cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genomic characterisation of a multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strain carrying the mcr-1 gene recovered from a paediatric patient in China.

Abstract Objectives The global spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales is a leading public-health threat. Lack of effective treatment has resulted in use of colistin as a last-resort therapeutic option for multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. Here we report the complete genome sequence of a MDR Escherichia coli strain carrying a plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1 recovered from a Chinese paediatric patient. Methods Whole-genome sequencing of E. coli strain 1506 was performed using both Oxford Nanopore MinION and Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platforms. De novo hybrid assembly of short Illumina reads and long MinION reads was performed using Unicycler. In silico multilocus sequence typing (MLST), antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and plasmid replicons were identified from the genome sequence. Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) analysis between E. coli 1506 and all of the ST48 E. coli strains retrieved from the NCBI GenBank database was performed using BacWGSTdb 2.0 server. Results The complete genome sequence of E. coli 1506 consists of six contigs comprising 4 849 058 bp, including one chromosome and five plasmids, and was assigned to ST48. Fourteen ARGs were identified, including mcr-1 located on a 33 309-bp IncX4 plasmid. The closest relative of E. coli 1506 was another isolate originating from livestock in Australia, which differed by 614 cgMLST alleles. Conclusion Our study reports the genome sequence of a MDR E. coli carrying mcr-1 isolated from a Chinese paediatric patient. These data may help to understand the antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and genomic features and highlight the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance in children.
Phrase-level Active Learning for Neural Machine Translation.

Neural machine translation (NMT) is sensitive to domain shift. In this paper, we address this problem in an active learning setting where we can spend a given budget on translating in-domain data, and gradually fine-tune a pre-trained out-of-domain NMT model on the newly translated data. Existing active learning methods for NMT usually select sentences based on uncertainty scores, but these methods require costly translation of full sentences even when only one or two key phrases within the sentence are informative. To address this limitation, we re-examine previous work from the phrase-based machine translation (PBMT) era that selected not full sentences, but rather individual phrases. However, while incorporating these phrases into PBMT systems was relatively simple, it is less trivial for NMT systems, which need to be trained on full sequences to capture larger structural properties of sentences unique to the new domain. To overcome these hurdles, we propose to select both full sentences and individual phrases from unlabelled data in the new domain for routing to human translators. In a German-English translation task, our active learning approach achieves consistent improvements over uncertainty-based sentence selection methods, improving up to 1.2 BLEU score over strong active learning baselines.
REDCap on FHIR: Clinical Data Interoperability Services.

Abstract Background Despite widespread use of electronic data capture (EDC) systems for research and electronic health records (EHR), most transfer of data between EHR and EDC systems is manual and error prone. Increased adoption of Health Level Seven Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource (FHIR) application programming interfaces (APIs) in recent years by EHR systems has increased the availability of patient data for external applications such as REDCap. Objective Describe the development of the REDCap Clinical Data Interoperability Services (CDIS) module that provides seamless data exchange between the REDCap research EDC and any EHR system with a FHIR API. CDIS enables end users to independently set up their data collection projects, map EHR data to fields, and adjudicate data transfer without project-by-project involvement from Health Information Technology staff. Methods We identified two use cases for EHR data transfer into REDCap. Clinical Data Pull (CDP) automatically pulls EHR data into user-defined REDCap fields and replaces the workflow of having to transcribe or copy and paste data from the EHR. Clinical Data Mart (CDM) collects all specified data for a patient over a given time period and replaces the process of importing EHR data for registries from research databases. With an iterative process, we designed our access control, authentication, variable selection, and mapping interfaces in such a way that end users could easily set up and use CDIS. Results Since its release, the REDCap CDIS has been used to pull over 19.5 million data points for 82 projects at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Software and documentation are available through the REDCap Consortium. Conclusions The new REDCap Clinical Data and Interoperability Services (CDIS) module leverages the FHIR standard to enable real-time and direct data extraction from the EHR. Researchers can self-service the mapping and adjudication of EHR data into REDCap. The uptake of CDIS at VUMC and other REDCap consortium sites is improving the accuracy and efficiency of EHR data collection by reducing the need for manual transcription and flat file uploads.
Free Resolutions and Fitting Invariants

We shall treat five related areas in this chapter: 1. Uniqueness of free resolutions 2. Fitting ideals of modules 3. What makes a complex exact? 4. The Hilbert-Burch structure theorem for perfect ideals of codimension 2 5. Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity Many invariants in algebraic geometry and commutative algebra—from intersection numbers of varieties to the cohomology of sheaves to the depth and dimension of a module—may be defined in terms of free resolutions. Many of these invariants are actually invariants of the homology of complexes derived from free resolutions. Some others seem accessible only through free resolutions themselves.
Refractive index of strontium fluoride

The refractive index, relative to air, of fusion-cast strontium fluoride was determined from 0.2138μm to 11.475μm by means of the minimum-deviation method. Measurements were made on a precision spectrometer at a controlled room temperature near 20 °C. The experimental data were fitted to a Sellmeier-type dispersion equation which permits refractive index interpolation within several parts in 10 - 5 . The index of SrF 2 is compared graphically with that of BaF 2 and CaF 2 .
Asymmetric Information, Capital and Ownership Structures and Corporate Income Taxation

This paper develops a signaling model to investigate a firm's optimal financial response to corporate income taxation under informational asymmetries. The model obtains informationally constrained efficient equilibria in which a firm's debt level and inside equity position jointly serve as a single separating signal. Separating equilibria are characterized differently depending upon the tax obligation and the relative profitability of a high-quality firm. When the quality difference between firms is relatively large, a high-quality firm shows a unique optimal capital structure, in which the debt-equity ratio is increased as the tax rate rises but is reduced as the firm's profitability increases.
Purification and Properties of the Aldehyde Oxidases from Hog and Rabbit Livers

Abstract The aldehyde oxidases from rabbit and hog livers have been purified to homogeneity by modifications of and additions to previously published procedures. The final preparations were judged to be homogeneous on the basis of ultracentrifugal, electrophoretic, chromatographic, spectral, and kinetic criteria. A number of physical and kinetic properties of the homogeneous enzymes have been determined. The homogeneous enzymes have been shown to catalyze the oxidation of N1-methylnicotinamide to both N1-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide and N1-methyl-4-pyridone-3-carboxamide in a ratio (2-pyridone to the 4-pyridone) of 100 for the rabbit enzyme and 3.8 for the hog enzyme. The ratios of products formed by these enzymes at each step in their purifications were constant. The ratios of the pyridone products obtained on the oxidation of several N1-substituted analogues of N1-methylnicotinamide by these aldehyde oxidases have been found to shift in favor of the 4-pyridone as the bulk of the N1-substituent was increased. A general mechanism of action of aldehyde oxidases is proposed which accounts for the different pyridone ratios and the unique kinetic properties associated with the different forms of the enzyme which have been found in a number of different mammalian livers.
Positivism, Skepticism, and the Attractions of "Paltry Empiricism": Stanley Cavell and the Current Standards Movement in Education

INTRODUCTION: A BRIEF SKETCH OF SCHOOL REFORM IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY Frederick Taylor, Hans Reichenbach, Rudolph Carnap, Edward L. Thorndike, Lewis Terman, Charles Eliot, James Conant: Wherever they are at the moment (and I would not want to speculate one way or the other), they must surely be looking glowingly on current school reform efforts in the United States. After all, their professed ideologies, their ways of talking and thinking about the processes and purposes of schooling, are clearly resurgent once again. And they have come together like at no other time in this nation’s history. We are all no doubt aware of the fact that efficiency, quality control, measurable outcomes, standards, excellence, and professionalism have very much become the parlance of the day in education. Numerous policy makers and pundits are now pushing for standardized curriculum, intensified testing of students at all grade levels, and strong accountability measures with the unabashed goal of ensuring that the United States maintains certain levels of economic productivity and world power — or what, taken together, are commonly construed as “national security” since the publication of A Nation at Risk in 1983.
Rapidity correlations in $W \gamma$ production at hadron colliders

We study the correlation of photon and charged lepton pseudorapidities, \ensuremath{\eta}(\ensuremath{\gamma}) and \ensuremath{\eta}(l), l=e,\ensuremath{\mu}, in ${\mathit{pp}}^{(\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}})}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathit{W}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$\ensuremath{\gamma}+X\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathit{l}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$p${\mathrm{/}}_{\mathit{T}}$\ensuremath{\gamma}+X. In the standard model, the \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\eta}(\ensuremath{\gamma},l)=\ensuremath{\eta}(\ensuremath{\gamma})-\ensuremath{\eta}(l) differential cross section is found to exhibit a pronounced dip at \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\eta}(\ensuremath{\gamma},l)\ensuremath{\approxeq}\ensuremath{\mp}0.3 (=0) in pp\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}(pp) collisions, which originates from the radiation zero present in qq\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}'\ensuremath{\rightarrow}W\ensuremath{\gamma}. The sensitivity of the \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\eta}(\ensuremath{\gamma},l) distribution to higher order QCD corrections, nonstandard WW\ensuremath{\gamma} couplings, the W+ jet ``fake'' background, and the cuts imposed is explored. At hadron supercolliders, next-to-leading order QCD corrections are found to considerably obscure the radiation zero. The advantages of the \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\eta}(\ensuremath{\gamma},l) distribution over other quantities which are sensitive to the radiation zero are discussed. We conclude that photon-lepton rapidity correlations at the Fermilab Tevatron offer a unique opportunity to search for the standard model radiation zero in hadronic W\ensuremath{\gamma} production.
Robust design of high gain amplifiers using dynamical systems and bifurcation theory

An infinite DC gain CMOS positive feedback amplifier with 90/spl deg/ phase margin was designed and its nonlinear dynamics was studied using level 1 MOS models. Analytical derivations were utilized to investigate its equilibrium point, turning point, stability and branching properties. Analysis suggested this amplifier would show parameter-dependent supercritical pitchfork bifurcation. Bifurcation signals the instability of this amplifier when positive feedback factor is large. By decreasing the parameter until the bifurcation was eliminated, an amplifier with an infinite DC gain at operating-point was theoretically designed. Branching diagram was presented with numerical simulation. Gain nonlinearity was explained and methods to decrease this nonlinearity were proposed. Circuit simulation results verified out derivations.
Evaluation of knowledge and confidence following opioid overdose prevention training: A comparison of types of training participants and naloxone administration methods

ABSTRACTBackground: The purpose of the current study was to assess the effect of opioid overdose prevention training on participants' knowledge about opioid overdose and confidence to recognize and respond to opioid overdose situations as a function of naloxone administration (i.e., injection vs. intranasal spray) and participant type (friend/family, provider, “other”). Methods: Opioid overdose prevention trainings were offered throughout a mid-sized metropolitan area in the northeast. Participants (n = 428) were trained to administer naloxone via intramuscular injection (n = 154) or intranasal spray (n = 274). All training participants were given pre-post assessments of knowledge about opioid overdose and confidence to recognize and respond to opioid overdose situations. Results: Participants' overall knowledge and confidence increased significantly from pre- to post-training (ps < .001). There was no significant association between knowledge and route of administration or participant type. Knowledge sig...
Discontinuous pulse width modulation methods with neutral point voltage balancing for three phase Vienna rectifiers

This paper presents two discontinuous pulse width modulation (DPWM) methods for three phase Vienna rectifiers with different performance optimization targets. One for switching loss minimization and one for switching loss reduction with the neutral point voltage controllability. Due to the current commutation characteristics if Vienna rectifiers, the available space voltage vectors are limited. With this consideration, different small vectors are selected for different performance optimization. The detailed implementation of the two modulation methods are presented. System performance with the proposed two modulation methods are compared with one commonly used discontinuous PWM modulation method in the aspects of semi-conductor loss and neutral point voltage ripple. The analysis is verified through both simulations and experiments based on a 3 kW Vienna rectifier with efficiency higher than 99% at nominal load.
Active Vibration Suppression of Sandwich Beams using Piezoelectric Shear Actuators: Experiments and Numerical Simulations

This article deals with the experimental and numerical assessment of the vibration suppression of smart structures using piezoelectric shear actuators. Experimental results are presented for an adaptive sandwich cantilever beam that consists of aluminum facings and a core composed of two piezoelectric shear actuators and foam. The electric field is applied perpendicular to the poling direction of the piezoelectric actuators to cause transverse shear deformation of the sandwich beam. Active vibration suppression is achieved using either positive position feedback or strain rate feedback. The control system is implemented in real-time using Matlab/Simulink and a dSPACE digital controller. First, the frequency response of the adaptive beam is investigated by using one shear actuator to excite the beam and the other to control its vibration. Parametric studies are conducted to assess the influence of controller parameters on the frequency response of the system. The experimental frequency response function co...
Raimondalone, a sesquiterpene from a cotton interspecific hybrid

Abstract A new sesquiterpenoid, raimondalone (8-formyl-6,7-dihydroxy-5-isopropyl-2-methoxy-3-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone), has been isolated from the leaves of a cotton plant derived from an interspecific hybrid ( G. hirsutum x G. raimondii ). The structure of this compound and the 13 C chemical shifts of related compounds were determined using 2D HMBC NMR spectrometry.
Aphasic Word Identification as a Function of Logical Relationship and Association Strength

Aphasic word identification as a function of logical relationship and restricted association strength of clues was investigated to (1) establish the relative efficiency of strategies in eliciting w...
The prediction of impulsive behavior: Comparative validities of obvious vs. subtle MMPI hypomania (MA) items

Assessed the relative predictive validity of obvious (0), neutral (N), and subtle (S) items of the MMPI Ma scale (N = 86 males). Subtle-obvious ratings were compared to criteria in the three types of measurement delineated by Cattell, namely, questionnaire, life-history, and objective tests. Ma-O was correlated positively with the Experience Seeking factor of the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) as well as time taken and errors on the Porteus Maze, while Ma-S was correlated positively with the Thrill and Adventure Seeking factor of the SSS and the biographic questionnaire. Ma-N, on the other hand, was not related to any criteria. Because the correlations among the criteria themselves were generally insignificant, it was suggested that hypomania is not a homogeneous construct.
Low-power high-speed vertical cavity lasers for dense array applications

Vertical-cavity lasers have demonstrated the ability to produce mW level output powers in a low divergence circular beam. This has made them attractive sources for high density applications such as free space interconnects and optical computing. Moving from device demonstration to practical applications, however, poses additional demands. High density arrays require very low power consumption for thermal management while the interconnect lines must not introduce excessive stray capacitance. We have developed vertical cavity lasers with intra-cavity contacts on semi-insulating substrates which provide solutions to these practical problems. The intra-cavity design allows the use of ring contacts on the same surface with either top or bottom emission. The lasers can thus be connected in a raster interconnect pattern or any other contacting configuration without impairing the high speed performance. On chip resistors can be incorporated into the circuit so that simple voltage drives can be used. Using a current constriction to provide electrical and optical confinement has removed the limitations of surface recombination, allowing the development of high external efficiency, sub-milliamp threshold vertical cavity lasers. The 7 micrometers diameter lasers have output powers of 1 mW at a bias current of 3 mA with modulation bandwidths above 8 GHz while consuming only 10 mW of power. The lasers can therefore be driven with full on/off current modulation to transmit data at rates exceeding 1 Gbit/s, simplifying the driver electronics considerably. The structure and fabrication sequence is discussed along with bit error rate measurements including on/off modulation conditions.
IRBs and the long-term social implications of research.

In “Dealing with the Long-Term Social Implications of Research,” Fleischman and colleagues (2011) argue that institutional review boards (IRBs) should not consider the potential long-range social a...
Sexually selective cognition

From an evolutionary perspective, no set of challenges is as central to human life as those involved in mating. In facing these challenges, people recruit an array of adaptive psychological processes designed to help them identify desirable mates, assess whether potential mates are romantically accessible, and avoid potential threats to the maintenance of long-term relationships. Here we review recent evidence for mating-related cognitive attunements and biases including preferential processing of desirable features in members of the opposite sex, selective attention to signs of physical attractiveness, the over-perception of sexual interest from potential partners, perceptual neglect of attractive alternatives to one's long-term partner, and perceptual vigilance to same-sex romantic rivals.
Multichannel Electrophysiological Spike Sorting via Joint Dictionary Learning and Mixture Modeling

We propose a methodology for joint feature learning and clustering of multichannel extracellular electrophysiological data, across multiple recording periods for action potential detection and classification (sorting). Our methodology improves over the previous state of the art principally in four ways. First, via sharing information across channels, we can better distinguish between single-unit spikes and artifacts. Second, our proposed “focused mixture model” (FMM) deals with units appearing, disappearing, or reappearing over multiple recording days, an important consideration for any chronic experiment. Third, by jointly learning features and clusters, we improve performance over previous attempts that proceeded via a two-stage learning process. Fourth, by directly modeling spike rate, we improve the detection of sparsely firing neurons. Moreover, our Bayesian methodology seamlessly handles missing data. We present the state-of-the-art performance without requiring manually tuning hyperparameters, considering both a public dataset with partial ground truth and a new experimental dataset.
Serum zinc and prostate cancer risk in a nested case–control study: The multiethnic cohort

BACKGROUND Experimental studies have provided evidence that zinc has a protective effect against development and progression of prostate cancer. However, epidemiological studies have reported inconsistent findings. We evaluated the association between prediagnostic serum zinc and prostate cancer risk in a cohort of multiethnic population. METHODS This case–control study is nested within the Multiethnic Cohort of African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and whites in Hawaii and California. The analysis included 392 prostate cancer cases and 783 controls matched on age, race/ethnicity, date/time of blood draw and fasting status. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS The mean serum zinc concentrations did not significantly differ between cases (94.9 µg/dl) and controls (93.9 µg/dl). No association was found between serum zinc levels and prostate cancer either overall or by tumor stage/grade. In ethnic-specific analyses, positive associations were found in Japanese Americans (OR for the highest vs. the lowest tertile = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.09–6.17) and Latinos (OR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.05–7.10), whereas no association was observed in African Americans and whites. CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence to support an inverse relationship between serum zinc and prostate cancer risk, and, to the contrary, found a suggestion in the ethnic-specific results of a possible increase in risk; however, blood concentrations of zinc may not adequately reflect the levels in prostate tissue. Further study with a larger sample size, and if possible, with assessment of zinc tissue levels, is warranted to confirm these findings. Prostate 73: 261–266, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Magnetic Ceramics: III, Effects of Fabrication Techniques on Magnetic Properties of Magnesium Ferrite

Magnesium ferrite specimens made of unreacted (mixed oxides) and reacted (ground ferrite) materials were prepared to determine the effects of forming pressure, firing temperature, time at peak temperature, firing atmosphere, and quenching treatment on their magnetic and electrical properties. High firing temperatures (1450°C.), long holding times (8 hours), and quenching from the highest temperature (1200°C.) produced the highest μi, and Bm, the lowest Hc, and a decrease in Br. These changes were related to the change in the void volume and particle size of the specimens brought about by the fabrication techniques and to the alterations in the degree of inversion in the spinel lattice during quenching. Oxygen loss or gain from the stoichiometric amount caused a loss of magnetic properties. X-ray and microstructure studies aided in the interpretation of the experimental data.
A new method for labeling microspheres with 68Ga

We have developed a simple, highly efficient, and rapid technique for labeling a commercially available human serum albumin microsphere preparation with 68Ga for use in positron tomography. An isotonic acetate buffer system is used. Maximum 68Ga labeling is obtained at pH 4.8 (∼97%) but deviations from that pH (e.g., 0.5 of a pH unit) produce only minor decreases in binding efficiency. The preparation is stable on standing over a period of 4 h, and in vivo studies in the rat and dog show it to be specific for the lungs. Little change occurs in the tissue distribution of 68Ga over a period of approximately 1 h.
Chemical ecology: Can it survive without natural products chemistry?

New disciplines arise by convergence of interests. Chemical ecology is the product of a partnership between biologists and natural products chemists united by a shared vision and empowered by complementary skills. The vision stems from the realization that all organisms emit chemical signals and that all, in their respective ways, respond to the chemical emissions of others. Nature, in accord with this construct, is a dynamic assemblage of vast complexity, driven by interactions that are, for the most part, mediated by molecules. The natural products chemist brings to the partnership the ability to decipher these chemical signals. Not surprisingly, the collaboration between the chemical ecologist and the natural products chemist is a close one (see Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Chemical ecology and natural products chemistry are linked in a productive partnership aimed at clarifying the chemical basis of ecological and behavioral interactions in nature. To curtail natural products chemistry now is to put on hold the acquisition of this fundamental knowledge. Chemical ecology came into its own in the midst of the molecular biological revolution, in the 1950s, at the same time that vastly improved techniques and instruments came on line by which chemicals could be isolated and characterized. Natural products chemistry traditionally had been applied in its orientation. …
DNA sequence at the end of the cI gene in bacteriophage λ

The nucleotide sequence of 57 base pairs near the end of the cI gene in phage lambda is presented. This sequence was determined by direct sequencing techniques and includes the codons for 11 carboxyterminal aminoacids of the cI product, the lambda repressor. The sequence reveals that the cI gene, which has recently been shown to have a unique initiation region, is terminated by a UGA codon. A GUG triplet, which could act as a translation start signal for the rex gene occurs 8 base pairs beyond the cI termination codon. This GUG triplet is preceded by a sequence that could serve as a strong ribosome binding site for the rex message.
The Role of Visual Mental Imagery in the Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff: A Preliminary Investigation.

Subjects who were given imagery instruction prior to receiving the stimulus material required significantly more time to learn the material. The additional time indicates imagery use. The instructed subjects also had significantly faster retrieval time on a recognition posttest. Thus, there is an inverse relationship between learning time and retrieval time for imaged information. The posttest scores of the instructed subjects were not significantly higher than the uninstructed subjects. The two groups also had similar perceptions of their use of mental imagery. Mental imagery is proposed as a technique to help reduce the speed-accuracy tradeoff during performance. Imagery needs to be investigated further as a type of task-specific processing, since it involves deeper information processing than other cognitive strategies.
Friction Anisotropy at Ni(100)/Ni(100) Interfaces

The combined use of an ultrahigh vacuum tribometer and a number of surface science techniques has enabled us to explore the tribological properties of interfaces between single-crystal metal surfaces and to address the fundamental issue of frictional anisotropy. Friction measurements have been made between a pair of Ni(100) surfaces which were prepared to be truly clean or modified by the presence of adsorbed atomic sulfur with and without adsorbed ethanol. Measurements made with systematic variation of the relative crystallographic orientations of the two Ni(100) surfaces have revealed that the friction coefficient is anisotropic with respect to lattice orientation. When aligned (θ ∼ 0°) and sliding along the 〈110〉 direction, the friction coefficient between the two clean Ni(100) surfaces was μs = 8.6 ± 2.5. The minimum static friction coefficient occurred when the two clean Ni(100) surfaces were misoriented by θ ∼ 45° (μs = 2.5 ± 1). This orientational anisotropy is consistently observed even in the pre...
How universal are Fibonacci patterns

Pattern patterns, or phyllotaxis, the arrangements of phylla (flowers, leaves, bracts, florets) in the neighborhood of growth tips, have intrigued natural scientists for over four hundred years. Prominent amongst the observed features is the fact that phylla lie on families of alternately oriented spirals and that the numbers in these families belong to subsets {m j } of the integers defined by the Fibonacci rule m j + 1 = m j + m j − 1. The corresponding patterns, which we call Fibonacci patterns, are widespread and universal on plants. Our goal in this paper is to ask if they may also be seen in other physical structures and to try to quantify the circumstances under which one may expect Fibonacci patterns to occur.
Functional Anatomy of the Masking Level Difference, an fMRI Study

Introduction Masking level differences (MLDs) are differences in the hearing threshold for the detection of a signal presented in a noise background, where either the phase of the signal or noise is reversed between ears. We use N0/Nπ to denote noise presented in-phase/out-of-phase between ears and S0/Sπ to denote a 500 Hz sine wave signal as in/out-of-phase. Signal detection level for the noise/signal combinations N0Sπ and NπS0 is typically 10–20 dB better than for N0S0. All combinations have the same spectrum, level, and duration of both the signal and the noise. Methods Ten participants (5 female), age: 22–43, with N0Sπ-N0S0 MLDs greater than 10 dB, were imaged using a sparse BOLD fMRI sequence, with a 9 second gap (1 second quiet preceding stimuli). Band-pass (400–600 Hz) noise and an enveloped signal (.25 second tone burst, 50% duty-cycle) were used to create the stimuli. Brain maps of statistically significant regions were formed from a second-level analysis using SPM5. Results The contrast NπS0- N0Sπ had significant regions of activation in the right pulvinar, corpus callosum, and insula bilaterally. The left inferior frontal gyrus had significant activation for contrasts N0Sπ-N0S0 and NπS0-N0S0. The contrast N0S0-N0Sπ revealed a region in the right insula, and the contrast N0S0-NπS0 had a region of significance in the left insula. Conclusion Our results extend the view that the thalamus acts as a gating mechanism to enable dichotic listening, and suggest that MLD processing is accomplished through thalamic communication with the insula, which communicate across the corpus callosum to either enhance or diminish the binaural signal (depending on the MLD condition). The audibility improvement of the signal with both MLD conditions is likely reflected by activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus, a late stage in the what/where model of auditory processing.
An Experimental and Computational Study of the Kinetics and Mechanism of the Reaction of Methyl Formate with Cl Atoms

Ab initio molecular orbital theory has been used to examine the kinetics and mechanism for the reaction of chlorine atoms with methyl formate. From the ab initio parameters, the room-temperature rate constant is calculated and found to be in reasonable agreement with the experimental determination. It is found that 90% of the reaction proceeds via abstraction of the carbonyl hydrogen from methyl formate by chlorine atoms, resulting in the formation of CH3OCO radical.
Suitability of Small Scale Linear Systems for a Fission-Fusion Reactor, Breeder, and Waste Transmutation

To date the magnetic fusion effort has been almost entirely devoted to only one application, that being a multi gigawatt central station electric plant. Given the already well established fission based industry, the likelihood that fusion will have any impact on curbing the current carbon-based energy demand in the 21st century is slim. This paper advocates that the first and primary use of fusion neutrons should be as the driver for a sub-critical fission nuclear energy system—a fission–fusion hybrid reactor. This system can also be utilized to transmute long-lived radioactive wastes, and breed fissile nuclear fuel for several additional fission reactors. A small-scale fusion system based on a reciprocating fusion cycle employing the magneto-kinetic compression of the Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) is particularly well suited for this application. The characteristics of this fusion neutron driver and the potential for transmutation of long-lived nuclear wastes and breeding of fissile nuclear fuel in a blanket are presented.
Insights into Conformation and Dynamics of Protein GB1 During Folding and Unfolding by NMR

Abstract Understanding protein stability requires characterization of structural determinants of the folded and unfolded states. Many proteins are capable of populating partially folded states under specific solution conditions. Occasionally, coexistence of the folded and an unfolded state under non- or mildly denaturing conditions can be observed by NMR, allowing us to structurally probe these states under identical conditions. Here we report on a destabilized mutant of the B1 domain of protein G (GB1) whose equilibrium unfolding was systematically investigated. Backbone amide residual dipolar couplings (RDCs), the tryptophan Nϵ–H resonance and the amide nitrogen transverse relaxation rates (R2s) for varying pH values and different temperatures were measured. The backbone amide RDCs indicate that prior to complete unfolding, two melting hot spots are formed at the turn around T11, L12 and K13 and the N terminus of the helix at A24 and T25. The RDCs for the low pH, thermally unfolded state of GB1 are very small and do not indicate the presence of any native-like structure. Amide nitrogen transverse relaxation rates for GB1 in the folded state at different temperatures exhibit large contributions from exchange processes and the associated dynamics display considerable heterogeneity. Our data provide clear evidence for intermediate conformations and multi-state equilibrium un/folding for this GB1 variant.
JESUS MATTERS IN THE USA

Eugene McCarraher, Christian Critics: Religion and the Impasse in Modern American Social Thought (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2000)D. G. Hart, The Lost Soul of American Protestantism (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002)William R. Hutchison, Religious Pluralism in America: The Contentious History of a Founding Ideal (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003)John T. McGreevy, Catholicism and American Freedom: A History (New York: W. W. Norton, 2003)
Corrosion Studies of A216 Grade WCA Steel in Hydrothermal Magnesium-Containing Brines

The U.S. Department of Energy's Salt Repository Project (SRP) is investigating the general corrosion resistance of cast mild steel as a candidate material for waste package containers. Evaluation of this material is being performed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory in environments simulating expected repository conditions. General corrosion studies of mild steel (ASTM A216 grade WCA) in the as-cast and normalized conditions were conducted in hydrothermal halitesaturated (saturated at ambient temperature) brine environments simulating a “dissolution” and an “inclusion” brine. Corrosion tests were also performed in brines similar to the inclusion brine but containing magnesium concentrations ranging from 1000 to 30,000 ppm to investigate the effect of magnesium on the corrosion behavior. Corrosion rates of the cast mild steel were found to increase with increasing temperature and with increasing magnesium concentration. Some possible mechanisms that explain the observed behavior are presented.
Open-Label Pilot Study of Testosterone Patch Therapy in Men With Opioid-Induced Androgen Deficiency

Abstract We conducted a 24-week open-label pilot study of testosterone (T) patch therapy in 23 men with opioid-induced androgen deficiency (OPIAD). The T dosage was 5 mg/day for the first 12 weeks and 7.5 mg/day for the second 12 weeks. Seven subjects discontinued prematurely: 4 for noncompliance, 2 for skin irritation and 1 for hepatitis C treatment. In the “completers” population (n = 16), mean (SD) free T levels (normal range 52 to 280 pg/mL) were 28.5 (18.6) pg/mL at baseline, 72.8 (29.6) pg/mL on 5 mg/day (P Perspective Long-acting opioid preparations suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in men and produce a symptomatic state of opioid-induced androgen deficiency (OPIAD). Testosterone patch therapy at a dose of 7.5 mg/day normalizes hormone levels and appears to improve a number of quality of life parameters (eg, sexual function, well-being, mood) in men with OPIAD.
Protein content and freezing avoidance properties of the subdermal extracellular matrix and serum of the Antarctic snailfish, Paraliparis devriesi.

The Antarctic snailfish, Paraliparis devriesi (Liparididae), occupies an epibenthic habitat at a depth of 500–650 m in the subzero waters of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. This species has watery (97%) gelatinous subdermal extracellular matrix (SECM) comprising a mean of 33.8% of the body weight, the largest known proportion of any adult fish. The protein concentration of the SECM was found to be 6–7 mg ml−1 (0.6–0.7% w/v). Separation of the polypeptides of the SECM by SDS-PAGE revealed 11 polypeptides ranging in relative molecular mass (Mr) from 67,000 to 13,000, with other unresolved polypeptides of less than 13,000. The isoelectric points of these proteins ranged from 4.85 to 8.05. Partial N-terminal amino acid sequence data were obtained for four of the major SECM polypeptides. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of three of these were not identical to or homologous with any other known sequences, whereas the N-terminal sequence of one polypeptide (Mr 51,000) was identical to partial sequence from the apolipoprotein A-I precursor of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Although not isolated from either SECM or serum, melting point-freezing point behavior of body fluids suggest that Paraliparis possess modest amounts of a noncolligative antifreeze compound. Since relatively small amounts of antifreeze are present in the serum and even less in the SECM, freezing avoidance results from the combined effects of antifreeze and the elevated osmolality of body fluids. There are no special adaptations to prevent freezing in the superficially located high water content SECM.
The IT implications of COSO's new exposure draft

In 1992, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) released its landmark structure for designing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of internal control. This framework has become the “gold standard” of internal control for large, publicly traded companies. Now 20 years later, advancements in information technology (IT) demanded revised guidelines—to better address the financial reporting and control problems faced by companies doing business in a digital world. But how will the new proposed guidelines affect IT today? © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Inhibition of UVA-induced c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Activity Results in Caspase-dependent Apoptosis in Human Keratinocytes

Abstract Inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) with the pharmacologic inhibitor SP600125 in UVA-irradiated HaCaT cells and human primary keratinocytes resulted in dramatic phenotypic changes indicative of cell death. These phenotypic changes correlated with caspase 8, 9 and 3 activations as well as cleavage of the caspase substrate polyADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Morphologic analysis and analysis of sub-G0 DNA content confirmed apoptotic cell death in these keratinocytes after combination treatment. Addition of the general caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk to combination-treated HaCaT cells was able to completely block caspase activation, PARP cleavage, the increase in sub-G0 DNA content and the classic morphologic features of apoptosis, indicating that this combination treatment resulted in caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death. zVAD-fmk treatment of primary keratinocytes was able to completely inhibit caspase activation and PARP cleavage, reduce morphologic apoptosis at lower concentrations of SP60012...
Correlation of Methyl Chloride, Methylene Chloride, Chloroform, and Carbon Tetrachloride Adsorption Data on Silica Gel

Abstract Adsorption data of the homologous series methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride on silica gel were measured gravimetrically at 288, 293, and 298 K. For all the chlorinated hydrocarbons examined, the isotherms were Type I, showing no apparent hysteresis between the adsorption and desorption cycles. Experimental data were compared with the calculated equilibrium uptake as predicted by a synthetic heterogeneous isotherm model in which the local isotherm on a site is given by the Jovanovic equation and the distribution of energetically different sites is represented by a Morse-type energy distribution function. The absolute errors between the values calculated by the heterogeneous isotherm model and the experimental data ranged from 1.17 to 2.67%. Energy distribution functions showed that silica gel exhibits the same degree of heterogeneity for all of the adsorbates in the homologous series.
Migration and fate of therapeutic stem cells in different brain disease models

Stem cells have a number of properties, which make them excellent candidates for the treatment of various neurologic disorders, the most important of which being their ability to migrate to and differentiate predictably at sites of pathology in the brain. The disease-directed migration and well-characterized differentiation patterns of stem cells may eventually provide a powerful tool for the treatment of both localized and diffuse disease processes within the human brain. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing their migratory properties and their choice between different differentiation programs is essential if these cells are to be used therapeutically in humans. This review focuses on summarizing the migration and differentiation of therapeutic neural and mesenchymal stem cells in different disease models in the brain and also discusses the promise of these cells to eventually treat various forms of neurologic disease.
Thyroxine metabolism and thyroid function in the pregnant rat.

Thyroxine (T4) metabolism and thyroid function were assessed in the pregnant rat. During the last few days of pregnancy, the urinary excretion of 131I, determined in rats isotopically equilibrated with 131I-T4 (0.5-2 Mg/100 g body weight/day), and expressed either in absolute terms or as a percentage of the administered dose, was greatly increased. This indicated an increase not only in the amount, but also in the rate of excretion of iodide derived from T4. The increase was associated with a marked fall in the concentration of T4 in serum. Thus, the clearance of T4 from plasma was greatly enhanced. The increased clearance was due not only to an enhanced rate of deiodination, but also to an increased clearance by the gastrointestinal pathway. After delivery the urinary excretion of iodide was no longer increased and the serum T4 concentration returned to normal within a few days. Studies of T4 metabolism in vitro indicated that, although hepatic deiodinating activity was normal in the 20-day pregnant rat,...
CUPRI observations of persistence asymmetry reversals in up‐down vertical type‐I echoes from the equatorial electro jet above Alcântara, Brazil

High resolution vertical radar measurements of the equatorial electrojet above Alcântara, Brazil, were made with the Cornell University Portable Radar Interferometer (CUPRI) as part of the Guara Dip Equator Campaign. Type-I spectra obtained from the main body of the electrojet during strong daytime conditions show a preponderance of upward phase velocities as a function of time. However, the data from a few kilometers higher show a persistence of downward phase velocities. This reversal in sign of the most persistent type-I peak occurs regularly in our data whenever the electrojet is strongly driven. The persistence of upward phase velocities is similar to that seen earlier at Jicamarca but the reversal in sign of the dominating mode has not been previously observed, nor is it consistent with current electrojet theories. Another unexpected result from the Alcântara data set is that the absolute values of the phase velocities of the type-I spectra peaks decrease with altitude. This is through a region where the temperature (and hence the acoustic velocity) should be increasing with altitude. Hence, the saturation of the type-I peak phase velocities is not just a simple function of the acoustic velocity.
On the bizarre gamma-ray spectrum of SS 433

Lamb et al. (1983) have announced the discovery of a pair of gamma-ray lines interpretable as emission of the 1.368 MeV line of Mg-24 in the two oppositely directed relativistic jets of SS 433. The mass loss rate related to the Mg-24 and the kinetic energy flux of the Mg-24 are considered. In the present investigation, it is shown that the mass loss flux must be well in excess of 0.00001 solar mass per yr, while the abundance of the gamma-emitting nucleus is extremely high. Attention is given to the calculation of the gamma-ray production efficiency factor, the size of the emitting region, reaction processes, and X-ray luminosity. It is concluded that for plasma beam models, there must be a substantial overabundance, by a factor of 100 to approximately 1000, of the gamma-line producing nucleus. The association of the gamma-ray lines with Mg-24 is reasonable but not secure.
Durability and failure mechanisms of digital tapes in a rotary tape drive

AbstractThe durability and failure mechanism of digital metal-evaporated (ME) and digital metal particulate (MP) tapes were investigated. Shuttle and pause mode tests were performed at ambient and different environmental conditions using a modified digital camcorder as a wear tester. Physical and chemical analyses of worn surfaces were conducted to study failure mechanisms. Digital ME tape exhibited higher overall durability than digital MP tape and Hi-8 ME tape without a diamond-like carbon (DLC) overcoat in the study. The performance of digital ME tape was sensitive to temperature and relative humidity. In the pause test, digital ME tape demonstrated highest durability under hot and moderate humidity conditions and lowest durability under cold and dry conditions. The reasons for high durability for digital ME tape compared with digital MP tape and Hi-8 ME tape without a DLC overcoat lie in lubricant selection, controlled surface topography and DLC coating. With the correct combinations of these three pa...
Validity of triceps skinfold and relative weight as measures of adolescent obesity.

The ability of relative body weight and triceps skinfold thickness to indicate obesity in adolescents was analyzed in 169 males and 66 females, 12–17 years of age, whose percent body fat had been determined by underwater weighing. Using 25% body fat in males and 30% in females as the criterion for obesity, 31 males and 17 females were placed in this category. Of these, the triceps skinfold correctly identified 15 males and 4 females, and the relative weight identified 16 and 5, respectively. These anthropometric indicators, at the levels applied, are low in sensitivity (23–50%) but high in specificity (85–100%).