cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laboratory observation of electron phase-space holes during magnetic reconnection.

We report the observation of large-amplitude, nonlinear electrostatic structures, identified as electron phase-space holes, during magnetic reconnection experiments on the Versatile Toroidal Facility at MIT. The holes are positive electric potential spikes, observed on high-bandwidth ($\ensuremath{\sim}2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GHz}$) Langmuir probes. Investigations with multiple probes establish that the holes travel at or above the electron thermal speed and have a three-dimensional, approximately spherical shape, with a scale size $\ensuremath{\sim}2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{mm}$. This corresponds to a few electron gyroradii, or many tens of Debye lengths, which is large compared to holes considered in simulations and observed by satellites, whose length scale is typically only a few Debye lengths. Finally, a statistical study over many discharges confirms that the holes appear in conjunction with the large inductive electric fields and the creation of energetic electrons associated with the magnetic energy release.
Low natural killer cytotoxicity in major depression

Natural killer cell cytotoxicity was significantly lower in a group of hospitalized depressed men than in matched controls. The absolute number of neutrophils was increased in the depressed group, but the numbers of other cell types did not differ between groups. These findings further demonstrate that altered immunity is a biologic concomitant of affective disorders.
Profile of pazopanib and its potential in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer. Recently, clinical trials have focused on novel antiangiogenic agents in combination with chemotherapy or alone in women with primary and recurrent ovarian cancer. Antiangiogenic agents include monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, and peptibodies. Many of these agents, including bevacizumab, pazopanib, nintedanib, cediranib, and trebananib, have been evaluated in randomized Phase III clinical trials, and all have demonstrated a progression-free survival (PFS) benefit. Specifically, maintenance pazopanib was shown to improve PFS in women with newly diagnosed EOC. Pazopanib, an oral TKI, inhibits several kinase receptors, including those for vascular endothelial growth factor (-1,-2,-3), platelet-derived growth factor (-α and -β), and fibroblast growth factor. It also targets stem cell-factor receptor (c-kit), interleukin 2-inducible T-cell kinase, lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase, and colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor. Pazopanib has been investigated in several Phase II and III clinical trials, with results indicating a potential role in the management of EOC. This article provides an overview of pazopanib in the treatment of EOC.
New twist on nitrogen cycling in oceanic oxygen minimum zones

Large uncertainties in the future of Earth's climate have intensified research on the global biogeochemical cycles on land and in the sea. The ocean ecosystem is critical in the carbon balance between the atmosphere and deep ocean, but also plays a large role in chemical and nutrient fluxes that maintain oceanic productivity and greenhouse gas fluxes to and from the atmosphere. Particularly relevant to ocean–atmosphere gas fluxes and control of nitrogen (N) availability are the ocean regions called oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). A few years ago, we believed that we knew the major components of the N cycle and were only challenged by how to extrapolate these processes to global scales. A new perspective on N cycling was initiated with the finding that a relatively newly discovered microbial transformation, anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) (1) occurred in oceanic OMZs (2, 3) and was the major pathway for formation of N2 in the Peruvian OMZ (4). This finding meant that previous notions of how, where, and when nitrogen was lost from the oceanic ecosystem had new uncertainties, not uncertainties of time and space, but of biological control of multiple competing biogeochemical pathways. In this issue of PNAS, Lam et al. (5) used a suite of approaches to tackle anammox in the Peruvian OMZ. They not only discovered how anammox requirements could be supported by other nitrogen transformations, but they added yet another nitrogen transformation to the oceanic nitrogen cycle mix: dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia.
Optical fibres coated with a UV-curable material at a speed of 12 m/s

The letter reports the successful achievement of coating silica fibre at a rate of greater than 10 m/s. We draw 125 μm-diameter fibres from silica rods and preforms, and coated in-line with UV-curable material. All fibres were proof-tested at two different stress levels of 0.7 and 1.4 GN/m2 We also checked the transmission properties of the fibre. It is found that the optical properties of the fibre remain the same while the mechanical properties are comparable to those of the fibres coated at a low speed.
Early Experiences Implementing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention in San Francisco

Albert Liu and colleagues report early experiences with uptake and delivery of pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP)for HIV prevention in three different settings in San Francisco. PrEP can be an important component of a comprehensive HIV prevention program and can complement efforts to increase HIV testing, linkage to care, and early initiation of antiretroviral therapy. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary
Deformation Characteristics of Hafnium

BECAUSE of its high nuclear cross-section, high melting point and good resistance to corrosion and oxidation, hafnium is being considered for practical application in the nuclear engineering field. Appreciable quantities of the material are being produced as a by-product of the production of pure zirconium.
Amyloid formation in human IAPP transgenic mouse islets and pancreas, and human pancreas, is not associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress

Aims/hypothesis Supraphysiological levels of the amyloidogenic peptide human islet amyloid polypeptide have been associated with beta cell endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, in human type 2 diabetes, levels of human IAPP are equivalent or decreased relative to matched controls. Thus, we sought to investigate whether ER stress is induced during amyloidogenesis at physiological levels of human IAPP.
Taxonomy of Coreopsis sect. Pseudo-Agarista (Compositae) in Mexico with additional comments on sectional relationships in Mexican Coreopsis

Sectional relationships are discussed for ligneousCoreopsis occurring in Mexico. Morphological, chromosomal, and chemical data are presented for sectionsElectra, Anathysana andPseudo-Agarista. The former two sections appear to be closely allied because they share a number of morphological features and synthesize several of the same flavonoids. The hypothesis is presented that plants of sect.Anathysana, with a base chromosome number ofx = 12, have evolved from plants similar to those found in sect.Electra, the base number of which isx = 14. SectionPseudo-Agarista is quite distinct from and presumably not closely related to the other two sections. Data from morphology and flavonoid chemistry support this interpretation. The base chromosome number in sect.Pseudo-Agarista isx = 13. Keys, descriptions, distributions and critical comments are provided for the six species of sect.Pseudo-Agarista recognized for Mexico.
If music be the food of love...

The link between hearing and reproduction has been made before, as in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night1. Now, a paper in the current issue of Nature Cell Biology demonstrates that these two processes have an unforeseen degree of structural similarities2.
Mutagenic activities of nitrofurans in Neurospora crassa

Abstract The studies on the mutagenicity of several nitrofurans reported here indicate that the carcinogenic nitrofurans are mutagenic in Neurospora crassa and that the NO2 group at the C5 position of the furan ring is necessary for the mutagenic activity of nitrofurans. The side chain at the C2 position of the furan ring for the mutagenic activity appears to be more specific than those for the antischistosomal and antibacterial activities.
Effect of Dietary Fat and Protein on Lipid Composition and Oxidation in Chicken Muscle

SUMMARY— Samples of white muscle (pectoralis major) were taken from 100 male, broiler-type chickens which had been reared to 58 days of age on rations differing in protein level (16 or 24%) and in type of supplemental fat (5% of coconut oil, beef tallow, safflower oil or menhaden oil). Lipids were extracted from each sample and fractionated into (1) neutral lipids, (2) cephalin, and (3) lecithin. The fatty acid content of each fraction was determined by gas liquid chromatography (GLC). Lipid oxidation was measured by a 2-thiobar-bituric acid (TBA) method after storing each carcass for 12 days at 2°C. Values for all measurements were statistically analyzed for dietary effects and for possible correlations between composition and oxidation rates. All of the factors were significantly influenced by diet, except total lipids, cephalin, and four of the lecithin fatty acids. Correlation coefficients between TBA values and level of each lipid component were obtained after treatment effect was statistically removed. The 22-carbon fatty acids with 4 or 5 double bonds in cephalin and lecithin, and linoleic acid in neutral lipids and lecithin were positively correlated with TBA values.
Enhanced protein kinase C activity and translocation in bipolar affective disorder brains

Protein kinase C (PKC) activity and its redistribution were determined in the frontal cortices of postmortem brains of bipolar affective disorder subjects and age-, sex-, and postmortem time-matched controls. Membrane and cytosolic PKC activity was determined by histone phosphorylation using [ 32 P]-adenosine triphosphate as substrate. Specific PKC isozyme levels were assessed by Western blot analysis using antipeptide antibodies. Brain membraneassociated PKC activity was higher in bipolar vs. control tissue. An examination of the specific PKC isozymes in cortical homogenates revealed that cytosolic α- and membrane-associated γ- and ζ PKC isozymes were elevated in cortices of bipolar affective disorder subjects, whereas cytosolic ePKC was found to be reduced. In control brain slices, incubation with 1 μ mol/L phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) caused an increase in membrane PKC activity, whereas cytosolic enzyme activity was decreased. This redistribution of the enzyme by PMA was markedly potentiated in brain slices of bipolar subjects. The results suggest that PKC-mediated phosphorylation is increased in brains of subjects with bipolar affective illness.
Cold filamentary intensification and oceanic surface convergence lines

[1] The reflectance images of the oceanic surface are full of surfactant lines created by surface velocity convergences, with typical line spacings of 0.1–10 km, i.e., in the submesoscale range. Here we propose a dynamical explanation by the process of filamentary intensification that shrinks the transverse scale of rectilinear surface temperature extrema at a super-exponential rate by the action of horizontal deformation flows associated with mesoscale eddies. This process is analogous to deformation-induced frontogenesis with sharpening temperature gradients accelerated by its ageostrophic secondary circulation. In the particular case of cold filaments, the shrinking rate, surface convergence, and downwelling are especially strong because of the configuration of ageostrophic acceleration. This behavior is demonstrated theoretically with idealized two-dimensional solutions and illustrated in a realistic regional circulation simulation near Peru.
The adsorption of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans on coal surfaces

The adsorption of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans to coal surfaces has been studied. Adsorption experiments were conducted on coal samples from eight different Eastern coal fields. In all cases the adsorption process was at least 90% complete within the first two minutes following inoculation. The results of these experiments were used to test the validity of two proposed adsorption models. The first model assumes that bacterial adsorption follows second-order irreversible kinetics of the second kind with respect to the concentration of bacteria and substratum surface area in the system. The second model allows for the contribution of reversible adsorption detected in desorption experiments. It was found that the combined reversible–irreversible model more accurately describes the initial stages of adsorption. Rate constants in both models were calculated for each coal sample. The relation of each of these constants to the pyrite concentration in coal is presented and the significance of these relations is discussed. Scanning electron micrographs of inoculated coal samples sho that Thiobacillus ferrooxidans selectively adsorb to exposed pyrite phases dispersed throughout the organic coal matrix. Preferential attachment was also observed along topographical faults in the caol surface. Mercury contact angle measurements on coal indicate that the selective adsorption of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans may be attributable to the lower surface free energy of pyrite relative to the organic coal matrix.
Effects of halothane and colchicine on microtubules and electrical activity of rabbit vagus nerves.

Rabbit vagus nerves were treated in vitro with colchicine and halothane, an anesthetic, and the electrical activity monitored. The number of microtubules per square micron of axonal area was measured for each treatment directly from electron micrographs with the aid of a planimeter. Colchicine (10 mM) significantly reduced the number of microtubules per square micron of axonal area from 40 to 16 and had little effect on the electrical activity. Halothane (3 and 10 mM) significantly increased the number of microtubules from 40 to about 55 per square micron of axonal area and blocked the ability of the nerve to propagate impulses within 25 and 10 min, respectively.
Effect of hydraulic regime on organic polymer uptake in the activated sludge process

Mathematical models presented in a previous paper (Biotechnol. Bioeng., 20, 865 (1978)) describing unsteady-state bacterial growth on organic polymers are modified to predict the holding time necessary to attain a given treatment level in a steady-state activated sludge process. Various hydraulic regimes for the activated sludge aeration basin are assumed, and it shown that the hydraulic regime strongly influences the total holding time necessary to attain a given treatment objective. Maintaining the highest possible concentrations of bacteria, extracelluar enzyme, cleavable polymer bond, and utilizable oligomer in the aeration basin during the course of treatment yields the highest possible organic nutrient uptake. However, it is shown that aeration-basin hydraulic regimes that maintain relatively high levels of bacteria and extracellular enzyme also maintain relatively low levels of polymer bond and utilizable oligomer and vice versa. Thus the efficacy of a particular aeration-basin hydraulic regime depends on its ability to maintain at high levels those concentrations that most strongly influence the kinetics of enzymatic hydrolysis or utilizable oligomer uptake.
The effect of gene position, gene dosage and a regulatory mutation on the temporal sequence of enzyme synthesis accompanying outgrowth of Bacillus subtilis spores.

The relationship between gene position, gene dosage and the timing of enzyme synthesis was examined in outgrowing Bacillus subtilis spores produced by strains having gene translocations and gene duplications. Translocation of the ilvA gene coding for threonine deaminase (L-threonine hydro-lyase [deaminating], EC 4.2.1.6) to a proximal position of the chromosome did not alter the time of threonine deaminase synthesis during spore outgrowth. A strain which had both the translocated and original ilvA genes, produced twice the amount of threonine deaminase but the timing was not changed. In two strains in which the trehalase locus, tre (αα-trehalose glucohydrolase) was located on opposite sides of the chromosome origin, the timing of trehalase remained the same. The time of synthesis of the lysine sensitive aspartokinase (ATP: l-aspartate 4-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.2.4) in a regulatory mutant was also examined. The period of enzyme synthesis in the derepressed strain was restricted to the same interval as that observed for a normal strain. The spores of strains with major chromosomal rearrangements developed into vegetative cells in an apparently normal manner. These results lead us to the following conclusions: (i) Gene position with respect to the origin of chromosome replication does not dictate the time period of enzyme synthesis during spore outgrowth. Therefore a mechanism based on sequential transcription of the genome cannot account for the temporal sequence of enzyme synthesis during this stage. (ii) The outgrowing spore exhibits gene dosage effects. (iii) Certain classes of regulatory mutations do not alter the time of enzyme synthesis.
Computation of molecular properties and structure

A discussion of general-purpose computer programs in theoretical chemistry is given, followed by a description of the procedures adopted in one such program written by the authors. Specific details on the use of the program for computing molecular wave functions and properties for closed-shell linear molecules are presented. The details of a method for computing the axial components of the static electric polarizability and shielding factor tensors are given. A "Table of Linear Molecule Wave Functions" is available, on request to the authors, as a supplement to the paper. This tabulation was made with the program described in the paper and is the most extensive compilation of molecular wave functions currently available.
Paralingual Web Design and Trust in E-Government

ABSTRACT 150 words or less.Keywords: e-government; paralingual; trust; Web design INTRODUCTION Electronic government (e-government) is the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), including the Internet, by government organizations to facilitate providing information and services to their constituents. E-government websites provide everything from basic information about governmental bodies and issues, to online services such as registering vehicles and applying for employ-ment and for permits. More recent e-government services include e-consultation, which is citizen participation and response to forthcoming con-sultations and decisions on matters of public interest (Jadu, 2005). The impetus to implement e-government can be attributed to cost control and improved service to citizens. Another driver is government’s growing awareness of the need to attain more democratic governance (Coleman and Gotze, 2001; OECD, 2001), coupled with a widespread public interest in the potential
Siteseeing Buenos Aires in the early Argentine sound film Los tres berretines

Much like the majority of Argentine films produced during the 1930s, Los tres berretines aims to represent Buenos Aires as a modern metropolis. Set in the cosmopolitan capital, the film represents the social life of the rising middle class, its target market. This paper examines how the directorial team assembles place in Los tres berretines and how these places represent a particular spatial experience and perception of Buenos Aires. In order to approximate these aims, Guiliana Bruno's notion of siteseeing is applied to the film. Bruno argues that the experience of filmic space is not exclusively visual: it is felt through textures of space that the viewer experiences with all of their senses. In Los tres berretines, it is proposed that the directorial team Equipo Lumiton leads the viewer on a siteseeing tour that begins in the streets of Buenos Aires in the title sequence, then moving on the sites of three important facets of the Argentine social imaginary of the 1930s – movies, soccer and tango. Assemb...
Symmetry-based automated extraction of microstructural features: Application to dendritic cores in single-crystal Ni-based superalloys

By exploiting the (prior) knowledge that certain microstructural features should, on average, have a certain symmetry, it was possible to develop an automated technique for identifying their locations within a complex microstructure. Subsequently, this technique is applied to a single-crystal Ni-based superalloy to identify dendrite core locations by using their fourfold symmetry as viewed along the 〈1 0 0〉 growth direction. Results of such a technique show good agreement with time-intensive manual identification of dendrite core locations.
Conformational analysis of a peptide approximating the HCCH motif in HIV‐1 Vif

Virion infectivity factor (Vif) is an accessory protein encoded by HIV-1. Vif recruits a Cul5-based ubiquitin ligase that targets APOBEC3G, a host-encoded antiviral enzyme, for proteasomal degradation. The C-terminus of Vif contains a conserved His-X5-Cys-X17-18-Cys-X3-5-His (HCCH) motif that binds zinc and interacts with Cul5. In this study, CD spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, light scattering, and zinc binding assays were used to examine the conformational properties of HCCHp, a 42-amino acid peptide encompassing the HCCH motif. A single tryptophan residue was engineered into HCCHp to probe local structural changes induced by zinc binding. Zinc binding increased burial of the Trp residue from solvent and increased tertiary packing. The solvent 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) induced the formation of an α-helical conformation of HCCHp with a midpoint of 20% (vol/vol) and inhibited zinc-induced aggregation of HCCHp. TFE titration data were sigmoidal, consistent with the cooperative nature of helix formation. Zinc binding to HCCHp in 30% TFE solutions was cooperative and weakened the TFE-induced structure. In 80% TFE solutions this cooperativity was lost, suggesting a mechanism in which monomeric and oligomeric peptide forms display different affinities for zinc. TFE weakened zinc binding to HCCHp by two orders of magnitude relative to the zinc binding affinity measured in aqueous solvent. The data suggest that HCCHp conformation and zinc binding affinity are tightly coupled. We propose that the lack of intrinsic structure in the HCCH motif may be important for Vif's function as an E3 ubiquitin ligase adaptor protein. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 92: 417–425, 2009. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Intracellular organization of DNA precursor biosynthetic enzymes.

Abstract Deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) are synthesized by a multienzyme complex in T4 phage-infected bacteria (and probably in other cells). The synthesis of dNTPs is closely coordinated with DNA replication, but the biochemical nature of that coordination has yet to be defined.
Evaluation of selective lymph node sampling in the node-negative neck.

Objective: To determine whether intraoperative selective lymph node sampling before neck dissection in the node-negative (NO) neck accurately reflects the disease content of the neck and can be used to assist in treatment selection. Study Design: A prospective clinical study at a university medical center. Methods: Over a 2-year period, 36 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma scheduled to undergo 41 elective neck dissections were enrolled. At the initiation of the neck dissection, biopsy of the most suspicious lymph node within the tumor's primary nodal drainage basin was performed, and the specimen was measured and sent for frozen-section evaluation. The results of lymph node sampling were compared with the final histopathologic interpretation of the resected primary and neck dissection. Results: Of the 41 NO necks, 29% (12 of 41) were positive for occult metastases. Results of selective lymph node biopsy correlated with the results of neck dissection in 34 of 41 specimens (83%). The specificity and positive predictive value of node sampling were both 100%. The proportion of cases with a positive neck dissection with a positive sampled node (sensitivity) was 42% (5 of 12). Conclusion: The results of selective lymph node biopsy with frozen-section analysis in the NO neck, as defined in the current study, did not reflect a technique with adequate sensitivity to alter intraoperative treatment strategy.
Responses of Nestling Black-crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax ) to Aquatic and Terrestrial Recreational Activities: a Manipulative Study

Abstract We assessed the effects of the presence and the frequency of canoe and pedestrian disturbance during two breeding seasons on multiple behavioral responses (scanning, freezing, grooming, sleeping, moving, wing-raising, and standing-up) of Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) nestlings in a breeding colony in southeast Chicago. Short-term responses (min) of Black-crowned Night Heron nestlings showed that they were sensitive to the presence of aquatic and pedestrian disturbance by increasing vigilant (scanning) and anti-predator (freezing) behaviors and decreasing maintenance (grooming, sleeping) behaviors. Nestlings were also sensitive to recreationist behavior, with less time allocated to sleeping and more time to freezing and scanning in the presence of inquisitive pedestrians than pedestrians who passed by the colony without stopping. However, medium-term responses (days) were insensitive to the frequency of disturbance, but spatial proximity to the source of disturbance influenced ...
Attachment theory and research and the psychoanalytic process.

Utilite de la theorie de l'attachement objectal en tant que theorie developpementale susceptible d'aider a la comprehension du processus de la cure analytique et de l'etiologie des troubles du developpement
‘The time … has surely arrived’: Justice Stevens and the death penalty

This sketch looks at the development of the legal thinking of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens with respect to his position on the death penalty. It offers reasons for Justice Stevens coming to the conclusion that the death penalty should be taken out of play in the justice system of the United States.
Electrical Impedance Pneumography for Simple Nonrestrictive Continuous Monitoring of Respiratory Rate, Rhythm and Tidal Volume for Surgical Patients

Controversial reports concerning theory and use of impedance pneumography necessitated clinical evaluation of the technique. Recorded data from nine control subjects, 12 patients during surgical anesthesia, and seven patients during recovery from surgery form the basis of the study. Useful correlation (mean r=0.89) was obtained between impedance waveform amplitude and tidal volume during surgical anesthesia. Control correlation was about the same (mean r=0.87). Artifacts were easily recognized and not a problem. Intentional complete airway obstruction was easily detected by this noninvasive method. The monitoring equipment was easy to use, electrically safe, and the ability to obtain the ECG from the same electrodes make it especially useful during surgical anesthesia and in the recovery room.
A novel approach and a fully automated microcomputer-based system to study kinetics of NO3-, NO2-, and NH4+ transport simultaneously by intact wheat seedlings.

Abstract A 16-channel fully automated microcomputer-based system was designed to measure the disappearance of NO−3 NO−2 and NH+4 simultaneously from uptake solutions. The analyses were done using high-performance liquid chromatography. Statistical procedures were used to generate transport kinetics and interactions amongst NO−3, NO−2 and NH+4 by intact wheat seedlings. The simultaneous analysis of NO−3, NO−2 and NH+4 at real-time; the accommodation of varying sampling intervals; the capability to study up to 16 experimental units in synchrony; and the analysis of the data with a microcomputer, make this a powerful system for studying transport kinetics and interactions.
Control mechanisms for high speed networks

It is pointed out that the high speed of communication links and the altered nature of carried traffic has considerably affected the design and implementation of packet switched networks. The authors explore the effect on the control procedures within the network, specifically focusing on the lessons learned from the prototype PARIS network. The key design philosophy for both the steady-state control and the connection control is described. It is believed that most of the conclusions are general and can be applied to any network, including ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)-based systems. >
ADVERSE REPRODUCTIVE OUTCOMES AMONG FEMALE VETERINARIANS

Because female veterinarians are exposed to several known reproductive hazards, the authors conducted a reproductive survey of all female graduates of a US veterinary school (n = 537) and law school (comparison group, n = 794). Analysis was confined to pregnancies completed after the second year of professional school and from 1966 to 1986. Based on one randomly chosen eligible pregnancy per woman (veterinarians, n = 176; lawyers, n = 229), spontaneous abortion rates, adjusted for elective abortions, were 13.3% for the veterinarians and 15.1% for the lawyers; these did not differ significantly. A Cox life table regression model controlling for age, smoking, alcohol use, and prior spontaneous abortion also showed no significant difference in spontaneous abortion rates between the two populations. Using all pregnancies, veterinarians who reported performing five or more radiographic examinations per week had a marginally elevated risk of spontaneous abortion, but the statistical significance disappeared when analysis was limited to one random pregnancy per woman. For one random eligible birth per woman, the mean birth weight did not differ significantly between the veterinarians and lawyers, even after controlling for possible confounders in regression analyses. A higher rate of reportable birth defects was observed among the veterinariansmore » than among the lawyers (relative risk = 4.2, 95% confidence interval 1.2-15.1), but this unexpected result must be considered hypothesis-generating. The authors did not find an overall increased risk for spontaneous abortion or low birth weight infants among veterinarians compared with lawyers, but veterinarians who reported performing five or more radiographic examinations per week may have been at increased risk for spontaneous abortion.« less
The relation between horizontality and rod-and-frame and vestibular navigational performance.

Sex differences on Piaget's water-level (horizontality) test are well established but poorly understood. In this article, correlates of female horizontality performance are systematically explored. Across the five experiments reported, it was found that female subjects who failed the water-level test (poor-horizontality female subjects) were selectively impaired on tasks that required processing information from the otolith organs. In Experiment 1, poor-horizontality female subjects were found to be impaired relative to good-horizontality subjects on the rod-and-frame test. In Experiment 2, a relation was found between female horizontality performance and the ability to process vestibular information in a passive transport task. Experiment 3 ruled out poor spatial updating as a mediating factor in this relation. The results of Experiments 4 and 5 indicated that poor-horizontality female subjects perform randomly on vestibular navigation because they cannot judge linear displacement under conditions of passive transport. The linear transport task is similar to the rod-and-frame task in that both require the central processing of otolith signals. It is proposed that one way to solve the water-level test is to imagine, on the basis of prior perceptual experiences, what the water level looks like inside tilted containers. Because of complex visual-otolith interactions, poor-horizontality female subjects may experience these events differently than good-horizontality subjects. Language: en
The Archaeology of Consumption

A vast range of archaeological studies could be construed as studies of consumption, so it is perhaps surprising that relatively few archaeologists have defined their scholarly focus as consumption. This review examines how archaeology can produce a distinctive picture of consumption that remains largely unaddressed in the rich interdisciplinary consumer scholarship. Archaeological research provides concrete evidence of everyday materiality that is not available in most documentary records or ethnographic resources, thus offering an exceptionally powerful mechanism to examine complicated consumption tactics. In a broad archaeological and anthropological context, consumption studies reflect the ways consumers negotiate, accept, and resist goods' dominant meanings within rich social, global, historical, and cultural contexts.
Severe recurrent rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury in a HIV-infected patient on antiretroviral therapy

Antiretroviral medications, specifically tenofovir, have been linked to acute tubular necrosis in humans with a suggested mechanism of direct tubular injury. Rhabdomyolysis has rarely been described in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). To the best of our knowledge, severe recurrent rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in a HIV-infected patient on two different triple antiretroviral regimens has not been reported. We present a HIV-positive patient who first developed heme pigment-induced oliguric AKI due to non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis, 5 days after initiation of triple antiretroviral therapy. Renal function normalized 2 months after discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy. Two weeks after reinitiating a different HAART regimen, our patient developed a recurrent episode of severe rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI. Both rhabdomyolysis and AKI resolved after discontinuation of the second antiretroviral regimen. First tenofovir and subsequently abacavir seem to be the likely culprits in our case. We also briefly discuss tenofovir nephrotoxicity followed by a literature review on rhabdomyolysis in HIV-infected patients.
The stress intensity factor for grooved DCB specimens loaded by splitting forces

An approximate analysis is used to obtain the stress intensity factors K for DCB specimens with a groove, loaded by splitting forces P. A review is given for the various approaches that have been taken to obtain the stress intensity factor for an ungrooved DCB specimen. The accuracy of the results is evaluated using the exact solution of K, which was finally obtained by Foote and Buchwald [1]. A so-called improved beam analysis is used to obtain K for a rectangular grooved DCB specimen. When the specimen is loaded by bending moments M, the solution of the stress intensity factor is given by Wu et al. [4].
T Cells in the Central Nervous System: The Delicate Balance between Viral Clearance and Disease

The central nervous system (CNS) is considered an "immunoprivileged" site with restricted access and a unique microenvironment that profoundly affects the capacity of T cells to exert their functions. The lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus model offers a unique system in which to evaluate the contrasting roles of specific T cells in causing lethal CNS disease or curing pervasive and life-long CNS infection. Specific T cell kinetics in the periphery is briefly discussed. The T cell-mediated mechanisms leading to fatal choriomeningitis are reviewed as are recent methodologic advances that will facilitate the study of antigen-specific T cells in disease pathogenesis. Understanding the specific constraints imposed by the CNS on local T cell activity has important consequences for the design of therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing or curing CNS infection.
Narrow complex tachycardia with cycle length variability—what is the mechanism?

b f t s r o c l b T h t c p p t t r u Case presentation A 32-year-old woman with a history of recurrent palpitations and documented narrow-complex tachycardia was referred for electrophysiologic study. The HV interval during sinus rhythm was 37 ms. The following arrhythmia was initiated (Figure 1) with high right atrial burst pacing. Subsequently, a diagnostic maneuver was performed (Figure 2). What is the diagnosis?
Research Imaging in an Academic Medical Center

Rationale and Objectives Managing and supervising the complex imaging examinations performed for clinical research in an academic medical center can be a daunting task. Coordinating with both radiology and research staff to ensure that the necessary imaging is performed, analyzed, and delivered in accordance with the research protocol is nontrivial. The purpose of this communication is to report on the establishment of a new Human Imaging Research Office (HIRO) at our institution that provides a dedicated infrastructure to assist with these issues and improve collaborations between radiology and research staff. Materials and Methods The HIRO was created with three primary responsibilities: 1) coordinate the acquisition of images for clinical research per the study protocol, 2) facilitate reliable and consistent assessment of disease response for clinical research, and 3) manage and distribute clinical research images in a compliant manner. Results The HIRO currently provides assistance for 191 clinical research studies from 14 sections and departments within our medical center and performs quality assessment of image-based measurements for six clinical research studies. The HIRO has fulfilled 1806 requests for medical images, delivering 81,712 imaging examinations (more than 44.1 million images) and related reports to investigators for research purposes. Conclusions The ultimate goal of the HIRO is to increase the level of satisfaction and interaction among investigators, research subjects, radiologists, and other imaging professionals. Clinical research studies that use the HIRO benefit from a more efficient and accurate imaging process. The HIRO model could be adopted by other academic medical centers to support their clinical research activities; the details of implementation may differ among institutions, but the need to support imaging in clinical research through a dedicated, centralized initiative should apply to most academic medical centers.
The “reverse” weekend effect: the U.S. market versus international markets

Abstract In this paper we find that the “reverse” weekend effect—where average Monday returns tend to be positive—is a unique feature of the U.S. market. During the time the U.S. market exhibits the reverse weekend effect, foreign markets still show the “traditional” weekend effect or no effect at all. The results persist even after we sort the data by week of the month and month of the year. We also find that in foreign markets negative Monday returns tend to follow negative Friday returns. However, in the U.S. market, positive Monday returns tend to follow positive Friday returns.
Loss of function of Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinesin-related CIN8 and KIP1 is suppressed by KAR3 motor domain mutations

The kinesin-related products of the CIN8 and KIP1 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae redundantly perform an essential function in mitosis. The action of either gene-product is required for an outwardly directed force that acts upon the spindle poles. We have selected mutations that suppress the temperature-sensitivity of a cin8-temperature-sensitive kip1-delta strain. The extragenic suppressors analyzed were all found to be alleles of the KAR3 gene. KAR3 encodes a distinct kinesin-related protein whose action antagonizes Cin8p/Kip1p function. All seven alleles analyzed were altered within the region of KAR3 that encodes the putative force-generating (or "motor") domain. These mutations also suppressed the inviability associated with the cin8-delta kip1-delta genotype, a property not shared by a deletion of KAR3. Other properties of the suppressing alleles revealed that they were not null for function. Six of the seven were unaffected for the essential karyogamy and meiosis properties of KAR3 and the seventh was dominant for the suppressing trait. Our findings suggest that despite an antagonistic relationship between Cin8p/Kip1p and Kar3p, aspects of their mitotic roles may be similar.
Purification and characterization of a novel monocyte chemotactic and activating factor produced by a human myelomonocytic cell line

A novel basic heparin-binding monocyte chemotactic factor (MCF) was purified to homogeneity from the conditioned media of human myelomonocytic cell line THP-1 based on its in vitro monocyte chemotactic activity. The purified MCF was homogenous and estimated to be 15 kD on SDS-PAGE. Purified MCF stimulated normal human monocytes to be growth inhibitory in vitro at 2-3 d for several human tumor cell lines. This represents the first report of the identification and purification of a chemoattractant cytokine that also activates monocytes but is distinct from interferons and other known cytokines.
Drug delivery control system challenge

The automated control of haemodynamic variables such as cardiac output and mean arterial pressure has been a goal of many research projects. While the design of such drug infusion controllers has often been based upon simplified linear models, the actual validation procedure requires a more comprehensive nonlinear model that is representative of the circulatory system. This phase is in fact often followed by animal experiments. Because of challenges involved in the direct design of controllers suitable for such a representative model, C language code for one such model is now publicly available through World Wide Web and FTP (File Transfer Protocol) access. Relevant performance specifications and constraints are presented as guidelines for developing suitable drug infusion controllers.
Multi-stress durability testing to better predict outdoor performance of PV modules

Photovoltaic modules in the outdoor environment are subjected to a wide range of stresses which can operate simultaneously and sequentially and can vary based on climate and installation. These stresses can include temperature, temperature variation, localized heating, humidity, moisture (rain, snow, humidity, condensation), weathering, mechanical stress, abrasion and internal electric fields. These multiple stress make prediction of service lifetime challenging. Frequently resistance to an extended single stress is improperly used to assess durability. We have used sequential and simultaneous multistress exposure of materials and modules to better predict the synergistic effects of these stresses on module performance. We have also assessed the change in component materials properties to better understand performance changes. Finally, we compare these results to inspection of modules from the field to validate the test methods proposed.
Questioning Everything: Sextus Empiricus and Skepticism as a Way of Getting Along in a Modern Political Culture

More than a thousand years before Descartes and Hume, Sextus Empiricus challenged the premises of everything. In a world dominated by dogmatic belief systems (especially Stoicism, Platonism in all its varieties, and, increasingly, Christianity), the skeptic thinkers continually demanded a reexamination of the basic assumptions at the root of existing political, cultural, moral, and philosophical beliefs. This paper surveys that demand for reexamination in its political context through the writing of Sextus Empiricus and his contributions for the search for individual autonomy and peace (ataraxia) in an increasingly hostile, distant, and fragmented political system. Ancient skepticism offered an alternative view of the world which is worthy of attention today as we face renewed economic, political, and cultural challenges. While Sextus Empiricus does not offer solutions to these contemporary problems, his skepticism presents both a useful pattern for formulating the correct questions and a fascinating guide to living in a world which seems to abound with wrong questions and wrong answers alike.
Persistence of Beauveria bassiana, Nomuraea rileyi , and Nosema necatrix on Soyhean Foliage

Bioassay techniques were employed to determine the persistence of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill., Nomuraea rileyi (Farlow) Sampson, and Nosema necatrix (Kramer) on soybean foliage. One-half of the original activity of each pathogen was lost between 5 and 10 days postapplication. The average % mortality of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) larvae resulting from exposure to the foliage treated with B. bassiana ranged from 83.2% on the day of application to no deaths 10 days later. The average % mortality caused by N. rileyi decreased from 98.4% to 10.4% over the same period, while the average % infection of Heliothis zea (Boddie) larvae caused by N. necatrix ranged from 91.2% on the day of application to 14.4% on the 10th postapplication day. The effects of precipitation, relative humidity, and direct solar radiation are possible reasons for the observed decreases in pathogen activity.
Molecular Simulation of Gas Transport in Hydrated Nafion Membranes: Influence of Aqueous Nanostructure

Molecular simulation was used to investigate the nanoporous structure of hydrated Nafion membrane and its impact on gas transport. The structural changes of Nafion induced by water uptakes were characterized in terms of the density and the pore size distribution. It was found that membrane hydration leads to a growth of separated water domains, which are gradually interconnected via newly formed water channels. The sorption and diffusion of H2 and O2 were studied at different temperatures and water contents of Nafion. Simulation results show that the water loading reduces gas solubilities as the adsorption site of gas molecules transforms from small cavities to large surfaces due to the enlargement of aqueous domains. However, such an opening of Nafion porous nanostructure effectively reduces gas diffusion barriers, and results in a 2-fold increase of O2 diffusivities. Molecular configurations of gases inside Nafion nanoporous frameworks were examined on the basis of calculated radial distribution functions.
Automatic Selection of Order Parameters in the Analysis of Large Scale Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Given the large number of crystal structures and NMR ensembles that have been solved to date, classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become powerful tools in the atomistic study of the kinetics and thermodynamics of biomolecular systems on ever increasing time scales. By virtue of the high-dimensional conformational state space that is explored, the interpretation of large-scale simulations faces difficulties not unlike those in the big data community. We address this challenge by introducing a method called clustering based feature selection (CB-FS) that employs a posterior analysis approach. It combines supervised machine learning (SML) and feature selection with Markov state models to automatically identify the relevant degrees of freedom that separate conformational states. We highlight the utility of the method in the evaluation of large-scale simulations and show that it can be used for the rapid and automated identification of relevant order parameters involved in the functional transitions of two exemplary cell-signaling proteins central to human disease states.