cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Einführung in die Biochemie des Lebens

In den vergangenen Jahrhunderten haben geistreiche Forscher versucht, die Natur des Lebens zu verstehen. Ihre Uberlegungen erschopften sich jedoch weitgehend in Spekulationen, und der auffallige Unterschied zwischen lebender und toter Materie wurde durch die Annahme erklart, das den beiden Begriffen grundsatzlich verschiedene Konzepte zugrunde lagen. Dem Leben wurden bestimmte geheimnisvolle Eigenschaften zugeschrieben, die die Erforschung und exakte Beschreibung biologischer Vorgange wesentlich erschwerten. Diese Einstellung anderte sich erst, nachdem die Kenntnisse vom Aufbau der Atome und Molekule und ihrer unzahligen Varianten umfangreicher geworden war. Friedrich Wohler beschrieb 1828 erstmals die Synthese einer organischen Verbindung, des Harnstoffs, dessen Bildung bisher nur in lebenden Organismen beobachtet wurde. 70 Jahre spater bewies Eduard Buchner, das die aus Hefe extrahierten Enzyme Zucker ebenso gut abbauen konnen wie die Hefezellen selbst. Wohlers und Buchners Entdeckungen gaben den Anstos fur die Arbeiten, in denen die in lebenden Organismen gebildeten Verbindungen durch chemische Synthese im Laboratorium synthetisiert wurden.
Biology and Life History of Atanycolus cappaerti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a North American Larval Parasitoid Attacking the Invasive Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

Abstract Atanycolus cappaerti Marsh & Strazanac (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a native North American parasitoid that has been found parasitizing late instars of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a serious invasive pest of ash trees (Fraxinus species; Oleaceae). In this study, we determined the longevity, weekly oviposition rate, realized lifetime fecundity, diapause pattern, and development time of A. cappaerti for late instars of A. planipennis larvae at 25 ± 1.5 °C, 65 ± 10% RH, and a 16:8 h L:D photoperiod in the laboratory. Our study showed that adults of A. cappaerti had a median survival time of 9 to 11 wk, and females lived approximately 2 wk longer than males. The weekly progeny production by female parasitoids peaked at 3 wk after emergence, with a mean of 5.4 progeny per female. Throughout their life span, females produced a mean (± SE) of 28 (± 3.07) progeny. Atanycolus cappaerti larvae molted 5 times to reach the 6th instar in silk cocoons in a med...
Sample-average model predictive control of uncertain linear systems

We propose a randomized implementation of stochastic model predictive control (MPC). As a proxy for the expected cost, which may not be efficiently computable, the algorithm minimizes the empirical average cost under N random samples of the uncertain influences on the system. The setting is an imperfectly-observed linear system with multiplicative and additive uncertainty, convex, deterministic control constraints, and convex costs that may include penalties on state constraint violations. In this setting, each sample-average MPC subproblem is a feasible convex program that, under mild regularity conditions, yields consistent estimators of the stochastic MPC subproblem's optimal value and minimizers. Under stronger assumptions, the full sample-average MPC control trajectory is asymptotically optimal for stochastic MPC as N → ∞. A numerical example shows that even for small N, sample-average MPC can significantly improve performance relative to certainty-equivalent MPC.
Asymmetric dark matter and baryogenesis from S U ( 2 ) ℓ

Author(s): Fornal, Bartosz; Shirman, Yuri; Tait, Tim MP; West, Jennifer Rittenhouse | Abstract: We propose a theory in which the Standard Model gauge symmetry is extended by a new $SU(2)_\ell$ group acting nontrivially on the lepton sector which is spontaneously broken at the TeV scale. Under this $SU(2)_\ell$ the ordinary leptons form doublets along with new lepton partner fields. This construction naturally contains a dark matter candidate, the partner of the right-handed neutrino, stabilized by a residual global $U(1)_\chi$ symmetry. We show that one can explain baryogenesis through an asymmetric dark matter scenario, in which generation of related asymmetries in the dark matter and baryon sectors is driven by the $SU(2)_\ell$ instantons during a first order phase transition in the early universe.
The unexplored history of operationalising digital divides: a pilot study

Since the early years of the personal computer, when computing began to diffuse to the general public, social researchers have focused on the (non)use of information and communication technologies in the household and the impact of the resulting digital divides on social and economic inequalities. The Internet's diffusion led this work to become an increasingly central focus of research, but not following a sustained trajectory of attention. This study tracks the questions used to operationalise digital divides as a heretofore unexplored history that throws light on the course of social research – illuminating problems that are masked by traditional studies that follow the responses to these questions, but not the questions. By focusing on surveys of Internet use, analysing questionnaires from the USA, Britain, Hungary and South Africa reaching back to 1997, we examine how survey research questions on Internet (non)use have evolved. Study of the changing operational definitions of Internet use across time...
Functional Impairment: An Unmeasured Marker of Medicare Costs for Postacute Care of Older Adults

Objectives To assess the effects of preadmission functional impairment on Medicare costs of postacute care up to 365 days after hospital discharge. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Setting Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Participants Nationally representative sample of 16,673 Medicare hospitalizations of 8,559 community-dwelling older adults from 2000 to 2012. Measurements The main outcome was total Medicare costs in the year after hospital discharge, assessed according to Medicare claims data. The main predictor was functional impairment (level of difficulty or dependence in activities of daily living (ADLs)), determined from HRS interview preceding hospitalization. Multivariable linear regression was performed, adjusted for age, race, sex, income, net worth, and comorbidities, with clustering at the individual level to characterize the association between functional impairment and costs of postacute care. Results Unadjusted mean Medicare costs for 1 year after discharge increased with severity of impairment in a dose-response fashion (P < .001 for trend); 68% had no functional impairment ($25,931), 17% had difficulty with one ADL ($32,501), 7% had dependency in one ADL ($39,928), and 8% had dependency in two or more ADLs ($45,895). The most severely impaired participants cost 77% more than those with no impairment; adjusted analyses showed attenuated effect size (33% more) but no change in trend. Considering costs attributable to comorbidities, only three conditions were more expensive than severe functional impairment (lymphoma, metastatic cancer, paralysis). Conclusion Functional impairment is associated with greater Medicare costs for postacute care and may be an unmeasured but important marker of long-term costs that cuts across conditions.
Congenital and Acquired Valvular Heart Disease in Pregnancy

The number of pregnancies complicated by valvular heart disease is increasing. This review describes the hemodynamic effects of clinically important valvular abnormalities during pregnancy and reviews current guideline-driven management strategies. Valvular heart disease in women of childbearing age is most commonly caused by congenital abnormalities and rheumatic heart disease. Regurgitant lesions are well tolerated, while stenotic lesions are associated with a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications. Management of symptomatic disease during pregnancy is primarily medical, with percutaneous interventions considered for refractory symptoms. Most guidelines addressing the management of valvular heart disease during pregnancy are based on case reports and observational studies. Additional investigation is required to further advance the care of this growing patient population.
Time Warped: Photography, History, and Temporality

Within a decade of photography’s unveiling, the passenger train (1830), computer (1833), and transatlantic telegraph (1844) were introduced, followed by the invention of the telephone (1876), automobile and X-ray (1890s), cinema (1894), radio (1900–1910), airplane (1903), television (1939), Internet (1969), first personal computer (1976), and cell phone (1982). Photography and this flurry of technological advances have accelerated, and even “annihilated,” the material foundations of the time/space nexus dramatically, forever redefining our already-malleable perceptions of space and time. As a consequence, time itself has been the subject of insistent theorization, speculation, and anxiety.
Sulfur Hydrides: Phase Diagram and the Transition into the Record-High T c State

Remarkable feature of the phase diagram of sulfur hydrides, the record-high T c superconductors, is a sharp increase near P ≈ 150 GPa from T c ≈ 120 to ≈ 200 K. This increase is a signature of the structural transition. The present study is concerned with the nature of this phase transition. One can demonstrate that the symmetry analysis along with an analysis of the impact of lattice deformations lead to the conclusion that we are dealing with the first-order transition. Such a transition is manifested in an abrupt appearance of small pockets on the Fermi surface and, correspondingly, the two-gap energy spectrum.
Small cell lung cancer heterogeneity: elevated a Notch above the Rest !

The notch signaling pathway is an evolutionary conserved pathway that plays a central role in cell fate determination. In mammals, there are four Notch receptors and five ligands that can be either activating or inhibitory.
Impact of a brief motivational smoking cessation intervention the Get PHIT randomized controlled trial.

Background Few studies have rigorously evaluated whether providing biologically based health-risk feedback is more effective than standard interventions in increasing smokers' motivation to quit and their long-term abstinence. Design An RCT was conducted from 2005 to 2008. Data were analyzed in 2008. Setting/participants Smokers (N=536) were recruited from the community, regardless of their interest in quitting smoking. Intervention Smokers either received brief (∼20 minutes), personally tailored counseling sessions based on their lung functioning, carbon monoxide (CO) exposure, and smoking-related health conditions, or they received generic smoking-risk information and personalized counseling about their diet, BMI, and physical activity. All were advised to quit smoking and were offered access to a free phone-counseling program. Main outcome measures Treatment utilization and abstinence at 6 and 12 months post-intervention. Results Participants who received the experimental treatment demonstrated no greater motivation to quit, use of treatment services, or abstinence compared to controls at either follow-up assessment. In fact, controls reported greater motivation to quit at 12 months (M 3.42 vs 3.20, p =0.03), greater use of pharmacotherapy at 6 months (37.8% vs 28.0%, p =0.02), and greater 30-day point prevalent abstinence at 6 months, after controlling for relevant covariates (10.8% vs 6.4%, adjusted p =0.04). Conclusions The present study found no support for adding a personalized health-risk assessment emphasizing lung health and CO exposure to generic cessation advice and counseling for community-based smokers not otherwise seeking treatment. Trial registration NCT00169260 .
Host Resource Partitioning Among Sympatric Molothrine Generalist Brood Parasites

We examine host partitioning among sympatric brood parasites in southeastern Arizona and South Florida. In Florida, range expansion of three cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis shiny cowbird, M. ater brown-headed cowbird, and M. aeneus bronzed cowbird) has brought them together in a region where host species have never been parasitized before. Whereas in southeastern Arizona, bronzed cowbird and brown-headed cowbird have been in sympatry longer. That sympatry and the larger size separation between the smallest race of the brown-headed cowbird (M. a. obscurus) and bronzed cowbird are correlated with the larger cowbird primarily parastizing larger host species. Furthermore, morphometric analysis shows that brown-headed cowbirds are significantly smaller in sympatry than allopatry, suggesting that the size variation across their range is not only a function of clinal variation but driven, perhaps, by long-term interspecific competitive interactions for nests to parasitize (i.e., character displacement model). Interspecific competition in southeastern Arizona for nests to parasitize has led to some partitioning of the host resources. In South Florida, recent contact between three parasitic species suggests a different outcome. In South Florida, the shiny cowbird was recorded mainly from coastal areas, whereas brown-headed cowbirds were found in coastal and inland areas leading to a degree of habitat partitioning. In Florida, brown-headed cowbirds parasitized species ranging from 6 to 100 g, with the majority being smaller species (20 g or less). There are far fewer breeding records for shiny cowbirds, but the similarities in size and species use outside of Florida suggest host overlap with the brown-headed. The longer breeding season of the shiny cowbird suggests that, while there will be host overlap with the brown-headed, a temporal separation may occur. The larger bronzed cowbird parasitized the larger hosts in the community, e.g., red-winged blackbird and spot-breasted oriole.
Does Motivation Impact OCD Symptom Severity? An Exploration of Longitudinal Effects

Understanding the role of patient motivation in OCD treatment is of clinical importance given the requisite autonomous role of patients in Exposure and Response Prevention. The present study investigated state- and trait-like relations between three variables: two previously established motivational constructs, readiness to change (RTC) and committed action (CA), derived from the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment, and OCD symptom severity as measured by the self-report Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS-SR). Utilizing a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) design, we assessed autoregressive, within-time correlations, and cross-lagged effects of RTC, CA, and Y-BOCS-SR scores at admission, month 1 of treatment, and discharge from an intensive/residential treatment program for OCD. Results revealed significant autoregressive (i.e., state-like) effects for CA and Y-BOCS-SR, negative within-time correlations between state CA and Y-BOCS-SR across all time points, a positive within-time correlation between state CA and RTC at admission, and a cross-lagged effect between state Y-BOCS-SR at month 1 of treatment and state RTC at discharge. Results also demonstrated that the stability of the RTC variable was attributable to trait-like factors in the present sample. This study is novel in its use of RI-CLPM in an OCD sample and represents an important addition to the literature on the longitudinal impacts of dynamic constructs of motivation. Our findings may provide future researchers with strategies to supplement ERP with CA-driven motivational interviewing.
Combined Effects of Moisture and UV Radiation on the Mechanics of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Vinylester Composites

Fiber reinforced polymer resin composites are used in infrastructure, structural, and foam core sandwich structure applications. When exposed to environmental factors degradation initiates in the composite matrix due to stress, radiation, moisture and chemical effects, causing overall weakening. Combined exposure of UV radiation and moisture creates synergistic degradation mechanisms. Here, accelerated aging of carbon fiber-reinforced vinylester composites is performed using UV radiation and moisture exposure with environmental chambers to ascertain the effect on the composite mechanical response over time. Composite coupons are characterized for mass and surface volume changes, and mechanical characterization is used to assess the effects of combined environments on strength. The significant physical and chemical mechanisms of the composite performance loss for combined exposure conditions will be discussed in the context of accelerated aging.
East River Development Project

This paper describes a proposed 30-acre pile-supported development on the East River in New York City. The development is to consist of 32% residential and retail space, 34% park area, and 34% promenade and marina. The base for this development is linked barges, to be built in shipyards and floated into position. Once in position, they are ballasted and come to rest on piles.
Resource Specification for Prototyping Human-Intensive Systems

Today’s software systems rely heavily on complex resources, such as humans. Human-intensive systems are particularly important in our society, especially in the healthcare, financial, and software development domains. One challenge in developing such systems is that the system design must account for the constraints, capabilities, and allocation policies of their complex resources, particularly the humans. The resources, their capabilities, and their allocation policies and constraints need to be carefully specified, and modeled. Toward the goal of supporting the design of systems that make effective use of such resources, we introduce a resource specification language and a process-aware, discrete-event simulation engine that simulates system executions while adhering to these resource specifications. The simulation supports (1) modeling the resources that are used by the system, and the ways in which they are used, (2) experimenting with different resource capability mixes and allocation policies, and (3) identifying such undesirable situations as bottlenecks, and inefficiencies that result from these mixes and policies. The joint use of detailed resource specifications and simulation supports rapid evaluation of human-intensive system designs. We evaluate our specification language and simulation framework in the healthcare domain, on a software system for managing a hospital emergency department.
Self-Expanding Metallic Stents for Malignant Hilar Biliary Obstruction

There is substantial controversy regarding the optimal method for diagnosis and palliation of jaundice with respect to timing, route, method, and extent of drainage of hilar tumors. Traditional methods of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) and drainage using standard opacification techniques and plastic stents have generally resulted in poor outcomes with ineffective palliation and frequent complications, especially cholangitis. Optimal results of diagnosis, staging, curative resection, and/or palliation are achieved using an advanced multidisciplinary team approach that incorporates maximal noninvasive imaging before any intervention is undertaken, especially MRCP. Hilar tumors can be classified into three main types based on the origin of the tumor: primary, local extension, or metastasis. Most patients are not candidates for resection, placing a premium on effective palliative drainage. ERCP is the primary modality for drainage. Ineffective drainage, regardless of route, and associated cholangitis are major determinants of early mortality. Increasing evidence suggests that metallic stents are superior to plastic stents for palliation of hilar malignant biliary obstruction in most circumstances, if optimally positioned. It remains unclear in which circumstances a single stent is sufficient for effective palliation and avoidance of cholangitis in excluded segments. With improvements in technology of guidewires, catheters, and particularly of metallic stents and their delivery systems, placement of more than one stent is technically feasible in the majority of circumstances.
Mitigating the Risks of Medicaid Work Requirements

Mitigating the Risks of Medicaid Work Requirements Work requirements represent uncharted territory for Medicaid enrollees and their doctors. The effects on health will depend on how well the requirements focus on enrollees who are healthy and able to work and whether effective work-related training and support are implemented.
Electroencephalography in primary progressive aphasia and apraxia of speech

Background: Past research has demonstrated that electroencephalography (EEG) is sensitive to what we now know as Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA); however, the EEG profiles of patients with Primar...
First Report of Alphapartitiviruses Infecting Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in the United States.

ABSTRACT Evidence is presented demonstrating that alfalfa cultivars in the United States could be widely infected with cryptic virus of the genus Alphapartitivirus. The nucleotide sequences of several U.S. isolates were obtained. The biological significance or negative effects of the virus on alfalfa are unknown and require further investigation.
Congenital heart defects and intensity of oil and gas well site activities in early pregnancy.

Abstract Background Preliminary studies suggest that offspring to mothers living near oil and natural gas (OG 2.1 (0.96, 4.5) and 4.0 (1.4, 12); and 3.4 (0.95, 12) and 4.6 (0.81, 26) times more likely than controls in the medium and high intensity groups. Conclusions This study provides further evidence of a positive association between maternal proximity to O&G well site activities and several types of CHDs, particularly in rural areas.
Robotic urethral reconstruction: redefining the paradigm of posterior urethroplasty

Outlet procedures for benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostate cancer therapy, and trauma can result in stenosis of the posterior urethra, a complex reconstructive problem that often fails conservative endoscopic management, necessitating more aggressive and definitive reconstructive solutions. This is typically done with an open technique which may require a combined abdominoperineal approach, pubectomy, and/or flap interposition. Implementation of a robot-assisted platform affords several potential advantages including smaller incisions, magnified field of vision, near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging to characterize tissue integrity, enhanced dexterity within the deep and narrow confines of the male pelvis, sparing of the perineal planes, and shorter convalescence. Herein, we describe important surgical considerations for robotic posterior urethral reconstruction.
CHAPTER 9 – Random Effects Models for Effect Sizes

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an analogue to random effects analysis of variance for effect size analyses. This model assumes that the population values of the effect size are samples from a distribution of effect size parameters. Thus, the observed variability in sample estimates of effect size is partly because of the variability in the underlying population parameters and partly because of the sampling error of the estimator about the parameter value. The chapter explains a method for obtaining unbiased estimates of the variance of population effect sizes, that is, the parameter variance component. It also presents a statistical test of the hypothesis that the variance in population effect sizes is zero. The chapter discusses the estimation of the mean of the effect size distribution and empirical Bayes estimation procedures for random effects models.
From natural disaster to pandemic: A health-system pharmacy rises to the challenge.

PURPOSE This report describes a health-system pharmacy's response to a natural disaster while staff members simultaneously prepared for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. By detailing our experience, we hope to help other institutions that are current facing or could encounter similar crises. SUMMARY In early March 2020, a tornado destroyed the health system's warehouse for storage of most clinical supplies, including personal protective equipment and fluids. The pharmacy purchasing team collaborated with suppliers and manufacturers to recover losses and establish alternative storage areas. Days later, the pharmacy department was forced to address the impending COVID-19 pandemic. Key elements of the COVID-19 response included reducing the potential for virus exposure for patients and staff; overcoming challenges in sourcing of staff, personal protective equipment, and medications; and changing care delivery practices to maintain high-quality patient care while maximizing social distancing. The pharmacy department also created distance learning opportunities for 70 pharmacy students on rotations. After an initial plan, ongoing needs include adjustment in patient care activities if significant staff losses occur, when and how to resume clinical activities, and how to best utilize the resources accumulated. Elements of practice changes implemented to reduce COVID-19 threats to patients and pharmacy personnel have proven beneficial and will be further evaluated for potential continuation. CONCLUSION The pharmacy department's efforts to respond to a natural disaster and unprecedented pandemic have proven successful to this point and have illuminated several lessons, including the necessity of cohesive department communication, staff flexibility, prioritization of teamwork, and external collaboration.
A Matter of Perspective: The Benefits to Students, Faculty, and Future Employers of Positioning Students as Consultants on Learning and Teaching

Perspective is a central tenet of seemingly disparate theories and practices: situated learning; communities of practice and legitimate peripheral participation; metacognition developed through ref...
In Memoriam: John J. Kavanagh (1947-2021)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. John Joseph Kavanagh (March 25, 2021). He graduated from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in 1975. After, Dr. Kavanagh completed a residency in internal medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in
GMM Efficiency and IPW Estimation for Nonsmooth Functions

In a GMM setting this paper analyzes the problem in which we have two sets of moment conditions, where two sets of parameters enter into one set of moment conditions, while only one set of parameters enters into the other, extending Prokhorov and Schmidt's (2009) redundancy results to nonsmooth objective functions, and obtains relatively efficient estimates of interesting parameters in the presence of nuisance parameters. One-step GMM estimation for both set of parameters is asymptotically more efficient than two-step procedures. These results are applied to Wooldridge's (2007) inverse probability weighted estimator (IPW), generalizing the framework to deal with missing data in this context. Two-step estimation of beta_0 is more efficient than using known probabilities of selection, but this is dominated by one-step joint estimation. Examples for missing data quantile regression and instrumental variable quantile regression are provided.
A Wake-Up Call for American Society or Have "The Chickens Just Come Home to Roost?": Essay Review of Charles Patrick Ewing's When Children Kill: The Dynamics of Juvenile Homicide

OF THE UNITED STATES: 1991 184 (I 11th ed.); No. 309, Drug Arrest Rates for Drug Abuse Violations, 1980 to 1989, and by Sex and Region, 1989; No. 310 Drug Removals, Laboratory Seizures, and Persons Indicated, by DEA: 1984 to 1989 (1991) (indicating a marked increase in seizures and arrests for 1984-1989).
On the Periphery of the Modern World: Village Life in Guatemala and Argentina

Beatriz Manz. Refugees of. Hidden War: The Aftermath of Counterinsurgency in Guatemala. Albany, NY: State University of New York, 1988. 282 pp. $49.00 (cloth); $16.95 (paper). Kirstin Hoffman Ruggiero. And Here the World Ends: The Life of an Argentine Village. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1988. xvii. 226 pp. $32.50 (cloth).
Proteomic analysis of age-dependent changes in protein solubility identifies genes that modulate lifespan.

Summary While it is generally recognized that misfolding of specific proteins can cause late-onset disease, the contribution of protein aggregation to the normal aging process is less well understood. To address this issue, a mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis was performed to identify proteins that adopt sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-insoluble conformations during aging in Caenorhabditis elegans. SDS-insoluble proteins extracted from young and aged C. elegans were chemically labeled by isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) and identified by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Two hundred and three proteins were identified as being significantly enriched in an SDS-insoluble fraction in aged nematodes and were largely absent from a similar protein fraction in young nematodes. The SDS-insoluble fraction in aged animals contains a diverse range of proteins including a large number of ribosomal proteins. Gene ontology analysis revealed highly significant enrichments for energy production and translation functions. Expression of genes encoding insoluble proteins observed in aged nematodes was knocked down using RNAi, and effects on lifespan were measured. 41% of genes tested were shown to extend lifespan after RNAi treatment, compared with 18% in a control group of genes. These data indicate that genes encoding proteins that become insoluble with age are enriched for modifiers of lifespan. This demonstrates that proteomic approaches can be used to identify genes that modify lifespan. Finally, these observations indicate that the accumulation of insoluble proteins with diverse functions may be a general feature of aging.
The Antislavery Discourse in the Autobiography (1840) of Juan Francisco Manzano (1797-1853), and the Novel Sab (1841) by Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda (1814-73)

Antislavery literature in Cuba experienced its major peak during the first half of the nineteenth century with the works of the well-known “circulodelmontino” led by the writer and progressive lawyer, Domingo del Monte. Joining this group were liberal thinkers, mostly from the Cuban bourgeoisie, who contributed to the creation of an abolitionist and emancipating the program essential for the total liberation of Cuban slaves in 1886. There were several works with this antislavery motif that were written by individuals who frequented said literary circle due to the requests made by Del Monte. Among the earliest works we find the famous novel by Anselmo Suarez y Romero, Francisco , written in 1839 and published in 1880; the Escenas de la vida privada en la isla de Cuba that Felix Tanco y Bosmeniel wrote in 1938, first published in 1925; and the Autobiography that Juan Francisco Manzano wrote in 1835 which was translated to English in 1840 and printed in Great Britain (Luis , Literary Bondage 1 ). These and other writings by attendees of “circulo delmontino,”, as well as the novel Sab by Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, written between 1836 and 1839, published in Madrid in 1841 (Servera 46), present a subversive counter-discourse toward the norms established by the Spanish Crown, which began to fall apart around the same time.
Valuation Risk, Control and the Public Financing of Entrepreneurial Firms

Entrepreneurial firms seeking public financing are typically intrinsically difficult to value, and investors are subject to valuation risk. Public firms, motivated by profitable acquisition opportunities, compete with stock markets (i.e., IPOs) in evaluating and financing such firms. We theoretically and empirically analyze the allocation of going-public firms between IPOs and acquisitions when there is valuation risk and costly information generation by investors. Owners of private firms trade off the loss of control from sellouts against IPO price discounts due to valuation risk. We empirically test the predictions from this framework on the universe of private firms (i.e., including those that choose not go public) in the UK during 1996-2006. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, but in contrast to the recent literature on merger and acquisition activity between publicly traded firms, stock market overvaluation and higher expected capital productivity have a negative influence on acquisitions of private firms, especially for family-owned and concentrated-ownership private firms. Moreover, other things held fixed, high valuation-risk firms are more likely to be acquired by public firms than do IPOs because public firms have greater incentives for increasing information investment for such firms compared with the dispersed owners in the stock market.
Guerilla ergonomics: perceiving the affordances for workplace design

A successful ergonomic intervention involves creating affordances that support safe, effective, productive and comfortable working conditions. Guerilla ergonomics entails creating the requisite affordances using objects that are readily available in the workplace. This often means using objects in ways not intended in their original design. As such this has the advantage of creating viable working conditions quickly and cheaply. Workers learn how to adapt quickly to new problems or changes in the work environment. Our research has shown that the perception of the affordance for an object's intended use can interfere with a person's ability to see other uses for the object. Practice in perceiving new uses for objects as well as compiling a directory of possible solutions may help overcome these limitations.
Engineered solubility tag for solution NMR of proteins

The low solubility of many proteins hinders large scale expression and purification as well as biophysical measurements. Here, we devised a general strategy to solubilize a protein by conjugating it at a solvent-exposed position to a 6 kDa protein that was re-engineered to be highly soluble. We applied this method to the CARD domain of Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), which represents one member of a class of proteins that are notoriously prone to aggregation. Attachment of the tag to a cysteine residue, introduced by site-directed mutagenesis at its self-association interface, improved the solubility of the ASC CARD over 50-fold under physiological conditions. Although it is not possible to use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to obtain a high quality 2D correlation spectrum of the wild type domain under physiological conditions, we demonstrate that NMR relaxation parameters of the solubilized variant are sufficiently improved to facilitate virtually any demanding measurement. The method shown here represents a straightforward approach for dramatically increasing protein solubility, enabled by ease of labeling as well as flexibility in tag placement with minimal perturbation to the target. © 2013 The Protein Society
Biophysical basis of the phase response curve of subthalamic neurons with generalization to other cell types

Experimental evidence indicates that the response of subthalamic neurons to excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) is well described by their infinitesimal phase response curves (iPRC). However, the factors controlling the shape of that iPRC, and hence controlling the way subthalamic neurons respond to synaptic input, are unclear. We developed a biophysical model of subthalamic neurons to aid in the understanding of their iPRCs; this model exhibited an iPRC type common to many subthalamic cells. We devised a method for deriving its iPRC from its biophysical properties that clarifies how these different properties interact to shape the iPRC. This method revealed why the response of subthalamic neurons is well approximated by their iPRCs and how that approximation becomes less accurate under strong fluctuating input currents. It also connected iPRC structure to aspects of cellular physiology that could be estimated in simple current-clamp experiments. This allowed us to directly compare the iPRC predicted by our theory with the iPRC estimated from the response to EPSPs or current pulses in individual cells. We found that theoretically predicted iPRCs agreed well with estimates derived from synaptic stimuli, but not with those estimated from the response to somatic current injection. The difference between synaptic currents and those applied experimentally at the soma may arise from differences in the dynamics of charge redistribution on the dendrites and axon. Ultimately, our approach allowed us to identify novel ways in which voltage-dependent conductances interact with AHP conductances to influence synaptic integration that will apply to a wide range of cell types.
Induction by UV-light of sectored and non-sectored petite mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract The production by UV-light of petite mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was observed by the tetrazolium dye reduction method. The total mutant population, which rose exponentially as the 1.86 power of the dosage, was divided into two classes based on the appearance of the colonies after treatment with the tetrazolium overlay. One class, in which the entire colony failed to reduce the dye (non-sectored) and remained white, rose as the square of the dosage. The other class, in which only a portion of the colony reduced tetrazolium to produce a red color (sectored), rose in proportion to the dosage. These results were interpreted to show that sectored and non-sectored mutants induced by UV-light follow single and two-hit kinetics, respectively. The two events leading to a non-sectored mutant are not identical to two of the single events leading to a sectored mutant acting in concert. Furthermore, the kinetic model presented can be explained by assuming that lethal sectoring is the mechanism responsible for the second of the two events required for a non-sectored mutant colony.
Effect of morphine on regional levels of gamma-hydroxybutyrate in mouse brain☆

Abstract Four experiments were performed on 340 male CFI mice to determine the effects of morphine and other agents on brain gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) levels. Gas Chromatographic analysis demonstrated that (1) morphine produced a significant elevation of GHB levels, (2) the increase occurred primarily in “subcortical” areas, (3) these effects were blocked by pretreatment with naloxone, (4) nonanalgesics failed to produce the same effect, (5) the effect failed to occur in morphine-tolerant animals, (6) the dose-response curve of the effect of morphine on GHB was nonlinear, and (7) brain levels following morphine roughly follow the time course of analgesia.
Preparation of free-standing high quality mesoporous carbon membranes

Flat-sheet mesoporous carbon membranes with uniform pore size (e.g., 6.4 nm) and controllable thickness were prepared by pyrolysis of polymeric composite films, which were formed by self-assembly of phenolic resin and block copolymer under acidic conditions. Hexamethylenetetramine was selected as a solid cross-linker to control the rheology of polymeric carbon precursors so that the flat-sheet polymeric films could undergo carbonization without deformation, ensuring the preparation of mesoporous carbon membranes on a large scale with high quality. Gas transport properties through these mesoporous carbon membranes are also reported.
Questions Teachers Ask

less desirable behavior would likely result.1 6 In deciding which advice to accept, that of the peer group or that of the parents, the adolescent shapes a philosophy and outlook on life that is uniquely his own. During early adolescence he may blindly accept and do what the peer decides, but as he grows older he learns to choose what seems correct to him, whether it comes from the peer group or from his parents or a combination of both. Parents and teachers should realize the
A Comparative Approach to Performance Management: Contrasting the Experience of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States

Abstract Despite the use of the same vocabulary and seemingly similar agendas, the experience of these three countries cannot be comprehended without attention to the different contexts in which the countries operate. This paper focuses on the experience in these three English speaking countries dealing with the structure or context of the institutional arrangements, the process of defining outcomes, issues related to timing, availability and investment in data systems, predominant values that are at play, experience with gaming, and accountability arrangements. It provides thumbnail sketches of the framework and experience of these three countries and compares their experience in performance management. While there are significant differences that emerge from contextual variety, there are some shared dynamics in the three systems. I call these “normal tensions” in the system. Yet these tensions have been largely ignored in the performance management movement.
Computation of shock-induced combustion using a detailed methane-air mechanism

The shock-induced combustion of methane-air mixtures in hypersonic flows is investigated using a new reaction mechanism consisting of 19 reacting species and 52 elementary reactions. This reduced model is derived from a full kinetic mechanism via the detailed reduction technique. Zero-dimensional computations of several shocktube experiments are presented first. The computed values for ignition delay and flame speed are in close agreement with experimental data and with results obtained using a full mechanism. The new reaction mechanism is then combined with a fully implicit Navier-Stokes CFD code to simulate two-dimensional and axisymmetric shock-induced combustion experiments of stoichiometric methane-air mixtures at a Mach number of M = 6.61. Good agreement with the experiments is obtained. Furthermore, it is shown that previous calculations were unable to accurately predict this type of flow due to their use of severely limited reduced chemical mechanisms. Finally, applications to the ram accelerator concept are also presented, based on a novel double-ramp configuration.
Characteristics of Fire Scenarios in Which Sublethal Effects of Smoke are Important

A number of simulations were performed using the CFAST zone fire model to predict the relative times at which smoke inhalation and heat exposure would result in incapacitation. Fires in three building types were modeled: a ranch house, a hotel, and an office building. Gas species yields and rates of heat release for these design fires were derived from a review of real-scale fire test data. The incapacitation equations were taken from draft 14 of ISO document 13571. Sublethal effects of smoke were deemed important when incapacitation from smoke inhalation occurred before harm from thermal effects occurred. Real-scale HCl yield data were incorporated as available; the modeling indicated that the yield would need to be 5 to 10 times higher for incapacitation from HCl to precede incapacitation from narcotic gases, including CO CO2, HCN and reduce O2.
Quality K-6 Education: Koalaty Style

The Koalaty Kid approach to managing the education process for elementary school-age children in grades kindergarten through sixth grade has proven to be a powerful positive change agent. The Koalaty Kid approach is much more than a program; it is a way..
Novel Combinatorial Interactions of GATA-1, PU.1, and C/EBPε Isoforms Regulate Transcription of the Gene Encoding Eosinophil Granule Major Basic Protein

GATA-1 and the ets factor PU.1 have been reported to functionally antagonize one another in the regulation of erythroidversus myeloid gene transcription and development. The CCAAT enhancer binding protein e (C/EBPe) is expressed as multiple isoforms and has been shown to be essential to myeloid (granulocyte) terminal differentiation. We have defined a novel synergistic, as opposed to antagonistic, combinatorial interaction between GATA-1 and PU.1, and a unique repressor role for certain C/EBPe isoforms in the transcriptional regulation of a model eosinophil granulocyte gene, the major basic protein (MBP). The eosinophil-specific P2 promoter of the MBP gene contains GATA-1, C/EBP, and PU.1 consensus sites that bind these factors in nuclear extracts of the eosinophil myelocyte cell line, AML14.3D10. The promoter is transactivated by GATA-1 alone but is synergistically transactivated by low levels of PU.1 in the context of optimal levels of GATA-1. The C/EBPe27 isoform strongly represses GATA-1 activity and completely blocks GATA-1/PU.1 synergy. In vitro mutational analyses of the MBP-P2 promoter showed that both the GATA-1/PU.1 synergy, and repressor activity of C/EBPe27 are mediated via protein-protein interactions through the C/EBP and/or GATA-binding sites but not the PU.1 sites. Co-immunoprecipitations using lysates of AML14.3D10 eosinophils show that both C/EBPe32/30 and e27 physically interact in vivo with PU.1 and GATA-1, demonstrating functional interactions among these factors in eosinophil progenitors. Our findings identify novel combinatorial protein-protein interactions for GATA-1, PU.1, and C/EBPe isoforms in eosinophil gene transcription that include GATA-1/PU.1 synergy and repressor activity for C/EBPe27.
Three new species of Lysipomia (Lobeliaceae) endemic to the páramos of southern Ecuador

Three species of Lysipomia, L. caespitosa, L. cylindrocarpa, and L. speciosa, from a tropical alpine ecosystem called paramo, are described, illustrated, and compared to related species. Notes on morphology, especially floral presentation, and general ecology are given where possible. A published key to the species in Ecuador is revised to include the three new species plus L. multiflora McVaugh, a species previously known only from northern Peru.
Potassium Channels and the Atomic Basis of Selective Ion Conduction

All living cells are surrounded by a thin, approximately 40 A thick lipid bilayer called the cell membrane. The cell membrane holds the contents of a cell in one place so that the chemistry of life can occur, but it is a barrier to the movement of certain essential ingredients including the ions Na, K, Ca, and Cl. The barrier to ion flow across the membrane—known as the dielectric barrier—can be understood at an intuitive level: the interior of the cell membrane comprises an oily substance and ions are more stable in water than in oil. The energetic preference of an ion for water arises from the electric field around the ion and its interaction with neighboring molecules. Water is an electrically polarizable substance, which means that its molecules rearrange in an ion’s electric field so that negative oxygen atoms point in the direction of cations and positive hydrogen atoms point toward anions. These electrically stabilizing interactions are much weaker in a less polarizable substance such as oil. Thus, an ion will tend to stay in the water on either side of a cell membrane rather than enter and cross the membrane. Yet numerous cellular processes, ranging from electrolyte transport across epithelia to electrical signal production in neurons, depend on the flow of ions across the membrane. To mediate the flow, specific protein catalysts known as ion channels exist in the cell membrane. Ion channels exhibit the following three essential properties: (1) they conduct ions rapidly; (2) many ion channels are highly selective, which means only certain ion species flow while others are excluded; (3) their function is regulated by processes known as gating, that is, ion conduction is turned on and off in response to specific environmental stimuli. Fig. 1 summarizes these properties. The modern history of ion channels began in 1952 when Hodgkin and Huxley published their seminal papers on the theory of the action potential in the squid giant axon [1–4]. A fundamental element of their theory was that the axon membrane undergoes changes in its permeability to Na and K ions. The Hodgkin–Huxley theory did not address the mechanism by which changes in the membrane perme-
On the control of linear systems by two competitive controllers with different performance objectives

The problem of controlling a linear dynamic system by two competitive controllers having different quadratic performance indexes is formulated and investigated, Majorant control and minorant control programs are proposed.