cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the Lipid Linkage Region and Chain Length of the Cellubiuronic Acid Capsule of Streptococcus pneumoniae

The processive reaction mechanisms of β-glycosyl-polymerases are poorly understood. The cellubiuronan synthase of Streptococcus pneumoniae catalyzes the synthesis of the type 3 capsular polysaccharide through the alternate additions of β-1,3-Glc and β-1,4-GlcUA. The processive multistep reaction involves the sequential binding of two nucleotide sugar donors in coordination with the extension of a polysaccharide chain associated with the carbohydrate acceptor recognition site. Degradation analysis using cellubiuronan-specific depolymerase demonstrated that the oligosaccharide-lipid and polysaccharide-lipid products synthesized in vitro with recombinant cellubiuronan synthase had a similar oligosaccharyl-lipid at their reducing termini, providing definitive evidence for a precursor-product relationship and also confirming that growth occurred at the nonreducing end following initiation on phosphatidylglycerol. The presence of a lipid marker at the reducing end allowed the quantitative determination of cellubiuronic acid polysaccharide chain lengths. As the UDP-GlcUA concentration was increased from 1 to 11.5 μm, the level of synthase in the transitory processive state decreased, with the predominant oligosaccharide-lipid product containing 3 uronic acid residues, whereas the proportion of synthase in the fully processive state increased and the polysaccharide chain length increased from 320 to 6700 monosaccharide units. In conjunction with other kinetic data, these results suggest that the formation of a complex between a tetrauronosyl oligomer and the carbohydrate acceptor recognition site plays a central role in coordinating the repetitive interaction of the synthase with the nucleotide sugar donors and modulating the chain length of cellubiuronan polysaccharide.
DELETERIOUS MUTATIONS AND GENETIC VARIATION FOR FLOWER SIZE IN MIMULUS GUTTATUS

Abstract Mimulus guttatus is a wildflower that exhibits substantial genetic variation in flower size. Here, we test the hypothesis that this variation is caused by deleterious mutations maintained through mutation-selection balance. The deleterious-mutation model predicts that rare, partially recessive alleles will be the primary source of variation. We test this prediction by measuring the change in the mean flower size (ΔM) and the directional dominance of flower size (ΔB) within a selection experiment. If variation is due to rare (partially) recessive alleles, ΔB/ΔM is expected to be positive and exceed one. However, we obtain negative values for ΔB/ΔM from three independent selection lines. This result is statistically inconsistent with the deleterious-mutation model. Corresponding Editor: M. Morgan
Labetalol does not decrease placental perfusion in the hypertensive term-pregnant rat

The acute effect of labetalol hydrochloride, a combined nonspecific beta-adrenergic and postsynaptic alpha 1-adrenergic blocker, on maternal hemodynamics and organ perfusion was investigated in 10 hypertensive, term-pregnant, spontaneously hypertensive rats with the use of the radioactive-labeled microsphere technique. The normal fall in blood pressure during pregnancy was prevented by the reduction of litter size to two conceptuses on day 7 of gestation. Labetalol (1 to 6 mg/kg) effectively lowered mean arterial pressure 22% by decreasing cardiac output 16%; total peripheral resistance was not significantly decreased. Thus, the blood pressure lowering effect of labetalol was due primarily to its beta-adrenergic blocking effect. Regional flows to the carcass and splanchnic circulation were decreased 19% and 15%, respectively, after labetalol administration. Uterine wall and ovarian perfusion were significantly reduced, but placental perfusion was not significantly altered. Because labetalol lowers blood pressure without reducing placental perfusion, it may be a useful alternative to hydralazine for the treatment of hypertensive emergencies in pregnancy.
Salt taste transduction occurs through an amiloride-sensitive sodium transport pathway

An important early event in mammalian gustatory transduction with respect to sodium chloride has been found to be the passage of sodium ions through specific transport pathways in the apical region of the taste bud. The inward current caused by sodium chloride placed on the mucosal surface of an in vitro preparation of rat dorsal lingual epithelium can be substantially reduced by the blocker of sodium ion transport, amiloride. The data show (i) that amiloride is a specific blocker of the chorda tympani response to sodium chloride, but not to potassium chloride, (ii) that the sodium and potassium gustatory systems are largely independent at the peripheral level, and (iii) that the classical ion taste "receptor" is actually a specific transport pathway permitting the cation to enter the taste-bud cell and thereby to spread depolarizing current.
Identification of amphilectosins as key intermediates in pseudopterosin biosynthesis

Amphilectosins A and B have been identified from the organic extract of Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae collected in the Florida Keys, along with seco-pseudopterosins and pseudopterosins. The structures of the amphilectosins, “C-12−C-13 dehydro seco-pseudopterosins”, suggested that these metabolites provide the biosynthetic link between the seco-pseudopterosins (serrulatane diterpenes) and pseudopterosins (amphilectane diterpenes). This biosynthetic relationship was confirmed through various radiolabeling experiments. Incubation studies with the amphilectosins revealed the selective transformation of amphilectosin A to pseudopterosin Y and the transformation of amphilectosin B to pseudopterosin F, which suggests that the α/β stereochemistry for the isobutenyl group in the pseudopterosins arises from the selective ring closure of the cis- and trans-amphilectosins.
One-dimensional coordination polymers generated from 1,2-bis(x-pyridyl)butadiyne (x = 3 and 4) and bis(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)M(II) (M = Cu, Mn, Zn)

The coordination chemistry of the long conjugated bidentate ligands 1,2-bis(3-pyridyl)butadiyne (L1) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)butadiyne (L2) with M(hfac)2 (M = Cu, Mn, Zn; hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate) is investigated. Four new coordination polymers are prepared by solution reactions and are fully characterized by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. [Cu(L1)(hfac)2]n (1), [Mn(L1)(hfac)2]n (2) and [Zn(L1)(hfac)2]n (3) are obtained by combination of L1 with Cu(hfac)2·H2O, Mn(hfac)2·3H2O and Zn(hfac)2·2H2O, respectively, in a methylene chloride/methanol mixed-solvent system. Compounds 1–3 are isostructural and adopt a one-dimensional zigzag chain structural motif, consisting of alternating stacking of L1 and hfac molecules along the crystallographic c-axis. O⋯H–C hydrogen-bonding interactions in 1–3 play a significant role in aligning the polymer in a two-dimensional network. [Mn(L2)(hfac)2]n (4) is obtained from the reaction of L2 with Mn(hfac)2 in an acetone/methylene chloride/methanol mixed-solvent system. The structure features a network of one-dimensional linear chains.
Modeling search engine effectiveness for federated search

Federated search links multiple search engines into a single, virtual search system. Most prior research of federated search focused on selecting search engines that have the most relevant contents, but ignored the retrieval effectiveness of individual search engines. This omission can cause serious problems when federating search engines of different qualities.This paper proposes a federated search technique that uses utility maximization to model the retrieval effectiveness of each search engine in a federated search environment. The new algorithm ranks the available resources by explicitly estimating the amount of relevant material that each resource can return, instead of the amount of relevant material that each resource contains. An extensive set of experiments demonstrates the effectiveness of the new algorithm.
Comparison of larval sea lamprey life history characteristics in a lampricide-treated tributary and untreated tributary system of lake champlain

Abstract Control of sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus in Lake Champlain and the Laurentian Great Lakes is dependent primarily on selective lampricides that reduce the density of sea lamprey larvae in tributary streams. After lampricide treatment, recolonized larval sea lampreys may experience enhanced growth from density-dependent factors, which may lead to transformation at a larger size and younger age than would have occurred before treatment. In this study, the effects of lampricide treatments on larval sea lamprey life history characteristics were compared between Lewis Creek (Vermont), a treated stream, at 4–5 years posttreatment and the untreated Pike River–Morpion Stream system (Quebec, Canada). Sea lamprey habitat was measured in each stream at approximately 100 randomly selected transects, and larval density was determined using a backpack electrofishing unit during 1999 and 2000. Larval sea lamprey density was approximately threefold higher in Lewis Creek than in the Pike River and Morpion Stream...
Entropy and Natural Resource Scarcity: A Reply to the Critics

Abstract The paper reaffirms the author′s view that entropy is not relevant to the economics of natural resource scarcity. Once system boundaries are carefully defined, entropic considerations are either already incorporated into relative price information or represent such a long-run constraint as to be irrelevant to foreseeable human welfare. While matter and energy both undergo entropic dissipation, it is argued there is an asymmetry in that energy can be imported to recycle matter, but the converse, importing matter to recycle energy, is pure science fiction. Therefore, an open system, such as the earth, can maintain any level of organization.
Behavioral Social Work: Past, Present, and Future:

In the past 3 decades, the development and application of behavioral methods within social work has greatly expanded. This article provides an overview of behavioral social work.
Analytical expressions for maximum wind turbine average power in a Rayleigh wind regime

Average or expectation values for annual power of a wind turbine in a Rayleigh wind regime are calculated and plotted as a function of cut-out wind speed. This wind speed is expressed in multiples of the annual average wind speed at the turbine installation site. To provide a common basis for comparison of all real and imagined turbines, the Rayleigh-Betz wind machine is postulated. This machine is an ideal wind machine operating with the ideal Betz power coefficient of 0.593 in a Rayleigh probability wind regime. All other average annual powers are expressed in fractions of that power. Cases considered include: (1) an ideal machine with finite power and finite cutout speed, (2) real machines operating in variable speed mode at their maximum power coefficient, and (3) real machines operating at constant speed.
Sequential Trials of Fluoxetine, Phenelzine, and Tranylcypromine in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The effects of fluoxetine, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine in obses- sive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were compared in an open-label pilot study in- volving sequential treatment with these agents in six patients. Despite full (or maximally tolerated) trials on these medications, there was no improvement in OC symptoms referable to the pharmacotherapy. Three patients, however, subse- quently showed major improvement in symptoms following application of behav- ioral therapy techniques. Despite the small sample size, this study suggests that there may be many patients with OCD for whom these medications might be poorly tolerated or inef- fective, and emphasizes that behavioral-therapeutic techniques can be effective in patients for whom medications prove ineffective or intolerable. Of note, one pa- tient displayed simultaneous manic and OC symptoms, thus undermining pre- vious suggestions that the coexistence of these symptoms may not be possible. Several studies have found the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine to be effective in the treatment of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (Fontaine & Chouinard, 1986; Sommi, Crimson, & Bowden, 1987; Turner, Jacob, Beidel, & Himmelhoch, 1983, and several case reports suggest that the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) phenelzine and tranylcypromine may also be helpful in some patients
Kinetic Model for Gelation in the Diepoxide-Cyclic Anhydride Copolymerization Initiated by Tertiary Amines

The best models available in the literature to analyze gelation in the diepoxide−cyclic anhydride copolymerization are based on the mean-field approach. A kinetic model was developed to account for the nonrandom steps of the copolymerization. Two kinetic schemes were employed with one including chain transfer steps. Predicted gel-point conversions as a function of the initiator concentration were compared with experimental results obtained for a system based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride, and benzyldimethylamine, as initiator. Both kinetic schemes explained the observed first-order kinetics for monomer consumption, after an induction period. However, experimental gel-point conversions could only be fitted by assuming the presence of a chain transfer step regenerating an active species.
Optimization of DNA electrophoretic behavior in poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) sieving matrix for DNA sequencing

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) solution was used as a separation matrix in capillary electrophoresis for DNA sequencing. Four-label four-color detection was performed for base calling. Dye-labeled DNA showed large mobility shifts at normal conditions for DNA separation. Temporal correction of mobility shifts was achieved by normalizing with respect to pure peaks that are without spectral interference or temporal overlap at each color channel. To achieve even better performance, a DNA separation condition that does not require corrections for mobility shifts was found. Dichlororhodamine-labeled DNA fragments showed ideal electrophoretic behaviors according to DNA size in the presence of 10 M urea. The base-calling accuracy of dichlororhodamine-labeled M13mp18 and PGEM/U DNA were 99.3% for 333 bases and 99% for 315 bases, respectively. Base calling of unknown DNA samples obtained in the presence of 10 M urea showed 99.1% accuracy.
Relation of cotton cultivars to the cotton-pest problem in the Sudan Gezira

Growing of irrigated cotton in the Sudan, in relation to pest control, entered the ‘crisis phase’ around 1967–68 and the ‘disaster phase’ in 1980–81. At the cruxes of the pest-control problem lay the uncontrollable whitefly-induced lint stickiness and the American bollworm (ABW). The paper gives the succession of cotton varieties in the Gezira and reviews the reports on higher incidence of the whitefly and ABW on newer varieties. Logical explanations offered for the higher pest incidence on newer varieties lead to the conclusion that as compared with Sakel-type cottons, the Lambert-type cottons would have a greater build-up of the whitefly, while Acala cottons would have not only larger populations of both whitefly and ABW but also increased losses from the latter. Changes in area under different types of cotton are shown graphically in relation to the pest-control situation and a case is made for the hypothesis that varietal changes in the Gezira had profound ecological effects which favoured the whitefly and ABW, but made sprays less effective, leading eventually to the cotton-pest-control predicament. Finally, based on recent experience, a hope is expressed that switching to cultivars less favourable to the pests and more suited for efficient pesticide application would ease the cotton-protection problem.
An evaluation of the tandem configuration automated guided vehicle system

Abstract The performance of a tandem automated guided vehicle (AGV) system is compared with that of conventional AGV track systems. In the tandem system the track is divided into non-overlapping, single-vehicle closed loops. Using simulation it is shown that, because of trips requiring delivery across loops, the tandem system has a higher expected travel time per load and thus a greater average time in system. When the loads are delivered within the original loop only, the tandem system has a lower average time in system than in conventional systems, although the difference is modest. Track layout appears to influence the average time in system much more than docs the dispatching rule invoked. The success of the tandem system is highly dependent on approximately even AGV utilization, which may be difficult to obtain in practice.
Defending the Old South: The Myth of the Lost Cause and Political Immorality in Florida, 1865-1968

The State of Florida has long been an enigma, harboring various contradictory values and beliefs within its borders. Today, South Florida is home to numerous retirees, “snowbirds,” and Latin‐Americ...
Quantitative multi-color FRET measurements by Fourier lifetime excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy.

Forster resonant energy transfer (FRET) is extensively used to probe macromolecular interactions and conformation changes. The established FRET lifetime analysis method measures the FRET process through its effect on the donor lifetime. In this paper we present a method that directly probes the time-resolved FRET signal with frequency domain Fourier lifetime excitation-emission matrix (FLEEM) measurements. FLEEM separates fluorescent signals by their different phonon energy pathways from excitation to emission. The FRET process generates a unique signal channel that is initiated by donor excitation but ends with acceptor emission. Time-resolved analysis of the FRET EEM channel allows direct measurements on the FRET process, unaffected by free fluorophores that might be present in the sample. Together with time-resolved analysis on non-FRET channels, i.e. donor and acceptor EEM channels, time resolved EEM analysis allows precise quantification of FRET in the presence of free fluorophores. The method is extended to three-color FRET processes, where quantification with traditional methods remains challenging because of the significantly increased complexity in the three-way FRET interactions. We demonstrate the time-resolved EEM analysis method with quantification of three-color FRET in incompletely hybridized triple-labeled DNA oligonucleotides. Quantitative measurements of the three-color FRET process in triple-labeled dsDNA are obtained in the presence of free single-labeled ssDNA and double-labeled dsDNA. The results establish a quantification method for studying multi-color FRET between multiple macromolecules in biochemical equilibrium.
Experimental myocardial infarction in the closed-chest dog: controlled production of large or small areas of necrosis.

Abstract In order to embolize the coronary arteries a closed-chest technique was employed using fluoroscopically-positioned catheters introduced selectively into the coronary arteries. Plugs made of catheter material were extruded directly into the coronary lumen. Small alterations in the coaxial catheter system permitted the use of either hollow or solid plugs, with production of delayed or immediate coronary artery occlusions, respectively. With hollow plugs the mortality rate was 11 per cent. An average of 4 ± 2 per cent of the left ventricular cross-sectional area was infarcted. Solid plugs were associated with a mortality rate of 15 per cent and infarction of 20 ± 2 per cent of the left ventricle. Using this method it is therefore possible to create reproducible, controlled infarct sizes in dogs enabling a careful study of collaterals, ischemic myocardium, and therapeutic interventions.
Transferred electron effects in polar semiconductors

The main features of the Gunn effect can be accounted for by the transferred electron model of Ridley and Watkins, which predicts a bulk differential negative resistance and subsequent domain formation if electrons can be transferred sufficiently rapidly from the lowest conduction band minimum to lower-mobility subsidiary minima. Experimental results for n-GaAs in verification of this model are presented. In the longer samples the current-time Waveform consists of sharp spikes separated by flat Valleys, as expected from the motion of domains. The voltage across the domains is found to scale with sample length as predicted; the value of the electric field inside the domain is estimated to be \geq 60,000 V/cm, while the field outside is about 1500 V/cm. Gunn effect oscillations have also been observed in n-CdTe; resistance vs hydrostatic pressure experiments: show that the transferred electron model is a reasonable explanation for this material as well. Finally, it will be shown that the absence of an instability in n-InSb and n-InAs is also consistent with the model. However, the occurrence of stable amplification and some of the properties of the oscillators near threshold seem difficult to understand in terms of a bulk differential negative resistance model. A possible explanation based on transferred electron effects in the positive resistance region will be discussed.
Langmuir Monolayers of a Photoisomerizable Macrocycle Surfactant

An amphiphilic photoisomerizable macrocycle has been prepared that forms stable Langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface. The hydrophilic core of the molecule switches between closed and open isomers upon irradiation by the appropriate wavelengths of light. Isotherm measurements, Brewster angle microscope images, and atomic force micrographs (of transferred Langmuir-Blodgett films) suggest a phase transition between a face-on to a tilted edge-on molecular orientation as a function of surface concentration. In the face-on phase, in situ photoisomerization results in a reversible increase in surface pressure due to greater molecular crowding in the open configuration.
The importance of microbial Mn oxidation in the upper ocean: a comparison of the Sargasso Sea and equatorial Pacific

Abstract The processes responsible for Mn uptake onto suspended particles in the upper water column were studied in the equatorial Pacific and in the Sargasso Sea at the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series (BATS) Station. Oxidation was followed by incubating freshly collected seawater with 54 Mn and using a combination of procedures developed by others to distinguish oxidation from adsorption and biological from non-biological processes. Results in the Sargasso Sea indicate that oxidation is the principal pathway for the formation of particulate Mn throughout the year, in good agreement with the findings of earlier workers. These data, combined with earlier studies from diverse environments, suggest that microbial Mn oxidation is a ubiquitous process in oxygenated marine environments. However, in the equatorial Pacific we detected no microbial oxidation above 175 m. Formation of particulate 54 Mn occurred and was inhibited in the presence of azide, indicating a biological process, but the particulate Mn could not be dissolved by the addition of ascorbate, an important criterion, as Mn oxides are readily reduced at seawater pH by ascorbate. In the Pacific, the non-oxidative, biologically mediated uptake was enhanced by light, possibly because of uptake by phytoplankton, as Mn is an essential micronutrient. By contrast, oxidative biological uptake in the Sargasso Sea was inhibited by light, in agreement with earlier work. The results indicate that the geochemical cycling of Mn is different in the two environments, presumably reflecting aspects of the ecology of Mn oxidizing bacteria that are not understood. These findings suggest that it is premature to generalize about the relative importance of oxidative vs. non-oxidative scavenging of Mn from the euphotic zone in the open ocean without additional data.
STUDIES ON HOST-VIRUS INTERACTIONS IN THE CHICK EMBRYO-INFLUENZA VIRUS SYSTEM VII. DATA CONCERNING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INFECTIVITY TITRATION END-POINTS AND THE SEPARATION OF CLONES AT LIMITING DILATIONS

Equal mixtures of influenza A (PR8) and B (Lee) viruses, based on predetermined ID(50) values of the individual preparations, were titrated in closely spaced steps near the 50 per cent infectivity end-point. Typing of the hemagglutinins found in the allantoic fluids after incubation of the eggs for 72 hours showed an approximately equal distribution between types A and B, when less than 2 ID(50) of the mixed seed had been injected. With larger inocula influenza A became dominant because it reproduces at a faster rate than the influenza B virus. While this result agreed with expectations, it was found that passage of the allantoic fluids revealing influenza A agglutinins in mixture with anti-A serum, and of B agglutinins with anti-B, yielded the heterologous virus in many instances, even when only one-half of an ID(50) of mixed seed had been administered in the original titration. "Negative" fluids obtained from embryos injected with as little as one-eighth of an ID(50) upon passage yielded on occasion virus of one or the other type. Similar closely spaced titrations near the 50 per cent end-point of single strains (PR8) indicated that if hemagglutinins were found after incubation of 72 hours they were of high titer, as a rule. However, in some embryos hemagglutinins became detectable only between the 3rd and 4th days of incubation. In addition, negative allantoic fluids removed from embryos 72 hours after injection yielded on occasion virus on passage, yet no hemagglutinins were found in some of these eggs after an additional incubation period of 24 hours, or a total of 96 hours. None of the possible explanations for these various observations, which have been discussed in detail, is completely satisfactory. However, the data indicate that in infectivity titrations the ID(50) end-point obtained at 72 hours, or even after 96 hours, does not reflect the total amount of virus present in the material titrated. The data also denote that separation of variants, or mutants or "genetic recombinants" by the limiting dilution technic, although possible, does not represent an absolutely safe procedure.
Suppression of Odorant Responses by Odorants in Olfactory Receptor Cells

Odorants activate an inward current in vertebrate olfactory receptor cells. Here it is shown, in receptor cells from the newt, that odorants can also suppress this current, by a mechanism that is distinct from inhibition and adaptation. Suppression provides a simple explanation for two seemingly unrelated phenomena: the anomalously long latency of olfactory transduction and the existence of an "off response" at the end of a prolonged stimulus. Suppression may influence the perception of odorants by masking odorant responses and by sharpening the odorant specificities of single cells.
African Phoenix? Explaining the Electoral Performance of the Formerly Dominant Parties in Africa

In this article we address the question: what explains the varying degrees of success of the formerly dominant political parties in African oneparty states following ‘democratic’ transition? Indeed, political liberalization and democratization pose strong environmental shocks to formerly dominant parties and radically change the environment in which these parties exist. Such parties are faced with great pressures to adapt to their new environment. Why are some more successful than others? To address this question, we examine the evidence from 22 sub-Saharan African countries over 53 legislative elections from 1990 to 2003. We find that the legacies of different previous regimes, party incumbency and (to some extent) the degree of ethnolinguistic fractionalization, impact on the relative electoral success of the formerly dominant parties.
Tension fibroblasts and the connective tissue matrix of the spiral ligament

Fibroblasts with stress fibers (tension fibroblasts) have previously been described in the marginal region of the spiral ligament of bats and mice (Henson et al., 1984, 1985). The location, structure and attachments of these cells and the fact that they contain contraction associated proteins, have suggested a role in the generation of tension within the basilar membrane-spiral ligament complex. In this study the structure of these fibroblasts and their relationships to different types of connective tissue matrices were examined in representative Marsupalia, Insectivora, Chiroptera, Rodentia, Lagomorpha, Carnivora and Primates. Tension fibroblasts occur in all species but they are remarkably different in their actin filament content, their structure and distribution, and in their association with the extracellular matrix and otic capsule. Six types of matrices are described (dense filamentous, bundled, laminated, honeycombed, trabeculated and loose filamentous). The configurations of the cells and fibers indicate that tension on the basilar membrane may be accomplished in different ways and to different degrees in different mammals. The arrangement of the matrix and cells in some animals is markedly different in the parts of the cochlea that respond to high, middle and low frequencies.
Peer Imitation by Toddlers in Laboratory, Home, and Day-Care Contexts: Implications for Social Learning and Memory.

Three experiments examined peer imitation with 14- to 18-month-old infants. In Experiment 1, infants saw a trained 14-month-old (“expert peer”) perform specific actions on 5 objects. Imitation from memory was tested after a 5-min delay. In Experiment 2, the infants observed an expert peer in the laboratory, and retention and imitation were tested in the home (change of context) after a 2-day delay. In Experiment 3, a peer demonstrated target acts at a day care, and after a 2-day delay infants were tested in their homes. Results from all 3 experiments showed significant imitation compared with controls. The experiments demonstrate social learning from peers during infancy and also provide the first evidence for infant imitation from memory across a change in context.
Implications of recent US Supreme Court IP ruling for nanomedicine patents.

A prevailing issue of concern at the 2007 MidAtlantic Bio Conference, which seemed to have the entire biotechnology community apprehensive of negative ramifications, was intellectual property (IP) and involved the US Supreme Court IP rulings made within the last couple of years and the patent reform legislation under consideration currently in the US Congress. These recent developments reflect a decision by the Supreme Court and the legislators to take action against complaints about numerous poor quality and invalid patents issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office, as well as litigation abuses by patent trolls who are extracting high royalties or huge patent-infringement settlements that are disproportionate to the value of the patents. These rulings and the new patent legislation will make it harder to obtain patents, easier to challenge issued patents and easier to infringe on patents. The indirect impact feared by the biotechnology industry is devaluation of IP, which could be devastating for smaller biotechnology companies and research-intensive sectors whose primary asset is their IP. This editorial focuses on KSR versus Teleflex, a landmark case that has introduced new challenges for passing the obviousness test. This case has serious implications for nanomedicine because of how nanodevices or nanoparticles for biomedical applications are designed. The remainder of this editorial discusses the aspects of nanomedicine that might be vulnerable to patent challenges in light of KSR versus Teleflex and aspects that researchers might need to focus on in their patenting strategies.
High Throughput Screening of the Thermal Stability of Colorants in a Polycarbonate Matrix

The relative thermal stability of 44 colorants of interest to GE Plastics as polymer colorants was determined. The effects of common (non-colorant) additives on the thermal stability in a polymer matrix were also determined. The measurements were carried out by reflectance spectrometry on thin films of polymers that had been subjected to heating cycles. The change in the visible spectrum was used as an indicator of thermal stability. This paper discusses the method and overall results for the experiments.
Possibility of power system blackout prediction

The power generation, transmission, and distribution system is a critical infrastructure of our nation. Our livelihood and security depend upon the availability and quality of electrical energy. Disruptions of the power supply such as blackouts are one of the major threats to the well being of our nation's power systems.
On the relationship between the dopamine transporter and the reinforcing effects of local anesthetics in rhesus monkeys: practical and theoretical concerns

Rationale: Drugs that are self-administered appear to vary in their potency and effectiveness as positive reinforcers. Understanding mechanisms that determine relative effectiveness of drugs as reinforcers will enhance our understanding of drug abuse. Objectives: The hypothesis of the present study was that differences among dopamine transporter (DAT) ligands in potency and effectiveness as a positive reinforcers were related to potency and effectiveness as DA uptake inhibitors. Accordingly, self-administration of a group of local anesthetics that are DAT ligands was compared to their effects as DA uptake blockers in vitro in brain tissue. Methods: Rhesus monkeys were allowed to self-administer cocaine and other local anesthetics IV under a progressive-ratio schedule. The same compounds were compared in standard in vitro DA uptake assays using monkey caudate tissue. Results: The rank order of both potency and effectiveness as reinforcers was cocaine>dimethocaine>procaine>chloroprocaine. Tetracaine did not maintain self-administration. For inhibiting DA uptake, the potency order was cocaine>dimethocaine>tetracaine>procaine>chloroprocaine. At maximum, these compounds were equally effective in blocking DA uptake. Lidocaine did not inhibit DA uptake. Conclusions: The potency of local anesthetics as positive reinforcers is likely related to their potency as DA uptake inhibitors. Variation in their effectiveness as positive reinforcers was not a function of differences in effectiveness as DA uptake blockers, but may be related to relative potency over the concentrations that are achieved in vivo. Effects at sodium channels may limit the reinforcing effects of local anesthetics.
Machine definition of ongoing silent and oral reading rate.

A procedure is described by which a machine defines the ongoing silent and oral reading rates, and thus subjects them to environmental control and experimental analysis. Reading is considered as a form of monitoring in which response sequences are linear and successive. Applications for other types of monitoring are considered.A page is projected on a screen, and the subject is required to read, aloud or silently. Through the same optical system, an opaque loop is presented that masks the projection, and a transparent slit on the opaque loop exposes part of a line of type. With each frame, the slit moves linearly and sequentially, exposing successive reading material. Recycling the loop triggers the presentation of another page. The subject controls the loop by pressing a micro-switch to advance the frame, thereby explicitly defining a monitoring response. The procedure is sensitive to variables such as signal-noise ratio, item difficulty, transient and long-term effects, reinforcement schedules (pay-offs), and age. Monitoring rates are extremely steady, suggesting their use as a base line. Procedures are suggested for training subjects to be differentially attentive to different parts of a complex display.
Legitimizing and Reclaiming Master’s Training and Education in Counseling Psychology: An Urgent Concern

Jackson and Scheel aptly elucidate the relevance of master’s level counselor training programs for counseling psychology doctoral training programs, highlighting key antecedents of the current critical period in our relationship. Counseling psychology has an essential role in the professional lineage of counseling master’s programs. Master’s training programs have been essential in generating the revenue necessary to sustain doctoral training in counseling psychology at many if not most of our institutions. This commentary suggests that it is imperative for counseling psychology to first acknowledge the professional abdication of our master’s programs—and then fight to remedy the situation through reconciliation, and recognition of the unique professional contributions and identity of master’s level counselors. The remedy requires aggressive action and legislative advocacy on behalf of our master’s programs. A case study in effective legislative advocacy follows, providing suggestions for actions that may...
Synergistic interaction of endocrine-disrupting chemicals: model development using an ecdysone receptor antagonist and a hormone synthesis inhibitor

Endocrine toxicants can interfere with hormone signaling through various mechanisms. Some of these mechanisms are interrelated in a manner that might result in synergistic interactions. Here we tested the hypothesis that combined exposure to chemicals that inhibit hormone synthesis and that function as hormone receptor antagonists would result in greater-than-additive toxicity. This hypothesis was tested by assessing the effects of the ecdysteroid-synthesis inhibitor fenarimol and the ecdysteroid receptor antagonist testosterone on ecdysteroid-regulated development in the crustacean Daphnia magna. Both compounds were individually characterized for effects on the development of isolated embryos. Fenarimol caused late developmental abnormalities, consistent with its effect on offspring-derived ecdysone in the maturing embryo. Testosterone interfered with both early and late development of embryos, consistent with its ability to inhibit ecdysone provided by maternal transfer (responsible for early developmental events) or de novo ecdysone synthesis (responsible for late developmental events). We predicted that, by decreasing endogenous levels of hormone, fenarimol would enhance the likelihood of testosterone binding to and inhibiting the ecdysone receptor. Indeed, fenarimol enhanced the toxicity of testosterone, while testosterone had no effect on the toxicity of fenarimol. Algorithms were developed to predict the toxicity of combinations of these two compounds based on independent joint action (IJA) alone as well as IJA with fenarimol-on-testosterone synergy (IJA+SYN). The IJA+SYN model was highly predictive of the experimentally determined combined effects of the two compounds. These results demonstrate that some endocrine toxicants can synergize, and this synergy can be accurately predicted.
The impact of Supplemental Instruction on teaching students how to learn

This chapter presents information on the transformation of higher education, the learning theories on which the Supplemental Instruction (SI) model is based, and the characteristics of today's student population, and concludes with a look at the benefits and challenges of implementing SI in the twenty-first century.
Monocyte phenotypes: When local education counts

![Figure][1] Insight from (left to right) Amado Quintar, Catherine Hedrick, and Klaus Ley Monocytes are a heterogeneous population of phagocytic cells that are generated in the bone marrow and released into the bloodstream. There are two main monocyte subsets in mice: “inflammatory”
Boosting in classifier fusion vs. fusing boosted classifiers

In this paper we investigate the performance of boosting used for fusing various classifiers. We propose a new boosting - based algorithm for fusion and we show through empirical studies on texture image data sets that it outperforms existing SVM-based classifier fusion technique in terms of accuracy, computational efficiency and robustness.
Reranking and Self-Training for Parser Adaptation

Statistical parsers trained and tested on the Penn Wall Street Journal (WSJ) treebank have shown vast improvements over the last 10 years. Much of this improvement, however, is based upon an ever-increasing number of features to be trained on (typically) the WSJ treebank data. This has led to concern that such parsers may be too finely tuned to this corpus at the expense of portability to other genres. Such worries have merit. The standard "Charniak parser" checks in at a labeled precision-recall f-measure of 89.7% on the Penn WSJ test set, but only 82.9% on the test set from the Brown treebank corpus.This paper should allay these fears. In particular, we show that the reranking parser described in Charniak and Johnson (2005) improves performance of the parser on Brown to 85.2%. Furthermore, use of the self-training techniques described in (McClosky et al., 2006) raise this to 87.8% (an error reduction of 28%) again without any use of labeled Brown data. This is remarkable since training the parser and reranker on labeled Brown data achieves only 88.4%.
Psyched Up or Psyched Out? The Influence of Coactor Status on Individual Performance

We propose that performing an independent task alongside a coactor who is an outstanding performer will improve a focal actor's performance. In three studies that ranged from laboratory participants solving anagrams and playing video games to professional golfers competing in the Masters Tournament, performance improved more in the presence of a high-performing coactor than in the presence of a weak-performing coactor. However, when people were asked to compete directly with a strong performer, their own performance declined. In sum, when faced with the anxiety of performing alongside a high-status coactor, independent coaction led people to become “psyched up,” whereas direct competition led them to become “psyched out.”
Random survival forests for high-dimensional data

Minimal depth is a dimensionless order statistic that measures the predictiveness of a variable in a survival tree. It can be used to select variables in high-dimensional problems using Random Survival Forests (RSF), a new extension of Breiman's Random Forests (RF) to survival settings. We review this methodology and demonstrate its use in high-dimensional survival problems using a public domain R-language package randomSurvivalForest . We discuss effective ways to regularize forests and discuss how to properly tune the RF parameters ‘nodesize’ and ‘mtry’. We also introduce new graphical ways of using minimal depth for exploring variable relationships. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 4: 115–132 2011 © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of social-emotional problems among young children in foster care.

Background: Little is known about how best to implement behavioral screening recommendations in practice, especially for children in foster care, who are at risk for having social-emotional problems. Two validated screening tools are recommended for use with young children: the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional (ASQ-SE) identifies emotional problems, and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) identifies general developmental delays in five domains, including personal-social problems. The current study examined: (1) whether systematic use of a social-emotional screening tool improves the detection rate of social-emotional problems, compared to reliance on clinical judgment; (2) the relative effectiveness of two validated instruments to screen for social-emotional problems; and (3) the patterns of social-emotional problems among children in foster care. Methods: We used retrospective chart review of children in foster care ages 6 months to 5.5 years: 192 children before and 159 after screening implementation, to measure detection rates for social-emotional problems among children. The ASQ-SE and the ASQ were used in multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine associations between children with social-emotional problems. Results: Use of the screening tool identified 24% of the children as having a social-emotional problem, while provider surveillance detected 4%. We identified significantly more children with social-emotional problems using the ASQ-SE than using the ASQ, and agreement between the instruments ranged from 56% to 75%, when data were stratified by age group. Multivariable modeling showed that preschool children were more likely to have a social-emotional problem than toddlers and infants (aOR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.1–10.8). Conclusions: Systematic screening using the ASQ-SE increased the detection rate for social-emotional problems among young children in foster care, compared to provider surveillance and the ASQ. A specific social-emotional screening tool appears to detect children with psychosocial concerns who would not be detected with a broader developmental screening tool.
Rational design of methacrylate monomers containing oxadiazole moieties for single-layer organic light emitting devices

Methacrylate derived monomers functionalized with pendant oxadiazole moieties were synthesized and copolymerized with carbazole containing monomers to form polymers with electron and hole transporting fragments in the same molecule. Substituents on the oxidazole moiety were varied with the purpose of bandgap tuning and performance optimization when employed in single-layer organic light emitting devices (OLED). Quantum mechanical calculations of the HOMO-LUMO levels of the oxidazole derivatives were used to down-select promising candidates for chemical synthesis and testing in single-layer OLEDs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 1663–1673
Incidence and Type of Aspiration in Acute Care Patients Requiring Mechanical Ventilation via a New Tracheotomy

Study objectives To investigate the incidence of aspiration and type of aspiration (overt or silent) in patients requiring mechanical ventilation via a new tracheotomy, ie, within the previous 2 months. Design Prospective, consecutive. Setting Urban, tertiary, acute care hospital. Patients Fifty-two adult inpatients referred for a swallow evaluation between March 1999 and December 2001. Measurements and results Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing was used to determine incidence and type of aspiration. Aspiration was defined as evidence of food material in the airway below the level of the true vocal folds, with silent aspiration defined as no overt symptoms of aspiration (eg, coughing or choking). Thirty-five of 52 patients (67%) did not aspirate, and 17 of 52 patients aspirated (33%). Fourteen of the 17 patients (82%) who aspirated were silent aspirators. Patients who aspirated were significantly older (mean age, 73 years; range, 48 to 87 years) than those who did not aspirate (mean age, 59 years; range, 20 to 83 years; p 0.05). Conclusions Two thirds of patients requiring short-term mechanical ventilation via a new tracheotomy swallowed successfully. When aspiration occurred, it was predominantly silent aspiration. It is important to consider age, number of days posttracheotomy, functional reserve, and clinical judgment of recovery rate before performing a swallow evaluation in this population. Specifically, swallowing success will occur most frequently in patients 70 years old and 1 week in patients
Nobody ever got fired for using Hadoop on a cluster

The norm for data analytics is now to run them on commodity clusters with MapReduce-like abstractions. One only needs to read the popular blogs to see the evidence of this. We believe that we could now say that "nobody ever got fired for using Hadoop on a cluster"!We completely agree that Hadoop on a cluster is the right solution for jobs where the input data is multi-terabyte or larger. However, in this position paper we ask if this is the right path for general purpose data analytics? Evidence suggests that many MapReduce-like jobs process relatively small input data sets (less than 14 GB). Memory has reached a GB/$ ratio such that it is now technically and financially feasible to have servers with 100s GB of DRAM. We therefore ask, should we be scaling by using single machines with very large memories rather than clusters? We conjecture that, in terms of hardware and programmer time, this may be a better option for the majority of data processing jobs.