cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Silent Threats: Reconsidering the Importance of Non‐enforcement Auditing Activity

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of road/highway fund tax auditing behavior at the state level. Using revenue collected as the result of road fund auditing as a dependent variable, we derive a statistical model that incorporates the factors previously shown to impact those collections. In fact, this model accounts for only half the variance in collections, which indicates that other factors may be at work. That unexplained variance, we argue, is the result of “non‐enforcement” auditor activities, especially those that coerce compliance by perpetuating the threat of an audit. The paper then concludes with a discussion of the administrative implications of non‐enforcement activities, as well as some suggestions for future research into its substance, dynamics, and effectiveness.
Direct and indirect effects in microcosm communities of protists

Increased complexity in biological communities can increase the variety of interactions among species, but the relative strengths and long-term consequences of various direct and indirect interactions require further investigation. I studied interactions among four species of protists by monitoring their population dynamics when they were cultured either together or in seven different subset communities. Two protists were bacterivores (Chilomonas and Tetrahymena) and two were predators (Actinosphaerium and Euplotes). Actinosphaerium was omnivorous, and could eat both predatory Euplotes and bacterivores. Three indirect effects occurred among the four species of protists, including indirect facilitation of one predator by the other, apparent competition between bacterivores, and indirect facilitation of one bacterivore by the omnivorous predator. Community structure and invasibility depended on both direct and indirect effects; thus both can be mechanisms for assembly rules.
Reply to Head

to the editor: We thank Dr. Head ([5][1]) for the intriguing hypothesis on myofiber branching and passive stretch-induced extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle tearing in mdx mice. In our study, we examined the passive mechanical properties of normal and mdx muscles ([4][2]). We found that mdx EDL
PYRROLIDINE DITHIOCARBAMATE (PDTC) INHIBITS SURFACTANT PROTEIN-A AND -B mRNA EXPRESSION IN HUMAN PULMONARY ADENOCARCINOMA CELL LINE. † 2061

PYRROLIDINE DITHIOCARBAMATE (PDTC) INHIBITS SURFACTANT PROTEIN-A AND -B mRNA EXPRESSION IN HUMAN PULMONARY ADENOCARCINOMA CELL LINE. † 2061
Loading due to interaction of waves with colinear and oblique currents

Abstract A study on the loading of an oblique surface wave and a surface current field on a fixed vertical slender cylinder in a 3D flow frame is illustrated in the present paper. The three dimensional expressions describing the characteristics of the combined wave–current field in terms of mass, momentum and energy flux conservation equations are formulated. The parameters before the interaction of the oblique wave-free uniform current and current-free wave are used to formulate the kinematics of the flow field. These expressions are also employed to formulate and calculate the loads imparted by the wave–current combined flow on a bottom mounted slender vertical cylinder. In the present study two different situations are assumed where current is uniform over depth and also acting over a layer of fluid that extends from the free surface to a specified finite depth. In this paper we extend the approach considered in Zaman and Baddour (2004) for the wave–current analysis. Morison et al. (1950) equation is deployed for the load computations in all cases. The above models are utilized to compute the loads and moments on a slender cylinder for a wave with varying range of incidence current field.
A capitosaurid labyrinthodont from the Early Scythian of Tasmania

Cranial fragments pertaining to a capitosaurid labyrinthodont from the Early Scythian Knocklofty Formation of Tasmania are described. They are referred, with question, to the genus Parotosuchus Otschev and Shishkin 1968. Recent literature dealing with the systematics, morphology and palaeobiogeography of the Capitosauridae, a family widely dispersed over Pangaea during several Triassic intervals, is reviewed. It is recommended that Wetlugasaurus be retained in synonymy with Parotosuchus.
A profile of parental homicide against children

The purpose of this study was to provide a profile of victims and offenders in cases where children were killed by their parents. The data were all incidents (3,459) in which a parent killed a child under age 18, which were recorded in theUniform Crime Reports between 1976 and 1985. In the first week of a child's life, the risk of being killed by a parent was equal for males and females. From 1 week to 15 years, males were the victims in about 55% of all parent-child homicides; the percentage of male victims increased to 77% in the 16–18 age group. Among infants in the first week of life, mothers were almost always the ones who committed the homicide. Between the first week of life and the teenage years, mothers and fathers were about equally likely to kill their child. During the 13–15 year age group, fathers committed 63% of all homicides, and this increased to 80% among the 16–18 year age group. Among very young children, the causes of death tended to be personal weaponds, asphyxiation, or drowning. As age increased, the weapons became predominantly guns and knives.
Mice with mutations in Mahogunin ring finger‐1 (Mgrn1) exhibit abnormal patterning of the left–right axis

Mahogunin Ring Finger 1 (Mgrn1) encodes a RING-containing protein with ubiquitin ligase activity that has been implicated in pigment-type switching. In addition to having dark fur, mice lacking MGRN1 develop adult-onset spongy degeneration of the central nervous system and have reduced embryonic viability. Observation of complete situs inversus in a small proportion of adult Mgrn1 mutant mice suggested that embryonic lethality resulted from congenital heart defects due to defective establishment and/or maintenance of the left-right (LR) axis. Here we report that Mgrn1 is expressed in a pattern consistent with a role in LR patterning during early development and that many Mgrn1 mutant embryos show abnormal expression of asymmetrically expressed genes involved in LR patterning. A range of complex heart defects was observed in 20-25% of mid-to-late gestation Mgrn1 mutant embryos and another 20% were dead. This finding was consistent with 46-60% mortality of mutants by weaning age. Our results indicate that Mgrn1 acts early in the LR signaling cascade and is likely to provide new insight into this developmental process as Nodal expression was uncoupled from expression of other Nodal-responsive genes in Mgrn1 mutant embryos. Our work identifies a novel role for MGRN1 in embryonic patterning and suggests that the ubiquitination of MGRN1 target genes is essential for the proper establishment and/or maintenance of the LR axis.
Analysis of hydroponic fertilizer matrixes for perchlorate: comparison of analytical techniques

Seven retail hydroponic nitrate fertilizer products, two liquid and five solid, were comparatively analyzed for the perchlorate anion (ClO4−) by ion chromatography (IC) with suppressed conductivity detection, complexation electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (cESI-MS), normal Raman spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy using an attenuated total reflectance crystal (ATR-FTIR) coated with a thin film of an organometallic ion-exchange compound. Three of the five solid products were found by all techniques to contain perchlorate at the level of approximately 100–350 mg kg−1. The remaining products did not contain perchlorate above the detection level of any of the techniques. Comparative analysis using several analytical techniques that depend on different properties of perchlorate allow for a high degree of certainty in both the qualitative and quantitative determinations. This proved particularly useful for these samples, due to the complexity of the matrix. Analyses of this type, including multiple spectroscopic confirmations, may also be useful for other complicated matrixes (e.g., biological samples) or in forensic/regulatory frameworks where data are likely to be challenged. While the source of perchlorate in these hydroponic products is not known, the perchlorate-to-nitrate concentration ratio (w/w) in the aqueous extracts is generally consistent with the historical weight percent of water soluble components in caliche, a nitrate-bearing ore found predominantly in Chile. This ore, which is the only well-established natural source of perchlorate, is mined and used, albeit minimally, as a nitrogen source in some fertilizer products.
Barriers to transport and mixing in volume-preserving maps with nonzero flux

Abstract We identify some geometric structures (secondary tori) that restrict transport and prevent mixing in perturbations of integrable volume-preserving systems with nonzero net flux. Unlike the customary KAM tori, secondary tori cannot be continued to the tori present in the integrable system but are generated by resonances and have a contractible direction. We also note that secondary tori persist under the addition of a net flux, which destroys all customary KAM tori. We introduce a remarkably simple algorithm to analyze the behavior of volume preserving maps and to obtain quantitative properties of the secondary tori. We then implement the algorithm and, after running it, present assertions regarding the distribution of the escape times of the unbounded orbits, the abundance of secondary tori, the size of the resonant regions, and the robustness of the tori under the addition of a mean flux.
Catecholase activity associated with copper-S100B.

This study addresses the spectroscopic properties and reactivity associated with the copper- loaded form of S100B isolated from bovine brain. Copper(II)-S100B displays EPR features typical of a type II copper center and is shown here to exhibit catecholase activity, the two-electron oxidation of catechols. The steady-state kinetics associated with the oxidation of several catecholamines has been probed in order to further characterize this activity. The evidence provided indicates that the catecholase chemistry is copper initiated. Superoxide dismutase has no effect on the rates of catecholamine oxidation catalyzed by Cu-S100B, establishing that superoxide is not produced during this reaction, ruling out an autoxidative mechanism. Addition of catalase to the Cu-S100B reaction with catechols reduces the amount of oxygen consumed by 50%, demonstrating that peroxide is released during this reaction. The release of peroxide is mechanistically distinct from the type III dinuclear copper proteins, catechol oxidase and tyrosinase.
The structure of the seven layer barium niobium silicon oxide, Ba3Nb21−χSi2O44 (χ ⋍ 0.2)

One of the products of reaction between Nb2O5, Nb, and BaO in a 1.6:1:2.4 mole ratio at 1250°C in an evacuated silica capsule is the complex oxide Ba3Nb21−χSi2O44. The compound has an hexagonal unit cell of dimensions a = 7.774 ± 0.004 A, c = 16.765 ± 0.007 A, probable space group P3, Z = 1. Its structure has been determined from 4484 independent reflections measured by counter methods. Refinement by Fourier and least-squares methods was carried out to a weighted R value of 9.8 % (conventional R = 12.4 %). The structure consists of a close-stacking of seven close-packed layers in the sequence BaO6, 06 (oxygen layer with 1/7 of the oxygen missing), O7, BaO6, BaO6, O7, O6. Between two BaO6 layers there is one Nb in an octahedral site (population parameter ∼- 0.8); between BaO6 and O7 layers there are three Nb in octahedral sites; between BaO6 and O6 layers there are three Nb in sites coordinated by five O in a square pyramidal arrangement; and between O6 and O7 layers, there are three Nb in similar square pyramidal sites, one Nb in an octahedral site, and one Si in a tetrahedral site. The niobiums in square pyramidal sites form an octahedron about the oxygen, vacancy of the O6 layer and engage in metal-metal bonding, the Nb-Nb distances ranging from 2.78 to 2.85 A. Nb6O18 clusters can be identified in which the Nb6 octahedron is surrounded by a cuboctahedron of oxygen atoms capped by oxygen atoms on the square faces. Alternatively, the oxygen array may be described as an octahedron of oxygens with oxygens also at the centers of the edges.
MITOMYCIN C-DNA ADDUCTS GENERATED BY DT-DIAPHORASE. REVISED MECHANISM OF THE ENZYMATIC REDUCTIVE ACTIVATION OF MITOMYCIN C

Mitomycin C (MC) was reductively activated by DT-diaphorase [DTD; NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase] from rat liver carcinoma cells in the presence of Micrococcus lysodeicticus DNA at pH 5.8 and 7.4. ...
Comprehension as affected by structure of problem representation

A problem-like branching system describing what prizes (A through F) were awarded for particular outcomes of a tournament of games among three teams was presented to 200 subjects as either a verbal list with “go to” structure (Jump), a shortened verbal list (Short-Jump), nested verbal paragraphs with “if ... then..., else” structure (Nest), a matrix table (Example), or as diagrammatic representations of each of these. In tests of comprehension, the overall performance increased from lowest to highest as follows: Jump < Short-Jump ≃ Nest < Example, and this order was particularly strong for performance on complex questions relative to less complex questions. Jump and Short-Jump performance was relatively higher with diagrams and Example was lower with diagrams. Implications for a theory of problem representation and for development of computer programming languages were discussed.
Impact of age on reproductive outcome in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions and infertility of immune etiology

The objective of this paper is to determine whether age has any impact on conception rate, pregnancy outcome, or autoimmune status in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) and infertility of immune etiology. One hundred twenty-four women with 3 or more RSA and 36 women with unexplained infertility were prospectively studied. Maternal antipaternal lymphocyte antibodies and autoantibodies to phospholipids and nuclear antigens were tested. All achieved an adequate alloimmune recognition after lymphocyte immunization and followed for 1 year with optimal preconception autoimmune treatment. Conception rate and pregnancy outcome were prospectively studied. 1) 10.1% of women with RSA and 30.6% of women with infertility failed to achieve a pregnancy after 1 year of trial (P = 0.0084); 2) in women with RSA, the number of previous fetal death after 28 weeks of gestation was significantly higher in women who failed to achieve a pregnancy within 1 year when compared to women who became pregnant (P = 0.0296). Conception rate was not different with advancing age; 3) women with infertility demonstrated significantly higher incidence of anti-phosphatidylethanolamine antibody when compared to women with RSA (P = 0.052); 4) in women with infertility, those who failed to achieve a pregnancy were significantly older (P = 0.0012) and demonstrated a higher incidence of autoantibodies to phosphatidic acid than women with infertility who became pregnant (P = 0.0339); 5) the subsequent spontaneous abortion rate while on optimal immune therapy was the same in the women with RSA (39.3%) and women with infertility (32%). Spontaneous abortion rate of women with RSA or infertility was not different among four age groups; 6) the presence of anticardiolipin antibody (P = 0.0055) and higher gravidity (P = 0.0354) correlated significantly with pregnancy failure in women with a history of infertility. The prevalence of auto-antibodies to phospholipids and nuclear components was not different among four age groups in women with RSA or infertility. Age does not affect pregnancy outcome or conception rate in women with RSA. In women with infertility of immune etiology, conception rate was significantly reduced over age 40 although pregnancy outcome was no different with advanced age.
ATP-loaded liposomes effectively protect the myocardium in rabbits with an acute experimental myocardial infarction.

We assessed whether the infusion of ATP-loaded liposomes (ATP-L) can limit the fraction of the irreversibly damaged myocardium in rabbits with an experimental myocardial infarction. ATP-L, empty liposomes (EL), or Krebs–Henseleit (KH) buffer were administered by intracoronary infusion, followed by 30 min of occlusion and 3 h of reperfusion. Unisperse Blue dye was used to demarcate the net size of the occlusion-induced ischemic zone (area at risk) and nitroblue tetrazolium staining was used to detect the final fraction of the irreversibly damaged myocardium within the total area at risk. The total size of the area at risk in all experimental animals was approx. 20% wt. of the left ventricle. The final irreversible damage in ATP-L-treated animals was only ca. 30% of the total area at risk as compared with ca. 60% in the group treated with EL (p < 0.009) and ca. 70% in the KH buffer-treated group (p < 0.003). ATP-L effectively protected the ischemic heart muscle in rabbits with an experimental myocardial infarction as evidenced by a significantly decreased fraction of the irreversibly damaged heart within the total area at risk. ATP-L may provide an effective exogenous source of the ATP in vivo to protect ischemically damaged cells.
Exploring the social bases of home gardening

The study of alternatives to conventional industrial agricultural production has intensified in recent years. While many types of alternative production systems, and the motivations of individuals to participate in them, have been studied, there are significant gaps in the literature. One such dearth is research on those participating in self-provisioning activities. This study begins to fill the gap by looking at the self-provisioning activity of home gardening using data from the 2008 Ohio Survey of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Issues. Discerning who household gardeners are is important given the recent economic, cultural, and political climate of the United States. The results show that home gardening occurs throughout the state of Ohio at surprisingly high levels. Bivariate and multivariate analyses reveal several noteworthy associations between gardening and household characteristics, including spatial location, pro-environmental and economic hardship behaviors, and level of participation in localized food systems.
Parallel many-body simulations without all-to-all communication

Abstract Simulations of interacting particles are common in science and engineering, appearing in such diverse disciplines as astrophysics, fluid dynamics, molecular physics, and materials science. These simulations are often computationally intensive and so are natural candidates for massively parallel computing. Many-body simulations that directly compute interactions between pairs of particles, be they short-range or long-range interactions, have been parallelized in several standard ways. The simplest approaches require all-to-all communication, an expensive communication step. The fastest methods assign a group of nearby particles to a processor, which can lead to load imbalance and be difficult to implement efficiently. We present a new approach, suitable for direct simulations, that avoids all-to-all communication without requiring any geometric clustering. We demonstrate its utility in several parallel molecular dynamics simulations and compare performance against other parallel approaches. The new algorithm proves to be fastest for simulations of up to several thousand particles.
Ventriculin in the Treatment of Pernicious Anemia Patients on Meat Free Diet.

ConclusionI. Ventriculin gives the typical hemopoietic response in the treatment of pernicious anemia patients on meat free diet.
The Geographic Distribution, Ownership, Prices, and Scope of Practice at Retail Clinics

Retail clinics are clinics physically located within retail stores, such as grocery stores, drugstores, and “big box” stores like Wal-Mart (1–3),that provide walk-in care for a limited number of acute illnesses and preventative care services.(4) Generally staffed by nurse-practitioners, retail clinics focus on patient convenience by requiring no appointment and offering night and weekend hours. The costs of care are fixed, known to the patient before care is received, and reimbursed by most health insurance plans. The number of retail clinics increased more than ten-fold from 2006 to 2008 (5) and an estimated three million patients visited retail clinics by 2008.(3) Some physician societies have expressed concern about the growth in retail clinics (6–8) while many policymakers cite their potential to improve access to care.(2, 7, 9–16) To characterize this new health care delivery system, we describe the geographic distribution of retail clinics; their scope of services, prices, insurance policies, and ownership; and we estimate the proportion of the population that has easy access to a clinic.
Subcellular Localization and Ser-137 Phosphorylation Regulate Tumor-suppressive Activity of Profilin-1

The actin-binding protein profilin-1 (Pfn1) inhibits tumor growth and yet is also required for cell proliferation and survival, an apparent paradox. We previously identified Ser-137 of Pfn1 as a phosphorylation site within the poly-l-proline (PLP) binding pocket. Here we confirm that Ser-137 phosphorylation disrupts Pfn1 binding to its PLP-containing ligands with little effect on actin binding. We find in mouse xenografts of breast cancer cells that mimicking Ser-137 phosphorylation abolishes cell cycle arrest and apoptotic sensitization by Pfn1 and confers a growth advantage to tumors. This indicates a previously unrecognized role of PLP binding in Pfn1 antitumor effects. Spatial restriction of Pfn1 to the nucleus or cytoplasm indicates that inhibition of tumor cell growth by Pfn1 requires its nuclear localization, and this activity is abolished by a phosphomimetic mutation on Ser-137. In contrast, cytoplasmic Pfn1 lacks inhibitory effects on tumor cell growth but rescues morphological and proliferative defects of PFN1 null mouse chondrocytes. These results help reconcile seemingly opposed cellular effects of Pfn1, provide new insights into the antitumor mechanism of Pfn1, and implicate Ser-137 phosphorylation as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.
Microwave scattering characteristics of defective dielectric cylinders

Abstract Microwave scattering properties (radar cross-section, RCS) of inhomogeneous dielectric (composite) cylinders with finite lengths and radii are used to determine the presence of defects of various shapes, sizes and dielectric properties. These cylinders are assumed to be irradiated by a uniform plane wave with arbitrary linear polarization and incidence angle. The induced and scattered fields are numerically obtained using the method of moments. This technique is used to optimize defect detection parameters such as frequency of operation, polarization and incidence angles. The results show the potential of detecting very small voids embedded in various cylinders. The role of frequency as a detection sensitivity enhancer is also demonstrated. The angle of incidence proves to be an important parameter for increased detection sensitivity. Defect size determination is also shown to be possible. This technique shows promise as a test bed for examining the properties of dielectric (composite) cylinders.
Phase transitions in a dusty plasma with two distinct particle sizes

Abstract In semiconductor manufacturing, contamination due to particulates significantly decreases the yield and quality of device fabrication, therefore increasing the cost of production. Dust particle clouds can be found in almost all plasma processing environments including both plasma etching devices and in plasma deposition processes. Dust particles suspended within such plasmas will acquire an electric charge from collisions with electrons and ions in the plasma. If the ratio of inter-particle potential energy to the average kinetic energy is sufficient, the particles will form either a “liquid” structure with short-range ordering or a crystalline structure with long-range ordering. Many experiments have been conducted over the past decade on such colloidal plasmas to discover the character of the systems formed, but more work is needed to fully understand these structures. The preponderance of previous experiments used monodisperse spheres to form complex plasma systems. However, most plasma processing environments contain more arbitrary distributions of particle size. In order to examine in more detail the effects of a size distribution, experiments were carried out in a GEC rf reference cell modified for use as a dusty plasma system. Using two monodisperse particle sizes, experiments were conducted to determine the manner in which phase transitions and other thermodynamic properties depended upon the overall dust grain size distribution. Plasma crystals were formed from different mixtures of 8.89 and 6.50 μm monodisperse particles in argon plasma. With the use of various optical techniques, the pair correlation function was determined at different pressures and powers and then compared to measurements obtained for monodisperse spheres.
A Qualitative Analysis of Morphological Ability in Learning Disabled and Achieving Children

Studies of morphological ability in children with communication disorders have shown that they have significant quantitative deficits. Analyses of these data, to determine if there are qualitative as well as quantitative differences in morphological ability of children with communication disorders as compared with normally achieving children, have produced contradictory findings. In this study, performance of learning disabled and normally achieving children on the Berry-Talbott Language Test of Comprehension of Grammar (an adaptation of Berko's test) was analyzed qualitatively. The percentages of correct responses for items grouped by morphological rule were compared. The major finding was that the LD children did not differ significantly from the normal achievers on categories of items ranked by level of difficulty. The significant quantitative deficits reflect delay in onset and rate of acquisition of morphological rules in the learning disabled rather than a unique, idiosyncratic pattern of response. ...
One-Dimensional Crystal Growth Near Morphotropic Phase Boundary (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 Crystal Fibers

Ferroelectric perovskite (1−x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 single crystals of near morphotropic phase boundary composition in rhombohedral phase, were successfully grown by a laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) technique. The LHPG technique is a novel one-dimensional crystal growth method that requires no crucible for growth, allows compositions gradient adjustment during growth, and of high growth speed. The growth of highly volatile Pb-containing perovskite crystals was accomplished by an approach that uses excess PbO and boron oxide in the feed material that act as traveling flux in the molten zone during the growth. Controlling of growth orientation and composition homogeneity was studied. Dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of LHPG grown PMN-PT crystals were obtained and reported in this paper.
Standardization of international marketing strategy by firms from a developing country

Examines empirically the standardization of international marketing strategy from the perspective of Colombian exporting firms. Also investigates standardization of the finer aspects of the marketing mix variables than previous studies have addressed. In addition, links marketing standardization to Colombian firms’ export intensity. Suggests that Colombian firms appear to pursue different degrees of standardization with respect to different dimensions of their international marketing strategy. Also suggests that there are several relationships between marketing standardization and Colombian firms’ export intensity, and the nature and strength of each relationship depends on the specific dimension of marketing standardization being examined. Discusses the implications of these findings for research and management.
Making domestic violence arrests: a test of expectancy theory

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use expectancy motivation theory to test the influence of organizational work environment on aggregate patrol officer arrest activity with regard to domestic violence incidents.Design/methodology/approach – According to expectancy motivational theory, the aggregate frequency of an individual officer's arrests at domestic violence incidents should be explained by the expectation to make domestic violence arrests, the capability to do so, the opportunity to do so, and the likelihood that these arrests will be rewarded. The present study used survey data from a sample of 401 municipal police officers representing 23 suburban police agencies in one metropolitan area in the midwestern USA. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate correlations between the officers' perceived work environment characteristics and their aggregate domestic violence arrest activity.Findings – As predicted, officers who, in the aggregate, resolved the largest proportion of domestic viole...
Heat capacities of solid copoly(amino acid)s

Recently heat capacities Cp of poly(amino acid)s of all naturally occurring amino acids have been determined. In a second step the heat capacities of four copoly(amino acid) s are studied in this research. Poly(L-lysine · HBr-alanine), poly(L-Lysine · HBr-phenylalanine), poly(sodium-L-glutamate-tyrosine), and poly(L-proline-glycine-proline) heat capacities are measured by differential scanning calorimetry in the temperature range 230–390 K. This is followed by an analysis using approximate group vibrations and fitting the Cp contributions of the skeletal vibrations of the corresponding homopolymers to a two-parameter Tarasov function. Good agreement is found between experiment and calculation. Predictions of heat capacities based on homopoly(amino acid)s are thus expected to be possible for all polypeptides, and enthalpies, entropies, and Gibbs functions for the solid state can be derived.
The rapid detection and identification of the impurities of simvastatin using high resolution sub 2 μm particle LC coupled to hybrid quadrupole time of flight MS operating with alternating high–low collision energy

The profiling and identification of impurities in raw pharmaceuticals or finished drug product is an essential part of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process. Critical to this process is the ability to confirm known, expected impurities and identify new impurities. LC coupled to electrospray MS is a powerful tool that has been employed for the identification of impurities, natural products, drug metabolites, and proteins. In this study, we show how sub 2 microm porous particle LC has been coupled to hybrid quadrupole orthogonal TOF mass spectrometer to profile and identify the impurities of the common cholesterol lowering drug simvastatin. The hybrid quadrupole TOF mass spectrometer was operated by alternating the collision cell energies to allow for the rapid, facile conformation of the identity of impurities. Using this process it was possible to identify all of the common impurities of simvastatin in a single 10 min run. During the analysis a new impurity of simvastatin was detected and identified as the saturated ring form of simvastatin.
Characterizing The Role Of Fikk Kinases In Toxoplasma Gondii Encystation.

Toxoplasma gondii (Tg), causative agent of the disease toxoplasmosis in humans is an opportunistic pathogen belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, which includes many medically important pathogens such as Plasmodium. Tg life cycle is characterized by two cysts stages: tissue cysts containing bradyzoites and oocysts. Taken together tissue cysts in contaminated food/water and oocysts shed into the environment are responsible for nearly 25% of the adult population worldwide being chronically infected with this parasite. Clinically, encystation by Tg presents the greatest challenge towards treatment of Tg as the cyst form is currently untreatable. Our aim is to identify genes and regulatory networks that regulate Tg oocyst/tissue cyst production. Isolation of such global regulators, which regulate encystation will be crucial for designing therapeutic strategies which effectively prevent cyst formation and block transmission of the disease by felines. Using a forward genetics approach, we have isolated a unique Tg mutant, named 11BE9, that under normal growing conditions (tachyzoite stage) in vitro dramatically expresses more than 100 genes, that are usually expressed in the oocyst/bradyzoit e stages. Our hypothesis is that a global regulator(s) has been deregulated in this mutant, which is responsible for the over-expression of cyst-associat ed genes in the tachyzoite stage in the mutant. To identify this regulatory gene, we compared the transcriptome of this mutant to wild type Tg using microarrays, and Tg FIKK kinase gene was identified as a potential candidate. FIKK kinases are novel serine threonine kinases that share a conserved stretch of amino acids and are hypothesized as drug targets due to their unique expression in Apicomplexa. Our preliminary studies show that deletion of the FIKK gene in Tg leads to an impaired in vitro conversion of the tachyzoites to bradyzoites which is required for the establishment of the chronic cyst stage of the parasite during toxoplasmosis. Currently we are in the process of complementing the gene deletion clone to confirm the role of Tg FIKK kinase on cyst formation.
Factor Analysis of Masculine and Feminine Sex-Typed Items from the Bem Sex-Role Inventory

Based on the responses of 252 (126 male, 126 female) college undergraduates, a factor analysis of the 40 sex-typed items from the Bern Sex-role Inventory and sex of respondent yielded four factors. One of the factors essentially represented the biological sex of the respondent. A second factor, representing an expressive, affective orientation, contained loadings of 14 of the 20 feminine sex-typed items. The other two factors (dominant, aggressive and independent, self-sufficient) were defined primarily by masculine sex-typed items. Biological sex of the respondent did not load on any of the three latter factors. The obtained factor structure was very similar to that reported by Gaudreau (1975) for non-college respondents. Taken together, these two analyses (a) support the use of the Masculinity and Femininity scales as independent constructs and (b) suggest several items that could be deleted from both scales to increase both homogeneity and interpretability.
Virtual vs. face-to-face teams: deadbeats, deserters, and other considerations

201 participants were randomly assigned to complete an intellective task in either virtual or face-to-face three-person teams. Virtual teams displayed lower average performance, less cohesion and satisfaction, more time spent on the task, and more "deadbeats" or free-riders than face-to-face teams. Among the virtual teams there were also two "deserters," individuals who openly abandoned the group. These findings indicate that virtual work design should only be selected over face-to-face work if cost savings are sufficient to justify the probable reductions in efficiency, morale, and performance.Average grade performance of female participants was 3.9% higher than that of male participants in the virtual teams, but only 0.9% higher than that of male participants in the face-to-face teams. In both conditions, males were more likely to be deadbeats than were females. The highest likelihood of being a deadbeat was among males in the virtual teams: 10.4% of them were reported as deadbeats by both team members. 7.3% of females in virtual teams and 3.6% of males in face-to-face teams were reported as deadbeats by both team members. There were no reports of female deadbeats in the face-to-face teams. Both of the deserters in the study were also males in virtual teams. The greater gap between male and female performance in the virtual teams, together with the incidence of free riding among males in the virtual teams, may indicate that virtual work might be an especially poor fit for the skills or working styles of at least some males.
Word Recognition in Speechreading

The customary approaches to research on human speechreading are to study phonetic perception with identification of phonemes in nonsense syllables, and to study perception of connected discourse with identification of words in isolated sentences. These two approaches imply a theory that accounts for speechreading in terms of bottom-up phoneme perception and top-down syntactic/semantic processes. However, in auditory spoken language understanding research, word recognition is widely accepted as the critical interface between phonetic input processing and semantic/syntactic processing. In this chapter, a general theoretical approach to word recognition based on auditory speech perception is described, and it is argued that the same model should hold for speechreading. Analyses of two speechreading databases (Bernstein, Demorest, & Tucker, 1995; Demorest, Bernstein, & DeHaven, 1995) were examined for evidence that word recognition does play a critical role in speechreading. The results show high associations between the ability to speechread isolated words and words in sentences, but only low-to-moderate associations between phoneme and word identification (i.e., for words in isolation or in sentences). One implication of these results is that the course of mental events in phoneme identification is at best a subset of those events that result in word recognition. More importantly, the results support the suggestion that word recognition deserves increased attention in efforts to understand speechreading.
Hidden attraction: a menacing meal of magnets and batteries.

Abstract Background Magnet and button battery ingestions are increasingly common, and can result in significant morbidity. Timely identification of hazardous foreign body ingestions can be difficult in non-verbal and non-disclosing children. Objectives We aim to present a case that demonstrates some of the challenges around identifying and correctly locating magnets and batteries, and the importance of prompt identification and removal. Case Report We describe an older child with the covert ingestion of multiple magnets and batteries, with magnets that attracted across the stomach and a loop of jejunum. Mild symptoms and signs resulted in a delayed diagnosis and serious consequences. Radiographs suggested a gastric location of the foreign bodies. Conclusion Health care workers should consider the possibility of battery or magnet ingestions in children with vomiting and abdominal pain, even when well-appearing. Like esophageal batteries, multiple gastrointestinal magnets and combined magnet-battery ingestions can cause significant morbidity, and prompt identification is important. Providers should ask verbal children for ingestion histories, and consider radiographs when symptoms are atypical or persistent. Like esophageal batteries, gastrointestinal magnet-battery ingestions should be removed promptly to prevent complications. Caregivers should supervise or limit the use of toys that include magnets and batteries.
Cross-Cultural Encounter as an Opportunity for Personal Growth

Cross-cultural encounters can provide an excellent opportunity forpersonal growth by placing us in situations where ourunderstanding of self and world, and of how we believe things “are” or “should...
The response of surface ozone to climate change over the Eastern United States

We investigate the response of surface ozone (O 3 ) to future climate change in the eastern United States by performing simulations corresponding to present (1990s) and future (2050s) climates using an integrated model of global climate, tropospheric gas-phase chemistry, and aerosols. A future climate has been imposed using ocean boundary conditions corresponding to the IPCC SRES A2 scenario for the 2050s decade. Present-day anthropogenic emissions and CO 2 /CH 4 mixing ratios have been used in both simulations while climate-sensitive emissions were allowed to vary with the simulated climate. The severity and frequency of O 3 episodes in the eastern U.S. increased due to future climate change, primarily as a result of increased O 3 chemical production. The 95th percentile O 3 mixing ratio increased by 5 ppbv and the largest frequency increase occured in the 80–90 ppbv range; the US EPA's current 8-h ozone primary standard is 80 ppbv. The increased O 3 chemical production is due to increases in: 1) natural isoprene emissions; 2) hydroperoxy radical concentrations resulting from increased water vapor concentrations; and, 3) NO x concentrations resulting from reduced PAN. The most substantial and statistically significant ( p 3 season over the eastern U.S. in a future climate to include late spring and early fall months. Increased chemical production and shorter average lifetime are two consistent features of the seasonal response of surface O 3 , with increased dry deposition loss rates contributing most to the reduced lifetime in all seasons except summer. Significant interannual variability is observed in the frequency of O 3 episodes and we find that it is necessary to utilize 5 years or more of simulation data in order to separate the effects of interannual variability and climate change on O 3 episodes in the eastern United States.
Method: low-cost delivery of the cotton leaf crumple virus-induced gene silencing system

We previously developed a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) vector for cotton from the bipartite geminivirusCotton leaf crumple virus (CLCrV). The original CLCrV VIGS vector was designed for biolistic delivery by a gene gun. This prerequisite limited the use of the system to labs with access to biolistic equipment. Here we describe the adaptation of this system for delivery by Agrobacterium (Agrobacterium tumefaciens). We also describe the construction of two low-cost particle inflow guns. The biolistic CLCrV vector was transferred into two Agrobacterium binary plasmids. Agroinoculation of the binary plasmids into cotton resulted in silencing and GFP expression comparable to the biolistic vector. Two homemade low-cost gene guns were used to successfully inoculate cotton (G. hirsutum) and N. benthamiana with either the CLCrV VIGS vector or the Tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) VIGS vector respectively. These innovations extend the versatility of CLCrV-based VIGS for analyzing gene function in cotton. The two low-cost gene guns make VIGS experiments affordable for both research and teaching labs by providing a working alternative to expensive commercial gene guns.
Creep and Hysteresis Compensation for Nanomanipulation Using Atomic Force Microscope

In this paper, a novel scheme is presented to simultaneously compensate the inherent creep and hysteresis nonlinearities of a piezoelectric actuator while positioning the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) tip. In order to mitigate these nonlinearities, creep and hysteresis phenomenon are first modeled separately by using the classical Prandtl-Ishlinskii (PI) operator. Then, a linear time-invariant (LTI) representation is obtained to identify the creep uncertainty and subsequently an adaptive control scheme is devised for the piezoelectric actuator to track a desired path in the presence of creep. An additional dynamic inversion loop is utilized by using an online approximator to offset the hysteresis effects without the need of identifying the parameters within the hysteresis model. Rigorous performance analysis is conducted using standard Lyapunov stability approach along with simulation results. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Rapid and easy separation of the subunits of bovine and human glycoprotein hormones by use of high performance liquid chromatography.

A single method of reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography is used to separate the subunits of human and bovine glycoprotein hormones. This rapid and easy method is applicable for the separation and detection of subunits from as little as 10 ng hormone or the isolation of subunits from as much as 100 mg hormone. Separation is achieved by chromatography on a Vydac 218TP1010 column with a linear (60-min) gradient of 0.1 M sodium phosphate, pH 6.8, plus 1 mm sodium azide to a solvent containing 50% acetonitrile and 50% 0.1 m sodium phosphate, pH 6.8, plus 1 mm sodium azide. Although in some cases the interaction between the hydrophobic support and the hormone is sufficient for dissociation, preincubation of the hormone with guanidine hydrochloride ensures optimum dissociation and improves resolution of the subunits. The subunits isolated by high performance liquid chromatography are functional in that they will reassociate with their counterpart subunits. (Endocrinology 114: 2223, 1984)
Experimental and Computational Investigations of Low-Pressure Turbine Separation Control Using Vortex Generator Jets

Boundary layer separation control has been studied using vortex generator jets (VGJs) on a very high lift, low-pressure turbine airfoil. Experiments were done under low freestream turbulence conditions on a linear cascade in a low speed wind tunnel. Pressure surveys on the airfoil surface and downstream total pressure loss surveys were documented. Cases were considered at Reynolds numbers (based on the suction surface length and the nominal exit velocity from the cascade) of 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000. Jet pulsing frequency, duty cycle, and blowing ratio were all varied. In all cases without flow control, the boundary layer separated and did not reattach. With the VGJs, separation control was possible even at the lowest Reynolds number. Pulsed VGJs were more effective than steady jets. At sufficiently high pulsing frequencies, separation control was possible even with low jet velocities and low duty cycles. At lower frequencies, higher jet velocity was required, particularly at low Reynolds numbers. Effective separation control resulted in an increase in lift of up to 20% and a reduction in total pressure losses of up to 70%. Simulations of the flow using an unsteady RANS code with the four equation Transition-sst model produced good agreement with experiments in cases without flow control, correctly predicting separation, transition and reattachment. In cases with VGJs, however, the CFD did not predict the reattachment observed in the experiments.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Protective effect of compression socks in a marathon runner with a genetic predisposition to thrombophilia due to Factor V Leiden.

AbstractIntroduction. The present case study is an analysis of the effect of compression socks on hemostatic activation following a marathon in a female endurance athlete found to be heterozygous for the coagulation factor V (F5 1691 G>A [Arg>Gln rs6025/560]) risk allele that predisposes one to a genetically inherited disorder of blood clotting, Factor V Leiden. Methods. Markers for coagulation and fibrinolysis were obtained 24 h prior to (PRE), immediately after (FINISH) and 24 h after (POST) completion of two marathons: the first in which the runner was not wearing compression socks, and the second in which the runner wore compression socks throughout the race. Results. Compression socks worn during a marathon appeared to lower the overall impact on hemostasis as well as clot formation in this particular athlete as evidenced by lower t-PA (–56%), TAT (–63%) and D-dimer (–30%). Conclusions. Hemostatic activation may be lower with the use of compression socks, and thus may be effective for preserving hemo...