cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Calicivirus isolated from walrus

The nucleotide sequence and genome organization of a new member of Caliciviridae was determined. Cell culture inoculated with fecal matter from walrus was used to recover fragments of a new virus by Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH). The isolate was identified as a member of the Vesivirus genus of Caliciviridae and designated the name Walrus Calicivirus (WCV). Sets of PCR primers spanning the entire putative genome were designed using known sequences of other vesiviruses. The assembled genome was 8289 nucleotides (nt) long and shared no more than 87% identity with sequences of the other members of the genus Vesivirus. The largest open reading frame (ORF1) between positions 4-5646 encoded a polyprotein. ORF2, found at position 5652-7778, encoded a putative capsid protein. ORF3 overlapped ORF2 and encoded a small basic protein. Comparative analysis of multiple caliciviral capsid proteins was performed to propose a uniform capsid structural organization for this viral family.
Photoionization in molecular oxygen

Theoretical studies are reported of partial-channel photoionization cross sections in molecular oxygen employing the static exchange approximation and Stieltjes-Tchebycheff moment theory techniques. It is found to be particularly important in this prototypical open-shell case to specify the correct ionic parentages of the various multiplet photoionization states that arise in order to account for all the experimental features in the relatively complex photoelectron spectra, and to obtain corresponding partial-channel photoionization cross sections in good accord with measured values. Resonancelike structures in certain of the cross sections are attributed to contributions from diabatic valencelike states that appear in the appropriate photoionization continua, rather than in the corresponding discrete spectral intervals. These and other aspects of the photoionization spectrum in molecular oxygen are contrasted and compared with the results of previously reported studies in molecular nitrogen and carbon monoxide.
Elites, Exit Options, and Social Barriers to Norm Change: The Complex Case of Female Genital Mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM) has been the target of significant transnational activism over the past several decades, prompting the development and promotion of a strong international norm against the procedure. However, groups that perform FGM generally view it as a requirement of their culture—they are subscribing to a strong local norm in favor of the practice. What happens when the international and local norms collide? Under what conditions are individuals and communities most likely to abandon the local norm and embrace the international one? The article lays out a theoretical framework for thinking about local-level norm change. I argue that the normally high barriers to defecting from the local norm supporting FGM are more likely to be overcome when there are non-circumcising groups living nearby and when there are local elites among the group of first movers. To evaluate this argument, I administered an original representative survey about FGM among Maa-speaking peoples in three rural Kenyan communities.
The “putting the baby down” hypothesis: Bipedalism, babbling, and baby slings

My responses to the observations and criticisms of 26 commentaries focus on the coregulated and affective nature of initial mother/infant interactions, the relationship between motherese and emergent linguistic skills and its implication for hominin evolution, the plausibility of the “putting the baby down” hypothesis, and details about specific neurological substrates that may have formed the basis for the evolution of prelinguistic behaviors and, eventually, protolanguage.
The Role of Protein Crystallography in Defining the Mechanisms of Biogenesis and Catalysis in Copper Amine Oxidase

Copper amine oxidases (CAOs) are a ubiquitous group of enzymes that catalyze the conversion of primary amines to aldehydes coupled to the reduction of O2 to H2O2. These enzymes utilize a wide range of substrates from methylamine to polypeptides. Changes in CAO activity are correlated with a variety of human diseases, including diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease, and inflammatory disorders. CAOs contain a cofactor, 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone (TPQ), that is required for catalytic activity and synthesized through the post-translational modification of a tyrosine residue within the CAO polypeptide. TPQ generation is a self-processing event only requiring the addition of oxygen and Cu(II) to the apoCAO. Thus, the CAO active site supports two very different reactions: TPQ synthesis, and the two electron oxidation of primary amines. Crystal structures are available from bacterial through to human sources, and have given insight into substrate preference, stereospecificity, and structural changes during biogenesis and catalysis. In particular both these processes have been studied in crystallo through the addition of native substrates. These latter studies enable intermediates during physiological turnover to be directly visualized, and demonstrate the power of this relatively recent development in protein crystallography.
Scooter injuries in children.

OBJECTIVES: To study the causes, patterns of injury and use of safety equipment in children presenting with 'push/kick' scooter-related injuries. To draw comparisons with in-line skate, skateboard and bicycle injuries and to suggest strategies for injury prevention. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical data was undertaken for 12 consecutive months to September 2000. All children aged
On the High-Velocity Ejecta of the Type Ia Supernova SN 1994D

Synthetic spectra generated with the parameterized supernova synthetic-spectrum code SYNOW are compared with spectra of the Type Ia SN 1994D that were obtained before the time of maximum brightness. Evidence is found for the presence of two-component Fe II and Ca II features, forming in high-velocity (≥20,000 km s-1) and lower velocity (≤16,000 km s-1) matter. Possible interpretations of these spectral splits, and implications for using early-time spectra of Type Ia supernovae to probe the metallicity of the progenitor white dwarf and the nature of the nuclear burning front in the outer layers of the explosion, are discussed.
The Cases Analysis on Study of Innovation Mode of Rural Informatization Service in China

In recently years, many innovative rural informatization service models were widely used in rural China. The present study described several typical cases and summarized their impact and recommendations. Three platforms (Mobile, Unicom and Telecommunications) were cooperated in Anhui Agriculture Information Net, and the network, telephone and short message are interoperability. It also achieved five channels of the internet, broadcasting, television, telephone and wireless network integrated to one. Hainan agricultural technology service110 set up a telephone service system, remote video system, intelligent agricultural expert system and website system etc., achieving the functions of multimedia training on internet, expert consultation, technology information publication and inquire etc. "221 information platform", "12582" information platform and 12316 new countryside hotline service of China Telecom etc. communication operators' agriculture related service platform, provided agricultural information for rural areas, query, subscription, and many other services. Agricultural science and technology network service center network alliance project, established publishing and display system and background control center of agricultural science and technology resources, explored the 3G service model, integrated application of internet technology, reflected the combination of technology and services.
A list-length constraint on incidental item-to-item associations.

We investigated the possibility that item-to-item associations form between items concurrently included in a capacity-limited region of working memory, but not outside of that region. Many studies indicate a central capacity limit of three to five items (e.g., Cowan Neuropsychologia 49:1401–1406, 2001). Participants received lists of three, six, or nine words along with an orienting task, selecting the most interesting word from each list. Consistent with expectations, a subsequent, unexpected test showed that memory of whether two words came from the same list or not was superior for three-word lists, as compared with six- and nine-word lists, which did not differ. This effect occurred even though the separation between the list positions of the two probe words was controlled across list lengths. The study demonstrates a source of implicit learning that depends upon a limited-capacity working memory faculty, a finding that should inspire further research on the function of working memory in long-term learning.
Difficulty of mammographic cases in the context of resident training: preliminary experimental data

We are currently developing an intelligent data-driven educational system for mammography. Since our system attempts to predict which cases will be difficult for the trainees, it is important to better understand the concept of case difficulty. While the concept of difficulty is central to our efforts on adaptive education, its importance extends to radiology education in general as well as to image perception research. In this study, we tested some hypotheses that related to difficulty. Specifically, we performed a preliminary reader study to evaluate relationship between the error rate (an objective measure of difficulty), individual assessment of case difficulty by a resident and expert’s assessment of case difficulty (two subjective measures of difficulty). Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between individual and expert’s assessment of difficulty and time that the residents took to interpret the case. Time taken to interpret a case by a resident related well with the individual assessment of difficulty but its relationship with the expert’s assessment of difficulty was weaker. The analysis of the difficulty assessments showed that an increase in individual assessment of difficulty made by a resident relates well to an increase in his/her false positive errors but not to an increase in false negative errors. Interestingly, the expert’s assessment of difficulty was related to false negative errors in the trainees but not to false positive errors. These results offer additional guidance in our efforts to construct an adaptive education system as well as provide insight into important aspects of radiology education in general.
Thermoelectric effects in the superconducting state

Abstract A wide variety of interesting thermoelectric effects can be exist in superconductors, even though all conventional thermoelectric properties vanish. This paper discusses some of the phenomena predicted to occur in a superconductor with a temperature gradient, and reviews experiments that have been conducted to observe them. Although the present theory of non-equilibrium superconductivity has been very successful in describing most quasiparticle transport effects, the field of thermoelectricity has been characterized by large discrepancies between theory and experiment. Some of these discrepancies remain unresolved. However, a new class of effects, in which the thermoelectric response creates a charge imbalance in a superconductor, has been proposed and observed, confirming some aspects of the thermoelectric transport theory.
The sensitivity of CEO wealth to equity risk: an analysis of the magnitude and determinants ☆

Abstract To control risk-related incentive problems, equity holders are expected to manage both the convexity and slope of the relation between firm performance and managers’ wealth. I find stock options, but not common stockholdings, significantly increase the sensitivity of CEOs’ wealth to equity risk. Cross-sectionally, this sensitivity is positively related to firms’ investment opportunities. This result is consistent with managers receiving incentives to invest in risky projects when the potential loss from underinvestment in valuable risk-increasing projects is greatest. Firms’ stock-return volatility is positively related to the convexity provided to managers, suggesting convex incentive schemes influence investing and financing decisions.
Ultimate theoretical models of nanocomputers

Although a complete nanotechnology does not yet exist, we can already foresee some new directions in theoretical computer science that will be required to help us design maximally efficient computers using nanoscale components. In particular, we can devise novel theoretical models of computation that are intended to faithfully reflect the computational capabilities of physics at the nanoscale, in order to serve as a basis for the most powerful possible future nanocomputer architectures. In this paper we present arguments that a reversible 3D mesh of processors is an optimal physically realistic model for scalable computers. We show that any physical architecture based on irreversible logic devices would be asymptotically slower than realizations of our model, and we argue that no physical realization of computation aside from quantum computation could be asymptotically faster. We also calculate, using parameters from a variety of different existing and hypothetical technologies, how large a reversible computer would need to be in order to be faster than an irreversible machine. We find that using current technology, a reversible machine containing only a few hundred layers of circuits could outperform any existing machine, and that a reversible computer based on nanotechnology would only need to be a few microns across in order to outperform any possible irreversible technology. We argue that a silicon implementation of the reversible 3D mesh could be valuable today for speeding up certain scientific and engineering computations, and propose that the model should become a focus of future study in the theory of parallel algorithms for a wide range of problems.
Escape from the sodium-retaining effects of mineralocorticoids.

The prolonged administration of pharmacologic doses of mineralocorticoids to normal subjects results in hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, polydipsia, polyuria, and transient sodium retention. Although this review will focus on sodium metabolism, increased water turnover was, in retrospect, the first part of this constellation to be recognized. Ragan et al [1], in 1940, demonstrated that the chronic injection of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) produced a syndrome of polydipsia and polyuria in normal animals. These authors state that their results could have been anticipated from the earlier work of Teel [2], Wermer [3], and also Silvette and Britton [4]. Most importantly, Ragan et al [1] demonstrated that there was no striking accumulation of extracellular fluid or congestive heart failure when DOCA was administered to normal dogs; that is, sodium retention was only transient, whereas the hypokalemia was persistent, finally leading to paralysis and death of the animal. Clinton and Thorn, in 1943, extended these observations by demonstrating that the chronic administration of DOCA increased plasma volume of normal subjects by 6% [5]. In 1950, Daughaday and MacBryde evaluated the effects of DOCA administration with both deprivation and abundance of sodium in the diet [6]. Urine sodium excretion remained negligible during DOCA treatment when the diet contained 3mEq of sodium per day. DOCA was administered again in the presence of 203mEq of sodium per day in the diet. Following an initial period of sodium retention, sodium balance was restored, a finding similar to that reported for the chronic administration of cortisone and ACTH [7]. Although renal sodium excretion was high when sodium balance was restored, the concentration of sodium in sweat was low, indicating a continuing effect of the hormone. Relman and Schwartz, who also studied the effects of DOCA during variations of sodium intake, concluded that the escape from the sodium-retaining effect of DOCA was the result of regulatory mechanisms which override the hormonal effect on the renal tubule [8]. The term "escape" was introduced into the literature in this context. Because the term has been widely used and provides a convenient description of the phenomenon, we will use the term escape as an abbreviation in this review.
Coordinated 1996 HST and IRTF Imaging of Neptune and Triton: II. Implications of Disk-Integrated Photometry

Abstract Near-IR groundbased observations coordinated with Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) HST observations (Sromovsky et al.Icarus149, 416–434, 459–488) provide new insights into the variations of Neptune and Triton over a variety of time scales. From 1996 WFPC2 imaging we find that a broad circumpolar nonaxisymmetric dark band dominates Neptune's lightcurve at 0.467 μm, while three discrete bright features dominate the lightcurve at longer wavelengths, with amplitudes of 0.5% at 0.467 μm and 22% at 0.89 μm, but of opposite phases. The 0.89-μm modulation in 1994, estimated at 39%, is close to the 50% modulation observed during the 1986 “outburst” documented by Hammel et al. (1992, Icarus99, 363–367), suggesting that the unusual 1994 cloud morphology might also have been present in 1986. Lightcurve amplitudes in J–K bands, from August 1996 IRTF observations, are comparable to those observed in 1977 (D. P. Cruikshank 1978, Astrophys. J. Lett.220, 57–59) but significantly larger than the 1981 amplitudes of M. J. S. Belton et al. (1981, Icarus45, 263–273). The 1996 disk-integrated albedos of Neptune at H–K wavelengths are 2–7 times smaller than the 1977 values of U. Fink and S. Larson (1979, Astrophys. J.233, 1021–1040), which can be explained with about 1/2–1/4 of the upper level cloud opacity being present in 1996. A simplified three-layer model of cloud structure applied to CCD wavelengths implies ∼7% reflectivity at 1.3 bars (at λ=0.55 μm, decreasing as λ−0.94) and ∼1% at 100–150 mbars. To fit the WFPC2 observations and those of E. Karkoschka (1994, Icarus111, 174–192), the putative H2S cloud between 3.8 and 7–9 bars must have a strong decrease in reflectivity between 0.5 and 0.7 μm, as previously determined by K. H. Baines and W. H. Smith (1990, Icarus85, 65–108). To match our 1996 IRTF results, this cloud must have another substantial drop in reflectivity at near-IR wavelengths, to a level of 0–5%, corresponding to single-scattering albedos of ∼0–0.3. The model that fits our near-IR observations on 13 August 1996 can reproduce the magnitudes of the dramatic 1976 “outburst” (R. R. Joyce et al. 1977, Astrophys. J.214, 657–662) by increasing the upper cloud fraction to 6% (from ∼1%) and lowering its effective pressure to ∼90 mbars (from 151 mbars). Triton's disk-integrated albedo from HST imagery at 11 wavelengths from 0.25 to 0.9 μm are consistent with previous groundbased and Voyager measurements, thus providing no evidence for the albedo decrease suggested by Triton's recent warming (J. L. Elliot et al. 1998 Nature393, 765–767). Triton's lightcurve inferred from 1994–1996 WFPC2 observations has about twice the amplitude inferred from 1989 Voyager models for the UV to long visible range (J. Hillier et al. 1991, J. Geophys. Res.96, 19,211–19,215).
Global peace and repression: a cross-country analysis

Past research and historical events suggest that the relationship between the peacefulness of a country and the degree of political and civil liberties afforded to its citizens has an inverted U-shape relationship such that the greatest unrest is observed at an intermediate level of freedom. Using the Global Peace Index (GPI), developed by the Institute for Economics and Peace (2010) in collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit, this study empirically tests this relationship and the results offer support for this nonlinear relationship. It is argued that while highly repressed societies experience a ‘controlled’ peace, highly free societies also experience peace stemming from the basic freedoms such as the right to expression and assembly and participation in policy creation. Alternatively, when political and civil freedoms are at some intermediate level, the freedoms offered may not be strong enough to serve as a substitute for protest, yielding greater conflict, crime, and less peace. Policy im...
UP IT UP: GENDER AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF STREET ROBBERY*

Attempts to understand women's participation in violence have been plagued by a tendency either to overemphasize gender differences or to downplay the significance of gender. The goal of this research is to reconcile these approaches through an examination of the experiences of female and male street robbers in an urban setting. Based on in-depth interviews with active offenders, the study compares women's and men's accounts of why they commit robbery, as well as how gender organizes the commission of the crime. The research suggests that while women and men articulate similar motives for robbery, their enactment of the crime is strikingly different—a reflection, in part, of practical choices women make in the context of a gender-stratified street setting.
Nonstoichiometric Perovskite Oxides for Solar Thermochemical H2 and CO Production

Abstract Perovskite oxides (ABO3) are a largely unexplored class of materials in solar fuel applications. In this paper we examine the use of nonstoichiometric perovskite-type oxides in a two-step, solar-thermochemical water or carbon dioxide splitting cycle. We find that O2 begins to evolve during thermal reduction from a Sr- and Mn-doped LaAlO3 fully 300 °C lower than that of CeO2, and that these compounds will split both H2O and CO2. The yield of H2 and CO is significantly greater than CeO2, a benchmark material in solar fuels research, at a thermal reduction temperature 150 °C below that commonly reported for CeO2. In addition, the perovskite redox kinetics compare favorably to CeO2, which is known for its rapid reaction rates. We also find that an Fe- doped CaTiO3 is redox active and will split H2O, though the performance of this material is similar to that of CeO2. Finally, we introduce an experimental protocol that combines an ideal stagnation-flow reactor with detailed numerical modeling to effectively deconvolve intrinsic material behavior from interference induced by physical processes occurring inside the flow reactor. This method utilizes rate information contained within the entire time domain of the oxidation reaction, and assigns rate- governing processes to the material within the context of solid-state kinetic theory.
Scapholunate dissociation in the skeletally immature carpus

A case of scapholunate dissociation with a dorsal carpal instability pattern is described in a skeletally immature 13-year-old male. The malrotation of the scaphoid was treated by soft tissue reconstruction, with use of a dorsal capsulodesis to provide a dorsal restraint to excessive palmar flexion of the scaphoid. In the skeletally immature carpus, isolated ligamentous injuries are less frequently recognized than epiphyseal injuries. To avoid interference with the successful conclusion of carpal growth, soft tissue reconstruction of deranged carpal relationships is preferable to intercarpal arthrodesis in the skeletally immature patient.
Maternal coffee drinking and unusually high concentrations of caffeine in the newborn

AbstractThe authors report a case of a premature infant with unusually high concentrations of transplacentally acquired caffeine. The mother drank 24 cups of coffee per day during pregnancy. The infant developed apnea, and not having known the above maternal history, was started on caffeine therapy. Serum caffeine concentration was found to be 40.3 μg/ml prior to caffeine administration on the fifth day of age. Caffeine concentration at birth was probably much higher based on the pharmacokinetic extrapolation (caffeine half-life of 100 hours). It is suggested that manifestation of apnea in this infant may have been related to caffeine withdrawal.
Equity, access, and outcomes: The status of the art

A rationale for including analyses of outcome in evaluation of the impact and equity of changes in health care policy for the poor is presented. We first discuss problems in defining equity in and access to health care. Equity in access to health care requires equality of access only to those services that are believed to be efficacious. Three cost-containment strategies (restrictions in eligibility, coinsurance, and capitation) are then examined, and their limitations are discussed. Finally, directions for future research focusing on outcomes are suggested. Rather than using access to care to assess outcome, outcome is viewed as the framework for assessing access and equity.
SU-E-T-534: Beam and MLC Commissioning and Assessment of Three Commercial Treatment Planning Systems.

Purpose: To assess and compare the open beam and multi‐leaf collimator modeling of Pinnacle, Ecilpse (AAA and Acuros) and RayStation planning systems. Method and Materials: The 6MV photon beam of a Varian TrueBeam with Millennium 120 MLC was used for this study. Measurements made with combinations of ion chamber, radiochromic film, and diodes in water and plastic phantoms. Depth and crossplane profiles of open square fields shaped by jaws or MLC ranged from 3×3 to 40×40cm2 and from 0 to 20 cm depth. Depth dose, flatness (80% of FWHM), and penumbra (20–80%) of calculated and measured profiles were compared. Various MLC test patterns were calculated and compared with measurements to assess the modeling of the round leaf edge, tongue‐and‐groove, and interleaf transmissions. Results: Calculated depth doses are within 1.0% and flatness is within 2% for all field sizes and depths. Jaw penumbrae are within 2mm and 3mm for 20×20 and 30×30cm2 at 10cm depth respectively. MLC penumbrae (20−80%) of the three systems are within 0.3mm and 1.0mm for a 3×3cm2 and 10×10cm2MLC apertures. Notably, to match the measuredMLC round‐edge transmission, the half thickness (10% transmission) leaf‐tip width of the current RayStation MLC model has to be broadened to 10mm. All three systems appear to adequately model the tongue‐and‐groove. Pinnacle explicitly models the interleaf transmission while Eclipse and RayStation simply use average MLC transmission. Conclusions: All three systems are capable of generating clinically acceptable beam models for open fields. Based upon the round‐edge profile, Eclipse and Pinnacle provide better MLC models than RayStation. Among the three systems, Eclipse took the least time and effort to commission these features.
Use of Visualization and Contextualization in Training Operators of Complex Systems

The complexity of control systems in complex dynamic systems can lead to increased cognitive demands on the operator. Lacking accurate and complete system knowledge and/or interfaces that clearly p...
Proximal femur articulation in Pliocene hominids.

The supposed "nonhuman anthropoid"-type femur head articular surface described for the Pliocene hominid specimen A.L.288-1 ("Lucy") by Stern and Susman in 1983 is present in significant numbers of modern human femora. This nonmetric skeletal trait was also found to be sex-related in modern human samples examined.
Enhancing the ENVISION interface for digital libraries

To enhance the ENVISION interface and facilitate user interaction, various techniques were considered for better rendering of search results with improved scalability. In this paper we discuss the challenges we encountered and our solutions to those problems.
Instrumentation in software dynamic translators for self-managed systems

Self-managed software requires monitoring and code changes to an executing program. One technology that enables such self management is software dynamic translation (SDT), which allows a program's execution to be intercepted and controlled by a separate software layer. SDT has been used to build many useful applications, including software security checkers that check for code vulnerabilities, dynamic code optimizers, and program introspection tools. While these systems use program instrumentation, the instrumentation is usually tailored to a specific application and infrastructure. What is missing is a single scalable and flexible instrumentation framework that can be used in different self-managed SDT infrastructures. In this paper, we describe such a framework, called "FIST," that can be used and targeted by different algorithms and tools to enable instrumentation applications that are portable across SDTs and machine platforms. Our interface supports multiple levels of granularity from source level constructs to the instruction and machine level. We describe and evaluate FIST's capabilities in the Strata system for the SPARC and the Jikes Research Virtual Machine for Java on the Intel x86.
THE GGS/POLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS INVESTIGATION

The magnetometer on the POLAR Spacecraft is a high precision instrument designed to measure the magnetic fields at both high and low altitudes in the polar magnetosphere in 3 ranges of 700, 5700, and 47000 nT. This instrument will be used to investigate the behavior of fieldaligned current systems and the role they play in the acceleration of particles, and it will be used to study the dynamic fields in the polar cusp, magnetosphere, and magnetosheath. It will measure the coupling between the shocked magnetosheath plasma and the near polar cusp magnetosphere where much of the solar wind magnetosphere coupling is thought to take place. Moreover, it will provide measurements critical to the interpretation of data from other instruments. The instrument design has been influenced by the needs of the other investigations for immediately useable magnetic field data and high rate (100+vectors s−1) data distributed on the spacecraft. Data to the ground includes measurements at 10 vectors per second over the entire orbit plus snapshots of 100 vectors per second data. The design provides a fully redundant instrument with enhanced measurement capabilities that can be used when available spacecraft power permits.
Pseudin-2: An antimicrobial peptide with low hemolytic activity from the skin of the paradoxical frog

Four structurally related peptides (pseudins 1-4) with antimicrobial activity were isolated from an extract of the skin of the paradoxical frog Pseudis paradoxa (Pseudidae). Pseudin-2 (GLNALKKVFQGIHEAIKLINNHVQ) was the most abundant peptide (22 nmol/g tissue) and also the most potent (minimum inhibitory concentrations, MIC = 2.5 microM against Escherichia coli, 80 microM against Staphylococcus aureus, and 130 microM against Candida albicans). The concentration of pseudin-2 producing 50% hemolysis of human erythrocytes was >300 microM. Circular dichroism studies showed that the pseudins belong to the class of cationic, amphipathic alpha-helical antimicrobial peptides but their amino acid sequences are not similar to any previously characterized peptides from frog skin. The pseudins do, however, show sequence similarity with a region at the C-terminus of DEFT, a death effector domain-containing protein expressed in mammalian testicular germ cells that is involved in the regulation of apoptosis.
Effect of Acute Metabolic Stress on Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activation in Patients With Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: Although several lines of evidence suggest that stress plays a role in the course of schizophrenia, studies that have assessed stress-relevant neurobiological measures have not produced consistent results. The authors examined the effects of acute metabolic stress induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) on pituitary-adrenal axis activation. METHOD: Thirteen patients with schizophrenia and 11 healthy comparison subjects were administered pharmacological doses of 2-DG (40 mg/kg). The subjects' arterial plasma was then assayed for levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. RESULTS: 2-DG induced significant increases in the measured hormones in both groups, and ACTH elevations were significantly greater in patients with schizophrenia than in comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with schizophrenia have an exaggerated ACTH response to acute metabolic stress exposure. (Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155:979–981)
Laser-induced thermal desorption of CO on Ni(111): Determination of pre-exponential factor and heat of desorption

Abstract We show that by combining laser-induced thermal desorption with conventional thermal desorption spectroscopy, one can determine separately the activation energy Ed and the pre-exponential factor ν for desorption with good accuracy. Results on CO on Ni(111) yield Ed≈ 25.5 kcal/mol and ν≈ 1013/s. They agree well with values obtained by other techniques and suggest that above room temperature, CO on Ni(111) is in a highly mobile gas-like phase.
Biomechanical Evaluation of the Lasso-Loop Arthroscopic Stitch

The use of arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears continues to increase with improved surgical experience and instrumentation. However, it is widely accepted that the weakest aspect of the repair construct remains the tissue-suture interface [1, 2]. Critical to the repair is having high initial fixation strength to allow minimal gap formation and mechanical stability until healing occurs [3, 4]. This emphasizes the need to identify new suture techniques to improve the strength of repairs, open or arthroscopic, in an attempt to improve the rates of healing.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Characterization of silicon surface preparation processes for advanced gate dielectrics

This paper gives a short overview of issues associated with the surface preparation of silicon surfaces for advanced gate dielectrics and the appearance and nature of the wafer surface after different chemical treatments. The main portion of the paper demonstrates the use of electrochemical open-circuit potential (OCP) measurements as a simple and powerful technique to investigate and characterize wet silicon surface-preparation processes. This technique provides unique information about the evolution of semiconductor surface reactions in wet- chemical environments and permits the investigation of the kinetics of oxidation and etching processes in situ and in real time. Very good agreement between results obtained by this technique and results from multiple internal reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (MIR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and contact-angle studies is presented in this paper. A model is also presented which permits the correlation of the measured open circuit potential difference to the thickness of a growing native oxide. The etching behavior of an ultrathin thermally grown silicon oxide layer in hydrofluoric acid (HF) is discussed as a new result obtained using the OCP technique.
Human estrogen receptor introduced into the Xenopus oocyte represses expression from an artificial frog estrogen response element

Although the estrogen responsiveness and estrogen receptors of Xenopus hepatocytes have been well described, oocytes of this species have not previously been shown to contain estrogen receptors (ER). Recombinant human ER (HER) was expressed in oocytes in a dose dependent fashion as measured by [35S]methionine incorporation into newly synthesized proteins. Chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter plasmids, driven by a herpes simplex thymidine kinase promotor with or without a 17 base pair estrogen response element (ERE) from the vitellogenin A2 gene, were also injected into oocytes. When injected without the accompanying HER sequences, the construct containing the ERE expressed 10-fold more CAT activity, and this response was saturable as demonstrated by injecting increasing amounts of reporter plasmid. These results suggest either the activity of small amounts of a Xenopus ER (measured here by LH-20 assay), or the presence of some endogenous oocyte protein other than the ER that can interact with this ERE. When HER was co-expressed with ERECAT, CAT expression was suppressed over a wide range of HER concentrations. This unexpected repression may be due to displacement of an estrogen receptor or other endogenous oocyte regulatory protein on the ERE. HER's positive regulatory activity may require transcription factors that are lacking or insufficient in the oocyte. Alternatively the simple 17 base pair ERE may not provide DNA binding sites for such transcription factors.
HOW THE FINITE FOLLOWS FROM THE INFINITE IN SPINOZA'S METAPHYSICAL SYSTEM*

I shall argue that the notion of "follows from" in Spinoza's Ethics is systematically ambiguous and that it has both logico-metaphysical and causal meanings.1 Similarly, I shall argue that a number of other key notions in Spinoza's system are also systematically ambiguous, involv ing these two meanings, for example, the notions of "existence", "actuality", "necessity", "possibility", "could", and even "infinite intellect". This distinction between logico-metaphysical versus causal meaning is, in this context, an analogue of Leibniz's distinction be tween finite versus infinite analysis. I shall utilize Leibnizian ideas to interpret Spinozistic modality as well as Spinoza's theory of know ledge. Moreover, I shall show that the systematic ambiguity requires bifurcation of various key propositions in the Ethics, for example, Propositions 16 and 33 of Part I, which express Spinoza's Principle of Plenitude and his Principle of Strong Determinism, respectively. I shall also argue that the systematic ambiguity and resulting bifurcation ultimately derive from Spinoza's sharp distinction between the un changing eternal realm and the changing temporal world. It is this duality which fosters such a radical interpretation of Spinoza's Ethics. The problem of finding the sense and manner in which a finite mode follows from an infinite mode or attribute is more severe than one
Surface polymer network model and effective membrane curvature elasticity.

A microscopic model of a surface polymer network - membrane system is introduced, with contact polymer surface interactions that can be either repulsive or attractive and sliplinks of functionality four randomly distributed over the supporting membrane surface anchoring the polymers to it. For the supporting surface perturbed from a planar configuration and a small relative number of surface sliplinks, we investigate an expansion of the free energy in terms of the local curvatures of the surface and the surface density of sliplinks, obtained through the application of the Balian - Bloch - Duplantier multiple surface scattering method. As a result, the dependence of the curvature elastic modulus, the Gaussian modulus as well as of the spontaneous curvature of the ”dressed” membrane, i.e. polymer network plus membrane matrix, is obtained on the mean polymer bulk end to end separation and the surface density of sliplinks.
Earth science: helium not in store.

The ratio of helium isotopes in some oceanic volcanoes seemed to demand a reservoir of virgin primordial gas in the Earth's mantle. In fact, that might not be necessary — a relief for other geophysical models. Degassing of the Earth's mantle through magmatism results in the irreversible loss of helium to space. As virtually all Earth's 3He is ‘primordial’, high 3He/4He ratios in ocean island basalts are generally taken as evidence for a primitive, unmelted reservoir in the deep Earth. A new global data compilation now shows that ocean island basalts displaying the strongest primordial signal are chemically and isotopically most like mid-ocean-ridge basalts, indicating a common melting history for continent and ocean crust formation via incomplete degassing. This suggests that there is no primordial undegassed reservoir of helium in the mantle, reconciling a long-standing paradox in mantle dynamics.
B-WalkMóvil-mobile information system for the blind location

People with sensory disabilities have difficulties in terms of mobility, in order to reduce these shortcomings presented in terms of location in unknown locations, and facilitate the handling of routes to a specific destination, we designed and implemented a system geographic information, for mobile, called B-WalkMovil. The system through a simple and intuitive interface says to the person the information necessary to get where you want, taking into account current location the place of departure and destination. Tests with B-WalkMovil allowed blind people to reach their destination from the recommendations given by the mobile.
Targeting pyrimidine single strands by triplex formation: structural optimization of binding

Recent reports describe a new strategy for the binding of single-stranded pyrimidine sequences by triple helix formation. In this approach, a double-length purine-rich oligonucleotide binds a target strand, folding back to form an antiparallel pur.pur.pyr triple helix. We now describe a series of studies in which sequence and structural variations are made in such purine-rich ligands, in an effort to optimize binding properties. Comparison is made between the use of two separate strands and the use of single two-domain ligands; the latter are found to bind more tightly and to aggregate less in media containing Na+ or K+. Placement of mismatched bases in the target shows that sequence selectivity of binding is as high as that for Watson-Crick duplex formation. Variation of the lengths and sequences of loops bridging the binding domains demonstrates that dinucleotide loops composed of pyrimidines give the highest stability. Oligoethylene glycol-derived loop replacements are shown to give good binding affinity as well. The binding of an RNA target is shown to occur with the same affinity as the binding of DNA. In general, it is found that circular variants bind more tightly than do either separate strands or singly-linked ligands and unlike linear oligomers, the circular compounds do not aggregate to a large extent even in buffers containing 100 mM K+. Such structurally optimized ligands are useful in expanding the number of possible naturally-occurring sequences which can be targeted by triplex formation.
Full-wave analysis of virtual probe radiation in transmission-line metamaterial

A microstrip transmission-line metamaterial design of a ground-recessed probe configuration for virtual source formation above the ground plane is presented. The effect of introducing a via hole for a shunt load is investigated. Virtual probe formation is validated using full-wave simulations.
Solubility of Anthracene in Binary Diisopropyl Ether + Alcohol Solvent Mixtures at 298.15 K

Experimental solubilities are reported for anthracene in six binary diisopropyl ether + alcohol solvent mixtures at 298.15 K. The alcohol solvents studied were 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-propanol, 2-...
Pseudoneglect: effects of hemispace on a tactile line bisection task.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether tactile laterality effects can be attributed to an anatomical pathway-transmission model or to some hemispheric mechanism involved in the perception and/or mediation of activities in the contralateral hemispatial field. Hemispace is not the same as the visual half field, but refers to the external space to the left or right of body midline. To differentiate between these two hypotheses, 24 normal dextrals performed a tactile line bisection task using the left or right hand in each of three spatial conditions: at midline, in left hemispace and right hemispace. The findings indicated that both hemisphere-hemispace mechanisms and hemisphere-hand connections contributed to laterality effects. Furthermore, a pseudoneglect phenomenon was observed.
Leading Indicators for Prognostication of Impending Failures on Cu-Al Interconnects

Wire bonding is predominant mode of interconnect in electronics packaging. Traditionally material used for wire bonding is gold. But industry is slowly replacing gold wire bond by copper-aluminum wire bond because of the lower cost and better mechanical properties than gold, such as high strength, high thermal conductivity etc. Numerous studies have been done to analyze failure mechanism of Cu-Al wire bonds. Cu-Al interface is a predominant location for failure of the wirebond interconnects. In this paper, the use of intermetallic thickness as leading indicator-of-failure for prognostication of remaining useful life for Cu-Al wire bond interconnects has been studied. For analysis, 32 pin chip scale packages were used. Packages were aged isothermally at 200°C and 250°C for 10 days. Packages were withdrawn periodically after 24 hours and its IMC thickness was measured using SEM. The parts have been prognosticated for accrued damage and remaining useful life in current or anticipated future deployment environment. The presented methodology uses evolution of the IMC thickness in conjunction with the Levenberg-Marquardt Algorithm to identify accrued damage in wire bond subjected to thermal aging. The proposed method can be used for equivalency of damage accrued in Cu-Al parts subjected to multiple thermal aging environments.© 2013 ASME
Negative Results of Treatment of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia as a Deficiency Disease.

Conclusions1. The oral administration of desiccated mucosa of the stomach and small intestine and of desiccated pancreas of the hog, or of mixtures of most of the fresh organs of newly born rabbits was without effect upon 2 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. 2. Daily transfusions of the plasma and of the whole blood of normal individuals were without effect upon the total or differential white blood cell counts of a third patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia. 3. No support for the idea that chronic myelogenous leukemia is a deficiency disease was obtained from these observations.
Caenorhabditis elegans SWI/SNF subunits control sequential developmental stages in the somatic gonad.

The Caenorhabditis elegans somatic gonadal precursors (SGPs) are multipotent progenitors that give rise to all somatic tissues of the adult reproductive system. The hunchback and Ikaros-like gene ehn-3 is expressed specifically in SGPs and is required for their development into differentiated tissues of the somatic gonad. To find novel genes involved in SGP development, we used a weak allele of ehn-3 as the basis for a reverse genetic screen. Feeding RNAi was used to screen ∼2400 clones consisting of transcription factors, signaling components, and chromatin factors. The screen identified five members of the C. elegans SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex as genetic enhancers of ehn-3. We characterized alleles of 10 SWI/SNF genes and found that SWI/SNF subunits are required for viability and gonadogenesis. Two conserved SWI/SNF complexes, PBAF and BAF, are defined by their unique array of accessory subunits around a common enzymatic core that includes a catalytic Swi2/Snf2–type ATPase. Tissue-specific RNAi experiments suggest that C. elegans PBAF and BAF complexes control different processes during somatic gonadal development: PBRM-1, a signature subunit of PBAF, is important for normal SGP development, whereas LET-526, the distinguishing subunit of BAF, is required for development of a differentiated cell type, the distal tip cell (DTC). We found that the SWSN-4 ATPase subunit is required for SGP and DTC development. Finally, we provide evidence that C. elegans PBAF subunits and hnd-1/dHand are important for the cell fate decision between SGPs and their differentiated sisters, the head mesodermal cells.