cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behaviorism and the biological viewpoint of personality

Thirty members of a fraternity were rated by each other to yield trait scores for energetic and sociable. The subjects also completed 14 days of records that described their locations and activities. It was predicted that energetic and sociable people would select experiences that were consistent with their personality traits. Using participation in sports as an example, there was a strong relationship (R =.70) between personality traits and selection of experiences. It was suggested that this relationship was influenced by biologically based preferences for particular experiences and that random assignment to experimental conditions is a limited model for studying behavior. Approach-avoidance, the selection of experiences, is a core process of the person and is a class of behavior which is likely to be predictable from personality trait scores.
Maternal familism predicts birthweight and asthma symptoms three years later

There are marked ethnic and socioeconomic differences in birthweight and childhood asthma, conditions which may be linked causally or via a third variable. Cultural resources are often credited with diminished health disparities in infancy and childhood among subsets of poor and minority populations; yet direct empirical tests of this hypothesis are needed. In this study, ethnicity, lifespan family socioeconomic position (FSEP), and the cultural resource of familism were compared as predictors of birthweight and expression of asthma symptoms (AE) by age three. Familism and lifespan FSEP were assessed in 4633 socioeconomically disadvantaged African Americans, White Americans, and Latinas upon giving birth, as was offspring birthweight. AE was assessed in offspring through age three. Asthma diagnosis by age three was likelier in very low (≤ 1500 g) and low (≤ 2500 g) birthweight infants compared to infants born at average (2501-3999 g) or larger (≥ 4000 g) birthweights. Asthma risk associated with lower birthweight was higher for Latinos (17-35%) and African Americans (19-23%) than for White Americans (13-14%). As predicted, maternal familism was higher among White Americans than among African Americans and Latinas, an effect that was largely driven by ethnic disparities in lifespan FSEP. Familism predicted continuous birthweight (p = .003) and AE (p = .001) by age three independently of ethnicity and lifespan FSEP accounting for appropriate control variables, including maternal biomedical risk, maternal acculturation, parental marital status, and infant sex. There was a 71-g gain in birthweight for every one-unit increase in familism. The protective effect of familism on AE by age three was strongest for participants of lower lifespan FSEP. Maternal familism is one cultural resource that may reduce reproductive and intergenerational health disparities in both U.S.- and foreign-born Americans. Consistent with our previous work, familism and other nonmaterial resources covary with material resources. Nevertheless, culture is distinguishable from lifespan FSEP and ethnicity, and has health implications beyond associations to ethnicity, lifespan FSEP, and related biomedical and sociodemographic factors.
WITTGENSTEIN AND ARISTOTLE ON KNOWLEDGE FROM PERCEPTION

Examen de la relation de la sensation du developpement linguistique dans les Philosophical Investigations de Wittgenstein n 244 et 246. L'A. montre que Wittgenstein accepte certains aspects de la theorie aristotelicienne de la perception et de la sensation.
Intakes of apples or apple polyphenols decease plasma values for oxidized low-density lipoprotein/beta2-glycoprotein I complex

Abstract Many dietary modifications have been proposed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, but often, these modifications require substantial effort. In contrast, in healthy middle aged adults, consumption of just one apple/day for 4 weeks drastically lowered plasma concentrations of oxidized low-density lipoprotein/beta2-glycoprotein I complex (oxLDL-β2GPI), a proposed contributor to atherosclerosis. OxLDL-β2GPI values were also lowered by capsules of apple polyphenol extract, though not as much as with whole apples. Placebo capsules had no effect. The decrease in OxLDL-β2GPI concentrations in response to intake of apples or apple polyphenol extract were not accompanied by increased erythrocyte activities of superoxide dismutase 1, an antioxidant enzyme that can inhibit lipoprotein oxidation. In summary, an easily accomplished dietary intervention had a major effect on an atherosclerosis risk factor, in part via polyphenols, but not necessarily via superoxide dismutase.
Magnetic Susceptibility of Bloch Electrons in a Dielectric Formulation

Both the diagonal and the off-diagonal parts of the magnetic susceptibility tensor are calculated by examining the limit, ω→0 and q →0, of the frequency and wave-vector dependent dielectric tensor, e i j ( q ω). It is shown that the diagonal part reduces to the expression obtained by Hebborn and Sondheimer. Gauge-invariance of the formalism is made explicit.
1-Aminoglycosides, a new class of specific inhibitors of glycosidases.

Abstract 1-Aminoglycosides represent a new class of specific and relatively potent inhibitors of glycosidases. These compounds are specific against those enzymes which act upon glycosides that correspond to glycone of the inhibitor. Thus α- and β- D = - are inhibited by D = -glucosidases but not by D = -galactosylamine and D = -mannosylamine. α- and D = -galactosidases are inhibited by D = -galactosylamine but not by the other two glycosylamines. D = -Mannosylamine inhibits mannosidase.
Bush’s and Gore’s language and gestures in the 2000 US presidential debates: A test case for two models of metaphors

Lakoff (1996) analyzes American political positions in terms of two different sets of conceptual metaphors: the right wing ‘Strict Father’ (SF) model and the left wing ‘Nurturant Parent’ (NP) model. The current study is an empirical test of the degree to which these models were manifested in the televised debates between George W. Bush and Al Gore before the 2000 US presidential elections. While the results show little metaphorical language which would directly support the proposed models, many expressions were found which follow from the models as logical entailments. An analysis of both speakers’ metaphoric gestures shows Bush expressing the SF model largely regardless of his use of SF or NP language, and Gore using gesture more for discourse structuring purposes. This study suggests that differences in the nature of the metaphors themselves in the two models help make the SF model easier to present as a coherent framework than the NP model.
Do all material incentives for pro-social activities backfire? The response to cash and non-cash incentives for blood donations

Abstract A number of experimental studies have documented that financial rewards discourage the performance of altruistic activities because they conflict with intrinsic altruistic motivations. However, it is unclear whether this is evidence of a generalized aversion to rewards or, rather, an aversion to receiving specific material prizes, such as cash. We conducted a randomized-controlled experiment, through a survey administered to 467 blood donors in an Italian town, and found that donors are not reluctant to receive compensation in general; a substantial share of respondents declared that they would stop being donors if given 10 Euros in cash, but we do not find such effects when a voucher of the same nominal value is offered instead. The aversion to direct cash payments is particularly marked among women, but does not emerge among individuals who have only recently become donors. All of our findings are robust to regression analyses. Implications for research and public policy are discussed.
NMR Structure of the N-terminal Coiled Coil Domain of the Andes Hantavirus Nucleocapsid Protein.

The hantaviruses are emerging infectious viruses that in humans can cause a cardiopulmonary syndrome or a hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. The nucleocapsid (N) is the most abundant viral protein, and during viral assembly, the N protein forms trimers and packages the viral RNA genome. Here, we report the NMR structure of the N-terminal domain (residues 1–74, called N1–74) of the Andes hantavirus N protein. N1–74 forms two long helices (α1 and α2) that intertwine into a coiled coil domain. The conserved hydrophobic residues at the helix α1-α2 interface stabilize the coiled coil; however, there are many conserved surface residues whose function is not known. Site-directed mutagenesis, CD spectroscopy, and immunocytochemistry reveal that a point mutation in the conserved basic surface formed by Arg22 or Lys26 lead to antibody recognition based on the subcellular localization of the N protein. Thus, Arg22 and Lys26 are likely involved in a conformational change or molecular recognition when the N protein is trafficked from the cytoplasm to the Golgi, the site of viral assembly and maturation.
Inside every chronic patient is an acute patient wondering what happened.

This In Session describes how chronic illness erodes connections, eludes definition, and reduces one's ability to manage daily life. The contributors compassionately and competently provide an array of perspectives, pragmatic techniques, and caveats. This concluding article seeks to integrate the articles in this issue and to deepen the clinician's ability to meet the needs of a chronically ill individual requesting psychotherapy. Particular emphasis is given to three models of psychotherapy with chronically ill individuals, care giving at the end of life, and compassion fatigue found in professionals working with this population. Multiple case examples are provided to illustrate psychotherapy and psychosocial intervention strategies.
Temperature effects on accumulation and retention of radionuclides in the sea star, Asterias forbesi : implications for contaminated northern waters

Radioactive waste disposal and nuclear testing concentrated in high latitudes in the northern hemisphere have resulted in the accumulation of radionuclides in Arctic marine ecosystems, but little is known of the consequences for marine biota in these waters. Under controlled laboratory conditions in May through September 1994, we examined the bioaccumulation in sea stars, Asterias forbesi (Desor), or the radionuclides 241Am, 57Co and 137Cs, all of which are important components of disposed radioactive wastes. Experiments at 2 and 12°C determined the relative importance of food (the bivalve, Macoma balthica) and water as sources of radionuclides and assessed the influence of temperature on radionuclide influx and efflux rates. The lower temperature greatly increased the retention of radionuclides ingested with food; for instance, the biological half-life (tb 1/2) of 241Am in the sea stars was 31 d at 12°C, but was virtually infinite at 2°C. Retention of ingested 57Co was also increased at 2°C (tb 1/2=41 d). 137Cs was not accumulated from food. Low temperature significantly reduced net influx rates of 137Cs from water, but did not affect net uptake of 241Am or 57Co. Temperature had little effect on the retention of all three isotopes obtained from the dissolved phase. These experiments suggest that extrapolation of results of previous radioecological studies, conducted at warmer temperatures, to polar or temperate winter environments may be problematic, and that nuclear waste isotopes obtained through trophic transfer may be retained far more efficiently in high latitude marine biota than by fauna from warmer ecosystems.
Aging and Memory for Schematically vs Taxonomically Organized Verbal Materials

Two experiments examined age differences in the effects of type of organization on recall of verbal materials. Young and older adults studied a list of simple verb-noun phrases that were organized either taxonomically by categories or schematically by activities, and then were tested for recall. Relative to taxonomic organization, schematic organization was found to facilitate recall in both age groups, although the effect of organization was only present for the older adults when explicit organizational cues were presented. The enhancement associated with schematic organization was attributed to the additional temporal and causal connections between items. These associations were assumed to be responsible for the facts that, relative to taxonomic organization, schematic organization was associated both with more correspondence between input and output orders and with more items being retrieved the first time an activity or category grouping was accessed at recall.
New Functional Monomers for Well-Controlled ROMP Polymerizations

The ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cyclobutene-containing monomers based on the endo-tricyclo[4.2.2.02,5]deca-3,9-diene structure bearing cyclic anhydride and N-alkyl- or N-phenyl-substi...
Subject specific parameter selection for the EEG classifier using common spatial patterns

Common Spatial Patterns (CSP) is a popular feature extraction method for single-trial multichannel EEG classification in BCI applications. CSP generates spatial filters that optimize the distinction between two classes. The performance of CSP is highly dependent on how many filters are selected. However, in most BCI applications the number of filters is fixed. In this work we demonstrate that the optimal number of filters is highly dependent on subject, task, and task timing. We show that optimization of these parameters on per subject, task, and timing basis improves classification accuracy.
Medieval Italian pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela: New literary evidence

This paper offers literary evidence of the interest in the cult of St James on the part of late medieval Italian pilgrims. While extant written itineraries are few, occasional literary references demonstrate this interest without furnishing precise details of the route to Santiago de Compostela. Compostela holds a special place in chivalric literature: the legendary wars against Muslims in Spain and the status of the warrior Roland as a popular saint derive much of their impetus from the piety centred on Santiago. One episode of the widely-circulated chivalric romance Guerrino il Meschino by the Florentine Andrea da Barberino displays its genre's concern with the Spanish shrine and details and route from Rome to Compostela. Andrea, known for his verisimilar style, incorporates a virtuoso display of contemporary geographical knowledge which gives his fiction the texture of a chronicle. The author's inclusion of towns not found in the chivalric literary corpus argue for his reliance on maps or the testimonies of returned pilgrims. Places named tally with those in actual pilgrim accounts. The passage in Guerrino furnishes evidence of Italian pilgrimages to Santiago in the early fifteenth century, a period for which no historical accounts remain.
Stochastic population forecasts and their uses

Abstract The properties and uses of stochastic forecasts are discussed here. For linear stochastic projections, we show how the computation of forecast moments and the statistical distribution of forecasts depend on the multiplicative and autoregressive structure of the dynamics. Both scalar and vector projection methods are discussed, and their similarities are explored. Next we discuss the uses of stochastic forecasts, arguing that it is important to relate forecasts to the specific decision-making criteria of particular forecast users. The example of Social Security is used to show how a dynamic programming approach may be used to explore alternative decisions in a probabilistic context.
Seed dispersal by wind, birds, and bats between Philippine montane rainforest and successional vegetation

In the moist Neotropics, vertebrate frugivores have a much greater role in the dispersal of forest and successional woody plants than wind, and bats rather than birds play the dominant role in dispersing early successional species. I investigated whether these patterns also occurred in a Philippine montane rainforest and adjacent successional vegetation. I also asked whether seed mass was related to probability of dispersal between habitats. A greater number of woody species and stems in the forest produced vertebrate-dispersed seeds than wind-dispersed seeds. Although input of forest seeds into the successional area was dominated by vertebrate-dispersed seeds in terms of species richness, wind-dispersed seeds landed in densities 15 times higher. Frugivorous birds dispersed more forest seeds and species into the successional area than bats, and more successional seeds and species into the forest. As expected, seed input declined with distance from source habitat. Low input of forest seeds into the successional area at the farthest distance sampled, 40 m from forest edge, particularly for vertebrate-dispersed seeds, suggests very limited dispersal out of forest even into a habitat in which woody successional vegetation provides perches and fruit resources. For species of vertebrate-dispersed successional seeds, probability of dispersal into forest declined significantly with seed mass.
The Reception of Homosexuality in Klaus Mann’s Weimar Era Works

Although Klaus Mann has long been recognized for his antifascist works written in exile, his earlier Weimar texts have only recently received serious scholarly attention. Noted for the prominent role that homosexuality plays in them, these works have been frequently cited as an example of and influence on Weimar culture, particularly its gay elements. However, no rigorous study has yet attempted to trace the reception of homosexuality in Mann’s literature in the 1920s and early 1930s. This article seeks to determine the reception of these texts in selected contemporary general and gay periodicals in order to demonstrate that the homosexual content of Mann’s literature was widely received in the Weimar Republic. Interwar critics noted his works not only for their depictions of the Nachkriegsgeneration , but also for their vivid and realistic homosexual content. Mann’s works placed same sex desire, depicted in an affirmative light, squarely in front of Weimar readers, asking them to consider the place of gay men and women in their society.
Unitary-matrix models as exactly solvable string theories.

Exact differential equations are presently found for the scaling functions of models of unitary matrices which are solved in a double-scaling limit, using orthogonal polynomials on a circle. For the case of the simplest, k = 1 model, the Painleve II equation with constant 0 is obtained; possible nonperturbative phase transitions exist for these models. Equations are presented for k = 2 and 3, and discussed with a view to asymptotic behavior.
Substrate specificity studies on bee acetylcholinesterase purified by gradient centrifugation

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase was purified from bees by ammonium sulphate fractionation and sucrose gradient centrifugation. The final preparation had an overall enrichment of 50-fold, specific activity based on protein, or 200-fold, specific activity based on total organic material. The specific activity of the best preparation was 12 units (μmole substrate hydrolysed/min)/mg protein. The purified preparation was classified as true acetylcholinesterase on the basis of substrate specificity. The final purification seemed to be free of pseudocholinesterase and other esterases. The hydrolysis of acetyl-β-methylcholine by the purified preparation indicated that the enzyme from bees is different from acetylcholinesterase from most other sources. The pattern of centrifugation of the enzyme in sucrose gradient was not greatly changed by treatment with high salt, urea, mercaptoethanol, desoxycholate, butanol, or sonic oscillation. The purified preparation was activated by low levels of butanol.
Functional Divergence of Glycoprotein Hormone Receptors

Two lamprey glycoprotein hormone receptors (lGpH-R I and II) highly similar with gnathostome GpH-Rs were cloned from sea lamprey testes and thyroid, respectively. Vertebrate glycoprotein protein receptors have a large extracellular domain (ED) containing a leu rich domain (LRD) linked to a rhodopsin-like transmembrane domain (TMD) through a highly divergent linker region (signal specificity domain, SSD or 'hinge' region) and a third major segment, the intracellular domain. To determine the potential roles of the different domains in the activation of the receptor following ligand-receptor binding, functional assays were performed on lGpH-R I/rat luteinizing hormone (LH)-R domain swapped chimeric receptors. These results show that the functional roles of the lamprey glycoprotein-receptor I (lGpH-R I) domains are conserved compared with its Gnathostome homologs. The ability of different glycoprotein hormones to activate chimeric lamprey/rat receptors suggests that the selectivity of the GpH-Rs in respect to their ligands is not controlled exclusively by a single domain but is the result of specific interactions between domains. We hypothesize that these interactions were refined during millions of years of co-evolution of the receptors with their cognate ligands under particular intramolecular, intermolecular and physiological constraints.
Optimizing Information Value: Improving Rover Sensor Data Collection

Robotic exploration is an excellent method for obtaining information about sites too dangerous for people to explore. The operator's understanding of the environment depends on the rover returning useful information. Robotic mission bandwidth is frequently constrained, limiting the amount of information the rover can return. This paper explores the tradeoff between information and bandwidth based on two years of observations during a robotic astrobiology field study. The developed theory begins by analyzing the search task conducted by robot operators. This analysis leads to an information optimization model. Important parameters in the model include the value associated with detecting a target, the probability of locating a target, and the bandwidth required to collect the information from the environment. Optimizing the information return between regions creates an image and provides the necessary information while reducing bandwidth. Application of the model to the analyzed field study results in an optimized image that requires 48.3% less bandwidth to collect. The model also predicts several data collection patterns that could serve as the basis of data collection templates for improving mission effectiveness. The developed optimization model reduces the bandwidth necessary to collect information, thus aiding missions in collecting more information from the environment.
Relationships Between Subordinate Perceptions of Supervisor Influence Tactics and Attributed Bases of Supervisory Power

This paper presents the results of a study investigating relationships between measures of supervisor influence and power, as perceived by subordinates (N = 251). The influence measures were based on the framework of Kipnis, Schmidt, and Wilkinson (1980), while the measures of power used were based on French and Raven's (1959) social bases of power. The results indicated that: (1) there was relatively strong support for most of the Kipnis et al. influence dimensions when viewed from the influence target's perspective, (2) perceptions of leader influence tactic behaviors and attributions of leader power bases are empirically distinct, and (3) several relationships exist between subordinate perceptions of leader influence behaviors and subordinate attributions of leaderpower. However, only one influence tactic, rationality, had both substantial and significant positive relationships with the more positively-viewed bases of power (expert and referent power), emphasizing its importance as a means of influence...
Licklider transmission protocol (LTP)-based DTN for cislunar communications

Delay/disruption-tolerant networking (DTN) technology offers a new solution to highly stressed communications in space environments, especially those with long link delay and frequent link disruptions in deep-space missions. To date, little work has been done in evaluating the performance of the available “convergence layer” protocols of DTN, especially the Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP), when they are applied to an interplanetary Internet (IPN). In this paper, we present an experimental evaluation of the Bundle Protocol (BP) running over various “convergence layer” protocols in a simulated cislunar communications environment characterized by varying degrees of signal propagation delay and data loss. We focus on the LTP convergence layer (LTPCL) adapter running on top of UDP/IP (i.e., BP/LTPCL/UDP/IP). The performance of BP/LTPCL/UDP/IP in realistic file transfers over a PC-based network test bed is compared to that of two other DTN protocol stack options, BP/TCPCL/TCP/IP and BP/UDPCL/UDP/IP. A statistical method of t-test is also used for analysis of the experimental results. The experiment results show that LTPCL has a significant performance advantage over Transmission Control Protocol convergence layer (TCPCL) for link delays longer than 4000 ms regardless of the bit error rate (BER). For a very lossy channel with a BER of around 10-5, LTPCL has a significant goodput advantage over TCPCL at all the link delay levels studied, with an advantage of around 3000 B/s for delays longer than 1500 ms. LTPCL has a consistently significant goodput advantage over UDPCL, around 2500-3000 B/s, at all levels of link delays and BERs.
Performance testing and qualifications of Sandias third baseline photovoltaic concentrator module

Prototypes of a photovoltaic concentrator module, the Sandia Baseline Module 3 (SBM3), have been designed, built, and tested. The SBM3 is intended to be a high-efficiency module that can be readily adapted for commercial production. It consists of a 2*12 parquet of lenses arranged with 24 cells in an aluminum housing. The geometric concentration ratio is 185. The cells use prismatic covers. The module features a new concept in cell assemblies in that the cells are soldered directly to a copper heat spreader, eliminating the expensive ceramic wafer and heat sink that have been used in previous designs. Electrical isolation was accomplished by anodizing and electrophoretically coating the aluminum housing. Lessons learned during construction and testing of the SBM3 are presented, along with the outdoor performance characteristics of prototype modules and results from qualification testing. The test results were mostly favorable; the few test failures can be corrected with minimal further development of the processes. >
Faculty and administrative strategies for the effective implementation of distance education

Over the past several decades, professionals in the field of instructional technology have witnessed a progression of varying “technologies” that can be utilized for the presentation of educational materials to students in a variety of environments. These technologies have included 16mm films, educational filmstrips, 35mm slides, instructional videotapes, computers, and computer-based instruction, to name a few. While the specific hardware and software varied significantly over time, these systems generally focused on the delivery of educational materials to students within traditional institutions learning through group-based or individualized instruction. Within the past several years, however, there has been a re-birth of one type of education—distance education—specifically designed for students who choose to learn at some distance from a formal institution. While there are a variety of options available within this educational format, it typically allows students to study at their own pace, at their own chosen time, and using materials that are specifically designed for learning at a distance from formal teachers, instructors, and classrooms. This type of learning was originally provided primarily through correspondence study (with the written materials sent back and forth between instructor and students), while current materials are generally now provided via computer, video, or the World Wide Web. The purpose of the present article is to describe relevant issues in this field as well as various related strategies which may be utilized by faculty and academic administrators to support the appropriate use of this educational format. The discussion of these strategies is particularly relevant at this time given the increasing availability of many new technologies, the mounting pressure on educational institutions to be cost effective in their delivery of instruction, and the growing interest in providing quality education to students who are not easily able to travel to a traditional campus or school location.
Delusional misidentification of the Capgras and intermetamorphosis types responding to clorazepate. A case report.

— A patient with chronic psychosis and intermittent psychotic misidentification of the Capgras and intermetamorphosis types refractory to neuroleptic treatment was given a trial of clorazepate. Complete remission of psychotic symptoms was achieved for the first time in 19 years, but these recurred when the patient discontinued her clorazepate. It is concluded that clorazepate may be a useful treatment for some cases of chronic psychosis and psychotic misidentification. A possible mechanism for this is discussed.
Multi — Input residue arithmetic utilizing read — Only associative memory

In this paper an approach to residue arithmetic is presented using Read-Only-Associative-Memories (ROAMs), such as PLAs. These memories have considerable advantages for table lookup arithimoetic processing over the conventional ROMs in terms of their storage and time efficiency. In residue arithmetic, the ROAM storage required largely depends on the residue recurrencies in arithmetic tables modulo M. After reviewing recent results on the computation of recurrencies, a scheme is proposed for implementing residue arithmetic based on ROAMs. The efficiency of the scheme is established by comparison to conventional ROM-based table lookup techniques. Applications to residue-to-binary number system conversion are also discussed.
Strelka: accurate somatic small-variant calling from sequenced tumor–normal sample pairs

Motivation Whole genome and exome sequencing of matched tumor-normal sample pairs is becoming routine in cancer research. The consequent increased demand for somatic variant analysis of paired samples requires methods specialized to model this problem so as to sensitively call variants at any practical level of tumor impurity. Results We describe Strelka, a method for somatic SNV and small indel detection from sequencing data of matched tumor-normal samples. The method uses a novel Bayesian approach which represents continuous allele frequencies for both tumor and normal samples, while leveraging the expected genotype structure of the normal. This is achieved by representing the normal sample as a mixture of germline variation with noise, and representing the tumor sample as a mixture of the normal sample with somatic variation. A natural consequence of the model structure is that sensitivity can be maintained at high tumor impurity without requiring purity estimates. We demonstrate that the method has superior accuracy and sensitivity on impure samples compared with approaches based on either diploid genotype likelihoods or general allele-frequency tests. Availability The Strelka workflow source code is available at ftp://strelka@ftp.illumina.com/. Contact csaunders@illumina.com
Tolerance of a Phage Element by Streptococcus pneumoniae Leads to a Fitness Defect during Colonization

The pathogenesis of the disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae begins with colonization of the upper respiratory tract. Temperate phages have been identified in the genomes of up to 70% of clinical isolates. How these phages affect the bacterial host during colonization is unknown. Here, we examined a clinical isolate that carries a novel prophage element, designated Spn1, which was detected in both integrated and episomal forms. Surprisingly, both lytic and lysogenic Spn1 genes were expressed under routine growth conditions. Using a mouse model of asymptomatic colonization, we demonstrate that the Spn1(-) strain outcompeted the Spn1(+) strain >70-fold. To determine if Spn1 causes a fitness defect through a trans-acting factor, we constructed an Spn1(+) mutant that does not become an episome or express phage genes. This mutant competed equally with the Spn1(-) strain, indicating that expression of phage genes or phage lytic activity is required to confer this fitness defect. In vitro, we demonstrate that the presence of Spn1 correlated with a defect in LytA-mediated autolysis. Furthermore, the Spn1(+) strain displayed increased chain length and resistance to lysis by penicillin compared to the Spn(-) strain, indicating that Spn1 alters the cell wall physiology of its host strain. We posit that these changes in cell wall physiology allow for tolerance of phage gene products and are responsible for the relative defect of the Spn1(+) strain during colonization. This study provides new insight into how bacteria and prophages interact and affect bacterial fitness in vivo.
Influence of Dietary Coexposure to Benzo(a)pyrene on the Biotransformation and Distribution of 14C-Methoxychlor in the Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Methoxychlor (MXC) is an organochlorine pesticide whose mono- and bis-demethylated metabolites, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (OH-MXC) and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (HPTE), respectively, are estrogenic and antiandrogenic. Studies in vitro showed that treatment of channel catfish with a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon increased phase I and phase II metabolism of MXC. To determine the in vivo significance, groups of four channel catfish were treated by gavage for 6 days with 2 mg/kg (14)C-MXC alone or 2 mg/kg (14)C-MXC and 2 mg/kg benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). On day 7, blood and tissue samples were taken for analysis. Hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity was 10-fold higher in the BaP-treated catfish, indicating CYP1A induction. More MXC-derived radioactivity remained in control (42.8 +/- 4.1%) than BaP-induced catfish (28.5 +/- 3.2%), mean percent total dose +/- SE. Bile, muscle and fat contained approximately 90% of the radioactivity remaining in control and induced catfish. Extraction and chromatographic analysis showed that liver contained MXC, OH-MXC, HPTE, and glucuronide but not sulfate conjugates of OH-MXC and HPTE. Liver mitochondria contained more MXC, OH-MXC, and HPTE than other subcellular fractions. Bile contained glucuronides of OH-MXC and HPTE, and hydrolysis of bile gave HPTE and both enantiomers of OH-MXC. The muscle, visceral fat, brain and gonads contained MXC, OH-MXC, and HPTE in varying proportions, but no conjugates. This study showed that catfish coexposed to BaP and MXC retained less MXC and metabolites in tissues than those exposed to MXC alone, suggesting that induction enhanced the elimination of MXC, and further showed that potentially toxic metabolites of MXC were present in the edible tissues.
The characteristics and origins of the academic preschool

Academic preschools have been caricatured in the popular press; what are these preschools really like, and to what extent are they created by teachers?
In vivo cell penetration and intracellular transport of anti-Sm and anti-La autoantibodies

Anti-nuclear autoantibodies (ANA) are the hallmark of systemic autoimmune diseases. Yet, the in vivo function of ANA remains controversial to a large extent due to the intracellular nature of their antigenic targets. It has been reported that a subset of autoantibodies can penetrate live cells and translocate into the subcellular compartments containing the corresponding antigens. The studies presented herein show that murine anti-Sm and anti-La monoclonal autoantibodies can also enter a variety of cell types from different animal species and that the cell penetration activity is not isotype-restricted. Interestingly, only mAb with cross-reactivity against double-stranded DNA did enter cells. Both these autoantibodies rapidly accumulate in the nucleus of viable cells but display different penetration kinetics. In co-localization experiments, monoclonal autoantibodies did not accumulate significantly within endocytic vesicles containing dextran, suggesting that they are internalized by mechanisms distinct from conventional receptor-mediated endocytosis. This report represents the first evidence that anti-La and anti-Sm autoantibodies are capable of entering live cells. Our observations support the notion that the phenomenon of intracellular autoantibodies may have a larger scope than previously reported and are consistent with a potential pathogenic role for ANA.
On the accuracy of plate theories for the prediction of unwanted modes near the fundamental thickness shear mode

The first order plate theories with correction factors are generally assumed to predict accurately the plate modes which have half wave lengths greater than the plate thickness, and at frequencies up to twenty percent higher than the fundamental thickness shear frequency. This assumption is assessed by comparing the straight crested wave solutions of the plate theories with those of the three-dimensional elastic equations of motion. The frequency spectra for bandwidths of resonant frequencies versus the aspect ratio of length to thickness are compared for three sets of plate equations: The first order Mindlin plate equations, the third order Mindlin plate equations, and the third order Lee and Nikodem plate equations. The finite element results for a quartz SC-cut strip with free edges show that Mindlin's first order plate equations, and Lee and Nikodem's third order plate equations do not yield an accurate frequency spectra of the modes in the vicinity of the fundamental thickness shear mode, although the thickness shear mode itself is predicted accurately. The third order Mindlin plate equations without correction factors, on the other hand, predict well the frequency spectrum in the vicinity. The first order Mindlin plate theory is found to yield accurate frequency spectra for normalized frequencies less than 0.1, which is lower than previously assumed. At normalized frequencies greater than 0.1, deviations are seen in the frequency spectra, starting with the modal branches which are more steeply inclined.
Serpentine ecosystem responses to varying water availability and prescribed fire in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region

Grasslands growing atop serpentine bedrock are subject to edaphic stresses and, as a result, are low productivity ecosystems. Nutrient limitations are so severe in some serpentine grasslands that plant growth is unaffected by increased water availability. However, little is known of how serpentine grasslands in eastern North America function and respond to environmental changes, including variation in water availability. Serpentine barrens of the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region are globally rare ecosystems currently threatened by forest encroachment. Prescribed fire has been applied to maintain these ecosystems, although ecosystem responses to prescribed fire remain unquantified. Monthly measurements of CO2 exchange and leaf area index (LAI) were made at managed and unmanaged sites over two years. Environmental factors influencing CO2 exchange rates were monitored, and soil composition was also assessed. Unusually dry conditions in 2012 led to suppressed CO2 exchange rates and LAI across sites, while wet conditi...
Vertical Velocity Profiles in Stratified Flows

The Monin-Obukhov analysis is applied to stably stratified, two-dimensional, hydraulically rough, turbulent, fully developed, open-channel flows. The buoyancy flux is expressed as a function of the velocity and density gradients for cases in which the buoyancy flux may vary over the depth. Resulting vertical velocity profile expressions were verified with experimental data collected in a wide laboratory flume with salt-stratified flows. Sidewall effects on stratified flows are significant in narrow flumes and are magnified in highly stratified flows, as noted in a review of previous works.
Numerical methods for Riemann-Hilbert problems in multiply connected circle domains

Riemann-Hilbert problems in multiply connected domains arise in a number of applications, such as the computation of conformal maps. As an example here, we consider a linear problem for computing the conformal map from the exterior of m disks to the exterior of m linear slits with prescribed inclinations. The map can be represented as a sum of Laurent series centered at the disks and satisfying a certain boundary condition. R. Wegmann developed a method of successive conjugation for finding the Laurent coefficients. We compare this method to two methods using least squares solutions to the problem. The resulting linear system has an underlying structure of the form of the identity plus a low rank operator and can be solved efficiently by conjugate gradient-like methods.
Application of Cloud Computing based Smart Meter to Power Systems

This paper proposes a smart meter based on cloud computing based terminals. Taking the storage capacity and computation capacity of cloud computing into account, the prototype of cloud computing based smart meter is designed. And then a power system information framework is built through the proposed prototypes. Finally, secure issues from application of cloud computing based smart meter to power systems are discussed.
A numerical procedure enabling accurate descriptions of strain rate-sensitive flow of polycrystals within crystal visco-plasticity theory

Abstract The plastic deformation of polycrystalline metals is carried by the motion of dislocations on specific crystallographic glide planes. According to the thermodynamics theory of slip, in the regime of strain rates, roughly from 1 0 − 5 / s to 10 5 / s , dislocation motion is thermally activated. Dislocations must overcome barriers in order to move, and this concept defines critical activation stresses τ c s on a slip system s that evolve as a function of strain rate and temperature. The fundamental flow rule in crystal visco-plasticity theory that involves τ c s in order to activate slip has a power-law form: γ s = γ 0 ( | τ s | τ c s ) n s i g n ( τ s ) . This form is desirable because it provides uniqueness of solution for the active slip systems that accommodate an imposed strain rate; however, it also introduces a strain rate dependence, which in order to represent the actual behavior of polycrystalline materials deforming in relevant conditions of temperature and strain-rate usually needs to be described by a high value of the exponent n . However, since until now the highest value of n was limited by numerical tractability, the use of the power-law flow rule frequently introduced an artificially high rate-sensitivity. All prior efforts to correct this extraneous rate sensitivity have only lessened its effect and unfortunately also at the expense of substantial increases in computation time. To this day, a solution for the power-law exponent reflecting true material behavior is still sought. This article provides a novel method enabling the use of realistic material strain rate-sensitivity exponents to be used within the crystal visco-plasticity theory without increasing computation time involved in polycrystal simulations. Calculations are performed for polycrystalline pure Cu and excellent agreement with experimental measurement is demonstrated.
Difference Methods and Soft Solutions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the generalized soft and weal solutions of certain classes of partial differential equations using difference methods. The soft solutions of differential equations lead in a natural way to difference methods. The chapter shows discusses how to obtain various difference methods from the soft solution. In difference methods for initial value problems, it frequently happens that the initial function is known only at a discrete set of points. Under such circumstances, it is still possible to verify functional relation by extending the definition of the initial data to all points on the initial line.
Liturgy and the Eucharist in Light of the New Evangelization

From a talk given at the First Philippine Congress on New Evangelization (University of Santo Tomas, Manila: October 17, 2013).
Dual hydrogen-bonding motifs in complexes formed between tropolone and formic acid.

The near-ultraviolet π*←π absorption system of weakly bound complexes formed between tropolone (TrOH) and formic acid (FA) under cryogenic free-jet expansion conditions has been interrogated by exploiting a variety of fluorescence-based laser-spectroscopic probes, with synergistic quantum-chemical calculations built upon diverse model chemistries being enlisted to unravel the structural and dynamical properties of the pertinent ground [X1A'] and excited [A1A'π*π] electronic states. For binary TrOH ⋅ FA adducts, the presence of dual hydrogen-bond linkages gives rise to three low-lying isomers designated (in relative energy order) as INT, EXT1, and EXT2 depending on whether docking of the FA ligand to the TrOH substrate takes place internal or external to the five-membered reaction cleft of tropolone. While the symmetric double-minimum topography predicted for the INT potential surface mediates an intermolecular double proton-transfer event, the EXT1 and EXT2 structures are interconverted by an asymmetric single proton-transfer process that is TrOH-centric in nature. The A-X origin of TrOH ⋅ FA at ν00=27 484.45cm-1 is displaced by δν00=+466.76cm-1 with respect to the analogous feature for bare tropolone and displays a hybrid type - a/b rotational contour that reflects the configuration of binding. A comprehensive analysis of vibrational landscapes supported by the optically connected X1A' and A1A'π*π manifolds, including the characteristic isotopic shifts incurred by partial deuteration of the labile TrOH and FA protons, has been performed leading to the uniform assignment of numerous intermolecular (viz., modulating hydrogen-bond linkages) and intramolecular (viz., localized on monomer subunits) degrees of freedom. The holistic interpretation of all experimental and computational findings affords compelling evidence that an external-binding motif (attributed to EXT1), rather than the thermodynamically more stable cleft-bound (INT) form, was the carrier of fluorescence signals observed during the present work.
Potassium sulfate forms a spiral structure when dissolved in solution

Studies on the formation of spiral structures are always of interest to researchers. When potassium sulfate is heated in water and subjected to swirling in a beaker, the crystals formed a multi-arm spiral structure when allowed to settle. The spiral structure was either clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on the rotation of the swirl. The spiral formation requires heat to maintain integrity of the structure. The multi-arm spiral structure of potassium sulfate was stable if left undisturbed at room temperature.