cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examining Violence Against Women at a Regional Level 1 Trauma Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: There is a growing concern that certain public health restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could result in more violence against women (VAW). We sought to determine if the rates and types of VAW changed during the COVID-19 pandemic at our level 1 trauma center (L1TC). METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of female patients who presented to our L1TC because of violence from 2019 through 2020. Patients were grouped into a pre-COVID or COVID period. The primary aim of this study was to compare rates of VAW between groups. Secondary aims sought to evaluate for any difference in traumatic mechanism between periods and to determine if a temporal relationship existed between COVID-19 and VAW rates. RESULTS: There was no difference in rates of VAW between the pre-COVID and COVID period (3.1% vs 3.6%, P = .6); however, rates of penetrating trauma were greater during the COVID period (38.2% vs 10.3%, P = .01). After controlling for patient age and race, the odds of penetrating trauma increased during the pandemic (OR 5.8, 95% CI 1.6-28.5, P < .01). From February 2020 through October 2020, there was a direct relationship between rates of COVID-19 and VAW (r2 .78, P < .01). CONCLUSION: Rates of VAW were unchanged between the pre-COVID and COVID periods, yet the odds of penetrating VAW were 5 times greater during the pandemic. Moving forward, trauma surgeons must remain vigilant for signs of violence and ensure that support services are available during future crises.
PBX-M vacuum vessel seal upgrade

This paper addresses the project to restore and improve the sixteen year old elastomer seals on the PBX-M vacuum vessel. This work was performed to eliminate age degradation failures and to enhance future performance and reliability.
The Conversion of Prothrombin to Thrombin III. THE FACTOR Xa-CATALYZED ACTIVATION OF PROTHROMBIN

Abstract Prothrombin activation either by activated Factor X alone or by activated Factor X, Factor V, Phospholipid, and calcium ions results in the formation of the protease thrombin and, when thrombin proteolysis is prevented with diisopropyl fluorophosphate (iPr2P-F), a single activation fragment (Fragment 1.2) (Esmon, C. T., Owen, W. G., and Jackson, C. M. (1974) J. Biol. Chem. 249, 606–611). Of the two pathways which were proposed to account for these and other intermediate activation products, it is established by this report that the principal, if not exclusive, route of prothrombin conversion to thrombin by Factor Xa alone is [see PDF for equation] If thrombin action is permitted to occur, Fragment 1·2 is cleaved into two products, Fragment 1 and Fragment 2 as shown by Esmon et al. That this particular pathway is not in some unknown way dependent upon the presence of iPr2P-F was demonstrated by measuring the formation of Intermediate 2 and Fragment 1·2 directly in the absence of iPr2P-F. These experiments were carried out by activating tritium-labeled prothrombin and determining the product distributions in sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis gels under conditions in which thrombin action could be independently assessed. The necessary requirement for Intermediate 2 being on the direct pathway from prothrombin to thrombin, i.e. that the rate of Intermediate 2 activation be greater than or equal to that of prothrombin activation, was shown to be met. An attempt to demonstrate the existence of the alternative pathway which can account for Fragment 1·2, although not Intermediate 2, was also made but no evidence for its existence or contribution to the Factor Xa-catalyzed activation process was found.
Cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate in Escherichia coli and Bacillus lichenformis.

Abstract Cyclic guanosine 3' : 5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) has been found in extracts of Escherichia coli K-12 and Bacillus licheniformis A-5. In E. coli, the intracellular concentrations of cyclic GMP, which range from 3 to 35 nm, are approximately 2 orders of magnitude lower than those of cyclic adenosine 3' : 5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP), and undergo alterations during experimentally altered physiological states that are generally in a direction opposite to those that occur in cyclic AMP. Highest levels of cyclic GMP are present during the early phase of logarithmic growth in glucose-containing media and significantly lower levels are found when cells approach the stationary phase of growth, when proliferation ceases, or when a slower rate of growth is maintained in the presence of succinate instead of glucose as the carbon source. In B. licheniformis extracts, cyclic AMP was not detected. Cyclic GMP concentrations in B. licheniformis, which are approximately 6 nm in exponentially proliferating cells grown with glucose, decrease progressively to minimal levels when growth ceases or when glucose is replaced by glutamate which supports a slower rate of growth. A high level of cyclic GMP reappears in sporulating cells.
Spinning in a Hot IPO: A Matter of Business Ethics

Spinning is a story that has been around for a while, although there has been considerably more interest in the practice of spinning following recent revelations in the financial press that well-known investment banking firms, such as Credit Suisse First Boston and Salomon Smith Barney, engaged in questionable spinning activity in the late 1990's. One very high profile example, which is the subject of ongoing Congressional and regulatory scrutiny, concerns the spinning practices of Salomon Smith Barney during the hot IPO market of the late 1990s. The WALL STREET JOURNAL has recently reported that in the late 1990s Salomon allocated shares of various hot IPO's in which it served as lead underwriter to the personal trading account of Bernard Ebbers, who was then serving as CEO of WorldCom. This Article analyzes the responsibility and accountability of the underwriter (Salomon) and the executive (Mr. Ebbers) for their involvement in this reported spinning activity. The Article proceeds along two distinct but related lines of inquiry. The first, which has tended to dominate public debate to date, relates to the culpability of those investment banking firms who made the hot IPO allocations. The second, and in many ways more interesting dimension to this story, is the analysis of the culpability of the corporate executive who received the hot IPO allocation. Although the principal focus of my Article is the conduct of the corporate executive, an analysis of the underwriter's potential liability for its spinning activity provides the framework that is necessary to understand the responsibility of the corporate CEO who in turn accepts the hot IPO allocation from the underwriter. The story of spinning offers a fascinating study of the excesses of managerial conduct that grew out of the bull market of the 1990's. In the end, I conclude that the lessons to be learned from the story of spinning serve as a poignant and powerful reminder of the important and influential role that the law of fiduciary duty continues to play in shaping and monitoring standard of fair and ethical conduct that investors can reasonably expect of modern corporate managers. Just as importantly, by framing the doctrine of corporate opportunity to include the CEO's allocation of hot IPO shares from the company's investment banker, the law of fiduciary duty serves the important public policy goal of holding these CEOs accountable for the responsible exercise of power and influence that inevitably comes with the position of CEO of a public company in today's business environment.
The ABCs of Self-Assembly

Block copolymers consisting of two or three different polymer chains linked by covalent bonds form intricate domain structures that can be exploited in applications ranging from gas separation to optical communication. Recently, previously predicted "gyroid" structures, which consist of three or five separate three-dimensionally continuous regions, have been synthesized. Their characterization is challenging and was aided by mathematicians9 studies of minimal and nonzero constant mean curvature surfaces. The author is the Morris Cohen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. E-mail elt@mit.edu
Extinction biases in Quaternary Caribbean lizards

Aim Intrinsic qualities that might affect extinction risk are not well understood for lizards (suborder Lacertilia), a highly diverse and globally distributed group of reptiles (order Squamata). We use the Quaternary fossil record of Caribbean lizards to explore a commonly studied trait, body size, and its relationship to extinction. Location The Caribbean. Methods We compiled a body size database for over 300 species. We assessed whether the present-day body size distribution of lizards differed from the body size distribution of the fossil record. We also compared body sizes of extant lizards with extinct lizards, and we used the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List to evaluate whether threatened species are larger than non-threatened species. We examined whether there were geographic or phylogenetic biases to extinction in this system. Results Quaternary extinctions were size-biased, with a higher incidence of extinction in large-bodied lizards; the same relationship exists between threatened and non-threatened present-day lizards. Biases in the fossil record do not drive this trend, as the body sizes of present-day lizards do not differ from those preserved in the fossil record. While there is no geographic variability in extinction, we find that there is lineage specificity, as the majority of extinctions occur within the family Leiocephalidae. At the family level, size alone does not explain extinction trends for most families, but our data suggest that large-bodied species in each family have a higher extinction risk than their smaller counterparts. Main conclusions Size-biased extinction trends in lizards mirror phenomena in other taxonomic groups, but additional life-history traits may play a role at the family level. We highlight the utility of fossil datasets in understanding extinction dynamics and underscore the urgency of a thorough assessment of extinction risk for insular lizards.
Design Methodologies for Reversible Logic Based Barrel Shifters

Barrel shifter is an integral component of processor datapaths in computing systems since it can shift and rotate multiple bits in a single cycle. Furthermore, reversible logic has applications in emerging computing paradigms such as quantum computing, quantum dot cellular automata, optical computing, etc. In this work, we propose efficient methodologies for designing reversible barrel shifters. The proposed methodologies are designed using Fredkin gate and Feynman gate (FG). The Fredkin gate is used because it can implement a 2:1 MUX with minimum quantum cost, minimum number of ancilla inputs and garbage outputs, and the Feynman gate is used to avoid a fanout since a fanout is not allowed in reversible logic. In the existing literature, design methodologies are limited to the design of a (n,k) reversible left rotator that can only perform the left rotate operation. This work explores the other primary functionalities of a reversible barrel shifter such as the design of a reversible: (i) logical right shifter, (ii) universal right shifter that supports logical right shifter, arithmetic right shifter and right rotate operation, (iii) bidirectional logical shifter and (iv) universal bidirectional shifter that supports bidirectional logical and arithmetic shifter and rotate operations. The other types of reversible barrel shifters can also be easily designed by making minor modifications in the proposed methodologies. The proposed design methodologies are generic in nature and can be implemented using any barrel shifter of (n,k) size, where n and k are the number of data bits and shift value, respectively. In order to minimize the number of ancilla inputs and garbage outputs, strategies such as the implementation of an n number of 2:1 MUXes as a chain of n Fredkin gates and the mapping of the two different 2:1 MUXes that are controlled by a common control signal but having the swapped controlled signals on a single Fredkin gate, are utilized. The design methodologies are evaluated in terms of the number of garbage outputs, the number of ancilla inputs and quantum cost. For a (n,k) reversible barrel shifter, the relations between the varying values of n and k and their impact on the number of garbage outputs, the number of ancilla inputs and quantum cost are also established to help the designers in choosing an efficient barrel shifter according to their design needs.
SiGe HBT self-heating modeling and characterization from AC data

BJTs are highly sensitive to self-heating, and accurate modeling of BJTs at high bias levels requires electrothermal models. This paper presents a new technique to measure and extract the thermal admittance for BJTs based on AC data and analytic models.
Maternal adrenocorticotropin, cortisol, and thyroid hormone responses to all three-trimester equivalent repeated binge alcohol exposure: ovine model

Alcohol-mediated alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis function are two proposed mechanisms by which alcohol causes neurodevelopmental injury to the fetus. We previously reported that third-trimester equivalent only alcohol exposure in sheep results in increases in the maternal and fetal adrenocorticotropin and cortisol levels, and decreases in the fetal thyroid hormones T(3) and T(4) and maternal T(3) levels. In this study, we wished to characterize the maternal HPA and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid hormone responses to repeated binge alcohol exposure during all three-trimester equivalents of pregnancy in sheep. Pregnant ewes received intravenous infusions of alcohol at doses of 0.75, 1.25, or 1.75 g/kg over 1h with mean peak blood alcohol concentrations of 90, 126, or 183 mg/dl, respectively, on 3 consecutive days each week beginning on gestational day (GD) 4. Maternal blood samples were collected on GDs 6, 40, 90, and 132. Maternal plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropin and cortisol increased in response to the high alcohol dose, and the magnitude of these elevations was not different across gestation. Thyroid hormone levels were not different when comparing among treatment groups at any time point during gestation. However, there was an ontogenetic decrease in the maternal T(3) concentration beginning between GDs 6 and 40 and a decrease in maternal T(4) and free T(4) beginning between GDs 40 and 90. The current findings suggest that (1) maternal alcohol consumption at any time during gestation stimulates the HPA axis, (2) maternal HPA responsiveness to alcohol does not change across gestation, (3) binge alcohol exposure at these doses lasting all three-trimester equivalent of human brain development does not reduce maternal thyroid hormone concentration, (4) alterations in fetal thyroid function in response to alcohol exposure do not occur as a result of diminished maternal thyroid hormone contribution, and (5) there is an ontogenetic decrease in ovine maternal thyroid hormones over gestation.
Professional Technical Standards in Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

Objective. To determine the prevalence, characteristics, and use of professional technical standards among colleges and schools of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).Methods. The Web site of every college and school of pharmacy accredited by ACPE was searched to identify information regarding the availability, content, and use of technical standards and to obtain demographic information.Results. Information was obtained from all of the 114 colleges and schools of pharmacy and 67 (59%) had technical standards in place. Common themes for technical standards were: observation; communication; motor; intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities; and behavioral and social attributes. Of those colleges and schools with technical standards, 61 (91%) had standards that addressed all 5 of these themes and 34 (51%) specified that the technical standards were used in their admission, progression, and graduation procedures.Conclusion. More than half of th...
Detection of the penetration of small molecules through polymers

Durcissement de polyurethanne et de resine epoxyde par microdielectrometrie (variation de la constante dielectrique au cours du durcissement)
Dominant euclidean configurations for all N

The authors identify a class of Euclidean configurations which appear to be dominant in the functional integral of the CP{sup N-1} models. These configurations are point-like topological excitations, and they may be viewed as constituents of instantons, although they are defined independently of instantons through a continuum duality transformation. They show not only that these configurations survive as N {yields} {infinity}, but that in the plasma phase they are responsible for the effects encountered within the 1/N expansion - confinement, {theta}-dependence, and dynamical mass generation. They also discuss the possible types of plasma phase for a statistical mechanical model of the interacting excitations. Possible generalization to QCD is briefly discussed.
Calmodulin stimulation of unidirectional calcium uptake by the endoplasmic reticulum of barley aleurone

The role of calmodulin (CaM) in gibberellic acid (GA3)-stimulated Ca2+ uptake was investigated in endomembranes isolated from aleurone cells of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Unidirectional Ca2+ -uptake activity of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was higher in membranes isolated from aleurone layers treated for 16 h with GA3 and Ca2+ compared with those isolated from layers incubated in Ca2+ alone. However, the level of uptake from Ca2+-treated tissue could be stimulated to that of the GA3-treated cells by applying exogenous CaM which increased the V max of the Ca2+ transporter approximately threefold. Calcium uptake in ER from GA3-treated tissue was inhibited by the CaM antagonist W7 in 50% of experiments, whereas the activity in membranes from non-GA3-treated tissue was unaffected. Treatment with GA3 also led to a twofold increase in CaM levels in aleurone layers within 4–6 h, paralleling the time course of the stimulation of Ca2+ uptake and preceding the stimulation of α-amylase secretion. We propose that the elevation of Ca2+ uptake into the ER induced by GA3 may be coordinated and regulated by elevated levels of membrane-associated CaM and this may regulate Ca2+-dependent α-amylase synthesis in the lumen of the ER.
Endoscopic nasobiliary drain placement facilitates subsequent percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography

Background: Percutaneous biliary drainage is an established alternative to ERCP for managing bile duct obstruction. Although generally safe and effective, percutaneous drainage has its risks and is technically more difficult in patients with nondilated bile ducts. We report the use of nasobiliary drains and subsequent nasobiliary drain cholangiography to facilitate percutaneous biliary drainage by providing a target for accessing intrahepatic bile ducts. Methods/Results: Nine patients who were identified as requiring percutaneous biliary drainage underwent nasobiliary tube placement at completion of ERCP. Five of 9 patients had generalized intrahepatic ductal dilatation; in 4 patients, dilatation was focal or absent. Following nasobiliary drain cholangiography, percutaneous needle puncture of a bile duct was successful in all patients, in most cases with only a single puncture of the liver capsule. No procedural complications were encountered. Conclusion: Nasobiliary drain placement with subsequent nasobiliary drain cholangiography facilitates percutaneous biliary drainage and may be especially helpful in patients with nondilated intrahepatic bile ducts.
Treatment of Pathological Gambling Using a Guided Self-Change Approach:

Pathological gamblers are prone to leave treatment early and often display low levels of motivation within treatment. Use of brief treatments that emphasize reducing client ambivalence through motivational techniques may help increase the likelihood of treatment compliance. This case study describes a 5-session treatment of pathological gambling using a brief and motivationally focused cognitive—behavioral guided self-change (GSC) approach. The 36-year-old gambler in this study was treated for pathological gambling. At 1-month and 6-month follow-ups, the individual evidenced significant improvement in symptoms of pathological gambling. The client also showed considerable reductions in gambling behaviors including number of gambling episodes, length of time spent gambling, and amount of money wagered. These results support use of the GSC approach in treating pathological gamblers.
Discrimination learning set in children as a function of IQ and MA

In order to examine the relative contribution of IQ and MA to learning set (LS) formation in children, a factorial design with three levels of IQ (70, 100, 130) and three levels of MA (5, 7, 9) was employed. All Ss were given the ten 4-trial object discrimination LS problems daily until they reached criterion. Significant (p < 0.001) independent effects were discovered for both IQ and MA, indicating that the higher the level of both MA and IQ, the more rapid the LS formation; however, the relationship between CA and LS was negligible. The findings emphasize the need to employ some combination of IQ and MA as the best predictor of LS performance. In general, developmentalists have focused on the role of MA and have failed to appreciate the significance of the IQ. A theoretical interpretation of the role which both of these variables play in learning performance is offered, and it is suggested that the complex nature of the LS solution makes this task ideal for the simultaneous investigation of both IQ and MA effects.
The Effects of the Family Foundations Prevention Program on Coparenting and Child Adjustment: A Mediation Analysis

Behavioral and emotional problems are common in early childhood and put children at risk for developing more serious problems. This study tested the mediating mechanisms through which a universal coparenting intervention implemented during the transition to parenthood led to reduced child adjustment problems at age 3 and explored child gender as a potential moderator. One hundred sixty-nine heterosexual couples expecting their first child were randomly assigned to a control condition or Family Foundations, a series of eight classes that targeted the coparenting relationship. Data were collected through videotaped triadic mother–father–child interaction tasks when the child was 1 and 3 years of age. Separate longitudinal path analyses for mothers and fathers tested coparenting competition and positivity as mediators of program effects on child adjustment problems. Significant mediated effects for coparenting competition were found for fathers with both sons and daughters and for mothers with sons but not for mothers with daughters. These effects accounted for between 39 and 55 % of the intervention’s impact on child adjustment problems. Coparenting positivity did not mediate program effects. These results support the use of a prevention approach to reduce coparenting competition and enhance child adjustment and provide information that can be used to refine theory.
SOCIAL‐DEMOGRAPHIC ATTITUDES AND VIOLENCE*

In this study, we examine the relationships among social-demographic characteristics, attitudes, and violence, drawing on cultural theories. Structural equation modeling techniques are employed to examine data from a representative sample of the general population and a sample of ex-offenders. The findings indicate that age, gender, and SES are related to attitudes toward retribution and courage and to disputatiousness. Further, attitudes toward courage and retribution have significant effects on disputatiousness and violence, which explains a substantial portion of SES effects. The results suggest that lower-class persons are more likely to engage in violence to a large extent because they are more punitive and place greater emphasis on showing courage in conflicts. The incidence of criminal violence in the United States is unevenly distributed across social-demographic groups. Men commit more violence than females, young people commit more violence than older people, poor people commit more violence than middle-class people, and blacks have higher rates of violence than whites (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1994, 1995; Straus and Gelles, 1990). The reasons for these differences are not well understood. Social-demographic differences in violence may be due to variation in values, attitudes, and norms. We refer to this approach as the attitude mediation thesis. The purpose of this research is to examine the attitude mediation thesis using a more sophisticated methodology than used in previous research. The attitude mediation thesis is associated with cultural and subcultural theories of violence and crime (Cohen, 1955; Curtis, 1975; Miller, 1958; Sykes and Matza, 1961; Wolfgang and Ferracuti, 1967). While we use these cultural theories to generate our hypotheses, we avoid using the word subculture because we find it misleading and inaccurate. The notion
‘Nothing but Trouble’: The Soviet Union's Push to ‘Democratise’ International Sports During the Cold War, 1959–1962

Analysing internal documents from recently accessible Soviet archives as well as International Olympic Committee (IOC) correspondence, this article explores how Soviet sports administrators sought to gain influence and authority in international sports in order to advance Soviet state goals during the Cold War. To counter the ‘reactionary’, ‘Anglo-American’ bloc they perceived in the IOC and International Federations (IFs), members of the Soviet All-Union Committee on Physical Culture and Sport sought to ‘democratise’ international sports organisations by transforming them into truly international bodies that included representatives from all regions of the world, especially those sympathetic to the Soviet Union. Because of the governing culture of the IOC and the personalities of many of its members, any stance taken on by Soviet members could not overtly challenge Olympic ideals. Couching their call to expand Olympism in the principles of international cooperation, democracy and the right for everyone t...
Survival Signaling Goes BAD

Work published in this issue of Developmental Cell demonstrates, in vivo, that the proapoptotic gene BAD provides a genetic link between the cell death machinery and survival signaling. This work has implications for development, tissue homeostasis, and tumorigenesis.
Additive Relations in Fields: An Entropy Approach

Abstract Let ξ1, ...,ξr be complex numbers with K = Q (ξ1, ...,ξr) having transcendence degree r − 1 over Q . Consider the equation a 1 x 1 + · · · + a k x k = 1, in which the ai′s are fixed elements of K×, no proper subsum a i l x i l + · · · + a i j x i j vanishes, and we seek solutions xi ∈ Γ = 《ξ1, ..., ξr》. It is well-known that (1) has only finitely many solutions; we present here an elementary proof of this fact using results from the entropy theory of commuting group automorphisms.
Engineering Analysis of Devolatilization of Various Additives in Intermeshing Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruders

Abstract An experimental study of devolatilization of nonane, xylene and 1-hexanol from molten polyethylene in a modular co-rotating twin screw extruder is described. Various modular screw designs, as well as different feed rates, screw speeds, and barrel temperatures were used. It was found possible to correlate the extent of devolatilization in different modular screw designs with a mass transfer coefficient which depends on screw speed and LDPE feed rate. The mass transfer coefficient depended on the liquid being devolatilized, being highest with 1-hexanol and lowest with nonane. In addition, the values of the mass transfer coefficient were obtained through experiments on the twin-screw extrusion of PE with nonane, xylene and hexanol. Interpretations of these results are described.
Electronic Pharmacopoeia: A Missed Opportunity for Safe Opioid Prescribing Information?

Errors in prescribing of dangerous medications, such as extended release or long acting (ER/LA) opioid forlmulations, remain an important cause of patient harm. Prescribing errors often relate to the failure to note warnings regarding contraindications and drug interactions. Many prescribers utilize electronic pharmacopoeia (EP) to improve medication ordering. The purpose of this study is to assess the ability of commonly used apps to provide accurate safety information about the boxed warning for ER/LA opioids. We evaluated a convenience sample of six popular EP apps available for the iPhone and an online reference for the presence of relevant safety warnings. We accessed the dosing information for each of six ER/LA medications and assessed for the presence of an easily identifiable indication that a boxed warning was present, even if the warning itself was not provided. The prominence of precautionary drug information presented to the user was assessed for each app. Provided information was classified based on the presence of the warning in the ordering pathway, located separately but within the prescribers view, or available in a separate screen of the drug information but non-highlighted. Each program provided a consistent level of warning information for each of the six ER/LA medications. Only 2/7 programs placed a warning in line with dosing information (level 1); 3/7 programs offered level 2 warning and 1/7 offered level 3 warning. One program made no mention of a boxed warning. Most EP apps isolate important safety warnings, and this represents a missed opportunity to improve prescribing practices.
Nicolai maps on manifolds.

In spite of the presence of quartic fermion interactions, we construct Nicolai maps for the empty and filled sectors of the N=2 supersymmetric \ensuremath{\sigma} model in 1+0 dimensions. The maps form covariant Langevin-Fokker-Planck systems on arbitrary manifolds without boundary and describe Brownian motion along geodesics. On compact manifolds, these stochastic systems always equilibrate to the probability densities of the empty and filled supersymmetric ground states.
Involvement of Molecular Chaperonins in Nucleotide Excision Repair DnaK LEADS TO INCREASED THERMAL STABILITY OF UvrA, CATALYTIC UvrB LOADING, ENHANCED REPAIR, AND INCREASED UV RESISTANCE

UvrA is one of the key Escherichia coli proteins involved in removing DNA damage during the process of nucleotide excision repair. The relatively low concentrations (nanomolar) of the protein in the normal cells raise the potential questions about its stability in vivo under both normal and stress conditions. In vitro, UvrA at low concentrations is shown to be stabilized to heat inactivation by E. colimolecular chaperones DnaK or the combination of DnaK, DnaJ, and GrpE. These chaperone proteins allow sub-nanomolar concentrations of UvrA to load UvrB through >10 cycles of incision. Guanidine hydrochloride-denatured UvrA was reactivated by DnaK, DnaJ, and GrpE to as much as 50% of the native protein activity. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that DnaK bound denatured UvrA in the absence of ATP. UV survival studies of a DnaK-deficient strain indicated an 80-fold increased sensitivity to 100 J/m2 of ultraviolet light (254 nm) as compared with an isogenic wild-type strain. Global repair analysis indicated a reduction in the extent of pyrimidine dimer and 6–4 photoproduct removal in the DnaK-deficient cells. These results suggest that molecular chaperonins participate in nucleotide excision repair by maintaining repair proteins in their properly folded state.
RHODAMINE-INJECTED EGGS TO PHOTOGRAPHICALLY IDENTIFY SMALL NEST-PREDATORS

Abstract Photographs that clearly disclose avian-nest predators are difficult to obtain, particularly when predators are small and exhibit subtle depredatory behavior. We exposed House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) eggs injected with Rhodamine B dye in camera-monitored ground nests for 12-d periods at 76 sites within mixed-hardwood forest stands in central Massachusetts, June–July 1997. Dye-injected eggs enabled us to recognize with certainty when eggs were breached at the nest because their contents were fluorescent pink and readily detected photographically. Eleven potential predator species were identified disturbing nests, of which eight were confirmed as predators. Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) were the most frequent predators detected, along with fisher (Martes pennanti), raccoon (Procyon lotor), Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata), Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), an Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), and a white-footed mouse (Peromyscu...
Mathematical modeling of an amperometric enzyme electrode based on a porous matrix of Stöber glass beads

Abstract The mathematical model of a glucose sensor based on the amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide using immobilized glucose oxidase (GOD) has been described. In this sensor GOD is immobilized on Stober glass beads that are attached to a platinum electrode. The influence of the bead radius (rb, ranging 20, 45, 70, 100 and 200 nm) on the performance of the sensor has been analyzed. The total enzyme concentration defined per unit interfacial area increases directly with the bead radius and the effective diffusivity of the substrate in the enzyme layer decreases with increasing bead radius. The model describes approximate analytical solutions for the behavior of the system, which is assumed to follow the Michaelis-Menten scheme of reaction. Two distributions of the enzyme in the bead layer have been taken into consideration in the discussion. Numerical solutions have also been presented to give a complete picture of the behavior of the system. Comparison of numerical solutions and approximate analytical solutions suggests that the model is consistent in the regions of approximations. The model predicts different behavior of the system on either side of the critical radius (approximately 26 nm). The process is essentially diffusion controlled for the sensors with beads of radius smaller than the critical radius and the current response of the sensors in this case increases with the increase in bead radius. The current response of the sensors with beads of radius greater than the critical radius decreases with the increase in bead radius. The regime of operation (kinetic control or diffusion control) for this case depends on the value of the Thiele modulus.
99mTc-MORF oligomers specific for bacterial ribosomal RNA as potential specific infection imaging agents

Purpose Radiolabeled oligomers complementary to the 16S rRNA in bacteria were investigated as bacterial infection imaging agents.
Effect on N-7 and C-8 substitution of guanine in DNA on Tm, buoyant density and RNA polymerase priming

Abstract The modification of calf thymus DNA by N -acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene substituting on the C-8 position of guanine and by β-propiolactone substituting on the N-7 position, is compared, using T m , buoyant density and RNA polymerase priming activity as criteria. Both types of substitution lower T m and buoyant density and abolish priming activity with RNA polymerase. C-8 substitution modifies buoyant density to a greater extent, and leads to a stable product. T m and buoyant density of this adduct are not modified by incubation at 37°, while N-7 substituted DNA is hydrolyzed under this condition, leading to a lower T m and broadened buoyant density band. Analogues of N -acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene such as N -acetoxy-1-acetylaminonaphthalene fail to modify DNA as measured by physical criteria.
Euclidean linear invariance and uniform local convexity

Let S(p) be the family of holomorphic functions / defined on the unit disk D , normalized by /(0) = f{0) -1= 0 and univalent in every hyperbolic disk of radius p. Let C(p) be the subfamily consisting of those functions which are convex univalent in every hyperbolic disk of radius p . For p = oo these become the classical families 5 and C of normalized univalent and convex functions, respectively. These families are linearly invariant in the sense of Pommerenke; a natural problem is to calculate the order of these linearly invariant families. More precisely, we give a geometrie proof that C(p) is the universal linearly invariant family of all normalized locally schlicht functions of order at most coth(2/>). This gives a purely geometric interpretation for the order of a linearly invariant family. In a related matter, we characterize those locally schlicht functions which map each hyperbolically &-convex subset of D onto a euclidean convex set. Finally, we give upper and lower bounds on the order of the linearly invariant family S(p) and prove that this class is not equal to the universal linearly invariant family of any order.
Direct Lineage Conversion of Terminally Differentiated Hepatocytes to Functional Neurons

Several recent studies have showed that mouse and human fibroblasts can be directly reprogrammed into induced neuronal (iN) cells, bypassing a pluripotent intermediate state. However, fibroblasts represent heterogeneous mesenchymal progenitor cells that potentially contain neural crest lineages, and the cell of origin remained undefined. This raises the fundamental question of whether lineage reprogramming is possible between cell types derived from different germ layers. Here, we demonstrate that terminally differentiated hepatocytes can be directly converted into functional iN cells. Importantly, single-cell and genome-wide expression analyses showed that fibroblast- and hepatocyte-derived iN cells not only induced a neuronal transcriptional program, but also silenced their donor transcriptome. The remaining donor signature decreased over time and could not support functional hepatocyte properties. Thus, the reprogramming factors lead to a binary lineage switch decision rather than an induction of hybrid phenotypes, but iN cells retain a small but detectable epigenetic memory of their donor cells.
A new form of Hi Tc superconductors; Nanocrystals of Eu1Ba2Cu3O7-δ

Abstract Initial attempts to produce nanocrystals of EuBaCuO by dc sputtering from targets of the superconducting material have been moderately successful. Particles with diameters between 50 and 4000Ahave been produced, a small fraction of which exhibit superconductivity near 90K. The method of preparation, characterization and magnetic measurements are discussed.
Lac repressor-operator interaction: DNA length dependence.

Abstract The interaction of the E. coli lac operon repressor with its operator DNA has been directly examined as a function of the length of operator-containing DNA. The apparent bimolecular association rate constants were calculated as k a = ( k d K D ) , where the dissociation equilibrium constant, KD and the dissociation rate constant, kd, were measured by nitrocellulose filter adsorption assays. The values obtained for the overall association rate constants are compared with theoretical association rate curves for specific mechanisms. Association of the repressor with short operator containing DNA fragments (
Social Psychology: The Interplay between Sociology and Psychology

Les sociologues semblent s'interesser plus facilement a la psychologie sociale que les psychologues. Les premiers s'efforcent, en effet, d'evaluer en quoi le statut social, les relations sociales, le contexte structurel peuvent influencer les pensees individuelles, les sentiments et les comportements tandis que les psychologues expliquent, pour leur part, comment ces facteurs sociaux retentissent au niveau des individus. L'A. etudie les differences entre les approches des deux disciplines, les frontieres qui les separent ainsi que leurs points communs. Il estime que si la sociologie tire profit des travaux menes dans le cadre de la psychosociologie, celle-ci devrait mettre l'accent sur le fait que les mecanismes sociaux exercent une influence sur les phenomenes psychologiques et que les contextes structurels peuvent se montrer contraignant au niveau des comportements individuels et cela pour que les psychologues puissent les prendre en compte
New Co-based γ-γ′ high-temperature alloys

New cobalt-based alloys containing ordered L12 precipitates have been investigated. With additions of Cr, Mo, Ni, Re, Ta, and V to the ternary Co-Al-W system, two phase γ-γ′ microstructures have been established. Solidus and liquidus temperatures are 100°C–150°C higher than advanced nickel-based single-crystal alloys strengthened with the L12 phase. An anomalous rise in flow stress with temperature is observed. Single crystals have been solidified and partitioning during solidification is limited in the ternary system, suggesting a high resistance to convective instabilities. Oxidation at 900°C results in the formation of cobalt oxide. Following oxidation, an inner layer of Al2O3 is observed in uncoated Cr-containing alloys and Cr2O3 is observed in alloys subjected to chromization.
Child versus peer/adult offenders: A critical review of the juvenile sex offender literature

Abstract Sexual offenses are serious crimes and it is believed that adolescents perpetrate 20% of all sexual assaults and 50% of all child sexual abuse (Barbaree & Marshall, 2006). To better understand the etiology of juvenile sexual offending, researchers have explored differences between those who offend children versus those who offend peers/adults. This paper critically reviewed 21 studies that compared juvenile sex offenders who abused children with those who abused peers/adults on a variety of variables including victim, offense, and offender characteristics; psychosocial variables; and predictors and rates of recidivism. Strengths and weaknesses of these studies as well as future directions for the literature are discussed. Common methodological limitations of victim-age based comparisons of juvenile sex offenders included inconsistent definitions, low-powered studies, lack of standardized measures, and recidivism data based solely on conviction rates. Overall, many inconsistent findings limit our ability to give overarching conclusions; however, the research does suggests that not only is it important to examine child and peer/adult offenders, but mixed offenders (i.e., offender with both child and peer victims) as a distinct group need to be included in comparisons as well.
Postmodernism, cybernetics and fuzzy set theory

This paper is an attempt to stimulate thought and discourse towards postmodernism and its less known roots. It addresses the relationship between postmodernism and the development of the fuzzy set theory, in the 1970s.
Guyana's Alternative to Socialist and Capitalist Legal Models

"We are building a vigorous economic democracy which is not a copy of either Eastern communism or Western capitalism." With these words Guyana's Prime Minister, L. F. S. Burnham, introduced his government's first economic plan to his complex multi-racial community of some 680,000 people in February 1966.' He spoke on the eve of independence from Great Britain, following a period of experimentation with autonomy under the supervision of the Colonial Office and the British Governor.2 Burnham chose the opportunity to declare his government's intention to introduce to South America a unique program for "development." Guyana excites attention throughout the common law world because of its attempt to erect a new edifice upon a legal tradition stemming from England, although still influenced also by the Dutch colonists who brought with them to the new world in the seventeenth century the customs of Holland formulated in Roman-Dutch law.' Because of the English influence Guyana is governed today quite differently from the other states of South America where the Romanist systems of Spain and Portugal prevail. Many of Guyana's leaders have "eaten their dinners" at London's Inns of Court where they absorbed the traditions of the common law. They declare themselves currently determined to retain the humanistic values and forms of the English common law while creating a new society. The aim, so the Prime Minister says in conversation, is to imbue old institutions with new content rather than to revolutionize familiar forms.'
An averaging theorem for two-point boundary value problems with applications to optimal control

Abstract An asymptotic result is obtained for a two-point boundary value problem for a vector system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations involving “fast” and “slow” inputs. The asymptotically limiting system is obtained by an averaging procedure. Using this result, an approximate analysis of the original system may be carried out by considering two lower-order systems each involving only one time scale. It is shown that some optimal control problems for systems with multiple time scales may be analyzed by this method.
Preparing psychologists to prescribe.

In this report, an investigation of the training received by professionals currently authorized to prescribe medications is considered as a step toward understanding what might be involved in preparing psychologists appropriately if prescription privileges for psychology were to be obtained. Information about admission and curriculum requirements was collected from medical schools, dental schools, physician assistant programs, nurse practitioner programs, and schools of optometry. Results suggest a high level of pharmacologically relevant coursework is required for admission to, and the completion of, programs that currently prepare their professionals to prescribe. It is argued that preparing psychologists to prescribe would likely entail similar training requirements in addition to, or instead of, those already in place, leaving clinical psychology dramatically and permanently altered.
The interaction of nonlinear hyperbolic waves

Nonlinearities in wave equations lead to focusing and defocusing of solutions. Focusing causes sharply defined wave fronts. The interaction of such sharply defined wave fronts and more generally of nonlinear hyperbolic waves is of fundamental importance and includes such phenomena as Mach triple point formation, shock wave diffraction patterns and the study of Riemann problems in one and higher dimensions. Recent progress in the study of nonlinear hyperbolic wave interactions has revealed a surprising range of new mathematical phenomena and structures. This mathematical theory should be useful in the design of improved computational algorithms and in part was motivated by such considerations. It is also of considerable interest for its own sake as new mathematical phenomena as well as in terms of the direct insight it provides into physical phenomena. Within the subject matter and point of view adopted here, we have attempted to present a broad and, we hope, a representative account of recent progress.
Use of AAC to enhance linguistic communication skills in an adult with chronic severe aphasia

Background: Individuals with non‐fluent aphasia (NA) exhibit sparse verbal output and impaired word‐finding skills. For some, traditional speech‐language therapy aids in regaining verbal communication. For other aphasic individuals these techniques are unsuccessful. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) provides a means of communicating through devices/techniques when spoken skills are not adequate. Individuals with chronic NA can use AAC to communicate; however, many investigations do not include strategies to facilitate communication or caregiver participation. Also, variables influencing treatment efficiency (length, intensity) have not been sufficiently evaluated. Aims: The current study expanded on Johnson, Hough, King, Vos, and Jeffs (2008), investigating if a gentleman with severe, chronic NA could learn to use an AAC device, monitoring communication skill improvement periodically throughout treatment. Methods & Procedures: TE, a 56‐year‐old left‐handed, Caucasian male with severe NA and...