cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spiritual challenges, successes, and failures

The Jews in medieval western Christendom have often been portrayed as having lived comfortably (or sometimes uncomfortably) isolated lives, having maintained their ancestral faith effortlessly, and having pursued their traditional culture with a high level of equanimity and unanimity. While it is acknowledged that Jews living in the medieval Muslim sphere were fully conversant with the culture surrounding them and were deeply influenced by that culture, the Jews of western Christendom have often been projected as removed from the broad majority ambience, unchallenged in their Jewishness, and sustained solely by their own cultural heritage. In fact, this beguiling picture is highly inaccurate. The Jews of medieval western Christendom were very much a part of the social and cultural ambience in which they lived, encountered a creative majority milieu seething with new ideas and ideals, and were profoundly challenged by their dynamic environment. While both majority and minority religious leadership attempted to limit Christian–Jewish social contact, three factors militated against truly effective isolation of the Jews in medieval western Christendom – demography, economics, and language. The towns of medieval western Christendom were very small by modern standards, and the Jewish communities housed in these small towns were minuscule. We recall Benjamin's portrayal of a few hundred Jews at most in the urban enclaves of northern Spain and southern France that he visited. In such small towns with their tiny Jewish communities, there could be no true isolation of the Jews as desired by both the Church hierarchy and the Jewish leadership.
The integrity challenge

Traditionally, system designers view integrity as Boolean: a system either has it or it doesn’t. In practice, of course, no real database enjoys complete integrity: invariably, a variety of factors conspire to make some information stale, missing, or just plain wrong. System design and analysis should recognize that real systems lack integrity, to some degree, most, if not all, of the time. Significant benefits flow from such recognition. Risk management techniques can identify the severity of different integrity loss scenarios, thereby focusing scarce resources on critical areas. A designer can deliberately sacrifice nonessential integrity under carefully controlled conditions to achieve other design objectives, such as performance, autonomy, availability, or security. Designers can achieve these objectives and still assure the preservation of essential aspects of integrity. Advanced applications can use explicit integrity markers on data to make integrity-dependent decisions. Powerful techniques can recognize and avoid impending integrity losses, or, failing that, recognize and contain damage and subsequently help restore integrity. The Internet revolution demands a new perspective on integrity, since the closed world assumption of traditional database design simply does not apply. Instead, data flows from a variety of new and evolving sources, some more trustworthy than others. Indeed, making sense of this torrent of information is one of the fundamental challenges of the present computing era. In this position paper, we outline some recent developments in integrity, and then outline some yet to be solved challenges.
Reduced Cortical Inhibition and EEG Response to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in ADHD

Investigators at University of Heidelberg and other centers in Germany employed the N100 component of the EEG response to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a novel marker for direct assessment of cortical inhibition in children with ADHD.
Geochemical and physiological evidence for mixed aerobic and anaerobic field biodegradation of coal tar waste by subsurface microbial communities.

We used geochemical analyses of groundwater and laboratory-incubated microcosms to investigate the physiological responses of naturally occurring microorganisms to coal-tar-waste constituents in a contaminated aquifer. Waters were sampled from wells along a natural hydrologic gradient extending from uncontaminated (1 well) into contaminated (3 wells) zones. Groundwater analyses determined the concentrations of carbon and energy sources (pollutants or total organic carbon), final electron acceptors (oxygen, nitrate, sulfate), and metabolic byproducts (dissolved inorganic carbon [DIC], alkalinity, methane, ferrous iron, sulfide, Mn2+). In the contaminated zone of the study site, concentrations of methane, hydrogen, alkalinity, and DIC were enhanced, while dissolved oxygen and nitrate were depleted. Field-initiated biodegradation assays using headspace-free serum bottle microcosms filled with groundwater examined metabolism of the ambient organic contaminants (naphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene, benzothiophene, and indene) by the native microbial communities. Unamended microcosms from the contaminated zone demonstrated the simultaneous degradation of several coal-tar-waste constituents at the in situ temperature (10°C). Lag phases prior to the onset of biodegradation indicated the prevalence of both aerobic and anaerobic conditions in situ. Electron acceptor-amended microcosms from the most contaminated well waters demonstrated only aerobic naphthalene degradation. Collectively, the geochemical and microbial evidence show that biodegradation of coal-tar-waste constituents occurs via both aerobic and anaerobic terminal electron accepting processes at this site.
Reproductive coercion among women living with HIV: an unexplored risk factor for negative sexual and mental health outcomes.

BACKGROUND Unintended pregnancy is prevalent among women living with HIV, and is associated with poor health outcomes for women and babies. Reproductive coercion may be one unexplored mechanism for this elevated risk. METHODS Past-year reproductive coercion data were obtained via self-reported survey from a sample of women receiving HIV specialty care in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. RESULTS In total, 11 of the 67 women (16.4%) included in the sample reported past-year reproductive coercion. Almost two-thirds (64%) of women reporting reproductive coercion were also positive for recent post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms compared with 27% of women who did not report reproductive coercion (Fisher's exact P = 0.033). DISCUSSION The prevalence of reproductive coercion among our sample of in care women living with HIV suggests that attention should be paid to the impact of partner influence and coercive behaviors regarding pregnancy intentions. Because of the many potential negative consequences of unintended pregnancy for women living with HIV, it is important that providers be aware of such abuse and steps that can be taken to identify and support patients who are experiencing reproductive coercion.
Arthritis Progression on Serial MRIs Following Diagnosis of Medial Meniscal Posterior Horn Root Tear.

Medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) are a significant source of pain and dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in the medial compartment of the knee over time following the diagnosis of a MMPRT on MRI. A retrospective review of the institutional database was performed for patients with an initial MRI diagnosis of a MMPRT. Patients were included if they had a subsequent follow-up MRI on the same knee. Patients with surgical intervention, including debridement or repair, were excluded. MRIs were evaluated by two board-certified musculoskeletal radiologists. MMPRTs were defined using the LaPrade classification, and the medial compartment articular cartilage was graded using the modified Outerbridge classification. MRIs were reviewed for meniscus extrusion, subchondral bone edema, and insufficiency fractures. Patients were divided into two groups for the analysis to account for differences in MRI time intervals. Group 1 had a follow-up MRI within 12 months of initial imaging (subacute group) and Group 2 had a follow-up MRI greater than 12 months after initial imaging (chronic group). Forty-one knees and 82 MRIs were analyzed, including 20 knees/40 MRIs (13 females, 7 males) in the subacute group and 21 knees/42 MRIs (14 females, 7 males) in the chronic group. Subacute patients had a mean age of 59.5 ± 8.8 years and a mean interval of 4.8 ± 2.6 months between MRIs compared with 53.6 ± 11.0 years and 38.2 ± 20.8 months, respectively, for the chronic group. Meniscal extrusion, femoral modified Outerbridge grade, and tibial modified Outerbridge grade worsened between initial and final MRI in both groups (p
Use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of patients with cancer and preexisting autoimmune disease: A systematic review

Background Cancer immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) is associated with frequent immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and is often not recommended for patients with concomitant autoimmune disease. Purpose To summarize the evidence on adverse events associated with CPIs in patients with cancer and preexisting autoimmune disease. Data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed ePubs, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials through September 2017 with no language restrictions. Study selection Original case reports, case series, and observational studies describing patients with cancer and autoimmune disease who were receiving CPIs. Data extraction 2 reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the quality of reporting. Data synthesis 123 patients in 49 publications were identified; 92 (75%) had exacerbation of preexisting autoimmune disease, irAEs, or both. No differences in adverse events were observed in patients with active versus inactive disease. Patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy at initiation of CPI therapy seemed to have fewer adverse events than those not receiving treatment. Most flares and irAEs were managed with corticosteroids; 16% required other immunosuppressive therapies. Adverse events improved in more than half of patients without discontinuation of CPI therapy. Three patients died of adverse events. Limitations The quality and quantity of data were limited. Case reports typically describe unique manifestations and are not generalizable to the population at large. Because there were no prospective observational studies, incidence could not be determined. Conclusion Flares and irAEs in patients with autoimmune disease who are receiving CPIs can often be managed without discontinuing therapy, although some events may be severe and fatal. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to establish incidence of adverse events and evaluate risk-benefit ratios and patient preferences in this population. Primary funding source National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
An update on the classification of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and accessions based on microsatellite (SSR) markers.

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is an important perennial forage and amenity turfgrass species used throughout temperate regions in North America and Europe. Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and accessions exhibit a wide range of ploidy levels, morphological traits, turfgrass quality characteristics, and tolerances to both biotic and abiotic stresses. As such, cultivar classification systems have been developed to categorize Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and accessions on the basis of pedigree, turf performance, morphological traits, and genetic relatedness (DNA markers). The objectives of the current study were to assess the genetic diversity among and within Kentucky bluegrass entries using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, and to categorize new germplasm in the Kentucky bluegrass classification system. In this study, 21 SSR markers were used to genotype eight individuals from each of 144 bluegrass cultivars and accessions (1152 total samples). The SSR markers successfully categorized all entries into distinct classification groups and provided justification for a partial revision to the previous DNA marker-based classification system. The majority of cultivars and accessions were uniquely identified with the current set of SSR markers, and SSR marker-based genetic relationships of individuals within classification types showed agreement with breeding history records. Over 60 new Kentucky bluegrass National Turfgrass Evaluation Program entries were placed into updated classification groups, and the SSR markers used in this study can be used in the future to genotype and assign new cultivars and accessions into Kentucky bluegrass classification types and assess the genetic relatedness among entries.
Provenance and progeny results for the tropical white pine, Pinus chiapensis, at five and eight years of age

Eleven provenances and 132 open-pollinated families of Pinus chiapensis were established at six locations in Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa and assessed for height, volume, and forking percent at five and eight years of age. Provenance × site and family × site interactions were examined in a subset of three trials with 38 open-pollinated families in common. Average volume production of P. chiapensis in Colombia and South Africa was 25 m3/ha/yr and 12 m3/ha/yr, respectively, at eight years of age. Provenance and family differences for height and volume were significant at the individual test sites at eight years of age. The La Trinidad (Chiapas) source was the most productive. Forking percent ranged from 3% in South Africa to 38% in San Jose, Colombia at eight years. Provenance × site interactions were significant for forking but not for height and volume. Family × site interactions were significant for height and volume but not for forking. Forty-six percent of the interaction variance between height and location was contributed by only six families. Height/diameter ratios for P. chiapensis were 0.29 and 0.39 in Colombia and South Africa, respectively, and significantly different.
Books about Books and Books as Material Artifacts: Metabibliography in Jorge Luis Borges’s El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan

La presencia imaginada de libros y su proceso de creacion es algo comun y corriente en la obra de Jorge Luis Borges. La inclusion de ideas tales como citas bibliograficas inventadas y una biblioteca universal y laberintica resultan en la descripcion de su escritura como un ejemplo supremo de metaficcion. Este articulo propone una nueva perspectiva teorica para leer sus ficciones que toma en cuenta la manera en que Borges entiende el libro como un objeto fisico.
Seven Years of Noise Reduction Strategies in an Academic Library Improve Students’ Perceptions of Quiet Space, Especially Among Graduate Students

A Review of: McCaffrey, C. & Breen, M. (2016). Quiet in the library: An evidence-based approach to improving the student experience. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 16(4), 775-791. http://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2016.0052 Abstract Objective – To examine the interventions implemented by an academic library for noise management, and their impact on library users, over a seven-year period. Design – Retrospective data analysis. Setting – University library in Ireland. Subjects – LibQUAL data from 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2014. Methods – The researchers analyzed data from the 22 core LibQUAL questions and the three dimensions of library as place, information control, and effect of service. The study focused specifically on LibQUAL question LP2 in the library as place dimension: quiet space for individual work. Qualitative free text comments in the surveys related to noise or quiet issues were also analyzed. The adequacy mean was used to determine improvement in scores; this metric is calculated by subtracting the minimum mean score from the perceived mean score. Main Results – LibQUAL scores related to the quiet space question steadily improved over the seven-year period studied. The adequacy mean went from -1.2 to -0.13, representing a 1.07 degree of improvement. For all 22 questions, the adequacy mean increased from 0.02 to 0.38, showing overall improvement of 0.36. Researchers reviewed the data for all individual questions to measure the degree of change over the seven years; the quiet space question had the highest level of improvement of all of the questions. Considering user groups’ perceptions, there was a 2.03 degree of improvement for graduate students, while there was a 0.82 degree of improvement for undergraduates. The researchers wanted to know if the noise interventions had a specific impact on the quiet space question compared to a more general impact on the “library as place” dimension. None of the other “library as place” questions improved to the degree of the quiet space question. Of the “library as place” questions, question LP5, the group space question, was the only one where the adequacy mean dropped, with an adequacy mean difference of -0.23. External benchmarking conducted by the researchers put these results in an international context, using consortium data from ARL in North America and the Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) in the United Kingdom (U.K.). Conclusion – Based on the study findings, the long-term noise management program implemented from 2007 to 2014 at the University library had a measurable impact, and users’ perceptions of the quiet space in the library improved. Because perceptions improved most among graduate students, researchers concluded that future efforts for noise management strategies should consider focusing on this group.
COMPONENT AUDITORS AND LENDERS’ PERCEPTION OF AUDIT QUALITY

While non-U.S. auditors audit a significant proportion of U.S.-based clients, until recently, lenders were largely unaware of the involvement of component auditors since the U.S.-based lead auditor was not required to disclose information about participating auditors. Using the disclosure under Form AP mandated by the PCAOB, we find that the increase in cost of debt ranges from 15 basis points to 22 basis points when component auditors are used relative to engagements that do not involve component auditors. We also find that cost of debt is greater when the component auditor has GAAP-related audit deficiencies and fewer CPAs, face PCAOB disciplinary orders or more frequent inspection, and when the lead auditor and the component auditors are not from the same Big 4 audit networks. These findings are consistent with the notion that lenders associate lower audit quality and higher information risk with certain attributes of component auditors. Further, the component auditor’s superior local knowledge mitigates cost of debt for firms with high foreign operations. We also conduct an event study and find an adverse bond market reaction around the first-time disclosure of Form AP.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health Conditions Among Adolescents.

Abstract Purpose Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with poor physical and mental health. This study examined adult respondents' (e.g. parental) reports from the 2016–17 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative study of health outcomes and social contexts of U.S. households with noninstitutionalized children. Methods Logistic regression was used to examine associations between ACEs and reports of current depression, anxiety, conduct/behavioral problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and substance use disorder among youth (n = 29,617; 49% female) aged 12–17 years. Results ACEs were associated with an increased likelihood of all current mental health diagnoses, particularly for youth exposed to four or more ACEs. Conclusion Although data relied on cross-sectional adult reports, results provide evidence of a graded association between ACEs exposure and adolescents' mental health conditions; associations with substance use disorder were particularly marked. Early childhood, multilevel, trauma-informed interventions are needed to prevent negative youth outcomes associated with ACEs.
Elite Messaging and Partisan Consumerism: An Evaluation of President Trump’s Tweets and Polarization of Corporate Brand Images:

One of the hallmarks of the Trump Administration has been the president’s frequent use of Twitter to express his approval of or disdain for firms such as L.L. Bean or Macy’s. The suddenness with wh...
Relationship between Commissioning and Start-Up Success Factors Achievement and Performance in Capital Projects

AbstractMany industrial projects have experienced significant operability problems and failed to achieve capital project investment objectives during the commissioning and start-up (CSU) phase. To ...
Doing sociology in Africa: notes towards advancing the Akìwọwọ project

In the closing decades of the last century, Professor Akinsola Akiwowo, in a series of seminal papers, inaugurated what Jimi Adesina later dubbed ‘the Akiwowo project’. This project involved (1) sh...
Strategies for disclosing a concealable stigma: Facts and feelings?

Abstract Disclosing a concealable stigma has the potential for both positive outcomes, such as receipt of social support, and negative outcomes, such as being the target of prejudice. Identifying a disclosure strategy that minimizes prejudice while increasing the likelihood of social support can build theory regarding the underpinnings of stigma and provide guidance to those with concealable stigmas. Across three experiments, we tested a theory-driven disclosure strategy (perceiving emotional content vs. purely factual content) for stigmatizing conditions that elicit sympathy or disgust. These experiments (N = 363) revealed that for disgust-eliciting stigmas, disclosing with feelings in addition to factual information leads to higher social support, compared to only disclosure of factual information. We tested and replicated this effect across disclosure of both medical and physical health conditions. This research advances our theoretical understanding of disclosure of stigma and offers pragmatic and implementable suggestions for stigma disclosure.
Interactive Web Application for Traffic Simulation Data Management and Visualization

As traffic simulation software becomes more effective for realistically simulating and analyzing traffic dynamics and vehicle interactions on the mesoscopic and microscopic level, the management, d...
Glass-Like Transition of a Simple Fluid Confined between Low-Energy, Noncrystalline Surfaces

The effect of geometrical confinement on the order of a simple molecular fluid was tested by applying small-amplitude dynamic oscillatory shear to a simple globular-shaped liquid (octamethyl-cyclotetrasiloxane, OMCTS), contained between two solid plates of a noncrystalline, low-energy solid. To produce these surfaces, mica was coated with a self-assembled methyl-terminated monolayer of octadecyl hydrocarbon chains (OTE). Strong monotonic increases of the shear relaxation time, elastic modulus, and effective viscosity were observed at spacings less than about 10 molecular dimensions. Examination of the frequency dependence showed good superposition at different film thickness. The data are inconsistent with a first-order transition from bulk fluid to solidity and suggest a glass-like transition.
The hidden costs of ethnic conflict - decomposing trends in educational outcomes of young Kosovars

Alva, Murrugarra, and Paci examine the impact of ethnic segmentation in education on educational outcomes. Between 1991 and the late 1990s, the Albanian Kosovar population received education services in an informal system parallel to the official one. Using the 2000 Kosovo LSMS Survey data, the authors exploit cohort differences in exposure to the parallel system to estimate its effects among Albanian youth. The first (untreated) cohort includes individuals who entered secondary education before 1991 when the "parallel" education system was initiated. The second (treated) cohort includes individuals who entered secondary school in the last ten years under the ethnically segmented education system. To disentangle the effects of the changing system and economic environment, and the changes in the characteristics of the population, a Oaxaca-type decomposition is used. The results suggest that the past decade of ethnic tension has claimed a substantial toll on the educational outcomes of young male Albanian Kosovars. In addition to declines in enrollment rates in secondary education, those who are enrolled are expected to complete one less year of education. However, secondary school enrollment for girls increased during the parallel system, but with a sharp decline in the expected number of years completed. This paper - a product of the Human Development Sector Unit, Europe and Central Asia Region - is part of a larger effort in the region to examine poverty and social service delivery issues.
EFFECTS OF VALPROIC ACID |[lpar]|DEPAKENE|[rpar]| ON KETOGENESIS |[lpar]|K|[rpar]|, GLUCONEOGENESIS |[lpar]|G|[rpar]|, AND UREAGENESIS |[lpar]|U|[rpar]| BY RAT HEPATOCYTES

Recently there have been reports of a Reye's-like hepatoencephalopathy with hyperammonemia, fatty infiltration of the liver, hypoglycemia, and progressive obtundation, associated with the use of the anticonvulsant, valproic acid (VPA). We evaluated the effects of VPA on liver metabolism with the consideration of developing a model for studying Reye's syndrome. Rates of K (umol/hr/gm dry weight) by rat hepatocytes incubated with 0.5 mM VPA (optimal serum levels 0.5 mM - 1.0 mM) and ketogenic substrates are presented below:
Quality Improvement in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Health services research suggests that health care could perform a great deal better than it does today. To improve the care of patients requires more than knowledge; achievement of improvements requires the application of the principles of continuous quality improvement. One of the barriers to quality improvement is unnecessary variation in care. Unnecessary variation, which erodes quality and reliability and adds to costs, is derived in part from habitual differences in practice style that are not grounded in knowledge or reason. Quality improvement efforts can reduce unnecessary variation. To attain continuous quality improvement in health care, it is necessary to repeatedly measure the processes and outcomes of care, design and implement interventions to improve the processes of care, and remeasure to determine the effect of the interventions. The road map of translational research begins with basic biomedical science and advances to clinical efficacy knowledge, to clinical effectiveness knowledge, and finally to improved health-care quality and value. Measurement and accountability of health-care quality and cost, implementation of interventions and health-care system redesign, and scaling and spread of effective interventions are necessary to transform the health-care system. In this chapter, we present an introduction to quality improvement and how it can apply to pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, with brief discussions of variation in care, the chronic illness care model, the need for quality improvement, the improvement model, the improvement collaborative, and the ImproveCareNow Network.
Image Processing Systems Developed at MIT to Handle Silicon Vidicon Images and Spectra of Astronomical Objects

Several image processing systems have been developed and used at MIT to calibrate and analyze two dimensional images and spectra of astronomical objects. An interactive system allows creative processing under direct control of the astronomer and a batch system enables the astronomer to process large numbers of images while requiring little of his time. System descriptions and a list of processing routines are given.
Symbolic dynamics approach to stochastic processes

Many concepts of modern chaos theory are based on the notion of a symbolic dynamics. Usually this method is discussed with restriction to deterministic systems. In this contribution we address the consequences of applying a symbolic dynamics to stochastic processes or, alternatively, of introducing noise at the symbol level. Special attention is paid to the question how long-range temporal correlations, present in the deterministic system, are affected by applied noise. As appropriate quantities measuring these effects we consider the spectrum of conditional entropies. Whereas quite generally noise destroys long-range correlations, in the case of stochastic resonance the opposite effect, the enhancement of a periodic structure when tuning noise intensity to an optimal value, can be detected employing information theoretical measures.
Comparison of food intake patterns of adolescents with USDA My Plate Dietary Guidelines (1024.15)

Evaluating food intake among children has a great importance in preventing the onset of adult health problems. Studies suggest that dietary recommendations are not met among adolescents. The aim of...
Ligand-field dependence of the excited state dynamics of Hangman bisporphyrin dyad complexes.

A new Hangman porphyrin architecture has been developed to interrogate the ligand-field dependence of photoinduced PCET versus excitation energy transfer and intersystem crossing in PZnII−PFeIII−OH dyads (P = porphyrin). In this design, a hanging carboxylic acid group establishes a hydrogen-bonding network to anchor the weak-field OH- ligand in the distal site of the PFeIII−OH acceptor, whereas the proximal site is left available to accept strong-field imidazole ligands. Thus, controlling the tertiary coordination environment gives access to the first synthetic example of a porphyrin dyad with a biologically relevant weak-field/strong-field configuration of axial ligands at the heme. Transient absorption spectroscopy has been employed to probe the fate of the initial PZnII-based S1 excited state, revealing rapid S1 quenching for all dyads in the presence and absence of strong-field imidazole ligands (τ = 6−50 ps). The absence of a (P•+)ZnII signal that would complement photoinduced PCET at the PFeIII−OH s...
Enrichment of transcribed and newly replicated DNA in soluble chromatin released from nuclei by mild micrococcal nuclease digestion

A chromatin fraction solubilized from mouse myeloma nuclei under near-physiological ionic conditions by very mild micrococcal nuclease digestion at 0 degrees C is enriched at least 7-fold in DNA complementary to total myeloma polyadenylated mRNA, and 15-fold in DNA originating near the replication fork (labeled within 30 s). Newly replicated DNA recovered in solubilized chromatin after brief labeling was incorporated mainly into particles sedimenting with, or faster than, mononucleosomes. A rapid decrease in enrichment of newly replicated DNA in readily released, soluble chromatin with increasing labeling times indicated that newly replicated chromatin matured within 90 s to a form that was partitioned similarly to bulk chromatin by this fractionation method. Previous studies showed that chromatin readily solubilized from myeloma nuclei is enriched in high-mobility-group (HMG) and other non-histone proteins, RNA and single-stranded DNA; and depleted in H1 and 5-methylcytosine, relative to bulk chromatin (Jackson, J.B., Pollock , J.M., Jr., and Rill , R.L. (1979) Biochemistry 18, 3739-3748). Mild digestion of chicken erythrocyte nuclei with micrococcal nuclease yielded a soluble chromatin fraction (1-2% of the total DNA) with similar properties. This fraction was enriched at least 6-fold in DNA complementary to chicken globin mRNA, relative to total erythrocyte DNA.
First-order performance evaluation of adaptive-optics systems for atmospheric-turbulence compensation in extended-field-of-view astronomical telescopes.

An approach is presented for evaluating the performance achieved by a closed-loop adaptive-optics system that is employed with an astronomical telescope. This method applies to systems incorporating one or several guide stars, a wave-front reconstruction algorithm that is equivalent to a matrix multiply, and one or several deformable mirrors that are optically conjugate to different ranges. System performance is evaluated in terms of residual mean-square phase distortion and the associated optical transfer function. This evaluation accounts for the effects of the atmospheric turbulence Cn2(h) and wind profiles, the wave-front sensor and deformable-mirror fitting error, the sensor noise, the control-system bandwidth, and the net anisoplanatism for a given constellation of natural and/or laser guide stars. Optimal wave-front reconstruction algorithms are derived that minimize the telescope’s field-of-view-averaged residual mean-square phase distortion. Numerical results are presented for adaptive-optics configurations incorporating a single guide star and a single deformable mirror, multiple guide stars and a single deformable mirror, or multiple guide stars and two deformable mirrors.
Different regions of the nonconserved large periplasmic domain of Escherichia coli YidC are involved in the SecF interaction and membrane insertase activity.

The YidC protein of Escherichia coli is required for inserting Sec-independent membrane proteins and has a supportive role for the insertion of Sec-dependent proteins into the membrane bilayer. Because a portion of YidC copurifies with the Sec translocase, this interaction might be necessary to assist in the membrane insertion of Sec-dependent proteins. This study describes a deletion analysis that investigates which parts of YidC are required for its interaction with the SecDF complex of the Sec translocase and for the function of YidC as an insertase for the Sec-dependent membrane proteins. The results suggest that the first periplasmic region, which includes residues 24 -346, is required for the interaction of YidC with the Sec translocase, in particular with the SecF protein. Further studies showed that residues 215-265 of YidC are sufficient for SecF binding. Surprisingly, the interaction of YidC with SecF is not critical for cell viability as YidC, lacking residues 24 -264, was fully functional to support the growth of E. coli. It was also observed that this YidC mutant was fully functional to insert the Sec- dependent subunit A of the F1Fo ATP synthase and an M13 procoat derivative, as well as the Sec-independent M13 procoat protein and subunit C of the ATP synthase. Only when additional residues of the periplasmic region were deleted (265-346) was the membrane insertase function of YidC inhibited. Proteins of the bacterial inner membrane use different pathways for reaching their final destinations in the cell. Some Sec-independent proteins are targeted directly to the membrane by interacting with the negatively charged head-
Chemical and isotopic redistribution of hydrocarbons during migration: Laboratory simulation experiments

Abstract Recent investigation of shale-sandstone sequences isolated from cores indi cate that considerable compositional fractionation of hydrocarbons may occur during migration. In the present study, the effects of laboratory simulated migration on the chromatographic distribution and stable carbon isotopic composition of hydrocarbon constituents of crude oilsand organic-rich shales are examined. Experimental results indicate that a redistribution of the C15+ aliphatic hydrocarbon fractions in favor of the lower molecular weight components occures with increased distance of migration. With increased migration distance δ13C values for the aromatic hydrocarbon fractions remained relatively unchanged. The aliphatic and NSO fractions, however, become slightly depleted in 13C with increased distance of migration. This phenomenon, in some cases, might become accentuated with increasing migration distance and should be considered when attempting oil to oil or oil to source rock correlations.
End-of-life care in the intensive care unit: a research agenda.

Background The intensive care unit (ICU) represents a unique clinical setting in which mortality is relatively high and the professional culture tends to be one of "rescue therapy" using technological and invasive interventions. For these reasons, the ICU is an important environment for understanding and improving end-of-life care. Although there have been consensus statements and review articles on end-of-life care in the ICU, there is limited evidence on which to base an assessment of best practices for providing high-quality end-of-life care in this setting. Objective To convene a Working Group of experts in critical care, palliative medicine, medical ethics, and medical law to address the question "What research needs to be done to improve end-of-life care to patients in the ICU?" Methods Participants were identified for membership in the Working Group by purposive sampling within the fields of critical care medicine and nursing, palliative medicine, and medical ethics; others were chosen to represent social work and hospital chaplains. Through a process of breakout and plenary sessions, the group identified important questions that need to be addressed in the areas of defining the problem, identifying solutions, evaluating solutions, and overcoming barriers. Conclusions Outlining unanswered questions on end-of-life care in the ICU is a first step to providing the answers that will allow us to improve care to patients dying in the ICU. These questions also serve to focus clinicians and educators on the important areas for improving quality of care.
The physiological function of metallothionein

Abstract Metallothionein seems to provide zinc and copper to newly synthesized apoenzymes in tissues which are undergoing rapid growth and development. High concentrations of this protein are also induced in the liver by external physical and internal chemical stress and when the liver regenerates after partial hepatectomy. Metallothionein, thus, has a central role in macromolecular synthesis.
Tectonic discrimination of basalts with classification trees

Traditionally, geochemical classification of basaltic rocks of unknown tectonic affinity has been performed by discrimination diagrams. Although easy to use, this method is fairly inaccurate because it only uses bi- or trivariate data. Furthermore, many popular discrimination diagrams are statistically not very rigorous because the decision boundaries are drawn by eye, and they ignore closure, thus violating the rules of compositional data analysis. Classification trees approximate the data space by a stepwise constant function, and are a more rigorous and potentially more effective way to determine tectonic affinity. Trees allow the simultaneous use of an unlimited number of geochemical features, while still permitting visualization by an easy-to-use, two-dimensional graph. Two classification trees are presented for the discrimination of basalts of mid-ocean ridge, ocean island, and island arc affinities. The first tree uses 51 major, minor, and trace elements and isotopic ratios and should be used for the classification of fresh basalt samples. A second tree only uses high field strength element analyses and isotopic ratios, and can also be used for basalts that have undergone alteration. The probability of successful classification is 89% for the first and 84% for the second tree, as determined by 10-fold cross-validation. Even though the trees presented in this paper use many geochemical features, it is not a problem if some of these are missing in the unknown sample. Classification trees solve this problem with surrogate variables, which give more or less the same decision as the primary variables. The advantages of the classification tree approach over discrimination diagrams are illustrated by a comparative test on a sample dataset of known tectonic affinities. Although arguably better than discrimination diagrams, classification trees are not perfect, and the limitations of the method are illustrated on a published dataset of basalts from the Pindos Basin (Greece).
The acquisition of abstract ideas

Bransford and Franks (1971) demonstrated that when Ss are presented with a set of sentences each expressing only part of the meaning of a complete idea, Ss integrated the partial information, stored the complete idea in memory, and later recognition responses were a function of this stored idea. The sentences used in this study expressed concrete ideas. Begg and Paivio (1970) report results that suggest concrete sentences may be stored differently from abstract sentences. The present study used abstract sentences and replicated the findings of Bransford and Franks indicating these earlier results were not solely a function of the concreteness of the sentences and that the storage of abstract and concrete sentences have many common properties.
Optical second-harmonic generation as an in situ probe of electrode surface dynamics. Ag(111)

Abstract Time-dependent changes are observed in the p-polarized optical second-harmonic generation from Ag(111) electrode surfaces as they are biased between the limits of the ideally polarizable region in Na 2 SO 4 and KCl electrolytes. Two different time constants are observed for changes in the SH response when the electrode is biased in the cathodic direction. The fast time behavior is attributed to potential-dependent alterations in the optical properties of the surface and surface adatom migration is suggested as a possible mechanism for the slow time behavior. The results demonstrate the versatility of this technique as a probe of electrode surface dynamics.
Confucius’ Complaints and the Analects’ Account of the Good Life

The Analects appears to offer two bodies of testimony regarding the felt, experiential qualities of leading a life of virtue. In its ostensible record of Confucius’ more abstract and reflective claims, the text appears to suggest that virtue has considerable power to afford joy and insulate from sorrow. In the text’s inclusion of Confucius’ less studied and apparently more spontaneous remarks, however, he appears sometimes to complain of the life he leads, to feel its sorrows, and to possess some despair. Where we attend to both of these elements of the text, a tension emerges. In this essay, I consider how Confucius’ complaints appear to complicate any clean conclusion that Confucius wins a good life, particularly where we attend to important pre-theoretical sensibilities regarding what a “good life” ought to include and how it ought to feel for the one who leads it.
Changes in dorsoventral but not rostrocaudal regionalization of the chick neural tube in the absence of cranial notochord, as revealed by expression of engrailed-2.

Notochord has been implicated in previous studies in both the dorsoventral and rostrocaudal patterning of the developing neural tube. This possibility has been further explored by analyzing the expression of Engrailed-2 in chick embryos developing with cranial notochord defects. Control embryos containing intact notochords expressed Engrailed-2 protein within the neural tube and in a subset of the neural crest and overlying surface ectoderm at the future mesencephalon and cranial metencephalon levels. Within the neural tube, expression was confined to cell nuclei in the roof plate and lateral walls; floor plate nuclei directly overlying the notochord typically failed to show expression. After surgical removal of Hensen's node, the source of notochord precursor cells, embryos were cultured through neurulation and assayed for expression of Engrailed-2 protein. All embryos that partially or completely lacked cranial notochord expressed Engrailed-2 in a pattern similar to that of control embryos containing intact notochords, except that when notochord and floor plate were absent, Engrailed-2 was also expressed in the most ventral part of the neural tube. These results indicate that (1) Engrailed-2 expression is suppressed in the most ventral neural tube owing to induction of the floor plate by the notochord, and (2) that the presence of an underlying notochord is not required for correct rostrocaudal expression, suggesting that multiple pathways act in the patterning of the rudiment of the central nervous system. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Aortic aneurysm with aortic insufficiency: Repair without prostheses

Abstract Six globular aneurysms of the ascending aorta due to cystic medial necrosis producing aortic valvular insufficiency were successfully repaired without valve replacement. Although the procedure is not feasible in every situation, the excellent hemodynamic results and minimal operative and long-term risks make conservation of autogenous valvular tissue desirable wherever possible.
Let's get cracking

The Reservoir Characterization Project at the Colorado School of Mines acquired three time-lapse multicomponent seismic surveys at Rulison Field, Piceance Basin, Colorado, to identify fracture zones in the tight gas sand reservoir (Figure 1). The purpose of the time-lapse study is to delineate fractures and to use this knowledge to aid in the exploration and development of this tight gas sand field. Tight gas is an important resource, and natural fractures play a significant part in enhancing permeability and controlling production.
An exact transient analysis of plane wave diffraction by a crack in an orthotropic or transversely isotropic solid

Abstract A transient plane strain analysis of diffraction of plane waves by a semi-infinite crack in an unbounded orthotropic or transversely isotropic solid is performed. The waves approach the crack at a general oblique angle, and are of two types, a normal stress pulse and a shear stress pulse, i.e. a P- and an SV-wave, respectively, in the isotropic limit. A class of materials that includes this limit and beryl, cobalt, ice, magnesium and titanium is chosen for illustration, and exact solutions are obtained for the initial/mixed boundary value problems. In contrast to related work, a factorization in the Laplace transform space is used to simplify the solution forms and the Wiener-Hopf component of the solution process, and to yield a more compact expression for the Rayleigh wave speed. Calculations for this speed, the two allowable, direction-dependent, plane wave speeds, and quantities related to the Mode I and Mode II dynamic stress intensity factors are given for the five anisotropic materials mentioned.
Immune phenomena in glaucoma and conformational disorders: why is the second eye not involved?

Data along several lines of evidence have suggested that a systemic autoimmune response may be provoked in glaucoma and could contribute to retinal ganglion cell loss. If such an auto- immune response exists, one could predict that in cases of unilat- eral glaucoma, autoantibodies generated would affect both eyes, leading to damage in the unaffected, contralateral eye in an intra- ocular pressure-independent manner. However, such an effect has not yet been reported. There are currently no data to reconcile these contrasting observations but a review of the literature sug- gests a possible explanation.