cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mrs. Ayrton's Work on the Electric Arc

WHEN a negro servant lighted a fire with Prof. Ayrton's paper on “Variation of Potential Difference of the Electric Arc with Current, Size of Carbons, and Distance Apart”, at Chicago in 1893, he little knew that he was rendering a service to science and to electrical engineering. The paper, the result of three years' work, had not been read in full at the Electrical Congress, and no rough copy, or even an abstract, remained. The research had not been conclusive, and had not been finished when Prof. Ayrton left for America, and was continued under the superintendence of Mrs. Ayrton, who sent him results twice a week by post. Prof. Ayrton had no inclination to rewrite the paper, and Mrs. Ayrton took up the research and published some of the results in the Electrician in 1895, and her book in 1902.
No Net Loss: Wetland Restoration and the Incomplete Capitalization of Nature

The practice of restoration ecology (the creation and restoration of ecosystems)has important implications for theorizing nature in the traditions of O'Connor's‘capitalized nature,’ Haraway's hybrid socionatures, and other recent work in poststructural approaches to political ecology. The prominent US environmental discourse of ‘no net loss of wetlands’ has spurred the rapid expansion of restoration practices, which promise to open a new frontier in the commodification and capitalization of nature. Through wetland mitigation and banking, restoration science is representing entire ecosystems as abstract, mobile, and fungible entities; however, a simple reading of a restored landscape as fully capitalized is unsatisfactory. Close attention to the wetland commodification process reveals two important points: 1) the commodification and capitalization of nature is never automatic; rather, the crucial steps of abstraction and valuation are composed of negotiations between and within differentiated segments of the state and civil society, in which there are many spaces for resistance; and 2) the materiality of restoration sites provided important challenges to the commodification process, which are not contemplated within critical approaches to nature as currently constituted. The transformation of restoration sites into sites of commodity provision is incomplete at best. A major challenge for poststructural political ecology will be to specify ecological phenomena and their important role in the social construction of material environments, without falling into an ontological commitment to the primacy of ecological data.
Dynamic Nuclear Polarization with a Water-Soluble Rigid Biradical

A new biradical polarizing agent, bTbtk-py, for dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) experiments in aqueous media is reported. The synthesis is discussed in light of the requirements of the optimum, theoretical, biradical system. To date, the DNP NMR signal enhancement resulting from bTbtk-py is the largest of any biradical in the ideal glycerol/water solvent matrix, e = 230. EPR and X-ray crystallography are used to characterize the molecule and suggest approaches for further optimizing the biradical distance and relative orientation.
X‐Ray crystallographic study of a 1,3,2‐dioxaphosphorinane dimer containing five‐coordinated phosphorus in the 12‐membered ring

Attempted preparation of phosphorane 9 with a 1,3,2-dioxaphosphorinane ring attached diequatorially to phosphorus led to a mixture of products from which was isolated 12-membered ring phosphorane 10, formally the dimer of 9, in low yield (22%). An X-ray crystal structure of 10 revealed a highly symmetrical molecule with trigonal bipyramidal geometry at both phosphorus atoms. The 12-membered ring is attached to phosphorus diequatorially. The ring is strongly puckered about phosphorus with an equatorial O-P-O angle of 110°. The chemical shift equivalence of the CH2O resonances in the 1H NMR spectrum of 10 shows the 12-membered ring to be highly mobile at ambient probe temperature. At −89°C, these resonances are fully decoalesced. The value of ΔG‡ for the process that averages these peaks was found to be 10.1 kcal/mol at coalescence (−42.0°C).
Comparison between geometrically focused pulses versus filaments in femtosecond laser ablation of steel and titanium alloys

Kerr self-focusing of high-power ultrashort laser pulses in atmosphere may result in a structure or structures of high intensity that can propagate over long distances with little divergence. Filamentation has garnered significant interest in the nonlinear optics community due to its unique properties. Salient features of filaments include a central region of intense laser power (greater than the ionization threshold of the propagation medium) and a low temperature plasma column that lasts up to nanoseconds in duration after the passage of the laser pulse. Steel and titanium samples are ablated by filaments and by sharply focused sub-picosecond laser pulses. We then performed metrology on the samples to compare the ablation features in addition to modeling of the plasma ablation process. Ablation with filaments leads to a wider range of material responses as compared to ablation with sharply focused pulse. This results in potential complications for applications of filament ablation that depends on the rate of material removal and spectroscopic analysis.
Nerve injury and inflammatory cytokines modulate gap junctions in the peripheral nervous system

In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), myelinating Schwann cells express the gap junction protein connexin32 (Cx32) and lower levels of connexin43 (Cx43). Although the function of Cx43 in Schwann cells is not yet known, in adult mammals Cx32 is thought to form reflexive contacts within individual myelinating glial cells and provide direct pathways for intracellular ionic and metabolic exchange from the cell body to the innermost periaxonal cytoplasmic regions. In response to nerve injury, Schwann cells in the degenerating region down-regulate expression of Cx32 and there is increased expression of connexin46 (Cx46) mRNA and protein. The cascade of Schwann cell responses seen after the injury-induced decrease in Cx32, and the observation that dividing Schwann cells express Cx46, and possibly other connexins, and are coupled through gap junction channels, raise the intriguing possibility that there are coordinated changes in Schwann cell proliferation and connexin expression. Moreover, intercellular junctional coupling among cells in general may be important during injury responses. Consistent with this hypothesis, dividing Schwann cells are preferentially coupled through junctional channels as compared to non-dividing cells, which are generally uncoupled. Moreover, the strength of junctional coupling among cultured Schwann cells is modulated by a number of cytokines to which Schwann cells are exposed to in vivo after nerve injury, and Cx46 mRNA and protein levels correlate with the degree of coupling. Other injury-induced cellular changes in connexin expression that may be functionally important during injury responses include a transient increase in Cx43 in endoneurial fibroblasts. This paper reviews what is known about connexin expression and function in the adult mammalian PNS, and focuses on some of the changes that occur following nerve injury. Moreover, evidence that inflammatory cytokines released after injury modulate connexin expression and junctional coupling strength is presented. GLIA 24:21–31, 1998. Published 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Antisocial and Prosocial Correlates of Classroom Social Positions: The Social Network Centrality Perspective

We explore relations between social network centrality and behavioral characteristics. Elementary school students nominated classmates for aggressivity, disruptiveness, popularity, studiousness, leadership, cooperativeness, athleticism, and shyness. Students had 1 of 4 levels of network centrality (i.e., nuclear, secondary, peripheral, isolated) and were in 1 of 4 educational classifications (i.e., academically gifted, emotionally and behaviorally disordered, general education, learning disabled). Across educational classifications for both boys and girls, nuclear students were athletic, cooperative, leaders, popular, and studious relative to lower centrality students. However, antisocial characteristics were associated with lower centrality for girls only. Aggressive behavior was positively associated with nuclear centrality for general education boys. Findings are considered in relation to sociometric status research and implications of the role of social network centrality in the establishment and maintenance of antisocial behavior are discussed.
Assessing the Efficacy of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Through the Quantum Computation of Molecular Ionization Energies

The clinical efficacy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has been related to ionization energies [Mehler and Gerhards, Int. J. Quantum Chem. 1989, 25, 205]. In this paper we employ modern quantum-chemical calculations to re-examine the statistical correlation between clinical efficacy and ionization energies. Ionization energies are computed by density functional theory, with and without Koopman's theorem, for a series of salicylic acids and phenols whose activities, or efficacy, are known. Using a regression analysis, we show that improving the treatment of electron correlation beyond previous studies enhances the statistical correlation between clinical activities and ionization energies.
Why do cellular proteins linked to K63‐polyubiquitin chains not associate with proteasomes?

Although cellular proteins conjugated to K48-linked Ub chains are targeted to proteasomes, proteins conjugated to K63-ubiquitin chains are directed to lysosomes. However, pure 26S proteasomes bind and degrade K48- and K63-ubiquitinated substrates similarly. Therefore, we investigated why K63-ubiquitinated proteins are not degraded by proteasomes. We show that mammalian cells contain soluble factors that selectively bind to K63 chains and inhibit or prevent their association with proteasomes. Using ubiquitinated proteins as affinity ligands, we found that the main cellular proteins that associate selectively with K63 chains and block their binding to proteasomes are ESCRT0 (Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport) and its components, STAM and Hrs. In vivo, knockdown of ESCRT0 confirmed that it is required to block binding of K63-ubiquitinated molecules to the proteasome. In addition, the Rad23 proteins, especially hHR23B, were found to bind specifically to K48-ubiquitinated proteins and to stimulate proteasome binding. The specificities of these proteins for K48- or K63-ubiquitin chains determine whether a ubiquitinated protein is targeted for proteasomal degradation or delivered instead to the endosomal-lysosomal pathway.
Some Income-Measurement Issues and Their Policy Implications

This paper discusses some major categories of nonpecuniary income: noncash benefits for lower-income households and for the elderly, and the imputed rent of owner-occupied housing. These are three of the 15 categories in the comprehensive income definition developed by Timothy M. Smeeding and Daniel H. Weinberg (1998). They are certainly important, and their measurement has been controversial. Government outlays on Medicare in 1998 totaled $190 billion; outlays on the three major low-income benefit programs (Medicaid, food stamps, and housing subsidies) were $145 billion. The rental value of owneroccupied housing is harder to measure, but larger; as of 1995 the market sales value of the stock may have been over $10 trillion (Arthur B. Kennickell and R. Louise Woodburn, 1997), and conventional rules of thumb in the housing industry yield an annual rental value of at least $1 trillion. The paper considers both conceptual issues and their policy significance. Economists and policymakers are most interested in three statistics of income: the well-being of the "average American," the well-being of those at the bottom of the income distribution, and the overall distribution of income, usually measured as median household or family income, the poverty rate, and the Gini ratio. As many economists have noted, we as a society are most interested in how these measures change over time and differ between groups. Such comparisons provide the context for the current numbers. When the data are announced, the media immediately compare the current income and poverty figures to last year, the last cyclical peak or trough, or the all-time best or worst; and also compare households by race, ethnicity, and gender of household head. (The Gini ratio attracts less attention because it has no intuitive explanation for the layman.) In this paper, I focus on how the measurement issues affect these statistics.
Orbital necrobiotic xanthogranuloma associated with systemic IgG4 disease.

Purpose: The authors describe 2 cases of orbital xanthogranulomatous disease associated with an increase in IgG4-positive plasma cells, and also examine IgG4 in other types of orbital inflammation.Methods: Immunohistochemistry for total IgG and IgG4 was performed in 18 cases of orbital inflammation, including chronic dacryoadenitis (n = 10), necrobiotic xanthogranuloma (n = 2), xanthogranuloma (n = 1), idiopathic orbital inflammation/pseudotumor (n = 4), and fungal infection (n = 1).Results: One patient presenting with necrobiotic xanthogranuloma had signs of systemic IgG4 disease. His orbital lesion showed an elevated number of IgG4 positive plasma cells (55%). An orbital xanthogranulomatous lesion in a second patient lacking systemic symptoms also contained a high percentage of IgG4-positive plasma cells (80%). Only 1 case of chronic dacryoadenitis contained prominent IgG4-positive plasma cells (mean 17/hpf).Conclusions: IgG4-positive plasma cells are relatively rare in nonsclerosing orbital inflammator...
Prognostic Significance of Regulators of Cell Cycle and Apoptosis, p16 INK4a , p53, and bcl-2 in Primary Mucosal Melanomas of the Head and Neck

Abnormalities in cell cycle regulation, tumor suppressor gene functions and apoptosis are frequent events in tumorigenesis. Their role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of primary mucosal melanomas (MM) of the upper aerodigestive tract remains unknown. Sixty-four patients (40 men, 24 women, median age 64 years) with MM were included in this study; 32 had tumors in the nasal/paranasal cavities, 28 in the oral cavity and 4 in the pharynx. Archival tissues from 47 initial mucosal tumors, 17 mucosal recurrences, and 13 nodal/distant metastases were subjected to immunohistochemistry using antibodies against p16, p53, and bcl-2. The results were correlated with histological features and survival data. Expressions of p16, p53, and bcl-2 proteins were seen in 25% (N = 19/76), 21% (N = 16/76), and 74% (N = 56/76) of all tumors, respectively. bcl-2 expression in the initial tumors was associated with significantly longer overall and disease specific survival (3.3 vs. 1.5 years, P ≤ 0.05). Expression of p16 was increasingly lost, from 32% in initial tumors to 12% in recurrent and 15% in metastatic tumors (P = 0.06). Tumors comprised of undifferentiated cells were significantly more p53 positive than epithelioid or spindle cells (80% vs. 33%, P = 0.02). Expression of these markers did not correlate with necrosis, or vascular and/or deep tissue invasion. Expression of bcl-2 is associated with better survival in MM. Loss of p16 was seen with tumor progression whereas aberrant p53 expression was frequent in undifferentiated tumor cells.
Self-Reported Problems After Spinal Cord Injury: Implications for Rehabilitation Practice

The purpose of this study was to identify self-reported problems among people with spinal cord injury (SCI), their relationship with aging after SCI, and how they change over time. Data on self-reported problems were collected during the second and third stages of a longitudinal aging study. Factor analysis of the stage 2 data revealed 4 factors reflective of emotional adaptation, dependency, health problems, and the environment. Four scales were developed based on this analysis. Comparisons of scale scores over time and between cohorts based on years post injury failed to reach significance. Areas in which participants cited the greatest number of problems included pain, lack of income and money problems, spasticity, stress and worries, and their sex lives. The results of these comparisons suggest that at least a portion of people with SCI experience significant problems in a number of areas of life, resulting in ongoing stress. These problems do not appear to be highly correlated with aging, suggesting ...
Computation in Discrete Stochastic Programs with Recourse

This paper presents a solution procedure for discrete stochastic programs with recourse linear programs under uncertainty. It views the m stochastic elements of the requirements vector as an m-dimensional space in which each combination of the discrete values is a lattice point. For a given second-stage basis, certain of the lattice points are feasible. A procedure is presented to delete infeasible points from the space. Thus, the aggregate probability associated with points feasible for this basis can be enumerated, and used to weight the vector of dual variables defined by the basis. Finally, the paper presents a systematic procedure for changing optimal bases so that a feasible and optimal basis is found for every lattice point.
Local fields in electron transport: Application to electromigration

A quantum-mechanical expression is given for the local electric field in dc electron transport. The local field is shown to provide the driving force for the migration of atoms during dc electron transport (electro-migration). We express the local field in terms of the electron charge density, which we obtain by solving the Liouville equation for the single-particle density matrix. The solutions are found within a self-consistent field weak-scattering approximation scheme for an impurity in a jellium background. Electron-phonon interaction is included via a phenomenological relaxation time. It is shown that the local field arises from both static and dynamic screening. The static screening is associated with the screening of the external field near the impurity, while the dynamic screening is associated with the "electron-wind force," or the momentum transferred by the electrons in collisions with the impurity. It is found that the "electron-wind force" dominates when ${k}_{F}l\ensuremath{\gg}1$, where ${k}_{F}$ is the Fermi wave vector and $l$ is the electron mean free path. Only when ${k}_{F}l$ is of order unity are the static and dynamic screening contributions comparable. Landauer's residual-resistivity dipoles and carrier-density-modulation effect are investigated, and are found to contribute to the local field. The carrier-density modulation effect is shown to lead to deviations from Matthiessen's rule by shifting the Fermi energy relative to the band bottom. Within the local-field framework, we discuss the distinction between the external field and long-range macroscopic fields in quantum-mechanical formulations of dc electron transport.
Timing nitrogen applications for corn in a winter legume conservation-tillage system

Fertilizer N efficiency of corn (L.) in conservation-tillage systems with winter legumes such as crimson clover (L.) can possibly be improved by better synchronization of legume-N release, fectftizer-N application time, and crop demand for N. The objective of this 3-yr (1986-1988) field experiment was to determine the effect of N application time on dry matter accumulation, N uptake, and grain yield of corn grown in a winter legume conservation-tillage system. Corn was planted with unit planters into crimson clover residue following in-row subsoiling. The clover was killed at midbloom every year. Treatments were a factorial arrangement of fertilizer N rates and application time. Nitrogen as NHNO was broadcast at rotes of 34, 67, and 134 kg ha. Zero-N checks were also included in both clover and rye (L.) plots. Application times were at planting, or 3, 6, or 9 wk later. In addition, split applications (1/3 at planting and the remainder 6 wk later) of the 67 and 134 kg N ha rates were included. In 2 of 3 yr, dry matter accumulation was not affected by N application time. In 1987, however, dry matter production was greater when N was applied at planting compared to split applications or applications later than 3 wk after planting. Application time affected N uptake patterns during the growing season, but generally did not affect total N uptake at the end of the season. With the exception of the first year, split N applications resuited in equivalent or reduced N uptake compared to application of all N at planting. Based on linear regression models, maximum yield was obtained with 134, 116, and 93 kg N ha in 1987, 1988, and 1989, respectively. After the first year, applying N later than 6 wk after planting reduced grain yield and split applications of N were not effective in increasing grain yield. These results suggest that the fertilizer N requirement of corn grown in winter legume conservationtillage systems on Coastal Plain softs decreases with successive years in the system and that the optimum management practice for conservation of N, energy, time, and labor would be to apply all fertilizer N at planting.
Nocardioform placentitis with isolation of Amycolatopsis spp in a Florida-bred mare

Case Description—A 4-year-old Thoroughbred mare was evaluated because of placental abnormalities and a retained placental remnant. Clinical Findings—Microbial culture of the placenta yielded pure growth of Amycolatopsis spp. Histologic examination of the placenta revealed a focally expanding chorionitis with intralesional gram-positive filamentous bacilli and multifocal allantoic adenomatous hyperplasia on the apposing allantoic surface. Treatment and Outcome—Treatment with lavage and oxytocin resulted in expulsion of the placental remnant within hours of parturition. The mare did not become pregnant again despite multiple breedings. The foal appeared healthy but died of complications during an elective surgical procedure at 7 weeks of age. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—To the author's knowledge, all previously confirmed cases of nocardioform placentitis have been in mares bred in the central Kentucky region. Indications that the pathogen in the mare reported here is a different species than that iso...
Differences between adult non-drug users versus alcohol, cocaine and concurrent alcohol and cocaine problem users

Concurrent drug use is a serious public health concern with significant morbidity and mortality associated with the combined use of alcohol and cocaine. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess differences between non-drug users and alcohol, cocaine and concurrent problem users incorporating data from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Results demonstrated that alcohol and cocaine use is associated with mental health disturbance, other drug use and adverse social consequences. Furthermore, concurrent users were more likely to report cigarette and marijuana use as well as lifetime STDs and arrest for breaking the law. Study results have implications for planning prevention and treatment services differentially for alcohol, cocaine and concurrent users and support the need for more intense resources allocated to the prevention and treatment of the concurrent use of alcohol and cocaine.
Tableau algorithms for factor analysis by instrumental variable methods

Simple tableau algorithms are given for the noniterative instrumental variable (FABIN 2) and two stage regression (FABIN 3) factor loading estimates of Hagglund. Corresponding generalized least squares estimates of factor covariances and unique variances are introduced. An example is given for the purpose of illustration and comparison.
PIXE analysis of Salado polychrome ceramics of the American Southwest

Abstract Prehistoric Salado polychrome ceramics of the American Southwest show temporal variation in pigment use depending on location of manufacture during the Classic Period ( a.d. 1250–1450). Proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis was undertaken to characterize chemical differences among Pinto, Gila, and Tonto Polychrome paints found in the Tonto Basin, Arizona. White slip samples on pottery from Roosevelt phase ( a.d. 1250–1320) sites are compared to samples from Gila phase ( a.d. 1320–1450) sites. A significant difference was found between the white slips used on the early (Pinto) versus the late (Gila and Tonto) Salado polychrome decorations, suggesting technological and economic changes in pottery manufacture over time.
Workload characterization using the Cray hardware performance monitor

This paper describes some preliminary results about a workload characterization study at a national supercomputer center. This study is part of a larger project to develop an analytic methodology for the construction of arepresentative benchmark set. Our study reports on 292,254 user jobs during the period from June 1992 to July 1993 and represents about one-half of the wall clock time available on the four-processor CRAY Y-MP at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications during this time. The performance statistics we gathered in some sensedefine the workload because of the large fraction of the available time that was recorded. These statistics will allow us to “reverse engineer” a set of benchmarks that analytically represents the workload at this site.
Current protocols in the generation of pluripotent stem cells: theoretical, methodological and clinical considerations

Pluripotent stem cells have been derived from various embryonic, fetal and adult sources. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and parthenogenic ESCs (pESCs) are derived from the embryo proper while embryonic germ cells (EGCs), embryonal carcinoma cells (ECCs), and germ-line stem cells (GSC) are produced from germ cells. ECCs were the first pluripotent stem cell lines established from adult testicular tumors while EGCs are generated in vitro from primordial germ cells (PGCs) isolated in late embryonic development. More recently, studies have also demonstrated the ability to produce GSCs from adult germ cells, known as spermatogonial stem cells. Unlike ECCs, the source of GSCs are normal, non-cancerous adult tissue. The study of these unique cell lines has provided information that has led to the ability to reprogram somatic cells into an ESC-like state. These cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), have been derived from a number of human fetal and adult origins. With the promises pluripotent stem cells bring to cell-based therapies there remain several considerations that need to be carefully studied prior to their clinical use. Many of these issues involve understanding key factors regulating their generation, including those which define pluripotency. In this regard, the following article discusses critical aspects of pluripotent stem cell derivation and current issues about their therapeutic potential.
An object-oriented shared data model for GIS and distributed hydrologic models

Distributed physical models for the space-time distribution of water, energy, vegetation, and mass flow require new strategies for data representation, model domain decomposition, a priori parameterization, and visualization. The geographic information system (GIS) has been traditionally used to accomplish these data management functionalities in hydrologic applications. However, the interaction between the data management tools and the physical model are often loosely integrated and nondynamic. This is because (a) the data types, semantics, resolutions, and formats for the physical model system and the distributed data or parameters may be different, with significant data preprocessing required before they can be shared; (b) the management tools may not be accessible or shared by the GIS and physical model; and (c) the individual systems may be operating system dependent or are driven by proprietary data structures. The impediment to seamless data flow between the two software components has the effect of increasing the model setup time and analysis time of model output results, and also makes it restrictive to perform sophisticated numerical modeling procedures (real-time forecasting, sensitivity analysis, etc.) that utilize extensive GIS data. These limitations can be offset to a large degree by developing an integrated software component that shares data between the (hydrologic) model and the GIS modules. We contend that the prerequisite for the development of such an integrated software component is a 'shared data model', which is designed using an object-oriented strategy. Here we present the design of such a shared data model taking into consideration the data type descriptions, identification of data classes, relationships, and constraints. The developed data model has been used as a method base for developing a coupled GIS interface to Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Model (PIHM), called PIHMgis.
Structural Model of the R State of Escherichia coli Aspartate Transcarbamoylase with Substrates Bound

The allosteric enzyme aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) exists in two conformational states. The enzyme, in the absence of substrates is primarily in the low-activity T state, is converted to the high-activity R state upon substrate binding, and remains in the R state until substrates are exhausted. These conformational changes have made it difficult to obtain structural data on R-state active-site complexes. Here we report the R-state structure of ATCase with the substrate Asp and the substrate analog phosphonoactamide (PAM) bound. This R-state structure represents the stage in the catalytic mechanism immediately before the formation of the covalent bond between the nitrogen of the amino group of Asp and the carbonyl carbon of carbamoyl phosphate. The binding mode of the PAM is similar to the binding mode of the phosphonate moiety of N-(phosphonoacetyl)-l-aspartate (PALA), the carboxylates of Asp interact with the same residues that interact with the carboxylates of PALA, although the position and orientations are shifted. The amino group of Asp is 2.9 A away from the carbonyl oxygen of PAM, positioned correctly for the nucleophilic attack. Arg105 and Leu267 in the catalytic chain interact with PAM and Asp and help to position the substrates correctly for catalysis. This structure fills a key gap in the structural determination of each of the steps in the catalytic cycle. By combining these data with previously determined structures we can now visualize the allosteric transition through detailed atomic motions that underlie the molecular mechanism.
Binary stacks of [CuC6F5]4 with arenes

Formation of the first binary stacks of an intact organocopper aggregate with the arenes naphthalene and 2,2′-bithiophene is reported; crystallographic data suggest that the supramolecular assembly process is supported by Cu–π, Cu–S, and perfluoroarene–arene π-interactions.
Effect of maternal undernutrition on vascular expression of micro and messenger RNA in newborn and aging offspring

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that maternal undernutrition (MUN) alters offspring vascular expression of micro-RNAs (miRNAs), which, in turn, could regulate the expression of a h...
Biophobia breeds unparsimonious exceptionalism

With respect to aggressiveness it is not enough to say that humans are "like other mammals." We resemble only those species where males have higher maximum reproductive rates than females. In such species males evolve a set of hormonally mediated competitive traits via sexual selection. Because humans match the predictions of this general evolutionary model, attempts to (re)explain men's aggressiveness in sociological terms are superfluous and misleading.
A biochemical study of the reconstitution of D-lactate dehydrogenase-deficient membrane vesicles using fluorine-labeled components.

Abstract Fluorine-19 labeled compounds have been incorporated into lipids and proteins of Escherichia coli . 19 F-Labeled membrane vesicles, prepared by growing a fatty acid auxotroph of a d -lactate dehydrogenase-deficient strain on 8,8-difluoromyristic acid, can be reconstituted for oxidase and transport activities by binding exogenous d -lactate dehydrogenase. 19 F-Labeled d -lactate dehydrogenases prepared by addition of fluorotryptophans to a tryptophan-requiring strain are able to reconstitute d -lactate dehydrogenase-deficient membrane vesicles. Thus, lipid and protein can be labeled independently and used to investigate protein-lipid interactions in membranes.
Transplantation or dialysis for patients who have end stage renal disease with heart failure

Abstract Heart failure (HF) occurs in more than one third of patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) at the initiation of dialysis. Heart failure alone is an independent predictor of poor outcomes for patients with ESRD. Historically, most transplant physicians and surgeons have considered patients who have ESRD with HF as exceedingly high risk for transplantation. However, recent data show that renal transplantation in patients who have ESRD with nonischemic HF results in an improvement in ventricular function and survival benefit when compared to staying on dialysis. The purpose of this article is to review outcomes of both dialysis and renal transplantation for patients with ESRD and HF as well as to present an algorithm for their management.
Automatic data placement and replication in grids

Data grids provide geographically distributed storage and computing resources for large data-intensive applications. To support fast data access and processing, effective data management is essential. In this paper, we propose two novel algorithms on data placement and data replication. We evaluate the algorithms through intensive simulations. Results show that the new algorithms achieve significant improvement in facilitating load balancing, reducing job response time, and saving network bandwidth.
The effects of a prayer intervention on the process of forgiveness

Throughout the psychological literature there has been a vast amount of research examining forgiveness as well as prayer within the context of the discipline of psychology; however these 2 constructs have rarely been examined together. This study examined the relationship between 2 important religious and spiritual constructs: forgiveness and prayer. Recent studies suggest Christians who forgive often use prayer. This intervention study looked to see more specifically what benefit there is to those who specifically use prayer as they seek to forgive an interpersonal offense. Participants consisted of 411 undergraduate students from private Christian colleges across the United States. They were randomly assigned to a prayer group, a devotional attention group or a control group, consisting of a sixteen day intervention. Those who were in the prayer and devotional attention groups were found to have significant changes in state forgiveness. In addition, those in the prayer intervention group showed significant changes in empathy toward their offender. Implications include the importance of exploring forgiveness as a spiritual construct, as well as help clinicians integrate their clients’ Prayer and Forgiveness iv journey towards forgiveness with their clients’ spiritual practices. In addition, these findings can help clinicians educate their clients on the relational benefits of spending daily time with God. Prayer and Forgiveness v Table of
Thiazolidinediones can rapidly activate AMP-activated protein kinase in mammalian tissues.

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are insulin-sensitizing agents used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. A widely held view is that their action is secondary to transcriptional events that occur when TZD...
Extracellular Sodium Interacts with the HERG Channel at an Outer Pore Site

Most voltage-gated K+ currents are relatively insensitive to extracellular Na+ (Na+o), but Na+o potently inhibits outward human ether-a-go-go–related gene (HERG)–encoded K+ channel current (Numaguchi, H., J.P. Johnson, Jr., C.I. Petersen, and J.R. Balser. 2000. Nat. Neurosci. 3:429–30). We studied wild-type (WT) and mutant HERG currents and used two strategic probes, intracellular Na+ (Na+i) and extracellular Ba2+ (Ba2+o), to define a site where Na+o interacts with HERG. Currents were recorded from transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells using the whole-cell voltage clamp technique. Inhibition of WT HERG by Na+o was not strongly dependent on the voltage during activating pulses. Three point mutants in the P-loop region (S624A, S624T, S631A) with intact K+ selectivity and impaired inactivation each had reduced sensitivity to inhibition by Na+o. Quantitatively similar effects of Na+i to inhibit HERG current were seen in the WT and S624A channels. As S624A has impaired Na+o sensitivity, this result suggested that Na+o and Na+i act at different sites. Extracellular Ba2+ (Ba2+o) blocks K+ channel pores, and thereby serves as a useful probe of K+ channel structure. HERG channel inactivation promotes relief of Ba2+ block (Weerapura, M., S. Nattel, M. Courtemanche, D. Doern, N. Ethier, and T. Hebert. 2000. J. Physiol. 526:265–278). We used this feature of HERG inactivation to distinguish between simple allosteric and pore-occluding models of Na+o action. A remote allosteric model predicts that Na+o will speed relief of Ba2+o block by promoting inactivation. Instead, Na+o slowed Ba2+ egress and Ba2+ relieved Na+o inhibition, consistent with Na+o binding to an outer pore site. The apparent affinities of the outer pore for Na+o and K+o as measured by slowing of Ba2+ egress were compatible with competition between the two ions for the channel pore in their physiological concentration ranges. We also examined the role of the HERG closed state in Na+o inhibition. Na+o inhibition was inversely related to pulsing frequency in the WT channel, but not in the pore mutant S624A.
Ultimate Responsibility and Dumb Luck

My topic lies on conceptual terrain that is quite familiar to philosophers. For others, a bit of background may be in order. In light of what has filtered down from quantum mechanics, few philosophers today believe that the universe is causally deterministic (or “deterministic,” for short). That is, to use Peter van Inwagen's succinct definition of “determinism,” few philosophers believe that “there is at any instant exactly one physically possible future.” Even so, partly for obvious historical reasons, philosophers continue to argue about whether free will and moral responsibility are compatible with determinism. Compatibilists argue for compatibility, and incompatibilists argue against it. Some incompatibilists maintain that free will and moral responsibility are illusions. But most are libertarians, libertarianism being the conjunction of incompatibilism and the thesis that at least some human beings are possessed of free will and moral responsibility.
Preverbal assessment for amblyopia.

PURPOSE To describe and compare the different methods of preverbal assessment of amblyopia. RESULTS Each method of visual assessment has its plusses and minuses. CONCLUSION There is no "best" method for assessment for amblyopia. The best method may be a combination of the various described tests.
Vocal tract contour analysis of emotional speech by the functional data curve representation

Midsagittal vocal tract contours are analyzed using the functional data analysis (FDA) technique with which a vocal tract contour (VT) can be parameterized by a set of coefficients. Such a parametric representation of the dynamic vocal tract profiles provides a means for normalizing VT contours across speakers and offers interpretability of coefficient variability as the degree of contribution from specific vocal tract regions. It also enables us to examine the differences in VT behaviors as well as inter- and intra-speaker differences across different speech production styles including emotion expression. A set of FDA coefficients can be used as a feature vector of a given VT contour for further modeling. The efficacy of such feature vectors is tested using the Fisher linear discriminant analysis. A cross-validation accuracy of 65.0% was obtained in the task of discriminating four different emotions with combined data points from two speakers. Index Terms: magnetic resonance imaging, vocal tract, emotion, functional data analysis, emotional speech production
An integrated approach to the detection and classification of accents/dialects for a spoken document retrieval system

In this study, an integrated approach to accent/dialect detection and classification is proposed, which can be used for enhancing Rich indexing of historical spoken documents with accent/dialect information. A next generation spoken document retrieval (SDR) system would require a more diverse set of speech criteria including speaker, accent/dialect, language, stress/emotion and environment content. The proposed accent/dialect tagging system for SDR is based on several recent advances in a multi-dimensional space. Here, temporal and spectral based features including the stochastic trajectory model (STM), pitch structure, formant location and voice onset time (VOT) are considered. Mono-phone based STM (MP-STM) is shown to be the most successful for dialect classification with an average rate of 96.5% for read speech and 72.5% for spontaneous speech, while classifying four dialects. An example of next generation Rich transcript indexing for conversational speech to simulate SDR is also presented
Pig Amelogenin Gene Expresses a Unique Exon 4

The pig amelogenin gene was isolated from a Lambda genomic library, and a 6.3 kb SalI/XbaI restriction fragment, inclusive of exons 3 through 7, was subcloned into a plasmid vector. DNA sequencing revealed two putative exon 4 sequences. The derived amino acid sequence of exon 4a, KSGRWGARLTAFVSSVQ, had previously been identified in a 190-amino-acid amelogenin isoform by protein sequencing. Exon 4b encoded the peptide DLYLEAIRIDRTAF, which is homologous to exon 4-encoded segments reported for human, mouse, and rat. Oligonucleotides from both of these exons were used to amplify cDNA generated from developing teeth. Amplification products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, cloned, and characterized by DNA sequencing. Exon 4a was found in transcripts encoding amelogenin isoforms having 190 and 73 amino acids. Exon 4b was found only in apparent splicing intermediates that retained intron 3, but was not detected in any final mRNA transcripts. Pig amelogenin having apparent molecular mass of 23 kD were isolated from the enamel matrix and characterized by mass spectrometry. Two mass values, 18,512.5, and 18,571.2 Da, were measured that match the values predicted for the 162-amino-acid cleavage product of the 173-amino-acid amelogenin, and the 165-amino-acid cleavage product of the 190-amino-acid amelogenin, which includes 17 amino acids encoded by exon 4a. We conclude that the pig amelogenin gene expresses a unique exon 4 that is not homologous to, or evolved from, the exon 4 segment expressed in humans and rodents.
Mechanisms of Exercise Intolerance in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: The Role of Abnormal Peripheral Oxygen Extraction

Background—Exercise capacity as measured by peak oxygen uptake (Vo2) is similarly impaired in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, characterization of how each component of Vo2 changes in response to incremental exercise in HFpEF versus HFrEF has not been previously defined. We hypothesized that abnormally low peripheral o2 extraction (arterio-mixed venous o2 content difference, [C(a-v)o2]) during exercise significantly contributes to impaired exercise capacity in HFpEF. Methods and Results—We performed maximum incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing with invasive hemodynamic monitoring on 104 patients with symptomatic NYHA II to IV heart failure (HFpEF, n=48, peak Vo2=13.9±0.5 mL kg−1 min−1, mean±SEM, and HFrEF, n=56, peak Vo2=12.1±0.5 mL kg−1 min−1) and 24 control subjects (peak Vo2 27.0±1.7 mL kg−1 min−1). Peak exercise C(a-v)o2 was lower in HFpEF compared with HFrEF (11.5±0.27 versus 13.5±0.34 mL/dL...
Integrating Justice and Care in Animal Ethics

abstract In this paper I argue that the standoff between justice and care approaches to animal ethics presents us with a false dilemma. We should take justice's focus on reasoning from principles, and care's use of sympathetic awareness, as two integrated deliberative capacities necessary for the consideration of arguments for extending moral concern to animals. Such an integrated approach rests on a plausible account of the psychology of moral deliberation. I develop my argument as follows. Section I summarizes the nature of the debate between justice and care approaches to animal ethics, focusing on Brian Luke's arguments against justice approaches. Section II provides pro-justice rebuttals to Luke's objections. These rebuttals, while largely successful against Luke's objections, do not account for the intuition that sympathy does play a central epistemological role in animal ethics. Section III explains how sympathy cognitively simulates the perspective of the other, and thus can play an epistemological role in animal ethics. I argue that the abilities to simulate the perspective of the other and to reason from moral principles can complement each other. In section IV, I argue that though it may not be desirable to use both sympathy and reasoning from principles in all moral deliberation, it is a desirable aim when offering, and considering, moral arguments for what I will term the “extensionist project” of extending over moral concern to animals. I make this idea plausible by elucidating the claim that arguments for this project are best thought of as second-order deliberations about our first-order deliberative life.
Democratization and the Varieties of International Organizations

Scholars of international relations have devoted remarkably little attention to the issue of why and when states enter international organizations (IOs). We argue that states have particular reason to enter IOs during the process of democratization. In the midst of a democratic transition, state leaders have difficulty making a credible commitment to sustain reforms, since they can benefit from rolling back liberalization. Gaining membership in an IO can enhance the credibility of leaders' commitments to democratic reforms. However, not all IOs are equally useful in this regard. We distinguish between IOs that cover standards in areas such as human rights and environmental protection, those that regulate economic activity, and those that are forums for addressing broad political problems. We argue that democratizing states have greater reason to join standards-based and economic IOs than political organizations. The results of a set of statistical tests support this argument.
Stigma and Acceptance of Persons With Disabilities: Understudied Aspects of Workforce Diversity

Although persons with disabilities compose a growing portion of workers, when compared with other aspects of diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity or gender), disability has received relatively little re...
Novel on-chip fully monolithic integration of GaAs devices with completely fabricated Si CMOS circuits

We monolithically integrated polycrystalline GaAs metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photoconductive switches with a completely fabricated Si-CMOS amplifier and obtained a properly functional optical receiver, without altering the Si circuit performance. To our knowledge, this is the first time a fully monolithic on-chip integration has been achieved.