cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A null mutation of the neuronal sodium channel NaV1.6 disrupts action potential propagation and excitation-contraction coupling in the mouse heart

Evidence supports the expression of brain-type sodium channels in the heart. Their functional role, however, remains controversial. We used global NaV1.6-null mice to test the hypothesis that NaV1.6 contributes to the maintenance of propagation in the myocardium and to excitation-contraction (EC) coupling. We demonstrated expression of transcripts encoding full-length NaV1.6 in isolated ventricular myocytes and confirmed the striated pattern of NaV1.6 fluorescence in myocytes. On the ECG, the PR and QRS intervals were prolonged in the null mice, and the Ca2+ transients were longer in the null cells. Under patch clamping, at holding potential (HP) = −120 mV, the peak INa was similar in both phenotypes. However, at HP = −70 mV, the peak INa was smaller in the nulls. In optical mapping, at 4 mM [K+]o, 17 null hearts showed slight (7%) reduction of ventricular conduction velocity (CV) compared to 16 wild-type hearts. At 12 mM [K+]o, CV was 25% slower in a subset of 9 null vs. 9 wild-type hearts. These results highlight the importance of neuronal sodium channels in the heart, whereby NaV1.6 participates in EC coupling, and represents an intrinsic depolarizing reserve that contributes to excitation.—Noujaim, S. F., Kaur, K., Milstein, M., Jones, J. M., Furspan, P., Jiang, D., Auerbach, D. S., Herron, T., Meisler, M. H., Jalife, J. A null mutation of the neuronal sodium channel NaV1.6 disrupts action potential propagation and excitation-contraction coupling in the mouse heart.
Milton's 'Christian Talmud'

AbstractThis essay argues that Milton's divorce tracts recuperate Hebraic thought as a means of challenging prevailing orthodoxies of the Christian intellectual tradition. By siding with Hebraic interpretations of divorce law, Milton seeks to expand the social liberties of contemporary Christians beyond Christian scriptural precedent. The domestic liberty to divorce on grounds of intellectual incompatibility further implies a radical displacement of political as well as exegetical legitimacy from established institutional sites of authority. Milton gives voice to a notoriously complex relation to authority by means of his investigation of pedagogy as the biblical trope for Christian inheritance and succession from Jewish tradition. Education is therefore presented as an interpretive principle, which is best illustrated by the example of Rabbi Jesus as he confronts the Pharisees on the question of divorce. In this context, the individual's vexed relation to tradition illustrates the urgent need to historic...
Supply-chain oriented robust parameter design

This article introduces game theory commonly used in supply-chain analyses to solve potential conflicts between manufacturing partners at various process stages. Through our methods, the partners collaboratively decide settings of controllable variables to make product less sensitive to process noises, especially variations propagated from upstream processes. Modelling and solution strategies of this new research topic are provided along with illustrated examples and comparison studies.
Reducing the mean latency of floating-point addition

Addition is the most frequent floating-point operation in modern microprocessors. Due to its complex shift-add-shift-round data flow, floating-point addition can have a long latency. To achieve maximum system performance, it is necessary to design the floating-point adder to have minimum latency, while still providing maximum throughput. This paper proposes a new floating-point addition algorithm which exploits the ability of dynamically scheduled processors to utilize functional units which complete in variable time. By recognizing that certain operand combinations do not require all of the steps in the complex addition data flow, the mean latency is reduced. Simulation on SPECfp92 applications demonstrates that a speedup in mean addition latency of 1.33 can be achieved using this algorithm, while maintaining single-cycle throughput.
Exact formalism for the quench dynamics of integrable models

We describe a formulation for studying the quench dynamics of integrable systems generalizing an approach by Yudson. We study the evolution of the Lieb-Liniger model, a gas of interacting bosons moving on the continuous infinite line and interacting via a short-range potential. The formalism allows us to quench the system from any initial state. We find that for any value of repulsive coupling independently of the initial state the system asymptotes towards a strongly repulsive gas, while for any value of attractive coupling, the system forms a maximal bound state that dominates at longer times. In either case the system equilibrates but does not thermalize. We compare this to quenches in a Bose-Hubbard lattice and show that there initial states determine long-time dynamics independent of the sign of the coupling.
High-Power 35 GHz Testing Of A Free-Electron Laser And Two-Beam Accelerator Structures*

At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a pulsed electromagnetic wiggler has been coupled to the Experimental Test Accelerator forming the Electron Laser Facility. This is a single-pass Free-Electron Laser which, because the wiggler excitation can be varied, can operate over a wide frequency range. Efficiency of conversion of electron beam to microwave power is 7%. This new power source is being used in a collateral program for developing and testing structures suitable for a Two-Beam Accelerator. The Two-Beam Accelerator shows much promise for achieving the high average accelerating gradients, e.g., ≥250 MV/m, required in such next-generation electron accelerators as 1 TeV on 1 TeV linear colliders.
Charged particle penetration in gas targets designed for accelerator production of radionuclides used in nuclear medicine

Experimental methods for quantification of density reduction in gas targets bombarded by charged particle beams are presented and evaluated. One simple method requires only the measurement of target gas pressures. Parameters affecting density reduction were studied using theoretical and experimental techniques. Data for proton and deuteron penetration in neon and nitrogen are given for various beam energies, beam currents, gas pressures, and target lengths. In the case of 20Ne(d, α)18F, these are correlated with [18F]F2 activity recovered from a target which is used for routine production of 18F-F2 for 2-deoxy-2[18F] fluoro-D-glucose. The mechanism of density reduction is discussed and its importance is evaluated in relation to other considerations necessary for optimizing gas target performance in radiopharmaceutical production applications.
Effect of upper rim para-alkyl substituents on extraction of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations by di-ionizable calix[4]arenes

A series of new di-ionizable calix[4]arene N-(X-sulfonyl)carboxamides (X = CF3, Me, Ph and C6H4-4-NO2) and carboxylic acids with partially and completely removed upper rim p-tert-butyl groups was synthesized and utilized for competitive solvent extractions of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations. Removal of the para-alkyl substituents changes significantly both the efficiency and selectivity of metal ion separations by the carboxamide calix[4]arene extractants, while no such effect is observed for corresponding carboxylic acids.
Equivalent light dosimetry in museums with blue wool standards and optical fibers

A novel optical-fiber instrument is presented for the monitoring of lighting in a museum environment. It makes use of blue wool standard dosimeters, the light-induced color-fading of which is continuously monitored by means of a miniaturized optical-fiber spectrophotometer. Field tests performed at the Uffizi Gallery of Florence are presented.
Structure of the ground state of a fermion fluid

Variational many-body wave functions for the ground state of liquid $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ which include triplet and backflow correlations are investigated with use of Monte Carlo integration. Our energy of - 1.9\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K removes half of the discrepancy between previous Jastrow-Slater calculations and experimental results. The first exact results for mass-three bosons are also presented. Triplet correlations in the variational wave function are equally effective in lowering the energy of both mass-three bosons and $^{3}\mathrm{He}$.
Short range order hardening with second neighbor interactions in fcc solid solutions

Flinn’s model of short-range order hardening in fee binary solutions has been extended to take second-neighbor pair interactions into account. First and second neighbor pair probabilities are evaluated in the Tetrahedron-Octahedron approximation of the cluster variation method as a function of concentration and temperature, and for various values of the ratio of pair interactions. Predictions of the present model are found to differ significantly from those of the Bragg-Williams model used heretofore.
Catalyzed cross-coupling of allyl bromides with allyl tin reagents

Abstract The reaction of allyl bromides with allyl tin reagents, catalyzed by palladium or zinc chloride gives cross-coupled products without allylic transpostion in the allyl halide partner but with predominate allylic rearrangement from the tin partner.
Autoregulatory Control of Thyrotropin in Rabbits

Studies were designed to determine whether an autoregulation system exists for TSH in the rabbit. For this purpose, a species-specific RIA for rabbit TSH that does not cross-react with human (h) TSH was developed. Hypothyroid animals were studied at varying time periods up to 3 months after either surgical thyroidectomy or propylthiouracil (PTU) treatment. Highly purified hTSH was injected iv at doses of 0 (saline control), 0.1, 0.3, 1,3, and 10 micrograms into unanesthetized rabbits bearing chronically implanted Silastic catheters. Blood samples were obtained at -30, 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min and 24 h. Doses between 0.3 and 10 micrograms hTSH produced a prompt fall (10 min) in rabbit TSH in hypothyroid rabbits studied 8-21 days after thyroidectomy. The minimum dose of hTSH that significantly suppressed rabbit TSH was 0.3 micrograms. This dose produced a peak value of hTSH in rabbit serum of 1.3 +/- 0.1 (+/- SEM) ng/ml 10 min after injection, which translates into a bioassay potency of 2.0 microU/ml (close to the physiological level in humans). A dose-response relationship existed between the hTSH dose injected and the duration and magnitude of suppression of rabbit TSH. This response to TSH was specific; 10 micrograms hTSH produced no change in endogenous rabbit serum LH and, conversely, 10 IU hLH produced no change in rabbit serum TSH. In contrast to these striking effects in acute hypothyroid animals, hTSH produced no detectable suppression of rabbit TSH in animals that were hypothyroid for 2-3 months. The sensitivity of the autoregulatory system to the suppressive effects of exogenous hTSH decreased with increasing duration of hypothyroidism; a time-response relationship existed. We conclude that: 1) a sensitive and specific autoregulatory control system for TSH exists in the rabbit; and 2) as the duration of hypothyroidism increases, the sensitivity of the autoregulatory system to the suppressive effects of endogenous TSH changes.
Effect of calcination temperature on the photocatalytic activity and adhesion of TiO2 films prepared by the P-25 powder-modified sol–gel method

Abstract TiO 2 films on 304 stainless steel with optimum P-25 loading (PPMSGFs-50) were prepared by the P-25 powder-modified sol–gel method (PPMSGM) at calcination temperatures from 400 to 700 °C. The as-prepared PPMSGFs-50 were characterized by differential scanning colorimetry/thermogravimetric analyses (DSC/TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TEM/high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N 2 adsorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Their adhesion properties were tested by the scratch test and cross-hatch adhesion test and their photocatalytic activities were evaluated using 4-CBA as a model organic contaminant in water. It was found that decreasing calcination temperature leads to a decrease in the critical loading, which has a detrimental effect on the mechanical stability of the films. On the other hand, decreasing calcination temperature leads to an enhancement of photocatalytic activity. The optimum calcination temperature is 500 °C under which both enhanced photocatalytic activity and good adherence on the support could be obtained. The 4-CBA removal efficiency for PPMSGF-50 at 500 °C was approximately four times that of PPMSGF-50 at 600 °C after 10 h of photocatalytic oxidation. Increasing calcination temperature in the range between 500 and 700 °C caused a significantly increase in the diffusion of foreign metals (i.e. chromium, iron and manganese) from the stainless steel support to the TiO 2 film. It is believed that the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity at lower calcination temperatures (400–500 °C) is due to an increase in the amount of two type of crystallites exposed to the solid–liquid interface and decrease in foreign metal ion concentrations (i.e. Cr 3+ ) on the surface of the films.
The case for biomed involvement in purchasing.

Money talks. There is no better way for a biomedical engineering or healthcare technology management (HTM) to get the attention of the supply chain or materials management department—which is run by financially focused individuals—than to prove you can save them money. Many hospitals use Quint Studer’s management principles, which are driven by basic pillars that can be adopted and customized. They usually include: people, quality, service, and financial. Studer teaches that if you attract and retain the best people, and hardwire a culture of quality and service, then positive financial results will follow. However, I have found that describing the intangible effects of selecting better products and therefore increasing physician satisfaction, seems to result in a mild reaction from chief financial officers (CFOs), as compared to telling them that you saved $150,000 by reallocating underutilized systems. Since CFOs are almost always the lead on procurement processes, they are the ones to focus on, even if your primary motivator is one of the other pillars.
An Ectopic Expression Screen Reveals the Protective and Toxic Effects of Drosophila Seminal Fluid Proteins

In Drosophila melanogaster, seminal fluid regulates the reproductive and immune responses of mated females. Some seminal fluid proteins may provide protective functions to mated females, such as antimicrobial activity and/or stimulation of antimicrobial gene expression levels, while others appear to have negative effects, contributing to a "cost of mating." To identify seminal proteins that could participate in these phenomena, we used a systemic ectopic expression screen to test the effects on unmated females of proteins normally produced by the male accessory gland (Acps). Of the 21 ectopically expressed Acps that we tested for ability to assist in the clearance of a bacterial infection with Serratia marcescens, 3 Acps significantly reduced the bacterial counts of infected females, suggesting a protective role. Of the 23 Acps that we tested for toxicity, 3 were toxic, including one that has been implicated in the cost of mating in another study. We also tested ectopic expression females for other Acp-induced effects, but found no additional Acps that affected egg laying or receptivity upon ectopic expression.
Defining strategies for promoting product through 'drink responsibly' messages in magazine ads for beer, spirits and alcopops.

Abstract Background Neither federal regulations nor industry voluntary codes require ‘responsibility’ statements in alcohol advertising. Stand alone ‘public service’ responsibility campaigns have been found to convey pro-drinking themes. We analyzed responsibility statements placed in conventional alcohol advertising to consider how responsible drinking is presented, and potential communicative goals for responsibility messages. Methods We conducted a descriptive textual analysis of ‘drink responsibly’ messages appearing in all advertisements pertaining to beer, spirits and alcopop products placed in U.S. national, newsstand magazines from 2008 to 2010 (N = 1795). We coded advertisements for presence, prominence and content of responsibility messages. Using a qualitative approach, we created a taxonomy of product promotional elements within the responsibility messages. Results Analysis revealed that 87% of the advertisements included a responsibility message (N = 1555); responsibility messages were less prominent than any included tagline (product slogan). Messages never defined responsible drinking or promoted abstinence. No link was made between warnings and activities conveyed in the advertisements. There were 197 unique responsibility messages, 88% of which (N = 174) were promotional of the advertised product. Responsibility promotional content was categorized into 5 strategies: Product name, Consumption information, Product qualities, Product promise, Qualities of the drinker. Conclusions Responsibility messages were overwhelmingly used to promote product rather than convey relevant public health information. Based on this analysis, existing responsibility messages are largely ineffective at conveying relevant public health information, and should be supplemented by or replaced with prominently placed, externally developed, cognitively tested warnings that do not reinforce marketing messages.
A Brief Measure of Social Support: Practical and Theoretical Implications:

Two studies leading to the development of a short form of the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ) are reported. In Study 1 three items selected for high correlations with the total score (SSQ3) were administered to 182 university students together with several personality measures. SSQ3 had acceptable test-retest reliability and correlations with personality variables similar to those of the SSQ. Internal reliability was marginal although acceptable for an instrument with so few items. Study 2 employed three sets of data in developing a six-item instrument (SSQ6). The SSQ6 had high internal reliability and correlated highly with the SSQ and similarly to it with personality variables. The research findings accompanying the development of the short form social support measure suggest that perceived social support in adults may be a reflection of early attachment experience.
Low-field dynamic magnetic alignment and templated grain growth of diamagnetic PMN–PT ceramics

A novel combination of low-field magnetic alignment (MA) and templated grain growth (TGG) was used to fabricate highly textured diamagnetic 0.72Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.28PbTiO3 (0.72PMN–0.28PT) ceramics. Samples were produced by nonaqueous slip casting of PMN–PT slurries, in which diamagnetic plate-like 0.4(Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3–0.6PbTiO3 (0.4NBT–0.6PT) template particles were aligned by dynamic MA in a 2.2-T permanent magnet array. Template alignment improved as slurry viscosity increased, with a 32-vol% solid loading (a viscosity of ∼0.1 Pa s at 0.1 s−1) giving optimal texture quality (7.85° FWHM, f = 92 vol%) after sintering and TGG. Alignment was stable for more than 3 h during slip casting, allowing fabrication of ∼1-cm thick textured ceramics with high piezoelectric response (d33 = 1222 pC/N). The success of dynamic MA at low magnetic field (2.2 T) is attributed to an increase in driving force for alignment of large (5–10 μm) template particles relative to the randomizing effect of Brownian motion (i.e., thermal energy kBT).
Explaining Explanations: How Legislators Explain their Policy Positions and How Citizens React

Legislators claim that how they explain their votes matters as much as or more than the roll calls themselves. However, few studies have systematically examined legislators’ explanations and citizen attitudes in response to these explanations. We theorize that legislators strategically tailor explanations to constituents in order to compensate for policy choices that are incongruent with constituent preferences, and to reinforce policy choices that are congruent. We conduct a within-subjects field experiment using U.S. senators as subjects to test this hypothesis. We then conduct a between-subjects survey experiment of ordinary people to see how they react to the explanatory strategies used by senators in the field experiment. We find that most senators tailor their explanations to their audiences, and that these tailored explanations are effective at currying support—especially among people who disagree with the legislators’ roll-call positions
Does Issue Linkage Work? Evidence from European Alliance Negotiations, 1860 to 1945

Though scholars widely claim that issue linkage—the simultaneous negotiation of multiple issues for joint settlement—can help states conclude international agreements, there exist some notable skeptics. Resolving this debate requires empirical evidence. However, beyond a few case studies, there exists no direct and systematic evidence that issue linkages actually increase the probability of agreement. I address this lack of direct and systematic evidence by combing original data on failed alliance negotiations with data from the Alliance Treaty Obligations and Provisions (ATOP) database. Using matching techniques, I find that, for alliance negotiations between 1860 to 1945, offers of trade linkage did substantially increase the probability of agreement. Besides confirming issue linkage's ability to help clinch an agreement, this article's research design and evidence have far-reaching implications for the study of negotiations and alliances. The research design illustrates the value of considering the “dogs that didn't bark” as it identifies both successful and failed negotiations. The article's evidence explains the high rate of alliance compliance identified by previous scholars and highlights a need to rethink the alliance formation process.
Political Risk, Democratic Institutions, and Foreign Direct Investment

There is a renewed interest in how political risk affects multinational corporations operating in emerging markets. Much of this research has focused on the relationship between democratic institutions and flows of foreign direct investment (FDI). Yet the existing studies suffer from data problems that only allow for indirect evidence of the relationship between political institutions and political risk. In this paper I utilize price data from political risk insurance agencies to directly test how domestic political institutions affect the premiums multinationals pay for coverage against government expropriations and contract disputes. I find that democratic regimes reduce risks for multinational investors, specifically through increasing constraints on the executive. Utilizing qualitative evidence from investors, insurers, and location consultants, I explore the mechanisms linking democratic regimes with lower levels of political risk.
AMPHOTERIC BEHAVIOR OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS : III. THE CONDUCTIVITY OF SULFANILIC ACID-LYSIN MIXTURES.

Conductivities of sulfanilic acid, lysin, and mixtures of the two were made over a wide pH range, the pH being adjusted by means of phosphate buffers. The actual conductivities of the sulfanilic acid, the lysin, and the mixture were calculated. The difference between the conductivity of the mixture and the sum of the conductivities of the components alone passes through a maximum at a pH theoretically calculable as the isoelectric point of the system. Certain applications of the results are made to the explanation of the behavior of living tissues.
People, product and process: interactive multimedia case study in integrated design and manufacturing strategies

With the changes in industry practice and the business climate, there is an increased need for restructuring our college curricula to address the needs of the competitive market place. The NSF funded Synthesis Coalition are creating new curricula that expose students to creative synthesis and open ended problem solving experiences and teaching process in addition to technical content. Synthesis based instruction is rich in "real life" engineering material, in which theory is related to engineering practice through the use of engineering case studies that are integrated throughout the curriculum with actual engineering products and processes, open ended design problems, and "best practices" from industry. Instruction is structured so that students are able to develop their written, verbal, and graphical communication skills as well as their course knowledge through group design projects, case role playing and class discussion. "People, Products, and Process" is a multimedia courseware package that was developed to assist engineering, science and business students in understanding and contextualizing the fundamental concepts of the various functional roles in product design and process development. In this courseware, students are presented with open ended problems that require them to explore the inherent tradeoffs between the functional perspectives within a corporation. The courseware is based on actual examples from a diverse range of industries and manufacturing models.
An introduction to GUGA in the COLUMBUS Program System

The COLUMBUS Program System is a collection of Fortran programs for performing general multiconfiguration self-consistent-field (MCSCF) and multireference single- and double-excitation configuration interaction (MRSDCI) wave function optimization based on the graphical unitary group approach (GUGA). A general discussion of the COLUMBUS Program System, along with numerous references for further details, may be found in Ref. 1. The purpose of this paper is to describe at an introductory level how wave functions are specified and characterized in the COLUMBUS Program System in terms of the unitary group, and in particular, using the graphical representation as proposed by Shavitt.
Distance to Public Test Sites and HIV Testing

This article examines how proximity to the nearest publicly funded test site affects HIV testing. Using a sample of 5,361 Los Angeles County adults, multinomial logit models estimated simultaneously the likelihood of (1) obtaining an HIV test in the prior 2 years, and (2) testing in a private physician's office, a publicly funded medical clinic, or in a nonmedical setting, such as a bar or bathhouse. Low-income Los Angeles residents rely on publicly funded sites for HIV testing. When public sites are more distant, poor individuals are less likely to use them and less likely to get tested. Distance from public sites does not affect HIV testing among the nonpoor. To encourage HIV testing among the groups where HIV is growing fastest, public health agencies must keep the time and money costs of HIV testing low.
Preventable burns associated with the misuse of gasoline

Gasoline is intended for use as a motor fuel, but the universal availability of gasoline in the home encourages misuse as a solvent, insecticide, accelerant or cleaning solution. The careless or inappropriate use of gasoline may result in burn injury. We examined the circumstance of gasoline-related injury in a population admitted to one burn centre to determine the potential for burn prevention efforts. A retrospective review of all burn admissions to one centre for the years 1978 to 1996 demonstrated hat 1011 of 4339 acute admissions (23.3%) were gasoline-related. This group had an average total burn size of 29.8% total body surface (TBSA) and an average full thickness injury of 14.4% TBSA. There were 144 fatalities resulting from gasoline-associated burn injury. Where such determination could be made, the use of gasoline was judged to be inappropriate or unsafe in 687 of 788 cases (87.1%). Ninety of 144 fatalities (62.5%) were associated with inappropriate or unsafe use of gasoline. The careless or inappropriate use of gasoline poses significant risk of burn injury. The indoor use of gasoline, as well as use of gasoline for purposes other than as a motor fuel, should be strongly discouraged.
Passive repetitive loading of the lumbar tissues influences force output and EMG during maximal efforts

Loading of the low back tissues induces tension-relaxation in the viscoelastic connective tissues. The extent to which repetitive loading influences the muscle activation and subsequent muscle force production has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the myoelectric activity of the trunk muscles during maximal flexion and extension exertions before and after a passive trunk flexion–extension protocol. Nineteen subjects performed three trials of maximal efforts in trunk flexion and extension while seated in an upright position. Surface electromyography (EMG) recordings were collected bilaterally from paraspinal (thoracic, TP, lumbar LP), rectus abdominis (RA), and external oblique muscles. A 10-minute passive trunk flexion–extension protocol was used to repetitively load the lumbar tissues at a rate of 0.17 rad/s, through the subjects’ range of motion. The main findings included a significant reduction in moment output during extension efforts (p < 0.05) with significant reductions in the average EMG from the TP and LP muscles during extension (p < 0.05). In flexion, peak and average EMGs were also significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The results indicate a significant reduction in the ability of the trunk extensors to output force, but this may be due to the increased compliance of the connective tissues rather than modified neuromuscular signals to the paraspinal muscles. However, neuromuscular changes were apparent in the TP and RA muscles suggesting a modified control mechanism was present.
John Wyclif and Ecclesia Anglicana

Lord Acton believed that there was a dichotomy in English history between the life expressed in the Church and the principle of nationality. It is evident from a study of the writings of John Wyclif (c. 1320–84) that at least one medieval English theologian asserted that a principle of English nationality was fused into the life of the English Church. Regardless of how the next fifty years of scholarship may judge the connexion in medieval Christianity between national traditions and the universal Church, the English aspect of it is important at present. Wyclif provided the original impetus to the Lollard movement. Increasing scholarly attention has been given to Lollardy and its possible influence on the English Reformation. It now seems important to survey systematically the texts of Wyclif's treatises themselves for what light they may shed on the relationship between ecclesiastical and temporal history in the English tradition.
Aging, encoding, and word retrieval: distinguishing phonological and memory processes.

ABSTRACT Word retrieval deficits are one of the most common complaints among older adults. The Transmission Deficit Hypothesis (Burke, MacKay, Worthley, & Wade, 1991, Journal of Memory and Language, 30, 542–579) predicts that phonologically similar names would be harder for older adults to encode and retrieve. Results indicated that overall older adults encoded and recalled fewer words than younger adults when given only one trial and when given multiple trials to criterion. For both experiments, proper names were more difficult to retrieve than common nouns, and phonologically similar words were more difficult to retrieve than phonologically different words for both older and younger adults. Age differences were not evident for retrieving phonologically similar items or names but older adults did need more trials to encode phonologically similar items and names. Age differences for phonologically similar items and names appear related to encoding processes with retrieval of these items consistently hard ...
Presentation by Recycling MHC Class II Molecules of an Influenza Hemagglutinin-Derived Epitope That Is Revealed in the Early Endosome by Acidification

We investigated the roles of nascent and recycling MHC class II molecules (MHC II) in the presentation of two well-defined I-E(d)-restricted epitopes that are within distinct regions of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein. The site 3 epitope (S3; residues 302-313) lies in the stalk region that unfolds in response to mild acidification, while the site 1 epitope (S1; residues 107-119) is situated in the stable globular domain. In a murine B lymphoma cell line and an I-E(d)-transfected fibroblast cell line, presentation from inactivated virus of S3 is inhibited by primaquine, a compound that prevents recycling of cell surface proteins, including MHC II, while S1 presentation is unaffected. In contrast, brefeldin A, an agent that inhibits exit of proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum, selectively inhibited S1 presentation without affecting S3 presentation, suggesting that S1 presentation requires nascent MHC II. The use of agents that perturb endosomal function revealed a requirement for acidification of internalized viral particles for presentation of both epitopes. Notably, all compounds tested had similar effects on presentation of the two epitopes derived from endogenously synthesized HA. Thus, recycling I-E(d) molecules appear to be crucial for capturing and presenting an epitope that is revealed in mild acidic conditions following the uptake of virions or the synthesis of Ag, while nascent I-E(d) molecules are required for presentation of a second epitope located in a structurally constrained region of the same polypeptide. Viral glycoproteins, such as HA, may have been a major impetus for the evolutionary establishment of this recycling pathway.
A MODULAR METHOD FOR REPRESENTING PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLES

This paper describes an approach for modeling product life-cycles to create time-dependent inventories for use in environmental impact assessment. A general process module is defined relating resource inputs and outflows, based upon an embedded mathematical model. Then, a parametric model to represent the average performance of manufacturing processes is proposed and used within modules. Different parameter values may be used to represent a variety of life-cycle processes. Individual modules are combined to form product life-cycle networks. Designers may specify the required system output (product demand) as a function of time and the integrated network calculates the necessary time-dependent resource flows throughout the network.
Making useful conflict predictions: Methods for addressing skewed classes and implementing cost-sensitive learning in the study of state failure

One of the major issues in predicting state failure is the relatively rare occurrence of event onset. This class skew problem can cause difficulties in both estimating a model and selecting a decision boundary. Since the publication of King & Zeng’s studies in 2001, scholars have utilized case-control methods to address this issue. This article builds on the landmark research of the Political Instability Task Force comparing the case-control approach to several other methods from the machine learning field and some original to this study. Case-control methods have several practical disadvantages and show no measurable advantages in prediction. The article also introduces cost-sensitive methods for determining a decision boundary. This explication raises questions about the Task Force’s formulation of a decision boundary and suggests methods for making useful predictions for policy. I find that the decision boundary chosen by the PITF implicitly assumes that the cost of intervention is about 7.7% of the co...
Nicotinic acid receptors as potential skin cancer prevention targets

A150 Nicotinic acid, also known as niacin, has been shown in mouse models of ultraviolet B-induced skin cancer to have a protective effect against nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) by inhibiting photocarcinogenesis and photoimmunosuppression. Recently, two orphan human G-protein-coupled receptors HM74 and HM74A have been identified as the receptors for nicotinic acid. Since nicotinic acid has been used for decades as a lipid-lowering drug, research studies have focused on delineating the signaling pathway in adipose tissues. Thus, to date little is known about the expression and function of the nicotinic acid receptors in the skin, during skin differentiation, and in UV-irradiated skin. In order to test the hypothesis that nicotinic acid receptors are molecular targets for the prevention of NMSC, this study aimed to develop novel and specific nicotinic acid receptor antibodies in order to determine the role of nicotinic acid receptors in the skin. Polyclonal anti-peptide antibodies raised in rabbits were developed and specificity of the antibodies was tested by overexpression of both receptors in HeLa cells via Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR analyses. When endogenous mRNA and protein expression of the nicotinic acid receptors were examined in HaCaT (keratinocytes) and CF3 (diploid fibroblast) cell lines and skin tissue sections, HM74A mRNA expression was detected in HaCaT, CF3, and skin tissue sections. However, HM74A protein expression analyses by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, showed that the HaCaT cell line, but not CF3, had strong endogenous receptor expression. Concurrently, human studies have shown that nicotinic acid delivered topically as a prodrug, myristyl nicotinate, enhances skin differentiation and barrier function. Therefore, the study herein will address the role of the nicotinic acid receptors in skin differentiation markers and its potential to prevent nonmelanoma skin cancer by driving differentiation. (This research was funded in part by NIH grants CA078447, CA106677, CA023074, CA027502, ES06694, and by Niadyne Development, Inc.)
A novel N-terminal region of the membrane β-hexosyltransferase: its role in secretion of soluble protein by Pichia pastoris.

The β-hexosyltransferase (BHT) from Sporobolomyces singularis is a membrane-bound enzyme that catalyses transgalactosylation reactions to synthesize galacto-oligosaccharides (GOSs). To increase the secretion of the active soluble version of this protein, we examined the uncharacterized novel N-terminal region (amino acids 1–110), which included two predicted endogenous structural domains. The first domain (amino acids 1–22) may act as a classical leader while a non-classical signal was located within the remaining region (amino acids 23–110). A functional analysis of these domains was performed by evaluating the amounts of the rBHT forms secreted by recombinant P. pastoris strains carrying combinations of the predicted structural domains and the α mating factor (MFα) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae as positive control. Upon replacement of the leader domain (amino acids 1–22) by MFα (MFα-rBht (23-594)), protein secretion increased and activity of both soluble and membrane-bound enzymes was improved 53- and 14-fold, respectively. Leader interference was demonstrated when MFα preceded the putative classical rBHT(1-22) leader (amino acids 1–22), explaining the limited secretion of soluble protein by P. pastoris (GS115 : : MFα-rBht (1-594)). To validate the role of the N-terminal domains in promoting protein secretion, we tested the domains using a non-secreted protein, the anti-β-galactosidase single-chain variable antibody fragment scFv13R4. The recombinants carrying chimeras of the N-terminal 1–110 regions of rBHT preceding scFv13R4 correlated with the secretion strength of soluble protein observed with the rBHT recombinants. Finally, soluble bioactive HIS-tagged and non-tagged rBHT (purified to homogeneity) obtained from the most efficient recombinants (GS115 : : MFα-rBht (23-594)-HIS and GS115 : : MFα-rBht (23-594)) showed comparable activity rates of GOS generation.
The Mugwump Reputation, 1870 to the Present

In her memoir, Education by Uncles, Abigail Adams Homans recalled with wry wit the burden of being niece to Henry Adams, Brooks Adams, and Charles Francis Adams all at the same time. These grandsons of John Quincy Adams were the generation of Adamses for whom service to their country became an unsolved problem. The Gilded Age was very hard on them. In keeping with family tradition, they left a massive record of their confrontation with the United States-letters, diaries, essays, histories, and autobiographies. Yet no passage in their writings quite captures their taut relation to the American environment as vividly as Mrs. Homans's recollection of her Uncle Charles's daily nude swims off the Scituate rocks south of Quincy, Massachusetts . "I can still see him," she wrote, "as he used to stand on a cold September morning gazing out at a gray sea while pensively rubbing his bald head and happily murmuring, 'My God, how dreary!' '1' The solitary figure of Charles Francis Adams, mugwump-stout, naked, chilled, and grimly exhilarated by the leaden bleakness around him-is a fitting image with which to begin a fresh look at his generation of reformers and their place in history. The Adamses had grown accustomed to hostile surroundings and had fashioned an austere family style out of their response. In an earlier, more deferential era, the style had been useful in governing the terms on which an Adams could mix service to a majority with personal self-respect. That era was over now. In the post-Civil War years the Adams style no longer interested the American majority. But the Adamses were reluctant to end their public connection. They kept trying to assert themselves in ways that brought both the satisfactions of self-respect and those of national influence. And this effort grouped them constantly with other gentlemen who also found the outlook dreary and who also liked to stand alone.
Malathion, Methyl Parathion, Diazinon, and Endosulfan Residues in Sunflower Seeds

Sunflowers were sprayed 2, 3, and 4 times during the growing season with either malathion at 1.25 lb per acre, or methyl parathion, diazinon, or endosulfan at 1.0 lb per acre. Mature seeds contained 0.01 ppm malathion and methyl parathion, 0.03 ppm diazinon, and 0.06 ppm endosulfan when the plants were sprayed twice, 48 and 41 days before harvest. Residues in the seeds were approximately the same after a third spray was applied 28 days prior to harvest. Seeds from plants treated a fourth time 14 days before harvest contained 0.01 ppm malathion, 0.04 ppm methyl parathion, 0.07 ppm diazinon, and 0.13 ppm endosulfan.
Statistical Law and Distribution Characteristic of the Impacts of Climate on Equipment of Beijing Power Network

Power network directly exposed to natural conditions with wide geographic distribution.Meanwhile,electrical equipment are very sensitive to temperature,humidity,lightning and other weather conditions.Therefore,meteorological factors directly affect the security and stability of the grid.In this paper,firstly,the failure records of Beijing power grid between 1990 and 2009 are classified.Secondly,the fault causes and equipment types are analyzed and it is showed that meteorological factors account for 25% of power grid faults,and lightning strikes is the greatest impact on the overhead transmission line.Finally,the grid faults associated with the meteorological factors are analyzed.The annual distribution,monthly distribution and spatial distribution are presented by statistical methods.A variety of weather conditions on grid equipment including overhead transmission line,substation equipment,power cables and distribution network,are studied in detail.
Impact of NCI-mandated scientific review on protocol development and content.

PURPOSE The NCI requirement that clinical trials at NCI-designated cancer centers undergo scientific review in addition to Institutional Review Board review is unique among medical specialties. We evaluated the impact of this process on protocol development and content. METHODS We analyzed cancer clinical trials that underwent full board review by the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC) from January 1, 2009, through June 30, 2013. We analyzed associations between trial characteristics, PRMC decisions, and protocol modifications using Chi-square testing, Fishers exact testing, and logistic regression. RESULTS A total of 226 trials were analyzed. Of these, 77% were industry-sponsored and 23% were investigator-initiated. Initial PRMC decisions were: approval (40%), provisional approval (52%), deferral (7%), and disapproval (1%). These decisions were associated with study sponsor (P<.001) and phase (P<.001). Ultimately, 97% of industry-sponsored and 90% of investigator-initiated trials were approved (P=.05). Changes were requested for 27% of industry-sponsored trials compared with 54% of investigator-initiated trials (P<.001). Total changes requested (mean, 5.6 vs 2.4; P<.001) and implemented (mean, 4.6 vs 2.1; P=.008) per protocol were significantly greater for investigator-initiated trials. Changes related to study design were more commonly requested (35% vs 13% of trials) and implemented (40% vs 5% of trials) for investigator-initiated trials compared with industry-sponsored trials (P=.03). CONCLUSIONS NCI-mandated scientific protocol review seems to have a substantial impact on investigator-initiated trials but less effect on industry-sponsored trials. These findings may provide guidance on development and prioritization of institutional protocol review policies.
Children with asthma: initial development of the child resilience model.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop a clinically relevant conceptual model of resilience in children based on theoretical relationships between family environment, specific child characteristics, and selected health outcomes. Methods A correlational study method was used to study a nonprobability, volunteer sample of 235 children, diagnosed with asthma on daily medication. Findings Findings revealed that the paths in the inner core of a resilience model were statistically significant. Fifteen percent of the variance in the illness indices outcome for children with asthma was explained by family environment, specific child characteristics, appraisal and coping, and child perceived quality of life. A child's sense of coherence and self-esteem, as mediated by a child's appraisal of asthma, accounted for 37% of the variance explained in the perceived quality of life. Conclusions Nurses and physicians, committed to working in partnerships with parents, can help foster specific child characteristics that impact the effects of asthma.
Clinical correlation of multivariate spatial covariance analysis of 18F-FEOBV VAChT PET in Parkinson disease

1832 Objectives We applied a multivariate spatial covariance analysis to 18F-FEOBV (ligand for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter [VAChT]) PET brain images of two groups of subjects (Parkinson Disease Patients, PD and Normal Controls, NC). The goal of our study was to investigate the clinical correlations of the resulting Subject Scaling Factor (SSF) scores based on the Spatial Covariance Pattern (SCP) in the PD patients. Methods Multivariate spatial covariance analysis was performed on 18F-FEOBV PET brain images of 27 (PD, n=18 and NC, n=9) subjects. The analysis was based on Scaled Subprofile Model (SSM) using the generalized covariance analysis software suit (http://www.nitrc.org/projects/gcva_pca/). This resulted in an SCP, which successfully distinguished PD from NC subjects. The subject scaling factor (SSF) scores represent the extent to which each subject expresses the SCP. The PD subjects completed the Mini-BESTest (Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test) and PDCRS (Parkinson’s disease cognitive rating scale) clinical tests. The correlation between the SSF scores and these clinical scores were calculated for these patients. Results The most significant correlation coefficient between the SSF scores and the Mini-BESTest were for reactive postural control (r= -0.51, p = 0.045) and with the PDCRS for verbal learning (r=-0.49, p = 0.05). Also, the SSF scores showed a correlation of r = -0.48 with the average 18F-FEOBV values in the caudate nucleus. Conclusions Multivariate spatial covariance analysis of 18F-FEOBV PET correlates with clinical deficits in postural control and cognition in PD. These data provide novel clinical information about impaired brain network functions of cholinergic terminals in PD. Research Support: NIH P50 NS091856