cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
General Anxiety, Academic Distress and Family Distress Among PharmD Students

Objective. To examine the prevalence of general anxiety (GA) among the pharmacy students and the role of academic distress and family distress. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among first, second, and third year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students. All students received an online survey consisting of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 (CCAPS-62) questionnaire and sample characteristics. Variables from CCAPS-62 considered in this study included the GA, academic distress (AD) and, family distress (FD) measured on a three-level scale namely, no, low, and high clinical level. Data on gender, race, work status and physical activity were also collected. Descriptive and multinomial logistic regression were conducted to identify factors associated with GA. Results. Of the 238 students who took the online survey (63% response rate), the majority were female (67%) and Asian (49%). Overall, 69 first year, 75 second year and 94 third year students participated. The prevalence of GA was 50% with equal distribution (25% each) among high-clinical and low-clinical GA groups. High AD and high FD was associated with a greater probability of high GA. Conclusion. GA was quite prevalent among pharmacy students. Identification and implementation of strategies to lower GA as well as AD is of great importance. Also, understanding and enhancing the family members’ role in students’ lives is essential. College administrators can provide support for students as well as for family members to make improvements in these areas.
Neutrophil function and host resistance.

The part played by the phagocytic cells against invading pathogens has been known since the work ofMetchnikoff nearly a century ago. This review deals primarily with the role of the neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocyte in host defense against microbial infections. The overall function of these cells in protection from infection is dependent on a number of steps. First, an adequate number of functionally mature neutrophils have to be produced and released into the circulation by the bone marrow. Cells must circulate normally and be capable of adhering to capillary and venule walls overlying inflammatory sites. The next step involves the exit of phagocytes from the blood stream through the capillary wall and emigration into the tissues to establish contact with the invading pathogens. This process is accomplished by the locomotive characteristics of these cells and chemotaxis. Most organisms must then be phagocytized to be killed. Two discrete phases are involved in phagocytosis; the “recognition” and attachment phase followed by the ingestion phase. After phagocytosis a series of coordinated morphologic and biochemical events are set into motion which leads to eventual death and lysis of the ingested microbes. A variety of antimicrobial mechanisms are involved in this final step and indicate that these cells have an appreciable reserve capacity if one mechanism is impaired. Recent evidence which clarifies mechanisms involved in all these stages is discussed.
A fuzzy anomaly detection system

Due to increasing incidents of cyber attacks and heightened concerns for cyber terrorism, implementing effective intrusion detection systems (IDSs) is an essential task for protecting cyber security. Intrusion detection is the process of monitoring and analyzing the events occurring in a computer system in order to detect signs of security problems [1]. Even though the intrusion detection problem has been studied intensively [2], current techniques for intrusion detection still have limitations considering the following three aspects: (1) It is very common to focus on the data mining step, while the other Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) steps are largely ignored [4]. (2) Many intrusion detection systems assume the existence of sharp boundary between normal and anomalous behavior. This assumption, consequently, causes an abrupt separation between normality and anomaly. (3) The construction of many intrusion detection systems is based on some strong assumptions on input data set that make practical applications impractical. Considering all of these limitations, in this paper, we propose a novel anomaly detection framework that has several desirable features.
Histoblood Group A Variants, O Variants, and Their Alleles

Histoblood group A phenotypes showing weaker agglutination, by anti-A antibodies or lectin (e.g., Dolichos biflorus), than regular A phenotypes (A1 are called collectively “weak A,” and include A2, A3, A x , A m , A el , etc. (Race and Sanger 1975). The A2 phenotype is common in Caucasians (average incidence 10%–15%), and particularly in Scandinavians (up to 25%), and very rare in Asian populations (to date, only studied in Japanese). It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the A2 from the O phenotype when A2 agglutination by anti-A antibodies is very weak. A3, A x , A m , and A el are very rare, even in Caucasians. “Weak B” phenotypes are also very rare. B x , which is comparable to A x , is extremely rare in Caucasians, and slightly more common (but still rare) in Japanese (Yamaguchi et al. 1970). The presence of O variants has become clear since the O gene was sequenced, and the genetic structures of the variants have been elucidated (Olsson et al. 1998).
Automated Correctness Condition Generation for Formal Verification ofSynthesized RTL Designs

High-level synthesis tools generate register-transfer level designs from algorithmic behavioral specifications. The high-level synthesis process typically consists of dependency graph scheduling, functional unit allocation, register allocation, interconnect allocation and controller generation tasks. Widely used algorithms for these tasks retain the overall control flow structure of the behavioral specification allowing code motion only within basic blocks. Further, high-level synthesis algorithms are oblivious to the mathematical properties of arithmetic and logic operators. Selecting and sharing of RTL library modules are solely based on matching uninterpreted function symbols and constants. Many researchers have noted that these features of high-level synthesis algorithms can be exploited to develop efficient verification strategies for synthesized designs. This paper reports a verification technique that effectively exploits these features to achieve efficient and fully automated verification of synthesized designs and its incorporation in a high-level synthesis tool. In our technique, a correctness condition generator is tightly integrated with a high-level synthesis tool to automatically generate (1) formal specifications of the behavior and the RTL design including the data path and the controller, (2) the correctness lemmas establishing equivalence between the synthesized RTL design and its behavioral specification, and (3) their proof scripts that can be submitted to a higher-order logic proof checker without further human interaction. This approach is based on the identification, by the synthesis tool during the synthesis process, of the binding between critical specification variables and critical registers in the RTL design, and between the critical states in the behavior and the corresponding states in the RTL design. We have implemented our verification technique in conjunction with a relatively mature high-level synthesis tool. We report experimental results indicating the effectiveness of the proposed technique and summarize our ongoing work to further strengthen it.
L-arabinose operon messenger of Escherichia coli. Its inducibility and translation efficiency relative to lactose operon messenger

Abstract Synthesis of messenger RNA from the positively controlled l -arabinose operon is shown to be induced by the presence of arabinose in the medium. Messengers from the arabinose and lactose operons are translated with comparable efficiencies.
Development of an incremental graph matching device

The paper introduces a multi-process graph matching device. The behavior of the device is demonstrated as it matches a reference graph to an image sequence with elements that exhibit a changing scale and level of resolvable detail. The device uses analysis by synthesis to consume the graphs to be matched. For the present work these are formed by skeletal line segments, but it is pointed out that relational matching will be investigated in future work. The responsibilities of the 8 cooperating processes are described and a cycle in the matching is stepped through. The theoretical dangers of taking suboptimal matches are contrasted with the practical advantages of greatly reducing the search space. The need for recovery after accepting associations that later prove to be wrong is pointed out. Comments on the description of the convergence to a labeling in terms of Scott’s lattice theory are given.
Thinking As Two - Philosophy, Critical Thinking, and Community of Inquiry

Os partidarios do movimento de filosofia para criancas afirmam frequentemente que a filosofia e a materia para ensinar as criancas se desejamos melhorar seu pensamento critico. Afirmando que somente a filosofia abarca o conjunto do empreendimento do pensamento critico, e que somente ela ensina a metacognicao, esses autores estao a favor de sua inclusao nos planos de estudos do ensino fundamental e medio. Contudo, se considerarmos uma descricao bastante aceita do pensamento critico como uma atividade que requer tanto aptidao como disposicao, a disciplina de filosofia, independentemente de qualquer pedagogia particular, ela nao oferece por si so a capacidade de melhorar todos os aspectos do pensador critico. De fato, se estivesse acompanhada de uma pedagogia “incorreta”, o ensino de filosofia nao faria nada para estimular a disposicao do pensar criticamente. A pedagogia da comunidade de investigacao, sem duvida, estimula tal disposicao, inclusive independentemente de seu uso no ensino da filosofia. Como modelo publico de processo de pensamento critico, esta pedagogia atua como “veiculo de entretenimento” do pensar critico, permitindo ao individuo que observe e participe do processo. A expectativa do educador e que a exposicao ao modelo, em seu devido tempo, ceda lugar a sua internalizacao. Enquanto a filosofia em si mesma pode nao melhorar a aptidao ou a disposicao critica, a natureza da disciplina permite de maneira unica a pratica eficiente, produtiva, e estendida da comunidade de investigacao em um contexto educativo. E e este o vinculo indireto entre a filosofia e o pensamento critico, um vinculo mediado pela pedagogia da comunidade de investigacao, que deveria ser citado por aqueles que propoem a filosofia para criancas.
Concept formation over explanations and problem-solving experience

Recent research suggests the utility of performing induction over explanations. This process identifies commonalities across explanations that cannot be extracted solely by explanation-based techniques. This has important implications for the 'correctness' of learned knowledge [Flann and Dietterich, 1989] and, as we show, on the efficiency with which learned knowledge can be reused. Specifically, we illustrate that inductive concept formation can abstract and organize explanatory knowledge for efficient reuse in a domain of algebra story problems.
Bacteriophage aerosol challenge of installed air contamination control systems.

The effectiveness of installed air contamination control systems for removal of airborne microorganisms was determined. Seven separate systems were challenged with aerosolized T1 bacteriophage. Air samples were collected with Andersen samplers containing agar plates that had been swabbed with susceptible Escherichia coli. The advantages of using bacteriophage for testing air-handling systems are discussed. The air systems employed both filtration and ultraviolet irradiation and air-flow rates varied from 600 to 18,000 ft3/min. Reduction rates of airborne bacteriophage passing through the various air systems ranged from 99.8 to 99.99%.
Photorhabdus phase variants express a novel fimbrial locus, mad, essential for symbiosis

Summary Fimbriae are adhesive organelles known to enable pathogens to colonize animal tissue, but little is known of their function in mutualistic symbioses. Photorhabdus colonization of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematodes is essential for the pair's insect pathogenic lifestyle. Maternal nematodes acquire Photorhabdus symbionts as a persistent intestinal biofilm prior to transmission to infective juvenile (IJ) stage offspring developing inside the maternal body. Screening 8000 Photorhabdus mutants for defects in IJ colonization revealed that a single fimbrial locus, named mad for maternal adhesion defective, is essential. The mad genes encode a novel usher/chaperone assembled fimbria regulated by an ON/OFF invertible promoter switch. Adherent Photorhabdus cells in maternal nematode intestines had the switch ON opposite to the OFF orientation of most other cells. A ΔmadA mutant failed to adhere to maternal intestines and be transmitted to the IJs. Mad fimbriae were detected on TT01 phase ON cells but not on ΔmadA phase ON cells. Also required for transmission is madJ, predicted to encode a transcriptional activator related to GrlA. Expression of madA–K or madIJK restored the ability of madJ mutant to adhere. The Mad fimbriae were not required for insect pathogenesis, indicating the specialized function of Mad fimbriae for symbiosis.
Realistic Applications for Wireless Sensor Networks

Military surveillance, home health care or assisted living, and environmental science are three major application areas for wireless sensor networks. Revolutionary changes are possible in these application areas by using wireless sensor networks. To show the breadth and advantages of this technology, design and implementation details are presented for three systems, one in each of these three application domains. Key research challenges and the approaches taken to address them are highlighted. Challenges requiring significantly improved solutions are also identified. These systems and others like them provide significant evidence for the utility of wireless sensor networks.
Elevated asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations precede clinical preeclampsia, but not pregnancies with small-for-gestational-age infants

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate maternal plasma concentrations of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in mid pregnancy and at the time of disease in women who experience preeclampsia, compared with women with uncomplicated pregnancies and women with small-for-gestational-age infants. Study Design Plasma samples were collected at mid-pregnancy and at the time of delivery from 31 women with uncomplicated pregnancies, from 12 women with small-for-gestational-age infants, and from 15 women with preeclampsia. ADMA and L-arginine concentrations were measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results Maternal ADMA concentrations were elevated at mid pregnancy and remained elevated at delivery in women who later experienced preeclampsia (0.45 ± 0.09 μmol/L) compared with women with uncomplicated pregnancies (0.34 ± 0.08 μmol/L; P P Conclusion Maternal ADMA concentrations are higher in mid pregnancy in women who experience preeclampsia, compared with women with uncomplicated pregnancies and small-for-gestational-age infants. Elevated ADMA concentration before clinical onset of preeclampsia suggests a role of this nitric oxide synthase inhibitor in the pathophysiologic condition of preeclampsia.
Employees as Stakeholders

In the context of employees, the discussion centres not so much on whether employees are stakeholders as on how their stakes should be embodied. In this article, the author argues that from the point of view of the performance of the firm, the best way to incorporate employee stake is by schemes which combine participation in control with participation in financial returns.
Jovian winds from Voyager 2. I. Zonal mean circulation.

Independent measurements of Jovian cloud motions confirm previously published results on the general structure of Jupiter's zonal mean circulation. The new results are based on Voyager 2 images and measurement techniques which are different from those used in previous studies. The latitudes of the zonal jets agree with previous results, but there are some differences in the measured speed of the jets which exceed uncertainty estimates. These differences may be due to differences in sampling strategies. The structure of the zonal mean meridional velocity profile has still not been clearly resolved: mean meridional velocities generally differ from zero by no more than their estimated uncertainty. An analysis of successive measurements of the same cloud targets shows that most of the variance of individual velocity measurements is due to true variability of the winds.
Effects of linear, ambient wind shear on simulated mammatus‐like clouds

A suite of numerical experiments is conducted to extend our previous studies to explore the effects of linear, ambient wind shear on simulated mammatus-like clouds. Increasing values of unidirectional shear result in banded cloud bases, and for the strongest shears roll-type quasi-two-dimensional convection results rather than three-dimensional lobe morphology. Two observed soundings were used, and the sounding with a drier, shallower sub-cloud layer appeared to be most strongly affected by the presence of the ambient shear. The drier sounding also had less snow in the mammatus lobes owing to sublimation. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
"healthifying" exergames: improving health outcomes through intentional priming

Exergames, video game systems that require exertion and interaction, have been rising in popularity in the past years. However, research on popular exergames shows mixed health benefits, potentially due to minimal energy expenditure and decreasing use over time. This paper presents a 2x2 experimental study (N = 44), using a popular exergame, where we vary the framing of intention (i.e., "Gameplay" or "Exercise") and feedback (i.e., "Health" or "No health") to explore their single and interactive impacts on perceived exertion, objectively measured energy expenditure, affect, and duration of usage in a single session. Our study showed that participants primed with exercise used the system significantly longer than those primed with game play (M = 49.2 ±2.0 min versus M = 39.3 ±2.0 min). We discuss our results and possible design implications based on our single-session experiment. We conclude with a discussion on the potential impact of focusing on "healthifying" exergames -highlighting an exergames" dual purpose as both a game and exercise - as opposed to gamifying health behaviors.
Some simple equivalent circuits for ionic conductors

Abstract Some equivalent circuits which involve one or two distributed circuit elements are discussed. These circuits are useful in fitting small-signal frequency response data for solids and liquids. A fitting circuit recently proposed by Bruce to represent distributed bulk effects in conducting materials is shown to be closely related to earlier work. Although Bruce demonstrated that his circuit fitted certain data better than a simple alternative circuit, it is not physically realistic in the high frequency region. We investigate how well the response of the Bruce circuit (which involves one distributed circuit element and three ideal elements) can be simulated by that of simpler circuits, ones which involve a single unified distributed element, possibly in parallel with a single ideal capacitor. The usefulness of several different distributed elements, most of which have been widely used for data fitting in the past , is compared. Complex nonlinear least squares fitting results suggest that several of the simpler circuits considered are preferable to the proposed Bruce circuit for fitting of most ionic-conductor frequency response data. Finally, two structurally different equivalent circuits which involve two distributed elements each, so they can represent distributed interface as well as bulk effects, are compared and found to be able to simulate each other quite well under certain conditions. Problems which thus arise in choosing the best equivalent circuit for data fitting are discussed.
Solar X-ray flare hazards on the surface of Mars

Abstract Putative organisms on the Martian surface would be exposed to potentially high doses of ionizing radiation during strong solar X-ray flares. We extrapolate the observed flare frequency-energy release scaling relation to total X-ray energies much larger than seen so far for the Sun, an assumption supported by observations of flares on other solar- and subsolar-mass main sequence stars. Flare spectra are taken as power laws, with the logarithmic slope a parameter based on the observed statistics of the most energetic hard X-ray flare spectra. We calculate surface spectra using a Monte Carlo code we developed for the transport of X-rays and gamma rays, including photoabsorption and detailed Compton scattering. Biological doses from indirect genome damage are calculated for each parameterized flare spectrum by integration over the X-ray opacity of water. The resulting doses depend sensitively on spectral slope, which varies greatly and unsystematically for solar flares. Using the roughly uniform observed distribution of spectral slopes, we estimate the mean waiting time for solar flares producing a given biological dose of ionizing radiation on Mars and compare with lethal dose data for a wide range of terrestrial organisms. These timescales range from decades for significant human health risk to 0.5 Myr for D. radiodurans lethality. Such doses require total flare energies of 10 33 – 10 38 erg, the lower range of which has been observed for other stars. Flares are intermittent bursts, so acute lethality will only occur on the sunward hemisphere during a sufficiently energetic flare, unlike low-dose-rate, extended damage by cosmic rays. We estimate the soil and CO 2 ice columns required to provide 1 / e shielding as 4 – 9 g cm - 2 , depending on flare mean energy and atmospheric column density. Topographic altitude variations give a factor of two variation in dose for a given flare. Life in ice layers that may exist ∼ 100 g cm - 2 below the surface would be well protected. Finally, we point out that designing spacesuits to sufficiently block this radiation on Mars missions may be difficult, given the conflict between solutions for lightweight protection from energetic particles and those from X-rays.
Ab initio effective core potentials including relativistic effects. I. Formalism and applications to the Xe and Au atoms

An effective core potential system has been developed for heavy atoms in which relativistic effects are included in the effective potentials (EP). The EP’s are based on numerical Dirac–Hartree–Fock calculations for atoms and on the Phillips–Kleinman transformation with other aspects similar to the treatments of Goddard and Melius and Kahn, Baybutt, and Truhlar. The EP’s may be written UEP=Σl Σj=*l−1/2*l+1/2 Σm=−jj UljEP(r) ‖ljm≳<ljm‖, where ‖ljm≳ is a two‐component angular basis function that is a product of a two‐component Pauli spinor and spherical harmonics. The numerical functions UljEP(r) are approximated as expansions in terms of Gaussian or exponential functions. The use of these EP’s enables one to use the jj‐coupling scheme for subsequent applications in all‐valence‐electron calculations on heavy atoms and their molecules. A standard atomic SCF program has been modified to accommodate these EP’s and Gaussian and exponential basis sets having the proper j angular dependence. Energy levels for many atomic states of Xe and Au were calculated. The study of Xe excited states indicates that the spin–orbit splittings are reasonably approximated and that the numerical DHF calculations are adequately reproduced. Au has been treated as an atom with 1, 11, 17, 19, or 33 valence electrons to investigate the effects of redefinition of the core.
On the synchronization of two impulsive oscillators under communication constraints

The problem of establishing synchronization of a class of impulsive oscillators is considered. Each impulsive oscillator is modeled as a hybrid system that self resets to zero when its state reaches a threshold and is externally reset via an impulsive update law when information from other oscillators is received. At every reset to zero, the oscillators broadcast a packet and select a different communication channel. The mechanism resembles that of a firefly model in which the external resets correspond to flashes of the fireflies. Oscillators can only receive information when they are on the same channel that a packet was broadcast. This mechanism leads to the possibility of information loss. Under such a communication constraint, we show that the coupled impulsive oscillators (almost globally) synchronize their channel selections. To establish this result, we model the interconnection of oscillators as a hybrid system and apply recently developed Lyapunov stability tools. Numerical simulations are included to illustrate the results.
Distinct Loci Mediate the Direct and Indirect Actions of the Anesthetic Etomidate at GABAA Receptors

Most general anesthetics produce two distinct actions at GABA(A) receptors. Thus, these drugs augment GABA-gated chloride currents (referred to as an indirect action) and, at higher concentrations, elicit chloride currents in the absence of GABA (referred to as a direct action). Because a beta subunit appears to be required for the direct action of intravenous anesthetics in recombinant GABA(A) receptors, site-directed mutagenesis of the beta3 subunit was performed to identify amino acid residues that are critical for this action. In HEK293 cells expressing a prototypical GABA(A) receptor composed of alpha1beta3gamma2 subunits, mutation of amino acid 290 from Asn to Ser dramatically reduced both etomidate-induced chloride currents and its ability to stimulate [3H]flunitrazepam binding. By contrast, the ability of etomidate to augment GABA-gated chloride currents and GABA-enhanced [3H]flunitrazepam binding was retained. The demonstration that the direct, but not the indirect, actions of etomidate are dependent on beta3(Asn290) indicates that the dual actions of this intravenous anesthetic at GABA(A) receptors are mediated via distinct loci.
The program dependence graph in static program testing

Abstract In this paper, new techniques for static program testing are presented. The techniques are based on the program dependence graph, which models the structure of the program in terms of data and control dependences between program instructions. First, a new approach for redundant code detection is proposed. The main idea is based on the observation that each program instruction should have influence on the output of the program, otherwise it is considered redundant. Second, an input-output relationship analysis, which reflects the influence of specific input data on specific output data of the program, is proposed. It is shown that the presented techniques can increase the number of detectable errors as compared with error detection through data flow analysis alone.
Regional variations in certain cellular characteristics in human lumbar intervertebral discs, including the presence of α-smooth muscle actin

An evaluation of the regional variation of certain cellular features in the human intervertebral disc (IVD) could lead to a better understanding of site-specific properties relative to degradation, response to injury, and healing processes. The objective of this study was to determine how cell density, cell morphology, cell grouping, and expression of a specific actin isoform varied with location and degeneration in the human disc. A total of 41 human L4-L5 and L5-S1 discs removed postmortem from 21 individuals were analyzed. The discs were graded for degeneration based on the Thompson scale and processed for evaluation. Microtomed sections from paraffin-embedded specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin or a monoclonal antibody to alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), an actin isoform often associated with contraction. A significant regional dependence was found for most of the measured parameters. A fourfold increase in cell density was found in proceeding from the nucleus pulposus (NP) to the outer annulus (OA) of the IVD. Approximately 30% of the cells in the NP were present in groups. Virtually all of the cells in the NP and 40% of those in the OA were round. Moreover, notable percentages (12-15%) of the cells in the NP and inner annulus (IA) contained alpha-SMA. Only pair density was found to be correlated with Thompson grade, with more degenerated specimens having higher values. A greater effect was also observed on the percentage of cells in groups. These findings provide the basis for future work to investigate the importance of cells in groups, the role of alpha-SMA in the disc, and the changes in these cellular characteristics in pathological disc conditions.
An inexpensive approach to improving data derived from single photon emission computed tomography

Abstract The issue of inadequate solid standards for correcting nonuniformity in single photon emission computed tomography was addressed. Controlled, complex, motion of commercially available cobalt-57 standards was found to enhance the perceived nonuniformity of the standard and to minimize the effects of any local flaws. This maneuver provides a better standard than a refillable liquid phantom without the problems inherent in radioactive liquid standards which include: phantom deformation, poor mixing, absence of retrospective verification, accidental contamination and substantial handling requirements.
Effect of IP3R3 and NPY on age-related declines in olfactory stem cell proliferation

Losing the sense of smell because of aging compromises health and quality of life. In the mouse olfactory epithelium, aging reduces the capacity for tissue homeostasis and regeneration. The microvillous cell subtype that expresses both inositol trisphosphate receptor type 3 (IP3R3) and the neuroproliferative factor neuropeptide Y (NPY) is critical for regulation of homeostasis, yet its role in aging is undefined. We hypothesized that an age-related decline in IP3R3 expression and NPY signaling underlie age-related homeostatic changes and olfactory dysfunction. We found a decrease in IP3R3 þ and NPY þ microvillous cell numbers and NPY protein and a reduced sensitivity to NPY-mediated proliferation over 24 months. However, in IP3R3-deficient mice, there was no further age-related reduction in cell numbers, proliferation, or olfactory function compared with wild type. The proliferative response was impaired in aged IP3R3-deficient mice when injury was caused by satratoxin G, which induces IP3R3-mediated NPY release, but not by bulbectomy, which does not evoke NPY release. These data identify IP3R3 and NPY signaling as targets for improving recovery following olfactotoxicant exposure.
Partial purification and properties of l-glutamine: d-fructose 6-phosphate aminotransferase from zoospores of Blastocladiella emersonii

Abstract l -Glutamine: d -fructose 6-phosphate aminotransferase (E.C. 2.6.1.16) was purified approx. 168-fold from zoospores of the fungus Blastocladiella emersonii by centrifugation and two successive fractionations on DEAE-cellulose columns. Specific activities up to 6·70, μmol glucosamine 6-phosphate × min −1 mg protein −1 were achieved. Kinetics studies using 100 000 g supernatants and columnpurified fractions yielded K m s for fructose 6-phosphate of 1·0 ± 0·3 mM and 0·7 ± 0·1 mM respectively. The corresponding K m s for l -glutamine were 0·8 ± 0·3 mM and 0·7 ± 0.03 MM respectively. The feedback inhibitor UDP- N -acetylglucosamine was competitive with fructose 6-phosphate. K i s of 9·7, μM and 18.7 μM were calculated for the supernatant and column preparations, respectively. The inhibitor was uncompetitive with glutamine. The K i for the supernatant enzyme was 0·19 mM.
'Mutts like Me': Multiracial Students' Perceptions of Barack Obama

Existent sociological studies of multiracialism in the United States focus on identity construction, the cultural and legislative battle over multiracial categorization, and the implications of demographic shifts towards an increasingly “mixed race” population. This article engages literature from each of these areas, and uses data from in-depth interviews with self-identified multiracial students to document their perceptions of President Barack Obama and trace the symbolic boundaries of multiracial identity. Interviews are specifically directed towards the influence of race on Obama’s identity management and political career, the relationship between Obama and respondents’ multiracial identity, and Obama’s impact on America’s racial history. Respondents hold favorable opinions of the President despite his inconsistent affirmation of multiracial identity. They believe that emphasis on Obama’s blackness rather than multiracialism is the unfortunate result of both personal choices and political pressures. In addition, the cohort insists that racism remains is a major factor in Obama’s career and in America at large.
Permanent El Niño-Like Conditions During the Pliocene Warm Period

During the warm early Pliocene (∼4.5 to 3.0 million years ago), the most recent interval with a climate warmer than today, the eastern Pacific thermocline was deep and the average west-to-east sea surface temperature difference across the equatorial Pacific was only 1.5 ± 0.9°C, much like it is during a modern El Nino event. Thus, the modern strong sea surface temperature gradient across the equatorial Pacific is not a stable and permanent feature. Sustained El Nino-like conditions, including relatively weak zonal atmospheric (Walker) circulation, could be a consequence of, and play an important role in determining, global warmth.
Enhancing Th2 immune responses against amyloid protein by a DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen for Alzheimer's disease

Accumulation of aggregated amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) in the brain is thought to be the initiating event leading to neurodegeneration and dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, therapeutic strategies that clear accumulated Abeta and/or prevent Abeta production and its aggregation are predicted to be effective against AD. Immunization of AD mouse models with synthetic Abeta prevented or reduced Abeta load in the brain and ameliorated their memory and learning deficits. The clinical trials of Abeta immunization elicited immune responses in only 20% of AD patients and caused T-lymphocyte meningoencephalitis in 6% of AD patients. In attempting to develop safer vaccines, we previously demonstrated that an adenovirus vector, AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11, which encodes 11 tandem repeats of Abeta1-6 can induce anti-inflammatory Th2 immune responses in mice. Here, we investigated whether a DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen could elicit a more robust Th2 response using AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11 and a DNA plasmid encoding the same antigen. All mice (n=7) subjected to the DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen were positive for anti-Abeta antibody, while, out of 7 mice immunized with only AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11, four mice developed anti-Abeta antibody. Anti-Abeta titers were indiscernible in mice (n=7) vaccinated with only DNA plasmid. The mean anti-Abeta titer induced by the DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen was approximately 7-fold greater than that by AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11 alone. Furthermore, anti-Abeta antibodies induced by the DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen were predominantly of the IgG1 isotype. These results indicate that the DNA prime-adenovirus boost regimen can enhance Th2-biased responses with AdPEDI-(Abeta1-6)11 in mice and suggest that heterologous prime-boost strategies may make AD immunotherapy more effective in reducing accumulated Abeta.
Surface Studies Of E-glass Fiber Composite Interfaces Using Diffuse Reflectance And Photoacoustic FTIR Spectroscopy

DRIFT and PAS FT-IR techniques have been applied to quantitative analysis of coupling agent, N-2-aminoethyl-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (i-AAPS) on the E-glass mats. It is shown that both techniques are sensitive to the surface treatment and can successfully be used to quantitatively analyze the surface species. This quantitative approach is shown by a relationship between intensities of the C-H stretching mode as well as the band originating from the E-glass (1638 cm -1) to the concentration of the coupling agent in the aqueous solution. Although similar relationships are found for the PAS and DRIFT data, the slopes and breakpoints of each calibration curve appear to be different.
A phase I trial of docetaxel and pulse-dose 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin in adult patients with solid tumors

Purpose To define maximum tolerated dose (MTD), clinical toxicities, and pharmacokinetics of 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) when administered in combination with docetaxel once every 21 days in patients with advanced solid tumor malignancies.
Causal Inference and Omitted Variable Bias in Financial Aid Research: Assessing Solutions.

This article highlights the problem of omitted variable bias in research on the causal effect of financial aid on college‑going. I first describe the problem of self‑selection and the resulting bias from omitted variables. I then assess and explore the strengths and weaknesses of random assignment, multivariate regression, proxy variables, fixed effects, difference‑in‑differences, regression discontinuity, and instrumental variables techniques in addressing the problem. I focus on the intuition, assumptions, and applications of each method in the context of the same research question, providing practical guidance for researchers interested in implementing these approaches.
On the low temperature dependence of the threshold field of CDW in NbSe3 : effect of uniaxial stress

We investigated the effect of uniaxial stress on the threshold field in NbSe 3 . For the upper CDW, we show a clear separation of the threshold field into two additive components, E' T (t) and E'' T (t,e) where t=T/T p . The impurity dependence of E'' T (t, e) indicates that this term is the impurity or bulk pinning term. E'' T (t, e) shows strong temperature dependence near T p but saturates to a t independent minimum below t ≃.85. On the other hand, the term E' T (t) takes nearly all the temperature dependence of the E T below t min ; it varies as E 0 exp[-t/t 0 ]. Comparison with contact effect and size effect data by other researchers indicates that E 0 is very sensitive to size effects while to is independent of sample size and of impurity content as well. We argue that the temperature dependence of E T is well described by the equation E T (T)=E FLR +E 0 exp(T/T 0 ) with T 0 =16 K for the upper CDW
IMAP : a complete Ion Micro-Analysis Package for the nuclear microprobe

Microprobe techniques using scanned, focused MeV ions are routinely used in Livermore for materials characterization. Comprehensive data analysis with these techniques is accomplished with the computer software package IMAP, for Ion Micro-Analysis Package. IMAP consists of a set of command language procedures for data processing and quantitative spectral analysis. Deconvolution of the data is achieved by spawning sub-processes within IMAP which execute analysis codes for each specific microprobe technique. IMAP is structured to rapidly analyze individual spectra or multi-dimensional data blocks which classify individual events by the two scanning dimensions, the energy of the detected radiation and, when necessary, one sample rotation dimension. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the utility of the package.
The C-Subunit of the ATP Synthase Forms the Pore of the PTP

Mitochondria maintain tight regulation of inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) permeability to sustain ATP production. Stressful events cause cell Ca2+ dysregulation followed by rapid loss of IMM potential known as permeability transition (PT), which produces osmotic shifts, metabolic dysfunction and cell death. The molecular identity of the mitochondrial PT pore (mPTP) is still in question. We had described previously that, through protein-protein interaction with the beta subunit of the ATP synthase, the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL decreased an inner membrane leak conductance to increase bioenergetic efficiency during neuronal activity. To identify the source of the leak, we used patch clamp recording of submitochondrial vesicles. We have now shown that the leak channel most likely regulated by interaction with the beta subunit is the c-subunit ring of the F1FO ATP synthase and we further suggest that this channel forms the mPTP. High Ca2+ enlarges the c-subunit ring and uncouples it from Ca2+/ cyclosporine A (CsA) binding sites in the F1 of the ATP synthase. Depletion of the c-subunit prevents PT and attenuates cell death, while increasing the expression or conductance of the c-subunit channel sensitizes cells to death. Physical uncoupling of F1 from FO occurs when PT is induced, and an antibody specific to the c-subunit inhibits c-subunit channel conductance and prevents calcium-induced IMM channel activity. We conclude that a highly regulated c-subunit leak channel is the mPTP.
Conflict Resolution in Chimpanzees and the Valuable-relationships Hypothesis

Reconciliation, or peaceful postconflict interaction, can restore the usual pattern of interaction between social partners after open conflict has disrupted it—i.e., it can resolve conflicts. Researchers have documented reconciliation in >20 primate species, but the tendency to reconcile typically varies among dyads and dyad classes. The valuable-relationships hypothesis proposes that differences in the value of social relationships account for much of this variation. Value depends on how likely partners are to act in ways that benefit each other, where the benefits are ultimately direct or indirect increases in fitness. Researchers have responded to studies that have tested predictions of the hypothesis with extensive, if not universal, support. For example, kin show higher conciliatory tendencies than nonkin in many species, and conciliatory tendencies between unrelated females are high in several cercopithecines in which nonkin agonistic support is important for rank acquisition and maintenance. However, most of the support is indirect, because we lack direct evidence on the link between assays of relationship value and fitness. Also, some studies have methodological weaknesses, e.g., analyses based on pooled data and insufficient sample sizes. I review evidence in favor of the hypothesis with special attention to studies that come closest to providing evidence for predicted fitness effects. I also present new data on postconflict interactions between adult male chimpanzees at Ngogo that show how often pairs of males formed coalitions and how much time they spent grooming influenced the likelihood that they would reconcile after conflicts, and that allies were particularly likely to reconcile and to do so by grooming each other. The most important future research direction is to integrate detailed data on conflict management, analyzed at the level of dyads, with long-term data on reproductive success, such as that now available from several study sites, on the same populations.
Evaluation of Sommerfeld integrals arising in the ground stake antenna problem

A novel approach is described to the numerical evaluation of Sommerfeld integrals, which offers a compromise between efficiency and simplicity. In this method, the real-axis path of integration is deformed to a contour, which is the steepest-descent path for the exponential function present in the integrand. This new contour also avoids the singularities of the integrand which occur near the original path. The proposed technique is applicable if the radial displacement of the source and field points is electrically small and is most efficient if this displacement is smaller than the vertical separation between these points. Such conditions prevail, for example, in the analysis by means of the integral equation technique of a thin, vertical wire antenna, which penetrates the interface between two media (the so-called ground stake antenna)
Subepithelial nerve plexus (with ganglion cells) associated with taste buds.

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this investigation was to confirm the presence of subepithelial nerve plexuses associated with taste buds in the human tongue and to study the histomorphologic features of each plexus. Study Design. Through use of a light microscope, several hundred microslides representing biopsies of the human tongue were reviewed so that the histomorphologic character of subepithelial nerve plexuses could be detected and studied. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin-erythrosin, Bodian, and Masson’s trichrome, as well as with immunohistochemical stains for neuron-specific enolase and S-100 protein. Results. Twelve examples of the subepithelial nerve plexus, many with mature ganglion cells, were selected for microscopic evaluation. The plexuses were quite small, ranging from 1 to 3 millimeters in diameter. With one exception, each plexus was an incidental finding in a biopsy of a definitive soft tissue lesion, such as fibroma, papilloma, granular cell tumor, lymphoepithelial cyst, lingual tonsil, or foliate papilla. Ganglion cells, 1 to 5 in number and confirmed by neuron-specific enolase and S-100 protein, were observed in 9 of the cases. Conclusions. The subepithelial (subgemmal) nerve plexus is a tortuous neural proliferation associated with the taste buds of the human tongue, with ganglion cells and intergemmal/intragemmal branches. When hyperplastic, it should be recognized as such and not diagnosed as a neoplastic process—eg, a ganglioneuroma, neurofibroma, syndrome-associated neuroma, or traumatic neuroma. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1999;87:605-9)
Virtual screening of human 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide transformylase against the NCI diversity set by use of AutoDock to identify novel nonfolate inhibitors.

AICAR transformylase (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide transformylase) is a folate-dependent activity of the bifunctional protein ATIC (AICAR transformylase and IMP cyclohydrolase) and is responsible for catalyzing the penultimate step of the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway. As such, AICAR transformylase has been proposed as a potential target for antineoplastic drug design. Virtual screening of the human AICAR transformylase active site by use of AutoDock against the NCI diversity set, a library of compounds with nonredundant pharmacophore profiles, has revealed 44 potential inhibitor candidates. In vitro inhibition assay of 16 soluble compounds from this list revealed that eight compounds with novel scaffolds, relative to the general folate template, had micromolar inhibition. Subsequent extension of docking trials on compounds with similar scaffolds from the entire NCI-3D database has unveiled 11 additional inhibitors that were confirmed by the in vitro inhibition assay. In particular,...
News Narratives about Nano S&T in Major U.S. and Non-U.S. Newspapers:

The author of this content analytic study examines news narratives about nano science and technology (nano S&T) in major U.S. and non-U.S. newspapers by taking a random sample of 350 articles published from1988 through mid-July 2004 froma universe of 1,330 articles. In addition to identifying dominant frames or content themes, the author evaluates whether there is a dominant tone or sentiment regarding the ethical, legal, and societal implications of developments and issues in nano S&T. Scientific discoveries or projects and the social effects of nano S&T are the dominant frames. The ratio of articles leaning toward the sentiment that benefits outweigh risks versus that risks outweigh benefits is three to one.