cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Size Matter? The Influence of Law Firm Size on Litigant Success Rates

In his influential piece, Galanter (1974) argues that repeat players in the judicial system can be expected to succeed at trial in part because of the advantages repeat players enjoy compared to the one-shotters. This article explores the effect of a number of the benefits Galanter identifies on litigation outcomes for civil jury trials in four states with particular attention to the size of the law firms representing the litigants. We find possessing an advantage in relative firm size, without considering other factors, appears to produce no significant advantage in terms of achieving plaintiff compensation. On the other hand, a local presence in the county where the trial occurs increases plaintiff attorney success rates when challenging out-of-town defense firms, especially when the plaintiff's law firm is the larger of the two. Additionally, devoting more resources in terms of human capital to a particular case increases the probability of favorable outcomes.
Properties of Apparel Wools V. Dependence of the Physical Properties of Single Fibers on Diameter and Crimp

Several physical parameters derived from force-extension curves of wool fibers have been studied for a selected group of fibers from sheep representative of each of four wool grades. The results fr...
Biochemical studies of the late infantile form of metachromatic leukodystrophy.

Biochemical studies from a patient with the late infantile form of metachromatic leukodystrophy are presented. Since the autopsy was performed soon after death, viable cells were isolated from brain. The purified cells had altered densities and unusual appearances. The cells when placed in culture were able to incorporate radiolabeled substrates into cerebrosides, indicating that some of the cells were of oligodendroglial origin. Myelin was isolated using several different methods, and the degree of abnormality appeared to be dependent upon the method of isolation. Nonetheless, MLD myelin, while still retaining its characteristicsmorphology, had increased levels of sulfatides (two to four times that normally found). Other membrane subfractions were isolated that were not present in control tissue and that were more abnormal in composition than myelin. Finally, the glycoproteins in MLD tissue also appeared to be altered. There were losses in MLD myelin glycoproteins that bind to Concanavalin A (Con A) and additional prominent glycoproteins that bind to wheat germ agglutinin.
Explaining Minority Representation in Place-Based Associations: Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils in Context

Abstract This article analyses the factors that explain the characteristics of board member representation in place-based voluntary associations. Specifically, it considers the extent up to which formalistic factors (electoral arrangements) and community context explain descriptive minority representation in Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils. The results of a nonlinear model that differentiates between proportionality and racial bias suggest that Hispanic/Latino representation is higher when district seats are used in communities characterized by residential segregation. Socio-economic characteristics of the community also explain Hispanic/Latino representation but are not similarly related to Black representation on Neighborhood Council boards. These results suggest that formalistic representation or governing structures and community characteristics influence descriptive representation of racial or ethnic groups dissimilarly, and also point to particular policy actions that voluntary associations may ta...
Synthesis of Thiophenylalanine-containing Peptides via Cu(I)-mediated Cross-Coupling

Aryl thiolates have unique reactive, redox, electronic, and spectroscopic properties. A practical approach to synthesize peptides containing thiophenylalanine has been developed via a novel Cu(I)-mediated cross-coupling reaction between thiolacetic acid and iodophenylalanine-containing peptides in the solid phase. This approach is compatible with all canonical proteinogenic functional groups, providing general access to aryl thiolates in peptides. Peptides containing thiophenylalanine (pK(a) 6.4) were readily elaborated to contain methyl, allyl, and nitrobenzyl thioethers, disulfides, sulfoxides, sulfones, or sulfonates.
Preparation of Gold Nanoparticles and their Applications in Anisotropic Nanoparticle Synthesis and Bioimaging

In this review, we highlight our recent achievements in using colloidal gold nanoparticles as building blocks for fabrication of anisotropic and multicomponent nanoparticles (e.g., nanoshells, semiconductor nanocrystals, and gold nanorods). The tunable optical properties of these nanoparticles are well suited for various biomedical and biophotonic applications.
GTS allocation scheme revisited

In IEEE 802.15.4, the bandwidth under-utilisation problem occurs in the guaranteed time slot (GTS) when the used bandwidth is less than the available bandwidth. A new GTS scheme is presented to allow more devices to share the bandwidth within the same period. Thus the performance of bandwidth utilisation is improved.
Energetics, timescales, and chemistry of low energy molecular ion–organic surface collisions

Abstract Several basic topics are presented here that are related to the modification of organic surfaces by 10–100 eV molecular ions. First, experimental results are presented for energy transfer for Si(CD3)3+ and m/z 190–713 peptide ions scattered off hexanethiolate self-assembled monolayers adsorbed on Au(111). Next, experimental and computer simulation results are presented on the dissociation timescales of these same ion-surface pairs. Finally, the surface chemical modification of polystyrene polymer surfaces by CF3+ and C3F5+ ions is analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These results combine to demonstrate that low energy molecular ion–organic surface modification is highly surface selective, transfers a large fraction of the incident ion energy to the uppermost layer of the surface, can present unique reactive species to the surface, and can transfer to the surface a portion of the ion's chemical functionality.
Changes in electrolyte excretion following intraperitoneal injection of dibutyryl cyclic AMP in the brattleboro rat

Abstract Intraperitoneal injection of 40 μg of dibutyryl cyclic AMP to homozygous Brattleboro rats fasted for 12 hours but having free access to water resulted in an increase in urine flow and in the rates of excretion of Na, K, PO 4 and urea. Similar results were obtained in Brattleboro rats having free access to food and water which received 200 μg of nucleotide. The injection of 20 μg of dibutyryl cyclic AMP or 40 μg 5′-AMP to homozygous Brattleboro rats with free access to food and water or the administration of 40 μg of 5′-AMP to homozygous rats fasted for 12 hours but with free access to water did not alter renal excretion patterns. These results indicate that dibutyryl cyclic AMP may depress tubular reabsorption of water, Na and PO 4 as has been shown to be the case in the intact dog. In homozygous Brattleboro rats fasted for 24 hours but allowed free access to water, 40 μg of dibutyryl cyclic AMP resulted in a tendency to reduced urine flow and diminished excretion of Na, K and urea. The explanation for these results is not apparent from these data.
The insulator-metal transition in hydrogen

In their pioneering work over 75 years ago, Wigner and Huntington (1) predicted that solid molecular hydrogen would dissociate and become an atomic metal when pressurized to 25 GPa (25 GPa = 0.25 megabar) at a temperature T = 0 K. Subsequently, one of the great challenges of condensed matter physics in the past and present century has been to achieve metallization of hydrogen. Theory and experiment have worked hand in hand. Hydrogen is conceptually the simplest of all atoms, with a single proton and electron, doubled in the molecule, yet it is extremely challenging to theorists. This is mainly because of the light mass, resulting in large zero-point motion (i.e., motion of the nuclei of a many-body solid at 0 K). To achieve the most accurate theoretical results, a full quantum mechanical analysis is required at all densities and conditions.
High Performance Computing: Current Issues and Future Challenges

igh Performance Computing (HPC), the capability of people to achieve computational objectives on existing computers, has made fantastic progress over the past decades. The situation today is excellent in many respects—high performance processors are relatively inexpensive, we understand how to build intermediately-sized parallel computers with scalable performance and cost, and more academic and industry groups than ever before have direct access to HPC resources. For example, such HPC systems are widely used to solve complex application problems in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, almost every engineering discipline, and even business and finance. However, current HPC systems have a number of deficiencies that limit their application. For example, the programming environment for parallel computers has improved significantly but still represents a daunting challenge for many potential users. The capability to store and manipulate the large-scale data sets generated by many simulations on today's HPC machines is often prohibitively expensive. And finally, software reuse and interoperability is almost nonexistent in many communities, which forces substantial investments in software development and severely limits the potential benefits of HPC resources. Given this current situation, I would like to briefly address, from the perspective of the JACIC community, what I think the current issues and future challenges are in High Performance Computing.
Galactorrhea and hyperprolactinemia associated with amoxapine therapy. Report of a case.

GALACTORRHEA and amenorrhea are adverse effects ofantipsychoticdrugs, attributed to elevated levels of serum prolactin, brought about by a blockade of dopamine (DA) receptors in the tuberoinfundibular hypothalamic pathway. Although galactorrhea is listed as an effect of tricyclicantidepressantdrugs as well, a literature review has failed to substantiate this association. Moreover, the six currently available tricyclic antidepressants havenotbeen found to increase serum prolactin levels,1nor do they appear to be effective blockers of the DA receptor. In the course of a double-blind study of a new antidepressant, amoxapine, galactorrhea developed in a young woman and was evaluated by extensive prolactin testing. This article describes her case, presents results of laboratory studies, and discusses theoretical and clinical implications. Report of a Case A 29-year-old woman had suffered from a primary depression, unipolar type, for about five months. One previous episode of depression had been treated with
Distribution of endogenously phosphorylated proteins in subcellular fractions of rat cerebral cortex.

The cerebral cortex from adult rats was separated into several subcellular fractions by using established methods of differential and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Aliquots from each fraction were incubated with γ-32P-ATP, in the presence and absence of adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP), and its protein constituents were separated by means of SDS-slab gel electrophoresis. Fractions containing nuclei, synaptosomes, myelin, microsomes, and soluble proteins each showed a characteristic pattern of protein staining and of endogenously phosphorylated proteins detected by autoradiography of the gels. Cyclic AMP-stimulated phosphorylation of proteins with MW 78K and 84K can serve as markers for membranes of synaptic origin, while cyclic AMP-independent phosphorylation of low-molecular-weight proteins (15K–20K) is characteristic of myelin. The finding of different phosphoproteins in various subcellular fractions may be related to the diversity of cellular functions known to be regulated by phosphorylative activity.
Silver deposition on the Au(111)electrode without interference by specifically adsorbed anions

Abstract We have studied underpotential deposition of silver on the Au(111) electrode in dilute fluoric acid solution using ultra-high vacuum (UHV) techniques combined with electrochemistry. The main silver adlattice structure is p(3 × 3), in agreement with an earlier study in sulfate media using scanning probe microscopies (STM/AFM) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). As the potential is made more negative, a series of phase transformations occurs to the adlattice, from p(3 × 3) and p(5 × 5) to compressed (5 × 5) and (6 × 6), and to (1 × 1). These are non-rotated ( n × n ) structures on an unreconstructed (1 × 1)Au(111) surface. We correlate our structural data to surface coverages and show that they are quantitatively consistent. Our study shows that the silver growth in HF occurs through a monolayer-simultaneous-multilayer (MSM) mechanism, and underscores the significance of anion coadsorption in the underpotential deposition. The role of coadsorbed water molecules in the process is discussed.
On the versatility of the combination of the weighted log-rank statistics

In many applied situations, it is difficult to specify in advance the types of survival differences that may exist between two groups. Therefore, it is tempting to use some tests that emphasize these differences, but are sensitive to a wide range of the survival differences. In this paper such versatile tests are considered, whose procedures are based on the simultaneous use of the weighted log-rank statistics that are asymptotically normal under the null hypothesis of no difference between two groups. Simulations are performed to examine power of the tests in small and moderate sample sizes when the data are uncensored to heavily censored. Implementation of the procedures are discussed in a real data example for illustration.
Scale Changes and Shared Information in Bargaining: An Experimental Study

Abstract This paper reports one of a series of experiments designed to test aspects of various game-theoretic models of bargaining. The results of this experiment consolidate those of previous experiments, which are first reviewed. The principal new result of this experiment is the observation, under conditions of partial information, of systematic violations of the axiom of independence of equivalent utility representations. The adequacy of various theories of bargaining to describe the observed data is also tested and discussed.
Lipid synthesis by rat lung in vitro.

Oxidation and lipogenesis in isolated rat lung tissue were studied in vitro. The minced tissue was incubated in a Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.4) with 1-14C-acetate, 2-14C-pyruvate, U-14C-D-glucose, 1,5-14C-citrate, 1-14C-laurate, 1-14C-palmitate, 1-14C-stearate, 1-14C-oleate, 1-14C-linoleate. The lung tissue readily oxidized all of these substrates to14CO2 and incorporated them into14C-lipids with the exception of 1,5-14C-citrate, for which there was no significant incorporation into14C-lipids. Most of the lipid14C was recovered in phospholipids, more specifically phosphatidyl choline. Twenty-eight per cent of glucose carbons was incorporated into the fatty acid moiety of phospholipids, while more than 90% of the carbons of other substrates was found in phospholipid fatty acids. The main fatty acid of the phospholipid fraction synthesized from acetate, pyruvate or glucose was palmitic acid. The oxidation of fatty acids was apparently influenced both by the carbon chain length and number of double bonds. Accumulation of14C-fatty acids in the tissue was observed when fatty acids were used as substrates; this finding suggests that the rate limiting step was not in the uptake of fatty acids. Chemical degradation of14C-myristic and palmitic acids obtained by hydrolysis of phospholipids biosynthesized from 1-14C-laurate indicated that the phospholipid fatty acids were synthesized via the de novo synthesis pathway.
The Discontinuity Effect in Interpersonal and Intergroup Relations: Generality and Mediation

In a series of experimental studies we have found that intergroup, compared to interindividual behavior, is more competitive and less cooperative (the discontinuity effect). After discussing the generality of this phenomenon, the possible mechanisms mediating the effect are analyzed. The role of fear and greed, in particular, are evaluated against existing empirical evidence. We also present a preliminary study using two n-person expansions of the Prisoner's Dilemma Game, which allow for competition within own-group as well as between groups. The chapter concludes with a consideration of possible ways of reducing discontinuity.
Structural and Dynamical Properties of POPC Bilayers Supported on Nanoporous Substrates

The structure, dynamics and organization of lipid bilayers depend on a variety of environmental factors. Here we examine, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the specific effects of nanoporous substrates on palmitoyl-oleyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayers. We expose POPC bilayers unilaterally and separately to various model Lennard-Jones (LJ) solid substrates differing in surface chemistry. In an earlier study, we had found that substrates with surface hydroxyl densities in the range 10-20% kept POPC bilayers juxtaposed to the substrates. While the bilayers did not interact directly with these hydroxylated substrates, they were separated from substrates by thin (< 0.6 nm) layers of water. Additionally, despite such buffered interactions, these supported bilayers exhibited physical properties notably different from unsupported bilayers. Recent experiments show that zwitterionic lipid bilayers supported on partially charged, nanoporous silica wafers also do not interact with silica directly. However, in such cases the bilayer is separated from the silica substrate by a relative thicker (∼1.5 nm) layer of solvent. We report here results from our MD simulation that reconcile these two seemingly disparate observations. We find that LJ nano-substrates whose porosity and surface hydroxyl density match those of nanoporous silica wafers do not increase the substrate-bilayer distance. Instead, the introduction of partial charge on the LJ substrate increases the substrate-bilayer distance to 1.5 nm. The negative charge on the substrate attracts hydrated ions, creating an electric double layer, which is a sufficient condition to increase the substrate-bilayer distance. While the properties of the bilayer supported on a charged substrate are also different from those of unsupported bilayers, the extent of the perturbation is not as large compared to that induced by uncharged hydroxylated substrates.
An LC–MS/MS method for concurrent determination of nicotine metabolites and the role of CYP2A6 in nicotine metabolite-mediated oxidative stress in SVGA astrocytes

Background Nicotine is known to generate oxidative stress through cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6)-mediated metabolism in the liver and other organs, including macrophages. This study has been designed to examine the role of CYP2A6 in nicotine metabolism and oxidative stress in SVGA cells, an immortalized human astrocyte cell line.
Female Hitchhiking: Strain, Control, and Subcultural Approaches

Sociological explanations of why individuals engage in deviant behavior are of predominatly three forms: strain or motivational theories, control theories, and subcultural theories (Hirschi, 1971). Motivational theories, such as Merton's (1962) well known anomie theory, focus on factors which motivate an individual to engage in deviant behavior. Control theories center on factors which maintain an individual's conforming behaviors (cf. Reiss, 1951). Subcultural theories, such as Sutherland's theory of differential association, suggest that deviant individuals are conforming to non-conventional group norms (Sutherland and Cressey, 1966). While these theories have been largely applied to juvenile delinquency and adult crime, their broad arguments can usefully structure sociological investigations of a wide range of deviant and quasi-deviant behaviors. In the study of female hitchhiking reported here, these three broad ap proaches served to locate possible explanatory factors and guide the analysis. In the eyes of many U.S. citizens, hitchhiking by females is viewed as a morally questionable behavior which may serve to impugn the reputation of the hitchhiker. Beyond these informal views about the impropriety of female hitchhiking are various laws and practices designed to curb hitchhiking. For example, laws prohibiting or regulating hitchhiking exist in some areas, and practices persist such as insurance company rules limiting coverage of persons who assist hitch hikers. Thus in both a moral and legal sense female hitchhiking and especially women hitchhiking alone can be heuristically and usefully conceptualized as quasi-deviant behavior. Despite popular reports of the increase of hitchhiking in the United States, the authors could not find any professional literature attempting either to describe or explain solo or group female hitchhiking. In at least two states known to the authors, law enforcement officers have in vestigated hitchhiking in an effort to understand and curb it. In one Mid western city with a substantial and rising rape rate, female hitchhiking has been actively discouraged by the police because a sizable minority of known rape victims are females hitchhiking alone. Yet despite this recent
Clan acts and codimension

Let (T, X) be a continuum act, let cd X=n and suppose A is a T-ideal (i.e., a T-invariant subspace of X), such that Hn(A)≠0. We prove that A is a minimal T-ideal iff A=Gx for some x∈X and maximal group G in the minimal ideal of T. Moreover, if these conditions are satisfied, then A is the only minimal T-ideal and also is the unique floor for every nonzero element of Hn(X). We need and also prove here an improved version of the Tube Theorem [3], and this corollary: if (G, X) is an intransitive transformation group with G compact, X locally compact and finite dimensional, and X/G connected, then dimension Gx<dimension X for all x∈X.
Late Tertiary and Quaternary Events as Interpreted from Radiolaria in Antarctic Sediments: ABSTRACT

A study of the radiolaria from the tops of more than 80 cores spaced around the Antarctic continent between 35° and 77°S. has revealed two distinct faunas, the boundary between them corresponding closely with the position of the South Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence). End_Page 530------------------------------ An examination of samples taken at 40-cm. intervals down cores from both north and south of the Polar Front shows that several cores located north of the Polar Front contain alternating layers of the two faunas, whereas cores located at the south show no such faunal fluctuations. If the alternating faunal zones observed in the northern cores are caused by a shift in the position of the Polar Front, then the data collected so far suggest that the Polar Front today may be as far south as it has been during the time period represented by the cores sampled. Other changes are exhibited by 10 cores from the area. In these cores there is an abrupt change from a fauna composed predominantly of recent species, the majority of which are not found living in Antarctic waters today. This change in the radiolarian assemblage is accompanied in 80 cores by a large decrease in other siliceous or calcareous organisms. In two cores the carbonate content drops from 40-60 per cent to zero. In one core the older assemblage is associated with abundant discoasters and on this basis is tentatively assigned a Late Tertiary age. The cause of the change in planktonic assemblages from Late Tertiary to Quaternary is not known, but it is suggested that it may be due to a change from a relatively stable stratification of the Antarctic Ocean during Late Tertiary to a stronger degree of vertical convection in the Quaternary associated with the cooling of this part of the world during the growth of the Antarctic ice cap. End_of_Article - Last_Page 531------------
A Prototype Inverse Solution in One-Dimension to Find the Origin of Excitation, Strand Radius, Intracellular Resistivity, or Distance from the Surface

Can extracellular waveforms from a one-dimensional strand be used to find the site of origin of excitation (xs0), strand radius (a0), intracellular resistivity (Ri0), or distance of the electrodes from the strand (b0)? A computer simulation of a strand 11.8 mm long was used to examine this question. The Ebihara-Johnson equations were used to model the membrane's behavior. Extracellular waveforms simulated at two of 60 points along the strand were taken as "measurements." The inverse calculations had the objective of finding one or two of the variables xs0, a0, Ri0, or b0 with the others known. The solution procedure compared the "measured" waveforms to trial waveforms obtained by varying all unknown parameters through their physiological range. For example, waveforms from two electrodes separated by 5.6 mm were sufficient to determine xs0 within 200 ?Im at an error level of 150 ?V rms if the stimulus site lay along the strand between the electrodes, and a0, Ri0, and b0 were given. A major objective was a systematic exploration of the errors as a function of the values of the trial parameters. The error curves were frequently found to have several relative minima. In general, however, no combination of unknowns other than the correct one led to rms errors within experimental noise levels, a result in marked contrast to that of most other inverse calculations in electrocardiography.
Possible non-narcotic component to action of opiate peptides on tonic immobility.

Chickens were tested in a tonic immobility paradigm after a single intraperitoneal injection of either 0.0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0, 100.0, or 1000.0 μg/kg of the potent opiate analog, (D-Ala2, F5Phe4)-Met-enkephalin-NH2. An inverted-U relationship was obtained, with 100 μg/kg being the most effective in prolonging immobility. This dose was used in subsequent studies involving pretreatment with naloxone or diluent followed by treatment with diluent, (D-Ala2, F5Phe4)-Met-enkephalin-NH2 (a strong opiate), or (D-Phe4)-Met-enkephalin (a weak opiate). The results indicated that although naloxone had mixed effects in attenuating the duration of tonic immobility, even the analog with negligible opiate activity reliably potentiated the response. Therefore, a component of the effect of opiate peptides on tonic immobility could be due to a non-narcotic action.
Seed transmissibility of two strains of barley stripe mosaic virus

Abstract The seed transmissibility of a nonseed passage (NSP) strain and a strain (T) of BSMV which is seed transmitted in barley were investigated. Serological and electron microscopical assays showed that NSP was absent in pollen and in the embryos and endosperms of seeds. When it was infrequently present in unfertilized pistils and in very immature seeds (caryopses), it was confined to the ovary walls. Similar assays determined that T was present in pollen and in the embryos and endosperms of seeds. Whereas transmission of NSP via immature and mature seeds did not occur, transmission of T occurred in both kinds of seeds. Proof of the direct invasion of developing embryos in situ by T was not obtained. Evidence is presented for the lack of plasmodesmata between the embryo sac and its surrounding tissues and between the developing embryo in situ and its adjacent cells. Direct and circumstantial evidence suggest that NSP was not seed transmitted because it was excluded from embryos, ovules, and pollen and that when it rarely occurred in the pericarps of young, immature seeds it became eliminated from them as they matured. Conversely, T was seed transmitted because it was included in embryos, ovules, and pollen, and it passed from the embryos to their derived seedlings during germination.
Effect of Type, Age, and Freezing of Poultry Meat Before Processing on the Quality of Chicken Frankfurters

Abstract AT THE present time there is a tremendous amount of interest in combining poultry meat with other meats in emulsion type meat products. In this regard, the relative merits of various ages and types of poultry in frankfurters is of concern. Considerable work has been done in recent years to determine the effect of type, age and part of poultry meat on its emulsifying ability (Maurer et al., 1966, 1969; Hudspeth et al., 1967, 1969). While fat emulsification no doubt plays a large role in the formation of a good sausage emulsion and subsequently a good finished product, other factors may also be important. This study was undertaken to evaluate the relative effectiveness of meat from fryers, hens and turkeys in making frankfurters. The effect of freezing the meat prior to processing was also determined. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experiment 1. Effect of type and age. Heavy hens (Cornish × White…
Integrable and chaotic polarization dynamics in nonlinear optical beams

Abstract The problem of two counterpropagating optical laser beams in a nonlinear medium is investigated as a Hamiltonian system. The phase space for travelling-wave solutions is the manifold C 2 × C 2, coordinated by two complex two-compnent electric field amplitudes, one for each beam. Invariance of the Hamiltonian function under various actions of the rotation group allows for reduction of the phase space to the two-sphere S2, on which the reduced Hamiltonian system, being two-dimensional, is completly integrable. We determine all the fixed points of the system and describe the bifurcations of the phase portrait which occur as parameters are varied. Among the various orbits in the reduced phase space, those connecting the hyperbolic fixed points are special and correspond to soliton-like and kink-like travelling-wave solutions. We also investigate how chaos, in particular horseshoe chaos and Arnold diffusion, arises when the system is subjected to certain types of perturbations.
Bayesian wavelet method for multivariate model assessment of dynamic systems

Abstract In this paper an energy-based Bayesian wavelet method is presented for validation assessment of multivariate predictive models under uncertainty, using time-series data collected from a dynamic system. Time history data are decomposed into multiple time–frequency resolutions using a discrete wavelet packet transform method. As a signal feature, wavelet packet component energy is computed in terms of the decomposed coefficients. The effectiveness of the selected feature is assessed using both cross-correlation and cross-coherence metrics. A generalized likelihood ratio is derived as a quantitative validation metric based on Bayes’ theorem and Gaussian distribution assumption of errors of the wavelet packet component energy between validation data and model prediction. The multivariate model is then assessed based on the Bayesian point and interval hypothesis testing approaches. The probability density function of the likelihood ratio is constructed using the statistics of multiple response quantities and Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed methodology is implemented in the validation of a structural dynamics problem, using multivariate time-series data sets. Sensitivity analysis is also performed to investigate the effect of parameter selection on the model validation decision.
Structure of cation channels, revealed by single particle electron microscopy

A large barrier in the way to obtaining high-resolution structures of eukaryotic ion channels remains the expression and purification of sufficient amounts of channel protein to carry out crystallization trials. In the absence of crystals, the main available source of structural information has been electron microscopy (EM), which is well suited to the visualization of isolated macromolecular complexes and their conformational changes. The recently published EM structures outline native conformations of eukaryotic cation channels that until now have eluded crystallization. According to these results, homo-tetrameric K(+) channels have a distinct two-layer architecture with connectors conjoining the two layers, while the pseudo-tetrameric Ca(2+) or Na(+) channels are more globular and have flexible surface loops, which makes the identification of subunits complicated. Subunits can be identified using atomic structure docking into the EM maps, labeling, or deletion studies.
“Have You Met Miss Ford?” or, Accomplishment Revisited

Values we inherit from the Georgians have led Romanticists to discount female accomplishment as frivolous, vaguely oppressive, and beneath the notice of serious cultural history. This short paper represents a call for a larger project of recovery and rehabilitation of women's participation in amateur performance culture in the Romantic period, by offering a single brief but tantalizing example of the kind of work possible in this field. Ann Ford's variegated career across the arts – which included celebrated performances as a singer in the early 1760s, technical treatises on music, and an 1800 society novel – exemplifies the style of career, conspicuously female, that has been overlooked by conventional terms of literary scholarship, but is recuperable under the aegis of an historical “performance studies.” It is essential to recognize, however, that such work cannot be carried out without a working critical understanding of “performance” that is bound to the specific institutional, aesthetic, and politic...
miR-1 mediated suppression of Sorcin regulates myocardial contractility through modulation of Ca2+ signaling.

Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education Charles W. Oshe Funds Research Grant
Gamma-tocopherol attenuates moderate but not severe colitis and suppresses moderate colitis-promoted colon tumorigenesis in mice.

Inflammation can promote colon cancer. Mechanistic studies indicate that γ-tocopherol (γT), a major form of vitamin E in diets, has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Here we investigated the effectiveness of γT and a mixture of tocopherols against colitis and colitis-promoted colon tumorigenesis in male BALB/c mice. γT or mixed tocopherols (at 0.1% diet) did not show any effect on colon tumorigenesis induced by azoxymethane (AOM, 10mg/kg) with three cycles of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS at 1.5-2.5%). γT failed to exhibit protection of severe colitis caused by three cycles of DSS at 2.5%. In contrast, when AOM-initiated carcinogenesis was promoted by relatively mild colitis induced by one-cycle DSS (1.5%), γT, but not mixed tocopherols, suppressed total multiplicity of macroscopic adenomas (P=0.06) and large adenomatous polyps (>2mm(2), P 2mm(2)) induced by AOM with two cycles of 1.5% DSS even when dietary supplementation was started after AOM injection. Consistently, γT but not mixed tocopherols attenuated DSS (1.5%)-induced colon inflammation and damage as well as formation of atypical glandular hyperplasia. Mice supplemented with tocopherols had high fecal excretion of 13'-carboxychromanol, a long-chain vitamin E metabolite shown to have potent anti-inflammatory activities. Our study demonstrates that γT is able to alleviate moderate but not severe colitis and its promoted tumorigenesis, and indicates that inflammation severity should be considered in evaluating anticancer effectiveness of chemoprevention agents.
Location, location, location: The many addresses of memory formation

Memory formation, like real estate, can be summarized succinctly-location, location, location. It is an emergent property involving different anatomical regions in the brain, sets of neuronal circuits, and cellular and molecular interactions between and within those neurons. At each of these levels of description, location continues to be a major organizing principle guiding researchers. The difficulty in the field is the integration of information between the various levels of analyses, and it is proposed that molecular reporters may help to fill that void.
Synthesis of the celogentin C right-hand ring.

Synthesis of the cyclic tetrapeptide comprising the right-hand ring of celogentin C, a potent inhibitor of tubulin polymerization, has been accomplished. A mild oxidative coupling reaction permitted construction of the indole−imidazole linkage via a convergent union of two fully functionalized dipeptides. A high-yielding macrolactamization and subsequent deprotection of the N-terminus furnished the target compound.
Longitudinal trends in gasoline price and physical activity: the CARDIA study.

Objective To investigate longitudinal associations between community-level gasoline price and physical activity (PA).
Monoenomycin: A Simplified Trienomycin A Analogue that Manifests Anticancer Activity

Macrocyclic natural products are a powerful class of lead-like chemical entities. Despite commonly violating Lipinski's "rule of 5", these compounds often demonstrate superior drug-like physicochemical and pharmacokinetic attributes when compared to their acyclic counterparts. However, the elaborate structural architectures of such molecules require rigorous synthetic investigation that complicates analogue development and their application to drug discovery programs. To circumvent these limitations, a conformation-based approach using limited SAR and molecular modeling was implemented to design simplified analogues of trienomycin A, in which the corresponding analogues could be prepared in a succinct manner to rapidly identify essential structural components necessary for biological activity. Trienomycin A is a member of the ansamycin family of natural products that possesses potent anticancer activity. These studies revealed a novel trienomycin A analogue, monoenomycin, which manifests potent anticancer activity.
Visualizing PKA dynamics in a learning center.

Gervasi et al. report in this issue of Neuron that the mushroom bodies in Drosophila , a critical center for olfactory memory formation, have spatially restricted PKA activity in response to specific neuromodulators. The dunce cAMP-phosphodiesterase and rutabaga adenylyl cyclase genes are necessary for two key properties of PKA dynamics in these neurons.
Visceral Neuropathy and Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction in a Murine Model of a Nuclear Inclusion Disease

Background & Aims: Intestinal dysmotility is a component of many neurodegenerative disorders, including some characterized by neuronal intranuclear inclusions. PrP-SCA7-92Q transgenic mice phenocopy many aspects of the human polyglutamine neurodegenerative disorder spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7). The enteric neuropathology of PrP-SCA7-92Q mice was investigated after observing that they develop signs of intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Methods: Gastrointestinal transit of radio-opaque pellets through presymptomatic and symptomatic PrP-SCA7-92Q mice and nontransgenic littermates was compared. Gross, microscopic, and ultrastructural studies were conducted, along with histologic and whole mount immunohistochemistry, to identify intranuclear inclusions and quantify subsets of enteric neurons. Immunoblot analysis was performed to confirm selective loss of particular neuronal populations. Results: A subset of cholinergic enteric ganglion cells in PrP-SCA7-92Q mice harbor nuclear inclusions composed of transgene-derived ataxin-7, which contains a pathogenic polyglutamine expansion. These animals die between 15 and 20 weeks of age with intestinal distension and enterocolitis. Signs of disease are preceded by selective loss of nitric oxide synthase-positive neurons (which lack nuclear inclusions), loss of nerve fibers in the myenteric nerve plexus, and delayed gastrointestinal transit. Cholinergic neurons, including those with inclusions, are spared. Conclusions: PrP-SCA7-92Q mice may be useful models for human intestinal pseudoobstruction, particularly visceral neuropathies with neuronal intranuclear inclusions. Loss of inclusion-free inhibitory neurons supports the hypothesis that inclusions may be neuroprotective or coincidental, as opposed to harbingers of neuron death. Because enteric neuropathology in PrP-SCA7-92Q animals is easily missed by routine histopathology, quantitative immunohistochemical approaches may be required to recognize analogous forms of human enteric neuropathy.
Effects of composts and soil amendments on soil microflora and Phytophthora root and crown rot of bell pepper

Abstract Three field tests were established at Boynton Beach, Florida during 1992–1995, to evaluate various composts and soil amendments incorporated into the top 20 cm of beds for control of Phytophthora root and crown rot of bell pepper caused by Phytophthora capsici. Test plots were treated with one of the following: chitosan, crab shell waste, humate, municipal solid waste, perennial peanuts, seed peanuts, sewage sludge-yard trimming (SY), and wood chips. Untreated plots served as controls. Soil populations of five microbial functional groups and total microbial activity were monitored by measuring fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis analysis. Two plantings (11 September and 16 November 1995) of cv. Boynton Belle were evaluated in each test. Chitosan (0.2%, w/v) reduced disease incidence and severity compared with controls in one test. Perennial peanuts reduced disease incidence and severity of Phytophthora root and crown rot in another test. Several treatments, especially SY and wood chips, increased total microbial activity and soil populations of certain microbial functional groups, some of which were negatively correlated with disease incidence and severity.
Nutrient depletion as a proxy for microbial growth in Deepwater Horizon subsurface oil/gas plumes

The Deepwater Horizon accident resulted in a substantial uncontrolled hydrocarbon release to the northern Gulf of Mexico, much of which was entrained in deep submerged plumes. While bio-degradation of the hydrocarbons has been inferred from microbial biomass and genetics, the amount of conversion of oil and gas carbon to biomass remains uncertain having only been estimated in modeling studies. Here we examine correlated depletions of nitrate, phosphate and oxygen in the submerged plumes and conclude that a substantial portion of hydrocarbons in these plumes was converted to biomass (0.8?2???1010?mol C). This contrasts with nutrient-limited surface waters where other work has suggested hydrocarbon-induced microbial growth to have been minimal. Our results suggest the need for better monitoring of changes in nutrients as well as study of nutrient recycling in similar future hydrocarbon releases.
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Position Statement and Commentary on the Use of Palliative Sedation in Imminently Dying Terminally Ill Patients

This paper was written by Timothy W. Kirk, PhD, and Margaret M. Mahon, PhD, RN, FAAN, on behalf of the Palliative Sedation Task Force of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) Ethics Committee. Members of the Palliative Sedation Task Force were Timothy W. Kirk, PhD (Chair), Kathleen Bliss, MSN, RN, CHA, Pamela Dalinis, MA, BSN, RN, Margaret M. Mahon, PhD, RN, FAAN, Martha McCusker, MD, FACP, W. Brian Guthrie, MD, Marian Silverman, PhD, RN, CHPN, and Joseph Wadas, STL. This paper was approved by the NHPCO Ethics Committee in October 2009 and the NHPCO Board of Directors in December 2009. Creation of this manuscript was not supported by external funding. All members of the NHPCO Ethics Committee are volunteer members. Address correspondence to: Timothy W. Kirk, PhD, Department of History and Philosophy, CUNYdYork College, 94-20 Guy R Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11451, USA. E-mail: timothy.kirk@york.cuny.edu
Makeflow: a portable abstraction for data intensive computing on clusters, clouds, and grids

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in languages and systems for large scale distributed computing. Unfortunately, most systems available to the end user use a custom description language tightly coupled to a specific runtime implementation, making it difficult to transfer applications between systems. To address this problem we introduce Makeflow, a simple system for expressing and running a data-intensive workflow across multiple execution engines without requiring changes to the application or workflow description. Makeflow allows any user familiar with basic Unix Make syntax to generate a workflow and run it on one of many supported execution systems. Furthermore, in order to assess the performance characteristics of the various execution engines available to users and assist them in selecting one for use we introduce Workbench, a suite of benchmarks designed for analyzing common workflow patterns. We evaluate Workbench on two physical architectures -- the first a storage cluster with local disks and a slower network and the second a high performance computing cluster with a central parallel filesystem and fast network -- using a variety of execution engines. We conclude by demonstrating three applications that use Makeflow to execute data intensive applications consisting of thousands of jobs.
Improved geographic information needed for Sub‐Saharan Africa, report notes

Geographic data can make a tremendous difference in understanding and managing natural resources in Africa, and U.S. assistance can help countries overcome enormous technological and financial hurdles in gaining and utilizing this data. These are two of the main conclusions of a 26 July report prepared by the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) in advance of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August and September in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Synthesis of benzofurans via palladium-promoted cyclization of ortho-substituted aryl allyl ethers

Abstract o -Iodo- or (chloromercurio)aryl allyl ethers undergo facile palladium-promoted cyclization to benzofurans.
The Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome: Genetics and Mechanism of Carcinogenesis

The nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder that predisposes to basal cell carcinomas of the skin, ovarian fibroma, and medulloblas-toma. Unlike many other hereditary disorders associated with cancer, it features widespread birth defects. Laboratoiy studies of radiation sensitivity and chromosome instability over the past 20 years have generally yielded negative or inconclusive results. Screening for allelic loss in sporadic and hereditary basal cell carcinomas, hereditary ovarian fibromas, and sporadic medulloblastomas provided evidence for a tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 9q important in all three tumor types. Demonstration of a constitutional chromosome 9q deletion in an unusual patient with this syndrome and genetic linkage studies in large kindreds indicated that the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome gene maps to the same location lost in tumors. These data indicate that tumors arise with homozygous inactivation of the gene and imply that it normally functions a...
A Comparative Cost-Effectiveness Study of Two Treatment Modalities for Ragweed Hay Fever:

The cost of treatment for ragweed hay fever can vary considerably. The newer classes of antihistamines are purported to be effective and without major side effects, but they are costly. This study ...
Renal infarction secondary tofibrous dysplasia and aneurysm formation of renal artery

Abstract We report a case of a previously healthy forty-year-old man with bilateral renalartery stenosis secondary to bilateral medial fibrous dysplasia. He was additionally found to have a dissecting aneurysm of the left upper renal artery branch with resultant infarction of the upper and middle pole renal segments. We believe renal infarction secondary to medial fibrous dysplasia with occlusion of the renal artery associated with a dissecting aneurysm has not been reported, and we report the first such case. A multimodality treatment approach was utilized.