cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The unimportance of the reaction H2 + N2O ⇆ H2O + N2: A shock-tube study using H2O time histories and ignition delay times

Abstract The hydrogen-nitrous oxide (H2–N2O) system is of paramount importance in safety considerations for nuclear waste management and semiconductor manufacturing. For less-dilute H2–N2O mixtures, a reaction of key importance in determining ignition delay times is the direct reaction between H2 and N2O to give H2O and N2, although this reaction has received only one direct investigation in the work of Kosarev et al. (2007). To examine the importance of the title reaction, new H2O time histories were obtained using a laser absorption technique at 1.39 µm in a mixture of 0.222% N2O/1.778% H2/Ar between 1414 and 1811 K near 1.2 atm. Additionally, the ignition delay time measurements of Kosarev et al. (2007) were repeated using endwall emission and pressure diagnostics. The new datasets show excellent agreement with the predictions of a recent mechanism when the title reaction is reduced by a factor of 30 relative to the work of Kosarev et al. Furthermore, the accurate mechanism predictions of H2–N2O ignition delay time data available in the literature (other than those of Kosarev et al.) were not degraded when the proposed value of k1 = 7.0 × 10 13 exp ( − 16 , 356 / T ) was used (k1 in cm3 mole−1 s−1, T in K). This expression for k1 should be viewed as an upper limit on the rate for the title reaction and should make the title reaction negligibly important in future NOx modeling efforts; the true value of k1 is likely even lower than this expression. A factor of 2 uncertainty is assigned to this expression for k1. Finally, it is recommended that the data of Kosarev et al. (2007) be neglected in future mechanism validations as these data appear to be inaccurate, in part due to non-ideal pressure rise effects and choice of emission diagnostic.
Explaining Doraemon’s perduring popularity: Structural analysis, specious technology and mother’s indulgent affection

Structural analysis of the Japanese anime Doraemon reveals the source of the unimaginable popularity of this children’s cartoon in the paradigmatic structure ‘Doraemon’s gadgets : Nobita’s problems...
Use of databases in thermal analysis. Part 4

Abstract A relational database manager (DB) was previously employed to estimate values of kinetic parameters from isothermal TG (ITG) and from non-isothermal TG (NITG) data. The Paradox 3 DB, which possesses a powerful application language ( pal ), was utilized to estimate values of reaction order n and activation energy E , and to ascertain the most probable decomposition mechanism from among 10 possibilities. When these results were compared with reported values, they were found to be in satisfactory agreement. The aim of this paper is to extend the utilization of pal in the determination of values of E and n from NITG data. A cubic expression was employed which involves the use of slopes from TG curves at particular values of α. Analyses were carried out using theoretical TG data, benzenediazonium chloride, and magnesium hydroxide.
Abstract 4352: Genetic effects on gene expression and survival in patients with multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological cancer, accounting for 2% of all cancer deaths. MM is associated with a poor prognosis, with a 5-year overall survival of 50.7%. While the introduction of new therapies in the last decade has nearly doubled the survival rate, most patients still experience a relapse. To this end, The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation developed the CoMMpass study. CoMMpass is a longitudinal clinical trial aimed at accelerating the discovery of more targeted treatments for MM. Clinical parameters and tumor specimens are collected from each of the 1,147 patients at baseline and through the eight-year observation period. To identify genetic determinants of clinical outcomes, each tumor specimen is characterized by Whole Genome, Exome and Transcriptome sequencing. This work has uncovered a number of somatic mutations and copy number alterations associated with tumor progression and response to therapy as well as a novel classification of MM into 12 distinct subtypes based on gene expression. However, the contribution of germline genetic variation to gene expression changes and MM outcome remains poorly understood. Genome-wide association studies have identified germline variants associated with MM risk, indicating inherited genetic susceptibility. Furthermore, MM exhibits a disparity in occurrence and mortality between the sexes and ethnicities, men and African Americans being in at a higher risk than women or those of European ancestry. To better understand the genetic and biological basis of MM predisposition, we utilize a systems genomics approach to examine non-coding inherited and somatic genetic effects on gene expression and MM outcome. Data from 607 CoMMpass participants with available WGS and RNAseq from normal blood and baseline tumor specimens were used to map cis-acting eQTLs. We identified 3929 genes with at least one cis-acting eQTL. Furthermore, we discovered a number of regulatory variants with differential effects on tumor gene expression between the sexes and ethnicities, as well as eQTLs overlapping MM GWAS risk loci, providing regulatory mechanisms connecting these loci to MM. Finally, we discovered eQTLs that modulate overall survival in patients with MM. To validate these putatively regulatory loci in vitro, we utilized MM cell lines and CRISPR activation/interference, successfully altering the expression of the target genes. These and analyses integrating germline and somatic variants, gene expression, and clinical outcomes support the development of personalized medicine approaches for the better treatment of MM. Citation Format: Heini M. Natri, Austin Gutierrez, Bianca Argente, Melissa Wilson Sayres, Kenneth Buetow, Nicholas Banovich. Genetic effects on gene expression and survival in patients with multiple myeloma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4352.
East Asia in Action| An Alternative Chronicle of Natural Disaster: Social Justice Journalism in Taiwan

In 2009, Taiwan experienced a catastrophic natural disaster, Typhoon Morakot, which killed 700 people and caused $4.7 billion in economic losses. While mainstream media spent a month covering this event and focused only on the ravaged landscape, political tensions, and public sentiment, an alternative news platform, 88news, dedicated four years to investigating the disaster relief efforts of both the government and the NGOs, and their impact on the lives of indigenous victims. Focusing on the content of 88news and its production process, this article examines an alternative disaster story told by a group of independent journalists to make political interventions in times of crisis. It argues that disasters present not only a disruption of the normal social life, but also an intervention of mainstream news production and representation that opens an alternative space for marginal voices, both journalistically and ethnically, to question the dominant world view.
Efficacy of steroid-eluting stents in management of chronic rhinosinusitis after endoscopic sinus surgery: updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Recently, there has been mounting evidence suggesting the efficacy of steroid-eluting stents (SES) for management of chronic rhinosinusitis after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). This meta-analysis serves to evaluate the efficacy of SES in improving postoperative outcomes after ESS. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed of PubMed for articles published between 1985 and 2018. The outcome variables were reported at, on average, 30 days postintervention. RESULTS Seven of the 76 published studies, all of which were industry-sponsored, were included for a collective cohort of 444 SES and 444 control sinuses. In patients who received SES vs controls, collective odds ratios (ORs) for postoperative need for intervention, surgery, and oral steroid were 0.45 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33-0.62; p < 0.001), 0.30 (95% CI, 0.18-0.52; p < 0.001), and 0.58 (95% CI, 0.40-0.84; p = 0.004), respectively. In addition, collective ORs for frontal sinus ostia (FSO) patency, moderate-to-severe adhesion/scarring, and increase in polyp score were 2.53 (95% CI, 1.61-3.97; p < 0.001), 0.28 (95% CI, 0.13-0.59; p < 0.001), and 0.42 (95% CI, 0.25-0.74; p = 0.002), respectively. Collective mean differences for FSO/ethmoid inflammation and FSO diameter were -10.86 mm (p < 0.001) and +1.34 mm (p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION Aggregate evidence suggests that SES can improve ESS outcomes by reducing rates of postoperative intervention and recurrent polyposis and inflammation, while promoting FSO patency. All included and analyzed studies were industry-sponsored and ruling-out publication bias was not possible. Future independent and nonsponsored studies to further evaluate SES's long-term efficacy are warranted.
Viral vectors for gene delivery to the inner ear.

Abstract Gene therapy using virus vectors to treat hereditary diseases has made remarkable progress in the past decade. There are FDA-approved products for ex-vivo gene therapy for diseases such as immunodeficiencies (e.g., SCID), and in vivo gene therapy for a rare blindness and neuro-muscular disease. Gene therapy for hereditary hearing loss has picked up pace in the past five years due to progress in understanding disease gene function as well as the development of better technologies such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, to deliver nucleic acid to target cells in the inner ear. This review has two major goals. One is to review the state of the art for investigators already working in preclinical cochlear gene therapy. The other is to present the language of vectorology and important considerations for designing and using AAV vectors to inner ear neurobiologists who might use AAV vectors in the cochlea for either therapeutic or basic biological applications.
A Scalable, Easy-to-Deploy, Protocol for Cas13-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Material

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has created massive demand for widespread, distributed tools for detecting SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. The hurdles to scalable testing include reagent and instrument accessibility, availability of highly-trained personnel, and large upfront investment. Here we showcase an orthogonal pipeline we call CREST (Cas13-based, Rugged, Equitable, Scalable Testing) that addresses some of these hurdles. Specifically, CREST pairs commonplace and reliable biochemical methods (PCR) with low-cost instrumentation, without sacrificing detection sensitivity. By taking advantage of simple fluorescence visualizers, CREST allows for a binary interpretation of results. CREST may provide a point-of-care solution to increase the distribution of COVID-19 surveillance.
Osteoradionecrosis of the skull base

Radiation therapy (RT) is often necessary for the treatment of head and neck cancers. Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a rare, but potentially serious complication of RT. RT leads to the destruction of vasculature in radiated tissue causing hypoxia and tissue necrosis. ORN can occur in any bone, but bones with naturally poor blood supply appear to be more susceptible. Bones of the skull base are susceptible, with ORN occurring in the anterior, central, and lateral skull base. Risk factors include cancer type and location, radiation dose, and a variety of patient factors. Patients often present with pain, bleeding, and foul odor and are typically found to have exposed and necrotic bone. Treatment options vary depending on the severity, but typically include pentoxifylline and vitamin E as well as surgical debridement, with less evidence supporting hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Recognition and prompt treatment of ORN will allow for improved patient outcomes.
Telemetry and Command Techniques for Planetary Spacecraft

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses telemetry and command techniques for planetary spacecraft. The objectives of the planetary program place a number of important requirements upon the communications system between the spacecraft and the earth. These requirements fall into three main categories: (1) tracking, (2) telemetry, and (3) command. A number of significant similarities exist between the telemetry and command links, thereby implying that their modulation and detection systems should embody the same basic techniques: (1) both links employ automatic phase control (phase-locked loop) receivers with nearly identical characteristics, the only major difference being their noise temperatures, (2) because of the need for efficiency, simplicity, and reliability, each system is digital, with information being conveyed over a single pulse-code modulated (PCM) channel, and (3) the maximum data rates that can be employed are very low, the command system operates at a few bits per second (bps), and the telemetry link operates at not more than a few hundred bps.
The Preferences of Political Elites and Humanitarian Immigration to the United States

How do the preferences of political elites shape humanitarian immigration to the United States? Focusing on the asylum and refugee systems, we trace the ways that the preferences of political elites affect the number and characteristics of migrants who receive relief. Our findings suggest that presidential preferences remain crucial in determining who is admitted in the U.S. refugee system and that congressional preferences are important in determining the number admitted. The preferences of both appear to matter considerably less on asylum decisions. These results highlight the difficulty of eliminating or reducing the role of the executive branch in American immigration policy, and suggest the importance of the design of the immigration enforcement bureaucracy in limiting the role of elite preferences in determining humanitarian immigration outcomes.
Huawei’s Carrier Business in Southeast Asia

This chapter discusses Huawei’s carrier business in Southeast Asia, focusing on the 5G rollout in the region. The first part discusses the history of Huawei in Southeast Asia and explores how Huawei created a valuable partnership with telecommunication companies through low prices and excellent customer and community services. The second part discusses the possible repercussions of U.S. accusations of espionage and intellectual property theft on Huawei’s 5G business in Southeast Asia. Huawei is poised to capture the majority of the 5G market in Southeast Asia, except in Vietnam, where geopolitical disputes with China influence the country’s approach not to work with Huawei. The general outlook on Huawei’s 5G business in the region is favorable because it offers the most advanced and affordable 5G technology.
Promoting on-going participation in group fitness among older adults: An application of the Psychological Continuum Model

The purpose of this case study was to explore older adults’ experience of participation in a community-based group fitness program at a local recreation center that has long-term participation with...
A role for fibronectin in self-repair after ischemic injury.

Plasma fibronectin has been proposed to play a role in wound healing. Studies with conditional knockout mice, however, indicate that fibronectin has more to do with protecting cells from ischemic damage after stroke (pages 324-330 ).
Solubility of fluorite in haplogranitic melt of variable alkalis and alumina content at 800°–1000°C and 100 MPa

[1] To study the behavior of fluorite in SiO2-Al2O3-Na2O-K2O-H2O melts, we conducted both crystallization and dissolution experiments. In the first case, fluorite crystallized from melts enriched in Ca relative to F. In the second case, ground fluorite (<10 μm) was partially dissolved into melts of initially F-free or F-doped glass. Experiments were conducted at 800°–1000°C and 100 MPa for 7 to 240 hours using a series of finely ground subaluminous and peralkaline haplogranitic glasses. Electron microprobe (EMP) analysis of the run products (glass + crystals) documented increasing fluorite solubility with melt alkalinity. These molar relationships can be described by CF/2 = −1.3 · ASI + 2.3 at 900°C and CF/2 = CCa = −2.1 · ASI + 3.8 at 1000°C, where ASI is the aluminum saturation index measured in experimental glasses as Al/(Na + K + 2Ca), CF/2 is one half the molar concentration (%) of F, and CCa is the mol% of Ca in the glass. Fluorite solubility may be defined as either CF/2, CCa, or both. Solubilities at 800°, 900°, and 1000°C for the melts with ASI between 0.58 and 0.59 approach log linear with 104/T(K) (slope = −0.45). The joint effect of F and temperature on fluorite solubility is significant: solubility rises from 0.28 mol% at 800°C (4.96 mol% doped F) to 0.99 mol% at 900°C (2.17 mol% doped F). Solubilities at 800°, 850°, and 900°C for the melts with the same initial F contents (4.96 mol%) approach log linear with 104/T(K) (slope = −0.33).
L’anthropologie médicolégale « à l’américaine » : enseignement, apprentissage et pratique à California State University, Chico

La croissance mondiale des disciplines medicolegales et la cooperation internationale entre anthropologues medicolegaux necessitent une comprehension mutuelle des moyens d’organiser et de pratiquer cette discipline dans chaque pays. Une revue des articles concernant l’anthropologie biologique dans le Journal of forensic sciences (JFS) de 2000 a 2008 montre une croissance du nombre d’articles anthropologiques et d’articles ecrits par les equipes internationales. La pratique de l’anthropologie medicolegale est toujours basee sur le systeme judiciaire du pays ou elle se trouve. Cet article presente l’organisation de l’anthropologie medicolegale aux Etats-Unis (EU) ainsi que les systemes judiciaires et universitaires americains, puis illustre cela en presentant la combinaison d’enseignement, d’apprentissage et de pratique a l’universite de l’Etat de Californie a Chico (CSUC). Dans l’esprit des 150 ans de la Societe d’anthropologie de Paris (SAP), cet article a pour objet de mieux definir l’anthropologie medicolegale americaine afin de faciliter la cooperation internationale lors d’enquetes concernant des crimes contre l’humanite ou les catastrophes de masse, tout en soulignant la necessite de standardisation des methodes d’identification et des recherches anthropologiques.
Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Brewers' Yeast (Zwischenferment) III. STUDIES ON THE SUBUNIT STRUCTURE AND ON THE MOLECULAR ASSOCIATION PHENOMENON INDUCED BY TRIPHOSPHOPYRIDINE NUCLEOTIDE

Abstract Sedimentation equilibrium studies of the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase apoprotein (mol wt 101,600 g per mole), conducted in the presence of guanidinium chloride, permit the conclusion that it is composed of two polypeptide chains of 51,000 molecular weight with similar, if not identical, physical properties. Elemental metal analysis on the apoprotein for nine different metals has failed to reveal significant concentrations of a metal constituent. Contrary to previous reports, this enzyme is not a zinc metalloprotein. The observations of Noltmann and Kuby (in P. D. Boyer, H. Lardy, and K. Myrback (Editors), The enzymes, Vol. 7, Academic Press, New York, 1963, p. 223) on the triphosphopyridine nucleotide-induced association phenomenon of the protein have been confirmed by sedimentation equilibrium measurements conducted in the presence of excess TPN+. The TPN-enzyme compound is the "dimer" of the apoprotein; i.e. it consists of four subunits. The apoenzyme may be titrated with TPN+ to alter successively its hydrodynamic properties, and sedimentation velocity studies in the presence of appropriate concentrations of TPN+ reveal this TPN-enzyme, with a sedimentation coefficient larger than that of the apoenzyme. Values for its s20,w0 and D20,w0 have been deduced, and a prolate model for the tetra-chain species is proposed. Ethylenediaminetetraacetate, if present at significant concentrations, will completely inhibit the TPN-induced association reaction. This has been interpreted as an effect of the EDTA3- ion on solvent-macromolecular interactions, modifying the dissociation-association equilibria, rather than an effect due to its chelation properties. In the absence of interacting ionic species, successful ultracentrifugal titrations have been conducted and interpreted quantitatively in terms of a set of equilibria involving the successive binding of TPN+ to its subunits. The controlled use of EDTA will permit a simplified approach to studies on the catalytic mechanism (mechanisms) through direct steady state kinetic measurements on the active two-chain species.
Evaluation of a Mentoring Program for New Pediatric Department Chairs

From the Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, WinstonSalem, NC; Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE; Department of Pediatrics, University ofMassachusettsMedical School, Worcester, MA; Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of n 2007 the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC) became concerned about the high turnover rate of pediatric department chairs (PDC). In a study of 123 departments, there was a mean annual turnover rate of 17%, and the rate was particularly high among new and female PDC. A later study showed that there were very high rates of dissatisfaction and high “burnout” scores among PDC. To address this concern, AMSPDC developed a New Chair’s Committee charged with developing a formal mentoring program specifically for new PDC. Mentoring of medical school faculty has been widely recommended and shown to increase career growth and satisfaction, and increase faculty retention, yet there is very little literature about mentoring programs for new academic department chairs. The short-term goal of mentoring was to assist new PDC to acquire the skills to oversee the programs within their department, and the long-term goal was to improve rates of retention. The current survey was performed to evaluate the performance of the program as perceived by the prot eg es and mentors after 6 years of operation.
Latino Students' Transitions to College: A Social and Intercultural Capital Perspective.

In this article, Anne-Marie Nunez uses data from a national longitudinal study of students enrolled in four-year public research universities to assess the effects of social capital and intercultural capital—the capacity to negotiate diverse racial/ ethnic environments—on Latino students' sense of belonging in college and on their perceptions of a hostile racial/ethnic climate. She finds that Latino students who are more familiar with diversity issues and who report more social and academic connection and engagement experience a greater sense of belonging even as they also experience a more hostile campus climate. Her findings provide a nuanced understanding of Latino students' college experiences, with implications for how access to intercultural capital through positive cross-racial interactions and diversity curricula may offer benefits that counterbalance the negative impact of marginalizing experiences and ultimately advance educational attainment.
Thiol-redox proteins interact with soluble guanylyl cyclase and modulate its activity

Background Nitric oxide (NO) signalling through activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) is key for the physiology of the cardiovascular and neuronal systems. Discrepancies in sGC activation and deactivation in vitro vs. in vivo have led to a search for endogenous factors that regulate sGC or assist in cellular localization. In our previous work, which identified Hsp70 as a modulator of sGC, we determined that protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) bound to an sGC-affinity matrix [1]. As several studies have reported that thiol oxidants and reductants modulate sGC activity, we sought to characterize the potential interaction between sGC and PDI, an enzyme that not only isomerases disulfide bonds but also regulates some proteins activity via interaction with its cysteine (Cys) active sites [2,3]. Results Using protein chemistry and purified sGC and PDI, we first showed that reduced sGC was modified by oxidized PDI in non-reducing Western blot and that sGC thiol titer was altered under these conditions. Moreover a PDI-Flag resin retains specifically sGC and this complex was resolved in the presence of a thiol-reductant. These data suggested that the mechanism of interaction between sGC and PDI is by mixed-disulfide exchange. In addition, PDI modulated NO-stimulated sGC activity while a PDI mutated in its two Cys active sites did not. A relatively novel method, in situ PLA (proximity ligation assay) established that endogenous PDI and sGC also interact in the CRL 2018 smooth muscle cells suggesting that the interaction between sGC and PDI is biologically relevant. Notably, both a 1a ndb 1s GC subunits of sGC showed potential co-localization with PDI [4]. Discussion These results underlined the significance of redox-thiol modulation of sGC and support past and current research showing that certain sGC Cys are necessary for such functions as enzyme activation, dimerization, and desensitization by S-nitrosation. A novel Mass Spectrometry analysis is currently applied to identify sGC Cys disulfide bonds and combined with mutational analysis and molecular dynamics simulation should unveil their involvement in interaction with PDI and their relevance as a new mechanism of sGC modulation.
Auditory hallucinations as ictal phenomena in a patient with voltage-gated potassium channel antibody-associated limbic encephalitis

Limbic encephalitis involving anti-voltage-gated potassium channel antibodies (VGKC-LE) has become increasingly recognised, with seizures and psychotic features, such as hallucinations, being typical clinical manifestations. Though the literature supports auditory hallucinations as ictal phenomena, there are no reported cases of these hallucinations correlating with electrographic seizure for this disease entity. Early recognition of auditory hallucinations as seizures could alter treatment and subsequently affect short-term outcomes in these patients. We report the case of a patient with auditory hallucinations and progressive cognitive decline, as well as serological evidence of VGKC antibodies, in whom ictal hallucinations were identified by continuous video-EEG monitoring. This case highlights the subtlety of this entity, in both clinical and electrographic detection.
Some Properties of a New Subclass of Univalent Functions

We give some coefficient bounds and distortion theorems for a new subclass of functions univalent on the unit disk defined using the Salagean differential operator. The results generalizes and unifies some well known results for several subclasses of univalent functions defined on the unit disk having form f (z )= z + ∞=2 anz n , normalized such that f (0) = 0 and f � (0) = 1.
Role of ether-linked lysophosphatidic acids in ovarian cancer cells.

Naturally occurring alkyl- and alkenyl-lysophos- phatidic acids (al-LPAs) are detected and elevated in ovarian cancer ascites compared with ascites from non-malignant dis- eases. Here we describe the biological functions and signal- ing properties of these ether-linked LPAs in ovarian cancer cells. They are elevated and stable in ovarian cancer ascites, which represents an in vivo environment for ovarian cancer cells. They stimulated DNA synthesis and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. In addition, they induced cell migration and the secretion of a pro-angiogenic factor, interleukin-8 (IL-8), in ovarian cancer cells. The latter two processes are potentially related to tumor metastasis and angiogenesis, re- spectively. Al-LPAs induced diverse signaling pathways in ovarian cancer cells. Their mitogenic activity depended on the activation of the G i/o protein, phosphatidylinositol-3 ki- nase (PI3K), and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase (MEK), but not p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAP kinase). S473 phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) by these lipids required activation of the G i/o protein, PI3K, MEK, p38 MAP kinase, and Rho. However, T308 phosphorylation of Akt stimulated by al-LPAs did not re- quire activation of p38 MAP kinase. On the other hand, cell migration induced by al-LPAs depended on activities of the G i/o protein, PI3K, and Rho, but not MEK. These data suggest that ether-linked LPAs may play an important role in ovarian cancer development. —Lu, J., Y-j. Xiao, L. M. Baudhuin, G. Hong, and Y. Xu. Role of ether-linked lyso- phosphatidic acids in ovarian cancer cells. J. Lipid Res. 2002. 43: 463-476.
The Social Brain: Deriving an Ought From an Is and the Future of Moral Reasoning

This special issue of AJOB Neuroscience features a collection of essays and open peer commentaries devoted to “the social brain.” The authors explore a variety of philosophical, neuroscientific, an...
Quantitative characterization of human performance during hip reduction

Hip dislocations are rare events. As a consequence, medical residents have little opportunity to gain experience through repeated practice. In fact, little is known about the forces and displacements that experienced physicians employ during the procedure. This study seeks to quantify the strategic maneuvering and substantial force required to reposition the femoral head into the pelvis during a hip reduction, toward a long-term goal of building a high fidelity training simulator. In particular, the work herein describes the design, construction and evaluation of a custom-built, force and motion measurement system (FMMS). As a physician attempts to relocate the hip, the FMMS measures force about the patient's waist using a seatbelt and inline load cell (4448 N range) and displacement of the dislocated leg with four magnetic displacement sensors (each 6 DOF). Iterations of the system have been tested on cadavers and able-bodied participants, with the current system deployed for collection on hip reduction patients. The results preliminarily indicate that forces at the hip range from 56.8 to 110.8 N, the forces at the leg range from 254.5 to 496.6 N, and that maximum angular movements from the pelvis to the thigh, from the thigh to the knee, and from the knee to the ankle are 80.1, 31.5 and 20.7 degrees, respectively.
WebMARS: a multimedia search engine

The Web provides a large repository of multimedia data, text, images, etc. Most current search engines focus on textural retrieval. In this paper, we focus on using an integrated textural and visual search engine for Web documents. We support query refinement which proves useful and enables cross-media browsing in addition to regular search.
Structural Sensitivity in the Dissociation of Water on TiO2 Single-Crystal Surfaces

Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and oxygen isotopic labeling studies were used to probe the dissociation of water on the (100) and (110) surfaces of TiO2 (rutile). Water TPD spectra from these two surfaces were distinctive. Three monolayer desorption states were observed for the (100) surface (at 205, 250, and 305 K), while only a single desorption state was observed for the (110) surface (at 270 K). TPD experiments on the surfaces enriched with 18O revealed that water desorbing in the 305 K state from TiO2(100) was isotopically scrambled with the lattice oxygen atoms, strongly suggesting that this TPD state resulted from recombination of surface hydroxyl groups. Isotopic scrambling was not observed for any other desorption state on either surface (in the absence of defects). Since very little water desorption occurred from the (110) surface in the temperature range in which exchange was observed on the (100) surface and since previous HREELS work (Henderson, M. A. Surf. Sci. 1996, 355, 151) indic...
The Hedberg rule

Abstract With a stroke of genius, Professor Ken Hedberg has introduced the elegant N VA = t F formulation to govern scientific symposia. Future generations will benefit from this wisdom.
Analysis of genetic and environmental sources of variation in serum cholesterol in Tecumseh, Michigan--VI. A search for genotype by environment interaction.

Abstract We have examined 12 unlinked polymorphic genetic marker systems and found 6 which each identified small but statistically significant differences in normal serum cholesterol levels which did not change significantly with age. The effects associated with 4 of the 6-ABO haptoglobin, Gm and secretor—were consistent in males and females and combined additively to define effects which were also homogeneous over age. There was a marker phenotype by age interaction effect on cholesterol variance in females but not in males. This study supports the hypothesis that a number of polymorphic genes, each with a small additive effect on cholesterol level, play an important role in determining cholesterol variability.
Time-Related Transcriptome Analysis of B. subtilis 168 During Growth with Glucose

Gene expression in Bacillus subtilis from late exponential to stationary phase was monitored by DNA microarrays with samples taken from the culture in LB broth with glucose supplement to prevent sporulation. Three major patterns of gene expression as revealed in this study were consistent to the expression profiling of PerR/Spx regulons and three major sigma factors—SigA, SigB, and SigW. Expression of most SigA-dependent house-keeping genes was significantly decreased and remained at low levels in the stationary phase. The sigB gene and additional genes of the SigB regulon for stress response exhibited a distinct pattern of transient induction with a peak in transition phase. The majority of induced genes after cessation of SigB-dependent surge were subjected to regulation by SigW, PerR, and Spx in response to oxidative stress. No induction of spo0A and skfA regulons supports the suppression of sporulation and cannibalism processes in the stationary phase by glucose supplement. In summary, these results depicted complicated strategies by cells to adapt changes from the fast growing exponential phase toward the stationary phase. The absence of programed cell death and sporulation greatly facilitated data analysis and the identification of distinct expression patterns in the stationary phase of growth in B. subtilis.
Expression Patterns of Protein Kinases Correlate with Gene Architecture and Evolutionary Rates

Background Protein kinase (PK) genes comprise the third largest superfamily that occupy approximately 2% of the human genome. They encode regulatory enzymes that control a vast variety of cellular processes through phosphorylation of their protein substrates. Expression of PK genes is subject to complex transcriptional regulation which is not fully understood. Principal findings Our comparative analysis demonstrates that genomic organization of regulatory PK genes differs from organization of other protein coding genes. PK genes occupy larger genomic loci, have longer introns, spacer regions, and encode larger proteins. The primary transcript length of PK genes, similar to other protein coding genes, inversely correlates with gene expression level and expression breadth, which is likely due to the necessity to reduce metabolic costs of transcription for abundant messages. On average, PK genes evolve slower than other protein coding genes. Breadth of PK expression negatively correlates with rate of non-synonymous substitutions in protein coding regions. This rate is lower for high expression and ubiquitous PKs, relative to low expression PKs, and correlates with divergence in untranslated regions. Conversely, rate of silent mutations is uniform in different PK groups, indicating that differing rates of non-synonymous substitutions reflect variations in selective pressure. Brain and testis employ a considerable number of tissue-specific PKs, indicating high complexity of phosphorylation-dependent regulatory network in these organs. There are considerable differences in genomic organization between PKs up-regulated in the testis and brain. PK genes up-regulated in the highly proliferative testicular tissue are fast evolving and small, with short introns and transcribed regions. In contrast, genes up-regulated in the minimally proliferative nervous tissue carry long introns, extended transcribed regions, and evolve slowly. Conclusions/significance PK genomic architecture, the size of gene functional domains and evolutionary rates correlate with the pattern of gene expression. Structure and evolutionary divergence of tissue-specific PK genes is related to the proliferative activity of the tissue where these genes are predominantly expressed. Our data provide evidence that physiological requirements for transcription intensity, ubiquitous expression, and tissue-specific regulation shape gene structure and affect rates of evolution.
The architecture and operational characteristics of the VMX host machine

The VMX host machine is a hardware-firmware environment for implementation of actual computer systems with a favorable price performance ratio. The article presents the host framework architecture, together with all units which are used to build actual systems. The advantages and future potential of the architecture is briefly discussed. The notion of memory directives within the frame-work of an active (or “intelligent”) memory unit is introduced. This notion serves as one example of the possibilities that are built into the architecture of the VMX host.
Syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions to murine Fc receptor-bearing, nonadherent low density lymph node cells and epidermal Langerhans cells.

Both Langerhans cells from BALB/c mouse epidermis and nonadherent, low density (LD) cells, obtained from collagenase-treated minced lymph node, are stimulatory for isolated T cells in syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (SMLR). The method of preparation of LD cells influences whether Fc receptor (FcR) can be detected on them. Fc receptors on nonadherent LD lymph node cells can be detected only if the same procedure is employed as that for Langerhans cell isolation, i.e., Ig-free bovine albumin must be used during gradient centrifugation and EA rosetting must be done overnight at 4 degrees C. Thus, both FcR+ and FcR- LD lymph node cells, as well as FcR+ Langerhans cells, stimulate SMLR. Although Ig+ cells in the LD fraction also stimulate the SMLR, their removal does not affect the stimulating capacity of the LD lymph node fraction.
Anti-Machiavellism as constitutionalism: Hermann Conring's commentary on Machiavelli's The Prince

In his Animadversiones on Machiavelli's The Prince (1661), Hermann Conring, one of the most famous of the early modern German professors of politics, further developed the constitutional reading of Machiavelli's The Prince, following in the footsteps of Bodin and the German political theorists of the previous generation such as Arnisaeus, Contzen, and Besold. For Conring, Machiavelli's exaggerated analysis of tyranny and his heavy emphasis on popular liberty offered not so much a realist political science but a dangerous prelude to the monarchomachic theory of popular sovereignty and a fatalistic concession to sin. Conring, a committed Aristotelian with Arminian sympathies, preferred a more empirical constitutional analysis (and a theory of the state) which did not favor any particular faction of the state (i.e. the people over the nobility) as the unique source of stability or instability and which explained the necessity for wickedness as the result of poor constitutional design rather than a realistic ...
A simple solution to a problem arising from the processing of finite accuracy digital data using integer arithmetic

Abstract The reconstruction of physical events by digital electronic processing of multiparameter analog data introduces artifacts caused by the digitization process. Several methods of minimizing these artifacts are described.
Formative assessment in accounting education and some initial evidence on its use for instructional sequencing

Abstract Formative assessment (FA) provides instructors and students with feedback to improve learning. Across a variety of education settings FA is one of the most effective classroom interventions for improving student learning outcomes. Yet the accounting education literature is almost devoid of any work related to FA. One barrier for developing FA in accounting education is the significant background knowledge needed to implement FA successfully. The purpose of this paper is to provide some of that background. The paper includes conceptual discussion from the general education literature to explain how FA improves learning and discussion of research that has identified features that affect the efficacy of FA practice. One of these features is how instructors use FA data to adjust instruction. An empirical study illustrates that accounting educators can use FA data to inform a decision about instructional sequencing. Instructional sequencing principles have been used to develop new accounting curricula and courses, and accounting education research has used empirical data to inform an instructional sequencing decision. The current study tests, using a sample of introductory accounting students, alternate versions of two FA tasks to determine which version is better for identifying deficiencies in student learning outcomes. Results suggest that one version of each task is better for identifying deficiencies, but an adjustment to instructional sequencing may be needed to ensure efficacy of one of the tasks, depending on how the FA practice is implemented.
Three-dimensional Parameterization of the Stellar Locus with Application to QSO Color Selection

A straightforward method for parameterizing and visualizing a locus of points in n-space is presented. The algorithm applies directly to the problem of distinguishing QSOs from Galactic stars in multicolor space. When applied to an existing four-filter data set (photometric errors of σ ~ 0.1 mag and BJ 21.5), it recovers 95% of the known QSOs, with 76% of the candidate sources yielding QSOs. If only the non-ultraviolet excess candidates are considered, it recovers 69% of the 13 known QSOs, with 47% of the candidate sources yielding QSOs. The completeness and efficiency will differ depending on the depth and accuracy of the photometric data. The algorithm scales well to large data sets and allows astrophysical information about the location of QSOs in color space to be easily added to improve efficiency. Three-dimensional visualization of the high-accuracy photometry (σ < 0.01 mag) of the Catalogue of WBVR Magnitudes of Northern Sky Bright Stars (V < 7.2) yields the first look at the intrinsic width in the Galactic star color distribution. The stellar locus is found to populate a ribbon-like subset of color-color-color space. In the G to early-K star region, the cross section of the stellar locus has a FWHM of 0.07 mag in the wide direction. We attribute the majority of the width to metallicity differences between the stars, although there may be some contribution from other sources such as differential reddening. The FWHM in the thin direction is 0.03 mag or less. The locus is parameterized from late-B stars through M stars. We reproduce the metallicities of 64 F and G dwarfs with an rms error of 0.13. The distribution of bright stars along the locus is also presented. The algorithm can be applied to parameterize any one-dimensional set of data that is distributed in n-dimensional space.
Catabolite activator protein: DNA binding and transcription activation

Abstract Recently determined structures of the Escherichia coli catabolite activator protein (CAP) in complex with DNA, and in complex with the RNA polymerase α subunit C-terminal domain (αCTD) and DNA, have yielded insights into how CAP binds DNA and activates transcription. Comparison of multiple structures of CAP–DNA complexes has revealed the contributions of direct and indirect readout to DNA binding by CAP. The structure of the CAP–αCTD–DNA complex has provided the first structural description of interactions between a transcription activator and its functional target within the general transcription machinery. Using the structure of the CAP–αCTD–DNA complex, the structure of an RNA polymerase–DNA complex, and restraints from biophysical, biochemical and genetic experiments, it has been possible to construct detailed three-dimensional models of intact class I and class II transcription activation complexes.
Dynamics of an interior spike in the Gierer-Meinhardt system

We study the dynamics of an interior spike of the Gierer--Meinhardt system. Under certain assumptions on the domain size, the diffusion coefficients, and the decay rates, we prove that the velocity of the center of the spike is proportional to the negative gradient of $R(\xi,\xi)$, where $R(x,\xi)$ is the regular part of the Green's function of the Laplacian with the Neumann boundary condition. Hence, an interior spike moves towards local minima of $R(\xi,\xi)$ and therefore stays as an interior spike forever. This dynamics is fundamentally different from that of the shadow Gierer--Meinhardt system where an interior spike moves towards the closest point on the boundary.
Measures of Nonlinearity for Single Target Tracking Problems

The tracking of objects and phenomena exhibiting nonlinear motion is a topic that has application in many areas ranging from military surveillance to weather forecasting. Observed nonlinearities can come not only from the nonlinear dynamic motion of the object, but also from nonlinearities in the measurement model. Many techniques have been developed that attempt to deal with this issue, including the development of various types of filters, such as the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF), variants of the Kalman Filter (KF), as well as other filters such as the Particle Filter (PF). Determining the effectiveness of any of these techniques in nonlinear scenarios is not straightforward. Testing needs to be accomplished against scenarios whose degree of nonlinearity is known. This is necessary if reliable assessments of the effectiveness of nonlinear mitigation techniques are to be accomplished. In this effort, three techniques were investigated regarding their ability to provide useful measures of nonlinearity for representative scenarios. These techniques were the Parameter Effects Curvature (PEC), the Normalized Estimation Error Squared (NEES), and the Normalized Innovation Squared (NIS). Results indicated that the NEES was the most effective, although it does require truth values in its formulation.