cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dual Language Graduates’ Participation in Bilingual and Biliterate Communities of Practice Across Time and Space

Through a Communities of Practice Network Analysis, this research illustrates the ways in which dual language graduates participate in multiple, varied, and overlapping communities of practice across time. Findings highlight that the dual language school as a shared community of practice represents a critical and formative part of participants’ later bilingual and biliterate practices, creating an enduring foundation for their values and beliefs surrounding bilingualism and biliteracy and opening up increased opportunities to participate in expanded bilingual and bicultural practices. However, the school was not in and of itself enough to produce long-term bilinguals and biliterates. Of equal importance were the out-of-school contexts for participation in language and literacy practices across diverse contexts. As participants in this study traverse the various social fields of their everyday lives, bilingual and biliterate skills are leveraged within socially situated communities of practice. Similarly, ...
General Surgery: Current Trends and Recent Innovations

In surgery, new technology has been developed to eliminate some problems that surgeons face during more challenging laparoscopic or conventional operations. Surgical robotic systems have restored much of what was lost and altered the learning curve in the surgeon's favor. At the same time, advanced surgical instruments and optics continue the trend of the smaller scar. Minimally invasive surgery has given birth to a new and exciting era in surgical research. The future of surgical research lies, in part, in computer and visual technology.
A process approach to the transfer of training

In the previous article [ Foxon, 1993 ] the author presented two models of transfer. The first, based on force field analysis, highlights the inhibiting and facilitating factors that impact transfer. In particular, intention to transfer and the perceived level of supervisor support were discussed. The second model conceptualises transfer in terms of a five stage process (ranging from initiation to unconscious maintenance) rather than as an outcome or product of training. In this article three strategies to facilitate greater transfer are presented, with a detailed discussion of end-of-course action planning as an effective means to help learners bridge the gap between the training environment and the application arena.
Reporter mice express green fluorescent protein at initiation of meiosis in spermatocytes

Transgenic mice were generated using a heat shock protein 2 (Hspa2) gene promoter to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) at the beginning of meiotic prophase I in spermatocytes. Expression was confirmed in four lines by in situ fluorescence, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and PCR assays. The expression and distribution of the GFP and HSPA2 proteins co-localized in spermatocytes and spermatids in three lines, but GFP expression was variegated in one line (F46), being present in some clones of meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells and not in others. Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to isolate purified populations of spermatocytes and spermatids. Although bisulfite sequencing revealed differences in the DNA methylation patterns in the promoter regions of the transgene of the variegated expressing GFP line, a uniformly expressing GFP reporter line, and the Hspa2 gene, these differences did not correlate with variegated expression. The Hspa2-GFP reporter mice provide a novel tool for studies of meiosis by allowing detection of GFP in situ and in isolated spermatogenic cells. They will allow sorting of meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells for characterization of molecular features and correlation of expression of GFP with stage-specific spermatogenic cell proteins and developmental events.
Low-noise implanted-base microwave transistors

Abstract An improved small-signal bipolar microwave transistor utilizing ion-implantation has been developed. The structure comprises oxide isolation, arsenic-doped emitters and an ion-implanted base region. A noise figure of 3·9 dB at 8 GHz has been achieved. The variation of the device parameters with the implanted dose has been investigated and the results are interpreted in terms of a simplified model. Implanted emitters and diffused emitters have been evaluated and found to give similar results.
Ein Beitrag zur Erkennung und Behandlung der gutartigen gestielten Tumoren des oberen Oesophagus

Es wird uber ein 20 cm langes gestieltes Lipom des Oesophagus berichtet, das bei einer 59jahrigen Frau rontgenologisch diagnostiziert und operativ entfernt wurde. Die Anamnese reichte 7 Jahre zuruck. Lange Zeit wurde die Patientin unter der Annahme eines Kardiospasmus erfolglos behandelt. Um zur Verhutung derartiger Fehldiagnosen beizutragen, wird auf die rontgenologischen Besonderheiten der gutartigen gestielten Speiserohrengeschwulste hingewiesen. Jeder erkannte Fall sollte moglichst bald operiert werden, ehe eine fortgeschrittene Inanition die gunstige Prognose beeintrachtigt.
Prospects of using synchrotron radiation facilities with diamond-anvil cells: High-pressure research applications in geophysics

Abstract Diamond-anvil pressure cells have proven versatile and useful for conducting high pressure research in the submegabar range. The interfacing of diamond-anvil cell technology with synchrotron facilities seems a logical new step for carrying out insitu X-ray diffraction studies of materials under extreme conditions of combined high pressure and temperature. The conventional film method of X-ray diffraction has definite limitations which call for the energy dispersive analysis techniques. Various potential high pressure-temperature studies in geophysics and related fields involving the use of diamond-anvil cell, synchrotron facilities and energy dispersive techniques are exemplified. For geophysical studies the conditions prevailing in 86% of the Earth's volume are capable of being simulated completely in pressure, and partially in pressure and temperature, simultaneously.
Jimmy Carter and the Rhetoric of Charisma.

Jimmy Carter's unusual success in the Presidential Primaries of 1976 has been the subject of much discussion. One rhetorical explanation posits that Carter's message may be described in terms of Weber's concept of charisma, and Bormann's theory of rhetorical vision. The charismatic message was caught up in a unique rhetorical situation, the social fantasies attending the Bicentennial Celebration. Carter's rhetoric and the people's fantasies transcended along similar lines. This confluence helped to carry Carter to the White House.
In vitro development and implantation rates of fresh and cryopreserved sibling zygotes.

Objective To compare the developmental potential of cryopreserved human zygotes after thawing to sibling zygotes that were transferred without cryopreservation. Methods Retrospective analysis of embryo data and pregnancy outcome for all in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients who had sufficient zygotes to allow fresh embryo transfer and cryopreservation of additional sibling zygotes for later use. Results Zygotes survived cryopreservation at a high rate (87%). After thawing, cryopreserved zygotes developed at rates similar to those of fresh zygotes. Pregnancy occurred at similar rates after replacement of fresh embryos (27.9%) or replacement of cryopreserved-thawed zygote-derived embryos (24.3%). Conclusions Human embryos can be cryopreserved at the pronuclear zygote stage with little loss of developmental potential. Cryopreservation allowed a reduction in the number of embryos transferred during an IVF retrieval cycle, thereby reducing the occurrence of multiple pregnancy. The total cumulative pregnancy rate per retrieval cycle doubled when pregnancies from cryopreserved-thawed zygotes were added to those originating from fresh zygotes.
Evolution of the biochemical pathway for aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in Serpens flexibilis in relationship to its phylogenetic position

Given the availability of a reasonably complete phylogenetic tree constructed by means of modern nucleic acid sequencing techniques, it is sometimes possible to use biochemical-pathway characteristics as a basis to fine-tune the phylogenetic position of certain organisms making up the tree. A case in point in Serpens flexibilis, a helical bacterium shown by oligonucleotide cataloging to belong to the group Ia cluster of pseudomonads. The results show that within the group Ia pseudomonad cluster, S. flexibilis clusters with the Pseudomonas stutzeri/P. mendocina/P. alcaligenes/P. pseudoalcaligenes assemblage, which diverges from a lineage leading to P. aeruginosa and from yet another lineage leading to species of Azomonas and Azotobacter.
Depressive symptoms and their social contexts: a qualitative systematic literature review of contextual interventions.

BACKGROUND: Numerous observational studies demonstrate associations between social context and depressive symptoms, yet few intervention trials exist in this arena. AIMS: This review examines intervention trials that explore the impact of contextual change on depressive symptoms. METHODS: Electronic literature databases of PubMed and PsycINFO, bibliographies of retrieved articles and the publicly available internet were searched for English-language articles published between 1997 and 2008. Peer-reviewed studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported contextual interventions and depressive symptoms measures in adult populations without other significant underlying medical or psychological illness. In total, 2,128 studies met search term criteria. Of these, 13 studies meeting inclusion criteria were classified by type of intervention. Qualitative synthesis was used to interpret the mental health impact of contextual interventions. RESULTS: The interventions focused on employment, housing, poverty, parenting and violence. Eight of these studies reported a decrease in depressive symptoms and/or psychological distress in intervention groups. Interventions varied in focus, length of follow-up and measures of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Contextual interventions for the prevention and treatment of depressive symptoms and psychological distress can be effective, though very limited data exist in this field. Policy implications include a greater emphasis on improving context to decrease depression and other mental disorders. Language: en
Getting performance metrics right: a qualitative study of staff experiences implementing and measuring practice transformation

BACKGROUND Quality improvement is a central goal of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model, and requires the use of relevant performance measures that can effectively guide comprehensive care improvements. Existing literature suggests performance measurement can lead to improvements in care quality, but may also promote practices that are detrimental to patient care. Staff perceptions of performance metric implementation have not been well-researched in medical home settings.
Fast Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Simultaneously Oscillating and Rotating Fiell Gradients

We present an approach to magnetic resonance imaging employing a magnetic field gradient that rotates 180 degrees in the image plane while the gradient magnitude oscillates rapidly during the rotation. A single free induction decay recorded during this rotation contains all the information needed to reconstruct a two-dimensional image. In effect, each sinusoidal oscillation of the gradient provides information corresponding to one projection in more conventional Fourier-projection approaches. Since the data acquisition can be achieved in a period less than T2, the method offers the potential of great speed, which is limited only by the gradient modulation frequency. An explicit image reconstruction formula is derived that gives, when evaluated, a reconstruction of the magnetization equal to the true magnetization convolved with a space-invariant point spread function. This point spread function is derived and characterizes the resolving power and sidelobe response of the technique. Moreover, we derive a similar reconstruction formula which is valid when known inhomogeneities in the static field H0 and T2 are present. Finally, we show how the general approach can be extended to three dimensions.
A note on the justification of landsat data transformations

Abstract This paper discusses the mathematical justification for Landsat data transformations. The results are based upon an atmospheric radiation transfer equation given by Turner (5). Several proposed data transformations are discussed and evaluated in light of these justifications.
Defining the threshold: new data on the ability of capsule endoscopy to discriminate the size of esophageal varices.

Endoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy, EGD) to screen for esophageal varices (EV) is recommended in patients with portal hypertension. Reports indicate that capsule endoscopy (CE) is capable of identifying large/medium varices (L/MV) when the varix comprises more than 25% of the circumference of the field of view. We evaluated the ability of CE to discriminate the size of EV using this grading scale. Patients underwent CE and EGD on the same day. A blinded investigator interpreted capsule findings. CE labeled EV as L/MV if ≥25% of the lumen circumference was occupied, and small/none for <25%. A total of 37 patients were enrolled in this prospective, observational study at a single tertiary-care academic center. Three CE were excluded due to rapid esophageal transit time or technical malfunction. Using a 25% threshold, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for EC to discriminate L/MV were 23.5%, 88.2%, 66.7%, and 53.6%, respectively (κ = 0.12). Reducing the threshold to 12.5% resulted in sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 88.2%, 64.7%, 71.4%, and 84.6%, respectively (κ = 0.53). A receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve showed a 15% threshold to be optimal in discriminating EV size using CE, resulting in sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 76.5%, 82.4%, 81.3%, and 77.8%, respectively (κ = 0.59). This study indicates that discriminating EV size by the current capsule scale is unreliable. Lowering the grading threshold improved the ability to discriminate EV size by CE. In the proper context, CE is an alternative to EGD to screen for EV.
Development Of A Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) Fine Guidance Sensor

Fine guidance technology development for the Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) centers upon the use of a single multiple-star-tracking sensor to provide the position information necessary to produce three-axis attitude control signals for precision payload pointing. The effort described in this paper is concerned with the development of a fine guidance sensor that employs a high-density charge-coupled imaging device for producing position information signals by using star fields. Multiple star position information produces three-axis position error signals that are used to update inertial reference gyros. The sensor employs advanced position interpolation algorithms to enhance field-of-view resolution and to correct for optical aberrations inherent in spatially chopped star images resulting from the telescope's movable secondary mirror. Operation of the sensor is under the control of a high-performance microcomputer that provides both autonomy and flexibility in a guidance application.
AN AMPLITUDE BURST DISCRIMINATOR.

Abstract A method is described to facilitate the analysis of the rate of “burst” activity occurring in certain structures of the central nervous system.
Reaction kinetics of H2O with chlorinated Si(111)-(7 × 7) and porous silicon surfaces

Abstract Atomic layer control of SiO2 film growth can be achieved on silicon surfaces using the SiCl4 +H2O reaction applied in an ABAB … binary reaction sequence (A) SiCl ∗ + H 2 O→ SiOH ∗ + HCl , (B) SiOH ∗ + SiCl 4 → SiOSiCl 3 ∗ + HCl , where the asterisks indicate the surface species. The reaction of H2O with SiCl∗ species on the silicon surface is an important initial step for this controlled SiO2 deposition. In this study, the reaction of H2O on Si(111)-(7 × 7) surfaces chlorinated by SiCl4 exposures was studied using laser-induced thermal desorption (LITD), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) techniques. Complementary transmission FTIR experiments monitored the SiCl, SiH and SiOSi vibrations of the surface species during the reaction of H2O on chlorinated porous silicon surfaces. At temperatures T≤700 K, the oxygen uptake resulting from H2O adsorption was small, and chlorine loss was negligible on chlorinated Si(111)-(7 × 7) and porous silicon surfaces. In contrast, both oxygen uptake and chlorine removal were measurable and thermally activated at T>700 K. The kinetics of oxygen uptake and chlorine loss were also studied on the Si(111)-(7 × 7) surface versus chlorine coverage. The oxygen uptake rates in the temperature range from 700–820 K were independent of the initial surface chlorine coverage. A simple kinetics model employing H2O adsorption kinetics and H2, HCl and SiCl2 desorption kinetics was used to explain the temperature threshold at ∼ 700 K and to determine the reaction mechanism. These model calculations were consistent with chlorine loss that was rate-limited by HCl desorption that occurs at T>700 K. The independence of oxygen uptake on the initial chlorine coverage was attributed to the similarity between the HCl and H2 desorption kinetics. In contrast to recent observations on the chlorinated SiO2 surface, these results indicate that the first H2O reaction in the initial AB sequence on chlorinated silicon surfaces does not involve a direct substitution reaction with an SiCl∗ surface species. Rather, the reaction is consistent with a Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism involving H2O adsorption followed by HCl desorption.
Factors predicting crisis counselor referrals to other crisis counseling, disaster relief, and psychological services: a cross-site analysis of post-Katrina programs.

An important aspect of crisis counseling is linking survivors with services for their unmet needs. We examined determinants of referrals for disaster relief, additional crisis counseling, and psychological services in 703,000 crisis counseling encounters 3–18 months after Hurricane Katrina. Referrals for disaster relief were predicted by clients’ losses, age (adults rather than children), and urbanicity. Referrals for additional counseling and psychological services were predicted by urbanicity, losses and trauma exposure, prior trauma, and preexisting mental health problems. Counseling and psychological referrals declined over time despite continuing mental health needs. Results confirm large urban–rural disparities in access to services.
α-Methyldopa produces mydriasis in the rat by stimulation of CNS α2-adrenoceptors

Abstract 1. The effects of i.v. administration of alpha-methyldopa (MD) on rat pupil diameter were investigated. All experiments were carried out in rats in which vagosympathetic nerve trunks were sectioned bilaterally at the cervical level. 2. In anaesthetized rats MD produced a marked dose-related increase in pupil diameter. The onset of pupillary response to MD was gradual and reached maximal levels 2-3 h after administration. 3. Pretreatment with alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists yohimbine (1.5 mg kg-1, i.v.) or idazoxan (0.5 mg kg-1, i.v.) blocked the pupillary response to MD. In contrast, the alpha 1-antagonists prazosin (1.0 mg kg-1, i.v.) and phenoxybenzamine (1.5 mg kg-1, i.v.) did not significantly alter the pupillary effects of MD. 4. Selective enzymatic blockade with 3-hydroxy-benzyl-hydrazine (NSD-1015; 25 mg kg-1, i.p.), a dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor, as well as bis (4-methyl-homopiperazinyl-thiocarbonyl) disulphide (FLA-63, 5.0 mg kg-1, i.p.), a dopamine-beta-hydroxylase inhibitor, prevented the mydriatic effect of MD. 5. The above findings support the hypothesis that MD produces a clonidine-like CNS mydriasis in the rat. This effect appears to be mediated primarily by the MD metabolite, alpha-methylnoradrenaline. 6. These results indicate that MD produces mydriasis in the rat by a CNS action. The mydriatic action of MD appears to be produced by its metabolite alpha-methylnoradrenaline which in turn stimulates CNS postsynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptors.
The Nursing Stress Scale: Development of an instrument

Despite increased recognition of the stress experienced by hospital nursing staffs and its effects on burnout, job satisfaction, turnover, and patient care, few instruments exist that can be used to measure stress. This paper describes the development of an instrument, the Nursing Stress Scale (NSS). It consists of 34 items that describe situations that have been identified as causing stress for nurses in the performance of their duties. It provides a total stress score as well as scores on each of seven subscales that measure the frequency of stress experienced by nurses in the hospital environment. The Nursing Stress Scale was administered to 122 nurses on five hospital units. Factor analysis indicated seven major sources of stress that closely paralleled the conceptual categories of stress on which the scale was based. Test-retest reliability as well as four measures of internal consistency indicated that the Nursing Stress Scale and its seven subscales are reliable. Validity was determined by correlating the total score from the Nursing Stress Scale with measures of trait anxiety, job satisfaction, and nursing turnover hypothesized to be related to stress. In addition, the ability of the scale to differentiate hospital units and groups of nurses known to experience high levels of stress resulting in staff turnover was examined.
Condensed-matter physics: melted by mistakes.

Two-dimensional polymers are potentially useful structures — if we could only understand their properties. Observations of one polymer's intricate, two-stage, melting transition may help us do just that.
Dexmedetomidine sedation after cardiac surgery decreases atrial arrhythmias.

Abstract Study Objective To determine whether postoperative cardiac surgery patients who are sedated with dexmedetomidine have fewer atrial arrhythmias, and whether dexmedetomidine is associated with fewer renal and more gastrointestinal (GI) complications. Design Retrospective study. Setting Urban academic hospital. Measurements The records of 765 postoperative cardiac surgery patients who were given dexmedetomidine for postoperative sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU) were studied. Data from the hospital's Cardiac Anesthesiology database between the years 2005 and 2010 were evaluated. Records of patients whose ASA physical status was > 4 or who were Main Results The records of 17,776 patients, including 765 cardiac patients given dexmedetomidine for postoperative sedation in the ICU, were reviewed. Patients who received postoperative dexmedetomidine had a lower risk of having atrial arrhythmias: (OR 0.74 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.91; P = 0.004). Dexmedetomidine was not associated with 30-day mortality (1.10, 0.40 - 3.02; P = 0.86), or with any of the following 30-day outcomes: surgical infection (0.72, 0.36-1.42; P = 0.34), systemic infection (1.38, 0.93 - 2.05; P = 0.11), GI complications (1.34, 0.74 - 2.42; P = 0.33), or renal complications (1.23, 0.70 - 2.15; P = 0.48). Conclusions Dexmedetomidine use after cardiac surgery was associated with a lower incidence of atrial arrhythmias.
The Occurrence of Copper and Lithium in Radium-bearing Minerals

IT is possible that the remarkable action of radium emanation on copper, as recently announced by Sir William Ramsay (NATURE, July 18, vol. lxxvi., p. 269), may not be confined to solutions, but may also occur in the solid state. If so, it should be found that those minerals which contain both radium and copper contain lithium also.
Towards a Cosmological Dual to Inflation

We derive all single-field cosmologies with unit sound speed that generate scale invariant curvature perturbations on a dynamical attractor background. We identify three distinct phases: slow-roll inflation; a slowly contracting adiabatic ekpyrotic phase, described by a rapidly-varying equation of state; and a novel adiabatic ekpyrotic phase on a slowly expanding background. All of these yield identical power spectra. The degeneracy is broken at the 3-point level: unlike the nearly gaussian spectrum of slow-roll inflation, adiabatic ekpyrosis predicts large non-gaussianities on small scales.
Electrochromic characteristics of a complementary tungsten trioxide/Prussian blue cell

Optically switchable electrochromic materials are of importance in the automobile industry for the control of solar heat load, glare reduction, and privacy applications. A complementary electrochromic cell consisting of a cathodically colouring tungsten trioxide (WO3) film, an anodically colouring Prussian blue (PB) film, and a Li+ conducting polymer electrolyte was made. Cycling characteristics and colouration efficiency of the cell at various stages of cycling were evaluated. It was shown that the complementary cell requires less energy for operation compared to cells with a single film. The WO3/PB was cycled up to 1300 times. A gradual decrease in the contrast between the coloured and the bleached states upon cycling was observed during the first 400 cycles. The colouration efficiency of 102 cm2C−1 at the first cycle decreased to 67 cm2C−1 after 387 cycles. The cause of degradation is attributed to the lack of K+ ions available to PB film.
Quasi-two-dimensional approach to states of an adsorbed atom

A method is developed for solving the Schr\"odinger equation to obtain the eigenfunctions $\ensuremath{\psi}(z,\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{R}})$ and eigenvalues of an adsorbed atom. By solving a one-dimensional equation for a given position $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{R}}$ on the surface, one generates an effective potential $\ensuremath{\epsilon}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{R}})$ for the problem of lateral motion. The leading correction to this Born-Oppenheimer-like approach is expressed in analytic form. A numerical calculation for the case of He on graphite illustrates the simplicity and accuracy of the method. The mean distance of a ground-state $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ atom is found to agree with an experimental result of Carneiro, Passell, Thomlinson, and Taub.
Analysis of the catalytic mechanism of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase.

Abstract It has been proposed that “Glu238” within the N-box of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) is a base catalyst. The pH dependence of k cat of Arabidopsis thaliana PDK indicates that ionizable groups with p K values of 6.2 and 8.4 are necessary for catalysis, and the temperature dependence of these values suggests that the acidic p K is due to a carboxyl- or imidazole-group. The E238 and K241 mutants had elevated K m, ATP values. The acidic p K value of the E238A mutant was shifted to 5.5. The H233A, L234H, and L234A mutants had the same p K values as wild-type AtPDK, contrary to the previous proposal of a “Glu-polarizing” His. Instead, we suggest that the conserved Glu, Lys, and Asn residues of the N-box contribute to coordinating Mg 2+ in a position critical for formation of the PDK-MgATP-substrate ternary complex.
Anaerobic aquifer transformations of 2,4-dinitrophenol under different terminal electron accepting conditions.

Abstract We evaluated the susceptibility of 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) and 2,4-diaminophenol to anaerobic biodegradation in aquifer slurries. Aquifer microorganisms depleted 2,4-DNP at rates of 25, 9 and 0.4 μM/day under methanogenic, sulfate-reducing and nitrate-reducing conditions, respectively. Rates of abiotic, 2,4-DNP loss in autoclaved control incubations were 7.2, 6.2 and 0.95 μM/day respectively. Abiotic, 2,4-DNP reduction was especially important as the first step in its transformation. 2-Amino-4-nitrophenol was produced by this process, but this compound was further metabolized in methanogenic and sulfate-reducing aquifer slurries. This partially reduced compound persisted in autoclaved controls and in the nitrate-reducing aquifer slurries. Aquifer slurries incubated with either 2,4-DNP or 2,4-diaminophenol produced methane when incubated with no other electron acceptor suggesting that mineralization had occurred under these conditions. In parallel experiments, aquifer slurries amended with 2,6-dinitrophenol or picric acid did not produce methane at levels above the substrate unamended controls.
Synthesis and testing of novel classical cannabinoids: Exploring the side chain ligand binding pocket of the CB1 and CB2 receptors

Abstract A series of C3 cyclic side-chain analogues of classical cannabinoids were synthesized to probe the ligand binding pocket of the CB1 and CB2 receptors. The analogues were evaluated for CB1 and CB2 receptor binding affinities relative to Δ 8 -THC. The C3 side-chain geometries of the analogues were studied using high field NMR spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations. The results of these studies provide insights into the geometry of the ligand binding pocket of the CB1 and CB2 receptors.
Role of Protein-Protein Interactions during Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Recombination-dependent Replication

Recombination-dependent replication is an integral part of the process by which double-strand DNA breaks are repaired to maintain genome integrity. It also serves as a means to replicate genomic termini. We reported previously on the reconstitution of a recombination-dependent replication system using purified herpes simplex virus type 1 proteins (Nimonkar A. V., and Boehmer, P. E. (2003) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 100, 10201-10206). In this system, homologous pairing by the viral single-strand DNA-binding protein (ICP8) is coupled to DNA synthesis by the viral DNA polymerase and helicase-primase in the presence of a DNA-relaxing enzyme. Here we show that DNA synthesis in this system is dependent on the viral polymerase processivity factor (UL42). Moreover, although DNA synthesis is strictly dependent on topoisomerase I, it is only stimulated by the viral helicase in a manner that requires the helicase-loading protein (UL8). Furthermore, we have examined the dependence of DNA synthesis in the viral system on species-specific protein-protein interactions. Optimal DNA synthesis was observed with the herpes simplex virus type 1 replication proteins, ICP8, DNA polymerase (UL30/UL42), and helicase-primase (UL5/UL52/UL8). Interestingly, substitution of each component with functional homologues from other systems for the most part did not drastically impede DNA synthesis. In contrast, recombination-dependent replication promoted by the bacteriophage T7 replisome was disrupted by substitution with the replication proteins from herpes simplex virus type 1. These results show that although DNA synthesis performed by the T7 replisome is dependent on cognate protein-protein interactions, such interactions are less important in the herpes simplex virus replisome.
The goals for medical education in the ambulatory setting.

As imposing as these barriers appear, the urgency of expanding opportunities for ambulatory education at the undergraduate and graduate level will create pressure for solutions. The mandate of The GPEP Report that students must be prepared to learn throughout their professional lives and that this learning be independent and self-directed will not be fulfilled if the educational laboratory is confined to the current inpatient units of our teaching hospitals. I hope that the goals for medical education presented in this paper will aid in the process of making fuller use of the ambulatory setting.
When theatre of the oppressed becomes theatre of the oppressor

On 6 February 2008, a deliberative theatre experiment was held at the National Archives of Quebec. Inspired by the democratic virtues of public deliberation but preoccupied with its blind spots, Forum Theatre was used as a deliberative medium to initiate discussion about the social tensions between the homeless and other dwellers of public space in downtown Montreal. At this event, many audience members rejected the depiction of themselves as oppressors in the play. As a result, the perspectives of the oppressed towards their oppressors were appropriated by the perspectives of the latter towards themselves, thereby reproducing a typical deliberative space in which the hierarchy in the audience dominated the agenda, while our homeless participants endured in silence. Drawing from Schutzman, Neelands and O'Sullivan, I will argue that what actually took place during the event speaks to the uneasy transposition of a third-world aesthetic of resistance in a first-world individualistic context of identity polit...
Is Knowledge of Cultural Diversity Enough? Global Education in the Elementary School Foreign Language Program.

Most elementary school foreign language programs expose students to selected aspects of the target culture, but the infusion of global education into such programs has not been common. In this article, a unit designed to encourage a global perspective among 5–7–year-olds in beginning level Spanish classes is described. The focus of the unit is on the global issue of inadequate housing. The rationale for global education in the elementary school is discussed as are the implications of global education for teacher preparation.
Comparison of flooded and furrow-irrigated rice on clay

In some situations, potential water savings or relatively steep slopes make furrow irrigation a useful management practice for rice (Oryza sativa L.). Furrow-irrigated and flooded rice were compared in a field study conducted during three growing seasons: 1990, 1991, and 1992, at the University of Arkansas Northeast Research and Extension Center, Keiser, Ark., USA on a Sharkey silty clay soil. Excessive levee seepage greatly affected the water-use data for flooded rice production; however, there appeared to be potential for water savings on the Sharkey soil with furrow irrigation. Yields for flooded production consistently exceeded those for furrow-irrigated, with 3-year averages of 7.04, 6.02, and 5.88 Mg ha–1 for flooded and two furrow-irrigated treatments, respectively. The yield difference appeared due to greater individual grain weight for the flooded treatment. Attempts to compensate for the yield reduction through additional nitrogen applications were unsuccessful. These results are consistent with findings of reduced rice grain yield associated with sprinkler irrigation. Furrow irrigation at an estimated 19 mm soil water deficit had a 3-year average of 11 kg ha–1 of rice produced per mm of irrigation water applied.
Determination of all elastic constants of transversely isotropic media with a cusp around the symmetric axis by use of elastic pulses propagating in two principal directions.

This paper describes a method of determining all five elastic constants of a hexagonal or transversely isotropic medium of type II which has the cuspidal region of group velocity around the highestsymmetry axis [001] perpendicular to the transversely isotropic basal plane. The elastic constants are obtained from wave-speed data of broad-band ultrasonic signals propagating in two principal directions, namely the [001] and the other parallel to the basal plane. The method uses specific cuspidal features of the slow transverse (ST) mode propagating in the [001] direction with two distinct group velocities. An analytic formula that relates the slower group velocity of the ST mode with the elastic constant C 13 is derived
Fate of the terpenes anethole and dipentene in a bench-scale activated sludge system

Abstract The fate of the terpenes anethole and dipentene in wastewater treatment was studied using the OECD Coupled Units Test, with chemical-specific analysis by GC/MS. Dipentene was removed to below the detection limit in both the biologically active (activated sludge) test system and the air stripping control. Thus, the mechanism(s) by which removal occurred in activated sludge could not be determined. Biodegradation and stripping were probably the critical removal processes for anethole, since removal was high in the stripping control but even higher in the active test system, such that anethole was also removed to below the detection limit in the active system. The volatility of anethole was not consistent with its estimated properties.
Fighting Corruption to Improve Schooling: Evidence from a Newspaper Campaign in Uganda

What are the most effective ways to increase primary school enrollment and student learning? We argue that innovations in governance of social services may yield the highest return since social service delivery in developing countries is often plagued by inefficiencies and corruption. We illustrate this by using data from an unusual policy experiment. A newspaper campaign in Uganda aimed at reducing capture of public funds by providing schools (parents) with information to monitor local officials' handling of a large education grant program. The campaign was highly successful and the reduction in capture had a positive effect on enrollment and student learning. (JEL: D73, I22, O12)
On the stabilizability of linear time-varying systems

This paper deals with problems related to the stabilizability of linear time-varying systems. One of the central results of the paper is that if a system can be stabilized by dynamic state feedback, it can also be stabilized by memoryless (static) state feed-back. A stable-proper factorization theory for linear time-varying systems is also introduced.
Some homogeneity studies on commercial preparations of allegedly crystalline phosphomannose isomerase.

Abstract Commercial preparations of what is labeled as “Crystalline Phosphomannose Isomerase” were subjected to chromatographic, electrophoretic and ultracentrifugal analysis to determine the degree of their homogeneity. The results suggest that these preparations do not contain more than 5 to 10% of their total protein content as phosphomannose isomerase and that they must owe their crystallinity to other enzymatic or nonenzymatic protein(s). In both column chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis 10 to 16 different protein components were discernible, only one of which had phosphomannose isomerase activity. Sedimentation velocity ultracentrifugation allowed the distinction of only two uniformly shaped schlieren peaks, reflecting the unsatisfactory nature of this technique as a tool for probing the purity of grossly inhomogeneous protein solutions.
The World’s Most Perfectly Developed Man: Charles Atlas, Physical Culture, and the Inscription of American Masculinity

The major wave of Italian immigration between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries coincided with the growth of the physical culture movement in the United States. A principal participant in both...
Grand challenge: viewing transporter function in a pointillist landscape.

Membrane transport proteins play vital roles in plant development, signaling, environmental interactions, and biosynthesis. Transporter activity has been traditionally studied either at the level of whole plant physiology or in single cells and artificial systems. The tools available for these studies have expanded dramatically over the past decade. Genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and associomic/interactomic methodologies (Lalonde, et al., 2010) have produced large datasets that can be probed with bioinformatic tools to visualize transport networks within whole plants, organs, and tissues. Large collections of characterized mutants and mapped natural variation collections provide tools for rapid turnaround of forward genetic screens and reverse genetic assessment of gene function. Improved systems for heterologous expression of plant membrane proteins and an expanding set of defined pharmacological inhibitors provide the capability to rapidly evaluate the function of transporters in relative isolation and to identify proteins that regulate their activity. Live imaging of functional fluorescently tagged proteins has revolutionized plant cell biology and accelerated the understanding of membrane protein trafficking mechanisms (see Gilroy, 2011). Finally, improved crystallization and structural resolution technologies have increased the number of membrane protein structures available for threading of plant amino acid sequences to create testable models for experimental design. Frontiers in Plant Traffic and Transport is expected to serve as a forum for research utilizing all of these approaches and to function as a specialized journal for the presentation of functional evaluations of plant membrane transporters and the mechanisms by which they are trafficked and transported.
Semiconjugates of One-dimensional Maps

R -semiconjugate maps are defined as a natural means of relating a map F of R m to a mapping { of the interval via a link map H . Invariants are seen to be special types of semiconjugate links where { is the identity. Basic relationships between the dynamical behaviors of { and F are established, and conditions under which a link map H is a Liapunov function are obtained. Examples and applications involving concepts from stability to chaos are discussed.
Engineering and the Threat of Terrorism

Engineering is a profession and as such has a commitment to the public good, spelled out in the engineering code of ethics. Although each engineering discipline has its own variation of this code, almost all of them begin with ‘‘The engineer shall hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public.’’ Another way of stating this is that engineers shall minimize the risk of failure, if failure can harm the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Civilian engineers ~as opposed to military engineers! who build water and wastewater-treatment plants, design our power grids, clean up hazardous waste sites, design highways, manufacture cars, protect our environment, and make possible the material advantages of civilization, are committed to minimizing failures, and these failures can be of four kinds: ~1! mistakes and miscalculations, ~2! extraordinary natural forces, ~3! unpredictable occurrences, and ~4! ignorance/carelessness.
Institutional solutions for renewable energy

Institutional issues play a critical, but often overlooked, role in the implementation of renewable energy systems. This paper briefly reviews the institutional arrangements involved in deploying renewable energy from both the sender and receiver perspectives, giving the institutional basis, principal characteristics, and pros and cons of each institution. It then offers several perspectives on the critical issues facing the deployment of renewable energy systems before offering a number potential institutional based solutions.
Marital Status and Life Satisfaction of Black Men

Although considerable research has addressed the relationship between marital status and perceived well-being, few studies have been of black populations. Particularly neglected has been the study of black men. This research focuses on the relationship between marital status and overall life satisfaction within a probability sample of 253 black men. Married black men are significantly less satisfied than are the unmarried men (including the separated). This difference persists when health, age, SES, and social participation are controlled. The lower life satisfaction of married black men may result primarily from malelfemale relationships damaged by the long history of socioeconomic disadvantages faced by black Americans.
Inhibition of corrosion of steels with the exploitation of conducting polymers

Corrosion of steels causes a loss of about 121 billion dollars annually and half the iron produced at present is used for the replacement of the existing deteriorated structures. Corrosion, being an electrochemical phenomenon, can be tackled through the use of electrochemistry and conducting polymers. Stainless steels can be passivated by applying a potential of about 0.1 V versus SCE and a current of about 100 μA/ cm2. These can be provided by a conducting polymer, emeraldine, which can be applied chemically on the surface of the stainless steel. Pre-treatments with some chelating agents can inhibit the corrosion of stainless steel from 0.1 M HCl for about 1 month.
Transport of newly synthesized proteins into mitochondria — a review

This review examines the mechanism of translocation of cytoplasmically synthesized proteins into mitochondria. Approximately 10% of the mitochondrial proteins are synthesized within the organelles while most mitochondrial proteins are coded for by nuclear genes and synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes. Those mitochondrial proteins synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes have to be transferred at some point into one of the mitochondrial compartments, a process which would require their insertion through one or both mitochondrial membranes. Data accumulated during the past five years indicate that the cytoplasmically synthesized mitochondrial proteins are synthesized on free polysomes then released into the cytoplasm. Most of the proteins examined so far are synthesized in the cytoplasm as larger precursors whose conformations may differ from the conformations of their respective mature forms. These precursor proteins become translocated into mitochondrial post-translationally and processed to their mature forms either during or immediately following translocation into the organelles. The translocation step appears to require mitochondrial ATP. Some processing activities have been localized in the matrix fractions of mitochondria from liver and yeast and they appear to be associated with soluble endopeptidases which act selectively on precursors of mitochondrial proteins. Although it is not clear how the precursor proteins interact with or recognize mitochondrial membranes, studies in yeast indicate that the interactions occur at specific regions on the outer mitochondrial membranes.