cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Japanese Philosophy? No Such Thing: Japan's Contribution to World Philosophizing

For almost five decades I have been studying Japanese philosophy, but only gradually have I come to realize there is no such thing. The ghost of Nakae Chōmin 中江 兆民 (1847–1901) probably gloats with satisfaction to hear this gaijin say that. My statement seems to echo his assessment more than a century ago when he pronounced that Japan had always been and continued to be devoid of philosophy. Although I admire Chōmin for his intellectual courage, standing up to the thought police even to the extent of being temporarily exiled from Tōkyō, my position is not at all the same as his. Nakae Chōmin is not only dead, but unfortunately, when it came to understanding both philosophy and its relation to Japan, he was also dead wrong. So although in reference to Japanese philosophy, I claim there is no such thing, I do not mean what Chōmin meant. To understand what I do mean, we have to examine my claim word by word.
Minimum-Width Drawings of Phylogenetic Trees

We show that finding a minimum-width orthogonal upward drawing of a phylogenetic tree is NP-hard for binary trees with unconstrained combinatorial order and provide a linear-time algorithm for ordered trees. We also study several heuristic algorithms for the unconstrained case and show their effectiveness through experimentation.
Islamophobia: Social Distance, Avoidance, and Threat

A sample of undergraduate college students (N = 610) enrolled in Introductory Sociology courses participated in a study exploring attitudes toward and social distance from persons who are Arab, Pak...
A highly efficient method for single-cell electroporation in mouse organotypic hippocampal slice culture.

Abstract Background Exogenous gene introduction by transfection is one of the most important approaches for understanding the function of specific genes at the cellular level. Electroporation has a long-standing history as a versatile gene delivery technique in vitro and in vivo. However, it has been underutilized in vitro because of technical difficulty and insufficient transfection efficiency. New method We have developed an electroporation technique that combines the use of large glass electrodes, tetrodotoxin-containing artificial cerebrospinal fluid and mild electrical pulses. Here, we describe the technique and compare it with existing methods. Results Our method achieves a high transfection efficiency (∼80 %) in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons with no detectable side effects on their function. We demonstrate this method is capable of transferring at least three different genes into a single neuron. In addition, we demonstrate the ability to transfect different genes into neighboring cells. Comparison with existing methods The majority of existing methods use fine-tipped glass electrodes (i.e. > 10 MΩ) and apply high voltage (10 V) pulses with high frequency (100 Hz) for 1 s. These parameters contribute to practical difficulties thus lowering the transfection efficiency. Our unique method minimizes electrode clogging and therefore procedure duration, increasing transfection efficiency and cellular viability. Conclusions Our modifications, relative to current methods, optimize electroporation efficiency and cell survival. Our approach offers distinct research strategies not only in elucidating cell-autonomous functions of genes but also for assessing genes contributing to intercellular functions, such as trans-synaptic interactions.
Managing the disconnect: A critical case study of neoliberalism in youth development practice.

Aims This critical ethnography interrogates the influence of neoliberalism on youth development practice as instituted by the evidence-based practice and positive youth development movements. Methods I employed participant observation and grounded theory analyses in my role as facilitator of a youth participatory action research program in the context of violence prevention work at a large urban youth development agency. Results The disconnect between professionalized youth development and the lived experience of youth manifested in organizational policies and practices and meant that the agency had to balance competing interests and worldviews, reconcile the need for funding with social justice aims, and cope with the consequences of such conflicts. Conclusions Neoliberalism exacerbates a disconnect between youth development practice and youth experience, contributing to an epistemic form of violence. Results are discussed in relation to Martin-Baro liberation framework, which emphasizes the recovery of historical memory, deideologizing everyday experience, and utilizing the virtues of oppressed people.
The online competition between pro- and anti-vaccination views.

Distrust in scientific expertise1–14 is dangerous. Opposition to vaccination with a future vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of COVID-19, for example, could amplify outbreaks2–4, as happened for measles in 20195,6. Homemade remedies7,8 and falsehoods are being shared widely on the Internet, as well as dismissals of expert advice9–11. There is a lack of understanding about how this distrust evolves at the system level13,14. Here we provide a map of the contention surrounding vaccines that has emerged from the global pool of around three billion Facebook users. Its core reveals a multi-sided landscape of unprecedented intricacy that involves nearly 100 million individuals partitioned into highly dynamic, interconnected clusters across cities, countries, continents and languages. Although smaller in overall size, anti-vaccination clusters manage to become highly entangled with undecided clusters in the main online network, whereas pro-vaccination clusters are more peripheral. Our theoretical framework reproduces the recent explosive growth in anti-vaccination views, and predicts that these views will dominate in a decade. Insights provided by this framework can inform new policies and approaches to interrupt this shift to negative views. Our results challenge the conventional thinking about undecided individuals in issues of contention surrounding health, shed light on other issues of contention such as climate change11, and highlight the key role of network cluster dynamics in multi-species ecologies15. Insights into the interactions between pro- and anti-vaccination clusters on Facebook can enable policies and approaches that attempt to interrupt the shift to anti-vaccination views and persuade undecided individuals to adopt a pro-vaccination stance.
El presente histórico en el discurso reportado en contextos narrativos

En este trabajo, analiza el posicionamiento del hablante a traves del uso del presente historico (PH) en el verbo decir de las frases presentadoras de citas directas e indirectas, en contraposicion con el uso del mismo verbo en preterito o imperfecto. Se realiza el analisis de 75 narrativas orales de adultos de la ciudad de Chiclayo del departamento de Lambayeque. El objetivo principal es identificar la funcion discursiva de las citas presentadas con un verbo comunicativo en PH. Es parte de un proyecto que indaga los rasgos linguisticos que definen la oralidad, identidad y subjetividad en el espanol lambayecano. El estudio se centra en el analisis del discurso reportado en contextos narrativos mediante un analisis gramatical, discursivo y social (edad y genero). Los resultados muestran que el PH es una ocurrencia frecuente tanto en las frases presentadoras de las citas directas como de las indirectas. El contenido de la informacion en el uso del PH en las frases que presentan las citas directas e indirectas en Lambayeque es mas frecuente en aquellas citas que informan sobre enunciados hablados o pensados de posicionamiento o sugerencia. Cuando se analiza esta informacion en relacion con la presencia el PH y a la cita se encuentra que la informacion presentada con PH parece estar mas ligada a la informacion que el hablante quiere dar al entrevistador sobre si mismo. Por otro lado, los factores sociales indican que el PH en la frase presentadora de cita es mas usado por hombres mayores de la comunidad.
PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE ISOZYMES CAUSED BY SULFHYDRYL OXIDATION

ABSTRACT. Phosphoglucomutase (PGM) exists in a series of different molecular forms which can be resolved by gel electrophoresis, by chromatography, or by isoelectric focusing. This series of isozymes is distinct from genetic variation in the enzyme, and from expression of several PGM alleles, both of which are also known to occur.
MasterPrint Attack Resistance: A Maximum Cover Based Approach for Automatic Fingerprint Template Selection

User authentication based on fingerprints is vulnerable to dictionary attacks. Recent research has demonstrated the possibility of generating a small number of “MasterPrints” that can fortuitously match the fingerprints of a large number of identities. The problem is particularly exacerbated for partial prints such as those used in smartphones. Such systems often store multiple templates per user (e.g., multiple impressions of a single finger) to compensate for the limited size of the sensor, variation in finger placement, and other types of intra-class variations. The presence of multiple templates, however, increases their chances of matching against a MasterPrint thereby compromising security. This paper presents a novel technique to perform template selection in such a way that the chance of MasterPrint attack gets reduced. Experiments conducted using a commercial fingerprint matcher on two datasets indicate that the proposed approach can be effective against MasterPrint attacks whilst retaining verification performance.
Ultrasensitive Field-Effect Plasmonics: Electro-Active Probes for Wireless Voltage Sensing and Electrophysiology

Optical detection of electrogenic activity has been the goal of neuroscientists for decades. We introduce an electro-active plasmonic field probe enabling label-free and ultrasensitive detection of electrophysiological signals with unprecedent spatiotemporal resolution capability.
Los nombres del futuro, una propuesta

This essay unravels how and if literature responds to the political awakening in Chile. In other words, what does it mean to be woke with language? The response is a deep reflection of how literatures have a fundamental role in writing the blueprints of the future and giving shape to communities that are waiting (for justice and to be constituted). In the revolt, these communities emerged from the underground of the neoliberal order, enabling the simultaneous enactment of goce and sacrificio. The proposal is that the literary language that is not a potentiality, but a potentia, a language that enacts the present of the collective to give a name to the emancipatory spaces that exist in the shadows of the State and the market. Using critical methodologies from cultural studies, theories of the other utopianism and calibrations of the desiring power of poetic language, neoliberal literature and its extractivist practices are criticized to propose other aesthetic methodologies that open spaces for breathing with the other.
Creating and Implementing a Protocol for the Management of Patients in Skeletal Traction: A Quality Improvement Project.

Introduction Skeletal traction use generally has decreased over generations and is used most often for temporary fracture stabilization. Proper nursing management of patients in skeletal traction is crucial. A hospital protocol was created and implemented to educate and direct registered nurses (RNs) in the care of patients requiring skeletal traction. Methods A skeletal traction management protocol was drafted and implemented as hospital policy. Twenty-nine RNs from an orthopaedic unit at a level 1 trauma center attended a financially compensated, 45-minute, in-person, off-shift educational session. An anonymous pre-test utilizing a 5-point Likert scale was completed to assess RN knowledge and comfort regarding the following topics of traction care: pin care, manual traction, frame assembly, weight application and removal, skin evaluation, neurovascular checks, and reporting issues. The RNs were provided with a copy of the new hospital policy and key points were highlighted and demonstrated. After the demonstration, the RNs were given a post-test to assess their perceived knowledge and comfort with traction care. Results Statistically significant improvements in RN knowledge and comfort were seen in six of the seven evaluated topics. The greatest increase was seen in the manual traction topic. No significant change regarding neurovascular checks was observed with this topic having the highest pre-test scores. Conclusions A hospital protocol was created successfully and implemented that significantly improved the level of RN knowledge and comfort with the management of patients requiring skeletal traction. Future studies should assess the effectiveness of annual education regarding the traction policy.
Silicon Selective and Lateral Overgrowth Epitaxy : Growth and Electrical Evaluation for Devices

Selective epitaxial garowth of monocrystalline silicon and epitaxial lateral overgrowth have emerged as important processing steps for advanced processing technologies, The problems associated with these steps, such as deposition non-uniformity, material quality, and masking oxide deterioration have been investigatted. Devices have been built to evaluate the epitaxially grown material with respect to its suitability for circuit fabrication. The results give fundamental criteria that can be used in any kind of reactor system to achieve good quality selective epitaxy.
Spontaneous assembly of marine dissolved organic matter into polymer gels

A large pool of organic carbon resides in the world's oceans in the form of dissolved organic matter (DOM)1,2. DOM is operationally defined as the fraction of organic matter that passes through a filter with a given pore size (which can range from less than 0.1 μm to 0.46 μm). This fraction has a longer oceanic residence time — and is generally less biodegradable — than particulate organic matter (POM)1,2,3,4. Processes transforming DOM into POM are therefore crucial for our understanding of the cycling of organic material in the oceans1,2,3,4. The aggregation of marine colloids, which constitute 10–40% of DOM2,3,5, is thought to be an important step in the transformation of DOM into POM3. It has been suggested that colloids, as well as transparent exopolymer particles and large aggregates (‘marine snow’) can be viewed as polymer gels6,7,8. Whether free DOM polymers can indeed spontaneously assemble to form polymer gels has, however, not yet been shown. Here we present experimental observations that demonstrate that marine polymer gels can assemble from free DOM polymers, and that their formation mechanism, physical characteristics and mineralization can be understood in terms of polymer gel theory9,10,11. The principles and methods of polymer gel physics thus have the potential to provide profound new insights into the processes controlling the exchange between the DOM and POM pools and the cycling of marine organic matter.
Increased salt sensitivity secondary to leptin resistance in SHHF rats is mediated by endothelin.

A link between leptin resistance, obesity, and salt sensitivity has been suggested. SHHF/Mcc-fa cp rats (SHHF) were used to study the effect of gene dosage of a null mutation of the leptin receptor (cp) on salt sensitivity and response to a combined endothelin A and B receptor antagonist (bosentan). Obese (cp/cp), heterozygous (+/cp), and homozygous lean (+/+) male SHHF were fed a low salt diet (0.3% NaCl) for 7 days, followed by a high salt diet (8.0% NaC1) for 7 days. There were no significant differences in systolic blood pressure between genotypes on low salt. In response to high salt, cp/cp had significantly greater systolic pressure than +/cp and +/+. On high salt diet, cp/cp showed a significant increase in 24 h urinary endothelin excretion and increased renal expression of preproendothelin mRNA. There was no effect of high salt diet on renal excretion of nitric oxide (NOx) or on gene expression of endothelial, neuronal, or cytokine-induced nitric oxide synthase isoforms (eNOS, nNOS, iNOS, respectively). Treatment with bosentan prevented the high salt-induced increment in systolic blood pressure in cp/cp. This was associated with a doubling of renal NOx excretion, but without changes in eNOS, nNOS, or iNOS expression. Endothelin receptor antagonism did not normalize systolic pressure in any of the genotypes. Our studies indicate that obesity secondary to leptin resistance (cp/cp) results in increased salt sensitivity that is mediated by endothelin in the SHHF rat. (Mol Cell Biochem 242: 57–63, 2003)
Chapter 7 Using Liposomes to Observe the Interactions of Autoimmune Antibodies

Abstract Artificial vesicles have been used for decades to examine reconstituted purified membrane proteins and reconstitution of pieces of cellular (mCs) or vesicular membranes (mVs). Reconstitution of vesicles into liposomes allows vesicular proteins to maintain a semi‐natural environment. These mVs can then be incorporated into planar lipid bilayers either by direct brushing or by incorporating through the use of an osmotic gradient. Incorporation can be monitored by the nystatin/ergosterol technique or by observing capacitance change. Liposomes and mVs can also be used for examining autoimmune antibodies–vesicular membranes interaction using poly‐ d ‐lysine plated coverslips. Modified synaptic vesicles (mSVs) can be prepared and plated onto poly‐ d ‐lysine coated coverslips. The mSVs can be processed using primary antibodies against specific synaptic vesicular proteins (such as VAMP and Rabphilin‐3A) and the appropriate secondary Alexa fluor antibody. Simultaneously the mSVs can be examined for the ability of autoimmune antibodies to bind with these vesicles, and any cross‐reactivity can be observed by fluorescent microscopy. Here we describe fluorescent techniques for examining liposomes, synaptic vesicles, and mSVs as well as bilayer techniques for examining mSVs.
Foliar Chlorosis in Symbiotic Host and Nonhost Plants Induced by Rhizobium tropici Type B Strains

Rhizobium tropici CIAT899 induced chlorosis in the leaves of its symbiotic hosts, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum Urb.), and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. Chlorosis induction by strains CIAT899 and CT9005, an exopolysaccharide-deficient mutant of CIAT899, required carbon substrate. When the bacteria were added at planting in a solution of mannitol (50 g/liter), as few as 103 cells of CIAT899 were sufficient to induce chlorosis in bean plants. All carbon sources tested, including organic acids and mono- and disaccharides, supported chlorosis induction. The addition of a carbon source did not affect the growth rate or the population density of CT9005 in the bean plant rhizosphere. Cell-free filtrates of cultures of CT9005 did not induce detectable chlorosis. All type B strains of R. tropici tested also induced chlorosis in common bean. Type A strains of R. tropici and all other species of bacteria tested did not induce chlorosis. Several lines of evidence indicated that nodulation was not required for chlorosis induction. Strain RSP900, a pSym-cured derivative of CIAT899, induced chlorosis in wild-type P. vulgaris. In addition, NOD125, a nodulation-defective line of common bean, developed chlorosis when inoculated with CIAT899, but did not develop nodules. CIAT899 consistently induced severe chlorosis in the leaves of the nonhost legumes alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and Berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), and induced chlorosis in 29 to 58% of the plants tested of sunflower, cucumber, and tomato seedlings, but it did not induce chlorosis in the leaves of corn or wheat. Chlorosis induction in nonhost plants also required carbon substrate. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that R. tropici type B strains produce a chlorosis-inducing factor that affects a wide range of plant species.
Lehmann Alternatives with Emphasis on Biostatistics

In a nonparametric comparison of two groups, the test statistic may not be distribution-free under alternatives to the null hypothesis. Lehmann proposed a family of alternatives under which the distribution function of the response variable in one group is a specified function of that in the other. A power relationship is usually considered. The distribution of the rank vector under the alternative then depends only on the specified function and rank statistics are distribution-free. An extension covers the situation where a proportion of the population is unaffected by treatment. Keywords: nonparametric; distribution-free; rank test; nonresponse; clinical trial
Ionophorous Activity and Murine B Lymphocyte Mitogens

The relationship between ionophorous and B cell mitogen activity has been investigated. Most known ionophores were nonmitogenic for mouse spleen cells. In addition, when tested in a bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) apparatus, most types of B cell mitogens were nonionophorous. However, excitability-inducing material (EIM), a high m.w. polymeric protein, which is a channel-forming ionophore, was a potent mitogen for mouse B lymphocytes. Similarly, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), a high m.w. polymeric protein, which is a B cell mitogen, is a channel-forming ionophore. The mitogenic activities of these two compounds were not due to contamination with endotoxin since they produced weak or absent responses in the limulus lysate clotting and rabbit pyrogenicity assays, and were also mitogenic for spleen cells of endotoxin-low responder C3H/HeJ mice. Both the mitogenic and ionophorous activities of EIM and KLH were dependent on their polymeric structure since dissociation of these compounds into monomeric subunits markedly decreased both activities. However, heat denaturation destroyed their ionophorous ability but preserved their mitogenicity, thereby demonstrating that ionophorous activity was not essential for B cell activation. These data suggest that B cell mitogens do not necessarily act as primary ionophores. However, we propose that these molecules intercalate into the lipid portion of the cell membrane, and that this interaction initiates the process of B cell activation.
Nini Towok's Spinning Wheel: Cloth and the Cycle of Life in Kerek, Java

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Rens Heringa Year: 2010 Pages: 92 Publisher: University of Washington Press ISBN: 978-0-977-83442-6 (soft cover).
The Wilson Machine for Image Modeling.

Learning the distribution of natural images is one of the hardest and most important problems in machine learning. The problem remains open, because the enormous complexity of the structures in natural images spans all length scales. We break down the complexity of the problem and show that the hierarchy of structures in natural images fuels a new class of learning algorithms based on the theory of critical phenomena and stochastic processes. We approach this problem from the perspective of the theory of critical phenomena, which was developed in condensed matter physics to address problems with infinite length-scale fluctuations, and build a framework to integrate the criticality of natural images into a learning algorithm. The problem is broken down by mapping images into a hierarchy of binary images, called bitplanes. In this representation, the top bitplane is critical, having fluctuations in structures over a vast range of scales. The bitplanes below go through a gradual stochastic heating process to disorder. We turn this representation into a directed probabilistic graphical model, transforming the learning problem into the unsupervised learning of the distribution of the critical bitplane and the supervised learning of the conditional distributions for the remaining bitplanes. We learnt the conditional distributions by logistic regression in a convolutional architecture. Conditioned on the critical binary image, this simple architecture can generate large, natural-looking images, with many shades of gray, without the use of hidden units, unprecedented in the studies of natural images. The framework presented here is a major step in bringing criticality and stochastic processes to machine learning and in studying natural image statistics.
American and Thai Managers′ Explanations for Poor Company Performance: Role of Perspective and Culture in Causal Selection

Abstract An experiment is reported that examines the impact of cultural orientation and judgmental perspective on managers′ causal explanations for poor company performance. Results indicate that the explanation offered by subjects depended on the perspective taken. Subjects from an individualist culture (the United States) who were instructed to imagine themselves managers of the target firm compared the target firm′s poor performance to superior performance by the same firm in earlier years, whereas individualist subjects who were instructed to imagine themselves managers of a competing firm compared the poor performance of the target firm to the superior performance of a competitor. By contrast, subjects from a collectivist culture (Thailand) compared the target firm′s poor performance to the superior performance by the same firm in earlier years, regardless of management perspective.
Systematic search for ghost-free string models

Abstract We try to find the most general conditions for Lorentz covariance of particles with ghost-free internal structure. Applied to string models, they become finite matrix equations for the reduced structure constants of the gauge superalgebra. At least all low-order solutions are direct sums of the known algebras. This greatly limits the possibilities for new dual models. We assume no restriction on either conformal invariant, so our no-go theorem applies to Nahm's conjectured partition functions. A byproduct is a general functional method for calculating Schwinger terms of any superalgebra.
Fetuin-A: the missing link in lipid-induced inflammation

The liver secretory protein fetuin-A (FetA) is now shown to act as an adaptor protein between free fatty acids (FFAs) and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), providing the missing link between FFAs and chronic low-grade inflammation that impairs insulin sensitivity (pages 1279–1285).
Burnout and Selected Variables as Components of Occupational Stress

The present study investigated the relationships of work-orientation, job involvement, and assertiveness with various classifications of burnout. Questionnaires measuring four constructs were admin...
Atrial level right to left intracardiac shunt associated with postoperative hypoxemia: Demonstration with contrast two-dimensional echocardiography

Transient hypoxemia is not uncommon after major cardiac or thoracic surgery. The differential diagnosis includes atelectasis, pulmonary embolus, pneumonitis, congestive heart failure and several other diverse cardiovascular and pulmonary problems. Less well recognized is transient right to left intracardiac shunting through a patent foramen ovale or previously unsuspected atria) septal defect. Three cases of clinically important hypoxemia associated with right to left shunting after aortocoronary bypass surgery are presented. The right to left shunting was documented with contrastenhanced echocardiography, which is a simple, inexpensive and accurate means of screening patients for intracardiac right to left shunts and may play a valuable role in the postoperative management of patients.
Conformationally averaged score functions for electronic propagation in proteins.

We explore the influence of conformational dynamics on protein-mediated electron donor-acceptor interactions. We introduce a thermally averaged score function to characterize electronic propagation from redox cofactors into the protein and solvent. The score function is explored for myoglobin at the extended-Huckel level, and the results are compared with those of simpler models. The conformationally averaged quantum results are consistent with the empirical analysis of the Pathways model. Notably, subtle effects of quantum interference among multiple coupling pathways that arise in static structures are largely averaged out when protein thermal motion is included. Propagation through bulk water near the single-protein interface decays rapidly with distance.
Two‐Scale Model of A Geomagnetic Field Variation

The effect of the vertical scale is investigated by considering a simple kinematic two-scale model of fluid flow inducing a variable magnetic field. Depending on the time constant, the induced magnetic field displays a variety of behaviors and geometries. In the high-frequency case, for example, a strong magnetic field tangential to the core mantle boundary, and hidden in the Delta layer, can be generated. A detailed computation and description of this magnetic field are presented. Some possible features of the secular variation of the actual geomagnetic field are discussed in the light of the model proposed here.
Crystal structure at 2.8 A resolution of anabolic ornithine transcarbamylase from Escherichia coli.

The 2.8 A resolution crystal structure of E. coli ornithine transcarbamylase is presented, the first to be reported for the trimeric, anabolic enzyme.
Characterization of Polymer-Layered Silicate (Clay) Nanocomposites by Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Diffraction: A Comparative Study

Several polymer-layered silicate (clay) nano- composites (PLSNs) were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) in an effort to characterize the nanoscale dispersion of the layered silicate. The PLSNs investigated included thermoset (cyanate esters) and thermoplastic polymers (polystyrene, nylon 6, and polypropylene-g-maleic anhydride). The re- sults of this study reveal that the overall nanoscale disper- sion of the clay in the polymer is best described by TEM, especially when mixed morphologies are present. XRD is useful for the measurement of d-spacings in intercalated systems but cannot always observe low clay loadings (5%) or be used as a method to identify an exfoliated nanocom- posite where no XRD peaks are present (constituting a neg- ative result). Most importantly, the study showed that XRD is not a stand-alone technique, and it should be used in conjunction with TEM. Our studies suggest that new defi- nitions, or a clarification of existing definitions, are needed to properly describe the diversity of PLSN nanostructures seen in various materials. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.* J Appl Polym Sci 87: 1329 -1338, 2003
Eutectic phase polymerization of activated ribonucleotide mixtures yields quasi-equimolar incorporation of purine and pyrimidine nucleobases.

The RNA world hypothesis requires a plausible mechanism by which RNA itself (or precursor RNA-like polymers) can be synthesized nonenzymatically from the corresponding building blocks. Simulation experiments have exploited chemically reactive mononucleotides as monomers. Solutions of such monomers in the prebiotic environment were likely to be very dilute, but in experimental simulations of polymerization reactions dilute solutions of activated mononucleotides in the millimolar range hydrolyze extensively, and only trace amounts of dimers and trimers are formed. We report here that random medium-size RNA analogues with mixed sequences (5- to 17-mers with traces of longer products) can be synthesized in ice eutectic phases that are produced when dilute solutions of activated monomers and catalysts (Mg(II) and Pb(II)) are frozen and maintained at −18 °C for periods up to 38 days. Under these conditions, the monomers are concentrated as eutectics in an ice matrix. Hydrolysis of the activated mononucleotides ...
Introduction to networking for integrated control systems

Integrated control system design, which requires interactions between the disciplines of communication systems and control systems, is introduced. An integrated control system has disparate and spatially distributed subsystems interconnected via a common communication channel. Digital data from sensor to controller and from controller to actuator are multiplexed along with traffic from other control loops and management functions. The asynchronous time-division multiplexing introduces time-varying and possibly stochastic delays in the control loops, degrading system dynamic performance. The analysis of delayed control systems is treated, covering the stochastic Lyapunov method approach, the D-partition method, and the method of steps. >
Metal Clusters and Supported Metal Catalysts

One of the driving forces for the development of metal cluster chemistry has been the opportunities that these compounds offer in catalysis1. To an inorganic chemist, a metal cluster is a compound with two (or perhaps three) or more metal atoms2,3, whereas to most researchers in classical heterogeneous catalysis, a metal cluster is a small, discrete group of metal atoms (referred to here as a metal aggregate) dispersed on a support, typically a porous metal oxide with a high internal surface area. Many industrial catalysts, ranging from those used in automobile exhaust converters to those used in petroleum naphtha reformers, consist of small metal aggregates dispersed on high-area supports or carriers. Understanding of the structures and properties of the metal aggregates is difficult because they are nonuniform in size, shape, interactions with the support, and (for many reactions) catalytic activity.
Storm Damage Risk Reduction: Storm Proofing Low-Volume Roads

The United States and other countries spend millions of dollars annually on storm damage repairs. Most of this work is to repair existing roads and transportation facilities. Large amounts of repair work have been done on the low-volume road network of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service over the past three decades, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Agencies cannot afford to build roads to be 100% storm resistant, or stormproof, but they can be made more storm resistant. Measures can be taken to reduce the risk of storm damage from any given event. The objectives of this paper are to identify the assessment process and discuss treatments that can be used to reduce road damage and environmental impacts. Storm damage risk reduction first involves an assessment of any given road, the natural setting, the value of the road, traffic use, and design standards. Because resources are always limited, roads in areas of high risk, in steep terrain, or in areas subject to flooding, and the most important roads, from both the infrastructure and environmental standpoints, should be prioritized for preventative work. Storm damage risk reduction measures include many maintenance, drainage improvement, and structural tasks. Roadway surface drainage structures such as ditches, cross drains, and rolling dips need to be clean, properly armored, and properly spaced to prevent the concentration of water. Drainage-crossing structures such as bridges, fords, and culverts need to have adequate capacity or at least be clear of debris, well armored, scour resistant, and functioning properly. Trash racks can be added. Marginally stable road cuts and fills can be modified and reinforced with vegetation or soil bioengineering treatments. Staying current with road maintenance is critical for proper road function during storms.
Microdischarge devices on the 10 /spl sim/ 30 /spl mu/m scale: fabrication and applications

Summary form only given. We have designed several device structures to obtain cavity dimensions down to 10 /spl mu/m. For the first set of devices, we microdrilled through a metal/polymer/metal thin-layered structure which has a total thickness of /spl sim/30 /spl mu/m. We also have designed and fabricated by MEMS techniques microdischarge devices that have cavity width in 10 /spl sim/ 50 /spl mu/m range. Inverted pyramidal cavities are formed on the Si wafer as a cathode electrode by wet etching.
Hemodynamic and metabolic effects of selective β1 adrenergic blockade during sepsis

Background Selective beta adrenergic antagonists are commonly used to reduce myocardial demise in patients at risk for cardiac-related death. The purpose of this study was to examine the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of cardiac selective beta adrenergic blockade in patients. Methods Muscle protein kinetics were quantified using isotopic tracer methodology in 6 moderately septic, mechanically ventilated patients with pneumonia before and then at the conclusion of a 3-hour infusion of esmolol of sufficient dose to reduce heart rate by 20% from baseline. A battery of hemodynamic measurements as facilitated by a thermodilution pulmonary artery catheter and indirect calorimetry were also measured before and after the 3-hour selective beta adrenergic blockade. Results Selective beta adrenergic blockade was associated with the 20% reduction in heart rate and a comparable decrease in cardiac output. Esmolol administration failed to affect systemic or pulmonary vascular resistance, oxygen consumption, hepatic or leg blood flow, energy expenditure, or ATP availability/energy charge within muscle. Esmolol infuse did incite a shift in fuel oxidation toward an increase in palmitate oxidation and with a decrease in the oxidation of glucose. There was no demonstrable influence β 1 adrenergic blockade on muscle protein kinetics. Conclusions Cardiac selective beta adrenergic blockade with esmolol reduces cardiac output in proportion to the percentage decreases in heart rate in moderately severe septic patients without adversely affecting oxygen utilization or hepatic, peripheral blood flow.
Decline In Placebo-Controlled Trial Results Suggests New Directions For Comparative Effectiveness Research

The Affordable Care Act offers strong support for comparative effectiveness research, which entails comparisons among active treatments, to provide the foundation for evidence-based practice. Traditionally, a key form of research into the effectiveness of therapeutic treatments has been placebo-controlled trials, in which a specified treatment is compared to placebo. These trials feature high-contrast comparisons between treatments. Historical trends in placebo-controlled trials have been evaluated to help guide the comparative effectiveness research agenda. We investigated placebo-controlled trials reported in four leading medical journals between 1966 and 2010. We found that there was a significant decline in average effect size or average difference in efficacy (the ability to produce a desired effect) between the active treatment and placebo. On average, recently studied treatments offered only small benefits in efficacy over placebo. A decline in effect sizes in conventional placebo-controlled trials supports an increased emphasis on other avenues of research, including comparative studies on the safety, tolerability, and cost of treatments with established efficacy.
Surface segregation in alloys: LEED, Auger, and gas adsorption study of segregation of Au to the (111) surface of Ni

The (111) surface of Ni single crystals containing less than 1% Au was studied using Auger spectroscopy, LEED, and gas adsorption. The heat of segregation of gold to the Ni(111) surface, obtained from equilibrium measurements of the surface composition as a function of temperature, was found to be 12±2 kcal/mole. This result is not temperature, was found to be 12±2 kcal/mole. This result is not adequately described by existing theories of surface segregation. We also observed a variety of other complex phenomena. For gold surface concentrations above about 50%, an ordered overlayer of gold formed on the nickel substrate. Exposure of a partially gold covered surface to oxygen causes the disappearance of the gold. Small amounts of gold on the surface effectively poison it for adsorption of CO.
Clinical management of a rare de novo translocation 46,X,t(Y;15) (p11.2∼11.3;q11.2).ish t(Y;15)(DYZ3+,AMELY+,SNRPN+;D15Z+) found prenatally

A 40-year-old woman had amniocentesis at 16 weeks' gestation. Chromosome studies based on 15 colonies showed a de novo 46,X,t(Y;15)(p11.2 approximately 11.3;q11.2) karyotype. Using C- and Q-banding, the additional material on 15 appeared to be Yqh heterochromatin. The satellite on the small derivative chromosome was positive by AgNOR staining. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies using Y and 15 alpha satellite centromeric probes (DYZ3 and D15Z) showed that the derivative chromosome that resembled 15p+ had a Y centromere and that the satellited derivative had a 15 centromere. The break on Y was distal to the amelogenin locus and on 15 it was shown to be proximal to the Prader Willi/Angelman region by using the SNRPN probe. DNA studies ruled out uniparental disomy of chromosome 15 and a SRY deletion. The pregnancy was continued and a normal baby boy without any discernible abnormalities was born.
High-dose busulfan and cyclophosphamide followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation and/or peripheral blood progenitor cell rescue for metastatic breast cancer

High doses of combination alkylating agents have shown promise in the treatment of breast cancer but are complicated by significant toxicity. Busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BuCy) is a high-dose combination alkylating agent regimen that is well-tolerated when given for hematologic malignancy. We prospectively studied the effects of BuCy followed by autologous bone marrow transplant (ABMT) or peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) rescue in 21 patients with metastatic breast cancer who had responded to either standard chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The mean patient age was 44 years. Nine patients were either estrogen- or progesterone-receptor positive, ten were negative, and two were unknown. Fourteen patients had local recurrence, ten had bone metastases, six had visceral disease, and two had a nonlocal soft tissue recurrence. Busulfan 16 mg/kg and cyclophosphamide 120 mg/kg (BuCy2) was given and followed by either ABMT, PBPC rescue, or both. Grade III to IV extramyeloid toxicity occurred in 6 (29%) patients. One patient died of hepatic venoocclusive disease but there was no other treatment-related mortality. Pulmonary infiltrates with hypoxia of uncertain origin developed in 2 patients after discharge. Of the 10 patients with measurable disease, 4 had complete responses, and 3 had partial responses to high-dose therapy for a total response rate of 70%. The estimated 2-year disease-free survival is 25% (95% CI = 6% to 44%). Our study found BuCy to be a well-tolerated preparative regimen for ABMT in the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Influence of ionic environment on the relationship between pre- and postsynaptic potentials.

The effects of various ions on the relationship between pre- and postsynaptic potentials were studied using untreated squid giant synapses, or those injected presynaptically with tetraethylammonium ions (TEA) in the presence of 10−6 g/ml tetrodotoxin (TTX). The synaptic transfer function was, in general, augmented by increasing [Ca2+]0 or by reducing [Mg2+]0. Opposite results were found by lowering either [Na+]0 or [Ca2+]0, or by increasing [K+]0 or [Mg2+]0. When [Ca2+]0 was removed, presynaptically applied depolarizations failed to produce both “On-” and “Off-PSP's.” Electrophoretically injected Ca2+ into the presynaptic terminal reduced synaptic transmission. The minimal level of presynaptic membrane potential produced by an applied outward current pulse, which suppressed On-PSP completely, averaged 106 mV inside positive (ranging between 52–205 mV from 12 preparations). The potential level was shifted more negatively on lowering [Ca2+]0 and more positively in high [Ca2+]0-media. However, altering the [Na+]0 did not change the suppression level appreciably. Under these ionic circumstances the maximum amplitude of On-PSP, as well as Off-PSP, was markedly changed, but the level of the presynaptic depolarization required to evoke a maximum On-PSP appeared to be unchanged, and the average value was 50 mV from the resting membrane potential level. Although the data are only qualitative, they appear to support the “Ca hypothesis” for the transmitter release and its shut-off mechanism. Replacement of 423 mM Cl− by Br− or with isethionate did not affect synaptic transmission.
Characterization of the exocellular polysaccharides from Azotobacter chroococcum

Abstract Azotobacter chroococcum produces appreciable amounts of exocellular polysaccharide. Produced by A. chroococcum strain NRRL B-14341 are at least two distinct polysaccharides which can be separated by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25. Exopolysaccharide I (EPS-I) consists of rhamnose, mannose, and galactose in the molar ratios of 1:2:2, along with a trace of glucose. EPS-I also contains pyruvic acetal and acetic ester groups. Exopolysaccharide II (EPS-II) consists mainly of mannuronic acid, with much smaller proportions of guluronic acid. Acetic ester groups are also present in EPS-II. Methylation analysis of reduced EPS-II shows it to be (1→4)-linked, and 13 C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicates that it is mainly (1→4)-β- d -mannuronan. EPS-II is evidently a low-guluronate form of alginate. Batch-to-batch variation was observed in the relative amounts of the two polysaccharides, the acetyl and pyruvic contents of EPS-I, and the degree of acetylation of EPS-II.
Perfectionism across stages of recovery from eating disorders

Perfectionism has been linked both conceptually and empirically to eating disorders. Hilde Bruch, a pioneer in the field of eating disorders, noted that eating disorder patients demonstrate “superperfection,”1 and perfectionism related to the body is implied in a criterion common to both anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), namely, that self-evaluation is overly reliant on [perfect] weight/shape.2 Empirically, there is evidence that perfectionism is elevated among those with eating disorders compared to healthy controls,3–9 is a risk and maintenance factor for bulimic symptoms,10 and prospectively predicts AN.11 Furthermore, recent intervention work in the area of eating disorders has focused on reducing perfectionism given its conceptualization as a maintenance factor.12,13 Thus, perfectionism appears to play a role in the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of eating disorders. But what happens to perfectionism when individuals recover from eating disorders? Does perfectionism decrease or does it remain elevated and, thus, possibly increase risk for relapse? A review of the perfectionism and eating disorder literature concluded that, in general, individuals recovered from an eating disorder maintain elevated levels of perfectionism.14 Several studies found that individuals recovered from AN, generally defined by absence of an eating disorder diagnosis, the return of menses, and normal weight, were more perfectionistic than healthy controls and similarly perfectionistic to individuals who met criteria for AN.3,7,15 Similarly, studies have generally reported that individuals recovered from BN, typically defined by absence of an eating disorder diagnosis, stable weight, regular menses, and absence of binge eating and purging, are more perfectionistic than healthy controls and comparable to those with current BN.5,16,17 Furthermore, a study using a mixed eating disorder group found that those recovered from BN and/or AN had higher perfectionism scores than healthy controls.18 This pattern of results provides support for perfectionism not being a state effect, solely associated with the active phase of an eating disorder, and bolsters its role as a risk factor or possible “scar.”19 Despite the convergence of the findings related to perfectionism and eating disorder recovery, there are two significant limitations to this body of work: 1) constraints related to how recovery from an eating disorder is defined, and 2) a focus on unidimensional perfectionism. The current study addresses these limitations by comparing different stages of eating disorders (including a more nuanced definition of recovery, delineating partially recovered and fully recovered groups) along different dimensions/manifestations of perfectionism.