cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biotransformation of coal substructure model compounds by microbial enzymes

Research with both coal substructure model compounds and macromolecular coal has shown that intermonomeric chemical bonds within coal are susceptible to cleavage by microbial enzymes from bacterial and fungal sources. This is particularly true when low rank lignite coals are used as substrates for enzymes after first being solubilized under alkaline conditions to form water-soluble coal polymers. When these soluble polymers are used as substrates, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods are used to show that particular enzymes catalyze their depolymerization. By using chemical presolubilization followed by enzymatic depolymerization, it may be possible to develop commercial processes for the enzymatic depolymerization of coal into useful low-mol-wt chemicals, or into liquid or gaseous fuels. Evidence indicates that oxidative enzymes, such as peroxidases or etherases, and hydrolytic enzymes, such as esterases, have the best potential for effectively depolymerizing coal. Recent findings in our laboratory also suggest that certain hydrolases from saprophytic soil fungi may also work well.
Latina immigrants in rural western Pennsylvania and use of mental health resources when coping with depression: implications for practice

This paper addresses the availability and use of mental health resources by Latina immigrants in rural western Pennsylvania. Findings suggest that few formal (i.e. counselors) or informal (i.e. religious figures) culturally sensitive resources for coping with depression are available to Latina immigrants in this area. When resources were available, informants often expressed a preference for seeking help from informal sources and many experienced obstacles when seeking help from formal sources. Drawing on findings, recommendations for making mental health resources more accessible to Latina immigrants in rural communities are discussed.
The Effect of Selected Anions of Potassium Salts on the Gel Strength of Carrageenan High in the Kappa Fraction

SUMMARY Breaking-force-deformation curves and total energy data were obtained for kappa-carrageenan gels prepared with increasing concentrations of CH3COOK, KBr, KCl, K3C6H5O7, KNO3, K2C2O4, and K2SO4. Increasing the concentrations of each potassium salt, used in combination with kappa-carrageenan, produced gels which gave significantly higher breaking-force and total energy values and lower deformation readings. Moreover, significant differences for all three measures of gel strength occurred among kappa-carrageenan gels prepared with each normality of the various potassium salts; therefore the anion as well as the cation used as a gelling agent affected the characteristics of the kappa-carrageenan gels. In general the effectiveness of the potassium salts in producing gels from kappa-carrageenan, in decreasing order, were: chloride, acetate, sulfate, nitrate, bromide, citrate, and oxalate.
Carotid stenting for atherothrombosis.

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the third leading cause of death in North America and Europe, accounting for approximately 10–12% of all deaths.w1 CVA may have several aetiologies but is generally characterised as being either thrombotic or haemorrhagic in origin. The thrombotic causes of CVA are multiple and can be divided into large vessel occlusion, small vessel occlusion, and embolisation. Large vessel occlusion from atherothrombosis of the carotid system is responsible for approximately 25% of those afflicted by a CVA. The treatment of carotid atherothrombosis is evolving and involves risk factor management and in selected patients may warrant either surgical carotid endarterectomy or percutaneous carotid stenting. This is a review of the current understanding of carotid atherothrombosis and data regarding percutaneous approaches for those with this condition. Atherosclerosis is the most common pathologic process affecting the carotid system leading to a CVA. This complex inflammatory process is mediated by both environmental and genetic factors and is extensively reviewed elsewhere.1 In brief, atherosclerotic plaque develops in the intimal layer of the carotid system and has a predilection for the carotid bifurcation and regions near this area. Indeed, even those with increased intimal–medial thickness are at increased risk for a future cardiovascular event.2 Once present, the initial lesion in the carotid arterial system may grow due to lipid laden macrophage expansion in the setting of chronic inflammatory signals. Although the pathophysiology of carotid disease leading to a CVA is not completely understood, the unstable (or ulcerated plaque) may develop due to several types of mechanisms:
Leadership and information system management: a literature review

Abstract This article reviews empirical and selected conceptual research on leadership styles in the information systems environment. The studies under review contribute to our knowledge and understanding of implementation theory related to computer-based information systems. The studies reviewed demonstrate that leadership style is a significant factor in influencing implementation success. Researchers and managers will find this information useful in developing their own inquiry and improving their understanding of this important management issue.
The U.S. Congress and North Korea during the Clinton Years: Talk Tough, Carry a Small Stick

This essay explores the striking gap between Republican rhetoric and congressional action on North Korea between 1995 and 2001, when the GOP held majorities in both houses of Congress. While historical in nature, this inquiry offers lessons for President Bush——or, if elected president, John Kerry——as he struggles to meet the North Korea challenge.
Smartphone-based secure authenticated session sharing in Internet of Personal Things

ABSTRACT In the context of password-based authentication,a user can only memorize limitednumber of usernames andpasswords.They are generally referred to as user-credFntials. Longer character length of passwords further addscomplication in masteringthem.With the expansion of theInternet andour growing dependency on it, JUJT almost impossible GPS VT to handle big pool of user-credentials. Using simple, same or similar pasTwordsis considereda poor practice, as itcan easily be compromised by password crackingtoolsand social engineeringattacks.Therefore, a robustandpainless technique to manage personal credentials forwebsites is desirable.In this paper, a novel techniquefor user-credentials management via a smart mobile device such as a smartphonein a Mocalnetwork is proposed. We present a secureuser-credential management scheme in which user's account login (username) andpassword associated with website domainhs name issaved into themobile device's databaseusing a mobile application. We develop a custom browserextension application for client anduse it to importuser's credentials linked with the corresponding website from the mobile device via the local Wi-Fi network connection. The browser extension imports and identi es the authentication credentials and pushes them into the targetTextBox locatio in theO webpage,s ready for theuser to execute. This scheme is suitably demo OTUrated betweentwopersonaldevices in a local network.Keywords: Internet of Things(IoT), User Credentials, Session Sharing, Internet of Personal Things (IoPT),Password Management
CHARACTERIZATION AND REGULATION OF IGFBP-4 IN CULTURED MOUSE LEYDIG CELLS (TM-3)

The characterization and regulation of IGFBPs in TM-3 cells was performed. Western Ligand blots of conditioned media(CM) demonstrated the presence of 24 and 28 kDa bands as major IGFBPs, and 40 and 44 kDa as minor ones. The 24 and 28 kDa bands were immunoprecipitated with an antibody to rat IGFBP-4. The 28 kDa band was deglycosylated with endoglycosidase-F to 24 kDa.
Materialism and affective well-being: the role of social support ☆

To test the hypothesis that the established relationship between materialism and psychological well-being would be eliminated or significantly attenuated when controlling for social support, 159 American college students completed the Richins and Dawson (1992) materialism scale, the Cohen and Hoberman (1983) Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and the Brief Measures of Positive and Negative Affect (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). Two hierarchical multiple regressions found support for this hypothesis with respect to positive affect, but not with respect to negative affect. We discuss our results in relation to research on social support and to research that has explored reasons why materialism is related to lower levels of psychological well-being. Future research directions are also discussed.
Membrane-dependent interaction of factor Xa and prothrombin with factor Va in the prothrombinase complex.

Because all three protein components of prothrombinase, factors (f) Xa and Va and prothrombin, bind to negatively charged membrane phospholipids, the exact role of the membrane in the prothrombinase reaction has not been fully understood. In this study, we prepared deletion derivatives of fXa and prothrombin in which both the Gla and first EGF-like domains of the protease (E2-fXa) as well as the Gla and both kringle domains of the substrate (prethrombin-2) had been deleted. The fVa-mediated catalytic activity of E2-fXa toward prethrombin-2 was analyzed in both the absence and presence of phospholipids composed of 80% phosphatidylcholine (PC) and 20% phosphatidylserine (PS). PCPS markedly accelerated the initial rate of prethrombin-2 activation by E2-fXa, with the cofactor exhibiting saturation only in the presence of phospholipids (apparent Kd of ∼60 nM). Competitive kinetic studies in the presence of the two exosite-1-specific ligands Tyr63-sulfated hirudin54−65 and TM456 suggested that while both peptid...
Iterative Protein Redesign

An iterative redesign protocol for the transformation of a non-native peptide into a series of nativelike proteins derived from elementary considerations of biological evolution coupled with 1H NMR as an artificial selection criterion is presented. Each of three heptad d position leucines in the helix−helix interfaces of the prototype heme protein maquette, [H10H24]2 or (α-SS-α)2, were replaced in a unit modification per helix by more conformationally restricted β-branched and aromatic amino acids. The secondary structure content (evaluated by circular dichroism and infrared spectroscopies), solvent accessibility of the tryptophan residues (measured by fluorescence spectroscopy), global stability (quantitated by isothermal chemical denaturation), and degree of conformational specificity (determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy) of the resultant peptides were determined. Improvement in the degree of conformational specificity was utilized as a selection criterion to choose three of the nine singly modified pepti...
Diffuse and Propagating Modes in the Heisenberg Paramagnet

The spectral weight function of the frequency $\ensuremath{\omega}$ and wave number $q$ for the spin pair correlation function in a Heisenberg system is studied in the paramagnetic region. It is suggested that this function will exhibit propagating modes at short wavelengths and at temperatures $T$ not much greater than the transition temperature ${T}_{c}$. This suggestion follows from the approximation used to evaluate the moments of the spectral weight function and from the assumption that the generalized diffusivity, of which the pair correlation function is a functional, contains no $\ensuremath{\delta}$-function terms $\ensuremath{\delta}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ and is a smooth monotonic function. The region for which the dispersion equation has real solutions (propagating modes) $\ensuremath{\omega}={\ensuremath{\omega}}_{B}(\mathrm{q})$ is obtained by estimating the moment-fluctuation ratio $R(\mathrm{q})=\frac{{{〈{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}〉}_{\mathrm{q}}}^{2}}{{〈{({\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{〈{\ensuremath{\omega}}^{2}〉}_{\mathrm{q}})}^{2}〉}_{\mathrm{q}}}$ for the pair correlation function. When $Tg{T}_{c}$ and when $q$ is greater than a critical wave number ${q}_{c}$, the estimate gives $R(\mathrm{q})g1$ and thereby predicts propagating modes. An approximate nonlinear integral equation for the susceptibility is used to estimate $R(\mathrm{q})$. It is shown that the critical wave number ${q}_{c}$ is proportional to the inverse square root of the static susceptibility, ${q}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\chi}}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}(T)$. This approximation yields an expression for $R(\mathrm{q})$ at high temperature which is in substantial agreement with the exact high-temperature evaluation of $R(\mathrm{q})$. The exact and approximate evaluations of $R(\mathrm{q})$ for high temperature predict that $R(\mathrm{q})l1$ for all values of wave vector q in the first Brillouin zone, and consequently suggest that there are no high-frequency propagating modes at high temperatures.
The Ultimate Asset: A Retrospective View

Let me say, first, that I stand here with a lingering sense of surprise as to how all this could have come about. I associate myself with Rip Van Winkle. When he reappeared after his long retirement he was a man about my age, verging on his mideighties, bearded, and probably needing a haircut. My most recent book was published before Pearl Harbor. I retired nearly 20 years ago, and I did not expect to have my repose interrupted by an invitation to participate in an occasion of this sort.
Psychometric Studies in Muscular Dystrophy Type Ilia (Duchenne)

SUMMARY Mental retardation is found in about one-third of the cases of muscular dystrophy type Ilia. It is present already in the early phases of the disease and remains essentially unchanged as the muscular condition progresses. It is concluded that mental retardation is an intrinsic manifestation of the mutant gene, which, however, shows a limited expressivity. Occasionally neglect and cultural deprivation of the severely disabled child may represent an additional environmental cause of mental retardation. RESUME Etudes psychometriques dans la dystrophic musculaire type IIIa (Duchenne) l'arrieration mentale se rencontre dans un tiers environ des cas de dystrophic musculaire type Ilia. Elle est presente des les premieres phases de la maladie et reste essentiellement la meme tandis que l'etat musculaire evolue. On en conclut que l'arrieration mentale est une manifestation intrinseque du gene mutant, qui, d'autre part, s'exprime assez peu. Parfois la negligence et la privation de culture de l'enfant severement invalide peut representer une cause additionnelle d'arrieration mentale due au milieu. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Psychometrische Untersuchungen bei progressiver Muskeldystrophie Typ IIIa (Duchenne) Geistiger Entwicklungsruckstand wird in ungefahr einem Drittel der Falle von progressiver Muskeldystrophie Typ Ilia festgestellt. Er ist schon in den Anfangsstadien der Krankheit vorhanden und bleibt im wesentlichen unverandert. Es wird angenommen, dass das die Muskelschwache verursachende Gen auch fur den Schwachsinn verantwort-lich ist. Das inkonstante Vorhandensein von Schwachsinn wird mit wechselnder Expressivitat des abnormen Gens erklart. In manchen Fallen mag Vernachlassigung des hilflos gewordenen Kindes eine weitere Intelligenzeinbusse verursachen. RESUMEN Estudios psicometricos en la distrofia muscular del tipo IIIa (Duchenne) Se encuentra atraso mental en la tercera parte aproximadamente de los casos de distrofia muscular del tipo Ilia. Se presenta ya en las fases precoces de la enfermedad y cambia muy poco durante la evolution de la afeccion muscular. Se concluye que el atraso mental es una manifestation intrinseca de la gena mutante, que sin embargo tiene una expresion limitada. A veces el descuido y la privateon cultural de un nino muy incapaz puede ser un factor en su medio ambiente que representa otra causa de atraso mental.
MobiCom poster: a transport layer approach to host mobility

This poster describes a new approach to host mobility, where the responsibility of maintaining an end-to-end pipe that survives changes to the host network attachment point is moved to the transport layer.
Productivity and Prestige in Business Ethics Research A Report and Commentary on the State of the Field

This article provides a report and commentary on productivity and prestige in business ethics research. Based on a survey that was administered to 320 business ethics scholars worldwide, the authors report a ranking of 15 business schools that are perceived to be leaders in the field of business ethics. Based on these same survey results, the authors investigate which factors may have the strongest relationship to individual publication productivity and perceptions of institutional prestige within business ethics research. The results provide several surprising findings that suggest the business ethics field may be anomalous in academe in terms of the emergence of productivity and prestige.
Secularisation and Human Identity in Christ

The ability of Christian discourse to give people a sense of their identity sustains the concrete church. The cultural revolt of the 1960s which suddenly weakened the power of discursive Christianity in Britain may be partially explained in terms of the deterritorializing power of capitalism. In the context of this deterritorialization the formation of self-identity becomes more difficult and strong religious identities have a new appeal. Post liberal theologians have endorsed the identity-forming power of the church. But Christian identity must still be worked out in relation to what lies beyond the borders of the church. Christians rediscover their own foundational story in the acts and deeds of others. Theological formation should involve not only an immersion in the Christian tradition but also the search for what recognisably shares in the same project that the gospel defines. The history of personalism suggests what this search might look like in practice.
The persuasiveness of metaphor: A replication and extension

This study examines the persuasiveness of three extended concluding metaphors: sex, death, and sex‐death. Results indicate the extended sex metaphorical conclusion induced greater attitude change in the direction advocated than did the other conclusions. Three explanations are posited: (1) it psychologically arouses and motivates the audience to action; (2) it provides the best culmination of arguments presented in the body of the speech; and (3) it's persuasiveness is a function of both the above. These results provide additional evidence for the contention that metaphor functions differently from other forms of intense language.
Decision quality and commitment within a probabilistic environment

Abstract A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted using the Brunswik lens model as a base for its design. In this study the effects of varying levels of advice and goals on performance and commitment were investigated. Previous works have not integrated the value of information on performance when given in different amounts or in conjunction with goal-setting propositions within the context of complex decisions made under uncertainty. Commitment functions have remained elusive to researchers as well. Performance was marginally superior when moderate amounts of information were given. Advice and commitment were unrelated. Contrary to the majority of past evidence, as goals became easier, performance marginally improved. Moreover, with easier goals, commitments were less delayed and more accepted. Over time there was increased commitment and improved decision quality. Task complexity emerged as an important explanatory moderating factor between advice and goal influences on decision quality as well as commitment.
Hispanics' Awareness of Assistive Technology

This study compared Hispanics' awareness of services available to acquire assistive technology and whether they actually sought help to the findings from a national sample. The study assists the field by providing information on a group largely ignored in the literature. The authors sought to answer the following research questions: Are there intergroup differences between Hispanics with disabilities and non-Hispanics with disabilities in terms of how they receive help accessing AT services? and Are there intragroup differences among Hispanics with respect to how they receive help and their awareness of available help to acquire AT? The findings suggest a large disparity between awareness of available services to acquire assistive technology and actual receipt of such services. In addition, although similar patterns were found, the Hispanics from the national sample appear more aligned with the overall sample, while the Hispanics from the Hispanic-only sample seem to be using services at higher percentages.
Non-finite-dimensional computability of filters in the presence of entrance boundaries

Let X be a one-dimensional diffusion with a constant diffusion coefficient. Suppose that we observe X in additive white noise. Bene[sbreve] showed that the conditional density of X(t) given the noisy observations up to time t can be computed explicitly by a stochastic system with a finite-dimensional state space if the drift of X is a differentiable, everywhere defined solution of a one dimensional Ricatti equation with a quadratic potential. Suppose now that the drift satisfies the same Ricatti equation, but only on a bounded or semi-bounded interval I at the endpoints of which it becomes singular. In this caseX will have entrance boundaries at the finite endpoints of I We show that unnormalized conditional estimates will no longer be finite-dimensionally computable in this situation. Our proof uses the following principle, which is of independent interest: the property of finite dimensional computability of a statistic is invariant under the application of the Markov semigroup of X
Clinical Considerations in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris and Other Inflammatory Skin Disorders: a Status Report

This article reviews the anti-inflammatory and nonantimicrobial effects of antibiotics in acne and other diseases and examines issues relating to the emergence of decreased bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics and how these issues relate to clinical practice. It includes an overview of the inflammatory activities of some antibiotic agents and their potential for use in various dermatologic and nondermatologic diseases. It demonstrates that P acnes –resistant organisms may be associated with therapeutic failure in some patients with acne, and that the prudent use of antibiotics is necessary to ensure that we can continue to use these drugs to combat disease effectively. It concludes that there are treatment strategies that can effectively minimize the potential for development of resistant P acnes organisms.
Rational-emotive theory: II. explication and evaluation

In contrast to previous formulation of rational-emotive theory, the present formulation is based on comprehensively critical rationalism (rather than logical empiricism), identifies negative evaluations (bad, wrong, awful) as the specific etiology of unwanted (dysphoric) emotions, and clarifies the definitional nature of such evaluations. In contrast, other cognitive-behavioral theories emphasize external events, faulty inferences, or the client's perception or construal of the situation as the source of the undesired emotional responses. It is difficult to choose among these theories because the purported etiological agents are confounded, and we do not have adequate measures of the degree to which people hold and understand various beliefs. Individuals can confirm the theory by noting their emotional reactions to those specific beliefs identified as irrational in this formulation. Dysphoric emotions (anger, anxiety, depression, guilt, jealousy, and shame) result, to a considerable extent, from fundamentalist, absolutistic, moral beliefs, and might be largely eliminated if children were no longer indoctrinated with these points of view.
'Our Learned Primate' and that 'Rare Treasurie': James Ussher's Use of Sir Robert Cotton's Manuscript Library, c. 1603–1655

AbstractThe historical significance of Sir Robert Cotton's famous library of manuscripts is considered through the activities of James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh, who used the library extensively in his work as Protestant theologian and historian. Cotton's library is singled out for particular praise on more than one occasion in Ussher's published works, and it is revealed that Ussher used nearly one hundred Cottonian manuscripts. This use is attested to in his notebooks and correspondence, the surviving records of loans made from the Cottonian Library, and from some of the Cottonian manuscripts themselves. Ussher's manuscript use is analysed with reference to his antiquarian interests as well as to his politico-theological aims for the furtherance of the reformed, established Church in Ireland.
'Against all (well, many!) odds'. The implementation of dynamic-interactive guided study modules for music education courses at colleges of education

The Music Department at a College of Education in Kwa-Zulu Natal has experimented over approximately the past five years with possible solutions to the demand for modularisation. A modular system based on an independent personal interpretation of our new National Qualifications Framework (NQF) requirements has been designed which is allowing the recommendations of the NQF to ‘happen’. It seeks to empower students to be valued for their own talents and interests and to reach their own potential at their own pace and in their own way. Simultaneously, the modules seek to promote holistic music education, although many modules are essentially reductionist. The modules are also designed according to the broad cross-curricular outcomes which underpin the Constitution and which have been adopted by SAQA (the South African Qualifications Authority). Specific outcomes established for the Arts and Culture Learning Area have also been taken into consideration in the overall design of the modules. Greater inclusivity...
Seasonal variation of dermatologic disease in the USA: a study of office visits from 1990 to 1998

Background Seasonal variation has been demonstrated in many diseases, including certain skin diseases. Objective To determine whether there is seasonal variation in dermatologic office visits in the USA. Methods Data on dermatologic office visits were obtained from representative visits to outpatient physicians in the USA from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 1990 to 1998. Office visit seasonality was examined for all skin conditions, and individually for the 15 most commonly diagnosed conditions. Results Office visits for skin conditions were seasonal (P = 0.002). The magnitude of variation can be roughly expressed by the following scheme: actinic keratosis (P = 0.0001) > acne (P = 0.0001) > folliculitis (P = 0.002) > dyschromia (P = 0.01) > seborrheic keratosis (P = 0.04) > psoriasis (P = 0.07) > seborrheic dermatitis (P = 0.09). Visits for skin cancer, not otherwise specified (skin cancer NOS), atopic dermatitis, cysts, common wart, wart, not otherwise specified (wart NOS), rosacea, contact dermatitis, and benign tumors showed no significant seasonal variations or trends. Conclusions Dermatologic office visits are seasonal, with visits for individual diseases varying in their magnitude of seasonality. This seasonal variation may be a result of biological and nonbiological variables.
The role of carbapenems in initial therapy for serious Gram-negative infections

The treatment of patients with serious Gram-negative infections must be both prompt and correct. Numerous studies have demonstrated that mortality risk is significantly increased when the initial antibiotic regimen does not adequately cover the infecting pathogen. Furthermore, changing to an appropriate regimen once culture results are available does not reduce this risk. Therefore, one must empirically treat serious infections with a regimen that covers likely pathogens. Selecting such a regimen is complicated by the increasing prevalence of resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Moreover, multidrug-resistant pathogens, once limited to hospital-acquired infections, are increasingly being detected in community-acquired infections, especially those involving the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts or in immunocompromised patients. Consequently, the initial antibiotic regimen must have a broad spectrum of activity that includes potential resistant pathogens, as indicated by the local antibiogram. Many multidrug-resistant pathogens remain susceptible to carbapenems despite increasing worldwide antibiotic resistance. This article reviews the role played by carbapenems in the initial treatment of serious Gram-negative infections and the potential effect of emerging resistance on this role.
An extended inverse QR adaptive filtering algorithm

Abstract A so-called inverse QR algorithm was recently introduced for recursive adaptive filtering under the exponentially weighted least-squares criterion. It has some attractive features, including the absence of inversions. The extension to the multi-channel case does require inversion however. We present a new derivation of the inverse QR algorithm, based on the technique of Sayed and Kailath, for reformulating the above adaptive filtering problem as a state-space estimation problem. A well-known square-root covariance algorithm for the latter problem is shown to directly give (a multi-channel version of) the inverse QR algorithm. A new extended square-root covariance algorithm is then applied to get a new inversion-free ‘extended inverse QR’ algorithm, even in the multi-channel case.
Causal output tracking in nonminimum phase boost DC/DC converter using sliding mode techniques

The problem of causal output tracking in the nonminimum phase boost DC/DC power converter is studied. The extended method of stable system center (ESSC) is used for generation of a bounded reference profile for the internal state on the basis of given in real time output state reference profile. Sliding mode controller (SMC) is proposed to track mentioned reference profiles, while converter parameters (load resistance and voltage source impedance), which affect the internal dynamics, are identified in real time, employing the idea of sliding mode parameter observer (SMPO). A numerical simulation illustrates the efficiency of the proposed control methodology in the presence of internal uncertainties and external disturbances.
HOW INTEREST RATES WERE SET, 2500 BC-1000 AD: Máš, tokos and foenus as Metaphors for Interest Accruals

The earliest interest rates in Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome were set not "economically" to reflect profit or productivity rates, but by the dictates of mathematical simplicity of calculation. The interest that was "born" calendrically did not take the form of young animals, but rather of the "unit fraction," the smallest unit fraction in each of the above fractional systems: 1/60th in the Mesopotamia, 1/10th in Greece, and 1/12th in Rome. The "birth" or "calf/kid" metaphor for interest thus referred to "baby fractions", not literally baby animals.
Fatal Infant Myocardial Infarction Caused by Ball-IN-Valve Mechanism from a Dysplastic Aortic Valve

Abstract Background Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can occur in infants. Early identification of AMI can allow for specific therapies aimed at improving patient outcomes. Objective This article describes a case of an infant with AMI caused by a previously unreported mechanism and reviews diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for dealing with this rare disease. Case Report We present a case of a 5-week-old infant with a fatal AMI due to a pedunculated nodule from a dysplastic aortic valve leaflet creating a ball-in-valve mechanism and occluding the left main coronary artery. Conclusion AMI is an important diagnostic consideration in any infant presenting with signs of unexplained cardiogenic shock. Practitioners who care for children should be aware of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for AMI in infants.
Support loss-free micro/nano-mechanical resonators using phononic crystal slab waveguides

Phononic crystals (PnCs) are inhomogeneous materials with periodic variations in their elastic (or acoustic) properties. PnCs, if properly designed, can show frequency ranges in which the propagation of elastic waves is completely prohibited. Within these frequency ranges, called complete phononic band gaps (CPnBGs), elastic energy can be confined and manipulated by the PnC structure. Micro-machined PnC structures with two-dimensional (2D) periodicities and finite thicknesses have been developed to possess large CPnBGs. Such structures have shown to be very effective in confining mechanical vibrations at very high frequencies. It is argued that by replacing the supporting structure of the suspended conventional high-Q micro/nano-mechanical (MM) resonators with PnC structures, the support loss in the resonators can be suppressed. However, a such resonators may give rise to spurious modes in the resonance profile of the resonance. Therefore, the development of more efficient PnC resonators with complete elimination of the supporting structures in all in-plane directions and with large spurious-fee spectral ranges is pending. In this paper we discuss different architectures and properties of support-loss-free PnC micro-mechanical resonators and compare their performance with the conventional MM bar resonators with supporting anchors. We have recently shown that in a thin-film piezoelectric on substrate (TPoS) MM resonator, the quality factor can be greatly improved by replacing the supporting structure with PnC structures. Qs of more than 6,000 are obtained at very high frequencies (∼130 MHz) for the case of PnC resonators compared to Qs the order of about 1,000 for the structures with support. It is though observed that the PnC structure in such resonators may lead to undesirable spurious modes around the main resonant mode. In order to mitigate the spurious modes, in this paper PnC waveguides are engineered and designed to form more effective PnC resonators. Waveguide-based PnC resonators with Qs of more than 7,000 and with a large free spectral range around the resonant mode are hence developed.
Applying the coalitionary-traits metric: sociality without cooperation in male yellow-bellied marmots

Mammalian sociality varies both within and between species. We developed a trait-based method to quantify sociality in a continuous way to study the adaptive utility and evolution of male social behavior. The metric is based on 3 key traits—mutual tolerance, collaboration, and partner preference; males with no traits are not social, whereas those with all 3 traits are described as forming coalitions. We applied this framework to systematically describe sociality in the yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris). Male marmot sociality varies: social groups contain one to several adult males, who may or may not monopolize reproduction. Through a series of experiments and demographic analyses, we found that male marmots do not appear to discriminate among individuals and thus do not show evidence of partner preference, males do not adjust alarm-calling behavior in a way consistent with male–male collaboration (but may alarm call to preferentially warn kin), and males do not increase their reproductive success by forming multiple-male groups. We conclude that yellow-bellied marmots show rudimentary sociality, with multiple-male groups maintained mainly by an environmental constraint and possible kin selection. The coalitionary-traits metric allowed us to systematically and objectively evaluate the degree of sociality in a socially plastic species. Key words: coalitions, Marmota flaviventris, mutual tolerance, reproduction, sociality, yellow-bellied marmot. [Behav Ecol]
Organization of the TRAC processor-memory subsystem

TRAC integrates a sufficient number of architecturally unique features to justify the development of microprogrammed processor and memory modules. This paper contains a discussion of the issues considered in the design and implementation of these modules.
Climate sensitivity to cloud optical properties

A radiative–convective model was developed to investigate the sensitivity of climate to cloud optical properties and the related feedback processes. This model demonstrates that the Earth's surface temperature increases with cloud optical depth when the clouds are very thin but decreases with cloud optical depth when the cloud shortwave (solar) radiative forcing is larger than the cloud longwave (terrestrial) radiative forcing. When clouds are included in the model, the magnitude of the greenhouse effect due to a doubling of the CO 2 concentration varies with the cloudoptical depth: the thicker the clouds, the weaker the greenhouse warming. In addition, a small variation in the cloud droplet size has a larger impact on the equilibrium state temperature in the lower atmosphere than the warming caused by a doubling of the CO 2 concentration: a 2% increase in the average cloud droplet size per degree increase in temperature doubles the warming caused by the doubling of the CO 2 concentration. These findings suggest that physically reliable correlations between the cloud droplet size and macrophysical meteorological variables such as temperature, wind and water vapor fields are needed on a global climate scale to assess the climate impact of increases in greenhouse gases. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.2000.00993.x
p16INK4a Translation Suppressed by miR-24

Background: Expression of the tumor suppressor p16 INK4a increases during aging and replicative senescence. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we report that the microRNA miR-24 suppresses p16 expression in human diploid fibroblasts and cervical carcinoma cells. Increased p16 expression with replicative senescence was associated with decreased levels of miR-24, a microRNA that was predicted to associate with the p16 mRNA coding and 39-untranslated regions. Ectopic miR-24 overexpression reduced p16 protein but not p16 mRNA levels. Conversely, introduction of antisense (AS)-miR-24 blocked miR-24 expression and markedly enhanced p16 protein levels, p16 translation, and the production of EGFP-p16 reporter bearing the miR-24 target recognition sites. Conclusions/Significance: Together, our results suggest that miR-24 represses the initiation and elongation phases of p16 translation.
Exploring Automatically Generated Design Concepts Using Cyberinfrastructure

Our society has witnessed major growth and innovation in technology. However, one of innovation’s fundamental aspects, designer creativity, is still largely unsupported by information technology (IT) tools. This paper establishes a bridge between efforts to use cyberinfrastructure to generate design alternatives and a designer’s ability to explore and evaluate concepts. The research presented provides a method of synthesizing a web-based representation of a product concept using information from a digital design repository, an automatic concept generator, and results from a clustering analysis. A visualization interface is developed to provide designers with multiple representations of product concepts. The development of this approach establishes a computing infrastructure to support an investigation into the effect of information technology on designer creativity and provides a foundation for the development of further support technology. The architecture is implemented and the result is illustrated with an example in order to show the capabilities of the approach.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Humoral Immune Responses in Cr2−/− Mice: Enhanced Affinity Maturation but Impaired Antibody Persistence

Deficiency in CD21/CD35 by disruption of the Cr2 loci leads to impaired humoral immune responses. In this study, we detail the role of CD21/CD35 on Ab responses to the hapten (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl conjugated to chicken gamma-globulin. Surprisingly, Cr2-/- mice generate significant Ab responses and germinal center (GC) reactions to low doses of this Ag in alum, although the magnitude of their responses is much reduced in comparison with those of Cr2+/- and C57BL/6 controls. Increasing Ag dose partially corrected this deficit. In situ study of the somatic genetics of GC B cells demonstrated that VDJ hypermutation does not require CD21/CD35, and Cr2-/- mice exhibited enhanced affinity maturation of serum Ab in the post-GC phase of the primary response. On the other hand, Cr2-/- mice displayed accelerated loss of serum Ab and long-lived Ab-forming cells. These observations suggest that B cell activation/survival signals mediated by CD21 and/or the retention of Ag by CD21/CD35 play important roles in the generation, quality, and maintenance of serum Ab.
Gangs of Chicago: Perceptions of Crime and its Effect on the Recreation Behavior of Latino Residents in Urban Communities

Perception of safety is an important factor affecting the leisure behavior of Latinos residing in urban neighborhoods. Yet research on how fear of crime and fear of gangs in particular affect leisure of ethnic and racial minorities is underdeveloped. The objectives of this study are to examine how gangs operate in recreation spaces in Latino neighborhoods, how gangs affect the use of outdoor recreation environments and how Latinos respond to these issues. The study is based on focus groups conducted with Latino residents in Chicago. Findings indicate gang members are almost constantly present in parks, which serve as spaces for drug use and distribution. Moreover, gangs operate in other areas of the neighborhood making it unsafe to access parks. Participants employ strategies to address the gang problem including avoidance, protective and collective behaviors.
Effect of Aerobic Fitness on Hemodynamic Responses to Upright Tilting

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of aerobic fitness on heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure responses to upright tilting in 10 below-average (BA Group) and 10 above-average (AA Group) aerobically fit adults. Aerobic fitness levels were predicted using the Astrand and Ryhming submaximal exercise test. Mean predicted maximal aerobic capacities were significantly higher ( p < .05) for the AA Group (46.0 ± 6.0 mL·kg−1·min−1) compared with the BA Group (31.0 ± 4.8 mL·kg−1·min−1) subjects. Heart rate and blood pressure responses were obtained at rest (supine position for 30 minutes) and during 5 minutes of upright tilting to 70 degrees (electric tilt table). A two-factor analysis of variance indicated that the increase in heart rate to upright tilting was significant ( p < .05) (significant treatment effect). More importantly, the study revealed a significant treatment × group interaction ( p < .05), indicating that the heart rate response for the BA Group was significantly greater than for the AA Group. Similar results occurred for blood pressure responses. A separate analysis of variance demonstrated significant changes in hemodynamic responses to upright tilting and significant treatment × group interactions. These results demonstrated significantly smaller ( p < .05) changes in blood pressure and heart rate to upright tilting for the AA Group compared with the BA Group. The results, therefore, indicate that reflex responses to central hypovolemia are different between above-average and below-average aerobically fit adults.
Expansion of inflammatory innate lymphoid cells in patients with common variable immune deficiency

Background Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is an antibody deficiency treated with immunoglobulin; however, patients can have noninfectious inflammatory conditions that lead to heightened morbidity and mortality. Objectives Modular analyses of RNA transcripts in whole blood previously identified an upregulation of many interferon-responsive genes. In this study we sought the cell populations leading to this signature. Methods Lymphoid cells were measured in peripheral blood of 55 patients with CVID (31 with and 24 without inflammatory/autoimmune complications) by using mass cytometry and flow cytometry. Surface markers, cytokines, and transcriptional characteristics of sorted innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) were defined by using quantitative PCR. Gastrointestinal and lung biopsy specimens of subjects with inflammatory disease were stained to seek ILCs in tissues. Results The linage-negative, CD127 + , CD161 + lymphoid population containing T-box transcription factor, retinoic acid–related orphan receptor (ROR) γt, IFN-γ, IL-17A, and IL-22, all hallmarks of type 3 innate lymphoid cells, were expanded in the blood of patients with CVID with inflammatory conditions (mean, 3.7% of PBMCs). ILCs contained detectable amounts of the transcription factors inhibitor of DNA binding 2, T-box transcription factor, and RORγt and increased mRNA transcripts for IL-23 receptor (IL-23R) and IL-26, demonstrating inflammatory potential. In gastrointestinal and lung biopsy tissues of patients with CVID, numerous IFN-γ + RORγt + CD3 − cells were identified, suggesting a role in these mucosal inflammatory states. Conclusions An expansion of this highly inflammatory ILC population is a characteristic of patients with CVID with inflammatory disease; ILCs and the interferon signature are markers for the uncontrolled inflammatory state in these patients.
Management of otitis media and functional outcomes related to language, behavior, and attention: is it time to change our approach?

Outcomes research assesses the end results of health care from the perspective of those who receive the care, those who provide it, and those who pay for it. The article by Karin Minter and her colleagues1 at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, provides important new information related to the functional outcomes of otitis media (OM) in early childhood. Their study documenting the relationship of otitis media with effusion (OME) and hearing loss with functional measures of attention and behavior obtained from parents, teachers, and clinicians appears in this issue of Pediatrics. 1 They conducted this prospective cohort study in 85 children whose middle ear and hearing status had been closely monitored from 6 months to 4 years of age. The diagnosis of OME was based on both pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry. Audiologists who were unaware of the middle ear findings performed hearing assessments. The validated measures used to assess outcomes included the behavior rating scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, the Parenting Stress Index, the Social Skills rating system, and the Conners' Teacher/Parent Rating Scale. Children's attention and behavior were assessed during infancy, preschool, and first grade. Mother's education, socioeconomic status, child gender, child care quality, and a measure of the home environment (home screening questionnaire) were included as covariates in all analyses. When these covariates were considered, there were no significant correlations between OME or hearing loss with any of the measures of attention and behavior at any age during the first 6 years of life. In a previous publication, the investigators failed to document an association between otitis or hearing loss and the acquisition of language skills in this population.2 The availability of this new data as well as the recent publication of several prospective cohort studies …
Perceptions of Parental Acceptance‐Rejection and Self‐Concepts among Ukrainian University Students

This report describes perceptions of parental acceptance-rejection, parental control and self-concepts in a sample of 108 university students in the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine. The students responded to Russian translations of two questionnaires: the Parental Acceptance-Rejection/Control Questionnaire (PARQ/Control) and the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ). The Ukrainian respondents generally regarded their parents as loving, warm and low in hostility, aggression, neglect and indifference. The participants also revealed moderately positive self-concepts. The now familiar pancultural correlation between perceptions of acceptance-rejection and psychological adjustment was also observed. The more accepting the participants perceived their mothers and fathers to be, the more likely the students were to hold positive self-concepts.