cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Limitations of Natural Kind Talk in the Life Sciences: Homology and Other Cases

The aim of this article is to detail some reservations against the beliefs, claims, or presuppositions that current essentialist natural kind concepts (including homeostatic property cluster kinds) model grouping practices in the life sciences accurately and generally. Such concepts fit reasoning into particular preconceived epistemic and semantic patterns. The ability of these patterns to fit scientific practice is often argued in support of homeostatic property cluster accounts, yet there are reasons to think that in the life sciences kind concepts exhibit a diversity of grouping practices that are flattened out by conceptualizing them as natural kinds. Instead this article argues that the process of understanding grouping practices needs to start from a more neutral position independent of any ontological account. Following Love (Acta Biotheor 57:51–75, 2009) this paper suggests that typical natural kind concepts should be broached in the first place as grouping strategies that use a variety of semantic and epistemic tactics to apply group-bound information to tasks of explanation and understanding.
Comparative acute effects of aspirin, diflunisal, ibuprofen and indomethacin on renal function in healthy man.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as indomethacin, suppress renal prostaglandins and markedly reduce renal perfusion and diuretic response in some renal disorders. Mild renal impairm
Resonant effects in directly generated acoustic waves

Abstract Giant quantum oscillations, and large amplitude, low field resonances, of the electromagnetically generated acoustic shear waves in bismuth are observed at helium temperatures.
The readability of American Academy of Pediatrics patient education brochures.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate the readability of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) patient education brochures. Method Seventy-four brochures were analyzed using two readability formulas. Results Mean readability for all 74 brochures was grade 7.94 using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, and grade 10.1 with SMOG formula (P = .001). Using the SMOG formula, no brochures were of acceptably low (≤8th grade) readability levels (range 8.3 to 12.7). Using the Flesch-Kincaid formula, 41 of the 74 had acceptable readability levels (≤8th grade). The SMOG formula routinely assessed brochures 2 to 3 grade levels higher than did the Flesch-Kincaid formula. Discussion Some AAP patient education brochures have acceptably low levels of readability, but at least half are written at higher than acceptable readability levels for the general public. This study also demonstrated statistically significant variability between the two different readability formulas; had only the SMOG formula been used, all of the brochures would have had unacceptably high readability levels. Readability is an essential concept for patient education materials. Professional associations that develop and market patient education materials should test for readability and publish those readability levels on each piece of patient education so health care providers will know if the materials are appropriate for their patients.
Reactivity of rescue agents for cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity with Pt2(2,2′-bipyridine)2(μ-N-acetyl-L-cysteinato-S)2

Abstract The reactivity of Pt2(2,2′-bipyridine)2(μ-N-acetyl-L-cysteinato-S)2 (1) with a variety of rescue agents for cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity was determined at 25°C in aqueous solution. The observed relative reactivities were: sodium diethyldithiocarbamate> 2-mercaptopyrimidine, cysteine, 2-mercaptopyridine> 3-hydroxy-2-mercaptopyridine, 4-methyl-2-mercaptopyrimidine, thiourea> penicillamine, 2-aminoethanethiol. No reaction was observed between complex 1 and either potassium thiocyanate or glycine within 3 h. The reaction products: Pt(ddte)2, Pt(2,2′-bipyridine)(η2-D-cysteinato-N,S), Pt(2,2′-bipyridine)(η1-thiourea-S)2, Pt(2,2′-bipyridine)(η2-D-penicillamine-N,S) and [Pt(2,2′-bipyridine)(η2-2-aminoethanethiolate-N,S)] were identified by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The reaction of 1 and the 2-mereaplohetrocycles gave a complex mixture of products which were not identified. In view of 2-mercaptopyrimidine's relatively high reactivity, low toxicity and formation of a water soluble product, it appears to have the greatest potential as a therapeutic for cisplatin nephrotoxicity among the tested rescue agents.
Measurements of stylus radii

Abstract In stylus measurements of surface texture the measured results for roughness depend on the stylus radius. Therefore it is important to determine the stylus radius. Since stylus tips are not perfectly spherical, the local radius of curvature varies significantly over the surface which makes the determination of an effective radius difficult. Both the techniques used to generate stylus profiles and the subsequent algorithms used to derive an effective radius are discussed. Comparisons are made between three techniques: sharp-edge traces, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Several algorithms, including that prescribed by the American National Standard ANSI B46-1, are discussed. It is concluded that the radius scale method is accurate, unambiguous and easy to use for routine measurements in the laboratory.
Ascorbic acid inhibition of aromatase activity in human placental tissue

Abstract Ascorbic acid vitro causes inhibition of a biphasic type on the aromatase activity in human placental microsomes. Ascorbic acid, at low concentrations, partially inhibits (20–55%) the aromatase activity in a non-dose dependent manner (Type I inhibition). At higher concentrations of ascorbic acid, a profound inhibition (> 95%) of aromatase activity takes place (Type II inhibition). Under the experimental conditions chosen, molecular oxygen and NADPH required for the enzymatic synthesis of estrogens were not affected by ascorbic acid. Also, the inhibition of aromatase activity by ascorbic acid could be reversed by removing the ascorbic acid from the incubation medium. By increasing the concentration of NADPH a reversal of ascorbic acid inhibition of aromatase activity resulted and there was an increase in the pH of the incubation medium. Sodium ascorbate, in concentrations similar to those required to produce Type II inhibition by ascorbic acid, did not inhibit aromatase activity. The pH profile of the aromatase system has an apparent optimum at 7.5, and this enzymatic activity was extremely sensitive to changes in pH. The marked inhibition of aromatase activity by high concentration l of ascorbic acid (Type II inhibition) appeared to be related to these pH changes. We propose that the mechanism of Type II inhibition of placental aromatase by ascorbic acid vitro is due to disruption of the buffering capacity of the incubation medium which results in the concomitant lowering of pH. The Type I inhibition may be attributed to a non-specific mechanism since there is no correlation between the concentrations of ascorbic acid and the partial inhibition of aromatase activity.
The pyramid teaching computer structures by computer structures

The content of the laboratory portion of a course on computer structures is given in syllabus form. Each succeeding level of the syllabus builds upon the preceding level to achieve increased understanding and depth of thought. The syllabus provides annotated examples of structures and projects for each level.
Determining brittle extension and shear strain using fault length and displacement systematics: Part II: Data evaluation and test of the theory

We use the theoretical relations developed in Part I of this work to evaluate the self-consistency of fault-length and fault-displacement data gathered in domains of one and two dimensions from the Yucca Mountain area and from the coalfields in south Yorkshire, U.K. These data sets are not all self-consistent. For the Yucca Mt. area, the theory shows that, the volume over which the sampling of the faults must occur should have a horizontal width no smaller than 2.4 times the horizontal length of the largest fault, and a depth no smaller than 1.6 times the vertical extent of the largest vertical-equivalent-fault. It also shows that the volumetric extension must be ≥95% of the extension of a two-dimensional domain and ≥80% of the extension of a one-dimensional domain. The theory successfully accounts for the observed cumulative extensional strain derived from fault-displacement data from a one-dimensional sampling domain at Yucca Mt., Nevada, U.S.A. Faults up to about four orders of magnitude smaller than the largest fault make a significant contribution to the strain. The most robust calculation of cumulative fractional strain requires the parameters inferred from sampling displacement in a one-dimensional domain. This sampling procedure therefore provides the most reliable results.
Design of a plasma flat panel large screen display for high volume manufacture

Abstract This paper describes the evolution of the IBM 581 a c plasma panel display. A general overview of plasma technology and the requirement for a large screen display is followed by a description of the 581 hardware architecture. Considerations which must be met for a successful high yield, high volume fabrication process are covered and the manufacturing process itself is outlined. Test results are given which show the plasma panel to operate reliably for over 350 000 hours. Changes which occur to the panel during operation are described. Finally, the presentation and updating of data displayed on the IBM 3290 terminal, which uses the 581 display, are discussed which take account of the special properties of the a c plasma display.
A comparison of the major surfactant-associated proteins in different species.

Abstract 1. 1. We examined the major surfactant-associated proteins in a number of species by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, protein blotting and immunostaining. 2. 2. All species have a 30,000 to 35,000 mol. wt protein group consisting of multiple isoforms with isoelectric points ranging from pH 4.4 to 5.6. 3. 3. The techniques used in this study have resolved three component subgroups within the 35 K group. 4. 4. A group of proteins at 60,000–65,000 mol. wt has also been consistently identified. 5. 5. We conclude that remarkable similarity exists among the major surfactant-associated proteins from various mammals with regard to isoelectric points, molecular weights and antigenic sites.
SUPERCONDUCTING AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF Fe-DOPED OXIDE SUPERCONDUCTORS

Abstract The superconducting and magnetic properties of the compounds La 1.85 Sr 0.15 Cu 1− x Fe x O 4 and YBa 2 (Cu 1− x Fe x ) 3 O 7− y with 0 x T c , extrapolating to T c =0 for x ∼0.02. However, T c is depressed much less rapidly in the Y-Ba compound, extrapolating to 0 K for x ∼0.16. Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic data have been obtained to give information on the magnetic and structural properties of these materials. The results are compared with those for other dopants, both magnetic and non-magnetic, in the oxide superconductors.
Stimulated resonant tunneling into quantum well excitons

Abstract Stimulated electron resonant tunneling into exciton states is investigated within the pairing approximation and the interacting boson approximation. The tunneling current saturates at large densities due to the fermionic nature of exciton constituents. Conditions under which stimulated tunneling can be observed experimentally are described.
Concealed right bundle branch block in the presence of Type B ventricular pre-excitation

Abstract A 10-year-old boy is presented in whom complete RBBB is masked by Type B WPW syndrome. The spontaneous occurrence of this phenomenon parallels what has been demonstrated in the catheterization laboratory by stimulating the ventricular septum and producing RBBB only when Type B WPW is absent. This finding supports the contention that pre-excitation is conducted by means of a separate accessory conduction pathway connecting the right atrium and right ventricle. The presence of simultaneous Type B pre-excitation and right intraventricular block reported in patients with Ebstein's disease is explained as resulting from peripheral conduction defects rather than central bundle branch block.
α-Hydroxybutyric Dehydrogenase Activity of Human Vascular Tissue

IN recent years, several investigations have been reported on the α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase (HBD) activity in human serum and in various animal organs1–5. This enzyme catalyses the reversible reaction:
The role of neutrinos in r-process nucleosynthesis in supernovae and gamma-ray bursts

The exact astrophysical site of the r-process is uncertain, but the likely candidates—supernovae and compact merger events—are environments with high neutrino fluxes. Here we examine the role of neutrinos in r-process nucleosynthesis under two separate scenarios. In the first, we consider the consequences of a reduction in the electron neutrino flux in a core-collapse supernova environment. We show that such a reduction results in a vigorous r-process with a robust abundance signature due to fission cycling. In the second, we examine the production of r-process nuclei in the outflows from a black hole accretion disk as thought to accompany a merger-type gamma-ray burst (GRB). We use a parameterized outflow model and find the neutrino fluxes emitted from the GRB accretion disk facilitate the synthesis of light r-process nuclei over a broad region of the parameter space explored.
Chemical-biological defense remote sensing: what's happening

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) continues to be a serious threat to the security of the US. Proliferation of chemical and biological (CB) weapons is particularly disturbing, and the threats posed can be devastating. Critical elements of the US efforts to reduce and counter WMD proliferation include: (1) the location and characterization of WMD facilities and capabilities worldwide; (2) the ability to rapidly detect and identify the use of CB weapons for expeditious warning and reporting on the battlefield; and (3) the capability to mitigate deleterious consequences of a CB incident through effective protective and medical treatment measures. Remote sensing has been touted as a key technology in these efforts. Historically, the role of remote sensing in CB defense has been to provide early warning of an attack from an extended distance. However, additional roles for remote sensing in CB defense, as well as applications in related missions, are possible and should be pursued. This paper examines what has been happening in remote sensing over the past decade to address needs in this area. Accomplishments, emerging technologies, programmatic issues, and opportunities for the future are covered. The Department of Defence chemical- biological, the Department of Energy's Chemical Analysis by Laser Interrogation of Proliferation Effluents, and other agency related programs are examined. Also, the status of remote sensing in the commercial market arena for environmental monitoring, its relevance to the WMD counterproliferation program, and opportunities for technology transfer are discussed. A course of action for the future is recommended.
Breakup of 87 MeV B-11

A segmented focal plane detector has been used to study the breakup of 87 MeV $^{11}\mathrm{B}$ ions incident on a $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ target into $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ and $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ fragments at relative energies between 0 and 4 MeV. The relative energy spectra are dominated by sequential breakup of the 9.28 MeV, 10.26+10.33 MeV, and 10.60 MeV excited states in $^{11}\mathrm{B}$. The measured breakup yields decrease with increasing center-of-mass scattering angle, consistent with predictions made using single-step inelastic distorted wave Born approximation calculations. Applications of this technique to study the breakup of $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ at low relative energies will be discussed.
A Novel Motif in HIV-1 Nef That Regulates MIP-1β Chemokine Release in Macrophages

All primate lentiviruses encode Nef, an accessory protein that is important for viral pathogenicity in vivo. Lentiviral Nef proteins regulate the release of chemokines (MIP-1 alpha/beta) from infected macrophages, thereby enhancing virus dissemination (S. Swingler, A. Mann, J. Jacque, B. Brichacek, V. G. Sasseville, K. Williams, A. A. Lackner, E. N. Janoff, R. Wang, D. Fisher, and M. Stevenson, Nat. Med. 5:997-1003, 1999). In the current study, we have identified a novel domain within Nef (K(92)EK) that is required for Nef-dependent MIP-1beta production by infected macrophages. Mutations in this domain abrogated MIP-1beta induction but did not affect other Nef-ascribed activities, such as CD4 or major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Iota downregulation. This further underscores Nef as a modular protein with genetically separable activities that may contribute to its role in viral replication and pathogenicity.
Exact solution to the one-dimensional stationary energy equation for a self-heating slab

The nonlinear one-dimensional steady-state heat conduction equation in Cartesian coordinates for self-heating bodies is solved exactly, and the integral functions resulting from the solution are tabulated. The solution shows a temperature jump phenomenon which is descriptive of a thermal explosion. This solution, which describes the behavior of explosives better than previous approximate solutions, applies as well to the reaction of nonexplosives. It is shown that the original value of δ er obtained by Frank-Kamenetskii is a lower bound and that there is an upper bound above which no critical condition exists. In addition to the standard boundary condition, the solution is extended to all possible boundary conditions.
Environmental considerations for fatigue cracking

An essential aim for the study of fatigue cracking is the development of science-based methods for reliability and service life assessments as a part of the life-cycle design and management of engineered systems. In this context, a critical comparison between a mechanistically based probability and the more traditional, empirically based statistical approaches for reliability analysis and life prediction is presented. The comparison serves to highlight the need for quantitative, mechanistic understanding and modeling and for the adoption of a multidisciplinary approach. Current understanding of the influences of gaseous and aqueous environments on fatigue cracking, particularly, with respect to the effects of frequency and temperature, is briefly summarized, and special considerations for fatigue at very' high frequencies are discussed. The efficacy of the mechanistically based probability approach is illustrated through a comparison of the estimated and observed distribution of corrosion and corrosion fatigue damage in Boeing 707 aircraft that had been in commercial service for 24years.
Spectroscopic analyses of chemical adaptation processes within microalgal biomass in response to changing environments.

Abstract Via photosynthesis, marine phytoplankton transforms large quantities of inorganic compounds into biomass. This has considerable environmental impacts as microalgae contribute for instance to counter-balancing anthropogenic releases of the greenhouse gas CO2. On the other hand, high concentrations of nitrogen compounds in an ecosystem can lead to harmful algae blooms. In previous investigations it was found that the chemical composition of microalgal biomass is strongly dependent on the nutrient availability. Therefore, it is expected that algae’s sequestration capabilities and productivity are also determined by the cells’ chemical environments. For investigating this hypothesis, novel analytical methodologies are required which are capable of monitoring live cells exposed to chemically shifting environments followed by chemometric modeling of their chemical adaptation dynamics. FTIR-ATR experiments have been developed for acquiring spectroscopic time series of live Dunaliella parva cultures adapting to different nutrient situations. Comparing experimental data from acclimated cultures to those exposed to a chemically shifted nutrient situation reveals insights in which analyte groups participate in modifications of microalgal biomass and on what time scales. For a chemometric description of these processes, a data model has been deduced which explains the chemical adaptation dynamics explicitly rather than empirically. First results show that this approach is feasible and derives information about the chemical biomass adaptations. Future investigations will utilize these instrumental and chemometric methodologies for quantitative investigations of the relation between chemical environments and microalgal sequestration capabilities.
Transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) induction of c-fos and c-myc expression in C3H 10Tl/2 cells

We have investigated the effects of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) in C3H10T1/2 cells, on S phase entry and early gene activation events associated with cell cycle progression. We find that EGF and TGF alpha, which both utilize the EGF receptor for signal generation, are able to stimulate DNA synthesis in these cells with nearly superimposable kinetics; however, the stimulation by TGF alpha was slightly greater at nearly all time points assayed. This report is the first showing that TGF alpha, like EGF, vigorously induces c-myc and c-fos gene expression in these cells. A significant stimulation of c-myc and c-fos mRNA levels is observed with both TGF alpha and EGF; c-myc mRNA levels show an 8-fold induction with both mitogens, while c-fos inductions were on the order of 12 to 14-fold at maximum. However, the induction of c-myc mRNA by TGF alpha has slower kinetics than by EGF.
Comparison of Integral Parameter Estimated Uncertainties in Fast Neutron Systems with COMMARA-2.1 and COMMARA-2.0 Covariance Data

This paper shows the main differences between the COMMARA-2.0 and COMMARA-2.1 evaluated covariance data in the uncertainty estimation of integral parameters of interest for a large number of typical innovative fast neutron systems. The study provides some guidelines to the nuclear data evaluators on which materials and which reaction types need to be evaluated most accurately to achieve reliable results in computational analyses of similar systems. The assessment of the quality and reliability of the covariance data is outside the scope of the study.
Decoding Hindlimb Movement for a Brain Machine Interface after a Complete Spinal Transection

Stereotypical locomotor movements can be made without input from the brain after a complete spinal transection. However, the restoration of functional gait requires descending modulation of spinal circuits to independently control the movement of each limb. To evaluate whether a brain-machine interface (BMI) could be used to regain conscious control over the hindlimb, rats were trained to press a pedal and the encoding of hindlimb movement was assessed using a BMI paradigm. Off-line, information encoded by neurons in the hindlimb sensorimotor cortex was assessed. Next neural population functions, or weighted representations of the neuronal activity, were used to replace the hindlimb movement as a trigger for reward in real-time (on-line decoding) in three conditions: while the animal could still press the pedal, after the pedal was removed and after a complete spinal transection. A novel representation of the motor program was learned when the animals used neural control to achieve water reward (e.g. more information was conveyed faster). After complete spinal transection, the ability of these neurons to convey information was reduced by more than 40%. However, this BMI representation was relearned over time despite a persistent reduction in the neuronal firing rate during the task. Therefore, neural control is a general feature of the motor cortex, not restricted to forelimb movements, and can be regained after spinal injury.
A New Species of Diagoniceps (Copepoda, Harpacticoidea) and a Partial Redescription of Diagoniceps Laevis Willey

[Le Diagoniceps trifidus est decrit comme une nouvelle espece basee sur des femelles recueillies a Seattle dans l'etat de Washington, E.U. Dans ce genre, seulement D. trifidtts - de Seattle- et D. menaiensis Geddes - provenant de l'Isle d'Anglesey, Angleterre - ont l'endopodite tri-articule non biarticule. On donne une description plus detaillee des pattes de D. laevis, et on fait une comparaison des trois especes., Le Diagoniceps trifidus est decrit comme une nouvelle espece basee sur des femelles recueillies a Seattle dans l'etat de Washington, E.U. Dans ce genre, seulement D. trifidtts - de Seattle- et D. menaiensis Geddes - provenant de l'Isle d'Anglesey, Angleterre - ont l'endopodite tri-articule non biarticule. On donne une description plus detaillee des pattes de D. laevis, et on fait une comparaison des trois especes.]
Managing do-not-resuscitate orders in the perianesthesia period

Perianesthesia care often involves the use of pharmacologically potent drugs, increasing the risk of cardiopulmonary depression and arrest. For patients with terminal diseases, it may be difficult to decide whether cardiopulmonary arrest in the perianesthesia period is a result of anesthetic medications, surgical intervention, or the disease process. It is imperative that the patient maintains autonomy and is treated according to his or her wishes regarding do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Some hospitals automatically suspend DNR orders for patients undergoing surgery, whereas others provide patients the option of no, limited, or full resuscitation. This article promotes the premise that all DNR orders should be reviewed and reconsidered with patients before consent for surgery.
Surface Restructuring of Polystyrene/Polymethacrylate Blends in Water Studied by Atomic Force Microscopy

Blends of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA)/polystyrene (PS) and poly(n-octyl methacrylate) (POMA)/ PS were imaged with atomic force microscopy in both ambient and aqueous environments. The surfaces of the blends were monitored over time under water, and most PBMA/PS and POMA/PS samples showed no surface restructuring. A morphology change, however, was observed for high ratios of POMA and specific ratios of PBMA in the blend. For the blend of 60% PBMA and 40% PS, the surface was pitted in air with depths of 60 nm. In water, as the exposure time increased, islands replaced the holes on the surface. The height of these islands averaged 50 nm. At high ratios of POMA, in POMA/PS blends, the surface structure also changed when contacted with water. The structural changes that were observed for all of these select blends were reversible after the surface was dried and reimaged in air. Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy was used to give insight into the functional groups and surface chemical composition of the blends in air and water.
The Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase Enzyme DdaD Tethers Nβ-Fumaramoyl-l-2,3-diaminopropionate for Fe(II)/α-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Epoxidation by DdaC during Dapdiamide Antibiotic Biosynthesis

The gene cluster from Pantoea agglomerans responsible for biosynthesis of the dapdiamide antibiotics encodes an adenylation−thiolation didomain protein, DdaD, and an Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase homologue, DdaC. Here we show that DdaD, a nonribosomal peptide synthetase module, activates and sequesters Nβ-fumaramoyl-l-2,3-diaminopropionate as a covalently tethered thioester for subsequent oxidative modification of the fumaramoyl group. DdaC catalyzes Fe(II)- and α-ketoglutarate-dependent epoxidation of the covalently bound Nβ-fumaramoyl-l-2,3-diaminopropionyl-S-DdaD species to generate Nβ-epoxysuccinamoyl-DAP (DAP = 2,3-diaminopropionate) in thioester linkage to DdaD. After hydrolytic release, Nβ-epoxysuccinamoyl-DAP can be ligated to l-valine by the ATP-dependent ligase DdaF to form the natural antibiotic Nβ-epoxysuccinamoyl-DAP-Val.
Genetic effects of 5-hydroxymethyl-2'-deoxyuridine, a product of ionizing radiation.

Ionizing radiation causes formation of heterogeneous types of damage to DNA. Among those, 5-hydroxymethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (HMdU) was identified as a major thymidine derivative in gamma-irradiated HeLa cells [G.W. Teebor, K. Frenkel and M.S. Goldstein (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (U.S.A.), 81, 318-321]. We report here that HMdU is a strong inducer of lambda prophage in Escherichia coli WP2s(lambda) and is highy mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium. HMdU causes his+ revertants in strains TA100, which reverts predominantly by base-pair substitution at G-C sites, and TA97, which reverts mainly by frameshift mutation at G-C sites. It does not cause reversion in TA98, another frameshift-sensitive strain, nor in strains TA1535 and TA1537. Of those tested, only the last two strains do not contain pkM101, a plasmid which enhances mutagenic effects of ionizing radiation. HMdU also causes reversion in strains TA102 and TA104, which detect oxidative damage and can revert by base-pair substitution at A-T base pairs at the hisG428 site. We show that HMdU can be incorporated into DNA of TA100 and that, in addition to causing point mutations, it causes suppressor mutations as well. The ability of HMdU to induce lambda prophage and its strong mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium provide evidence that the presence of HMdU in DNA is biologically significant and may play a major role in the genetic consequences of ionizing radiation and other types of oxidative damage.
ELISA methodology for polysaccharide antigens: protein coupling of polysaccharides for adsorption to plastic tubes.

Abstract A method is described which permits the adaption of ELISA techniques for measurement of antibody against bacterial polysaccharides. First, the polysaccharide antigen is covalently bound to poly- l -lysine, using cyanuric chloride as the coupling agent. The poly- l -lysine then adsorbs to the walls of plastic tubes, thus immobilizing the polysaccharide coupled to the poly- l -lysine. The method is simple, rapid, and utilizes small amounts of polysaccharide antigen.
On the current role of atom probe tomography in materials characterization and materials science

Abstract Atom probe tomography has without any doubt become a routine technique to analyze the detailed three-dimensional chemistry of materials at the nanoscale. This article provides a general overview of what APT can reliably do today and what it might do tomorrow in terms of material characterization. The recent achievements in the analysis of new materials and new materials structures are first presented allowing some speculation on future possible developments. The ability to provide unique quantitative chemical information to link processing to device performance is then reviewed in the context of the recent nanowire and gate structures analyses. Finally examples of the systematic use of atom probe tomography to explore material behaviors and kinetic processes controlling microstructure evolution are presented.
Brain stem melanocortinergic modulation of meal size and identification of hypothalamic POMC projections.

Metabolic, cognitive, and environmental factors processed in the forebrain modulate food intake by changing the potency of direct controls of meal ingestion in the brain stem. Here, we behaviorally...
Ocular Findings in Patients with Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal Gammopathy, and Skin Changes Syndrome

Objective Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a rare disorder. This study investigated the types of ocular signs and symptoms in patients with POEMS and any systemic factors that may be associated with development of such ocular findings. Design Case series from tertiary referral center. Participants A total of 33 patients with POEMS syndrome underwent at least 1 ophthalmologic examination and were included in the study. Methods A 10-year retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with POEMS syndrome was performed. Main Outcome Measures Visual symptoms, visual acuity, presence of optic disc edema (ODE), and levels of systemic factors (including plasma vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], plasma interlukin-6 [IL-6], and raised intracranial pressure) and their relationship to ODE. Results Five of the patients (15%) reported diplopia, 15 patients (45%) had blurred vision, and 3 patients (9%) had ocular pain. The most common ocular finding was bilateral ODE in 17 patients (52%). Of the patients with ODE, 5 (29%) were asymptomatic at the first ocular examination. Among patients with ODE, there was a significant difference ( P = 0.03) between the mean plasma VEGF level at the time of diagnosis of the ODE compared with when the ODE resolved. There was no difference in plasma IL-6 levels between people with and without ODE. Patients with ODE had a higher mean lumbar puncture opening pressure (276±14 mm H 2 O; normal range, 100–250 mm H 2 0) than patients without ODE, although the difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.08). Conclusions Optic disc edema is a common finding in patients with POEMS. Because patients can be asymptomatic, eye examinations should be performed in all patients with POEMS. There may be an association between elevated VEGF and intracranial pressure and ODE; further studies are required. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Early Medieval Charity

Among the multitudinous and pressing problems faced by the Christian Church during the early medieval centuries one of the greatest was the feeding of the poor. Subjection to war, to famine, to the general anarchy of the times, had doubled the misery of the people and made them even more dependent upon public charity. Quite early it became evident that this must be an organized charity, that the problem was not being met by individual Christian action. A homily of Chrysostom (347–407) deplores the laxity of his contemporaries: “It is with you all that the treasure of the Church should be, and it is your cruelty that causes her to be obliged to possess and to deal in houses and lands.
Requirement for the SRS2 DNA helicase gene in non-homologous end joining in yeast

Mitotic cells experience double-strand breaks (DSBs) from both exogenous and endogenous sources. Since unrepaired DSBs can result in genome rearrangements or cell death, cells mobilize multiple pathways to repair the DNA damage. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mitotic cells preferentially use a homologous recombination repair pathway. However, when no significant homology to the DSB ends is available, cells utilize a repair process called non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which can join ends with no homology through resection to uncover microhomologies of a few nucleotides. Although components of the homologous recombination repair system are also involved in NHEJ, the rejoining does not involve all of the homologous recombination repair genes. The SRS2 DNA helicase has been shown to be required for DSB repair when the homologous single-stranded regions are short. Here it is shown that SRS2 is also required for NHEJ, regardless of the cell mating type. Efficient NHEJ of sticky ends requires the Ku70 and Ku80 proteins and the silencing genes SIR2, SIR3 and SIR4. However, NHEJ of blunt ends, while very inefficient, is not further reduced by mutations in YKU70, SIR2, SIR3, SIR4 or SRS2, suggesting that this rejoining process occurs by a different mechanism.
Voices of Family Therapy Doctoral Students of Color: Aspirations and Factors Influencing Careers in Academia.

The authors examined factors influencing career aspirations of doctoral students of color in family therapy doctoral programs across the country, with a special focus on careers in the professoriate. Qualitative interviews were conducted with students at varying levels of degree completion. Respondents discussed barriers to careers in academia as well as suggestions for overcoming these barriers. Los autores examinaron los factores que influyen en las aspiraciones de carrera de estudiantes de color en programas de doctorado en terapia de familia por todo el pais, con un enfoque especial hacia las carreras en profesorado. Se llevaron a cabo entrevistas cualitativas con estudiantes en distintos puntos previos a la conclusion del programa. Los participantes comentaron las barreras para el acceso a carreras en el mundo academico, asi como sugerencias para superar esas barreras.
Long-term evolution is surprisingly predictable in lattice proteins.

It has long been debated whether natural selection acts primarily upon individual organisms, or whether it also commonly acts upon higher-level entities such as lineages. Two arguments against the effectiveness of long-term selection on lineages have been (i) that long-term evolutionary outcomes will not be sufficiently predictable to support a meaningful long-term fitness and (ii) that short-term selection on organisms will almost always overpower long-term selection. Here, we use a computational model of protein folding and binding called ‘lattice proteins’. We quantify the long-term evolutionary success of lineages with two metrics called the k-fitness and k-survivability. We show that long-term outcomes are surprisingly predictable in this model: only a small fraction of the possible outcomes are ever realized in multiple replicates. Furthermore, the long-term fitness of a lineage depends only partly on its short-term fitness; other factors are also important, including the ‘evolvability’ of a lineage—its capacity to produce adaptive variation. In a system with a distinct short-term and long-term fitness, evolution need not be ‘short-sighted’: lineages may be selected for their long-term properties, sometimes in opposition to short-term selection. Similar evolutionary basins of attraction have been observed in vivo, suggesting that natural biological lineages will also have a predictive long-term fitness.
Political History beyond the Red-Blue Divide

In her provocative and timely essay Kim Phillips-Fein declares the historiography of modern American conservatism to be “at a crossroads.” From the broader perspective of U.S. political history, I would employ a different metaphor, that of a pendulum that has swung too far in one direction. Academic historians have spent the past several decades dismantling the myth of the liberal consensus in postwar American politics, exploring the contradictions and limits of New Deal and Great Society policy making, and chronicling the parallel rise of the New Right. In Alan Brinkley’s influential formulation, “taking conservatism seriously” is now institutionalized as a guiding principle of U.S. political history—a once necessary though now reflexive corrective to the consensus scholarship that caricatured conservatives as paranoid extremists or ignored them altogether. But in the understandable mission to explain the apparent earthquake caused by Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980, the new political history has inadvertently replicated some of the blind spots of the liberal consensus school that it supplanted, especially through a linear declension/ascension narrative that has conflated the fate of the New Deal with the political triumph of the New Right. A future generation of scholars might well critique our reigning historiographical consensus for tendencies similar to those we identified in our predecessors—that the interpretations of political history have tracked too closely to the red-blue binaries of journalism and punditry; that the literature has taken the contradictions and fragmentation of liberalism as given but smoothed over similar weaknesses and fissures within conservatism; that the recent pendulum swing has overstated the case for a rightward shift in American politics by focusing too narrowly on partisan narratives and specific election cycles rather than on the more complex dynamics of political culture, political economy, and public policy. 1 Phillips-Fein argues that the flourishing literature on conservatism allows us to recon sider how “our new understanding of the movement changes the way that we tell the broader narrative of twentieth-century American history.” I would emphasize the inverse as well, since the broader narrative exposes some of the ways the historiography of the New Right has overreached. Phillips-Fein’s essay raises compelling questions about the standard conceptualization and periodization of conservatism as a social and political
Identification of Visual Dimensions in Photographs Using Multidimensional Scaling Techniques.

An examination of underlying visual dimensions commonly perceived in photographs was conducted using multidimensional scaling techniques. Fifteen male and female university graduate students individually examined 34 photographs chosen to represent a broad range of visual topics. Similarity judgments between photographs were used for multidimensional scaling, while subject interview data were used to describe meaningful visual concepts. Results indicate that pictures were grouped in clusters along three observable dimensions. Life, nature, and culture emerged as the dimensions of primary importance to viewers. This suggests the existence of universal meaning systems in visuals for communicating denotative and connotative meaning and presents experimental variables for future hypothesis testing.
Putting restaurant customers at risk: unsafe food handling as corporate violence

Abstract We illustrate how unsafe food handling practice in restaurants in the United States an example of corporate violence against customers. Existing literature is used to show that while no harm is intended, decisions made by kitchen managers and supervisors out of negligence, the quest for profit, and willful violations of food codes put are customers at risk. Techniques to neutralize guilt are discussed. We conclude by arguing that current litigation and enforcement efforts by regulators do little to motivate kitchen managers and supervisors to change their violent practices.
Assessing Online Discussion Forum Participation

As a socially constructive learning tool, discussion forums remain central to online education. They have continued to evolve in functionality, acquiring ever-increasing usability features. However, development has lagged in providing instructors the means to assess student work in forums. The author submits an overview of his software program that provides instructors with the means to evaluate forum work quickly, easily, and repeatedly. The software accomplishes this by accessing the forumsâ€™ underlying database, searching for manifest and latent data, and calculating data associated with an array of metrics. This is a Web-based tool built on Open Source and standards-based languages, providing opportunities to port the program to numerous Learning Management Systems. It is the intention of this author to provide this tool, when completed, for such use as a free, Open Source tool. Interested parties may e-mail the author for progress updates. Currently, however, further work on the project must await the completion of another project, the authorâ€™s dissertation.
Nuclear transplantation in the pig embryo : nuclear swelling

The transfer of nuclei from cleavage stage embryos to enucleated activated meiotic metaphase II oocytes results in a reprogramming of the transferred nucleus such that it behaves as a zygotic nucleus. One estimator of nuclear reprogramming is nuclear swelling after nuclear transfer. The diameter of nuclei after nuclear transfer was not found to be dependent upon the amount of cytoplasm transferred with the donor cell or the amount of cytoplasm in the recipient cell. Nuclei from 4-, 8-, and 16-cell stage embryos swelled to a similar diameter after nuclear transfer (26.9, 27.3, and 27.2 microns, respectively) and this was significantly different from the diameter of contemporary donor embryos (18.3, 14.3, and 13.0 microns, respectively). This is a swelling of 47, 91, and 109%, respectively. Since the degree of nuclear swelling does not appear to be related to cytoplasmic volume it is concluded that the components mediating nuclear swelling are not in a limiting supply.
Variance estimates and hypothesis tests in least absolute value regression

This study uses Monte Carlo simulation to examine variance estimators for the coefficient estimates in least absolute value (LAV) regression. Variance estimators examined in this article are based on a procedure suggested by McKean and Schrader [McKean, J. and Schrader, R., 1987, Least absolute errors analysis of variance In: Dodge, Y. (Ed.) Statistical Data Analysis Based on the L 1-Norm and Related Methods, pp. 297–305.]. The variance estimates are used in significance tests for LAV regression coefficients. The resulting tests are compared on the basis of observed level of significance and power, and the test performance is used as a guide to choice of the variance estimate. Two of the factors in the Monte Carlo simulation, sample size and number of independent variables, are investigated over a wider range of values than in previous studies. The preferred variance estimator differs slightly from the one typically recommended in recent literature.
Educating Clinicians to Assess Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Illness

Quality of life (QoL) is a multidimensional construct that communicates an individual’s overall sense of well-being and life satisfaction. Health care practitioner and patient/family agreement on primary contributors to QoL are key to the provision of effective health care. This is particularly important in guiding treatment choices and measuring outcomes in individuals with chronic health conditions. The concept of QoL has changed over time. It encompasses social, cultural, and political factors that affect people’s decisions regarding QoL. Culture is a way of life that shapes the way people make meaning out of illness and suffering. Home care practitioners should strive to be aware of the cultural influences on a client’s health care decision making. The purposes of this article are to (a) describe the dimensions of QoL, (b) discuss cultural influences on QoL, (c) explain common measurement tools used to assess health-related QoL, and (d) provide suggestions to home health practitioners for implementing strategies to foster patient-centered care and outcome assessment that emphasizes QoL.
RHEOLOGY OF LIQUID FOODS ‐ A REVIEW

Liquid foods are classified and their properties discussed under various types of rheological behavior: Newtonian, pseudoplastic, shear thickening, thixotropic, and viscoelastic. Rheological data on selected liquid foods are summarized in either tabular form or in the form of equations. Wherever possible the influence of temperature, constituents, and structure on the rheological behavior is detailed. Because many foods are suspensions, the measurement of flow properties of suspensions and factors influencing their rheological behavior are also covered. Finally, the relationship between the flow behavior and the sensory evaluation of mouth feel and viscosity is discussed.
Portfolio theory based approach to risk management in electricity markets: Colombian case study

Since 1994, the Colombian electricity market has been operating under a new structure. The Colombian government undertook a liberalization process, and trading activity was created. The traders face not only increasing competition, but also high-risk levels due to factors not considered previously. In the trading system, the agents are implicitly undertaking the risk associated with market variations and are demanding for new procedures to manage risk. This is an initial attempt to introduce an existing financial methodology (portfolio theory) to develop a risk management strategy for the electricity trading in Colombia which was developed in three steps.
Discrete-Time Signals and Systems

The basic concepts and relationships of the theory of discrete-time signals and systems are analogous to those for continuous-time signals and systems. In some respects, however, they are more simply derived and perhaps easier to visualize in the discrete-time case. In this chapter, we will introduce these basic concepts and relationships, developing them further in subsequent chapters.