cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flexible sequence similarity searching with the FASTA3 program package.

The FASTA3 and FASTA2 packages provide a flexible set of sequence-comparison programs that are particularly valuable because of their accurate statistical estimates and high-quality alignments. Traditionally, sequence similarity searches have sought to ask one question: "Is my query sequence homologous to anything in the database?" Both FASTA and BLAST can provide reliable answers to this question with their statistical estimates; if the expectation value E is < 0.001-0.01 and you are not doing hundreds of searches a day, the answer is probably yes. In general, the most effective search strategies follow these rules: 1. Whenever possible, compare at the amino acid level, rather than the nucleotide level. Search first with protein sequences (blastp, fasta3, and ssearch3), then with translated DNA sequences (fastx, blastx), and only at the DNA level as a last resort (Table 5). 2. Search the smallest database that is likely to contain the sequence of interest (but it must contain many unrelated sequences for accurate statistical estimates). 3. Use sequence statistics, rather than percent identity or percent similarity, as your primary criterion for sequence homology. 4. Check that the statistics are likely to be accurate by looking for the highest-scoring unrelated sequence, using prss3 to confirm the expectation, and searching with shuffled copies of the query sequence [randseq, searches with shuffled sequences should have E approx 1.0]. 5. Consider searches with different gap penalties and other scoring matrices. Searches with long query sequences against full-length sequence libraries will not change dramatically when BLOSUM62 is used instead of BLOSUM50 (20), or a gap penalty of -14/-2 is used in place of -12/-2. However, shallower or more stringent scoring matrices are more effective at uncovering relationships in partial sequences (3,18), and they can be used to sharpen dramatically the scope of the similarity search. However, as illustrated in the last section, the E value is only the first step in characterizing a sequence relationship. Once one has confidence that the sequences are homologous, one should look at the sequence alignments and percent identities, particularly when searching with lower quality sequences. When sequence alignments are very short, the alignment should become more significant when a shallower scoring matrix is used, e.g., BLOSUM62 rather than BLOSUM50 (remember to change the gap penalties). Homology can be reliably inferred from statistically significant similarity. Whereas homology implies common three-dimensional structure, homology need not imply common function. Orthologous sequences usually have similar functions, but paralogous sequences often acquire very different functional roles. Motif databases, such as PROSITE (21), can provide evidence for the conservation of critical functional residues. However, motif identity in the absence of overall sequence similarity is not a reliable indicator of homology.
Synthesis and Enhanced Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Chromophore–Au Metal Cluster Oligomers

Using nanoclusters as building blocks for supracrystals can offer unique optical and electronic properties of metal nanoclusters for designing new materials. The advantage of building nanocluster c...
Feminist Organizing in Rural Nicaragua: Assessing a Psychosocial Process to Promote Empowered Solidarity.

This study examines a psychosocial process linking women's involvement in a grassroots women's organization with skills and experiences to promote empowered solidarity. Empowered solidarity is described as a process of increasing the sense of connection and capacity to create social transformation among a group of people united by interest in addressing a social issue. Data collected and analyzed for this research were 298 quantitative surveys conducted with two groups of women living in rural Nicaragua. One group of women were members of a grassroots feminist organization, and the other group lived in nearby communities where the organization did not offer programs. Findings document higher levels of leadership skills and sense of community, and lower levels of powerlessness among members of the organization. Additionally, tests of a process model using structural equation modeling provides support for a model that links involvement in the organization to women's increased interest in, capacity and experience in working to support women, broadly. Overall findings from this research are valuable to both community psychologists and groups seeking to enhance social justice and uphold feminist values of equity and community well-being.
Helping Parents Cope with a Profoundly Mentally Retarded Child

Helping parents cope with a severely retarded child requires a variety of attitudes and skills, among which are objectivity, knowledge, empathy, and caring. It requires an understanding of the dynamic interplay between feelings and reality by the professional who enters into a helping relationship with the parents.
UV-Vis Photodissociation Action Spectroscopy on Thermo LTQ-XL ETD and Bruker amaZon Ion Trap Mass Spectrometers: a Practical Guide.

We report automated procedures for multiple tandem mass spectra acquisition allowing UV–Vis photodissociation action spectroscopy measurements of ions and radicals. The procedures were developed for two commercial ion trap mass spectrometers and applied to collision-induced and electron–transfer dissociation tandem mass spectrometry modes of ion generation.
Abstract 15680: Right Ventricular Diastolic Function in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension Assessed by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Derived Strain Rate Parameters: Correlation With Tau Derived From High-fidelity Micromanometer Catheter Measurement

Introduction: Right ventricular (RV) diastolic function (DF) has prognostic significance in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) derived strain rate (SR) parameters reliably reflect RV DF in PAH using tau derived from high-fidelity micromanometer catheter measurements as a gold standard Methods: A total of 19 consecutive patients with PAH, 6 with idiopathic PAH and 13 with scleroderma-associated PAH were studied prospectively. All patients underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) and CMRI which included 4 chamber and axial cine imaging using SSFP within a few hours of each other. SR analysis of longitudinal (Figure A) and circumferential (Figure B) images were performed by Multimodality Tissue Tracking software (version 6.0 Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan). Peak systolic strain rate (SRs), peak early diastolic strain rate (SRe), peak atrial-diastolic strain rate (SRa), and deceleration time of SRe (DT) were obtained from the SR curve (Figure C). Associations between both longitudinal and circumferential SR related parameters and tau were evaluated Results: Median age was 57 (48 - 66) years (84.2% women). Median pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary artery wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance and cardiac index, were 33 (27-49) mmHg, 9 (6 - 11) mmHg, 2.4 (2.1 - 2.6) L/min/m 2 , and 5.5 (4.4-9.0) W.U., respectively consistent with moderate PAH. Longitudinal SRa and DT were significantly correlated with tau (SRa: ρ = -0.63, p = .0039; DT: ρ = 0.77, p = 0.0001). Circumferential SRe, SRa and DT were also significantly correlated with tau (SRe: ρ = -0.49, p = 0.003; SRa: ρ = -0.65, p = 0.004; DT: ρ = 0.78, p = 0.0001) Conclusions: Longitudinal and circumferential diastolic SR related parameters obtained by CMRI both detect RV diastolic dysfunction in patients with PAH. Longitudinal and circumferential DT measurements were found to have the best correlation coefficients.
HCV Molecular Virology and Animal Models

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was once considered a threat to life but is now curable. This miraculous achievement is the result of years of effort to understand basic HCV biology, which led to the development of HCV cell culture systems eventually enabling drug discovery. Initial studies focused on biochemical characterization of viral proteins and dissected their roles in the virus life cycle. Two of the viral proteins, NS3-4A protease and NS5B polymerase, were selected early on as potential drug targets, and subsequent collaborative efforts of academia and industry led to the development of highly effective inhibitors against these enzymes. Another HCV protein, NS5A that has no known enzymatic activity, was more recently identified as an unexpected target of a highly potent class of anti-HCV inhibitors. Various combinations of these protease, polymerase, and NS5A inhibitors now constitute the current anti-HCV regimens with cure rates of above 95%. This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part begins with a short introduction to HCV and its life cycle and reviews insights into biochemical and functional characteristics of HCV RNA elements and proteins. The second part discusses the HCV animal models and how their use yielded important insights into the viral life cycle, immunity, and disease pathogenesis.
Partitioned Stator- Flux Switching Machine Utilizing Different Magnet Grades

A partitioned stator flux switching machine addresses one of the key challenges in conventional flux switching machine (FSM) in terms of having the winding and permanent magnets (PMs) competing for space. On the other hand, it has the challenge of high volume of PM material. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a partitioned stator flux switching machine for traction application using a blend of magnet types (can be thought of as hybrid magnets), i. e. Dy-NdFeB, Dy-free NdFeB, and Ferrite to reduce the overall permanent magnet cost while maintaining comparable electromagnetic performance. The paper will present electromagnetic performance evaluation of multiple designs using Two-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis. Comparison of key performance metrics including torque/power-speed curves, short-circuit current, flux weakening capability, risk of demagnetization, and cost analysis will be presented.
Patient-reported out-of-pocket costs and financial toxicity during early-phase oncology clinical trials.

7082Background: Clinical trials are an important therapeutic option for cancer patients (pts). Although financial burden in cancer treatment is well-documented, the financial burden associated with...
A detailed image of the continent-borderland transition beneath Long Beach, California

New crustal images beneath Long Beach, California show the region of the Inner Borderland to continent transition. The cross-sections are obtained from stacked autocorrelations of virtual sources generated from oil-industry data recorded in the city of Long Beach, CA. They show that the Moho is dipping at 65° and obliquely truncates an ∼10 km thick flat-lying lower crustal fabric. The Moho appears to be fault controlled and an integral part of the extrusion of the Catalina Schist that underlays the Inner Borderland. The basement interface has significant offsets of up to 2 km, none of which correspond to the mapped trace of the Newport–Inglewood Fault.
Discouraging Rivals: Managerial Rent-Seeking and Economic Inefficiencies

We argue here for a broader view of the biases in managers' decisions: In general, managerial rent-seeking affects not only the level of investment, but also the form. Our basic hypothesis is simple: given the now well-established scope for managerial discretion, managers have an incentive to exercise that discretion to enhance their income. Any managerial contract is subject to renegotiation, and a manager's pay is the outcome of an often bewildering bargaining process between management, the board of directors, and rival management teams or takeover artists.
Identification of ACE2 mutations that modulate SARS-CoV-2 spike binding across multiple mammalian species

Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 interacts with different mammalian angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) cell entry receptors will help elucidate determinants of intra- and cross-species virus transmission, facilitate development of effective new vaccines for both humans and livestock animals, and guide livestock farming and coronavirus screening procedures to ensure food supply security. In this work we applied laboratory directed evolution to several mammalian ACE2s with the goal of identifying conserved ACE2 mutations that increase spike binding affinity across multiple species. We found the Gln42Leu mutation increased ACE2-spike binding for human as well as four of four other mammalian ACE2s, while the Leu79Ile mutation had a similar effect for human and three of three mammalian ACE2 orthologs. These results are especially notable given the residues' high levels of representation, i.e, 83% for Gln42 and 56% for Leu79, among annotated mammalian ACE2s. We also found that substitutions at ACE2 position 34, which is relatively variable across mammalian ACE2s, increased binding for multiple ACE2 orthologs. Taken together, these results speak strongly to the plausibility of SARS-CoV-2 strains with increased ability to cross species transmission barriers. Our results can guide further computational and experimental studies to develop biomedical technologies and animal husbandry practices that help protect both humans and livestock from existing and future SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Techno-economic analysis of waste-heat conversion

Summary With more than 50% of the primary energy consumed worldwide currently lost as waste heat, waste-heat conversion (WHC) should be considered a promising zero-carbon source of electricity. Despite significant research on WHC, the market penetration of such technologies remains limited, in large part because the R&D community has primarily focused on the development of new WHC heat engines with limited attention given to the techno-economic aspects. As different types of WHC heat engines vary significantly in their physical origins, there is a critical need to develop a system-level techno-economic model that is relatively independent of the detailed physics and design of the engine. In this perspective, we develop a techno-economic model for WHC technologies based on the well-known endoreversible thermodynamics formulations, which results in a fairly universal model. Our results indicate that regardless of the type or efficiency, WHC heat engines are not economically viable below 100°C, which has been the focus of significant research in the literature in recent years. Under highly optimistic assumptions, such as the cost of the WHC heat engines being the same as gas turbines (∼$0.25/W) and the capacity factor of the waste heat source being 0.9, for relative device Carnot efficiency
Biology as information

Biology is being rapidly transformed by the ability to collect comprehensive information about cellular and organismal processes, as well as to systematically manipulate pathways. This keynote talk will survey the biological implications of such research programs as: genome-scale sequence from many related organisms; large-scale human genotyping to study the basis of disease; systematic recognition of signatures of cellular responses; comprehensive analysis of mutations in cancer; and systematic inhibition of genes through RNAi interference. It will address the laboratory and computational issues in fulfilling the opportunities presented by this revolution.
Virus-Like Display of a Neo-Self Antigen Reverses B Cell Anergy in a B Cell Receptor Transgenic Mouse Model

The ability to distinguish between self and foreign Ags is a central feature of immune recognition. For B cells, however, immune tolerance is not absolute, and factors that include Ag valency, the availability of T help, and polyclonal B cell stimuli can influence the induction of autoantibody responses. Here, we evaluated whether multivalent virus-like particle (VLP)-based immunogens could induce autoantibody responses in well-characterized transgenic (Tg) mice that express a soluble form of hen egg lysozyme (HEL) and in which B cell tolerance to HEL is maintained by anergy. Immunization with multivalent VLP-arrayed HEL, but not a trivalent form of HEL, induced high-titer Ab responses against HEL in both soluble HEL Tg mice and double Tg mice that also express a monoclonal HEL-specific BCR. Induction of autoantibodies against HEL was not dependent on coadministration of strong adjuvants, such as CFA. In contrast to previous data showing the T-independent induction of Abs to foreign epitopes on VLPs, the ability of HEL-conjugated VLPs to induce anti-HEL Abs in tolerant mice was dependent on the presence of CD4 + Th cells, and could be enhanced by the presence of pre-existing cognate T cells. In in vitro studies, VLP-conjugated HEL was more potent than trivalent HEL in up-regulating surface activation markers on purified anergic B cells. Moreover, immunization with VLP-HEL reversed B cell anergy in vivo in an adoptive transfer model. Thus, Ag multivalency and T help cooperate to reverse B cell anergy, a major mechanism of B cell tolerance.
Multiresolution Adaptive K-means Algorithm for Segmentation of Brain MRI

Segmentation of MR brain scans has received an enormous amount of attention in the medical imaging community over the past several years. In this paper we propose a new and general segmentation algorithm involving 3D adaptive K-Means clustering in a multiresolution wavelet basis. The voxel image of the brain is segmented into five classes namely, cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter, white matter, bone and background (remaining pixels). The segmentation problem is formulated as a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation problem wherein, the prior is assumed to be a Markov Random Field (MRF). The MAP estimation is achieved using an iterated conditional modes technique (ICM) in wavelet basis. Performance of the segmentation algorithm is demonstrated via application to phantom images as well as MR brain scans.
An adverse drug event and medication error reporting system for ambulatory care (MEADERS).

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has identified the mitigation of Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) and Medication Errors (MEs) as top national priorities. Currently available reporting tools are fraught with inefficiencies that prevent widespread adoption into busy primary care practices. Using expert panel input we designed and built a new reporting tool that could be used in these settings with a variety of information technology capabilities. We pilot tested the system in four Practice Based Research Networks (PBRNs) comprising 24 practices. Over 10 weeks we recorded 507 reports, of which 370 were MEs and 137 were ADEs. Clinicians found the system easy to use, with the average time to generating a report under 4 minutes. By using streamlined interface design techniques we were successfully able to improve reporting rates of ADEs and MEs in these practices.
Stress ulcer prophylaxis in the postoperative period

PURPOSE: The implications of recent studies for guidelines that pertain to stress ulcer prophylaxis in the postoperative period are discussed. SUMMARY: The therapeutic guidelines on stress ulcer prophylaxis published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) provided clinicians with recommendations regarding appropriate candidates for stress ulcer prophylaxis and selection of a pharmacologic agent. Since these guidelines were published in 1999, additional research has been completed to resolve some of the controversial issues surrounding stress ulcer prophylaxis. The frequency of stress-induced bleeding in recent investigations continues to be highly variable, depending on the definition used to describe bleeding. In general, investigations that evaluate overt bleeding or bleeding without hemodynamic changes or blood transfusion report higher frequencies of bleeding than those that evaluate clinically important bleeding. Similar to that reported in the initial ASHP guidelines, the frequency of clinically important bleeding in recent investigations is low. In addition, the majority of recently published prospective studies and a meta-analysis have been unable to demonstrate a reduction in clinically important bleeding with pharmacologic agents. As a result, some experts have suggested that advances in critical care are more influential in the development of stress-induced bleeding than the use of pharmacologic agents. Recently published investigations support the effectiveness of institution-specific guidelines to help clinicians identify appropriate candidates for stress ulcer prophylaxis. The selection of an optimal pharmacologic agent for stress ulcer prophylaxis continues to be debated. The majority of recent studies have involved the administration of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). In general, these studies have demonstrated that PPIs are at least as effective as histamine H2-receptor antagonists at increasing gastric pH, but adequately powered studies investigating the endpoint of clinically important bleeding are needed. Similar to the initial ASHP guidelines, the development of institution-specific guidelines is recommended to identify the most appropriate pharmacologic treatment. CONCLUSION: The frequency of clinically important bleeding reported in recent studies is low. The majority of recently published prospective studies and meta-analyses found little significant reduction in bleeding with pharmacologic prophylaxis.
Complex spiral wave dynamics in a spatially distributed ionic model of cardiac electrical activity

This study presents computations and analysis of the dynamics of reentrant spiral waves in a realistic model of cardiac electrical activity, incorporating the Beeler–Reuter equations into a two‐dimensional cable model. In this medium, spiral waves spontaneously break up, but may be stabilized by shortening the excitation pulse duration through an acceleration of the dynamics of the calcium current. We describe the breakup of reentrant waves based on the presence of slow recovery fronts within the medium. This concept is introduced using examples from pulse circulation around a ring and extended to two‐dimensional propagation. We define properties of the restitution and dispersion relations that are associated with slow recovery fronts and promote spiral breakup. The role of slow recovery fronts is illustrated with concrete examples from numerical simulations.
Environmental control and the perception of control

The perception of control may be established if an individual is provided with an opportunity to choose and if the outcome of the choice is moderately uncertain. In turn, perceived control has been shown to enhance motivation and performance. In the present experiment, the effects of uncertainty about environmental control were examined by measuring the speed with which choices were made. When control was implicitly provided, decision latencies were shorter than when control was either explicitly available or not available at all. Paradoxically, providing information about control may reduce uncertainty and thereby diminish the perception of control. The contribution of control and choice to the development of perceived control is discussed.
Maintenance and transmission of keystone virus by Aedes atlanticus (Diptera: Culicidae) and the gray squirrel in the pocomoke cypress swamp, Maryland

Ecological studies were done in the Pocomoke Cypress Swamp, Worchester Co., Md., to clarify the role of Aedes atlanticus and gray squirrels as enzo¨tic hosts of Keystone (KEY) virus. Among 43 seronegative squirrels, 65% were infected with KEY virus during July, August, and September 1975, coincident with the emergence and activity of KEY virus-infected Ae. atlanticus . Minimum infection rates for this mosquito increased from 2.7 to 11.2/1,000 from July to October, but we could not conclude that KEY virus-infected squirrels served as an amplifying host. Although Ae. atlanticus was infected readily following per os exposure to KEY virus, only 1 of 83 infected mosquitoes transmitted virus to a suckling mouse. In contrast, 33 of 46 (72%) parenterally infected Ae. atlanticus transmitted virus to mice. KEY virus also was transmitted vertically by Ae. atlanticus to F1 progeny, and one of two vertically infected females transmitted virus to suckling mice by bite. Preliminary data suggested that the per os-infected mosquitoes failed to transmit KEY virus because of a midgut escape, salivary gland barrier(s), or both.
Detailed modeling of corrosion macrocells on steel reinforcing in concrete

Numerical modeling of the distribution corrosion of steel reinforcing bars (rebars) in concrete structures is complicated by the spatial distribution of the rebars in the volume of concrete, by nonlinear boundary conditions associated with the polarization of the corrosion reactions at the steel surface, and by mass transfer processes of the reactants in the bulk of the concrete. A computational method for solving the governing equations has been developed from finite difference representations and a solution procedure that retains the nonlinear character of the boundary conditions. A strategy was successfully devised to compute the local potential and current density at the rebar surface with a minimum of computational effort. Both the problem of free corrosion and cathodic potential are discussed for the example of a square slab, reinforced with a double mat of crossing rebars.
Inflatable antenna for cubesat: fabrication, deployment and results of experimental tests

CubeSats and small satellites have potential to provide means to explore space and to perform science in a more affordable way. As the goals for these spacecraft become more ambitious in space exploration, moving from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) or further, the communication systems currently implemented will not be able to support those missions. One of the bottlenecks is the antennas’ size, due to the close relation between antenna gain and dimensions. Current antennas for CubeSats are mostly dipole or patch antennas with limited gain. Deployable (not inflatable) antennas for CubeSats are currently being investigated, but these solutions are affected by the challenge of packaging the whole deployable structure in a small spacecraft. The work that we propose represents the first attempt to develop an inflatable antenna for CubeSats. Inflatable structures and antennas can be packaged efficiently, occupying a small amount of space, and they can provide, once deployed, large dish dimension and correspondent gain. Inflatable antennas have been previously tested in space (Inflatable Antenna Experiment, STS-77). However they have never been developed for small spacecraft such as CubeSats, where the packaging efficiency, the deployment, and the inflation represent a challenge. Previous works developed by the authors described trade-off analysis, preliminary design and radiation model for the antenna. The research presented in this paper is focused specifically on implementation and testing. Details of the antenna’s fabrication and related issues are illustrated as well as the mechanism to fold and deploy the antenna in space. Finally, results of the experimental tests (vacuum chamber and anechoic chamber) are described. Future work in the development of the antenna will include the improvement of the fabrication process and the design of a 3U CubeSat mission to be proposed as a technical demonstration.
Radar Development in Canada

A very brief outline is given of early deyelopments in the radar field up to the time of the arrival of the Tizard mission in the United States in 1940. Descriptions are given of early radar development in Canada,-followed by a brief outline of sets developed later by the National Research Council and produced by Research Enterprises Limited.
American morphology in the late nineteenth century: The biology department at Johns Hopkins University

Among the many problems confronting the historian of science is the issue of influence. This is particularly troublesome when we attempt to determine the influence of a scientist or scholar on his students. Similarly, it is often difficult to measure the influence of one research tradition in science on a related but different research tradition. I was reminded of these problems at a recent memorial service for Robert L. Fernald (1914-1983), noted classical embryologist and former director of the Friday Harbor Laboratories. Although Fernald had few graduate students, did not publish extensively, and practiced a research tradition that is not currently on the cutting edge of science, he was influential. A large gathering of former graduate students, research associates, and colleagues attested to Fernald's importance in their careers. Most commented on his example as a dedicated scientist or on the influence of his observations and suggestions on studies that, in the hands of others, became noteworthy. As historians we usually lack testimonial evidence to document such indirect influences; as a result, we are often frustrated in determining exactly what constitutes real influence. Just as the above example indicates the problem, I believe it also points to a satisfactory solution. It is reasonable to assume that there is significant influence when, in cases where direct evidence is lacking, an individual scientist occupies a position of central importance and/or trains a significant number of important scientists, or when a specific research tradition dominates a scientific field. If either or both of these cases apply, the individual or the research tradition should become the focus of a careful and serious historical inquiry. An excellent case in point is the morphology program at Johns Hopkins University, developed and administered by William Keith Brooks (1848-1908) from 1876 until his death. Until fairly recently historians have preferred to examine the impressive experimental studies in the United States, which catapaulted American science to a position of prominence by the early twentieth century. Historical study of the morphology program has received second billing. There
Comparing the Effects of Informational, Role‐playing, and Value‐discrepancy Treatments on Racial Attitude1

Previous studies of educational approaches to reducing ethnic prejudice have suffered due to the confounding of techniques that could account for the results obtained. The present study was designed to overcome this problem by testing the effectiveness of three separate and relatively unconfounded educational treatments: informational, which presented evidence challenging the current stereotype that blacks generally trail whites in socioeconomic achievement because they are lazy; role playing, in which subjects wrote an essay urging that good jobs be created to help the poor advance; value-discrepancy, which pointed out that the subjects valued their own freedom more than the welfare of others and that such values worked against minorities. These three treatments and a control condition were administered to intact classes at an eastern, nearly all-white college. A measure of antiblack prejudice administered immediately after the experimental inductions showed the three treatment groups to be significantly lower in prejudice than the control group. On a delayed posttest the treatment groups were still lower in prejudice than the control group though the difference was not significant. The demand characteristics counter-explanation for the results on the immediate posttest was evaluated and found not supported, thus suggesting the potential efficacy of the three treatments.
India's Stalled Internal Security Reforms 1

Following the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai-an attack which had been amply foreshadowed by intelligence and previous, similar strikes-India's government promised unprecedented reforms to the nation's internal security architecture. Five years after Mumbai however, these reforms have almost completely failed to bear fruit. This article reviews both the reasons that the Mumbai attacks had such an impact within India's politics and also why the promised reforms were never able to take shape. It argues that the high-profile nature of the Mumbai attacks, and their effect on India's economic elite, forced the central government to respond. But India's states are so adamantly opposed to the loss of autonomy, particularly over their police forces, that substantive security reform would entail. Thus the prospects for effective reform in the foreseeable future are dim.
A One Watt CW, 20% Efficient X-Band Avalanche Diode Amplifier

Efficient solid state X- band power generation can be accomplished by utilizing the negative impedance characteristics of avalanche diodes in reflection amplifiers. Breadboard 7 GC circuits have been constructed which exhibit low level gains of 13 db with 500 mc of bandwidth. Power outputs of 1 w cw, with 5 db of gain and 20% conversion efficiency have been realized in the same circuit.
Theory and Reality: The Success and Failure of the Deductive Method in Coral Reef Studies-Darwin to Davis

W. M. Davis's monograph The Coral Reef Problem (1928) and his voluminous other publications on coral reefs present his unambiguous support for Darwin's evolutionary model of the development of reef types through slow subsidence of reef foundations. Davis claimed to find unequivocal support for his views in the features of now-elevated reefs. Since his deductions, expressed in sequential block diagrams, were based on his incorrect belief that elevated reefs eroded rapidly, he was compelled to reject paleontological evidence that many elevated reefs are old. Thus to support his theoretical position he systematically misrepresented the geomorphic history of, for example, the Lau Islands, Eua, the Loyalty Islands, Jaluit Atoll and Mangaia. Not surprisingly this work did not impress contemporaries who had experience of these reefs in the field.
Gold Nanoparticle Based FRET for DNA Detection

The nanoscience revolution that sprouted throughout the 1990s is having great impact in current and future DNA detection technology around the world. In this review, we report our recent progress on gold nanoparticle based fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay to monitor DNA hybridization as well as the cleavage of DNA by nucleases. We tried to discuss a reasonable account of the science and the important fundamental work carried out in this area. We also report the development of a compact, highly specific, inexpensive and user-friendly optical fiber laser-induced fluorescence sensor based on fluorescence quenching by nanoparticles to detect single-strand DNA hybridization at femtomolar level.
Supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augments brachial artery dilation and blood flow during forearm contraction.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have beneficial effects on the heart and vasculature. We tested the hypothesis that 6 weeks of dietary supplementation with DHA (2.0 g/day) and EPA (3.0 g/day) enhances exercise-induced increases in brachial artery diameter and blood flow during rhythmic exercise. In seven healthy subjects, blood pressure, heart rate and brachial artery diameter, blood flow, and conductance were assessed before and during the last 30 s of 90 s of rhythmic handgrip exercise (30% of maximal handgrip tension). Blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and brachial artery vascular conductance were also determined. This paradigm was also performed in six other healthy subjects who received 6 weeks of placebo (safflower oil). Placebo treatment had no effect on any variable. DHA and EPA supplementation enhanced contraction-induced increases in brachial artery diameter (0.28 ± 0.04 vs. 0.14 ± 0.03 mm), blood flow (367 ± 65 vs. 293 ± 55 ml min−1) and conductance (3.86 ± 0.71 vs. 2.89 ± 0.61 ml min−1 mmHg−1) (P < 0.05). MAP and HR were unchanged. Results indicate that treatment with DHA and EPA enhances brachial artery blood flow and conductance during exercise. These findings may have implications for individuals with cardiovascular disease and exercise intolerance (e.g., heart failure)
Characterization of Soil Amended with the By-Product of Corn Stover Fermentation

Corn (Zea mays L.) stover is a potential biofuel; however, removing this stover from the land may increase the risk of erosion and reduce soil organic matter (SOM). Land application of corn stover fermentation by-product, which is about 70% lignin, may reduce the environmental risk from biofuel harvest by helping to stabilize soil structure. A column study, with soil collected from a toeslope (noneroded, Svea; fine loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Hapludoll) and a shoulder slope (severely eroded, Langhei; fine loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Eutrudepts) was conducted to evaluate the effect of fermentation by-product on soil properties. Soil was either not amended (control) or amended with corn stover or by-product at 0.75, 3.0, and 6.1 g kg -1 . Soils were incubated for 123 d at ambient temperature in a laboratory, with an initial water-filled pore space (WFPS) of 0.6 m 3 m -3 and drying cycles to 0.35 m 3 m -3 WFPS. Compared with the control, amending soil with 6.1 g by-product kg -1 increased CO 2 flux by 68% and increased soluble C and microbial biomass C by about 20%. In the severely eroded soil, humic acid concentration (r2 = 0.97, p = 0.009) and aggregate stability (r 2 = 0.98, p = 0.005) increased linearly with increased by-product concentration. Water-holding capacity, bulk density, and aggregate distribution were not changed by soil amendments. Careful management of stover removal (avoiding eroded or erosion prone areas) and selective placement and rates of the by-product will contribute to a sustainable use of corn stover for ethanol production.
Studies of non-metallic organic disinfectants on inactivation of avian influenza viruses

Six different kinds of non-metallic or organic disinfectants were obtained in this research study including “Neutral Electrolyzed Water”, “M22” organic disinfectant solution, Superoxy Food Wash disinfectant, Hydrogen Peroxide, Clorox Germicidal Bleach and Clidox-S. The effectiveness of these disinfectants was studied against various subtypes of avian influenza virus (AIV). The virus-disinfectant mixtures were prepared in serial dilutions of each disinfectant with a constant virus titer and incubated at ambient temperature in different time intervals for virus inactivation. The virus inactivation results were determined by virus recovery in embryonating chicken eggs. Among the six different kinds of nonmetallic disinfectants obtained for this research project, Neutral Electrolyzed Water, “M22” solution, Clorox Germicidal Bleach and Clidox-S were effectively inactivated AIV with appropriate working dilutions and reaction times. Superoxy Food Wash disinfectant and Hydrogen Peroxide were found having limited effect on virus inactivation with extended exposure times of more than 2 hours. These research findings provide scientific data to poultry industry with guidelines to select and use non-metallic organic disinfectants for poultry flock sanitation and disinfection to effectively prevent and control of avian influenza outbreaks.
The energetics of asexual reproduction: Pedal laceration in the symbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella (Carlgren, 1943)

Abstract Asexual reproduction of the symbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella (Carlgren, 1943) was studied in the context of energy budgets determined under a variety of light and feeding conditions. Continuous darkness significantly increased rates of pedal laceration (the method of asexual reproduction), while different feeding rates had no significant effect. Digestive assimilation efficiency averaged 63% for whole brine shrimp, and conversion efficiencies (assimilated energy into biomass) averaged 31%. There were no significant differences between the conversion efficiencies of energy obtained from light or food. The index of reproductive effort (RE) for pedal laceration was very low, ranging from 0.004 to 0.044. This low RE associated with a substantial rate of asexual reproduction may, in part, explain the widespread success of certain sea anemones.
248 PRODUCTION OF FLAGGED RECOMBINANT BOVINE BMP15 TO IMPROVE BOVINE IN VITRO EMBRYO PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Current in vitro systems for bovine embryo production are inefficient and produce embryos with lower viability than their in vivo-derived counterparts. Recent reports demonstrate that in vitro bovine oocyte maturation systems could benefit from the addition of oocyte-secreted factors, specifically GDF9 and BMP15 (Gilchrist et al. 2007 Theriogenology 67, 6–15). The long-term goal of this work is to produce species-specific recombinant oocyte-secreted factors capable of improving bovine embryo production in vitro. In the current project, the objective was to produce a cell line that expresses recombinant bovine BMP15. This protein is first translated as a large precursor peptide consisting of propeptide and mature regions, which are enzymatically cleaved to form the active mature protein. The wild-type BMP15 gene was cloned using reverse transcriptase PCR with RNA obtained from bovine ovarian tissue. For improved detection and purification of the active form of the recombinant protein, a detectable FLAG tag sequence (DYKDDDDK) was incorporated into the wild-type BMP15 gene by PCR and cloned into pCDNA expression vector. The FLAG tag was introduced immediately 3′ of the cleavage site at the N-terminal portion of the mature protein to produce recombinant FLAG-tagged BMP15 (rbFL-BMP15). To ensure efficient production of the mature protein, a Kozak sequence was inserted 5′ of the start ATG and the cleavage site altered to be recognised by PACE/furin enzymes, which are endogenously expressed in most mammalian cells including HEK-293 cells (Li et al. 2009 Mol. Hum. Reprod. 15, 779–788). Following sequencing to verify transcript fidelity, pCDNA-rbFL-BMP15 was transfected into HEK-293 cells, and mature protein production was detected by Western blot analysis. Cells plated at 85% confluency were transfected with Lipofectamine 2000, and lysates were harvested 48 h post-transfection. The presence of bovine rbFL-BMP-15 in cell lysates was confirmed by Western blot using the anti-FLAG antibody. Ongoing experiments will test the bioactivity of the purified rbFL-BMP15 by evaluating activation of the SMAD 1/5 pathway via Western blot for phosphorylated SMAD 1/5. After a biologically active protein is confirmed, purified protein will be collected for testing during in vitro maturation of bovine oocytes. We anticipate the species-specific form of oocyte-secreted factors will further enhance in vitro embryo production systems beyond that reported using heterologous factors.
Platelet von Willebrand factor.

Von Willebrand factor (vWF) circulates in the blood in two distinct compartments. One, plasma vWF, is synthesized and released from endothelial cells; the second, synthesized by megakaryocytes, circulates in platelets primarily stored in the α granules. Recent experimental and clinical studies of von Willebrand's disease (vWD) indicate that platelet vWF plays an important role in the bleeding time determination and the degree of clinical bleeding in vWD. Platelet vWF is released from the platelet α granules by various agonists and then rebinds to the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex. Fibrinogen or monoclonal antibodies against this complex inhibit 60 to 70% of the expression of platelet vWF. Aspirin inhibits 80% of the adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet vWF surface expression, and the platelet vWF surface expression that is not inhibited by aspirin can be almost totally inhibited by disruption of the platelet cytoskeleton. Platelet vWF may, in part, be expressed in the open canalicular system prebound to a receptor. Transfusion studies have shown that correction of the bleeding time in severe vWD requires both plasma and platelet vWF. On the basis of numerous studies, we hypothesize that platelet vWF plays an important role in platelet interaction with the subendothelial surfaces under conditions of high shear stress. After platelet contact, platelet vWF is released, binds to the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex, and forms a bridge between the subendothelial surface and the platelet, which initiates and supports platelet spreading. Platelet vWF also acts as an intercellular bridge between platelets and thereby promotes platelet aggregation. This process is important not only in the initial steps of hemostasis but also in the process of thrombosis.
Cognitive reference points

Abstract Two methods were used to test the hypothesis that natural categories (such as colors, line orientations, and numbers) have reference point stimuli (such as focal colors, vertical and horizontal lines, and numbers that are multiples of 10) in relation to which other stimuli of the category are judged. In Experiment I, subjects placed pairs of stimuli into sentence frames consisting of linguistic “hedges” such as “— is essentially—.” Results were that the supposed reference stimuli were most often placed in the second (reference) slot. In Experiment II, the subject placed a stimulus in physical space to represent his feeling of the psychological distance of that stimulus from another spatially fixed stimulus. Results showed that, when supposed reference stimuli were fixed, other stimuli were placed closer to them than vice versa. The results have substantive implications for the understanding of internal structure of categories and methodological implications for the mapping of reference points, quantification of linguistic intuitions, and the assumption of symmetry in psychological distance judgments.
c-Cbl reduces stability of rescued ∆F508-CFTR in human airway epithelial cells: Implications for cystic fibrosis treatment.

CFTR is a PKA activated Cl- channel expressed in the apical membrane of fluid transporting epithelia. We previously demonstrated that c-Cbl decreases CFTR stability in the plasma membrane by facilitating its endocytosis and lysosomal degradation in human airway epithelium. The most common mutation associated with cystic fibrosis, deletion of Phe508 (∆F508), leads to a temperature sensitive biosynthetic processing defect in the CFTR protein. Mature ∆F508-CFTR that has been rescued by low temperature or chemical chaperones is partially functional as a Cl- channel but has decreased plasma membrane stability due to altered post-maturational trafficking. Our present data demonstrate that c-Cbl controls the post-maturational trafficking of rescued ∆F508-CFTR. Partial depletion of c-Cbl increased stability of the plasma membrane associated mature ∆F508-CFTR and the ∆F508-CFTR mediated Cl- secretion. These data indicate that correcting the post-maturational trafficking of ∆F508-CFTR may represent a therapeutic ap...