cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contributions of molecular binding events and cellular compliance to the modulation of leukocyte adhesion

The interaction of leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is central to the regulation of adhesion in leukocytes. In this report, we investigated the mechanisms by which phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) promotes LFA-1-dependent cell adhesion. The adhesion of PMA-stimulated cells to immobilized ICAM-1 was quantified in direct force measurements acquired by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Enhanced adhesion of PMA-stimulated cells to immobilized ICAM-1 stemmed from an increase in the number of LFA-1-ICAM-1 complexes formed between the two apposing surfaces on contact, rather than by affinity modulation of LFA-1. Single molecule force measurements revealed that the force spectrum of the LFA-1-ICAM-1 complex formed by PMA-stimulated cells is identical to the force spectrum of the complex formed by resting cells. Thus, PMA stimulation does not modify the mechanical strength of the individual LFA-1-ICAM-1 interaction. Instead, the enhanced cell adhesion of PMA-stimulated cells appears to be a complex process that correlates with changes in the mechanical properties of the cell. We estimate that changes in the elasticity of the cell gave rise to a more than 10-fold increase in cell adhesion.
Taste perception: how to make a gourmet mouse.

Sugars and amino acids are mainly associated with desirable taste sensation. A new study using knockout mouse models shows that the detection of various sugars, artificial sweeteners and l-amino acids is exclusively mediated by taste cells that express one or pair-wise combinations of three G protein coupled receptors, T1R1, T1R2 and T1R3.
Threats to the Livelihood of the Forensic Neuropsychological Practice: Avoiding Ethical Misconduct

Abstract We review six diverse issues that have the potential of devaluing our profession, in that ethical missteps could lead to the perception or reality that the work of forensic neuropsychologists is “for sale.” By resisting temptations or overtures to engage in inappropriate conduct, such as attacking colleagues or failing to recognize how our own biases might influence our behavior or opinions, neuropsychologists strive to create a work product that enhances the reputation of our profession and makes a positive contribution to the public-at-large.
Density gradient proportionality constants, density distributions, and pressure effects for three salt solutions

Earlier determinations of density gradient proportionality constants β0, density distributions ρ(r), and the effect of pressure on density gradients in the analytical ultracentrifuge have been of limited precision and usefulness in the study of proteins and polypeptides. Reasons for these difficulties are that numerous intermediate relationships were required in the calculations, and the density ranges studied were generally above 1.2 g/ml. Relations are derived in the present paper to directly compute β0(ρ) values and β0′(ρ) values from the original data without any intermediate expansions or approximations. Data are presented for CsCl, CsBr, and Cs2SO4 and compared with literature values. Density distributions are computed for all three salts under a wide variety of experimental conditions of density, column length, and angular velocity. These values of ρ(r) and re are obtained by a numerical iterative technique. Values obtained by this new method are compared with values obtained using closed-form expressions. The effects of pressure on the composition density gradient for the three salts given above are calculated and found to be significant for Cs2SO4 solutions.
Shell midden sclerochronology

Abstract Sclerochronological analysis of shell midden faunal remains offers a unique opportunity to study climate and environmental change in relation to human activity. Middens exist near most aquatic habitats almost worldwide for much of the late Pleistocene and Holocene. They afford good preservation of accretionary calcium carbonate remains, such as mollusk shells and fish otoliths, in comparatively well-dated contexts. As such, midden samples are a source of sequential proxy records of past climate and environmental conditions and may provide detailed pictures of human–environment interaction. However midden samples present several challenges to the development and application of sclerochronological proxies, including unique taphonomic concerns. Here these challenges are outlined within descriptions of the major applications of midden sclerochronology; archeological concerns including season of capture, reconstructing the history of anthropogenic environmental impacts, and paleoclimate/environment proxy reconstructions.
Another way to think about insurance: government action distorts the market price with harmful side effects.

Health insurance is similar to all insurance markets with regard to the problem of imperfect information in matching policyholder risk and premium price. Despite this fact, consumers buy insurance for peace of mind, with demand dependent on price and several other factors. Optimal insurance without subsidy covers low-probability, large-loss events. Government intervention in the market through state coverage mandates and community rating, Medicare price controls, and employment tax subsidies has altered the market price, creating hyperinsurance for most and self-insurance for some. Society can deal with the resulting economic efficiency and equity issues by recognizing that government action is the problem.
A Retrospective Study of Propranolol Therapy in 635 Infants with Infantile Hemangioma

Six hundred thirty-five patients underwent oral propranolol treatment for infantile hemangioma. The efficacy rate was 91.2% and 162 of the patients recovered completely. No significant adverse effects were observed and the overall incidence of adverse effects was 2.1%.
A Potential α-Helix Motif in the Amino Terminus of LANA Encoded by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Is Critical for Nuclear Accumulation of HIF-1α in Normoxia

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a ubiquitously expressed transcriptional regulator involved in induction of numerous genes associated with angiogenesis and tumor growth. Kaposi's sarcoma, associated with increased angiogenesis, is a highly vascularized, endothelial cell-derived tumor. Previously, we have shown that the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) encoded by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) targets the HIF-1alpha suppressors von Hippel-Lindau protein and p53 for degradation via its suppressor of cytokine signaling-box motif, which recruits the EC5S ubiquitin complex. Here we further show that HIF-1alpha was aberrantly accumulated in KSHV latently infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells, as well as HEK293 cells infected with KSHV, and also show that a potential alpha-helical amino-terminal domain of LANA was important for HIF-1alpha nuclear accumulation in normoxic conditions. Moreover, we have now determined that this association was dependent on the residues 46 to 89 of LANA and the oxygen-dependent degradation domain of HIF-1alpha. Introduction of specific small interfering RNA against LANA into PEL cells also resulted in a diminished nuclear accumulation of HIF-1alpha. Therefore, these data show that LANA can function not only as an inhibitor of HIF-1alpha suppressor proteins but can also induce nuclear accumulation of HIF-1alpha during KSHV latent infection.
A study of subjective evaluation models

The research reported explores some questions which arise when staff groups, such as operations research groups, are faced with obtaining a quantitative representation of an individual's or an organization's evaluation scheme. The study is concerned with the ability of professional hospital personnel to develop and use a subjective evaluation model in a reliable manner, the possible forms of such a model, and the extent to which the models used by the professionals reflected some recognizable organizational evaluation scheme.
Statistical algorithms for ontology-based annotation of scientific literature.

Background: Ontologies encode relationships within a domain in robust data structures that can be used to annotate data objects, including scientific papers, in ways that ease tasks such as search and meta-analysis. However, the annotation process requires significant time and effort when performed by humans. Text mining algorithms can facilitate this process, but they render an analysis mainly based upon keyword, synonym and semantic matching. They do not leverage information embedded in an ontology’s structure. Methods: We present a probabilistic framework that facilitates the automatic annotation of literature by indirectly modeling the restrictions among the different classes in the ontology. Our research focuses on annotating human functional neuroimaging literature within the Cognitive Paradigm Ontology (CogPO). We use an approach that combines the stochastic simplicity of naive Bayes with the formal transparency of decision trees. Our data structure is easily modifiable to reflect changing domain knowledge. Results: We compare our results across naive Bayes, Bayesian Decision Trees, and Constrained Decision Tree classifiers that keep a human expert in the loop, in terms of the quality measure of the F1-mirco score. Conclusions: Unlike traditional text mining algorithms, our framework can model the knowledge encoded by the dependencies in an ontology, albeit indirectly. We successfully exploit the fact that CogPO has explicitly stated restrictions, and implicit dependencies in the form of patterns in the expert curated annotations.
Segmentation informed by manifold learning

In many biomedical imaging applications, video sequences are captured with low resolution and low contrast challenging conditions in which to detect, segment, or track features. When image deformations have just a few underlying causes, such as continuously captured cardiac MRI without breath-holds or gating, the captured images lie on a low-dimensional, non-linear manifold. The manifold structure of such image sets can be extracted by automated methods for manifold learning. Furthermore, the manifold structure of these images offers new constraints for tracking and segmentation of relevant image regions. We illustrate how to incorporate these new constraints within a snake-based energy minimization approach, and demonstrate improvements in using snakes to segment a set of cardiac MRI images in challenging conditions.
Teicoplanin- A New Agent for Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections

Gram-positive bacterial infections remain a serious challenge for infectious disease practitioners. Many gram-positive organisms are developing new methods of antibiotic resistance, thus rendering our standard antimicrobial agents ineffective. Penicillin G resistance, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and recently, a laboratory strain of vancomycin-resistant S aureus have become catalysts in the search for effective alternatives in the treatment of gram-positive bacterial infections. This review will briefly describe an investigational agent (investigational in the US, although used widely overseas) that has been very successful in treating gram-positive bacterial infections. The antibiotic, named teicoplanin. (Merrell-Dow Pharmaceuticals) may be approved for release in the United States in the future. Originally known as teichomycin A, teicoplanin is a glycopeptide antibiotic, chemically similar to the vancomycin-ristocetin antibiotic group. Teicoplanin was discovered following the fermentation process of Actinoplanes teichomyceticus The antibiotic has a linear heptapeptide structure and weighs approximately 2000 daltons.
Yogurt made from milk heated at different pH values

Milk for yogurt manufacture is subjected to high heat treatment to denature whey proteins. Low milk pH values (≤ 6.5) at heating result in most denatured whey proteins becoming associated with casein micelles, whereas high milk pH values (≥ 7.0) at heating result in the formation of mostly soluble (nonmicellar) denatured whey protein complexes. There are conflicting reports on the relative importance of soluble and casein-bound whey protein aggregates on the properties of acid gels. Prior studies investigating the effect of pH of milk at heating used model gels in which milk was acidified by glucono-δ-lactone; in this study, we prepared yogurt gels using commercial starter cultures. Model acid gels can have very different texture and physical properties from those made by fermentation with starter cultures. In this study, we investigated the effects of different pH values of milk at heating on the rheological, light backscatter, and microstructural properties of yogurt gels. Reconstituted skim milk was adjusted to pH values 6.2, 6.7, and 7.2 and heated at 85°C for 30 min. A portion of the heated milk samples was readjusted back to pH 6.7 after heating. Milks were inoculated with 3% (wt/wt) yogurt starter culture and incubated at 40°C until pH 4.6. Gel formation was monitored using dynamic oscillatory rheology, and parameters measured included the storage modulus (G') and loss tangent (LT) values. Light-backscattering properties, such as the backscatter ratio (R) and the first derivative of light backscatter ratio (R'), were also monitored during fermentation. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe gel microstructure. The G' values at pH 4.6 were highest in gels made from milk heated at pH 6.7 and lowest in milk heated at pH 6.2, with or without pH adjustment after heating. The G' values at pH 4.6 were lower in samples after adjustment back to pH 6.7 after heating. No maximum in the LT parameter was observed during gelation for yogurts made from milk heated at pH 6.2; a maximum in LT was observed at pH ~4.8 for samples heated at pH 6.7 or 7.2, with or without pH adjustment after heating. Higher R-values were observed with an increase in pH of heating, with or without pH adjustment after heating. The sample heated at pH 6.2 had only one major peak in its R' profile during acidification, whereas samples heated at pH 6.7 and 7.2 had 2 large peaks. The lack of a maximum in LT parameter and the presence of a single peak in the R' profile for the samples heated at pH 6.2 were likely due to the partial solubilization of insoluble calcium phosphate when milk was acidified to this lower pH value. No clear differences were observed in the microstructures of gels between the different treatments. This study indicates that heating milk at the natural pH (~6.7) created an optimum balance of casein-bound and soluble denatured whey proteins, which resulted in yogurt with the highest gel stiffness.
The genetics of uveal melanoma: an emerging framework for targeted therapy.

Summary Uveal melanoma is the second most common form of melanoma and the most common primary intraocular malignancy. Until recently, very little was known about the genetics of this aggressive cancer. Mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressors that are common in other cancers are conspicuously absent in uveal melanoma. In recent years, however, uveal melanoma has begun to yield its secrets, and a fascinating picture is emerging of how it develops and progresses. Mutations in the Gq alpha subunits, encoded by GNAQ and GNA11, appear to be early or perhaps initiating events that require further mutations for malignant transformation. On the other hand, mutations in the BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1) appear to occur later and demarcate a molecular brink beyond which metastasis becomes highly likely. BAP1 mutations can also occur in the germline, leading to a distinctive cancer predisposition syndrome. These mutations appear to be key events that provide the potential for targeted therapy. This article will review the genetic findings in uveal melanoma over the past two decades and suggest important areas for future work.
Biological sample collection and processing for molecular epidemiological studies

Molecular epidemiology uses biomarkers and advanced technology to refine the investigation of the relationship between environmental exposures and diseases in humans. It requires careful handling and storage of precious biological samples with the goals of obtaining a large amount of information from limited samples, and minimizing future research costs by use of banked samples. Many factors, such as tissue type, time of collection, containers used, preservatives and other additives, transport means and length of transit time, affect the quality of the samples and the stability of biomarkers and must be considered at the initial collection stage. An efficient study design includes provisions for further processing of the original samples, such as cryopreservation of isolated cells, purification of DNA and RNA, and preparation of specimens for cytogenetic, immunological and biochemical analyses. Given the multiple uses of the samples in molecular epidemiology studies, appropriate informed consent must be obtained from the study subjects prior to sample collection. Use of barcoding and electronic databases allow more efficient management of large sample banks. Development of standard operating procedures and quality control plans is a safeguard of the samples’ quality and of the validity of the analyses results. Finally, specific state, federal and international regulations are in place regarding research with human samples, governing areas including custody, safety of handling, and transport of human samples, as well as communication of study results. Here, we focus on the factors affecting the quality and the potential future use of biological samples and some of the provisions that must be made during collection, processing, and storage of samples, based on our experience in the Superfund Basic Research Program and Children’s Environmental Health Center, at the University of California, Berkeley. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
An Antibody to the Tetraspan Membrane Protein CD9 Promotes Neurite Formation in a Partially α3β1 Integrin-Dependent Manner

The tetraspan cell surface glycoprotein, CD9, has been implicated in cellular signaling during growth and differentiation in the hematopoietic and nervous systems. Because CD9 expression is induced early in development in sensory and sympathetic neuroblasts, we investigated the role of CD9 in neurite outgrowth. We plated dissociated cells from neonatal sympathetic ganglia on immobilized anti-CD9 antibodies or antibodies against other cell surface molecules. We show here that B2C11, an anti-CD9 antibody that has been shown previously to activate Schwann cells in vitro, promotes robust neurite outgrowth from sympathetic neurons that is greater than that on other antibody surfaces and is comparable to neurite outgrowth on a collagen substratum. In addition, B2C11 causes dramatic morphological changes in neurons and glia from dissociated ganglia, including a flattening of these cells. Because CD9 interacts with integrins in many cell types including Schwann cells, and specifically with the α3β1 integrin in some cells, we tested whether the effect of B2C11 on neurite outgrowth is mediated by this integrin. An anti-α3β1 antibody, Ralph 3–1, attenuates the extent of neurite outgrowth on B2C11 and collagen, but not on laminin. Because the α3β1 integrin has been shown to mediate neurite outgrowth on different substrates, these results provide a functional significance for the CD9-α3β1 interaction; downstream signaling may be activated by this cis interaction on the cell surface in response to external cues that promote neurite outgrowth.
Fan beam patterns radiated from a parabolic reflector antenna

A technique for a single parabolic reflector antenna to generate both the high-gain pencil beam pattern and the needed surface mapping fan beam pattern is presented. A simple 2-D physical optics analysis has demonstrated that when a parabolic cylindrical reflector is fed by an array, a pulselike wide-beam far-field pattern can indeed be generated. The calculated pattern of a 3.65 m 2-D reflector antenna with f/D ratio of 0.333 is shown. The reflector is center-fed by a 13.6 GHz array of microstrip elements with 0.6 wavelength element spacing and uniform amplitude distribution. A ripple is formed on top of the beam because the reflector is in the near field of the array and thus the surface current formed on the reflector is not exactly sin x/x. In addition, not all the sidelobes of the array illuminate the reflector. Experimental results are reported for the Titan radar mapper, which requires a dual-fan-beam system with one beam on each side of the antenna axis. In this way, when the spacecraft flies by the Titan, the planet surface can be effectively mapped with a single radar by fast switching between the two fan beams. Due to the need of radar signatures at different encounter distances between the spacecraft and Titan surface, several fan beam scenarios are required, such as different beam widths and beam scan angles. Results for two cases are shown to demonstrate and verify the concept. >
Using Deep Morphology to Improve Automatic Error Detection in Arabic Handwriting Recognition

Arabic handwriting recognition (HR) is a challenging problem due to Arabic's connected letter forms, consonantal diacritics and rich morphology. In this paper we isolate the task of identification of erroneous words in HR from the task of producing corrections for these words. We consider a variety of linguistic (morphological and syntactic) and non-linguistic features to automatically identify these errors. Our best approach achieves a roughly ~15% absolute increase in F-score over a simple but reasonable baseline. A detailed error analysis shows that linguistic features, such as lemma (i.e., citation form) models, help improve HR-error detection precisely where we expect them to: semantically incoherent error words.
Eclpss: a Java-based framework for parallel ecosystem simulation and modeling

Eclpss (Ecological Component Library for Parallel Spatial Simulation) is a Java(TM)-based framework designed to give ecologists the ability to easily develop grid-based ecosystem simulations at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The framework automatically targets the model to shared memory parallel machines. Because of the judicious use of Java, both the framework and framework-generated models are platform independent. Users may write arbitrarily complex models without the need to be expert programmers. These models are reusable, easily modifiable and extensible. Collaborative model development, sharing, and dissemination with automatically-generated documentation are all web-accessible. The modelling environment consists of a suite of GUI-based tools which are designed to be intuitive to ecologists. Ecologists specify the model; the Eclpss compiler uses these specifications to generate code. Scientific unit measurements are incorporated into specifications and consistency checking is performed; substance consistency is supported. This paper presents the structure and features of the Eclpss framework, the migration of a Matlab model into this framework, and concludes with a discussion of ongoing and planned future work.
ChronoViz: a system for supporting navigation of time-coded data

We present ChronoViz, a system to aid annotation, visualization, navigation, and analysis of multimodal time-coded data. Exploiting interactive paper technology, ChronoViz also integrates researcher's paper notes into the composite data set. Researchers can navigate data in multiple ways, taking advantage of synchronized visualizations and annotations. The goal is to decrease the time and effort required to analyze multimodal data by providing direct indexing and flexible mechanisms to control data exploration.
Impact of multicores on large-scale molecular dynamics simulations

Processing nodes of the cray XT and IBM blue gene massively parallel processing (MPP) systems are composed of multiple execution units, sharing memory and network subsystems. These multicore processors offer greater computational power, but may be hindered by resource contention. In order to understand and avoid such situations, we investigate the impact of resource contention on three scalable molecular dynamics suites: AMBER (PMEMD module), LAMMPS, and NAMD. The results reveal the factors that can inhibit scaling and performance efficiency on emerging multicore processors.
Cyclic flame propagation in premixed combustion

In experiments of hot surface ignition and subsequent flame propagation, a puffing flame instability is observed in mixtures that are stagnant and premixed prior to ignition. By varying the size of the hot surface, power input, and combustion vessel volume, it was determined that the instability is a function of the interaction of the flame, with the fluid flow induced by the combustion products rather than the initial plume established by the hot surface. Pressure ranges from 25 to 100 kPa and mixtures of n-hexane/air with equivalence ratios between ϕ = 0:58 and 3.0 at room temperature were investigated. Equivalence ratios between ϕ = 2:15 and 2.5 exhibited multiple flame and equivalence ratios above ϕ = 2:5 resulted in puffing flames at atmospheric pressure. The phenomenon is accurately reproduced in numerical simulations and a detailed flow field analysis revealed competition between the inflow velocity at the base of the flame and the flame propagation speed. The increasing inflow velocity, which exceeds the flame propagation speed, is ultimately responsible for creating a puff. The puff is then accelerated upward, allowing for the creation of the subsequent instabilities. The frequency of the puff is proportional to the gravitational acceleration and inversely proportional to the flame speed. A scaling relationship describes the dependence of the frequency on gravitational acceleration, hot surface diameter, and flame speed. This relation shows good agreement for rich n-hexane/air and lean hydrogen/air flames, as well as lean hexane/hydrogen/air mixtures.
Seeing change in the world from different levels: understanding the mathematics of complex systems

In an increasingly dynamic and data-driven world, it is important for all students to be able to understand and interpret mathematical patterns over time in the context of the real-world phenomena that generate them. While there is a growing body of evidence that students as early as middle school can understand some fundamental and powerful ideas related to the mathematics of change over time in terms of real-world contexts such as motion or banking (Confrey, Maloney, & Castro-Filho, 1997; Nemirovsky, Tierney, & Wright, 1998; Roschelle, Kaput, & Stroup, 2000), as well as the sophisticated dynamics of many complex systems (Wilensky & Reisman, 2006; Wilensky & Resnick, 1999), little is known about how they might think about mathematical change as it relates to complex systems: where a number of different behaviors and entities all contribute to a single quantity of interest, rather than a single behavior or phenomenon. But such systems are increasingly important in all aspects of academic and everyday life. From global temperatures that are increasing exponentially due to increased individual consumption to employment patterns that affect individual workers and are influenced by consumer spending, students must be able to understand not only how to interpret rates of change in the world, but also how individual entities and their actions and interactions contribute to and are affected by those rates of change.
Challenges and Prospects for the Large-Scale Application of Superconductivity

The large-scale use of superconductivity continues to be dominated by applications for which there is generally no conventional option. In these cases, superconductivity has enabled new science and technology that could not exist without it. The fields of fusion energy and high-energy physics (HEP) have particularly benefited from the application of superconductivity. High magnetic fields are absolutely necessary to achieve the required performance parameters. Even though superconductivity is an enabling technology for these fields, it comes with a number of challenges and market incursion has been very slow. However, thanks to persistent ongoing research, improvements in ancillary technology, and the development of new materials, the field is far from exhausted. On the contrary, many new applications in addition to high field magnets for scientific research and medical applications are on the horizon. Several applications are on the verge of accomplishing the much more difficult task of replacing existing conventional technology. This paper summarizes the current status of large-scale applications of superconductivity, using as an example magnet technology for fusion and HEP, and examines the prospects and challenges for new large-scale applications in the future.
Endothelium-independent dilation in children and adolescents

Peak brachial artery dilation post-nitroglycerin (NTG) administration occurs between 3 and 5 min in adults. The purpose of this study was to identify the time to peak dilation response to sublingual NTG (0·3 mg) in youth. Endothelium-independent dilation (EID) was measured in 198 healthy (113 males, 85 females) youth (6-18 years) via ultrasound imaging of the brachial artery following NTG administration. Time to peak EID was 268 s following NTG administration, with no significant (P = 0·6) difference between males and females. There was a significant (P<0·001) difference between EID post-NTG at the 3 versus 4 min, 4 versus 5-min, and 3 versus 5 min time points. Peak EID (males: 24·8 ± 0·5 versus females: 25·3 ± 0·6%, P = 0·6) was not significantly different after accounting for baseline diameter. Peak response to NTG administration occurs between 4 and 5 min. The results demonstrate the importance of measuring EID up to 5-min post-NTG administration in youth.
The Rhetoric of Ableism

This essay argues that rhetoric is both the means by which ableist culture perpetuates itself and the basis of successful strategies for challenging its practices. Public demonstrations, countercultural performances, autobiography, transformative histories, and critiques of ableist films and novels all apply rhetorical solutions to the problem of ableism. The study employs Kenneth Burke's theory of identification and Stuart Hall's configuration of ideology to uncover those commonplace "languages of practical thought" that generate and sustain ableist perspectives and ideas. Focusing on the rhetoric of ableism at the level of the warrants used to interpret disability, this article closely examines the way Aristotle's Generation of Animals relies on the equivocation "normal is natural."
Differential Neural Contributions to Native- and Foreign-Language Talker Identification

Humans are remarkably adept at identifying individuals by the sound of their voice, a behavior supported by the nervous system’s ability to integrate information from voice and speech perception. Talkeridentification abilities are significantly impaired when listeners are unfamiliar with the language being spoken. Recent behavioral studies describing the language-familiarity effect implicate functionally integrated neural systems for speech and voice perception, yet specific neuroscientific evidence demonstrating the basis for such integration has not yet been shown. Listeners in the present study learned to identify voices speaking a familiar (native) or unfamiliar (foreign) language. The talker-identification performance of neural circuitry in each cerebral hemisphere was assessed using dichotic listening. To determine the relative contribution of circuitry in each hemisphere to ecological (binaural) talker identification abilities, we compared the predictive capacity of dichotic performance on binaural performance across languages. Listeners’ right-ear (left hemisphere) performance was a better predictor of binaural accuracy in their native language than a foreign one. This enhanced role of the classically language-dominant left hemisphere in listeners’ native language demonstrates functionally integrated neural systems for speech and voice perception during talker identification.
Development of adenovirus capsid proteins for targeted therapeutic delivery

The outer shell of the adenovirus capsid comprises three major types of protein (hexon, penton base and fiber) that perform the majority of functions facilitating the early stages of adenovirus infection. These stages include initial cell-surface binding followed by receptor-mediated endocytosis, endosomal penetration and cytosolic entry, and intracellular trafficking toward the nucleus. Numerous studies have shown that the penton base contributes to several of these steps and have supported the development of this protein into a delivery agent for therapeutic molecules. Studies revealing that the fiber and hexon bear unexpected properties of cell entry and/or nuclear homing have supported the development of these capsid proteins, as well into potential delivery vehicles. This review summarizes the findings to date of the protein–cell activities of these capsid proteins in the absence of the whole virus and their potential for therapeutic application with regard to the delivery of foreign molecules.
On the naturalness of stop consonant voicing

A long recognized problem for linguistic theory has been to explain why certain sounds, sound oppositions, and sound sequences are statistically preferred over others among languages of the world. The formal theory of markedness, developed by Trubetzkoy and Jakobson in the early 1930's, and extended by Chomsky and Halle (1968), represents an attempt to deal with this problem. It is at least implicit in that theory that sounds are rare when (and because) they are marked, and common when (and because) they are not. Whether sounds are marked or unmarked depends – in the latter version of the theory, particularly – upon the ‘intrinsic content’ of acoustic and articulatory features which define them. There was, however, no substantive attempt among early proponents of the theory to show what it was about the content of particular features and feature combinations that caused them to be marked, and others not.
The effect of carbon sources and lactate dehydrogenase deletion on 1,2-propanediol production in Escherichia coli

In previous studies, we showed that cofactor manipulations can potentially be used as a tool in metabolic engineering. In this study, sugars similar to glucose, that can feed into glycolysis and pyruvate production, but with different oxidation states, were used as substrates. This provided a simple way of testing the effect of manipulating the NADH/NAD+ ratio or the availability of NADH on the metabolic patterns of Escherichia coli under anaerobic conditions and on the production of 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD), which requires NADH for its synthesis. Production of 1,2-PD was achieved by overexpressing the two enzymes methylglyoxal synthase from Clostridium acetobutylicum and glycerol dehydrogenase from E. coli. In addition, the effect of eliminating a pathway competing for NADH by using a ldh(-) strain (without lactate dehydrogenase activity) on the production of 1,2-PD was investigated. The oxidation state of the carbon source significantly affected the yield of metabolites, such as ethanol, acetate and lactate. However, feeding a more reduced carbon source did not increase the yield of 1,2-PD. The production of 1,2-PD with glucose as the carbon source was improved by the incorporation of a ldh(-) mutation. The results of these experiments indicate that our current 1,2-PD production system is not limited by NADH, but rather by the pathways following the formation of methylglyoxal.
The Mispricing of U.S. Treasury Bonds: A Case Study

This article documents an apparent pricing anomaly involving 94 percent, 30-year Treasury bonds during the months of May and June 1986. During this period, the price of the 94s rose sharply relative to the prices of other long-term Treasury bonds and created a potential arbitrage opportunity. In addition, owners of the 94 bonds were able to borrow at a zero interest rate bypledging their bonds. Detailed examination reveals that this relative pricing anomaly cannot be attributed to changes in the level or term structure of interest rates or to differences between the bonds with respect to liquidity, taxation, or duration.
The impact of federal aid on the quality of life: The case of infant health

Federal grants-in-aid have been a major device for stimulating new programs for improving the quality of life in the United States. This paper assesses the impact of one such grant-in-aid (Maternal and Child Health Services) on improvements in infant health in the American states in the 1950–1964 period. The analysis indicates that how much a state's Maternal and Child Health Services grant was increased or decreased had no systematic overal impact on later changes in that state's infant, neonatal, and fetal mortality indicators. In addition, such grant changes had no major systematic impact when controlling for per capita income, changes in per capita income, population, innovation tendencies, and administrative professionalism.
Water Carriers Versus Nectar Carriers

Water-carriers may be distinguished from nectar-carriers by gently pressing on the abdomen of the loaded bee while it is held fast on a sheet of filter paper. If the disgorged honey-sac contents is nectar, a translucent spot will be produced on the filter paper; whereas, if it is only water, no such spot will remain upon drying. No suitable chemical test was found. Individuals selected by means of this test showed that nectar-carriers working on white sweet clover required on the average, one-half to three-quarters of an hour to make a round trip, while water-carriers, obtaining their loads within 50 yards of the apiary, completed their round trips in 5 minutes on the average.
Power modeling of a skid steered wheeled robotic ground vehicle

Analysis of the power consumption of a robotic ground vehicle (RGV) is important for planning since it enables motion plans that do not violate the power limitations of the motors, energy efficient path planning, prediction of the ability to complete a task based upon the vehicle's current energy supply, and estimation of when the vehicle will need to refuel or recharge. Power modeling is particularly difficult for skid steered vehicles because of the complexities of properly taking into account the skidding that is used for vehicle turning. This paper begins with a 2-dimensional, second order differential equation of a skid steered, wheeled RGV and shows that the power model is terrain dependent and is a function of both the turning radius and linear velocity of the vehicle. This model was verified experimentally, and a comprehensive set of experiments was performed to describe the power consumption of a skid steered RGV on asphalt.
Cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea) microhabitat and landscape-level habitat characteristics in southern West Virginia

Abstract The Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) is a species of conservation concern in eastern North America, where declines in its population have been documented over the past several decades. A high proportion of the population occurs in forested areas of southern West Virginia, where it may be threatened by loss and degradation of forested habitat from mountaintop mining and valley fill (MTMVF). We examined, from a landscape perspective, the effects of forest fragmentation (in particular, effects of fragment size and response to edges) on Cerulean Warblers, using territory mapping techniques and geographic information system (GIS) technology in portions of four counties in southwestern West Virginia. We quantified landscape characteristics from digitized aerial photographs and measured microhabitat characteristics on spot-mapping plots. Territory density of Cerulean Warblers was 4.6 territories per 10 ha in intact forest and 0.7 territories per 10 ha in fragmented forest. The best habitat model inc...
Coherent coupling between a molecular vibration and Fabry-Perot optical cavity to give hybridized states in the strong coupling limit (Presentation Recording)

Coherent coupling between an optical-transition and confined optical mode, when sufficiently strong, gives rise to new modes separated by the vacuum Rabi splitting. Such systems have been investigated for electronic-state transitions, however, only very recently have vibrational transitions been considered. Here, we bring strong polaritonic-coupling in cavities from the visible into the infrared where a new range of static and dynamic vibrational processes await investigation. First, we experimentally and numerically describe coupling between a Fabry-Perot cavity and carbonyl stretch (~1730 cm 1) in poly-methylmethacrylate. As is requisite for “strong coupling”, the measured vacuum Rabi splitting of 132 cm 1 is much larger than the full width of the cavity (34 cm-1) and the inhomogeneously broadened carbonyl-stretch (24 cm-1). Agreement with classical theories providea evidence that the mixed-states are relatively immune to inhomogeneous broadening. Next, we investigate strong and weak coupling regimes through examination of cavities loaded with varying concentrations of urethane. Rabi splittings increases from 0 to ~104 cm-1 with concentrations from 0-20 vol% and are in excellent agreement to an analytical description using no fitting parameters. Ultra-fast pump-probe measurements reveal transient absorption signals over a frequency range well-separated from the vibrational band as well as modifications of energy relaxation times. Finally, we demonstrate coupling to liquids using the C-O stretching band (~1985 cm-1) of Mo(CO)6 in an aqueous solution. Opening the field of polaritonic coupling to vibrational species promises to be a rich arena amenable to a wide variety of infrared-active bonds that can be studied statically and dynamically.
Studies on Nicotinamide Nucleotide Dehydrogenation Transhydrogenation by Mitochondria

Nicotinamide nucleotides constitute the major vehicle for the transfer of reducing equivalents to the mitochondrial electron transport system. The mitochondrial respiratory chain is capable of oxidizing NADH and NADPH as well as catalyzing transhydrogenation from NAD (P) H to NAD (P). In this chapter, we should like to describe the nicotinamide nucleotide dehydrogenase and transhydrogenase properties of mitochondria at three levels of structural complexity, i.e., submitochondrial particles, complex I, and the soluble NADH dehydrogenase isolated from complex I.
A content analysis of Internet resources about the risks of seafood consumption

Seafood consumption is a main source of human exposure to certain environmental contaminants. Therefore, it is valuable to assess the online health risk messages focused on this topic, as people in the US are increasingly accessing the Internet for health-related information. Previous research indicates that online health information tends to be written at a reading level that is more advanced than ability of the general population. The purpose of this research was to examine the content and readability of Internet resources targeted toward consumers in the US regarding the health risks from consumption of contaminated seafood. Sources for analysis were gathered through a targeted search of state and national government websites, as well as through a Google search. The overall mean readability level was Grade 9.21, which is slightly above the average reading level of US adults. Future research should evaluate the accuracy of the health risk messages, as well as consumer perceptions of risk.
Raman Spectroscopy of Chromium Oxide Supported on Alumina, Titania, and Silica: A Comparative Study

The interaction of chromium oxide with alumina, titania, and silica supports is investigated with Raman spectroscopy. The influence of the nature of the oxide support, calcination temperature and chromium oxide loading upon the molecular state of the supported chromium oxide is determined. The Raman studies reveal that the oxide supports stabilize the chromium oxide as Cr(VI) in tetrahedral coordination at moderate chromium oxide coverages. The surface chromium oxide is present as monomers and dimers on alumina, monomers and possibly dimers on titania, and monomers and polymers (dimers, trimers, and tetramers) on silica. On the alumina support, the ratios of dimers/monomers increases with the chromium oxide coverage. On the silica support, the ratios of trimers/dimers and tetramers/dimers also increase with chromium oxide coverage. The surface chromium(VI) oxide species on titania, however, are not stable to elevated calcination temperatures and appear to be converted to a lower chromium oxide oxidation state. The silica support stabilizes the surface chromium(VI) oxide state at elevated calcination temperatures, but the surface chromium oxide polymers are not stable and convert to isolated surface chromium(VI) oxide monomers. Most of these differences are thought to be related to the differing surface-hydroxyl chemistries of alumina, titania, and silica supports.
Avoiding and Altering Rule-Control as a Strategy of Clinical Intervention

If rule-govemed behavior is as ubiquitous as it seems, it is only logical that many clinical disorders involve problems in verbal control of one kind or another. At least four types of problems can be discerned.
Revision of The Pocket Mice, Perognathus Penicillatus

The species Perognathus penicillatus is revised taxonomically. Eight subspecies are recognized and characterized. The subspecies P. penicillatus minimus is here referred to Perognathus intermedius . The type locality of P. p. penicillatus is redesignated. Age-variation, secondary sexual variation, and individual variation within the species are summarized. Intraspecific differentiation, clinal variation, and the importance of geographical barriers are discussed.
Fairness in Educational Assessment in China: Historical Practices and Contemporary Challenges

Chinese education is historically examination-oriented. For centuries, high-stakes public examinations have been used as the primary assessment tool to make decisions on learning outcomes, educational upward movement, and social mobility. In present day China, various initiates have been adopted to address issues related to the deeply entrenched testing-oriented practices. Regardless, testing continues to play a major role in education and educational assessment, in particular, for admission, progressing, and accountability purposes. To have an indepth understanding of such a situation, this chapter explores social-cultural factors which influence the determination of the fairness in a high-stakes test. This chapter first reviews the historical development of educational assessment in China and illustrates the significant influence of testing on classroom teaching and learning, followed by an introduction of four major, large-scale educational testing systems. Following that, the chapter focuses on one test in one of the testing systems and explores students’, teachers’, and administrators’ perceptions about the fairness of this test. Results found that the participants endorsed such a testing-oriented system for various reasons, including the fair testing process, the merit-based value, the testing-oriented tradition, and pursuit of efficiency. Finally, the study questions whether fairness, driven by cultural and political ideology, serves to impede the development of fairness for those in the least advantaged positions in China. Dangers remain in treating testing as a predominantly fair and legitimate tool. As formative learning models gain impetus in the twenty-first century, educational policies and practices need to consider balanced and aligned assessment that represents the real benefits and interests of all students.
AEFP at Forty: Looking Back and Thinking Forward

Abstract Founded in 1975, the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) has evolved into a professional and academic association representing a variety of disciplines and perspectives on a growing array of education finance and education policy issues. On the occasion of the organization's fortieth anniversary, the authors look at the organization's evolution and consider how its future will be shaped by economic and social trends, as well as the evolution of education finance and policy.