cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors that affect the optimal amount of central control in complex systems

Whereas much of the previous research in complex systems has focused on emergent properties resulting from self-organization of the individual agents that make up the system, this article studies one vital role of central organization. In particular, four factors are conjectured to be key in determining the optimal amount of central control. To validate this hypothesis, these factors are represented as controllable parameters in a mathematical model. For different combinations of parameter values, the optimal amount of central control is found, either analytically or by computer simulation. The model is shown to provide results that match well with the level of control found across a broad spectrum of specific complex systems. This model also provides general guidelines as to how combinations of these factors affect the desirable level of control and specific guidelines for selecting and evaluating leaders. These results indicate that all of these factors, though not exhaustive, should be considered carefully when attempting to determine the amount of control that is best for a system. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008
Normalization of LC-MS data using Gaussian process

The purpose of normalization of data generated by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is to reduce bias due to differences in sample collection, biomolecule extraction, and instrument variability. In this paper, we introduce a Gaussian process model for normalization based on analysis order of the samples. Specifically, we use measurement variabilities estimated using quality control (QC) samples to correct for bias caused by instrument drift. Maximum likelihood approach is used to find the optimal parameters for the fitted Gaussian process. The performance of the proposed normalization method is compared with other methods that use the analysis order information for normalization.
An exact expression for the noise voltage across a resistor shunted by a capacitor

The mean square voltage developed across a noisy resistor (R) with a white spectral density shunted by a capacitor (C) is known to be (kT/C), where k is Boltzmann's constant and T the absolute temperature of R. A puzzling aspect of this simple result is that the value of the resistor (which is the real source of noise) appears to play no part and gives no clue on the outcome in the limiting cases of R to 0 or C to 0. The difficulty is resolved by first noting that due to quantum effects, the simple white noise model breaks down at frequencies of 10/sup 9/ Hz or so. Using a quantum-corrected expression for the spectral density, the problem of the RC network has been reworked exactly. It is verified that the new expression yields correct results for all values of the parameters. A Taylor series expansion of the output in terms of the noise equivalent bandwidth of the RC circuit shows that the old result (kT/C) is very accurate for bandwidths of up to tens of GHz. Numerical results are illustrated graphically. >
Colonoscopy in the evaluation of strictures

This is a review of 181 consecutive colonoscopic procedures performed to resolve the etiology of colonic strictures when the barium enema was inconclusive. In 54 percent, it was possible to intubate the colon above the stricture and thus resolve the problem. In 46 percent, it was impossible to traverse the stricture. In this group, it was nevertheless possible to resolve the problem in another 13 percent using the combined technique of biopsy and cytology. Thus, colonoscopy was helpful and determinate in 67 percent.
Signal processing strategies that improve performance and understanding of the quantitative ultrasound SPECTRAL FIT algorithm.

Quantifying the size of the tissue microstructure using the backscattered power spectrum has had limited success due to frequency-dependent attenuation along the propagation path, thus masking the frequency dependence of the scatterer size. Previously, the SPECTRAL FIT algorithm was developed to solve for total attenuation and scatterer size simultaneously [Bigelow et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 117, 1431–1439 (2005)]. Herein, the outcomes from signal processing strategies on the SPECTRAL FIT algorithm are investigated. The signal processing methods can be grouped into two categories, viz., methods that improve the performance of the algorithm and methods that provide insight. The methods that improve the performance include compensating for the windowing function used to gate the time-domain signal, averaging the spectra in the normal frequency domain rather than the log domain to improve the precision of the scatterer size and attenuation estimates, improving the selection of the usable frequency range for...
Gain of glutaminase function in mutants of the ammonia-specific frog carbamoyl phosphate synthetase.

Abstract Depending on their physiological role, carbamoyl phosphate synthetases (CPSs) use either glutamine or free ammonia as the nitrogen donor for carbamoyl phosphate synthesis. Sequence analysis of known CPSs indicates that, regardless of whether they are ammonia- or glutamine-specific, all CPSs contain the structural equivalent of a triad-type glutamine amidotransferase (GAT) domain. In ammonia-specific CPSs, such as those of rat or human, the catalytic inactivity of the GAT domain can be rationalized by the substitution of the Triad cysteine residue by serine (1). The ammonia-specific CPS of Rana catesbeiana (fCPS) presents an interesting anomaly in that, despite its retention of the entire catalytic triad (2) and almost all other residues conserved in Triad GATs, it is unable to utilize glutamine as a nitrogen-donating substrate (3). Based on our earlier work with the glutamine-utilizing E. coli CPS (eCPS), we have targeted residues Lys258 and Glu261 in the fCPS GAT domain as critical for preventing GAT function. Previously we have shown that substitution of the corresponding residues in eCPS by their fCPS counterparts (Leu → Lys and Gln → Glu) resulted in complete loss of GAT function in eCPS (3). To examine the role of these residues in the fCPS GAT component, we have cloned the full-length fCPS gene from R. catesbeiana liver. Here we report the first heterologous expression of an ammonia-specific CPS and show that a single mutation of the frog enzyme, K258L, yields a gain of glutaminase function.
Single-stage reoperative repair of chronic type A aortic dissection by means of the arch-first technique.

Objective: Management of the enlarged, chronically dissected aorta after previous repair of acute aortic dissection or after a previous cardiac operation may present a formidable technical challenge. Marked enlargement of the proximal descending thoracic aorta precludes safe use of staged procedures, including the elephant trunk technique. Methods: Sixteen patients with chronic type A aortic dissection (mean age, 56 years) underwent resection of the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, and varying segments of the descending thoracic aorta. We used single-stage replacement, with perfusion of the aortic arch first to minimize the duration of brain ischemia, with a bilateral anterior thoracotomy (clamshell) incision. Eleven patients had undergone previous repair of acute type A dissection. Five patients had type A dissection after aortic valve replacement (2 patients) and coronary artery bypass (3 patients). Marked enlargement of the aorta distal to the left subclavian artery precluded a 2-stage repair. The mean interval between the initial and reoperative procedures was 62 months (range, 5-137 months). Results: There was 1 (6.2%; 70% confidence limits, 0.3%-24.7%) hospital death. Four patients required reoperation for bleeding. One patient required a right ventricular assist device that was successfully removed. Six patients required assisted ventilation for more than 72 hours, and 3 patients required a tracheostomy. All were successfully weaned from ventilatory support. No patient had a stroke or other adverse neurologic outcome. Conclusion: The single-stage, arch-first replacement technique is a safe and effective procedure for patients who require extensive reoperations for chronic expanding type A dissection.
Specimen processing techniques for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.

Background Endobronchial ultrasound is used for sampling thoracic pathologic processes. Histologic examination may provide added diagnostic yield to cytologic preparations owing to superior assessment of architecture and immunohistochemistry. It remains unclear whether specific specimen processing technique impacts diagnostic yield. We hypothesized that diagnostic yield using histologic analysis of core needle biopsies is higher than cytologic preparations alone. Methods We evaluated 177 consecutive patients with mediastinal abnormalities. An interventional pulmonologist or thoracic surgeon performed endobronchial ultrasound. We compared diagnostic yields of two specimen processing techniques, fixed slides (cytology) and formalin-fixed core samples (histology). Results were categorized as malignant, benign (infectious, inflammatory), normal nodal tissue, or inadequate sampling (nondiagnostic). Malignancy, a defined benign process, and normal lymph node were considered diagnostic. Results The diagnostic yield for benign processes was higher by histologic examination (n = 37) than in cytologic preparations (n = 22; p = 0.0064). The diagnostic yield was comparable in malignancy (p = 0.7530). The combination of both techniques provided a higher overall diagnostic rate: 84% (n = 148) by histology, 82% (n = 146) by cytology, and 89% (n = 158) using both. Using two techniques revealed discordance in 23% (n = 40), demonstrating that the use of one technique alone would have resulted in missed diagnoses. Conclusions Adding histologic analysis of tissue cores obtained by endobronchial ultrasound offers higher diagnostic accuracy than only cytologic preparation of needle aspirates. Histologic and cytologic methods offer comparable diagnostic rates for malignancy. However, diagnostic yield for benign conditions is higher using histologic examination. Together, histology and cytology provide fewer missed diagnoses than either individually. When using endobronchial ultrasound, it is ideal to routinely use both needle aspirate cytology and core biopsy histology.
Long memory stochastic volatility : A bayesian approach

We propose a simulation-based Bayesian approach to the analysis of long memory stochastic volatility models, stationary and nonstationary. The main tool used to reduce the likelihood function to a tractable form is an approximate state-space representation of the model, A data set of stock market returns is analyzed with the proposed method. The approach taken here allows a quantitative assessment of the empirical evidence in favor of the stationarity, or nonstationarity, of the instantaneous volatility of the data.
Preparation and a simple one‐step purification of [His1‐mono‐125I‐Tyr10,Nle27]‐hGHRH(1‐32)‐NH2

A one-step purification of [His1-mono-125I-Tyr10,Nle27]-hGHRH(1-32)-NH2, prepared using chloramine-T, by HPLC with isocratic elution is described. The labeled GHRH analog was suitable for GHRH receptor binding assays. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Who Considers Themselves Victims of Discrimination?: Individual Difference Predictors of Perceived Gender Discrimination in Women and Men

We focus on the general issue of how and why individuals might decide if they have been victims of gender discrimination and how social status differences between women and men may change the significance of experiencing gender discrimination. Because both self-protective and situational factors have been found to influence interpretation of prejudicial events, in the present study we explore several individual-difference factors that might differentially predict perceived gender discrimination in women and men. We found that, for men, low self-esteem and high personal assertiveness were related to higher ratings of personal discrimination. Low self-esteem was also related to men's perceptions of discrimination against men as a group. For women, high need for approval was negatively related to perceptions of personal discrimination whereas depression was positively related. Depression was also related to higher ratings of discrimination against women, as was feminism. We argue that perceptions of discrimi...
Strategic Orientations in Export Pricing: A Clustering Approach to Create Firm Taxonomies

Abstract Changes in the global economy have made pricing strategy increasingly important for exporting manufacturers. However, relatively little empirical work exists on export pricing strategies to guide marketing managers. The authors use a firm’s strategic orientations in export pricing to create firm typologies. They find that four clusters of firms differ across organizational, venture-related, export market, and performance variables. The findings suggest that managerial orientations in export pricing can be successfully used to group firms in how they approach pricing decisions.
Vaccines for women age 50 and older.

For older populations, most of whom are women, preventing illnesses and deaths through the use of vaccines is a leading public health challenge. Our understanding about how age and sex affect the immune system is limited, and basic and translational research aimed at improving vaccines and immune responses of older persons is needed. In the meantime, fully implementing current vaccine recommendations, particularly those for influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, can save thousands of lives and prevent illnesses in persons >50 years of age.
BISPHOSPHONATE TREATMENT IN POLYOSTOTIC FIBROUS DYSPLASIA OF THE CRANIUM: CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW

ABSTRACT Objective To report the case of a patient with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia of the cranium who showed dramatic improvement after treatment with intravenous zoledronic acid. Methods We present the clinical findings, laboratory test results, surgical pathology report, and imaging studies of a man with extensive fibrous dysplasia of the cranium and review the literature regarding the use of bisphosphonates in patients with this debilitating skeletal disorder. Results A 32-year-old man presented with chronic occipital headache, and computed tomography of the head revealed extensive bony lesions of the middle and posterior cranial fossa. Bone biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of fibrous dysplasia. Laboratory blood test results revealed elevated serum alkaline phosphatase (140 U/L [reference range, 39-117 U/L]) and elevated serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (30.6 μg/L [reference range, 6-20 μg/L]). The patient was treated with intravenous pamidronate without improvement, and therapy was switched to zoledronic acid, which resulted in rapid resolution of headache symptoms, decrease in bone-specific alkaline phosphatase levels to 24.9 μg/L, and dramatic radiologic improvement on repeated computed tomography of the head. Conclusions The treatment options for fibrous dysplasia of the cranium have been limited to conservative follow-up or surgery, and the use of zoledronic acid in this condition has not been previously reported. Intravenous bisphosphonate therapy is suggested to be a useful option in the treatment of cranial fibrous dysplasia. (Endocr Pract. 2010;16:851-854)
Development of spatially explicit descriptive models of watershed mass wasting

The Nemadji River contributes 525,000 metric tons of sediment per year to Lake Superior. This sediment results in a number of environmental impacts to the Nemadji/Superior fluvial system. Basin hydrology has been changed through logging, burning, clearing for agriculture and road construction. These activities are hypothesized to have reduced evapotranspiration rates and to have decreased the soil's resistance to shear forces. A GIS was established to analyze landscape data for nine representative subwatersheds within the Nemadji basin. Predictor variables were examined in buffer zones on each side of the stream in each watershed. Output from the GIS was used as input to linear regression models used to quantify the relationships between the frequency of soil mass movement and landscape characteristics. Results show no significant relationships between watershed area, percent coniferous cover, percent of stream channel protected in coniferous cover, channel gradient, time of concentration, road density, mean weighted watershed slope, or number of beaver dams and frequency of mass soil movement. Significant relationships were found between slump frequency and total forested area and percent non-forested land. The results of this investigation have important implications for the maintenance and restoration of forest land in the red clay area. Keywords: mass soil wasting, forest cover, geographic information system
Self‐managed Work Teams: TQM Technology at the Employee Level

Provides theoretical background for examining the development of self‐managed work teams as a total quality management (TQM) intervention at the employee level. Briefly summarizes the current knowledge regarding self‐managed work teams within the context of sociotechnical system design. Discusses the origins of the self‐managed work team, design features, conditions for successful implementation, and barriers to effectiveness. Presents one organization′s experience with self‐managed work teams to demonstrate the fundamental nature of the change required in implementing this TQM strategy.
In vivo simultaneous monitoring of two fluorophores with lifetime contrast using a full-field time domain system

Optical molecular imaging of small animals in vivo has witnessed dramatic growth during the past decade. Most commercial systems are based on continuous wave technology and measure solely bioluminescence or fluorescence intensity. Time domain (TD) technology enables the measurement of both intensity and fluorescence lifetime as an additional imaging metric. We have developed a novel, in-house, full-field TD system with dramatically faster acquisition times than available from a commercial TD system. Recent in vivo data from a mouse imaged with the full-field TD system has demonstrated the potential to monitor and discriminate two fluorophores injected simultaneously based on their fluorescence lifetime contrast.
3D scheduling: high-level synthesis with floorplanning

Submicron feature sizes result in designs in which wiring delay is comparable to functional delay. This paper presents a new approach to the problem of scheduling while simultaneously considering floorplanning. Operators are assigned (and placed) as close as possible to their predecessors in order to minimize the interconnection cost. We also propose an algorithm to reduce interconnection cost by introducing redundant operators. This procedure produces a quite satisfactory result for a practical size example, especially on critical-path dominated cases.
Archaea and Their Potential Role in Human Disease

Over the past 50 years, the search for microorganisms in seemingly uninhabitable environments, such as at the extremes of pH, temperature, nutrient concentration, and pressure, has yielded a great deal of information about the diversity and origins of microbial life. Archaea , one of the three
Evolution of the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children: a review.

Background: Efficacious and well-tolerated medications are available for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Stimulants such as methylphenidate (MPH) and amphetamines are the most widely used medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ADHDin children. Objective: This article reviews the literature on the development and use of medications for the treatment of ADHD in children. Methods: A search of MEDLINE was conducted toidentify relevant studies and critical reviews on the treatment of ADHD in children.The main criteria for inclusion of a study were that it have a controlled design, enroll >100 subjects if a clinical trial and >20 subjects if a classroom study, assess symptoms with the most widely used scales and tests,and be published from 2000 to 2008.A few older pivotal studies were also included. Results: Many studies have reported the long-term efficacy and tolerability of immediate-release formulations of MPH. The disadvantages of such formulations include the need for multiple daily dosing and a potential for abuse. Various extended-release formulations of MPH have been found effective in controlled studies enrolling large numbers of children with ADHD. The efficacy and tolerability of dexmethylphenidate, the active D-isomer of MPH, in an extended-release formulation have also been reported. An extended-release formulation of mixed amphetamine salts (MMAS-XR) that is dosed once daily has been found to be efficacious and well tolerated. The non-stimulant atomoxetine has been reported to be well tolerated and efficacious, although it may not be as effective as stimulants; this formulation is, however, less likely than stimulants to be associated with abuse and diversion. A recently approved prodrug stimulant, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX), was developed to provide a long duration of effect that is consistent throughout the day, with a reduced potential for abuse. In a placebo-controlled study in children with ADHD, less intersubject variability in Tmax, Cmax, and AUC from time zero to the last quantifiable concentration was seen in the 8 subjects who received LDX (percent coefficient of variation, 15.3, 20.3, and 21.6, respectively) compared with the 9 subjects who received MAS-XR (52.8, 44.0, and 42.8).In 2 clinical trials, significantly greater improvements in teacher and parent ratings of ADHD symptoms were seen with LDX compared with placebo (P<0.001).A study of the abuse potential of LDX evaluated subjective responses to the effects of oral LDX and immediate-release d-amphetamine in adults with a history of stimulant abuse. LDX was associated with a significantly lower abuse-related liking effect than d-aamphetamine (P = 0.039). Conclusions: Currently available treatments for ADHD in children are efficacious and well tolerated, but many of them are limited by the requirement for multiple daily dosing and abuse potential. LDX, a long-acting prodrug of d-amphetamine, has been reported to be effective and appears to overcome some of these limitations.
Antagonistic Effect on Clostridium botulinum Type E by Organisms Resembling It

A bacteriocin-like substance, active against strains of Clostridium botulinum type E, is produced by certain nontoxic organisms whose biochemical properties and morphological characteristics are similar to type E. The substance, for which the name “boticin E” is proposed, is bacteriolytic for vegetative cells and bacteriostatic for spores of type E. Its spectrum of activity is somewhat strain-specific. Of the clostridial species tested, only C. botulinum type E and, to a lesser extent, C. perfringens and C. acetobutylicum, but not C. botulinum types A, B, or F, are sensitive. Irreversibly resistant variants originating from both vegetative cells and spores of certain strains were obtained. The active substance is heat-stable and dialyzable, and is not inactivated by chloroform but is digested by trypsin. Ethyl alcohol and acetone precipitates are fully active, whereas trichloroacetic acid precipitates are only partially active. Other nontoxic organisms producing similar antagonistic substances are discussed.
New and regenerated primary production in a productive reservoir ecosystem.

The concept of new and regenerated production has been used extensively in marine ecosystems but rarely in freshwaters. We assessed the relative importance of new and regenerated phosphorus (P) in sustaining phytoplankton pro- duction in Acton Lake, a eutrophic reservoir located in southwestern Ohio, USA. Sources of nutrients to the euphotic zone, including watershed loading, fluxes from sediments, and excretion by sediment-feeding fish (gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum), were considered sources of new P input that support new primary production and were quantified over the course of a growing season. Regenerated production was estimated by the difference between new and total primary pro- duction. New production represented 32%-53% of total primary production, whereas regenerated production represented 47%-68% of total primary production. P excretion by gizzard shad supplied 45%-74% of new P and 24% of P required for total production. In summary, fluxes of P from the watershed and those from sediment-feeding fish need to be consid- ered in strategies to reduce eutrophication in reservoir ecosystems.
The Difficulty of Obtaining a Child Care Subsidy: Implications for Policy and Practice:

Single mothers leaving welfare face a web of obstacles in accessing child care subsidies. This paper develops a model of child care selection and subsidy use among welfare leavers. Findings suggest that the level of trust between parents and child care providers and the availability of information about facilities were important decision-making criteria. Efforts to work with this population need to address their lack of information about subsidies to increase the range of child care alternatives and quality and also to promote trusting relationships between social workers and welfare leavers. Specific recommendations include combining ongoing case management with education about child care alternatives and subsidies. However, child care information services should be separated from subsidies to promote trust in relationships with clients.
The Tetrahedral Golay Code

Forney conjectured the existence of a “normal realization” (NR) for the [24,12,8] Golay code in which the code appears as a tetrahedron, with six output channel bits at each of the four vertices and two state bits carried by each of the six edges. Although the conjecture was dashed by Vardy, we here give a quasi-cyclic normal realization exhibiting tetrahedral symmetry, confirming the common wisdom that Forney is never (far) wrong.
Stereoelectronic effects in mass spectrometry

Abstract Simple bond dissociations and hydrogen rearrangements in gaseous cation radicals and even-electron cations can be governed by stereoelectronic effects imposed by control elements. Stereoelectronic effects facilitate dissociations of bonds that are aligned with the control orbital of n- or π-type to allow efficient orbital overlap in the transition state. Ions with unfavorably large dihedral angles between the bond to be broken and the control orbital undergo conformational transformations in order to achieve a stereoelectronically assisted transition state. Stereoelectronic effects are likely to be encountered with rigid polycyclic ions in which fixed dihedral angles are imposed by bond connectivity. Nevertheless, striking stereoelectronic effects have been observed in a few conformationally mobile systems. Several examples of stereo- chemical ion dissociation due to stereoelectronic effects are discussed in this review with the help of experimental energy data, and ab initio, semi-empirical, and empirical-potential (MM2) calculations.
Computational methods for reliability data analysis

Many practitioners of component and system reliability are not aware that powerful statistical tools for the analysis of reliability data have been made practical by the availability of inexpensive desk top computers. Software and computational power are available to apply computationally intensive statistical and graphical techniques to reliability data analysis problems. This benefits the industrial statistician or reliability engineer by allowing the use of versatile and accurate methods that apply to many different types of data that are encountered in reliability data analysis. In this paper we apply some of the most useful statistical and graphical techniques to examples of life data, accelerated test data, and repairable system data using new software available in the SAS system. The trend of applying computationally intensive techniques to reliability data analysis will undoubtably continue as more workers recognize the need for creative software to address problems in reliability data analysis.
Anthocyanin Content and UVB Sensitivity in Brassica rap

Three genotypes of rapid-cycling Brassica rapa that differ in anthocyanin content were grown in the presence and absence of elevated levels of shortwave ultraviolet (UVB, 280–325 nm) radiation. After 41 days, UVB exposure reduced leaf length and plant height of all genotypes. Plants with low levels of anthocyanin experienced a reduction in flower number twice as great as in genotypes with normal or elevated levels of anthocyanins; however, the absence of differences in flower production by genotypes with normal and elevated levels of anthocyanins suggests that factors other than anthocyanin pigmentation contribute to UVB responses in this species.
Pentatricopeptide Repeat Proteins Constrain Genome Evolution in Chloroplasts

Higher plants encode hundreds of pentatricopeptide repeat proteins (PPRs) that are involved in several types of RNA processing reactions. Most PPR genes are predicted to be targeted to chloroplasts or mitochondria, and many are known to affect organellar gene expression. In some cases, RNA binding has been directly demonstrated, and the sequences of the cis-elements are known. In this work, we demonstrate that RNA cis-elements recognized by PPRs are constrained in chloroplast genome evolution. Cis-elements for two PPR genes and several RNA editing sites were analyzed for sequence changes by pairwise nucleotide substitution frequency, pairwise indel frequency, and maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic distances. All three of these analyses demonstrated that sequences within the cis-element are highly conserved compared with surrounding sequences. In addition, we have compared sequences around chloroplast editing sites and homologous sequences in species that lack an editing site due to the presence of a genomic T. Cis-elements for RNA editing sites are highly conserved in angiosperms; by contrast, comparable sequences around a genomically encoded T exhibit higher rates of nucleotide substitution, higher frequencies of indels, and greater ML distances. The loss in requirement for editing to create the ndhD start codon has resulted in the conversion of the PPR gene responsible for editing that site to a pseudogene. We show that organellar dependence on nuclear-encoded PPR proteins for gene expression has constrained the evolution of cis-elements that are required at the level of RNA processing. Thus, the expansion of the PPR gene family in plants has had a dramatic effect on the evolution of plant organelle genomes.
TISSUE-SPECIFIC AND PRETRANSLATIONAL CHARACTER OF VARIANTS OF THE ROSY LOCUS CONTROL ELEMENT IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Prior reports from this laboratory have described the experimental basis for our understanding of the genetic organization of the rosy locus (ry:3-52.0) of Drosophila melanogaster, as a bipartite genetic entity consisting of a structural element that codes for the xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) peptide and a contiguous, cis-acting control element. The present report describes our progress in the analysis of the control element and its variants. Characterization of the control element variants reveals that, with respect to late third instar larval tissue distribution of XDH activity and cross-reacting material, i409H is associated with a large, tissue-specific increase in fat body which is not observed in malpighian tubules. Further data are presented in support of the inference that this differential expression must reflect differential production of XDH-specific RNA transcripts.—Gel blot analyses are described which demonstrate (1) that the phenotypic effects associated with variation in the rosy locus control element relate to differences in accumulation of XDH-specific poly-A+ RNA and (2) do not relate to differences in rosy DNA template numbers.—Experiments are described that provide for unambiguous mapping of control element sites through the use of half-tetrad recombination experiments and the recovery and phenotypic characterization of the reciprocal products of exchange between control element site variants. Thus, we are able to order the sites as follows: kar-i1005 i409-ry.
Hormonal regulation of (Ca2+ + Mg2+)ATPase activity in canine renal basolateral membrane.

High affinity (Ca2++Mg2+)ATPase activity was demonstrated in proximal tubule basolateral membranes (BLM) obtained from canine kidney. The Km of the enzyme for free Ca2+ was 0.12 ± 0.02 μm, and at 3 μm free Ca2+, the enzyme reached its maximal velocity. To evaluate hormonal regulation of this enzyme, we studied the in vitro effects of several polypeptide hormones on enzyme activity. We measured the effects of insulin and human (h) PTH-(1–34) and their inactive analogs desoctapeptide insulin, bovine (b) PTH-(3–34), and oxidized hPTH-(1–34); insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) I and II; calcitonin; and the common cellular mediator for PTH and calcitonin, cAMP. At 0.1 μm free Ca2+, insulin (25–100 μU/ml) increased (Ca2++Mg2+)ATPase activity in a dose-dependent manner by 35–52% (P < 0.01) and by 8–13% (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01) at a 3-μm free Ca2+ concentration; hPTH-(1–34) PTH (10−9−10−7 m) increased the enzyme activity at a free y concentration of 0.1 μm by 13–25% (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). IGF-I increased (Ca2++Mg2...
Artist as Scientist in a Reflective Universe: A Process of Discovery

Combining years as an artist in solitary wilderness sojourns with biomedical and neuroscientific investigation concerning mind/ body patterning, the author has blended art and science to reveal existing relationships between form in nature, form in human physiology and behavior, and the forms that are universally present in all alphabets. Her understanding that the artist brings abstraction into form, while the scientist brings form into abstraction, coupled with her experience in diverse world cultures, has prompted her to contemplate the hardwired wisdom of the body as the repository of intrinsic knowledge leading toward health and behavior benefiting the greater good.
Neurosteroid Replacement Therapy for Catamenial Epilepsy

Perimenstrual catamenial epilepsy, the cyclical occurrence of seizure exacerbations near the time of menstruation, affects a high proportion of women of reproductive age with drug-refractory epilepsy. Enhanced seizure susceptibility in perimenstrual catamenial epilepsy is believed to be due to the withdrawal of the progesterone-derived GABAA receptor modulating neurosteroid allopregnanolone as a result of the fall in progesterone at the time of menstruation. Studies in a rat pseudopregnancy model of catamenial epilepsy indicate that after neurosteroid withdrawal there is enhanced susceptibility to chemoconvulsant seizures. There is also a transitory increase in the frequency of spontaneous seizures in epileptic rats that had experienced pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus. In the catamenial epilepsy model, there is a marked reduction in the antiseizure potency of anticonvulsant drugs, including benzodiazepines and valproate, but an increase in the anticonvulsant potency and protective index of neurosteroids such as allopregnanolone and the neurosteroid analog ganaxolone. The enhanced seizure susceptibility and benzodiazepine-resistance subsequent to neurosteroid withdrawal may be related to reduced expression and altered kinetics of synaptic GABAA receptors and increased expression of GABAA receptor subunits (such as α4) that confer benzodiazepine insensitivity. The enhanced potency of neurosteroids may be due to a relative increase after neurosteroid withdrawal in the expression of neurosteroid-sensitive δ-subunit-containing perisynaptic or extrasynaptic GABAA receptors. Positive allosteric modulatory neurosteroids and synthetic analogs such as ganaxolone may be administered to prevent catamenial seizure exacerbations, in what we call neurosteroid replacement therapy.
Effect of elevated oxygen concentration on bacteria, yeasts, and cells propagated for production of biological compounds

The response of bacteria, yeast, and mammalian and insects cells to oxidative stress is a topic that has been studied for many years. However, in most the reported studies, the oxidative stress was caused by challenging the organisms with H2O2 and redox-cycling drugs, but not by subjecting the cells to high concentrations of molecular oxygen. In this review we summarize available information about the effect of elevated oxygen concentrations on the physiology of microorganisms and cells at various culture conditions. In general, increased oxygen concentrations promote higher leakage of reactive oxygen species (superoxide and H2O2) from the respiratory chain affecting metalloenzymes and DNA that in turn cause impaired growth and elevated mutagenesis. To prevent the potential damage, the microorganisms and cells respond by activating antioxidant defenses and repair systems. This review described the factors that affect growth properties and metabolism at elevated oxygen concentrations that cells may be exposed to, in bioreactor sparged with oxygen enriched air which could affect the yield and quality of the recombinant proteins produced by high cell density schemes.
Methodological issues surrounding the application of cognitive psychology in survey research

Considerations methodologiques sur l'application de la psychologie cognitive dans la recherche par questionnaire. Dans l'empressement a appliquer la psychologie cognitive et ses methodes dans la recherche sociale par questionnaire pendant la derniere decennie, une attention insuffisante a ete donnee aux principes scientifiques. Cet article fournit un cadre pour corriger ce probleme en se concentrant sur des methodes qui peuvent ameliorer la validite et la fiabilite des donnees collectees avec l'appui de la psychologie cognitive. Ces methodes utilisent de meilleurs plans d'experiences et de meilleures techniques de mesure. Des plans d'experiences qui facilitent la comparaison entre des procedures cognitives alternatives et des travaux de chercheurs differents sont presentes. Un autre aspect de ces plans est qu'ils demandent plus d'attention dans l'elaboration du protocole experimental. En ce qui concerne la mesure, des techniques pour rendre l'utilisation des donnees qualitatives plus systematique sont dis...
Quantification of K+ secretion through apical low-conductance K channels in the CCD

Outward and inward currents through single small-conductance K+ (SK) channels were measured in cell-attached patches of the apical membrane of principal cells of the rat cortical collecting duct (C...
Occult clostridial myonecrosis

Nontraumatic gas gangrene is extremely rare. It usually occurs following ulceration or perforation of an abdominal or pelvic viscus in persons having impaired host immune defenses. A fatal case of nontraumatic Clostridium septicum septicemia and myonecrosis in an elderly diabetic man with a perforated colon carcinoma is presented. The case illustrates the occult manner in which such cases typically present and the fulminant course of this disease. The need for rapid diagnosis and the current recommended treatment of gas gangrene are discussed.
Power-flow Model of “Sen” Transformer for Loadability Enhancement and Comparison with Unified Power-flow Controllers in Hybrid Electricity Markets

Abstract This article proposes a power-flow model of “Sen” transformer and a mixed-integer-based non-linear programming approach for its optimal location in competitive electricity markets. The system loadability has been determined for a pool, as well as hybrid electricity market, model incorporating an AC load flow-based secure bilateral transaction matrix in an optimal power-flow model. The results have also been obtained with optimally placed unified power-flow controllers and thyristor-controlled series capacitors for comparison. The proposed technique has been demonstrated on the IEEE 24-bus reliability test system.
An efficient quantification of scattering variation due to uncertain geometrical deviation

In this paper, the Stroud-2 and Stroud-3 cubature algorithms are applied to perform the integration for large dimensional random inputs. The scattered field variation due to randomly deviated conducting surfaces is quantified using the stochastic collocation method with the Stroud cubature and the results are compared with those by the Monte- Carlo method.
A MCU platform with embedded FRAM achieving 350nA current consumption in real-time clock mode with full state retention and 6.5µs system wakeup time

A novel ultra-low-power MCU is presented, which is optimized for both lowest stand-by and active power consumption. By modifying technology, adopting critical blocks in circuit design, and tailoring the system architecture the MCU achieves an overall stand-by current consumption of 350nA. This number includes the real time clock functionality, the 32kHz crystal oscillator, and the supply voltage supervision. Fast wake-up from stand-by or sleep mode is achieved through analog pre-charge current sources within 6.5us.
Hypoxic potentiation of the ventilatory response to dynamic forearm exercise

The slope of the relationship between ventilation (VI) and O2 consumption, as derived in progressive-intensity exercise tests, is increased markedly by systemic hypoxia. The mechanisms underlying t...
Justice and Rationality: Some Objections to the Central Argument in Rawls's Theory*

The argument is made that Rawls's proposed principles of justice would not rationally be chosen in his proposed version of the “original position.” First of all, Rawls's own account of the information available in the original position provides no basis for the conclusions about “primary goods” which he believes would imply his proposed principles. Second, even if those conclusions about primary goods were to be accepted, they would not imply the proposed principles (the “general” and the “special” conceptions of justice) because the claims which Rawls cites in support of “maximin” actually imply a different conception. Lastly, an alternative version of the original position is suggested which would avoid these difficulties and which would, in addition, successfully support a maximin conception of justice. This is not meant, however, as a conclusive argument for maximin, but only as an indication that the objections advanced here do not apply to “social contract theory” as such, but only to the particular version of it which Rawls has proposed.
Dual Reflections on Teaching and Learning of Autoethnography: Preparing Doctoral Students Authentically for a Career in the Academy.

This paper conveys the reflections of an instructor and a graduate student after participating in a graduate course on autoethnography, offered in a college of education at a large public research institution in the United States. In addition to the course focus on autoethnography as a qualitative research approach, the course used authentic practices, which are commonly used by academics, to socialize doctoral students from the social sciences to the demands of their future careers in the academy. Although the number of published autoethnography articles in academic journals has increased, few autoethnography courses are being offered, and even fewer are described in the research literature. The authors share their experiences and address their own assumptions, challenges and breakthroughs across practices, including: informal peer-reviews, drafts revisions, and the ongoing composition of a full-length autoethnographic manuscript to be (potentially) submitted for publication, and, thus, shared with a larger audience of readers. The authors call for more explicit and authentic preparation and socialization of social science doctoral students throughout graduate courseworkâ€”especially in light of the growing competition for tenure-stream faculty positions across the social sciences and the humanities.
Domains of Holomorphy and Pseudoconvexity

In 1906 F. Hartogs discovered the first example exhibiting the remarkable extension properties of holomorphic functions in more than one variable. It is this phenomenon, more than anything else, which distinguishes function theory in several variables from the classical one-variable theory. Hartogs’ discovery marks the beginning of a genuine several-variable theory, in which fundamental new concepts like domains of holomorphy and the various notions of convexity used to characterize them have become indispensable. In particular, the property now generally referred to as “pseudoconvexity” originates with Hartogs, and even today it still is one of the richest sources of intriguing phenomena and deep questions in complex analysis. (See, for example, the remarks at the end of §2.8.) We will say more about this in Chapter VII.
Gaussian Property of the Rings R(X) and R〈X〉

The content of a polynomial f over a commutative ring R is the ideal c(f) of R generated by the coefficients of f. A commutative ring R is said to be Gaussian if c(fg) = c(f)c(g) for every polynomials f and g in R[X]. A number of authors have formulated necessary and sufficient conditions for R(X) (respectively, R⟨X⟩) to be semihereditary, have weak global dimension at most one, be arithmetical, or be Prufer. An open question raised by Glaz is to formulate necessary and sufficient conditions that R(X) (respectively, R⟨X⟩) have the Gaussian property. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the rings R(X) and R⟨X⟩ in terms of the ring R in case the square of the nilradical of R is zero.
Response to ‘Human fist evolution: a critique’

Nickle and Goncharoff ([Nickle and Goncharoff, 2013][1]) raise an interesting and, we believe, important challenge to the protective buttressing hypothesis of hominin hand evolution. If the hand of hominins evolved to be a dangerous weapon, it is reasonable to predict that the primary targets of
The Diapause Phenomenon, in Insects, with Special Reference to Rhagoletis Completa Cress. (Diptera: Trypetidae)

Some of the more important facts relative to the diapause phenomenon in insects are summarized. Data are presented from preliminary experiments with various chemicals in an attempt to break the dormancy of pupae of the walnut husk fly, Rhagoletis compteta Cress.
The performance of nobility in early modern European literature: Noble Romans: Corneille and the theatre of aristocratic revolt

By the time of the appearance of the final version of Bacon's Essayes , in 1625, their author had been in involuntary retirement from the theatre of the Jacobean court for some time, and would quit a larger stage for good only a year later. The Essayes may indeed seem to represent both the apogee and the endpoint of a certain trajectory within the larger problem of noble identity in the literature of the late Renaissance; however, their appearance by no means signals an end to literary explorations of what we have called the “theatre of nobility.” On the contrary, the crisis of noble identity is one of the dominant themes of Continental writing after 1600. We see this crisis reflected both in the popularity of the Essayes themselves (to say nothing of the many reeditions of Montaigne, Castiglione, Guazzo, and others), and in the proliferation of imitations of these works in the first half of the century in both England and France. We have already seen how these works, whether offering helpful advice on how to get ahead, or fulminating against the amorality and hypocrisy of the court and its denizens, are dominated by the master trope of theatre. We have also seen how these works, in Italy and England but also in France, constitute a kind of substrate for more complex literary versions of the discourse of nobility.