cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Search for proteins with similarity to the CFTR R domain using an optimized RDBMS solution, mBioSQL

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) comprises ATP binding and transmembrane domains, and a unique regulatory (R) domain not found in other ATP binding cassette proteins. Phosphorylation of the R domain at different sites by PKA and PKC is obligatory for the chloride channel function of CFTR. Sequence similarity searches on the R domain were uninformative. Furthermore, R domains from different species show low sequence similarity. Since these R domains resemble each other only in the location of the phosphorylation sites, we generated different R domain patterns masking amino acids between these sites. Because of the high number of the generated patterns we expected a large number of matches from the UniProt database. Therefore, a relational database management system (RDBMS) was set up to handle the results. During the software development our system grew into a general package which we term Modular BioSQL (mBioSQL). It has higher performance than other solutions and presents a generalized method for the storage of biological result-sets in RDBMS allowing convenient further analysis. Application of this approach revealed that the R domain phosphorylation pattern is most similar to those in nuclear proteins, including transcription and splicing factors.
Community-based perinatal care for disadvantaged adolescents: Evaluation of the resource mothers program

This study compared the effects of a community-based lay home visiting initiative for pregnant adolescents, the Norfolk Resource Mothers Program, with the effects of a more traditional clinic-based program. The Resource Mothers Program (RMP) supports disadvantaged teens through the use of para-professional home visitors who are similar to the teens in race and socio-economic status. In addition to recruiting teens into the program and encouraging early prenatal care, the Resource Mothers Program provides teen mothers and their families with practical help and increases community awareness regarding infant mortality and adolescent pregnancy. When compared with a traditional clinic-based multi-disciplinary program (MDP) using health professionals, the Resource Mothers Program reached a higher percentage of high-risk adolescents (e.g., 75.5% RMP vs. 45.6% MDP clients aged 17 years old or under), promoted a higher level of prenatal care (e.g., 53.1% RMP vs. 32.6% MDP clients beginning prenatal care before the fourth month of pregnancy), and resulted in pregnancy outcomes that favored the MDP but were comparable (e.g., 89.8% RMP vs. 93.5% MDP client babies were over 2500 grams at birth).
The character in the hole experiment: Interaction of forward and backward masking of alphabetic character recognition by dynamic visual noise (OVN)

In the present study we consider the question of interaction between the forward and backward masking effects of dynamic visual noise (DVN) on the recognition of alphabetic characters composed of the same type of dots as those composing the DVN. The results of our experiments indicate that the two effects strongly interact so that both the duration and magnitude of the combined effect is far greater than would have been predicted by an algehraic model. Speculations about possible explanatory assumptions are presented.
Dialogue about elections in Japan and South Korea

The year 2012 was fascinating for domestic politics and international relations in Northeast Asia. Perhaps most notably, every country in the region experienced a change of leadership. China, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan all saw new leaders begin their tenure. In addition, regional relations took a turn for the worse, with numerous countries engaging in territorial and maritime disputes, disagreeing over interpretations of their shared histories.
The biochemistry of memory: The 26year journey of a 'new and specific hypothesis'

Abstract This Special Issue of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory dedicated to Dr. Richard Thompson to celebrate his 80th birthday and his numerous contributions to the field of learning and memory gave us the opportunity to revisit the hypothesis we proposed more than 25 years ago regarding the biochemistry of learning and memory. This review summarizes our early 1980s hypothesis and then describes how it was tested and modified over the years following its introduction. We then discuss the current status of the hypothesis and provide some examples of how it has led to unexpected insights into the memory problems that accompany a broad range of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Adolescent Growth and Development

Adolescence is a developmental stage defined by physical and psychosocial maturation. This article reviews normal pubertal development and the evaluation and management of adolescents with suspected pubertal abnormalities and provides an overview of adolescent psychosocial development.
Cellulase digestibility of pretreated biomass is limited by cellulose accessibility.

Attempts to correlate the physical and chemical properties of biomass to its susceptibility to enzyme diges- tion are often inconclusive or contradictory depending on variables such as the type of substrate, the pretreatment conditions and measurement techniques. In this study, we present a direct method for measuring the key factors governing cellulose digestibility in a biomass sample by directly probing cellulase binding and activity using a pur- ified cellobiohydrolase (Cel7A) from Trichoderma reesei. Fluorescence-labeled T. reesei Cel7A was used to assay pretreated corn stover samples and pure cellulosic substrates to identify barriers to accessibility by this important com- ponent of cellulase preparations. The results showed cellu- lose conversion improved when T. reesei Cel7A bound in higher concentrations, indicating that the enzyme had greater access to the substrate. Factors such as the pretreat- ment severity, drying after pretreatment, and cellulose crystallinity were found to directly impact enzyme accessi- bility. This study provides direct evidence to support the notion that the best pretreatment schemes for rendering biomass more digestible to cellobiohydrolase enzymes are those that improve access to the cellulose in biomass cell walls, as well as those able to reduce the crystallinity of cell wall cellulose. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;98: 112-122. 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dynamic Grid-Based Approach to Data Distribution Management

Data distribution management (DDM) is one of the services defined by the DoD High Level Architecture and is necessary to provide efficient, scalable mechanisms for distributing state updates and interaction information in large scale distributed simulations. In this paper, we focus on data distribution management mechanisms (also known as filtering) used for real time training simulations. We propose a new method of DDM, which we refer to as the dynamic grid-based approach. Our scheme is based on a combination of a fixed grid-based method, known for its scalability, and a region-based strategy, which provides greater accuracy than the fixed grid-based method. We describe our DDM algorithm, its implementation, and report on the performance results that we have obtained using the RTI-Kit framework. Our results clearly indicate that our scheme is scalable and that it reduces the message overhead by 40%, and the number of multicast groups used by 98% when compared to the fixed grid-based allocation scheme using 10 nodes, 1000 objects, and 20,000 grid cells.
On-line programming examinations using Web to teach

Using the automated code-checking capability of the WebToTeach system, we have built WebToTest, a system for administering on-line programming examination.The system successfully addresses many of the issues raised by recent work in on-line exams by providing reliable automatic checking of exam questions and a secure, restricted programming environment useable by the students during the exam. Its web-based character makes it amenable to distance education applications. Furthermore, because examinations may be administered on any collection of computers that provide a browser, and thus do not require reservation of the student programming labs.
Electron spin resonance studies on γ-irradiated KMnO4

Abstract Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies have been carried out on the radicals produced by the γ-irradiation of single crystals of KMnO 4 . Analysis of the data yields at least two paramagnetic species. The first radical is produced by room temperature irradiation and gives a single line for each of two inequivalent magnetic sites. There is no resolvable hyperfine structure and the g tensor for the species is given by, g b = g μ ′ = 2·0176, g x ′ = 2·0020, g z ′ = 2·0112. The spectrum is tentatively assigned to the O 3 − radical although MnO 2 and MnO 4 are also possibilities. The second radical is produced by irradiation at 77°K and the spectrum disappears irreversibly at slightly higher temperatures. Analysis of the very complicated spectra yields, g b = 1·9617, g x = 1·9452, g u = 1·9940, A b = 386 MHz, A 2 = 87 MHz, A 3 = 20 MHz. This spectrum is assigned to the MnO 4 −2 radical. The relationship of the radicals observed to the effect of high energy radiation on the decomposition of KMnO 4 in the light of current solid state theory is discussed.
Multiple roles of calmodulin and other Ca 2+ -binding proteins in the functional regulation of TRP channels

Transient receptor potential channels (TRP) have emerged as cellular sensors of various internal and external cues. Generally, the activation of TRP canonical (TRPC) channels is triggered by the stimulation of phospholipase C; however, multiple factors are involved in the regulation of these channels. Among them, Ca(2+)-mediated feedback channel modulations are often mediated by calmodulin (CaM) and other Ca(2+)-binding proteins. In vitro binding studies have revealed multiple CaM-binding sites on TRPC proteins. Among them, a common CaM/inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-binding site is found at the carboxyl terminus of every TRPC isoform. Additional non-conserved CaM-binding sites are present at the amino and carboxyl termini of several TRPC proteins. Likewise, multiple CaM-binding sites were found in other TRP proteins. These, together with the presence in close vicinity of the interaction sites for the related neuronal Ca(2+)-binding proteins, such as CaBP1, suggest a multitude of diverse intracellular Ca(2+)-dependent regulations of TRP channels. Functional studies have begun to reveal the unique roles of CaM and CaBP1 binding to several TRP channels. This review will focus on the CaM- and CaBP1-mediated regulations of TRPC channels. Related studies on TRPM and TRPV channels will also be highlighted.
The Austrian School on Money and Gold

Austrian views on money and the gold standard are consonant with the general characteristics of the school. First, Austrians are concerned with the complete picture, with how a whole economic system and alternative sets of institutions function. They are alert to the question of unplanned order and of how the decentralised decisions and specialised activities of millions of people can mesh without central planning. They investigate how the market and prices function as a vast communications system and computer, transmitting information and incentives and so enlisting knowledge scattered over many millions of minds that would otherwise necessarily go to waste. They recognise why accurate economic calculation is impossible under socialism. Second, the Austrians appreciate the implications of incomplete, imperfect and scattered knowledge and also the implications of change and unpredictability in human affairs. They pay attention to disequilibrium, to processes as well as end positions, and to entrepreneurial altertness and creativity. Instead of supposing, for example, that cost curves and demand curves are somehow “given” to business decision makers, they recognise it as one of the functions of the competitive process to press for discovery of ways to get the cost curves down — if one speaks of such curves at all. Third, Austrians have certain methodological predilections. They reject the tacit view of economic activity as the result of interplay among objective conditions and impersonal forces. They take pains to trace their analyses back to the subjective perceptions, decisions and actions of individuals trying to cope with a complex and unpredictably changeable world; they recognise introspection as one legitimate source of the facts underpinning economic theory. (While thus practising methodological individualism, they do not subordinate the big question of system‐wide co‐ordination to an excessively narrow focus on the administration of individual firms and households.) Finally, although Austrians like to think of their economics as value‐free and not logically tied to any particular policy position, their insights into positive economics, coupled with plausible value judgements of a humanitarian and individualistic nature, undeniably do lead them to favour free markets.
An Introduction to the First Five Chapters of Aristotle's Categories

In an earlier paper' I have argued that a satisfactory account of Aristotle's postulation of individuals, both substantial and nonsubstantial, in the Categories can be achieved by taking seriously his characterization of these individuals as things that are 'one in number' and by interpreting this characterization as 'a unit in a possible act of enumeration'. This approach to the Categories has important consequences for the interpretation of the remainder of the work. In this essay I wish to present an account of the first five chapters (bar chapter 4 which lays out the categories themselves) based on the former paper. In particular, I wish to examine the four-fold division of 'the things that are' in chapter 2 alnd the two relations of 'being said of' and 'being in' (or, rather, 'existing in') that are used to construct this four-fold division, and the nature of 'primary substance' (or, rather, 'primary being') and the basis for its distinction from 'secondary substance' (or, rather, 'secondary being'). The account that will be developed here is substantially and importantly different from any other that I am aware of, and, even if it does not secure conviction, its publication will hopefully make the dogma that the Categories is a 'common-sensical' work less readily tenable and force a re-thinking of the usual account of the work. I wish to suggest that 'the things that are' are 'things that exist and in existing are something', that the two relations ('being said of' and 'being in') are existential, that 'primary substance' -Cpcrj oUaMx is the existentially primary mode of existence of individuals and that their separation from 'secondary substances' is due partly to a hypostatization of count-nouns in language, partly to a recognition that, to the extent that counting forms a basis of the work, to that extent an ability to use language is presupposed in the classification of 'the things that are', and, finally, that Aristotle cannot simply view 'secondary substances' as items of language because he recognizes
Tick Size and Institutional Trading Costs: Evidence from Mutual Funds

This paper measures changes in mutual fund trading costs following two reductions in the tick size of U.S. equity markets: the switch from eighths to sixteenths and the subsequent switch to decimals. We estimate trading costs by comparing a mutual fund's daily returns to the daily returns of a synthetic benchmark portfolio that matches the fund's holdings but has zero trading costs by construction. We find that the average change in trading costs of actively managed funds was positive following both reductions in tick size with a larger and statistically significant increase following decimalization. In contrast, index fund trading costs were unaffected.
Diffusion in the Lattice and Interfaces of Real Engineering Materials: A Unified Approach

Engineering materials are commonly polycrystalline in nature and chemically inhomogeneous containing hetero-phases and interfaces. Because diffusion is ubiquitous in dissimilar phases and defects, it plays a vital role in the performance and reliability. During the last several decades, a synergism of the microstructural properties and chemical inhomogeniety with diffusion has been attempted to unify their apparently diverse behavior. We discuss the methodology and the thermodynamical analyses of the diffusion data needed to obtain this synergism quantitatively and illustrate it by the results obtained in a wide variety of materials, both metallic and non-metallic. Investigations carried out in pure polycrystalline metals have yielded grain boundary energies comparable to those directly measured. Furthermore, we discuss the role of solute segregation at grain boundaries and interfaces in alloys in altering diffusion. From the perturbations caused, the solute segregation parameters - the enthalpy and the entropy of binding - have been extracted and levels of solute concentrations estimated. Finally, it is shown that similar analyses when applied to complex materials, e.g. the Pb-Sn eutectic alloy, the Ni3Al intermetallic compound, and an Ag-ceramic system, also result in acceptable values of interface energies and segregation factors.
Dark Preachers: The Impact of Radio Consolidation on Independent Religious Syndicators

Radio ownership rules have been debated since moves toward deregulation began 30 years ago, culminating in the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which eliminated national ownership limits and fundamentally liberalized local limits. The effects of media concentration on radio have been controversial, with complaints that the “quintessential people's medium” has been shorn of diverse voices and community interests. Meaningful access for these voices depends largely on the viability of niche formats. This paper studies one niche format—religious radio—which before the Telecom Act had a long history of economic viability, low turnover, and programming opportunities for independent syndicators. The study uses published industry directories to reconstruct a year-by-year picture of changes in syndicated religious radio programming for the period 1993–2000, or four years before and after the Telecom Act. These changes in religious radio may offer indications of how consolidation has affected media access for independe...
Voice onset time for female trained and untrained singers during speech and singing.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the voice onset times of female trained and untrained singers during spoken and sung tasks. Thirty females were digitally recorded speaking and singing short phrases containing the English stop consonants /p/ and /b/ in the word-initial position. Voice onset time was measured for each phoneme and statistically analyzed. Mixed-ANOVAs revealed significantly longer voice onset time durations during speech for /p/ as compared to sung productions. No significant differences between the trained singers and untrained singers were observed. In addition, no task differences occurred for the /b/ productions. The results indicated that the type of phonatory task influences VOT for voiceless stops in females. Learning outcomes: As a result of this activity, the reader will be able to (1) understand articulatory and phonatory differences between spoken and sung productions; (2) understand the articulatory and phonatory timing differences between trained singers and untrained singers during spoken and sung productions.
1013-108 Is Persantine Thallium Scintigraphy Cost Effective and Reliable in the Preoperative Evaluation of Patients Referred for Peripheral Vascular Surgery?

Asymptomatic CAD has been shown to be associated with a high risk of perioperative cardiac events in patients (pts) undergoing surgery for peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Dipyridamole thallium (SPECT) scintigraphy (DTS) is considered the most useful screening test for stratification of these pts. Comparative prospective evaluation of various noninvasive tests for detection of latent CAD in PVD pts is lacking. In this study, 100 consecutive patients referred for PVD surgery were evaluated by DTS, low work load exercise treadmill test (ETT) and ambulatory ECG monitoring (AEM). Pts with abnormal findings on any of the three noninvasive tests were evaluated with coronary angiography (angio) for further stratification. Fifty-five pts had reversible perfusion defects on DTS. Of the 55 + pts with DTS, 49 had data on AEM with 39% having evidence of ambulatory ischemia; 48 of the 55 pts performed ETT with ischemia induced in 13%. Of the 41 pts with normal DTS findings, 12 (29%) had ischemia during ETT (n = 6) or AEM (n = 6); 64% of these pts had multi-vessel CAD by angio. Statistical modeling and analysis of important clinical variables, AEM ischemia, and angio findings were compared with DTS for predicting CAD. These analyses revealed that family hx of CAD, chest pain, smoking, age ≥ 65 years, and ischemia on AEM were highly predictive of CAD with a positive predictive value of 89% and a specificity of 92%. These findings suggest that a careful evaluation of clinical parameters and AEM results can provide reliable and clinically meaningful data predictive of significant CAD in pts referred for PVD surgery. Conclusion Our data have demonstrated that the findings on DTS are not always reliable and its routine use might not be warranted in preoperative evaluation of patients with asymptomatic CAD referred for peripheral vascular surgery.
Radionuclide evaluation of dual chamber pacing: comparison between variable AV intervals and ventricular pacing.

We prospectively evaluated changes in left ventricular ejection fraction, end diastolic volume, and stroke volume via radionuclide multigated acquisition study, Comparison was made between ventricular pacing and dual chamber pacing with varying AV intervals. The volumes and changes in ejection fraction were determined at rest, at set increased pacing rates, and during physiological stress. AV sequential pacing shows overall improvement in cardiac function in the majority of patients regardless of left ventricular function. The shorter AV interval would be appropriate for the majority of patients who have an atrial tracking mechanism (adequate intrinsic sensed atrial activity followed by ventricular pacing) and who undergo significant physiological stress.
Modeling, materials, and metrics: the three-m approach to FCS signature solutions

There is a push in the Army to develop lighter vehicles that can get to remote parts of the world quickly. This objective force is not some new vehicle, but a whole new way of fighting wars. The Future Combat System (FCS), as it is called, has an extremely aggressive timeline and must rely on modeling and simulation to aid in defining the goals, optimizing the design and materials, and testing the performance of the various FCS systems concepts. While virtual prototyping for vehicles (both military and commercial) has been around as a concept for well over a decade and its use is promoted heavily in tours and in boardrooms, the actual application of virtual protoyping is often limited and when successful has been confined to specific physical engineering areas such as weight, space, stress, mobility, and ergonomics. If FCS is to succeed in its acquisition schedule, virtual prototyping will have to be relied on heavily and its application expanded. Signature management is an example of an area that would benefit greatly from virtual prototyping tools. However, there are several obstacles to achieving this goal. To rigorously analyze a vehicle's IR and visual signatures extensively in several different environments over different weather and seasonal conditions could result millions of potentially unique signatures to evaluate. In addition, there is no real agreement on what evaluate means or even what value is used to represent signature; Delta T( degree(s)C), Probability of Detection? What the user really wants to know is: how do I make my system survivable? This paper attempts to describe and then bound the problem and describe how the Army is attempting to deal with some of these issues in a holistic manner using SMART (Simulation and Modeling for Acquisition, Requirements, and Training) principles.
Effector proteins translocated by Legionella pneumophila: strength in numbers

The Gram-negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila is a parasite of eukaryotic cells. It has evolved to survive and replicate in a wide range of protozoan hosts and can also infect human alveolar macrophages as an opportunistic pathogen. Crucially for the infection process, L. pneumophila uses a type IV secretion system called Dot/Icm to translocate bacterial proteins into host cells. In recent years a large number of Dot/Icm-translocated proteins have been identified. The study of these proteins, referred to as effectors, is providing valuable insight into the mechanism by which an intracellular pathogen can manipulate eukaryotic cellular processes to traffic and replicate in host cells.
Urethan Rubber from a Polyether Glycol. Factors Influencing Processability

Abstract Adiprene-B urethan rubber is a high-viscosity thermoplastic elastomer that can be compounded and otherwise processed on conventional rubber manufacturing equipment. There are fundamental differences between Adiprene-B and the more common elastomers in processing which must be taken into consideration. 1. Processing temperatures should be less than 121° C to ensure smooth plastic flow and reduce the rate of scorching. 2. Processing temperature is proportional to Mooney viscosity, and both can be reduced by the use of plasticizers. 3. Moisture increases the rate of scorch, and it should be held to a minimum through all phases of processing. 4. Since stocks containing Adiprene-B increase in viscosity during storage, close scheduling of operations will ensure the maximum processable life.
Nucleation in the presence of long-range interactions.

Unlike droplet nucleation near a liquid-gas critical point, the decay of metastable phases in crystalline materials is strongly affected by the presence of long-range forces. Field quench experiments performed on the ferroelectric barium titanate indicate that nucleation in this material is markedly different from that observed in liquids. In this paper, a theory for nucleation at a first-order phase transition in which the mediating forces are long range is presented. It is found that the long-range force induces cooperative nucleation and growth processes, and that this feedback mechanism produces a well-defined delay time with a sharp onset in the transformation to the stable phase. Closed-form expressions for the characteristic onset time and width of the transition are developed, in good agreement with numerical and experimental results.
Estrogenic responses of larval sunshine bass (Morone saxatilis × M. Chrysops) exposed to New York city sewage effluent

Abstract To determine the estrogenicity of effluents from sewage treatment plants (STPs) to larval fish, 2-day-old sunshine bass were exposed to effluents from three STPs serving New York City (NYC), varying in size and treatment level. Estrogenic response was evaluated by measuring vitellogenin (VTG) and estrogen receptor (ER) expression in cytosolic fractions of whole body homogenates. Concentrations of the presumptive endocrine disruptors in the effluents were also measured. VTG and ER levels in sewage-exposed fish were 3–5 times that observed in controls. Combined concentrations of estradiol and estrone ranged from 5 to 13 ng/l and nonylphenol-ethoxylate metabolites (NPEOs: 4-nonylphenol, and 1-, 2-, and 3-nonylphenol-ethoxylates) ranged from 180 to 470 μg/l in chlorinated effluent. Results indicate that both ER and VTG can be used as biomarkers for endocrine disruption in larval fish, and that 4-day exposure to sewage effluent is sufficient to elicit significant expression of these markers in sunshine bass larvae. The extremely higher concentrations of NPEOs found in effluent relative to hormones (approximately 40,000-fold) indicates that surfactant metabolites may be contributing significantly to the estrogenic effects observed.
Determinants of temporal variations in generic advertising effectiveness

This study develops a varying-parameter advertising model specifying advertising parameters as a function of advertising strategies and market environments to explain the varying nature of the advertising responses. This model allows researchers to examine the sources of change in advertising effectiveness over time. The model is applied to the New York City fluid milk market for the period from January, 1986 through June, 1995. Results indicate that advertising strategies and market environments play important roles in determining advertising effectiveness. Particularly, demographic factors were more important than economic factors. The results also suggest that when the market conditions are unfavorable due to increase in price, percentage of African Americans, and percentage of food expenditures for eating away from home, advertising becomes more important and effective. [ JEL Classification Codes: Q130, M300, and M370] © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects of Electrode Protrusion Length, Pre‐Existing Bubbles, Solution Conductivity and Temperature, on Liquid Phase Pulsed Electrical Discharge

The effects of high voltage electrode needle protrusion length and the presence of low density pre-existing bubbles on liquid phase pulsed electrical discharge were investigated. Liquid phase pulsed corona discharge was operated with two different protrusion length needle electrodes (short - 2 mm and long - 20 mm) with different bulk solution conductivities (5 μS · cm- 1 and 150 μS · cm -1 ) at room temperature (25°C) and near boiling (95°C). Chemical reactions formed in the discharge were also investigated by measuring the generation rates of hydrogen (H 2 ), oxygen (O 2 ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ).
Interfacial toughness measurements for thin films on substrates

Abstract There are more than 200 different methods for measuring adhesion, suggesting it to be material, geometry and even industry specific. This availability has exploded at least partly due to the arrival of dissimilar material interfaces and thin films and the ease with which microfabrication techniques apply to silicon technology. Having an eye toward those tests utilized for thin films, this paper reviews only a few of these techniques. The emphasis is on measuring thin film adhesion from the standpoint of fracture mechanics, when the film is mechanically or by other means removed from the substrate, and the amount of energy necessary for this process is calculated per unit area of the removed film. This tends to give values approaching the true work of adhesion at small thickness and greater values of the practical work of adhesion at larger thickness, all being in the 30–30,000 nm range. The resulting large range of toughnesses is shown to be dependent on the scale of plasticity achieved as controlled by film thickness, microstructure, chemistry and test temperature. While the tests reviewed largely address the measurement of elastic strain energy release rates, we also briefly address a few theoretical models which are specific to the resistance side of the delamination equation. The weight of the evidence suggests for ductile metallic films that the major extrinsic variables are film stress, extent of delamination, thickness and temperature while the major intrinsic ones are modulus, yield strength, the thermodynamic work of adhesion and one or more length scales. For some 25 film/substrate multilayers, with emphasis on Al, Au and Cu, the comparison of several theoretical models as to how the extrinsic and intrinsic variables intertwine is made.
Low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet and the combination of orlistat with a low-fat diet lead to comparable improvements in weight and blood lipids, but LCKD more beneficial for blood pressure

Commentary on: WS Yancy Jr, EC Westman, JR McDuffie, et al.. A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet vs orlistat plus a low-fat diet for weight loss. Arch Intern Med2010;170:136–45.
Decreased Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Preeclampsia and Consequences for Developmental Programming

See related article, pp 165–171 It has been ≈2 decades since the seminal report by Asahara et al,1 characterizing the isolation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from peripheral blood. Despite considerable debate on the most appropriate antigens for true identification of EPCs, several lines of evidence have emerged to show that they are recruited to sites of vascular lesions and may play a critical role in the repair of blood vessel damage, restoration of endothelial function, or neoangiogenesis after the fetal period.1,2 Although endothelial cell dysfunction is a hallmark of many cardiovascular diseases (including preeclampsia) and a growing body of literature suggests that reductions in the number and functionality of circulating EPCs play a role in adult cardiovascular diseases,2,3 whether alterations in EPCs contribute to fetal programming of disease is unclear. Evidence suggests that circulating EPCs are reduced in preeclampsia and may contribute to endothelial dysfunction in these patients, but it remains unclear whether this represents a causal relationship in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia or is a biomarker for individuals susceptible to developing the condition. Moreover, the exact role of EPCs in developmental abnormalities and fetal programming remains unknown. Thus, the study by Munoz-Hernandez et al4 in the current issue of Hypertension seems to be the first to show that endothelial colony–forming cells (ECFCs), a subset of EPCs, are reduced in cord blood of preeclamptic pregnancies. This represents an intriguing finding and may be an important step toward identifying a putative mechanism for developmental programming in pregnancies affected by preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a common hypertensive disorder of pregnancy characterized by widespread endothelial dysfunction and vasoconstriction resulting from abnormalities in …
Integration of Treatment Methods in Trophoblastic Growths

Our concepts of abnormal trophoblastic growth and its management are changing under the influence of advances made with chemotherapy. We must compare each newly advocated principle with the old, however, and make it prove its superiority. We should not discard accumulated knowledge before the era of chemotherapy simply because it is old, and simply because new alternatives exist.
Relationship between Shoulder Pain and Selected Variables in Patients with Hemiplegia

This investigation was performed to clarify the relationship between six independent variable categories and shoulder pain (SP) in hemiplegia. In this study, 30 hemiplegic patients served as subjects. The Ritchie articular index was used to measure SP. The independent variables were age, body weight, time since onset of stroke, shoulder subluxation, range of shoulder external rotation, and plegic shoulder muscle group strength. Subluxation was judged by palpation. Range of shoulder external rotation was measured goniometrically. Strength of the shoulder internal and external rotator, abductor and extensor muscles was measured with a hand-held dynamometer and normalized against body weight. A strength balance ratio of the shoulder was also determined (external rotators + abductors/internal rotators + extensors). Variables were measured on admission and prior to discharge. Spearman correlations or chi-squares were determined between the initial and final measurements of the independent variables and SP.More...
Millimeter-wave generation with plasma devices: The state of the art

The electron beam-plasma interaction and the plasma multiplier have been investigated during the last decade in the hope that one or the other might have some application at millimeter wavelengths. So far the expectations for these devices have not been realized because of many unresolved engineering problems. Major difficulties are described here, and an attempt is made to evaluate the potential of both devices.
Comparative Analysis of Two Musical Genres Within a Multisensory Environmental Intervention

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in the behavioral responses of persons with dementia while listening to nonreligious and religious music within a m...
Immunofluorescent detection of Histoplasma capsulatum in primate experimental ocular histoplasmosis

We have developed a polyclonal anti-Histoplasma capsulatum antibody to detect H. capsulatum antigens in ocular tissue. Antibodies were specific for H. capsulatum as determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and immunoprecipitation. A total of 21 choroidal histoplasmic lesions in 4 primate eyes (Macaca speciosa and Macaca mulatta), taken at various times from 14 to 60 days after the internal carotid artery injection of yeast phase organisms, were evaluated. Using an indirect immunofluorescent technique, these antibodies stained yeast phase organisms within acute choroidal lesions at 14 days after infection. By 60 days intact organisms were no longer detected; occasional cells, however, contained intracellular inclusions that stained with these antibodies. Although yeast phase organisms are rapidly cleared from the primate choroid, these data indicate that residual H. capsulatum antigens may remain in choroidal lesions after the acute infectious stage. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that H. capsulatum antigens play a role in the immunologic reactivation of atrophic choroidal scars in ocular histoplasmosis.
Career Paths of Campus Recreational Sport Directors

The purpose of this study was to examine the job profiles and career paths taken by directors in campus recreational sport. Using a Web-based survey of 52 closedended and 2 open-ended items, the study results provided a rich overview of the perceptions, issues, and patterns that 145 current directors identified as relevant factors contributing to successful career paths in campus recreational sport administration. Overall, the results of the study revealed that future campus recreational sport directors must gain diverse practical experiences, be actively involved in professional organizations, learn how to network effectively with professionals both at the institutional and nationwide levels, and be passionate about recreational sport management.
Custom ocular prosthetics

The rehabilitation of a patient who has suffered the psychologic trauma of an ocular loss requires a prosthesis that will provide the optimum cosmetic and functional result. Refinement in the details of custom ocular construction has produced a superior restoration delivered more readily.
Effects of ibogaine on the development of tolerance to antinociceptive action of μ-, δ- and κ-opioid receptor agonists in mice

Abstract The effects of ibogaine, an alkaloid isolated from the bark of the African shrub, Tabernanthe iboga , on the development of tolerance to the antinociception action of morphine, U-50,488H and [ d -Pen 2 , d -Pen 5 ]enkephalin (DPDPE), which are μ-, κ- and δ-opioid receptor agonists, respectively, were determined in male Swiss-Webster mice. Mice were rendered tolerant to opioid receptor agonists by injecting morphine (20 mg/kg, s.c.), U-50,488H (25 mg/kg, i.p.) or DPDPE (20 μg/mouse, i.c.v.) twice a day for 4 days. Ibogaine (20, 40 or 80 mg/kg, i.p.) given twice a day for 4 days did not alter the tail-flick latency. Ibogaine (40 or 80 mg/kg, i.p.) injected 10 min before each injection of morphine inhibited the development of tolerance to the antinociceptive action of morphine, however, the lower dose of ibogaine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) was ineffective. Ibogaine (20, 40 or 80 mg/kg, i.p.) given prior to the injection of U-50,488H or DPDPE did not modify the development of tolerance to their antinociceptive action. It is concluded that ibogaine inhibits selectively the development of tolerance to the antinociceptive action of μ- but not κ- or δ-opioid receptor agonists in mice.
Observed space-time structure of radar backscatter from the ocean surface

Space-time radar images of the ocean surface were collected from an airship off the Oregon coast in the fall of 1995, using a coherent, short pulse, HH-polarized X-band system. The radar successfully mapped wind waves, long swell waves and internal wave features. The radar images are converted to two-dimensional spectra of microwave backscatter and the surface velocity field. These spectra are used to examine space-time properties of surface waves. Examples of the radar maps and their corresponding spectra are presented. It is demonstrated that the linear dispersion relation gives the relationship between the time and spatial dependence of the long gravity waves. Also, evident in the spectra are features that don't obey the linear wave theory.
What are punishment and reputation for

Why did punishment and the use of reputation evolve in humans? According to one family of theories, they evolved to support the maintenance of cooperative group norms; according to another, they evolved to enhance personal gains from cooperation. Current behavioral data are consistent with both hypotheses (and both selection pressures could have shaped human cooperative psychology). However, these hypotheses lead to sharply divergent behavioral predictions in circumstances that have not yet been tested. Here we report results testing these rival predictions. In every test where social exchange theory and group norm maintenance theory made different predictions, subject behavior violated the predictions of group norm maintenance theory and matched those of social exchange theory. Subjects do not direct punishment toward those with reputations for norm violation per se; instead, they use reputation self-beneficially, as a cue to lower the risk that they personally will experience losses from defection. More tellingly, subjects direct their cooperative efforts preferentially towards defectors they have punished and away from those they haven’t punished; they avoid expending punitive effort on reforming defectors who only pose a risk to others. These results are not consistent with the hypothesis that the psychology of punishment evolved to uphold group norms. The circumstances in which punishment is deployed and withheld–its circuit logic–support the hypothesis that it is generated by psychological mechanisms that evolved to benefit the punisher, by allowing him to bargain for better treatment.
The Three-Ring Circus of Academia: How to Become the Ringmaster.

The three-ring circus of academia is made up of research, teaching, and service. It is also characterized by continuous action that must be facilitated by the academic ringmaster. Academic life is more difficult than most anticipate because the responsibilities are time-consuming, diverse, and conflicting. Therefore, this article focuses on strategies faculty members can develop to meet these pressing demands. Specifically, we begin with a discussion of how to balance research, teaching, and service. We then highlight strategies faculty members can use in becoming an effective academic ringmaster. We conclude with a discussion of life outside the "big top."
Chinese Constitutional Currents

The Chinese constitution in action is far more flexible than the written state charter might suggest. Jiang Shigong and Xueguang Zhou best capture China’s actual constitutional patterns of power, a...
The effects of restraint, gender, and body mass index on the accuracy of self-reported weight.

Objective: Previous research has shown that women, restrained eaters, and over- weight/obese individuals have a tendency to underreport their weight. This study investi- gated gender, dietary restraint, and BMI to determine which is the best predictor of errors in self-reported weight. Method: A total of 241 college students completed questionnaires pertaining to height and weight and then were weighed in the laboratory. Results: Although overall students were fairly accurate in reporting their weight, restraint status was the best predictor of weight underestimation. Discussion: These results suggest that restrained eaters, regardless of gender or BMI, have a tendency to underestimate their weight. # 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 34: 177-180, 2003.
Aggressive Medical Care at the End of Life: Does Capitated Reimbursement Encourage the Right Care for the Wrong Reason?

The quality of medical care at the end of life is receiving increased attention in both the popular press 1 and professional journals. 2,3 This interest has developed in part because of the perception that people die with ineffective, painful, expensive, and unwanted medical interventions that deprive them of their dignity, personal interactions, and family savings. This perception is not wholly unfounded. Approximately 60% of Americans die in hospitals. 4 Among the deaths of hospitalized patients in the SUPPORT study, 5 half died after receiving mechanical ventilation for more than 1 week. Many families of dying patients report that their loved ones experience moderate to severe pain during most or all of the loved ones' last few days. Many of the families of dying patients experience severe caregiving and financial burdens. 6 Efforts to improve the quality of end-of-life care through advance directives, education, and more accurate prognostic information have
ELISA Versus Immunolocalization to Determine the Association of Erwinia tracheiphila in Acalymma vittatum (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

DAS-ELISA, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy were used to investi- gate the association of the causal agent of bacterial wilt, Erwinia tracheiphila (Smith), within the beetle Acalymma vittatum (F.). After a 24-h acquisition period, a high percentage of individuals tested positive for E. tracheiphila antigen using both immunohistochemistry (100%) and DAS-ELISA (70—60%). Both assays showed that the antigen remained in beetles long after the initial acquisition, with the percentage declining during incubation. Using ELISA, the percentage decreased to 4.7% within 3 d after acquistion, then increased to 10% within 10 d and remained at 10% for 30 d. Immunoperoxidase assays of paraffin embedded gut sections were more sensitive, and showed that 95% of the beetles harbored the pathogen after 10 d and 20% after 30 d. E. tracheiphila antigen was present throughout the digestive tract soon after acquisition, but only small clusters of E. tracheiphila were observed along the alimentary canal 3 d after transfer onto clean plants. After 10 and 30 d on clean plants, E. tracheiphila antigen reaction was stronger and clusters of bacteria were more numerous, primarily in the posterior midgut and anterior portion of the hindgut. Scanning electron microscopy and TEM photomicrographs confirmed the presence of bacterial cells resembling E. tracheiphila associated with the intima of the hindgut 1 and 30 d after acquisition. This demonstrated the sensitivity of immunohistochemisty for detecting E. tracheiphila within its vector, and suggests a long-term extracellular endosymbiotic association of E. tracheiphila with the alimentary canal of A. vittatum.
Coverage of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the New York Times, 1950–2012

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that occurs for some individuals following a traumatic experience and that can cause significant health, mental health, and functioning problems. The concept of PTSD has multiple components (cause, reactions, and treatment), which provides for great variety in the experience of an individual with PTSD. Given this complexity, the news media's construction of PTSD is likely an important influence in determining how the public understands PTSD, but research has yet to investigate how the news media depict PTSD. This study addresses that gap in the literature by examining New York Times coverage of PTSD from 1950 to 2012. Results indicate that the number of PTSD articles during this time period increased, with coverage spikes related to U.S. military conflicts and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Almost half (49.14%) of all PTSD articles included military service as a PTSD cause. Military PTSD articles were more likely than civilian PT...