cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of maize amylose-extender (ae) mutant starches. Part I: Relationship between resistant starch contents and molecular structures

Abstract Endosperm starches were isolated from kernels of seven maize amylose-extender ( ae ) lines: three new ae -lines, derived from a Guatemalan breeding cross with pedigrees of GUAT209:S13 × (OH43 ae × H99 ae ) B-B-4-1-2-1-1, GUAT209:S13 × (OH43 ae × H99 ae ) B-B-4-4-2-1-1, and GUAT209:S13 × (OH43 ae × H99 ae ) B-B-4-4-2-1-2, designated as GSOH1, GSOH2, and GSOH3, respectively, were developed by the USDA-ARS Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) Project, and four existing inbred lines, H99 ae, OH43 ae , B89 ae , and B84 ae . The resistant starch (RS) contents, measured using AOAC method 991.43 for total dietary fiber, showed that the three new-line starches had larger RS contents (39.4–43.2%) than the four inbred lines (11.5–19.1%). This study was conducted to understand relationship between the RS content and molecular structure of the maize ae-mutant starch. Analytical results showed that the three new-line starches had larger apparent (83.1–85.6%) and absolute amylose-contents (57.4–62.6%) than the starches of the inbred ae -lines (61.7–67.7% and 35.5–44.7%, respectively). The RS content of the ae -mutant starch was positively correlated with both the apparent and absolute amylose-contents of the starch with correlation coefficients of 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. Gel permeation chromatograms revealed that all seven ae starches contained large proportions of intermediate components (IC), 22.4%–52.0%. All seven ae starches displayed similar onset gelatinization temperatures (64.5–65.8 °C), but the three new-line starches displayed higher conclusion temperatures (122.0–130.0 °C) than the four inbred-line starches (100.5–105.3 °C). These results indicated that the crystalline structure of the three new ae- line starches was retained after boiling at ∼100 °C. The crystalline structure was resistant to enzyme hydrolysis and resulted in greater RS contents.
Co-creating management education: moving towards emergent education in a complex world

Student-consumers of business school management educations are exposed to a wide variety of new educational alternatives. Consequently, they are re-evaluating the products available from traditional education suppliers and looking at student-consumer-driven models that will meet their career goals. This paper’s purpose is to propose a new model of management education that leverages market opportunities, involves students in co-creating their own educations and helps management programmes move towards evidence-based management curricula. Using the literature showing how the co-evolution of organisational knowledge and expertise occurs through network mechanisms, this paper proposes the adoption of management education programmes based on the same mechanisms.
Alcohol effects on the 5-HT3 ligand-gated ion channel

1. Alcohols and volatile anesthetics have both potentiating and channel blocking effects on members of the nicotinic ACh-like subfamily of ligand-gated ion channels. 2. The alcohol and anesthetic sensitivity of the 5-HT3 receptor, a member of this receptor subfamily, has been examined extensively by several laboratories. 3. Alcohols and volatile anesthetics potentiate receptor function. 4. This potentiation is characterized by an increase in the apparent potency with which agonists activate the receptor, and an apparent stabilization and favoring of the open channel state. 5. Long-chain alcohols and trichloroethanol also inhibit channel function, perhaps through a channel blocking mechanism similar to that seen at the nACh receptor. 6. Studies of the relationship between receptor structure and alcohol and anesthetic effects are just beginning, but some clues from other members of this subfamily of ligand-gated channels may help to pinpoint areas of the receptor that are important for alcohol effects.
Fast chemistry in ion wakes

The energy loss of an MeV/amu ion to the electrons of a substance can be as great as keV/A. With such an enormous amount of energy available, it is not surprising that a wide variety of phenomena can occur. Among them are track formation and induced desorption of molecular ions. A common ingredient in models of such processes is the requirement that the electronic excitation has a sufficiently long lifetime (∼ picoseconds) that energy can be transferred to atomic motion. Recently, several new phenomena have been observed that indicate that atomic motion/chemical rearrangement can occur even when the electronic excitation is shorter lived (∼ femtoseconds). Two of these processes, which are also induced by MeV ion bombardment, are track damage in heavily doped compound semiconductors and greatly enhanced adhesion of metal films to metallic and semiconducting substrates. Neither of these effects can be easily accomodated within the existing theoretical models; thus, it is possible that an even richer variety of ion induced effects will be discovered. Speculations on the form of a new theoretical approach are presented.
Response of rat pituitary anterior lobe prodynorphin products to changes in gonadal steroid environment.

The total content of rat pituitary anterior lobe (AL) immunoreactive (ir) dynorphin A (ir-Dyn A) and ir-dynorphin B (Dyn B) increased in male rats between 15 and 58 days of age, but there was little alteration in the concentration of ir-Dyn A or B expressed relative to protein content. Adult rats (90 days of age) had lower concentrations of these peptide immunoreactivities in the AL. Castration of 58-day-old male rats produced a testosterone-reversible loss of ir-Dyn A and B by 50- 60% 3 days after surgery. Thereafter, the levels of these peptides gradually increased to 2.5 times the levels found in control animals at 1 month after castration. These effects of castration on AL dynorphin were not seen in 15-day-old rats and were much less marked in adults. Similar changes were seen in the levels of other prodynorphin products, α- and β-neo-endorphin (ir-α-nEnd and ir-β-nEnd), and ir-[Leu5]enkephalin (ir-LE). Administration of testosterone (100 μg/100 g BW) to castrated rats for 2 days largely prevented the...
The Informational Role of Caucuses in the U.S. Congress

In this article we assess the ability of caucuses to complement and counterbalance the informa tional roles of the committee system. Corroborating earlier work, we find that caucuses are often comp...
11β,13-Dihydro-lactucin-8-O-acetate hemihydrate.

The title structure (systematic name: 9-hydroxy­methyl-3,6-di­methyl-3-methyl­ene-2,7-dioxo-3,3a,4,5,9a,9b-hexa­hydro­azu­leno[4,5-b]furan-4-yl acetate hemihydrate), C17H20O6·0.5H2O, from Lactuca floridana, has two independent sesquiterpene lactone mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. Both have their seven-membered rings in the chair conformation. In the crystal, the OH groups and the water mol­ecule form classical O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds with O⋯O distances in the range 2.6750 (17)–2.8160 (18) A.
Abnormalities in grooming behavior and tryptophan hydroxylase activity in the superior colliculi in cats with pontile and frontal neocortical lesions.

Abstract Cats with pontile or frontal neocortical lesions display a dissociation of the appetitive and consummatory components of grooming behavior when their body surface is tactually stimulated, an abnormal behavior that waxes and wanes with the seasons of the year. Tryptophan hydroxylase activity is significantly decreased in the superior colliculi of cats with pontile lesions and of cats with frontal neocortical lesions. The results suggest that the change in tryptophan hydroxylase activity is mediated neuronally and is a transneuronal effect on the serotonergic input to the superior colliculi. Pharmacological manipulations of the serotonergic system in normal cats failed to induce the abnormal behavior, indicating than other factors are involved in the genesis of the abnormal behavior.
Wave propagation in porous media as a function of fluid saturation

An experimental investigation is conducted using dynamic photoelasticity and high speed photography to study the wave propagation due to blast loading in porous media as a function of fluid saturation. The porous media have been modeled as a continuous solid containing particular arrays of holes or voids. The study has focused mainly on the effect of the porous structure on transient pulse propagation as well as the effect of the moisture in the pores on wave propagation. A series of experiments have been conducted using a sheet of Homalite 100 with different geometry of the periodic array of holes. A small amount of explosive was used to generate the stress wave. Dynamic photoelastic photographs were taken with the high speed camera as the wave propagated across the holes. These data are analyzed to obtain the wave velocity as well as the stress-wave attenuation in the porous media.
Porcine type I interferons: polymorphic sequences and activity against PRRSV

Background Type I interferons (IFN) are a heterogeneous group of cytokines central to innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses. We have recently reported that porcine type I IFNs comprise at least 39 functional genes with diverse antiviral activity against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Here we report that potential cytokine polymorphisms exist in several genes of porcine type I IFNs.
Improving code density using compression techniques

Proposes a method for compressing programs in embedded processors where the instruction memory size dominates the cost. A post-compilation analyzer examines a program and replaces common sequences of instructions with a single instruction codeword. A microprocessor executes the compressed instruction sequences by fetching codewords from the instruction memory, expanding them back to the original sequence of instructions in the decode stage, and issuing them to the execution stages. We apply our technique to the PowerPC, ARM and i386 instruction sets and achieve an average size reduction of 39%, 34% and 26%, respectively, for SPEC CINT95 programs.
Advanced monitoring system for integrity assessment of electric power transmission lines

An advanced monitoring system, composed of an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT), and a neural-based classifier has been developed. The fault detection is achieved by analyzing the reflected displacement waves from broken strands of the transmission line. This monitoring system can assess the state of an energized electric transmission lines in real-time. For pattern analysis of reflected signals and extracting important features from the raw data, signal processing and feature extraction techniques are employed. In addition, this paper presents a technique for synthesizing signatures using neural-fuzzy inference engine for enhancing the robustness of the classifier. Experimental results verifying performance of this new monitoring system are presented.
The effect of stiffness and curvature on the haptic identification of surfaces

We perform experiments to investigate how humans acquire an internal representation of virtual objects through the execution of reaching movements across the object surface. Subjects were instructed to make reaching movements between points lying on the boundary of a planar virtual surface of varying stiffness. Results suggest two types of internal representation: force perturbations and object boundaries. In the first case, a rectilinear hand movement is enforced by opposing the interaction forces. In the second case, the trajectory is conformed to the object boundary so as to reduce interaction forces. While this dichotomy is evident for very rigid and very soft objects, the likelihood of identifying a surface boundary depended, in a smooth and monotonic way, on the average force experienced in the first movements. This continuum of interactive behaviors suggests that the nervous system uses a weighted combination of two control strategies, one generating a compensatory response, the other a compliant motion.
Left ventricular myocardial performance index change for detection of acute cellular rejection in pediatric heart transplantation.

EMB, the gold standard for diagnosis of ACR, poses unique risks in children. Limited cross-sectional data have associated LV MPI with ACR. We hypothesize that a relative change in MPI from baseline without ACR to the time of ACR will better detect ACR than an absolute threshold LV MPI value. We identified 40 children with ACR ≥60 days post-transplant matching them by age and time from transplantation to 40 children without ACR. There was a significant increase in LV MPI at time of ACR vs. baseline (0.59 ± 0.17 vs. 0.41 ± 0.11; p < 0.001). There was no difference in LV MPI between baseline and follow-up (0.41 ± 0.11 vs. 0.42 ± 0.11; p = 0.65). An absolute increase in LV MPI of ≥0.47 had 82.5% sensitivity and 85% specificity for ACR, whereas an increase in LV MPI from baseline of ≥20.4% was 90% sensitive and 100% specific. Serial measurement of LV MPI appears to be a sensitive and specific marker of ACR. LV MPI shows good interobserver agreement and increases at the time of EMB-proven ACR with subsequent resolution to baseline measurements upon EMB-proven resolution of ACR. Future studies in larger, prospective cohorts should be undertaken to validate these findings.
Electron Tunneling Across Hexadecanethiolate Monolayers on Mercury Electrodes: Reorganization Energy, Structure, and Permeability of the Alkane/Water Interface

Measurements of the reorganization energies (λ) and the maximum values of the electron transfer rate constants ( , obtained for −η ≥ 2λ) of two redox probes at monolayer-coated electrodes are used as diagnostic parameters of the location of a probe at the monolayer/solution interface. Kinetics of the electroreduction of IrCl62- and FcCH2N(CH3)32+ at hexadecanethiolate-coated Hg drop electrodes were investigated in a broad range of overpotentials extending to values in excess of the reorganization energies of the two redox probes. Rate vs overpotential data were analyzed in terms of the Marcus−Gerischer formalism to yield the reorganization energies and values. The former show that both probes reside initially in an aqueous environment at the alkane/solution interface. A larger value of for the ferrocene probe was interpreted to indicate its closer approach to the interface. Access of the more strongly hydrated IrCl62- to the interface is more restricted by an interfacial water layer. Gradual expansion of ...
Gastric Stromal Sarcoma, Pulmonary Chondroma, and Extra-adrenal Paraganglioma (Carney Triad): Natural History, Adrenocortical Component, and Possible Familial Occurrence

Objective To investigate the natural history of the triad of gastric stromal sarcoma, pulmonary chondroma, and extra-adrenal paraganglioma, a rare syndrome of unknown cause primarily affecting young women. Methods Mayo Clinic records, the world literature, and the author's files were searched for patients with all or 2 of the 3 tumors. Results Seventy-nine patients, 67 women and 12 men, were identified, 17 (22%) with the 3 tumors and 62 (78%) with 2 tumors. Forty-two (53%) had gastric and pulmonary tumors, the most common combination. The longest interval between detection of the first and second components was 26 years (mean, 8.4 years; median, 6 years). Follow-up ranged from 1 year to 49 years (mean, 20.6 years; median, 20 years). Sixty-four patients (81%) were alive, 19 (24%) apparently free of disease and 45 (57%) with residual or metastatic tumors. Thirty-two patients (41%) had 1 or more local recurrences of the gastric sarcoma; the longest interval to first recurrence was 36 years. Twenty-one survivors (27%) had hepatic metastatic gastric sarcoma with follow-up of 1 year to 25 years (mean, 9.3 years; median, 7 years). Fifteen patients (19%) were dead, 10 (13%) of whom died of the disorder. Ten patients (13%) had nonfunctioning adrenocortical tumors. Two patients each had a sibling with 1 component of the triad. Conclusions The triad is a chronic, persistent, and indolent disease. Benign adrenocortical tumors are a component of the condition. The disorder may be familial.
A need for changes, particularly the introduction of quantum mechanical treatments, into the University teaching of electrochemistry

Abstract 1. (1) The subject matter of courses in electrochemistry at universities in western countries is incompatible with (a) the nature of the subject (interfacial charge transfer); (b) the extent to which electrochemical considerations play a part in surface phenomena in chemistry, metallurgy, and biology. 2. (2) What is called electrochemistry could with advantage be limited to material corresponding with the following definition: Electrochemistry is the field dealing with the relations between the passage of electric currents across interfaces and chemical surface reactions (such as a field is sometimes called electrodics). Ionics, the study of the behavior of ionic charges in condensed phases, might with advantage be taught as a part of the physical chemistry of solutions. The basic concepts of the effects of potential differences at interfaces, and the rate of charge transfer accross them, together with an outline of the basic principles of electrocatalysis, the conversion of chemical energy to electricity, and the electrochemical control of the stability of surfaces, should be a part of undergraduate courses in physical chemistry. Having regard to the many areas, the basis of which is given by such material. some half of the time on heterogeneous reactions should be used to describe interfacial electron transfer reactions. 3. (3) The basis treatment of electron transfer at interfaces was made in 1931 by Gurney. It was one of the first applications of quantum mechanics to chemistry. The treatment was misunderstood and hence neglected. 4. (4) Electrochemical reactions must always be treated quantally. 5. (5) Some chemical surface reactions have fuel cell-like mechanisms, i.e., consist of two partial reactions each of which involved electron transfer. It is speculated that such reactions may constitute the origin of currents observed in the brain.
Circumstances of fatal lockout/tagout‐related injuries in manufacturing

BACKGROUND: Over the past few decades, hundreds of manufacturing workers have suffered fatal injuries while performing maintenance and servicing on machinery and equipment. Using lockout/tagout procedures could have prevented many of these deaths. METHODS: A narrative text analysis of OSHA accident investigation report summaries was conducted to describe the circumstances of lockout/tagout-related fatalities occurring in the US manufacturing industry from 1984 to 1997. RESULTS: The most common mechanisms of injury were being caught in or between parts of equipment, electrocution, and being struck by or against objects. Typical scenarios included cleaning a mixer or blender, cleaning a conveyor, and installing or disassembling electrical equipment. Lockout procedures were not even attempted in the majority (at least 58.8%) of fatal incidents reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: Lockout/tagout-related fatalities occur under a wide range of circumstances. Enhanced training and equipment designs that facilitate lockout and minimize worker contact with machine parts may prevent many lockout/tagout-related injuries. Language: en
Integration of pricing with call admission control to meet QoS requirements in cellular networks

Call admission control (CAC) plays a significant role in providing the desired quality of service (QoS) in cellular networks. We investigate the role of pricing as an additional dimension of the call admission control process in order to efficiently and effectively control the use of wireless network resources. First, we prove that, for a given wireless network, there exists a new call arrival rate which can maximize the total utility of users while maintaining the required QoS. Based on this result and observation, we propose an integrated pricing and call admission control scheme where the price is adjusted dynamically based on the current network conditions in order to alleviate the problem of congestion. Our proposed integrated approach implicitly implements a distributed user-based prioritization mechanism by providing negative incentives according to the current network conditions and therefore shaping the aggregate traffic in the network. We compare the performance of our approach in terms of congestion prevention, achievable total user utility, and obtained revenue, with the corresponding results of conventional systems where pricing is not taken into consideration in the call admission control process. These performance results verify the considerable improvement that can be achieved by the integration of pricing in the call admission control process in cellular networks.
Vocabulary Choice as an Indicator of Perspective

We establish the following characteristics of the task of perspective classification: (a) using term frequencies in a document does not improve classification achieved with absence/presence features; (b) for datasets allowing the relevant comparisons, a small number of top features is found to be as effective as the full feature set and indispensable for the best achieved performance, testifying to the existence of perspective-specific keywords. We relate our findings to research on word frequency distributions and to discourse analytic studies of perspective.
Predictors and clinical significance of local recurrence in extremity soft tissue sarcoma.

AbstractBackground. Limb salvage surgery (LSS) has gained widespread acceptance as the current treatment for treating extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and has been greatly refined since its inception. Combined with improved adjuvant treatment modalities, rates of local relapse have greatly decreased. Nonetheless, local recurrence still occurs and identifying the cause and the subsequent effects of local recurrence can provide valuable insights as LSS continues to evolve. Methods. This retrospective study evaluated 278 patients treated for STS of the extremities between 2000 and 2006. Of these, 41 patients developed a local recurrence while 247 did not. Tumor characteristics and prognostic outcomes were analyzed. Wilcoxon rank sum test and either χ2 or Fisher’s exact was used to compare variables. Kaplan Meier and Gray's test for cumulative risk were also performed. Results. Patients who had a positive margin were 3.76 times more likely to develop local recurrence when compared to those with negative ma...
Logarithm odds maps for shape representation

The concept of the Logarithm of the Odds (LogOdds) is frequently used in areas such as artificial neural networks, economics, and biology. Here, we utilize LogOdds for a shape representation that demonstrates desirable properties for medical imaging. For example, the representation encodes the shape of an anatomical structure as well as the variations within that structure. These variations are embedded in a vector space that relates to a probabilistic model. We apply our representation to a voxel based segmentation algorithm. We do so by embedding the manifold of Signed Distance Maps (SDM) into the linear space of LogOdds. The LogOdds variant is superior to the SDM model in an experiment segmenting 20 subjects into subcortical structures. We also use LogOdds in the non-convex interpolation between space conditioned distributions. We apply this model to a longitudinal schizophrenia study using quadratic splines. The resulting time-continuous simulation of the schizophrenic aging process has a higher accuracy then a model based on convex interpolation.
On geographical distribution of payrolls of broadcasting organizations in the United States

In the Summer 1962 issue of the Journal, Kenneth Harwood reported on “The Ecology of Broadcasters in the United States.” That article, based as is the one below on previously untabulated data, told where the jobs of broadcasting are, and the relation of number of fobs to population. The following article explores the differences in size of payrolls per station (or other reporting unit) that are related to the location of such units.
Sex-Related Differences in Outcome After High-Risk Vascular Surgery After the Administration of β-Adrenergic–Blocking Drugs

Background: β-Adrenergic–blocking medications may have a cardioprotective effect after high-risk vascular surgery. This effect has been shown primarily in men and has not been independently shown in women. Methods: Retrospective data were collected from vascular surgery (primarily infrainguinal) patients. Adverse outcome was defined as myocardial infarction, new-onset congestive heart failure (CHF), significant arrhythmia, renal failure, or death. The incidence of adverse outcomes was compared independently for both men and women based on the administration of perioperative β-blockade. Analysis was performed for the whole population and for the subset of patients who were not on preoperative β-blockers (β-blocker naive). Risk-stratified analysis was used to determine which group received any effect from β-blockade. Logistic regression was performed to determine the independent effect of perioperative β-blockade in both sexes. Results: There were 594 men and 366 women. The incidence of adverse outcomes was lower when β-blockers were administered in men (12.6% v 18.9%, p = 0.04) but not in women (17.8% v 13.7%, p = 0.37). Among β-blocker–naive subjects, men had significant reductions in myocardial infarction and renal failure, whereas women did not have a reduction in the incidence of any outcome. After risk-stratification, the high-risk women who received β-blockade had a statistically worse outcome (36.8% v 5.9%, p = 0.02) because of an increased incidence of CHF. By logistic regression, β-blockade improved outcomes in men but not women. Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis, women did not benefit from perioperative β-blockade. Women at high risk appeared to have a worse outcome because of a higher incidence of CHF.
Cognitive Functioning and the Incidence of Limitations in Activities of Daily Living in an Elderly Community Sample

Although it is well-known that cognitive impairment in the elderly is usually accompanied by limitations in activities of daily living (ADL), it is not known whether cognitive impairment predicts the onset of new ADL limitations. The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether poor scores on a brief measure of cognitive functioning at baseline (1982) would predict the onset of persistent limitations in ADL during the subsequent 3 years, in a probability sample of community-dwelling elderly persons living in New Haven, Connecticut, who were initially free of ADL limitations (n = 1,856). Cognitive functioning was assessed with Pfeiffer's Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire. Persistent incident ADL limitations were defined as the onset of one or more ADL limitations after 1982, with no subsequent reports of zero ADL limitations. Compared with persons who scored zero to one errors on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire at baseline, persistent, incident ADL limitations occurred more frequently in persons who scored four or more errors (odds ratio for males = 2.72, 95% confidence interval 1.36-5.43; odds ratio for females = 2.60, 95% confidence interval 1.52-4.44) after adjustment for the confounding effects of housing type, age, race, history of chronic health conditions, and incident health conditions. These results suggest that knowledge of scores on brief cognitive function tests can be used to forecast service needs and to develop intervention programs to prepare for the possible onset of ADL limitations.
The Map is Not Which Territory?: Speculating on the Geo-Spatial Diffusion of Ideas in the Arab Spring of 2011

The process by which social movements move through time and space can be understood as a process of innovation diffusion of memes or ideas. This process of diffusion may be traceable through computational linguistics and map geocoding of the linguistic memes employed by such movements. A Visualizing Information Space In Ontological Networks (VISION) method is described and illustrated with web-based search results of keywords relevant to Arab Spring. Using map algebra, and with the potential for using computational linguistics, the intent is to demonstrate the feasibility of both the theoretical model of diffusion, as well as the relevance of the geospatial dimension in understanding another dimension of diffusion—the meaning space of ideas as they spread through new media. Such methodology holds substantial promise for understanding the communicative dynamics of social movements and social influence.
TrueSkill™: A Bayesian Skill Rating System

We present a new Bayesian skill rating system which can be viewed as a generalisation of the Elo system used in Chess. The new system tracks the uncertainty about player skills, explicitly models draws, can deal with any number of competing entities and can infer individual skills from team results. Inference is performed by approximate message passing on a factor graph representation of the model. We present experimental evidence on the increased accuracy and convergence speed of the system compared to Elo and report on our experience with the new rating system running in a large-scale commercial online gaming service under the name of TrueSkill.
Maternal Psychological Control and Peer Victimization in Early Adolescence: An Application of the Family Relational Schema Model

Guided by the family relational schema model, the current study examined the direct and indirect contributions of maternal psychological control to subsequent relational and overt peer victimization, via early adolescents' conduct problems, fear of negative evaluation, and depressive symptoms. Participants were 499 10- to 14-year-olds (53% female; 77% European American) involved in two waves of a study with 1 year between each wave. Path analyses indicated that depressive symptoms mediated the associations between maternal psychological control and increases in both forms of peer victimization across the 1-year time period. Although conduct problems were concurrently associated with maternal psychological control, and fear of negative evaluation predicted change in both forms of peer victimization, neither variable mediated the maternal psychological control-peer victimization associations. RESULTS were generally consistent across gender, with a few notable differences. Study findings provide partial support for the family relational schema model and implications are discussed. Language: en
X-ray Scattering Studies of Aligned, Stacked Surfactant Membranes.

X-ray scattering studies were performed to understand the structure and correlations in the lamellar phases of thick, freely suspeded films of (i) the hydrated phospholipid dimyristoylphosphotidylcholine (DMPC) and (ii) the ternar system consisting of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cosurfactant (pentanol), and water. The films were drawn in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment, where the layers were oriented to within 0.1 degrees . In the DMPC system, this made it possible to directly observe the orientation of the P(beta') modulation and to identify phase L(beta') as three distinct phases distinguished by the direction of chain tilt with respect to the lattice. In the L(alpha) phase of the ternary system, power law behavior of the (0,0,L) structure factor arising from the algebraic decay of layer correlatios was observed in single crystals.
New physics of the 30 ◦ partial dislocation in silicon revealed through ab initio calculation

On the basis of ab initio calculation, we propose a new structure for the fundamental excitation of the reconstructed 30° partial dislocation in silicon. This soliton has a rare structure involving a fivefold-coordinated atom near the dislocation core. The unique electronic structure of this defect is consistent with the electron spin-resonance signature of the hitherto enigmatic thermally stable R centre of plastically deformed silicon. We present the first ab initio determination of the free energy of the soliton, which is also in agreement with the experimental observation. This identification suggests the possibility of an experimental determination of the density of solitons, a key defect in understanding the plastic flow of the material.
Further connections between the benthic marine algal floras of the northern Arabian Sea and Japan

Identifications made on some recent collections of benthic marine algae from the Sultanate of Oman, northern Arabian Sea, have revealed several new records for this region. A total of eight species, representing five species of Rhodophyceae, two species of Phaeophyceae, and a single species each of Chlorophyceae, are newly reported for Oman. Of particular interest is the fact that these species represent new records for the Indian Ocean, some of which had previously been known from Japan and environs.
Light Stimulation of Cold Acclimation: Production of a Translocatable Promoter

The light stimulation of cold acclimation of Hedera helix L. var. Thorndale has been shown to result in the production of translocatable promoters of hardiness. Movement of the promoters from an illuminated donor portion to a darkened receptor portion was demonstrated. The majority of transport was acropetal through the phloem and to a much lesser degree basipetal through the xylem. In the early stages of hardening, transport was strictly acropetal. It is suggested that acropetal transport is under the influence of a mobilizing center located in the apex of the plant. Mobilization of the promoters of hardiness was induced by applications of (6)N-benzyladenine. Attempts to characterize the light-generated promoters through fixation of (14)CO(2) and subsequent translocation of (14)C-labeled compounds from the illuminated donor to the darkened receptor indicated that the translocatable promoting material was either some component of the Dowex 1 fraction or sucrose. Furthermore, the hardiness of leaves was significantly increased by sucrose solutions but not by equi-molar solutions of glucose, galactose or mannitol.
Predation on heliconia bugs, Leptoscelis tricolor: examining the influences of crypsis and predator color preferences

Individuals in natural populations commonly vary in color, and such color variation can be important for survival under predation pressure. Potential prey may be more likely to survive when they are cryptic against their backgrounds. Alternatively, individual coloration, regardless of background, may itself best predict predation events. Few studies have simultaneously tested the importance of crypsis and predator color preferences in explaining predation events. In this study we used objective measures of coloration to examine whether heliconia bugs, Leptoscelis tricolor Westwood, 1842 (Hemiptera: Coreidae), resembling their background were less likely to be eaten by avian predators (crypsis hypothesis). Next, we evaluated whether insect color, irrespective of background, best explains predation events (color preference hypothesis). We found the strongest evidence for the crypsis hypothesis; predators chose prey that differed most from their background in color saturation. Some evidence was also found fo...
Immune activation by histones: Plusses and minuses in inflammation

Histones are highly cationic proteins that are essential components of the cell nucleus, interacting with DNA to form the nucleosome and regulating transcription. Histones, however, can transit from the cell nucleus during cell death and, once in an extracellular location, can serve as danger signals and activate immune cells. An article in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology [Eur. J. Immunol. 2013. 43: 3336-3342] reports that histones can activate monocyte-derived DCs via the NRLP3 inflammasome to induce the production of IL-1β. As such, histones, which can also stimulate TLRs, may drive events in the immunopathogenesis of a wide range of acute and chronic diseases marked by sterile inflammation. While the mechanism of this stimulation is not known, the positive charge of histones may provide a structural element to promote interaction with cells and activation of downstream signaling systems.
An Electrostatic Net Model for the Role of Extracellular DNA in Biofilm Formation by Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that can form biofilms on various surfaces. These cell communities are protected from the environment by a self-produced extracellular matrix composed of proteins, DNA, and polysaccharide. The exact compositions and roles of the different components are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of extracellular DNA (eDNA) and its interaction with the recently identified cytoplasmic proteins that have a moonlighting role in the biofilm matrix. These matrix proteins associate with the cell surface upon the drop in pH that naturally occurs during biofilm formation, and we found here that this association is independent of eDNA. Conversely, the association of eDNA with the matrix was dependent on matrix proteins. Both proteinase and DNase treatments severely reduced clumping of resuspended biofilms; highlighting the importance of both proteins and eDNA in connecting cells together. By adding an excess of exogenous DNA to DNase-treated biofilm, clumping was partially restored, confirming the crucial role of eDNA in the interconnection of cells. On the basis of our results, we propose that eDNA acts as an electrostatic net, interconnecting cells surrounded by positively charged matrix proteins at a low pH. IMPORTANCE Extracellular DNA (eDNA) is an important component of the biofilm matrix of diverse bacteria, but its role in biofilm formation is not well understood. Here we report that in Staphylococcus aureus, eDNA associates with cells in a manner that depends on matrix proteins and that eDNA is required to link cells together in the biofilm. These results confirm previous studies that showed that eDNA is an important component of the S. aureus biofilm matrix and also suggest that eDNA acts as an electrostatic net that tethers cells together via the proteinaceous layer of the biofilm matrix.
Gold Nanorod-Collagen Nanocomposites as Photothermal Nanosolders for Laser Welding of Ruptured Porcine Intestines

Surgical site infection and postoperative leakage are complications that may develop following colorectal surgery and result in fatal consequences. Rapid, fluid-tight wound closure through laser tissue welding (LTW) can reduce postoperative leakage and thus decrease infection. Laser tissue welding involves generation of localized heat by exposing an exogenous chromophore to near-infrared (NIR) irradiation in order to seal wounds. In this study, we generated gold nanorod (GNR)-collagen nanocomposites (NCs) for laser-facilitated welding of ruptured intestinal tissue. The fluid content, stiffness, elasticity, and laser-induced temperature response of these nanocomposites were modulated to optimize laser-induced tissue fusion and minimize tissue damage. In addition, the effect of laser operating parameters including power density, femtosecond pulsed wave (PW) or continuous wave (CW) laser, and exposure duration were all studied. Laser power density and treatment duration significantly affected the temperatures reached during welding, as well as tissue weld strength and burst pressure. CW laser was found to induce significantly higher temperatures of the nanocomposites during treatment than PW laser, but the differences in weld strength and burst pressure for the two laser types were insignificant. This suggests that PW lasers can result in robust welds while minimizing potential thermal damage compared to CW lasers. The ultimate tensile strength of welded ruptured tissue was returned to as high as 68% of the native tissue strength through laser treatment, and laser treatment with these nanocomposites restored up to 64% of native tissue leak pressure and 42% of burst pressure. To the best of our knowledge, the laser power densities used (≤2.50 W/cm2) are among the lowest reported for laser tissue welding, and the laser configuration and use require very little surgical skill. Our results indicate that GNR-collagen nanocomposites are promising photothermal biomaterials in laser tissue welding applications.
Minimally invasive iliac screw fixation in treating painful metastatic lumbosacral deformity: a technique description and clinical results

Pelvic fixation via iliac screws is a crucial technique in stabilizing metastatic lumbosacral deformity. MIS iliac screw fixation avoids complications of an open approach and is a viable palliative option in treating patients with painful instability and advanced disease, unsuited for major reconstruction. In this paper we describe the use of MIS iliac screw fixation in treatment of painful metastatic LSJ deformity, highlighting our treatment rationale, selection criteria, technical experience and outcomes. Five patients with lumbosacral metastatic deformity who underwent MIS lumbopelvic stabilization using iliac screws were prospectively studied. Patients had severe axial back pain in erect posture with significant resolution when supine. All patients had advanced disease with unfavorable tumor scores for major spinal reconstruction. Mean cohort age was 62 years. Median pre-op SIN and Tokuhashi scores were 13 and 9, respectively. All patients were instrumented successfully without conversion to open technique. Mean preoperative and postoperative Cobb angle was 11° and 5.4°, respectively. There were no neurological deficits or wound complications postop. Postoperative CT scans showed no iliac screw and sacroiliac joint bony violation. Mean time for commencement of adjuvant therapy was 2.8 weeks. Average follow-up was 13.2 months. No screw breakage, wound complication, symptomatic implant prominence and SI joint pain were noted at last follow-up. MIS iliac screw fixation is feasible, reproducible and can be employed without complications in metastatic spine. This opens a new avenue of surgical management for metastatic lumbosacral disease patients, who otherwise may be inoperable and provide better soft tissue control and earlier postoperative adjuvant treatment opportunity.
Diets of the Brachyuran Crabs Cancer Irroratus, C. Borealis, and Ovalipes Ocellatus in the New York Bight

ABSTRACT The stomach contents of 146 Atlantic rock crabs, Cancer irroratus, 87 Jonah crabs, Cancer borealis, and 47 northern lady crabs, Ovalipes ocellatus collected from the area surrounding the former 12-Mile Sewage Sludge Dumpsite in the New York Bight were analyzed. In the dumpsite area, all 3 species principally ate, as quantified by frequency of occurrence and volume, polychaetes, especially Pherusa affinis, as well as mollusks (including squid), crustaceans, fish, and echinoderms. The proportion of mollusks by volume was significantly less in the diet of C. irroratus than in the other 2 species. Many of the taxa in the diets of the 3 species of crabs were among the dominant macrobenthic taxa, as determined by concurrent grab samples at 3 of the stations. At those stations, crustaceans were positively selected by C. irroratus, while cnidarians and rhynchocoels were not selected. In addition, the stomach contents of 27 O. ocellatus from False Hook Channel, a nearby shallower, sandy habitat, were examined. The diet of O. ocellatus at this site was > 80% mollusks by volume, and the most frequently occurring prey was the Atlantic surf clam Spisula solidissima.
Walking the tightrope: unrecognized conventions and arbitrariness

AbstractUnrecognized conventions—practices that are conventional even though their participants do not recognize them as such—play central roles in shaping our lives. They range from the indispensable (e.g. unrecognized linguistic conventions) to the insidious (e.g. some of our gender conventions). Unrecognized conventions pose a challenge for accounts of conventions because it is difficult to incorporate the distinctive arbitrariness of conventions—the fact that conventions always have alternatives—without accidentally excluding many unrecognized conventions. I develop an Accessibility Requirement that allows us to account for both arbitrariness and unrecognized conventions. Specifically, I argue that a conventional practice must have at least one alternative that is at least approximately as good and at least approximately as accessible as the conventional practice itself, independent of the dominance the practice gained as it became conventional. In the course of arguing for this requirement, I also sh...
New opportunities for quasielastic and inelastic neutron scattering at steady-state sources using mechanical selection of the incident and final neutron energy

We propose a modification of the neutron wide-angle velocity selector (WAVES) device that enables inelastic (in particular, quasielastic) scattering measurements not relying on the neutron time-of-flight. The proposed device is highly suitable for a steady-state neutron source, somewhat similar to a triple-axis spectrometer, but with simultaneous selection of the incident and final neutron energy over a broad range of scattering momentum transfer. Both the incident and final neutron velocities are defined by the WAVES geometry and rotation frequency. The variable energy transfer is achieved through the natural variation of the velocity of the transmitted neutrons as a function of the scattering angle component out of the equatorial plane.
A Correction Factor to the Two-Bias Method for Determining Mobility-Lifetime Products in Pixelated Detectors

The two-bias method typically used to calculate the mobility-lifetime product ( $\mu \tau $ ) in single-polarity charge sensing detectors, uses induced signals from cathode-side events to measure the $\mu \tau $ . This method assumes an ideal weighting potential (exactly zero through the bulk and a rapid rise to unity at the anode). When a non-ideal weighting potential (e.g., from a pixelated detector) is used, the $\mu \tau $ is systematically overestimated. In this work, we characterize this overestimation and present a simple correction factor $k$ that can be applied to pixelated electrode configurations. It was found that the correction factor is only dependent on the pixel-pitch to detector thickness ratio.