cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trolls and Other Patent Inventions: Economic History and the Patent Controversy in the Twenty-First Century

The most significant changes to the patent and innovation system in the past two centuries have been, or are in the process of being, implemented in the United States today. Critics of patent grants and intellectual property institutions propose alternatives such as unprecedented constraints on the rights of patent owners, and many advocate the award of technological prizes as superior alternatives. Such proposals are motivated by claims that the patent system is in crisis, with new developments that require departures from traditional approaches to property rights and technology policy. The historical record sheds light on the nature and validity of these controversies. In particular, data on patents granted, litigation rates over the past two centuries, and the role of non-practicing entities, indicate that these features of the current market in intellectual property are hardly anomalous. Indeed, they have been inherently associated with disruptive technologies that transformed the United States into the world leader in industrial and economic growth. By contrast, extensive empirical analyses of prize systems in Europe and the United States explain why early enthusiasm about such administered nonmarket-oriented awards had waned by the end of the nineteenth century.
Field measurement of basal forces generated by erosive debris flows

[1] It has been proposed that debris flows cut bedrock valleys in steeplands worldwide, but field measurements needed to constrain mechanistic models of this process remain sparse due to the difficulty of instrumenting natural flows. Here we present and analyze measurements made using an automated sensor network, erosion bolts, and a 15.24 cm by 15.24 cm force plate installed in the bedrock channel floor of a steep catchment. These measurements allow us to quantify the distribution of basal forces from natural debris-flow events that incised bedrock. Over the 4 year monitoring period, 11 debris-flow events scoured the bedrock channel floor. No clear water flows were observed. Measurements of erosion bolts at the beginning and end of the study indicated that the bedrock channel floor was lowered by 36 to 64 mm. The basal force during these erosive debris-flow events had a large-magnitude (up to 21 kN, which was approximately 50 times larger than the concurrent time-averaged mean force), high-frequency (greater than 1 Hz) fluctuating component. We interpret these fluctuations as flow particles impacting the bed. The resulting variability in force magnitude increased linearly with the time-averaged mean basal force. Probability density functions of basal normal forces were consistent with a generalized Pareto distribution, rather than the exponential distribution that is commonly found in experimental and simulated monodispersed granular flows and which has a lower probability of large forces. When the bed sediment thickness covering the force plate was greater than ∼ 20 times the median bed sediment grain size, no significant fluctuations about the time-averaged mean force were measured, indicating that a thin layer of sediment (∼ 5 cm in the monitored cases) can effectively shield the subjacent bed from erosive impacts. Coarse-grained granular surges and water-rich, intersurge flow had very similar basal force distributions despite differences in appearance and bulk-flow density. These results demonstrate that debris flows can have strong control on rates of steepland evolution and contribute to a foundation needed for modeling debris-flow incision stochastically.
The Inclusion of Informal Environments in Science Teacher Preparation

(2001). The Inclusion of Informal Environments in Science Teacher Preparation. Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 155-173.
Three dimensional structure recognition in digital angiograms using Gauss-Markov methods

Existing methods for automatically finding arteries in coronary angiograms rely on preprocessing (digital subtraction or edge enhancement). Structure recognition in unprocessed images will enable the analysis of a wider range clinical images (of varying quality). The authors have previously reported on a prototype which works on such unsubtracted and unprocessed digital angiograms. They now present a system designed to process image pairs and thereby perform recognition in three dimensions. This approach, the "Deformable Template Matcher" (DTM), combines a-priori knowledge of the arterial tree (encoded as mathematical "templates") with a stochastic deformation process described by a hidden Markov model. An introduction so the technique is presented along with examples of its application to bi-plane images and a discussion of the computational implications. >
The market valuation effects of reserve regulation

Abstract We demonstrate that the financial market's reaction to changes in reserve regulation implies that reserve requirements are an excise tax on banking activities. Changes in reserve requirements do not influence yields on Treasury securities or returns on broad-based portfolios of nonfinancial stocks and thus do not impound new information about monetary policy. Moreover, changes in reserve requirements have an impact on nonbank financial firms that is opposite in sign to that of banks. This suggests that reserve requirements shift the locus of some financial activities from the banking sector to the nonbank sector of the financial system.
On Edward Said, Scholar and Public Intellectual

In her paper, "On Edward Said, Scholar and Public Intellectual," F. Elizabeth Dahab pays tribute to Edward Said, 1935-2003. Dahab discusses selected aspects of Said's trajectories as a scholar and Palestinian-American activist including aspects of Said's numerous activities and work as a musician, an ardent political polemicist, a music critic, a Columbia University professor of comparative literature, a humanist, President of the Modern Language Association of America, and an exiled Palestinian as evident in the vast corpus of this eminent scholar's publications over the course of almost four decades (twenty-four books and hundreds of articles and interviews). Said's work elicited debate and controversy while his activities as a public intellectual who lead a life of thought "inbetween" the difficult and multiple borders of the historic battle fields of the Middle East won him a great number of supporters and enemies alike. Said's life and work prove exemplary for all who believe in integrity in thought and practice. F. Elizabeth Dehab, "On Edward Said, Scholar and Public Intellectual" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 5.4 (2003):
Epidemiologic studies of menopause: Changes in risk factors and disease

There have been important studies of changes in risk factors and psychosocial variables during peri- and postmenopause. Most of the studies have been done in whites. Studies have clearly documented changes in behavior and biological variables related to menopause. The most critical questions bear on the interrelationships between sex steroid hormone levels, life-styles, including diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, obesity, and changes in key risk factors that are associated with the major causes of morbidity and mortality among postmenopausal women. The best study designs should be longitudinal and include frequent, accurate, and reproducible measurements of biological and psychosocial variables. Importantly, studies should be done in heterogeneous populations. The most critical variables may be measures of the degree of obesity and fatness, diet, and exercise and their relationship to hormonal changes occurring during the peri- and postmenopausal period.
Concurrent product development for fast-track corporations

Abstract Fast-Track corporations take strategic initiatives in responding quickly even to weak signals from their external environments. Implementation of this strategic intent demands an effective mobilization of the organization's internal resources and configuration. This paper begins by discussing the evolving micro-economic relationship between producers and consumers of goods and services in globalized economy, and explores the origins of organizations' product development programmes. Then classical and current approaches to product development are reviewed with respect to understanding the anatomy of a concurrent approach. Three different modes of integration, with stress on hardware, humanware and software, are discussed. A portfolio of alternative routes to achieving concurrence is proposed.
Budd–Chiari Syndrome Revisited: 38 Years’ Experience with Surgical Portal Decompression

Objective Ten years ago, we reported our results with what remains as the largest clinical experience with surgical portal decompression for Budd–Chiari syndrome (BCS) in the West. Since then, our series has expanded to 77 patients, and there has been an explosion of interest in and publications about BCS. The objectives of this study are to assess the validity of our observations and conclusions regarding BCS reported 10 years ago by expansion of our series of patients and observations of outcomes over an additional decade of close follow-up.
Electroanalysis of metal species at polypyrrole-modified electrodes

Abstract Conducting-polymer-modified electrodes based on the incorporation of two anionic ligands, namely bathophenanthroline disulfonate and bathocuproine disulfonate, into polypyrrole film during electropolymerization were found to show sensitivity to copper species (both Cu + and Cu 2+ ions). The copper species were readily extracted into the polypyrrole film electrode containing the complexing ligands. The electrochemical reaction of the incorporated copper complex resulted in a measurable square-wave voltammetric peak current, which was found to be related to the logarithm of copper concentrations. Reproducibility of the determination of copper species by the ligand-incorporated polypyrrole-modified electrodes was around ± 11% RSD and the detection limit was estimated to be about 2 μM.
Genetic modification of the storage lipids of plants

Edible vegetable oils often require extensive chemical modification to increase their utility. A number of genetically altered plants that produce ready-modified oils have recently been reported. Genetic modification of oil-producing plants has been achieved, both by chemically induced or radiation-induced mutagenesis, and by genetic engineering. Approaches that combine mutants and transgenics have great potential for the production of commercially valuable phenotypes.
Reducing bus delay in submicron technology using coding

In this paper we study the delay associated with transmission of data through busses. Previous work in this area has presented models for delay assuming a distributed wire model or a lumped capacitive coupling between wires. In this paper we extend the Elmore delay to account for a distributed model with distributed coupling component and an arbitrary number of lines driven by independent sources. The effect of data patterns is taken into account allowing us to estimate the delay on a sample by sample basis instead of making a worst case assumption. Using this detailed wire delay model, we propose a technique to speed up the communication through a data bus using coding. The idea is to encode the data being transmitted through the bus with the goal of eliminating certain types of transitions that require a large delay. We show that by using proper encoding techniques, the bus can be sped up by a factor of 2.
Acceleration of convergence by density matrix extrapolation in CNDO/2 calculations

A five-point extrapolation procedure has been applied to the first-order density matrix in CNDO/2 calculations. A number of deviations from the usual procedures are employed which protect the overall extrapolation from failure when the points used in the extrapolation of a given element form a linear or divergent series. Overall the method saves about 20–50% on the number of iterations required to attain self-consistency.
Interaction of Nitric Oxide Synthase with the Postsynaptic Density Protein PSD-95 and α1-Syntrophin Mediated by PDZ Domains

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is concentrated at synaptic junctions in brain and motor endplates in skeletal muscle. Here, we show that the N-terminus of nNOS, which contains a PDZ protein motif, interacts with similar motifs in postsynaptic density-95 protein (PSD-95) and a related novel protein, PSD-93.nNOS and PSD-95 are coexpressed in numerous neuronal populations, and a PSD-95/nNOS complex occurs in cerebellum. PDZ domain interactions also mediate binding of nNOS to skeletal muscle syntrophin, a dystrophin-associated protein. nNOS isoforms lacking a PDZ domain, identified in nNOSdelta/delta mutant mice, do not associate with PSD-95 in brain or with skeletal muscle sarcolemma. Interaction of PDZ-containing domains therefore mediates synaptic association of nNOS and may play a more general role in formation of macromolecular signaling complexes.
WE‐D‐T‐6C‐03: Development of Image Software Tools for Radiation Therapy Assessment

There has been extensive recent interest in the potential power of emerging imaging tools for early prediction of therapy effectiveness, both related to tumorcontrol and normal tissue damage. These prognostic indicators are the results of combining improved imaging hardware, specialized scanning protocols, and advanced image processing and analysis paradigms. In order to study and eventually use these tools routinely in the radiotherapy process, serious consideration needs to be given to the software environment necessary for proper data collection and analysis ties to individual patients' treatments. Imaging for therapy assessment (IAT) presents a multidimensional information environment, requiring data from different imaging modalities and acquisition methods, as well as handling temporal data series, combined over short (breathing, dynamic contrast) and long (temporal changes over weeks of treatment) time periods. The information needed for relating these data sets for analysis (non‐rigid transformations, proper labeling of studies to measurement states) exceeds the capacities of existing DICOM standards. The extraction of analyzed information and relation to regional (radiation)dose should be multidimensional, and not restricted to voxel‐specific regions. Examples of imaging studies underway for therapy assessment will be presented. Software requirements will be demonstrated through an example system currently in use to support clinical trials at the University of Michigan. This system was designed around the unique needs of IAT, and is able to combine information from multiple sources (e.g., MRI, MRS, CT, PET, radiationdose) and time periods in an intuitive interface. This system has been used for studies of blood flow and volume, regional venous perfusion, vascular permeability, water diffusion, metabolite, and local contrast enhancement for high doseradiotherapy trials in the brain, lung, and liver to date. Educational Objectives: 1. Understanding the unique needs related to imaging for assessment of radiation therapy. 2. Understanding the required tools beyond those found in a typical treatment planning system 3. Understanding a common ground needed for combining efforts of imagingphysicists,radiationphysicists, physicians and statisticians. 4. Understanding opportunities for novel paradigm and algorithm development
On the construction of monthly term structures of U.S. interest rates, 1919–1930

This paper presents the methodology used to construct reliable estimates of the term structure of interest rates for the United States during 1919–1930. These monthly term structures are based on individual corporate bonds' price quotations for the majority of U.S. railroad corporations' issues of that era. McCulloch's cubic spline methodology, coupled with Nelson and Siegel's parsimonious estimator, is used to derive curves for three investment-grade risk classes. These estimates compare favorably with Durand's hand-smoothed estimates as well as earlier annual estimates generated by Thies. They provide a consistent basis for a wide range of monetary and financial research on this period.
Chronic exercise training preserves prostaglandin-induced dilation of epicardial coronary artery during development of heart failure in awake dogs.

Abstract Although it has been shown that long-term exercise training preserves endothelium-mediated nitric oxide vasodilator function in chronic heart failure (CHF), whether exercise training exerts similar beneficial effects on endothelial/prostaglandin-mediated vasodilator capacity in coronary circulation during the development of CHF has not been determined. Fifteen mongrel dogs were surgically instrumented for measurement of left ventricular pressure, aortic pressure, coronary blood flow and left circumflex coronary artery diameter. Dogs ( n = 5) who underwent 4 weeks of cardiac pacing (210 b/min for 3 weeks and 240 b/min for the 4th week) developed CHF as characterized by significant reduction in left ventricular systolic pressure, mean arterial pressure and left ventricular dP/dt, increases in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and heart rate, as well as clinical signs of CHF. Endothelial prostaglandin-mediated vasodilation of the epicardial coronary artery was impaired, as manifested by an attenuated arachidonic acid (AA)-induced dilation of the artery (epicardial artery diameter increased by: 0.78 ± 0.84% in CHF versus 4.6 ± 0.89% in normal, P 2 )-induced and nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation of the coronary circulation were not altered. In contrast, dogs ( n = 6) with cardiac pacing plus daily exercise training (4.4 ± 0.3 km/h, 2 h/day) only developed mild cardiac dysfunction, and the response of the epicardial coronary artery diameter to AA was preserved (epicardial artery diameter increased by 4.2 ± 0.98% from baseline, P > 0.05 compared to its respective control). Thus, long-term exercise training preserves endothelial/prostaglandin-mediated dilation of epicardial coronary artery during development of CHF.
Abstract 567: Inhibition of growth and induction of differentiation by apigenin, baicalein and quercetin in colon cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC There is considerable data to support the concept that polyphenolic molecules that occur in fruits and vegetables may have beneficial effects as cancer chemopreventive agents. We have shown previously that these polyphenolic molecules can induce enzyme markers of differentiation either alone, or in combination with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. These data raise the question whether the induction of enzyme markers for differentiation are due to the anti- or pro-oxidant properties of polyphenols. We have compared the action of three flavonol molecules, apigenin, baicalein, and quercetin on four cell lines derived from human colon cells (Caco-2, SW1116, HT-29, and NCM460). The three polyphenols caused increases in alkaline phosphatase activity but no increase or decrease in aminopeptidase activity in Caco-2 cells. There was no induction of differentiation in the other cell lines by the three polyphenols. Since production of hydrogen peroxide has been reported when some polyphenolic compounds are incubated with serum-containing medium, we examined this phenomenon with the three polyphenols. Production of hydrogen peroxide was greater with baicalein than with quercetin or apigenin. When Caco-2 cells were incubated with hydrogen peroxide, there was some increase in alkaline phosphatase, but the concentrations required were higher than for the polyphenols and the magnitude of the effect was less. Further studies were performed with baicalein because that molecule had resulted in greater production of hydrogen peroxide. To test the significance of the hydrogen peroxide formation, we added catalase, but this addition did not prevent the increase in alkaline phosphatase or the decrease in protein synthesis in Caco-2 cells after incubation with baicalein. In addition, we wanted to determine the potential of the three polyphenols in combination with butyrate to increase the activity of alkaline phosphatase in Caco-2 cells. Synergistic effects were seen for the increase in alkaline phosphatase activity in Caco-2 cells for baicalein and quercetin, but not with apigenin. In conclusion, Caco-2 human colon cancer cells are notably sensitive to growth inhibitory and differentiating effects of apigenin, baicalein, and quercetin. It was evident that these polyphenols can have pro-oxidant effects, but our data suggested that this action was not the sole determinant of growth inhibitory or differentiating effects on colon cancer cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 567.
Enhanced Cardiovascular and Catecholamine Responses in Women with Depressive Symptoms

To test the hypothesis that cardiovascular and sympathetic nervous system responses before and during behavioral stressors are exaggerated among subjects with depressed mood who do not have clinical depressive disorder. Sixty healthy women aged 18-49 were initially asked to complete the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The 15 with the highest (Depressive Symptom group) and the 15 with the lowest BDI scores (Control group) underwent stress testing including baseline, postural challenge, a speech task describing responses to a recent anger-arousing experience and recovery. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were higher in the Depressive Symptom group during baseline, challenges and recovery. This group also showed shorter pre-ejection period (a marker of enhanced cardiac sympathetic activation) and lesser heart rate variability across all test periods. During the speech task only, the Depressive Symptom group exhibited greater increases in plasma norepinephrine and higher cardiac output responses associated with decreased interbeat interval (faster heart rate). These results support the a priori hypothesis regarding enhanced sympathetic and cardiovascular activity. Finally, the BDI scores correlated very highly with lack of perceived emotional social support, reinforcing prior research on the linkage between social isolation and severity of depressive symptoms.
Grayscale simulation on a color display

Abstract A prescription is given for the design of (red, green, blue) lookup tables which allow pseudo-grayscale imaging on a color display.
Energy-conserving Galerkin representation of clamped plates under a moderately large deflection

Abstract In the moderately large deflection plate theory of von Karman and Chu–Herrmann, one can formulate dynamic equations of a thin plate by considering either the transverse and in-plane displacements, w – u – v formulation, or the transverse displacement and Airy function, w – F formulation. Previously, for a simply supported plate we have investigated the Hamiltonian property of modal equations obtained by the Galerkin representation under w – u – v and w – F formulations. We extend here such investigations to a rectangular clamped plate with similar conclusions. That is, the modal equations of w – F formulation are Hamiltonian and hence energy conserving at any order of truncation. On the other hand, the corresponding modal equations of w – u – v formulation do not conserve energy when only a small number of sine terms are included in the in-plane displacement expansions.
Mercaptoammonium-Monolayer-Protected, Water-Soluble Gold, Silver, and Palladium Clusters

This paper describes gold, silver, and palladium nanoparticles coated with monolayers of trimethyl(mercaptoundecyl)ammonium ligands. The monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs) are synthesized in aqueous medium and are water soluble. In dry films, their highly charged surfaces inhibit the interdigitation of monolayer chains known (transmission electron microscopy) in dry films of alkanethiolate-coated nanoparticles. UV−vis spectra exhibit surface plasmon bands for Au and Ag MPCs at the expected wavelengths but none for Pd clusters. Thermogravimetric and transmission electron microscopy results suggest that Au and Ag nanoparticles readily aggregate through ionic association of the terminal ammonium groups but without metallic core fusion between particles. Two-component multilayers of MPCs can be affixed to surfaces by alternating exposure to anionic, mixed-monolayer hexanethiolate−mercaptoundecanoic acid MPCs and cationic Au ammonium-MPCs.
Efficacy of a group crisis-counseling program for men who accompany women seeking abortions

This study investigated the effect of a group crisis-counseling session on the anxiety level and attitudes of males who accompanied women seeking legal abortions. Twenty-three companion males participated in one 2-hour counseling session. Each session was comprised of three to seven men. Twenty-three other men, who served as control subjects, remained in the waiting room of the abortion clinic and did not participate in a counseling session. All subjects completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and four other attitudinal measures based on the semantic differential. These were filled out by all subjects when they first arrived at the clinic and again approximately 2 hours later. Results from both the STAI and the other attitudinal measures indicated that State anxiety (A-State) decreased and attitudes towards abortion concepts generally were more positive for men in the group which received crisis counseling.
Testing the stochastic mechanism for low-frequency variations in ENSO predictability

[1] The Hypothesis that low-frequency variation of ENSO predictability may be caused by stochastic processes is tested using an Intermediate Coupled Model (ICM). Three “perfect model scenario” prediction experiments were carried out, each of which consists of large ensemble predictions. In the first case (reference case), the model is solely forced by stochastic forcing without any explicit decadal-varying background. In the other two experiments, decadal-varying backgrounds with different amplitudes were introduced into the ICM in addition to the stochastic forcing. By comparing the low-frequency variations of ENSO predictability in these experiments, it is found that only when the amplitude of the decadal-varying background is unrealistically strong, the effect of decadal-varying background on ENSO predictability is comparable to or larger than the stochastically induced low-frequency ENSO variation. Therefore, to the extent that the simple coupled system can represent reality, it seems that one can not simply reject the null hypothesis that the decadal variation of ENSO predictability may be stochastically induced.
A Statistical Approach to the Prediction of Brittle Fracture in Heat-Affected Zones of A707 Steel Welds

Abstract This article presents a statistical approach to the prediction of the variations in fracture toughness of the heat-affected zones in A707 steel welds. Fractographic analyses were first used to determine the inclusion size distributions from the ductile fracture regions that precede the onset of cleavage fracture. The inclusion size distributions were shown to be well characterized by the three-parameter Weibull distribution. Based on the inclusion size distribution, a modified version of the model by Lin, Evans, and Ritchie was used to estimate the statistical variability of the crack-tip opening displacement (fracture toughness). The modification involves the use of a polynomial function in the determination of the dimensionless stress parameter, in the Hutchinson-Rice-Rasengren (HRR) field solution. This enables a fully analytical solution to be obtained for the critical driving forces associated with specified failure/survival probabilities under elastic-plastic fracture conditions. The compar...
Sustaining the desire to learn: Dimensions of perceived instructional facework related to student involvement and motivation to learn

Instructional communication research about student motivation generally fails to explain the mechanism by which communication influences learning motivations, while motivational theories in psychology and education focus almost exclusively on cognitive and structural explanations. Addressing that interdisciplinary exigency, this study explains and tests a mechanism by which the facework dimension of instructional communication (specifically teacher feedback about student work) addresses important learner identity needs and thus predicts students’ intrinsic learning motivations, interaction involvement, and task‐mastery orientation toward their schooling. Instructional face‐support was found to predict each of the outcomes tested, with solidarity and tact facework as generally the best specific predictors. The discussion extends existing research and theory about classroom communication's influence on student motivations and involvement.
Selective downregulation of ubiquitin conjugation cascade mRNA occurs in the senescent rat soleus muscle.

Abstract Aging-related alterations of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway (UPP) have been reported in locomotor skeletal muscle. Specifically, declines in proteasome activity have been observed in the soleus of senescent animals compared to the soleus of young controls. However, the influence of aging on the mRNA levels of key components within the ubiquitin conjugation cascade (UCC) remains unknown. We hypothesized that aged soleus muscle would exhibit downregulated expression of select UCC mRNA and decreased levels of ubiquitin–protein conjugates. To test this postulate, we harvested soleus muscles from 6 and 24–26 month old Fisher 344 rats. Aging resulted in a decline in mRNA expression of two key UCC components in soleus muscle; ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E214k (E214k) and muscle ring finger-1 (MuRF1). Surprisingly, no age-related differences existed in the total content of endogenous ubiquitin–protein conjugates in the soleus muscle. Nonetheless, a selective decrease in the level of ubiquitin–protein conjugates (∼30 kDa) was detected in the soleus of senescent animals. These results indicate that the soleus muscle displays a differential mRNA response of select UCC components to aging. Furthermore, the decline in E214k and MuRF1 mRNA levels may contribute to altered substrate degradation by the UCC in the soleus muscle of senescent rats.
Computational study of phosphatase activity in soluble epoxide hydrolase : High efficiency through a water bridge mediated proton shuttle

Recently, a new branch of fatty acid metabolism has been opened by the novel phosphatase activity found in the N-terminal domain of the, hence bifunctional, soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). Importantly, this finding has also provided a new site for drug targeting in sEH's activity regulation. Classical MD and hybrid Car−Parrinello QM/MM calculations have been performed to investigate the reaction mechanism of the phosphoenzyme intermediate formation in the first step of the catalysis. The results support a concerted multi-event reaction mechanism: (1) a dissociative in-line nucleophilic substitution for the phosphoryl transfer reaction; (2) a double proton transfer involved in the formation of a good leaving group in the transition state. The presence of a water bridge in the substrate/enzyme complex allowed an efficient proton shuttle, showing its key role in speeding up the catalysis. The calculated free energy of the favored catalytic pathway is ∼19 kcal/mol, in excellent agreement with experimental data.
Characteristics of the Florida cognitive activities scale in older African Americans.

Substantial research effort has recently focused on the potential protective effect of cognitively demanding activities on cognitive decline in late life. A significant methodological issue in this...
Rotation and the internal structures of the major planets and their inner satellites

Measurements of the rotational periods coupled with those of the masses, the mean radii, and the shapes or the gravitational moments (J2 and J4) enable important constraints to be placed on the internal structures of some remote bodies. Values of J2 for Uranus and Neptune have been calculated from the observed precession rates of the narrow eccentric and inclined Uranian rings and of the orbit of Triton, Neptune's massive satellite. Recent observations of the motions of spots have yielded reliable rotational periods for these planets. These observations are used to show that Uranus and Neptune may have quite different internal structures. The shapes of satellites that are close to their primaries may yield information on the degree of internal differentiation of these bodies. Io, Mimas, Enceladus, and Miranda are of interest in this respect. Residuals in the observed precession rates of the Uranian rings, about 0.005 deg/day, that cannot be accounted for by the best-fit model of J2 and J4 may be related directly to observed irregular variations in ring width of magnitude over 2 km and may indicate the existence of shepherding satellites with mass ratios of over 10 to the -10th. If this is the case, then the effects of these satellites on the precession rates of the rings will result in an appreciable uncertainty in the value of J4 for Uranus.
Cooperative Effects of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor and Norepinephrine on Tyrosine Hydroxylase Expression in Cultured Rat Locus Coeruleus Neurons

Abstract Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) was found to promote the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity by cultured noradrenergic neurons from the locus coeruleus (LC) of E18 rat fetuses, but only in the concomitant presence of norepinephrine (NE), their own neurotransmitter. The number of TH-positive cells in LC cultures was shown to decrease by 65% within 3 days and by 75% after 6 days. Treatment with 10 TU/ml human recombinant CNTF together with 1 μM NE was able to fully maintain the initial number of TH-positive neurons for 3 days. This effect, however, was no longer seen after 6 days of continuous exposure. A 24-hr treatment with CNTF/NE was capable of completely restoring the initial number of TH-positive cells, even if its addition was delayed for 2 days. Moreover, when its addition was delayed for 5 days, CNTF/NE restored ∼80% of the TH-positive neurons that were initially present. These results suggest that the disappearance of TH-positive neurons in LC cultures is not due to their death, but rather to the reduced expression of TH and that the simultaneous exposure to CNTF and NE upregulates TH. Effects on TH-positive cell number were not evoked by CNTF or NE alone. The CNTF/NE effect was dependent on protein synthesis, but was only partially inhibited by RNA synthesis inhibitors, suggesting that both transcription from preexisting mRNA and synthesis of new RNA were stimulated. The effect of CNTF/NE was mediated by α2-adrenoceptors, since it was blocked by α2-antagonists and since α2-agonists were able to substitute for NE. Our results suggest a novel mechanism of regulation of the phenotype of the noradrenergic LC neuron, involving the collaborative influences of CNTF and norepinephrine, their own neurotransmitter.
“We weren't intentionally excluding them…just old habits”: Women, (lack of) interest and an engineering student competition team

Student, experiential-learning, engineering, competition teams (SELECT) provide an opportunity for engineering students to practice engineering technical and professional skills. The low representation of women in SELECT is often rationalized as a lack of interest by individual women rather than systemic processes that discourage or exclude women. We employ a qualitative-interpretive design and a cultural constructionist lens to bring into focus the interplay of individual interests, understandings of appropriate gender roles, and structural elements that contribute to a culture of inclusion or exclusion. Primary data consist of 90-minute semi-structured interviews of eight team members and one non-member. By interpreting the narrative portraits of two female students, we show the construction of a team culture where in general women are discouraged from participation based on stereotyped gender roles, by night campus attitudes, and by peers who challenge or ignore their skills, contributions, and interests. One woman persevered through the male-dominated culture because she received the encouragement and support of male peers who engaged as comrades and champions. This paper offers recommendations for institutions to demonstrate commitment to equitable access to experiential learning and to nurture student peer cultures that challenge historic gendered ideologies and rhetoric.
Interleukin-10 inhibits polymethylmethacrylate particle induced interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α release by human monocyte/macrophages in vitro

Periprosthetic membranes commonly observed at sites of total joint implant loosening exhibit abundant macrophages and particulate debris. Macrophages phagocytose orthopedic debris and release the pro-inflammatory mediators interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and prostaglandin E2. Populations of activated lymphocytes are often seen in periprosthetic membranes. These lymphocytes may modulate the monocyte/macrophage response to particulate debris and influence aseptic loosening. In addition, other immunologic agents, such as interleukin-10, are present in tissues harvested from the bone-implant interface of failed total joint arthroplasties. The present study examined the effects of interleukin-10 on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particle challenged human monocyte/macrophages in vitro. Human monocyte/macrophages isolated from buffy coats of five healthy individuals were exposed to 1-10 microm PMMA particles. Interleukin-10 was added to the monocyte/macrophages with and without the addition of PMMA particles. Interleukin-10-induced alterations in monocyte/macrophage metabolism were determined measuring interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha release by the cells following exposure to PMMA particles. Exposure of the monocyte/macrophages to PMMA particles resulted in a dose-dependent release of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha at 48 h. Interleukin-10 reduced the levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha release by macrophages in response to PMMA particles in a dose-dependent manner. At 48 h, particle-induced interleukin-6 release was inhibited by 60 and 90% with 1.0 and 10.0 ng/ml treatments of interleukin-10, respectively. At 48 h, particle-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha release was inhibited by 58 and 88% with 1.0 and 10.0 ng/ml treatments of interleukin-10, respectively. Interleukin-10 challenge alone did not significantly alter basal interleukin-6 or tumor necrosis factor-alpha release relative to control cultures. The data presented in this study demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10, inhibits monocyte/macrophage release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in response to PMMA particle challenge in vitro.
A note on the orientation of symmetric rigid bodies sedimenting in a power-law fluid

We study the terminal orientation of symmetric bodies translating in a quiescent liquid modeled by the power-law fluid. We are able to show by invoking the symmetries of the sedimenting body and the Stokes flow field that at small Reynolds numbers, the competition of inertial and shear-thinning (or shear-thickening) contributions to the torque does not cause the tilt angle that is observed in experiments performed on viscoelastic liquids with shear-thinning properties.
Radioargon production through the irradiation of calcium oxide

The production of radioargon through the irradiation of CaO was performed in an in-core facility within the The University of Texas at Austin MARK II TRIGA reactor. The major radioargon isotope produced was 37Ar via the 40Ca(n,α)37Ar reaction pathway. The CaO powder was vacuumed sealed in a quartz ampoule. The sample was irradiated in a Cd-lined Al alloy canister for 2 h at 500 kW. After the irradiation, the sample was counted using an HPGe detector five times with increasing count times. 41Ar, 42K, 43K, and 47Ca were detected in the spectra. The induced activities of 37Ar, 39Ar, 41Ar, 42K, 43K, and 47Ca were calculated using a 63-group energy-dependent neutron flux determined utilizing a neutron energy flux profile calculated from a MCNPX model of the TRIGA reactor core. The production ratios generated from the model allowed for the estimation of induced 37Ar and 39Ar activities through the measured induced activities of 41Ar, 42K, 43K, and 47Ca.
Identifying important food sources of nutrients

Abstract We used food intake records from 37,785 participants in the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey, 1977–78, to identify foods that are important sources of nine nutrients. The nutrients included: calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, and vitamin C. We designated foods that contributed a significant amount (at least 5 percent) to the total intake of a nutrient “important” sources of the nutrient. We considered a food a “good” source of a nutrient on the basis of the amount of the nutrient in a given quantity of the food. Some foods not normally included in lists of “good” nutrient sources, such as breads and rolls, were identified as “important” sources because the survey indicated that they were used frequently and in relatively large amounts. For some population subgroups, “important” sources of nutrients may differ from those reported in this study.
Origins of oceanic plankton in the middle Atlantic Bight

Abstract Expatriated species of zooplankton found in the mid-Atlantic Bight include Arctic-Boreal species derived from shelf waters northeast of Cape Cod, transition zone species from the adjoining Slope Water and tropical-subtropical species that commonly reside in the Gulf Stream, and Sargasso Sea. Introduction of expatriates is largely associated with the pattern of advective movements of water onto the shelf: Arctic-Boreal species are brought in from the northeast largely by over-shelf transport; transition zone species by Slope Water penetration at the surface when horizontal density gradients are minimal and at mid-depth in response to physical processes such as estuarine-type circulation, wind-driven upwelling, cold shelf water ‘bubble’ formation and movement out into the Slope Water or to shelf-Slope Water interactions associated with warm core rings; warm water species by injection of warm core ring surface water in over the shelf. There is little evidence that Carolinian species are introduced into the mid-Atlantic Bight directly around Cape Hatteras. In general, the occurrence of expatriate warm water species is more important in terms of species numbers and total biomass when compared to the occurrence of expatriate cold water species. The Bight region can be divided into three regions with regard to oceanic influences: (1) the band of low salinity water along the coast south of the mouth of the Hudson River, extending to the mouth of the Chesapeake; (2) the Continental Shelf edge extending from about 37 ° 30′N to 40 °N and extending shoreward towards the eastern half of the Long Island and Block Island Sound, but not including the region south-east of Cape Cod and Nantucket: (3) the southern sector, including the shelf edge south of 37 °N and extending landward south of Chesapeake Bay. Each of these regions is characterized by types of expatriate species and by hydrographic features. A mechanism is postulated whereby warm water species which cannot withstand harsh winter conditions in the mid-Atlantic Bight can ‘overwinter’ by the movement offshore of adults or larvae in shelf water entrained at Cape Hatteras in late summer or early fall, by transit alongside or within the Gulf Stream, by incorporation into a warm core ring and by return to shelf waters in the spring when the ring impinges on the shelf margin.
Study of medroxyprogesterone acetate and testosterone enanthate as a male contraceptive

Abstract In an attempt to produce azoospermia while maintaining normal serum testosterone levels, injections of medroxyprogesterone acetate (100 mg or 150 mg) and testosterone enanthate (200 mg) were administered intramuscularly for 4 consecutive months to 14 normal men. This treatment caused suppression of gonadotropins and reduction of sperm counts in all subjects. Sperm concentrations fell below 5 million/ml in 10 subjects, 2 of whom attained azoospermia. A recovery phase of 16–41 weeks after the last injection was necessary for all subjects to return to pretreatment sperm concentrations. Pretreatment testosterone levels were not maintained during treatment, but there was no subjective loss of libido. Unilateral gynecomastia occurred in one subject during the treatment phase of the study. The dosage of the gestagen-androgen formulation used in this study is probably insufficient for use as a male contraceptive.
Attributing social and physical meaning to ambiguous visual displays in individuals with higher-functioning autism spectrum disorders

The weak central coherence (WCC) account of autism characterizes the learning style of individuals with this condition as favoring localized and fragmented (to the detriment of global and integrative) processing of information. This pattern of learning is thought to lead to deficits in aspects of perception (e.g., face processing), cognition, and communication (e.g., focus on disjointed details rather than "gist" or context), ultimately leading to social impairments. This study was carried out to examine whether WCC applies to social and to non-social aspects of learning alike, or, alternatively, some areas of learning (e.g., physical reasoning) are spared in autism. classic social animation as quantified in the Social Attribution Task (SAT) () and a novel animation involving physical reasoning (the Physical Attribution Task; PAT) were used to test the domain specificity of the WCC hypothesis. A pilot study involving a reference group of typically developing young adults and a group of individuals with higher-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) revealed gender differences in the reference group in regards to performance on the PAT (males outperformed females). In a follow-up case-control comparison involving only males where the ASD group was matched on age and IQ to a typically developing (TD) group of children, adolescents, and adults, the ASD group showed lower SAT scores and comparable PAT scores relative to the TD group. The interaction of diagnostic group by task was highly significant, with little overlap between the groups in the distributions of SAT minus PAT scores. These results indicated preserved integrative skills in the area of physical attribution in the ASD group, thus failing to support the WCC account as a domain-independent (or more general) model of learning in autism, while highlighting the centrality of the social deficits in the characterization of learning style in the autism spectrum disorders.
Predictive non-linear modeling of complex data by artificial neural networks

Abstract An artificial neural network (ANN) is an artificial intelligence tool that identifies arbitrary nonlinear multiparametric discriminant functions directly from experimental data. The use of ANNs has gained increasing popularity for applications where a mechanistic description of the dependency between dependent and independent variables is either unknown or very complex. This machine learning technique can be roughly described as a universal algebraic function that will distinguish signal from noise directly from experimental data. The application of ANNs to complex relationships makes them highly attractive for the study of biological systems. Recent applications include the analysis of expression profiles and genomic and proteomic sequences. Protein transduction domains have circumvented the bioavailability restriction of the cell membrane and resulted in the delivery of peptides, full-length proteins, iron beads, liposomes, and radioactive isotopes into cells and animal models.