cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targets of learned food aversions in humans

In order to determine whether some nutrients are more salient targets than others for the development of learned taste aversions a large group of normal human subjects were surveyed about their experiences with such aversions. The targets of these spontaneously occurring food aversions were identified and classified into general food categories. A prominent category for human aversions proved to be foods which were protein sources. This finding was similar to our observations in the clinical setting as well as those we have obtained using an animal model. It suggests that taste and/or postingestive properties of protein foods may make them particularly salient targets for food aversion learning.
GAS-PHASE NEGATIVE ION CHEMISTRY OF LEWIS ACID-BASE COMPLEXES

The gas-phase negative ion chemistry of a series of Lewis acid−base complexes [Me2SBH3 (1), Me3NBH3 (2), Me3PBH3 (3), Me2SBF3 (4), Me2OBF3, Et3NBH3, and Et2OBF3] was investigated with use of the flowing afterglow triple-quadrupole technique. Ab initio MO calculations using the G2(MP2) and CBS-4 models were carried out for 1−4 and related species. The gas-phase reaction between OH- and complex 1 produces a stable carbanion, MeS(BH3)CH2- (1a), that does not isomerize under thermal conditions at room temperature to either of the lower energy borate isomers MeSCH2BH3- (1b) and CH3CH2SBH3- (1c). The structure of 1a was determined by tandem mass spectrometry and by ion/molecule reactions. The barriers for rearrangement of 1a to 1b and to 1c were calculated to be 29.3, and 27.6 kcal/mol, respectively, at the G2(MP2) level. The stable carbanions Me2N(BH3)CH2- (2a), Me2P(BH3)CH2- (3a), and MeS(BF3)CH2- (4a) were also generated by proton abstraction from the corresponding neutral complexes. The gas-phase acidities ...
Coupling between Voltage Sensors and Activation Gate in Voltage-gated K+ Channels

Current through voltage-gated K+ channels underlies the action potential encoding the electrical signal in excitable cells. The four subunits of a voltage-gated K+ channel each have six transmembrane segments (S1–S6), whereas some other K+ channels, such as eukaryotic inward rectifier K+ channels and the prokaryotic KcsA channel, have only two transmembrane segments (M1 and M2). A voltage-gated K+ channel is formed by an ion-pore module (S5–S6, equivalent to M1–M2) and the surrounding voltage-sensing modules. The S4 segments are the primary voltage sensors while the intracellular activation gate is located near the COOH-terminal end of S6, although the coupling mechanism between them remains unknown. In the present study, we found that two short, complementary sequences in voltage-gated K+ channels are essential for coupling the voltage sensors to the intracellular activation gate. One sequence is the so called S4–S5 linker distal to the voltage-sensing S4, while the other is around the COOH-terminal end of S6, a region containing the actual gate-forming residues.
Factors affecting Early Stone Age cut mark cross-sectional size: implications from actualistic butchery trials

Abstract Early Stone Age cut marks are byproducts of hominins' tool-assisted animal carcass consumption and provide a potential avenue of inference into the paleoecology of hominin carnivory. If diagnostic cut mark characteristics can be linked to flake and core tool use or the completion of distinct butchery actions, it may be possible to infer ancient tool preferences, reconstruct the consumption of specific muscular tissues, and illuminate landscape-scale stone resource use. Recently, diagnostic morphological criteria including cut mark width and depth have been used to identify marks made by different classes of experimental and archaeological stone tools (Bello, S.M., Parfitt, S.A., Stringer, C., 2009. Quantitative micromorphological analyses of cut marks produced by ancient and modern handaxes. Journal of Archaeological Science 36: 1869–1880; de Juana, S., Galan, A.B., Dominguez-Rodrigo, M., 2010. Taphonomic identification of cut marks made with lithic handaxes: an experimental study. Journal of Archaeological Science 37: 1841–1850; Dominguez-Rodrigo, M., de Juana, S., Galan, A. B., Rodriguez, M., 2009. A new protocol to differentiate trampling marks from butchery cut marks. Journal of Archaeological Science 36: 2643–2654). The work presented here adds to this experimental butchery database by using measurements of cut mark cross-section taken from bone surface molds to investigate how stone tool characteristics including flake versus core tool type, edge angle, and tool weight, influence cut mark width and depth, ultimately testing whether cut mark size is a useful indicator of tool identity. Additionally, these experiments investigate the influence of contextual factors, including butchery action, carcass size, and bone density on cut mark size. An experienced butcher used replicated Oldowan flakes and bifacial core tools in experimental trials that isolated skinning, bulk and scrap muscle defleshing, and element disarticulation cut marks on goat and cow skeletons. This sample explores cut mark traces generated under realistic butchery scenarios and suggests the following results: 1) Core and flake tools were equally efficient at completing all butchery tasks in size 1 and 3 bovid carcasses. 2) Samples of cut mark width and depth produced by core and flake tools were similar and cut marks could not be accurately classified to a known tool type. 3) Skinning and disarticulation activities produced significantly wider and deeper marks than defleshing activities. 4) Cut marks on cows tended to be wider and deeper than those on goats. 5) Cut mark width is negatively correlated with bone density when carcass size and bone portion are taken into consideration. These results suggest that a general quantitative model for inferring tool type or edge characteristics from archaeological cut mark size is not warranted.
A study of asynchronous design methodology for robust CMOS-nano hybrid system design

Among the emerging alternatives to CMOS, molecular electronics based diode-resistor crossbar fabric has generated considerable interest in recent times. Logic circuit design with future nano-scale molecular devices using dense and regular crossbar fabrics is promising in terms of integration density, performance and power dissipation. However, circuit design using molecular switches involve some major challenges: 1) lack of voltage gain of these switches that prevents logic cascading; 2) large output voltage level degradation; 3) vulnerability to parameter variations that affect yield and robustness of operation; and 4) high defect rate. In this article, we analyze some of the above challenges and investigate the effectiveness of asynchronous design methodology in a hybrid system design platform using molecular crossbar and CMOS interfacing elements. We explore different approaches of asynchronous circuit design and compare their suitability in terms of several circuit design parameters. We then develop the methodology and an automated synthesis flow to support two different asynchronous design approaches (Micropipelines and Four phase Dual-rail) for system designs using nano-crossbar logic stages and CMOS interface data-storage elements. Circuit-level simulation results for several benchmarks show considerable advantage in terms of performance and robustness at moderate area and power overhead compared to two different synchronous implementations.
Pharmaceutical applications of cyclodextrins. 2. In vivo drug delivery

The objective of this Review is to summarize and critique recent findings and applications of both unmodified and modified cyclodextrins for in vivo drug delivery. This review focuses on the use of cyclodextrins for parenteral, oral, ophthalmic, and nasal drug delivery. Other routes including dermal, rectal, and pulmonary delivery are also briefly addressed. This Review primarily focuses on newer findings concerning cyclodextrin derivatives which are likely to receive regulatory acceptance due to improved aqueous solubility and safety profiles as compared to the unmodified cyclodextrins. Many of the applications reviewed involve the use of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrins (HP-β-CDs) and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrins (SBE-β-CDs) which show promise of greater safety while maintaining the ability to form inclusion complexes. The advantages and limitations of HP-β-CD, SBE-β-CD, and other cyclodextrins are addressed.
REACTION OF OZONE WITH ENZYMES OF ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANES

Ozone is a widespread component of polluted air. It is the cause of many adverse effects on the lung such as decreased athletic performance and exacerbation of asthma. Ozone inactivated acetylcholine esterase (AChE) both in intact washed human erythrocytes and in ghosts prepared from the erythrocytes. This is consistent (a) with the location of AChE on the outer face of the membrane and (b) with the change in structure of AChE when amino acids were oxidized. The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) of intact washed erythrocytes was unaffected by ozone. However, ozone severely inactivated G3PDH of ghosts, much more severely than AChE in ghosts. This result raised questions about the relative permeability of intact erythrocytes and ghosts and also about the inherent susceptibility of the two enzymes. Inhibition of the ozone-treated erythrocyte AChE with the competitive inhibitor trimethyl-(p-aminophenyl) ammonium chloride was measured. The inhibited enzyme had a higher K(M) and slightly lower Vmax than the control. Ozone did not affect the K(M) of the uninhibited enzyme but decreased the K(M) of the inhibited enzyme. Ozone decreased the Vmax of both the inhibited and the uninhibited enzyme. The K(I) was unchanged by the treatment with ozone. This suggested that the active site of the enzyme was not affected by ozone, but other features of the protein were changed by ozone. The effects of products of lipid ozonolysis [hydrogen peroxide, nonanal, and 1-palmitoyl-2-(9-oxononanyl)-sn-3-glycerophosphorylcholine (PN1PC)] were tested on the ghost preparations. The ozonolysis products were tested at concentrations equivalent to calculated amounts that could have been produced by ozone. Hydrogen peroxide had no effect on the G3PDH and AChE. Nonanal slightly increased the permeability of the ghost membrane, as judged by the increase in rate of G3PDH in the absence of Triton X-100, but did not inhibit enzyme activity. PN1PC increased the permeability of the ghosts, as judged by the increase in rate of G3PDH in the absence of Triton X-100. There was also an increase in the activity of G3PDH in the presence of Triton X-100. AChE was not inhibited by ozone in the presence or absence of Triton X-100.
Simplified Laplace transform inversion for unsteady surface element method

The unsteady surface element method is an analytical procedure for solving certain types of transient heat conduction problems. The method is intended for thermally contacting bodies of similar or dissimilar geometries such as occur in the contact conductance, fin, and temperature measurement problems. The method utilizes Duhamel's integral. The two simplified procedures described utilize an approximate inverse Laplace transform relation given by Schapery to obtain functional forms of the solutions. In certain cases the approximate inverse Laplace relations simplify the solution greatly and produce acceptable accuracy.
Treatment of stress urinary incontinence with artificial urinary sphincter

Stress urinary incontinence in women is usually due to either urethral hypermobility or intrinsic urethral weakness. Stress incontinence due to urethral hypermobility is usually cured with a cystourethropexy. That due to intrinsic urethral weakness, however, requires either periurethral injection, sling cystourethropexy or placement of an artificial urinary sphincter to achieve reasonable success rates. The artificial urinary sphincter has been used since 1972. Many modifications have been made to the original device, culminating in the currently available device, the AS-800, made by American Medical Systems. This paper reviews patient selection, surgical technique and complications of artificial urinary sphincter placement in the treatment of women with intrinsic urethral weakness (type III incontinence).
Life Mission and Adult Learning.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between adult learning and life mission. This was a qualitative, exploratory study intended to generate theory by studying the impact of mission on learning. A model emerged from the research that proposes the relationship of life mission to self-directed learning and to transformational learning. This study suggests that adult educators can improve the learning process by providing the means for learners to understand their life mission and how it relates to their own learning. Life mission explication may also support a change in the learning experience from being more teacher-directed to being more student-directed. The study proposes that emancipatory learning must include not only awareness building but also purpose seeking.
Image restoration by discrete convolution of minimal length

A conventional method of restoring blur-degraded image data is inverse filtering. This technique is usually implemented with 32 or 64 image data points contributing, via two Fourier transforms or one convolution, to each restored output point. We show here that actually about seven data points (in a seven-term convolution) suffice for producing about the same resolution and side-lobe characteristics as for inverse filtering. We calculate, by use of a computer search routine, the necessary weights for use in a convolution-type restoring formula of 5, 7, 11, or 15 terms. The criterion for weight selection is a required first-zero position in the output point spread function and, simultaneously, a minimum value of the largest side lobe in the point spread function. The 15-term case is further constrained to have weights selected from the values −1, 0, and +1, only. This defines a method of restoring by addition and subtraction of image values. Experimental results using diffraction-blurred edge data are used to test the methods.
Boundaries, Margins, and Norms: The Intellectual Stakes in the Study of American Jewish Culture(s)

This paper lays out two research approaches to the study of American Jewry in order to examine the intellectual foundations of each approach. In the contrast between research focused on behavior and boundaries and research focused on subjectivity and sentiment, two different understandings of identity and culture are evident. The latter approach developed out of an interest in Jewish practices that can be traced to Marshall Sklare, Herbert Gans, and Charles Liebman. Equally important to this work is the “decentering” of social science categories that emerged in the 1970s. As important as this rethinking of Jewish life has been for its greater focus on gender and sexuality as part of a dynamic view of identity and culture, it raises other issues. What is the place of boundaries in the study of American Jewish life, and what are the most effective ways to study the reproduction of Judaism and Jewishness across generations?
γ-Tubulin and microtubule organization during microsporogenesis in Ginkgo biloba

This is the first report on gamma-tubulin and microtubule arrays during microsporogenesis in a gymnosperm. Meiosis in Ginkgo biloba is polyplastidic, as is typical of the spermatophyte clade, and microtubule arrays are organized at various sites during meiosis and cytokinesis. In early prophase, a cluster of gamma-tubulin globules occurs in the central cytoplasm adjacent to the off-center nucleus. These globules diminish in size and spread over the surface of the nucleus. A system of microtubules focused on the gamma-tubulin forms a reticulate pattern in the cytoplasm. As the nucleus migrates to the center of the microsporocyte, gamma-tubulin becomes concentrated at several sites adjacent to the nuclear envelope. Microtubules organized at these foci of gamma-tubulin give rise to a multipolar prophase spindle. By metaphase I, the spindle has matured into a distinctly bipolar structure with pointed poles. In both first and second meiosis, gamma-tubulin becomes distributed throughout the metaphase spindles, but becomes distinctly polar again in anaphase. In telophase I, gamma-tubulin moves from polar regions to the proximal surface of chromosome groups/nuclei where interzonal microtubules are organized. No cell wall is deposited and the interzonal microtubules embrace a plate of organelles between the two nuclear cytoplasmic domains (NCDs) of the dyad. Following second meiosis, phragmoplasts that form between sister and non-sister nuclei fuse to form a complex six-sided structure that directs simultaneous cytokinesis. Gamma-tubulin becomes associated with nuclei after both meiotic divisions and is especially conspicuous in the distal hemisphere of each young microspore where an unusual encircling system of cortical microtubules develops.
Physical controls on directed virus assembly at nanoscale chemical templates.

Viruses are attractive building blocks for nanoscale heterostructures, but little is understood about the physical principles governing their directed assembly. In-situ force microscopy was used to investigate organization of Cowpea Mosaic Virus engineered to bind specifically and reversibly at nanoscale chemical templates with sub-30nm features. Morphological evolution and assembly kinetics were measured as virus flux and inter-viral potential were varied. The resulting morphologies were similar to those of atomic-scale epitaxial systems, but the underlying thermodynamics was analogous to that of colloidal systems in confined geometries. The 1D templates biased the location of initial cluster formation, introduced asymmetric sticking probabilities, and drove 1D and 2D condensation at subcritical volume fractions. The growth kinetics followed a t{sup 1/2} law controlled by the slow diffusion of viruses. The lateral expansion of virus clusters that initially form on the 1D templates following introduction of polyethylene glycol (PEG) into the solution suggests a significant role for weak interaction.
Caesalpinia subgenus Mezoneuron (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae) from the Tertiary of North America

Legume fruits from the Eocene of Tennessee and Wyoming and the Miocene of Idaho are described and assigned to Caesalpinia subgenus Mezoneuron (Caesalpinioideae), an extant Paleotropical taxon that does not occur in North or South America today. Morphological and anatomical details of the fruits are used in evaluating their systematic relationships. The features of the fossil fruits are accommodated only within this extant subgenus. These fossils represent the only reliable known occurrence of C. subgenus Mezoneuron in the paleobotanical record. These fossils suggest that subgenus Mezoneuron was distinct from subgenus Caesalpinia by the Middle Eocene. Further, they document the widespread occurrence ofthis currently Paleotropical group for at least 30 million years in North America. The Leguminosae have an abundant and diverse fossil record in the Tertiary of North America. Studies of fossil legume flowers, fruits, and leaflets from the Middle Eocene Claiborne Formation of southeastern North America have yielded a diverse assemblage of taxa repre
MONTHLY PRECIPITATION DISTRIBUTION: A COMPARATIVE INDEX

Modification of the Gibbs-Martin Index of Employment Diversification permits derivation of a precipitation concentration index (PCI) that characterizes the monthly concentration of precipitation on a scale that ranges from less than 10 for evenly distributed rainfall to 100 for extreme monthly rainfall distribution. The defined lower and upper limits of the index contrast to other statistical descriptions of precipitation distribution, which are open-ended. Mapped values of the PCI provide a good visual guide to relative monthly distribution of precipitation. Suggested applications of the index are related to both pedagogic and research applications.
The Causal Role of Consciousness: A Conceptual Addendum to Human Evolutionary Psychology.

By concentrating on the unconscious processes driving evolutionary mechanisms, evolutionary psychology has neglected the role of consciousness in generating human adaptations. The authors argue tha...
Dating mylonitic deformation by the 40Ar-39Ar method: An example from the Norumbega Fault Zone, Maine

Strongly mylonitic rocks associated with the regionally extensive Norumbega fault zone in south-central Maine provide an excellent opportunity for testing the effects of mylonitization on argon isotopic systems in muscovite. 40Ar/39Ar muscovite age spectra from samples outside the zone of mylonitization are relatively undisturbed and have well defined Early Carboniferous plateau ages. In contrast to these nonmylonitized samples, all age spectra for muscovite from the mylonites are highly discordant. They are characterized by young ages at low extraction temperatures, which systematically increase to ages that equal the plateau ages for muscovite collected outside the mylonite zone. Detailed petrographic observations suggest that these systematic discordances reflect a mixing of argon components from older, relict, muscovite porphyroclasts and fine-grained white mica aggregates that recrystallized during mylonitic deformation. Total gas ages of five different grain size fractions separated from the same mylonite sample become progressively younger with decreasing grain size; indicating a larger component of the recrystallized grains in the finer grain size fractions. Although the three finest grain size fractions give different total gas ages and do not overlap in age for most of their release spectra, their initial increments do coincide, at approximately 290 Ma. This indicates a minimal older age contribution from the relict porphyroclasts in the initial increments and suggests the 290 Ma age provides a good estimate for the time of mineral growth associated with mylonitic deformation. These data, combined with kinematic analysis, reveal that the segment of the Norumbega fault zone studied, the Sandhill Corner fault, is a Late Carboniferous-Early Permian dextral strike-slip fault. A lack of significant offset in regional Early Carboniferous mineral age patterns across the fault suggests that displacement was probably less than 30 km. This study demonstrates that 40Ar/39Ar dating methods can be used to date deformational events effectively, as long as several important criteria are met. First and foremost, samples must be well characterized prior to analysis. Dynamic recrystallization must have occurred at or below the closure temperature of the mineral to be analyzed. Regional cooling patterns must also be established through detailed thermochronology so that mineral ages and age spectra from the deformed rocks can be compared to regional cooling ages of the same mineral. Finally, the effects of excess argon must be negligible.
Radioimmune assay for the Xg(a) surface antigen at the individual red cell level.

Abstract An indirect radioimmune assay has been successfully used for the detection of the Xg(a) antigen on the surface of individual human red blood cells. The assay requires only microvolumes of reagents, is highly sensitive, and is equally reliable with fresh blood samples and with red blood cells stored in liquid nitrogen. The method has been used to estimate the number of Xg(a) binding sites. It may be useful to screen for quantitative isoalleles, as well as to investigate the alleged lack of participation of the Xg-locus in the inactivation of the X-chromosome.
Clumps of Heliconia Inflorescences as Ecological Islands

A bstract. Previous theoretical and field studies have identified quantifiable relationships between migration, extinction, island size, and distance to mainland with species richness on islands. Some of these relationships hold for insects living in spatially and temporally separated Heliconia inflorescences. Analysis of 45 clumps of Heliconia wagneriana and 77 clumps of Heliconia imbricata using MacArthur and Wilson's (1967) island biogeography theory indicates that area-species richness curves are more similar to those of true islands than to those of mainland areas. Other island relationships such as distance influences could not be found. It is postulated that beta diversity (the diversity due to the number of habitats available) is more important in increasing species richness of animals in Heliconia clumps than is alpha diversity (the diversity due to the number of species using a given resource). The reduction of evenness as area size increases indicates that increasing ecological island size increases populations of common insects more rapidly than new species can invade these ecological islands.
Algorithms for Studying the Impact of Travel Time Reliability Along Multisegment Trucking Freight Corridors

Performance measures allow planners and engineers to monitor and evaluate transportation facilities or projects and to justify the allocation of funds among alternative transportation improvement options. To capture the impact of corridor congestion on freight vehicles, new tools and methodologies are developed to analyze data from commercial vehicles and produce performance measures such as travel time, speed, and travel time reliability. Because long freight corridors comprise segments with varying reliability characteristics, the objective was to develop a programming logic that would use available truck Global Positioning System data to (a) identify natural segments or regions in a corridor between urban centers, Interstate junctions, or rural areas and (b) estimate corridorwide impact of travel time unreliability. The case study presented investigates the I-5 corridor in Oregon. The research applies statistical techniques to compute vehicle travel time and reliability for freight movements within eac...
Degradation of plastic scintillator exposed to tevatron tunnel background radiation

Abstract Four types of scintillator were subjected to background radiation in the Tevatron accelerator tunnel. Light output was reduced for doses above 15 krad.
A service-dominant logic analysis of fair trade procurement management

This study explores the use of fair trade procurement management (FTPM) as an approach to achieving sustainability. This paper develops a framework theoretically grounded in service-dominant logic (SDL) which is capable of helping researchers to better understand fair trade (FT) as a socio-political element of procurement management. The proposed framework models a number of key antecedents and consequences of FTPM, specifically examining the role of public policy, stakeholder pressure and corporate social responsibility in retailers’ procurement of FT products as well as the role of awareness and availability of FT products in the purchasing behaviours of end-consumers. The theoretical framework provides ten novel propositions, providing rich insights and directions for future research related to FT in the procurement field.
Improving Climate Sensitivity of Deep Lakes within a Regional Climate Model and Its Impact on Simulated Climate

AbstractRegional climate models aim to improve local climate simulations by resolving topography, vegetation, and land use at a finer resolution than global climate models. Lakes, particularly large and deep lakes, are local features that significantly alter regional climate. The Hostetler lake model, a version of which is currently used in the Community Land Model, performs poorly in deep lakes when coupled to the regional climate of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Regional Climate Model, version 4 (RegCM4). Within the default RegCM4 model, the lake fails to properly stratify, stifling the model’s ability to capture interannual variability in lake temperature and ice cover. Here, the authors improve modeled lake stratification and eddy diffusivity while correcting errors in the ice model. The resulting simulated lake shows improved stratification and interannual variability in lake ice and temperature. The lack of circulation and explicit mixing continues to stifle the model’s abi...
Superheavy elements: an early solar system upper limit for elements 107 to 110.

The abundance of samarium-152 in the Santa Clara iron meteorite is found to be 108 x 10 to the 7th atoms per gram. This quantity, if attributed to fission of a superheavy element with atomic number 107 to 109, limits the amount of superheavy elements in the early solar system to 0.000017 times the abundance of uranium-238. For element 110, the limit is 0.000034.
Systematic Comparison of Label-Free, Metabolic Labeling, and Isobaric Chemical Labeling for Quantitative Proteomics on LTQ Orbitrap Velos

A variety of quantitative proteomics methods have been developed, including label-free, metabolic labeling, and isobaric chemical labeling using iTRAQ or TMT. Here, these methods were compared in t...
Partial sequence analysis of Xenopus α- and β-globin mRNA as determined from recombinant DNA plasmids

Abstract Recombinant plasmids containing Xenopus globin mRNA sequences have been constructed using the mRNA:cDNA hybrid conditions of Zain et al. (1979, Cell 16, 851–861). The partial nucleotide sequence of two of these recombinants has been determined. They have been identified as containing α- and β-globin-like sequences by homology to other amphibian globin proteins. The nucleotide sequence of these recombinants permits the comparison of conserved regions in both the coding and 3′ nontranslated regions of Xenopus globin mRNAs with the known sequences of other eukaryotic globin proteins and mRNAs. Among the features which have been conserved though evolution is the sequence AAUAAA close to the 3′ terminus of the nontranslated region. Extensive regions of homology occur between the 3′ nontranslated regions of Xenopus α- and β-globin mRNA.
Suppression of Picosecond Dynamics in β-Casein upon Calcium Binding

Understanding the relationships between proteins secondary structure, dynamics and function is a key question in molecular biophysics. In a recent study1 we suggested an intriguing relationship between protein's structure, rigidity and low-frequency collective vibrations (the boson peak): proteins containing only α-helices are significantly softer than those with β-structure. The current contribution extends this study to an intrinsically disordered protein, β-casein. It is a flexible natively unfolded protein in its functional state, and binds and transports Ca2+ ions in the form of protein-bound nano-clusters. We compared rigidity and dynamics of β-casein to those of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), a well-folded rigid β-barrel, investigating dry and hydrated powders at T=170K and T=295K with neutron and depolarized light scattering techniques. Our results show that β-casein is softer than GFP at both temperatures and hydration levels. This is consistent with previous findings1. In the sub-nanosecond-picosecond time range β-casein presents the same types of motions exhibited by GFP, such as methyl groups rotations, localized diffusion relaxations (which are enhanced in presence of water) and boson peak collective vibrations2. We also analyzed β-casein samples containing CaCl2 in order to monitor the effects of ion-binding and partial folding on the rigidity and dynamics of a natively unfolded protein. The presence of Ca2+ stiffens the system and largely decreases the localized picosecond dynamics of β-casein. The latter effect is particularly strong in the hydrated case. The cations bind the negatively charged β-casein, stabilize a more folded structure of the protein and interact with hydration water. We conclude that β-casein dynamics are strongly influenced by electrostatic forces, in addition to the interactions with the water molecules.[1] S. Perticaroli et al., Soft Matter 2013, 9, 9548.[2] J. D. Nickels et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 2013, DOI: 10.1021/jp4058884.
Layered double hydroxide derived Co0.3 Mg2.7Al1-xFexO4.5 ± δ catalysts for hydrogen production via auto-thermal reforming of bio-ethanol

Abstract Layered double hydroxide-derived Co 0.3 Mg 2.7 Al 1-x Fe x O 4.5 ± δ catalysts were prepared via co-precipitation and tested in auto-thermal reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production. The layered double hydroxide precursors show typical hydrotalcite-like structures and form a similar MgO cubic structure after calcination. Compared with iron-free catalyst, the Co 0.3 Mg 2.7 Al 0.9 Fe 0.1 O 4.5 ± δ performs better in auto-thermal reforming of ethanol: the conversion of ethanol remains near 100%, and the H 2 yield stays above 3.2 mol H 2 /mol EtOH throughout the 30-h test. The improved performance can be attributed to the stable Cobalt species within Mg(Al)O matrix, the higher surface area, and the synergic effects of Co and Fe.
Spin-orbit and Pauli-correlation effects in intermediate-energy proton-nucleus inelastic scattering

Abstract The excitation of the 3− (6.13 MeV) state of 16O by 0.8 GeV protons is studied using Glauber theory with a spin-orbit NN amplitude. Two previously suggested approaches for handling the z-ordered non-commuting NN profile functions, γ, are compared and found to give nearly identical results for the usual observables. Transitions to certain LM substates which are forbidden in one approach are allowed in the other, but their cross sections are proportional to the fourth power of the strength of the NN spin-orbit amplitude and thus quite small. It is also shown that, in this energy region, an expansion in powers of the strength of the spin-orbit interaction converges rapidly and consequently any convenient ordering of the γ's can be used without serious errors. Using this result an estimate of the effects of Pauli correlations on the cross section and the polarization is given.
His68 and His141 are critical contributors to the intersubunit catalytic site of adenylosuccinate lyase of Bacillus subtilis.

Mutant adenylosuccinate lyases of Bacillus subtilis were prepared by site-directed mutagenesis with replacements for His141, previously identified by affinity labeling as being in the active site [Lee, T. T., Worby, C., Dixon, J. E., and Colman, R. F. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 458−465]. Four substitutions (A, L, E, Q) yield mutant enzyme with no detectable catalytic activity, while the H141R mutant is about 10-5 as active as the wild-type enzyme. Kinetic studies show, for the H141R enzyme, a Km that is only 3 times that of the wild-type enzyme. Minimal activity was also observed for mutant enzymes with replacements for His68 [Lee, T. T., Worby, C., Bao, Z.-Q., Dixon, J. E., and Colman, R. F. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 8481−8489]. Measurement of the reversible binding of radioactive adenylosuccinate by inactive mutant enzymes with substitutions at either position 68 or 141 shows that their affinities for substrate are decreased by only 10−40-fold. These results suggest that His141, like His68, plays an impor...
Repeated methylphenidate treatment induces behavioral sensitization and decreases protein kinase A and dopamine-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in the dorsal striatum

The behavioral effects of repeated methylphenidate (MPH) treatment were assessed in the adult rat. Protein kinase A (PKA) and adenylyl cyclase (basal and DA-stimulated) activity in the dorsal striatum (i.e., caudate-putamen) were measured to determine whether MPH-induced alterations in these enzymes correlate with the occurrence of behavioral sensitization. In two experiments, adult rats were injected (IP) on 5 consecutive pre-exposure days with saline or MPH (5, 10, 15, or 20 mg/kg). Sensitization was tested after a single abstinence day, with rats receiving a challenge injection of MPH prior to either a 40- or 150-min testing session (additional control groups received saline on the test day). Immediately after the 40-min testing session, rats were killed and tissue from the dorsal striatum was dissected for later analysis of PKA and adenylyl cyclase activity. Results showed that repeated MPH treatment sensitized the stereotyped sniffing, but not the locomotor activity, of adult rats. PKA activity was significantly depressed in rats treated with MPH (10 or 20 mg/kg) during both the pre-exposure and test day phases. DA-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was reduced after chronic MPH treatment, while basal adenylyl cyclase values were enhanced. Thus, the present study showed that MPH was able to sensitize the stereotyped behaviors of adult rats, an action that corresponded with drug-induced changes in dorsal striatal DA signal transduction mechanisms.
Urban land-use, land-cover classification through watershed segmentation in the V–I–S feature space

This article introduces an innovative approach using marker-controlled watershed segmentation (WS) in the Vegetation–Impervious Surface–Soil (V–I–S) feature space for urban land-use and land-cover (LULC) classification. The complement (e.g., the inverse) of the V–I–S feature space image shows depressions, which can be treated as topographic watersheds and they correspond to LULC classes. WS partitions the complement of V–I–S feature space image into LULC regions based on user-specified initial markers. These regions are then labelled with specific LULC classes, which lead to the subsequent LULC classification. The results showed that WS can achieve substantial classification accuracy. Compared to the traditional maximum likelihood classifier (MLC), our method requires less user input while improving the classification accuracy. A sensitivity test of the WS-based method on the location of the initial markers also is provided.
Elastic wavefield imaging with scalar and vector potentials

We demonstrate reverse-time imaging using multicomponent elastic wavefields. The elastic data are used as boundary conditions for a numeric solution to the elastic wave-equation solved using a staggeredgrid finite-difference implementation. P and S components are not separated from recorded data, but are extrapolated together as part of a vector wavefield. A straightforward extension to the cross-correlation imaging condition used for imaging scalar wavefields leads to images hard to interpret, since P and S wavefield components are mixed on the vertical and horizontal projections of displacement fields. We use an alternative imaging condition based on elastic potentials, which reduces cross-talk and leads to images that are easier to interpret, since reflections of different wave modes are separated from one-another.
Cognitive Strategies, Working Memory, and Growth in Word Problem Solving in Children With Math Difficulties

This study investigated the role of strategy instruction and working memory capacity (WMC) on word problem solving accuracy in children with (n = 100) and without (n = 92) math difficulties (MD). Within classrooms, children in Grades 2 and 3 were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions: verbal-only strategies (e.g., underlining question sentence), verbal + visual strategies, visual-only strategies (e.g., correctly placing numbers in diagrams), or untreated control. Strategy interventions included 20 sessions in both Year 1 and Year 2. The intent-to-treat as well as the "as-treated" analyses showed that treatment effects were significantly moderated by WMC. In general, treatment outcomes were higher when WMC was set to a high rather than low level. When set to a relatively high WMC level, children with MD performed significantly better under visual-only strategy conditions and children without MD performed better under verbal + visual conditions when compared to control conditions.
Inhibition of axonal growth from sensory neurons by excess nerve growth factor

Fifteen-day embryonic rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were exposed to 1 to 200 ng/ml nerve growth factor (NGF). Maximal neurite outgrowth was obtained with 10 to 20 ng/ml. Neurite outgrowth was reduced to 89% of maximal by increasing NGF to 50 ng/ml, to 66% by 100 ng/ml, and to 18% by 200 ng/ml NGF. Identical effects were seen with mouse 2.5S NGF and recombinant human NGF. Neuron cell counts demonstrated that significant cell death did not occur. In time course experiments, significant inhibition, compared with control, began within 1 hour of adding 200 ng/ml and 3 hours of adding 50 ng/ml NGF. The inhibitory effect of NGF on neurite outgrowth was reversed within 3 hours when DRG were incubated with 5 ng/ml NGF after treatment with 50 or 200 ng/ml NGF medium for 12 hours. The inhibition demonstrated for neurons did not occur in PC12 cells; axonal growth was not inhibited by up to 1,000 ng/ml NGF. Excess brain-derived neurotrophic factor or neurotrophin-3 did not inhibit neurite outgrowth. We conclude that high concentrations of NGF produces specific and reversible arrest of neurite outgrowth from sensory neurons. This observation has important clinical implications, because these inhibitory concentrations have been exceeded when NGF has been administered into the central nervous system of humans and animals.
Sexual concerns and counseling needs of normal men attending a university student health service.

Abstract The responses of 582 male university students attending the UCLA Student Health Service for medical evaluation are presented. Of these students, 37% (215) were freshmen and varsity athletes having pretraining physicals, and 63% (367) were students being evaluated in the SHS primary care clinics. A self-report questionnaire examined the frequency of sexual problems experienced by the respondents and their partners. The most common concerns expressed about themselves were orgasmic difficulties, feeling too interested in sex, and trouble getting and keeping erections. Forty-one percent of the SHS group and 33% of the athletes group had sexual concerns, and, of these, 55% and 40% respectively wanted help with their problems. Specific counseling needs of students were also evaluated.
Independent receptors for pressor and drinking responses to central injections of angiotensin II and carbachol

Angiotensin II and carbachol when injected in the brain ventricles of the rat produce similar responses of an increase in blood pressure and drinking behavior. The question of whether these effects are produced by independent receptors or via a cholinergic circuit is debatable for the drinking behavior and evidence is lacking for the blood pressure effect. We have used a chronic rat preparation for recording blood pressure and drinking at the same time during intraventricular injections (i.v.t.) of both angiotensin and carbachol and i.v.t. or intravenous infusions of appropriate antagonists. The results show that drinking and blood pressure response to angiotensin II can be blocked by P113 (500 ng 1.v.t.) an angiotensin antagonist; they are not blocked by atropine (10 mug i.v.t.) a cholinergic antagonist; carbachol effects, however, are not blocked by P113, but are totally blocked by atropine (10 mug i.v.t.), At high doses of atropine there is inhibition of both agents but this probably represents a general inhibition. The hormone and cholinomimetic administered together interact and both are inhibited by adrenergic stimulation. We conclude from these experiments that angiotensin and carbachol act upon independent receptors in the brain to produce blood pressure and drinking responses but at some point they share common, central effector pathways.
The impact of surgeon specialization on patient mortality: examination of a continuous Herfindahl-Hirschman index.

Objective: To examine the effect of surgeon specialization on patient outcomes, controlling for volume. Background: There is great interest in the degree to which surgical specialization affects outcomes, particularly considering drives to measure and reward quality in healthcare. Although surgical specialization has been previously analyzed with respect to outcomes, most studies have treated it as a dichotomous variable based on academic credentials. We treat it here as a continuous variable defined quantitatively by procedural diversity. Methods: We used 2002 to 2005 patient data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program for the Department of Surgery, Barnes Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri. To quantitate procedural specialization, Herfindahl-Hirschman indices for surgeons were calculated using billing codes. These indices were calculated according to 3 different levels of procedural aggregation. Using conditional logit models, we examined the relationship between these indices and 30-day postoperative mortality rates. Results: Surgeon specialization was inversely related to mortality rates after adjusting for case volume when indices were calculated using medium procedural aggregation (odds ratio for mortality = 0.580 per 0.1 unit Herfindahl increase; P = 0.025) or low aggregation (odds ratio for mortality = 0.510 per 0.1 unit Herfindahl increase; P = 0.015). No relationship was observed at the high level of aggregation. Conclusions: The procedural concentration component of surgical specialization is correlated with improved mortality rates independently of case volume. However, how broadly or narrowly "specialization" is defined has an impact on this relationship.
Adverse selection in online trust certifications and search results

Widely-used online ''trust'' authorities issue certifications without substantial verification of recipients' actual trustworthiness. This lax approach gives rise to adverse selection: the sites that seek and obtain trust certifications are actually less trustworthy than others. Using an original dataset on web site safety, I demonstrate that sites certified by the best-known authority, TRUSTe, are more than twice as likely to be untrustworthy as uncertified sites. This difference remains statistically and economically significant when restricted to ''complex'' commercial sites. Meanwhile, search engines create an implied endorsement in their selection of ads for display, but I show that search engine advertisements tend to be less safe than the corresponding organic listings.
The Relationship between Antimicrobial Resistance and Patient Outcomes: Mortality, Length of Hospital Stay, and Health Care Costs

There is an association between the development of antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, enterococci, and gram-negative bacilli and increases in mortality, morbidity, length of hospitalization, and cost of health care. For many patients, inadequate or delayed therapy and severe underlying disease are primarily responsible for the adverse outcomes of infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant organisms. Patients with infections due to antimicrobial-resistant organisms have higher costs (approximately 6,000-30,000 dollars) than do patients with infections due to antimicrobial-susceptible organisms; the difference in cost is even greater when patients infected with antimicrobial-resistant organisms are compared with patients without infection. Strategies to prevent nosocomial emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant organisms are essential.
A Functional Outcome-Based Approach to Evaluate the Quality of Geriatric Rehabilitation

An approach that utilizes functional outcomes to evaluate the quality of geriatric rehabilitation is described. Regulators advocate functional outcome-based quality assurance, but the literature provides little guidance in this area. A six-step approach is proposed that compares patient goal attainment with present thresholds. This method accounts for influence that rehabilitation potential and patient complication may have on goal attainment. The approach can be used in different geriatric rehabilitation programs to meet government and Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Services Organization quality assurance requirements.