cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions between neuropeptide Y and alpha2-adrenoceptors in selective rat brain regions

Abstract Neuropeptide Y significantly reduced the potassium-stimulated release of [ 3 H]norepinephrine ([ 3 H]NE) from slices of rat hippocampus, hypothalamus and frontal cortex but not from slices of parieto-occipital cortex. The NPY-induced inhibition of [ 3 H]NE release from frontal cortical slices was concentration dependent, reaching statistical significance at 10 nM. The alpha 2 -adrenoceptor partial agonist, clonidine, also reduced the potassium-stimulated release of [ 3 H]NE. The combination of NPY and clonidine in hippocampal slices produced a greater reduction of stimulated [ 3 H]NE release than either of the two compounds alone, suggesting a potentiation of their activity, whereas in frontal cortical slices, the effect was additive. When NPY and clonidine were added to frontal cortical slices, they independently produced a significant concentration-dependent reduction in forskolin-stimulated cAMP accumulation. However, NPY and clonidine combined did not produce a further reduction in forskokin-induced cAMP accumulation than either compound when used alone. These results suggest that the ability of NPY to potentiate alpha 2 -adrenoceptor-induced inhibition of [ 3 H]NE release in discrete brain regions does not depend on the reductions in cAMP.
Application of MAS NMR spectroscopy to poorly crystalline minerals: Viséite

Visrite is a poorly crystalline mineral which is difficult to study by X-ray diffraction pattern. NMR is a very useful technique to study such poorly crystalline minerals, and 3~p, Z7A1 ' and 29Si MAS NMR in conjunction with powder XRD results show that at least our visrite sample is not a single phase with a structure analogous to that of analcime as previously reported. Rather, it is very disordered with a structure similar to that of crandallite and includes other phases including an undefined aluminophosphate, opal, and a framework aluminosilicate, probably a zeolite. The previously reported variations in the Si content of visrite are probably due to variable amounts of opal and the framework aluminosilicate. K~Ywoe, os: visrite, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction, crystal structure.
The Vitamin D Receptor, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and Colon Cancer

The nuclear receptor is an emerging therapeutic target in various human diseases. Vitamin D receptor (VDR), a nuclear receptor, mediates the biological functions of vitamin D. Classically, vitamin D is recognized as an essential contributor to mineral and bone homeostasis. Increasing evidence demonstrates that vitamin D is involved in inflammatory responses. Persistent intestinal inflammation is associated with colon cancer. This review focuses on vitamin D and VDR in inflammatory bowel diseases and colon cancer. We place emphasis on the regulatory roles of vitamin D/VDR in inflammation, enteric bacteria, and tumorigenesis. We summarize the signaling pathways regulated by VDR in intestinal homeostasis. Finally, we discuss the potential application of the insights gleaned from these findings to personalized therapies in chronic inflammation and colon cancer.
Quantum Theory of a Laser

This is the last chapter of this book, and the fourth that applies the quantum theory of the interaction of radiation with matter developed in Chaps. 13–15. So far, our treatment of quantized field-matter interactions has concentrated mostly on situations where the quantized field acts as a noise source: under these conditions the nonlinear atomic response originates from a classical driving field, while the effects of the quantized modes are treated linearly. A notable exception was the Jaynes-Cummings model and cavity QED, where the Hamiltonian can be diagonalized exactly and hence, the quantized mode is treated to all orders.
Race/ethnicity and geographic access to Medicaid substance use disorder treatment facilities in the United States.

Importance Although substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent and associated with adverse consequences, treatment rates remain low. Unlike physical and mental health problems, treatment for SUDs is predominantly provided in a separate specialty sector and more heavily financed by public sources. Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has the potential to increase access to treatment for SUDs but only if an infrastructure exists to serve new enrollees. Objective To examine the availability of outpatient SUD treatment facilities that accept Medicaid across US counties and whether counties with a higher percentage of racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to have gaps in this infrastructure. Design, Setting, and Participants We used data from the 2009 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services public use file and the 2011-2012 Area Resource file to examine sociodemographic factors associated with county-level access to SUD treatment facilities that serve Medicaid enrollees. Counties in all 50 states were included. We estimated a probit model with state indicators to adjust for state-level heterogeneity in demographics, politics, and policies. Independent variables assessed county racial/ethnic composition (ie, percentage black and percentage Hispanic), percentage living in poverty, percentage living in a rural area, percentage insured with Medicaid, percentage uninsured, and total population. Main Outcomes and Measures Dichotomous indicator for counties with at least 1 outpatient SUD treatment facility that accepts Medicaid. Results Approximately 60% of US counties have at least 1 outpatient SUD facility that accepts Medicaid, although this rate is lower in many Southern and Midwestern states than in other areas of the country. Counties with a higher percentage of black (marginal effect [ME], −3.1; 95% CI, −5.2% to −0.9%), rural (−9.2%; −11.1% to −7.4%), and/or uninsured (−9.5%; −13.0% to −5.9%) residents are less likely to have one of these facilities. Conclusions and Relevance The potential for increasing access to SUD treatment via Medicaid expansion may be tempered by the local availability of facilities to provide care, particularly for counties with a high percentage of black and/or uninsured residents and for rural counties. Although states that opt in to the expansion will secure additional federal funds for the SUD treatment system, additional policies may need to be implemented to ensure that adequate geographic access exists across local communities to serve new enrollees.
A dynamical attractor governs beach response to storms

[1] Sandbars are ubiquitous, yet not well understood beach features that change their position and shape in response to changing wave conditions. We propose and test a simple empirical model consisting of two coupled linear differential equations that represents bar dynamics in terms of wave forcing and two other state variables: (1) the mean cross-shore bar position and (2) the alongshore variability about that mean. Model coefficients are constrained by fitting to a 2-month data set, and the modeled behavior is examined with a stability analysis. The system is found to be stable and, hence, predictable. Rates of change of the bar position and its alongshore variability are found to be significantly coupled, such that prediction of one variable requires information about the other. The system response time is slow compared to the storm wave cycle such that the bar response continually orbits time-varying equilibrium points in the state variable phase plane.
Short-Term Episodic Memory for Visual Textures A Roving Probe Gathers Some Memory

Cognition is shaped by the way that past experiences are represented in memory. To examine the representation of recent visual experiences, we devised a novel procedure that measures episodic recognition memory for synthetic textures. On each trial, two brief study stimuli were followed by a probe, which either replicated one of the study stimuli or differed in spatial frequency from both. The probe's spatial frequency roved from trial to trial, testing recognition with a range of differences between probe and study items. Repeated testing of recognition generated mnemometric functions, snapshots of memory strength's distribution. The distributional characteristics of the mnemometric functions rule out several hypotheses about memory representation, including the hypothesis that representations are prototypes constructed from previously seen stimuli; instead, stimuli are represented in memory as noisy exemplars.
Deletion of Abcg2 Has Differential Effects on Excretion and Pharmacokinetics of Probe Substrates in Rats

This study was designed to characterize breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) knockout Abcg2 (−/−) rats and assess the effect of ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 ( Abcg2 ) deletion on the excretion and pharmacokinetic properties of probe substrates. Deletion of the target gene in the Abcg2 (−/−) rats was confirmed, whereas gene expression was unaffected for most of the other transporters and metabolizing enzymes. Biliary excretion of nitrofurantoin, sulfasalazine, and compound A [2-(5-methoxy-2-((2-methyl-1,3-benzothiazol-6-yl)amino)-4-pyridinyl)-1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-4 H -pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridin-4-one] accounted for 1.5, 48, and 48% of the dose in the Abcg2 (+/+) rats, respectively, whereas it was decreased by 70 to 90% in the Abcg2 (−/−) rats. Urinary excretion of nitrofurantoin, a significant elimination pathway, was unaffected in the Abcg2 (−/−) rats, whereas renal clearance of sulfasalazine, a minor elimination pathway, was reduced by >90%. Urinary excretion of compound A was minimal. Systemic clearance in the Abcg2 (−/−) rats decreased 22, 43 ( p Abcg2 (−/−) rat is a useful model for understanding the role of Bcrp in elimination and oral absorption.
The ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus, aromatase, and sexual partner preferences in sheep.

We are using the domestic ram as an experimental model to examine the role of aromatase in the development of sexual partner preferences. This interest has arisen because of the observation that as many as 8% of domestic rams are sexually attracted to other rams (male-oriented) in contrast to the majority of rams that are attracted to estrous ewes (female-oriented). Our findings demonstrate that aromatase expression is enriched in a cluster of neurons in the medial preoptic nucleus called the ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus (oSDN). The size of the oSDN is associated with a ram's sexual partner preference, such that the nucleus is 2 -3 times larger in rams that are attracted to females (female-oriented) than in rams that are attracted to other rams (male-oriented). Moreover, the volume of the oSDN in male-oriented rams is similar to the volume in ewes. These volume differences are not influenced by adult concentrations of serum testosterone. Instead, we found that the oSDN is already present in late gestation lamb fetuses (∼ day 135 of gestation) when it is ∼2-fold greater in males than in females. Exposure of genetic female fetuses to exogenous testosterone during the critical period for sexual differentiation masculinizes oSDN volume and aromatase expression when examined subsequently on day 135. The demonstration that the oSDN is organized prenatally by testosterone exposure suggests that the brain of the male-oriented ram may be under-androgenized during development.
Fraction of hepatic cytosolic acetyl-CoA derived from glucose in vivo: relation to PDH phosphorylation state.

We measured the contribution of glucose to hepatic cytosolic acetyl-CoA in vivo in rats and compared it with the phosphorylation state of a potentially regulatory enzyme complex [pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)]. Xenobiotic probes were used to sample hepatic cytosolic acetyl-CoA [acetylated sulfamethoxazole (SMX)] and UDP-glucose (glucuronidated acetaminophen) in vivo during [U-14C]glucose infusions. Percent active (dephosphorylated) form of PDH (PDHa) was determined on freeze-clamped liver. First, we confirmed using liver cell elutriation that acetylation of SMX occurs in parenchymal hepatocytes. Next, the fraction of cytosolic acetyl-CoA derived from [14C]glucose in vivo was shown to depend on dietary state. Specific activity of acetyl-CoA relative to plasma glucose or hepatic UDP-glucose was lower after 48 h fasting than after overnight fasting, and glucose refeeding (25 mg.kg-1.min-1 iv) maximally increased [14C]-glucose fractional contribution to acetyl-CoA within 2 h in the overnight-fasted but not in the prolonged fasted group. Hepatic PDHa demonstrated a similar but not identical pattern. The isotopic and enzymatic parameters showed significant correlations (r2 = 0.61 in 48-h fasted-refed group, r2 = 0.28 in overnight-fasted refed group), although [14C]glucose contribution to acetyl-CoA increased disproportionately compared with PDHa as refeeding progressed. The indirect pathway of UDP-glucose synthesis correlated inversely with the fractional contribution of glucose to acetyl-CoA. In summary, the fraction of hepatic acetyl-CoA derived from glucose in vivo is influenced by acute and chronic dietary factors and is only partially explained by PDHa. Regulation of the carbon source of hepatic acetyl-CoA in vivo and interactions suggested by these results (e.g., glucose-fatty acid cycle; branch-point regulation of glucose recycling) can be addressed in a quantitative fashion using this experimental framework.
Influence of a new prophylactic antibiotic therapy on the incidence of liver abscesses after chemoembolization treatment of liver tumors

Intrahepatic abscess is a complication of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment in patients who have a history of biliary reconstructive surgery. This study followed eight patients who underwent chemoembolization after biliary surgery. These patients were divided into two groups. Patients in group one (n = 4) were administered intravenous cephalexin for prophylaxis. Patients in group two (n = 4) were administered bowel preparation and tazobactam/piperacillin. All patients in group one developed hepatic abscesses, which were treated with percutaneous catheter drainage and antibiotics. None of the patients in group two developed abscesses. Aggressive antibiotic prophylaxis with bowel preparation may provide protection against intrahepatic abscesses after chemoembolization in patients who have a history of biliary reconstructive surgery.
Monomeric Recombinant MD-2 Binds Toll-like Receptor 4 Tightly and Confers Lipopolysaccharide Responsiveness

In order to mediate cellular response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 must interact with MD-2, a secreted protein. In this study, a biochemical assay was developed to demonstrate that recombinant MD-2 can interact with the extracellular portion of TLR4 in solution. The ability of MD-2 to multimerize was confirmed, and MD-1 was also shown to possess this ability. Through site-directed mutagenesis, more than two intermolecular disulfide bonds were found to stabilize the MD-2 multimer. MD-2's abilities to confer LPS responsiveness and to bind TLR4 were strongly associated functions. Remarkably, although the majority of recombinant MD-2 exists in multimeric form, monomeric MD-2 was found to preferentially bind TLR4 and to confer LPS responsiveness more efficiently than MD-2 multimers.
Macronutrients, Diet Quality, and Frailty in Older Men

Background. Frailty, a phenotype of multisystem impairment and expanding vulnerability, is associated with higher risk of adverse health outcomes not entirely explained by advancing age. We investigated associations of macronutrients, dietary fiber, and overall diet quality with frailty status in older community-dwelling men.
An objective method for the assessment of fluid injection-induced seismicity and application to tectonically active regions in central California

Changes in seismicity rates, whether of tectonic or of induced origin, can readily be identified in regions where background rates are low but are difficult to detect in seismically active regions. We present a novel method to identify likely induced seismicity in tectonically active regions based on short-range spatiotemporal correlations between changes in fluid injection and seismicity rates. The method searches through the entire parameter space of injection rate thresholds and determines the statistical significance of correlated changes in injection and seismicity rates. Applying our method to Kern County, central California, we find that most earthquakes within the region are tectonic; however, fluid injection contributes to seismicity in four different cases. Three of these are connected to earthquake sequences with events above M4. Each of these sequences followed an abrupt increase in monthly injection rates of at least 15,000 m^3. The probability that the seismicity sequences and the abrupt changes in injection rates in Kern County coincide by chance is only 4%. The identified earthquake sequences display low Gutenberg-Richter b values of ∼0.6–0.7 and at times systematic migration patterns characteristic for a diffusive process. Our results show that injection-induced pressure perturbations can influence seismic activity at distances of 10 km or more. Triggering of earthquakes at these large distances may be facilitated by complex local geology and faults in tectonically active regions. Our study provides the first comprehensive, statistically robust assessment of likely injection-induced seismicity within a large, tectonically active region.
Good competition and drug-enhanced performance.

(1984). Good Competition and Drug-Enhanced Performance. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 6-13.
Uniqueness and reference immutability for safe parallelism

A key challenge for concurrent programming is that side-effects (memory operations) in one thread can affect the behavior of another thread. In this paper, we present a type system to restrict the updates to memory to prevent these unintended side-effects. We provide a novel combination of immutable and unique (isolated) types that ensures safe parallelism (race freedom and deterministic execution). The type system includes support for polymorphism over type qualifiers, and can easily create cycles of immutable objects. Key to the system's flexibility is the ability to recover immutable or externally unique references after violating uniqueness without any explicit alias tracking. Our type system models a prototype extension to C# that is in active use by a Microsoft team. We describe their experiences building large systems with this extension. We prove the soundness of the type system by an embedding into a program logic.
Low-power design methodology for an on-chip bus with adaptive bandwidth capability

This paper describes a low-power design methodology for a bus architecture based on hybrid current/voltage mode signaling for deep sub-micrometer on-chip interconnects that achieves high data transmission rates while minimizing the number of repeaters by nearly 1/3. The technique uses low-impedance current-mode sensing to increase the data throughput and minimizes the static power dissipation inherent to current-mode signaling by adaptively changing the interconnection bandwidth given a change in input signal activity. Since bandwidth is related to power dissipation, the adaptive bus attains energy efficient data transmission by expending minimum power required to support the bus signal activity. The design method is based on statistical analysis of address streams extracted for typical benchmark programs using a microprocessor time-based simulator in combination with circuit-level power analysis. Simulation results indicate improvements in power dissipation of up to 65% and 40% over current and voltage mode signaling schemes, respectively.
Cytoplasmic Poly(A) Binding Protein C4 Serves a Critical Role in Erythroid Differentiation

The expression of an mRNA is strongly impacted by its 3′ poly(A) tail and associated poly(A)-binding proteins (PABPs). Vertebrates encode six PABP isoforms that vary in abundance, distribution, developmental control, and subcellular localization. Here we demonstrate that the minor PABP isoform PABPC4 is expressed in erythroid cells and impacts the steady-state expression of a subset of erythroid mRNAs. Motif analyses reveal a high-value AU-rich motif in the 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of PABPC4-impacted mRNAs. This motif enhances the association of PABPC4 with mRNAs containing critically shortened poly(A) tails. This association may serve to protect a subset of mRNAs from accelerated decay. Finally, we demonstrate that selective depletion of PABPC4 in an erythroblast cell line inhibits terminal erythroid maturation with corresponding alterations in the erythroid gene expression. These observations lead us to conclude that PABPC4 plays an essential role in posttranscriptional control of a major developmental pathway.
Ca-mediated and independent effects of arachidonic acid on gap junctions and Ca-independent effects of oleic acid and halothane.

In Novikoff hepatoma cell pairs studied by double perforated patch clamp (DPPC), brief (20 s) exposure to 20 microM arachidonic acid (AA) induced a rapid and reversible uncoupling. In pairs studied by double whole-cell clamp (DWCC), uncoupling was completely prevented by effective buffering of Cai2+ with BAPTA. Similarly, AA (20 s) had no effect on coupling in cells perfused with solutions containing no added Ca2+ (SES-no-Ca) and studied by DPPC, suggesting that Ca2+ influx plays an important role. Parallel experiments monitoring [Ca2+]i with fura-2 showed that [Ca2+]i increases with AA to 0.7–1.5 microM in normal [Ca2+]o, and to approximately 400 nM in SES-no-Ca solutions. The rate of [Ca2+]i increase matched that of Gj decrease, but [Ca2+]i recovery was faster. In cells studied by DWCC with 2 mM BAPTA in the pipette solution and superfused with SES-no-Ca, long exposure (1 min) to 20 microM AA caused a slow and virtually irreversible uncoupling. This result suggests that AA has a dual mechanism of uncoupling: one dominant, fast, reversible, and Ca(2+)-dependent, the other slow, poorly reversible, and Ca(2+)-independent. In contrast, uncoupling by oleic acid (OA) or halothane was insensitive to internal buffering with BAPTA, suggesting a Ca(2+)-independent mechanism only.
Anion‐ and Spacer‐Directed Host–Guest Complexes of Bipyridine with Pyrogallol[4]arene

New oval-shaped capsular and bilayer-type hydrogen-bonded arrangements of C-propyl-ol-pyrogallol[4]arene (PgC3-OH) with bipyridine-type spacer complexes are reported here. These complexes are engineered by virtue of derivatization of C-alkyl tails of pyrogallol[4]arene and the use of divergent spacer ligands. Complexes of PgC3-OH, PgC3-OH with bpy (4,4'-bipyridine) and PgC3-OH with bpa (1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)acetylene) have bilayer type arrangements; however, the use of hydrogen chloride causes protonation of bpy molecule, which is then entrapped flat within an offset oval-shaped dimeric hydrogen-bonded PgC3-OH nanocapsule. The presence of chloride anion in the crystal lattice controls the geometry of the resultant nanoassembly.
HermesD: A High-Rate Long-Range Wireless Transmission System for Simultaneous Multichannel Neural Recording Applications

HermesD is a high-rate, low-power wireless transmission system to aid research in neural prosthetic systems for motor disabilities and basic motor neuroscience. It is the third generation of our "Hermes systems" aimed at recording and transmitting neural activity from brain-implanted electrode arrays. This system supports the simultaneous transmission of 32 channels of broadband data sampled at 30 ks/s, 12 b/sample, using frequency-shift keying modulation on a carrier frequency adjustable from 3.7 to 4.1 GHz, with a link range extending over 20 m. The channel rate is 24 Mb/s and the bit stream includes synchronization and error detection mechanisms. The power consumption, approximately 142 mW, is low enough to allow the system to operate continuously for 33 h, using two 3.6-V/1200-mAh Li-SOCl2 batteries. The transmitter was designed using off-the-shelf components and is assembled in a stack of three 28 mm ? 28-mm boards that fit in a 38 mm ? 38 mm ? 51-mm aluminum enclosure, a significant size reduction over the initial version of HermesD. A 7-dBi circularly polarized patch antenna is used as the transmitter antenna, while on the receiver side, a 13-dBi circular horn antenna is employed. The advantages of using circularly polarized waves are analyzed and confirmed by indoor measurements. The receiver is a stand-alone device composed of several submodules and is interfaced to a computer for data acquisition and processing. It is based on the superheterodyne architecture and includes automatic frequency control that keeps it optimally tuned to the transmitter frequency. The HermesD communications performance is shown through bit-error rate measurements and eye-diagram plots. The sensitivity of the receiver is -83 dBm for a bit-error probability of 10-9. Experimental recordings from a rhesus monkey conducting multiple tasks show a signal quality comparable to commercial acquisition systems, both in the low-frequency (local field potentials) and upper-frequency bands (action potentials) of the neural signals. This system can be easily scaled up in terms of the number of channels and data rate to accommodate future generations of Hermes systems.
Enabling efficient and flexible coupling of parallel scientific applications

Emerging scientific and engineering simulations are presenting challenging requirements for coupling between multiple physics models and associated parallel codes that execute independently and in a distributed manner. Realizing coupled simulations requires an efficient, flexible and scalable coupling framework and simple programming abstractions. This paper presents a coupling framework that addresses these requirements. The framework is based on the Seine geometry-based interaction model. It enables efficient computation of communication schedules, supports low-overheads processor-to-processor data streaming, and provides high-level abstraction for application developers. The design, CCA-based implementation, and experimental evaluation of the Seine based coupling framework are presented.
Medical providers' understanding of sex trafficking and their experience with at-risk patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sex trafficking (ST) victims have unique medical and mental health needs and are often difficult to identify. Our objectives were to evaluate knowledge gaps and training needs of medical providers, to demonstrate the importance of provider training to meet the pediatric ST victim’s specific needs, and to highlight barriers to the identification of and response to victims. METHODS: A survey was sent to providers in specialties that would be most likely to encounter victims of ST. Participants included physicians, nurses, physician assistants, social workers, and patient and family advocates at multiple hospitals and medical clinics in urban, suburban, and rural locations. RESULTS: Of ∼500 survey recipients, 168 participants responded. In 2 clinical vignettes, 48% correctly classified a minor as an ST victim, and 42% correctly distinguished an ST victim from a child abuse victim. In all, 63% of respondents said that they had never received training on how to identify ST victims. Those with training were more likely to report ST as a major problem locally (P ≤ .001), to have encountered a victim in their practice (P ≤ .001), and to have greater confidence in their ability to identify victims (P ≤ .001). The greatest barriers to identification of victims reported were a lack of training (34%) and awareness (22%) of ST. CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers demonstrate gaps in knowledge and awareness of ST, specifically of pediatric victims, that correlate with their limited experience and training. Training is crucial to improve identification of these victims and provide appropriate care for their specific needs.
Evaluation research, policy, and politics.

This article discusses the role of politics in the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program’s effort to use evaluation research data to inform Florida’s juvenile justice education policies and practices. Through consideration of the Juvenile Justice Education Enhancement Program’s experiences with privatization and the tough love and economy of scale rationales for larger and more custodial juvenile institutions, the variable role of politics is examined. Although the two examples are different, the discussion demonstrates that by maintaining an overriding commitment to its evaluation research purpose, the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program has been able to continue its data-driven policy efforts despite operating in a politically charged environment.
Interrater, intra-rater and internal consistency reliability of the Theory Application Assessment Instrument.

Aim: To investigate the interrater, intra-rater and internal consistency reliability of the Theory Application Assessment Instrument, a tool for testing competency in combining multiple theoretical conceptual practice models in client evaluation and treatment planning. Methods: The assessment was administered to 27 graduate students in two phases. The principal investigator rated the participants on the assessment scale on two separate occasions. Results: Interrater and intra-rater reliability were good for Phase 2 data. Internal consistency reliability for Phase 2 data was in the ‘questionable’ range. Conclusion: The instrument shows promise of being an efficient tool. However, this was an exploratory study with a small sample. Its replication with a larger more representative sample is needed to increase external validity.
Integrating biomolecular analysis and visual programming: flexibility and interactivity in the design of bioinformatics tools

One of the challenges in bio-computing is to enable the efficient use of a wide variety of rapidly evolving computational methods to simulate, analyze and understand complex interactions of molecular systems. Our laboratory is interested in the development of novel computational technologies and in the application of these technologies to the analysis and understanding of complex biological systems. We have been using the Python programming language as a platform to develop reusable and interoperable components dealing with different aspects of structural bioinformatics. These components are the basic building blocks from which several domain specific applications have been developed. In this paper we describe the integration of two applications developed in our laboratory: PMV and a visual-programming environment. PMV is a general purpose, command-driven molecular visualization and manipulation program built from reusable software components. The visual-programming environment enables a user to build interactively networks describing novel combinations of computational methods. We describe several applications demonstrating the synergy created by combining these two programs.
Emotional Intelligence: Its Connection to HRD Theory and Practice:

The study of emotion has primarily evolved out of two disciplines, sociol- ogy and psychology. Each area has evaluated this phenomenon from a mul- titude of perspectives. Emotional intelligence has its roots within the psy- chological discipline. There has been a surge of interest throughout the 1990s in the area of emotional intelligence, and two different views of this phenomenon are emerging. The first perspective is called a "mixed- model" and is commonly associated with Goleman. This model is broader and a more inclusive description of emotional intelligence. The second perspective is referred to as an "ability-model," which is a more restrictive description of emotional intelligence and is associated with Salovey and Mayer. These models form the foundation for research and practice into the role of emotional intelligence in human resource development. The field of organizational behavior consists of the systematic study of the actions and attitudes that members exhibit. Those actions and attitudes are displayed through the activity of lived emotion, through workday frustra- tions and passions, which are deeply woven into organizational roles and characterize and inform organizational processes (Fineman, 2000). These organizations and their processes are a network of feedback systems. Feed- back systems occur through the interaction of two humans, which creates consequences for both leading to other reactions and then more conse- quences (Stacey, 1995). This systemic activity is a foundation of an organi- zation. The effectiveness of this systemic activity, through the actions of its organizational members, can drive individual and organizational performance. There has been a surge of interest in emotional intelligence through the 1990s, especially with the popular publication of Goleman's (1995) book titled Emotional Intelligence. The study of areas to improve individual and organiza- tional performance exists within the field of human resource development (HRD). Looking to the framework of emotional intelligence and its relationship to individual, process, and organizational performance may provide a pathway
Local microdomain structure in the terminal extensions of betaA3- and betaB2-crystallins.

Purpose: Although the crystal structures of the core domains of bovine sB2-crystallin have been determined and those of other sγ-crystallins modeled, the positions of the N- and C-termini are not resolvable by X-ray crystallography. Here we model the possible structural organization of the terminal arms of mouse sA3- and sB2-crystallins and test this model against the results of partial proteolysis. Methods: The secondary structure of the terminal extensions was predicted by 3 different methods, one a nearest-neighbor method modified to use overlapping sequence tripeptides. Recombinant sA3- and sB2-crystallins were expressed using baculovirus vectors in S. frugiperda Sf9 cells. Crystallins were sequenced by the Edman degradation method. Results: The N-terminal extension of sB2-crystallin includes a series of hydrophilic residues from Q-11 to Q-9 which have high propensity of a helical conformation. The N-terminal arm of sA3-crystallin is also predicted to have two helical segments, from Q-24 to E-20 and M-13 to A-12. Partial characterization of the baculovirus extract showed a thiol protease inhibited by leupeptin and E-64. As predicted by the model, recombinant sB2-crystallin subjected to partial proteolysis was cleaved adjacent to the helical domain, while the N-terminal cleavage site in recombinant sA3-crystallin was within 1 residue of an interhelical junction. Our model also predicts the products of partial proteolytic degradation of sB2- and sA3-crystallins from human, rat, bovine and chicken enses incubated with the protease m-calpain. Conclusions: These results suggest the existence of local microdomain structures in the N- and C-terminal extensions of sA3- and sB2-crystallins, which appear to be more susceptible to proteolytic degradation in regions adjacent to these putative domains.
A novel fast canonical-signed-digit conversion technique for multiplication

Fast multiplication can be achieved by using canonical signed digit (CSD) to speed-up computations. Conversion to CSD is needed when the multiplier is not known a priori. In this work, a novel approach for converting an unsigned binary number or two's complement number to its CSD form from least significant bit to most significant bit, (right-to-left), is presented. Comparison shows that our algorithm is faster and requires less area than existing CSD conversion algorithms.
Economic Growth and the CES Production Function with Human Capital

Employing a neoclassical growth model with a constant elasticity of substitution production function, we develop a comparative static and dynamic analysis of the effects of the elasticity of substitution between inputs on the steady state growth path, growth threshold, speed of convergence and savings rates. Unlike earlier studies along these lines, we incorporate human capital, along with physical capital and raw labor, as a third input in the production function. We prove that a higher elasticity of substitution between inputs can lead to a higher steady state level for income per effective unit of labor. To illustrate the quantitative significance of the elasticity of substitution, we consider two ways in which human capital enters the production function. Employing cross country data, we find estimates for the normalized CES production functions with human capital to be significantly below unity.
PERSUASION FROM BELOW

Guided by the belief that anonymity inevitably breeds the kind of uncivil discourse that hurts their readers, many news organizations have chosen to ban anonymous comments sections on their websites in recent years. Unfortunately, little empirical research has been conducted to assess whether exposure to anonymous comments actually does influence people's attitudes. In this paper, we address this oversight by asking: do anonymous comments posted on a newspaper website shape how internet users feel about the media? Using an online experiment to systematically manipulate exposure to anonymous comments attached to a “hard news” report, we find strong evidence that exposure to non-attributed posts—regardless of their tone—leads internet users to feel more negatively towards specific news organizations and the media in general.
Nontargeted Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography/Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Method and Software for Inventorying Persistent and Bioaccumulative Contaminants in Marine Environments

Analytical methods for contaminant monitoring are generally targeted; i.e., they measure defined lists of compounds. Routine monitoring projects using targeted methods are not usually designed to screen for unrecognized or novel contaminants and therefore miss compounds within the region or population of study that cause, or have the potential to cause, adverse biological impacts. We describe a nontargeted analytical method utilizing direct sample introduction coupled to comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. To test the capabilities of this instrumental method within the context of marine contaminant surveys, we characterized a broad array of nonpolar, persistent, and bioaccumulative contaminants in Atlantic common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) blubber, including compounds that are not typically monitored. Compound identifications were made by searching a standard reference database, by contemporaneously analyzing mass spectra from reference standards, and b...
Introduction to special issues, Part II Nature of tectonic boundaries in lithosphere of the Rocky Mountains

This is the second of two issues of Rocky Mountain Geology that addresses the structure and evolution of continental lithosphere in a transect through the Rocky Mountains from Wyoming to New Mexico. Contributions are mainly from participants in the CDROM (Continental Dynamics – Rocky Mountain) project, recently funded by the Continental Dynamics Program of the National Science Foundation (Karlstrom, 1998). The overall theme for papers in both issues involves the present geometry and long-term evolution of tectonic boundaries within the 1000 km-wide Paleoproterozoic crust of the southwestern United States (Fig. 1). In this region, as in many other orogens, a first-order geodynamic problem is to understand where ancient accretionary structures are located and how they become reactivated in subsequent tectonic events. We would like to know which components of present lithospheric structure were “inherited” from the time of lithosphere formation. The first issue ( RMG , v. 33, no. 2, 1998) contains papers that discuss the concept of inheritance, the present geophysical structure of the region, and the Archean-Proterozoic boundary (Cheyenne belt) in Wyoming. The Cheyenne belt is one of the most profound lithospheric structural boundaries exposed anywhere and is well documented at crustal and mantle levels (Fig. 1). Figure 1. Location of Precambrian province boundaries in the Southwest and present mantle structure (from Fig. 2). Black represents Cenozoic volcanism along the Jemez and St. George lineaments; line pattern designates the Rio Grande rift. Numbers show locations of study areas in this issue: (1) Park Range (Foster et al.; Barinek et al.); (2) Yavapai–Mazatzal boundary of southern Colorado (Shaw and Karlstrom); (3) Tusas Mountains (Williams et al.); (4) Rincon Range (Read et al.); (5) Manzano Mountains (Marcoline et al.); (6) southwestern New Mexico (Change et al.); line pattern is the Rio Grande rift (Keller and Baldridge). Reflection experiments across the Cheyenne belt and …
Overstepping Online Privacy Threatens Objectivity Expectations

News reports say Amy Prentiss and Shannon Lamb were a “happy couple,” so understanding why Lamb would kill Prentiss was difficult. On the day he shot Prentiss, Lamb also shot and killed his colleag...
Spreading method of sheet metal parts with multi-referenced points

To solve the problems of wrong developed direction and location as well as the overlap of developed zones in the radial spreading process of sheet metal components with curved feature,by considering the related bending deformation process,a new radial spreading approach based on multi-referenced points with the consideration of outside normal direction of bended parts is developed,which can describe the bending process effectively.The effectiveness of this approach especially in dealing with the above problems is validated by practical application.The obtained blank shape is reasonable,and it can provide a better initial guess value for the one-step quick analysis and optimization.
Nuclear Shape Analysis for Assessment of Prognosis in Renal Cell Carcinoma

AbstractClinically localized renal cell carcinoma is cured by radical nephrectomy in 47% [stage T3a (II)] to 65% [stage T1, T2 (I)] of the patients. Local recurrence and metastatic disease probably result from undetectable microscopic metastases present at operation. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy may improve cure rates if administered adjuvantly. The outcome of individual patients who share surgical stage cannot be predicted reliably by tumor histology, pathological grading and/or nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid analysis.Two groups of 10 patients with clinically localized renal cell carcinoma were similar by sex distribution (5 men and 5 women), surgical stage (stages T1 in 1, T2 in 6 and T3a in 3 patients) and age (54.3 ± 15.2 standard deviation versus 55.8 ± 8.7 years). Group 1 had no recurrences with a minimum followup of 5 years and a mean followup of 10 years. Group 2 died of metastatic renal cell carcinoma after a mean of 5 years. All neoplastic areas of each paraffin-embedded operative specimen were...
Two-Channel, Separable, Complex, Biorthogonal, Perfect Reconstruction Filter Banks

This paper demonstrates the design of two-channel, separable, complex, biorthogonal perfect reconstruction filters (BPRFs), which are filters which form perfect reconstruction filter banks. Separable complex perfect reconstruction filters (PRFs) are PRFs in which the real or imaginary part is also a valid real PRF pair. Separable complex filters are designed in a two step process of first designing a real PRF pair then finding a "complex complementary" filter pair that results in an overall complex PRF. Previous research parameterized separable PRFs for the orthogonal case. The limited design flexibility and limited practical applications in the orthogonal case motivated this investigation of separable complex filters for the biorthogonal case. The analysis and results in this paper are limited only to biorthogonal filters which are symmetric.
Resurrection of the genus Aphyllon for New World broomrapes (Orobanche s.l., Orobanchaceae)

Recent phylogenetic studies support a monophyletic clade of New World broomrapes (Orobanche sects. Gymnocaulis and Nothaphyllon) sister to the Old World genus Phelipanche. I place the New World taxa in the genus Aphyllon, propose 21 new combinations, and provide a list of currently accepted taxa.
Rapid evolution slows extinctions in food webs

Historically, evolutionary changes have been thought to act on much longer time scales than ecological dynamics. However, a recent body of research has demonstrated that evolution that is rapid enough to dramatically affect ecological dynamics can lead to feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes. Thus, to understand the stability of ecological communities, we must also consider evolutionary change in the component species. Here, we use individual-based simulations of a quantitative genetic eco-evolutionary model to describe how trait evolution influences the stability of ecological communities. On short time scales, faster evolutionary rates decreased the probability of species extinctions as populations at low densities were rescued via trait evolution. However, on longer time scales, evolutionary had little effect on the number of extinctions. The extent of short-term evolutionary rescue depended on the source of trait variation; populations with variation generated through mutation experienced more rescue events and were less prone to extinction, relative to populations with only standing trait variation. Trait evolution leading to more rescued populations increased the stability of the community on timescales relevant to conservation. Our work highlights the importance of intraspecific trait variation and the evolutionary mechanisms maintaining this variation for community ecology, as well as management of declining populations in a community context.
Cavity QED — where’s the Q?

We discuss recent experiments in cavity QED with strongly coupled single atoms, studied one at a time, in real time. Particular emphasis is placed on defining what is, and is not “quantum” about particular parameter regimes of the system.
Pokémon Go and the Law: Privacy, Intellectual Property, and Other Legal Concerns

So far, no one has sued Niantic or The Pokemon Company for injuries suffered while playing Pokemon Go. But it’s only a matter of time before the first big Pokemon Go related injury, whether that comes in the form of a pedestrian drowning while catching a Magikarp (the most embarrassing possible injury) or a car accident caused by a distracted driver playing the game. Before the first lawsuits arrive, this article provides a brief analysis of some of the legal issues involved with the new hit mobile game, including: personal injury liability; privacy; intellectual property; trespass; augmented reality; and virtual currency. This is not an exhaustive list of every legal possibility inherent in the Pokemon Go world. These are just some of the legal issues at play when users, well, play. While this may seem like a long list of potential legal problems, the reality is that any mobile game will have a host of legal issues involved. The issues here can also be applied to video games and augmented reality in general.