cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions between Forming Stars and Dense Gas in the Small Low-mass Cluster Cederblad 110

We present observations of dense gas and outflow activity in the Cederblad 110 region of the Chamaeleon I dark cloud complex. The region contains nine forming low-mass stars in evolutionary stages ranging from Class 0 to Class II/III crowded into a 0.2 pc region with high surface density ({Sigma}{sub YSO} {approx} 150 pc{sup -2}). The analysis of our N{sub 2}H{sup +} (J = 1{yields}0) maps indicates the presence of 13 {+-} 3 solar masses of dense (n {approx} 10{sup 5} cm{sup -3}) gas in this region, much of which is unstable against gravitational collapse. The most unstable material is located near the Class 0 source MMS-1, which is almost certainly actively accreting material from its dense core. Smaller column densities of more stable dense gas are found toward the region's Class I sources, IRS 4, 11, and 6. Little or no dense gas is colocated with the Class II and III sources in the region. The outflow from IRS 4 is interacting with the dense core associated with MMS-1. The molecular component of the outflow, measured in the (J = 1{yields}0) line of {sup 12}CO, appears to be deflected by the densest part of the core, after which it appearsmore » to plow through some of the lower column density portions of the core. The working surface between the head of the outflow lobe and the dense core material can be seen in the enhanced velocity dispersion of the dense gas. IRS 2, the Class III source that produces the optical reflection nebula that gives the Cederblad 110 region its name, may also be influencing the dense gas in the region. A dust temperature gradient across the MMS-1 dense core is consistent with warming from IRS 2, and a sharp gradient in dense gas column density may be caused by winds from this source. Taken together, our data indicate that this region has been producing several young stars in the recent past, and that sources which began forming first are interacting with the remaining dense gas in the region, thereby influencing current and future star formation activity.« less
Contextualizing the Intermediate Financial Accounting Courses in the Global Financial Crisis.

This paper represents an attempt to incorporate concepts and issues stemming from the global financial crisis (GFC) into the typical Intermediate Accounting, two-course sequence as taught in North American colleges and universities. The teaching approach which the authors advocate embeds the GFC throughout these courses. The main expected outcome from this project is a greater appreciation on the part of the accounting and finance majors that other business disciplines ‘matter.’ Put differently, those disciplines, including economics, banking, and management, interface with accounting and finance. Therefore, to understand accounting, students must be conversant with the other disciplines. The principal interrelating concepts we cover in this approach are as follows: capital maintenance, liquidity, solvency, financial leverage, efficient market hypothesis, transparency in disclosure, derivatives, fair valuation, moral hazard, and ethics. Editor's Note : The continuing repercussions of the GFC were felt on ...
Experimental constraints on the stable-isotope systematics of CO2 ice/vapor systems and relevance to the study of Mars

Variations in the isotopic compositions of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon in the near-surface environment of Mars are likely influenced by condensation, evaporation, and sublimation of major volatile species (H_2O, CO_2). We present here an experimental study of the fractionations of ^(18)O/^(16)O and ^(13)C/^(12)C ratios between CO_2 ice and vapor at conditions relevant to the present near-surface of Mars; these experiments constrain isotopic variations generated by the current Martian CO_2 condensation/sublimation cycle. Oxygen-isotope fractionation between ice and vapor (Δ_(ice-vapor) = 1000 · 1n ([^(18)O_(ice)/^(16)O_(ice)] / [^(18)O_(vapor)/^(16)O_(vapor)]) varies approximately linearly vs. 1/T between temperatures of 150 and 130 K (from 4.2 and 7.5 ‰, respectively). Carbon isotopes are unfractionated (Δ^(13)C_(ice-vapor) ≤ 0.2‰) at temperatures ≥ 135 K and only modestly fractionated (Δ^(13)C_(ice-vapor) ≤ 0.4‰) at temperatures between 135 and 130 K. Martian atmospheric volumes that are residual to high extents of condensation (i.e., at high latitudes during the winter) may vary in δ^(18)O by up to tens of per mil, depending on the scales and mechanisms of ice/vapor interaction and atmospheric mixing. Precise (i.e., per mil level) examination of the Martian atmosphere or ices could be used as a tool for examining the Martian climate; at present such precision is only likely to be had from laboratory study of returned samples or substantial advances in the performance of mass spectrometers on landers and/or orbital spacecraft. Oxygen-isotope fractionations accompanying the CO_2 condensation/sublimation cycle may play a significant role in the oxygen-isotope geochemistry of secondary phases formed in SNC meteorites, in particular as a means of generating ^(18)O-depleted volatile reservoirs.
Reconfiguring Boundaries in Maryse Condé's Crossing the Mangrove

Maryse Conde's 1989 novel, Crossing the Mangrove, presents a compelling performance of the complicated patterns of place and space inherent in the social masquerade of a small, isolated, Guadeloupean village. Because the novel corresponds to Conde's return to a Caribbean "stage" to continue a long process of questioning mapped configurations of identity, critical attention has focused on the character of Francis Sancher, the returning "stranger," whose wake serves as both frame and catalyst for the action. Insufficient attention has been paid to the role of Mira Lameaulnes, Sancher's rejected mistress and the mother of his child, whose story the novel to a significant extent becomes as she effectively invades and undermines Sancher's role as the principal signifying figure. This reading foregrounds Mira's critical confrontation with notions of place and space as an illustration of Conde's revolutionary approach to invalidating static or formulaic treatments of Antillean sites of identity. This article is available in Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol28/iss2/5 Reconfiguring Boundaries in Maryse Conde's Crossing the Mangrove Deborah B. Gaensbauer Regis University-Denver In a brief eisay entitled "Oil commence et oh finit la Caraibe?" ("Where Does the Caribbean Begin and End?") Maryse Conde responds to the question not with a map but with an itinerary. She approaches an answer by tracing her path as a Guadeloupean writer who has spent most of her adult life well beyond the physical boundaries of the West Indies. According to Conde, she set off on her career pressured by literary elders who insisted that "a writer is an inspired sage, a mentor" (112).' Their unanimous mandate was that she affirm her West Indian identity by means of a renewal of African roots. Thus, reports Conde, she launched her career with a backward voyage which turned her life into a "masked ball" that would end only many years later with a conflicted return to her native Guadeloupe in the mid-1980s (112).2 This linking of geographical rediscovery to the act of unmasking, with its implication of an unsettling act of disclosure and exposure, captures well the disordering of prescribed gender, racial and geographical identities which has been a fundamental aspect of Conde's writing. As Christophe Lamiot has observed, her writing is both a mediated representation of history and a geography in which places are represented not as "containers for human activities" but rather as what is transformed by human contact (79). Most of Coride's fictional world is a stage of conflicting dynamics of place and space where characters resist unbearable social and historical circumstances by means of creatively forged, compen1 Gaensbauer: Reconfiguring Boundaries in Maryse Conde's Crossing the Mangrove Published by New Prairie Press
Insertions and deletions in one-sided height-balanced trees

Recently Hirschberg has established that insertions into one-sided height-balanced trees can be done in O(log2N) steps. It is proved here that deletions can also be performed in O(log2N) steps, which answers the open problem posed by Hirschberg.
The pressure and temperature dependence of volume and viscosity of four Diesel fuels

Abstract The relative volumes and the viscosities of four Diesel fuels have been measured experimentally to pressures up to 350 MPa and temperatures to 160 °C. The experimental liquids were an extra low viscosity reference fuel, an ethanol based blend, neat biodiesel and 20% biodiesel. The Tait and Murnaghan equations of state represented the pressure–volume–temperature response equally well. The improved Yasutomi model for supercooling liquids, which accurately represents the temperature and pressure dependence of the viscosity of lubricating oils, did not fit the data well except for neat biodiesel. Surprisingly, the Doolittle free-volume equation was accurate only for the low viscosity reference fuel. The reason for the correlation difficulties may be illuminated by the behavior of the thermodynamic scaling of the viscosities. The Stickel analysis of the normalized Ashurst–Hoover parameter indicates that, for all liquids except the reference fuel, the measured viscosities lie across the transition in the response of viscosity to temperature and pressure. Consequently, only the comprehensive normalized Ashurst–Hoover scaling model successfully fits all data.
The ACTFL Survey of Successful Programs

ACTFL is currently studying successful language programs in schools throughout the nation. This project, supported by the Department of Education, involves the identification, description, and analysis of fifty exemplary programs in American secondary schools. Selection criteria include size of student enrollment, rate of completion of course sequences, and degree of proficiency achieved by the students. In choosing programs we shall focus primarily on those whose successful features can be adopted in part or in toto by other schools. Profiles of these exemplary programs will be published later this year in a sourcebook provisionally titled Prescriptions for Success. We offer as a preview of the sourcebook the following brief description of the language program in the Edison (New Jersey) Public Schools.
CRANIUM BIFIDUM. INVESTIGATION, PROGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT*

SYNOPSIS The term cranium bifidum includes the encephaloceles and the cranial meningoceles. Though rarer than spina bifida, these conditions are not uncommon, and their management can be difficult. A series of 14 patients is presented to illustrate the problems, and to show that treatment can produce good results where there are no crippling associated cerebral dysplasias. The value of contrast radiological investigations to demonstrate these dysplasias is emphasized. Some interesting and unexplained variations in the geographical incidence of this condition are discussed.
An update on the pharmacogenomics of metformin: progress, problems and potential

The increasing prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has emphasized the need to optimize treatment regimens. Metformin, the most widely used oral agent, is recommended as first-line drug therapy by multiple professional organizations. Response to metformin varies significantly at the individual level; this heterogeneity may be explained in part by genetic factors. Understanding these underlying factors may aid with tailoring treatment for individual patients as well as with designing improved Type 2 diabetes therapies. The past 10 years have seen substantial progress in the understanding of the pharmacogenetics of metformin response. The majority of this work has focused on genes involved in the pharmacokinetics of metformin. Owing to the uncertainty surrounding its mechanism of action, studies of pharmacodynamic genetics have been relatively few; genome-wide approaches have the potential to illuminate the molecular details of metformin response. In this review we summarize current knowledge about metformin pharmacogenetics and suggest directions for future investigation.
Geometric mean vs. Arithmetic mean in extrusion residence time studies

Geometric mean residence time was compared with the arithmetic mean residence time for a residence time distribution study conducted on a twin-screw extruder using a salt tracer and electrical conductivity measurements. Electrical conductivity of the cornmeal melt was measured at the die exit. All RTD curves obtained during the study were skewed to the right with very long tails that resulted in inflated arithmetic mean residence times. In order to alleviate the problem of long tails, different approaches were considered. Among these approaches, logarithmic transformation of the time scale to calculate the geometric mean residence time was shown to best represent the residence time distribution in terms of mean residence time and spread of the RTD. The log transformation of the time scale alleviates the problem of inappropriate shifting of the mean residence time due to long tails. The difference between the upper limits and lower limits for the log transformed data was found to be more appropriate to define the spreads of the distributions as the untransformed data resulted in quite variable spreads.
A Dietary Education Module for Low Income Elderly Clients With Diabetes

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To describe a method of dietary education for low income elderly clients with diabetes. Diabetes education can increase the knowledge and promote long-term benefits in self-care and metabolic control for the 18% of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 who have diabetes. We developed a diabetes education module for low income older adults with diabetes. Educational materials consisted of simple handouts with large bold print, and a food guide pyramid rather than the exchange system for recommending appropriate servings from each food group. Nutrition education consisted of two 40-minute sessions completed two days apart. The first focused on diabetes, the goals of controlling it through nutrition, the food guide pyramid, and serving sizes. Activities included categorizing real foods into each food group and demonstrating portion sizes using these foods. The second class focused on figuring calorie needs and servings per day, and it included activities to develop meal patterns and sample diets based on calorie needs. Good sources of fiber and its importance in the diet were also discussed during this session. Materials were pilot tested on a small sample in 1996 by the presenting author as part of a senior Coordinated Undergraduate Program experience and are now being revised for further outcome-based testing in a larger sample of low income older adults.
Analysis of autoxidized fats by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. IV. Soybean oil methyl esters

An unusual isomeric distribution of hydroperoxides has been found in soybean oil esters oxidized at low levels (peroxide values below 50). The unexpectedly high concentration of the 12-hydroperoxide isomer is in marked contrast to the isomeric composition of oxidized pure linolenate. The different isomeric hydroperoxides observed at low levels of oxidation may contribute through their decomposition to the unique flavor deterioration of soybean oil. Quantitative gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) used in this study provides for the first time an answer to the basic question of which hydroperoxides contribute to the state of oxidation of soybean oil. Results of GC-MS were confirmed by capillary gas chromatography. Analyses of highly oxidized soybean esters (peroxide values 468 and 2352) reveal the same main compounds as those found in oxidized pure linoleate, together with small amounts of oleate and linolenate hydroperoxides.
On a Simple Nonisothermal Adsorption Experiment with Organic Vapors and an Inertial Microbalance To Study the Surface Properties of Hybrid (Organic/Inorganic) Porous Materials.

Abstract A nonisothermal adsorption experiment using a controlled flow of cyclopentane in the 333–313 K range is used to simultaneously estimate the specific surface area and micropore volume of a hybrid (organic/inorganic) alcogel. For reference, the method is also applied to an all-inorganic material with a more rigid structure, namely, a high surface area SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 . The proposed data analysis provides guidelines to determine whether adsorption data on a certain adsorbate/adsorbent system can be modeled effectively as a convolution of BET (meso- and macropore) and Dubinin–Radushkevitch (DR, micropore) contributions.
After every darkness is light: Resilient Afghan women coping with violence and immigration

This qualitative research study examines the experiences and strategies that eight Afghan women engaged in to support the mental health of themselves and others, while facing significant war-related trauma in Afghanistan and the process of immigration and resettlement in the United States. The coping processes identified represent diverse and often culturally grounded methods of facing hardship. The participants endorsed relatively low levels of current mental health difficulties, suggesting that the coping mechanisms the women engaged in may be effective. The study also illustrates the culturally grounded nature and equifinality of resilience, as no two women engaged in all the same coping processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Osmotic fragility model for red cell populations.

A model that predicts the osmotic fragility curve of a red cell population is developed by relating the critical osmotic pressure to the size distribution of the cells, determined by resistive pulse spectroscopy. Two of the parameters involved, namely the normalized osmotic volume correction, B, and the swelling index, k, are previously determined from the experimental average properties of the population. From these values the critical volume of the cell is obtained, and is shown to be 6–12% larger than the first spherical volume, obtained from an independent experiment. A new parameter, n, a measure of the surface area distribution of the cells, is incorporated through a simple function that relates the critical volume to the size of the cells, and is theoretically shown to be linked to parameters k and B. The model is used to fit and interpret fragility data obtained in this laboratory for normal and sickle cell samples. From the values of n obtained for normal samples, the model predicts an essentially constant surface-to-volume ratio within an individual's cell population. For sickle cell samples, instead, the value of index n is negative, thereby supporting an increase in excess surface area as cell size decreases. Both findings are in agreement with direct observations reported in the literature. It is concluded that this set of parameters may be used to develop an index classification of blood disorders.
LOWLAD: a locally weighted L 1 smoothing spline algorithm with cross validated choice of smoothing parameters

The computation ofL 1 smoothing splines on large data sets is often desirable, but computationally infeasible. A locally weighted, LAD smoothing spline based smoother is suggested, and preliminary results will be discussed. Specifically, one can seek smoothing splines in the spacesW m (D), with [0, 1] n ⊆D. We assume data of the formy i =f(t i )+e i ,i=1,..., N with {t i } ⊂D, the e i are errors withE(e i )=0, andf is assumed to be inW m . An LAD smoothing spline is the solution,s λ, of the following optimization problem $$\mathop {\min }\limits_{g \in W_m } \frac{1}{N}\sum\limits_{i = 1}^N {\left| {y_i - g(t_i )} \right| + \lambda J_m (f),} $$ whereJ m (g) is the seminorm consisting of the standard sum of the squaredL 2 norms of themth partial derivatives ofg. Such an LAD smoothing spline,s λ, would be expected to give robust smoothed estimates off in situations where the e i are from a distribution with heavy tails. For fixed λ>0, the solution to such a problem is known to be a thin plate spline onW m , and hences λ is assumed to be of the form $$s_\lambda = \sum\nolimits_{\nu = 1}^M {d_\nu } \phi _\nu + \sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^N {c_i } \zeta _i $$ where $$\zeta _i (t) = R_1 (t_i ,t),R(s,t) = R_0 (s,t) + R_1 (s,t)$$ is the reproducing kernel forW m (D), R 1 (t i ,t)=projW 0 R(t i ,t), and the functions {φ v } span the Kern (proj W 0 )=Kern(J m ). Optimality conditions definings λ as the solution to (1) yield an algorithm for its computation. However, this computation becomes unwieldy whenN≃O(103). A possible remedy is to solve “local” problems of the form of (1), on neighborhoods of “size”b, and to blend these locally optimal LAD splines together producing a globally smooth estimator. Two smoothing parameters (the global value of “λ”, and the “local neighborhood” size “b”) should preferably have data driven, cross validated, choice.
The effect of percutaneous transmyocardial laser revascularization on left ventricular function in a porcine model of hibernating myocardium: a pilot study.

Abstract Background Hibernating myocardium is defined as a state of persistently impaired myocardial function at rest due to reduced coronary blood flow that can partially or completely be restored to normal if the myocardial oxygen supply/demand relationship is favorably altered. Percutaneous laser revascularization (PMR) is an emerging catheter-based technique that involves creating channels in the myocardium, directly through a percutaneous approach with a laser delivery system, and has been shown to reduce symptoms in patients with severe refractory angina; however, its effect on improving regional wall motion abnormalities in hibernating myocardium has not been clearly established. We sought to determine the effect of PMR using the Eclipse System (Cardiogenesis) on left ventricular function in a porcine model of hibernating myocardium. Methods A model of hibernating myocardium was created by placement of an ameroid constrictor in the proximal left anterior descending artery of a 35 kg male Yorkshire pig. The presence of hibernating myocardium was confirmed with dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and defined as severe hypocontractility at rest, with an improvement in systolic wall thickening with low-dose dobutamine in myocardial regions with a subsequent deterioration in function at peak stress (biphasic response). After the demonstration of hibernating myocardium, PMR was performed in the area of hypocontractile function, and the serial echocardiography was performed. The echocardiograms were reviewed by an experienced echocardiologist blinded to the results, and regional wall motion was assessed using the American Society of Echocardiography Wall Motion Score. Six weeks after PMR, the animal was sacrificed and the heart sent for histopathologic studies. Results A comparison of the regional wall motion function of the area distal to the ameroid constrictor and in the contralateral wall at baseline, post-ameroid placement, and post-PMR was performed. Hibernating myocardium was demonstrated 4 weeks after ameroid placement by DSE. Coronary angiography demonstrated a discrete 90%stenosis in the proximal LAD at the site of ameroid constrictor placement without evidence of collaterals. Using PMR, 17 bursts were successfully delivered to the anterior wall distal to the ameroid constrictor. Four weeks after PMR, there was improvement in wall motion function in the region distal to the ameroid placement by echocardiography. Histopathologic analysis demonstrated the absence of myocardial infarction in the anterior wall distal to the ameroid constrictor. Conclusions The performance of PMR in a porcine model of hibernating myocardium is feasible and is associated with an improvement regional wall motion function after 4 weeks.
Unlimited simultaneous discrimination intervals in regression.

The discrimination problem can be described as follows: The statistician has n pairs of values (xl, YI), (x2, Y2), ... , (xn, YJ) from which he estimates the regression line ac +,fx. He now observes K additional observations Y*, 4Y*, ... , YK for which the corresponding independent variable values x1', 4,..., XK are unknown. The statistician wishes to estimate these values of x and bracket them by means of simultaneous confidence intervals. This problem was first treated by Mandel (1958) and another solution was given by Miller (1966). When K is unknown and possibly arbitrarily large, these results do not apply. A solution to this problem of arbitrary K is given in terms of unlimited simultaneous discrimination intervals. Unlimited simultaneous discrimination intervals [D(P), D+*(P)] are presented which are based upon the same estimated linear regression and which have the property that at least lOOP per cent of the discrimination intervals will contain the true x's with confidence 1-ca. In this paper two techniques for obtaining unlimited simultaneous discrimination intervals are given. The first method is a procedure obtained through the Bonferroni inequality, while the second technique is based upon an idea of Lieberman & Miller (1963). A numerical example is analyzed. A general discussion and comparison of the two methods for finding unlimited simultaneous discrimination intervals is given.
Off the Beaten Track: Rethinking Gender Justice for Indian Women

Presented here are some of Mahdur Kishwar's best essays, each tackling a topic of vital concern for Indian women today: dowry, unwanted daughters, the denial of co-ownership rights to wives, women's land rights, love and marriage, sexual harassment, living identities vs. acquired ones, and the politics of beauty contests. On an introspective note, she examines her estrangement from "-ism-driven" politics and her reservations about being lebelled as a "feminist".
The effect of inhibitors and promoters of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation on cell arrest in G2 caused by trigonelline in roots of Pisum sativum

Abstract Experiments were performed to determine if compounds which are known to affect poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation could alter the promotion of G2 arrest caused by trigonelline in aseptic culture. Several known inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) formation, such as 7-methylxanthine and 3-methoxybenzamide, when added to White's culture media at 10−4 M were antagonistic to trigonelline. Other known inhibitors of poly (ADP-ribose) formation had no effect on trigonelline's G2 promoting ability. Several polyamines, which possess poly(ADP-ribose) promoting ability, had no influence on trigonelline's function. 7-Methylxanthine and 3-methoxybenzamide did not affect the labeling or mitotic indices of meristems. However, these two compounds altered the metabolism of 14C-carbonyl NAD. Both compounds diminished the uptake of 14C-carbonyl NAD and both decreased the rate of synthesis of trigonelline. With 3-methoxybenzamide, most of the radiolabel in the media was nicotinamide after 48 hr. From the data reported herein, since several of the poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis inhibitors appear to antagonize trigonelline and alter the metabolism of NAD, the mechanism of G2 arrest caused by trigonelline is postulated to be mediated via poly(ADP-ribose).
Promoting Health and Preventing Chronic Degenerative Pathologies for Elders: The Empirical Scenario in Italy

The article provides an overview of health prevention programs implemented by local authorities to target the needs of older people in Italy. Interventions include health promotion and primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention. The most important characteristics of the interventions are described in terms of type, targets, and resources. The survey underlines some of the most evident difficulties met when performing exhaustive monitoring. It also points out a comprehensive picture of the indicators to be taken into account to achieve an efficient and regular health monitoring system of the older population.
Distribution of Dolomite in Deep Marine Sediments as Function of Time: ABSTRACT

The distribution of dolomite in deep marine sediments as a function of time was determined for the Cretaceous and Cenozoic, 150 Ma to present, using data from 1,142 DSDP samples. The general distribution patterns for the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific are similar. Their curves show a maximum in the Miocene, minimum in Paleogene, and 2 maxima in the Cretaceous separated by a Cenomanian low. The less time-extensive data of the Gulf-Caribbean and Mediterranean have a Miocene maximum. Red Sea data peak in late Miocene to early Pliocene. The general similarity End_Page 281------------------------------ of the patterns from such diverse areas and sediment types suggests that the distribution of dolomite in these sediments is not due to random groupings and may be a consequence of a common global cause. End_of_Article - Last_Page 282------------
Nuclear waste and future societies: A look into the deep future

Abstract Inadvertent human intrusion is thought to be a significant, if not the most significant, threat to nuclear waste held in repositories. As part of the effort to access the safety of the first United States repository, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, New Mexico, four interdisciplinary teams of experts were brought together to provide insights into the modes and likelihoods of such intrusions as far as 10,000 years in the future. A formal expert elicitation process was used in obtaining their judgments. The teams provided scenarios that, although formed using different approaches, reflected several central themes. These themes are the uncertainty about the need for resource exploration in the future, the rate at which technology develops or declines in future, the likely failure of government control of radioactive waste sites, and the preservation and potential loss of memory about nuclear waste. Identifying possible futures enhances the ability to construct a repository that will be robust against many different potential threats.
Parallel Pathways in 30S Ribosome Assembly

The bacterial 30S ribosomal subunit self-assembles in vitro to form an 850kDa RNP. Assembly is generally thought to advance when the core 16S rRNA navigates through many low-energy kinetic traps, guided by the 20 small-subunit proteins that recognize and lock in native RNA tertiary structure. Kinetic analyses of protein binding reveal a highly choreographed, ordered assembly process, consistent with large-scale qualitative observations of ordered protein binding and measurements of thermodynamic cooperativity within synthetic fragments of the 30S. However, the precise order of events in this complex process are not well understood.We have constructed a 2-photon, 3-color detection Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) microscope to measure the kinetic cooperativity in the assembling 30S ribosome. Up to three ribosomal proteins of interest can be labeled with different fluorophores, and the populations of up to seven different bound species with different combinations of labels can be discriminated by auto- and cross-correlation. We are focusing on determining the flux through parallel assembly pathways in the 3′-domain of the 30S subunit. Binding rates of proteins to the full-length 16S rRNA were obtained from FCS data, with 1-second resolution.Assembly of the 3′-domain is initiated by binding of protein S7, followed by parallel binding of three proteins: S9, S13, and S19. These known dependencies are thermodynamic, and there is no information about the flux of the assembling ensemble through these parallel pathways. To begin to develop a kinetic map for 30S assembly, we initiated these fluorescence studies of the early 3′-domain assembly. FCS has provided measurement of the binding rate for individual proteins, and Two and Three-Color FCS spectra provides an as-yet qualitative look at the evolution of multiple intermediates, and a glimpse at how 30S assembly can proceed in parallel.
Conversion of Trypsin into a Na+-Activated Enzyme†,‡

Serine proteases of the chymotrypsin family show a dichotomous amino acid distribution for residue 225. Enzymes carrying Tyr at position 225 are activated by Na+, whereas those carrying Pro are devoid of Na+ binding and activation. Previous studies have demonstrated that the Y225P conversion is sufficient to abrogate Na+ activation in several enzymes. However, the reverse substitution P225Y is necessary but not sufficient to introduce Na+ binding and activation. Here we report that Streptomyces griseus trypsin, carrying Pro-225, can be engineered into a Na+-activated enzyme by replacing residues in the 170, 186, and 220 loops to those of coagulation factor Xa. The findings represent the first instance of an engineered Na+-activated enzyme and a proof of principle that should enable the design of other proteases with enhanced catalytic activity and allosteric regulation mediated by monovalent cation binding.
Animal models in urological disease and sexual dysfunction

There are several conditions associated with dysfunction of the lower urinary tract or which result in a reduction in the ability to engage in satisfactory sexual function and result in significant bother to sufferers, partners and/or carers. This review describes some of the animal models that may be used to discover safe and effective medicines with which to treat them. While alpha adrenoceptor antagonists and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors deliver improvement in symptom relief in benign prostatic hyperplasia sufferers, the availability of efficacious and well-tolerated medicines to treat incontinence is less well served. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) has no approved medical therapy in the United States and overactive bladder (OAB) therapy is limited to treatment with muscarinic antagonists (anti-muscarinics). SUI and OAB are characterised by high prevalence, a growing ageing population and a strong desire from sufferers and physicians for more effective treatment options. High patient numbers with low presentation rates characterizes sexual dysfunction in men and women. The introduction of Viagra™ in 1998 for treating male erectile dysfunction and the success of the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor class (PDE5 inhibitor) have indicated the willingness of sufferers to seek treatment when an effective alternative to injections and devices is available. The main value of preclinical models in discovering new medicines is to predict clinical outcomes. This translation can be established relatively easily in areas of medicine where there are a large number of drugs with different underlying pharmacological mechanisms in clinical usage. However, apart from, for example, the use of PDE5 inhibitors to treat male erectile dysfunction and the use of anti-muscarinics to treat OAB, this clinical information is limited. Therefore, current confidence in existing preclinical models is based on our understanding of the biochemical, physiological, pathophysiological and psychological mechanisms underlying the conditions in humans and how they are reflected in preclinical models. Confidence in both the models used and the pharmacological data generated is reinforced if different models of related aspects of the same disorder generate confirmatory data. However, these models will only be fully validated in retrospect once the pharmacological agents they have helped identify are tested in humans.
Consumers and Food Policy in North America

Thank you for inviting me to address this joint meeting of American and Canadian agricultural economists. Especially I want to thank my good and longtime friend, Sylvia Lane. As a layperson, I was flattered by the invitation to address an audience of scholars. As a government official frequently dependent upon the quality, and even the quantity, of your work, I was delighted to accept. And since the day I accepted this invitation, I have been compiling my wish list of research projects. Anyone who takes more than a cursory look at our more successful agricultural policies will see they have usually been based on the economic and policy research of people such as you. I applaud your past successes. But I come before you today to ask you for help in forging new successes: to turn more of your talents to public policy and social science research in the area of food and nutrition. We meet at an exciting time for you and your profession. I feel relatively certain that none of you chose agricultural economics as a vocation in the fond hope that you would wind up as lead editorials in the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. The agricultural economics Journal, maybe; not Wall Street's. But you may have been wrong. Food is news today. And two interesting and important things are happening right now-both of which involve you. First, the traditional debate over "agricultural" policy has been expanded into a debate over food and nutrition policy. We are no longer concerned only with the mechanisms for producing, processing, and distributing food, and the kinds of economic returns that are available to producers, processors, and distributors. Within the past few years, the traditional agricultural arena has been enlarged to include a debate over food composition, nutritional values, chemical additives, and costs to consumers. And these new issues may have an enormous impact on the economic returns of producers, processors, and food retailers. Second, we have reached a point in our national life when the people of this country, while still willing to use government action to attack a wide variety of problems, are quite rightly unwilling to tolerate unforeseen, unintend d, and unfortunate consequences of those actions. We are, it seems to me, in desperate search of competence in government. Both of these developments are of enormous importance to your profession. You, in turn, can play a crucial role in resolving the problems which they present.
Reduced partitioning technique for configuration interaction calculations using Padé approximants and inner-projections☆

Abstract A perturbation procedure for arbitrary many electron systems, which incorporates Pade approximants and inner projections, has been developed within the configuration interaction framework. The method is illustrated by an application to the hydrogen molecule.
Portraits and Politics: the Specter of Osceola in Leaves of Grass

Examines Whitman's "Osceola" and discovers the poem is a result of the poet's "piecing and pasting" his lines out of bits of George Catlin's description of Osceola and Catlin's recording of Dr. Frederick Weedon's account of Osceola's final days; argues that Osceola "remains merely symbolic for Whitman--a text to read and interpret."
Comparing apology to equivalent crisis response strategies: Clarifying apology's role and value in crisis communication

Abstract Crisis communication has begun to systematically examine how people perceive the crisis response strategies using experimental designs. This is an important step in the evolution of crisis communication research. One problem with this research has been the over promotion of apology as “the” response. Too often the value of an apology is established by comparing how people react to an apology and to other less victim-centered/accommodative responses. This “unfair” comparison results in apology appearing to be “the” best alternative. This study compares apology to more equivalent crisis response strategies to more fairly determine if apology is “the” best strategy. The results show that people react similarly to any victim-centered/accommodative strategy meaning apology is not “the” best strategy. The implications of the results for crisis managers are discussed.
Short-range potential model for multiphoton detachment of the H − ion

The ${\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ ion is modeled by an effective one-electron potential specified by a regularized three-dimensional \ensuremath{\delta}-function potential. With the help of quasienergy methods, the multiphoton-detachment rate of this model ion by a plane-wave field of arbitrary elliptical polarization can be expressed as a one-dimensional integral that has to be evaluated numerically. The results exhibit a pronounced dependence on the polarization of the laser: circular polarization yields a rate that depends smoothly on frequency and intensity with barely noticeable thresholds. In contrast, linear polarization generates marked thresholds as well as structure in between. All of the calculated thresholds closely obey the Wigner threshold law. There is good agreement with the available data where the ponderomotive energy is kept constant while the frequency varies.
Developmental, tissue-specific, and environmental factors regulate the biosynthesis of N-acylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Summary N -Acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE) is an acylated derivative of the common membrane phospholipid, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). NAPE is synthesized in cotton cotyledons from PE and free fatty acids by a membrane-bound enzyme designated NAPE synthase (Chapman and Moore, 1993). In the present study, a comprehensive time-course of NAPE synthase activity was determined for cotton cotyledons at various stages of development including embryogenesis, desiccation, germination, seedling growth, and senescence. Specific activities of NAPE synthase were highest in cotyledons of embryos at 25 days after anthesis (DAA) and 12-h-old seedlings; however, on a per cotyledon basis, activities were more than ten times higher in cotyledons of germinating seeds than in cotyledons of developing seeds. NAPE synthase activity declined rapidly when seedlings were exposed to light (but not when seedlings were kept in the dark). NAPE content in cotyledons increased concomitant with PE and total phospholipid content during seed germination and the first 48 h of seedling growth in the dark. NAPE synthase activity was substantially different in different organs of 14-d-old cotton seedlings; specific activities were highest in plumules (more than an order of magnitude higher than specific activities in fully expanded cotyledons or mature leaves of older plants). NAPE content in different organs of 14-d-old seedlings ranged from 1.9% (mol % total phospholipid) in cotyledons to 3.2 % in plumules and was highest in organs that contained the highest NAPE synthase activity. Switching 1-d-old cotton seedlings to different temperatures for 24 h had a dramatic effect on NAPE synthase specific activity. Specific activity in cotyledons was more than 2-fold higher at cooler growth temperatures (20°C) than warmer growth temperatures (40°C). Together, our results indicate that NAPE biosynthesis is regulated by developmental, tissue-specific, and environmental factors.
Coating single-walled carbon nanotubes with cadmium chalcogenides

Non-covalently functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been coated with CdE (E = S, Se) by liquid phase deposition (LPD) from aqueous and hydrocarbon solution. The coating of individual SWNTs versus small ropes or composite structures is controlled by the use of SDS surfactant SWNTs and the relative concentration of the SWNTs and the cadmium source. Coating reactions in non-aqueous systems result in either composite formation or incomplete coatings. The CdE-SWNTs have been characterized by SEM, TEM, EDX, and Raman spectroscopy. The Raman fluoresence of the SWNTs is maintained at 90% with coatings of CdS > 5 nm.
Stuck between Goal Achievement and Evidence-based Medicine

Clinical Trial Acronyms A to Z Aggrastat-to-Zocor Trial ACCORD Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes AIM-HIGH Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/ High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes AURORA A Study to Evaluate the Use of Rosuvastatin in Subjects on Regular Hemodialysis: An Assessment of Survival and Cardiovascular Events CTT Cholesterol Treatment Trialists 4D Deutsche Diabetes Dialysis Study HPS2-THRIVE Treatment of High-Density Lipoprotein to Reduce the Incidence of Vascular Events IDEAL Incremental Decrease in End Points Through Aggressive Lipid Lowering NCEP ATP III National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III PROVE-IT Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy SEARCH Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine SHARP Study of Heart and Renal Protection TNT Treating to New Targets
Aircraft Heading Measurement Potential from an Airborne Laser Scanner Using Edge Extraction

This paper explores some considerations for making aircraft heading measurements by using an airborne laser scanner (ALS). Laser range measurements are very low noise and high accuracy, so there is potential for high accuracy heading measurements that are not susceptible to broad interference. This heading could stabilize other sensors even when GPS is unavailable. Heading measurements are emphasized since they are often the most sought after quantity for inertial alignment and other applications. The traditional ALS configuration is capable of estimating heading from extracted ground feature edges with degree-level accuracy. Furthermore, the paper discusses two techniques for increasing the laser ground pulse density (by rotating the scanner about the aircraft vertical axis (yaw) and by modifying the scanner parameters). Estimates are provided on how much theoretical accuracy can be expected from each technique and a hybrid technique. The results suggest that it is possible to improve the theoretical heading measurement accuracy by at least one order of magnitude. The second half of the paper discusses sensor stabilization limitations to attaining a high accuracy orientation measurement. This sensitivity analysis describes how noise and bias errors from uncompensated motion and/or sensor stabilization in pitch, roll, and yaw will effect the laser ground pulse positions. The results show that it is better to have stabilization noise than uncompensated motion errors.
On improving the algorithmic robustness of a low-power FIR filter

Voltage scaling is a promising approach to reduce the power consumption in signal processing circuits. However aggressive voltage scaling can introduce errors in the output signal, thus degrading the algorithmic performance of the circuit. We consider the specific case of the finite impulse response (FIR) filter, and identify two different sources of errors occurring due to voltage scaling: (a) errors introduced because of increased delay along the logic path and (b) errors caused by failures in the memory due to process variations. We design a FIR filter by using a simple feedback based approach to reduce the memory errors and a linear predictor structure for correcting the logic errors. The proposed filter is more robust to both logic and memory errors caused by voltage scaling. The results show a considerable improvement in the output Signal to Noise ratio (at least around 10 dB) for a probability of error (P err ) even as high as 0.5. We also utilize the proposed technique for an image filtering application and observe a considerable improvement in the visual quality of the output image along with an improvement of over 10 dB in the Peak Signal to Noise ratio for P err as high as 0.5.
Fishes and Morphology Today: An Introduction

Our primary goal in organizing the symposium “Fishes and Morphology Today” (Albuquerque, 14–15 July 2013) and editing these symposium proceedings in Copeia is to showcase the results of current morphological studies and their impact on our understanding of different groups of fishes and their evolutionary history. Morphology remains key to taxonomic, systematic, and evolutionary studies of extant and fossil fishes (and all other organisms) as was convincingly illustrated by contributions on extant and fossil fishes presented in the symposium and now in these symposium proceedings. Here we emphasize and promote the value of morphological research. This effort and others from the worldwide fish community, together with genomic and molecular studies, effectively contribute to the Tree of Life of Fishes and to training programs on biodiversity. Without the underpinnings of a morphological perspective in systematics and evolutionary history, there are few engaging questions to ask. Furthermore, the more we kno...