cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inference of mechanism from kinetic analysis of pulse voltammetric data

Abstract Voltammetry provides direct access to kinetic information in that the measured quantity, current, is itself the rate. Kinetic analysis of voltammetric data generally focuses on the potential dependence of the current. For historical reasons, the most common method of analyzing data is to transform the data, often by very elaborate methods, to yield a potential-dependent rate constant, which is then plotted as a semilogarithmic function of potential. This procedure requires extrinsic normalization factors which easily can introduce systematic error. In a few instances, statistically sound methods have been employed for analysis of data. One approach employs a nonlinear least squares procedure equivalent to the method of maximum likelihood. In addition to providing optimal values of kinetic parameters without recourse to other data, this method also provides confidence regions at a known level of confidence. This method is implemented by the COOL algorithm, which has been described. An important ancillary factor is that the COOL algorithm runs in ‘real-time’ for many problems. This paper describes these alternative methods of analysis by using the particular example of slow charge transfer. The sensitivity of the analysis to changes in values of parameters is examined by computation of confidence regions. Then three specific kinetic problems are used to illustrate the types of questions which arise in the inference of mechanism. The first involves the search for a second order dependence of current on potential, this having been predicted by theoretical treatments. The second can arise in cases where two electrons are transferred. Under what conditions is it possible to determine the rate parameters for both transfers? What criteria ensure that the variance in the data is explained by only one charge transfer step (i.e., the other is too fast to see)? The third problem concerns heterogeneous charge transfers coupled by a homogeneous chemical step. When the second charge transfer is more favored than the first, when does it take place through a homogeneous reaction route, and under what conditions can this be detected? The experimental examples include the reduction of Zn(II) and the reduction of p -nitrosophenol, both at mercury electrodes. The data are confounded to some degree by experimental artifacts; nonrandom distribution of residuals may arise from these artifacts or from choice of overly simple models.
Some Aspects of Position Pseudoallelism

The phenomenon of pseudoallelism promises to contribute much to our understanding of the gene—how it functions, how it mutates, how it evolves. The functional aspect will be the central theme of this paper. Attention will be focused chiefly on examples of “position pseudoallelism;” namely, those cases in which there is a position effect or phenotypic difference between the “cis-type” (ab/++) and “trans-type” (a+/+b) of double mutant heterozygote. In most of these examples a close functional relationship between the adjoining loci is indicated.
The crystal molecular structure of cis-13,13-dimethyl-13-azoniabicyclo [10.1.0] tridecane iodide

The crystal and molecular structure of cis-13,13-dimethyl-13-azoniabicyclo[10.1.0]tridecane iodide has been determined by a three-dimensional, single-crystal, x-ray diffraction study. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnam with cell dimensions aQ = 21.36 ± .01, bO = 9.07, cO = 8.29 A. The aziridine ring is fused to the cyclododecane ring with fusion angles of 123.5°. The molecule is bisected by a mirror plane with the cyclododecane portion distorted from its anticipated square conformation. Transannular hydrogen interactions are estimated on the basis of geometric considerations. A final value of R = 0.112 was obtained for the 557 non-equivalent reflections which were observed.
The classification of depression through cluster analysis.

Summary Cluster analysis research has the potential of clarifying the confusion currently extant in psychiatric classification. The paper reviews 11 studies that have used cluster analysis to create new classifications of depression. These studies consistently found a category of retarded/psychotic/endogenous depression. The validation studies by Raskin, Overall, Paykel, and their associates demonstrate the predictive validity of cluster generated classifications. Despite these favorable results, the cluster-analysis studies have had little impact on the literature about depression. The reasons for this lack of impact seem to be: (1) the unsolved statistical problems associated with cluster analysis, (2) the naive empiricism inherent in most of this research, and (3) the failure to be aware of the political nature of classificatory change.
Managing customer expectations in the service encounter

Consumers of services have expectations about what they will receive from the delivery system. These expectations are beliefs about future events which, when compared with the perceived actual service delivered, are presumed to influence satisfaction and assessments of overall service quality. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that outlines the process through which expectations operate at the point of delivery and provide a framework for future investigations. Implications for management practice focus on service provider behavior at the point of delivery and on control of cues that may influence consumer expectations once they have entered the delivery system. Directions for research include verification of model relationships and identification of specific types of cues that relate to attributes commonly considered in consumers’ judgements of service quality.
Two-Photon Excitation Spectrum of Light-Harvesting Complex II and Fluorescence Upconversion after One- and Two-Photon Excitation of the Carotenoids

The two-photon excitation (TPE) spectrum of light-harvesting complex II (LHC II) has been measured in the spectral region of 1000−1600 nm, corresponding to one-photon wavelengths of 500−800 nm. We observed a band with an origin at ∼2 × 660 nm (ca. 15 100 ± 300 cm-1) and a maximum at ∼2 × 600 nm. The line shape and origin of this band strongly suggest that the observed signal is due to the two-photon-allowed S1 state of the energy-transferring carotenoids (Car) in LHC II. We also report the time dependence of the upconverted chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence after TPE at the maximum of the observed band. Surprisingly, a fast rise of 250 ± 50 fs followed by a multiexponential decay on the picosecond time scale was observed. This result provides strong indication that there is a fast energy transfer even from the dipole-forbidden Car S1 state to the Chl's. The sub picosecond energy transfer from the Car S1 state is likely a consequence of the large number of energy-accepting Chls in van der Waals contact with t...
Synthesis and Properties of Nanoparticle Forms Saponite Clay, Cancrinite Zeolite and Phase Mixtures Thereof.

Abstract The low-temperature synthesis (90 °C) of nanoparticle forms of a pure phase smectic clay (saponite) and zeolite (cancrinite) is reported, along with phase mixtures thereof. A synthesis gel corresponding to the Si:Al:Mg unit cell composition of saponite (3.6:0.40:3.0) and a NaOH/Si ratio of 1.39 affords the pure phase clay with disordered nanolayer stacking. Progressive increases in the NaOH/Si ratio up to a value of 8.33 results in the co-crystallization of first garronite and then cancrinite zeolites with nanolath morphology. The resulting phase mixtures exhibit a compound particulate structure of intertwined saponite nanolayers and cancrinite nanolaths that cannot be formed through physical mixing of the pure phase end members. Under magnesium-free conditions, pure-phase cancrinite nanocrystals are formed. The Si/Al ratio of the reaction mixture affects the particle morphology as well as the chemical composition of the cancrinite zeolite. Ordinarily, cancrinite crystallizes with a Si/Al ratio of 1.0, but a silicon-rich form of the zeolite (Si/Al = 1.25) is crystallized at low temperature from a silica-rich synthesis gel, as evidenced by 29 Si NMR spectroscopy and XEDS-TEM. Owing to the exceptionally high external surface areas of the pure phase clay (875 m 2 /g) and zeolite end members (8.9–40 m 2 /g), as well as their unique mixed phase composites (124–329 m 2 /g), these synthetic derivatives are promising model nanoparticles for studies of the bioavailability of poly-aromatic hydrocarbons immobilized in silicate bearing sediments and soils.
Fatal and near-fatal asthma in children exposed to fireworks.

Background Fireworks accounted for an estimated 8,300 emergency department visits during 1997 in the United States. Firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles, and sparklers contribute to the most hospitalizations. Burns account for the majority of these injuries Fireworks are manufactured from a variety of chemicals, which include the known irritant, sulfur dioxide, as one of the products of combustion. We are reporting one fatal and one near fatal asthma exacerbation after use of fireworks. Objective We are reporting two patients who had severe asthma exacerbation shortly after having exposure to different types of fireworks. Methods Patient data were collected from patients that presented the week of July 4, 1998 to our institution. Information was also obtained from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Weather Service. Result The patients presented to our institution within hours of their exposure from the fireworks. One patient had a respiratory arrest and was resuscitated, but subsequently expire. The second patient was able to treated aggressively and avoided intubation. Conclusions These cases demonstrate risks that fireworks may present to the asthmatic child and that patient's with asthma should exercise caution when observing or participating in fireworks demonstrations.
Glucose intolerance mechanism after starvation.

Seven obese nondiabetic subjects were studied during control, total fast, and refeeding periods. Despite refeeding until ketonuria disappeared, a 14-day fast was associated with “starvation diabetes.” Factors known to affect glucose tolerance such as insulin secretion in response to oral glucose, sensitivity to exogenous insulin, human growth hormone (HGH) secretion, free fatty acid (FFA) levels, cortisol concentration, and the effects of complete autonomic blockade on the insulin tolerance test were studied. Exogenous insulin sensitivity, measured by insulin tolerance tests did not differ during any of the three study periods. HGH responses to hypoglycemia were excellent in the control and starvation periods, but slightly depressed during the refeeding period. Complete alpha and beta adrenergic blockade did not affect insulin sensitivity or the HGH response to hypoglycemia. FFA levels were greatest during the starvation period when sensitivity to exogenous insulin was quite adequate. Cortisol concentrations were unchanged throughout the study. The carbohydrate intolerance during the refeeding period was associated with a slightly lower than normal insulin/glucose ratio at the one hour interval of the oral glucose tolerance test. With continued glycemic stimulation, insulin levels subsequently rose to levels greater than those in the control period. It is suggested that a major factor in “starvation diabetes” is a deficient secretion or synthesis of insulin during the early portion of the glucose tolerance test.
Sensitive Monoclonal Antibody-based Sandwich ELISA for the Detection of Porcine Skeletal Muscle in Meat and Feed Products

A monoclonal antibody-based sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the sensitive detection of porcine skeletal muscle in raw and heat-processed meat and feed products. Heat treatment of meat samples up to 132 °C for 2 h did not affect the assay performance. The assay uses a pair of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs 8F10 and 5H9) specific to skeletal muscle troponin I (TnI). MAb 8F10, reacting to mammalian TnI, is the capture antibody and the biotin-conjugated MAb 5H9, specific to porcine TnI, the detection antibody. The sandwich ELISA is able to detect 0.05% (w/w) of laboratory-adulterated pork in chicken, 0.1% (w/w) pork in beef mixtures, 0.05% (w/w) pork meal in soy-based feed, and 1% commercial meat and bone meal (MBM), containing an unknown amount of pork, in soy-based feed. This new assay provides a rapid and reliable means to detect the contamination of meat and feed products with trace amounts of porcine muscle tissue to ensure product quality and safety.
Imprinted tumor suppressor genes ARHI and PEG3 are the most frequently down-regulated in human ovarian cancers by loss of heterozygosity and promoter methylation.

BACKGROUND Imprinted tumor suppressor genes may be particularly important in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. Two imprinted genes, paternally expressed 3 (PEG3) and aplasia Ras homologue member I (ARHI), are the most frequently down-regulated in ovarian cancers on gene expression arrays. METHODS PEG3 and ARHI expression levels were evaluated with real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Promoter methylation was measured by pyrosequencing, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was detected by PCR-LOH assays. RESULTS PEG3 was down-regulated in 75% and ARHI was down-regulated in 88% of 40 ovarian cancers. ARHI CpG islands I and II were hypermethylated in 13 of 42 ovarian cancers (31%) and in 5 of 42 ovarian cancers (12%), respectively, and hypermethylation was associated with reduced ARHI expression in all 18 samples of ovarian cancer with CpG island hypermethylation. PEG3 was hypermethylated in 11 of 42 ovarian cancers (26%), and PEG3 expression was down-regulated in 10 of those 11 cancers. LOH was detected in 8 of 35 informative cases for ARHI (23%) and in 5 of 25 informative cases for PEG3 (20%). PEG3 and ARHI expression was highly correlated in human ovarian cancers (correlation coefficient [R] = 0.69; P < .0001). PEG3 and ARHI also were methylated concordantly in ovarian cancers (R = 0.36; P = .019). Re-expression of PEG3, similar to that of ARHI, markedly inhibited ovarian cancer growth. ARHI and PEG3 expression could be restored by treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine and trichostatin A, consistent with the importance of promoter methylation and histone acetylation in regulating expression of both genes. CONCLUSIONS Loss of expression of the growth-inhibitory imprinted genes ARHI and PEG3 through promoter methylation, LOH, and other mechanisms may stimulate clonogenic growth and contribute to the pathogenesis of a majority of ovarian cancers. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY RECRUITMENT PRACTICES: THE EFFECTS OF APPLICANT GENDER, INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS, AND JOB ATTRIBUTES

Achieving desired results in education partly depends on the quality and motivation of the faculty hired to deliver instruction. Although recruitment is the first step in hiring capable faculty, no empirical research has been done about community college recruitment practices occurring prior to the employment interview. This study applied marketing and advertising theory to the task of recruiting community college business faculty. The reactions of two groups (male, female) of target applicants (N = 180) were assessed with respect to recruitment advertisements varied by instructional program description and by attributes used to describe the job. The investigation was conducted using a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial analysis of variance design. Male applicants reacted more favorably to advertisements when the organization was depicted as being oriented toward academic transfer instructional programs, and the job was described using extrinsic job attributes. Female applicants reacted more favorably when the organizat...
Non-convex optimization for the design of sparse fir filters

This paper presents a method for designing sparse FIR filters by means of a sequence of p-norm minimization problems with p gradually decreasing from 1 toward 0. The lack of convexity for p ≪ 1 is partially overcome by appropriately initializing each subproblem. A necessary condition of optimality is derived for the subproblem of p-norm minimization, forming the basis for an efficient local search algorithm. Examples demonstrate that the method is capable of producing filters approaching the optimal level of sparsity for a given set of specifications.
Opportunities for psychotherapy in the management of dementia.

Demented patients are not usually thought of as candidates for psychotherapy due to their impaired memory, general intel lectual decline, and waning ability to use insight. Families often accede to this view by perceiving their dementing relatives as unable to handle emotion-laden issues. This paper will illustrate with clinical examples that many dementing patients can benefit from psychotherapy. Practical suggestions will be outlined for integrating a psychotherapeutic approach into the management of dementia patients and their caregiving family members.The format of this paper will begin with suggested techniques for the initial interview, followed by separate con sideration of psychotherapy issues in dementing patients and in caregiving family members. ( J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1989;2:21-17).
Prothrombin's calcium ion binding site, carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance studies

Abstract Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra are reported for vitamin K-dependent peptide (VKP) and profragment-1, both derived from bovine prothrombin. These prothrombin fragments contain γ-carboxyglutamic acid (GLA) residues and it is possible to assign those resonances in the VKP spectrum due to this entity based on comparison with methyl malonic acid and synthetic γ-carboxyglutamic acid derivatives (1). At neutral pH the following assignments (chemical shifts are reported in PPM relative to tetramethylsilane) can be made: carboxyl carbons, 175.8; α-carbon, 58.5; β-carbon, 32.5; γ-carbon, 52.3. These resonance positions depend significantly on pH.
Dimensional Analysis of Rigid-Plastic and Elastoplastic Structures under Pulse-Type Excitations

In this paper, the inelastic response of rigid-plastic and elastic-plastic systems subjected to pulse-type excitations is revisited with dimensional analysis. Starting from Newmark’s result on the maximum displacement of a sliding mass resting on a base that is subjected to a rectangular acceleration pulse, the paper introduces an energetic length scale of the excitation and the relevant dimensionless Π-products that govern the response of yielding structures. The introduction of Buckingham’s Π-theorem reduces the number of variables that govern the response of the elastic-plastic system from five (5) to three (3). The proposed dimensionless Π-products are liberated from the associated elastic system response and are consistent with the incremental evolution from the rigid-plastic to the elastic-plastic system. When the response is presented in terms of the dimensionless Π-terms remarkable order emerges. It is shown that for a given value of dimensionless yield displacement the response curves (maximum relative dimensionless displacements) become self-similar and follow a single master curve. The self-similar solutions show clearly how the inelastic response amplifies as the normalized yield displacement increases and that an increase in strength may lead to an increase in inelastic displacements. The main advantage of the analysis presented in this paper is that it brings forward the concept of self-similarity-an invariance with respect to changes in scale or size-which is a decisive symmetry that shapes nonlinear behavior.
Euthymic patients with bipolar disorder show decreased reward learning in a probabilistic reward task.

Background Bipolar disorder (BPD) features cycling mood states ranging from depression to mania with intermittent phases of euthymia. Bipolar disorder subjects often show excessive goal-directed and pleasure-seeking behavior during manic episodes and reduced hedonic capacity during depressive episodes, indicating that BPD might involve altered reward processing. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that BPD is characterized by impairments in adjusting behavior as a function of prior reinforcement history, particularly in the presence of residual anhedonic symptoms. Methods Eighteen medicated BPD subjects and 25 demographically matched comparison subjects performed a probabilistic reward task. To identify putative dysfunctions in reward processing irrespective of mood state, primary analyses focused on euthymic BPD subjects ( n = 13). With signal-detection methodologies, response bias toward a more frequently rewarded stimulus was used to objectively assess the participants' propensity to modulate behavior as a function of reinforcement history. Results Relative to comparison subjects, euthymic BPD subjects showed a reduced and delayed acquisition of response bias toward the more frequently rewarded stimulus, which was partially due to increased sensitivity to single rewards of the disadvantageous stimulus. Analyses considering the entire BPD sample revealed that reduced reward learning correlated with self-reported anhedonic symptoms, even after adjusting for residual manic and anxious symptoms and general distress. Conclusions The present study provides preliminary evidence indicating that BPD, even during euthymic states, is characterized by dysfunctional reward learning in situations requiring integration of reinforcement information over time and thus offers initial insights about the potential source of dysfunctional reward processing in this disorder.
Artificial Intelligence as a Possible Tool for Discovering Laws of Logic

The present essay has its origins in some technical work I did several years ago in mathematical logic. At that time I was busy in an obscure area on the borders of set theory and proof theory trying to describe notations for transfinite ordinals. (The best known example of this sort of result is Cantor's description of a "normal form" for certain countable ordinals. One builds notations for these ordinals out of some basic functions and the resulting description is similar to the ordinary Indian notation for finite numbers.) As time passed, I found myself increasingly puzzled by the circumstance that although I could manipulate my ideas with some facility, I really had no clear notion of what I was doing. From one point of view, my unease was not justified: if one made use of a few notions from standard set theory--some material about ordinal functions, "inaccessible ordinals" of various sorts, e tc . -one could obtain a neat, classical description of the situation (Buchholz, 1975). But this "description" seemed to miss the mark for it did not provide an elucidation of what I felt was the basically computational and procedural nature of the experience that I underwent. I felt, in some vague way, that I was just doing a construction and that an adequate explication should be a description of the essentials of this construction. The set-theoretic "explanation" lacked any dynamic quality. Confused by this circumstance, I began to pay more attention to the introductory chapters of the various texts on logic and mathematical logic that I was using in my teaching, for it was there that was usually concentrated a discussion of what was called "foundations of mathematics," a discussion which, I naively thought, justified the long and intricate technical chapters which followed. In fact, most of these chapters (if
Expression of CD9 in frozen–thawed mouse oocytes: preliminary experience

CD9 mRNA and protein expression levels in mouse slow frozen–rapid thawed oocytes were compared with those in fresh oocytes by using comparative quantitative real time reverse transcription–PCR and semiquantitative Western blot, respectively. The expression levels of both CD9 mRNA and protein in the frozen oocytes were significantly lower than those found in the fresh oocytes.
Bexarotene blunts malignant T-cell chemotaxis in Sezary syndrome: reduction of chemokine receptor 4-positive lymphocytes and decreased chemotaxis to thymus and activation-regulated chemokine.

The malignant cells in Sezary syndrome express the skin trafficking molecules' cutaneous lymphocyte associated antigen (CLA) and chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4). High levels of the CCR4 ligand, thymus, and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), have been reported in the blood and skin of patients. The rexinoid X-receptor specific retinoid, bexarotene, has contributed to the resolution of cutaneous disease among patients. To evaluate the effects of bexarotene on skin trafficking molecule expression and chemotaxis, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Sezary syndrome patients and healthy controls were treated with bexarotene in vitro. CCR4 and CLA expression levels and chemotaxis in response to TARC (6.25 ng/ml) were evaluated among lymphocytes before and after treament with bexarotene (10 μM). Flow cytometric analysis was performed to evaluate CD4, CD26, CLA, and CCR4 cell surface expression. Transwell migration assays were performed to evaluate chemotaxis to TARC. Prior to treatment, malignant cells exhibited higher CCR4 expression (45–90%) and greater than four times more chemotaxis to TARC compared with healthy controls. After treatment with bexarotene for 36–96 hr, a 28% reduction in CCR4 expression was noted (P < 0.05) among the malignant population with an associated 9% decrease in chemotaxis to TARC (P < 0.05). Our results show that bexarotene may inhibit malignant cell trafficking to the skin through an ability to suppress CCR4 expression among Sezary syndrome lymphocytes. Am. J. Hematol., 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Organizational Compatibility and Workplace Drug Testing: Modeling the Adoption of Innovative Social Control Practices

Few researchers have examined organizational variation in the adoption of workplace drug testing, but innovation theory suggests that adoption is more likely when it is compatible with an organization's values, previously introduced ideas, and needs. Using data from the 1997 National Employee Survey, this research models the effects of organizational compatibility, industry, and establishment size on the adoption of drug testing. The data reveal that compatibility, as measured by an organization's rules orientation, presence of an employee assistance program, and mechanization, is associated with the adoption of drug testing. As predicted, the adoption of drug testing varies across industries and by establishment size.
The activity of dissolved oxygen at 1000 atm hydrostatic pressure

Abstract Measurement of the activity of dissolved oxygen based on its rate of reaction with the excited singlet state of pyrene-1-butyric acid indicates that it is not changed by hydrostatic pressures up to 1000 atm. The partial pressure of dissolved oxygen will thus have the same relation to concentration at abyssal depths as at the surface.
Modeling Static Instabilities of Biogas Flames in a Stirred-Reactor Using Detailed Chemical Kinetics Simulations

Kinetic modeling of lean static stability limits of the combustion of biogas type fuels in a model of an ideal primary zone of a gas turbine combustor is presented here. In this study, CH4 is diluted with CO2 to simulate a range of gases representative of the products of anaerobic digestion of organic materials from different sources (e.g., landfill and animal waste digester). Fuels of this type are of interest for use in small gas turbines used in distributed generation applications. Predictions made by two detailed mechanisms (GRI-Mech 3.0 and San Diego) and one reduced mechanism (GRI-Mech 1.2, reduced) are employed to investigate the underlying kinetics near lean extinction. Approximate correlations to lean extinction are extracted from these results and compared to those of other fuels.© 2013 ASME
Altered Cerebellar Organization and Function in Monoamine Oxidase A Hypomorphic Mice

Monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) is the key enzyme for the degradation of brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA). We recently generated and characterized a novel line of MAO-A hypormorphic mice (MAO-A(Neo)), featuring elevated monoamine levels, social deficits and perseverative behaviors as well as morphological changes in the basolateral amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex. Here we showed that MAO-A(Neo) mice displayed deficits in motor control, manifested as subtle disturbances in gait, motor coordination, and balance. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging of the cerebellum revealed morphological changes and a moderate reduction in the cerebellar size of MAO-A(Neo) mice compared to wild type (WT) mice. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses using calbindin-D-28k (CB) expression of Purkinje cells revealed abnormal cerebellar foliation with vermal hypoplasia and decreased in Purkinje cell count and their dendritic density in MAO-A(Neo) mice compared to WT. Our current findings suggest that congenitally low MAO-A activity leads to abnormal development of the cerebellum.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-responsive Transcription Factor ATF6α Directs Recruitment of the Mediator of RNA Polymerase II Transcription and Multiple Histone Acetyltransferase Complexes

The basic leucine zipper transcription factor ATF6α functions as a master regulator of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response genes. Previous studies have established that, in response to ER stress, ATF6α translocates to the nucleus and activates transcription of ER stress response genes upon binding sequence specifically to ER stress response enhancer elements in their promoters. In this study, we investigate the biochemical mechanism by which ATF6α activates transcription. By exploiting a combination of biochemical and multidimensional protein identification technology-based mass spectrometry approaches, we have obtained evidence that ATF6α functions at least in part by recruiting to the ER stress response enhancer elements of ER stress response genes a collection of RNA polymerase II coregulatory complexes, including the Mediator and multiple histone acetyltransferase complexes, among which are the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase (SAGA) and Ada-Two-A-containing (ATAC) complexes. Our findings shed new light on the mechanism of action of ATF6α, and they outline a straightforward strategy for applying multidimensional protein identification technology mass spectrometry to determine which RNA polymerase II transcription factors and coregulators are recruited to promoters and other regulatory elements to control transcription.
Quantitative rescattering theory of high-order harmonic generation for polyatomic molecules

We report applications of the quantitative rescattering theory (QRS) for calculation of high-order-harmonic generation (HHG) from polyatomic molecules in ultrashort linearly polarized intense laser pulses, using the example of the CCl4 molecule. In particular, we present a detailed analysis and a treatment for the phase of the electron returning wave packet, which recollides with the parent molecular ion to emit high-energy photons. Our results show that Cooper-type minimum structures in the molecular photoionization cross section lead to quite distinguishable minima in the HHG spectra, even for unaligned polyatomic molecules.
Relaxation of Thin Films of Polystyrene Floating on Ionic Liquid Surface

We have investigated the dynamics of polymer films, free of physical constraints, floating on the surface of an ionic liquid (IL) to minimize substrate−polymer interactions and constraints arising ...
A novel 2 :1 cycloadduct of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate with 3,5-diphenyl-4-methoximino-4H-pyrazole 1,2-dioxide

Two equivalents of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate react with 3,5-diphenyl-4-methoximino-4H-pyrazole 1,2-dioxide in acetonitrile under reflux. The major product was shown by X-ray analysis to be a 5,8-epoxyisoxazolo[2,3-d]-[1,4]-diazepine derivative.
Reactivity of the Hydrido/Nitrosyl Radical MHCl(NO)(CO)(PiPr3)2, M = Ru, Os

The reaction of equimolar NO with the 16 electron molecule RuHCl(CO)L2 (L = PiPr3) proceeds, via a radical adduct RuHCl(CO)(NO) L2, onward to form RuCl(NO)(CO)L2 (X-ray structure determination) and RuHCl(HNO)(CO)L2, in a 1:1 mole ratio. The HNO ligand, bound by N and trans to hydride, is rapidly degraded by excess NO. The osmium complex behaves analogously, but the adduct has a higher formation constant, permitting determination of its IR spectrum; both MHCl(CO)(NO)L2 radicals are characterized by EPR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations on the Ru system show it to have a “half-bent” Ru−N−O unit with the spin density mainly on nitrogen. DFT (PBE) energies rule out certain possible mechanistic steps for forming the two products. A survey of the literature leads to the hypothesis that NO should generally be considered as a (neutral) Lewis base (2-electron donor) when it binds to a 16 electron complex which is resistant to oxidation or reduction, and that the resulting N-centered radical has a M−N−O angle of ∼...
The National Schoolmarm: No Child Left Behind and the New Educational Federalism

The 2002 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law dramatically reshaped the federal role in K-12 education in the United States. The implementation of NCLB has been difficult and contentious, but much of the journalistic and scholarly coverage has underestimated the source, strength, and stability of the political coalition that originally pushed for passage of the law and appears likely to sustain federal activism in education for the long term. For much of American history, the principle of federalism exerted a powerful restraining influence on the size and character of the federal role in education—but that time appears to have passed. Regardless of whether NCLB ultimately improves schools or student achievement, the law has created a new educational federalism in the United States. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.
Age does not affect outcomes of nonoperative management of blunt splenic trauma.

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of age on the outcomes of nonoperative management (NOM) of blunt splenic trauma (BST). Study Design The records of patients with BST, from July 2000 to December 2010 at a level I trauma center, were retrospectively reviewed using NTRACS (National Trauma Registry of the American College of Surgeons). Patients were divided into 2 age groups: 17 to 55 years and greater than 55 years. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors associated with failure of nonoperative management (FNOM). Results There were 539 hemodynamically stable patients with BST who underwent NOM. Of these, 459 were age 55 or less, and 80 were greater than 55. Overall, there was no significant difference in FNOM rate for patients age 55 or less vs greater than 55 (4% vs 5%, p=0.73). This also held true when FNOM was analyzed by each grade: I (1% vs 3%, p=0.38), II (2% vs 0%, p=1.0), III (4% vs 0%, p=1.0), IV (8% vs 20%, p=0.33), and V (21% vs 50%, p=0.47). The addition of angioembolization (AE) to high grade IV to V injuries significantly lowered the FNOM rate: age 55 or less (6% AE vs 28% NO-AE, p=0.02); with a trend toward significance for age greater than 55 (0% AE vs 60% NO-AE, p=0.2). Age was not a statistically significant independent risk factor for FNOM (p = 0.37). Conclusions Age does not affect outcomes of NOM of BST. High grade (IV to V) injuries are not a contraindication to NOM for patients older than 55. As experience with AE grows in patients with high grade injury and age greater than 55, it may prove to be a valuable adjunct to NOM in this group of patients.
A PARTNERSHIP FOR REGIONAL COLLABORATION

Urban policy is out of alignment with domestic problems arising from the global economy, sprawling metropolitan regions, and distressed neighborhoods. A new urban policy, grandly conceived and dramatically announced and implemented, is needed. Our article maps out a new urban policy framework, with new roles and responsibilities for agencies and institutions, using innovative tools and improved management, with alternative adaptation strategies. Such a policy must be agile and diverse—characteristics not common in federal policy generally.
In vivo total body electrical conductivity following perturbations of body fluid compartments in rats

Total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) provides a rapid and safe noninvasive technique for the assessment of total body water in animals and man. An instrument employing this principle has been shown to measure body water in healthy Sprague-Dawley rats. With the exception of adult obesity in humans, alterations in body fluid compartments that could theoretically affect the utility of conductivity measurements have not been studied. We, therefore, applied the total body electrical conductivity measurement in rats following perturbations of body fluid/electrolyte spaces including obesity, furosemide diuresis, severe burn, and low protein diet. Our findings confirm that total body water can be accurately measured by TOBEC in conditions of abnormal body fluid distribution. However, when the ratio of intracellular to extracellular fluid is significantly reduced, such as the severe burn or low protein intake, TOBEC does not reflect the intracellular (potassium) space but does predict total water and extracellular (sodium) space.
Tidal cycling and parental behavior of the cichlid fish, Biotodoma cupido

Parental behavior of the substrate-brooding cichlid, Biotodoma cupido, was studied in a small creek entering the lower Essequibo River, Guyana, where the freshwaters are affected by semi-diurnal tides. Physico-chemical variables of the tidal cycle were associated with the parental behavior of B. cupido. During late ebb and early flood tides, while off-spring were nest dependent, parents displayed intense aggression toward brood predators, mainly characins. At low tide, when the concentration of dissolved oxygen decreased to about 4 mg 1−1 and that of free carbon dioxide increased to 28 mg 1−1, parents entered a state of somnolence and brood predators vanished. Early flood tide brought an immediate and dramatic reversal of hypoxic and hypercarbic conditions and an associated renewal of aggressive and predatory activity. At very low tide, parents orally transferred the brood to a secondary nest depression in deeper water. The significance of water-level fluctuation to the evolution of this behavior, as well as that of parent-brood itineracy and the related phenomena of oral incubation and movable nests, is discussed.
The Social Influences on Electronic Multitasking in Organizational Meetings

Meetings serve an important function in organizational communication. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have infiltrated meetings and allowed a new range of communicative behaviors to emerge. This cross-organizational study relies on key elements in the social influence model to predict variables that influence engagement in electronic meeting multitasking behaviors. The observation of organizational norms and the perceptions of others' thoughts concerning the use of ICTs for multitasking during a meeting explain a considerable amount of variance in how individuals use ICTs to multitask electronically in meetings. Implications for workplace ICT use in meetings and contributions to the social influence model are also discussed.
EMI suppression in voltage source converters by utilizing DC-link decoupling capacitors

DC-link decoupling capacitors are normally used to control the voltage overshoot of switching devices in voltage source converters. This paper analyzes decoupling capacitors' impacts on device EMI noise as well as on device voltage stress. The design and selection of decoupling capacitors considering both voltage stress and EMI suppressions are presented. A new high-frequency EMI filter by utilizing the decoupling capacitors is proposed. The filter is adopted as a local EMI filter for power module. The integratable characteristics of the proposed filter are discussed. Simulation and experimental results verify the design. This high-frequency filter shows good attenuation for high-frequency EMI noise and voltage overshoot suppression.
The role of ducted whistlers in the precipitation loss and equilibrium flux of radiation belt electrons

Evidence is presented for a close association betwen individual whistler ducts and conjugate ionospheric disturbances sensed by the perturbation of subionospheric VLF, LF, and MF signals. It is found that even the weakest whistlers can be associated with ionospheric disturbances in both hemispheres. A case study has shown that slow-onset and 'overshoot' perturbation signatures to be consistent with multiple ionospheric disturbances that are associated with individual components of multipath-ducted whistlers.
Distribution and Habitat Selection by the Maritime Pocket Gopher

Abstract Geomys personatus maritimus (Maritime Pocket Gopher) is a genetically distinct subspecies that only occurs in deep sandy soils of Nueces and Kleberg counties of southern Texas. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has considered recommending the Maritime Pocket Gopher for federal listing. Because a large proportion of this gopher's current range occurs on US Navy (hereafter, Navy) property, active management by the Navy plays a key role in the conservation of this subspecies. Therefore, our objective was to assess the distribution and habitat preferences of Maritime Pocket Gophers on Navy properties in southern Texas. We conducted a strip-transect survey to evaluate the number and distribution of gopher mounds on the Navy base. We created GIS layers of the different disturbance types and plant communities, and overlaid them onto the mapped gopher-mound density layer. If the proportion of available area used by Maritime Pocket Gophers was below or above the corresponding 90% confidence interval, we ca...
Automated design of a 10-bit, 80MSPS WLAN DAC for linearity and low-area

The paper presents the design of a 10-bit, 80 MSPS current steering D/A converter (DAC) using only digital thin-oxide CMOS transistors. A large part of the design is automated reducing the design cycle time. To combat systematic gradients on the wafer, we propose using global combinatorial optimization techniques such as simulated annealing and genetic algorithms to obtain a nearly optimal randomized array without any additional area penalty. Additionally, a simple yet elegant technique is used in the current-to-voltage conversion amplifier following the DAC to improve its phase margin in the presence of process variations without expending extra power. The DAC fabricated in a 0.13 micrometre digital CMOS technology shows an INL and DNL of 0.4 and 0.5 LSB respectively, an SFDR of greater than or equal to 70 dB, occupying 0.26 mm/sup 2/ and expending 1.25 mA static power.
A novel comparative effectiveness study of Tai Chi versus aerobic exercise for fibromyalgia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Fibromyalgia is a chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome that causes substantial physical and psychological impairment and costs the US healthcare system over $25 billion annually. Current pharmacological therapies may cause serious adverse effects, are expensive, and fail to effectively improve pain and function. Finding new and effective non-pharmacological treatments for fibromyalgia patients is urgently needed. We are currently conducting the first comparative effectiveness randomized trial of Tai Chi versus aerobic exercise (a recommended component of the current standard of care) in a large fibromyalgia population. This article describes the design and conduct of this trial. A single-center, 52-week, randomized controlled trial of Tai Chi versus aerobic exercise is being conducted at an urban tertiary medical center in Boston, Massachusetts. We plan to recruit 216 patients with fibromyalgia. The study population consists of adults ≥21 years of age with fibromyalgia who meet American College of Rheumatology 1990 and 2010 diagnostic criteria. Participants are randomized to one of four Tai Chi intervention groups: 12 or 24 weeks of supervised Tai Chi held once or twice per week, or a supervised aerobic exercise control held twice per week for 24 weeks. The primary outcome is the change in Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire total score from baseline to 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes include measures of widespread pain, symptom severity, functional performance, balance, muscle strength and power, psychological functioning, sleep quality, self-efficacy, durability effects, and health-related quality of life at 12, 24, and 52 week follow-up. This study is the first comparative effectiveness randomized trial of Tai Chi versus aerobic exercise in a large fibromyalgia population with long-term follow up. We present here a robust and well-designed trial to determine the optimal frequency and duration of a supervised Tai Chi intervention with regard to short- and long-term effectiveness. The trial also explores multiple outcomes to elucidate the potential mechanisms of Tai Chi and aerobic exercise and the generalizability of these interventions across instructors. Results of this study are expected to have important public health implications for patients with a major disabling disease that incurs substantial health burdens and economic costs. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01420640 , registered 18 August 2011.
Magnetic orientation by hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta).

Laboratory experiments were conducted to test the ability of loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings (Caretta caretta L.) to orient using the magnetic field of the earth. Hatchlings were tethered to a rotatable lever-arm apparatus which tracked swimming orientation in complete darkness. Hatchlings tested in the earth9s magnetic field were nonrandomly oriented with a mean angle of 42 degrees; those tested under an earth-strength field with a reversed horizontal component were also nonrandomly oriented, but with a mean angle of 196 degrees. The distributions under the two magnetic field conditions were significantly different, indicating that loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings can detect the magnetic field of the earth and use it as a cue in orientation.
Molecular Dynamics of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption of Leucine Enkephalin Guest Molecules from Nicotinic Acid Host Crystal

Molecular dynamics simulations of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) were conducted using a detailed description of the internal degrees of freedom for both matrix (nicotinic acid) and guest (leucine enkephalin) molecules. Afforded by the separate treatment of matrix and guest properties, the energy transfer and the conformation dynamics were followed throughout the desorption process. The effect of the initial matrix temperature and the influence of guest molecule burial depth and charge state were investigated. Elevating the initial temperature of the matrix increased the desorption velocity of the guest molecules, but only a small change in their postdesorption internal temperature was seen. This observation may account for the lack of thermodecomposition of large guest molecules in MALDI. The liftoff velocity of the guest molecules dropped significantly as the burial depth was increased from 5 to 20 A, indicating that the guest molecules located near the surface entered the plume with...
Microarray analysis in fibroids: which gene list is the correct list?

Studies by Tsibris et al. (1) and Wang et al. (2) used microarray analysis to identify differentially expressed genes in leiomyoma compared with normal myometrium. Both groups used the same microarray platform (the HUGeneFL, 6,800 gene array), for four patients in the case of Tsibris and colleagues and seven patients in the case of Wang et al. To minimize the risk of inaccurate results, both groups used specific thresholds to define differentially expressed genes. Tsibris et al. used literature support to justify a two-fold difference or greater as being biologically relevant, while Wang and colleagues used an unpaired t-test to evaluate differences in fibroid-myometrium pairs. Furthermore, each group only reported genes that were consistently different among the studied tissue pairs from multiple patients. Based on these efforts, one would expect the likelihood of a type I error to be less than 1 gene in 6,800 for each of these studies.