cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Change in embryonic eye size and retinal cell proliferation following intravitreal injection of glycosaminoglycans.

Purpose The vitreous body (VB) is a transparent, extracellular matrix structure that fills the vitreous cavity of the eye. Major constituents of the VB are hyaluronic acid (HA) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), both of which are highly charged, linear carbohydrate polymers. The present experiments investigate a possible role of HA and GAGs in regulating eye size during development and investigate whether changes in eye size are synchronized with cell proliferation in the retina. Methods Chondroitin sulfate (CS), heparan sulfate (HS), heparin (Hep), dextran sulfate (DexS), and HA were injected into the vitreous cavity of embryonic day 5 chick embryos. Eye size was assessed 1 to 5 days after the injections. Cell counts and BrdU labeling established whether changes in eye size were paralleled by an increase or a decrease in retinal cell proliferation. Results Injection of CS and HS led to an increase in eye size that was accompanied by a similar increase in retinal cell numbers. Hep and DexS injections led to a decrease in eye size that had no impact on cell proliferation in the retina. HA application had no effect on eye size. Conclusions The changes in eye size after intravitreal application of GAGs demonstrate that the composition of the VB can play an important role in the regulation of eye size during embryogenesis. The fact that retinal cell proliferation is elevated after an increase in eye size indicates a regulatory role of eye size for retinal cell numbers.
Improved peak capacity for CE separations of enzyme inhibitors with activity-based detection using magnetic bead microreactors.

A technique for separating and detecting enzyme inhibitors was developed using capillary electrophoresis with an enzyme microreactor. The on-column enzyme microreactor was constructed using NdFeB magnet(s) to immobilize alkaline phosphatase-coated superparamagnetic beads (2.8 μm diameter) inside a capillary before the detection window. Enzyme inhibition assays were performed by injecting a plug of inhibitor into a capillary filled with the substrate, AttoPhos. Product generated in the enzyme microreactor was detected by laser-induced fluorescence. Inhibitor zones electrophoresed through the capillary, passed through the enzyme microreactor, and were observed as negative peaks due to decreased product formation. The goal of this study was to improve peak capacities for inhibitor separations relative to previous work, which combined continuous engagement electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) and transient engagement EMMA to study enzyme inhibition. The effects of electric field strength, bead injection time and inhibitor concentrations on peak capacity and peak width were investigated. Peak capacities were increased to ≥20 under optimal conditions of electric field strength and bead injection time for inhibition assays with arsenate and theophylline. Five reversible inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase (theophylline, vanadate, arsenate, L-tryptophan and tungstate) were separated and detected to demonstrate the ability of this technique to analyze complex inhibitor mixtures.
The 105-kDa Basement Membrane Autoantigen p105 Is N-Terminally Homologous to a Tumor-Associated Antigen

Certain constitutive skin basement membrane components, such as bullous pemphigoid antigens and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita antigen, were discovered because they were targeted by an autoimmune reaction. We aimed to purify and characterize a 105-kDa skin basement membrane protein termed p105 recognized by autoantibodies (anti-p105) from patients with a unique immune-mediated subepidermal blistering skin disease. A simian virus 40-transformed human fibroblast cell line that synthesizes and secretes p105 was utilized as the protein source. p105 was partially purified by salt-gradient fractionation of serum-free conditioned medium through a Mono Q anion-exchange column and by examining each fraction with protein staining and immunoblotting against anti-p105. p105 was isolated from polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels, blotted onto polyvinylidene difluoride membrane, and subjected to protein microsequencing. The 20 microsequenced N-terminal amino acids exhibited no homology to known basement membrane proteins but exhibited a 70% homology to a 90-kDa tumor-associated antigen. Antibodies raised against a peptide generated from these amino acid sequences reacted to a 105-kDa western-blotted keratinocyte and fibroblast protein and a basement membrane component. p105 resisted digestion by glycosidases chondroitinase ABC, neuraminidase, and N-glycosidase F but was cleaved by protease V8 to antigenic fragments of 22 kDa and 14 kDa. The synthesis of p105 was inhibited by cycloheximide. We conclude that p105 is a unique basement membrane component produced by both keratinocytes and fibroblasts.
Pubovesical ligament: A separate structure from the urethral supports (“pubo-urethral ligaments”)

The position and mobility of the vesical neck influences not only continence but also the initiation of micturition. During an examination of urethral topography, there appeared to be two structures running from the region around the vesical neck to the pelvic walls which might influence vesical neck function. These structures, the urethral supports (“pubo-urethral ligaments”) and pubovesical ligaments, have previously been considered to be synonymous terms for a single structure. To investigate this disparity, 1,500 serial histologic sections from eight normal cadavers were examined, 28 cadavers were dissected, and whole pelvis cross sections from an embalmed cadaver were studied. Our observations indicate that there are two structures which run from the region around the proximal urethra and vesical neck to attach to the pelvic walls. The pubovesical ligaments are an extension of the detrusor muscle and its adventitia. They attach to the pubic bone and arcus tendineus fasciae pelvis. Their structure suggests that they contract to assist in vesical neck opening but would be poorly suited to provide support for the proximal urethra. The other structures represent the urethral supports (“pubo-urethral ligaments”) which connect the vagina and periurethral tissues to the muscles of the pelvic diaphragm and to the pelvic fasciae. Their structure appears to be adequate to explain urethral support. There are, therefore, two structures running from the tissues around the vesical neck to the pelvic walls. The structure of the pubovesical ligament suggests that it could assist in vesical neck opening, and the urethral supports could determine urethral position.
Searle and his critics

The ensuing articles pose various challenges to Searle's thesis concerning social reality. Some exhibit misunderstandings; others identify inadequacies in the formulation of his thesis and failures...
Attributional and performance effects of competitive and individualistic feedback in computer-assisted mathematics instruction☆

Abstract This research is concerned with the effects of individualistic and competitive goal structures in a computer-assisted mathematics program. Fifty-two fourth and fifth grade students received either competitive feedback, individualistic feedback, or no feedback over a six week period. Data concerning students' attributions, locus of control, mathematics achievement, and rate of progress were collected. Results from this experiment show that males receiving competitive feedback performed better than females receiving competitive feedback, and females receiving individualistic feedback performed better than females receiving competitive feedback. Although the treatment did not have an effect on students' attributions, the attribution measures were found to account for a moderate portion of the variance in mathematics achievement and rate of progress. Results from the experiment were discussed in the context of instructional software inadvertently designed to stimulate the performance of males while inhibiting the performance of females.
Zirconia-metal (Al, Y, Ti) oxide nanolaminate films

Abstract Our work on ZrO 2 when this oxide is combined with other metal oxides in multilayer nanolaminate films is reviewed in this invited paper. ZrO 2 –Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 –Y 2 O 3 , and ZrO 2 –TiO 2 nanolaminates were studied. The films were grown by sequential sputter deposition of individual oxide layers from metal targets using radio-frequency-excited, O 2 -bearing discharges. As the thickness of individual layers decreases, interfaces play an increasingly important role in determining the nanolaminates' overall properties. These nanolaminates have different thermodynamic driving forces for interfacial cation mixing and interfacial atomic registry (heteroepitaxy or pseudomorphism). Three examples illustrate how strongly ZrO 2 growth is influenced by its partner metal oxide through different interfacial reactions. These examples are superplastic tetragonal ZrO 2 formation in ZrO 2 –Al 2 O 3 films, cubic (Zr,Y)-oxide formation in ZrO 2 –Y 2 O 3 films, and monoclinic (Zr,Ti)O 2 formation (occurring in nature only at high pressure) in ZrO 2 –TiO 2 films.
Language-related cognitive declines after left temporal lobectomy in children

Presented is a case series demonstrating that clinically significant language-related cognitive declines not detected by intelligence quotient (IQ) testing occur after left temporal lobectomy in school-aged children. In this series, comprehensive preoperative and postoperative neuropsychologic evaluations were completed in eight school-aged patients who underwent temporal lobectomy (five left, three right) for temporal lobe epilepsy. Mean age at surgery was 13 years, 11 months +/- 2 years, 1 month. Testing included measurement of IQ, verbal learning, naming, visual memory, sight word recognition, reading comprehension, and calculation. All five left temporal lobectomy patients demonstrated significant language-related cognitive declines on postoperative neuropsychologic testing, including deficits in verbal IQ (one patient), verbal learning (four patients), naming (one patient), and reading comprehension (one patient). These deficits were clinically evident in four of the five left temporal lobectomy patients, leading to declines in educational performance. IQ testing alone did not reliably identify these deficits. No significant declines were found after surgery in three right temporal lobectomy patients. Average or high preoperative functioning may have predisposed patients to postoperative deficits in this series, whereas magnetic resonance imaging or pathologic abnormalities did not protect against postoperative deficits. Outcome studies of temporal lobectomy in childhood should use comprehensive neuropsychologic testing to identify cognitive deficits.
The error associated with use of various forms of the divergence equation to diagnose geopotential and temperature

This study utilizes a model-generated data set to evaluate the errors associated with the diagnosis of geopotential height using three approximate forms of the divergence equation (DE). The DE was solved on the original sigma-coordinate surfaces of the model to exclude any error produced in the process of interpolating the data from observation points to the coordinate surface of the DE. An inviscid, nonlinear, divergent DE produced rms geopotential height errors as large as 3 m and rms temperature errors of over 26 C in the lower planetary boundary layer (PBL), with minimal errors above 800 mb. Elimination of the isobaric divergence in the velocity field caused additional height errors of 5-6 m and temperature errors of 0.4-1.2 C in the free troposphere. Use of a further-degraded DE without nonlinear terms caused height errors of 10-15 m in the upper troposphere with modestly increased temperature errors. Error fields at all levels had synoptic-scale features, with some mesoalpha structure. No spatial noise was apparent. Use of a temporal spectral filter to eliminate high-frequency modes from the model-generated data did not significantly influence the error associated with use of various forms of the DE.
Multidimensional spectral factorization

In this paper, we present a procedure for the spectral factorization of multidimensional spectral density functions. Properties of the multidimensional cepstrum are developed and used as a basis for the procedure. In analogy with Wiener's one-dimensional factorization, the resulting factors are stable and realizable (i.e., recursible). A numerical algorithm for performing the factorization is described, along with its use in obtaining unilateral representations of multidimensional random fields.
Cross-Sample Comparisons and External Validity

Experimentation is an increasingly popular method among political scientists. While experiments are highly advantageous for creating internally valid conclusions, they are often criticized for being low on external validity. Critical to questions of external validity are the types of subjects who participate in a given experiment, with scholars typically arguing that samples of adults are more externally valid then student samples. Despite the vociferousness of such arguments, these claims have received little empirical treatment. In this paper we empirically test for key differences between student and adult samples by conducting four parallel experiments on each of the three samples commonly used by political scientists. We find that our student and diverse, national adult sample behave consistently and in line with theoretical predictions once relevant moderators are taken into account. The same is not true for our adult convenience sample.
A Defense of the Whole-Brain Concept of Death

The concept of whole-brain death is under attack again. Scholars are arguing that the concept of brain death per se--regardless of the focus on "higher," "stem" or "whole"--is fundamentally flawed. These scholars have identified what they believe are serious discrepancies between the definition and criterion of brain death, and have pointed out that medical professionals and lay persons remain confused about its meaning. Yet whole-brain death remains the standard for determining death in much of the Western world and its defenders believe this concept best maps onto our everyday conception of death.
A Pattern Recognition Technique for Distinguishing Surface and Cloud Types in the Polar Regions

Abstract Measurement of polar cloud cover is important because of its strong radiative influence on the energy balance of the snow and ice surface. Conventional satellite cloud detection schemes often fail in the polar regions because the visible and thermal contrasts between cloud and surface are typically small. Nevertheless, experts looking at satellite imagery can distinguish clouds from the surface by examining the textural characteristics of the scene. This paper describes an automated pattern recognition algorithm winch identities regions of various surface and cloud types at high latitudes from visible, near-infrared, and infrared AVHRR satellite data. Five spectral features give information about the magnitude of albedos and brightness temperatures, while three textural features describe the variability and “bumpiness” in a scene. The maximum likelihood decision rule is used to classify that region into one of seven surface categories or 11 cloud categories. The algorithm was able to classify 870...
Sensitivity and specificity of standardized screens of cognitive impairment and dementia among elderly black and white community residents

Six standardized published measures of cognitive function were evaluated as screens of dementia in a sample of 164 (83 black, 81 white) community residents aged 65 and over selected from the Duke University EPESE (Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly), a biracial cohort of 4164 residents in a five county area of piedmont North Carolina. Of these 164 persons, 26 were subsequently diagnosed as demented. The weighted data from this sample represent the estimated performance of these measures among elderly blacks and whites in a five county area. The 6 measures evaluated in this study (specificity figures for blacks precede those for whites) were (1) Orientation-Memory-Concentration Test (38%, 79%), (2) Mental Status Questionnaire (71%, 96%), (3) Mini-Mental State (58%, 94%), (4) Storandt et al. Battery (42%, 69%), (5) Iowa Battery (26%, 69%) and (6) Kendrick Cognitive Tests (92%, 97%). All but the Kendrick Cognitive Tests showed substantial sensitivity (90-100%) in detecting the presence of dementia. The specificity of the tests was particularly poor for blacks. The briefer, simpler measures tended to have greater accuracy than the longer and more complex measures. With rare exceptions, the scores obtained on these screens correlated with race and education.
Exposure to Low pH Is Not Required for Penetration of Mosquito Cells by Sindbis Virus

It is widely held that the penetration of cells by alphaviruses is dependent on exposure to the acid environment of an endosome. The alphavirus Sindbis virus replicates in both vertebrate and invertebrate cell cultures. We have found that exposure to an acid environment may not be required for infection of cells of the insect host. In this work, we investigated the effects of two agents (NH(4)Cl and chloroquine), which raise the pH of intracellular compartments (lysosomotropic weak bases) on the infection and replication of Sindbis virus in cells of the insect host Aedes albopictus. The results show that both of these agents increase the pH of endosomes, as indicated by protection against diphtheria toxin intoxication. NH(4)Cl blocked the production of infectious virus and blocked virus RNA synthesis when added prior to infection. Chloroquine, in contrast to its effect on vertebrate cells, had no inhibitory effect on infectious virus production in mosquito cells even when added prior to infection. Treatment with NH(4)Cl did not prevent the penetration of virus RNA into the cell cytoplasm or translation of the RNA to produce a precursor to virus nonstructural proteins. These data suggest that while these two drugs raise the pH of endosomes, they do not block insect cell penetration. These data support previous results published by our laboratory suggesting that exposure to an acid environment within the cell may not be an obligatory step in the process of infection of cells by alphaviruses.
Reassessing the Ethical Importance of Efficacy and Autonomy in Optogenetics Trials

Gilbert, Harris, and Kapsa (2014) argue that “optogenetics requires a reassessment of the ethical challenges for protecting human participants in clinical trials, particularly at formative stages o...
The general Goldbach problem with Beatty primes

In this paper, we are concerned with the representation of large positive integers as the sum of a fixed number of prime numbers taken from Beatty sequences. We are able to avoid any conditions on the Beatty sequences that they be of finite type which have been required hitherto. We use a form of the Hardy–Littlewood–Vinogradov method, but the proofs are quite delicate.
TIME- AND POSITION-DEPENDENT SUPERCONDUCTIVITY

Anderson's time-dependent generalization of the BCS theory of superconductivity and Parmenter's position-dependent generalization have successfully been combined. The result is a powerful formalism which is capable of treating a number of previously intractable problems. The derived boundary conditions are consistent with but more general than the boundary conditions previously assumed by (1) Ginzburg and Landau, and (2) Parmenter. The formalism is strikingly analogous to "micromagnetics," the continuum theory of ferromagnetism in solids.
Probing small- x gluons by low-mass Drell-Yan pairs at colliders

The transverse-momentum (Q{sub T}) distribution of low-mass Drell-Yan pairs is calculated in QCD perturbation theory with all-order resummation of {alpha}{sub s}({alpha}{sub s} ln(Q{sub T}{sup 2}/Q{sup 2})){sup n} type terms. We demonstrate that the rapidity distribution of low-mass Drell-Yan pairs at large-enough transverse momentum is an advantageous source of constraints on the gluon distribution and its nuclear dependence. We argue that low-mass Drell-Yan pairs in the forward region provide a good and clean probe of small-x gluons at collider energies.
Molecular modulators of benzodiazepine receptor ligand binding

Ten derivatives of {beta}-carbolines with known affinities to the GABA{sub A}/BDZ (benzodiazepine) receptor were studied using the Am 1 and MNDO/H Semiempirical techniques to identify and characterize molecular modulators of receptor recognition. Steric, lipophilic, and electrostatic properties of these compounds were calculated and examined for their possible role in recognition. Particular attention was paid to the regions around the two most favorable proton-accepting sites, the ON and the substituent at the C{sub 3} position, already implicated in recognition, as well as to the acidic N9H group that could be a proton donating center. To probe further the role of these three ligand sites in receptor interactions, a model of the receptor using three methanol molecules was made and optimum interactions of these three sites with them characterized. The results indicate some similarity in the shape of these ligands, which could reflect a steric requirement. The receptor affinity appears to be modulated to some extent by the ratio of lipophilic to hydrophilic surface, the negative potential at the {beta}N, provided there is also one at the C{sub 3} substituent confirming the importance of two accepting sites in recognition. The acidic N9H does not appear to be a modulator of affinity ormore » does it form a stable H-bond with methanol as acceptor. The two proton donating molecules do form such a stable complex, and both are needed for high affinity.« less
Systems analysis of the hemodynamics in tetralogy of Fallot: based on Fortran IV computer simulation.

A hemodynamic model has been developed for the patient with tetralogy of Fallot based on electrical circuit analog and oxygen balance equations. A computer program has been written for the model in the Fortran IV computer language. With the computer model it has been possible to simulate the physiologic conditions during exercise, squatting and hypoxic episodes in tetralogy of Fallot. In addition, it has been possible to simulate the palliative effect of systemic-to-pulmonary shunt operations. Partial factorial analysis has been employed in the computer program to enable investigation of the physiologic interactions in tetralogy of Fallot. Graphical representations of the computer output are presented which demonstrate precise cause and effect relationships in exercise, squatting and hypoxic episodes. An explanation is advanced for the lack of correlation between resting arterial oxygen saturation and the incidence of hypoxic episodes.
DUAL CREDIT RESEARCH OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS

The senior year of high school has become identified as a national concern and issue. It has been studied by special education commissions, state education agencies and state legislative bodies. Dual credit and dual enrollment programs are expanding throughout the country to address this problem. This article addresses sample outcomes of success in some of the programs around the country. Dual credit and dual enrollment program development has now been identified in various forms in all 50 states.
Predictors of support to legalize a state lottery in Alabama counties.

In Alabama support for a lottery to fund education was correlated with indices of low income.
Going Public: A Cautionary Tale

A colleague who was participating in one of the many Darwin bicentennial events on university campuses this year recently asked me, “What was Fuller thinking?” In reply, I sent him a copy of Steve Fuller’s (2009) opinion piece, which had just come out in this journal. In it, Fuller attempts to explain why he decided to perform as an expert witness for the defense in Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District (US Federal Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2005). I doubt that his explanation put my colleague’s question to rest.
Expression, purification, and solubility optimization of peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase 1 from Bacillus cereus

Peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase 1 cleaves the ester bond of peptidyl-tRNA thereby recycling peptidyl-tRNAs generated from premature termination of translation and expression of minigenes and short ORFs. Bacterial Pth1 is essential, highly conserved, and has no essential eukaryotic homolog making it a good target for antibacterial development. Herein we describe the cloning of pth1 gene from Bacillus cereus as an N-terminal hexahistidine fusion protein. Solubility was optimized for overexpression in Escherichia coli. Purity greater than 95% was achieved in one chromatography step. Yields greater than 12mg of purified Pth1 per liter of minimal media were achieved and buffer conditions for long-term solubility were determined. Enzymatic activity of Pth1 from B. cereus was confirmed and quantification of Michaelis-Menten parameters reported.
Habitat, movements and environmental preferences of dusky sharks, Carcharhinus obscurus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico

The dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) is the largest member of the genus Carcharhinus and inhabits coastal and pelagic ecosystems circumglobally in temperate, subtropical and tropical marine waters. In the western North Atlantic Ocean (WNA), dusky sharks are overfished and considered vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. As a result, retention of dusky sharks in commercial and recreational fisheries off the east coast of the United States (US) and in the northern Gulf of Mexico is prohibited. Despite the concerns regarding the status of dusky sharks in the WNA, little is known about their habitat utilization. During the summers of 2008–2009, pop-up satellite archival tags were attached to ten dusky sharks (one male, nine females) at a location where they have been observed to aggregate in the north central Gulf of Mexico southwest of the Mississippi River Delta to examine their movement patterns and habitat utilization. All tags successfully transmitted data with deployment durations ranging from 6 to 124 days. Tag data revealed shark movements in excess of 200 km from initial tagging locations, with sharks primarily utilizing offshore waters associated with the continental shelf edge from Desoto Canyon to the Texas/Mexican border. While most sharks remained in US waters, one individual moved from the northern Gulf of Mexico into the Bay of Campeche off the coast of Mexico. Sharks spent 87 % of their time between 20 and 125 m and 83 % of their time in waters between 23 and 30 °C. Since dusky sharks are among the most vulnerable shark species to fishing mortality, there is a recovery plan in place for US waters; however, since they have been shown to make long-distance migrations, a multi-national management plan within the WNA may be needed to ensure the successful recovery of this population.
14 & 6/second positive spiking (ctenoids) in the electroencephalograms of primary school pupils

The electroencephalographic pattern of “14 & 6/second positive spikes” (ctenoids)has been correlated with a variety of symptoms, including vegetative dysfunction such as so-called abdominal epilepsy or migraine, and behavior disorders in children and adolescents. An unselected group of 118 pupils attending a day school was investigated. Of these, 55 per cent were found to produce one or more ctenoids in the EEG and the frequency of ctenoids diminished asymptotically with a limiting value of zero. No positive correlations were obtained between this EEG pattern and somatic or psychological complaints.
Corticotropin-releasing factor modulation of the ultrasonic vocalization rate of isolated rat pups.

Abstract The effect of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) on ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and other behaviors of isolated rat pups was examined at 5/6-, 9/10-, and 13/14-days. The hypothesis tested was that central CRF affects USV rate biphasically: as endogenous CRF increases from low basal levels it initiates USV production, but at higher levels CRF diminishes USV production. As predicted, the largest doses of CRF (0.1 and 1 μg) and of its antagonist alpha-helical CRF 9−41 (aH-CRF; 20 μg) administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) reduced USV rate compared to saline treatment during a 2-min isolation at ambient temperature in pups of all ages. Other behaviors were either unaffected or increased by drug treatment. Effects were not attributable to sedation or to a change in core temperature. Peripheral administration of 1 μg CRF or 20 μg aH-CRF had no effect. When isolation occurred in a heated chamber containing soiled bedding from the home cage to minimize baseline USV rate, ICV-CRF (0.001, 0.01, 0.1, or 1 μg) did not enhance the rate. The quieting ability of aH-CRF is evidence that central endogenous CRF enhances the rate of ongoing USVs during brief isolation; the quieting ability of CRF suggests that this peptide may also be responsible for the reduction in USV rate that normally occurs during more protracted isolation. However, CRF alone is not sufficient to induce vocalizing in quiet pups.
Racial Disparities in End-of-Life Planning and Services for Deceased Nursing Home Residents

Objective: This study examined the relationship between race and advance directives, hospice services, and hospitalization at the end of life among deceased nursing home residents. Design: Secondary data analysis using the 2007 Minimum Data Set (MDS) was used to identify nursing home residents who died during the year, as well as to explore relationships between race and the study variables of interest. Setting: US nursing homes certified for Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement were included in the study. Participants: Nursing home residents 65 years of age and older who had a completed MDS full assessment and one quarterly assessment, and died while residing in the facility during 2007. Measurements: MDS documentation of advance directive measures, hospice use, and hospitalizations were assessed for white, black, Hispanic, and Asian residents with linear regression models fitted to each dependent variable (outcome) with “race” as the main predictor. Results: Across different types of advance directives, black, Hispanic, and Asian nursing home residents were significantly less likely to have these documented in their files. Compared with white residents, Asian residents were also significantly less likely to receive hospice services during their last year of life, whereas Hispanic residents were more likely to receive services. Finally, all racial groups were more likely to experience hospitalization within 90 days before death, regardless of whether they had documentation of a do not hospitalize order. Conclusion: As the racial profile of nursing home residents becomes more diverse, recognizing differences in end-of-life planning and treatment preferences, as well as the implementation of tailored programs for specific groups, will continue to increase in importance.
Measurement of Multiple ψ Torsion Angles in Uniformly 13C,15N-Labeled α-Spectrin SH3 Domain Using 3D 15N−13C−13C−15N MAS Dipolar-Chemical Shift Correlation Spectroscopy

We demonstrate the simultaneous measurement of several backbone torsion angles psi in the uniformly (13)C,(15)N-labeled alpha-Spectrin SH3 domain using two different 3D 15N-13C-13C-15N dipolar-chemical shift magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR experiments. The first NCCN experiment utilizes double quantum (DQ) spectroscopy combined with the INADEQUATE type 13C-13C chemical shift correlation. The decay of the DQ coherences formed between 13C'(i) and 13C(alphai) spin pairs is determined by the "correlated" dipolar field due to 15N(i)-13C(alphai) and 13C'(i)-15N(i+1) dipolar couplings and is particularly sensitive to variations of the torsion angle in the regime |psi| > 140 degrees. However, the ability of this experiment to constrain multiple psi-torsion angles is limited by the resolution of the 13C(alpha)-(13)CO correlation spectrum. This problem is partially addressed in the second approach described here, which is an NCOCA NCCN experiment. In this case the resolution is enhanced by the superior spectral dispersion of the 15N resonances present in the 15N(i+1)-13C(alphai) part of the NCOCA chemical shift correlation spectrum. For the case of the 62-residue alpha-spectrin SH3 domain, we determined 13 psi angle constraints with the INADEQUATE NCCN experiment and 22 psi constraints were measured in the NCOCA NCCN experiment.
Subsidization of higher education versus expansion of primary enrollments: What can a shift of resources achieve in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Abstract In many LDCs today, the distribution of public resources for education tends to be inefficient and inequitable in that subsidization often increases rather than decreases with the level of education. To improve efficiency and equity, a shift of resources from higher to primary education should therefore be considered. Such a shift would obviously imply an increase in the private cost of higher education, but its effect could be mitigated through a loan scheme. In this paper, our main purpose is to show what a cut in subsidies to higher education can achieve in terms of expanding primary enrollments. The results show that although the outcome differs from country to country, such a cut would permit a sizable increase in primary enrollments in Sub-Saharan Africa, and especially in Francophone countries. Despite its effectiveness, however, reduction in higher education subsidies alone is unlikely to overcome all the obstacles faced by the poorest countries to attaining universal primary education. Our results only argue that it should be considered as part of the policy package directed towards this goal.
Assembling Fordizm: The Production of Automobiles, Americans, and Bolsheviks in Detroit and Early Soviet Russia

The expansion of the Ford Motor Company into Soviet Russia has been understood as part of a unidirectional spread of American economic power and cultural forms abroad following the First World War. This essay looks beyond the automobiles and manufacturing methods sent from Ford facilities in Detroit to the emerging Soviet automobile industry to examine multidirectional migrations of workers between Russia and the United States that underlay but sometimes collided with Ford's system. Workers, managers, engineers, and cultural, technical, and disciplinary knowledge moved back and forth between factories in Soviet Russia and the United States. Efforts to define, track, and shape workers in both countries as Americans, Russians, or Bolsheviks were integral to the construction of the products and methods that Ford sold. But many workers fell in between and contested these classifications and they often defied company attempts to create an efficient and homogeneous American workforce. In Russia, too, more than Soviet and American automobiles were produced: people and ideas were created that crossed and blurred boundaries between “American” and “Soviet.” There, “Fordizm” became a popular watchword among Soviet commentators and workers as a near-synonym for industrialization, mass production, and efficiency. Many saw it as a potentially valuable component of a new socialist world. These multidirectional movements, recorded in Ford Motor Company archives and related documents, suggest that rather than separate and alternative projects, Ford's burgeoning system to transform manufacturing and workers' lives in Detroit was linked to the Soviet revolutionary project to recreate life and work.
The use and misuse of androgens

Because testosterone is rapidly metabolized by the liver, it is necessary either to administer androgens by injection in the form of testosterone esters that are absorbed slowly into the circulation or to administer by mouth derivatives that are slowly metabolized by the liver. The later derivatives, however, have deleterious side effects that limit their usefulness. Long-acting parenteral androgen esters are the treatment of choice in the replacement therapy of male hypogonadism. Because these esters must be hydrolyzed to the free hormone prior to exerting their cellular actions the effectiveness of therapy can be monitored by following plasma testosterone levels. All known effects of the endogenous hormone can be duplicated except for the induction and maintenance of normal spermatogenesis. Androgens have been tried in a variety of clinical situations other than male hypogonadism in the hopes that the nonvirilizing actions would outweigh any detectable side effects. The only disorders in which a salutary effect has been documented are hereditary angioneurotic edema and some patients with anemia due to failure off the bone marrow.
Munin: A Peer-to-Peer Middleware for Ubiquitous Analytics and Visualization Spaces

We present Munin, a software framework for building ubiquitous analytics environments consisting of multiple input and output surfaces, such as tabletop displays, wall-mounted displays, and mobile devices. Munin utilizes a service-based model where each device provides one or more dynamically loaded services for input, display, or computation. Using a peer-to-peer model for communication, it leverages IP multicast to replicate the shared state among the peers. Input is handled through a shared event channel that lets input and output devices be fully decoupled. It also provides a data-driven scene graph to delegate rendering to peers, thus creating a robust, fault-tolerant, decentralized system. In this paper, we describe Munin’s general design and architecture, provide several examples of how we are using the framework for ubiquitous analytics and visualization, and present a case study on building a Munin assembly for multidimensional visualization. We also present performance results and anecdotal user feedback for the framework that suggests that combining a service-oriented, data-driven model with middleware support for data sharing and event handling eases the design and execution of high performance distributed visualizations.
Integrative Technology for the Twenty‐First Century

Presented is the concept of Integrative Technology, the intersection of the precision assembly of matter (nanotechnology), coupled with the functional building blocks of nature (biotechnology), and fused by the network flow of spatiotemporal information (informatics). The power of Integrative Technology is illuminated through an illustrative example; the engineering of nano-sized excitable vesicles with the ability to intrinsically process information. The fusion of the tools of nanotechnology and biotechnology to produce excitable vesicles is described, as is the mechanics of information flow that ultimately lead to the manifestations of emergent higher-order behavior. Finally, the potential of using systems engineered and produced from nanoscale components to create complex systems and materials that manifest embedded functional behavior is discussed.
Intracaval and Intracardiac Metastatic Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumor: A Rare Cause of Hemolytic Anemia and Thrombocytopenia

Intracaval and intracardiac nonseminomatous germ cell tumor metastases although rare have been previously reported in the literature. Most cases arise as a result of direct hematogenous spread via invasion of the internal spermatic vein, or from lymphatic venous shunting. We report a unique case of disseminated testicular germ cell tumor that presented with extensive intracaval and intracardiac metastatic teratoma and with valvular involvement. These findings were heralded by the presence of a new cardiac murmur, anemia, and severe thrombocytopenia. Resection of the intracardiac mass, prompted by rapid tumor progression despite treatment with systemic chemotherapy, demonstrated mature teratoma and resulted in prompt normalization of the patients hematologic profile.
PAYMENTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINANCE IN PRE-INDUSTRIAL EUROPE

The principal driving force in the development of the financial system of preindustrial Europe was not lending per se, but payments. Trade among strangers required the development of methods of payment that did not require mutual acquaintance and trust. The two principal financial innovations of pre-industrial Europe—the deposit bank and the bill of exchange—evolved to address this need. Lending initially developed as an adjunct to the payments system and then expanded to fill other functions.
Sialic-acid-binding lectin from the slug Limax flavus Cloning, expression of the polypeptide, and tissue localization

A cDNA library of Limax flavus was constructed and screened for sialic-acid-specific lectins. Complementary DNA clones were categorized into seven groups corresponding to closely related but different sequences. Group 1 clones contained an ORF encoding 199 amino acids including a sequence identical to the partial amino acid sequence obtained from the lectin protein. Within its 1074-bp 3' untranslated region, ten closely related 60-bp sequence repeats were found. Group 2 clones contained an ORF encoding a polypeptide chain of the same number of amino acid residues, with 89.1% overall identity to that of the group 1 and eight 60-bp repeat sequences in the 3' untranslated region. The remaining groups of clones contained ORF with highly similar full or partial sequences, with or without 60 bp repeats in the 3' untranslated region. The large number of closely related but different cDNA clones obtained indicated that the slug sialic-acid-specific lectin gene is a member of a multigene family. The lectin amino acid sequence showed significant similarity with the fibrinogen domain of human tenascin-C, with a human C-type serum lectin, and with pig ficolin. Immunostaining analysis of slug tissue for the lectin indicated that it is present primarily on the epidermal surface and in mucous glands. Recombinant slug lectin protein lacking the 20-amino-acid N-terminal signal sequence produced in a bacterial expression system from a group-1 clone accumulated as aggregates in inclusion bodies, suggesting that large-scale production of the active agglutinin may be possible.
A system-level design methodology for reconfigurable computing applications

Reconfigurable computers (RCs) can leverage the synergism between conventional processors and FPGAs by combining the flexibility of traditional microprocessors with the parallelism of hardware and reconfigurability of FPGAs. However, there exist multiple challenges that must be resolved to be able to develop efficient applications for reconfigurable computing systems. One of these challenges is the lack of formal modeling/design methodology. This work, addresses the need for a formal design methodology. In particular, a structured design life-cycle, which can be applied at the reconfigurable computing systems rather than at the chip-level as it has been traditionally the case, is conceptually proposed, formally modeled and experimentally verified.
Methods for identifying higher-order chromatin structure.

Eukaryotic genomic DNA is combined with histones, nonhistone proteins, and RNA to form chromatin, which is extensively packaged hierarchically to fit inside a cell’s nucleus. The nucleosome—comprising a histone octamer with 147 base pairs of DNA wrapped around it—is the initial level and the repeating unit of chromatin packaging, which electron microscopy first made visible to the human eye as “beads on a string” nearly four decades ago. The mechanism and nature of chromatin packaging are still under intense research. Recently, classic methods like chromatin immunoprecipitation and digestion with deoxyribonuclease and micrococcal nuclease have been combined with high-throughput sequencing to provide detailed nucleosome occupancy maps, and chromosome conformation capture and its variants have revealed that higher-order chromatin structure involves long-range loop formation between distant genomic elements. This review discusses the methods for identifying higher-order chromatin structure and the information they have provided on this important topic.
Self-Powered Rectifier for Energy Harvesting Applications

In this paper, a self-powered rectifier is proposed with an intended application in energy harvesting systems and wireless sensor networks. Key points in the design of the rectifier are discussed as well as practical limitations of the circuit. The proposed self-powered rectifier was designed and fabricated in a standard 0.5-μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process using standard components and poly-poly capacitors. Measurement results are presented for single and four-stage rectifiers with resistive loads from 10 kΩ to 10 MΩ and sinusoidal input amplitudes from 100-1000 mVpk. For the specified input and loading conditions, the maximum measured output voltages for the proposed single stage and four-stage rectifiers were 0.8 and 3.5 V, respectively.
Discerning suicide notes causality using fuzzy cognitive maps

An important question is how to determine if a person is exhibiting suicidal tendencies in behavior, speech, or writing. This paper demonstrates a method of analyzing written material to determine whether or not a person is suicidal. The method involves an analysis of word frequencies that are used in a fuzzy cognitive map. The fuzzy cognitive map determines if there are suicidal tendencies. The method could have substantial potential in suicide prevention as well as in other forms of sociological behavior studies that also might exhibit their own identifying patterns.
Work in progress - introducing usability concepts in early phases of software development

Usability is critical for the success of interactive software systems. However, usability evaluation is rarely taught as an indispensable element of the development process in software design courses. On analyzing usability errors students made in their programming projects, we found some usability errors, although revealed via the visual design of a user interface, resulting from earlier design decisions. It is beneficial to introduce usability concepts in early phases of software development. In this paper, we present an approach to integrating usability evaluation into behavioral modeling for interactive systems. Early usability evaluation is intended to help students obtain a better understanding on usability and encourage them to make conscious effort in seeking usability throughout the development process
Continuing inflation at Three Sisters volcanic center, central Oregon Cascade Range, USA, from GPS, leveling, and InSAR observations

Uplift of a broad area centered ~6 km west of the summit of South Sister volcano started in September 1997 (onset estimated from model discussed in this paper) and was continuing when surveyed in August 2006. Surface displacements were measured whenever possible since August 1992 with satellite radar interferometry (InSAR), annually since August 2001 with GPS and leveling surveys, and with continuous GPS since May 2001. The average maximum displacement rate from InSAR decreased from 3–5 cm/yr during 1998–2001 to ~1.4 cm/yr during 2004–2006. The other datasets show a similar pattern, i.e., surface uplift and extension rates decreased over time but deformation continued through August 2006. Our best-fit model to the deformation data is a vertical, prolate, spheroidal point-pressure source located 4.9–5.4 km below the surface. The source inflation rate decreased exponentially during 2001–2006 with a 1/e decay time of 5.3 ± 1.1 years. The net increase in source volume from September 1997 to August 2006 was 36.5–41.9 x 106 m3. A swarm of ~300 small (M max = 1.9) earthquakes occurred beneath the deforming area in March 2004; no other unusual seismicity has been noted. Similar deformation episodes in the past probably would have gone unnoticed if, as we suspect, most are small intrusions that do not culminate in eruptions.