cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dual time point FDG-PET imaging is a successful technique for differentiating malignant from benign pleural disease

1757 Objectives: Dual time point imaging with FDG-PET has proven to be of value in assessing a variety of malignant disease by improving both the sensitivity and the specificity of the technique. The aim of this study was to assess whether FDG uptake and its change over time can be helpful in differentiating benign from malignant pleural disease. Methods: Twenty-eight consecutive patients (mean age= 61.4 years) with 38 PET studies were analyzed. They were referred for the evaluation of suspected malignant mesothelioma or recurrence of mesothelioma by FDG-PET imaging. All patients underwent two sequential PET scans (dual time point imaging) during each scan session. The mean time interval between the administration of 18FDG (5.2 Mbq / kg of body weight) and first scan was 60 minutes. The second time point image was acquired approximately 30 minutes following the initiation first set. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) of FDG was measured from the region of interest (ROI), which was placed at the site of the most active lesion on the PET scans from both time points (SUVmax1 and SUVmax2). The SUV measurements and PET results were correlated with follow-up histopathological biopsy results. Results: Among 28 patients, 23 were diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma according to histopathology and cytopathology results and they had a total of 33 dual time point PET studies with the follow up scans which resulted in detecting of 143 malignant lesions. The remaining 5 proved to have benign pleural disease. The average SUVmax1, the average SUVmax2 and the average percent maximum SUV changes over time of the 143 lesions in the malignant mesothelioma group were 5.3±2.51, 5.9±2.4 and 12.0±13.2% respectively. The corresponding values for the benign pleural disease group were 1.48 ±0.17, 1.32±0.20 and -14±22%. The average SUVmax1 and the average percent SUVmax changes in malignant mesothelioma was significantly higher than those in benign pleural disease group (p=0.002). Conclusions: Dual time point imaging demonstrates increasing levels of in 18FDG uptake over time in malignant mesotheliomas. Conversely, the uptake of 18FDG in benign pleural disease decreases with time. Therefore, it can differentiate benign from malignant pleural disease and is also helpful for guiding the biopsy site for a successful diagnosis. Dual time point imaging is a simple and noninvasive method that will likely improve the sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET in detecting malignant pleural disease.
El alma al trabajo y el trabajo del alma

espanolEl presente articulo problematiza, centrandonos en el caso argentino, la herencia en la cultura del trabajo del ultimo periodo dictatorial en America Latina y como ella delimita la politica democratica. Tomando la novela La aventura de los bustos de Eva de Carlos Gamerro, veremos que los cambios del neoliberalismo en el trabajo, fijan los bloques antagonicos del presente politico. La novela los denuncia por encontrar congruencias en su proceso de subjetivacion laboral que coopta el alma y el deseo del trabajador, que se traduce en un antagonismo politico con mas similitudes que diferencias. Concluiremos que es necesario cuestionar al trabajo como praxis reproductiva para recuperar el alma del trabajador y crear otro tipo de politica mas alla del antagonismo pendular de lo politico heredado por la ultima dictadura militar. EnglishThis article aims, focusing on Argentina, to problematize the cultural inheritance of the last dictatorship and how it demarcates democratic politics. Analyzing the novel La aventura de los bustos de Eva by Carlos Gamerro, we will see how the neoliberal transformations on the work culture, define the confronted hegemonic blocks of the political present as the novel depict its similarities on the equal work process of subjectification that takes over the soul and desire of the worker, which is translated into a political antagonism with more in common than differences. We will arrive to the conclusion on the necessity to question work as a reproductive praxis in order to recover the soul of the worker and to create another politics beyond the pendular political antagonism inherited from the last dictatorship.
Emociones y autoridad de la reina consorte María Teresa de Austria en la correspondencia con sor Mariana de la Cruz

In contrast to the silenced or negative image that has been used traditionally to represent the queen of France and infant of Spain, Maria Teresa of Austria (1638-1683), the correspondence with her cousin, sor Mariana de la Cruz, nun in the Descalzas Reales in Madrid, shows a different image in which she reclaims her role as consort queen. In these letters, the queen recreates herself through discourse as a key link in the negotiations between Spain and France for the marriage between Car- los II and Maria Luisa of Orleans. Emotional and intimate expresions are interwined with political matters and it is through emotional language that Maria Teresa articulates her public participation on issues of state and she is able to promote and legitimate her authority as consort queen.
College Life is Hard! - Shedding Light on Stress Prediction for Autistic College Students using Data-Driven Analysis

Autistic college students face significant challenges in college settings and have a higher dropout rate than neurotypical college students. High physiological distress, depression, and anxiety are identified as critical challenges that contribute to this less than optimal college experience. In this paper, we leverage affordable mobile and wearable devices to collect large amounts of physiological and contextual data (biomarkers) and leverage a data-driven analysis approach for building stress prediction models. Such models can be used to provide real-time intervention for better stress management. We conducted a mixed-method study where we collected physiological and contextual data from 20 college students (10 neurotypical and 10 autistic). Our proposed data-driven analysis pipeline leverages an unsupervised representation learning technique with a semi-supervised label approximation method to predict the onset of stress based on biomarkers for autistic students, neurotypical students, and both populations with accuracies 69%, 72%, and 70%, respectively.
Abstract 16626: Digital Health Interventions Improves Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Reduces Rehospitalizations After Usual Cardiac Rehabilitation

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity/mortality in the US. Despite being a class 1A evidence-based recommendation, secondary prevention efforts in the period following cardiac rehabilitation (CR) lack a proven and successful intervention. A previously validated digital health intervention (DHI) delivered Mayo Clinic’s CR, including educational material, tracking CVD indices, and diet/exercise adherence, for 3 months after usual CR. Hypothesis: We hypothesized DHI use would improve CVD risk factors and rehospitalizations/ emergency department (ED) visits. Methods: Patients undergoing usual Mayo Clinic CR were recruited to use the application following usual CR (n=17) and compared to a similar cohort undergoing standard post-CR care, but not assigned to the application (n=11). DHI patients performed daily informational tasks, entered their own risk factor information (weight, blood pressure (BP), glucose, lipids, physical activity, and diet) at baseline and for three months post-CR. Changes in risk factors, re-hospitalizations/ED visits were assessed after three months. Results: There were no differences in baseline demographics between the two groups. There was no difference in weight change between the two groups during the three months of usual CR, yet in the three months following usual CR the DHI group had significant reductions in weight (-2.5±3.8 kg, p=0.04) and systolic BP (-12.6±12.4 mmHg, p=0.001) compared to the control group. The DHI group also showed significantly lower rate of rehospitalizations/ED visits (-28%, p=0.04, Figure). Conclusions: A DHI post-CR program can enhance secondary prevention strategies compared to standard post-CR care by augmenting weight and BP reduction and reducing the healthcare burden of repeat CVD events. This study thus supports development and implementation of DHI programs.
The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us

If a gorilla walked out into the middle of a basketball pitch, you'd notice it. Wouldn't you? If a serious violent crime took place just next to you, you'd remember it, right? The Invisible Gorilla is a fascinating look at the unbelievable, yet routine tricks that your brain plays on you. In an award-winning and groundbreaking study, psychologists Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons asked volunteers to watch a 60-second film of a group of students playing basketball and told them to count the number of passes made. About halfway through, a woman dressed head to toe in a gorilla outfit slowly moved to centre screen, beat her chest at the camera, and casually strolled away. Unbelievably, almost half of the volunteers missed the gorilla. As this astonishing and utterly unique new book demonstrates, exactly the same kind of mental illusion that causes people to miss the gorilla can also explain why many other things, including why: * honest eyewitness testimony can convict innocent defendants * expert money managers suddenly lose billions * Homer Simpson has much to teach you about clear thinking Insightful, witty, and fascinating, The Invisible Gorilla closely examines the false impressions that most profoundly influence our lives and gives practical advice on how we can minimize their negative impact.
Colored noise in dynamical systems: Some exact solutions

I consider one dimensional nonlinear systems driven by colored Gaussian noise. A framework is presented which allows for the construction of models that can be exactly solved in terms of single variable Fokker-Planck equations. I further discuss an exactly solvable linear model with multiplicative colored noise, where the noise color mediates a stochastic-resonance like behavior.
Dominance of the stripping over the knockout mechanism in the 40Ca(α,p)43Sc reaction at 28.5 MeV

Abstract The 40 Ca (α,p) 43 Sc reaction has been studied at 28.5 MeV with an energy resolution of 15 keV. Below 3.5 MeV excitation energy eight previously assigned three-particle states were strongly excited; ten previously assigned four-particle one-hole states were weakly excited (less then 4% of the ground state). This indicates the strong dominance of the stripping over the knockout reaction mechanism.
The Amadori Rearrangement

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the reaction that is the isomerization of an aldosylamine to a 1-amino-1-deoxy-2-ketose. This rearrangement was named after Amadori by Kuhn and Weygand, for Amadori was the first to demonstrate that condensation of D-glucose with an aromatic amine ( p -phenetidine, p -anisidine, or p -toluidine) would yield, according to experimental conditions, two structurally different isomers, which are not members of an α, β anomeric pair. Amadori did not realize that an isomerization (“rearrangement”) from an aldose to a ketose configuration had occurred. However, he did discern (by change of optical rotation in acid solution) that one isomer is much more labile than the other toward hydrolysis and more susceptible to decomposition on standing in the solid state in air. He recognized correctly that the labile isomer is the N -substituted glucosylamine, but he mistakenly thought that the stable isomer was a compound of the Schiff-base type. Authentic crystalline products of the Amadori rearrangement have so far been obtained only from D-glucose, D-mannose, and 5- O -trityl-D-xylose as the sugar components. Occurrence of the rearrangement (or at least 1, 2-enolization of the N -substituted glycosylamine) was demonstrated indirectly, however, by isolation and characterization of crystalline epimeric hydrogenation products derived from D- and L-arabinose and also from D-xylose.
Sensitivity of intermittent streams to climate variations in the USA

There is a great deal of interest in the literature on streamflow changes caused by climate change because of the potential negative effects on aquatic biota and water supplies. Most previous studies have primarily focused on perennial streams, and there have been only a few studies examining the effect of climate variability on intermittent streams. Our objectives in this study were to (1) identify regions of similar zero-flow behaviour and (2) evaluate the sensitivity of intermittent streams to historical variability in climate in the USA. This study was carried out at 265 intermittent streams by evaluating (1) correlations among time series of flow metrics (number of zero-flow events, the average of the central 50% and largest 10% of flows) with climate (magnitudes, durations and intensity) and (2) decadal changes in the seasonality and long-term trends of these flow metrics. Results identified five distinct seasonality patterns in the zero-flow events. In addition, strong associations between the low-flow metrics and historical changes in climate were found. The decadal analysis suggested no significant seasonal shifts or decade-to-decade trends in the low-flow metrics. The lack of trends or changes in seasonality is likely due to unchanged long-term patterns in precipitation over the time period examined. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Immunohistochemical Localization of Cyclic GMP in Aggregating Polysphondylium violaceum

Using indirect immunofluorescence technique, it has been possible to localize cyclic GMP in Polysphondylium violaceum cells. The bound cyclic nucleotide is localized throughout the cell during early stages, however, this staining increases and there is marked localization of cyclic GMP in the nuclear areas of the cells when aggregation is in full swing. Over 90% of the cells exhibited intense nuclear staining by 6 h and this decreased to less than 10% by 10 h.
Drug Use among Hispanic Youth: Examining Common and Unique Contributing Factors.

Designing effective programs to reduce alcohol and other drug use among Hispanic youth requires delineation of cultural influences on substance use. Although alcohol is used more than any other addictive substance, the influences for onset of alcohol and other substance use vary among ethnic groups. This review, therefore, examined common and unique factors that contribute to drug use among Hispanic youth. To avoid overgeneralization and to maximize construct validity, only studies that sampled Hispanics were included. Mainstream and subcultural theories that help explain drug use among Hispanic youth are provided. Observations about future directions for research and drug prevention among Hispanic youth are provided as well.
Direct in vivo evidence that D2 dopamine receptors can modulate dopamine uptake

In vivo electrochemistry was used to determine the effects of locally applied raclopride (a D2 receptor antagonist) and SCH-23390 (a D1 receptor antagonist) on the clearance of locally applied dopamine in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, and medial prefrontal cortex of rats. Chronoamperometric recordings were continuously made at 5 Hz using Nafion-coated, single carbon fiber electrodes. When a calibrated amount of dopamine was pressure ejected at 5-min intervals from a micropipette adjacent (280-310 microns) to the electrode, transient and reproducible dopamine signals were detected in all three regions. Local application of raclopride from a second micropipette, prior to pressure ejection of dopamine, increased the amplitude and time course of the dopamine signals, indicating significant inhibition of the dopamine transporter. In contrast, local application of SCH-23390 or saline had no effect on the dopamine signals. These data indicate that D2, but not D1, dopamine receptors can modulate the activity of the dopamine transporter.
Silicon photonics in China

Silicon photonics, particularly its compatibility with existing silicon microelectronic technology, has been increasingly studied in recent years. China sees the potential impact on the sustainability of its economic development and is increasing the investment in this new research area. But, the lack of research and manufacture accumulation in silicon microelectronic technology will weigh down the pace of silicon photonics research in China in the years to come.
The Ineffectiveness of Multiple True-False Test Items:

Graduate students in education responded twice at the same sitting to 100 true-false questions on educational measurement. The items were presented as Part 1 and Part 2 of a midterm test. In Part 1, the items were presented separately with instructions to the students to mark each statement true or false. In Part 2, the same items were presented in clusters (32 triads, 2 dyads) with instructions to pick the one true (or the one false) statement. Scores on Part 1 were much more reliable than scores on Part 2. These results support the suggestion from test specialists that test constructors should avoid use of multiple true-false items. The relation between the difficulty of the component true-false items and of the multiple choice clusters was examined.
Organ distribution of liposomal formulations following intracarotid infusion in rats.

Abstract The blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits the ability of many hydrophilic solutes to pass from the circulatory system into the nervous system and significantly restricts brain drug delivery. This study examined brain uptake of liposomal formulations in rats. Radiolabeled liposomes less than 1 μm in diameter, prepared from phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and containing p-aminophenyl-alpha-mannopyranoside or sulfatide, or covalently linked to cationized albumin were injected into the right carotid arteries of rats, and organ distribution determined 10 min and 1 h after injection. In all formulations, liposomal retention in brain did not exceed one-tenth of 1% of the injected dose. It seems unlikely that liposomes can significantly bind to or cross the BBB; however, apparent brain uptake could result from liposomal entrapment in the small capillaries of the brain by liposomes larger than 1 μm in diameter.
Effects of agricultural management on nematode–mite assemblages: Soil food web indices as predictors of mite community composition

Abstract Biological indicators based on abundances of soil organisms are powerful tools for inferring functional and diversity changes in soils affected by agricultural perturbations. Field plots, combining organic and conventional practices with no tillage, conservation tillage and standard tillage maintained different nematode assemblages and soil food webs. Soil food web indices based on nematode assemblages were reliable predictors of the trophic composition of functional characteristics of soil mite assemblages. Bacterial-feeding and predatory nematodes, together with predatory mites, were abundant in the organic-no till treatments and were associated with high values of the Enrichment and the Structure Index based on nematode assemblages. Conventional-Standard tillage treatments had high abundances of fungal- and plant-feeding nematodes and algivorous mites, associated with high values of the Basal and Channel Index. This study validates the hypothesis that nematode-based soil food web indices are useful indicators of other soil organisms such as mites, with similar functional roles and environmental sensitivities.
Electron Transfer in Frozen Media

Classical theories of electron transfer are modified to take into account the differences between electron transfer in a rigid medium and in a fluid. Intramolecular vibrations and part of the dielectric polarization are assumed to remain dynamic in rigid media while the remaining part of the polarization, arising from dipole reorientations, is frozen. In rigid media, electron transfer occurs with the solvent locked into the dipole orientations of the initial state. This causes an increase in the free energy change and a decrease in the solvent reorganizational energy. It also increases the activation free energy for electron transfer. For photoinduced electron transfer, the analysis is more complex because multiple states are involved. The activation free energy can either be greater or less than in a fluid depending on charge distributions before and after electron transfer. The same analysis can be applied to interconversion between excited states in rigid media.
Morphology and ultrastructure of the antennal chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors of worker Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki.

Three types of setae were found on the antenna of workers of C. formosanus. Sensilla basiconica function as chemoreceptors. They are non-socketed, with fixed plate base, thin walled, and perforated. Pore tubules are contained within the cuticular pores of s. basiconica. The pore tubules have direct contact with the dendritic branches within the sensilla. The other sensilla are tactile mechanoreceptors. The longest setae (sensilla trichodea) are thick walled, socketed, mononeuronic, and non-perforated. The shorter mechanoreceptors (sensilla chaetica) have the same characteristics as s. trichodea, exept that they are sometimes dineuronic. The numbers and distribution of the sensilla were established.
Target identification using discriminative learning and feature extraction

The motive for this study is to improve learning based target recognition by utilizing discriminative learning for minimum error classification and applying discriminative feature extraction based on a preset criterion. Radar cross section measurements of four commercial aircraft, obtained experimentally in a compact range, are used for training and testing a three layered back propagation neural network for target identification purposes. It is assumed that the aspect angles (or azimuth positions) of all four targets are either completely known or known within 20 degrees uncertainty range. The scattering parameters of each target are assigned selective weights and presented to a discriminative feature extractor. The performance of the proposed target recognition system is examined assuming different noise scenarios and various levels of azimuth ambiguity. The proposed scheme is also tested in scenarios where the maximum likelihood approach is available and the performances of both recognition techniques are compared. Issues concerning the number of hidden nodes, training parameters, and weight convergence are discussed.
Rheological and thermal properties of aged starch pastes from three waxy maize genotypes.

ABSTRACT The rheological and thermal properties of aged starch gels (15:85 starch-water) from three waxy maize genotypes (wx, wx sh1, and du wx) during storage (4°C for up to 25 days) were studied. After storage, changes of storage modulus (G′) and phase angle (δ) of the gels as a function of temperature were measured using oscillatory rheometry. For the du wx samples, G′ at 25°C increased rapidly during the first four days of storage at 4°C, compared to the gradual increases over the 25-day storage period for the wx and wx sh1 samples. A peak in G′ at 45°C was observed during heating for the du wx samples after 10 days of storage and for the wx sample stored for 25 days. The G′ peak may have been due to syneresis in the gels. Retrogradation of amylopectin of the aged starch samples was examined using differential scanning calorimetry. The du wx starch had greater retrogradation enthalpies than the other two samples (which showed similar retrogradation behavior) throughout the storage. The retrogradation ...
Abstract stochastic integrodifferential delay equations

We investigate a class of abstract stochastic integrodifferential delay equations dependent upon a family of probability measures in a separable Hilbert space. We establish the existence and uniqueness of a mild solution, along with various continuous dependence estimates and Markov (weak and strong) properties of this solution. This is followed by a convergence result concerning the strong solutions of the Yosida approximations of our equation, from which we deduce the weak convergence of the measures induced by these strong solutions to the measure induced by the mild solution of the primary problem under investigation. Next, we establish the pth moment and almost sure exponential stability of the mild solution. Finally, an analysis of two examples, namely a generalized stochastic heat equation and a Sobolev-type evolution equation, is provided to illustrate the applicability of the general theory.
Kinetic Theory of ATP-driven Translocases on One-dimensional Polymer Lattices

Abstract A theory is presented to describe the coupling of the directional movement of ATPase-containing translocases (such as helicases) along polymeric lattices to the steady-state kinetic parameters of the ATPase activity that drives this movement. This theory was developed to explain the results of an experimental investigation of one such enzyme, the bacteriophage T4 gene 41 protein helicase. The salient feature of the theory is that it correctly predicts the dependence of the rate of ATP hydrolysis by ATP-driven translocases on the length of polymer lattices along which they move. In the steady-state rate equation: v = V max [Lat] K act + [Lat] , either Vmax, or Kact, or both, may depend on the lattice length. Two translocation models are considered. The first is a simple mechanism of the type E↔E-Lat→E, where the E-Lat→E step represents the sum of the translocation steps of the enzyme along, and enzyme release from, the lattice. In the second model this mechanism is expanded to add an additional kinetic step, either before or after the translocation process. Variants of this second model can be used to represent the most simple translocase mechanisms. Another method of measuring the lattice length dependence of an ATP-driven translocase, which is applicable particularly to ATPases moving along DNA lattices, involves the use of lattice-binding proteins (such as single-stranded DNA binding proteins) that can block the movement of the translocases and therefore simulate lattice ends. In this protocol the dependence of the ATPase kinetics of the translocase on lattice length can be studied by experiments on long lattices complexed with lattice-binding proteins to various binding densities. This method is not always as unambiguous as direct measurement of ATPase activity on lattices of defined length, but can help to discriminate between mechanisms. The significance of the steady-state kinetic parameters obtained in such experiments is discussed in terms of the mechanistic rate constants that define the models we have investigated.
Three-dimensional numerical modeling of refraction and reflection scattering from icy galilean satellites

Abstract Radar scattering from the icy galilean satellites is marked by unusually high backscatter cross sections and polarization ratios at wavelengths λ 0 =3.5–70 cm. The persistence of exotic scattering behavior over this large a wavelength range suggests that the responsible mechanisms remain at least partially effective as the wavelength approaches or exceeds the size of individual scatterers. We examine two models previously analyzed in the geometrical optics limit—radar glory from buried craters (Eshleman, 1986, Science 234, 587–590) and refraction scattering from subsurface lenses (Hagfors et al., 1985, Nature 315, 637–640)—at wavelength scales using three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical simulations. We include craters with rough walls and lenses with random inclusions of heterogeneous material. For hemispherical craters spanning up to 3 λ 0 in diameter, we observe none of the exotic backscatter behavior attributed to the geometrical optics models. Nonspherical refraction scatterers can produce circular polarization ratios μ C >1 and linear polarization ratios μ L =0.5–0.8 at diameters as small as ∼ λ 0 , but the density of such inclusions must be high if refraction scattering alone is to account for the measured cross sections.
Re-Evaluation of the Problem of Optical Design

The field of geometrical optics, instrument design and development is undergoing a curious change. Production as measured by the number of units appears to be going steadily downward while activity and interest in special items is rapidly increasing. We face the problem of needing highly advanced techniques, facilities, and special materials without the demand for production. In the past the promise of large production has ensured an advance in the state of the art; with this removed how can we justify the manufacture of such things as special optical glass, expensive aspheric grinding machines, and fifty-layer interference filters? This paper describes the field of geometrical optics and suggests ways in which the computer can help us clearly define our needs and allow us to sharpen up requirements so that the smaller production runs will be of widespread use. Testing and manufacturing techniques are discussed in order to suggest ways of streamlining our efforts.
The effect of social cues on the eating behavior of obese and normal subjects.

Schachter's externality hypothesis suggests that overweight individuals are more likely to be induced to eat by salient external cues than normal weight individuals. While a range of studies have demonstrated the plausibility of this hypothesis in the case of sensory stimuli (e.g., taste cues), there is little evidence that the hypothesis applies to social stimuli. The current study examines this latter proposition by exposing male and female, overweight and normal weight subjects to a same-sex or opposite-sex peer model. Under the guise of engaging in a taste experiment, the subjects were either exposed to a model who tasted experiment, the subjects were either exposed to a model who tasted no crackers (no eat), one cracker (low eat), or twenty crackers (high eat). In addition, control model-absent conditions were also run for purposes of establishing baseline eating rates. If the externality hypotheses were to prevail in social domains, one would expect overweight subjects to be more prone to model the cracker-eating behavior of the peer than normal weight individuals. However, the findings indicate that all subject groups regardless of weight evidence a rather clear modeling effect and all subjects evidence social inhibition effects on their eating behavior as well. Several intriguing interactions among subject sex, model sex, subject weight, and social condition were also found. The discussion explores the relevance of an externality model of overweight eating in social domains, and focuses upon the interesting and somewhat distinct pattern of socially mediated eating exhibited by overweight females.
Senior Teaching Fellows: Renewal and Professional Development

During the fall semester 2011, I had the delightful experience of being invited to dinner with the University of Georgia’s 2011–12 Senior Teaching Fellows (http://www.ctl.uga.edu/ faculty/ctl_senior_teaching_fellows). This program began in 1987 with a three-year grant from the Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE); and, at the conclusion of the grant cycle, the demonstrated success of the program led the University to continue it. It now resides in the University’s Center for Teaching and Learning and is in its 23rd year. This level of success should be a lesson to funders everywhere: an investment in colleges and universities pays dividends, and sustainability is a high priority for the grantee. However, I am digressing, so back to the story. The Senior Teaching Fellows program annually supports eight associate or full professors in a year-long program to share ideas about teaching and learning across the disciplines. Through monthly roundtables, guest speakers, a fall retreat, and a small grant ($2,000 each) to support instructional enhancement in the home department, the fellows are given opportunities for professional and personal renewal. While fellows build and share their pedagogical knowledge, they are also building meaningful faculty relationships outside their units and across a large research campus. An evening with the fellows was such a delight after spending many hours each day in committee meetings and informal discussions where the topics often are budget cuts, external pressures, lack of faculty and staff raises, the poor economy overall, and increasing regulation from the governing authority. After the dinner, based on the fellows’ enthusiasm and commitment and their thoughtful suggestions about improving teaching and learning and academic life on campus, I went straight to the website to learn more about previous participants; it read like a who’s who of campus leaders. Now the classic chicken-oregg dilemma emerged. Were these fellows established campus leaders who were chosen for the program, or did the program create university leaders? It’s probably some of both. If it creates leaders, great, and if it rewards leaders, then wonderful! Needless to say, in these difficult times in the academy, I came away believing that the program should have two cohorts next academic year! Innov High Educ (2012) 37:1–2 DOI 10.1007/s10755-011-9205-9
Coding properties and nucleotide sequences of E. coli glutamine tRNAs.

RECENT advances in methods for tRNA purification and RNA sequence determination have aided in the elucidation of the sequences of approximately thirty tRNAs. Studies with tRNAs chemically altered in vitro, or by mutation, are providing insights into aspects of the recognition of mRNA codons by tRNAs1–3, the specificity of protein-nucleic acid interactions1,4,5 and the mechanisms of post-transcriptional modification of RNAs6,7.
Functional comparison of the Mus musculus molossinus and Mus musculus domesticus Sry genes.

The Sry gene functions as a genetic switch initiating testicular development of the indifferent mammalian gonad. The Mus musculus molossinus Sry open reading frame (ORF) encodes a 395-amino acid transcription factor (mSry) that specifically binds and bends DNA through its N-terminal HMG domain and activates transcription through its long C-terminal (residues 144-366) glutamine/histidine-rich activation domain. The M. m. domesticus Sry ORF encodes a highly homologous, truncated protein (dSry) of approximately 230 amino acids, and the molecular basis for truncation is a point mutation that creates an amber stop codon within the activation domain. The mSry protein activates transcription of a Sry-responsive reporter gene in HeLa cells, but dSry does not. Gene swapping and in vitro DNA binding experiments revealed that lack of transcriptional activation by dSry was not the result of polymorphisms within the first 137 amino acids of the protein. Direct analysis of the C-terminal glutamine/histidine-rich domain...
A study of the vibrational modes of a nanostructure with picosecond ultrasonics

Abstract We describe experiments in which a sub-picosecond pump light pulse is used to excite vibrations in a nanostructure. The sample consists of a periodic array of copper wires embedded in a glass matrix on a silicon substrate. The motion of the wires after excitation is detected using a time-delayed probe light pulse. From the data, it is possible to determine the frequencies ν n and damping rates Γ n of a number of the normal modes of the structure. These modes have frequencies lying in the range 1–30 GHz. By comparison of the measured ν n and Γ n with the frequencies and damping rates calculated from a computer simulation of the vibrations of the nanostructure, we have been able to identify the different normal modes and deduce their vibration patterns.
Some Characterizations of Strange Sets

A thermodynamic formalism is exhibited that is the canonical version of Halseyet al.'s microcanonical formulation. This formalism is applied to a four-scale Cantor set and it is shown that the singularity spectrum fails to uniquely encode the underlying dynamics.
Normal and reactive morphology of sea urchin spermatozoa.

Abstract An investigation of the spermatozoa of the sea urchin, Arbacia pimctnlata, by means of thin sectioning and electron microscopy has shown the mature spermatozoon to consist of a head, acrosome, middle piece and flagellum. The head is a tapering wedge, 1 μ across at the base and 1.5 μ long. The acrosome rests in a cup-shaped anterior depression and consists of a simple, membrane-limited apical granule. The middle piece has a single ring-shaped mitochondrion and is penetrated centrally by the proximal portion of the flagellum. Associated with the mitochondrion is an electron-opaque mass of homogeneous material. In spermatozoa treated with egg water the contents of the apical granule lose their granularity, and the middle piece experiences an osmotic swelling which destroys the structure of the middle piece mitochondrion. Egg water treated spermatozoa exhibit a transitory agglutination. The agglutination appears to be mediated by adhesion to the swollen middle piece. On contact with a suitable surface, such as the egg, the contents of the acrosome are released in the form of a filament. It is suggested that the action of egg water on Arbacia spermatozoa causes the swelling of the middle piece and prepares the acrosome for filament formation. The release of the filament is triggered by an apparently non-specific contact stimulus.
Protein adsorption and transport in polymer-functionalized ion-exchangers

A wide variety of stationary phases is available for use in preparative chromatography of proteins, covering different base matrices, pore structures and modes of chromatography. There has recently been significant growth in the number of such materials in which the base matrix is derivatized to add a covalently attached or grafted polymer layer or, in some cases, a hydrogel that fills the pore space. This review summarizes the main structural and functional features of ion exchangers of this kind, which represent the largest class of such materials. Although the adsorption and transport properties may generally be used operationally and modeled phenomenologically using the same methods as are used for proteins in conventional media, there are noteworthy mechanistic differences in protein behavior in these adsorbents. A fundamental difference in protein retention is that it may be portrayed as partitioning into a three-dimensional polymer phase rather than adsorption at an extended two-dimensional surface, as applies in more conventional media. Beyond this partitioning behavior, however, the polymer-functionalized media often display rapid intraparticle transport that, while qualitatively comparable to that in conventional media, is sufficiently rapid quantitatively under certain conditions that it can lead to clear benefits in key measures of performance such as the dynamic binding capacity. Although possible mechanistic bases for the retention and transport properties are discussed, appreciable areas of uncertainty make detailed mechanistic modeling very challenging, and more detailed experimental characterization is likely to be more productive.
Economic impact of accelerated cleanup on regions surrounding the U.S. DOE's major nuclear weapons sites.

The regional economic impacts of the U.S. Department of Energy's accelerated environmental cleanup plan are estimated for the major nuclear weapons sites in Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. The analysis shows that the impact falls heavily on the three relatively rural regions around the Savannah River (SC), Hanford (WA), and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (ID) sites. A less aggressive phase-down of environmental management funds and separate funds to invest in education and infrastructure in the regions helps buffer the impacts on jobs, personal income, and gross regional product. Policy options open to the federal and state and local governments are discussed.
Cholinergic modulation of substance P release.

This study was initiated to evaluate mechanisms of release of immunoreactive substance P into the peripheral circulation and to determine whether these mechanisms are subject to cholinergic modulation. In conscious dogs, a high-protein meal significantly increased plasma concentrations of immunoreactive substance P from basal levels of 13.7±1.8 pg/ml to a peak of 20.1±2.8 pg/ml at 30 min after which they returned to baseline. Prior atropinization (200 mg/kg) abolished this response and lowered the plasma levels to a nadir of 2.2 pg/ml at 20 min. Similarly, infusion of bombesin (17 ng/kg/min) increased peripheral venous substance P levels by 768±155 pg-min/ml for 120 min, whereas after prior treatment with atropine, bombesin released no significant amounts of this peptide (−10±134 pg-min/ml). The data support the concept that substance P release is under cholinergic control.
Coevolutionary patterns in cytochrome c oxidase subunit I depend on structural and functional context.

The strength and pattern of coevolution between amino acid residues vary depending on their structural and functional environment. This context dependence, along with differences in analytical technique, is responsible for the different results among coevolutionary analyses of different proteins. It is thus important to perform detailed study of individual proteins to gain better insight into how context dependence can affect coevolutionary patterns even within individual proteins, and to unravel the details of context dependence with respect to structure and function. Here we extend our previous study by presenting further analysis of residue coevolution in cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences from 231 vertebrates using a statistically robust phylogeny-based maximum likelihood ratio method. As in previous studies, a strong overall coevolutionary signal was detected, and coevolution within structural regions was significantly related to the Cα distances between residues. While the strong selection for adjacent residues among predicted coevolving pairs in the surface region indicates that the statistical method is highly selective for biologically relevant interactions, the coevolutionary signal was strongest in the transmembrane region, although the distances between coevolving residues were greater. This indicates that coevolution may act to maintain more global structural and functional constraints in the transmembrane region. In the transmembrane region, sites that coevolved according to polarity and hydrophobicity rather than volume had a greater tendency to colocalize with just one of the predicted proton channels (channel H). Thus, the details of coevolution in cytochrome c oxidase subunit I depend greatly on domain structure and residue physicochemical characteristics, but proximity to function appears to play a critical role. We hypothesize that coevolution is indicative of a more important functional role for this channel.
Unifying Models of Churn and Resilience for Unstructured P2P Graphs

Previous analytical results on the resilience of unstructured P2P systems have not explicitly modeled heterogeneity of user churn (i.e., difference in online behavior) or the impact of in-degree on system resilience. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a unifying model of heterogeneous user churn and derive the distribution of the various metrics observed in prior experimental studies. We also show that the arrival process of in-edges to each user converges to Poisson when system size tends to infinity, model transient behavior of in-degree, and apply these results to obtain the joint in/out-degree isolation probability.
Evolution of oceanographic conditions off Baja California: 1997–1999

Abstract This paper examines the oceanic response off Baja California, Mexico, to the 1997–1998 El Nino and the transition to La Nina conditions. The data presented were gathered during seven cruises over a grid based on the CalCOFI station plan, from lines 100–130, out to station 80. T–S diagrams with data obtained during the peak phase of El Nino, demonstrate that warmer and saltier (spicier) than normal conditions prevailed in the upper 600 m over this region. Temperature and salinity anomalies calculated for CalCOFI line 120 revealed waters near the coast at 50 m depth to be up to 8.7 °C warmer and S=0.8 saltier than the climatology during October 1997. These large anomalies persisted through January 1998, with some slight diminution in the magnitudes near the surface. This study suggests that anomalously warm and salty waters were fed from a source of spicy water to the southwest, identified as Subtropical Surface Water (StSW), and that low-salinity Tropical surface waters (TSW) were blocked to the southeast in the vicinity of the tip of the Peninsula. Subsurface waters associated with the California undercurrent (CU), fed from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), were also warmer and saltier than normal, and indicate a significant expansion in volume of the CU, presumably a result of intensification of poleward flow at depth. We postulate that the well defined near-surface and deep poleward flows in the study area reflect anomalous large-scale cyclonic circulation affecting the flow in the southeastern region of the North Pacific subtropical gyre east of 125°W. Following the El Nino event, warm and salty upper waters retreated to latitudes south of Punta Eugenia. With the return to normal and cooler conditions, equatorward flow over the sampling grid predominated with an increased meandering and mesoscale activity. Transition to La Nina conditions would have been associated with re-establishment of normal anticyclonic flow in the southeastern quadrant of the Pacific subtropical gyre.
Chronic Prostatitis: Role of Uncommon Organisms

Abstract Only a small subset of patients presenting with chronic prostatitis are found to have evidence of infection with recognized uropathogens. Recent studies suggest that uncommon organisms, i.e. those not culturable on standard media but detectable using molecular techniques, may be implicated in chronic prostatitis.
History of sexual abuse among bariatric surgery candidates

Abstract Background A history of sexual abuse is associated with a range of psychosocial difficulties and health risk behaviors in the general population. Sexual abuse also appears to be a risk factor for the development of obesity. Little is known, however, about the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of sexual abuse among persons with extreme obesity who seek bariatric surgery. Methods Questionnaire data were collected from 567 individuals with extreme obesity who presented for bariatric surgery. Those with and without a self-reported history of sexual abuse were compared on several psychosocial variables. Results Sixteen percent of the surgery candidates (17.0% of women and 11.5% of men) reported a history of sexual abuse. Those who reported a history of sexual abuse were more likely to report previous emotional difficulties, as well as a personal and family history of substance abuse. They also were significantly more likely to meet the criteria for binge eating disorder, as determined from self-report responses to the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns, compared with those without a self-reported history of sexual abuse. In addition, those who reported a history of sexual abuse were more likely to report both current and previous psychiatric treatment than were those who denied a history of abuse. Conclusion A significant minority of bariatric surgery candidates reported a history of sexual abuse. Among these individuals, a history of sexual abuse was associated with both current and past psychiatric problems and treatment. The relationship of these variables to postoperative outcomes, however, is unknown.