cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Binding and interaction of acridine orange with intraphage DNA

Abstract The interaction of acridine orange with intraphage DNA is weak, also perhaps the binding is little, although sufficient time is allowed in order that binding may reach equilibrium. The equilibrium dye-binding increases with the rise of temperature and becomes optimum at a temperature of 50–55° which is about 25–30° lower than the temperature of total DNA release and melting. Studies of interaction of acridine orange and ethidium bromide to intact phage indicate that, although the pahge DNA may be accessible for binding to both acridine orange and ethidium bromide, the binding is temperature specific for acridine molecules and perhaps involves at least two kinds of interaction. By contrast the interaction of ethidium bromide is by only one mode ( i.e. intercalation) and increases continuously with the rise of temperature. The phage DNA in situ has been found to be hyperchromic relative to native DNA in vitro to an extent (hyperchromicity 6 %) similar to that reported for T 2 phage and gives rise to considerable polarization of fluorescence when oriented. The temperature specific binding of acridine orange to phage DNA seems to arise as a result of some competition between bindings of weaker interaction and stronger interaction until an equilibrium between the two bindings is established. The latter may be controlled by the tight configuration and non-native conformation of the intraphage DNA. The interaction or binding is not likely to be determined by any selective permeability of the phage envelope.
Passive versus Active Parental Permission: Implications for the Ability of School-Based Depression Screening to Reach Youth at Risk.

Child and adolescent depression often go untreated with resulting adverse effects on academic success and healthy development. Depression screening can facilitate early identification and timely referral to prevention and treatment programs. Carried out in school settings, universal screening can reduce disparities in service utilization by extending the reach of detection and intervention to children who otherwise have limited access. However, unless confidentiality and informed choice are assured, benefits of universal screening may be offset by loss of individual rights. Implementation of a school-based depression screening program raises the controversial question of how to obtain informed parental consent. During implementation of a depression screening program in an urban school district in the Pacific Northwest, the district’s parental consent protocol changed from passive to active, providing a natural experiment to examine differences in participation under these two conditions. Compared to conditions of parent information with option to actively decline (passive consent), when children were required to have written parental permission (active consent), participation was dramatically reduced (85% to 66%). In addition, under conditions of active consent, non-participation increased differentially among student subgroups with increased risk for depression. Successful implementation of school-based mental health screening programs warrants a careful read of community readiness and incorporation of outreach activities designed to increase understanding and interest among target groups within the community. Otherwise, requiring active parental consent may have the unwanted effect of reinforcing existing disparities in access to mental health services.
Two-stage dissociation in MgSiO3 post-perovskite

Abstract The fate of MgSiO 3 post-perovskite under TPa pressures is key information for understanding and modeling interiors of super-Earths-type exoplanets and solar giants' cores. Here, we report a dissociation of MgSiO 3 post-perovskite into CsCl-type MgO and P2 1 /c-type MgSi 2 O 5 at ~ 0.9 TPa obtained by first principles calculations. P2 1 /c-type MgSi 2 O 5 should dissociate further into CsCl-type MgO and Fe 2 P-type SiO 2 at ~ 2.1 TPa. The first dissociation should occur in all solar giants and heavy super-Earths, while the second one should occur only in Jupiter and larger exoplanets. Both dissociations are endothermic and have large negative Clapeyron slopes. If the first dissociation should occur in the middle of a silicate mantle, it could promote mantle layering. We provide essential thermodynamic properties of P2 1 /c-type MgSi 2 O 5 for modeling interiors of super-Earths.
Attitudes Towards and Limitations to ICT Use in Assisted and Independent Living Communities: Findings from a Specially-Designed Technological Intervention.

Much literature has been devoted to theoretical explanations of the learning processes of older adults and to the methods of teaching best utilized in older populations. However, there has been less focus on the education of older adults who reside in assisted and independent living communities (AICs), especially with regards to information and communication technology (ICT) education. The purpose of this study is to determine whether participants' attitudes and views towards computers and the Internet are affected as a result of participating in an eight-week training program designed to enhance computer and Internet use among older adults in such communities. Specifically, we examine if ICT education specially designed for AIC residents results in more positive attitudes towards ICTs and a perceived decrease in factors that may limit or prevent computer and Internet use. We discuss the implications of these results for enhancing the quality of life for older adults in AICs and make recommendations for t...
Reply to comments on modeling asset returns with alternative stable distributions and some extensions

(1993). Reply to comments on modeling asset returns with alternative stable distributions and some extensions. Econometric Reviews: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 347-389.
BINOCULAR RIVALRY AND ATTENTION IN HELMET-MOUNTED DISPLAY APPLICATIONS

As monocular head-mounted displays (HMDs) are introduced into existing flight simulators for training and mission rehearsal it will be important to determine whether binocular rivalry affects the visibility of HMD presented symbology or the out-the-window (OTW) flight simulator display imagery. In the present study, we examined whether rivalry suppression could be objectively measured under conditions that simulated a monocular HMD and OTW display, and whether voluntary attention and moving imagery influenced the strength of rivalry suppression. The results indicated that strength of suppression under these conditions was less than that found under classic dichoptic viewing conditions, and that attention had little influence on performance.
Anticipated guilt as behavioral motivation an examination of appeals to help unknown others through bone marrow donation

The current study posits that messages used to elicit behaviors to help unknown others must present substantial perceptions of a threat and efficacy to be successful. Given that many prosocial helping messages depict a threat to unknown others, the current investigation proposed that anticipated guilt is a motivating force behind individuals' willingness to engage in behaviors to avert the unknown-other-directed threat. Specifically, this study hypothesized that messages which induce substantial perceptions of (a) threat, (h) response-efficacy, and (c) self-efficacy would result in feelings of anticipated guilt that subsequently motivate behavioral intent and, ultimately, behaviors to avert the threat to unknown others and avoid the future guilt that they might feel personally. Brehm's (1966) psychological reactance theory, however, notes that such appeals might result in reactance and thus decrease compliance with a message's prescribed actions. Two research questions were posed to determine (a) whether or not individuals experience reactance and (b) what effect, if any, reactance has on compliance. Additionally, participants' accuracy in forecasting guilt was assessed. The proposed model and research questions were tested by focusing on the topic of bone marrow donation. Participants were assigned randomly to one of three message conditions (control and two experimental messages), completed a questionnaire and returned to to complete a follows-up survey 7-10 days later. The data were consistent with the proposed model, and additional findings indicated that participants did not experience psychological reactance and were not accurate when forecasting future feelings of guilt.
The importance of body experience for psychiatry.

Abstract The realm of subjective body experience in health and disease is an indispensable, although neglected, dimension of psychiatric knowledge and practice. By body experience I mean the perceptions of, attitudes towards, and beliefs about one's own body appearance and functions. Body experience is changed in all forms of psychopathology and it contributes one of the psychopathogenic factors in physical illness, injury, and disability. Paul Schilder, who pioneered the study of body experience, summed it up succinctly: "Organic disease and psychogenic disturbance lead in the same way to suffering. Suffering expresses itself necessarily in the postural model of the body. Mental suffering finds its way into a somatic expression, and somatic disease leads to mental suffering". 1 The key theoretical concept in this area is that of the body image. Schilder defined it as the "tri-dimensional image everybody has about himself". Recent writers, notably Fisher 2 and Shontz, 3 have elaborated this concept and reviewed the massive literature on experimental work related to it. I shall describe examples of these studies and discuss the importance of this whole area for psychiatry.
On fitting distributed lag models subject to polynomial restrictions

Abstract A methodology is presented for fitting distributed lag models with polynomial restrictions on the lag coefficients. The model incorporates autoregressive residuals. Orthogonal methods are employed so that the procedures are numerically sound. Furthermore, these have the effect of allowing for inference to be made about the three integer parameters in the model: (i) the length of the lag, (ii) the degree of the polynomial, and (iii) the order of the autoregression. The methodology is applied to the extended Almon data. This analysis suggests that estimation of polynomial distributed lags is highly sensitive to autoregressive disturbances. This underlines the importance of modeling the disturbances.
Determination of some elements by epithermal neutron activation analysis for the Arctic aerosol

We have determined nineteen trace elements in 685 aerosol filter samples collected during 1964-1978 in northern Finland by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. In this paper we present some procedures and results for very short (~25 s), short (~3-54 min), and medium (12-35 h) lived isotopes as determined by epithermal NAA in conjunction with and without Compton suppression. Elements with a Iγ/σthratio are favorable to be determined by epithermal NAA. Silver was determined by a one minute epithermal irradiation because of a very short 110Ag half-life. Antimony, arsenic, cobalt, bromine, indium, iodine, potassium, silicon, tin, tungsten, and zinc were determined by a ten minute epithermal irradiation. For silver determination, samples were counted without transferring the filter from the irradiated vial, however, for ten minute irradiation all samples were transferred to a non-irradiated vial and counted both in the normal and Compton mode by the HPGe gamma-spectrometry system with a decay time of about 10 minutes and counting time of 15 minutes. Each day a maximum of 16 samples were irradiated and immediately following the short counting, these samples were loaded into an automatic sample changer in sequence of irradiation and counted for an hour in both normal and Compton modes. This has proven to be an extremely cost effective measure thus reducing the need to employ long-lived NAA to analyze other elements such as Ag, Co, Sn and Zn and Ag for air pollution source receptor modeling.
A systematic approach to transforming system requirements into model checking specifications

We propose a method that addresses the following dilemma: model checking can formally expose off-nominal behaviors and unintended scenarios in the requirements of concurrent reactive systems. Requirements engineers and non-technical stakeholders who are the system domain experts can greatly benefit from jointly using model checking during the elicitation, analysis, and verification of system requirements. However, model checking is formal verification and many requirements engineers and domain experts typically lack the knowledge and training needed to apply model checking to the formal verification of requirements. To get full advantages of model checking and domain experts’ knowledge in verifying the system, we proposed a front end framework to model checking and evaluated our approach using a real world application.
3.0-Tesla MR angiography of intracranial aneurysms: comparison of time-of-flight and contrast-enhanced techniques.

Purpose To determine whether 3.0-T elliptical-centric contrast-enhanced (CE) magnetic resonance (MR) angiography is superior to 3.0-T elliptical-centric time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography in the detection and characterization of intracranial aneurysms, and to determine whether increasing the acquisition matrix size in 3.0-T CE MR angiography improves image quality. Materials and Methods A total of 50 consecutive patients referred for MR angiographic evaluation of a known or suspected intracranial aneurysm underwent MR angiography, including three-dimensional TOF and elliptical-centric CE techniques at 3.0 T. The 3.0-T three-dimensional TOF and 3.0-T CE examinations were graded for image quality. A blind review identified the presence and location of aneurysms. Results A total of 28 aneurysms were identified in 23 of the 50 patients. The 3.0-T TOF MR angiography had a higher mean score for image quality than the 3.0-T elliptical-centric CE MR angiography (P < 0.0001). A total of 14 patients with aneurysms had conventional angiography for comparison. The 3.0-T TOF showed all the aneurysms, whereas 3.0-T CE MR angiography did not show 1 of 19 aneurysms when conventional angiography was the reference standard. Conclusion For imaging intracranial aneurysms, 3.0-T TOF MR angiography offers better image quality than 3.0-T CE MR angiography using the elliptical-centric technique. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005;21:97–102. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Planetary culture and the crisis of the future

This essays reviews a number of leading works on global affairs at the end of this century, and proposes the need for a fundamental re‐education and re‐thinking of global issues to reflect our planetary citizenship. The importance of transdisciplinarity is addressed in the context of the development of a new polyphonic, narrative understanding of identity and knowledge.
Lyme Disease: Knowing Good Evidence to Help Inform Practice

Depending on the clinical situation and presence or absence of preconceived notions, evaluations for Lyme disease can range from efficient visits solved with a short course of antibiotic therapy to involved encounters that include a review of long-standing, nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue and pain that are less likely to represent an active infection. While the majority of patients with authentic Lyme disease improve with treatment, some have a slower resolution of symptoms and still others appear to have problems persisting beyond 6months, which is called posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Those who have true Borrelia burgdorferi infection are relatively easily to determine; however, others may be well complicated by confusion regarding test result interpretation as well as competing ideas about Lyme disease from Internet sources or alternative practitioners who often use the term “chronic Lyme disease” or diagnose concomitant tick-borne coinfections. As Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne infection in North America, clinicians who diagnose and treat Lyme disease need to be aware of not only evidenced-based recommendations but also opposing ideas and theories that may be part of an office-based evaluation and discussion.
A neoadjuvant strategy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma increases the likelihood of receiving all components of care: lessons from a single-institution database.

Abstract Background Recent studies have shown adjuvant therapy improves outcomes from pancreatic cancer (PC). This study investigates receipt and timing of PC treatments, and association with outcomes. Methods The analysis cohort consisted of patients with newly-diagnosed PC at a single institution over 5 years. Primary Endpoints were (i) receipt of recommended therapy, and (ii) overall survival (OS). Results Among 102 patients, 52 underwent resection. Out of 36 localized resected and 16 locally advanced resected (LAR) patients, 26 and 13, respectively, received adjuvant therapy. Six of the latter group received neoadjuvant therapy. Median OS for resected patients was 15.7 months (range 0.6–51.4), compared with 7.7 for unresected patients (range 0.4–32.0) ( P P = 0.027). Out of 46 patients undergoing up-front resection, 33 had R0 surgical margins. For the six LAR patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy, all margins were R0. Conclusion After resection, a substantial proportion of patients do not receive adjuvant therapy, and have worse survival. In this study, neoadjuvant treatment increased both the proportion of patients receiving all components of recommended therapy and the R0 resection rate.
Evaluation of Prefix Delegation-Based Route Optimization Schemes for NEMO

Among the schemes, proposed in the literature to solve the route optimization problem in NEtwork MObility (NEMO), the prefix delegation-based schemes perform better than other schemes. Depending on the way the prefix are delegated, the prefix delegation-based schemes result in difference in performance under different speed at various distance from the home network (network to which mobile network usually belongs). Therefore, there is a need to evaluate the performance of individual prefix delegation-based scheme to find an appropriate scheme based on speed and distance from home network. In this paper, we identify the differences of the refix delegation-based schemes using simulation. Results reveal that performance of the schemes depends on speed of the network and distance from home network.
Fairness, utility and survival.

In 'The Survival Lottery',1 John Harris invites us to consider a system whereby certain innocent persons, who will die unless they receive organ transplants, are saved by killing equally innocent donors selected at random in a computer-run lottery. Since his thought-experiment has important implications for political philosophy as well as medical ethics, it needs to be taken seriously in spite of its seeming fantasticality.2 He runs two separate lines of argument, one an appeal to utility and the other an appeal to fairness. Neither line works by itself, however; and when taken together they destroy each other, as we shall see. Harris's proposal opens with a number of suppositions: that the technology of organ transplantation has been perfected, that two patients, Y and Z, are about to die because the heart and the lungs which they respectively need are not in stock or otherwise available, that neither patient is resigned to being left to die. What they wish to do is to set up a society-wide lottery whereby a donor, A, will be selected by a computer to provide the needed organs. Further-and for simplicity's sake we shall not contest this assumption here3-Harris assumes that there is no morally relevant difference between killing and letting die. A, Y and Z are all innocent; and we have the technology to decide which two of the three will live. Any appeal to the principle of non-intervention mistakenly attributed to A. H. Clough4 seems to be a denial of our responsibility to decide who will live, and simply to beg the question as to whether A has
A New Type of Synchronized Flashing in a North American Firefly

Continuous synchronic flashing occurs in stationary and flying male congregations of members of some firefly species in Southeast Asia. In the present paper, low-light videography and photometry was used to demonstrate that synchrony occurs in the North American genus Photuris. We found that the Georgia coastal plain firefly Ph. frontalis flashed synchronically. From a distance, the synchronic flashes of a population of flying Ph. frontalis appeared to occur in a continuous synchrony. However, when pairs of males were viewed, it was difficult to verify that their flashing was continuously synchronic. In the laboratory, caged fireflies flashed synchronically, stopped, and then flashed synchronically again. To study this flash behavior, recordings of individual and group flashing were analyzed statistically to validate the conclusions about rhythm and synchrony. Although the mass synchrony appeared continuous, the individual flying males switch on and off, coming in again on the beat. The synchrony in Ph. frontalis is common and pervasive rather than rare and sporadic, as shown by other North American fireflies. The precision of the frontalis synchrony approaches that of Southeast Asian fireflies. The intermittent synchrony of this firefly reinforces the evidence that there is a diversity of synchronies in fireflies.
Protagoras Among the Physicists

Scientific realism at least in large measure reflects the conviction that physics limns the true nature of reality; that it is the right metaphysical picture of things. This conviction is in turn a product of the failure of positivism's attempt to expunge metaphysics from the corpus of philosophically respectable activities. Since natural science is objective knowledge of the world par excellence post-positivists have embraced it as the ontology which their predecessors had failed to make unnecessary. Scientific realism is metaphysics, shameless or unashamed.
Alternative Monitoring of Argatroban Using Plasma-Diluted Thrombin Time

OBJECTIVETo report a case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in a patient with concurrent liver dysfunction and a prolonged baseline activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) in whom argatroban therapy was monitored with aPTT and a novel plasma-diluted thrombin assay.CASE SUMMARYAn 80-year-old man with HIT and liver dysfunction was treated with argatroban, which was initiated at a dose of 0.5 μg/kg/min and gradually decreased to 0.09 μg/kg/min. The patient had a mildly prolonged aPTT at baseline (37.5 seconds). He was concurrently monitored with aPTT, per institution protocol, and plasma-diluted thrombin time. Plasma-diluted thrombin times were consistently lower than aPTTs, but mirrored the trend of the aPTTs. Eleven hours after argatroban was stopped, the aPTT remained elevated (53.9 seconds), while the plasma-diluted thrombin time returned to normal range (26.4 seconds). The patient's therapy was transitioned to warfarin and he had a hospital course with no thrombotic or bleeding complication...
Bilobectomy for non–small cell lung cancer: A search for clinical factors that may affect perioperative morbidity and long-term survival

Objective The resection of two lobes for non–small cell lung cancer has the potential for significant morbidity and mortality as well as a negative impact on survival. The purpose of this study is to analyze our bilobectomy experience. Methods Age, gender, diagnosis, bilobectomy type, bilobectomy indication, operative technique, pathologic condition, major complications, stage, and survival were reviewed from 1984 through 2007. Major complications were compared by Fisher's exact testing. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were compared by log–rank and likelihood ratio analysis. Results Bilobectomies were performed on 92 patients with non–small cell lung cancer. A total of 35 upper–middle and 57 middle–lower bilobectomies were performed. Indications for bilobectomy were bronchial involvement (n = 49), extension across the fissure (n = 36), or other reasons (n = 7). The 5-year survival for all patients was 42%. Significant differences in survival were observed among the different stages (stage I, 65%; stage II, 42%; stage III, 13%; P P P P P P = .0102) and upper&middle bilobectomy ( P = .0285) adversely affected 5-year survival, whereas early-stage disease ( P = .0245) beneficially affected 5-year survival. Conclusion Bilobectomy can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality. Survival relates to disease stage. Optimal survival benefit occurs when the indication for bilobectomy is squamous cell carcinoma extending across the fissure.
Reelin supplementation recovers sensorimotor gating, synaptic plasticity and associative learning deficits in the heterozygous reeler mouse.

The lipoprotein receptor ligand Reelin is important for the processes of normal synaptic plasticity, dendritic morphogenesis, and learning and memory. Heterozygous reeler mice (HRM) show many neuro...
Intramolecular interactions between the protease and structural domains are important for the functions of serine protease autotransporters.

Autotransporter (AT) is a protein secretion pathway found in Gram-negative bacteria featuring a multidomain polypeptide with a signal sequence, a passenger domain, and a translocator domain. An AT subfamily named serine protease ATs of the family Enterobacteriaceae (SPATEs) is characterized by the presence of a conserved serine protease motif in the passenger domain which contributes to bacterial pathogenesis. The goal of the current study is to determine the importance of the passenger domain conserved residues in the SPATE proteolytic and adhesive functions using the temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin (Tsh) protein as our model. To begin, mutations of 21 fully conserved residues in the four passenger domain conserved motifs were constructed by PCR-based site-directed mutagenesis. Seventeen mutants exhibited a wild-type secretion level; among these mutants, eight displayed reduced proteolytic activities in Tsh-specific oligopeptide and mucin cleavage assays. These eight mutants also demonstrated lower affinities to extracellular matrix proteins, collagen IV, and fibronectin. These eight conserved residues were analyzed by molecular graphics modeling to demonstrate their intramolecular interactions with the catalytic triad and other key residues. Additional mutations were made to confirm the above interactions in order to demonstrate their significance to the SPATE functions. Altogether our data suggest that certain conserved residues in the SPATE passenger domain are important for both the proteolytic and adhesive activities of SPATE by maintaining the proper protein structure via intramolecular interactions between the protease and β-helical domains. Here, we provide new insight into the structure-function relationship of the SPATEs and the functional roles of their conserved residues.
Laser cataract surgery: A prospective clinical evaluation of 1000 consecutive laser cataract procedures using the Dodick photolysis Nd:YAG system☆

Abstract Background To evaluate the safety and efficacy associated with the clinical use of a Q-switched neodymium:yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Nd:YAG) laser for cataract removal. Design Multicenter, prospective, noncomparative case series. Participants/intervention A total of 1000 consecutive eyes underwent cataract extraction with the photolysis Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 12 international clinical sites. Main outcome measures Visual acuity improvement; total energy used; mean operative time for cataract removal; complications, both intraoperative and postoperative; with a minimum follow-up of 3 months. Results The mean values were visual acuity improvement from 20/70.2 to 20/24.4. Mean intraocular energy used was 5.65 J per case. Mean operative photolysis time among the surgeons was for up to +1 nuclear sclerosis, 2.15 minutes; up to +2 nuclear sclerosis, 4.8 minutes; and for up to +3 nuclear sclerosis, 9.8 minutes. Three cases were completed by intraocular lens implantation through the original sub-2-mm incision, using a prefolded, by dehydration, acrylic intraocular lens. Minor complications were encountered in 18 cases. Conclusions These data suggest this photolysis laser technology may be a safe and effective alternative for cataract extraction in human eyes. By use of small clear cornea incisions, the ability to perform cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation with incisions less than 2 mm has been shown for the first time.
Goniometer-based femtosecond X-ray diffraction of mutant 30S ribosomal subunit crystals

In this work, we collected radiation-damage-free data from a set of cryo-cooled crystals for a novel 30S ribosomal subunit mutant using goniometer-based femtosecond crystallography. Crystal quality assessment for these samples was conducted at the X-ray Pump Probe end-station of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) using recently introduced goniometer-based instrumentation. These 30S subunit crystals were genetically engineered to omit a 26-residue protein, Thx, which is present in the wild-type Thermus thermophilus 30S ribosomal subunit. We are primarily interested in elucidating the contribution of this ribosomal protein to the overall 30S subunit structure. To assess the viability of this study, femtosecond X-ray diffraction patterns from these crystals were recorded at the LCLS during a protein crystal screening beam time. During our data collection, we successfully observed diffraction from these difficult-to-grow 30S ribosomal subunit crystals. Most of our crystals were found to diffract to low resolution, while one crystal diffracted to 3.2 A resolution. These data suggest the feasibility of pursuing high-resolution data collection as well as the need to improve sample preparation and handling in order to collect a complete radiation-damage-free data set using an X-ray Free Electron Laser.
DUPLEX: A molecular mechanics program in torsion angle space for computing structures of DNA and RNA

DUPLEX produces energy minimized structures of DNA and RNA of any base sequence for single and double strands. The smallest subunits are deoxydinucleoside monophosphates, and up to 12 residues, single or double stranded can be treated. In addition, it can incorporate NMR derived interproton distances an constraints in the minimizations. Both upper and lower bounds for these distances can be specified. The program has been designed to run on a UNICOS Cray supercomputer, but should run, albeit slowly, on a laboratory computer such as a VAX or a workstation.
Otto Maduro: In Remembrance and Celebration

IT IS A DISTINCT HONOR AND PRIVILEGE for me to write these words of remembrance and celebration on behalf of Otto Maduro. They were initially offered within the context of a Special Topics Forum at the 2103 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), Honoring the Legacy and Life of Otto Maduro (1945–2013), in which the members of the AAR gathered to honor the life and work of its former president. They are now offered, in extended fashion, as a companion piece to the in memoriam notice, and as an accompaniment to the publication of his 2012 Presidential Address in this issue of the JAAR. Otto was a dear friend. Otto was a close colleague. Otto was a fellow Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino American. Above all, Otto was for me a great human being—what the wisdom of the people would call una buena persona, noble in mind and heart. Given our respective origins in Venezuela and Cuba, we even wondered, in recent times, whether we would ultimately become compatriots as well, in light of the ever-closer alliance between President Hugo Chavez Frias and President Fidel Castro Ruz. We would joke about what we would call ourselves: would it be Vene-cubanos or Cuba-zolanos? This was, of course, but a classic example of Latin American ironic humor in the face of seemingly never-ending political morass and despair in our continent—more biting now, no doubt, as a result of our advancing age and shared historical trajectory.
Dopamine Modulation of Calcium Currents in Pyloric Neurons of the Lobster Stomatogastric Ganglion

We examined the dopamine (DA) modulation of calcium currents (ICa) that could contribute to the plasticity of the pyloric network in the lobster stomatogastric ganglion. Pyloric somata were voltage...
Motivation and Emotion

How the brain encodes motivation and emotion is both a compelling and a frustrating issue for many neuroscientists. This is in no small part because both of these mental phenomena are ill-defined psychological constructs that cannot be directly studied. Instead, we are forced to make inferences about them from observations of behavior in experimental circumstances or from verbal reports of “feelings” by human subjects. Unfortunately, the same behavior can be executed for any number of reasons, and aside from the inherent ambiguity of language, verbal reports, ironically, are subject to emotions and hidden motives. Even despite these impediments, progress has been made on the basis of experimental work and careful observations in clinical cases of brain damage. As a result, several circuits have been implicated as contributors to either motivation, emotion, or both. Some neuroscientists find it useful to lump such circuits together into a hypotheti- cal computational unit called the limbic system.
The gap in cardiac rehabilitation referral: a system-based problem with system-based solutions.

Research on cardiac rehabilitation (CR) over the past 3 decades has resulted in 2 important, yet divergent, conclusions. First, CR services reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with cardiovascular disease [(1,2)][1]. Second, CR services are vastly underutilized [(3,4)][2]. In this issue of
Investigations of Pink Bollworm Resistance to DDT in Mexico and the United States

Resistance of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), to DDT in Mexico was first reported by Lowry and Tsao (1961). These earlier investigations pointed up a need for additional information on the extent of DDT resistance in Mexico and continual surveillance for the development of pink bollworm and other cotton pest resistance to insecticides in the United States. Thus, beginning late in 1961 and terminating in the spring of 1963, tests were conducted in which pink bollworm moths originating at widely separated geographic points, including 1 new location in Mexico and several new areas in the United States, were assayed for resistance to DDT.
In vitro—Untersuchungen zur Schadstoffentstehung bei Bestrahlung von Metallen im Rahmen einer Zahnhartsubstanz-Präparation mit gepulster Nd:YAG-Laserstrahlung

Obwohl ein groses offentliches Interesse am Einsatz der Lasertechnologie in der Zahnheilkunde besteht und sich derzeit viele Lasersysteme in experimenteller und klinischer Erprobung befinden, konnten sich nur wenige dieser Verfahren in der Praxis bewahren bzw. wissenschaftliche Anerkennung finden [VAN BENTHEM 1994]. Eine klinische Anwendung derart neuer Verfahren ist aber nur gegeben, wenn alle moglichen Gefahren und Nebenwirkungen dieser neuen Therapie aufgrund wissenschaftlicher Untersuchungen weitestgehend auszuschliesen sind. So ist bezuglich der Hartgewebsbearbeitung mit Lasern u.a. zu klaren, ob auch vorhandene, alte Fullungen mit dem Laser entfernt werden durfen. Es liegen zwar Untersuchungen uber experimentell ermittelte, thermisch induzierte Abtragsraten vor [HIBST 1991, KELLER 1993], systematische Untersuchungen zum Abtragsmechanismus sowie den dabei entstehenden Abbrandprodukten fehlen weitestgehend. Unter diesem Aspekt ist der auch heute noch haufig verwendete Fullungswerkstoff Amalgam von besonderer Bedeutung. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es daher, den Abtragsmechanismus von Amalgam infolge gezielter und versehentlicher Laserbestrahlung zu untersuchen und die dabei entstehenden Schadstoffe zu analysieren.
Identification of the major lectin-binding surface proteins of human neutrophils and alveolar macrophages

Concanavalin A (Con A) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) are frequently used as stimuli of neutrophils and macrophages. While the effects of these lectins on cell function are presumably mediated by interaction with cell-surface molecules, the target structures on the cell surface involved are not well defined. We have used the techniques of lactoperoxidase catalyzed cell-surface iodination, lectin affinity chromatography, monoclonal antibody immunoprecipitation, and NaDodSO4- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to study the surface proteins of human neutrophils and alveolar macrophages that react with six lectins including Con A and WGA. We found that several major surface-labeled proteins of neutrophils bound Con A. Four of these proteins were identified by immunoprecipitation as members of the LFA-1/HMac- 1/gp150,95 adhesion glycoprotein family. Con A also bound CR1 and a 135- kd surface-labeled protein recognized by CD15 monoclonal antibodies. WGA also bound many of these proteins, but had a much lower avidity for CR1. All three of the major surface-labeled proteins of human alveolar macrophages bound to Con A, including the 183-kd mannose receptor and the 30-kd smoking-associated protein. WGA also bound the 183-kd macrophage protein, but not the 30-kd protein. These results should aid the understanding of studies using these lectins as stimuli.
Control of protein synthesis of Escherichia coli. I. Translation and functional inactivation of messenger ribonucleic acid after energy source shift-down.

Abstract The production by Escherichia coli of total protein and of β-galactosidase from preformed messenger RNA was measured after inhibition of mRNA initiation and a shift to fresh glucose medium or to succinate medium (shift-down). For total protein, the translational yield in down-shifted cells was about 64% of that in the glucose culture. The polypeptide completion time was the same (18 s) in both cultures, but the functional half-life of mRNA was increased from 2.5 min in the glucose culture to 6.4 min in the succinate culture. For β-galactosidase, the relative translational yield in the down-shifted culture depended on the length of the induction period, ranging from 20% for a 1-min induction up to 61 % for induction of 4.5 min or longer. The polypeptide completion time for β-galactosidase monomers (100 s) and the rate of functional inactivation of β-galactosidase mRNA (half life, 0.95 min) were unaffected by the shift-down. Calculations are presented to show that an 85 to 95 % reduction in the rate of polypeptide chain initiation after shift-down is sufficient to account for the observed relative translational yields of total protein and of β-galactosidase.
Physics of Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses light-activated drugs (photosensitizers) for the treatment of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. Administration of the photosensitizer constitutes the first step in the PDT process. Then, following a waiting period (minutes to days) to allow for selective accumulation in the target tissue, the sensitizer is activated via light (usually from a laser) of a wavelength matching a prominent absorption resonance in the red or near-infrared part of the visible spectrum. Absorption of this light by the photosensitizer results in photochemical processes which ultimately produce the cytotoxic species (e.g., singlet molecular oxygen) responsible for the biological damage.
Hybrid energy storage system comprising of battery and ultra-capacitor for smoothing of oscillating wave energy

In this work, a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) comprising of ultra-capacitor and battery is proposed for smoothing oscillating power from wave energy conversion system (WECS). Using generated power data from an installed wave energy converter (WEC), each component of the proposed HESS is sized to optimize the cost of the energy storage. A control scheme is designed to regulate the power into battery and ultra-capacitor to deliver smoothed average power to the grid. Energy storage minimizes the grid side converter (GSC) rating and also improves the stability of the grid by not injecting the oscillating power. The control scheme is verified through MATLAB simulation using the power data from field with maximum power reaching around 500-kW and a combination of available ultra-capacitors and batteries. An experimental validation of the control scheme is presented with an ultra-capacitor based energy storage system in a grid-connected wave energy conversion system (WECS) with an induction motor emulating as WEC to drive an induction generator.
Computation of Interfacial Areas, Common Line Lengths and Interfacial Curvatures from Experimentally Derived Data

Microscale investigation of porous medium systems contributes to our understanding of macroscopic systems at a fundamental level and is expected to play an important role in the formulation of macroscopic models. We present an overview of methods designed to obtain accurate estimates of interfacial areas, common line lengths, and interfacial curvatures for general porous medium data sets. We then describe how these methods can be applied to experimentally generated data, examining data sets obtained using x-ray micro-tomography as an example. Detailed discussion of pertinent issues is provided, including manipulation of raw data to obtain an optimal form for input data, the impact of smoothing operations, and resolution necessary to obtain reliable estimates of variables of interest.
Assessing citation networks for dissemination and implementation research frameworks

A recent review of frameworks used in dissemination and implementation (D&I) science described 61 judged to be related either to dissemination, implementation, or both. The current use of these frameworks and their contributions to D&I science more broadly has yet to be reviewed. For these reasons, our objective was to determine the role of these frameworks in the development of D&I science. We used the Web of Science™ Core Collection and Google Scholar™ to conduct a citation network analysis for the key frameworks described in a recent systematic review of D&I frameworks (Am J Prev Med 43(3):337–350, 2012). From January to August 2016, we collected framework data including title, reference, publication year, and citations per year and conducted descriptive and main path network analyses to identify those most important in holding the current citation network for D&I frameworks together. The source article contained 119 cited references, with 50 published articles and 11 documents identified as a primary framework reference. The average citations per year for the 61 frameworks reviewed ranged from 0.7 to 103.3 among articles published from 1985 to 2012. Citation rates from all frameworks are reported with citation network analyses for the framework review article and ten highly cited framework seed articles. The main path for the D&I framework citation network is presented. We examined citation rates and the main paths through the citation network to delineate the current landscape of D&I framework research, and opportunities for advancing framework development and use. Dissemination and implementation researchers and practitioners may consider frequency of framework citation and our network findings when planning implementation efforts to build upon this foundation and promote systematic advances in D&I science.
Formation of stellar clusters in magnetized, filamentary infrared dark clouds

Star formation in a filamentary infrared dark cloud (IRDC) is simulated over a dynamic range of 4.2 pc to 28 au for a period of $3.5\times 10^5$ yr, including magnetic fields and both radiative and outflow feedback from the protostars. At the end of the simulation, the star formation efficiency is 4.3 per cent and the star formation rate per free fall time is $\epsilon_{\rm ff}\simeq 0.04$, within the range of observed values (Krumholz et al. 2012a). The total stellar mass increases as $\sim\,t^2$, whereas the number of protostars increases as $\sim\,t^{1.5}$. We find that the density profile around most of the simulated protostars is $\sim\,\rho\propto r^{-1.5}$, as predicted by Murray & Chang (2015). At the end of the simulation, the protostellar mass function approaches the Chabrier (2005) stellar initial mass function. We infer that the time to form a star of median mass $0.2\,M_\odot$ is about $1.4\times 10^5$~yr from the median mass accretion rate. We find good agreement among the protostellar luminosities observed in the large sample of Dunham et al. (2013), our simulation, and a theoretical estimate, and conclude that the classical protostellar luminosity problem Kenyon et al. (1990) is resolved. The multiplicity of the stellar systems in the simulation agrees to within a factor 2 of observations of Class I young stellar objects; most of the simulated multiple systems are unbound. Bipolar protostellar outflows are launched using a sub-grid model, and extend up to 1 pc from their host star. The mass-velocity relation of the simulated outflows is consistent with both observation and theory.
¡Con Ganas! Fostering Latina Students’ Active Participation in Science Classrooms through Their Involvement in Cogenerative Dialogues

This study explores cogenerative dialogues as potential spaces for supporting active participation among Latina students in science courses. I collaborated with two high school science teachers to ...
Barriers and Facilitators to Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Rural Women in Community Clinics by Heath Literacy.

Background: Rural women lag rural men and urban women in colon cancer (CRC) screening completion. Objective: To identify rural female patients’ knowledge, beliefs, barriers, self-efficacy, prior recommendation and completion of CRC screening using an FOBT and to compare these factors by health literacy (HL) level. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted between 2015 and 2016 in 4 rural community clinics in South Lousiana. Patients overdue for screening were given a structured interview by a research assistant. Results: 339 women were enrolled, mean age 58.5, 32% had limited HL, 66% were African American. Most (91.7%) had heard of CRC, yet only 71% knew of any CRC screening tests. Women with adequate HL had greater knowledge of specific tests than those with limited HL (78.4% vs 56.6%, p<0.001). Only 25.7% had been given information on CRC testing; those with adequate HL were more likely to have received information (30.1% vs 16.8%; p=0.017). Most women (93.2%) indicated they would want to know if they had CRC, while 72.2% reported a provider had recommended CRC screening. Only 24.9% said a healthcare provider had ever given them an FOBT or that they had ever completed an FOBT (22.7%). There were no differences in women’s report of recommendation or completion by HL level. Self-efficacy for completing an FOBT was high; over 90% indicated they could get an FOBT, complete it and mail results to the lab. Level of confidence did not vary by literacy. Three of the four barrier items varied by HL with women with low HL being more likely to fear doing an FOBT because they thought FOBT instructions would be confusing (p=0.002), doing the test would be embarrassing (p=0.025) or messy (p=0.057). Conclusion: Rural women are receptive to CRC screening and view FOBTs as effective. Rural community clinics need to provide low cost FOBTs with literacy, gender and culturally appropriate information.
On using robust Mahalanobis distance estimations for feature discrimination in a damage detection scenario

In this study, a damage detection and localization scenario is presented for a composite laminate with a network of embedded fiber Bragg gratings. Strain time histories from a pseudorandom simulated operational loading are mined for multivariate damage-sensitive feature vectors that are then mapped to the Mahalanobis distance, a covariance-weighted distance metric for discrimination. The experimental setup, data acquisition, and feature extraction are discussed briefly, and special attention is given to the statistical model used for a binary hypothesis test for damage diagnosis. This article focuses on the performance of different estimations of the Mahalanobis distance metric using robust estimates for location and scatter, and these alternative formulations are compared to traditional, less robust estimation methods.