cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonphytate phosphorus requirement of laying hens with and without phytase on a phase feeding program

Abstract An experiment was conducted to reevaluate the nonphytate P (NPP) requirement of laying hens with and without phytase. The experiment involved 12 treatments in a 6 x 2 factorial design. The hens of the control group (T1) were fed a sequence of 0.40-0.35-0.30% NPP during 30 to 42, 42 to 54, and 54 to 66 wk, respectively. The NPP was reduced in increments of 0.05% in T2 to T6. The hens of T7 to T12 were fed NPP regimens similar to T1 to T6 but with 300 units phytase/kg diet. Two digestion trials were conducted during 42 and 66 wk, and nitrogen, phytate, and total P retention were determined. In the absence of phytase, production traits were not different for hens fed a NPP regimen of 0.25-0.20-0.15% than for the unsupplemented phytase control group for the entire experiment (P > 0.05). However, production traits were inferior for hens fed the lower NPP regimens (P 0.05). The overall effect of NPP regimens and phytase on specific gravity for the entire experiment was significant. Specific gravity was greater for hens fed the regimens with less NPP than for hens fed regimens with greater NPP, and phytase had an adverse effect on specific gravity. However, specific gravity of hens fed the lowest NPP regimen with phytase was not significantly different from the unsupplemented phytase control group. The overall effect of phytase on phytate P retention was significant during digestion trials; phytase increased phytate P retention by about 15%. Daily total P excretion was 34 to 47% less for hens fed the lowest NPP regimen with phytase than for the unsupplemented phytase control group. Significant interactions existed for a number of traits and are discussed in the text.
Optimal rates of convergence for the piecewlse polynomial estimator with the index chosen by the fpe selection rule

Let (X,Y) be a pair of random variables such that X=(X1, …,Xd) ranges over a nondegenerate compact d-dimensional interval C and Y is real-valued. Let the conditional distribution of Y given X have mean θ (X) and satisfy an appropriate moment condition. It is assumed that the distribution of X is absolutely continuous and its density is bounded away from zero and infinity on C. Without loss of generality let C be the unit cube. Consider an estimator of θ having the form of piecewise polynomial of degree kn based on md n cubes of length 1/mn where the coefficients are chosen by the method of least squares based on a random sample of size n from the distribution of (X,Y). Let (kn, mn) be chosen by the FPE procedure. It is shown that the indicated estimator achieves the optimal rate of convergence if θ is p-differentiable and satisfies some further conditions.
Reversible Chemisorbents for Carbon Dioxide and Their Potential Applications

Physisorbents like zeolites, activated carbons, silica, and alumina gels have been traditionally used for separation of bulk or trace carbon dioxide from a gas mixture using a pressure or a thermal swing adsorption process. These processes are generally operated at near ambient or at moderate temperatures (say <100 °C) because the equilibrium sorption capacity and selectivity of sorption of CO2 on the physi-sorbents rapidly decrease at higher temperatures. Recently, a variety of reversible CO2 chemisorbents have been developed which offer decent sorption capacity and high selectivity for CO2 at relatively higher temperatures (∼150 to 500 °C). Some of these chemisorbents even exhibit high selectivity of CO2 sorption in the presence of H2O which is mechanistically impossible for a physisorbent. Consequently, these chemisorbents can be used in (a) sorption enhanced reaction (SER) concepts for production of fuel-cell grade H2 from natural gas by low temperature steam-methane reformation reaction at ca. 400−50...
Exciton Energy Transfer in Self-Assembled Quantum Dots on Bioengineered Bacterial Flagella Nanotubes

The bacterial flagellin fusion protein, FliTrx, was modified by inserting a peptide containing 24 histidine residues and shown to successfully export and self-assemble to form flagella nanotubes. T...
Oxide melt solution calorimetry of sulfides: Enthalpy of formation of sphalerite, galena, greenockite, and hawleyite

Oxidative drop solution calorimetry is being developed as a general method for sulfide thermochemistry. The samples are dropped from room temperature into molten 3Na 2 O·4MoO 3 solvent at 975 K, with oxygen bubbling through the melt to ensure rapid and complete conversion of sulfide to dissolved sulfate. Complete dissolution of sulfides and retention of sulfur in the solvent is documented by furnace tests and visual observation, consistent determination of enthalpy of drop solution, and comparison with previous data for the heat of formation of ZnS, PbS, and CdS. Enthalpies of formation (kJ/mol) from the elements (Δ H f 0 ) are determined for sphalerite (ZnS) (−206.53 ± 4.03 kJ/mol), galena (PbS) (−98.12 ± 4.37 kJ/mol), greenockite (hexagonal CdS) (−148.79 ± 4.13 kJ/mol), and hawleyite (cubic CdS) (−147.65 ± 4.28 kJ/mol). Thus, hawleyite appears to be energetically very similar to greenockite but possibly slightly metastable by about 1 kJ/mol. The results confirm that oxidative drop solution calorimetry in molten sodium molybdate is a viable method for sulfide thermochemistry. It will be most useful for sulfides with moderate heats of oxidation (e.g., the Fe-S, Co-S, and Ni-S systems), and should be applicable to ternary compounds, e.g., the Fe-Ni-S and Ni-Co-S systems, and systems showing large homogeneity ranges, as well as to other chalcogenides and pnictides.
Mechanisms of interphase transport I Theoretical considerations of diffusion and interfacial barriers in transport of solubilized systems

Based on first principles of diffusion, equations were derived to predict transport rates of micelle-solubilized drug from its aqueous environment to an oil phase. The basic equations also take into account the possible effects of an electrical barrier between the micelle and the charged oil-water interface. These processes may be considered as being analogous to absorption of water insoluble-bile soluble drugs, and may be used to evaluate the mechanism of transport in such situations. The physical model includes the effects of the free drug-solubilized drug equilibrium, the diffusion coefficients of both free and solubilized drug, ionic strength of the aqueous medium, and the micelle size. A novel experimental approach based on the use of emulsion droplets as the “sink” is described.
Preliminary results with a new renal preservation unit.

Abstract Mongrel dog kidneys were preserved under hyperbaric (3 ATA) hypothermic (4 °C) conditions. In developing a new preservation system that incorporates continuous perfusion, the perfusion pump driving pressure must be controlled in line with the chamber pressure so that these increase and decrease as a unit. Results of dog kidneys preserved in physiological solutions with oxygen or helium gas showed, respectively, 28.6 and 37.5% kidneys successfully preserved. No perfusion was used in these experiments.
Mutations of the Weak Axial Ligand in the Thermus CuA Center Modulates Its Electronic Structure

Here we report the first stable, axial ligand mutations, Met160Gln and Met160Glu, of a Cu_A center in the Thermus thermophilus (TtIICu_A) fragment of cytochrome ba3.2a The binuclear, delocalized (S = 1/2) Cu_A center serves as the initial electron acceptor in cytochrome c oxidases (COX) and nitrous oxide reductase (N_2OR). The Cu_A domains and the type 1 (T1) blue copper centers are members of the cupredoxin superfamily of electron transfer (ET) proteins. The Cu_A centers have two bridging Cys thiolates, two terminal His imidazole ligands, and one weak axial ligand to each copper, a Met thioether or the peptide carbonyl of Glu (Figure 1). The weak axial ligands give each Cu a distorted tetrahedral geometry, similar to the T1 centers.
An essay in epistemic Kuklophobia: Husserl's critique of Descartes' conception of evidence

Etude de la critique husserlienne de la conception theologique de l'evidence, definie par Descartes a partir de la notion de justification epistemique. Comparant la critique et la conception de l'evidence developpees par la phenomenologie classique et par la phenomenologie contemporaine, l'A. montre que la critique hermeneutique des theories cartesiennes de la connaissance et de l'evidence se fonde chez Husserl sur la problematique de la circularite et sur une approche de l'epistemologie hantee par la peur des cercles (kuklophobia)
Postshunt cognitive and functional improvement in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a syndrome characterized by disturbed gait, cognition, and urinary symptoms in the context of enlargement of the ventricular system. Typically, gait impairment is the most prominent feature, yet cognitive decline can predate other symptoms and contribute to functional impairments.1 The cognitive profile of iNPH is generally characterized by frontal-systems dysfunction, which includes executive deficits, compromised learning and recall, and reduced information processing and psychomotor speed. Improvement in gait has been well documented after shunt placement,2,3 yet controversy remains regarding the extent and pattern of postsurgical cognitive changes. Some studies report no change in mental status; others suggest improvement in up to 90% of patients.4–7 Conflicting findings may be explained by variations in the depth of cognitive examination, the way in which cognitive improvement is defined, and study follow-up intervals. Furthermore, most investigations lack a control group, making it difficult to disentangle practice effects from a true treatment effect. One recent study on iNPH treatment response used comparison data from a control sample and found that iNPH patients improved on most tasks; however, effects of prior exposure to test material could not be examined because the control subjects were tested at only 1 time point.7 Neuropsychological test performance can change as a result of measurement error, statistical considerations (ie, regression to the mean), or the effects of prior exposure to the testing material (ie, practice effects). Although the use of alternative test forms can alleviate some concerns regarding repeat testing, the most rigorous methodology involves a controlled study design in which both patients and control subjects undergo repeat assessment. We sought to examine postshunt changes in a sample of well-characterized iNPH participants compared with a group of age- and education-matched healthy control subjects.
Emulsifying properties of a new polysaccharide gum

A recently developed polysaccharide gum produced by bacterial fermentation, now commercially available, was investigated as a potential emulsifying agent for pharmaceutical systems. Mineral oil emulsions having a fixed oil to water ratio were prepared using concentrations of the new gum ranging from 0.1 to 0.9 per cent. Emulsions containing 5 to 40 per cent acacia were also prepared and served as a basis for comparison. Rheological measurements, particle size studies, and organoleptic observations were performed on all the emulsions. A Stormer viscosimeter was used to obtain the flow properties, while a standard microscopic technique was employed for the particle size analysis. The results showed the plastic nature of the emulsions prepared with the new gum and the existence of a definite yield value. These emulsions showed good over-all stability over a period of 6 months, with little change in viscosity or particle size. The general appearance of the emulsions containing the new gum was creamier than that of those prepared with acacia, and the emulsions containing more than 0.2 per cent of the polysaccharide exhibited no phase separation after 6 months.
Amoebocytes in the Lining of the Body Cavity and Mesenteries of Priapulus caudatus (Priapulida)

Nuclei associated with membranes lining the body cavity in Priapulus caudatus are shown by electron microscopy to be the nuclei of amoebocytes. The membranes themselves are not cellular and do not constitute a peritoneum. Mesenteries, present in the body cavity, also are not cellular; amoebocytes occasionally are found within them. These findings weaken the idea that priapulids are coelomates, although unequivocal proof that priapulids are pseudocoelomates would require a fine structural study of the early developmental stages.
The dependence of quorum sensing on the depth of a growing biofilm

In a process called quorum sensing, bacteria monitor their population density via extracellular signaling molecules and modulate gene expression accordingly. In this paper, a one-dimensional model of a growing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm is examined. Quorum sensing has been included in the model through equations describing the production, degradation, and diffusion of the signaling molecules, acyl-homoserine lactones, in the biofilm. From this model, we are able to make some important observations about quorum sensing. First, in order for quorum sensing to initiate near the substratum, in accordance with experimental observations, the model suggests that cells in oxygen-deficient regions of the biofilm must still be synthesizing the signal compound. Second, the induction of quorum sensing is related to a critical biofilm depth; once the biofilm grows to the critical depth, quorum sensing is induced. Third, the critical biofilm depth varies with the pH of the surrounding fluid. Of particular interest is the prediction of a critical pH threshold, above which quorum sensing is not possible at any depth. These results highlight the importance of careful study of the relationship among metabolic activity of the bacterium, signal synthesis, and the chemistry of the surrounding environment.
On the question of singlet exciton diffusion in anthracene

Abstract The time evolution of anthracene and tetracene fluorescence intensities of tetracene doped anthracene crystals was monitored as a function of tetracene concentration and temperature for samples grown by different techniques and for different methods of excitation. Singlet exciton diffusion generally invoked to explain energy transfer in this system cannot explain the observed time dependence which indicates that energy transfer is more efficient at short times than at long times. Such a variation of energy transfer efficiency is characteristic of long range resonant interaction. A combined theory of long range interaction and exciton diffusion gives a good fit to the results only if the strength of the interaction is much greater than that determined from spectral considerations. The results are independent of the method of crystal growth and of the method of excitation. The temperature dependence of the energy transfer appears to be completely contained in the variation of the anthracene decay time as temperature is lowered to 10 °K.
In situ B-doped Si epitaxial films grown at 450° C by remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition: physical and electrical characterization

In situ boron doping of Si epitaxial films grown at 450‡ C by remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) has been studied using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), Hall effect measurements, defect etching in conjunction with Nomarski microscopy, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM), and current-voltage measurements. Boron incorporation is shown to be controllable and electrically active from 7 × 1017 to over 1020 cm-3, with no dependence on process parameters (temperature, rf power, and substrate bias) in the ranges studied, other than the B2H6/SiH4 gas-phase ratio. No change in deposition rate upon introduction of B2H6 dopant gas is seen, contrary to what has been observed in several higher-temperature CVD processes. No defects such as stacking faults are seen under Nomarski microscopy, but a visible haze covers some areas ofin situ B-doped wafers. This haze appears to consist of amorphous cone-shaped structures with their apexes at the substrate-epilayer interface. The origin of the conical defects is believed to be related to some phenomenon at the initiation of growth. In order to evaluate the electrical quality ofin situ B-doped epilayers,P +/N mesa diodes have been fabricated using both homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial (GexSi1-x)p-type epitaxial films. The electrical junction in these diodes coincides with the (epi-substrate)—interface in the grown films. To avoid interdiffusion or annealing effects during diode fabrication, all processing temperatures were kept at or below 450‡ C. Ideality factors are 1.2-1.3 for all diodes, indicating diffusion-limited transport rather than recombination in the depletion region.
Length variation in the keratan sulfate domain of mammalian aggrecan

Abstract The keratan sulfate domain of aggrecan consists of a series of tandemly repeating hexapeptides which have the consensus sequence Glu-Glu/Lys-Pro-Phe-Pro-Ser, where the serine side-chains presumably provide sites for the attachment of keratan sulfate (KS) chains. The number of hexapeptide repeats varies between species, ranging from four in rat (Doege et al., 1987) and mouse (Walcz et al., 1992) to 13 in human (Doege et al., 1991) and 23 in bovine aggrecan (Antonsson et al., 1989). Chicken aggregan (Chandrasekaran and Tanzer, 1992) does not contain a KS domain with a recognizable hexapeptide motif. The extent of this variation among mammalian and avian species is not known, and there is currently no explanation to predict how differences in the size of the KS domain would affect aggrecan function. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the portion of the human, canine and porcine aggrecan gene that codes for the KS domain. We sequenced the amplified products in each case. Human aggrecan, with 13 hexapeptide repeats (Doege et al., 1987), was used as reference and found to be essentially identical to published data. The canine and porcine KS domains consisted of six and ten hexapeptide repeats respectively. The same PCR protocol was used to amplify the KS domain from genomic DNA of eight other mammalian species. Comparison of the size of these amplified products, as determined by agarose gel electrophoresis, with those for which sequence data are available allowed us to estimate the number of repeats in the KS domain. In almost half the species examined, the KS domain consisted of 13 hexapeptide repeats.
Dual energy CT monitoring of the renal corticomedullary sodium gradient in swine

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of dual-energy CT (DECT) for monitoring dynamic changes in the renal corticomedullary sodium gradient in swine.
Developing a clinical performance measure

Abstract Background: Clinical performance measurement is an increasingly important way for public and private purchasers alike to compare the value of health services provided by competing health delivery systems. The widespread use of performance measures has increased the demand for development of new measures that cover previously unevaluated aspects of care. Methods: Four steps required to develop a clinical performance measure that is suitable for making comparisons among health delivery systems are discussed: (1) choosing clinical areas to measure, (2) selecting performance indicators within each area, (3) designing specifications for consistent implementation of a measure, and (4) evaluating the scientific strength of a measure. Results: The application of these steps to developing measures of quality for hypertension is provided, with an emphasis on a measure of adequacy of control of blood pressure. Conclusions: Developing useful clinical performance measures requires careful attention to methodologic issues. Following the steps outlined in this paper should enhance the quality of future measurement development.
MODELING AUGMENTED OXYGEN TRANSFER IN FLOWING BLOOD

Previous models of the oxygen-hemoglobin saturation curve are discussed for oxygen transfer in laminar blood flow. A second-order approximation is introduced and evaluated for modeling the saturation curve. Prior experimental results have shown that at high shear rates the effective diffusion coefficient of oxygen is a strong function of the slope of the hemoglobin saturation curve. The impact of this shear-induced augmentation on transfer at large oxygen driving pressures is discussed. An augmentation model is presented to evaluate this effect using multiple diffusion coefficient solutions for a tubular geometry. The results compare well with previous experimental measurements.
Accuracy and precision in the estimation of peak areas and NOE factors. II. The effects of apodization

Abstract The use of apodization functions in the numerical estimation of peak areas and NOE factors in NMR spectra is investigated. The formalism required in such studies is introduced and the effects of exponential and Gaussian apodization are analyzed. Two effects are found to be important, the bias due to the inability to perform an exact integration over the peak, and the effects of instrumental noise. A generalized variance which combines bias and noise in peak area measurements is used to demonstrate the superiority of the Gaussian apodization function over the exponential.
Antemortem differential diagnosis of dementia pathology using structural MRI: Differential-STAND

The common neurodegenerative pathologies underlying dementia are Alzheimer's disease (AD), Lewy body disease (LBD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Our aim was to identify patterns of atrophy unique to each of these diseases using antemortem structural MRI scans of pathologically confirmed dementia cases and build an MRI-based differential diagnosis system. Our approach of creating atrophy maps using structural MRI and applying them for classification of new incoming patients is labeled Differential-STAND (Differential Diagnosis Based on Structural Abnormality in Neurodegeneration). Pathologically confirmed subjects with a single dementing pathologic diagnosis who had an MRI at the time of clinical diagnosis of dementia were identified: 48 AD, 20 LBD, 47 FTLD-TDP (pathology-confirmed FTLD with TDP-43). Gray matter density in 91 regions-of-interest was measured in each subject and adjusted for head size and age using a database of 120 cognitively normal elderly. The atrophy patterns in each dementia type when compared to pathologically confirmed controls mirrored known disease-specific anatomic patterns: AD-temporoparietal association cortices and medial temporal lobe; FTLD-TDP-frontal and temporal lobes and LBD-bilateral amygdalae, dorsal midbrain and inferior temporal lobes. Differential-STAND based classification of each case was done based on a mixture model generated using bisecting k-means clustering of the information from the MRI scans. Leave-one-out classification showed reasonable performance compared to the autopsy gold standard and clinical diagnosis: AD (sensitivity: 90.7%; specificity: 84%), LBD (sensitivity: 78.6%; specificity: 98.8%) and FTLD-TDP (sensitivity: 84.4%; specificity: 93.8%). The proposed approach establishes a direct a priori relationship between specific topographic patterns on MRI and "gold standard" of pathology which can then be used to predict underlying dementia pathology in new incoming patients.
Six Considerations for Social Justice Group Work

This article describes “courageous conversations” in social justice group work and a continuum of action for social justice interventions. It analyzes themes from 20 contributions to 2 consecutive special issues of The Journal for Specialists in Group Work on social justice group work. Implications for future development in group leadership and areas for further exploration are offered.
Ligand Interactions of the ArsC Arsenate Reductase

ArsC encoded by Escherichia coliplasmid R773 catalyzes the reduction of arsenate to arsenite. The enzymatic reaction requires reduced glutathione and glutaredoxin. In this study a direct association between ArsC and glutaredoxin was demonstrated. An arsC gene with six histidine codons added to the 5′ end of the gene was constructed, and the resulting ArsC enyzme was shown to be functional. Interaction of the histidine-tagged ArsC and glutaredoxin was examined by Ni2+ affinity chromatography. The association required the presence of reduced glutathione and either the substrate arsenate or a competitive inhibitor, phosphate or sulfate. A free thiolate on glutathione was not required. A tryptophan residue was introduced into ArsC at the 11th position, immediately adjacent to the active site Cys-12. Trp-11 fluorescence was quenched upon addition of arsenate. Addition of reduced glutathione after arsenate resulted in a rapid increase in fluorescence followed by a slower decay of the signal. These spectroscopic signals were specific for arsenate and reduced glutathione; neither competitive inhibitors nor non-thiol glutathione analogs produced this effect. Cys-12 thiolate was also required. Thus the intrinsic fluorescence of Trp-11 provides a useful probe to investigate the mechanism of this novel reductase.
Computational Awareness in a Tactile-Responsive Humanoid Robot Comedian

In the future, humans will have robot friends that will need to have social and computational awareness for intuitive human-robot interactions. In this paper, we demonstrate a method for incorporating computational awareness in a humanoid robot comedian scenario that uses tactile feedback to respond to the audience. Our findings indicate that incorporating computational awareness in a humanoid robot must also take into account the users' ability to detect responsiveness in a robot.
Phospholipid studies of marine organisms: New branched fatty acids fromStrongylophora durissima

The phospholipids of the spongeStrongylophora durissima were analyzed. The major phospholipids present were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylinositol (PI). The major fatty acid components of the phospholipids consisted of short chain (C14−C19) and very long chain (C25−C30) “Demospongic” acids. Three novel branched Δ5 monounsaturated acids,Z-19-methyl-5-pentacosenoic,Z-19-methyl-5-hexacosenoic andZ-19-methyl-5-heptacosenoic acids were encountered in the sponge. The 3-saturated counterparts of these compounds, 19-methylpentacosanoic, 19-methylhexacosanoic and 19-methylheptacosanoic acids, as well as 19-methylpentacosanoic and 20-methyloctacosanoic acids also are hitherto undescribed acids present in the sponge. Trace amounts of 2 very long chain acids also were detected and their structures tentatively assigned as 19,21-dimethylheptacosanoic and 20,22-dimethyloctacosanoic acids. The distribution of these fatty acids according to phospholipid head groups also was described.
Comparison of one-, two-, and three-dimensional iron phosphates containing ethylenediamine

A new two-dimensional (2d) iron phosphate, (C 2 N 2 H 10 )Fe 2 O(PO 4 ) 2 , has been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions in the system of FeCl 3 -H 3 PO 4 -C 2 -N 2 H 8 -H 2 O. The crystal data is: space group P2 1 /c, a = 10.670(1) A, b = 10.897(1) A, c = 9.918(1) A, β =105.632(1), Z = 4. The layered structure consists of double sheet layers, of composition Fe 2 O(PO 4 ) 2 , built from FeO 5 trigonal bipyramids and PO 4 tetrahedra. The amine holds the layers together via H-bonding. The study of the magnetic properties reveals two magnetic transitions at 160 and 30 K with spin-glass-like behavior below 160 K. By varying the hydrothermal conditions, three other iron phosphates were synthesized: the one-dimensional (1d) (C 2 N 2 H 10 )Fe(HPO 4 ) 2 (OH).H 2 O, the 2d (C 2 N 2 H 10 )Fe 2 (PO 4 ) 2 (OH) 2 , and the three-dimensional (3d) (C 2 N 2 H 10 ) 2 Fe 4 O(PO 4 ) 4 .H 2 O. The 1d compound can be used as the starting reagent in the synthesis of both the 2d compound and the 3d lipscombite Fe 3 (PO 4 ) 2 (OH) 2 due to the similar building blocks in their structures. In the 3d phosphate (C 2 N 2 H 10 ) 2 Fe 4 O(PO 4 ) 4 .H 2 O, manganese can substitute for half of the iron atoms. Magnetic study shows ordering transitions at about 30 K, however, manganese substitution depresses the magnetic ordering temperature.
On Our Biocultural Nature

Fuentes dissects various widely held but scientifically unsupported beliefs about human sex, aggression, and race.
Syntheses and Electropolymerization of Carboranyl-Functionalized Pyrroles and Thiophenes

A series of 3- and 3,4-substituted pyrroles and thiophenes with electron-withdrawing carboranylmethylphenyl groups has been synthesized in high yields via the coupling of either pyrrole- and thiopheneboronic acids with carboranylmethylphenyl halides or bromo-functionalized pyrroles with carboranylmethylphenylboronic acid. Some of these compounds were efficiently electropolymerized in acetonitrile or dichloromethane. The resulting conducting polymer films were reversibly p-doped in the range 0.0–0.25 V vs Ag/Ag+ 10−2 M for the pyrrole-based polymers and p-/n-doped at ca. 0.60 and −1.90 V for the thiophene-based polymers. As a consequence of the presence of the carborane cages, the electroactivity of the polythiophenes was not degraded when highly oxidizing potentials (up to 2.0 V) were applied. In contrast, the polypyrrole derivatives were rendered totally electroinactive under similar conditions. The UV–vis spectroscopy analysis of the electrogenerated polymers revealed that the introduction of carborane ...
Substantive nonadditivity in social science research A note on induced collinearity and measurement and testing of effects

Theories employed to explain regularities in social behavior often contain reference (explicit or implicit) to the presence of nonlinear and/or nonadditive (i.e., multiplicative) relationships among germane variables. While such nonadditive features are theoretically important, the inclusion of quadratic or multiplicative terms in structural equations to model such features can cause significant methodological problems. This paper estimates a set of equations and formally examines how the inclusion of quadratic terms and multiplicative interaction terms contribute to the level of collinearity or ill-conditioning of the input data matrix and the precision of the parameter estimates. Subsequently we examine how effects of explanatory variables in nonadditive models can be measured and tested for statistical significance. The results indicate that collinearity may not be as big a problem for linear structural social science models as is often believed. Further, although collinearity is increased by adding quadratic and/or multiplicative terms, the effects of the collinearity tend to be localized and entail only variables with a common base. The findings suggest the substantive insight gained from including theoretically appropriate nonlinear and nonadditive terms outweigh the methodological problems they create.
Evolution of shape by multiple regulatory changes to a growth gene

The genetic changes responsible for morphological differences between species are largely unidentified. Such changes can involve modifications of growth that are relevant to understanding evolution, development, and disease. We identified a gene that induces male-specific wing size and shape differences between Nasonia wasp species. Fine-scale mapping and in situ hybridization reveal that changes in at least three regions (two strictly in noncoding sequence) around the gene unpaired-like (upd-like) cause changes in spatial and temporal expression of upd-like in the developing wing and corresponding changes in wing width. Upd-like shows homology to the Drosophila unpaired gene, a well-studied signaling protein that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation. Our results indicate how multiple changes in the regulation of upd-like are involved in microevolution of morphological and sex-specific differences between species.
Psoriasis: evolving treatment for a complex disease

The cutaneous manifestations of psoriasis can vary in morphology and severity, and therapy should be tailored accordingly. Biologic agents are important new options for treating patients with the most severe forms of the disease. All physicians should be aware that severe psoriasis may increase cardiovascular morbidity and the risk of death, and preventive strategies for patients with severe disease should be considered.
Effect of Route of Administration on the Bioassay of Prolactin.

SummaryIn young pigeons of the same age and race the response of the crop-glands to prolactin administered by 5 different routes has been studied and found to differ widely. Subcutaneous and intracutaneous injections are about 11 times as efficient as intravenous injections, about 5 times as efficient as intramuscular injections, and about 8 times as efficient as intraperitoneal injections at the dosage level used.
The decomposition of Hochschild cohomology and Gerstenhaber operations

Let A be a commutative algebra over a field of characteristic zero, and M be a symmetric A-bimodule. Gerstenhaber and Schack have shown that there are Hodge-type decompositions Hn(A, M) = ⊕kHk, n − k(A, M), Hn(A, M) = ⊕kHk, n − k(A, M) of the Hochschild (co)homology. The first summands H1, n − 1(A, M), H1, n − 1(A, M) are known to be the Harrison (co)homology defined in terms of shuffles. We discuss interpretations of the decompositions in terms of k-shuffles and how these relate to versions of the Poincare-Birkoff-Witt theorem. We then turn to a detailed study of how the decomposition behaves with respect to the Gerstenhaber operations (cup and Lie products) in cohomology. We show by example that neither product is generally graded, but that Fq = ⊕r ≥ q H∗,r(A, A) are ideals for both products with Fp ∪Fq⊆Fp + q and [Fp, Fq]⊆Fp + q. The results for the cup product were conjectured by Gerstenhaber and Schack.
Flexible, extensible, and efficient VANET authentication

Although much research has been conducted in the area of authentication in wireless networks, vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) pose unique challenges, such as real-time constraints, processing limitations, memory constraints, frequently changing senders, requirements for interoperability with existing standards, extensibility and flexibility for future requirements, etc. No currently proposed technique addresses all of the requirements for message and entity authentication in VANETs. After analyzing the requirements for viable VANET message authentication, we propose a modified version of TESLA, TESLA++, which provides the same computationally efficient broadcast authentication as TESLA with reduced memory requirements. To address the range of needs within VANETs we propose a new hybrid authentication mechanism, VANET authentication using signatures and TESLA++ (VAST), that combines the advantages of ECDSA signatures and TESLA++. Elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) signatures provide fast authentication and non-repudiation, but are computationally expensive. TESLA++ prevents memory and computation-based denial of service attacks. We analyze the security of our mechanism and simulate VAST in realistic highway conditions under varying network and vehicular traffic scenarios. Simulation results show that VAST outperforms either signatures or TESLA on its own. Even under heavy loads VAST is able to authenticate 100% of the received messages within 107ms. VANETs use certificates to achieve entity authentication (i.e., validate senders). To reduce certificate bandwidth usage, we use Hu et al.'s strategy of broadcasting certificates at fixed intervals, independent of the arrival of new entities. We propose a new certificate verification strategy that prevents denial of service attacks while requiring zero additional sender overhead. Our analysis shows that these solutions introduce a small delay, but still allow drivers in a worst case scenario over 3 seconds to respond to a dangerous situation.
Termination shock - Solar cycle variations of location and speed

Plasma and magnetic field data from Voyagers 1 and 2 over an 11-year period (1978-1988) together with a one-fluid MHD model are used to study the motion of the termination shock. The observed large fluctuations in solar wind parameters cause variations in the speed, in the jump conditions, and in the location of the termination shock. If the interstellar stagnation pressure is equivalent to a magnetic field of 0.5 nT plus draping enhancements, the termination shock moves between 88 AU and 102 AU. The location of the termination shock is anticorrelated with the sunspot number. The termination shock is very strong with pressure ratios of a few thousands, the fast Mach number is about 12, and the plasma beta ratio jumps from about 0.1 to about 14. During the declining phase of the solar cycle, the shock speed is often greater than or comparable to the spacecraft speed. If the crossing of the termination shock by a spacecraft occurs during the declining phase, the spacecraft will cross the termination shock 3 or more times over a period of about 4 years.
Poly(butylene terephthalate)–polyarylate blends

In this paper we focus on miscible blends of two engineering polymers: poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and a polyarylate (PAr). The issue of transesterification in these blends will be addressed, followed by a discussion of the crystallization kinetics of PBT, poly(ethylene terephthalate) and several PBT/PAr blends. The ability to estimate polymer–polymer interaction parameters in blends from melting point depression will also be discussed. The amorphous phase behavior of the PBT/PAr blends has been explored primarily using dielectric spectroscopy. For blends in which PBT has crystallized, we observe two relaxations associated with Tg-like motion, and this behavior is interpreted in light of our recent work on order–disorder interphases in crystalline blends.
The robustness of the Escherichia coli signal-transducing UTase/UR-PII covalent modification cycle to variation in the PII concentration requires very strong inhibition of the UTase activity of UTase/UR by glutamine.

Uridylyltransferase/Uridylyl-Removing Enzyme (UTase/UR) catalyzes uridylylation of PII and deuridylylation of PII-UMP, with both activities regulated by glutamine. In a reconstituted UTase/UR-PII cycle containing wild-type UTase/UR, the steady-state modification of PII varied from nearly complete modification to nearly complete demodification as glutamine was varied, whether PII was saturating or unsaturating. But when a his-tagged version of UTase/UR was used, robustness to variations in PII concentration was lost, and the range of PII modification states in response to glutamine became smaller as PII concentration increased. The presence of the his-tag on UTase/UR did not alter PII substrate inhibition of the UT activity and had little effect on the level of the UT activity, but resulted in a slight defect in the UR activity. Importantly, at high PII concentration, glutamine inhibition of the UT activity was incomplete. We hypothesized that PII binding to the UR active site in the HD domain was responsible for PII substrate inhibition of the UT activity and, in the his-tagged enzyme, also diminished glutamine inhibition of the UT activity. Consistent with this, three different UTase/UR proteins with HD domain alterations lacked substrate inhibition of the UT activity by PII; in one case the HD alteration eliminated glutamine regulation of the UT activity, while for the other two proteins, alterations of the HD domain partially compensated for the effect of the his-tag in restoring glutamine regulation of the UT activity. We conclude that very strong inhibition of the UT activity was required for the UTase/UR-PII cycle to display robustness to the PII concentration, that in the wild-type enzyme PII brings about substrate inhibition of the UT activity by binding to the HD domain of the enzyme, and that addition of an N-terminal His-tag resulted in an altered enzyme with subtle changes in the interactions between domains such that PII binding to the HD domain interfered with glutamine regulation of the UT domain.
The impact of student diversity on interest, design, and promotion of Web-based tailored nutrition and physical activity programs for community colleges.

Abstract Objective To examine an organizational level perspective of the process of adopting Web-based tailored nutrition and physical activity programs for community college students. Methods In this qualitative study, 21 individual key informant interviews of community college student services and health center administrators were used to examine organizational-level perceptions of interest in, design characteristics of, and ways to promote health programs. A cross-classification matrix of a priori and emergent themes related to student diversity was created to describe cross-cutting patterns. Results Findings revealed 5 emergent themes for consideration in program development related to student diversity: (1) multiple roles played by students, (2) limited access to financial resources, (3) varied student demographics, (4) different levels of understanding, and (5) commuting to campus. Conclusions and Implications Nutrition and physical activity programs for community colleges need to specifically address the diverse nature of their students to increase the potential of adoption.
In vitro fertilization with preimplantation genetic screening improves implantation and live birth in women age 40 through 43

In Vitro Fertilization is an effective treatment for infertility; however, it has relatively low success in women of advanced maternal age (>37) who have a high risk of producing aneuploid embryos, resulting in implantation failure, a higher rate of miscarriage or birth of a child with chromosome abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to compare the implantation, miscarriage and live birth rates with and without preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) of embryos from patients aged 40 through 43 years. This is a retrospective cohort study, comparing embryos screened for ploidy using trophectoderm biopsy and array comparative genomic hybridization to embryos that were not screened. We compared pregnancy outcomes for traditional fresh IVF cycles with day 5 embryo transfers, Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycles without PGS and PGS-FET (FET of only euploid embryos) cycles of patients with maternal ages ranging from 40 to 43 years, undergoing oocyte retrievals during the period between 1/1/2011 and 12/31/2012. The implantation rate of euploid embryos transferred in FET cycles (50.9 %) was significantly greater than for unscreened embryos transferred in either fresh (23.8 %) or FET (25.4 %) cycles. The incidence of live birth per transferred embryo for PGS-FET (45.5 %) was significantly greater than for No PGS fresh (15.8 %) or No PGS FET (19.0 %) cycles. The incidences of live birth per implanted sac for PGS FET cycles (89.3 %), No PGS fresh cycles (66.7 %) and No PGS FET cycles (75.0 %) were not significantly different. The present data provides evidence of the benefits of PGS with regard to improved implantation and live birth rate per embryo transferred.
On the Genesis of the Equatorial Annual Cycle

Abstract A linear theory is proposed that can explain both the period and the westward propagation of the equatorial annual cycles in the SST and zonal wind. A coupled model linearized about a mean state of the air-sea system is used. This model allows the surface winds to directly change the SST through surface evaporation and vertical mixing, in contrast to the formulation of the conventional air-sea coupling models that emphasize the effects of winds on ocean dynamics. It is demonstrated that the characteristics of the equatorial seasonal cycle, including its period, phase, and amplitude, are determined to a large extent by the mean state of the air-sea coupling system. The meridional wind, which is specified here, is the most important forcing for the annual cycle in SST, suggesting that the equatorial annual cycle is the response to an annual solar forcing in the off-equatorial regions.
Human ovarian oxytocin: Its source and relationship to steroid hormones

To determine the site of oxytocin in human ovaries and its relationship with ovarian steroids, oxytocin and steroid hormones were measured in ovarian tissues, ovarian vein, and peripheral blood. Corpus luteum had significantly higher oxytocin, estrone, estradiol, and progesterone concentrations than corpus albicans and ovarian stroma (p = less than 0.01 to less than 0.001). Oxytocin concentrations in corpus luteum correlated significantly with estrone, estradiol, and progesterone. Oxytocin in corpus luteum increased from 14.0 +/- 1.8 ng/gm of wet weight in early to 30.8 +/- 0.9 ng/gm in midluteal phases (p = less than 0.001). Reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography showed similarity between oxytocin in corpus luteum and synthetic oxytocin. Ovarian vein draining corpus luteum had significantly higher plasma oxytocin (11.8 +/- 1.5 pg/ml) than those without corpus luteum (2.1 +/- 0.2 pg/ml) or in the peripheral blood (2.9 +/- 0.3 pg/ml) (p = less than 0.001). Oxytocin in corpus luteum correlated significantly with its ipsilateral ovarian vein level of oxytocin, estrone, progesterone, and 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. Our findings demonstrate that oxytocin is present and probably produced in corpus luteum and secreted into its ovarian vein; it may regulate corpus luteum release of progesterone, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, and estrone.
Late recurrences of Cushing's disease after initial successful transsphenoidal surgery.

Context: Few studies have systematically analyzed the long-term recurrence rates of Cushing’s disease after initial successful transsphenoidal surgery. Setting: This was a retrospective review of patients treated at the University of Virginia Medical Center. Patients: A total of 215 subjects with Cushing’s disease who underwent initial transsphenoidal surgery for resection of a presumed pituitary microadenoma from 1992–2006 were included. Main Outcome Measures: Remission and recurrence rates of Cushing’s disease were examined. Recurrence was defined as an elevated 24-h urine free cortisol with clinical symptoms consistent with Cushing’s disease. Results: Of the 215 patients who underwent transsphenoidal surgery for Cushing’s disease, surgical remission was achieved in 184 (85.6%). The mean length of follow-up was 45 months. Actuarial recurrence rates of Cushing’s disease after initially successful transsphenoidal surgery at 1, 2, 3, and 5 yr were 0.5, 6.7, 10.8, and 25.5%, respectively. Among the 184 pati...
Polyadenylate sequences in the ribonucleic acids of cowpea mosaic virus.

Abstract Polyadenylate sequences at the 3′-termini of cowpea mosaic virus middle and bottom component RNAs were revealed both by the sequential removal of nucleotide residues and by the release of polyadenylate during nuclease digestion. The released polyadenylates from the two RNAs were similar in the distributions of their sedimentation rates. A weight average degree of polymerization of about 200 was estimated. No evidence was found for internal polyadenylate sequences or for terminal sequences of 16 or fewer residues.