cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adding Players to the Game: Parentage Determinations When Assisted Reproductive Technology is Used to Create Families

Though some forms of assisted reproduction (ART) have been available for a long time, more recent scientific advances in reproductive technology created opportunities for more people to build families, but consequently caused confusion about who should be considered a parent. In addition, changing family relationships have caused questions about who should be considered a parent. This article attempts to compare the way various courts identify the legal parents of a child born through assisted reproductive technology. After updating existing discussions about the way parentage decisions are made in ART situations the article provides additional support for creating a predictable and consistent approach to situations that scientific advances force courts and legislatures to address. With little statutory guidance and constrained by individual and varying state law and public policy, courts have attempted to fashion results while generally trying to avoid usurping legislative powers. This article suggests that until legislatures establish clear guidelines for identifying parents, intent to create a child to raise as one’s own should determine parentage when any form of ART is utilized. In fact, as legislatures tackle this complicated issue, intent can provide a reasonable determining factor of a legal parent.
Abstract 1479: The Effects of Computerized Referral and In-Hospital Visit on Local Compared to Statewide Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrollment

Participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains low, and strategies to increase referral and participation are needed. In July 2008, a prompt for referral to CR was added to the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system at Duke Hospital as part of a hospital admission order set. This intervention increased referrals and surpassed the ability of CR staff to visit all CR-eligible patients while in the hospital. Two approaches were taken: an in-hospital visit for patients who live within a tri-county area around Duke, and a mailed referral to the nearest CR program for patients who live outside the tri-county area. We examined the effect of our process improvement changes on local CR referral and enrollment versus statewide trends. Methods: CR programs in the state of NC were polled regarding their enrollment over the 5 months before and 5 months after process improvement changes were made. Enrollment means and ranges were calculated for all CR programs before and after the CPOE and personal referral intervention. The programs were divided into those that were in the tri-county area surrounding Duke, and those that were outside the tri-county area. Results: There were 1845 patients discharged from Duke Hospital over the 10 months of this study who met CR eligibility (980 before and 865 after CPOE intervention respectively). Of these, 38% were referred for CR before, and 82% were referred for CR after the CPOE intervention. There were 28 CR programs that responded to the poll. Conclusion: The combination of CPOE and in-hospital CR referral led to an increase in enrollment in all 4 tri-county CR programs. These process improvements while in the hospital tripled enrollment in Duke CR. In contrast, there is cause for concern about decreased enrollment in 67% of CR programs outside the tri-county area, perhaps reflecting increased financial barriers such as increased co-payments and travel costs.
Fighting arthritis with a senescence gene.

The senescent phenotype is repressed in rheumatoid arthritis and can be restored by the p16INK4a tumor suppressor gene (pages 760–767).
Exploring the relationship between parallel application run-time and network performance in clusters

Highly variable parallel application execution time is a persistent issue in cluster computing environments, and can be particularly acute in systems composed of networks of workstations (NOWs). We are looking at this issue in terms of consistency. In particular, we are focusing on network performance. Before we can use techniques from fault management to attain consistency, this paper presents our preliminary analysis of run-time variability from logs and experiments, exposing important issues related to systemic inconsistency in NOW clusters. The characterization of application sensitivity can be used to set network performance goals, thereby defining operational requirements. Network performance depends on the virtual topology imposed by the scheduler's allocation of nodes and the communication patterns of the set of running applications. Therefore it is important to look at both the network and the cluster's centralized node mapper (scheduler) as critical subsystems.
DualTrust: a distributed trust model for swarm-based autonomic computing systems

For autonomic computing systems that utilize mobile agents and ant colony algorithms for their sensor layer, trust management is important for the acceptance of the mobile agent sensors and to protect the system from malicious behavior by insiders and entities that have penetrated network defenses. This paper examines the trust relationships, evidence, and decisions in a representative system and finds that by monitoring the trustworthiness of the autonomic managers rather than the swarming sensors, the trust management problem becomes much more scalable and still serves to protect the swarm. We propose the Dual-Trust conceptual trust model. By addressing the autonomic manager's bi-directional primary relationships in the ACS architecture, DualTrust is able to monitor the trustworthiness of the autonomic managers, protect the sensor swarm in a scalable manner, and provide global trust awareness for the orchestrating autonomic manager.
Radioactive estradiol accumulation in endometriosis of the rhesus monkey.

Abstract 3 H-estradiol was administered intravenously to 7 rhesus monkeys and the concentration of radioactivity in tissues measured one or two hours later. Four of the monkeys had endometriosis; in three the disease followed pelvic irradiation several years previously. High concentrations of radioactivity were found in the endometrium, myometrium, endometriosis, and adenomyosis relative to the concentrations in plasma, fat, or muscle.
An evaluation of techniques for controlling focus+context screens

We evaluated four techniques for controlling focus+context screens. We compared an egocentric versus exocentric View mixed with whether the display on the focus screen moves in the same (paper mapping) versus opposite (scroll mapping) direction as imput force. Our results show that (i) View had little effect, (ii) users almost always allocated attention to the context screen when controlling the display, (iii) scroll mappings enabled a user to perform tasks faster, commit fewer errors, and be more satisfied with the system compared to paper mappings, and (iv) a user can better control focus+context screens when the frame of reference either does move or is perceived to move in the direction of input force. We discuss these results and recommend how to enable a user to better control focus+context screens.
Self-assembling Games

We consider how cue-reading, sensory-manipulation, and signaling games may initially evolve from ritualized decisions and how more complex games may evolve from simpler games by polymerization, template transfer, and modular composition. Modular composition is a process that combines simpler games into more complex games. Template transfer, a process by which a game is appropriated to a context other than the one in which it initially evolved, is one mechanism for modular composition. And polymerization is a particularly salient example of modular composition where simpler games evolve to form more complex chains. We also consider how the evolution of new capacities by modular composition may be more efficient than evolving those capacities from basic decisions.
Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Implications for Respiratory Care

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a pathological condition of the small pulmonary arteries. PAH is characterized histopathologically by vasoconstriction, vascular proliferation, in situ thrombosis, and remodeling of all 3 levels of the vascular walls. These pathologic changes result in progressive increases in the mean pulmonary-artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, which, if untreated, leads to right-ventricular failure and death. PAH can be associated with multiple conditions or risk factors (eg, collagen vascular diseases, liver disease, human immunodeficiency virus, congenital heart disease, or ingestion of certain medications or toxins) or it can be idiopathic. Up to 10% of the idiopathic cases are familial. Regardless of the etiology, the clinical presentation, histopathologic lesions, and response to therapy are all similar. Early in the disease process, the signs and symptoms of PAH are often subtle and nonspecific, making diagnosis challenging. Patients most often present with progressively worsening dyspnea and fatigue. An extensive evaluation is indicated to diagnose PAH, decipher its etiology, and determine long-term treatment goals. Transthoracic echocardiogram is an excellent screening tool to evaluate PAH, but every patient requires a right-side heart catheterization to help stage the disease and guide therapy. Prior to a decade ago, clinicians were only able to offer symptomatic therapy to this challenging group of patients. Earlier diagnosis, rapidly advancing understanding of the pathogenesis, and an increasing number of treatment options have changed the course of PAH, which was once thought to be invariably fatal.
Further study of changes in thermospheric molecular oxygen abundance inferred from twilight 6300 Å airglow

Abstract Measurements of the [OI] 6300 A twilight airglow during 1973 near Boulder, Colorado, show a strong dependence upon geomagnetic activity for the morning enhancement at solar depression angles where production of O 1 D) is due primarily to photodissociation of O 2 and local photoelectron excitation. Analysis indicates that photodissociation is the dominant source; hence we infer a well defined magnetic dependence for the O 2 /N 2 concentration ratio in the thermosphere. A seasonal variation in the twilight enhancement intensity is barely evident, in contrast with earlier observations made near solar maximum; the smaller variation is associated with a corresponding reduction in the seasonal variation of geomagnetic activity.
Mutations in domain V of the Sendai virus L polymerase protein uncouple transcription and replication and differentially affect replication in vitro and in vivo.

The Sendai virus L and P proteins comprise the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The L subunit is thought to be responsible for all the catalytic activities necessary for viral RNA synthesis. Sequence alignment of the L proteins of negative-stranded RNA viruses revealed six regions of good conservation, domains I-VI, which are thought to correspond to functional domains of the protein. Domain V, amino acids 1129-1378, has no recognizable motifs, and to date its function is unknown. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct mutations across domain V. The mutant L proteins were all stably expressed and were tested for activity in several aspects of RNA synthesis. One set of mutants could synthesize more le+ RNA than mRNA, while two mutants showed the opposite phenotype, synthesizing more mRNA than le+ RNA. The majority of the mutants could synthesize mRNA, but not genome RNA in vitro, thus uncoupling transcription and replication. Several mutants could replicate in vivo, but not in vitro, at nearly wildtype L levels, suggesting the importance of the intact host cell for replication in some instances. One L mutant, SS24, was virtually inactive in all viral RNA synthesis. SS24 L was able to form a polymerase complex that recognized the nucleocapsid template, and thus these amino acids are essential for the initiation of RNA synthesis.
Deposition of Oil-in-Water Emulsions in Sand Beds in the Presence of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide

Surfactant flushing of soils contaminated with non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) has shown significant potential as an effective remediation tool. However, an important aspect that has been neglected is the formation of emulsions and their eventual transport in the subsurface. In this study, the effect of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in modifying the surface properties of sand and emulsion droplets and its consequence on the transport of emulsions in porous media has been investigated with the aim of determining the emulsion-mediated transport of NAPLs in the subsurface. Flow experiments in sand-packed columns were conducted to determine the deposition of hexadecane-in-water emulsions on quartz sand at various CTAB concentrations. Adsorption of CTAB influences the electrokinetic potential of sand and emulsion droplets along with the surface hydrophilicity of the sand surface, thereby influencing the deposition of emulsion droplets. Deposition is found to be a maximum at a ...
Evaluating an adaptive network model of human learning

Abstract This paper explores the promise of simple adaptive networks as models of human learning. The least-mean-squares (LMS) learning rule of networks corresponds to the Rescorla-Wagner model of Pavlovian conditioning, suggesting interesting parallels in human and animal learning. We review three experiments in which subjects learned to classify patients according to symptoms which had differing correlations with two diseases. The LMS network model predicted the results of these experiments, comparing somewhat favorably with several competing learning models. We then extended the network model to deal with some attentional effects in human discrimination learning, wherein cue weight reflects attention to a cue. We further extended the model to include conjunctive features, enabling it to approximate classic results of the difficulty ordering of learning differing types of classifications. Despite the well-known limitations of one-layer network models, we nevertheless promote their use as benchmark models because of their explanatory power, simplicity, aesthetic grace, and approximation, in many circumstances, to multilayer network models. The successes of a simple model suggest greater accuracy of the LMS algorithm as against other learning rules, while its failures inform and constrain the class of more complex models needed to explain complex results.
A split-step IR-advection/model-convection approach to fill temporal gaps in the microwave remote sensing of precipitation

One of the most important problems in non-convection-resolving atmospheric circulation models is cumulus parametrization, i.e. the problem of determining, from the model's coarse-scale state variables, the triggering, vertical distribution and time scale of convective kinetic energy dissipation. One way to derive an empirically-verified parametrization scheme is to use intensive four-dimensional observations of tropical precipitation to compile the statistics of the joint behavior of the convective available potential energy (CAPE) on one hand and the resulting four-dimensional latent heating on the other hand. While tracking CAPE requires frequent soundings, tracking the latent heating is much harder because it requires frequent estimates of the vertical structure of precipitation: the latter can only be estimated from microwave remote sensing, which is only available in the form of infrequent (at best six-hourly) snapshots from low-Earth-orbiting satellites. The approach proposed in this paper seeks to remedy this problem by combining geo-stationary IR observations with a simplified vertical evolution model to fill-in the vast gaps in the microwave observations. The results will help in developing empirically verified convective parametrization schemes for use in large-scale atmospheric models, and in producing fine temporal-scale precipitation estimates which can be directly assimilated.
A time domain direct boundary integral method for a viscoelastic plane with circular holes and elastic inclusions

Abstract This paper considers the problem of an infinite, isotropic viscoelastic plane containing an arbitrary number of randomly distributed, non-overlapping circular holes and isotropic elastic inclusions. The holes and inclusions are of arbitrary size. All inclusions are assumed to be perfectly bonded to the material matrix but the elastic properties of the inclusions can be different from one another. The Kelvin model is employed to simulate the viscoelastic plane. The numerical approach combines a direct boundary integral method for a similar problem of an infinite elastic plane containing multiple circular holes and elastic inclusions described in [Crouch SL, Mogilevskaya SG. On the use of Somigliana's formula and Fourier series for elasticity problems with circular boundaries. Int J Numer Methods Eng 2003;58:537–578], and a time-marching strategy for viscoelastic material analysis described in [Mesquita AD, Coda HB, Boundary integral equation method for general viscoelastic analysis. Int J Solids Struct 2002;39:2643–2664]. Several numerical examples are given to verify the approach. For benchmark problems with one inclusion, results are compared with the analytical solution obtained using the correspondence principle and analytical Laplace transform inversion. For an example with two holes and two inclusions, results are compared with numerical solutions obtained by commercial finite element software—ANSYS. Benchmark results for a more complicated example with 25 inclusions are also given.
Coming Clean: The Impact of Environmental Performance and Visibility on Corporate Climate Change Disclosure.

Previous research provides mixed results on the relationship between corporate environmental performance and the level of voluntary environmental disclosure. We revisit this relation by testing competing predictions from defensive and accommodative approaches to voluntary disclosure with regard to climate change. In particular, we add to the prior literature by determining the extent to which environmental performance and company media visibility interact to prompt voluntary climate change disclosure. Using ordinal regression and Ceres, KLD, and Trucost ratings of S&P 500 companies, we find a positive relationship between environmental performance and voluntary climate change disclosure. We extend the literature on environmental strategies and disclosure by establishing that company visibility and issue (climate change) visibility interact with environmental perfor- mance to influence the level of voluntary climate change disclosure.
Chemoattraction and chemorepulsion of Strongyloides stercoralis infective larvae on a sodium chloride gradient is mediated by amphidial neuron pairs ASE and ASH, respectively.

Abstract Depending on its concentration, sodium chloride acts as either an attractant or a repellant to the infective larvae (L3i) of Strongyloides stercoralis. On a concentration gradient, L3i are attracted to 0.05 M NaCl, but repelled by 2.8 M. To test the hypothesis that amphidial neurons ASE and ASH might mediate attraction and repulsion, respectively, these neurons, and control neurons as well, were ablated in hatchling larvae with a laser microbeam. After the larvae attained infectivity (L3i), they were tested on a NaCl gradient. When placed at low salinity, 73.5% of normal controls migrated “up” the gradient, while 26.4% crawled randomly. In contrast, only 20.6% of ASE-ablated L3i migrated “up” the gradient, while 79.4% migrated randomly. Ablation-control ASK-ablated L3i (58.8%) migrated “up” the gradient while 41.1% crawled randomly. When placed at a region of high salinity, 100% of normal control L3i migrated “down” the gradient, whereas 62.5% of ASH-ablated L3i migrated randomly, the remaining 37.5% migrating “down” the gradient. In sharp contrast with ASH-ablated L3i, 94.1% of ablation-control larvae, i.e. ASK-ablated L3i, migrated “down” the gradient. Migration behavior of ASE- and ASH-ablated L3i was significantly different (P
Fault Analysis of the NTRUEncrypt Cryptosystem

In this paper, we present a fault analysis of the original NTRU public key cryptosystem. The fault model in which we analyze the cipher is the one in which the attacker is assumed to be able to fault a small number of coefficients of the polynomial input to (or output from) the second step of the decryption process but cannot control the exact location of injected faults. For this specific original instantiation of the NTRU encryption system with parameters (N,p,q), our attack succeeds with probability ≈ 1 - 1/p and when the number of faulted coefficients is upper bounded by t, it requires O((pN)t) polynomial inversions in Z/pZ[x]/(xN - 1).
Biting density and distribution of Aedes albopictus during the September 2014 outbreak of dengue fever in Yoyogi Park and the vicinity in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan

A total of 160 autochthonous dengue cases transmitted by Aedes albopictus were reported between August and October of 2014 in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. Ae. albopictus is a medically important vector of dengue virus, which has expanded its geographic distribution in temperate regions. Understanding the distribution and biting density of Ae. albopictus during the 2014 dengue outbreak in Tokyo is important to evaluate the epidemic risks of dengue fever in other highly populated cities in Europe and Asia. Of the 160 patients, 134 visited the same park (Yoyogi Park) located in central Tokyo. Mosquitoes infected with dengue virus were collected from this park, suggesting that it was the exclusive location for the transmission of dengue. This study aimed to collect referential data to estimate the transmission threshold of dengue virus in terms of biting density of Ae. albopictus and determined high transmission risk areas of dengue virus in Yoyogi Park and its vicinity. The overall mean density of biting Ae. albopictus (7.13/man/8 min) was sufficiently high for successful transmission of dengue virus, and areas with biting densities higher than the overall mean density were classified as high risk areas for the transmission of dengue virus in Yoyogi Park.
FURTHER STUDIES ON THE OVARIANTHYROID RELATIONSHIP1

MANY METHODS have been used to study the relation of the ovaries to the thyroid glands. Van Horn (i) reported that three rat units of theelin were necessary to produce estrus in experimental hyperthyroid rats. Gessler (2) reported a decrease in basal metabolism in guinea pigs with the use of folliculin. Collett, Smith and Wertenberger (3) found that theelin, theelol or amniotin increased the basal metabolism of ovariectomizd women. Sherwood et al. (4) showed that thee lin and amniotin lowered the basal metabolism of ovariectomizd rats. The author also showed in the above investigation that amniotin lowered the basal metabolic level in experimental hyperthyroid rats. Grumbrecht and Loeser (5) investigated the relation of ovarian to thyroid function through a study of structural changes in the thyroid gland. They suggested that ovariectomy caused a flattening of the epithelial cells and allowed a storage of colloid. It is suggested that the thyrotropic hormone was in creased as a mechanism of defense agains...
Quantitative grain density autoradiography and the intraspecific distribution of primary productivity in phytoplankton

Analysis of a method of grain density autoradiography demonstrates that reliable measurements of the primary productivity of individual phytoplankton species can be obtained with this technique. Grain density autoradiography is particularly useful for providing an estimate of the intraspecific distribution of primary productivity. As an example, the productivity distribution of the marine diatom Chaetoceros curvisetus became positively skewed during a period of population decline.
On the volatility and disproportionation of hypoiodous acid

The partition coefficient of hypoiodous acid at 20 °C has been determined to be ∼930. This determination is based on measured values of the instantaneous iodine partition coefficient /IPC/ vs. time after the introduction of molecular iodine into an air-water system at pH=9.
κ-Structures: Cardinality Conditions, Compactness, Metrization

The notion of a κ-structure on a set E is introduced as a generalization of a topology on E. Pospisil's inequality |X|≤d(X)χ(X), Arhangel'skiĭi's inequality |X|≤ 2L(X)χ(X), and Gryzlov's inequality |X|≤ 2ψ(X) for X compact all extend to κ-structures. Chaber's theorem, that every countably compact space with a Gδ-diagonal is compact, also extends to κ-structures. Two metrization theorems in terms of κ-structures are given.
Suppression of Iron Catalyzed Free Radical Generation by Iron Tyrosinate Protein Models

Novel antioxidants, N-(2-Hydroxy-1-naphthal)amino acids which mimic iron proteins, have been intensively studied for suppressive effect on iron-catalyzed free radical generation. These compounds exhibit inhibition of the Fenton reaction in electron spin resonance assessment. In addition, it is shown that the compounds inhibit iron-induced peroxidation by thiobarbituric acid test. Since these antioxidants form stable complexes with Fe3+, this antioxidative activity is expected to be derived from sequestration of catalytic iron.
Intracoronary and aortic root myocardial contrast echocardiography: The effect of route, dose, and pharmacologic coronary vasodilation

Myocardial contrast echocardiography is useful for the assessment of myocardial perfusion but has required direct intracoronary injections. Aortic root myocardial contrast echocardiography has the potential advantage of allowing simultaneous assessment of multiple perfusion beds, as well as evaluating competitive and collateral flows. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of intracoronary and aortic root injections of sonicated 5% human serum albumin (Albunex) with and without concomitant coronary vasodilation. Without vasodilation, 72% of intracoronary injections had optimal myocardial enhancement, compared with 21% of aortic root injections. For individual patients, significant dose-response relationships existed for both intracoronary and aortic root injections, although contrast intensity for a given dose varied between patients. Pharmacologic vasodilation resulted in significant increases in contrast intensity and in the incidence of optimal myocardial contrast after aortic root injections. Aortic root myocardial contrast echocardiography potentially allows the simultaneous assessment of multiple perfusion beds through a route somewhat less invasive than that of direct intracoronary injections.
Natural convection heat and mass transfer along a vertical cylinder in a porous medium

Abstract Combined heat and mass transfer in natural convection along a vertical cylinder in a saturated porous medium is studied. The boundary layer analysis is formulated in terms of the combined thermal and solutal buoyancy effect. The flow field characteristics are analyzed in detail for both cases where the concentration gradients can either aid or oppose the thermal buoyancy forces. The effects of the curvature, the buoyancy parameter and the Lewis number on the temperature, concentration and flow fields, and on the surface heat and mass transfer rates are discussed.
Experiments with Turbulent Soap Films

A vertical soap film channel driven by gravity is used to study two-dimensional turbulence. Velocity differences on different scales and the spectrum of velocity fluctuations show behavior very different from their three-dimensional counterparts. Our findings are consistent with the theoretically predicted enstrophy cascade picture for two-dimensional turbulence. However, significant differences were observed.
The Structure of the Iron-binding Protein, FutA1, from Synechocystis 6803

Cyanobacteria account for a significant percentage of aquatic primary productivity even in areas where the concentrations of essential micronutrients are extremely low. To better understand the mechanism of iron selectivity and transport, the structure of the solute binding domain of an ATP binding cassette iron transporter, FutA1, was determined in the presence and absence of iron. The iron ion is bound within the "C-clamp" structure via four tyrosine and one histidine residues. There are extensive interactions between these ligating residues and the rest of the protein such that the conformations of the side chains remain relatively unchanged as the iron is released by the opening of the metal binding cleft. This is in stark contrast to the zinc-binding protein, ZnuA, where the domains of the metal-binding protein remain relatively fixed, whereas the ligating residues rotate out of the binding pocket upon metal release. The rotation of the domains in FutA1 is facilitated by two flexible beta-strands running along the back of the protein that act like a hinge during domain motion. This motion may require relatively little energy since total contact area between the domains is the same whether the protein is in the open or closed conformation. Consistent with the pH dependence of iron binding, the main trigger for iron release is likely the histidine in the iron-binding site. Finally, neither FutA1 nor FutA2 binds iron as a siderophore complex or in the presence of anions, and both preferentially bind ferrous over ferric ions.
An evaluation of three time-out procedures for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Behavior modification is an evidence-based treatment for children with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Time-out from positive reinforcement is one behavior-modification procedure commonly recommended to manage disruptive or noncompliant behavior. This investigation examined the effects of time-out on children's behavior within the context of an intensive summer treatment program at two sites. Short (5-minute), long (15-minute), and escalating/de-escalating time-out conditions were compared to no time-out for 71 children. Results indicated that the time-out conditions were superior to no time-out in reducing the occurrence of intentional aggression, intentional destruction of property, and repeated noncompliance in the recreational and classroom settings regardless of child age or parent reported oppositional or conduct problems. There were no effects of time-out on staff member ratings of time-out effectiveness or the pleasantness of staff-child interactions. All three time-out conditions were equally effective in the group analyses, though analyses of normalization of functioning indicated there were individual differences in response to the time-out conditions. The results indicated that time-out is an effective means of reducing negative behavior in children with ADHD.
Exo-anomeric effects on energies and geometries of different conformations of glucose and related systems in the gas phase and aqueous solution

Abstract Ab initio calculations predict that in 2-hydroxy- and 2-methoxytetrahydropyran, hyperconjugative delocalization of lone-pair density on the exocyclic oxygen atom at C-1 into the σ ∗ orbital of the C-1-O-5 bond is maximized when the OR group at C-1 is oriented gauche to C-1-O-5. This exo-anomeric effect lengthens the C-1-O-5 bond, shortens the exocyclic C-1-O bond, and stabilizes the gauche conformers by about 4 kcal/mol over the anti. In the anti orientation, hyperconjugative interaction of the OR group at C-1 with other appropriately oriented σ ∗ orbitals increases, but the geometric and energetic consequences are less marked. Solvation effects reduce the energetic stabilization associated with the exo-anomeric effect in the tetrahydropyrans. This derives from a combination of changes in the overall electrostatics and also from decreased accessibility of the hydrophilic groups in the gauche conformers. For glucose or glucosides, instead of the simple tetrahydropyran model systems, the interactions of the exocyclic OR group at C-1 with the hydroxy group at C-2 can significantly affect these hyperconjugative delocalizations. In the glucose and glucoside systems, solvation effects oppose the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. MM3(94) force field calculations show systematic deviations in the relative energies and structures of the various model systems with respect to the more reliable HF/cc-pVDZ predictions.
Determination of lithium in small-animal tissues at physiological levels by flame emission photometry.

Abstract The sensitivity for the determination of lithium by emission in the nitrous oxide-acetylene flame rivals that of graphite furnace atomic absorption and is freer of chemical interference. Details of its application to analysis of organs of small animals forlithium at physiological (normal) levels are presented. Matrix matching and standardization by additions are unnecessary.
Changes in symptoms of depression with weight loss: results of a randomized trial.

Recent studies of rimonabant have re-awakened interest in the possible adverse psychiatric effects of weight loss, as well as of weight loss medications. This study examined changes in symptoms of depression in 194 obese participants (age = 43.7 +/- 10.2 years; BMI = 37.6 +/- 4.1 kg/m(2)) in a 1-year randomized trial of lifestyle modification and medication. Participants were assigned to (i) sibutramine alone; (ii) lifestyle modification alone; (iii) sibutramine plus lifestyle modification (i.e., combined therapy); or (iv) sibutramine plus brief therapy. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at baseline and weeks 6, 10, 18, 26, 40, and 52. At 1 year, participants in combined therapy lost the most weight and those in sibutramine alone the least (12.1 +/- 8.8% vs. 5.5 +/- 6.5%; P or= 5 points on the BDI-II) in symptoms of depression at week 52. They lost significantly less weight than participants in the rest of the sample (5.4 +/- 7.8% vs. 9.0 +/- 7.8%, respectively; P < 0.03). The baseline prevalence of suicidal ideation was 3.6%. Seven new cases of suicidal ideation were observed during the year, with three in lifestyle modification alone. Further research is needed to identify characteristics of obese patients at risk of negative mood changes (and suicidal ideation) in response to behavioral and pharmacologic therapies.
Aesthetic Concepts, Perceptual Learning, and Linguistic Enculturation: Considerations from Wittgenstein, Language, and Music

Aesthetic non-cognitivists deny that aesthetic statements express genuinely aesthetic beliefs and instead hold that they work primarily to express something non-cognitive, such as attitudes of approval or disapproval, or desire. Non-cognitivists deny that aesthetic statements express aesthetic beliefs because they deny that there are aesthetic features in the world for aesthetic beliefs to represent. Their assumption, shared by scientists and theorists of mind alike, was that language-users possess cognitive mechanisms with which to objectively grasp abstract rules fixed independently of human responses, and that cognizers are thereby capable of grasping rules for the correct application of aesthetic concepts without relying on evaluation or enculturation. However, in this article I use Wittgenstein’s rule-following considerations to argue that psychological theories grounded upon this so-called objective model of rule-following fail to adequately account for concept acquisition and mastery. I argue that this is because linguistic enculturation, and the perceptual learning that’s often involved, influences and enables the mastery of aesthetic concepts. I argue that part of what’s involved in speaking aesthetically is to belong to a cultural practice of making sense of things aesthetically, and that it’s within a socio-linguistic community, and that community’s practices, that such aesthetic sense can be made intelligible.
Plan B: global ethics on climate change

This introduction to the special issue on climate puts individual contributions in context. Climate change is the result of the current civilization paradigm and its modes of cognition. This suggests a failure of conventional ways of thinking, including mainstream philosophy. The articles in this issue illustrate alternative philosophical approaches, which point to civil evolution.
Regulation of galanin secretion from pituitary cells in vitro by estradiol and GHRH.

Abstract The effects of estradiol and growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) on galanin release from anterior pituitary cells were examined in vitro. 17-β-Estradiol (0.001–10 n M ) increased galanin secretion from anterior pituitary cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Estradiol (10 n M ) increased galanin release 300 and 600% from pituitary cells of ovariectomized and male rats, respectively. Immunocytochemical studies demonstrated that estradiol (10 n M ) increased the number of galanin-containing cells twofold after 4 days in culture. Growth hormone-releasing hormone (1 and 10 n M ) increased and SRIF (1 and 10 n M ) decreased galanin release from pituitary cells of ovariectomized and male rats. We conclude that estradiol increases galanin release by a direct effect on pituitary cells, in part by increasing the number of pituitary cells synthesizing galanin. In addition, GHRH stimulates galanin release when estradiol levels are low.
Photophysical characterization of fluorescent metal nanoclusters synthesized using oligonucleotides, proteins and small molecule ligands

The size transition from bulk conducting metals to insulating nanoparticles and eventually to single atoms passes through the relatively unexplored few-atom nanocluster region. With dimensions close to the Fermi wavelength, these nanoclusters demonstrate molecule-like properties distinct from bulk metals or atoms, such as discrete and size-tunable electronic transitions which lead to photoluminescence. Current research aims to elucidate the fundamental photophysical properties of metal nanoclusters made by different means and based on different encapsulation agents. Here, we report the study of the photophysical properties, including quantum yields, lifetimes, extinction coefficients, blinking dynamics and sizes, of silver and gold nanoclusters synthesized using oligonucleotides, a protein (bovine serum albumin) and a Good's buffer molecule (MES, 2-(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid) as encapsulation agents. We also investigate the change of photoluminescence as a function of temperature. Furthermore, we show that the fluorescent metal clusters can be used as a donor in forming a resonance energy transfer pair with a commercial organic quencher. These new fluorophores have great potential as versatile tools for a broad range of applications in biological and chemical detection.
Conformational Changes and Catalytic Competency of Hydrolases Adsorbing on Fumed Silica Nanoparticles: II. Secondary Structure

Abstract We have recently introduced an immobilization protocol for preparations of enzymes on fumed silica for catalysis in organic solvents. The observation of a maximum in apparent catalytic activity at intermediate surface coverage for one enzyme while another enzyme showed continuously increasing apparent catalytic activity with decreasing surface coverage led to speculation on the impact of surface coverage on apparent catalytic activity through different relative surface–protein and protein–protein interactions, combined with different “hardness” or resistance towards unfolding by the enzymes. The kinetics of tertiary unfolding of Candida antarctica Lipase B (CALB), subtilisin Carlsberg, and the Lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) adsorbing on fumed silica nanoparticles were inferred here from tryptophan fluorescence for 2 to 1250%SC, 0.5–4.70 mg/mL enzyme concentration in aqueous buffer solution, and in the presence of the structural modifiers 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) and dithiothreitol (DTT). The results shown here confirm the earlier speculation that “hard” enzymes can perform well at low and intermediate surface coverage of the solid fumed silica particles until multi-layer packing imposes mass-transfer limitations, while “soft” enzymes unfold at low surface coverage and therefore show a maximum in catalytic competency at intermediate surface coverage before declining apparent activity is caused by multi-layer packing.
How do Female Entrepreneurs Perform? Evidence from Three Developing Regions

Using the World Bank Enterprise Survey data, we analyze performance gaps between male- and female-owned companies in three regions—Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA), Latin America (LA), and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Among our findings are significant gender gaps between male- and female-owned companies in terms of firm size, but much smaller gaps in terms of firm efficiency and growth (except in LA). Part of the reason women run smaller firms is that they tend to concentrate in sectors in which firms are smaller and less efficient (in ECA and SSA). By contrast, we find no evidence of gender discrimination in access to formal finance in any of the three regions, although in ECA women are less likely than men to seek formal finance. Finally, while female entrepreneurs receive smaller loans than their male counterparts, the returns from each dollar they receive is no lower in terms of overall sales revenue.
First international workshop on semantic infrastructure for grid computing applications (SIGAW)

Current methods for monitoring the security of large-scale commodity clusters tend to treat these clusters as nothing more than collections of independent nodes. As such, the techniques used to secure these clusters have, for the most part, been adaptations of techniques developed for securing and monitoring enterprise computing environments. We have previously proposed the idea of monitoring the security-state of large-scale commodity clusters by examining their emergent properties, that is, properties that are only visible when one ceases to look at a cluster as a collection of disparate nodes and begins to look at the properties of the cluster as a whole. We show that by correlating the open network ports observed on cluster nodes with other emergent properties - such as active processes and the contents of important system files - security analysts can make insightful observations that can greatly restrict the actions that an attacker can carry out undetected.
Differential effects of alcohol consumption and withdrawal on circadian temperature and activity rhythms in Sprague-Dawley, Lewis, and Fischer male and female rats.

Background: Hypothalamic synthesis and secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), a putative mediator of various behavioral and physiological responses to ethanol (EtOH), is defective in inbred Lewis (LEW) rats in comparison with their genetically related inbred Fischer 344 (F344) and outbred Sprague–Dawley (S–D) strains. We aimed to characterize the effects of continuous EtOH consumption and withdrawal on circadian patterns of body temperature and spontaneous locomotor activity in males and females of these 3 strains. Methods: Adult LEW, F344, and S–D males and randomly cycling females were fed an EtOH-containing liquid diet or the control (pair-fed or lab chow and water) diet for 14 days. Biotelemetric body temperature data for the last 3 days of EtOH diet feeding and the first 3 days of withdrawal were subjected to cosinor analysis of the circadian rhythm parameters of midline-estimating statistic of rhythm (MESOR), amplitude, and acrophase. Mean dark-phase activity during these periods was also computed. Results: In the control diet condition, the MESORs and amplitudes of LEW males were lower than those of F344 males. MESORs of rhythms of LEW females were lower than those of both F344 and S–D females. Ethanol consumption caused hypothermia with reduced MESORs and amplitudes of LEW and F344 males and amplitudes of F344 and S–D females. Upon withdrawal, MESORs of the males increased during each day as the amplitudes decreased, reflective of their initial withdrawal-induced dark-phase hypothermia, which was most pronounced in the LEW males, followed by light-phase hyperthermia. MESORs of females were not affected by withdrawal; their amplitudes were differentially affected. Acrophase of LEW males shifted from dark to light on the first day of withdrawal. All rats responded to EtOH exposure with a reduction of dark-phase spontaneous locomotor activity and an immediate increase upon withdrawal. Conclusions: Body temperature rhythms of the males were generally more affected by EtOH consumption and withdrawal than the females; within each sex, LEW and F344 rats differed significantly. The specific hormonal factors that mediate the differential temperature responses remain to be defined.
Pathogenic Mutation of Spastin Has Gain-of-Function Effects on Microtubule Dynamics

Mutations to the SPG4 gene encoding the microtubule-severing protein spastin are the most common cause of hereditary spastic paraplegia. Haploinsufficiency, the prevalent model for the disease, cannot readily explain many of its key aspects, such as its adult onset or its specificity for the corticospinal tracts. Treatment strategies based solely on haploinsufficiency are therefore likely to fail. Toward developing effective therapies, here we investigated potential gain-of-function effects of mutant spastins. The full-length human spastin isoform called M1 or a slightly shorter isoform called M87, both carrying the same pathogenic mutation C448Y, were expressed in three model systems: primary rat cortical neurons, fibroblasts, and transgenic Drosophila. Although both isoforms had ill effects on motor function in transgenic flies and decreased neurite outgrowth from primary cortical neurons, mutant M1 was notably more toxic than mutant M87. The observed phenotypes did not result from dominant-negative effects of mutated spastins. Studies in cultured cells revealed that microtubules can be heavily decorated by mutant M1 but not mutant M87. Microtubule-bound mutant M1 decreased microtubule dynamics, whereas unbound M1 or M87 mutant spastins increased microtubule dynamics. The alterations in microtubule dynamics observed in the presence of mutated spastins are not consistent with haploinsufficiency and are better explained by a gain-of-function mechanism. Our results fortify a model wherein toxicity of mutant spastin proteins, especially mutant M1, contributes to axonal degeneration in the corticospinal tracts. Furthermore, our results provide details on the mechanism of the toxicity that may chart a course toward more effective treatment regimens.