cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teleology and Spinoza's Conatus

Reports on Spinoza’s views about goals or purposes or ‘final causes’ tend to focus on his rejection of cosmic or divine purpose. But that is not all he rejected: he was opposed to all ‘final causes’, all teleological explanation, even of human action; and that gives the Ethics some peculiar features that I will expound in this paper. Spinoza has two general objections to teleology, both given in the Appendix to Part I of the Ethics. To get a hold on them, let us consider a small fragment of the natural world: A certain event occurs in my brain, which causes me to raise my hand, which in turn causes the deflection of a stone that has been thrown at my face. For short: Brain causes Raise, which causes Deflect. If I say that I raised my hand in order to deflect the stone, I purport to explain why Raise occurred. ‘Why did you raise your hand?’ ‘So as to deflect the stone.’ But Spinoza thinks that to explain something is to say what causes it, and so he thinks that the above explanation purports to give Deflect a role in the causing of Raise. He objects to this on two grounds: (i) the role of ‘cause of Raise’ is already filled, namely by Brain, and (ii) Deflect cannot enter into the causing of Raise since the causal flow runs the other way, i.e. Raise causes Deflect. I will concentrate on (ii) rather than (i). That is, I will not emphasize Spinoza’s view that teleological explanations are wrong because they put items into causal roles that have been preempted by other items; rather, I will emphasize his view that they are wrong because: ‘This doctrine concerning an end turns Nature completely upside down. For what is really a cause it considers as an effect, and conversely what is an effect it considers as a cause. What naturally comes before, it puts after.’ In short, Deflect cannot help to explain Raise, because Raised causes Deflect.
Vibrational dynamics around the conical intersection: a study of methoxy vibrations on the X(2)E surface

The large-amplitude vibrational dynamics of methoxy (CH3O), resulting from the conical intersection at the C3v geometry, are investigated using variational methods. A two-dimensional model Hamiltonian consisting of two vibrational degrees of freedom and the coupling between them is presented in a diabatic representation of the electronic degrees of freedom. The observed complex dynamics are understood in terms of the multiple timescales that arise as the initial wave packet passes through the conical intersection. This model Hamiltonian is extended to include a full-dimensional treatment of methoxy. A quartic potential is calculated using both single and multiple configuration methods. The vibronic eigenstates are calculated using a series of basis set contraction schemes taking a primitive basis of harmonic oscillator wave functions as the starting point. Our final results, including spin-orbit coupling, are compared to experiment.
Ocean boundaries and petroleum resources.

In addition to the national boundary of 200 nautical miles, several other plans for national-international ocean boundaries are discussed. Eight requirements for any successful plan for a boundary are outlined. The boundary scheme that appears to meet closely the eight requirements is one which calls for the base of the Continental Slope (or the insular slope) to serve as a general guide to an internationally prescribed boundary zone, within which the exact position of the boundary between national and international jurisdiction over mineral resources beneath the ocean floor would be designated by the coastal shelf itself. Practically, the boundary zone should not be less than 100 kilometers (54 nautical miles), and it could be much wider as the concensus of nations considered desirable. Since some of the thickest sediment deposits and hence possibly some of the richest petroleum deposits lie seaward from the base-of-slope line, the width adopted as standard for the boundary zone would be of critical importance. The boundaries off the eastern and other coasts of the U.S. resulting from different boundary plans are discussed. Estimates of the petroleum prospects off the eastern U.S. coast are presented. It is concluded that the U.S. has everything to gain andmore » nothing to lose by supporting a boundary formula that gives it its natural subsea territory out to the base of theadjacent continental slope, plus additional shelvage provided by whatever width boundary zone the nations-in-concert decide is desirable. However, the U.S. would definitely lose by accepting a 200-mile limit. (BLM)« less
An Experimental Assessment of the Effects of Two Alcoholic Beverage Health Warnings Across Countries and Binge-Drinking Status

In recent years, alcohol-related problems on college campuses have been well documented. This research examines how two different alcoholic beverage health warnings placed on the label of a fictitious brand of beer influence alcohol-related risk perceptions, attitudes and intentions, and characterizations of problem-drinking behaviors of binge and non-binge drinkers in Australia and the United States. The consumer welfare implications of our findings, which show that the dependent measures are influenced by both main and interaction effects, are discussed.
An anatomic study of the humeral insertion of the inferior glenohumeral capsule

To define inferior humeral capsular anatomy better, 12 cadaveric shoulders were dissected and an inferior capsular shift was performed. Two types of inferior humeral attachments were identified. In 7 specimens, the anterior capsular insertion bifurcated at the 8-o'clock position (on a right specimen) into a superior internal fold adjacent to the articular cartilage and an inferior external fold on the humeral surgical neck. In 5 specimens, the capsular insertion did not split but inserted over a broad area on the surgical neck. In all specimens, there was a re-confluence of the two folds at the 4-o'clock position. The inferior humeral capsular attachment may extend as far as 2 cm inferior to the articular surface and can be divided into two distinct types, split and broad, each with distinct internal and external folds of the capsule. Failure to release both of these folds limits the ability to shift the capsule superiorly by tethering the capsule inferiorly.
Antibodies to glomerular basement membrane: Detection by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the sera of Brown Norway rats

Circulating antibodies to the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) of the kidney have been detected by indirect immunofluorescence and, more recently, radioimmunoassays [1–4]. Both techniques present some disadvantages: indirect immunofluorescence is of rather limited sensitivity and is dependent on a subjective evaluation of fluorescence intensity, whereas radioimmunoassays require radiolabeling of GBM, expensive radioactivity counters, and are subject to increasing restrictions on the handling and disposal of radioactive materials. In other antigen-antibody systems, these disadvantages have been obviated by the introduction of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent (or immunospecific) assay (ELISA), which maintains the sensitivity of radioimmunoassays and uses safe and stable reagents [5]. For these reasons, we have investigated the use of ELISA as an alternative procedure to detect circulating anti-GBM antibodies. Prior to studies with human material and to make sure of an adequate supply of sera and kidney eluates, we have used the test to detect anti-GBM antibodies in sera from rats treated with mercuric chloride. It has been shown that Brown Norway (BN) rats injected with this chemical produce anti-GBM antibodies that are deposited in a linear fashion in the glomeruli of the kidney [6].
A Benthic Community Index for streams in the Northern Lakes and Forests Ecoregion

Abstract Encompassing the northern glaciated section of the Midwest United States, the Northern Lakes and Forests Ecoregion is characterized by mixed conifer and deciduous forests and wetlands. Sites were randomly selected in the ecoregion using the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program designed to develop an index of biotic integrity for wadeable streams. Macroinvertebrates were sampled during the fall of 1998 and 1999 using a multi-habitat, composite-sample method. Two hundred forty-six invertebrate taxa in 97 families were collected from 94 sites. Ten of 42 candidate metrics satisfied metric selection criteria, including six structural metrics (number of Ephemeroptera taxa, number of Diptera taxa, richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity, percent Trichoptera abundance, and percent Crustacea and Mollusca abundance), two functional metrics (number of Filterer taxa and number of Scraper taxa), and two conditional metrics (number of Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, and Plecoptera taxa and Hilsenhoff Biotic Index). These metrics were used to develop a Benthic Community Index to assess the biological integrity of wadeable streams in the ecoregion. Index values ranged from 10 to 50, and scores from impaired sites were significantly different than non-impaired sites (P
Studies on CO 2 Isotope Molecules and Atmospheric Transmission of 12 C 18 O 2 Laser Radiation

Three normal frequencies, nine anharmonic force constants, and the moment of inertia of isotope CO2 molecules are determined from spectroscopic data on 12C16O (see Table I). These constants are used in predicting the wavelengths of various transitions for different isotopic substituted carbon dioxide. Comparisons are with those observed experimentally. Using the predicted wavelength of P(20) absorption coefficient, the atmospheric transmission of 12C18O2 laser radiation is also calculated.
Effect of Valence State on ICP-OES Value Assignment of SRM 3103a Arsenic Spectrometric Solution

The certification of Standard Reference Material (SRM is a registered trademark of NIST) 3103a As Spectrometric Solution is based on the gravimetric preparation value that is verified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) measurements. A disagreement between the gravimetric and the spectrometric values for a batch of As calibration solutions led to the discovery that the solutions contained a mixture of trivalent and pentavalent As species and that the pentavalent species was ∼8% more sensitive than the trivalent species with ICP-OES determination. The kinetics of the reaction between As metal and nitric acid were studied, and the results were applied to develop a procedure that would consistently produce single-species pentavalent As standards, which eliminates As speciation as a source of measurement bias in the SRM certification process.
Regulation of cholecystokinin octapeptide secretion by rat cerebral cortical cells in primary culture.

The regulation of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) secretion was studied using a fetal cerebral cortical cell culture system. After 2-3 weeks in culture, the cells were utilized for short-term release experiments. CCK-8 was measured by RIA and its identity was confirmed by HPLC. Depolarization of the cells with K + (6 X 10" 2 M) evoked CCK-8 release and this response was blocked by the Ca ++ channel blocker verapamil (2 x 10~ R M) and by Ca ++ free medium. The Na + channel opener veratridine (10" 4 M) stimulated CCK-8 release and was blocked by the Na + channel blocker tetrodotoxin (10~ 6 M) and by Ca ++ free medium. The adenylate cyclase activator forskolin (10~ 5 M) markedly increased CCK-8 secretion. No changes in CCK-8 release were induced by epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, or 5-hydroxytryptamine at 10~ 5 and 10~ 4 M, but Y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at 10~ 4 M inhibited CCK-8 release. GABA inhibition was reversed by the GABA antagonist picro- toxin (10~ 4 M). Both picrotoxin (10~ 4 M) and bicuculline (10~ 3 M), another GABA receptor antagonist, alone stimulated CCK- 8 secretion. These data show that CCK-8 secretion by cerebral cortical cells 1) is stimulated by cell membrane depolarization in a calcium-dependent fashion, 2) is regulated by cAMP, 3) is unaffected by the neurotransmitters characteristic of corticope- tal systems, 4) is tonically inhibited by GABA. (Endocrinology 129: 3125-3131, 1991) /CHOLECYSTOKINI N (CCK ) (i) is present in reia- V-/ tively high concentrations in the central nervous system (2). Its distribution is selective, the highest con- centrations being found in the cerebral cortex (3, 4). The presence of CCK in neurons, the requirement of calcium for its release from brain slices and synaptosomes (5, 6), its neuronal excitation properties (7), and the presence of CCK-binding sites in the brain (8) suggest that CCK plays a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator role. Al- though CCK secretion from rat cerebral cortex has been shown to be stimulated in vivo by glutamate and inhib- ited by 7-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (9), the role of other neurotransmitters and of intracellular messenger sys- tems in the regulation of neuronal CCK secretion has not been determined. In this study, we have used primary cultures of disso- ciated cerebral cortical cells of the rat to determine factors that regulate CCK secretion, in particular the effects of membrane depolarization, of cyclic AMP path- way activation, and of several neurotransmitters. This
Implementing dynamic information flow tracking on microprocessors with integrated FPGA fabric (abstract only)

Today, incorporating a new hardware feature into a modern microprocessor is a highly time consuming and expensive process due to long design cycles and high costs of design and verification. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a hybrid processor architecture where an on-chip reconfigurable fabric (FPGA) is tightly coupled with a processing core. A new hardware feature for fine-grained run-time monitoring can be implemented on the FPGA fabric without requiring a re-design or a fabrication of a chip. To evaluate this FPGA co-processing approach, we implemented Dynamic Information Flow Tracking (DIFT), which is arguably one of the most powerful security features against software attacks, on the FPGA fabric. The synthesis and performance emulation results demonstrate that DIFT on the FPGA fabric adds relatively small area and power consumption to a modern microprocessor while providing the performance that is close to the performance of a custom hardware DIFT implementation.
The origin of asterism in almandine-pyrope garnets from idaho

We have shown that the asterism in garnets emanating from Emerald Creek, Latah County, Idaho, is due to the precipitation of acicular crystals in the garnet crystal host. These inclusions have been identified, using electron microscopy, as tetragonal rutile, the stable phase of TiO2. One set of rutile (r) needles was found to have the following crystallographic relationship with its garnet (g) host: \([011]_g /\!/[0\bar 10]_r,(02\bar 2)_g /\!/(100)_r,(\bar 400)_g /\!/(001)_r\). From meticulous examinations of the asteriated garnets and the angular relationships between the rutile inclusions and the garnet matrix it was possible to determine the orientations of the other sets of needles for both four and six rayed star garnets. A six rayed star garnet exhibits needles aligned along the \(\langle 111\rangle\) and \(\langle 011\rangle\) directions of the garnet while a four rayed star garnet exhibits needles aligned along the \(\langle 111\rangle\) directions only. These results are believed to be applicable to asteriated garnets emanating from all sources.
Separate adjustment in close-range photogrammetry

Abstract Industrial manufacturing processes will increasingly require high-speed 3D measurement. If a photogrammetric measurement system is used, cameras will typically be pre-calibrated for interior orientation parameters. The conventional bundle adjustment may be computationally too expensive and other algorithms such as DLT or direct intersection can be used. However, these methods do not provide optimum solutions. In this paper, the separate adjustment method is introduced. This method is based on the separate least squares estimation (LSE) of both the camera exterior orientation parameters and the 3D co-ordinates of the object points. The same results as the bundle adjustment are produced but with a significantly lower computational load. This method is analogous to iterative solution algorithms such as Jacobi or Gauss–Seidel; however, the implementation is different. It is also similar to the successive application of resection and intersection under certain circumstances. The separate adjustment algorithm is described and compared with the bundle adjustment in terms of results, speed and memory requirements.
Line edge roughness in positive-tone chemically amplified resists: Effect of additives and processing conditions

Nanometer scale line edge roughness (LER) is an increasingly important factor in critical dimension control as the minimum feature sizes of devices continue to shrink. We previously studied the material origin of the resist LER in silicon containing positive-tone chemically amplified resists by emulating the resist compositions ana analyzing morphology in the line edge region with atomic force microscopy (AFM). We concluded that the LER stems mainly from the phase incompatibility of the protected and de- protected polymers. In this paper, we expand our study to also include the non-silicon containing chemically amplified resists. We present results on the effects of casting solvent, photoacid generator, and base additive on the surface roughness of thin films of neat partially protected polymers and blends of the protected and the de-protected polymers. We also investigated the surface roughness of neat partially protected polymer films under various development conditions. The AFM results reinforce our previous conclusion on the material origin of LER in chemically amplified resists. Strategies to minimize LER will also be discussed.
Sequential Dissociation of Subunits from Bovine Heart Cytochrome c Oxidase by Urea

The quaternary stability of purified, detergent-solubilized, cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) was probed using two chemical denaturants, urea and guanidinium chloride (GdmCl). Each chaotrope induces dissociation of five subunits in a concentration-dependent manner. These five subunits are not scattered over the surface of CcO but are clustered together in close contact at the dimer interface. Increasing the concentration of urea selectively dissociates subunits from CcO in the following order: VIa and VIb, followed by III and VIIa, and finally Vb. After incubation in urea for 10 min at room temperature, the sigmoidal dissociation transitions were centered at 3.7, 4.6, and 7.0 M urea, respectively. The secondary structure of CcO was only minimally perturbed, indicating that urea causes disruption of subunit interactions without urea-induced conformational changes. Incubation of CcO in urea for 120 min produced similar results but shifted the sigmoidal dissociation curves to lower urea concentrations. Incubation ...
Laboratory effects of microcosm size and the pesticide chlorpyrifos on benthic macroinvertebrate colonization of soft estuarine sediments

Abstract A 42-d flow-through experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the organo-phosphate pesticide, chlorpyrifos, and microcosm size (small: 144 cm 2 ; large: 400 cm 2 ) on benthic estuarine macroinvertebrate colonization. Nested central and perimeter (outside margin) cores were used to assess animal distribution within microcosms. Fine-grained, organically-rich (approximately 4.0% organic carbon and 20% dry wt) sediments were nominally fortified with chlorpyrifos controls, low (1.0) and high treatments (10.0 μg −1 wet sediment). Large microcosms contained a significantly (p Neanthes succinea , the amphipod, Corophium acherusicum , and the barnacle, Balanus sp., was significantly greater in small microcosms but density of Ensis minor was significantly greater in large microcosms. In small and large microcosms, respectively, densities averaged significantly greater numbers in perimeter cores (e.g. 203.1 and 75.1) vs central cores (71.9 and 45.4). Average density decreased significantly with increasing chlorpyrifos concentration from controls (326.8), to low (123.8) and high (78.8) treatments. The density decrease was significantly related only to C. acherusicum whose densities decreased from controls (285.8) to low (88.5) and high (43.9) dosed microcosms. Application of an equilibrium partitioning model indicated that density of C. acherusicum was sensitive to an estimated interstitial water concentration of approximately 0.48 μg liter −1 . Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination analyses provided important insights into response patterns not available through ANOVA procedures. A permutation procedure (ANOSIM) detected a significant size effect ( p p p p C. ascherusicum , as in the ANOVA analyses, dominated contributions to community average percent dissimilarity in most combinations of microcosm size and chlorpyrifos treatment effects (range: 8.4–21.9%). Community structure differed significantly in several combinations of microcosm size, core position and chlorpyrifos treatment. Results confirm earlier work that intrinsic design factors influence benthic macroinvertebrate community structure and determine taxa available to pesticide exposure in microcosms.
Differences in growth of neurons from normal and regenerated teleost spinal cord in vitro

Explants and dissociated cells from normal adult spinal cord and regenerating cord of the teleostApteronotus albifrons were grown in vitro for periods of 8 to 12 wk. During this time the neurons showed extensive neurite outgrowth. Neurite outgrowth from tissue explants and dissociated cells of regenerated spinal cord starts sooner and is more profuse than that from normal (unregenerated) cord. Neurite outgrowth is maximized by using adhesive substrata and a high density of explants or dissociated cells. Inasmuch asApteronotus does regenerate its spinal cord naturally after injury, whereas mammals do not, this culture system will be useful to study factors that control (permit) regeneration of spinal neurons in this adult vertebrate.
Effect of prostaglandin F2α on release of progesterone and leukotriene B-4 by cells from corpora lutes or mares

Abstract Corpora lutca were recovered from mares either 4 to 5 days or 12 to 13 days after ovulation. Mixed populations of luteal cells were prepared by collagenase digestion and were incubated for 24 h in the presence or absence of prostaglandin (PG) F-2 α (250 ng/ml). PGF-2 α significantly ( P = 0.03) reduced progesterone secretion by cells from late diestrous corpora lutea and tended ( P = 0.06) to reduce secretion by early diestrous cells. PGF-2 α had no significant effect on leukotriene B-4 (LTB-4) production by cells from early diestrous corpora lutea, but significantly ( P = 0.03) increased LTB-4 production by late diestrous luteal cells. It seems possible that LTB-4 could play a role as an intermediary in the action of PGF-2 α in luteolysis in the mare.
Effect of acid–alcohol treatment on the molecular structure and physicochemical properties of maize and potato starches

Abstract The molecular structure and physicochemical properties of acid–alcohol treated maize and potato starches (0.36% HCl in methanol at 25 °C for 1–15 days) were investigated. The yields of the modified starches were ranging from 91 to 100%. The average granule size of modified starches decreased slightly. The solubility of starches increased with the increase of treatment time, and the pasting properties confirmed the high solubility of modified starches. The gelatinization temperatures and range of gelatinization increased with the increase of treatment time except T o (onset temperature) of maize starch. Molecular structures of modified starches suggested the degradation of starches occurred mostly within the first 5 days of treatment, and degradation rate of potato starch was higher than maize starch both in amylopectin and in amylose. Maize starch was found less susceptible to acid–alcohol degradation than potato starch.
Personality, pupils, and purple cows: we have the right answers, but do we have the right questions?

In this article, I consider first the questions about the relation between personality and education that we have, to a large extent, answered, and then the questions that we have yet to answer, and, in large part, even to ask.
Chronic Administration of Fluoxetine Alters Locomotor Behavior, but Does Not Potentiate the Locomotor Stimulating Effects of CRH in Juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha)

The present study investigated: 1) the behavioral effects of chronic administration of a serotonin uptake inhibitor (fluoxetine) in juvenile Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and, 2) whether chronic administration of fluoxetine alters the behavioral effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Chronic (20 day) treatment with fluoxetine decreased locomotor activity when compared to fish given long-term injections of saline. An intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of CRH had no effect on locomotor activity following a 20 day intraperitoneal treatment with either saline or fluoxetine. Chronic treatment with fluoxetine also increased the amount of time fish spent near the center of the tank. A similar increase was seen in fish given a chronic intraperitoneal (i.p.) series of saline followed by an acute i.c.v. injection of CRH. However, the effect was not additive when fish were given chronic i.p. injections of fluoxetine followed by an acute i.c.v. injection of CRH. These results provide evidence to support the hypothesis that the serotonergic system is involved in mediating locomotor activity and habitat choice in teleosts.
Game theoretic approach to offering participation incentives for electric vehicle-to-vehicle charge sharing

Electric vehicles are not penetrating the market as quickly as expected. This is due to limited driving range, time required to recharge a battery, and lack of charging infrastructure in most metropolitan cities. We propose a charge sharing network in which we use inductive power transfer to wirelessly exchange charge between vehicles. In our network, vehicles that have excess charge to share, can sell charge to vehicles needing charge to reach their destination. In this paper, we describe a game theoretic approach to offering incentives for electric vehicles to participate in the charge sharing network. We utilize Nash Bargaining theory to show that participation in the network can yield profits for the seller driving to their destination and that we can increase the number of cars reaching their destination without needing to stop for recharging.
A new DNA-binding motif in the Skn-1 binding domain–DNA complex

The DNA-binding domain of Skn-1, a developmental transcription factor that specifies mesoderm in C. elegans, is shown by X-ray crystallography to have a novel fold in which a compact, monomeric, four-helix unit organizes two DNA-contact elements. At the C-terminus, a helix extends from the domain to occupy the major groove of DNA in a manner similar to bZip proteins. Skn-1, however, lacks the leucine zipper found in all bZips. Additional contacts with the DNA are made by a short basic segment at the N-terminus of the domain, reminiscent of the 'homeodomain arm'.
Characteristics of women who refuse an offer of prenatal diagnosis: Data from the California maternal serum alpha fetoprotein blood test experience

This paper presents data from the California maternal serum alpha fetoprotein (MSAFP) program in order to explore the effect and interaction of various factors, especially ethnicity, abortion history and attitudes, religion, and religiosity on MSAFP test decision. The intent is to describe which women are more likely to reject MSAFP screening and also to understand the reasons for refusal and the meanings associated with it. We obtained data on sociodemographics and reproductive history from 595 obstetrical patient charts; we conducted semistructured interviews with an additional 158 pregnant women who were European-American, English-speaking Latina, or Spanish-speaking Latina. All of the women had been offered screening within the context of California's MSAFP Program. We found that women who had never terminated a pregnancy, Spanish-speaking Latinas, and women who scored high on a religiosity scale were significantly more likely to refuse testing. However, we found that all of those factors were strongly mediated by the effects of ethnicity and acculturation, producing different patterns of association in different groups of women.
Generalized spectator expansion for interacting composite systems

Interactions of two composite clusters are treated in a multiple scattering framework whereby many-particle operators are decomposed into a systematic and finite series such that there is an ordered sequestering according to particle rank. Thus an N-body operator is written as the superposition of all distinct groupings of interactions that occur between pairs of particles, three particles, four particles, etc., such that all groupings contain at least one particle from each of the composite systems. It is shown how the transition operator, a reaction operator, and an optical potential may be described in this framework. The general nature of this decomposition is demonstrated and its connection to more standard multiple-scattering prescriptions, delineated.
Elasticity of peptide omega bonds.

We calculated the changes of the free energy profile of the peptidyl-prolyl torsional angle of the dipeptide valine-proline under pulling forces by simulations. Using a dynamic model built on the equilibrium properties of this system and previously studied dynamic properties of cis-trans isomerization of other dipeptides, we calculated the dynamic viscoelasticity of this degree of freedom. The results show significant differences between how thermal and mechanical forces alter the equilibrium and the dynamics of the isomerization transition. The former does not change the barrier heights but changes the prefactor of the kinetics owing to temperature effects, while the latter changes minima and thus the population. The force that is required to ``excite'' this degree of freedom is small. Compared to other systems, we found that this degree of freedom becomes already quite rigid at several hertz, which is a much lower value due to the high barrier of the cis-trans isomerization. We also found that the tensile elastic modulus of densely packed omega bonds is at the order of GPa, which is comparable to that of polymer materials. These results give mechanical properties of polyproline elasticity of a local nature and provide guidance for future experimental designs.
Interaction of phenols with δ9 terminal desaturase and other cyanide-sensitive factors in chicken liver microsomes

Abstract p-Cresol stimulates the oxidation of reduced cytochrome b5 in chick embryo liver microsomes, which lack stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity, as well as in hepatic microsomes from neonatal chicks and fasted-refed adult chickens, both of which have greatly increased stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity. The Km value of p-cresol for the interaction in chick embryo microsomes is 2–4 mM, whereas that in adult liver microsomes is only 6 μM; the V value for p-cresol in the adult is 2-fold higher than that in chick embryo. During neonatal development the shift in the Km value of p-cresol from high to low occurs concomitantly with the formation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity in newly hatched chicks. Antibodies to Δ9 desaturase completely inhibit stearoyl-CoA desaturation but inhibit only 50% of the p-cresol-stimulated oxidation of cytochrome b5 in hepatic microsomes from adult chickens, indicating that the p-cresol effect in adult chicken microsomes is partly mediated by Δ9 terminal desaturase. In chick embryo liver microsomes antibodies to Δ9 desaturase do not inhibit p-cresol-dependent oxidation of cytochrome b5. In chick embryo and adult microsomes p-cresol is converted to a more polar product whose formation is dependent on NADH, microsomes and is inhibited by KCN. The results support the conclusion that p-cresol interacts with several microsomal cyanide-sensitive factors including Δ9 terminal desaturase. On the basis of cyanide sensitivity of the interaction of various phenols with hepatic microsomes, phenols can be classified into three groups; cyanide-sensitive phenols (e.g., p-cresol) which interact exclusively with cyanide-sensitive factors; cyanide-insensitive phenols (e.g., p-aminophenol, hydroquinone and catechol) which interact directly with cytochrome b5 and partly cyanide-sensitive phenols (e.g., phenol) which interact with both cytochrome b5 and cyanide-sensitive factors.
Altered central nervous system processing of noxious stimuli contributes to decreased nociceptive responding in individuals at risk for hypertension

Previous evidence indicates that individuals with hypertension and those at increased risk for the disorder exhibit decreased pain perception. To test the hypothesis that attenuation of nociceptive processing in individuals at genetic risk for hypertension is related to differential central modulation of nociceptive transmission, the present study examined descending modulation, alpha-motoneuron excitability, and temporal summation of nociceptive input in young adults with and without a parental history of hypertension. Nociceptive flexion (NFR) and non-nociceptive Hoffman reflexes were assessed at rest and during performance of a mental arithmetic task. Temporal summation was assessed by examining NFR threshold in response to a series of five electrical pulses delivered at 2 Hz. Compared to participants without a parental history of hypertension, offspring of individuals with hypertension exhibited significantly higher NFR thresholds, suggesting that risk for hypertension may be associated with enhanced activation of central pain inhibition pathways.
Productivity and workload measurement in ambulatory oncology

HERE IS AN increasingly urgent need to determine the levels of staff appropriate for high-quality ambulatory care. Developing an information system to assess productivity or workload in ambulatory care is complex because of the number of variables that occur in the outpatient setting. These variables include patient volumes, complexity of patient care needs, varied use of ambulatory care space, staff skill levels, and the types of nursing and support staff needed. A universal information system that collects and reports this information about ambulatory care practice is not available. The complexity of these variables within ambulatory care and the lack of a universal information system to gather and report data affect the ability of managers to precisely measure nursing productivity and workload within the ambulatory setting. The word productive has several meanings: effectiveness, results, abundance, and satisfaction. A basic productivity measurement system includes the time it takes to perform workload activities, the time available to perform the activities and the difference between the two. 2 The dramatic continued shift from inpatient to outpatient care has focused attention on providing the highest quality care using the most efficient and productive means available. Ambulatory care has become highly competitive. Reimbursement is more regulated and managed care contracting dominates how payment is determined and where service is delivered. Focusing on understanding and improving ambulatory productivity and workload demonstrates to health care purchasers and consumers of care that their ambulatory setting provides care that is of the highest quality, in the most productive and costeffective manner. Traditionally, nurse administrators have attempted to quantify productivity through the measurement of nursing workload. This information is then used to determine staffing levels as well as the qualifications of and types of staff needed to support patient care delivery. This information has been used to forecast resource use, to prepare budgets, to project costs, and to identify patient care support needs of new or changing programs.
Bill Ricker: a tribute

William Edwin (Bill) Ricker (1908 – 2001) is best known as one of the founders of fishery science. He was also internationally recognized as an entomologist and a scientific editor. In an accompanying article written shortly before his death, Bill gives his own recollections of his career and intellectual development. A bibliography of Bill,s scientific publications, translations and manuscripts has been compiled by his son Karl, and accompanies this article. Karl has also written a detailed account of Bill,s early education and his accomplishments in botany and ornithology. Geo. Scudder summarizes Bill,s contributions to entomology, Jon Schnute provides both personal and professional insights into Bill,s mathematical accomplishments, and Dick Beamish and Don Noakes present personal recollections of Bill as a scientist and colleague.
Interaction between Conjugative and Retrotransposable Elements in Horizontal Gene Transfer

Mobile genetic elements either encode their own mobilization machineries or hijack them from other mobile elements. Multiple classes of mobile elements often coexist within genomes and it is unclear whether they have the capacity to functionally interact and even collaborate. We investigate the possibility that molecular machineries of disparate mobile elements may functionally interact, using the example of a retrotransposon, in the form of a mobile group II intron, found on a conjugative plasmid pRS01 in Lactococcus lactis. This intron resides within the pRS01 ltrB gene encoding relaxase, the enzyme required for nicking the transfer origin (oriT) for conjugal transmission of the plasmid into a recipient cell. Here, we show that relaxase stimulates both the frequency and diversity of retrotransposition events using a retromobility indicator gene (RIG), and by developing a high-throughput genomic retrotransposition detection system called RIG-Seq. We demonstrate that LtrB relaxase not only nicks ssDNA of its cognate oriT in a sequence- and strand-specific manner, but also possesses weak off-target activity. Together, the data support a model in which the two different mobile elements, one using an RNA-based mechanism, the other using DNA-based transfer, do functionally interact. Intron splicing facilitates relaxase expression required for conjugation, whereas relaxase introduces spurious nicks in recipient DNA that stimulate both the frequency of intron mobility and the density of events. We hypothesize that this functional interaction between the mobile elements would promote horizontal conjugal gene transfer while stimulating intron dissemination in the donor and recipient cells.
Biochemical modeling of an autonomously oscillatory circadian clock in Euglena

Eukaryotic microorganisms, as well as higher animals and plants, display many autonomous physiological and biochemical rhythmicities having periods approximating 24 hours. In an attempt to determine the nature of the timing mechanisms that are responsible for these circadian periodicities, two primary operational assumptions were postulated. Both the perturbation of a putative element of a circadian clock within its normal oscillatory range and the direct activation as well as the inhibition of such an element should yield a phase shift of an overt rhythm generated by the underlying oscillator. Results of experiments conducted in the flagellate Euglena suggest that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), the mitochondrial Ca2+-transport system, Ca2+, calmodulin, NAD+ kinase, and NADP+ phosphatase represent clock "gears" that, in ensemble, might constitute a self-sustained circadian oscillating loop in this and other organisms.
Prolactin Influence on Cytosol and Nuclear Androgen Receptors in the Ventral, Dorsal, and Lateral Lobes of the Rat Prostate

PRL augments testosterone-mediated growth of the prostate in a permissive manner. To elucidate the mechanism of this hormonal interaction, the present study examined the effect of PRL on cytosol and nuclear androgen receptors in the three prostate lobes. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were castrated, given 5-mm Silastic implants of testosterone, and either grafted with two anterior pituitary glands under the kidney capsule or sham operated. Three weeks later, animals were killed, serum was collected for PRL and testosterone RIA, and the ventral, dorsal, and lateral prostate lobes were processed for either cytosol or nuclear androgen receptor quantitation. Pituitary grafts significantly elevated the serum PRL concentration and increased the weight and the content of protein and DNA of the lateral prostate lobe compared to control values. There was no effect on these parameters in the ventral or dorsal lobes. Androgen receptor levels and apparent distributions were different in the ventral, dorsal, and late...
Obesity and Metabolic Complications of Liver Transplantation

Key Points 1. The body mass index is not an adequate measure of obesity in patients with cirrhosis. It is necessary to account for the contributions of ascites and fluid overload in addition to the distribution of adipose tissue. The interpretation of the literature on the effects of the body mass index on posttransplant outcomes is difficult if adjustments are not made for these factors. 2. Survival after liver transplantation has improved over the years and appears unaffected by obesity (even class III obesity) before transplantation. 3. Obesity is even more common after liver transplantation. Weight increases occur, with the greatest gains occurring within the first 6 months of transplant. Education and lifestyle management for the prevention of weight gain are the first measures in the posttransplant management of obesity. 4. Further investigation of bariatric surgery before, during, and after transplantation is needed. 5. Metabolic syndrome and its individual components are common after liver transplantation and are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular death, liver-related deaths, and overall mortality. 6. Recurrent or de novo steatosis in the allograft is not uncommon and is a risk for steatohepatitis and progression to cirrhosis with graft loss. Liver Transpl 16:S65-S71, 2010. © 2010 AASLD.
Partitioning Using PAQ

The so-called PAQ problem is concerned with the solution of sparse systems of linear equations $Ax=b$ using the transformation $PAQy=Pb, x=Qy$. An algorithm is given for choosing $P$ and $Q$ to partition the matrix $A$ into its irreducible components. A theorem on which this algorithm is based has long been known, yet no simple, easily understood proof appears in the literature. Such a proof is given here. Remarks are made concerning some unsolved problems related to the PAQ problem.
Religion, Health, and Nonphysical Senses of Self

La relation existant entre la religion et la sante physique est complexe. Dans la tradition Durkheimienne, et dans des etudes epidemiologiques longitudinales, l'implication dans la religion est montree comme ayant un effet protecteur sur la sante. Transversalement, cependant, et meme sur de courtes periodes, on observe parfois de plus hauts niveaux de religiosite associes avec une sante plus faible, dans la mesure ou, au cours des crises, les personnes se tournent souvent vers la religion pour y trouver reconfort et soutien social. Une troisieme voie de reflexion concerne les auto-evaluations de la sante qui s'averent representer de vastes conceptions du moi dans lesquelles la sante physique et les aptitudes peuvent etre devaluees tandis qu'il est fait appel aux caracteristiques non physiques, parmi lesquelles l'identite religieuse ou spirituelle. Des donnees quantitatives et qualitatives provenant d'un echantillon transversal de clients handicapes d'une clinique urbaine de reeducation soutient les deux dernieres perspectives
Laser frequency stability requirements for coherent space communications

The required laser frequency stability for a coherent optical receiver is analyzed for both data communication and Doppler tracking applications. A brief overview of the coherent receiver is provided. The application of phase coherent reception in data communication is addressed, and the required signal power level needed to achieve phase coherent reception is calculated based on the laser frequency noise model measured for the lightwave lasers. For data communications, it is the short-term stability of the lasers that is of primary concern. The issues related to the short-term frequency stability are addressed. The long-term frequency stability problem and its requirements in Doppler measurement are considered. >
Mammary Fibroblasts May Influence Breast Tumor Angiogenesis via Hypoxia-induced Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Up-Regulation and Protein Expression

Abstract Recent studies demonstrate the relationship of microvessel density to malignant progression in breast cancer (N. Weidner, J. P. Semple, W. R. Welch, and J. Folkman, N. Engl. J. Med., 324: 1–8, 1991), underscoring the importance of angiogenesis in this tumor. Crucial in tumor angiogenesis are the paracrine actions of tumor-secreted factors (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor), which have been thought to derive from the tumor epithelial cells themselves. We demonstrate that in response to hypoxic conditions, human mammary fibroblasts dramatically up-regulate vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA and increase vascular endothelial growth factor protein levels in accordance with the degree of oxygen deprivation. Thus, mammary stromal cells, only recently considered in the regulation of breast carcinomas, may play a hitherto unrealized role in breast cancer angiogenesis.
Acoustical studies of damage mechanisms in carbon-carbon during first carbonization

Acoustical studies of damage mechanisms in carbon-carbon during first carbonization are reported. Normal and anomalous temperature profiles are treated to investigate the damage mechanisms. Small plates of carbon-carbon were suspended in a small research autoclave with acoustic emission (AE) sensors, thermocouples, and a gas-flow meter to monitor the state of the materials during the 25 degrees C to 700 degrees C temperature ramp. A so-called normal carbonization is characterized by the evolution of an open network of fine cracks which allows the escape of gases created during the chemical alterations of the matrix. The associated damage is therefore desirable and constitutes no threat to the material. This is contrasted with the damage resulting from anomalous carbonization runs which produce large localized pores and cracks just short of delamination. This damage is undesirable and is associated with significantly different AE signatures. Therefore the use of AE sensors is emerging as a useful tool to recognize the possible onset of undesirable damage to the material as it is undergoing carbonization. >
Diversity and Discontent: The Relationship Between School Desegregation and Perceptions of Racial Justice

A number of recent studies have explored the consequences of interracial peer effects on the academic and social performance of minority students. This article contributes to that discussion, focusing, however, on perceptions rather than behaviors. The analysis suggests that exposure to white peers is associated with declining perceptions of racial justice among black and Latino high school students. While cautioning against causal interpretations of this finding, the article suggests that the integrationist aims of Brown v. Board of Education will not be satisfied without more thoughtful and vigorous desegregation efforts.
Size matters: a meta‐analysis on the impact of hospital size on patient mortality

AbstractObjectiveThis paper seeks to understand the relationship between hospital size and patient mortality. Patient mortality has been used by several studies in the health services research field as a proxy for measuring healthcare quality.Research methodsA systematic review is conducted to ident