cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attention and repetition priming in the verb generation task.

Abstract Transfer-appropriate processing (TAP) and identification–production frameworks predict that repetition priming will be reduced by encoding-phase divided attention (DA) in implicit memory tasks that involve conceptual analysis of test stimuli and require responses that go beyond the identification of the test cue. This prediction was tested using the verb generation task. Verb generation priming was weakly affected by a number classification distracting task at encoding that impacted recognition, was affected more by a more demanding mental arithmetic task, and was abolished entirely by a selective attention manipulation. Priming originating largely from a process unique to the verb generation task was also found to be attention-sensitive. DA affected priming equivalently for high-competition and low-competition items, against the identification–production framework which predicts greater DA effects on priming in high-competition conditions. The results fit comfortably within the TAP framework.
Ultrasound guided needle localization and microsurgical exploration for incidental nonpalpable testicular tumors.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We describe a technique by which incidental, nonpalpable intratesticular tumors are excised using intraoperative ultrasonography and the operating microscope.Materials and Methods: Men with impalpable intratesticular tumors incidentally detected by ultrasonography underwent intraoperative ultrasound guided needle localization and microsurgical exploration of the mass. The testis was delivered through an inguinal incision and placed on ice to minimize warm ischemia. Two rubber shod vascular clamps were placed across the spermatic cord. The tumor was identified by ultrasound and localized with a 30 gauge needle, which was placed adjacent to the tumor. An operating microscope providing 6× to 25× magnification was used to excise the lesion with a 2 to 5 mm. margin. Tissue diagnosis was obtained by frozen section. Multiple random biopsies of the remaining parenchyma were done to confirm absent malignancy.Results: Ultrasound showed incidental, nonpalpable testis tumors in 4 of the 65 men who un...
Crossing the telemedicine chasm: have the U.S. barriers to widespread adoption of telemedicine been significantly reduced?

Barriers have challenged widespread telemedicine adoption by health care organizations for 40 years. These barriers have been technological, financial, and legal and have also involved business strategy and human resources. The article canvasses recent trends—events and activities in each of these areas as well as US health reform activities that might help to break down these barriers. The key to telemedicine success in the future is to view it as an integral part of health care services and not as a stand-alone project. Telemedicine must move from experimental and separate to integrated and equivalent to other health services within health care organizations. Furthermore, telemedicine serves as vital connective tissue for expanding health care organization networks.
Inter-stimulus interval in audiometry for neonates

Abstract The usual paradigm employed for both clinical and experimental evaluation of auditory responsiveness of newboms dictates that signal presentations be separated by a minimum of 15 s. Furthermore, this paradigm requires that there be 8 presentations of the signal and that two responses among the 8 trials should be taken as normal responsiveness. Many have been concerned about accepting 25% as normal, and would prefer a paradigm that could lead to increased responsiveness. A procedure with inter-stimulus intervals longer than 15 s might be that paradigm. Therefore, the following experiment employed inter-stimulus intervals of 15, 30 and 60 s to examine responsiveness of infants young enough to be in a newborn nursery. Each infant received 24 signal presentations (8 with each of the 3 inter-stimulus intervals), and these were counter-balanced across babies. Although there is evidence of response habitation across time, there is also evidence that longer inter-stimulus intervals do lead to increased responsiveness.
Influence of HMG-1 and Adenovirus Oncoprotein E1A on Early Stages of Transcriptional Preinitiation Complex Assembly

Abstract The TATA-binding protein (TBP) in the TFIID complex binds specifically to the TATA-box to initiate the stepwise assembly of the preinitiation complex (PIC) for RNA polymerase II transcription. Transcriptional activators and repressors compete with general transcription factors at each step to influence the course of the assembly. To investigate this process, the TBP·TATA complex was titrated with HMG-1 and the interaction monitored by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The titration produced a ternary HMG-1·TBP·TATA complex, which exhibits increased mobility relative to the TBP·TATA complex. The addition of increasing levels of TFIIB to this complex results in the formation of the TFIIB·TBP·TATA complex. However, in the reverse titration, with very high mole ratios of HMG-1 present, TFIIB is not dissociated off and a complex is formed that contains all factors. The simultaneous addition of E1A to a mixture of TBP and TATA; or HMG-1, TBP, and TATA; or TFIIB, TBP, and TATA inhibits complex formation. On the other hand, E1A added to the pre-established complexes shows a significantly reduced capability to disrupt the complex. In add-back experiments with all complexes, increased levels of TBP re-established the complexes, indicating that the primary target for E1A in all complexes is TBP.
Soluble salts at the Phoenix Lander site, Mars: A reanalysis of the Wet Chemistry Laboratory data

The Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) on the Phoenix Mars Scout Lander analyzed soils for soluble ions and found Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ,N a + ,K + ,C l � ,S O 4� , and ClO4 . The salts that gave rise to these ions can be inferred using aqueous equilibrium models; however, model predictions are sensitive to the initial solution composition. This is problematic because the WCL data is noisy and many different ion compositions are possible within error bounds. To better characterize ion concentrations, we reanalyzed WCL data using improvements to original analyses, including Kalman optimal smoothing and ion-pair correc- tions. Our results for Rosy Red are generally consistent with previous analyses, except that Ca 2+ and Clconcentrations are lower. In contrast, ion concentrations in Sorceress 1 and Sorceress 2 are significantly different from previous analyses. Using the more robust Rosy Red WCL analysis, we applied equilibrium models to determine salt compositions within the error bounds of the reduced data. Modeling with FREZCHEM predicts that WCL solutions evolve Ca-Mg-ClO4-rich com- positions at low temperatures. These unusual compositions are likely influenced by limitations in the experimental data used to parameterize FREZCHEM. As an alternative method to evaluate salt assemblages, we employed a chemical divide model based on the eutectic temperatures of salts. Our chemical divide model predicts that the most probable salts in order of mass abundance are MgSO4� 11H2O (meridianiite), MgCO3� nH2O, Mg(ClO4)2� 6H2O, NaClO4� 2H2O, KClO4, NaCl� 2H2O (hydro- halite), and CaCO3 (calcite). If ClO3 is included in the chemical divide model, then NaClO3 precipitates instead of NaClO4- � 2H2O and Mg(ClO3)2� 6H2O precipitates in addition to Mg(ClO4)2� 6H2O. These salt assemblages imply that at least 1.3 wt.% H2O is bound in the soil, noting that we cannot account for water in hydrated insoluble salts or deliquescent brines. All WCL solutions within error bounds precipitate Mg(ClO4)2� 6H2O and/or Mg(ClO3)2� 6H2O salts. These salts have low eutectic tem- peratures and are highly hygroscopic, which suggests that brines will be stable in soils for much of the Martian summer.
Core-valence correlation effects for molecules containing first-row atoms. Accurate results using effective core polarization potentials

The accuracy of employing effective core polarization potentials (CPPs) to account for the effects of core-valence correlation on the spectroscopic constants and dissociation energies of the molecules B2, C2, N2, O2, F2, CO, CN, CH, HF, and C2H2 has been investigated by comparison to accurate all-electron benchmark calculations. The results obtained from the calculations employing CPPs were surprisingly accurate in every case studied, reducing the errors in the calculated valence De values from a maximum of nearly 2.5 kcal/mol to just 0.3 kcal/mol. The effects of enlarging the basis set and using higher-order valence electron correlation treatments were found to have only a small influence on the core-valence correlation effect predicted by the CPPs. Thus, to accurately recover the effects of intershell correlation, effective core polarization potentials such as the ones used in the present work provide an attractive alternative to carrying out computationally demanding calculations where the core electrons are explicitly included in the correlation treatment.
Management practices of Taiwanese firms: As compared to those of American and Japanese subsidiaries in Taiwan

The management practices of local Taiwanese firms were evaluated by Negandhi in 1973 as the least developed as compared to those of the American and Japanese subsidiaries. Since then, the local Taiwanese firms have undergone a phenomenal change. In comparison to the American and Japanese subsidiaries, the current management practices — organisational structure, decision making and human resource management of the local Taiwanese firms are a mixture of those of the American and Japanese subsidiaries. The local Taiwanese firms have adapted very well to the impact of the West (the United States) and the East (Japan) and contributed greatly to the economic prosperity of Taiwan.
SEX ROLE, STATUS, AND PERCEIVED COMPETENCE AMONG FIRST-GRADERS

23 first-graders ranked themselves sociometrically and judged each other's performance on an unstructured task. These 6-yr.-olds formed heterosexual groups and, contrary to other evidence, male-dominance socialization was operative at that age level. Ss' group and individual performance scores and their sociometric and group performance scores were significantly correlated, showing that status differentials were not spurious and that perceived competence was shared individually and collectively
Elastic Moduli of Composites Reinforced by Multiphase Particles

A theoretical approach is proposed to estimate the elastic moduli of three-phase composites consisting of a matrix phase reinforced by two-phase particles. The theoretical predictions are based on a simple extension to nondilute concentrations of the mechanical concentration factors obtained from the recent analysis of the average elastic fields in a double inclusion by Hori and Nemat-Nasser (1993). The proposed micromechanics theory can account for the effects of shapes and concentrations of both the particles and the dispersed phase in the particles. Theoretical estimates of the concentration factors and the effective elastic moduli are obtained in closed form and are diagonally symmetric and fall within the Hashin-Shtrikman-Walpole bounds for all cases considered. The theoretical predictions are in excellent agreement with experimental results obtained from pulse-echo and rod-resonance measurements of the elastic moduli of a three-phase composite consisting of an aluminum matrix reinforced by mullite/alumina particles.
Interoceptive fear conditioning as a learning model of panic disorder: An experimental evaluation using 20% CO2-enriched air in a non-clinical sample

Abstract Despite the role afforded interoceptive fear conditioning in etiologic accounts of panic disorder, there are no good experimental demonstrations of such learning in humans. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the interoceptive conditioning account using 20% carbon dioxide (CO 2 )-enriched air as an interoceptive conditioned stimulus (CS) (i.e., physiologically inert 5-s exposures) and unconditioned stimulus (US) (i.e., physiologically prepotent 15-s exposures). Healthy participants ( N =42) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a CS-only, contingent CS–US pairings, or unpaired/non-contingent CS and US presentations. Electrodermal and self-report (e.g., distress, fear) served as indices of conditioned emotional responding. Results showed greater magnitude electrodermal and evaluative fear conditioning in the paired relative to the CS-only condition. The explicitly unpaired condition showed even greater electrodermal and evaluative responding during acquisition, and marked resistance to extinction. The latter results are consistent with the possibility that the unpaired procedure constituted a partial reinforcement procedure in which CO 2 onset was paired with more extended CO 2 exposure on 50% of the trials. Overall, the findings are consistent with contemporary learning theory accounts of panic.
Sudden changes in volatility in emerging markets: The case of Gulf Arab stock markets

Abstract This article examines sudden changes in volatility for five Gulf area Arab stock markets using the iterated cumulative sums of squares (ICSS) algorithm and analyzes their impacts on the estimated persistence of volatility. This algorithm identifies large shifts in volatility of the stock markets during the weekly period 1994 to 2001. In contrast to Aggarwal et al. [Aggarwal, R., Inclan, C., & Leal, R., 1999, Volatility in emerging markets. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis 34, 33–55], this paper found that most of the Gulf Arab stock markets are more sensitive to major global events than to local and regional factors. The 1997 Asian crisis, the collapse of oil prices in 1998 after the crisis, the adoption of the price band mechanism by OPEC in 2000, and the September 11th attack have been found to have consistently affected the Gulf markets. Accounting for these large shifts in volatility in the GARCH(1,1) models significantly reduces the estimated persistence of the volatility in the Gulf stock markets.
Epitaxial A1 films on GaAs(100) surfaces

Abstract A1 films have been deposited onto GaAs(100) surfaces grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The crystallographic orientation and surface morphology of the A1 films have been investigated as a function of the GaAs substrate temperature (290 or 670 K) and surface reconstruction. Depending on the deposition conditions either A1(100) or one of two orthogonal A1(100) orientations was observed. No influence of the A1 deposition rate was observed in the interval 0.1–1.5 μm h-1. A complex nucleation, involving nuclei with all three observed orientations simultaneously present, always preceded the single crystal growth. Nucleation occurred at a mean A1 coverage of 0.15–0.5 nm and single crystallinity was achieved only after 10–20 nm of A1 had been deposited. The non-preferentially oriented domains were typically 100 nm wide and they were stable up to 580 K, when they disappeared due to interdiffusion and/or recrystallization. The results are explained as a combination of geometrical and chemical effects imposed by the GaAs surface reconstructions and the diffusion across the interface.
Dietary nonprotein calories and cerebral infarction size in rats.

Conventional diets may cause hyperglycemia in patients with neurological injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect on the severity of cerebral infarction of replacing carbohydrates as the primary dietary source of nonprotein calories.Sixty-nine Long-Evans rats were either fasted for 24 hours, fed isocaloric amounts of a control diet containing 51.5% of the calories as carbohydrates, or fed one of five experimental diets before middle cerebral artery occlusion for 45 minutes. In the experimental diets, 60% of the carbohydrate calories were replaced with one or more of the following substrates: 1,3-butanediol, triacetin, tributyrin, and long- and medium-chain triglycerides.The plasma glucose concentration in the fasted animals was 6.4 +/- 1.1 mumol/ml. In the animals receiving the control diet, which contained the greatest number of carbohydrate calories, plasma glucose was 9.1 +/- 1.4 mumol/ml. The 1,3-butanediol diet resulted in an intermediate plasma glucose concentration averaging 7....
Fluorescence and Raman microscopy analysis of dental tissues

The variety of optical spectroscopic techniques is used for chemical analysis of normal and carious tissues. Polarization light microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy/microscopy, Raman and IR spectroscopy/microscopy all provide valuable information on the tooth structure and chemical composition; however, near-IR laser-induced fluorescence measurements proved to be the most efficient indicator of bacterially infected tooth.
Complete remission in refractory anaplastic adult wilms' tumor treated with cisplatin and etoposide

A 61-year-old woman underwent a left radical nephrectomy for Stage II anaplastic Wilm's tumor. She received no adjuvant therapy. One year later computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed a mass in the left renal fossa and retroperitoneal adenopathy. A CT-guided needle biopsy was nondiagnostic. The patient had progressive disease after treatment with dactinomycin, doxorubicin, and vincristine, but achieved a complete response after treatment with cisplatin and etoposide. The therapy of Wilms' tumor in adults is discussed.
Routledge handbook of disability studies

Asking an editor to review a potentially rival edited collection is a little like asking the fox to guard the henhouse. The henhouse may remain standing after the review, but its value might decrea...
Asymmetric Division of Drosophila Male Germline Stem Cell Shows Asymmetric Histone Distribution

Stem cells can self-renew and generate differentiating daughter cells. It is not known whether these cells maintain their epigenetic information during asymmetric division. Using a dual-color method to differentially label "old" versus "new" histones in Drosophila male germline stem cells (GSCs), we show that preexisting canonical H3, but not variant H3.3, histones are selectively segregated to the GSC, whereas newly synthesized histones incorporated during DNA replication are enriched in the differentiating daughter cell. The asymmetric histone distribution occurs in GSCs but not in symmetrically dividing progenitor cells. Furthermore, if GSCs are genetically manipulated to divide symmetrically, this asymmetric mode is lost. This work suggests that stem cells retain preexisting canonical histones during asymmetric cell divisions, probably as a mechanism to maintain their unique molecular properties.
Design and synthesis of a mimetic from an antibody complementarity-determining region

A technique for producing non-peptide compounds (mimetics) of designed specificities was developed that permitted the synthesis of a conformationally restricted molecule that mimicked the binding and functional properties of monoclonal antibody (MAb) 87.92.6, which recognizes the reovirus type 3 cellular receptor. Binding of either MAb 87.92.6, peptide analogs, or 87.1-mimetic to the cellular receptor inhibited cellular proliferation. The mimetic was a synthetic beta-loop structure that mimics the second complementarity-determining region of the MAb. These studies may lead to strategies for the synthetic design of antibody complementarity regions, ligands, and other pharmacologically active agents that are water soluble, resistant to proteolysis, and nonimmunogenic.
ZM336372 Induces Apoptosis Associated With Phosphorylation of GSK-3β in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines

Introduction ZM336372 is small molecule tyrosine kinase modulator. It has been shown to inhibit glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) through phosphorylation of GSK-3β at Ser 9. GSK-3β has previously been shown to mediate cell survival in pancreatic cancer cells. Here we determine the effects of ZM336372 on GSK-3β phosphorylation, apoptosis, and growth in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines. Methods Panc-1 and MiaPaCa-2 cells were treated with ZM336372 or lithium chloride (LiCl) and compared with solvent control. The effects on proliferation for each cell line were determined using the MTT assay. Western blot analysis was performed to examine the effects of treatment on the phosphorylation of GSK-3β. In addition, western blot was utilized to examine the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a marker of apoptosis. Results A dose-dependent increase in phosphorylation of GSK-3β was observed after treatment with both ZM336372 and LiCl. Growth inhibition due to treatment with ZM336372 and LiCl also occurred in a dose-dependent fashion. An increase in cleaved PARP was demonstrated after treatment with both agents, as was seen previously with GSK-3β inhibition in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. Conclusion This is the first description of growth inhibition and apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells related to GSK-3β inhibition through treatment with ZM336372.
Templated assembly of photoswitches significantly increases the energy-storage capacity of solar thermal fuels

Large-scale utilization of solar-energy resources will require considerable advances in energy-storage technologies to meet ever-increasing global energy demands. Other than liquid fuels, existing energy-storage materials do not provide the requisite combination of high energy density, high stability, easy handling, transportability and low cost. New hybrid solar thermal fuels, composed of photoswitchable molecules on rigid, low-mass nanostructures, transcend the physical limitations of molecular solar thermal fuels by introducing local sterically constrained environments in which interactions between chromophores can be tuned. We demonstrate this principle of a hybrid solar thermal fuel using azobenzene-functionalized carbon nanotubes. We show that, on composite bundling, the amount of energy stored per azobenzene more than doubles from 58 to 120 kJ mol(-1), and the material also maintains robust cyclability and stability. Our results demonstrate that solar thermal fuels composed of molecule-nanostructure hybrids can exhibit significantly enhanced energy-storage capabilities through the generation of template-enforced steric strain.
Diet and habitat use by age-0 deepwater sculpins in northern Lake Huron, Michigan and the Detroit River

Abstract Deepwater sculpins ( Myoxocephalus thompsonii ) are an important link in deepwater benthic foodwebs of the Great Lakes. Little information exists about deepwater sculpin spawning habits and early life history ecology due to difficulty in sampling deep offshore habitats. Larval and age-0 deepwater sculpins collected in northern Lake Huron and the Detroit River during 2007 were used to improve our understanding of their habitat use, diet, age, and growth. Peak larval density reached 8.4/1000 m 3 in the Detroit River during April and was higher than that in Lake Huron. Offshore bottom trawls at DeTour and Hammond Bay first collected benthic age-0 deepwater sculpins in early September when fish were ≥ 25 mm TL. Otolith analysis revealed that hatch dates for pelagic larvae occurred during late March and larvae remained pelagic for 40 to 60 days. Diet of pelagic larvae (10–21 mm TL) was dominated by calanoid copepods at all sample locations. Diets of benthic age-0 fish varied by location and depth: Mysis and chironomids were prevalent in fish from Hammond Bay and the 91 m site at DeTour, but only chironomids were found in fish from the 37 m DeTour site. This work showed that nearshore epilimnetic sites were important for pelagic larvae and an ontogenetic shift from pelagic planktivore to benthivore occurred at about 25 mm TL in late summer. Age analysis showed that larvae remained pelagic long enough to be transported through the St. Clair–Detroit River system, Lake Erie, and the Niagara River, potentially contributing to populations in Lake Ontario.
Vascular access: Theory and techniques in the small animal emergency patient*

Acquisition of vascular access in the emergent small animal patient is one of the keys to successful management of a population of patients that are often unstable with regard to their major body systems. Venous and intraosseus cannulation allow for the administration of a variety of fluids and potentially life-saving medications. In addition, central venous and arterial access also serve as conduits for atraumatic blood sampling and intravascular pressure monitoring. A thorough knowledge of vascular access theory, the dynamics of fluid flow, vascular anatomy, catheter selection criteria, and placement techniques are critical to the proper and safe use of the vascular access options available today to the small animal clinician.
Longitudinal and seasonal variations of the equatorial ionospheric ion density and eastward drift velocity in the dusk sector

[1] The longitudinal and seasonal variations of the plasma density and drift velocity in the evening equatorial ionosphere show complex characteristics. In this paper, we analyze the ionospheric ion density and velocity measured by the Defense Meteorological Satellites Program (DMSP) F13 and F17 satellites at ∼1800 LT. Our analysis focuses on whether the longitudinal structure of the equatorial ionospheric density and velocity has multiple wave number components, how the longitudinal structure of the equatorial ion eastward drift varies with season and year, and what causes the longitudinal variations of the ion density and velocity. We find that the longitudinal structure of the ion density and velocity show a wave-4 pattern during the equinox months (March, April, September, and October), a wave-3 pattern in northern summer (May–August), and a wave-2 pattern in northern winter (November–February). The longitudinal structure of the ion density and velocity becomes significantly different from the wave-4 pattern in the longitude regions with large magnetic declination in the summer and winter. The variation of the equatorial ionospheric ion density shows an in-phase correspondence with the ion eastward velocity and an anti-phase correspondence with the ion upward velocity. We suggest that the enhanced upward drift causes the density decrease through the fountain effect and that the enhanced eastward drift causes the density increase through horizontal transport. The change of the ion eastward velocity with longitude can be as high as 180 m s−1 over a longitudinal range of 120° and is related to the solar activity. The results of this study reveal a number of new characteristics of the equatorial plasma horizontal drift in the east–west direction.
Parameters Optimization in SVM Based-On Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm

In this paper ACO (Ant Colony Optimization) algorithm, which is a well-known intelligent optimization method, is applied to selecting parameters for SVM.ACO has the characteristics of positive feedback, parallel mechanism and distributed computation. This paper gives comparison of ACO-SVM, PSO-SVM whose parameters are determined by particle swarm optimization algorithm, and traditional SVM whose parameters are decided through trial and error. The experimental results on real-world datasets show that this proposed method avoids randomness and subjectivity in the traditional SVM. Additionally it is able to gain better parameters which could dedicate to a higher classification accuracy than the PSO-SVM. Results confirm that proposed optimization method is better than the two others.
Application of Hartmann linear calibrations to ViLLaGEs

We attempt to linearize the output of the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor in the ViLLaGEs instrument. ViLLaGEs (Visible Light Laser Guidestar Experiments) is a MEMS-based Adaptive Optics system on the 1 - meter Nickel telescope at Lick Observatory meant to provide correction at visible wavelengths with a 9x9 subaperture Hartmann sensor. We estimate that the open-loop accuracy of ViLLaGEs is ~40 nm. We "calibrate" the Hartmann linearity by raster scanning a tip/tilt mirror downstream of an internal fiber and inverting the resulting signal, forming a lookup table of unbiased tilts. From this calibration, we conclude that nonlinearity is a minor effect in the open-loop operation of ViLLaGEs, on the order of ~15 nm. We show through simulations of Shack-Hartmann sensors that this error is likely due to an internal pupil mask not physically conjugate to the telescope pupil. We test the resulting lookup table on an internal "turbulator" in ViLLaGEs, or a rotating plate meant to simulate the wind-driven atmosphere, and find that the Strehls with and without the lookup table are indistinguishable.
Algorithms for optimal material handling in automatic warehousing systems

Abstract This paper presents four heuristic algorithms for handling orders in automatic warehousing systems. It is assumed that the orders will be handled by the use of an automatic storage and retrieval machine (S/R machine). The algorithms select, the orders that will be hand led in one tour in order to minimize the total distance travelled by the S7sol;R machine within the warehouse system. Computer programs are developed for the four algorithms and the optimal tours are found by using the travelling salesman algorithm. Optimal or near optimal solutions for the handling problem are found.
Gain-of-function analogues of the pore-forming peptide melittin selected by orthogonal high-throughput screening.

We recently developed an orthogonal, high-throughput assay to identify peptides that self-assemble into potent, equilibrium pores in synthetic lipid bilayers. Here, we use this assay as a high-throughput screen to select highly potent pore-forming peptides from a 7776-member rational combinatorial peptide library based on the sequence of the natural pore-forming peptide toxin melittin. In the library we varied ten critical residues in the melittin sequence, chosen to test specific structural hypotheses about the mechanism of pore formation. Using the new high-throughput assay, we screened the library for gain-of-function sequences at a peptide to lipid ratio of 1:1000 where native melittin is not active. More than 99% of the library sequences were also inactive under these conditions. A small number of library members (0.1%) were highly active. From these we identified 14 potent, gain-of-function, pore-forming sequences. These sequences differed from melittin in only 2–6 amino acids out of 26. Some native...
The folk strike back; or, why you didn't do it intentionally, though it was bad and you knew it

Recent and puzzling experimental results suggest that people's judgments as to whether or not an action was performed intentionally are sensitive to moral considerations. In this paper, we outline these results and evaluate two accounts which purport to explain them. We then describe a recent experiment that allegedly vindicates one of these accounts and present our own findings to show that it fails to do so. Finally, we present additional data suggesting no such vindication could be in the offing and that, in fact, both accounts fail to explain the initial, puzzling results they were purported to explain.
Rapid screening method to detect potential biparental inheritance of plastid DNA and results for over 200 angiosperm species

We have developed a diagnostic method to screen rapidly for plant species potentially capable of biparental inheritance ofplastid DNA using the DNA fluorochrome 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) in conjunction with epifluorescence microscopy. Pollen shed from 235 plant species (including about 50 of agronomic importance) representing 80 families were screened. Putative plastid DNA was detected in the generative and/or sperm cells of pollen from 26 genera (43 species) representing 15 families. Plastid DNA was not detected in the generative or sperm cells of pollen from 192 plant species, thereby strongly suggesting that these species have only maternal inheritance. Our cytological diagnosis corroborated the known genetic evidence in 42 plant species and conflicted with the genetic reports in five species, which are discussed. The data suggest that biparental inheritance of plastids is rare; overall, it may occur in about 14% of flowering plant genera, examples of which are scattered among 19% of the families examined. This methodology also readily reveals whether pollen is bi- or trinucleate.
Numerical approximation of the Voigt regularization for incompressible Navier-Stokes and magnetohydrodynamic flows

We study Voigt regularizations for the Navier-Stokes equations (NSEs) and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in the presence of physical boundary conditions. In particular, we develop the first finite element numerical algorithms for these systems, prove stability and convergence of the algorithms, and test them computationally on problems of practical interest. It is found that unconditionally stable implementations of the Voigt regularization can be made from a simple change to existing NSE and MHD codes, and moreover, optimal convergence of the developed algorithms' solutions to physical solutions can be obtained if lower-order mixed finite elements are used. Finally, we show that for several benchmark problems, the Voigt regularization on a coarse mesh produces good approximations to NSE and MHD systems; that is, the Voigt regularization provides accurate reduced order models for NSE and MHD flows.
Phaseic acid: Occurrence in cotton fruit; Acceleration of abscission

Phaseic acid was tentatively identified in cotton fruit; this is the second report of its natural occurrence. It was found in cotton fruit of all ages, from very young to fully mature fruit. It accelerates abscission in the excised nodes of cotton seedlings, but has only about one-tenth of the abscission-promoting activity of abscisic acid.
The s-channel dual absorptive model as a consequence also of t-channel absorption

Abstract The dual absorptive model applied to t-channel predicts that Regge residues above threshold are In-functions which for t ⩽ 0, for the leading trajectory, are simply Jn(Ro√−t). Thus s-channel absorptive models can be expressed entirely in terms of t-channel quantities. Implications to complex Regge poles is discussed.
Integrating livestock into farming systems in Northern Cameroon

Abstract Farming systems in West Africa's semi-arid zone consist of mainly purely nomadic pastoralism and purely sedentary crop production with a minor crop-livestock production system. Farmers there are slow to integrate cropping and livestock and utilize their intermediate farm products of crop residues, draft power, and animal manure to tackle production constraints such as shortage of animal feed, labor bottlenecks, and soil degradation. This paper uses a crop-livestock linear programming model to show that, apart from the adoption of crop technologies, by integrating and using crop-livestock farm linkages, farmers can make more efficient use of their marginal land with less chemical fertilizers, improve their economic gains substantially, and achieve a more sustainable production system.
Efficacy of berberine, an antimicrobial plant alkaloid, as an endodontic irrigant against a mixed-culture biofilm in an in vitro tooth model.

Abstract Introduction Berberine, a plant alkaloid isolated from many medicinal plants, has shown antimicrobial activity against selected oral pathogens. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of berberine solution against selected endodontic pathogens using a multispecies biofilm tooth model. Methods The bacterial species used in the multispecies biofilm tooth model were Fusobacterium nucleatum, Enterococcus faecalis , and Prevotella intermedia . Extracted human anterior teeth were collected and standardized to a length of 14.0 mm. Teeth were cultured in Schaedler broth with the 3 test bacteria strains for 21 days and then randomly assigned to 6 treatment groups (ie, sterile saline, 5.25% NaOCl, 2% chlorhexidine [CHX], 1% CHX, 2 mg/mL berberine, and 1 mg/mL berberine plus 1% CHX). The teeth were instrumented to size 35/.06 and irrigated with 6 mL irrigant for 2 minutes. Surviving bacteria were sampled before and after instrumentation. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance ( P Results The minimal inhibitory concentration of berberine against F. nucleatum, P. intermedia , and E. faecalis was 31.25 μg/mL, 3.8 μg/mL, and 500 μg/mL, respectively. Instrumentation and irrigation resulted in 99% bacterial reduction in all groups. All tested solutions resulted in a statistically significant reduction in bacteria when compared with the saline control. When used alone, berberine (2 mg/mL) was less effective than the other test irrigants. However, when combined with 1% CHX, berberine (2 mg/mL) was comparable in bactericidal activity with 5.25% NaOCl, 2% CHX, and 1% CHX (Table 2). Conclusions Berberine was more effective than saline as an endodontic irrigant against selected endodontic pathogens in vitro and, when combined with CHX, was comparable with NaOCl in its bactericidal efficacy.
Collaborative design of cross-disciplinary game minors based on the IGDA curriculum framework

Due to the recent creation of game degree programs at post-secondary institutions, peer-reviewed literature on the curriculum planning process for game degrees at post-secondary institutions pales in comparison to the literature available for more established fields of computer science. At Bradley University, departments across colleges have worked collaboratively to create two cross-disciplinary game minors. The minors have been carefully crafted to nurture the growth of both media designers and software developers while simultaneously providing experiences for the students to experience multi-disciplinary teamwork. This paper details the creation of these two innovative game minors with emphasis on three aspects of the curriculum planning process: 1) their interdependencies, 2) their structure for supporting both Design and software development students, and 3) their reliance on the International Game Developer Association's curriculum framework. In addition, the author provides a summary of issues and concerns that arose during the curriculum planning process.
Prognosis of patients with suspected primary CNS angiitis and negative brain biopsy

The authors retrospectively analyzed 25 patients who had a nondiagnostic brain biopsy for clinically suspected primary CNS angiitis to determine the effect of immunosuppressive therapy on 1-year outcome. Good outcome was seen in 6 of 10 treated patients and in 8 of 15 untreated patients (p= 0.93). These findings do not indicate that the addition of immunosuppressive therapy significantly enhances outcome of patients with clinically suspected primary angiitis of the CNS and a nondiagnostic brain biopsy.
Development of a clinical Fourier-domain angle resolved low coherence interferometry system for in vivo measurements

Improved methods for detecting dysplasia, or pre-cancerous growth are a current clinical need, particularly in the esophagus. The currently accepted method of random biopsy and histological analysis provides only a limited examination of tissue in question while being coupled with a long time delay for diagnosis. Optical scattering spectroscopy, in contrast, allows for inspection of the cellular structure and organization of tissue in vivo. Fourierdomain angle-resolved low-coherence interferometry (a/LCI) is a novel scattering spectroscopy technique that provides quantitative depth-resolved morphological measurements of the size and optical density of the examined cell nuclei, which are characteristic biomarkers of dysplasia. Previously, the clinical viability of the a/LCI system was demonstrated by analysis of ex vivo human esophageal tissue in Barrett's esophagus patients using a portable a/LCI system. We present an adaptation of the portable a/LCI instrument that can be used in the accessory channel of a gastroscope, allowing for in vivo measurements to be taken. Modifications to the previous generation system include the use of an improved imaging spectrometer allowing for subsecond acquisition times and the redesign of the delivery fiber and imaging optics in order to fit in the accessory channel of a gastroscope. Accurate sizing of polystyrene microspheres and other preliminary results are presented, demonstrating promise as a clinically viable tool.
Eye Care Use Among a High-Risk Diabetic Population Seen in a Public Hospital's Clinics

Importance Little is known regarding eye care use among low-income persons with diabetes mellitus, especially African Americans. Objective To investigate eye care use among patients with diabetes who were seen in a county hospital clinic that primarily serves high-risk, low-income, non-Hispanic African American patients. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort study with 2 years of follow-up examined eye care use among adult patients with diabetes seen in 2007 in an outpatient medical clinic of a large, urban county hospital that primarily serves low-income, non-Hispanic African American patients. Patients with a history of retinopathy and macular edema or a current diagnosis indicating ophthalmic complications were excluded. Eye care use was defined dichotomously as whether or not patients had a visit to the eye clinic for any eye care examination or procedure. We estimated crude and adjusted rate ratios (aRRs) and 95% CIs for the association between eye care use and selected clinical and demographic characteristics. Results There were 867 patients with diabetes identified: 61.9% were women, 76.2% were non-Hispanic African American, and 61.4% were indigent, with a mean age of 51.8 years. Eye care utilization rates were 33.2% within 1 and 45.0% within 2 years. For patients aged 19 to 39 years compared with those aged 65 years or older, significantly decreased eye care utilization rates were observed within 1 year (aRR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.27-0.84) and within 2 years (aRR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.38-0.99). Conclusions and Relevance Overall eye care utilization rates were low. Additional education efforts to increase the perception of need among urban minority populations may be enhanced if focused on younger persons with diabetes.
Benzodiazepine receptor binding in young, mature and senescent rat brain and kidney.

Clinical reports have described age-altered pharmacological effects of anxiolytic drugs especially an increased susceptibility to their sedative actions. In order to test whether such changes may be due to age-related alterations in central benzodiazepine receptors, 3H-flunitrazepam binding was assayed in the frontal cortex and cerebellum of young, mature and senescent rats. The number of 3H-flunitrazepam binding sites and their affinity was determined by Scatchard analysis of saturation isotherms and the relative abundance of type I and type II benzodiazepine receptors was assessed by drug-inhibition studies using diazepam and the triazolopyridazine, CL 218,872. In addition, age related changes in the kidney and hippocampus of the Ro5-4864-sensitive benzodiazepine receptor were studied using 3H-Ro5-4864. No age-related alterations were noted in the binding characteristics of 3H-flunitrazepam. Furthermore, drug-inhibition of 3H-flunitrazepam binding by diazepam and CL 218,872 was nearly identical in young, mature and senescent rats, indicating that also the ratio of type I and type II receptors does not change with age. Binding of 3H-Ro-54864 to membranes from rat hippocampus was not age-related. However, a significant decrease in 3H-Ro5-4864 binding to kidney membranes was demonstrated. Hence, central benzodiazepine receptors appear unaltered in the senescent rat model of aging. The clinical findings of an increased susceptibility to the sedative effects of benzodiazepines in the elderly may therefore be attributed to pharmacokinetic variables, or to events occurring secondarily to receptor activation.
The fate of [3H]folic acid in folate-adequate rats

To assess more fully the metabolic fate and in vivo kinetics of dietary folate, we conducted an in depth study that followed the metabolism and excretion of radiolabeled folate from a single administration, through its many forms in the organs and tissues of folate-adequate rats. Twenty-two rats were equilibrated with an amino acid diet containing 1 mg folic acid/kg diet, then given 185 kBq [3H]folic acid intragastrically. The isotopic label was followed through the tissues and in urine and feces for 32 days, every 8 hours for the first 48 hours. Individual folates, as their monoglutamyl forms, were separated and measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the peaks counted for 3H. Liver and kidney folates exhibited labeling (∼0.8 kBq/g for each) by 8 hours post-dose. These organs exhibited a peak of [3H]folate at 40 hours post-dose, then slowly lost label from 48 hours to 32 days, with the exception of a rise in renal radioactivity at 16 days. Heart and spleen exhibited low levels of labeling at 8 hours, a peak at 32 hours, then a gradual loss of label. Testes and muscle (hind leg) showed very low levels of labeling throughout the study. Whole blood showed labeling almost entirely associated with 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate (THF). Urinary excretion of intact folate occurred mainly as 5-methyl-THF, although excretion of products of folate catabolism exceeded urinary excretion of intact folates. Much of the labeled dose (35%) was excreted into the urine as catabolites and intact folates by 32 days post-dose, whereas 15% of the label was lost through the feces by 32 days post-dose. Unexpected differences were observed among the specific radioactivity values among tissues (liver < kidney << testes, spleen, whole blood < heart << muscle). These may indicate different rates of clearance of labeled folates from these tissues or else the presence of kinetically slow pools comprising a significant portion of total folate in certain tissues (especially liver and kidney). The results of this study will be used to develop a compartmental model to simulate folate metabolism in folate-adequate rats.
Normalized truncated Levy walk applied to flexible pavement performance

Government agencies and consulting companies face the challenge of pavement management aiming to maintain pavements in serviceable condition in the long term. This paper analyzed the evolution of the performance of flexible pavements to forecast the change in the serviceability level offered by the structure. Data from the Minnesota Road Research Project (MnROAD) road test corresponding to the low-volume traffic loop were used in the study. The data analysis centered on the normalized truncated Levy walk model. It was concluded that the truncated Levy distribution optimally describes the decrease of pavement serviceability caused by traffic and climatic conditions specific to the infrastructure location and traffic. The Truncated Levy Flight (TLF) provided a better approximation over the full range of the normalized pavement serviceability index than the Gaussian distribution for dataset considered.
Basements and Attics, Closets and Cyberspace: Explorations in Canadian Women’s Archives

Basements and Attics, Closets and Cyberspace: Explorations in Canadian Women’s Archives is a collection of 20 essays that speak to the critical questions surrounding archival work about women in Ca...
A Simple Computer Program to Model Three-Dimensional Underground Heat Flow With Realistic Boundary Conditions

A FORTRAN computer program called GROCS (Ground Coupled Systems) has been developed to study three-dimensional underground heat flow. Features include the use of up to 30 finite elements or ''blocks'' of earth which interact via finite difference heat flow equations and a subprogram which sets realistic time and depth-dependent boundary conditions. No explicit consideration of moisture movement or freezing is given. GROCS has been used to model the thermal behavior of buried solar heat storage tanks (with and without insulation) and serpentine pipe fields for solar heat pump space conditioning systems. The program is available independently or in a form compatible with specially written TRNSY-S component TYPE subroutines. This paper first describes the approach taken in the design of GROCS, the mathematics contained and the program architecture. Then, the operation of the stand-alone version is explained. Finally, the validity of GROCS is discussed. A companion paper serves as a user's guide to the TRNSY-S compatible subroutine version.