cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal stability of quadruplex primers for highly versatile isothermal DNA amplification

Quadruplex priming amplification (QPA) allows isothermal amplification of nucleic acids with improved yield and simplified detection. This assay is based on a DNA quadruplex, GGGTGGGTGGGTGGG (G3T), which in the presence of specific cations possesses unusually high thermal stability. QPA employs truncated G3T sequences as primers, which upon polymerase elongation, self-dissociate from the binding site and allow the next round of priming without thermal unfolding of amplicons. The rate of amplification strongly depends on the thermal stability of the primer/primer binding site (PBS) complex and to date QPA has been demonstrated to work over a narrow temperature range. To expand the capabilities of QPA, in the present study, we studied the fold and thermodynamic properties of the wild-type G3T and variants containing sequence modifications or extensions at the 5'-end. Circular dichroism studies demonstrate that the substitution of thymidines by other nucleotides or GC addition at the 5'-end does not change the parallel fold of G3T. Thermal unfolding experiments revealed that purine bases incorporated at loop positions and 5'-end dinucleotide extension significantly destabilize the quadruplex, while loop pyrimidines have almost no effect. Overall, the results of these studies suggest that linear isothermal QPA can be performed over a wide temperature range to accommodate both thermophilic and mesophilic DNA polymerases.
Distribution of α-Aminoisobutyric Acid in Tissues of Lean and Genetically Obese Mice:

Distribution of tracer amounts of the nonmetabolizable neutral amino acid {alpha}-(1-{sup 14}C)aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) between blood and several tissues was measured in lean and ob/ob mice over an 8-hr period. As AIB was injected on the basis of body weight and as ob/ob mice have a relatively low blood volume, absolute concentrations of AIB in blood and tissues were almost always higher in the obese than the lean mice. However, the ratio of AIB concentration in the tissues to that in the blood was clearly higher in skeletal muscle, diaphragm, and brain, and possibly higher in liver of the lean than of the obese animals. Ratios in heart were similar. The results suggest that lean and genetically obese mice differ in their capacity to transport amino acids between blood and various tissues.
Dynamic properties of AerMet 100 steels to 25 GPa.

Well-controlled impact studies have been conducted on as-received' and heat-treated AerMet® 100 steel alloy samples to determine their dynamic material properties. Gas guns and time-resolved laser interferometry have been used to measure the fine structure in the particle velocity profiles resulting from symmetric plate impact. Impact velocities ranged from 0.40 km/s to 1.20 km/s. These experiments have allowed us to estimate the dynamic yield strength, and the spall strength of the as-received and heat-treated AerMet® 100 steel. The as-received material undergoes a phase transformation at around 13 GPa, while the heat-treated material exhibits the phase change at 15GPa. The results of this study clearly suggest that the dynamic yield strength, spall strength and the phase transition kinetics are influenced by the heat-treatment.
Neuroimaging in Psychiatry

Psychiatric neuroimaging has made great strides. PET scanning to differentiate between the dementias is clinically useful and well accepted. Understanding of the pathophysiology underlying the psychopathology of psychiatric illness also is rapidly expanding. Neuroimaging quickly is becoming an indispensable part of the day-to-day clinical management of psychiatric patients.
Venture capital investing by information technology companies: Did it pay?

Abstract While corporate venture capital programs offer prospects for direct financial returns and strategic benefits, there is little evidence regarding whether they deliver economically significant value to sponsoring firms. We take an initial step in addressing this question by evaluating direct returns of programs of U.S. information technology companies during 1990–2002. Direct gains (losses) were widely dispersed and bimodally distributed, based on IRR and net cash flow metrics. Timing of initiation within the venture capital cycle; program scale; and annual investment, write-down, and harvest behavior were associated with differences in returns. We also explore how program characteristics may relate to their attractiveness as platforms from which to pursue strategic benefits.
On the single crystal X-ray diffraction pattern of calcite

The method of analysis of double spectrometer rocking curves developed by L. P. Smith is reconsidered. Although from Smith's very general viewpoint, six experimental curves are needed for a complete analysis, it is shown that for rocking curves from calcite, taken with the usual type of double spectrometer, it should be possible to deduce the shape of the single crystal diffraction pattern from two rocking curves, the (1,+1) and (2,+2). A method of modifying the equations of the instrument to allow for a simple type of mosaic structure is indicated.The equations have been applied to rocking curves of Mo $K{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}$ from calcite, supplied by L. G. Parratt. The method requires resolution of the observed curves into Fourier components, and a numerical method of doing this is described. The reliability of the components obtained can be tested by predicting the (1,-1) curve with them and comparing with experiment. In this way it is found that the curves are consistent as regards Fourier components of long period and large amplitude, but inconsistent in the short period, small amplitude components. A single crystal pattern is deduced, based mainly on the observed (1,-1) curve, with asymmetry as indicated by the (1,+1) and (2,+2) curves. It indicates that the crystals used do not have the flat-topped Darwin-Ewald-Prins diffraction pattern. Possible causes of the short period discrepancy have been investigated, but an adequate explanation has not been found.
Assessment of the Potential Year-Round Establishment of Soybean Rust Throughout the World.

ABSTRACT Soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi Sydow) has been known to occur in eastern Asia and Aus-tralia for decades. In recent years, the disease entered Africa and South America and has spread rapidly in these continents. It has become a concern to the U.S. soybean industry. To assess the threat of soybean rust, we used a modeling approach to determine the potential geographical zones where the fungus might overwinter and serve as source areas for seasonal epidemics. Long-term meteorological averages were used to assess the temperature stresses by using CLIMEX, and the dry stress with an algorithm developed in this study. Integration of stresses was used to predict the likelihood of survival of the rust in a defined location. Our results suggest that the new soybean rust invasions in Africa and South America occurred in the areas where the fungus might persist year-round. The main regions where rust has not been reported but might overwinter are located in the western hemisphere, including northern So...
Wavelet-based zerotree coding of aerospace images

ABSTRACT This paper presents a wavelet based image coding method achieving high levels of compression. A multi-resolution subbanddecomposition system is constructed using Quadrature Mirror Filters. Symmetric extension and windowing of the multi-scaledsubbands are incorporated to minimize the boundary effects. Next, the Embedded Zerotree Wavelet coding algorithm is usedfor data compaction method. Elimination ofthe isolated zero symbol,for certain subbands, leads to an improved EZWalgorithm.Further compression is obtained with an adaptive arithmetic coder. We achieve a PSNR of26.91 dB at a bit rate ofO.018, 35.59dB at a bit rate ofO.149, and 43.05 dB at 0.892 bits/pixelfor the aerospace image, Refuel.Key words: Wavelet, quadrature mirror filters, subband coding, embedded zerotree wavelet coding, image compression,symmetric extension, residual scalar quantizer, direct sum codebook, adaptive arithmetic coding, aerospace images. 1. INTRODUCTION The general framework for image compression consists ofthree components: Image decomposition or transformation,and source coding which includes quantization and symbol coding ( lossless or lossy). Subband image coding using QuadratureMirror Filters (QMFs) has been widely studied in recent years [1-5] as an image transformation method. In subband analysis,the objective is to split the bandwidth ofthe original spectrum in two halves, the low and the high bands. To this end, the QMFsare incorporated into a bank, consisting of an analysis/coder section and a decoder/synthesis section. The input signal is filteredby the low-pass and high-pass filters and decimated by a factor of two in the analysis section of the filter bank. In the synthesissection the signals received are interpolated and filtered by the low-pass and high-pass filters before reconstruction. For images,
Gender differences in ethnocultural empathy and attitudes toward men and women in authority.

The relationship between attitudes toward members of ethnic or cultural minority groups and men and women in authority or leadership positions was examined. The Ethnocultural Empathy Scale and Gender Authority Measure were completed by 317 participants. Results yielded a positive relationship among the attitudinal measures, indicating that individuals who express more empathy toward individuals from diverse ethnic or cultural backgrounds are likely to have positive perceptions of women in authority/leadership positions. Furthermore, gender differences in perceptions suggest that, relative to males, females are more likely to report higher levels of ethnic or cultural empathy and also have higher preference for women in leadership and authority positions.
Microwave‐Absorbing Ferrite‐Dielectric Composites

Two-phase composites of spinel ferrites and lithium aluminosilicates were prepared and investigated as microwave-absorbing materials. The magnetic and dielectric loss parameters which determine the heating characteristics were examined. Low-thermal-expansion composites were developed which were effective absorbers of microwave radiation. Some compositions investigated exhibited a temperature maximum limited by the Curie temperature of the ferrite in the composite.
Calcium coordination and pH dependence of the calcium affinity of ligand-binding repeat CR7 from the LRP. Comparison with related domains from the LRP and the LDL receptor.

We have determined the X-ray crystal structure to 1.8 A resolution of the Ca2+ complex of complement-like repeat 7 (CR7) from the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) and characte...
Use of an “ordered” electron spin state in molecular spectroscopy: Theoretical and experimental considerations of spin-ordering in excited states

Abstract The effect of the dynamics of excited states on the observed decay of an ordered electron spin state induced in an electronically-excited ensemble is presented and used to illustrate the sensitivity of this technique to experimental conditions. Considered are feeding and decay processes involving the excited state, spin—lattice relaxation between the levels that are ordered, energy transfer to both translationally equivalent and inequivalent sites, and two different types of exchange processes. The treatment shows that the observed ordered-state decay is very sensitive to exprimental conditions. In particular, experiments performed off-resonance can display severely distorted decay curves with non-decaying components. These distortions limit the information on energy exchange in the excited state that can be obtained with electron spin ordering by adiabatic demagnetization in the rotating frame (ADRF). Also presented are treatments for the production and detection of order in excited states to complete a set of basic experimental considerations that affect data quality in ADRF measurements. Experimentally observed decays are presented to illustrate the predicted effects.
Comparison of photosensitized plasma membrane damage caused by singlet oxygen and free radicals

The efficiency and selectivity of photosensitized damage to membrane functions may be influenced strongly by the identity of the initial reactive species formed by the photosensitizer. To test this possibility, a photosensitizer, rose bengal (RB), was used that resides in the plasma membrane and which generates singlet molecular oxygen (1O2∗) upon excitation with visible light, and radicals plus 1O2∗ upon excitation with UV radiation. With this approach, 1O2∗ and radicals are formed at the same locations in the plasma membrane. The response of three plasma membrane functions, namely, proline transport, membrane potential, and membrane impermeability to charged dye molecules, was assessed. The efficiencies of the responses in the presence and absence of oxygen were compared per photon absorbed by RB at two wavelengths, 355 nm (UV excitation) and 532 nm (visible excitation). The efficiency of oxygen removal before irradiation was assessed by measuring the RB triplet lifetime. The three membrane functions were inhibited more efficiently at 355 nm than at 532 nm in the presence of oxygen indicating that the radicals are more effective at initiating damage to membrane components than 1O2∗. The ratio of photosensitized effects at the two wavelengths in the presence of oxygen was the same for two membrane functions but not for the third suggesting that 1O2∗ and radicals initiate a common mechanistic pathway for damage to some membrane functions but not to others. Removing oxygen reduced the efficiency of 355 nm-induced photosensitization by factors of 1.4 to 7. The sensitivity of the three membrane functions to 1O2∗-initiated damage varied over a factor of 50 whereas radical initiated damage only varied by a factor of 15. In summary, these results indicate that radicals and 1O2∗ formed at the same locations in the plasma membrane vary in their efficiency and specificity for membrane damage but may, in some cases, operate by a common secondary damage mechanism in the presence of oxygen.
THE RELATIVE REACTION WITHIN LIVING MAMMALIAN TISSUES : VI. FACTORS DETERMINING THE REACTION OF SKIN GRAFTS; A STUDY BY THE INDICATOR METHOD OF CONDITIONS WITHIN AN ISCHEMIC TISSUE.

By means of vital staining with indicators a study has been made of the changes in reaction and in certain other attributes of a tissue abruptly rendered ischemic. Grafts of mouse skin have been employed as test material. It has been found that almost at once after implantation vigorous grafts become notably acid as compared with the normal skin and that they survive and "take" despite the acid condition, which remains at a maximum for several days. Weak or injured grafts on the contrary tend to be as alkaline as their surroundings, if not more so. Through experiments directed to the purpose reasons for this difference have been found in the lessened metabolic activities of the cells of the injured skin, and in an increased permeability which leads to a generalized suffusion of the damaged tissue with the alkaline lymph and an abnormally rapid escape of carbon dioxide from it. The influence of these factors to determine the reaction of tissues dying within the body has not been sufficiently taken into account in considering the chemical changes that occur after cell death, and some revision of current views regarding these as they affect small necrotic masses would seem called for. Carbon dioxide penetrates so readily into the living skin as to cause some local increase in the hydrogen ion concentration within cutaneous regions exposed to an atmosphere of it, even when the local circulation and the ventilation by way of the lungs have not been interfered with. It penetrates injured skin with especially great ease. Tissue acidosis and edema not infrequently occur together; but no relationship between them of cause and effect has been made out.
Dilettantes, Ideologues, and the Weak: Terrorists Who Don't Kill

Why do some terrorist organizations choose not to—or fail to—kill? Of the 395 terrorist organizations operating between 1998 and 2005 only 39% had actually killed anyone. What factors account for this outcome? This article examines a series of organizational factors, including ideology, capability, and “home-base” country context, that the literature suggests are related to the decision to “go lethal.” We then test six hypotheses using data from the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT). Our statistical modeling suggests that ideology, capabilities, and “dilettantism” explain a significant proportion of the variation in whether an organization chooses to kill or not to kill. Leftists, anarchists, and environmentalists are far less likely to kill than those organizations inspired by religious ideologies. Larger organizations and those with more alliance ties are more likely to kill, while others are too “dilatory” and unserious about the “terrorist enterprise” to become lethal.
Revaccination of non- and low- responders after a standard three dose hepatitis B vaccine schedule.

Background: Guangdong province of China is HBV high endemicity and 1.6 million neonates are administrated 5 μg yeast recombinant anti-HBV vaccine each year. But few studies are performed to evalu...
Tandem palladium-, cobalt-, and nickel-catalyzed syntheses of polycyclic π-systems containing cyclobutadiene, benzene, and cyclooctatetraene rings

Abstract A sequence is described in which Co I serves as a catalyst in the co-cyclization of 1,2-diethynylarenes (in turn derived by Pd II -catalyzed alkynylation of the corresponding haloaromatics) with alkynes to furnish substituted biphenylenes and Ni 0 is used to dimerize the latter to the corresponding tetrabenzocyclooctatetraenes. The strategy provides a novel synthetic entry into novel polycyclic π-systems of synthetic and theoretical interest.
Physiological changes in largemouth bass exposed to paper mill effluents under laboratory and field conditions.

We report here on studies designed to asses the effects of paper mill effluents on non-reproductive functions of free-ranging and captive Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) This was accomplished by conducting an outdoor tank study, in which fish were exposed to well water or to 10%, 20%, 40%, and 80% full strength effluent for 28 or 56 days, and by sampling largemouth bass from sites within the St. Johns River, Florida, upstream and downstream from a paper mill plant. Blood and plasma samples from fish from the tank study and from fish sampled from the ambient sites were analyzed for over 20 variables. We also determined liver and spleen weights and examined them histologically. The most significant finding from the tank study was an increase in the concentration of albumin and hepatosomatic index for bass exposed to ≥20% effluents for 56 days. Spleenosomatic index and number of melanomacrophage centers were decreased in bass from effluent-dominated sites (Palatka and Rice Creek), whereas concentrations of calcium, phosphorous, glucose, and creatinine were elevated in fish from these sites, compared to fish from reference streams. Fish from Rice Creek also had fewer red blood cells, and male bass from Palatka had lower concentrations of cholesterol. Plasma concentrations of albumin and hepatic concentrations of glutathione were elevated in males from Palatka, and both females and males from Rice Creek had higher concentrations of globulin. These results indicate a complex pattern of effects of paper mill effluents on several physiological functions. However, despite the myriad of treatment and site-related effects, most physiological parameters fell within normal ranges when compared to reports on largemouth bass and other freshwater species.
Intracellular Parasitism by Histoplasma capsulatum: Fungal Virulence and Calcium Dependence

Histoplasma capsulatum is an effective intracellular parasite of macrophages and causes the most prevalent fungal respiratory disease in the United States. A “dimorphic” fungus, H. capsulatum exists as a saprophytic mold in soil and converts to the parasitic yeast form after inhalation. Only the yeasts secrete a calcium-binding protein (CBP) and can grow in calcium-limiting conditions. To probe the relation between calcium limitation and intracellular parasitism, we designed a strategy to disrupt CBP1 in H. capsulatum using a telomeric linear plasmid and a two-step genetic selection. The resulting cbp1 yeasts no longer grew when deprived of calcium, and they were also unable to destroy macrophages in vitro or proliferate in a mouse model of pulmonary infection.
The Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act: Panacea or Problem?

Employee evaluation and monitoring have been common in America since colonial times. With industrialization, employers have implemented increasingly creative ways to monitor employees. For example, in the early part of this century, Ford Motor Company employed investigators to enter employees' homes to verify that employees were not overly drinking and that their homes were clean
Influence of alternative host plant feeding on aldrin susceptibility and detoxification enzymes in western and northern corn rootworms

Abstract Pioneer populations of western corn rootworm in central Pennsylvania, depending on their food, are 90 to 1200 times more resistant to aldrin than an endemic population of northern corn rootworm. Susceptibility of western corn rootworm to aldrin was markedly increased up to nine times when adults were maintained on diets other than corn, whereas the northern species was equally susceptible to aldrin on all diets. Adult western and northern corn rootworms exhibited differential host plant induction of three detoxification enzymes potentially involved in aldrin metabolism. Activities of microsomal aldrin epoxidase and to a lesser extent cytosolic glutathione transferase in midgut tissues of both species were increased up to three times by diet shifts from corn ear to squash blossom and sunflower inflorescence. In addition, microsomal cis - and trans -epoxide hydrolase in northern corn rootworm were significantly induced, while levels of these enzymes in the western species were unaffected by diet. Northern corn rootworm exhibited higher levels of induction for all enzymes. The induction of the epoxidase without a concomitant increase in epoxide hydrolase can account for the diet-dependent increase in susceptibility observed for western corn rootworm, since the epoxidation reaction, in contrast to epoxide hydration, results in a product that is equal to or more toxic than aldrin itself. The more frequent consumption of alternative foods by the northern over the more corn-specializing western species could over many generations markedly alter aldrin resistance mechanisms in absence of insecticide selection, and thereby increase aldrin susceptibility in formerly resistant populations.
The further redefining of steroid-mediated signaling.

The classical paradigm of steroid hormone action is that intracellular receptors bind to specific steroids to modulate gene expression within the nuclei of target cells. However, increasing evidence now suggests that many important steroid-induced signaling events are triggered independent of transcription. Examples of “nongenomic” biological responses to steroids include estrogen-induced proliferation of breast cell lines (1), estrogen-mediated dilation of blood vessels (2, 3), and progesterone-induced activation of the acrosomal reaction in sperm (4). The signaling mechanisms responsible for these biological responses are diverse, such as activation of signaling molecules Src, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS), and Akt, as well as rapid alterations in intracellular calcium and cAMP levels (5). Experiments designed to identify steroid receptors that may modulate these nongenomic processes have produced several candidates, including classical steroid receptors located in the membrane (1, 3, 6), traditional G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) (7, 8), and novel membrane-associated steroid binding proteins (9). In most cases, however, the true physiologic importance of these receptors has yet to be proven. Two articles by Zhu and colleagues (10, 11) in this issue of PNAS provide new and provocative insight toward identifying potentially physiologically relevant steroid receptors capable of mediating nongenomic signaling, describing a novel family of high-affinity membrane steroid receptors with structure and signaling similar to GPCRs.
Videofluoroscopic findings in dysphagic patients with cricopharyngeal dysfunction: before and after open cricopharyngeal myotomy.

Objectives: Functional outcomes after open cricopharyngeal myotomy (CPM) for Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) and cricopharyngeal dysfunction without diverticulum (CPD) have not been uniformly measured by videofluorographic swallow study (VFSS). Here we characterize preoperative VFSS findings in these groups and evaluate the effect of CPM on swallowing via postoperative VFSS. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of paired preoperative and postoperative VFSS results from 50 patients (36 with ZD and 14 with CPD) over 6 years. Semiquantitative scales were used to assess 1) degree of stasis in the pharyngeal recesses; 2) degree of narrowing at the pharyngoesophageal sphincter (PES); 3) aspiration; and 4) diverticular size. Findings were compared between the groups and across subjects. Results: Pharyngeal stasis was more severe in subjects with CPD than in subjects with ZD, both before and after CPM (p = .02 and p = .0002, respectively). The CPM improved PES narrowing in both groups (p = .03; p = .06) and reduced diverticular size in the ZD group (p <.001), but it did not significantly reduce the stasis severity or the proportion of patients with aspiration. Conclusions: According to VFSS, CPM opens up the PES and decreases diverticular size. More severe stasis in CPD suggests that diffuse pharyngeal weakness may play a role in this disease, and may partially explain the variable post-CPM outcomes that have been observed in CPD.
Simultaneous Measurement of Ionization and Attachment Coefficients.

Measurements have been made of pre-breakdown currents in four gases: oxygen, air, freon-12 (C${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$${\mathrm{F}}_{2}$), and C${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$S${\mathrm{F}}_{5}$. The behavior of these currents differs from that previously attributed to all gases in that semilogarithmic graphs of current against electrode separation at constant $\frac{E}{p}$ exhibit initial curvature, being concave toward the electrode separation axis. At low $\frac{E}{p}$ an apparent saturation is found. This behavior is interpreted as resulting from a reaction of dissociative attachment of the kind $AB+e={(A{B}^{\ensuremath{-}})}^{*}=A+{B}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. On this basis simultaneously determined values of the ionization and attachment coefficients can be deduced. In oxygen and air these parameters, when determined from separate experiments, show a somewhat anomalous behavior. The apparent anomalies are explained with the result that ionization is found to commence at lower, and attachment persist to higher values of $\frac{E}{p}$ than previously suspected. In freon-12 and C${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$S${\mathrm{F}}_{5}$ it is found that the ionization coefficient is about an order of magnitude larger than reported for similar gases when no account is taken of possible attachment. The attachment coefficient is observed to be larger for halogen-containing molecules than for the same halogens when free. Cross sections for attachment are computed for oxygen and air. Dependence of the cross sections on mean electron energy is discussed with reference to energy scales in these two gases.
Ultrasound-guided reduction of distal radius fractures.

Abstract Background: Ultrasound (US) may provide the emergency physician with the ability to do real-time assessment of fracture reduction adequacy. Objectives: To assess whether US guidance aids in determining the adequacy of distal radius fracture reduction in the emergency department (ED), and to compare the rates of successful reduction with and without US. Methods: We conducted a prospective study of patients who underwent US-guided reduction of a distal radius fracture, compared to a historical cohort without US guidance. After performing US-guided reduction, but before post-reduction radiographs, physicians filled out a form stating whether reduction was successful or unsuccessful. Successful radiographic reduction was determined by two orthopedic surgeons based on radiographic findings. Main outcome measures were the sensitivity and specificity of US-guided ED physician assessment of successful reduction, and reduction success compared against the historical cohort. Results: We enrolled 46 patients in the US-guided group and compared them to 44 patients in the historical cohort. Pre-reduction characteristics were similar in both groups. Physician assessment of reduction success by US had a sensitivity of 94% (95% confidence interval [CI] 88–98%) and specificity of 56% (95% CI 31–71%) for identifying a successful reduction on post-reduction radiographs. The overall success rates of the US-guided and control groups were similar (83% and 80%, respectively). Conclusions: Physicians had a high sensitivity in predicting adequate reduction of distal radius fractures using US guidance in the ED. The overall rate of successful fracture reduction was similar with or without US. Further study may determine whether US guidance reduces the time spent in the ED for fracture reduction.
Restoration of coastal habitats: expectation and reality

Abstract Restoration today must satisfy a wide array of societal goals. In the past, success or failure of a project was dependent on minimal, measurable criteria. Simplistic designs and compliance criteria are being replaced by technically sophisticated projects and design goals that have variable criteria for success. Instead of a being static target, success criteria can be altered through a process termed Adaptive Management. Natural resource damage can be assessed accurately through a Habitat Equivalency Analysis. Acceptable progress toward compliance criteria is best measured by trends approaching a desired end point. An approach using natural variation of similar habitats also shows promise as a means of assessing compliance. Large-scale restoration projects are underway, directly and indirectly underwritten by the public. If the public is to continue support for restoration it must be a part of the decision-making process. This can be best accomplished through landscape management plans with clear objectives and goals that the public understands and that benefit the public at large. Technical problems in accomplishing and evaluating restoration projects will be solved if the experience gained at each site is used in future projects.
Variation in alkaloid-based microbial defenses of the dendrobatid poison frog Oophaga pumilio

Conspicuously colored dendrobatid frogs possess alkaloid-based antipredator defenses that are sequestered from a diet of arthropods. The type and quantity of alkaloids in dendrobatids vary substantially with geographic location, mainly due to differences in arthropod availability. It has been experimentally demonstrated that some individual alkaloids inhibit the growth of certain microbes, and that different alkaloids vary in their antimicrobial efficacy. We further tested this hypothesis by examining the antimicrobial effectiveness of naturally occurring mixtures of alkaloids (i.e., alkaloid cocktails) isolated from the dendrobatid frog Oophaga pumilio from five different locations in Costa Rica and Panama. Alkaloid cocktails in frogs from these locations varied significantly in their alkaloid composition. Bacterial cultures of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, and the fungus Candida albicans were subjected to alkaloid cocktails from individual frogs. These antimicrobial susceptibility tests demonstrated significant inhibition of bacterial and fungal growth of cultures incubated with these alkaloids, suggesting that the mixture of alkaloids present naturally in O. pumilio has the potential to defend frogs against natural microbes. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the degree of microbial inhibition among alkaloid cocktails, suggesting that frogs from different locations vary in their defense against microbes.
Spatially localized hippocampal shape analysis in late‐life cognitive decline

We present a method for generating data-driven, concise, and spatially localized parameterizations of hippocampal (HP) shape, and use the method to analyze HP atrophy in late-life cognitive decline. The method optimizes a set of shape basis vectors (shape components) that strike a balance between spatial locality and compact representation of population shape characteristics. The method can be used for exploratory analysis of localized shape deformations in any population of HP on which point-to-point correspondence mappings have been established via anatomical landmarking or high-dimensional warping. Experiments combine the method with an automated HP to HP mapping method to analyze tracings of 101 elderly subjects with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) from an AD Center population. Results suggest that shape components corresponding to atrophy to the CA1 and subiculum HP fields—where early AD pathology is located—correlate strongly with robust measures of the cognitive dysfunction that is typical of early AD. Furthermore, the energy function minimized by the shape component optimization technique is shown to be smooth with few local minima, suggesting that the method may be relatively easy to apply in practice.
Plasma D-dimer for the diagnosis of thromboembolic disorders in dogs

D-dimer is formed during thrombus formation when factor XIIIa crosslinks the terminal D-domains of fibrin. The D-dimer epitope is exposed when the thrombus is lysed by plasmin. Thus, D-dimer represents both thrombin and plasmin activation and is specific for fibrinolysis. D-dimer concentrations are increased in dogs with DIC or other thromboembolic disorders, but because D-dimer is an indicator of physiologic or pathologic fibrinolysis, values are elevated in other conditions associated with fibrinolysis, including orthopedic surgery, neoplasia, and internal hemorrhage. It can be used as an ancillary test for the diagnosis of DIC but is not recommended as a sole test for this purpose. D-dimer has the potential to be a useful laboratory test for the detection of pulmonary thromboembolism in dogs. Further studies are needed to determine the appropriate applications for this test in veterinary patients to aid in clinical decision making, treatment, and patient care.
Statistical Techniques for Handling PIXE Data

Abstract Any systematic use of PIXE analyses for environmental, biological, geological or medical programs soon incurs problems in handling the enormous number of quantitative data. One option to the scientist is to simply ignore all data except those of primary interest in a given program (sulfur in air, cadmium in blood, etc.). Another way of phrasing this would be to restate a position often made to us: Why measure all those elements in atmospheric particulates when only a few are toxic? Bivariate and multivariate statistical procedures provide methods for making effective use of the wide elemental range delivered by ion beam analyses. This in turn greatly increases the value of the technique and allows new types of research programs to proceed without prejudgement of elements of critical interest. Examples are presented based largely upon the air quality programs at Davis.
A LEXICON FOR GREEN ODOR OR FLAVOR AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CHEMICALS ASSOCIATED WITH GREEN

The sensory characteristic “green” has been used frequently in descriptive sensory analyses of various foods. A six-member highly trained descriptive panel determined that “green” is not a single characteristic, but can have several different manifestations. Generally, green can be characterized as unripe, peapod, grassy/leafy, viney, fruity or combinations of those. Additional attributes that were important to the green character included musty/earthy, pungent, bitter, overall sweet and floral. This research also examined the odor characteristics of 22 chemicals in concentrations from 1 to 100,000 ppm. Thirteen chemicals including aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, azoles and ester derivatives had been reported to have green aroma. Nine additional ester derivatives, containing a six carbon core similar to hexanal, were included. Most chemicals tested were found to be green at concentrations of 1,000 ppm and higher. Green-grassy/leafy was the most common green note and musty/earthy and pungent were frequent green adjunct aromas. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Because “green” notes have been used commonly to describe the characteristics of many food products, especially, fruits and vegetables, it is important to understand the types of green characteristics present in products. Prior literature has suggested various chemicals may be responsible for green, suggesting that there could be different types of green notes. A better understanding of “green” aromas and flavors can help researchers better describe specific sensory characteristics and make improvements to products where green impacts the sensory properties, either positively or negatively.
Selfless evolution: An idea rejected

Darwin proposed that altruism arose because it makes groups fitter. But group selection, as this idea is known, has a complicated history
Maternal Emotion Regulation Links to Emotion Parenting and Child Emotion Regulation

This study examined the link between maternal emotion regulation (ER) and emotion parenting behaviors and child ER, particularly emphasizing the previously understudied potential associations between mothers’ ER and concurrent emotion parenting behaviors. Community-recruited participants included 64 mother–child (M = 9.5 years, 38 girls) dyads. Mothers completed measures on their own ER, their child’s ER, and their emotion parenting strategies. Children completed measures on their ER and mother–child dyads engaged in a conflict discussion task that was coded using an ER behavioral observation scale. Results indicated that observed maternal ER was negatively associated with unsupportive emotion parenting, whereas self-reported maternal emotion dysregulation was positively associated with unsupportive parenting and child emotion dysregulation and negatively associated with child adaptive ER. Partial support was provided for the mediating role of emotion parenting behaviors on the link between maternal and c...
Antibodies to egg yolk in blood serum of rabbits and cattle and cervical mucus of cattle inseminated artificially.

Abstract Serum titers to egg yolk were induced in 6 rabbits by intravaginal deposition of an egg-yolk citrate extender used for artificial insemination of cattle. There was no effect of the low serum titers to egg yolk on fertility of the inseminated rabbits. Titers to egg-yolk semen extender were found in 3% of 59 cows of normal fertility compared to 29% of 14 repeat breeder cows of low fertility, all previously inseminated with semen diluted with egg yolk-citrate extender. Four of 6 cervical mucus samples (67%) from the repeat breeder cows had high titers to egg yolk, but only one also had a positive titer in blood serum.
Medical education change: a detailed study of six medical schools

Summary. This article reports a comparative case study of six selected USA medical schools, undertaken to identify factors that facilitate or obstruct innovation in medical education. The findings suggest that the culture of each medical school results from a combination of intra-institutional and external factors. Together these forces influence substantially the fate of educational innovations. The institutional culture influences critical elements such as educational philosophy, leadership and resources provided in support of innovation. Equally important, the culture shapes the level and type of change a school considers and implements. The findings also suggest that the availability of resources and the creative impetus present in schools giving priority to research can benefit the educational goals and facilitate educational change.
Outcomes, Risk of Other Malignancies, and Need for Formal Mapping Procedures in Patients With Perianal Bowen’s Disease

Local excision is standard treatment for Bowen’s disease, but controversy exists over the incidence of synchronous and metachronous cancers as well as the role of a preexcision mapping procedure. The medical records of 25 patients treated for perianal Bowen’s disease between 1978 and 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 11 men and 14 women with a mean age at diagnosis of 47.9 ± 14.9 years. The majority of patients (72 percent) had symptom-driven biopsies. Presentation included pruritus (56 percent), mass (28 percent), bleeding (24 percent), and anal pain (4 percent). The average duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 1.3 ± 0.5 years. Two patients had microscopic disease discovered incidentally after hemorrhoidectomy and underwent no further treatment. Twenty-three patients underwent wide local excision, of which 19 (83 percent) had a formal mapping procedure. On final pathology, 23 patients (92 percent) had clear margins. There were three recurrences (mean time to recur 2.0 ± 1.0 years), including the two patients who had positive margins after wide excision (1 after mapping) and one patient who had clear margins after mapping. Five patients (20 percent) had other carcinomas (1 sigmoid, 4 vulvar). At follow-up, 24 patients were alive with no evidence of Bowen’s disease and 1 patient was dead secondary to sigmoid cancer with no evidence of Bowen’s disease. Wide excision of perianal Bowen’s disease results in excellent local control, although this is highly dependent on clear pathologic margins. A formal mapping procedure does not preclude recurrence. Initial screening and follow-up regimens are not uniform because of the wide range of treatment options available.
How design review staff do far more than regulate

In ‘design review’, planners and architects do much more than ‘review’ proposals. They educate players in the development process. They facilitate governance. They respond to fear and suspicion, grief and anger. They convene ritualized meetings so diverse parties can build cooperative relationships. Design reviewers enable mutual learning between experts and non-experts, promote public recognition of shared public spaces, values and stakeholders’ interdependence, and foster public discourse, public imagination and civic pride. Design review staff play practical roles as ‘educators’, ‘facilitators’, ‘therapists’ and ‘ritual conveners’, in addition to saving time and money in a development process. Extensive US interview quotes illustrate both the complexity of design review, and aspects deserving further research.
Occupy the Social Contract! Participatory Democracy and Iceland's Crowd-Sourced Constitution

Recent responses to the global economic crash of 2008, such as Occupy Wall Street and other political encampments, have raised important questions about the constitution of the “we” and the relationship between democracy and change in the context of contemporary capitalism. To address these important new political developments, this article argues for “participatory contract building” as a new direction in critical contract theory and participatory democracy. In order to unpack this approach, it analyzes the recent “crowd-sourced” constitution-drafting process in Iceland. It is suggested that this example may provide a platform for a multi-tiered practice of participatory contract building, one that engages the many places in which we find ourselves subject to contractual relations in ways that offer people more opportunities to make meaningful decisions about the power relations that shape our lives.
The neurla basis of orienting behavior: a computational approach to the escape turn of the cockroach

Using computer simulation, we demonstrate that the information encoded by the ventral giant interneurons is particularly suited to orienting the escape turn of the adult cockroach with a degree of variation seen experimentally. The type of model we present for sensorimotor integration incorporates a simple comparator of sensory evoked GI activity and is extremely robust with respect to underlying assumptions.
Effect of Curare on Conduction in Myelinated, Isolated Nerve Fibres of the Frog

THE inhibitory effect of curare on the transmission of nerve impulses across myoneural junctions is generally attributed to its binding with the specific acetylcholine receptors in the motor end-plate membranes in competition with the acetylcholine, thereby preventing the ester from exerting its depolarizing action. Since the work of Claude Bernard, it has been known that curare acts specifically on the motor end-plates without any effect on axonal conduction. The failure of externally applied acetylcholine to affect conduction of nerve fibres was explained by Nachmansohn1 as being due to permeability barriers surrounding the axon which are impermeable to lipid-insoluble compounds, such as methylated quaternary nitrogen derivatives, and cannot reach, therefore, the interior of the axon. These permeability barriers also explain the absence of any action of curare on axonal conduction: if monoquaternary ammonium salts are unable to penetrate these barriers, it is certainly to be expected that diquaternary salts will not enter. This does not indicate that the acetylcholine receptor upon which curare is supposed to act at the myoneural junction is not present and functional in the axon, only that it cannot be reached. If this viewpoint is correct, then diquaternary compounds which have two cationic nitrogens at the proper distance but are in addition soluble in lipid, such as stilbamidine, should have curare-like action. Block of conduction by stilbamidine was obtained by Bergmann, Wilson and Nachmansohn2 on the axon, and by Schoffeniels and Nachmansohn3 on the conducting membrane of the electroplax of Electrophorus electricus.
Experiments on sodium fires and their aerosols

A number of new sodium fire and aerosol experiments were undertaken to provide data for LMFBR safety analyses: (1) Experiments on the burning of single drops of liquid sodium falling in air have been performed to aid in model development for sodium spray fire codes. (2) The leakage of sodium oxide aerosols through a straight smooth capillary tube, representative of the maximum size of a hypothetical gas leak in the wall of the secondary containment of an LMFBR, has been studied. Even in those cases in which the capillary did not plug, <11% of the entering mass was of a respirable size as it emerged from the capillary. In addition, there were a number of conditions under which the capillary plugged. (3) Experiments on the behavior of high temperature, high concentration aerosols have shown a rapid depletion of the aerosol concentration in the first 6 sec following injection of ∼800 g/m3 aerosols at ∼1000°C into a closed vessel. This depletion has been correlated with the early formation of 100 to 200 μm agglomerates which fall out promptly.