cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carotene, Tocopherol, and Ascorbate Contents in Subspecies of Brassica oleracea

Cruciferous vegetables contain high levels of vitamins that can act as antioxidants, compounds that may protect against several degenerative diseases. The edible portions of 50 broccoli and 13 cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts accessions were assayed to determine variation in alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, and ascorbate contents within and between subspecies of Brassica oleracea. Ascorbate content was estimated in fresh samples using HPLC. Tissues for carotene and tocopherol analysis were lyophilized prior to extraction. Carotene and tocopherol concentrations were simultaneously measured using a reverse phase HPLC system. Results indicate that there is substantial variation both within and between subspecies. Kale had the highest levels of vitamins, followed by broccoli and Brussels sprouts with intermediate levels and then by cabbage and cauliflower, with comparatively low concentrations. Variability in vitamin content among the broccoli accessions suggests that potential health benefits that accrue with consumption are genotype dependent.
Diagnosis, Evaluation and Follow-Up of Asymptomatic Microhematuria (AMH) in Adults: AUA Guideline

Purpose: The purpose of this guideline is to provide a clinical framework for the diagnosis, evaluation and follow-up of asymptomatic microhematuria.Materials and Methods: A systematic literature review using the MEDLINE® database was conducted to identify peer reviewed publications relevant to the definition, diagnosis, evaluation and follow-up for AMH. The review yielded 191 evidence-based articles, and these publications were used to create the majority of the guideline statements. There was insufficient evidence-based data for certain concepts; therefore, clinical principles and consensus expert opinions were used for portions of the guideline statements.Results: Guideline statements are provided for diagnosis, evaluation and follow-up. The panel identified multiphasic computed tomography as the preferred imaging technique and developed guideline statements for persistent or recurrent AMH as well as follow-up.Conclusions: AMH is only diagnosed by microscopy; a dipstick reading suggestive of hematuria ...
Norton S. Ginsburg, 1921–2007: Teacher and Scholar of Asia, Mentor, Editor, Academic Administrator, and Director

Norton Ginsburg, long-time professor at the University of Chicago, died on 30 July 2007. Perhaps best remembered for his scholarly work and professional activities on various aspects of Asia and it...
A Game of European Colonization in Africa

Abstract This is a game involving role-playing designed to promote student understanding of an interest in the African colonial experience. It may be used as part of a high school or college regional geography course on Africa south of the Sahara, or in courses dealing with modern African or European history, or international relations.
Characterization of Gentamicin-Resistant Respiratory-Deficient (Res−) Variant Strains of Staphylococcus aureus

Exposure of sensitive cells of Staphylococcus aureus to concentrations of gentamicin higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration, results in the recovery of low level resistant strains with a greatly altered phenotype (variants). Because the phenotypic alteration in these strains is so great the expected diagnostic characterization of these variants as S. aureus is obscured. Starting with a genetically-marked parent strain, a comprehensive cytological, physiological, morphological, genetic and biochemical analysis of the variants isolated from it was carried out. The genetic lineage of the variants to the parent was also established by DNA/DNA hybridization. Variants result from mutations in the hemin biosynthesis locus, the effect of which is to disrupt the synthesis of components of the electron transport system, lipid synthesis and selected nucleotide synthesis. Thus the strains are defective in aerobic and anaerobic respiration, (res-), in active transport of aminoglycosides (which confers low level resistance), export of characteristic exo-enzymes, and in cell wall composition and structure.
Symmetry breaking and hyperon decays in the Skyrme model.

We compute the vector and axial-vector-current matrix elements needed for the Cabibbo-theory description of the semileptonic hyperon decays using exact eigenstates of the SU(3) Skyrme-model collective Hamiltonian. In a qualitative sense we confirm that the symmetry-breaking corrections are relatively small for the Cabibbo matrix elements while there is a drastic reduction from the SU(3) limit of the matrix element {l angle}proton{vert bar}{ital {bar s}}{gamma}{sub {mu}}{gamma}{sub 5}{ital s}{vert bar}proton{r angle} which figures prominently in analyses of the European Muon Collaboration proton-spin'' experiment.
Licensing IP embodied in standards, Part 2

For pt. 1 see ibid., July/Aug. Much of ANSI's statement reflects common ground between its policy on intellectual property embodied in standards and what the July-August Micro Law column proposed as wise policy for the IEEE and other standardization bodies. However, two principal areas of nonagreement emerge: What should happen if the patent owner fails correctly to identify and disclose its patent rights until after adoption of the standard embodying its patented technology? Is it a "reasonable" licensing condition for a patent owner to demand that users of the standard must relinquish their own patent rights that are not embodied in the standard?.
High-Order Entropy-Based Closures for Linear Transport in Slab Geometries

We compute, for the first time, high-order entropy-based ($M_N$) models for a linear transport equation on a one-dimensional, slab geometry. We simulate two test problems from the literature: the two-beam instability and the plane-source problem. In the former case we compute solutions for systems up to order $N=5$ ; in the latter, up to $N=15$. The most notable outcome of these results is the existence of shocks in the steady-state profiles of the two-beam instability for all odd values of $N$.
AntBot: Anti-pollution peer-to-peer botnets

Botnets have emerged as one of the most severe cyber-threats in recent years. To evade detection and improve resistance against countermeasures, botnets have evolved from the first generation that relies on IRC chat channels to deliver commands to the current generation that uses highly resilient P2P (peer-to-peer) protocols to spread their C&C (Command and Control) information. On an encouraging note, the seminal work done by Holz et al. [14] showed that P2P botnets, although relieved from the single point of failure that IRC botnets suffer, can be easily disrupted using pollution-based mitigation schemes. For white-hat cyber-security practitioners to be better prepared for potentially destructive P2P botnets, it is necessary for them to understand the strategy space from the attacker's perspective. Against this backdrop, we analyze a new type of P2P botnets, which we call AntBot, that aims to spread their C&C information to individual bots even though an adversary persistently pollutes keys used by seized bots to search the C&C information. The tree-like structure of AntBot, together with the randomness and redundancy in its design, renders it possible that individual bots, when captured, reveal only limited information. We mathematically analyze the performance of AntBot from the perspectives of reachability, resilience to pollution, and scalability. To evaluate the effectiveness of AntBot against pollution-based mitigation in a practical setting, we develop a distributed high-fidelity P2P botnet simulator that uses the actual implementation code of aMule, a popular Kademlia-based P2P client. The simulator offers us a tool to evaluate the attacker's strategy in the cyber space without causing ethical or legal issues, which may result from real-world deployment. Using extensive simulation, we demonstrate that AntBot operates resiliently against pollution-based mitigation. We further suggest a few potential defense schemes that could effectively disrupt AntBot operations and also present challenges that researchers need to address when developing these techniques in practice.
High-accuracy, high-reflectivity phase conjugation at 1.06 μm by four-wave mixing in photorefractive gallium arsenide

We have used a 20-kHz ac square-wave electric field to enhance the beam-coupling gain and the degenerate four-wave mixing reflectivity of photorefractive GaAs at 1.06 μm. The largest measured four-wave mixing reflectivity in the steady state was 15% at a grating period of 9 μm and an applied voltage of 3.2 kV across 0.4 cm. Theoretical results predict substantially higher reflectivity values for a field of 8 kV/cm; the origin of this discrepancy is thought to be space-charge effects that prevent us from obtaining the full field inside the crystal. We have also measured a transient reflectivity of 510% during the switch on of the backward pump beam. Finally, we have determined the accuracy of wave-front reversal through measurements of piston-error correction and conjugation fidelity.
Phenotypic variation and lability of the subunit composition of the hemocyanin of Uca pugilator

The monomeric subunit composition of the hemocyanin of the sand fiddler crab Uca pugilator was examined in six samples totalling 342 individuals and representing latitudinal and salinity gradients. A total of 12 different polypeptide chains were separated electrophoretically, of which as few as four and as many as nine were present in an individual. The small quantities of several chains suggest a mixed population of the predominantly 2×6 aggregates in the blood. There was no effect of sex and no clear effect of salinity. Samples of populations found near the northern and southern limits of the species, however, were very different from each other and also from samples of populations in the middle of the geographic range. Specifically, samples from the geographic limits exhibit far less variation than those from the middle of the species range. Only one group of three minor chains clearly varies as if they might be encoded at the same locus. Moreover, the condition of most of the monomers, including those three as well as several of the major chains, is not genetically fixed in the adult stage.
Slow Extraction from FFAG Accelerators

The results of earlier analytical calculations on the slow extraction of particles from an alternating gradient accelerator are applied to the special case of a fixed field alternating gradient accelerator. The extraction efficiency and rate of growth of the betatron oscillations are described.
A clinical system for accurate assessment of tissue iron concentration

This paper describes a new computer-enhanced dual-channel SQUID susceptometer designed to achieve accuratein vivo estimates of tissue storage iron concentrations. We discuss the practical design considerations, instrumental noise performance and anticipated clinical resolution of the new system.
An evaluation of an internet-delivered eating disorder prevention program for adolescents and their parents

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effectiveness of Student Bodies , an Internet-delivered eating disorder prevention program for adolescents, and a supplemental program for their parents. Methods One hundred fifty-two 10th grade females completing a health course at a private sectarian school, and 69 of their parents were assigned to either the Internet-delivered intervention group or to a comparison group (students) or wait-list control group (parents). Student participants completed subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory, Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, and a content knowledge test. Parents completed the Parental Attitudes and Criticism Scale. Results The main effects of the intervention were assessed pre- to post- and post- to follow-up using ANCOVA, with the baseline assessment of the independent variable as the covariate. Students using the program reported significantly reduced eating restraint and had significantly greater increases in knowledge than did students in the comparison group. However, there were no significant differences at follow-up. Parents significantly decreased their overall critical attitudes toward weight and shape. Conclusion The program demonstrates the feasibility of providing an integrated program for students and their parents with short-term positive changes in parental attitudes toward weight and shape.
Variant selection of grain boundary α by special prior β grain boundaries in titanium alloys

Abstract During β-processing of α/β and β titanium alloys, variant selection (VS) of grain boundary α (GBα) is one of the key factors in determining the final transformation texture and mechanical properties. It has been observed frequently that GBα prefers its 〈0 0 0 1〉α pole to be parallel to a common 〈1 1 0〉β pole of the two adjacent β grains and results in a micro-textured region across the grain boundary (GB) and, as a consequence, slip transmission may take place more easily across that GB. In order to investigate how such a special prior β GB contributes to VS of GBα, we develop a crystallographic model based on the Burgers orientation relationship (BOR) between GBα and one of the two β grains. The model predicts all possible special β grain boundaries at which GBα is able to maintain BOR with both β grains. A new measure for VS of GBα, ( β Δ J β BOR ) , i.e., a measure of the deviation of the actual OR between the GBα and the non-Burgers grain from the BOR, is proposed. For the particular alloy chosen for experimental observations, Ti-5553, it is found that when the misorientation angle θ m of ( β Δ J β BOR ) (instead of the closeness between two closet { 1 1 0 } β poles between two β grains widely used in literature) is less than 15 ° , misorientation between the two β grains dominates the VS of GBα and, in particular, the variant with minimum θ m is always selected for GBα. A possible effect due to grain boundary plane inclination on VS is also discussed.
Characteristic Functions and Their Empirical Counterparts: Geometrical Interpretations and Applications to Statistical Inference

Abstract The value of a characteristic function of a random variable X at some real number t is the center of mass of the distribution of tX wrapped around the unit circle in the complex plane. This geometrical representation is used to illustrate how various properties of frequency functions and characteristic functions correspond and to illuminate the role of empirical characteristic functions in statistical inference.
Community College Faculty Job Satisfaction and Propensity to Leave.

We assessed the effects of role ambiguity, role conflict, and 10 job satisfaction factors on propensity to leave for community college faculty located in the 11 southern states served by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Data were gathered through the administration of a survey instrument that was mailed to 900 randomly selected faculty in April 1989. Four hundred sixty‐five questionnaires were returned. We used the stepwise multiple regression procedure to analyze the data. The community college faculty in this sample were generally satisfied with their work. Although propensity to leave was not a widely held attitude, it was influenced by some, but not all, job satisfaction factors. As satisfaction with growth opportunities, salary, the work itself, policy and administration, and supervision decreased, propensity to leave increased. In addition, propensity to leave was influenced by role conflict to a greater extent than by role ambiguity. The relationship between role conflict and prope...
A new species of phytophagous braconid Allorhogas minimus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) reared from fruit galls on Miconia longifolia (Melastomataceae) in Costa Rica.

A new plant-feeding species of braconid wasp Allorhogas minimus Centrella & Shaw is described from Heredia Province in Costa Rica. The new species is diagnosed and compared with other species in the genus. This is the first record of an Allorhogas species from fruit galls on Miconia longifolia.
Patterns in the Fate of Production in Plant Communities.

abstract: I examine, through an extensive compilation of published reports, the nature and variability of carbon flow (i.e., primary production, herbivory, detrital production, decomposition, export, and biomass and detrital storage) in a range of aquatic and terrestrial plant communities. Communities composed of more nutritional plants (i.e., higher nutrient concentrations) lose higher percentages of production to herbivores, channel lower percentages as detritus, experience faster decomposition rates, and, as a result, store smaller carbon pools. These results suggest plant palatability as a main limiting factor of consumer metabolical and feeding rates across communities. Hence, across communities, plant nutritional quality may be regarded as a descriptor of the importance of herbivore control on plant biomass (“top‐down” control), the rapidity of nutrient and energy recycling, and the magnitude of carbon storage. These results contribute to an understanding of how much and why the trophic routes of ca...
Zee Edgell: novelist as historian/activist (re)imagining nation

This article examines the specifically gendered ways in which Zee Edgell (re)writes Belizean history to challenge patriarchy and imperialism in her novels. Contextualizing this study with socio‐historical research on Belize as well as personal interviews with Zee Edgell, it argues that Edgell challenges a postcolonial body politic, which replicates patriarchal colonial policies that marginalize and oppress Belizeans of all ethnicities. Edgell's novels expose the muted history of slavery and colonization in Belize, and they re‐imagine how this shaped the development of the colony and independent nation. In addition, her depictions of the decolonization movement document the muted history of women's activism in Belize. Thus, her novels challenge nationalist historiography and identify Belizean women's instrumental role in the nation‐building process in colonial and postcolonial Belize. Her depictions of women's community activism redefine hierarchical power politics, provide a paradigm for activist struggle...
Molecular mechanics and x-ray crystallographic analysis of bicuculline salt conformations

Abstract Conformational analyses of bicuculline, N-protonated and N-methylated bicuculline, potent GABA antagonists, have been carried out with the MMP2 force field. The preferred conformations are twisted ca. 90° from that of bicuculline itself. An X-ray analysis of N-methylbicuculline bromide supports the molecular mechanics results.
The desperate politics of postmodernism

According to Henry S. Kariel, contemporary culture is increasingly governed by technological and market forces that threaten our ability to control our own destiny. Having entered the postmodern era, many people feel unmoored and uncentered in a world viewed as spiraling blindly toward oblivion.In this provocative book, Kariel offers a pessimistic meditation on the postmodern art and aesthetics that have emerged in reaction to the oppressive structures of our society and that represent, he feels, a desperate effort to revive that which is deadened by technology and instrumentalism. Kariel identifies a pragmatic aesthetics that links playful activities in all domains, arguing that only by fusing spontaneous and instrumental action and by continually deconstructing, reviewing, revising, and regrouping our centering sources (rituals, beliefs, canons, social institutions, etc.) can we defuse the oppressive elements of our modern cultural landscape.
Analytical study of heat transfer rates for parallel flow of liquid metals through tube bundles: II

A theoretical annlysis of heat transfsr to liquid metals in parallel flow through a tabe bundle, following the method of Lyon, results in an equation that agrees within 10% with the calculated values. The conditions are fully developed tarbulent flow, constant heat flux at the wall, and an infinite number of tubes arranged on an equilateral triangular pitch. The hexagonal flow area assignable to any tube is approximated by a circle of equal area, and the velocity distnibution of Bailey for an annulus is assumed to apply from the inner wall to the circle of marimum flow. The range of conditions is: pitch-to- diameter ratio, 1.375 to 10; Reynolds number, 10/sup 4/ to lO/sup 6/; Prandtl number, 0 to 0.1; and Peclet number, 0 to lO/sup 5/. Laminar and slug flow Nussalt numbers are also determined. (auth)
Effects of the Light Goose Conservation Order on non-target waterfowl distribution during spring migration.

The Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO) was initiated in 1999 to reduce mid-continent populations of light geese (lesser snow geese Chen caerulescens and Ross's geese C. rossi). However, concern about potential for LGCO activities (i.e. hunting activities) to negatively impact non-target waterfowl species during spring migration in the Rainwater Basin (RWB) of Nebraska prompted agency personnel to limit the number of hunt days each week and close multiple public wetlands to LGCO activities entirely. To evaluate the effects of the LGCO in the RWB, we quantified waterfowl density at wetlands open and closed to LGCO hunting and recorded all hunter encounters during springs 2011 and 2012. We encountered a total of 70 hunting parties on 22 study wetlands, with over 90% of these encounters occurring during early season when the majority of waterfowl used the RWB region. We detected greater overall densities of dabbling ducks Anas spp., as well as for mallards A. platyrhynchos and northern pintails A. acuta on...
Solute Carrier 11A1 Is Expressed by Innate Lymphocytes and Augments Their Activation

Solute carrier 11A1 (SLC11A1) is a divalent ion transporter formerly known as the natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (NRAMP1) and the Bcg/Lsh/Ity locus. SLC11A1 was thought to be exclusively expressed in monocyte/macrophages and to have roles in phagosome maturation and cell activation. We characterized the expression of SLC11A1 in the majority of human and bovine γδ T cells and NK cells and in human CD3(+)CD45RO(+) T cells. Consistent with a role for iron-dependent inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatases, SLC11A1(+) lymphocytes were more prone to activation and retained tyrosine phosphorylation. Transfection of SLC11A1 into a human γδ T cell-like line rendered the cells more prone to activation. Nonadherent splenocytes from wild-type mice expressed significantly greater IFN-γ compared with cells from Sv/129 (SLC11A1(-/-)) mice. Our data suggest that SLC11A1 has a heretofore unknown role in activation of a large subset of innate lymphocytes that are critical sources of IFN-γ. SLC11A1(+) animals have enhanced innate IFN-γ expression in response to Salmonella infection compared with SLC11A1(-) mice, which include commonly used inbred laboratory mice. Expression of SLC11A1 in innate lymphocytes and its role in augmenting their activation may account for inconsistencies in studies of innate lymphocytes in different animal models.
Diplopoda from Rondônia, Brazil: II. Three new genera in the family Chelodesmidae (Polydesmida)

New genera are defined to accommodate three disjunct new chelodesmids endemic in Rondonia: Rondonaria n. gen., for R. schubarti n. sp.; Lithobiodesmus n. gen., for L. xenoporus n. sp., and Rhicnostethus n. gen., for the type species R. rondoni n. sp., and R. coriaceus (Schubart, 1947) n. comb., described from Mato Grosso. The tribal position of these new taxa cannot be confidently established on the basis of existing knowledge of the family; each is distinguished by one or more unusual anatomical characters.
Management of animal welfare in disease outbreaks

outbreak, will have to be managed during a disease outbreak to minimize adverse impact on animal welfare. To put animal welfare in disease outbreaks into context, the obvious solution to obtaining optimal animal welfare is to prevent animal disease outbreaks in the fi rst place, as has been recently accomplished with the global eradication of Rinderpest. It also helps to appreciate that, although the focus of this article is on the impact of disease outbreaks on animal welfare, the number of animals suffering from substandard welfare as a result of production-related disease and poor management under non-disaster conditions dwarfs the number of animals suffering from geophysical, technological, and biological disasters combined. Finally, the reader should be aware of the extensive literature and experience showing that preparedness before disaster strikes as well as the reliance on proven management techniques during an event provide the greatest returns on investment in emergency management (Disaster Research Center, 2012; FEMA, 2012a; National Hazards Center, 2012). When the principles of emergency management are applied to the care of animals, animal welfare in disease outbreaks will be optimized.
Structure-specific DNA binding and bipolar helicase activities of PcrA

PcrA is an essential helicase in Gram-positive bacteria, but its precise role in cellular DNA metabolism is currently unknown. The Staphylococcus aureus PcrA helicase has both 5'-->3' and 3'-->5' helicase activities. In this work, we have studied the binding of S.aureus PcrA to a variety of DNA substrates that represent intermediates in DNA replication, repair, recombination and transcription. PcrA bound poorly or not at all to single-stranded DNA, double-stranded DNA with blunt ends, partially double-stranded DNA containing fork and bubble structures, and duplex DNA substrates containing either 5' or 3' single-stranded oligo dT tails. Interestingly, PcrA bound with high affinity to partially duplex DNA containing hairpin structures adjacent to a 6 nt long 5' single-stranded region and one unpaired nucleotide (flap) at the 3' end. However, PcrA did not detectably bind to partial duplexes with folded regions adjacent to a 6 nt long 3' single-stranded tail (with or without a 1 nt flap at the 5' end). PcrA showed moderate helicase activity with partially double-stranded DNAs containing 3' or 5' single-stranded oligo dT tails, the 3'-->5' helicase activity being more efficient than its 5'-->3' helicase activity. Interestingly, PcrA showed maximal helicase activity with substrates containing folded structures and 5' single-stranded tails, suggesting that its 5'-->3' helicase activity is greatly stimulated in the presence of specific structures. However, the 3'-->5' helicase activity of PcrA did not appear to be affected by the presence of folded substrates containing 3' single-stranded tails. Our data indicate that PcrA may recognize DNA substrates with specific structures in vivo and its 5'-->3' and 3'-->5' helicase activities may be involved in distinct cellular processes.
Thin-Film Indium Oxide Doped with Refractory Metals

The electrical and structural properties of sputtered indium oxide (In 2 O 3 ) thin films doped with Mo, Zr, and Ti were studied. Properties of these films are compared to undoped In 2 O 3 and tin-doped In 2 O 3 (ITO). The as-sputtered films, doped with Mo (IO:Mo), exhibited high mobility (45 cm 2 V -1 s -1 ). Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was also used to deposit IO:Mo films. The highest mobility achieved for an as-deposited PLD IO:Mo film deposited onto a glass substrate was 42.7 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . However, PLD IO:Mo films deposited on single-crystal yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates exhibited a higher mobility of 53.6 cm 2 V -1 s -1 and a greater degree of structural orientation than the sputtered films. Following post-deposition annealing, both the sputtered films on glass, and the PLD films on YSZ, exhibited improved mobilities of 47 and 66 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , respectively.
Computational modeling suggests dimerization of equine infectious anemia virus Rev is required for RNA binding

The lentiviral Rev protein mediates nuclear export of intron-containing viral RNAs that encode structural proteins or serve as the viral genome. Following translation, HIV-1 Rev localizes to the nucleus and binds its cognate sequence, termed the Rev-responsive element (RRE), in incompletely spliced viral RNA. Rev subsequently multimerizes along the viral RNA and associates with the cellular Crm1 export machinery to translocate the RNA-protein complex to the cytoplasm. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) Rev is functionally homologous to HIV-1 Rev, but shares very little sequence similarity and differs in domain organization. EIAV Rev also contains a bipartite RNA binding domain comprising two short arginine-rich motifs (designated ARM-1 and ARM-2) spaced 79 residues apart in the amino acid sequence. To gain insight into the topology of the bipartite RNA binding domain, a computational approach was used to model the tertiary structure of EIAV Rev. The tertiary structure of EIAV Rev was modeled using several protein structure prediction and model quality assessment servers. Two types of structures were predicted: an elongated structure with an extended central alpha helix, and a globular structure with a central bundle of helices. Assessment of models on the basis of biophysical properties indicated they were of average quality. In almost all models, ARM-1 and ARM-2 were spatially separated by >15 A, suggesting that they do not form a single RNA binding interface on the monomer. A highly conserved canonical coiled-coil motif was identified in the central region of EIAV Rev, suggesting that an RNA binding interface could be formed through dimerization of Rev and juxtaposition of ARM-1 and ARM-2. In support of this, purified Rev protein migrated as a dimer in Blue native gels, and mutation of a residue predicted to form a key coiled-coil contact disrupted dimerization and abrogated RNA binding. In contrast, mutation of residues outside the predicted coiled-coil interface had no effect on dimerization or RNA binding. Our results suggest that EIAV Rev binding to the RRE requires dimerization via a coiled-coil motif to juxtapose two RNA binding motifs, ARM-1 and ARM-2.
IS INCREASING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ALWAYS A GOOD THING

This paper considers the impact of community participation on outcomes of development projects. It e rst offers a theoretical framework for participation by using the property rights literature to model how participation in an activity, in addition to involving information exchange, also results in greater ine uence in the activity. The model predicts that community participation may not always be desirable. The paper then uses primary data on development projects in Northern Pakistan to provide empirical support for this prediction. It shows that while community participation improves project outcomes in nontechnical decisions, increasing community participation in technical decisions actually leads to worse project outcomes. (JEL: D23, D78, H40, O12, O20)
Meso-scale Simulations of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Grafted Architectures

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is a thermosensitive polymer that is well-known for its behavior at a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 305 K. Below the LCST, PNIPAM is soluble in water, and above this temperature, polymer chains collapse and transform into a globule state. The conformational dynamics of single chains of polymer in a solution is known to be different from those of grafted structures that comprise of an ensemble of such single chains. In this study, we have carried out MD simulations of a mesoscopic nanostructure of PNIPAM polymer chains consisting of 60 monomer units grafted onto gold nanoparticles of different diameters, to study the effect of temperature and core particle size on the polymer conformations. Additionally, we have also studied the effect of grafting density on the coil-to-globule transition exhibited by PNIPAM through the LCST. The systems investigated consisted of ∼3 and ∼6 million atoms. Simulations were carried out below and above the LCST of PNIPAM, at 275K and 325K. Simulation trajectories were analyzed for radius of gyration of PNIPAM chains.
Altered biologic and immunologic activities of progressively desialylated human urinary FSH.

ABSTRACT Desialylation of human pituitary FSH inactivates the biologic but not the immunologic activity of the hormone. This study was undertaken to study the effects of desialylation on immunologic and biologic activities of human urinary FSH. Three different urinary FSH preparations were subjected to graded desialylation by enzymatic hydrolysis. All showed enhanced immunoreactivity, probably secondary to exposure of new antigenic sites. When desialylation was greater than 10%, all preparations showed progressive loss of biologic activity. Sialic acid content affects both biologic and immunologic activities of human urinary FSH. Immunologic and biologic activities need not be identical for any given FSH preparation.
Measuring Prosocial Behavior of College Students

This study examined the relationship between prosocial behavior and the five-factor model of personality. 61 undergraduates were given an 80-item Bipolar Adjective Scale to assess five domains of personality and the Prosocial Behavior Inventory to rate prosocial behavior. Analysis suggested that Extraversion, Openness to Experience, and Agreeableness showed significant positive correlations with prosocial behaviors, e.g., women were somewhat more compassionate than men whereas men focussed more on fiscal responsibility.
Stimulation of Liver X Receptor Has Potent Anti-HIV Effects in a Humanized Mouse Model of HIV Infection

Previous studies demonstrated that liver X receptor (LXR) agonists inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication by upregulating cholesterol transporter ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1), suppressing HIV production, and reducing infectivity of produced virions. In this study, we extended these observations by analyzing the effect of the LXR agonist T0901317 [N-[4-(1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)phenyl]-N-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzenesulfonamide] on the ongoing HIV infection and investigating the possibility of using LXR agonist for pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection in a humanized mouse model. Pre-exposure of monocyte-derived macrophages to T0901317 reduced susceptibility of these cells to HIV infection in vitro. This protective effect lasted for up to 4 days after treatment termination and correlated with upregulated expression of ABCA1, reduced abundance of lipid rafts, and reduced fusion of the cells with HIV. Pre-exposure of peripheral blood leukocytes to T0901317 provided only a short-term protection against HIV infection. Treatment of HIV-exposed humanized mice with LXR agonist starting 2 weeks postinfection substantially reduced viral load. When eight humanized mice were pretreated with LXR agonist prior to HIV infection, five animals were protected from infection, two had viral load at the limit of detection, and one had viral load significantly reduced relative to mock-treated controls. T0901317 pretreatment also reduced HIV-induced dyslipidemia in infected mice. In conclusion, these results reveal a novel link between LXR stimulation and cell resistance to HIV infection and suggest that LXR agonists may be good candidates for development as anti-HIV agents, in particular for pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection.
Finite Element Analysis of Piezoelectric Thin Film Membrane Structures

Thin film structures have found a wide variety of applications in electromechanical technologies. As the design flexibility for these structures increases, so does the demand for design software that can provide some good insights into the behavior of the structure before it is fabricated. In this study, a finite element code based on a combination of equivalent single-plate theory and classical laminated plate theory was used to predict the dynamic response of thin film structures in micro length scale. As a benchmark for the code development, thin film structures were also fabricated using MEMS technology, and their fundamental frequencies were characterized. It was demonstrated that the model predictions matched fairly well with the experimental data for the small membranes with widths less than 200 mum, but underestimated them for large ones with widths greater than 500 mum. The model also demonstrated that the fundamental frequencies increased with the thickness of the layers. The areas that need to be investigated further in order to improve the predicative capability of the calculations include effects of residual stress, dc bias voltage, parasitic capacitance, interaction of membrane vibration with the supports of the structure, and accurate measurement of the dimensions and material properties of the thin films.
DETRUSOR CONTRACTION DURATION AS A URODYNAMIC PARAMETER OF BLADDER OUTLET OBSTRUCTION FOR EVALUATING MEN WITH LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS

AbstractPurpose: Recent studies suggest that detrusor contraction duration increases with bladder outlet obstruction and correlates with the American Urological Association (AUA) symptom index. Since the detrusor contraction duration may also depend on detrusor contractility and bladder volume, its use alone in characterizing bladder outlet obstruction is debatable. Therefore, we studied the relationship between detrusor contraction duration and bladder outlet obstruction, bladder capacity, detrusor contractility and symptoms to determine whether detrusor contraction duration is a useful parameter for characterizing bladder outlet obstruction in men with lower urinary tract symptoms.Materials and Methods: Pressure-flow studies were performed in men with lower urinary tract symptoms. Bladder outlet obstruction was defined as passive urethral resistance relation greater than grade II and contractility was determined from Schafer's nomogram. Detrusor contraction duration was defined as the contraction time e...
Optimizing network performance of computing pipelines in distributed environments

Supporting high performance computing pipelines over wide-area networks is critical to enabling large-scale distributed scientific applications that require fast responses for interactive operations or smooth flows for data streaming. We construct analytical cost models for computing modules, network nodes, and communication links to estimate the computing times on nodes and the data transport times over connections. Based on these time estimates, we present the efficient linear pipeline configuration method based on dynamic programming that partitions the pipeline modules into groups and strategically maps them onto a set of selected computing nodes in a network to achieve minimum end-to-end delay or maximum frame rate. We implemented this method and evaluated its effectiveness with experiments on a large set of simulated application pipelines and computing networks. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the streamline and greedy algorithms. These results, together with polynomial computational complexity, make our method a potential scalable solution for large practical deployments.
Infection control practices among correctional healthcare workers: Effect of management attitudes and availability of protective equipment and engineering controls

Objectives:To determine the relation of the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering controls to infection control (IC) practices in a prison healthcare setting, and to explore the effect on IC practices of a perceived organizational commitment to safety.Design:Cross-sectional survey.Setting:The study population was drawn from the 28 regional Correctional Health Care Workers Facilities in Maryland.Participants:All full-time Maryland correctional healthcare workers (HCWs) were surveyed, and 225 (64%) of the 350 responded.Method:A confidential, self-administered questionnaire was mailed to all correctional HCWs employed in the 28 Maryland Correctional Health Care Facilities. The questionnaire was analyzed psychometrically and validated through extensive pilot testing. It included items on three major constructs: IC practices, safety climate (defined as the perception of organizational commitment to safety), and availability of IC equipment and supplies.Results:A strong correlation was found between the availability of PPE and IC practices. Similarly, a strong correlation was found between IC practices and the presence of engineering controls. In addition, an equally strong association was seen between the adoption of IC practices and employee perception of management commitment to safety. Those employees who perceived a high level of management support for safety were more than twice as likely to adhere to recommended IC practices. IC practices were significantly more likely to be followed if PPE was always readily available. Similarly, IC practices were more likely to be followed if engineering controls were provided.Conclusion:These findings suggest that ready availability of PPE and the presence of engineering controls are crucial to help ensure their use in this high-risk environment. This is especially important because correctional HCWs are potentially at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B and C viruses. Commitment to safety was found to be highly associated with the adoption of safe work practices. There is an inherent conflict of “custody versus care” in this setting; hence, it is especially important that we understand and appreciate the relation between safety climate and IC practices. Interventions designed to improve safety climate, as well as availability of necessary IC supplies and equipment, will most likely prove effective in improving employee compliance with IC practices in this healthcare setting.
Interacting viruses in networks: can both survive?

Suppose we have two competing ideas/products/viruses, that propagate over a social or other network. Suppose that they are strong/virulent enough, so that each, if left alone, could lead to an epidemic. What will happen when both operate on the network? Earlier models assume that there is perfect competition: if a user buys product 'A' (or gets infected with virus 'X'), she will never buy product 'B' (or virus 'Y'). This is not always true: for example, a user could install and use both Firefox and Google Chrome as browsers. Similarly, one type of flu may give partial immunity against some other similar disease.In the case of full competition, it is known that 'winner takes all,' that is the weaker virus/product will become extinct. In the case of no competition, both viruses survive, ignoring each other. What happens in-between these two extremes?We show that there is a phase transition: if the competition is harsher than a critical level, then 'winner takes all;' otherwise, the weaker virus survives. These are the contributions of this paper (a) the problem definition, which is novel even in epidemiology literature (b) the phase-transition result and (c) experiments on real data, illustrating the suitability of our results.
Regulatory pathways for developing market vaccines redux.

For many years, there have been six vaccinesin use in national immunization programsaround the world: bacillus Calmette–Guerin(BCG) against tuberculosis, diphtheria, teta-nus, pertussis, measles and polio. In the 1990s,hepatitis B vaccine was added to many pro-grams, and now, with funds from the GlobalAlliance for Vaccines and Immunization, TheVaccine Fund (GAVI-VF), two more are beingadded: yellow fever vaccine in countries at risk,and a vaccine against
Processing Millimeter Wave Profiler Radar Spectra

Abstract Spectral processing algorithms employed in millimeter-wave profiling radars typically obtain good signal-to-noise ratios from weakly scattering clouds by incoherently averaging many spectra. Radar operating characteristics dictate sampling times on the order of a few seconds. Presented here are analyses showing that changes in the vertical wind during the sampling period can be a major contributor to the measured spectrum width. Such broadened spectra violate the assumptions made in spectral inversion techniques, and may lead to incorrect interpretations of the turbulent and microphysical characteristics of the radar volume. Moreover, it is shown that there are several factors involved in determining the measured spectral shape: the averaging time window and horizontal advection velocity of the cloud, as well as horizontal inhomogeneities in cloud vertical velocity and microphysical fields. Current processing algorithms do not allow for distinction between these effects, leading to potential for ...
Using the entire history in the analysis of nested case cohort samples

Countermatching designs can provide more efficient estimates than simple matching or case-cohort designs in certain situations such as when good surrogate variables for an exposure of interest are available. We extend pseudolikelihood estimation for the Cox model under countermatching designs to models where time-varying covariates are considered. We also implement pseudolikelihood with calibrated weights to improve efficiency in nested case-control designs in the presence of time-varying variables. A simulation study is carried out, which considers four different scenarios including a binary time-dependent variable, a continuous time-dependent variable, and the case including interactions in each. Simulation results show that pseudolikelihood with calibrated weights under countermatching offers large gains in efficiency if compared to case-cohort. Pseudolikelihood with calibrated weights yielded more efficient estimators than pseudolikelihood estimators. Additionally, estimators were more efficient under countermatching than under case-cohort for the situations considered. The methods are illustrated using the Colorado Plateau uranium miners cohort. Furthermore, we present a general method to generate survival times with time-varying covariates. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surface permeability of natural and engineered porous building materials

Abstract Characterization of surface gas permeability measurements on a variety of natural and engineered building materials using two relatively new, non-destructive surface permeameters is presented. Surface gas permeability measurements were consistent for both laboratory and field applications and correlated well with bulk gas permeability measurements. This research indicates that surface permeability measurements could provide reliable estimates of bulk gas permeability; and due to the non-destructive nature and relative sampling ease of both surface gas permeability tools, it is possible to quantify the range of the spatial autocorrelation, heterogeneity, and anisotropy in porous building materials and their degree of degradation from weathering.
Importance of Anemia in Artificially Induced Metabolic Acidosis

Conclusion1. Patients were made aci-dotic with intravenous ammonium chloride during a period when they were anemic and again during a period when the red blood count and hemoglobin values were normal. 2. No significant change in range of blood pH, bicarbonate, urinary pH or titratable acidity was demonstrated during and following infused ammonium chloride during the period of anemia as compared with the period of normal red blood count and hemoglobin levels. 3. No difference in response to infusion of sodium bicarbonate during the state of compensated metabolic acidosis was noted when the patients were anemic as compared with a normal red blood count and hemoglobin level. 4. Correction of a severe anemia is not important in overcoming ammonium chloride-induced metabolic acidosis or in the correction of the ammonium chloride-induced metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate.The authors wish to thank Miss Dorothy Zoeller and Miss Evelyn Warteberg, medical technologists, Milwaukee County General Hospital, f...