cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Diagnosis of Depression in the Elderly

The reported prevalence of depressive symptomatology among the elderly ranges from 5 to 65 percent in hospital and community populations. Depression is considered the most common emotional disorder of advanced age. One of the chief diagnostic problems has been the lack of differentiation between disorders manifested by dysphoric or depressive symptoms. Recent work on operational criteris, as exemplified in the Third Edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III) provides a basis from which the diagnosis of depression can be made and subgroups of elderly depressed subjects can be delineated. A community survey involving a stratified random sample of 997 persons aged 65 or older living in Durham County was completed in 1972. An 18-item subscale eliciting depressive symptomatology was abstracted from the survey questionnaire and submitted to factor analysis, tests of reliability, and association with clinical diagnosis. The instrument proved to be a useful means of identifying persons with depressive symptomatology, as outlined in DSM-III. It also can be used for epidemiologic studies of depression in the elderly.
GKS inequalities for arbitrary spin ising ferromagnets

Elementary proofs of the first and second Griffiths-Kelly-Sherman (GKS) inequalities are given for higher-spin Ising systems with a Hamiltonian containing only a quadratic form in the spin variables and integer powers of single spin variables. These proofs are obtained using Gaussian random variables. A slight generalization of previous results has been obtained in that the coefficients of the even powers of the spin variables are allowed to be negative.
Novel solid-phase reagents for facile formation of intramolecular disulfide bonds in peptides under mild conditions

The controlled formation of intramolecular disulfide bridges in peptides, while avoiding unwanted oligomerization, is a significant challenge. Ellman's reagent, 5,5‘-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), was developed originally in the context of an assay for measuring free thiol concentration under physiological conditions. The present studies demonstrate that this reagent, when bound through two sites to a suitable solid support (PEG-PS, modified Sephadex, or controlled-pore glass), is an effective mild oxidizing reagent that promotes the formation of disulfide bridges. Rates and yields of the reactions were determined as a function of pH, excess of oxidizing reagent, resin loading, and parent support, for the preparation of oxytocin and deamino-oxytocin (9 residues, disulfide bridge between residues 1 and 6), somatostatin (14 residues, disulfide bridge between residues 3 and 14), α-conotoxin SI (13 residues, disulfide bridges between residues 2 and 7; 3 and 13), and apamin (18 residues, disulfide bridges bet...
Image Interpolation Using Enhanced Multiresolution Critical-Point Filters

There are increasing demands for image interpolation in various fields such as virtual reality, computer animation, and video transmission. The critical-point filters (CPF) we have proposed previously enable completely automatic matching of two images. In our previous method, however, it has taken a long time to compute the optimal parameter values by iterative searches. This paper proposes an improved algorithm called the enhanced critical-point filters (ECPF) where the parameters are stably computed using together the inverse mapping from the destination to the source. It takes only a second to match images whose size is 64 × 64. The algorithm is also improved in its precision by directly handling color images while the previous algorithm has taken only the intensity value into account. We apply ECPF to keyframe interpolation of video sequences. We also apply ECPF to interpolating two different views of an object to generate any intermediate views. In this case, there are many constraints that can be used to determine the mapping between the images. We propose a method to use such constraints to improve the accuracy of the mappings. As the results, image-based pseudo-3D models are easily created from a set of views without any special devices.
Influence of 2,4-D on uniformity and specific gravity of potatoes

Applications of 4 or 8 oz acid equivalent of 2, 4-D per acre applied just before or during tuber-set generally increased tuber set and weight of tubers under 2 inches in diameter but decreased average tuber size and weight of tubers over 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Specific gravity of tubers and yields of tubers 2–3 1/2 inches in diameter were not affected by 2, 4-D applications.
An analysis of the mean theta phase of population activity in a model of hippocampal region CA1

In a recent study, Manns et al. (2007) showed that CA1 population spiking activity differs in mean phase between conditions of exposure to stimuli of varying levels of familiarity. Here, we provide an analysis of a computational model of the hippocampus from Hasselmo et al. (2002) to examine how an animal's history of exposures to stimuli affects CA1 population activity. We show how the model can reproduce the major findings from the study by Manns et al. Specifically, we show that differences in direction and magnitude of the mean phase of population activity between two stimuli in the model depend on the order of presentation of the stimuli and the duration of exposure during each presentation. The analyses also reveal that the model's learning rule results in stability and normalization of synaptic weights and show how dysfunction of neuromodulatory systems might lead to epileptic or amnestic type conditions.
Leptospirosis in Equine Fetuses, Stillborn Foals, and Placentas

Leptospirosis was diagnosed in 51 equine fetuses and 16 stillborn foals with gestational ages from 3 1/2 to 11 months. Diagnosis was based on one or more of the following: positive fetal antibody titer, positive fluorescent antibody test, demonstration of spirochetes in kidney and/or placental sections stained by the Warthin-Starry technique, high leptospiral titers in aborting mares, or isolation of Leptospira spp. from fetal organs. Gross lesions were observed in 80.3% of the fetuses, stillborn foals, and placentas. Gross placental lesions included nodular cystic allantoic masses, edema, areas of necrosis of the chorion, and necrotic mucoid exudate coating the chorion. The liver (23 cases) was enlarged, mottled, and pale to yellow. The kidneys (seven cases) were swollen and edematous with pale white radiating streaks in cortex and medulla. Microscopic lesions were observed in 96% of fetuses, stillborn foals, and placentas. Placental lesions consisted of thrombosis, vasculitis, mixed inflammatory cell infiltration of the stroma and villi, cystic adenomatous hyperplasia of allantoic epithelium, and villous necrosis and calcification. Fetal lesions included hepatocellular dissociation, mixed leukocytic infiltration of the portal triads, giant cell hepatopathy, suppurative and nonsuppurative nephritis, pulmonary hemorrhages, pneumonia, and myocarditis. Spirochetes were demonstrated with the Warthin-Starry stain in the allantochorion and/or kidney of 69 of the 71 cases. Using the direct fluorescent antibody technique, 56/60 cases tested positively for leptospires. Leptospires were isolated from fetal tissues in 20/42 cases. Sixteen of the isolates were identified by restriction enzyme analysis as Leptospira interrogans serogroup Pomona serovar kennewicki; case Nos. 36 and 41 were serovar grippotyphosa.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Flower-feeding affects mating performance in male oriental fruit flies Bactrocera dorsalis

Summary 1. Males of the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis are attracted to and feed on flowers of the golden shower blossom Cassia fistula. Flowers of this plant contain methyl eugenol, the metabolites of which apparently function in the synthesis of male sex pheromone. 2. The goal of the study reported here was to determine whether feeding on C. fistula flowers enhanced male mating success. Mating frequencies of unfed (control) and fed (treated) males were compared in trials conducted 0 (same day), 2, 7, or 21 days after treated males were exposed to the flowers. Trials were performed using flowers from three trees of C. fistula to investigate whether the effects of floral feeding were similar among different plants. 3. For all three trees, treated males accounted for a disproportionately large number of matings in trials performed 0, 2, and 7 days after floral feeding by the treated males. For two of the trees, treated males also had a mating advantage 21 days after flower-feeding. 4. Additional tests were conducted to compare female attraction to perch sites of control and treated males. When at a lek, males exhibit rigorous wing-fanning behaviour, presumably to increase dispersal of the sex pheromone. Floral feeding had no significant effect on the level of wing-fanning. Significantly more female sightings were recorded for perches of treated than control males, however, suggesting that the treated males produced a pheromone more attractive to females than did control males.
Coverage of bone marrow transplant patients: A survey of American and Canadian institutions

Abstract Personnel involved in supportive care of bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients include fellows (F), medical house-staff (HS), nurse practitioners (NP), physician assistants (PA), and moonlighting physicians (MP). We have obtained surveys from 108 American and Canadian transplant centers on the composition of inpatient support teams. Eighty-seven percent of institutions responding to the survey were university-based programs. Eighty-eight percent of the centers performed both allogeneic and autologous transplants, and 60% performed unrelated donor grafts. The mean number of transplants performed annually at each center was 101 (range 4-515). For daytime coverage, the percent of programs involving F, HS, NP, PA, or MP was 57, 50, 35, 25, and 0%, respectively, and for nighttime coverage, the composition was 50, 56, 7, 6, and 13%, respectively. Medical HS were incorporated into the care of BMT patients at some level in 93% of the programs. Involvement by HS included full 24-hour coverage (44%), full nighttime coverage (8%), stat coverage (18%), and code blue only coverage (21%). HS involvement was similar in small and large transplant programs. HS were more involved in university-based programs. Programs on the East Coast had more HS involvement, with 54% of the programs reporting full 24-hour coverage by HS compared with 32% of the programs in the Pacific region. Coverage of transplant patients varies throughout the country, and nonphysician providers are often used. HS are more active in university-based programs, and their role is similar in both large and small programs. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 1998;4(1):49-55.
Multiple Comparisons with Unequal Sample Sizes

The use of Kramer's proposed approximate method for multiple-range tests with unequal sample sizes may result in lower power for these tests than for the Tukey A test, a reversal of the situation for equal-sized samples. A modification of Kramer's procedure proposed by Duncan results in multiple-range tests which are more powerful than the Tukey A test.
A characterization of positively decomposable non-linear maps between Banach lattices

A map between Banach lattices E and F is called positively decomposable if Tf = g1 + g2 for f, g1, g2 positive and g1 and g2 disjoint implies there exist disjoint positive elements f1 and f2 each less than f with the property that Tf1 = g1 and Tf2 = g2. Recently, the positive decomposability of linear Carleman operators on Banach lattices were characterized using disjointness condition of images of the approximate atoms. This note provides an extension of the characterization for a class of non-linear maps. Further, disjointness preserving maps are studied.
Rate constants of hydroperoxyl radical addition to cyclic nitrones: a DFT study.

Nitrones are potential synthetic antioxidants against the reduction of radical-mediated oxidative damage in cells and as analytical reagents for the identification of HO2• and other such transient ...
Construction and performance of a variable-frequency phase-modulation fluorometer.

Abstract We describe the construction and performance of a variable-frequency phase-modulation fluorometer. This instrument, which provides modulation frequencies from 1 to 200 MHz, was constructed using commercially available components. To facilitate the introduction of these instruments into other laboratories we describe in detail the chosen components and the principles of operation. The present light source is a continuous-wave helium-cadmium laser, which provides convenient excitation wavelengths of 325 and 442 nm. Modulation of the incident light is provided by one of several electro-optic modulators. The extent of modulation ranges from 1.0 to 0.2 as the frequency increases from 1 to 200 MHz. Phase angles and demodulation factors are measured using the cross-correlation method. The closely spaced frequencies are provided by two direct frequency synthesizers. The phase and modulation measurements are accurate to 0.2° and 0.002, respectively, from 1 to 200 MHz. This accuracy allows considerable resolution of complex decay laws. The usefulness of frequency-domain fluorometry for the resolution of multiexponential decays is illustrated by the analysis of several difficult mixtures. As examples, we resolved a two-component mixture of anthracene (4.1 ns) and 9,10-diphenylanthracene (6.3 ns), and confirmed that the intensity decay of NADH in aqueous buffer is at least a double exponential (0.2 and 0.86 ns). We also resolved an especially difficult mixture of anthracene (4.1 ns) and 9-methylanthracene (4.5 ns), and a three-component mixture with decay times of 1.3, 4.1 and 7.7 ns. Frequency-domain fluorometers appear to be particularly useful for determination of complex decays of fluorescence anisotropy. This capability is illustrated by the determination of rotational correlation times as short as 47 ps for p-bis[2-(5-phenyloxazolyl)]benzene (POPOP) in hexane at 40°C, and by the resolution of the two correlation times of anisotropic rotators such as perylene and 9-aminoacridine. Resolution of two anisotropy decay times for 9-aminoacridine is a difficult test because these correlation times differ by less than 2-fold. The resolution of multiexponential decays of intensity and anisotropy possible with this instrument is at least equivalent to that obtained using state-of-the-art time-resolved instruments based on mode-locked laser sources. The ease and rapidity of frequency-domain measurements, the relative simplicity of the equipment, the accuracy of the measurements and the lack of significant systematic errors indicate that frequency-domain fluorometry will be widely useful in chemical and biochemical research.
Inverse Simulation under Uncertainty by Optimization

Inverse simulation is an inverse process of a direct simulation. During the process, unknown simulation input variables are identified for a given set of known simulation output variables. Uncertainties such as random parameters may exist in engineering applications of inverse simulation. An optimization method is developed in this work to estimate the probability distributions of unknown input variables. The first order reliability method is employed and modified so that the inverse simulation is embedded within the reliability analysis. This treatment avoids the separate executions of reliability analysis and inverse simulation and consequently maintains high efficiency. In addition, the means and standard deviations of the unknown input variables can also be obtained. A particle impact problem is presented to demonstrate the proposed method for inverse simulation under uncertainty.
Unusual Chest Lesion: Giant Primary Pulmonary Lymphoma

F 34-year-old woman was referred for evaluation of a chest roentgenogram abnormality. The patient, a nonsmoker, as immunocompetent with no risk behavior for HIV. She eported a sudden cough that developed, followed by pain in er left anterior chest radiating to the shoulder. The cough was ccompanied by subsequent development of bloody mucus. er symptoms persisted for 1 week with no prior history of imilar episodes. On physical examination, diminished breath sounds were uscultated over the left chest. Chest roentgenogram (Fig 1) emonstrated a large left upper lobe opacification with poserior displacement of the major fissure. Subsequent workup ncluded computed tomographic imaging of the thorax (Fig 2) nd a bronchoscopy, which did not provide the diagnosis. Due o the large size of the mass, a tissue biopsy was not pursued ecause it would not impact the plan for thoracotomy and esection. The patient underwent a left thoracotomy, revealing a large, olid mass filling the hemithorax from hilum to apex. An ntraoperative frozen section evaluation of the specimen sugested lymphoma. A pneumonectomy was performed. Sevral factors were judged to prohibit completion of a lesser peration (lobectomy and wedge resection). Calcific granuloatous disease involved the hilum and fissure, causing fusion f the two lobes. In addition, the primary lesion was considrable in size and was accompanied by a satellite nodule. In act, resection of portions of the pericardium and left phrenic erve were required in conjunction with resection of the pecimen. Individual nodes from the inferior pulmonary ligig 1.
Moths that Vector a Plant Pathogen also Transport Endophytic Fungi and Mycoparasitic Antagonists

Claviceps paspali, a common fungal pathogen of Paspalum grasses, attracts moth vectors by producing sugary exudates in the grass florets it infects. These exudates also support mycoparasitic Fusarium species that may negatively influence C. paspali fitness. We examined the potential for moths on which C. paspali depends to also transmit mycoparasitic Fusarium and fungal endophytes, which inhabit asymptomatic plant tissue and may influence host susceptibility to pathogens. We quantified infections by C. paspali, Fusarium spp., and endophytic fungi associated with Paspalum spp. at focal sites in the southeastern USA and used data from the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS rDNA) to compare communities of plant-associated and moth-borne fungi. ITS sequences of moth-borne fungi were identical to reference sequences of mycoparasitic Fusarium heterosporum and to three distinct endophytic fungi isolated from Paspalum species. Our results demonstrate an unexpected overlap of fungal communities between disparate locations and among plant species and plant tissues, and suggest an unexpected role of moths, which vector a plant pathogen, to transmit other guilds of fungi. In turn, the potential for insects to transmit plant pathogens as well as mycoparasites and endophytic fungi suggests complex interactions underlying a commonly observed grass–pathogen system.
The Early Life of Gold Nanorods: Temporal Separation of Anisotropic and Isotropic Growth Modes

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) are a particularly interesting class of nanomaterials because their dimensions and size-dependent optical properties make them ideally suited for many applications. AuNRs are typically synthesized using seeded growth approaches, in which a small spherical gold nanoparticle seed grows anisotropically into a rod-shaped particle. Using AuNRs themselves as seeds for the growth of other anisotropic shapes has been demonstrated but is relatively little-explored. In this study, we show that AuNRs grown using a common method (silver-assisted seeded growth) cannot be used as seeds in the synthesis of higher aspect ratio AuNRs. Instead, the seed AuNRs grow isotropically, providing a new synthetic approach to precisely tune the absolute dimensions of the final AuNRs. We furthermore show that the dimensions of the AuNRs are determined by the reaction conditions at very early times (<10 min), and that perturbing the growth solution beyond these times has little influence on the final AuNR properties. The observation of these behaviors may be relevant to ongoing investigations of AuNR growth mechanisms.
Camel milk, amoxicillin, and a prayer: medical pluralism and medical humanitarian aid in the Somali Region of Ethiopia.

This paper details how exposure to new clinics, diagnostic technologies, and pharmaceuticals during humanitarian relief operations in the Somali Region of Ethiopia shaped local pluralistic health systems and altered the ways in which residents subsequently conceived of and treated illness and disease. Despite rising demand for pharmaceuticals and diagnostic technologies among Somalis in Ethiopia, local ethnophysiologies continued to draw upon popular ideas about humoral flows, divine action, and spirit possession. Demands for therapeutic camel milk, Qur'anic spiritual healing, herbal remedies, and other historically popular therapies persisted, but were shaped by concurrent demands for and understandings of diagnostic biotechnologies and pharmaceutical medications. The reverse was also true: contemporary understandings and uses of non-biomedical healing modalities among Somalis shaped evaluations of clinical care, including healthcare during humanitarian responses. To illustrate these phenomena, based on ethnographic research in eastern Ethiopia between 2007 and 2009, this paper explores three topics vital to Somalis' pluralistic healthcare systems: camel milk and the management of digestive bile; women's experiences and clinical presentations with pain and disorder in their reproductive systems; and the rising popularity of high-tech diagnostic tests. I conclude that medical humanitarian aid never happens in a vacuum or among truly treatment-naive populations. Instead, aid unfolds within ever-changing and pluralistic health cultures, and it permanently alters and is altered by the frames within which people evaluate and make future decisions about healthcare.
Characterization of capacitive 3D deep trench mask open structures using scatterometry

A non-destructive and fast optical solution for characterization of 3D deep trench mask open structures containing two holes per unit cell is presented. It is discussed that measurement sensitivity depends on wafer orientation. A weighted reference measurement system using data from scatterometry combined with CD-SEM and CD-AFM techniques after HF removal of the top BSG layer demonstrates adequate performance of scatterometry for high aspect ratio 3D process control implementations. For example the BCD major and minor axis scatterometry total measurement uncertainty values are about a factor 2 better than the corresponding results obtained using CD-SEM and CD-AFM. While scatterometry data exhibit close to unity slope for both TCD and BCD, corresponding CD-SEM and CD-AFM performances show significantly stronger dependence on depth. Hence, Scatterometry sensitivity to CD variation is less depth sensitive which is a preferred high volume manufacturing property.
Invasions and Declines of Submersed Macrophytes in Lake George and Other Adirondack Lakes

ABSTRACT Management of nuisance aquatic plants in New York state is directed toward the exotic species, Myriophyllum spicatum, Potamogeton crispus, Trapa natans, and Cabomba caroliniana. Public access to a lake may be the number one factor contributing to invasion by M. spicatum. All types of lakes in the Adirondack Mountain region have been invaded by this species except acid lakes. In shallow, eutrophic lakes the entire littoral zone is often comprised of M. spicatum growing to the surface, whereas populations in more oligotrophic lakes form isolated patches. Native plant species in general appear to be stable, except where exotic species have colonized and are dominating.
Tidal influences on carbon assimilation by a salt marsh

Salt marshes are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, and play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Net carbon dioxide (CO2) ecosystem exchanges in coastal salt marshes remain poorly investigated. In Spartina alterniflora dominated North American Atlantic coast marshes, the lack of a clear understanding of how Spartina alterniflora responds to flooding limits our current ability to understand and predict salt marsh response to sea-level rise. Here we investigate the processes influencing ecosystem-level carbon exchanges between a S. alterniflora dominated salt marsh on the eastern shore of Virginia and the atmosphere. We examined the impacts of tidal inundation on the marsh–atmosphere carbon exchanges through a combination of eddy covariance measurements and in situ photosynthetic measurements. Maximum daytime carbon fluxes were observed during the middle of the growing season (July and August) and amounted to −10 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1, and the marsh assimilated 130 gC m−2 during the 2007 growing season. Our study is the first to quantify the effects of tidal inundation on marsh plants, which caused anywhere from 3% to 91% reductions in atmospheric carbon fluxes, with a mean reduction of 46 ± 26%, when compared to non-flooded conditions.
Quantum horizon fluctuations of an evaporating black hole

The quantum fluctuations of a black hole spacetime are studied within a low-energy effective field theory approach to quantum gravity. Our approach accounts for both intrinsic metric fluctuations and those induced by matter fields interacting with the gravitational field. Here we will concentrate on spherically symmetric fluctuations of the black hole horizon. Our results suggest that for a sufficiently massive evaporating black hole, fluctuations can accumulate over time and become significant well before reaching Planckian scales. In addition, we provide the sketch of a proof that the symmetrized two-point function of the stress-tensor operator smeared over a null hypersurface is actually divergent and discuss the implications for the analysis of horizon fluctuations. Finally, a natural way to probe quantum metric fluctuations near the horizon is briefly described.
Interferon-α2b on endometrioma cell in vitro

Abstract Objective: Interferon-α2b has been shown to have an antineoplastic effect on renal carcinoma, bladder cancer, conjunctival and corneal neoplasia, and oncohematologic malignancies. It also was shown in a recent study to reduce the size of the endometriosis implants in an in vivo rat model. In the present study, interferon-α2b was used in vitro to evaluate its effect on the growth of endometrioma cells. Methods: Cells from four separate endometrioma cell lines were seeded at known concentrations into 6-well plates in M199 medium and given 24 hours to adhere to the plate. At 24 hours, the medium was exchanged for experimental media containing increasing levels of interferon-α2b as follows: 0 units/mL, 50 units/mL, 100 units/mL, 500/mL, 1,000 units/mL, and 2,000 units/mL. All cells were counted on days 0, 3, 6, and 9 in quadruplicate, and counts were averaged for each condition. Results: Interferon-α2b suppressed the growth of endometrioma cells in culture, in direct proportion to the concentration of interferon-α2b. Conclusions: Interferon-α2b inhibits the growth of endometrioma cells in culture. This finding may have prospects in the treatment of endometriosis.
Tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the brain and adrenal gland of rats following chronic administration of ethanol

The effects of chronic ethanol administration and ethanol withdrawal on the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase were examined in the adrenal gland and six brain regions, Including the frontal cortex, hippocampus, locus coeruleus, striatum, substantia nigra, and hy-pothalamus. Ethanol was administered to rats by oral intubation every 8 hr for 48 hr in amounts based upon their state of intoxication. One hr after the last intubation, tyrosine hydroxylase activity was not aigniflcantly dlfferent from control values In either the adrenal gland or brain. Forty hr following the last ethanol intubation, tyrosine hydroxylase activity was significantly increased above control values in both the adrenal gland and locus coeruleus. Tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the remalning five brain areas was unaffected by ethanol treatment. lmmunotitratlon studies Indicate that the increases in tyrosine hydroxylase activity found in the adrenal gland and locus coeruleus 40 hr after ethanol administration were due to an increase in enzyme protein. These data indlcate that hlgh blood ethanol concentratlons maintained over a short period of time (48 hr) do not affect adrenal gland or brain tyrosine hydroxylase activity. However, withdrawal from ethanol following 48 hr of treatment does produce an increase in tyroslne hydroxylase activity in the adrenal gland and locus coeruleus, similar to that seen following other stresses.
Homelessness in the United States: Assessing Changes in Prevalence and Public Opinion, 1993–2001

A national survey was administered in 1993-1994 (N = 360) and repeated in 2001 (N = 435) to assess the prevalence of homelessness as well as attitudes, opinions and knowledge regarding homelessness. No significant changes in prevalence were found, despite a strong US economy during most of the 7-8 year period. Respondents in 2001 had less stereotyped views of homeless people and were more supportive of services, but came to see homelessness as a less serious problem that was less often due to economic factors. This "mixed" set of findings may reflect both beliefs on the benefits of a good economy and an increased awareness of the complexity of homelessness. Across the surveys, younger, female, liberal, and less wealthy respondents demonstrated more sympathetic attitudes towards homeless people.
The dynamics of collective action

We elucidate the dynamics of ongoing collective action among intentional agents with diverse beliefs and imperfect information. The decisions on whether or not to contribute to the collective good depend not only on the past but also on their expectations as to how their actions will affect those of others. We show that in attempts at collective action the onset of overall cooperation can take place in a sudden and unexpected way. Likewise, defection can appear out of nowhere in very large, previously cooperating groups. These outbreaks mark the end of long transient states in which defection or cooperation persists in groups that cannot sustain it indefinitely. Computer experiments demonstrate these predictions, as well as verifying that diversity of beliefs among individuals acts as an additional source of uncertainty, instigating the outbreaks.
Bringing “Fullness” to Naomi: Centripetal Nationalism in The Book of Ruth

Many interpretations of the Book of Ruth read the relationship between the Judean woman and her Moabitess daughter-in-law as the expression of an inclusive school of thought within Israel’s attempts to define itself. The foreigner, in this view, becomes accepted into the covenant people of God, demonstrating Israel’s multi-ethnic horizons and Yahweh’s universal concern. Yet this essay uncovers the presence of an ideological subtext undergirding the narrative: the nations, represented in the character of Ruth, are the means for Judah’s exaltation—an ideological position that I expose through a literary reading of the narrative. This reading has concomitant implications for the book’s Sitz-im-Leben. This article focuses primarily on two episodes in the narrative, 3:14-18 and 4:13-17, exposing the underlying centripetal ideology that anticipates the restoration and exaltation of Judah through the gifts (or “fullness”) brought in by the nations.
Phosphoprotein inhibitor CPI-17 specificity depends on allosteric regulation of protein phosphatase-1 by regulatory subunits.

Inhibition of myosin phosphatase is critical for agonist-induced contractility of vascular smooth muscle. The protein CPI-17 is a phosphorylation-dependent inhibitor of myosin phosphatase and, in response to agonists, Thr-38 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C, producing a >1,000-fold increase in inhibitory potency. Here, we addressed how CPI-17 could selectively inhibit myosin phosphatase among other protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) holoenzymes. PP1 in cell lysates was separated by sequential affinity chromatography into at least two fractions, one bound specifically to thiophospho-CPI-17, and another bound specifically to inhibitor-2. The MYPT1 regulatory subunit of myosin phosphatase was concentrated only in the fraction bound to thiophospho-CPI-17. This binding was eliminated by addition of excess microcystin-LR to the lysate, showing that binding at the active site of PP1 is required. Phospho-CPI-17 failed to inhibit glycogen-bound PP1 from skeletal muscle, composed primarily of PP1 with the striated muscle glycogen-targeting subunit (GM) regulatory subunit. Phospho-CPI-17 was dephosphorylated during assay of glycogen-bound PP1, not MYPT1-associated PP1, even though these two holoenzymes have the same PP1 catalytic subunit. Phosphorylation of CPI-17 in rabbit arteries was enhanced by calyculin A but not okadaic acid or fostriecin, consistent with PP1-mediated dephosphorylation. We propose that CPI-17 binds at the PP1 active site where it is dephosphorylated, but association of MYPT1 with PP1C allosterically retards this hydrolysis, resulting in formation of a complex of MYPT1·PP1C·P-CPI-17, leading to an increase in smooth muscle contraction.
Seasonal modulation of post-resection breast cancer metastasis.

Background Human breast cancer incidence, histopathologic grade, invasiveness, and mortality risk vary significantly throughout each year. In order to better understand this seasonal cancer biology, we investigated the circannual pattern of post-resection breast cancer metastasis, under genetically and environmentally controlled conditions. Methods Over a span of 14 consecutive years, we conducted 22 similar experiments to investigate metastatic biology of breast cancer among 1,214 C3HeB/FeJ female mice. All mice were kept in temperature-controlled environment with 12 h light:12 h dark photoperiod, with food and water freely available, from birth until death. At 10–13 weeks of age, each mouse received 20,000 viable syngeneic mammary cancer cells subcutaneously and the tumor bearing leg was resected 10–12 days after tumor inoculation for potential cure. Once 10% of resected mice were found moribund, due to autopsy proven pulmonary metastases, all remaining mice were sacrificed and metastatic lung nodules were counted. Results The incidence of post-resection pulmonary metastasis was not randomly distributed throughout the year, but peaked prominently in Summer and Winter. Although tumor volume at resection was strongly associated with metastatic potential, a significantly higher probability of pulmonary metastasis was observed if surgery was performed in Summer and Winter, regardless of tumor volume at resection, compared to Spring and Fall. Conclusion These results support the likelihood that human breast cancer seasonality is real and of biological origin. There are implications of this cancer chronobiology for breast cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
A Mid-Infrared Spectral Survey of Galactic Wolf-Rayet Stars

We present 8–13 μm spectra at resolution R ~ 600 of 29 northern Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars, including the first ever reported mid-infrared (MIR) spectrum for many. Among the subtypes of the stars studied were 14 WC, 13 WN, 1 WN/WC, and an additional reclassified WN. Lines of He I and He II, along with fine-structure lines of Ne II and S IV, are strongly present in 22 of the sources observed, while six of the sources exhibit the powerful emission of heated circumstellar carbon dust. We point out similarities between our spectra and Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) observations of several of the same sources and note an unresolved discrepancy between the two data sets for the WC6 star WR 146. We investigate the diagnostic power of MIR He I and He II lines for subtype discrimination and find the line ratio Wλ(9.7 μm He II)/Wλ(11.3 μm He I+He II) can provide moderate discrimination within the WN and WC types, though the small number of stars with corresponding line pairs detected made such assessment difficult.
Effect of chromatic contrast on stimulus brightness

Abstract The effect of annuli of different wavelengths on the brightness of a chromatic stimulus was assessed by two different methods of measuring brightness, flicker photometry and direct brightness matching to an achromatic stimulus. With flicker photometry, annulus wavelength did not differentially affect stimulus brightness for different test wavelengths, but with direct brightness matches, annulus wavelengths that were the same as or similar to test stimulus wavelengths tended to affect the perceived brightness differently from annulus wavelengths that were dissimilar. These results suggest that, even when highly chromatic stimuli are used, lateral interactions that occur within the chromatic mechanisms do not affect the response in the achromatic mechanism. They also show that the evaluation of lateral interactions with chromatic stimuli depends on the response criterion used to assess those lateral effects and also add to the evidence that stimulus brightness includes chromatic activity as well as achromatic activity, depending on the method used to evaluate brightness.
Protein Electrostatics: Rapid Multigrid-Based Newton Algorithm for Solution of the Full Nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann Equation

A new method for solving the full nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation is outlined. This method is robust and efficient, and uses a combination of the multigrid and inexact Newton algorithms. The n...
Production And Analysis Of Heavy Atom Spectra With A High Resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer

We have developed several sources of atomic spectra suitable for use with a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS). Such sources must produce the required spectra, be relatively stable and noise-free, and yield narrow spectral lines. These sources are the hollow cathode lamp (HCL), the electrodeless discharge tube (EDL), furnace absorption, and the inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The great wavenumber and intensity accuracy of the FTS can be utilized in the analysis of complex spectra in several ways that were not practical with earlier, less precise spectra.
Real-time Optical Assay For Monitoring Nucleic Acid Strand-exchange And Cleavage

A simple, real-time optical assay has been developed to monitor nucleic acid strand-exchange and DNA/RNA cleavage reactions. The method takes advantage of the property of some guanine-reach oligonucleotides to adopt monomolecular quadruplex conformations in the presence of certain cations. The quadruplex structure is characterized by a significant absorption signal in the long-wavelength range of the ultraviolet region where other secondary structures are transparent. The “signal” oligonucleotide is incorporated into a reactant duplex, which is released into solution upon catalysis. The release is accompanied by fast quadruplex formation and the reaction is monitored by optical methods. We describe the use of this assay to monitor (i) strand exchange catalyzed by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NC), (ii) RNA cleavage by a DNAzyme in the presence of NC and (iii) DNA cleavage by restriction endonucleases. The reactions were studied as a function of temperature, ionic strength and the concentration and sequence of the substrate molecules. The strand-exchange data were analyzed in terms of activation energies and two alternative pathways (“dissociative” and “sequential displacement”). The role of NC in strand exchange and RNA secondary structure invasion by the DNAzyme were evaluated. Principles involved in selection of specific recognition sites by DNA-binding proteins will also be discussed.
The dynamin-dependent, arrestin-independent internalization of 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) serotonin receptors reveals differential sorting of arrestins and 5-HT2A receptors during endocytosis

5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A) receptors, a major site of action of clozapine and other atypical antipsychotic medications, are, paradoxically, internalized in vitro and in vivo by antagonists and agonists. The mechanisms responsible for this paradoxical regulation of 5-HT2A receptors are unknown. In this study, the arrestin and dynamin dependences of agonist- and antagonist-mediated internalization were investigated in live cells using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged 5-HT2A receptors (SR2-GFP). Preliminary experiments indicated that GFP tagging of 5-HT2A receptors had no effect on either the binding affinities of several ligands or agonist efficacy. Likewise, both the native receptor and SR2-GFP were internalized via endosomes in vitro. Experiments with a dynamin dominant-negative mutant (dynamin K44A) demonstrated that both agonist- and antagonist-induced internalization were dynamin-dependent. By contrast, both the agonist- and antagonist-induced internalization of SR2-GFP were insensitive to three different arrestin (Arr) dominant-negative mutants (Arr-2 V53D, Arr-2-(319–418), and Arr-3-(284–409)). Interestingly, 5-HT2A receptor activation by agonists, but not antagonists, induced greater Arr-3 than Arr-2 translocation to the plasma membrane. Importantly, the agonist-induced internalization of 5-HT2A receptors was accompanied by differential sorting of Arr-2, Arr-3, and 5-HT2A receptors into distinct plasma membrane and intracellular compartments. The agonist-induced redistribution of Arr-2 and Arr-3 into intracellular vesicles and plasma membrane compartments distinct from those involved in 5-HT2A receptor internalization implies novel roles for Arr-2 and Arr-3 independent of 5-HT2A receptor internalization and desensitization.
An enhanced, acoustic emission-based, single-fiber-composite test

In the single-fiber-composite (SFC) test, a fiber imbedded in a matrix is loaded in tension, resulting in a fragmentation of the fiber. In the conventional version of this test, the final fiber fragmentation length distribution is used with a micro-mechanical model to determine the average fiber/matrix interfacial shear stress. In the enhanced version of this test, one also determines the applied stress at each fiber fracture, and from this, one can evaluate the strength of the fiber at short gage lengths. In our measurement system, we utilize an acoustic emission (AE) technique to detect the fiber fractures and to locate the fiber breaks and so determine both the fiber failure stresses as well as the fiber fragmentation lengths while the test is in progress. Critical to the success of this test is a broadband AE system that utilizes point-like AE sensors, procedures for evaluatingin situ, the wavespeed of the first wave arrival and signal processing techniques for determining the arrival time of this signal as precisely as possible for a broad range of wave shapes. Here we describe the application of such an enhanced SFC test procedure to investigate the failure of a Nicalon™ fiber in an epoxy matrix.
Antibody activates cationic channels via second messenger Ca2

Patch-clamp recordings were used to study single channels permeable to multiple cations in a macrophage cell line. At least three conductance levels were found, consistent with the existence of several types of nonselective cation channels or a single channel with multiple open states. The activity of the channels depended very little on voltage but was affected by internal Ca2+ concentration. Specific subclasses of immunoglobulins (IgG1 and IgG2b) bound to an Fc receptor on the surface of these macrophages. When an IgG2b was applied to the cell exterior after a patch pipette had been sealed in the cell-attached mode, the nonselective cation channels within the patch were activated. Thus, these channels must be modulated by a second messenger. Since antibodies binding to the Fc receptor have been shown to produce a rise in intracellular Ca2+, this cation must be considered a candidate as a second messenger that amplifies the effect of antibody in gating these channels.
The Effect of Repeated Play on Reputation Building: An Experimental Approach

What effect does repeated play have on reputation building? The liter- ature on international relations remains divided on whether, when, and how reputa- tion matters in both interstate and intrastate conflict+ We examine reputation building through a series of incentivized laboratory experiments+ Using comparative statics from a repeated entry-deterrence game, we isolate how incentives for reputation build- ing should change as the number of entrants changes+ We find that subjects in our experiments generally build reputations and that those investments pay off, but we also find that some subjects did not react to incentives to build reputation in ways our model had predicted+ In order to explain this, we focus on the heterogeneity of preferences and cognitive abilities that may exist in any population+ Our research suggests that rational-choice scholars of international relations and those using more psychologically based explanations have more common ground than previously articulated+
Forecasting US state-level employment growth: An amalgamation approach

Abstract We forecast US state-level employment growth using several distinct econometric approaches: combinations of individual autoregressive distributed lag models, general-to-specific modeling with bootstrap aggregation (GETS-bagging), and approximate factor (or “beta”) models. Our results show that these forecasting approaches consistently deliver sizable reductions in mean squared forecast error (MSFE) relative to an autoregressive (AR) benchmark model across the 50 US states. On the basis of forecast encompassing test results, we also consider amalgamating these approaches and find that this strategy yields additional forecasting improvements. These improvements are particularly evident during national business-cycle recessions, where the amalgamation approach outperforms the AR benchmark for nearly all states and leads to a 40% reduction in MSFE on average across states relative to the AR benchmark.
Challenges Ahead for the Global Seismographic Network

Twenty-five years ago, a new global digital seismic network was identified by the National Academies' Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy as one of five research areas in which significant dividends could be expected as a result of incremental federal investment. That recommendation, through coordinated planning and support by scientists, mission agencies, and international partners, spawned the development of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN). The GSN is a joint program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The NSF program is implemented by the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) and the University of California at San Diego (UCSD); the USGS program is implemented by the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory. Network completion is a beginning, not an end, and there is a need for continual rejuvenation of such a network, both to improve operational capabilities and to open new avenues for scientific exploration. The GSN has now far exceeded initial plans and expectations, both in terms of its operational scope and performance and the scientific applications of the data it produces. Originally envisioned as a 100-station network to gather data mainly for research applications, the network has evolved into a real-time Earth-observing system also supporting earthquake alerts, tsunami warning, nuclear treaty verification, and other uses. Several recent publications have documented the GSN's remarkable successes. Butler et al. (2004) emphasized that the GSN had exceeded its original technical design goal of 128 globally distributed stations—last year the core network plus affiliates reached 150 stations, strategically scattered across continents and islands from the Arctic to the South Pole. One in four of these stations has evolved into a cooperative “geophysical observatory,” which may include a range of sensor types (gravimeters, GPS receivers, magnetometers, microbarographs, etc.) in addition to the broadband and very-broadband seismometers that are capable of …