cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activation of amino acids and amides by cell-free preparations.

Abstract Cell-free extracts of pig liver, yeast, and pea seeds catalyze a pyrophosphate-ATP exchange which is promoted to varying degrees by every amino acid and amide normally occurring in protein. Attainment of this exchange is markedly dependent upon the methods for preparation and assay of the enzymes. The preparations also catalyze the formation of amino acid hydroxamates and of apparent amino acid polynucleotide compounds. The amino acid-polynucleotide compounds are able to transfer their amino acid to the protein of isolated ribonucleoprotein particles in every case examined. The protein-bound amino acid can be removed by incubation with non-labeled amino acid-polynucleotide, but not with the free amino acid.
An ERK/Cdk5 axis controls the diabetogenic actions of PPARγ

Blocking ERK/MAP kinases improves insulin sensitivity thorough a mechanism similar to the actions of the anti-diabetic thiazolidinediones drugs on PPARγ. The nuclear receptor PPARγ is required for glucose metabolism and is a drug target in diabetes. Earlier work has suggested that PPARγ phosphorylation has an adverse effect on insulin sensitivity and that the kinase Cdk5 is the main kinase responsible for phosphorylation at this site. Now Bruce Spiegelman and colleagues report the paradoxical observation that insulin resistance is worsened in mice lacking Cdk5 in adipose tissue. The authors further show that Cdk5 suppresses the MEK/ERK signalling pathway that is central to the regulation of cell growth and proliferation, and that ERK directly phosphorylates PPARγ. MEK/ERK inhibitors can improve insulin resistance in obese wild-type and ob/ob mice. This work suggests that MEK/ERK inhibitors — already approved for cancer treatment — might also be effective against diabetes. Obesity-linked insulin resistance is a major precursor to the development of type 2 diabetes. Previous work has shown that phosphorylation of PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ) at serine 273 by cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) stimulates diabetogenic gene expression in adipose tissues1. Inhibition of this modification is a key therapeutic mechanism for anti-diabetic drugs that bind PPARγ, such as the thiazolidinediones and PPARγ partial agonists or non-agonists2. For a better understanding of the importance of this obesity-linked PPARγ phosphorylation, we created mice that ablated Cdk5 specifically in adipose tissues. These mice have both a paradoxical increase in PPARγ phosphorylation at serine 273 and worsened insulin resistance. Unbiased proteomic studies show that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinases are activated in these knockout animals. Here we show that ERK directly phosphorylates serine 273 of PPARγ in a robust manner and that Cdk5 suppresses ERKs through direct action on a novel site in MAP kinase/ERK kinase (MEK). Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of MEK and ERK markedly improves insulin resistance in both obese wild-type and ob/ob mice, and also completely reverses the deleterious effects of the Cdk5 ablation. These data show that an ERK/Cdk5 axis controls PPARγ function and suggest that MEK/ERK inhibitors may hold promise for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
The impact of invasive fungi on agricultural ecosystems in the United States

Invasive fungi and other non-indigenous plant pathogens have had a significant effect on American agriculture for hundreds of years. At present crop loss due to invasive plant pathogens, especially fungi, is estimated at $21 billion per year in the United States, greater than the loss caused by non-indigenous insects. Plant pathogenic fungi are difficult to detect and identify. Thus knowledge of which fungi pose a threat is essential to prevent their entry by means others than inspection. In this paper, examples are presented of invasive fungi on agricultural commodities introduced into the United States. In all cases two factors have been crucial: first, the pathway through which these fungi have entered, and second, systematic knowledge to prevent and respond to the new invasive species. Historically important plant pathogens such as black stem rust of wheat still cause considerable damage while others such as late blight of potato appear to be having a resurgence. Known previously in Australia, then moving to Africa and South America, the virulent species of soybean rust appeared in the U.S. in 2004 but has not been as devastating as anticipated. Plant pathogenic fungi on specialty crops such as daylily, gladiola and chrysanthemum are threatened by rust fungi recently found in the U.S. apparently brought in on infected germplasm. A crisis in the export of U.S. wheat occurred in the late 1990’s when the molecular diagnostic test for Karnal bunt gave a false positive response to a closely related but previously unknown species. Many potentially dangerous plant pathogens of crop plants have not yet been introduced into the U.S. It is critical that meticulous surveillance be conducted as plant material enters the country as well as where crops are grown prior to shipment. In addition, the scientific infrastructure is needed to be able to respond quickly to new invasive fungi. This requires sound systematic knowledge of plant pathogenic fungi both in the U.S. and around the world and a cadre of systematic experts who can characterize invasive fungi.
Repeated administration of frusemide does not offer an advantage over single dosing in attenuating exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension in Thoroughbred horses

The objective of the present study was to ascertain whether administration of a second dose of frusemide would attenuate exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension more than a single dose. Right atrial, right ventricular and pulmonary vascular pressures were determined in 7 healthy, sound, exercise-trained Thoroughbred horses at rest and during exercise (14.2 m/s + a 3.5% uphill grade) performed at maximal heart rate (217 +/- 3 beats/min [mean +/- s.e.]). Horses were studied during the following 3 treatments in random order 7 days apart: control (no medication), frusemide single dose (250 mg i.v. 4 h pre-exercise), and frusemide double dose (250 mg i.v., 4 h pre-exercise + 250 mg i.v. 2 h pre-exercise). In the control study, exercise resulted in significant (P < 0.05) right atrial as well as pulmonary arterial, capillary and venous hypertension. In the frusemide single dose experiments, a significant (P < 0.05) attenuation of the exercise-induced rise in right atrial and pulmonary vascular pressures was observed. However, compared with frusemide single dose experiments, significant changes in the exercise-induced right atrial and pulmonary arterial, capillary and venous hypertension were not observed in the frusemide double dose experiments. Therefore, it is concluded that administration of an additional dose of frusemide is unlikely to affect the severity of EIPH in racing Thoroughbred horses more than a single dose.
Time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory of charge exchange: Application to He 2 + + He

An application of the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) theory of charge transfer in atomic collisions is presented. Probabilities for elastic and double symmetric charge exchange are calculated for a fixed laboratory scattering angle and for collision energies from 10 to 70 keV. The TDHF equations are solved using finite difference techniques and propagated in time using the Peaceman-Rachford alternating-direction implicit method. Plots of time-evolved charge densities are presented also.
The Wyss Institute at Harvard University

Bioengineering transformed medicine in the last century by applying engineering principles to solve medical problems. However, engineering, biology, medicine, and the physical sciences are beginning to converge in unexpected ways. Developments in nanotechnology, genetics, and cell engineering now allow us to maipulate individual atoms, genes, molecules, and cells, as well as synthesize artificial biological systems. At the same time, progress in materials science, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering enables scientists to use adaptive synthetic materials, microdevices, microrobots, and biomolecular computational strategies to manipulate cell function, guide tissue regeneration, and control complex organ physiology. As a result, the boundary between living and nonliving systems is beginning to break down.
Accounting for the acoustic energy produced by pulsed laser excitation of optically thin samples: A small perturbation in photothermal experiments

Abstract An analytical expression is derived for the energy in an acoustic wave resulting from pulsed laser excitation of optically thin samples. Assumptions used to derive this expression include a small temperature increase due to optical absorption, a time-independent expansion limited by the acoustic wave propagation time, and a finite sample length. These results are described and then analyzed in terms of the degree to which acoustic energy loss would affect photothermal spectroscopy signals. It is found that the acoustic energy loss can be neglected in most pulsed laser-excited photothermal spectroscopic measurements of optically thin samples.
Collaboration in Student Teaching: Introducing the Collaboration Self-Assessment Tool

The need to collaborate in the fields of business, health care, and technology is not a new concept. Educational institutions, however, have been slow to recognize the need to teach collaboration skills (Brownell & Walther-Thomas, 2002; Jackson, 2004). This article focuses on the development of the Collaboration Self-Assessment Tool (CSAT). The identification and practice of specific collaboration skills needed in a student teaching experience are emphasized. The article uses a case-study approach to describe how the tool can be used to enhance collaboration between a cooperating teacher and a teacher candidate, paving the way for a more successful and meaningful student-teaching experience.
Alteration of tyrosine hydroxylase activity in PC12 cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1

During infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in PC 12 pheochromocytoma cells was initially depressed reaching a nadir at 6 hours post-inoculation, but recovered rapidly with a return to baseline activity by 8 to 9 hours post-inoculation. Subsequently, TH activity again fell with a second more variable rise in activity occurring at 24 hours post-inoculation. Studies with metabolic inhibitors and 2 temperature-sensitive viral mutants indicated that these alterations of TH activity were dissociated from morphological cytopathology and likely required expression of “late” viral gene products. Immunotitration using anti-TH antibody suggested that early depression of TH activity resulted principally from loss of enzyme protein rather than simple enzyme inactivation, and that reconstitution of activity at 9 hours was related to augmented enzyme synthesis. These observations illustrate the complexity of perturbed cellular metabolism during HSV-1 infection and suggest involvement of two unexpected processes: alteration of a specialized cell function as a result of viral genes expressed late in the replicative cycle, and augmented synthesis of a cell-coded gene product during the course of infection.
Plant Community Dynamics in a Semi-Arid Ecosystem in Relation to Nutrient Addition Following a Major Disturbance

Effects of annual additions of mineral N and P (100 kg ha−1) on plant species composition and annual aboveground net primary production (ANPP) were investigated during the first three years following disturbance in a semi-arid ecosystem. Additions of N reduced richness of perennial plant species during years 2 and 3, while P reduced the number of perennial species only in year 3. From year 1 to year 2, annual and biennial species richness declined in all treatments while ANPP of annual species increased greatly. Added N increased ANPP of annual species while it decreased ANPP of most perennial species relative to the unfertilized control treatment. Community similarities were higher for the control and native vegetation than for other pairs of treatments using both species presence and plant production data. Nitrogen additions have retarded but not completely arrested secondary succession in this system.
Preparation of high-strength/high-modulus regenerated cellulose fibers from lyotropic mesophases

Cellulose triacetate (CTA) fibers were spun from a 35% (w/v) solution of CTA (molecular weight, 95,000) in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)/CH2CL2 (60/40, v/v) using laboratory-scale spinning equipment, an air gap, and cold MeOH as the coagulant. The resulting fibers, of large diameter (ca. 80 μm) were saponified with a variety of reagents. The regenerated cellulose fibers had tenacities and moduli as high as 1.6 and 50 GPa, respectively. The fiber properties did not show a dependence on which cellulose polymorph was present. It is suggestes that for highly oriented fibers, the cellulose molecular weight is the primary parameter that determines the strength and modulus. This emphasizes the advantages of using a lyotropic cellulosic mesophase which permits relatively low solution viscosities at high concentrations and high polymer molecular weights. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Evaluation of cardiac murmurs in children

Cardiac murmur is a common finding. The murmurs are the most common reason for detection of cardiac disease in children. They are divided into systolic, diastolic and continuous types. Careful evaluation of the murmur and other associated findings will often result in making a reasonably correct diagnosis. Occasional use of noninvasive and invasive studies is necessary for accurate diagnosis. However, these studies may often be required for quantitation and prior to surgical intervention.
Biotechnological Partition of the Grass Silage to Streamline its Complex Energy Utilization

The current prevailing energetical utilization of grass silage is based on anaerobic fermentation. However, huge fermentors and long retention times are needed because only a part of the organic matter undergoes the anaerobic fermentation. System of complex energetical utilization of the grass silage based on partition of easily accessible organic matter was verified on a commercial scale. It was confirmed that the separation of the accessible organic matter from the ballast enables minimization of the anaerobic fermentor dimensions from thousands to tens of cubic meters and reduced retention times from months into hours. In addition, the waste energy obtained from the cogeneration of the methane was used to run the overall technology and the charcoal kiln to produce charcoal from the ballast.
The Impact of a Hemispheric Circulation Regime on Fall Precipitation over North America

Abstract While there is growing evidence that the main contribution to trends in U.S. precipitation occurs during fall, most studies of seasonal precipitation have focused on winter or summer. Here, the leading mode of fall precipitation variability over North America is isolated from multiple data sources and connected to a hemispheric-scale circulation pattern. Over North America, the leading mode of fall precipitation variability in both station-based and satellite-blended data is a tripole that links fall precipitation anomalies in southern Alaska, the central United States, and eastern Canada. This mode is part of a larger pattern of alternating wet and dry anomalies stretching from the western Pacific to the North Atlantic. Dynamically, the precipitation anomalies are closely associated with changes to regional-scale moisture transport that are, in turn, linked to two independently identified hemispheric-scale wave patterns that are one-quarter wavelength out of phase (i.e., in quadrature) and resem...
Effects of boron purity, Mg stoichiometry and carbon substitution on properties of polycrystalline MgB2

Abstract By synthesizing MgB2 using boron of different nominal purity we found values of the residual resistivity ratio ( RRR=R(300 K )/R(42 K ) ) from 4 to 20, which covers almost all values found in literature. To obtain high values of RRR, high purity reagents are necessary. With the isotopically pure boron we obtained the highest RRR∼20 for the stoichiometric compound. We also investigated Mgx11B2 samples with 0.8 μΩ cm) are intrinsic material properties associated with high purity MgB2. In addition we have performed initial work on optimizing the formation of carbon doped MgB2 via the use of B4C. Nearly single phase material can be formed by reaction of nominal Mg(B0.8C0.2)2 for 24 h at 1200 °C. The Tc for this composition is between 21.9 and 22.7 K (depending on criterion).
How Much Free Speech for Scientists

nothing new?recall that Galileo was sen tenced to house arrest by Church inquisi tors in 1633 for supporting the Copernican theo ry. But serious threats to the freedom of scientific discourse have come to the forefront recently, af ter suspicions were raised of Chinese spying at U.S. national laboratories. These allegations trig gered the imposition of new restraints and re vived some old ones. So it is a good time for the scientific community to reflect on the evolution of such government controls in our time, to ex press support for regulations that are justified and to protest those that do harm. After the outbreak of World War II, many physicists voluntarily censored themselves, with the result that papers about nuclear fission dis appeared from the pages of the Physical Review starting in 1941. The government soon issued ex plicit restrictions on scientists and engineers privy to military secrets in the form of a classification system. Under that arrangement, information was labeled "Special Compartmentalized Infor mation," "Top Secret," "Secret" or "Confidential," depending on the severity of damage to the na tion should the material be compromised. To accompany this system, government agen cies introduced various levels of clearance. People seeking employment in organizations dealing with classified information or equipment surren dered some of their privacy by permitting a field investigator to talk about their past conduct with their neighbors and associates. In addition, in quiries into the subject's vulnerability to blackmail could be made, on the premise that such a liability might result from alcoholism, a drug habit or even money troubles. What is slightly more controver sial?because it smacks of guilt by association?is
A 2.7-V 1.8-GHz fourth-order tunable LC bandpass filter based on emulation of magnetically coupled resonators

A low-voltage fourth-order RF bandpass filter structure based on emulation of two magnetically coupled resonators is presented. A unique feature of the proposed architecture is using electric coupling to emulate the effect of the coupled inductors, thus providing bandwidth tuning with small passband ripple. Each resonator is built using on-chip spiral inductors and accumulation-mode pMOS capacitors to provide center frequency tuning. The filter has been implemented in HP 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS process and occupies an area of 0.15 mm/sup 2/. It consumes 16 mA from a single 2.7-V supply at a center frequency of 1.84 GHz and a bandwidth of 80 MHz while providing a passband gain of 9 dB and more than 30 dB of image attenuation for an IF frequency of 100 MHz. The measured output 1-dB compression point and output noise power spectral densities are -16 dBm and -137 dBm/Hz, respectively. This results in a 1-dB compression dynamic range of 42 dB. The filter minimum power supply voltage for proper operation is 2 V. The chip experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical results.
Fluorescence-based detection of thiols in vitro and in vivo using dithiol probes

Thiols play a central role in maintaining biological homeostasis. Their levels can change dramatically in response to oxidative stress associated with toxic insults, bacterial infection, and disease. Therefore, a reagent that can monitor thiol levels both in vitro and in vivo would be useful for assays and as a biomarker. Such a reagent should (i) be selective for thiols, (ii) be able to penetrate cell walls, and (iii) have a low reduction potential so as not to create oxidative stress in a cell. We have developed such a fluorescent reagent (DSSA) based on a dithiol linker: (i) the use of a dithiol linker makes it selective for thiols; (ii) the use of fluorophores that populate neutral states at physiological pH improves cell wall penetration; and (iii) because of the reagent's low reduction potential (-0.60 V), it will not stress cells oxidatively. For example, 5 microM of reagent is responsive to changes in glutathione levels in the physiologically relevant range of 1 to 10mM, yet this would oxidize less than 1% of cellular glutathione. In Escherichia coli, decreased thiol levels were detected in cells deficient in glutathione synthesis. In zebrafish embryos, the DSSA reagent permitted detection of unusually high thiol levels in the zebrafish chorion.
Numerical simulation of a turbulent flame stabilized behind a rearward-facing step

Flow of combustible mixtures in a plane channel past a smooth contraction followed by an abrupt expansion, in a typical dump combustor configuration, is modeled by a two-dimensional numerical technique based on the random vortex method. Both the inert and the reacting case are considered. In the latter, the flame is treated as an interface, self-advancing at a prescribed normal burning speed, while the dynamic effects of expansion due to the exothermicity of combustion are expressed by volumetric source lines delineated by its front. Solutions are shown to be in satisfactory agreement with experimental results, especially with respect to global properties such as the average velocity profiles and the reattachment length. The stochastic turbulent velocity components manifest interesting differences, especially near the walls where three-dimensional effects of turbulence are expected to be of importance.
Infrared free-electron laser as a probe of vibrational dynamics on surfaces

The infrared free-electron laser (IRFEL) is a useful light source that can be employed as a probe of vibrational dynamics on surfaces. We explore in detail two possible applications of the IRFEL. One type of experiment utilizes the IRFEL to measure vibrational relaxation on surfaces directly, using infrared saturation and ground-state recovery techniques. The second application uses the IRFEL to desorb adsorbates from surfaces by resonantly exciting their vibrational modes. This application is illustrated by recent investigations of the resonant desorption of butane from Al2O3(11 2¯0), using the Mark III IRFEL. These studies revealed a greater desorption yield for the asymmetric C—H stretches in comparison with the symmetric C—H stretches. This greater desorption efficiency for the asymmetric C—H stretches was attributed to the orientation of the butane molecules in an ordered adlayer on Al2O3(11 2¯0). Future applications of the IRFEL as a probe of vibrational dynamics on surfaces are also discussed.
Non-axisymmetric oscillations of a torus around a Schwarzschild black hole: a toy problem

We report our results of a study on non-axisymmetric oscillation modes of a torus with non-Keplerian rotational profile around Schwarzschild black hole. We study a simple toy equilibrium model of incompressible torus whose vertical structure is neglected. The master equation of the oscillation in this case becomes a second-order ordinary differential equation in the cylindrical radial coordinate. When the eigenvalue is assumed to be real, the equation has a singular point where the pattern speed of the mode in the azimuthal direction coincides with the local angular frequency of the flow (co-rotation of modes). This singularity leads to the appearance of continuous spectrum in twofold ways. One of them has its origin in an effect of general relativistic gravity. When the eigenvalue problem is extended to complex domain of frequency with finite imaginary part, the master equation no longer has a co-rotation singularity. Thus we only find a discrete spectrum. We see dynamically unstable mode outside the co-rotation, but do not see those in the co-rotation region for the particular cases studied here.
Prospective Validation Study of the Prediction of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale (PAWSS) in Medically Ill Inpatients: A New Scale for the Prediction of Complicated Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Aims: The prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among hospitalized medically ill patients exceeds 40%. Most AUD patients experience uncomplicated alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), requiring only supportive medical intervention, while complicated AWS occurs in up to 20% of cases (i.e. seizures, delirium tremens). We aimed to prospectively test and validate the Prediction of Alcohol Withdrawal Severity Scale (PAWSS), a new tool to identify patients at risk for developing complicated AWS, in medically ill hospitalized patients. Methods: We prospectively considered all subjects hospitalized to selected general medicine and surgery units over a 12-month period. Participants were assessed independently and blindly on a daily basis with PAWSS, Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment—Alcohol, Revised (CIWA-Ar) and clinical monitoring throughout their admission to determine the presence and severity of AWS. Results: Four hundred and three patients were enrolled in the study. Patients were grouped by PAWSS score: Group A (PAWSS < 4; considered at low risk for complicated AWS); Group B (PAWSS ≥ 4; considered at high risk for complicated AWS). The results of this study suggest that, using a PAWSS cutoff of 4, the tool’s sensitivity for identifying complicated AWS is 93.1% (95%CI[77.2, 99.2%]), specificity is 99.5% (95%CI[98.1, 99.9%]), positive predictive value is 93.1% and negative predictive value is 99.5%; and has excellent inter-rater reliability with Lin’s concordance coefficient of 0.963 (95% CI [0.936, 0.979]). Conclusion: PAWSS has excellent psychometric characteristics and predictive value among medically ill hospitalized patients, helping clinicians identify those at risk for complicated AWS and allowing for prevention and timely treatment of complicated AWS.
High-speed frequency dividers using GaAs/GaAlAs high-electron-mobility transistors

Very-high-speed divide-by-four circuits have been fabricated by using modulation-doped GaAs/GaAlAs high-electron-mobility transistors. The circuits consist of two T-connected D-flip-flops and are capable of operating at 3.6 GHz with a power dissipation of 0.46 mW per gate at room temperature, and at 5.2 GHz with a power dissipation of 0.78 mW per gate at 77 K. The speed-power products achieved are the lowest ever reported.
Parallel Multilevel k-way Partitioning Scheme for Irregular Graphs

In this paper we present a parallel formulation of a multilevel k-way graph partitioning algorithm. The multilevel k-way partitioning algorithm reduces the size of the graph by collapsing vertices and edges (coarsening phase), finds a k-way partition of the smaller graph, and then it constructs a k-way partition for the original graph by projecting and refining the partition to successively finer graphs (uncoarsening phase). A key innovative feature of our parallel formulation is that it utilizes graph coloring to effectively parallelize both the coarsening and the refinement during the uncoarsening phase. Our algorithm is able to achieve a high degree of concurrency, while maintaining the high quality partitions produced by the serial algorithm. We test our scheme on a large number of graphs from finite element methods, and transportation domains. Our parallel formulation on Cray T3D, produces high quality 128-way partitions on 128 processors in a little over two seconds, for graphs with a million vertices. Thus our parallel algorithm makes it possible to perform dynamic graph partition in adaptive computations without compromising quality.
Simulation of the Pinatubo aerosol cloud in general circulation model

The global transport and dispersion of the Pinatubo aerosol cloud are simulated by means of a high-resolution stratospheric version of the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM2) with an annual cycle. A passive tracer was injected into the model stratosphere over the Philippine Islands on June 15, and the transport was simulated for 180 d using an accurate semi-Lagrangian advection scheme. The simulated volcanic aerosol cloud initially drifted westward and expanded in longitude and latitude. The bulk of the aerosol cloud dispersed zonally to form a continuous belt in longitude, and remained confined to the tropics, centered near the 20-mb level for the entire 180-d model run, although a small amount was transported episodically into the upper troposphere in association with convective disturbances. Aerosol transported to the troposphere was dispersed within a few weeks into the Northern Hemisphere extratropics. In the Southern Hemisphere, the aerosol was mixed into the region equatorward of the core of the polar night jet during the first 50 d, but penetration into southern polar latitudes was delayed until the final warming in November.
Victim feminism/victim activism

Scholars and critics from diverse fields have forwarded various arguments about the nature and representation of victimhood and victims. For the critics and scholars, victimhood is constructed as a state of powerlessness. Although constructionist arguments recognize an ideology undergirding victim constructions, they do not explicitly engage with postmodern debates on the workings of disciplinary power. Data from 20 in‐depth interviews with women who have experienced sexual abuse or sexual assault suggest that they view themselves as survivors, a construction defined against dominant representations of victims. A postmodern view on power is applied to illuminate dynamics of the debate around victimhood and identity.
Shared preferences and state-dependent utilities

This investigation combines two questions for expected utility theory: 1. When do the shared preferences among expected utility maximizers conform to the dictates of expected utility? 2. What is the impact on expected utility theory of allowing preferences for prizes to be state-dependent? Our principal conclusion Theorem 4 establishes very restrictive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a Pareto, Bayesian compromise of preferences between two Bayesian agents, even when utilities are permitted to be state-dependent and identifiable. This finding extends our earlier result Theorem 2, 1989a which applies provided that all utilities are state-independent. A subsidiary theme is a decision theoretic analysis of common rules for "pooling" expert probabilities. Against the backdrop of "horse lottery" theory Anscombe and Aumann 1963 and subject to a weak Pareto rule, we show, generally, that there is no Bayesian compromise between two Bayesian agents even when state-dependent utilities are entertained in an identifiable way. The word "identifiable" is important because, if state-dependence is permitted merely by dropping the Anscombe-Aumann axiom Axiom 4 here for "state-independence," though a continuum of possible Bayesian compromises emerges, also it leads to an extreme underdetermination of an agent's personal probability and utility given the agent's preferences. Instead, when state-dependence is monitored through our version of the approach of Karni, Schmeidler, and Vind 1983, the general impossibility of a Bayesian, Pareto compromise in preferences reappears.
Novel late-onset Alzheimer disease loci variants associate with brain gene expression.

Objective: Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) identified 9 novel risk loci. Discovery of functional variants within genes at these loci is required to confirm their role in Alzheimer disease (AD). Single nucleotide polymorphisms that influence gene expression (eSNPs) constitute an important class of functional variants. We therefore investigated the influence of the novel LOAD risk loci on human brain gene expression. Methods: We measured gene expression levels in the cerebellum and temporal cortex of autopsied AD subjects and those with other brain pathologies (∼400 total subjects). To determine whether any of the novel LOAD risk variants are eSNPs, we tested their cis -association with expression of 6 nearby LOAD candidate genes detectable in human brain ( ABCA7, BIN1, CLU, MS4A4A, MS4A6A, PICALM ) and an additional 13 genes ±100 kb of these SNPs. To identify additional eSNPs that influence brain gene expression levels of the novel candidate LOAD genes, we identified SNPs ±100 kb of their location and tested for cis -associations. Results: CLU rs11136000 ( p = 7.81 × 10 −4 ) and MS4A4A rs2304933/rs2304935 ( p = 1.48 × 10 −4 –1.86 × 10 −4 ) significantly influence temporal cortex expression levels of these genes. The LOAD-protective CLU and risky MS4A4A locus alleles associate with higher brain levels of these genes. There are other cis -variants that significantly influence brain expression of CLU and ABCA7 ( p = 4.01 × 10 −5 –9.09 × 10 −9 ), some of which also associate with AD risk ( p = 2.64 × 10 −2 –6.25 × 10 −5 ). Conclusions: CLU and MS4A4A eSNPs may at least partly explain the LOAD risk association at these loci. CLU and ABCA7 may harbor additional strong eSNPs. These results have implications in the search for functional variants at the novel LOAD risk loci.
A 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS logic technology with dual gate oxide and low-k interconnect for high-performance and low-power applications

This paper describes a leading-edge 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS logic foundry technology. Very aggressive design rules and borderless contacts render a 4.4 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ embedded (synchronous cache) 6T SRAM cell demonstrated in a 1 Mb vehicle with very high yield. Robust dual-gate oxides were developed to support 1.5-2 V core logic as well as 3.3 V periphery (I/O) circuitry. Advanced modular core device technology using 32 /spl Aring/ oxides for 1.8-2 V operation and 27 /spl Aring/ oxides for 1.5-1.7 V applications support competitive high-performance (MPU/graphics) or low-standby power (mobile) applications. Transient-enhanced diffusion is effectively used in I/O devices to enhance hot-carrier lifetime. This is the first 0.18 /spl mu/m technology demonstrating a highly manufacturable 6 to 7 level low-k (HSQ)/AlCu interconnect system with tightest metal pitch (0.46 /spl mu/m M1 and 0.56 /spl mu/m at intermediate levels), as well as aggressive borderless and fully stacked vias without poisoning problems. AlCu/FSG and dual-damascene Cu/oxide interconnect options have also been proven with comparable SRAM yield to the AlCu/HSQ system.
The Ribosome Cycle in Mammalian Protein Synthesis : II. ASSOCIATION OF THE NATIVE SMALLER RIBOSOMAL SUBUNIT WITH PROTEIN FACTORS

Abstract The work with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells presented in this report shows that all the smaller (40 S) ribosomal subunits found free in the cytoplasm are combined with substantial amounts of exchangeable, nonribosomal protein. This combination represents a specific high affinity interaction, for the subunit-associated protein, after release by 0.5 m KCl, will recombine quantitatively with the subunit when the salt concentration is lowered, and this recombination occurs even in the presence of a large excess of cytoplasmic protein. The amount of the subunit-associated protein is sufficient to permit separating the free (native) 40 S subunits on the basis of their buoyant density from those derived by dissociating ribosomes. In CsCl equilibrium density gradients the native particles appear as two heterodisperse bands centered at densities 1.49 and 1.40 g per cm3, whereas the derived subunits form a single narrow band at 1.51 g per cm3. Calculations from these values, confirmed by direct measurement, indicate that the 1.49 and 1.40 native particles contain about 1 x 105 and 7 x 105 daltons of associated protein, respectively. During alterations in rate of protein synthesis, significant changes in numbers of native subunits occur, although these are small compared with the many-fold fluctuations in monomeric ribosomes that one observes. When peptide chain initiation is slowed relative to chain completion and ribosome runoff, the number of density 1.49 subunits increases immediately, without appreciable change in the 1.40 class, and approaches a maximum when the monomer fraction is just beginning to rise. This early increase in the 1.49 subunits is consistent with the concept that direct coupling of the larger and smaller subunits following runoff is blocked by combination of the smaller subunits with protein factor (or factors) and that monomers accumulate when the limited supply of free factor (or factors) has all been bound. The subunit-associated proteins have not yet been isolated and characterized. However, acrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified native 40 S particles reveals a small number of prominent bands in the molecular weight range 50,000 to 200,000 (all bands of the derived subunit being less than 50,000).
A parallel decision tree-based method for user authentication based on keystroke patterns

We propose a Monte Carlo approach to attain sufficient training data, a splitting method to improve effectiveness, and a system composed of parallel decision trees (DTs) to authenticate users based on keystroke patterns. For each user, approximately 19 times as much simulated data was generated to complement the 387 vectors of raw data. The training set, including raw and simulated data, is split into four subsets. For each subset, wavelet transforms are performed to obtain a total of eight training subsets for each user. Eight DTs are thus trained using the eight subsets. A parallel DT is constructed for each user, which contains all eight DTs with a criterion for its output that it authenticates the user if at least three DTs do so; otherwise it rejects the user. Training and testing data were collected from 43 users who typed the exact same string of length 37 nine consecutive times to provide data for training purposes. The users typed the same string at various times over a period from November through December 2002 to provide test data. The average false reject rate was 9.62% and the average false accept rate was 0.88%.
Enhanced visual awareness for morality and pajamas? Perception vs. memory in 'top-down' effects.

Abstract A raft of prominent findings has revived the notion that higher-level cognitive factors such as desire, meaning, and moral relevance can directly affect what we see. For example, under conditions of brief presentation, morally relevant words reportedly “pop out” and are easier to identify than morally irrelevant words. Though such results purport to show that perception itself is sensitive to such factors, much of this research instead demonstrates effects on visual recognition—which necessarily involves not only visual processing per se, but also memory retrieval. Here we report three experiments which suggest that many alleged top-down effects of this sort are actually effects on ‘back-end’ memory rather than ‘front-end’ perception. In particular, the same methods used to demonstrate popout effects for supposedly privileged stimuli (such as morality-related words, e.g. “punishment” and “victim”) also yield popout effects for unmotivated, superficial categories (such as fashion-related words, e.g. “pajamas” and “stiletto”). We conclude that such effects reduce to well-known memory processes (in this case, semantic priming) that do not involve morality, and have no implications for debates about whether higher-level factors influence perception. These case studies illustrate how it is critical to distinguish perception from memory in alleged ‘top-down’ effects.
The Effects of Type of Predicament and Embarrassability on Remedial Responses to Embarrassing Situations.

The present study investigated the role of type of embarrassing predicament and dispositional embarrassability on remedial responses used by persons caught in embarrassing situations. Respondents completed a survey regarding a recollected significantly embarrassing event. Results indicated that: (1) apologies were more likely to appear in situations of rule violation and situations of failed role performance, (2) accounts were more likely to appear in situations of damaged self‐image, (3) humor was more likely to appear in situations where an actor loses comportment, but less likely to appear in situations where an actor observes the embarrassment of others indirectly, (4) aggression was more likely to appear in situations of individualization (such as being corrected or teased), and (5) apologies used in conjunction with other strategies were less likely to appear in situations where an actor loses comportment. Dispositional embarrassability was not significantly associated with remedial responses.
Interleukin-1β blockade improves cardiac remodelling after myocardial infarction without interrupting the inflammasome in the mouse

New Findings • What is the central question of this study? The formation of the cryopyrin inflammasome in the heart induces an intense inflammatory response during acute myocardial infarction, which mediates further damage and promotes adverse cardiac remodelling. The present study investigates the role of interleukin-1β in mediating the pathological effects of the inflammasome in the heart. • What is the main finding and its importance? Blockade of interleukin-1β improves cardiac remodelling after acute myocardial infarction in the mouse by inhibiting apoptosis without affecting the formation or the activity of the inflammasome in the heart. These findings suggest that interleukin-1β mediates the deleterious effects on the heart during the sterile inflammatory response. The formation of the cryopyrin inflammasome in the heart induces an intense inflammatory response during acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which mediates further damage and promotes adverse cardiac remodelling. Active interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a key product of the inflammasome, being cleaved by active caspase-1. The aim of this study was to dissect the role of IL-1β from that of the inflammasome by using a neutralizing monoclonal antibody directed against IL-1β and measuring the intensity of the inflammatory response, the activity of caspase-1 in the inflammasome, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac remodelling in a mouse model of non-reperfused AMI. A mouse monoclonal IgG2a antibody directed against IL-1β (IL-1β-AB; 10 mg kg−1) was given i.p. immediately after surgery and repeated 1 week later. Cardiac tissue was analysed at 72 h after surgery in a subgroup of mice for inflammasome aggregates and caspase-1 activity (inflammasome) and for DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity (apoptosis). All sham-operated mice were alive at 10 weeks, whereas 40% of the control-antibody-treated mice and 30% of the IL-1β-AB-treated mice died during the 4 weeks after surgery. When compared with vehicle, treatment with the IL-1β-AB did not affect inflammasome formation or caspase-1 activation in the heart tissue at 72 h after AMI nor circulating plasma IL-6 levels, but did inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis, limit left ventricular enlargement by 40% (P < 0.01) and improve systolic dysfunction by 17% (P < 0.01) after AMI. These findings suggest that IL-1β mediates the deleterious effects on the heart during the sterile inflammatory response.
Partitioning of temporal planning problems in mixed space using the theory of extended saddle points

We study the partitioning of temporal planning problems formulated as mixed-integer nonlinear programming problems, develop methods to reduce the search space of partitioned subproblems, and propose algorithms for resolving unsatisfied global constraints. The algorithms are based on the necessary and sufficient extended saddle-point condition for constrained local minimization developed in this paper. When compared with the MIPS planner in solving some PDDL2.1 planning problems, our distributed implementation of MIPS shows significant improvements in time and quality.
Learning by Doing: A Simulation for Teaching How Congress Works

Teachers of political science have increasingly recognized the utility of classroom simulations to provide students with an active-learning experience to enhance learning outcomes. Our article builds on this growing trend by proposing a congressional simulation to help students understand the complexities and nuances of the lawmaking process. Specifically, the simulation aids students in identifying the deliberative aspects of congressional policymaking, appreciating the complicated process involved in a bill becoming a law, understanding the multifaceted ways in which self-interest guides the decisions of congressional actors, and challenging student cynicism about Congress as an institution.
Factors influencing the herbicidal activity of Nep1, a fungal protein that induces the hypersensitive response in Centaurea maculosa

Abstract The fungal protein Nep1, produced by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. erythroxyli in liquid culture, caused extensive necrosis to Centaurea maculosa when water solutions of Nep1 (5 µg ml−1) and an organosilicone surfactant (1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyltrisiloxanyl propyl-methoxy-poly[ethylene oxide]) were applied as foliar sprays. Nep1 did not cause necrosis when applied with a nonionic surfactant or organosilicone surfactant plus unrefined corn oil. Plant age, protein concentration, organosilicone surfactant concentration, and the presence of a dew period influenced the amount of necrosis caused by Nep1. The addition of an 18-h dew period after treatment resulted in an increase of 10% or more in foliar necrosis at the 0.313 and 1.25 µg ml−1 (0.40 and 1.62 g ai ha−1) Nep1 concentrations. Increasing the spray volume from 129 ml m−2 (1,291.3 L ha−1) to 516 ml m−2 (5,165.2 L ha−1) more than doubled the amount of foliar necrosis caused by the 0.313 µg ml−1 (0.40 g ai ha−1 vs. 1.62 g ai ha−1) Nep1 concentration...
A Review of “The Enabled Life: Christianity in a Disabling World”

This book stands as a challenge to the global Church in a disabling world. It demonstrates how society disables people with physical and mental impairments and how the global Church has been compli...
Endocrine action during insect growth.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents basic facts regarding the endocrine control of postembryonic insect development. The chapter discusses that the insect offers attractions for endocrinological studies, and data from these studies culminate in the birth of new methods of insect control. It reviews the roles of brain, prothoracic glands, and corpora allata in regulating insect growth and metamorphosis, and discusses the nature of the secretory products of the prothoracic glands and corpora allata. The endocrine system controlling molting and metamorphosis consists of the brain and associated glands innervated by the brain and strands of lobulated cells lying in the thoracic region and prothoracic glands Organ culture and molecular biological techniques are routinely used and genetic tools are utilized to gather information on endocrine action utilizing imaginal discs and polytene chromosomes.
Milk Fat Depression and the Influence of Diet on Milk Composition

Milk composition depends on inheritance, stage of lactation, age, infection, and diet. Fat is the most variable component of milk, and its concentration depends on the supply of acetate, butyrate, and performed fatty acids to the mammary gland. This supply depends on diet and competition among organs. Adequate, effective fiber is the critical dietary consideration.