cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine and dimethyl sulfoxide on properties and structure of chromatin.

We have investigated and compared the physico-chemical properties of chromatin that was isolated from Krebs II murine ascites tumor cells propagated either in the absence or presence of varying doses of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine. These chromatins are shown to be altered as a result of BrdUrd‡ substitution in the chromatin DNA when studied by thermal denaturation, circular dichroic spectropolarimetry, ethidium bromide binding, and by fractionation on ECTHAM-cellulose (Peterson & Kuff, 1969). The thermostability of chromatin is found to increase with BrdUrd substitution. On the other hand, thermomelting in the presence of 1% dimethyl sulfoxide indicates a decrease in thermostability of all base-pairs, as well as a destabilizing effect on protein-DNA interactions. The circular dichroism spectra of BrdUrd chromatin exhibit a 4 to 16% decrease in positive-band ellipticity at 277 nm. Concentrations of Me2SO up to 5% induce in these chromatins positive shifts in ellipticity towards B-DNA conformation of no more than 10% of base-pairs if two discrete conformational states are assumed. Scatchard plots of spectrophotometric titration of chromatin with ethidium bromide indicate a further reduction of primary binding sites in BrdUrd chromatin. BrdUrd effects on the number of binding sites or dye affinity in DNA, however, are not observed for intercalative binding, but are observed for the complex II binding mode. Furthermore, ECTHAM-cellulose chromatography reveals that the BrdUrd-containing chromatin fragments elute at a higher pH than unsubstituted fragments. The shift to a more acidic nature in BrdUrd-containing fragments may be accounted for by a shift in the non-histone/histone protein ratio, possibly arising from metabolic changes or modification of specific protein-DNA binding favoring non-histone proteins. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that BrdUrd promotes localized changes in chromatin condensation, probably by modification of chromosomal protein-DNA interactions, although the possibility that chromosomal proteins are modified, is not at present ruled out. In contrast, dimethyl sulfoxide antagonizes the effects produced by BrdUrd substitution by allowing chromatin to transform to a more relaxed (extended) state.
Automated tracing of neurites from light microscopy stacks of images.

Automating the process of neural circuit reconstruction on a large-scale is one of the foremost challenges in the field of neuroscience. In this study we examine the methodology for circuit reconstruction from three-dimensional light microscopy (LM) stacks of images. We show how the minimal error-rate of an ideal reconstruction procedure depends on the density of labeled neurites, giving rise to the fundamental limitation of an LM based approach for neural circuit research. Circuit reconstruction procedures typically involve steps related to neuron labeling and imaging, and subsequent image pre-processing and tracing of neurites. In this study, we focus on the last step—detection of traces of neurites from already pre-processed stacks of images. Our automated tracing algorithm, implemented as part of the Neural Circuit Tracer software package, consists of the following main steps. First, image stack is filtered to enhance labeled neurites. Second, centerline of the neurites is detected and optimized. Finally, individual branches of the optimal trace are merged into trees based on a cost minimization approach. The cost function accounts for branch orientations, distances between their end-points, curvature of the merged structure, and its intensity. The algorithm is capable of connecting branches which appear broken due to imperfect labeling and can resolve situations where branches appear to be fused due the limited resolution of light microscopy. The Neural Circuit Tracer software is designed to automatically incorporate ImageJ plug-ins and functions written in MatLab and provides roughly a 10-fold increases in speed in comparison to manual tracing.
Psychology as the science of self-reports and finger movements: Whatever happened to actual behavior?

Psychology calls itself the science of behavior, and the American Psychological Association's current "Decade of Behavior" was intended to increase awareness and appreciation of this aspect of the science. Yet some psychological subdisciplines have never directly studied behavior, and studies on behavior are dwindling rapidly in other subdisciplines. We discuss the eclipse of behavior in personality and social psychology, in which direct observation of behavior has been increasingly supplanted by introspective self-reports, hypothetical scenarios, and questionnaire ratings. We advocate a renewed commitment to including direct observation of behavior whenever possible and in at least a healthy minority of research projects.
Clinical Practice Guidelines and Diagnostic Uncertainty in the Management of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) are “systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about healthcare for specific clinical circumstances,” and are intended to improve the quality of care for individuals with a specific diagnosis by encouraging physicians to adopt more evidence-based practice1. Over the past decade, several sets of CPG for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been developed and disseminated2–4. Many studies have demonstrated substantial gaps between disseminated CPG and clinical practice, including some in RA5,6. However, requisite to drawing meaningful conclusions about physician adherence to CPG is a more detailed understanding of the circumstances leading to perceived suboptimal healthcare practices. In an effort to explore reasons for potential nonadherence to CPG in RA, in this issue of The Journal , Benhamou and colleagues examined physician prescribing patterns for early RA7 prior to publication of 2 sets of CPG addressing prescription of first-line disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD)2,3. Utilizing ESPOIR (French acronym for “Study and Followup of Undifferentiated Early Arthritis”), a French multicenter observational cohort study that included 813 patients with early RA between 2002 and 2005, the authors found a 58% physician adherence rate with the French Society of Rheumatologists’ STPR (French acronym for “Therapeutic strategies in RA”) working group guidelines, and a 54% adherence with … Address reprint requests to Dr. Hersh. E-mail: hersha{at}peds.ucsf.edu
A search for fragmentation debris near Ursa Major Stream stars

Accretion models of planet formation and the early cratering history of the solar system suggest that planet formation is accompanied by a cloud of debris resulting from accumulation and fragmentation. A rough estimate of the infrared luminosities of debris clouds is presented for comparison with measured 10-micron luminosities of young stars. New measurements of 13 F, G, and K main-sequence stars of the Ursa Major Stream, which is thought to be about 270-million years old, place constraints on the amount of debris which could be present near these stars.
Long-term oral administration of memory-enhancing doses of tacrine in mice: a study of potential toxicity and side effects

Recently, tacrine (1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-9-aminoacridine; THA; TAC) has received international attention as an oral agent capable of relieving some of the cognitive symptoms accompanying Alzheimer's disease (AD). When given acutely and parenterally (by injection), tacrine has also enhanced memory retention in animals and man. This study evaluates the clinical potential of this agent by assessing toxicity and major side effects of a memory-enhancing dose of tacrine in mice. Groups of mice received either tacrine or vehicle (placebo) orally for 4 to 6 months. A lack of toxicity after this prolonged treatment with TAC was indicated by: (a) no significant impairment on a battery of behavioral toxicity tests; (b) improved memory retention; (c) a significant but only slight elevation of ornithine transcarbamylase activity in blood serum; (d) no abnormality as revealed with light microscopy of liver tissue; and (e) no gross organ pathology in visceral organs.
Nursing Doctoral Faculty Perceptions of Factors That Affect Their Continued Scholarship

This focus group study was undertaken as part of a larger investigation of how the demand for increased production of nurses with doctorates affects doctoral faculty's scholarly productivity. This study provided a basis for development of the national survey questionnaire. Two focus groups that included 29 faculty teaching in doctor of philosophy and/or doctor of nursing practice programs took place at one of two national conferences. The focus group interviews were transcribed and content analyzed for the identification of themes; all members of the research team reached consensus. The three major themes were the demands of teaching, the importance of institutional structure and climate, and the sustainability of one's self, the institution, and the discipline. Participants identified strategies for enhancing scholarly productivity. Findings are limited by the small sample size and the voluntary participation of conference attendees. The strength of emotion that participants revealed underscores the need for nursing leaders to address the increasing academic expectations for faculty. If the profession does not address the needs of its current and future faculty, goals explicated by the Institute of Medicine in The Future of Nursing cannot be achieved, and the health of the nation will suffer.
Nucleotide sequence specifying the glycoprotein gene, gB, of herpes simplex virus type 1

The nucleotide sequence thought to specify the glycoprotein gene, gB, of the KOS strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been determined. A 3.1-kilobase (kb), viral-specified RNA was mapped to the left half of the BamHI-G fragment (0.345 to 0.399 map units). TATA, CAT-box, and possible mRNA start sequences characteristic of HSV-1 genes are found near 0.368 map units. The first available ATG codon is at 0.366 and the first in-phase chain terminator at 0.348 map units. A polyA-addition signal (AATAAA) occurs 17 nucleotides past the chain terminator. Translation of these sequences would yield a 100.3-kilodalton (kDa) polypeptide characterized by a 5' signal sequence, nine N-linked saccharide addition sites, a strongly hydrophobic membrane-spanning sequence, and a highly charged 3' cytoplasmic anchor sequence. Two mutants of KOS, tsJ12 and tsJ20, that are temperature-sensitive for viral growth and for the production of gB, have been physically mapped to 0.357 to 0.360 and 0.360 to 0.364 map units, respectively (DeLuca et al., in preparation). The nucleotide sequence of the mutants was determined in these regions. In both cases a single amino acid replacement within the 100.3-kDa polypeptide is predicted from the sequence analysis.
An in-situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy study of the growth and dissolution of θ{111} precipitate plates in an Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloy

Abstract In-situ hot-stage high-resolution transmission electron microscopy investigations were performed to determine the atomic mechanisms and growth kinetics of θ-Al2Cu precipitate plates with a {111} habit plane in an Al-3.9 wt% Cu-0.5 wt % Ag-0.5 wt % Ag alloy. In order to obtain a three-dimensional description of precipitate growth mechanisms, the studies were performed along two principal directions. In the first direction, along [001]0\\[121]α the θ{111} plate faces were parallel to the direction of observation. This allowed the motion of ledges moving across the faces and at the edges of the precipitates to be recorded. In the second direction, along [110]θ\\[111]α the θ{111} plate faces were perpendicular to the direction of observation and data on the nucleation and propagation of kinks on the growth ledges were obtained. The results from these studies allowed the behaviour of single-plane and multiple-plane ledges, as well as multiple-plane ledge interactions, to be described in terms of the n...
Contributions of an avian basal ganglia–forebrain circuit to real-time modulation of song

Cortical–basal ganglia circuits have a critical role in motor control and motor learning1. In songbirds, the anterior forebrain pathway (AFP) is a basal ganglia–forebrain circuit required for song learning and adult vocal plasticity but not for production of learned song2,3,4,5. Here, we investigate functional contributions of this circuit to the control of song, a complex, learned motor skill. We test the hypothesis that neural activity in the AFP of adult birds can direct moment-by-moment changes in the primary motor areas responsible for generating song. We show that song-triggered microstimulation in the output nucleus of the AFP induces acute and specific changes in learned parameters of song6,7. Moreover, under both natural and experimental conditions, variability in the pattern of AFP activity is associated with variability in song structure. Finally, lesions of the output nucleus of the AFP prevent naturally occurring modulation of song variability. These findings demonstrate a previously unappreciated capacity of the AFP to direct real-time changes in song. More generally, they suggest that frontal cortical and basal ganglia areas may contribute to motor learning by biasing motor output towards desired targets or by introducing stochastic variability required for reinforcement learning.
Incorporation In Vivo and In Vitro of Radiolabeled Sphingolipid Precursors into Paramecium tetraurelia Lipids

Paramecium tetraurelia contains high concentrations of ethanolamine sphingolipids, especially in its ciliary membrane. Three ethanolamine sphingophospholipids with different long chain bases (dihydrosphingosine, sphingosine and phytosphingosine), and their phosphonyl analogs, were previously identified and characterized. In the present study, radiolabeling experiments on lag- and log-phase cells were performed to investigate the extent of sphingolipid biosynthetic capacities of the ciliate. Long chain bases of sphingolipids are formed by an initial condensation reaction of serine with a fatty-coenzyme A. Thus, radiolabeled palmitic acid, stearic acid and serine were used as precursor compounds in these experiments. The results indicated that (1) sphingolipid precursors were incorporated into every major lipid fraction, (2) ethanolamine sphingophosphonolipids accumulated faster than the ethanolamine sphingophospholipids, (3) in contrast to these sphingolipids, the glycerolipid, phosphatidyethanolamine, accumulated faster than its phosphono analog, and (4) palmitic acid, but not stearic acid, was incorporated into the long chain bases of ethanolamine sphingophospho- and sphingophosphonolipids, consistent with an earlier report demonstrating that these lipids contain only C 18 long chain bases. Since P. tetraurelia takes up serine and other water-soluble substrates very slowly, and catabolizes fatty acids rapidly, label is randomized in intact cells. Thus, cell-free protocols provide useful experimental systems for studies of sphingolipid biosynthesis than do intact organisms, when the uptake of precursor substrates are slow.
Wheelchair Evaluation for the Older Adult

This article focuses on basic principles of seating and wheelchair evaluation for the general population. The discussion includes wheelchair options, components, and accessories. Basic principles to guide the clinician in the process of selection for maximum function are addressed.
Energy of Tycho's Supernova Remnant is increasing with time

It is shown, using the Zeldovich integral relations, that the energy of Tycho's Supernova Remnant is strongly growing with time, approximately as t1/3. This growth can be attributed to the exothermic reactions going inside the remnant. The use of the assumption of the adiabaticity of the motion inside of the shock front, and no losses or gain of energy at the front, seems therefore unjustified.
One-dimensional free-energy profiles of complex systems: progress variables that preserve the barriers.

We show that the balanced minimum-cut procedure introduced in PNAS 2004, 101, 14766 can be reinterpreted as a method for solving the constrained optimization problem of finding the minimum cut amon...
Enhancing the Gene-Environment Interaction Framework Through a Quasi-Experimental Research Design: Evidence from Differential Responses to September 11

This article uses a gene-environment interaction framework to examine the differential responses to an objective external stressor based on genetic variation in the production of depressive symptoms. This article advances the literature by utilizing a quasi-experimental environmental exposure design, as well as a regression discontinuity design, to control for seasonal trends, which limit the potential for gene-environment correlation and allow stronger causal claims. Replications are attempted for two prominent genes (5-HTT and MAOA), and three additional genes are explored (DRD2, DRD4, and DAT1). This article provides evidence of a main effect of 9/11 on reports of feelings of sadness and fails to replicate a common finding of interaction using 5-HTT but does show support for interaction with MAOA in men. It also provides new evidence that variation in the DRD4 gene modifies an individual's response to the exposure, with individuals with no 7-repeats found to have a muted response.
Development of CZT detectors for x-ray and gamma-ray astronomy

Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) is the detector material of choice for the detection of X-rays in the 10 keV-1MeV energy band with excellent spatial and energy resolutions and without cryogenic cooling. In this contribution, we report on recent results of the CZT detector development program and several astrophysical experiments which make use of CZT detectors. In the first part of the paper, we discuss the performance of pixel and cross-strip CZT detectors read out with an ASIC developed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Our pixel detectors achieve some of the best energy resolutions reported in the literature. Cross-strip detectors are found to give an inferior performance and we investigate the reason for this performance difference. We also present results from a precision measurement of the effect of a steering grid on multi-pixel events obtained with a 200 micrometer collimator. In the second part of the paper, we describe the design and performance of the hard X-ray polarimeter X-Calibur. The polarimeter uses a 14 cm long scintillator scatterer, surrounded by an assembly of 32 2-5 mm thick CZT detectors. We discuss the sensitivity of the polarimeter to measure the linear polarization of 10 keV-80 keV X-rays on short and long balloon flights and results from testing the polarimeter in the laboratory.
Testing for parameter stability in RCA(1) time series

We utilize strong invariance principles to construct tests for the stability of model parameters determining a random coefficient autoregressive time series of order one. The test statistics are based on (conditional) least squares estimators for the unknown parameters.
Avoidance of High-Potassium Diets by Captive Meadow Voles

We investigated whether meadow voles ( Microtus pennsylvanicus ) avoid high-potassium diets as a possible means of minimizing the physiological effects of high intake of potassium. When presented simultaneously with two diets of differing potassium content, captive voles consistently consumed more of the diet with lowest potassium content; selectivity increased with increasing disparity in the potassium content of the two diets. This selectivity occurred despite the lack of effect of dietary potassium content on survival or maintenance of body mass.
Long-term oncologic results of salvage radical prostatectomy for locally recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy

Purpose: Salvage radical prostatectomy (RP) may potentially cure patients who have isolated local prostate cancer recurrence after radiotherapy (RT). We report the long-term cancer control associated with salvage RP in a consecutive cohort of patients and identify the variables associated with disease progression and cancer survival. Methods and Materials: A total of 100 consecutive patients underwent salvage RP with curative intent for biopsy-confirmed, locally recurrent, prostate cancer after RT. Disease progression after salvage RP was defined as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of ≥0.2 ng/mL or by initiation of androgen deprivation therapy. Cancer-specific mortality was defined as active clinical disease progression despite castration. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate these endpoints. The median follow-up from RT was 10 years (range, 3–27 years) and from salvage RP was 5 years (range, 1–20 years). Results: Overall, the 5-year progression-free probability was 55% (95% confidence interval, 46–64%), and the median progression-free interval was 6.4 years. The preoperative PSA level was the only significant pretreatment predictor of disease progression in the multivariate analysis (p = 0.01). The 5-year progression-free probability for patients with a preoperative PSA level of 10 ng/mL was 86%, 55%, and 37%, respectively. The 10-year and 15-year cancer-specific mortality after salvage RP was 27% and 40%, respectively. The median time from disease progression to cancer-specific death was 10.3 years (95% confidence interval, 7.6–12.9). After multivariate analysis, the preoperative serum PSA level and seminal vesicle or lymph node status correlated independently with disease progression. Conclusions: Greater preoperative PSA levels are associated with disease progression and cancer-specific death. Long-term control of locally recurrent prostate cancer after definitive RT is possible when salvage RP is performed early in the course of recurrent disease.
The cyclooxygenase site, but not the peroxidase site of cyclooxygenase‐2 is required for neurotoxicity in hypoxic and ischemic injury

Cyclooxygenase-2 activity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic injury, but the exact mechanisms responsible for its toxicity remain unclear. Infection of primary neurons with an adenovirus expressing wild type cyclooxygenase-2 increased the susceptibility of neurons to hypoxia. Infection with an adenoviral vector expressing cyclooxygenase-2 with a mutation at the cyclooxygenase site did not increase susceptibility to hypoxia, whereas overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 with a mutation in the peroxidase site produced similar susceptibility to hypoxia as wild type cyclooxygenase-2. Primary neuronal cultures obtained from transgenic mice bearing a mutation in the COX-2 cylooxygenase site were protected from hypoxia. Mice with a mutation in the cyclooxygenase site had smaller infarctions 24h after 70 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion than wild type control mice. Cyclooxygenase-2 activity had no effect on the formation of protein carbonyls. Ascorbate radicals were detected by electron paramagnetic resonance as a product of recombinant cyclooxygenase-2 activity and were blocked by cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. Similarly, formation of ascorbate radicals was inhibited in the presence of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors and in homogenates obtained from cyclooxygenase-2 null mice. Taken together, these results indicate that the cyclooxygenase activity of cyclooxygenase-2 is necessary to exacerbate neuronal hypoxia/ischemia injury rather than the peroxidase activity of the enzyme.
Vision-based planetary rover navigation

NASA and JPL have developed a testbed 'planetary rover' vehicle with sufficient power supplies, sensors, and computational resources for the demonstration of semiautonomous navigation. Attention is presently given to this vehicle's vision-based navigation techniques. The proposed design and its variants allow advantage to be taken of enormous quantities of both spatial and temporal information that are normally wasted, by sampling very fine detail over the full focal plane area to precisely determine those parts of the image that are accurately at the focus range of the pinhole array used. This should generate accurate and reliable real-time range information in a wide variety of natural scenes, with little or no computation.
The Relationship Between Minimum Data Set Ratings and Scores on Measures of Communication and Hearing Among Nursing Home Residents With Dementia

The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a federally mandated assessment tool used to evaluate individuals residing in skilled nursing facilities, a large percentage of whom have dementia. Best described as a rating scale, it comprises items related to 16 domains of functioning, including communication and hearing. Typically, the MDS is completed by a nurse. When a deficit is observed, Resident Assessment Protocols (RAPs) are designed to address the impairment and provide information for appropriate plans of care. The purposes of this study were to: (a) comprehensively assess the communication and hearing function of nursing home residents with dementia, (b) evaluate the relationship between ratings on MDS communication and hearing items and the performance of dementia patients on standardized assessments, and (c) determine the number of residents with MDS-identified deficits who received a referral for further evaluation. Fifty-seven individuals with a medical diagnosis of dementia participated. All exhibited defic...
Training and Selection of School Counselors

If educational and vocational counseling are to continue in their advancement there must be greater vigilance by schools and colleges of education in the selection and training of applicants. Of equal importance is progress toward recognition for qualified counselors through acceptable standards of certification, Dr. Williamson said in this address at the 1939 convention of the National Vocational Guidance Association.
The influence of human resource practices on empowerment and employee perceptions of management commitment to quality

Abstract We hypothesized that certain human resource (HR) management practices establish a platform for basing employee empowerment, and that increasing empowerment would be positively related to perceptions of leadership commitment to quality. Using multi-stage structural equation modeling, we tested these hypotheses on data collected internally from 529 employees in a high-technology manufacturer well known for its quality initiatives. Results supported these predictions, and point to ways to further integrate HR management and quality management practices.
Working Within and In-Between Frames: An Academic Tourist/ Midnight Robber and the Academy

Having assumed the role of academic tourist/midnight robber from the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago, I discover that I have never fully dealt with the emotional aspect of using academic discourses that came out of a Eurocentric frame. Academic habitus, conventions, laws, shame, guilt, and fear of the repercussions because of my dual status inhibit me. In this autoethnographic text, I make a bold move to become vulnerable as I critically explore the social, political, and cultural contexts of a dissertation culture that I experienced. I use methodological tools provided by specifically chosen tour guides, Carnival midnight robber talk, and a “layered account” to move from the outside to the inside and back out again of the experience of using academic discourses in an ethnographic study of Trinidad Carnival.
Concentration changes and large-firm/small-firm efficiency differences: evidence from US manufacturing industries

(1990). Concentration changes and large-firm/small-firm efficiency differences: evidence from US manufacturing industries. Applied Economics: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 131-142.
Loss of Cdc20 Causes a Securin-Dependent Metaphase Arrest in Two-Cell Mouse Embryos

The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase mediating targeted proteolysis through ubiquitination of protein substrates to control the progression of mitosis. The APC/C recognizes its substrates through two adapter proteins, Cdc20 and Cdh1, which contain similar C-terminal domains composed of seven WD-40 repeats believed to be involved in interacting with their substrates. During the transition from metaphase to anaphase, APC/C-Cdc20 mediates the ubiquitination of securin and cyclin B1, allowing the activation of separase and the onset of anaphase and mitotic exit. APC/C-Cdc20 and APC/C-Cdh1 have overlapping substrates. It is unclear whether they are redundant for mitosis. Using a gene-trapping approach, we have obtained mice which lack Cdc20 function. These mice show failed embryogenesis. The embryos were arrested in metaphase at the two-cell stage with high levels of cyclin B1, indicating an essential role of Cdc20 in mitosis that is not redundant with that of Cdh1. Interestingly, Cdc20 and securin double mutant embryos could not maintain the metaphase arrest, suggesting a role of securin in preventing mitotic exit.
Isolation and characterization of flavonols from blackcurrant by high-performance counter-current chromatography and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Blackcurrant is considered as a natural high-value food raw material and possesses a variety of therapeutic properties. The health benefits of blackcurrant have generally been credited to its high anthocyanin content; however, the therapeutic properties of other minor flavonoids constituents have not yet been investigated due the difficulties related to their isolation. Multiple steps of high-performance counter-current chromatography in combination with ESI tandem mass spectrometry (MS(n)) were successfully used for the preparative isolation of flavonols from blackcurrant extract, to study their electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fragmentation behavior. Seven flavonols, namely myricetin-3-O-rutinoside (145.5 mg), myricetin-3-O-hexoside (79.7 mg), myricetin-3-O-(6″-malonyl)-glucoside (17.4 mg), kaempferol-3-O-glucoside (20.5 mg), quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (55.1 mg), quercetin-3-O-hexoside (25.8 mg), and myricetin (129.1 mg) have been successfully isolated and their multistage MS(n) data were used for detailed structure characterization. The results of these experiments demonstrated that high-performance counter-current chromatography along with ESI-MS(n) is a sensitive, selective, and effective technology for isolation and characterization of minor constituents from a complex mixture.
Children's Brain Development Benefits from Longer Gestation

Disruptions to brain development associated with shortened gestation place individuals at risk for the development of behavioral and psychological dysfunction throughout the lifespan. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the benefit for brain development conferred by increased gestational length exists on a continuum across the gestational age spectrum among healthy children with a stable neonatal course. Neurodevelopment was evaluated with structural magnetic resonance imaging in 100 healthy right-handed 6- to 10-year-old children born between 28 and 41 gestational weeks with a stable neonatal course. Data indicate that a longer gestational period confers an advantage for neurodevelopment. Longer duration of gestation was associated with region-specific increases in gray matter density. Further, the benefit of longer gestation for brain development was present even when only children born full term were considered. These findings demonstrate that even modest decreases in the duration of gestation can exert profound and lasting effects on neurodevelopment for both term and preterm infants and may contribute to long-term risk for health and disease.
AT, an Acoustic Transmissometer

The combination of attenuation measurement with acoustic travel-time current measurement along a common path has produced a new acoustic sensor of suspended particles, the acoustic transmissometer (AT). The AT has been deployed in the OASIS experiment, a particle-measuring experiment to determine suspended particle properties resulting from turbulence and current near the seabed. Acoustic transmission at 1.8 MHz, as used in the AT, is a useful complement to optical backscatter or light transmission for assessing particle properties since acoustic transmission loss is the result of acoustic absorption and/or scattering, which depends on particle mass rather than particle area and diameter, as optical measurements do.
PAMAM dendrimer for mitigating humic foulant

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been established as efficient ligands for the removal of humic acid (HA) foulant, based upon electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, as well as hydrogen bonding. This proof-of-concept study indicates the broad utility of dendritic nanotechnology for water treatment and environmental applications.
UWB Radar signal capture and analysis

As radar designers produce ever wider systems there comes a point where the digitizers found in high dynamic range measurement systems, such as spectrum analyzers are not fast enough to capture the instantaneous bandwidth of the signals they are measuring. This paper is intended to enable designers working with signals of more than a couple hundred megahertz of instantaneous bandwidth (BW) to understand the measurement capabilities offered in today's high bandwidth, high sample rate oscilloscopes as they relate to modern RADAR signal capture and analysis. The discussion will include both the capture of the pulse characteristics as well as the chirp or coded information within the pulse. The techniques discussed, while framed around radar, are based in core acquisition and measurement technology building blocks making the discussion applicable to any ultra wideband technology. The paper will specifically discuss how to determine and control various aspects of dynamic range, capture time and signal fidelity through techniques of oversampling, filtering, under-sampling, memory segmentation and triggering.
URK: Utah Robot Kit-a 3-link robot manipulator prototype

In designing robot manipulators, the interaction between several modules (S/W, VLSI, CAD, CAM, robotics, and control) illustrates an interdisciplinary prototyping environment that includes different types of information that are radically different but combined in a coordinated way. This paper describes the analysis and design of a 3-link robot manipulator prototype as part of a research project for building a prototyping environment for electromechanical systems. This prototype robot can be used as an educational tool in robotics and control classes. >
The Paradox Game Identifying and Overcoming Untenable Interactions

This article explores the many facets of paradoxical communication in interpersonal encounters Several issues are explained in considerable detail. First, the nature ofpara doxical communication and how it might adequately be distinguished from other interpersonal dilemmas is discussed Second, a structured interpersonal exercise is presented which provides students with experiential learning in how to identify and deal effectively with many subtle manifestations of paradoxical communication. Third, variations on the same paradoxical theme are suggested for application to special audiences. Finally, the phenomenon of paradoxical communication is placed into a paradigm of social power and interpersonal influence
Imaging of moving targets using synthetic aperture radar

High resolution SAR imaging has been successfully demonstrated for non-moving ground targets. The SAR community is presently researching the imaging and identification of moving targets because moving target imaging is important for wide area surveillance systems with limited revisit times. An exposed transportable elevated launcher, for example, will stand for less than a half hour but will usually spend much longer times in transit. Presently deployed moving target indicating (MTI) systems can support rapid revisit times but cannot ID targets. Moving target SAR imaging can provide this capability. This paper describes a new algorithm to image targets with large range migration, without supporting MTI information. A unique processing kernel that uses a novel remapping (called keystoning) of the deramped I/Q phase-history provides the ability to image targets with large range migration over the coherent integration time.
Pleiotropic Effects of Adaptation to a Single Carbon Source for Growth on Alternative Substrates

It is frequently assumed that populations of genetically modified microorganisms will perform their intended function and then disappear from the environment due to inherent fitness disadvantages resulting from their genetic alteration. However, modified organisms used in bioremediation can be expected to adapt evolutionarily to growth on the anthropogenic substrate that they are intended to degrade. If such adaptation results in improved competitiveness for alternative, naturally occurring substrates, then this will increase the likelihood that the modified organisms will persist in the environment. In this study, bacteria capable of degrading the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were used to test the effects of evolutionary adaptation to one substrate on fitness during growth on an alternative substrate. Twenty lineages of bacteria were allowed to evolve under abundant resource conditions on either 2,4-D or succinate as their sole carbon source. The competitiveness of each evolved line was then measured relative to that of its ancestor for growth on both substrates. Only three derived lines showed a clear drop in fitness on the alternative substrate after demonstrable adaptation to their selective substrate, while five derived lines showed significant simultaneous increases in fitness on both their selective and alternative substrates. These data demonstrate that adaptation to an anthropogenic substrate can pleiotropically increase competitiveness for an alternative natural substrate and therefore increase the likelihood that a genetically modified organism will persist in the environment.
Temporal imaging system with simple external clock synchronization

We demonstrate a temporal imaging system that allows simple synchronization to an external clock by using a spectrally broadened time-lens-based pump laser. We integrate this pump laser into an ultrafast oscilloscope scheme and demonstrate 2 ps resolution with 130 ps record length.
Thirty years on the "broad spectrum revolution" and paleolithic demography.

All Paleolithic hominids lived by hunting and collecting wild foods, an aspect of existence that began to disappear only with the emergence of the farming and herding societies of the Neolithic ≤10,000 years ago (10 KYA). What are the roots of this remarkable economic transformation? The answer lies in equally revolutionary changes that took place within certain stone age cultures several millennia before. In 1968, Lewis R. Binford noted what appeared to be substantial diversification of human diets in middle- and high-latitude Europe at the end of the Paleolithic, roughly 12–8 KYA (1). Rapid diversification in hunting, food processing, and food storage equipment generally accompanied dietary shifts, symptoms of intensified use of habitats, and fuller exploitation of the potential foodstuffs they contained. Some of this behavior was directed to grinding, drying, and storing nuts, but it also involved small animals (2–6). Kent Flannery pushed these observations further in 1969 with his “Broad Spectrum Revolution” (BSR) hypothesis, proposing that the emergence of the Neolithic in western Asia was prefaced by increases in dietary breadth in foraging societies just before this period (7). He argued that subsistence diversification, mainly by adding new species to the diet, raised the carrying capacity of an environment increasingly constrained by climate instability at the end of the Pleistocene.
The Consummate Faculty Person

The article focuses on an organized approach to faculty development where the basic principle is that only people who want to be developed can be developed toward specific goals and only if they perceive it as being in their best interest. A construct for developing an ideal faculty member is discussed by way of a matrix of attributes such as attitudes, personal characteristics, cognitive skill, aptitudes, sensitivities, research abilities, teaching abilities, community service interests, and unique skills.
An experimental study of the time-domain electromagnetic response of a buried conductive plate

It is important to understand the effects of a buried metal object on electromagnetic data, whether the object is a source of cultural noise or a target of interest. The time-domain electromagnetic response of a buried metal plate exhibits several remarkable properties. An experimental study has been undertaken to confirm these properties. The spatial response of a shallow-buried plate is temporally self-similar and exhibits a late-time dipolelike response. Clutter-generated noise can be significant if the plate is poorly coupled to the primary transmitter flux. A vertical plate exhibits a transition from a horizontal to a vertical mode of eddy current induction.
HemoPDB: Hematopoiesis Promoter Database, an information resource of transcriptional regulation in blood cell development

Hematopoiesis describes the process of the normal formation and development of blood cells, involving both proliferation and differentiation from stem cells. Abnormalities in this developmental program yield blood cell diseases, such as leukemia. Although, in recent years, extensive molecular research in normal hematopoietic development has characterized transcription factors and their binding sites in the target gene promoters, the information generated is highly fragmented. In order to integrate this important regulatory information with the corresponding genomic sequences, we have developed a new database called Hematopoiesis Promoter Database (HemoPDB). HemoPDB is a comprehensive resource focused on transcriptional regulation during hematopoietic development and associated aberrances that result in malignancy. HemoPDB (version 1.0) contains 246 promoter sequences and 604 experimentally known cis-regulatory elements of 187 different transcription factors, with links to published references. Orthologous promoters from different species are linked with each other and displayed in the same database record, accompanied by a visual image of the promoters and corresponding annotations of cis-regulatory elements. HemoPDB may be searched for the promoter of a specific gene, transcription factors and target genes, and genes that are expressed in a certain cell type or lineage, through a user-friendly web interface at http://bioinformatics.med.ohio-state.edu/HemoPDB. Links to the documentation and other technical details are provided on this website.
Prospects for rational development of pharmacological gap junction channel blockers.

Connexin-null mice and human genetic gap junction diseases illustrate the important roles that gap junction channels play under normal conditions, and the neuro- and cardioprotective effects of gap junction blocking agents demonstrate that closure of these channels may be beneficial in certain pathological situations. This overview summarizes studies in which gap junction modifying reagents have been characterized, highlighting examples of agents for which selectivity for gap junction subtypes has been demonstrated. In addition, strategies for targeting connexin domains through peptide inhibitors are outlined, which may ultimately provide agents that are not only connexin-selective in their actions, but also affect only a subset of a gap junction channels gating responses.
Panellus stypticus : geographically separated interbreeding populations

Utilizing matings of single-spore isolates of collections of Panellus stypticus from far eastern USSR, New Zealand, Japan and eastern North America, the geographic range of interbreeding populations was ascertained to include all these locations. Culture bioluminescence and basidiome taste differed across this range, apparently independent of sexual compatibility.
Store vectors for scalable memory dependence prediction and scheduling

Allowing loads to issue out-of-order with respect to earlier unresolved store addresses is very important for extracting parallelism in large-window superscalar processors. Blindly allowing all loads to issue as soon as their addresses are ready can lead to a net performance loss due to a large number of load-store ordering violations. Previous research has proposed memory dependence prediction algorithms to prevent only loads with true memory dependencies from issuing in the presence of unresolved stores. Techniques such as load-store pair identification and store sets have been very successful in achieving performance levels close to that attained by an oracle dependence predictor. These techniques tend to employ relatively complex CAM-based designs, which we believe have been obstacles to the industrial adoption of these algorithms. In this paper, we use the idea of dependency vectors from matrix schedulers for non-memory instructions, and adapt them to implement a new dependence prediction algorithm. For applications that experience frequent memory ordering violations, our "store vector" prediction algorithm delivers an 8.4% speedup over blind speculation (compared to 8.5% for perfect dependence prediction), achieves better performance than store sets (8.1%), and the store vector algorithm's matrix implementation is considerably simpler.
Uncertainty analysis: an evaluation metric for synthesis science

The methods for conducting reductionist ecological science are well known and widely used. In contrast, those used in the synthesis of ecological science (i.e., synthesis science) are still being developed, vary widely, and often lack the rigor of reductionist approaches. This is unfortunate because the synthesis of ecological parts into a greater whole is critical to understanding many of the environmental challenges faced by society. To help address this imbalance in approaches, we examine how the rigor of ecological synthesis science might be increased by using uncertainty as an evaluation metric—as a parallel to methods used in reductionist science. To estimate and understand uncertainty we propose that it be divided into four general classes: (1) measurement uncertainty (i.e., experimental error) as defined by precision and accuracy, (2) sampling uncertainty that reflects natural variation in space and time as quantified by classical statistical moments (e.g., mean and variance), (3) model prediction...
Low cost spectrometer accessory for cell phone based optical sensor

Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics integrated with smartphone platform has gained increasing attention in recent years due to its portability, cost-effectiveness and user-friendly setting. In this paper, we present an optical sensor based on a smartphone platform with extremely low-cost spectrometer accessary, which can be applied for colorimetric sensing. The spectrometer accessory enables separation and quantification of color information from various samples, which are essential in many colorimetric and fluorescence-based detections. The proposed smartphone based optical sensor consists of LED as excitation light source, assembled spectrometer structure and transparent fluidic sensing chamber for liquid analyte. The functionality of this smartphone based optical sensor is proved by applying it for pH sensing, realized by injecting standard pH buffer solution into the fluidic sensing chamber prefilled with pH indicator dye. The color change of pH indicator in the sensing chamber can be distinguished by the imbedded spectrometer and the spectrum image can be captured using external smartphone camera without the need for expensive camera. Image-processing software is employed to obtain quantitative pH sensing result. In general, this smartphone based optical sensor can be used for any colorimetric sensors in food, agriculture and medicine. Furthermore, the cost of the sensor can be further reduced by replacing the sensing chamber with test strips, such as the ones made from paper, making it a highly practical sensing device for resource-limited settings.