cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model Rule 5.7 and Lawyers in Government Jobs - How Can They Ever Be 'Non-Lawyers'?

This article focuses on the application of the Rules of Professional Conduct to licensed attorneys who serve in non-lawyer jobs in government. There is a fair amount of literature about members of the bar who serve as staff counsel in legislatures or executive agencies. There is also literature on Rule 5.7 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (“Responsibilities Regarding Law-related Services”) in the context of practicing lawyers who participate in ancillary “non-lawyering” business activities. Model Rule 5.7 deals with “services that might reasonably be performed” or “are related to the provision of legal services” but which are permitted to be performed by lay persons. But little has been written about the ethical obligations of licensed lawyers who undertake policy or management roles in government. Model Rule 5.7 was written principally for a different type of situation: where a lawyer is both “lawyering” and carrying on a related business enterprise. But 2002 amendments to Rule 5.7 expanded its reach. As currently written, Model Rule 5.7 provides guidance - probably mandatory guidance - for lawyers in public sector jobs that on first glance appears to involve little or no “legal work.” Unfortunately, the rule is flawed because it does not provide adequate direction on what constitutes “legal services” versus “law-related services.” This article suggests how best to conceptualize “legal services,” in contrast with “law-related services,” in the context of work performed by lawyers in government management and staff positions. It proposes that for a government employee with a bar card who serves in a non-lawyer job and wishes to avoid the full panoply of the RPCs, the best approach is to determine whether the position needs to be treated as one providing “law-related services” under MR 5.7. If so, then the non-lawyer lawyer should follow the formal steps under that rule to notify the recipients of services, and certain others as well, that the lawyer is not providing legal services and that the protections of the rules of professional conduct will not apply.
Satellite/terrestrial interoperation in personal communications networks

The vision of personal communications networks and services that support personal and mobile operation in the many phases of our daily lives has been aggressively sold by market researchers and has been embraced by an enthusiastic user community. The question of how we are to plan and develop these services in the light of the current complexity of market, technology and standards has no consistent answer. The paper addresses the single issue of how satellite and terrestrial components of PCS can be integrated into the transparent and ubiquitous network vision that the marketeers and users have embraced. The paper addresses this issue by discussing the current functional architecture for PCS and looking at issues associated with each functional element and interface. These issues are summarized and recommendations are made for areas of cooperation among the satellite and terrestrial communities. >
Toward More Effective Tiered Systems: Lessons from National Implementation Efforts.

Based on the 2015 evaluation of response-to-intervention (RTI) efforts and our own 2 decades of experience in supporting educators’ implementation of RTI efforts, four recommendations are presented to advance effective implementation of tiered systems of intervention. We suggest that by (a) assessing readiness and capacity, (b) providing content and coaching as part of professional development, (c) using evaluation data, and (d) including students with disabilities, educators can make strides to implement RTI more effectively and help to meet the needs of all students in today’s schools.
Comparison of Globus Pallidus Interna and Subthalamic Nucleus in Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson Disease: An Institutional Experience and Review.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has revolutionized the lives of patients of Parkinson disease, offering therapeutic options to those not benefiting entirely from medications alone. With its proven track record of outperforming the best medical management, the goal is to unlock the full potential of this therapy. Currently, the Globus Pallidus Interna (GPi) and Subthalamic Nucleus (STN) are both viable targets for DBS, and the choice of site should focus on the constellation of symptoms, both motor and nonmotor, which are key determinants to quality of life. Our article sheds light on the specific advantages and drawbacks of the two sites, highlighting the need for matching the inherent properties of a target with specific desired effects in patients. UT Southwestern Medical Center has a robust and constantly evolving DBS program and the narrative from our center provides invaluable insight into the practical realities of DBS. The ultimate decision in selecting a DBS target is complex, ideally made by a multidisciplinary team, tailored towards each patient’s profile and their expectations, by drawing upon scientific evidence coupled with experience. Ongoing research is expanding our knowledge base, which should be dynamically incorporated into an institute’s DBS paradigm to ensure that patients receive the optimal therapy.
Documentation drivers for optimal patient outcomes.

WOUND CARE DOCUMENTATION has come a long way with the implementation of wound care-specific electronic medical records (EMRs). Today, we can enter data about the patient and corresponding wound information and provide that information in a secure fashion to collaborating healthcare professionals.The
Women in Science: Botany

Lab Girl . By Hope Jahren. 2016. Alfred P Knopf. (ISBN 978-1-101-87493-6). 282 pp. Hardcover. $26.95. Anecdotal evidence suggests that every biologist who pursues a doctoral degree spends the first thirty minutes of each family event trying to answer some form of the question, “Why are you still in school?” Hope Jahren's delightful book answers the question nicely: Because scientific research is complicated, and studying living things takes time and patience. Jahren's book is laid out in alternating chapters of memoir and ecology trivia. Even though the topic is definitely scientific, the prose is that of a fiction novel, so the reader is easily drawn in to the story. The book follows Jahren's educational and career journey through an entertaining personal narrative. Much of the book describes the evolution of her close friendship with her lab partner and provides a sort of love note to their friendship. The first chapter of the book describes her emotionally isolated upbringing dominated by frigid Midwestern winters. Jahren describes spending time …
Distinct patterns of gene expression induced by viral oncogenes in human embryonic brain cells.

1. The limited lifespan of human embryonic brain (HEB) cells hampers their therapeutic use for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Comparison of commercial lures and food baits for early detection of fruit infestation risk by Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura; Diptera: Drosophilidae) is one of the most serious invasive pests of berries and cherries worldwide. Several adult monitoring systems are available to time foliar application of insecticides with the expectation of detecting the presence of D. suzukii before they infest susceptible crops. We tested this by comparing four different trapping systems based on two homemade baits, apple cider vinegar (ACV) or fermenting dough, and two fermentation volatile-based commercial lures, Scentry and Trece. Traps baited with dough or Scentry captured more D. suzukii than traps baited with ACV or Trece in blueberries and traps baited with Trece in raspberries. In blueberries, traps baited with Scentry, Trece and dough provided 11-21 d of warning prior to first detection of fruit infestation. However, these traps were not as effective in summer floricane raspberries. The Scentry lure baited traps detected D. suzukii on the same week as the first detection of fruit infestation and other trapping systems detected the fly 4 to 11 d after the first detection, suggesting the need for an improved D. suzukii detection system in raspberries. Both synthetic lures (Scentry and Trece) were significantly more selective for D. suzukii than dough bait, although the selectivity of all four tested lures/baits were relatively low at <20%. Our results suggest that in locations where D. suzukii adults are not trapped in late winter and spring, adult monitoring of D. suzukii using a sensitive trapping system may provide early warning of pending infestation risk thereby potentially reducing unnecessary insecticide applications.
Effects of Milk vs Dark Chocolate Consumption on Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity Within 2 Hours: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Consumption of dark chocolate can improve blood flow, mood, and cognition in the short term, but little is known about the possible effects of dark chocolate on visual performance. Objective To compare the short-term effects of consumption of dark chocolate with those of milk chocolate on visual acuity and large- and small-letter contrast sensitivity. Design A randomized, single-masked crossover design was used to assess short-term visual performance after consumption of a dark or a milk chocolate bar. Thirty participants without pathologic eye disease each consumed dark and milk chocolate in separate sessions, and within-participant paired comparisons were used to assess outcomes. Testing was conducted at the Rosenberg School of Optometry from June 25 to August 15, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Visual acuity (in logMAR units) and large- and small-letter contrast sensitivity (in the log of the inverse of the minimum detectable contrast [logCS units]) were measured 1.75 hours after consumption of dark and milk chocolate bars. Results Among the 30 participants (9 men and 21 women; mean [SD] age, 26 [5] years), small-letter contrast sensitivity was significantly higher after consumption of dark chocolate (mean [SE], 1.45 [0.04] logCS) vs milk chocolate (mean [SE], 1.30 [0.05] logCS; mean improvement, 0.15 logCS [95% CI, 0.08-0.22 logCS];P Conclusions and Relevance Contrast sensitivity and visual acuity were significantly higher 2 hours after consumption of a dark chocolate bar compared with a milk chocolate bar, but the duration of these effects and their influence in real-world performance await further testing. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT03326934
Ultrahigh-Q Lithium Niobate Microring Resonator

We demonstrate ultralow loss monolithic integrated lithium niobate photonic platform consisting of dry-etched subwavelength waveguides. We show microring resonators with a quality factor of 107 and waveguides with propagation loss as low as 2.7 dB/m.
Achieving high permeability and enhanced selectivity for Angstrom-scale separations using artificial water channel membranes.

Synthetic polymer membranes, critical to diverse energy-efficient separations, are subject to permeability-selectivity trade-offs that decrease their overall efficacy. These trade-offs are due to structural variations (e.g., broad pore size distributions) in both nonporous membranes used for Angstrom-scale separations and porous membranes used for nano to micron-scale separations. Biological membranes utilize well-defined Angstrom-scale pores to provide exceptional transport properties and can be used as inspiration to overcome this trade-off. Here, we present a comprehensive demonstration of such a bioinspired approach based on pillar[5]arene artificial water channels, resulting in artificial water channel-based block copolymer membranes. These membranes have a sharp selectivity profile with a molecular weight cutoff of ~ 500 Da, a size range challenging to achieve with current membranes, while achieving a large improvement in permeability (~65 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 compared with 4–7 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) over similarly rated commercial membranes. Synthetic polymeric membranes used for separations suffer from permeability-selectivity trade-offs. Here the authors demonstrate how a bioinspired pillar[5]arene artificial water channel embedded in a copolymer membrane can improve selectivity while still achieving high permeability.
The Hispanic Hard-Boiled

Chapter 3 traces manifestations of necropornography in twentieth-century Hispanic crime fiction and one Lusophone text. It begins with Mexican writer Juan Miguel de Mora’s Desnudarse y morir (1957) and Spaniard Felix Llauge Dausa’s Deposito de cadaveres (1960), before tracing a lineage of more recent Spanish and Latin American works of hard-boiled neopoliciaca (neo-detective) and police procedural fiction: Paco Ignacio Taibo II’s La vida misma (1987), Andreu Martin’s Si es, no es (1983), Lorenzo Silva’s El lejano pais de los estanques (1983), Poli Delano’s “Muerte de una ninfomana” (1996), Jo Soares’s O xango de Baker Street (1995), Federico Andahazi’s El anatomista (1997) and Jorge Volpi’s La paz de los sepulcros (1995). Nearly all pose violent deaths of women as moral retribution for sexual transgression.
A Case of Primary Paratesticular Wilms Tumor in an Undescended Testis

Abstract Extrarenal Wilms tumor is rare. We describe the first reported case of primary paratesticular extrarenal Wilms tumor with regional metastasis in 8-month old male with left undescended testis. Patient underwent left radical orchiectomy with regional lymph node excision. The inguinal node and paratesticular mass demonstrated the classic Wilms triphasic pattern, stained positively for WT-1 and demonstrated no loss of heterozygosity of chromosomes 1p and 16q. Work-up was negative for primary renal Wilms tumor or distant metastasis. Patient underwent adjuvant chemoradiation therapy for stage III disease. Patient is currently 2 years of age with no evidence of recurrence or metastatic disease.
Negative U.S. Interest Rates

Negative rates have many of the same effects as cuts in positive rates but put pressure on banks’ financial conditions, which has restrained their use.
The 2018 South Sudanese Peace Agreement: A Litmus Test of Coercive Mediation

The signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (RARCSS) in September 2018 raised debate not only about its added value to the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) but also the effectiveness of style of mediation pursued by mediators. Although there are divergent views on whether the RARCSS will deliver sustainable peace or reach the same fate of ARCSS, these views can be grouped into realists and idealists. While realists see RARCSS as practical way to end the enormous suffering faced by the people of South Sudan, the idealists see RARCSS as a “bad peace” as it fails to address the root causes of conflict that may be a recipe for another cycle of violence. Between these two extreme views of realists and idealists are the middle ground group “idealism with realism” that sees opportunity in transforming this “bad peace” into “good peace” by working from within and creating space for civicness in governance rather than continuing with armed opposition or non-violent diplomatic opposition. In assessing these expectations and views, the article attempts to review the RARCSS with provocative question of whether ARCSS has been revitalized or deadened and whether RARCSS will be sustainable as it was concluded through coercive mediation. These two questions can be adequately answered by comparing the process, the content and the outcomes of RARCSS in relation to ARCSS and the 2005 Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The article is organized into five sections including this introduction section. The analysis of the process of RARCSS is presented in section 2, while its content is discussed in section 3. The outcomes of RARCSS are presented in section 4, while main conclusions for finding a common ground between idealists and realists are discussed in section 5.
Matrix stiffness and cluster size collectively regulate dormancy versus proliferation in brain metastatic breast cancer cell clusters.

Breast cancer cells can metastasize either as single cells or as clusters to distant organs from the primary tumor site. Cell clusters have been shown to possess higher metastatic potential compared to single cells. The organ microenvironment is critical in regulating the ultimate phenotype, specifically, the dormant versus proliferative phenotypes, of these clusters. In the context of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM), tumor cell cluster–organ microenvironment interactions are not well understood, in part, due to the lack of suitable biomimetic in vitro models. To address this need, herein, we report a biomaterial-based model, utilizing hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels with varying stiffnesses to mimic the brain microenvironment. Cell spheroids were used to mimic cell clusters. Using 100–10 000 MDA-MB-231Br BCBM cells, six different sizes of cell spheroids were prepared to study the impact of cluster size on dormancy. On soft HA hydrogels (∼0.4 kPa), irrespective of spheroid size, all cell spheroids attained a dormant phenotype, whereas on stiff HA hydrogels (∼4.5 kPa), size dependent switch between the dormant and proliferative phenotypes was noted (i.e., proliferative phenotype ≥5000 cell clusters < dormant phenotype), as tested via EdU and Ki67 staining. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the matrix stiffness driven dormancy was reversible. Such biomaterial systems provide useful tools to probe cell cluster–matrix interactions in BCBM.
Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome negatively impacts health and wellbeing despite less severe acute infection

Abstract Introduction One of the noted features of COVID-19 is the spectrum of expressivity in symptoms among those with the disease, ranging from no or mild symptoms that may last a small number of days, to severe and/or longer lasting symptoms. It is emerging that many patients have long lasting symptoms, several months after initial infection with COVID-19. The aim of this research was to characterize post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). Methods This was a retrospective cross-sectional observational study. Participants were patients recovering from COVID-19 infection, enrolled in Mount Sinai Hospital’s COVID-19 Precision Recovery Program (PRP). Inclusion criteria were confirmed or probable (based on World Health Organization criteria) initial diagnosis of COVID-19; post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (defined as experiencing symptoms > 6 weeks since acute symptom onset) and being currently enrolled in the PRP during the months of July and August 2020. Study survey data were collected using REDCap. Demographic data, COVID-19 clinical data and patient-reported outcomes for breathlessness (Medical Research Council Breathlessness Scale), fatigue and quality of life (EuroQoL 5D-5L) were collected. Results 84 individuals with PACS were included. Symptoms persisted at mean (range) 151 (54 to 255) days. The most prevalent persistent symptoms were fatigue (92%), loss of concentration/memory (74%), weakness (68%), headache (65%) and dizziness (64%). Most participants reported increased levels of disability associated with breathlessness, increased fatigue and reduced quality of life. Conclusions Persistent symptoms following COVID-19 infection are prevalent, debilitating and appear to affect individuals regardless of acute infection severity or prior health status. More detailed research is required in order to identify specific symptom clusters associated with PACS, and to devise effective interventional strategies.
Stochastic Decomposition Method for Two-Stage Distributionally Robust Optimization

In this paper, we present a sequential sampling-based algorithm for the two-stage distributionally robust linear programming (2-DRLP) models. The 2-DRLP models are defined over a general class of ambiguity sets with discrete or continuous probability distributions. The algorithm is a distributionally robust version of the well-known stochastic decomposition algorithm of Higle and Sen (Math. of OR 16(3), 650-669, 1991) for a two-stage stochastic linear program. We refer to the algorithm as the distributionally robust stochastic decomposition (DRSD) method. The key features of the algorithm include (1) it works with data-driven approximations of ambiguity sets that are constructed using samples of increasing size and (2) efficient construction of approximations of the worst-case expectation function that solves only two second-stage subproblems in every iteration. We identify conditions under which the ambiguity set approximations converge to the true ambiguity sets and show that the DRSD method asymptotically identifies an optimal solution, with probability one. We also computationally evaluate the performance of the DRSD method for solving distributionally robust versions of instances considered in stochastic programming literature. The numerical results corroborate the analytical behavior of the DRSD method and illustrate the computational advantage over an external sampling-based decomposition approach (distributionally robust L-shaped method).
Driving Cessation in Old Age: Gender Influences on Mortality:

Objective: This study examined health and social support as mediators of the association between driving cessation and 10-year mortality among older men and older women. Method: Data were drawn fro...
Two Optical Image Fusion Model of Transmission Line Based on DCGAN

Aiming at the problem of poor image fusion in existing image fusion and enhancement methods, a dual light image fusion model of transformer based on DCGAN is proposed. It changes the original structure which constructs a cyclic GAN to allow the generator to generate fused image. The image feature of visible and infrared light is extracts from transformer in substation through the deep discriminant convolution network. The two image features are coded in the same feature dictionary for sparse coding which is fused and used as input of generating network. The fused image of transformer is obtained by deconvolution operation. Finally, using the error of training, the model can generate a useful fusion feature. The experiments show that it reduces the hardware pressure for existing of dual light images and has a good fusion effect.
Gender Differences in Practitioners’ Preferences for Systems-Thinking Skills

The exponential enhancement of technology embedded in interdependent systems has led to increased difficulty and complexity in problem-solving and decision-making in any system of systems domains, including healthcare, infrastructure and utility networks, business structures, military combat systems, and others. Systems thinking (ST) paradigm offers a shift in the worldview into how complex systems are perceived, assessed, managed, and governed. Addressing problems in complex systems need not only technical knowledge but also a consideration for inherent individual differences, including differences in gender. This study compares the differences in systems skills/preferences across genders using multi-group structural equation modeling approach. The paper concludes with the discussion of results, limitations of the research, and directions for future studies.
Right-sided neck pain in an intravenous drug user.

A 48-year-old man with HIV, intravenous drug use and hepatitis C presented to the ED with right-sided neck pain for 2 days. The patient injected methamphetamine into his neck 2 days prior to onset of pain. He reported dysphagia, odynophagia and subjective fevers. Physical examination of the neck was notable for induration and warmth overlying the right neck (figure 1). The oropharyngeal examination was unremarkable. Figure 1 Photograph of the right side of the patient’s neck. Which of the following are you most …
Effect of the stop-flow technique on cardiac retention of c-kit positive human cardiac stem cells after intracoronary infusion in a porcine model of chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.

It is commonly thought that the optimal method for intracoronary administration of cells is to stop coronary flow during cell infusion, in order to prolong cell/vascular wall contact, enhance adhesion, and promote extravasation of cells into the interstitial space. However, occlusion of a coronary artery with a balloon involves serious risks of vascular damage and/or dissection, particularly in non-stented segments such as those commonly found in patients with heart failure. It remains unknown whether the use of the stop-flow technique results in improved donor cell retention. Acute myocardial infarction was produced in 14 pigs. One to two months later, pigs received 10 million indium-111 oxyquinoline (oxine)-labeled c-kitpos human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs) via intracoronary infusion with (n = 7) or without (n = 7) balloon inflation. Pigs received cyclosporine to prevent acute graft rejection. Animals were euthanized 24 h later and hearts harvested for radioactivity measurements. With the stop-flow technique, the retention of hCSCs at 24 h was 5.41 ± 0.80 % of the injected dose (n = 7), compared with 4.87 ± 0.62 % without coronary occlusion (n = 7), (P = 0.60). When cells are delivered intracoronarily in a clinically relevant porcine model of chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy, the use of the stop-flow technique does not result in greater myocardial cell retention at 24 h compared with non-occlusive infusion. These results have practical implications for the design of cell therapy trials. Our observations suggest that the increased risk of complications secondary to coronary manipulation and occlusion is not warranted.
Network-Based Penalized Regression With Application to Genomic Data

Summary. Penalized regression approaches are attractive in dealing with high-dimensional data such as arising in highthroughput genomic studies. New methods have been introduced to utilize the network structure of predictors, for example, gene networks, to improve parameter estimation and variable selection. All the existing network-based penalized methods are based on an assumption that parameters, for example, regression coefficients, of neighboring nodes in a network are close in magnitude, which however may not hold. Here we propose a novel penalized regression method based on a weaker prior assumption that the parameters of neighboring nodes in a network are likely to be zero (or non-zero) at the same time, regardless of their specific magnitudes. We propose a novel non-convex penalty function to incorporate this prior, and an algorithm based on difference convex programming. We use simulated data and two breast cancer gene expression datasets to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed methods over some existing methods. Our proposed methods can be applied to more general problems for group variable selection.
Analyzing In Vivo Metabolite‐Protein Interactions by Large‐Scale Systematic Analyses

Metabolites interact with proteins in vivo in various ways other than enzymatic reactions. Profiling of such interactions may help disclose unknown molecular mechanisms that regulate protein functions, and provide potential targets for disease treatment. Here we describe a procedure for systematic analyses of metabolite-protein interactions in vivo. This procedure couples protein affinity purification and mass spectrometry to identify metabolite-protein interactions. The primary effort can be completed within one day and scaled to process hundreds of samples in a batch. Originally developed in yeast, the same principle and protocol can be adapted to other organisms.
Non-invasive, dynamic imaging of murine intestinal motility.

Background After intravenous (i.v.) administration, indocyanine green (ICG) is known to be secreted into bile from the liver via the biliary tracts, enabling fluorescent delineation of the intestine. In addition, ICG is a near-infrared (NIR) excitable fluorophore, capable of providing exogenous contrast for rapid NIR fluorescence imaging. We sought to quantify the intestinal motility using dynamic NIR fluorescence imaging after injection of ICG. Methods C57BL6 mice were dynamically imaged immediately before and up to 24 h after i.v. and intradermal (i.d.) injection of 50 and 10 μL of ICG, respectively. Necropsy was also performed 1 h postinjection and the entire gastrointestinal tract was isolated and exposed for ex vivo fluorescence imaging. Key Results The secretion of ICG-laden fluorescent bile into the duodenum was observed in vivo and confirmed in situ. Different patterns of the intestinal motility, such as peristaltic and segmental motions, were dynamically imaged in vivo. Our imaging data showed that the frequency of contractions ranged from 27 to 35 cycles min−1 and the propagation velocity of peristaltic waves ranged from 0.82 ± 0.5 to 2.04 ± 1.12 cm s−1. Conclusions & Inferences Dynamic NIR fluorescence imaging with injection of ICG can provide a method for diagnostic motility testing for intestinal motility disorders or dysfunction and for potential evaluation of therapeutic agents.
Oscillatory state machine

In computational theory, the search for finite description of data stream is moving from less computationally capable classes to more capable and optimal description or representation of the data series in question: subword string, tree representation, and finitary machine representation. In dynamical system theory, the system evolves through different hierarchical levels to cope with its environment. Evolution of the dynamical system: fixed point to limit cycle to torus and to strange attractor. In recent studies, it has been found that recurrent neural networks are capable in simulating regular grammars. Our interest is in the study of nonlinear oscillatory neural network, the oscillatory state machine (OSM), where its architecture is similar to recurrent neural networks. We are interested in the dynamics of formation and cognition of collective properties. We present an array of modified van der Pol nonlinear oscillators, which, through the device of "strange attractors", promises to carry out very complex functional repertoires with very simple hardware and to behave as a versatile information processor. >
Structure-function studies on bacteriorhodopsin. IX. Substitutions of tryptophan residues affect protein-retinal interactions in bacteriorhodopsin.

Abstract Bacteriorhodopsin contains 8 tryptophan residues distributed across the membrane-embedded helices. To study their possible functions, we have replaced them one at a time by phenylalanine; in addition, Trp-137 and -138 have been replaced by cysteine. The mutants were prepared by cassette mutagenesis of the synthetic bacterio-opsin gene, expression and purification of the mutant apoproteins, renaturation, and chromophore regeneration. The replacement of Trp-10, Trp-12 (helix A), Trp-80 (helix C), and Trp-138 (helix E) by phenylalanine and of Trp-137 and Trp-138 by cysteine did not significantly alter the absorption spectra or affect their proton pumping. However, substitution of the remaining tryptophans by phenylalanine had the following effects. 1) Substitution of Trp-86 (helix C) and Trp-137 gave chromophores blue-shifted by 20 nm and resulted in reduced proton pumping to about 30%. 2) As also reported previously (Hackett, N. R., Stern, L. J., Chao, B. H., Kronis, K. A., and Khorana, H. G. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 9277-9284), substitution of Trp-182 and Trp-189 (helix F) caused large blue shifts (70 and 40 nm, respectively) in the chromophore and affected proton pumping. 3) The substitution of Trp-86 and Trp-182 by phenylalanine conferred acid instability on these mutants. The spectral shifts indicate that Trp-86, Trp-182, Trp-189, and possibly Trp-137 interact with retinal. It is proposed that these tryptophans, probably along with Tyr-57 (helix B) and Tyr-185 (helix F), form a retinal binding pocket. We discuss the role of tryptophan residues that are conserved in bacteriorhodopsin, halorhodopsin, and the related family of opsin proteins.
This Land, This Nation: Conservation, Rural America, and the New Deal

Review of: "This Land, This Nation: Conservation, Rural America, and the New Deal," by Sarah T. Phillips.
Philanthropy in America: A History

Philanthropy in America: A History . Written by Olivier Zunz , New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2012. 396 pp. ISBN: 9780691128368 (cloth). Philanthropy: Not made in America but remade decidedly American
The Biological Sciences can Act as a Ground for Ethics

This paper is interested in the relationship between evolutionary thinking and moral behavior and commitments, ethics. There is a traditional way of forging or conceiving of the relationship. This is traditional evolutionary ethics, known as Social Darwinism. Many think that this position is morally pernicious, a redescription of the worst aspects of modern, laissez-faire capitalism in fancy biological language. It is argued that, in fact, there is much more to be said for Social Darwinism than many think. In respects, it could be and was an enlightened position to take; but it flounders on the matter of justification. Universally, the appeal is to progress—evolution is progressive and, hence, morally we should aid its success. I argue, however, that this progressive nature of evolution is far from obvious and, hence, traditional social Darwinism fails. There is another way to do things. This is to argue that the search for justification is mistaken. Ethics just is. It is an adaptation for humans living socially and has exactly the same status as other adaptations, like hands and teeth and genitalia. As such, ethics is something with no standing beyond what it is. However, if we all thought that this was so, we would stop being moral. So part of the experience of ethics is that it is more than it is. We think that it has an objective referent. In short, ethics is an illusion put in place by our genes to make us good social cooperators.
AToMS: a ubiquitous teleconsultation system for supporting AMI patients with prehospital thrombolysis

The latest population-based studies in the medical literature worldwide indicate that acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients still experience prolonged delay to be rescued, which often results in morbidity and mortality. This paper reports from a technological standpoint a teleconsultation and monitoring system named AToMS. This system addresses the problem of prehospital delivery of thrombolysis to AMI patients by enabling the remote interaction of the paramedics and a cardiologist available at a Coronary Care Unit (CCU). Such interaction allows the diagnosis of the patient eligibility to the immediate application of thrombolysis, which is meant to reduce the delay between the onset of symptoms and the eventual application of proper treatment. Such delay reduction is meant to increase the AMI patient's chances of survival and decrease the risks of postinfarction sequels. The teleconsultation is held with the support of wireless and mobile technologies, which also allows the cardiologist to monitor the patient while he/she is being taken to the nearest CCU. All exchanged messages among paramedics and cardiologists are recorded to render an auditable system. AToMS has been deployed in a first stage in the city of Rio de Janeiro, where the medical team involved in the project has conducted commissioned tests.
The carotenoids of the flagellated alga. Euglena gracilis.

1. 1. The carotenoids of Euglena gracilis strain Z and Euglena gracilis var. bacillaris have been separated by adsorption chromatography and further characterized by their absorption spectra and behavior on partitioning between petroleum ether and aqueous methanol. In some cases melting points were obtained and reactions for specific functional groups were performed. 2. 2. The principal carotenoid of Euglena gracilis is antheraxanthin (3,3′-dihydroxy-5, 6-epoxy-β-carotene), which accounts for over 80% of the carotenoid present, β-Carotene is present to the extent of about 11%, and neoxanthin, 7%. 3. 3. Small amounts of γ-carotene, cryptoxanthin (3-hydroxy-β-carotene), an uncharacterized xanthophyll monoepoxide, echinenone (4-keto-β-carotene), and two new keto carotenoids—euglenanone (probably 3, 4-diketo-β-carotene), and hydroxyechinenone (probably 3-hydroxy-4-keto-β-carotene)—also are present. The last three pigments are orange or red, and it is suggested that any or all may be the pigment (s) of the eyespot or of the light receptor for phototaxis. 4. 4. No astaxanthin, astacene, vitamin A, or retinene was observed.
A low frequency-dependence, energy-efficient switching technique for bottom-plate sampled SAR ADC

This paper shows frequency dependence of switching energy of bottom-plate sampled successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADC) and presents a technique that achieves 86% reduction in switching energy compared to the conventional SAR over a wide frequency range. The switching energy has been calculated by taking into account both the power drawn from reference as well as the power consumed by the switches themselves. The results have been verified through MATLAB and SPICE simulations.
The ATM-Related Cofactor Tra1 Is a Component of the Purified SAGA Complex

The SAGA histone acetyltransferase/transcriptional adaptor complex is composed of multiple transcriptional regulators including Ada, Spt, and TAFII proteins. Here we identify an additional novel subunit of the complex, Tra1, an ATM/PI-3-kinase-related homolog of the human TRRAP cofactor, which is essential for c-Myc and E2F-mediated oncogenic transformation. Mass spectrometry, immunoblotting, and immunoprecipitation experiments confirm the stable association of this protein within SAGA. In addition, the Tra1 protein is a component of at least two other histone acetyltransferase protein complexes. These results indicate a role for Tra1 in the regulation of transcriptional activation through the recruitment of HAT activity to an activator-bound promoter.
The Structure of the Sinhalese Kindred: A Re-Examination of the Dravidian Terminology

IN THIS essay I wish to examine the proposition that the main function of the Dravidian kinship categories is to regulate marriage and sexual relations inside bilateral and largely endogamous '"kindreds." The proposition is discussed mainly in the context of Sinhalese kinship, but the argument has bearing upon the kinship systems of other groups in South India and Ceylon, and the comparative evidence is examined in the last section of the essay.1 The Dravidian terminology we are here concerned with has been noted for its connection with a prescriptive, bilateral, cross-cousin marriage rule. In this respect, the terminology is highly systematic, and all the terms imply bilateral cross-cousin marriage, and such marriage is essential if the categories of kinship are to be kept in order (Dumont 1953). While the kinship categories are thus highly systematic, Sinhalese society, in particular, has been referred to as "loosely structured" (Ryan 1953:21). I suggest in this essay that the apparently "loose" kinship structure, while certainly permissive in many important respects, is very highly structured with regard to marriage and sexual relations. In the Sinhalese context, the "kindred" is not simply an amorphous group, which differs from individual to individual, but has an identity as a kin group and exhibits considerable solidarity in diverse contexts. It is the most important social group as far as the individual Sinhalese is concerned. And thus, the systematic kinship categories organize the vital relations of marriage and sex within these small groups. This argument regarding Dravidian kinship categories is supported by the relevant material from other groups in South India and Ceylon as well. If the "kindred" type explanation of systematic Dravidian categories, and prescriptive marriage rules, stands up to analysis, our conclusions will have implications for the Australian material. For, as is well known, the Dravidian terminology is almost identical with the Kariera type, and what is true for South India and Ceylon may also apply to some features of the kinship systems of Australia.
The role of Cr in promoting protective alumina scale formation by γ-based TiAlCr alloys— II. Oxidation behavior in air

Abstract The oxidation behavior of single-phase γ, single-phase Laves, and two-phase γ + Laves TiAlCr alloys was investigated at 1000°C in air. The addition of 4–5 at % Cr to the γ phase resulted in protective alumina scale formation in dry air, but titania-based nodule formation in humid room air. Two-phase γ + Laves alloys exhibited protective alumina scale formation in both dry air and humid room air. The difference in oxidation behavior between γ and γ + Laves alloys was interpreted in terms of compositional changes at the alloy/scale interface during oxidation.
Nonsymmetric AlGaN directional coupler switch analysis

AlGaN has been in the spotlight lately for its use in blue to UV lasers and LEDs, tolerances to high temperature/harsh environment, high power applications, etc. Little has been examined in the area of electro-optic (EO) modulation and waveguiding. This paper compiles the optical and EO properties of AlGaN. It also models the behavior of AlGaN integrated optic waveguides and switches based on the zero- gap EO directional coupler. Among the advantages of AlGaN integrated optic waveguides and switches is the potential to work at wavelengths for IR to the blue region. Additionally, GaN has a close refractive index match, to glass and polymer optical fibers and waveguides. Preliminary findings suggest that the size of AlGaN EO directional couplers, based on measured nonlinear properties of the material and, assuming a viable PIN structure, could be in the range of approximately 7000 micrometers , operating at TTL voltages, with potentially high modulation switching speeds.
Serendipity and the Cerebral Localization of Pleasure

Most accounts of the discovery of "pleasure" circuits in the brain begin with the observation by James Olds and Peter Milner in 1953 that electrical brain stimulation can condition operant responses in rats. Less well-known, pleasurable brain stimulation was previously observed in schizophrenic patients by Robert Heath. However, Heath failed to recognize the significance of this observation, at least in part, because of preconceived notions he held about the etiology of schizophrenia. This episode in the history of neuroscience illustrates the importance of sagacity in serendipitous scientific discoveries. It also shows that "mental preparedness" can be an obstacle to progress.
Walking Attenuates the Relationships of High‐Meat, Low‐Fruit Dietary Intake to Total and Regional Adiposity in Men and Women

Vigorous physical activity (running) has been shown to attenuate the association between diet and body weight. Walking is the most popular physical activity, but is a moderate-intensity physical activity because it requires less than sixfold the energy expenditure of sitting at rest. We therefore examined whether reported distance walked per week affected the relationship of diet to BMI and circumferences of the waist, hip, and chest in 30,014 female and 7,133 male participants of the National Walkers’ Health Study. Reported meat and fruit intakes served as indicators of high-risk diets for weight gain. The analyses showed that higher meat and lower fruit intake were significantly and consistently associated with greater BMI and waist circumference at all activity levels. Longer usual walking distance significantly attenuated the concordant relationships of diet with women’s BMIs (P < 10 −8 ), men’s BMIs (P = 0.04), and women’s waist (P < 10 −6 ), hip (P = 0.0001), and chest circumferences (P < 10 −5 ). Compared to walkers who averaged <1.5 km/day, the association of diet with adiposity in subjects who walked ≥1.5 km/day was reduced 21% in women and 31% in men for BMI; 20% in women and 27% in men for waist circumference; 19% for women’s hip circumference; and 26% for women’s chest circumference. Thus we conclude that diets characterized by high-meat/low-fruit intake were significantly associated with greater BMI, and this association was attenuated by moderate physical activity. The weaker results in men than women probably related to the smaller sample size, and reduced statistical power of the men.
Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone Neurones in a Photoperiodic Songbird Express Fos and Egr-1 Protein After a Single Long Day

Birds use a variety of environmental cues, such as day length, temperature and social interactions, to time reproductive efforts. For most seasonally breeding birds, day length is the most important cue and takes precedence over all others. Experimental manipulation of day length has shown that, in a number of galliformes and passeriformes, exposure to a single long day induces a rise in plasma luteinising hormone (LH). The mechanisms underlying this response are only beginning to be understood. In Japanese quail and Zonotrichia sparrows, one long day causes striking up-regulation of the protein products of immediate early genes (IEGs) in the mediobasal hypothalamus, near gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) axons and terminals. Photoperiodic induction of the same proteins in the GnRH somata themselves, however, has not been described in these species. In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry to assay the induction of two IEGs, Fos and Egr-1, in the GnRH somata of male and female white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) exposed to a single long day. We found that immunoreactivity for both proteins increased in a subset of the GnRH neurones of the septo-preoptic area by the morning after the long day. Photo-induced expression of Egr-1 or Fos protein in GnRH neurones was limited to a population of cells in the medial preoptic area. Males showed significantly greater induction of both proteins in this population of GnRH neurones than did females, which is consistent with the hypothesis that males may be more sensitive to photic cues. Overall, the results obtained suggest that photostimulation stimulates new protein synthesis in GnRH neurones on a relatively rapid time scale. Further research is required to determine whether the GnRH somata are themselves integrating photic cues, or whether they are responding rapidly to an increased demand for GnRH synthesis.
Skip the Trip: Air Travelers' Behavioral Responses to Pandemic Influenza

Theory suggests that human behavior has implications for disease spread. We examine the hypothesis that individuals engage in voluntary defensive behavior during an epidemic. We estimate the number of passengers missing previously purchased flights as a function of concern for swine flu or A/H1N1 influenza using 1.7 million detailed flight records, Google Trends, and the World Health Organization's FluNet data. We estimate that concern over “swine flu,” as measured by Google Trends, accounted for 0.34% of missed flights during the epidemic. The Google Trends data correlates strongly with media attention, but poorly (at times negatively) with reported cases in FluNet. Passengers show no response to reported cases. Passengers skipping their purchased trips forwent at least $50 M in travel related benefits. Responding to actual cases would have cut this estimate in half. Thus, people appear to respond to an epidemic by voluntarily engaging in self-protection behavior, but this behavior may not be responsive to objective measures of risk. Clearer risk communication could substantially reduce epidemic costs. People undertaking costly risk reduction behavior, for example, forgoing nonrefundable flights, suggests they may also make less costly behavior adjustments to avoid infection. Accounting for defensive behaviors may be important for forecasting epidemics, but linking behavior with epidemics likely requires consideration of risk communication.