cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hidden Structural Modules in a Cooperative RNA Folding Transition

Large-scale, cooperative rearrangements underlie the functions of RNA in RNA-protein machines and gene regulation. To understand how such rearrangements are orchestrated, we used high-throughput chemical footprinting to dissect a seemingly concerted rearrangement in P5abc RNA, a paradigm of RNA folding studies. With mutations that systematically disrupt or restore putative structural elements, we found that this transition reflects local folding of structural modules, with modest and incremental cooperativity that results in concerted behavior. First, two distant secondary structure changes are coupled through a bridging three-way junction and Mg2+-dependent tertiary structure. Second, long-range contacts are formed between modules, resulting in additional cooperativity. Given the sparseness of RNA tertiary contacts after secondary structure formation, we expect that modular folding and incremental cooperativity are generally important for specifying functional structures while also providing productive kinetic paths to these structures. Additionally, we expect our approach to be useful for uncovering modularity in other complex RNAs.
Completion thyroidectomy via the transoral endoscopic vestibular approach

The safety and efficacy of the transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) continues to be verified with the growing literature in regards to the procedure. While early cases were thyroid lobectomies performed for benign disease, the indications for TOETVA have now expanded to include total thyroidectomy for select small well-differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs). Oncologic efficacy of this procedure remains unproven at this time, as the procedure was described only recently. Furthermore, as many of the cases completed via TOETVA are often diagnostic lobectomies, the appropriate management for patients requiring or opting for further surgical intervention per American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines has not been established. Here we present a case of a diagnostic lobectomy via TOETVA followed by interval completion thyroidectomy via the same approach for minimally invasive Hurthle cell carcinoma. Postoperative ultrasound demonstrated no evidence of thyroid remnant and serum thyroglobulin without circulating anti-thyroid antibodies was 0.3 ng/mL (reference range, 1.5-38.5 ng/mL) following the patient's completion thyroidectomy.
Vagolysis and Mucosal Antrectomy by Contact. Intra-Gastric Nd: YAG Laser Photoradiation

Highly selective vagotomy 7,8 (proximal gastric, parietal cell vagotomy) and lateral seromyotomy 11,12 on the stomach have been found to reduce gastric acid secretion in patients with chronic duodenal ulcer problems. The concept of vagal neurolysis with alcohol or other substances reducing acid output is particularly attractive. 13 In an age of therapeutic endoscopy, the possibilities of performing endoscopic vagotomy arises. The effects of Nd:YAG laser photoradiation on the walls of hollow organs have been investigated, establishing its usefulness in hemostasis2 and in the vaporization of tissue in the gastrointestinal tract. 3,6 It was therefore of interest to investigate the effect of exposure of the lesser curve of the stomach to Nd:YAG laser photoradiation. In the future it might be possible to couple the Nd:YAG laser with a flexible fiberoptic endoscope allowing therapeutic endoscopy to be performed following the diagnosis of duodenal ulcer.
Thymic and peripheral differentiation of regulatory T cells

The development of regulatory T (Treg) cells is essential for the maintenance of immune tolerance and homeostasis. Here, we review recent studies that have advanced our understanding of Treg cell differentiation. In the thymus, TCR specificity to self-antigen appears to be a primary determinant for Treg cell lineage commitment, with c-Rel being an important factor that links T cell receptor (TCR) engagement and Foxp3 expression, along with cytokines and costimulatory molecules. It is also clear that postthymic events shape the peripheral Treg cell population. This includes preferential maintenance of Treg cells specific to self-antigens presented in the periphery, as well as the de novo generation of Treg cells from conventional Foxp3(-) T cells. The process of peripheral Treg cell differentiation shares some features with thymic Treg cell development, but there are notable differences. Together, thymic and peripheral Treg cell differentiation appear to generate an "imprint" of both self- and foreign antigens in the peripheral Treg cell population to provide dominant tolerance.
Photoinduced prephytoene pyrophosphate synthesis in a Mycobacterium sp

The formation of prephytoene pyrophosphate and the enzyme necessary for its synthesis are absent in a dark grown Mycobacterium sp. Photoinduction of carotene synthesis in this microorganism results in de novo synthesis of this carotene precursor and its synthetase. This enzymatic reaction is the first to be fully photoinduced in this organism.
V-excision modification for direct necklift

The occasional patient who desires solely aesthetic correction of a neck deformity, but refuses to undergo a classical rhytidectomy, might be a candidate for direct neck skin excision. Eight such patients underwent a V-excision modification with Z-plasty for direct necklift with reasonable results achieved in six (75%). All complications (25%) including hypertrophic scarring and vertical neck contracture occurred in females. All scars, however inconspicuous, were still apparent upon close inspection. Appropriate awareness of these sequelae must be acceptable to any candidate before embarking on this unconventional approach to improvement of neck contour.
A deep learning and gamification approach to improving human-building interaction and energy efficiency in smart infrastructure

Abstract In this paper, we propose a gamification approach as a novel framework for smart building infrastructure with the goal of motivating human occupants to consider personal energy usage and to have positive effects on their environment. Human interaction in the context of cyber-physical systems is a core component and consideration in the implementation of any smart building technology. Research has shown that the adoption of human-centric building services and amenities leads to improvements in the operational efficiency of these cyber-physical systems directed toward controlling building energy usage. We introduce a strategy that incorporates humans-in-the-loop modeling by creating an interface to allow building managers to interact with occupants and potentially incentivize energy efficient behavior. Game theoretic analysis typically relies on the assumption that the utility function of each individual agent is known a priori. Instead, we propose a novel benchmark utility learning framework that employs robust estimations of occupant actions toward energy efficiency. To improve forecasting performance, we extend the benchmark utility learning scheme by leveraging Deep Learning end-to-end training with deep bi-directional Recurrent Neural Networks. We apply the proposed methods to high-dimensional data from a social game experiment designed to encourage energy efficient behavior among smart building occupants. Using data gathered from occupant actions for resources such as room lighting, we forecast patterns of resource usage to demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods on ground truth data. The results of our study show that we can achieve a highly accurate representation of the ground truth for occupant resource usage. For demonstrations of our infrastructure and for downloading de-identified, high-dimensional data sets, please visit our website (smartNTU demo web portal: https://smartntu.eecs.berkeley.edu )
Penetration of dyes into protein crystals.

Experiments were carried out on 15 different protein crystals with the objective of estimating the rates of penetration of dye molecules into the crystals. The dyes were in the molecular-weight range 250–1000 Da and the protein crystals were of dimensions of 0.7 mm or greater. Experiments were also conducted on protein crystals grown between glass cover slips (separation 200 µm) that restricted the direction of diffusion. The rate of penetration of dyes into protein crystals depends very much on the degree of association between the dye and protein molecules. Dye penetration was not consistent with pure diffusion when the affinity of the protein for the dye was significant, and this was frequent. Penetration rates were less dependent on factors such as the molecular weight of the dye or the diffusion direction. For weakly interacting protein crystal/dye combinations, penetration was a fair measure of diffusivity and the observed rates were in the range 60–100 µm h−1. For strongly interacting combinations, the rates of penetration were of the order of 15–30 µm h−1.
‘Living’ Inks for 3D Bioprinting

A critical aspect in bioprinting is the formulation of bioactive inks. A recent breakthrough in bioink design (Qian et al. Nano Lett. 2019; https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b00066) enables the direct writing of catalytically active microorganisms with unprecedented cell loading, tunable structural properties, and long-term activity. This strategy will create possibilities for bottom-up design and integration of functional living systems.
Avoiding the “F” word: feminist geography in Iran

AbstractLittle attention has been given to how feminist geography is defined, applied, and taught in non-Anglophone countries, especially in Muslim majority societies where Women’s Rights are quite different from the western world. The case of Iran among other Middle Eastern countries becomes even more isolated due to the several political, linguistic, and cultural limitations opposed on Iranian academics and international collaborations after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Women make half of Iran’s 80 million population, 63% of university graduates, almost half of informal workers, 30% of Iranian professors, 13% of high level management position holders, and under 5% of the Islamic Majlis (Iran’s Parliament). However, feminist geography, the sub-discipline that has been traditionally dedicated to the inclusion of gender as an analytical lens within Geography, is not a recognized field at any departments in Iran. This essay aims to present the current status of feminist geographic research and teaching at s...
The Circuit, Cellular, and Synaptic Bases of Sleep-Wake Regulation

Abstract While considerable progress has been made in our understanding of how the brain regulates sleep and wakefulness, including the transitions between sleep and wakefulness, important knowledge gaps persist. In this chapter, we review the experimental work undertaken by scientist over the past 100 years that has informed our modern-day understanding of sleep-wake neurobiology. We now know, for example, that sleep and wake are actively regulated processes and that they are subserved by discrete cell populations, circuit pathways, and transmitters, which we discuss herein. A particularly prominent role for the brain's fast neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA, in the regulation of wake and sleep has recently emerged, in turn informing the revision of long-standing models of the neurochemical basis of wake and sleep. It is expected that newer and more efficacious drugs for treating disorders of sleep and arousal will be one important product of our revised understanding of the neurochemical milieu of sleep-wake. Perhaps most importantly, however, the experimental work directed at the “how” of sleep and wake has provided several important clues as to the “why” of sleep, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest mysteries in the neurosciences.
Unwrapping surface-skimming Doppler sonar data, and separating waves from currents

In the spring of 2017, our group deployed a surface-skimming Phased-Array Doppler Sonar (PADS) to provide estimates of surface waves and currents. Here I discuss a methodology developed to “unwrap” the aliased Doppler sonar signals, and at the same time separate the wave motions (which are mostly responsible for the aliasing in the first place) from the residual “underlying currents” (largely associated with Langmuir circulation, but also internal waves, inertial currents, fronts, and whatever else is there). The approach involves starting with the lowest frequency waves, and iteratively increasing the range of frequencies included, while “unwinding” the raw complex coherences by the accumulated estimate of wave velocities at each iteration. On each pass, even the lowest frequency estimates are improved upon, until eventually a robust “end point” is reached, at which point the wave orbital velocities (stored separately)have been effectively “subtracted” (or “back-rotated out”) from the complex coherences, providing ‘residual’ Doppler shifts. While these residuals do include Doppler noise, they also include signals of key interest (as listed above), which can be retrieved with far less averaging than would be required with the waves included.
Effect of Ferrous Alloy Type, Beetroot Juice, Deicer Type and Concentration on Early-Stage Corrosion Behavior of Buried Pipes

AbstractIn this laboratory study, the corrosion behavior of ASTM A1008 CS Type B carbon steel (C1008), ASTM A48 Class 35 gray cast iron (GCCL35), and ASTM A536 65-45-12 ductile cast iron [Ductile(6...
An Acute Application of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Does Not Improve Motor Performance in Parkinson's Disease

Transcranial direct current stimulation of the cerebellum (c-tDCS) improves motor performance in young and old adults. Based on the cerebellar involvement in Parkinson's disease (PD), c-tDCS could have potential to improve motor function in PD. The purpose was to determine the effects of c-tDCS on motor performance in PD while participants were on medications. The study was a randomized, double-blind, SHAM-controlled, between-subjects design. Twenty-two participants with PD were allocated to either a c-tDCS group or a SHAM group. All participants completed one experimental session and performed two motor tasks with their most affected hand in a Baseline condition (no stimulation) and an Experimental condition. The motor tasks were a visuomotor isometric precision grip task (PGT) and a rapid arm movement task (AMT). The primary dependent variables were force error and endpoint error in the PGT and AMT, respectively. There were no significant differences in force error or endpoint error in the Experimental condition between the c-tDCS and SHAM groups. These results indicate that an acute application of c-tDCS does not enhance motor performance in hand and arm tasks in PD. Longer-term c-tDCS application over multiple days may be needed to enhance motor function in PD.
Are Antimotility Agents Safe for Use in Clostridioides difficile Infections? Results From an Observational Study in Malignant Hematology Patients.

Objectives To evaluate the safety of antimotility agents (AAs) in a population of patients with hematologic malignancies and concurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and to describe the outcomes of AA use in a hospital setting. Patients and Methods We used the electronic health record to identify patients who were hospitalized in the adult malignant hematology service who had 1 or more toxin-positive C difficile stool assay between April 1, 2012, and September 21, 2017. We reviewed medical charts to obtain information on the use of AAs and any subsequent gastrointestinal complications. Results There were 339 patients who were stool toxin positive for CDI during the study period. Of those, 94 patients (27%) were prescribed AAs within 14 days of CDI diagnosis. All patients received CDI antimicrobial therapy within the first 24 hours. There were 2 adverse gastrointestinal events in the group that received AAs and 6 in the group that did not receive AAs. The risk of adverse events did not differ between patients who received AAs and those who did not (adjusted odds ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.06 to 2.10). The mean age of the full cohort was 52.7±15.5 years, and the mean length of stay was 26.7±22.6 days. Early AA use (<48 hours of diagnosis) was not associated with increased adverse effects. Conclusion There was no increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal events in the arm that used AAs compared with the control arm. The evidence suggests that for patients with hematologic malignancies and CDI, the addition of AAs to appropriate antimicrobial therapy poses no additional risk.
Direct marketing channel choices among US farmers: evidence from the Local Food Marketing Practices Survey

Due to strong interest in local foods by US consumers, farmers are now marketing not only to traditional wholesale outlets but also via short supply chains to consumers, grocers, restaurants, schools and other local intermediaries. Our research questions are: (1) what farm and farmer characteristics predict farmers’ participation in various direct marketing channels, and (2) what farm and farmer characteristics predict farmers’ choice of a particular combination of direct marketing channels? This work is important because prior research suggests that while total direct sales via short supply chains continue to grow, direct-to-consumer sales (e.g. via farmers’ markets and Community Support Agriculture, or CSAs) are plateauing. Our work highlights key relationships and implies potential barriers and opportunities for farmers in this maturing local foods landscape. To answer our research questions empirically, we employ the 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey, collected by USDA in 2016, and binomial and multinomial logit regressions. Our research yields a number of useful results. For example, we find evidence suggesting the existence of product-specific barriers to participation in certain channels; livestock producers are less likely than other farmers to sell directly to retailers, whereas vegetable farmers are less likely to sell to intermediaries. We also find that beginning farmers are more likely to sell directly to retailers, but less likely to sell to intermediaries than more established farmers, suggesting potential barriers and opportunities for entry into this channel for less experienced farmers. These insights suggest potential areas of attention for policymakers and other decisionmakers, as well as areas for future study.
Risks for Developing ME/CFS in College Students Following Infectious Mononucleosis: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) involves severe fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive impairment, leading to functional difficulties; prior studies have not evaluated risk factors with behavioral and immune data collected prior to developing ME/CFS.. Up to 5% of university students develop infectious mononucleosis (IM) annually, and 9-12% meet criteria for ME/CFS six months later. We sought to determine predictors of ME/CFS. Methods We enrolled college students at the start of the school year (Time 1), identified those who developed IM (Time 2) and followed them for 6 months (Time 3), identifying three groups: those who developed ME/CFS, those who developed severe ME/CFS (meeting >1 set of criteria) and those who were asymptomatic. We conducted 8 behavioral and psychological surveys and analyzed cytokines at three time points. Results 238 of the 4501 students (5.3%) developed IM; 6 months later, 55 of the 238 (23%) met criteria for ME/CFS and 157 (66%) were asymptomatic. 67 of the 157 asymptomatic students served as controls. Students with severe-ME/CFS were compared to students who were asymptomatic at three time points. The former group was not different from the latter group at Time 1 (prior to developing IM) in stress, coping, anxiety or depression, but were different in several behavioral measures and had significantly lower levels of IL-6 and IL-13. At Time 2 (when they developed IM), the two ME/CFS groups tended to have more autonomic complaints and behavioral symptoms while the severe- ME/CFS group had higher levels of IL-12 and lower levels of IL-13 than the recovered group. Conclusion At baseline, those who developed ME/CFS had more physical symptoms and immune irregularities, but not more psychological symptoms, than those who recovered.
Does Religiosity Improve Analyst Forecast Accuracy

This paper studies the impact of local religiosity on analyst forecast accuracy. Using the level of religious adherence as a proxy for religiosity in firm headquarter states, we find that analyst forecasts are more accurate for firms located in areas with stronger religious social norms. Our finding is robust to the inclusion of analyst and regional characteristics, firm, industry, and state fixed effects, controlling for earnings quality and audit quality, 2SLS-instrumental variable estimation, propensity score matching analysis, and a difference-in-difference test using firm headquarter relocations as a quasi-natural experiment. We further document a novel finding that religiosity has an “accentuating effect” on analyst forecast accuracy: religion can make a good thing better. Specifically, we find that local religiosity has a more pronounced positive effect on firms issuing management guidance or having fewer agency problems. Finally, we find that analyst forecast revisions for firms in more religious areas have higher information content. Overall, our study shows that religiosity enhances the accuracy and information content of analyst forecasts.
What is in a Bond? The Value of Portugal or the Financial Origins of the Portuguese Civil War

As bonds left untied make us reflect on the places where we never went, this chapter offers an economic, historical and political meditation on a bond between Portugal and Rothschild that was not tied. By discussing what was not and what might have been, the story offers ways to reflect on what Portugal came to be. On September 27, 1823, the Portuguese Minister of Finance signed a loan contract with B. A. Goldschmidt. I follow this contract and the one with James de Rothschild (which Portugal did not sign) from the date of issue through Goldschmidt’s failure (1826) until Portugal’s default and the eruption of its Civil War in 1828. I conclude that a Rothschild bond might have escaped default, thus avoiding war.
The 4th International Workshop on Epidemiology meets Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery (epiDAMIK 4.0 @ KDD2021)

The 4th epiDAMIK@SIGKDD workshop is a forum to discuss new insights into how data mining can play a bigger role in epidemiology and public health research. While the integration of data science methods into epidemiology has significant potential, it remains under studied. We aim to raise the profile of this emerging research area of data-driven and computational epidemiology, and create a venue for presenting state-of-the-art and in-progress results-in particular, results that would otherwise be difficult to present at a major data mining conference, including lessons learnt in the 'trenches'. The current COVID-19 pandemic has only showcased the urgency and importance of this area. Our target audience consists of data mining and machine learning researchers from both academia and industry who are interested in epidemiological and public-health applications of their work, and practitioners from the areas of mathematical epidemiology and public health.
From “making toast” to “splitting apples”: dissecting “care” in the midst of chronic violence

Scholarship has tended to focus on the deleterious impacts of chronic exposure to violence, to the detriment of understanding how residents living in dangerous contexts care for themselves and one another. Drawing on 30 months of ethnographic fieldwork, this article examines two sets of practices that residents exercise in the name of protecting themselves and their loved ones. The first set (“making toast”) includes the mundane, “small acts,”—often embedded in routine—that residents draw on in an effort to form connections and create order in a fundamentally chaotic and stressful environment. The second set (“splitting apples”) involves the teaching and exercise of violence in the name of protecting daughters and sons from further harm. Using interviews and field notes, we argue that both sets of practices, when viewed in situ, reveal an “ethics of care.” Resisting the urge to either romanticize or sanitize these efforts, we engage with the difficult question of what it means when an expression of “care” involves the (re)production of violence, especially against a loved one.
Towards a Realistic Ontology

The argument of the previous chapter is disarmingly straightforward. I began the argument with the reflection that expressions like ‘wisdom’, ‘triangularity’ and ‘redness’ occur in true sentences. As they occur in such sentences, I argued, they appear to be functioning as singular terms referring to universals. Then, I examined the various accounts of abstract reference provided by the nominalist and extreme nominalist. Finding none of those accounts satisfactory, I concluded that it is plausible to assume that abstract singular terms play just the roles they appear to be playing. But if they are playing those roles, then the truth of the sentences into which they enter presupposes the existence of the objects they take as their referents. Since it is obvious that abstract singular terms enter into many true sentences, I concluded that it is plausible to assume that universals exist.
The early research of John B. Watson: Before the behavioral revolution.

John B. Watson is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in modern psychology. Despite this stature, however, presentations of his contributions and career are usually limited to material on his establishment of classical behaviorism in 1913, and then on subsequent elaborations of his position and on his study of conditioned emotional reactions. Watson’s career and research prior to 1913 are rarely mentioned or cited; moreover, when this work is mentioned, the presentations often contain errors of fact. To correct these shortcomings, we present an overview of his pre-1913 research that focuses on (1) his doctoral thesis and first book, Animal Education; (2) his studies with Harvey Carr on the role of the various sense modalities in rats’ maze learning; (3) his collaboration with Robert Yerkes on the design and construction of psychophysical equipment for the quantitative study of vision, and on experiments on the visual capabilities of monkeys, rabbits, rats, and birds; and (4) his extensive naturalistic studies in Florida on the behavior of noddy and sooty terns, parts of which anticipated better-known subsequent research on imprinting and instinctual drift. Watson’s commitment to the development of an objective, natural science of behavior is clearly evident throughout his early research. In addition, his research shows that his range of interests and scientific sophistication are greater than typical descriptions of his work indicate.
BUS: a multicasting protocol for interconnected LANs

The state of the art in reliable multicasting protocols renders itself inadequate for group multicasting in environments where both intra group and inter group messages bridge several LANs. Our objective is to support a reliable ordered delivery service for both local and global messages, while achieving the utmost utilization of the underlying local communication services. We present a multicasting protocol, the "Bottom-Up Stamping", which achieves a causal order among multicasted messages. >
Tree music: composing with GAIA

In this report, we discuss Tree Music, an interactive computer music installation created using GAIA (Graphical Audio Interface Application), a new open-source interface for controlling the RTcmix synthesis and effects processing engine. Tree Music, commissioned by the University of Virginia Art Museum, used a wireless camera with a wide-angle lens to capture motion and occlusion data from exhibit visitors. We show how GAIA was used to structure and navigate the compositional space, and how this program supports both graphical and text-based programming in the same application. GAIA provides a GUI which combines two open-source applications: RTcmix and Perl.
CORRELATION BETWEEN ELECTRICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF CANINE PYLORIC CIRCULAR MUSCLE

Electrical slow waves decay in amplitude as they conduct from the myenteric to the submucosal regions of the circular muscle layer in the canine pyloric sphincter. We used the partitioned chamber method to study the passive and active properties of pyloric muscles, and we found that length constants of circular muscles of myenteric region were significantly longer than muscles near the submucosal surface. These data suggested differences in either membrane resistance, junctional resistance, or cytoplasmic resistance. The first parameter was evaluated by measuring time constants in intact tissues and single cells isolated from the submucosal and myenteric regions. Membrane time constants were not different in the two regions, nor were differences found in the input resistances of isolated cells. Morphological studies failed to demonstrate differences in cell diameters in the two regions suggesting that cytoplasmic resistances are similar. These findings suggest that the different cable properties in the two regions may be due to differences in electrical coupling. Morphological examination revealed similar numbers of gap junctions between cells in the two regions, but large differences were noted in the size of muscular bundles. Muscles of the myenteric region were arranged into large, tightly packed bundles, whereas muscles of the submucosal region consisted of small bundles with an extensive extracellular space filled with connective tissue. We suggest that the difference in cable properties may be due to differences in electrical coupling between bundles. These data suggest that submucosal muscles function more like a multiunit smooth muscle, whereas myenteric muscles behave as a single unit.
Automatic vehicle steering controls: DGPS/INS and magnetic markers

This paper describes the process of designing a simple high-gain automatic steering controller for a passenger vehicle based on the control states obtained from the integrated carrier phase (CP) Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) aided inertial navigation system (INS) system. Applying the "look-ahead" principle developed for the magnetic marker based steering control system, the process results in very similar control laws for both sensing systems. The dynamic differences between feeding back the yaw angle (using two magnet sensors, or two GPS antennae) and feeding back heading angle (using one magnet sensor or one GPS antenna) are investigated in this paper. Results from the closed-loop steering control experiments for speeds up to 65 mph using the two-magnet-sensors and one-GPS-antenna configuration support the system analysis.
Dynamic nuclear polarization of 17O: direct polarization.

Dynamic nuclear polarization of (17)O was studied using four different polarizing agents: the biradical TOTAPOL and the monoradicals trityl and SA-BDPA, as well as a mixture of the latter two. Field profiles, DNP mechanisms, and enhancements were measured to better understand and optimize directly polarizing this low-gamma quadrupolar nucleus using both mono- and biradical polarizing agents. Enhancements were recorded at 100 using the trityl (OX063) radical and 10,000-fold savings in acquisition time enabled a series of biologically relevant small molecules to be studied with small sample sizes and the measurement of various quadrupolar parameters. The results are discussed with comparison to room temperature studies and GIPAW quantum chemical calculations. These experimental results illustrate the strength of high field DNP and the importance of radical selection for studying low-gamma nuclei.
Intracellular Microelectrode Studies of Necturus Antral Mucosa: Effect of Aspirin on Cell Membrane Potentials

Intracellular microelectrode techniques were used to determine the effects of luminal aspirin on epithelial cell membrane potentials of Necturus antral mucosa. In this tissue, prolonged stable intracellular impalements were obtained with 15-50-MΩ microelectrodes filled with 3 M KCI. In acidic mucosal solution (pH 4.0) the addition of aspirin at 5.0 mM resulted in a significant decrease of apical cell membrane potential (V mc ) from −36.8 ± 2.2 to −22.2 ± 2.1 mV (p cs ) from −38.8 ± 1.7 to −25.3 ± 2.1 mV (p mc ) from −40.0 ± 2.4 to −46.8 ± 3.3 mV (p cs ) from −41.5 ± 2.0 to −49.7 ± 2.5 mV (p
Revision of Aleutian Prehistory.

Mongoloid skeletons of the Eskimo-Aleut stock, bone, stone and ivory artifacts, together with sea mammal, fish, bird, and invertebrate remains date to 1788 ± 180 B.C. at Chaluka, Umnak Island. Faunal composition and physical type of the human population present no appreciable changes for over 3000 years. Styles of artifacts change, but none indicate that ecological adaptation was affected.
Smoothing Spline Estimation of Variance Functions

This article considers spline smoothing of variance functions. We focus on selection of the smoothing parameters and develop three direct data-driven methods: unbiased risk (UBR), generalized approximate cross-validation (GACV), and generalized maximum likelihood (GML). In addition to guaranteed convergence, simulations show that these direct methods perform better than existing indirect UBR, generalized cross-validation (GCV), and GML methods. The direct UBR and GML methods perform better than the GACV method. An application to array-based comparative genomic hybridization data illustrates the usefulness of the proposed methods.
Discontinuous molecular dynamics studies of end-linked polymer networks

Discontinuous molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the structure and relaxation of large, off-lattice, near-perfect, tri- and tetrafunctional polymer networks at a packing fraction of 0.43. The networks are constructed by end-linking freely jointed, tangent hard-sphere chains ranging in length from N = 20 to N = 150 and are then relaxed for 5−20 billion collisions. The simulation trajectories are used to calculate the radius of gyration and end-to-end distance of the network chains, the static structure factor of the cross-links, the mean-squared displacement of the cross-links and chain inner segments, the intermediate scattering function of the chains, and the elastic modulus of the network. The structure and properties of the networks are shown to depend heavily on the manner in which the network is initially constructed. The dynamics of the network cross-links and chain inner segments are similar to those of melt chains at short times and show evidence of spatial localization at long times...
Improving intrusion detection performance using keyword selection and neural networks

Abstract The most common computer intrusion detection systems detect signatures of known attacks by searching for attack-specific keywords in network traffic. Many of these systems suffer from high false-alarm rates (often hundreds of false alarms per day) and poor detection of new attacks. Poor performance can be improved using a combination of discriminative training and generic keywords. Generic keywords are selected to detect attack preparations, the actual break-in, and actions after the break-in. Discriminative training weights keyword counts to discriminate between the few attack sessions where keywords are known to occur and the many normal sessions where keywords may occur in other contexts. This approach was used to improve the baseline keyword intrusion detection system used to detect user-to-root attacks in the 1998 DARPA Intrusion Detection Evaluation. It reduced the false-alarm rate required to obtain 80% correct detections by two orders of magnitude to roughly one false alarm per day. The improved keyword system detects new as well as old attacks in this database and has roughly the same computation requirements as the original baseline system. Both generic keywords and discriminant training were required to obtain this large performance improvement.
Effect of Valine on Propionate Metabolism in Control and Hyperglycinemic Fibroblasts and in Rat Liver

Measurement of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase and propionyl-CoA carboxylase activities in lysates from fibroblasts derived from control, nonketotic hyperglycinemia, propionic acidemia, and both vitamin B12-responsive and -nonresponsive variants of methylmalonic acidemia showed only one abnormality: a 59% decrease in carboxylase activity in the nonketotic hyperglycinemic lysates (P less than 0.01). When fibroblasts from all cell types were grown on valine-supplemented (24 mM) media, mutase activity was generally inhibited. As for carboxylase activity, control lines were inhibited 35% as compared to controls without valine and propionic acidemia activity was undetectable. On the other hand, carboxylase activity in both methylmalonic acidemia variants was increased 40% and nonketotic hyperglycinemia carboxylase activity was increased 80% (P less than 0.01) when grown on valine-supplemented media. Isoleucine could not substitute for valine in producing increased carboxylase activity in these mutants. Glycine cleavage activity in fresh rat liver homogenates (11.1 micronmol/gm protein/90 min) did not vary significantly when 24 mM valine was added to the reaction (9.9 micronmol/mg protein/90 min). Therefore, the hyperglycinemia observed in both ketotic and nonketotic forms is probably not caused by a direct effect of valine on the glycine cleavage reaction. These data suggest that the presence of increased amounts of propionic acid in serum or urine does not necessarily rule out the possibility of nonketotic hyperglycinemia due to the decreased activity of the carboxylase enzyme.
Enzymatic amplification of a Y chromosome repeat in a single blastomere allows identification of the sex of preimplantation mouse embryos

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique has been adapted to identify the sex of preimplantation mouse embryos rapidly. PCR was used to amplify a specific repeated DNA sequence on the Y chromosome from a single isolated blastomere in under 12 hr. The remainder of the biopsied embryo was then transferred to a pseudopregnant female and carried to term. Using this technique, 72% of embryos can be classed as potentially either male or female. Transfers of such embryos have produced pregnancies with 8/8 fetuses (100%) being of the predicted sex. Variations of the technique have demonstrated certain limitations to the present procedure as well as indicated possible strategies for improvement of the assay. The PCR technique may have wide application in the genetic analysis of preimplantation embryos.
High-efficiency avalanche mode in microstrip

High-efficiency-mode operation of S1 avalanche diodes as pulsed oscillators and amplifiers has been observed in microstrip. Impedance and transmission-loss measurement of the circuit are presented.
The effect of prolactin on dopamine release from rat striatum and medial basal hypothalamus

Abstract Electrical stimulation of supervised rat striatal slices or medial basal hypothalamus evokes a calcium-dependent release of dopamine; the release is blocked by tetrodotoxin. Prolactin (0.5–5 μg/ml) enhanced the evoked release of dopamine from both these tissues. It is well known that dopamine will inhibit the release and synthesis of prolactin in the pituitary. Our results suggest a possible presynaptic effect of prolactin on dopamine release.
Update on myocarditis in children.

Purpose of reviewMyocarditis is an uncommon pediatric illness, and it is frequently missed by medical personnel. It often masquerades as more common pediatric illnesses such as respiratory distress or gastrointestinal disease. Given that myocarditis accounts for 12% of sudden cardiac death among ado
DNA content of wheat monosomics at interphase estimated by flow cytometry

Two complete, independently maintained sets of 21 monosomic wheat lines derived from cv. ‘Chinese Spring’ were analyzed for their DNA content at the G1 stage with flow cytometry. The DNA content of individual chromosomes was estimated by subtracting the value of a monosomic line from that of euploid wheat. Our data show that the estimated 2C DNA of individual wheat chromosomes in 21 monosomics at the G1 stage ranges from about 0.58 pg in chromosome 1D to approximately 1.12 pg in chromosome 3A. The A genome (2C=6.15 pg) seems to contain more DNA than the B (2C=6.09 pg) and D (2C=5.05 pg) genomes. Analysis of variance showed significant differences (α=0.01) in DNA content both among homoeologous groups and among genomes. Our estimates of interphase DNA content of wheat chromosomes from monosomic lines were poorly correlated to the chromosome sizes at metaphase (r=0.622, P≤0.01). This poor correlation might be due to differential coiling among chromosomes during cell division, possible bias of fluorochrome binding to heterochromatin, or heterogeneity among monosomic lines. Finally, flow cytometry may aid but cannot replace cytological checks in aneuploid maintenance.
Electrically Heated Clothing

THE efficiency of our air forces can be reduced very materially by physical discomfort1 especially from the effects of severe cold. To be able to aim and fire machine guns and to operate bombsights and navigation instruments calls for finger dexterity and a mind and body not numbed by the cold found at high altitudes. Tests and experience have demonstrated that heated clothing will keep an inactive man comfortably warm for many hours at subzero temperatures. Such clothing was used to a small extent in the first World War and is used by all belligerents in this war. While many of our military craft have heating systems utilizing either engine heat or combustion heaters, not all parts of the ship can be heated, especially exposed positions where gunners are located. For these men, and for all the crew because of possible failure of the airplane heating system, electrically heated clothing is an important item in aerial warfare wherever subfreezing temperatures exist.
“From This Far Place”: On Justice and Absence

Addressing historic injustice involves a struggle against absence. This article reflects on the foundations of that challenge, on absence and justice. I ask what it means to address the absent victims of deadly injustice given the distance of time and death that separates us from them. This topic embraces a wide swath of events of interest to students of politics. Some are as recent as the Rwandan genocide; others are by now historical: the Holocaust or slavery in antebellum America. All have in common that they and their victims are distant from us, a separation that makes doing them justice deeply perplexing. In response, I sketch an argument that the absent victims of injustice are not nullities but retain a status, a presence as claimants on justice that defines our efforts to address the wrongs done them.
High-performance Ge-on-Si photodetectors

The past decade has seen rapid progress in research into high-performance Ge-on-Si photodetectors. Owing to their excellent optoelectronic properties, which include high responsivity from visible to near-infrared wavelengths, high bandwidths and compatibility with silicon complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor circuits, these devices can be monolithically integrated with silicon-based read-out circuits for applications such as high-performance photonic data links and infrared imaging at low cost and low power consumption. This Review summarizes the major developments in Ge-on-Si photodetectors, including epitaxial growth and strain engineering, free-space and waveguide-integrated devices, as well as recent progress in Ge-on-Si avalanche photodetectors. Owing to their excellent optoelectronic properties, Ge-on-Si photodetector can be monolithically integrated with silicon-based read-out circuits for applications such as high-performance photonic data links and low-cost infrared imaging at low power consumption. This Review covers the major developments in Ge-on-Si photodetectors, including epitaxial growth and strain engineering, free-space and waveguide-integrated devices, as well as recent progress in Ge-on-Si avalanche photodetectors.
Divergence of the inflammatory response in two types of chickens.

We compared inflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection in laying type (Brown Nick) to broiler type (Avian×Avian) chicks. Rectal temperature was measured at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h after LPS injection (0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 1, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg bw). In layers, rectal temperature increased from 41.31±0.19°C to a maximum 42.27±0.41°C at 4 h after 1 mg/kg LPS. Relative to layers, the febrile response in broilers was considerably lower, delayed in onset, and required higher levels of LPS (5 mg/kg). Proliferation of spleen cells from un-injected chicks in response to LPS, PHA, and Con A was evaluated in vitro. IFNγ, TGFβ2, MGF and IL-1β relative to β-actin mRNA expression were analyzed in spleen cells stimulated with LPS. Splenocytes from layers had a higher proliferative response to LPS (P=0.045), but lower proliferative response to PHA (P=0.004) and Con A (P=0.004) than broilers. Expression of mRNA for MGF, IL-1β and IFNγ was lower in broilers than in layers (P<0.001). Reduced production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines in broilers could have resulted from the observed increased production of the immunosuppressive cytokine TGFβ2. These differences in cytokine expression may explain the blunted febrile response in broilers compared to layers. Because the acute phase response of inflammation causes decreased food intake, the blunted inflammatory response of broilers may permit faster growth.
Nodal humor in comic narrative: a semantic analysis of two stories by Twain and Wodehouse

This paper shows that a semantic theory of humor offers, despite assertions to the contrary, an adequate description of how particular instances of humor are linked to the narrative in which they appear. After Victor Raskin's script-based semantic theory of humor is summarized, and adopted as the starfing point of the analysis in this paper, the humor in two short stories is described in terms of their semantic properties. In this paper, humor is said to reside not simply in jokes but in joke-like constructions, for which the term nodal points of humor" is used. These nodes can be identifiedby thepresence ofa semantic script Opposition which is evoked, either explicitly or implicitly. Moreover, the scripts that characterize a node as humorous are the same as those that make the nodes coherent with the rest of the narrative. In the last section of this paper, generalizations are made about the pattern of script activation and reactivation in both stories. Imprecision and an inability to integrale humor into a larger framework plague attempts made in the past to explicate comic narratives. Jerry Palmer, in bis article "Theory of comic narrative: semantic and pragmatic elements" (1988), correctly identifies the two prevalent types of theories about comic narrative and their failures. The first uses traditional categories of literary analysis, such as character, plot, and genre, but fails to account precisely for the formal, especially the linguistic, features of comic narrative. For this reason, the first type cannot explain why a particular passage of discourse elicits a humorous response. The second theory, which concentrates upon the semantic properties of humor, treats the comic narrative as a structure embedded with a series of jokes (Palmer 1988: 111). Although semantic theories come closer to explaining the why Humor 5-3 (1992), 233-250. 0933-1719/92/0005-0233 $2.00 © Walter de Gruyter Brought to you by | University of South Carolina School of L (University of South Carolina School of L) Authenticated | 172.16.1.226 Download Date | 6/1/12 5:38 PM