cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DNA-dependent RNA polymerases from Artemia salina. Characterization of a protein factor from developing embryos that stimulates artemia RNA polymerase II.

Dormant encysted embryos of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, contain a protein factor (S protein) that stimulates transcription of both native and denatured DNA by Artemia RNA polymerase II. Stimulatory activity is associated with a 15 S complex containing several polypeptides. Two polypeptides, comprising 65% of the total mass, have molecular weights of 183,000 and 67,000 and are present in a molar ratio of 1:2. The 15 S complex can not be dissociated under nondenaturing conditions. S protein has no stimulatory effect on RNA polymerases from Escherichia coli, Drosophila, or mammals. The presence of S protein increases the number of RNA chains synthesized by Artemia RNA polymerase II. During preemergence development of encysted embryos and early development of hatched larvae, stimulatory activity and the polypeptides characteristic of the 15 S complex disappear.
Anomalies of the anaerobic tricarboxylic acid cycle in Shewanella oneidensis revealed by Tn-seq

The availability of increasingly inexpensive sequencing combined with an ever-expanding molecular biology toolbox has transported classical bacterial genetics into the 21st century. Whole genome genetic fitness analysis using transposon mutagenesis combined with next-generation high-throughput sequencing (Tn-seq) promises to revolutionize systems level analysis of microbial metabolism. Tn-seq measures the frequency of actual members of a heterogeneous mutant pool undergoing purifying selection to determine the contribution of every non-essential gene in the genome to the fitness of an organism under a given condition. Here we use Tn-seq to assess gene function in the Gram negative γ-proteobacterium Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1. In addition to being a model environmental organism, there is considerable interest in using S. oneidensis as a platform organism for bioremediation and biotechnology, necessitating a complete understanding of the metabolic pathways that may be utilized. Our analysis reveals unique aspects of S. oneidensis metabolism overlooked by over 30 years of classical genetic and systems level analysis. We report the utilization of an alternative citrate synthase and describe a dynamic branching of the S. oneidensis anaerobic tricarboxylic acid cycle, unreported in any other organism, which may be a widespread strategy for microbes adept at dissipating reducing equivalents via anaerobic respiration.
Hierarchical 3D kernel descriptors for action recognition using depth sequences

Action recognition is a challenging task due to intra-class motion variation caused by diverse style and duration in performed action videos. Previous works on action recognition task are more focused on hand-crafted features, treat different sources of information independently, and simply combine them before classification. In this paper we study action recognition from depth sequences captured by RGB-D cameras using kernel descriptors. Kernel descriptors provide an elegant way for combining a variety of information sources and can be easily applied to a hierarchical structure. We show how using kernel descriptors over pixel-level attributes in video sequences gains a great success compared to state-of-the-art methods. Following the success of kernel descriptors [1] on object recognition tasks, we employ 3D kernel descriptors, which are a unified framework for capturing pixel-level attributes and turning them into discriminative low-level features on individual 3D patches. We use efficient match kernel (EMK) [2] as the next level of our hierarchical structure to abstract the mid-level features for classification. Through extensive experiments we demonstrate using pixel-level attributes in the hierarchical architecture of our 3D kernel descriptor and EMK achieves superior performance on the standard depth sequences benchmarks.
The Drosophila erg K+ channel polypeptide is encoded by the seizure locus.

The eag family of K+ channels contains three known subtypes: eag , elk , and erg . Genes representing the first two subtypes have been identified in flies and mammals, whereas the third subtype has been defined only by the human HERG gene, which encodes an inwardly rectifying channel that is mutated in some cardiac arrhythmias. To establish the predicted existence of a Drosophila gene in the erg subfamily and to learn more about the structure and biological function of channels within this subfamily, we undertook a search for the Drosophila counterpart of HERG. Here we report the isolation and characterization of the Drosophila erg gene. We show that it corresponds with the previously identified seizure ( sei ) locus, mutations of which cause a temperature-sensitive paralytic phenotype associated with hyperactivity in the flight motor pathway. These results yield new insights into the structure and evolution of the eag family of channels, provide a molecular explanation for the sei mutant phenotype, and demonstrate the important physiological roles of erg -type channels from invertebrates to mammals.
Muckraking and stories untold: Ethnography meets journalism on trafficked women and the U.S. military

Investigative journalism using visual media has become a dominant mode of knowledge production both in popular understanding of human trafficking and in policymaking. A 2002 Fox I-team report exposed the U.S. military in Korea as being actively involved in a transnational network of trafficking women into sexual slavery. The report circulated in policymaking arenas as evidence of the need to combat trafficking and prostitution via global U.S. initiatives. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork from exactly the same U.S. military camp towns in South Korea, this article raises questions about investigative journalism and its truth power. The author also seeks to illuminate how news reports may decontextualize and make ahistorical generalizations about sex work and women’s migration, especially in the larger context of the revival of a global panic about human trafficking. The fundamental question the author raises is, What stories are untold in this genre of media representations preoccupied with sex trafficking?
Frequency of HLA-Dw3 in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

We have prospectively examined 46 consecutive unrelated children with JRA, 28 females and 18 males, for HLA-A, -B, -Dw1, and -Dw3 antigens. The data were analyzed according to mode and age of onset, as well as presence of extraarticular features. Patients with JRA were found to have an elevated frequency of HLA-B27 (26% vs. 8% of controls, P < 0.01). This elevated frequency of HLA-B27 was noted in patients with either a pauciarticular or polyarticular onset and consistent with previous observations, was more common in males than females. However, the most striking associations in JRA were apparent when the MLC-defined locus HLA-Dw3 was studied. The total patient population had a 46% frequency of HLA-Dw3 as compared with 24% in controls (P < 0.01). Moreover, when the group of 46 children was subdivided, the HLA-Dw3 frequency of patients with polyarticular disease was 64% as compared with 21% in pauciarticular disease (P < 0.01). Further, although the frequency of HLA-B8 was similar in JRA to that in the control panel, a significant degree of linkage disequilibrium was shown to exist between HLA-B8 and HLA-Dw3. No such linkage was shown to exist between HLA-B27 and either HLA-Dw1 or Dw3. Although we have not multiplied the P value by the number of HLA-A, -B and -D antigens, we suggest that the presence of the MLC-defined locus HLA-Dw3 is significantly elevated in children with polyarticular mode of onset of JRA and suggest that further definition of lymphocyte-dependent loci may aid in understanding the mechanism of pathogenesis as well as the classification and prognosis of childhood onset arthritis.
Interleukin 2 prevents graft-versus-host disease while preserving the graft-versus-leukemia effect of allogeneic T cells

We have recently demonstrated that interleukin 2 (IL-2), when administered in high doses for several days beginning on the day of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), markedly diminishes graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) mortality in lethally irradiated mice. An optimal anti-GVHD effect was attained by coadministering T-cell-depleted (TCD) syngeneic marrow. We demonstrate here that the full graft-versus-leukemia effect of allogeneic T lymphocytes is obtained even when GVHD is markedly diminished by the coadministration of IL-2 and TCD syngeneic marrow. This methodology represents an approach to the treatment of leukemia in which the beneficial effects of allogeneic T cells can be exploited while their major deleterious effect, GVHD, is avoided. These results may thus have an impact on the clinical use of BMT for the treatment of hematologic malignancies.
Diffusion and conductivity in Na+Cd2+ β alumina

The diffusion coefficient for Na+ at 335°C in single crystals of beta alumina has been measured as a function of increasing divalent cadmium concentration. The conductivities of the same compositions were determined over the temperature range of 25–400°C. The results reveal that the conductivity in these mixed crystals actually increases when small (<20%) concentrations of the sodium ions are exchanged for cadmium. The data are consistent with the expected interstitialcy mechanism for sodium ion diffusion when the concentration of ions is greater than 1/Beevers-Ross site and a vacancy mechanism when the concentration of ions is less than 1/Beevers-Ross site.
People as Products: Analysis of a Complex Marketing Exchange:

Though the notion of marketing as exchange has proved conceptually robust since its introduction more than 10 years ago, few empirical marketing studies have used exchange as a guiding paradigm. Th...
Dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase and alkyldihydroxyacetone phosphate synthase activities in rat liver subcellular fractions and human skin fibroblasts

Dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase (DHAP-AT) and alkyldihydroxyacetone phosphate synthase (DHAP-synthase) activities were examined in subcellular fractions of rat liver. The results indicate that at least 80% of DHAP-AT (assays carried out at pH 5.4) activity in rat liver is in peroxisomes, and the remaining activity is mitochondrial. In contrast to DHAP-AT, DHAP-synthase was detected in all subcellular fractions analyzed but the activity in peroxisomes was 208-fold and 42-fold greater compared to mitochondria and microsomes, respectively. We estimate that at least 70% of the DHAP-synthase activity in rat liver is in peroxisomes. DHAP-AT and DHAP-synthase activities were also examined in homogenates of skin fibroblasts from patients with inherited defects in peroxisomal structure and/or function. Both the enzyme activities were deficient in Zellweger syndrome whereas the activities were only partially deficient in infantile Refsum's disease. Greater reduction in DHAP-synthase activity, but only a partial reduction in DHAP-AT activity was observed in rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata. However, both DHAP-AT and DHAP-synthase activities were either normal or near normal in Refsum's disease or X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. The results reported suggest that various peroxisomal disease states can be identified based on DHAP-AT and DHAP-synthase activities in skin fibroblasts of patients.
A QoS-Oriented Network Architecture Based on Virtualization

Today's best-effort Internet with "one fits all" principle comes to an impasse. Addressed to different QoS requirements of today's network services, we propose a QoS oriented Network Architecture that bases on network virtualization. It provides multiple virtual networks deploying on the same substrate, each is designed with a special designing goal and is running a customized protocol. Then the traffic with different QoS requirements is classified at the ingress router, and distributed to different virtual networks the most suitable. To verify this idea, a prototype is implemented in the LAN-scale network. By simple comparison of traffic transmitted over different virtual networks which are running different designed QoS mechanisms, we observe that, by use of our network architecture, service provider with specific QoS requirements can take its choice to choose appropriate network to achieve better QoS performance.
Sex differences in claudication pain in subjects with peripheral arterial disease

GARDNER, A. W. Sex differences in claudication pain in subjects with peripheral arterial disease. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 34, No. 11, pp. 1695–1698, 2002.PurposesTo compare the claudication distances between men and women patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and to determine whethe
Characterization of the RNA associated with influenza A cytoplasmic inclusions and the interaction of NS1 protein with RNA.

Abstract Paracrystalline inclusions formed by influenza A virus nonstructural protein (NS 1 ) in infected BHK21-F cells were found to contain significant amounts of RNA. PAGE analysis and oligonucleotide fingerprint mapping indicated that the inclusion-associated RNA was primarily of cellular origin. Analysis of the RNA by oligodeoxythymidylic acid—cellulose chromatography and in vitro translation indicated that the RNA was not host or viral messenger RNA. Purified inclusions were solubilized with 6 M urea and 1 M KCl, and the NS 1 protein was separated from the RNA by sucrose gradient centrifugation. When urea and KCl were removed by dialysis, the NS 1 protein reassociated with the RNA. The resulting complexes obtained in the absence of Mg 2+ appeared to be smaller and more heterogeneous in size than the original NS, inclusions, whereas complexes obtained in the presence of 10 m M Mg 2+ were similar in size to the original NS 1 inclusions. RNA-free NS 1 protein also formed tightly packed structures similar to the tightly packed NS 1 -RNA complexes, indicating that RNA is not necessary for this interaction. The buoyant densities in CsCl of the original NS 1 inclusions, the reassociated NS 1 -RNA complexes, and the RNA-free NS 1 protein complexes were determined to be 1.347, 1.341, and 1.270 g/ml, respectively. The results indicate that influenza A NS 1 protein has binding activity for RNA, and forms inclusions containing bound RNA molecules in the cytoplasm during virus replication.
Increased photorealism for interactive architectural walkthroughs

This paper presents a new method for interactive rendering of globally illuminated static scenes. Global illumination is decomposed into view-independent (diffuse) and view-dependent (non-diffuse) components. The two are recombined during rendering using a hybrid geometryand image-based approach along with multi-pass blending techniques. This approach allows the preprocessing of both components and the fast rendering of globally illuminated scenes. The view-independent component uses a traditional precomputed geometry-based radiosity solution that is rendered using standard graphics hardware. The view-dependent component is decomposed into “what is reflected” (radiance with depth) and “how it is reflected” (BRDF), and precomputed and rendered using image-based approaches. Radiance is stored as images with depth, and rendered using perspective reprojection; the BRDF is decomposed into an integration of incoming radiance and a directional modulation. The radiance integration term is approximated by convolving the reflected image with precomputed kernel textures based on material properties. The directional modulation is stored as a reflectance modulation texture based on material properties and is rendered using spheremapping during a blending pass.
“Lord, Teach Us to Pray”: Prayer Practice Affects Cognitive Processing

Abstract A secular observer might assume that prayer practice affects those who pray by making the cognitive concepts about God more salient to their lives. Those who pray, however, often talk as if prayer practice – and in particular, kataphatic (imagination-based) prayer – changes something about their experience of their own minds. This study examined the effect of kataphatic prayer on mental imagery vividness, mental imagery use, visual attention and unusual sensory experience. Christians were randomly assigned to two groups: kataphatic prayer or Bible study. Both groups completed computerized mental imagery tasks and an interview before and after a one month period of practice. The results indicate that the prayer group experienced increased mental imagery vividness, increased use of mental imagery, increased attention to objects that were the focus of attention, and more unusual sensory experience, including unusual religious experience, although there were substantial individual differences. These findings suggest that prayer practice may be associated with changes in cognitive processing.
Asian American as a political–racial identity: implications for teacher education

In this article, I consider the emergence of the term Asian American as a political and racial identifier in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s and survey the meanings that are associated with the term today. Through the analysis of in-depth interviews, I examine how Asian American prospective teachers, who were enrolled in a master's and credential program that had an explicit focus on social justice and on teaching in urban communities of color, appropriated and challenged these multiple meanings. The interview data highlight the relationship between these teachers' understandings of their racial identity and the responsibilities and challenges they anticipated for themselves as Asian American teachers of other students of color. I conclude the article by exploring the implications of these findings for teacher education programs, particularly programs that enroll high proportions of Asian Americans.
Revisiting the Single-Stage Forehead Flap in Nasal Reconstruction

Objectives To determine the incidence of and risk factors associated with dry eye symptoms (DES) and chemosis following upper or lower blepharoplasty. To examine the outcomes among long-term blepha...
Cloning and sequencing of cDNA for a highly anionic peroxidase from potato and the induction of its mRNA in suberizing potato tubers and tomato fruits

A highly anionic peroxidase was strongly suggested to be involved in the deposition of the aromatic domain of suberin. cDNA containing the coding region of the suberization-associated anionic peroxidase from potato has been cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the peroxidase shows that it is an anionic protein with considerable homology to other peroxidases. The amino acid sequence of two tryptic peptides obtained from the anionic peroxidase purified from suberizing potato tuber slices matched exactly with two segments of the amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the cloned cDNA. The identity of the cloned cDNA is further supported by hybrid-selected translation and immunological recovery of the product with antibodies prepared against the purified anionic peroxidase. This anionic peroxidase was barely detectable at 2 days after wounding, and reached a maximal level at 8 days after wounding. Using the cDNA for the anionic peroxidase as a probe, we showed that the mRNA for the enzyme was induced in suberizing potato. The mRNA levels increased from an undetectable level in control tuber tissue to a maximal level in suberizing tuber tissue aged for four days. In suberizing tomato fruit the peroxidase mRNA showed induction and the level reached a maximum in three days. Ine data suggest that the induction of the peroxidase by wounding is preceded by transcriptional activation of the peroxidase gene or by increased stabilization of the mRNA. The time course of increase in mRNA for the anionic peroxidase was consistent with its postulated role in suberization.
Intense spontaneous amplified emission of Li2 diffuse violet bands in the 4400 Å region

We report observation of intense spontaneous amplified radiation of Li2 diffuse violet band in the 4100–4900 A region. The radiation is strongly enhanced when the lithium vapor in a heat pipe is optically pumped with a pulsed dye laser with the output wavelength tuned to near the Li 2s–4s two-photon resonance transition. The diffuse violet band can probably be assigned to a recently reported triplet bound-free (23Π g →a3Σ u + ) transition. It is found that the productions of the molecular diffuse band are contributed from Li atoms as well as Li2 molecules. The excitation functions and their dependence on laser power density are presented and the mechanisms for producing the diffuse bands are discussed.
Experimental Study on Air Entrainment in Slot Die Coating of High-Viscosity, Shear-Thinning Fluids

Abstract The effects of slot die geometry, substrate geometry, and fluid properties on air entrainment in coatings have been extensively investigated by several researchers in the past. However, no studies exist to explain the bubble breakup mechanisms during slot die coating of highly viscous, shear- thinning solutions. An experimental study is performed to understand the bubble breakup mechanisms and the qualitative impact of geometric conditions and viscosity of the coating solution on the sizes of the air bubbles. Blackstrap molasses and dilute blackstrap molasses are used as the primary test solutions in this study. Two bubble breakup mechanisms were identified based on the shape of the sawteeth formed prior to air entrainment. In addition, smaller slot and coating gaps and high viscosity solutions were found to produce smaller bubble sizes. For example, reducing slot gap by 41% resulted in a 58% reduction in the effective bubble diameter. It was also found that as the dynamic contact angle approaches 180° with increasing velocity, the behavior follows that of the interface formation model.
Ms:mb Discrimination Study of Mining Explosions in Wyoming, USA, and in QianAn, China

We investigate the use of intermediate-period surface-wave magnitude, M s , and high-frequency body-wave magnitude, m b , from regional mining explosions for event discrimination by using techniques originally intended for separating earthquakes from explosions with teleseismic observations. The actual values of M s and m b suggest that the surface waves generated by long-duration mining explosions can make them appear earthquakelike. The data from the single anomalous shot indicate that if a significant part of the total explosives is simultaneously detonated the event will move into the explosion population. Data for this study are taken from a portable broadband deployment in Wyoming recording mining explosions in the Powder River Basin and a broadband network currently deployed in northeast China. The magnitudes, M s (vmax) and m b were estimated for five, kiloton-size mining explosions, four in Wyoming and one in QianAn, China. The resulting network M s : m b data were compared with data from a previous study that included earthquakes and contained single-fired explosions (Stevens and Day, 1985; Bonner et al. , 2003). Although the previous studies mostly examined events larger than those in this study, the Wyoming and China mining events plot in the earthquake population. Data from the anomalous Wyoming event, a blast in which a failure of the timing system caused a large portion of the blast pattern to simultaneously detonate, plot in the explosion population with m b 4.4. The simultaneous detonation of a large portion of blast array increased the body-wave magnitude but had little effect on surface-wave magnitude.
Total quality management of a medical residency.

Although many hospitals have begun the long and dif ficult process of adapting to the concepts of total quality management, few have reported efforts to apply total quality management to a medical residency. We report here the initial results of the Western Pennsylvania Hos pital's efforts, as part of the hospital's conversion of its management structure to total quality management.
IV. Ineffectiveness of Certain Essential Nutrients in Prevention of Tooth Decay in Cotton Rat Molars

SummaryA variety of tests were made to determine if superabundant amounts of essential nutrients or optimal amounts of these nutrients from different sources would alter the initiation and development of carious lesions in caries-susceptible cotton rats after tooth development was almost complete. Negative results were obtained in all cases indicating that initiation and development of carious lesions in teeth formed before the beginning of the experimental period were not influenced by additional amounts of the known nutrients tested.The ration described by Keyes for production of carious lesions in hamsters resulted in very poor growth and a low rate of initiation and development of carious lesions in the cotton rat. A supplement of 8% dried brewer's yeast to the purified ration produced good growth and permitted a slight reduction in the dental caries experience of cotton rats.
Multi-terminal networks with an untrusted relay

This paper investigates the impact of cooperation with an untrusted relay in multi-source multi-destination networks. The set up considered is one where the relay is the only means of communications due to the absence of direct links between the sources and the destinations. Since the relay is untrusted, all messages from the sources need to be kept secret from the relay. Furthermore, the destinations are assumed to have different levels of security clearance, i.e., some private messages should only be decoded by their intended receiver and should be kept secret from other destinations. An achievable secure rate region is found by using random binning at the sources, cooperative jamming from the destinations, and compress-and-forward at the relay. Additionally, a genie aided outer bound on the secure rate region is derived. Comparison of inner and outer bounds are provided.
Perceptions of local HIV/AIDS prevalence and risks for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections: preliminary study of intuitive epidemiology.

Background: Risk perceptions are theoretically important in predicting health behavior but have only shown modest evidence in predicting sexual risk behavior.Purpose: Our purpose is to investigate whether perceptions of the local prevalence of disease serve as a predictor of health behavior, particularly behaviors associated with infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS.Methods: Four hundred eighty-seven men and 236 women receiving diagnostic and treatment services at a sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinic in a moderate-size U.S. city completed anonymous surveys of perceived prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other STI and sexual risk and protective behaviors.Results: Participants who estimated a lower AIDS burden in their city relative to other U.S. cities demonstrated greater numbers of sex partners, higher rates of sexual risk practices, and higher rates of STI. They were also less likely to have been tested for HIV.Conclusions: This initial study of intuitive epidemiology suggests that STI clinic patients may have a sense for the relative burden of AIDS in their city and estimates of local disease prevalence may predict sexual risk behaviors.
Interresidue distance measurements in proteins Fluorescent energy transfer between tryptophans and a Ru(III)(NH3)5-histidine complex in α-lytic protease and lysozyme

Abstract The mechanism by which the intrinsic fiuorescence of tryptophan residues in α-lytic protease and lysozyme are quenched by a complex formed between the single histidine residue in each protein and Ru(III)(NH 3 ) 5 was investigated. The R 0 values for α-lytic protease and lysozyme were 15.5 and 11.8 A, respectively. Good agreement between the efficiency of energy transfer measured experimentally and that calculated from the X-ray data, assuming the Forster dipole-dipole mechanism, demonstrates that this mechanism is appropriate. The ease with which the ruthenium-labeled enzymes can be synthesized and purified suggests that the Ru(III)(NH 3 ) 5 -His complex may have general utility in structural studies of proteins in solution.
Signalled Reinforcement and Dimensional Stimulus Control

Summary For four pigeons reinforcement was signalled in one component of a multiple variable-interval 1-min variable-interval 1-min schedule, and two pigeons were trained on a multiple variable-interval 1-min extinction schedule. Following training each bird was given a resistance-to-extinction generalization test, followed by an additional training session, and a final resistance-to-reinforcement generalization test. Test stimuli were combined with presence or absence of the signal. Generalization tests uniformly showed differential dimensional stimulus control in the presence and absence of the signal for three of the four signalled-reinforcement subjects. However, excitatory dimension stimulus control was obtained for the one signalled-reinforcement bird that did not respond differentially during training. Similarly, nondifferential, flat, or inhibitory gradients were obtained for the two extinction subjects. These data support an analysis of signalled reinforcement as a conditional discrimination.
Local Selection of Features for Image Search and Annotation

In image applications, direct representations of images typically involve hundreds or thousands of features and not all the features are relevant for any given object. Errors introduced into similarity measurements by irrelevant or noisy features are detrimental to the semantic performance of content-based image retrieval. Feature selection techniques can be used to identify indiscriminative features from the entire image database. However, such global approach neglects the possibility that the feature importance may vary across different images or classes of images. We propose several techniques for the local selection of features for image databases. By checking the local neighborhood of each image, our methods determine the feature importance with respect to the image and select different feature sets for individual images. We also design methods based on the proposed local selection schemes for KNN graph construction, image search, and graph-based image annotation. We provide experimental results on two image datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods.
Attention to Neglect

Patients with spatial neglect fail to attend to stimuli in the contralesional visual world. He et al. used fMRI to reveal how disrupted functional connectivity, independent of task-evoked activation, in ventral and dorsal attentional networks may explain behavioral impairment in neglect and recovery from acute neglect.
Are self-reported depressive symptoms in first-grade children developmentally transient phenomena? A further look

In light of putative developmental constraints, some have argued that prior to the middle to late elementary school years children's reports of depressive symptoms represent nothing more than transient developmental phenomena. In an earlier study of an epidemiologically defined sample of first-grade children, self-reported depressive symptoms proved relatively stable and significantly related to adaptive functioning. In the present study, we follow that cohort of first graders longitudinally and assess the prognostic value of self-reports of depressive symptoms in first grade with respect to depressive symptoms and adaptive functioning in the late elementary school years. We also assess whether or not children's reports of depressive symptoms demonstrate greater stability and are more highly associated with adaptive functioning in the middle to late elementary school years. First-grade depressive symptoms were found to have significant prognostic value in terms of levels of depressive symptoms and adaptive functioning in fifth grade, with the strength of prediction varying by gender in the former. Although there was a moderate increase in short-term stability from first to fifth grade, it remained consistently strong across first, fourth, and fifth grades. The magnitude of the relationship between depressive symptoms and adaptive functioning also remained consistent over time. These findings on stability, caseness, and prognostic power attest to the significance of children's self-reports of depressive symptoms in the early as well as the middle to late elementary school years.
Human rights and the distribution of U.S. foreign aid

In contrast to the findings of other studies, we conclude that human rights play a significant and substantive role in determining the distribution of U.S. foreign aid. We find that the foreign aid program relates aid to the need of recipient nations, rewards nations for furthering human rights, does not discriminate on the basis of race or religion, and responds to national security interests of the U.S. The finding that the program does what most people assert it should do provides a new explanation for the rigidity of distributions over time.
Improving Concordance of MRI and PET/CT Interpretations With Retrospectively Coregistered MRI and PET/CT Data Sets.

This study evaluates if retrospective software-fused magnetic resonance imaging/positron emission tomography (MRI/PET) images can improve concordance of MRI and PET/computed tomography (CT) findings in the pelvis and improve overall lesion detection and characterization, as compared with independent side-by-side interpretation of MRI and PET data sets. Institutional review board approval was obtained for this retrospective study. Our institution’s electronic medical record system was examined for pelvic MRI scans and whole-body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/CT scans performed within a 2-month interval between January 2007 and June 2011. PET and MRI data sets for which there were discordant findings on original clinical reports were fused using software (Siemens TrueD, Erlangen, Germany). The fused MRI/PET data sets were reviewed by 2 radiologists for any evidence of metastatic disease in the pelvis. Interpretations were compared with original PET/CT and MRI reports (interpreted side by side), with pathology and imaging follow-up as the reference standard. Overall, 250 pairs of PET/CT and MRI scans were identified in 228 patients. A total of 57 discordant lesions were identified in 31 pairs of scans (12%) in 31 patients (14%). Software fusion resolved the discordance at 3 sites (5%) among 3 patients (10%), including 2 bone sites and a single nodal site. Software-fused MRI/PET is easy to perform and can increase the concordance rate of PET and MRI findings compared with side-by-side interpretation, thereby improving confidence in lesion characterization.
Murine Transporter Associated with Antigen Presentation (TAP) Preferences Influence Class I–restricted T Cell Responses

The transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP) complex shuttles cytosolic peptides into the exocytic compartment for association with nascent major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. Biochemical studies of murine and human TAP have established that substrate length and COOH-terminal residue identity are strong determinants of transport efficiency. However, the existence of these specificities in the intact cell and their influences on T cell responses have not been demonstrated. We have devised a method for studying TAP- mediated transport in intact cells, using T cell activation as a readout. The approach makes use of a panel of recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing peptides containing the Kd-restricted nonamer influenza nucleoprotein residues 147–155. The COOH terminus of each construct was appended with a dipeptide composed of an internal threonine residue followed by a varying amino acid. Synthetic peptide versions of these 11-mers exhibit vastly different transport capabilities in streptolysin O–permeabilized cells, in accordance with the predicted influence of the COOH-terminal residues. Presentation of the endogenously expressed version of each construct requires TAP-mediated transport and cooexpression with a vac-encoded exocytic COOH-terminal dipeptidase, angiotensin converting enzyme, to allow liberation of the minimal epitope. Recognition by epitope-specific CTLs therefore signifies TAP-mediated transport of a complete 11-mer within the target cell. Under normal assay conditions no influences of the COOH-terminal residue were revealed. However, when T cell recognition was limited, either by blocking CD8 coreceptor interactions or by decreasing the amount of transport substrate synthesized, significant COOH-terminal effects were revealed. Under such conditions, those peptides that transported poorly in biochemical assays were less efficiently presented. Therefore, TAP specificity operates in the intact cell, appears to reflect previously defined rules with regard to the influence of the COOH-terminal residue, and can strongly influence T cell responses.
Cyclic variation of integrated backscatter: dependence of time delay on the echocardiographic view used and the myocardial segment analyzed.

Abstract To determine the influence of myocardial anisotropy in ultrasonic tissue characterization, we measured the time delay (and magnitude) of the cyclic variation of myocardial integrated backscatter from specific segments visualized in the 4 standard transthoracic echocardiographic views. The cyclic variation data in 10 myocardial regions were obtained from analyses of 2-dimensional integrated backscatter images from 23 healthy subjects. Resultant values (mean ± SD) for the time delay were as follows: parasternal long-axis view: 1.08 ± 0.17 (septum) and 1.00 ± 0.14 (posterior wall); parasternal short-axis view: 1.03 ± 0.16 (anterior septum), 1.03 ± 0.14 (posterior wall), 2.22 ± 0.71 (lateral wall), and 1.65 ± 0.66 (posterior septum); apical 4-chamber view: 1.08 ± 0.31 (septum) and 2.20 ± 0.79 (lateral wall); and apical 2-chamber view: 1.68 ± 0.62 (inferior wall) and 2.04 ± 0.72 (anterior wall). Hence, results of this study indicate that myocardial ultrasonic characterization that uses the cyclic variation is influenced by the echocardiographic view and the specific segment of the left ventricle. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2000;13:9-17.)
Recruiting Future Science and Mathematics Teachers Into Alternative Certification Programs: Strategies Tried and Lessons Learned

SMAR2T: Science and Mathematics Academy for the Recruitment and Retention of Teachers is an NSF-funded project for the alternative certification of science and mathematics teachers. Since 2003, we have recruited 4 cohorts of students for 2 different routes to postbaccalaureate teacher certification for teaching grades 5–12. Because we did not meet our target numbers for the recruitment of the 1st cohort, we examined our recruitment strategies and their effects. In this paper, we discuss strategies used to recruit for the 1st SMAR2T cohort and the outcomes of those strategies. We present ongoing recruitment efforts and data on inquiries and applicants for the 2nd cohort. Finally, we highlight the intentional and unintentional gatekeepers of our program and present implications for others engaged in designing and implementing alternative pathways certification.
Recursive Directional Ligation by Plasmid Reconstruction Allows Rapid and Seamless Cloning of Oligomeric Genes

This paper reports a new strategy, recursive directional ligation by plasmid reconstruction (PRe-RDL), to rapidly clone highly repetitive polypeptides of any sequence and specified length over a large range of molecular weights. In a single cycle of PRe-RDL, two halves of a parent plasmid, each containing a copy of an oligomer, are ligated together, thereby dimerizing the oligomer and reconstituting a functional plasmid. This process is carried out recursively to assemble an oligomeric gene with the desired number of repeats. PRe-RDL has several unique features that stem from the use of type IIs restriction endonucleases: first, PRe-RDL is a seamless cloning method that leaves no extraneous nucleotides at the ligation junction. Because it uses type IIs endonucleases to ligate the two halves of the plasmid, PRe-RDL also addresses the major limitation of RDL in that it abolishes any restriction on the gene sequence that can be oligomerized. The reconstitution of a functional plasmid only upon successful ligation in PRe-RDL also addresses two other limitations of RDL: the significant background from self-ligation of the vector observed in RDL, and the decreased efficiency of ligation due to nonproductive circularization of the insert. PRe-RDL can also be used to assemble genes that encode different sequences in a predetermined order to encode block copolymers or append leader and trailer peptide sequences to the oligomerized gene.
Numerical and experimental investigation of a highly effective single-sided vibro-impact non-linear energy sink for shock mitigation

Abstract In this paper a highly asymmetric, lightweight, vibro-impact non-linear energy sink (NES) leading to very efficient passive non-linear targeted energy transfer (TET) is investigated. To this end, a two degree-of-freedom linear system (the primary structure) is coupled to a single-sided vibro-impact (VI) attachment with highly asymmetric impact non-linearity (the VI NES). The proposed NES passively absorbs and rapidly dissipates a considerable amount of the impulse energy induced into the linear structure, leading to very effective shock mitigation compared to a double-sided (symmetric) VI NES. We find that appropriate selection of the weak linear stiffness that couples the non-linear VI attachment to the linear structure plays a significant role in the proposed design. Moreover, in contrast to the double-sided VI NES which has optimal performance for a narrow range of input energies, the proposed single-sided asymmetric VI NES maintains a high level of performance over a broad range of high input energies. Hence, the proposed design is especially suitable for severe shock mitigation in infrastructure. To quantify the enhanced shock mitigation performance of the asymmetric VI NES we employ measures of effective damping and stiffness developed in previous works to demonstrate that the primary structure with attached NES possesses drastically increased effective damping and stiffness compared to its nominal properties when no NES is attached. A series of experimental results fully validates the theoretical predictions.
New algorithm for the ranking procedure in fuzzy decision-making

In order to rank three or more fuzzy numbers it is necessary to consider not only the accuracy and effectiveness of the method but also its numerical efficiency. An algorithm designed to rank any number of fuzzy numbers is presented. The algorithm is verified by testing it on the set of 13 cases of paired examples, which are normal and convex fuzzy numbers, given in T.Y. Tseng and C.M. Klein (1988). The results are compared with those of W. Kolodziejczyk's R1 index (1986), and the performance of both algorithms is evaluated. It is concluded that the present algorithm is both accurate and efficient. >
The Propagation of an SH-pulse in a layered medium

An exact solution is given for the problem of the propagation of an SH-wave due to a sudden application of a concentrated torsional stress at the surface of a layered medium. The solution is obtained in terms of elliptic integrals. The form of the displacement in the direct wave is like the time-derivative of the applied stress. The beginning of the refracted waves is like that of the stress. At moderate distances from the source the internally reflected waves are large and increase in relative magnitude with the abruptness of the stress. Figure 1 shows the displacement at r = 4H due to the application of a stress-pulse of the indicated form. It is suggested that the arrival-time of a totally reflected SH-wave should be taken at the point of maximum amplitude of the phase rather than at its beginning.
Fine-needle aspiration biopsy in a pediatric population. Report of 64 consecutive cases

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy for diagnosis of mass lesions has seldom been used in pediatric patients. Sixty-four aspirations from pediatric patients have been reviewed in order to determine the adequacy of this technique in the pediatric age group. There were 38 benign diagnoses, 19 malignant diagnoses, and 7 unsatisfactory specimens. The benign diagnoses included inflammatory lesions, benign tumors, cystic lesions, and miscellaneous lesions. The malignant diagnoses included neuroblastomas, leukemias or lymphomas, small cell or poorly differentiated tumors, Wilms' tumors, rhabdomyosarcomas, a Ewing's sarcoma, and a postirradiation fibrosarcoma. Correlation of histologic and cytologic diagnoses was possible in 53 cases. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the detection of malignant disease were 76% and 100%, respectively. These results suggest that fine-needle aspiration biopsy is a useful technique in the diagnosis of pediatric mass lesions.
THREE YEAR OUTCOME OF INFANTS WITH BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA (BPD) AND VERY LOW BIRTHWEIGHT. † 1666

In a regional cohort, we investigated the relationship of BPD, relative to other perinatal risk factors, to developmental outcome at 3 years. Infants with BPD (n=122), VLBW without BPD (84), and term (T) infants (123) were given the Bayley Scales at 3 years. Groups did not differ in sex, race, SES, age. Drug exposed infants were excluded. BPD infants had more perinatal risk factors, i.e. lower GA, BW, more IVH, neurologic problems, sepsis and ROP,(p's <.05). Both mental (84 ± 24 v. 90 ± 16 v. 96 ± 12), and motor (84 ± 29 v. 98 ± 20 v. 103 ± 15, p's<.001) scores were lower for BPD children. Using multiple regression controlling for all other risk factors, BPD had an independent negative effect on motor outcome (p <.02), with neurologic risk and BPD the only significant predictors of motor delay, accounting for 25% (p <.001) of the variance. In contrast, social class, race and neurologic risk were the only significant predictors of cognitive outcome. The effect of SES on cognitive outcome was evident in differential rates of mental retardation within the BPD group. In the lowest SES group (IV-V) 26% of children were thus classified, vs. 14% in the middle/high SES group (I-III). This rate contrasts with 19% of VLBW infants thus classified in the lowest SES group vs. 2% in the middle/high SES groups, and 7% of term, low SES children vs. 3% of middle/high SES children. These findings suggest that the effects of BPD are primarily on the motor domain, and demonstrate the importance of postnatal factors and intervention on cognitive outcome. (HL38193, MCJ 390592).
Lies&#x2014;Damn Lies&#x2014;and the Internet

A symposium paper's results show that even with a strong warning about possible deceptions, people erred on the side of trusting those sending them information. Why? Is this another strange psychological effect of computer-mediated communications? No, but this "truth bias" is ethically important for IT professionals.