cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Salado Influences in the Lower Salt River Valley

The available evidence from the lower Salt River Valley refutes the postulated Salado invasion during the Hohokam Classic period. With the probable exception of polychrome ceramics, none of the postulated intrusive traits were associated with Salado influences impinging upon the Hohokam. Since it is no longer reasonable to associate intrusive polychrome ceramics with an invasion phenomenon, other possibilities, such as trade networks, should be investigated. Suggested Hohokam trade items include copper bells, and shell, both obtained from areas to the south of the Hohokam heartland, and cotton and other domestic crops, produced locally by Hohokam agriculturists.
Valuation theory, the self-confrontation method, and scientific personality psychology

This article presents an invited commentary on the two previous articles by Hermans and Bonarius (1991) and by Hermans (1991). Primary focus is placed on certain enduring confusions regarding the h...
Learn to Recognize Actions Through Neural Networks

This research seeks to develop neural network techniques to effectively recognize actions in videos. The proposed study will lead to a deeper understanding of how neural network algorithms can help AI systems to understand motions. It will also realize an action recognition system that significantly outperforms current state-of-the-art. In addition, we will investigate the extent to which our work can be beneficial to understanding how brains perceive and analyze actions. Recent data-driven neural network approaches such as convolutional neural networks have been successful for object recognition. However, learning to recognize actions has proven to be quite a challenge due to the difficulty of getting enough labels, processing large-scale video data, and capturing motion information from videos. Therefore, we leverage effective techniques from local hand-crafted methods to help neural network algorithms learn motion features. These techniques include learning from video and optical flow volumes that follow motion trajectories, pooling features from videos played at multiple frame rates to achieve speed invariance, extending the local descriptors with normalized locations to incorporate spatial-temporal information, and a training-free re-ranking technique to exploit the relationship among classes. We also discuss a fundamental problem of whether should we learn time-aware models and what our models actually capture when we feed them temporal data. Finally, we discuss the connection of our research with how brains perceive and recognize motions.
Blind and sighted pedestrians' judgments of gaps in traffic at roundabouts

This paper reports two experiments about street crossing under conditions of free flowing traffic, with a focus on modem roundabout intersections. Experiment 1 was conducted at three roundabouts varying in size and traffic volume. Six totally blind and six sighted adults judged whether gaps in traffic were long enough to permit crossing to the median (splitter) island before the next vehicle arrived. Gap distributions and measures of judgment quality are reported. Overall, blind participants were about 2.5 times less likely to make correct judgments than sighted participants, took longer to detect crossable gaps, and were more likely to miss crossable gaps altogether. However, the differences were significant only at the two higher volume roundabouts. In Experiment 2, we evaluated the response of drivers to pedestrians with and without mobility devices (i.e., long canes, dog guides). The experiment was conducted at a single-lane roundabout, a midblock crossing, and a two-way-stop-controlled intersection. Site-specific characteristics appeared to have a greater impact on drivers' yielding than did a mobility device. Actual or potential applications of this research include the development of methods for assessing pedestrian safety and driver behavior as well as identifying intersections that may require modification in order to be accessible to blind pedestrians.
Fuel loadings 5 years after a bark beetle outbreak in south-western USA ponderosa pine forests

Landscape-level bark beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) outbreaks occurred in Arizona ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Law.) forests from 2001 to 2003 in response to severe drought and suitable forest conditions. We quantified surface fuel loadings and depths, and calculated canopy fuels based on forest structure attributes in 60 plots established 5 years previously on five national forests. Half of the plots we sampled in 2007 had bark beetle-caused pine mortality and half did not have mortality. Adjusting for differences in pre-outbreak stand density, plots with mortality had higher surface fuel and lower canopy fuel loadings 5 years after the outbreak compared with plots without mortality. Total surface fuels averaged 2.5 times higher and calculated canopy fuels 2 times lower in plots with mortality. Nearly half of the trees killed in the bark beetle outbreak had fallen within 5 years, resulting in loadings of 1000-h woody fuels above recommended ranges for dry coniferous forests in 20% of the mortality plots. We expect 1000-h fuel loadings in other mortality plots to exceed recommended ranges as remaining snags fall to the ground. This study adds to previous work that documents the highly variable and complex effects of bark beetle outbreaks on fuel complexes.
Sexual health interventions: a meta-analysis.

In the second of two companion papers, we conducted a meta-analysis of sexual health interventions in three domains. The interventions chosen for the meta-analysis were a subset of studies presente...
Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Responses to Hypothetical and Actual Frustrating Stressors

The relationship between emotional intelligence (EI)measured as an ability and an individual's initial emotional responses to hypothetical and actual frustrating stressors was examined in 2 studies...
Cesarean birth outside the natural childbirth culture

The meaning of cesarean birth to women who are not typical members of the natural childbirth culture was examined. Fifty women who received obstetric care in a public inner-city hospital serving the medically indigent and who sought minimal preparation for childbirth were interviewed. The findings suggest that the women used distancing behaviors prenatally and postdelivery to cope with the idea and reality of cesarean birth. In addition, the women did not display the psychic wounding following cesarean birth reported by natural childbirth followers.
Fine structural cytochemical localizations of phosphatase activities of rat and guinea pig

Abstract The fine structural localization of several phosphatase activities was studied in spermatozoa obtained from the caudae epididymides of mature rats and guinea pigs. Fresh sperm and sperm fixed in hydroxyadipaldehyde or glutaraldehyde were incubated in a substrate containing medium either at pH 7.0 using lead ions as the capture agent, or at pH 9.0 with cadmium ions. Activity sensitive to sulfhydryl reagents and glutaraldehyde fixation was evident on elements of the axial filament complex at pH 7.0 with ATP and activators, Mg 2+ or Ca 2+ , and to a lesser extent with ADP and Mg 2+ or ITP and Mg 2+ . At pH 9.0, reaction product was localized on the medial surface of the coarse fibers. This activity was obtained with ATP, activated by Ca 2+ , and was resistant to both sulfhydryl agents and glutaraldehyde fixation. Calcium dependent, mercurial-stimulated ATPase activity was also demonstrated at pH 9.0 on the plasma membrane of the head and the outer membrane of the acrosome vesicle in glutaraldehyde-fixed guinea pig sperm. Mitochondrial activity was demonstrated with several substrates, including ATP at both pH 7.0 and 9.0.
Comparison of d-glycerate dehydrogenases from beef liver, beef spinal cord and hog spinal cord

Abstract Beef liver and beef spinal cord d -glycerate dehydrogenases have been shown to be extremely similar. No differences between the two enzymes could be shown by polyacrylamide electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis, immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, or their response to certain inhibitors. Differences could be obtained, however, between the beef spinal cord enzyme and the hog spinal cord enzyme by immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. Only by the very sensitive technique of microcomplement fixation could a small but significant difference be shown between the beef liver and beef spinal cord enzymes. Like the beef liver and hog spinal cord enzymes, the beef spinal cord enzyme was not inhibited by high concentrations of serine or glycine. The enzyme was inhibited however by low concentrations of phosphohydroxypyruvate and by other phosphorylated compounds.
The effects of photoperiod on growth rate and circulating thyroid hormone levels in the red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus: evidence for a free-running circadian rhythm of T4 secretion

Previous studies with red drum and other species have indicated that diurnal rhythms of circulating thyroid hormones (thyroxine, T4, and 3-5-3′-triiodo-l-thyronine, T3) are synchronized to the light cycle, and not to time of feeding. In this study we set out to address the effects of various lighting regimes on thyroid hormone levels in the red drum. The first experiment was undertaken to determine the effects of long and short photoperiods on diurnal thyroid hormone rhythms, growth rate, feed efficiency and food consumption. Red drum raised under a long photoperiod (16L:8D) grew significantly larger and exhibited greater feed efficiency than their short photoperiod (8L:16D) counterparts. There were no changes in food consumption or the diurnal profile of plasma thyroid hormones, e.g. increased peak amplitude or duration, that would explain this increase in growth rate and feed efficiency. The second experiment was undertaken to determine if diurnal thyroid hormone rhythms in the red drum originate from an endogenous circadian clock. To address this question, red drum were housed under a 12L:12D photoperiod and fed once daily at variable times before the lighting was switched to constant dim illumination for up to 3 days. The rhythm of circulating T4 levels persisted for two complete cycles with constant amplitude in fish that continued to be fed during constant dim illumination, and did not appear to entrain to feeding. The T4 rhythm also persisted for three complete cycles under constant conditions in feed-restricted fish, although with a diminished amplitude over time. To our knowledge, these data provide the first evidence for a free-running circadian rhythm of plasma T4 levels in a fish. These findings implicate the involvement of an endogenous circadian clock that determines when the hypothalamo–pituitary–thyroid axis is activated.
Formation of parallel four-stranded complexes by guanine-rich motifs in DNA and its implications for meiosis

We have discovered that single-stranded DNA containing short guanine-rich motifs will self-associate at physiological salt concentrations to make four-stranded structures in which the strands run in parallel fashion. We believe these complexes are held together by guanines bonded to each other by Hoogsteen pairing. Such guanine-rich sequences occur in immunoglobulin switch regions, in gene promoters, and in chromosomal telomeres. We speculate that this self-recognition of guanine-rich motifs of DNA serves to bring together, and to zipper up in register, the four homologous chromatids during meiosis.
The thermal properties of polypropylene

The thermodynamic properties of isotactic polypropylene in the fully crystalline, glassy, and molten state are established from 0 to 500 K based on data bank heat capacities and the vibrational frequency spectrum. The seven skeletal vibrations are described by θ3 and θ1 of 91 and 714 K for crystalline polypropylene. For the calculation of Cp − Cv, a Lindemann A0 value of 1.5 × 10−3 K mol/J was found. Calculated and experimental heat capacity data show agreement within an average error of −0.3 ± 1.6%. Glassy polypropylene was similarly treated up to the glass transition temperature at 260 K (θ3 = 78 K, θ1 = 633 K, average heat capacity error −0.6 ± 2.8%). The residual 0 K entropy of glassy polypropylene is 1.9 J/K mol. Partially crystalline polypropylene is shown through high-sensitivity DSC measurements to have a glass transition range from 260 to 380 K. Similarly, high-sensitivity DSC has been used to characterize the condis phase of polypropylene (conformationally disordered polypropylene) which was prior called “smectic mesophase” or “paracrystalline.” Its heat of transformation to the stable crystal phase is 600 J/mol.
Visual cell coding: factoring dioptric responses from maintained discharge.

Die fokalen Reaktionen der photischen Zellen auf durchgehende Anregungen erwiesen sich als quantitativ gleichmassig, dies sogar bei wechselnd gehaltener Aktivitat.
Modeling Internal Energy Distributions in Ion Clusters: Comparison between Experiment and Simulations

The internal energy distribution of Na+(CH3OH)1-8 cluster ions has been evaluated by comparing experimental unimolecular rate constants measured in a triple quadrupole spectrometer to an RRKM rate analysis developed within the evaporative ensemble formalism. The significant ion−solvent binding energies give rise to broad distributions, particularly for the smallest cluster ions. The role of internal energy on the number and type of cluster ion structures was then assessed by using Monte Carlo simulation methods. Predicted onsets of hydrogen bond formation and the number of hydrogen-bonded O−H stretching bands in Na+(CH3OH)1-7 were found to agree with previous vibrational spectroscopy experiments. The methodology introduced here can be used to estimate the internal energy content of any cluster that undergoes unimolecular dissociation utilizing experimental or theoretical values for properties such as binding energies and vibrational frequencies.
The extended tracking network and indications of baseline precision and accuracy in the north Andes

The CASA Uno Global Positioning System (GPS) experiment (January-February 1988) included an extended tracking network which covered three continents in addition to the network of scientific interest in Central and South America. The repeatability of long baselines (400-1000 km) in South America is improved by up to a factor of two in the horizontal vector baseline components by using tracking stations in the Pacific and Europe to supplement stations in North America. In every case but one, the differences between the mean solutions obtained using different tracking networks was equal to or smaller than day-to-day rms repeatabilities for the same baselines. The mean solutions obtained by using tracking stations in North America and the Pacific agreed at the 2-3 millimeter level with those using tracking stations in North America and Europe. The agreement of the extended tracking network solutions suggests that a broad distribution of tracking stations provides better geometric constraints on the satellite orbits and that solutions are not sensitive to changes in tracking network configuration when an extended network is use. A comparison of the results from the North Andes and a baseline in North America suggests that the use of a geometrically strong extended tracking network is most important when the network of interest is far from North America.
An index for assessing weight change in children: weight/height ratios.

Abstract Weight and height data from two studies were recomputed, and original data were computed using a Weight Index formula that accounts for the interaction of actual weight/height changes in growing children and compares this ratio with that of normed weight/height ratios for equal-aged children. Recomputing the data of one study showed that the Weight Index is a more sensitive procedure for assessing long-term behavioral treatment of obesity for girls than weight alone. Recomputing the data of a second study showed that the Weight Index formula is consistent for boys and girls and is a more sensitive procedure for assessing long-term effects of a variety of medical treatments for obesity than the Ponderal Index or weight alone. Computation of the data for 17 "normal" children in a preschool class showed a zero Weight Index score before and after a six-month interval elapsed without treatment. The procedure may be useful in assessing ponderosity or anorexia over intervals of six months or more with growing children or difference between actual and normed weight over shorter intervals.
Women's condom use assertiveness and sexual risk-taking: effects of alcohol intoxication and adult victimization.

This experiment examined relationships among adulthood victimization, sexual assertiveness, alcohol intoxication, and sexual risk-taking in female social drinkers (N = 161). Women completed measures of sexual assault and intimate partner violence history and sexual assertiveness before random assignment to 1 of 4 beverage conditions: control, placebo, low dose (.04%), or high dose (.08%). After drinking, women read a second-person story involving a sexual encounter with a new partner. As protagonist of the story, each woman rated her likelihood of condom insistence and unprotected sex. Victimization history and self-reported sexual assertiveness were negatively related. The less sexually assertive a woman was, the less she intended to insist on condom use, regardless of intoxication. By reducing the perceived health consequences of unprotected sex, intoxication indirectly decreased condom insistence and increased unprotected sex. Findings extend previous work by elucidating possible mechanisms of the relationship between alcohol and unprotected sex – perceived health consequences and situational condom insistence – and support the value of sexual assertiveness training to enhance condom insistence, especially since the latter relationship was robust to intoxication.
On the performance of several 2-D harmonic retrieval techniques

The paper investigates the performance of 2-D harmonic retrieval techniques based on two criteria: computational complexity and mean-squared estimation error. Computational complexity is described in terms of order of computation and FLOPS required for an example test case. Mean-square estimation performance is measured for this test case and compared with the Cramer-Rao bound. Each technique is assigned a point in a Cartesian coordinate system with axes corresponding to computation and estimation error. >
Increased Focus on the Mouth among Infants in the First Year of Life: A Longitudinal Eye-Tracking Study.

The present study examines face-scanning behaviors of infants at 6, 9, and 12 months as they watched videos of a woman describing an object in front of her. The videos were created to vary information in the mouth (speaking vs. smiling) and the eyes (gazing into the camera vs. cueing the infant with head turn or gaze direction to an object being described). Infants tended to divide their attention between the eyes and the mouth, looking less at the eyes with age and more at the mouth than the eyes at 9 and 12 months. Attention to the mouth was greater on speaking trials than on smiling trials at all three ages, and this difference increased between 6 and 9 months. Despite consistent results within subjects, there was considerable variation between subjects. This raises the question of whether a developmental "norm" of face scanning in infancy ought to be pursued. Rather, these data add to emerging evidence suggesting that individual differences in face scanning might reliably predict aspects of later development.
Mitohormesis: another pleiotropic effect of statins?

This editorial refers to ‘Opposite effects of statins on mitochondria of cardiac and skeletal muscles: a ‘mitohormesis’ mechanism involving reactive oxygen species and PGC-1’, by J. Bouitbir et al. , doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehr224 The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors or statins are some of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Most, if not all, of the benefits of statins could be attributed to the reduction in serum cholesterol levels. Indeed, decreases in LDL-cholesterol with statin therapy correlate almost linearly with reductions in cardiovascular events.1 In addition, recent experimental studies and clinical trials suggest that statins may exert some of their cardiovascular benefits beyond cholesterol lowering, i.e. pleiotropic effects.2 Some of these non-cholesterol benefits include improvement in endothelial function, anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects.3 Whether these pleiotropic effects of statins actually contribute to cardiovascular risk reduction in clinical trials, however, remains to be determined. Bouitbir et al. have now described yet another potential mechanism by which statins could exert both their beneficial and detrimental effects.4 They observed that statin-treated patients, who were undergoing aortic valvular heart surgery without coronary artery disease, have decreased oxidative stress in atrial muscle biopsies compared with patients not on statins. This correlated with increased expression of antioxidant enzymes such as copper–zinc (CuZn) and manganese (Mn) superoxide dismutase (SOD1 and SOD2, respectively). The expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activators (PGC-1α and PGC-1β), which are important regulators of MnSOD expression and mitochondrial biogenesis, was also increased in atrial muscle biopsies of patients on statin therapy. To determine the potential mechanism of PGC-1 up-regulation by statins, cardiomyocytes were treated in vitro with the statin, atorvastatin, in the presence …
Predictors of suicide relative to other deaths in patients with suicide attempts and suicide ideation: A 30-year prospective study

Abstract Background Although there is a large literature that prospectively examines predictors of suicide, low base rates of suicide and imprecision of measurement hinder definitive conclusions from being drawn. Method This study examined predictors of suicide relative to other types of death in a sample of 297 patients who had been hospitalized for suicide ideation or a suicide attempt between 1970 and 1975 and who were confirmed dead in 2005. Many predictors were measured using well-validated assessment instruments. Results Fifty-five patients had died by suicide. Univariate predictors of an increased risk for eventual suicide included younger age, completion of at least a high school degree, a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, taking active precautions against discovery during the attempt, and a non-zero score on the suicide item of the Beck Depression Inventory , whereas African American ethnicity was associated with a decreased risk of eventual suicide. Variables that remained significant in a multivariate analysis included younger age, African American ethnicity, and taking active precautions against discovery during the attempt. Risk factors did not vary as a function of whether eventual suicide occurred less than or more than five years after the initial evaluation or by attempter v. ideator status. Limitations Despite the attempt to maximize statistical power by following a high-risk sample for 30 years, the number of deaths by suicide was still relatively low. Conclusions Taking active precautions against discovery of a suicide attempt has the potential to be an important predictor of eventual suicide and should be assessed by clinicians. Future prospective studies should assess predictors at multiple time points to gain a richer clinical picture of the circumstances surrounding deaths by suicide.
Genetic and phenotypic analysis of biofilm phenotypic variation in multiple Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates

Production of biofilm in Staphylococcus epidermidis is mediated through enzymes produced by the four-gene operon ica and is subject to phenotypic variation. The purpose of these experiments was to investigate the regulation of ica and icaR transcription in phenotypic variants produced by multiple unrelated isolates of S. epidermidis. Ten isolates were chosen for the study, four of which contained IS256. IS256 mediates a reversible inactivation of ica in approximately 30 % of phenotypic variants. All ten strains produced at least two types of phenotypic variant (intermediate and smooth) in which biofilm formation was significantly impaired. Reversion studies indicated that all phenotypic variants were stable after overnight growth, but began to revert to other phenotypic forms after 5 days of incubation at 37 °C. ica transcriptional analysis was performed on phenotypic variants from three IS256-negative isolates; 1457, SE5 and 14765. This analysis demonstrated that ica transcription was significantly reduced in the majority of phenotypic variants, although two variants from SE5 and 1457 produced wild-type quantities of ica transcript. Analysis of seven additional phenotypic variants from SE5 revealed that ica expression was only reduced in three. Expression of icaR transcript was unaffected in all smooth phenotypic variants. Mutations within ica were identified in two SE5 variants with wild-type levels of ica transcription. It is concluded that mutation and transcriptional regulation of ica are the primary mechanisms that govern phenotypic variation of biofilm formation within IS256-negative S. epidermidis.
Remotely triggered contrast nanoagent for ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging

Ultrasound (US) is a real time, noninvasive, and cost effective imaging modality, capable of visualizing tissue morphology and even some physiological properties of tissue. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is capable of depth-resolved assessment of the optical properties inside tissue, providing a functional visualization of tissue. In both techniques, contrast agents (microbubbles in US and plasmonic nanoparticles in PA) are used for cellular and molecular imaging. We propose a single, nano-sized, remotely triggered contrast agent that simultaneously provides US and PA contrast enhancement. The US/PA contrast agent, photoacoustic droplet (PAD), was synthesized through an emulsion technique to incorporate plasmonic nanoparticles into a liquid perfluorocarbon droplet covered with bovine serum albumin (BSA). This facile synthesis method produced multifaceted agents as small as 50 nm. The agents were then suspended in a polyacrylamide phantom for imaging experiments. US images were captured using a 7 MHz US transducer before and after laser irradiation. The PADs remained inactive and showed no significant contrast until remotely activated by pulsed laser irradiation. The PAD enhances the contrast in both US and PA imaging simultaneously via three forms of signal production: vaporization, thermoelastic expansion, and acoustic impedance mismatch. The resulting contrast was increased up to 17 dB in PA images. The developed platform, while showing excellent contrast enhancement capabilities, could also be used for many different applications including photothermal therapy, drug delivery and release, molecular targeting, and sonoporation.
Estimating von Bertalanffy growth parameters from growth increment data using a linear mixed-effects model, with an application to the sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus

We introduce a novel linear mixed-effects method for estimating von Bertalanffy growth parameters from growth increment data that lack explicit age information. The method is simple to implement and can incorporate and estimate variability in both the asymptotic size L1 and the Brody growth coefficient K. Simulations indicate that estimates from the method are accurate over a range of conditions. The method is applied to growth data from more than 6000 Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) shells from the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Georges Bank. Sea scallops grow to a larger asymptotic shell height on Georges Bank than on the Mid-Atlantic Bight and in areas closed to fishing on Georges Bank than on the fished portions. Depth and latitude had significant effects on scallop growth in both the Mid-Atlantic and Georges Bank, with smaller asymptotic shell heights in deeper water and at higher latitudes.
Mechanisms of Defibrillation

Electrical shock has been the one effective treatment for ventricular fibrillation for several decades. With the advancement of electrical and optical mapping techniques, histology, and computer modeling, the mechanisms responsible for defibrillation are now coming to light. In this review, we discuss recent work that demonstrates the various mechanisms responsible for defibrillation. On the cellular level, membrane depolarization and electroporation affect defibrillation outcome. Cell bundles and collagenous septae are secondary sources and cause virtual electrodes at sites far from shocking electrodes. On the whole-heart level, shock field gradient and critical points determine whether a shock is successful or whether reentry causes initiation and continuation of fibrillation.
Dysregulating IRES-Dependent Translation Contributes to Overexpression of Oncogenic Aurora A Kinase

Overexpression of the oncoprotein Aurora A kinase occurs in multiple types of cancer, often early during cell transformation.Toidentifythemechanism(s)contributingtoenhancedAuroraAproteinexpression,acomparison between normal human lung fibroblast and breast epithelial cells to nontumorigenic breast (MCF10A and MCF12A) and tumorigenic breast (MCF-7) and cervical cell lines (HeLa S3) was performed. A subset of these immortalized lines (MCF10A, MCF12A, and HeLa S3) exhibited increased levels of Aurora A protein, independent of tumorigenicity. The increase in Aurora A protein in these immortalized cells was not due to increased transcription/RNA stability, protein half-life, or cap-dependent translation. Assays utilizing monocistronic and dicistronic RNA constructs revealed that the 5'-leader sequence of Aurora A contains an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES), which is regulated in a cell cycle–dependent manner, peaking in G2/M phase. Moreover, IRES activity was increased in the immortalized cell lines in which Aurora A protein expression was also enhanced. AdditionalstudiesindicatedthattheincreasedinternalinitiationisspecifictotheIRESofAuroraAand maybeanearlyeventduringcancerprogression.TheseresultsidentifyanovelmechanismcontributingtoAuroraA kinase overexpression. Implications: The current study indicates that Aurora A kinase contributes to immortalization and tumorigenesis. Mol Cancer Res; 11(8); 887–900. � 2013 AACR.
Structure–function study of tertiary amines as switchable polarity solvents

A series of tertiary amines have been screened for their function as switchable polarity solvents (SPS). The relative ratios of tertiary amine and carbonate species as well as maximum possible concentration were determined through quantitative 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The viscosities of the polar SPS solutions were measured and ranged from near water in dilute systems through to gel formation at high concentrations. The van't Hoff indices for SPS solutions were measured through freezing point depression studies as a proxy for osmotic pressures. A new form of SPS with an amine : carbonate ratio significantly greater than unity has been identified. Tertiary amines that function as SPS at ambient pressures appear to be limited to molecules with fewer than 12 carbons. The N,N-dimethyl-n-alkylamine structure has been identified as important to the function of an SPS.
Tool Development for Measuring Caller Satisfaction and Outcome with Telephone Advice Nursing

Caller descriptions and evaluations of their experiences with telephone advice services provide unique information that correlates highly with objective measures of quality and can help interpret d...
MGA2 and SPT23 Are Modifiers of Transcriptional Silencing in Yeast

Transcriptional silencing at the HM loci and telomeres in yeast depends on several trans-acting factors, including Rap1p and the Sir proteins. The SUM1-1 mutation was identified by its ability to restore silencing to strains deficient in one or more of these trans-acting factors. The mechanism by which SUM1-1 bypasses the requirement for silencing proteins is not known. We identified four loci that when reduced in dosage in diploid strains increase the ability of SUM1-1 strains to suppress silencing defects. Two of the genes responsible for this effect were found to be MGA2 and SPT23. Mga2p and Spt23p were previously identified as functionally related transcription factors that influence chromatin structure. We find that deletion of MGA2 or SPT23 also increases the efficiency of silencing in haploid SUM1-1 strains. These results suggest that Mga2p and Spt23p are antagonists of silencing. Consistent with this proposal we find that deletion of MGA2 or SPT23 also suppresses the silencing defects caused by deletion of the SIR1 gene or by mutations in the HMR silencer sequences. However, we find that Mga2p and Spt23p can positively affect silencing in other contexts; deletion of either MGA2 or SPT23 decreases mating in strains bearing mutations in the HML-E silencer. Mga2p and Spt23p appear to be a novel class of factors that influence disparate pathways of transcriptional control by chromatin.
Enumerators for protograph-based ensembles of nonbinary LDPC codes

This paper considers the ensemble enumerators of protograph-based nonbinary (PB NB) LDPC codes. Equipped with combinatorial definitions extended to the nonbinary domain, ensemble enumerators of codeword weight, trapping set size and stopping set size are calculated. The exact enumerators are presented in the finite-length regime, and the corresponding growth rates are calculated in the asymptotic regime. Our results can provide useful analytical tools for a range of communication and storage applications employing nonbinary LDPC codes.
The power of paradox: some recent developments in interactive epistemology

Paradoxes of game-theoretic reasoning have played an important role in spurring developments in interactive epistemology, the area in game theory that studies the role of the players' beliefs, knowledge, etc. This paper describes two such paradoxes - one concerning backward induction, the other iterated weak dominance. We start with the basic epistemic condition of "rationality and common belief of rationality" in a game, describe various 'refinements' of this condition that have been proposed, and explain how these refinements resolve the two paradoxes. We will see that a unified epistemic picture of game theory emerges. We end with some new foundational questions uncovered by the epistemic program.
Using a reactive transport model to elucidate differences between laboratory and field dissolution rates in regolith

The reactive transport model FLOTRAN was used to forward-model weathering profiles developed on granitic outwash alluvium over 40–3000 ka from the Merced, California (USA) chronosequence as well as deep granitic regolith developed over 800 ka near Davis Run, Virginia (USA). Baseline model predictions that used laboratory rate constants (km), measured fluid flow velocities (v), and BET volumetric surface areas for the parent material (A o;m) were not consistent with measured profiles of plagioclase, potassium feldspar, and quartz. Reaction fronts predicted by the baseline model are deeper and thinner than the observed, consistent with faster rates of reaction in the model. Reaction front depth in the model depended mostly upon saturated versus unsaturated hydrologic flow conditions, rate constants controlling precipitation of secondary minerals, and the average fluid flow velocity (va). Unsaturated hydrologic flow conditions (relatively open with respect to CO2(g)) resulted in the prediction of deeper reaction fronts and significant differences in the separation between plagioclase and potassium feldspar reaction fronts compared to saturated hydrologic flow (relatively closed with respect to CO2(g)). Under saturated or unsaturated flow conditions, the rate constant that controls precipitation rates of secondary minerals must be reduced relative to laboratory rate constants to match observed reaction front depths and measured pore water chemistry. Additionally, to match the observed reaction front depths, va was set lower than the measured value, v, for three of the four profiles. The reaction front gradients in mineralogy and pore fluid chemistry could only be modeled accurately by adjusting values of the product kmA o;m . By assuming km values were constrained by laboratory data, field observations were modeled successfully with TST-like rate equations by dividing measured values of A o;m by factors from 50 to 1700. Alternately, with sigmoidal or Alinhibition rate models, this adjustment factor ranges from 5 to 170. Best-fit models of the wetter, hydrologically saturated Davis Run profile required a smaller adjustment to A o;m than the drier hydrologically unsaturated Merced profiles. We attributed the need for large adjustments in va and A o;m necessary for the Merced models to more complex hydrologic flow that decreased the reactive surface area in contact with bulk flow water, e.g., dead-end pore spaces containing fluids that are near or at chemical equilibrium. Thus, rate models from the laboratory can successfully predict weathering over millions of years, but work is needed to understand how to incorporate changes in what controls the relationship between reactive surface area and hydrologic flow.
Temporal unification and the temporal partial order

A description is given of two aspects of integrating a temporal reasoner into PROMPT, a system that solves problems in physical domains. The motion of a temporal partial order is introduced first. This partial order maintains linear inequalities, minima and maxima among timepoints; such relations are needed for reasoning with numeric and symbolic temporal information. The author also presents methods for interfacing this temporal reasoner with an existing inference engine. The combination of these methods with standard unification techniques is called temporal unification; its style of unification maintains a transparent interface between the inference engine and the temporal reasoner. By using the temporal partial order and the technique of temporal unification, PROMPT is capable of symbolic and numeric temporal reasoning at multiple levels of abstraction. >
Bacterial Chemotaxis and the Molecular Logic of Intracellular Signal Transduction Networks

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Phase Analysis of Metabolic Oscillations and Membrane Potential in Pancreatic Islet β-Cells

Metabolism in islet β-cells displays oscillations that can trigger pulses of electrical activity and insulin secretion. There has been a decades-long debate among islet biologists about whether metabolic oscillations are intrinsic or occur in response to oscillations in intracellular Ca(2+) that result from bursting electrical activity. In this article, the dynamics of oscillatory metabolism were investigated using five different optical reporters. Reporter activity was measured simultaneously with membrane potential bursting to determine the phase relationships between the metabolic oscillations and electrical activity. Our experimental findings suggest that Ca(2+) entry into β-cells stimulates the rate of mitochondrial metabolism, accounting for the depletion of glycolytic intermediates during each oscillatory burst. We also performed Ca(2+) clamp tests in which we clamped membrane potential with the KATP channel-opener diazoxide and KCl to fix Ca(2+) at an elevated level. These tests confirm that metabolic oscillations do not require Ca(2+) oscillations, but show that Ca(2+) plays a larger role in shaping metabolic oscillations than previously suspected. A dynamical picture of the mechanisms of oscillations emerged that requires the restructuring of contemporary mathematical β-cell models, including our own dual oscillator model. In the companion article, we modified our model to account for these new data.
RPCH Modulation of a Multi-Oscillator Network: Effects on the Pyloric Network of the Spiny Lobster

The neuropeptide red pigment concentrating hormone (RPCH), which we have previously shown to activate the cardiac sac motor pattern and lead to a conjoint gastric mill-cardiac sac pattern in the spiny lobster Panulirus, also activates and modulates the pyloric pattern. Like the activity of gastric mill neurons in RPCH, the pattern of activity in the pyloric neurons is considerably more complex than that seen in control saline. This reflects the influence of the cardiac sac motor pattern, and particularly the upstream inferior ventricular (IV) neurons, on many of the pyloric neurons. RPCH intensifies this interaction by increasing the strength of the synaptic connections between the IV neurons and their targets in the stomatogastric ganglion. At the same time, RPCH enhances postinhibitory rebound in the lateral pyloric (LP) neuron. Taken together, these factors largely explain the complex pyloric pattern recorded in RPCH in Panulirus.
Families and poverty: everyday life on a low income

Families and Poverty, by Mary Daly and Grace Kelly, is the product of a qualitative study of 51 families in Northern Ireland (21 headed by single parents and 30 by married couples), conducted in la...
Proof Automation of Program Termination

Total program correctness includes partial program correctness and program termination. These two subproblems are undecidable for general programs. As the predominant part of total correctness, the partial program correctness was studied intensively by the research community. Nevertheless, proving termination for an arbitrary program is challenging. This paper describes an automated method that tests for termination of modulo-case functions by conducting a mathematical induction proof. The system takes a modulo-case function and builds an execution trace tree from its inverse. Then, a linear polynomial is formed to capture the level of the executed trace tree for which the termination problem holds. Using the cases of the original function, an inductive proof is automatically generated. If a function successfully terminates, its runtime is computed based on the polynomial.
Preliminary Evaluation of a Granulosis Virus for Control of the Codling Moth

A granulosis virus propagated in larvae of Carpocapsa pomonella (L.) reared on a semisynthetic diet caused heavy larval mortality in a field population of codling moth when sprayed on apple trees during a 2-year study period. A small percentage of the larvae succumbed to the virus before entering the fruits, while the majority perished soon after feeding on the epidermis of virus-sprayed fruits. Of the small percentage of larvae that succeeded in boring deeply into the fruits the majority died within the apples and a few succumbed as mature larvae or pupae in cocooning sites. Results indicated considerable potential for the use of this virus against codling moth in integrated-control and sterile-male-release programs.
Organizational Ecology: A Theoretical Framework for Examining Collaborative Partnerships

This study used organizational ecology to examine the partnership strategy used by Tri-Cities Partnership (TCP) to develop an annual grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Continuum of Care funding. The findings revealed varying degrees of involvement and capacity among organizations as they sought to manage the tension between the priorities of their organizations and the collaborative effort. Organizational ecology is a theoretical perspective that can be used to understand the ever-changing dynamics of partnerships and to develop models of collaboration that capture the diverse characteristics and capacities of organizations.
Effects of film mulching on Oncomelania hupensis breeding in different soil layers

Objective To study the effects of film mulching on Oncomelania hupensis and its eggs in soil.MethodsThe dampridges with O. hupensis snails were selected and divided into niclosamide/film mulching group(sprayed with 50% wettablepowder of niclosamide ethanolamine salt at 2 g/m2and covered with mulch), film mulching group(covered with mulch withoutniclosamide spraying), and control group(not treated by molluscicidal measures). Snail investigation was conducted in differentsoil layers(0, 0-2, 2-5, 5-10, and 10-15 cm) at 40 d after niclosamide spraying plus film mulching and at 90 d after filmmulching alone.ResultsAt 40 d and 90 d after film mulching, the snail distribution in soil changed, increasing by degrees fromsoil surface to the deep layer of soil(R2=0.9877; R2=0.7619); compared with those of control group, the mortality of snails in soilwas significantly higher(χ2=281.198, P0.001; χ2=47.970, P0.001), the average density of living snails was significantlydecreased(Z=-6.390, P0.001; Z=-4.681, P0.001), and the number of young snails was lower(Z=-6.733, P0.001; Z=-5.131, P0.001).ConclusionFilm mulching is effective in killing snails in soil and can control the reproduction andbreeding of the second generation of snails.
Inhibition of Arabidopsis AZI1 to the Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Infection of Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex of Garlic Sprout

Resistance of Arabidopsis AZI1 to fungus was analyzed with Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression vector pESC and plant expression vector pPZP211.Synthesis of AZI1 after induction with galactose resulted in remarkable decrease of the growth ability of yeast cells.DAB and trypan blue staining showed that only small amounts of H2O2 were produced at the infection sites of Botrytis cinerea spores and the pathogens could spread to surrounding cells in leaves of wild-type Col-0 plants.In contrast to this,the infection sites on leaves of AZI1 overexpression Col-0 plants accumulated large amounts of H2O2 and were stained intensively by DAB,indicating the transformants could prevent the spread of pathogen by the death of local cells around the infection sites.In wild-type Col-0 plants,the expression of AZI1 could be induced by salicylic acid and peaked after 24 h.All these results suggested that AZI1 play an important role in defense system of Arabidopsis against biotic stresses.
Design of Hardware-in-loop Simulation System for SINS/GPS Integrated Navigation System of AUV

Long-distance automatic underwater vehicle(AUV) adopts SINS as the main navigation mode assisted by satellite navigation which corrects the accumulative error at scheduled time in order to increase the precision and dependability of navigation system.This paper designs a hardware-in-loop simulation system for SINS/GPS integrated navigation of AUV which consists of GPS navigation simulator,GPS receiver,IMU and real-time simulation computer for the purpose of providing a higher confidence means of integrated navigation system.The system accomplishes the entire SINS calculation by external compensation of linear motions and time synchronization of all the navigation subsystem.Simulation experiment is performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the designed system.