cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial variables, external barriers, and stage of mammography adoption.

Guided by H. Triandis's (1980) theory of behavior and the transtheoretical model, the study purpose was to examine differences in psychosocial variables and external conditions by stage of mammography adoption. Sampled from a statewide population, participants (N = 509) were women aged 51-80. They had been contacted by telephone, screened for eligibility (e.g., no history of cancer or recent mammogram), and interviewed 3-6 months later. Higher utility beliefs, social influences, and practitioner interactions about mammography were associated with improved stage of adoption, as were lower negative affect and external barriers regarding mammography. Higher decisional balance scores, with and without negative affect toward mammography, were associated with improved stage. Controlling for variables reflecting pros and cons, negative affect toward mammography further distinguished among stages. A richer set of pros and cons measures could explain screening more fully.
Microscopic study of edge excitations of spin-polarized and spin-unpolarized ν = 2 / 3 fractional quantum Hall effect

The edge of spin unpolarized or spin polarized $\nu=2/3$ fractional quantum Hall states is predicted by the effective theory to support a backward moving neutral mode in addition to a forward moving charge mode. We study this issue from a microscopic perspective where these states are identified with effective filling factor of 2 of composite fermions, but with an effective magnetic field that is antiparallel to the external field. A simple counting from the composite fermion description suggests that there might be two backward moving edge modes, but explicit calculations show that one of these is projected out of the low energy sector, while the remaining mode provides a good microscopic account of the actual counter propagating edge mode. The forward moving modes are identified as "Schur modes," obtained by multiplying the ground state wave function by the symmetric Schur polynomials. The edge of the 2/3 spin unpolarized state provides a particularly striking realization of "spin charge separation" in a one dimensional Tomonaga Luttinger liquids, with the spin and charge modes moving in opposite directions.
Effect of tides on solute flushing from a strait: Imaging flow and transport in the East River with SF6

In June 2003, two injections of ∼3.9 mol of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) were made 8 days apart in the East River, a 25 km tidal strait, to observe solute mixing and dissipation. The first injection occurred at slack before flood, and the second at slack before ebb (flood = northward flow). Tidally synchronized surveys of the SF6 tracer patch, supplemented by vertical profiles, were conducted by boat for 6 and 4 days following the flood and ebb injections, respectively. Residence times for the tracer-tagged water mass in the East River were estimated to be 3.3 ± 0.7 days and 1.7 ± 0.5 days for the flood and ebb injections, respectively, after correcting SF6 inventories for losses of SF6 from the water column by air−water gas exchange. The data indicate that the majority of East River solutes are transported to New York Harbor and that tidal mixing dominates subtidal circulation with respect to solute transport. Surveys of the adjacent lower Hudson River revealed a northward-moving, intermediate layer of East...
Ultrastructural changes in granulosa lutein cells and progesterone levels during preimplantation, implantation, and early placentation in the western spotted skunk

The ultrastructure of corpora lutea obtained during the preimplantation implantation and early post-implantation periods has been studied in 20 western spotted skunks. Fine structure of granulosa lutein cells was correlated with progesterone levels. The corpus luteum of the prolonged (7 month) preimplantaion period contained undifferentiated small granulosa cells and differentiated large granulosa lutein cells. The former ranged in size between 12 and 20 mu and the latter between 20 and 45 mu. The ratio of small and large cells was about equal in an animal 2 days prior to nidation whereas only few small cells and numerous large cells were observed in an animal estimated to be 8 to 12 hours from nidation. Occasionally small cells were observed amidst large ones during the 24 hour nidation period, i.e. adhesion of trophoblast with the luminal uterine epithelium, but small cells were absent in animals after this period. Small cells had some smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum rod-shaped mitochondria with plate-like cristae, small Golgi complex, and relatively smooth plasma membranes. Large lutein cells had abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum, membranous whorls of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, usually round mitochondria with tubular and lamellar cristae, a well developed Golgi complex, variable amounts of lipid droplets, and highly plicated and ruffled plasma membranes. Peripheral plasma progesterone levels during the prolonged preimplantation period ranged between 1.1 and 7.9 ng/ml, but during implantation it was between 8 and 16.6 ng/ml. It is suggested that plasma progesterone levels fluctuate during the time of implantation and should not be regarded as a basis to predict actual nidation in the western spotted skunk.
Light harvesting and energy transfer in a ruthenium–coumarin-2 copolymer

Copolymers containing Ru(bpy)3 and coumarin-2 chromophores prepared using both grafting and copolymerization approaches exhibit Forster-type energy-transfer efficiencies ranging from 70% to above 98%.
Ligand-Activated Progesterone Receptor Isoform hPR-A Is a Stronger Transactivator Than hPR-B for the Expression of IGFBP-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-1) in Human Endometrial Stromal Cells

In human endometrium, the levels of progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms hPR-A and hPR-B are differentially regulated during the reproductive cycle. Progesterone significantly increases the content of hPR-A, the predominant isoform in decidualized stromal cells (1). The purpose of this study was to determine the capacity of hPR-A and hPR-B to transactivate the progestin-dependent target gene in human endometrial stromal cells. We examined the effect of cotransfection of hPR-A or hPR-B on the expression of the human insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) in endometrial stromal cells. The primary culture of human endometrial stromal cells was transfected with the hPR-A or hPR-B expression vector and the IGFBP-1 promoter construct p275CAT, which contains two functional progesterone response elements (PRE1 and PRE2) in decidualized stromal cells. Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) increased the promoter activities ranging from 1.2- to 27-fold in cells cotransfected with hPR-A or hPR-B in eight endometrial specimens. The promoter activity increased by the hPR-A was significantly higher than hPR-B (15 +/- 8 vs. 4 +/- 2, mean +/- SD; n = 8, P < 0.005). Site-specific mutation showed that the induced activity by hPR-A was mediated through the PRE1 and PRE2 sites. Addition of hPR-B reduced the effect of hPR-A. The high transactivation capacity of hPR-A was also activated by other ligands, progesterone, Org 2058, and norethindrone. These observations indicate that hPR-A is a stronger transactivator than hPR-B for the IGFBP-1 promoter in endometrial stromal cells. Previous studies have shown the progestin-dependent production of IGFBP-1 correlates with its mRNA levels and transcription rate. Thus, we have determined the effect of hPR-A and hPR-B on the production of IGFBP-1 in stromal cells treated with MPA. The production rate in cells uniformly infected with AdPRA (recombinant Ad5-directed PR expression system) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the rate in uninfected cells and in cells infected with AdPRB or AdCMV (the Ad5 viral expression vector). This result, in concert with the promoter analysis, provides evidence that hPR-A is a strong inducer for the chromosomal IGFBP-1 gene in endometrial stromal cells.
Cancer knowledge and examination frequency in college students.

Abstract College students are now being considered an appropriate target for cancer education programs. However, research has demonstrated that only a fraction of those individuals knowledgeable about the importance of cancer examinations actually practice these examinations. This study investigated whether the personality construct of repression-sensitization could identify which individuals would or would not practice regular examinations for breast, cervical, and testicular cancer. College students were identified as repressors, neutral, or sensitizers and tested as to their knowledge and examination frequency for breast, cervical, and testicular cancer. After a cancer lecture, this information was reasessed. No differences were found among repressors, neutrals, or sensitizers in cancer knowledge or examination frequency, either prelecture or postlecture. Cancer knowledge significantly increased after the lecture for both males and females. No change was found in the frequency of breast self-examinatio...
Effects of Zn(II) on galactosyltransferase activity

The enzyme β-4-galactosyltransferase (GT) catalyzes the transfer of a galactosyl group from UDP-galactose to N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) on glycoproteins. In the presence of α-lactalbumin (α-LA), galactosyltransferase catalyzes the transfer of galactose to glucose to yield lactose. It is known that, in the absence of α-lactalbumin, Zn(II) competes with Mn(II) for the same binding site(s) in galactosyltransferase, resulting in an increase in the apparent Michaelis constant,K m (app), for Mn(II)-activation of N-acetyllactosamine synthesis. In the presence of α-lactalbumin (i.e., lactose synthase), the Mn(II)-activation is biphasic and the initial phase is inhibited by increasing concentrations of Zn(II). The Zn(II) inhibition of lactose synthase plateaus at [Zn(II)]:[α-lactalbumin] ≈ 1:1, while for N-acetyllactosamine synthesis there is no plateau at all. The results suggest that Zn(II) binding to α-lactalbumin effects lactose synthase. Kinetically, Zn(II) induces a decrease in both theK m (app) andV m for Mn(II), which results in an apparent increase, followed by a decrease, in lactose synthase activity at Mn(II) concentrations below saturation of the first [Mn(II)] binding site. Increasing Zn(II) also decreasesK m (app) andV m for both glucose and UDP-galactose in the lactose synthase reaction with either both Ca(II)- or apo-α-lactalbumin, further suggesting novel interactions between Zn(II)-α-lactalbumin and the lactose synthase complex, presumably mediated via a Zn(II)-induced conformational change upon binding to α-lactalbumin. On the other hand, in N-acetyllactosamine synthesis, Zn(II) only slightly effectsK m (app) for N-acetylglucosamine and has essentially no effect onK m (app) orV m for UDP-galactose.
The Efficiency of Congressional Campaign Committee Contributions in House Elections

The Republican Party has historically held a strong financial advantage over the Democrats in Congressional elections. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) generally has a large resource advantage over the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in Congressional elections, allowing the Republicans to outcontribute the Democrats in most Congressional districts. Further, the NRCC also led the DCCC in developing a centralized organization for managing Congressional campaigns. Thus, many scholars of political party activity in US Congressional elections believe that in the 1970s and 1980s the NRCC was the more effective campaigning force in terms of both total resources and efficiency (targeting close races for contributions). Although there is no question the Republicans were more effective fundraisers than the Democrats, empirical evidence reveals it was the DCCC that was better at targeting close races for contributions in the late 1970s and the 1980s. In the 1990s, NRCC effici...
The 3′ end of Drosophila histone H3 mRNA is produced by a processing activity in vitro

Abstract We have examined the process by which the 3′ terminus of the Drosophila histone H3 mRNA is produced in vitro. When a template containing a portion of DNA that flanks the normal 3′ end of the histone H3 gene and an oligo dC tail on the template strand is transcribed in vitro by Drosophila RNA polymerase II, transcription continues beyond the 3′ end of the H3 gene. A processing activity was identified that cleaves the precursor transcript generating an RNA species with the same 3′ end as the mature H3 mRNA. The processing activity was partially purified by ion exchange chromatography and sucrose gradient sedimentation. The isolated activity was found to require Mg ++ but did not require addition of a nucleoside triphosphate for activity. The activity sedimented with a molecular weight of approximately 140,000 daltons. Transcription of the template and processing of the RNA can be uncoupled in vitro.
An optimal design of a mono-stable vertical diamagnetic levitation based electromagnetic vibration energy harvester

Abstract A detailed analysis of a mono-stable vertical diamagnetic levitation (VDL) system for optimal vibration energy harvesting is presented. Initial studies showed that simple analytical techniques such as the dipole model and the image method provide useful guideline for understanding the potential of a diamagnetic levitation system, however, it is discussed here that the more accurate semi-analytical techniques such as the thin coil model and the discrete volume method are needed for quantitative optimization and design of the VDL system. With the semi-analytical techniques, the influence of the cylindrical geometry of the floating magnet, the lifting magnet and the diamagnetic plate are parametrically studied to assess their effects on the levitation gap, size of the system and the natural frequency. For efficient vibration energy harvesting using the VDL system, ways to mitigate eddy current damping and a coil geometry for transduction are critically discussed. With the optimized parameters, an experimental system is realized which showed a hardening type nonlinearity. The results show an overall efficiency of 1.54 percent, a root mean square (rms) power output of 1.72 µW when excited at a peak acceleration of 0.081 m/s2 and at a frequency of 2.1 Hz.
Integrating mailed personalized feedback and alcohol screening events: a feasibility study.

This study characterized a sample of college students attending National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), and tested the feasibility of using NASD as a platform for initiating the delivery of mailed personalized feedback forms. Participants (N = 153, 65% female) attended NASD and completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT [1]). A subset of at-risk drinkers completed additional questionnaires about their alcohol use and received personalized feedback through the mail. Thirty-four percent of the participants scored above the recommended clinical cutoff on the AUDIT. Men reported higher levels of alcohol consumption and alcoholrelated negative consequences. The subset of at-risk drinkers reported frequent occasions of binge drinking and relatively high blood alcohol concentrations (BAC). NASD is an effective way of identifying college students with clinically significant levels of alcohol use, and provides an efficient mechanism for initiating the delivery of personalized feedback. More research on the combined effects of NASD and personalized feedback is warranted.
Revisiting Shapiro: Welfare Magnets and State Residency Requirements in the 1990s

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PR WORA) generated renewed interest in welfare races to the bottom as states received greater discretion over eligibility standards for new residents. Despite U.S. Supreme Court decisions finding welfare-residency requirements unconstitutional and mounting empirical evidence that welfare benefits do not attract poor migrants, state policymakers have enacted welfare-reform plans that treat newcomers differently as authorized in PRWORA. This article reviews the existing research on welfare migration, current state-residency requirements, and central constitutional issues surrounding such requirements. With the likelihood that courts will have thefinal word on the current round of state welfare-residency requirements, it is essential that empirical research on welfare magnets examine the issues central to the cases currently moving through the judicial system.
Self-disclosure and liking during initial encounters: An attributional approach

The disclosure of intimate information during initial encounters was examined within an attributional framework. One week after a short structured interaction with another (actually a tape recording) subjects were given either veridical or false feedback concerning their level of intimacy in that interaction. Results indicate that this feedback had a greater effect on the reported degree of liking for the other and the disclosure level in a second interaction than did the subjects' actual initial disclosure level. No sex differences were found.
The Antibody Society.

Antibodies remain the highest selling category of biologics with an estimated $40 billion in global sales in 2009. Remarkably, five antibodies (infliximab, rituximab, trastuzumab, bevacizumab, adal...
High-contrast imaging with Gaussian-shaped pupils

Gaussian aperture pupil masks can in theory achieve the contrast requisite for directly imaging an extrasolar planet. We outline the process of fabricating and testing a GAPM for use on the Penn State near-IR Imager and Spectrograph (PIRIS) at the Mt. Wilson 100" telescope. We find that the initial prototype observations are quite successful, achieving a contrast similar to a traditional Lyot coronagraph without blocking any light from a central object and useful for finding faint companions to nearby young solar analogues. In the lab we can reproduce the expected PSF to within an order of magnitude and with new designs achieve ~5×10 -5 contrast at 10λ/D. We find that small inaccuracies in the mask fabrication process and insufficient correction of the atmosphere contribut ehe most degradation to contrast. Finally we compare the performance of GAPMs and Lyot coronagrphs of similar throughput.
A STOCHASTIC MODEL FOR ANALYSIS OF VARIATIONS IN AIR POLLUTION LEVELS

Examination of environmental data seems to suggest that variations in air pollution levels from one point in time to another tend to follow some form of observable pattern. In this article, the authors explore an approach to observing, describing and analyzing these variations. They develop a model which is essentially a Markov framework and use it to suggest a number of interesting questions and to facilitate their solution. In this demonstration, the focus is on a single component of air pollution, suspended particulate matter. For implementation, a model would need to incorporate other elements of the pollution mix. As the composition of air pollution differs from one air shed to another, so will the parameters of the model.
Optimal simplex optimization for optical design

Simplex optimization is a powerful method of finding minima in noisy merit function spaces, such as those for illumination. The standard simplex routine and a modified one developed by the author are applied to three lens design problems found in the literature: singlet, cemented doublet, and triplet. The starting conditions of the size of the simplex and the location in merit function space are investigated. It is found that the modified simplex routine provides better results than the standard one as the solution converges to the optimal solution, which is called the "end game". The standard simplex tends to provide better results than the modified one when operating in the "start game". The simplex results are compared to those from a commercially available lens design code. In most circumstances the commercially available code provides better performance in both iterations to convergence and quality of the result. The results presented herein provide confirmation that the modified simplex algorithm is a viable means of optimization for noisy merit function determination when in the neighborhood of local optima.
A CASE AGAINST CONTINUING USE OF THE SPEARMAN FORMULA FOR RANK-ORDER CORRELATION

Historical development of the Pearson correlation and the Spearman analog on the ranks was traced to delineate the basis on which the Spearman formula was derived. Following this, recommendations from current statistical textbooks on the use of the Spearman formula were presented. Arguments of computational simplicity, appropriateness when data are not at the interval level, and appropriateness when the relation between X and Y is monotonic but nonlinear for using Spearman were found deficient. Results from a small simulation study also supported this view.
Osteocyte lacuna population densities in sheep, elk and horse calcanei.

Osteocytes, the most prevalent cell type in bone, appear to communicate via gap junctions. In limb-bone diaphyses, it has been hypothesized that these cellular networks have the capacity to monitor ha
Mucosal tolerization to E-selectin protects against memory dysfunction and white matter damage in a vascular cognitive impairment model

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is the second most prevalent type of dementia in the world. The white matter damage that characterizes the common subcortical ischemic form of VCI can be modeled by ligating both common carotid arteries in the Wistar rat to induce protracted cerebral hypoperfusion. In this model, we find that repetitive intranasal administration of recombinant E-selectin to induce mucosal tolerance and to target immunomodulation to activating blood vessels potently suppresses both white matter (and possibly gray matter) damage and markers of vessel activation (tumor necrosis factor and E-selectin); it also preserves behavioral function in T-maze spontaneous alternation, T-maze spatial discrimination memory retention, and object recognition tests. Immunomodulation may be an effective novel strategy to prevent progression of VCI.
An integrated, generic approach to pattern mining: data mining template library

Frequent pattern mining (FPM) is an important data mining paradigm to extract informative patterns like itemsets, sequences, trees, and graphs. However, no practical framework for integrating the FPM tasks has been attempted. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of the Data Mining Template Library (DMTL) for FPM. DMTL utilizes a generic data mining approach, where all aspects of mining are controlled via a set of properties. It uses a novel pattern property hierarchy to define and mine different pattern types. This property hierarchy can be thought of as a systematic characterization of the pattern space, i.e., a meta-pattern specification that allows the analyst to specify new pattern types, by extending this hierarchy. Furthermore, in DMTL all aspects of mining are controlled by a set of different mining properties. For example, the kind of mining approach to use, the kind of data types and formats to mine over, the kind of back-end storage manager to use, are all specified as a list of properties. This provides tremendous flexibility to customize the toolkit for various applications. Flexibility of the toolkit is exemplified by the ease with which support for a new pattern can be added. Experiments on synthetic and public dataset are conducted to demonstrate the scalability provided by the persistent back-end in the library. DMTL been publicly released as open-source software ( http://dmtl.sourceforge.net/ ), and has been downloaded by numerous researchers from all over the world.
Stratospheric Control of Upward Wave Flux near the Tropopause

[1] Using an idealized, global primitive equation model of the stratosphere-troposphere system in which all tropospheric variability is surpressed, we demonstrate the existence of internal modes of stratospheric variability. The variability in our model is similar to that observed in the winter stratosphere, consisting of sudden-warming like, wave-driven decelerations of the polar vortex followed by a more gradual re-establishment of the vortex by the radiative forcing. Using a common index of the strength of the stratospheric vortex, we find patterns of downward propagation resembling those found in recent observations. In addition, our model exhibits considerable variability in the upward flux of wave activity into the stratosphere; this variability strongly anti-correlates with the index of the mid-upper stratospheric vortex, again in agreement with recent observations.
Merging simulation and projection approaches to solve high-dimensional problems with an application to a new Keynesian model

We introduce a numerical algorithm for solving dynamic economic models that merges stochastic simulation and projection approaches: we use simulation to approximate the ergodic measure of the solution, we cover the support of the constructed ergodic measure with a fixed grid, and we use projection techniques to accurately solve the model on that grid. The construction of the grid is the key novel piece of our analysis: we replace a large cloud of simulated points with a small set of “representative” points. We present three alternative techniques for constructing representative points: a clustering method, an e-distinguishable set method, and a locally-adaptive variant of the e-distinguishable set method. As an illustration, we solve one- and multi-agent neoclassical growth models and a large-scale new Keynesian model with a zero lower bound on nominal interest rates. The proposed solution algorithm is tractable in problems with high dimensionality (hundreds of state variables) on a desktop computer.
Spatial and Temporal Genetic Structure of Anopheles arabiensis in Southern Zambia over Consecutive Wet and Drought Years

No studies have addressed the spatial complexity of Anopheles arabiensis populations in Zambia or the effects of drought on the genetic structure of this species. We genotyped approximately 420 An. arabiensis at 12 microsatellite loci representing 18 collections from the Southern Province of Zambia. Collections spanned three transmission seasons and covered a wet year-drought year-wet year cycle. Anopheles arabiensis within the 2,000 km(2) of the Macha study region were panmictic, with high gene flow between Macha and Namwala, Zambia, which are 80 km apart. There was little evidence for genetic structuring among years, with no significant shifts in allele frequency distributions or observed heterozygosity, and no evidence for a genetic bottleneck despite a drastic reduction in mosquito numbers during the drought year. Anopheles arabiensis in southern Zambia has a large deme size, and the regional genetic structure of this species was little affected by an extended drought period.
DIRECTIONAL RESPONSE OF A VECTOR INTENSITY HYDROPHONE ARRAY

This paper describes the test results of a procedure to measure the directional response of a vector intensity hydrophone array. The NORDCO 3-D hydrophone array was designed to simultaneously capture the three components of a sound intensity vector. The phase matched array requires accurate positioning of the receiver elements to achieve a real time response. To calculate the directional response of the array, the x, y and z components of a sound intensity field point produced by a stationary source were measured while rotating the array about its z axis. The resulting sound intensity curves showed the expected cosine patterns with the minima of the x and y components spaced precisely 90° apart.
The migration of supersaturated constituents to surface sinks

The migration of supersaturated constituents in solids to surfaces that are permanently kept at equilibrium is examined for simple geometries. The migrating species may be non-interacting point defects, or in fact any type of constituent whose equilibrium concentration is of the form Ce = exp (− ΔG/kT) where ΔG is the excess Gibbs free energy per single migrating constituent. The surfaces concerned may be free surfaces, grain or phase boundaries, stacking faults, or any surface at which the constituent is eliminated or bound without a significant change in the size or position of the sink. The time versus temperature cooling curve which will effect the fastest removal of the migrating constituent is determined. Die Diffusion von ubersattigten, gelosten Teilchen in Festkorpern zu zweidimensionalen Senken, die standig im Gleichgewicht bleiben, wurde fur einfache geometrische Verhaltnisse untersucht. Die diffundierenden Teilchen konnen Punktfehler sein oder irgendwelche loslichen Zusatze, deren Gleichgewichtskonzentration die Form Ce = exp (− ΔG/kT) hat. wobei ΔG der Beitrag des einzelnen Atoms zur Gibbsschen freien Energie ist. Die betrachteten Senken konnen freie Oberflachen, Korngrenzen, Phasengrenzen. Stapelfehler oder irgendwelche anderen Oberflachen sein, an denen die diffundierenden Teilchen permanent gebunden oder vernichtet werden, ohne das sich die Oberflachensenken selbst nennenswert in Grose oder Lage andern. Die Abkuhlungskurve, die zur raschesten Erniedrigung der Konzentration der diffundierenden Teilchen fuhrt, wird bestimmt.
HermesC: RF wireless low-power neural recording system for freely behaving primates

Neural prosthetics for motor systems is a rapidly growing field with the potential to provide treatment for amputees or patients suffering from neurological injury and disease. To determine whether a physically active patient such as an amputee can take advantage of these systems, we seek to develop an animal model of freely moving humans. Therefore, we have developed and tested HermesC, a system for recording neural activity from electrode arrays implanted in rhesus monkeys and transmitting this data wirelessly. This system is based on the integrated neural interface (INI) microchip, which amplifies, digitizes, and transmits neural data across a ~900 MHz wireless channel. The wireless transmission has a range of ~4 m in free space. All together, this device consumes 11.7 mA from a 4.0 V lithium ion battery pack for a total of 46.8 mW. To test the performance, the device was used to record and telemeter one channel of broadband neural data at 15.7 kSps from one monkey doing various physical activities in a home cage, such as eating, climbing and swinging. The in-band noise of the recorded neural signal is 34 muVrms, which is low enough to allow the detection of neural units on an active electrode. This system can be readily upgraded to use future generations of the INI chip, with circuits providing 96 channels of programmable threshold crossing event data.
A Tyrosine-Sulfated CCR5-Mimetic Peptide Promotes Conformational Transitions in the HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein

The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein is a trimeric complex of heterodimers composed of a surface glycoprotein, gp120, and a transmembrane component, gp41. The association of this complex with CD4 stabilizes the coreceptor-binding site of gp120 and promotes the exposure of the gp41 helical region 1 (HR1). Here, we show that a 15-amino-acid peptide mimetic of the HIV-1 coreceptor CCR5 fused to a dimeric antibody Fc domain (CCR5mim-Ig) bound two gp120 molecules per envelope glycoprotein complex and by itself promoted HR1 exposure. CCR5mim-Ig also stabilized the association of a CD4-mimetic peptide with the envelope glycoprotein. A fusion of the CD4- and CCR5-mimetic peptides, DM1, bound gp120 and neutralized R5, R5X4, and X4 HIV-1 isolates comparably to CD4, and they did so markedly more efficiently than either peptide alone. Our data indicate that the potency of DM1-Ig derives from its avidity for the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimer and from the bidirectional induction of its receptor-mimetic components. DM1 has significant advantages over other inhibitors that target both coreceptor and CD4-binding sites, and it may serve as a lead for a new class of HIV-1 inhibitor peptides.
Anemia treatment in chronic renal insufficiency.

Anemia is a common complication of chronic renal insufficiency, one that leads to a reduced quality of life and an increased burden on the heart. In recent years, it has been shown that anemia is underrecognized and undertreated in these patients. The benefits of recombinant human erythropoietin treatment in this patient population have been well shown. The major side effect, hypertension, is particularly important in chronic renal insufficiency, requiring careful monitoring. In this review, the benefits of anemia therapy are weighed against the risks and costs. On balance, it is concluded that anemia treatment meets a basic and important health need in these patients.
Techniques for fast and sensitive measurements of two-dimensional birefringence distributions

We propose image processing algorithms for measuring two-dimensional distributions of linear birefringence using a pair of variable retarders. Several algorithms that use between two and five recorded frames allow us to optimize measurements for speed, sensitivity, and accuracy. We show images of asters, which consist of radial arrays of microtubule polymers recorded with a polarized light microscope equipped with a universal compensator. Our experimental results confirm our theoretical expectations. The lowest noise level of 0.036 nm was obtained when we used the five-frame technique and four-frame algorithm without extinction setting. The two-frame technique allows us to increase the speed of measurement with acceptable image quality.
DETERMINATION OF THE BINDING CONSTANT OF H14 CO−3 TO THE PHOTOSYSTEM II COMPLEX IN MAIZE CHLOROPLASTS: EFFECTS OF INHIBITORS AND LIGHT

— The binding (dissociation) constant for HCO−3 to the photosystem II complex in maize chloroplasts is approximately 80 μM. One HCO−3 binds per 500–600 chlorophyll molecules. In the dark, formate is a competitive inhibitor of HCO−3 binding, while 3-(3′,4′-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethylurea (DCMU) inhibits HCO−3 binding non-competitively. Light decreases HCO−3 binding in the presence of formate. Light increases the binding of HCO−3 in the presence of DCMU. The high binding constant for HCO, discriminates strongly among the various hypotheses attempting to explain the “bicarbonate-effect” on photosystem II. The proposal by Stemler and Jursinic (Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 221, 227–237 1983), that HCO−3 is one of a class of monovalent anionic inhibitors of photosystem II, is favored. These anions compete for a specific binding site on the photosystem II complex.
Prospects for indirect detection of neutralino dark matter

Dark matter candidates arising in models of particle physics incorporating weak scale supersymmetry may produce detectable signals through their annihilation into neutrinos, photons, or positrons. A large number of relevant experiments are planned or underway. The ``logically possible'' parameter space is unwieldy. By working in the framework of minimal supergravity, we can survey the implications of the experiments for each other, as well as for direct searches, collider searches, low-energy experiments, and naturalness in a transparent fashion. We find that a wide variety of experiments provide interesting probes. Particularly promising signals arise in the mixed gaugino-Higgsino region. This region is favored by low-energy particle physics constraints and arises naturally from minimal supergravity due to the focus point mechanism. Indirect dark matter searches and traditional particle searches are highly complementary. In cosmologically preferred models, if there are charged superpartners with masses below 250 GeV, then some signature of supersymmetry must appear before the CERN LHC begins operation.
Fast methods for simulation of biomolecule electrostatics

Computer simulation is an important tool for improving our understanding of biomolecule electrostatics, in part to aid in drug design. However, the numerical techniques used in these simulation tools do not exploit fast solver approaches widely used in analyzing integrated circuit interconnects. In this paper we describe one popular formulation used to analyze biomolecule electrostatics, present an integral formulation of the problem, and apply the precorrected-FFT method to accelerate the solution of the integral equations.
Using landscape analysis to assess and model tsunami damage in Aceh province, Sumatra

The nearly unprecedented loss of life resulting from the earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 2004, was greatest in the province of Aceh, Sumatra (Indonesia). We evaluated tsunami damage and built empirical vulnerability models of damage/no damage based on elevation, distance from shore, vegetation, and exposure. We found that highly predictive models are possible and that developed areas were far more likely to be damaged than forested zones. Modeling exercises such as this one, conducted in other vulnerable zones across the planet, would enable managers to create better warning and protection defenses, e.g., tree belts, against these destructive forces.
Para-aortic nodal irradiation: practical concerns for the radiation oncologist.

TO THE EDITOR: Gouy et al recently reported a prospective study in locally advanced cervical cancer in which patients with negative positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) of the para-aortic (PA) area underwent laparoscopic PA staging. The authors found a 12% false negative rate of PET/CT in the PA region. Prognostic factors of PA nodal involvement included the presence of pelvic uptake on PET/CT. The authors found that the rate of pathologically positive PA nodes was 9% in those with negative pelvic lymph nodes and 24% in those with positive pelvic nodes by PET/CT. These rates are similar to those from other published reports. The implication for the radiation oncologist is multifold. In patients who are found to have positive pelvic nodes on PET/CT and do not undergo surgical PA staging, the risk of PA nodal involvement is sufficiently high to warrant extended field radiation therapy. In addition, there appears to be a subset of those with negative pelvic nodes by PET/CT who harbor PA nodal disease and may be receiving insufficient treatment. To clarify some of the practical ramifications, we have several questions for the authors. First, In the subset of patients with negative pelvic lymph nodes and positive PA nodes, what was ithe distribution of size of the nodal metastases? In the entire cohort, the authors found that those with PA nodal metastases 5 mm had outcomes comparable to those without PA nodal disease. If the PA disease is primarily microscopic in the subset, perhaps it is reasonable to expect chemotherapy to sterilize this disease. Otherwise, perhaps treatment intensification is required in a subset of those with radiographically nodenegative disease. Second, we are interested to learn whether the authors could identify any subset of patients with positive pelvic nodes in whom PA nodal irradiation may be excluded. We hypothesize that in patients with few involved pelvic lymph nodes or with lower location of pelvic nodal disease (as compared with common iliac nodal involvement), the risk of positive PA disease may be lower. Such data is important for optimal treatment decision making in these patients until the results of prospective randomized studies clarifying the role of PA nodal staging are available.
Seasonal changes in plasma glucocorticosteroids of free-living female yellow-pine chipmunks: effects of reproduction and capture and handling.

We measured plasma levels of cortisol and corticosterone in female yellow-pine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus) while observing seasonal reproductive and life-history events by live-trapping a natural population during the active (nonhibernating) season. Both glucocorticosteroids (GCs) varied significantly from March through September, starting with minimal values at the time of mating (cortisol ∼900 ng/ml, corticosterone ∼50 ng/ml), rising to a peak by late lactation (cortisol ∼1600 ng/ml, corticosterone ∼175 ng/ml), and then declining prior to hibernation. Following their emergence from natal burrows, young of the year had GC levels indistinguishable from those of adults. Body mass also varied significantly over the season, increasing after mating and again after parturition to a peak in lactation, after which it declined steadily until hibernation. In addition to the use of standard trapping to describe seasonal hormonal patterns, we also trapped chipmunks using a special protocol to examine the effects of capture and handling on GCs; we obtained an initial (basal) blood sample immediately, within 1–3 min of observing a capture, and then a second sample 30 min after holding the animal in the trap. Chipmunks consistently increased GCs above the initial (basal) level during the 30 min after capture and initial handling; these significant increases in GCs ranged approximately 70–130% for cortisol and 50–190% for corticosterone, depending on season and reproductive state. GC levels at 30 min after capture and handling were similar to those obtained from samples drawn from our standard trapping and blood sampling. We conclude that although capture and handling increase the absolute level of plasma GC hormones, that effect does not obscure natural patterns of seasonal variation in GCs. Overall, our observations suggest an important role of adrenocortical activity in the energy balance of these free-living rodents in two different contexts: (1) the seasonal regulation of physiological state, including body mass, energy reserves, and reproductive function, and (2) an acute response to stimulatory events, encompassing physiological stress, as represented here by capture and handling.
The Evolution of New Teacher Induction Policy Support, Specificity, and Autonomy

This article analyzes the findings from a three-state study of teacher induction policy. It looks within and across Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin to explore the landscape and experience of teacher induction. Although the orientation and conception of each state’s policy is similar, the states represent three different structural approaches to induction policy. Based on interviews with state-level and urban district respondents and a review of relevant documents, this article explores the evolution of state-level induction policy and finds that states need to strike a balance between specificity and autonomy in crafting policy that supports effective and equitable induction policy.
Invited review: Effects of acute exercise and exercise training on insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance of skeletal muscle glucose transport is a key defect in the development of impaired glucose tolerance and Type 2 diabetes. It is well established that both an acute bout of exerc...
Here and There and Back Again: Drowning in the Stream of Commerce

The Supreme Court’s inability to establish a clear analytical path concerning personal jurisdiction in the stream-of-commerce context has confused lower courts and potential plaintiffs alike. The Court needs to adopt a clear stream-of-commerce analysis that is both consistent with its prior decisions and reflects the realities of the modern commercial world.In today’s global economy, a manufacturer’s specific intentional contact with an individual state is a rarity. However, it is easily foreseeable for a manufacturer’s product to travel from nation to nation, and from state to state. A manufacturer, with assistance from national or international marketing campaigns or through the Internet, can, therefore, easily turn entire nations into a single targeted market without giving a thought of addressing individual states.In view of these realities, the Court should create a clear process whereby proper personal jurisdiction involving potential defendants with a national market can be easily and predictably analyzed. Some commentators have proposed statutory solutions, while others have proposed the creation of a rebuttable presumption, with the burden on the out-of-forum defendant to show that it took affirmative steps to avoid the forum state when it placed its product into the stream of commerce.This article proposes a more balanced, and perhaps more elegant approach, to the stream-of-commerce conundrum, asserting that the Court should adopt a burden shifting approach. Analysis under this proposal would first require that a plaintiff seeking to hale a manufacturing defendant into court in a particular jurisdiction show that the defendant had engaged in a national marketing strategy without regard to state territorial borders. If this burden were met, then the burden would shift to the defendant that it took specific steps to avoid marketing and/or selling its product in the jurisdiction at issue.Part II of this article traces the historical development of the Court’s personal jurisdiction jurisprudence from the territorial limitations of Pennoyer to the breakdown of this analysis with the development of the modern mobile industrial state of the Twentieth Century. Part III then looks at the Court’s modern development of its personal jurisdiction analysis, beginning with its articulation of minimum contacts as a substitute for actual physical presence in International Shoe through its development of the split stream-of-commerce analysis presented in both World Wide Volkswagen and Asahi. Part IV looks at the J. McIntyre decision, the Court’s most recent effort to solve the stream-of-commerce conundrum created by its prior opinions. Part V examines various approaches taken by lower courts in light of the Court’s failure to resolve this conundrum. In the article’s conclusion, Part VI, the burden shifting approach outlined above is proposed.
Antiferromagnetic spin correlations and pseudogaplike behavior in Ca ( Fe 1 − x Co x ) 2 As 2 studied by As 75 nuclear magnetic resonance and anisotropic resistivity

We report $^{75}\mathrm{As}$ nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of single-crystalline $\mathrm{Ca}{({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Co}}_{x})}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ ($x=0.023$, 0.028, 0.033, and 0.059) annealed at $350{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$ for 7 days. From the observation of a characteristic shape of $^{75}\mathrm{As}$ NMR spectra in the stripe-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) state, as in the case of $x=0$ (${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=170$ K), clear evidence for the commensurate AFM phase transition with the concomitant structural phase transition is observed in $x=0.023$ (${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=106$ K) and $x=0.028$ (${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=53$ K). Through the temperature dependence of the Knight shifts and the nuclear spin lattice relaxation rates ($1/{T}_{1}$), although stripe-type AFM spin fluctuations are realized in the paramagnetic state as in the case of other iron pnictide superconductors, we found a gradual decrease of the AFM spin fluctuations below a crossover temperature ${T}^{*}$ that was nearly independent of Co-substitution concentration, and it is attributed to a pseudogaplike behavior in the spin excitation spectra of these systems. The ${T}^{*}$ feature finds correlation with features in the temperature-dependent interplane resistivity, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{c}(T)$, but not with the in-plane resistivity ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{a}(T)$. The temperature evolution of anisotropic stripe-type AFM spin fluctuations is tracked in the paramagnetic and pseudogap phases by the $1/{T}_{1}$ data measured under magnetic fields parallel and perpendicular to the $c$ axis. Based on our NMR data, we have added a pseudogaplike phase to the magnetic and electronic phase diagram of $\mathrm{Ca}{({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Co}}_{x})}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$.
Consumer Protection and Managed Care: Issues, Reform Proposals, and Trade-Offs

This article examines the problems consumers face in managed care organizations and analyzes the emerging legal approaches to consumer protection in state legislation. It reviews the main problems consumers face in other contexts, and the legal and economic tools used to protect them and compares these to consumer problems and remedies in managed care.