cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote monitoring of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: Perception of the impact of monitoring and selected determinants of quality of life

Pocet pacientů s implantabilnimi kardiovertery-defibrilatory (ICD) neustale narůsta. Nově se v peci o tyto pacienty uplatňuje telemedicinske sledovani (Home MonitoringTM, HM).Metodika: Výzkum probihal kvantitativni metodou technikou dotaznikoveho setřeni. Byl ziskan soubor 150 konsekutivnich pacientů s ICD sledovaných systemem HM (HM+) a 150 konsekutivnich pacientů s ICD, kteři byli sledovani standardni technikou (HM-). Dotazniky byla zkoumana kvalita života (QoL) (EQ-5D-3L), mira anxiety, deprese (HADS) a subjektivni vnimani přinosu systemu HM a organizace dalkove pece.Výsledky: Způsob sledovani ICD přimo neovlivnil QoL (p = NS). Na zakladě celkoveho skore byl zaznamenan trend k lepsimu hodnoceni QoL pacienty ve skupině HM+ oproti skupině HM- (68,6 ± 19,0 vs. 64,6 ± 16,5, p = 0,09). Výsledky tež neodhalily významne rozdily mezi skupinami pacientů HM- a HM+ ve výskytu anxiety a deprese. Z hlediska subjektivniho vnimani přinosu systemu HM a organizace dalkove pece byl zaznamenan nejvýraznějsi rozdil (p < 0,0001) mezi skupinami pacientů v jimi preferovanem způsobu sledovani: 54,9 % pacientů ze skupiny HM- by si přalo být raději sledovano dalkově a 45,1 % by setrvalo u stavajiciho ambulantniho sledovani, zatimco ve skupině HM+ by pouze 6,7 % pacientů preferovalo namisto dalkoveho sledovani osobni kontrolu u lekaře. Skupina HM+ preferovala využivani dalkoveho systemu sledovani (p = 0,007) a stejně tak měla kladný nazor na dalkově provaděnou lekařskou peci (p = 0,034).Zavěr: Způsob sledovani implantovaných ICD přistrojů významně neovlivňuje QoL, anxietu ci depresi u pacientů s ICD. Pacienti s ICD sledovani systemem HM maji vysokou adherenci k dalkově provaděne lekařske peci a jen velmi neradi by o výhody spojene s timto způsobem sledovani ICD přisli.
Considerations in Compartmental Pharmacokinetic Modeling in Fish

Pharmacokinetic studies of xenobiotics are useful for quantitative characterization of their accumulation and elimination, bioavailability, bioconcentration and/or bioaccumulation, residue depletion, tissue distribution, and toxicity. Aspects of the study design that should be addressed in advance include identification of the desired information, test species (and size), route of administration, tissues and fluids to sample, and analytical methods for the test compound and metabolites. Small fish limit studies to a determination of the whole body concentration-time profile during and after bath or dietary administration. Whole body concentration-time and plasma concentration-time profiles may be determined in intermediate-size fish, and in large fish plasma and individual tissue concentration-time profiles are feasible using a variety of routes of administration. The principal pharmacokinetic parameters are clearance constants that characterize transfer of parent compound and metabolites among compartments, and the apparent volume of distribution of each compartment. Parameters derived from clearances and volumes of distribution include half-lives, bioavailability, and bioconcentration or bioaccumulation factor.
The Globalization of Stock Markets and Convergence in Corporate Governance

We examine the governance practices, ownership structures, and analyst followings of US-listed firms from the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Chile, and Israel, and find little evidence of convergence toward a US model of corporate governance. In the size of their boards, the proportion of inside directors, and the propensity to separate CEO and Chairman roles, US-listed firms are largely indistinguishable their domestic counterparts, although Israeli firms are an important exception. On average, US-listed foreign firms have smaller analyst followings, more concentrated ownership, and attract less institutional ownership than comparable US firms. Few US-listed foreign firms recruit directors of American firms, although some inherit them via acquisitions of US firms; those foreign firms that do have American directors attract larger analyst followings on average, file more 6Ks, and are more likely to make their disclosures available electronically. The results suggest that while new firms outside the US that anticipate listing in the US may adopt American-style governance practices, existing firms are unlikely to do so even after a US listing.
The Suspensor is a Major Route of Nutrients into Pro embryo, Globular and Heart Stage Phaseolus vulgaris Embryos

Embryos from proembryo through heart stage were examined for Prussian Blue deposition in both stained section preparations and in whole mounts which had been cleared with lactophenol. In all cases where Prussian Blue was observed in the embryo, it was also observed in the recurrent vascular traces which end in seed tissue adjacent to the suspensor. The precipitate could be seen in the cells surrounding thesuspensor, in the vaculoes of the suspensor cells themselves, and in the embryo at the embryo-suspensor junction. The precipitate could often be seen in the endosperm with high concentrations in the area around the cotyledons; however, in only a very small percentage of the embryos examined, was there precipitate in the cotyledons adjacent to the endosperm indicating that, at least for the ions in question, there was little movement of material between the endosperm and the developing cotyledon, and that the major route for transport of material into the early Phaseolus embryo is through the suspensor.
Focus on the Chemical Value of Methanol

Abstract Methanol is produced in large quantities in the Kingdom from Natural Gas since 1983, and yearly production rate exceeded two million tons in the year 1992. The paper explains the importance of this versatile simple alcohol as an important feedstock for valuable industrial chemicals. The paper also gives a comprehensive review of all the other applications of methanol in the field of fuels, solvents and as a precursor for several valuable, monomers. The objectives of the paper are as follows: (i) to review the modern achievements in the area of methanol processing through the description of the new chemical processes; (ii) to convey the awareness of the big gap between methanol marketing of the more valuable and less poisonous chemicals (e.g., vtn-ylacetate, cellulose acetate, polyacetals, MTBE, chloroform, and the methylamines); (iii) to explain the differences between the methanol fuel market and the profitable markets of methanol downstreams, and economical advantage for the Arab World and developing countries; and (iv) to discuss the coordiation of methanol processing projects in the Arab World and to give a view for the needed chemicals from the large methanol production, showing what are good products for the markets and what are the better downstreams.
Folk Music and Political Activism in Greenwich Village and at the Newport Folk Festival, 1935–1965

In the 1950s, a left-liberal creative class in New York sparked interest in folk music by recording artists, producing albums, sponsoring concerts, and provoking debates about the role of songs in politics and culture writ large. In doing so, they helped transform Greenwich Village into the epicenter of the nationwide folk music revival. As the revival captured the attention of a wide audience, lively scenes developed in cities and college towns. In Newport, Rhode Island, jazz promoter and producer George Wein founded the Newport Folk Festival in 1959. Wein collaborated with New York folk music figures Pete Seeger, Theo Bikel, Peter Yarrow, and others and transformed Newport into the country’s premier annual folk music festival. Though Greenwich Village and Newport showcased a range of traditional and contemporary styles, in the public consciousness they stood above all for socially conscientious folk music. For a moment in the 1960s, they embodied a cooperative ethos that promised a brighter future for the nation.
Accurate Enough, Comprehensive Enough, and Reasonable Enough Belief

Peter Klein’s defeasibility theory has considerable appeal, but it cannot deal with cases in which someone’s beliefs are as accurate as humanly possible but don’t satisfy all the requirements of epistemic justification. Since this person would seem to know things that the rest of us don’t, it’s best to abandon the notion that knowledge requires justification, and to instead think about it in terms of sufficient information, where sufficient information is understood negatively. Whenever an individual has a true belief but seems not to have knowledge, there is some important aspect of the situation about which she lacks true beliefs.
Spatial decomposition of structured grids for nuclear reactor simulations

Abstract Spatial decomposition methods based on graph partitioning are developed and implemented in the high fidelity neutron transport code MPACT. These graph-based spatial decomposition methods are more general than previous decomposition methods and typically provide better load balance and reduced runtimes due to their improved parallel efficiency. Correlations are drawn between simulation runtime and the balance of the partition for 2D simulations. Comparisons are made using partition balance metrics for different decomposition schemes in 2D and 3D simulations. For typical ranges of subdomains, graph-based partitioning methods offer significant reductions to runtimes. However, for highly decomposed problems, these graph-based methods may decrease convergence rates, thus reducing parallel efficiency compared to older methods.
All Solutions of Nonlinear Constrained Systems of Equations

In this chapter, we discuss the enclosure of all solutions of nonlinear constrained systems of equations. Section 23.1 provides the motivation from the applications’ point of view and reviews briefly the major previous approaches. Section 23.2 defines the problem and presents the key elements of the global optimization approach. Section 23.3 discusses several theoretical results for the convex lower bounding problems. Section 23.4 presents the global optimization based algorithmic approach for enclosing all solutions of constrained systems of equations. Finally, section 23.5 presents several computational studies on problems taken from the literature. The material presented in this chapter is based on the work of Maranas and Floudas (1995).
In memoriam: Jürgen Friedrichs, 1938–2019

On February 19th, Jurgen Friedrichs, Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Cologne, passed away. Over the course of his career, Jurgen made an ...
Incidence of stent graft failure from type IIIB endoleak in contemporary endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Abstract Background Type IIIB endoleak from material failure can lead to aneurysmal sac enlargement and latent rupture after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Long-term durability of the endovascular stent graft is largely unknown, and the complication rate from device failure due to material fatigue may be underappreciated. In addition, even with advancement in imaging techniques, recognition of type IIIB endoleak can be challenging, which can lead to delay in intervention. Methods A review of the literature was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar, yielding 23 articles with 46 case reports of type IIIB endoleak from various Food and Drug Administration-approved stent grafts after endovascular repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. Results The most common location of type IIIB endoleak occurred in the main body (34.8%), followed by the area of the flow divider (32.6%). Sac growth was identified in 63% (29/46) of cases. Diagnosis of the endoleak occurred an average of 54.3 months after the index operation. Endovascular repair was the primary approach for elective repair of type IIIB endoleak (61.3% vs 13.3%). Perioperative mortality was higher in ruptured or symptomatic patients compared with patients undergoing elective repair (33.3% vs 6.5%). Conclusions The actual incidence of type IIIB endoleak is still lacking, and the etiology may be multifactorial. Therefore, suspicion of type IIIB endoleak requires appropriate imaging techniques and prompt intervention to reduce the perioperative mortality rate.
Psychological well-being as part of the public health debate? Insight into dimensions, interventions, and policy.

Increasing evidence suggests that psychological well-being (PWB) is associated with lower disease and mortality risk, and may be enhanced with relatively low-cost interventions. Yet, dissemination of these interventions remains limited, in part because insufficient attention has been paid to distinct PWB dimensions, which may impact physical health outcomes differently. This essay first reviews the empirical evidence regarding differential relationships between all-cause mortality and multiple dimensions of PWB (e.g., life purpose, mastery, positive affect, life satisfaction, optimism). Then, individual-level positive psychology interventions aimed at increasing PWB and tested in randomized-controlled trials are reviewed as these allow for easy implementation and potentially broad outreach to improve population well-being, in concert with efforts targeting other established social determinants of health. Several PWB dimensions relate to mortality, with varying strength of evidence. Many of positive psychology trials indicate small-to-moderate improvements in PWB; rigorous institution-level interventions are comparatively few, but preliminary results suggest benefits as well. Examples of existing health policies geared towards the improvement of population well-being are also presented. Future avenues of well-being epidemiological and intervention research, as well as policy implications, are discussed. Although research in the fields of behavioral and psychosomatic medicine, as well as health psychology have substantially contributed to the science of PWB, this body of work has been somewhat overlooked by the public health community. Yet, the growing interest in documenting well-being, in addition to examining its determinants and consequences at a population level may provoke a shift in perspective. To cultivate optimal well-being—mental, physical, social, and spiritual—consideration of a broader set of well-being measures, rigorous studies, and interventions that can be disseminated is critically needed.
Near-surface atmospheric water vapor enhancement at the Mars Phoenix lander site

Abstract We used Phoenix Surface Stereo Imager data, constrained by other Phoenix and MRO data taken via a planned coordinated measurement campaign, along with radiative transfer modeling to assess the vertical water vapor profile at the Phoenix arctic location during its spring and summer mission. We examined 16 mid-afternoon observations spanning Ls = 97.5°–148°. We developed a 2-layer model of vapor distribution which reproduces the water vapor band depth. Using the results of the 2-layer model, we retrieved the mass mixing ratios in each layer and the implied surface vapor pressure. We found that near surface water vapor was enhanced relative to higher layers, resulting in a large percentage of the water column (>25% and up to nearly 100%) confined below ~2.5 km.
Computational Study of Spin Injection in 2D Materials

This work presents the first comprehensive study of spin-injection into 2D materials by analyzing applications in both spintronics and Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs). Using ab-initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations coupled with Non-Equilibrium-Green’s-Function (NEGF) formalism, we analyze the spin polarized transmission, and hence, calculate spin injection efficiency from the metal to semiconductor in spintronics, and the Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) in MTJs. The role of the van der Waals (vdW) gap in assisting spin polarized injection has been studied in vertical and edge contacts of suitably selected 2D semiconductors and ferromagnetic metals. In MTJs, the applicability of h-BN and MoS2 as the tunnel barrier has been studied by varying the layer number and evaluating the TMR. Our rigorous modeling and simulation framework and results provide important insights into the relatively unexplored avenue of spin-injection into 2D material systems.
Domestic Violence, Social Support, Coping and Depressive Symptomatology among South Asian Women in Hong Kong

This study examines the links between domestic violence, coping strategies, perceived social support, and mental health outcomes among a cross-section of 131 South Asian women in Hong Kong. Our fin...
The free movement of economically inactive EU citizens: The right to reside test

The question of free movement rights of economically inactive citizens and their access to social assistance is a legally controversial and a politically sensitive issue. This is well illustrated by the CJEU’s recent case law which signals a shift in its former jurisprudence towards a more restrictive approach relating to access to social assistance benefits for economically inactive EU citizens. Moreover, the Court’s case law appears to be moving away from the concept of EU citizenship as a general value and common solidarity. The present article aims to give a brief overview of the relevant case law with the aim of seeking answer the question whether this turn in the CJEU’s case law predicts a real paradigm shift or just a consolidation phase in the Court’s jurisprudence.
Gender-Based Disparities in COVID-19 Patient Outcomes: A Propensity-matched Analysis

Abstract Importance COVID-19 epidemiological data show higher mortality among males as compared to females. However, it remains unclear if this disparity is due to gender differences in high-risk characteristics. Objective To study the clinical characteristics of a large and diverse cohort of COVID-19 patients stratified by gender and determine outcomes after matching for age and other high-risk characteristics. Design Retrospective cohort between January 20, 2020, and April 15, 2020 Setting Population-based study using TriNetX COVID-19 Research Network which comprises of multiple healthcare organizations (HCOs) predominantly in the United States Participants and Exposure A cohort of male and female patients ≥ 10 years of age diagnosed with COVID-19 identified with real-time analyses of electronic medical records of patients from participating HCOs. A 1:1 propensity score matching of cohorts was performed for age, race, nicotine use, and an exhaustive list of confounding comorbidities. Main Outcome Mortality, hospitalization and mechanical ventilation within 30 days after the diagnosis of COVID-19 Results A total of 5980 males and 7730 females diagnosed with COVID-19 were identified. Males were significantly older than females (54.9 ± 18.3 vs. 50.9 ± 18.4, p-value Conclusion In conclusion, males are more severely affected and have higher mortality from COVID-19. This gender-specific risk is especially more pronounced in advanced age. Gender disparity in outcomes can only be partially explained by differences in high-risk behavior and comorbidities. Further research is needed to understand the causes of this disparity. Key Points Question Is the gender disparity in the COVID-19 mortality due to differences in high-risk characteristics between males and females? Findings Our study, including a large cohort of male and female patients, showed that males have a higher risk for mortality, hospitalization and mechanical ventilation even when compared to a matched cohort of females with similar age, high-risk behavior, and comorbidities. This gender-based risk of poor outcomes among COVID-19 patients is especially more pronounced in advanced age. Meaning High-risk characteristics only partially explain the gender disparity, and further research is needed to understand the causes of this disparity.
Afro-Anglophone Education

In the postcolonial period, several Anglophone African countries have undertaken numerous educational reforms to address their social, political, and economic demands. Many of these reforms have been shaped by varied educational historical forces both within and outside these countries. Drawing on various educational reforms and experiments that have taken place in different Anglophone African countries in the last five decades, this chapter examines how their postcolonial educational undertakings have been largely been influenced and shaped by their historical colonial educational legacies, and their other Western postcolonial economic and political ties. The chapter interrogates in-depth the impact of these colonial and postcolonial historical influences over the years on these countries’ national educational system, and it provides a comprehensive critique of their contemporary and current educational trends and challenges and several remedies and approaches that can be utilized to address them and what the future holds. Given the varied colonial and postcolonial educational historical contextual experiences and reforms that have taken place in various Anglophone African countries in the last fifty years, this chapter focuses on a few selected countries. In this regard, ideas advanced in this chapter must be regarded as broad generalizations and tentative hypotheses that attempt to discuss the state of Afro-Anglophone education in Africa in the postcolonial period. Having said, this however, it is vital to note that there are indeed several educational characteristics which are common to most Anglophone African countries, sufficient to justify the larger general approach this chapter takes and the conclusions it makes.
Deletion of the proton receptor OGR1 in mouse osteoclasts impairs metabolic acidosis-induced bone resorption

Metabolic acidosis induces osteoclastic bone resorption and inhibits osteoblastic bone formation. Previously we found that mice with a global deletion of the proton receptor OGR1 had increased bone density although both osteoblast and osteoclast activity were increased. To test whether direct effects on osteoclast OGR1 are critical for metabolic acidosis stimulated bone resorption, we generated knockout mice with an osteoclast-specific deletion of OGR1 (knockout mice). We studied bones from three-month old female mice and the differentiated osteoclasts derived from bone marrow of femurs from these knockout and wild type mice. MicroCT demonstrated increased density in tibiae and femurs but not in vertebrae of the knockout mice. Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase staining of tibia indicated a decrease in osteoclast number and surface area/bone surface from knockout compared to wild type mice. Osteoclasts derived from the marrow of knockout mice demonstrated decreased pit formation, osteoclast staining and osteoclast-specific gene expression compared to those from wild type mice. In response to metabolic acidosis, osteoclasts from knockout mice had decreased nuclear translocation of NFATc1, a transcriptional regulator of differentiation, and no increase in size or number compared to osteoclasts from wild type mice. Thus, loss of osteoclast OGR1 decreased both basal and metabolic acidosis-induced osteoclast activity indicating osteoclast OGR1 is important in mediating metabolic acidosis-induced bone resorption. Understanding the role of OGR1 in metabolic acidosis-induced bone resorption will provide insight into bone loss in acidotic patients with chronic kidney disease.
Traditional Versus ASR-Based Pronunciation Instruction : An Empirical Study

This paper presents a 15-week classroom study measuring the student outcomes of instructor-led pronunciation lessons versus entirely ASR-based pronunciation training. Seventy-six second-semester Spanish language learners were divided into two groups, one experimental (n=44) and one control (n=32). Over the course of six modules, both groups completed a pre- and post-study recording, as well as explicit pronunciation training sessions. These sessions included pre- and post-recordings, with either traditional or ASR pronunciation practice in between, which aimed attention at targeted phonemes. All student recordings were evaluated by native and near-natives for comprehensibility, nativeness, fluency, and perceived confidence. The results show that the effect of explicit and ASR instruction varies depending on the module and characteristic evaluated. ASR seems to outperform traditional instruction when targeting specific phonemes, especially in the short-term, while the explicit instruction group saw longer-term gains in regards to comprehensibility. Holistically, the data suggest that ASR-based instruction shows promise to improve certain aspects of pronunciation, but that using both techniques in tandem would be the most strategic approach to handling the development of this fundamental aspect of learner speech. The data presented here highlight the role and effectiveness of computer-assisted pronunciation training for lower-level Spanish courses.
The Claim That the Diagram on Page 39 of Keynes’s a Treatise on Probability(1921) Represents ‘Keynes’s View of Probability’ (S. Bradley, 2019), Has No Support: It Represents a Very Brief Introduction to Part II of Keynes’s a Treatise on Probability On Non Additive Probability

A major error in analyzing how Keynes operationalized his logical theory of probability in 1921 is to assume that Keynes’s theoretical structure is presented by him at the end of Chapter III of the A Treatise on Probability on pp. 38-40, which contains a diagram on page 39 that Keynes himself characterized as being a “brief” illustration that would be supplemented later with a “detailed" analysis in Part II. Economists, who have written on Keynes’s A Treatise on Probability, such as G. Meeks, D. Moggridge, R. Skidelsky, R. O’donnell, A. Carabelli, A. Fitzgibbons, and many, many others, have erred by failing to cover Keynes’s non additive, non linear approach, using Boole’s interval valued probability, which is based on lower and upper probability bounds and represents a detailed approach to imprecise probability, in Parts II and III of the A Treatise on Probability. Instead, it is erroneously argued, on the basis of this diagram alone, that Keynes’s approach was an ordinal theory that could only be implemented some of the time. No philosopher has ever made this error until the publication of an article in 2019 by S. Bradley in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy dealing with the origins of Imprecise Probability. The contributions of the founders of the imprecise approach (Boole and Keynes would use the word ‘indeterminate’) are simply either skipped over, as in the case of Boole, or completely misrepresented, as in the case of Keynes.
Solvated Electrons in Solids-Ferroelectric Large Polarons in Lead Halide Perovskites.

Solvation plays a pivotal role in chemistry and biology. A solid-state analogy of solvation is polaron formation, but the magnitude of Coulomb screening is typically an order of magnitude weaker th...
Target signatures for thin surfaces.

We investigate an inverse scattering problem for a thin inhomogeneous scatterer in R^m, m = 2,3, which we model as a m-1 dimensional open surface. The scatterer is referred to as a screen. The goal is to design target signatures that are computable from scattering data in order to detect changes in the material properties of the screen. This target signature is characterized by a mixed Steklov eigenvalue problem for a domain whose boundary contains the screen. We show that the corresponding eigenvalues can be determined from appropriately modified scattering data by using the generalized linear sampling method. A weaker justification is provided for the classical linear sampling method. Numerical experiments are presented to support our theoretical results.
Pain conditions and suicide attempts in military veterans: A case-control design.

Objective Specific pain conditions such as back pain and migraines are associated with increased risk of suicide mortality after accounting for key covariates. The purpose of the current study was to assess the associations of specific pain conditions with suicide attempts. Design Case-control. Setting Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Subjects Individuals who utilized VHA services with a record of a suicide attempt (n = 30,051) in Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014 were identified and propensity score matched with controls with no such record (n = 30,051). Methods Data on pain condition diagnoses (back pain, arthritis, migraine, headaches, psychogenic pain, neuropathy, fibromyalgia) psychiatric diagnoses, medical comorbidity, and demographics were extracted from VHA medical record and suicide surveillance datasets. Results Unadjusted logistic regression analyses found that each of the pain conditions were associated with suicide attempts (e.g., back pain: Odds ratio [OR]=3.25, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=3.12-3.39). After adjusting for mental health conditions, medical comorbidity, and each of the pain conditions, the effects were attenuated across pain conditions; however, remained significant for each of the pain conditions except for fibromyalgia. Specifically, back pain (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.19-1.32), migraines (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.14-1.46), headaches (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.19-1.48), and neuropathic pain (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.33-1.74) were each associated with increased odds of a suicide attempt. Fibromyalgia was the only pain condition associated with re-attempt status (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.08-1.45). Conclusions Specific pain conditions are associated with increased odds of suicide attempts even after including key covariates. Limitations Limitations of the study include the retrospective study design and lack of examination into additional variables including prescription opioid use, pain intensity, and pain duration. The case-control design also limits the ability to draw causal or temporal conclusions.
Histone Methylation: Chemically Inert but Chromatin Dynamic

Publisher Summary Histone methylation is the modification of certain amino acids in a histone protein by the addition of one, two, or three methyl groups. In the cell nucleus, DNA is wound around histones. Methylation and demethylation of histones turns the genes in DNA "off" and "on,” respectively, either by loosening their tails, thereby allowing transcription factors and other proteins to access the DNA, or by encompassing their tails around the DNA, thereby restricting access to the DNA. This modification alters the properties of the nucleosome and affects its interactions with other proteins. Histone methylation is in general associated with transcriptional repression. However, methylation of some lysine and arginine residues of histones results in transcriptional activation. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) have a significant role in cellular responses to both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. One of the most well studied PTMs is phosphorylation. The phospho-group carries a negative charge, which can influence confirmation or interactions. This chapter focuses on how this inert molecule can dramatically change the chromatin environment and, in turn, the survival or demise of an organism. Following this, it unveils the complexity and dynamics associated with the methylation of arginines and lysines within histone tails. It explores the specifics of the dynamic process of histone methylation. It also discusses the degree of methylation, which has specific consequences and explores the placement of methylated histones within the chromosomal environment that directly impacts different DNA templated processes.
Molecular Scaffold Analysis of Natural Products Databases in the Public Domain

Natural products represent important sources of bioactive compounds in drug discovery efforts. In this work, we compiled five natural products databases available in the public domain and performed a comprehensive chemoinformatic analysis focused on the content and diversity of the scaffolds with an overview of the diversity based on molecular fingerprints. The natural products databases were compared with each other and with a set of molecules obtained from in-house combinatorial libraries, and with a general screening commercial library. It was found that publicly available natural products databases have different scaffold diversity. In contrast to the common concept that larger libraries have the largest scaffold diversity, the largest natural products collection analyzed in this work was not the most diverse. The general screening library showed, overall, the highest scaffold diversity. However, considering the most frequent scaffolds, the general reference library was the least diverse. In general, natural products databases in the public domain showed low molecule overlap. In addition to benzene and acyclic compounds, flavones, coumarins, and flavanones were identified as the most frequent molecular scaffolds across the different natural products collections. The results of this work have direct implications in the computational and experimental screening of natural product databases for drug discovery.
Automation of the interpretation of surface response to excitation (SuRE) method by using neural networks

In this study surface response to excitation (SuRE) method with a neural network was used for structural health monitoring of an aluminum beam. SuRE method excited and monitored the elastic guided waves on the structure. The frequency-transfer function was captured over a range of high frequencies (20–200 kHz) using a low cost Digital Signal Processor (DSP) system. For magnitude estimation, the amplitude of the received signal for each frequency value is calculated. With the magnitude estimation, the frequency domain spectrum response is calculated. Using an aluminum plate as the experimental surface, load in different points of the beam were applied and the response signals organized in a database. With the experimental data, a neural network is trained with the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm and then trained with the scaled conjugated gradient algorithm. The study indicated that the SuRE method may be used as a low cost alternative to detect surface changes.
Assessing the Foundations of Neo-Classical Professionalism in Law and Business: Remodeling the Temple, Phase I

Both the management of private enterprise and the practice of corporate law must be radically remodeled if they are properly to serve their correlate values: prosperity and justice. In that remodeling, the cornerstone of professional status would be appreciation of the deepest values of our common culture, gained through liberal education in the humanities and social sciences. Lawyers and managers need this appreciation because, under the best available institutional arrangements, they together must actively shape our public world, both in the law and in the market, for the common welfare.The professional’s requisite cultural appreciation has two essential components, one intellectual, the other moral: an understanding of our basic shared values and a commitment to their advancement. The former, intellectual, component can be guaranteed through some combination of market forces and legal mandates; putting the latter, moral, component in place poses greater problems. Yet it is equally basic, the foundation of public service on which both law and the market must rest in a capitalist republic.Remodeling professionalism along these lines it not a mere academic exercise; it entails significant structural changes in both business and law. In business, elite management must be recognized and re-structured as a profession; in law, the lower levels of practice must be removed from the relatively protected, quasi-autonomous regime of professional self-regulation and treated as ordinary trades or businesses. This dual shift would draw the dividing line of professional status not vertically, between law and business, as in the Anglo-American tradition, but rather horizontally, across the two occupations, more in accord with the continental European model.This shift would meaningfully respond both to early management reformers like Brandeis in the US and Tawney in the UK and to recent critics of the professions from the sociological left, like Magali Larson, as well as the economic right, like Milton Friedman. And this shift would integrate the “intramural” perspective of legal and business ethics with the “extramural” perspective of the sociology of work. The result would be a neo-classical professionalism in both law and business, a model for modern professionals seeking to serve classical republican values.The remodeling recommended here proceeds in two phases. This first phase surveys the foundations of classic professionalism theory, points out their failure to be deep enough for law and wide enough for business, and suggests how they might properly be expanded in both directions. The second phase undertakes that expansion, providing a blueprint for neo-classical professionalism in law and business. It shows how law and business function together at the base of our modern society, how lawyers and managers as neo-classical professionals are essential to the proper functioning of both the law and the market, and how we can sustain neo-classical professionalism without traditional institutions of occupational self-regulation.
The Use of Electromagnetic Induction in Locating Graves and Mapping Cemeteries: an Example from Native North America

One of the most popular applications of geophysics to archaeological problems has been to locate unmarked graves and map cemeteries. Although electromagnetic (EM) induction was one of the early techniques used in such applications, alternative techniques such as ground-penetrating radar and resistivity have become more popular in recent years. Despite some of the method's drawbacks the EM method still presents numerous advantages such as speed in data collection and collection in a variety of survey environments and ground cover. A case study from Ocmulgee National Monument, USA is presented that identified numerous anomalies that may be interpreted as Native American burials. Small anomalies having low apparent conductivity were distributed near the Funeral Mound (Mound C); a known cemetery. The conductivity survey redefined the spatial extent of the cemetery and increased our understanding of burial density. The data collected during the 2010 field season will aid in conservation efforts and help the US National Park Service avoid these sensitive materials during future archaeological work and park management. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Max Weber: Politics and the Spirit of Tragedy

Max Weber: Politics and the Spirit of Tragedy. John Patrick Diggins. New York: Basic Books, 1996. 334 pp.
Secretagogue effects on intracellular calcium in pancreatic duct cells

Regulation of intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) in single epithelial duct cells of isolated rat and guinea pig pancreatic interlobular ducts by secretin, carbachol and cholecystokinin was studied by microspectrofluorometry using the Ca2+-sensitive, fluorescent probe Fura-2. Rat and guinea pig duct cells exhibited mean resting [Ca2+]i of 84 nM and 61 nM, respectively, which increased by 50%–100% in response to carbachol stimulation, thus demonstrating the presence of physiologically responsive cholinergic receptors in pancreatic ducts of both species. The carbachol-induced increase in [Ca2+]i involved both mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores and stimulation of influx of extracellular Ca2+. In contrast, neither cholecystokinin nor secretin showed reproducible or sizeable increses in [Ca2+]i. Both rat and guinea pig duct cells showed considerable resting Ca2+ permeability. Lowering or raising the extracellular [Ca2+]i led, respectively, to a decrease or increase in the resting [Ca2+]i. Application of Mn2+ resulted in a quenching of the fluorescence signal indicating its entry into the cell. The resting Ca2+ and Mn2+ permeability could be blocked by La3+ suggesting that it is mediated by a Ca2+ channel.
Temperature-dependent mechanistic transition for photoinduced electron transfer modulated by excited-state vibrational relaxation dynamics

The electron transfer (ET) dynamics of an unusually rigid π-stacked (porphinato)zinc(II)-spacer-quinone (PZn-Q) system, [5-[8‘-(4‘ ‘-[8‘ ‘‘-(2‘ ‘‘ ‘,5‘ ‘‘ ‘-benzoquinonyl)-1‘ ‘‘-naphthyl]-1‘ ‘-phenyl)-1‘-naphthyl]-10,20-diphenylporphinato]zinc(II) (2a-Zn), in which sub-van der Waals interplanar distances separate juxtaposed porphyryl, aromatic bridge, and quinonyl components of this assembly, have been measured by ultrafast pump−probe transient absorption spectroscopy over a 80−320 K temperature range in 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) solvent. Analyses of the photoinduced charge-separation (CS) rate data are presented within the context of several different theoretical frameworks. Experiments show that at higher temperatures the initially prepared 2a-Zn vibronically excited S1 state relaxes on an ultrafast time scale, and ET is observed exclusively from the equilibrated lowest-energy S1 state (CS1). As the temperature decreases, production of the photoinduced charge-separated state directly from the vi...
Glutathione S-Transferases: α-Naphthyl Acetate Activity and Possible Role in Insecticide Resistance

Rat liver and house fly, Musca domestica L., glutathione S-transferases were purified by affinity chromatography and chromatofocusing. The specific activity with alpha-naphthyl acetate (a substrate, for general esterase activity) was determined. Some of the esterase activity that is normally assayed for resistance is apparently caused by the activity of the glutathione S-transferase.
Biological responsiveness to the phorbol esters and specific binding of [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a manipulable genetic system.

Because of its suitability for genetic studies, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans was examined for its responsiveness to the phorbol esters. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate had three effects. It inhibited the increase in animal size during growth; it decreased the yield of progeny; and it caused uncoordinated movement of the adult. The effects on nematode size, progeny yield, and movement were quantitated. Concentrations of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate yielding half-maximal responses were 440, 460, and 170 nM, respectively. As was expected from the biological responsiveness of the nematodes, specific, saturable binding of phorbol ester to nematode extracts was found. (/sup 3/H)phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate bound with a dissociation constant of 26.8 +/- 3.9 nM. At saturation, 5.7 +/- 1.4 pmole/mg protein was bound.
Environmental Factors Affecting the Critical Pitting Potential of Aluminum

The critical pitting potential determined potentiostatically of pure is −0.40V (SHE). This value is not greatly sensitive to temperature (0–40°C), to small alloying additions of Mn or Mg, nor to thickness of oxide film produced by anodizing. The value is more active the higher the Cl− concentration, but becomes more noble with additions to of nitrates, chromates, acetates, benzoates, or sulfates. The latter act as pitting inhibitors which are effective in the order as listed. Dissolved Cu++ in trace amounts deposit on the Al surface as Cu which then acts as an efficient cathode, shifting the corrosion potential of aluminum to the critical pitting potential. Trace amounts of Fe+++ and Pd++ act similarly. Anodized surfaces effectively retard penetration of the oxide by Cu ++ thereby delaying onset of pitting, but they are not similarly effective when Al is coupled to Cu. The mechanism of pitting is interpreted in terms of competitive adsorption of Cl− with oxygen for sites on the metal surface. Extraneous anions compete in turn with Cl− ions, making it necessary to shift the potential in the positive direction in order for Cl− to adsorb followed by pit initiation. Similarities in adsorption parameters of various anions other than Cl− on Al and 18‐8 stainless steel are pointed out.
Dynamic Tensile Testing of Soft Materials

Determination of dynamic tensile response of soft materials has been a challenge because of experimental difficulties. Split Hopkinson tension bar (SHTB) is a commonly used device for the characterization of high-rate tensile behavior of engineering materials. However, when the specimen is soft, it is challenging to design the necessary grips, to measure the weak transmitted signals, and for the specimen to achieve dynamic stress equilibrium. In this work, we modified the SHTB on the loading pulse, the equilibrium-monitoring system, and the specimen geometry. The results obtained using this modified device to characterize a soft rubber indicate that the specimen deforms under dynamic stress equilibrium at a nearly constant strain rate. Axial and radial inertia effects commonly encountered in dynamic characterization of soft materials are also minimized.
The Imagination at Work within the Global Economy

What's Love Got to Do with It? Transnational Desires and Sex Tourism in the Dominican Republic. Denise Brennan. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2004. Imperial Nature: The World Bank and Struggles for Social Justice in the Age of Globalization. Michael Goldman. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.
Quality of controlled clinical trials. The case of imaging ultrasound in obstetrics: a review

Summary. Randomized controlled trials are increasingly used t o assess clinical practices in obstetrics and gynaecology. The strength of these studies is that they usually address the issue of selection bias satisfactorily. Yet, as with any form of scientific investigation, the randomized controlled trial has inherent limitations and is subject to flaws in its conduct. Using basic methodological criteria, this report assesses the quality of the four published controlled trials in which a policy of routine imaging ultrasonography in pregnancy was compared with a more restrictive policy. In addition, a pooled analysis using data from all four trials was conducted to illustrate how increasing the sample size may reveal differences between the two policies which remain undetected in trials using small samples. The researchers in these studies reached different conclusions as to the effectiveness of routine ultrasound screening. Taken together, these four trials provide valuable information about routine ultrasound screening but fail to demonstrate adequately the usefulness of imaging ultrasound as a screening procedure for all pregnant women. The assessment criteria presented here could be used by investigators, editors, referees and other readers as a guideline for assessing the quality of therapeutic studies upon which clinical practice should be based.
Estimating blood alcohol concentration: two computer programs and their applications in therapy and research.

Abstract Two computer programs for estimating blood alcohol concentration (BAC) are described. BACTAB generates individualized tables for BAC estimation based upon a client's sex, body weight, amount of consumption, and drinking rate. ALCOMP convertes data from client self-monitoring cards into weekly summary statistics and plots a table for each individual client showing BAC estimates at each half-hour interval throughout the week. Various applications of these programs in controlled drinking therapies and in treatment outcome research are discussed.
Solid-State NMR Spin Diffusion for Measurement of Membrane-Bound Peptide Structure: Gramicidin A†

A recently developed solid-state NMR method for measurement of depths in membrane systems is applied to gramicidin A, a membrane-bound peptide of known structure, to investigate the potential of this method. 1 5 N-detected, 1 H spin diffusion experiments demonstrate the resolution of the technique by measuring the 4-5 A depth differences between three 1 5 N-labeled backbone sites (Trpl3, Val7, Gly2) in gramicidin A. We also show that 1 3 C-detected, 'H spin diffusion experiments on unlabeled gramicidin A are sufficient to discriminate between the end-to-end dimer and double-helix structures of gramicidin A. Thus, spin diffusion solid-state NMR experiments can provide a simple approach, which does not require labeled samples, for testing structural models of membrane-bound peptides.