cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of spontaneous and glutamate-evoked activity is altered by chronic ethanol in cultured cerebellar Purkinje neurons

Abstract The effects of continuous exposure to ethanol on the cytological and physiological development of a central nervous system (CNS) neuron were studied using the cultured Purkinje neuron of the rat cerebellar cortex. Purkinje neurons in fetal rat brain cultures which are established at one day before birth show development comparable to that described in vivo in other studies. In culture, Purkinje neurons progress from immature rounded cells with fine neurites to mature neurons with a branched dendritic structure. These structural changes are accompanied by an increase in the duration and complexity of the excitatory response to glutamate, by transitions in the patterns of spontaneous activity, and by an increase in mean firing rate. Our results demonstrate that chronic exposure to a low concentration of ethanol (90 mg%; 19.5 mM) during development selectively alters the electrophysiological but not the morphological properties of Purkinje neurons. Specifically, ethanol treatment reduces the responsiveness of these neurons to glutamate, delays the expected developmental transitions in patterns of spontaneous activity, and induces increased spontaneous bursting activity, particularly at the stage of dendritic formation. Impairment of responsiveness to glutamate is significant in that it may reflect the compromise by ethanol of a major excitatory pathway in the cerebellar cortex, resulting from the decreased efficacy of glutamatergic input from parallel fibers. In contrast to the results of other studies using adult neurons as a model for the effects of ethanol, our work suggests that the developing CNS neurons does not become tolerant; that is, in the continuing presence of ethanol, it does not express physiological function equivalent to that of the control.
Caloric Needs of Adolescent Patients with Burns

Formulas for estimating the caloric requirements of pediatric and adult patients with burns have been suggested. However, the needs of adolescent patients with burns have not been specifically addressed. This study was undertaken to determine the calorie intake required to maintain weight of adolescent patients with burns over more than 35% of the total body surface area. The 29 patients studied were divided into two groups according to sex. Caloric requirements were determined with the use of the Galveston surface area formula and the Curreri formula. The comparison of these estimations with the actual intake required to maintain weight indicated that there is a significant difference between the calories indicated by the formulas and the actual intake. A surface area formula that also correlates with the results of indirect-calorimetry studies is suggested for this adolescent population with burns.
Purification and characterization of a troponin C-like phosphodiesterase activator from bovine thyroid

A troponin C-like phosphodiesterase activator from bovine thyroid has been purified to homogeneity. The overall purification was about 9,800-fold with a yield of 8%. Bovine thyroid activator protein is identical in biologic properties to that isolated from bovine brain. They have the same specific activity regarding stimulation of bovine brain cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. Both proteins form a Ca2+-dependent complex with heart muscle troponin I which is stable in 6M urea-polyacrylamide gel and which is similar, but not identical, to the troponin C-troponin I complex. The physiochemical properties of bovine thyroid activator protein are identical with those of bovine brain and other phosphodiesterase activator proteins and are similar to heart muscle and skeletal muscle troponin C as follows: (A) they bind 3-4 exchangeable calcium ions/mol with dissociation constants between 10(-5) and 10(-6) M, (B) they are highly acidic with a high content of aspartic and glutamic acids and isoelectric points of approximately 4.1, (C) these proteins have an unusual ultraviolet absorption spectrum with six discrete maxima between 250 and 284 nm which are characteristic of phenylalanine and tyrosine, and (D) these proteins have a low content of cysteine, histidine, tyrosine and proline. The tryptic peptide maps of bovine thyroid and brain activator protein are very similar. However, despite a very similar amino acid composition, the peptide map of bovine heart muscle troponin C is significantly different from that of the other two proteins. The molecular weight of thyroid and brain activator protein is 16,500, while that of heart troponin C is 18,500. Thyroid and brain activator protein, as well as heart troponin C, appear to undergo significant Ca2+-dependent conformational changes, as measured by the difference in the circular dichroism spectrum and electrophoretic mobility observed in the presence and absence of calcium ion.
The Effect of Sport Commentator Framing on Viewer Attitudes

An experimental analysis was conducted to determine the effects of involvement, commentator framing, and gender on viewer attitudes toward female athletes. The sample was comprised of 112 students at a mid-western university in the United States. Hypotheses and research questions were tested through a 2 × 3 multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results indicated the overall MANCOVA was significant. Involvement was positively related to viewer attitudes’ towards the dependent variables and explained 27.8% of the variance. Gender explained 39.3% of the variance in attitudes as male viewers had significantly lower mean scores on all dependent variables. Male viewers had significantly lower scores than female viewers in the positive framing condition; the interaction explained 8% of the variance in viewers’ perceptions of respectability of female athletes.
Future directions in immunomodulatory therapy

The role of immunomodulatory-based therapy with thalidomide or lenalidomide is clearly established in the management of patients with myeloma in all phases of their disease. Recent preclinical and clinical works have demonstrated that in addition to combination therapy with dexamethasone, there is significant activity when combined with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. More recent clinical studies have also demonstrated significant activity when combined with akt inhibitors, HDAC inhibitors, and even monoclonal antibodies. Further clinical development of immunomodulatory agents should continue to be based on preclinical rationale, which has resulted in a number of promising and clinically active combinations.
Philosophical Presuppositions of Marx's Labour Theory of Value

Reflecting on “The Rehabilitation of Karl Marx” as a theoretical economist 100 years after his death, Robert Paul Wolff, on the way to writing Understanding Marx, noted that Marx had written, “at a conservative estimate, five thousand pages of theoretical material”. Therefore, in order to understand Marx's theoretical achievement, which Wolff compares with Darwin, Freud and Einstein (p. 714), “The simplest sort of common sense demands that we estimate Marx's place in the intellectual history of our civilization on the basis of this mass of economic theory” (p. 713). In addition to the three volumes of Capital, the three volumes of the Theories of Surplus Value, the Grundrisse, and the Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, however, “Marx also wrote, as a young man, a handful of exuberant, obscure, derivative, romantic reflections on the human condition…The same sort of common sense dictates that we not construe these youthful speculations as the final utterances of the true Marx” (p. 713). With these assertions, Wolff is reviving an old issue, for the benefit of a “modern mathematical reinterpretation of Marx” (pp. 715–16), that some had thought was laid to rest by the widespread availability of the Grundrisse.
pH of Nasal Mucosa of Some Laboratory Animals

SummaryGlass electrodes were constructed for measuring the nasal pH of hamsters, ferrets, and rats in situ. The normal pH was found to be 7.2 at 35°C.
Tuber starch amylose content is associated with cold-induced sweetening in potato

Cold-induced sweetening (CIS) is the accumulation of reducing sugars in potato tubers at low storage temperatures. It is undesirable because it results in dark fry products. Our study evaluated the relationship between genetic resistance to CIS and two starch parameters, amylose content and starch granule size. We found that the amylose content in four CIS-resistant varieties was higher than that in five susceptible varieties. Amylose content was influenced not only by variety but also storage, production year, and field location. However, interactions between amylose content and environmental variables were not detected. In contrast, starch granule size was not associated with CIS resistance. No effect of storage on starch granule size was detected, and interactions among variety, production year, and field location were observed. Tuber starch amylose content should be considered a source of variability for CIS.
Performance on a strategy set shifting task in rats following adult or adolescent cocaine exposure.

Rationale Neuropsychological testing is widespread in adult cocaine abusers, but lacking in teens. Animal models may provide insight into age-related neuropsychological consequences of cocaine exposure.
Evaluating and monitoring nucleation and growth in copper foil

The electrodeposition of copper foil for use in electronic materials applications is a complex and demanding process. The specific aspects of producing and controlling the structure-property-performance requirements of the foil are important because of the stringent demands placed on their use in printed circuit boards and similar products. In this paper, a brief review of the electrodeposition process for raw copper foil is presented. Since electrolyte additives play such a significant role in the copper-depositionprocess, the effects of two essential additives, chloride ion and an organic (e.g., glue or gelatine), on the foil are described. Also, the influence of other operating parameters on the initial nucleation, growth, and subsequent electrocrystallization are discussed. Selected characterization methods, such as polarization and scanning electron micrography techniques, are described as a means of monitoring the process, but universally accepted methods of evaluating and controlling the additives and foil quality during electrolysis are still being sought.
Using a randomized response research design to eliminate non-response and response biases in business research

A serious distortion of business survey research is that frequently the survey includes questions that the respondent views as sensitive or intimate. The respondent may refuse to answer or may give an inaccurate answer. This refusal to answer or tendency to falsify the answer can seriously distort the research findings and invalidate the interferences made from the survey. This paper discusses a sampling procedure that has recently been developed and used to reduce dishonest responses or nonreponses to sensitive questions. The procedure is called Randomized Response. As an example, it is used to ask sensitive questions of individuals who are marketing majors at the University of Hawaii concerning their behavior and attitudes toward racial discrimination, shoplifting, test cheating, and commodity hoarding.
Fission yeast p107wee1 mitotic inhibitor is a tyrosine/serine kinase.

THE fission yeast wee1+ gene product is a dose-dependent, negative regulator of entry into mitosis1,2. wee1+ encodes a protein of relative molecular mass 107,000 (Mr 107K), the C-terminal third of which has strong similarities with the serine/threonine protein kinase family2,3. Here we report that p107wee1 immune complexes phosphorylate p107wee1 equally on serine and tyrosine residues, and also phosphorylate an exogenous substrate, angiotensin II, on tyrosine. Both kinase activities are attributable to p107wee1 because they are also observed when weel + is expressed in heterologous systems; both are abolished by a point mutation in the ATP-binding domain, and both behave like an asymmetric monomer of Mr 114K on gel filtration and density-gradient centrifugation. Thus the wee1+ gene product is representative of a novel class of protein kinase that phosphorylates both serine and tyrosine residues.
Stimulated fluorescence and fluorescence quenching in chlorophyll a and bacteriochlorophyll a

Abstract This communication deals with the photophysical processes that take place in chlorophyll solutions under intense nitrogen laser irradiation. The effect of the pump photon density on the fluorescence yield depends strongly on the geometry of the irradiation and the sampling set-up. If the fluorescence cell and sampling probe are placed close to the transverse arrangement used for obtaining laser output, line narrowing and gain, which are processes associated with high population inversions and stimulated fluorescence, are observed. A normal fluorescence spectrum and a decrease in fluorescence quantum yield with increasing pump power are observed in the fluorescence cells in oriented at an angle of 20–40° with respect to the transverse axis of the exciting beam. The decrease in quantum yield appears to result from absorption of the pump photons by the excited singlet of the chlorophylls, and it is suggested that an analogous mechanism may be responsible for the anomalous fluorescence quantum yield reported for in in vivo Chlorella vulgaris algae.
Protein constraints induced by multiframe encoding

Abstract Recent sequencing of viral genomes supports the existence of multiframe codon reading. This study considers the restrictions imposed on proteins coded for in overlapping regions. Calculation of conditional probabilities shows that the restrictions imposed are severe, even at the amino acid-protein structural level. These conditional probabilities are used to calculate conditional information per codon, showing the nonequivalence of the various pairs of reading frames. In addition, the coevolution or primary-secondary evolution of two overlapping proteins should be distinguishable.
Representative volume element-based design and analysis tools for composite materials with nanofillers

Representative volume element-based three-dimensional models with various nanofiller geometries and process parameters are presented for the design and analysis of composite materials. Analytical, computer-aided design, and computer-aided engineering tools are integrated to develop user interface tools with automated three-dimensional models for mechanical and electrical analyses. Various process parameters in the manufacture of nanocomposites are quantified using image analysis techniques. A filler-to-filler distance algorithm is incorporated in developing a three-dimensional network of fillers within matrix representative volume element to account for filler–filler interactions and compatibility. The stress–strain behavior of metal matrix nanocomposites, the effective modulus, and the electrical conductivity of polymer nanocomposite fibers are presented as case studies to demonstrate the capabilities of the developed representative volume element-based design and analysis tools. The unique automated des...
Inorganic tripton in the Finger Lakes of New York: importance to optical characteristics

Inorganic particles in the upper waters of the 11 Finger Lakes of New York are morphometrically and elementally characterized by individual particle analysis conducted with scanning electron microscopy interfaced with automated image and X-ray analyses (IPA/SAX). Coupled measurements of Secchi disk transparency (SD), the attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance (Kd), the beam attenuation coefficient at 660 nm, and turbidity (Tn) were made to support evaluation of the importance of non-living, inorganic particles (inorganic tripton) in regulating these optical features of water quality. Wide differences in levels of inorganic tripton, represented in terms of particle projected area per unit volume (PAVin), and the optical measures are reported for these lakes. However, generally similar size distributions are observed for the inorganic tripton for the lakes. Terrigenous suspensoids, in the form of clay minerals, dominated the inorganic tripton particle assemblage of nine lakes, while CaCO3, formed autochthonously, dominated in the other two and was a noteworthy contributor in four others. PAVin is demonstrated to be an important regulator of the optical properties of these lakes, performing substantially better than chlorophyll in predicting SD, and Tn, and interlake differences in these optical measures.
Transcriptional Activity of PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α Is Differentially Regulated by Twist-1 in Brown Fat Metabolism.

Brown fat expresses two PGC-1α isoforms (PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α) and both play a central role in the regulation of cellular energy metabolism and adaptive thermogenesis by interacting with a wide range of transcription factors including PPARγ, PPARα, ERRα, and NRF1. PGC-1α consists of 797 amino acids, whereas alternative splicing of the PGC-1α gene produces a shorter protein called NT-PGC-1α (aa 1–270). We report in this paper that transcriptional activity of PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α is differently affected by the transcriptional regulator, Twist-1. Twist-1 suppresses PGC-1α but not NT-PGC-1α. The inhibition of PGC-1α activity by Twist-1 is mediated by direct interaction through the C-terminal region of PGC-1α (aa 353–797). Thus, the absence of the corresponding C-terminal domain in NT-PGC-1α allows NT-PGC-1α to be free from Twist-1-mediated inhibition. Overexpression of Twist-1 in brown adipocytes suppresses transcription of a subset of PGC-1α-target genes involved in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and uncoupling (CPT1β, UCP1, and ERRα). In contrast, NT-PGC-1α-mediated induction of these genes is unaffected by Twist-1. These findings show that differences in inhibitory protein-protein interactions of PGC-1α and NT-PGC-1α with Twist-1 lead to differential regulation of their function by Twist-1.
Morphology and mixing state of individual freshly emitted wildfire carbonaceous particles

Biomass burning is a major source of carbonaceous particles, including tar balls and soot, that affect earth’s climate. Studying a wildfire plume, this work identifies two types of tar balls and classifies soot according to its mixing state with implications for the calculation of aerosol radiative forcing.
Sulfur speciation : methodology and application to sulfide oxidation studies at the sediment-water interface

Abstract A single column ion chromatographic method for the determination of sulfide, sulfite, sulfate and thiosulfate was developed. It uses an anion exchange column (Waters, IC-Pak A) and a borate-gluconate buffer at pH 8.5 that contains EDTA and ascorbic acid to prevent sulfite oxidation. This eluent has relatively low background values for both conductivity and ultraviolet absorption, which allows determination of the above sulfur anions with high sensitivity. The mean percent recovery of the investigated anions in synthetic mixtures were 98.6, 100.0, 99.6 and 100.2 % for sulfide, sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfate, respectively. The method was applied to study sulfide ion oxidation at the water-sediment interface using six aquifer samples collected within the continental United States. Results indicated that sulfide ion disappearance follows a pseudo first-order profile and that the rate of disappearance correlates with the total organic carbon and clay content of the sediment.
Archaeology and the Sea in Scandinavia and Britain. A Personal Account

Archaeology and the Sea in Scandinavia and Britain. A Personal Account. By Ole Crumlin-Pedersen. Maritime Culture of the North, 3, The Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde. 2010. ISBN 978–87-85180–05-6 (Ha...
Does the Seed Bank Reflect Plant Distributions in a Coastal Dune

Abstract The spatial patterns in the seed bank were examined within a coastal sanddune system. Soil samples were collected from vegetated and bare plots in three zones, each dominated by different plant species. The total number of seeds and species diversity in the seed bank were low. There were no significant patterns in total seed number. However, there were significant differences in species composition. Seeds of Artemisia campestris (Tall Wormwood) were more abundant in vegetated plots and were found in all zones, although adults are more spatially restricted. Fruits of Cyperus grayii (Gray's Sedge) were most common where adults are found. Dominant species from the site were absent from the seed bank. Overall, composition of the seed bank does not reflect composition of the adult community.
Male production induced by antibiotic treatment in Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) an asexual species

The production of large numbers of males in the thelytokous speciesEncarsia formosa was induced by feeding antibiotics to their mothers. The males induced by antibiotic treatment produce sperm and sometimes mate with females, but insemination does not occur.
Modulation of MthK Potassium Channel Activity at the Intracellular Entrance to the Pore

We used a bacterial complementation screen with the LB2003 K(+) uptake-deficient strain of Escherichia coli to analyze residues that are critical to Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum potassium channel (MthK) function. Channel expression and relative structural integrity of mutants were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot, and mechanisms underlying altered mutant channel function were analyzed using single-channel recording. We observed that wild-type MthK expression complements K(+) uptake deficiency. Although MthK function was previously thought to require Ca(2+) in the millimolar range, we demonstrate that at elevated temperatures the requirement for Ca(2+) becomes much lower. Mutations at the cytoplasmic mouth of the MthK pore can blunt complementation, indicating that those mutant channels cannot support K(+) uptake. In contrast, substitutions at the Ca(2+)-binding site in the MthK RCK domain did not decrease complementation compared with wild-type MthK. We focused on mutations to residues Glu-92 and Glu-96, which may form the narrowest part of the pore in the channel's closed state. Mutations at these residues can yield slight changes in single-channel conductance that do not necessarily correlate with effects on bacterial complementation. However, mutations at Glu-92 could also change channel open probability, and these changes correlated with complementation effects. The most striking of these mutations was E92A, which nearly eliminated bacterial complementation by decreasing the open probability of MthK. Our results suggest that the small, hydrophobic alanine side chain at the K(+) channel bundle crossing may generate an intrinsically stable structure, which in turn shifts the closed-to-open-state equilibrium toward the closed state.
Molecular origin of the kidney clock

Increasing evidence suggests that a functional circadian clock in the kidney contributes to the regulation of renal function including blood pressure and sodium balance. When does this kidney clock begin ticking? Meszaros et al. provide the first evidence that the endogenous molecular machinery of the circadian clock begins oscillating in the late fetal kidney. These findings have important implications for our understanding of how homeostasis is maintained in early life.
Entdifferentiation in Bronchogenic Carcinoma

Not many years have passed since it was considered possible, in a general way, to determine the histogenesis of a primary carcinoma of the lung from its cell type. Carcinomas characterized by squamous or low columnar epithelium were attributed to the alveolar epithelium; those showing the formation of mucin, to the mucous glands of the bronchi; and those with columnar epithelium, to the mucosa of the bronchi themselves. Many of the earlier authors stressed origin from the alveolar lining cells. In the group of thirty-four cases referred to in this paper there was but one (A-1760) which gave any evidence of such an origin. In this instance the most completely differentiated portion of the tumor was found in the peripheral portion of the lung, associated with an area of fibroid pneumonia. It is probable that under such circumstances excessive regeneration of bronchioles (cells of Tripier) may give rise to malignancy in a manner entirely comparable to that by which cirrhosis carcinomatosus may arise from regenerating bile ducts. Klotz (1) and Weller (2) considered that alveolar and bronchial epithelium have a common parentage, but Fried (3) held that the so-called alveolar epithelium is of mesenchymal origin, with phagocytosis its chief function, and that it cannot possibly give rise to malignancy of epithelial type. The opinion that primary carcinoma of the lung frequently arises from the bronchial mucous glands is losing ground. Fried believes that the high degree of differentiation of these glands is against the probability of malignant change. Letulle (4) does not include such an origin in his classification. Klotz, Boyd (5), Barron (6) and others have pointed out that the production of mucin by the neoplasm cannot be used as a criterion, since this function is assumed by the bronchial mucosa also. The best proof that malignancy has arisen in glands is found in such microscopic studies as those of Barron (Case 13) and Langhans (7), showing areas of apparent change in the bronchial glands themselves. It may be noted that in neither of these cases was the neoplasm mucin-forming. A great majority of all primary carcinomas of the lung arise from bronchial mucosa, and frequently from the epithelium of a bronchus of the second to fourth order. The examination of sections from a sufficient number of well chosen blocks will practically always show an area in one of the larger bronchi with alteration and replacement of the normal epithelium, penetration and partial destruction of the cartilage plates, and partial or complete obstruction of the lumen either by neoplastic tissue or by the contraction of an atypical fibrous stroma which is more mature than that found elsewhere in the neoplasm.
A programmable current mirror for analog trimming using single poly floating-gate devices in standard CMOS technology

This paper describes a programmable current mirror comprised of single-poly floating-gate devices. By programming the threshold voltage of the floating-gate devices, a current mirror's input-output current mismatch can be trimmed at a desired current level. This programmability allows accurate drain current matching to be achieved without using large gate area devices. A prototype of the programmable current mirror fabricated in a 0.5-micron digital CMOS technology achieves 0.04% input-output current matching.
Periodicities and regulatory mechanisms in β Lyrae

We utilize 210 years of β Lyrae eclipse timings [(O-C)s] and 100 years of radial velocities to search for eccentricity and apsidal motion, and for periodic variations. No (O-C) periods pass standard significance tests, but we find eight significant radial velocity periods by independent methods of time series analysis. Waveforms of the eight periodicities are readily seen in phase plots, with most not being simple sinusoids. The causes are not known, but could be orbiting stars. Inspection of the few existing polarimetric observations at two well-separated epochs does not find the radial velocity periods reproducibly. We looked thoroughly for direct evidence of eccentricity, but without success. Eccentricity that is approximately constant and as large as 0.010 seems ruled out, but e almost as large as this is possible, especially if it is variable on short time-scales. Apsidal motion could be a sensitive indicator of small e, but large gaps in the radial velocity record make apsidal motion detection difficult. We searched by three methods, but found only a few doubtful possibilities for apsidal periods. We also investigated several mechanisms for the previously known 283-d light-curve period by estimating ranges of plausible apsidal and precession periods. Apsidal periods are much too long to account for the 283-d variation, and precession is incompatible with existing photometry. Disc pulsation is so far not ruled out. Taking note of the uniquely constant orbital period change that has persisted at a consistent +19 s per year for 210 yr, we propose a feedback mechanism to regulate period change via impulsive mass transfer near periastron. The mechanism involves a generalization of the theory of period changes induced by lobe overflow so as to include impulsive overflow, and operates through a (perhaps unobservably) small and variable eccentricity.
Contributors to Women's Leadership Development in Christian Higher Education: A Model and Emerging Theory

A theory of women's leadership development within the context of Christian higher education is proposed, based on qualitative research involving 16 participants. Motivators to advance into leadership roles were: (a) a sense of relational responsibility; (b) awareness of calling and giftedness for leadership, and (c) a mentoring relationship or role model. These emerging leaders typically experienced both validation and resistance that shaped the trajectory of their leadership journeys. Validation contributed to greater self-efficacy, resulting in motivation to engage broader leadership; conversely, some leaders experienced resistance and devaluation. The emerging theory recognizes the influence of environmental context and self-awareness.
Manipulation with vibratory velocity fields on a tilted plate

We examine the dynamics of point parts in frictional contact with a periodically vibrating, flat, rigid plate that is nominally tilted with respect to horizontal. If the friction law satisfies the maximum power inequality, then part dynamics on the tilted plate are equivalent to part dynamics on a horizontal plate with a different friction law that also satisfies the maximum power inequality. For small angles of tilt, this equivalence means that every periodic plate motion induces a position-dependent velocity field through which parts slide. Assuming Coulomb friction, some of the fields obtainable with a tilted plate are impossible to generate with a horizontal plate; other fields that require complicated motions on a horizontal plate can be generated with simpler motions on a tilted plate.
Personhood and communication at the end of life

Drawing on over 300 h of fieldwork with one hospice team, this essay explores issues of personhood at the end of life, by focusing on one patient’s experience. This essay uses a narrative approach and exams the role of communication in enabling or constraining a dying person’s dignity, autonomy, and beliefs. In addition to describing the use of narrative methods in social science and medicine, this manuscript defines personhood, and explains the link between communication and personhood. The analysis of the narrative illustrates the ways healthcare workers can communicate to support a person’s sense of self until he or she dies.
Learning conceptual rules: III. Processes contributing to rule difficulty*

Eight unique bidimensional conceptual rule forms were compared in a rule learning paradigm. It was predicted that rule difficulty order and error distributions across stimulus class defined by a truth table would be a function of Ss’ preexperimental experience predominantly with conjunctive concepts. The hypothesis stated specifically that loci of difficulty with rules derive from: (a) assignment of TT stimuli (those with both relevant attributes) to the negative category; (b) assignment of FF stimuli (those with neither relevant attributes) to the positive category; (c) assignment of TT and FF stimuli to the same category. The main effects of rule and truth table class and the interaction of rule and truth table class were statistically significant. The results confirm all predictions about rule order and error distributions
High precision concatenated spectrum cognitive radio-based range estimation

Fundamentally, high precision RF range measurement requires the availability of high bandwidth signal. This paper proposes high precision active range estimation in wireless environments by concatenating the available white spaces in spectrum. These white spaces are identified and allocated by the capabilities of cognitive radios (CR). Cognitive Radios allow efficient and flexible usage of the radio spectrum because they can sense environmental conditions and adapt their communication features. In this work, multiple bands are concatenated by active sensors that contribute in the process of ranging to attain an accuracy corresponding to the equivalent full band. Active sensors communicate with base station (BS) to allow the BS to estimate their distance. Two scenarios are investigated: the message signal is transmitted over these bands either simultaneously (parallel concatenation) or sequentially (serial concatenation). Both proposed approaches relax design requirements of both analog and digital components of our system. This work investigates the potential of different high resolution TOA estimation methods such as MUSIC for multi-band scenarios. Simulation results confirm that the proposed multi-band system leads to better ranging performance in term of the variance-of-error comparing to the average of estimated range over each sub-band.
Cryptic phenotypic plasticity in populations of the North American freshwater gastropod, Pleurocera semicarinata

Phenotypic plasticity is termed ‘cryptic’ when it becomes so extreme as to prompt an (erroneous) hypothesis of speciation. Populations of pleurocerid snails nominally identified as Pleurocera (‘Goniobasis’ or ‘Elimia’) livescens are common elements of the macrobenthos in rivers and on lakeshores from Vermont through northern Ohio and northern Indiana to Wisconsin, USA. Small streams in southern Ohio, southern Indiana, and Kentucky are inhabited by Pleurocera semicarinata, and larger rivers by Lithasia obovata. The three nominal species differ only in qualitative aspects of shell morphology - P. semicarinata demonstrating a slender shell with a small body whorl, L. obovata a robust shell with a large body whorl, and P. livescens intermediate. Here I use allozyme electrophoresis to estimate genetic divergence over 11 enzyme loci among three populations of P. livescens, two populations of P. semicarinata, and one population of L. obovata sampled across 650 km of their combined range. With each of these six populations I sample a control population of Pleurocera canaliculata, demonstrating that the genetic divergence among the six known conspecific populations is comparable to that observed among the six study populations. The specific nomina L. obovata and P. livescens would appear to be junior synonyms of P. semicarinata. The shell morphological differences by which these taxa have heretofore been distinguished would appear to result from ecophenotypic plasticity, driven perhaps by predation, substrate, or current.
Evaluation policy and evaluation practice: Where do we go from here?

Three issues for evaluation policy and practice are described: evaluation policy dimensions, evaluation policy instruments, and the political and economic environment for evaluation policy. Selected future directions are outlined, including the need to describe the evaluation policy landscape, further articulate an evaluation policy taxonomy, and develop and implement tactics for influencing evaluation policy, with particular attention to the role of professional associations. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Negative Regulation of Bacillus anthracis Sporulation by the Spo0E Family of Phosphatases

The initiation of sporulation in Bacillus species is controlled by the phosphorelay signal transduction system. Multiple regulatory elements act on the phosphorelay to modulate the level of protein phosphorylation in response to cellular, environmental, and metabolic signals. In Bacillus anthracis nine possible histidine sensor kinases can positively activate the system, while two response regulator aspartyl phosphate phosphatases of the Rap family negatively impact the pathway by dephosphorylating the Spo0F intermediate response regulator. In this study, we have characterized the B. anthracis members of the Spo0E family of phosphatases that specifically dephosphorylate the Spo0A response regulator of the phosphorelay and master regulator of sporulation. The products of four genes were able to promote the dephosphorylation of Spo0A approximately P in vitro. The overexpression of two of these B. anthracis Spo0E-like proteins from a multicopy vector consistently resulted in a sporulation-deficient phenotype. A third gene was found to be not transcribed in vivo. A fourth gene encoded a prematurely truncated protein due to a base pair deletion that nevertheless was subject to translational frameshift repair in an Escherichia coli protein expression system. A fifth Spo0E-like protein has been structurally and functionally characterized as a phosphatase of Spo0A approximately P by R. N. Grenha et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 281:37993-38003, 2006). We propose that these proteins may contribute to maintain B. anthracis in the transition phase of growth during an active infection and therefore contribute to the virulence of this organism.
The Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis: What Has the Evidence Shown?:

This paper reviews 20 years' worth of empirical evidence on the 'spatial mismatch' hypothesis. After briefly surveying the relevant models from urban and labour economics and recent trends in employment and population suburbanisation, the empirical evidence on spatial effects is examined. This literature includes evidence on the effects of residential segregation, residential suburbanisation and employment suburbanisation, and direct measures of 'access' (such as travel times). The most recent evidence suggests that spatial mismatch is relevant for explaining black/white employment differences, though the magnitudes of these effects remain unclear.
A technique for temporomandibular joint roentgenography

Abstract The roentgenograms obtained with this device (Fig. 9) have been similar to those obtained with the Updegrave apparatus. The advantages observed are: 1. The upright position of the patient. 2. The prefocused simplicity of alignment of the tube head and cassette. 3. The ease and accuracy of positioning because the earplug can be seen in position. 4. The use of a marking system which informs the operator of the exposure to be made in each position of the cassette. 5. The fact that the device can be used either with the patient in the dental chair, or on any sort of stool or chair depending on the location of the machine and the space available. 6. The short time required to go through the procedure including setting up and taking down the apparatus.
Prevention of Hypertension and Its Complications: Theoretical Basis and Guidelines for Treatment

Hypertension is a nutritional-hygienic disease. Long-term caloric intake in excess of energy expenditures, chronic supraphysiological intake of dietary sodium, excessive alcohol consumption, and psychosocial stressors all contribute to the development of hypertension throughout the world. Elevated BP, particularly systolic BP, has been linked to multiple adverse clinical outcomes including stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, renal insufficiency/failure, peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, dementia, and premature mortality. These undesirable clinical outcomes are typically, although not invariably, preceded by pressure-related target-organ injury such as left ventricular hypertrophy, renal insufficiency and proteinuria. The relation of BP and CKD and, in turn, the prevention of CKD or forestalling its progression by hypertension treatment, will be the focus of this manuscript. In hypertensive persons with reduced kidney function and/or proteinuria, lowering BP with multidrug therapy that is inclusive of pharmacologic modulators of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-kinin system is an effective strategy to forestall the progressive loss of kidney function. The totality of data support low therapeutic BP targets for persons with proteinuria >1 g/d. Nevertheless, in persons with CKD, even those with proteinuria below the dipstick positive level (approximately 300 mg/d or urine protein to creatinine ratio of 0.22), aggressive BP control also may be warranted because of the high risk of nonrenal cardiovascular disease. Multiple antihypertensive drugs will be required in the vast majority of patients with diabetes and/or reduced kidney function to attain BP goal. Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) modulator therapy is indicated among persons with diabetes mellitus and CKD. Available data support the use of angiotensin receptor blockers in persons with type 2 diabetes and overt nephropathy for preservation of kidney function. Among persons with type I diabetes with or without overt nephropathy, type 2 diabetes without overt nephropathy and in nondiabetic CKD, the available clinical data support the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors as the RAS modulator of choice. Low therapeutic target BP levels <130/80 mmHg in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus also appear warranted based on available data mostly for reducing the risk of nonrenal cardiovascular disease and overall mortality.
Determining optimum fluoride levels for community water supplies in relation to temperature

To provide more precise data from which standards could be established for the optimum concentration of the fluoride ion in community water supplies in relation to the ambient temperature, the California State Department of Public Health, Division of Dental Health, made a 5-year study involving more than 9,000 children.
Species competition: uncertainty on a double invariant loop

The Tribolium (flour beetle) competition experiments conducted by Park have been highly influential in ecology. We have previously shown that the dynamics of single-species Tribolium populations can be well-described by the discrete-time, 3-dimensional larva–pupa–adult (LPA) model. Motivated by Park's experiments, we explore the dynamics of a 6-dimensional “competition LPA model” consisting of two LPA models coupled through cannibalism. The model predicts a double-loop coexistence attractor, as well as an unstable exclusion equilibrium with a 5-dimensional stable manifold that plays an important role in causing one of the species to go extinct in the presence of stochastic perturbations. We also present a stochastic version of the model, using binomial and Poisson distributions to describe the aggregation of demographic events within life stages. A novel “stochastic outcome diagram,” the stochastic counterpart to a bifurcation diagram, summarizes the model-predicted dynamics of uncertainty on the double-l...
Assessing Inter-Sensor Variability and Sensible Heat Flux Derivation Accuracy for a Large Aperture Scintillometer

The accuracy in determining sensible heat flux (H) of three Kipp and Zonen large aperture scintillometers (LAS) was evaluated with reference to an eddy covariance (EC) system over relatively flat and uniform grassland near Timpas (CO, USA). Other tests have revealed inherent variability between Kipp and Zonen LAS units and bias to overestimate H. Average H fluxes were compared between LAS units and between LAS and EC. Despite good correlation, inter-LAS biases in H were found between 6% and 13% in terms of the linear regression slope. Physical misalignment was observed to result in increased scatter and bias between H solutions of a well-aligned and poorly-aligned LAS unit. Comparison of LAS and EC H showed little bias for one LAS unit, while the other two units overestimated EC H by more than 10%. A detector alignment issue may have caused the inter-LAS variability, supported by the observation in this study of differing power requirements between LAS units. It is possible that the LAS physical misalignment may have caused edge-of-beam signal noise as well as vulnerability to signal noise from wind-induced vibrations, both having an impact on the solution of H. In addition, there were some uncertainties in the solutions of H from the LAS and EC instruments, including lack of energy balance closure with the EC unit. However, the results obtained do not show clear evidence of inherent bias for the Kipp and Zonen LAS to overestimate H as found in other studies.
Structures, basins, and energies: A deconstruction of the Protein Coil Library

Globular proteins adopt complex folds, composed of organized assemblies of α-helix and β-sheet together with irregular regions that interconnect these scaffold elements. Here, we seek to parse the irregular regions into their structural constituents and to rationalize their formative energetics. Toward this end, we dissected the Protein Coil Library, a structural database of protein segments that are neither α-helix nor β-strand, extracted from high-resolution protein structures. The backbone dihedral angles of residues from coil library segments are distributed indiscriminately across the φ,ψ map, but when contoured, seven distinct basins emerge clearly. The structures and energetics associated with the two least-studied basins are the primary focus of this article. Specifically, the structural motifs associated with these basins were characterized in detail and then assessed in simple simulations designed to capture their energetic determinants. It is found that conformational constraints imposed by excluded volume and hydrogen bonding are sufficient to reproduce the observed ϕ,ψ distributions of these motifs; no additional energy terms are required. These three motifs in conjunction with α-helices, strands of β-sheet, canonical β-turns, and polyproline II conformers comprise ∼90% of all protein structure.
Computations of particle surface characteristics using optical and X-ray CT images

The description of particle surface characteristics is of interest in many disciplines in science and engineering such as powder technology, geology, soil science, and infrastructure materials. Consequently, there is a need to develop methods to quantify particle surface characteristics rapidly and accurately. In this study, a number of computational methods were utilized to describe the surface characteristics (form, angularity and texture) of three different granular materials. These computational methods are the radius method, gradient method, form index, Fourier series, spherical harmonic series, and sphericity index. To illustrate the validity of these methods, they were first used to analyze the shape of standard images that were used in the past by geologists for visual classification of particles. Subsequently, the methods were used to analyze images captured using nondestructive X-ray computed tomography (CT), and an automated computer controlled system known as the Aggregate Imaging System (AIMS). The results demonstrated the capabilities of the analysis methods to quantify the multi-scale nature of form, angularity, and texture. In general, the images captured using AIMS can be used to develop a particle shape classification system, while the X-ray CT images, in conjunction with spherical harmonic analysis, a powerful technique to represent and reconstruct three-dimensional images of particles, can be used to mathematically represent the shape of particles in computational models.