cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of agr Groups of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Isolates from Dogs in Texas.

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is an important canine pathogen implicated in an increasing number of human infections. Along with rising levels of methicillin and multidrug resistance, staphylococcal biofilms are a complicating factor for treatment and contribute to device, implant, and surgical infections. Staphylococcal virulence, including biofilm formation, is regulated in part by the quorum sensing accessory gene regulator system (agr). The signal molecule for agr, known as the autoinducing peptide molecule, contains polymorphisms that result in the formation of distinct groups. In S. pseudintermedius, 4 groups (i.e., groups I, II, III, and IV) have been identified but not comprehensively examined for associations with infection type, virulence factor carriage, or phylogenetic relationships—all of which have been found to be significant in S. aureus. In this study, 160 clinical canine isolates from Texas, including isolates from healthy dogs (n = 40) and 3 different infection groups (pyoderma, urinary tract, and surgical, n = 40 each), were sequenced. The agr group, biofilm-producing capabilities, toxin gene carriage, antimicrobial resistance, and sequence type (ST) were identified for all isolates. While no significant associations were discovered among the clinical infection types and agr groups, agr II isolates were significantly less common than any other group in diseased dogs. Furthermore, agr II isolates were less likely than other agr groups to be multidrug resistant and to carry toxin genes expA and sec-canine. Fifty-two (33%) of the 160 isolates were methicillin resistant, and the main sequence types (ST64, ST68, ST71, ST84, ST150, and ST155) of methicillin-resistant strains of S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) were identified for the geographic region. IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus pseudintermedius is an important disease-causing bacterium in dogs and is recognized as a growing threat to human health. Due to increasing multidrug resistance, discovery of alternative methods for treatment of these infections is vital. Interference with one target for alternative treatment, the quorum sensing system agr, has demonstrated clinical improvement of infections in S. aureus animal models. In this study, we sequenced and characterized 160 clinical S. pseudintermedius isolates and their agr systems in order to increase understanding of the epidemiology of the agr group and clarify its associations with types of infection and antimicrobial resistance. We found that isolates with agr type II were significantly less common than other agr types in diseased dogs. This provides valuable information to veterinary clinical microbiologists and clinicians, especially as less research has been performed on infection associations of agr and its therapeutic potential in S. pseudintermedius than in S. aureus.
Simultaneous discovery of candidate imprinted genes and Imprinting Control Regions in the mouse genome

ABSTRACT In mammals, parent-of-origin-specific gene expression is regulated by specific genomic DNA segments known as Imprinting Control Regions (ICRs) and germline Differentially Methylated Regions (gDMRs). In the mouse genome, the known ICRs/gDMRs often include clusters of a set of composite-DNA-elements known as ZFBS-morph overlaps. These elements consist of the ZFP57 binding site (ZFBS) overlapping a subset of the MLL1 morphemes. To improve detection of such clusters, we created density-plots. In genome-wide analyses, peaks in these plots pinpointed ∼90% of the known ICRs/gDMRs and located candidate ICRs within relatively long genomic DNA sections. In several cases, the candidate ICRs mapped to chromatin boundaries, to a subset of gene-transcripts, or to both. By viewing the plots at the UCSC genome browser, we could examine the candidate ICRs in the context of the genes in their vicinity. This strategy uncovered several potential imprinted genes with a broad range of physiologically important functions. Examples include: folliculogenesis; lineage commitment of murine embryonic stem cells; the development of the junctional zone of the placenta; left-right patterning of the body axis; the development of the neocortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum; postnatal vision; self-renewal of mouse spermatogonial stem cells; and histone-to-protamine replacement during spermatogenesis.
Investigation of the Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects of Eucalyptol (1,8-Cineole), a Compound From Eucalyptus, in the Adult Male Sprague-Dawley Rat

Anxiety and depression are debilitating, costly psychological disorders that account for $133 billion in direct medical expenses per year in the United States. Finding alternative means of treatment to reduce the personal and financial burden for patients with these disorders, while maintaining patient safety, is vital for overall patient wellness. The purposes of this study were 2-fold: (1) to determine if pure eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) produces anxiolytic and/or antidepressant effects using rat models for anxiety and behavioral despair and (2) to determine the effects of eucalyptol at the benzodiazepine site on the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor in the rat central nervous system. Fifty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 groups: vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide), eucalyptol, midazolam, flumazenil plus eucalyptol, and midazolam plus eucalyptol. Behavioral analyses were conducted on the elevated plus-maze and in the forced swim test. Data were analyzed using a 2-tailed multivariate analysis of variance and a least significant difference post hoc test. Data from the maze suggested eucalyptol may produce anxiolytic effects by acting at the benzodiazepine site on the GABAA receptor while not affecting psychomotor activity. However, no effects on behavioral despair were demonstrated in the Forced Swim test.
Information Systems to Improve Surface Transportation

During the first decade of ITS testing and evaluation, the dominant paradigm was one of government-supported testing, demonstration, and limited deployment of ITS elements. Most deployments and subsequent findings credit ITS with playing a cost-effective role in achieving near-term transportation improvements. Yet ITS is seldom viewed as a core strategic element to future transportation systems. What is needed is a strategic approach that integrates supply, demand, and the power of information technology to manage the system both tactically and strategically. In the next generation, ITS must move toward a self-evaluating information system where the benefits of information are realized through a dynamic information market. In the future, is it not inconceivable to think that surface transportation information will become as important to travelers as, say, package location information is to couriers like Federal Express. In short, it is appropriate for our age to consider information about the infrastructure as important as the infrastructure itself.
Dark-Field Hyperspectral Imaging (DF-HSI) Modalities for Characterization of Single Molecule and Cellular Processes

Hyperspectral dark-field spectroscopy is achieved by combing a dark-field optical microscope with a hyperspectral detector. Due to recent advancements in optics, detection systems, image reconstruction, and computational capacity, the optical resolution of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) can now be translated down to micrometer and nanometer dimensions. Thus, making it possible to exquisitely detect and analyze single nanostructures to heterogeneous biological systems. HSI can now be used to validate, assist, and replace traditional imaging and spectroscopic technologies used to study plasmonic nanoparticles. Plasmonic nanostructures are of tremendous importance to study DNA coupling mechanisms in biosensors, virus–host interactions in the infected cells, live cell imaging coupled with motion detection of nano-objects, cancer detection, immunotherapies, toxicity and transport mechanisms, and targeted drug delivery. Many biological problems can be solved by capturing and understanding electromagnetic radiation–matter interactions in the form of scattering, transmission, and absorption by a high-throughput and robust imaging modality. Another active area of research where HSI has been used as a low-cost, label-free technique is to investigate single cellular processes, single molecule interactions, and un-mix information of tissue-level structures in the surgical procedures. This book chapter provides a brief description attributed to working principle of dark-field hyperspectral imaging. Further, advanced applications of HSI in detecting single and ensemble plasmonic nanostructures, single molecule events, environmental sensing, single cell imaging, biological analysis, and surgical vision are described.
Influence of Autoimmune Antibody Testing on the Use of Immunotherapy on an Inpatient Neurology Service.

Objective:To determine the frequency of autoimmune antibody testing in an inpatient neurology setting and its influence on immunotherapy use on an inpatient neurology service.Methods:A retrospectiv...
Adhering to the Old Line: Uncovering The History and Political Function of the Unrelated Business Income Tax

The paper examines the history of the building pressure during the 1940s the pass the UBIT and finds that the traditional explanations hide an underlying political function. As the charitable exemption became more important with the expansion of the income tax in the 1940s, it attracted new attention from both policymakers and a growing tax-shelter industry. Charities and sympathetic policymakers tried to justify a suddenly important blanket subsidy to charity on the basis of the charities exclusive dedication to good works. Tax-shelter promoters made the effort more difficult by featuring charities in roles, such as buying and leasing commercial real estate and operating businesses, distinctly incompatible with traditional perceptions of charitable activities. The UBIT prevents this cognitive dissonance. It discourages activities that make charities look uncomfortably uncharitable by taxing them, while simultaneously leaving exempt the old line of passive investment and business activities related to an exempt purpose.
Theakston, B. (2018). Miscarriage and early baby loss: Caring for yourself and others.

Theakston, B. (2018). Miscarriage and early baby loss: Caring for yourself and others. Chawton: Redemptorist Publications. 58 pp. (Pbk). ISBN: 9780852315163.
Counting on Counties: How the Creation of Three Thousand Counties Shaped Local Government Across America

Counties are America’s most stable and ubiquitous unit of local government. Their origins and dual roles in state and local government resulted from promotion by landowners, who wanted their property included in or near a county seat, and early state governments, which sought to populate, regulate, and tax their territory. The proliferation of counties that resulted concluded a century ago, and counties settled into three regional roles: near irrelevance in the North, default local governments in the West, and instruments of state control in the South. These differences are the result of continental variations in climate and topography and the historical legacy of slavery.
Epileptic Seizure Detection Using Tunable Q-Factor Wavelet Transform and Machine Learning.

Epileptic seizures constitute an important group of neurological disorders in brain that affect many people globally each year. Complexity of EEG signals due to their high-dimensional nature, as well as artifacts in data due to equipment flaws, pose significant challenges to physicians in diagnosing epileptic seizures directly and manually from EEG signals. In this paper, a method is proposed to combine signal processing and machine learning for diagnosing epileptic seizures and tested on the Bonn University database. We used Tunable Q-Factor wavelet transform (TQWT) method to transform signals. Subsequently, various statistical properties, frequency, chaotic and fractional were extracted from the TQWT sub-bands. Subset selection techniques were used in order to reduce the features of the methods used and their results were compared. Finally, a SVM method with different kernels were tested, where the empirical results show the high efficiency of the proposed method in the diagnosis of epileptic seizures.
Chapter 1 The Aporphine Alkaloids

Publisher Summary This chapter describes studies focusing on aporphine alkaloids. Neolitsine is the first aporphine found to possess two methylenedioxy groups. It is present in Neolitsea pulchella Alerrill, from which it was isolated as crystals melting at 149°–150°, and analyzing for C19H17NO4. The alkaloid gave a positive Labat test, and formed a picrate, a methiodide that crystallized with 1 mole of methanol, and a hydrochloride that charred at 219°C. From the bark and wood of Lccurzcs nobilis L. the new noraporphine launobine was obtained, C18H17O4N. The alkaloid has one methylenedioxy, one methoxyl, and one hydroxyl. Clarke–Eschweiler N-methylation was found to give (+)-bulbocapnine. Mecambroline was isolated from Meconopsis cainbrica Vig. (Papaveraceae), and the elemental data indicated the value C18H17O3N. Color tests showed the presence of a methylenedioxy and a phenolic group. Mecambroline was also obtained in 71% yield by refluxing the proaporphine alkaloid mecambrine in dilute hydrochloric acid. Two alkaloids have been obtained from the leaves of Ocotea glaziovii Mez (Lauraceae), both of which analyzed for C18H19NO3. One was named “glaziovine” and shown to possess the proaporphine structure as illustrated in the chapter. The other alkaloid was identified as 1,10-dihydroxy-2-methoxyaporphine.
Engineering Responsibility for Human Well-Being

Engineering codes and other authoritative engineering sources implicitly claim that engineering promotes human “well-being,” but the term is not defined. Philosophical attempts to define well-being can be divided into desire-fulfillment (or preference) theories, hedonistic (or mental state) theories, and objective list theories. Psychological accounts of well-being are either hedonic or eudemonic. Both the objective list theory and the eudemonic theory consist of a set of goods that comprise well-being, and the lists have some similarity. The Capability Approach (CA) can also be interpreted as positing a set of conditions necessary to achieve well-being. I propose a reorganization of Martha Nussbaum’s well-known list of capabilities and show their relation to engineering. The design criterion that CA suggests is that technology should enhance the capabilities of those who use it to achieve a life that they have reason to value. Some of the most noteworthy attempts to design for well-being have been directed toward the special needs of people in developing societies. The focus on designing for human well-being, which I call aspirational ethics, suggests that, in addition to following rules that prevent harming the public, engineers should develop certain virtues. In designing for developing societies, the most important virtues are empathy and compassion. For developed societies, the most important virtues are concern for the environment, sensitivity to the effects of technology, especially on society and human relationships, and creativity.
Differences in Cervical Cancer Screening Between African-American Versus African-Born Black Women in the United States

Although the incidence of cervical cancer has been declining steadily since the Pap smear became standard of care in the U.S., many African immigrants are unfamiliar with this screening test and its potential benefits. Using data from the CDC’s National Health Interview Surveys, we identified respondents who were black women living in the United States, distinguishing U.S.-born (n = 620) and African-born (n = 36). We constructed a measure of current Pap status and used multivariate logistic regression models to compare Pap status between the two groups. Controlling for income, age, education, health insurance, and marital status, African American women were over 3 times more likely to have reported a current Pap smear than African-born women [Adjusted OR = 3.37, 95 % CI = (1.89, 5.96)]. Being an African-born woman was the strongest predictor of current Pap status. Distinguishing immigrant status in an analysis of cervical cancer screening rates for black women indicated much lower Pap smear rates for African-born women, compared with African-American women. More research on the impact of education and culturally specific care is needed to address the disparity in Pap smear rates for African-born black women.
Protein hydration: I. Binding sites

Abstract Water vapor binding by solid proteins has been studied using an isopiestic method. The coefficient of compressibility, the enthalpy, the degree of insolubility and the extrapolation of the concentration of NaCl added to egg albumin to zero salt appear to indicate saturation of the polar residues by water at about 0.30 g H 2 O per g of egg albumin corresponding to a relative humidity of 0.92 for this protein at 25 °. The water adsorption curves of all the other proteins (lysozyme, serum albumin, hemoglobin, ribonuclease, cytochrome c , β-lactoglobulin, myoglobin, insulin, and chymotrypsinogen) have been interpolated at this relative humidity at 25 ° to yield comparative hydration values. It is found that protein hydration correlates strongly with the sum of the polar residues minus the amides; amides apparently inhibit water binding. It is concluded that about 6 moles of water are complexed per mole of polar residue (excepting amides).
Ocean Laboratory at undersea ranges concept

There is much interest world wide in establishing fixed ocean data collection sites commonly referred to as "Ocean Observatories", "Ocean Laboratories", "Acoustic Observatories", etc. Typically these sites consist of instrumentation in the water that is cabled back to a shore-based facility where the data is collected, processed and further distributed to end users. This "infrastructure") is normally very expensive to procure and install, particularly if the chosen site is a high-risk environment from an in-water system perspective i.e. bottom fishing, storm surges, topographical discontinuities, etc. The US Navy has installed and operates a number of undersea ranges around the world. The primary function of the ranges is to provide Time Space Position Information (TSPI) on Undersea Warfare (USW) vehicles/systems for the purpose of Fleet Training and Test and Evaluation (TE and second, added capability/functionality at the ranges would enhance the training and T&E conducted there. This paper discusses the basic infrastructure that is currently available at undersea range locations, enhancements that could be made to support the Ocean Laboratory concept, and potential uses/applications of the site. These uses include marine mammal detection and tracking, acoustic propagation studies, and seismic measurements.
7 Myths About Green Jobs

A group of studies, rapidly gaining popularity, promise that a massive program of government mandates, subsidies, and forced technological interventions will reward the nation with an economy brimming with green jobs. Not only will these jobs allegedly improve the environment, but they will pay well, be very interesting, and foster unionization. These claims are built on 7 myths about economics, forecasting, and technology. Our team of researchers from universities across the nation surveyed this green jobs literature, analyzed its assumptions, and found that the special interest groups promoting the idea of green jobs have embedded dubious assumptions and techniques within their analyses. We found that the prescribed undertaking would lead to restructuring and possibly impoverishing our society. Therefore, our citizens deserve careful analysis and informed public debate about these assumptions and resulting recommendations before our nation can move forward towards a more eco-friendly nation. To do so, we need to expose these myths so that we can see the facts more clearly.
Correction of operational amplifier gain error in pipelined A/D converters

New techniques for the correction of the inter-stage amplifier gain errors due to the finite gain of the operational amplifiers in pipelined A/D converters are described. The new techniques use a parallel inexpensive (shadow) pipeline to sample, process and accumulate the error. The correction is then performed by adding the processed error signal to the original signal in the analog or digital domain. Behavioral and transistor-level simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques in correcting the gain error and improving the accuracy and linearity of pipelined amplifiers and A/D converters.
A Profession in Transition: Towards Development and Implementation of Standards for VR Management. Part B: Professional’s Perspective and Beyond

ABSTRACT Part B Introduction: This paper discusses the core competencies for visual resources (VR) management, created as a part of a project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The content analysis of job listings in Part A of the series and the survey of the visual resources professionals described in this paper together contributed to the development of the Core Competencies. The results of the survey of visual resources professionals, the core competencies, and the next phases of the project are discussed in this paper. Method: A survey of VR professionals was conducted to gather the opinions of current VR professionals on status, recruitment, training and skills needed in the VR field. Analysis & Results: Image processing, digital imaging, visual literacy, communication, data asset management and cataloging emerged as prominent skill areas desired by VR professionals. The eight areas of the Core Competencies, together with detailed descriptions of the skills associated with the areas, are described. Conclusions: VR is an emerging field which is becoming increasingly complex due to the impact of digital technologies and the many information environments in which VR is practiced. These environments include museums, archives, private organizations and libraries. A graduate degree in Library and Information Science supplemented with the weeklong non-certified Summer Educational Institute in Visual Resources and Image Management (SEI) course is suggested to better prepare future VR professionals for the field.
Bryophytes of Alarachi Natural Reserve, Department of Tarija, Bolivia

A bryophyte inventory of Alarachi Natural Reserve in the Province of Acre, Department of Tarija, Bolivia, recorded 154 species distributed among l01 genera and 51 families; for hepatics 35 species, 19 genera, 13 families, and mosses 119 species, 82 genera, 38 families. This study represents the first bryological inventory for southern Bolivia, and provides the first representative subset of bryophytes for the Tucuman-Bolivian montane forest.
Surface film effects on the radar cross section of the ocean surface

Ocean surface films, biogenic and/or hydrocarbon in nature, damp the gravity-capillary waves important for radar backscatter at microwave frequencies. Although petroleum and biogenic slicks have been observed by imaging radars on many occasions, there is no satisfactory model for ocean RCS with surface films present. The author reports results for a candidate model. Wave damping effects for the surface films are introduced into the calculation of the surface waveheight spectrum by a damping term calculated according to the approximate method of Cini and Lambardini and with viscoelastic data on various films drawn from the work, of Huhnerfuss and his colleagues at Hamburg University. The wave height spectrum model is a modification of the model of Durden and Vesecky. The effect of sea surface temperature on the bulk viscosity of the water is included. The resulting waveheight spectra are used to note the impact on ocean radar backscatter from L- to K/sub u/-band. Model results indicate significant radar cross section reductions for a wind speed of 5 m/s. For this simple model the /spl sigma//spl deg/ reduction increases monotonically with radar frequency for constant film type and environmental and observational conditions. Predicted reductions vary over a 0 to 10 dB range depending on surface film type and water temperature. Results are compared with ocean observations of several types of artificial surface films by a five frequency, helicopter mounted, radar operated by Wismann and his colleagues from Hamburg University. The author finds that surface-film-wave damping, acting only as a loss term in the spectral model, can not account properly for the observed radar cross section reductions. Thus, it is concluded that a better model for surface film effects on /spl sigma//spl deg/ must include surface film effects in the wind driven source term for the wave spectrum and/or wave-wave interaction.
On vertex-transitive, non-Cayley graphs of order pqr

Abstract In 1983, D. Marusic initiated the determination of the set NC of non-Cayley numbers. A number n belongs to NC if there exists a vertex-transitive, non-Cayley graph of order n . The status of all non-square-free numbers and the case when n is the product of two primes was settled recently by B.D. McKay and C.E. Praeger. Here we deal with the smallest unsolved case, when n is the product of three distinct odd primes. We list a set of numbers n of this form which belong to NC. We also show that if there exists a vertex-primitive or quasiprimitive non-Cayley graph of order n = pqr then the number n occurs on our list. Moreover, we conjecture that the list we compiled contains all non-Cayley numbers of the form n = pqr .
Multi-ethnic Empires and the formulation of identity

This article explores the effect of multi-ethnic empires on the formulation of identity, examining particularly identities developed before the modern period. Imperial state structures and legitimation influenced the understanding of ethnic identities; the resulting definitions and expectations often outlived the empire. Modern European nationalism developed from the group feeling and ideologies of medieval and early modern Europe, influenced by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In western and central Asia large-scale secular identities also existed in the pre-modern period within several great empires: the Islamic caliphate, the Mongol Empire, and the Russian Empire. In these states, the connections made between various markers of identity - language, origin, and territory - were unlike those in Europe, and the expectations connected with separate identity were also different. Despite the spread of European nationalism and the creation of modern nation-states throughout these regions, earlier systems of ident...
Increasing Awareness of Food Insecurity among Medical Students: A Service-Learning Project

To reinforce information learned during medical school and provide awareness of the importance of physician involvement in the healthcare team that addresses nutritional issues, a service-learning project was implemented in a prevention/public health course. Students identified the importance of physician awareness and patient advising when working with food-insecure populations.
Prediction of Asphaltene Instability under Gas Injection with the PC-SAFT Equation of State†

Proper prediction of the potential for asphaltene precipitation in deepwater reservoirs represents a challenge for the flow assurance area due to both high intervention costs in case of asphaltene problems and extreme conditions of pressure, temperature, and composition. The probability of asphaltene precipitation increases when light-oil gases are considered for miscible gas injection processes. In this work, the applicability of simple and recombined live oil models using the PC-SAFT equation of state to predict the onset of asphaltene precipitation is demonstrated by studying pressure depletion and gas injection (carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), methane, and ethane) in oil reservoirs. The recombined model input includes the SARA characterization, the oil compositional analysis, and the gas−oil ratio. The pure component PC-SAFT parameters are fitted to the saturated liquid density and vapor pressure data, and the oil/gas pseudocomponent parameters are estimated from molecular-weight-based correlatio...
Adenoviral gene transfer of nitric oxide synthase: high level expression in human vascular cells.

Objectives: Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) generate nitric oxide (NO), a second messenger with key regulatory roles. In the cardiovascular system, deficient endothelial NO production is an early, persistent feature of atherosclerosis and vascular injury. Accordingly, the NOS isoforms represent attractive targets for vascular gene therapy. We aimed to generate and evaluate an adenoviral vector for gene transfer of an NOS isoform to vascular cells. Methods: We constructed a recombinant adenovirus, Ad.nNOS, for gene transfer of the neuronal isoform of NOS (nNOS) and characterized its expression in 293 cells, human vascular smooth muscle cells (hVSMC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). NOS expression was analyzed by Western immunoblotting, and NOS enzyme activity in response to receptor-dependent and receptor-independent agonists was determined by Griess assay or by NO chemiluminescence. Results: Ad.nNOS-infected 293 cells expressed high levels of functional nNOS enzyme, even higher than in 293.NOS cells (a cell line that expresses supraphysiologic levels of nNOS). In hVSMC, nNOS activity reached levels 50% of those seen in 293.NOS cells. nNOS expression and activity in hVSMC increased linearly with titer of Ad.nNOS. NO production in hVSMC was stimulated both by calcium ionophore and by physiologic agonists such as acetylcholine or bradykinin. In HUVEC, endogenous NOS activity was significantly augmented by Ad.nNOS infection. Supplementation with the tetrahydrobiopterin precursor sepiapterin enhanced NOS activity in all cells. Conclusions: Ad.nNOS, a novel adenoviral vector for gene transfer of NOS, generates high-level nNOS expression in a variety of vascular cell types. nNOS activity in hVSMC is physiologically regulated and of a magnitude comparable to native eNOS activity in HUVEC. Our findings demonstrate Ad.nNOS to be a versatile and efficient tool for nNOS gene transfer, with widespread potential applications in cell culture and for gene therapy.
Diffusion and formation energies of adatoms and vacancies on magnesium surfaces

Abstract This paper reports classical molecular statics calculations of magnesium {0 0 0 1}, { 1 1 ¯ 0 1 } , { 1 1 ¯ 0 0 } A , { 1 1 2 ¯ 0 } and { 1 1 ¯ 0 0 } B surfaces, specifically formation energies of defects (adatoms and surface vacancies) and flat surfaces and diffusion energy barriers of the defects. The formation energies show that the { 1 1 ¯ 0 1 } surface is thermodynamically more favorable than { 1 1 ¯ 0 0 } A , { 1 1 ¯ 2 0 } and { 1 1 ¯ 0 0 } B surfaces; in contrast, literature reports have often ignored the { 1 1 ¯ 0 1 } surface. The diffusion energy barriers of both adatoms and surface vacancies show strong diffusion anisotropy on { 1 1 ¯ 0 1 } , { 1 1 ¯ 0 0 } A , { 1 1 2 ¯ 0 } and { 1 1 ¯ 0 0 } B surfaces. Based on this anisotropy, the ratio of diffusion distances (of either adatoms or surface vacancies) along two orthogonal directions on { 1 1 ¯ 0 1 } is 37–55 at room temperature. Using the results of formation energies and diffusion energy barriers we develop a more complete understanding of surface orientations in Mg nanoblades synthesized by physical vapor deposition [F. Tang, T. Parker, H.-F. Li, G.-C. Wang, T.-M. Lu, J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol. 7 (2007) 3239]. In contrast to previous reports, we postulate that the side surfaces of Mg nanoblades are { 1 1 ¯ 0 1 } because (a) they have the second lowest surface formation energy and (b) the ratio of diffusion distances on them agrees with the experimental value of approximately 50.
Production of biotin by yeasts

A quantitative screening procedure for biotin and biotin vitamer production was conducted on 129 yeast strains able to grow in a biotin-free medium. Production of biotin and biotin vitamers varied considerably from strain to strain even within a species. The best producers of biotin were strains of Sporobolomyces roseus and Rhodotorula rubra whilst strains of Rhodotorula rubra and Yarrowia lipolytica produced the largest amounts of vitamers.
Associations between aspects of spiritual well-being, alcohol use, and related social-cognitions in female college students

This research explores relationships between aspects of spiritual well-being, alcohol use and related social-cognitions in college women. The sample included 151 female college students ranging in age from 18 to 25 years. Participants read a behavioral vignette depicting alcohol use by a student and completed a survey that included measures of alcohol use, counterfactual attributions and beliefs about drinking, as well as religious and existential aspects of spiritual well-being. Results suggested religious- and existential well-being to be inversely associated with indices of alcohol use and the likelihood of attending a social event where alcohol is present. Further, religious well-being was found to be negatively associated with beliefs concerning the social-effects of alcohol, while existential well-being was observed to be a significant predictor of a composite set of attributions related to alcohol prevention. Importantly, these data suggest religious and existential aspects of spiritual well-being as moderators of behavior as well as causal attributions and beliefs that represent a cognitive mechanism of alcohol prevention in college women. Use of counterfactual exercises as an educational technique, and potential barriers of religious and existential oriented prevention programs are briefly discussed.
Selective recall of decision-relevant information from texts

Subjects read and recalled texts of three different types: narratives, expository-descriptive texts, and expository-interference texts with high intersentence similarity. Target statements that contained some potentially decision-relevant information were embedded in these texts. Overall recall was best for the narratives, but target recall was relatively poor in this condition, presumably because the decision-relevant target sentences were perceived as being irrelevant to the macrostructure of the narratives. In the other two conditions, overall recall was lower, particularly in the interference condition, but target sentences were recalled significantly better. The recall of incidental, potentially decision-relevant information was optimal under the conditions of the present experiment when texts were only loosely structured; in tightly organized texts, such information tended to be suppressed.
Aberrant right subclavian artery aneurysm: An analysis of surgical options

During evaluation of a man for claudication, abnormal chest roentgenographic results were found. Computed tomography documented a 6.5-cm aneurysm of an aberrant retroesophageal right subclavian artery. Interruption of the right subclavian artery with an end-to-side subclavian-carotid anastomosis was performed via a right supraclavicular incision, followed immediately by left transthoracic interruption of the origin of the right subclavian artery using a heparin-bonded shunt. This approach avoids previously reported embolic complications while preserving brachial blood flow and providing safe access to the aorta.
Career Adaptability in Childhood.

Childhood marks the dawn of vocational development, involving developmental tasks, transitions, and change. Children must acquire the rudiments of career adaptability to envision a future, make educational and vocational decisions, explore self and occupations, and problem solve. The authors situate child vocational development within human life span and life course development paradigms and career development theory. They then consider the theoretical origins of career adaptability and examine it as a critical construct for construing vocational development. Two models derived from career construction theory offer guides for research and counseling practice designed to foster development through work and other social roles.
Organic Nitrate Metabolism and Action: Toward a Unifying Hypothesis and the Future—A Dedication to Professor Leslie Z. Benet

This review summarizes the major advances that had been reported since the outstanding contributions that Professor Benet and his group had made in the 1980s and 1990s concerning the metabolism and pharmacologic action of organic nitrates (ORNs). Several pivotal studies have now enhanced our understanding of the metabolism and the bioactivation of ORNs, resulting in the identification of a host of cysteine-containing enzymes that can carry out this function. Three isoforms of aldehyde dehydrogenase, all of which with active catalytic cysteine sites, are now known to metabolize, somewhat selectively, various members of the ORN family. The existence of a long-proposed but unstable thionitrate intermediate from ORN metabolism has now been experimentally observed. ORN-induced thiol oxidation in multiple proteins, called the "thionitrate oxidation hypothesis," can be used not only to explain the phenomenon of nitrate tolerance, but also the various consequences of chronic nitrate therapy, namely, rebound vasoconstriction, and increased morbidity and mortality. Thus, a unifying biochemical hypothesis can account for the myriad of pharmacological events resulting from nitrate therapy. Optimization of the future uses of ORN in cardiology and other diseases could benefit from further elaboration of this unifying hypothesis.
Neurocysticercosis: a review.

Abstract Background In North America, the largest number of neurosurgical cases stemming from parasitic infections involves the larval form of Taenia solium, the infectious organism causing neurocysticercosis. This infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is most commonly seen in areas with significant immigrant populations and can often present particular challenges to treating physicians. Methods A review of the literature was performed, highlighting the epidemiology, parasitology, and clinical manifestations of neurocysticercosis. Particular attention was paid to 4 locations of neurocysticercosis lesions: parenchymal, subarachnoid/cisternal, intraventricular, and spinal. Results Both medical and surgical interventions may be necessary for adequate treatment of neurocysticercosis, depending on various factors, including location of lesion. Conclusions A review of neurocysticercosis, with particular attention paid to location of disease involvement in the CNS, provides important information to the clinical management of this disease.
An auction-based method for decentralized train scheduling

We present a computational study of an auction-based method for decentralized train scheduling. The method is well suited to the natural information and control structure of mod- ern railroads. We assume separate network territories, with an autonomous dispatch agent responsible for the ow of trains over each territory. Each train is represented by a self-interested agent that bids for the right to travel across the network from its source to destination, submitting bids to multiple dispatch agents along its route as necessary. The bidding language allows trains to bid for the right to enter and exit territories at particular times, and also to represent indifference over a range of times. Computational results on a simple network with straight-forward best-response bid- ding strategies demonstrate that the auction computes near- optimal system-wide schedules. In addition, the method appears to have useful scaling properties, both with the number of trains and with the number of dispatchers, and generates less extremal solutions than those obtained using traditional centralized optimization techniques.
An Experimental Approach to the Spanish American Theatre

genre to treat in the standard classroom setting is the drama, because a playwright does not create directly for the ultimate user as do novelists and poets. He writes a set of instructions for professional actors who then complete the creation of the work that the public finally experiences. Academically though, one is forced to deal with the manuscript of a play as if it were a novel intended to be read and examined as a his-
Shaking hazard compatible methodology for probabilistic assessment of permanent ground displacement across earthquake faults

A methodology for probabilistic hazard assessment of permanent displacement across faults caused by earthquake rupture is presented, compatible with region specific models for ground shaking hazard in California, developed earlier by the authors and coworkers. Assessment of permanent dislocations across faults is important for the design and retrofit of highway bridges and tunnels crossing faults, as well as for other lifelines crossing faults, such as aqueducts, water and gas lines, etc. The methodology is illustrated for two strike-slip faults (prototypes of Class A and Class B faults in California), for 50 years exposure. The illustrations show that, for given seismic moment rate, the hazard estimates are quite sensitive to how the seismic moment is distributed over earthquake magnitudes. They also show that the hazard is small even for very small levels of displacement, in contrast to ground shaking hazard, which is due to the fact that only one fault contributes to the hazard and not every event on that fault necessarily affects the site.
Characteristics of low-carbon data centres

Increased use of IT services can contribute to reducing carbon emissions, given the improvements in efficiency of IT devices and data-centre operations. However, credible metrics to reward the data centres for minimizing carbon emissions are still lacking. This Perspective identifies the characteristics of low-carbon data centres and the factors that govern carbon performance.
Predictors of language lateralization in temporal lobe epilepsy

Among patients with epilepsy, atypical (rightward) language lateralization has been associated with left-handedness, a left seizure focus, an early age at seizure onset, and familial sinistrality, although these associations are not consistently observed. No study has examined all of these factors in relation to language lateralization in the same epilepsy sample, let alone in a sample comprised only of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. Moreover, little consideration has been given in previous studies to how language lateralization might be influenced by the interplay between different factors, or how much unique variance in language lateralization is explained by each factor. The primary aim of this study was to examine the combined influences of handedness, side of seizure focus, age at seizure onset, and familial sinistrality on language lateralization in temporal lobe epilepsy patients. A secondary aim was to determine which factors uniquely contribute to the prediction of language lateralization. 162 patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy underwent functional MRI language mapping, from which language lateralization indexes were derived. Degree of handedness was measured via the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Main and 2-way interaction effects on language lateralization indexes were examined via linear regressions and Fisher exact tests. Significant effects were next examined in multiple regressions to identify unique predictors of language lateralization indexes. When examined in isolation in regressions, only left-handedness and a left seizure focus predicted atypical (rightward) language lateralization. These results, however, were qualified by interaction effects demonstrating that stronger left hand preference was associated with greater atypical language lateralization only among patients with a left seizure focus, an early or intermediate age at seizure onset, or no familial sinistrality. In follow-up multiple regressions, the interaction terms accounted for a significant amount of variance in language lateralization indexes above and beyond main effects. Additionally, side of seizure focus and its interaction with handedness uniquely predicted language lateralization indexes. Results indicate that degree of left-handedness is a marker of greater atypical (rightward) language lateralization in temporal lobe epilepsy but only in the context of seizure characteristics that have the potential to drive joint reorganization of language and hand preference (i.e., left seizure focus, or early or intermediate age at seizure onset) or in the absence of a genetic predisposition for left-handedness (i.e., no familial sinistrality). This study advances existing knowledge by illustrating how different factors combine to jointly affect language lateralization, and by identifying side of seizure focus and its interaction with handedness as unique predictors of language lateralization in temporal lobe epilepsy.
A Note on the K-Theory of Twisted Projective Lines and Twisted Laurent Polynomial-Rings

Abstract The purpose of this note is to give another example of applications of the general results of an earlier paper. Here we apply the general localization theorem in K-theory of admissible abelian categories obtained there to twisted projective lines and obtain a long exact sequence relating the K-theory of twisted polynomial and twisted Laurent polynomial rings: · · · → K n+1 (R φ [t, t −1 ]) →, K n (R) ⊕ K n (R) → K n (R φ [t]) ⊕ K n (R φ [t −1 ]) → K n (R φ [t, t −1 ]) → · · · .
A Katrina Experience: Lessons Learned

Abstract Purpose Almost no data exist on how best to respond to the medical needs of civilians displaced by natural disasters. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast and seriously damaged the infrastructure of Jackson, Miss, the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) was challenged with serving a large group of evacuees at a major Red Cross evacuation shelter near our campus. We reviewed our experiences and share lessons learned. Methods This is a retrospective review of administrative and clinical records for patients served by a medical clinic established emergently after Hurricane Katrina. Results Red Cross regulations precluded their volunteers from providing medical care other than first aid. Faced with numerous evacuees seeking medical assistance, UMMC established an ambulatory clinic at the shelter. The majority of patients had multiple medical problems, no medical insurance, and limited ability to purchase medications. The greatest need was for management of chronic illnesses. The clinic provided 2394 patient visits and filled more than 4902 prescriptions over 17 days. Conclusion While medical facilities have emergency response plans for epidemics and mass trauma, little attention has focused on plans for care of evacuated populations. Shelter operators should consider advance coordination of medical care with existing health care systems. Medical facilities along evacuation routes should be aware that they may be asked to provide care for sheltered evacuees.
RNase P cleaves transient structures in some riboswitches

RNase P from Escherichia coli cleaves the coenzyme B12 riboswitch from E. coli and a similar one from Bacillus subtilis. The cleavage sites do not occur in any recognizable structure, as judged from theoretical schemes that have been drawn for these 5′ UTRs. However, it is possible to draw a scheme that is a good representation of the E. coli cleavage site for RNase P and for the cleavage site in B. subtilis. These data indicate that transient structures are important in RNase P cleavage and in riboswitch function. Coenzyme B12 has a small inhibitory effect on E. coli RNase P cleavage of the E. coli riboswitch. Both E. coli RNase P and a partially purified RNase P from Aspergillus nidulans mycelia succeeded in cleaving a putative arginine riboswitch from A. nidulans. The cleavage site may be a representative of another model substrate for eukaryotic RNase P. This 5′ UTR controls splicing of the arginase mRNA in A. nidulans. Four other riboswitches in E. coli were not cleaved by RNase P under the conditions tested.