cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Enzyme Function from Sequence: A Systematic Appraisal

Gapped and ungapped sequence alignment were tested as possible methods to classify proteins into the functional classes defined by the International Enzyme Commission (EC). We exhaustively tested all 15,208 proteins labeled with any EC class in a recent release of the SwissProt database, evaluating all 1,327 relevant EC classes. We effectively tested all possible similarity thresholds that could be used for this assignment through the use of the ROC statistic. Approximately 60% of Enzyme Commission classes containing two or more proteins could not be perfectly discriminated by sequence similarity at any threshold. An analysis of the errors indicates that false positive matches dominate, and that various error mechanisms can be identified, including the multidomain nature of many proteins and polyproteins, convergent evolution, variation in enzyme specificity, and other factors. Many of the putatively false positives are in fact biologically relevant. This work strongly suggests that functional assignment of enzymes should attempt to delimit functionally significant subregions, or domains, before matching to EC classes.
Dynamic profiling of double-stranded RNA binding proteins

Double-stranded (ds) RNA is a key player in numerous biological activities in cells, including RNA interference, anti-viral immunity and mRNA transport. The class of proteins responsible for recognizing dsRNA is termed double-stranded RNA binding proteins (dsRBP). However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction between dsRBPs and dsRNA. Here we examined four human dsRBPs, ADAD2, TRBP, Staufen 1 and ADAR1 on six dsRNA substrates that vary in length and secondary structure. We combined single molecule pull-down (SiMPull), single molecule protein-induced fluorescence enhancement (smPIFE) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the dsRNA-dsRBP interactions. Our results demonstrate that despite the highly conserved dsRNA binding domains, the dsRBPs exhibit diverse substrate specificities and dynamic properties when in contact with different RNA substrates. While TRBP and ADAR1 have a preference for binding simple duplex RNA, ADAD2 and Staufen1 display higher affinity to highly structured RNA substrates. Upon interaction with RNA substrates, TRBP and Staufen1 exhibit dynamic sliding whereas two deaminases ADAR1 and ADAD2 mostly remain immobile when bound. MD simulations provide a detailed atomic interaction map that is largely consistent with the affinity differences observed experimentally. Collectively, our study highlights the diverse nature of substrate specificity and mobility exhibited by dsRBPs that may be critical for their cellular function.
In-store consumer nutrition education utilizing student educators

In-store nutrition education has the potential to be "one of the most powerful interventions available in community-based health-promotion programs" (1, p.228). Supermarkets are a logical place to provide nutrition education; a recent survey shows that 97% of American families shop in a supermarket at least once every two weeks (2). Another recent national survey (3) indicated that 36% of the grocery chains contacted were already using some form of in-store nutrition education. Although an estimated 50% of purchase decisions are made at the time of purchase (4), the effectiveness of point-of-purchase nutrition information as a stimulus to changing food buying behavior remains unclear. While point-of-purchase campaigns are used successfully to advertise many consumer products, the results of nutrition education campaigns have been mixed in their effectiveness in promoting a change in knowledge, attitudes or food purchase behavior. Because of methodological difficulties and the complexity of intervening variables that drive food purchase behavior, the efficacy and cost to benefit ratio of nutrition education campaigns have been difficult to establish. Some researchers have demonstrated changes in knowledge or purchase behavior resulting from a variety of mass media and point-of-purchase nutrition information campaigns (5-7). Others have had less encouraging results, finding that the changes were either insignificant or short term (4,8,9). Not surprisingly, behavior change seems to be more resistant than knowledge or attitudes to the influence of in-store nutrition education (4,8,10). Some of the problems identified regarding the efficacy of supermarket nutrition education programs include: lack of use of consistent nutrition information from store to store, lack of defined criteria for materials, and lack of resources to do an adequate job with the project (3). In addition, limited consumer exposure and the difficulty of gaining consumer attention have been suggested as reasons why in-store nutrition education has not been consistent in demonstrating change (11,12). Point-of-purchase nutrition education materials compete for attention with multi-million dollar food product advertising in a cluttered supermarket environment, making
Amorphous Unsaturated Aliphatic Polyesters Derived from Dicarboxylic Monomers Synthesized by Diels−Alder Chemistry

A versatile method for synthesizing functionalized amorphous degradable polyesters via step growth polycondensation was investigated. A series of dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides were synthesized by Diels−Alder reactions of fumaric acid and maleic anhydride, respectively, with various dienes. The resulting difunctional monomers were reacted with 1,8-octanediol in the presence of tin octanoate catalyst at 160 °C and 30 mmHg for 24 h to form new unsaturated aliphatic polyesters. Each polyester had molecular weight 〈Mn〉 between 1.0 × 104 and 2.0 × 104 g mol-1 and a polydispersity index near 2.0. All of the materials were amorphous and had glass transition temperatures between −30 and −15 °C. Each polymer repeat unit necessarily featured a double bond, which was exploited to cross-link the materials yielding degradable elastomers. Amine- and ether-containing polyesters were synthesized by using monomers formed from the corresponding polar functionalized dienes. Using this broad cycloaddition scheme, a variet...
Lupus Nephritis: Novel Treatments and Diagnostic Approaches

Over the last decade, therapy for lupus nephritis in children has begun to shift from the provision of long-term steroids and intravenous cyclophosphamide to regimens with limited or no cyclophosphamide, lower steroid burdens, and increased reliance on oral mycophenolate mofetil. As the molecular immunology underlying the pathophysiology of lupus is further discerned, more targeted therapies, including the use of monoclonal antibodies against immune cells or cell signaling factors, may come to play a larger role in the treatment of pediatric lupus. Similarly, as experience with autologous stem cell transplantation for therapy-resistant disease is gained in adults, its potential applicability to such situations in children may be clarified. Over the next few decades, children with lupus will benefit as well from the identification of new biomarkers that are both sensitive and specific to disease activity, allowing clinicians to more readily assess response to therapy and diagnose disease flare.
Mineralogic and crystallographic evidence of lime processing, Santa Cruz Maya Site (classic to postclassic), Ambergris Caye, Belize

Abstract Layers of calcium carbonate in processing levels at the Santa Cruz Site on Ambergris Caye resemble those found at an Early Classic site in Placenia which were interpreted as replaced lime manufactured by the Maya. X-ray diffraction analyses of the Santa Cruz samples revealed the presence of trace amounts of CaO, MgO (periclase) and Mg(OH) 2 (brucite), all of which are characteristic by-products of the burning of limestone. Crystallographic studies of these samples by scanning electron microscopy indicated the presence of crystal fabrics that, in conjunction with mineralogic composition, suggest a precursor lime origin of this calcium carbonate. Similar mineralogy and crystal fabrics likewise suggest an analogous origin for the calcium carbonate layers at Placencia.
Comparison of Deep-Sea Channel and Interchannel Deposits Off Oregon: ABSTRACT

Deep-sea channel and interchannel deposits from the southern part of the Cascadia abyssal plain have been studied through textural and coarse fraction analyses, fauna, radiocarbon dating, and stratigraphic sequence. Piston cores were taken along a line from the base of the continental slope off central Oregon to the western edge of the abyssal plain. Faunal and color changes between the upper and lower sections of several cores take place abruptly in the cores. The horizon separating the upper and lower sections is a significant one (a change from glacial to post-glacial conditions). The ratio of planktonic foraminifers to radiolarians is less than one above the horizon and greater than one below. The radiocarbon age of the deposits just below the horizon is 15,200 B.P. Both channel and interchannel sediments show a marked increase in the number and thickness of sand layers deposited during glacial time, whereas post-glacial deposits show a decrease in sand. Only post-glacial deposits have been observed in Cascadia and Astoria channels and in the interchannel area east of the latter. The coarsest layers in these channels consist of coarse silt and very fine sand, respectively. Two unnamed channels on the western side of the plain display a largely glacial section consisting chiefly of very fine sand and coarse silt. Interchannel deposits on the western edge of the plain are significantly finer-grained than those on the east. The highest sedimentation rates in the area apparently occurred during glacial time. Radiocarbon dates indicate a rate of accumulation during glacial time of about 170 centimeters per 1,000 years for an interchannel area on the western edge of the plain. Post-glacial rates of deposition are highest on the eastern side of the plain, particularly in the area adjacent to the continental slope, and in Astoria and Cascadia channels. End_of_Article - Last_Page 472------------
Defect structure in transition-metal monoxides.

The electronic structure and stabilization energy of metal vacancy and vacancy-interstitial clusters are studied in transition-metal monoxides using the first-principles local-density theory. The discrete-variational method in the embedded-cluster scheme is used to obtain both the one-electron properties and cohesive energies. Our calculations predict greater stability for 2:1 (vacancy:interstitial) defect structure over simple vacancies. This is in agreement with experiments for MnO and the heavier 3d compounds, but for TiO and VO lattice vacancies at the metallic or oxygen sites are experimentally predominant. The energy for the single metal vacancy is calculated to be close to the 2:1 defect energy, and so cluster-size effects and computational limitations need to be considered further. For FeO and CoO, however, the 4:1 interstitial complex is found to be more stable than other simple defects, in accord with experiment. The probability of formation of 4:1 clusters and their aggregates in TiO and MnO is explored; the interstitial metal ion tends to be in a trivalent state as previously determined for FeO and CoO.
The role of conditioning history and reinforcer strength in the reinforcement enhancing effects of nicotine in rats.

Nicotine (NIC) administration can increase behaviors that result in delivery of non-drug reinforcers (e.g., salient sensory stimuli). However, little is known about the circumstances under which NIC increases these behaviors. The present studies sought to extend the reinforcement enhancing effects of NIC to sucrose rewards for which intensity could be systematically manipulated. In Experiment 1, rats were trained to respond for sucrose (30% w/v) on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement and were pretreated with NIC (0.4 mg/kg free-base) or physiological saline (SAL). The intensity of the sucrose reward was manipulated over subsequent testing sessions (0–60% w/v). Similar procedures were used in Experiment 2; however, each subject received only one sucrose concentration (0–20%) to control for conditioning history. In Experiment 3, a fixed ratio 3 (FR3) schedule of reinforcement was used to investigate putative activating effects of NIC. Experiment 4 investigated whether NIC pretreatment would reduce sucrose intake in limited-access drinks. In Experiment 1, NIC increased the motivation to obtain all sucrose concentrations, including water. However, when conditioning history was controlled (Experiment 2) the reinforcement enhancing effects of NIC were systematically related to the strength of the reinforcer. In Experiment 3, NIC neither increased nor decreased responding for sucrose. In Experiment 4, NIC reduced sucrose intake, but only at concentrations that resulted in peak drink volumes (5–20%). The results suggest that the reinforcement enhancing effects of NIC depend on conditioning history and do not appear to be the result of simple behavioral activation.
Blockade of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the ventral tegmental area disrupts food-related learning in rats

Stimulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) is implicated in feeding. To investigate the effects of mAChR blockade in the VTA on food-related learning. In experiment 1, rats (N=12) were placed in chambers containing food and received microinjections of 0 or 5 μg/0.5 μl scopolamine prior to the first four feeding sessions and the alternate dose prior to the tenth feeding session. In experiment 2 (N=9), the effects of daily microinjections of scopolamine on lever pressing under a progressive ratio schedule of food reinforcement were tested. In experiment 3 (N=34), the effects of daily microinjections of scopolamine on lever pressing maintained by conditioned reward were investigated. In experiment 1, all rats demonstrated low consumption during session 1. However, pellet consumption for rats initially pretreated with the 0-μg dose rose to and stayed at maximal levels for the remaining sessions, even when pretreated with the 5-μg dose during the tenth session. Pellet consumption for rats initially pretreated with the 5-μg dose remained low, even for the first two sessions following the cessation of scopolamine pretreatment, and gradually rose to maximal levels by the eighth session. In experiment 2, scopolamine significantly decreased break points. In experiment 3, scopolamine failed to significantly decrease responding specifically on the lever producing the conditioned reward. Altogether, these data suggest that VTA mAChR stimulation is involved in feeding and food-related learning but may not be involved in responding maintained by conditioned reward.
Diesel NOx emissions—A simple correlation technique forintake air effects

A correlation technique for the effects of intake gas addition (N2, O2, Ar), exhaust gas recirculation and elevated intake air temperature on diesel NOx emissions is presented. NOx emissions were obtained from two different single-cylinder divided-chamber diesel engines operating over a wide range of engine speeds, loads, and intake air compositions and temperatures. Since the major portion of the combustion event in diesel engines is diffusion controlled in a manner similar to that in steady spray flames, variations in the calculated stoichiometric adiabatic flame temperature are used to correlate NOx emissions. The NOx correlation yields an apparent activation energy which is relatively independent of engine speed, load or combustion chamber configuration, indicating that the NOx kinetics are not significantly altered by variations of the air-fuel mixing process. However, this apparent activation energy is considerably lower than the one obtained for steady-spray flames. Several possible reasons for this difference are discussed. In the absence of detailed theoretical models describing the diesel combustion process, the simple flame-temperature correlation provides a useful method of correlating and predicting the effects of intake air composition and temperature on NOx emissions from divided-chamber diesel engines.
Effect of detoxification of dilute-acid corn fiber hydrolysate on xylitol production

Four different detoxification methods were evaluated for the production of xylitol from corn fiber dilute-acid hydrolysate using Candida tropicalis. Although C. tropicalis could ferment the dilute partially neutralized hydrolysate to xylitol in low yields (0.1 g/g), it could not ferment the concentrated hydrolysate. Overliming, calcium hydroxide neutralization, neutralization combined with activated charcoal, and overliming combined with activated charcoal methods were used to improve the fermentation of the concentrated hydrolysates. The partial neutralization combined with activated charcoal treatment was the most effective method with respect to xylitol yield and productivity. The highest xylitol yield (0.4 g of xylitol/g of xylose) was obtained for the highest concentration of hydrolysate (three times the original) that had been treated with calcium hydroxide and activated charcoal. The corresponding productivity was 0.23 g/(L.h). Overliming caused reduction in xylitol yield.
Magnethosheath magnetic field variability

A case study using simulations IRM and CCE observations demonstrates that transient magnetospheric events correspond to pressure pulses in the magnetosheath, inward bow shock motion, and magnetopause compression. Statistical surveys indicate that the magnetosheath magnetic field orientation rarely remains constant during periods of magnetopause and bow shock motion (both characterized by periods of 1 to 10 min). There is no tendency for bow shock motion to occur for southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations.
Comparison of planar and tomographic exercise thallium-201 imaging methods for the evaluation of coronary artery disease.

Thallium-201 myocardial imaging is the technique of choice for assessing regional myocardial perfusion and is the most widely applied radionuclide technique for detecting and evaluating coronary artery disease (1). Conventional planar thallium-201 imaging, however, is limited by its twodimensional nature, which results in substantial myocardial tissue overlap. The introduction of single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) (2) offers promise to circumvent the limitations of planar imaging by providing a threedimensional view of the myocardium with reduction in myocardial overlap and enhancement of lesion contrast. With multiple commercial SPECT camera computer systems now available, SPECT is rapidly becoming widely used in clinical practice. A growing body of information (3-7) suggests that it is superior to planar imaging for thallium-201, with the largest comprehensive comparison now being reported by Fintel et al. (3) in this issue of the Journal. Planar versus tomographic imaging by visual analysis. Fintel and associates (3) studied 136 patients by randomly sequenced planar and tomographic imaging and compared the visual diagnostic performance of the two imaging methods. By receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis (8) the study reported improved diagnostic performance for
Cocaine tolerance: Interactions among random‐ratio and random‐interval reinforcement‐schedule parameters and repeated exposure to cocaine

Food-deprived pigeons were trained to peck a key under either a three-component multiple random-ratio 5, random-ratio 25, random-ratio 125 schedule or a three-component multiple random-interval 10-sec, random-interval 30-sec, random-interval 125-sec schedule of food presentation. Following determination of acute effects of cocaine (1.0-13.0 mg/kg), are-sponse-rate-reducing dose was given before each daily session. Once performance under conditions of daily administration had become stable, other doses occasionally were substituted for the usual daily dose so that dose effects could be assessed. Tolerance, i.e., a rightward shift in the dose-effect curve was observed in all subjects. For subjects studied under the random-ratio schedules, however, the robustness of the tolerance usually was related to the schedule-parameter value; tolerance was great at lower random values. By contrast, subjects whose responding was maintained by random-interval schedules were less likely to show tolerance that was schedule-parameter dependent. The results also provide suggestive evidence that dose may be an important factor in determining effects of repeated cocaine exposure; repeated administration of larger doses may be less likely to result in tolerance than similar exposure to smaller doses.
Carboxypeptidase O Is a Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored Intestinal Peptidase with Acidic Amino Acid Specificity

The first metallocarboxypeptidase (CP) was identified in pancreatic extracts more than 80 years ago and named carboxypeptidase A (CPA; now known as CPA1). Since that time, seven additional mammalian members of the CPA subfamily have been described, all of which are initially produced as proenzymes, are activated by endoproteases, and remove either C-terminal hydrophobic or basic amino acids from peptides. Here we describe the enzymatic and structural properties of carboxypeptidase O (CPO), a previously uncharacterized and unique member of the CPA subfamily. Whereas all other members of the CPA subfamily contain an N-terminal prodomain necessary for folding, bioinformatics and expression of both human and zebrafish CPO orthologs revealed that CPO does not require a prodomain. CPO was purified by affinity chromatography, and the purified enzyme was able to cleave proteins and synthetic peptides with greatest activity toward acidic C-terminal amino acids unlike other CPA-like enzymes. CPO displayed a neutral pH optimum and was inhibited by common metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitors as well as citrate. CPO was modified by attachment of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol membrane anchor to the C terminus of the protein. Immunocytochemistry of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells stably expressing CPO showed localization to vesicular membranes in subconfluent cells and to the plasma membrane in differentiated cells. CPO is highly expressed in intestinal epithelial cells in both zebrafish and human. These results suggest that CPO cleaves acidic amino acids from dietary proteins and peptides, thus complementing the actions of well known digestive carboxypeptidases CPA and CPB.
Calibration of the 1064 nm lidar channel using water phase and cirrus clouds

Calibration is essential to derive aerosol backscatter coefficients from elastic scattering lidar. Unlike the visible UV wavelengths where calibration is based on a molecular reference, calibration of the 1064 nm lidar channel requires other approaches, which depend on various assumptions. In this paper, we analyze two independent calibration methods which use (i) low-altitude water phase clouds and (ii) high cirrus clouds. In particular, we show that to achieve optimal performance, aerosol attenuation below the cloud base and cloud multiple scattering must be accounted for. When all important processes are considered, we find that these two independent methods can provide a consistent calibration constant with relative differences less than 15%. We apply these calibration techniques to demonstrate the stability of our lidar on a monthly scale, along with a natural reduction of the lidar efficiency on an annual scale. Furthermore, our calibration procedure allows us to derive consistent aerosol backscatter coefficients and angstrom coefficient profiles (532–1064 nm) along with column extinction-to-backscatter ratios which are in good agreement with sky radiometer inversions.
Model analysis of superconductivity in Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O and Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O compounds in terms of exchange induced cooper pair formation via oxygen anions

Abstract High-Tc superconductivity in solids of composition Tl2(Bi2)CaN−1Ba2(Sr2)CuNO2N+4+δ for Tl(N =1, 2, 3) and Bi(N=1, 2) members is analyzed in a BCS type of approach, assuming that the scattering-matrix elements in the BCS reduced Hamiltonian originate from indirect-exchange (superexchange) coupling between electrons via closed-shell oxygen anions in the lattice. Analysis of the data indicates that the coupling mechanism in the Tl- and Bi-compounds is indeed the same, and that the coupling is strong (parameter |W| between 1.1 and 1.3), with an effective-mass ratio m∗/m⋍5. The observed relatively low Tc of the Bi-(N = 1) compound is explained on the basis of this exchange mechanism. The coupling is effective only for a thin shell of |k|-values above k=0, so that superconductivity occurs close to a metal-to-insulator transition. Extrapolating to La-Sr-Cu-O, Y (Eu)-Ba-Cu-O and related compounds, it is shown that high-pressure data on these materials can be understood in the same formalism. It is suggested that high-Tc superconductivity, in all cases known, including K-doped BaBiO3, is due to one single coupling mechanism.
An 180nm CMOS Low Noise Amplifier with single ended input and differential output: RF and Non linear signal processing

A 1.4 GHz high gain Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) with single ended input and differential output for global navigation systems like GPS operating in L3 and L4 bands is proposed in this paper. This design has two stages, the first stage uses an inductor-degeneration topology and the second stage has two branches to generate amplified differential output and it reuses the current from positive terminal to reduce the disturbance at high gain due to mismatch. The simulation results for this design in CMOS 180 nm technology are very competitive with the present day designs. This LNA consumes 3.5 mA current under 1.8 V power supply and exhibits a differential voltage gain of 43 dB, 1 dB compression point is -12.8 dBm and IIP3 is 1.2 dBm. The simulated noise figure is 4.02 dB in the frequency range of L3 and L4 bands.
Increased Susceptibility to Ischemic Brain Injury in Cyclooxygenase-1–Deficient Mice

Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), a rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of prostanoids, is involved in selected vasodilatatory responses of the cerebral circulation. Cyclooxygenase-1–null mice were used to determine whether COX-1 influences cerebral ischemic damage. The middle cerebral artery was occluded in COX-1 −/− and +/+ mice (n = 9/group), and lesion volume was determined in thionin-stained sections 24 or 96 hours later. Middle cerebral artery occlusion produced larger infarcts in COX-1 −/− mice, both at 24 (35 ± 17%;P 0.05; n = 8/group). To examine the contribution of hemodynamic factors to the enlargement of the infarct, cerebral blood flow was monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry in the ischemic territory (n = 6/group). Alt...
Brain and spinal cord kappa opiate receptors and pharmacological responses to U-50,488H in rats of differing ages.

The analgesic and hypothermic responses to U-50,488H (25 mg/kg IP), a kappa opiate receptor agonist, were determined in male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 4, 8, and 24 weeks. In addition, the characteristics of the binding of [3H]ethylketocylazocine (EKC) to kappa opiate receptors in whole brain and spinal cord of rats of three age groups were also determined Administration of U-50,488H produced an age-related increase in the analgesic response in the rat, i.e., the older rats exhibited a higher intensity of analgesic response than the younger rats. U-50,488H also produced a hypothermic response. The response in 4- and 24 -week-old rats was similar, but that in 8-week-old rats was smaller than the rats in the other two age groups. [3H]EKC bound to whole brain and spinal cord membranes of rats at a single high affinity site. The Bmax value of [3H]EKC in the brain and spinal cord of 24-week-old rats was significantly lower than in 4- and 8-week-old rats; however, the Kd values did not differ. It is concluded that kappa opiate receptor agonist produces age-related increase in its analgesic response and that such effects are not related to the characteristics of kappa receptors in the brain and spinal cord.
Student–faculty Interactions: Dynamics and Determinants

This paper documents the results of a qualitative study of student–faculty interactions. The work explores the frequency and nature of interactions, sheds light on the determinants of interactions, and reveals the dynamic processes that underlie contact between faculty and students. Focus group results indicate that students have minimal contact with faculty outside the classroom, and do not appear to be aware of the importance of interacting with faculty. Results also illustrate key factors that deter and facilitate student–faculty interactions. The findings and their implications should be beneficial to faculty, student life professionals, and administrators alike.
Accurate, Deceptive, and No Prior Feedback About Decisionmaking Acumen as an Influencer of Group Decisionmaking

Eighteen groups of four subjects each performed the “Lost on the Moon” task before and after group discussion of the task. The major variable manipulated involved the influence of a group member's knowledge about his pretest performance on group decisionmaking. It was found that the greatest influence is exerted by individuals told by the experimenter that their performance was the most accurate when it was actually the least accurate. Under this influence synergy, although achieved, was impeded relative to gains made by the control condition and the condition where the “piant” actually had the most accurate score within his group on a pretest.
A new molecular precursor for magnesia-silica materials

The new molecular precursor Mg[OSi(OtBu)3]2 was synthesized in high yield from Mg(Bu)2 and HOSi(OtBu)3. Thermolytic decomposition of this precursor in toluene solution leads to a magnesia–silica monolith. The monolith can be processed to isolate xerogels or aerogels with surface areas of 245 and 640 m2 g−1, respectively. The MgO·2SiO2 materials are very acidic, as determined by ammonia temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Additionally, CO2 TPD revealed that these materials have a very low basic site density. The TPD results can be explained by a very high dispersion of MgO in an SiO2 matrix, and are consistent with predictions based on charge balancing in binary oxides.
In Different Times: Scheduling and Social Control in the Ottoman Empire, 1550 to 1650

province and replaced by a new official with new whims and wishes. Throughout the sixteenth and a large part of the seventeenth centuries, a more or less firmly established rotation system was part of the Ottoman state mode of social control. Patrons and clients, and patrons among themselves remained foreign and unfamiliar. The resulting level of uncertainty in the provinces disrupted patron-client ties. What appears as weakness may actually have been a source of strength. The rotation of officials increased the leverage of the state makers over their society. Instead of only relying on army and police coercion for social control, the Ottomans used rotation to reinforce their rule. By continually moving its officials, the Ottoman state disrupted local networks that might have become bases of opposition. With such local ties thrown off balance, officials and the populace remained focused on the center for resources and assignments of authority. In this essay, I argue that in the Ottoman empire temporal limits on positions and the scheduling of interruptions of such positions became a state resource used to exert social control. The argument that time as a socially constructed resource can be manipulated strategically by contenders for power is not new. The different ways in which time can be used, however, has not been fully fleshed out. In the
Microbiological Prospecting for Hydrocarbons: ABSTRACT

Microbiological prospecting falls under the broad category of soil analysis and thus involves the use of near-surface samples. Most of the methods are designed to detect certain types of microorganisms or the products of their metabolism. Because these methods are predicated upon the microbial utilization of uprising hydrocarbons, they detect microseeps. Therefore, their utility resides in determining the presence of subterranean hydrocarbon deposits and in roughly defining the aereal extent of the deposits. Various methods have been patented and numerous field trials have been made, including blind tests and tests conducted prior to drilling. End_of_Article - Last_Page 698------------
Induction of antibodies to porcine ACTH in rabbits with nonsteroidogenic polymers of BSA and ACTH.

SummaryA method is described for the uniform elicitation of antibodies in rabbits to ACTH. Porcine ACTH and bovine serum albumin have been covalently cross linked with glutaraldehyde. This complex is non-steroidogenic and a potent immunogen for the elicitation of both anti-BSA and anti-ACTH antibodies. A regimen of small doses of the complexes elicited high titers of both types of antibodies in eight out of eight rabbits. These titers are still present 6 months after the last injection of antigen.
Analysis and Real-Time Prediction of Local Incident Impact on Transportation Networks

As an increasing proportion of the world population moves to urban areas, quality of life and economic productivity of an increasing proportion of the world population are getting impacted by traffic congestion phenomena of increasing severity. In the context of urban transportation networks of growing complexity, the management of non-recurrent road traffic events, estimated to account for close to 50% of the total travel-time delay on road networks, requires advanced predictive methods, supporting both response plan deployment and traveller information. In this work, we consider the problem of predicting how a non-recurrent traffic event, such as a road incident, impacts traffic conditions at the incident location in the future. Based on a detailed statistical analysis of a large dataset of traffic incidents, we propose a parametric piecewise-affine incident model. The model is calibrated offline using a combination of constrained and unconstrained non-linear regression methods, and is shown to provide a good fit. The prediction of local incident impact is achieved via the design of a neural network model learning the parametric fit of the incident model based on available incident features. The neural network-based prediction model is shown to outperform state-of-the-art prediction methods such as multivariate decision trees. Empirical performance of the method introduced in this work is illustrated on a large dataset of more than 50000 incidents from the city of Lyon, France, for the months of September 2013 to January 2014. Practical deployment and applicability of the proposed method in operational conditions are also discussed.
Older Adults, Computer Training, and the Systems Approach: A Formula for Success.

Adults over the age of 65 are the fastest growing segment of computer users. Due to this increased demand, effective training programs are essential. Although previous research findings illustrate the importance of older adults’ goals, abilities, and experience levels in learning to use computers, these factors are often neglected in the development of computer training courses. We apply a systems approach to help bridge this gap between research and practice to address the disparity between what older adults would like to learn and the content of computer training courses. We review the literature on training older adults to use computers and report data from a set of structured interviews to illustrate the criticality of each step in the systems approach. Lastly, we provide the means to evaluate existing computer training programs and suggest modifications for improvement. Our purpose is not to evaluate specific programs, but to educate developers about an approach that has proven successful. Specifical...
Electrostatic oscillation in sensitive contact mechanisms

Destructive contact ?frying? is particularly troublesome in sensitive contact mechanisms such as thermostats, small switches, and polarized relays. This paper describes an investigation which proved that sensitive contact frying is actually an electromechanical oscillation of the contacts and is caused principally by electrostatic attraction between the contacts. On the basis of this analysis, simple changes in contact shapes and detent arrangements are proposed as a means of efficiently eliminating the phenomenon and thus improving sensitive contact performance.
Fiat money as a store of value in an experimental market

Abstract The time path of the value of fiat money is studied in an experimental market. In this market players can achieve Pareto superior allocations by trading goods for money at fixed nominal prices. However, the finite horizon makes the value of money unstable as players learn not to hold money near the horizon. We investigate the value of money in stationary replications of the model where subjects trade off the increased value of money as a medium of exchange against the chances of holding worthless money (as the role of money as a store of value deteriorates).
A semi-empirical computational model for the inhibition of porcine cholesterol esterase

Cholesterol esterase significantly contributes to cell membrane structure. It also facilitates transfer of cholesterol and phospholipids across membranes. Inhibition of this enzyme by a number of xenobiotics has been reported. This research sought to confirm if a widely used methacrylate monomer, bisphenol A dimethacrylate, inhibits porcine cholesterol esterase since this and other methacrylates are known to leach from various biomaterial preparations. A quantum mechanically developed computational chemistry model is presented. Specific chemical information linking potential mechanisms of cholesterol esterase inhibition to chemical structure is shown. Model chemical descriptors identified the importance of maximum oxygen valency and molecular shape/size to cholesterol esterase inhibition. A porcine cholesterol esterase inhibition mechanism is inherent in bisphenol A dimethacrylate which mimics chemical properties of reported cholesterol esterase inhibitors. This predictive semiempirical quantum mechanical model can be used to design new cholesterol esterase non-inhibitors for biocompatible biomaterials used in an aqueous environment.
Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party Before the Civil War

Since its publication twenty five years ago, Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men has been recognized as a classic, an indispensable contribution to our understanding of the causes of the American Civil War. A key work in establishing political ideology as a major concern of modern American historians, it remains the only full-scale evaluation of the ideas of the early Republican party. Now with a new introduction, Eric Foner puts his argument into the context of contemporary scholarship, reassessing the concept of free labor in the light of the last tweny-five years of writing on such issues as work, gender, economic change, and political thought. A significant reevaluation of the causes of the Civil War, Foner's study looks beyond the North's opposition to slavery and its emphasis upon preserving the Union to determine the broader grounds of its willingness to undertake a war against the South in 1861. Its search is for those social concepts the North accepted as vital to its way of life, and it finds these most clearly expressed in the ideology of the growing Republican party in the decade before the war's start. By a careful analysis of the attitudes of leading factions in the party's formation (northern Whigs, former Democrats, and political abolitionists) Foner is able to show what each contributed to Republican ideology. He also shows how northern ideas of human rights--in particular a man's right to work where and how he wanted, and to accumulate property in his own name--and the goals of American society were implicit in that ideology. This was the ideology that permeated the North in the period directly before the Civil War, led to the election of Abraham Lincoln, and led, almost immediately, to the Civil War itself. At the heart of the controversy over the extension of slavery, he argues, is the issue of whether the northern or southern form of society would take root in the West, whose development would determine determine the nation's destiny. In his new introductory essay, Foner presents a greatly altered view of the subject. Only entrepreneurs and farmers were actually "free men" in the sense used in the ideology of the period. Actually, by the time the Civil War was initiated, half the workers in the North were wage-earners, not independent workers. And this did not account for women and blacks, who had little freedom in choosing what work they did. He goes onto show that even after the Civil War these guarantees for "free soil, free labor, free men" did not really apply for most Americans, and especially not for blacks.
Quantum chemical characterization of the cyclization of the neocarzinostatin chromophore to the 1,5-didehydroindene biradical

Quantum mechanical calculations have been carried out for the cyclization of the neocarzinostatin chromophore cyclonona-1,2,3,7-tetraen-5-yne to 1,5-didehydroindene. The 298 K reaction activation enthalpy, exothermicity, and singlet−triplet splitting (H0) of the product biradical are predicted to be 17.8, 1.2, and −6.4 kcal/mol, respectively, at levels of theory showing near-quantitative agreement with experiment for the analogous cyclizations of hex-3-ene-1,5-diyne and hepta-1,2,4-trien-6-yne. Factors controlling differences in the Myers−Saito cyclization compared to the Bergman cyclization are analyzed.
Magnetic circular dichroism spectra of the tetraammineplatinum(II) cation

Though considerable spectroscopic and theoretical work has accumulated in the last several years, the nature of metal ligand bonding in squareplanar p lat inum(l l ) complexes remains obscure. For example, the anionic PtCI42and Pt(CN)42complexes have been studied in some detai l ( I 3). Yet the ordering of the occupied d orb i ta ls and the energies of s inglet and t r i p l e t excited states are not free of disagreement. As part of our continued e f fo r t to explore the electronic structures of square-planar complexes, the present l e t t e r reports measurements of the magnetic c i rcu lar dichroism (MCD) spectra of the Pt(NH3)42+ cation in aqueous and ace ton i t r i l e solutions. The tetraammineplatinum(ll) complex is of in terest 2because the ammonia ligand is a simple sigma donor, and unlike PtCI 4 or Pt(CN)42-, pi bonding is expected to be unimportant. Further, MCD measurements can provide information as to the degeneracy of excited states, which can corroborate electronic t rans i t ion assignments, and thus provide support for electronic structural n~dels (4, 5). For example, the Pt(NH3)42+ cation has a d 8 electronic configuration and has a diamagnetic, nondeaenerate ground state ( iA lg) . Contributions to the MCD may arise from two sources: a Zeeman s p l i t t i n g of a degenerate excited state (A term) or a mixing of energy states
Automated algorithm for the identification of joint space and phalanx margin locations on digitized hand radiographs

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of the hand can be characterized and assessed by the narrowing of the joint spaces which are ordinarily scored semiquantitatively by a radiologist using radiographs of the hand. Software which delineates and measures the joint spaces would be a useful tool for assessment. The first part of such an algorithm has been developed which determines the locations of the distal interphalangeal (DIP), proximal interphalangeal (PIP), and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint spaces for fingers 2–5 (index, middle, ring, and little) on digitized hand radiographs. In addition, points on the medial and lateral margins of each phalanx are identified which can be used as starting points for edge detection algorithms to provide segmentation of the phalanges. The algorithm is a C-language program running on a UNIX computer, uses a multiresolution approach operating, and requires approximately 10 CPU seconds per image. It was tested on a set of 54 radiographs taken from a multicenter rheumatoid arthritis study where a study protocol was followed. In addition, radiographs of individuals wearing rings and where nonanatomical structures contacted the anatomy proximal to the midpoint of the distal phalanx and distal to the MCP joint were eliminated from the data set. In order to make a quantitative assessment, regions of interest drawn by a trained radiologist were used as a gold standard. The algorithm had a success rate of 100% for the identification of each digit and over 99% for the identification of joint space locations and phalanx margins. Quantitative tests indicated excellent algorithm robustness. We have developed fully automated software which accurately identifies anatomical landmarks on digital images of the hand.
An Overview of Ostomies and the High-Output Ostomy

1. A high-output stoma (HOS) is defined as greater than 2 L of output from thestoma in a 24-hour period.2. Jejunostomy is a HOS. Jejunum ranges in length from 200 to 300 cm, andgreater than 90% of nutrient absorption occurs in first 100 to 150 cm of theintestines.3. Clinical assessmentofapatientwithHOSfocuses onidentifying andcorrectingfluid and electrolyte disturbances, and optimizing nutritional status.4. It is a common mistake to encourage patients with a HOS to drink largeamounts of hypotonic fluids. Use Oral Rehydration Solution or other “isotonic”solutions for fluid replacement.5. Greater than 50 cm of functioning bowel is required for absorption of an oralproton-pump inhibitor.6. Dietary modifications play an important role in decreasing the stomal output.7. Correction of sodium and water depletion, oral or intravenous supplementationof magnesium, and vitamin D analogue have been used to correct hypomagne-semia, which is a problematic complication of HOS.8. A multidisciplinary team approach is vital to enhance the quality of life ofpatients with an ostomy.
Angular spectrum and localized model of Davis-type beam

The angular spectrum of the Davis fifth-order linearly polarized, dual, and symmetrized fields of a focused Gaussian laser beam is obtained. Since the original Davis fields are not an exact solution of the vector wave equation and Maxwell's equations, a beam remodeling procedure within the angular spectrum is described that produces an exact solution. The spherical multipole beam shape coefficients of the remodeled beam are then obtained, and it is shown that in the weak focusing limit they simplify to the localized model Gaussian beam shape coefficients for both on-axis and off-axis beams. The angular spectrum method is then applied to a transversely confined electromagnetic beam with arbitrary profile in the focal plane, and to a general zero-order Bessel beam.
Biogeographic associations of Silurian bryozoan genera in North America, Baltica and Siberia

Abstract Six distinct bryozoan paleobiogeographical provinces existed during the Silurian of North America, Baltica and Siberia. These provinces are based on parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE), each supported by a number of endemic genera only present in that assemblage. The area cladogram displays a nested pattern, permitting the clustering of assemblages into larger units that might be indicative of their areas of origin. Paired-group cluster analysis supports the existence of provincial assemblages. Relationships indicate the action of both vicariance and geodispersal. Geographic boundaries between the provinces include land, deep sea, and climate zone boundaries, including barriers created by the Iapetus Ocean and the Tornquist Sea.