cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pattern analysis of microtubule inhibitor combination effects on cells

3237 The purpose of this work was to determine whether or how reversal of the morphological properties of cultured cells relates to the therapeutic effect of inhibitor combinations. The phenotype of single cells can be deconstructed using computerized morphometry classification. In experiments, such phenotypes can be solved by comparison with a database of normal and oncogenically transformed cells. Previously, a combination of microtubule-depolymerizing and -polymerizing agents, colchicine and paclitaxel, was found to lead to reversal of phenotype. The suggestion that such combinations might be effective clinically was rapidly followed by clinical trials employing docetaxel and microtubule-depolymerizing agent, vinorelbine (D + V). Classification of cells based on principal components, called latent factors, was used to learn whether all combinations had similar effects as of paclitaxel and colchicine on cell features. Reports of delivery schedule and drug ratio in D + V clinical trials were subjected to statistical analysis. Microtubule arrangement and cell cycle were studied by indirect immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry, respectively. Paclitaxel in combination with any microtubule-depolymerizing agent (podophyllotoxin, nocodazole, or vinblastine) reverted the cells to a normal phenotype. Cell features represented by a total of six latent factors were significantly affected by at least one of the combinations. The factor accounting for the single largest difference between normal and transformed cells (#4 filopodia) was only affected by combinations containing colchicine or podophyllotoxin. Its values were changed in the direction expected of a more normal phenotype. Another factor for cell edge features, #7, was altered in most of the combination treatments but in the direction expected of a more transformed cell. In reviewing the clinical studies, we found that the highest efficacy of D + V is observed when the two inhibitors are administered together, not interspersed with a single agent. The treated cells showed several differences in microtubule arrangement, including straighter microtubules, and suppression of the microtubule-organizing center. A perpendicular arrangement of microtubules to the cell edge may be a morphological indicator of reversal. The results suggested a novel mechanism of the inhibitor combination as chemotherapy.
Impacts of Organizationa; Behavior on IT Project Teams: Leadership's Impact on Social Loafing

This investigation focuses on antecedents impacting social loafing that would fall under the category of informal controls. Specifically, it investigates leadership aspects posited by the Collective Effort Model (Karau and Williams 2001) into the broader model for antecedents of social loafing. Leadership at the peer level and the supervisor level of an IT project could potentially be of significant importance, as they have been shown to influence project outcomes and other related social phenomena (Murphy et al. 2003; Roy et al. 2010). We find that adding both Peer Leadership and Supervisor Support to a model of factors already known to influence Social Loafing in project teams explains more of the variance in social loafing.
Botanical Composition of Yearling-Steer and Mature-Ewe Diets in the Kansas Flint Hills

Abstract Awareness of herbivore diet composition is an essential element of rangeland stewardship. Objectives of our experiment were to characterize diet selection by yearling steers and mature ewes grazing native tallgrass prairie, changes in dietary preferences that occurred with advancing season, and overlap in selection patterns between ewes and steers. Eight contiguous native tallgrass pastures (31 ± 3.3 ha) were grazed by yearling beef steers (n = 279 per yr) from 15 April to 15 July for two grazing seasons. Mature ewes (n = 813 per yr) subsequently grazed four of the eight pastures (0.15 ha per ewe) from 1 August to 1 October each year. Beginning 1 May, five fresh fecal pats were collected along four permanent transects per pasture at 2-wk intervals until steers were removed on 15 July. Subsequently, fecal grab samples were collected from 25 designated ewes per pasture on 15 August and 15 September. Microhistological analyses were conducted on fecal samples to estimate dietary botanical composition, using 17 grass, forb, and browse species from the experimental site as reference standards. Botanical composition of pastures was estimated annually in October. Diet selection was evaluated using Kulcyznski’s Similarity Index. The proportions of total graminoids and total forbs in steer diets were not different (P = 0.37) among sampling periods. Steer diets were dominated by graminoids (≥ 88.4% of diets) throughout the experiment. Steers and ewes exhibited strong preference for Bouteloua gracilis, Buchloe dactyloides, Dalea purpurea, and Liatris punctata. Ewes also demonstrated strong preferences for Vernonia baldwinii and Ambrosia artemisiifolia. Steers avoided Lespedeza cuneata and Symphyotrichum ericoides, whereas ewes did not avoid any of the reference standards. Ewes selected approximately equal proportions of graminoids and forbs (58% and 42% of diets, respectively), and proportions did not differ (P = 0.67) between sampling periods. Diet selection by mature ewes and yearling steers overlapped by 65% under the conditions of our experiment.
Nuclear Reaction Diagnostics for Intense Particle Beam Measurements

Intense pulsed ion beams, with kinetic energies ranging from several hundred kilovolts to ten megavolts and current densities ranging from several ten’s of kiloamperes per cm2 to almost one mega-ampere per cm2, have been generated by reflex triode, reflex, triode, reflex pinched, and magnetically insulated ion diodes [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Motion Analysis of the Mandible during Low-Speed, Rear-End Impacts using High-Speed X-rays

There has been much debate over "whiplash"-induced temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction following low-speed, rear-end automobile collisions. While several authors have reported TMJ injury based on case studies post collision, there has been little biomechanical evidence showing that rear-end impact was the primary cause of such injury. The purpose of this study was to measure the relative translation between the upper and lower incisors in cadavers subjected to low-speed, rearend impacts. High-speed x-ray images used for this analysis were reported previously for the analysis of cadaveric cervical spine kinematics during low-speed, rear-end impacts. The cadavers were positioned at various seatback angles and body postures, producing an overall picture of various seating scenarios. Of the 38 tests conducted using 10 cadavers, there were seven tests from three cadavers in which the positions of the upper and lower incisors could be tracked with precision using imageprocessing software. The relative protrusion, retrusion, and mouth opening were computed from these seven sets of data, providing a better understanding of TMJ motion. Based on this limited data, the average maximum protrusion, retrusion and mouth opening were 1.6+/-1.8, 1.1+/-0.7, and 1.2+/-1.2 mm, respectively. These values appear to fall within normal physiological limits experienced during daily activities such as mastication. It is concluded that low-speed, rear-end automobile collisions do not appear to create the motion required to initiate injury to the TMJ. Language: en
Protein Misfolding Disorders and Rational Design of Antimisfolding Agents

Compelling evidence strongly suggests that the conversion of a normal soluble protein into a beta-sheet-rich oligomeric structure and further fibril formation is the critical step in the pathogenesis of several human diseases, termed protein misfolding disorders. Therefore, a promising therapeutic strategy consists of the design of molecules that prevent the misfolding and aggregation of these proteins. In this chapter, we survey the mechanism of protein misfolding and some strategies to rationally produce inhibitors of this process.
Retinotopic Responses in the Visual Cortex Elicited by Epiretinal Electrical Stimulation in Normal and Retinal Degenerate Rats.

Purpose Electronic retinal prostheses restore vision in people with outer retinal degeneration by electrically stimulating the inner retina. We characterized visual cortex electrophysiologic response elicited by electrical stimulation of retina in normally sighted and retinal degenerate rats. Methods Nine normally sighted Long Evans and 11 S334ter line 3 retinal degenerate (rd) rats were used to map cortical responses elicited by epiretinal electrical stimulation in four quadrants of the retina. Six normal and six rd rats were used to compare the dendritic spine density of neurons in the visual cortex. Results The rd rats required higher stimulus amplitudes to elicit responses in the visual cortex. The cortical electrically evoked responses (EERs) for both healthy and rd rats show a dose-response characteristic with respect to the stimulus amplitude. The EER maps in healthy rats show retinotopic organization. For rd rats, cortical retinotopy is not well preserved. The neurons in the visual cortex of rd rats show a 10% higher dendritic spine density than in the healthy rats. Conclusions Cortical activity maps, produced when epiretinal stimulation is applied to quadrants of the retina, exhibit retinotopy in normal but not rd rats. This is likely due to a combination of degeneration of the retina and increased stimulus thresholds in rd, which broadens the activated area of the retina. Translational relevance Loss of retinotopy is evident in rd rats. If a similar loss of retinotopy is present in humans, retinal prostheses design must include flexibility to account for patient specific variability.
235 TERRORISM IN CHILDREN: ARE WE PREPARED?

Purpose Biological and chemical terrorism is a legitimate threat to children in the United States, and it is incumbent upon both pediatricians and emergency medicine physicians to be knowledgeable in this area. The AAP has recently recommended the integration of biological and chemical terrorism education into residency curricula. Currently, the extent of such education in emergency medicine and pediatric residencies is program dependent. The objectives of this study include developing a tool for assessing residents9 knowledge on essential aspects of evaluating and treating pediatric victims of biological and chemical terrorism, comparing the baseline fund of knowledge of pediatric and emergency medicine residents at a single institution, and assessing the effect of an educational intervention. Methods Using information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Defense (DOD), a written, validated, multiple-choice test was created to evaluate knowledge of identification, isolation, and treatment of pediatric victims of biological and chemical terrorism. The examination covered all agents on the CDC “A” list of bioterror agents, as well as chemical agents highlighted by the DOD. The test was then administered to pediatric and emergency medicine residents prior to any formal educational on terrorism in either residency9s curriculum (“pretest”). A 1-hour lecture covering all essential material was delivered to all available residents. The identical written test was administered 5 months after the lectures (“post-test”) to all available residents, including those who had been unavailable for the lecture. Results Thirty-four pediatric and 16 emergency medicine residents took the pretest. Pediatric residents scored a median of 65% correct and emergency medicine residents scored a median of 70% correct (p = .03). Twenty-five pediatric and 10 emergency medicine residents took the post-test. Residents who took both tests and attended the lecture improved from a pretest median score of 66% correct to a post-test median score of 70% (p = .11). Conclusions This pilot study suggests that emergency medicine residents may demonstrate a higher baseline fund of knowledge as to the identification, treatment, and isolation requirements of pediatric biological and chemical terrorism patients than do pediatric residents. Pediatric residents may be in particular need of education on these topics. It is unclear whether traditional lecture-based education will be effective in producing lasting gains in knowledge or if more rigorous educational interventions are required.
FIBER DIRECTION ESTIMATION, SMOOTHING AND TRACKING IN DIFFUSION MRI.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging is an imaging technology designed to probe anatomical architectures of biological samples in an in vivo and noninvasive manner through measuring water diffusion. The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, it proposes a new method to identify and estimate multiple diffusion directions within a voxel through a new and identifiable parametrization of the widely used multi-tensor model. Unlike many existing methods, this method focuses on the estimation of diffusion directions rather than the diffusion tensors. Second, this paper proposes a novel direction smoothing method which greatly improves direction estimation in regions with crossing fibers. This smoothing method is shown to have excellent theoretical and empirical properties. Last, this paper develops a fiber tracking algorithm that can handle multiple directions within a voxel. The overall methodology is illustrated with simulated data and a data set collected for the study of Alzheimer’s disease by the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).
Single-Digit-Nanometer Capacitive-Gap Transduced Micromechanical Disk Resonators

Single-digit-nanometer electrode-to-resonator gaps have enabled 200-MHz radial-contour mode polysilicon disk resonators with motional resistance $R_{x}$ as low as $144\Omega$ while still posting $Q$ 's exceeding 10,000, all with only 2.5V dc-bias, The demonstrated gap spacings down to 7.98nm are the smallest to date for upper-VHF micromechanical resonators and fully capitalize on the fourth power dependence of motional resistance on gap spacing. High device yield and ease of measurement debunk popular prognosticated pitfalls often associated with tiny gaps, e.g., tunneling, Casimir forces, low yield, none of which appear. The devices, however, are more susceptible to environmental contamination when unpackaged. The tiny motional resistance, together with $(C_{x}/C_{o})$ 's up to 1% at 4.7V dc-bias and $(C_{x}/C_{o})-Q$ products exceeding 100, propel polysilicon capacitive-gap transduced resonator technology to the forefront of MEMS resonator applications that put a premium on noise performance, such as radar oscillators.
Initial Validation of the Teaching Sustainability Questionnaire and Relationships of Latent Factors Predicting Physical Education Teachers Intent to Remain Working in High Poverty Schools

Psychological flexibility (PF), teaching resiliency (tRES), and sense of purpose (SOP) are characteristics that influence physical education teaching sustainability. The study's purpose was to vali...
Kinder als aktiv Mitgestaltende in Health Literacy Forschung und Praxis? Von Rhetorik zu Rechten

Dieses Kapitel befasst sich mit den jungsten Entwicklungen der Health Literacy-Forschung in Kindheit und Jugend. Um die aktuelle Forschung zur Health Literacy von Kindern kritisch einzuordnen, wird auf Debatten und Perspektiven der Kindheitssoziologie, auf feministische Forschungsansatze sowie auf die Kinderrechte und die Prinzipien der UN-Kinderrechtskonvention zuruckgegriffen. Bisher ist ein Grosteil der Forschung im Bereich Health Literacy auf Erwachsene ausgerichtet, ohne die Stimmen von Kindern ausreichend zu berucksichtigen. Wir argumentieren daher, dass ein konzeptueller Wandel weg von unterkomplexen Forschungsansatzen, die versuchen, Health Literacy zu messen, hin zu starker auf Kinderrechte ausgerichteten Ansatzen erforderlich ist, um das Verstandnis von Health Literacy in der Kindheit zu verbessern und bestehende Machtverhaltnisse, betriebene Symbolpolitik (Tokenismus) sowie adultistisches Agenda-Setting zu hinterfragen.
Learning in Organizations : An Evidence-Based Approach

Learning in Organizations: An Evidence-Based Approach examines the variety of systematic approaches and strategies for learning and development used in the workplace through the implementation of formal training, guided instruction, developmental job experiences, and self-directed learning. The hallmark of Learning in Organizations is an emphasis on research evidence of what is and is not known about learning and learning strategies and the translation of that evidence to guide best practices in workplace learning and development. The book features evidence on learning principles, new learning technologies, and strategies for developing individual, team, and leadership capabilities. The content of the chapters is enhanced by the inclusion of key learning goals for each chapter, case studies, chapter summaries, best practice recommendations, and a hands-on project for use in the classroom. Learning in Organizations provides researchers with a detailed investigation of learning practices to help drive future research. For learning practitioners, research evidence is translated into best practices that can be applied to enhance workplace learning and development. For undergraduate and graduate students, the book provides an up-to-date review of the key concepts and ways of thinking about and studying learning in the workplace.
Divergent pallidal pathways underlying distinct Parkinsonian behavioral deficits

The basal ganglia are a group of subcortical nuclei that regulates motor and cognitive functions. Recent identification of neuronal heterogeneity in the basal ganglia suggests that functionally distinct neural circuits defined by their efferent projections exist even within the same nuclei. This distinction may account for a multitude of symptoms associated with basal ganglia disorders such as Parkinsons disease (PD). However, our incomplete understanding of the basal ganglia functional organization has hindered further investigation of individual circuits that may underlie different behavioral symptoms in disease states. Here we functionally define two distinct classes of parvalbumin-expressing neurons in the mouse external globus pallidus (GPe-PV) embedded within discrete neural pathways and establish their contributions to different Parkinsonian behavioral deficits. We find that GPe-PV neurons projecting to the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) or parafascicular thalamus (PF) undergo different electrophysiological adaptations in response to dopamine depletion. Furthermore, counteracting these adaptations in each population can selectively alleviate movement deficits or behavioral inflexibility in a Parkinsonian mouse model. Our findings provide a novel framework to understand the circuit basis of separate behavioral symptoms in Parkinsonian state which could provide better strategies for the treatment of PD.
Using a COVID-19 Model in Various Classroom Settings to Assess Effects of Interventions

The COVID-19 pandemic has made mathematical epidemiology a topic of critical importance, providing mathematics educators with an unparalled opportunity. This opportunity is accompanied by a challen...
Seismic stability of coal tailings dams with spatially variable and liquefiable coal tailings using pore pressure plasticity models

Abstract Failure of tailings dams can result in significant spill, loss of human lives, and damages to the environment and infrastructure. Cyclic loadings such as earthquakes and blasting are among the main threats to the stability of tailings dams. Seismic stability analyses of tailings dams are further challenged by the uncertainty and variability of tailings properties. In this paper, the influence of input motion characteristics and spatial variability in coal tailings (CT) properties on the seismic stability of a typical upstream-construction CT dam is investigated. Among the input motion characteristics, peak ground acceleration (PGA), equivalent number of cycles (ENC), and frequency content are the focus of this study. First, the applicability of two advanced constitutive plasticity models, PM4Sand and PM4Silt, in simulating the cyclic behavior of CT is evaluated and a suitable model is selected. The undrained shear strength of CT is modeled as a spatially correlated Gaussian random field. Six input motions — one blast and five earthquakes — are selected for the dynamic analyses. The dynamic analyses are conducted in co-seismic and then post-seismic stages. The seismic stability of the CT dam with uniform properties (i.e. uniform models) is compared to the stochastic models under the selected input motions. Post-seismic analysis was found critical for the stochastic models. This study highlights the importance of stochastic modeling and the consideration of spatial variability in seismic stability analysis of CT dams.
Mentored career development awards for the development of surgeon-scientists.

Abstract Career development awards are important sources of support for surgeons who aim to become independent investigators. However, many challenges and opportunities need to be considered when deciding whether an individual is an appropriate career development award candidate. A quintessential example of the mentor-based career development award to support scientific training is the National Institutes of Health K award. In this article, we focus on issues that face surgeons interested in applying for these K series National Institutes of Health–mentored career development awards. We discuss the different types of K awards and the challenges they may pose for surgeons and provide recommendations for how to determine if a career development award is an appropriate approach given one’s career track and institutional environment. Lastly, we discuss how to effectively manage K awards and how to increase the odds of achieving a K to R award transition. The career development award can be a highly effective mechanism to help develop the careers of the next generation of surgeon-scientists, but successfully obtaining these awards requires an assessment of whether the career development award is the appropriate mechanism for the applicant and how to optimize the probability for success.
Rapid global phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels for 30 years and offset 68 percent of CO2 emissions

Animal agriculture contributes significantly to global warming through ongoing emissions of the potent greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide, and displacement of biomass carbon on the land used to support livestock. However, because estimates of the magnitude of the effect of ending animal agriculture often focus only on one factor, the full potential benefit of a more radical change remains underappreciated. Here we quantify the full climate opportunity cost of current global livestock production, by modeling the combined, long-term effects of emission reductions and biomass recovery that would be unlocked by a phase out of animal agriculture. We show that, even in the absence of any other emission reductions, persistent drops in atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide levels, and slower carbon dioxide accumulation, following a phase out of livestock production would, through the end of the century, have the same cumulative effect on the warming potential of the atmosphere as a 25 gigaton per year reduction in anthropogenic CO2 emissions, providing half of the net emission reductions necessary to limit warming to 2 degrees C. The magnitude and rapidity of these potential effects should place the reduction or elimination of animal agriculture at the forefront of strategies for averting disastrous climate change.
Negative query generation: bridging the gap between query likelihood retrieval models and relevance

The language modeling approach to information retrieval has recently attracted much attention. In the language modeling retrieval models, we can score and rank documents based on the query likelihood method. From the theoretical perspective, however, the justification of the existing (standard) query likelihood method based on the probability ranking principle requires an unrealistic assumption about the generation of a "negative query" from a document, which states that the probability that a user who dislikes a document would use a query does not depend on the particular document. This assumption enables ignoring the negative query generation so as to justify using the basic query likelihood method as a retrieval function. In reality, however, this assumption does not hold because a user who dislikes a document would more likely avoid using words in the document when posing a query. This suggests that the standard query likelihood function is a potentially non-optimal retrieval function. In this paper, we attempt to improve the standard language modeling retrieval models by bringing back the component of negative query generation. Specifically, we propose a general and efficient approach to estimate document-dependent probabilities of negative query generation based on the principle of maximum entropy, and derive a more complete query likelihood retrieval function that also contains the negative query generation component. In addition, we further develop a more general probabilistic distance retrieval method to naturally incorporate query language models, which covers the proposed query likelihood with negative query generation as its special case. The proposed approaches not only bridge the theoretic gap between the standard language modeling retrieval models and the notion of relevance, but also improves the retrieval effectiveness with (almost) no additional computational cost.
Earth-based rover field testing for exploration missions on mars

The NASA Mars exploration rovers mission (MER) involves two robotic vehicles used to explore the geology of two surface regions on Mars in 2004. Prior to its launch, earth-based field tests and operations campaigns were conducted in the deserts of southwestern USA to physically simulate the mission operations approach planned for MER. A prototype Mars rover called FIDO was used to conduct these field trials in complex geological settings with terrain analogous to the Martian surface at the MER landing sites. This paper provides a high-level overview of the last major field operations test conducted in 2002 leading up to the MER mission. Objectives, approach, general results, and lessons learned are discussed
Management of Accounts Receivable

The majority of a company's investment in current assets, however, is tied up in accounts receivable and inventory. Both the accounts receivable and inventory represent investments that are necessary for day-to-day operations of the business. A company extends credit, and thus has accounts receivable, to encourage customers to purchase its goods or services. Because accounts receivable are a use of funds, tying up funds in this asset has an associated cost. This cost must be considered alongside the benefits from the enhanced sales of goods and services. Keywords: accounts receivable; trade credit; merchandise credit; dealer credit; implicit cost of trade credit; credit policies; collection policies; credit terms; number of days of credit; credit sales per day; average collection period; days sales outstanding (DSO); captive finance subsidiary; securitization of accounts receivable
Neon and Xenon in Carbonaceous Chondrites

Abstract Current evidence indicates that trapped meteoritic neon and xenon are complex mixtures of independent components from different sources. A particularly strong case can now be made for the presence of a neon component with Ne 20 /Ne 22 ≃ 8.2 in the carbonaceous chondrites. The Murray meteorite, among others, clearly also contains superimposed neon of the “solar” type. Recent stepwise heating experiments on Murray and Orgueil, combined with earlier data for Renazzo, define a mass yield spectrum for fission xenon in these meteorites. This spectrum differs significantly from the meteoritic fission xenon spectrum attributed to extinct Pu 244 . If the abundant fission xenon in the carbonaceous chondrites does derive from some source (as yet unidentified) other than the spontaneous fission of Pu 244 , a high primordial Pu/U ratio, which is difficult to accommodate within the context of current models of galactic nucleosynthesis, is not required.
Determination of d- and l-Amino Acids by Ion Exchange Chromatography as l-d and l-l Dipeptides

Abstract A procedure for the precise determination of the d and l isomers in a given sample of an amino acid has been based upon chromatographic separation of the diastereoisomeric dipeptides obtained by derivatization with an l-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride. The conditions for the preparation of dipeptides developed by Hirschmann and associates make the derivatization step simple and rapid; the coupling proceeds at pH 10.4 in 2 min in about 90% yield. For each of 21 individual amino acids conditions of elution have been found for the separation of the resulting pairs of l-d and l-l dipeptides by ion exchange chromatography on an amino acid analyzer. One part of d-amino acid can be detected in the presence of 1000 parts of the l isomer with 2-µmole samples. With a mixture of amino acids, a given component can be isolated chromatographically for subsequent determination of the d to l ratio or chromatographic separation of the dipeptides prepared by derivatization of the mixture can be undertaken. If the mixture is a hydrolysate of a peptide or a protein, the degree of racemization occurring during acid hydrolysis must also be considered. For this purpose hydrolysates of synthetic bradykinin and of pancreatic ribonuclease have been examined. The amounts of several d-amino acids (0.2 to 4.4%) determined in the hydrolysates were not significantly higher than those found in control experiments when the pure l-amino acids or l-l dipeptides were subjected to the hydrolytic conditions.
Single Amino Acid Variation Underlies Species-Specific Sensitivity to Amphibian Skin-Derived Opioid-like Peptides

It has been suggested that the evolution of vertebrate opioid receptors (ORs) follow a vector of increased functionality. Here, we test this idea by comparing human and frog ORs. Interestingly, some of the most potent opioid peptides known have been isolated from amphibian skin secretions. Here we show that such peptides (dermorphin and deltorphin) are highly potent in the human receptors and inactive in frog ORs. The molecular basis for the insensitivity of the frog ORs to these peptides was studied using chimeras and molecular modeling. The insensitivity of the delta OR (DOR) to deltorphin was due to variation of a single amino acid, Trp7.35, which is a leucine in mammalian DORs. Notably, Trp7.35 is completely conserved in all known DOR sequences from lamprey, fish, and amphibians. The deltorphin-insensitive phenotype was verified in fish. Our results provide a molecular explanation for the species selectivity of skin-derived opioid peptides.
Outcomes of a modified approach to transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects

Objectives To describe the immediate and midterm results of a modified method for transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects (pmVSDs). Background Transcatheter closure of pmVSDs has been associated with development of heart block due to impingement on the ventricular conduction system. Ventricular septal aneurysms (VSAs) are common; the VSA tissue can serve as a target for the device without necessitating direct contact with the conduction system. Methods Between 2004 and 2011, 15 patients underwent transcatheter closure of a pmVSD utilizing a device implanted into a VSA. Catheterization reports were examined in addition to pre-closure, post-closure, and current clinical, ECG, and echocardiographic data. Results The median age was 20 years (4–61 years), and the most common indication for closure was increasing LV dilation. Four different Amplatzer devices were utilized. Following device implantation there was a decrease in Qp:Qs (1.7–1.1) and in RV:LV pressure ratio (0.36–0.31). There were no deaths, no device embolizations, and no new heart block or PR interval prolongation. Three patients developed a new right bundle branch block (RBBB). The median follow-up time was 1.5 years (4 months to 7.1 years). Two patients required further procedures for important residual shunting. Six continued to have a “trivial/small” residual leak, but only one had any degree (mild) of residual LV dilation. None of the complications were significantly associated with age or weight at the time of procedure, original size of the VSD, or size or type of the device used. Conclusion Transcatheter closure of pmVSD with placement of the device into the VSA is safe and effective, and may result in fewer instances of atrioventricular block and valve abnormalities than have been reported with alternative methods of pmVSD device closure. Persistent VSDs and new RBBBs remain an important issue. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Beyond Insurgency to Radical Social Change: The New Situation

The Arab Spring and U.S. Occupy movements surprised the world in 2011, showing that movements for radical social change remain viable responses to the intertwined crises of globalization: economic precarity, political disenchantment, rampant inequality, and the long-term fuse of potentially catastrophic climate change. These movements possess political cultural affinities of emotion, historical memory, and oppositional and creative discourses with each other and with a chain of movements that have gathered renewed momentum and relevance as neoliberal globalization runs up against the consequences of its own rapaciousness. Three paths to radical social change have emerged that differ from the hierarchical revolutionary movements of the twentieth century: 1) the electoral path to power pursued by the Latin American Pink Tide nations, 2) the route of re-making power at the local level or seeking change at the global level, both by-passing the traditional goal of taking state power, and 3) the occupation of public space to force out tyrants, as in Tunisia and Egypt. This paper assesses the strengths and limitations of each path, arguing that social movements and progressive parties together may possess the best chances for making radical social change in this new situation. These threads of resistance may also point toward a future of radical social change as we imagine their enduring results, self-evident and more subtle.
Immunological cross-reactivity between a heat-labile enterotoxin(s) of Escherichia coli and subunits of Vibrio cholerae enterotoxin.

Abstract Heat-labile enterotoxin from Escherichia coli is immunologically related to both subunits, A and B, of cholera enterotoxin as demonstrated by neutralization and immunodiffusion.
Evaluation of pheromone trap design, height, and efficiency for capture of male diaphania nitidalis (Lepidoptera : Pyralidae) in a field cage

A field cage was used to study sex pheromone mediated behavior and evaluate female-baited pheromone traps for capture of males of the pickleworm, Diaphania nitidalis (Stoll). Males were attracted to females throughout scotophase with peak attraction occurring during the third (2200–2259 hours), fourth (2300–2359 hours), and fifth (0000–0059 hours) hours. Four traps were evaluated: (1) the box, currently used for monitoring pickleworm moth populations; (2) the Heliothis; (3) the Pherocon 1C (sticky); and (4) the unitrap (bucket). The bucket trap consistently captured and retained more male pickleworm moths than the other traps tested. The bucket trap was evaluated at 30, 80, 150, and 180 cm above ground level. Significantly more males were caught at 80 and 150 cm than at either extreme. Trap efficiency was determined for the bucket trap and a modified (Fluon-coated outer cone) bucket trap. Efficiencies for the bucket and modified bucket traps were not significantly different. The bucket trap caught 20.3 ± 1.2% ($\bar x$ ± SEM) of males orienting toward the trap, 29.3 ± 1.7% of males touching the trap, and 41.0 ± 3.3% of males landing on the caged females used as the pheromone source.
Kapitza behavior in the three-dimensional isotopically substituted lattice

We extend a model, recently employed by Allen and Ford, to evaluate the thermal conductivity of a three-dimensional harmonic lattice containing uniformly substituted isotopic impurities. The particular formalism employed in the calculations is the method of correlation functions due to Kubo. Our purpose is twofold: The primary aim is to provide a model and some mathematical techniques for studying the way in which various scattering mechanisms limit the flow of energy in a lattice. Second, we obtain a theoretical prediction for the value of the Kapitza resistance occurring between the interfaces of two solids at low temperatures. The result is applied to the specific case of a copper-solid-$^{3}\mathrm{He}$ interface and fairly good agreement with the experimental data is observed.
Beyond clustering of array expressions

Microarray technology provides an opportunity to view transcriptions at genomic level under different experimental conditions. Generally, co-expressed genes, which are members of the same cluster, are expected to have similar function, but unfortunately it is not true due to various reasons including co-expression does not necessarily imply co-regulation. To improve the results of clustering, we investigate a method based on singular value decomposition (SVD) for integrating diverse data sources. We also introduce a new cluster evaluation method based on mutual information. Using time series data sets on yeast, we have empirically demonstrated the effectiveness of SVD as a data integrator.
The Cypress coaxial backbone packet switch

Abstract The Cypress project is investigating a low-cost, low-speed IP-based network that uses best-effort delivery to route IP datagrams among subscribers' sites and the DARPA internet. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of a new packet switch architecture to allow incremental expandability of the Cypress Network at a low cost. In this architecture, the function of routing is separated from the function of data transfer to and from the network interface. We also provide preliminary performance results.
Impact of direct radiative forcing of black carbon aerosols on tropical convective precipitation

[1] The direct radiative forcing of black carbon (BC) aerosols is able to cause a significant change in tropical convective precipitation ranging from the Pacific and Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. This change occurs often well away from emission centers, demonstrating a “remote climate impact.” The detailed mechanism of this change has been analyzed in this study. In the tropical Pacific region, the pattern of BC caused precipitation change is found to be similar to the pattern of precipitation anomaly corresponding to the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activities. The BC forced changes in the atmospheric circulation are represented by a strengthened Hadley cell in the Northern Hemisphere, a weakened one in the Southern Hemisphere, an enhancement of the Indian summer monsoon circulation, and a reduction of the lower level easterly wind in the central and east equatorial Pacific. The latter dynamic effect of BC is specifically similar to that of an El Nino event.
Feasibility of fusion of an aggregate of deuterons in the ground state

Abstract An alternative description of low-temperature thermonuclear fusion is presented, based in large part on the extended nature of the collective ground-state of a Bose condensate and the Bose property of deuterons. It is argued that if an aggregate of deuterons can be made to relax to its ground state, then there is a possibility that the system will fall to deeper lying energy levels through either of the reactions: 2H(d,n)3He, or 2H(d,p)3H, with respective yields, 3.3 and 4 MeV. A rough estimate of fusion yield of a one-dimensional beam of deuterons due to wavefunction overlap is included.
Boron Nitride Coatings on Oxide Substrates: Role of Surface Modifications

Physical mixtures of a BN polymeric precursor with oxides such as MgO, Al2O3, and TiO2 have been found to yield crystalline, tightly adherent coatings of hexagonal BN on the oxide surface, after appropriate heat treatments. In every instance, the BN (0001) basal planes are parallel to the oxide surface. Generally, the coating conforms very well to the contours of the oxide surface. However, an exception was the silica surface where no coatings were observed. It appears that the surface silanols condense to form siloxanes at high temperatures, yielding a surface that is unreactive and unable to bind to the BN. Modification of the silica surface by incorporation of a monolayer of titania dramatically alters the ability of the silica to stabilize BN coatings. It was found that stable BN coatings could be obtained when the silica surfaces were thus modified.
Emergence of plaque erosion as an important clinical entity.

Most physicians believe that acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are due to coronary artery thrombosis resulting from plaque rupture of a metabolically active inflamed lesion characterized by a thin fibrous cap (thin-cap fibroatheroma [TCFA]), overlying a large necrotic core containing rich
Explaining Fiscal Decentralisation: Geography, Colonial History, Economic Development and Political Institutions

ABSTRACT Why are some countries more fiscally decentralised than others? Scholars have attributed such differences to geographical, cultural, institutional and economic factors. Using a dataset of 66 countries, I test various hypotheses. The results suggest territorially larger–but not necessarily more populous–countries are more fiscally decentralised. Former colonies of Spain or Portugal are more centralised, while former Soviet states are particularly decentralised. Economic development leads to greater expenditure decentralisation, but affects revenue decentralisation less, rendering local governments in richer countries more dependent on central transfers. Federal states are more decentralised, in part because federalism is more common among more developed countries. Ethnolinguistic divisions did not correlate with decentralisation. Neither the level nor duration of democracy had any clear effect. Longitudinal analysis suggested democratisation is associated with a significant but tiny increase in de...
The structure of well-being in the life narratives of the elderly

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility that the manner and form in which the elderly tell their life stories (i.e., life narratives) might be indicative of their morale and adjustment in late life. In-depth interviews were conducted with a subsampling of 40 respondents from a questionnaire survey sample (N=100) of elderly persons from four senior service centers. The subsample was selected on the basis of certain patterns of adjustment indicated by an ego-integrity measure and the Affect-Balance Scale from the questionnaire survey. The tape-recorded interviews followed Jerome Bruner's procedures for obtaining “self-told life narratives.” The tapes were analyzed by independent raters according to the experiential level of the narratives and a schema for determining the structure of the narrative from social psychological research. Findings from the qualitative analysis of the taped narratives suggest that recognition of the experiential level and structure of life-narratives should be helpful to gerontological practitioners in assessing adjustment and facilitating life-review processes in the elderly, and the structural schema holds potential heuristic value and promise for gerontological researchers.
Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning:: The Challenge of Change

Because of their rapid growth, immature biologic systems, and their developmental characteristics, children are uniquely vulnerable to exposure to environmental hazards. One of these is lead. Revised lead screening guidelines, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Fall 1997, no longer advocate universal screening in some places. These guidelines will (1) require new policies from local public health agencies, (2) require new approaches for clinicians and managed care organizations, especially those with Medicaid-recipient enrollees, to conduct screening of children who may be at risk for exposure to lead, (3) offer new challenges for environmental follow-up to children identified with elevated lead levels, and (4) provide opportunities for collaboration between managed care and public health agencies.
Diode laser-induced fluorescence velocimetry of clustered hall thruster plumes

Summary form only given. We present laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements of singly-ionized xenon (5d 2F7/2) in the plume of a cluster of four 600-Watt (BHT-600) Hall thrusters. Two 834.7 nm beams from a TUI Optics TA-100/830 tapered-amplifier diode laser are focused on orthogonal optical axes onto a submillimeter interrogation volume, from which we collect LIF at 541.9 nm. Since high ion velocities produce large Doppler shifts (50 GHz), we use repeatable frequency markings from a 2-GHz confocal etalon to patch together extended scans from several mode-hop-free segments (each 10-GHz). Isotopic shifts and lower-state (5d 2F7/2) nuclear-spin constants estimated from optogalvanic spectra permit Fourier-transform deconvolution of ion velocity estimates from LIF spectra along the axial and radial beam directions. Transformation of deconvolved velocity distributions to energy space permits comparison of far-field LIF to two-dimensional energy distributions measured with a top-hat electrostatic analyzer (TOPAZ)
Lurking as personal trait or situational disposition: lurking and contributing in enterprise social media

We examine patterns of participation by employees who are members of multiple online communities in an enterprise communities service. Our analysis focuses on statistical patterns of contributing vs. "lurking". The majority of contributors (in one or more communities) were also lurkers (in one or more other communities). These results argue against hypotheses derived from common theories of participation and lurking. We propose that contributing and lurking are partially dependent on a trait (a person's overall engagement), modified by the individual's disposition toward a particular topic, work task or social group. Contributions include critique of theory, an analytic framework, and implications for design of community services.
Expected ultraviolet emission spectrum of a gaseous nebula

Abstract The nebular emission lines expected to be observable in the satellite ultraviolet are quantitatively discussed. The strengths of the collisionally excited lines depend on the temperature, on excitation potentials and abundances which are known and on collision strengths, which in some cases are known and in other cases are calculated or else estimated on the basis of the limit theorem. The strengths of the recombination lines are estimated from available hydrogen-like computations, and except for He II are generally small in comparison with the collisionally excited lines except at the shortest wavelengths. The expected resonance-fluorescence lines and the expected continua are also briefly discussed.