cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Seismic Origin of a Landslide in the New Madrid Seismic Zone

The New Madrid earthquakes of 1811–12 reportedly triggered many landslides from the bluffs east of the Mississippi River. We use static and dynamic slope stability analyses to determine if landslides currently visible in this area were triggered by seismic shaking or if failure could have occurred in aseismic conditions. We apply this approach to a translational block slide representative of a group of old landslides that previous investigations showed probably were triggered in 1811–12. Slope-stability modeling of aseismic conditions shows that the slide could not have formed aseismically even in unrealistically high ground-water conditions. Dynamic stability analysis using Newmark’s method shows that the landslide would have experienced large displacements – sufficient to cause catastrophic failure – during earthquake shaking similar to that which occurred in 1811–12.
Coherence enhancement in quantitative susceptibility mapping by means of anisotropic weighting in morphology enabled dipole inversion.

Purpose To investigate an anisotropic structural prior in morphology enabled dipole inversion (MEDI) for improving accuracy in quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Theory and methods Anisotropic weighting (AW) was devised and implemented to incorporate orientation information into the edge agreement in the MEDI method. AW performance was compared with isotropic weighting by testing and validating on in vivo brain multiple orientation MRI data using COSMOS and the (33) component of the susceptibility tensor as reference. Results Suppressing streaking artifacts, AW improved not only QSM image quality but also accuracy in terms of RMSE (root mean square error), HFEN (high frequency error norm), SSIM (structural similarity index), and GDA (gradient direction agreement). In addition, it outperformed isotropic weighting in region of interest-based analysis. From a computational perspective, AW was as fast as isotropic weighting, taking approximately the same central processing unit times. Conclusion Using AW in MEDI improves QSM accuracy compared with isotropic weighting. Magn Reson Med 79:1172-1180, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Implementing College and Career Readiness: Critical Dimensions for Youth with Severe Disabilities.

Focused attention to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and college and career readiness (CCR) has been attributed to increased secondary school reform efforts directed at ensuring all students...
Effects of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection on nursery pig intestinal function and barrier integrity

Abstract The pig intestinal epithelium can be compromised by pathogens leading to reduced integrity and function. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), recently detected in North America, exemplifies intestinal epithelial insult. Although several studies have investigated the molecular aspects and host immune response to PEDV, there are little data on the impact of PEDV on pig intestinal physiology. The objective of this study was to investigate the longitudinal impact of PEDV on nursery pig intestinal function and integrity. Fifty recently-weaned, 5-week-old barrows and gilts (BW = 9.92 ± 0.49 kg) were sorted based on body weight (BW) and sex into two treatments: 1) Control or 2) PEDV inoculated. At 2, 5, 7, and 14 days post inoculation (dpi), 4 pigs per treatment were euthanized and jejunum sections collected. PEDV antigen was detected in inoculated pigs by immunohistochemistry in 50% (2/4) at dpi 2, 100% (4/4) at dpi 5, and none at later time points. PEDV-infected pigs had reduced ( P 0.05) villus height and decreased transepithelial resistance compared with controls. Total acidic mucins, particularly sialomucin, were reduced in PEDV pigs at dpi 2 and then increased compared with controls at dpi 7 and 14. In addition, PEDV pigs had increased stem cell proliferation ( P 0.05) and a numerical increase in DNA fragmentation compared with controls through dpi 7 which coincided with an observed return of digestive function to that of controls. Collectively, these data reveal that PEDV infection results in time-dependent changes not only in intestinal morphology but also barrier integrity and function.
Methylphenidate, cognition, and epilepsy: A 1-month open-label trial.

SummaryObjective Cognitive difficulties are common in epilepsy. Beyond reducing seizures and adjusting antiepileptic medications, no well-validated treatment exists in adults. Methylphenidate is used effectively in children with epilepsy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but its effects in adults have not been systematically evaluated. We hypothesized that methylphenidate can safely improve cognition in adults with epilepsy. We detail here the open-label follow-up to a double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose study. Methods Thirty epilepsy patients entered a 1-month open-label methylphenidate trial after a double-blind phase. Doses were titrated according to clinical practice and patient tolerance, ranging 20–40 mg/day. Primary measures included: Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Symbol–Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), and Medical College of Georgia Memory Test (MCG). Secondary measures were: Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), Stimulant Side-Effect Checklist, Adverse Events Profile, Quality of Life in Epilepsy-89 (QOLIE-89), and seizure frequency. Fourteen healthy, nonmedicated controls were tested concurrently. Results Twenty-eight participants with epilepsy (13 men/15 women) completed the trial. Withdrawals occurred due to anxiety (n = 1) and fatigue (n = 1). Mean age was 36.4 years (range = 20–60). Epilepsy types were: focal (n = 21), generalized (n = 6), or unclassified (n = 1). Mean epilepsy duration was 12.3 years. Mean baseline seizure frequency was 2.8/month. There were significant improvements on methylphenidate for SDMT, MCG, CPT (the ability to discriminate between targets and nontargets [d′] hits, hit reaction time standard deviation, omissions, and commissions), and QOLIE subscales (energy/fatigue, attention/concentration, memory, and language; paired t tests; p ≤ 0.002). BDI-II and additional subscales also improved, at a lower level of statistical significance. Effect sizes were moderate to large. Comparisons with untreated controls (n = 14) revealed greater improvement for epilepsy patients on omissions and commissions, with improvement trends on d′ and hits. Seizure frequency did not increase with methylphenidate treatment (2.8/month vs. 2.4/month). Significance Methylphenidate may be an effective and safe option for improving cognition and quality of life in epilepsy. Larger and longer double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials are needed.
Neuronal expression patterns of the PlexinA family during zebrafish development.

Abstract Plexins (Plxns) and Semaphorins (Semas) are key signaling molecules that regulate many aspects of development. Plxns are a family of transmembrane protein receptors that are activated upon extracellular binding by Semas. Activated Plxns trigger intracellular signaling cascades, which regulate a range of developmental processes, including axon guidance, neuronal positioning and vasculogenesis. Semas are a large family of both transmembrane and secreted signaling molecules, and show subtype specific binding to different Plxn family members. Each Plxn can play different roles in development, and so tightly regulated temporal and spatial expression of receptor subtypes is critical to ensure appropriate signaling. Here we elucidate the expression profiles of the plxnA family, plxnA1a, A1b, A2, A3 and A4 at 18, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h post fertilization in the developing zebrafish. We show that PlxnA family members are expressed in neuronal tissues during zebrafish development, but exhibit key differences in expression within these tissues. We also highlight that plxnA1 has two genes in zebrafish, A1a and A1b, which show divergences in expression patterns during early development.
Safety and efficacy of everolimus (E), bevacizumab (B), and docetaxel (D) for castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

5066 Safety and efficacy of Everolimus (E), bevacizumab (B), and docetaxel (D) for castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) Background: Based on studies suggesting co-targeting mTOR and angiogenic pathways potentiates chemotherapy, we studied combining mTOR (E, formerly RAD001) and VEGF (B) inhibition with D in CRPC. Methods: Eligible patients (pts) had progressive, metastatic, chemo-naive CRPC. D+B was given IV day 1 with E PO daily on a 21 d cycle at level 1 (D 75 mg/m2, E 2.5 mg), level 2 (D 75 mg/m2, E 5 mg), or level 3 (D 65 mg/m2, E 5 mg). B 15 mg/kg was given at all levels. B/E without D (B/E-D) was allowed after ≥ 6 cycles. Prophylactic growth factor support was allowed only after cycle 1, if required The primary endpoint was response, defined as maximal confirmed PSA decline and RECIST criteria. Results: Dose level 1 was identified as the recommended phase 2 dose (Gross et al, 2009) thus 37 of 43 patients received level 1 dosing. Median age was 65 (50-79) years, PSA 76.6 (0-1847) ng/mL, alkali...
A Simple Caching File System for Application Serving

In large installations, it can become very difficult to install many hundreds of applications on every workstation. To make every package available requires that the users' command search path be very long, or that there be `wrapper' scripts written for every application which are maintained in a single directory. This policy also requires that each workstation have enough local disk to contain all files for every application. One traditional solution is to make applications available to workstations by serving them via NFS. However, this method can cause severe network loads, and it makes every user dependent upon the uninterrupted operation of the network. This paper describes a set of programs designed to eliminate these problems. They provide for the automatic configuration of the wrappers needed for each application (including setting environment variables, etc.), in an architecture-independent fashion. They also implement caching from NFS-mounted "lockers" to a local file system, based upon file access patterns. This gives the advantages of single point of installation and minimization of local disk requirements, while providing the user with reduced dependence upon the network and increased speed of access. These programs require no kernel modifications nor other special facilities, and have proven to be portable across many versions of UNIX.
Local context, network ties, and organisational autonomy: Latino civic life in Barcelona and Madrid compared

How does local context shape immigrant civic life? This article addresses the question by comparing Latino associations in Madrid and Barcelona, cities in Spain with comparable rates of immigration...
Should Margin Sampling Be Obtained from the Specimen or from the Resection Bed in Oral Cavity Cancer

Historically, the Halstedian oncologic principle of achieving en bloc tumor resection with at least a 5 mm negative margin has been the goal in the surgical management of oral cavity malignancies. While this sounds straightforward in theory, in practice, achieving negative surgical margins is complicated by the balance of resecting sufficient tissue for complete oncologic resection while preserving sufficient tissue to maintain function. Most surgeons rely on intraoperative frozen margin assessment to help guide intraoperative decision making. There are two main approaches to obtaining margins in patients undergoing oral cavity cancer resection: defect-driven, where the margin is obtained from the tumor bed, and specimen-driven, where the margin is obtained from the en bloc resection. Comparing these techniques, the published data of the one randomized control trial and multiple large institutional reviews are concordant: margin sampling obtained from the tumor bed is less reliable than sampling from the tumor specimen and has low sensitivity detecting true positive margins. In our review of the literature for this topic, it appears that the question is transitioning from “should margin sampling be obtained from the specimen or from the resection bed in oral cavity cancer?” to “should margin sampling be obtained in oral cavity cancer?”
Evaluating commercial feasibility of a new tall wind tower design concept using a stochastic levelized cost of energy model

Abstract Wind power generation has seen a dramatic increase in the 21st century and the Department of Energy (DOE) envisions that wind energy will become a much larger part of overall power generation in the U.S. by 2050. Wind turbines have continued to grow in size during the last few decades with towers commonly built at a height of 80 m for typical utility-scale turbines in the Unites States, and this is accompanied by certain transportation and logistics challenges. The newly proposed tall tower technology has been designed to be cost-effective in assembling towers as high as 140 m from precast concrete module components that are capable of transport on the U.S. road system. This paper presents an alternative wind tower design with potential for reducing the overall levelized cost of energy (LCOE); it evaluates a hexagonal precast concrete wind tower solution that facilitates use of a taller wind turbine generator for harvesting stronger, steadier, and more frequent wind resources to increase wind energy production and lower the overall LCOE. An integrated team of industry experts was consulted to support development of a stochastic life cycle cost model using a parametric estimate of the cost and fabrication and assembly schedules of this new wind tower design concept as well as forecasting the projected revenue to be created by the new technology. The study concludes that this new design concept is a commercially viable solution, with an estimated LCOE savings ranging from 2% to 4% compared with the typical 80 m turbine deployed in the United States, and it also provides wind power potential to previously untapped regions in the country. This paper helps to inform energy developers, manufacturers, and policy makers, both regionally and nationally, of a possible economically feasible wind tower design solution.
Weight gain after smoking cessation and lifestyle strategies to reduce it.

Background Weight gain following smoking cessation reduces the incentive to quit, especially among women. Exercise and diet interventions may reduce postcessation weight gain, but their long-term effect has not been estimated in randomized trials. Methods We estimated the long-term reduction in postcessation weight gain among women under smoking cessation alone or combined with (1) moderate-to-vigorous exercise (15, 30, 45, 60 minutes/day), and (2) exercise and diet modification (≤2 servings/week of unprocessed red meat; ≥5 servings/day of fruits and vegetables; minimal sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets and desserts, potato chips or fried potatoes, and processed red meat). Results Among 10,087 eligible smokers in the Nurses' Health Study and 9,271 in the Nurses' Health Study II, the estimated 10-year mean weights under smoking cessation were 75.0 (95% CI = 74.7, 75.5) kg and 79.0 (78.2, 79.6) kg, respectively. Pooling both cohorts, the estimated postcessation mean weight gain was 4.9 (7.3, 2.6) kg lower under a hypothetical strategy of exercising at least 30 minutes/day and diet modification, and 5.9 (8.0, 3.8) kg lower under exercising at least 60 minutes/day and diet modification, compared with smoking cessation without exercising. Conclusions In this study, substantial weight gain occurred in women after smoking cessation, but we estimate that exercise and dietary modifications could have averted most of it.
Dual agency in retail chains

Retail distribution is often organized into chain stores, where geographically dispersed units operate under a common trademark and operational routines. Franchising is an organizational form chose...
Blockchain and the circular economy: potential tensions and critical reflections from practice

Blockchain technology and the circular economy (CE) are two emergent concepts that can change the way we live for decades. Arrival of Industry 4.0 is set to transform organisational activities thro...
Optimal Control for X-Ray Microscopes

In this article, a systematic framework for designing the control for fine positioning (scanning) stages of X-ray microscopes is presented. This framework facilitates designs that simultaneously achieve specifications on positioning resolution and tracking bandwidth while guaranteeing robustness of the closed loop device to unmodeled uncertainties. We use robust optimal control techniques for modeling, quantifying design objectives and system-specific challenges, and designing the control laws. The control designs were implemented on a three degree of freedom piezoactuated flexure stages dedicated for fine positioning of X-ray optics. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in positioning performance of 134%, 150%, and 132% in tracking bandwidths along the lateral ( X ), vertical ( Y ), and beam ( Z ) directions, respectively, when compared to proportional–integral–derivative controller designs. This was achieved while keeping similar or better positioning resolution and robustness measures. Fast scanning for X-ray imaging was demonstrated in both the step scan and flyscan modes, where bandwidth was improved by over 450 times with flyscan compared to the step scan.
Non-cytotoxic Dityrosine Photocrosslinked Polymeric Materials With Targeted Elastic Moduli

Controlling mechanical properties of polymeric biomaterials, including the elastic modulus, is critical to direct cell behavior, such as proliferation and differentiation. Dityrosine photocrosslinking is an attractive and simple method to prepare materials that exhibit a wide range of elastic moduli by rapidly crosslinking tyrosyl-containing polymers. However, high concentrations of commonly used oxidative crosslinking reagents, such as ruthenium-based photoinitiators and persulfates, present cytotoxicity concerns. We found the elastic moduli of materials prepared by crosslinking an artificial protein with tightly controlled tyrosine molarity can be modulated up to 40 kPa by adjusting photoinitiator and persulfate concentrations. Formulations with various concentrations of the crosslinking reagents were able to target a similar material elastic modulus, but excess unreacted persulfate resulted in cytotoxic materials. Therefore, we identified a systematic method to prepare non-cytotoxic photocrosslinked polymeric materials with targeted elastic moduli for potential biomaterials applications in diverse fields, including tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting.
Chapter 9 – Communication and Social Behavior

Patterns of communication are first summarized for each major group of amphibians and reptiles. Caecilians, salamanders, some turtles, and many squamates employ chemical cues, frogs and crocodylians employ acoustic cues, many squamate lizards and some frogs use visual cues, and many amphibians and reptiles use tactile cues. Often, more than one type of cue is involved. Social behavior requires communication and is usually associated with mating. The kind of mating system that occurs is usually a function of the parent’s influence on survival of offspring. The environment often plays some role in determining the kind of mating system that occurs as well. Most amphibians and reptiles are polygynous, but examples of monogamy and polyandry also exist. Alternative mating strategies allow matings by individuals that might not be high ranking in the social system. Competition among individuals within each sex and mate choice based on morphological and behavioral traits have resulted in sexual dimorphism, some of which is extreme.
Tunneled Pleural Catheter to Manage Recurrent Post-Transplant Effusion

Introduction Pleural effusions after lung transplant (LT) are common and use of chest tubes is routine. Chronic pleural effusion post-LT, can impede attainment of best pulmonary function. Therapeutic interventions may include tube thoracostomy, pleural decortication, and pleurodesis. Due to concerns related to immunosuppression and fears of infection, tunneled pleural catheters (TPC) are not typically considered post-LT. Case Report A 71-year-old female with IPF underwent an uncomplicated right LT and chest tubes were weaned in the usual fashion. As an outpatient, pulmonary function and physical recovery were below expectations and imaging demonstrated pleural effusion. Given multiple recurrences despite tube thoracostomy and impaired physical recovery, a TPC was considered. Following sterile TPC placement, the patient was able to drain her effusion at home, while increasing participation in rehabilitation, ultimately achieving functional independence. The catheter was removed when pleural output was minimal and spontaneous pleurodesis was assumed. The patient suffered no infectious complications and at one-year, pleural effusion has not recurred. Summary Prolonged or recurrent pleural effusions following LT may cause dyspnea and impede functional recovery. While TPCs are typically used to control malignant or benign effusions, they can provide several advantages in the LT population. Tunneling reduces infectious risk, low profile avoids accidental dislodgement, and they can be placed and managed as an outpatient, avoiding setbacks associated with a surgical procedure. With malignant pleural effusions, these catheters relieve symptoms and by 6 weeks, 45% may achieve spontaneous pleurodesis. Though shown to be safe in a case series of LT recipients, these catheters are rarely used post-LT. Infection is a feared complication, though occurs in only 5% of patients, with empyema seen in about 3% of cases. In appropriately selected patients, TPCs may be a viable alternative to manage recurrent pleural effusions.
Thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence response of Al2O3 coatings deposited by mist-chemical vapor deposition

Abstract Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is a widely used ceramic material which can be applied as a protective coating on metallic structures to improve corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. Al2O3 also has great potential as a functional thin film device in optoelectronics. When it is doped with carbon (Al2O3:C), this material system can serve as a reliable radiation dosimeter. The combination of optoelectronic, dosimetric, and protective properties demonstrated by Al2O3 uniquely positions it for dual use applications in nuclear forensics, nonproliferation and safeguards, emergency response, retrospective dosimetry, and nondestructive inspection. In this study, an innovative ultrasonic mist-chemical vapor deposition (Mist-CVD) system was used to deposit thin (nm level) Al2O3 coatings on 304 stainless steel substrates. The single aliquot regeneration (SAR) and additive dose reconstruction techniques were then used to investigate the thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) response of the coated substrates to increasing doses of β irradiation. This study demonstrates that nm-thick Al2O3 coatings hold promise as novel nano-dosimeters which could be leveraged for a series of applications such as nonproliferation and safeguards, retrospective dosimetry, and nondestructive inspection.
Non-Standard Functional Systems

LFLT’ is a standard lower functional or first order predicate calculus. To it corresponds a number of non-standard systems which bear to LFLT’ the same relation that the non-standard propositional systems of Chapter 6 bore to PLT’. Again the intuitionistic, the Fitch, and the Johansson systems are developed as contrasts with standard predicate calculi.
Efficient Cumulus Parameterization for Long-Term Climate Studies: The GISS Scheme

The Goddard Institute for Space Studies general circulation model (GISS GCM) differs from most other general circulation models in that it is designed for use exclusively on global climate change problems. Typical applications include assessments of the climatic response to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and volcanic eruptions, evaluations of unforced variability of the atmosphere-ocean system, paleoclimatic simulations, and process studies of other planetary atmospheres.
The democratic peace and territorial conflict in the twentieth century: Another study of democracy and international conflict?

Introduction Over the past decade numerous books and countless articles have been published on the theoretical and empirical relationship between democracy and international conflict. The central theoretical claim advanced by scholars is that decisions by state leaders to rely upon either peaceful diplomacy or military force as the means to resolve international disputes are influenced by the political institutions and norms of political competition and conflict resolution within states. As a result, analysts have argued that patterns of international conflict behavior should vary between democratic and non-democratic countries because of differences in the degree of state leaders' political accountability, or the strength of nonviolent norms of resolving political conflict among political elites (e.g. Bueno de Mesquita and Lalman 1992; Bueno de Mesquita, Morrow, Siverson, and Smith 1999; Dixon 1993, 1994, 1998; Doyle 1986; Kahl 1998/99; Maoz and Russett 1992, 1993; Owen 1994, 1997; Raymond 1994; Rummel 1983, 1985; Russett 1993; Schweller 1992; Weart 1998). In empirical research scholars have examined patterns of military conflict between democracies and non-democracies, as well as among the two types of states. Two different conclusions have emerged from empirical findings. The first, more widely accepted, claim is that while democratic states rarely if ever go to war against each other, they do adopt more confrontational diplomatic and military policies towards non-democratic states. Thus, patterns of military conflict between democracies and non-democracies are not very different from patterns of military conflict among non-democracies.
Free Usability Data

Convergent software industry thrusts of user-centered design, cost justifying usability, and discount usability engineering drive usability engineers toward gathering the least expensive user data possible. What could be better than free data? This short paper encourages usability engineers to capture user data that already exist in their organizations, and points them to likely sources of these data.
HORSE SPLEEN HEMOSIDERIN. II. FURTHER CHARACTERIZATION.

Abstract Horse spleen hemosiderin granules were fractionated into an iron-free soluble fraction and an iron-free residue fraction upon reductive removal of the iron and dialysis. These fractions were analyzed for iron, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur. The widely held view that hemosiderin arises from aggregation of ferritin molecules rendered insoluble by an excessive iron load was tested on the grounds that apoferritin should be re-solubilized on removal of the iron from hemosiderin. Apoferritin was in this way successfully isolated in crystalline form, and was characterized antigenically and electrophoretically. It was demonstrated by a semiquantitative immunochemical technique in hemosiderin from a series of horses. The amount of apoferritin, however, was small in relation to the total protein, most of which remained as an insoluble residue after removal of the iron. In addition, a soluble protein other than apoferritin was demonstrated, and was distinguished from the latter by its solubility, dye-binding, and electrophoretic properties. Studies were carried out to elucidate the nature of the insoluble iron-free residue of hemosiderin. Analysis for N-terminal amino acids indicated heterogeneity in its protein composition. Dye-binding studies indicated significant differences from apoferritin. including a strong basophilia. Various methods of extraction of the residue revealed a pigment which behaved like heme. There was a significant amount of lipid, including cholesterol. The results of these analyses are consistent with a hypothesis suggested in the literature on the basis of electron micrographs of hemosiderin showing double membranes and possible crystae: that hemosiderin represents an iron-loaded subcellular organelle, perhaps a mitochondrion.
Anthropology and History

Abstract Anthropology engages history not as one but instead as many things: (1) sociocultural change or diachrony; (2) a domain of events and objects that make manifest systems of signification, purpose, and value; (3) a domain of variable modalities of the experience and consciousness of being in time; and (4) a domain of practices, methods, and theories devoted to the recording and the analysis of temporal phenomena. It emerged, and continues to serve, as that branch of ‘natural history’ which investigates the psychophysical origins and diversification of the human race. As ‘ethnohistory,’ it investigates the documents of the pasts of native or ‘first’ peoples, paying special attention to the dynamics and consequences of colonization. Emile Durkheim's Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (1995/1912) opens the arena of an ‘anthropology of history’ with its argument for the social causation of the experience and conceptualization of time, but anthropologists remain divided over what the anthropology of history is or should be. Their disagreements are instructive because they recapitulate a much larger and more enduring controversy over whether anthropological knowledge is a mode of historical or instead a mode of scientific knowledge. The controversy is probably also irresolute, at least until either anthropology or history comes to an end.
Population Genetic Structure of Tunas Inferred from Molecular Markers: A Review

In this study, we have reviewed the population genetic structure of eleven tuna species (albacore, bigeye, yellowfin, Pacific bluefin, Atlantic bluefin, southern bluefin, blackfin, longtail, skipjack, frigate, and little tuna) with a global perspective. Based on the studies using molecular markers, there are 50 genetically distinct populations of tuna species worldwide (12 albacore, 4 bigeye, 9 yellowfin, 4 bluefin, 2 blackfin, 2 longtail, 12 skipjack, 2 little tuna, and 3 frigate tuna). It is evident that some tunas (albacore, bigeye, yellowfin, bluefin, and skipjack) have got more attention of researchers than the others (longtail tuna, blackfin tuna, little tuna, and frigate tuna), possibly because of their higher commercial importance. So, the larger number of studies on some species of tuna might be the reason for the higher number of population structure observed. Also, relying on the results of a single molecular marker, which were used in some studies, may produce misleading conclusions. Therefore...
E. coli Alkaline Phosphatase

Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase (AP) is a metalloenzyme that catalyzes the nonspecific hydrolysis of phosphomonoesters. Because of the extensive functional and structural studies available on the AP from E. coli, this enzyme has become the model for all APs. The two active sites of dimeric AP each contain binding sites for two Zn2+ and one Mg2+. These metals are critical for dimer formation and catalytic activity. The reaction proceeds via a phosphoseryl intermediate formed by the attack of the hydroxyl oxygen of Ser102 on the phosphorus of the substrate. The substrate is stabilized in the active site by binding to Zn2+. In the second step of the double in-line displacement mechanism, a hydroxyl bound to Zn2+ hydrolyzes the phosphoseryl intermediate. Under basic conditions, the slow step in the mechanism is the release of phosphate from the noncovalent enzyme–phosphate complex. X-ray structures of the free enzyme, the phosphoseryl intermediate, an enzyme–vanadate complex that mimics the transition state, and the enzyme–phosphate noncovalent complex have been used to delineate molecular details of the catalytic mechanism. Sequence alignments of APs from various species have been used to provide explanations for the enhanced activity of the mammalian APs as compared to the bacterial APs and why certain APs utilize Co2+ in place of Zn2+. The molecular details of phosphate hydrolysis ascertained from the study of AP has applications to other enzymes that are involved in phosphate ester hydrolysis. 3D Structure Keywords: enzyme–vanadate complex; phosphoseryl intermediate; covalent intermediate; phosphomonoesterase; metalloenzyme; electrostatics
The terms-of-trade effect on expenditure : Some evidence from econometric models

Abstract The terms-of-trade effect on expenditure has been a long-recognized theoretical construct. In this paper, we examine the empirical credibility of this effect, using the expenditure equations of several large econometric models in terms of their formulation of real versus nominal variables. We find evidence of both positive and negative effects of import prices on various categories of expenditure. Thus, there is no consensus as to the direction of the terms-of-trade effect.
Experimental Observation of Resonance Effects in Intensely Irradiated Atomic Clusters

We have resolved the expansion of intensely irradiated atomic clusters on a femtosecond time scale. These data show evidence for resonant heating, similar to resonance absorption, in spherical cluster plasmas.
Challenges for Mental Health Services Raised by Disaster Preparedness: Mapping the Ethical and Therapeutic Terrain

Identifying vulnerable groups and ensuring that their needs are met during disasters--whether naturally occurring or manmade--are vital aspects of preparedness planning. Developing preparedness strategies that are responsive to those at greatest risk is a moral mandate, justified by the principles of beneficence, justice, and respect for autonomy. Individuals with preexisting mental disorders and newly emergent psychological symptoms are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes during and after disasters. Without advance planning, these individuals might not benefit from necessary mental health services and treatments during and after disasters. In this commentary, we discuss ethical issues that arise in emergency preparedness planning for vulnerable individuals with psychological and psychiatric conditions and disorders.
A complex of YlbF, YmcA and YaaT regulates sporulation, competence and biofilm formation by accelerating the phosphorylation of Spo0A.

Bacillus subtilis has adopted a bet-hedging strategy to ensure survival in changing environments. From a clonal population, numerous sub-populations can emerge, expressing different sets of genes that govern the developmental processes of sporulation, competence and biofilm formation. The master transcriptional regulator Spo0A controls the entry into all three fates and the production of the phosphorylated active form of Spo0A is precisely regulated via a phosphorelay, involving at least four proteins. Two proteins, YmcA and YlbF were previously shown to play an unidentified role in the regulation of biofilm formation, and in addition, YlbF was shown to regulate competence and sporulation. Using an unbiased proteomics screen, we demonstrate that YmcA and YlbF interact with a third protein, YaaT to form a tripartite complex. We show that all three proteins are required for proper establishment of the three above-mentioned developmental states. We show that the complex regulates the activity of Spo0A in vivo and, using in vitro reconstitution experiments, determine that they stimulate the phosphorelay, probably by interacting with Spo0F and Spo0B. We propose that the YmcA-YlbF-YaaT ternary complex is required to increase Spo0A~P levels above the thresholds needed to induce development.
Analog beamspace super-resolution radar processing

Current monopulse radar does not resolve multiple sources within the main beam, a scenario that arises in a number of radar applications such as ballistic missile defense, where the incoming missile complex consists of a large number of objects; air defense, where a detection may correspond to a single plane or multiple planes; cruise missile defense for low angle target tracking in multipath; etc. This paper describes a superresolution technique designed for radar applications requiring resolving multiple targets within the main beam given a single snapshot of multiple beam data. The technique enables the practical implementation of such super-resolution algorithm by first forming multiple beams in the analog domain to provide data and degree-of-freedom (DOF) reductions without significant loss of information. Super-resolution is then achieved through the use of matrix processing techniques operating on the digitized beamspace data. The overall procedure can be considered a generalization of the monopulse processing scheme to the multi-target case.
Excimer Laser Induced Permanent Electrical Conductivity and Nanostructures in Polymers

The electrical conductivity of high temperature polymers (i.e. polyimide) has been changed permanently from 10-17 Ω-1 cm-1 to 10 Ω-1 cm-1 by KrF (248 nm) excimer laser irradiation. The conduction mechanism is found to be phonon assisted variable range hopping between small (~10 nm) carbon rich clusters that form a macroscopic percolation cluster. Using a holographic technique, periodic line structures with periods ranging from 166 nm to 950 nm have been produced in polyimide by direct ablation with a KrF excimer laser. Taking advantage of the large nonlinearity in the laser ablation process, linewidths ranging from 30 nm to several hundred nm could be obtained. This technique was combined with the ability to induce electrical conductivity in polyimide to produce an array of 500 nm wide electrically conducting wires. The conductivity of these wires was similar to that found in macroscopic regions of laser induced conductivity.
Factors affecting accuracy of past tense production in children with specific language impairment and their typically developing peers: the influence of verb transitivity, clause location, and sentence type.

Purpose The author examined the influence of sentence type, clause order, and verb transitivity on the accuracy of children’s past tense productions. All groups of children, but especially children...
A New Argument for Protectionism

This note concerns an economic case for protectionism in developing countries, which has been described as distinct from the infant industry argument. The case has been presented by Professor Hagen in a recent article and clarified by him in a reply to an interesting comment by Professor Koo.' I shall attempt to show: that Hagen has, after all, presented a particular instance of the infant industry argument; that his case is conceptually interesting, because it suggests that the argument can, under certain circumstances, be more broadly stated than may have been thought; but that the empirical data presented do not substantiate the practical significance which Hagen claims for his case. In an economy with imperfect mobility of labor where labor is continually transferred from agriculture to industry, the real wage must be higher in industry than in agriculture for "equivalent" work in order to induce the transfer. Consequently, under free trade, manufacturing industry, even when it enjoys a real comparative advantage, may be undersold by imports.2 In such a case protectionism in manufacturing would raise real income (and subsidization of wages in manufacturing under free trade would do so even more). To put the same thing in other words, where there is imperfect mobility of labor there must be a difference between the net value of the marginal product of labor in agriculture and in industry (i.e., the value adjusted for differences in labor quality or for real costs of transferring labor from one to the other); and anything tending to eliminate this difference (without giving rise to correspondingly large real costs) will raise real income. Hagen distinguishes between "real" and "unreal" wage differentials.3 Only the former reflect real differences in the net value of the
Intracortical electroencephalography in acute brain injury

Objective Continuous electroencephalography (EEG) is used in patients with neurological injury to detect electrographic seizures and clinically important changes in brain function. Scalp EEG has poor spatial resolution, is often contaminated by artifact, and frequently demonstrates activity that is suspicious for but not diagnostic of ictal activity. We hypothesized that bedside placement of an intracortical multicontact electrode would allow for improved monitoring of cortical potentials in critically ill neurological patients. Methods Sixteen individuals with brain injury, requiring invasive neuromonitoring, underwent implantation of an eight-contact minidepth electrode. Results Intracortical EEG (ICE) was successfully performed and compared with scalp EEG in 14 of these 16 individuals. ICE provided considerable improvement in signal-to-noise ratio compared with surface EEG, demonstrating clinically important findings in 12 of 14 patients (86%) including electrographic seizures (n = 10) and acute changes related to secondary neurological injury (n = 2, 1 ischemia, 1 hemorrhage). In patients with electrographic seizures detected by ICE, scalp EEG demonstrated no concurrent ictal activity in six, nonictal-appearing rhythmic delta in two, and intermittently correlated ictal activity in two. In two patients with secondary neurological complications, ICE demonstrated prominent attenuation 2 to 6 hours before changes in other neuromonitoring modalities and more than 8 hours before the onset of clinical deterioration. Interpretation ICE can provide high-fidelity intracranial EEG in an intensive care unit setting, can detect ictal discharges not readily apparent on scalp EEG, and can identify early changes in brain activity caused by secondary neurological complications. We predict that ICE will facilitate the development of EEG-based alarm systems and lead to prevention of secondary neuronal injury. Ann Neurol 2009;66:366–377
Mannitol diuresis: The relationship of plasma volume to renal blood flow*

Summary The effect of graded doses of mannitol upon renal blood flow, plasma volume, blood volume, hematocrit, urine output, serum osmolality and arterial blood pressure was studied in 12 dogs. Those animals receiving a priming dose of fluid before mannitol was given exhibited strikingly greater increases in plasma volume than did the unprimed animals; however, their renal blood flows were essentially the same. This evidence suggests that mannitol does not exert its effect on renal blood flow directly through increase of plasma volume. Increased urine output persisted long after renal blood flow returned to normal; this suggests that mannitol's diuretic effect is not entirely dependent upon changes in renal blood flow.
Effects of atrazine and nitrate on northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) larvae exposed in the laboratory from posthatch through metamorphosis

A ecent ecological rsk assessment of the herbicideatrazinefound that theecosystemsat greatest risk within North America are the streams, rivers, and reservoirs of the midwestern corn-growing regions. Habitats adjacent to application areas could be exposed to high levels of atrazine during periods of amphibian activity such as breeding and migration. Because fertilizer application coincides both spatially and temporally with atrazine application in agricultural areas, we tested the effects of atrazine and nitrate on northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) larvae in the laboratory. Larvae were exposed to atrazine (0, 20, and 200 μg/L) and nitrate (0, 5, and 30 mg NO3-N/L) from first-feeding stage through metamorphosis in a factorial design. Atrazine concentrations in metamorphosed juveniles were approximately six times the concentration in the water, indicating bioconcentration of atrazine by larvae. Atrazine, nitrate, and their interaction had no significant effect on development rate, percent metamorphosis, time to metamorphosis, percent survival, mass at metamorphosis, or hematocrit. However, nitrate slowed growth of larvae. Though this growth inhibition is statistically significant, it is probably not biologically important when compared with natural variation in the environment. Thus, concentrations of atrazine and nitrate commonly found in the environment do not appear to pose a significant threat to R. pipiens larvae through direct toxicity.
Interpretation of the methylene blue reduction test of human plasma and the possible cancer protecting effect of selenium.

Der fruher zur Krebsdiagnose vorgeschlagene Plasma-Methylenblau-Entfarbungstest nachSavignac 2 undBlack 3 spricht im wesentlichen auf die Plasma-Selenkonzentration an. Daraus ergeben sich Hinweise fur die moglicherweise krebsschutzende Wirkung des Selens, die durch statistische Daten gestutzt wird.
Transcriptional activation of human adult alpha-globin genes by hypersensitive site-40 enhancer: function of nuclear factor-binding motifs occupied in erythroid cells

Abstract The developmental stage- and erythroid lineage-specific activation of the human embryonic zeta- and fetal/adult alpha-globin genes is controlled by an upstream regulatory element [hypersensitive site (HS)-40] with locus control region properties, a process mediated by multiple nuclear factor-DNA complexes. In vitro DNase I protection experiments of the two G+C-rich, adult alpha-globin promoters have revealed a number of binding sites for nuclear factors that are common to HeLa and K-562 extracts. However, genomic footprinting analysis has demonstrated that only a subset of these sites, clustered between -130 and +1, is occupied in an erythroid tissue-specific manner. The function of these in vivo-occupied motifs of the alpha-globin promoters, as well as those previously mapped in the HS-40 region, is assayed by site-directed mutagenesis and transient expression in embryonic/fetal erythroid K-562 cells. These studies, together with our expression data on the human embryonic zeta-globin promoter, provide a comprehensive view of the functional roles of individual nuclear factor-DNA complexes in the final stages of transcriptional activation of the human alpha-like globin promoters by the HS-40 element.
Professionalizing the practice of public policy in the prevention of violence.

The State of the Science Conference Statement on “Preventing Violence and Related Health-Risking Social Behaviors in Adolescents” accurately summarizes the state of knowledge regarding risk factors for violence and intervention efficacy. The Statement missed an opportunity, however, to move the field of prevention practice and policy forward by advocating for more systematic, central review of preventive interventions through a new federal regulatory body, such as an “FDA for Preventive Interventions.” This body would provide review of evidence-based programs and aid decision-making in funding. As a complement to this body, decision-makers also need guidelines in evidence-based practice in ambiguous circumstances, which characterize much of the reality of public policy. Therefore, this new regulatory body should be accompanied by guidelines for evidence-based practice in intervention and policy. Finally, in order to move forward both of these concepts, a National Academy of Sciences Panel should convene to deliberate how these concepts can be implemented.
The Measurement of Some Diurnal Rhythms in the Activity of White Leghorn Cockerels.

Abstract RELATIVELY little is known about diurnal rhythms in chickens, probably because the measurement of activity is not only difficult to record by observation but also very time consuming. The object of this experiment was to test automatic equipment for the measurement of certain types of activity and to obtain data that may be associated with daily variations in these activities. It was assumed that the method might be extended to various other kinds of experiments, if the procedure proved to be satisfactory. METHODS AND MATERIALS Photoelectric systems 2 were used to measure the activities under investigation. These units directed a beam of light to a mirror that reflected the beam back to a lens that focused on the photoelectric cell within the unit. Any object passing through the beam would activate an amplifier and relay which, in turn, actuated a counter. 3 These counters were tested by the manufacturer at 600 counts …