cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of an iron-sulfur cluster assembly protein (ISU1) from Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Genetic studies of bacteria and eukaryotes have led to identification of several gene products that are involved in the biosynthesis of protein-bound iron-sulfur clusters. One of these proteins, ISU, is homologous to the N-terminus of bacterial NifU. The mature forms of His-tagged wild-type and D37A Schizosaccharomyces pombeISU1 were cloned and overexpressed as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. The recombinant D37A protein was purified under denaturing conditions and subsequently reconstituted in vitro. By use of a 5-fold excess of iron and sulfide the reconstituted product was found to be red-brown in color, forming a homodimer of 17 kDa per subunit with approximately two iron atoms per monomer determined by protein and iron quantitation. UV-vis absorption and Mossbauer spectroscopies (‰ ) 0.29 ( 0.05 mm/s; ¢EQ ) 0.59 ( 0.05 mm/s) were used to characterize D37A ISU1 and show the presence of (2Fe-2S) 2+ clusters in each subunit. Formation of the holo form of wild-type ISU1 was significantly less efficient using the same reconstitution conditions and is consistent with prior observations that the D37A substitution can stabilize protein-bound clusters. Relative to the human homologue, the yeast ISU is significantly less soluble at ambient temperatures. In both cases the native ISU1 is more sensitive to proton-mediated degradation relative to the D37A derivative. The lability of this family of proteins relative to (2Fe-2S) bearing ferredoxins most likely is of functional relevance for cluster transfer chemistry. Mossbauer parameters obtained for wild-type ISU1 ( ) 0.31 ( 0.05 mm/s; ¢EQ ) 0.64 ( 0.05 mm/s) were similar to those obtained for the D37A derivative. Cluster transfer from ISU1 to apo Fd is demonstrated: the first example of transfer from an ISU-type protein. A lower limit for k2 of 80 M -1 min -1 was established for WT cluster transfer and a value of 18 M -1 min -1 for the D37A derivative. Finally, we have demonstrated through cross-linking studies that ferredoxin, an electron-transport protein, forms a complex with ISU1 in both apo and holo states. Cross-linking of holo ISU1 with holo Fd is consistent with a role for redox chemistry in cluster assembly and may mimic the intramolecular complex already defined in NifU.
Hypothyroidism as a risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. To determine the frequency of hypothyroidism in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to elucidate the association of hypothyroidism and development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in these patients. Methods. A retrospective medical record review was performed using all incident cases of adult-onset RA from Olmsted County, MN, USA, that fulfilled criteria for RA in the years 1988–2007. Patients with and without thyroid disease were followed longitudinally for the development of CVD. Results. A cohort of 650 patients with RA and an age and sex-matched comparison cohort of 650 patients without RA was assembled (both cohorts mean age 55.8 yrs; 69% were women). There was no significant difference between cohorts in the presence of hypothyroid disease or subclinical hypothyroidism at time of RA diagnosis. No significant difference was found in the cumulative incidence of hypothyroid disease between the 2 cohorts. Hypothyroid disease was found to be significantly associated with CVD in patients with RA (hazard ratio 2.0; 95% CI 1.1, 3.6). This difference remained significant and unchanged after adjustment for traditional CV risk factors (HR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1, 3.6). Conclusion. No significant difference was found in either incidence or prevalence of hypothyroidism between patients with and those without RA. Hypothyroid disease was significantly associated with CVD in patients with RA, even after adjustment for other traditional CV risk factors.
Modulation of Yeast Sln1 Kinase Activity by the Ccw12 Cell Wall Protein

The yeast Sln1p sensor kinase is best known as an osmosensor involved in the regulation of the hyperosmolarity glycerol mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. Down-regulation of Sln1 kinase activity occurs under hypertonic conditions and leads to phosphorylation of the Hog1p mitogen-activated protein kinase and increased osmotic stress-response gene expression. Conditions leading to kinase up-regulation include osmotic imbalance caused by glycerol retention in the glycerol channel mutant, fps1 (Tao, W., Deschenes, R. J., and Fassler, J. S. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 360–367). The hypothesis that Sln1p kinase activity is responsive to turgor was first suggested by the increased Sln1p kinase activity in mutants lacking Fps1p in which glycerol accumulation leads to water uptake. Also consistent with the turgor hypothesis is the observation that reduced turgor caused by treatment of cells with nystatin, a drug that increases membrane permeability and causes cell shrinkage, reduced Sln1p kinase activity (Tao, W., Deschenes, R. J., and Fassler, J. S. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 360–367; Reiser, V., Raitt, D. C., and Saito, H. (2003) J. Cell Biol. 161, 1035–1040). The turgor hypothesis is revisited here in the context of the identification and characterization of the cell wall gene, CCW12, as a determinant of Sln1p activity. Results of this analysis suggest that the activity of the plasma membrane localized Sln1p is affected by the presence or absence of specific outer cell wall proteins and that this effect is independent of turgor.
Paul Fussell's The Great War and Modern Memory: Twenty‐five Years Later

This article probes some of the issues The Great War and Modern Memory raises today, whether by Fussell himself, by critics at the time of its original publication, or by rereading the book anew now, in the context of a veritable renaissance in the study of World War I and of the revolution effected by the “literary turn” in historical study. I situate Fussell's book against the backdrop of three foundational works or points of view in cultural history that came to the forefront after 1975. My purpose is not to chide Fussell for failing to anticipate the future directions of the cultural history of war, but rather to show how his work fits into the development of that history. I argue that The Great War andModern Memory itself became a lieu de memoire or “site ofmemory” of the Great War. But like many very successful works, Fussell's bookbecame famous not exclusively or even primarily because of its originality, but because of itsability to reformulate or reinscribe pre-existing ways of understanding. As critic and as veteran,Fussell reasserted the “evidence of experience” as the cornerstone of war writingin the twentieth century. In addition, some of the impact of The Great War and ModernMemory can be explained by the way it supported the most venerable narrative explanationof the Great War, that of tragedy.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and periodontitis. A case report.

Background: We describe an unusual case of extranodal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that developed in the maxillae associated with localized severe periodontitis in a 64-year-old Caucasian male. The lymphoma was diagnosed less than 2 years following routine periodontal surgery and 8 weeks after the extraction of hopeless teeth in the associated area. Methods: Two months following the extractions, the patient experienced pain and swelling in the maxillary right edentulous area mimicking an abscess, and reported for emergency care. An expansile lesion measuring 2.0 × 2.5 cm in diameter was noted on radiographic examination to extend into the right maxillary sinus. A definitive biopsy diagnosis of highgrade, small, non-cleaved, diffuse non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the right posterior maxillae was established. The patient was subsequently treated by a combination of radiation, chemotherapy, and bone marrow transplantation. Results: The maxillary tissues healed uneventfully, and the patient has been closely observed for...
The effects of replacing Sst2 with the heterologous RGS4 on polarization and mating in yeast.

RGS proteins stimulate the deactivation of heterotrimeric G-proteins. The yeast RGS protein Sst2 is regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. We replaced the SST2 gene with the distantly related human RGS4 gene, which consists of the catalytic domain and an N-terminal membrane attachment peptide, and replaced the native promoter (PSST2) with the heterologous tetracycline-repressible promoter (PTET). We then measured the effect of the substitutions on pheromone sensitivity, mating, and polarization. Although the pheromone sensitivity was essentially normal, there were differences in mating and polarization. In particular, the RGS4-substituted strains did not form multiple mating projections at high levels of α-factor, but instead formed a single malformed projection, which frequently gave rise to a bud. We provide evidence that this phenotype arose because unlike Sst2, RGS4 did not localize to the projection. We use mathematical modeling to argue that localization of Sst2 to the projection prevents excess G-protein activation during the pheromone response. In addition, modeling and experiments demonstrate that the dose of Sst2 influences the frequency of mating projection formation.
A self tuning adaptive approach for actuator failure compensation in aircraft systems

A self tuning adaptive approach is proposed for actuator failure compensation in aircraft systems. The control algorithm is designed so that under specific fault conditions, an estimation of the fault is obtained using a self tuning method, alleviating therefore the need for a fault detection and isolation algorithm (FDI) as required by active fault tolerant control (FTC) approaches. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an F-16 aircraft system subject to a set of fault patterns in different actuators is considered. The self tuning adaptive approach recovers well from the induced faults in the actuators.
Theory of linear facet growth during thermal etching

Abstract Under certain conditions, a planar metal surface will develop linear facets, or planar strips inclined to the original surface and meeting it along sharp cusp lines (e.g. Ag heated in air). A discussion is given; in terms of the Wulff plot, of the energetic conditions under which linear facts form. A theory is then developed, subject to certain simplifying assumptions, of the progressive widening of the facets under the separate action of evaporation-condensation and of surface diffusion. Order of magnitude calculations are also given for the case of volume diffusion. Facet profiles and their characteristic time laws of growth are calculated. In the case of surface diffusion, the theoretical results depend upon a parameter equal to the ratio of the surface diffusion coefficient on the facet plane to that on the general complex surface. Comparison with experiment should permit determination of this parameter as well as other interesting information.
A packet-switched network architecture for reconfigurable computing

A packet-switched network architecture named Qnet and programming interface is presented that simplifies the integration of reconfigurable computing modules within a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Qnet provides an abstraction layer to the designer of FPGA accelerator modules that hides the complexities of the system, while supporting a high degree of parallelism and performance. The architecture facilitates system design with pluggable, reusable modules. A network protocol is described that supports a three-party communication scheme between an initiator, a sender and a receiver. This protocol allows a master device to manage the state of other devices and the data flow within the system. An example using a high-level language is given. The Qnet architecture opens the computational power of FPGAs to computer scientists and software developers.
Applications of nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry to solid polymers

Abstract The applications of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry to solid polymers are reviewed. Emphasis is given to the determination of chemical structure, and the characterization of molecular dynamics in the solid state. The types of information that can be obtained from NMR spectrometry are surveyed, focusing on the special experimental techniques necessary.
Intentional Unprotected Anal Intercourse among Sex Who have Sex with Men: Barebacking—from Behavior to Identity

Unprotected sex among gay/bisexual men throughout the AIDS epidemic has usually been described as unintentional due to a relapse from safer sex behavior. The term "barebacking" emerged among HIV-positive men explicitly seeking unprotected sex with seroconcordant partners, but has come into use in the larger gay community to simply mean condomless sex. Some men have also taken on the identity as a "barebacker." The present study assessed prevalence and predictors of bareback identity in a sample 687 gay/bisexual men attending community events. Barebackers reported significantly more use of crystal methamphetamine and higher peer norms for unprotected sex; HIV-negative barebackers were higher in sexual compulsivity while HIV-positive barebackers were higher in romantic obsession as well as drug/alcohol influenced sexual expectancies. HIV prevention efforts targeting barebackers and barebacking must be carefully developed if programs and campaigns are to be effective given the open debates about this phenomenon in the gay community.
Relationship of body mass index with outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Background A debate exists whether obesity is a risk factor for operative mortality after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). The contradictory findings in the literature may largely be attributable to the variety of methodological approaches used to model the association between body mass index (BMI) and post-CABG outcomes. This study aims to investigate this association, and to uncover possible explanations for the lack of consensus across prior studies. Methods Data were prospectively collected on 80,792 patients who underwent a CABG procedure during a 14-year period at the 45 Department of Veterans Affairs cardiac surgery programs. Generalized additive models were used to estimate the relationship of BMI and outcomes after a CABG procedure. Results We found that the relationship of BMI with post-CABG mortality and morbidity is U-shaped with the minimum risk located around a BMI of 30 kg/m 2 , indicating that patients classified as overweight have the lowest risk, and those in the lower end of the obese range do not have seriously elevated risk. This U-shape relationship is significantly nonlinear and robust to adjustment for other risk factors. Conclusions This study demonstrates that BMI is an independent predictor of mortality and morbidity after CABG surgery. Previous studies that model BMI linearly or as categories cannot accurately capture this U-shaped relationship and are unlikely to find a significant contribution by including BMI. Further research is needed to determine the mechanisms of risk for patients with low and high BMI and whether interventions to modify BMI may improve patient outcomes.
The Role of Paternity Presumption and Custodial Rights for Understanding Marriage Patterns

In marriage, men obtain and women surrender parental rights because: (i) by default, an unmarried woman giving birth is the child's only known parent and sole custodian; (ii) a married mother shares custody with her husband and the presumed father; (iii) custody allocation in marriage is fixed; (iv) private contracts on rights over children amount to trade in children and have limited legal validity. As a result: (i) women, not men, marry up; (ii) higher income has opposite effects on men's and women's willingness to marry; (iii) out-of-wedlock fertility results when trade is not feasible.
VLF measurements of the Poynting flux along the geomagnetic field with the Injun 5 satellite

Poynting flux direction for proton whistlers determined from Injun 5 observations, obtaining data on source region and propagation in ionosphere
Defibrillator Implantation in a Child with Long QT Syndrome

We report the placement of an implantable cardiac defibrillator as preventative treatment in a 2-year-old with long QT syndrome.
Changes in microsomal enzyme activities during DAB carcinogenesis.

Abstract Microsomal fractions were isolated from livers of rats that been fed p-dimethylaminoazobcnzene (DAB) for 2 months sygnificant decreases were noted in the specific activities of four of the membrane-bound enzymes, Sudies on membrane composition and the interactions between membranc components were carried out in an attempt to explain the mechanisms responsable for these decreases. Changes in the lipid components of the membrane were brought about as a result of DAB feeding. No changes were detected in the protein components of the membrane. 1-Anilinonaphthalene-8-Sulfonic acid (ANS) fluorescence enhancement was decreased by 25 % in membranes delived from DAB-fed animals. The response of the membranebound enzymes to pretreatment with NH4OH and Triton X-100 was examined. The glucose-6-phosphatase of membranes derived from carcinogen-fed animals was more activated by Triton than the enzyme from control. It is concluded that altered membrane conformation is a result of DAB carcinogensus, and that such alterations may be responsible for loss of enzyme activity.
Paraventricular nucleus efferents mediating photoperiodism in male golden hamsters

Knife cuts were placed around the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) in an effort to identify the pathways mediating gonadal regression in male golden hamsters housed in a short photoperiod. Horizontal cuts dorsal to the PVN only affected photoperiodic responsiveness if they actually damaged the PVN. Coronal cuts caudal to the PVN had no effect on testes regression. Parasagittal cuts adjacent to the medial PVN had little or no effect on gonadal regression induced by short photoperiod. We conclude that efferents of the PVN arising dorsally or medially are not necessary for photoperiodic control of testes function, whereas projections from or through the lateral PVN region descending towards the spinal cord are important.
Patterns of mangrove forest structure and soil nutrient dynamics along the Shark River estuary, Florida

The basal area and productivity of managrove wetlands are described in relation to selected soil properties to understand the general pattern of optimum forest stature at the mouth of estuaries in the Everglades, such as the Shark River Slough, Florida (U.S.). The basal area of mangroves decreases from 40.4 m2 ha−1 and 39.7 m2 ha−1 at two stations 1.8 km and 4.1 km from the estuary mouth to 20.7 m2 ha−1 and 19.6 m2 ha−1 at two sites 9.9 km and 18.2 km from the mouth, respectively. The gradient in basal area at these four sites is mostly the result of approximately 34 yr of growth since Hurricane Donna. Wood productivity is higher in the lower estuary (10.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1 and 12.0 Mg ha−1 yr−1) than in the upper estuary (3.2 Mg ha−1 yr−1 and 4.2 Mg ha−1 yr−1). Porewater salinity among these four mangrove sites during seasonal sampling in 1994 and 1995 ranged from 1.6 g kg−1 to 33.5 g kg−1, while sulfide was generally<0.15 mM at all sites. These soil values indicate that abiotic stress cannot explain the decrease in forest structure along this estuarine gradient. Concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are more closely related to patterns of forest development, with higher soil fertility at the mouth of the estuary as indicated by higher concentrations of extractable ammonium, total soil P, and available P, along with higher ammonium production rates. The more fertile sites of the lower estuary are dominated by Laguncularia racemosa, whereas the less fertile sites in the intermediate and upper estuary are dominated by Rhizophora mangle. Relative N mineralization per unit of total N is higher in the lower estuary and is related positively to concentrations of available P, indicating the importance of turnover rates and nutrient interactions to soil fertility. Concentrations of Ca-bound P per volume soil in the lower estuary is 40-fold higher than in the upper estuary, and along with an increase in residual P in the upper estuary, indicate a shift from mineral to organic P along the estuarine gradient. Mineral inputs to the mouth of Shark River estuary from the Gulf of Mexico (rather than upland inputs) apparently control the patterns of mangrove structure and productivity.
Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium-Dependent Regulation of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression in Macrophages by Invasins SipB, SipC, and SipD and Effector SopE2

When Salmonella enterica invades mammalian cells, it activates signals leading to increased expression of inflammatory mediators. One such mediator is nitric oxide (NO), which is produced under control of the enzyme inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Induction of iNOS in response to Salmonella infection has been demonstrated, but the bacterial effector molecules that regulate expression of the enzyme have not been identified. In the study reported here, an analysis of Salmonella-dependent iNOS expression in macrophages was carried out. Wild-type Salmonella strains increased the levels of both iNOS protein and mRNA in murine macrophage cell lines in an invasion-independent fashion. Mutant strains lacking a functional pathogenicity island 1-encoded type III secretion system, as well as strains lacking the invasins SipB, SipC, and SipD, were impaired in iNOS induction. Complementation experiments indicated that all three of the invasins were required for induction of iNOS expression. These results suggested that an effector protein, translocated into macrophages via the type III secretion system in a SipB-, SipC-, and SipD-dependent manner, might be the ultimate mediator of iNOS induction. In keeping with this idea, a mutant strain deficient in SopE2, a recently described homolog of SopE, was found to be impaired in the induction of iNOS expression. These observations suggest that iNOS expression is regulated by signals activated by SopE2 (and possibly SopE) and that the role of SipB, SipC, and SipD in this process is to facilitate translocation of the relevant effector.
Family choices in household production

Families can maintain or raise their standard of living by using their own human resources to produce goods and services for their families' use. Using descriptive methodologies, this study examines household production performed by a random sample of 107 husbands and wives in mid-Michigan, whose oldest child was between the ages of 6 and 12, and who responded to a self-administered questionnaire. Given production choices on 54 household production activities, respondents indicated the family chose to perform many activities, purchased less, and omitted few activities. Husbands' and wives' perception of production choices differed significantly. The choices analysed by location of residence, family income, family employment and household size also showed significant differences. Summary and Implications Husbands and wives responded that the family participated in 63–45% of the 54 production activities presented, illustrating that families do consider household production as a viable way to meet their needs. Most reported hiring or buying one-third less than they produced (17–21%). Slightly less reported that the activities did not apply to them in their family situation (12–28%), and only a few husbands and wives reported consciously omitting activities (1–2%). Husbands' and wives' responses to the questions on the number and type of production choices differed significantly, suggesting that there is generally reduced communication and understanding by the couples as to who is doing what in the household. The decisions on task performance may possibly also be assumed by one spouse or the other (perhaps through traditional sex roles) and little discussion or negotiation on the issues exists.
Load-Line Regulation With Estimated Load-Current Feedforward: Application to Microprocessor Voltage Regulators

A consistent framework for load-line regulation design is presented, applicable to microprocessor voltage regulators (VRs) using either electrolytic or ceramic output capacitors. With conventional feedback control, the loop bandwidth is limited by stability constraints linked to the switching frequency. The output capacitor has to be chosen sufficiently large to meet the stability requirement. Load-current feedforward can extend the useful bandwidth beyond that imposed by feedback stability constraints. With load-current feedforward, the size of the output capacitor can be reduced, since it is determined solely by large-signal and switching-ripple considerations which are shown to be less constraining than the feedback stability requirement. This work points to the feasibility of microprocessor VR implementations using only a small number of ceramic output capacitors, while running at sub-megahertz switching frequencies
Experimental Investigation of Heating Phenomena in Linac Mechanical Interfaces from RF Field Penetration

In a high duty-factor, high-current, drift-tube linear accelerator, a critical interface exists between the drift-tube stem and the tank wall. This interface must provide vacuum integrity and RF continuity, while simultaneously allowing alignment flexibility. Because of past difficulties with RF heating of vacuum bellows and RF joints encountered by others, a paucity of available information, and the high reliability requirement for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) accelerator, a program was initiated to study the problem. Because RF heating is the common failure mode, an attempt was made to find a correlation between the drift-tubestem/linac-tank interface geometry and RF field penetration from the tank into the interface region. Experiments were performed at 80 MHz on an RF structure designed to simulate the conditions to which a drift-tube stem and vacuum bellows are exposed in a drift-tube linac. Additional testing was performed on a 367-MHz model of the FMIT prototype drift-tube linac. Experimental results, and a method to predict excessive RF heating, is presented. An experimentally tested solution to the problem is discussed.
Type and Intensity of Activity and Risk of Mobility Limitation: The Mediating Role of Muscle Parameters

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between different types of physical activity behavior and incident mobility limitation in older men and women and to examine whether muscle parameters mediate these associations. DESIGN: Cohort study with 4.5-year follow-up. SETTING: Metropolitan areas surrounding Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee. A random sample of white Medicare beneficiaries and all age-eligible blacks. PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand seventy-five black and white men and women aged 70 to 79 with no self-reported difficulty walking one-quarter of a mile or climbing 10 steps, enrolled in the Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study. MEASUREMENTS: Participants were classified as exercisers (reporting > or = 1,000 kcal/wk of exercise activity), lifestyle active (reporting or = 2,719 kcal/wk of total physical activity), or inactive (reporting < 1,000 kcal/wk of exercise activity and < 2,719 kcal/wk of total physical activity). The study outcome, incident mobility limitation, was defined as two consecutive, semiannual self-reports of any difficulty walking one quarter of a mile or climbing 10 steps. Thigh muscle area, thigh muscle attenuation (a marker of fat infiltration in muscle), appendicular lean soft tissue mass, and isokinetic knee extensor strength were examined as potential mediators. RESULTS: Over 4.5 years, 34.3% of men and 47.4% of women developed mobility limitation. Inactive persons had twice the risk of incident mobility limitation as exercisers (hazard ratio (HR)=2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.60-2.70, for men, HR=1.98, 95% CI=1.51-2.60, for women). Lifestyle-active men and women had an intermediate risk (HR=1.47 and 1.44, respectively). For the lifestyle active and inactive, absence of walking activity conferred an additional risk of mobility limitation. Muscle parameters did not mediate the relationship between physical activity and mobility limitation, except for knee extensor strength in men. CONCLUSION: Exercise and an active lifestyle that includes walking protect against mobility loss in older men and women. Activity effects on muscle parameters do not explain this association.
Perturbation of auditory feedback causes systematic perturbation in vocal structure in adult cotton-top tamarins

Auditory feedback is critical for the development and maintenance of speech in humans. In contrast, studies of nonhuman primate vocal production generally report that subjects show little reliance on auditory input. We examined the extent to which cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) vocal production is sensitive to perturbation of auditory feedback by manipulating the predictability of presentation of a 1 s burst of white noise during the production of the species-specific contact call, the combination long call (CLC). We used three experimental conditions: the Begin condition, in which white noise was presented only during the first half of a recording session, the End condition, in which white noise was presented only in the last half, and the Random condition, in which each call had a 50% probability of receiving white noise playback throughout the recording session, making the auditory feedback unpredictable. In addition we recorded calls before and after the experimental series (Baseline condition) to determine whether any changes induced by modification of auditory feedback persisted. Results showed that playback of white noise during the production of the CLC produced changes in the temporal structure of the CLC: calls were shorter and had fewer pulses, indicating that modification of auditory feedback can interrupt vocal production. In addition, calls that received modified feedback were louder and had longer inter-pulse intervals than those that did not, consistent with an adaptive response to the masking effect of white noise playback. The magnitude of this compensatory effect and the interruption rate were both sensitive to whether the feedback modification occurred at the beginning or end of the experimental session: early feedback produced less interruption and more compensation. Finally, when auditory feedback modification was unpredictable, adaptive changes were observed in both calls that received modified feedback and those that received normal feedback, suggesting that tamarins can generate an expectation of noise playback and increase vocal amplitude in anticipation of masking.
The Quality of Governance: 'Second-Generation' Civil Service Reform in Africa

This paper argues that an important ingredient missing in the set of "second-generation" reforms that has been advocated for Africa is the development of human capital in the public sector. Over the past three decades, the stock of human capital in the public sector, which was comparatively lower than that of other developing countries to begin with, has been seriously eroded by increasingly compressed government wages and a general flight of human capital from many of the countries in the continent, leading to low quality of governance. The paper develops a simple theoretical framework to discuss these issues and the continent's experience with foreign technical assistance in supplementing the low level of domestic human capital. Copyright 1999 by Oxford University Press.
Radially symmetric solutions of a class of singular elliptic equations

The boundary value problemis studied with a view to obtaining the existence of positive solutions in C1([0, 1])∩C2((0, 1)). The function f is assumed to be singular in the second variable, with the singularity modeled after the special case f(x, y) = a(x)y−p, p>0.This boundary value problem arises in the search of positive radially symmetric solutions towhere Ω is the open unit ball in ℝN, centered at the origin, Γ is its boundary and |x| is the Euclidean norm of x.
Unbound plasma cortisol in pregnant and Enovid-E treated women as determined by ultrafiltration.

ABSTRACT Unbound plasma cortisol concentrations were determined in nonpregnant, pregnant and Enovid-E treated women. A method is described for the measurement of the unbound fraction using ultrafiltration by centrifugation at 37 C to obtain a filtrate of 1/10 the volume of the plasma sample. Tracer amounts of cortisol-3H were added to determine the per cent of cortisol filterable. Total cortisol concentrations were measured by a fluorometric technique. The mean unbound or ultrafilterable cortisol concentration for the pregnant women was 2.47 μg/100 ml, which is significantly higher (p<.001) than the mean of 1.00 μg/100 ml for the nonpregnant, and 1.31 μg/100 ml for the Enovid-E treated women. High concentrations of total plasma cortisol were present, as expected, in both the pregnant and the Enovid-E treated women, but the latter group had a significantly lower (p<.001) per cent filterable cortisol of 4.3% as compared to 6.3% for the pregnant women, and 7.6% for the nonpregnant women. The implications of ...
Robotic body-mind integration: next grand challenge in robotics

The field of robotics has evolved from industrial robots in the 1960s to entertainment and service robots in the 2000s. During the last decade, major progress has been made in integrating a robotic body with sensors and Al-based software. We describe our efforts to realize a next generation of intelligent robots called cognitive robots. Our work is embedded within a multiagent-based cognitive robot architecture with three distinctive memory systems: short-term and long-term memory structures for routine task execution and a working memory system (WMS) which is closely tied to learning and execution of tasks. The concept of WMS is relatively new in robotics and is expected to play a similar role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of our brain that performs cognitive tasks.
Podcasting and its Apps: Software, Sound, and the Interfaces of Digital Audio

Mobile applications for downloading podcasts to smartphones and tablets, or podcatcher apps, are some of the most plentiful in various digital software application stores (app stores). The software features, interfaces, and options podcatchers make available give digital soundworks new functionality, materiality, visuality, and aurality. By collecting and analyzing some of the most popular podcasting applications, this article surveys the affordances and restrictions promoted by podcatching app interfaces. Our research explores how podcast apps promote new instances of listening, arguing that podcatchers reconfigure relationships between listeners and producers, and are also ultimately people-catchers that attempt to aggregate listeners in a fragmented media environment by increasing sonic interactivity, encouraging ubiquitous listening, curating and packaging podcasts as visual media, and emphasizing social features that allow users to share podcasts with each other.
ISLAM, DEMOCRACY, AND THE LIMITS OF SECULAR CONCEPTUALITY

Recent years have seen a proliferation of academic and popular writings on the relationship among Islam, secularism, and democracy. Often, this topic is approached through the question of compatibility: Is Islam compatible or incompatible with secular democracy? Regardless of whether one answers this question with a yes or with a no, such an approach does little to help one in achieving a more nuanced understanding of Islam or secular democracy as discursive traditions. The two works under review here do not follow this pattern. Though distinct in their disciplinary persuasions and in their questions and objects of research, both works offer critical insights into the interaction between Islam and the conditions and structures of secular modernity.
Heterogenous Effects of Sports Participation on Education and Labor Market Outcomes.

This paper analyzes the distribution of education and labor market benefits from sports participation. Results show that effects are similar across gender, but differ on other dimensions. In particular, participants in team sports show greater gains than those in individual sports. Quantile regressions show that educational gains are larger for low performing populations and earnings gains are larger for low earning individuals. Instrumental variable results also show similar effects across gender and larger gains in academic performance for low performers, but these results show insignificant effects of sports participation on labor market outcomes.
On the taxonomic status of two enigmatic southern African fossorial skinks, Scelotes bicolor and S. schebeni

The nominal taxa Scelotes bicolor and Scelotes schebeni are known only from their respective type specimens, both now lost, and they have been regarded as species inquirendae. A review of available data confirms that earlier synonymisations with S. arenicola and Melanoseps occidentalis, respectively, are correct and that the type localities of both are in error.
Palladium Catalysts Containing Pyridinium-Substituted Pyridine Ligands for the C–H Oxygenation of Benzene with K2S2O8

This manuscript describes the development of Pd catalysts with pyridinium-substituted pyridine ligands for the C–H oxygenation of benzene with potassium persulfate. These new catalysts provide dramatically improved activity compared to simple Pd(OAc)2 in this transformation. Furthermore, the reaction proceeds with high selectivity for phenyl acetate over biphenyl. Preliminary investigations suggest that a key role for the cationic pyridinium ligand is to serve as a phase transfer catalyst for the K2S2O8 oxidant.
Block synthesis of tetra- and hexasaccharides (beta-D-glycero-D-manno-Hep p-(1-->4)-[alpha-l-Rha p-(1-->3)-beta-D-glycero-D-manno-Hep p-(1-->4)]n-alpha-L-Rha p-OMe (n = 1 and 2)) corresponding to multiple repeat units of the glycan from the surface-layer glycoprotein from Bacillus thermoaerophilus.

A fully stereocontrolled block synthesis of the title tetra- and hexasaccharides has been achieved taking advantage of the ability of the 4,6-O-benzylidene acetal to control the stereochemistry of ...
Corrigendum: Functional Activation in the Ventral Object Processing Pathway during the First Year.

Table ​Table33 of the Wilcox and Biondi (2016) article contained the incorrect p-values, which we hereby rectify. The original table contained two-tailed p-values rather than one-tailed p-values. The legend of Table ​Table33 indicated that one-tailed values were reported. We therefore re-submit Table ​Table33 with the correct one-tailed p-values. Table 3 Mean (SD) HbO responses for the young and old age groups of Experiment 2.
Clinical pharmacology of O2,2'‐cyclocytidine

Two metabolites of 2-14C-cyclocytidine (cyclo-C) were found in the plasma and urine and a hydrolytic product, arabinosylcytosine (ara-C), and its deaminated product, arabinosyluracil (ara-U), were found in patients with cancer; 80% of the dose was found in urine in 24 hr, 70% as cyclo-C and 10% as ara-C and ara-U. The plasma disappearance curve of ara-C curvilinear; the half-life of ara-C estimated from the terminal phase is 8 hr. By 6 hr, the ara-C level is 0.35 mug/ml and falls exponentially to 0.006 mug/ml by 24 hr. Plasma concentration ratios of ara-U to ara-C are 0.1 to 0.3, 0.3 to 0.4, and 1.1 to 1.3 at 10 min, 1 hr, and 4 hr following intravenous injection of cyclo-C at 200 mg/m2. Five min after an equal dose of ara-C, this ratio is approximately 2, and by 4 hr, plasma ara-C levels are immeasurable. After intramuscular and subcutaneous administration, cyclo-C is rapidly absorbed. The plasma disappearance curves of the cyclo-C hydrolytic product, ara-C, are similar to those of the intravenous route. Intramuscularly, subcutaneously, and intravenously cyclo-C should be equally effective. Intrathecal injections of cyclo-C (50 mg/m2) result in an effective ara-C level (0.1 mug/ml) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at 24 hr. When cyclo-C is given orally to fasting patients, less than 15% of the dose is excreted in urine in 24 hr and none can be detected in the plasma.
Application of Machine Learning Techniques to High-Dimensional Clinical Data to Forecast Postoperative Complications

Objective To compare performance of risk prediction models for forecasting postoperative sepsis and acute kidney injury. Design Retrospective single center cohort study of adult surgical patients admitted between 2000 and 2010. Patients 50,318 adult patients undergoing major surgery. Measurements We evaluated the performance of logistic regression, generalized additive models, naive Bayes and support vector machines for forecasting postoperative sepsis and acute kidney injury. We assessed the impact of feature reduction techniques on predictive performance. Model performance was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, accuracy, and positive predicted value. The results were reported based on a 70/30 cross validation procedure where the data were randomly split into 70% used for training the model and the 30% for validation. Main results The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for different models ranged between 0.797 and 0.858 for acute kidney injury and between 0.757 and 0.909 for severe sepsis. Logistic regression, generalized additive model, and support vector machines had better performance compared to Naive Bayes model. Generalized additive models additionally accounted for non-linearity of continuous clinical variables as depicted in their risk patterns plots. Reducing the input feature space with LASSO had minimal effect on prediction performance, while feature extraction using principal component analysis improved performance of the models. Conclusions Generalized additive models and support vector machines had good performance as risk prediction model for postoperative sepsis and AKI. Feature extraction using principal component analysis improved the predictive performance of all models.
ANTIBODY DIRECTED AT T LYMPHOCYTE DIFFERENTIATION ANTIGENS INHIBITS T LEUKEMIA PROLIFERATION IN VIVO AND IN VITRO

ABSTRACT. A model was established to study passive immunotherapy using monoclonal antibody (McAb). Murine leukemias were transplanted into hosts congenic for the T-cell surface antigen Thy 1 and McAb directed at this lymphocyte differentiation antigen was then tested for its effect on tumor growth. Studies with the A strain-derived tumor ASL. 1 (Thy 1.2) transplanted into A/Thy 1.1 or (B6/Thy 1.1 × A/Thy l.l)F 1 hosts have yielded the following information: 1. Anti-Thy 1.2 McAb eradicated tumor inocula of 500 times the LD50 when the antibody was administered within 24 hours of the tumor; cell numbers in excess of this responded briefly to therapy, but ultimately killed the host. 2. The relative ineffectiveness of therapy against large tumor burdens was not due to variant selection. 3. Between 24 and 48 hours, the tumor became refractory to therapy, a fact that was not attributable to differences in the number of tumor cells present. ASL.l tumor cells established in tissue culture were used to evaluate direct effects of antibody in the absence of host influences. Anti-Thy 1.2 inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and the inhibition was cell density dependent.
African-American Researchers in Computing Sciences: Expanding the Pool of Participation

This chapter explores the known reasons why African-Americans do not pursue or persist in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in general and in computing sciences in particular. Likewise, this chapter presents data showing low numbers of African-Americans within computing science faculty ranks. The African American Researchers in Computing Sciences (AARCS) model will be examined and presented as an intervention aimed at increasing the number of African-Americans pursuing doctoral degrees in computing sciences. In addition, empirical findings are analyzed and used to demonstrate the AARCS model’s ability to create behavioral, affective, and cognitive change in African-American undergraduate students in the computing sciences.
Distinct stages of synapse elimination are induced by burst firing of CA1 neurons and differentially require MEF2A/D

Experience and activity refine cortical circuits through synapse elimination, but little is known about the activity patterns and downstream molecular mechanisms that mediate this process. We used optogenetics to drive individual mouse CA1 hippocampal neurons to fire in theta frequency bursts to understand how cell autonomous, postsynaptic activity leads to synapse elimination. Brief (1 hr) periods of postsynaptic bursting selectively depressed AMPA receptor (R) synaptic transmission, or silenced excitatory synapses, whereas more prolonged (24 hr) firing depressed both AMPAR and NMDAR EPSCs and eliminated spines, indicative of a synapse elimination. Both synapse silencing and elimination required de novo transcription, but only silencing required the activity-dependent transcription factors MEF2A/D. Burst firing induced MEF2A/D-dependent induction of the target gene Arc which contributed to synapse silencing and elimination. This work reveals new and distinct forms of activity and transcription-dependent synapse depression and suggests that these processes can occur independently.
Novel Telestroke Program Improves Thrombolysis for Acute Stroke Across 21 Hospitals of an Integrated Healthcare System

Background and Purpose— Faster treatment with intravenous alteplase in acute ischemic stroke is associated with better outcomes. Starting in 2015, Kaiser Permanente Northern California redesigned its acute stroke workflow across all 21 Kaiser Permanente Northern California stroke centers to (1) follow a single standardized version of a modified Helsinki model and (2) have all emergency stroke cases managed by a dedicated telestroke neurologist. We examined the effect of Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Stroke EXpediting the PRrocess of Evaluating and Stopping Stroke program on door-to-needle (DTN) time, alteplase use, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rates. Methods— The program was introduced in a staggered fashion from September 2015 to January 2016. We compared DTN times for a seasonally adjusted 9-month period at each center before implementation to the corresponding 9-month calendar period from the start of implementation. The primary outcome was the DTN time for alteplase administration. Secondary outcomes included rate of alteplase administrations per month, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and disposition at time of discharge. Results— This study included 310 patients treated with alteplase in the pre–EXpediting the PRrocess of Evaluating and Stopping Stroke period and 557 patients treated with alteplase in the EXpediting the PRrocess of Evaluating and Stopping Stroke period. After implementation, alteplase administrations increased to 62/mo from 34/mo at baseline ( P P P P =0.29). Conclusions— Introduction of a standardized modified Helsinki protocol across 21 hospitals using telestroke management was associated with increased alteplase administrations, significantly shorter DTN times, and no increase in adverse outcomes.
Cochlear tuning.. of mice and men

It has been suggested that humans discriminate different frequency sounds with greater selectivity than other mammals. However, mechanisms that could underlie higher frequency selectivity in humans are unclear. Recent studies show that the tectorial membrane (TM) supports longitudinally propagating waves, and the spread of excitation of these TM waves has been implicated in controlling the tuning properties in a mutant mouse model of hearing. Here we compare TM morphology and waves in humans and mice and show that despite some differences in morphology, the spread of excitation of TM waves is similar in spatial extent. However, the cochlear maps of humans and mice differ significantly, with similar cochlear distances mapping to a narrower range of best frequencies in humans than in mice. By coupling different frequency ranges, TM waves could contribute to differences in frequency tuning in mammals, with the smaller human range of frequencies corresponding to sharper frequency tuning.