cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and comparative mechanistic studies of an endogenous inhibitor of maize RNA polymerase.

Abstract 1. A low molecular weight inhibitor of maize DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (nucleoside triphosphate: RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.6) has been purified to chromatographic homogeneity from a high-speed supernatant fraction which also contains the soluble enzyme. 2. Chemical characterization of the inhibitor has revealed the presence of an aromatic nucleus which apparently contains an attached —COOH group and one or more sulfur-containing side chains. 3. Studies using known inhibitors of RNA polymerase for comparative purposes demonstrated that the maize inhibitor acts much the same as α-amanitin in its ability to interrupt polymerization. Initiation by maize RNA polymerase was greatly enhanced in the presence of the maize inhibitor. 4. On the basis of resistance to rifamycins and inhibition by α-aminitin, the soluble maize RNA polymerase was shown to be equivalent to the nucleoplasmic RNA polymerase II of animals.
Epidemiology and Treatment of Trichomoniasis

Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common nonviral sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. It was once thought to be a nuisance STI, but it is now being recognized as an important source of reproductive morbidity and a facilitator of HIV transmission and acquisition, and thus it is an important public health problem. The prevalence of T. vaginalis varies greatly by geography and risk group, but is more common among persons of African descent and appears to increase with age, though this may be a screening phenomenon. Wet mount and culture are simple diagnostics, but have lower sensitivity than nucleic acid amplification techniques presently approved for women only. Single dose (2 g) metronidazole (MTZ) for both the index patient and their sexual partners is the preferred treatment. High rates of retest positivity are found after single-dose treatment which are likely due to clinical resistance rather than re-infection and/or drug resistance.
The influence of stoichiometry on compression creep of uranium dioxide single crystals

Hyperstoichiometric uranium dioxide single crystal specimens have been creep tested in compression as a function of temperature, stress and composition. The dependence of steady-state creep rates on stress and temperature varies with O/U ratio. At a stress of 10 000 psi creep activation energies decrease from 135 kcal/mole to 57 kcal/mole as the O/U ratio increased from “stoichiometric” to 2.062. For O/U values above 2.001 creep rates can be fit by a power law stress dependence of the form g3 ∝ σn where n ≈ 17. At lower O/U levels n decreases to a value of 7. In the stoichiometry region of constant stress exponent, creep rates increase with the square of the oxygen excess (.e ∝ x2) where a; is given by UO2+x. At high temperatures (above 1250 °C) and low stress levels (whose values depend on stoichiometry) creep rates for UO2+x single crystals have been found to vary linearly with stress. In this region creep rates are nearly independent of O/U ratio, and at a stress of 3 000 psi the activation energies for creep are approximately 130 kcal/mole for “stoichiometric” UO2 and UO2.01.
Lipopolysaccharide stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis via activation of nuclear respiratory factor-1.

Exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vivo damages mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and interferes with mitochondrial transcription and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Because this damage accompanies oxidative stress and is reversible, we postulated that LPS stimulates mtDNA replication and mitochondrial biogenesis via expression of factors responsive to reactive oxygen species, i.e. nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) and mitochondrial transcription factor-A. In testing this hypothesis in rat liver, we found that LPS induces NRF-1 protein expression and activity accompanied by mRNA expression for mitochondrial transcription factor-A, mtDNA polymerase gamma, NRF-2, and single-stranded DNA-binding protein. These events restored the loss in mtDNA copy number and OXPHOS gene expression caused by LPS and increased hepatocyte mitotic index, nuclear cyclin D1 translocation, and phosphorylation of pro-survival kinase, Akt. Thus, NRF-1 was implicated in oxidant-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis to provide OXPHOS for proliferation. This implication was tested in novel mtDNA-deficient cells generated from rat hepatoma cells that overexpress NRF-1. Depletion of mtDNA (rhoo clones) diminished oxidant production and caused loss of NRF-1 expression and growth delay. NRF-1 expression and growth were restored by exogenous oxidant exposure indicating that oxidative stress stimulates biogenesis in part via NRF-1 activation and corresponding to recovery events after LPS-induced liver damage.
Computer simulation of control processes of ship power plant auxiliary systems

In the paper a way of forming numerical models of some ship power plant systems is presented, which makes it possible to monitor work of the entire system, control it, simulate failures and analyse phenomena occuring within the entire system. Particular elements of a simulated system are modeled by using theoretical description of physical phenomena occurring in it. Final result of such simulation obtained from a synthesis of basic elements is presented, as an example, for B672 ship systems.
Self-adaptive multimodal-interruption interfaces

This work explores the use of ambient displays in the context of interruption. A multimodal interface was created to communicate with users by using two ambient channels for interruption: heat and light. These ambient displays acted as external interruption generators designed to get users attention away from their current task; playing a game on a desktop computer. It was verified that the disruptiveness and effectiveness of interruptions varies with the interruption modality used to interrupt. The thermal modality produced a larger decrease in performance and disruptiveness on a task being interrupted than the visual modality. Our results set the initial point in providing the theory behind future self-adaptive multimodal-interruption interfaces that will employ users individual physiological responses to each interruption modality and dynamically select the modality based on effectiveness and performance metrics
Material considerations for optical interfacing to the nervous system

Optical neural interfaces offer several advantages over electrophysiological methods in both clinical and experimental applications. Optical stimulation techniques exhibit high spatial selectivity, do not create electrical artifacts, and allow for stimulation of specific neuronal populations. Calcium- and voltage-sensitive dyes can probe neuronal and astrocytic signaling at both single cell and network scales, and miniature optical sensors can measure a variety of physiological signals in situ. However, optical neural interfaces must be robust, safe, and effective over long periods of time in order to be acceptable for use in human patients. In this article, we draw the attention of the materials science community to the need for a new generation of materials that have the necessary optical performance and, at the same time, conform to the constraints placed on implanted devices in terms of size, relevant mechanical properties, and biocompatibility, providing some examples of recent advancements in the field.
Liberal Neutrality: A Reinterpretation and Defense†

AFTER a brief ascendancy in the 1970s and 1980s, the idea of liberal neutrality has fallen out of favor in recent years. A growing chorus of liberal writers has joined anti-liberal critics in arguing that there is something confused and misguided about the insistence that the state be neutral between rival conceptions of the good. Assuming we can even make sense of the idea of neutrality, these writers contend, it is a mistake to think that there is anything in liberal principles that commits the liberal state to neutrality. With a number of former neutralists softening their support for the idea, the rejection of neutrality is quickly becoming a consensus position, even amongst liberal political philosophers. According to one writer, all that remains to be done is an “autopsy” on the idea of state neutrality. Much of the critique of neutrality has proceeded on the basis of four assumptions. The first contrasts neutrality with perfectionism. To defend state neutrality is to deny that the state can legitimately use its power to encourage ways of life that it supposes to be valuable or to discourage ones that it regards
Theory of an optical pulse generator

The theory of an optical pulse generator, consisting of a solid-state laser with a saturable absorber at one end of the cavity, is considered in some detail. Equations are obtained using third-order perturbation theory for the nonlinear medium and Maxwell's equations for the cavity which describe the behavior of the absorber in bringing the modes into phase alignment. Using simplifying assumptions, it is shown that short pulses are a solution of these equations and that they are a stable solution, provided that the dye fluorescence decay time is sufficiently short. We discuss the ability of the device to mode-lock when opposed by dispersion within the cavity. Computer solutions of the full equations for nine coupled modes are obtained, which demonstrate the development of the pulse in real time, and show the effects of cavity dispersion and long dye fluorescence decay time. A suggestion for a shaped-pulse generator is presented. The limitations of this theory, the most stringent of which being the restriction to the regime of validity of perturbation theory, are discussed.
Melanism of Coyotes (Canis latrans) in Florida

Abstract Occurrence of melanism in the coyote (Canis latrans) has been poorly documented. We collected 244 coyote carcasses throughout Florida during 2011–2014 and documented 18 cases of melanism (7.4%). Melanistic individuals were positively correlated with tree canopy cover (βcanopy mean = 0.11, se = 0.03, P < 0.001) and consequently observed only in northern portions of Florida. However, geographic trends (e.g., northing, easting, north-westing) did not explain variation in our data as well as habitat. Melanism varied through space from locally abundant to absent, but the drivers perpetuating variation in frequency of melanism are likely complex as the mechanisms for polymorphic maintenance are unclear.
Structural Basis for Promoter −10 Element Recognition by the Bacterial RNA Polymerase σ Subunit

The key step in bacterial promoter opening is recognition of the -10 promoter element (T(-12)A(-11)T(-10)A(-9)A(-8)T(-7) consensus sequence) by the RNA polymerase σ subunit. We determined crystal structures of σ domain 2 bound to single-stranded DNA bearing-10 element sequences. Extensive interactions occur between the protein and the DNA backbone of every -10 element nucleotide. Base-specific interactions occur primarily with A(-11) and T(-7), which are flipped out of the single-stranded DNA base stack and buried deep in protein pockets. The structures, along with biochemical data, support a model where the recognition of the -10 element sequence drives initial promoter opening as the bases of the nontemplate strand are extruded from the DNA double-helix and captured by σ. These results provide a detailed structural basis for the critical roles of A(-11) and T(-7) in promoter melting and reveal important insights into the initiation of transcription bubble formation.
Visual feedback distortion in a robotic environment for hand rehabilitation

Robotic therapy offers a means of enhancing rehabilitation for individuals with chronic stroke or traumatic brain injury. The present research targets members of this population who demonstrate learned nonuse, a tendency to use affected limbs below the level of the individual’s true capability. These individuals may not strive for difficult goals in therapy, which ultimately hampers their progress and the outcome of rehabilitation. Our research uses a paradigm called visual feedback distortion in which the visual feedback corresponding to force or distance is gradually changed by an imperceptible amount to encourage improved performance. Our first set of experiments was designed to assess the limits of imperceptible distortion for visual feedback concerning the force exerted or the distance moved by the index finger. A second set of experiments used these limits to gradually distort visual feedback in order to manipulate a subject’s force or distance response. Based on this work, we designed a paradigm applying visual feedback distortion to the rehabilitation of individuals with chronic stroke and traumatic brain injury. Initial tests are reported for two subjects who participated in a six-week rehabilitation protocol. Each patient followed visual feedback distortion to levels of performance above that predicted by her performance during an initial assessment. Both patients showed functional improvements after participating in the study. Visual feedback distortion may provide a way to help a patient move beyond his or her self-assessed “best” performance, improving the outcome
Markup Pricing in Mergers and Acquisitions

This paper studies the relation between the premiums in takeover bids involving exchange-listed target firms from 1975-91 and the pre-announcement stock price runups. The evidence shows that the pre-bid runup and the postannouncement increase in the target’s stock price (the “markup”) are generally uncorrelated. With little substitution between the runup and the markup, the runup is an added cost to the bidder. This finding has important implications for assessing the costs of insider trading. It also raises interesting questions about the role of information from public capital markets in private takeover negotiations.
A system for the automated processing of ion channel data

Software which emulates an adaptive sixteen-level sampler is discussed. The software was applied to the thresholding analysis of ion channel data. Its utility for data compression is demonstrated for real-time applications. >
Second addendum to the synoptic review of red algal genera

The fourth addendum to Schneider and Wynne’s 2007 “A synoptic review of the classification of red algal genera a half century after Kylin’s 1956 ‘Die Gattungen der Rhodophyceen’” is presented, covering the names of genus- and higher-level taxa added or modified since our third addendum (Bot. Mar. 59: 397–404). Since that synopsis, we added 21 new genera in a first addendum, 27 in the second, and 40 in the third, demonstrating the increasing amount of genetic work over more than a decade. In this fourth addendum, we add 58 new genera to the list of red algae as well as many new taxa in the hierarchical framework over the past 3 years. Based upon molecular sequencing, other genera reinstated from synonymy studies are included.
Building Energy Performance Analytics on Cloud as a Service

Reducing energy consumption, improving energy efficiency, and reducing greenhouse gas GHG emissions are among the most important initiatives in today's world. Occupied buildings consume a substantial amount of energy, mounting to about 40% of overall energy consumption in most countries. The majority of the world's population either lives or works in buildings; therefore, everybody can contribute in reducing energy consumption, controlling GHG emissions, and mitigating climate change and its potential impact. We developed an analytical tool that can assist building owners, facility managers, operators, and tenants of buildings in assessing, benchmarking, diagnosing, tracking, forecasting, simulating, and optimizing energy consumption in building portfolios. Furthermore, for greater dissemination, we have made this analytic service available on demand in a flexible cloud environment. Cloud is an efficient and effective medium to provide building energy analytics capability to various functions and people in a variety of roles in buildings without investing a substantial amount of money in hardware, software, and information technology infrastructure. We present results of the building energy analytics developed for K--12 public school buildings and a commercial office building complex.
Outcome of plasmapheresis in myasthenia gravis: Delayed therapy is not favorable

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare the in-hospital mortality and complication rates after early and delayed initiation of plasma exchange (PLEX) in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). Methods: Our cohort was identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for the years 2000 through 2005. Early treatment was defined as therapy with PLEX administered within the first 2 days from hospital admission. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed. Results: One thousand fifty-three patients were treated and included in the analysis. A delay in receiving PLEX was associated with higher mortality (6.56% vs. 1.15%, P < 0.001) and increased complications (29.51% vs. 15.29%, P < 0.001). Adjusted analysis showed increased mortality (odds ra- tio (OR) 2.812; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.119-7.069) and complications (OR 1.672; 95% CI 1.118-2.501) with delayed PLEX therapy. Conclusions: Delaying PLEX therapy for MG by more than 2 days after admission may lead to higher mortality and complication rates, and thus prompt therapy is warranted. Muscle Nerve 43: 578-584, 2011
Putative Regulation of Expression of Members of the Ets Variant 4 Transcription Factor Family and Their Downstream Targets in the Rat Epididymis

Several genes expressed in the initial segment of the epididymis depend on factors from the testis that reach the epididymis via the luminal system. These include gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase mRNA IV (Ggt_pr4), steroid 5 alpha reductase (Srd5a1), glutathione peroxidase 5 (Gpx5), and cystatin-related epididymal spermatogenic (Cst8) genes. Promoter analyses indicated that these genes contain several ETS DNA-binding sites. Members of the polyomavirus enhancer activator 3 (ETV4) family bind to ETS sites on the promoter of target genes to regulate transcription. In this study, the role of ETV4 family members (ETV4, ETV5, ETV1) in the transcription of initial segment specific genes was evaluated. All three ETV4 family mRNAs are expressed in the principal cells of the initial segment and depend upon the presence of testicular luminal fluid factors. ETV4 protein was localized to principal cell nuclei and displayed the highest expression in the most proximal region of the initial segment. In addition, ETV4 protein levels were diminished after loss of testicular luminal fluid factors. A dominant-negative construct of ETV5 was in vivo electroporated into the initial segment to determine if ETV4 family members can regulate the transcription of testicular luminal fluid factor-regulated genes. Quantitative PCR indicated that 1 day postelectroporation, all three ETV4 family member mRNAs were significantly decreased. In addition, Ggt_pr4, Srd5a1, and Gpx5 mRNA levels were also significantly decreased. The data suggest that ETV4 family members regulate their own expression, and that they regulate transcription of a subset of genes that are dependent upon testicular luminal fluid factors.
Effects of system nonlinearities on posture adjustments using functional neuromuscular stimulation

A real-time simulation of a musculoskeletal model has been implemented to facilitate the development of a functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) standing system that provides the user with the ability to make adjustments to posture. The system has been developed as a platform to investigate the effects of nonlinearities on posture adjustment capability and to explore strategies for using adaptive filters to improve system performance. The standing spinal cord injured subject is modeled as an inverted pendulum with a single degree of freedom. The simulation user operates a standard computer input device to differentially control the stimulation applied to a pair of muscles in order to balance the system model. Visual feedback is provided by a real-time display on the computer monitor. The system provides the option of simulating various muscle models ranging in complexity from instantaneous torque generators to models that include nonlinear recruitment, muscle activation dynamics, muscle activation delay, torque-angle, and torque-velocity properties. In addition, the system includes real-time nonlinear adaptive filters designed to linearize the input/output properties as seen by the user. This simulation system is currently being used in studies to develop and evaluate improved systems for FNS standing and maneuvering.
The Ivomec SR Bolus for control of Boophilus annulatus (Acari: Ixodidae) on cattle in South Texas.

When Hereford heifers infested with Boophilus annulatus (Say) were treated with a single Ivomec SR Bolus, the concentration of ivermectin in the serum of the treated cattle reached a maximum of 8.8 ± 0.9 ppb at 2 wk posttreatment. The single bolus treatment resulted in 84.4% control of standard engorging B. annulatus females on treated cattle over the 20-wk trial. Although fewer engorged ticks were collected from the sentinel heifers exposed in the treated pasture than those in the control pasture at weeks 4, 10, and 16 posttreatment, none of the differences was statistically significant. Each exposure of sentinel cattle found free-living ticks in both the treated and control pastures, indicating the infestation was not eliminated by the treatment. When the trial was repeated using two Ivomec SR Boluses/heifer, the concentration of ivermectin in the serum of the treated cattle reached a maximum level of 31.2 ± 3.9 ppb at week 13 posttreatment. The use of two boluses/heifer resulted in 99.6% control of standard engorging B. annulatus females over the 20-wk trial. No ticks were found on sentinels placed in the treated pasture after week 9 posttreatment, an indication that the treatment had eliminated the free-living population in the treated pasture. From these studies, we conclude that a single Ivomec SR Bolus is incapable of sufficient control of B. annulatus to meet the rigid requirements of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program in South Texas. Although two boluses per animal did eliminate the ticks from treated heifers and the pasture they were in, the treatment would not be sufficiently efficacious for mature cattle (>400 kg) for it to be useful in the program.
Using Ambulatory Electrocardiography During Recovery From Cardiac Surgery

diac monitoring may need to expand from the hospital to the home. We just completed a study in which we used intermittent loop recorders, a type of ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) device, to examine the incidence, timing, and symptoms of and risk factors for postoperative atrial fibrillation. In this article, we describe ambulatory ECG, discuss how we used this technique to monitor for atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery, and present examples of 2 patients whose atrial fibrillation was detected by using ambulatory ECG.
Vitamin D and bone health among people with epilepsy

Both adults and children with epilepsy are at high risk for poor bone health, with associated osteopenia and fractures. Epilepsy has consistently been associated with low vitamin D levels, a key indicator of bone health. Many anticonvulsant medications, such as phenytoin and carbamazepine, induce hepatic CYP450 enzymes, resulting in accelerated vitamin D metabolism. This might be the mechanism by which some epilepsy treatments decrease vitamin D levels. However, even medications which result in less-potent CYP450 induction (e.g. oxcarbazepine), or inhibit hepatic enzymes (e.g. valproate), have been associated with abnormal vitamin D levels and poor bone health. Data are lacking for many of the newer anticonvulsant medications. Although vitamin D is only one among many risk factors for abnormal bone mineral density, it is a modifiable risk factor for people with epilepsy. We suggest guidelines for screening and treatment of vitamin D insufficiency for people with epilepsy.
Titin strain contributes to the Frank–Starling law of the heart by structural rearrangements of both thin- and thick-filament proteins

The Frank-Starling mechanism of the heart is due, in part, to modulation of myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity by sarcomere length (SL) [length-dependent activation (LDA)]. The molecular mechanism(s) that underlie LDA are unknown. Recent evidence has implicated the giant protein titin in this cellular process, possibly by positioning the myosin head closer to actin. To clarify the role of titin strain in LDA, we isolated myocardium from either WT or homozygous mutant (HM) rats that express a giant splice isoform of titin, and subjected the muscles to stretch from 2.0 to 2.4 μm of SL. Upon stretch, HM compared with WT muscles displayed reduced passive force, twitch force, and myofilament LDA. Time-resolved small-angle X-ray diffraction measurements of WT twitching muscles during diastole revealed stretch-induced increases in the intensity of myosin (M2 and M6) and troponin (Tn3) reflections, as well as a reduction in cross-bridge radial spacing. Independent fluorescent probe analyses in relaxed permeabilized myocytes corroborated these findings. X-ray electron density reconstruction revealed increased mass/ordering in both thick and thin filaments. The SL-dependent changes in structure observed in WT myocardium were absent in HM myocardium. Overall, our results reveal a correlation between titin strain and the Frank-Starling mechanism. The molecular basis underlying this phenomenon appears not to involve interfilament spacing or movement of myosin toward actin but, rather, sarcomere stretch-induced simultaneous structural rearrangements within both thin and thick filaments that correlate with titin strain and myofilament LDA.
Normative Organizational Commitment and its Effects on Employee Retention

Given the strategic benefit of retaining employees, the need for identifying factors that drive employee retention has attracted the attention of both scholars and practitioners in the past few decades. Grounded on the self-determination theory of motivation, the purpose of this quantitative study with correlational design was to examine he relationship between normative commitment and turnover intention among healthcare internal auditors in the United States. The results of a correlational analysis using data from 92 healthcare internal auditors member of AHIA show a negative and significant relationship between normative commitment and turnover intention (r=- .248 , p=.03).
Wife abuse: Strategies for a therapeutic response

An alarming number of women seek help for abuse from the health care establishment. Yet research shows that all too often, professionals fail to identify abuse and are nontherapeutic. This paper provides theoretical and research evidence to explore the factors that account for the less than helpful response of nurses toward wife-abuse victims. A feminist lens is used to explore strategies that can enable nurses to deal effectively with this health care dilemma. Language: en
Modeling of Geographic Dependencies for Real Estate Ranking on Site Selection

With the development of new ways of collecting estate-related mobile data, there is a potential to leverage geographic dependencies of estates for enhancing estate appraisal. Indeed, the geographic dependencies of the investment value of an estate can be from the characteristics of its own neighborhood (individual), the values of its nearby estates (peer), and the prosperity of the affiliated latent business area (zone). To this end, in this dissertation, we propose a geographic method, named ClusRanking, for estate appraisal by leveraging the mutual enforcement of ranking and clustering power. ClusRanking is able to exploit geographic individual, peer, and zone dependencies in a probabilistic ranking model. Specifically, we first extract the geographic utility of estates from geography data, estimate the neighborhood popularity of estates by mining taxicab trajectory data, and model the influence of latent business areas. Also, we fuse these three influential factors and predict real estate investment value. Moreover, we simultaneously consider individual, peer and zone dependencies, and derive an estate-specific ranking likelihood as the objective function. Furthermore, we propose an improved method named CR-ClusRanking by incorporating checkin information as a regularization term which reduces the performance volatility of estate ranking system. Finally, we conduct a comprehensive evaluation with the real estate related data of Beijing, and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed methods.
Utopia as Discovery Process

In this brief paper, I build on a subtle and wrongly neglected conception of utopian consciousness to frame the work of two interesting contemporary utopian thinkers. I also contrast this lively intellectual experimentation with a prevalent fixation on the supposed loss of utopian possibilities. The points at issue may be summarized by the question: just what kind of place is utopia?
Equipment Loan: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report, CRADA Number CRD-07-250

Site-specific, long-term, continuous, and high-resolution measurements of solar irradiance are important for developing renewable resource data. These data are used for several research and development activities consistent with the NREL mission: establish a national 30-year climatological database of measured solar irradiances; provide high quality ground-truth data for satellite remote sensing validation; support development of radiative transfer models for estimating solar irradiance from available meteorological observations; provide solar resource information needed for technology deployment and operations.
Ab initio investigation of the thermal decomposition of n-butylcyclohexane.

Environmental and energy security concerns have motivated an increased focus on developing clean, efficient combustors, which increasingly relies on insight into the combustion chemistry of fuels. In particular, naphthenes (cycloalkanes and alkylcycloalkanes) are important chemical components of distillate fuels, such as diesel and jet fuels. As such, there is a growing interest in describing napthene reactivity with kinetic mechanisms. Use of these mechanisms in predictive combustion models aids in the development of combustors. This study focuses on the pyrolysis of n-butylcyclohexane (n-BCH), an important representative of naphthenes in jet fuels. Seven different unimolecular decomposition pathways of C–C bond fission were explored utilizing ab initio/DFT methods. Accurate reaction energies were computed using the high-level quantum composite G3B3 method. Variational transition state theory, Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus/master equation simulations provided temperature- and pressure-dependent rate cons...
Application of the New Education to the Differential and Integral Calculus

(1894). Application of the New Education to the Differential and Integral Calculus. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 15-19.
Pink Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): Further Tests with (Z,Z)-Isomer of Gossyplure

Effects of a single application of 78 g (AI)/ha of the (Z,Z)- isomer (89% pure) of gossyplure, the sex pheromone of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), or applications of conventional insecticides on trap catches and boll infestations by the moth, were compared in 2-ha fields of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. Traps were baited with 1 mg of 9:1, 3:1, or 1:1 ratios of (Z,Z)- to (Z,E)- isomers to monitor blend preferences of native and released male moths. Additional field plot tests were conducted to determine the effects of (Z,Z)- isomer on male moths surrounding a 0.6-ha treated plot and to compare the effects of treatments of gossyplure or (Z,Z)- isomer on trap catch for 2 mo after treatment. Trap catches in the field treated with (Z,Z)- isomer were reduced 97% in June and July compared with the insecticide-treated field, and males were primarily caught in traps baited with 9:1 ratio. Boll infestations were comparable in the two fields until the third month after treatment, when the field treated with (Z,Z)- isomer became heavily infested (35.0 compared with 1.0 pink bollworms per 50 bolls in late August). Recapture of males released 90 d after treatment in the field treated with (Z,Z)- isomer was reduced 95% compared with recapture in an untreated field. Males in the field surrounding a 0.6-ha block treated with (Z,Z)- isomer showed an altered response (50% of catch in traps baited with 9:1 ratio) to the maximum test distance of 214 m during a 2-wk period after treatment. Total trap catches of 18, 14, or 3,598 males per plot were obtained in other plots treated with (Z,Z)- isomer, gossyplure, or left untreated during a 2-mo period after treatment.
A Young Man With Progressive Language Difficulty and Early-Onset Dementia

A man in his late 40s presented with cognitive decline characterized by gradually increasing difficulty expressing his thoughts and ideas. His family noted word-finding difficulty, especially with the names of people, but no problems with his memory for recent events. Initial workup findings were unremarkable, but during the course of the next decade left anterior temporal atrophy was noted on magnetic resonance imaging and the patient developed increasing reasoning difficulty, apathy, and disinhibition. Several degenerative causes were considered. The patient died 22 years after symptom onset, and the final diagnosis was confirmed at autopsy.
Structure-function studies of FR-1. A growth factor-inducible aldo-keto reductase.

The aldo-keto reductase (AKR) gene superfamily represents a collection of proteins expressed in a wide variety of plants, animals, yeast, and procaryotic organisms. Most AKRs were originally identified as enzymes capable of catalyzing the NADPH-dependent reduction ofcarbonyl groups contained in a broad range ofsubstrates (Bachur, 1976). However, recent genetic studies mediated by genome and expression sequencing approaches have identified several new members of the AKR superfamily. Many of these new proteins are characterized by high sequence homology to AKR enzymes although little or no information is available about their potential catalytic activities. One such new protein, designated FR-1' was identified as the product of a gene upregulated in serum-starved mouse fibroblasts following treatment with fibroblast growth factor I (FGF-I) (Donohue et al., 1994). High amino acid sequence identity (-70%) was observed between FR-l and aldose reductase as well as other AKRs. Many amino acid residues known to contribute to the catalytic mechanism in other AKR enzymes including aldose reductase (AKRlBl), aldehyde reductase (AKRIAl) and 3a.-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (AKRIC9) are conserved in FR-l. These residues include Tyr-48, His-ll0, Lys-77 and Asp-43 (numbering is that of aldose reductase) (Barski et al., 1995; Pawlowski & Penning, 1994; Schlegel et aI., 1998;
A scientific note on the comparison of airborne volatiles produced by commercial bumble bee ( Bombus impatiens ) and honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) colonies

Investigators have shown (Stanghellini et al. 2000; Spiewok and Newman 2006; Hoffman et al. 2008) that commercial bumble bee (Bombus impatiens Cresson, Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies can serve as potential alternative hosts for the small hive beetle (SHB, Aethina tumida Murray, Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), a honey bee pest (Lundie 1940; Neumann and Elzen 2004; Ellis and Hepburn 2006). Using olfactory choice tests, Graham et al. (2011) found that SHB attraction to bumble bee colonies is chemically mediated. Since SHBs are attracted to bumble bee and honey bee colonies, we expected the volatile profiles produced by bumble bee and honey bee colony components to be similar. To test this, airborne volatiles produced by bumble bee and honey bee adults, brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae), honey, stored pollen (= bee bread), and wax were collected and analyzed. In June 2007, two commercial bumble bee (B. impatiens) quads (= eight colonies; Koppert Biological Systems, Inc., Romulus, MI) were established at the University of Florida’s Bee Biology Unit in Gainesville, FL (37.629′′29° N, 21.405′′82° W). Both quads consisted of four bumble bee colonies containing a reproductive queen, 200–250 workers, brood, and nesting material. Eight queenright honey bee colonies were housed in typical Langstroth style equipment at the University of Florida’s Bee Biology Unit in Gainesville, FL. Volatiles were collected from colony components using methods modified from Suazo et al. (2003). The colony components (adult bees, brood, honey, pollen, and wax) were extracted from eight bumble bee and eight honey bee colonies. The samples were placed in glass volatile collection chambers (3.8 L) by component and colony at the USDA-ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology (CMAVE, Gainesville, FL). All volatile collections were conducted in a controlled environmental chamber maintained without light and at an ambient temperature of ∼33 °C. Charcoal-filtered and humidified air, controlled by carboloy flowmeters, was passed through the volatile collection chambers and into SuperQ filters at a rate of 0.5 L/min. All component volatiles were collected for 14 h with the exception of brood volatiles that were collected for 7 h. The abbreviated time frame for volatile collection of brood was intended to avoid stressing the unattended brood, recognizing the fact that brood may still be stressed in the absence of adult workers. Adult bees were provisioned with a cotton wick saturated with a 50 % sugar water solution and an autoclaved steel mesh platform on which the adults could crawl to minimize stress. Volatiles trapped on the SuperQ filters were extracted by eluting the filter with 500 μL of methylene chloride. These samples were pooled by component and bee type and stored in a −70 °C freezer (Revco Scientific, Inc., Asheville, NC) at CMAVE until use. volatile / Bombus impatiens / bumble bee / Apis mellifera / honey bee / olfaction
Landscape and Inscription

This essay discusses the changing notions of landscape and nature at work in the video installation Mountain Pine Beetle and explores some of the forces that eventuated in the devastated landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West brought on by the infestation of the mountain pine beetle beginning in the early 2000s—an infestation caused, in no small part, by what some scientists have called a perfect storm of circumstances created by global warming. For this project, the landscape becomes a site of inscription of forces that operate both above and below human scales of perception and interaction with the landscape— forces that are at once geological, economic, and geopolitical. ver the past couple of years, we have been working on a suite of video installation projects based on different landscapes. The first in the series is set in the Central Flyway Migration Corridor of the southeast Texas coast on the Gulf of Mexico, near Houston, where we live, which in turn sits in the middle of one of the largest and most concentrated oil and petrochemical refining and shipping complexes in the world, which runs from the Port of Houston and the Houston Ship Channel to Galveston Bay and from there to the Gulf of Mexico. The second is set in and around Big Bend National Park in west Texas, on the Mexican border—a UNESCO biosphere reserve that is the size of the state of Rhode Island and the most remote place in the lower forty-eight states, sitting at the "big bend" of the Rio Grande. Big Bend is a dramatic landscape of animal and human migration, not only home to 430 species of birds and more than 50 endan- gered, threatened, and otherwise listed species but also a hot zone for human move- ment across the US-Mexico border—a perennially explosive political issue in the United States, particularly in states such as Texas and Arizona. The third in the series, the one we focus on here, Mountain Pine Beetle, is set in the radically altered mountain forests of Colorado after the mountain pine beetle infestation that began about twenty years ago, reaching devastating proportions in the mid- to late 2000s.
The effect of cilostazol on glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in a rat model of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Background It has been reported that many peripheral vasodilating drugs might improve insulin resistance. Cilostazol, a antithrombotic agent, increases peripheral blood flow in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients. The effect of cilostazol treatment on insulin resistance in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced non-insulin dependent diabetic Wistar rats was examined. Methods About a half of two-day old neonate siblings were injected intraperitoneally with STZ and maintained for six months, at which time they were compared with age-matched control rats for intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and for glucose infusion rate (GINF) in a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose-clamp study. After that, these studies were also performed after feeding rat chow containing cilostazol (100 mg/kg/day) to rats with STZ-induced non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus for four-weeks and compared with those of age-matched control rats. Results In the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test studies, plasma glucose levels of STZ-induced non-insulin dependent diabetic rats were significantly higher and plasma insulin levels significantly lower than those of age-matched control rats in the age of six months. Glucose infusion rate was lower in STZ-induced non-insulin dependent diabetic rats than those of age-matched control rats. However, after a four-week cilostazol treatment, glucose infusion rate of STZ-induced non-insulin dependent diabetic rats was not significantly different from that of control rats. Conclusion These findings suggested that cilostazol may improve insulin resistance in STZ-induced non-insulin dependent diabetic rats.
Comparison of methods for measuring polyphenols in beer

Mixtures containing various combinations of haze-active (HA) and non-HA polyphenols (tannic acid and epicatechin, respectively) and HA and non-HA proteins (water soluble hordein and lysozyme, respe...
Family Feedback and Programmatic Decision-Making: Responsiveness of Early Childhood Administrators

Although early childhood programs are encouraged to facilitate meaningful home-school collaboration, use of family feedback to inform programmatic decisions may be underutilized in practice. In a birth-five childcare program in the Northeastern United States, families rated level of satisfaction with and shared open-ended comments on eight aspects of the program anticipated to be observed at arrival/dismissal (e.g., class environment, teacher–teacher interactions, teacher–child interactions, teacher–family interactions) in an anonymous end-of-year survey (70% response rate). Program administrators then participated in a 90-min focus group to discuss aggregated findings. Content analysis revealed noteworthy insights regarding initial reactions and proposed recommendations. The program director noted which proposed changes were implemented several months later. Results and implications are discussed, including the importance of birth-five professionals seeking anonymous feedback from families, allotting dedicated time to reflect on and address concerns, and notifying families of specifically how their input is being used to inform programmatic improvements.
Cerebral Microvascular and Macrovascular Disease in the Aging Brain; Similarities and Differences

While the focus of this volume has been on a specific type of cerebral microvascular disease important in both ‘stroke’ and dementia, here we will consider non-CAA forms of vasculopathy. Specifically, similarities and differences between atherosclerosis and small artery lesions (arteriosclerosis/lipohyalinosis, CADASIL, Binswanger’s subcortical leukoencephalopathy, HERNS) will be discussed in terms of their clinicopathologic manifestations and putative cellular/molecular pathogenesis. Abnormal migration, proliferation, degeneration and response to injury of vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelium, pericytes and (less likely) macrophages may play a central role in causation of many forms of vasculopathy, including CAA. In vitro and animal (including transgenic) models may have a part in elucidating their origins and eventual treatment.
System reliability analysis with in-house and outsourced components

Outsourcing is a common practice for product development, but it also poses a challenge in system reliability prediction. Design details of outsourced components may not be available for system designers, making the system reliability prediction difficult. This paper discusses how to use a physics-based reliability approach to accurately predict system reliability for systems with both outsourced and in-house components. The accuracy is achieved by removing the assumption of independent component states. The idea is demonstrated with systems whose failures are caused by excessive loading. For system designers, physics-based limit-state functions are available for in-house components, and they also have reliability testing data provided by suppliers of outsourced components. Then system designers construct limit-state functions using the testing data for the outsourced components. With all the component limit-state functions available, the joint probability density function of the states of all the components in the system becomes available, resulting in accurate system reliability prediction. An engineering example is provided to demonstrate the proposed method.
Ethionine-Induced alterations of tRNA metabolism.

Ethionine, the ethyl analog of methionine, is a hepatoearcinogen when administered chronically in the diet to rats (Farber 1963). Studies with radioactive ethionine revealed that tRNA was the most extensively labeled nucleic acid species after ethionine administration (Farber et al. 1967). Further studies in recent years have led to extremely interesting findings concerning the effect of ethionine on tRNA metabolism.
DISLOCATION GENERATION AND ITS RELATION TO THE DYNAMIC PLASTIC RESPONSE OF SHOCK LOADED METALS

Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction have been used to examine shock-induced substructural changes in Mo, Mo-33Re, and Cu-8.7Ge. At a constant shock pulse amplitude of 20GPa, both the dislocation density and the volume fraction of deformation twins increase to a saturation value with shock pulse duration. These observations provide estimates of the dislocation generation rate, as well as information about the dependence of flow stress on strain rate for strain rates greater than 104s−1.
A Systems Approach to IPM Integration, Ecological Assessment and Resistance Management in Tree Fruit Orchards

Twentieth century Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was indisputably marked by the dominance of organophosphate (OP) insecticides for pest control in U.S., European, and Australasia specialty crop production (Perry et al. 1998, Ware and Whitecre 2004). Even though this early IPM period brought forth the concepts of economic thresholds, and robust pest monitoring and modeling (i.e. synthetic pheromones, traps, computers, systems engineering, etc.), once a control action was deemed necessary, the application of a lethal agent to kill the target pest followed before injury could occur (Metcalf 1980). This approach was successful in part because most conventional broad-spectrum insecticides, regardless of chemical class, carried a similar set of performance attributes, as all were fast-acting contact nerve poisons. Thus, the success of the organophosphates, carbamates and synthetic pyrethroids led to a narrow concept of pest control, and reduced the perceived need for scientific investigation for anything beyond the determination of acute toxic effects of insecticides on the target pest and beneficials. One notable exception to this concept was the emergence of pheromone-mediated control, which provided important new avenues in specialty crop IPM beyond chemical control tactics, and is likely to have expanded application in the twenty-first century (Gut et al. 2004).