 inhibitor 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA) and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin far more effectively reduced basal fluid secretion than the epoxygenase inhibitor SKF-525A. The lipoxygenase inhibitor esculetin had no effect on basal fluid secretion. These findings indicate that products of cyclooxygenase are involved in regulating basal fluid secretion in Malpighian tubules. The effects of indomethacin were expressed in a dose-dependent manner, further indicating that eicosanoids are physiologically involved in fluid secretion. The effects of cyclooxygenase inhibition on reduction of basal secretion rates have not prevented adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) from exerting its secretagogue effect. These results strongly support the hypothesis that eicosanoids, especially prostaglandins, are involved in Malpighian tubule function in A. aegypti . Recognition that eicosanoids may be involved in regulating basal fluid secretion rates introduces a previously unrecognized tier of regulatory physiology into insect renal function.
Impact of irregular geometries on low-k dielectric breakdown

Backend geometries on chips contain a wide variety of features. We are developing a full-chip reliability simulator for low-k dielectric breakdown that takes into account the vulnerable area, linewidth, vias, and line edge roughness. The simulator provides a link between test structure results and predictions of chip dielectric lifetime. However, these factors may not be sufficient for large chips with a wider variety of features. In this paper, we analyze data from backend dielectric test structures with irregular geometries to determine if more layout features need to be added to a full-chip reliability simulator for low-k dielectric breakdown.
Integrated Water Management for Environmental Flows in the Rio Grande

In the Rio Grande transboundary basin, environmental flows have not been considered as an integral part of the water man- agement. This research focuses on the Big Bend, a reach located along the Rio Grande mainstem. Important natural regions of the Chihuahuan Desert are threatened due to the lack of environmental flows. In this paper is estimated the maximum volume of water available for environmental flows without affecting human and international water requirements, and without increasing the flood risk in Presidio-Ojinaga. Environmental flows are proposed based on an analysis of the prior reservoir alteration hydrology of the river. A planning model was built to simulate the water allocation system and evaluate alternative policies. A reservoir reoperation policy for Luis L. Leon reservoir is proposed to supply environmental flows without violating the system constraints. The policy that supplies the maximum water to the environment is two-thirds (66%) of the prior reservoir alteration conditions; it also improves human water supply, treaty obligations, and decreases flood risk. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000331. © 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers. Author keywords: Environmental flows; Reservoir reoperation; Integrated water management; Adaptive management; Rio Grande.
Quantum Monte Carlo on graphical processing units

Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) is among the most accurate methods for solving the time independent Schrodinger equation. Unfortunately, the method is very expensive and requires a vast array of computing resources in order to obtain results of a reasonable convergence level. On the other hand, the method is not only easily parallelizable across CPU clusters, but as we report here, it also has a high degree of data parallelism. This facilitates the use of recent technological advances in Graphical Processing Units (GPUs), a powerful type of processor well known to computer gamers. In this paper we report on an end-to-end QMC application with core elements of the algorithm running on a GPU. With individual kernels achieving as much as 30× speed up, the overall application performs at up to 6× faster relative to an optimized CPU implementation, yet requires only a modest increase in hardware cost. This demonstrates the speedup improvements possible for QMC in running on advanced hardware, thus exploring a path toward providing QMC level accuracy as a more standard tool. The major current challenge in running codes of this type on the GPU arises from the lack of fully compliant IEEE floating point implementations. To achieve better accuracy we propose the use of the Kahan summation formula in matrix multiplications. While this drops overall performance, we demonstrate that the proposed new algorithm can match CPU single precision.
Random Hole Display: A non-uniform barrier autostereoscopic display

A novel design for an autostereoscopic (AS) display is demonstrated featuring a randomized hole distribution parallax barrier. The Random Hole Display (RHD) design eliminates the repeating zones found in regular barrier and lenticular autostereoscopic displays, enabling multiple simultaneous viewers in arbitrary locations. The primary task of a multi-user AS display is to deliver the correct and unique view to each eye of each observer. If multiple viewers see the same pixels behind the barrier, then a conflict occurs. Regular barrier displays have no conflicts between views for many viewer positions, but have significant, localized conflicts at regular intervals across the viewing area and when viewed at different distances from the display. By randomizing the barrier pattern the RHD exhibits a small amount of conflict between viewers, distributed across the display, in all situations. Yet it never exhibits the overwhelming conflicts between multiple views that are inherent in conventional AS displays. With knowledge of user locations, the RHD presents the proper stereoscopic view to one or more viewers. It further mitigates viewing conflicts by allowing display pixels that are seen by more than one viewer to remain active by optionally blending the similar colors of desired views. Interference between views for random hole barriers and for a conventional regular barrier pattern are simulated. Results from a proof-of-concept Random Hole Display are presented.
Anxiety, coping and academic performance

Abstract Anxiety is a frequent response to stressful evaluation situations and may be correlated with the performance being evaluated. The present study investigated individual differences in social evaluation trait anxiety and coping dimensions as predictors of state anxiety and performance on a university examination. Separate multiple regressions were computed for coping assessed as a style, an individual difference measure, and as situational specific responses. Emotion-oriented coping predicted state anxiety in the evaluation situation. Social evaluation trait anxiety and task-oriented and emotionoriented coping responses predicted exam performance. The regression models predicted approximately a quarter of the variance in course grades. When coping was measured as a response, task-oriented coping response was a significant predictor of course grade. When coping was measured as a style or individual difference, avoidance-oriented coping style predicted aggregated course grade. It was suggested that d...
Gene expression profile of mouse white adipose tissue during inflammatory stress: age-dependent upregulation of major procoagulant factors.

Summary Tolerance to physiological stress resulting from inflammatory disease decreases significantly with age. High mortality rates, increased cytokine production, and pronounced thrombosis are characteristic complications of aged mice with acute systemic inflammation induced by injection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). As adipose tissue is now recognized as an important source of cytokines, we determined the effects of aging on visceral white adipose tissue gene expression during LPS-induced inflammation in male C57BL/6 mice. Microarray analysis revealed that the expression of 6025 genes was significantly changed by LPS; of those, the expression of 667 showed an age-associated difference. Age-associated differences were found in many genes belonging to the inflammatory response and blood clotting pathways. Genes for several procoagulant factors were upregulated by LPS; among these, tissue factor, thrombospondin-1, and plasminogen activator inhibitors-1 and -2, exhibited age-associated increases in expression which could potentially contribute to augmented thrombosis. Further analysis by qRT–PCR, histological examination, and cell fraction separation revealed that most inflammatory and coagulant-related gene expression changes occur in resident stromal cells rather than adipocytes or infiltrating cells. In addition, basal expression levels of 303 genes were altered by aging, including increased expression of component of Sp100-rs (Csprs). This study indicates that adipose tissue is a major organ expressing genes for multiple inflammatory and coagulant factors and that the expression of many of these is significantly altered by aging during acute inflammation. Data presented here provide a framework for future studies aimed at elucidating the impact of adipose tissue on age-associated complications during sepsis and systemic inflammation.
Laughing Matters: "Parody Religions" and the Command to Compare

The term “parody religion” is used to describe movements that deliberately mimic the elements of established religions and are intentionally absurd. It is generally assumed that people create and participate in parody religions primarily for their own amusement. However, the participants of parody religions occasionally demand to be taken seriously by invoking the legal rights and privileges that Western democracies afford to traditional religions. This article examines two such cases involving The Neo-American Church and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It is argued that the true function of parody religions, as demonstrated by these cases, is not simply to entertain, but to force a public conversation about the definition of religion. When practitioners of parody religions demand the legal rights afforded to traditional religion, they are issuing a public challenge to articulate how exactly religion is defined. Furthermore, ardent practitioners of parody religions frequently have a political agenda and feel that the legal system’s unstated criteria of religion unfairly benefit particular established religious institutions.
Hyperbolic sets and shift automorhpisms

An elementary discussion of hyperbolic invariant sets is presented and a proof of the theorem that “near any nonperiodic chain recurrent point there lies an embedded shift automorphism” is indicated.
On expressiveness of evolutionary computation: is EC algorithmic?

Evolutionary computation (EC) has traditionally been used for the solution of hard optimization problems. In the general case, solutions found by evolutionary algorithms are satisficing, given current resources and constraints, but not necessarily optimal. Under some conditions, evolutionary algorithms are guaranteed (in infinity) to find an optimal solution. However, evolutionary techniques are not only helpful for dealing with intractable problems. In this paper, we demonstrate, that EC is not restricted to algorithmic methods, and is more expressive than Turing machines.
Elevated Cyclins and Cyclin-dependent Kinase Activity in the Rhabdomyosarcoma Cell Line RD

An important early event in the differentiation of skeletal muscle cells is exit from the cell cycle, after which full expression of the muscle phenotype occurs. Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a tumor of skeletal muscle origin, expresses a number of muscle-specific proteins, including MyoD; however, these cells fail to arrest or differentiate when cultured in differentiation medium (DM). To determine the basis for the failure of RMS cells to differentiate or arrest, we studied the molecular response of the embryonal RMS cell line, RD, to culture in DM. Under these conditions, the retinoblastoma protein (RB) was primarily in the hyperphosphorylated state. This is in contrast to myoblasts cultured in DM, in which the hypophosphorylated form of RB is exclusively present. Measurements of the expression and activities of cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks) cdk2 and cdk4 indicated that RD cells maintained higher levels than do myoblasts, and the activity and abundance of these proteins did not significantly decrease upon culture in DM in RD cells, as they did in myoblasts. Similarly, elevated expression of cyclins D1, E, and A was observed in RD cells. Interestingly, cdk inhibitors are expressed in RD cells, with p16ink4 expression markedly elevated relative to myoblasts. Ectopic expression of p21cip1, p16ink4, or p27kip1 caused a growth arrest of RD cells but not detectable expression of a myogenic marker. Furthermore, a constitutively active RB protein could also inhibit the growth of RD cells without inducing myogenic differentiation. Taken together, these data suggest that the elevated levels of cdk2 and/or cdk4 observed in RD cells contribute to the inability of RD cells to growth arrest when cultured in DM but that these activities alone are not responsible for the failure of RD cells to differentiate.
TOR Complex 2-Ypk1 Signaling Maintains Sphingolipid Homeostasis by Sensing and Regulating ROS Accumulation

Summary Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during normal metabolism and can function as signaling molecules. However, ROS at elevated levels can damage cells. Here, we identify the conserved target of rapamycin complex 2 (TORC2)/Ypk1 signaling module as an important regulator of ROS in the model eukaryotic organism, S. cerevisiae . We show that TORC2/Ypk1 suppresses ROS produced both by mitochondria as well as by nonmitochondrial sources, including changes in acidification of the vacuole. Furthermore, we link vacuole-related ROS to sphingolipids, essential components of cellular membranes, whose synthesis is also controlled by TORC2/Ypk1 signaling. In total, our data reveal that TORC2/Ypk1 act within a homeostatic feedback loop to maintain sphingolipid levels and that ROS are a critical regulatory signal within this system. Thus, ROS sensing and signaling by TORC2/Ypk1 play a central physiological role in sphingolipid biosynthesis and in the maintenance of cell growth and viability.
Purification and characterization of glpX-encoded fructose 1, 6-bisphosphatase, a new enzyme of the glycerol 3-phosphate regulon of Escherichia coli.

In Escherichia coli, gene products of the glp regulon mediate utilization of glycerol and sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. The glpFKX operon encodes glycerol diffusion facilitator, glycerol kinase, and as shown here, a fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase that is distinct from the previously described fbp-encoded enzyme. The purified enzyme was dimeric, dependent on Mn2+ for activity, and exhibited an apparent Km of 35 μM for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. The enzyme was inhibited by ADP and phosphate and activated by phosphoenolpyruvate.
STUDIES ON THE BACTERIOPHAGE OF D'HERELLE : X. TOXIN PRODUCTION BY NORMAL AND BY PHAGE-RESISTANT SHIGA DYSENTERY BACILLI.

1. The production of exotoxin and of endotoxin by normal Shiga dysentery bacilli and by strains resistant to Laudman phage was found to be the same. 2. The presence of phage did not alter toxin production by the resistant organism.
Use of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the detection of human integrins

Current research has revealed the importance of a class of cell surface proteins called integrins in various vital physiological functions such as blood clotting, regulation of blood pressure, tissue blood flow, and vascular remodeling. The key to integrin functionality is its ability to mediate force transmission by interacting with the extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton. In addition, they play a role in signal transduction via their connection with the proteins in focal adhesion (FA) points. To understand the complex mechanism of cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion that is responsible for these diverse biochemical interactions, it is necessary to identify the integrins on cells and monitor their interaction with various ligands. To this end, for the first time, we employ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect integrins. The results show the capability using SERS to detect the integrins to the nanomolar concentration regime and to distinguish between two different kinds of integrins, alphaVbeta3 and alpha5beta1, that are present in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). It is anticipated that the SERS approach will potentially help elucidate the mechanism of integrin-ligand interactions in a variety of phenomena of physiological importance.
A Neuropsychological Approach to the Bannatyne Recategorization of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales in Adults with Learning Disabilities

An investigatwn was conducted of the diagnostic ability of the Bannatyne recategorization of the Wechsler Mult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) into spatial, verbal-conceptual, and sequential components for adults with learning disabilities. A comparison among neuropsychological, intelligence, and achievement test data was made to evaluate the applicability of this recategorization. The Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB), the WAIS-R, and the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R) were administered to 103 adult subjects with learning disabilities. The LNNB scales were cluster analyzed, and cluster membership was cross-tabulated against WAIS-R, WRAT-R, and demographic data. The major findings were that (a) the mean scores fit the Bannatyne pattern in two of the four clusters; and (b) the Bannatyne pattern was found in only about 20% of the total sample. It was concluded that identification of the Bannatyne pattern is of diagnostic utility, but its absence is inconclusive.
Obesity and risk of job disability in male firefighters

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a major public health problem and a workplace epidemic in Western societies. However, little is known about the association between obesity and job disability in specific occupational groups. AIM: To examine the association between obesity and risk of job disability among firefighters. METHODS: A prospective cohort study design was employed in following 358 Massachusetts firefighters enrolled in a statewide medical surveillance program. We prospectively evaluated time to development of adverse employment outcomes >6 years of follow-up. RESULTS: In multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models, we found that every one-unit increase in body mass index (BMI) was associated with a 5% increased risk of job disability. Compared to firefighters in the lowest tertile of BMI (BMI or= 30.2) had a significantly increased risk of an adverse employment event with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.98 (95% CI 1.06-3.72). There was also a significant dose-response relationship of increasing risk across tertiles, as well as a significant trend: HR 1.39 (95% CI 1.04-1.86). The highest categories of BMI had a 60-90% increased risk of job disability compared to the lowest or normal-weight categories, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is associated with higher risk of job disability in firefighters. Additional research is needed to further explore our findings. Our study may have economic and public health implications in other occupational settings. Language: en
Experimenting with Routing Policies Using ProtoRINA over GENI

ProtoRINA is a user-space prototype of the Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA), a new architecture that overcomes inherent weaknesses of the current Internet, e:g:, security, mobility, and manageability. By separating mechanisms and policies, RINA supports the programmability of different control and management policies over different communication scopes while using the same mechanisms. GENI (Global Environment for Network Innovations) provides a large-scale virtual network testbed that supports experimentation and possible deployment of future network architectures. In this paper, using ProtoRINA over GENI resources, we demonstrate how RINA's support for the scoping of routing control and management, and instantiation of different routing policies, can be leveraged to yield faster convergence and lower routing overhead in the face of node or link failures.
Homozygous deletions that simultaneously eliminate expressions of class I and class II antigens of EBV-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cells. I. Reduced proliferative responses of autologous and allogeneic T cells to mutant cells that have decreased expression of class II antigens

Mutant human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines, 721.174 and 721.180, that have greatly reduced expressions of known class I and class II HLA antigens were produced by two cycles of gamma-ray mutagenesis followed by selection for HLA antigen loss. Residual binding of monoclonal antibodies directed against class II antigens was negligible except for 10% residual binding of SB-binding antibody ILR1. However, deletion of SB was functionally complete as indicated by failure of the mutants to stimulate proliferation of SB-primed lymphocytes. Residual binding of monoclonal antibodies directed against class I "framework" determinants was reduced by 90-95%. However, the binding of monoclonal antibodies directed against beta 2-microglobulin and against the A2 epitope recognized by monoclonal antibody BB 7.2 was about 20% of normal. The identities of the residual class I-like antigens are unknown. The mutants retained full expression of the EBV-induced EBVCS antigen. Mutants 721.174 and 721.180 have lost most, but definitely not all, of their capacity to stimulate primary allogeneic and autologous lymphoproliferative responses. Therefore, the mutants still express antigens other than those that are presently known to stimulate lymphocyte proliferation. By means of studies of the present sort, and in future studies on expression of transferred HLA genes, mutants 721.174 and 721.180 promise to be useful in molecular and functional analysis of MHC-region-encoded gene products and their genetic regulation.
Reduced complexity joint detection generalized RAKE receiver for WCDMA MIMO systems

We develop a technique for significantly reducing the complexity of soft-value generation for a joint detection generalized RAKE (JD-GRAKE) receiver. The complexity of the JD-GRAKE receiver, developed previously for multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) WCDMA systems, becomes unmanageable when combined with higher-order modulation (e.g., 16-QAM) and a large number of transmit antennas (four or more). The proposed technique for the simplified receiver is based upon the m-algorithm, which operates on a tree (rather than trellis), enumerating all possible values of the transmit symbol vector. It is shown that, with the m-algorithm, the number of retained branches may be significantly reduced compared to an exhaustive search. For example, with 16-QAM and 4 transmit antennas where the number of branches in the tree is 65,536, the number of retained branches may be as few as 32 while still achieving performance very close to the full complexity receiver.
Biology and ecology of threaded sculpin, Gymnocanthus pistilliger, in the eastern Bering Sea

Gymnocanthus pistilliger (Pallas), the threaded sculpin, is a small marine cottid that inhabits waters from Southeast Alaska north to Norton Sound and west to Russia and Japan (Wilson, 1973). It is found in shallow waters ( 15 m) of the eastern Bering Sea. Gymnocanthus pistilliger may compete for resources with juvenile stages of commercially important fl atfi sh in the shallow bays and nearshore areas used as nursery grounds (Grigorev and Fadeev, 1995). Although G. pistilliger is an abundant species, little life history information is available on Bristol Bay populations. The present study reports on the ecology and biology of G. pistilliger from Bristol Bay, Alaska, and compares it to ecology studies conducted on western North Pacifi c populations.
Exploiting strain-hardening of tissue to increase contrast in elasticity imaging

Most biological tissues show strain hardening. For example, direct mechanical measurements on human prostate show up to a threefold increase in Young's modulus over a 10% deformation. In addition, strain-hardening behavior differs significantly between tissue types. In conventional elasticity imaging these effects produce strain dependent elastic contrast. Furthermore, image quality is suboptimal because softer tissues are imaged at higher strains than stiffer tissues. By applying linear processing on many small subsets over a large total deformation, strain-hardening behavior was measured for an agar-gel based phantom. Such processing can address strain-hardening problems in conventional elasticity imaging, and produce images of the elastic nonlinearity itself. Finally preliminary results for human prostate are presented.
Calcium secretion into milk.

Ionized calcium ([Ca 2+ ]) is present in milk at concentrations around 3 mM, a concentration that drives the formation of complexes with citrate, phosphate, and casein, thereby generating compounds that carry the major portion of calcium in milk. In humans and cows, where it has been studied, changes in milk calcium appear to be regulated by the amount of citrate and casein in milk rather than changes in [Ca 2+ ]. Most or all of the calcium in milk is likely derived through exocytosis of secretory vesicles derived from the Golgi compartment where a calcium ATPase mediates transport from the cytoplasm. The identity of the transporters is not yet certain but gene expression for the plasma membrane calcium ATPase, PMCA2bw, and the secretory pathway calcium ATPase, SPCA, is highly upregulated during lactation. Currently nothing appears to be known about the mechanisms that mediate transport of calcium across the basolateral membrane of the alveolar cell.
Concerning ‘Eschatological Verification Reconsidered’

John Hick's eschatological verification has continued to receive attention for twenty-five years. I would like to focus here on the changes in Hick's concept of eschatological verification in 'Eschatological Verification Reconsidered ',' the implications of these changes for eschatological verification, and how these changes illustrate problem areas for Hick's theology. Eschatological verification was conceived as a response to the claim of the logical positivists that religious language is meaningless since religious statements seem to be incapable of falsification or verification.2 Traditional theistic evidence, such as natural beauty, morality, and the miraculous, is ambiguous. Thus the positivists' question for theism is whether there are any conceivable circumstances which would definitely confirm or disprove the theistic world-view. If the existence of God makes no specifiable difference in the world, then religious language is meaningless or at best appears to be about differing perceptions of the world rather than about God. Hick does not debate whether the verification principle can be philosophically defended; he agrees that the content of religious language should refer to some specifiable difference in the world. Hick says that there are definable situations for verifying theism and that these situations obtain eschatologically. To illustrate, Hick developed a parable of two travellers journeying down a road. One of the travellers believes that the road leads to no particular place while the other traveller believes that it leads to the Celestial City. The main point of the parable is that one of the travellers will eventually be proven to have been correct in his expectations and in his attitude towards the journey while the other traveller will be proven to have been travelling under a false set of expectations and thus to have been fundamentally in error as to the nature of the journey. Similarly, 'the theist does, and the atheist does not, expect that when history is completed it will be seen to have led to a particular end-state and to have fulfilled a specific purpose, namely that of creating "children of God" '.3 Not only is the basic content of theistic belief
Calculating input impedance of electrically small insulated antennas for microwave hyperthermia

Two analytical methods for approximating the input impedance of insulated monopole or dipole antennas embedded within an electrically dense medium, which have been reported in the literature, are considered. The methods differ by the degree of approximation applied in solving the integral equation for the current in the insulated conductor. These methods directly affect the calculation of the wavenumber and the characteristic impedance of an antenna treated as a lossy coaxial line. In the more complex approach the resulting formulas contain an additional term which improves the correlation with measured and numerically modeled results for electrically longer antennas. When applied to electrically small antennas (i.e. >
Functional differences among Xenopus nodal-related genes in left-right axis determination

An association has been noted previously in chick, mouse and frog embryos between asymmetric nodal-related gene expression and embryonic situs, implying an evolutionarily conserved role in left-right specification. Of the four Xenopus nodal-related genes expressed during gastrulation, only Xnr-1 is re-expressed unilaterally in the left lateral plate mesoderm at neurula/tailbud stages. Here, we show that the asymmetric expression of Xnr-1 can be made bilaterally symmetric by right-sided microinjection of RNA encoding active Xenopus hedgehog proteins. Moreover, we provide the first evidence that Xnr-1 expression per se is a causal factor in left-right axis determination. When plasmids expressing Xnr-1 were delivered unilaterally to the right side of Xenopus embryos, a reversed laterality of both the heart and gut (homotaxic reversal) was induced in 40% of surviving embryos, while an additional 10–20% showed reversal of the heart or gut alone (heterotaxia). This effect on laterality was specific to Xnr-1, since neither Xnr-2 nor Xnr-3 plasmids had this activity. In addition, we find that Xnr-1 and Xnr-2, which have both been defined as mesoderm inducers from overexpression studies, show quantitative differences in their ability to induce dorsal mesoderm. Together, these findings suggest that the various Xnrs perform substantially different functions during Xenopus embryogenesis. Moreover, they strongly support the hypothesis that left lateral plate expression of nodal-related genes is a causative factor in the determination of asymmetry in vertebrate embryos.
A Re-Examination of Real Estate Investment Decisionmaking Practices

Executive Summary. This study attempts to ascertain the extent to which institutional real estate investors use sophisticated decisionmaking practices. It expands on earlier studies by surveying a ...
NeuroInformatics: The Issues

Publisher Summary The neuroinformatics tool of interoperability ensures that tools and databases developed by different sub-communities communicate with each other despite their idiosyncrasies. Neuroinformatics is the integration of the use of databases, the World Wide Web, and visualization in the storage and analysis of neuroscience data with computational neuroscience, using computational techniques and metaphors to investigate relations between neural structure and function. In the studies of animals, the new methods of human brain imaging such as position emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are covered. The four important types of structures to be stored in the database are models, modules, simulations, and interfaces. The modeling work of the University of Southern California Brain Project (USCBP) focuses on computational techniques to model biological neural networks and attempts to understand the brain and its function in terms of structural and functional networks, whose units are at scales both coarser and finer than those of the neuron. This chapter reviews the various range of USCBP modeling such as basal ganglia, cerebellum, hippocampus, parietal-premotor interactions, and motivational systems.
Parts of the Whole: Teaching Quantitative Reasoning in the Predator-Prey Model

The classical predator-prey equations are in nearly every differential equations text and mathematical biology text. Usually they are presented fait accompli, leaving the student to analyze them or play with a computer program. Here we show that the process of fully understanding where these equations come from and how they are derived provides numerous opportunities to teach or reinforce quantitative reasoning skills necessary to future scientists. This example is used to invoke logic, systems thinking, causal reasoning, understanding functions of one or more variables, quantities versus rates of change, proportional reasoning, unit analysis, and comparison to data.
Building Executive Functioning in Children Through Problem Solving

This chapter will first establish the relationship between key areas of executive functioning, language, and problem solving from a historical perspective. Next, the author will describe an evidence-based approach to teaching social problem solving through language to children and the relationship of this approach to executive functioning. Finally, the author will conclude with research data and specific case studies supporting the efficacy of a problem-solving approach for improving executive functioning in children.
Raman resonance in iron-based superconductors: The magnetic scenario

We perform theoretical analysis of polarization-sensitive Raman spectroscopy on ${\mathrm{NaFe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Co}}_{x}\mathrm{As}, \mathrm{EuFe}2{\mathrm{As}}_{2}, {\mathrm{SrFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$, and $\mathrm{Ba}({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Co}}_{x}){}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$, focusing on two features seen in the ${B}_{1g}$ symmetry channel (in one Fe unit cell notation): the strong temperature dependence of the static, uniform Raman response in the normal state and the existence of a collective mode in the superconducting state. We show that both features can be explained by the coupling of fermions to pairs of magnetic fluctuations via the Aslamazov-Larkin process. We first analyze magnetically mediated Raman intensity at the leading two-loop order and then include interactions between pairs of magnetic fluctuations. We show that the full Raman intensity in the ${B}_{1g}$ channel can be viewed as the result of the coupling of light to Ising-nematic susceptibility via Aslamazov-Larkin process. We argue that the singular temperature dependence in the normal state is the combination of the temperature dependencies of the Aslamazov-Larkin vertex and of Ising-nematic susceptibility. We discuss two scenario for the resonance below ${T}_{c}$. One is the resonance due to development of a pole in the fully renormalized Ising-nematic susceptibility. Another is orbital excitonic scenario, in which spin fluctuations generate attractive interaction between low-energy fermions.
Mechanisms of Gating and Modulation in Pentameric Ligand Gated Channels

Structures of pentameric ligand-gated channels (pLGIC) have now reached atomic resolution, with some members of the family also captured in multiple functional states. However, it is widely known that pLGIC gating is extensively modulated by membrane lipids. Using prokaryotic pLGIC homologues and chimeric channels, we probe the allosteric mechanism underlying these effects. Here we show by a combination of EPR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and electrophysiology how lipids modulate function by altering the dynamics of transmembrane helices at the membrane-lipid interface.
Why 'Old Europe' Still Matters: Foreign Voices in the News, Public Opinion, and the War in Iraq

U.S. public opinion in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq presents a puzzle. The dominant model of attitude formation posits that when elites are united on an issue, public opinion will coalesce behind that position. Only when domestic elites diverge - when Republicans and Democrats in Congress, for example, stake out differing policy positions - will mass opinion polarize along party lines. Yet despite the fact that domestic political elites publicly voiced very little opposition to the Iraq War, large numbers of Americans - especially Democrats - remained opposed to military action in 2002 and early 2003. We suggest that some Americans expressed these negative sentiments because of the widely reported anti-war positions staked out by foreign elites. We test this argument using a large-scale content analysis of news coverage and a series of public opinion surveys from August 2002 through March 2003. Our findings suggest that Democrats and independents - especially those with high levels of political awareness - responded to dissenting arguments articulated in the mass media by foreign leaders. However, only Democrats took cues from the few domestic sources of opposition to the war. Our results show that scholars need to better account for the role played by foreign elites in shaping U.S. opinion in prominent foreign policy debates. To do so, researchers must examine individual-level data to specify how partisan - ideological predispositions and political awareness mediate the effects of news discourse. Our findings also raise important normative questions about the operation of the media as a mechanism of political accountability and democratic policy responsiveness.
On “Rotating” Ellipses Inside Triangles

(1971). On “Rotating” Ellipses Inside Triangles. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 28-33.
Effects of Temperature Control Algorithms on Transport Properties and Kinetics in Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Temperature control algorithms in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are necessary to study isothermal systems. However, these thermostatting algorithms alter the velocities of the particles and thus modify the dynamics of the system with respect to the microcanonical ensemble, which could potentially lead to thermostat-dependent dynamical artifacts. In this study, we investigate how six well-established thermostat algorithms applied with different coupling strengths and to different degrees of freedom affect the dynamics of various molecular systems. We consider dynamic processes occurring on different times scales by measuring translational and rotational self-diffusion as well as the shear viscosity of water, diffusion of a small molecule solvated in water, and diffusion and the dynamic structure factor of a polymer chain in water. All of these properties are significantly dampened by thermostat algorithms which randomize particle velocities, such as the Andersen thermostat and Langevin dynamics, when...
Pantheism Vs. Theism: A Re-Appraisal

Soulevant la question de l'individuation de Dieu qui apparait au coeur du debat opposant le theisme personnaliste au pantheisme impersonnel, l'A. propose un nouvel eclairage du probleme de la correlation entre pantheisme et theisme qui repose sur une conception actualiste des modalites temporelles. Examinant l'idee d'un dieu createur non-individualise chez Spinoza et Wieman, et la notion de creativite chez Whitehead, l'A. montre que si le pantheisme refuse l'idee d'un individu cosmique dans le present, il n'interdit pas l'idee d'un individu, donc d'une subjectivite et d'une personnalite, dans l'avenir
PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE AND STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE

Pelvic organ prolapse presents a wide array of distressing symptoms to the female patient. Stress urinary incontinence is often considered a normal phenomenon of aging and tolerated for years before seeking medical attention. A detailed history outlining specific complaints and a targeted pelvic examination can usually elucidate the anatomic problems responsible for producing symptoms. Nonsurgical therapy can be initiated, often with great improvement in symptoms. If the results are not satisfactory, the patient can be referred for further evaluation and possible surgical intervention.
World peace, to be a millionaire, and hoop dreams: adolescent wishes on health screening surveys.

OBJECTIVE This study sought to learn the wishes of young adolescents via an open-ended survey question and to determine the association of these wishes with sociodemographic variables. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study of consecutive adolescents aged 11-14 years who had a well-child visit at a clinic with a diverse patient population, who completed a Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services (GAPS) previsit health questionnaire, and who answered the question, "If you could have three wishes come true, what would they be?" Responses to this question were double-coded according to thematic content and whether wishes were for self, others, or both. RESULTS Among 96 respondents, wishes for others were listed more frequently by girls than by boys (54% versus 31%; P = .02). Girls also had more family-oriented wish themes (27% versus 10%; P = .04). Boys were more likely to wish for success (17% versus 4%; P = .05). Among respondents with private insurance, 45% wished for the good for the world, with responses such as "world peace"; only 12% of respondents with Medicaid wished for the good of the world (P = .01). No statistically significant differences were identified by race/ethnicity or age. Positive future orientation themes such as career were not as prioritized as previously suggested in the literature. LIMITATIONS The sample population derives from a single university-based clinic in North Carolina; while diverse, this population may not be representative of larger groups. CONCLUSIONS Many wishes seemed predictable (ie, for wealth, athleticism), but occasionally wishes were poignant and original ("to have papers for my parents to pass the border"); this finding reinforces the value of listening to adolescents' wishes. Both sex and insurance status were related to wish themes. Further research should determine how knowledge of adolescents' wishes can be used to best direct individual care.
Allelopathic Effects of Different Solvent Extracts from Sophora alopecuroides on the Seed Germination of Helianthus annuus Seeds

The allelopathic effects of different solvent extracts from Sophora alopecuroides Linn.on the germination of Helianthus annuus Linn.seeds were examined.The results showed that the evident inhibition effects of different solvent extracts from S.alopecuroides on the seed germination of H.annuus were observed.The germination percentages of H.annuus seeds treated by solvent extracts from alcohol,methanol,acetone and deionized water were 60.83%,60.00%,55.83% and 46.25% respectively,but only that of seeds treated by extract from deionized water was significantly lower than that of the control(70.00%,P0.05).All solvent extracts except that from methanol delayed the germination course of H.annuus seeds.The germination index and vigor index of seeds treated by different solvent extracts were all lower than that of the control;but significant difference was only found between deionized water and the control(P0.05).
Facial Expressions of Emotion and Personality

Publisher Summary Emotion is central to the structure and processes of personality and the conflicts and crises that accompany personality development. Establishing the links between emotion and personality offers great promise for the studies of personality and emotion—such research points to the social and biological mechanisms underlying the structure and continuity of personality, and presents a framework for thinking about the elaboration, stability, and social consequences of specific emotion tendencies. This chapter reviews the evidence relating facial expressions of emotion to personality. The chapter begins with a presentation of the discrete emotions perspective, which specifies how specific emotion tendencies observed early in life elaborate into personality traits. The chapter then outlines how facial expressions of emotion mediate the interaction between personality and the social environment. It also presents a review of the empirical relations between facial expressions of emotion and personality. Finally, the chapter discusses the role personality-related facial expressions may play in the social lives of people across the life course.
Initial implementation of a novel laser localization system

A novel laser-beacon localization system has been developed which has applications in positioning and navigation of mobile ground or aerial vehicles where other forms of localization are absent (e.g. GPS or radio). The system allows for position determination within an area of interest with reasonable accuracy. Model results and initial prototype have shown that the concept of dual angle-encoded beacons is a valid approach for determining relative location in a sterile environment. A prototype of the system has been realized and initial system testing has been promising with consistent results, indicating that the assumed error levels for the model were reasonable. Testing is underway to validate the results of the model and demonstrate the feasibility of the system. Based on lessons learned thus far, optimizations are planned which should lead to increases in performance of the system as realized in the model, such as actively tracking the location of the beacons once their location is initially known.
The management of anal incontinence.

Initial treatment of anal incontinence should be a medical one, which would include a bowel management program or an operant conditioning program relying on exercise, or both. When these methods prove unsatisfactory, surgical intervention is indicated. One intervention—direct repair of the localized sphincter defect—consists of three basic approaches: apposition, overlapping, or reefing. The other intervention—repair to supplement the sphincter mechanism—involves the transposition of the gracilis muscle. Another method of supplementing the sphincter mechanism uses a Dacron-impregnated Silastic sheet as a prosthesis for encircling the anus.
To Pierce the Liability Veil of an LLC or Not to Pierce the Liability Veil of an LLC? That is the Question of ORX v. MBW

This article discusses the issue of piercing the liability veil of a limited liability company (LLC). There has been much controversy over whether the veil of a limited liability veil can be pierced. If so, then the next issue is which test to use in finding an individual member of an LLC personally liable. The major objective of this article is to look at these problems within the context of the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal case ORX Res., Inc. v. MBW Exploration. The author examined decisions in different Louisiana circuits and the factors that different Louisiana courts deemed important. Some courts decided that fraud was an essential to the finding of personal liability of a member. On the other hand, a new progressive movement has come and implemented a totality-of-the- circumstances test, which is used for piercing the liability shield of a corporation. This new progressive test was used in ORX Res., and the single member was found to be liable for the debts of the LLC. The author found that even though there was a statutory argument that piercing the liability veil of an LLC was not allowed the totality of circumstances was the best test to determine personal liability of an LLC member. The author agrees with the court’s decision as a whole because the extraordinary circumstances of the case should have led to the individual member being personally liable. However, the author did not agree with all the points made by the court. The author felt there were some key aspects that the court left out, such asking the individual to sign a personal guarantee. In conclusion, the Louisiana Supreme Court will ultimately have to decide these pending issues surrounding personal liability of an individual member of an LLC.