cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE RÓLE OF STREPTOCOCCI IN EXPERIMENTAL POLIOMYELITIS OF THE MONKEY

It is the opinion of Bull, that the streptococci recovered from poliomyelitic tissues, while having no etiological or pathological relationship to the virus of poliomyelitis, occur as secondary invaders in the disease. Smillie and Amoss indicated that the bacteria may be agonal invaders. The results of the experiments reported in this paper point to another source of the streptococci. They occur as contaminants which are introduced into the cultures during the process of grinding tissues. The source of the streptococcus may therefore be the air of the place in which the cultures are made. We have come to this conclusion because first, the tissues of which cultures yielded streptococci were derived from a number of monkeys with experimental poliomyelitis still in a vigorous state. Secondly, when the tissues were ground bacteria were noted much more frequently in their cultures than in those in which fragments of the same brains were used. Thirdly, microorganisms occurred more often in cultures made in the routine laboratory than in a special room where asepsis was carried to the extreme of a major surgical operation on man. Fourthly, streptococci were obtained from the air of the places where cultures were made. Finally, there is no correlation between the cultures of two portions of the same brain. The streptococci occurred in some cultures in pure growth and in others admixed with other ordinary species of bacteria. The latter were often found, in turn, in pure culture and what applies to streptococci, as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, applies equally to the staphylococci, diphtheroids, spore-bearing rods, and other miscellaneous, familiar microorganisms. We could not determine that there exists any etiological relation of the streptococci to poliomyelitis. The fermentation reactions of the microorganisms obtained from the air, from non-poliomyelitic and poliomyelitic monkey brains indicate that bacteria from any of these sources are markedly different. So also with the serological reactions of agglutination and precipitation. Furthermore no agglutination was observed when the serum of monkeys convalescent from experimental poliomyelitis was mixed with any of the streptococci recovered or those received directly or indirectly from Rosenow. Moreover, the intracerebral injection with cultures, irrespective of their source, induced in rabbits a purulent type of meningoencephalitis, often associated with streptococcic septicemia. This result is at marked variance with any known effects of the true filtrable virus of poliomyelitis in man and in the monkey.
My Sister’s Keeper : An Innovative Interprofessional Ethics Teaching and Learning Strategy for Nursing and Social Work Students

BACKGROUND The following describes results of an innovative, online, interprofessional (IP) ethics assignment designed to evaluate students’ application of ethical and moral theory and professional codes of ethics. After viewing the video, My Sister’s Keeper (Johnson & Goldman [Producers], Cassavetes [Director], 2009), students explored the ethics of genetic selection, personal/professional values and the utility of their respective professional codes of ethics directed toward evolving genetic innovations. METHODS Using an online course platform, Nursing (RN-to-BSN) and Master of Social Work students from one Midwestern university, organized into IP groups, responded to required prompts. Researchers employed narrative content analysis in the identification of themes. RESULTS Four ethical themes emerged (genetic engineering; informed consent if minors vs. parental rights; quality vs. quantity of life; and self-determination). Students perceived their disciplinary codes of ethics provided limited guidance when dealing with complex ethical decision making and noted the value of consultation with colleagues when grappling with complex ethical issues such as outlined in My Sister’s Keeper. CONCLUSION Student reflections supported similarities and differences in their identification of themes based upon disciplinary training. Primacy of client interests guided student responses, reflected in each discipline’s code of ethics. disciplinary training. Primacy of client interests guided student responses, reflected in each discipline’s code of ethics.
Effect of low-temperature rolling on the tensile behavior of commercially pure tungsten

Abstract We have evaluated the tensile behavior of commercially pure tungsten (W) as a function of low-temperature rolling. It is observed that rolling below the nominal recrystallization temperature 1523 K (1250 °C) concomitantly enhances the ductility and strength of W. Strain-rate jump tests and stress-relaxation experiments show that low-temperature rolling also renders reduced strain-rate sensitivity and activation volumes associated with the plastic deformation of W. For W samples rolled at 873 K (600 °C), with a total equivalent strain of ∼2.5 (including a previous rolling strain of 1.7 introduced at 1073 K [800 °C]), the activation volume for plastic deformation is around 10b3 (b is the magnitude of the Burgers vector of W). This is in agreement with a double-kink mechanism with the spreading between the kinks controlled by the forest dislocation density. Fractographic observations indicate that the rolled W exhibits a laminar structure. The layer thickness is a function of rolling temperature, rather than a function of rolling strain introduced.
Completing information on a high-energy strong-interaction reaction

In view of the extensive use made recently of the set of measurements of p-p elastic scattering at 6 GeV/c to test various dynamical features of strong interactions, detailed procedures are formulated for extending the presently available data set to make it completely free of even discrete ambiguities (except for the unobservable overall phase factor). It is shown that the measurement of one properly selected additional observable can yield such a fully unambiguous determination of the reaction amplitudes.
Effect of Mg on the microstructure and properties of TiAl alloys

Abstract The effect of Mg on the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiAl– x Mg ( x =0, 0.5, 1.0 at.%) alloys was studied. The microstructures were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Tensile test were conducted at room-temperature and at 900 °C in air and creep test were performed at 800 °C under a stress level of 240 MPa in air. The results show that the addition of Mg led to a grain refinement in the Ti 52 Al 48 –0.5Mg and Ti 52 Al 48 –1.0Mg, and led to a formation of Mg-rich phase within the matrix or at the grain boundaries. This latter phase exhibited either nanometer-sized grains or was amorphous. Compared with the binary TiAl alloy, the yield and ultimate tensile strengths of the Ti 52 Al 48 –0.5Mg alloy at room- and elevated-temperature were higher, a result of the grain-refinement strengthening and solid-solution strengthening of Mg, but an addition of 1.0 at.% Mg resulted in a decrease in the tensile strengths at room- and elevated-temperature of the Ti 52 Al 48 –1.0Mg. This is attributed to the presence of the Mg-rich particles at the grain boundaries, causing intergranular failure at room- and elevated-temperature. Compared with the binary alloy, addition of Mg to TiAl at both the 0.5 and 1.0 at.% levels increased the creep-rupture-life under conditions of 800 °C/240 MPa.
Radiometal-Labeled Agents (Non-Technetium) for Diagnostic Imaging

The use of radiometal-labeled small complexes and biomolecules as diagnostic agents is a relatively new area of medical research. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the use of nuclear technology for medical purposes began, with nuclear reactors, accelerators, and cyclotrons being applied to medical isotope production. In 1959, Brookhaven National Laboratory developed the 99Mo/99mTc generator,1 and in 1964 the first 99mTc radiotracers were developed at the University of Chicago.2 Research into 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals was the beginning of the study of coordination chemistry as it relates to diagnostic imaging. Although 99mTc is the most widely used radionuclide for diagnostic imaging,3-5 a myriad of other radiometals have been or are being investigated for their uses in nuclear medicine. This review will discuss the non-technetium-labeled radiometal-labeled agents used in gamma scintigraphy and positron emission tomography (PET).
Differential effects of phorbol ester on the β-adrenergic response of normal and ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells

Abstract The basal and isoproterenol stimulated levels of cyclic AMP in NIH3T3 and H- ras transformed NIH3T3 cells were equivalent. In exponentially growing cells, the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-acetate (TAP) inhibited the β-adrenergic response of NIH3T3 cells, but not of the ras -transformed line. Another line of NIH3T3 cells transformed by a non- ras gene exhibited the normal loss of β-adrenergic response by the tumor promoter. These results are consistent with a role for p21 in signal transduction related to the effects of TPA.
Interspecific nutrient transfer in a tallgrass prairie plant community

Interplant nutrient transfer may be an important ecological process in grasslands, and may significantly influence plant neighborhood interactions. We investigated the potential for phosphorus transfer between the dominant grass Andropogon gerardii and several neighboring plant species in tallgrass prairie via a field 32P04 labelling experiment. The mean amount of 32p received from donor shoots differed significantly among neighboring species and decreased with increasing distance from the donor. In general, forbs and cool-season C3 grasses received more labelled 32P than warm-season C4 grasses. Phosphorus transfer occurred over distances up to 0.5 m. The effects of species and distance on movement of phosphorus changed with increasing time after labelling. The relative mass of receiver and donor shoots did not affect amounts of 32p transfer. A benomyl fungicide treatment, applied to suppress mycorrhizal activity, likely did not affect existing vegetative hyphae and did not affect the amount of 32P transferred. These studies demonstrate that: (1) phosphorus is transferred among neighboring species in tallgrass prairie plant communities, (2) phosphorus may be transferred over significantly greater distances than reported in other grasslands, and (3) there is differential transfer among co-occurring species. Hypothesized mechanisms accounting for these patterns in tallgrass prairie include mycorrhizal hyphal interconnections and/or extensive and differential root and rhizosphere overlap among neighboring species.
THERMOBIOLOGY AND HOST SWAPPING IN MALARIA

![Figure][1] Mechanisms of temperature adaptation in eukaryotes have been extensively studied during constant temperature acclimation, but relatively little is known about how organisms cope with life in fluctuating thermal environments. For free-living organisms, fluctuations may occur over
Purification and properties of a light-inducible nuclease from Euglena gracilis.

Abstract The nuclease described by Carell, E.F., Egan, J.M. and Pratt, E.A. [Arch. Biochem. Biophys. (1970) 138, 26-31] has been purified 1000-fold from Euglena gracilis strain Z. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of both polyribonucleotides and polydeoxyribonucleotides. The relative rates of hydrolysis of synthetic and natural polynucleotides was found to be: poly (U) 100, poly (dT) 33, denatured calf-thymus DNA 33, yeast tRNA 9, E. coli total RNA 6, poly (dA dT) 5, poly (A) less than 1, poly (C) less than .05, and poly (G) less than .05. The enzyme attacks polynucleotides in an endonucleolytic fashion, yielding products terminated with a 3'-phosphate. Poly (U) appears to be hydrolyzed completely to 3'-UMP; both RNA and DNA appear to have some phosphodiester bonds resistant to enzyme catalyzed hydrolysis. Because of its mode of action and its inducibility by light, we propose the name endonuclease L for this enzyme.
Infants of borderline viability: The ethics of delivery room care

For more than half a century neonatologists and ethicists alike have struggled with ethical dilemmas surrounding infants born at the limits of viability. Both doctors and parents face difficult decisions. Do we try to save these babies, knowing that such efforts are likely to be unsuccessful? Or do we provide only comfort care, knowing that, in doing so, you will inevitably allow some babies to die who might have been saved? In this paper, we review the outcome data on these babies and offer ten suggestions for doctors: (1) accept that there is a 'gray zone' during which decisions are not black and white; (2) do not place too much emphasis on gestational age; (3) dying is generally not in an infant's best interest; (4) impairment does not necessarily equal poor quality of life; (5) just because the train has left the station doesn't mean you can't get off; (6) respect powerful emotions; (7) be aware of the self-fulfilling prophecies; (8) time lag likely skews all outcome data; (9) statistics can be both confused and confusing; (10) never abandon parents.
Gender and climate justice

The authors look at how to bridge the gap between science, technology and social justice in their examination of the gender dimension of climate change. The authors argue for the need to understand in both analysis and policy the profound link between gender and climate change. They ask in the context of the current search for ecologically justice how to take a nuanced gender approach to in sustainable development policy. The authors conclude that effective and enduring solutions to climate change will have to come from those who have protected the environment – indigenous peoples, women, peasant and family farmers, fisherfolk, forest dependent communities, youth and marginalised communities in the global South and North.
Effects of Aminoglutethimide Upon Adrenal Function and Cortisol Metabolism in Cushing's Syndrome

ABSTRACT The effects of aminoglutethimide upon adrenal cortical function have been investigated in 3 patients with Cushing's syndrome. One of them harbored a pulmonary oat cell carcinoma which was secreting an ACTH-like substance. Two other patients had nontumorous adrenal cortical hyperfunction. In the first individual, aminoglutethimide induced temporary inhibition of cortisol secretion. In the second patient, the drug reduced cortisol secretion and urinary 17-OHCS but plasma 17-OHCS did not change. In the third patient, the drug induced a fall in urinary 17-OHCS without change in either cortisol secretion or plasma 17-OHCS. A control subject without Cushing's syndrome, similarly treated, exhibited the same response as the third patient. Transient natruresis occurred in 3 of the 4 subjects studied. In 2 of the 3 individuals with Cushing's syndrome, a transient suppression of aldosterone excretion was observed. The data suggest that aminoglutethimide does not effectively suppress adrenal cortical functio...
Larval development of the Patagonian brotula Cataetyx messieri (Pisces, Bythitidae) from fjords of southern Chile

Larvae of Cataetyx messieri (Bythitidae) are described from 14 individuals (12� 3–27� 9 mm body length) collected in deep fjords and channels of the inland sea of southern Chile (41–55° S), between 137 and 604 m depth. The larvae are elongate, with a large, flattened mouth and a coiled gut. They are lightly pigmented and show three distinctive features: a band of melanophores from the snout to the opercle, melanophores spread over the dorsolateral surface of the stomach and the intestine and a band of melanophores on both dorsal and ventral margins of the tip of the tail and adjacent finfold.
Deconvolution as a feasible alternative to the root-sum-squares rule for non-Gaussian transition duration analysis

A 100-ps Debye line filter is analyzed for transition duration using both deconvolution and root-sum-squares methods. The latter method shows errors of ±12 percent for the cases presented, while deconvolution agrees to within 0.3 percent of the theoretical filter model. In addition, the deconvoluted Debye filter waveform matches the theoretical step response to within less than 1 percent at all points in a 500-ps time epoch.
Transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring to avoid hypercapnia during complex catheter ablations: a feasibility study

The aim of this study was to determine if transcutaneous CO2 monitoring (TCO2) is feasible to avoid hypercapnia during complex catheter ablation. Cumulative analgesic and anxiolytic effects during complex catheter ablation can rarely provoke hypoventilation and respiratory complications. End tidal CO2 monitors have limitations in non-ventilated patients, and frequent arterial blood gas sampling is impractical. Consecutive patients undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) received continuous TCO2 monitoring. Procedural evaluation of TCO2 was performed concomitantly with point-of-care arterial blood gas testing. Endpoints included PCO2 protocol feasibility, TCO2/PCO2 agreement, and avoidance of hypercapnia-related procedural complications. Fifty patients [AF n = 36 (72 %), VT n = 14 (28 %)] underwent catheter ablation (mean 221.7 ± 57.0 min duration, median 41.4 ± 21.1 min fluoroscopy) in which 6.0 ± 2.6 mg midazolam and 449 ± 225.5 mcg of fentanyl were administered. Monitoring protocol implementation was feasible in 50/50 (100 %) cases. Protocol-driven anesthesia consultation avoided an unplanned intubation in 1 case (2 %) and there was only 1 unplanned intubation (2 %) for oxygen desaturation due to heart failure without hypercapnia during a VT ablation (TCO2/PCO2 agreement 3 h: 1/3 (33 %) < 5 mmHg, 2/3 (66 %) < 10 mmHg]. Transcutaneous CO2 monitoring is feasible during complex catheter ablation and correlates with invasively obtained data. However, further development is needed to achieve the desired level of agreement.
American Religious History—Decentered with Many Centers

This panel poses the question, “Is there a center to American religious history?” We historians live in a world and work in a period when the politically correct answer to the question is, “Of course not!” In this day of decentered religious historiography the celebration of radical diversity seems to prohibit any other response. In our publications and teaching we set out to expose readers and students to the rich religious pluralism in America. We catalogue the traditions that reach back to colonial times, the communities that filled out the wider spectrum of religious options during the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, and the new religious movements that have appeared since the midpoint of the past century. One publication that provides a contemporary index to this inclusive catalogical approach is J. Gordon Mellon's Encyclopedia of American Religions , which in its fifth edition filled 1,150 pages with data regarding more than 2,100 discrete religious organizations in America, from the Aaronic Order to the Zoroastrian Associations in North America.
Model Selection and Accounting for Model Uncertainty in Graphical Models Using Occam's Window

Abstract We consider the problem of model selection and accounting for model uncertainty in high-dimensional contingency tables, motivated by expert system applications. The approach most used currently is a stepwise strategy guided by tests based on approximate asymptotic P values leading to the selection of a single model; inference is then conditional on the selected model. The sampling properties of such a strategy are complex, and the failure to take account of model uncertainty leads to underestimation of uncertainty about quantities of interest. In principle, a panacea is provided by the standard Bayesian formalism that averages the posterior distributions of the quantity of interest under each of the models, weighted by their posterior model probabilities. Furthermore, this approach is optimal in the sense of maximizing predictive ability. But this has not been used in practice, because computing the posterior model probabilities is hard and the number of models is very large (often greater than 1...
Comparison of the Activity of a Human Simulated, High-Dose, Prolonged Infusion of Meropenem against Klebsiella pneumoniae Producing the KPC Carbapenemase versus That against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an In Vitro Pharmacodynamic Model

We have previously demonstrated that a high-dose, prolonged-infusion meropenem regimen (2 g every 8 h [q8h]; 3-hour infusion) can achieve 40% free drug concentration above the MIC against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MICs of ≤16 μg/ml. The objective of this experiment was to compare the efficacy of this high-dose, prolonged-infusion regimen against carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates with the efficacy against P. aeruginosa isolates having similar meropenem MICs. An in vitro pharmacodynamic model was used to simulate human serum concentrations. Eleven genotypically confirmed K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing isolates and six clinical P. aeruginosa isolates were tested for 24 h, and time-kill curves were constructed. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to verify meropenem concentrations in each experiment. Meropenem achieved a rapid ≥3 log CFU reduction against all KPC isolates within 6 h, followed by regrowth in all but two isolates. The targeted %fT>MIC (percent time that free drug concentrations remain above the MIC) exposure was achieved against both of these KPC isolates (100% fT>MIC versus MIC = 2 μg/ml, 75% fT>MIC versus MIC = 8 μg/ml). Against KPC isolates with MICs of 8 and 16 μg/ml that did regrow, actual meropenem exposures were significantly lower than targeted due to rapid in vitro hydrolysis, whereby targeted %fT>MIC was reduced with each subsequent dosing. In contrast, a ≥3 log CFU reduction was maintained over 24 h for all Pseudomonas isolates with meropenem MICs of 8 and 16 μg/ml. Although KPC and P. aeruginosa isolates may share similar meropenem MICs, the differing resistance mechanisms produce discordant responses to a high-dose, prolonged infusion of meropenem. Thus, predicting the efficacy of an antimicrobial regimen based on MIC may not be a valid assumption for KPC-producing organisms.
URBAN POVERTY AFTER THE TRULY DISADVANTAGED : The Rediscovery of the Family, the Neighborhood, and Culture

▪ Abstract In what follows we critically assess a selection of the works on urban poverty that followed the publication of WJ Wilson's The Truly Disadvantaged (1987), with a particular focus on the family, the neighborhood, and culture. We frame our discussion by assessing the broad explanations of the increased concentration of poverty in urban neighborhoods characteristic of the 1970s and 1980s. Then, in the section on the family, we address the rising out-of-wedlock and disproportionately high teenage birthrates of poor urban women. Next, we critique the literature on neighborhood effects. Finally, in the discussion of culture, we examine critically the new efforts at complementing structural explanations with cultural accounts. We conclude by calling for more comparative, cross-regional, and historical studies, broader conceptions of urban poverty, and a greater focus on Latinos and other ethnic groups.
Focus on butterfly eyespot development

The beautiful eyespot patterns on the wings of butterflies help them to evade predators, but they also present biologists with a unique opportunity to investigate the reciprocal interactions of development and evolution.
Cultura, identidad y poder en las representaciones del pasado: El caso de los zapotecos serranos del norte de Oaxaca, México

Indigenous peoples’ historical memory has been linked to colonial political institutions and to institutions that have taken part in the construction of the contemporary State. Indigenous peoples have nonetheless reformulated these institutions to shape social memories and alternative identities. By creating local hegemonies, and on the basis of their historical experience of exploitation and oppression, they have generated new political and cultural forms in order to construct alternative social projects and claim their rights.
Sonic Injection into a Mach 5.0 Freestream Through Diamond Orifices

An experimental study to characterize the near-field (x/d<8.0) flow for sonic air injection through 15-deg half-angle diamond-shaped orifices at four incidence angles (10, 27.5, 45, and 90 deg) and two total pressures (0.10 and 0.46 MPa) into a high Reynolds number (53 x 10 6 ) Mach 5.0 freestream was performed. A 90-deg circular injector, with the same exit port area and total pressures, was examined for comparative purposes. The experimental methods included surface oil flow visualization, shadowgraph photography, Mie scattering flow visualization, pressure-sensitive paint, and a pitot-cone five-hole pressure probe. Flowfield documentation, jet penetration, and shock-induced total pressure loss were derived from these data. Attachment of the interaction shock wave was found to depend on both incidence angle and injector pressure. Penetration correlations were developed for both the diamond and circular injectors. An approximate analysis indicated that the shock-induced total pressure loss decreased with decreasing incidence angle and injection pressure, and the largest losses were incurred by the 90-deg circular injector.
Consistent van der Waals Radii for the Whole Main Group

Atomic radii are not precisely defined but are nevertheless widely used parameters in modeling and understanding molecular structure and interactions. The van der Waals radii determined by Bondi from molecular crystals and data for gases are the most widely used values, but Bondi recommended radius values for only 28 of the 44 main-group elements in the periodic table. In the present Article, we present atomic radii for the other 16; these new radii were determined in a way designed to be compatible with Bondi's scale. The method chosen is a set of two-parameter correlations of Bondi's radii with repulsive-wall distances calculated by relativistic coupled-cluster electronic structure calculations. The newly determined radii (in A) are Be, 1.53; B, 1.92; Al, 1.84; Ca, 2.31; Ge, 2.11; Rb, 3.03; Sr, 2.49; Sb, 2.06; Cs, 3.43; Ba, 2.68; Bi, 2.07; Po, 1.97; At, 2.02; Rn, 2.20; Fr, 3.48; and Ra, 2.83.
Put your best face forward: anthropomorphic agents, e-commerce consumers, and the law

Highly believable anthropomorphic agents endanger electronic consumers. Because of concerning tendencies in human-agent interaction arising from agents’ anthropomorphic qualities, consumers may unwittingly treat agents as competent, trustworthy, living counterparts. This paper concludes that developers must focus agent design on consumer welfare, not technical virtuosity, if legal and ethical perils are to be avoided.
TCP performance analysis and optimization over DMT based ADSL systems

This paper studies the TCP performance over a DMT based ADSL network. The impact of DMT subchannel bit loading on the TCP throughput performance is studied. The simulation results show that there is a threshold for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gap or bit error rate (BER) above which TCP throughput drops quickly. This threshold takes its value in a wide range depending on the TCP round-trip time as well as channel noise. This suggests that it would be insufficient to set a fixed target BER at, e.g., 10/sup -7/, when calculating the number of bits to be loaded in each subchannel. Instead, the bit loading should take TCP performance into account. Finally a dynamic bit loading scheme is proposed, which jointly optimizes the channel bit rate and TCP throughput performance.
EppA, a Putative Substrate of DdERK2, Regulates Cyclic AMP Relay and Chemotaxis in Dictyostelium discoideum

The mitogen-activated protein kinase DdERK2 is critical for cyclic AMP (cAMP) relay and chemotaxis to cAMP and folate, but the details downstream of DdERK2 are unclear. To search for targets of DdERK2 in Dictyostelium discoideum,32PO43−-labeled protein samples from wild-type and Dderk2− cells were resolved by 2-dimensional electrophoresis. Mass spectrometry was used to identify a novel 45-kDa protein, named EppA (ERK2-dependent phosphoprotein A), as a substrate of DdERK2 in Dictyostelium. Mutation of potential DdERK2 phosphorylation sites demonstrated that phosphorylation on serine 250 of EppA is DdERK2 dependent. Changing serine 250 to alanine delayed development of Dictyostelium and reduced Dictyostelium chemotaxis to cAMP. Although overexpression of EppA had no significant effect on the development or chemotaxis of Dictyostelium, disruption of the eppA gene led to delayed development and reduced chemotactic responses to both cAMP and folate. Both eppA gene disruption and overexpression of EppA carrying the serine 250-to-alanine mutation led to inhibition of intracellular cAMP accumulation in response to chemoattractant cAMP, a pivotal process in Dictyostelium chemotaxis and development. Our studies indicate that EppA regulates extracellular cAMP-induced signal relay and chemotaxis of Dictyostelium.
Supporting web-based visual exploration of large-scale raster geospatial data using binned min-max Quadtree

Traditionally environmental scientists are limited to simple display and animation of large-scale raster geospatial data derived from remote sensing instrumentation and model simulation outputs. Identifying regions that satisfy certain range criteria, e.g., temperature between [t1,t2) and precipitation between [p1,p2), plays an important role in query-driven visualization and visual exploration in general. In this study, we have proposed a Binned Min-Max Quadtree (BMMQ-Tree) to index large-scale numeric raster geospatial data and efficiently process queries on identifying regions of interests by taking advantages of the approximate nature of visualization related queries. We have also developed an end-to-end system that allows users visually and interactively explore large-scale raster geospatial data in a Web-based environment by integrating our query processing backend and a commercial Web-based Geographical Information System (Web-GIS). Experiments using real global environmental data have demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed BMMQ-Tree. Both experiences and lessons learnt from the development of the prototype system and experiments on the real dataset are reported.
Magnetic Properties of Variable-sized Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Synthesized from Non-aqueous Homogeneous Solutions of Polyols

The magnetic behaviour of well-dispersed monodisperse Fe3O4 nanoparticles with sizes varying between 6.6 and 17.8?nm prepared in a non-aqueous medium was investigated. The smaller nanocrystals exhibit superparamagnetism with the blocking temperatures increasing with the particle size, whereas the biggest particles are ferromagnetic at room temperature. The saturation magnetization values are slightly smaller than that of the bulk material, suggesting the existence of a disordered spin configuration on their surface. The thickness of the magnetically inert shell was estimated from the size variation of the magnetization at 1.9??. The dipole?dipole interactions between the particles were tuned by changing the interparticle distances, e.g. by diluting the nanopowders in a non-magnetic matrix at concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 100?wt%. As the strength of the interactions is decreased with dilution, the energy barrier is substantially lowered; this will induce a drastic decrease of both the blocking temperatures and the coercivity with decreasing concentration of the nanoparticles.
A Preliminary Study of Therapeutic Alliance and Dually Diagnosed Inpatients

The therapeutic alliance between the therapist and the inpatient dually diagnosed with major mental illness and substance abuse disorder has rarely been studied. These dually diagnosed patients constitute a “nontraditional” population for psychotherapy research. The authors used a modified version of the California Psychotherapy Alliance Scale (CALPAS) in this preliminary study to measure the therapeutic alliance between a cohort of 10 inpatient schizophrenic substance abusers and their therapists and examined its relationship with outpatient follow-up. Six patients followed up with outpatient treatment and four did not. Paradoxically, the patients who did not follow up reported a stronger alliance with their inpatient therapists than the patients who did follow up.
Evaluation of Long-Term Calibrations of the AVHRR Visible Radiances

AbstractTwo systematic calibrations have been compiled for the visible radiances measured by the series of AVHRR instruments flown on the NOAA operational polar weather satellites: one by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), anchored on NASA ER-2 underflights in the 1980s and early 1990s and covering the period 1981–2009, and one by the PATMOS-x project, anchored on comparisons to the MODIS instruments on the Aqua and Terra satellites in the 2000s and covering the period 1979–2010 (this result also includes calibration for the near-IR channels). Both methods have had to extend their anchor calibrations over a long series of instruments using different vicarious approaches, so a comparison provides an opportunity to evaluate how well this extension works by cross-checking the results at the anchor points. The basic result of this comparison is that for the “afternoon” series of AVHRRs, the calibrations agree to within their mutual uncertainties. However, this retrospective evaluat...
The determination of copolymer composition as a function of molecular weight by preparative gel permeation chromatography and comparison to the rapid stop-and-go GPC/IR method

The determination of the copolymer composition as a function of molecular weight by preparative gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for a poly(styrene-co-vinyl stearate) sample is described. These results were compared to data obtained on the same copolymer by the previously described rapid stop-and-go GPC/IR method of analysis of copolymer composition as a function of molecular weight and found to be in good agreement.
Effects of ricin on the ability of rabbit arteries to contract and relax.

Ricin, a toxic lectin from castor beans, reduces blood pressure. The current studies determined the effect of ricin on contractions in response to norepinephrine (NE) of rabbit central ear artery, endothelium-dependent relaxations to methacholine and ATP of aorta rings and endothelium-independent relaxations to papaverine in central ear artery and aorta rings. Rabbits were given 0.11 or 0.22 micrograms kg-1 ricin i.v. and 18 h, 4 days, or 7 days later the arteries were removed and tested. Maximal contractions to NE were increased by 8-23% (P > 0.05) with ricin treatment. The EC50 was increased in five of six ricin-treated groups, although only significantly so at 18 h after a minimum lethal dose of ricin. Maximum relaxations to methacholine were increased by 20-57% (P > 0.05) at 18 h following both ricin doses but returned to control values at later time points. Relaxations in response to ATP were significantly enhanced in all ricin-treated groups (95-205%) except in the 18 h and 4-day 0.11 microgram kg-1 dose groups where the increase was 0-46%. Relaxations in response to papaverine were not altered in either artery. Thus, ricin decreases the sensitivity of the rabbit central ear artery to NE and increases endothelial-dependent relaxations of the rabbit aorta. Therefore, decreased blood pressure following ricin administration may be due to vasodilation caused by decreased vascular contractions and increased endothelial-dependent vascular relaxation.
Boosting transcription by transcription: enhancer associated transcripts

Enhancers are traditionally viewed as DNA sequences located some distance from a promoter that act in cis and in an orientation-independent fashion to increase utilization of specific promoters and thereby regulate gene expression. Much progress has been made over the last decade toward understanding how these distant elements interact with target promoters, but how transcription is enhanced remains an object of active inquiry. Recent reports convey the prevalence and diversity of enhancer transcription and transcripts and support both as key factors with mechanistically distinct, but not mutually exclusive roles in enhancer function. Decoupling the causes and effects of transcription on the local chromatin landscape and understanding the role of enhancer transcripts in the context of long-range interactions are challenges that require additional attention. In this review, we focus on the possible functions of enhancer transcription by highlighting several recent enhancer RNA papers and, within the context of other enhancer studies, speculate on the role of enhancer transcription in regulating differential gene expression.
A Bayesian Approach to Causal Discovery

We examine the Bayesian approach to the discovery of causal DAG models and compare it to the constraint-based approach. Both approaches rely on the Causal Markov condition, but the two differ significantly in theory and practice. An important difference between the approaches is that the constraint-based approach uses categorical information about conditional-independence constraints in the domain, whereas the Bayesian approach weighs the degree to which such constraints hold. As a result, the Bayesian approach has three distinct advantages over its constraint-based counterpart. One, conclusions derived from the Bayesian approach are not susceptible to incorrect categorical decisions about independence facts that can occur with data sets of finite size. Two, using the Bayesian approach, finer distinctions among model structures—both quantitative and qualitative—can be made. Three, information from several models can be combined to make better inferences and to better account for modeling uncertainty. In addition to describing the general Bayesian approach to causal discovery, we review approximation methods for missing data and hidden variables, and illustrate differences between the Bayesian and constraint-based methods using artificial and real examples.
Organizational Structure and Electronic Decoupling of Surface Bound Chiral Domains and Biomolecules

For the development of reagentless biological and chemical species detection at the single molecule level using external fields, including terahertz radiation, it is paramount to study model systems that uncover how intermolecular and molecule-surface interactions dictate monolayer ordering and electronic properties. This paper addresses two types of molecule-surface interactions and two distinct molecular systems, both of which impact our fundamental understanding of confined molecular domains and single molecule detection. We will first discuss the ordering and electronic characteristics of a chiral molecule, tartaric acid , weakly bound to an achiral metal surface, Ag(111), as studied with low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This particular molecule-surface system contains many key elements, including hydrogen bonding interactions and stereochemical features, that would be common to other functional detection schemes. This paper will also treat the characterization of isolated, thiolated DNA molecules chemically bound to Au(111) terraces. Ambient STM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of both short and long DNA structures in both single and double strand configurations will be discussed with particular attention paid to imaging mechanisms involved. These results are particularly relevant to systems involving biomolecules anchored to inert metal surfaces, such as those used in external field-based assays.
The Energy Spectrum of Fronts: Time Evolution of Shocks in Burgers‚ Equation

Abstract Andrews and Hoskins used semigeostrophic theory to argue that the energy spectrum of a front should decay like the −8/3 power of the wavenumber. They note, however, that their inviscid analysis is restricted to the very moment of breaking; that is, to the instant t = tβ when the vorticity first becomes infinite. In this paper, Burgers' equation is used to investigate the postbreaking behavior of fronts. We find that for t > tβ, the front rapidly evolves to a jump discontinuity. Combining our analysis with the Eady wave/Burgers„ study of Blumen, we find that the energy spectrum is more accurately approximated by the −8/3 power of the wavenumber, rather than by the k−2 energy spectrum of a discontinuity, for less than two hours after the time of breaking. We also offer two corrections. Cai et al. improve a pseudospectral algorithm by fitting the spectrum of a jump discontinuity. This is not legitimate at t = tβ because the front initially forms with a cube root singularity and its spectral coeffici...
Troubling Times for the Commercial Banker: Exploring the Recent Wave of Failures

That the United States and the world experienced a major financial crisis and is still struggling to recover comes as no surprise to most. Less well known is the fact that over 400 commercial banks and thrifts have failed in the U.S. since 2008. This paper attempts to understand why so many banks are failing and why they are failing in an uneven pattern across the country. Indeed, over 65 percent of all commercial bank failures since 2008 are concentrated in only six states. Contrary to popular perception, we do not find evidence that mortgage-backed securities or the performance of real estate loans contributed to the probability of failure. We do find that banks in those six states failed because of inadequate capital, off-balance sheet activity, falling core deposits and an increased reliance on brokered deposits. Further, local population growth, unemployment and falling home prices also explain the probability of failure. We also find that the
An Initial Evaluation of Web-Based Opioid Overdose Education.

ABSTRACTBackground: Fatal opioid overdose is a significant public health concern in the United States. One approach to reducing fatalities is expanding overdose response education to broader audiences. This study examined responses to a web-based overdose education tool. Methods: The results of 422 anonymous surveys submitted on www.stopoverdose.org were analyzed for participant demographics, knowledge of opioid overdose recognition and response, and knowledge of Washington's Good Samaritan overdose law. Characteristics, knowledge, and planned behavior of respondents with professional versus personal interest in overdose education were compared. Results: Most respondents were age 35 or older (57%) and female (65%). The mean score on the knowledge quiz for overdose recognition and response items was 16.2 out of 18, and 1.5 out of 2 possible points for items concerning the law. Respondents indicating professional interest were significantly more likely to be 35 or older (p = .001) and to have received prior...
Interest Group Niches and Congressional Primaries

In this paper I explore the activities of interest groups in congressional primaries, with particular attention two major organizations, the Club for Growth on the right and MoveOn.org (and other related netroots groups) on the left. I argue that supporting primary challenges enables such organizations to establish and maintain themselves by creating a brand for themselves as enforcers of ideological homogeneity, but they can only do so if they are able to point to successes. In addition, if they are to point to successes in supporting primary challengers, they must carefully pick a small number of targets and aggressively promote these challengers to their members and to the media. This paper presents a theory of interest group maintenance that incorporates the support for primary challengers and provides a description of the behavior of these groups over the past decade. It then presents case studies of two candidates and one potential candidate who courted interest group support for their primary challenges.
In the search for new anticancer drugs. VII: Platinum complexes of diaziridines and azetidine

There new diaziridine platinum(II) complexes(4a)-(4c), and a new azetidine platinum(II) complex (3b) were synthesized and tested against the lymphocytic leukemia P388 in mice. Moderate to good activity was found for all compounds as evidenced by a T/C value of 162 at a dose of 32 mg/kg for (3b), 190 at a dose of 32 mg/kg for (4a), 139 at a dose of 4 mg/kg for (4b), and 142 at a dose of 20 mg/kg for (4c).
Misdivision of Homoeologous Group 5 Univalent Chromosomes in Hexaploid Wheat

Misdivision rates of wheat chromosomes 5A, 5B, and 5D were determined at anaphase I of meiosis in F1 monosomic plants from crosses between Chinese Spring monosomics as female parents and ten Japanese local cultivars. The average misdivision frequencies were 15.3% for 5A, 10.5% for 5B, and 8.4% for 5D. The frequencies of unipolar distributions of monosomes or their derivatives were 31.7%, 34.7%, and 18.1% for 5A, 5B, and 5D, respectively. Although there was a large error variance, the differences among chromosomes and the chromosome-cultivar interactions were significant for both misdivision rates and unipolar distributions, but there were no significant differences among cultivars. The correlation (r=.554) between the frequency of misdivision in cells with bipolar distributions and the frequency of cells with unipolar distributions suggested that these traits were affected by common genetic and/or environmental factors. The female transmission of the group 5 monosomes and their derivatives averaged 12.2% for Chinese Spring. Of the transmitted monosomes, 6.9% were telocentric chromosomes, 3.4% isochromosomes, and 89.7% normal chromosomes. When the Chinese Spring monosomics were crossed with three Japanese cultivars, the transmission frequency to the F2 of the monosomes from the Japanese cultivars averaged 30%, with 9.2%. telocentric and 90.8% normal chromosomes. These results were compared with expected transmission frequencies of the monosomes and their derivatives.
Chondrosarcoma of the Breast: Report of Two Cases

The clinical and pathologic findings in two cases of pure chondrosarcoma of the breast are presented. As with other sarcomas, both tumors were large (5.5 and 25 cm in greatest diameter), did not invade the skin or axillary lymph nodes, and occurred in women more than 40 years old. Infiltrating margins, cellular atypism, and high mitotic rates adversely affected the prognosis.
Progressive damage and fracture of stiffened composite pressure vessels

Structural durability and damage tolerance characteristics of pressurized graphite/epoxy cylinders are investigated via computational simulation. Both unstiffened and hoop framework stiffened cylinders are considered. An integrated computer code is utilized for the simulation of composite structural degradation under loading. Damage initiation, growth, accumulation, and propagation to structural fracture are included in the simulation. Results demonstrate the significance of local defects on the structural durability of pressurized composite cylindrical shells.
Electrophysiological changes in the heart of children with bronchial asthma during the acute attack and later during remission.

Electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic changes in the heart were evaluated in 14 children with bronchial asthma during the acute attack and later during remission. Many more abnormalities were noted on the vectorcardiograms as compared to electrocardiograms. The abnormalities noted were in closer relationship to the particular attack rather than to the severity of asthma as revealed by history.Three patients showed evidence of right atrial enlargement during the acute attack, and all of them returned to normal during remission.Ten patients had abnormal orientation of QRS loop on vectorcardiogram during the acute attack, and of these, seven patients continued to have the abnormality during remission. Of the ten patients, five had evidence suggestive of left ventricular enlargement during the acute attack, and all returned to normal during remission. This finding was very intriguing and the possible explanations are discussed.