cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of pH to influence regio- and chemoselectivity in the asymmetric aminohydroxylation of styrenes.

The pH-controlled Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation (AA) of styrenes provides 1-aryl-2-amino ethanols (regioisomer B) with high enantio-, chemo-, and regioselectivity. As existing AA protocols typically give regioisomer A as the major reaction product when using carbamate nitrogen sources, this method is a convenient alternative for the selective production of regioisomer B.
Survival of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella spp. on catfish fillets exposed to microwave heating in a continuous mode.

: Microwave (MW) heating using continuous power output with feedback control and a modified ingredient formulation may provide better and consistent cooking of foods. Currently, household units with build-in inverter power supply units are available. These new generation MW ovens provide continuous, adjustable output and cooking, in contrast to the traditional rectifier-based ovens that rely on the on–off mechanism for control. This study attempted to apply a feedback power control (termed as modified or “smart” MW oven) and phosphate treatment to further improve heating uniformity and enhance food quality and safety. Listeria monocytogenes (Lm, 4-strain cocktail), Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Ec, 5-strain cocktail), and Salmonella spp. (Sal, 6-strain cocktail), surface inoculated onto catfish fillets (75 × 100 × 15 mm; weight 110 g), were heated using the modified MW oven to study the inactivation of the pathogens. The sensitivity of these 3 bacteria to MW heating was in the order of Ec (most), Lm, and Sal (least). Greater than 4 to 5 log CFU reductions of Ec, Lm, or Sal counts on catfish fillet surfaces were inactivated within 2 min of 1250 W MW heating, where the fillet surface temperature increased from 10 to 20 °C to 80 to 90 °C. MW heating caused degradation of catfish fillet texture, which was noticeable as early as 10 to 15 s after the heating started, as evidenced by bumping sounds. Bumping can be significantly reduced by soaking fillets in phosphate solution. However, the results may need verification if applied in different MW ovens and/or with foods positioned away the geometric oven center. This study successfully demonstrated the feasibility of applying MW energy to eliminate foodborne pathogens on fish fillets. Practical Application: The results demonstrated in this report with the “smart” microwave oven design may enhance microwaveable food safety and quality, and therefore promote the microwaveable food business.
Synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties of two new coordination polymers based on the tricyanoethenolate ligand : {Fe(C5N3O)2(CH3CN)2}∞ and {Co(C5N3O)2(C4H4O)2}∞

Abstract Single crystals of two new coordination polymers {Fe(C5N3O)2(CH3CN)2}∞ (1) and {Co(C5N3O)2(C4H4O)2}∞ (2) have been prepared and their structures and magnetic properties determined. Reactions of TCNE with Fe4Cl8(THF)6 in acetonitrile/diethyl ether and TCNE with Co4Cl8(THF)6 in tetrahydrofuran both lead to the transformation of TCNE to 1,2,2-tricyanoethanolate and the formation of two new compounds consisting of infinite, two-dimensional sheets of [Fe(C4N3O)2(CH3CN)2] and [Co(C5N3O)2(C4H4O)2] units with bridging tricyanoethenolate groups. The 1,2,2-tricyanoethanolate ions coordinate to the FeII and CoII centers through two of its three CN groups and not via the O atom. The metal atoms are in slightly distorted octahedral environments with axially bonded acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran molecules. These sheets are linked by hydrogen bonds involving the ethanolate O atoms and hydrogen atoms of the coordinated solvent molecules.
The Impact of Resident Duty Hour Reform on Hospital Readmission Rates Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Background A key goal of resident duty hour reform by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in 2003 was to improve patient outcomes.
Development of a spatter index for automated welding inspection using computer vision

Abstract Spatter is a cosmetic defect in the welding process, caused by small globules of the weld metal, which solidify on the workpiece, outside the desired weld area. Visual inspection of spatter is very tedious and time consuming. This paper describes the use of a computer vision system to estimate spatter in but welds produced by gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Accordingly, an index was used to quantify this spatter. Tests were run on HR1020 steel plates welded by a GMAW process. Based on the data acquired, it was concluded that this spatter index is relatively insensitive to changes in vision system threshold values. It was also proved that the method for quantification of spatter is highly reliable. Different illumination arrangements for the spatter index evaluation were tested, with best results being achieved when using an incandescent light at low angle.
Allele-specific expression of the mouse B-cell surface protein CD72 on T cells

CD72 is a 45 000 Mr mouse B-cell surface glycoprotein involved in B-cell proliferation and differentiation. Expression of mouse CD72 is thought to be restricted to the B-cell lineage. We recently demonstrated that the monoclonal antibodies K10.6 and B9.689, previously defined as recognizing the mouse lymphocyte alloantigens Ly-19.2 and Ly-32.2, respectively, recognize specific alleles of CD72. Early studies using antibody-mediated cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that K10.6 and B9.689 react with B cells, several T-cell lines, and a subset of peripheral T cells. These findings led us to consider the possibility that CD72 might also be expressed on a subset of T cells. In this report we demonstrate that CD72 is constitutively expressed on a fraction of peripheral T cells isolated from strains of mice expressing the CD72(b) allele, but not the CD72(a) or CD72(c) alleles. Three days after activating T cells with concanavalin A or plate-bound CD3-specific mAb, CD72 is expressed on a larger fraction of peripheral T cells as well as a fraction of thymocytes from mouse strains expressing the CD72(b) allele. CD72 is expressed on both the CD4(+) and CD8(+) thymocyte and peripheral T-cell subsets. No CD72 expression is detected on activated thymocytes or peripheral T cells from mouse strains expressing the CD72(a) or CD72(c) alleles. Expression of CD72(b) on peripheral T cells was confirmed by northern blot analysis demonstrating CD72 mRNA expression. These results demonstrate that CD72 expression is not restricted to B lineage cells in mouse strains expressing the CD72(b) allele; instead, a population of T lineage cells in these mice also expresses CD72.
From Promiscuity to Living Together to Making the Decision to Break Up or Make a Lasting Commitment

Abstract Although public administration was “born” and “reared” as a child of politics and constitutional democracy, the coherence of its central purposes later eroded into disparate fragments in a set of “promiscuous” relationships. But now the field has become accustomed to a casual mode in which a loose collection of sub-fields and competing worldviews “live together.” This invites leaving behind our intellectual origins and easy flirting with passing trends and alternative partners. Even while maintaining multiple external ties, the field should now seek to advance to an “adult” form of lasting commitment to a reaffirmed set of core values.
Modulation of Xenopus oocyte-expressed phospholemman-induced ion currents by co-expression of protein kinases

Phospholemman (PLM), the major sarcolemmal substrate for phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent kinase (PKA) protein kinase C (PKC) and NIMA kinase in muscle, induces hyperpolarization-activated anion currents in Xenopus oocytes, most probably by enhancing endogenous oocyte currents. PLM peptides from the cytoplasmic tail are phosphorylated by PKA at S68, by NIMA kinase at S63, and by PKC at both S63 and S68. We have confirmed the phosphorylation sites in the intact protein, and we have investigated the role of phosphorylation in the regulatory activity of PLM using oocyte expression experiments. We found: (1) the cytoplasmic domain is not essential for inducing currents in oocytes; (2) co-expression of PKA increased the amplitude of oocyte currents and the amount of PLM in the oocyte membrane largely, but not exclusively, through phosphorylation of S68; (3) co-expression of PKA had no effect on a PLM mutant in which all putative phosphorylation sites had been inactivated by serine to alanine mutation (SSST 62, 63, 68, 69 AAAA); (4) co-expression of PKC had no effect in this system; (5) co-expression of NIMA kinase increased current amplitude and membrane protein level, but did not require PLM phosphorylation. These findings point to a role for phosphorylation in the function of PLM.
How Are Global Patterns Of Faunal Turnover Expressed At Regional Scales? Evidence From the Upper Mississippian (Chesterian Series), Illinois Basin, USA

Linking biotic patterns across spatiotemporal scales provides a greater understanding of the processes that drive ecological and evolutionary change. Here, we examine how global patterns of biotic turnover are expressed in the structure of regional biotic gradients from the Illinois Basin (USA) during the late Paleozoic ice age (LPIA)— an interval noted for low global rates of taxonomic turnover. Results indicate that the pre-LPIA interval is characterized by well-defined biotic gradients; depositional environments are dominated by distinct sets of taxa, arrayed along a gradient of substrate composition, and are clearly differentiated by ordination and ANOSIM analyses. There is a marked shift in gradient structure across the onset of the LPIA; environments become weakly distinguished, are dominated by similar sets of taxa that are widespread across the ramp, and are arrayed along a nearshore-offshore gradient. Our results are consistent with findings from global-level studies, which indicate that broadly adapted taxa (eurytopes) increased in importance following the start of the LPIA. Unlike the global level, however, the regional increase in eurytopy is not linked to the extinction of narrowly adapted taxa in response to climate change. Instead, eurytopy increased as the geometry of the Illinois Basin shifted from a flat carbonate ramp, composed of shallower-water and higher-stress environments in the pre-LPIA interval, to a steeper ramp comprising deeper-water and more stable habitats in the LPIA interval. We suggest that increased eurytopy drove (1) a previously documented decrease in regional-level turnover during the late Paleozoic and (2) a perceived pattern of greater persistence in late versus early Paleozoic biotic gradients.
Characteristics of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter concentrations in high-rise and manure-belt layer hen houses

Abstract Indoor air pollutants at high concentrations in poultry houses can potentially affect workers' health, and animal welfare and productivity. This paper presents research results of a 2-year continuous monitoring of ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and particulate matter (PM) concentrations from to date the most comprehensive study on a single farm in two 180,000-bird high-rise (HR) and two 200,000-bird manure-belt (MB) layer hen houses located in Indiana, USA. Air was sampled at ventilation fans of the mechanically-ventilated houses. Concentrations of NH3 and CO2 were measured with photoacoustic multi-gas monitors. Concentrations of H2S and PM10 were monitored with pulsed fluorescence analyzers and Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalances (TEOM), respectively. The 2-year mean ± standard deviation concentrations at ventilation fans of the four layer hen houses were 48.9 ± 39 and 51.9 ± 40.7 ppm in HR, and 13.3 ± 9.1 and 12.9 ± 10.5 ppm in MB for NH3; 26.4 ± 17.6 and 24.9 ± 19 ppb in HR, 40.0 ± 21.1 and 41.2 ± 31.5 ppb in MB for H2S; 1755 ± 848 and 1804 ± 887 ppm in HR, and 2295 ± 871 and 2285 ± 946 ppm in MB for CO2; and 540 ± 303 and 552 ± 338 μg m−3 in HR, and 415 ± 428 and 761 ± 661 μg m−3 in MB for PM10. Compared with the MB houses, concentrations of the HR houses were higher for NH3, and lower for CO2, H2S, and PM10 (P
Application of Image Recognition Technology in Sports Competition

This article introduces the design principle and implementation method of the automatic judgment software of terminal in sports competition. Image recognition technology makes the competition management level achieve equality, justice, precision and high efficiency, This actualizing automatic judgment by means of recognition model for sports imaging, which is based on the principle of radio frequency identification (RFID).
The Relationship of Sex, Sex Role, and Mental Health

Mental health differences due to sex, sex-role identification, and sex-role attitudes were investigated using 109 undergraduate students. Females reported higher levels of depression and anxiety. Both males and females with more liberal scores on the Attitudes Toward Women Scale scored higher on the Well-Being Scale of the California Psychological Inventory. No differences due to androgyny were found.
A statistical analysis of Gulf Stream variability from 18+ years of altimetry data

Abstract Altimetry data that bracket the core of the Gulf Stream (GS) between 32–39°N and 68–72°W are analyzed from a combined data set spanning the duration of the Topex, Jason-1, and Jason-2 missions. Absolute sea surface height, SSH, referenced to a geoid model and sea surface height anomaly, SSHA, referenced to a global mean sea surface model are calculated using pass 50 data from Topex cycle-002 (04-October-1992) through Jason-2 cycle-098 (02-Mar-2011). Five different indices of GS variability: (i) Δ SSH —the change in absolute height across the GS; (ii) Δ SSHA —the change in sea surface height anomaly across the GS; (iii) a barotropic velocity index; (iv) a baroclinic transport index; and (v) the position of the GS, are estimated from the 18+ year time series via seasonal time series, power spectral density functions, auto-covariance functions, and a principal component analysis (PCA). The average annual distribution of all the variables except velocity index increases from a spring/summer minimum to a fall maximum, then decreases during the winter to minimum values in spring and early summer. The average signal in barotropic velocity index reaches a maximum in summer, whereas the maximum baroclinic transport occurs in the fall. The seasonal signal in GS position is better approximated by a seasonal sinusoid than the dynamical variables, with minimum (southerly) positions in spring and maximum (northerly) positions in the fall. Variations in height difference across the current are in phase with changes in the width of the current, leading to smaller seasonal variations in the velocity which are out of phase with the other variables. None of the seasonal time series except GS position resemble a pure sinusoid; they more closely resemble the signal of a nonlinear oscillator. The three dominant periods for Δ SSH are 15–21 months, 7 months, and 4 years, with an integral time scale of 32 days. The dominant periods for Δ SSHA are 9 months, 21 months, and 5–6 months, with an integral time scale of 38 days. The spectral and PCA analyses of both Δ SSH and Δ SSHA are “pink”, indicating an energetic broad-band spectra. The dominant PCA modes explain less than 30% of the variability, indicative of highly nonlinear processes. The dominant periods for the barotropic velocity index are 9 months, 21 months, and 5 months, with an integral time scale of 14 days. The dominant periods for the baroclinic transport index are 11 months, 2–3 months, and monthly, with an integral time scale of 24 days. The dominant PCA modes of the velocity and transport indices explain 52% and 48% of the variability of their respective time series. The dominant periods for GS position are 9, 11, 13 months, and 1.5–6 years, with an integral time scale of 35 days. The first GS position PCA mode explains 50% of position variability. All of the time series of GS variability and the correlation between the North Atlantic Oscillation and GS position exhibit non-stationary behavior.
Estimation of tourism demand by multivariable regression analysis: evidence from Kenya.

Abstract Between 1963 and 1982, tourism was one of the top three domestic exports of Kenya. Knowledge of the variables which significantly Influence Kenyan tourism demand could help tourism policy makers in planning growth strategies. The results of this study indicate that multivariable regression analysis has limited usefulness in identifying the significant factors which influence tourists' decisions. Data problems and resulting multicollinearity cause unsuitable results in one case, while model specification appears to be a problem in another. The author concludes that quantitative studies should be supplemented by qualitative analysis in order for Kenyan policymakers to make optimal decisions.
Sugar Creek: Life on the Illinois Prairie

Follows the development of a rural Illinois community from its origins near the beginning of the nineteenth century, looks at community activity, and tells the stories of ordinary pioneers.
Reducing morphological variability of the cervical carotid artery in serial magnetic resonance imaging using a head and neck immobilization device

Purpose To evaluate how well a head and neck immobilization device performed in reducing lumen morphology variability in repeated MR imaging of the carotid artery. Materials and Methods Quantitative measures of lumen and plaque characteristics may be important for longitudinal management of carotid atherosclerotic disease. However, quantitative measurements of the carotid artery are limited by their dependence on patient positioning, which can be quite variable. We created a head and neck immobilization device to reduce the variability of patient positioning during MR imaging of the carotid artery. In this article we describe the design and use of the immobilization device and assess how well its use reduced variability in vascular orientation and measurements of the carotid lumen cross-sectional area. Evaluation was based on 15 subjects who were repeatedly imaged without the immobilization device and 14 subjects who were repeatedly imaged with the device. Results Use of the immobilization device decreased the orientation variability from 9.1° to 5.3° (P = 0.0006) and the variability (defined as the standard deviation divided by the mean) of the cross-sectional area decreased from 0.24 to 0.18 (P = 0.04). Conclusion Using the immobilization device effectively reduces variability in repeated imaging of the carotid arteries. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28:258–262. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Document similarity measures and document browsing

Managing large document databases is an important task today. Being able to automatically com- pare document layouts and classify and search documents with respect to their visual appearance proves to be desirable in many applications. We measure single page documents' similarity with respect to distance functions between three document components: background, text, and saliency. Each document component is represented as a Gaussian mixture distribution; and distances between dierent documents' components are calculated as probabilistic similarities between corresponding distributions. The similarity measure between documents is represented as a weighted sum of the components' distances. Using this document similarity measure, we propose a browsing mechanism operating on a document dataset. For these purposes, we use a hierarchical browsing environment which we call the document similarity pyramid. It allows the user to browse a large document dataset and to search for documents in the dataset that are similar to the query. The user can browse the dataset on dierent levels of the pyramid, and zoom into the documents that are of interest.
Learning and limbic lesions

Abstract A model is presented which identifies the amygdala and hippocampus with two distinct attention-directing processes. The process to which the amygdala contributes is postulated to heighten awareness of experiences as a function of previous reinforcement, while the process to which the hippocampus contributes acts to diminish awareness of experience as a function of the probability of non-reinforcement. The manner in which these processes govern problem-solving behavior is outlined, and a number of hypotheses generated. These hypotheses were tested using monkeys with hippocampal and amygdaloid lesions. The results of these experiments were generally in agreement with the model, and the two lesion groups were found to be as distinct from each other as either group was from sham-operated controls.
U.s. Transit subsidy policy: in need of reform.

Public transit in the United States has depended increasingly on public subsidies since the inception ofthe federal mass transit assistance program in the early 1960s. The subsidies are associated with declining efficiency and labor productivity, as urban transit systems have overcapitalized, simplified fare structures, and extended service into sparse suburban markets. Despite these subsidies, transit has not proved successful in countering the effects on its market of increased automobile ownership and use and of decentralizaton of residences and places of employment.
Effects on feto‐placental markers with plasma exchange in pregnancy

To evaluate changes in feto-placental markers with plasma exchange in pregnancy, two patients at varying stages of pregnancy referred to a tertiary care hospital and requiring plasma exchange for intercurrent problems were evaluated. Alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and free estriol were sequentially measured in the patients' plasma and in the fluid removed, thus permitting calculations of permeability rates and clearances. Despite markedly different molecular weights, all three feto-placental markers had similar permeabilities and clearances. While in both patients maternal levels of alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin decreased rapidly with plasma separation and rebounded rapidly to baseline, free estriol responded differently and did not appear to decrease with therapy. Maternal levels of feto-placental markers only transiently changed with plasma exchange during pregnancy and rapidly returned to baseline with no apparent consequences to the pregnancy. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Protein Content of Various Processed Edible Oils

Abstract : At a special meeting of the National Research Council of Canada Associated Committee on Fats and Oils, held in Ottawa, December 3, 1971, to discuss proposed food ingredient labelling regulations, it was evident that virtually no information was available on the protein content of raw and processed edible fats and oils. It was flet that more information was needed on the nitrogen content of edible oils. In the study seven edible oils were analyzed for total amino acids, phosphorus, nitrogen and phospholipids.
Selective low-temperature removal of carbon monoxide from hydrogen-rich fuels over Cu–Ce–Al catalysts

Abstract The selective oxidation of CO in the presence of excess H2 was investigated over a ceria-promoted Cu–alumina catalyst. This catalyst shows nearly exclusive oxidation of CO versus H2 with an O2 concentration in stoichiometric proportion to CO, making it possible to purify a fuel cell feed stream with a minimum loss of energy content associated with H2. The effect of the presence of CO2 and H2O in the feed on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst, and the long-term stability were also investigated. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), CO chemisorption and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). Copper is better dispersed on the ceria-promoted alumina support in comparison to alumina alone. CuO is the active phase for selective CO oxidation. Oxygen vacancies supplied and enhanced by ceria are responsible for improved activity.
Applications of in Situ Cosmogenic Nuclides in the Geologic Site Characterization of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

The gradual buildup of rare isotopes from interactions between cosmic rays and atoms in an exposed rock provides a new method of directly determining the exposure age of rock surfaces. The cosmogenic nuclide method can also provide constraints on erosion rates and the length of time surface exposure was interrupted by burial. Numerous successful applications of the technique have been imperative to the complete surface geologic characterization of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential high level nuclear waste repository. In this short paper, we summarize the cosmogenic nuclide method and describe with examples some the utility of the technique in geologic site characterization. We report preliminary results from our ongoing work at Yucca Mountain.
Evoked neuronal activity accompanied by transmitter release increases oxygen concentration in rat striatum in vivo but not in vitro.

Dopamine and oxygen (O2) were measured in the caudate nucleus of anesthetized rats and in striatal slices during electrical stimulation. Simultaneous electrochemical detection of dopamine and O2 was accomplished with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry at a Nafion-coated carbon-fiber microelectrode. Stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle resulted in synaptic overflow of dopamine in the caudate nucleus. At the same time, O2 concentration increased in the extracellular fluid with two separate phases. The amplitude of the initial increase directly correlated with the frequency of the stimulus, with the time of maximum concentration reproducible across a range of frequencies. The second increase occurred at later times with a more random amplitude and with a broad, variable shape. Agents which blocked vasodilation affected both phases: Atropine attenuated the initial increase, while the second feature was nearly absent after theophylline. Yohimbine and α-methyl-p-tyrosine did not affect the O2 responses. Local e...
In-house cardiopulmonary resuscitation — after a quarter of a century

Summary Several variables could have influenced the results of resuscitation after two and one-half decades — selection of resuscitation candidates, resuscitation mechanics, pharmacologic interventions, and post-resuscitation management. However, the outcome of CPR remains consistently poor. It appears that only dramatic changes in candidacy or technique will change the likelihood of survival following in-house CPR.
The Drosophila white gene: a molecular update

Abstract Molecular analysis of the white locus during the past few years has revealed that this gene has a complex array of upstream cis -acting DNA regulatory sequences governing tissue specificity of gene expression. The X-linked white gene is also subject to dosage compensation and transvection effects, as well as to genomic position effects generated by transformation and transposition. The white gene has proved to be a valuable model system for studying these regulatory phenomena.
Adaptation in the African egg-eating snake: a comparative approach to a classic study in evolutionary functional morphology

A key component to any adaptive hypothesis is that the adaptive trait in question must confer a performance advantage and, in turn, an increase in fitness, relative to those animals displaying the phylogenetically antecedent condition. Among the most striking purported adaptations in vertebrates are those found in the African snake genus Dasypeltis. These snakes are unique in that they eat bird eggs to the exclusion of all other prey. Detailed functional morphological analysis dating back 50 years has highlighted a suite of morphological features in the head and trunk region hypothesized to assist these animals in eating bird eggs, and yet no comparative performance studies of egg-eating ability have ever been conducted in this group of snakes. The purpose of this study was twofold: first, we wanted to compare egg-eating performance in Dasypeltis with a facultative egg eater, the common king snake Lampropeltis getula. Second, we wanted to test the hypothesis that a selective regime exists in Africa conducive to the selection and subsequent fixation of the hypothesized egg-eating morphological adaptations. Our results show that a strong advantage exists in egg-eating ability for Dasypeltis. The difference is so large (only large Lampropeltis can eat small eggs) that analysis by analysis of covariance becomes difficult due to problems with collinearity. Our results examining potential selective regimes show that more birds lay eggs of a readily ingestible size in Africa than in a representative region in the United States. Additionally, the largest radiation of African ground-nesting birds existed in Africa before the colubrid explosion during the Miocene, which gave rise to Dasypeltis, giving further support to previous adaptive hypotheses regarding the unique morphology of these snakes.
Identification of Suppressors of mbk-2/DYRK by Whole-Genome Sequencing

Screening for suppressor mutations is a powerful method to isolate genes that function in a common pathway or process. Because suppressor mutations often do not have phenotypes on their own, cloning of suppressor loci can be challenging. A method combining whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mapping (WGS/SNP mapping) was developed to identify mutations with visible phenotypes in C. elegans. We show here that WGS/SNP mapping is an efficient method to map suppressor mutations without the need for previous phenotypic characterization. Using RNA-mediated interference to test candidate loci identified by WGS/SNP mapping, we identified 10 extragenic and six intragenic suppressors of mbk-2, a DYRK family kinase required for the transition from oocyte to zygote. Remarkably, seven suppressors are mutations in cell-cycle regulators that extend the timing of the oocyte-to-zygote transition.
Automatic instance generation using simulation for inductive learning

Inductive learning can be used to extract rules required for an expert system which assists in output analysis for system simulation. However, several examples of the system, constituting an instance set, are required for learning to take place. Generating the required instance set to be used by-an inductive learning algorithm is time consuming and complex. This paper is an attempt to clarify this problem, discuss its complexity and suggest context related solutions. A procedure for automatic instance generation is then proposed. The proposed procedure is a combination of three search methods (grid based, forward search ,backward search).
What video games have to teach us about childbirth and childbirth support

Design patterns are meant to provide a rubric of problem-solving strategies for common design problems in software engineering. This paper presents the patterns that 34 commercial video games have come to use in representing the birth of a child, and asks, "Where do babies come from?", "What are babies for?", and "How do you support a virtual mother (in labor)?" to gauge how deeply the design patterns have entrenched themselves in modern video games. We found few commonalities between the 34 games; indeed, we found that design patterns as solutions to open problems do not seem to exist for childbirth scenes in games. However, patterns of depicting birth, the mother, and the child, do exist. We suggest that these patterns are a crutch -- causing more harm than good for the players of the games by the inaccurate and incomplete scenes surrounding birth.
The configuration management for version control in an object-oriented VHDL design environment

The authors present a constraint-driven, object-oriented approach to configuration management within a VHDL design environment called SDE. A configuration is generated from a generic design in such a way that technology-specific cells are bound to the generic components of the design. In the approach, user-defined constraints are exploited to efficiently organize versions and to generate workable configurations. They are also used for providing the formal definitions of various relationships between cells, making it possible to easily explore versions of a configuration by substituting other cells with a certain relationship, e.g., replaceability, for its already bound cells. To retrieve cells that satisfy constraints for a configuration to be generated, the authors suggest an object-oriented query model based on a graph model. >
The relation between cost-system design, managers’ evaluations of the relevance and usefulness of cost data, and financial performance: an empirical study of US hospitals

Abstract This study examines the association between cost-system functionality, managers’ beliefs about the relevance and usefulness of cost data, and actual financial performance using a sample of 277 US hospitals. Results indicate that managers’ evaluations of the relevance and usefulness of cost data are positively correlated with the extent to which systems can provide greater cost detail, better classify costs according to behavior, and report cost information more frequently. However, only the ability to supply cost detail is favorably associated with measures of financial performance, including operating margin, cash flow, and administrative expense. Interestingly, cost-system design was not associated with operating expense per admission, suggesting that accounting information had not yet been successfully used to manage clinical costs.
Minor League Baseball Is All About Being Entertained

When attending Minor League baseball games many fans are not as interested in the baseball game as they are to the entertainment experience associated with the game. They are attending the baseball game to be entertained. Many fans don’t actually watch and completely understand the baseball game; they come for the whole entertainment experience. They attend to watch the people, eat good food, drink, be around friends, feel a sense of belonging, and to watch the sports contest. The fans expect to enjoy themselves in a fun, clean, and hassle free environment. At the end of the game many fans don’t really care who won the game as long as it was fun. Seventy-six percent of the fans surveyed at the ballpark said they attended the game to be entertained, but do not attend often. Minor League baseball teams play a 150 game season with 75 home games. Fifty-nine percent of the fans attend less than five games a season or seven percent of the games of the home games. Seventy-nine percent of the fans attend less than thirteen percent of the home games. The fans are not returning to the ballpark often, why? They may not be having enough fun compared with all the other entertainment choices available. There is also a limited amount of true baseball fans with only five percent of the fans attending more than half of the home games. It’s time to start focusing on all those fans of entertainment, providing them opportunity to be entertained at a Minor League baseball game.
Experimental Evidence for Lack of Homodimerization of the G Protein-Coupled Human N-Formyl Peptide Receptor

A large number of G protein-coupled receptors have been shown to form homodimers based on a number of different techniques such as receptor coimmunoprecipitation, cross-linking, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer. In addition, functional assays of cells coexpressing a mutant receptor with a wild-type receptor have shown receptor phenotypes that can best be explained through dimerization. We asked whether the human neutrophil N-formyl peptide receptor (FPR) forms dimers in Chinese hamster ovary cells by coexpressing wild-type FPR with one of two mutants: D71A, which is uncoupled from G protein, and N297A, which has a defect in receptor phosphorylation and endocytosis. Experiments measuring chemotaxis, ligand-induced release of intracellular calcium, and p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation did not show an inhibitory effect of the coexpressed FPR D71A mutant. Coexpressed wild-type receptor was efficiently internalized, but failed to correct the endocytosis defects of the D71A and the N297A mutants. To explore the possibility that the mutations themselves prevented dimerization, we examined the coimmunoprecipitation of differentially epitope-tagged FPR. Immunoprecipitation of hemagglutinin-tagged FPR failed to coimmunoprecipitate coexpressed c-myc-tagged FPR and vice versa. Together, these data suggest that, unlike many other G protein-coupled receptors, FPR does not form homodimers.
Large area bolometers for THz power measurements

This paper describes measurements to determine the performance and suitability of large-area bolometers on thin dielectric membranes for use as wideband THz power meters. A Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) was used to measure the transmission spectra of the bolometers from 0.6 THz to 10 THz. A linear array of bolometers was then fabricated and used to characterized the beam produces by a FIR laser at 802 GHz and 2.54 THz. The total power generated by the laser is determined by measuring the beam's profile and peak power density. >
Observed isotropy in pionic argon X-ray angular distribution

Abstract A measurement of the angular distribution of X-rays from pionic Ar indicated that the emission was isotropic. Our results show α=0.01±0.09 where α is defined by P(θ)=1+( α 2 ) sin 2 θ and θ is the polar angle with respec to the incident pion beam.
Simultaneous sedimentation and coalescence of a dilute dispersion of small drops

Macroscopic phase separation and the evolution of the drop size distribution for nonhomogeneous dispersions, in which buoyancy-driven settling and coalescence of drops cause spatial as well as temporal variations of the drop size distribution, was analysed by numerical solution of the population dynamics equations. Collision efficiencies based on detailed hydrodynamic interactions of spherical drops with clean interfaces were incorporated in the description of the pairwise drop coalescence rates. A dimensionless parameter that characterizes the relative importance of settling and coalescence was identified. For finite values of this parameter, the phase separation rates and average drop size initially increase owing to coalescence, and then decrease owing to the larger drops settling out of the dispersion.
Experimental mapping of DNA duplex shape enabled by global lineshape analyses of a nucleotide-independent nitroxide probe.

Sequence-dependent variation in structure and dynamics of a DNA duplex, collectively referred to as ‘DNA shape’, critically impacts interactions between DNA and proteins. Here, a method based on the technique of site-directed spin labeling was developed to experimentally map shapes of two DNA duplexes that contain response elements of the p53 tumor suppressor. An R5a nitroxide spin label, which was covalently attached at a specific phosphate group, was scanned consecutively through the DNA duplex. X-band continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to monitor rotational motions of R5a, which report on DNA structure and dynamics at the labeling site. An approach based on Pearson's coefficient analysis was developed to collectively examine the degree of similarity among the ensemble of R5a spectra. The resulting Pearson's coefficients were used to generate maps representing variation of R5a mobility along the DNA duplex. The R5a mobility maps were found to correlate with maps of certain DNA helical parameters, and were capable of revealing similarity and deviation in the shape of the two closely related DNA duplexes. Collectively, the R5a probe and the Pearson's coefficient-based lineshape analysis scheme yielded a generalizable method for examining sequence-dependent DNA shapes.
Professionalism: self-control matters.

Background: Many of the behaviors that constitute professionalism require self-control.Aim: To investigate the extent to which self-control is a component of resident professionalism, rated both by residents and their program directors.Methods: 366 residents in 13 residency programs were invited to participate in a survey study of professionalism. Participating residents completed the Professionalism – Documentation of Competence (ProDOC) (a 15-item measure of professionalism developed for the study), a 10-item version of the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and the Brief Self-Control Scale. Independently, program directors of participating residents completed the ProDOC with reference to each of their participating residents.Results: 215 residents agreed to participate in the study (58.7% response rate). Resident ProDOC scores were significantly related to social desirability and self-control. Self-control alone accounted for approximately 25% of the variance in resident ProDOC scores, and appro...
Enzymatic Production of 5-Methyluridine from Purine Nucleosides and Thymine by Erwinia carotovora AJ-2992

Microorganisms that produce 5-methyluridine (ribothymidine) directly from purine nucleosides and thymine were screened from our stock cultures. Of the 400 strains tested, Erwinia carotovora AJ- 2992 was found to possess the most potent ability as to production of 5-methyluridine from guanosine and thymine. In the presence of intact cells of Er. carotovora AJ-2992 as the enzyme source, 222 mm 5-methyluridine was produced from 300 mm guanosine and 300 mm thymine at 60°C on 48 hr incubation. The enzymatic production of 5-methyluridine by Er. carotovora AJ-2992 was found to involve the following two successive reactions via ribose-1-phosphate as an intermediate: phosphorolysis of purine nucleosides to ribose-1-phosphate and purine bases by purine nucleoside phosphorylase, followed by condensation of ribose-1-phosphate and thymine into 5-methyluridine by pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase.
Enhanced photocatalytic disinfection of microorganisms by transition-metal-ion-modification of nitrogen-doped titanium oxide

In this article, palladium modification and silver modification were used as examples to demonstrate the disinfection effects on microorganisms in aqueous environment of photocatalytic transition-metal-ion-modified nitrogen-doped titanium oxide (TiON/M) materials. Transition metal ion modification was applied to TiON to take advantage of the coupling between transition metal ion addition and TiON semiconductor matrix under visible light illumination. The coupling promotes the separation of electron and hole pairs produced by photon excitation, thus it could reduce the intrinsic charge carrier recombination from anion-doping, which largely limits the photoactivity of TiON under visible light illumination. Large enhancements on the hydroxyl radical production and the photocatalytic disinfection efficiency on microorganisms under visible light illumination were observed for TiON with both palladium and silver modifications. The superior photocatalytic performance under visible light illumination suggests that the transition metal ion modification is an effective approach to reduce the massive charge carrier recombination from anion-doping and to enhance the photocatalytic performance of anion-doped TiO2. The resulting photocatalytic materials have the potential for a wide range of environmental applications.
OBSERVATIONS ON MITOCHONDRIAL STRUCTURE Angular Configurations of the Cristae

This paper reports the common occurrence of creases or sharp ridges on the membranes of the mitochondrial cristae. In section these appear as sharp angulations recurring at more or less regular intervals along the profile of the crista. In instances where such angulations occur alternately on one membrane and then on the other, the crista has a zig-zag course. Where they occur at the end of a crista its profile has a square tip. An exaggerated expression of this tendency for angulation of the internal mitochondrial membranes is found in certain bat muscles where some of the cristae take the form of parallel bundles of prismatic tubules which are triangular in cross-section. Angular configurations of the cristae have been observed after various methods of specimen preparation, in a variety of cell types, and in a wide range of animal species. They are believed to be a normal variation of the basic structural organization of the mitochondrion and to be the morphological expression of a property which the internal mitochondrial membranes do not share with other membranes in the cell.
An approach to software fault localization and revalidation based on incremental data flow analysis

A systematic approach for reducing the cost of regression testing and fault localization through the use of incremental data flow analysis is described. Incremental data flow analysis is used to identify that portion of a program affected by a change so that testing efforts can be focused accordingly. The analysis allows the partitioning of existing test cases into relevant, nonrelevant, and invalid classes. This greatly reduces the effort associated with validating a program following modification. >
Coverage of Domestic Violence Fatalities by Newspapers in Washington State

This study explores how newspapers portray domestic violence fatalities, how accurately they reflect the victim' experiences and the broader social problem of domestic violence, and the implications of the patterns of portrayal. Using quantitative content analysis and frame analysis, the authors examined 1998 coverage of domestic violence homicides by all newspapers in Washington State. Overall, the analyses indicate that coverage gave a distorted view of domestic violence and victims' experiences, often supporting common misconceptions about domestic violence. The coverage generally presented domestic violence in terms of isolated incidents, rather than portraying it as a larger social problem. A handful of articles did not fit this mold. These portrayed domestic violence as a social problem with the potential to affect every reader, indicating that domestic violence fatalities can be more accurately portrayed within the boundaries of current journalistic norms and practices and pointing to ways journali...
Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Honey‐buzzards (genera Pernis and Henicopernis)

A partial sequence of the cytb gene (382 bp) was amplified and sequenced from 35 individuals (mainlymuseum specimens) of the genus Pernis representing all valid taxa (10) and two taxa (P. p. gurneyi, P. p. japonicus) with questionable validityas well as representatives of the Old World Perninae, namely Henicopernis and Aviceda, to assess their relationships to the genus Pernis. Furthermore, Gypaetus barbatus, Neophron percnopterus, and Buteo buteo were included as outgroup taxa. In the trees derived from the sequence data, Aviceda represents the sister group of the genus Pernis. The genus Henicopernis and the Old World vultures Gypaetus andNeophron appear rather distantlyrelated to Pernis. Within the genus Pernis, two of the described species (Pernis apivorus, Pernis ptilorhyncus) form monophyletic groups, whereas the relationships of the two clades representing three subspecies of Pernis celebensis are still uncertain. Although this studyis based on comparativelyshort DNA-sections, the trees deduced from these sequences can be considered as a first approach for inferring the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Pernis and related genera and for addressing questions concerning the evolutionary history, biogeography, and systematics of this group.
Dihydrogen activation by a tungsten-alkylidyne complex: toward photoredox chromophores that deliver renewable reducing equivalents.

The d1 tungsten–alkylidyne radical [W(CPh)(dppe)2Cl]+ reacts with H2 to give the d0 hydride [W(CPh)(H)(dppe)2Cl]+, which on deprotonation yields the d2 photoredox chromophore W(CPh)(dppe)2Cl. This family of reactions results in a cycle by which renewable H2 provides the reducing equivalents for photochemical reductions.