cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NOTE ON SEX DIFFERENCES IN CAUSAL ATTRIBUTION

for performance in achievement-related situations are discussed. Numerous studies have shown that, compared with males, females tend to attribute their task performance more to external causes such as luck and less to internal causes such as ability; see Frieze ( 1975) for a summary. Explanations for these sex differences have tended to focus on society's sex-role prescriptions regarding achievement. However, it has also been acknowledged that females tend to be more external than males in their perceptions of the causes of a variety of events, as measured by Rotter's (1966) I-E scale (e.g., Feather, 1969; Frieze, 19752). Employing measures more similar to the studies of achievement attribution than Rotter's I-E scale, the present study provides further evidence that a generalized sex difference in causal attributions may underlie the differences in atuibutions for performance in achievement-related situations. Following a procedure similar to that employed by McArthur (1972), 16 male and 16 female undergraduates completed a 28-item questionnaire in which each item reported the occurrence of some event in agent-verb-target format, e.g., Linda hates the movie. Seven positive and 7 negative examples of both manifest and subjective verbs1 were represented in the questionnaires, each appearing wich both a female and a male agent. Subjects' atuibutions of these events to causes internal to the person, e.g., Linda, or to causes in the external stimahs, e.g., the movie, or in the external circlcmstances were assessed. A significant sex X causal locus interaction (F3,411 = 3.97, p .lo) or to the person (t < 1.00). This sex difference in the over-all pattern of causal attributions was somewhat qualified by two significant triple order interactions. A sex X verb valence X causal locus interaction (FZvd8 = 4.25, $ < .05) indicated that the tendency for females to make more stimulus attributions than males was significant for negacive verbs (t54 = 3.68, p < .01) but
A Combined Solid-State NMR and Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Powder Study on the Structure of the Antioxidant (+)-Catechin 4.5-hydrate.

Analyses combining X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and solid-state NMR (SSNMR) data can now provide crystal structures in challenging powders that are inaccessible by traditional methods. The flavonoid catechin is an ideal candidate for these methods, as it has eluded crystallographic characterization despite extensive study. Catechin was first described nearly two centuries ago, and its powders exhibit numerous levels of hydration. Here, synchrotron XRD data provide all heavy-atom positions in (+)-catechin 4.5-hydrate and establish the space group as C2. SSNMR data (13C tensor and 1H/13C correlation) complete the conformation by providing catechin’s five OH hydrogen orientations. Since 1903, this phase has been erroneously identified as a 4.0 hydrate, but XRD and density data establish that this discrepancy is due to the facile loss of the water molecule located at a Wyckoff special position in the unit cell. A final improvement to heavy-atom positions is provided by a geometry optimization of bond length...
Elliptic Fourier features of a closed contour

Abstract A direct procedure for obtaining the Fourier coefficients of a chain-encoded contour is presented. Advantages of the procedure are that it does not require integration or the use of fast Fourier transform techniques, and that bounds on the accuracy of the image contour reconstruction are easy to specify. Elliptic properties of the Fourier coefficients are shown and used for a convenient and intuitively pleasing procedure of normalizing a Fourier contour representation. Extension of the contour representation to arbitrary objects at arbitrary aspect angle is discussed. The procedures have direct application to a variety of pattern recognition problems that involve analysis of well-defined image contours.
Conservative Prediction via Safety Margin: Design Through Cross-Validation and Benefits of Multiple Surrogates

The use of surrogates for facilitating optimization and statistical analysis of computationally expensive simulations has become commonplace. Usually, surrogate models are fit to be unbiased (i.e., the error expectation is zero). However, in certain applications, it might be interesting to safely estimate the response (e.g., in structural analysis, the maximum stress must not be underestimated in order to avoid failure). In this work we use safety margins to conservatively compensate for fitting errors associated with surrogates. We propose the use of cross-validation for estimating the required safety margin for a given desired level of conservativeness (percentage of safe predictions). We also check how well we can minimize the losses in accuracy associated with conservative predictor by selecting between alternate surrogates. The approach was tested on two algebraic examples for ten basic surrogates including different instances of kriging, polynomial response surface, radial basis neural networks and support vector regression surrogates. For these examples we found that cross-validation (i) is effective for selecting the safety margin; and (ii) allows us to select a surrogate with the best compromise between conservativeness and loss of accuracy. We then applied the approach to the probabilistic design optimization of a cryogenic tank. This design under uncertainty example showed that the approach can be successfully used in real world applications.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Regulation and expression of heme oxygenase enzymes in aged-rat brain: age related depression in HO-1 and HO-2 expression and altered stress-response.

The heme oxygenase isozymes, HO-1 and HO-2, oxidatively cleave the heme molecule to produce biliverdin and the gaseous messenger, CO. The cleavage results in the release of iron, a regulator of transferrin, ferritin, and nitric oxide (NO) synthase gene expression. Biliverdin reductase (BVR) then catalyzes the reduction of biliverdin, generating the potent intracellular antioxidant, bilirubin. We report an age-related decrease in HO-1 and HO-2 expression present in select brain regions including the hippocampus and the substantia nigra, that are involved in the high order cognitive processes of learning and memory. The age-related loss of monoxide-producing potential in select regions of the brain was not specific to the HO system but was also observed in neuronal NO-generating system. Furthermore, compared to 2-month old rats, the ability of aged brain tissue to respond to hypoxic/hyperthermia was compromised at both the protein and the transcription levels as judged by attenuated induction of HO-1 immunoreactive protein and its 1.8 Kb transcript. Neotrofin™ (AIT), a cognitive-enhancing and neuroprotective drug, caused a robust increase in HO-1 immunoreactive protein in select neuronal regions and increased the expression of HO-2 transcripts. The potential interplay between regulation of HO-2 gene expression and the serum levels of the adrenal steroids is discussed. We suggest the search for therapeutic agents that reverse the decline and aberrant stress response of HO enzymes may lead to effective treatment regimens for age-associated neuronal deficits.
Treatment of copper ores and concentrates with industrial nitrogen species catalyzed pressure leaching and non-cyanide precious metals recovery

Today, with a stringent economic and environmental climate prevailing in the copper business, there is increased interest in evaluating new processing alternatives for production. Hydrometallurgical pressure oxidation of copper concentrates is one of the more viable approaches, and several technological candidates have emerged. Of these, an overlooked but, ironically, the first industrially proven methodology utilized nitrogen species catalyzation in the oxidizing pressure-leach system to produce copper via solvent extraction/electrowinning. Given its advantages, this may prove to be a feasible process alternative for the future. In this article, the history of the system and its application to copper concentrates and ores will be outlined. In particular, a non-cyanide methodology for effective recovery of precious metals from chalcopyrite concentrates will be discussed.
The mid-Cambrian (Series 3, Guzhangian; Marjuman) trilobite Deiracephalus Resser, 1935, from western Newfoundland

Species of Deiracephalus Resser, 1935, are rare elements in most Guzhangian (upper Marjuman) trilobite faunas of Laurentian North America, and are characterized by striking cephalic spinosity that includes very long genal and occipital or preoccipital glabellar spines. Almost all previous reports of the genus have assigned sclerites to two species, Deiracephalus aster (Walcott, 1916) and Deiracephalus unicornis Palmer, 1962. However, new material from the Shallow Bay Formation of western Newfoundland and restudy of type material from the southern Appalachians show that as many as eight species are present, although not all of them are sufficiently well known to be formally named. Deiracephalus aster and D. unicornis are restricted to their respective holotypes from the Conasauga Formation of Alabama; new species from the Shallow Bay Formation are Deiracephalus narwhali, Deiracephalus rhinocerotis, Deiracephalus dynastoides, and Deiracephalus phanaeus. Deiracephalus unicornis, D. narwhali, D. rhinocerotis,...
Design Of Polymers With Desirable Semiconductor, NLO, And Structural Properties

x(3) values have been determined by degenerate four wave mixing (DFNN) measurements for several new polymers prepared by condensation of tetraaminobenzene with a variety of bisalkylaminovinyldichloroquinones. By control of reaction c9Vitions, both open chain and fully fused ring polymers have been prepared and characterized. Comparable x(3) values (typically in the range 7 X 10 to 4 X 10 esu at 532 nm) are observed for the two forms of the polymer suggesting comparable electron delocalization lengths in the two forms. This observation is, in turn, suggestive of the importance of protonation effects in these nitrogen containing polymers. Derivatization with the vinylamine substituents not only affects polymer solubility and optical properties but also influences condensation polymerization kinetics. Open chain polymers of moderately high molecular weight can be prepared by reaction of the monomers in dimethylformamide am at ambient temperatures. The results for aminovinyl polymers are compared briefly with the results obtained for other ladder polymers prepared in our laboratory.
The effect of stimulus significance on relatively sustained (tonic-like) and relatively transient (phasiclike) aspects of electrodermal, heart rate, and eyeblink response ☆

Abstract To examine the influence of stimulus significance on more sustained as well as transient aspects of electrodermal, cardiac (HR), and eyeblink response, a 21-sec tone was sounded in one ear or the other. A click occurred during many tones, and a light followed offset by 9 sec. Four groups were studied: one pressed a pedal immediately on hearing any click; another only on click during tone in a specified ear; a third also responded only to the specified ear, but withheld press until the light; a fourth listened without any response. Results confirmed the important role of stimulus significance in each system whether between- or within-subject comparisons were made. Sustained responses were seen only when a significant signal was sought, involving in each case sustained HR deceleration, slowed blink rate, and heightened electrodermal level. Transient response to click and light also appeared only when these were significant signals. Response to tone-onset gave more ambiguous results. ANOVAs of response magnitude suggested that onset of nonsignificant tones might have elicited ORs, while binomial tests indicated these were not elicited with better than random frequency anywhere but on those trials occurring more frequently at the experiment's onset. Interpretations consistent with both the significance hypothesis and with a distinction between automatic and voluntary ORs can be made only here. Motor response had no effect on electrodermal or eyeblink response, and on HR was associated only with increased acceleration 1–2 sec after pedal-press. Studies using small motor responses to establish stimulus significance are therefore not likely to be substantially biased by the response itself.
The effect of oxaloacetate ACTH and cortisol on the liver glycogen levels of Tilapia mossambica

Abstract 1. 1. A single injection of oxaloacetate into Tilapia mossambica caused a rapid depletion of liver glycogen. A series of six injections given over a 72-hr period kept liver glycogen levels low and caused a marked increase in a liver size. 2. 2. After removal of oxaloacetate, liver weight continued to increase for about 36 hr and then decreased. Liver glycogen rose steadily for 108 hr, and then fell sharply. A net synthesis of liver glycogen was observed. 3. 3. Two injections of ACTH, or six injections of cortisol, after oxaloacetate, served to stimulate liver glycogen synthesis.
Role of oxytocin signaling in the regulation of body weight

Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders are growing health concerns in the US and worldwide. In the US alone, more than two-thirds of the adult population is classified as either overweight or obese [1], highlighting the need to develop new, effective treatments for these conditions. Whereas the hormone oxytocin is well known for its peripheral effects on uterine contraction during parturition and milk ejection during lactation, release of oxytocin from somatodendrites and axonal terminals within the central nervous system (CNS) is implicated in both the formation of prosocial behaviors and in the control of energy balance. Recent findings demonstrate that chronic administration of oxytocin reduces food intake and body weight in diet-induced obese (DIO) and genetically obese rodents with impaired or defective leptin signaling. Importantly, chronic systemic administration of oxytocin out to 6 weeks recapitulates the effects of central administration on body weight loss in DIO rodents at doses that do not result in the development of tolerance. Furthermore, these effects are coupled with induction of Fos (a marker of neuronal activation) in hindbrain areas (e.g. dorsal vagal complex (DVC)) linked to the control of meal size and forebrain areas (e.g. hypothalamus, amygdala) linked to the regulation of food intake and body weight. This review assesses the potential central and peripheral targets by which oxytocin may inhibit body weight gain, its regulation by anorexigenic and orexigenic signals, and its potential use as a therapy that can circumvent leptin resistance and reverse the behavioral and metabolic abnormalities associated with DIO and genetically obese models.
Convergence Theorems for Polynomials with Many Zeros.

Soit f∈L p , 1≤p 1, soit b) p=1 et ∥S k −f∥ 1 →0. Alors la fonction f s'annule sur un sous ensemble de T de mesure m [t∈T:f(t)=0]≥2 lim k→∞ sup(N k /n k ); la constante 2 est la meilleure possible
Nestmate and Kin Recognition in Interspecific Mixed Colonies of Ants

Recognition of nestmates and discrimination against aliens is the rule in the social insects. The principal mechanism of nestmate recognition in carpenter ants (Camponotus) appears to be odor labels or "discriminators" that originate from the queen and are distributed among, and learned by, all adult colony members. The acquired odor labels are sufficiently powerful to produce indiscriminate acceptance among workers of different species raised together in artificially mixed colonies and rejection of genetic sisters reared by different heterospecific queens.
Phosphorylation of threonine 3: implications for Huntingtin aggregation and neurotoxicity.

Huntingtin (Htt) is a widely expressed protein that causes tissue-specific degeneration when mutated to contain an expanded polyglutamine (poly(Q)) domain. Although Htt is large, 350 kDa, the appearance of amino-terminal fragments of Htt in extracts of postmortem brain tissue from patients with Huntington disease (HD), and the fact that an amino-terminal fragment, Htt exon 1 protein (Httex1p), is sufficient to cause disease in models of HD, points to the importance of the amino-terminal region of Htt in the disease process. The first exon of Htt encodes 17 amino acids followed by a poly(Q) repeat of variable length and culminating with a proline-rich domain of 50 amino acids. Because modifications to this fragment have the potential to directly affect pathogenesis in several ways, we have surveyed this fragment for potential post-translational modifications that might affect Htt behavior and detected several modifications of Httex1p. Here we report that the most prevalent modifications of Httex1p are NH2-terminal acetylation and phosphorylation of threonine 3 (pThr-3). We demonstrate that pThr-3 occurs on full-length Htt in vivo, and that this modification affects the aggregation and pathogenic properties of Htt. Thus, therapeutic strategies that modulate these events could in turn affect Htt pathogenesis.
A search for galaxy-pancake alignments

Correlations between the position angles of galaxies and the major axes of their parent clusters or superclusters are searched for in two large galaxy catalogs, the UGC and the EUC, which cover most of the sky to a diameter limit of 1'. A variety of subsamples are tested, focusing on the prominent structures such as the Local Supercluster and the Perseus-Pisces Supercluster, together or separately, at different levels of density contrast, at various depths, and for different galaxy types. The results are consistent with no correlation. This null result challenges the cosmological dissipative pancake scenarios, e.g., based on massive neutrinos or on explosive shells, where galaxies are assumed to have formed by fragmentation in pancakes.
THEORETICAL PARALLELS BETWEEN THE PONZO ILLUSION AND THE WUNDT-JASTROW ILLUSION

Summary.-Misapplied-size-constancy, assimilation, and contrast theories are discussed as explanations for the Wundt-Jastrow and Ponzo illusions. An experiment is reported that questions the need to include a contrast function in the assimilation theory of Pressey and Wilson to account for the Wundt-Jastrow illusion. Several directions for further research are proposed.
Data Clustering Reveals Climate Impacts on Local Wind Phenomena

AbstractThe authors demonstrate the utility of k-means clustering for identifying relationships between winds at turbine heights and climate oscillations, thereby developing a method suited for predicting the impacts of climate change on wind resources. Fourteen years of data from an 80-m tower at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) in Colorado have been reduced to four dominant flow phenomena using k-means clustering. At this location, this method identifies two clusters of westerly inflow (strong and weak), another cluster of flow from the north, and one of flow from the south. Similar clusters are found for the data at all heights on the tower, and each follow distinct seasonal cycles. Time series of each cluster, as well as the mean wind speed at the NWTC, are retained for comparison with climate oscillations along with the local 500-hPa pressure gradient. The mean wind speed in the surface layer is strongly correlated with the local north–south pressure gradient. The frequency of strong wester...
Hybrid silica-polymer ultra-high-Q microresonators

Ultra-high-quality (UHQ) factor optical cavities have numerous applications throughout engineering and science. Incorporating active elements into these UHQ cavities to create dynamic devices would extend their applicability; however, it is inherently difficult to develop an active UHQ device. Ultra-thin films formed from optically active polymers provide one route to overcome this limitation. In the present work, hybrid devices composed of UHQ planar optical cavities with ultra-thin films are fabricated on a silicon wafer. Using finite element method simulations, the optical field overlap between the cavity and the polymer film is modeled and experimentally verified using two polymers: poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene. These hybrid devices have demonstrated material-limited Q factors above 10(7).
Health promotion and disease prevention in kidney transplant recipients.

Patients with end-stage renal disease have a critical need for health maintenance. Due to the shortage of donor organs, kidney transplant—the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease—is not available to all individuals listed on the national waiting list. Therefore, treatment must be optimal to maximize graft survival and length of life in this high-risk population. Transplant recipients are exposed to the inherent risks of immunosuppression. Chronic use of pharmocologic agents to maintain graft survival is associated with conditions such as coronary artery disease, stroke, infection, and malignancy. A needs assessment revealed that many identified risks were modifiable through proper education and intervention. Therefore, health promotion and disease prevention—namely cancer screening and prevention, cardiovascular risk factors, and dietary guidelines—were identified as educational priorities. In an environment of fiscal constraint and priority setting, transplant centers are obligated to provide ...
A Possible Acceleration Mechanism for a Solar Surge

We examine a non-linear mechanism for a solar surge in which plasma regions of high electrical conductivity and macroscopic dimension can be rapidly accelerated without diffusion of magnetic field. The mechanism is suggested by Rust's observations, which show that surges occur near sunspots in regions of reversed magnetic polarity. For the purposes of numerical calculation, we replace the magnetic field near a polarity reversal in a sunspot by magnetic fields of current loops. The relaxation of the magnetic field generated by two antiparallel coaxial current loops in an incompressible plasma is traced by computer. The results suggest that plasma in the form of a vortex ring can be expelled at the Alfven velocity from active solar regions.
Convergence of DNAPL Source Strength Functions with Site Age

Dissolution of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zones can be accurately predicted based on appropriate characterization of the source zone architecture, which controls the rate of mass discharge or source strength function. However, the architecture changes temporally as the source zone mass is depleted by dissolution. To generalize comparisons between contaminated sites with different porewater velocities or contaminant solubilities, site age is defined in terms of the fraction of contaminant mass that has been eluted from the source zone by aqueous dissolution. Here changes in DNAPL architecture during dissolution of a source zone were measured by light transmission visualization in laboratory flow chambers. Architectures measured at ages corresponding to initial conditions, 20, 50, and 90% mass removal were used in an equilibrium streamtube (EST) model to accurately predict subsequent dissolution. It is shown both experimentally and theoretically that as DNAPL contaminated sites age, fractional reductions in contaminant discharge and mass converge to become equal, regardless of the initial architecture. This behavior is a consequence of convergence from log-normal to exponential behavior. Analysis of errors in dissolution predictions suggests that the age of many contaminated sites is likely sufficient that architecture and source strength function characterization may not be necessary as it can be assumed with reasonable accuracy that future dissolution will follow an exponential decay model.
An ultrastructural analysis of the mature spermatozoon of Anguispira alternata (say) (pulmonata, stylommatophora).

Mature spermatozoa from the hermaphroditic duct of adult snails were examined using various techniques of light microscopy as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The sperm are approximately 557 μm in length including a dextrally spiral head approximately 13 μm long. The head consists of an electron-dense nucleus sculptured into a double-ridged spiral and an acrosome projecting approximately 0.45 μm beyond the apex of the nucleus. The acrosome consists of a membrane-bound vesicle approximately 0.1 μm in diameter and a column of homogeneous material which extends along one side of the terminal spiral of the nucleus. This material is separated from the nucleus by the nuclear envelope. The neck region, though similar to that found in other pulmonates, possesses a unique coiled structure surrounding the central doublet of the axoneme. The midpiece axoneme possesses a 9+9+2 configuration anteriorly grading into a 9+2 pattern for the majority of its length. There are three mitochondrial helices - one primary and two secondary - in the midpiece. Only the primary helix persists throughout the midpiece.
BridgeNet: An Adaptive Multi-Source Stream Dissemination Overlay Network

Emerging stream processing applications such as on-line data analysis often need to collect streaming information from geographically dispersed locations (e.g., different sensor networks). Different from conventional discrete data (e.g., messages), streaming data are time-varying and long-lived, which provides both new challenges and opportunities for optimizing wide-area continuous data dissemination. In this paper, we present BridgeNet, a novel biology-inspired stream dissemination overlay network that can dynamically learn stream patterns to achieve efficient multi-source stream dissemination. We propose a new distributed cell tree structure that can adaptively expand or contract itself in response to workload changes. BridgeNet performs pattern-based adaptations to deliver efficient stream disseminations without losing system stability. We have implemented a prototype of BridgeNet and conducted extensive experiments using both simulations and Planetlab deployment. The experimental results based on both synthetic workload and real data streams show that BridgeNet outperforms existing schemes for efficient multi-source stream dissemination.
The mutual interplay of lipid metabolism and the cells of the immune system in relation to atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammation in the arterial wall involving cells of the innate and adaptive immune system that is promoted by hyperlipidemia. In addition, the immune system can influence lipids and lipoprotein levels and cellular lipid homeostasis can influence the level and function of the immune cells. We will review the effects of manipulation of adaptive immune cells and immune cell products on lipids and lipoproteins, focusing mainly on studies performed in murine models of atherosclerosis. We also review how lipoproteins and cellular lipid levels, particularly cholesterol levels, influence the function of cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems. The overriding theme is that these interactions are driven by the need to provide the energy and membrane components for cell proliferation and migration, membrane expansion and other functions that are so important in the functioning of the immune cells.
Distinct Processes and Transcriptional Targets Underlie CDX2 Requirements in Intestinal Stem Cells and Differentiated Villus Cells

Lgr5-expressing intestinal stem cells (ISCs) renew the adult gut epithelium by producing mature villus cells (VCs); the transcriptional basis for ISC functions remains unclear. RNA sequencing analysis identified transcripts modulated during differentiation of Lgr5(+) ISCs into VCs, with high expression of the intestine-restricted transcription factor (TF) gene Cdx2 in both populations. Cdx2-deleted mouse ISCs showed impaired proliferation and long-term inability to produce mature lineages, revealing essential ISC functions. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis of CDX2 in Lgr5(+) ISCs, coupled with mRNA profiling of control and Cdx2(-/-) ISCs, identified features of CDX2 regulation distinct from VCs. Most CDX2 binding in ISCs occurs in anticipation of future gene expression, but whereas CDX2 primarily activates VC genes, direct ISC targets are activated and repressed. Diverse CDX2 requirements in stem and differentiated cells may reflect the versatility of TFs that specify a tissue in development and control the same tissue in adults.
Maximum Entropy Reconstructions of Dynamic Signaling Networks from Quantitative Proteomics Data

Advances in mass spectrometry among other technologies have allowed for quantitative, reproducible, proteome-wide measurements of levels of phosphorylation as signals propagate through complex networks in response to external stimuli under different conditions. However, computational approaches to infer elements of the signaling network strictly from the quantitative aspects of proteomics data are not well established. We considered a method using the principle of maximum entropy to infer a network of interacting phosphotyrosine sites from pairwise correlations in a mass spectrometry data set and derive a phosphorylation-dependent interaction network solely from quantitative proteomics data. We first investigated the applicability of this approach by using a simulation of a model biochemical signaling network whose dynamics are governed by a large set of coupled differential equations. We found that in a simulated signaling system, the method detects interactions with significant accuracy. We then analyzed a growth factor mediated signaling network in a human mammary epithelial cell line that we inferred from mass spectrometry data and observe a biologically interpretable, small-world structure of signaling nodes, as well as a catalog of predictions regarding the interactions among previously uncharacterized phosphotyrosine sites. For example, the calculation places a recently identified tumor suppressor pathway through ARHGEF7 and Scribble, in the context of growth factor signaling. Our findings suggest that maximum entropy derived network models are an important tool for interpreting quantitative proteomics data.
Molecular Studies of Mammalian Branched-Chain α-Keto Acid Dehydrogenase Complexes: Domain Structures, Expression, and Inborn Errorsa

We have cloned cDNAs encoding the E1b-alpha, E1b-beta, and E2b subunits of the bovine and human branched-chain alpha-keto acid complexes. The deduced primary structures indicate that the mammalian E2b contains a lipoyl-bearing, an E3-binding, and an inner core domain that are linked in series by two flexible hinge regions. The observed conservation among E2 proteins in each of the three folded domains strongly suggests that the structural cores of alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complexes are evolutionarily related. We have expressed bovine pre-E2b in E. coli. The lipoate-free precursor protein is enzymatically active and appears to assemble into a 24-mer structure. Studies with deletion mutants support the proposal that the antigenicity in pre-E2b is associated with the flexible proline-rich hinge region. We have observed five distinct molecular phenotypes in maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) cells, according to the pattern of the branched-chain complex protein subunits and mRNAs present. The results have demonstrated a high degree of genetic heterogeneity in MSUD and have identified the affected genes which must be characterized.
Membrane microdomains, caveolae, and caveolar endocytosis of sphingolipids (Review)

Caveolae are flask-shape membrane invaginations of the plasma membrane that have been implicated in endocytosis, transcytosis, and cell signaling. Recent years have witnessed the resurgence of studies on caveolae because they have been found to be involved in the uptake of some membrane components such as glycosphingolipids and integrins, as well as viruses, bacteria, and bacterial toxins. Accumulating evidence shows that endocytosis mediated by caveolae requires unique structural and signaling machinery (caveolin-1, src kinase), which indicates that caveolar endocytosis occurs through a mechanism which is distinct from other forms of lipid microdomain-associated, clathrin-independent endocytosis. Furthermore, a balance of glycosphingolipids, cholesterol, and caveolin-1 has been shown to be important in regulating caveolae endocytosis.
Genetic Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli from Human and Animal Sources Uncovers Multiple Resistances from Human Sources

Escherichia coli are widely used as indicators of fecal contamination, and in some cases to identify host sources of fecal contamination in surface water. Prevalence, genetic diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility were determined for 600 generic E. coli isolates obtained from surface water and sediment from creeks and channels along the middle Santa Ana River (MSAR) watershed of southern California, USA, after a 12 month study. Evaluation of E. coli populations along the creeks and channels showed that E. coli were more prevalent in sediment compared to surface water. E. coli populations were not significantly different (P=0.05) between urban runoff sources and agricultural sources, however, E. coli genotypes determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were less diverse in the agricultural sources than in urban runoff sources. PFGE also showed that E. coli populations in surface water were more diverse than in the sediment, suggesting isolates in sediment may be dominated by clonal populations.Twenty four percent (144 isolates) of the 600 isolates exhibited resistance to more than one antimicrobial agent. Most multiple resistances were associated with inputs from urban runoff and involved the antimicrobials rifampicin, tetracycline, and erythromycin. The occurrence of a greater number of E. coli with multiple antibiotic resistances from urban runoff sources than agricultural sources in this watershed provides useful evidence in planning strategies for water quality management and public health protection.
An efficient algorithm for the symmetric principal minor assignment problem

Abstract We consider the problem of reconstructing a symmetric matrix from its principal minors, which has several applications in information theory and statistical modeling. We develop a theory of symmetric matrices with equal corresponding principal minors based on a simple equivalent property due to Oeding (2011) [10] . We then use this theory to provide a method for choosing a canonical representative from the class of all symmetric matrices with specified principal minors. Finally, we provide an efficient algorithm for computing this canonical representative given its principal minors as input.
The burden of prevention: downstream consequences of Pap smear testing in the elderly

Context: Although cervical cancer is an unusual cause of death among women 65 and older, most elderly women in the US report continuing to undergo periodic Pap smear screening.Objective: To describe the incidence of Pap smears and downstream testing among elderly women.Setting: Claims-based analysis of female Medicare enrollees age 65 and older.Methods: Using three years of Medicare Part B 5% Files (1995-1997), we differentiated between women undergoing screening Pap smears and those undergoing Pap smears for surveillance of previous abnormalities or Pap smear follow-up. We determined the proportion of elderly women undergoing Pap smear testing and rates of downstream testing and procedures after an initial Pap smear.Results: Four million female Medicare beneficiaries over 65 years underwent Pap smear testing between 1995 and 1997, representing 25% of the eligible population. After adjusting for underbilling for Pap smears under Medicare, 43% of women over 65 are estimated to have undergone Pap smear test...
Baseline Design of a Multi-Channel Interferometer and Polarimeter System for Density Measurements on ITER

A design of a multi-channel system to measure line average plasma density for ITER has been developed using vibration compensated interferometry and Faraday rotation measurements. The purpose of this study is to establish a consistent design based on current technology, that can be used to examine performance and reliability issues and to evaluate the effect of future design improvements. The system uses a vibration compensated interferometer, with a CO2 laser at 10.6 μm for the probe beam and a CO laser at 5.2 μm for the vibration compensation. The CO2 laser probe beam also allows Faraday rotation measurements to be made along the tangential beam path. This improves the reliability of the system because density measurements made from the Faraday rotation, although less accurate than interferometry, do not require cumulative knowledge of the phase shift over the long time scales expected in ITER. Plasma effects on both types of measurements and ITER specific operational considerations, such as plasma start-up, pulse length, and vibration effects will be discussed. Survivability and placement of the plasma facing optics in the ITER structure are critical issues and a discussion of the material selection, and integration into the ITER design are given.
Coat colour in mouse populations selected for weight gain: support for hitchhiking, not pleiotropy.

Abstract With many molecular markers in many species, research efforts in quantitative genetics have focused on dissecting these traits and understanding the importance of factors such as correlated response due to hitchhiking or pleiotropy. Here, in an examination of long-term selection experiments in mice, the evidence strongly supports the primary importance of hitchhiking on the coat colour loci brown and dilute in mice selected for high weight gain. First, the amount of observed change in coat colour allele frequency could not be explained by genetic drift alone, implying that selection was of high importance. Second, the allele frequency changes included reversals in the direction change, but there were still positive correlations in the early generations with differences in weight gain between the phenotypes. Third, the correlation between the change in allele frequencies and phenotypic difference in weight gain declined over time, consistent with the decay expected from linkage associations. Fourth, the changes at both loci in a short-term selection experiment for low weight gain were in the opposite direction than the changes in the contemporaneous related population selected for high weight gain.
Elevated Insulin Secretion from Liver X Receptor-Activated Pancreatic β-Cells Involves Increased de Novo Lipid Synthesis and Triacylglyceride Turnover

Increased basal and loss of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) are hallmarks of beta-cell dysfunction associated with type 2 diabetes. It has been proposed that elevated glucose promotes insulin secretory defects by activating sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1c, lipogenic gene expression, and neutral lipid storage. Activation of liver X receptors (LXRs) also activates SREBP-1c and increases lipogenic gene expression and neutral lipid storage but increases basal and GSIS. This study was designed to characterize the changes in de novo fatty acid and triacylglyceride (TAG) synthesis in LXR-activated beta-cells and determine how these changes contribute to elevated basal and GSIS. Treatment of INS-1 beta-cells with LXR agonist T0901317 and elevated glucose led to markedly increased nuclear localization of SREBP-1, lipogenic gene expression, de novo synthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids and TAG, and basal and GSIS. LXR-activated cells had increased fatty acid oxidation and expression of genes involved in mitochondrial beta-oxidation, particularly carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1. Increased basal insulin release from LXR-activated cells coincided with rapid turnover of newly synthesized TAG and required acyl-coenzyme A synthesis and mitochondrial beta-oxidation. GSIS from LXR-activated INS-1 cells required influx of extracellular calcium and lipolysis, suggesting production of lipid-signaling molecules from TAG. Inhibition of diacylglyceride (DAG)-binding proteins, but not classic isoforms of protein kinase C, attenuated GSIS from LXR-activated INS-1 cells. In conclusion, LXR activation in beta-cells exposed to elevated glucose concentrations increases de novo TAG synthesis; subsequent lipolysis produces free fatty acids and DAG, which are oxidized to increase basal insulin release and activate DAG-binding proteins to enhance GSIS, respectively.
Endovascular repair of traumatic aortic injury in a 16 month old

Abstract Traumatic injury to the thoracic aorta is rare in children. We present the youngest reported case of traumatic thoracic aortic injury, occurring in a 16 month old (10 kg) male. Management emphases include identification and stabilization of all injuries, blood pressure control, timely repair of the aortic injury, and long-term radiographic follow-up. We demonstrate that endovascular repair at this age is feasible, but considerations such as small vessel diameter and patient growth may limit broad application. Long-term outcomes research in this population is necessary.
Variation Aware Cache Partitioning for Multithreaded Programs

Multithreaded programs are commonly written and optimized for homogeneous multi-core processors assuming equal performance from all the cores. This assumption greatly simplifies the partitioning and balancing of an application's workload across threads; however, it no longer holds when the frequencies of the cores differ due to within-die variations, leading to a degradation in performance. We observe that, in addition to the frequency of the core that it executes on, the performance of a thread is also dependent on the share of shared system resources, such as last-level cache, that it receives. We propose variation-aware cache partitioning as an approach to redress the variation-induced imbalance in the execution times of threads, thereby improving the performance of multi-threaded programs. We discuss the challenges involved in realizing our proposal, including synchronization (e.g., barriers) across threads, which results in faster threads being limited by slower threads, the complex and non-linear relationship between a thread's performance and the cache capacity allocated to it, and the fact that different program phases, can respond quite differently to varying cache capacity. We propose a runtime scheme to perform spatio-temporal cache partitioning while considering both chip characteristics (frequency variations) and program characteristics. We evaluate the proposed technique by applying it to an ensemble of variation-impacted multi-cores executing multi-threaded programs from the PARSEC and SPEC-OMP suites, and demonstrate that it results in an average performance improvement of 15% by mitigating the impact of frequency variations.
Management differences for pediatric solid organ injuries in a rural state

Pediatric liver and spleen injuries are frequently treated in specialized hospitals. Not all injured children, however, are treated in referral centers. We evaluated the management of pediatric liver and spleen injuries in a rural state without a state trauma system to determine if differences existed between trauma centers and nontrauma centers. A state database was queried for patients ≤15-years-old who suffered liver and spleen injuries from 2003 to 2005. Iatrogenic injuries were excluded. There were 115 pediatric liver and 183 pediatric spleen injuries. Fifty per cent of liver and 63 per cent of spleen injuries in nontrauma centers were isolated solid organ injuries compared with 18 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively, in trauma centers. The mortality rate for both liver and spleen injuries was similar in trauma and nontrauma centers. Hospital charges were higher in trauma centers but this was due to patients with associated injuries. The nonoperative management rate was similar for liver injuries. Pediatric patients with splenic injuries had a lower rate of nonoperative management in nontrauma centers (75% to 90%, nontrauma vs trauma). In Kentucky, pediatric solid organ injuries are usually managed nonoperatively in both trauma and nontrauma centers, but trauma centers cared for fewer isolated solid organ injuries.
“We must learn from Germany”: gliders and model airplanes as tools for Japan’s mass mobilization

This article explores the prominent role of Germany in the emergence of Japan’s glider and model-aircraft boom. It examines how the invitation of German specialists to Japan in 1935 started a “glider fever” that enabled the Japanese military to forge close bonds with the press and an air-minded public. In the following years Nazi Germany also provided the organizational blueprint for comprehensive aviation education that mobilized all aviation activities of Japanese youth in the service of national defense. Japanese anxieties about the expansion of foreign air power thus were successfully channeled into a wave of popular enthusiasm and participation that became instrumental for Japan’s military buildup and mobilization.
Focus, accent, and argument structure: effects on language comprehension.

Four experiments investigated the effect of syntactic argument structure on the evaluation and comprehension of utterances with different patterns of pitch accents. Linguistic analyses of the relat...
Monotone Maps of \({\mathbb{T}^n}\) × ∝n and Their Periodic Orbits

This article presents a theorem of existence of n + 1 (2 n if non degenerate) periodic orbits of any given rotation vector for a large class of exact symplectic maps of the n-dimensional annulus 핋 n × R n . This theorem is global and uses the discrete variational approach of Aubry.
Community-Based Philosophy and Dialogue: Advancing a New Understanding of the Planner-Community Relationship

The relationship between the planner and community in a community-based project is a well-documented concern. Often noted is the need for grassroots work to be carried out ‘with,’ rather than ‘on’ or ‘for,’ a community. Although this notion implies partnership, how the planner-community relationship is conceived depends largely on how the community is defined. From a community-based perspective, action is critical to the development of a community’s identity. This outlook suggests that participation determines community membership. Accordingly, conventional community limits may be transformed. The purpose of this article is to offer an understanding of how community-based planners may be viewed to be community members. The focus is the various perspectives on community and their respective implications for membership. To begin, the traditional perspective of community that is grounded in realism is presented. A community-based outlook based on participation is then provided. Subsequently recognized is the importance of dialogue, which is an underdeveloped and, at times, overlooked strategy in community-based practice. The connection between the planner and community is later described, followed by an examination of the issue of power. To conclude, an emphasis is placed on the possibility for a planner to become a community member when a project follows community-based philosophy.