cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of trophic morphology and behavior on foraging rates of three Hawaiian honeycreepers

The effects of trophic morphology and behavior of three Hawaiian honeycreepers (Fringillidae: Drepanidinae) upon their foraging rates on the flowers of Vaccinium calycinum are examined. The Maui Creeper (Paroreomyza montana), the Amakihi (Hemianathus virens), and the I'iwi (Vestiaria coccinea) show shifts from a short straight bill to a long decurved bill, from a tongue adapted for insect feeding to one specialized for nectar, and diets ranging from primarily probing for insects to primarily nectarivorous. This diversity is examined feeding on the simple straight tubular corollas of the Vaccinium. Significant differences (P<0.001, t-tests) exist among the birds with respect to foraging rates on these flowers. The I'iwi, with its greatly decurved (64°) bill feeds the quickest (2.09 s/flower) while the Maui Creeper with its rather straight (18°) bill feeds the slowest (3.87 s/flower). These differences are seen to be the result of differing abilities of tongues to extract nectar as well as differing behavioral tactics of floral exploration and nectar extraction. This suggests that predictions of foraging efficiency based solely on bill morphology are not necessarily valid, and that other factors (tongue morphology, foraging maneuvers, and typical food spectrum) must also be considered.
Economic Independence, Indigenization, and the African Businessman: Some Effects of Zambia's Economic Reforms

It pains me to see that three and a half years after Independence there is not a single Zambian-owned business in Cairo Road. There is not even a resident expatriate business or a foreign controlled business or any business for that matter with a Zambian manager in Cairo Road. (Kaunda, 1968: 30) Few African countries have much effective control of their economies. Foreign and alien minority interests are still dominant. Many have proclaimed policies to remedy this situation, usually including some mixture of prohibition of aliens in business, aid to indigenous businessmen, and seizure or establishment of businesses by the government or government-controlled agencies. Countries as diverse as Ghana, Kenya, Zaire, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia have such policies, aimed at increasing indigenous control of the economy. Such policies and programs are seen as assertions of “economic independence.” Indeed, “indigenization,” the replacement of aliens with locals, is certainly a prerequisite to economic independence, if not independence itself (Ghai, 1973: 21-42). This paper will examine the new policies designed to indigenize the Zambian economy and their actual impact on private indigenous business. Two questions must be answered. How successful have the policies been, as proclaimed and implemented by the government and ruling party? And, what factors have contributed to this result? Many proclaimed or hoped for consequences have not occurred. The growth of private African enterprises has been to some degree stymied by these new policies, called “economic reforms,” while foreign or alien-owned businesses continue growing, though at a slower rate.
The Headache Symptom Questionnaire: Discriminant classificatory ability and headache syndromes suggested by a factor analysis

A brief Headache Symptom Questionnaire was administered to 129 chronic headache Sufferers. The questionnaire accurately classified 68.42% of headache subjects in their proper diagnostic category, comparable to, but statistically less accurate than, the 86.4% agreement between expert headache diagnosticians using clinical interviews. Results of a factor analysis of the Headache Symptom Questionnaire lend support for their being two commonly accepted global headache categories—vascular/migraine and muscle contraction—and one headache dimension concerned with duration of headache pain. Combined migraine-muscle contraction headache was found to be related more to migraine than to muscle contraction headache, and cluster headaches emerged as a separate clinical entity, not loading positively on any factor and loading negatively on all three.
Characterizing sleep behavior of the wild black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis).

STUDY OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to characterize sleep patterns and determine factors, including sex, age, season, and environmental pressures, that influence sleep in the endangered black rhinoceros (rhino; Diceros bicornis bicornis). DESIGN To noninvasively observe sleep behavior of wild rhinos, digital infrared cameras were erected on poles at two bedding sites from September 2009 to March 2010. SETTING The study site was located in South Africa's Addo Elephant National Park (AENP) in the Main Camp (Addo) and Nyathi sections. PARTICIPANTS A total of 2,417 photos captured rhino sleep behavior on eight individual rhinos during 40 separate sleeping bouts (Addo, n = 15; Nyathi, n = 25). INVENTIONS N/A. RESULTS Results demonstrated that age and season did not affect rhino sleep behavior (P > 0.05); however, sex did influence the length of sleep bouts with males (n = 27; mean, 105.6 ± 11.3 min; range, 14.0-202.0 min) sleeping longer (F(1,48) = 6.93, P = 0.01) than females (n = 13; mean, 58.6 ± 10.4 min; range, 11.0-132.0 min). Park section did not influence the length of sleep episodes, but did affect (rw(40) = 0.88; P < 0.025) the time at which rhinos slept (Addo, 20:00-24:00; Nyathi, 20:00-04:00). CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to characterize sleep behavior in wild black rhinos. This study resulted in a greater understanding of the biologic factors that affect sleep in wild rhinos and can provide information to assist their management and conservation.
Analyzing learning at work: an interdisciplinary framework

Experience in the workplace represents a significant domain for the analysis of learning. Based on many years of research on high-school and college interns, the article proposes a set of interdisciplinary ideas and strategies for conducting such an analysis. The core argument is that learning is the construction, enhancement or reorganization of knowledge and knowledge-use in an activity system, and that it happens through an interactional process involving participants, their joint actions and their material and informational resources. Understanding learning as a situated process requires an investigation of the way activities are established, accomplished, and processed, and of the social, cultural, political, and technological factors that shape them. The analyst must examine the ways knowledge is defined, distributed and used in the setting; learning, or the ways that knowledge-use changes over time; and pedagogy, or the social organization of the process by which learning is made possible.
Heparin enhances the specificity of antithrombin for thrombin and factor Xa independent of the reactive center loop sequence. Evidence for an exosite determinant of factor Xa specificity in heparin-activated antithrombin.

Heparin activates the primary serpin inhibitor of blood clotting proteinases, antithrombin, both by an allosteric conformational change mechanism that specifically enhances factor Xa inactivation and by a ternary complex bridging mechanism that promotes the inactivation of thrombin and other target proteinases. To determine whether the factor Xa specificity of allosterically activated antithrombin is encoded in the reactive center loop sequence, we attempted to switch this specificity by mutating the P6–P3′ proteinase binding sequence excluding P1–P1′ to a more optimal thrombin recognition sequence. Evaluation of 12 such antithrombin variants showed that the thrombin specificity of the serpin allosterically activated by a heparin pentasaccharide could be enhanced as much as 55-fold by changing P3, P2, and P2′ residues to a consensus thrombin recognition sequence. However, at most 9-fold of the enhanced thrombin specificity was due to allosteric activation, the remainder being realized without activation. Moreover, thrombin specificity enhancements were attenuated to at most 5-fold with a bridging heparin activator. Surprisingly, none of the reactive center loop mutations greatly affected the factor Xa specificity of the unactivated serpin or the several hundred-fold enhancement in factor Xa specificity due to activation by pentasaccharide or bridging heparins. Together, these results suggest that the specificity of both native and heparin-activated antithrombin for thrombin and factor Xa is only weakly dependent on the P6–P3′ residues flanking the primary P1–P1′ recognition site in the serpin-reactive center loop and that heparin enhances serpin specificity for both enzymes through secondary interaction sites outside the P6–P3′ region, which involve a bridging site on heparin in the case of thrombin and a previously unrecognized exosite on antithrombin in the case of factor Xa.
Common rail injection system on-line parameter calibration for precise injection quantity control

This paper presents an iterative learning control (ILC)-based method to on-line calibrate the high-pressure common-rail (HPCR) injection system parameters for achieving precise injection quantity control for Diesel engines. Given the strongly increasing demands on engine fuel economy and emissions, precise injection quantity control is of importance for realizing desired combustion, particularly advanced combustion modes, on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Current Diesel engine injection quantity control methods heavily rely on pre-calibrated static tables or injector models, which cannot handle the effects of the rail pressure sensor reading inaccuracy and injector aging on injection quantity. In this paper, by using an exhaust manifold oxygen fraction model, an ILC-based HPCR injection system parameter on-line adaptation algorithm was developed to actively adjust the injection duration command for injection quantity correction. Simulation results based on a high-fidelity GT-Power engine model show the effectiveness of the designed injection quantity correction algorithm.
CHANGES IN NONVOLATILE ACIDS AND OTHER CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF NEW YORK STATE GRAPES AND WINES DURING MATURATION AND FERMENTATION

The changes in chemical components during maturation and fermentation of four native American and one French hybrid grape cultivar obtained from a commercial vineyard and winery were examined. In all cultivars, titratable acidity, tartrate, and malate content decreased during the maturation period. Titratable acidity values ranged from 0.99% for ‘Niagara’ to 1.82% for ‘Catawba’ at maturity. Soluble solids and color content remained constant until veraison after which they increased steadily. Small amounts of phosphoric acid were detected during maturation. In nearly all cases, fermentation of the musts was completed within one week. Reductions in total acidity, tartrate, malate, phosphoric acid, and reducing sugar content were seen. Increases in the amounts of ethanol and succinic acid were also observed. During the course of the fermentation, pH values varied among cultivars.
A Topology-Aware Routing Protocol for the MANET with Multiple Sinks

In this paper, a topology-aware routing protocol is developed for the mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) with multiple fixed base stations (BSes). The protocol aims at delivering packets reliably from the source node to its nearest BS. A topology-aware route recovery method is proposed to resolve route failures, and a novel "majority vote" algorithm is developed to locally update the information about the nearest BS. In addition, as a backup solution to the periodic advertisement, we propose an "on-demand" topology refreshing algorithm, timely updating the network topology at the request of the urgent source nodes. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed protocol.
Resolution of the identity of certain antigen-antibody systems in systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome: an interlaboratory collaboration.

The Ouchterlony technique of double immunodiffusion, combined with some physicochemical characterization of the antigens involved, has been used to characterize several antigen-antibody systems of importance in certain connective tissue diseases, notably systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), Sjogren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and poly- and dermatomyositis (1–12). These systems appear to have not only considerable diagnostic significance but also importance in determining prognosis and disease course.
Solution Structures of TOAC-Labeled Trichogin GA IV Peptides from Allowed (g ≈ 2) and Half-Field Electron Spin Resonance

The recently isolated trichogin GA IV is a 10 amino acid, Aib-rich peptide with potent membrane-modifying properties. The peptide is too short to span lipid bilayers, so the mechanism by which trichogin GA IV interacts with biological membranes is unknown. The crystal structure has been solved, but there is much less information on the peptide's conformation in solution. This problem is addressed by examining the electron spin resonance (ESR) of single and double TOAC-labeled trichogin GA IV analogues, where TOAC is a rigid nitroxide amino acid and serves as an Aib analogue. The doubly labeled peptides, trich-1,4, -4,8 and -1,8, represent all possible trichogin GA IV analogues containing two Aib → TOAC substitutions. ESR in MeOH at 200 K of the g ≈ 2 spectral region suggests that the N-terminus from residues one through four adopts a helical structure similar to that observed in the crystal. However, the central and C-terminal regions appear to be structurally heterogeneous. To further resolve the solutio...
Racial disparities in long-term stroke outcomes Evidence from nationwide epidemiologic studies

It is often said that stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, especially in older adults.1 The increasing size of the older adult population and the higher percentage of stroke patients surviving the acute hospitalization stage predict a doubling of the number of stroke survivors living with disabilities in the community over the next few decades.1,2 Numerous studies have identified race or ethnic disparities in stroke incidence, mortality, and functional outcomes, with African Americans often having worse outcomes, on average, when compared to white stroke survivors.3,4 Some investigations have also reported sex disparities in stroke outcomes.4,5 Many research programs seek to explain the underlying mechanisms that might explain such race and sex differences in stroke risk and stroke outcome.
Book Review: Inside Stories

This essay reviews three inside stories about international organizations and developing countries. Behind the Scenes at the WTO describes how developed countries use manipulation, blandishments, and threats to control the WTO. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an ex-consultant’s account of his role in pushing developing countries into debt and dependency. The Economist’s Tale is by a consultant in Sierra Leone who bucked World Bank policy to prevent a rice shortage and famine.
Mycobacterium fortuitum presenting as an asymptomatic enlarging pulmonary nodule

A case of Mycobacterium fortuitum presenting as an asymptomatic enlarging pulmonary nodule is described. This case is unusual because the patient was female, did not have underlying pulmonary disease, was not immunocompromised, had no evidence of dissemination, and had no history of aspiration or diabetes mellitus. The patient underwent thoractomy for resection of the pulmonary nodule, which led to the diagnosis. She recovered fully and is doing well without chemotherapy.
Population Projections by Age for Florida and its Counties: Assessing Accuracy and the Impact of Adjustments

Projections of total population have been evaluated extensively, but few studies have investigated the performance of projections by age. Of those that did, most focused on projections for countries or other large areas. In this article, we evaluate projections by age for Florida and its counties, as produced and published between 1996 and 2010 by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida. We first compare the precision and bias of projections of total population with the precision and bias of projections by age, at both the state and county levels. This is followed by a more detailed examination of county-level projection errors for individual age groups, first in the aggregate and then disaggregated by sex and population size. The second part of the analysis focuses on a number of adjustments that were implemented in projections published in 2006 and 2009. Intended to improve accuracy, these adjustments involved updates to the base population, fertility rates, and survival rates. We compare the accuracy of projections incorporating these adjustments with the accuracy of projections excluding them. We believe this study offers a unique opportunity to examine a variety of characteristics regarding the forecast accuracy of small-area population projections by age.
Status epilepticus in adults

Summary Status epilepticus is a common neurological emergency with considerable associated health-care costs, morbidity, and mortality. The definition of status epilepticus as a prolonged seizure or a series of seizures with incomplete return to baseline is under reconsideration in an effort to establish a more practical definition to guide management. Clinical research has focused on early seizure termination in the prehospital setting. The approach of early escalation to anaesthetic agents for refractory generalised convulsive status epilepticus, rather than additional trials of second-line anti-epileptic drugs, to avoid neuronal injury and pharmaco-resistance associated with prolonged seizures is gaining momentum. Status epilepticus is also increasingly identified in the inpatient setting as the use of extended electroencephalography monitoring becomes more commonplace. Substantial further research to enable early identification of status epilepticus and efficacy of anti-epileptic drugs will be important to improve outcomes.
A new approach for the prediction of the rate of nucleation in liquids

Abstract A formalism is developed for the prediction of the rate of nucleation in liquids which as opposed to the usual quasi-thermodynamic treatment does not employ (i) the macroscopic concept of interfacial tension for small clusters and (ii) the principle of detailed balance. The rate of dissociation of a surface monomer from a cluster is calculated by using a first passage time analysis. An expression for the critical cluster size is obtained in terms of the characteristics of the interaction potential between the monomers of a molecular cluster which, for illustrative purposes, is taken here as the square well potential. A generalized Kelvin equation is derived to obtain the dependence of the solubility on the cluster size. Finally, an expression for the rate of nucleation is obtained on the basis of the kinetics of dissociation. The predicted nucleation rates for spherical clusters with uniform distribution of molecules are found to be much larger than those predicted by the classical theory. In contrast to the classical theory, the nucleation rates exhibit a gradual increase at very low supersaturations, increase catastrophically at a critical supersaturation, and taper off gradually at high supersaturations. The predicted nucleation rates for approximately spherical clusters with fee packing are found to be much smaller than those for spherical amorphous clusters and exhibit behavior qualitatively different from that of the latter. The classical theory is shown to overpredict the interfacial tension and hence underpredict the nucleation rates. Since the spherical amorphous cluster and a cluster with a definite structure such as fee are probably appropriate models for large and small clusters, respectively, the actual nucleation rates should lie between the two, coinciding with the former at low and the latter at high supersaturations. The classical theory for the rate of nucleation can be recovered from the present formalism when the critical cluster size is sufficiently large, i.e., larger than 10 6 monomers. Such a condition, however, is satisfied only for extremely small supersaturations.
A preliminary investigation: the impact of microscopic condenser on depth of field in cytogenetic imaging

As one of the important components of optical microscopes, the condenser has a considerable impact on system performance, especially on the depth of field (DOF). DOF is a critical technical feature in cytogenetic imaging that may affect the efficiency and accuracy of clinical diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of microscopic condenser on DOF using a prototype of transmitted optical microscope, based on objective and subjective evaluations. After the description of the relationship between condenser and objective lens and the theoretical analysis of the condenser impact on system numerical aperture and DOF, a standard resolution pattern and several cytogenetic samples are adopted to assess the condenser impact on DOF, respectively. The experimental results of these objective and subjective evaluations are in agreement with the theoretical analysis and show that, under the specific intermediate range of condenser numerical aperture ( NAcond ), the DOF value decreases with the increase of NAcond . Although the above qualitative results are obtained under the experimental conditions with a specific prototype system, the methods presented in this preliminary investigation could offer useful guidelines for optimizing operational parameters in cytogenetic imaging.
‘Flavor-fade’ and Off-Flavors in Ground Roasted Peanuts As Related to Selected Pyrazines and Aldehydes

Headspace volatiles from ground roasted Florunner medium peanuts, stored at 65°C for 1–68 days, were separated and identifled by GC/MS. Selected pyrazines, resulting from Maillard browning and selected aldehydes from autoxidation were evaluated to determine their mechanistic contributions to peanut ‘flavor-fade.’ The 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 2-methylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-5-methyl or 6-methylpyrazine, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, and pentanal remained constant during storage (p < 0.05). Flavor scores for ‘roasted peanut’ decreased slightly, then leveled off and hex-anal, heptanal, octanal and nonanal increased during storage (p < 0.05). Oxidative ‘rancid’ flavor scores and thiobarbituric acid values also increased during storage (p < 0.05). Based on results, the ‘flavor-fade’ of stored roasted peanuts is due to masking of pyrazines and other ‘roasted peanut’ flavor compounds by large quantities of low-molecular weight aldehydes from lipid autoxidation, and not due to polymerization and/or degradation of the pyrazines.
Human remyelination promoting antibody inhibits apoptotic signaling and differentiation through Lyn kinase in primary rat oligodendrocytes

Purpose: Human remyelination promoting IgM mAbs target oligodendrocytes (OLs) and function in animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, their mechanism of action is unknown. This study seeks to identify the cellular mechanism of action of a recombinant human IgM on OL survival. Methods: Binding of rHIgM22 to the surface of rat OLs was studied by co-localization with various markers. RHIgM22-mediated effects on apoptotic signaling in OLs, differentiation markers, and signaling molecules were detected by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation. Results: RHIgM22 co-localized with integrin β3 but not other integrin β-chains in OLs. Downstream of integrin β3 we identified Src family kinase (SFK) Lyn as a key player of rHIgM22-mediated actions in OLs. Lyn immunoprecipitated in a complex together with integrin αvβ3 and PDGFαR. Lyn expression was 9-fold up-regulated and Lyn activation was 3-fold higher inrHIgM22-treated OL cultures compared with controls. RHIgM22 inhibited apoptotic signaling by greater than 10-fold reduction of caspase-3 and capsase-9 cleavage and reduced by 4-fold expression of differentiation markers MBP and MOG in OLs. SFK inhibitors PP2 and SU6656 inhibited Lyn activity and restored caspase-cleavage in OLs. A human IgM that did not promote remyelination and medium wereused as controls. Conclusions: rHIgM22 prevented apoptotic signaling andinhibited OL differentiation by Lyn implying thatIgM-mediated remyelination is due toprotection of OPC and OLs rather than promotion of OPC differentiation. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Occupational mobility and economic development: a cross- national analysis.

Abstract Previous studies of the relationship between exchange mobility and economic development have produced conflicting results. This paper resolves the conflicting findings through a critical examination of the measures of exchange mobility used in these studies and a reanalysis of one of the data sets. It is concluded that development is positively related to exchange mobility among the nonfarm male labor force but not to the occupational inheritance of men from farm backgrounds. The latter finding explains the absence of a relationship between development and exchange mobility for the total male labor force. The issue of whether or not the development-mobility relationship is spurious is then discussed.
Unifying messy communities: learning social justice in educational leadership classrooms

Learning about social justice is far different from engaging in the emotion‐laden work of learning social justice. Frequently, instructors of aspiring educational leaders find that when social justice content is introduced, the adult classroom becomes a messy community, filled with untidy and unexamined viewpoints, multiple stereotypes, and carefully crafted biases. Transforming perspectives about critical social justice issues seems an insurmountable task. This article draws on the work of Mary Parker Follett, particularly her principles of unifying, to examine instructional practices that foster a self that can weave itself in and out of raced, gendered, and classed relationships, and in turn, gain competence to unify school communities.
Infrared and Raman spectra, conformational stability, and vibrational assignment of divinylfluoroborane

Abstract The infrared spectra of gaseous (3500 to 450 cm −1 and solid (3500 to 50 cm −1 ) divinylfluoroborane, (C 2 H 3 ) 2 BF, and the Raman spectra (3500 to 20 cm −1 ) of the liquid and solid have been recorded. All of the normal modes have been assigned, based on band contours, depolarization values and group frequencies. From a comparison of the spectra in the fluid and solid states, it is concluded that the molecule exists in at least two conformations in the fluid phase but mainly as one conformer of C s symmetry in the solid state. The failure to obtain a “good” crystalline sample in the solid state is believed to be due to a very small enthalpy difference between the conformers. The results are compared to the corresponding quantities in several similar molecules.
Understanding the Shifts in the Redox Potentials of Olivine LiM1−yMyPO4 (M = Fe, Mn, Co, and Mg) Solid Solution Cathodes

A facile, high-energy mechanical milling (HEMM) approach has been developed to synthesize carbon-coated olivine LiM1−yMyPO4 (M = Fe, Mn, Co, and Mg) solid solution nanoparticles. A systematic structural and electrochemical characterization of the solid solution series has been carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), charge−discharge measurements, and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT). The discharge capacity, voltage profile, and cycle performance of the LiM1−yMyPO4 solid solution cathodes are found to be dependent on the different redox couples involved in the reaction. Equilibrium potentials obtained from GITT and dQ/dV plot reveal a systematic shift in the redox potential of Fe2+/3+, Mn2+/3+, and Co2+/3+ couples in the LiM1−yMyPO4 solid solution compared to their pristine end members (LiMPO4). The shifts in the redox potential are explained on the basis of the changes in the covalency of the M−O bond and M−O−M interaction, and the consequent change...
Interannual and seasonal behavior of Martian residual ice-cap albedo

Abstract The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), functioning as a high-resolution radiometer, has observed several appearances of the Martian residual ice caps. We examine these data to quantify both seasonal behavior and interannual differences. The northern residual cap (NRC) was found to be mostly stable with the exception of one, previously identified, region of strong variability. Interannual change in the extent of the NRC appears to be small and reversible on timescales of 1 or 2 years. The NRC has an elaborate seasonal evolution of albedo. Annuli of fine-grained CO2 and water frost, which track the inner and outer edges of the seasonal CO2 cap, cause large temporary brightenings. The NRC albedo is stable from just after solstice to Ls 150°, after which albedo decreases steadily. This late-summer darkening can be explained by shadowing within the rough topography of the NRC, leading to a lower limit on topographic relief of 80 cm. The southern residual cap (SRC) appears stable in extent. As has been previously discovered, its seasonal frost albedo behavior appears to be correlated with insolation. However, residual CO2 appears not to share this characteristic; we use this behavioral difference to infer net deposition of CO2 ice on the SRC during 1 out of 3 years. Uncharacteristically, the SRC abruptly darkens at Ls 320° in 1 Martian year (year beginning April 2002). Circumstantial evidence suggests atmospheric scattering by dust is responsible. The 2001 global dust-storm appears, either, to have had no effect on the polar cap albedos, or, resulted in slightly brighter ice deposits.
Phase diagram and electrical conductivity of high energy-density water from density functional theory

The electrical conductivity and structure of water between 2000-70,000 K and 0.1-3.7 g/cm3 is studied by finite temperature density functional theory (DFT). Proton conduction is investigated quantitatively by analyzing diffusion, the pair-correlation function, and Wannier center locations, while the electronic conduction is calculated in the Kubo-Greenwood formalism. The conductivity formulation is valid across three phase transitions (molecular liquid, ionic liquid, superionic, electronic liquid). Above 100 GPa the superionic phase directly borders an electronically conducting fluid, not an insulating ionic fluid, as previously concluded. For simulations of high energy-density systems to be quantitative, we conclude that finite temperature DFT should be employed.
Relationships between the temperature dependence of solvent denaturation and the denaturant dependence of protein stability curves.

We have used a simple binding model to consider how the thermodynamics of denaturant-protein interactions might influence the shape of protein stability curves (free energy change as a function of temperature), and how these effects translate into a temperature dependence of the apparent m-value (sensitivity of unfolding free energy to denaturant). We find that for an exothermic binding reaction with no binding heat capacity increment, increasing denaturant concentrations produces an apparent increase in curvature in the protein stability curve, giving rise to an increase in the heat capacity increment of unfolding. Similar increases are seen if the binding heat capacity increment is taken as positive. However, for a negative binding heat capacity increment, increasing denaturant concentrations decreases the curvature of the stability curve, giving rise to a decrease in the heat capacity of unfolding. At very high denaturant concentrations (above which the heat capacity of denaturation becomes negative) the stability curve becomes dimpled, showing two separate maxima rather than one. These three models result in very different temperature dependencies of apparent m-values. For urea-induced unfolding of the ankyrin-domain of the Drosophila Notch protein, we find a dependence of experimental m-values on temperature that is similar to that produced by a negative binding heat capacity increment. This temperature dependence is consistent with the observed decrease in heat capacity of unfolding as denaturant is added.
Constructivist values for instructional systems design: Five principles toward a new mindset

In this article, the implications of constructivism for instructional systems design (ISD) are summarized as five principles that integrate the affective and cognitive domains of learning. In contrast to current views, it is suggested that constructivist philosophy offers instructional designers an alternative set of values that may significantly influence the emphasis of ISD methods without undermining the coherence and consistency of the ISD model. Distinguishing characteristics of the two approaches are described, based on a review of recent literature. The article concludes with the assertion that the influence of constructivist philosophy on ISD should be to focus attention on critical enabling objectives traditionally overlooked by instructional designers.
Kinetics of oil generation from Colorado oil shale

Abstract Isothermal and nonisothermal methods have been used to investigate the kinetics of oil generation during decomposition of 91.7 ml/kg (22 U.S. gal/short ton) Colorado oil shale. The result from the nonisothermal method gives an apparent activation energy of 219.4 kJ/mol and a frequency factor of 2.81 × 1013s−1. Furthermore, the process is found to be first-order to within experimental error. These results compare favourably with isothermal data reported here and in the literature. The results show the reliability and convenience of nonisothermal kinetic experiments in studying oil-shale decomposition reactions. The principal advantages are short-term experiments and the lack of initial heat-up periods. Moreover, nonisothermal experiments more accurately simulate actual conditions of above-ground and in situ oil-shale retorting. These kinetics are ‘effective’ values and can only properly be used to describe the macroscopic oil-production process rather than the complex microchemistry.
Stones: can the Guy's stone score predict PNL outcomes?

The development of the Guy's stone score represents a notable effort to predict the likelihood of stone-free outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy. However, it requires reassessment with more rigorous end points in a larger patient population.
Chronopotentiometry and coulometric titration of n-substituted phenothiazines

Abstract The electrochemical oxidation at a platinum anode of several N-substituted phenothiazines (levopromazine, chlorpromazine, multergan, profenamine, promethazine, diethazine, and thioproperazine) has been studied by the chronopotentiometric technique. A method has been developed for the coulometric titration of these substances with electrogenerated cerium (IV). Quantities of 0.25–20 mg are determinable with an average error of less than ± 1 rel. %.
Initiation of transcription in vitro is inhibited by lipiarmycin

Abstract Lipiarmycin, an inhibitor of bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, was shown to prevent RNA synthesis by blocking the formation of the first internucleotide bond. No effect of the drug on binding of RNA polymerase to DNA could be detected, even though preformed enzyme-DNA complexes were resistant to lipiarmycin. The drug inhibited preferentially molecules of RNA polymerase that contained σ factor. This effect did not seem to be due to inhibition of σ function, but was apparently a reflection of preferential interaction of lipiarmycin with holoenzyme. The mechanism of action of lipiarmycin is unique for RNA polymerase antagonists.
MR cholangiography in children and young adults with biliary disease.

Our objective was to describe the MR cholangiography findings for young patients with suspected biliary disease who underwent half-Fourier acquisition fast spin-echo technique with respiratory triggering.Twenty-eight MR cholangiography studies were performed in 22 patients on a 1.5-T MR unit. Ten of these 22 patients had undergone liver transplantation.MR cholangiography revealed abnormalities of both the extrahepatic and the intrahepatic major and minor bile duct systems, despite the small diameter of the duct system in this group of patients. Four patterns of biliary disease were shown: global dilatation of extrahepatic or intrahepatic ducts (n = 7); segmental, uniform dilatation of central or peripheral intrahepatic ducts (n = 9); segmental, nonuniform dilatation of central or peripheral intrahepatic ducts (n = 2); and fusiform ectasia with segmental, irregular intrahepatic dilatation and bile lakes (n = 2). The findings of eight studies were interpreted as normal. The four patterns of abnormalities we...
Silyl Ether-Coupled Poly(ε-caprolactone)s with Stepwise Hydrolytic Degradation Profiles

Silyl ether-coupled poly(e-caprolactone)s (PCLs) with stepwise degradation profiles were synthesized via the cross-dehydrocoupling polymerizations between 1,4-bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene (BDSB) and telechelic, diol-terminated PCL macromonomers. With the presence of 10 wt % palladium on activated carbon as the catalyst, the condensations between BDSB and diol-terminated PCL macromonomers having molecular weights of 1200, 2010, and 5500 g/mol were performed in toluene at 100 °C under argon. Hydrogen was eliminated as the condensate upon the formation of silyl ether bonds linking the PCL blocks, yielding within 24 h, silyl ether-coupled PCLs of molecular mass 7590, 29900, and 29500 g/mol, respectively. The characterization of each polymer included 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and 29Si NMR spectroscopies, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and differential scanning calorimetry. The hydrolytic degradation properties of the polymers in solution were studied, and the molecular weight reductions over time were monitored by S...
The mollification method and the numerical solution of the inverse heat conduction problem by finite differences

Abstract The inverse heat conduction problem involves the calculation of surface heat flux and/or temperature histories from transient, measured temperatures inside solids. We consider the one dimensional semi-infinite linear case and present a new solution algorithm based on a data filtering interpretation of the mollification method that automatically determines the radius of mollification depending on the amount of noise in the data and finite differences. A fully explicit and stable space marching scheme is developed. We describe several numerical experiments of interest showing that the new procedure is accurate and stable with respect to perturbations in the data even for small dimensionless time steps.
Forty years of calorimetry at Brigham Young University

Abstract A history of the development of calorimetry at Brigham Young University is given. Short biographies of the faculty involved in calorimetric research are given, descriptions of the calorimeters developed at the university are presented, and a number of examples of experiments performed are presented, using calorimeters available at the university.
Cellular Changes and Induction of Apoptosis in Human Promyelocytic HL-60 Cells Infected with the Agent of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis (HGE)

Abstract Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is an emerging and occasionally fatal human infectious disease whose pathogenesis is largely unknown. Goodman et al. (1) recently described the successful cultivation of the HGE infectious agent in human promyelocytic HL-60 leukemic cells. It was reported in the same study that infectivity invariably led to host cell death, although the mechanism by which HGE infection triggers cellular self-destruction is as yet undetermined. In this communication, we show that in vitro passage of HGE pathogen-infected blood elicits a significantly dysfunctional G 1 -to-S transition. Moreover, we provide evidence that the cytopathic properties of the HGE pathogen are attributed to its ability to induce apoptosis in host HL-60 cells. Determination of specific protein expression changes by Western blot analysis showed that HGE infection resulted in reduced expression of PCNA and pRB, both of which play a role in cell cycling. Moreover, the steady state level of bcl-2, which protects eukaryotic cells against apoptosis, is suppressed by exposure to the HGE agent. These results suggest that this pathogen HGE induces apoptosis in HL-60 cells by a mechanism involving the shut-off of multiple cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory events.
IMMUNITY STUDIES OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER : II. PROPHYLACTIC INOCULATION IN ANIMALS.

Freshly prepared mixtures of spotted fever virus and immune rabbit serum in neutral or superneutral proportions confer complete immunity on guinea pigs. The mixtures undergo a considerable loss in immunizing power when heated to 60°C. for 20 minutes, but are still capable, if used in sufficient quantity, of conferring a degree of immunity on the vaccinated animal such that a subsequent experimental infection is rendered less severe and non-fatal. Unheated mixtures which had been preserved in the refrigerator at 4°C. for a period of 32 days still retained a certain degree of immunizing property. The virus alone, or mixed with normal rabbit serum, when allowed to die out by prolonged preservation at refrigerator temperature, or when killed either by heating at 60°C. for 20 minutes or by chemicals (chloroform, ether, xylene) does not induce immunity in guinea pigs.
Mortality of Dandy-Walker syndrome in the United States: Analysis by race, gender, and insurance status.

Background: Dandy-Walker syndrome (DWS) is a congenital disorder often diagnosed in early childhood. Typically manifesting with signs/symptoms of increased intracranial pressure, DWS is catastrophic unless timely neurosurgical care can be administered via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage. The rates of mortality, adverse discharge disposition (ADD), and CSF drainage in DWS may not be uniform regardless of race, gender or insurance status; such differences could reflect disparities in access to neurosurgical care. This study examines these issues on a nationwide level. Materials and Methods: The Kids' Inpatient Database spanning 1997-2003 was used for analysis. Only patients admitted for DWS (ICD-9-CM = 742.3) were included. Multivariate analysis was adjusted for several variables, including patient age, race, sex, admission type, primary payer, income, and hospital volume. Results: More than 14,000 DWS patients were included. Increasing age predicted reduced mortality (OR = 0.87; P P P P = 0.0008), ADD (OR = 0.68; P P P P Conclusion: Increasing age and elective admissions each decrease mortality and ADD associated with DWS. African-American race and private insurance status increase access to CSF drainage. These findings contradict previous literature citing African-American race as a risk factor for mortality in DWS, and emphasize the role of private insurance in obtaining access to potentially lifesaving operative care.
The Canonical Diophantine Equations with Applications

A new fundamental relationship involving polynomial matrices, called the canonical Diophantine equations, is introduced and then employed to constructively resolve some "standard problems" involving polynomial matrix pairs. In particular, one such "standard problem" involves solving the general Diophantine equation, H(s)R(s) + K(s)P R (s) = F(s), for an appropriate polynomial matrix pair, H(s), K(s), given any arbitrary F(s). The Bezout equation, when F(s) = I, would represent a special case of the general Diophantine equation. The question of obtaining a dual, prime factorization of T(s) from any given (not necessarily prime) factorization could also be considered another "standard problem" and finally, the determination and possible extraction of a greatest common right or left divisor of a given pair of polynomial matrices could be considered the third and final "standard problem."
Pharmacological and dietary modulators of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity and expression: The hunt goes on ☆

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is a high density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated enzyme displaying esterase and lactonase activity. PON1 hydrolyzes several organophosphorus (OP) insecticides and nerve agents, a number of exogenous and endogenous lactones, and metabolizes toxic oxidized lipids of low density lipoproteins (LDL) and HDL. As such, PON1 plays a relevant role in determining susceptibility to OP toxicity, cardiovascular diseases and several other diseases. Serum PON1 activity in a given population can vary by at least 40-fold. Most of this variation can be accounted for by genetic polymorphisms in the coding region (Q192R, L55M) and in the promoter region (T-108C). However, exogenous factors may also modulate PON1 activity and/or level of expression. This paper examines various factors that have been found to positively modulate PON1. Certain drugs (e.g. hypolipemic and anti-diabetic compounds), dietary factors (antioxidants, polyphenols), and life-style factors (moderate alcohol consumption) appear to increase PON1 activity. Given the relevance of PON1 in protecting from certain environmental exposure and from cardiovascular and other diseases, there is a need for further mechanistic, animal, and clinical research in this area, and for consideration of possible alternative strategies for increasing the levels and activity of PON1.
The F1-ATPase β-subunit is the putative enterostatin receptor

Abstract It has been suggested that the F1-ATPase β-subunit is the enterostatin receptor. We investigated the binding activity of the purified protein with a labeled antagonist, β-casomorphin1–7, in the absence and presence of cold enterostatin. 125I-β-casomorphin1–7 weakly binds to the rat F1-ATPase β-subunit. Binding was promoted by low concentrations of cold enterostatin but displaced by higher concentrations. To study the relationship between binding activity and feeding behavior, we examined the ability of a number of enterostatin analogs to affect β-casomorphin1–7 binding to the F1-ATPase β-subunit. Peptides that suppressed food intake promoted β-casomorphin1–7 binding whereas peptides that stimulated food intake or did not affect the food intake displaced β-casomorphin1–7 binding. Surface plasmon resonance measurements show that the β-subunit of F1-ATPase binds immobilized enterostatin with a dissociation constant of 150 nM, where no binding could be detected for the assembled F1-ATPase complex. Western blot analysis showed the F1-ATPase β-subunit was present on plasma and mitochondrial membranes of rat liver and amygdala. The data provides evidence that the F1-ATPase β-subunit is the enterostatin receptor and suggests that enterostatin and β-casomorphin1–7 bind to distinct sites on the protein.
Availability: The cognitive basis of experience

Although A-consciousness and P-consciousness are conceptually distinct, a refined notion of A-consciousness makes it plausible that the two are empirically inseparable. I suggest that the notion of direct availability for global control can play a central role here, and draw out some consequences.
Saving art in situ

A conservation scientist explains how borrowing gadgets from Mars rovers helps preserve culture on Earth.