cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attribution of spatial and temporal variations in terrestrial methane flux over North America

Abstract. The attribution of spatial and temporal variations in terrestrial methane (CH4) flux is essential for assessing and mitigating CH4 emission from terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we used a process-based model, the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM), in conjunction with spatial data of six major environmental factors to attribute the spatial and temporal variations in the terrestrial methane (CH4) flux over North America from 1979 to 2008 to six individual driving factors and their interaction. Over the past three decades, our simulations indicate that global change factors accumulatively contributed 23.51 ± 9.61 T g CH4-C (1 Tg = 1012 g) emission over North America, among which ozone (O3) pollution led to a reduced CH4 emission by 2.30 ± 0.49 T g CH4-C. All other factors including climate variability, nitrogen (N) deposition, elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), N fertilizer application, and land conversion enhanced terrestrial CH4 emissions by 19.80 ± 12.42 T g CH4-C, 0.09 ± 0.02 T g CH4-C, 6.80 ± 0.86 T g CH4-C, 0.01 ± 0.001 T g CH4-C, and 3.95 ± 0.38 T g CH4-C, respectively, and interaction between/among these global change factors led to a decline of CH4 emission by 4.84 ± 7.74 T g CH4-C. Climate variability and O3 pollution suppressed, while other factors stimulated CH4 emission over the USA; climate variability significantly enhanced, while all the other factors exerted minor effects, positive or negative, on CH4 emission in Canada; Mexico functioned as a sink for atmospheric CH4 with a major contribution from climate change. Climatic variability dominated the inter-annual variations in terrestrial CH4 flux at both continental and country levels. Precipitation played an important role in the climate-induced changes in terrestrial CH4 flux at both continental and country-levels. The relative importance of each environmental factor in determining the magnitude of CH4 flux showed substantially spatial variation across North America. This factorial attribution of CH4 flux in North America might benefit policy makers who would like to curb climate warming by reducing CH4 emission.
3-D atomistic nanoelectronic modeling on high performance clusters: multimillion atom simulations

Abstract Electronic device scaling is ultimately limited by atomic dimensions. The simulation of electronic structure and electron transport on these length scales must be fundamentally quantum mechanical. This leads to computational models that account for fundamental physical interactions using an atomistic basis and tax even the largest available supercomputer when simulating measurable devices. The prototype development of a software tool that enables this class of simulation is presented. Realistically sized structures contain one million to tens of millions of atoms that need to be represented with an appropriate basis. The resulting sparse complex Hamiltonian matrix is of the order to tens of millions. A custom matrix–vector multiplication algorithm that is coupled to a Lanczos and/or Rayleigh–Ritz eigenvalue solver has been developed and ported to a Beowulf cluster as well as an Origin 2000. First benchmarking results of these algorithms as well as the first results of quantum dot simulations are reported.
Multiple fruit-flavored alcoholic drinks in a can (MFAC): an overlooked class of potentially harmful alcohol products

This article examines an overlooked class of alcohol products, described herein as multiple fruit-flavored alcoholic drinks in a can (MFAC). The article describes how characteristics of these products likely contribute to hazardous alcohol consumption among youth. Government regulation of these products may be needed to protect adolescent and young adult populations. National substance abuse surveillance systems should consider immediate adoption of MFAC use indicators to determine use and harm associated with these products, and to assess the effectiveness of future regulatory actions.
Amplification of acute focal ischemic deficit by narcotics.

Introduction This article describes two patients with major ischemic stroke symptoms who had extremely small areas of acute brain infarction, suggestive of acute intrahemispheric diaschisis. Both patients were using narcotic analgesics during their stroke, and in both cases the clinical deficits improved dramatically with naloxone.
Attenuation of hypothermic retrograde amnesia produced by pharmacologic blockage of brain seizures.

Abstract Rats injected with two anesthetic agents, Surital and Equithesin, showed markedly reduced hypothermia-produced retrograde amnesia (RA) for a one trial passive avoidance task. Control animals injected with saline showed almost complete amnesia. Dilantin sulfate, an anti-convulsant drug, similarly attenuated hypothermia-produced RA. Electrophysiological data indicated that hypothermia produced hypersynchronous paroxysmal spike activity in the hippocampus and the amygdala. Surital, Equithesin, and Dilantin attenuated the paroxysmal activity. It was suggested that hypothermia produces amnesia by disrupting hippocampal and amygdaloid activity and that Surital, Equithesin, and Dilantin prevent RA by blocking the spike activity.
An embedded system for portable electrochemical detection

Abstract An embedded system designed to provide miniaturized electrochemical detection (miniEC) in a handheld package is described. The uniqueness of the system lies in the selection of off-the-shelf components that meet stringent requirements for high performance and low power at low cost. The design incorporates a microfabricated electrode sensor array, a potentiostat for electrochemical tests, a liquid crystal display, a four-key pushbutton interface for user input, memory for data storage and a serial connection for networking. An MSP430 microcontroller with its unparalleled low power capability is programmed to process, display and store the signal. It also transmits data to another input device such as a PC via the serial communication module using an RS232 protocol. The potentiostat applies a potential across the sensor and is also responsible for amplifying and converting the sensor current into a voltage range that the microcontroller can record. The four-button interface allows the user to cycle through the electrochemical test variables to view or change them prior to taking a measurement. The button interface also allows the user to start/stop a measurement, set the time and date, and to view a summary of archived data from previous measurements. A graphical user interface was developed so that the user can also perform these tasks from a PC over the serial communication link. The miniEC is compact (about 80 mm × 65 mm) and powered by a single 1.5 V battery (AAA or AA) and can run, for example on a single AAA battery rated at 1000 mAh continuously for 2 weeks. The design of both the hardware and software is modular, general and flexible such that differentiated products can easily be generated for applications in niche fields within a short development window.
Hurricane Sandy: After the deluge

Gordon Fishell describes how he rebuilt his mouse research programme following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy.
Relationships Among Fishes and Their Prey in a Nearshore Sand Community Off Southern California

Trophic relationships among marine fishes in a nearshore sand environment off southern California showed that the species were distinguished by specific morphological and behavioral features adapted to capture the prey, and evade the predators, that were characteristic of that habitat. Species that foraged primarily by day included the serranidParalabrax clathratus, the embiotocidEmbiotoca jacksoni, and the labridsHalichoeres semicinctus andSemicossyphus pulcher. Primarily nocturnal foragers included the ophidiidChilara taylori, the sciaenidUmbrina roncador, the embiotocidsCymatogaster aggregata andHyperprosopon argenteum, and the pleuronectidPleuronichthys coenosus. The bothidCitharichthys stigmaeus regularly fed during both day and night. The major predatory threat to these fishes came from the bothidParalichthys californicus, which was primarily diurnal. In combination, these fishes possessed an array of behavioral and morphological feeding adaptations that closely matched the feeding opportunities present in that habitat. Not only did they consume, as a group, every species identified in samples of organisms from the environment (except the holoplankton, as discussed), they exploited these species over virtually the entire size ranges present. We infer from these circumstances that the species composition of fishes in this community was strongly influenced by the presence of specific feeding opportunities.
Comparison of clinical and histologic diagnoses in 16,587 total joint arthroplasties: implications for orthopedic and pathologic practices.

Objectives To confirm how often histologic diagnoses correspond to reported clinical diagnoses in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasties. Methods We compared the submitting operative diagnosis with the pathologic diagnosis in 16,587 total joint arthroplasties for the seven most common diagnoses. Results The discrepancy rates between the submitted operative and histologic diagnosis were 18.8% for 7,968 total hip replacements and 9.4% for 8,619 total knee replacements. In addition, 5.4% of hip joints and 1.4% of knee joints demonstrated discordant histologic findings that had not been suspected clinically and should have affected clinical management and patient outcomes. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated significantly more diagnostic discrepancies and discordance than has been suggested by the previously published literature. A large part of the difference may be due to more careful diagnostic analyses of orthopedic specimens than in other institutions. These analyses include some diagnoses that are not often made elsewhere but may have important future implications for patients.
Propagation of ultrashort light pulses in a resonant medium

Mishkin's analytical treatment of ultrashort light pulse propagation in a resonant two-level medium is extended to discuss quantitatively the behavior of the pulse area, pulse energy, pulse shape, and initial population inversion density. The relationship of these properties to physically measurable parameters indicates that the nd u and sd u solutions are experimentally indistinguishable from the dn u and cn u solutions, respectively. The initial population inversion densities required for the dn u and nd u solutions to be stable are less than - 1 for values k < 1 and therefore not physically realizable. We conclude that cn u is the only physically significant solution to the Maxwell-Schroedinger equations.
Ultrafast dynamic ellipsometry measurements of early time laser ablation of titanium thin films

The dynamics of laser ablated titanium thin films are investigated using a recently developed technique that measures time-resolved and one-dimensional spatially-resolved ablation dynamics in a single shot. Ultrafast dynamic ellipsometry, a technique based on space-shifted spectral interferometry, uses the time-dependent frequency of a chirped laser pulse to provide time encoding, allowing the picosecond probing of material dynamics in a single shot. With this technique, the sample is probed at two different incident angles with both s- and p-polarized light, which measures the motion of the material and any change in its complex refractive index. Ultrafast dynamic ellipsometry is applied to study the mechanism of initiation by laser-based optical detonators that employ the ablation of titanium thin films. The resulting data indicate that the titanium is ablated as a fragmented flyer and not as an expanding plasma.
Long-term marriage patterns in the United States from colonial times to the present.

Marriage in colonial North America was notable for being early (for women) and market by low percentages never marrying. This was different from the distinctive northwest European pattern of late marriage and high proportions never married late in life. But the underlying neolocal family formation behavior was the same in both colonial North America and the areas of origin of this population. Thus, Malthus was correct. Abundant resources rather than basic behavioral differences made early and extensive marriage possible in the colonies. Between 1800 and the present there have been long cycles in nuptiality. Since about 1800, female age at first marriage rose from relatively low levels to a peak around 1900. Thereupon a gradual decline commenced with a trough being reached about 1960 at the height of the baby boom. There then began another, and rapid, upswing in female marriage age. Proportions never married at ages 45–54 replicated these cycles with a lag of about 20–30 years. Since 1880 (when comprehensi...
Characterization and immunoassay of apolipoprotein D.

Abstract Apolipoprotein D (apoD) is a protein component of human plasma high density lipoprotein. It recently has been suggested to be a cholesteryl ester transfer protein, responsible for the transfer of cholesteryl ester from high density lipoproteins (HDL) to low density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). We characterized apoD and anti-apoD sera and report a simple, specific and precise (CV 6–7%) radial immunodiffusion assay for apoD with application to whole plasma. Purified apoD had an apparent molecular weight of 32,500 ± 700 (n = 11) by sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis and exhibited 3 major isoforms by isoelectric focusing with isoelectric points (pI) and percentage of total apoD as follows: (1) pI 5.20 ± 0.07 (24 ± 19%); (2) pI 5.08 ± 0.05 (55 ± 11%); and (3) pI 5.00 ± 0.05 (21 ± 9%). Immunoadsorption affinity chromatography with antibodies specific for apoD removed essentially all the apoD in plasma and approximately 64% of the lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and 11% of the plasma apolipoprotein A-I. However, the plasma did not lose any cholesteryl ester transfer activity assayed as the transfer of [ 14 C]cholesteryl ester from labeled HDL to LDL or VLDL; or from labeled LDL to HDL. This suggests that apoD does not contribute significantly to the transfer of cholesteryl ester in whole plasma and that another factor can transfer cholesteryl ester between lipoproteins. Analysis of apoD in fresh plasma from normolipidemic (n = 74) and hyperlipoproteinemic (n = 44) adults indicates that males tend to have slightly higher apoD levels (6.2 ± 1.0 mg/dl, n=77) than females (5.6 ± 1.4 mg/dl, n=41) P P P P P
The Effects of Inflation and Taxes on the Costs of Home Ownership

This article assesses the impact of inflation on the true economic costs of owning a home. Using the assumption that most pre-tax housing costs are roughly proportionate to house value, it is shown that inflation cuts housing costs substantially for homeowners with mortgages because capital gains income from house price inflation is untaxed but mortgage interest payments are fully deductible. The distribution of tax savings are estimated with national data and it is found that roughly half of all benefits go to families in the top one seventh of the income distribution.
Neuroendocrine brain grafts in mutant mice

Abstract Neuroendocrine tissue transplants in mutant animals that are deficient in specific neurohormones provide powerful models for the study of developmental and neuroendocrine regulatory mechanisms. For example, brain grafts that contain gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) cells are capable of correcting the hypogonadism and infertility in adult mice with a genetic defect in GnRH production. GnRH fibers project from the graft to the median eminence of the host brain, the normal terminus of such fibers. It is becoming evident that neuroendocrine cells within brain grafts retain many of the characteristics of neuroendocrine cells that are present in the normal intact brain.
The princeton years and beyond: 1930–1945

A personal view of the development of solid-state physics in United States between 1930 and 1945 is presented. It will describe the basis for the world into which Fausto Fumi stepped when he arrived in the United States in 1948.
Evaluation of RNA polymerase activities in nuclei isolated from slow and fast skeletal muscles

Summary The optimal incubation conditions were determined for the assay of the α-amanitin-resistant, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase A and the α-amanitin-sensitive, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase B in nuclei isolated from rat skeletal muscles. Significantly higher levels of activity of RNA polymerase B were found in the nuclei isolated from the slow-twitch soleus compared with nuclei from the fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus.
Invariant subspace parametric sensitivity (ISPS) of structure-preserving power system models

In this paper, the parametric sensitivities of a structure-preserving power system model are derived. The parametric sensitivities give the sensitivities of an equilibrium point with respect to a particular parameter of interest. A new invariant subspace parametric sensitivity (ISPS) is derived by projecting the total parametric sensitivity onto a particular eigenspace of interest. The ISPS provides the sensitivity of system stability. At a particular eigensubspace, ISPS of all the parameters under consideration are represented by a right eigenvector multiplied by a scalar /spl sigma/. Then the parameter which has the most influence on the subspace can be determined by selecting the largest value of /spl sigma/. The methodology is applied to a New England 39-bus system to identify components and parameters that are responsible fora possible system instability.
Shift operator matrices for three-dimensional cubic-cell lattices

Abstract We construct the shift operator matrix (SOM) for a system of simple, indistinguishable, nearest-neighbor-interacting particles distributed on a three-dimensional, cubic-cell lattice and show how the eigenvalues of this SOM yield the appropriate partition function. The consequence to the SOM of imposing periodic boundary conditions on the lattice is also explicitly treated.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in infancy.

Infant ALL is uncommon, biologically distinctive from the disease in older children, and associated with a relatively poor prognosis. Adverse prognostic factors include the presence of an MLL gene rearrangement (observed in up to 80% of infants with ALL), younger age at diagnosis, high presenting leukocyte counts, and slow early response to therapy. The role of stem cell transplant in first remission remains controversial. Current research efforts to improve the outcome of MLL-rearranged ALL in infants include clinical trials testing cytarabine-intensive regimens and translational investigations of novel, targeted therapies, such as FLT3-inhibitors. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:1070–1073. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Ionization Equilibria in Ovomucoid Third Domain

2D-NMR experiments were used to determine the pKa values ranging from 8.0 to ≥11.1 of seven basic residues in turkey ovomucoid third domain (OMTKY3) and were compared to values predicted as described by Antosiewicz et al. [(1996) Biochemistry 35, 7819−7833]. Lys 13, 29, and 34 were previously attributed with increasing the acidity of numerous acidic residues [Schaller, W., and Robertson, A. D. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 4714−4723]. These interactions were expected to raise the pKa values of those basic groups; however, the pKa values of Lys 13 and 34 are less than the model compound values. The pKa values of the other basic residues are greater than the model compound values and, unlike the acidic residues, all are surprisingly insensitive to salt. While the calculations properly predict the direction of most of the pKa shifts and provide valuable insight into the possible molecular origins of the interactions that perturb pKa values, there is a tendency to overestimate the magnitude of the shifts and their ...
Functional Roles of Loops 3 and 4 in the Cyclic Nucleotide Binding Domain of Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein from Escherichia coli

Cyclic AMP is a ubiquitous secondary message that regulates a large variety of functions. The protein structural motif that binds cAMP is highly conserved with the exception of loops 3 and 4, whose structure and length are variable. The cAMP receptor protein of Escherichia coli, CRP, was employed as a model system to elucidate the functional roles of these loops. Based on the sequence differences between CRP and cyclic nucleotide gated channel, three mutants of CRP were constructed: deletion (residues 54-56 in loop 3 were deleted), insertion (loop 4 was lengthened by 5 residues between Glu-78 and Gly-79) and double mutants. The effects of these mutations on the structure and function of CRP were monitored. Results show that the deletion and insertion mutations do not significantly change the secondary structure of CRP, although the tertiary and quaternary structures are perturbed. The functional data indicate that loop 3 modulates the binding affinities of cAMP and DNA. Although the lengthened loop 4 may have some fine-tuning functions, the specific function of the original loop 4 of CRP remains uncertain. The function consequences of mutation in loop 3 of CRP are similar to that of site A and site B in the regulatory subunits of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases. Thus, the roles played by loop 3 in CRP may represent a more common mechanism employed by cyclic nucleotide binding domain in modulating ligand binding affinity and intramolecular communication.
DELIVERING OIL SPILL HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING FOR BEACH CLEANUP: INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT WORK1

ABSTRACT The California Conservation Corps provides trained workers for oil spill cleanup. Delivering effective training that exceeds the requirements of applicable regulations and meets the educational needs of the students has necessitated minimizing the traditional classroom component and introducing nontraditional educational methodologies into the curriculum.
Desonide hydrogel: advances in vehicle technology

Corticosteroids are first-line therapies for the treatment of many inflammatory dermatoses, including atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. Desonide, a low-potency corticosteroid, has been formulated in a moisturizing hydrogel that has been US FDA approved for mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis in patients as young as 3 months of age. This new formulation represents a safe and effective option for atopic dermatitis patients and provides the benefits of a novel hydrogel vehicle that is both a well-tolerated and a cosmetically elegant alternative to traditional vehicles.
Cognition, society and religion: a new approach to the study of culture

The problem with the study of culture, as with that of religion, has been an independent status assumed for both despite recognitions of their constructed nature. Consequently, cultural studies have relied almost exclusively on redundantly descriptive and relativistic hermeneutical methods. By focusing on the mental mechanisms of H. sapiens, shared in common as a consequence of evolutionary history, the emerging field of cognitive science is beginning to describe the architecture of the human mind/brain and to offer, thereby, a common human structure in terms of which culture is both constructed and constrained. This universal cognitive potential provides, thereby, a scientific basis for comparison in ethnographic and historical studies. This paper seeks to outline some of the recent developments in the biocognitive sciences and to suggest their relevance especially for the study of religion.
The beach ridges at Santa, Peru; El Nino, uplift, and prehistory

Recent work on the beach ridges at Santa, Peru (9° s latitude) upholds an earlier hypothesis, based on sedimentary evidence, that the ridges were formed by massive sediment pulses during rains associated with major incursions of the warm water El Nino countercurrent. The ridges can therefore be used to date major El Nino events. The alternate hypothesis for the Santa ridge origin cited minor sequential uplift as the causal factor; this hypothesis has been disproven, though one previously unreported uplift event at about 4200 years B.P. has been identified at Santa. In general, landscape alteration processes such as El Nino floods and tectonic uplift affect human populations, and accurate chronologies of these events are necessary to interpret the archaeological record. Geoarchaeological research offers the key to constructing landscape alteration chronologies, which are also of use to geologists for studies of earthquake prediction, sedimentation processes, and paleoclimatology.
Surface tension anisotropy and the dendritic growth of pivalic acid

Abstract The surface tension anisotropy of pivalic acid crystals in ethanol solution is measured to test theories of steady state dendritic crystal growth. The result, ϵ 4 = 0.006 ± 0.002, is considerably smaller than previously believed, and too small to allow a convincing test of microscopic solvability. The growth rate is now found to be consistent both with microscopic solvability and marginal stability.
The effects of the diffuse radiation fields due to multiple scattering and thermal reradiation by dust on the dynamics and thermodynamics of a dusty cometary atmosphere

A self-consistent model of a dirty, clathrate cometary nucleus is extended to account for diffuse radiation fields caused by multiple scattering and thermal reradiation of the solar continuum by dust. The model is configured to fit conditions expected for the various spacecraft which will encounter Halley's comet at 0.89 AU. The atmosphere is assumed a chemically reactive dust-gas mixture in quasi-steady spherically symmetric expansion. The effect of electron-neutral ion collisions is accounted for, along with rate constants of the various species of clathrate ice particles and radiative transfer of the solar input in the UV, visible and near-IR intervals. The opacity of the circumnuclear dust is projected to be an order of magnitude greater than previous estimates, which severely impacts the potential visibility of the nucleus to the cameras of the flyby satellites.
Heat Transfer from Flammable Fabrics

An instrumented mannequin was constructed to measure the general heat transfer from single- and multi-layer garment systems after ignition by a flame source. A range of weights in fabrics of cotton, polyester/cotton, acrylic, wool, nylon, and polyester has been studied.Due in large measure to the melt-drip phenomenon, garments of polyester or nylon were found to burn relatively slowly over a limited area and self-extinguish, resulting in little heat transfer to the mannequin. To supplement the mannequin data, an instrument was developed to record all modes of heat transfer, including that from melted polymer. This paper deals with its application to both single and double fabric layers.Measurements were related to possible physiological effects, using data from the literature and a supplementary patho logical study.
Computerized task risk assessment using digital human modeling based Job Risk Classification Model

Different from the classical ergonomics analysis, Virtual Interactive Design methodology relies on manikin movements in virtual environment. This platform has been implemented by researchers to accomplish static ergonomic analyses including Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, NIOSH lifting equation and Static Strength Prediction. However, considering only static posture information limits the capacity of ergonomics analysis. In this study, the methodology of performing dynamic ergonomics analysis based on this Virtual Interactive Design platform is proposed. This environment allows velocity and angular velocity of specified body segments/joints calculated for designed tasks to be used to assess the corresponding risk levels based on Job Risk Classification Model. The motion calculation is completed based on the captured interaction between human participants and virtual workplace/mockup. To evaluate the validity and reliability of this upgraded platform, potential errors are analyzed by comparing outputs from several designed experimental conditions.
MRI in Rodent Models of Brain Disorders

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established tool in clinical practice and research on human neurological disorders. Translational MRI research utilizing rodent models of central nervous system (CNS) diseases is becoming popular with the increased availability of dedicated small animal MRI systems. Projects utilizing this technology typically fall into one of two categories: 1) true “pre-clinical” studies involving the use of MRI as a noninvasive disease monitoring tool which serves as a biomarker for selected aspects of the disease and 2) studies investigating the pathomechanism of known human MRI findings in CNS disease models. Most small animal MRI systems operate at 4.7–11.7 Tesla field strengths. Although the higher field strength clearly results in a higher signal-to-noise ratio, which enables higher resolution acquisition, a variety of artifacts and limitations related to the specific absorption rate represent significant challenges in these experiments. In addition to standard T1-, T2-, and T2*-weighted MRI methods, all of the currently available advanced MRI techniques have been utilized in experimental animals, including diffusion, perfusion, and susceptibility weighted imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, chemical shift imaging, heteronuclear imaging, and 1H or 31P MR spectroscopy. Selected MRI techniques are also exclusively utilized in experimental research, including manganese-enhanced MRI, and cell-specific/molecular imaging techniques utilizing negative contrast materials. In this review, we describe technical and practical aspects of small animal MRI and provide examples of different MRI techniques in anatomical imaging and tract tracing as well as several models of neurological disorders, including inflammatory, neurodegenerative, vascular, and traumatic brain and spinal cord injury models, and neoplastic diseases.
Health literacy and transplant patients and practitioners.

Low literacy levels have a significant impact on the healthcare system of the USA, acting as a barrier to accessing, understanding, and utilizing health information and services. In response to the unique relationship between literacy and healthcare, ‘health literacy’ was conceptualized as ‘‘the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions,’’ with the goal of taking action towards the improvement of individual health. Health literacy skills are needed in healthcare settings to accomplish a variety of tasks such as completing consent forms, communicating with healthcare professionals, providing information for assessment and diagnosis, and adhering to treatment regimens. The potential consequences of low health literacy include limited knowledge regarding medical conditions, increased hospitalizations, increased healthcare costs, and poorer health status. Adequate health literacy is vital to the health outcomes of renal transplant patients, as they face complicated, long-term post-transplant care and
Smart marketplaces: a step beyond Web services*

This paper identifies a new form of Internet intermediaries called smart marketplaces. Beyond other online marketplaces and strategic alliances, a smart marketplace provides an infrastructure and various core service components to facilitate the real-time integration of Web services. The structure of smart marketplaces and potential players are discussed. We analyze the business value of service integration offered by a smart marketplace, and further investigate the competition within and between smart marketplaces.
METABOLISM OF CORTISOL IN NORMAL AND “STRESSED” DOGS1

The removal rate of intravenously injected cortisol has been determined in normal and “stressed” dogs. Normal or decreased removal rates of cortisol were found in all “stress” conditions investigated. Mechanisms other than increased “utilization” of adrenal steroids might therefore be responsible for augmented ACTH secretion in conditions of “stress.” Various theories which might explain why intravenously given cortisol is removed more slowly in severely “stressed” dogs are discussed. ACENTRAL point in the physiology of the adrenal cortex is its function during conditions of “stressful” nature. It appears from the literature that many such conditions are associated with an increase in plasma levels of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) (1, 2). Little is known, however, concerning the immediate causes of increases. It has been postulated (3) that during “stress,” the metabolism or “utilization” of adrenal steroids may be increased. Since this would result in a reduction of the concentration of adrenal ste...
Effect of stress waves on laminated composite plates

Abstract Several types of waves in a layered composite material were examined. In order to obtain explicit approximate solutions, a perturbation method was used. This approach views the nonhomogeneous layering as a perturbation on a homogeneous but anisotropic solid. For propagation normal to the direction of layering, it was necessary to include the second-order perturbation terms to get qualitative agreement. Also considered were waves which travel parallel to the laminae. The material in these waves follows an elliptical path. The orientation of which depends on the position in the material. All these waves are also examined numerically, and there is excellent agreement between the perturbation expansions and the numerical results.
Incorrect base insertion and prematurely terminated transcripts during T7 RNA polymerase transcription elongation past benzo[a]pyrenediol epoxide-modified DNA.

Abstract DNA replication and transcription are affected adversely by the presence of bulky adducts that are generated by the covalent binding of a variety of metabolically activated environmental pollutants to cellular DNA. When these lesions are not cleared by cellular repair enzymes prior to replication, mutations and ultimately tumor initiation can occur. Transcription and DNA repair appear to be intimately connected, since certain adducts are more efficiently removed from the transcribed strands of active loci than from non-transcribed strands and other quiescent domains in the genome. The mechanism by which RNA polymerases deal with bulky adducts during DNA transcription is therefore of great interest. The availability of site-specifically modified and stereochemically defined oligodeoxyribonucleotides derived from the covalent reaction of 7r, 8t-dihydroxy-9, 10t-epoxy- 7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (anti-BPDE) with guanine residues prompted us to study the efficiencies of transcription past these lesions using bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. We show here that T7 RNA polymerase can bypass such lesions in a DNA template, providing that a cytosine residue is incorporated oppositeanti-BPDE-modified guanine. However, when an incorrect base (most frequently a purine) is inserted opposite the modified site, the RNA polymerase stalls, and the complex dissociates, resulting in a truncated transcript. The ability of the T7 RNA polymerase to discriminate between a correct and an incorrect inserted base and, accordingly, to continue or terminate transcription, might constitute an important mechanism that ensures the fidelity of transcription past a modified base present on the transcribed strand of the DNA template.
Enhancement of marine primary production by nitrogen-enriched acid rain

The effect of acid rain on the pH of freshwater habitats is well known1. The acidity of rainwater is largely due to hydrated oxides of sulphur, nitrogen and carbon2, which also constitute nutrients essential for plant growth. Most freshwater and marine environments contain sufficient quantities of inorganic carbon and sulphur to satisfy plant growth needs, but nitrogen inputs can at times fall short of growth demands3,4. Nitrogen limitation of phytoplankton growth is widespread and chronic in some marine waters5–7. I report here that nitrogen-limited conditions in North Carolina near-surface waters are ameliorated following rainfall inputs; the most acidic rainfall events led to the greatest stimulation of phytoplankton growth. Continentally-derived acid rain consistently contained more inorganic nitrogen (NO−3, NO−2 and NH+4) than near neutral rainfall generated from oceanic fronts. Marine primary production can thus be influenced by the source of rainfall in marginal environments.
Wielandt's proof of the exponent inequality for primitive nonnegative matrices

The proof of the exponent inequality found in Wielandt's unpublished diaries of a result announced without proof in his well known paper on nonnegative irreducible matrices. A facsimile, a transcription, a translation and a commentary are presented.
AN ADDITIONAL PRIMARY PROTEOLYTIC PROCESSING SITE IN MEROZOITE SURFACE PROTEIN- 1 OF PLASMODIUM BERGHEI

The merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1) is a relatively abundant protein which has been found in all Plasmodium species examined [1,2]. MSP-1 is synthesized as a high molecular mass ( 200 kDa) precursor protein which is proteolytically processed into smaller fragments. Proteolytic processing of MSP-1 is a two-step procedure characterized by primary and secondary processing events [3]. Primary processing occurs at, or just before, terminal merozoite differentiation and release and results in the formation of a noncovalent polypeptide complex with fragments of approximately 83, 30, 38 and 42 kDa [4]. The 42 kDa C-terminal fragment is further processed to 33 and 19 kDa fragments at the time of merozoite invasion [5]. This secondary processing is catalyzed by a Ca-activated serine protease which results in the shedding of a soluble MSP-1 complex [6]. The remaining glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored 19 kDa fragment [7] contains two epidermal growth factor-like modules [8] and is carried into the erythrocyte upon merozoite invasion [9]. Comparison of the MSP-1 sequence from P. berghei with other rodent parasite MSP-1 sequences [10–12] revealed four major interspecies variable regions, or blocks (Jennings et al., in preparation). The first (i.e., most N-terminal) of these variable blocks was cloned from a lgt11 cDNA expression library screened with two different mAbs against PbMSP-1 [13]. The mAbs, designated as mAb-F4.4 and mAb-L1.6, were generated from mice immune to P. berghei [14]. Variable block 1 (VB1) contains seven degenerate Abbre6iations: LT-B, B subunit of E. coli labile toxin; MSP1, merozoite surface protein-1; VB1, variable block 1. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 504 5842507; fax: +1 504 5996686; e-mail: wiser@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu 1 Present address: Department of Biology, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94112, USA. 2 Present address: Michigan Department of Community Health, P.O. Box 30035, Lansing, MI 48909, USA.
BVL-1-like VL30 promoter sustains long-term expression in erythroid progenitor cells.

Congenital blood disorders are common and yet clinically challenging globin disorders. Gene therapy continues to serve as a potential therapeutic method to treat these disorders. While tremendous advances have been made in vivo, gene delivery protocols and vector prototypes still require optimization. Alternative cis -acting promoter elements derived from VL30 retroelements have been effective in expressing tissue-specific transgene expression in vivo in nonerythroid cells. VL30 promoter elements were isolated from ELM-I-1 erythroid progenitor cells upon erythropoietin (epo) treatment. These promoters were inserted into a VL30-derived expression vector and reintroduced into the ELM-I-1 cells. β-Galactosidase reporter gene activity from the ELM 5 clone, a BVL-1–like VL30 promoter, was capable of expressing sustained levels of the transgene expression over a 16-week assay period. These findings delineate the potential utility of these retroelement promoters as transcriptionally active, erythroid-specific, long terminal repeat (LTR) components for current globin vector constructs.
Pathogenesis and virulence of Rhodococcus equi

Inhalation of the soil-borne organism, Rhodococcus equi, can lead to a chronic and severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in young horses and immunocompromised people. In addition, ulcerative colitis is a common sequela to infection in foals, and dissemination from the lung to other body sites is not uncommon in either the horse or man. Although the facultative intracellular bacterium is susceptible to neutrophil-mediated killing, it is able to resist innate macrophage defenses and establish residence within the intracellular environment of that phagocyte. Definitive virulence factors of R. equi have not yet been determined, but potential candidates include capsular polysaccharide, the exoenzyme cholesterol oxidase, cell wall mycolic acids, and the products encoded by a virulence-associated plasmid. The ability to replicate within the macrophage is associated with virulence, and correlates in animals with the possession of a large plasmid and expression of the plasmid-encoded, surface-expressed lipoprotein, VapA. All strains of R. equi isolated from horses with clinical disease possess a large plasmid and express VapA antigens. In addition, bacterial clearance and granuloma development in mice is linked to plasmid possession and VapA expression. Plasmid containing strains replicate within the tissues of the mouse. whereas plasmid-cured strains are rapidly cleared. At present, the function of the VapA protein is unknown. In contrast to what is observed in the foal, only a small percentage of R. equi strains isolated from humans with rhodococcal disease express VapA antigens, although a high proportion of others express a related protein which is associated with reduced virulence and is also plasmid-encoded. In a limited number of plasmid-negative human isolates, virulence has been linked to beta-lactam resistance, and preliminary evidence suggests that the phenotype may be phage encoded. It is likely that the immune status of the patient can influence whether a particular strain of R. equi is able to produce clinical disease, and certainly experimental infection in mice has confirmed that an intact cellular immune response is necessary for clearance of the organism.
Tyr-MIF-1 and hemorphin can act as opiate agonists as well as antagonists in the guinea pig ileum

Abstract The brain peptide Tyr-MIF-1 (Tyr-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH 2 ) was tested for its effects on electrically stimulated contractions in the guinea pig ileum assay. Tyr-MIF-1 acted as an opiate agonist in reducing these contractions. Its IC 50 was about 9 μM, and its effects were reversed by naloxone and CTOP. The ability of Tyr-MIF-1 also to antagonize the inhibitory effects of opiates on electrically stimulated contractions was more evident in the ileum removed from a guinea pig tolerant to morphine or after partial inactivation of opiate receptors with β-CNA. Similar results were observed with hemorphin. The endogenous peptide Tyr-MIF-1 and the blood-derived peptide hemorphin, therefore, can act as agonists as well as antagonists in the guinea pig ileum. The effects as antagonists are best observed in preparations of ileum with reduced receptor reserve (tolerant or β-CNA treated) and are consistent with the idea that properties of endogenous peptides as opiate antagonists are enhanced in the tolerant state.
Application of disturbance observers to automotive engine idle speed control for fuel economy improvement

Gasoline engine fuel economy can be improved by minimizing the base spark retard, the spark reserve, during idle. Without additional compensation this approach can also lead to a significant degradation in idle speed control, ISC, disturbance rejection response. In this paper an analysis of ISC lead compensation, feed-forward and disturbance observer design techniques is presented, for ISC systems with minimal spark reserve levels. The integration of the disturbance observer within the ISC system is analyzed, including the impact of observer torque reconstruction techniques and unknown delays on the idle speed disturbance rejection response. Simulation results are used to show that the best combination of disturbance rejection response and delay variation robustness can be achieved by setting the observer torque input to zero. A high fidelity cylinder-by-cylinder nonlinear engine model and ISC simulation are used to validate the linear simulation results. The nonlinear simulation results confirm that setting the disturbance observer torque input to zero produces the best overall result with a 30 percent reduction in the maximum drop in engine speed when compared to an ISC with no lead or disturbance observer compensation. Further the disturbance rejection response compares favorably with responses from conventional ISC with high levels of spark reserve.
Teacher Enthusiasm: Seeking Student Learning and Avoiding Apathy

Researchers have identified connections between teacher enthusiasm and positive student achievement, test performance, recall, on-task behavior, attitudes toward learning, intrinsic motivation toward the subject matter, feelings of vitality, and ratings of teacher effectiveness. There may also be positive benefits for teachers when enthusiasm invades the instructional setting. The purpose of this article is to address the importance of teacher enthusiasm, identify indicators of enthusiasm, and offer some insight into helping teachers and teacher candidates show enthusiasm.
The anhydrobiotic cyanobacterial cell

The cyanobacterium Nostoc commune has been developed as the prokaryotic model for the anhydrobiotic cell and it provides the means to answer fundamental questions about desiccation tolerance. The anhydrobiotic cell is characterized by its singular lack of water — with contents as low as 0.02 g H2O g-1 dry weight. These levels are orders of magnitude lower than those found either in bacterial spores or in cells subjected to acute salt (osmotic) stress. Mechanisms that contribute to the desiccation tolerance of N. commune include the selective stabilization of anhydrous proteins, the secretion of water- and lipid-soluble UV-absorbing pigments, and the secretion of a complex glycan that immobilizes the cells, immobilizes water stress proteins and the UV-absorbing pigments, and which may confer the properties of a mechanical glass upon colonies. Rehydration of desiccated cells induces an instantaneous resumption of metabolic activities, including membrane transport and global lipid biosynthesis. These initial recoveries may not follow classical Arrhenius-based kinetics. The rehydrating cell exhibits a stringent, stepwise recovery of physiological capacities beginning with respiration, then photosynthesis and finally nitrogen fixation. Protein turnover, de novo protein synthesis and a rapid rise in the intracellular ATP pool accompany these recoveries. During the early stages of rehydration, the de novo transcription of one gene set (rpoC1C2) is achieved using an extant DNA-dependent RNA polymerase holoenzyme that remains stable in desiccated cells. These properties of desiccation-tolerant cyanobacleria, present in extant forms such as N. commune and Chroococcidiopsis spp., may have been utilized by the eoanhydrobiotes. However, it is the desiccation-tolerant cyanobacterium as a whole, and not some collection of disparate properties, that must be considered as the primary strategy for the achievement of desiccation tolerance.