cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aromatase activity in microsomal preparations of human genital skin fibroblasts: influence of glucocorticoids.

Abstract Skin is an important site of estrogen production in men. Although the aromatase complex in these cells appears to be similar to that of other human cells, the regulation of aromatase by glucocorticoids in cultured human skin fibroblasts is unique. We examined aromatase activity in microsomal-enriched fractions of cultured human skin fibroblasts in order to characterize better the factors that regulate the aromatase in these cells. The optimum pH for aromatase activity in microsomal preparations ranged between 7.0 and 7.5. When androstenedione was the substrate, the mean V max was 0.58 pmol/mg protein/h (range: 0.09–1.26 pmol/mg protein/h) and the mean K m was 27 nM (range: 9–50 nM). When aromatase activity was determined as a function of NADPH concentration, the mean V max was 0.39 pmol/mg protein/h (range 0.11–0.82 pmol/mg protein/h) and the mean K m ., was 180 μM (range: 86–300 μM). For skin fibroblasts exposed to DEX, aromatase activity in isolated microsomes and intact cells was stimulated demonstrating a typical time course with peak levels at 14 h and a decline toward baseline with prolonged (48–60 h) exposure. Cytosol from DEX-stimulated cells did not stimulate the aromatase activity in microsomal-enriched preparations from untreated cells. In addition, cytosol from cells incubated with DEX for a prolonged period (60 h) did not inhibit the higher aromatase activity of microsomes from cells incubated with DEX for only 14 h. We previously demonstrated that skin fibroblasts incubated with DEX and CHX produced a superinduction phenomenon for aromatase activity. This superinduction of enzyme activity also occurred in the microsomal-enriched fraction and was unaffected by the cytosol of these cells. These studies exclude the possibility that the unique effects of DEX on the aromatase in human skin fibroblasts are due to the production of either inhibitory or stimulatory soluble factors within cytosol.
Pump-to-Signal Spatial Modulation Transfer in Noncollinear Optical Parametric Amplifiers

Intensity modulation transfer in saturated amplifiers is simulated for different gains and spatial walk-off configurations. Pump-to-signal walk-off in high-gain amplifiers reduces modulation transfer. Increased transfer occurs at low gains, particularly with idler-only walk-off.
Smoking trajectories across high school: sensation seeking and Hookah use.

Introduction This study investigated the associations of trajectories of cigarette smoking over the high school years with the prior development of childhood sensation seeking and the subsequent use of cigarettes and hookah at age 20/21. Methods Participants (N = 963) were members of a cohort-sequential longitudinal study, the Oregon Youth Substance Use Project. Sensation seeking was assessed across 4th-8th grades and cigarette smoking was assessed across 9th-12th grades. Cigarette and hookah use was assessed at age 20/21 for 684 of the 963 participants. Results Four trajectory classes were identified: Stable High Smokers (6%), Rapid Escalators (8%), Experimenters (15%), and Stable Nonsmokers or very occasional smokers (71%). Membership in any smoker class versus nonsmokers was predicted by initial level and growth of sensation seeking. At age 20/21, there was a positive association between smoking and hookah use for Nonsmokers and Experimenters in high school, whereas this association was not significant for Stable High Smokers or Rapid Escalators. Conclusions Level and rate of growth of sensation seeking are risk factors for adolescent smoking during high school (Stable High Smokers, Rapid Escalators, and Experimenters), suggesting the need for interventions to reduce the rate of increase in childhood sensation seeking. For those who were not already established smokers by the end of high school, hookah use may have served as a gateway to smoking.
Automatic programming: A tutorial on formal methodologies

Ten methodologies for automatic program construction are presented, discussed and compared. Some of the techniques generate code from formal input-output specifications while others work from examples of the target behaviour or from natural language input.
While parents might not want to, researchers really should ask questions about risky behaviors

Abstract In this reply, we focus on two major issues raised by our commentators. First, we deal with some empirical issues about whether asking questions really increases risky behavior. We argue that the results reviewed in our target article are valid, and are not due to lab-specific effects, or to question-wording or question-answering issues. Second, we tackle some issues related to the process by which questions might increase risky behavior. We focus on two mechanisms that seem promising for explaining the influence of questions on risky behavior: attitude activation and social norms. We also consider the impact of various moderators on the risky question-behavior effect, building on suggestions made in the commentaries. Finally, we make some suggestions about techniques that we—as parents, practitioners, and researchers—might use to reduce the impact of asking questions about risky behavior.
Security of open source web applications

In an empirical study of fourteen widely used open source PHP web applications, we found that the vulnerability density of the aggregate code base decreased from 8.88 vulnerabilities/KLOC to 3.30 from Summer 2006 to Summer 2008. Individual web applications varied widely, with vulnerability densities ranging from 0 to 121.4 at the beginning of the study. While the total number of security problems decreased, vulnerability density increased in eight of the fourteen applications over the analysis period. We developed a security resources indicator metric, which we found to be strongly correlated (ρ =0.67,p < 0.05) with change in vulnerability density over time. Traditional software metrics, such as code size, cyclomatic complexity, nesting complexity, and churn, had significant (p < 0.05) but much smaller correlations (ρ = 0.31 at best) with vulnerability density. Vulnerability density was measured using the Fortify Source Code Analyzer static analysis tool.
Coding and transmission of subband coded images on the Internet

Subband-coded images can be transmitted in the Internet using either the TCP or the UDP protocol. Delivery by TCP gives superior decoding quality but with very long delays when the network is unreliable, whereas delivery by UDP has negligible delays but with degraded quality when packets are lost. Although images are delivered currently over the Internet by TCP, we study in this paper the use of UDP to deliver multi-description reconstruction-based subband-coded images. First, in order to facilitate recovery from UDP packet losses, we propose a joint sender-receiver approach for designing optimized reconstruction-based subband transform (ORB-ST) in multi-description coding (MDC). Second, we carefully evaluate the delay-quality trade-offs between the TCP delivery of SDC images and the UDP and combined TCP/UDP delivery of MDC images. Experimental results show that our proposed ORB-ST performs well in real Internet tests, and UDP and combined TCP/UDP delivery of MDC images provide a range of attractive alternatives to TCP delivery.
Molecular Single Crystal Interfaces: Topographical Structure and Crystal Growth

Abstract Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals that the nanoscopic surface topography, and growth and dissolution mechanisms of molecular crystals are correlated with intermolecular bonding in the solid state. The orientation and growth of topographical features such as steps, ledges and kinks are primarily a manifestation of the enthalpically favored bonding directions within a given crystallographic plane. Hydrogen bonded crystals and charge transfer salts, which exhibit anisotropic solid state bonding, were found to have analogous topographical motifs in terms of surface features oriented along primary bonding directions. The role of these surface features, particularly ledges, in directing the nucleation and growth of secondary crystalline materials is described. Facile nucleation and oriented crystal growth is observed on substrate ledge sites, behavior that is attributed to lowering of the prenucleation aggregate free energy via “ledge directed epitaxy.” This involves a lattice match between the sub...
Biochemical studies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae myristoyl-coenzyme A:protein N-myristoyltransferase mutants.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (Nmt1p) is an essential 455-residue, monomeric enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of myristate from myristoyl-CoA to the NH2-terminal Gly residue of cellular proteins. Nmt1p has an ordered Bi Bi reaction mechanism with binding of myristoyl-CoA occurring before binding of peptide substrates. To define residues important for function, the polymerase chain reaction was used to generate random mutations in the NMT1 gene. A colony color sectoring assay was used to screen a library of 52,000 transformants for nmt1 alleles encoding enzymes with reduced activity. nmt1 alleles were identified that produced temperature-sensitive (ts) growth arrest due to substitutions affecting eight residues conserved in orthologous Nmts: Asn102, Ala202, Cys217, Ser328, Val395, Asn404, Leu420, and Asn426. Ala202→ Thr, Cys217→ Arg, Ser328→ Pro, Asn404→ Tyr, and Asn426→ Ile produced the most severe ts phenotype. Their effects on the functional properties of the enzyme's myristoyl-CoA and peptide binding sites were defined by purifying each mutant from Escherichia coli and conducting in vitro kinetic analyses with acyl-CoA and peptide substrates and with two competitive inhibitors: S-(2-oxo)pentadecyl-CoA, a nonhydrolyzable myristoyl-CoA analog, and SC-58272, a peptidomimetic derived from the NH2-terminal sequence of an Nmt1p substrate (ADP-ribosylation factor-2, Arf2p). None of the substitutions affect the enzyme's acyl chain length selectivity. When compared with wild type Nmt1p, Cys217→ Arg produces 3- and 6-fold increases in Ki for SC-58272 at 24 and 37°C but no change in Ki for S-(2-oxo)pentadecyl-CoA, indicating that the substitution selectively affects Nmt1p's peptide binding site. Asn426→ Ile selectively perturbs the myristoyl-CoA binding site, resulting in the most pronounced reduction in affinity for S-(2-oxo)pentadecyl-CoA (12- and 20-fold). Ala202→ Thr, which confers the most severe ts phenotype, provides an example of a substitution that affects both sites, producing 3- and 6-fold increases in the Ki for S-(2-oxo)pentadecyl-CoA and 6- and 9-fold increases in the Ki for SC-58272 at 24 and 37°C. An N-myristoylation-dependent change in the electrophoretic mobility of Arf1p was used to assay the effects of the mutants on cellular levels of protein N-myristoylation under a variety of growth conditions. The ts growth arrest produced by nmt1 alleles correlates with a reduction in myristoyl-Arf1p to ≤50% of total cellular Arf1p.
a Study of the Energy Distribution and Efficiency of the Quartz Mercury Arc as Functions of Arc Voltage, Current Density and Tube Diameter.

By employing the filter-thermopile method of making radiation analyses, the energy distributions of the radiation emitted by a number of special quartz mercury arcs have been determined over wide ranges of arc voltage at several constant current densities. The results indicate that high voltage, high current density and large tube diameter arc favorable for high percentage of ultraviolet radiation. For any given tube diameter and current density, there exists an arc voltage at which the infrared percentage reaches a maximum. The visible and near and far ultraviolet percentages exhibit corresponding minima. The infrared maximum appears at lower voltages as the current density or tube diameter is increased.It is shown that intensity is a function of current and arc voltage treated as separate variables, rather than of the product of these two. The intensity of a spectral group may increase, remain constant or decrease with increasing input to the burner.The total efficiency expressed as the ratio of radiant power to electrical input increases with increasing arc voltage, current density and tube diameter. Under given electrical conditions the efficiency can be increased by heating the luminous tube.
Herbivory in Crabs: Adaptations and Ecological Considerations

Plant material is the major source of nutrition for many species of crabs in both marine and terrestrial habitats. Physical and chemical characteristics of plants can lead to difficulties in harvesting and ingestion, to low digestability, unpalatability and toxicity, and to deficiencies in specific nutrients, especially nitrogen, vitamins and fatty acids. We describe the range of herbivory in crabs, as well as the anatomical, physiological and behavioral adaptations that enhance nutrient acquisition from plant material. We assess the impact of herbivory by crabs on plant communities, and highlight topics for further research.
An Algorithm for Deploying a Crime Directed Tactical Patrol Force

This paper presents an algorithm for deploying a crime directed patrol force. The optimization problem is formulated as the allocation of N patrol among R high crime regions so as to maximize the weighted probability of a patrol intercept of a crime. The algorithm has full sensitivity analysis capabilities. This capability is critical because the model's input parameters include 1 crime weights, which in general will have a subjective component, 2 crime descriptive data, which are difficult to estimate, and 3 crime frequency data, which are likely to change with time. The paper presents an illustrative application of the algorithm. The resultant allocation is compared to a strategy which allocates patrol units in direct proportion to each region's total crime rate. The optimal allocation significantly increased the probability of an intercept.
Circuit-Level Impact of a-Si:H Thin-Film-Transistor Degradation Effects

This paper reviews amorphous silicon thin-film-transistor (TFT) degradation with electrical stress, examining the implications for various types of circuitry. Experimental measurements on active-matrix backplanes, integrated a-Si:H column drivers, and a-Si:H digital circuitry are performed. Circuit modeling that enables the prediction of complex-circuit degradation is described. The similarity of degradation in amorphous silicon to negative bias temperature instability in crystalline PMOS FETs is discussed as well as approaches in reducing the TFT degradation effects. Experimental electrical-stress-induced degradation results in controlled humidity environments are also presented.
Primary versus Secondary Rehearsal in Imagined Voices: Differential Effects on Recognition

Abstract Subjects were asked to rehearse word trigrams in a particular prefamiliarized male or female voice for 5, 10, or 15 sec. In Experiment 1, recognition performance improved with the amount of primary (maintenance) rehearsal only if the speaker's voice at test matched the rehearsal voice, but recognition performance improved with the amount of secondary (elaborative) rehearsal regardless of the sex of the speaker at test. With a visual testing procedure in Experiments 2 and 3, the amount of primary rehearsal given to a trigram had no effect on recognition performance unless the original voice context was reinstated mentally at test. These results suggest that: (a) Secondary rehearsal builds up semantic associations, whereas primary rehearsal serves to associate items with their physical characteristics at presentation. (b) There is an important memory search component in recognition as well as in recall. (c) Imaginal operations can yield a product in memory that is similar to that left by perceptual operations.
Age related changes in the synthesis of connective tissues in the rabbit.

The synthesis of collagen and non-collagen proteins was studied in rapidly growing male New Zealand rabbits. Animals were divided into sexually immature (i.e. 4 and 8 week old) and mature (i.e. 15 and 26 week old) groups. Comparisons of aorta, lung, and liver protein synthesis and accumulation were made to determine the effect of aging on both collagen and non-collagen proteins. In all tissues there appeared to be an age-related decrease in the relative percent of collagen synthesized. In the lung and liver the relative decrease in percent collagen synthesis resulted from an age-related increase in the synthesis rate of non-collagen proteins In the aorta the decrease in percent collagen synthesis was primarily a result of a decrease in collagen synthesis These data therefore suggest that the rate of accumulation of tissue proteins correlates more directly with the growth and degree of differentiation of a tissue than with direct animal age.
Targeted Mutagenesis, Precise Gene Editing, and Site-Specific Gene Insertion in Maize Using Cas9 and Guide RNA

Targeted mutagenesis, editing of endogenous maize (Zea mays) genes, and site-specific insertion of a trait gene using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas)-guide RNA technology are reported in maize. DNA vectors expressing maize codon-optimized Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 endonuclease and single guide RNAs were cointroduced with or without DNA repair templates into maize immature embryos by biolistic transformation targeting five different genomic regions: upstream of the liguleless1 (LIG1) gene, male fertility genes (Ms26 and Ms45), and acetolactate synthase (ALS) genes (ALS1 and ALS2). Mutations were subsequently identified at all sites targeted, and plants containing biallelic multiplex mutations at LIG1, Ms26, and Ms45 were recovered. Biolistic delivery of guide RNAs (as RNA molecules) directly into immature embryo cells containing preintegrated Cas9 also resulted in targeted mutations. Editing the ALS2 gene using either single-stranded oligonucleotides or double-stranded DNA vectors as repair templates yielded chlorsulfuron-resistant plants. Double-strand breaks generated by RNA-guided Cas9 endonuclease also stimulated insertion of a trait gene at a site near LIG1 by homology-directed repair. Progeny showed expected Mendelian segregation of mutations, edits, and targeted gene insertions. The examples reported in this study demonstrate the utility of Cas9-guide RNA technology as a plant genome editing tool to enhance plant breeding and crop research needed to meet growing agriculture demands of the future.
Binding of Myosin Essential Light Chain to the Cytoskeleton-Associated Protein IQGAP1

The 190 kD human IQGAP1 protein, by virtue of its N-terminal calponin-homology domain, is found associated with the actin cytoskeleton, and is capable of cross-linking actin filaments. IQGAP1 complexes with several proteins, including the Rho family GTPases Cdc42 and Rac, as well as calmodulin. It was previously noted that one of the IQ motifs of IQGAP1 displays significant similarity to a myosin heavy chain IQ motif responsible for binding the calmodulin-related myosin essential light chain (ELC). Employing the yeast two-hybrid methodology as well as in vitro binding experiments, we present evidence that a truncated version of IQGAP1 can interact with the myosin ELC. This interaction may have significant consequences for various cellular processes that involve actomyosin contractility, and suggests that the biological targets of the ELC may not be restricted to the myosin heavy chain.
Resource scheduling heuristics for data intensive networks

In this work, we consider the adaptive capacity utilization problem for real-time heterogeneous data intensive MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) networks consisting of multiple source and destination nodes. We account for a file transfer scenario taking into account node capacity, file size, file transfer start time, and the deadline of files when determining the explicit capacity of Virtual Paths (VPs) across the backbone. We propose two heuristic algorithms referred to as the Most Conservative (MC) algorithm and the Load Balancing (LB) algorithm using a newly introduced parameter, capacity utilization. These heuristic algorithms are designed to react to file transfers according to the temporal capacity of VPs for multiple source and destination networks.
Effect of pH on Successive Foam and Sonic Droplet Fractionation of a Bromelain-invertase Mixture

A droplet fractionation method was previously developed to concentrate a dilute nonfoaming protein solution. In that earlier study with invertase, it was demonstrated that droplets created by ultrasonic energy waves could be enriched up to 8 times that of the initial dilute invertase solution. In this study, a mixture of bromelain (a foaming protein) and invertase (a nonfoaming protein) is investigated as a preliminary step to determine if droplet fractionation can also be used to separate a non-foaming protein from foaming proteins. The foaming mixture containing bromelain is first removed by bubbling the binary mixture with air. After the foam is removed, the protein rich air-water interfacial layer is skimmed off (prior to droplet fractionation) so as not to interfere with the subsequent droplet production from the remaining bulk liquid, rich in non-foaming protein. Finally, sonic energy waves are then applied to this residual bulk liquid to recover droplets containing the non-foaming protein, presumed to be invertase. The primary control variable used in this droplet fractionation process is the pH, which ranged for separate experiments between 2 and 9. It was observed that the maximum overall protein partition coefficients of 5 and 4 were achieved at pH 2 and 4, respectively, for the initial foaming experiment followed by the post foaming droplet fractionation experiment.
Woody plant colonization in an experimentally fragmented landscape

The pattern of distribution and abundance of woody plants colonizing old fields is influenced by landscape spatial features, in particular, by the distance from the old field to propagule sources and the size of the habitat patches undergoing succession. Colonization is also influenced by species life history traits, such as dispersal mode, growth form, and fecundity. As part of a long-term project studying effects of habitat fragmentation on secondary succession at the prairie-forest ecotone, we have examined the colonization patterns of early-successional woody plants in an experimentally fragmented old field, with emphasis on the three woody species [Cornus drummondii C. A. Mey (rough-leaved dogwood), Ulmus rubra Muhl. (slippery elm), and Juniperus virginiana L. (red cedar)], which currently dominate the woody community on the site. The shapes of the colonization curve (proportion of colonized quadrats vs time) differed between C. drummondii and U. rubra. The rate of colonization by C. drummondii showed a pattern of acceleration after its initial colonization, consistent with rapid in situ recruitment from clonal growth and early seed production. By contrast, colonization by U. rubra fits a roughly linear pattern, consistent with recruitment only from external propagule sources. For both C. drummondii and U. rubra, density is currently greater in large patches than in small patches. No patch size difference was found for J. virginiana. The stern density of both C. drummondii and U. rubra exponentially decreased with distance to external propagule sources. The negative exponential pattern of U. rubra (wind-dispersed) with distance is sharper than that of C drummondii (bird-dispersed). Moreover, the amount of spatial variation in density explained by distance to source is greater on small patches. Our results highlight the importance of life history traits of colonizing species and spatial aspects of habitat during succession.
Responses of insect cells to baculovirus infection: protein synthesis shutdown and apoptosis

Protein synthesis is globally shut down at late times postinfection in the baculovirus Autographa californica M nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV)-infected gypsy moth cell line Ld652Y. A single gene, hrf-1, from another baculovirus, Lymantria dispar M nucleopolyhedrovirus, is able to preclude protein synthesis shutdown and ensure production of AcMNPV progeny in Ld652Y cells (S. M. Thiem, X. Du, M. E. Quentin, and M. M. Berner, J. Virol. 70:2221-2229, 1996; X. Du and S. M. Thiem, Virology 227:420-430, 1997). AcMNPV contains a potent antiapoptotic gene, p35, and protein synthesis arrest was reported in apoptotic insect cells induced by infection with AcMNPV lacking p35. In exploring the function of host range factor 1 (HRF-1) and the possible connection between protein synthesis shutdown and apoptosis, a series of recombinant AcMNPVs with different complements of p35 and hrf-1 were employed in apoptosis and protein synthesis assays. We found that the apoptotic suppressor AcMNPV P35 was translated prior to protein synthesis shutdown and functioned to prevent apoptosis. HRF-1 prevented protein synthesis shutdown even when the cells were undergoing apoptosis, but HRF-1 could not functionally substitute for P35. The DNA synthesis inhibitor aphidicolin could block both apoptosis and protein synthesis shutdown in Ld652Y cells infected with p35 mutant AcMNPVs but not the protein synthesis shutdown in wild-type AcMNPV-infected Ld652Y cells. These data suggest that protein synthesis shutdown and apoptosis are separate responses of Ld652Y cells to AcMNPV infection and that P35 is involved in inducing a protein synthesis shutdown response in the absence of late viral gene expression in Ld652Y cells. A model was developed for these responses of Ld652Y cells to AcMNPV infection.
Designing and managing virtual learning communities

There is a tendency to view education on the Internet as simply a more efficient way to access information and to communicate, but the Internet is much more than just another tool. The Internet has the potential to create communities where students participate in robust discourse and rituals of communication, establish their identities, and traverse community boundaries. We believe we need to design on-line courses with sound pedagogical frameworks and with a sense of promoting community values of diversity, connectedness, and civic responsibility. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to describe a framework that we use to design virtual learning communities. We explain community activities to consider, describe how we used our framework for designing three classes, and pose issues that arose when using this framework. We hope our thoughts will direct discussion toward the creation of innovative learning communities.
There is another choice: an exploration of integrating formative assessment in a Chinese high school chemistry classroom through collaborative action research

This study explored integrating formative assessment to a Chinese high school chemistry classroom, where the extremely high-stakes testing and Confucian-heritage culture constituted a particular context, through a collaborative action research. One researcher worked with a high school chemistry teacher in China to integrate formative assessment into his teaching with 54 students in one of his classes. Data resources included transcripts from planning sessions, lesson plans, teacher interviews, classroom observations, student work, student interviews and surveys. The findings of this study revealed that as the teacher allowed his original views about students’ learning and assessment tasks to be challenged by the students’ learning, his teaching practice and understandings of formative assessment were transformed. Students’ learning experience was also examined in the formative assessment process. The potentials and challenges of integrating formative assessment in the Chinese high school science classroom are discussed. This study indicated that formative assessment is promising to implement in Chinese high school science classrooms to enhance students’ learning and meet the imperative needs for high-stakes exam preparation as well; and writing formative assessment tasks are favorable in this particular socio-cultural context. Further, this study suggested that facilitating in-service science teachers to integrate formative assessment through collaborative action research is a powerful professional development on improving teaching and learning under the highly constraint context.
Expanding the Potential of DNA for Binding and Catalysis: Highly Functionalized dUTP Derivatives That Are Substrates for Thermostable DNA Polymerases.

The discovery of a simple structural motif allows for the enzymatic synthesis by polymerase chain reactions (PCR) of modified DNA (see reaction scheme) bearing side chains similar or even identical to those of several amino acids. Libraries of DNA functionalized with both cationic and anionic groups may now be readily prepared. R=I, HgCl; X=functional group.
NUTRIENT ACQUISITION FROM SOILS WITH PATCHY NUTRIENT DISTRIBUTIONS AS ASSESSED WITH SIMULATION MODELS

Effectiveness of nitrate (NO3-) and phosphate (P) uptake in a patchy nutrient environment by tussocks of Agropyron desertorum (crested wheatgrass) was assessed with simulations using existing nutrient-uptake models parameterized with field data. Simulations conducted with Monte Carlo techniques were used to expose roots to different levels of nutrient variability with numbers of patches set at 10 large or 1000 small patches over the rooting zone of a single tussock. With constant uptake kinetics, simulated whole-plant uptake of both NO3- and P by established or growing roots was highest in soils with the nutrients distributed uniformly but declined with increasing soil nutrient variability for both nutrients. The decline was greater for NO3- than for P and was greater for both ions in soils with nutrients distributed in the 10 large patches. The reduction in predicted nutrient uptake with increasing variability was more pronounced with higher mean concentrations of P, while mean concentration had little effect on the pattern of NO3- uptake. However, allowing increased uptake kinetics with increasing nutrient concentration, as measured earlier for Agropyron desertorum, indicated that changes in kinetics could offset the lower whole-plant uptake rates in soils with patchy nutrient distributions. The effects of soil moisture and root distribution on whole-plant uptake of NO3- and P were also simulated. With constant kinetics, nutrient uptake in drier soil with uniformly distributed soil moisture was less affected by patchy nutrient distributions than was nutrient uptake in moister soil. Benefits associated with enhanced uptake kinetics with patchy nu- trients distributions were reduced in drier soils for NO3-, but were similar for P. Variability in soil moisture had little effect on patterns of P and N03- uptake. Differences in distri- butions of distances between fine roots had little influence on the patterns of NO3- and P uptake.
An Intergenerational Test of Integrated Theory

The integrated theory proposed by Elliott et al. (1979), combining strain, social control, and social learning theories, has been tested and supported for individuals who were adolescents in the mid-1970s. The present research tests this theory in parallel models for a first generation consisting of a national sample of adolescents in 1976–1978, and a second generation, the adolescent children of the first generation, in 2002–2004. There is evidence that relationships among the variables in the model have changed over time, but the core of the integrated theory continues to be supported for the second generation.
Better together: the "M" word.

Summary Collaborative work between institutions of higher education is highly supported by legislators, administrators, and students. To address the need for enrollment of students, regulatory demands, and cost containment a school of nursing that spanned two institutions was undertaken by the faculty and staff at a university and technical college. This article outlines the process of alignment with faculty, students and administration which includes five stages: dreaming, developing, championing, launching, and stabilizing.
Identification of Cys255 in HIF-1α as a novel site for development of covalent inhibitors of HIF-1α/ARNT PasB domain protein–protein interaction

The heterodimer HIF-1α (hypoxia inducible factor)/HIF-β (also known as ARNT-aryl hydrocarbon nuclear translocator) is a key mediator of cellular response to hypoxia. The interaction between these monomer units can be modified by the action of small molecules in the binding interface between their C-terminal heterodimerization (PasB) domains. Taking advantage of the presence of several cysteine residues located in the allosteric cavity of HIF-1α PasB domain, we applied a cysteine-based reactomics "hotspot identification" strategy to locate regions of HIF-1α PasB domain critical for its interaction with ARNT. COMPOUND 5 was identified using a mass spectrometry-based primary screening strategy and was shown to react specifically with Cys255 of the HIF-1α PasB domain. Biophysical characterization of the interaction between PasB domains of HIF-1α and ARNT revealed that covalent binding of COMPOUND 5 to Cys255 reduced binding affinity between HIF-1α and ARNT PasB domains approximately 10-fold. Detailed NMR structural analysis of HIF-1α-PasB-COMPOUND 5 conjugate showed significant local conformation changes in the HIF-1α associated with key residues involved in the HIF-1α/ARNT PasB domain interaction as revealed by the crystal structure of the HIF-1α/ARNT PasB heterodimer. Our screening strategy could be applied to other targets to identify pockets surrounding reactive cysteines suitable for development of small molecule modulators of protein function.
Competitive processivity-clamp usage by DNA polymerases during DNA replication and repair

Protein clamps are ubiquitous and essential components of DNA metabolic machineries, where they serve as mobile platforms that interact with a large variety of proteins. In this report we identify residues that are required for binding of the β-clamp to DNA polymerase III of Escherichia coli, a polymerase of the Pol C family. We show that the α polymerase subunit of DNA polymerase III interacts with the β-clamp via its extreme seven C-terminal residues, some of which are conserved. Moreover, interaction of Pol III with the clamp takes place at the same site as that of the δ-subunit of the clamp loader, providing the basis for a switch between the clamp loading machinery and the polymerase itself. Escherichia coli DNA polymerases I, II, IV and V (UmuC) interact with β at the same site. Given the limited amounts of clamps in the cell, these results suggest that clamp binding may be competitive and regulated, and that the different polymerases may use the same clamp sequentially during replication and repair.
Coronary Calcium Score and the New Guidelines: Back to Square One?∗

Previous guidelines for cardiovascular risk assessment recommended the use of a modified Framingham score to estimate the 10-year risk of hard coronary heart disease (CHD) events, defined as myocardial infarction and CHD death [(1)][1]. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring for refined
Learning and transfer of measurement tasks

This study presents a theoretically motivated analysis of learning and performance on a micro-processor based oscilloscope. An analysis of the knowledge required to make basic measurements was done using the GOMS model and Cognitive Complexity Theory (CCT). From these analyses and the criterion used in Polson, Muncher, and Engelbeck (1986), tasks were selected for an experiment evaluating training order manipulations using naive users of oscilloscopes. Production system models for each training task were derived from CCT. The models successfully predicted transfer between tasks and training order effects. Implications for the design of systems with embedded micro-processors are discussed.
Observation-Based Longwave Cloud Radiative Kernels Derived from the A-Train

AbstractThe authors present a new method to derive both the broadband and spectral longwave observation-based cloud radiative kernels (CRKs) using cloud radiative forcing (CRF) and cloud fraction (CF) for different cloud types using multisensor A-Train observations and MERRA data collocated on the pixel scale. Both observation-based CRKs and model-based CRKs derived from the Fu–Liou radiative transfer model are shown. Good agreement between observation- and model-derived CRKs is found for optically thick clouds. For optically thin clouds, the observation-based CRKs show a larger radiative sensitivity at TOA to cloud-cover change than model-derived CRKs. Four types of possible uncertainties in the observed CRKs are investigated: 1) uncertainties in Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer cloud properties, 2) the contributions of clear-sky changes to the CRF, 3) the assumptions regarding clear-sky thresholds in the observations, and 4) the assumption of a single-layer cloud. The observation-based CRKs...
Disaster preparedness and triage : Justice and the common good

"Triage" is a term generally referring to the social practice of sorting or categorizing. While it originally had an innocent, commercial meaning referring to sorting crops according to quality, the term quickly took on a more ominous meaning referring to classifying battlefield casualties into three groups: those too well-off to be treated and then, among those more seriously wounded, one group that will get medical attention and another that will not. The moral problem is how to distinguish between the latter two groups. The Hippocratic oath has been utterly useless in helping us do this sorting, since the oath commands the clinician to remain loyal to the individual patient and give no attention to the choice between two patients with different needs. Baker and Strosberg show that historically the British sorted following utilitarian principles, giving priority to the patients who could benefit the most even if they were not in greatest need, while the French arranged patients who could be helped in order of greatest need even if it was not maximally efficient to do so. Understanding how contemporary organ transplant policy utilizes triage can help us clarify our mass disaster triage policy. Two organ transplant examples--tissue typing for kidneys and geographical priority for allocating livers--show that American social policy, when forced to choose between allocating on the basis of efficiency or allocating on the basis of justice, will consider both principles, but give equal or dominant priority to justice--even though this priority is understood to be relatively inefficient. Since health care professionals have a recognized preference for efficiency over justice and lay people are inclined towards justice, leaving mass disaster triage policy in the hands of health professionals will predictably structure the policy in a way that conflicts with the moral priorities of the lay population. Formal public debate that recognizes the conflict between efficiency and equity--professional and lay priorities--is therefore essential.
Validation of Movable-Bed Modeling Guidance

A l-to-7.5 scale (midscale) movable-bed physical model was used to validate model scaling criteria selected as most appropriate for turbulence-dominated, erosion of sediment by waves. Two-dimensional flume tests successfully reproduced profile evolution observed in prototype-scale wave flume tests conducted in Germany under both regular and irregular wave conditions. For the case of regular waves, a sloping concrete revetment was exposed, thus validating the scaling guidance for use in studying scour at coastal structures. Comparisons between regular wave and irregular wave profile evolution indicated that best correspondence is achieved when the significant wave height equals the monochromatic wave height, although irregular wave profile evolution takes about twice as long.
Electromigration in Epitaxial Copper Lines

Copper is becoming the metal of choice for interconnect applications in integrated circuits due to its lower electrical resistivity and higher electromigration (EM) resistance. The effects of grain size, preferred orientation, and interfacial layers, on electromigration in Cu lines are, however, not yet well understood. In this paper, we compare the EM characteristics of epitaxial Cu(111) lines with that of polycrystalline lines with a (111) texture. We also investigate the effects of Ta, TaN and TiN interfacial underlayers and Cu crystal quality on the EM response of epitaxial Cu(001) lines. EM tests were carried out on 2-μm-wide Cu lines at a constant current density between 0.02 and 3.5 MA/cm 2 in an Ar ambient at 300 °C. Our results indicate that EM resistance of both (111) and (001) epitaxial lines have a higher mean time to failure (MTTF) than polycrystalline Cu lines. The presence of a TiN or TaN interfacial layer increases the MTTF in Cu(001) films, while a Ta underlayer degrades EM resistance. X-ray diffractograms indicating a smaller full-width-at-half-maximum of Cu(001) films on nitride underlayers suggest that lower defect densities in these Cu films is the likely reason for improved EM resistance. Both (111) and (100) orientations fail by formation of faceted voids.
Efficiency Gains in Tracer Identification for Nuclear Imaging: Can In Vivo LC-MS/MS Evaluation of Small Molecules Screen for Successful PET Tracers?

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has become a useful noninvasive technique to explore molecular biology within living systems; however, the utility of this method is limited by the availability of suitable radiotracers to probe specific targets and disease biology. Methods to identify potential areas of improvement in the ability to predict small molecule performance as tracers prior to radiolabeling would speed the discovery of novel tracers. In this retrospective analysis, we characterized the brain penetration or peak SUV (standardized uptake value), binding potential (BP), and brain exposure kinetics across a series of known, nonradiolabeled PET ligands using in vivo LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry) and correlated these parameters with the reported PET ligand performance in nonhuman primates and humans available in the literature. The PET tracers studied included those reported to label G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), intracellular enzymes, and transporters....
What is the state of play

My initial response to the question posed to me is that the state of play, as a scientific field, is actually pretty healthy. By this I mean that psychologists, biologists, ethologists, neuroscient...
Habituation and rehabituation of the electrodermal orienting reflex in Macaca fascicularis monkeys as a function of stimulus variability

Two groups of six adult female Macaca fascicularis monkeys received repeated presentations of either a fixed pure tone or a tone that varied in frequency from trial to trial, until their skin conductance response habituated. The monkeys were then rehabituated with a new, unchanging stimulus. The monkeys showed a small but insignificant tendency towards retention of habituation, but no savings in either SCR magnitude or latency scores. The habituation-retardation effect, seen in humans’ trials-to-criterion data and to some extent in SCR magnitude and latency measures in Cebus monkeys, was suggested in the macaques’ trials data but not in their magnitude or latency data. A significant accelerative change in heart rate was elicited by the tones, unlike the decelerative response seen in humans, Macaca arctoides, and Cebus monkeys. The Macaca fascicularis monkeys showed a change toward HR deceleration with repeated, unchanging stimulation, but not with varying stimulation. Also, a shift in auditory frequency following habituation resulted in a HR increase following initial habituation to a fixed stimulus, but not following habituation to variable stimuli. It could not be determined whether the difference in HR response between the present macaques and previously studied Cebus monkeys was due to species or sex, since the macaques in this study were all female, while the Cebus monkeys in our earlier study were all male. Both species appear to provide some support for the matching model of habituation.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF YORUBA CHURCH MUSIC

From the beginning, the Catholic Church in Nigeria has sung in the vernaculars, but using European melodies and stanza forms. In 1947, Joseph Ojo of Oye-Ekiti started a development of truly Yoruba music and poetic forms for use in religious drama. At that time it was not possible to get priests or people to accept such music inside the churches.
Speed of the Δ J = 1 , Δ T = 1 M 1 Transition in Al 26

The attenuated-Doppler-shift technique has been used to determine the mean life of the 1.059-MeV third excited state in ${\mathrm{Al}}^{26}$ to be (${3.1}_{\ensuremath{-}0.8}^{+1.1}$)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ sec. The state decays primarily to the ${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}={0}^{+}$, $T=1$, 0.229-MeV first excited state. The spin component in this pure $M1$ transition can be deduced from the analogous Gamow-Teller $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay from the ${\mathrm{Si}}^{26}$ ground state to the 1.059-MeV state in ${\mathrm{Al}}^{26}$. The observed lifetime is only about half what would be predicted from the spin component alone. This indicates a strong orbital contribution which, in turn, implies a large ${({d}_{\frac{5}{2}})}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ component in the wave function. A summary of $M1$ transitions whose spin components are known from analogous $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decays is given. A mean life of (4.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.5)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ sec was found for the second excited state of ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{26}$.
Personality Traits, Ego Development, and the Redemptive Self

Life narratives are the internalized stories that people construct to provide meaning, purpose, and coherence in their lives. Prior research suggests that psychologically healthy and socially engaged adults generally narrate their lives in a prototypical fashion labeled the redemptive self, consisting of five themes: (a) a sense of childhood advantage, (b) empathy for others' sufferings, (c) moral steadfastness, (d) turning of negative events into positive outcomes (redemption sequences), and (e) prosocial goals. The current study examines trait correlates of the redemptive self in 157 late-midlife adults. Summing thematic scores across 12 life story interview scenes, the redemptive self was positively associated with four of the Big Five traits: extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability, but unrelated to cognitive features of personality, as assessed on openness and ego development. The findings suggest those with positive socio-emotional personality traits, but not necessarily a proclivity for sophisticated thoughts, tend to have redemptive life stories.
An Evaluation of Performance-Based Budget Reform in Asian Countries

This article investigates the effects of performance-based budgeting (PBB) adoption on the spending of the central government in eleven Asian countries over an 18-year period. The theoretical argum...
Optimal delay estimation in a multiple sensor array having spatially correlated noise

The estimation of time-of-arrival differences for signals from a single source or target arriving at multiple sensors enables target location. Herein noises are taken to have equal spatial correlation for all sensor pairs. Resulting estimators are shown to be reasonable and reduce to previously derived estimators where noises are independent.