cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Feasibility of Stem Cell Enrichment Mediated by Immobilized Selectins

Hematopoietic stem cell therapy is used to treat both malignant and non-malignant diseases, and enrichment of the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) has the potential to reduce the likelihood of graft vs host disease or relapse, potentially fatal complications associated with the therapy. Current commercial HSPC isolation technologies rely solely on the CD34 surface marker, and while they have proven to be invaluable, they can be time-consuming with variable recoveries reported. We propose that selectin-mediated enrichment could prove to be a quick and effective method for recovering HSPCs from adult bone marrow (ABM) on the basis of differences in rolling velocities and independently of CD34 expression. Purified CD34+ ABM cells and the unselected CD34- ABM cells were perfused over immobilized P-, E-, and L-selectin-IgG at physiologic wall shear stresses, and rolling velocities and cell retention data were collected. CD34+ ABM cells generally exhibited lower rolling velocities and higher retention than the unselected CD34- ABM cells on all three selectins. For initial CD34+ ABM cell concentrations ranging from 1% to 5%, we predict an increase in purity ranging from 5.2% to 36.1%, depending on the selectin used. Additionally, selectin-mediated cell enrichment is not limited to subsets of cells with inherent differences in rolling velocities. CD34+ KG1a cells and CD34- HL60 cells exhibited nearly identical rolling velocities on immobilized P-selectin-IgG over the entire range of shear stresses studied. However, when anti-CD34 antibody was co-immobilized with the P-selectin-IgG, the rolling velocity of the CD34+ KG1a cells was significantly reduced, making selectin-mediated cell enrichment a feasible option. Optimal cell enrichment in immobilized selectin surfaces can be achieved within 10 min, much faster than most current commercially available systems.
Aid Effectiveness, Transaction Costs and Conditionality in the Education Sector.

Abstract The reduction of transaction costs is a commonly mentioned yet rarely elaborated goal for aid effectiveness in educational development. The casual use of the concept of transaction costs conceals which costs may be reduced, which costs are required and, indeed, what transaction costs actually are. Examining issues related to harmonizing the efforts of multiple donors in education development, this paper analyzes aid conditionality from a transaction-cost perspective. Using transaction-cost analysis, we expand on typical notions of policy conditionality to look at how organizational reforms may affect transaction costs and how aid contract relations may be influenced by conditionality.
Penetration of Aerated Liquid Fuel Jet in Supersonic Cross Flow

The success of supersonic air-breathing propulsion systems will be largely dependent on efficient injection, mixing, and combustion inside the supersonic combustion chamber. Fuel/air mixing enhancement inside the combustion chamber will depend on the strategies used to control the fuel jet penetration and liquid fuel droplet size, trajectory, and dispersion. We present in this paper experimental results on the penetration and mixing of aerated liquid fuel jet in supersonic cross flow (M=1.5). The aerated liquid jet or the barbotage technique where a small amount of gas is added to the liquid fuel will accelerate the atomization of the liquid jet and offer a good fuel penetration. High speed imaging system is used in this study for the visualization of pure and aerated liquid jet. For the aerated liquid jet the gas/liquid mass ratio was varied between 0 and 9.9 %. The results presented in this paper shows the effect of jet/cross flow momentum ratio, and gas/liquid mass ratio on the structure and penetration of aerated liquid jet (methanol) in high speed cross flow. The data generated in this study are used for the development of active control strategies to optimize the liquid fuel jet penetration and supersonic fuel/air mixing.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
An analysis of how antivirus methodologies are utilized in protecting computers from malicious code

Antivirus software utilizes several methodologies in scanning, detecting, and protecting computers and systems from viruses. As understanding increases about the vectors malicious code uses to attack and how antivirus software protects computer systems from the viruses, people will be able to more effectively help in creating an environment that is secure and virus free. This paper examines the techniques of signature detection, heuristics, and general decryption that antivirus software uses to detect and clean viruses.
Evaluation of an S. S. White Panorex x-ray machine.

Abstract An evaluation of an S. S. White Panorex dental x-ray machine was performed. The physical and operational characteristics of the unit were investigated, with particular emphasis on KVP and Ma. meter calibrations, focal spot characteristics, x-ray beam dimensions, beam quality, and exposure reproducibility. Isoexposure curves for radiation in the vicinity of a phantom were also determined. Survey techniques for beam quality measurement and x-ray beam alignment were investigated, and recommended procedures are described.
Online association rule mining

We present a novel algorithm to compute large itemsets online. The user is free to change the support threshold any time during the first scan of the transaction sequence. The algorithm maintains a superset of all large itemsets and for each itemset a shrinking, deterministic interval on its support. After at most 2 scans the algorithm terminates with the precise support for each large itemset. Typically our algorithm is by an order of magnitude more memory efficient than Apriori or DIC.
An electron microscopic study of the intracellular development of echovirus 22.

The replicative cycle of echovirus 22 in tissue cultures of African green monkey kidney cells has been studied by electron microscopy. Although virus particles were seen only in the cytoplasm, infection of the cell caused distinctive nuclear pathology. A well-defined cytoplasmic inclusion body could be demonstrated. Throughout the replicative cycle, the virus particles were intimately associated with membranous elements. In some cases the virus appeared to exit from the cells enclosed in membranous structures.
Characterization of EST-derived microsatellites in the wheat genome and development of eSSR markers

EST-derived microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (eSSR) occur in expressed sequence tags (EST). Here we report characteristics of eSSRs in the wheat genome, construction of consensus chromosome bin maps of SSR-containing ESTs ((SSR)ESTs), and development of eSSR markers for the 21 wheat chromosomes. A Perl script known as MISA was used to identify eSSRs in wheat ESTs available in the database http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/cgi-bin/ace/search/wEST ). Among 492,832 ESTs from the database, 36,520 (7.41%) contained 43,598 eSSRs. This is equivalent to 1 eSSR per 5.46 kb EST sequence. About 60% of the eSSRs were trinucleotides, 19.7% were mononucleotide, 16.7% were dinucleotides, and the remaining approximately 3% consisted of tetra-, penta-, and hexanucleotides. Among the identified eSSRs, (CCG/CGG)n is the most frequent (20.5%) followed by (A/T)n at 13.6%, (AAC/GTT)n at 11.7%, and (AG/CT)n at 8.7%. Among ESTs previously mapped to wheat chromosome bins, a total of 1,010 eSSR loci were derived from 341 (SSR)ESTs. Consensus chromosome bin maps showing the chromosome locations of (SSR)ESTs, SSR sequence motif, and cDNA library were constructed. A chi(2) test indicated that the distribution pattern of eSSR loci was generally similar to that of the original mapped ESTs in the wheat genome. Forty-eight (SSR)ESTs were converted into PCR-based eSSR markers, and 266 eSSR loci were mapped to specific chromosome arms using wheat cytogenetic stocks. The average polymorphism information content (0.45+/-0.16) of eSSR markers was lower than that reported for genomic SSRs (0.54+/-0.19), but higher than RFLPs (0.30+/-0.27). The eSSR markers were transferable among related Triticeae species, Triticum aestivum, T. durum, T. dicoccoides, Hordeum spontaneum, H. vulgare, and Secale cereale. The results confirm the presence of SSRs in expressed genes of wheat and demonstrate another application of ESTs in genomics research. eSSRs will be useful for gene tagging, gene cloning, and comparative genomics studies of cereal crops.
Mitochondrial protein import: isolation and characterization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae MFT1 gene.

Mitochondrial targeting of an Atp2-LacZ fusion protein confers a respiration-defective phenotype on yeast cells. This effect has been utilized to select strains that grow on nonfermentable carbon sources, some of which have decreased levels of hybrid protein localized to the organelle. Many of the mutants obtained were also temperature-sensitive for growth on all media. The recessive mft (mitochondrial fusion targeting) mutants have been assigned to three complementation groups. MFT1 was cloned and sequenced: it encodes a 255 amino acid protein that is highly basic and has no predicted membrane-spanning domains or organelle-targeting sequences. The MFT1 gene is 91% identical to an open reading frame 3′ of the SIR3 gene. Evidence is presented that these two closely related genes could represent a recent gene duplication.
The culture and early weaning of larval haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) using a microparticulate diet

Abstract In order to effectuate haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus , as a practical aquaculture candidate, they must be able to successfully wean onto a formulated diet. This weaning should be accomplished soon after hatching in order to limit financial bottlenecks associated with the high cost of live feed production. Two experiments were designed to determine the earliest point at which haddock could be successfully weaned onto a formulated food. The first examined start weaning at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days post-hatch (dph) at 8.5°C. Control animals were given only live feeds throughout the experiment. Samples of larvae were taken weekly for length and dry weight analysis. Haddock did not wean as effectively as cod onto the commercial diet (Biokyowa™), and survival was compromised for all treatments examined. There were no differences in survival for any of the weaning periods investigated with averages ranging from 2.5% to 6.3%. However, the survival of the control group was significantly higher at 37.9%. The second experiment examined weaning at later stages and at an increased temperature. This experiment examined start weaning periods of 30, 35, and 42 days post-hatch. The 42-day start weaning period yielded results similar to those obtained with the live feed control, however survival and growth was compromised for both the 30- and 35-day weaning periods.
Potential Misdiagnoses of Bell's Palsy in the Emergency Department

Study objective We evaluate the incidence of potentially incorrect emergency department (ED) diagnoses of Bell's palsy and identify factors associated with identification of a serious alternative diagnosis on follow-up. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study from California's Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development for 2005 to 2011. Subjects were adult patients discharged from the ED with a diagnosis of Bell's palsy. Information related to demographics, imaging use, and comorbidities was collected. Our outcome was one of the following diagnoses made within 90 days of the index ED visit: stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain tumor, central nervous system infection, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Lyme disease, otitis media/mastoiditis, or herpes zoster. We report hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors associated with misdiagnosis. Results A total of 43,979 patients were discharged with a diagnosis of Bell's palsy. Median age was 45 years. On 90-day follow-up, 356 patients (0.8%) received an alternative diagnosis, and 39.9% were made within 7 days. Factors associated with the receiving alternative diagnosis included increasing age (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.21, every 10 years), black race (HR 1.68; 95% CI 1.13 to 2.48), diabetes (HR 1.46; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.95), and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging use (HR 1.43; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.85). Private insurance was negatively associated with an alternative diagnosis (HR 0.65; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.93). Stroke, herpes zoster, Guillain-Barre, and otitis media accounted for 85.4% of all alternative diagnoses. Conclusion Emergency providers have a very low rate of misdiagnosing Bell's palsy. The association between imaging use and misdiagnosis is likely confounded by patient acuity. Increasing age and diabetes are modest risk factors for misdiagnosis.
Import Substitution, Structural Change, and Regional Economic Growth in the United States: The Northeast, 1870–1910

This article uses data on regional output and imports to examine the relationship between imports and regional growth in the Northeast. The tariff rates, both nominal and effective, are considered as evidence of national policy that may have benefited this particular region. The findings are that particular industries do benefit from tariff protection, but their location is due to regional resource advantages.
Simulation of electro-migration through peridynamics

Thin film metallic conductors or interconnects are subjected to increasingly high current densities as the feature sizes decrease that can lead to failure of interconnects in moderately short times. Modelling of failure in micro electronic materials involves several challenges such as electro-migration and stress driven diffusion. These physical phenomena are usually negligible in conventional applications. However, the material within an interconnect is subjected to severe thermal-mechanical and electrical loading. In this study, the peridynamic (PD) framework is applied to model the electro-migration process by coupling physical fields of mechanical deformation, heat transfer, electrical potential distribution, and vacancy diffusion simultaneously.
Measuring Program Implementation with a Classroom Observation Instrument: The Interactive Teaching Map.

We present a classroom observation instrument (the Interactive Teaching Map) designed to measure implementation of a comprehensive educational program targeting classroom teaching strategies. Proce...
Bowel obstruction from intramural hematoma in two children treated with low molecular weight heparin: Case report and review of the literature

Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is frequently employed in children to prevent extension of intravascular thrombosis. However, this therapy can result in pathologic bleeding, including spontaneous intramural hematoma of the intestinal wall. In this report, we describe two cases of intestinal obstruction resulting from intramural hematomas during therapeutic LMWH therapy in children. The diagnostic studies and management of spontaneous intramural hematoma in children are discussed.
Equivalent absorption coefficient: A parameter for room sound pressure level prediction

Abstract The development of an equivalent absorption coefficient is described. Its use facilitates the calculation of A-weighted sound pressure levels in rooms. Thus for the modelling of the acoustic field only one set of calculations need to be performed rather than a separate one for each octave band and eventual A-weighted summation.
A technique for examining microspatial distribution of Cladocera associated with shallow water macrophytes

Cladocera living in close association with shallow water macrophytes were collected from specific locations on plants using a device similar to an aspirator bottle. The proposed technique did not differ significantly from plastic bag or cylindrical tube enclosure techniques in sampling Cladocera living on Chara stems. Shaking the plants followed by collection of the surrounding waters seriously underestimated the abundance of plant associated organisms. The method successfully demonstrated diel changes in the microdistribution of Chydorus brevilabris living on stems of the emergent plant Hydrolea ovata. C. brevilabris was most abundant at the bases of vertical stems at midday and appeared to move up the stems and into the water column at night.
An efficient evolutionary algorithm for solving incrementally structured problems

Many real world problems have a structure where small problem instances are embedded within large problem instances, or where solution quality for large problem instances is loosely correlated to that of small problem instances. This structure can be exploited because smaller problem instances typically have smaller search spaces and are cheaper to evaluate. We present an evolutionary algorithm, INCREA, which is designed to incrementally solve a large, noisy, computationally expensive problem by deriving its initial population through recursively running itself on problem instances of smaller sizes. The INCREA algorithm also expands and shrinks its population each generation and cuts off work that doesn't appear to promise a fruitful result. For further efficiency, it addresses noisy solution quality efficiently by focusing on resolving it for small, potentially reusable solutions which have a much lower cost of evaluation. We compare INCREA to a general purpose evolutionary algorithm and find that in most cases INCREA arrives at the same solution in significantly less time.
Arabidopsis dynamin-related protein 1A polymers bind, but do not tubulate, liposomes

The Arabidopsis dynamin-related protein 1A (AtDRP1A) is involved in endocytosis and cell plate maturation in Arabidopsis. Unlike dynamin, AtDRP1A does not have any recognized membrane binding or protein–protein interaction domains. We report that GTPase active AtDRP1A purified from Escherichia coli as a fusion to maltose binding protein forms homopolymers visible by negative staining electron microscopy. These polymers interact with protein-free liposomes whose lipid composition mimics that of the inner leaflet of the Arabidopsis plasma membrane, suggesting that lipid-binding may play a role in AtDRP1A function. However, AtDRP1A polymers do not appear to assemble and disassemble in a dynamic fashion and do not have the ability to tubulate liposomes in vitro, suggesting that additional factors or modifications are necessary for AtDRP1A’s in vivo function.
Working in and around the 'chain of command': power relations among nursing staff in an urban nursing home

By most accounts, the discipline of nursing enjoys considerable hegemony in US nursing homes. Not surprisingly, the ethos of this setting is influenced, in large part, by nursing's value system. This ethos powerfully impacts both the residents who live in nursing homes and the staff who work there. Using ethnographic methods, this project explored power relations among nursing assistants and nurses in an urban nursing home in the United States. Factors contributing to tensions among nursing staff were the stigma attached to nursing homes and those who work in them, as well as the long history of class conflict and power struggles within the discipline of nursing. The latter struggles, in turn, reflected nursing's quest for professional status in the face of medicine's hegemony over health-care. Ultimately, these factors coalesced to produce a local work environment characterized by conflict--and by aides' resistance to nurses' domination.
Receding horizon controller using particle swarm optimization for closed-loop ground target surveillance and tracking

This paper investigates the problem of non-myopic multiple platform trajectory control in a multiple target search and track setting. It presents a centralized receding discrete time horizon controller (RHC) with variable-step look-ahead for motion planning of a heterogeneous ensemble of airborne sensor platforms. The controller operates in a closed feedback loop with a Multiple Hypothesis Tracker (MHT) that fuses the disparate sensor data to produce target declarations and state estimates. The RHC action space for each air vehicle is represented via maneuver automaton with simple motion primitives. The reward function is based on expected Fisher information gain and priority scaling of target tracks and ground regions. A customized Particle Swarm Optimizer (PSO) is developed to handle the resulting non-Markovian, time-varying, multi-modal, and discontinuous reward function. The algorithms were evaluated by simulating ground surveillance scenarios using representative sensors with varying fields of view and typical target densities and motion profiles. Simulation results show improved aggregate target detection, track accuracy, and track maintenance for closed-loop operation as compared with typical open-loop surveillance plans.
Benign juvenile melanoma a clinical and pathological survey

The clinical and histological features of 18 cases of benign juvenile melanoma have been described. The relationship of this lesion to other melanotic skin tumours has been discussed and it’s natural history has been considered. A clinical classification of the condition has been offered, based on the present series and the larger published series.
A model for the initiation of replication in Escherichia coli

The role of the protein DnaA as the principal control of replication initiation is investigated by a mathematical model. Data showing that DnaA is growth rate regulated suggest that its concentration alone is not the only factor determining the timing of initiation. A mathematical model with stochastic and deterministic components is constructed from known experimental evidence and subdivides the total pool of DnaA protein into four forms. The active form, DnaA · ATP, can be bound to the origin of replication, oriC, where it is assumed that a critical level of these bound molecules is needed to initiate replication. The active form can also exist in a reserve pool bound to the chromosome or a free pool in the cytoplasm. Finally, a large inactive pool of DnaA protein completes the state variables and provides an explanation for how the DnaA · ATP form could be the principal controlling element in the timing of initiation. The fact that DnaA protein is an autorepressor is used to derive its synthesis rate. The model studies a single exponentially growing cell through a series of cell divisions. Computer simulations are performed, and the results compare favorably to data for different cell cycle times. The model shows synchrony of initiation events in agreement with experimental results.
Huckleberry Finn takes the Turing test: The transformation of ontologies and the virtuality of kinds

Abstract This essay is about the relation between social statuses, mental states, and material substances; the indexical signs used to infer such underlying kinds; the conditions for and consequences of the ontologies that license such inferences; and the potentially reflexive and transformative relations individuals bearing such identities have towards each other and themselves. While it begins with what may be called ‘the Huckleberry Finn Test’ (inferring gender in face-to-face interaction), it concludes with the Turing Test (deciding between human and computer in teletype-mediated communication). It argues that most thought about the Turing test has focused on a very limited type of inference. And it shows four other important ways our indexical encounters with others can both transform, and be transformed by, our ontologies.
Electrical Control in Automatic Pilots

THE automatic pilot is, as its name implies, a mechanism capable of automatically piloting an aircraft and maintaining it on a course, despite disturbances in the surrounding air.1 Such terms as “relief pilots,” “maneuvering pilots,” “hard or soft pilots,” are used to classify apparatus which accomplishes this result. Relief pilots are intended to relieve the strain on the human pilot mainly during straight level flight and are more simple than the maneuvering type of pilot. Hard pilots are designed to hold a given course or attitude rigidly without consideration for the comfort of the passengers and crew. The soft pilot, on the other hand, holds the general course and attitude but without uncomfortably jarring the personnel. Some designs of automatic pilots incorporate all the features of relief, maneuvering, and hard or soft control.
Modelling competition and collaboration in the airline industry using agent-based simulation

In network industries such as the airline industry competitions and collaborations between organisations shape the dynamics of the market significantly. The conditions under which firms choose to collaborate instead of competing are of particular importance in understanding the effects of regulatory actions within such industries. In this paper, an agent-based simulation and modelling approach is used to study the dynamics of competition and collaboration among airlines in the USA under different regulatory conditions and corporate strategic choices. The analysis is limited to a single competitive domestic flight corridor (New York City to Los Angeles). The results of the set of developed models show that both individual corporate strategies and government policies can have a significant impact on competition and collaboration dynamics of the system.
Succeeding as a Faculty Member in an Instructional Design Program.

This article first defines criteria one might apply in judging success as a faculty member. The criteria are then examined in detail, typical activities described and their relative importance judged. The article concludes with a summary of suggestions for how to be successful.
Evaluation of Educational Administration: A Decade Review of Research (2001-2010).

Abstract This sequential mixed methods study analyzed how program evaluation was used to assess educational administration and examined thematic trends in educational evaluation published over 10 years (2001–2010). First, qualitative content analysis examined the articles in eight peer-reviewed evaluation journals. This analysis revealed that numerous studies have examined educational topics; however, very few of these studies (5 in total) solely focused on evaluating educational administration. Second, quantitative comparison of articles in three select journals (N = 671) showed that in these educational journals, major foci of the published studies were on teaching and learning (20%) and assessment and achievement (13.9%). In comparison, educational administration and leadership was among the least examined (2.3%), being second only to homeschooling (1.6%).
Anopheles stephensi p38 MAPK signaling regulates innate immunity and bioenergetics during Plasmodium falciparum infection

Fruit flies and mammals protect themselves against infection by mounting immune and metabolic responses that must be balanced against the metabolic needs of the pathogens. In this context, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-dependent signaling is critical to regulating both innate immunity and metabolism during infection. Accordingly, we asked to what extent the Asian malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi utilizes p38 MAPK signaling during infection with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. A. stephensi p38 MAPK (AsP38 MAPK) was identified and patterns of signaling in vitro and in vivo (midgut) were analyzed using phospho-specific antibodies and small molecule inhibitors. Functional effects of AsP38 MAPK inhibition were assessed using P. falciparum infection, quantitative real-time PCR, assays for reactive oxygen species and survivorship under oxidative stress, proteomics, and biochemical analyses. The genome of A. stephensi encodes a single p38 MAPK that is activated in the midgut in response to parasite infection. Inhibition of AsP38 MAPK signaling significantly reduced P. falciparum sporogonic development. This phenotype was associated with AsP38 MAPK regulation of mitochondrial physiology and stress responses in the midgut epithelium, a tissue critical for parasite development. Specifically, inhibition of AsP38 MAPK resulted in reduction in mosquito protein synthesis machinery, a shift in glucose metabolism, reduced mitochondrial metabolism, enhanced production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, induction of an array of anti-parasite effector genes, and decreased resistance to oxidative stress-mediated damage. Hence, P. falciparum-induced activation of AsP38 MAPK in the midgut facilitates parasite infection through a combination of reduced anti-parasite immune defenses and enhanced host protein synthesis and bioenergetics to minimize the impact of infection on the host and to maximize parasite survival, and ultimately, transmission. These observations suggest that, as in mammals, innate immunity and mitochondrial responses are integrated in mosquitoes and that AsP38 MAPK-dependent signaling facilitates mosquito survival during parasite infection, a fact that may attest to the relatively longer evolutionary relationship of these parasites with their invertebrate compared to their vertebrate hosts. On a practical level, improved understanding of the balances and trade-offs between resistance and metabolism could be leveraged to generate fit, resistant mosquitoes for malaria control.
Chronic cocaine-regulated epigenomic changes in mouse nucleus accumbens

Increasing evidence supports a role for altered gene expression in mediating the lasting effects of cocaine on the brain, and recent work has demonstrated the involvement of chromatin modifications in these alterations. However, all such studies to date have been restricted by their reliance on microarray technologies that have intrinsic limitations. We use next generation sequencing methods, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq for RNA polymerase II and several histone methylation marks, to obtain a more complete view of cocaine-induced changes in gene expression and associated adaptations in numerous modes of chromatin regulation in the mouse nucleus accumbens, a key brain reward region. We demonstrate an unexpectedly large number of pre-mRNA splicing alterations in response to repeated cocaine treatment. In addition, we identify combinations of chromatin changes, or signatures, that correlate with cocaine-dependent regulation of gene expression, including those involving pre-mRNA alternative splicing. Through bioinformatic prediction and biological validation, we identify one particular splicing factor, A2BP1(Rbfox1/Fox-1), which is enriched at genes that display certain chromatin signatures and contributes to drug-induced behavioral abnormalities. Together, this delineation of the cocaine-induced epigenome in the nucleus accumbens reveals several novel modes of regulation by which cocaine alters the brain. We establish combinatorial chromatin and transcriptional profiles in mouse nucleus accumbens after repeated cocaine treatment. These results serve as an important resource for the field and provide a template for the analysis of other systems to reveal new transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms of neuronal regulation.
An improved method of Nusselt number calculation

A novel method for calculating the Nusselt number, Nu, in a steady-state Rayleigh-Benard convection problem is presented, in which calculations are done for a square box with constant temperature, free-slip boundary conditions at the top and bottom, and a reflection symmetry along the side walls. The element heat flux is obtained by averaging over the entire element; element heat fluxes are then projected to the adjacent nodes. Compared with previous methods, the approach reduces the calculated depth variation in horizontally averaged flux by more than a factor of 10 and shows more rapid convergence of Nu as a function of grid size.
A Revised Functionalism in the Sociology of Religion: Mary Douglas's Recent Work

Mary Douglas is justly famed for her social analyses of symbolism and for her ‘grid/group’ technique of relating cosmologies to particular social structures. In recent years she has turned her attention toward developing, in her words, ‘a coherent argument about the social control of cognition’. She argues that religious and other beliefs are ‘part of the action’ in society. They are strongly connected with the needs of the institutional order, while remaining products of individual consciousness. Douglas's recent work is theoretically interesting because she uses a functionalist argument to defend the rationality of social actors, while at the same time showing how belief systems are generated from the social order. This essay critically reviews her argument, and weighs the efficacy of her approach for scholars interested in the social role of religious beliefs.
The State of Biological Anthropology in 2008: Is Our Discipline Strong and Our Cause Just?

Biological anthropologists inform a largely professional discourse on the evolutionary history of our species. In addition, aspects of our biology, the ways in which we vary, and certain patterns of behavior are the subjects of a more public and popular conversation. The social contexts in which we work not only define our times but also produce the anthropologists that in turn construct an emergent understanding of our species' (and our societies') inner workings. In this review of scholarly production, I focus on developments within a selection of "sub-subdisciplines" that were particularly influential in bending the arc of biological anthropology in 2008, namely: evolutionary medical anthropology, anthropological neuroscience, forensic anthropology, primatology, and paleoanthropology. Ultimately, this review demonstrates, yet again, anthropology's great contribution: the ability to incorporate new technologies and research methodologies into a synthetic and integrative interdisciplinary approach toward the elucidation of human behavior, evolution, and biocultural engagements with the environment. (Keywords: biological anthropology, year in review, 2008, science and society)
A 5 mW, 12-b, 50 ns/b switched-current cyclic A/D converter

This paper presents a high-speed, high-resolution and low-power switched-current cyclic A/D converter. The high performance is attributed to: (1) the use of high-performance current copiers; (2) the use of a high-performance residual amplifier which takes two clock cycles to double a current; (3) the use of an efficient cyclic RSD algorithm which provides 1.5 b resolution without using two matched reference currents.
Culture, the media, and eating disorders.

(1996). Culture, the Media, and Eating Disorders. Harvard Review of Psychiatry: Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 163-167.
Cognition: the new frontier for nuts and berries

The inclusion of nuts in the diet is associated with a decreased risk of coronary artery disease, hypertension, gallstones, diabetes, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and visceral obesity. Frequent consumption of berries seems to be associated with improved cardiovascular and cancer outcomes, improved immune function, and decreased recurrence of urinary tract infections; the consumption of nuts and berries is associated with reduction in oxidative damage, inflammation, vascular reactivity, and platelet aggregation, and improvement in immune functions. However, only recently have the effects of nut and berry consumption on the brain, different neural systems, and cognition been studied. There is growing evidence that the synergy and interaction of all of the nutrients and other bioactive components in nuts and berries can have a beneficial effect on the brain and cognition. Regular nut consumption, berry consumption, or both could possibly be used as an adjunctive therapeutic strategy in the treatment and prevention of several neurodegenerative diseases and age-related brain dysfunction. A number of animal and a growing number of human studies show that moderate-duration dietary supplementation with nuts, berry fruit, or both is capable of altering cognitive performance in humans, perhaps forestalling or reversing the effects of neurodegeneration in aging.
A FLOW-THROUGH METHOD FOR SCINTILLATION COUNTING OF CARBON-14 AND TRITIUM IN GAS-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC EFFLUENTS

SUMMARY A method for radioassay of gas-liquid chromatographic effluents by scintillation counting has been developed. A cartridge filled with anthracene crystals is used as a “flow-through” radiation detector. Upon leaving the column, the effluent is passed over hot copper oxide, which converts the organic msterials to carbon dioxide and water. If tritium is to be counted, the water is reacted with hot iron to release hydrogen and tritium gases. The effluent is then passed through the anthracene cartridge. The counting rate of the cartridge is monitored continuously during the analysis by a highly efficient, low-background, scintillation counter to yield a record of eluted radioactivity that resembles the conventional mass detector record. The detector is simply constructed, easily maintained, insensitive to change in gas composition but highly sensitive to radiation. High efficiency (more than 70% for carbon-14 and 20% for tritium) is coupled with low background counting rates (ca. 15 cpm at carbon-14 settings, 50 cpm at tritium settings). The counting rate returns to this low background rate following the detection of a labeled compound.
An efficient model for frequency-dependent on-chip inductance

this paper, we propose an ecient table-based model for frequency-dependent on-chip inductance, and apply it to com- pute mutual inductance between random wires and loop induc- tance for cascade wires, respectively. Our inductance computa- tion achieves around 5% error when compared to the numerical solution, and matches frequency-dependent impact very well. We also apply the inductance model to generate RLC circuit models for on-chip interconnects, and present a complexity- ecient normalized RLC circuit model for multiple parallel wires. These results are extremely ecient, and can be eectively used during iterative design procedure. Further, the table-based in- ductance model has been implemented as a Web-based tool to generate inductance matrix for given random wires.
Circadian Rhythms: In the Loop at Last

The basic molecular mechanisms underlying circadian oscillators follow the same general plan across the phylogenetic spectrum: oscillating feedback loops in which clock gene products negatively regulate their own expression. The circadian clocks of animals involve at least two interacting feedback loops. This Viewpoint compares and contrasts the circadian clocks of mammals and of Drosophila, emphasizing how different players are used to create the same basic script. Both the general script and the specific details of the murine and Drosophila circadian pathways are available at Science's Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment Connections Maps.
Sparse quasi‐Newton LDU updates

Numerical solution of a given non-linear algebraic system of equations by a quasi-Newton type method requires updating the approximation to the Jacobian at each step. Two methods for large sparse systems are described. The approximation for the Jacobian is factored into an LDU form at the first step, then all the subsequent updates are made to L, D and U. Computational evidence is given exhibiting the relative efficiency of these methods over those currently available in the published literature.
A virtual reality environment for evaluation of a daily living skill in brain injury rehabilitation: reliability and validity.

Abstract Zhang L, Abreu BC, Seale GS, Masel B, Christiansen CH, Ottenbacher KJ. A virtual reality environment for evaluation of a daily living skill in brain injury rehabilitation: reliability and validity. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003;84:1118–24. Objective: To establish the stability and validity of information collected in a virtual reality environment from persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: Prospective correlation design to examine 3-week test-retest results for equivalence reliability between computer-simulated and natural environments. Setting: A residential rehabilitation center for brain injury. Participants: Fifty-four consecutive patients with TBI who received comprehensive rehabilitation services and who were at different stages of recovery. Intervention: An immersive virtual kitchen was developed in which a meal preparation task involving multiple steps was performed. The subjects completed meal preparation both in a virtual reality kitchen and an actual kitchen twice over a 3-week period. Main Outcome Measures: Time and errors on task completion using virtual reality assessment, actual kitchen performance (analogous to the virtual reality environment), occupational therapy (OT) evaluation, and neuropsychologic tests. Results: The stability of performance using the simulated virtual environment was estimated with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The ICC value for total performance, based on all steps involved in the meal preparation task, was .76 ( P r =.63, P r =.30, P =.05 for meal preparation; r =.40, P =.01 for cognitive subskills), and neuropsychologic tests ( r =.56, P r =.40, P r =.56, P P =.01). Conclusion: The virtual reality system showed adequate reliability and validity as a method of assessment in persons with brain injury.
Sedimentological, taphonomic, and climatic aspects of Eocene swamp deposits (Willwood Formation, Bighorn Basin, Wyoming)

Alluvially deposited carbonaceous beds are a major source of leaf compression fossils, but the accumulation of both the sediments and the fossils is poorly understood. We have studied the sediments and fossil plant assemblages of three laterally extensive carbonaceous beds from the Eocene of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Field, laboratory, and microscopic observations show that carbonaceous beds are highly heterogeneous, varying in the amount and type of organic matter, preservation of primary sedimentary structures, and the prevalence of paleosol features. Small-scale lateral and vertical variations indicate a mosaic of conditions in the wet floodplain backswamp. The variables controlling this mosaic were primarily rate of clastic input and degree of substrate flooding which, in turn, influenced the amount of pedogenesis. Fossil plant assemblages occur in sediments least modified by pedogenesis, and the best preservation is in the distal, fine-grained portions of overbank flood deposits. There is no evidence for transport of plant material from channel to backswamp. Fossil leaves in a single quarry sample (i.e., those collected from within 10-20 cm stratigraphically and from an area of 4-10 m 2 ) probably accumulated during one or several closely-spaced flood events. Quarry samples are thus spatially and temporally constrained "snapshots" of the vegetation that grew on the alluvial floodplain. Each carbonaceous bed is estimated to represent roughly 2,000 years, based on the length of fluvial avulsion cycles. Multiple quarry samples from the same carbonaceous bed can thus be considered coeval for most evolutionary or paleoclimatic analyses. In the central Bighorn Basin, laterally extensive carbonaceous beds are abundant in the lower and upper Willwood Formation, but essentially absent in the middle. We attribute this to tectonic and climatic change, especially to higher rates of sediment accumulation that caused greater dispersal of organic material within sediments and climatic drying that allowed degradation of organic material before it could be preserved.
Effect of propranolol on circadian variation of myocardial ischemia in elderly patients with heart disease and complex ventricular arrhythmias

Abstract In our elderly population with prior myocardial infarction or hypertensive heart disease, complex ventricular arrhythmias, and an LV ejection fraction ≥40%, there was a circadian variation of the maximal amount of silent ischemia per hour in patients before and after no propranolol and before propranolol. The primary peak occurred between 8 and 9 A.M. before no propranolol, between 8 and 10 A.M. after no propranolol, and between 8 and 11 A.M. before propranolol. However, the circadian variation of the maximal amount of silent ischemia per hour was abolished by propranolol. Propranolol also abolished the circadian variation in sudden cardiac death or fatal myocardial infarction in these patients. This suggests that the sympathetic nervous system contributes to the circadian variation of silent ischemia as well as to the circadian variation of myocardial infarction or sudden cardiac death.
The Messy Relationship Between Feminisms and Globalizations

With some exceptions, feminist scholars have written either about gender and globalizations or about transnational feminisms but rarely examined the relationship between them. In this essay, the author wants to reflect on this relationship to highlight how they have shaped each other. She suggests that feminisms are important force-shaping globalizations. At the same time, the relationship between them is fraught and in some instances has furthered inequalities among feminists. But this does not preclude other possibilities as is evident in the work of feminists around the world.
1‐(Mesitylene‐2‐sulfonyl)‐3‐nitro‐1,2,4‐triazole (MSNT)

[74257-00-4] C11H12N4O4S (MW 296.30) InChI = 1S/C11H12N4O4S/c1-7-4-8(2)10(9(3)5-7)20(18,19)14-6-12-11(13-14)15(16)17/h4-6H,1-3H3 InChIKey = SFYDWLYPIXHPML-UHFFFAOYSA-N (coupling agent for both solution and solid phase synthesis of oligonucleotides using the phosphotriester method) Physical Data: mp 132–134 °C. Solubility: insoluble in H2O; soluble in CH2Cl2, CHCl3, DMF, and pyridine. Form Supplied in: crystalline solid; commercially available. Analysis of Reagent Purity: the reagent may be checked by mp or analyzed by 1H NMR. Preparative Methods: this reagent can be prepared by the reaction of 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole (1 equiv) and mesitylsulfonyl chloride (1 equiv) in the presence of triethylamine (1 equiv) in dioxane at 0 °C for 1 h. The product is isolated in 92% yield after crystallization from benzene.1 Purification: recrystallization from benzene. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: this reagent may be an irritant. Avoid contact with the skin. It should be handled under nitrogen and stored below −20 °C.
The Rutgers Master II-new design force-feedback glove

The Rutgers Master II-ND glove is a haptic interface designed for dextrous interactions with virtual environments. The glove provides force feedback up to 16 N each to the thumb, index, middle, and ring fingertips. It uses custom pneumatic actuators arranged in a direct-drive configuration in the palm. Unlike commercial haptic gloves, the direct-drive actuators make unnecessary cables and pulleys, resulting in a more compact and lighter structure. The force-feedback structure also serves as position measuring exoskeleton, by integrating noncontact Hall-effect and infrared sensors. The glove is connected to a haptic-control interface that reads its sensors and servos its actuators. The interface has pneumatic servovalves, signal conditioning electronics, A/D/A boards, power supply and an imbedded Pentium PC. This distributed computing assures much faster control bandwidth than would otherwise be possible. Communication with the host PC is done over an RS232 line. Comparative data with the CyberGrasp commercial haptic glove is presented.