cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of whole life exposure to Bisphenol A or 17α-ethinyl estradiol in uterus of nulligravida CD1 mice

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) with known estrogenic activity. Exposure to BPA in adult mice was shown previously to increase uterine pathology with associated alterations in the immune response and fibrosis. Reported here are uterine histopathology findings from CD1 mice exposed to BPA or 17α-ethinyl estradiol at multiple doses from conception through postnatal day 90. Along with uterine pathology, impacts of exposure on collagen accumulation and F4/80 positive macrophage numbers, as an indicator of immune response in the endometrium and myometrium, are presented. These companion data are from offspring (F1) of the dams analyzed for effects of adult exposures published in the Reproductive Toxicology manuscript titled “Strain-Specific Induction of Endometrial Periglandular Fibrosis in Mice Exposed during Adulthood to the Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Bisphenol A” (doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2015.08.001).
Taking stock of Turing test: a review, analysis, and appraisal of issues surrounding thinking machines

The Turing test (TT) has provided the inspiration for the inception and rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) as a discipline. Additionally, it provided a platform for what might be termed a spirited, enduring, and enlightening--albeit occasionally frustrating-- rounds of debate on a broad range of questions. Turing, who proved to be much ahead of his time in more ways than one, predicted that it would be possible to develop machines capable of passing the TT in about 50 years time, that is just about now. Perhaps, Turing overestimated the rate of progress of technology, or of transformation of deeply entrenched paradigms of thought; but whatever the reason, his prediction about the feasibility of "thinking machines" is yet to come true in an engineering or in a symbolic-semantic sense. This paper presents a set of reflections on this and other predictions made by Turing and relates them to what has actually transpired in the 50 years since his original paper was published. Contributions of TT to the field of AI are assessed and directions for the future are presented.
Template for robust soft-body crawling with reflex-triggered gripping

Caterpillars show a remarkable ability to get around in complex environments (e.g. tree branches). Part of this is attributable to crochets which allow the animal to firmly attach to a wide range of substrates. This introduces an additional challenge to locomotion, however, as the caterpillar needs a way to coordinate the release of the crochets and the activation of muscles to adjust body posture. Typical control models have focused on global coordination through a central pattern generator (CPG). This paper develops an alternative to the CPG, which accomplishes the same task and is robust to a wide range of body properties and control parameter variation. A one-dimensional model is proposed which consists of lumped masses connected by a network of springs, dampers and muscles. Computer simulations of the controller/model system are performed to verify its robustness and to permit comparison between the generated gaits and those observed in real caterpillars (specifically Manduca sexta.).
How self‐relevant imagination affects memory for behaviour

Research has demonstrated that imagination can be used to affect behaviour and also to distort memory, yet few studies have examined whether the effects of imagination on behavioural estimates and memory are related. In two experiments, the effects of imagination on self-reported behaviour and subsequent memory for that behaviour were investigated. A comparison of behavioural estimates collected before and after imagination demonstrated that reported estimates of behaviour changed after imagination. In addition, memory for the original estimates of behaviour was also affected, suggesting that imagination may impair one's ability to remember originally reported behaviour. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the observed changes in reported behaviour were accompanied by the largest errors in memory for originally reported behaviour when participants generate images based on self-relevant scenarios. On the other hand, memory distortion was minimized when participants read but did not imagine self-relevant scenarios. These results have direct application to clinicians and researchers who employ imagination techniques as behavioural modifiers, and suggest that techniques that are self-relevant but do not include imagery may be a useful alternative to imagination. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The voice of the fishermen of the Gulf of Honduras: Improving regional fisheries management through fisher participation

Abstract Small-scale fisheries contribute to economies and food security of most of the world's rural-poor coastal communities but are poorly documented in national and regional catch statistics. As a result, management of marine commons is inherently biased towards short-term interests of industrial fleets, rather than the long-term maintenance of coastal ecosystem health. Artisanal fishers’ knowledge can provide practical information for management, and when shared, can help build trust between fishers and managers. However, until recently, very few studies designed to support fisheries management have incorporated fishers’ knowledge. This study was designed to characterize the geography of fishing in the Gulf of Honduras (GOH), shared by Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, from the perspective of artisanal fishers. Data were compiled from semi-formal interviews with key informants, community meetings, mapping exercises, workshops with fishers in the GOH during 1998–1999, and participant observations through July 2011. Data were used to document fishery landings, status and trends in marine resources, the spatial and the temporal dynamic geography of fishing, and fishers’ suggestions for improved conservation and management. Many of these suggestions have been implemented in the GOH between 1999 and 2011. This study offers a practical methodology that can be used in other artisanal, data-sparse fishing areas to document the geography of fishing, increase the participation of fishers in management, and lead to better participatory, ecosystem-based management.
Crustacean-insect relationships: the use of brain characters to derive phylogeny amongst segmented invertebrates.

Conserved neural characters identified in the brains of a variety of segmented invertebrates and outgroups have been used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships. The analysis suggests that insects
Sialated diazeniumdiolate: a new sialidase-activated nitric oxide donor.

A new sialated diazeniumdiolate has been synthesized, and the glycosylation product was exclusively an α anomer. This new nitric oxide donor exhibited significantly improved stability as compared t...
Analyzing the effectiveness of quality management practices in China

Abstract This study examines the effectiveness of different quality management practices in firms operating in China. Following March's framework, quality management practices are organized by two orientations—exploration vs. exploitation. We investigate whether exploitative-oriented quality practices are more effective than exploratory-oriented quality practices or vice versa in China. Data were collected from quality managers of companies located in seven areas in China. Structural equation models were used to assess the effectiveness of explorative quality practices and exploitative quality practices on multiple performance dimensions. Overall, exploratory-oriented practices contribute more towards most of performance goals than exploitative-oriented practices. We further explain the research findings from the national culture perspective in the sense that the current Chinese national culture profile is dramatically different from the traditional wisdom, particularly in power distance. The results provide an insightful guideline for quality managers to allocate scarce resources to make quality practices more effective in operations sites in China. It offers a new focus of launching quality management practices in a specific cultural environment.
The use of bacteriophage T4 as a set of molecular weight and isoelectric point markers for two‐dimensional electrophoresis

We have studied the use of bacteriophage T4 coat proteins as a complete set of molecular weight and isoelectric point markers for two-dimensional electrophoresis. We present data which support the feasibility of this approach. The potential utility and advantages of this concept are discussed.
SAMHD1 Restricts HIV-1 Replication and Regulates Interferon Production in Mouse Myeloid Cells

SAMHD1 restricts the replication of HIV-1 and other retroviruses in human myeloid and resting CD4+ T cells and that is counteracted in SIV and HIV-2 by the Vpx accessory protein. The protein is a phosphohydrolase that lowers the concentration of deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTP), blocking reverse transcription of the viral RNA genome. Polymorphisms in the gene encoding SAMHD1 are associated with Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by increased type-I interferon production. SAMHD1 is conserved in mammals but its role in restricting virus replication and controlling interferon production in non-primate species is not well understood. We show that SAMHD1 is catalytically active and expressed at high levels in mouse spleen, lymph nodes, thymus and lung. siRNA knock-down of SAMHD1 in bone marrow-derived macrophages increased their susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. shRNA knock-down of SAMHD1 in the murine monocytic cell-line RAW264.7 increased its susceptibility to HIV-1 and murine leukemia virus and increased the levels of the dNTP pool. In addition, SAMHD1 knock-down in RAW264.7 cells induced the production of type-I interferon and several interferon-stimulated genes, modeling the situation in Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome. Our findings suggest that the role of SAMHD1 in restricting viruses is conserved in the mouse. The RAW264.7 cell-line serves as a useful tool to study the antiviral and innate immune response functions of SAMHD1.
Consilience Within the Biopsychosocial System

It was a sobering experience reading these commentaries, as their authors are all very smart people who raise difficult issues for and criticisms of the Multilevel Personality in Context (MPIC) mod...
Acknowledging One's Stigma in the Interview Setting: Effective Strategy or Liability?'

The current research examines how members of stigmatized groups remediate hiring biases by adopting the strategy of directly acknowledging their stigmatizing condition within the interview context. In the first study, 125 participants responded to a videotaped interview involving an obese or physically disabled job applicant who either did or did not acknowledge a stigma. In the second study, 87 participants responded to scenarios that manipulated type of stigma, controllability of its onset, and acknowledgment. Results across both experiments reveal that applicants who did not acknowledge their obesity or physical disability in an employment context were not viewed differently from each other. However, if applicants did acknowledge, the perceived controllability of the stigmas strongly influenced how they would be perceived.
Coherence and chaos in the driven, damped sine-Gordon chain

Representative example of preliminary numerical results are presented for solutions of the deterministic sine-Gordon equation under the influence of damping and a sinusoidal uniform driving force. Depending on the choice of (inhomogeneous) initial conditions and values of the amplitude and frequency of the driving force, we find a great variety of possible responses, including: (i) permanent spatial structures riding on an overall background motion which can be temporally chaotic or not, (ii) intermittent transitions between at least two metastable spatial structures which are typically a localized breather-like structure and an extended wave train, in the presence of temporal chaos or not and with large- or small-amplitude background motion. For some parameter values, we find very similar power spectra for different initial conditions, while other cases show considerable dependence on initial conditions. Both the spatial and temporal behavior of the response can exhibit extreme sensitivity to small changes in the parameters.
Fabry-Pérot interferometer with disorder: Light localization and correlations.

We study theoretically the multiple-scattering effects in an optical Fabry-P\'erot interferometer containing random elastic scatterers (and its electronic equivalent of a disordered double-barrier resonant-tunneling device). We find that coherent multiple scattering plays a crucial role in determining the transmission behavior in such a geometry. Apart from broadened resonant peaks which depend separately on the incoming- and outgoing-wave directions, we find an enhanced narrow transmission peak due to weak localization in the mirror direction, whose height is exactly a factor of 2. We also find interesting correlation effects between the incomingan intensity to the motion of a single impurity, characteristic of multiple scattering in two dimensions.
SMALL GROUP BEHAVIORAL TRAINING TO IMPROVE THE JOB INTERVIEW SKILLS REPERTOIRE OF MILDLY RETARDED ADOLESCENTS

Four retarded adolescents, enrolled in a short-term residential treatment program, received behavioral job interview skills training. Although potentially employable, each was unable to present himself effectively in standard employment interviews. Treatment consisted of a series of behavioral group sessions using instructions, modeling and rehearsal procedures to increase, in multiple baseline fashion, such skills as the adolescents' ability to disclose positive information about their experience and background, convey interest in the position and direct relevant questions to an interviewer. Effectiveness of treatment for each client was assessed by: (1) Objective ratings of performance during individual, structured role-play job interviews following each treatment group; (2) objective ratings of pre- and posttraining performance during tape recorded in vivo generalization job interviews at a fast-food restaurant; and (3) global evaluations of pre- and posttraining in vivo generalization interviews made by experienced personnel interviewers unfamiliar with the nature of the treatment. The results indicated that potentially employable retarded citizens can be successfully taught appropriate job interview behavior using a small group behavioral procedure. The need for such techniques in community and rehabilitation centers for retarded citizens and other clinical populations is discussed.
Evidence for xylosyl lipids as intermediates in xylosyl transfers in hen oviduct membranes.

Abstract Hen oviduct membranes catalyze the transfer of xylose-[ 14 C] from UDP-xylose-[ 14 C] into a xylosyl lipid; a product tentatively identified as an oligosaccharide lipid; and glycoprotein(s). The synthesis of the xylosyl lipid is stimulated by exogenous dolichol phosphate. This finding, along with studies on the chemical properties of the xylosyl lipid, suggests that it has the structure xylosyl phosphoryl polyisoprenol. When exogenous, partially purified [ 14 C]-xylosyl lipid is incubated with the membrane preparation, label is found in the oligosaccharide lipid and in glycoprotein(s).
Pottery Classification and Cultural Models in Southern New England Prehistory

Pottery is a major component of many prehistoric sites in northeastern North America. In southern New England, it appears to be the primary means by which archaeologists may establish finely delineated regional cultural sequences. Yet there are few comprehensive pottery studies from the region. Major reasons include controversies over the appropriate classification system and the utility of limited contextual materials. Recent research in Connecticut indicates that a combination of attribute analysis and typology provides maximum information in the reconstruction of cultural histories and processes, facilitates inter-site comparisons, and eliminates the need for re-analysis of collections. Application of the attribute/type method provides data that support and expand the Windsor ceramic sequences formulated by Rouse (1947) and Smith (1950) and suggests a gradual transition in material cultural change rather than the model of abrupt, periodic replacements that has often been used to explain cultural sequen...
Synthesis, Characterization, and Electronic Structures of a Series of Two-Dimensional Trimetallic Cluster Complexes, Ru3(CO)9(μ-SnPh2)3[Pt(PBut3)]x, x = 0−3

The triruthenium-tritin cluster complex, Ru3(CO)9(μ-SnPh2)3, 13 was obtained from the reaction of Ru3(CO)12 with Ph3SnH. Compound 13 reacts with Pt(PBut3)2 to yield three new Pt(PBut3) adducts of 13 Ru3(CO)9(μ-SnPh2)3[Pt(PBut3)]x, 14−16 x = 1 − 3 formed by the addition of Pt(PBut3) groups to the Ru−Sn bonds. The new complexes form a novel series of trimetallic complexes having planar arrangements of the metal atoms. The UV−vis absorptions of the four complexes shift progressively to longer wavelengths as the number of platinum atoms is added to the cluster. The electronic structures of these complexes have been investigated in the ground and excited states by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory, and this has provided a detailed understanding of the metal−metal bonding and electronic transitions that are responsible for their UV−vis absorption properties. The predicted absorption maximum for the model structures for 13, 14, 15, and 16 at 465, 508, 556, and 585 nm differ o...
Secondary Causes of Hypertension

Secondary hypertension is the presence of a specific condition known to cause hypertension, which may be the primary cause or a contributing factor in a patient who already has primary hypertension. Although uncommon, it may cause major morbidity for a subset of patients. This article provides an overview of the range of secondary causes, including key clinical features and appropriate diagnostic and treatment options. Selection of patients for testing should incorporate historical and clinical clues, previous treatment course, and comorbidities. Decisions regarding the extent of secondary evaluation require consideration of the likelihood of diagnosis, the patient's overall health status and prognosis, and balancing the risks of intervention against the risks of missing a diagnosis. Referral is advised when these risks seem prohibitive or if there are questions regarding the selection of the most optimal studies or the extent of intervention to pursue when blood pressure remains uncontrolled.
Farm-scale evaluation of ozonation for mitigating ammonia concentrations in broiler houses.

Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of in-house ozonation within the public health standard limit (0.1 parts per million [ppm]) for mitigating ammonia (NH3) concentrations inside commercial broiler houses. The project was conducted in four identical tunnel-ventilated houses. Two houses served as treatment and the other two served as control units. The experiment was replicated in five consecutive flocks. Except for ozonation treatment, all other operational parameters including feed, broiler strain, age and number of broilers, and ventilation system were the same among four houses. NH3 and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the treatment and control houses were measured for a minimum of 48 hr/week throughout the five flocks of 8 or 9 weeks each. The gas measurements were conducted using portable multigas units (PMUs). House temperatures were recorded with data loggers in each flock. Comparison of temperatures and CO2 concentrations among houses indicated no significant differences in venti...
Effects of contralateral superior laryngeal nerve stimulation on dorsal medullary inspiratory neurons

Abstract The effects of superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) stimulation on phrenic (PHR) nerve activity and on activity of dorsal respiratory group (DRG) inspiratory (I) neurons contralateral to the stimulus were examined in decerebrate, paralyzed cats. Stimulation caused bilateral PHR suppression followed by recovery at ca. 30 ms. Most DRG neurons (70%) contralateral to the stimulus were inhibited, but average onset of inhibition lagged that of PHR suppression. This contrasts sharply with the observation in an earlier study that inhibition of ipsilateral I neurons on the average preceded PHR suppression. The remaining neurons (30%) were not inhibited. Only 22% of contralateral neurons were excited by SLN stimulation, in contrast to 52% of ipsilateral neurons. Thus, contralateral DRG I neurons do not mediate the onset of bilateral PHR suppression by SLN stimulation and the probably inhibited through a longer pathway than that for the ipsilateral unit responses.
Prograde and Retrograde Waves in Sunspot Eruption Patterns with Longitudinal Velocities of ̃30 75 m s -1

Sunspots are discrete objects in the background magnetic activity on the Sun. Their individual proper motions are partially influenced by both the differential rotation of the Sun’s outer envelope and the meridional flows toward the equator and poles, but their collective behavior is more complex, suggesting other forces at work. Previous examinations of long-term sunspot patterns revealed longitudinal clusters (nests) with apparent stability over a few Carrington rotations (CRs) but with drifts, 180° shifts, and apparent standing-wave patterns over longer periods. Evidence is presented in this report that slowly moving prograde and retrograde waves characterize the eruption patterns of sunspot groups over a several-year period in the middle of each 11-year sunspot cycle. Making use of modified stackplots with the dimensions of longitude and time, the sunspot eruptions that occur in both hemispheres within the same windows of latitude, longitude, and CR are selected for examination. A convolution method, based on an adaptive function, is developed to enhance and display the trajectories occurring through space and time. Examples are provided from different solar cycles to demonstrate the general nature of the phenomenon. A linear relationship is observed between wave velocity and maximum magnitude of the sunspot index of the past 12 solar cycles. Overall, the trajectories suggest longitudinal traveling waves that appear to interact in a manner similar to solitons, suggesting that they originate from nonlinear dynamics affecting the appearance of flux tubes at the solar surface. These bidirectional traveling waves, and their collisions, also explain the recently described evidence for standing waves observed in surface spherical harmonic analysis of sunspot patterns.
A Markov Chain Monte Carlo Algorithm for Approximating Exact Conditional Probabilities

Conditional inference eliminates nuisance parameters by conditioning on their sufficient statistics. For contingency tables conditional inference entails enumerating all tables with the same sufficient statistics as the observed data. For moderately sized tables and/or complex models, the computing time to enumerate these tables is often prohibitive. Monte Carlo approximations offer a viable alternative provided it is possible to obtain samples from the correct conditional distribution. This article presents an MCMC extension of the importance sampling algorithm, using a rounded normal candidate to update randomly chosen cells while leaving the remainder of the table fixed. This local approximation can greatly increase the efficiency of the rounded normal candidate. By choosing the number of cells to be updated at random, a balance is struck between dependency in the Markov chain and accuracy of the candidate.
THE INFLUENCE OF MELTING CONDITION ON THE RADIATION SENSITIVITY OF GeO2 GLASS

Effects of the fusion temperature and cooling rate on the concentration of the E1 centers in GeO2 glass are studied using EPR and optical methods.
Effects of root-feeding nematodes on aboveground net primary production in a North American grassland

The impact of nematode consumption on aboveground net primary production (ANPP) was addressed by treating two areas of mixed-grass prairie with the nematicide carbofuran. Monthly assessments of shoot biomass and nematode populations were made from each treated and control site for two growing seasons. Seasonal mean density of root-feeding nematodes was reduced approximately 82% by carbofuran. ANPP was significantly greater in the treated plots for both seasons in Site 1 but only for the second year in Site 2. Increases in ANPP averaged 51% in Site 1 and 26% in Site 2. It was estimated that root-feeding nematodes reduced ANPP by 16 times more than they consumed.
Sensation seeking, exposure to psychosocial stressors, and body modifications in a college population

Abstract A sample of 281 (females=160) college students with body modifications completed a demographics questionnaire, questions about body modification practices, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS-V; Zuckerman, 1994), the Impulsivity subscale of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ; Zuckerman, Kuhlman, Joireman, Teta, & Kraft, 1993), and a selected portion of the History of Psychosocial Stressors (HPS; Scotti, 1992, 1999). Gender differences were found on the number of body modifications and when they were first obtained. In general, males with tattoos and piercings had higher scores than females on subscales of the SSS-V. Females with piercings and tattoos had higher scores on the Impulsive Sensation Seeking subscale of the ZKPQ. No gender differences were found when participants were asked if he/she would obtain another body modification or if his/her friends had a body modification. Gender and sensation seeking preference were predictive of number of tattoos but not number of piercings. Exposure with psychosocial stressors was predictive of number of piercings but not number of tattoos. These results suggest that sensation seeking preferences and exposure to a psychosocial stressor may be associated with obtaining a body modification in some college students.
Identification of the pheromone of the Comstock mealybug

Abstract The Comstock mealybug, Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuwana) is a tiny insect that is a serious agricultural pest of citrus, pomegranates, and other fruit in California and elsewhere throughout the world. The fungus that forms on the insect secretions causes severe smutting and results in economic losses to fruit growers. The female insects emit a sex pheromone that attracts males, and traps containing live females have been used to detect infestations. This pheromone has now been isolated from volatiles trapped from an air stream passed over the insects. The identification as 2, 6-dimethyl-1, 5-heptadien-3-ol acetate was made on the basis of chromatographic and spectroscopic data of the natural material and its derivatives. This is the first pheromone identified from the mealybug family and its norterpene (9-carbon) skeleton is uncommon among insect pheromones. The compound was synthesized and shown to be highly attractive in field bioassay at concentrations as low as 0.2 μg per trap.
APPLICATIONS OF FUZZY SET THEORY TO IMAGE SCIENCES

The concept of a fuzzy set has been applied to human cognition, communication, decision making, economics, engineering systems analysis, control, and other areas. In the area of pattern description, a house, a house with high roof, and a church are used as illustrative examples. Other illustrative examples include leukocytes, chromosomes, faces, pancreas, geometric figures, and other patterns. In the area of pattern classification and recognition, a chromosome image can be classified as an „approximate median chromosome,” „approximate submedian chromosome,” or „approximate acrocentric chromosome.” In the area of pattern storage, effective ways to store geometric figures and chromosome images so that fuzzy queries can be answered efficiently are presented. In the area of pattern retrieval, how to answer triangle related fuzzy queries such as „retrieve the triangles which are very similar to isosceles triangles but not similar to given triangle,” and chromosome related fuzzy queries such as „retrieve the ch...
Quantum wave packets on Kepler elliptic orbits

Wave-packet solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation for the Coulomb potential are obtained that travel along classical elliptic orbits of fixed mean eccentricity and angular momentum. These wave packets are coherent states that have minimal quantum fluctuations in the noncommuting components of the Lenz vector in the plane of the orbit. For large quantum numbers the asymptotic form of the wave packet and the classical equations of the orbit are obtained analytically.
Great rehabilitation and great physical bodies allow professional athletes undergoing lumbar discectomy to return to sport at a high rate

COMMENTARY ON Hsu WK, McCarthy KJ, Savage JW, et al. The Professional Athlete Spine Initiative: outcomes after lumbar disc herniation in 342 elite professional athletes. Spine J 2011:11:180–6 ( in this issue ).
Development of a “Realistic” Model of the Dynamic Chromatin Fiber using an Integrated Computational Approach

DNA in eukaryotic cells is highly compacted into a hierarchical chromatin structure to fit inside the nucleus. Linker histones play an important role in this packing. Their interaction with the nucleosomes and intervening DNA linkers, in combination with linker length, are believed to affect chromatin folding and long-range interactions. The details of chromatin structure at this level of compaction are still an open question but have profound implications on biological processes, such as gene expression. Two major challenges are that linker histones contain a long intrinsically disordered C-terminal domain (CTD) and determination of high-resolution structures of chromatin has not been possible due to the large size of the system and its dynamic nature.We are taking advantage of the recently published 11-A resolution electron microscopy maps of two chromatin fibers (Song et al., 2014), to construct a complete low-resolution model of chromatin. High-resolution crystal structures of nucleosome core particles are fitted to the electron density maps and the intervening segments of linker DNA are modeled based on a sampling protocol that utilizes new DNA optimization methods. Situs is used to score all models against the density maps. Linker histones are modeled on the densities extracted after accounting for the nucleosomes and linker DNA. The modeled paths of the DNA linkers and the sites of the nucleosomes provide spatial constraints for positioning the globular core and modeling the folding of the disordered CTD of the linker histone. The pathways of the CTD are selected from ensembles of conformations obtained using ab initio structure prediction tools like Rosetta. We are using the model in coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulations of long-range interactions along arrays of precisely positioned nucleosomes in the presence of linker histones.
Mussolini and his Generals: The Armed Forces and Fascist Foreign Policy, 1922–1940 – By John Gooch

Some leaders bluff their way through the diplomatic thicket and, through gullibility, stupidity, or a desire to believe, other nations accept their exaggerated estimates. When they do, bad things e...
Chylothorax in Gorham's syndrome : a common complication of a rare disease

One hundred forty-six cases of Gorham's syndrome are documented in the literature. Twenty-five (17 percent) patients have been reported to have chylothorax as a complication. To our knowledge, this high incidence of chylothorax has not been reported previously. We describe two such patients treated by thoracic duct ligation and compared our results with others to support early surgical intervention via a low right-sided thoracotomy in these cases.
Type a Behavior, Family Health History, and Psychological Distress:

This study examined the relationship between Type A behavior and family health history to psychological distress in the face of daily life stress. Measures of stress, Type A behavior, family health...
Restoration of estrogen-dependent progesterone receptor expression in a uterine myocyte cell line

Although the in vivo effect of estrogen on myometrial differentiation is well documented, estrogen effects on primary myocytes in vitro have been difficult to demonstrate. To construct a stable uterine myocyte system, capable of direct estrogen responsiveness, we used a transformed hamster myometrial cell line. Since these cells expressed a low level of estrogen receptors (ERs), we have stably transfected them with a vector for the human ER. After transfection, ER concentration increased from less than 300 sites per cell to 17,000 +/- 2,000 sites per cell (mean +/- SEM). To test the functional integrity of the transfected receptors, a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene linked to an estrogen response element upstream of thymidine kinase promoter was transiently transfected, and the amount of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity, an indicator of estrogen responsiveness, was found to increase 20-fold in response to 17 beta-estradiol (1 nM for 48 h). Furthermore, we tested the ability of estrogen to...
Reflective Analysis of Student Learning in a Sophomore Engineering Course

Student learning in a specific sophomore engineering course was analyzed using a variety of learning theory explanations. Bimodal grade distributions were observed in most of the examinations. The following theories were applied to these results: knowledge structure, Piaget's concrete and formal operational stages, Myers-Briggs intuitive versus sensing, Perry's model of college student development, and deep versus shallow approaches to learning. The deep versus shallow approach to learning theory appears to best explain the results. Problem solving approaches are reviewed in light of the results obtained. Suggestions for improving the course are made, and compared to the results obtained when the course was re-taught. This analysis serves as both an example of application of learning theories and as a review of these theories.
Immunoaffinity capillary electrophoresis: A new versatile tool for determining protein biomarkers in inflammatory processes†

Many diseases caused by inflammatory processes can progress to a chronic state causing deterioration in the quality of life and a poor prognosis for long-term survival. To address inflammatory diseases effectively, early detection and novel therapeutics are required. However, this can be challenging, in part because of the lack of early predictive biomarkers and the limited availability of adequate technologies capable of the identification/characterization of key predictive biomarkers present in biological materials, especially those found at picomolar concentrations and below. This review highlights the need for state-of-the art methodologies, with high-sensitivity and high-throughput capabilities, for determination of multiple biomarkers. Although many new biomarkers have been discovered recently, existing technology has failed to successfully bring this advancement to the patient's bedside. We present an overview of the various advances available today to extend the discovery of predictive biomarkers of inflammatory diseases; in particular, we review the technology of immunoaffinity capillary electrophoresis (IACE), which combines the use of antibodies as highly selective capture agents with the high resolving power of capillary electrophoresis. This two-dimensional hybrid technology permits the quantification and characterization of several protein biomarkers simultaneously, including subtle structural changes such as variants, isoforms, peptide fragments, and post-translational modifications. Furthermore, the results are rapid, sensitive, can be performed at a relatively low cost, without the introduction of false positive or false negative data. The IACE instrumentation can have relevance to medical, pharmaceutical, environmental, military, cultural heritage (authenticity of art work), forensic science, industrial and research fields, and in particular as a point-of-care biomarker analyzer in translational medicine.
Increasing seat belt use: Two field experiments to test engineering-based behavioral interventions

This paper presents separate field experiments. The studies assessed engineering-based behavioral interventions to increase the frequency of drivers' seat belt use. In Experiment 1, we instrumented a large portion of a commercial fleet with a seat belt gearshift interlock system. This system prevented drivers from engaging their transmissions unless they were buckled. The goals of Experiment 1 were to measure the change in belt use from a baseline period averaging about three months to an intervention period ranging one to three months and to assess the drivers' acceptance of the system at the beginning, middle, and end of the intervention. The results indicated a significant increase in seat belt use from 81% to 96%, but ratings of driver acceptance were low, indicating poor acceptance. In Experiment 2, we evaluated a system that applied a counterforce that pushed against the accelerator pedal of unbelted drivers when vehicle speed exceeded 20 mile per hour (mph). Unbelted drivers could continue to drive and exceed 20mph by pressing harder than the counterforce but doing so required focused attention and physical effort. The results of Experiment 2 indicated that belt use increased from 56.2% during baseline to 99.74% during the intervention. Driver acceptance ratings were favorable. Taken together, the experiments indicate that such engineering-based behavioral interventions have considerable promise in terms of increasing seat belt use, but each faces challenges to becoming viable countermeasures. The challenges associated with the interlock appear to be attitudinal in nature on the part of the drivers, whereas those associated with the counterforce system are technical matters involving fitment of the hardware across different makes and models.
THE ELECTORAL CONSEQUENCES OF COALITION BEHAVIOR

This paper is an examination of the possibility that electoral punishment for a party's choice of coalitions does exist. Previous writings have inferred that this is not the case. It has been an assumption that voters forget their parties' transgressions. This frees the party leadership to negotiate in the coalition bargaining process without regard to the previous election's outcome. However, while punishment may not take place in all cases, it does appear to occur in some. According to the election results taken from elections following the postwar “Grand Coalitions,” it would appear that the leaders of small, lefrist parties have something to worry about. They are not free to bargain without paying heed to their supporters. it is therefore unlikely that they are unaware of their constrained position, given the party leadership's understandable desire to maintain a respectable presence in the next election cycle.
The use of nitrocellulose filters to study DNA binding proteins in crude cell lysates: Effect of competing DNA

A nitrocellulose-filter-binding assay system for DNA-protein interactions, suitable for use with crude cell lysates, is described. Such an assay system will detect DNA-binding activities, provided that close attention is paid to the overall concentration of proteins and DNA in the reaction system. The extent of the reduction of generalized DNA-binding by the addition of unlabeled competing DNA is shown to be a function of the source of the competing DNA, since the addition of equal quantities of DNA isolated from different organisms produces drastically different effects. A careful choice of labeled and unlabeled DNA permits preferential binding of sequences from labeled DNA and allows the use of the filter-binding assay as an analytical tool during protein purification.
Social group fission and the origin of intergroup genetic differentiation among the rhesus monkeys of Cayo Santiago

The serum transferrin locus is used to investigate the roles of the lineal effect of fission, male migration effect of fission, and genetic drift in causing intergroup genetic differentiation among the rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago. These three mechanisms prove sufficient to explain the degrees of differentiation between the newly formed social groups A, K, and L as of July 1, 1971. The lineal effect of fission provides a baseline of intergroup differentiation which is altered by forces leading to intragroup genetic change, the male migration effect and genetic drift. The importance of population dynamics for the distribution of alleles among subgroups of a population is recognized.
LOW-ENERGY THEOREM FOR PION PHOTOPRODUCTION FROM THE HYPOTHESIS OF PARTIALLY CONSERVED AXIAL-VECTOR CURRENT.

By using gauge invariance and the hypothesis of partially conserved axial-vector current, the pion-photoproduction amplitude at threshold is calculated to all orders in strong interactions neglecting terms of order ${(\frac{{m}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}{{M}_{N}})}^{2}$ but including terms of order $\frac{{m}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}{{M}_{N}}$. The calculated cross section is consistent with experimental results for charged-pion photoproduction near threshold.
Nutritional counseling for middle class gravidas.

Questionnaires concerning nutrition during pregnancy were sent to 200 consecutive middle class obstetric patients whose newborns weighed in excess of 8 pounds; 135 responded. Responses indicated that these mothers generally received only superficial prenatal nutrition counseling; they attempted to control their weight at all times, whether pregnant or not; and they consumed protein in excess of the recommended dietary allowance daring pregnancy. No correlation between dietary habits and the variations in birthweight over8 pounds among these women was noted.
Temperature-Sensitive Mutants of Influenza Virus. III. Further Characterization of the ts-1[E] Influenza A Recombinant (H3N2) Virus in Man

The potential of live, attenuated influenza A virus vaccine strain (ts-1[E]) to safely evoke immunity in man was studied. Virus grown in eggs, like virus grown in bovine kidney culture, exhibited an acceptable balance between attenuation and immunogenicity. The attenuation of this virus was evident by its large 50% infectious dose for man (105 TCID-,) and by the failure of a large quantity of virus (107 TCID-,) to cause influenzal illness. The ts-1[E] virus replicated well in the nasopharynx and was genetically stable in man. Moderate levels of neutralizing antibodies were induced in serum and nasal wash, and there was a suggestion that the latter antibody was associated with resistance to wild-type influenza A virus. However, the ts-1[E] virus was a poor stimulator of antibody to neuraminidase. Overall the pattern of infection produced by the ts-l[E] recombinant virus was comparable to that seen with wild-type virus but was of shorter duration and lesser magnitude. These features make the ts-1[E] virus suitable for use as a live influenza A vaccine in man.
Use of β-Agonists in inhalation injury

Damage to the pulmonary parenchyma from smoke represents a second cause of inhalation injury. To date, the treatment of lung injury due to smoke has been largely supportive in nature. Patients are intubated, placed on mechanical ventilation, and maintained on support until pulmonary status improves, permanent airway access obtained, or the patient dies. Given that the insult associated with inhalation injury causes direct pulmonary damage and that the lungs have the ability of absorb drugs, the use of inhaled therapies for inhalation injury is appealing. The goal of this chapter is to describe the potential role of inhalation therapies in the treatment of smoke inhalation injury.
As I See It: A Study of African American Pastors’ Views on Health and Health Education in the Black Church

The Black Church is the only institution that has consistently served the interest of African Americans, and there is no other institution in the African American community that rivals its influence (Camara, 2004). The spiritual well-fare, social support, health, and well-being of its people have been one of its main goals. With health disparities of African Americans still at an alarming rate, the Black Church has used informal education as a means to impart knowledge on health, as well as other non-religious and religious topics. One of the avenues least researched within the Black Church is the pastor’s perception of its educational role in health and wellness and its efforts to reduce health discrimination and health disparities between African American and European Americans in the U.S. Since social justice appears as a theme and concern in the traditions of many churches, it is only appropriate that, among other things, the Black Church should address the issue of health education and interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore African American pastors’ perceptions of the role of the Black Church in providing health care, health education, and wellness opportunities to African Americans. Many pastors reported their church provided some form of health education and/or health screenings. Their perceptions about the important issues facing their congregants versus African Americans in general were quite similar.
Isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains that do not produce Shiga toxin from bovine, avian and environmental sources.

Aims: To determine the potential for naturally occurring Shiga toxin-negative Escherichia coli O157 to acquire stx2 genes. Methods and Results: Multiple E. coli O157:H7 isolates positive for eae and ehxA, but not for stx genes, were isolated from cattle, water trough sediment, animal bedding and wild bird sources on several Ohio dairy farms. These isolates were experimentally lysogenized by stx2-converting bacteriophage. Conclusions: Shiga toxin-negative strains of E. coli O157 are present in multiple animal and environmental sources. Significance and Impact of the Study: Shiga toxin-negative strains of E. coli O157 present in the food production environment are able to acquire the stx genes, demonstrating their potential to emerge as new Shiga toxin-producing E. coli strains.
Bypassing natural sperm selection during fertilization: the azh mutant offspring experience and the alternative of spermiogenesis in vitro

Abstract Molecular aspects of spermiogenesis can be studied using mouse mutants and spermatids developed in vitro. The azh / azh mutant is an attractive model system because structural abnormalities in the sperm head and the ectopic position of the manchette are associated with tail bending and looping. Spermatids, developing an axoneme in vitro and capable of cell motility, offer the possibility of the dynamic analysis of tail development. Offspring generated by intracytoplasmic injection of azh / azh sperm heads into normal mouse oocytes complement the mouse mutant approach. A central question of sperm tail development is the role of the manchette, a transient microtubular structure assembled soon after the organization of the axoneme. The fractionation of intact manchettes by gradient centrifugation has enabled a biochemical analysis of constitutive tubulin isotypes and transiently associated proteins. For example, keratins Sak57 , Odf1, and Odf2 are initially stored in the manchette before being sorted to the outer dense fibers and fibrous sheath of the developing spermatid tail. Additional proteins associated with the manchette include two proteases, the 26S proteasome and N -arginine convertase (both sorted to the developing spermatid tail), a spermatid perinuclear RNA binding protein, Spag4, an Odf1-binding protein, and type 4 cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase D. Keratin 9 and δ-tubulin are two proteins found in the perinuclear ring of the manchette, the insertion site of the microtubular mantle. Available data indicate that the manchette is a highly dynamic structure providing microtubular tracks to structural proteins participating in the sperm tail development.