cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activation of bovine heart ATP-MG2+-dependent phosphoprotein phosphatase: isolation of a phosphoenzyme intermediate and its conversion to the active form via a Mg2+-dependent autodephosphorylation reaction.

Abstract The ATP-Mg 2+ -dependent protein phosphatase, a holoenzyme form of type I protein phosphatase (phosphatase-1) requires the action of phosphatase-1 kinase (F A ) for activation. The enzyme (75 kDa) purified from bovine heart consists of a catalytic (C) and a regulatory (R) subunit of 40 kDa and 34 kDa, respectively, and activation is associated with phosphorylation of the R-subunit. A procedure has been developed for isolation of [ 32 P]phosphatase-1 ([ 32 P]E-P) in non-denatured form. In the absence of divalent cation, [ 32 P]E-P is catalytically inactive and the phosphorylation is stable. Addition of Mg 2+ triggers autodephosphorylation of [ 32 P]E-P with concomitant generation of phosphorylase phosphatase activity. The autodephosphorylation/activation process is dependent on Mg 2+ concentration. The K A value for Mg 2+ is 0.6 mM. The phosphorylase phosphatase activity generated from the release of 1 mol. 32 P is 1.1 × 10 12 units which is equivalent to 15,000 units per mg enzyme protein. The present findings provide direct evidence that the phosphorylated phosphatase-1 is not the active form (E a ). Instead, E a is directly produced from the intermediate by a Mg 2+ -dependent autodephosphorylation reaction.
Examination of toxicity of Clostridium perfringens ϵ-toxin in the MDCK cell line

Abstract The epithelial Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line was examined as a model to study the toxicity of Clostridium perfringens ϵ-toxin. The MDCK cell line was used because it is a monolayer cell line sensitive to ϵ-toxin. Using the neutral red (NR) retention assay (an indicator of lysosomal integrity), the concentration of toxin causing death in 50% of the cell population (LC50) was 900 pM, although this was found to vary between production batches. ϵ-Toxin was found to act rapidly but with a lag phase of 1 hr (NR assay). Pulsing the cultures with toxin (up to 4800 pM) indicated that the duration of exposure required to exert an effect was potentially very short (2.5 min). Increasing the duration of exposure beyond 3 hr did not decrease cell viability any further. Experiments with protease inhibitors failed to inactivate the toxin. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was found to potentiate the lethality of the toxin by 90% This may be due to non-specific chaotropic effects such as membrane destabilization. By exposing cultures of MDCK cells to ϵ-toxin for a second time, resistance to the effects of the toxin was increased by 43%. The factor(s) controlling resistance to the toxin may have a heritable component.
Gene therapy enhances the antiproliferative effect of radiation in intimal hyperplasia.

Abstract Background. Although ionizing radiation (IR) has been demonstrated to attenuate vessel wall restenosis and intimal hyperplasia (IH), dose-related mural injury and atrophy are possible deleterious side effects. We tested the hypothesis that a radiosensitizing strategy may improve IR-induced inhibition of in vivo vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) without influencing apoptotic cell death. Methods. In 28 New Zealand White rabbits, the right common carotid artery (CCA) was injured and subjected to low-flow conditions to promote IH. The CCA was transfected with an adenoviral vector incorporating the cytosine deaminase (CD) gene (1 × 10 9 PFU/ml). 5-Fluorocytosine (5-FC), a prodrug that is converted to the radiosensitizing agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by CD, was thereafter administered intravenously. The CCA was exposed to 5 Gy IR at 24 h. Intimal/medial (I/M) area and thickness ratios were determined in the harvested CCAs at 14 days. VSMC proliferative and apoptotic indices were assessed with immunohistochemistry. Results. A 50% reduction in I/M area was found in rabbits treated with IR and IR + CD/5-FC (0.19 ± 0.03 and 0.18 ± 0.02) when compared with untreated controls (UC) (0.37 ± 0.06) ( P = 0.005). This finding was substantiated by attenuation of I/M thickness in the IR groups [0.47 ± 0.13 (IR), 0.41 ± 0.11 (IR + CD/5-FC), 0.61 ± 0.17 (UC)] ( P = 0.007). The number of proliferating VSMCs was notably smaller when IR was combined with CD/5-FC (4.17 ± 1.16 vs 2.97 ± 1.09 log transformed cells/mm 2 , P Conclusions. Both IR alone and IR combined with a radiosensitizing agent are effective in attenuating experimental IH. However, combination therapy is synergistic and achieves greater inhibition of VSMC proliferation and may involve selective killing of radioresistant S-phase VSMCs. IR + CD/5-FC represents a novel therapeutic strategy that offers potential for long-term control of IH.
Measurement of Subcellular Force Generation in Neurons

Forces are important for neuronal outgrowth during the initial wiring of the nervous system and after trauma, yet subcellular force generation over the microtubule-rich region at the rear of the growth cone and along the axon has never, to our knowledge, been directly measured. Because previous studies have indicated microtubule polymerization and the microtubule-associated proteins Kinesin-1 and dynein all generate forces that push microtubules forward, a major question is whether the net forces in these regions are contractile or expansive. A challenge in addressing this is that measuring local subcellular force generation is difficult. Here we develop an analytical mathematical model that describes the relationship between unequal subcellular forces arranged in series within the neuron and the net overall tension measured externally. Using force-calibrated towing needles to measure and apply forces, in combination with docked mitochondria to monitor subcellular strain, we then directly measure force generation over the rear of the growth cone and along the axon of chick sensory neurons. We find the rear of the growth cone generates 2.0 nN of contractile force, the axon generates 0.6 nN of contractile force, and that the net overall tension generated by the neuron is 1.3 nN. This work suggests that the forward bulk flow of the cytoskeletal framework that occurs during axonal elongation and growth-cone pauses arises because strong contractile forces in the rear of the growth cone pull material forward.
Space-variant models of visual acuity using self-adjoint integral operators

The purpose of this paper is to outline a more general approach to visual acuity experiments than the classical methods borrowed from the optical sciences. A theory based on integral operators with symmetric kernels replaces the standard use of filters constructed from windowed sines and cosines. This more general approach allows greater latitude in the range of phenomena to be modelled. It also permits all the standard techniques used in Fourier expansion of a stimulus and response to be generalized to a space-variant system such as the human visual field.
Sucrose-response thresholds and the expression of behavioural tasks by middle-aged honeybee workers

Task assignment and division of labour in social groups persist as a key issue in the evolution of behaviour. Previous studies have argued that honeybees, Apis mellifera, display a pollen foraging syndrome that plays an important role in structuring the temporal division of labour within their colonies. Bees with low-sucrose-response thresholds early in life forage earlier and are more likely to be pollen-biased foragers than those that have higher thresholds early in life. We tested the hypothesis that sucrose-response thresholds are consistently expressed by bees performing a cluster of tasks—guarding, fanning and undertaking—that are typical of middle-aged bees. These three task groups show mean response thresholds that do not differ significantly from those of pollen foragers collected from the same colonies. However, a substantial percentage of undertakers do not respond in the bioassay, a feature that this group shares with nectar foragers. Notably, whereas mean colony response threshold varies among colonies, the ordination of response thresholds among tasks varies little among colonies. Sucrose-response thresholds for pollen and nectar foragers in our study were consistent with published results for these task groups. Our results support the hypothesis that task and sucrose-response thresholds are entwined and suggest the further hypothesis that fanning and guarding are associated with pollen collection.
Leukemia clusters in upstate New York: how adding covariates changes the story

The 1978–1982 New York State TCE / Leukemia dataset is often used to test new cluster detection methodologies. We augment that dataset with demographic covariates from the 1980 census and find evidence that the relation between several of the TCE wastesites and elevated leukemia rates is probably confounded by the population's age and employment characteristics. This demonstrates a problem that is often mentioned, but seldom touched in detail–clustering can be related to covariates not directly related to the risks of interest. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
‘After Me There Will Come Braver Men’: Jan Hus and Reformation Polemics in the 1530s

This article analyses two early plays from the era of the German Reformation, the Tragedia Johannis Huss (1537), by Johannes Agricola, and Ein heimliche Gesprach von der Tragedia Johannis Hussen (1538), by Johannes Cochlaeus. Agricola's play dramatized the trial and execution of Jan Hus, the Bohemian priest and reformer who was executed by the Council of Constance in 1415. A number of accounts of Hus's trial were published in the 1530s as part of the Lutheran campaign against the convocation of a general church council; this paper argues that Agricola's turn to drama represented a broadening of the Lutherans' use of printed and oral media in publicizing their attack on the council. Cochlaeus's play was a direct response to Agricola's, but utilized different means to undercut the potential impact of Agricola's Tragedia. Cochlaeus satirized his Lutheran opponents and their wives, thus using the comic potential of the stage to expand his own polemical arsenal against Luther and his followers. Through these two plays, this paper examines both the development of Lutheran historical arguments against church councils and the dynamics of the propagandistic interchanges between Roman and Lutheran authors in the second decade of the Reformation. It ultimately argues that these two authors' use of dramatic media exemplified efforts by both churches to reach audiences in new and potentially more effective ways in order to reify their differences and galvanize their followers.
Urinary Excretion of C5b-9 in Severe Preeclampsia: Tipping the Balance of Complement Activation in Pregnancy

The complement cascade is activated in normal pregnancy, and excessive complement activation propagates the systemic inflammatory response in severe preeclampsia. Consequently, biomarkers of complement dysregulation may be useful for prediction or treatment of disease. Because renal damage with proteinuria is a characteristic pathological feature of preeclampsia, we hypothesized that complement markers in urine, rather than plasma, could better reflect complement dysregulation in disease. To investigate this, we performed a case–control study of pregnant women, enrolling 25 cases with severe preeclampsia, 25 controls with chronic hypertension, and 25 healthy controls without hypertension matched by gestational age and parity. Subjects were recruited from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital from March 2012 to March 2013. Urine and blood samples were collected on the day of enrollment, with complement activation (C3a, C5a, and C5b-9) measured by ELISA. Severe preeclampsia was associated with marked elevations in urinary C5b-9 (median [interquartile range], 4.3 [1.2–15.1] ng/mL) relative to subjects with chronic hypertension (0 [0–0]) and healthy controls (0 [0–0]; P
Particle flow pattern in the freeboard of a vortexing fluidized bed

Abstract A new coal-firing technique known as Vortexing Fluidized Bed Combustion (VFBC) was recently developed to improve the combustion intensity and the turndown capability, and to reduce fines elutriation and the freeboard height of conventional FBC boilers. This paper presents a simplified mathematical model for particle flow patterns in the freeboard of a vortexing fluidized bed. The governing differential equations for solid flows were formulated and solved numerically. Effects of particle properties (particle inverse relaxation time), axial and tangential air velocities, and particle weight loss due to combustion on particle trajectories in the freeboard were examined. Two types of air velocity profiles representing two practical designs of injection nozzles were compared. The particle inverse relaxation time, primary and tangential velocities were found to characterize the dynamic behavior of particles in the freeboard. Results also indicated that the VFBC process can increase the overall gas—solid slip velocity by 4 to 5 times, and the design of protrusive injection nozzles in the freeboard is superior to the design of peripheral air injection at the wall.
Stochastic differential equations for power law behaviors

In this paper we present simple stochastic differential equations that lead to lower-tail and/or upper tail power law behaviors. We also present a model with bi-directional Poisson counters that exhibits power law behavior near a critical point, which might be of interest to statistical physics.
Spatial Govemmentality and the New Urban Social Order: Controlling Gender Violence through Law

The new urban social order depends on a complex combination of systems of punishment, discipline, and security. Scholars drawing on Foucault's analysis of the art and rationality of governance, or govemmentality, have explored how urban social orders are increasingly based on the governance of space rather than on the discipline of offenders or the punishment of offenses. The new urban social order is characterized by privatized security systems and consumer-policed spaces such as malls. Gender violence interventions represent another deployment of spatial forms of govemmentality. Over the last two decades, punishment of batterers has been augmented by disciplinary systems that teach batterers new forms of masculinity and by security systems for women based on spatial separation. In the postmodern city, spatial govemmentality is integrally connected with punishment and discipline. These new forms of governance circulate globally along with neoliberal ideas of the diminished state, [gender violence, govemmentality, urban society, globalization, law]
Dlx-5 in limb initiation in the chick embryo.

Dlx-5 is a vertebrate homolog of the Drosophila Distal-less gene, one of the first genetic signals for limb formation in the fly. In the present study we have explored the possible role of Dlx-5 in limb initiation in the chick embryo. At stage 14 which is well before the initial formation of limb buds Dlx-5 is highly and specifically expressed in the ectoderm of the presumptive wing and leg forming regions of the lateral plate, but not in the intervening non-limb forming prospective flank. Thus, Dlx-5 expression distinguishes the limb-forming territories prior to limb budding, and is one of the first molecular markers of vertebrate limb initiation. Furthermore, Dlx-5 expression is induced in the non-limb-forming flank within 12 hours after implantation of an FGF2-soaked bead, a procedure that results in the induction of an ectopic limb. The rapid induction of Dlx-5 expression in response to a signal which ultimately leads to supernumerary limb formation is consistent with a role for Dlx-5 in limb initiation. We have also examined the expression of Dlx-5 in the limb buds of amelic limbless mutant chick embryos, which undergo normal limb formation but do not form an AER and thus fail to undergo further outgrowth. Dlx-5 is transiently expressed by the ectoderm of emergent limbless limb buds, consistent with a role for Dlx-5 in limb initiation. Together, our results suggest that Dlx-5 may be involved in the specification of the limb territories of the lateral plate, and in the initial formation of the limb bud from these regions. Dev Dyn 1999;216:10–15. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
X-ray absorption spectroscopy: how is it done? what can it tell us?

The theory and practice of x-ray absorption spectroscopy are discussed in brief, together with the kind and quality of the atomic-scale structural information that it can yield. Its application to special materials systems is emphasized.
High pressure studies of hydrated NAFION membranes: Dielectric relaxation and deuteron NMR

Abstract Audio frequency electrical conductivity/dielectric relaxation and nuclear magnetic resonance studies of NAFION-117 have been carried out at pressures up to 0.3 GPa (3 kbar). For some samples, the electrical conductivity exhibits dispersion typical of hopping conductivity in an amorphous material, σ = σ 0 ω m . The values of m are sample dependent and vary from about 0.55 to 0.75. In addition, the values of m are not strongly pressure sensitive. At a given frequency, the electrical conductivity tends to decrease as pressure increases and yield activation volumes on the order of 5 to 10 cm 3 /mol. The activation volume determined from the NMR spin-lattice relaxation time measurements are also sample dependent. The data shown correspond to an activation volume of about 8.6 cm 3 /mol. The results of the high pressure electrical conductivity studies also yield activation volumes on the order of that determined via NMR.
Environmental decentralization and political centralization

In this paper, we investigate how political institutions affect policy outcomes. In particular, does the level of political centralization affect the outcome of environmental decentralization? We use a cross section of up to 110 countries and a propensity score estimation approach. We find that political centralization, measured by the strength of national level political parties, increases the stringency of environmental policies set under decentralized regimes.
Age trends in the experience of family discord in single-mother families across adolescence.

This study utilized the Family Environment Scale and the Experience Sampling Method to evaluate how overall family discord and discord in immediate family interactions were related to adolescents' age, in 101 single-mother families. Mothers' reports of overall family discord decreased across adolescence. In immediate interactions, adolescent boys reported feeling more anger towards their mothers with age, while girls reported feeling less anger with age.
Accumbens activity during a multiple schedule for water and sucrose reinforcement in rats.

Electrophysiological recording procedures were used to examine nucleus accumbens (Acb) cell firing during operant responding for water reinforcement vs. a highly palatable sweet solution (0.6 M sucrose). Rats (n = 8) were trained on a multiple schedule to press one lever for water (fixed ratio 1, FR1; 15 min) followed by a 20-sec timeout period (chamber dark, levers retracted), and extension of a second spatially distinct lever that the animals pressed for sucrose reinforcement (FR1; 15 min). Of 84 cells, 55 neurons (65%) displayed one of three types of patterned discharges (increases or decreases in firing rate) immediately before or following the sucrose- or water-reinforced response. The major finding of this report was that the majority of these neurons (36/55 cells; 65%) showed similar types of neuronal firing patterns across the two reinforcer conditions. The remaining cells (19/55; 35%) exhibited patterned activity specific to responding for one reinforcer only (water or sucrose). These findings are discussed with respect to how Acb neurons encode goal-directed behaviors for “natural” reinforcers including food, water, and a palatable sweet solution. Synapse 43:223–226, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of Amino Acids on Liver RNA Synthesis in the Chick

Two-week-old chicks were administered orally mixtures of vari ous kinds and amounts of amino acids. The effect of these amino acids on RNA synthesis was measured by the incorporation of tritium from uridine-5-3H into RNA of the chick liver. High levels of amino acids (300 mg) administered to chicks resulted in a decrease in RNA synthesis. Of the precursors of the purine ring tested (folie acid, glycine, glutamine and asparuc acid), only aspartA­cacid had any effect on RNA synthesis. It increased the synthesis of RNA. When tested at various levels, 20 mg of aspartic acid per chick promoted the highest amount of RNA synthesis whereas 40 mg of aspartic acid decreased the synthesis of RNA. Amino acid imbalances generally lowered both RNA and protein synthesis when compared to a completely balanced amino acid mixture. Of the imbalances tested by measuring the incorporation of carbon-14 from glycine-l-1'lC into both RNA and protein, a deficiency of tryptophan seemed to have the greatest effect. The data from these experiments in general indicate that amino acids will increase the synthesis of RNA when administered at recommended dietary intakes but will decrease synthesis of RNA when fed at excessively high intakes or as certain unbalanced mixtures. J. Nutr. 102: 987-994, 1972.
Geomechanics of penetration :laboratory analog experiments using a modified split hopkinson pressure bar/impact testing procedure.

This research continues previous efforts to re-focus the question of penetrability away from the behavior of the penetrator itself and toward understanding the dynamic, possibly strain-rate dependent, behavior of the affected materials. A modified split Hopkinson pressure bar technique is prototyped to determine the value of reproducing the stress states, and mechanical responses, of geomaterials observed in actual penetrator tests within a laboratory setting. Conceptually, this technique simulates the passage of the penetrator surface past any fixed point in the penetrator trajectory by allowing for a controlled stress-time function to be transmitted into a sample, thereby mimicking the 1D radial projection inherent to analyses of the cavity expansion problem. Test results from a suite of weak (unconfined compressive strength, or UCS, of 22 MPa) concrete samples, with incident strain rates of 100-250 s{sup -1}, show that the complex mechanical response includes both plastic and anelastic wave propagation, and is critically dependent on incident particle velocity and saturation state. For instance, examination of the transmitted stress-time data, and post-test volumetric measurements of pulverized material, provide independent estimates of the plasticized zone length (1-2 cm) formed for incident particle velocity of {approx}16.7 m/s. The results also shed light on the elastic ormore » energy propagation property changes that occur in the concrete. For example, the pre- and post-test zero-stress elastic wave propagation velocities show that the Young's modulus drops from {approx}19 GPa to <8 GPa for material within the first centimeter from the plastic transition front, while the Young's modulus of the dynamically confined, axially-stressed (in 6-18 MPa range) plasticized material drops to 0.5-0.6 GPa. The data also suggest that the critical particle velocity for formation of a plastic zone in the weak concrete is 13-15 m/s, with increased saturation tending to increase the critical particle velocity limit. Overall, the data produced from these experiments suggests that further pursuit of this approach is warranted for penetration research but also as a potential new method for dynamic testing of materials.« less
The roots of social informatics through tri‐citation analysis of Rob Kling's Oeuvre

We build on an earlier analysis of the academic career of Rob Kling, the founder of the field of social informatics (SI) (Cronin & Shaw, 2007), through a two-time-period author tri-citation analysis. The two time periods—1972- 1995 and 1996–2008—represent distinct parts of Rob Kling's career. Our analysis of Kling's career and influence through the lens of tri-citation analysis allows for the understanding of SI's roots and evolution. In particular we show how early SI concepts evolved and grew in influence as they moved beyond the fields of management information systems (MIS) and organizational research where the concepts were initially established.
Primary 2D versus primary 3D polyp detection at screening CT colonography.

OBJECTIVE. Disparate results from the existing large CT colonography (CTC) trials suggest that 2D polyp detection is less sensitive than 3D detection, but no direct evidence exists to support this claim. Our goal was to assess the sensitivity of primary 2D polyp detection with cases from the Department of Defense CTC screening trial and compare results with the primary 3D evaluation and previous 2D CTC trials.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Ten radiologists, blinded to polyp findings, retrospectively interpreted 730 consecutive colonoscopy-proven CTC cases in asymptomatic adults using a primary 2D approach, with 3D reserved for problem solving. Primary 2D CTC performance was compared with the primary 3D CTC results from the original trial of 1,233 asymptomatic adults. The 10 2D reviewers were significantly more experienced in CTC interpretation (> 100 cases interpreted) than the six reviewers from the original 3D trial.RESULTS. Primary 2D CTC sensitivity for adenomas ≥ 6 mm was 44.1% (56/127), compared with 85.7% ...
The comparative pathology of Clostridium difficile-associated disease

Clostridium difficile is a confirmed pathogen in a wide variety of mammals, but the incidence of disease varies greatly in relation to host species, age, environmental density of spores, administration of antibiotics, and possibly, other factors. Lesions vary as well, in severity and distribution within individuals, and in some instances, age groups, of a given species. The cecum and colon are principally affected in most species, but foals and rabbits develop severe jejunal lesions. Explanations for variable susceptibility of species, and age groups within a species, are largely speculative. Differences in colonization rates and toxin-receptor densities have been proposed. Clostridium difficile-associated disease is most commonly diagnosed in Syrian hamsters, horses, and neonatal pigs, but it is reported sporadically in many other species. The essential virulence factors of C. difficile are large exotoxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB). Receptor-mediated endocytosis of the toxins is followed by endosomal acidification, a necessary step for conversion of the toxin to its active form in the cytosol. Cell-surface receptors have been characterized for TcdA, but remain to be identified for TcdB. Both TcdA and TcdB disrupt the actin cytoskeleton by disrupting Rho-subtype, intracellular signaling molecules. Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton is catastrophic for cellular function, but inflammation and neurogenic stimuli are also involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.
The syntactic metaphor of subordination: A typological study

This study explores the syntactic and semantic realization of subordinate clauses in a synchronic sample of 34 languages. It tests the hypothesis that subordination will favor nominalized predicates, and that temporally subordinate clauses will systematically show spatial associations. I argue that nominalization and locative marking interact as syntactic and semantic vehicles for the structural metaphor, EVENT is OBJECT, elaborated by another structural metaphor, TIME is SPACE. This analysis synthesizes insights from the literature in functional syntax and cognitive linguistics.
Fatal Intentional Salt Poisoning Associated with a Radiopaque Mass

Intentional poisoning has become recognized more widely as a form of child abuse in recent years.1 Many substances have been reported as the agents used, including common table salt (sodium chloride).2-5 However, there is very little published information on the manifestations of salt poisoning when it is administered in large quantities in the undissolved, crystallized form. A case of fatal salt poisoning is reported which emphasizes two characteristics of crystallized salt that have not been described previously and which emphasizes once again that poisoning in young children may be a form of child abuse. Case Report A 5-year-old girl was brought to a local emergency department with seizures and hypernatremia.
Is There a Better Way to Examine Income Inequality

Dividing U.S. tax returns into half-millionaires (those reporting adjusted gross income (AGI) of $500,000 or more in a given year) and their complement allows greater use of IRS data on income sources than is possible with an analysis that examines a fixed percentage of returns, such as the top one percent. Contrary to popular perception and media rhetoric, the inflation-adjusted difference between the reported AGI of half-millionaires and the rest actually declined by 25 percent from 1993 to 2011. The income gap between half-millionaires and other filers reflects differences in kinds of income, with half-millionaires deriving a much larger fraction of their income from capital investments whose varying returns make that component of income�and thus the income of half-millionaires�more volatile. The percentage of total tax returns filed by half-millionaires in a given year and the percentage of their income derived from taxable gains reported on Schedule D account for virtually all of the variation in the half-millionaire percentage of aggregate AGI. As this finding suggests, the expanding income share for half-millionaires does not signify that some collection of privileged rich have become richer. The significant net growth in the percentage of filers who are half-millionaires has been uneven because a significant proportion of their income derives from volatile Schedule D gains, which are higher during economic expansions and lower during recessions. The incomes of half-millionaires�and especially millionaires�are anything but recession proof. But even with that volatile component of income included, when their percentage of returns doubles, their percentage of income less than doubles, consistent with declining income inequality.
Efficient Learning in Cellular Simultaneous Recurrent Neural Networks - The Case of Maze Navigation Problem

Cellular simultaneous recurrent neural networks (SRN) show great promise in solving complex function approximation problems. In particular, approximate dynamic programming is an important application area where SRNs have significant potential advantages compared to other approximation methods. Learning in SRNs, however, proved to be a notoriously difficult problem, which prevented their broader use. This paper introduces an extended Kalman filter approach to train SRNs. Using the two-dimensional maze navigation problem as a testbed, we illustrate the operation of the method and demonstrate its benefits in generalization and testing performance
The human macrophage mannose receptor directs Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipoarabinomannan-mediated phagosome biogenesis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) survives in macrophages in part by limiting phagosome–lysosome (P-L) fusion. M.tb mannose-capped lipoarabinomannan (ManLAM) blocks phagosome maturation. The pattern recognition mannose receptor (MR) binds to the ManLAM mannose caps and mediates phagocytosis of bacilli by human macrophages. Using quantitative electron and confocal microscopy, we report that engagement of the MR by ManLAM during the phagocytic process is a key step in limiting P-L fusion. P-L fusion of ManLAM microspheres was significantly reduced in human macrophages and an MR-expressing cell line but not in monocytes that lack the receptor. Moreover, reversal of P-L fusion inhibition occurred with MR blockade. Inhibition of P-L fusion did not occur with entry via Fcγ receptors or dendritic cell–specific intracellular adhesion molecule 3 grabbing nonintegrin, or with phosphatidylinositol-capped lipoarabinomannan. The ManLAM mannose cap structures were necessary in limiting P-L fusion, and the intact molecule was required to maintain this phenotype. Finally, MR blockade during phagocytosis of virulent M.tb led to a reversal of P-L fusion inhibition in human macrophages (84.0 ± 5.1% vs. 38.6 ± 0.6%). Thus, engagement of the MR by ManLAM during the phagocytic process directs M.tb to its initial phagosomal niche, thereby enhancing survival in human macrophages.
Clinical utility of the Devereux Behavior Rating Scale—School Form among culturally diverse children

Two hundred sixty-seven children from three ethnic samples (95 Caucasians, 95 African Americans, and 77 Hispanics) were rated by their teachers on the Devereux Behavior Rating Scale-School Form (DSF). The data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate ANOVAs, discriminant analysis, and sensitivity and specificity analysis. Results indicate the DSF has utility in screening children for serious emotional disturbance in the present sample. The findings also suggest that the criterion-related validity of the DSF found for the general population can be generalized to Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic children. In addition, the cutoff score of 1 SD above the mean on the DSF Total scale was found to yield the highest true positive and negative hit rates for the total and Caucasian samples. The optimum cutoff scores were slightly lower for the African American and Hispanic samples. Usefulness and limitation of the DSF as a screening instrument with school children are discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The influence of gender on carotid artery compliance and distensibility in children and adults

Purpose Given the role of arterial wall elasticity in the development of cardiovascular disease, carotid artery compliance and distensibility have been used commonly over the last decade as predictors of cardiovascular risk, although their gender differences remain unknown. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the impact of gender on carotid arterial elasticity in a large sample of children and adults. Methods Carotid artery compliance and distensibility were measured with ultrasonography in 294 children (157 boys, 137 girls; ages 6–18 years) and 604 adults (291 men, 311 women; ages 18–49 years) previously recruited for a study investigating cardiovascular risk factors. An independent sample t test was used to compare demographic and carotid artery elasticity values by age and gender. Results No significant gender difference in carotid arterial compliance and distensibility was observed in children. Women had significantly greater cross-sectional compliance than men (0.004 ± 0.000 versus 0.003 ± 0.000 1/mmHg, p = 0.041). Conclusions We found significant gender difference in carotid compliance in adults, but not in children, suggesting that gender differences in arterial stiffness are not present early in life but emerge later in adulthood. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 41:340–346, 2013
A Structure-Function Approach to Understanding the Dual Functions of the Plant Mechanosensitive Ion Channel MSL10

MscS-Like (MSL) 10 is a member of the MscS superfamily of mechanosensitive ion channels and one of 10 MSL proteins in the model flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Unlike Escherichia coli MscS, MSL10 contains 6 transmembrane helices, and only its C-terminal TM helix shows homology with EcMscS's pore-lining domain. MSL10 has been shown to provide a mechanosensitive activity in plant cells and Xenopus oocytes. However, its structural organization and function in plants are just beginning to be elucidated. We have shown that MSL10 is involved in one or more signal pathways that do not require its ion conducting ability. Instead, MSL10's intracellular N-terminus was shown to have a regulatory function in the induction of programmed cell death, depending on its phosphorylation state. Attempting to uncouple MSL10's ion channel and regulatory functions in plants, we are performing an analysis of several key mutations in the putative pore-lining domain. Several GOF mutants indicate the critical role of hydrophobic residues of TM6 in channel activation. We also have identified LOF mutants with specific changes in particular channel properties, such as single channel conductance and tension sensitivity when tested in Xenopus oocytes. We hypothesize that the bulky F553 and F563 residues of MSL10 mediate force transduction from the membrane to the channel's pore. This may occur via interaction with hydrophobic residues of other TMs (like EcMScS F68 and L111) or directly with the fatty acid tails of membrane lipids. Testing these mutants in in planta assays will provide insight into the role played by the MSL10 in plant signaling and may identify its interacting partners. In summary, our work is beginning to reveal a dual role of MSL10 in plant physiology and the molecular mechanisms governing its behavior and functions.
Geospatial Information Systems Analysis of Regional Environmental Change along the Savannah River Basin of Georgia

This paper uses remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS); and descriptive statistics in the assessment of environmental change along the Savannah River Basin of Georgia. Results of the study show that Savannah River basin side of Georgia has been experiencing environmental change due to several decades of relentless pressure induced by anthropocentric activities and host of other socio-economic factors. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis of the area also shows a decline in vegetation cover. The pace of ecological change showed some variations across time and space. Generally, the results point to a decline in water bodies, vegetation, and increase in population, loss of harvested cropland, farms and increasing threats to the environmental systems of the region.
TopNet: a tool for comparing biological sub-networks, correlating protein properties with topological statistics

Biological networks are a topic of great current interest, particularly with the publication of a number of large genome-wide interaction datasets. They are globally characterized by a variety of graph-theoretic statistics, such as the degree distribution, clustering coefficient, characteristic path length and diameter. Moreover, real protein networks are quite complex and can often be divided into many sub-networks through systematic selection of different nodes and edges. For instance, proteins can be sub-divided by expression level, length, amino-acid composition, solubility, secondary structure and function. A challenging research question is to compare the topologies of sub- networks, looking for global differences associated with different types of proteins. TopNet is an automated web tool designed to address this question, calculating and comparing topological characteristics for different sub-networks derived from any given protein network. It provides reasonable solutions to the calculation of network statistics for sub-networks embedded within a larger network and gives simplified views of a sub-network of interest, allowing one to navigate through it. After constructing TopNet, we applied it to the interaction networks and protein classes currently available for yeast. We were able to find a number of potential biological correlations. In particular, we found that soluble proteins had more interactions than membrane proteins. Moreover, amongst soluble proteins, those that were highly expressed, had many polar amino acids, and had many alpha helices, tended to have the most interaction partners. Interestingly, TopNet also turned up some systematic biases in the current yeast interaction network: on average, proteins with a known functional classification had many more interaction partners than those without. This phenomenon may reflect the incompleteness of the experimentally determined yeast interaction network.
HUMAN PITUITARY PROLACTIN (hPRL): THE ENTIRE LINEAR AMINO ACID SEQUENCE

For the first time the entire linear amino acid sequence of hPRL has been ascertained. The sequence features 198 amino acid residues, leucine at the NH2-terminus, and 6 half custines. hPRL sequence identity with porcine, ovine, and rat PRL is 77, 73, and 60%, respectively. However, hPRL sequence identity with hGH is only 16%, and with human placental lactogen 13%.
Agglomeration Economies and Firm Performance: The Case of Industry Clusters

Do firms located within an industry cluster outperform those that are not? Scholars of agglomeration economies have suggested that clustered firms stand to benefit from the positive externalities that stem from geographic proximity of industry. In this article, the relationship between agglomeration economies and financial performance is investigated. Thirty-one years of performance data for 194 firms from the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries revealed no significant differences between clustered and nonclustered firms in the early stages of the industry life cycle. However, isolated (nonclustered) laggards outperformed clustered laggards in the late stages of the industry life cycle. Similarly, no significant differences in financial performance were found between the groups during periods of economic contraction at an early stage of the industry life cycle, but isolated firms outperformed clustered firms in the late stages of the industry life cycle. The reported results of this study, in comb...
Cultural and ethnic influences on love and attachment

Recently, theorists have begun to speculate about the nature of passionate and companionate love. Evolutionary psychologists have tended to emphasize the pan-cultural nature of passionate love. Historians have stressed the fact that, in different historical eras, people's attitudes toward love, sex, and intimacy have varied widely. Cross-cultural researchers contend that, even today, societies differ greatly in their attitudes toward love. In this study, 124 men and 184 women from four ethnic backgrounds were asked if they were currently in love and how passionately and companionately in love they were. The four groups differed, as predicted, in their general orientations toward life. European-Americans were the most individualistic, Japanese-Americans and Pacific Islanders were intermediate in individualism/collectivism, and Chinese-Americans were the most collectivist. Nonetheless, in the specific area of love, the various American ethnic groups did not differ significantly in the likelihood of being in love, nor in the intensity of the passionate love (PL) or companionate love (CL) they felt. In all ethnic groups, men's and women's adult attachment styles predicted romantic feelings and experiences. The anxious were the most likely to be in a love relationship, and they scored the highest on the PL scale; avoidants scored lowest. The secure scored the highest on the CL scale; avoidants scored the lowest.
The Sentimental Factor: Improving Review Classification Via Human-Provided Information

Sentiment classification is the task of labeling a review document according to the polarity of its prevailing opinion (favorable or unfavorable). In approaching this problem, a model builder often has three sources of information available: a small collection of labeled documents, a large collection of unlabeled documents, and human understanding of language. Ideally, a learning method will utilize all three sources. To accomplish this goal, we generalize an existing procedure that uses the latter two.We extend this procedure by re-interpreting it as a Naive Bayes model for document sentiment. Viewed as such, it can also be seen to extract a pair of derived features that are linearly combined to predict sentiment. This perspective allows us to improve upon previous methods, primarily through two strategies: incorporating additional derived features into the model and, where possible, using labeled data to estimate their relative influence.
Machine learning in medicine: calculating the minimum dose of haemodialysis using neural networks

Efficiency of haemodialysis in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is determined by calculating adequacy. The adequacy of dialysis and its measurement have been debated over the past 20 years by authorities concerned about how much of this life-sustaining treatment is appropriate for patients with ESRD. Currently, the minimum dose of dialysis is assessed by computerised calculation of urea kinetics. Although fairly standard, it is still an approximate method due to the various assumptions made in the development of the final parametric model. Until now artificial intelligence has not been used to study haemodialysis and hence no machine learning approach has been used to model it so far. In this paper, an algorithmic approach is presented for this procedure using generalised radial basis function neural networks (GRNNN) and this research has shown it to be very promising.
Multi-Objective RBDO for Automotive Door Quality Design

This paper develops a multiobjective optimization methodology for automotive door quality design under uncertainty, in which the tradeoffs between two competing objectives need to be considered. Two important quality issues, door closing effort and wind noise, are of concern and the corresponding probabilities of unsatisfactory performance are considered in the optimization. Model-based reliability analysis methods are used to compute these probabilities. Both component and system-level reliability analyses need to be performed in RBDO. While a first order reliability method (FORM) is found adequate for the reliability estimation with respect to door closing effort, an adaptive Monte Carlo simulation method is found suitable for reliability analysis of the wind noise problem with multiple limit states. An efficient decoupled RBDO approach is used to solve the multiobjective optimization and the Pareto frontier is generated for decision-making. The proposed method can be applied to solve a wide variety of RBDO problems with competing objectives and reliability constraints at both component and system levels.
Inactivation of acid-adapted and nonadapted Escherichia coli O157:H7 during drying and storage of beef jerky treated with different marinades.

The inactivation of both acid-adapted and unadapted Escherichia coli O157:H7 during the processing of beef jerky was studied. Following inoculation with the pathogen, beef slices were subjected to different predrying marinade treatments, dried at 60°C for 10 h, and stored at 25°C for 60 d. The predrying treatments evaluated were as follows: (i) no treatment (C), (ii) traditional marinade (TM), (iii) double-strength TM modified with added 1.2% sodium lactate, 9% acetic acid, and 68% soy sauce with 5% ethanol (MM), (iv) dipping into 5% acetic acid for 10 min followed by application of TM (AATM), and (v) dipping into 1% Tween 20 for 15 min and then into 5% acetic acid for 10 min followed by TM (TWTM). Bacterial survivors were determined during drying and storage using tryptic soy agar with 0.1% pyruvate, modified eosin methylene blue agar, and sorbitol MacConkey agar. Results indicated that bacterial populations decreased during drying in the order of TWTM (4.9 to 6.7 log) > AATM > MM > C ≥ TM (2.8 to 4.9 lo...
The Mind-Body Health Relationship: Stress hormones exert many effects through the immune system, upsetting its balance and increasing susceptibility to disease

The functions of the cellular components of the immune system are modified by the hormones, such as catecholamines and glucocorticoids, that bind to receptors on the cell membrane or in the cell cytoplasm. Thus, psychologic states, such as the perception of a stressor, that alter the plasma concentration of catecholamines and glucocorticoids modify the function of the immune system and alter its ability to resist infection or to exacerbate or ameliorate an autoimmune disease.