cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of FNR dimerization by subunit charge repulsion.

Dimerization of the global anaerobic transcription factor FNR is essential for FNR activity. Under aerobic conditions FNR is an inactive monomeric species because it lacks the oxygen labile [4Fe-4S] cluster required for dimerization. In this study, we investigated the protein side chains that inhibit FNR dimerization under aerobic conditions. Substitution of Asp154 within the predicted dimerization helix with residues containing neutral or positively charged side chains increased FNR activity under aerobic conditions, whereas replacement of Asp154 with Glu inhibited FNR activity similar to WT-FNR. Similar results were obtained when making analogous substitutions of Glu150. In vitro analysis of representative FNR mutant proteins indicated that their increased activity under aerobic conditions resulted from an [4Fe-4S] independent mechanism of dimerization. In addition, simultaneous substitution of residues 150 and 154 with Lys restored inhibition of FNR activity under aerobic growth conditions. Collectively, these data indicate that charge repulsion by side chains at positions 150 and 154 is necessary to inhibit dimerization under aerobic conditions. They also suggest that a [4Fe-4S]-dependent conformational change overcomes charge repulsion between subunits under anaerobic conditions. Comparison of the trypsin sensitivity of [4Fe-4S]-FNR and apoFNR indicated that there are no major differences in protease sensitivity between these forms, whereas circular dichroism suggested that small changes in secondary structure occur between the cluster-containing FNR and apoFNR. Thus, the [4Fe-4S]-dependent conformational change necessary to overcome inter-subunit charge repulsion and create a subunit interface more favorable for dimerization must be small.
Community matters: Intimate partner violence among rural young adults

Drawing on social disorganization theory, the current study examined the extent to which community-level poverty rates and collective efficacy influenced individual reports of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, victimization, and bystander intervention among a sample of 178 young adults (18–24; 67.4 % women) from 16 rural counties across the eastern US who completed an online survey that assessed demographic information, IPV perpetration, victimization, bystander intervention, and collective efficacy. We computed each county’s poverty rate from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey. Generalized estimating equations demonstrated that after controlling for individual-level income status, community-level poverty positively predicted IPV victimization and perpetration for both men and women. Collective efficacy was inversely related to IPV victimization and perpetration for men; however, collective efficacy was unrelated to IPV victimization and perpetration for women. Whereas IPV bystander intervention was positively related to collective efficacy and inversely related to individual-level income status for both men and women, community-level poverty was unrelated to IPV bystander intervention for both men and women. Overall, these findings provide some support for social disorganization theory in explaining IPV among rural young adults, and underscore the importance of multi-level IPV prevention and intervention efforts focused around community-capacity building and enhancement of collective efficacy.
THE LORENZ ORDER AND THE EFFECTS OF TAXATION POLICIES

To any finite population of n individuals with associated incomes x1…, xn we can associate a Lorenz curve. By associating this population with a random variable X representing the income of a randomly chosen individual of the population, the concept of a Lorenz curve and the associated partial order (the Lorenz Order) based on nested Lorenz curves is readily extended to be defined in the class of all non-negative integrable random variables. In this context well known results on inequality attenuating and inequality rank preserving taxation policies are found to admit simple more general proofs. Some results on the effects of random taxation are also reviewed. The effects of applying different taxation policies within subpopulations lead one to consider questions regarding inequality attenuation results in mixture settings. It is observed that, more generally, inequality comparisons can be unambiguously made between any non-negative variables even if measured in dissimilar units.
Melt Processing of Poly(P-Oxybenzoate)

Abstract Examination of the thermal transitions, decomposition rate, and softenin temperature of Poly (p-oxybenzoate) indicates a process window of several minutes near 440[ddot]C where the powder can be compression molded. The nature of the thermal transitions and modeling time, Pressure, and temperature aimed at achieving the optimum flow properties are discussed
Release of Intracellular Solutes by Four Soil Bacteria Exposed to Dilution Stress

The physiological mechanisms utilized by soil bacteria for acclimation to sudden increases in soil water potential are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the physiological responses of soil isolates of Pseudomonas chlororaphis, P. fluorescens, Bacillus pumulis, and Streptomyces griseus to a sudden increase in solution water potential (dilution). Bacterial isolates were cultured at a low solute water potential (-3.0 MPa) and subjected to rapid water potential increases of 0.5 to 2.0 MPa. The small amount of protein and DNA released by a 2.0 MPa dilution suggests that water potential increases up to 2.0 MPa did not cause significant cell lysis. In response to dilution, intracellular solutes were released into the extracellular environment rather than polymerized into osmotically less-active compounds or catabolized to CO 2 . In general, the Gram-positive isolates B. pumulis and S. griseus were more tolerant to dilution than the Pseudomonas spp., since dilution had no effect on culturability, and the amount of solutes released was small (<10% of the intracellular solute pool). The Pseudomonas spp. released a maximum of 22 to 26% of their amino acid pool and 54 to 60% of their low molecular weight neutral sugar pool. The amounts of amino acids and low molecular weight carbohydrates released and the reduction in culturability was, in general, proportional to the magnitude of dilution. Pseudomonas fluorescens tolerated a 0.5 MPa water potential increase, but water potential shocks of greater magnitude resulted in a large reduction in culturability and an increase in the amount of solutes released. These results suggest that a potential source of mineralizable C following the wetting of dry soils is the release of organic compatible solutes from the microbial community.
State, steel and strength: Structural competitiveness and development in South Korea

This article introduces the concept of structural competitiveness to explain the rapid development of South Korean steel industry. Three elements of structural competitiveness are: state autonomy, sound economic policy and indigenous technological capability. These elements have a significant bearing on the bargaining capacity of the state, autonomous investment decisions, labour control, the acquisition and absorption of modern technology, and ultimately international competitiveness. Global competitiveness of South Korea does not refute the technological dependence of developing countries. Rather it suggests the kind of socio‐institutional and economic policy contexts that are often necessary to foster competitive industries.
A Wide-Band Wattmeter for Wave Guide

A direct-reading wattmeter is described which uses a directional coupler and one or more thermocouples to monitor the power transmitted by a wave guide or a coaxial transmission line. It was used in connection with a 1000-watt magnetron transmitter which had a tuning range of 8 to 12 centimeters, and the calibration was substantially constant over this range.
Review: Challenges in developing therapies for the metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome refers to a clustering of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors within a single individual. The established risk factor such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and other emerging risk factors are closely related to intra-abdominal adiposity. Insulin resistance is also considered to be an important factor in the aetiology of this syndrome. The emerging risk factors include dysfunction of inflammation, coagulation, platelets, fibrinolysis, lipoproteins, endothelium, and other biological processes. Despite the potential utility of having all the CV risk factors under one umbrella term, debate continues about the very existence of the metabolic syndrome and its diagnostic criteria. Nevertheless, the component risk factors include some of the most common and serious public health challenges facing the developed and developing world today. By treating component risk factors, many existing therapies and new drugs in development target several aspects of metabolic syndrome. Ho...
Single-trial free recall from temporal search sets in long-term memory.

The notion that the primacy effect, which is found in single-trial free-recall experiments, is partly a function of a selective-search component (Shiffrin, 1970) is contingent upon the ability of subjects to retrieve information via a distinctive temporal cue. The beginning of a list may be such a cue which defines a restricted temporal search set within a list as a whole. To test this theory, a second list-half primacy effect was generated in some 26 “unrelated” words lists by associating one color with each word in the first list half and another color with each word in the second list half. As predicted by the two-process theory, retrieval of the words which were presented around the color shift was differentially facilitated as measured by the difference between the probabilities of recall and recognition at each serial position and as compared to that of lists where the color codes were randomly presented.
Gradient-Index Devices For Integrated Optics

Gradient-index devices used in integrated optics are reviewed. Gradient-index waveguides, the use of external gradient-index (GRIN) optics in integrated optics and integrated devices and structures are discussed, with strongest emphasis on 'the latter. Both longitudinal and transverse gradients are useful in this technology, and examples of both kinds are given.
Near-field optical studies of semiconductor heterostructures and laser diodes

Near-field optical microscopy and spectroscopy is emerging as a powerful tool for the investigation of semiconductor structures. Tunable excitation combined with sub-wavelength resolution is providing an unprecedented level of detail on the local optical properties of semiconductor structures. Recent near-field optical studies have addressed issues of laser diode mode profiling, minority carrier transport, near-field photocurrent response of quantum-well structures and laser diodes, imaging of local waveguide properties, and location and studies of dislocations in semiconductor thin films. We present results on the intrinsic resolution limitations of near-field photoconductivity in quantum-well heterostructures and demonstrate that the resolution depends strongly on the amount of evanescent and propagating field components in the semiconductor. Spectroscopic mode-profiling of high-power laser diode emission details the spatial dependence of multiple spectral modes. This paper presents an overview of NSOM techniques for semiconductor systems, its limitations, and present status.
Decoding movement-related cortical potentials from electrocorticography.

Object Control signals for brain-machine interfaces may be obtained from a variety of sources, each with their own relative merits. Electrocorticography (ECoG) provides better spatial and spectral resolution than scalp electroencephalography and does not include the risks attendant upon penetration of the brain parenchyma associated with single and multiunit recordings. For these reasons, subdural electrode recordings have been proposed as useful primary or adjunctive control signals for brain-machine interfaces. The goal of the present study was to determine if 2D control signals could be decoded from ECoG. Methods Six patients undergoing invasive monitoring for medically intractable epilepsy using subdural grid electrodes were asked to perform a motor task involving moving a joystick in 1 of 4 cardinal directions (up, down, left, or right) and a fifth condition (“trigger”). Evoked activity was synchronized to joystick movement and analyzed in the theta, alpha, beta, gamma, and high-gamma frequency bands...
Dispersal, Vicariance, and the Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary Land Mammal Biogeography from South America to Australia

A review of paleontological, phyletic, geophysical, and climatic evidence leads to a new scenario of land mammal dispersal among South America, Antarctica, and Australia in the Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary epochs. New fossil land vertebrate material has been recovered from all three continents in recent years. As regards Gondwana, the present evidence suggests that monotreme mammals and ratite birds are of Mesozoic origin, based on both geochronological and phyletic grounds. The occurrence of monotremes in the early Paleocene (ca. 62 Ma) faunas of Patagonia and of ratites in late Eocene (ca. 41-37 m.y.) faunas of Seymour Island (Antarctic Peninsula) probably is an artifact of a much older and widespread Gondwana distribution prior to the Late Cretaceous Epoch. Except for South American microbiotheres being australidelphians, marsupial faunas of South America and Australia still are fundamentally disjunct. New material from Seymour Island (Microbiotheriidae) indicates the presence there of a derived taxon that resides in a group that is the sister taxon of most Australian marsupials. There is no compelling evidence that dispersal between Antarctica and Australia was as recent as ca. 41 Ma or later. In fact, the derived marsupial and placental land mammal fauna of Seymour Island shows its greatest affinity with Patagonian forms of Casamayoran age (ca. 51–54 m.y.). This suggests an earlier dispersal of more plesiomorphic marsupials from Patagonia to Australia via Antarctica, and vicariant disjunction subsequently. This is consistent with geophysical evidence that the South Tasman Rise was submerged by 64 Ma and with geological evidence that a shallow water marine barrier was present from then onward. The scenario above is consistent with molecular evidence suggesting that australidelphian bandicoots, dasyurids, and diprotodontians were distinct and present in Australia at least as early as the 63-Ma-old australidelphian microbiotheres and the ancient but not basal australidelphian,Andinodelphys, in the Tiupampa Fauna of Bolivia. Land mammal dispersal to Australia typically has been considered to be at a low level of probability (e.g., by sweepstakes dispersal). This study suggests that the marsupial colonizers of Australia included already recognizable members of the Peramelina, Dasyuromorphia, and Diprotodontia, at least, and entered via a filter route rather than by a sweepstakes dispersal.
Envelope glycoprotein of HIV induces interference and cytolysis resistance in CD4+ cells: Mechanism for persistence in AIDS

Masking of host cell receptors following retroviral infection is the basis for the phenomenon of virus interference. Amphotropic retrovirus vectors were used to express the HIV envelope glycoprotein in a human CD4+ cell line. Envelope expression is accompanied by a reduction in the level of surface CD4 receptor molecules and correlates with the presence of intracellular envelope-CD4 receptor complexes. Cells expressing the HIV envelope acquire a cytolysis-resistant phenotype such that infection with HIV leads to a non-cytopathic persistent virus infection. Furthermore, phorbol ester-mediated stimulation of viral replication in persistently infected cells results in renewed cytolytic effects which, due to the absence of CD4 in the cell population, are absolutely independent of syncytium formation. This study elucidates the mechanism by which viral persistence is initiated and maintained in the course of AIDS.
Relationship of slow potential changes to response speed and motivation in man.

Abstract Slow potential changes were recorded from the scalp of ten adult subjects during performance of a disjunctive reaction task. Tones separated by a constant 1.0 sec interval were employed for the conditional and imperative stimuli. The subject was instructed to execute or withhold a digital response, depending upon the frequency of the imperative stimulus. Motivational state was manipulated by two different sets of instructions. 1. 1. Contingent negative variations (CNVs) were obtained in all subjects under conditions of both high and low motivation. 2. 2. In a majority of subjects performing with closed eyes, potentials originating from the eyes were seen to contaminate activity recorded from the vertex. This problem was not encountered in subjects who had their eyes open and fixated. 3. 3. Within subjects, the fastest reaction times were preceded by CNVs of significantly larger amplitude than were the slowest responses. A comparable relationship was not found between subjects. 4. 4. Reaction times were shorter, and the negative evoked potential to the warning stimulus had a significantly greater amplitude when the subjects were in a state of high motivation than when they were urged to relax. Other potentials, including the CNV, did not show this difference between motivational conditions. 5. 5. Trials in which subjects were required to respond were followed by a broad positive wave of moderate amplitude, whereas trials in which they withheld a response were followed by a short positive wave of much greater amplitude. The height of both potentials was significantly correlated with mean reaction time across subjects.
Impact of a Conservative Red Blood Cell Transfusion Strategy in Children Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

A 2008 randomized trial of critically ill, but stable, children reported the safety of transfusing red blood cells at a hemoglobin threshold of 7 g/dL. In 2009, we adopted the same transfusion criteria in our hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients. Regression modeling was used to compare data obtained during primary admission for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in calendar years before and after our practice change. Sixty-six patients admitted in the preintervention year were compared with 75 postintervention. Pre- and postpatients were similar in diagnoses and type of transplantations. Postintervention, median hemoglobin pretransfusion significantly decreased from 8.8 g/dL to 6.8 g/dL (P
Numerical Investigation of the Unsteady Flow Fields in Centrifugal Compressor Diffusers

The performance of radial diffusers in centrifugal compressor stages is influenced by the impeller exit flow characteristics as well as the vaneless and semi-vaneless space flow characteristics. Both steady and unsteady flow interactions are present due to the propagation of pressure fields upstream and downstream between the impeller and diffuser. Furthermore, unsteady flow interactions occur when the impeller moving wakes developed due to secondary and tip clearance flows propagate through the diffuser passages. The present study aims at presenting a model that describes the unsteady wake propagation in the centrifugal compressor diffuser using vorticity principles. 3D unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes simulations are performed for both a vaned and a vaneless diffuser centrifugal stage. The simulations are used to examine the mechanism for the unsteady wake flow interactions in the diffuser. The unsteady streamwise vortical structures present in the impeller wakes and their propagation through the diffuser flow field is presented. The effect of the unsteady flow on loss production in the compressor stage is investigated. The velocity perturbations due to these vortical structures are presented. The present study indicates that the impeller wake propagation in the diffuser can be represented by a series of unsteady streamwise vortices superimposed on a uniform flow field. These vortices result in velocity perturbations that take the form of both positive and negative jets in the diffuser.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Polynomial inequalities on measurable sets and their applications

We study Polya-and Remez-type inequalities for univariate and multivariate polynomials and discuss their applications to Nikolskii-type inequalities and upper estimates of trigonometric integrals.
The effect of tendon viscoelastic stiffness on the dynamic performance of isometric muscle

Abstract The effect of tendons viscoelastic stiffness on the dynamic response of the cat's tibialis anterior muscle under isometric conditions was determined. It was shown that the dynamic response model of the muscle derived under sinusoidal contraction-relaxation in the range of 20–80% of its maximal isometric tension was not statistically different before and after the disection of the whole distal tendon. It was suggested that under isometric conditions in the force range of 20–80% of the maximal, the tendon acts as a very stiff force transmission linkage without significantly modifying the muscle's performance.
The Role of Spectral and Temporal Cues in Voice Gender Discrimination by Normal-Hearing Listeners and Cochlear Implant Users

The present study investigated the relative importance of temporal and spectral cues in voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition by normal-hearing subjects listening to an acoustic simulation of cochlear implant speech processing and by cochlear implant users. In the simulation, the number of speech processing channels ranged from 4 to 32, thereby varying the spectral resolution; the cutoff frequencies of the channels’ envelope filters ranged from 20 to 320 Hz, thereby manipulating the available temporal cues. For normal-hearing subjects, results showed that both voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition scores improved as the number of spectral channels was increased. When only 4 spectral channels were available, voice gender discrimination significantly improved as the envelope filter cutoff frequency was increased from 20 to 320 Hz. For all spectral conditions, increasing the amount of temporal information had no significant effect on vowel recognition. Both voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition scores were highly variable among implant users. The performance of cochlear implant listeners was similar to that of normal-hearing subjects listening to comparable speech processing (4–8 spectral channels). The results suggest that both spectral and temporal cues contribute to voice gender discrimination and that temporal cues are especially important for cochlear implant users to identify the voice gender when there is reduced spectral resolution.
The Global Drought Monitor Portal: The Foundation for a Global Drought Information System

AbstractThe international scientific community has long recognized the need for coordinated drought monitoring and response, but many factors have prevented progress in the development of a Global Drought Early Warning System (GDEWS): some of which involve administrative issues (coordinated international action and policy) while others involve scientific, technological, and logistical issues. The creation of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Portal within the United States provided an opportunity to take the first steps toward building the informational foundation for a GDEWS: that is, a Global Drought Information System (GDIS). At a series of workshops sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Group on Earth Observations (GEO) held in Asheville, North Carolina, in April 2010, it was recommended that a modular approach be taken in the creation of a GDIS and that the NIDIS Portal serve as the foundation for the GDIS structure. Once a NIDIS-based Global Drought Mo...
Lot Sizes for One-Time-Only Sales

The order quantity which minimizes discounted cash flows for a one-time-only sale is determined. Current inventory may be at or exceed the usual reorder point when the sale is consummated. In the latter case, the company may decide to buy nothing, especially if a large minimum order quantity is required in order to obtain the price discount. The same model can also be used to handle the case of an impending price increase. Exact and approximate solutions are presented which recommend the order quantity, the associated cost savings, minimum acceptable percentage price discount and minimum vendor quantity requirements.
The benefit of houseofficer education on proper medication dose calculation and ordering.

. Objectives: Drug dosing errors commonly cause morbidity and mortality. This prospective controlled study was performed to determine: 1) residents' understanding of drug dose calculations and ordering; and 2) the short-term effect of a brief educational intervention on the skills required to properly calculate dosages and order medications. Methods: The study was conducted at an urban public hospital with a four-year emergency medicine (EM) residency program. The EM residents served as the study group and were unaware of the study design. A written, eight-question test (T1) with clinical situations and factual questions was administered. Immediately following the test, correct answers were discussed for 30 minutes. Key concepts were emphasized. Six weeks later, a repeat test (T2a) with a similar format was administered to the study group. The same test (T2b) was simultaneously administered to a control group, residents of similar training who did not take T1, in order to determine test equivalency (T1 vs T2). Tests were graded using explicit criteria by a single investigator blinded to the order of administration. Results: Twenty residents completed both tests T1 and T2a. Their mean scores were 48% and 70%, respectively (p < 0.001, paired t-test). The control group of ten residents had a mean score of 49% (T2b), similar to the study group's scores on T1 (T1 vs T2b, p = 0.40, unpaired t-test). Conclusion: Emergency medicine residents require specific training in calculating and executing drug ordering. A brief educational intervention significantly improved short-term performance when retested six weeks later. Long-term retention is unknown.
Factors Affecting Host-plant Quality and Nectar Use for the Karner Blue Butterfly: Implications for Oak Savanna Restoration

Abstract In the Midwestern United States, more than 99.99% of pre-settlement oak (Quercus) savanna has been lost due to agriculture and fire suppression. Thus, the restoration of this ecosystem is imperative to secure the biodiversity, which depends on oak savanna. In this study, we characterized factors affecting the host-plant quality and nectar use of the endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis Nabokov) in Ohio. Past research has shown butterfly abundance to be correlated with host-plant quantity, habitat area, and nectar plant abundance. However, there is growing recognition that host-plant quality is important at small spatial scales. We measured host-plant quality by quantifying leaf nitrogen content for the first larval brood and a PCA analysis of nitrogen and water content for the second larval brood. Additionally, observations quantified adult female foraging rates. Our results for the first brood larval stage found no significant difference in leaf nitrogen between burned, m...
Unilateral intramuscular injections of acidic saline produce a bilateral, long-lasting hyperalgesia

This study characterizes an animal model of persistent mechanical hyperalgesia induced by repeated intramuscular injections of low pH saline. Saline at pH 4, 5, 6, or 7.2 was injected twice, 2 to 10 days apart, into the gastrocnemius muscle of rats. To quantify hyperalgesia, paw withdrawal latency to radiant heat (heat hyperalgesia) and withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimuli (mechanical hyperalgesia) were measured. Two unilateral injections of low pH saline, 5 days apart, caused a pH-dependent bilateral mechanical, but not heat, hyperalgesia that lasted 30 days. Injections given 2 and 5 days apart produced a significantly greater mechanical hyperalgesia than injections given 10 days apart. Lidocaine injection into the gastrocnemius muscle or unilateral dorsal rhizotomy, 24 h after the second injection (pH 4), had no effect on the contralateral mechanical hyperalgesia. Minimal histopathology was observed in the injected muscle, and changes were similar between groups injected with pH 4 and pH 7.2. Thus, this new model of widespread, chronic muscle-induced pain is unrelated to tissue damage and is not maintained by continued primary afferent input from the site of injury.
Walking beyond the socioeconomic status in an objectively and perceptually walkable pedestrian environment

An extensive body of literature suggests that physical environment, physical activity, and socioeconomic status (SES) are intrinsically linked to each other and to weight related health problems. In this study, the role of objective and perceived pedestrian environment characteristics (microscale measures) was explored in relation to people’s recreational walking patterns in two neighborhoods with opposite SES. A total of 441 street segments were assessed and a total of 133 questionnaires were conducted. The findings suggest that recreational walking can take place beyond a neighborhood’s suggested SES when objective and especially perceived microscale characteristics (pedestrian environment) are favorable.
Forces on aerosols in gas mixtures

Abstract First-order slip-flow boundary conditions are derived for a diffusing binary gas mixture. These conditions are applied in a continuum analysis for the force on aerosols in diffusing gases and the results compared with experiment.
Depressive symptoms, antidepressant medication use, and new onset of diabetes in participants of the diabetes prevention program and the diabetes prevention program outcomes study

Objective To assess in participants in the Diabetes Prevention Program and Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPP/DPPOS) whether diagnosis of diabetes predicted: elevated depressive symptoms (DS) or antidepressant medicine (ADM) use after diagnosis; diabetes status or duration had significant effect on DS or ADM use; and associations between A1C, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), normalization of FPG and DS or ADM use post diagnosis.
Markers of physiological stress in juvenile bonobos (Pan paniscus): Are enamel hypoplasia, skeletal development and tooth size interrelated?

A reduction in enamel thickness due to disrupted amelogenesis is referred to as enamel hypoplasia (EH). Linear EH in permanent teeth is a widely accepted marker of systemic physiological stress. An enigmatic, nonlinear form of EH commonly manifest in great ape and human deciduous canines (dc) is known as localized hypoplasia of primary canines (LHPC). The etiology of LHPC and what it signifies-localized traumatic or systemic physiological stress-remains unclear. This report presents frequency data on LHPC, hypostotic cranial traits, and tooth size in a sample of juvenile bonobos, then tests hypotheses of intertrait association that improve knowledge of the etiology and meaning of LHPC. The fenestration hypothesis is tested using hypostotic cranial traits as a proxy for membrane bone ossification, and the relationship between tooth size, LHPC, and hypostosis is investigated. Macroscopic observations of EH, hypostotic traits, and measurements of buccolingual tooth size were conducted according to established standards. LHPC was found in 51.2% of bonobos (n = 86) and in 26% of dc teeth (n = 269). Hypostotic traits were observed in 55.2% of bonobos (n = 96). A test of the association between LHPC and hypostosis yielded nonsignificant results (chi(2) = 2.935; P = 0.0867). Primary canines were larger in specimens with LHPC than in unaffected specimens (paired samples t test; udc, P = 0.011; ldc, P = 0.018), a result consistent with the fenestration hypothesis of LHPC pathogenesis. Hypostosis was not associated with differences in tooth size (P > 0.05). LHPC may be an indirect indicator of physiological stress, resulting from large, buccally displaced primary canines.
On the Relationship between Protein-Forced Ligand Fields and the Properties of Blue Copper Centers

Abstract The stable conformation of blue copper proteins forces the metal ion into a unique geometrical ligand arrangement. Spectroscopic data suggest that at least 70 kJmol−1 would be required to twist the protein into a conformation that would allow the cupric ion to occupy a square planar site. The observation that the γ S→ Cu(x2-y2) transition energy does not change with increasing ligand field strength is interpreted in terms of a model in which Cu(xz, yz)ligand back bonding enhances the splitting between the Cu(x2-y2 ) and Cu(xz, yz) levels in blue sites with high chemical reduction potentials, thereby providing an explanation of the special stability of the cuprous state.
COQUINA: content-queryable image and signal archives

This research proposes an image representation, called a line string, encodes an image via a string of linear skeleton, and an image matching method, i.e., finding a longest approximate common subsequence of two line strings. An image retrieval system is constructed based on the above methods. Experimental results show any image in the system can be precisely retrieved as long as each image has a unique image string.
The Impact of the Great Recession on Emerging Markets

This paper examines the impact of the recent global crisis on emerging market economies (EMs). Our cross-country analysis shows that the impact of the crisis was more pronounced in those EMs that had initial weaker fundamentals and greater financial and trade linkages. This effect is observed along a number of dimensions, such as growth, stock market performance, sovereign spreads, and credit growth. This paper also shows that during this crisis, pre-crisis reserve holdings helped to mitigate the initial growth collapse. This finding contrasts with other studies that fail to find a significant relationship between reserves and the growth decline. This paper argues that our preferred measure of impact is a more accurate reflection of the true impact of the crisis on EMs.
Inheritance and linkage relationships of morphological and isozyme loci in As-genome diploid oat (Avena spp.)

Morphological and isozyme markers are useful supplements to molecular marker maps and can be used in comparative mapping studies. Isozymes, as neutral markers, have been used to study genic and evolutionary relationships among related species. In this study, the genetics of six morphological traits and isozyme variants of four enzyme systems were investigated with F2/F2:3 populations derived from three crosses of three As-genome diploid oat (Avena spp.) accessions. All traits and variants conformed to a model of monogenic inheritance except for lemma color. The four enzyme systems yielded six putative variant isozyme loci. Phenotypic data of the five monogenically inherited morphological traits and six isozyme loci were subjected to a pair-wise linkage analysis. Five linked pairs of loci were found. Multipoint linkage analysis identified a loose linkage group of two morphological and two isozyme loci. Included in the linkage group was a locus conferring alkaline b-galactosidase (Bgl1) and an esterase (Ests) locus. A similar linkage has been observed in hexaploid oat and barley. Additional studies are planned to verify and assign the small linkage group and to assign the remaining unlinked markers. This new information will facilitate further mapping comparisons and evolution studies within Avena.
Phonological Awareness and Short-Term Memory in Hearing and Deaf Individuals of Different Communication Backgrounds

Previous work in deaf populations on phonological coding and working memory, two skills thought to play an important role in the acquisition of written language skills, have focused primarily on signers or did not clearly identify the subjects' native language and communication mode. In the present study, we examined the effect of sensory experience, early language experience, and communication mode on the phonological awareness skills and serial recall of linguistic items in deaf and hearing individuals of different communicative and linguistic backgrounds: hearing nonsigning controls, hearing users of ASL, deaf users of ASL, deaf oral users of English, and deaf users of cued speech. Since many current measures of phonological awareness skills are inappropriate for deaf populations on account of the verbal demands in the stimuli or response, we devised a nonverbal phonological measure that addresses this limitation. The Phoneme Detection Test revealed that deaf cuers and oral users, but not deaf signers, performed as well as their hearing peers when detecting phonemes not transparent in the orthography. The second focus of the study examined short-term memory skills and found that in response to the traditional digit span as well as an experimental visual version, digit-span performance was similar across the three deaf groups, yet deaf subjects' retrieval was lower than that of hearing subjects. Our results support the claim (Bavelier et al., 2006) that lexical items processed in the visual-spatial modality are not as well retained as information processed in the auditory channel. Together these findings show that the relationship between working memory, phonological coding, and reading may not be as tightly interwoven in deaf students as would have been predicted from work conducted in hearing students.
Iterative spatial sequence estimator for multi-group space time trellis coded systems

We present and evaluate a new detection algorithm for decoding multi-group space time trellis coded systems. These systems consider a single user who transmits simultaneously through K parallel space time trellis encoders. Therefore, they can provide high spectral efficiencies similar to the BLAST architecture plus transmit diversity advantages and coding gains. The developed detector is called maximum a posteriori spatial sequence estimator and it has the flexibility of trading complexity with diversity advantage. The algorithm can provide higher receive diversity with higher complexity. The simulation result shows a performance improvement of this new algorithm over interference nulling and cancellation techniques.
Directionality in the history of life: diffusion from the left wall or repeated scaling of the right?

Issues of directionality in the history of life can be framed in terms of six major evolutionary steps, or megatrajectories (cf. Maynard Smith and Szathmary 1995): (1) evolution from the origin of life to the last common ancestor of extant organisms, (2) the metabolic diversification of bacteria and archaea, (3) evolution of eukaryotic cells, (4) multicellularity, (5) the invasion of the land and (6) technological intelligence. Within each megatrajectory, overall diversification conforms to a pattern of increasing variance bounded by a right wall as well as one on the left. However, the expanding envelope of forms and physiologies also reflects—at least in part—directional evolution within clades. Each megatrajectory has introduced fundamentally new evolutionary entities that garner resources in new ways, resulting in an unambiguously directional pattern of increasing ecological complexity marked by expanding ecospace utilization. The sequential addition of megatrajectories adheres to logical rules of ecosystem function, providing a blueprint for evolution that may have been followed to varying degrees wherever life has arisen.
Magnetic measurements of the XLS magnets

The magnets designed and built for Phase 1 (200 MeV) of the XLS (X-Ray Lithography Source) project have all been measured and characterized. The measurement system designed and utilized for the Phase-1 180 degrees dipole magnets is reviewed here. Hall-probe measurements of the two dipole magnets, with a field of 1.1 T at 1200 A, are discussed and presented. These dipole magnets presented unique constraints on the measuring system due largely to the bending radius of 0.6037 m, and the absence of a reference surface within the magnetic aperture. Phase 2 (700 MeV) of this project includes replacement of the two room-temperature dipole magnets with superconducting dipoles (3.9 T). >
Identification of the Structural and Functional Human Homolog of the Yeast Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme UBC9

Ubiquitin conjugating enzymes (UBCs) are a family of proteins directly involved in ubiquitination of proteins. Ubiquitination is known to be involved in control of a variety of cellular processes, including cell proliferation, through the targeting of key regulatory proteins for degradation. The ubc9 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Scubc9) is an essential gene which is required for cell cycle progression and is involved in the degradation of S phase and M phase cyclins. We have identified a human homolog of Scubc9 (termed hubc9) using the two hybrid screen for proteins that interact with the human papillomavirus type 16 E1 replication protein. The hubc9 encoded protein shares a very high degree of amino acid sequence similarity with ScUBC9 and with the homologous hus5+ gene product of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Genetic complementation experiments in a S.cerevisiae ubc9ts mutant reveal that hUBC9 can substitute for the function of ScUBC9 required for cell cycle progression.
Pharmacological Inhibition of Diabetic Retinopathy: Aminoguanidine and Aspirin

Effects of aminoguanidine and aspirin on the development of retinopathy have been examined in 5-year studies of diabetic dogs. Either agent was administered daily in doses of 20-25 mg. kg(-1). day(-1). Because severity of hyperglycemia greatly influences development of the retinopathy, special effort was devoted to maintaining comparable glycemia in experimental and control groups. The retinal vasculature was isolated by the trypsin digest method, and retinopathy was assessed by light microscopy. Diabetes for 5 years resulted, as expected, in saccular capillary aneurysms, pericyte ghosts, acellular capillaries, retinal hemorrhages, and other lesions. Administration of aminoguanidine essentially prevented the retinopathy, significantly inhibiting the development of retinal microaneurysms, acellular capillaries, and pericyte ghosts compared with diabetic controls. Aspirin significantly inhibited the development of retinal hemorrhages and acellular capillaries over the 5 years of study, but had less effect on other lesions. Although diabetes resulted in significantly increased levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) (namely, pentosidine in tail collagen and aorta, and Hb-AGE), aminoguanidine had no significant influence on these parameters of glycation. Nitration of a retinal protein was significantly increased in diabetes and inhibited by aminoguanidine. The biochemical mechanism by which aminoguanidine has inhibited retinopathy thus is not clear. Aminoguanidine (but not aspirin) inhibited a diabetes-induced defect in ulnar nerve conduction velocity, but neither agent was found to influence kidney structure or albumen excretion.
Two-term Henyey-Greenstein light scattering phase function for seawater

In this presentation a one-parameter model of marine two-term Henyey-Greenstein (TTHG) phase function is proposed. The original three-parameter TTHG phase function was reduced to a one-parameter TTHG phase function by utilizing experimental regression dependencies between two integral parameters of the phase function, average cosine and average square of cosine of scattering angle, with the probability of backscattering. An algorithm and FORTRAN program to calculate one parameter two-term Henyey-Greenstein phase function of scattering is presented.
On the generation of sound by supersonic turbulent shear layers

A theory is proposed to describe the generation of sound by turbulence at high Mach numbers. The problem is formulated most conveniently in terms of the fluctuating pressure, and a convected wave equation (2.8) is derived to describe the generation and propagation of the pressure fluctuations.The supersonic turbulent shear zone is examined in detail. It is found that, at supersonic speeds, sound is radiated as eddy Mach waves, and as the Mach number increase, this mechanism of generation becomes increasingly dominant. Attention is concentrated on the properties of the pressure fluctuations just outside the shear zone where the interactions among the weak shock waves have had little effect. An asymptotic solution for large M is derived by a Green's function technique, and it is found that radiation with given frequency n and weve-number K can be associated with a coresponding critical layer within the shear zone.It is found that for M [Gt ] 1, and as M5 for M [Lt ] 1, indicating a maximum acoustic efficiency for Mach numbers near one. The directional distribution of the radiation is discussed and the direction of maximum intensity is shown to move towards the perpendicular to the shear zone as M increases. The predictions of the theory are supported qualitatively by the few available experimental observations.
A Radio View of Star Formation in II Zw 40

Star formation in the low mass and low metallicity environments of dwarf galaxies provides important clues about how star formation proceeded in the early universe. To measure the properties of youngest star forming regions – those closest to stellar birth conditions – one needs to use an extinction-free tracer of thermal emission, such as free-free continuum emission in the radio, to penetrate the dust surrounding these regions. We present high sensitivity and high resolution observations of the radio continuum emission in the low metallicity dwarf galaxy II Zw 40 and combine it with HST ACS data and single dish CO(1–0) to gain a more complete picture of star formation in this galaxy.
An evaluation of agreement and conflict among computer forensics experts

The use of computer data as evidence within litigation is growing rapidly. Additionally, courts define computer data as a form of scientific evidence. The courts recognize that subject matter of scientific evidence is outside the general knowledge of the public, and it is beneficial for someone with special skills in the subject to explain the scientific evidence to the court; therefore, expert witnesses are permitted to enter their opinions into evidence to explain the data. However, a recent study identified widespread conflict among professionals in the field of computer forensics. This conflict raises serious questions concerning the data presented as evidence, the conclusions drawn by judges and juries, and the impact of those affected by the outcomes of legal proceedings. This paper discusses the findings of an analysis performed on data collected from computer forensics examiners and attorneys with computer forensics experience and provides a call for additional research.
"Professional communication" and the "odor of mendacity": the persistent suspicion that skilful writing is successful lying

From the time that rhetoric first differentiated itself from philosophy there has been a widespread belief that the craft of rhetoric is, to a considerable extent, the art of deception with impunity. As early as Plato's Gorgias dialogue and as recently as a proposed rule from the Food and Drug Administration, one finds those who argue that even the skills of technical and scientific communication are, in effect, artful forms of misrepresentation. These critics indict not only those who sell and apologize-easy targets-but also those those avowed purpose is merely to make messages clearer. Can it be true that all forms of communication skill, even those that enhance clarity and precision, are merely elegant forms of lying? Does the word "rhetoric" deserve its tainted historical connotation? Or, even worse, is writing itself an inherently self-serving (i.e. misleading) way of adapting to one's environment?. >