cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular recognition by calmodulin: pressure-induced reorganization of a novel calmodulin-peptide complex.

The interaction of apocalmodulin (apoCaM) with a peptide (Neurop) based on the primary sequence of the calmodulin-binding domain of neuromodulin has been studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. The 1:1 complex (12 microM) formed between apoCaM and the Neurop peptide is extremely sensitive to salt and is half dissociated in less than 0.1 M KCl, suggesting that electrostatic interactions contribute strongly to complex formation. Ion pair interactions are frequently sensitive to high hydrostatic pressure due to electrostriction effects in the solvated ion state. Application of high pressure to the apoCaM.Neurop complex causes a red shift of the Neurop tryptophan emission center of mass and a reduced residual anisotropy but with insignificant reduction in quantum yield. The transition is smooth, reversible, and apparently two-state with a midpoint pressure of approximately 0.8 kbar. The residual anisotropy, quantum yield, and center of mass of the emission spectrum are consistent with the movement of the tryptophan side chain to a more solvated, slightly less restricted environment upon the pressure-induced transition. The pressure effect is independent of the concentration of the complex. These and other data are consistent with the pressure-induced reorganization being a unimolecular event not requiring dissociation of the complex. A volume change of approximately 66 mL mol-1 and a free energy change of approximately 1.7 kcal mol-1 are associated with the reorganization. The residual interactions maintaining the complex under high pressure are characterized by low standard molar volume and/or high standard free energy changes upon disruption but are destroyed by 200 mM KCl. It is postulated that the main effect of salt on the complex at high pressure is to drive the collapse of the hydrophobic pocket to which the peptide is binding.
A solution for the contact between two spherical particles undergoing large deformation

A unit model consisting of two particles in contact and under compression, leading to the development of an internal state variable (ISV) constitutive model incorporating the particle-to-particle contact during large deformations, is studied. Following Matthews' approximation that a general form of the Hertz elastic contact solution holds for nonlinear materials, an analytical solution based on the ISV constitutive model and valid for the small contact stage is first derived for the unit problem. To account for large contact areas, the analytical solution is modified based on numerical results obtained from a detailed finite element analysis of the compression of two identical spherical aluminum particles in contact. A set of unified relations is derived from this analysis that accounts for the strain rate effects and accurately represents the particle-to-particle contact behavior for both small and large contact areas. The performance of the proposed model is validated through comparisons with detailed numerical results obtained for a wide range of strain rates.
The Dimensionality of Language Ability in School-Age Children

Purpose This study asked if children’s performance on language tests reflects different dimensions of language and if this dimensionality changes with development. Method Children were given standardized language batteries at kindergarten and at second, fourth, and eighth grades. A revised modified parallel analysis was used to determine the dimensionality of these items at each grade level. A confirmatory factor analysis was also performed on the subtest scores to evaluate alternate models of dimensionality. Results The revised modified parallel analysis revealed a single dimension across items with evidence of either test specific or language area specific minor dimensions at different ages. The confirmatory factor analysis tested models involving modality (receptive or expressive) and domain (vocabulary or sentence use) against a single-dimension model. The 2-dimensional model involving domains of vocabulary and sentence use fit the data better than the single-dimensional model; however, the single-dim...
Amylase distribution in extrapancreatic, extrasalivary tissues.

Abstract 1. 1. The distribution of amylase in the serum and tissues of pancreatectomized-salivarectomized rats is essentially the same as in the normal except for the gastrointestinal tract. 2. 2. Calculations from tissue amylase to serum amylase ratios and extracellular fluid contents indicate that the liver in the rat, mouse, guinea pig, and dog, and muscle in the mouse and guinea pig have intracellular amylase. 3. 3. Tissue and serum amylase activities are essentially the same in pH 7.0 phosphate and pH 7.6 Veronal buffers, except for muscle and pancreas. 4. 4. No detectable amylase is added to the blood passing through the ungs of dogs.
McSustainability and McJustice: Certification, Alternative Food and Agriculture, and Social Change

Alternative food and agriculture movements increasingly rely on market-based approaches, particularly voluntary standards and certification, to advance environmental sustainability and social justice. Using a case study of an ecological shrimp project in Indonesia that became certified organic, this paper raises concerns regarding the impacts of certification on alternative food and agriculture movements, and their aims of furthering sustainability and justice. Drawing on George Ritzer’s McDonaldization framework, I argue that the ecological shrimp project became McDonaldized with the introduction of voluntary standards and certification. Specifically, efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control became key characteristics of the shrimp project. While the introduction of such characteristics increased market access, it also entailed significant costs, including an erosion of trust and marginalization and alienation of farmers. Given such tradeoffs, in concluding I propose that certification is producing particular forms of environmental sustainability and social justice, what I term McSustainability and McJustice. While enabling the expansion of alternative food and agriculture, McSustainability and McJustice tend to allow little opportunity for farmer empowerment and food sovereignty, as well as exclude aspects of sustainable farming or ethical production that are not easily measured, standardized, and validated.
A high-level performance analysis of the IBM subsystem control block (SCB) architecture

Abstract With the use of new intelligent adapters, advanced bus architectures, and powerful microprocessors, the latest personal computers need a new architecture to coordinate the transfers of command and control information, data, and status between their system components in the most efficient manner. To this end, IBM has defined the Subsystem Control Block (SCB) architecture. In this paper, we would like to present our modeling approach to analyze the operational and performance characteristics of this architecture and its two operating modes, the Locate Mode and the Move Mode. The models, which were implemented using the IBM Research Queueing Package (RESQ), are described, and the results obtained from the models are presented. The analysis of these results demonstrates the capability of the SCB architecture to handle large amounts of data in a LAN-server environment, and the superiority of the Move Mode over the Locate Mode as defined in the architecture.
The nervous system's potential role in multiple sclerosis associated bone loss

Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients; the pathogenesis of this disease being poorly understood in the context of MS. Osteoporosis is seen more frequently in MS patients than in healthy controls matched for age and sex. Extensively studied factors, including impaired ambulation and the use of steroids, do not appear to completely account for the phenomenon. This review summarizes common risk factors, physiologic and genetic, that may contribute to the etiology and progression of osteoporosis in MS patients as well as providing insight into nervous system control of bone metabolism and homeostasis.
Field containment in dynamic wireless charging systems through source-reciever interaction

This paper presents a new topology appropriate for dynamic wireless charging of electric vehicles. We propose a source coil made from multiple lumped coils powered by a single inverter, with the receiver coil mounted on the vehicle. The proposed system uses the reflected reactance from the receiver to automatically limit the field strength in uncoupled portions of the source-receiver system, thus allowing the system to more easily meet the electromagnetic field emission standards without complex shielding circuits, switches, electronics and communication systems. The power transfer is at its peak when the source-receiver coils pair is strongly coupled resulting in improved system-level efficiency. The analysis is supported by simulation and experiments.
Development of an Integrated Building Load-Ground Source Heat Pump Model as a Test Bed to Assess Short- and Long-Term Heat Pump and Ground Loop Performance

An integrated building load-ground source heat pump model is developed in this paper to serve as a test bed for assessing the short- and long-term performance of GSHP and HGSHP systems with vertical boreholes. The model uses the Simulink/Matlab environment to take advantage of their built-in functionality, allowing for full coupling of the component building load, heat pump, ground loop, and supplemental heat rejection models at every time step The building load model uses the HAMBASE thermal program which can model residential and commercial buildings. The heat pump model uses available data provided by GSHP manufacturers and sensible heat corrections to accurately model operation across a wide range of input conditions. The vertical borehole ground loop model is based on Eskillsons g-function model, but includes a one-dimensional numerical model by Xu to calculate the short-term thermal response of the borehole and ground. The supplemental heat rejection section allows various techniques to be tested. The integrated model captures system performance over a wide range of time scales from seconds to 10–20 years. Results of a 15-year simulation are presented to illustrate the different time scale information that reveal the slow degradation in system performance due to the effects of ground heating.© 2012 ASME
The Sin of Sloth or the Illness of the Demons? The Demon of Acedia in Early Christian Monasticism

The demon of acedia holds an important place in early monastic demonology and psychology. Evagrius of Pontus (ca. 345–399), for example, characterizes it as “the most troublesome of all” of the eight genera of demonic thoughts ( ). He goes so far as to characterize it as the commander of the demonic host arrayed against the monastic, which distracts the monastic with persistent thoughts. From the monastic demonology of Evagrius, especially as transmitted through his Latin-speaking protege John Cassian, acedia—equated by Evagrius with the “noonday demon” ( ) of Ps 90:6 In the medieval Latin tradition of the seven deadly sins, acedia has generally been understood as the sin of sloth. Moral theologians, intellectual historians, and cultural critics have variously construed acedia—or “accidie,” among other English spellings—as the ancient depiction of a variety of psychological states, behaviors, or existential conditions: primarily laziness, ennui, or boredom. Still others have attempted to place acedia within the context of Evagrius's highly idiosyncratic anthropology, or they have tried to situate it in the controversies over monastic itinerancy. More recently, acedia has been considered analogous to the modern clinical condition of depression. Andrew Solomon, notably, draws explicitly on the Evagrian monastic tradition for the title of his recent study, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression .
Spatial and temporal variation in a suite of life‐history traits in two species of wolf spider

1. Life-history traits and density were assayed in seven populations of two sympatric species of wolf spider for three consecutive years. The goal of the study was to quantify population dynamics and its relation to spatial and temporal life-history variation. 2. Adult female body size and fecundity varied significantly, among field sites and among years, in both species. Female spiders of both species differed in mean relative reproductive effort among sites, but not among years. The size of offspring was invariable, with no significant differences due to site or year. 3. All populations of both species tended to either decrease or increase in density during a given year and this was tightly correlated with changes in prey consumption rates. 4. Since life-history patterns are determined primarily by selection, it is concluded that size at sexual maturity for females is phenotypically plastic and responds to changes in prey availability. Offspring size however is not plastic and it is likely that other selection forces have determined offspring size. Temporal fluctuations in population size are correlated over a large area relative to dispersal capabilities for these species and conservation efforts for invertebrates must take this into consideration.
Blood, Sweat, and TEARS: 50 Years of Technology Implementation Obstacles

eachers today face significant obstacles in their attempts to implement and integrate technology in their classroom. Unfortunately, there is historical evidence that these obstacles have remained virtually unchanged over the last 50 years. During the post-World War II era, a prominent new technology in the classroom was f'flm. Cuban (1986) identified four obstacles which stifled increased film usage in the classroom: �9 funding and fitting the right i~flm to the curriculum,
Clinical Isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis Concurrently Infected by Strains of Up to Four Trichomonasvirus Species (Family Totiviridae)

Trichomonas vaginalis, which causes the most common nonviral sexually transmitted disease worldwide, is itself commonly infected by nonsegmented double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses from the genus Trichomonasvirus, family Totiviridae. To date, cDNA sequences of one or more strains of each of three trichomonasvirus species have been reported, and gel electrophoresis showing several different dsRNA molecules obtained from a few T. vaginalis isolates has suggested that more than one virus strain might concurrently infect the same parasite cell. Here, we report the complete cDNA sequences of 3 trichomonasvirus strains, one from each of the 3 known species, infecting a single, agar-cloned clinical isolate of T. vaginalis, confirming the natural capacity for concurrent (in this case, triple) infections in this system. We furthermore report the complete cDNA sequences of 11 additional trichomonasvirus strains, from 4 other clinical isolates of T. vaginalis. These additional strains represent the three known trichomonasvirus species, as well as a newly identified fourth species. Moreover, 2 of these other T. vaginalis isolates are concurrently infected by strains of all 4 trichomonasvirus species (i.e., quadruple infections). In sum, the full-length cDNA sequences of these 14 new trichomonasviruses greatly expand the existing data set for members of this genus and substantiate our understanding of their genome organizations, protein-coding and replication signals, diversity, and phylogenetics. The complexity of this virus-host system is greater than has been previously well recognized and suggests a number of important questions relating to the pathogenesis and disease outcomes of T. vaginalis infections of the human genital mucosa.
Some finiteness conditions in lattices—using nonstandard proof methods

We discuss the application of nonstandard methods to local versions of certain lattice notions. In a particular case, we find that imposition of certain local conditions imply a surprising global one, namely boundedness of the given lattice.
A Hamiltonian-Jacobi algorithm

The nonsymmetric Jacobi iteration is adapted to the special structure of Hamiltonian matrices. This Hamiltonian-Jacobi algorithm uses symplectic-unitary similarity transformations to solve algebraic Riccati equations through the Hamiltonian-Schur form. It preserves Hamiltonian structure without using a condensed form. Although it converges too slowly for use on conventional serial computers, it may be attractive for some highly parallel architectures. >
Lymphatic fluid: exchange mechanisms and regulation.

Abstract Regulation of fluid and material movement between the vascular space of microvessels penetrating functioning organs and the cells therein has been studied extensively. Unanswered questions as to the regulatory mechanisms and routes remain. Significantly less is known about the lymphatic vascular system given the difficulties in seeing, no less isolating, these vessels lying deeper in these same tissues. It has become evident that the exchange microvasculature is not simply a passive biophysical barrier separating the vascular and interstitial compartments but a dynamic, multicellular structure subject to acute regulation and chronic adaptation to stimuli including inflammation, sepsis, diabetes, injury, hypoxia and exercise. Similarly lymphatic vessels range, in their simplest form, from lymphatic endothelium attached to the interstitial matrix, to endothelia and phasic lymphatic smooth muscle that act as Starling resistors. Recent work has demonstrated that among the microvascular lymphatic elements, the collecting lymphatics have barrier properties similar to venules, and thus participate in exchange. As with venules, vasoactive agents can alter both the permeability and contractile properties thereby setting up previously unanticipated gradients in the tissue space and providing potential targets for the pharmacological prevention and/or resolution of oedema.
Resource Mobilization Through Ethnic Networks: Kinship and Friendship Ties of Shopkeepers in England

Shopkeepers have social networks composed of ties to many others: Family, friends, customers, suppliers, employees, and moneylenders. We examine how ties to family and friends affect three aspects of entrepreneurship for Asian and white shop owners in four English cities: Business foundings, business success, and business turnover. Social ties are important for all three processes in both groups. An implication of our research is that the comparative study of immigrant and native groups shifts the focus from group differences to group similarities. Studies examining only immigrants may find apparently distinctive characteristics, but, in fact, many traits are common to all small-business owners, given the turbulent environment they face.
Faculty Evaluations by Medicine Residents Using Known versus Anonymous Systems.

Purpose. This study examined the extent to which faculty evaluation results differed, based on whether residents were required to submit ratings anonymously or not. Method. We used a retrospective analysis of existing records representing Internal Medicine residents’ evaluation of 51 faculty members in an anonymous and known (non-anonymous) rater system on an inpatient medicine service. Results. Mean scores for 48 of 51 individuals were lower for anonymous than non-anonymous evaluations. The mean scores were as follows: Anonymous = 5.4 (95 % CI, 5.2-5.6); Nonanonymous = 6.1 (95 % CI, 5.9-6.3). Regression analysis of mean scores for non-anonymous evaluations against those for anonymous evaluations revealed a significant relationship (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). Conclusions. Faculty evaluations completed anonymously by residents are significantly lower than those for which resident identities were known. Given the strong, significant relationship between individual faculty members’ evaluation ratings from both systems, other factors influencing evaluations should be considered. No subgroups suffered more under anonymous rankings.
Fourier Transform Light Scattering of Biological Structure and Dynamics

We review the principle and application of Fourier transform light scattering (FTLS), a new technique developed in our laboratory to study static and dynamic light scattering (DLS) from the biological tissues and live cells. The results demonstrate that FTLS has significant benefits over existing light scattering techniques in terms of sensitivity and resolution. We anticipate that FTLS will set the basis for disease diagnosis based on the intrinsic tissue optical properties and provide an efficient tool for quantifying cell structures and dynamics.
An Eulerian path approach to local multiple alignment for DNA sequences

Expensive computation in handling a large number of sequences limits the application of local multiple sequence alignment. We present an Eulerian path approach to local multiple alignment for DNA sequences. The computational time and memory usage of this approach is approximately linear to the total size of sequences analyzed; hence, it can handle thousands of sequences or millions of letters simultaneously. By constructing a De Bruijn graph, most of the conserved segments are amplified as heavy Eulerian paths in the graph, and the original patterns distributed in sequences are recovered even if they do not exist in any single sequence. This approach can accurately detect unknown conserved regions, for both short and long, conserved and degenerate patterns. We further present a Poisson heuristic to estimate the significance of a local multiple alignment. The performance of our method is demonstrated by finding Alu repeats in the human genome. We compare the results with Alus marked by repeatmasker, where the two programs are in good agreement. Our method is robust under various conditions and superior to other methods in terms of efficiency and accuracy.
Control of discrete-time systems with uncertain parameters

One of the fundamental problems in system design is synthesis of control structures that stabilize uncertain systems and guarantee robust performance. This paper presents a general framework for treating a robust control problem for uncertain discrete-time systems. The reason and importance of designing the digital algorithms is microprocessors realizations of control structures. This paper derives robust strategies via the Lyapunov theory and dynamic programming, and new results are presented. Conditions for the existence of robust controllers and Lyapunov functions are formulated, and design procedures are developed. To illustrate the practical use of the explored design tool, an example of synthesis and analysis of an electric drive with a single-phase induction motor is reported.
Consistency of daily cigarette smoking amount in dependent adults.

Self-reported cigarettes per day (CPD) is a very common screening, as well as dependent or independent, measure in clinical and non-clinical research on smoking, but consistency of CPD across days in dependent smokers is uncertain. Adult dependent smokers (N=357; 170 men, 187 women) retrospectively reported “usual” CPD at screening and then prospectively self-monitored CPD on 3 consecutive days of one week during an ad libitum baseline period. Participants were those recruited for later tests of brief medication effects in those with high (n=170) versus low (n=187) interest in quitting smoking soon (within 3 months). Consistency was determined by intraclass correlation (ICC). Prospective daily CPD was generally consistent (ICC = 0.78, 95% CI of 0.74–0.81), but CPD changed (increase or decrease) by 5 cigarettes/day or more in 40% of participants and by at least 10/day in 10%. Consistency in CPD was greater in higher dependent smokers and in women with low (vs. high) quit interest, but consistency tended to be greater in men with high (vs. low) quit interest. Although retrospectively reported CPD at screening was consistent with the overall mean for prospectively monitored daily CPD, 15% of participants differed by at least 5/day between methods, and digit bias was twice as likely with retrospective versus prospective CPD, which was at chance levels. Understanding variability in CPD may improve knowledge of dependence and factors that foster or discourage daily smoking amount, but precise assessment of daily CPD likely requires prospective monitoring.
Testing whether two Fisher distributions have the same centre

SUMMARY We computed by simulation the null distributions and power function of 10 statistics for comparing the mean directions of two Fisher distributions for various sample sizes and concentrations. 10000 simulations were used for each null distribution and for each degree of angular separation out to 40°. The statistics have been suggested by, or are variations of suggestions of, McFadden & Lowes (1981) (which we show are not conditional as they insisted) and Watson (1956, 1983).
Heracles: a tool for fast RTL-based design space exploration of multicore processors

This paper presents Heracles, an open-source, functional, parameterized, synthesizable multicore system toolkit. Such a multi/many-core design platform is a powerful and versatile research and teaching tool for architectural exploration and hardware-software co-design. The Heracles toolkit comprises the soft hardware (HDL) modules, application compiler, and graphical user interface. It is designed with a high degree of modularity to support fast exploration of future multicore processors of dierent topologies, routing schemes, processing elements (cores), and memory system organizations. It is a component-based framework with parameterized interfaces and strong emphasis on module reusability. The compiler toolchain is used to map C or C++ based applications onto the processing units. The GUI allows the user to quickly congure and launch a system instance for easy factorial development and evaluation. Hardware modules are implemented in synthesizable Verilog and are FPGA platform independent. The Heracles tool is freely available under the open-source MIT license at: http://projects.csail.mit.edu/heracles.
Kinetics and mechanism for the thermal chlorination of chloroform in the gas phase: Inclusion of HCl elimination from CHCl3

HCl elimination from chloroform is shown to be the lowest energy channel for initiation in the thermal conversion of chloroform to CCl4, with chlorine gas in the temperature range of 573–635 K. Literature data on this reaction is surveyed and we further estimate its kinetic parameters using ab initio and density functional calculations at the G3//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level. Rate constants are estimated and reported as functions of pressure and temperature using quantum RRK theory for k(E) and master equation analysis for fall-off. The high-pressure limit rate constant of this channel is k(CHCl3 1CCl2 + HCl) = 5.84 × 1040 × T−8.7 exp(−63.9 kcal/mol/RT) s−1, which is in good agreement with literature values. The reactions of 1CCl2 with itself, with CCl3, and with CHCl3 are incorporated in a detailed mechanistic analysis for the CHCl3 + Cl2 reaction system. Inclusion of these reactions does not significantly change the mechanism predictions of Cl2 concentration profiles in previous studies (Huybrechts, Hubin, and Van Mele, Int J Chem Kinet 2000, 32, 466) over the temperature range of 573–635 K; but Cl2, CHCl3, C2Cl6 species profiles are significantly different at elevated temperatures. Inclusion of the 1CCl2 + Cl2 CCl3 + Cl reaction (abstraction and chain branching), which is found to have dramatic effects on the ability of the model to match to the experimental data, is discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 647–660, 2003
Low Self-Control and Fraud: Offending, Victimization, and Their Overlap

Extant research demonstrates that offending and victim populations overlap to some degree, suggesting that a common underlying factor partially explains both outcomes. The current study tests whether low self-control explains the overlap in fraud offending and victimization exposure. Using cross-sectional survey data from a sample of undergraduate students (N = 305), the results from the regression models show that low self-control is associated with fraud offending. The findings also show that individuals with lower levels of self-control report that they are more likely to behave in ways that elevate their exposure to fraud victimization. Finally, in the fraud offending—victimization exposure multivariate models, the partial regression coefficient for low self-control is positive and statistically significant. In short, the findings demonstrate that the overlap between fraud offending and victimization exposure is partially explained by low self-control.
Simple models for piston-type micromirror behavior

Parallel-plate electrostatic actuators are a simple way to achieve piston motion for large numbers of mirrors in spatial light modulators. However, selection of design parameters is made difficult by their nonlinear behavior. This paper presents simple models for predicting static and dynamic behaviors of fixed–fixed parallel-plate electrostatic actuators. Static deflection equations are derived based on minimization of the total potential energy of the beam. Beam bending, residual stress, beam stretch and applied electrostatic force are included in the potential energy formulation. Computation time is reduced by working with assumed mode shapes. The problem of predicting midpoint beam deflection has been reduced to finding the roots of a third-order equation. Model results are compared to finite-element analysis results. In the dynamic analysis, Lagrange's method is used to derive the nonlinear equation of motion. An equation for predicting natural frequency, assuming small midpoint deflections about a dc setpoint, is presented. In addition, the effect of gas pressure on the damped natural frequency of a rigid actuator is analyzed. Experimental measurements of static deflection and frequency response are compared to model predictions. The actual micromirrors exhibit less strain stiffening than the model predicts.
Studies of Intrabronchial Particle Deposition Using Hollow Bronchial Casts

The dose to the bronchial epithelium from inhaled carcinogens is unknown. One major reason is that the distribution of the deposited particles along the bronchial tree has never been adequately determined. We are studying the γ-tagged particle deposition at various levels in a hollow tracheobronchial tree cast, prepared from a freshly excised human lung, which extends to airways of 2 mm diameter. Three multiple convergent channel (“focusing”) collimators permit measurements in individual airway segments along the bronchial tree. Monodisperse ferric oxide microspheres tagged with 99mTc are “inhaled” by the cast which is used repeatedly in tests with various flowrates and particle sizes. Estimates of the average surface doses to the bronchial epithelium along the tube lengths and at the bifurcations have been obtained.
Mother-Child Communication Quality during Language Brokering: Validation of Four Measures of Brokering Interaction Goals.

One hundred dyads of low-income, Spanish-speaking mothers and their bilingual children (age = 12-18; M = 14.12, SD = 1.89) who have language brokered for the mother (i.e., culturally or linguistically mediated between the mother and English speakers) were surveyed. Multiple goals theory posits that mothers and children who do not recognize and attend to instrumental, relational, and identity interaction goals during language brokering have lower communication quality and thus experience negative repercussions. Four instruments were developed and validated for situationally relevant brokering interaction goals (BIG) of children (BIG-C), mothers (BIG-M), child perception of mother goals (BIG-CM), and mother perception of child goals (BIG-MC). Each measure included a subset of goals (e.g., BIG-C included five goals: respect mother, respect English speaker, alter messages, act American, and act Latino/a). Mothers and children pursued multiple, conflicting goals, but inaccurately perceived each other’s goals. ...
Biaxially Loaded Reinforced Concrete Columns

Numerical procedure to determine actual stress and strain distribution of given or tentatively selected reinforced concrete section subjected to compressive axial load and bending moments in both directions about principal axes; investigation is based on ultimate strength theories of V.P.JENSEN and E.HOGNESTAD.
High-performance integrated virtual environment (HIVE): a robust infrastructure for next-generation sequence data analysis

The High-performance Integrated Virtual Environment (HIVE) is a distributed storage and compute environment designed primarily to handle next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. This multicomponent cloud infrastructure provides secure web access for authorized users to deposit, retrieve, annotate and compute on NGS data, and to analyse the outcomes using web interface visual environments appropriately built in collaboration with research and regulatory scientists and other end users. Unlike many massively parallel computing environments, HIVE uses a cloud control server which virtualizes services, not processes. It is both very robust and flexible due to the abstraction layer introduced between computational requests and operating system processes. The novel paradigm of moving computations to the data, instead of moving data to computational nodes, has proven to be significantly less taxing for both hardware and network infrastructure.The honeycomb data model developed for HIVE integrates metadata into an object-oriented model. Its distinction from other object-oriented databases is in the additional implementation of a unified application program interface to search, view and manipulate data of all types. This model simplifies the introduction of new data types, thereby minimizing the need for database restructuring and streamlining the development of new integrated information systems. The honeycomb model employs a highly secure hierarchical access control and permission system, allowing determination of data access privileges in a finely granular manner without flooding the security subsystem with a multiplicity of rules. HIVE infrastructure will allow engineers and scientists to perform NGS analysis in a manner that is both efficient and secure. HIVE is actively supported in public and private domains, and project collaborations are welcomed. Database URL: https://hive.biochemistry.gwu.edu.
Proportionality and Just Cause: A Comment on Kamm

In the course of commenting on the third chapter of Frances Kamm’s Ethics for Enemies, this article proposes an analysis of the notion of a just cause for war, according to which there is a just cause only when those whom it is necessary to attack as a means of achieving some aim are potentially morally liable to be attacked. The remainder of the article then discusses issues of proportionality, particularly in relation to several distinct forms of moral justification for harming or killing people. Among the central questions addressed is what the conditions are in which good effects of a war that are independent of the achievement of the just cause may count in determining whether the war would be proportionate.
Methotrexate in ulcerative colitis: a nationwide retrospective cohort from the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

BACKGROUND There are paucity of data regarding the utility of methotrexate (MTX) in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of this study was to describe the efficacy of MTX in achieving steroid-free remission. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the nationwide Veterans Affairs database to identify steroid-dependent patients with UC using MTX for the period 2001 to 2011. Patients were followed up for 15 months after MTX initiation by tracking their prednisone, MTX, thiopurines, and infliximab dispense. Endpoints were: (1) successful remission, defined as cessation of prednisone filling activity while continuing MTX; (2) failure with continuance, failure to be weaned off steroids while continuing MTX; (3) failure with discontinuance, cessation of MTX while continuing steroids. RESULTS We included 91 patients with UC with mean age 59 years. The average weekly dose for oral and parenteral MTX was 14 and 25 mg/week, respectively. The average daily dose for prednisone within the oral MTX and parenteral MTX groups was 12 and 25 mg/day, respectively. By the 12th month of follow-up, 37% and 30% of patients on oral and parenteral MTX, respectively, were able to discontinue steroid. There was a nonsignificant trend toward dose reduction of steroids in those who were concomitantly taking oral MTX and steroids. CONCLUSIONS Our study represents the largest cohort of patients with MTX and UC reported to date and suggests that approximately one-third of patients were successfully weaned off steroids with MTX therapy. MTX should be considered in the long-term management of patients with UC on steroids.
Dilemmas Surrounding Interpretation of Gastric Residuals in the NICU Setting

Providing enteral nutrition to preterm infants is a challenge because of the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinicians often take a cautious approach to advancing enteral feedings because of concerns related to development of feeding intolerance or necrotizing enterocolitis. Gastric residuals provide a mechanism for monitoring feeding tolerance since they are easy to obtain and quantify. Despite the common practice of monitoring gastric residuals, there is a lack of agreement in determining when an obtained gastric residual becomes clinically significant. Furthermore, numerous factors can affect the characteristics of the gastric residual. A review of the literature demonstrates significant variability in defining a clinically significant gastric residual. Importantly, there is a lack of available evidence to support selected parameters. Recommendations for practice are discussed.
Mechanism of 1,3-Hydrogen Migration in a Gold Bicyclo[3.2.0]heptene Complex: The Role of Brønsted Acid in the Gold-Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 7-Aryl-1,6-Enynes

The gold 7-phenylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-1(7)-ene complex 1 is generated as an intermediate in the gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 7-phenyl 1,6-enyne 2 to 7-phenylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-1(7)-ene 3. We have investigated the kinetics of the isomerization of 1 via formal 1,3-hydrogen migration to form the corresponding gold 6-phenylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-6-ene complex 4 to obtain direct experimental information regarding the mechanism by which 1 evolves into products. These experiments were in accord with conversion of 1 to 4 through a hidden Bronsted acid catalyzed pathway that occurred outside the coordination sphere of gold. Similarly, in situ spectroscopic analysis of the catalytic cycloisomerization of enyne 2 was consistent with a mechanism involving sequential gold-catalyzed cycloaddition followed by Bronsted acid catalyzed 1,3-hydrogen migration outside the coordination sphere of gold.
Growing up with an ill parent: An examination of family characteristics and parental illness features.

Introduction Existing literature suggests that the children of ill parents are vulnerable to a variety of psychosocial difficulties such as depression and anxiety. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the impact of family characteristics (parental involvement, familial support, stress experienced as a result of parental illness) and parental illness features (severity, duration, recovery status, frequency of symptoms, course) on the psychosocial functioning (depression, anxiety, life satisfaction) of late adolescents who have grown up with an ill parent but no longer live with their parents. Method Participants were 71 college students with a parent who experienced a chronic medical condition while they were growing up. Participants provided information regarding family characteristics, parental illness features, and the impact of parental illness. Impact of parental illness was assessed using the Impact of Illness Scale. Participants also completed measures of depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction. Results Participants' reported impact of parent illness was positively correlated with participant depression and anxiety. Several family characteristics and parental illness features were significantly associated with participant psychosocial functioning. In particular, lower parental involvement was correlated with greater participant depression and anxiety, as well as lower life satisfaction. Discussion These findings extend our understanding of the impact of parental illness on late adolescents' psychosocial functioning. Results could have clinical applications for psychosocial interventions in children and families coping with chronic illness. (PsycINFO Database Record
Study on Adsorption of Activated Sludge on Heavy Metal Ions

The adsorption of activated sludge on the heavy metal iron(Cu2+,Zn2+and Cd2+) is studied in this paper.The results show that the adsorption speed of heavy metal irons with activated sludge is rapid.The removal rate and adsorption capability of Cu2+,Zn2+and Cd2+ rise rapidly in 4 minutes.In arang of regular temperature,the influence of temperature on the adsorption effect is minimal,and the influence of initial pH and the dosage of sorbent are important.The adsorption isotherm of Cu2+,Zn2+and Cd2+ with activated sludge sorbent fits for Langmuir equation.
Progression of carpal tunnel syndrome according to electrodiagnostic testing in nonoperatively treated patients

Background: This study tested the null hypothesis that nonoperatively treated patients would not show disease progression of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) over time according to median nerve distal motor latency (DML) on two electrodiagnostic tests. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed sixty-two adult nonoperatively treated patients who were diagnosed with CTS confirmed by a minimum of two electrodiagnostic tests at our institution between December 2006 and tober 2012. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to test the difference between electrodiagnostic measurements between the first and last test. Results: The mean time between the first and last electrodiagnostic test was 26±12 months (range, 12 to 55 months). The only electrodiagnostic measurement that increased significantly was the difference between median and ulnar DML on the same side (r=0.19, P =0.038). The time between the electrodiagnostic tests was significantly longer for patients with at least 10% worsening of the DML at the second test compared to cases of which the DML did not worsen or improve a minimum of 10% (P =0.015). Conclusions: There is evidence that—on average—idiopathic median neuropathy at the carpal tunnel slowly progresses over time, and this can be measured with electrodiagnostics, but studies with a much longer interval between lectrodiagnostic tests may be needed to determine if it always progresses.
Transcriptional and posttranscriptional modulation of human neutrophil elastase gene expression.

Human neutrophil elastase (NE), a 29-Kd potent serine protease stored in azurophilic granules of mature neutrophils, is coded for by the NE gene, a single copy gene with 5 exons spanning a 6-kb segment of chromosome 11 at q14. With the knowledge that the NE gene expression is limited to early myeloid cell differentiation, mechanisms modulating expression of the NE gene were evaluated in the HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cell line, a model of early bone marrow precursor cells. Consistent with the presence of NE messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts in undifferentiated HL-60 cells, nuclear transcription run-on analyses showed that HL-60 cells actively transcribed the NE gene. However, the transcription rate of the NE gene was relatively low, only 40% of the myeloperoxidase gene, a gene expressed in parallel with NE. When induced toward the mononuclear phagocytic lineage with phorbol 12- myristate 13-acetate (PMA), HL-60 cells exhibited marked suppression of NE gene transcription, declining to 17% of the resting rate within 2 days. Induction toward mononuclear phagocytic lineage differentiation caused no change in NE mRNA transcript half-life (T1/2), but mRNA levels decreased markedly over time, with levels undetectable 1.5 days after PMA stimulation. In contrast, when induced toward the myelocytic lineage with dimethyl sulfoxide, the rate of NE gene transcription increased 1.9-fold within 5 days. Interestingly, the mRNA transcript levels increased 2.5-fold by 5 days despite the fact that induction toward myelocytic lineage differentiation was accompanied by a marked reduction of NE mRNA transcript T1/2. Together, these observations suggest that the NE gene expression during bone marrow differentiation is modulated mainly at the transcriptional level, with some posttranscriptional modulation contributing, particularly during myelocytic lineage differentiation.
Increased type I collagen gene expression in L-tryptophan associated eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome skin fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for the cutaneous fibrosis in eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) associated with L-tryptophan ingestion. METHODS Compare in vitro type I collagen production and steady state procollagen mRNA levels in cultured skin fibroblasts derived from healthy individuals and from 5 patients with EMS and diffuse cutaneous induration. RESULTS Cell lines derived from the affected skin from patients with EMS exhibited greater collagen production and higher steady state levels of alpha 1(I) procollagen mRNA compared with fibroblasts from age and sex matched healthy individuals. Exposure to interferon gamma reduced collagen synthesis in the EMS fibroblast lines. The rate of in vitro transcription of the COL1A1 gene was 30% higher in nuclei isolated from collagen overproducer EMS fibroblasts than in nuclei from normal fibroblasts. CONCLUSION Fibroblasts derived from the involved skin of patients with EMS show increased expression of the alpha 1(I) procollagen gene in vitro compared to normal skin fibroblasts. The biosynthetically activated phenotype exhibited by EMS fibroblasts appears to be due, at least in part, to transcriptional activation of type I collagen gene expression. These biochemical and molecular alterations may result in accumulation of collagen and lead to the cutaneous fibrosis in EMS.
An Exact, Direct, Formal Integral (DFI) Approach to Differential Equations

A simple iterative procedure is described which converts any differential equation or system into a hierarchy of integral or integro-differential equations easily solved via standard iteration techniques. Analytics and numerics on three classes of computers are presented for six differential systems encompassing sixteen distinct applications in boundary layers and turbulence modelling. Formulations are given for Navier-Stokes, Euler, Burgers, Laplace and Poisson. Advantages over differencing are: 1) improved compatibility with any computing machinery, 2) removal of differencing in at least one coordinate, 3) increased computer speed and accuracy, 4) explicit simulation of inherent physics, 5) ease of coding and transportability, (6) treatment of multi-point boundary conditions by multiple iteration loops. Only parabolic systems have been computed, however, extension to elliptic and hyperbolic systems should pose no new problems.
Structure and Self-Assembly of Multicolored Naphthalene Diimides Semiconductor

The one-dimensional (1D) self-assembly of π-electron molecules offers efficient strategies to enhance energy and charge transfer via highly ordered and conductive π−π stacking of the chromophores. The chromophore rich nanostructures have great potential to serve as promising candidate materials for optoelectronic devices. However, the design and control of highly ordered nanostructures with multicolored chromophore redox gradients require finely chosen synthetic strategies and a delicate balance of supramolecular interactions. In this paper, we will introduce new strategies focused on self-assembly of nanofibers based on lysine derivatives functionalized with multi colored chromophores.