cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review: The Visual Culture of Catholic Enlightenment, by Christopher M. S. Johns

Christopher M. S. Johns. The Visual Culture of Catholic Enlightenment University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2015, 440 pp., 56 color and 104 b/w illus. $89.95 (cloth), ISBN 9780271062082 Accounts of the gradual modernization of European culture over the course of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries—the process we call the Enlightenment—have traditionally focused on developments in northern European countries, especially France and England. Many of the leading Enlightenment thinkers in those countries were famously anticlerical, and the secularization of the modern Western world is generally assumed to be one outcome of their project. More recently, scholars have been questioning the emphasis given to northern countries as well as assumptions regarding attitudes toward religious thinkers and institutions throughout eighteenth-century Europe, but the papacy still tends to be seen as the antithesis of Enlightenment. With Christopher M. S. Johns's magisterial study The Visual Culture of Catholic Enlightenment , that last antiquated notion can finally be put to rest. Johns brings to his subject a wealth of erudition and a lifetime of reflection on it, beginning with his first book, Papal Art and Cultural Politics: Rome in the Age of Clement XI (1993), in which he examines the titular pontiff's program of restoration for Rome's early Christian basilicas.1 In the current book he explores the many ways that the Catholic Church shared in Enlightenment assumptions and goals in the middle decades of the eighteenth century, as evidenced by the reforming impulses of the four popes who reigned during that time: Benedict XIII Orsini (r. 1724–30), Clement XII Corsini (r. 1730–40), Benedict XIV Lambertini (r. 1740–58), and Clement XIII Rezzonico (r. 1758–69). Examining a comprehensive selection and variety of papal and episcopal projects of different types and media, including art, architecture, furniture, decorative arts, prints, and ephemeral constructions, Johns defines the loaded phrase “visual culture” as “the nontextual production of things created for specific purposes in the expectation that they will be valued and preserved” (31). This broad and simple definition …
Fidelity of Implementation of the BDI-2: A Case Study

In this chapter, a case study on the Fidelity of Implementation of Assessment for the Battelle Developmental Inventory—Second Edition (BDI-2) across one New England state is presented. Methods for collecting data about assessment implementation are shared including detailed information on how to leverage technology, specifically Microsoft Excel, for capturing implementation successes and errors in real time. The findings of the study, including in-depth examination of 20 assessment administrations, will be presented and discussed. This chapter shares the quantitative analysis regarding the adherence to test protocols across domains, subtests, and formats of test questions. The quantitative analysis highlights key trends in the administration of the BDI-2 that are useful for planning initial and ongoing training of Early Intervention professionals. This chapter also presents qualitative analyses of the contextual factors observed during the test session and global considerations for the administration of the BDI-2. These qualitative analyses call attention to the use of developmentally appropriate practices in assessment of young children in order to achieve the most valid and reliable results possible.
The personae of the spiritual child: taking pictures of the heart using technology and tablets

What does the spiritual child look like? The spiritual child begins life exploring the world, learning through sensory experiences and new discoveries. A protagonist and a collaborator, the spiritu...
Crossmatch Procedures Used in Organ Transplantation

Several lymphocyte crossmatch procedures used in clinical histocompatibility laboratories, including complement dependent (CDC, AHG-CDC) and complement independent (flow cytometric, chromium release) techniques, are used to assess the likelihood of allograft rejection due to preformed donor specific antibody. Crossmatch assays can be extremely sensitive and detect very low levels of donor reactive antibody present in the potential recipient. Since positive crossmatches are usually associated with allograft rejection, a positive crossmatch is generally a contraindication to organ transy plantation. Recent data, however, suggests that not all positive crossmatches lead to graft rejection, particularly those due to autoantibodies. This underscores the need to critically evaluate any positive crossmatch to determine if the antibodies involved in the reaction are relevant to allograft rejection.
Flavor Aversion Learning

The discovery of food aversion learning several decades ago attracted widespread interest because it is a highly adaptive, powerful type of learning with features which make it unusual and robust when compared to other learning paradigms. It was also of interest because it had both practical and theoretical ramifications. It has relevance to human problems in that it is likely to contribute to food choice and appetite problems, especially in certain clinical situations. In recent years it has been recognized that the robustness of this learning makes it an excellent model for neurobiologists interested in understanding neural mechanisms of plasticity. This chapter provides a broad overview of these aspects of taste aversion learning and points to areas where questions remain and additional research is needed.
What Skills Do Clinical Evaluators Value Most In Oral Case Presentations

Phenomenon: Trainees and practicing physicians are judged by the way that they present patients. We therefore invest heavily in teaching students how to do oral case presentations (OCPs), but the relative weights by which different aspects of these complex tasks contributes to an overall evaluation is poorly understood. Approach: We sought to contrast how clinical evaluators assess students' OCPs and how medical students expect OCPs to be evaluated. Multiple linear regression and correlation matrices assessed how individual components of 3rd-year medical students' OCPs affect overall faculty assessment of students' performance using the previously validated Patient Presentation Rating tool. Preclinical medical students were surveyed to determine how they expect their OCPs to be evaluated. Findings: Faculty evaluations of students' overall organization and descriptions of patients' situations and vital signs were strongly associated with their overall OCP evaluation. Students believed that describing the patient's situation, chief complaint, and history of present illness would be highly valued but not organization or vital signs descriptions. Insights: Students and faculty differ about what is important in OCPs. Aligning these perceptions through intentional redesign of curricula and feedback instruments may facilitate teaching clinical communication to students.
Assessing the Significance of Tail Actuation Strategy in Ethorobotic Fish

In studies of animal social behavior, an inability to control live animals can limit what behaviors can be manipulated in any given experiment. To offer more possibilities in experimental design, robotic surrogates may be used instead of live animals, but factors affecting social interaction between live and robotic animals remain largely unknown. In this study, two robotic fish approximating banded archerfish, Toxotes jaculatrix, were designed to investigate how caudal fin actuation strategy affects the way live archerfish interact with a robot. A series of trials provided measurements of distance from four archerfish to each robot. Using minimum distance from any fish to a datum at the mean position of the robot as a metric of proximity, preliminary results suggest that archerfish do not prefer either actuation strategy, which suggests that robots intended to interact with live fish may be designed using either strategy with similar results.
Polyhedral Oligosilsesquioxanes as Biological Scaffolds

Development of polyhedral oligosilsesquioxanes as scaffolds for biologically relevant groups (e.g., peptides and carbohydrates). Selective mono- and difunctionalization of these frameworks with biologically relevant groups offers potential drug delivery vehicles
Morphine analgesia and μ opioid receptor signaling require programed death protein 1

Summary Opioids such as morphine produce analgesia via mu opioid receptor (MOR), but opioid receptor signaling is not fully understood. Here we report that morphine analgesia and MOR signaling require neuronal Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1). We found that morphine-induced antinociception following systemic or intrathecal injection was compromised in Pd1-/- mice. Morphine analgesia was also abrogated in wild-type mice after treatment with Nivolumab, a clinically used anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody. Morphine produced analgesia by suppressing calcium currents in DRG neurons and excitatory synaptic transmission in spinal cord neurons, but strikingly, both actions were impaired by PD-1 blockade. In a mouse model of bone cancer, the antinociceptive action of systemic morphine was compromised in Pd1-/- mice. Finally, PD-L1 and morphine produce synergistic analgesia. Our findings demonstrate that PD-1 also acts as a neuro checkpoint inhibitor and mediates opioid-induced analgesia and MOR signaling in neurons.
Genetic analysis of extended life span in Drosophila melanogaster I. RAPD screen for genetic divergence between selected and control lines

Using lines selected for long life by Luckinbill and his co-workers, we screened two selected and two control lines for allelic frequency differences at 1200 randomly chosen RAPD marker loci. Twenty-three marker loci showed frequency differences in excess of 80%, and five were greater than 90%. Age-specific effects of the five most differentiated loci were estimated by collecting complete survival data in segregating backcross populations. Alleles at four of the five marker loci were associated with significant extension of life span in males, while two marker loci had significant effects in females. Eighty percent of the total selection response in males can be explained by the identified QTL's, under the assumption of additivity. The N14+ marker allele accounted for a 12-day life span extension in males, but had little effect in females. Both sex-limited and sex-shared effects were observed. Analysis of age-specific mortality rates suggests that life span extension occurs by a combination of genetic factors that moderate both the level of mortality and the rate at which mortality increases with age.
Smokeless flare tips failure investigation: case study

ABSTRACTFlare tip is an important safety feature of most oil and gas producing and processing facilities. They are used extensively in the hydrocarbon and petrochemical industries as a system to ac...
Determinants of climate change policy adoption: A meta-analysis

Abstract Recent studies have taken different approaches to explore how climate change policies are shaped by city characteristics in the US. Yet, there is clearly a need for integration of policy adoption literature since there is not a comprehensive synthesis currently available, and the average effect of any associations between local conditions and different policy formulations is unknown. The objective of this study is to present such a synthesis of frequently quantified associations described in the body of empirical research on climate policy adoption. We use average elasticities (i.e., the ratio of the percentage change in the dependent variable associated with the percentage change in an independent variable) to explore the magnitude of associations between various characteristics of local environments and the adoption of climate policies in US cities. Elasticities are best “estimates” as currently possible and should be refined as more individual studies become available. This study finds that public support for climate policy has the largest positive impact on policy adoption. Differences in policy benefits (e.g., local versus global) and approach (e.g., mitigation versus adaptation) should be distinguished when encouraging local governments to confront climate change. Given deficiencies in the empirical literature, critical review essays are needed for integration.
\(\mathcal{M}_1(N)\): Mappings for Velocity–Scalar and Position–Scalar Pdfs

The extension of mapping methods to velocity–scalar (spatial description) and position–scalar (material description) Pdfs requires some preparations. First, a useful property of the Pdf equation is derived and its consequences for mapping methods are considered.
Pervasive clinical computing: 64-bit computing--time to trade up?

Desktop computers with the latest 64-bit microprocessors are now available — from companies ranging from HP to Dell and Apple — for a price. This article outlines the options these next-generation computer chips offer power users and discusses whether it's time for you to consider moving up in the technology world.
What is the Impact of Abnormal Amniotic Fluid Volumes on Perinatal Outcomes in Normal Compared with At-Risk Pregnancies?

Objective Assessing amniotic fluid volume is an integral part of obstetric practice. Data are sparse on at-risk pregnancy and amniotic fluid volumes. The aim of our study was to determine if there is a difference in perinatal outcomes based on complications of pregnancy and amniotic fluid volumes. We hypothesized that at-risk pregnancies with abnormal amniotic fluid volumes would have worse perinatal outcomes than normal pregnancies with abnormal amniotic fluid volumes. Study Design This retrospective cohort study evaluated both normal and at-risk singleton pregnancies with intact membranes on admission for delivery. Amniotic fluid volumes were estimated using both the amniotic fluid index (AFI) and single deepest pocket (SDP) techniques. All sonograms were performed by trained ultrasound technicians or obstetrician/gynecologists. We placed 3365 women into 6 separate groups (at-risk versus normal, then further stratified by oligohydramnios by SDP, normal fluid, or polyhydramnios by AFI). Results At-risk pregnancies with normal fluid and at-risk pregnancies with polyhydramnios have significantly increased risk of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission [OR 2.06 (95% CI 1.63,2.60), OR 2.74 (95% CI 1.54, 4.87)]. Birthweight is significantly higher in at-risk and normal pregnancies with polyhydramnios than those with normal pregnancies and normal fluid (p<0.0001). Birthweight is significantly lower in at-risk pregnancies with oligohydramnios (p<0.0001). There were no significant differences in need for amnioinfusion in labor, variables or lates influencing delivery, meconium staining, or umbilical artery pH <7.1. Conclusion Our study attempted to further define risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes by defining the pregnancy as normal or at-risk and amniotic fluid volumes. Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find an increased risk of many of the adverse perinatal outcomes we studied amongst at-risk pregnancies with abnormal fluid. There was an increased risk of NICU admission associated with polyhydramnios in normal and at-risk pregnancies.
Identifying the Critically Ill Parturient

In the United States (USA), maternal mortality has increased in the last 25 years. Much of this increase is likely attributable to a higher burden of maternal medical illness [1–6]. Maternal morbidity and “near miss” events have also markedly increased during the same interval, by as much as 75% by some estimates [6]. Maternal critical illness, defined by end organ dysfunction, need for advanced treatment (need for ventilation, vasopressor requirement) or diagnostic criteria (see Chap. 1), is now relatively common in the obstetric population [7]. Admission of a pregnant or postpartum patient to the ICU is estimated to occur in 1 in every 300 deliveries [8], accounting for 12.1% of all ICU admissions for women aged 16–50 [9]. Obstetric patients requiring ICU-level care are also being treated outside of the formal critical care setting, with studies showing that 1–3% of parturients require ICU-level care or are at risk of developing maternal critical illness [10, 11]. Identifying obstetric patients at risk of clinical deterioration and critical illness, therefore, represents an important component of a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of increasingly ill pregnant and postpartum women. Early identification of those at risk may accelerate transfer to high-risk centers and/or allows timely intervention, thereby reversing these trends in morbidity and mortality.
The Lifespan of a University–Industry Partnership: A Case Study:

This case study presents a fictionalized narrative account of a university–industry partnership across a 5-year period. The case presented involves a hypothetical public research university and the...
Longitudinal Changes in Sleep: Associations with Shifts in Circulating Cytokines and Emotional Distress in a Cancer Survivor Population

Sleep disturbances are associated with numerous mood disorders. Similarly, anxiety and depression are associated with modulation of the psychoneuroimmune (PNI) axis. This study hypothesized that changes in both monitored and self-reported measures of sleep would relate to changes in circulating cytokine levels in an emotionally distressed population of cervical cancer survivors. Biospecimens, patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures, and actigraphy were collected from cervical cancer survivors enrolled in a biobehavioral clinical trial. Longitudinal changes over a 4-month period were examined. Sleep time measured by actigraphy and PRO were analyzed for correlative changes with emotional distress and serum cytokines (n = 71). Longitudinal change in the actigraph measure of sleep time was inversely associated with changes in depression and anxiety (test for linear trend, p = 0.02 and p = 0.05 respectively), as well as acute-phase response/pro-inflammatory cytokines (test for linear trend, p = 0.003, interleukin (IL)-2; 0.022, IL-1β; 0.0002, IL-6; and 0.049, tumor necrosis factor α). Conversely, changes in self-reported sleep problems were related to an increase in depression and anxiety (p = 0.001 and p = 0.01 respectively), the T helper 2 (Th2) cytokine IL-5 (p = 0.027), and the counter-regulatory cytokine IL-10 (0.016). This study showed that an increase in sleep time or decrease in sleep problems corresponded with a reduction in self-reported emotional distress and attenuation of pro-inflammatory, Th2, and counter-regulatory cytokines. Our results support sleep measurement as a meaningful biobehavioral variable in cancer survivorship. This study also indicates that sleep investigators should be aware that choice of methodology might influence concordance with different classes of immune parameters.
Trans*formative spirituality and self-preservation in the lives of trans Latinxs

Drawing on surveys and in-depth interviews with trans Latinxs in Los Angeles, I argue that spirituality is a source of resilience when trans immigrants face marginalization stemming from racism, xenophobia, and transphobia precipitated by factors rooted in cisgendered policy and social norms. Trans Latinxs embrace spirituality by (1) identifying as Christian or Catholic and/or engaging in Latino popular religion; (2) engaging in nontraditionally Latinx spaces such as other community groups, spaces, and religions to embrace their faith and spirituality; and even (3) exploring and creating their own type of spirituality. Taking a grounded theory approach, the author offers the concept of trans*formative spirituality, which is defined as a spirituality that trans Latinxs perform as an embodied knowledge that in living their truth in their bodies, and also in their journey to their own truth, they are able to transform and convert others around them.
People plant trees for utility more often than for biodiversity or carbon

Abstract Tree planting is both a promising and controversial solution to climate change and biodiversity loss. However, this controversy is largely theoretical because we lack detailed information of how tree planting is proceeding on-the-ground. Here, we compiled a pantropical dataset of 174 tree planting organizations to determine the type of organizations involved in tree planting, their geographic locations and tree planting approaches. We found that the number of organizations have increased by 288% in the past 30 years, especially for-profit organizations. These organizations reported planting nearly 1.4 billion trees across 74 countries since 1961. Most frequently organizations reported establishing agroforestry systems or mixed species and single species plantations or using assisted natural regeneration, suggesting that tree planting programs are designed to support local communities as well as environmental objectives. Moreover, the most frequently reported species were commercial or utilitarian, with the top five including cacao, teak, moringa, mango and coffee. Finally, despite widespread efforts to plant more trees, there was a pronounced lack of monitoring on websites and in reports; only 18% of organizations mention monitoring at all, and only 5% mention measuring survival rate of plantings. Greater transparency and greater communication are needed between planting organizations and researchers to apply the most effective ways to restore forest cover. Further, while organizations often aimed to counter environmental problems, the use of the same sets of commercially useful species to meet economic development goals across the global indicates a need for greater coordination among organizations to avoid biotic homogenization.
Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchial Processes

Many problems in decision making structure reality into constituent parts, that is, into hierarchial charts in which the goal is at the top, while the decisions are at the lowest level of the chart. At the intermediate levels of the chart are the various attributes and/or conditions which must be considered in order to arrive at a decision. A rather simplified hierarchial chart is given, in which the goal, all attributes and all possible decisions occupy boxes in the hierarchial structure. The main idea in the Analytical Hierarchial Process (AHP) approach is to construct a pairwise ranking of the boxes at any given level relative to the boxes at the next highest level to which they are connected. These pairwise rankings are used to construct priorities which are then combined to create an overall priority for each course of action under consideration. The course of action with the highest priority is then chosen. Uncertainty in the assigning of priorities and the use of semantic variables in their assignment lead naturally to the inclusion of fuzzy logic into the structure of the AHP paradigm. In this paper we propose a method for using fuzzy sets in the context of the Analytical Hierarchial approach to decision making. A rather comprehensive example illustrates this method.
Effect of Adrenalectomy and Glucocorticoids on the Secretion and Absorption of Hydrogen Ion

The effect of bilateral adrenalectomy on the secretion and absorption of acid in Heidenhain pouch dogs has been investigated. It was found that bilateral adrenalectomy significantly decreased the acid output to varying doses of histamine and did not alter the relation between hydrogen ion concentration and the volume rate of secretion. The absorption of acid by the gastric mucosa was not changed by adrenalectomy. Glucocorticoids but not mineralocorticoids restored secretion to normal levels. These experiments indicate that the impaired secretion of acid in response to histamine in adrenalectomized dogs is not attributable to increased leakage of secreted acid from lumen to blood.
The Fifth Guest in The Great Gatsby: An Online Symposium

In October 2008, Fitzgerald Society member Ronald Pelosi sent an e-mail to James West, pointing out a possible emendation involving a "fifth guest" in the first chapter of The Great Gatsby. Ron and Jim exchanged e-mails, and Peter L. Hays solicited additional opinion in an item entitled "You Do the Math," published in the December 2008 issue of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society Newsletter. Robert Beuka, editor of the Newsletter , and West, general editor of the Cambridge Fitzgerald Edition, decided that it might be interesting to take the responses that resulted from the Newsletter piece and combine them with comments solicited from other Society members and from scholarly editors who have worked with the writings of Modernist authors. The results are published below. Occasionally a textual crux will generate a history of commentary. One thinks of "sullied" vs. "solid" in Hamlet I.ii; of "coiled fish" vs. "soiled fish" in Melville's White-Jacket; and of "orgastic" vs. "orgiastic" on the last page of Gatsby. Debates over contested readings typically go on for many years and involve a good bit of back and forth in scholarly journals. Today, however, we can gather opinion much more quickly through e-mail. Below is the e-mail message that was sent out for reactions. Then follow comments from interested parties. Given the informal nature of this piece, the respondents are identified only by name only, without appended titles, ranks, or honorifics. Herewith the text of the e-mail:
Isoleucine and Valine Metabolism in Escherichia coli XXI. Mutations Affecting Derepression and Valine Resistance

The activity of acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase, an essential enzyme for isoleucine and valine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, was examined in a series of mutants containing derepressed levels of acetohydroxy acid synthetase activity but which differed from each other in the sensitivity of the synthetases to valine inhibition. The finding that isomeroreductase was highest in the strain with the synthetase that was least sensitive to valine inhibition supported the model of internal induction of the isomeroreductase by its acetohydroxy acid substrates. The mutation leading to the acetohydroxy acid synthetase least sensitive to valine was found to be unlinked to the ilv gene cluster and appeared to result in a synthetase that differed from the normal enzyme in several properties. The locus of this mutation is designated ilvF. The loci leading to derepression were designated azl. A pleiotropic, apparently single-step, mutation was found that led to restoration of end-product sensitivity to the synthetase, loss of end-product sensitivity of threonine deaminase [EC 4.2.1.16, l-threonine hydro-lyase (deaminating) and loss of isomeroreductase activity.
A study of the effect of pregnancy on muscle fibers of the rectus abdominis muscle of the rat.

Samples of the rectus abdominis muscle were taken from Sprague-Dawley rats at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 days of pregnancy, and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 days of postpartum. Sections were incubated for actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase activity following preincubation at a basic pH. Muscle fibers within a unit area of each sample were identified as to fiber type according to their enzyme activity, and the population of each type counted. The proportion of each fiber type was calculated and the diameter of 24 fibers of each type measured. No changes were noted in the muscle fiber proportions through the course of the experiment. Differential changes in muscle fiber diameters were noted in each of the three muscle fiber types. Slow oxidative fibers underwent an increase in diameter through the last half of pregnancy. The diameter was further increased as stretch of the muscle was released after birth, and did not decrease in the postpartum period. Fast glycolytic fibers decreased in diameter during the last half of pregnancy, but returned to the prepregnancy diameter in the first postpartum day. The diameter of the fast oxidative glycolytic fibers remained unchanged through the course of pregnancy and in the postpartum period.
Atmospheric CO2 enrichment and soil N fertility effects on juvenile ponderosa pine: Growth, ectomycorrhizal development, and xylem water potential

Abstract Interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and soil N fertility on above- and below-ground growth, mycorrhizal colonization, and water relations of juvenile ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) were investigated. One-year-old seedlings were planted in undisturbed field soil within open-top chambers which permitted creation of atmospheres with 700 μl l−1, 525 μl l−1, or ambient CO2 concentrations. High and medium soil N treatments were imposed by incorporating sufficient (NH4)2SO4 to increase total N by 200 μg g−1 and 100 μg g−1, respectively, while unamended soil, which had a total N concentration of approximately 900 μg g−1, constituted the low N treatment. Following each of two consecutive field growing seasons, whole seedlings of every combination of CO2 and N treatment were harvested to permit assessment of shoot and root growth and quantification of ectomycorrhizal development. Late in the second growing season, a simulated drought episode was imposed by withholding irrigation during which predawn and midday xylem water potential and soil water potential were measured. The initial harvest revealed that coarse and fine root weights were increased by CO2 enrichment during the first growing season. This result was most apparent in the 525 μl l−1 CO2 treatment and high soil N, which produced the greatest root volume as well. Shoot/root ratio decreased with increasing CO2 at the first harvest. After two growing seasons, elevated CO2 increased seedling diameter, shoot and root volume, and shoot and coarse root weight, again most prominently in high N. Unlike the initial results, however, stimulation of seedling growth by the 700 μl l−1 CO2 atmosphere exceeded that in 525 μl l−1 CO2 after two growing seasons, and shoot/root ratio was unaffected by either CO2 or N. At both harvests, seedlings grown in the enriched atmospheres generally had higher mycorrhizal counts and greater percentages of colonized root length, but differences among treatments in ectomycorrhizal development were nonsignficant regardless of quantification method. During the imposed drought episode, xylem water potential of seedlings grown in elevated CO2 descended below that of seedlings grown in the ambient atmosphere as soil water potential decreased, most notably in the predawn measurements. These results suggest that CO2 enrichment stimulates shoot and root growth of juvenile ponderosa pine under field conditions, a response somewhat dependent on soil N availability. However, below-ground growth is not increased proportionally more than that above ground, which may predispose this species to greater stress when soil water is limited.
Sequence and structural conservation in RNA ribose zippers

The "ribose zipper", an important element of RNA tertiary structure, is characterized by consecutive hydrogen-bonding interactions between ribose 2'-hydroxyls from different regions of an RNA chain or between RNA chains. These tertiary contacts have previously been observed to also involve base-backbone and base-base interactions (A-minor type). We searched for ribose zipper tertiary interactions in the crystal structures of the large ribosomal subunit RNAs of Haloarcula marismortui and Deinococcus radiodurans, and the small ribosomal subunit RNA of Thermus thermophilus and identified a total of 97 ribose zippers. Of these, 20 were found in T. thermophilus 16 S rRNA, 44 in H. marismortui 23 S rRNA (plus 2 bridging 5 S and 23 S rRNAs) and 30 in D. radiodurans 23 S rRNA (plus 1 bridging 5 S and 23 S rRNAs). These were analyzed in terms of sequence conservation, structural conservation and stability, location in secondary structure, and phylogenetic conservation. Eleven types of ribose zippers were defined based on ribose-base interactions. Of these 11, seven were observed in the ribosomal RNAs. The most common of these is the canonical ribose zipper, originally observed in the P4-P6 group I intron fragment. All ribose zippers were formed by antiparallel chain interactions and only a single example extended beyond two residues, forming an overlapping ribose zipper of three consecutive residues near the small subunit A-site. Almost all ribose zippers link stem (Watson-Crick duplex) or stem-like (base-paired), with loop (external, internal, or junction) chain segments. About two-thirds of the observed ribose zippers interact with ribosomal proteins. Most of these ribosomal proteins bridge the ribose zipper chain segments with basic amino acid residues hydrogen bonding to the RNA backbone. Proteins involved in crucial ribosome function and in early stages of ribosomal assembly also stabilize ribose zipper interactions. All ribose zippers show strong sequence conservation both within these three ribosomal RNA structures and in a large database of aligned prokaryotic sequences. The physical basis of the sequence conservation is stacked base triples formed between consecutive base-pairs on the stem or stem-like segment with bases (often adenines) from the loop-side segment. These triples have previously been characterized as Type I and Type II A-minor motifs and are stabilized by base-base and base-ribose hydrogen bonds. The sequence and structure conservation of ribose zippers can be directly used in tertiary structure prediction and may have applications in molecular modeling and design.
DISTRIBUTION OF SE75 IN SERUM PROTEINS OF CHICKS AND INFLUENCE OF SELENIUM ON ALBUMIN RECOVERY.

Se75 was orally administered to 3-week-old chicks fed either selenium deficient or supplemented diets. Distribution of Se75 in serum proteins with time and its effect on serum protein pattern were determined electrophoretically. Selenium in the diet had no effect on the distribution of Se75 in the protein fraction, but markedly decreased its retention. After two hours the major portion of the dose was found in the beta and gamma fraction and the activity in this fraction increased with time. Marked increases in albumin/ globulin (A/G) ratios in depleted chicks were observed within 96 hours after administration of Se75. Albumin was increased and globulin fractions were decreased. Increases in A/G ratios, somewhat smaller in magnitude, were also noted in chicks receiving a diet supplemented with selenium. (auth)
A Hausman–Taylor instrumental variable approach to the penalized estimation of quantile panel models

This paper proposes an l1 penalized quantile regression estimator which adapts the Hausman–Taylor instrumental variable approach in order to address the bias resulting from the shrinkage of the individual effects.
Wavelength dependence of HCO formation in the photolysis of acetaldehyde

Abstract The wavelength dependence of HCO(0,0,0) formation in the photodissociation of acetaldehyde was measured using narrow (0.1 nm) bandwidth laser excitation and time-resolved intracavity laser detection (TRILD). A sharp energetic onset at 320 ± 1 nm (89.3 ± 0.3 kcal) for HCO(0,0,0) formation was found. The maximum concentration of HCO(0,0,0) occurs between 100 and 250 μs after excitation depending on the wavelength of excitation
Holding phase incident in a vessel containing 1200 L joint-filler

Abstract A holding phase incident that had occurred in a vessel containing a reaction mixture composed of chlorinated paraffins, lead dioxide, manganese dioxide
Morphological evidence for parallel processing of information in rat macula

Study of montages, tracings and reconstructions prepared from a series of 570 consecutive ultrathin sections shows that rat maculas are morphologically organized for parallel processing of linear acceleratory information. Type II cells of one terminal field distribute information to neighboring terminals as well. The findings are examined in light of physiological data which indicate that macular receptor fields have a preferred directional vector, and are interpreted by analogy to a computer technology known as an information network.
Pain in carcinoma of the stomach: Preliminary report

In this paper we have attempted to outline in a general way the important pathways of conduction of pain from, and mechanics of production of pain in, the viscera in the upper part of the abdomen. The general principles involved follow a pattern similar to that encountered in cases of benign lesions of the stomach. We felt that, if gastric carcinoma superficially invades the tissues of the stomach and results in disturbances of its normal mechanics, pain may result. This pain would utilize pathways coursing along the splanchnic vessels. In order to be interpreted as pain, these irregularities in mechanics would require an “adequate” stimulus which, in this case, would be spasm or obstruction. If, on the other hand, the lesion burrows through the gastric wall into the tissues surrounding the organ, pain would be relayed to the spinal cord over the spinal sensory group of nerves and, in this instance, wide distribution and reference of pain may be produced. If the lesion invades the regions of the distribution of the phrenic nerve, pain will be referred into the left side of the thorax and to the “peripheral distribution” of this nerve which would be into the left shoulder and the base of the neck. Such a lesion is usually inoperable. Any stimulus which would initiate the sensation of pain on surfaces of the body also could produce pain in penetrating lesions. Applying these hypotheses to the problem of pain in cases of cancer of the stomach permits an explanation of the apparent paradoxical behavior of distress among patients harboring such lesions. Who, at operation or necropsy has not viewed with surprise tremendous cancers involving most of the stomach which have produced no pain whatsoever? After all, this should be no more the cause of astonishment than to witness surgical procedures on the stomach which caused patients no pain even though only local anesthesia was used. The mechanisms which produce pain in such cases depend on the production of an adequate stimulus, such as stretching or constriction of the circular muscular fibers which would require a mechanical disturbance, such as spasm or obstruction. If cancer does not set in motion this adequate stimulus, it is likely to produce no pain whatsoever. If, on the other hand, there is mechanical disturbance such as interference with normal emptying or invasion of the pylorus, pain or at least a sense of epigastric distress is likely to be one of the earlier manifestations of this disease.
Beaming and filtering at terahertz frequencies in liquid crystal filled metallic grating

The increasing interest in the terahertz frequency range is motivated by the unique property of sub-millimeter waves to penetrate any nonmetallic materials such as fabric and plastic, and sense objects distinctive signatures. Furthermore, because of its low photon energy, terahertz radiation can be used in medical applications for accurate imaging without damaging tissues. For these reasons there is a growing need of devices dedicated to control the radiation in this frequency range. Current established technology uses non-tunable, mesh-like filters and mechanical mirrors to filter and manipulate THz radiation. We study electrically-controlled beaming and filtering abilities of sub-wavelength metallic gratings. The geometry consists of a finite array of slits in a metallic film separated by spacers and filled with liquid crystal (LC). We exploit the Fabry-Perot (FP) like resonances of the slits to filter THz radiation. We then simulate the application of an external voltage across the metallic grating in order to generate an electro-optic torque force on the LC molecules and change the dielectric constant inside the slits. This results in a large tuning effect on the FP resonances. We also predict that a linear voltage distribution across the grating induces a linear phase delay resulting in a beamsteering action for radiation incoming at grazing incidence.
Muscle-specific microtubule-associated protein 4 is expressed early in myogenesis and is not sufficient to induce microtubule reorganization.

The expression of a muscle-specific variant of microtubule-associated protein 4 (mMAP4) has been analyzed during myogenesis of C2C12 cells using an isoform-specific antibody. MMAP4 localizes to microtubules (MTs) and is expressed prior to a very early morphogenetic event, the formation of mononucleate spindle-shaped cells. MMAP4 protein appears at about the same time as titin and coincident with Golgi reorganization, but antedates myosin expression. Misexpression of EGFP-mMAP4 in non-muscle and proliferating C2C12 cells does not induce dramatic changes in MT organization or stability, nor in Golgi organization. Expression of full-length mMAP4 or of a truncated form lacking the MT-binding domain does not disrupt myotube formation or myofibrillogenesis. While previous antisense studies indicated that mMAP4 is necessary for normal myotube formation [Mangan and Olmsted, 1996: Development 122:771–781], these data indicate mMAP4 is not sufficient to induce the reorganization of MTs or the Golgi into patterns typical of muscle cells. Thus, with respect to MT organizing properties, this tissue-specific variant differs from related neuronal MAPs, MAP2, and tau, which induce neural-like changes in MT organization. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 54:317–336, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
On the Sensitivity of the Probability of Error Rule for Feature Selection

The low sensitivity of the probability of error rule (Pe rule) for feature selection is demonstrated and discussed. It is shown that under certain conditions features with significantly different discrimination power are considered as equivalent by the Pe rule. The main reason for this phenomenon lies in the fact that, directly, the Pe rule depends only on the most probable class and that, under the stated condition, the prior most probable class remains the posterior most probable class regardless of the result for the observed feature. A rule for breaking ties is suggested to refine the feature ordering induced by the Pe rule. By this tie-breaking rule, when two features have the same value for the expected probability of error, the feature with the higher variance for the probability of error is preferred.
On the use of the Cramér-Rao lower bound for diffuse optical imaging system design.

We evaluated the potential of the Cramer–Rao lower bound (CRLB) to serve as a design metric for diffuse optical imaging systems. The CRLB defines the best achievable precision of any estimator for a given data model; it is often used in the statistical signal processing community for feasibility studies and system design. Computing the CRLB requires inverting the Fisher information matrix (FIM), however, which is usually ill-conditioned (and often underdetermined) in the case of diffuse optical tomography (DOT). We regularized the FIM by assuming that the inhomogeneity to be imaged was a point target and assessed the ability of point-target CRLBs to predict system performance in a typical DOT setting in silico. Our reconstructions, obtained with a common iterative algebraic technique, revealed that these bounds are not good predictors of imaging performance across different system configurations, even in a relative sense. This study demonstrates that agreement between the trends predicted by the CRLBs and imaging performance obtained with reconstruction algorithms that rely on a different regularization approach cannot be assumed a priori. Moreover, it underscores the importance of taking into account the intended regularization method when attempting to optimize source–detector configurations.
Engage People in Pro-Environmental Behaviors through Online Prosocial Interaction and Pro-Health Intervention

People are often unaware that everyday behavior and lifestyle choices involving food, exercise, and shopping all have varying levels of consequences on the environment. In fact, this makes it difficult for people to understand the mutual relationship between personal health and the environmental health. My thesis investigates a lifestyle intervention that emphasizes the mutual benefits of pro-health and pro-environmental behaviors. I further intend to investigate online prosocial interaction in this intervention and its impact on participant motivation to engage in pro-environmental behaviors.
Writing the qualitative dissertation: what motivates and sustains commitment to a fuzzy genre?

Abstract Several L2 literacy specialists, for example, Flowerdew [Flowerdew, J. (1999). Problems in writing for scholarly publication in English: The case of Hong Kong. Journal of Second Language Writing, 8, 243–264], has pointed out that L2 writers may consciously avoid adopting qualitative research methods, undoubtedly because of the challenges that such a self-reflexive, rhetorically complex, and generically unstable research report mode poses. Those who advise L2 graduate students may wonder if these students should be discouraged from using qualitative methods. The goal of this qualitative study was to determine what initially motivates L2 doctoral dissertation writers to adopt a qualitative approach and what sustains their commitment to it. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation orientations were found in the self reports of these successful L2 qualitative dissertation writers, as were strong philosophical commitment to their research paradigm and intense intellectual curiosity about their topics. Some students, however, were more research paradigm-driven, while others were more topic-driven, but none perceived their status as L2 users as an insurmountable obstacle to success as qualitative dissertation writers.
Consumer Comfort in Service Relationships

The importance of building relationships with customers is well documented, yet the role of consumer comfort in service relationships has not been fully explored. The authors report their efforts to measure and ascertain the importance of this construct in service relationships. Their findings provide evidence that consumer comfort has a significant and incremental impact on satisfaction, trust, commitment, and active voice with service providers. Furthermore, this variable appears to provide incremental understanding of the traditional satisfaction-trust-commitment paradigm. A scale of consumer comfort is developed that exhibits validity and reliability across two provider types.