cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Governing Without A Fundamental Direction of Time: Minimal Primitivism about Laws of Nature

The Great Divide in metaphysical debates about laws of nature is between Humeans who think that laws merely describe the distribution of matter and non-Humeans who think that laws govern it. The metaphysics can place demands on the proper formulations of physical theories. It is sometimes assumed that the governing view requires a fundamental / intrinsic direction of time: to govern, laws must be dynamical, producing later states of the world from earlier ones, in accord with the fundamental direction of time in the universe. In this paper, we propose a minimal primitivism about laws of nature (MinP) according to which there is no such requirement. On our view, laws govern by constraining the physical possibilities. Our view captures the essence of the governing view without taking on extraneous commitments about the direction of time or dynamic production. Moreover, as a version of primitivism, our view requires no reduction / analysis of laws in terms of universals, powers, or dispositions. Our view accommodates several potential candidates for fundamental laws, including the principle of least action, the Past Hypothesis, the Einstein equation of general relativity, and even controversial examples found in the Wheeler-Feynman theory of electrodynamics and retrocausal theories of quantum mechanics. By understanding governing as constraining, non-Humeans who accept MinP have the same freedom to contemplate a wide variety of candidate fundamental laws as Humeans do.
The Pathogenesis of Diabetic Atherosclerosis

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the leading risk factors for macrovascular disease. Its contribution to the development of an accelerated atherosclerosis greatly increases the likelihood of myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease in those affected. Hyperglycemia, the primary manifestation of the disease, is thought to contribute to the disease by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) secondary to mitochondrial dysfunction. Insulin resistance is a key feature of DM II and is mediated by impaired pancreatic β-cell function, decreased peripheral uptake, and upregulated gluconeogenesis. Dyslipidemia is commonly seen in conjunction with insulin resistance and it is manifested by higher triglycerides, smaller-sized atherogenic low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) activity. A hypercoagulable state is seen in DM by increased production of clotting factors and platelet dysfunction. Normal reparative mechanisms, particularly vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) mobilization, are also impaired. The myriad of pathways affected by DM makes treatment difficult and necessitates the need for a better understanding of the disease.
A script-based approach to modifying knowledge bases

Our goal is to build knowledge acquisition tools that support users in modifying knowledge-based systems. These modifications may require several individual changes to various components of the knowledge base, which need to be carefully coordinated to prevent users from leaving the knowledge-based system in an unusable state. This paper describes an approach to building knowledge acquisition tools which capture knowledge about commonly occurring modification sequences and support users in completing the modifications they start. These sequences, which we call KA Scripts, relate individual changes and the effects that they have on the knowledge base. We discuss our experience in designing and compiling a library of KA Scripts. We also describe the implementation of a tool that uses them and our preliminary evaluations that demonstrate their usability.
Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa

It has been our experience that most cases of anorexia nervosa will require inpatient treatment. Hospitalization of the anorexic patient is usually required to accomplish refeeding and weight gain because very few cases will gain weight in outpatient treatment. Bulimia nervosa, on the other hand, can often be treated on an outpatient basis. We find that only about 30% of bulimics referred for treatment will ultimately require hospitalization. Most bulimics are of approximately normal weight and are eating at least one meal per day. Therefore, resistance to eating is usually not as extreme in cases of bulimia nervosa and the need to gain substantial amounts of weight occurs infrequently. Usually, only very severe cases of bulimia nervosa require inpatient treatment. These cases usually binge and purge one or more times every day, and they have very little control over these behaviors. Also, most individuals with severe bulimia are depressed (Williamson, Prather, Upton, Davis, Ruggiero, & Van Buren, 1987) or have personality disorders or other psychiatric problems (Johnson, Corrigan, & Mayo, 1987). When the eating disorder is complicated by other severe psychopathology, hospitalization is often required. For both eating disorders, our treatment philosophy is that the primary goal of inpatient treatment is to prepare the patient for intensive outpatient therapy.
Impact activated sorption as a means for gas incorporation in sputtered thin films

The effects of ion bombardment during film growth on the structural properties and gas content of sputtered nickel films have been investigated. A glow discharge apparatus designed to allow bombardment of the growing film with ions of known energy is described. The sticking probability of Ar+ ions were determined as a function of ion energy and oxygen surface coverage for evaporated nickel films in a well-defined system. The ion induced re-emission of previously adsorbed argon was also studied as a function of ion energy. The results of these experiments are tentatively related to results obtained on films grown in the glow discharge, sputtering experiment. Die Einflusse des lonenbombardements auf die Struktur und den Gasgehalt der durch Zerstaubung gewonnenen Nickelschichten wahrend des Aufwachsens der dunnen Schicht wurden untersucht. Eine Glimm-Entladungs-Apparatur, die den Beschuss der aufwachsenden Schichten mit Ionen bekannter Energie erlaubt, wird beschrieben. Die Haftwahrscheinlichkeit der Ar+ -Ionen wurde als Funktion der lonenenergie und des Bedeckungsgrads der Oberflache mit Sauerstoff fur aufgedampfte Nickelschichten in einem wohldefinierten System bestimmt. Die durch die Ionen ausgeloste Reemission von vorher adsorbiertem Argon wurde ebenfalls als Funktion der lonenergie untersucht. Die Ergebnisse dieser Experimente wurden versuchsweise zu Ergebnissen in Beziehung gesetzt, die an Schichten gewonnen wurden, die in einem Glimmentladungs-Zerstaubungs-experiment gebildet wurden. Les auteurs ont etudie les influences du bombardement ionique sur la structure et la teneur en gaz des couches de nickel, appliquees par pulverisation, pendant la formation de la couche. Ils decrivent un appareillage de decharge dans les gaz, permettant le bombardement des couches en formation par des ions d'une energie connue. La probabilite de fixation des ions Ar+ fut determinee en fonction de l'energie ionique et du degre de recouvrement de la surface avec de l'oxygene pour des couches de nickel, appliquees par vaporisation, dans un systeme bien defini. La reemission, provoquee par les ions, d'argon prealablement adsorbe, fut egalement etudiee en fonction de l'energie des ions. Les resultats de ces experiences ont ete mis a titre d'essai en rapport avec des resultats obtenus sur des couches formees au cours d'une experience de pulverisation par decharge en milieu gazeux.
Social Skills and Self-Efficacy for Exceptional Children:

Personal competence, or an individual's sense of mastery over the environment, is a primary motivator of human behavior. The special education enterprise thrives on the discovery of personal incomp...
A novel, digitally-controlled, portable photovoltaic power source

This paper is to present a novel, digitally-controlled, portable photovoltaic (PV) power source that can be used as a standalone power source in remote missions or made on the jacket to power portable personal electronics. Since the solar cell has a nonlinear voltage-current characteristic, the photovoltaic power system has to track the solar array maximum power point to ensure the efficient operation. The battery is used to store energy when the solar irradiance is sufficient or the load is light and to provide energy to the load in the case of no sunlight or a heavy load. For advanced batteries such as lithium ion cells, the charging current or voltage should be limited in order to protect the battery. The charging and discharging currents are regulated by a charger and a discharger respectively. Since the battery voltage depends on its state-of-charge and the solar array peak-power voltage varies with temperature level, illumination level and age of the solar array, it is essential to cascade a power converter at the system output to obtain bus regulation. To reduce the solar array temperature, a shunt regulator is used to limit the charging current or voltage of the battery by dissipating the excess solar array power. In this paper, an integrated, multi-objective digital power controller for this PV power source is presented, and a state machine based model of the multiobjective controller is described. The large-signal behavior of the system is analyzed. The controller design is then verified by numerical simulation in the virtual test bed (VTB) environment.
A Monte Carlo simulation of the overlayer structure of PF3 on Pt(111)

Abstract Infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy of the PF symmetric stretch region of PF3 chemisorbed on Pt(111) shows two absorption bands whose relative intensities change as a function of temperature and coverage. These changes in the infrared spectra are attributed to changes in the PF3 overlayer structure. Here we have carried out Monte Carlo simulations of this system based on the Ising model. We find that when we consider the interaction energy between a molecule and up to its third-nearest neighbors, a constrained lattice gas model reproduces the experimental infrared spectroscopy results. One of the two bands arises from those molecules which condense into compact ordered clusters, and the other band from the rest of the molecules. Because the exact relationship between the PF stretch frequency and the adssorbate environment is not known, the contribution of each molecule to a particular band is not straightforward and a statistical method for assigning molecules to each infrared band is developed. Though the model is very simple, the simulation results are in quantitative agreement with the experimental data.
Female Clients in Substance Abuse Treatment

This paper reviews recent research on sex differences in the nature of alcohol and drug problems, use of treatment services, and the role of treatment and extratreatment factors in influencing these problems. Although patterns of use are different for men and women, responses to traditional treatment programs have not been different. Research suggests that programs providing ancillary services designed to meet the particular needs of women, such as child care, and those involving other family members and significant others hold the greatest promise for women with drug and alcohol problems.
A learning approach to processor allocation in parallel systems

Given a typical parallel system and a collection of applications that are to execute on the system, a common problem is determining an effective allocation of processors among the applications. In this paper a learning approach is applied to processor allocation. The approach is to use a stochastic learning automaton (SLA) as a decision tool. An SLA uses values of the current state description, makes an allocation decision, evaluates its decision at some later time, modifies its decision making process, and tries to find the best allocation strategy by learning from its previous mistakes. The method is applied to the problem of allocating processors to parallel applications in a distributed system such as a cluster of workstations, and is validated through simulation. The result of this study show that a learning approach that utilizes a stochastic learning automaton is effective at making processor allocation decisions in a parallel system.
Core-shell Nanostructured Nanopowders along (CeOx)x(Al2O3)1-x Tie-Line by Liquid-Feed Flame Spray Pyrolysis (LF-FSP)

We report here the synthesis of (CeOx)1−x(Al2O3)x mixed-metal oxide nanopowders with molar ratios that span the CeOx−Al2O3 composition range. Liquid-feed flame spray pyrolysis (LF-FSP) of mixtures of N(CH2CH2O)3Al (alumatrane) and Ce(O2CCH2CH3)(OH) precursors dissolved in ethanol were aerosolized with O2, combusted at temperatures of 1500−2000 °C and rapidly quenched thereafter to provide (CeOx)1−x(Al2O3)x nanopowders of selected compositions. All powders exhibit average particle sizes (APSs) < 20 nm and corresponding surface areas of ≥50 m2/g when produced at rates of 100−300 g/h. The as-processed powders were characterized in terms of phase, size, specific surface area, composition, and morphology by BET, XRD, XRF, SEM, TEM, STEM, XEDS, XPS, FT-IR, and TGA-DTA. Surprising core−shell nanostructured nanopowders are observed in the Ce−Al−O system at CeOx rich concentrations (≥15 mol %). In addition, evidence is presented for the incorporation of Ce3+ ions in the δ-alumina lattice at the lowest concentratio...
Thermocyclops Crassus (Crustacea: Copepoda) Present in North America: A New Record from Lake Champlain

The cyclopoid copepod Thermocyclops crassus was collected in Missisquoi Bay, Lake Champlain, Vermont, U.S.A., in May and August 1991. Since this is the first confirmed record of the species in North America, the population is considered to be introduced. Thermocyclops crassus is widespread in temperate and tropical Eurasia and Africa, but, in the Americas, has been collected previously only in Costa Rica. It is planktonic and thermophilic, with a preference for eutrophic waters.
Effects of the target time in controlling molecular motion: the role of errors in the field and in the model

This paper examines the effects of random errors in the electric field and errors inherent in the model on the choice of a target time, T, in designing an optimal field to achieve site-selective excitation in molecular systems, A formalism is presented for control of classically modeled systems which includes additional costs due to these errors. In applying this formalism to a linear coupled harmonic system, it is demonstrated that, for errors in the model, the additional cost terms approach asymptotic values. In contrast, for a constant magnitude of error in the field, the added terms manifest consistent growth behavior with increasing target times due to accumulation of phase errors in the controlled dynamics
Successful Habits of Weight Losers

Despite the availability of the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the prevalence of obesity in adults has increased by 200% since 1980. Although few people have lost weight and maintained weight...
A rapid method for obtaining frequency-response functions for multiple input photogrammetric data

A two-digital-camera photogrammetric technique for measuring the motion of a vibrating spacecraft structure or wing surface and an applicable data-reduction algorithm are presented. The 3D frequency-response functions are obtained by coordinate transformation from averaged cross and autopower spectra derived from the 4D camera coordinates by Fourier transformation. Error sources are investigated analytically, and sample results are shown in graphs.
Calculation of the Performance of Activated Carbon at High Relative Humidities

The Dubinin-Radushkevich potential theory was extended to include a term giving the effect of relative humidity on the uptake of adsorbate. This extended equation permits the adsorptive capacity of the activated charcoal in a respirator cartridge to be estimated for any combination of temperature, relative humidity, and concentration of contaminant. Application of this theory to previously published data of Werner showed a good correlation between theory and experiment. This equation is consistent with the experimental observations that 1) below a certain value, the relative humidity has little effect on the uptake of adsorbate, and 2) the effect of relative humidity, if observed, is more severe for lower than for higher concentrations of contaminant.
A short synthesis of 5'-O-trityl-protected threo- and erythro- 3'-cyano-3'-deoxythymidine epimers using free-radical chemistry

A reinvestigation of a synthetic route to 5′-O-trityl-protected erythro-CNT that incorporates a modification of the Stork radical cyclization-cyanation reaction generates an unexpected threo-epimer.
The cotton rat as an experimental model of human parainfluenza virus type 3 disease.

Intranasal or aerosol inoculation of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) with human parainfluenza virus type 3 (P3) produces pulmonary changes which closely resemble human disease due to this agent. Active viral replication resulted in peak titers by day 2 of infection. Viral antigen was localized by immunofluorescence in bronchial epithelial cells alone (aerosol inoculation) or epithelial and alveolar cells (intranasal instillation). Cytopathic effects in epithelial cells were noted as early as day 2, and marked cellular proliferation occurred by day 7. Intranasal instillation of virus resulted in development of patchy interstitial pneumonitis. Mononuclear cell infiltration in the peribronchial and perivascular areas peaked on days 6 and 7. A brisk systemic antibody response was measured both by complement fixation and virus neutralization techniques. These data establish the value of the cotton rat as an experimental model for the study of bronchiolitis and pneumonia due to P3. Since previous work has demon...
Using the HRT-RCM to Quantify in vivo Leukocyte Migration in the Inflamed Murine Cornea

Stabilized image sequences with cell tracking provided motility parameters describing neutrophil migration in acute inflammation in control and experimentally manipulated eyes. Neutrophils preferentially migrated along keratocytes and locomotion was largely integrin-independent.
Does virtualization make disk scheduling passé

We examine whether traditional disk I/O scheduling still provides benefits in a layered system consisting of virtualized operating systems and underlying virtual machine monitor. We demonstrate that choosing the appropriate scheduling algorithm in guest operating systems provides performance benefits, while scheduling in the virtual machine monitor has no measurable advantage. We propose future areas for investigation, including schedulers optimized for running in a virtual machine, for running in a virtual machine monitor, and layered schedulers optimizing both application level access and the underlying storage technology.
The Eady Problem for a Basic State with Zero PV Gradient but β ≠ 0

Abstract The classic Eady problem is modified to include β ≠ 0, but with the basic distributions of temperature and zonal flow adjusted to preserve zero meridional gradients of basic-state potential vorticity in the fluid interior. Much of the mathematical simplicity of the classic problem is retained; however, the results differ in important ways. Specifically, the instability now has a long-wave cutoff in addition to the traditional short-wave cutoff. The former is associated with the fact that the phase speeds of the edge waves begin to differ so much as wavenumber is reduced that the two edge waves can no longer interact in order to form unstable modes. For the unstable modes, this manifests itself in that the steering level for unstable modes is always below the middle of the fluid and approaches the lower boundary near the long-wave cutoff. Relatedly, the amplitude of the unstable geopotential perturbations is larger at the upper boundary than at the lower boundary. Finally, below the long-wave cuto...
A recommended approach to improve the utilization of local workforce in the Middle East megaprojects

Megaprojects in the Middle East are typically large public infrastructure improvements that require fast-paced design and implementation. Successful multinational bidders primarily focus on achieving acceptable quality at the lowest costs. Inevitably, this focus drives those businesses to hire less expensive but skilled foreign labor to accomplish project objectives. A resulting major drawback is that job opportunities are not readily available to the local workforce, reducing social benefit in terms of economic growth. Since the Middle East is highly affected by this negative aspect of megaprojects, governments have adopted a policy referred to as “nationalization initiative,” where firms are required to hire a certain percentage of local labor. This paper recommends an approach to satisfy the government's requirements on labor hiring while meeting project cost and schedule commitment. First, the paper investigates the benefits of megaprojects to multinational companies and their impacts on local labor market. Second, the paper discusses the reasons for the historical underutilization of local workforce. Finally, the paper assesses how the nationalization initiative affects multinational businesses, local labor market, and economy of the hosting nation. The results will serve as the cornerstone in the recommendation of necessary and suitable practices to optimize benefits to all project stakeholders.
Contributions of local mobility and degree of retention of native secondary structure to the stability of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in glassy lyophilized formulations

Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) was used as a model in lyophilized formulations to investigate how protein degradation pathways of aggregation, deamidation and oxidation are linked to glassy state dynamics and the structure of protein immobilized in glassy matrices. This study examined formulations of rhGH combined with the disaccharides sucrose or trehalose and various amounts of hydroxyethyl starch (HES), which upon lyophilization yielded glasses with a wide range of retention of native protein structure and glass transition temperatures. After storage at temperatures of 313, 323 and 333 K for periods of up to 16 weeks, samples were analyzed for protein secondary structure, the amount of various types of protein degradation, as well as structural relaxation time and the local mobility. Surprisingly, protein degradation rates were higher in formulations with higher glass transition temperatures and slower global dynamic motions. Formulations in which the protein retained more native-like structure immediately following lyophilization exhibited better stability, and these formulations also showed larger free energy barriers to structural perturbations. Protein structure and local mobility in the glass were strongly correlated with rate constants for aggregation, deamidation and oxidation local mobility within the glassy matrices, but degradation rates had different dependencies on these stability metrics at different temperatures.
Structure and Vibrational Modes of the Cyanovinyl Radical: A Study by Time-Resolved Fourier Transform IR Emission Spectroscopy†

The structure and vibrational modes of the cyanovinyl radical have been characterized by using time-resolved Fourier transform IR emission spectroscopy. The cyanovinyl radical was generated with internal excitation through photodissociation of acrylonitrile. IR emission, detected with submicrosecond time resolution, from reaction products following photodissociation revealed the vibrational modes. The two vibrational modes of the cyanovinyl radical with the strongest transition strength have been identified at their fundamental transition frequencies: the CN stretch mode at 2563 cm-1 and the CH2 out-of-plane wag at 965 cm-1. The assignments were supported by experiments with deuterated acrylonitrile and ab initio calculations. Rotational contour analysis of the CN emission band indicates that the equilibrium structure is bent at the CCC angle.
Mechanisms of the vascular effect of pressor hormones

There exists a considerable gap between the recognition of the effects of pressor hormones and the understanding of their mechanisms. Studies are necessary to provide a more accurate basis for potential therapeutic interventions on the hormonal mechanisms of hyper- and hypotensive states. From recent and previous experimental results, a modified model of vascular smooth muscle cell activation is emerging. In this model, contraction is a complex process involving Ca2+ release, protein kinase C and ionic channel activation and modification in pH and energy metabolism. The combined action of these processes is necessary for the full expression of the contractile response.
Neuroendocrine control of thyrotropin secretion in the rat.

The participation of 2 control mechanisms in the regulation of pituitary thyrotropic function by the hypothalamus was evaluated. Blood flow measurement by Sapirstein's Cardiac Output Distribution method in rats showed that extensive anterior hypothalamic lesions do not limit adenohypophysial blood flow and do not prevent the increase in thyroidal blood flow observed after goitrogen feeding, even when they block gland hypertrophy. Thus, the hypothalamic influence over pituitary thyrotropic function does not appear to be mediated through the control of pituitary blood flow. The participation of a neurohumor of hypothalamic origin was established in experiments in which the pituitary was separated from the hypothalamus without disrupting the vascular supply of either tissue. By joining in parabiotic union a rat whose anterior hypothalamus had been destroyed by electrocoagulation with a hypophysectomized partner, it was shown that the intact hypothalamus of the hypophysectomized partner, acting across the par...
A preclinical canine model for composite tissue transplantation

The feasibility of composite tissue allografts (CTAs) has been demonstrated by the successful transplantation of the hand, abdomen, and face. However, the survival of these transplants depends on immunosuppression. Our laboratory is interested in achieving tolerance to decrease the risks associated with the use of chronic immunosuppression. The purpose of this experiment was to develop a large-animal model for CTA. Four canine flaps were autotransplanted to examine the use of a myocutaneous rectus flap based on the deep inferior epigastric vessels. Five CTA transplants were performed between dog leukocyte antigen (DLA)-identical littermates without posttransplant immunosuppression. The allografts were followed clinically and underwent routine biopsies. The anatomic dissections and autotransplants were all successful and revealed that the flap could be divided into two separate components. Skin was perfused by the superficial epigastric artery. Rectus muscle was perfused by the deep inferior epigastric system. This allowed the allografts to be transplanted as muscle or skin or with both components based on the external iliac artery and veins. The DLA-identical littermates rejected the allografts in 15 to 30 days. This study demonstrated the versatility of the myocutaneous rectus flap for use in canines as CTA models.
Obstacles to Empowerment: Local Politics and Civil Society in Metropolitan Manila, the Philippines:

In recent years, the Philippine government has undertaken a number of reforms for decentralising urban governance and increasing the role of community-based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmenta...
Catalytic Dehydrogenative Borylation of Terminal Alkynes by a SiNN Pincer Complex of Iridium

Compounds with carbon–boron bonds are versatile intermediates for building more complex molecules via the elaboration of the carbon–boron bonds into other carbon–element bonds. The synthesis of carbon–boron bonds by catalytic dehydrogenative borylation of carbon–hydrogen bonds with dialkoxyboranes (RO)2BH is particularly attractive. It has been demonstrated for a variety of carbon–hydrogen bond types but not for the C(sp)–H bonds of terminal alkynes, for which hydroboration of the triple bond is a competing process. We report a new iridium catalyst that is strictly chemoselective for C–H borylation of terminal alkynes. The key to the success of this catalyst appears to be the new ancillary SiNN pincer ligand that combines amido, quinoline, and silyl donors and gives rise to structurally unusual Ir complexes. A variety of terminal alkynes (RC≡C—H) can be converted to their alkynylboronates (RC≡C—Bpin, where pin = pinacolate) in high yield and purity within minutes at ambient temperature.
The Homozygous Complete Hydatidiform Mole: A Unique Resource for Genome Studies ☆

The most frequent type of complete hydatidiform mole is a 46, XX homozygote formed by the fertilization of an empty ovum by a single haploid sperm that later duplicates its chromosomes to give a diploid tumor. The homozygous nature of these complete hydatidiform moles makes them unique resources for human genome studies. They can serve as homozygous controls in the development of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and provide a way to obtain long-range haplotypes that are useful in population studies. The use of a homozygous control makes it possible to estimate the allele frequencies of the SNP markers in any population by sequencing pooled DNA samples. In this report, we present evidence of homozygosity of a complete hydatidiform mole using 20 diallelic markers distributed across the genome. Furthermore, its usefulness as a homozygous control in SNP development and as a resource for long-range haplotype determination is demonstrated using 11 newly discovered loci in the BRCA2 region on chromosome 13q12-q13.
A simple method for differential isolation of freely dispersed and particle-associated peat microorganisms.

Abstract Differential isolation of physiologically and ecologically diverse microbial groups facilitates evaluation of their activities in the environment. Here we describe a new method for differential isolation of freely dispersed and particle-associated peat microorganisms. The method is based on sequential elution of peat. Two types of natural peat, “young” sphagnum peat and “old” reed-based peat that have significantly different molecular composition as revealed by solid-state 13 C NMR, were used for the method development. Various combinations of elution parameters (pH values, surfactant concentration, and sonication) were tested. Protein yield, CFU counts, 16S rDNA gene sequence, and T-RFLP analyses were used as criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the elution protocols. The optimal method consisted of sequential elutions with (i) pH 6.2, 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer, (ii) the same buffer amended with 0.01% of Tween 80, and (iii) treatment (ii) amended with sonication for 2 min. This method allowed differential isolation of freely dispersed and particle-associated microorganisms with (i) highest yield, (ii) highest diversity within the each microbial fraction, and (iii) best discrimination between the freely dispersed and particle-associated microbial communities. The method was applied for characterization of peat microbial communities and revealed different taxonomic composition and similar spatial organization of sphagnum and reed-sage peat microorganisms.
Charge–charge interactions are the primary determinants of the pK values of the ionizable groups in Ribonuclease T1 ☆

Coulomb's law and a finite difference Poisson-Boltzmann based analysis are used to predict the pK values for 15 ionizable side chains (6 Asp, 6 Glu and 3 His) in ribonuclease T1. These predicted values are compared to the measured pK values to gain insight into the most important factors that influence the pK values of the ionizable groups in proteins. Charge-charge interactions are clearly the most important factor that determines the pK values of most ionizable groups in ribonuclease T1. However, pK values can be shifted by several pK units by the Born self energy associated with burying ionizable groups and by favorable intramolecular hydrogen bonding.
Dynamic smad-mediated BMP signaling revealed through transgenic zebrafish

Bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling is fundamental to development, injury response, and homeostasis. We have developed transgenic zebrafish that report Smad-mediated BMP signaling in embryos and adults. These lines express either enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), destabilized eGFP, or destabilized Kusabira Orange 2 (KO2) under the well-characterized BMP Response Element (BRE). These fluorescent proteins were found to be expressed dynamically in regions of known BMP signaling including the developing tail bud, hematopoietic lineage, dorsal eye, brain structures, heart, jaw, fins, and somites, as well as other tissues. Responsiveness to changes in BMP signaling was confirmed by observing fluorescence after activation in an hsp70:bmp2b transgenic background or by inhibition in an hsp70:nog3 background. We further demonstrated faithful reportage by the BRE transgenic lines following chemical repression of BMP signaling using an inhibitor of BMP receptor activity, dorsomorphin. Overall, these lines will serve as valuable tools to explore the mechanisms and regulation of BMP signal during embryogenesis, in tissue maintenance, and during disease. Developmental Dynamics 240:712–722, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Gene module level analysis: identification to networks and dynamics

Nature exhibits modular design in biological systems. Gene module level analysis is based on this module concept, aiming to understand biological network design and systems behavior in disease and development by emphasizing on modules of genes rather than individual genes. Module level analysis has been extensively applied in genome wide level analysis, exploring the organization of biological systems from identifying modules to reconstructing module networks and analyzing module dynamics. Such module level perspective provides a high level representation of the regulatory scenario and design of biological systems, promising to revolutionize our view of systems biology, genetic engineering as well as disease mechanisms and molecular medicine.
Psychiatric Symptoms of Pediatric Cancer Pain

This study investigated the contribution of pain to psychiatric symptoms in 43 hospitalized children and adolescents referred for psychiatric evaluation in a pediatric cancer center during a 1-yr period. Procedures included determination of the primary reason for referral, child and parent diagnostic interviews assessing pain history and psychiatric symptoms, and recommendations for improved pain control or other types of intervention and followup. Across the four referral categories (for symptoms of depression, cognitive/perceptual disturbance, anxiety, or disruptive behavior), approximately 20% of all consultations resulted in a primary recommendation for improved pain control. The findings suggest that pediatric cancer pain may go untreated when its manifestations are psychiatric. Implications for staff education, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and psychiatric nosology are discussed.
Visual Assessment of Interbreeding by Aechmophorus Grebes

Abstract Population composition of Aechmophorus grebes was investigated in Utah and the occurrence of possible intermediates between Western (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's (A. clarkii) grebes was assessed. Individuals with clearly intermediate traits represented an aggregated 6.5% (43 individuals) in the populations investigated while another 7.6% (46 individuals) did not entirely conform to the description of Aechmophorus grebes provided by Storer and Nuechterlein. The number of intermediates has increased in Utah in comparison to historical data. A similar survey in California and Oregon in 2009 also found increased percentages of intermediates. The results a priori contradict growing reinforcement of incompatibilities between both Aechmophorus grebes. Western and Clark's grebes in these major areas of sympatry appear to interbreed as frequently as in areas of relative allopatry. No evidence against assortative mating was found. Hybridization for Aechmophorus grebes may reflect adaptive mate ch...
Lifecycle of composite business applications enabled by WebSphere Business Process Management

Business Process Management (BPM) is a discipline combining software and human expertise to facilitate business optimization and innovation. It enables businesses to manage changes, sense opportunities and accelerate process improvements. BPM empowers business and IT personnel to more effectively collaborate with streamlined interactions throughout the end-to-end process lifecycle, while encompassing information, systems and people.
A case for unsupervised-learning-based spam filtering

Traditional content-based spam filtering systems rely on supervised machine learning techniques. In the training phase, labeled email instances are used to build a learning model (e.g., a Naive Bayes classifier or support vector machine), which is then applied to future incoming emails in the detection phase. However, the critical reliance on the training data becomes one of the major limitations of supervised spam filters. Preparing labeled training data is often labor-intensive and can delay the learning-detection cycle. Furthermore, any mislabeling of the training corpus (e.g., due to spammers’ obfuscations) can severely affect the detection accuracy. Supervised learning schemes share one common mechanism regardless of their algorithm details: learning is performed on an individual email basis. This is the fundamental reason for requiring training data for supervised spam filters. In other words, in the learning phase these classifiers can never tell whether an email is spam or ham because they examine one email instance at a time. We investigate the feasibility of a completely unsupervised-learningbased spam filtering scheme which requires no training data. Our study is motivated by three key observations of the spam in today’s Internet. (1) The vast majority of emails are spam. (2) A spam email should always belong to some campaign [2, 3]. (3) The spam from the same campaign are generated from templates that obfuscate some parts of the spam, e.g., sensitive terms, leaving the other parts unmodified [3]. These observations suggest that in principle we can achieve unsupervised spam detection by examining emails at the campaign level. In particular, we need robust spam identification algorithms to find common terms shared by spam belonging to the same campaign. These common terms form signatures that can be used to detect future spam of the same campaign. This paper presents SpamCampaignAssassin (SCA), an online unsupervised spam learning and detection scheme. SCA performs accurate spam campaign identification, campaign signature generation, and spam detection using campaign signatures. To our knowledge, SCA is the first unsupervised spam filtering scheme that achieves accuracy comparable to the de-facto supervised spam filters by explicitly exploiting online campaign identification. The full paper describing SCA is available as a technical report [4].
African clawed toads (Xenopus laevis) sense the distance of lateral line stimuli.

Sighted African clawed toads use their lateral lines to detect stimulus distance, although accuracy and precision are poorer than for stimulus direction. Single surface wave trains elicited discrete turns and/or swims towards the wave origin. Most responses were brief, ending with the toad stationary (70 % overall; 54–86 % individual toads) or pausing before turning away (11 %; 1–24 %). Lunges or capturing movements with the arms (13 %; 10–22 %) also indicated where toads expected to find prey. Overall, 94 % (88–100 %) of oriented responses had well-defined endpoints. Swim distance—measured as means, medians, and upper and lower quartiles—and the number of bilateral leg kicks increased with stimulus distance. Swim distance also depended upon stimulus angle due to features of turning. Most responses (81 %; 62–92 %) ended short of the wave origin. Regression slopes were 0.45 ± 0.04 mm/mm for stimulus distances up to 85 mm (ca. 2–3x body lengths), 0.16 ± 0.07 mm/mm for distances of 85–130 mm, and non-significant for larger distances to 220 mm. Slopes were steeper for responses that included lunges or capture movements. In only 15 % (3–26 %) of responses were both turn direction and swim distance sufficiently accurate for the toad to sweep through the wave origin.
Reasons to Remember Sydney Owenson

A marble bust of Sydney Owenson (?1776–1859, known as Lady Morgan after her marriage in 1812) is one of the images included in a current exhibition at London's National Portrait Gallery, running from 9 March to 19 June 2005, entitled ‘Conquering England’: Ireland in Victorian London. Owenson's inclusion in the exhibit recognizes her significant role as part of an influential Irish cultural presence in nineteenth-century Britain – in her case one that spanned the Romantic and Victorian periods.
Multiple molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase in rat vagus nerve, smooth muscle, and heart.

: Extracts of rat tissues were subjected to ultracentrifugation on linear density gradients of sucrose (5–20%) and fractions of these gradients were analyzed for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Most of the AChE activity in extracts of vagus nerve was found to sediment at 10S. However, 16S AChE, previously thought to be confined to somatic motor nerves and skeletal muscle, was observed to accumulate rapidly at a nerve ligation. A search for this rapidly sedimenting form of AChE was carried out in tissues receiving vagal innervation. Significant amounts of 16S AChE were detected in the heart, especially in the right atrium, and in several regions of the gut. It was concluded that 16S AChE is distributed more widely than has previously been recognized.
Age-related cochlear cytokine gene expression in the BALB/cJ mouse with systemic versus intratympanic dosing of steroid drugs.

Abstract Conclusion: Age-related differences in the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the inner ear may contribute to the development of age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Objectives: ARHL is characterized by tissue remodeling, ischemia, ion homeostasis, and inflammation. Steroid therapy is an otoprotective strategy that likely acts by reducing inflammation. We examined age-related changes in cytokine gene expression in the cochlea of the BALB/cJ mouse model of premature ARHL after systemic or intratympanic steroid delivery. Methods: ‘Young' (2.5–3 months) and ‘Old' (5–9 months) mice were treated with dexamethasone or fludrocortisone administered either orally or intratympanically. Cytokine gene expression in cochlear RNA was analyzed using prefabricated cDNA arrays. Old groups were compared to Young groups to identify age-related changes. Results: Down-regulation of a cytokine associated with bone remodeling (SPP1) was observed in the untreated Old group. Numerous genes were up- or down-regulated by ...
Gender Specific Frequency and Spectrum of Background Somatic Mutations at the HPRT Locus in Cord Blood T Lymphocytes from Preterm Newborns

Gender Specific Frequency and Spectrum of Background Somatic Mutations at the HPRT Locus in Cord Blood T Lymphocytes from Preterm Newborns
Vessels in Nelumbo (Nelumbonaceae)

Vessels have been previously reported in the roots (but not rhizomes) of Nelumbo on the basis of light microscopy. We have reinvestigated vessel occurrence in Nelumbo by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On the basis of these studies, vessels are characteristic of root metaxylem. Pores in primary walls of pits of end walls of these vessels are various in size, but feature incomplete lysis of pit membranes, often with residual webs or threads of primary wall material, much as in vessels of primitive woody dicotyledons. In addition, we newly report occurrence of vessels in metaxylem of rhizomes; pores in these vessels are smaller and more confined than in those of roots. The present study offers not only data of possible use in determining the phylogenetic position of Nelumbonaceae, but also contributes evidence that vessel origin in Nelumbonaceae relates to habit and ecology. We conclude that organographic distribution of vessels in Nelumbo follows the patterns seen in monocotyledons, which, like Nymphaeaceae and other aquatics, have sympodial architecture.
SEROLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE BLOOD OF THE PRIMATES II. THE BLOOD GROUPS IN ANTHROPOID APES.

The bloods of twenty-one anthropoid apes have been examined serologically. It was found possible to assign each to one of the four human blood groups. The isoagglutinogens of the anthropoids were found to be identical with those of human blood. These very same factors could not be demonstrated in the blood of the lower monkeys. In the blood of the fourteen chimpanzees examined only the isoagglutinogen A has been found, whereas both A and B were present in the blood of the six orangs. The significance of these findings for the knowledge of the human blood groups is discussed.
Thermal infrared spectral band detection limits for unidentified surface materials.

Infrared emission spectra recorded by airborne or satellite spectrometers can be searched for spectral features to determine the composition of rocks on planetary surfaces. Surface materials are identified by detections of characteristic spectral bands. We show how to define whether to accept an observed spectral feature as a detection when the target material is unknown. We also use remotely sensed spectra measured by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Spatially Enhanced Broadband Array Spectrograph System to illustrate the importance of instrument parameters and surface properties on band detection limits and how the variation in signal-to-noise ratio with wavelength affects the bands that are most detectable for a given instrument. The spectrometer's sampling interval, spectral resolution, signal-to-noise ratio as a function of wavelength, and the sample's surface properties influence whether the instrument can detect a spectral feature exhibited by a material. As an example, in the 6-13 micrometer wavelength region, massive carbonates exhibit two bands: a very strong, broad feature at approximately 6.5 micrometers and a less intense, sharper band at approximately 11.25 micrometers. Although the 6.5-micrometer band is stronger and broader in laboratory-measured spectra, the 11.25-micrometer band will cause a more detectable feature in TES spectra.
Environmental and managerial risk factors of intramammary infection with coagulase-negative staphylococci in Ohio dairy herds

Abstract A stratified random sample of Ohio dairy herds was studied to relate herd management and environmental conditions to the prevalence of intramammary infection with coagulase-negative staphylococci. Management and environmental conditions were assessed by investigator observation and by interview with the dairy producers. Separate analyses for each of 70 management and environmental independent variables identified many potential disease determinants. Analysis of covariance models were developed to predict the prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococci. The first model used seven model degrees of freedom, had an R -squared of 0.62, and included the following independent variables: use of a cloth for washing cows, use of a hypochloride- or iodine-based post-milking teat dip, a population of milking cows less than 50, the amount of bedding provided, use of free stall housing, an interaction between a small herd size and the amount of bedding provided and an interaction between the use of free stalls and the type of post-milking teat dip. The second model had an R -squared of 0.54 and was reduced to five model degrees of freedom by exclusion of the variables for use of free stalls and the interaction between free stalls and type of post-milking teat dip.