cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Poisson and negative binomial regression model of sea turtle interactions in Hawaii's longline fishery

Abstract Sea turtle interactions with the longline fishery in Hawaii have become a serious concern in recent years. Various measures, including a swordfish harvest ban, have been adopted to protect sea turtles. This study explores the factors and degree of sea turtle interactions with Hawaii's pelagic longline fishery, i.e. the production of undesirable outputs in the pursuit of an economic activity, in an analytical framework of rare events using the count data models for the period 1994–2003. The analysis was based on the type of trip, such as those targeting tuna or swordfish. The fishing technologies associated with the choice of trip or target species, season, and turtle population explained turtle interactions with the longline fishery. The impact of a fishing vessel's previous history of turtle interactions had a negligible impact on subsequent interactions. In the absence of new longline fishing technologies to dramatically avert sea turtle interactions, there are about 6% and 55% chance that at least one turtle per trip may be encountered in tuna- and swordfish-targeted fishing trips, respectively. This study confirms that more turtle interactions are associated with the swordfish-targeted trips. Several of the factors that contributed substantially to turtle interactions can be feasibly regulated. Furthermore, the conservation and management of sea turtles require increased policy dialogues and cooperation among the coastal nations vis-a-vis the adaptation to “turtle-friendly” fishing technologies.
Spectacular Bodies: Folklorization and the Politics of Identity in Ecuadorian Beauty Pageants

This article examines two pairs of beauty pageants in which “white” and “indigenous” contestants, respectively, compete before spectators and judges for the title of “queen.” In the pageants for white contestants sponsored by the respective municipal governments, white contestants dress and dance as indigenous women, whereas in the pagean s organized by ethnic political federations for indigenous contestants, the contestants dress and dance in “traditional” versions of their own identities. The analysis demonstrates how the white pageant incorporates and marginalizes indigenous identity as a component of municipal identity, whereas the indigenous pageant separates and authenticates indigenous culture as a vantage point for social critique and political action The ambivalences and limitations of these performative constructions of identity are also examined.
Dense arrays of ordered GaAs nanostructures by selective area growth on substrates patterned by block copolymer lithography

GaAs has been selectively grown in a hexagonally ordered array of nanometer-scale holes with a density as high as ∼1011/cm2 by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. This array of holes was created using block copolymer lithography, in which a thin layer of diblock copolymer was used as an etching mask to make dense holes in a 15-nm-thick SiNx film. These selectively grown nanoscale features are estimated to be 23 nm in diameter with narrow lateral size and height distributions as characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and tapping mode atomic force microscopy. The narrow size distribution and uniform spatial position of the nanoscale dots we report offer potential advantages over self-assembled dots grown by the Stranski–Krastanow mode.
Mortality patterns among workers exposed to arsenic, cadmium, and other substances in a copper smelter.

Objective To evaluate the long-term mortality experience of workers exposed to arsenic, cadmium, and other substances at a copper mine and smelter in Copperhill, Tennessee studied earlier as part of an industry-wide study. Methods Subjects were 2,422 male workers employed three or more years in the smelter or mill between 1/1/46 until the plant strike and scale-down of operations in April 1996. Vital status was determined through 2000 for 99.4% of subjects and cause of death for 91.3% of 878 deaths. Historical exposures were estimated for lead, SO2, arsenic, cadmium, dust, and cobalt. We computed standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) based on U.S. and local county rates and modeled internal relative risks (RRs). Results We observed overall deficits in deaths based on national and local county comparisons from all causes, all cancers and most of the cause of death categories examined. We found limited evidence of increasing mortality risks from cerebrovascular disease with increasing duration and cumulative arsenic exposure, but no evidence of an exposure–response relationship for cadmium exposure and bronchitis. Conclusions Our limited evidence of an association between inhaled arsenic exposure and CVD is an exploratory finding not observed in other epidemiology studies of more highly exposed occupational populations. Possible alternative explanations include chance alone and uncontrolled confounding or effect modification by co-exposures or other factors correlated with arsenic exposure and unique to the Copperhill facility. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:633–644, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assessing the impact of revisions to standards: the COBOL example☆

Abstract The advantages to be gained from the enhancement of standards for programming languages must be weighed against the costs of the associated conversion of existing code. Such an evaluation should address all of the potential costs and benefits; in particular, it must take into account the current operational environment, as well as the technical issues. A candidate set of criteria to guide this process is presented and discussed. COBOL is a good example of how language standards evolve. There is a review of the findings of a recent Federal study on the impact of currently proposed changes to the COBOL standard. This review made use of interviews with Federal users and also an extensive analysis of currently operational COBOL source code within the Federal government. The study demonstrates that the evaluation of revisions to standards can be done, in part, on a quantitative basis.
Concomitant resorptive defects of the reproductive tract: a uterocervicovaginal septum and imperforate hymen.

Objective To review a case of concomitant longitudinal uterocervicovaginal septum and imperforate hymen. Setting A university-based tertiary care center. Patient(s) A 14-year-old girl with a septum spanning the length of the uterus, cervix, and upper two-thirds of the vagina, as well as an imperforate hymen. Intervention(s) Hymenotomy with subsequent vaginal septoplasty. Main Outcome Measure(s) NA. Result(s) NA. Conclusion(s) Anatomic anomalies of the reproductive tract may be found in tandem and when suspected, a full evaluation including advanced imaging to clearly delineate the exact anatomy, should be performed before proceeding with surgical correction.
Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae and pneumococcal urine antigen test in healthy elderly subjects

AbstractBackground: Children frequently carry Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) in their nasopharynx, even when healthy. Lower carriage rates have been reported in adults and only sparse data are available for the elderly. We sampled healthy elderly subjects for nasopharyngeal carriage to assess the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage using various assays. Methods: A deep nasopharyngeal swab sample was taken from 590 healthy elderly subjects aged ≥ 65 y. The samples were stored in STGG (skim milk–tryptone–glucose–glycerol) medium and cultured directly and after incubation in enrichment broth using routine identification methods. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays specific for pneumolysin and pneumococcal surface antigen A genes was performed on the same samples. Urine was also collected and assayed using the commercial Binax Streptococcus pneumoniae NOW urine antigen test. Results: The prevalence of pneumococcal carriage in healthy elderly persons was 1.5% for encapsulated pneumococci ...
Effects of birth of a sibling on mother-child interactions.

The interactions of working-class mothers and their firstborn children were studied in a playroom situation shortly before, as well as shortly after, the mother delivered a new baby. Both mothers and children exhibited less warmth and increased neutral affect subsequent to the birth of the new baby. Thus, in the sample, the analytic view that birth of a sibling has a major effect on the mother-child relationship was confirmed.
A Statistical Method for the Study of Shamanism: A Case Study from Field Work in Thailand

The purpose of this article is to describe a methodological adventure in the use of the survey technique to investigate shamanism. At the outset I must state my belief that the anthropologist should use structured techniques, if at all, only after he has used unstructured ones. Structured data-gathering is a valuable supplement to, but never a substitute for, unstructured interviewing and observing. This article describes the use of a structured technique as a supplementary means of understanding shamanism, an area which, to my knowledge, has heretofore been studied only by unstructured techniques.
Associations of fibroblast growth factor-23 with markers of inflammation, insulin resistance and obesity in adults.

Introduction Elevated fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) is an established marker of cardiovascular disease. The underlying reason(s) for the rise accompanying cardiovascular health decline are unclear. Prior studies have shown that FGF23 concentrations are associated with markers of inflammation and insulin resistance but they have been limited by a focus on persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and lack of race and sex diversity. The objective of this study was to examine the associations of FGF23 and markers of inflammation, insulin resistance, and anthropometrics in a large cohort of community-dwelling adults. Methods Associations of FGF23 with markers of inflammation [interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, high sensitivity-CRP (hsCRP)], insulin utilization [resistin, adiponectin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)] and anthropometrics [BMI and waist circumference (WC)] were examined cross-sectionally in a 1,040 participants randomly selected from the Reason for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study, a national study of black and white adults ≥45 years. Effect modification by race and CKD status was tested, and stratified models were analyzed accordingly. Results Median FGF23 concentration was 69.6 RU/ml (IQR: 53.2, 102.7). Higher quartiles of FGF23 were associated with higher mean concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, hsCRP and resistin (Ptrend<0.001 for all). There were no significant differences in HOMA-IR, adiponectin concentrations, BMI, or WC across FGF23 quartiles in the crude analyses. CKD significantly modified the relationships between FGF23 and inflammatory markers, HOMA-IR, BMI and WC (P ≤ 0.01 for all). In linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables, FGF23 was positively associated with IL-6, hsCRP, IL-10, HOMA-IR, BMI and WC in individuals without CKD, but not among individuals with CKD. Additionally, FGF23 was positively associated with resistin irrespective of CKD status. Conclusions Elevated FGF23 concentrations may be considered a biomarker for decline in metabolic function among individuals with normal kidney function.
Hematopoietic stem cell origin of adipocytes.

Objective It has generally been believed that adipocytes are derived from mesenchymal stem cells via fibroblasts. We recently reported that fibroblasts/myofibroblasts in a number of tissues and organs are derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that HSCs also give rise to adipocytes. Materials and Methods Using transplantation of a single enhanced green fluorescent protein−positive (EGFP + ) HSC and primary culture, we examined generation of adipocytes from HSCs. Results Adipose tissues from clonally engrafted mice showed EGFP + adipocytes that stained positive for leptin, perilipin, and fatty acid binding protein 4. A diet containing rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator−activated receptor-γ agonist, significantly enhanced the number of EGFP + adipocytes. When EGFP + bone marrow cells from clonally engrafted mice were cultured under adipogenic conditions, all of the cultured cells stained positive with Oil Red O and Sudan Black B and exhibited the presence of abundant mRNA for adipocyte markers. Finally, clonal culture- and sorting-based studies of Mac-1 expression of hematopoietic progenitors suggested that adipocytes are derived from HSCs via progenitors for monocytes/macrophages. Conclusion Together, these studies clarify the current controversy regarding the ability of HSCs to give rise to adipocytes. Furthermore, our primary culture method that generates adipocytes from uncommitted hematopoietic cells should contribute to the studies of the mechanisms of early adipocytic differentiation and may lead to development of therapeutic solutions for many general obesity issues.
Extraretinal light perception in the sparrow IV. Further evidence that the eyes do not participate in photoperiodic photoreception

Photoperiodic testicular growth in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) exposed to long days (16 hrs) of orange-red light ({ie205-01}600 nm) is exclusively controlled by extraretinal photoreceptors in the brain; the eyes are not involved. Careful reconsideration of previously published data from this and other bird species does not support a role for the eyes in photoperiodically significant photoreception.
Optimizing conical intersections of solvated molecules: The combined spin-flip density functional theory/effective fragment potential method

Solvent effects on a potential energy surface crossing are investigated by optimizing a conical intersection (CI) in solution. To this end, the analytic energy gradient has been derived and implemented for the collinear spin-flip density functional theory (SFDFT) combined with the effective fragment potential (EFP) solvent model. The new method is applied to the azomethane-water cluster and the chromophore of green fluorescent protein in aqueous solution. These applications illustrate not only dramatic changes in the CI geometries but also strong stabilization of the CI in a polar solvent. Furthermore, the CI geometries obtained by the hybrid SFDFT/EFP scheme reproduce those by the full SFDFT, indicating that the SFDFT/EFP method is an efficient and promising approach for understanding nonadiabatic processes in solution.
Abstract 4612: Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 coordinates glycolysis and biosynthesis to promote tumor growth.

The current understanding of the Warburg effect consists of an increase in aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells. The connection between glycolysis and PPP/biosynthesis is based upon a model in which glycolytic intermediates can be diverted into PPP and biosynthesis pathways as precursors. However, it remains unclear how cancer cells coordinate glycolysis and biosynthesis to fulfill the request of rapidly growing tumors. We found that glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1), commonly upregulated in human cancers due to loss of TP53, regulates anabolic biosynthesis by controlling intracellular levels of its substrate 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG) and product 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PG). Our co-crystal structure based analysis revealed that 3-PG binds to and inhibits 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) as a competitive inhibitor, while 2-PG activates 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) to provide feedback control of 3-PG levels. Inhibition of PGAM1 by shRNA results in increased 3-PG and decreased 2-PG levels in cancer cells, leading to significantly decreased glycolysis, PPP flux and biosynthesis, as well as attenuated cell proliferation and tumor growth. These findings uncover that PGAM1 controls the intracellular 3-PG and 2-PG levels to serve as a novel link between glycolysis, biosynthesis, cancer cell proliferation and tumor development. Moreover, we screened and developed novel small molecule PGAM1 inhibitor (PGMI)-004A, which effectively inhibits PGAM1 enzyme activity, resulting in aberrant cancer cell metabolism with reduced glycolysis and PPP/anabolic biosynthesis, as well as attenuated cell proliferation in diverse human cancer cell lines, but not control normal human proliferating cells including human dermal fibroblasts and human foreskin fibroblasts. PGMI-004A treatment attenuates tumor growth in xenograft nude mice with minimal toxicity in vivo. Furthermore, PGMI-004A inhibits cell proliferation of primary leukemia cells from human AML, CML and B-ALL patients, but not control CD34+ cells isolated from bone marrow samples or mononucleocytes isolated from peripheral blood samples from healthy donors, suggesting minimal toxicity of PGMI-004A in human cells.These results together provide “proof of principle” for the development of PGAM1 inhibitors as anti-cancer agents. Citation Format: Taro Hitosugi, Lu Zhou, Martha Arellano, Hanna Khoury, Titus Boggon, Sumin Kang, Chuan He, Jing Chen. Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 coordinates glycolysis and biosynthesis to promote tumor growth. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4612. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4612
Viscosity of Dilute Suspensions of Rigid Bead Arrays at Low Shear: Accounting for the Variation in Hydrodynamic Stress Over the Bead Surfaces

In this work, we examine the viscosity of a dilute suspension of irregularly shaped particles at low shear. A particle is modeled as a rigid array of nonoverlapping beads of variable size and geometry. Starting from a boundary element formalism, approximate account is taken of the variation in hydrodynamic stress over the surface of the individual beads. For a touching dimer of two identical beads, the predicted viscosity is lower than the exact value by 5.2%. The methodology is then applied to several other model systems including tetramers of variable conformation and linear strings of touching beads. An analysis is also carried out of the viscosity and translational diffusion of several dilute amino acids and diglycine in water. It is concluded that continuum hydrodynamic modeling with stick boundary conditions is unable to account for the experimental viscosity and diffusion data simultaneously. A model intermediate between "stick" and "slip" could possibly reconcile theory and experiment.
Barley grain β-glucan content as affected by nitrogen and irrigation

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with high grain β-glucan content in the soluble dietary fiber fraction may be useful as a specialty crop for human food. In contrast, low β-glucan content is desirable for brewing or animal feed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen and irrigation on barley grain β-glucan content. Relationships between barley grain β-glucan content and some agronomic traits were examined. Generally, high nitrogen levels increased barley grain β-glucan content in both years. The N2 treatment gave the best grain β-glucan contents. A negative effect of irrigation was observed for barley grain β-glucan content. Increased levels of irrigation tended to decrease grain β-glucan content in barley. Non-irrigated treatments commonly had the greatest values for grain β-glucan content in all treatments. Higher positive correlations between β-glucan and protein content were observed in both years. A negative correlation between β-glucan content and 1000 grain weight was significant in 1999 while a negative correlation between β-glucan content and sieve analysis was significant in 2000. It may be concluded that increased nitrogen is desirable for high grain β-glucan content in barley but not irrigation.
Can ethics be learned

The objectives of ethics education in accounting, the choice of appropriate pedagogy, the role of debriefing and the assessment of outcomes are discussed. The four themes emphasize coming to an agreement on the broader puposes of ethics education in accounting, increasing the relevance of ethics education in accounting by choosing appropriate materials and pedagoies with an emphasis on active rather than passive learning; the critical importance of the debriefing (processing) phase essential to the achievement of the goals of ethics education in accounting, and the need to incorporate assessment as an integral part of all ethics education efforts.
Nandina mosaic virus is an isolate of Plantago asiatica mosaic virus

The complete nucleotide sequence of the genome of Nandina mosaic virus (NaMV), which has tentatively been assigned to the genus Potexvirus, is reported. The sequence is 6066 nt in length, excluding the poly(A) tail, and contains ORFs coding for proteins of 155, 25, 12, 13, and 21 kDa (ORFs 1–4 and the CP), respectively. The genomic organization of the virus and the signature motifs in the putative protein products are similar to the data reported for potexviruses for which complete sequences are known. Phylogenetic comparisons indicated that NaMV is most closely related to Plantago asiatica mosaic virus (PlAMV). Pairwise comparisons of the sequence data for these two viruses indicate that, based on criteria recently proposed for genera within the family Flexiviridae, NaMV and PlAMV should be considered to be strains/isolates of the same viral species. Both NaMV and PlAMV were first reported in 1976 but, as PlAMV was sequenced first, this name should take precedence with the name NaMV being relegated to a synonym.
The comparative susceptibilities of cultured vector and nonvector leafhopper cells to three plant viruses.

Abstract The susceptibilities of established leafhopper cell lines from Agallia constricta (AC), Aceratagallia sanguinolenta (AS), and Agalliopsis novella (AN) were compared with one another when inoculated with wound tumor virus (WTV), the constricta variety of potato yellow dwarf virus (CYDV), and the sanguinolenta variety of potato yellow dwarf virus (SYDV). The comparative susceptibility of an established cell line from Dalbulus elimatus (DE) to these viruses was also determined. D. elimatus is not closely related to agallian leafhoppers nor has it been shown to be a vector of any of the above viruses. Vector AC cells and AN cells were about equally susceptible to WTV. The susceptibility of nonvector AS cells to WTV was about 0 · 064 times that of the vector AC and AN cells. Despite the insect-virus relationships, all cell lines derived from agallian leafhoppers were about equally susceptible to CYDV and SYDV. Concentrations of WTV and CYDV which gave about 25% infection on vector AC cells failed to infect DE cells. On the contrary, SYDV infected the nonvector DE cells although the incidence of infection was only about 0.0027 times that of vector AS cells.
Low-power DoS attacks in data wireless LANs and countermeasures

In this paper we investigate the resiliency to jamming of data protocols, such as IP, over WLAN. We show that, on existing WLAN, an adversary can successfully jam data packets at a very low energy cost. Such attacks allow a set of adversary nodes disseminated over an area to prevent communication, partition an ad hoc network, or force packets to be routed over adversary chosen paths. The ratio of the jamming pulses duration to the transmission duration can be as low as 10--4. We investigate and analyze the performance of using various coding schemes to improve the robustness of wireless LANs for IP packets transmission. A concatenated code that is simple to decode and can maintain a low Frame Error Rate (FER) under a jamming effort ratio of 15%. We argue that LDPC codes will be very suitable to prevent this type of jamming. We investigate the theoretical limits by analyzing the performance derived from upper bounds on binary error-control codes. We also propose an efficient anti-jamming technique for IEEE802.11b.
High temperature strength of YSZ joints brazed with palladium silver copper oxide filler metals

Abstract The Ag–CuOx system is being investigated as potential filler metals for use in air brazing high temperature electrochemical devices such as solid oxide fuel cells and gas concentrators. The current study examines the effects of palladium addition on the high temperature joint strength of specimens prepared from yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) bars brazed with the binary Ag–CuOx, and 15Pd–Ag–CuO. It was found that while the binary Ag–CuOx system exhibits stronger room temperature strength than the 15Pd system the strength is reduced to values equivalent of the 15Pd system at 800 °C. The 15Pd system exhibits a lower ambient temperature strength that is retained at 800 °C. In both systems the failure mechanism at high temperature appears to be peeling of the noble metal component from the oxide phases and tearing through the noble metal phase whereas sufficient adhesion is retained at lower temperatures to cause fracture of the YSZ substrate.
猫のざ瘡：74例に関する後向き研究（1988–2003）

Feline acne was diagnosed in 74 cats. No age, breed, or sex predilections were found. No triggering agents were identified. Most cats (58.1%) had the asymptomatic, noninflammatory comedonal stage of feline acne, and received no treatment. Some cats (41.9%) presented with feline acne and secondary bacterial folliculitis/furunculosis. Secondary bacterial infections responded well to antibacterial treatment. Follow-up information was available for 82.4% of all cats, and the comedonal stage of feline acne persisted in every case.
Aromatization: important for sexual differentiation of the neonatal rat brain.

This paper examines the hypothesis that testosterone (T) produces its differ-entiative effect on the neonatal rat brain after undergoing conversion in situ to estradiol-17β (E2). We examined the abilities of an aromatizing enzyme inhibitor, (1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione) (ATD), and an anti-estrogen, CI628, to inhibit sexual differentiation. Male and female rats were treated during the first few days of postnatal life with ATD or CI628, and females were treated on the following day with T in Silastic capsules or its propionate (TP) in oil. ATD and ATD+T females were normal with respect to time of vaginal opening, ovarian weight, ability to demonstrate an LH surge, and lordosis behavior. T and TP females were masculinized with respect to all these measures. CI628 and CI628+TP females had impaired ovarian function and intermediate lordosis quotients (LQs) compared to controls, though they were higher in both measures than T females. ATD males demonstrated high LQs in response to estradiol benzoate (EB) + progesterone, comparable to those of control females. CI628 males had intermediate LQs, which were significantly higher than those of control males. These results indicate that ATD can substantially protect the neonatal rat brain from the differentiative effects of exogenous or endogenous T, probably by blocking aromatization. CI628 affords only partial protection against T and produces a weak differentiative effect due to its own weak estrogenicity. Thus, aromatization of T in newborn rat brains appears to be essential if sexual differentiation is to occur.
Hemoglobin analysis for aromatic nitro and amino compound exposure control.

(1959). Hemoglobin Analysis for Aromatic Nitro and Amino Compound Exposure Control. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal: Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 396-405.
The interaction of N-formyl peptide chemoattractant receptors with the membrane skeleton is energy-dependent

Abstract Desensitization of N-formyl peptide chemoattractant receptors (FPR) in human neutrophils is thought to be achieved by lateral segregation of receptors and G proteins within the plane of the plasma membrane resulting in an interruption of the signalling cascade. Direct coupling of FPR to membrane skeletal actin appears to be the basis of this process; however, the molecular mechanism is unknown. In this study we investigated the effect of energy depletion on formation of FPR-membrane skeleton complexes. In addition the effect of the protein kinase C inhibitor stauroporine and the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid on coupling of FPR to the membrane skeleton was studied. Human neutrophils were desensitized using the photoreactive agonist N-formyl-met-leu-phe-lys-N-[125I]2(p-azidosalicylamido)ethyl-1,3′- dithiopropionate (fMLFK-[125I]ASD) after ATP depletion with NaF or after incubation with the respective inhibitors. The interaction of FPR with the membrane skeleton was studied by sedimentation of the membrane skeleton-associated receptors in sucrose density gradients. Energy depletion of the cells markedly inhibited the formation of FPR-memrane skeleton complexes. This does not appear to be related to inhibition of protein phosphorylation due to ATP depletion because inhibition of protein kinases and phosphatases had no significant effect on coupling of FPR to the membrane skeleton. We conclude, therefore, that coupling of FPR to the membrane skeleton is an energy-dependent process which does not appear to require modification of the receptor protein by phosphorylation.
Random Relaxation Abstractions for Bounded Reachability Analysis of Linear Hybrid Automata: Distributed Randomized Abstractions in Model Checking

The state of the art in the validation of linear hybrid automata has been restricted to systems with tens of variables because of the extremely high computational complexity of manipulating polyhedra in high dimensions. In this paper, we present a distributed algorithm that constructs low dimensional randomized over-approximate relaxation abstractions of linear hybrid automata and analyzes these low dimensional hybrid automata to perform bounded model checking of the original high dimensional linear hybrid automata. Our algorithm relies on the feasibility preserving nature of random linear relaxations and the Johnson Lindenstrauss lemma to show that random relaxations preserve the infeasibility of linear constraints with a nonzero probability.
Competitiveness Policy Options: The Technology-Regions Connection

Competitiveness can be defined as the ability of an economy to maintain stable or increasing market shares in an economic activity while sustaining stable or increasing living shares for those who participate in it. Government policy in all countries has strong effects on competitiveness. With the turn away from a Cold War economy the Clinton Administration has pursued a technology policy explicitly linked to the quest for heightened national competitiveness. It is based on a rejection of Reagan-Bush era analyses of the competitiveness problem, which centered on cost reduction in industry. There are many different forms of technology policy for competitiveness, however. Some center on labor quality, while others center on technological spillovers between industries. An effective policy should promote technological spillovers in the economy. All such policies, moreover, are only effective if they are organized and governed properly. The Clinton-Gore policy has many different programs and methods of governance. This paper argues that it should reinforce the regional level of organization of technology policy formulation and implementation.
Impact through discovery: a global challenge: Presidential Address at the American Heart Association 2011 Scientific Sessions.

> “He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything.” > > —Arabic proverb Good afternoon; on behalf of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, welcome, colleagues and friends from around the globe, to Scientific Sessions 2011. Whether you are in clinical care, research, or education, I thank you for joining us. It is truly an honor to be in the company of those engaged in the noblest of endeavors, the improvement of human health. I would like to take a moment to personally thank those of you joining us from around the world. Approximately 100 nations are represented at Sessions this year. That is only fitting because global prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke is a major focus of our meeting. To succeed in global prevention, we must all be part of a united front. I am going to discuss how our research world reaches far beyond the laboratory and the clinical setting. We will explore the crucial differences it makes in human health, in addition to how vital biomedical research is to economies and societies around the world. And we will discover some of the perils we will face globally if we do not find ways to fund more research. The community of cardiovascular practitioners and researchers has much to be proud of. The trends in mortality from cardiovascular disease and stroke having increased over the first half of the past century have significantly declined since the 1960s. Much of the decline is in the reduction in mortality from coronary heart disease. The decline is attributed to dramatic advances in the acute and chronic treatment of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. The recognition of the importance of control of risk factors such as …
Detection Of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Isolates With Unknown Antigenic Properties By Reverse Genetics

Abstract Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) serotype 1 is the causative agent of a highly contagious immunosuppressive disease of young chickens. In the past, a number of antigenic, as well as pathogenic, subtypes have been described. The determination of the antigenic makeup of circulating strains is of vital interest to the poultry industry because changes in the antigenicity of circulating field strains have an impact on the use of vaccines. To obtain a more comprehensive overview of the relationship between the nucleotide and amino acid sequence and the antigenic makeup of field isolates, a system based on reverse genetics of IBDV was established. Using this approach, a database for field isolates from three different states in the United States (Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana), consisting of nucleotide sequence, amino acid sequence, and a reaction pattern based on a panel of monoclonal antibodies, was established. The obtained results showed that phylogenic analysis, which is based on the simila...
Relations of Hedonic Hunger and Behavioral Change to Weight Loss Among Adults in a Behavioral Weight Loss Program Utilizing Meal-Replacement Products

Greater self-regulatory behavior usage is associated with greater weight loss within behavioral weight loss treatments. Hedonic hunger (i.e., susceptibility to environmental food cues) may impede successful behavior change and weight loss. Adult men and women (N = 111, body mass index M ± SD = 35.89 ± 6.97 kg/m(2)) were assessed before and after a 15-week lifestyle change weight loss program with a partial meal-replacement diet. From pre- to post-treatment, reported weight control behavior usage improved and hedonic hunger decreased, and these changes were inversely related. Individuals with higher hedonic hunger scores at baseline showed the greatest weight loss. Similarly, participants with lower baseline use of weight control behaviors lost more weight, and increased weight control behavior usage was associated with greater weight loss-particularly among individuals with low baseline hedonic hunger. Further study is warranted regarding the significance of hedonic hunger in weight loss treatments.
A follow-up study of early interceptive treatment of primary anterior crossbites

The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of early interceptive treatment of primary anterior crossbites with posterior occlusal acrylic resin blocks in combination with a 2 × 4 appliance, and to examine the differences in craniofacial morphology between the stable and relapse groups. Lateral cephalograms of 46 subjects (17 males and 29 females; average mean age 4 years 2 months ± 5 months) with a primary anterior crossbite were obtained before (T0) and immediately after (T1) treatment and at a 6 year follow-up (T2). The patients were assigned to either a stable (n = 35; 13 males and 22 females) or a relapse (n = 11; 4 males and 7 females) group according to the amount of overjet when the permanent incisors had erupted. The differences in craniofacial morphology between the groups were compared using a two-tailed t-test. The results revealed that the relapse subjects had a more forward position of the mandible relative to the cranial base and maxilla, a longer mandible and an increased gonial angle at T0. At T1, both groups had a positive overjet, but the treatment changes were different. Between T1 and T2, the maxillary length (A'-Ptm') increased less in the relapse group, the angle between the posterior border of the mandibular ramus and SN plane (Ram-SN) decreased and gonial angle increased and vice versa in the stable group. When posterior bite raising and 2 × 4 appliance therapy are used to correct primary anterior crossbites, all patients showed an immediate positive treatment response, whereas approximately one-quarter of subjects relapsed into a reverse overjet when the permanent incisors had erupted, mainly because of a more severe Class III craniofacial morphology at T1 and unfavourable growth during T1-T2.
The levels of leptin, adiponectin, and resistin in normal weight, overweight, and obese pregnant women with and without preeclampsia.

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare adipokines' levels between women with and without preeclampsia based on maternal body mass index (BMI). Study design This was a cross-sectional study among third-trimester pregnancies with preeclampsia (PIH) compared with normotensive controls. Serum levels of adiponectin, leptin, and resistin were measured before delivery by radioimmunoassay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The study included 22 normotensive and 77 PIH women. Leptin levels increased with maternal BMI. In patients with severe preeclampsia, overweight, and obese women had increased leptin levels (33.4 ± 14.8 vs 23.0 ± 10.8 ng/mL respectively, P =.02), and decreased adiponectin levels (8.4 ± 5.3 vs 12.6 ± 6.0 ng/mL, P =.03) compared with normal weight women. In women with BMI 2 , adiponectin levels increased in patients with preeclampsia compared with controls (11.5 ± 5.6 vs 9.6 ± 4.6 and 7.0 ± 3.2 ng/mL, respectively, P =.005). There was no association between resistin levels and preeclampsia or maternal BMI. Conclusion Women with severe preeclampsia and BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 have decreased adiponectin and increased leptin levels, while normal weight women with preeclampsia have increased adiponectin levels.
Physical Deterioration, Disorder, and Crime

This study examines the role that disorder and neighborhood physical condition play in explaining the variance in crime, controlling for theoretically relevant neighborhood socioeconomic conditions...
Consistent Application of the Boltzmann Distribution to Residual Entropy in Crystals

Four different approaches to residual entropy (the entropy remaining in crystals comprised of nonsymmetric molecules like CO, N2O, FClO3, and H2O as temperatures approach 0 K) are analyzed and a new method of its calculation is developed based on application of the Boltzmann distribution. The inherent connection of all four methods (based on combinatorics, thermodynamics, mixing, or statistical mechanicsâ€“probabilities) to one another is shown. They yield the same numerical value of residual entropy when the â€œfrozen-inâ€ energy difference between the possible intermolecular interactions for different molecular arrangements (configurations) is negligible as compared to kBTfusion.
Exercise and Dietary-Mediated Reductions in Postprandial Lipemia

Postprandial hyperlipemia produces long-term derangements in lipid/lipoprotein metabolism, vascular endothelial dysfunction, hypercoagulability, and sympathetic hyperactivity which are strongly linked to atherogenesis. The purpose of this review is to (1) provide a qualitative analysis of the available literature examining the dysregulation of postprandial lipid metabolism in the presence of obesity, (2) inspect the role of adiposity distribution and sex on postprandial lipid metabolism, and (3) examine the role of energy deficit (exercise- and/or energy restriction-mediated), isoenergetic low-carbohydrate diets, and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid supplementation on postprandial lipid metabolism. We conclude from the literature that central adiposity primarily accounts for sex-related differences in postprandial lipemia and that aerobic exercise attenuates this response in obese or lean men and women to a similar extent through potentially unique mechanisms. In contrast, energy restriction produces only mild reductions in postprandial lipemia suggesting that exercise may be superior to energy restriction alone as a strategy for lowering postprandial lipemia. However, isoenergetic very low-carbohydrate diets and n-3 fatty acid supplementation reduce postprandial lipemia indicating that macronutrient manipulations reduce postprandial lipemia in the absence of energy restriction. Therefore, interactions between exercise/energy restriction and alterations in macronutrient content remain top priorities for the field to identify optimal behavioral treatments to reduce postprandial lipemia.
Topics in electronic ceramics

Four topics in the field of electronic ceramics are reviewed: multilayer ceramic capacitors, piezoelectric ceramics, electrooptic ceramics, and ferroelectric thin films. They all are related to ferroelectric ceramic materials. The scope of this review is limited to oxide compounds, because oxide ferroelectrics, for the most part, exhibit the most useful properties and have found the most applications. The underlying physical concepts, ceramic and/or thin-film fabrication, structure/property relationships, specific applications, and future prospects in each of the four electronic ceramic application areas are discussed. >
Cytoplasmic Dynein, the Dynactin Complex, and Kinesin Are Interdependent and Essential for Fast Axonal Transport

In axons, organelles move away from (anterograde) and toward (retrograde) the cell body along microtubules. Previous studies have provided compelling evidence that conventional kinesin is a major m...
Toward an Integrated System of Clade Names

Although the proposition that higher taxa should correspond to clades is widely accepted, current nomenclature does not distinguish clearly between different clades in nested series. In particular, the same name is often applied to a total clade, its crown clade, and clades originating with various nodes, branches, and apomorphies in between. An integrated system of clade names is described based on categories of clades defined with respect to lineages that have survived to the present time. In this system, the most widely known names are applied to crown clades, the names of total clades are formed by adding a standard prefix to the names of the corresponding crowns, and the names of apomorphy clades describe the specific apomorphies with which they originated. Relative to traditional approaches, this integrated approach to naming clades is both more precise concerning the associations of names with particular clades and more efficient with regard to the cognitive effort required to recognize the names of corresponding crown and total clades. It also seems preferable to five alternatives that could be used to make the same distinctions. The integrated system of clade names has several advantages, including the facilitation of communication among biologists who study distantly related clades, promoting a broader conceptualization of the origins of distinctive clades of extant organisms and emphasizing the continuous nature of evolution.
AP-1/Jun Is Required for Early Xenopus Development and Mediates Mesoderm Induction by Fibroblast Growth Factor but Not by Activin*

In Xenopus, normal mesoderm formation depends on signaling through the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) tyrosine kinase receptor. An important signaling pathway from receptor tyrosine kinases involves Ras/Raf/MAP kinase. However, the downstream pathway that occurs in the nucleus to finally trigger gene expression for mesoderm formation remains unknown. We report here that a high level of activator protein-1 (AP-1)-dependent transcriptional activity is detected during the early development of Xenopus embryos. Injection of a dominant negative mutant jun (DNM-jun or TAM67) RNA into the two-cell stage embryos inhibited endogenous AP-1 activity and blocked normal embryonic development with severe posterior truncation in tadpoles. The inhibition of AP-1 activity and the phenotypic change induced by TAM67 was rescued by co-injection of wild-type c-jun RNA, but not by the control β-galactosidase RNA. The FGF-stimulated mesoderm induction was markedly inhibited in animal cap explants from the embryos injected with TAM67. Activin induction of mesoderm, on the other hand, was normal in the embryos injected with TAM67 RNA. These findings suggest that AP-1 mediates FGF, but not activin, receptor signaling during mesoderm induction and the AP-1/Jun is a key signaling molecule in the development of posterior structure.
Toward a decision-theoretic framework for affect recognition and user assistance

There is an increasing interest in developing intelligent human-computer interaction systems that can fulfill two functions-recognizing user affective states and providing the user with timely and appropriate assistance. In this paper, we present a general unified decision-theoretic framework based on influence diagrams for simultaneously modeling user affect recognition and assistance. Affective state recognition is achieved through active probabilistic inference from the available multi modality sensory data. User assistance is automatically accomplished through a decision-making process that balances the benefits of keeping the user in productive affective states and the costs of performing user assistance. We discuss three theoretical issues within the framework, namely, user affect recognition, active sensory action selection, and user assistance. Validation of the proposed framework via a simulation study demonstrates its capability in efficient user affect recognition as well as timely and appropriate user assistance. Besides the theoretical contributions, we build a non-invasive real-time prototype system to recognize different user affective states (stress and fatigue) from four-modality user measurements, namely physical appearance features, physiological measures, user performance, and behavioral data. The affect recognition component of the prototype system is subsequently validated through a real-world study involving human subjects.
Electrochemical Growth of Single-Crystal Metal Nanowires via a Two-Dimensional Nucleation and Growth Mechanism

Metallic nanowires (Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Co, and Rh) with an average diameter of 40 nm and a length of 3−5 μm have been fabricated by electrodeposition in the pores of track-etched polycarbonate membranes. Structural characterizations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction showed that nanowires of Au, Ag, and Cu are single-crystalline with a preferred [111] orientation, whereas Ni, Co, and Rh wires are polycrystalline. Possible mechanisms responsible for nucleation and growth for single-crystal noble metals versus polycrystalline group VIII-B metals are discussed.