cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of recombinant antistasin secreted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Secretion from recombinant yeast was used as a potential source of large quantities of the leech protein antistasin (ATS), a potent and highly specific inhibitor of the serine protease coagulation factor Xa. Mature recombinant ATS (r-ATS) is obtained after intracellular cleavage by the yscF protease of the mating factor alpha-1 pre-proleader from the fusion protein at the Lys-Arg sequence junction. Production levels are relatively low (ca. 1 mg/liter). Purification of the secreted product from a complex growth medium involved cell removal by microfiltration and diafiltration, cation-exchange capture and concentration on S-Sepharose Fast Flow, C-4 reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and HPLC cation-exchange chromatography step, and RP-HPLC concentration and desalting. The process was scaled up from the 16- to the 250-liter level with a corresponding increase in amount of r-ATS. From the 250-liter fermentation two major forms, r-ATS-I and r-ATS-II, distributed approximately 60:40, and a minor form, r-ATS-minor (ca. 1% of the purified r-ATS), were characterized. Limited N-terminal sequence analysis by Edman degradation indicated that r-ATS-I has the predicted mature N-terminus starting with Gln, that r-ATS-II is N-terminally blocked with pyroglutamate, and that r-ATS-minor is an incompletely processed form. RP-HPLC, hydrophilic-interaction HPLC, cation-exchange HPLC analysis, and electrophoresis results are consistent with the differences observed by sequencing. Preliminary in vitro characterization by intrinsic Ki determination for factor Xa inhibition indicated that the yeast r-ATS forms are indistinguishable from each other as well as from r-ATS expressed by the insect baculovirus host-vector system. Nevertheless, r-ATS-I and r-ATS-II appear less potent than insect-derived r-ATS in the activated partial thromboplastin time clotting assay. Further characterization indicated that C-terminal cleavage at Pro-116 had occurred in r-ATS-I and r-ATS-II as well as oxidation of methionine residues to methionine sulfoxide. The possible role of the C-terminus in inhibition of the prothrombinase complex is discussed.
Physicochemical Controls on Nonconservative Anion Migration in Coarse-Textured Alluvial Sediments

Three sandy subsurface materials and a sandy surface soil (Orangeburg Series) from the Upper Coastal Plain, were used to assess the influence of mineralogy and surface chemistry on the determination of physical transport parameters using ionic tracers. The clay mineralogy of the surface soil consisted primarily of kaolinite, hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite, and gibbsite, while the dominant clay mineralogy of the subsurface materials consisted of kaolinite, goethite, and mica (illite). Repacked columns of the four differing strata were leached with tritiated (∼ 200 pCi mL–1) Bromide solutions, either MgBr2 or KBr, of varying ionic strengths (0.1–0.001 N). Pore-water velocities estimated by bulk density and mass flux were consistent with those estimated from tritium breakthrough. In contrast, Br– breakthrough differed drastically within the four materials and was altered by experimental conditions (sample drying, carrier cation, etc.). The retardation for 0.001 N KBr varied from 0.94 for the surface soil to 2.15 for the subsurface materials and increased with increasing Fe oxide content. For the subsurface samples, Br– was retarded to a greater degree in the presence of Mg2+ compared to K+. In contrast, oven drying the sample reduced the degree of Br– retardation observed for the subsurface materials. These results indicate that retardation can vary dramatically within materials of similar texture, mineralogy, and origin. The apparent conservative behavior of an ionic species under a given set of conditions (mineralogy, pH, ionic strength, scale size, predominant counter ion) does not automatically ensure that transport will remain conservative as those conditions are altered by changes in experimental design or unforeseen circumstances encountered at the field scale.
Augmented cholesterol absorption and sarcolemmal sterol enrichment slow small intestinal transit in mice, contributing to cholesterol cholelithogenesis

Cholesterol gallstones are associated with slow intestinal transit in humans as well as in animal models, but the molecular mechanism is unknown. We investigated in C57L/J mice whether the components of a lithogenic diet (LD; 1.0% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid and 17% triglycerides), as well as distal intestinal infection with Helicobacter hepaticus, influence small intestinal transit time. By quantifying the distribution of 3H-sitostanol along the length of the small intestine following intraduodenal instillation, we observed that, in both sexes, the geometric centre (dimensionless) was retarded significantly (P < 0.05) by LD but not slowed further by helicobacter infection (males, 9.4 ± 0.5 (uninfected), 9.6 ± 0.5 (infected) on LD compared with 12.5 ± 0.4 and 11.4 ± 0.5 on chow). The effect of the LD was reproduced only by the binary combination of cholesterol and cholic acid. We inferred that the LD-induced cholesterol enrichment of the sarcolemmae of intestinal smooth muscle cells produced hypomotility from signal-transduction decoupling of cholecystokinin (CCK), a physiological agonist for small intestinal propulsion in mice. Treatment with ezetimibe in an amount sufficient to block intestinal cholesterol absorption caused small intestinal transit time to return to normal. In most cholesterol gallstone-prone humans, lithogenic bile carries large quantities of hepatic cholesterol into the upper small intestine continuously, thereby reproducing this dietary effect in mice. Intestinal hypomotility promotes cholelithogenesis by augmenting formation of deoxycholate, a pro-lithogenic secondary bile salt, and increasing the fraction of intestinal cholesterol absorbed.
Quality of life in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma participating in a phase I trial of an autologous tumor-derived vaccine

Background: We prospectively examined quality of life (QOL) in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nephrectomy followed by heat shock protein peptide complex 96 (HSPPC-96) vaccine, a nontoxic, active, specific immunotherapy. Materials and methods: QOL and intrusive thoughts were measured in 36 patients with newly diagnosed stage IV renal cell carcinoma at the start of treatment, 3 weeks later on the final day of treatment, and at follow-up 1 month later. At each assessment, patients completed the RAND 36-Item Health Survey and the Impact of Event Scale (IES). Results: Mixed model analyses revealed a significant improvement over time in the Physical Component Summary score (p<0.0001) and no significant change over time in the Mental Component Summary score or the IES scores. In comparisons with other populations, at the 1-month follow-up assessment, patients reported significantly worse QOL than the general population on the physical dimensions and similar QOL on the psychosocial and emotional dimensions, a similar QOL to that in patients with type II diabetes, and a significantly better QOL on four dimensions than that in patients with congestive heart failure. Conclusion: QOL remained stable or improved during treatment with the HSPPC-96 vaccine.
Effects of Species, Habitat, and Distance from Edge on Post‐dispersal Seed Predation in a Tropical Rainforest1

We examined the effects of species, habitat type (open pasture, forest, and beneath isolated pasture trees), and distance from the forest/pasture edge (25 m and 250 m) on post-dispersal seed predation of ten animal-dispersed species near the Las Alturas Biological Station in southern Costa Rica. We also compared the amount of seed predation due to vertebrate and insect predators. Levels of seed predation were extremely species-specific, ranging from 20–100 percent of seeds consumed during the 30 day study period. However, the proportion of seeds remaining was not correlated with seed size. Overall, seed mortality did not differ between the forest and open pasture habitats, but was significantly lower under isolated pasture trees. Individual species differed in which habitat they suffered the highest levels of predation. For eight of ten species studied, levels of seed predation did not vary significantly with distance from the foredpasture edge in any habitat. The majority of the post-dispersal seed predation was due to mammalian predators. The results of this and other studies suggest that post-dispersal seed predation may influence patterns of forest regeneration in disturbed areas. RESUMEN Investigamos el efecto de la especie, el tipo de habitat (pastizal abierto, bosque, y debajo de arboles aislados en el pastizal), y la distancia a la orilla del bosque, sobre la depredacion de semillas de diez especies dispersadas por animales cerca de la Estacion Biologica Las Alturas en el sur de Costa Rica. Ademas comparamos la depredacion causada por vertebrados e insectos. Los niveles de depredacion fueron muy variables entre especies, entre el 20 y 100 por ciento fue depredado durance los 30 dias del estudio. No hubo correlacion entre la proporcion de semillas no depredadas y su tamano. No existio una diferencia entre el bosque y el pastizal en la mortalidad total de las semillas, pero la mortalidad fue menor debajo de 10s arboles aislados. La depredacion de semillas de diferentes especies vario en relacion al habitat. Para ocho de las diez especies los niveles de depredacion no variaron en relacion con la distancia a la orilla del bosque en ninguno de 10s habitats. La mayoria de la depredacion fue ocasionada por mamiferos. Los resultados de este y otros estudios sugieren que la depredacion de semillas influye en la regeneracion del bosque en tierras degradadas.
Reduction of power fluctuations in ultrafast optically time-division-multiplexed pulse trains by use of a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror

The development of optical-pulse sources for ultrafast optically time-division-multiplexed data links is limited by coherent interaction among neighboring pulses, which results in intensity fluctuations. We describe a source of 2.5-GHz 0.9-ps 1550-nm pulse trains with peak-to-pedestal ratio /spl ges/32 dB. When multiplexed to 160 GHz, the root-mean-square power fluctuations are 2.1%. To achieve this performance, a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror is employed to reduce the pulse width by 49%, increase the peak-to-pedestal ratio by /spl ges/14.1 dB and decrease the fluctuations by 7.8 dB. These results are shown to agree with a derived calculation.
A targeted extracellular approach for recording long-term firing patterns of excitable cells: a practical guide

Excitable cells in many endocrine and neuronal systems display rhythms with periodicities on the order of many minutes. To observe firing patterns that represent the output of these rhythms requires a recording technique that can monitor electrophysiological activity for several hours without affecting cell behavior. A targeted extracellular approach (also known as loose-patch) accomplishes this objective. Because low resistance seals (<20 MΩ) do not influence the cell membrane and because the normal intracellular milieu is maintained, this approach is the least invasive method for monitoring the endogenous electrical activity of single cells. In this report, we detail our use of this technique to record the firing patterns of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in brain slices continuously for several hours.
Heterogeneity of Stimulant Dependence: A National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network Study

We investigated the presence of DSM-IV subtyping for dependence on cocaine and amphetamines (with versus without physical dependence) among outpatient stimulant users enrolled in a multisite study of the Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Three mutually exclusive groups were identified: primary cocaine users (n = 287), primary amphetamine users (n = 99), and dual users (cocaine and amphetamines; n = 29). Distinct subtypes were examined with latent class and logistic regression procedures. Cocaine users were distinct from amphetamine users in age and race/ethnicity. There were four distinct classes of primary cocaine users: non-dependence (15%), compulsive use (14%), tolerance and compulsive use (15%), and physiological dependence (tolerance, withdrawal, and compulsive use; 56%). Three distinct classes of primary amphetamine users were identified: non-dependence (11%), intermediate physiological dependence (31%), and physiological dependence (58%). Regardless of stimulants used, most female users were in the most severe or the physiological dependence group. These results lend support for subtyping dependence in the emerging DSM-V.
The Effects of Local Stressors on Neighborhood Attachment

Various studies have hypothesized that neighborhood attachment — defined as a multidimensional concept composed of attitudes, neighboring, and problem solving — is linked to local stressors in ways that vary by the type of attachment under examination. My study analyzes the effects of four stressors on six dimensions of attachment and shows that social and physical disorder as well as experiences with victimization and crime do not uniformly decrease individual neighborhood attachment. Social disorder has the most widespread negative impact on different types of neighborhood attachment. My results also show that victimization and perceptions of crime affect only problem solving; indeed, they actually increase this form of attachment. This finding suggests that a multidimensional approach to neighborhood attachment is useful, especially when applied to theories of social disorganization and loss of community.
Acute exposure to a 60 Hz magnetic field increases DNA strand breaks in rat brain cells.

Acute (2 h) exposure of rats to a 60 Hz magnetic field (flux densities 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mT) caused a dose-dependent increase in DNA strand breaks in brain cells of the animals (assayed by a microgel electrophoresis method at 4 h postexposure). An increase in single-strand DNA breaks was observed after exposure to magnetic fields of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mT, whereas an increase in double-strand DNA breaks was observed at 0.25 and 0.5 mT. Because DNA strand breaks may affect cellular functions, lead to carcinogenesis and cell death, and be related to onset of neurodegenerative diseases, our data may have important implications for the possible health effects of exposure to 60 Hz magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 18:156 ‐ 165, 1997. q 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
First Steps in an Axiology of Goals

In this paper, I explore the relationship between human wellbeing and long-term goals and projects. Though it is by no means universal, many accept the claim that wellbeing is composed, at least in part, of the fulfillment of a person's long-term projects or goals. However, if we accept such a view, a number of puzzling questions arise. My main task in this paper is to answer two such questions. First: how much are such projects worth against more minor, short-term goods? Second: how much are such projects worth against themselves—in particular, how much do long-term projects matter for the worse-off in comparison to such projects for those who are better-off?
Species-specific Influence of Lithium on the Activity of SLC13A5 (NaCT): Lithium-induced Activation is Specific for the Transporter in Primates

NaCT (SLC13A5) is a Na(+)-coupled transporter for Krebs cycle intermediates and is expressed predominantly in the liver. Human NaCT is relatively specific for citrate compared with other Krebs cycle intermediates. The transport activity of human NaCT is stimulated by Li(+), whereas that of rat NaCT is inhibited by Li(+). We studied the influence of Li(+) on NaCTs cloned from eight different species. Li(+) stimulated the activity of only NaCTs from primates (human, chimpanzee, and monkey); by contrast, NaCTs from nonprimate species (mouse, rat, dog, and zebrafish) were inhibited by Li(+). Caenorhabditis elegans NaCT was not affected by Li(+). With human NaCT, the Li(+)-induced increase in transport activity was associated with the conversion of the transporter from a low-affinity/high-capacity type to a high-affinity/low-capacity type. H(+) was able to substitute for Li(+) in eliciting the stimulatory effect. The amino acid Phe500 in human NaCT was critical for Li(+)/H(+)-induced stimulation. Mutation of this amino acid to tryptophan (F500W) markedly increased the basal transport activity of human NaCT in the absence of Li(+), but the ability of Li(+) to stimulate the transporter was almost completely lost with this mutant. Substitution of Phe500 with tryptophan in human NaCT converted the transporter from a low-affinity/high-capacity type to a high-affinity/low-capacity type, an effect similar to that of Li(+) on the wild-type NaCT. These studies show that Li(+)-induced activation of NaCT is specific for the transporter in primates and that the region surrounding Phe500 in primate NaCTs is important for the Li(+) effect.
A comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial cline shapes in a hybrid zone in the Sceloporus grammicus complex (Squamata; Phrynosomatidae).

The F5 and FM2 chromosome races of the Sceloporus grammicus complex form a hybrid zone in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. Previous studies of this zone have assessed genetic structure by averaging estimates of shape and width across three diagnostic chromosome markers. This approach is likely to mask subtle differences in cline shape among loci (e.g. selected vs. neutral), and obscure any displacement of cline centres (if present). Here we use maximum likelihood methods to construct the best fitting individual clines for three chromosomal markers, and also add two new markers; the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) locus, and the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeat. For each locus, hybrid zone models were fitted by cline shape and width, and the position and number of segments describing the centre of the zone. Pairwise comparisons between all clines revealed concordance between chromosomes 2 and 6, but significant discordance in cline structure among all other paired combinations. The concordance of chromosomes 2 and 6 suggests that these clines are maintained by genome-wide forces. The discordance of the chromosome 1 cline suggests an influence of asymmetric introgression, while the mtDNA cline is probably influenced by selection and drift. The rDNA locus reveals a pattern best explained by either extreme asymmetric introgression or gene conversion. The structure of zone indicates that genome-wide processes and locus specific selective forces as well as drift, are operating to different degrees on different loci. The locus-by-locus approach used here permits a finer discrimination among possible mechanisms responsible for the maintenance of the individual clines.
Web-based information search and retrieval : Effects of strategy use and age on search success

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between strategy use and search success on the World Wide Web (i.e., the Web) for experienced Web users. An additional goal was to extend understanding of how the age of the searcher may influence strategy use. Background: Current investigations of information search and retrieval on the Web have provided an incomplete picture of Web strategy use because participants have not been given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of Web strategies while also searching for information on the Web. Methods: Using both behavioral and knowledge-engineering methods, we investigated searching behavior and system knowledge for 16 younger adults (M = 20.88 years of age) and 16 older adults (M = 67.88 years). Results: Older adults were less successful than younger adults in finding correct answers to the search tasks. Knowledge engineering revealed that the age-related effect resulted from ineffective search strategies and amount of Web exp...
Exercise is brain food: The effects of physical activity on cognitive function

This commentary reviews selected biomedical and clinical research examining the relationship between physical exercise and cognitive function especially in youth with disability. Youth with physical disability may not benefit from the effects of exercise on cardiovascular fitness and brain health since they are less active than their non-disabled peers. In animal models, physical activity enhances memory and learning, promotes neurogenesis and protects the nervous system from injury and neurodegenerative disease. Neurotrophins, endogenous proteins that support brain plasticity likely mediate the beneficial effects of exercise on the brain. In clinical studies, exercise increases brain volume in areas implicated in executive processing, improves cognition in children with cerebral palsy and enhances phonemic skill in school children with reading difficulty. Studies examining the intensity of exercise required to optimize neurotrophins suggest that moderation is important. Sustained increases in neurotrophin levels occur with prolonged low intensity exercise, while higher intensity exercise, in a rat model of brain injury, elevates the stress hormone, corticosterone. Clearly, moderate physical activity is important for youth whose brains are highly plastic and perhaps even more critical for young people with physical disability.
Prognostic factors in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Pediatric Oncology Group study

Two hundred fifty-three children with newly diagnosed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), who were treated uniformly with modified LSA2L2 therapy, were evaluated using univariate and recursive partition analyses to define clinical or biologic features associated with risk of treatment failure. Overall event-free survival (EFS) at 4 years was 43% (SE = 4%). Factors examined included white blood cell (WBC) level, age, gender, race (black v other), presence of a mediastinal mass, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, marked lymphadenopathy, hemoglobin level, platelet count, blast cell expression of antigens such as the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen (CALLA, CD10), HLA-DR, and T-cell-associated antigens (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD7, CD5, and THY). Univariate analysis showed that age less than or equal to 5 or less than or equal to 7 years, WBC level less than 10, less than 25, less than 50 or less than 100 x 10(3)/microL, and blast cell expression of CD4, CD8, or CALLA were associated with significantly better EFS, while hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were associated with worse EFS. Recursive partitioning analysis showed that the most important single favorable prognostic factor was a WBC level less than 50 x 10(3)/microL and, for patients with WBC counts below this level, the most important predictor of EFS was blast cell expression of the pan-T antigen defined by the monoclonal antibody (MoAb), L17F12 (CD5). For patients with higher WBC levels, the most important predictor of EFS was blast cell expression of THY antigen. The recursive partitioning analysis defined three groups of patients with widely varied prognoses identified as follows: (1) those with a WBC count less than 50 x 10(3)/microL who lacked massive splenomegaly and had blasts expressing CD5 had the best prognosis (66%, SE = 7%, EFS 4 years, n = 84); (2) those with (b1) WBC counts less than 50 x 10(3)/microL with either massive splenomegaly or who had blasts lacking CD5 expression, or (b2) WBC counts greater than 50 x 10(3)/microL with expression of the THY antigen had an intermediate prognosis (39%, SE = 7% EFS at 4 years, n = 94); (3) those with WBC counts greater than 50 x 10(3)/microL and whose blasts lacked expression of THY antigen had the poorest outcome (EFS = 19% at 4 years, SE = 8%, n = 63). A three-way comparison of EFS according to these groupings showed significant differences among the three patient groups (P less than .001). The recursive partitioning was able to classify 241 (95%) of the patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Our Asiatic Neighbors

"This morning I would survey rapidly the changing opinions which the Western World has held regarding its Asiatic Neighbors."
Atropine: Terminal Respiratory Secretions:

*Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington. This Hospital Pharmacy feature is extracted from Off-Label Drug Facts, a publication available from Wolters Kluwer Health. Off-Label Drug Facts is a practitioner-oriented resource for information about specific drug uses that are unapproved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This new guide to the literature enables the health care professional or clinician to quickly identify published studies on off-label uses and determine if a specific use is rational in a patient care scenario. References direct the reader to the full literature for more comprehensive information before patient care decisions are made. Direct questions or comments regarding Off-Label Drug Uses to jgeneral@ku.edu.
Distribution of CRF activity and immunoreactive ACTH within the hypothalamic-neurophypophyseal complex in various species.

SummaryUsing an in vitro CRF assay employing cultured rat adenohypophyseal cells from adrenalectomized female donors and ACTH measurement by radioimmunoassay, the distribution of corticotrophinreleasing factor (CRF) activity and immunoreactive ACTH within the hypothalamic-neurohypophyseal complex and cerebral cortex was compared in various mammalian species (rat, sheep, pig, dog, cattle and man). For all species studied the highest concentration of CRF activity was always in the hypophyseal stalk. ACTH concentration was higher in the pars nervosa of the posterior pituitary lobe than in the stalk or hypothalamic median eminence in rat, sheep, cattle, and man, whereas in the pig and dog ACTH concentration was higher in the stalk than in the pars nervosa or median eminence.
Assessment of the control effect on occupational hazards in waste incineration thermoelectric cogeneration projects

The objective was to assess the control effect of occupational hazards in waste incineration thermoelectric cogeneration projects,and identify the main factors of occupational hazards.The data and information were collected through field investigation of occupational health,occupational health testing,occupational health checks and other methods.With the characteristics of occupational hazards,occupational protective equipment,personal protection levels of occupational diseases and quantitative classification results,the impacts of occupational hazardous exposure levels and occupational health effects of the workers during the test running were assessed.The main occupational hazardous factors of this project were hydrogen sulfide,ammonia,sodium hydroxide,hydrogen chloride,hydrogen fluoride,dust,carbon monoxide,carbon dioxide,NOX,SOX,heavy met als(such as lead,mercury,cadmium,etc.),dioxins and other toxic gases(or toxic dust) and noise,high temperature and other physical factors.All projects were in line with national occupational health standards except noise intensity of the detected points including dust concentration around work place in front of belt involved 4 # coal handling system and 5 # belt heading,5 # belt unloading port,coal crusher(F).The effect of occupational hazards controlling in this project basically meet the national occupational health standards.But there is still something to be improved,the suggestions were improving some occupational protection facilities,establishing the sound occupational health management system,perfecting the on-site occupational hazard warning signs and warning instructions.
A task for evaluation of articulation change. II. Comparison of task scores during baseline and lesion series testing.

Six subjects with consistent misarticulations of the /r/ phoneme were provided remedial speech instruction for this sound for a period of two months. Thirty-item sound production tasks were adminis...
Involvement of protein in scrapie agent infectivity.

The nature of the causative agent of scrapie is not known. Previous work has demonstrated that nuclease digestion does not inactivate scrapie infectivity, but there are conflicting reports about the effects of proteases. It is shown here that the broad range protease, proteinase K, reduces scrapie infectivity under all conditions tested. Control experiments demonstrated that the loss of infectivity is not artefactual and results from protein breakdown. Proteolytic digestion in the presence of detergent greatly increases proteolysis, but does not lead to a further loss of infectivity. This suggests that the protein involved may be a surface component, but whether the component is an integral or secondary-part of the agent is not known.
Secular tidal changes in lunar orbit and Earth rotation

Small tidal forces in the Earth–Moon system cause detectable changes in the orbit. Tidal energy dissipation causes secular rates in the lunar mean motion n, semimajor axis a, and eccentricity e. Terrestrial dissipation causes most of the tidal change in n and a, but lunar dissipation decreases eccentricity rate. Terrestrial tidal dissipation also slows the rotation of the Earth and increases obliquity. A tidal acceleration model is used for integration of the lunar orbit. Analysis of lunar laser ranging (LLR) data provides two or three terrestrial and two lunar dissipation parameters. Additional parameters come from geophysical knowledge of terrestrial tides. When those parameters are converted to secular rates for orbit elements, one obtains dn/dt = $$-25.97\pm 0.05 ''/$$ cent $$^{2}$$ , da/dt = 38.30 ± 0.08 mm/year, and di/dt = −0.5 ± 0.1 $$\upmu $$ as/year. Solving for two terrestrial time delays and an extra de/dt from unspecified causes gives $$\sim $$ $$3\times 10^{-12}$$ /year for the latter; solving for three LLR tidal time delays without the extra de/dt gives a larger phase lag of the N2 tide so that total de/dt = $$(1.50 \pm 0.10)\times 10^{-11}$$ /year. For total dn/dt, there is $$\le $$ 1 % difference between geophysical models of average tidal dissipation in oceans and solid Earth and LLR results, and most of that difference comes from diurnal tides. The geophysical model predicts that tidal deceleration of Earth rotation is $$-1316 ''$$ /cent $$^{2}$$ or 87.5 s/cent $$^{2}$$ for UT1-AT, a 2.395 ms/cent increase in the length of day, and an obliquity rate of 9 $$\upmu $$ as/year. For evolution during past times of slow recession, the eccentricity rate can be negative.
A Novel Knowledge Management System Based on Workflows

Abstract A large quantity of data, information, and knowledge are generated and accessed over the life cycle of a chemical product, from molecule discovery to process development to scale-up and production. Organizing this knowledge and making it available to support decisions has been a challenge due to its quantity, complexity, and the hierarchical data usage structure. This paper presents the functionality and technical details of a workflow-based knowledge management system and demonstrates its use in supporting the operation of a pilot plant for manufacturing liquid-based drug products.
Paraphilias in Pornography: A Study of Perversions Inherent in Title

SynopsisThe literature reviewed by the Victorian State Classification of Publications Board between 01/2/79 and 15/10/83 was studied, and the DSM III paraphilias clearly inherent in each title were categorised. A total of 2,173 titles were reviewed in the 43/4 year period. Of these, 562 (25.9%) could be assigned to a DS M III paraphilia category. Sado-masochism was the most common deviation (47.8%), while incest and pedophilia comprised 13.5% of the deviations.
MYO)SLIDing Our Way Into the Vascular Pool of Long Noncoding RNAs

Emerging evidence has pointed to the importance of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in biological function and disease. However, lncRNAs remain largely unexploited in the vascular system. In this issue of ATVB , Zhao et al1 identified a novel vascular smooth muscle cell–specific lncRNA, Myoslid. The investigators demonstrated that Myoslid, whose expression is transcriptionally controlled by serum response factor and myocardin (MYOCD), regulates smooth muscle cell proliferation and differentiation program, at least in part, by modulating the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway. This study has uncovered the involvement of noncoding RNAs in the already complicated gene regulatory networks in vascular biology, highlighting the potential of lncRNAs as novel therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disorders. See accompanying article on page 2088 Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Over the past decades, intense studies on key molecules that control gene expression (transcription factors and epigenetic regulators) and signaling pathways (eg, the TGF-β, Notch, Hippo pathways) have led to a fundamental understanding of the regulatory mechanisms for cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis in the cardiovascular system, resulting in the identification of potential therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases. Despite these advances, a deeper understanding of the intricate layers of gene regulation and molecular mechanisms by which …
How does ‘dragging’ affect the learning of geometry

This paper analyses two components of the epistemological domain of validity of the Dynamic Geometry Environment (DGE) Cabri-geometre: first, the nature of its phenomenological interface, and second, the possible implication on the resulting pupils' conceptions. Particularly, it is asked what effect dragging has on familiar geometric problems whose nature could be described as `static'. How do pupils apply Cabri's dynamic tools to such static problems and are there any specific approaches with their problem solving behaviour? Trying to answer such questions leads to reconstructing pupils' conceptions of ‘Cabri geometry’ and to the discussion of situated descriptions and generalisations of geometric experience in the case of Cabri.
Fluctuation of a marsh habitat and the reproductive strategy of the Yellow-headed Blackbird

The Yellow - headed Blackbird ( Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus ) nests in marshes and is dependent on emergent vegetation for nest sites. Fluctuating water levels from year to year cause an increase or decrease in the amount of emergent vegetation and affect the time required for the vegetation to become suitable for nesting. Nests built in marshes are very susceptible to wind, rainfall, vegetation growth, and predation. Many nests are abandoned before being used and the mortality of eggs and young is high. The reproductive strategy of the Yellow - headed Blackbird has been selected for flexibility and opportunism to compensate for the unpredictability of the marsh situation.
A unified platform for exploring power management strategies

Power is quickly becoming a first class resource management concern in HPC. Upcoming HPC systems will likely be hardware over-provisioned, which will require enhanced power management subsystems to prevent service interruption. To advance the state of the art in HPC power management research, we are implementing SLURM plugins to explore a range of power-aware scheduling strategies. Our goal is to develop a coherent platform that allows for a direct comparison of various power-aware approaches on research as well as production clusters.
Tropical cyclones and coastal communities: the dialectics of social and environmental change in the Sundarban delta

ABSTRACTDisasters caused by cyclones are a cyclical event in the Bay of Bengal delta seaboard. Periodically, cyclone disasters result in damaged houses and the loss of crops and livelihoods. They affect every type of social and economic infrastructure in the delta, which is inhabited by ostracized backward caste groups – seafarers, forest goers and landless peasants. The 1970 Bhola cyclone, for example, was the most catastrophic, generating a 9.1-meter storm surge at the mouth of the Ganges where it meets the Bay killing approximately 300,000 people. Often, these disasters are declared as ‘natural’ and ‘acts of God.’ This paper tests this epistemic viewpoint. I argue that cyclone-related disasters, like other calamities, cannot be merely viewed as ‘natural’ phenomena. Instead their embeddedness in the social and political relations shaping human habitation on the coastal seaboard endangers human settlement and has made the inhabitants vulnerable since the colonial land reclamation program began in the lat...
Tissue Engineering Strategies to Improve Osteogenesis in the Juvenile Swine Alveolar Cleft Model.

Alveolar (gumline) clefts are the most common congenital bone defect in humans, affecting 1 in 700 live births. Treatment to repair these bony defects relies on autologous, cancellous bone transfer from the iliac crest. This harvest requires a second surgical site with increased surgical time associated with potential complications, while providing only limited cancellous bone. Improvements in treatment protocols that avoid these limitations would be beneficial to patients with clefts and other craniofacial bone defects. There have been steady advances in tissue-engineered (TE) solutions for long-bone defects and adult patients, but advances for the pediatric craniofacial skeleton have been slower to emerge. This study utilizes a previously established juvenile swine model with a surgically created, critical size alveolar defect to test the efficacy of umbilical cord (UC) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) treatments on nano-microfiber scaffolds. At 1 month after implanting our TE construct, mineralized tissue in the surgical gap was quantified through computed tomography (CT), and histology, and excised tissue was subjected to mechanical testing. Both undifferentiated and predifferentiated (toward an osteogenic lineage) UC MSCs generated bone within the cleft on a scale comparable to iliac crest cancellous bone, as evidenced by histology and CT scans. All of the pigs treated with scaffold/stem cell combinations had mineralized tissue within the defect, although without filling the entire defect. Several of the experimental animals exhibited poor and/or asymmetric maxillary growth 1 month after the initial surgery, especially if the surgical defect was located on the smaller side of an already asymmetric pig. Our results demonstrate that tissue engineering approaches using UC MSCs are a promising alternative for repair of the alveolar cleft. Data in the pig model demonstrate that implanted scaffolds are at least as good as the current gold standard treatment based on harvesting cancellous bone from the iliac crest, regardless of whether the cells seeded on the scaffold are precommitted to an osteogenic fate.
Biomechanical Analysis of Dance for Parkinson's Disease: A Paradoxical Case Study of Balance and Gait Effects?

Objectives This study aimed to measure the effects of a dance training program on subjective and objective balance and gait measures in a person with Parkinson's disease. Design and Setting The participant was measured via clinical scales and biomechanical balance and gait analyses pre- and post-16 weeks of dance participation at the University Center for Arts in Medicine. The dance program consisted of 75 minute sessions three days a week. Results Improved clinical scales included the Schwab and England scale (+10%), falls efficacy scale (−11 points), six-minute walk (+15.54m), and timed up and go (1.38s). Balance measures during three conditions (eyes open, eyes closed, and narrow stance) all demonstrated an increase (24–112%) in center of pressure path length, velocity (anteroposterior and mediolateral), sway area, and approximate entropy (anteroposterior and mediolateral). Spatiotemporal gait parameters improved during forward walking: velocity (+0.12m/s), cadence (+3.89steps/min), double support time (−2.02%), stride length (+0.07m), stride time (−0.03s), and backward walking: single support (+3.47%), double support (−7.0%), swing time (+3.4%), and stance time (−3.4%). Conclusions Classic interpretation of the above measures may indicate a detriment in biomechanical balance effects concomitant with an improvement in gait. Alternative explanations explored suggest this paradox to be illusory.
Remember Me to Miss Louisa: Hidden Black-White Intimacies in Antebellum America

Review of: "Remember Me to Miss Louisa: Hidden Black-White Intimacies in Antebellum America," by Sharony Green
Disentangling Strong-Field Multielectron Dynamics with Angular Streaking

The study into the interaction between a strong laser field and atoms/molecules has led to significant advances in developing spectroscopic tools in the attosecond time-domain and methods for controlling chemical reactions. There has been great interest in understanding the complex electronic and nuclear dynamics of molecules in strong laser fields. However, it is still a formidable challenge to fully model such dynamics. Conventional experimental tools such as photoelectron spectroscopy encounter difficulties in revealing the involved states because the electron spectra are largely dictated by the property of the laser field. Here, with strong field angular streaking technique, we measure the angle-dependent ionization yields that directly reflect the symmetry of the ionizing orbitals of methyl iodide and thus reveal the ionization/dissociation dynamics. Moreover, kinematically complete measurements of momentum vectors of all fragments in dissociative double ionization processes allow access to electron-...
Collateral and Yield Spread of Syndicated Loans

We examine factors that influence the use of collateral in syndicated loans and explore debt contract theories under adverse selection and moral hazard. Using a probit model (Agresti, 2007) to analyse syndicated loan data (1987-2007) for firms in the United States, we find that loan and borrower specific factors and general economic conditions as well are significant in explaining the presence of collateral in these loans. Further testing exploring the relationship between collateral and yield spread of syndicated loans while using an econometric procedure (Heckman, 1976; Lee, 1978) to control for the simultaneity between the decision to use collateral and the determination of the yield spread confirms the empirical predictions of the moral hazard debt theory. The use of collateral reduces risk and the cost of borrowing for syndicated loans, providing further clarification to the mixed empirical evidence in the literature.
‘What the Devil a Woman Lives for After 30’: The Late Careers of Late Eighteenth-Century British Women Writers

This article begins to consider the late careers of late eighteenth-century English women writers. It provides a brief review of some of the eighteenth-century attitudes toward aging women and focuses specifically on the aging female writer. Surveying the available literature on this topic, the author demonstrates the need for a more thorough investigation of aging, gender, literary output, and reception among the first generations of professional women writers in Great Britain. This article concludes with a consideration of Hester Lynch Piozzi and some of her writing from her late years.
Predication and Universals

The contention that the phenomenon of predication commits us to a realistic ontology has a long and distinguished history. Typically, the contention is expressed in the claim that predicate-expressions must be construed as standing in some referential relation to universals. While the view is suggested in Plato’s writings, it receives its first explicit formulation in Aristotle’s De Interpretatione where after telling us that a predicate-expression is “a sign of something said of something else,”1 Aristotle defines the universal as “that which is of such a nature as to be predicated of many objects.”2 Medieval Aristotelians generally accepted Aristotle’s contention that predicates are referentially linked with universals; and in more recent times, we find Frege endorsing the view as well. Frege tells us that concepts are the referents of predicate-expressions, and he identifies concepts with the properties of objects.3 Russell also echoes the traditional theme that predicates refer to universals when he tells us that “substantives, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs,” the expressions which serve as predicate-terms, “stand for universals;”4 and in the past few decades we find philosophers as different as Gustav Bergmann and P. F. Strawson following Russell here. Thus, Bergmann tells us that primitive predicates name universals, so that whoever “admits a single primitive predicate admits properties among the building-stones of his world;”5 and Strawson, invoking a rather different terminology, claims that the use of a predicate-expression within the context of a subject-predicate sentence has the effect of “introducing” a universal “into discourse.”6
The New Legal Empiricism & Its Application to Access-to-Justice Inquiries

The United States legal profession routinely deals with evidence in and out of courtrooms, but the profession is not evidence-based in a scientific sense. Lawyers, judges, and court administrators ...
Missing Links: The First Amendment's Place in an Ever-Changing Web

Legal questions remain surrounding hateful rhetoric online, including when the government should or can legally step in and do something to prevent acts of terror or hate crimes. This Article explores the current legal landscape surrounding access to publishing online, and its benefits and costs for everyday users and private companies. Through a First Amendment lens, as well as other relevant case law, legislation, and regulation, this Article seeks to provide an understanding of the civil liberty implications of how a change in the law or policy would affect the rights of private companies and publishers and users, both readers and writers of content. This analysis focuses specifically on legal ramifications, protections, and liabilities of major social media outlets and news sites, as well as easily accessible online forums and public-facing websites of hate groups.
Support vector machine based real-time terrain estimation for tracked robots

Abstract This paper describes the use of support vector machine (SVM) classifier for real-time terrain estimation to improve autonomous navigation of tracked mobile robots. Real-time terrain identification and terrain property estimation has been explored previously for application on a wide range of systems from planetary exploration rovers to commercial vehicles like cars and trucks. A majority of the existing methods rely on the use of dedicated sensors including vibration sensors, accelerometers, cameras, LIDAR, etc., which makes them susceptible to the failure modes of each of these sensors. This work proposes a method for real-time classification of different terrain types based on the state evolution of a ground robot, specifically the measured change in the pose of the robot for a known control input. By using a trained SVM to perform terrain estimation based on the collected state evolution data, the proposed method does not require dedicated sensing modalities solely for the terrain estimation. In addition, this method is generally applicable in all conditions where the robot can traverse. The training data was obtained from four different terrain conditions including vinyl flooring, asphalt, artificial turf, and grass–gravel, to train the SVM to perform terrain estimation. The proposed technique is validated using a skid-steer tracked robot over multiple simulated and real terrain transitions cases, where the response to control inputs is significantly affected by terrain characteristics. The results show that the proposed method provides greater than 80% accuracy in all cases, with fast detection of terrain transitions. The paper concludes with a detailed description on the application of real-time terrain estimation in improving autonomous navigation.
Outcomes and Complications of Pediatric Cranioplasty: A Systematic Review

Background:Pediatric calvarial reconstruction is challenging because of the unique anatomical and growth considerations in this population. Comparative studies evaluating current cranioplasty materials are lacking. This review addresses the knowledge gap in pediatric cranioplasty outcomes with empha