cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Herpes Simplex Virus Dances with Amyloid Precursor Protein while Exiting the Cell

Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1) replicates in epithelial cells and secondarily enters local sensory neuronal processes, traveling retrograde to the neuronal nucleus to enter latency. Upon reawakening newly synthesized viral particles travel anterograde back to the epithelial cells of the lip, causing the recurrent cold sore. HSV1 co-purifies with amyloid precursor protein (APP), a cellular transmembrane glycoprotein and receptor for anterograde transport machinery that when proteolyzed produces A-beta, the major component of senile plaques. Here we focus on transport inside epithelial cells of newly synthesized virus during its transit to the cell surface. We hypothesize that HSV1 recruits cellular APP during transport. We explore this with quantitative immuno-fluorescence, immuno-gold electron-microscopy and live cell confocal imaging. After synchronous infection most nascent VP26-GFP-labeled viral particles in the cytoplasm co-localize with APP (72.8+/−6.7%) and travel together with APP inside living cells (81.1+/−28.9%). This interaction has functional consequences: HSV1 infection decreases the average velocity of APP particles (from 1.1+/−0.2 to 0.3+/−0.1 µm/s) and results in APP mal-distribution in infected cells, while interplay with APP-particles increases the frequency (from 10% to 81% motile) and velocity (from 0.3+/−0.1 to 0.4+/−0.1 µm/s) of VP26-GFP transport. In cells infected with HSV1 lacking the viral Fc receptor, gE, an envelope glycoprotein also involved in viral axonal transport, APP-capsid interactions are preserved while the distribution and dynamics of dual-label particles differ from wild-type by both immuno-fluorescence and live imaging. Knock-down of APP with siRNA eliminates APP staining, confirming specificity. Our results indicate that most intracellular HSV1 particles undergo frequent dynamic interplay with APP in a manner that facilitates viral transport and interferes with normal APP transport and distribution. Such dynamic interactions between APP and HSV1 suggest a mechanistic basis for the observed clinical relationship between HSV1 seropositivity and risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Agency in the face of error

Experiencing oneself as the cause of an action is a fundamental building block for a sense of self. A recent study by Sato and Yasuda provides evidence that motor prediction contributes to the experience of agency. Their findings demonstrate that agency is experienced not only for intended, but also for erroneous, unintended actions. This extends our knowledge on the phenomenology of action, and raises questions about the relation between explicit reports and agency-related changes in sensation and perception.
REACTOR SITING AND DESIGN FROM A RISK VIEWPOINT.

Abstract This paper proposes a method for the assessment of reactor safety, based upon the individual mortality risk, which allows (i) the determination of necessary site exclusion radii; and (ii) the evaluation of safeguards in terms of the risk reduction provided. An application to a 1000 MWe PWR indicates that for a maximum individual mortality risk of 10−7 per year (at the site boundary) an exclusion radius of 350 m is required. For a densely populated urban site the total risk was found to be 0.003 deaths over a 30-year reactor lifetime. Risk was found to be not particularly sensitive to accident probabilities.
Neutrinoless τ decays

Abstract Lepton number and lefton flavor violation processes occur naturally in many extensions of the Standard Model. No evidence for such processes has been found so far. Recent searches for lepton number violating τ decays are reviewed within the context of the theoretical predictions.
Catechol-Modified Polyions in Layer-by-Layer Assembly to Enhance Stability and Sustain Release of Biomolecules: A Bioinspired Approach

Although layer−by−layer (LbL) assembly technique has been successfully used in various areas of nanobiotechnology, some LbL-assembled nanostructures have suffered from a lack of stability when they are exposed to certain changes in aqueous environments. In addition, the interlayer diffusion of polyelectrolytes throughout the film during assembly generally limits the control of film architecture and release characteristics. To overcome these limitations, we have utilized a strategy to conjugate catechol groups, largely present in mussel adhesive proteins, to branched poly(ethyleneimine) (BPEI) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Only a fraction of amine or acid groups are modified with catechol groups, thereby preserving their charged nature for use in LbL assembly, while integrating the beneficial adhesive features of catechol groups into LbL films. The structure, physico−chemical properties, and stability of LbL films composing BPEI and PAA without and with catechol modifications were compared. The incorporation of catechol groups led to a doubling of the average film thickness and linear film growth. Upon exposure to PBS pH 7.4, the catechol-containing LbL films underwent far fewer changes in the degree of ionization and film thickness and exhibited stronger mechanical properties, indicative of their enhanced film stability. Finally, when LbL films with catechol modifications were used as physical barrier layers between radiolabeled 14 C−dextran sulfate ( 14 C−DS) and 3 H−heparin sulfate ( 3 H−HS), we observed two different release rates composed of an abrupt release from the surface of 3 H−HS, together with a sustained release from the underlying 14 C−DS. Overall, these films provide a bioinspired multifunctional platform for the systematic incorporation and assembly of biological therapeutics into controlled release films at physiological conditions for biomedical applications.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) meeting summary: Advances toward measuring diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy: from the bench to the clinic and back again (April 4–5, 2007, Baltimore, Maryland)

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases sponsored a meeting recently to explore new ways to assess diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, both in diabetic patients and in diabetic mice. The workshop compared current gold standards for assessment of retinopathy and neuropathy, new improvements of existing techniques, and new functional biomarkers measured with nontraditional technologies. Since the anatomical changes that comprise diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy take long to develop and have proven difficult to arrest once initiated, some talks highlighted the value of methods that are based on the pathophysiology that precedes, and might contribute to, the histopathology. In addition, a goal of the workshop was to produce a set of working criteria on phenotyping diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy that could be reviewed by the scientific community.
Multiple forms of alkaline phosphatase in untreated and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine-treated choriocarcinoma cells

Abstract The alkaline phosphatases present in choriocarcinoma cells, either untreated or treated with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd), were purified and characterized. Three forms of phosphatase [I, IIa (or IIIa), and IIb (or IIIb)]were isolated from both the untreated and BrdUrd-treated cells. Although BrdUrd induced the synthesis of all three forms of alkaline phosphatase in these cells, the synthesis of forms IIa and IIb was, however, preferentially stimulated. The forms of phosphatase in choriocarcinoma cells resembled each other in their kinetic properties and thermal lability, but differed in their molecular weights and in their electrophoretic mobilities in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels. All three phosphatases were inactivated by antiserum to term-placental alkaline phosphatase. The alkaline phosphatases from choriocarcinoma cells differed, however, from the enzyme from term placentas in several physicochemical properties. The phosphatases from choriocarcinoma cells had a lower K m value for p -nitrophenyl phosphate, were more sensitive to inhibition by l -leucine, levamisole, l-p -bromotetramisole, and EDTA, and were more heat-labile. Phosphatase I comigrated with term-placental alkaline phosphatase on nondenaturing polyacrylamide electrophoretic gels, but phosphatases IIa and IIb migrated more slowly. The apparent molecular weights of phosphatase forms I, IIa, and IIb were estimated by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to be 115,000, 240,000, and 510,000, respectively. Although three molecular forms of alkaline phosphatase occurred in choriocarcinoma cells, the subunit molecular weight of these phosphatases appeared to be identical to each other and to the subunit of term-placental alkaline phosphatase (63,000 MW). The alkaline phosphatase in choriocarcinoma cells therefore exists in the dimeric, tetrameric, and octameric forms.
Very accurate correlated calculations on diatomic molecules with numerical orbitals: The hydrogen fluoride molecule

Numerical orbital coupled-cluster calculations on the FH molecule are reported, which obtain 99% of the possible correlation energy. Instead of requiring explicit ${r}_{12}$ functions, it is demonstrated that a one-particle but very well-chosen numerical orbital basis set is adequate to recover essentially all effects of electron correlation. Further reduction of the dimension of the numerical orbital basis set is accomplished via our recently proposed optimized virtual-orbital-space technique. Augmented by the exact second-order energy, the latter allows a reduction to as small as 25% of the original space with no appreciable errors in the correlation energy.
Study of possible phase transitional behaviour in the geometric collective model and the IBA

The possibility of phase transitional behaviour in the Sm nuclei is discussed in relation to recent experiments on , in the context of both interacting boson model and geometric collective model calculations.
A reexamination of the neighborhood as a socio-spatial schema

Lee's conception of the “socio-spatial schema” was reexamined for a sample of respondents from a British new town. Results showed that over half of the respondents differentiated their neighborhoods from smaller “areas of belonging” and that neither the neighborhood nor area of belonging corresponded well to ecological concrptions of a “natural area.” Discriminant analysis revealed that differences betwren respondents who provided one neighborhood versus those who distinguished a neighborhood from an area of belonging had empirical significance. These two groups were discriminated on the basis of four components of community satisfaction, that is, distance from the town center, proximity of friends, length of residence, and respondent age. Size of the neighborhood was found to be a function of the location of the neighborhood center and length of residence. Size of the area of belonging was related to length of residence and proximity of relatives. Results are discussed in relation to the socio-spatial methodology, the neighborhood concept, and differences between these findings and previous research, especially as related to the residential location of friends and relatives.
Mortality in 191 counties near energy facilities: use of economic and social variables for standardization

Abstract Standardization of mortality for variation in sociodemographic characteristics as well as for age, sex, and race is required for improved detection of changes in mortality around point sources of pollution. Mortality by level and selected causes was studied in 191 counties within 80 km of 15 power generation sites chosen to represent the diversity of U.S. socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic features. Mortality data for 1969–1971 were evaluated against selected 1970 U.S. census, air pollution, climate, and cigarette and beer consumption data. A mortality process scheme was developed and used to rationalize the selection of independent variables. Regression of mortality measures on the selected variables accounted for approximately half of the observed variance ( R 2 ). A technique was developed to partition explained variance between two groups of variables and their interaction term. Applying this technique to regressions of mortality on air pollution and social-demographic variables, only female mortality was found to have strong independent or interactive effects with air pollution. For cause-specific mortality, the explained variance was small for diseases with major genetic components and larger for diseases with strong socioeconomic components. Testing of the regression equations indicated that standardization for socioeconomic factors may be a useful strategy on a regional basis.
Review : Glial Boundaries and Scars: Programs for Normal Development and Wound Healing in the Brain

Early studies of glial boundaries, which are composed of immature astrocytes and extracellular matrix mol ecules (which they express), initially offered insight into the partitioning that occurs in the developing nervous system. More recently, however, it has been suggested that similar "boundaries" may have important roles in other processes occurring in the brain, including repair after traumatic brain injury. As more is understood about the expression and function of boundary molecules and glia, their potential importance is becoming apparent in numerous neuropathological conditions, including neurodegeneration and neuroregeneration in Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases as well as in brain neoplasms. Furthermore, before we can hope to fully understand and facilitate regeneration in the compromised brain, our knowledge of the glial boundary, both during development and in the adult, must be more complete. The Neuroscientist 1:142-154, 1995
Thermodynamic study of the complexation of trivalent actinide and lanthanide cations by ADPTZ, a tridentate N-donor ligand.

To better understand the bonding in complexes of f-elements by polydentate N-donor ligands, the complexation of americium(III) and lanthanide(III) cations by 2-amino-4,6-di-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (ADPTZ) was studied using a thermodynamic approach. The stability constants of the 1:1 complexes in a methanol/water mixture (75/25 vol %) were determined by UV−visible spectrophotometry for every lanthanide(III) ion (except promethium), and yttrium(III) and americium(III) cations. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔH°, ΔS°) of complexation were determined from the temperature dependence of the stability constants and by microcalorimetry. The trends of the variations of ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° across the lanthanide series are compared with published results for other tridentate ligands and confirm strongly ionic bonding in the lanthanide−ADPTZ complexes. Comparison of the thermodynamic properties between the Am− and Ln−ADPTZ complexes highlights an increase in stability of the complexes by a factor of 20 in favor of...
Embedded Systems Interfacing for Engineers using the Freescale HCS08 Microcontroller II: Digital and Analog Hardware Interfacing

The vast majority of computers in use today are encapsulated within other systems. In contrast to general-purpose computers that run an endless selection of software, these embedded computers are often programmed for a very specific, low-level and often mundane purpose. Low-end microcontrollers, costing as little as one dollar, are often employed by engineers in designs that utilize only a small fraction of the processing capability of the device because it is either more cost-effective than selecting an application-specific part or because programmability offers custom functionality not otherwise available. Embedded Systems Interfacing for Engineers using the Freescale HCS08 Microcontroller is a two-part book intended to provide an introduction to hardware and software interfacing for engineers. Building from a comprehensive introduction of fundamental computing concepts, the book suitable for a first course in computer organization for electrical or computer engineering students with a minimal background in digital logic and programming. In addition, this book can be valuable as a reference for engineers new to the Freescale HCS08 family of microcontrollers. The HCS08 processor architecture used in the book is relatively simple to learn, powerful enough to apply towards a wide-range of interfacing tasks, and accommodates breadboard prototyping in a laboratory using freely available and low-cost tools. In Part II: Digital and Analog Hardware Interfacing, hardware and software interfacing concepts are introduced. The emphasis of this work is on good hardware and software engineering design principles. Device drivers are developed illustrating the use of general-purpose and special-purpose digital I/O interfaces, analog interfaces, serial interfaces and real-time I/O processing. The hardware side of each interface is described and electrical specifications and related issues are considered. The first part of the book provides the programming skills necessary to implement the software in this part. Table of Contents: Introduction to the MC9S08QG4/8 Hardware / Analog Input / Serial Communication / Real-Time I/O Processing
Reliability and applicability of 3D measurements of posterior teeth

Abstract Background Due to the lack of studies, we evaluated the validity and reliability of multirooted tooth measurements derived from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and periapical (PA) radiography. Methods CBCT scans and PA radiographs were obtained from 16 patients (30 and 18 maxillary molars and premolars, respectively, were evaluated). The CBCT scans were taken at 0.4 mm voxel size. Using X, Y, and Z coordinates, the cusp tips and root apices were used to calculate two tooth lengths and two root lengths of the premolars, and three tooth lengths and three root lengths of the molars. PA radiographs were taken from the same patients at the same time. The same tooth and root lengths were measured. Results There were no systematic differences between replicates. Systematic errors ranged from 0.001 to 0.119 mm (premolars) and from 0.001 to 0.052 mm (molars). Only buccal premolar root lengths, as measured on the PA radiographs, and buccal molar root lengths, as measured on the CBCT images, showed statistically significant differences ( P Conclusions Although both methods are reliable, greater random errors were associated with the CBCT than with PA measurements. PA radiography underestimated buccal lengths and overestimated lingual tooth lengths of the premolars and molars, respectively.
Determination of spatial and temporal colonization of enteropathogenic E. coli and enterohemorrhagic E. coli in mice using bioluminescent in vivo imaging

Infectious diarrhea is a major contributor of child morbidity and mortality in developing nations. Murine models to study the pathogenesis of infectious diarrhea caused by organisms such as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) are not fully characterized. More emphasis has been placed on infection of mice with the murine specific pathogen Citrobacter rodentium. While these three organisms are genetically related they are not identical. Our goal was to better characterize the murine model of EPEC and EHEC infection by using bioluminescent bacteria to determine temporal and spatial colonization of these two human pathogens. EPEC and EHEC were transformed with a bacterial luciferase expression plasmid containing the constitutive OmpC promoter. C57BL/6 mice were orally inoculated with bioluminescent EPEC or EHEC and bacterial localization in the intestine was monitored ex vivo and in vivo by IVIS. At 3 days after infection, EPEC, EHEC and Citrobacter rodentium were all locali...
On Occurrences of Types in Types

The different occurrences of a word in a sentence cannot be identified with the one word type, nor with its many tokens. What then are occurrences of a word? How can one type occur more than once in another type? Is the conception of ‘structural universals’ that leads to these questions incoherent, as Lewis maintained? I argue against the answer Wetzel suggested, which identifies sentences with functions from numbers to expressions, and propose instead that occurrences of one type in another are subtypes with different relative positions in the whole. Types have subtypes as well as tokens. Occurrences in non-symmetrical types like sequences are individuated by their relative positions in the type. Occurrences in a symmetrical whole have different positions but stand in the same relations to the other components. They are numerically different subtypes that do not differ from each other qualitatively.
Benefits versus risks from mammography: A critical reasessment

BACKGROUND The use of mammography has increased rapidly over the last decade. The justification for mammographic examinations is the potential benefit they provide in detecting breast cancer at an early stage and reducing mortality. However, this benefit must be balanced against the associated potential risk of radiation carcinogenesis, economic costs, and a number of other factors. Most publications to date have used radiation risk factors and data from studies that were published over a decade ago, which now have been superseded by the results of more recent epidemiological studies. METHODS This report examines the current literature regarding the benefits of cancer detection and the risk of radiation carcinogenesis, and calculates the ratio of benefit and risk for women who begin annual mammography screening at different ages. We have used current data to calculate the expected individual benefits and radiation risks associated with annual mammographic screening. RESULTS It now appears that there is little risk of breast cancer associated with radiation exposure from annual mammography in women over the age of 35, although there is some indication that exposure of younger women may pose a risk for those women in a genetically sensitive subgroup. CONCLUSIONS New data document that for a woman beginning annual mammographic screening at age 50 and continuing until age 75, the benefit exceeds the radiation risk by a factor of almost 100. Even for a woman who begins annual screening at age 35 and continues until age 75, the benefit of reduced mortality is projected to exceed the radiation risk by a factor of more than 25. Cancer 1996;77:903-9.
Input, output, outcome: simply a change in orientation

The challenge for accountants in reporting the results of operations is to be aware of the notions of input, output and outcome. Illustrates this with two examples, one from industry and one from the service economy, and explains the notions of input, output and outcome in conjunction with these examples.
AN INEXPENSIVE 35 TO 16-MM. REDUCTION PRINTER AND ANIMATION DEVICE FOR CINERADIOGRAPHIC FILMS.

Abstract A simplified, low-cost method for reproducing 35-mm. cineradiographs on 16-mm. film, with inclusion of titles and superimpositions, is described. A commonly used analytical projector has been coupled and synchronized with a 16-mm. motion-picture camera, and the 16-mm. film can be processed in the same manner as the cineradiographs. The system is especially useful for preparing films for the teaching of students and residents, as well as for presentation of complex analyses of cineradiographs.
Cyclic AMP-binding protein and estrogen receptor: antagonism during nuclear translocation in a hormone-dependent mammary tumor.

Abstract Incubation of nuclei from hormone-dependent rat mammary tumors with its cytosol activated with 5 nM 17β-estradiol resulted in a 4-fold increase of nuclear estrogen binding activity over the control nuclei. The presence of 100 nM cAMP in the activated cytosol inhibited this nuclear uptake of estrogen receptor by 50%. Conversely, incubation of the nuclei with cytosol activated with 100 nM cAMP increased nuclear cAMP binding and cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity 4-fold, while the presence of 5 nM 17β-estradiol in the activated cytosol inhibited the nuclear cAMP binding and the protein kinase activity by 50%. No competition was found between estrogen and cAMP for each other's cytoplasmic binding proteins or the nuclear acceptor sites. These data suggest that a mutual antagonism exists between the cAMP-binding protein and estrogen receptor during their nuclear translocation.
Orbital elements and absolute dimensions of the eclipsing system LY Aurigae

Orbital solutions were obtained for the early-type eclipsing binary LY Aurigae from the light curves obtained with the OAO-2 by Heap and from the V light curve obtained from ground-based observations by Mayer and Horak. The solutions take into account the existence of a nearby companion not accounted for by previous investigators. The spectroscopic observations by Mayer and Batten were used to compute absolute dimensions for the binary orbit and for each component. This binary system presents an unique opportunity to determine accurately the absolute dimensions of an O9.5 III star.
Caveolin-1-Mediated Expression and Secretion of Kallikrein 6 in Colon Cancer Cells

Kallikreins are secreted proteases that may play a functional role and/or serve as a serum biomarker for the presence or progression of certain types of cancers. Kallikrein 6 (KLK6) has been shown to be upregulated in several types of cancers, including colon. The aims of this study were to elucidate pathways that influence KLK6 gene expression and KLK6 protein secretion in the HCT116 human colon cancer cells. Our data indicate a central role for caveolin-1 (CAV-1), the main structural protein of caveolae, in both KLK6 gene expression and protein secretion. Sucrose gradient subcellular fractionation reveals that CAV-1 and KLK6 colocalize to lipid raft domains in the plasma membrane of HCT116 cells. Furthermore, we show that CAV-1, although it does not directly interact with the KLK6 molecule, enhances KLK6 secretion from the cells. Deactivation of CAV-1, through SRC-mediated phosphorylation, decreased KLK6 secretion. We also demonstrate that, in colon cancer cells, CAV-1 increased the amount of phosphorylated AKT in cells by inhibiting the activity of the AKT-negative regulators PP1 and PP2A. This study demonstrates that proteins such as CAV-1 and AKT, which are known to be altered in colon cancer, affect KLK6 expression and KLK6 secretion.
Self‐Diffusion of Gd in Polycrystalline Gd2O3

Specimens of highly sinterable Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ powders were compacted and sintered. Two groups of specimens with grain sizes averaging 138 and 342 ..mu..m were produced. Contributions of lattice (or volume) and grain-boundary diffusion were determined. Oxygen diffusion in Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ was determined and compared with oxygen diffusion in Er/sub 2/O/sub 3/. (FS)
From atoms to dendrites

Dendritic microstructures control the properties of a wide range of advanced materials ranging from nickel-based superalloys used in turbine blades to lightweight aluminum-based alloys for the automotive industry. This article reviews recent progress in quantitative modeling dendritic growth through the combination of state-of-the-art atomistic and phase field simulations. Also shown is how the combination of these two distinct length-scale modeling approaches can yield a parameter-free prediction of the dendrite growth velocity as a function of undercooling for deeply undercooled nickel melts.
Transparent conductors and buffer layers for CdTe solar cells

Thin film CdTe solar cells are typically of the supertrate configuration where the junction is fabricated on a glass substrate coated with a transparent conducting oxide that serves as the front contact. The most commonly used transparent contacts are SnO2 and ITO, due to their electro-optical properties and chemical and thermal stability. Binary and ternary transparent oxides of Cd, In, Zn, and Sn have been prepared by sputtering and chemical vapor deposition, and their structural and electro-optical properties have been investigated. Most sputter-deposited films were deposited at room temperature and subsequently annealed in order to improve their structural and electrical properties. The performance of CdTe solar cells has been studied for various combinations of transparent oxides that included the use of bilayer structures, where a resistive or buffer layer was deposited on top of the conductive oxide. The use of a buffer layer has been found to improve solar cell performance in particular when the CdS thickness is relatively small. Several resistive oxides have been found to be effective buffer layers. These include SnO2, In2O3, and Zn2SnO4. Conductive oxides utilized in this work include SnO2, ITO, CdIn2O4, and Cd2SnO4.
On the Shoulders of Merton Potentially Sobering Consequences of Problem Gambling Policy

Robert Merton’s theoretical formulations of unintended consequences provide a useful framework for understanding the potential consequences of problem gambling policy. More generally, a sociological perspective on mental illness perspective brings a particular insight to the field of gambling studies. Based on the current understanding of problem gamblers’ careers, one can speculate on a number of instances in which policies intended to help this population can actually exacerbate matters. Because of this potentiality, the field of problem gambling should both (a) engage the concept of unintended consequences in the sociological, Mertonian sense and (b) attempt to incorporate theory and research whenever possible to better understand the potential for such consequences.
Teaching Religion in the Public Schools and Elsewhere

WHEN THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGIST Daniel Bell was asked to give the Hobhouse Memorial Lecture at the London School of Economics in 1977, he chose as his title, "The Return of the Sacred?". Significantly, he placed a question mark at the end of that provocative title. In this lecture Bell discussed what he saw as a dramatic resurgence of religious belief in modern culture, and he quoted the great German sociologist Max Weber, who wrote at the end of the nineteenth century: "With the progress of science and technology, man has stopped believing in magic powers, in spirits, and in demons. He's lost his sense of prophecy, and above all, he's lost his sense of the sacred. Reality," Weber wrote, "has become dreary, flat, and utilitarian, leaving a great void in the souls of men which they seek to fill with frivolous activity." But as Bell went on to note, the inexorable'progress of science and technology shifted sharply in the twentieth century. Man's reason did not prevent the Holocaust or the mushroom-shaped cloud, and the flatness and dreariness of the wholly utilitarian and secularized society of which Max Weber wrote has taken its toll on the human spirit. Today we are rediscovering that the sense of the sacred is inextricably interwoven with the most basic of human impulses, the most primal human experiences of birth and growth and death. George Steiner, in reflecting on the Holocaust, captured this spirit when he wrote: "We now know that a man can read Goethe or Rilke in the evening, that he
Nobel prizes for computational science [The Last Word]

By the time you read this column, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences will have announced the recipients of this year's Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry . The chances are good that computational science contributed to some of the prize-winning work. What tours de force of computational science deserve future Nobels? At the top of my list in medicine is the Human Genome Project. However, given Alfred Nobel's stipulation that no more than three people share a prize, the vast project could miss out. Particle physics discoveries typically involve Herculean feats of number crunching. The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory's (SNO) confirmation in 2001 that neutrinos oscillate in flavor merits a physics prize, a share of which would presumably go to SNO's director, Art McDonald. In chemistry, I favor honoring Harvard's Martin Karplus for pioneering the use of molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the behavior of proteins and other biomolecules. By the time you read this column, you'll know if any of my predictions came true.
Oral factor Xa inhibitors for the long-term management of ACS

Novel, oral, direct inhibitors of factor Xa are valuable additions to anticoagulation therapy in patients with various thrombotic disorders, but have shown mixed results in trials for secondary prevention in patients with an acute coronary syndrome. Drs Wisler and Becker review the available data, with particular emphasis on the phase III APPRAISE 2 and ATLAS ACS 2–TIMI 51 trials of apixaban and rivaroxaban. Despite considerable reductions in cardiovascular events in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), substantial residual risk persists. This unmet need has stimulated the development of anticoagulant drugs that target specific coagulation factors involved in the pathogenesis of thrombosis after atheromatous plaque disruption. Factor Xa is an attractive target for inhibition because of both its integral role in coagulation and its recognized participation in cellular proliferation and inflammation. Several oral, direct factor Xa inhibitors are undergoing investigation and large, phase III clinical trials of two agents, apixaban and rivaroxaban, in patients with an ACS have been completed. On the basis of the known pathobiology of ACS, one might anticipate that drugs in this class of anticoagulant would beneficially reduce ischemic and thrombotic events; however, a strategy of combined anticoagulant therapy and DAPT is likely to increase concomitant bleeding complications. The balance of benefit and risk will ultimately determine uptake in clinical practice. We review the available data on factor Xa inhibitors in the long-term management of patients with an ACS.
The relationship between preparation and performance in public speaking

One hundred and nineteen public speaking students were videotaped while giving speeches and filled out questionnaires concerning preparation time, past experience speaking, anxiety about the speech just performed, general anxiety about communication, and grade point average. Researchers rated the content and delivery of the speeches and compared the ratings with the questionnaire responses. The quality of speech performance correlated positively with cumulative grade point average, total preparation time, time spent preparing a visual aid, number of rehearsals for an audience, time rehearsing silently, time rehearsing out loud, number of rehearsals out loud, research outside the library (interviews, phone calls, surveys, etc.), and preparation of speaking notes. Anxiety about the speech just delivered correlated negatively with quality of performance. Past experience with public speaking instruction had a mixed relation to speech quality. Significant predictors of the quality of speech performance were gr...
Authenticity in relationships and depressive symptoms: A gender analysis

The current study examined authenticity in relationships, defined as the ability to be open and honest in meaningful relationships, in multiple contexts (i.e., with parents, peers). The goal of the study was to examine and compare the relation between authenticity in relationships and depressive symptoms in a sample of 435 14-year-old adolescent girls and boys. Structural equation modeling results indicated that the model predicted approximately one-third of the variance in depressive symptoms for girls, and almost half of the variance in depressive symptoms for boys. In addition, the strength of the relation between authenticity with parents and depressive symptoms was statistically equivalent for boys and girls. These results indicate the importance of authenticity with parents in predicting depressive symptoms, for both boys and girls.
The Phenazinimines: a Possible Explanation of Anomalies associated with Neutral Red

D. L. Vivian and Morris Belkin in 1956 reported1 that they had synthesized a compound which from the ‘unambiguous’ method used2 should be 2-amino-8-dimethylamino-3-methylphenazine : This is the accepted structure for the colour base of neutral red, and a compound having this configuration, when converted to its hydrochloride, should show the normal neutral red behaviour of acting as a vital stain, that is, should stain living cells without killing them. As stated by Vivian and Belkin, however, the compound actually obtained, although giving an analysis agreeing with I, when converted to its hydrochloride, did not show the characteristic vital staining behaviour of neutral red. It also differed from the colour base obtained by removing the hydrogen chloride from a sample of commercial neutral red through Chromatographic adsorption on basic alumina, in that it had a very different melting point, as well as in giving a brown colour with concentrated sulphuric acid, instead of the deep green colour which the commercial base forms. Still another point of difference is that the free base from the commercial neutral red fluoresces very slightly if at all in ether solution, while the more soluble synthetic fluoresces a very strong green under ultra-violet illumination.
Patterns of Cultural Change in a Salish Flathead Community.

The author used the Thematic Apperception Test and three other psychological tests in 1968 to investigate changes in the culture of a Flathead Reservation community. The study examined several aspects of the modal personality forms in a contemporary Salish Flathead community to see if the Salish had adopted white psychological patterns along with Western technology. The sample included on- and off-reservation whites and reservation Indians divided according to degree of Indian blood and economic status. The results for the on-reservation groups were remarkably consistant, suggesting that neither internarriage nor the rising economic level of the Indians has caused a shift in psychological orientation. The TAT results for the reservation whites suggest that they, at least during adolescence, have assumed some of the less obvious Indian values. As expected, the off-reservation whites differed considerably from the on-reservation sample.
Computer-assisted observer training.

Abstract Computerized interactive videotapes were used to train college students to use a 10-second partial-interval observational recording system. Students viewed videotapes and scored response occurrences on a computer keyboard. Incorrect scoring resulted in immediate computerized feedback and rescoring. Two independent variables, three versus seven target behaviors, and maintenance (thinning feedback) versus nonmaintenance (no feedback) training were compared. Average accuracy values across all target behaviors were consistently above 90%, and the lowest accuracy values obtained for most target responses typically met current standards for interobserver agreement. Data indicate the standard practice of occasional observer agreement checks may be inadequate.
Tissue engineering with chondrogenically differentiated human embryonic stem cells.

This study describes the development and application of a novel strategy to tissue engineer musculoskeletal cartilages with human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). This work expands the presently limited understanding of how to chondrogenically differentiate hESCs through the use of chondrogenic medium alone (CM) or CM with two growth factor regimens: transforming growth factor (TGF)-β3 followed by TGF-β1 plus insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I or TGF-β3 followed by bone morphogenic protein (BMP)-2. It also extends the use of the resulting chondrogenically differentiated cells for cartilage tissue engineering through a scaffoldless approach called self-assembly, which was conducted in two modes: with (a) embryoid bodies (EBs) or (b) a suspension of cells enzymatically dissociated from the EBs. Cells from two of the differentiation conditions (CM alone and TGF-β3 followed by BMP-2) produced fibrocartilage-like constructs with high collagen I content, low collagen II content, relatively high total collagen content (up to 24% by dry weight), low sulfated glycosaminoglycan content (∼4% by dry weight), and tensile properties on the order of megapascals. In contrast, hESCs treated with TGF-β3 followed by TGF-β1 + IGF-I produced constructs with no collagen I. Results demonstrated significant differences among the differentiation conditions in terms of other biochemical and biomechanical properties of the self-assembled constructs, suggesting that distinct growth factor regimens differentially modulate the potential of the cells to produce cartilage. Furthermore, this work shows that self-assembly of cells obtained by enzymatic dissociation of EBs is superior to self-assembly of EBs. Overall, the results of this study raise the possibility of manipulating the characteristics of hESC-generated tissue toward specific musculoskeletal cartilage applications. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Solutions to the Module Orientation and Rotation Problems by Neural Computation Networks

In this paper we study two strategies for modifying a given placement of modules in order to improve the quality of the routing results in the next stage of design. We assume that the modules have already been placed. The first strategy seeks to minimize the total wire length by flipping each module about its vertical and/or horizontal axes of symmetry. The second strategy seeks to minimize the total wire length by rotating each module by a multiple of 90 degrees. We introduce a new algorithm based on the Hopfield-Tank neural-net model to solve these problems. Our algorithm performs better than the best algorithms known for these problems. Both problems are shown to be NP-Complete.
Phonon transport assisted by inter-tube carbon displacements in carbon nanotube mats

Thermal transport in carbon nanotube (CNT) mats, consisting of randomly networked multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), is not as efficient as in an individual CNT because of the constrained tube-to-tube phonon transport. Through experiments and modeling, we discover that phonon transport in CNT mats is significantly improved by ion irradiation, which introduces inter-tube displacements, acting as stable point contacts between neighboring tubes. Inter-tube displacement-mediated phonon transport enhances conductivity, while inter-tube phonon-defect scattering reduces conductivity. At low ion irradiation fluence, inter-tube thermal transport enhancement leads to thermal conductivity increase by factor > 5, while at high ion irradiation fluence point defects within tubes cause a decrease in thermal conductivity. Molecular dynamics simulations support the experimentally obtained results and the proposed mechanisms. Further conductivity enhancement in irradiated mats was obtained by post-irradiation heat treatment that removes majority of the defects within the tubes without affecting thermally stable inter-tube displacements.
Bilateral renal oncocytomatosis in a patient with renal failure

Bilateral multifocal renal oncocytomas are very rare disorders with only 6 previously reported cases in the world literature, of which only 3 have had pathologic confirmation. We present the first reported case of diffuse, bilateral, multifocal renal oncocytomatosis in a patient with end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis. Our patient was found to have hundreds of nodular tumors in both kidneys on exploration, representing the second such reported finding.
Bright access: Midwestern literary societies, with a particular look at a university for the “farmer and the poor”;

The history of literary societies in academia has been little studied. The few discussions of the societies have centered primarily around eastern universities and have marked the societies' decline as coming in the mid-to-late 1800s. However, the literary societies survived at many Midwestern colleges, both public and private, for several decades into the twentieth century. The societies embody rhetoric-in-practice and are interesting in terms of their social structure, their intellectual activities, and what they tell us about the position of rhetoric in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their eventual decline is brought about by a number of forces, some predictable and some not. Academic literary societies, which existed in strength in the Midwest from about 1830 to 1920, centered around the writing and performance of essays, debates, orations, and sometimes poetry. Over time, some of the groups expanded their activities into performances of music and dramas, with these elements sometimes overtaking the rhetorical aspects. As has been noted elsewhere, the societies declined with the coming of fraternities and sororities, the blossoming of disciplinary clubs, the general lack of interest in rhetoric, and the influx of students seeking a public education. Other less-examined factors include the extent of institutional support, the strength of rhetoric in the
Quotient tree partitioning of undirected graphs

The partitioning of the vertices of an undirected graph, in a way that makes its quotient graph a tree, mirrors a way of permuting a square symmetric matrix to allow its factoring with little fil-in. We analyze the complexity of finding the best partitioning and show that it is NP-complete. We also give a new and simpler implementation of an algorithm that finds a maximal quotient tree.
Simulation of silicon carbide power MOSFETs at high temperature

Abstract Numerical device simulations have been performed on SiC vertical power MOSFETs at high temperatures using ISE-TCAD device simulator. The same device structure and temperatures were used for 6H– and 4H–SiC SiC materials for the device simulation. All the parameters used in the simulation for SiC were obtained from the recently reported values.
Ambient Coarse Particulate Matter and Human Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Airborne particles have been linked to increased mortality and morbidity. As most research has focused on fine particles (PM2.5), the health implications of coarse particles (PM10-2.5) are not well understood. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of associations for short- and long-term PM10-2.5 concentrations with mortality and hospital admissions. Using 23 mortality and 10 hospital admissions studies, we documented suggestive evidence of increased morbidity and mortality in relation to higher short-term PM10-2.5 concentrations, with stronger relationships for respiratory than cardiovascular endpoints. Reported associations were highly heterogeneous, however, especially by geographic region and average PM10-2.5 concentrations. Adjustment for PM2.5 and publication bias resulted in weaker and less precise effect estimates, although positive associations remained for short-term PM10-2.5 concentrations. Inconsistent relationships between effect estimates for PM10-2.5 and correlations between PM10-2.5 and PM2.5 concentrations, however, indicate that PM10-2.5 associations cannot be solely explained by co-exposure to PM2.5. While suggestive evidence was found of increased mortality with long-term PM10-2.5 concentrations, these associations were not robust to control for PM2.5. Additional research is required to better understand sources of heterogeneity of associations between PM10-2.5 and adverse health outcomes.