cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assembly of Clathrin Baskets

The creation and internalization of small, protein-coated vesicles is a central factor in the uptake of materials from the surfaces of eucaryotic cells through a process known as receptor mediated endocytosis. Under appropriate in vitro conditions, the principal coat component, viz., clathrin, which is found in the cell as a trimer joined at a common hub, assembles into polyhedral 'baskets' ('cages') containing pentagonal and hexagonal facets. These reconstituted cages have the appearance of miniscule soccer-ball like structures. Their sizes vary over a finite range whose limits depend on the presence or absence of ancillary proteins ('assembly proteins') that are known to increase the tendency for the baskets to form. By fitting data on basket size distributions to simple energetic (thermodynamic) models, one is able to estimate mechanical properties of the clathrin constituents of the baskets and infer the role of assembly proteins in strengthening interactions between the clathrin components of the struts that constitute the edges of the baskets.
Treatment of periocular capillary hemangiomas.

Abstract Purpose To report the results of a survey of the members of the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) regarding the treatment of periocular capillary hemangiomas. Methods A survey was delivered to the 600 members of AAPOS. Surveys were returned via facsimile. Results were collected in a computerized spreadsheet and then tabulated and analyzed. Results Of the 600 AAPOS members, 225 responded to the survey. The results showed that intralesional steroid injection is the most commonly used treatment modality for periorbital capillary hemangiomas. Oral steroids and excision were also commonly used in the treatment of these lesions. Conclusions Further controlled studies are needed to determine which treatment modality offers the most benefit and least risk. More standardization based on these studies is necessary to improve treatment of periocular capillary hemangiomas.
Diameter dependence of carbon nanotube thermal conductivity and extension to the graphene limit

Using an exact numerical solution of the phonon Boltzmann equation, we demonstrate a nontrivial evolution with diameter of the intrinsic lattice thermal conductivity, $\ensuremath{\kappa}$, of a wide range of achiral and chiral single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) into that of graphene, ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{graphene}$. We find that $\ensuremath{\kappa}l{\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{graphene}$ for all but the smallest diameter SWCNTs and that $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ exhibits a minimum for modest diameters. This behavior results because the inherent curvature in SWCNTs violates a selection rule in graphene arising from its reflection symmetry, which strongly restricts phonon-phonon scattering in that system.
Fluorite-pyrochlore transformation in Eu2Zr2O7—direct calorimetric measurement of phase transition, formation and surface enthalpies

The energetics of the order-disorder phase transformation in the binary oxide system, Eu2O3–ZrO2, is studied by powder X-ray diffraction and high temperature drop solution calorimetry. The nanocrystalline defect fluorite phase of Eu2Zr2O7 is synthesized on crystallization of an amorphous precursor from aqueous precipitation. The defect fluorite transforms to an ordered pyrochlore above 1200 °C. Aerodynamic levitation combined with laser heating is used to prepare coarse defect fluorite, which is otherwise impossible by conventional synthesis techniques. Formation enthalpies from oxides are −62.4 ± 2.6 and −24.6 ± 3.7 kJ mol−1 for the pyrochlore and defect fluorite phase, respectively. The transformation enthalpy from pyrochlore to defect flourite in the coarse sample is 37.8 ± 3.1 kJ mol−1 at 25 °C. The enthalpy of water vapor adsorption on the surface of the nanocrystalline defect fluorite Eu2Zr2O7 is −75 ± 2.5 kJ mol−1 H2O for coverage of 9.5 ± 0.8 H2O/nm2. The calculated surface enthalpies for the anhydrous and hydrous surfaces of defect fluorite Eu2Zr2O7 are 1.47 ± 0.13 and 1.01 ± 0.15 J m−2, respectively.
Emergency department organ-donation card pilot study.

Abstract Objective To determine public attitudes about an emergency department (ED)–based organ-donor enrollment program. Method A total of 211 non–acutely ill patients treated in the ED of a 300-bed urban university hospital between November 1, 2004, and January 2, 2005, were asked to complete a survey. Surveys were obtained over six 4-hour daytime intervals. Results Of the 211 patients, 199 completed the survey and 12 refused. One hundred sixty-four patients (82%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 77%–88%) were interested in organ-donation information via the ED; 173 (87%; 95% CI, 82%–92%) approved of the ED providing organ-donation cards; and 82 (41%; 95% CI, 34%–48%) were current organ-donor cardholders. Of 117 patients who were not current organ-donor cardholders, 65 (56%; 95% CI, 46%–66%) stated that they would be willing to enroll in an ED-based organ-donor card program. Fifty-seven patients (49%, 95% CI, 39%–58%) were African American, and 35 of these (61%; 95% CI, 48%–74%) said they would obtain an organ-donor card via the ED. Overall, 137 of 199 patients (69%; 95% CI, 62%–75%) preferred ED organ donation information in written form, and the remainder preferred a personal interview or lecture. Conclusions An ED organ-donation enrollment program would be acceptable to patients and effective in capturing groups who currently do not have organ-donor cards.
Coloring a graph with Δ - 1 colors

Borodin and Kostochka conjectured that every graph G with maximum degree Δ ? 9 satisfies ? ? max { ω , Δ - 1 } . We carry out an in-depth study of minimum counterexamples to the Borodin-Kostochka conjecture. Our main tool is the identification of graph joins that are f -choosable, where f ( v ) ? d ( v ) - 1 for each vertex v . Such a join cannot be an induced subgraph of a vertex critical graph with ? = Δ , so we have a wealth of structural information about minimum counterexamples to the Borodin-Kostochka conjecture.Our main result proves that certain conjectures that are prima facie weaker than the Borodin-Kostochka conjecture are in fact equivalent to it. One such equivalent conjecture is the following: Any graph with ? = Δ = 9 contains K 3 ? K 6 ? as a subgraph.
Role of residues 363 and 206 in conversion of cytochrome P450 2B1 from a steroid 16-hydroxylase to a 15 alpha-hydroxylase.

Abstract Four double and four triple site-directed mutants of cytochrome P450 2B1 were constructed, expressed in COS cells, and assayed for androstenedione and testosterone hydroxylation. The mutants combined a Val-363 → Ala substitution with an Ile-114 → Val or Ala substitution and/or a Gly-478 → Ala or Ser substitution. Each of the individual mutations enhances androgen 15α-hydroxylation, and the appropriate combination of Val or Ala at position 114 with Ala or Ser at position 478 has recently been shown to convert P450 2B1 from an androstenedione and testosterone 16β-hydroxylase to a 15α-hydroxylase (Halpert, J. R., and He, Y.-A. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 4453-4457). All eight mutants containing the Val-363 → Ala substitution preferentially hydroxylated androstenedione and testosterone in the 15α-position and thus functionally resemble mouse P450 2A4. However, unlike P450 2A4, various single and multiple 2B1 mutants at positions 114, 363, and 478 mainly hydroxylated progesterone in the 16α- rather than 15α-position. By combining the Ile-114 → Ala substitution with a Phe-206 → Leu mutation (corresponding to Ala-117 and Leu-209 in P450 2A4), P450 2B1 was converted to a progesterone 15α-hydroxylase with retention of testosterone 15α-hydroxylase activity. These studies document the importance of residues 363 and 206 in determining the substrate specificity of P450 2B1 and strongly support the hypothesis that the judicious combination of a small number of discrete mutations can be used to confer new specificities on P450 enzymes.
Simultaneous analysis of the cyan, yellow and green fluorescent proteins by flow cytometry using single-laser excitation at 458 nm.

Background: Development of spectrally distinct green fluorescent protein (GFP) variants has allowed for simultaneous flow cytometric detection of two different colored mutants expressed in a single cell. However, the dual-laser methods employed in such experiments are not widely applicable since they require a specific, expensive laser, and single-laser analysis at 488 nm exhibits considerable spectral overlap. The purpose of this work was to evaluate detection of enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP) in combination with the enhanced green (EGFP) and enhanced yellow (EYFP) fluorescent proteins by flow cytometry. Methods: Cells transfected with expression constructs for EGFP, EYFP, or ECFP were analyzed by flow cytometry using excitation wavelengths at 458, 488, or 514 nm. Fluorescence signals were separated with a custom optical filter configuration: 525 nm shortpass and 500 nm longpass dichroics; 480/30 (ECFP), 510/20 (EGFP) and 550/30 (EYFP) bandpasses; 458 nm laser blocking filters. Results: All three fluorescent proteins when expressed individually or in combination in living cells were excited by the 458 nm laser line and their corresponding signals could be electronically compensated in real time. Conclusions: This method demonstrates the detection of three fluorescent proteins expressed simultaneously in living cells using single laser excitation and is applicable for use on flow cytometers equipped with a tunable argon ion laser. Cytometry 37:68–73, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The science of intentions and the intentions of science

Psychoanalysis is a special kind of science that needs to discover its systematic and scientific foundations on the grounds of its own being – the study of subjective life. In this essay, I describe how psychoanalysis is a ‘science of intentions’ and show how it can help us clarify the ‘intentions of science’ as we face a massive contemporary illusion: that we can understand our suffering through some version of biological determinism. Our methods of inquiry and our concerns and goals in psychoanalysis explicitly contrast with the assumptions and forms of investigation in biology, neuroscience, and physics. We cannot ground our work in studies of organic processes because we cannot ask or answer our questions through them. Copyright © 2003 Whurr Publishers Ltd
The homogenization of surfaces and boundaries

In this survey I would like to describe several homogenization issues that arise when considering surfaces, embedded in a periodic media, that satisfy some associated geometrical property like minimizing a “periodic area integral,” or that are an interphase of a flow, a flame, a drop, whose shape is influenced, again by the surrounding periodic media.
Evaluation of a portable bare-electrode amperometric analyzer for determining free chlorine in potable and swimming-pool waters

Abstract Chlorine in the forms of HOCl or ClO− was determined rapidly and precisely in the range from 0.10 to 3.0 ppm chlorine, without titration, using a bare-electrode portable amperometric analyzer. The instrument was calibrated with a 1.00 ppm chlorine standard solution or an equivalent permanganate solution which is stable for at least 6 months. The detection limit was 0.10 ppm chlorine, and relative standard deviations (N = 10) were Analysis of solutions of hypochlorite with ammonium chloride or selected organic nitrogen compounds indicated that various N-chloro compounds may interfere. In the presence of N-chloroglycine (2.70 ppm chlorine) the amperometric signal was about 5% of that for the equivalent concentration of hypochlorite, but higher relative responses were obtained with NH2Cl, NHCl2 or NCl3 (19, 42 and 70% at 2.60, 1.20 or 1.00 ppm chlorine respectively). Chlorinated urea (2.2 ppm N, 2.90 ppm chlorine), chlorinated bovine albumin (10 ppm albumin, 2.00 ppm chlorine) or monochloroisocyanurate (1.30 ppm chlorine) produced amperometric signals (76, Twenty potable water samples were analyzed for free chlorine by the DPD and amperometric procedures. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the two sets of results (P 0.005). This discrepancy was associated with the probable presence of chlorinated urea, whose signal by amperometry is lower than that by the DPD method. The advantages of this simple procedure must be weighed against possible inaccurate results in the presence of NH2Cl, NHCl2 or NCl3.
Bovine pericardium for dural grafts: clinical results in 35 patients.

OBJECTIVE : The United States Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the marketing of bovine pericardium as a dural graft material, but literature reports of this use are limited. Bovine pericardium has been widely used for grafts in cardiac surgery and seems to have suitable properties for use as a dural graft. We report the use of glutaraldehyde-processed bovine pericardium for dural grafts in 35 patients undergoing cranial and craniospinal operations with the objective of providing a clinical assessment of this material and technique. METHODS : This report is a retrospective analysis of 35 patients. All available records were reviewed and information regarding the indication for grafting, graft size, complications, and outcome were collected and analyzed for all patients. RESULTS : Indications for grafting included meningioma resection, posterior fossa craniotomy, Chiari decompression, dural-based metastases, and trauma. Outcomes were good or excellent in 32 patients ; the three fair or poor outcomes were not related to surgical closure. In no patient was the dural graft a significant factor in outcome. Bovine pericardium was found to be easily sutured to be watertight using standard suture material. The material is relatively inexpensive and requires no additional incision. It has low antigenicity and toxicity, good strength, and minimal elasticity. CONCLUSION : In this clinical assessment, bovine pericardium was found to be an excellent dural graft material.
Nativity and self-assessed health among pre-retirement age hispanics and non-hispanic whites

Economic, social and familial resources are known to influence subjective health assessments. We examine the salience of nativity in determining how these resources influence self-assessed health using a large, nationwide sample of Hispanic and non-Hispanic white adults. The results indicate that while education, accumulated assets and marital status benefit the physical and emotional health of the native and foreign-born, family resources and income are significant only for the native-born. English language proficiency is a significant protective factor for both groups and is especially protective for immigrants. These surprising findings call into question previous studies stressing the positive role of the family in maintaining immigrant health.
On the consistency of stationary Markov equilibria with an exogenous distribution

Abstract A technique to show the existence of stationary Markov equilibria is provided by Duffie, Geanakoplos, Mas-Colell and McLennan Econometrica 62 (1994) 745–781. In many applications, a state space is constructed as the product of a space of exogenous variables and a space of endogenous variables. In addition, the exogenous shock is given and is a Markov process with a transition probability and an initial distribution. Then their theorem does not ensure the existence of a stationary Markov equilibrium that is consistent with the exogenous distribution. In this paper, we give a sufficient condition for settling the inconsistency problem.
One-Bit Null Space Learning for MIMO underlay cognitive radio

We present a new algorithm, called the One-Bit Null Space Learning Algorithm (OBNSLA), for MIMO cognitive radio Secondary Users (SU) to learn the null space of the interference channel to the Primary User (PU). The SU observes a binary function that indicates whether the interference it inflicts on the PU has increased or decreased in comparison to the SU's previous transmitted signal. This function is obtained by listening to the PU's transmitted signal or control channel and extracting information from it about whether the PU's Signal to Interference plus Noise power Ratio has increased or decreased. In addition to introducing the OBNSLA, the paper provides a thorough convergence analysis of this algorithm. The OBNSLA is shown to have a linear convergence rate and an asymptotic quadratic convergence rate.
Personal Data Sheet-Year-Round Evaluating and Teaching Device

(1976). Personal Data Sheet-Year-Round Evaluating and Teaching Device. The Journal of Business Education: Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 47-47.
The NLRP12 Sensor Negatively Regulates Autoinflammatory Disease by Modulating Interleukin-4 Production in T Cells

SUMMARY Missense mutations in the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain containing family of gene 12 (Nlrp12) are associated with periodic fever syndromes and atopic dermatitis in humans. Here, we have demonstrated a crucial role for NLRP12 in negatively regulating pathogenic T cell responses. Nlrp12 / mice responded to antigen immunization with hyperinflammatory T cell responses. Furthermore, transfer of CD4 + CD45RB hi Nlrp12 / T cells into immunodeficient mice led to more severe colitis and atopic dermatitis. NLRP12 deficiency did not, however, cause exacerbated ascending paralysis during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE); instead, Nlrp12 / mice developed atypical neuroinflammatory symptoms that were characterized by ataxia and loss of balance. Enhanced T-cell-mediated interleukin-4 (IL-4) production promotes the development of atypical EAE disease in Nlrp12 / mice. These results define an unexpected role for NLRP12 as an intrinsic negative regulator of T-cell-mediated immunity and identify altered NF-kB regulation and IL-4 production as key mediators of NLRP12-associated disease.
The primary neutralization epitope of porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus strain VR-2332 is located in the middle of the GP5 ectodomain

Pigs infected with porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV) strain VR-2332 were found to generate high levels of antibodies (Abs) that bound in an indirect ELISA to synthetic peptides representing segments of the primary envelope glycoprotein (GP5) ectodomain of this virus. Use of overlapping GP5 ectodomain peptides of various length indicated that the epitope recognized by the Abs was located in the middle of the ectodomain (amino acids 36-52), in the same relative segment that contains the single linear neutralization epitope of the closely related mouse arterivirus, lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV). The VR-2332 GP5 segment exhibits 77% amino acid homology with the corresponding GP5 ectodomain segments of both the European PRRSV strain Lelystad virus (LV) and LDV. This explains some observed crossreaction between the pig Abs and neutralizing anti-LDV monoclonal Abs with peptides representing the GP5 ectodomains of VR-2332, LV and LDV. The GP5 binding Abs of pigs seem to be the primary PRRSV neutralizing Abs, since the well timed appearance in sera of all VR-2332 infected pigs of GP5 peptide binding Abs correlated 100% with the appearance of neutralizing Abs and earlier studies indicated that GP5 of PRRSV, like that of other arteriviruses, contains the main neutralization epitope of PRRSV. In addition, one neutralizing anti-LDV monoclonal Ab that is specific for the GP5 ectodomain epitope of LDV also strongly neutralized both PRRSV strains, VR-2332 and LV. The PRRSV GP5 epitope is associated with an N-glycan that is conserved in both PRRSV genotypes and all LDV isolates. This N-glycan may impede the humoral immune control of PRRSV in infected pigs and might be responsible for the low immunogenicity of PRRSV when injected into mice.
Silver nanoparticles and total aerosols emitted by nanotechnology-related consumer spray products

Products containing silver nanoparticles are entering the market rapidly, but little is known about the potential for inhalation exposure to nanosilver. The objectives of this work were to characterize the emissions of airborne particles from consumer products that claim to contain silver nanoparticles or ions, determine the relationship between emissions and the products’ liquid characteristics, and assess the potential for inhalation exposure to silver during product use. Three products were investigated: an antiodor spray for hunters, a surface disinfectant, and a throat spray. Products emitted 0.24–56 ng of silver in aerosols per spray action. The plurality of silver was found in aerosols 1–2.5 μm in diameter for two products. Both the products’ liquid characteristics and the bottles’ spray mechanisms played roles in determining the size distribution of total aerosols, and the size of silver-containing aerosols emitted by the products was largely independent of the silver size distributions in the liq...
Does Lorr's interpersonal style inventory measure the five-factor model?☆

Abstract The second-order factors of Lorr's Interpersonal Style Inventory (ISI) have been interpreted as measures of the five-factor model. To assess that hypothesis, 126 adult men and women completed the ISI and two measures of the model: the Revised NEO Personality Inventory and a set of adjective scales. Correlations showed significant agreement at the level of broad factors, and a joint factor analysis with individual ISI scales recovered the hypothesized five factors. However, several ISI scales loaded on different factors than would have been predicted from their classification in the ISI. Results confirm the generality of the five-factor model but underscore the need for detailed empirical analyses to confirm or qualify interpretations of scales in terms of the five-factor model.
Metabolic Syndrome and Prostate Cancer

performed a prospectiveanalysis of some components of MetS in 26 men with locallyadvanced or recurrent prostate cancer who were treated with 1 yearof leuprolide in addition to 1 month of bicalutamide at the initia-tion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist therapy. Asa group, these men had many components of MetS at baseline,including a mean waist-to-hip ratio of 0.95, a mean triglyceridelevel of 213 mg/dL, and an elevated systolic blood pressure of 134mm Hg. Several of the individuals would appear to have ﬁt theWHO deﬁnition of MetS, although important data such as fastingglucose and urinary albumin excretion were missing. During thestudy, some key components of MetS such as fat mass, waist cir-cumference, and serum triglycerides were exacerbated by androgendeprivation therapy (ADT), whereas other parameters such as waist-to-hip ratio and blood pressure were unchanged. High-density lipo-protein (HDL) cholesterol increased, suggesting a protective effect.C-reactive protein, a marker of inﬂammation and a controversialrisk factor for cardiovascular disease, was also found to beunchanged. The authors justiﬁably concluded that GnRH agonisttherapy produces changes in metabolic parameters that do not nec-essarily increase the risk for the development of MetS, but that theevaluation of patients for cardiovascular risk factors should be animportant aspect of initiating ADT.
Effects of mycorrhizal infection, soil phosphorus availability and fruit production on the male function in two cultivars of Lycopersicon esculentum

The effects of mycorrhizal infection, soil P availability and fruit production on the male function of reproduction were examined in two cultivars of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Tomato plants were grown in a greenhouse under three treatment combinations: non-mycorrhizal, low P (NMPO); non-mycorrhizal, high P (NMP3); and mycorrhizal, low P (MPO). In addition, all treatment combinations were grown both with and without fruit. Fruit production decreased final leaf biomass, flower production and in vitro pollen tube growth rates, often reducing the beneficial effects of increased P uptake. Thus, fruit production diverted resources from subsequent vegetative growth, flower production and pollen development. As the growing season progressed, mean pollen production per flower and in vitro germination and tube growth decreased. Mycorrhizal infection and high soil P conditions increased final leaf biomass, flower production, mean pollen production per flower (in one cultivar) and in vitro pollen tube growth rates. Thus, mycorrhizal infection and high soil P conditions increased pollen quantity and quality, thereby enhancing fitness through the male function. Similar trends in these treatments suggested that mycorrhizal effects on the male function were largely the result of improved P acquisition.
The Design of Everyday Work

Why does great design end at the door of the workplace? The “design of everyday things”… goes to work.
Antigenic Relationship Between the Herpesviruses of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, Marek's Disease, and Burkitt's Lymphoma

Abstract Common herpesvirus (HV) antigens in infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), Marek's disease (MDV), and Burkitt's lymphoma (EBV) were found. Immunodiffusion tests in 0.7% agarose demonstrated a line of identity with the HV preparations by using specific antisera prepared against, IBR, MDV, and EBV. These common antigens were found to consist of multiple components: i.e., at least two MDV antigens were identical to IBR and EBV components when subjected to immunoelectrophoresis in 0.7% agarose. Indirect immunofluorescence testing of EBV strain P3HR-1 and IBR-infected embryonic bovine kidney cells, with antisera prepared against partially purified IBR, MDV, and EBV antigens, revealed identical activity of the three antisera as demonstrated by brilliant nuclear fluorescence (perinuclear clumping) in P3HR-1 cells and evenly distributed cytoplasmic activity in 18-hr IBR-infected bovine kidney cell cultures. Initial physical-chemical studies of the partially purified antigens were carried out by differential centrifugation cycles (6,000, 25,000 and 100,000 × g), rate zonal centrifugation in 5 to 20% sucrose density gradients, and analysis by disc electrophoresis in 5 and 7% polyacrylamide gels. These studies revealed similar molecular weight (>1,000,000) and size characteristics and similar electrophoretic mobilities among the three partially purified HV antigens.
A molecular key for the identification of blow flies in southeastern Nebraska.

Immature blow flies (Calliphoridae) are typically the first colonizers of cadavers. Identification of the early instars using traditional, morphology-based keys is difficult because of their small size, similarity, and simplicity in external morphology. Information derived from molecular genetic data would augment the accurate identification of immature flies. Nine species of blow flies commonly found in southeastern Nebraska were used to examine the utility of molecular-based keys. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) were investi- gated with 10 common, inexpensive, restriction enzymes from an amplicon of approximately 1500 bp spanning the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene. A simple molecular taxonomic key, comprising RFLP from the restriction enzymes HinfI and DraI, enabled the differentiation of all species used. Further development of PCR-RFLP, including more extensive and intensive examination of blow flies, would benefit forensic laboratories in the accurate identification of evidence consisting of immature blow flies.
Preparation of α-zirconium phosphate nanoplatelets with wide variations in aspect ratios

Synthetic α-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP) layer structures have been prepared via three different approaches. By controlling the concentration of reactants, temperature, pressure, and using a complexing agent, α-ZrP with a wide variation in aspect ratios has been prepared. Synthetic α-ZrP can be easily intercalated by amines and then exfoliated in epoxy to prepare polymer nanocomposites. Nanocomposites that contain exfoliated α-ZrP nanoplatelets with wide variations in aspect ratios can be utilized as model systems to study the structure–property relationship in polymer nanocomposites.
Autecology of an arsenite chemolithotroph: sulfide constraints on function and distribution in a geothermal spring.

Previous studies in an acid-sulfate-chloride spring in Yellowstone National Park found that microbial arsenite [As(III)] oxidation is absent in regions of the spring outflow channel where H2S exceeds 5 M and served as a backdrop for continued efforts in the present study. Ex situ assays with microbial mat samples demonstrated immediate As(III) oxidation activity when H2S was absent or at low concentrations, suggesting the presence of As(III) oxidase enzymes that could be reactivated if H2S is removed. Cultivation experiments initiated with mat samples taken from along the H2S gradient in the outflow channel resulted in the isolation of an As(III)-oxidizing chemolithotroph from the low-H2S region of the gradient. The isolate was phylogenetically related to Acidicaldus and was characterized in vitro for spring-relevant properties, which were then compared to its distribution pattern in the spring as determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative PCR. While neither temperature nor oxygen requirements appeared to be related to the occurrence of this organism within the outflow channel, H2S concentration appeared to be an important constraint. This was verified by in vitro pure-culture modeling and kinetic experiments, which suggested that H2S inhibition of As(III) oxidation is uncompetitive in nature. In summary, the studies reported herein illustrate that H2S is a potent inhibitor of As(III) oxidation and will influence the niche opportunities and population distribution of As(III) chemolithotrophs.
SPQR: flexible automated design pattern extraction from source code

Previous automated approaches to discovering design patterns in source code have suffered from a need to enumerate static descriptions of structural and behavioural relationships, resulting in a finite library of variations on pattern implementation. Our approach, System for Pattern Query and Recognition, or SPQR, differs in that we do not seek statically to encode each variant of the patterns that we wish to find. Our system finds pattern variants that were not explicitly defined, but instead are inferred dynamically during code analysis by a theorem prover, providing practical tool support for software construction, comprehension, maintenance, and refactoring. We use a logical inference system to reveal large numbers of patterns and their variations from a small number of definitions by encoding in a formal denotational semantics a small number of fundamental OO concepts (elemental design patterns), encode the rules by which these concepts are combined to form patterns (reliance operators), and encode the structural/behavioral relationships among components of objects and classes (rho-calculus). A chain of fully automated tools provides a path from source code to revealed patterns. We describe our approach in this paper with a concrete example to drive the discussion, accompanied by formal treatment of the foundational topics.
Physical and Neuropsychological Foundations of Music

The study of the perception of music is a paramount example of interdisciplinary research, in which musicians, physicists, neurobiologists, engineers and psychologists must communicate and work together. The potential spin-off is impressive, though perhaps not yet fully recognized. Musicians can incorporate insights gleaned from the study of music perception into new frontiers of composition and electronic and digital tone generation. They can use new knowledge in brain function, particularly in the area of linguistic processing, to attempt a better understanding of the evolution of musical cultures from primitive rhythmic and melodic patterns to elaborate holistic expressions. And they can combine latest research results in both sensory perception and skilled motor control to formulate better strategies in music pedagogy. Finally, the study of music perception can help dispel many of the fallacies that abound in the musical world, related to piano touch, the role of perfect pitch, the question of tone ‘colors’ the question of ‘playability’ vs. ‘likeability’ of musical instruments, and so on. Engineers can profit from a better knowledge of the workings of the human auditory system to develop better electroacoustical equipment and better concert halls. Instrument builders can improve or simplify their work by focusing on what the study of music perception can yield in terms of understanding why a great instrument sounds great. Neuropsychologists can use the relatively simple sound patterns of music to study basic information-processing mechanisms relevant to speech. Psychologists can benefit from a quantitative understanding of music perception in their studies of aesthetic motivation appreciation, and emotional response, and the application of the results to music therapy.
Excitation of silicon-based random photonic crystal nanocavities with PbSe colloidal quantum dots

Coupling of quantum dot photoluminescence from lead selenide colloidal nanocrystals into high-Q nanocavities supported by disordered photonic crystal waveguides in free-standing silicon membranes is observed.
A Metastrategy for Large-Scale Resource Management Based on Informational Decomposition

This paper addresses the solution of large, complex resource allocation problems, examples of which include large freight transportation companies and supply chain management. Some instances of these problems involve millions of constraints and tens of millions of variables. Classical formulations focus on modeling the physical problem alone. In this paper, we focus on modeling the organization of information and decisions, producing a natural decomposition based on how decisions are actually made. Restricting the size of a subproblem to the sizes of problems actually solved by real decision makers, we avoid the computational demands posed by large problems. The algorithmic challenge is producing high quality solutions that reflect the interaction between subproblems. Linear approximations have been a widely used tool for decomposition, but these can produce unstable solutions of only moderate quality. We introduce the concept of using nonlinear approximations, which creates special technical problems but also produces solutions of very high quality. The strategy is simulated on two problem classes (fleet management and supply chains) and compared against standard modeling strategies. Synchronous and asynchronous strategies are also compared.
Prenatal Programming of Hypertension: Role of Sympathetic Response to Physical Stress

See related article, pp 180–186 The hemodynamic response to physical stress has been studied over the past decade, and it is considered an indicator of cardiovascular risk.1 The blood pressure response during acute exercise includes participation of the sympathetic nervous system, involving brain centers and peripheral reflexes.1 The sympathetic nervous system has a critical role in the regulation of blood pressure and in the cause of hypertension. Several reports from human and experimental models proposed that increased sympathetic activity is linked to hypertension and cardiovascular and renal diseases. Currently, there are 2 phase III clinical trials testing mechanical manipulations of the sympathetic nervous system as a treatment for hypertension. The SYMPLICITY HTN-3 Study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of renal denervation as a treatment for hypertension.2 The XR-1 Verification Study is assessing the safety and efficacy of carotid baroreflex activators in patients with drug-resistant hypertension.3 These clinical trials are the results of decades of research targeting the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system in the cause of hypertension. However, few studies are investigating the causes of dysfunction in this important regulatory system. What triggers the increases in sympathetic nervous system activity is still unclear. The effects of adverse environment, such as poor nutrition …
Dynamics of trust reciprocation in multi-relational networks

Understanding the dynamics of reciprocation is of great interest in sociology and computational social science. The recent growth of Massively Multi-player Online Games (MMOGs) has provided unprecedented access to large-scale data which enables us to study such complex human behavior in a more systematic manner. In this paper, we consider three different networks in the EverQuest2 game: chat, trade, and trust. The chat network has the highest level of reciprocation (33%) because there are essentially no barriers to it. The trade network has a lower rate of reciprocation (27%) because it has the obvious barrier of requiring goods or money for exchange; morever, there is no clear benefit to returning a trade link except in terms of social connections. The trust network has the lowest reciprocation (14%) because this equates to sharing certain within-game assets such as weapons, and so there is a high barrier for such connections In general, we observe that reciprocation rate is inversely related to the barrier level in these networks. We also note that reciprocation has connections across the heterogeneous networks. Our experiments indicate that players make use of the medium-barrier reciprocations to strengthen a relationship. We hypothesize that lower-barrier interactions are an important component to predicting higher-barrier ones. We verify our hypothesis using predictive models for trust reciprocations with features from trade interactions. Incorporating the number of trades (both before and after the initial trust link) boosts our ability to predict if the trust will be reciprocated up to 11% with respect to the AUC. More generally, we see strong correlations across the different networks and emphasize that network dynamics, such as reciprocation, cannot be studied in isolation on just a single type of connection.
What do they think?: aggregating local views about news events and topics

The web has become an important medium for news delivery and consumption. Fresh content about a variety of topics and events is constantly being created and published on the web by many sources. As intuitively understood by readers, and studied in journalism, news articles produced by different social groups present different attitudes towards and interpretations of the same news issues. In this paper, we propose a new paradigm for aggregating news articles according to the news sources related to the stakeholders of the news issues. We implement this paradigm in a prototype system called LocalSavvy. The system provides users the capability to aggregate and browse various local views about the news issues in which they are interested.
A memory span of one? Object identification in 6.5-month-old infants.

Infants' abilities to identify objects based on their perceptual features develop gradually during the first year and possibly beyond. Earlier we reported (Kaldy, Z., & Leslie, A. M. (2003). Identification of objects in 9-month-old infants: Integrating 'what' and 'where' information. Developmental Science, 6, 360-373) that infants at 9 months of age are able to use shape information to identify two objects and follow their spatiotemporal trajectories behind occlusion. On the other hand, another recent study suggests that infants at 4-5 months of age cannot identify objects by features and bind them to locations (Mareschal, D., & Johnson, M. H. (2003). The "what" and "where" of object representations in infancy. Cognition, 88, 259-276). In the current study, we investigated the developmental steps between these two benchmark ages by testing 6.5-month-old infants. Experiment 1 and 2 adapted the paradigm used in our previous studies with 9-month-olds that involves two objects hidden sequentially behind separate occluders. This technique allows us to address object identification and to examine whether only one or both object identities are being tracked. Results of experiment 1 showed that 6.5-month-old infants could identify at least one of two objects based on shape and experiment 2 found that this ability holds for only one, the last object hidden. We propose that at this age, infants' working memory capacity is limited to one occluded object if there is a second intervening hiding. If their attention is distracted by an intervening object during the memory maintenance period, the memory of the first object identity appears to be lost. Results of experiment 3 supported this hypothesis with a simpler one-screen setup. Finally, results of experiment 4 show that temporal decay of the memory trace (without an intervening hiding) by itself
Ten good reasons to consider biological processes in prevention and intervention research

Most contemporary accounts of psychopathology acknowledge the importance of both biological and environmental influences on behavior. In developmental psychopathology, multiple etiological mechanisms for psychiatric disturbance are well recognized, including those operating at genetic, neurobiological, and environmental levels of analysis. However, neuroscientific principles are rarely considered in current approaches to prevention or intervention. In this article, we explain why a deeper understanding of the genetic and neural substrates of behavior is essential for the next generation of preventive interventions, and we outline 10 specific reasons why considering biological processes can improve treatment efficacy. Among these, we discuss (a) the role of biomarkers and endophenotypes in identifying those most in need of prevention; (b) implications for treatment of genetic and neural mechanisms of homotypic comorbidity, heterotypic comorbidity, and heterotypic continuity; (c) ways in which biological vulnerabilities moderate the effects of environmental experience; (d) situations in which Biology x Environment interactions account for more variance in key outcomes than main effects; and (e) sensitivity of neural systems, via epigenesis, programming, and neural plasticity, to environmental moderation across the life span. For each of the 10 reasons outlined we present an example from current literature and discuss critical implications for prevention.
A Comparison Of Corruption Perceptions: The Czech Republic And Sloakia

When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1989 Czechoslovakia regained its independence from Soviet domination as a result of a so called “velvet revolution.” Four years later in 1993 the two parts of Czechoslovakia separated in a “velvet divorce” to become two independent states: The Czech Republic and Slovakia. Slovakia was at the time less developed than the Czech Republic. Previous studies of corruption indicate that the less developed a country is the more corruption would be expected. This study uses data from the Business Environment and Economic Performance Survey (BEEPS) of the World Bank and the European Bank for reconstruction and Development to explore perceptions of corruption in the two countries.
Metabolism of methyl elaidate

SUMMARY Methyl elaidate-l-C14 was fed to fat-deficient guinea pigs. Very little incorporation of the radioactivity was found in the glycerides or phospholipids under these conditions. Methyl ester seemed to have been absorbed without complete hydrolysis and deposited in body tissues as the methyl ester. Intestinal lipids from these animals showed the presence of unhydrolyzed free methyl esters even after a period of 4 hours. Percentage distribution of the radioactivity in the stearic acid isolated from these animals shows direct in vivo hydrogenation of elaidic acid to stearic acid.
PROTECTION AGAINST DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS FROM WATERS IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

The authors of this paper emphasise the analysis of the state and investment in systems for protection against waters in the previous, transitional, period, the consequences of the 2014 ﬂoods, and fnancing the reconstruction of damaged water facilities as well as the legislative and institutional framework for the policy of protection against waters in the pre-accession period. The results of the analysis imply insuffcient investments in watercourse regulation and maintenance and improvement of facilities for protection against ﬂoods from surface water, groundwater, erosion and torrents in the transition period. In the past years, especially after the last-year’s ﬂoods, there is an intensifcation of activities on recovery, reconstruction and construction of water management infrastructure for protection against waters. There is also intense work on harmonising the legislation with the corresponding legislation of the EU and fulflling the obligations from the signed international conventions in this area.
Can physicians be induced to resume obstetric practice

Background: Decreased numbers of obstetric providers during the last decade have limited access to obstetric care, especlally for some groups of women. Increasing or stabilizing the number of providers could increase access. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed in 1989 to 1965 Washington State family physicians and obstetricians to determine their attitudes toward the practice of obstetrics. Sixty-six percent of physicians responded to the survey. Results: Of those who had quit obstetrics in the previous 3 years, 42 percent of responding family physicians and 19 percent of responding obstetricians would consider resuming. Those family physicians willing to consider resuming their obstetric practices were more likely to have been in practice fewer years, employed by a health maintenance organization (HMO), or located in a rural area. A majority of all respondents cited excessive malpractice premiums and fear of malpractice suit as reasons for stopping obstetric practice. Family physicians willing to consider resuming obstetrics were more concerned about the overall number of obstetric providers in their area. Rural family physicians willing to consider resuming obstetrics listed poor backup or shared call more often as a reason they had quit. Conclusions: Attention targeted to the concerns of family physicians who have been in practice for a short time, who work for HMOs, or who are in rural practice might help induce some physicians to resume obstetrics.
Link between Course Website Use and Law School Grades Confirmed

Studies have shown that use of online resources can improve grades among college students. Does this hold true at the law school level? This first study of its kind finds a strong positive correlation between the frequency of student use of TWEN (The West Education Network) and law school grades.
Systematics of the Neotropical Blueberry Genus Disterigma (Ericaceae)

Abstract Disterigma s. l. comprises 37 species of small shrubs found in Central and South America, mostly in cloud forests and paramos. The notion that the morphological circumscription of Disterigma s. l. is too wide and that it may not be a monophyletic group was supported by recent molecular evidence extracted from only a few species of Disterigma. This study addresses the monophyly and position of Disterigma s. l. within the complex blueberry tribe Vaccinieae through an intensive taxon sampling. Seventy-nine species are sampled, including 84% of the species of Disterigma s. l. and 13 genera of neotropical Vaccinieae. The parsimony analysis of nrITS and ndhF data reveal that Disterigma s. 1. is polyphyletic with three independent origins within Vaccinieae. The majority of the species form a well supported monophyletic group, Disterigma s. s., which is located within a large Andean clade; all Disterigma s. s. species share the presence of a differentiated pair of apical bracteoles. Segregated from Diste...
“A Broken and Bloody Hoop”: The Intertextuality of Black Elk Speaks and Alice Walker's Meridian

Meridian and Black Elk walk hand-in-hand through the pages of this novel, beginning with Walker's epigraph. Several critics have commented on Walker's use of Black Elk's words as epigraph and the implications involved in drawing on a Native American spiritual tradition. For example, Joseph A. Brown calls the novel Alice Walker's "first extended meditation on mysticism" (313) and demonstrates how we can define the "initiates and devotees of traditional Native Ameri-