cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spin preference in twenty‐valence electron systems of form XCCY

Linear molecules with degenerate and partially occupied orbitals may seek a ground state of high symmetry and spin multiplicity, or may break symmetry and favor a low-spin state. From studies of OCCO and SCCS it is clear that thermodynamic stability is affected by (valence shell) isolelectronic substitution. Here is described the structure, preference of spin state, and stability of a family of compounds derived by isolobal and isoelectronic analogy from OCCO. The Complete Active Space Self Consistent (CASSCF) methods are used to assure a qualitatively correct description of the multiconfigurational states of the highest symmetry species and balanced description of states of differing spin multiplicity. The results suggest three rules of design and identify several small molecules worthy of experimental investigation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 93: 286–293, 2003
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor evaluation compared with prostate specific antigen as a biomarker in patients with prostate carcinoma

BACKGROUND Cytokines are polypeptides that constitute a class of chemical mediator molecules that modulate cell growth by inducing specific target gene expression. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum evaluation of the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in patients undergoing routine prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening. METHODS In this preliminary, retrospective study, the authors report the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for MIF determination in serum samples. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay investigated associations between MIF expression and prostate carcinoma (CaP). The authors developed a relative quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR assay to determine MIF mRNA amounts within laser-capture microscopy (LCM)-dissected prostate epithelial cells. RESULTS A comparison of serum MIF levels and total PSA levels identified a positive correlation (correlation coefficient [r2] = 0.61; P < 0.001; n = 509 patients), suggesting an association between elevated serum concentrations of these proteins and CaP. A correlation of serum MIF levels with a diagnosis of CaP demonstrated that patients with a previous CaP diagnosis had significantly elevated serum MIF concentrations (mean ± standard deviation, 6.8 ± 0.87 ng/mL; P < 0.001). To associate altered serum MIF levels with MIF mRNA expression within prostate epithelial cells, LCM-dissected prostate epithelial cells (formalin fixed biopsies from three different patients) were used to determine MIF mRNA amounts by PCR analysis. On average, MIF mRNA amounts were 6.5 times higher in CaP epithelial cells that were invasive to the margin compared with MIF mRNA amounts in normal prostate epithelial cells within the same biopsy specimen. CONCLUSIONS The ELISA data from the current study suggested an association between increased MIF expression and CaP and suggested that serum MIF concentration may serve as a prognostic marker for CaP. Cancer 2002;94:1449–56. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10354
Application of the CVBEM to non-uniform St. Venant torsion

Abstract The complex-variable boundary-element method, or CVBEM, is used to approximate the stress distribution associated with non-uniform St. Venant torsion problems. By specifying either the normal- or tangential-force equilibrium equation in terms of the warping function or its conjugate, a Laplace equation results which is immediately tractable by using the CVBEM. A comparison of modeling results to known solutions indicates that the modeling technique is a useful approach for the estimation of interior stresses as well as for the evaluation of modeling error by means of an approximate boundary determined by the CVBEM approximation function.
Applying the Cognitive-Affective Processing Systems Approach to Conceptualizing Rejection Sensitivity.

The Cognitive-Affective Processing Systems or CAPS theory (Mischel & Shoda, 1995) was proposed to account for the processes that explain why and how people's behavior varies stably across situations. Research on Rejection Sensitivity is reviewed as a programmatic attempt to illustrate how personality dispositions can be studied within the CAPS framework. This research reveals an if ... then ... (e.g., if situation X, he does A, but if situation Y, he does B) pattern of rejection sensitivity such that high rejection sensitive people's goal to prevent rejection can lead to accommodating behavior; yet, the failure to achieve this goal can lead to aggression, reactivity, and lack of self-concept clarity. These situation–behavior relations or personality signatures reflect a stable activation network of distinctive personality processing dynamics. These dynamics link fears and expectations of rejection, perceptions/attributions of rejection, and affective/behavioral overreactions to perceived rejection. Self-regulatory and attentional mechanisms may interact with these dynamics as buffers against high rejection sensitivity, illustrating how multiple processes within a CAPS network play out in behavior.
Molecular analyses of in vivo hprt mutations in human T-lymphocytes I. Studies of low frequency ‘spontaneous’ mutants by Southern blots

Fifty wild-type and 164 in vivo-derived hprt mutant T-cell clones obtained from eight non-mutagen-exposed adult males with mutant frequency values in the normal range (usually less than 10 X 10(-6) were studied by Southern blot analyses to determine frequency and extent of gross structural alterations in the hprt gene. Sixteen (9.8%) of the mutant clones showed hprt changes. No site or type of lesion predominated. Relative frequencies of gross structural alterations in the recovered hprt mutants did not differ among the eight individuals, within limits detectable by the study. DNA from 201 of these 214 clones was also studied with a T-cell receptor (TCR) beta gene probe as a marker for independence of in vivo-derived clones. Some clones were also studied with a TCR gamma gene probe. Ninety-four percent of wild-type and 89% of the hprt mutants were found to originate from independent in vivo precursors. Therefore, most of the recovered hprt mutants in the study were presumably derived from separate in vivo mutations. For non-mutagenized adults with normal mutant frequencies, in vivo mutant frequencies are thus reasonable approximations of in vivo mutation frequencies, although elsewhere we show that this is not necessarily true for individuals with grossly elevated mutant frequencies.
Predictors of Decision Delay to Seeking Health Care Among Jordanians With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Purpose: To identify predictors of decision delay time for health care seeking among Jordanians with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Design: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey. A convenience sample of Jordanians with AMI were interviewed at the coronary care units of two teaching hospitals in Jordan. Methods: The Arabic version of the modified Response to Symptom Questionnaire was used to assess predictors of decision delay and patterns of health care–seeking behaviors. Decision delay was evaluated by assisting patients to triangulate time of symptom onset and time of decision to seek professional health care by placing both times in context of daily activities that participants could easily remember. Regression analysis was conducted to elicit predictors of decision delay. Findings: Decision delay time among Jordanian men (n=110) and women (n=24) with AMI was alarmingly long (medians 3.5 and 3.6 hours, respectively). Variables that correspondingly predicted decision delay among men and women were age, waiting for symptoms to go away, anxiety due to symptom presentation, and others' responses to patients' symptoms. While 16 other variables (cognitive, emotional, and clinical) independently predicted delay among men, equivalent evidence was not established among women due to the relatively small sample size. Conclusions: Similarities and differences existed between Jordanian men's and women's decision delay to seek health care for AMI. Decision delay time among Jordanians with AMI requires intervention that incorporates awareness of delay predictors. Future research needs to utilize adequate sample sizes of both sexes to obtain a better understanding of sex differences. Clinical Relevance: To reduce decision delay among Jordanians, health educators should emphasize early symptom recognition and the value of prompt health care–seeking behaviors.
Art and architecture databases on the Internet

Only recently have significant art and architecture Internet resources been made available. As a reference librarian in a fine arts library, I try to keep track of important resources for my patrons. Managing Internet resources is a challenge: Internet sites with images require high‐end computers and connections, and evaluating the quality of Internet resources is often more difficult and time‐consuming than evaluating print sources. Simply identifying potentially valuable resources amid all the flashy insubstantiality on the Internet is enervating.
Sociology and the Nation‐State in an Era of Shifting Boundaries

Academic disciplines and nation-states resemble one another in the sense that both emerged worldwide as overarching categories for conferring collective identities about a century ago. During the past quarter century, however, the status of both has been challenged. Disciplines like sociology have been challenged by more salient intellectual boundaries organized around subdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and supradisciplinary lines—a fact that helps account for sociology's response to external threats to the discipline with a sense of being in crisis. Nation-states have been similarly challenged by new jurisdictions organized around subnational, transnational, and supranational lines. Even so, these changes constitute a process of differentiation, not displacement; disciplines and nation-states are likely to persist in serving important functions. albeit reduced in scope.
Experimental design to generate strong shear layers in a high-energy-density plasma

Abstract The development of a new experimental system for generating a strong shear flow in a high-energy-density plasma is described in detail. The targets were designed with the goal of producing a diagnosable Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability, which plays an important role in the transition turbulence but remains relatively unexplored in the high-energy-density regime. To generate the shear flow the Nike laser was used to drive a flow of Al plasma over a low-density foam surface with an initial perturbation. The interaction of the Al and foam was captured with a spherical crystal imager using 1.86 keV X-rays. The selection of the individual targets components is discussed and results are presented.
Azaguanine resistant hamster cell lines not deficient in hypoxanthine‐guanine phosphoribosyl transferase

Using a serial selection technique in which Chinese hamster cells were treated first with 8-azaguanine and then subsequently with HAT medium it was found that approximately 15% of azaguanine resistant clones were also resistant to HAT. Several such clones were subcultured and found to be stably resistant to azaguanine, in some cases at a higher level than the usual azaguanine resistant mutants which are HAT sensitive. Measurements of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase levels were in some cases lower than the parental line but in three of the clonal lines were higher than the parental strain. The fact that azaguanine resistant lines constitute a biochemically heterogeneous population underscores the importance of careful characterization of mammalian cell culture variants.
High-brightness atom source for atomic fountains

We launch Cs atoms using a moving three-dimensional (3D) optical lattice. Atoms are initially spin polarized and cooled to the ground state of the optical potential using 3D Raman sideband cooling and then accelerated in the lattice to velocities of up to $3 \mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}.$ Subsequent adiabatic lowering of the potential releases the atoms from the lattice. Three-dimensional kinetic temperatures as low as $200 \mathrm{nK}$ were achieved. The observed temperature of the launch is independent of the acceleration and final velocity of the atoms. In an alternative approach, we first accelerate the atoms to velocities of up to 5 m/s using moving molasses and then cool them with the lattice in the comoving frame of the atoms to temperatures as low as 150 nK.
Marijuana Use Among Miami's Adolescents, 1992

This analysis examines the use of marijuana by 458 adolescents in Dade County, Florida public schools in 1992. Statistically significant factors which tended to increase the probability of marijuana use by adolescents include: the fact that their peers were using marijuana, the fact that they were white, male, and their ready access to the substance. Although not statistically significant, adolescents were less likely to use marijuana if they knew of the risks associated with marijuana use. The only statistically significant variables which inhibited marijuana use by Miami adolescents was the fact that religion was an important part of their lives, that their fathers resided with them, and that they were "good" students (receiving mostly "A's" and "B's"). Not significantly related to marijuana use were a number of other variables, including family-related variables (whether adolescents lived with their mothers or alone); and whether someone in the family had a problem with drugs or alcohol. Similarly, early cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption did not serve as gateways to later marijuana use. Extracurricular school activities (athletics, music, school clubs, and other activities) were all unrelated to the use of marijuana by adolescents. Marijuana users tended to be in higher grades (9 through 12), though this was not significant.
External electro-optic integrated circuit probing

Abstract An external electro-optic measurement system with subpicosecond resolution has been developed. This electro-optic sampling system is designed to operate as a non-contact probe of voltages in electrical devices and circuits with modified wafer-level test equipment and no special circuit preparation. Measurements demonstrate the system's ability to probe continuous and pulsed signals on microwave integrated circuits on arbitrary substrates with single-micron spatial resolution. We also discuss the application of external electro-optic sampling to various aspects of time-domain circuit studies, including the generation of short electrical test pulses using novel photoconductive techniques and the propagation of pulses on interconnects.
Leasecraft: An Innovative Space Vehicle

The Leasecraft system is an innovative means to provide a permanent mobile platform in low Earth orbit and the related launch, integration, test, operation, and in-orbit servicing for payloads of industrial and government users. The Leasecraft system is being funded and developed by Fairchild Industries and furthers the industrialization of space with its significant business potential. The technology and techniques underlying this venture are derived from the shuttle compatible multimission modular spacecraft (presently used for the NASA solar maximum mission and Landsat-D/D' mission) and the upcoming demonstration of shuttle repair to be performed on the solar maximum satellite in the first quarter of 1984. Leasecraft can be identified as a system, comprising a low orbit space platform, an operations control center, user accommodations, and services such as payload interfaces, documentation, and ground support equipment and procedures. The combination of these elements facilitates the use of the space environment by both the space and nonspace oriented user. Early potential applications of Leasecraft include the processing of pharmaceuticals and materials, satellite-aided search and rescue, data collection, and support of NASA's astrophysics programs. Initial assessments made concerning the benefits to users and the cost of providing these benefits indicates that Leasecraft can provide needed services at very competitive rates. The leasing arrangement is cost effective as compared with present spacecraft platform development and cost assessment techniques.
The economics of ignorance or ignorance of economics

THE ECONOMICS OF TIME AND IGNORANCE by Gerald P. O'Driscoll, Jr. and Mario J. Rizzo New York: Basil Blackwell, 1985. 261pp., $34.95 O'Driscoll and Rizzo, two leading exponents of the Austrian subjectivist school of economics, claim to provide an original and powerful challenge to mainstream neoclassical economics. They also argue that there is much common ground between the Austrian approach and the recent development of Post Keynesian analysis. In this essay, the validity of such claims is analyzed, and the shortcomings of the Austrian school's approach vis‐a‐vis Post Keynesian and neoclassical analysis is developed.
A Serum‐free, Partly Defined Medium, PDM‐805, for Axenic Cultivation of Entamoeba histolytica Schaudinn, 1903 and other Entamoeba

We describe the first serum-free, partly defined medium (PDM-805) for cultivating the human enteric pathogen, Entamoeba histolytica, and the reptilian amebae E. barreti, E. invadens, and E. terrapinae. PDM-805 was developed by the stepwise replacement of yeast extract, bovine serum, and a casein peptone digest in TYI-S-33, a medium widely used for the axenic cultivation of these parasites. The defined components include amino acids, carbohydrates, B vitamins, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, thioctic acid, nucleic acid precursors, trace metals, and phosphate buffers. The undefined components include a highly purified bovine serum albumin, a lipoprotein-cholesterol solution from bovine serum, and a dialyzable, autoclavable, water-soluble growth factor(s) having a molecular weight of less than 3,500 prepared from casein peptone. To date, studies on the growth requirements of E. histolytica, strain 200:NIH, show the following are essential for sustained multiplication of this ameba: iron, glucose, biotin, folic acid, niacinamide, pantothenate, pyridoxal, riboflavin, thiamine, cysteine, an ammonium moiety (in addition to that present in cysteine), bovine serum albumin, lipoprotein-cholesterol, and casein peptone dialysate.
Integrating nanotechnology into school education: a review of the literature

Background : In this era of rapid technical advancement, there are growing debates around the idea of nanotechnology, which are both timely and controversial. Nanotechnology materials are being utilized in our daily lives in many ways, often without consumer knowledge. Due to the explosion of nanotechnology applications, there is a necessity to update school science curricula by integrating nanotechnology-related concepts that are both relevant and meaningful to students. The integration of nanotechnology in school science curricula comes in response to nanoscientific development and our mission as educators to instill and arouse students’ curiosity in learning about both what is and what will be more dominantly occupying the marketplace. Purpose : The purpose of this review was to set a baseline for the current work being conducted in moving nanotechnology-based activities into the school science setting. Design and methods: The review was implemented by searching LexisNexis Academic, EBSCOhost, Academic...
The perception of a familiar face is no more than the sum of its parts

Why do faces become easier to recognize with repeated exposure? Previous research has suggested that familiarity may induce a qualitative shift in visual processing from an independent analysis of individual facial features to analysis that includes information about the relationships among features (Farah, Wilson, Drain, & Tanaka Psychological Review, 105, 482–498, 1998; Maurer, Grand, & Mondloch Trends in Cognitive Science, 6, 255–260, 2002). We tested this idea by using a “summation-at-threshold” technique (Gold, Mundy, & Tjan Psychological Science, 23, 427–434, 2012; Nandy & Tjan Journal of Vision, 8, 3.1–20, 2008), in which an observer’s ability to recognize each individual facial feature shown independently is used to predict their ability to recognize all of the features shown in combination. We find that, although people are better overall at recognizing familiar as opposed to unfamiliar faces, their ability to integrate information across features is similar for unfamiliar and highly familiar faces and is well predicted by their ability to recognize each of the facial features shown in isolation. These results are consistent with the idea that familiarity has a quantitative effect on the efficiency with which information is extracted from individual features, rather than a qualitative effect on the process by which features are combined.
Use of the chronic spinal dog for the assessment of the abuse potentiality and utility of narcotic analgesics and narcotic antagonists

Abstract In the chronic spinal dog, prototypic drugs from all chemical classes thus far studied suppressed abstinence in a dose-related manner and valid bioassays were obtained. There is a good correlation between relative potencies in dog and man. Similarly, the partial agonists buprenorphine and profadol partially suppressed abstinence in the chronic spinal dog, and the slopes of their suppression dose response lines were less steep than that of morphine. Propiram was more effective in suppressing abstinence than either buprenorphine or profadol and thus in the dog appears to be an agonist with a higher activity than either buprenorphine or profadol. Further, both buprenorphine and propiram precipitated abstinence in the stabilized morphine-dependent dog. Profadol precipitation studies have not yet been conducted in the dog. Both profadol and propiram precipitate abstinence in man. Thus, the morphine-dependent chronic spinal dog is useful in identifying partial agonists of the morphine type and yields results comparable with those obtained in man. Meperidine, codeine, and normorphine are not typical agonists of the morphine type in either the dog or man. There is a good correlation between the potency of antagonists in dog and man, as well as between their associated agonistic activity.
A clinical appraisal of diazepam

Abstract The author reviews the pharmacology of diazepam and gives guidelines for its use for anxiety and other medical and psychiatric indications. The drug's potential for abuse and its record of relative safety are discussed. Emphasis is placed on proper use of diazepam, careful monitoring of patients on long-term therapy, and gradual tapering off as steps in avoiding abuse and withdrawal symptoms. Nonpharmacologic management, such as psychotherapy and relaxation exercises, also may relieve anxiety, particularly lesser states.
Selective bond breaking in amorphous hydrogenated silicon by using Duke FEL

Abstract In order to study the possibility of influencing the phase containing predominantly Si–H bonds, while having minimal influence on the surrounding materials, samples of a-Si were exposed to Duke-FEL Mark III radiation. The wavelength of the radiation was selected to fit the absorption maximum of stretching vibrations of Si–H bonds (5 μm). By varying the wavelength in the vicinity of 5 μm, the illumination time and the power density, different types and degrees of structural ordering, of Si–H bonds and Si–Si bonds were obtained, and monitored by Raman spectroscopy. By increasing the energy density, at certain level the crystallization occurs. We were able to demonstrate a direct correlation between short and intermediate range ordering and the wavelength and intensity of the radiation. Using 5 μm at 10 kW/cm2 leads to increase in structural disordering. However, increasing power to 60 kW/cm2 improves both short and intermediate order in a-Si : H, as demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy. Further increasing power density by an order of magnitude results in crystallization of the sample.
Formal aspects of theories of development

Abstract The presentation of theories of adult development and aging in terms of their formal aspects can promote precision and clarity in theory construction, facilitate communication between subdisciplines of gerontology, provide a vehicle for the heuristic impact of theories and models upon each other, and alert older persons, practitioners, and researchers that there is a variety of models available for describing social and psychological changes. Theories may be categorized as simple or cumulative sequences, the latter permitting within-person response variation, and as disjunctive or conjunctive sequences, the latter implying that some characteristics are subordinate to others. These categories are illustrated with familiar examples from social, personality, and cognitive development, with particular attention given to the formal aspects of Erikson's theory.
Review of Readings in International Relations

Readings in International Relations by Pevehouse and Goldstein marks an important step forward in the development readers for the curriculum of undergraduate introductions to international relation...
Basal cells are a multipotent progenitor capable of renewing the bronchial epithelium.

Commitment of the pulmonary epithelium to bronchial and bronchiolar airway lineages occurs during the transition from pseudoglandular to cannalicular phases of lung development, suggesting that regional differences exist with respect to the identity of stem and progenitor cells that contribute to epithelial maintenance in adulthood. We previously defined a critical role for Clara cell secretory protein-expressing (CE) cells in renewal of bronchiolar airway epithelium following injury. Even though CE cells are also the principal progenitor for maintenance of the bronchial airway epithelium, CE cell injury is resolved through a mechanism involving recruitment of a second progenitor cell population that we now identify as a GSI-B4 reactive, cytokeratin-14-expressing basal cell. These cells exhibit multipotent differentiation capacity as assessed by analysis of cellular phenotype within clones of LacZ-tagged cells. Clones were derived from K14-expressing cells tagged in a cell-type-specific fashion by ligand-regulable Cre recombinase-mediated genomic rearrangement of the ROSA26 recombination substrate allele. We conclude that basal cells represent an alternative multipotent progenitor cell population of bronchial airways and that progenitor cell selection is dictated by the type of airway injury.
An Exploratory Study of Quick Service Restaurants' Changing Menus

Abstract The literature suggests that consumers are expecting additional healthy menu items from quick service restaurants due to the increasing rates at which people are becoming overweight and obese. The current exploratory study analyzes the menu items of ten quick service restaurant chains to determine how many new “healthy” items have been added to menus in 2004 in comparison to 2003. Further analysis, through the use of surveys, determined the types of new menu items, the nutrition/ health claim for each, and how these new healthy menu items have been promoted by five of the ten quick service restaurant chains. Based on the analysis, it was found that on average these chains added 5.3 new healthy menu items in 2004 when compared to 2003. It was also determined that the majority of the new menu items introduced were low calorie and low fat, and that internal promotional techniques were the primary method of marketing. Implications for practitioners and for future research are discussed.
Immunoliposome labeling: A sensitive and specific method for cell surface labeling

Abstract A simple, one-step procedure for fluorescence labeling of cultured cells with high sensitivity and specificity is described. We term this method immunoliposome labeling. Monoclonal IgG antibody was first covalently coupled with palmitic acid. The palmitoyl-IgG was then incorporated into unilamellar liposomes (about 100 nm diameter) containing either N-(4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole)- or N-(fluorescein isothiocyanyl)-phosphatidylethanolamine by a detergent-dialysis procedure. A monoclonal antibody to the mouse major histocompatibility antigen, H-2 k , was tested as a model system. Fluorescent liposomes with covalently coupled anti-H-2 k specifically labeled the mouse L-929 cells (H-2 k type), but not the A-31 cells (H-2 d type). The degree of labeling was quantitated by a microscope photometer. Cells labeled with fluorescent liposomes showed 4–6-fold stronger fluorescence than cells labeled with either fluorescein-conjugated antibody, or with primary antibody followed by fluorescein-conjugated secondary antibody (indirect immunofluorescence). Since different types of label (fluorescent, radioactive, etc.) can be incorporated into liposomes, this specific and sensitive method is potentially very versatile.
D-σ-A unimolecular rectifiers

Abstract Unimolecular devices can be defined as devices which manipulate the energy levels or the conformations of either a single molecule or a very small cluster of molecules. When made practical, these devices, the “advanced guard” of molecular electronics, should leapfrog conventional inorganic microelectronics, which should be limited to “design rules” of components no closer than 10 nm. Fast organic rectifiers and transistors should be addressable by scanning tunneling microscopy. The quest for the proposed Aviram-Ratner D-σ-A unimolecular rectifier is reviewed, where D is a good one-electron donor, σ is a covalent, saturated “sigma” bridge and A is a good one-electron acceptor. Under gentle bias, D-σ-A should more easily form the zwitterion D + -σ-A − than the zwitterion D − -σ-A + (by fast intramolecular downhill tunneling, the state D + -σ-A − reverts quickly to D-σ-A). Many D-σ-A molecules form Langmuir-Blodgett films. Sambles' group has observed Schottky barrier rectification in D-σ-A molecules and in D + - π-A − zwitterions; the groups of Kuhn, Sugi and Roth and von Klitzing have observed rectification by Langmuir-Blodgett multilayers. Intramolecular electron tunneling through a single D-σ-A molecule has not yet been confirmed.
Predicting the Interactions between PDZ Adapter Domains and Disordered Peptides

PDZ domains, one of the most ubiquitous and important scaffolding modules in human proteins, bind the disordered C-terminus of plasma membranes, mediating protein-protein interactions. Experiments have demonstrated that dissimilar C-terminal peptides bind to the same PDZ domain and different PDZs can bind the same peptides. Crystallographic studies revealed that binding to the PDZ domains requires a four residue long strand anchored by a C-terminal hydrophobic residue. Based on this information, we developed a novel semi-flexible docking method to model the peptide-PDZ complex structure and estimate its absolute affinity. The method has been tested on a set of 126 15-residue long natural peptides binding to PDZ3 of PSD95. The resulting sensitivity and specificity rates were 90.91%/79.13% by defining a kinetic and a thermodynamic threshold. Moreover, complex structures of 5 different peptides bound to PDZ domains were successfully recovered as the top ranked predicted models. This general structure-based technology is the first de novo approach to dock disordered peptides, providing a needed complementarity to proteomic assays to mine GeneBank for new targets of scaffold proteins and to predict novel protein-protein interactions. Our findings also reveal that the four-residues C-terminal recognition motif leads to only a weak non-specific binding intermediate complex, while an extended network of contacts established by the next three to five unconstrained residues determines the high specificity of the complex.
Subcortical hyperintensities impact cognitive function among a select subset of healthy elderly

Abstract Previous studies have examined the impact of subcortical hyperintensities (SH), a proxy measure of cerebrovascular disease, on the cognitive abilities of otherwise healthy older adults. However, there remains a limited understanding as to what extent this MRI marker of pathological processes explains the decline in specific cognitive functions that occur nearly ubiquitously with advanced age, especially in relation to other age-related imaging markers. In the present study we compared cognitive abilities between a sample of 53 older healthy adults (age range = 50–79) and a sample of 53 younger adults (age range = 21–40). As expected, the older group performed significantly worse on most cognitive measures compared to the younger group. Frontal volume and total grey matter volume were also significantly reduced among the older individuals compared to the younger individuals. SH volume was consistently associated with cognitive function in older adults, though, this relationship was evident only for a relatively small subset of older individuals with the most severe SH. These data suggest that the relationship between SH and cognition in the elderly is driven by a subset of individuals who may be in the earliest stages of vascular cognitive impairment. Further, the findings suggest that cognitive aging is largely determined by factors other than SH for most older adults.
Use of an Inexpensive Blue Band During Ventricular Assist Device and Total Artificial Heart Placement Facilitates and Expedites Explantation During Heart Transplant

Ventricular assist devices and total artificial hearts are now being used routinely as a bridge to heart transplantation. Reoperation is often weeks to months from implantation. Difficulty dissecting mediastinal and cardiac structures is often encountered due to adhesion formation that prolongs operative time. A temporary, flexible, rectangular-shaped polyisoprene blue band is used to encircle major vascular structures. We have found that this facilitates identification, reduces adhesion formation, and expedites device removal at the time of heart transplantation.
The Caenorhabditis elegans EGL-26 Protein Mediates Vulval Cell Morphogenesis

In screens for Caenorhabditis elegans mutants defective in vulval morphogenesis, we isolated multiple mutants in which the uterus and the vulva fail to make a functional connection, resulting in an egg-laying defective phenotype. Two of these connection of gonad defective (Cog) mutants carry alleles of the egl-26 gene. We demonstrate that vulval lineages in egl-26 mutant animals are normal, but one vulval cell, vulF, adopts an abnormal morphology. This results in formation of an abnormally thick layer of vulval tissue at the apex of the vulva and a physical blockage of the exit to the vulva from the uterus. egl-26 was cloned and is predicted to encode a novel protein. Mosaic analysis indicates that egl-26 activity is required in the primary vulval lineage for vulF morphogenesis. Expression of a functional translational fusion of EGL-26 to GFP was observed within the primary vulval lineage only in vulE, which neighbors vulF. EGL-26 is localized at the apical edge of the vulE cell. It is thus possible that vulE acts to instruct morphological changes in the neighboring cell, vulF, in an interaction mediated by EGL-26.
Spin dynamics of triplet photoexcitations in C60: Evidence for a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect.

We have used the absorption-detected magnetic-resonance (ADMR) technique to study the spin dynamics of triplet photoexcitations in C{sub 60} molecules dispersed in polystyrene glasses. We found that the ADMR spectra contain two triplet powder patterns {ital A} and {ital B} with substantial spin reorientation dynamics, which increases with the temperature. The spin dynamics of triplet {ital A} are successfully modeled by a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect, where the spin reorientation process is among six degenerate {ital D}{sub 5{ital d}} deformations of the excited C{sub 60} molecule. Triplet {ital B}, however, is extrinsic in origin, with substantially different spin dynamics.
Characterizing the Binding Kinetics of X31 Influenza Virus to Glycolipids using Single-Particle Tracking

The infection process for enveloped viruses begins with the attachment of viruses to the host cell surface, followed by the fusion of the viral membrane with the host membrane. For Influenza, attachment and fusion are mediated by a single protein, hemagglutinin (HA), anchored in the viral membrane. Successful virus attachment to the host cell hinges on several factors such as the chemical affinity of HA to sialic acid (SA) receptors, polyvalent binding, and binding site accessibility. To characterize binding kinetics of influenza X31 (H3N2), total internal reflection microscopy is used to observe dye-labeled viruses interacting with SA receptors embedded in a supported lipid bilayer. An important advantage of the single-particle binding assay is that it can extract the binding and unbinding times of individual viruses, which are needed to determine the binding residence time distribution and binding rate constant (kon). The binding residence time distribution is used to characterize the binding affinity of HA to SA and binding avidity of a virus to several SA receptors. Meanwhile, the binding rate constant is used to quantify the accessibility of HA to SA.In this work, we examine influenza binding to several types of glycolipids. The glycolipids are GM3, GM1, and GD1a, which all have the alpha 2-3 linked sialic acid group but with varying peripheral glycan structures. Results show that the binding rate is the greatest for GD1a, followed by GM3 and then GM1. The binding residence time data, however, shows little difference between the three receptors. We will discuss possible rationales for these observations, while demonstrating the utility of the single particle assay as a convenient tool for studying binding kinetics.
Intracranial dehydroepiandrosterone blocks the activation of tryptophan hydroxylase in response to acute sound stress.

Abstract Bilateral infusion of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) given intracerebroventricularly blocked the sound stress-induced increase in tryptophan hydroxylase activity observed ex vivo in midbrain and cortex but had no effect on the level of tryptophan hydroxylase activity from sham-stressed rats. DHEA (20 μg total dose) given bilaterally into the region of the central nucleus of the amygdala, 30 min prior to 1 h sound stress, also blocked the increase in enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. The DHEA treatment did not alter the activation of the enzyme seen in vitro in the presence of phosphorylating conditions. The effect of DHEA was steroid specific in that other sex steroids, such as estrogen, androgens, or progesterone, were without any effect. Coadministration, 20 μg each, of the potent glucocorticoid agonist, RU 28362, with DHEA 30 min prior to 1 h sound stress completely blocked the DHEA suppressive effect on sound stress-induced increases in tryptophan hydroxylase activity. The results obtained suggest that DHEA blocks this increase in tryptophan hydroxylase activity by antagonizing the effects of glucocorticoid.
Some effects of methylphenidate on self-punitive running in rats

Self-punitive behavior was demonstrated in prepunishment speeds during extinction following shock-escape training in a straight runway under no-dose, low-dose (1-mg/kg), and high-dose (10-mg/kg) methylphenidate conditions. Increased dosage enhanced punished running (shock in the last half of the runway) and nonpunished running. Self-punitive behavior, defined as the difference between punishment conditions with faster running or increased persistence under punishment conditions, was not significantly affected by the drug variable. The results were interpreted as compatible with conditioned fear interpretations of self-punitive behavior but nonsupportive of cognitive interpretations.
Of Chymists and Kings

Principe9s concise survey explores the practices and influences of alchemy in their historical and cultural contexts.
Fluid-structure interaction for a pressure driven flow

In this article we discuss the application of a Lagrange multiplier based fictitious domain method for the simulation of the motion of two rigid flaps in an unsteady flow generated by pressure gradients. The distributed Lagrange multiplier technique can be an important numerical tool to design a mechanical heart valve and investigate the flow around rigid flaps without assuming the motion of the flaps in advance. Here, we derive a mathematical formulation of a fluid-structure interaction model that includes the generalized Neumann boundary conditions on the upstream and downstream boundaries along with rigid flaps rotating around the fixed points. The solution method includes the finite element approximation for space and the Marchuk-Yanenko operator splitting scheme for time discretization. This study presents the numerical results obtained for flap motion for a simple sinusoidal wave. Furthermore, these simulations are extended to apply to a more complex biological system involving the systolic phase of the pulse pressure.
Investigating Validity Evidence for the Experiences in Close Relationships- Revised Questionnaire

The current study gathered internal structural validity and external criterion validity evidence for the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire (ECR-R) scores. Specifically, confirmatory factor analysis of the data provided general support for the hypothesized two-factor model, and hypothesized relationships with external criteria were substantiated. However, minor model misfit and low communalities (R2) suggested that some items may represent extraneous constructs. Further avenues of study regarding the functioning of the instrument are provided.
Density-dependent seed set in the Haleakala silversword: evidence for an Allee effect.

Plant species may be subject to Allee effects if individuals experience a reduction in pollination services when populations are small or sparse. I examined temporal variation in reproductive success of the monocarpic Haleakala silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum) over five years, to determine if plants flowering out of synchrony with most of the population (i.e., in low flowering years) exhibited lower percent seed set than synchronously-flowering plants (i.e., those flowering in high flowering years). Through two pollination experiments conducted over multiple years, I also measured pollen limitation and self-incompatibility in this species. The number of flowering plants varied greatly among years, as did reproductive success. Percent seed set was significantly correlated with the number of plants flowering annually, such that plants flowering in high flowering years (1997 and 2001) exhibited significantly higher percent seed set than did plants flowering in low flowering years (1998–2000). In the 3-year pollen limitation study, plants flowering asynchronously were pollen-limited, whereas plants flowering synchronously were not. This species is strongly self-incompatible. Results of this study demonstrate that the Haleakala silversword experiences reduced reproductive success in low flowering years, and suggest that this Allee effect is pollinator-mediated. Allee effects in plants are an understudied yet potentially important force with implications for the population dynamics and conservation of rare species.
Physician attitudes and behaviour regarding erectile dysfunction in at-risk patients from a rural community.

Erectile dysfunction affects many men in the United States. A 34% prevalence is estimated among male family practice patients. It is associated with a loss of self-image, self-confidence, and even chronic anger. Several risk factors increases the risk of erectile dysfunction. Prevalence is increased by 20-40% in patients with diabetes, hypertension, and those over 65 years old. While erectile dysfunction is generally acknowledged as an important health problem, misconceptions remain as to the need for clinician-initiated discussion regarding the issue. A retrospective chart review of patients at three health clinics in a predominately rural area was conducted. Subjects (n=102) were those at risk of erectile dysfunction who had undergone a complete physical exam between October 1995 and December 1996. All physician encounters were examined for documentation of physician inquiry about erectile dysfunction. A survey of physician perceptions on initiating discussions of erectile dysfunction was also conducted. Physician-initiated discussion of erectile dysfunction was documented in 17% of patients with hypertension, 18% with diabetes mellitus, and 30% of patients > 65 years. The physician survey (11 respondents) showed 27% reported asking all male patients about erectile dysfunction at routine physical, while 45% reported asking 80% of their male patients. A `lack of time' or belief that the `patient will initiate discussions' was cited by several practitioners as reasons why inquiries were not initiated. All physicians in the study agreed that sexual function is an integral part of overall health. They either overestimated the percentage of patients asked about erectile dysfunction or they had not documented results consistently. Keywords: erectile dysfunction; physician attitudes
Perinatal Infections and Cerebral Palsy

Infections of the mother, the intrauterine environment, the fetus, and the neonate can cause cerebral palsy through a variety of mechanisms. Each of these processes is reviewed. The recently proposed theory of cytokine-induced white matter brain injury and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome is critically evaluated.
PERIOPERATIVE ANESTHETIC MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH BURNS

The average cost of care for a critically bumed patient ranges from $23,000 to $34,000.’ In some respect, the absolute cost is incalculable because this form of trauma affects not only the victim, family, community, and work force in which the fire occurred but also a host of health professionals who subsequently care for the victim. It is estimated that more than 1 million bum injuries occur in the United States per year; of that number, more than 50,000 injuries require hospitalization. Nearly 150 bum centers exist in the United States, and these centers receive approximately 23,000 of the bum admissions. The overall number of bumrelated deaths approaches 5500 each year in the United state^.^ The most common mechanisms of burn injury are flame and scalding, and the most common body areas involved are the upper extremity, head, and neck.13
Politics and Biology

Man Is by Nature a Political Animal: Evolution, Biology, and Politics. Edited by Peter K. Hatemi and Rose McDermott. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2011. 352p. 27.50 paper.Peter K. Hatemi and Rose McDermott's Man Is by Nature a Political Animal brings together some of the most important social scientists working at the intersection of political science, psychology, biology, and cognitive neuroscience. Given recent advances in cognitive neuroscience and given the proliferation of work in political science that draws on these advances, we have decided to invite a range of political scientists to comment on the promise and the limits of this line of inquiry. What can scientific developments in psychology, biology, and neuroscience tell us about “human nature”? Can these discourses reckon with the variation in time and space that has traditionally been at the heart of political science, perhaps even going back to the classic text from which Hatemi and McDermott derive their title, Aristotle's Politics?—Jeffrey C. Isaac, Editor
Slow growth for NSF Programs

NSF's programs will grow at a snail's pace in 1988, thanks to a budget from Congress that provides more than $200 million less than the agency requested. While NSF's actual Fiscal Year (FY) 1988 budget will be 6% more than 1987, most basic research in the physical sciences will grow by only a couple of percent, and NSF's planned Science and Techology Centers will not be funded at all.