cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consideration of space activities by the UN general assembly

Abstract The thirty-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly affirmed ‘that complete and general disarmament warrants that outer space should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and that it shall not become an arena for an arms race’. This text appears in the first of two important resolutions concerning outer space adopted by the General Assembly during its last session. Also in the first resolution, entitled ‘Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space’ (A/39/59 of 12 December 1984), the Assembly called upon all states, particularly those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful uses of outer space and to take immediate measures to prevent an arms race in outer space in the interest of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international cooperation and understanding.
Synthesis of indium phosphide

Abstract Polycrystalline ingots of indium phosphide have been synthesized using the direct reaction technique. Indium phosphide has been grown under various phosphorus pressures (3 to 30 atm). Several temperature profiles were used to study the effect of temperature on mobility, carrier concentration, grain size, homogeneity, and stoichiometry. Quartz and pyrolytic boron nitride boats are used. Several experiments were performed placing the PBN and quartz boats inside born nitride and aluminum oxide tubes in an attempt to lower silicon contamination. In-situ vacuum baking of the raw indium charge has resulted in a significant improvement in the purity of the synthesized InP.
Propylthiouracil in the treatment of toxic goiter.

THIS report, an extension of one previously made (1), deals with the use of propylthiouracil in 95 patients with toxic goiter during a period of twenty-one months. The group includes 67 patients with toxic nodular goiter (21 males and 46 females), and 28 with toxic diffuse goiter (8 males and 20 females). The average age of the former was 51 years with a duration of the disturbance of 2.7 years; in the latter it was 37 years and the duration 3.7 years. Thirty-four patients, 24 with toxic nodular and 10 with toxic diffuse goiter, had been previously treated with thiouracil, and 9 had had iodine before treatment. The average initial basal metabolic rate of the untreated patients was plus 24 per cent for those with toxic nodular goiter; and plus 30 per cent for those with toxic diffuse goiter. Both types previously treated with thiouracil showed an average initial basal metabolic rate of plus 6 per cent (Table 1).
Sources and Sinks of Energetic Electrons and Protons in Saturn's Magnetosphere

The paper deals with some results of continuing analysis and interpretation of energetic particle observations made onboard Pioneer 11 during its August-September 1979 encounter with Saturn. Source strength estimates and the radial dependence of the phase space density of protons of energies above 80 MeV indicate with some confidence that the cosmic-ray neutron albedo from the planets atmosphere and rings is the source of these particles.
Taxonomic notes on astragalus section leptocarpi subsection californici (Fabaceae)

A recently completed study of Astragalus sect. Leptocarpi subsect. Californici shows that the following taxonomic adjustments are required: 1) Astragalus tener var. ferrisiae, a new variety, is described. It is compared to A. tener var. tener, as well as to A. rattanii var. jepsonianus in which it was previously included, and to the superficially similar A. clarianus with which it was confused. An illustration of the new variety, and of the fruits of these related taxa, is included. 2) Astragalus nyensis was placed in subsect. Californici by Barneby in his 1964 monograph. Morphological, anatomical, and allozyme data suggest that A. nyensis should be placed in the subsect. Leptocarpi closely allied to A. nuttallianus.
Network Analysis of Non-Uniformly Heated Evaporative Micro-Channel Systems

A network analysis was established to model the array of evaporative micro-channels with possible non-uniformity heating as well as branching of the channels. Iterative solution of the evaporative micro-channel network can be obtained using the Hardy-Cross method together with accurate two-phase head-loss correlations. Based on the experimental evidence, cross-cutting micro-channels reduce the uneven flow distribution in parallel micro-channels at non-uniform heating. Through this network analysis, it is also evident that cross-cutting grooves on parallel micro-channels are effective in reducing non-uniform heating effects and enhancing the uniform wall temperature distribution.© 2010 ASME
Fuzzy subgroups: Some characterizations

The notion of a fuzzy set was first introduced in 1965 by Zadeh [12]. Since then the theory of fuzzy sets has gone through remarkably rapid strides with well over 4000 papers by now (see, for example, the bibliography [3]), several textbooks (for example, [2 and 6]), and an international journal solely devoted to it [S]. The theory has found wideranging applications in such diverse fields as automata, control theory, decision theory, and social behavior pattern studies, to name just a few. For an interesting, expository account see Rosenfeld [lo], and also the book review [7]. In [9], Rosenfeld introduced the notion of a fuzzy group and showed that many concepts of group theory can be extended in an elementary manner to develop the theory of fuzzy groups. In particular, he characterized all the fuzzy subgroups of cyclic groups of prime order [9, Proposition 5.101. Fuzzy groups were further investigated by Das in [1] where he characterized all the fuzzy subgroups of finite cyclic groups [l, Theorem 4.21. In this connection, he introduced the notion of “level subgroups” of a fuzzy subgroup which is based on the notion of a “level subset” introduced earlier by Zadeh. For a finite group Das showed that these level subgroups of a fuzzy subgroup form a chain [ 1, Corollary 3.11 and also constructed a fuzzy subgroup whose chain of level subgroups is maximal in the following special cases when the group is: (i) a direct product of cyclic groups of prime orders, (ii) abelian [l, Theorem 3.41. We analyze the level subgroups of a fuzzy subgroup in more detail and investigate whether the family of level subgroups of a fuzzy subgroup deter-
Association of psychological and physiological measures of stress in health-care professionals during an 8-week mindfulness meditation program: mindfulness in practice

Work stress, burnout, and diminished empathy are prevalent issues for health-care professionals. Mindfulness meditation (MM) is one commonly used strategy to manage stress. Measuring salivary cortisol allows for the assessment of serum cortisol level, a known stress level indicator. This study evaluated the association of subject-reported stress symptoms and salivary cortisol in health-care professionals, in an 8-week MM program, with data collected prospectively at baseline and 8 weeks after program completion. Questionnaires [Profile of Mood States—Short Form (POMS-SF), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)] measured mood, burnout and empathy. A paired t-test between groups for pre/post-salivary cortisol yielded no significant change. The POMS-SF was most sensitive to change (mean increase 12.4; p = 0.020). Emotional exhaustion, measured in the MBI, was also affected by MM (mean decrease 4.54; p = 0.001). Changes in empathy may not have been captured due to either absence of effect of MM on empathy, subject number or scale sensitivity. Baseline and 8-week correlations between salivary cortisol and survey results, and correlations between changes in these measures, were weak and not statistically significant. Nevertheless, psychometric results present a strong case for additional clinical trials of MM to reduce stress for health-care professionals. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Legislative Institutions and Ideology in Chile

Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Ideology and valence 2. Accident and force 3. Legislative institutions in the constitution of 1980 4. Roll-call votes and senate committees 5. The Labor committee 6. The Education committee 7. The Constitution committee 8. Legislative politics and Chile's transition toward democracy Conclusion Appendix: estimating preferences from voting records Bibliography Index.
Controversies in muscle relaxants

I ' N THE TIME SINCE publication of a similar . article over a decade ago, many changes have occurred in the clinical use of muscle relaxants. New drugs have been introduced and have, to some extent, replaced older ones. Some concepts that were then controversial are better understood and are less problematic. New problems have, however, arisen. In this article the unsolved problems described in depth earlier will be briefly discussed and the new problems which have arisen will be presented at length.
An investigation of hemopexin redox properties by spectroelectrochemistry: biological relevance for heme uptake

Hemopexin (HPX) has two principal roles: it sequesters free heme in vivo for the purpose of preventing the toxic effects of this moiety, which is largely due to heme's ability to catalyze free radical formation, and it transports heme intracellularly thus limiting its availability as an iron source for pathogens. Spectroelectrochemistry was used to determine the redox potential for heme and meso-heme (mH) when bound by HPX. At pH 7.2, the heme-HPX assembly exhibits E (1/2) values in the range 45-90 mV and the mH-HPX assembly in the range 5-55 mV, depending on environmental electrolyte identity. The E (1/2) value exhibits a 100 mV positive shift with a change in pH from 7.2 to 5.5 for mH-HPX, suggesting a single proton dependent equilibrium. The E (1/2) values for heme-HPX are more positive in the presence of NaCl than KCl indicating that Na(+), as well as low pH (5.5) stabilizes ferro-heme-HPX. Furthermore, comparing KCl with K(2)HPO(4), the chloride salt containing system has a lower potential, indicating that heme-HPX is easier to oxidize. These physical properties related to ferri-/ferro-heme reduction are both structurally and biologically relevant for heme release from HPX for transport and regulation of heme oxygenase expression. Consistent with this, when the acidification of endosomes is prevented by bafilomycin then heme oxygenase-1 induction by heme-HPX no longer occurs.
Morphological observations on the formation and stability of the crystalline arrays in the plasma membrane of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Two-dimensional crystalline arrays of freeze-fracture particles are known to occur in abundant quantities in the plasma membrane of stationary state yeast cells. Although these crystalline arrays are seen only infrequently in cells during mid-exponential growth, we now observe that formation of crystalline arrays can be induced in such cells by a “metabolic starvation” protocol. Surprisingly, starvation-induced formation of crystalline patches can be prevented by inhibition of new protein synthesis during the starvation period. The size and quantity of crystalline arrays can be increased by removal of the cell wall prior to starvation. Induction of crystalline arrays in protoplasts has made it possible to investigate the surface morphology of the crystalline particles in isolated membranes as well as at the extracellular surface of intact protoplasts. The stability of isolated crystalline arrays to several detergents has been investigated and conditions have been found that result in improved morphological purity of the isolated crystalline patches.
Interactions of Oxovanadates and Selected Oxomolybdates with Proteins

The interactions of phosphoglucose isomerase with solutions of rapidly interconverting oxovanadates are described. Quantitative speciation analyses of vanadate monomer, dimer, tetramer and pentamer were performed under the conditions of the enzyme assay. 2D EXSY 51V NMR spectroscopy was used to demonstrate that the oligoanions are sufficiently long-lived to be recognized by the enzyme as different species. The observations are consistent with the vanadate tetramer being responsible for the observed inhibition. Selected oxomolybdates ([(CH3)2AsMo4OH]2_ and [(NH3C2H4P)2Mo5O21]2-) were also found to inhibit 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. The selectivities and affinities of these proteins for the oxometalates are discussed.
The glass ceiling in science and engineering

Abstract This article examines the effects of race and gender on occupational status and promotions in American science and engineering using the 1989 Survey of Natural and Social Scientists and Engineers . Results indicate that, compared to whites, blacks and Asians were equally less likely to be a manager in 1982. However, the analysis shows that, during the period of 1982 and 1989, only Asians (especially females) had a relatively low tendency to be promoted to management. The assimilation thesis, the human capital model, and the differential placement perspective do not explain race/gender differences in occupational status and promotions. The results provide support for the double penalty thesis. There is also evidence of a race/gender hierarchy in science and engineering.
Proton-Translocating Adenosine Triphosphatase Activity in Lactic Acid Bacterial

Abstract Streptococcus thermophilus 19258 and 573, Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis C2, Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris HP, and Lactobacillus casei 685 were grown in various media and assayed for proton-translocating ATPase (H + -ATPase) activity. The H + -ATPase was extracted from the membrane fractions of protoplasted cells using a French pressure cell, and activity was measured by the release of inorganic phosphate from ATP. The pH optima for the H + -ATPase, assayed in vitro, were 7.5 for S. thermophilus and Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris HP and 5.0 for Lactobacillus casei 685. In contrast, for cells grown in batch culture the H + -ATPase activity was always greatest when the cytoplasmic pH was less than the optimum for the enzyme. The H + -ATPase activity generally increased as the pH decreased until an extracellular pH of 5.0 was reached. Below an extracellular pH of 5.0, activities of this enzyme dropped markedly. The aciduric lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus casei 685, had higher basal levels of this enzyme than the streptococci and lactococci. Results suggest that this enzyme may be involved in regulation of the intracellular pH in lactic acid bacteria.
Imaging Analysis of Ménière’s Disease

Advances in magnetic resonance imaging have recently allowed the demonstration of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in human subjects. Meniere’s Disease (MD) is diagnosed based on a constellation of symptoms and can be corroborated with a variety of clinical tests. Prior to the current era, however, EH in MD could only be directly visualized on postmortem human temporal bone studies. Imaging techniques using both intratympanic and intravenous contrast have progressed with the help of animal models, and imaging protocols for evaluation of EH in humans continue to evolve as image resolution and post-processing techniques improve. Although the clinical implications of these imaging modalities seem promising, the details of the specific applications of MR imaging of EH remain to be elucidated.
Low‐income adolescent mothers' knowledge about domains of child development

Sixty low-income adolescent mothers of children ranging in age from birth to 28 months were asked to estimate the ages at which children are first able to engage in specific activities in cognitive, language, motor, play, and social development. In general, mothers were quite knowledgeable about the ordering of developmental abilities relative to one another, but were less knowledgeable about the de- velopmental timing of abilities. With respect to timing, mothers tended to underestimate the onset of all developmental abilities. That is, mothers predicted that children's developmental abilities would appear earlier than they actually do. Mothers' knowledge about cognitive, language, and motor abilities was stronger than their knowledge about abilities in play and social development. Across domains, mothers were more accurate at estimating the ages of abilities that emerge in the first year than those occurring during children's second and third years. Findings are discussed with respect to societal emphases on different domains of development, and the potential implications of unrealistic expectations for adolescent parenting. RESUMEN: Se les pidioa 60 madres adolescentes de bajos recursos, con hijos cuyas edades variaban desde los recien nacidos hasta los de 28 meses, que calcularan las edades a las cuales sus hijos serian capaces por primera vez de llevar a cabo actividades especificas en el desarrollo a los niveles cognitivo, del lenguaje, motor, de juego y social. En terminos generales, las madres estaban bien informadas del orden de las habilidades de desarrollo en cuanto a las relaciones entre unas y otras, pero conocian menos acerca del tiempo en que dichas habilidades se desarrollan en el infante. Con respecto al tiempo, las madres tendian a no poder calcular el principio de todas las habilidades de desarrollo. Eso significa que las madres predijeron que las habilidades de desarrollo de sus ninos comenzarian mucho antes de cuando aparecen en realidad. El conocimiento que las madres tenian acerca de las habilidades cognitivas, de lenguajes y motoras era mas fuerte que su conocimiento sobre las habilidades de desarrollo social y de juego. A traves de los diferentes ambitos, las madres fueron mas precisas al calcular las edades de las habilidades que surgen en el primer ano del infante que aquellas que ocurren durante el segundo y tercer ano de vida. Los resultados se discuten con respecto al e
Pharmacological differentiation of the central 5-hydroxytryptamine-like actions of MK-212 (6-chloro-2[1-piperazinyl]-pyrazine),p-methoxyamphetamine and fenfluramine in an in vivo model system.

Abstract Three compounds believed to posses 5-hydroxytryptamine-like (5-HT-like) activity in the central nervous system (CNS) were studied in the suprahyoideal muscle twitch-frequency model. MK-212 (0.1 mg/kg), p-methoxy-amphetamine (p-MA; 0.75 mg/kg) and fenfluramine (2.5 mg/kg) caused an increase in the frequency of twitches over the spontaneous rate of approximately 1/min. Xylamidine, an antagonist of 5-HT that penetrates poorly into the CNS, did not effect this action of MK-212, p-MA or fenfluramine, whereas the centrally acting 5-HT antagonist, methergoline, abolished the effect of all three compounds. Pretreatment with fluoxetine to inhibit the reuptake mechanism present at the level of the serotoninergic neuronal membrane caused a reduction in the abilities of p-MA and fenfluramine, but not MK-212, to increase twitch-frequency. Inhibition of 5-HT synthesis by treatment with p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA) resulted in a marked diminution in the action of p-MA and an initial decrease in the activity of fenfluramine followed, at later times after injecting fenfluramine, by a modest enhancement of activity. The ability of MK-212 to increase the frequency of muscle twitching was greatly potentiated by treatment with p-CPA. The findings are consistent with all three compounds having a 5-HT-like action in the CNS. However, p-MA and fenfluramine appear to use the uptake system to gain access into the serotoninergic neuron and then act indirectly via the release of 5-HT, whereas MK-212 acts directly on receptors for 5-HT in the CNS. Treatment with p-CPA apparently induced a state of supersensitivity to serotoninmimetic agonists, accounting for potentiation by p-CPA of the action of MK-212 and the complex interaction between p-CPA and fenfluramine.
Potassium channels. New channel subunits are a turn-off.

Abstract Recent discoveries indicate that potassium channel β subunits can have profound functional roles, particularly in determining the channel inactivation properties.
“Let's Light this Candle”? Early Online Investment and the Regulation of Freedom in “New” Work Forms

Drawing on Foucauldian governmentality studies, this article follows the contested construction of the early online investor. First, it explores the contingency of the investor's imagined freedom, as an expression of neoliberal and informationalist prescriptions of personhood. But it also explores the complexity and multiplicity with which that freedom was structured—especially in countervailing “intermediate-level” regulation, oriented as much toward protecting a vulnerable client as toward liberating an information-savvy sovereign consumer. In complicating the investor's freedom, and in clarifying its limits, struggles over online investment offer an instructive model for evaluating the ambivalence of self-entrepreneurial work.
Myth, Truth, and Justification in Religion

When one addresses the issue of myth, truth, and justification in religion, what one says to a great extent depends upon one's understanding of religion and theology. For that reason I want to sketch out my views on such matters as a way of locating or identifying the theme of this paper in what I judge to be its proper setting. Having done that, I will then present my thoughts on myth, truth, and justification in religion in hope that some light will be cast on this rather complex issue and that what I say will provoke fruitful discussion.
Happiness studies in ancient Greece?: A 2nd century skeptic’s challenge

Can the study of philosophy lead to happiness—whether after death, as Socrates claimed, in Plato's dialogue ‚The Phaedo‛, or while one is still alive, as Epicurus, the Roman Stoics, and other ancient thinkers maintained? In his dialogue ‚Hermotimus or on Philosophical Schools‛, the second-century satirist Lucian of Samosata cast a skeptical eye on all such teachings. How can students know which of the many paths to happiness and wisdom to choose, which guide to trust? Might signing on with any one teacher be a waste of time? What if some are charlatans who not only fail to provide a path to happiness but actually mislead and profiteer from their hapless charges? I argue that Lucian's cautionary attitude is equally useful today for anyone confronted with the profusion of courses, books and websites offering help in finding or 'choosing' happiness. I would now wish to include his irreverent voice among the many that I found helpful in writing Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle to Brain Science. But I would hope to invite him, in turn, to go beyond his skeptical approach and reach also for the sympathetic understanding of different experiences and perspectives needed to deepen one's understanding of happiness.
Tests of Weak Separability in Disaggregated Meat Products

Parametric tests of weak separability are conducted among twenty-one disaggregate meat products, using scanner data and the absolute price version of the Rotterdam model. The tests indicate that consumers neither select among various cuts or qualities of a particular meat type nor select among meat types of like quality. Four partitions of the meat products are examined; in each case, the hypothesis of weak separability is rejected.
Games without frontiers? Questioning the transnational social power of migrants in Europe

This paper asks whether it is possible to study “elite” professional migrants in Europe with the same concepts and theories being used to explain the incorporation and/or integration of “ethnic” (i.e., non European) migrants in Europe; that is, in terms of their social mobility and social power in their new host countries. While globalisation may in theory make it easier for these professional migrants to transfer their “social capital” to other national contexts, observations of the personal and professional trajectories of European professional migrants in Brussels—particularly their difficulties establishing a true social power in a foreign national—suggests that theorists often overstate their arguments about “global cities” and the decline of the nation-state, at least as far as Europe is concerned. The paper links these empirical concerns with theoretical issues arising from the work of Bourdieu, Mann, Coleman, Castells and Portes, aiming to build a bridge between current work in ethnic and migration studies and core current issues in social theory.
Cue-Independent Task-Specific Representations in Task Switching: Evidence from Backward Inhibition.

The compound-cue model of cognitive control in task switching explains switch cost in terms of a switch of task cues rather than of a switch of tasks. The present study asked whether the model generalizes to Lag 2 repetition cost (also known as backward inhibition), a related effect in which the switch from B to A in ABA task sequences is costlier than is the same switch in CBA task sequences. The model suggests that Lag 2 repetition cost should be absent from A'BA task sequences, in which A' and A are different cues for the same task. The cost is robust on such sequences, which suggests that cue-independent, task-specific representations are necessary for explaining task-switching performance and that the compound-cue model has limited explanatory power.
Variation of the mechanical properties of irradiated Hastelloy N with strain rate

Abstract The postirradiation mechanical properties of several heats of Hastelloy N, both vacuum- and air-melted, have been measured after exposure to thermal fluences of 2 to 6 × 1020 neutrons/cm2. At strain rates normally encountered in tensile tests, the fracture strain is quite sensitive to strain rate in the temperature range of 500 to 650 °C. At 650 °C a minimum fracture strain was observed at a strain rate of approximately 0.1%/h; the strain increased rapidly with increasing strain rate and increased gradually with decreasing strain rate. Although the fracture strains at high strain rates differed significantly for test temperatures of 650 and 760 °C, the strains were the same under creep conditions. A titanium-modified alloy showed improved resistance to irradiation damage. Qualitative explanations are given for each of these observations.
Mining experimental evidence of molecular function claims from the literature

Motivation: The rate at which gene-related findings appear in the scientific literature makes it difficult if not impossible for biomedical scientists to keep fully informed and up to date. The importance of these findings argues for the development of automated methods that can find, extract and summarize this information. This article reports on methods for determining the molecular function claims that are being made in a scientific article, specifically those that are backed by experimental evidence. Results: The most significant result is that for molecular function claims based on direct assays, our methods achieved recall of 70.7% and precision of 65.7%. Furthermore, our methods correctly identified in the text 44.6% of the specific molecular function claims backed up by direct assays, but with a precision of only 0.92%, a disappointing outcome that led to an examination of the different kinds of errors. These results were based on an analysis of 1823 articles from the literature of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast). Availability: The annotation files for S.cerevisiae are available from ftp://genome-ftp.stanford.edu/pub/yeast/data_download/literature_curation/gene_association.sgd.gz. The draft protocol vocabulary is available by request from the first author. Contact: crangle@converspeech.com
Computer-Generation of a Devonian Shale Production and Potential Atlas for West Virginia: ABSTRACT

In the final phase of an Eastern Gas Shales Project (EGSP) contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey compiled an atlas of Devonian shale production and potential. By using both the survey's existing oil and gas data base and a more detailed, computerized data file created during the project, 22 maps were computer-generated for areas of western and southern West Virginia. These multicolored maps show all wells with known gas production from Devonian shales, all wells drilled to the shales that were dry holes, and all other unsuccessful shale wells that produce either from shallower Mississippian or Pennsylvanian units, or from deeper units below the shales (e.g., the Middle and Lower Devonian Huntersville and Oriskany For ations or the Upper Silurian Newburg sand). In addition, a gray screen pattern on the maps indicates wells from which shows of gas were reported from the shales, and isopotential lines contour initial open flows from the shale gas wells. Thus, the atlas can be used to locate further shale wells in areas with known high productivity, as well as areas with potential for dual completions in one or more zones in addition to the shale. This atlas is one of many products that can be generated from high quality, detailed computer files. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1173------------
Genetics and Regulation of the Major Enzymes of Alanine Synthesis in Escherichia coli

Genetic analysis of alanine synthesis in the model genetic organism Escherichia coli has implicated avtA, the still uncharacterized alaA and alaB genes, and probably other genes. We identified alaA as yfbQ. We then transferred mutations in several transaminase genes into a yfbQ mutant and isolated a mutant that required alanine for optimal growth. For cells grown with carbon sources other than pyruvate, the major alanine-synthesizing transaminases are AvtA, YfbQ (AlaA), and YfdZ (which we designate AlaC). Growth with pyruvate as the carbon source and multicopy suppression suggest that several other transaminases can contribute to alanine synthesis. Expression studies showed that alanine modestly repressed avtA and yfbQ but had no effect on yfdZ. The leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) mediated control by alanine. We purified YfbQ and YfdZ and showed that both are dimers with Kms for pyruvate within the intracellular range of pyruvate concentration.
High performance GaN-on-Si power switch: Role of substrate bias in device characteristics

Field-effect transistors based on the low-cost GaN-on-Si platform are promising candidates for highefficiency power switching at high frequencies. We have reported a normally-off GaN-on-Si switch with a blocking voltage of 1200V, and a very low dynamic on-resistance [1]. For future improvement of the GaN-on-Si switching technology, it is important to understand the role of the non-insulating Si-substrate in device characteristics. In this paper, we discuss the static (DC) and dynamic (switching) characteristics of the GaN-on-Si device, focusing on the impact of bias conditions applied on the Si substrate. It was found that state-of-the-art dynamic on-resistance characteristics of the GaN-on-Si switch can be achieved by properly terminating the Si substrate potential.
Development of a cob-18S rRNA gene real-time PCR assay for quantifying Pfiesteria shumwayae in the natural environment.

Despite the fact that the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria shumwayae is an organism of high interest due to alleged toxicity, its abundance in natural environments is poorly understood. To address this inadequacy, a real-time quantitative PCR assay based on mitochondrial cytochrome b ( cob ) and18S rRNA gene was developed and P. shumwayae abundance was investigated in several geographic locations. First, cob and its 5′-end region were isolated from a P. shumwayae culture, revealing three different copies, each consisting of an identical cob coding region and an unidentified region (X) of variable length and sequence. The unique sequences in cob and the X region were then used to develop a P. shumwayae -specific primer set. This primer set was used with reported P. shumwayae -specific 18S primers in parallel real-time PCRs to investigate P. shumwayae abundance from Maine to North Carolina along the U.S. east coast and along coasts in Chile, Hawaii, and China. Both genes generally gave similar results, indicating that this species was present, but at low abundance (mostly −1 ), in all the American coast locations investigated (with the exception of Long Island Sound, where which both genes gave negative results). Genetic variation was detected by use of both genes in most of the locations, and while cob consistently detected P. shumwayae or close genetic variants, some of the 18S PCR products were unrelated to P. shumwayae . We conclude that (i) the real-time PCR assay developed is useful for specific quantification of P. shumwayae , and (ii) P. shumwayae is distributed widely at the American coasts, but normally only as a minor component of plankton even in high-risk estuaries (Neuse River and the Chesapeake Bay).
Intergenerational Continuities and Their Influences on Children’s Social Development

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the recent efforts by psychologists to explore intergenerational continuities and their influences on children’s social development. A primary criterion for inclusion in the review was use of three generations of subjects represented in the research, although two generation studies were included to supplement or expand upon the conclusions drawn from three generation studies. The following domains of research were reviewed: (1) literature regarding the repetition of child abuse across generations, (2) research examining the intergenerational continuity of attachment status, (3) investigations of the continuity of parenting and childrearing behavior parents experienced with their own parents, (4) research examining intergenerational continuities in parenting involving non-human primates, and (5) investigations of intergenerational continuities in both peer and sibling relationships. Across all literatures reviewed, evidence was found for intergenerational continuity with gender of parent affecting results. Two primary mechanisms for transmission appear to be cognitive schemas of relationships and modeling. A paradigm is proposed describing possible means of intergenerational transmission of influence on the social development of children.
Neuronal responses to an asymmetrical alternating current field can mimic those produced by an imposed direct current field in vitro

The remarkable polarity-dependent growth and anatomical organization of neurons in vitro produced by imposed direct current (DC) voltage gradients (electrical fields; Ef) can be mimicked by another type of electrical cue. This is a properly structured asymmetrical alternating current (AC) electrical field (A-ACEf). Here we provide details on the construction of an AC signal generator in which all components of an AC waveform can be individually controlled. We show that 1) conventional symmetrical AC voltage gradients will not induce growth, guidance, or architectural changes in sympathetic neurons. We also provide the first qualitative and quantitative data showing that an asymmetric AC application can indeed mimic the DC response in chick sympathetic neurons and their growing neurites. This shift in orientation and neuronal anatomy requires dieback of some neurites and the extension of others to produce a preferred orientation perpendicular to the gradient of voltage. Our new results may lead to a noninvasive means to modify nerve growth and organization by magnetic inductive coupling at distance. These data also indicate the possibility of a means to mimic DC-dependent release of drugs or other biologically active molecules from electrically sensitive that can be loaded with these chemical cargos.
Considering academic pharmacy as a career: opportunities and resources for students, residents, and fellows

Abstract The role of a clinical faculty member includes responsibilities within teaching, service, and scholarship. Faculty member time is often divided between a college or school of pharmacy and a clinical practice site. A career in academic pharmacy can provide a very rewarding and challenging mix of intellectual stimulation, variety, autonomy, and flexibility. Graduating pharmacists currently have unprecedented employment opportunities from which to choose, like many other pharmacy industries, academic pharmacy is facing a manpower shortage. Although traditional didactic curricula and introductory and advanced practice experiences expose students to a number of different career options, often academic pharmacy is underrepresented in this conventional educational path. Likewise, during residency or fellowship training, the primary emphasis of most programs is in the development of clinical and/or research skills. However, it is becoming more common for schools and colleges of pharmacy to offer elective courses or experiences for students interested in teaching, and similarly for postgraduate training programs to offer formal or informal teaching programs. It is wise for student pharmacists, residents, and fellows with interest in teaching to use available resources to seek out opportunities for exposure to and experience in academic pharmacy throughout pharmacy school and postgraduate training.
A combinatorial analysis of subcube reliability in hypercubes

In this brief contribution, we derive an exact expression for (n-1)-cube reliability in an n-cube using a new probability fault model and an existing random fault model. Approximate results are also obtained for m-cube reliability for values of m smaller than n-1. We show that the proposed probability model for computing subcube reliability is equally accurate, but computationally more efficient than the existing random fault model. >
Optimal shadowing and noise reduction

Abstract The shadowing problem is that of finding a deterministic orbit as close as possible to a given noisy orbit. We present an optimal solution to this problem in the sense of least-mean-squares, which also provides an effective and convenient numerical method for noise reduction for data generated by a dynamical system. Given a noisy orbit y and a dynamical system ƒ, we derive a set of nonlinear equations whose solution x is the deterministic orbit with the smallest possible Euclidean distance to y . We present a numerical method for solving these equations. The quality of the solution depends on the initial noise level. When ƒ is known exactly, the noise can be reduced to machine precision over long trajectory segments; with higher noise levels there are regions where the algorithm has difficulty, but significant overall noise reductions are still achieved. If ƒ must be learned from the data the noise reduction is limited by the accuracy of the learning algorithm and the number of available data points, but large reductions are still possible in some cases.
Collingwood's The Idea of History: A Reader's Guide

Among philosophers of history, R. G. Collingwood stands out for his combination of philosophical acumen and practical experience as an archaeologist and historian. The development of Collingwood sc...
Convergence behavior of iterative phase synchronization and detection

Serially concatenated systems with rotational invariance (RI-SCS) can tolerate certain phase ambiguities and, therefore, for these systems coherent detection is robust even when cycle slipping, false-lock and hangup exist during phase synchronization. However, the convergence behavior of iterative phase synchronization and detection is still not well-understood. In this paper, we present a simplified phase model to analyze the convergence of iterative receivers with/without occurrence of phase rotations. Particularly, an oscillatory convergence behavior due to cycle slipping is explained by means of density evolution. Moreover, based on per-survivor processing (PSP) and single-estimator processing (SEP) techniques, a family of adaptive soft-input soft-output algorithms are employed to implement joint phase tracking and demodulation in the context of maximum a posteriori symbol detection. Both analytical and simulation results show that for RI-SCS the convergence performance of the SEP method is more robust than that of the PSP method when carrier phase has high and random dynamics.
New methods for analyzing active life expectancy

The increment-decrement life-table methods used in several recent analyses of active life expectancy depend on parameters representing rates of movement between functional states such as "active" or "disabled." Available data often pose severe problems for the derivation of these parameters. For example, panel-survey data typically fail to record functional status between interviews. The time intervals between interviews also tend to vary across respondents, often substantially. The Longitudinal Study of Aging, used in this research, exhibits these problems. The authors develop a discrete-time Markov chain model of functional status dynamics that accommodates these features of the data and present maximum-likelihood estimates of the model. Also introduced is a new technique for the calculation of active life expectancy: microsimulation of functional status histories. The microsimulation technique permits the derivation of several new indexes of late life-course outcomes.
ERG is required for the differentiation of embryonic stem cells along the endothelial lineage

Background The molecular mechanisms that govern stem cell differentiation along the endothelial lineage remain largely unknown. Ets related gene (ERG) has recently been shown to participate in the transcriptional regulation of a number of endothelial specific genes including VE-cadherin (CD144), endoglin, and von Willebrand's Factor (vWF). The specific role of the ETS factor ERG during endothelial differentiation has not been evaluated.
Amiodarone reduces the amount of ablation during catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation

Aims The step-wise approach to catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) requires considerable substrate modification targeting at complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) in addition to pulmonary vein (PV) isolation. An alternative strategy that minimizes the amount of ablation would be desirable. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of pre-procedural amiodarone affects: (i) the amount of ablation required to achieve procedural success, and (ii) long-term outcomes. Methods and results We studied 121 consecutive patients with persistent AF who underwent catheter ablation. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1, amiodarone ( n = 31); Group 2, other antiarrhythmic drugs or rate control ( n = 90). All the patients underwent a step-wise ablation procedure beginning with PV isolation, then proceeding with ablation of the CFAEs and linear lesions until sinus rhythm was achieved. Mean left atrial cycle length of AF (AFCL) was recorded at each step. The number of CFAE ablation sites was recorded. The number of CFAE sites in Group 1 was significantly less than that in Group 2 ( P = 0.0121). The AFCLs after each step in Group 1 were significantly longer than those in Group 2. The procedure time and the radiofrequency time of CFAE ablation in Group 1 were significantly shorter than that in Group 2 ( P = 0.0276 and P = 0.0458, respectively). There was no significant difference between the two groups in early and long-term outcomes. Conclusion Use of pre-procedural amiodarone prolongs AFCL during catheter ablation and reduces the number of CFAE sites requiring ablation to achieve procedural success while maintaining equivalent long-term results.
O-GlcNAc modification in diabetes and Alzheimer's disease

Similar to phosphorylation, O-GlcNAcylation (or simply GlcNAcylation) is an abundant, dynamic, and inducible post-translational modification. In some cases, GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation occur at the same or adjacent sites, modulating each other. GlcNAcylated proteins are crucial in regulating virtually all cellular processes, including signaling, cell cycle, and transcription, among others. GlcNAcylation affects protein–protein interactions, activity, stability, and expression. Several GlcNAcylated proteins are involved in diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Hyperglycemia increases GlcNAcylation of proteins within the insulin signaling pathway and contributes to insulin resistance. In addition, hyperinsulinemia and hyperlipidemia are also associated with increased GlcNAcylation, which affect and regulate several insulin signaling proteins, as well as proteins involved on the pathology of diabetes. With respect to Alzheimer's disease, several proteins involved in the etiology of the disease, including tau, neurofilaments, beta-amyloid precursor protein, and synaptosomal proteins are GlcNAcylated in normal brain. The impairment of brain glucose uptake/metabolism is a known metabolic defect in Alzheimer's neurons. Data support the hypothesis that hypoglycemia within the brain may reduce the normal GlcNAcylation of tau, exposing kinase acceptor sites, thus leading to hyperphosphorylation, which induces tangle formation and neuronal death. Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes represent two metabolic disorders where dysfunctional protein GlcNAcylation/phosphorylation may be important for disease pathology.
Mirror Worlds: Experimenting with Heterogeneous AR

Until recently, most content on the Internet has not been explicitly tied to specific people, places or things. However, content is increasingly being geo-coded and semantically labeled, making explicit connections between the physical world around us and the virtual world in cyberspace. Most augmented reality systems simulate a portion of the physical world, for the purposes of rendering a hybrid scene around the user. We have been experimenting with approaches to terra-scale, heterogeneous augmented reality mirror worlds, to unify these two worlds. Our focus has been on the authoring and user-experience, for example allowing ad-hoc transition between augmented and virtual reality interactions for multiple co-present users. This form of ubiquitous virtual reality raises several research questions involving the functional requirements, user affordances and relevant system architectures for these mirror worlds. In this paper, we describe our experiments with two mirror world systems and some lessons learned about the limitations of deploying these systems using massively multiplayer and dedicated game engine technologies.
Mahler's Concepts of “Symbiosis” and Separation-Individuation: Revisited, Reevaluated, Refined:

Mahler's developmental theories are reviewed in the light of subsequent clinical experience and theoretical and empirical critique. Several modifications are proposed, each tending to particularize and focus the nature and scope of developmental events. Particular attention is accorded the "symbiosis" concept, and focus placed on transmission of psychodynamic issues from mother to infant and on the progressive buildup of self-sustaining pathological systems. Overall, an argument is advanced for the continued developmental import of Mahler's "symbiotic" and "separation-individuation" phase formulations, though with recognition of significant individual differences in their role in individual lives. An argument is advanced also for the clinical utility of these ideas, and illustrations presented, though the link between clinical applications and psychoanalytic theories of early development remains problematic.