cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Redox properties of wild-type and heme-binding loop mutants of bacterial cytochromes c measured by direct electrochemistry

We have used protein film voltammetry (PFV) to determine the midpoint potentials of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Hydrogenobacter thermophilus, and Nitrosomonas europaea wild-type monoheme cytochromes c (cyts c; PA, HT, and NE, respectively), as well as PA N64Q, HT Q64N, and NE V65Δ mutants, as a function of pH, and buffer conditions. Recent studies have suggested that the identity of the 64 position of the heme-binding loop (either Asn or Gln) strongly influences the conformation of the Met ligand that binds the heme iron. The PFV studies reveal that HT and NE possess significantly lower potentials (wild-type cyts c having Emvalues of +227 and +250 mV vs SHE) than PA (+290 mV) in 50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7 at 3 °C. The HT Q64N mutant rises in potential compared to wild-type, and the PA N64Q mutant has a lower potential, indicating relationships between Met ligand fluxion, hydrogen bonding to the Met ligand, and redox chemistry. Surprisingly, NE V65Δ, possessing a heme binding loop nearly identical to tha...
Supervisory requirements and expectations for portfolio level counterparty credit risk measurement and management

Purpose – This study aims to survey supervisory requirements and expectations for counterparty credit risk (CCR). Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, a survey of CCR including the following elements has been performed. First, various concepts in CCR measurement and management, including prevalent practices, definitions and conceptual issues have been introduced. Then, various supervisory requirements and expectations with respect to CCR have been summarized. This study has multiple areas of relevance and may be extended in various ways. Risk managers, traders and regulators may find this to be a valuable reference. Directions for future research could include empirical analysis, development of a theoretical framework and a comparative analysis of systems for analyzing and regulating CCR. Findings – Some of the thoughts regarding the concept of risk will be considered and surveyed, and then how these apply to CCR will be considered. A classical dichotomy exists in the literature, the earliest expo...
Sex Differences and Laterality in Astrocyte Number and Complexity in the Adult Rat Medial Amygdala

The posterodorsal portion of the medial amygdala (MePD) is sexually dimorphic in several rodent species. In several other brain nuclei, astrocytes change morphology in response to steroid hormones. We visualized MePD astrocytes using glial-fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunocytochemistry. We compared the number and process complexity of MePD astrocytes in adult wildtype male and female rats and testicular feminized mutant (TFM) male rats that lack functional androgen receptors (ARs) to determine whether MePD astrocytes are sexually differentiated and whether ARs have a role. Unbiased stereological methods revealed laterality and sex differences in MePD astrocyte number and complexity. The right MePD contained more astrocytes than the left in all three genotypes, and the number of astrocytes was also sexually differentiated in the right MePD, with males having more astrocytes than females. In contrast, the left MePD contained more complex astrocytes than did the right MePD in all three genotypes, and males had more complex astrocytes than females in this hemisphere. TFM males were comparable to wildtype females, having fewer astrocytes on the right and simpler astrocytes on the left than do wildtype males. Taken together, these results demonstrate that astrocytes are sexually dimorphic in the adult MePD and that the nature of the sex difference is hemisphere-dependent: a sex difference in astrocyte number in the right MePD and a sex difference in astrocyte complexity in the left MePD. Moreover, functional ARs appear to be critical in establishing these sex differences in MePD astrocyte morphology. J. Comp. Neurol. 511:599‐609, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Indexing terms: androgen; glia; adult plasticity; stereology; testicular feminization mutation; astrocytes
Spatiotemporal patterns in community structure of macroinvertebrates inhabiting calcareous periphyton mats

Calcareous floating periphyton mats in the southern Everglades provide habitat for a diverse macroinvertebrate community that has not been well characterized. Our study described this community in an oligotrophic marsh, compared it with the macroinvertebrate community associated with adjacent epiphytic algae attached to macrophytes in the water column, and detected spatial patterns in density and community structure. The floating periphyton mat (floating mat) and epi- phytic algae in the water column (submerged epiphyton) were sampled at 4 sites (;1 km apart) in northern Shark River Slough, Everglades National Park (ENP), in the early (July) and late (November) wet season. Two perpendicular 90-m transects were established at each site and ;100 samples were taken in a nested design. Sites were located in wet-prairie spikerush-dominated sloughs with similar water depths and emergent macrophyte communities. Floating mats were sampled by taking cores (6-cm diameter) that were sorted under magnification to enumerate infauna retained on a 250-mm- mesh sieve and with a maximum dimension .1 mm. Our results showed that floating mats provide habitat for a macroinvertebrate community with higher densities (no. animals/g ash-free dry mass) of Hyalella azteca, Dasyhelea spp., and Cladocera, and lower densities of Chironomidae and Planorbella spp. than communities associated with submerged epiphyton. Densities of the most common taxa increased 33 to 153 from early to late wet season, and community differences between the 2 habitat types became more pronounced. Floating-mat coverage and estimated floating-mat biomass increased 20 to 30% and 30 to 110%, respectively, at most sites in the late wet season. Some intersite variation was observed in individual taxa, but no consistent spatial pattern in any taxon was detected at any scale (from 0.2 m to 3 km). Floating mats and their resident macroinvertebrate communities are important components in the Everglades food web. This community should be included in environ- mental monitoring programs because degradation and eventual loss of the calcareous periphyton mat is associated with P enrichment in this ecosystem.
Effects of Endotoxin and Macrophage-Related Cytokines on the Contractile Activity of the Gravid Murine Uterus

Immune cell trafficking and activity are implicated in the parturition process, but little is known about the role of macrophages in control of uterine contractility at term. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) enhances uterine contractile activity through a mechanism that involves activation of resident macrophages. Various uterotonins and anti-inflammatory mediators were added to a standard muscle bath preparation that contained strips of uterus from Day 15 pregnant C3H/HeN mice. Spontaneous and agonist-induced contractile activity was enhanced following LPS treatment. LPS increased amplitude but not frequency of contractions. Addition of anti-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 10 or transforming growth factor b, to suppress macrophage activation did not block LPS-induced increases in contractility. By contrast, indomethacin given to block prostaglandin production suppressed the LPS-induced increase in amplitude of contractions. These findings suggest that an inflammatory response, possibly mediated by activation of macrophages and prostaglandins, participates in the regulation of amplitude but not frequency of contractile activity by the murine uterus before onset of parturition. cervix, cytokines, oxytocin, parturition, uterus
Improving Generalization of Peer Socialization Gains in Inclusive School Settings Using Initiations Training

Social engagement by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in unstructured school settings generally occurs at very low levels, if at all. Although many interventions improve peer socialization, generalization and maintenance of such gains when interventions are faded are typically low. The present study employed a multiple baseline design across participants to target generalization in the absence of interventionists in elementary school children with ASD at recess. Teaching initiations has been suggested as one method to increase generalization. The results of the present study showed that when initiations were targeted during intervention for social play, the participants demonstrated generalized peer social engagement, increases in unprompted peer-directed initiations, and more positive affect during peer interactions. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical and applied implications of incorporating initiations training into social interventions.
Cytological and molecular evaluation of the reproductive behavior of Tripsacum andersonii and a female fertile derivative (Poaceae)

Research was conducted to characterize the reproductive behavior of the highly sterile Tripsacum andersonii Gray and its viable progeny through breeding, cytological, and molecular studies. Four progeny were obtained from open-pollinated seeds of clones (M-34445, M-34450 and M-34455) of T. andersonii maintained at the USDA-ARS National Germplasm Repository, Miami, Florida. One of the progeny had 64 chromosomes, which is typical of T. andersonii, and probably resulted from apomictic reproduction. Karyotypes of the other three progeny indicated a tetraploid Tripsacum genomic constitution (2n 5 4x 5 72) plus a haploid set of Zea (1n 5 1x 5 10) chromosomes. Two of these progeny were completely sterile, whereas one (95-51) produced ;5% seed set when crossed with diploid (2n 5 36) T. dactyloides (L.)L. The partially fertile 95-51 produced four progeny, one with 2n 5 72 (elimination of 10 Zea chromosomes), two with 2n 5 82 (apomictic reproduction) and one with 2n 5 100 (sexual polyploidization). Polymerase Chain Reaction - Random Amplified Polymerase DNA analysis verified that T. andersonii accessions from seven countries were genetically uniform, and that its progeny were derived through apomixis and sexual polyploidization. This analysis also confirmed that chromosome elimination, apomixis, and sexual polyploidization reproductive behaviors occur in the T. andersonii derivative 95-51.
Enabling Intelligence Analysis through Semantic Information Interoperability

In the current climate of increased necessity for information transparency, the intelligence community (IC) faces challenges in achieving data interoperability. In order to effectively facilitate analysis mechanisms like link discovery and predictive pattern recognition, agencies must enable the discovery and consumption of disparate and co-located data sources within and across organizational boundaries. Agencies are beginning to leverage semantic descriptions of data to promote the advertising and sharing of data, providing dynamic discovery, fusion, and mediation of information. These techniques will enable the IC to gain greater situational awareness in their mission to preemptively identify and eradicate terrorist threats
Design integration, DFT, and verification methodology for an MPEG 1/2 audio layer 3 (MP3) SoC device

This paper describes the SoC design and integration methodology of a MPEG1/2 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) decoder chip. Due to a very tight development cycle we decided to use state of the art methodology for integration, verification, and design for test (DFT) in order to minimize risk and problem areas. The combination of a top-down integration flow, strong focus on constraint driven timing analysis, a modular simulation environment, and leading edge DFT solutions led to an implementation cycle of only 8 weeks. The chip is realized in an 0.18 /spl mu/m technology using 5 layers of metal, achieving a final die size of 16 mm/sup 2/. The central processor runs at a minimal speed of 140 MHz.
Perceived comfort level of medical students and residents in handling clinical ethics issues

Background Studies have shown that medical students and residents believe that their ethics preparation has been inadequate for handling ethical conflicts. The objective of this study was to determine the self-perceived comfort level of medical students and residents in confronting clinical ethics issues. Methods Clinical medical students and residents at the University of Maryland School of Medicine completed a web-based survey between September 2009 and February 2010. The survey consisted of a demographic section, questions regarding the respondents’ sense of comfort in handling a variety of clinical ethics issues, and a set of knowledge-type questions in ethics. Results Survey respondents included 129 medical students (response rate of 40.7%) and 207 residents (response rate of 52.7%). There were only a few clinical ethics issues with which more than 70% of the respondents felt comfortable in addressing. Only a slight majority (60.8%) felt prepared, in general, to handle clinical situations involving ethics issues, and only 44.1% and 53.2% agreed that medical school and residency training, respectively, helped prepare them to handle such issues. Prior ethics training was not associated with these responses, but there was an association between the level of training (medical students vs residents) and the comfort level with many of the clinical ethics issues. Conclusions Medical educators should include ethics educational methods within the context of real-time exposure to medical ethics dilemmas experienced by physicians-in-training.
Placing racial stereotypes in context: Social desirability and the politics of racial hostility

Past research indicates that diversity at the level of larger geographic units (e.g., counties) is linked to white racial hostility. However, research has not addressed whether diverse local contexts may strengthen or weaken the relationship between racial stereotypes and policy attitudes. In a statewide opinion survey, we find that black-white racial diversity at the zip-code level strengthens the connection between racial stereotypes and race-related policy attitudes among whites. Moreover, this effect is most pronounced among low self-monitors, individuals who are relatively immune to the effects of egalitarian social norms likely to develop within a racially diverse local area. We find that this racializing effect is most evident for stereotypes (e.g., African Americans are �violent�) that are �relevant� to a given policy (e.g., capital punishment). Our findings lend nuance to research on the political effects of racial attitudes and confirm the racializing political effects of diverse residential settings on white Americans.
The Effects- of Positive Affect and Gender on the Influence Tactics - Job Performance Relationship:

Influence tactics are goal-oriented behaviors that individuals use to obtain desired outcomes. Thus, it is important that managers understand subordinates' use of influence tactics and the effects of these tactics on organizational outcomes. In this paper, we argue that positive affect (PA) will moderate the relationship between upward influence tactics and job performance ratings, and that the form of the relationship will differ for males and females. Data were gathered from 287 university administrators to test these questions. Results indicated that PA moderated the relationship between influence tactics and job performance ratings for the entire sample, such that those possessing higher levels of PA were the recipients of higher performance ratings when all influence tactics (i.e., a "Shotgun" approach) were employed and when "hard" influence tactics were employed. Moreover, findings indicated that the use of these approaches was associated with greater performance ratings for females with high PA, b...
Myofascial wrap to treat intractable urinary incontinence in children

Abstract Objectives. The management of intractable urinary incontinence in the patient with cloacal or bladder exstrophy/epispadias, failed bladder neck plasty, or failed augmentation cystoplasty remains a surgical challenge. The myofascial wrap, a modification of the rectus fascial wrap, was developed to treat intractable urinary incontinence due to sphincteric incompetence in these problematic cases. A full-thickness, vascularized pedicle of anterior rectus sheath, rectus abdominis muscle, and posterior rector sheath is incorporated into a bladder neck wrap to provide support, mucosal coaptation, and active muscular tone. Methods. Eight patients (5 females and 3 males) with total urinary incontinence due to sphincteric incompetence underwent the myofascial wrap. Urinary tract pathology included cloacal exstrophy (2), female epispadias (2), classic bladder exstrophy (1), male epispadias (1), myelomeningocele (1), and a pelvic tumor (1). The procedure is performed by harvesting a full-thickness strip of pedicled rectus muscle along with the anterior and posterior fascial sheaths. The strip is passed underneath and then over the bladder neck in a near 360° wrap. The free end of the wrap is anchored into the pubic bone in an ipsilateral subperiosteal pouch. Results. Six of the 8 patients are completely continent, and 2 patients void spontaneously without the need for catheterization. Conclusions. The myofascial wrap provides support, mucosal coaptation, and muscular tone to an incompetent sphincter and bladder neck. Favorable results in a very difficult population of pediatric patients warrant its continued use.
Design of the IBM System/390 computer family for numerically intensive applications: an overview for engineers and scientists

The IBM System/390® (S/390) computer family provides a two-order-of-magnitude performance range for numerically intensive applications. The engineer or scientist can use the same operating system, compiler, and run-time environment commonly across the family. This paper provides an overview of primary S/390 hardware and software products of interest for numerically intensive applications, including MVS/ESA™, VM/ESA®, AIX/ESA™, and the extension of FORTRAN for very large applications and parallel applications. The primary portion of the paper is focused on details of design interest in three specific hardware products within the S/390 family, with emphasis on the Enterprise System/9000™ (ES/9000™) Model 900. Also described is a potential parallel-computing configuration using the ESCON Director™. The paper concludes with a discussion of the generic system environments within which S/390 products can support the technical user.
Rundle and His Curve

It's time to set the record straight on Rundle's curve. For many years, the term Rundle's curve has been used as shorthand in the lexicon of Graves ophthalmopathy as a descriptor of the disease's putative natural history. As depicted in Figure 1, the disorder's signs and symptoms are thought to worsen rapidly during a dynamic phase, reach a point of maximum severity, and then abate to a static plateau that is improved but not resolved to the baseline condition. The curve's sinuous shape is probably applicable to many other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, as well as to numerous nonmedical phenomena, such as the sales of Beatles' recordings since 1964 or the waistline of the average American between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day.
Capturing near-Earth asteroids around Earth

Abstract The list of detected near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) is constantly growing. NEAs are likely targets for resources to support space industrialization, as they may be the least expensive source of certain needed raw materials. The limited supply of precious metals and semiconducting elements on Earth may be supplemented or even replaced by the reserves floating in the form of asteroids around the solar system. Precious metals make up a significant fraction NEAs by mass, and even one metallic asteroid of ∼ 1 km size and fair enrichment in platinum-group metals would contain twice the tonnage of such metals already harvested on Earth. There are ∼ 1000 NEAs with a diameter of greater than 1 km. Capturing these asteroids around the Earth would expand the mining industry into an entirely new dimension. Having such resources within easy reach in Earth's orbit could provide an off-world environmentally friendly remedy for impending terrestrial shortages, especially given the need for raw materials in developing nations. In this paper, we develop and implement a conceptually simple algorithm to determine trajectory characteristics necessary to move NEAs into capture orbits around the Earth. Altered trajectories of asteroids are calculated using an ephemeris model. Only asteroids of eccentricity less than 0.1 have been studied and the model is restricted to the ecliptic plane for simplicity. We constrain the time of retrieval to be 10 years or less, based on considerations of the time to return on investment. For the heliocentric phase, constant acceleration is assumed. The acceleration required for transporting these asteroids from their undisturbed orbits to the sphere of influence of the Earth is the primary output, along with the impulse or acceleration necessary to effect capture to a bound orbit once the Earth's sphere of influence is reached. The initial guess for the constant acceleration is provided by a new estimation method, similar in spirit to Edelbaum's. Based on the numerically calculated trajectories, 23 asteroids are recommended for future consideration for capture missions, provided necessary technological developments are made.
Search game for a moving target with dynamically generated informations

This paper deals with the tactical planning of the search efforts for a moving target. It refers deeply to the work of Brown-Washburn, related to the multi-step search of a Markovian target. However, this meaningful work is not optimally applicable to tactical situations, where the target may move accordingly to the observations of the possible searcher indiscretions (e.g. active modes). On the one hand, the probabilistic Markovian model is too restrictive for describing such target motion. In this paper, a more suitable modeling of the target move is presented (semi-Markovian model). On the other hand, it is necessary to involve the informational context into the planning. These two paradoxical aspects make the issue uneasy. We introduce a model for handling the context notions into the optimization setting, and apply it to a general search example with multiple modes management.
How Do Adhesion Proteins Stick

Cadherin homodimerization mediates cell-cell adhesion, but one stabilizing structural element has inspired questions about assembly mechanisms. Combining single molecule fluorescence and force analyses allowed Sivasankar et al. to provide strong evidence for an induced fit pathway to dimerization.
Asymmetrical Social Mach Bands Exaggeration of Social Identities on the More Esteemed Side of Group Borders

Perceptual processes generally enhance borders, because of their high information value. Mach bands are an example in vision. In the social world, borders are also of special significance; one side of a border is generally more esteemed or valued than the other. We claim that entities (individuals, groups) that are just over the border on the positive side tend to exaggerate their membership on the positive side (asymmetrical social Mach bands). We demonstrate this by showing that (a) master’s-degree universities use the word university to describe themselves more than major graduate universities do, (b) small international airports use the word international to describe themselves more than major airports do, and (c) University of Pennsylvania students, who are affiliated with a “marginal” Ivy League school, use the word Ivy to describe their school more than Harvard students do.
Acquired hemophilia in malignancy

Acquired hemophilia is a rare but potentially morbid complication in patients with cancer. It may be seen in patients with hematologic neoplasms (usually lymphoproliferative disorders) or with solid tumors. Although the presence of an underlying malignancy portends a worse outcome, the literature suggests that the usual principles of treatment, including immunosuppression, apply to these patients. However, appropriate consideration should be given to the choice of agents, depending on individual risk factors for complications such as thrombosis and infection.
Oxytocin Signaling in Human Myometrium Is Impaired by Prolonged Exposure to Interleukin-1

Abstract Intra-amniotic infection leads to preterm labor and is associated with the local release of inflammatory cytokines by fetal membranes, resulting in the production of uterotonic prostaglandins. Oxytocin, however, also plays a key role in the initiation of labor. Short-term exposure of myometrium to interleukin (IL)-1 enhances oxytocin signaling and contractility. With intrauterine infection, however, myometrium is exposed to inflammatory cytokines for prolonged periods. The present study was conducted to demonstrate that myometrial oxytocin signaling is significantly impaired following prolonged exposure to IL-1. Myometrial cells were treated with IL-1 for 24 h. Oxytocin-stimulated inositol trisphosphate (IP3) production was measured in tritiated myoinositol-loaded myometrial cells. Arachidonic acid (AA) release was measured in tritiated AA-loaded myometrial cells. Increases in intracellular calcium were measure with fluo-3. Prostaglandin (PG) F2α and 6-keto-PGF1α were measured by ELISA assay. Pro...
The Bible in Our Lives Today

In this article, Bergant exposes the influence of Vatican Council II on the place of the Bible in the lives of ordinary Catholics, by comparing their experiences and the state of biblical scholarship prior to the Council, at the present time, and suggesting questions that remain for the future. She deftly weaves her way through the various positions of earlier Church councils and magisterial teachings that strictly limited who could interpret the sacred scriptures and how that must be done. Vatican II issued a document that attested to a notable change in the Catholic Church’s method of biblical interpretation. Dei Verbum (The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation; 1965) is considered one of the most significant documents of the council. It instructs Catholic interpreters to employ the critical methods that had engaged Protestant scholars for centuries, but which had been previously banned in Catholic scholarship. While those changes spearheaded a revitalizing of the Bible in the church, serious questions remain unresolved, including biblical translations, the intersection of the biblical message and contemporary concerns (integrity of creation), interfaith respect and acceptance.
The Physical Transformation of the Mineral Matter in Pulverized Coal Under Simulated Combustion Conditions

Abstract The physical transformation of the mineral matter in coal has been studied in a laboratory furnace using size-graded, pulverized samples of a lignite and a bituminous coal. The mineral matter is originally distributed in micron-size inclusions in the coal particles. The paper illustrates how the final particle size distribution of the ash produced at combustion temperatures of 1250 to 1830K is determined by a combination of agglomeration of fused mineral matter, cenosphere formation due to gas evolution and vaporization and recondensation of volatile constituents
The “Coerebidae”: a polyphyletic taxon that dramatizes historical over-emphasis on bill shape as a taxonomic character

Because the core body shapes of birds are relatively conservative (Hafner et al. 1984), differences in bill shape and size account for much of the variation among birds that we humans perceive. Although tail and leg size and shape may vary almost as much, the bill may exert more influence on our cognitive perception because of its proximity to the bird's face. The close association of bill size and shape with food type and feeding behavior adds additional weight to the ornithologist's perception of their "importance." For these reasons, it is perhaps no surprise that bird bills have played a prominent role in their classification.
EFFECTS OF OLD WORLD BLUESTEM (BOTHRIOCHLOA ISCHAEMUM) ON FOOD AVAILABILITY AND AVIAN COMMUNITY COMPOSITION WITHIN THE MIXED-GRASS PRAIRIE

Abstract Various grassland bird species have displayed population declines over the past 30 to 40 years, and interest in explaining possible causes for the declines has prompted numerous studies. Many of these studies have focused on changes in agricultural practices; few have evaluated possible effects of the presence of nonnative grasses in grasslands. The objective of our study was to determine the effects a nonnative grass, Old World bluestem (OWB; Bothriochloa ischaemum), might have on grassland bird species abundance and richness, and on bird food availability (arthropod biomass). Three pastures each of native range, expired Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and OWB were sampled from May to July 2001 in Comanche County, Kansas. Bird abundance and species richness were assessed by using a point-count method along 3 transects in each pasture. Food availability was estimated by collecting arthropods along 10 transects in each pasture by sweep-netting. Results showed significantly lower bird abundance...
Non-histone chromosomal proteins. Evidence for their role in mediating the binding of histones to deoxyribonucleic acid during the cell cycle

By selective dissociation of histones with the ionic detergent sodium deoxycholate, we have demonstrated that these basic chromosomal polypeptides, which are effective inhibitors of transcription, are more tenaciously bound to DNA in mitotic than in S-phase chromatin. Evidence is presented which suggests that cell-cycle-stage-specific non-histone chromosomal proteins can account for such variations in the association of histones with DNA. When chromatin is reconstituted with DNA and histones are pooled from S-phase and mitotic cells and either S-phase or mitotic non-histone chromosomal proteins, a preferential extraction of histones with sodium deoxycholate from chromatin reconstituted with S-phase rather than mitotic non-histone chromosomal proteins is observed. In contrast, the extractability of histones with sodium deoxycholate from nucleohistone complexes reconstituted with DNA pooled from S-phase and mitotic cells and either S-phase or mitotic histones is identical. Since non-histone chromosomal proteins rather than histones are responsible for the differences in chromatin template activity during S-phase and mitosis, we propose that non-histone chromosomal proteins may modify gene expression during the cell cycle by mediating the binding of histones to DNA.
A Demographic Study of South African Attitudes on Tax Evasion

A number of studies have examined the relationship between tax collection and various demographic variables. However, until recently most of those studies have involved a United States sample population. The Internal Revenue Service provides demographic data for researchers on a regular basis. The present study goes beyond those studies in several important ways. For one, it uses data on South Africa taken from the World Values database. Not much work has been done on the South African tax or public finance system. Thus, the present study expands on the very limited research done on South African public finance. The present study expands on existing literature in at least two other ways as well. For one, it examines how various demographics interact with attitudes toward tax evasion. Secondly, we examine several demographic variables that were not examined in prior studies. One of the questions in the World Values database asked whether it would be justifiable to cheat on taxes if it were possible to do so. Respondents were asked to choose a number from 1 to 10 to indicate the extent of their support for tax evasion. This study examines those responses, both overall and through the prism of more than 20 demographic variables. A trend analysis is also done to determine whether South African attitudes regarding tax evasion have changed in recent years. A comparison is made with other ethical issues to determine the relative seriousness of tax evasion. The study found that attitudes toward the justifiability of tax evasion often do vary by demographic variable. Tax evasion was found to be a less serious offense than accepting a bribe, suicide or wife beating, equally as serious as prostitution, and more serious than receiving government benefits to which you are not entitled, avoiding a fare on public transport or euthanasia. The trend of opinion on the justifiability of tax evasion has been nonlinear. It is more acceptable in the most recent survey than it was in 1996 but less acceptable than it was in 1990 or 2001. Although the present study focuses on South Africa, the methodology used in the present study could serve as a template for research on other countries or regions. A bibliography of further reading is also included, along with links to more than 80 other tax evasion studies.
Smoothed Nonparametric Derivative Estimation Based on Weighted Difference Sequences

We present a simple but effective fully automated framework for estimating derivatives nonparametrically based on weighted difference sequences. Although regression estimation is often studied more, derivative estimation is of equal importance. For example in the study of exploration of structures in curves, comparison of regression curves, analysis of human growth data, etc. Via the introduced weighted difference sequence, we approximate the true derivative and create a new data set which can be smoothed by any nonparametric regression estimator. However, the new data sets created by this technique are no longer independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables. Due to the non-i.i.d. nature of the data, model selection methods tend to produce bandwidths (or smoothing parameters) which are too small. In this paper, we propose a method based on bimodal kernels to cope with the non-i.i.d. data in the local polynomial regression framework.
To Drink or Not to Drink? “Moderate” Alcohol Consumption in a Clinical Context

This chapter will focus on the narrower clinical context around counseling patients who don’t drink at all, or who drink at levels below thresholds used to delineate risky drinking. The topic of “moderate” drinking also has relevance for patients drinking risky amounts who might consider cutting back on their alcohol consumption. In this regard, there are two issues to address: The first is whether a non-drinker should consider beginning to drink for possible health benefits, and the second is what constitutes low-risk drinking for those who already consume alcohol. This approach may also save time and effort for those clinicians who might otherwise try to weigh complex, individualized decisions with their patients when that time might be better invested on other important aspects of patient care.
Charles Taylor, Arms Dealers, and Reparations

This short piece makes two arguments: 1. The verdict against Charles Taylor in the Trial Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone is historic. It convicted him principally of aiding and abetting the mass violence, largely through the trade of arms for so-called conflict diamonds. The verdict held that someone who sells arms into a conflict knowing that they will be used to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity commits a crime. 2. The sentence against Taylor, consisting solely of imprisonment, was disappointing. The Court did not use its authority under the SCSL Statute to order forfeiture of the proceeds of Taylor's crime. Such an order could have contributed to deterring other arms dealers from selling into similar situations, and might have provided resources for reparations to the victims of his crimes.
ANKS4B Is Essential for Intermicrovillar Adhesion Complex Formation

Transporting and sensory epithelial cells shape apical specializations using protocadherin-based adhesion. In the enterocyte brush border, protocadherin function requires a complex of cytoplasmic binding partners, although the composition of this complex and logic governing its assembly remain poorly understood. We found that ankyrin repeat and sterile α motif domain containing 4B (ANKS4B) localizes to the tips of adherent brush border microvilli and is essential for intermicrovillar adhesion. ANKS4B interacts with USH1C and MYO7B, which link protocadherins to the actin cytoskeleton. ANKS4B and USH1C also bind to the MYO7B cargo-binding tail at distinct sites. However, a tripartite complex only forms if ANKS4B and MYO7B are first activated by USH1C. This study uncovers an essential role for ANKS4B in brush border assembly, reveals a hierarchy in the molecular interactions that drive intermicrovillar adhesion, and informs our understanding of diseases caused by mutations in USH1C and ankyrin repeat proteins, such as Usher syndrome.
Quality of life of pediatric cardiac patients who previously required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

OBJECTIVES We sought to assess quality of life of pediatric cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors. We hypothesized that these patients would have decreased quality of life when compared to that of a general U.S. population sample. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Patient homes and Children's Hospital Boston. PATIENTS Cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors currently 5-18 yrs old. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Quality of life was assessed by parent proxy report using the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form 50 and was compared to that of a general U.S. population sample and other cardiac populations. Factors associated with lower quality of life were sought. Physical summary scores for 41 cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors were lower than the mean of the general population sample (42.4 ± 16.4 vs. 53.0 ± 8.8; p < .001) but similar to those of children with Fontan physiology or an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Psychosocial summary scores in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients were not different from those of the general population (48.2 ± 11.8 vs. 51.2 ± 9.1; p = .11) or of other cardiac samples. Postcardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, more noncardiac operations, total intensive care and hospital days, noncardiac medical conditions, medications, and the need for physical, occupational, or speech therapy were associated with low physical summary scores. More noncardiac operations, noncardiac medical conditions, and the need for special education, physical, occupational, or speech therapy were associated with low psychosocial summary scores. CONCLUSIONS In pediatric cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors, the physical component of health-related quality of life is lower than that of the general population but similar to that of patients with complex cardiac disease, whereas psychosocial quality of life is similar to that of the general population and of other pediatric cardiac populations.
Localized Parity-Time Symmetric Directionally Invisible Scatterers and Cloaks

A technique for designing localized parity-time (PT) symmetric directionally invisible scatterers and cloaks is introduced and verified by numerical scattering simulations. Implications and generalizations of the method are discussed.
Defining a Standardized Approach for the Bedside Insertion of Temporal Horn External Ventricular Drains: Procedure Development and Case Series.

Background A trapped temporal horn can be emergently decompressed by inserting a bedside temporal horn external ventricular drain (tEVD). However, no standardized method for this procedure has been described. Objective To identify methods for bedside tEVD insertion, and determine the safest, most accurate, and most easily standardized approach. Methods Volumetric images of 20 patients with trapped temporal horns were analyzed. Three tEVD approaches (perpendicular, lateral, and medial) were defined, along with standardized insertion points and external landmarks for trajectory guidance. Predicted success in penetrating the temporal horn, skin-to-temporal horn entrance distance, temporal horn distance traversed, and trajectory target error and accuracy were evaluated; data were compared with independent sample t tests. Results Nineteen of 20 cases were analyzed; 13 had critical temporal horn entrapment. Penetration was achieved in 100% of perpendicular and 84% (16/19) of lateral and medial approaches (92% [12/13] of critical entrapments). In 19 patients, trajectory error was not significantly different among approaches. The perpendicular approach had significantly more accuracy than the lateral (P = .01) and medial (P = .002) approaches. The lateral approach afforded significantly more traversable distance than the perpendicular approach (P = .009). In cases with critical entrapment, the perpendicular approach had significantly less error (P = .02) and significantly better accuracy (P = .02) than the medial approach. The perpendicular approach trended toward more accuracy than the lateral approach (P = .06). Conclusion The perpendicular approach appears to be the easiest, safest, and most reliable approach tested. We recommend conducting bedside tEVD placement only in patients with a critically dilated temporal horn who are clinically deteriorating at a rate that prohibits other procedures. Abbreviations CSF, cerebrospinal fluidEVD, external ventricular draintEVD, temporal horn external ventricular drainOR, operating room.
CHIRAL SU(3) X SU(3) AND THE DECAY eta $Yields$ 3$pi$. I.

The difficulties with the current-algebra treatment of the decay of the $\ensuremath{\eta}$ meson into three $\ensuremath{\pi}$ mesons are analyzed within the framework of a nonlinear Lagrangian calculation based on the chiral group $\mathrm{SU}(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{SU}(3)$. The most general $\ensuremath{\eta}$-decay Lagrangian with the symmetry properties of the effective second-order electromagnetic interaction, and containing no more than two derivaties, is constructed and is shown to involve only one arbitrary parameter, the coupling constant $g$. The energy dependence, or slope, of the $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ matrix element depends only on the choice of representation for the $\mathrm{SU}(3)$ and $\mathrm{SU}(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{SU}(3)$ (collectively called medium-strong) symmetry-breaking terms. The simplest choice for these terms in a theory containing explicit partial conservation of axial-vector current \char22{} namely, a common $(3,\overline{3})+(\overline{3},3)$ representation for both \char22{} gives good agreement with experiment, Furthermore, exactly three parameters exist for adjusting the coupling constant and the electromagnetic mass differences $m_{{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}\ensuremath{-}m_{{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}$ and $m_{{K}^{+}}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}\ensuremath{-}m_{{K}^{0}}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}$ to their measured values. However, the coefficients of terms in the resulting phenomenological Lagrangian are unnaturally large; they give rise to the small mass differences only because of extensive cancellations (a condition which we refer to as a "scale difficulty"). The same techniques used for $\ensuremath{\eta}$ decay are also applied to the nonleptonic weak decays of the $K$ mesons. The usual current-algebra results are obtained as a check that our methods are exactly equivalent to the conventional ones.
How Does Dielectric Solvation Affect the Size of an Ion

The effect of solvation by a continuum dielectric on the size of an ion is examined using electronic structure calculations. Various measures correlated with size are considered, including the root-mean-square radius of the electronic charge density, the amount of solute charge penetrating outside the cavity, the electronic radial distribution function, the nucleus−electron potential energy, and the electron−electron potential energy. Calculations are made on several representative ionic solutes, and it is found that every measure indicates that the application of a dielectric makes the cations larger and the anions smaller. These counterintuitive trends are examined, and a plausible explanation is offered for the observed behavior.
A Model for the Complete Radial Structure of the Tropical Cyclone Wind Field. Part II: Wind Field Variability

AbstractPart I of this work developed a simple physical model for the complete radial structure of the low-level azimuthal wind field in a tropical cyclone that compared well with observations. However, wind field variability in the model is tied principally to its external parameters given by the maximum wind speed and the radius of maximum wind, the latter of which lacks a credible independent physical model for its variability. Here the authors explore the modes of variability that arise from the alternative specification of the model, which takes the outer radius in lieu of the radius of maximum wind. Nondimensionalization of the model reveals two theoretical modes of structural variability in absolute angular momentum that are shown to closely match observations. These two modes correspond to three modes of wind field variability associated with variations in intensity, outer storm size, and latitude. These wind field modes are demonstrated to mirror the dominant modes of variability found in nature,...
ENUMERATION AND CONFIRMATION OF BACILLUS CEREUS IN FOODS: COLLABORATIVE STUDY

A collaborative study was conducted in 15 laboratories to evaluate 2 different techniques for enumerating Bacillus cereus in foods. A direct plating technique using mannitol-egg yolk-poly-myxin agar and a most probable number (MPN) technique using trypticase-soy-polymyxin broth were compared for the enumeration of high and low populations of B. cereus in mashed potatoes. The collaborative results showed that the overall mean recovery obtained with the low population level was essentially the same by both techniques. However, the overall mean recovery was significantly higher by the direct plating technique at the high population level. A statistical evaluation of the data also showed that the direct plating technique had better repeatability and reproducibility than did the MPN technique at both the high and low population levels. These results suggest that the MPN technique is suitable for examining foods containing low populations of B. cereus, but that the direct plating technique is preferable for foods that contain a high population of this organism. The confirmatory technique used in the proposed method is reliable for presumptive identification of isolates as B. cereus. The method has been adopted as official first action.