cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soluble germanium addition to silicon-starved cultures of the diatom Cyclotella sp. limits β-chitin nanofiber formation

Diatoms are unicellular algae that make nanostructured, porous cell walls called frustules through uptake and biomineralization of soluble silicon (Si) to silica during the cell division process. After cell division, the diatom Cyclotella sp. also synthesizes and extrudes nanofibers composed of poly N-acetyl glucosamine (β-chitin) through conical pore structures called fultoportulae lining the rim of the frustule valve. The nanofibers are 50–60 nm in width and 40–80 μm in length. After cultivation of Cyclotella to the Si-starved state, nominally 80 fibers per cell (approximately 2 fibers per fultoportula) were produced following the final cell division. However, the co-addition of soluble Si and germanium (Ge) to Si-starved cultures Cyclotella sp. limited diatom growth to one cell division cycle and induced aberrations in the nanostructure of daughter frustule, including fusion of pore arrays and closure fortuportulae openings. This process led to a twofold reduction in the number of β-chitin nanofibers extruded per cell, although fiber length was not affected. These observations were consistent with a process where the parent frustule continued to form chitin nanofibers, whereas the aberrant daughter frustule did not. This study also demonstrated how diatom biomineralization processes can be harnessed to create novel biogenic nanostructured materials consisting of both Si-Ge oxide nanocomposites and pendant biopolymer nanofibers.
Speech Act of Complaining: Socio-Pragmatic study of Complaint by Moroccan EFL Learners

Complaining as a speech act can occur in every conversation even unintentionally. The use of this speech act is culture specific. The expressions and strategies used to issue a complaint vary according to context, interlocutors and to other socio-cultural variables. The present study investigates the complaint strategies of Moroccan higher education institutions’ EFL students. Data for the current study are collected from 37 second and third year students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) representing a population in Moroccan Higher Education embodied in Moulay Ismail University, Meknes and who have managed to answer a discourse completion test composed of five situational prompts. A quantitative design is used for the collection, the analysis and the interpretation of data. The data gathered are described and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that Moroccan EFL students use specific linguistic forms to make complaints regarding different social variables such as social distance, ranking and social power. They also imply that Moroccan EFL learners tend to use more indirect strategies in issuing their complaints along with some intimacy expressions that mark the specificity of the Moroccan culture as a positive politeness culture, par excellence.
Data-Driven Reverse Engineering Algorithm Development Method for Developing Interoperable Quantity Takeoff Algorithms Using IFC-Based BIM

AbstractOne main gap in the automation of construction quantity takeoff (QTO) is the lack of a systematic method to address building information models (BIMs) created from different BIM authoring t...
Tolerance and avoidance of urban cover in a southern California suburban raptor community over five decades

We explored nest site placement and re-use relative to ornamental tree usage and urbanization level in a diurnal raptor community in southern California (USA) during three discrete time periods spanning five decades (1971–2018). Re-use of prior years’ nests varied among species, with Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) showing moderate re-use rates (ca. 30%), and Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus), and Cooper’s Hawks (Accipiter cooperii) showing almost none. Nearly all nests were in native and naturally-occurring trees during the 1970s, yet by 2018, most Cooper’s Hawk nests, and many Red-tailed Hawk nests, were located in ornamental vegetation such as pines (Pinus spp.) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.). The amount of urban cover around nest sites increased for Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks during the study period, but not for American Kestrels, which were confined to the least-urban areas. Cooper’s Hawks appear to now be selecting urban nest sites over wildland sites, based on the increase in surrounding urban cover, even as landscape urbanization has not substantially changed in the study area during the last two time periods. Our study illustrates the utility of long-term datasets in understanding how a species’ urban tolerance can change over time, and highlights species (including three extirpated taxa) that may be failing to adapt to local urbanization.
Antitumor activity of a systemic STING-activating non-nucleotide cGAMP mimetic

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) links innate immunity to biological processes ranging from antitumor immunity to microbiome homeostasis. Mechanistic understanding of the anticancer potential for STING receptor activation is currently limited by metabolic instability of the natural cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) ligands. From a pathway-targeted cell-based screen, we identified a non-nucleotide, small-molecule STING agonist, termed SR-717, that demonstrates broad interspecies and interallelic specificity. A 1.8-angstrom cocrystal structure revealed that SR-717 functions as a direct cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) mimetic that induces the same "closed" conformation of STING. SR-717 displayed antitumor activity; promoted the activation of CD8+ T, natural killer, and dendritic cells in relevant tissues; and facilitated antigen cross-priming. SR-717 also induced the expression of clinically relevant targets, including programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), in a STING-dependent manner.
Dm Ime4 depletion affects permeability barrier and Chic function in Drosophila spermatogenesis.

Abstract Adenosine methylation of messenger RNA at the N6 position (m6A) is a non-editing modification that can affect several aspects of mRNA metabolism. Dm Ime4, also known as METTL3, MTA, and MTA-70 in other organisms, is the catalytic subunit of the methyltransferase complex that adds this modification. Dm ime4 is evolutionarily conserved and essential for development in metazoans and plants. Because of its pleiotropic effects, it has been difficult to establish the main reason why embryonic arrest occurs in plants, mice, and zebrafish. Using a strategy that depletes Dm Ime4 specifically in the somatic cyst cells of Drosophila testes without affecting essential functions in development, our lab has found that Dm Ime4 may potentially regulate splicing of profilin (chic) mRNA, the message for an essential and evolutionarily conserved protein mainly known for its function in actin polymerization. One of the lesser known roles for Chic is its requirement for establishment and maintenance of the somatic cyst-cell permeability barrier in Drosophila spermatogenesis. Chic and Dm Ime4 colocalize and are abundant in somatic cyst cells throughout spermatogenesis. Upon selective depletion of Dm Ime4, we observe significant reduction of Chic protein levels and malfunction of the permeability barrier. We have found that chic mRNA contains intronic Dm Ime4 binding sites that can form the hairpin structures required for recognition by the methyltransferase complex. Our data show that the reduced levels of Chic protein observed in Dm ime4 somatic cyst-cell knockdowns could be the result of aberrant splicing of its mRNA. In turn, low levels of Chic are known to affect the function of the somatic permeability barrier, leading to germline death and the reduced fertility observed in Dm ime4 knockdown males. We propose that Dm Ime4 may regulate chic in other developmental contexts and in other organisms, including mice and humans. Chic is an essential protein that is evolutionarily conserved, and establishment and maintenance of cell barriers and domains are important strategies used in metazoan development. Taken together, our findings define a framework to investigate specific functions of Dm Ime4 and its homologs in multicellular organisms by bypassing its pleiotropic requirement in early developmental stages.
Guidelines for Integrating Live Supervision in Simulation-Based Clinical Education: An Example for Teaching Motivational Interviewing

During the past 20 years, social work education has built a bridge between the classroom and field using client simulation to learn clinical skills. This paper outlines an innovative model of simulation that incorporates LS used to teach motivational interviewing (MI). In addition, guidelines with specific steps for teaching MI with simulation and LS are discussed. Unfortunately, most present day simulation models leave out methods to instruct and supervise students in real time. When implementing clinical simulations there is little opportunity to correct a trainee’s behavior or to practice a new skill at the perfect teachable moment during an interview. This instruction must wait until the interview is finished and the debriefing has begun. With the addition of LS, the simulation experience is enhanced for students as the supervisor is now incorporated as an active participant in the interview. Using LS, the instructor can now direct and even model appropriate clinical responses and interventions. The use of simulation with LS is innovative and builds on social work’s evolving body of simulation-based education and further strengthens this approach. Results of this model suggest that students quickly learn to appreciate the value added of LS to simulation and that clinical skills learned resist decay overtime.
Constrained Information Acquisition

When a portion of institutional investors are prohibited from short selling, news that generates differences of opinions also affects information acquisition. Investors facing a short-sale prohibition (e.g., mutual funds) acquire less information when the sentiment of news is positive, as positive sentiment increases the likelihood that they will be unable to trade. Also, prices are more informative following news with negative sentiment than news with positive sentiment. These novel predictions are tested empirically using new measures of information acquisition derived from a hand-collected sample of mutual fund and hedge fund IP addresses. When the sentiment of recent news has been negative instead of positive, information acquisition by mutual funds increases by 16% relative to hedge funds, and prices are up to 14% more informative.
Dynamic wheel scales for heavy vehicle road simulators

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute of The Pennsylvania State University are engaged in a research project that studies how dynamic wheel forces of heavy vehicles affect pavement damage. One of the main tools used in this research project is a four post road simulator located at The Turner Fairbank Research Center in McLean, Virginia. The Dynamic Truck Actuation system (DYNTRAC) was constructed without a dynamic force measuring system. This paper presents the testing and evaluation of a dynamic wheel force sensor for DYNTRAC. Various technologies are examined for use as force sensors. The design options selected for testing and evaluation were actuator piston mounted load cells, wheel scales based on the strain measurement of a bending plate, and scales based on shear beam load cells. The scale based on shear beam load cells was selected as the best design for use with DYNTRAC.
Sequence analysis of mitochondrial DNA from Podospora anserina: Pervasiveness of a class I intron in three separate genes

Abstract A 48 kb region of the 95 kb mitochondrial genome of Podospora anserina has been mapped and sequenced (1 kb = 103 base-pairs). The DNA sequence of the genes for ND2, 3, 4, ATPase 6 and URFC are presented here. As in Neurospora crassa, the ND2 and 3 genes consist of a unit separated by one TAA stop codon. ND3, 4 and ATPase 6 are interrupted by class I introns. All three introns are remarkably similar in the C-domain of their secondary structure, sufficient enough to designate them as new subgroup, class IC introns. The open reading frames of the ND3 and 4 introns bear a high sequence similarity to the open reading frame of the class IB introns of ATPase 6 from N. crassa and ND1 from Neurospora intermedia Varkud. We also show that the tRNA Met-2 gene is duplicated and is involved in a recombinational event. The 5′ region of URFC is also duplicated but no involvement of this gene with recombination or formation of plasmids is known. The evolutionary significance of the similarities of intron secondary structures and open reading frames of the ND3, 4 and ATPase 6 genes is discussed, including the possible separate evolution of structural and coding sequences.
Failure is an Option: Impediments to Short Selling and Options Prices

Regulations allow market makers to short sell without borrowing stock, and the transactions of a major options market maker show that in most hard-to-borrow situations, it chooses not to borrow and instead fails to deliver stock to its buyers. Some of the value of failing passes through to option prices: when failing is cheaper than borrowing, the relation between borrowing costs and option prices is significantly weaker. The remaining value is profit to the market maker, and its ability to profit despite the usual competition between market makers appears to result from a cost advantage of larger market makers at failing.
Coilgun technology, status, applications and future directions at Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories has been developing coilgun electromagnetic launcher technology since 1980 and is continuing to advance the technology through hardware development, industry collaboration, and pursuit of new applications. Past projects have included a 35 stage, 200 kJ, 50 mm launcher accelerating a 0.23 kg mass to 1 km/s velocity, a 6 stage, 280 kJ, 140 mm system accelerating a 5 kg mass to 335 m/s, and several studies documenting the potential capabilities of coilgun technology for low and high-speed applications. Projects are currently underway that will continue to advance the technology. One such program is testing high field coils to determine if previous designs can withstand the stress of large numbers of shots. This project is also developing a 30 Tesla coil to allow operation at repetition rates necessary for many applications. At the conclusion of this project we will have valuable engineering data on long-term coil reliability for high velocity applications. We are also working with an industry partner to develop a low-velocity, high-mass electromagnetic launcher for missile launch applications. Through a cooperative research and development agreement, we have constructed a small-scale model, conducted full-scale conceptual designs, and are proceeding to construct a facility for testing full-scale coils and EM effects on missile components. We are developing a coilgun launcher for DoD mortar applications that require launch velocities of -400 m/s of 120 mm, 18 kg payloads, and will extend the weapon's range 40% beyond existing technology while providing significantly improved accuracy with slight modification to the existing rounds. For the mortar application, the program is designed to build both rail and coil systems to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each, and which is most appropriate for the DoD requirements
Convergence Verification: From Shared Memory to Partially Synchronous Systems

Verification of partially synchronous distributed systems is difficult because of inherent concurrency and the potentially large state space of the channels. This paper identifies a subclass of such systems for which convergence properties can be verified based on the proof of convergence for the corresponding discrete-time shared state system. The proof technique extends to the class of systems in which an agent's state evolves continuously over time. The proof technique has been formalized in the PVS interface for timed I/O automata and applied to verify convergence of a mobile agent pattern formation algorithm.
Meiotic development in Caenorhabditis elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans has become a powerful experimental organism with which to study meiotic processes that promote the accurate segregation of chromosomes during the generation of haploid gametes. Haploid reproductive cells are produced through one round of chromosome replication followed by two ­successive cell divisions. Characteristic meiotic chromosome structure and dynamics are largely conserved in C. elegans. Chromosomes adopt a meiosis-specific structure by loading cohesin proteins, assembling axial elements, and acquiring chromatin marks. Homologous chromosomes pair and form physical connections though synapsis and recombination. Synaptonemal complex and crossover formation allow for the homologs to stably associate prior to remodeling that facilitates their segregation. This chapter will cover conserved meiotic processes as well as highlight aspects of meiosis that are unique to C. elegans.
Inducible glutamate transport in Mycobacteria and its relation to glutamate oxidation

Washed-cell preparations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Ra and M. smegmatis 607 grown in Sauton's medium demonstrated a lag in glutamate oxidation. Washed-cell preparations of M. fortuitum and M. phlei oxidized glutamate immediately and in a linear fashion. Glutamate was oxidized without a lag by washed cells of M. tuberculosis H37Ra and M. smegmatis 607 harvested from a modified medium containing glutamate. Chloramphenicol inhibited the oxidation of glutamate by washed cells grown in the absence of glutamate. These findings suggested the induction of either an enzyme system for glutamate oxidation or a glutamate transport system. The activity of glutamic dehydrogenase was not significantly greater in extracts prepared from cells grown with glutamate. However, the initial rate of glutamate uptake by induced cells was three to four times higher than in noninduced cells. The induction of the glutamate transport system in M. tuberculosis H37Ra and M. smegmatis 607 was shown to parallel the induction of glutamate oxidation. After a 60-min lag, the inducible glutamate transport system appeared. Chloramphenicol prevented the induction of glutamate uptake, although the antibiotic had no effect on glutamate uptake by previously induced cells. Some of the properties of this glutamate uptake system are described.
Heat transport model for the deliquescence kinetics of crystalline ingredients and mixtures

Abstract Deliquescent crystalline solids undergo the first order dissolution process of deliquescence when the environmental relative humidity (RH) exceeds the deliquescence point (RH 0 ). The rate at which deliquescence occurs increases as the RH increases above the RH 0 in compressed disks of select deliquescent ingredients; however, a kinetic model for the deliquescence of powdered crystalline food ingredients and blends thereof has not been published. The water vapor sorption rates of commonly used powder food ingredients (citric acid, sodium chloride, sucrose, fructose, sorbitol, and xylitol) and blends were determined using a multi-sample gravimetric moisture sorption analyzer. The water vapor sorption rate was dependent on sample radius, temperature, and sample composition. The heat transport model for the deliquescence of compressed disks was successfully extended to the powder ingredients and blends. Such results enable further understanding of fundamental theories of deliquescence and provide a useful tool in the prediction of water vapor uptake rate during deliquescence in controlled RH chambers.
X-band and Ka-band monolithic GaAs PIN diode variable attenuation limiters

A description is given of monolithic GaAs p-i-n diode limiter circuits that have demonstrated 20 dB of variable attenuation at X-band and Ka-band while maintaining under 1.5:1 input voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR). Insertion loss is 0.5-dB at 10 GHz and 1.4-dB at 36.5 GHz in the 0-mA bias condition. Passive limiting provides 7-dB of isolation at radio frequency (RF) powers up to 1.5 W (30% duty cycle). The process used to fabricate the variable attenuation limiter is compatible with FET circuits, allowing integration of other MMIC components on the same substrate for future single-chip radar front ends. Several of these circuits have been fabricated and RF tested. Fabrication, circuit design, and RF performance are discussed. >
The (mis)diagnosis of CIDP The high price of missing the mark

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an immune-mediated peripheral nervous system disorder classically presenting with progressive, symmetrical limb weakness including the proximal muscles, generalized areflexia, and large fiber sensory loss.1 Electrodiagnostic studies show unequivocal segmental demyelination in multiple motor nerves or nerve roots, and the CSF protein level is usually elevated. In addition to classical CIDP, there are many variant presentations, so-called atypical forms, such as pure motor, pure sensory, regional (restricted to the upper or lower limbs), multifocal (Lewis-Sumner syndrome), and distal patterns.2 The diagnosis of CIDP can be established when patients meet carefully delineated clinical, electrodiagnostic, and laboratory criteria,1,2 but may be more challenging in cases with atypical presentations. Further difficulties arise when nerve conduction studies are inadequately performed or trivial nerve conduction abnormalities are labeled demyelinating. Misdiagnosis of CIDP leads to inappropriate and often long-term use of corticosteroids and IV immunoglobulin (IVIg), with the potential for adverse effects and an enormous financial burden to the health care system.
Chapter 1 – Dose and Time Determining, and Other Factors Influencing, Toxicity

Publisher Summary This chapter is intended as an introduction to the toxicity of pesticides and an evaluation of methods for their study. Toxicity is the manifestation of an interaction between molecules constituting some form of life and molecules of exogenous chemicals or physical insults. Consequences of molecular interactions or physical insults may propagate, through causality chains, all the way to the organismic level. Therefore, a more appropriate definition of the scope of toxicology would be that it is the science that elucidates the causality chain of interactions and their time course (exposure) between biological entities (subjects) of different intrinsic susceptibility and chemical and physical entities (agents) of different intrinsic potency. At least three major independent factors—compound, dosage, and duration of dosing—and a separately measurable dependent factor—storage—are involved in what is often lumped with misleading simplicity under the term “chronic toxicity.” The word “dosage” is properly applied to any rate or ratio involving a dose. The dosage-response relationship is the most fundamental single principle in toxicology. It extends to all kinds of injurious effects and implies the existence of a threshold dosage for each compound below which, under defined conditions, no harmful effect is produced. The maximal observed variation in effect associated with different factors is as follows: dosage and time-essentially infinite (health versus death) compounds.
Epigenetics of Filamentous Fungi

Epigenetic phenomena are defined by reversible heritable changes in gene expression in the absence of changes in DNA sequence. These include, among others, DNA methylation, position effects, RNA silencing systems, and centromere location. The term epigenetics is now also more loosely applied to describe gene regulation via change in chromatin structure, even though such changes are not necessarily heritable (e.g., they may occur in terminally differentiated cells). The filamentous fungi, in particular Neurospora crassa, have provided fundamental advances in many of the areas mentioned above. Notably, they share silencing systems that are conserved in higher eukaryotes, for instance RNA interference (RNAi) and DNA methylation. Much can be learned about general mechanisms for these phenomena by comparative biology, for which fungi are especially useful. This is because they are relatively simple organisms with small genomes that often lack redundancy, and they are amenable to rapid genetic manipulations, biochemistry and cytology. At the same time, the manipulation of chromatin structure in fungi promises to unlock previously untapped biochemical potential, for instance in the production of secondary metabolites. In this chapter, a review will be provided of previously conducted studies, notably those reported during the past two years. Areas of research will also be suggested where more depth – or indeed any study – is required to make use of the full potential of filamentous fungi as model organisms. Keywords: Epigenetics; RIP (Repeat-induced point mutation); DNA methylation; DCDC; Jumonji C (JmjC) domain; Quelling; Meiotic silencing (“MSUD”); LaeA
IMAGINAÇÃO, CRIATIVIDADE E LIBERDADE: PENSAR A ÉTICA RELACIONAL EM SERVIÇO SOCIAL

Sublinhando as formas fundamentais da subjectividade subjacentes a intervencao do assistente social, o presente artigo explora diferentes contributos para a etica no servico social contemporâneo. O trabalho do filosofo alemao Fichte fornece-nos o ponto de partida para a incorporacao da imaginacao e da liberdade no pensar etico. O acto da invencao criativa nao e um acto solitario, mas antes um acto animado na e pela relacao com o Outro. Nesta relacao, a atencao ao contexto, ao instante, ao acontecimento e a singularidade que contribuem para o pensar e o agir etico do assistente social sao ainda considerados sob diferentes perspectivas. Underlining the fundamental forms of subjectivity implicit on the of social work intervention, this article explores different contributions to contemporary social ethics. The work of the German philosopher Fichte provides a starting point from which to incorporate imagination and freedom in ethical thinking. The act of creative invention is not a solitary act, but developed in and through the relation with the Other. In this relation, attention to the context, to the moment and uniqueness of the ethical event are also considered as contributes to the social worker ethical thinking and action.
Influence of sampling frequency on estimation of annual total phosphorus and total suspended solids loads

The determination of sediment and nutrient loads is typically based on the collection and analysis of grab samples. The frequency and regularity of traditional sampling may not provide representation of constit- uent loading, particularly in systems with flashy hydrology. At two sites in the Little Bear River, Utah, continu- ous, high-frequency turbidity was used with surrogate relationships to generate estimates of total phosphorus and total suspended solids concentrations, which were paired with discharge to estimate annual loads. The high frequency records were randomly subsampled to represent hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly sampling frequen- cies and to examine the effects of timing, and resulting annual load estimates were compared to the reference loads. Higher frequency sampling resulted in load estimates that better approximated the reference loads. The degree of bias was greater at the more hydrologically responsive site in the upper watershed, which required a higher sampling frequency than the lower watershed site to achieve the same level of accuracy in estimating the reference load. The hour of day and day of week of sampling impacted load estimation, depending on site and hydrologic conditions. The effects of sampling frequency on the determination of compliance with a water quality criterion were also examined. These techniques can be helpful in determining necessary sampling fre- quency to meet the objectives of a water quality monitoring program. (KEY TERMS: turbidity; nutrients, monitoring; sampling frequency; total phosphorus; suspended sediment; load estimation.)
Kant on Recognizing Beauty

Abstract: Kant declares the judgment of beauty to be neither ‘objective’ nor ‘merely subjective’. This essay takes up the question of what this might mean and whether it can be taken seriously. It is often supposed that Kant's denials of ‘objectivity’ to the judgment of beauty express a rejection of realism about beauty. I suggest that Kant's thought is not to be understood in these terms—that it does not properly belong in the arena of debates about the constituents of ‘reality’—motivating the suggestion by first considering a pair of opposing views on the question of whether Kant can be understood to develop a real alternative to realism about beauty at all.
Visualization with dynamically generated SVG

As the sheer quantity of scientific data collected, manipulated, analyzed, etc. by efforts such as the Human Genome Project continues to explode, the need for visualization tools becomes more and more critical to enabling the discoveries we hope will result from all this data. While the World Wide Web was originally designed as a tool for the sharing of scientific information, and has proven invaluable in that role, efforts at using web technologies to assist in visualization efforts have been limited by the raster-oriented graphics the web grew up around.We now have a new and very powerful web graphics technology available to us. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an XML syntax for creating complex vector graphics. By virtue of its XML text-based syntax, SVG lends itself quite naturally to server-side generation. Because of its support of Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) and JavaScript/ECMAScript, SVG graphics can be manipulated and generated client-side as well. Put these together and we have the necessary ingredients for sophisticated visualization tools where the server can generate on-the-fly applications and environments which can be manipulated by the user.
Serotonin 1B receptors form a transient vibrissa-related pattern in the primary somatosensory cortex of the developing rat.

Serotonin (5-HT)-immunoreactive axons have a patterned distribution in the primary sensory cortices of developing rodents. This distribution becomes apparent shortly after birth and disappears around the end of the second postnatal week. We employed binding of [125I]cyanopindolol in the presence of isoproterenol to determine whether 5-HT1B receptors have a similar transient spatiotemporal distribution. In rats killed on postnatal day (P-) 8, 5-HT1B receptors have a distribution closely matching that of 5-HT immunoreactive. The receptors are very dense in lamina IV of both the primary visual and somatosensory cortices and like 5-HT immunoreactive axons within the somatosensory cortex, form patches matching the distribution of the mystacial vibrissae. In adult animals, the density of these receptors in lamina IV and the supragranular layers of the visual and somatosensory cortices is reduced relative to that in the surrounding cortex. Autoradiograms of the flattened cortices of adult rats yield a ‘negative image’ of the pattern observed in perinatal animals. Thus, one subclass of 5-HT receptors, the 5-HT1B receptor, has a spatial distribution in cortex which changes in development much like that for serotoninergic axons.
Circadian rhythms of tonic immobility in the rat: Evidence of an endogenous mechanism

Circadian rhythms of tonic immobility were found in male albino rats raised on a 12-h diurnal light cycle and tested at 6-h intervals. Durations of immobility were twice as long at 2000 h as at 1400 h. These differences persisted when rats were exposed to constant darkness for 10 days, but disappeared when rats were maintained in constant light for the same period. Since endogenous circadian rhythms of certain monoamine levels persist in constant darkness yet disappear under constant light, it is suggested that cycles of tonic immobility in rats are also endogenous. When the diurnal pattern of tonic immobility duration is compared to that of various neurohumors, immobility duration appears to parallel melatonin production and to be opposite in phase to the cycle of serotonin levels. Duration of immobility increased over trials, although the number of inductions required to produce immobility decreased. This suggests that instrumental conditioning may modify the immobility response to some extent.
Encoding and Representation of Intranasal CO2 in the Mouse Olfactory Cortex

Intranasal trigeminal sensory input, often perceived as a burning, tingling, or stinging sensation, is well known to affect odor perception. While both anatomical and functional imaging data suggest that the influence of trigeminal stimuli on odor information processing may occur within the olfactory cortex, direct electrophysiological evidence for the encoding of trigeminal information at this level of processing is unavailable. Here, in agreement with human functional imaging studies, we found that 26% of neurons in the mouse piriform cortex (PCX) display modulation in firing to carbon dioxide (CO2), an odorless stimulant with known trigeminal capacity. Interestingly, CO2 was represented within the PCX by distinct temporal dynamics, differing from those evoked by odor. Experiments with ascending concentrations of isopentyl acetate, an odorant known to elicit both olfactory and trigeminal sensations, resulted in morphing of the temporal dynamics of stimulus-evoked responses. Whereas low concentrations of odorant evoked responses upon stimulus onset, high concentrations of odorant and/or CO2 often evoked responses structured to stimulus offset. These physiological experiments in mice suggest that PCX neurons possess the capacity to encode for stimulus modality (olfactory vs trigeminal) by differential patterns of firing. These data provide mechanistic insights into the influences of trigeminal information on odor processing and place constraints on models of olfactory-trigeminal sensory integration.
Community solutions initiative: IEEE Power & Energy Society rural electrification initiative

The Power & Energy Society of the IEEE helped launch the Community Solutions Initiative in 2009, to address the situation of energy poverty which has nearly 1.5 billion people with no access to the electric grid. Progress is reported on coordination with various 3rd world nation-specific development organizations, the CSI-developed 1.5 kW solar installation system which serves 80 homes, and development of the sustainable business model operating at the `Base of the Pyramid' scale (4 billion people who earn less than $5 a day). Progress is set against the backdrop of development economics approaches to addressing poverty and the unique role of electrical energy.
Rotational-echo double resonance characterization of vancomycin binding sites in Staphylococcus aureus.

Solid-state NMR experiments with stable isotope-labeled Staphylococcus aureus have provided insight into the structure of the peptidoglycan binding site of a potent fluorobiphenyl derivative of chloroeremomycin (Eli Lilly LY329332). Rotational-echo double resonance (REDOR) NMR provided internuclear distances from the 19F of this glycopeptide antibiotic to natural-abundance 31P and to specific 13C and 15N labels biosynthetically incorporated into the bacteria from labeled alanine, glycine, or lysine in the growth medium. Results from experiments with intact late log phase bacteria and cell walls indicated homogeneous drug−peptidoglycan binding. Drug dimers were not detected in situ, and the hydrophobic fluorobiphenyl group of LY329332 did not insert into the bilayer membrane. A model of the binding site consistent with the REDOR results positions the vancomycin cleft around an un-cross-linked d-Ala-d-Ala peptide stem with the fluorobiphenyl moiety of the antibiotic near the base of a second, proximate stem...
Trends in school psychology research: 1974–1980

Abstract Research articles appearing in five major journals from 1974 to 1980 were categorized in 1 of 16 categories as determined by the major theme of the paper. A chi-square analysis was used to determine whether years differed in relative distribution of observations across the categories. Spearman's rho correlation coefficients were calculated for the rank order of categories between each pair of years, allowing for comparison of the current data with O'Callaghan's (1974) data. Results indicate a significant change in content of articles published over the 7-year period. Articles concerning instrument development and validation account for the relatively largest percentage of total articles published in the 1974–1980 period and have continued to increase since the 1967–1973 period examined by O'Callaghan. Schools and agencies primarily contributing to this research are identified across the 7-year time span. Results are discussed in terms of the professional literature's potential reflection of the role of the school psychologist.
Testosterone and cardiovascular disease in men

The role of testosterone levels as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease has long been debated. Historically, higher testosterone levels in men have been thought to contribute to the gender discrepancies seen in cardiovascular disease risk. Data are emerging that, in fact, low testosterone may be associated with both adverse lipid profile, increased risk of metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease in men. Whether this reflects a direct effect of androgen deficiency or the concomitant estrogen deficiency is unclear. This article will review the potential risks and protective effects of testosterone on metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, and possible mechanisms.
The Analytical Dynamics of the Spectral Vorticity Equation

Abstract Nonlinear aspects of the vorticity equation for nondivergent, planetary circulations of the atmosphere may be explored by representation of the solution in spherical surface harmonics. A systematic analytic investigation is presented here of the truncated spectral vorticity equation thus obtained. The principal results pertain to systems with three spherical-harmonic components (which may have as many as six degrees of freedom): the spectral equations for all three-component systems are solvable by quadratures; and in those cases in which the components exchange energy, the quadratures lead either to elliptic or to circular functions of the time. The solutions, and in particular the energy exchange therefore are periodic in all three-component systems. Extensions to nontrivial multicomponent systems are made in a few cases for which complete solutions are possible. The simplest configuration is one with an arbitrary zonal flow and a single tesseral component. No energy exchange occurs; but the ph...
In vitro studies on cholesterol metabolism in the blood flukeSchistosoma mansoni

AdultSchistosoma mansoni were axenically maintained in NCTC 109 culture media containing14C labeled acetate or mevalonate. Dibromide derivatives prepared from purified blood fluke cholesterol exhibited a lack of significant radioactivity on examination by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Autoradiographic electron microscopy of tissues from flukes maintained in the presence and absence of labeled acetate and especially fixed to retain cholesterol revealed a similar random distribution of nonspecific grains. However, when particulate labeled cholesterol was supplied, a count of 6,832 dpm was found in the dibromide derivative. Under the above maintenance conditionsS. mansoni adults do not synthesize cholesterol from acetate or mevalonate but most probably obtain this sterol from the host animal.
Distributed min-max optimization in networks

We consider a setup where we are given a network of agents with their local objective functions which are coupled through a common decision variable. We provide a distributed stochastic gradient algorithm for the agents to compute an optimal decision variable that minimizes the worst case loss incurred by any agent. We establish almost sure convergence of the agent's estimates to a common optimal point. We demonstrate the use of our algorithm to a problem of min-max fair power allocation in a cellular network.
WebTOP: 3D interactive optics on the Web

The Optics Project (TOP) is a 3D interactive computer graphics system that visualizes optical phenomena. The primary motivation for creating TOP was to develop a tool to help undergraduate students learn optics. WebTOP is a Web-based version of the system that encompasses a physical simulation, an overview of the theory involved, a showcase of examples, and a set of suggested exercises. The actual simulation is implemented using VRML, Java, and the External Authoring Interface, and runs under multiple hardware/OS/browser configurations. This work is significant in that it represents, to our knowledge, the first complete 3D interactive optics system on the Web.
Average multiplicities in associated production

For the inclusive reaction a + b ..-->.. c + X it is predicted in various models that under certain general conditions the average multiplicity of particles of any type contained in X is of the form = A + B ln M/sup 2/ where M/sup 2/ is the squared invariant mass of X. This prediction is discussed in a straightforward application of the Mueller-Regge model, and a scaling form for the dependence of A upon the invariants s and M/sup 2/ is noted.
Saphenous vein sparing during inguinal lymphadenectomy to reduce morbidity in patients with vulvar carcinoma

Abstract Objectives. To compare short- and long-term morbidity associated with saphenous vein sparing versus ligation during inguinal lymphadenectomy for vulvar carcinoma. Methods. A retrospective evaluation of patients with carcinoma of the vulva that underwent inguinal lymphadenectomy was performed. Operative reports were evaluated and patients were divided into those who had sparing of the saphenous vein versus ligation. Postoperative short- and long-term complications were compared between the two groups using Pearson chi squared analysis. Results. There were a total of 49 inguinal lymphadenectomies performed on 29 patients. The saphenous vein was spared in 18 (37%) groin dissections compared to 31(63%) in which the saphenous vein was ligated. The two groups were similar in regards to clinical characteristics. All patients received closed suction drains and prophylactic antibiotics. Median number of nodes dissected was similar. Cellulitis was more common in the vein-ligated group compared to the vein-spared group (45% vs. 0%; P P = P 6 months) persisted in 38% of the vein-ligated group compared to 11% in the vein-spared group ( P P Conclusions. Routine preservation of the saphenous vein during inguinal lymphadenectomy for vulvar carcinoma may reduce the incidence of wound cellulitis, wound breakdown, and chronic lymphedema.
Integrating glucometers and digital photography as experience capture tools to enhance patient understanding and communication of diabetes self-management practices

Glucometers measure the accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream and are essential for avoiding health complications related to diabetes. Despite their value as tools to record and present physiological data, they lack the ability to capture the behaviors that cause fluctuations in blood glucose levels, activities that ultimately need to be understood and managed in order to maintain good health. In this paper, we describe an intervention that introduces digital photography into diabetes self-management routines to augment glucometer data and facilitate the sharing of experiences that affect long-term health. Two studies of the approach are presented to illustrate the ways that diabetics use visualizations of past activities to reflect on their health. We also discuss design suggestions for augmented memory systems based on our findings, focusing on ways to enhance learning with repositories of past experiences collected automatically and/or manually.
Application of electromagnetic energy in cancer treatment

Radio-frequency (RF) and microwave heating techniques are reviewed. Clinical applications touched on include interstitial hyperthermia, ferromagnetic seed implants, local external hyperthermia, regional hyperthermia, and phased-array hyperthermia. Examples of heating patterns of various applicators are shown to illustrate the complex energy deposition of RF and microwave energy. >
The emergence of urban environmental history

The three books under review represent the origins and promise of a relatively new field of study, urban environmental history. Joel Tarr's collection of previously published essays retraces the intellectual odyssey of its single most important pioneer. Concerned about contemporary pollution problems, he has spent a quarter of a century exploring the frontiers of scholarship on the relationship between cities and their technologies. In contrast, monographs by R. Bruce Stephenson and Andrew Hurley are typical of current trends to build on this foundation, enriching and broadening its parameters from a wide variety of perspectives. Here the insights of town planning and social history illuminate case studies of St Petersburg, Florida, and Gary, Indiana, respectively. Other recent works draw heavily upon the sciences, especially medicine and public health. Reversing decades of academic fragmentation – knowing more and more about less and less – the study of the urban environment is encouraging creative applications of cross-disciplinary and comparative approaches.
A Conceptual Model for Organizational Citizenship Behavior Directed Toward the Environment

This article extends the literature of organizational citizenship behavior in the context of environmental efforts. The authors provide support for the development of the construct, organizational citizenship behavior directed toward the environment (OCBE). They define OCBE as environmental efforts that are discretionary acts, within the organizational setting, not rewarded or required from the organization. This study also identifies key determinants of OCBE, including environmental concern, organizational commitment, perceived supervisory support for environmental efforts, and perceived corporate social performance. Directions for further research and implications for managers are provided.
Functional Analysis of the Human TAFII250 N-Terminal Kinase Domain

Abstract The largest subunit of the human transcription factor TFIID, TAF II 250, was previously reported to contain serine/threonine kinase domains that can autophosphorylate and transphosphorylate the large subunit of the basal factor TFIIF. Here, we identify the regions of the N-terminal kinase domain (amino acids 1–414) necessary for kinase activity and examine its function in vivo. Point mutations within two patches of amino acids in the kinase domain decrease both autophosphorylation and transphosphorylation activities. Importantly, we find that TAF II 250-bearing mutations within the N-terminal kinase domain exhibit a significantly reduced ability to rescue ts13 cells that express a temperature-sensitive TAF II 250. Moreover, transcription from the cyclin A and cdc2 promoters becomes impaired when cotransfected with hTAF II 250 containing inactive forms of the N-terminal kinase domain. Our results suggest that the TAF II 250 kinase activity is required to direct transcription of at least some genes in vivo.
A three-dimensional symmetric linear equation solver

Factorization procedures for the efficient solution of large sparse linear finite difference systems have been introduced recently. In these procedures the large sparse symmetric coefficient matrix of a certain structure is factorized exactly, yielding a direct solution method. Furthermore, approximate factorization procedures yeild implicit preconditioning iterative methods for the finite difference solution. The numerical implementation of these algorithms is presented and Fortran subroutines for the efficient solution of the resulting sparse symmetric linear system of algebraic equations are given.