cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic abortion: Attitudes of medical personnel leading to complications in patient care☆☆☆

Abstract This study of the records of 50 consecutive patients undergoing a therapeutic abortion when compared with a control group reveals significant differences in attitudes of the staff that affect patient care. Persistent themes are uneasiness and shame concerning personal participation, which led to avoidance by both attending staff and residents with a resultant inadequate experience. Information obtained from a series of seminars points to the conclusion that concern with the issue of causing a death remains paramount. Polarization and resolution of these feelings are fundamental and necessary if the demands of society for more abortions are to be met.
Quetiapine for the treatment of delirium.

BACKGROUND Delirium is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized medically ill patients. Haloperidol has historically been the agent of choice for the treatment of delirium, but recent studies have explored the efficacy of second-generation antipsychotics such as quetiapine. The unique pharmacology of quetiapine may allow it to treat delirium and provide sedation without causing significant extrapyramidal side effects. PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy of quetiapine for the treatment of delirium. DATA SOURCES A search was conducted in MEDLINE and Embase (January 1960–December 2012) using keywords “quetiapine,” “second-generation antipsychotic,” “atypical antipsychotic,” “delirium,” and “agitation.” STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION The search was limited to English-language articles and trials with treatment of delirium as the primary end point. Eight trials met this inclusion criterion. DATA SYNTHESIS Two randomized controlled trials, 5 open-label studies, and 1 retrospective cohort study evaluating quetiapine for the treatment of delirium were reviewed. One randomized controlled trial showed no differences in total mean delirium scores, but found the rate of delirium improvement was significantly shorter with quetiapine. The second randomized controlled trial showed the time to first resolution of delirium was shorter with quetiapine compared to placebo. Results of the open-label and retrospective cohort trials have also shown significant resolution of delirium from baseline and equal efficacy with quetiapine compared to amisulpride and haloperidol. CONCLUSIONS Quetiapine appears to be an effective and safe agent for the treatment of delirium in both general medicine and intensive care unit patients. The trials summarized suggest that quetiapine resolves symptoms of delirium more quickly than placebo and has equal efficacy compared to haloperidol and the atypical antipsychotic amisulpride. Further study is needed. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:215–220. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
Fast Spontaneous Reconnection by the Resistively Coupled Radiative Instability

The thermal and tearing instabilities give rise to the development of filaments and flares in sheared magnetic fields. The coexistence of these physical mechanisms in the case when Coulomb resistivity couples the energy evolution to the plasma dynamics is investigated, and it is found that the analog of the thermal mode, which still develops on the radiative time scale, involves significant magnetic-field reconnection. When compared on the basis of equal magnitudes of nonlinear terms, the fast radiative mode provides some 30 percent of the reconnected magnetic flux associated with the much slower (less than 0.01 in growth rate for solar coronal conditions) tearing mode. This finding opens the possibility for a more rapid initiation of magnetic reconnection, with resulting energy release, than had previously been thought feasible.
Disagreements: Anscombe, Geach, Wittgenstein

My essay explains and examines Anscombe's disagreement with Wittgenstein about what the Tractatus supposedly excludes. I also discuss her apparent disagreement with Geach about propositions that lack an intelligible negation. My discussion of these disagreements leads to the topic of Anscombe on the relation between the “business of thinking” and truth. I suggest that she takes the business of thinking to include thinking that helps to keep thinking on track. Since there is a tie between thinking truly and the business of thinking being done well and since helping to keep thinking on track belongs to the business of thinking, helpings-of-thinking can (if done well) be described as true.
From the classic concepts to modern practice

Transplant infectious disease is a field in evolution. For most allograft recipients, immunosuppressive therapies are more potent and have reduced the incidence of acute allograft rejection. At the same time, these therapies have increased susceptibility to many opportunistic infections and virally-mediated malignancies. Immunological tolerance has been achieved in only small numbers of patients who avoid drug toxicities and infection for as long as tolerance persists. The traditional timeline of post-transplant infections remains useful in the development of a differential diagnosis for patients with infectious syndromes. However, patterns of infection in the post-transplant period have changed over the past decade. Recipients are derived from a broader range of socioeconomic and geographical backgrounds. Infections are diagnosed more often, with improved microbiological assays (e.g. nucleic acid testing, NAT) used routinely in the diagnosis and management of common infections and increasingly in the screening of organ donors. Patterns of opportunistic infection have been altered by the increased identification of organisms demonstrating antimicrobial resistance and by the broader use of strategies to prevent viral, bacterial and fungal (including Pneumocystis) infections. Newer techniques are being applied (e.g. HLA-linked tetramer binding, intracellular cytokine staining) to assess pathogen-specific immunity. These are being integrated into clinical practice to assess individual susceptibility to specific infections. Infection, inflammation and the human microbiome are recognized as playing a central role in shaping innate and adaptive immune responses, graft rejection and autoimmunity. The full impact of infection on transplantation is only beginning to be appreciated.
The Theory Theory 2.0: Probabilistic Models and Cognitive Development

Abstract—N. S. Newcombe’s (2011) account of neoconstructivism opposes nativism to everything else—connectionist and dynamic systems theories, information processing theories, the “theory theory,” statistical learning, and Bayesian inference. But there is an alternative split that is equally important and that carves up the theoretical territory rather differently. This is a contrast between representational and nonrepresentational accounts of development. Whereas almost all nativist approaches are representational, among empiricists there is an important divide between those who, like nativists, embrace representation and those who deny it. “Probabilistic model” approaches, which include but are not limited to Bayesian learning, provide a developmental account that allows both representation and learning.
The Barriers to Mental Health Services Scale Revised: Psychometric Analysis Among Older Adults

Abstract Objectives Older adults underutilize mental health services suggesting that significant barriers are operating. This study presents reliability and validity data for a revised version of the self-report Barriers to Mental Health Services Scale (BMHSS) designed to quantify 10 barriers to mental health service use, so that barriers can be examined collectively. Methods The Barriers to Mental Health Services Scale Revised (BMHSS-R) was revised to improve its reliability and validity, including adding items, eliminating poor items, and balancing the number of items across subscales. A sample of 100 older adults ( M age=72.1 years, SD =17.8 years) completed the BMHSS-R, the Beliefs Toward Mental Illness Scale, and the Willingness to Seek Help Questionnaire. Results Internal consistency for the 10 subscales of the BMHSS-R ranged between 0.63 and 0.87, with 8 of the 10 values greater than 0.70. Correlational analyses indicated that many of the subscales overlap considerably but are still distinct. Convergent validity of the BMHSS-R subscales of help-seeking and stigma was partially supported, although correlations were modest. Conclusion Revisions to the BMHSS resulted in improved reliability estimates for use as a measure of perceived barriers to mental health services. We recommend when using the BMHSS-R to combine results with other information (e.g., service utilization data) to characterize a profile of barriers. We discuss directions for future research and further refinement of the BMHSS-R.
Dietary Effects on Metabolism of Yucatan Miniature Swine Selected for Low and High Glucose Utilization

Yucatan miniature swine have been selected for increased (high K) or decreased (low K) ability to utilize glucose based on an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). In this study we tested the effect of obesity in conjunction with ad libitum, high sucrose or high starch diets on IVGTT and the insulin response to glucose in these two lines of animals. Either diet caused increased glucose utilization and an increased insulin response in the low K animals. Neither diet caused a change in these parameters in the high K pigs. There were no differences in either line of animals due to sucrose vs starch diets. During an insulin impedance test both the mean steady state plasma glucose and plasma serum insulin concentration were significantly higher in the high K animals (P less than 0.01).
Pulmonary vein isolation alone in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation: an ablation strategy facilitated by antiarrhythmic drug induced reverse remodeling.

PVI Alone in Patients with Persistent AF. Introduction: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) alone has been thought to be insufficient in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PersAF). We hypothesized that preablation treatment of PersAF with a potent antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) would facilitate reverse atrial remodeling and result in high procedural efficacy after PVI alone. Methods and Results: Seventy-one consecutive patients (59.4 ± 9.8 years) with PersAF and prior AAD failure were treated with oral dofetilide (768 ± 291 mcg/day) for a median of 85 days pre-PVI. P-wave duration (Pdur) on ECG was used to assess reverse atrial remodeling. Thirty-five patients with paroxysmal (P) AF not treated with an AAD served as controls. All patients underwent PVI alone; dofetilide was discontinued 1–3 mos postablation. In the PersAF patients, the Pdur decreased from 136.3 ± 21.7 ms (assessed postcardioversion on dofetilide) to 118.6 ± 20.4 ms (assessed immediately prior to PVI) (P < 0.001). In contrast, no change in Pdur (122.6 ± 11.5 ms vs. 121.3 ± 13.7 ms, P = NS) was observed in PAF patients. The 6 and 12 mos AAD-free response to ablation was 76% and 70%, respectively, in PersAF patients, similar to the 80% and 75%, response in PAF patients (P = NS). A decline in Pdur in response to dofetilide was the only predictor of long-term clinical response to PVI in patients with PersAF. Conclusions: Pre-treatment with AAD resulted in a decrease in Pdur suggesting reverse atrial electrical remodeling in PersAF patients. This may explain the excellent clinical outcomes using PVI alone, and may suggest an alternative ablation strategy for PersAF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 142-148, February 2011)
Coase and Van Zandt on Lighthouses

Mainstream economics maintains that ``public'' goods will not be provided (adequately) by free markets. Rather, if society is to have (efficient amounts of) public goods, government intervention is required. Traditionally, lighthouses, along with national defense, were held up as the quintessential examples of such public goods that require governmental intervention if they are to be provided (in optimal amounts). This changed, however, with Coase, who maintained and is widely credited with proving that, historically, the market (i.e., free enterprise) provided lighthouse services. Our thesis is that although Van Zandt showed Coase's claim to be mistaken on the basis of this valid criticism of Coase, Van Zandt erroneously concludes that private lighthouses were not historically operational. The truth of the matter, we aver, is that private lighthouses were indeed historically operational, and that although Van Zandt himself provides evidence for this claim, he fails to recognize it as such.
A novel enzymatic method for the production of purine-2'-deoxyribonucleosides

Abstract The microbial production of purine-2′-deoxyribonucleosides from pyrimidine-2′-deoxyribonucleosides and purine bases was examined by the application of nucleoside phosphorylase using Enterobacter aerogenes AJ-11125 as the enzyme source. In this system, 2′-deoxyadenosine (dAR) was efficiently produced from 2′-deoxyuridine (dUR) and adenine. In contrast, 2′-deoxyguanosine (dGR) was scarcely produced from dUR and guanine, because of the low solubility of guanine. Under the conditions using guanosine (GR) with higher solubility than guanine as a guanine source, higher productivity of dGR was obtained, but the maximal molar yield obtained was less than 20%. To improve its productivity, we newly constructed a following enzymatic method via 2,6-diaminopurine-2′-deoxyriboside (dDAPR) as follows: production of dDAPR from dUR and 2,6-diaminopurine (DAP) by E. aerogenes AJ-11125, followed by the conversion of dDAPR to dGR by adenosine deaminase. Through the successive reactions, dGR was efficiently produced with high yield.
Stable isotopic labeling and mass spectrometry as a means to determine differences in protein expression

Abstract Discovery-based proteomics can be thought of as an attempt to understand the information encoded in genomic sequences from the perspective of proteins (i.e. the structural, functional and regulatory mechanisms imparted to a cell by the expressed proteins). In practice, it contrasts with the hypothesis-driven, serial approach that was successful for protein chemists in the last century. The technology today is built on the basic understanding of the physicochemical properties of proteins developed during that era. In addition, proteomics attempts to study biological processes comprehensively or globally by systematic, parallel analysis of many properties associated with proteins expressed in a cell. While there are many analytical techniques in use and under development in proteomics, mass spectrometry (MS) is currently one of the field's most important discovery-based tools. For the most part, mass spectrometers have been used to catalog proteins, but recently the role of MS in proteomics was extended beyond descriptive analysis to include measurement of differences in protein expression between cellular states. These experiments involve comparison of proteins labeled in vitro or in vivo with either “heavy” or “light” stable isotopes to provide internal standards for relative quantification. Together with MS, differential stable-isotope labeling of peptides allows an experiment to be conducted for proteins to provide information on the differences in protein expression between cells in different environments. While the experiments are quite different, their intent is similar to using cDNA arrays to measure changes in mRNA expression (i.e. what are the global changes proteins concomitant with the observable or known phenotypic definition of a given cellular state relative to another?) This article will review the use of MS and stable isotopic labeling of peptides to detect differences in protein expression between two cellular states.
Fast Noise Compensation and Adaptive Enhancement for Speech Separation

We propose a novel approach to improve adaptive decorrelation filtering- (ADF-) based speech source separation in diffuse noise. The effects of noise on system adaptation and separation outputs are handled separately. First, fast noise compensation (NC) is developed for adaptation of separation filters, forcing ADF to focus on source separation; next, output noises are suppressed by speech enhancement. By tracking noise components in output cross-correlation functions, the bias effect of noise on the system adaptation objective function is compensated, and by adaptively estimating output noise autocorrelations, the speech separation output is enhanced. For fast noise compensation, a blockwise fast ADF (FADF) is implemented. Experiments were conducted on real and simulated diffuse noises. Speech mixtures were generated by convolving TIMIT speech sources with acoustic path impulse responses measured in a real room with reverberation time T60 = 0.3 second. The proposed techniques significantly improved separation performance and phone recognition accuracy of ADF outputs.
Characterization of a Novel and Functional Human Prolactin Receptor Isoform (ΔS1PRLr) Containing Only One Extracellular Fibronectin-Like Domain

Prolactin (PRL)-dependent signaling occurs as the result of ligand-induced homodimerization of the PRL receptor (PRLr). To date, short, intermediate, and long human PRLr isoforms have been characterized. To investigate the expression of other possible human PRLr isoforms, RT-PCR was performed on mRNA isolated from the breast carcinoma cell line T47D. A 1.5-kb PCR fragment was isolated, subcloned, and sequenced. The PCR product exhibited a nucleotide sequence 100% homologous to the human long isoform except bp 71–373 were deleted, which code for the S1 motif of the extracellular domain. Therefore, this isoform was designated the ΔS1 PRLr. Northern analysis revealed variable ΔS1 PRLr mRNA expression in a variety of tissues. Transfection of Chinese hamster ovary cells with ΔS1 cDNA showed the isoform is expressed at the protein level on the cell surface with a molecular mass of approximately 70 kDa. Kinetic studies indicated the ΔS1 isoform bound ligand at a lower affinity than wild-type receptor. The ΔS1 PR...
Staphylococcus aureus colonization in children undergoing heart surgery.

Background:Staphylococcus aureus is an important cause of cardiac surgical site infection. Based on studies in adults, nasal screening to detect S aureuscolonization is used to guide decolonization and selection of prophylactic antibiotics. In our Children’s Hospital, a sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay is used to screen patients undergoing cardiac surgery for nasal colonization with methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). Additionally for patients in diapers, cultures are used to detect MRSA colonization of the groin. The purpose of this study was to determine whether screening two anatomic locations results in a higher MRSA detection rate among children undergoing cardiac surgery.Methods:A retrospective chart review determined whether the frequency of bacterial colonization with MRSA differed by anatomic site. Records for 322 pediatric cardiac surgery procedures performed between January 2009 and June 2011 were reviewed. Both a nasal PCR and a...
Physical and kinetic properties of choline acetyl transferase from rat and bovine brain.

: Several physical and kinetic properties of highly purified choline acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.6., Acetyl-CoA:choline O-acetyltransferase) from rat and bovine brain were investigated. The molecular weight of the enzyme from rat cerebrum was 65,000 measured by gel filtration and 66,000 measured by acrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Two species of the enzyme detected in bovine caudate nuclei were studied using the same procedures. The major transferase species, bovine I (Bov I), yielded values of molecular weights of 69,000 and 70,000, respectively. The minor bovine acetylase species (Bov II) had a molecular weight of 67,000 daltons by gel filtration. The dependence of reaction rates catalyzed by Bov I and rat choline acetyltransferase on temperature and pH was examined. The two enzymes possess apparent activation energies of 21.0 and 20.0 kcal/mol, respectively. Both displayed a rather broad pH optimum, extending into the alkaline region, and were activated by either NaCl or KCl. Neither enzyme was activated or inhibited by a wide range of concentrations of acetyl-CoA or choline. Initial velocity studies for both enzymes indicated a sequential mechanism, in which both substrates must bind before either product is released. For Bov I, the Michaelis constants for acetyl-CoA and choline were 16.5 μM and 0.714 mm, respectively; the equivalent constants for rat CAT were 46.5 μM and 1.0 mm. Product inhibition studies with the rat enzyme showed that acetylcholine was competitive with respect to choline, and noncompetitive with respect to acetyl-CoA, while CoA inhibited competitively with respect to acetyl-CoA and noncompetitively with respect to choline. The values of K1, obtained for acetylcholine and CoA were 45.5 mm and 37.7 μM, respectively.
A bound connected with 26 factorial search designs of resolution 3.1

In this paper, we give a lower bound for the number of treatments required for a plan to be a main effect plus one plan for 2m (m = 6) factorial experiments, The lower bound problem is important in the event of generating new designs with similar properties or when one wants to study the criteria of optimality for such designs.
New Tools to Peek and Poke at Rapid Signaling in Living Systems

This talk will provide an overview of new approaches to study and manipulate signaling in living cells and animals. Topics will include genetically encoded proteins that can be either activated or inactivated by light, multiplexing of biosensors using red shifted sensors combined with computational approaches, and novel methods to confer drug sensitivity on kinases. These tools are being used to understand how the dynamics of GTPase/adhesion signaling networks determine cell response to the extracellular matrix during trans-endothelial migration.
Review Article: Iran, Revolution, Intellectuals and Women

Politics of Culture in Iran: Anthropology, Politics and Society in the Twentieth Century Nematollah Fazeli London and New York, Routledge, 2006, viii +249 pp. Social Movements in Twentieth-Century ...
PREPARATION DURING PREGNANCY AND ABILITY TO COPE WITH LABOR AND DELIVERY

Within nine weeks following childbirth, 279 new mothers were interviewed to determine effects of preparation for labor and delivery on their perceptions of childbirth and their babies. The more preparation a woman had, the more aware she was at delivery, and that awareness was strongly associated with positive reactions to the birth and the baby. These findings are interpreted in terms of theory on coping with stress.
ANOXIC INJURY OF ENDOTHELIAL CELLS CAUSES DIVERGENT CHANGES IN PROTEIN KINASE C AND PROTEIN KINASE A SIGNALING PATHWAYS

Alterations in protein kinase C (PKC) and cAMP-dependent kinase have been documented in anoxic brain injury. However, the regulation of these signaling enzymes in the cerebrovasculature has not been explored. In this study, cultured brain endothelial cells exposed to anoxic injury (anoxia—20 min/reoxygenation—40 min) showed both a significant increase (p<0.001) in PKC and decrease (p<0.01) in cAMP-dependent kinase activity. Analysis of PKC by Western blot indicated an increase in kinase level in response to anoxic injury, whereas there was no change in the level of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, as measured by labeled cAMP binding. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase did not affect these changes. Addition of the nitric oxide-releasing compound sodium nitroprusside caused a dose-dependent increase in the activity of both signaling systems in endothelial cells. These data demonstrate that anoxic injury of brain endothelial cells in culture causes significant and divergent changes in signaling kinase activity. Abnormalities in brain endothelial PKC and cAMP-dependent kinase could have important consequences for the blood-brain barrier in anoxic brain injury.
A staining procedure for identifying viable cell hybrids constructed by somatic cell fusion, cybridization, or nuclear transplantation.

A general procedure for identifying viable hybrid cells was developed. One cell type was labeled by a brief incubation in the Kodak laser dye rhodamine 123, which accumulates in the mitochondria; a second cell type was labeled by a brief incubation in the Hoechst fluorochrome 33258, which binds to chromatin. The substances, which are eventually lost from the organelles, appeared to be nontoxic; the plating efficiencies of numerous cell lines tested was unaffected. Either whole cells or cytoplasts labeled with rhodomine 123 were fused, using inactivated Sendai virus, to whole cells or karyoplasts labeled with Hoechst 33258. When living cells were illuminated with ultraviolet light, individual whole cell hybrids, cybrids, or cytoplasmicnuclear hybrid cells could be rapidly identified by the appropriate staining pattern.
Animal Models of Psychosis: Current State and Future Directions

Psychosis is an abnormal mental state characterized by disorganization, delusions and hallucinations. Animal models have become an increasingly important research tool in the effort to understand both the underlying pathophysiology and treatment of psychosis. There are multiple animal models for psychosis, with each formed by the coupling of a manipulation and a measurement. In this manuscript we do not address the diseases of which psychosis is a prominent comorbidity. Instead, we summarize the current state of affairs and future directions for animal models of psychosis. To accomplish this, our manuscript will first discuss relevant behavioral and electrophysiological measurements. We then provide an overview of the different manipulations that are combined with these measurements to produce animal models. The strengths and limitations of each model will be addressed in order to evaluate its cross-species comparability.
Comparisons of gene colinearity in genomes using GeneOrder2.0.

Abstract Comparative genomics is enhanced by data mining the rapidly expanding DNA sequence databases. Because of the immense amount of data, computational tools and methods are needed to augment traditional manual visualizations and manipulations of these data. GeneOrder2.0, a Java-based interactive software programme, organizes genome sequence data into tabular and graphical visualizations of the extent of colinearity of genes between any two chromosome genomes of ≤250 kilobases. Both GenBank and proprietary data can be analyzed with this tool.
The role of architectural research centers in addressing climate change

ABSTRACT: It is clear that an urgent, major transformation needs to happen in the design of the built environment to respond to impending climate change and other environmental degradation. This paper will explain the potential role of architectural research centers in this transformation and provide examples from the Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) at the University of Minnesota. A research center can become a regional hub to coordinate and disseminate critical information. CSBR is leading the establishment of Architecture 2030 standards in Minnesota, assisting local governments in writing green building policy, providing design assistance to local government, developing tools to assist design decision making, providing technical assistance to the affordable housing community inMinnesota, and establishing a regional case study database that includes actual performance information. CSBR is creating a publicly accessible, credible knowledge base on new approaches, technologies and actual performance outcomes. Research centers such as CSBR can be a critical component of the necessary feedback loop often lacking in the building industry. A research center can also fill major gaps in providing in depth professional education as well as be a catalyst for demonstration projects and public education.
Drug and alcohol use in college students with and without ADHD.

Objective: This study examines differences in reported levels of drug and alcohol use between college students with and without ADHD. Method: The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) and several self-report and interview questions, developed by Barkley, were used to examine the drug and alcohol use of college students with and without ADHD. Results: Between-group differences were found on the MAST and in the endorsement of marijuana use. Subtype differences were also found on the MAST. Several factors, including medication treatment status, ethnicity, class standing, and gender were found to be differentially related to problematic drinking behaviors. Conclusions: Difficulties in self-regulation may put college students with ADHD at a higher risk of problematic drinking and the subsequent risk for alcohol-use disorders than their peers. Possible explanations for results are discussed in terms of theory, prevention efforts, and future research. (J. of Att. Dis. 2007; XX(X) 1-XX). Language: en
Raman Spectroscopy Applied To Polymer Analysis: Low Frequency Spectra Of Polyester Fibers

Among the many advantages of Raman spectroscopy for polymer characterization, low frequency data have been the least exploited. Results are presented on the use of low frequency Raman data on polyester fibers for determining the relative specific heats, and the degree of amorphous orientation. Background theory is presented.
Off-shell sensitivity, repulsive correlations and the pion-nucleus optical potential

Repulsive nucleon-nucleon correlations tend to reduce the dependence of pion-nucleus elastic scattering upon the off-shell pion-nucleon dynamics. However, optical potential calculations can in practice be quite sensitive to the particular choice of off-shell model parameters. It is argued that this sensitivity results from the nature of the optical potential as a one-body operator which introduces extra off-shell dependence not found in the physical many-body process itself. Thus, one must be very careful in any attempt to extract correlation or off-shell information, or to predict pion-nucleus phase shifts, by means of an optical potential theory. Results of model calculations are presented for purposes of illustration.
Spatial and temporal dynamics of the microbial community in the Hanford unconfined aquifer.

Pyrosequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes was used to study temporal dynamics of groundwater bacteria and archaea over 10 months within three well clusters separated by ∼30 m and located 250 m from the Columbia River on the Hanford Site, WA. Each cluster contained three wells screened at different depths ranging from 10 to 17 m that differed in hydraulic conductivities. Representative samples were selected for analyses of prokaryotic 16S and eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene copy numbers. Temporal changes in community composition occurred in all nine wells over the 10-month sampling period. However, there were particularly strong effects near the top of the water table when the seasonal rise in the Columbia River caused river water intrusion at the top of the aquifer. The occurrence and disappearance of some microbial assemblages (such as Actinobacteria ACK-M1) were correlated with river water intrusion. This seasonal impact on microbial community structure was greater in the shallow saturated zone than deeper zone in the aquifer. Spatial and temporal patterns for several 16S rRNA gene operational taxonomic units associated with particular physiological functions (for example, methane oxidizers and metal reducers) suggests dynamic changes in fluxes of electron donors and acceptors over an annual cycle. In addition, temporal dynamics in eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene copies and the dominance of protozoa in 18S clone libraries suggest that bacterial community dynamics could be affected not only by the physical and chemical environment but also by top-down biological control.
Political shocks, international reserves and the real exchange rate—The Argentine case

Abstract Exogenous shocks to international reserves are introduced as an indicator for exchange rate adjustments. These reserves shocks are identified for Argentina in the 1970s, and they appear to have been induced by political upheavals as well as by changes in the external terms of trade. Granger and modified Sims causality tests indicate that the shocks to reserves did lead the real exchange rate. From the seemingly erratic series of mini and maxi devaluations, a rule of crawling/galloping peg is estimated, with the reserves shocks as significant independent variables that affected the pace of devaluations. The crawling peg, used as an instrument to pursue an international reserves target, was the channel through which changes in the political and economic environment of the country were transmitted to fluctuations of its real exchange rate.
Minimization of adverse effects of time delay in smart power grid

Time delay has adverse effects on control systems in an electric power grid. This paper analyzes the cyber-attack related time delay issues, and deals with the minimization of negative effects of such delays in smart gird system. The prediction method has been used to minimize the negative effects of time delay. The OPRT (optimal reclosing time) method to reclose circuit breakers are considered. Time delays of 100ms and 2.2s have been considered. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been tested in the IEEE nine-bus power system model. Both balanced and unbalanced permanent faults are considered. Simulations are performed through Matlab/Simulink software. The performance of the system considering time delays with the predictor and without the predictor has been compared. From the simulation results, it is shown that the proposed predictor performs well in minimizing the negative effects of time delays.
Measurements of f-numbers for α- and γ-bands of TiO

A pressure-driven shock tube has been used to measure electronic f-numbers for bands (three each) belonging to the α- and γ-band systems of titanium oxide. Observations were made at wavelengths of 6734 A, 7147 A, and 7689 A in the γ-bands, and at 4969 A, 5183 A, and 5460 A in the γ-bands. Observed variations in the f-numbers for a given electronic band system may perhaps be attributed to the interaction between vibrational and electronic motion. The TiO was produced in situ behind reflected shock waves by reaction between TiCl4 and O2 in Ar. The initial gas mixture contained, per mole of mixture, 0·0025 mole of TiCl4, 0·010 (or 0·004 or 0·053) mole of O2 and 0·9875 (or 0·9935 or 0·9445) mole of Ar. Incident chock-wave velocities between 1·4×105 and 1·7×105 cm/sec were used; the corresponding calculated equilibrium gas temperatures behind the reflected shock waves were found to be between 3000°K and 6000°K, respectively. An expression for the absorption coefficient of TiO was derived by using the just-overlapping line model. For the experimental conditions encountered in our studies, use of this model gives adequate results. The resulting f-number estimates for the γ- and α-bands are summarized in Tables 2 and 4, respectively, at various wavelengths and temperatures. For the γ-bands, our results for the f-number lie between 0·089 and 0·19, whereas the measured range of values for the α-bands extends from 0·030 to 0·052.
The specter of freedom: ressentiment and Dostoevskij’s notes from underground

The essay examines the Underground Man’s ambivalent position in Dostoevskij’s hierarchy of values in light of the Nietzschean concept of ressentiment. To elucidate the problem of free will in Notes from Underground, I propose to supplement Nietzsche’s theory with the concept of ressentiment as developed by Max Scheler, whose endorsement of Christian love as a means of overcoming ressentiment suggests an affinity with Dostoevskij’s own deeply religious worldview. With the help of Schelerian phenomenology, I read the novel as an early statement of the problem of Christian freedom in Dostoevskij’s oeuvre. Like the “Pro and Contra” section of The Brothers Karamazov, Notes from Underground turns our attention to the “costs” of the Christian ideal: in a world exposed to the ultimate horizon of desire through Christ, those lacking the serenity of faith may be doomed to the merciless torment of ressentiment.
Physical Activity and Primary Cardiac Arrest

To explore the relationship between vigorous physical activity and primary cardiac arrest (PCA), we identified, through emergency service incident reports, 163 cases of PCA aged 25 to 75 years. Control subjects matched for age, sex, residence, and the absence of prior clinical heart disease or major comorbidity were identified from the community. Spouses of subjects were interviewed to quantify leisure-time activity (LTA) during the prior year. Energy expended in high-intensity LTA, requiring 60% of maximum oxygen intake, was determined. The risk of PCA was 55% to 65% lower in persons in the two upper quartiles of high-intensity LTA than in persons without high-intensity LTA (95% confidence interval of relative risk, 0.22 to 0.85). Because this association was demonstrated in a clinically healthy population without prior morbidity, our data support the hypothesis that high-intensity LTA protects against PCA. (JAMA1982;248:3113-3117)
Spemann's organizer and self-regulation in amphibian embryos

In 1924, Spemann and Mangold demonstrated the induction of Siamese twins in transplantation experiments with salamander eggs. Recent work in amphibian embryos has followed their lead and uncovered that cells in signalling centres that are located at the dorsal and ventral poles of the gastrula embryo communicate with each other through a network of secreted growth-factor antagonists, a protease that degrades them, a protease inhibitor and bone-morphogenic-protein signals.
Virtue in Virtue Ethics

This paper represents two polemics. One is against suggestions (made by Harman and others) that recent psychological research counts against any claim that there is such a thing as genuine virtue (Cf. Harman, in: Byrne, Stalnaker, Wedgwood (eds.) Fact and value, pp 117–127, 2001). The other is against the view that virtue ethics should be seen as competing against such theories as Kantian ethics or consequentialism, particularly in the specification of decision procedures.
Public diplomacy and global business

Purpose – The purpose of the article is to set the broader conceptual context for the exploration of the role of business in public diplomacy in this special issue of the Journal of Business Strategy.Design/methodology/approach – This article reviews the development of the public diplomacy concept, and point out its current gaps in light of the profound transformation in the global society. The article then discusses the linkage and relevance to the business community.Findings – The article highlights that public diplomacy is not a unitary but a multi‐dimensional concept, and argues for selective engagement by the private sector, that is not only desirable but also feasible. The value propositions global business can bring to the process include a global world‐view, managerial practice, and communication competence and other resources. It also explains areas of public diplomacy that they may play a part in.Originality/value – This paper provides the theoretical grounding for businesses' involvement in pub...
Spider silk protein refolding is controlled by changing pH

Spidroins, the major silk proteins making up the spider's dragline silk, originate in two distinct tissue layers (A and B) in the spider's major ampullate gland. Formation of the complex thread from spidroins occurs in the lumen of the duct connected to the gland. Using pH-sensitive microelectrode probes, we showed that the spidroins traveling through the gland and duct experience a monotonic decrease in pH from 7.2 to 6.3. In addition, circular dichroism spectroscopy of material extracted from the gland showed a structural refolding concomitant with position in the gland and post-extraction changes in pH. We demonstrate that lowering the pH in vitro causes a dramatic conformational change in the protein from the A zone, converting it irreversibly from a coil to a predominantly β-sheet structure. Furthermore, amino acid analyses have indicated that there are at least two distinct, though similar, proteins secreted in the A and B zones suggesting a potential factor in the progressive acidification as well ...
Effects of titania surface structure on the nucleation and growth of Pt nanoclusters on rutile TiO2(110)

A comparative study was conducted on the interaction of Pt with the (1x1) and (1x2) surface phases of rutile TiO{sub 2}(110). It was found that the surface structure and stoichiometry of TiO{sub 2} have profound effects on the formation and growth of nano-sized Pt clusters on TiO{sub 2}(110). On the (1x1) surface, Pt formed randomly-distributed, three-dimensional nanoclusters that coalesced and were encapsulated when thermally annealed. In contrast, smaller Pt clusters were identified to adsorb on top of the titanium atomic rows on the (1x2) surface and exhibited higher thermal stability. The stronger interaction observed for the Pt on the (1x2) surface is due to a charge transfer from Ti to Pt atoms. Vicinal TiO{sub 2}(110) surfaces with alternating (1x1) and (1x2) domains were used to verify the different interactions of Pt for the two domains. Upon Pt deposition, an array of self-organized Pt nanoclusters was formed on this surface. The self-organization is due to different interactions of Pt with the two different surface domains and preferential diffusion of Pt nanoclusters along the titanium atomic rows on the (1x2) surface.
Tectonic significance of porosity and permeability regimes in the red beds formations of the South Georgia Rift Basin

Abstract A simple, new porosity/permeability–depth profile was developed from available laboratory measurements on Triassic sedimentary red beds (sandstone) from parts of the South Georgia Rift (SGR) basin in order to investigate the feasibility for long-term CO2 storage. The study locations were: Sumter, Berkeley, Dunbarton, Clubhouse Crossroad-3 (CC-3) and Norris Lightsey wells. As expected, both porosity and permeability show changes with depth at the regional scale that was much greater than at local scale. The significant changes in porosity and permeability with depth suggest a highly compacted, deformed basin, and potentially, a history of uplift and erosion. The permeability is generally low both at shallow (less than 1826 ft/556.56 m) and deeper depths (greater than 1826 ft/556.56 m). Both porosity and permeability follow the normal trend, decreasing linearly with depth for most parts of the study locations with the exception of the Norris Lightsey well. A petrophysical study on a suite of well logs penetrating the Norris Lightsey red beds at depths sampled by the core-derived laboratory measurements shows an abnormal shift (by 50%) in the acoustic travel time and/or in the sonic-derived P-wave velocity that indicates possible faulting or fracturing at depth. The departure of the Norris Lightsey's porosities and permeabilities from the normal compaction trend may be a consequence of the existence of a fault/fracture controlled abnormal pressure condition at depth. The linear and non-linear behaviors of the porosity/permeability distribution throughout the basin imply the composition of the SGR red beds, and by extension analog/similar Triassic–Jurassic formations within the Eastern North American Margin have been altered by compaction, uplift, erosion and possible faulting that have shaped the evolution of these Triassic formations following the major phase of rifting.
Photothermal Energy Conversion in Liquid Nanoparticle Suspensions

Liquid nanoparticle suspensions, popularly termed “nanofluids,” have been the subject of numerous investigations because of their interesting thermal transport properties. Their propensity to scatter and absorb electromagnetic radiation enables other applications that can take advantage of both their radiative and thermal transport properties. In particular, we are working to develop direct-absorption solar thermal collectors in which nanofluids serve to absorb incident sunlight, thus heating the fluid directly and more efficiently than conventional solar collectors. Our experimental results, in which we irradiate nanofluids with a continuous-wave laser, demonstrate that boiling can be induced at lower incident light fluxes compared to a thin layer of pure water in front of a black absorptive backing. These findings suggest that improved solar energy conversion systems can be developed, including solar-driven direct-steam generators.© 2010 ASME
A synopsis of the 3rd annual Cancer Proteomics Conference.

The 3rd annual ‘Cancer Proteomics Conference’, organized by Select Biosciences (Sudbury, UK), was held in Berlin, Germany, 8–9 June 2010. With the aim of strengthening the links between scientists from Europe, as well as international investigators worldwide, more than 200 delegates attended, representing various countries. The Conference covered many topics in proteomics, including the use of proteomics for cancer therapeutic development, diagnostic applications, biomarker discovery, post-translational modifications and clinical proteomics, as well as new proteomic technologies, which may facilitate future progress. One distinct feature of this meeting was that the Conference was co-located with the ‘Advances in Antibody and Peptide Therapeutics’ meeting. Delegates had access to both meetings, allowing for enhanced interaction among investigators from the closely linked fields of research.
Auroral enhancement of ionospheric electron density.

Abstract A localized increase in ion density of the F -layer and topside ionosphere at 75–80° magnetic latitude around magnetic noon has been termed the polar peak . Results reported by a number of aeronomists suggest that this polar peak is produced by the same flux that is responsible for the dayside aurora. The observed behavior of the polar peak corresponds to that expected from the auroral precipitation alone, and no separate source of precipitating soft particles appears to be needed to explain the effect.
Quercetin, a fluorescent bioflavanoid, inhibits Trypanosoma brucei hexokinase 1.

Hexokinases from the African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, are attractive targets for the development of anti-parasitic drugs, in part because the parasite utilizes glycolysis exclusively for ATP production during the mammalian infection. Here, we have demonstrated that the bioflavanoid quercetin (QCN), a known trypanocide, is a mixed inhibitor of Trypanosoma brucei hexokinase 1 (TbHK1) (IC50 = 4.1 ± 0.8 μM). Spectroscopic analysis of QCN binding to TbHK1, taking advantage of the intrinsically fluorescent single tryptophan (Trp177) in TbHK1, revealed that QCN quenches emission of Trp177, which is located near the hinge region of the enzyme. ATP similarly quenched Trp177 emission, while glucose had no impact on fluorescence. Supporting the possibility that QCN toxicity is a consequence of inhibition of the essential hexokinase, in live parasites QCN fluorescence localizes to glycosomes, the subcellular home of TbHK1. Additionally, RNAi-mediated silencing of TbHK1 expression expedited QCN induced death, while over-expressing TbHK1 protected trypanosomes from the compound. In summary, these observations support the suggestion that QCN toxicity is in part attributable to inhibition of the essential TbHK1.