cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Late-Quaternary Climate of the Western Amazon Basin

Claims that Amazon climates were arid at glacial maxima are without radiocarbon dated evidence to justify them. Although aridity has been demonstrated for areas peripheral to South America, like the Galapagos Islands or northern Venezuela, these sites are separated from the Amazon by such climatic divides as the Andes mountains and the ITCZ. Radiocarbon dated evidence from a single site in the western Amazon basin near the Andean foothills suggests descent of montane forest of more than 700m at 33,000-26,000 yr BP, requiring temperature depression of at least 4.5°C in the Amazon lowlands. Cooling rather than aridity might have been a determining factor of glacial climate in the Amazon. Within the Holocene an episode of greatly increased precipitation has been demonstrated for the western Amazon from 1300 to 800 yr BP. Scattered data suggest that this millennial time-scale event might have been one of a long succession in late-Quaternary times.
Behavioral Evidence for Descending Control of Nociceptive Transmission

A major problem in the study of pain mechanisms is the development of suitable ways to measure pain. This problem is difficult enough in human subjects, who are able to describe their sensory experiences, but it becomes even more difficult in animal subjects. Animals are unable to describe their experiences, only to react to them. Furthermore, it is often necessary to use anesthetized preparations to investigate certain nociceptive mechanisms. Anesthesia by definition means that the experimental subject experiences no sensations, including pain. Investigators using animal subjects may thus be confronted with the challenge that they are attempting to study pain in the absence of pain. On the other hand, ethical considerations make it necessary to design experiments on unanesthetized animals with great care. A particularly problematic area is work on models for chronic pain. This topic is extremely important from the Standpoint of human disease, and yet there are serious questions concerning animal welfare on the one hand and human welfare on the other. Efferts have been made to develop appropriate guidelines for such studies (Bowd 1980; Covino et al. 1980; Hoff 1980; Iggo 1979; Sternbach 1976; Wall 1975; 1976). The discussion here will be concerned with tests of nociceptive responses. Emphasis will be placed on tests that are appropriate for the study of descending control of nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord, since this is the theme of this review.
Three Evidence-Based Strategies that Support Social Skills and Play Among Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Research demonstrates young children with autism and other developmental disabilities can benefit from participation in play activities with peers. Play provides opportunities to increase social skills across developmental domains in an integrated manner and provides opportunities to develop a sense of belonging and friendship; these goals are critical for young children with disabilities. However, in order for children with disabilities to benefit from the interactions that occur during play and to continue to progress developmentally in play skills, systematic intervention in social skills is needed. A variety of evidence-based practices provide guidance to teachers. In this article, three strategies are presented to assist early childhood educators. The three research-based strategies include the use of scripts, video modeling, and embedding choice as part of classroom activities. These practices create a context in which play skills can be developed and used in natural environments, thereby facilitating children’s engagement in play and improving the likelihood for improved interactions with peers.
Abstract 1416: Pan-cancer mutual vulnerability and viability

We used a skew-distribution-based statistical methodology to fit parametric models of cell-viability profiles from genome-wide RNAi-gene knockdowns. We identify the subset of genes with the highest degree of skewness that represent most oncogenes and tumor suppressors. We decomposed those genes using matrix decomposition in order to define mutual vulnerabilities. The resulting matrix decomposition components represent coordinated patterns of gene dependency shared by many genes in many cell lines across cancer types. We identify the most salient mutual vulnerabilities, generate a comprehensive catalog of them, and annotate them based on their association with a variety of genomic features including: gene, protein, and pathway expression, mutational landscape, copy number alterations, promoter methylations, metabolites, miRNAs, and drug sensitivities. We also generate an Onco-GPS (Oncogenic Positioning System) Map that provides a summary and visual representation of the mutual vulnerabilities and their components, and allow us to compare them with their counterparts in Pan-Cancer transcriptional and drug sensitivity spaces. Citation Format: Huwate Yeerna, William Kim, William C. Hahn, Jill Mesirov, Pablo Tamayo. Pan-cancer mutual vulnerability and viability [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1416.
Does Quality of End-of-Life Care Differ by Urban-Rural Location? A Comparison of Processes and Family Evaluations of Care in the VA.

PURPOSE Several studies have identified differences in end-of-life (EOL) care between urban and rural areas, yet little is known about potential differences in care processes or family evaluations of care. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between rurality of residence and quality of EOL care within the Veterans Affairs health care system. METHODS This study was a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of 126,475 veterans who died from October 2009 through September 2016 in inpatient settings across 151 facilities. Using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression, we compared quality of EOL care between urban and rural veterans using family evaluations of care and 4 quality of care indicators for receipt of (1) palliative care consult, (2) a chaplain visit, (3) death in an inpatient hospice unit, and (4) bereavement support. FINDINGS Veterans from rural areas had lower odds of dying in an inpatient hospice unit compared to veterans from urban areas, before and after adjustment (large rural OR 0.73, 95% CI: 0.70-0.77; P < .001, small rural OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.77-0.86; P < .001, isolated rural OR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81-0.93; P < .001). Differences in comparisons of other quality of care indicators were small and of mixed significance. No significant differences were found in family ratings of care in fully adjusted models. CONCLUSION Receipt of some EOL quality indicators differed with urban-rural residence for some comparisons. However, family ratings of care did not. Our findings call for further investigation into unmeasured individual characteristics and facility processes related to rurality.
AURANOFIN RELEASING ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIBIOFILM POLYURETHANE INTRAVASCULAR CATHETER COATINGS

Intravascular catheter related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) are a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections worldwide, resulting not only in the burden of cost and morbidity for patients but also in the over-consumption of medical resources for hospitals and health care organizations. In this study, a novel auranofin releasing antibacterial and antibiofilm polyurethane (PU) catheter coating was developed and investigated for future use in preventing CRBSIs. Auranofin is an antirheumatic drug with recently identified antimicrobial properties. The drug carrier, PU, acts as a barrier surrounding the antibacterial agent, auranofin, to extend the drug release profile and improve its long-term antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy and potentially the length of catheter implantation within a patient. The PU+auranofin coatings developed here were found to be highly stretchable (exhibiting ~500% percent elongation), which is important for the compliance of the material on a flexible catheter. PU+auranofin coated catheters were able to inhibit the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for 8 to 26 days depending on the specific drug concentration utilized during the dip coating process. The PU+auranofin coated catheters were also able to completely inhibit MRSA biofilm formation in vitro, an effect that was not observed with auranofin or PU alone. Lastly, these coatings were found to be hemocompatible with human erythrocytes and maintain liver cell viability.
Data Structures and Algorithms

Almost any object-oriented programming language provides a library of existing classes that are available to programmers to use directly or to subclass into application-specific classes. The most common classes for handling of predefined types (numbers, strings, Booleans, etc.), sets (array, collection, bag, etc.), input and output are illustrated with examples in C++. The chapter also provides an overview of some available class libraries for C++.
Global QCD Analysis, the Gluon Distribution, and High $E_t$ Inclusive Jet Data

We report on an extensive global QCD analysis of new DIS and hadronic inclusive jet production data emphasizing the impact of these recent data on the determination of the gluon distribution, and on the interpretation of the high $E_t$ jets highlighted by the CDF collaboration. This analysis results in (i) a better handle on the range of uncertainty of the gluon distribution, (ii) a new generation of CTEQ parton distributions which incorporates this uncertainty, (iii) a viable scenario for accommodating the high $E_t$ jets in the conventional pQCD framework, and (iv) a systematic study of the sensitivity of the various hard processes to $\alpha_s$ and the consistency of $\alpha_s$ determination in global analysis.
Standardizing Care for Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Children: Impact on Antimicrobial Stewardship

Purpose/Objectives: In August 2013, our institution implemented a standardized pathway for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), based on national guidelines and local consensus. The pathway aimed to improve antimicrobial stewardship. We evaluated the impact of this pathway on antibiotic prescribing patterns for infections seen …
Development of Liposomes as an Efficient Carrier System: New Methodology for Cell Targeting and Intracellular Delivery of Drugs and DNA

Liposomes are a valuable carrier system for enhancing the pharmacological activity of drugs and the functional incorporation of macromolecules into cells. During the last few years, we have concentrated on developing new liposome methodology designed to optimize their properties as a carrier system. We will describe some of these procedures related to the following specific topics: (1) efficiency of encapsulation: the reverse phase evaporation method produces large unilamellar vesicles (0.2–0.4 μdiameter) encapsulating approximately 50% of the initial aqueous phase. This procedure is particularly valuable for the encapsulation of large macromolecules such as RNA and DNA which can be entrapped with very high efficiency and no appreciable degradation. (2) control of vesicle size: extrusion of liposomes through nucleopore membranes produces vesicles which conform to the membrane pore diameter without loss of material. This allows the preparation of reasonably homogeneous populations of unilamellar vesicles in the range of 0.1–0.2 μ in diameter. (3) control of liposome permeability: minimizing permeability by increasing the cholesterol content increases dramatically in vivo anti-tumour effects. This has been tested with Ara-C containing vesicles against L1210 leukemia in mice. (4) intracellular delivery of macromolecules: the infectivity of liposome-encapsulated SV40 DNA is enhanced up to 1000-fold over free DNA and is dependent on the vesicle lipid compositions and the incubation conditions. The highest infectivity is achieved with vesicles composed of phosphatidylserine and cholesterol (1:1 mole ratio) in the presence of chloroquine, and in conjunction with a short post-incubation treatment with high concentrations of glycerol. Under these conditions, the infectivity of SV40 DNA (3 x 105 pfu/ g DNA) is comparable or greater than can be obtained using the Ca3(PO4)2techniques for DNA delivery. (5) targeting to specific cells: the covalent attachment of cell specific F(ab’)2 and Fab’ fragments of IgG to the liposome surface induces nearly quantitative uptake of liposomes by target cells. These new procedures increase by 100-fold the uptake of liposomes and their contents by the target cells. Current studies involve monoclonal antibodies against a variety of human and murine antigenic determinants.
Wireless Inter-Vehicle Communication Among VEX Robots

Dramatic advances towards the development of robotic networks occurred in the past few years. The availability of such robotic networks has not only promoted research in coordinated control theories, but also helped to introduce these cutting-edge topics into undergraduate robotic courses and curriculum. This paper describes construction of a VEX robotic network with wireless inter-vehicle communication. Robots, built using the VEX robotic kits, are integrated with XBee modules. Detailed procedures are given, including configuration of the XBee modules, connection of the VEX micro-controller, Cortex, with the XBee module over the UART port, and design of communication protocols for sending and receiving of positions from each other. This VEX robotic network can be easily obtained at other institutions. Educators can integrate multi-robot technology and coordinated control subjects into undergraduate robotics education.
Superfluid Phase Transition of 3He-4He Mixture Films Adsorbed on Alumina Powder

The superfluid phase transition of 3 He- 4 He mixture films adsorbed on 500 A alumina powder has been studied for mixture films whose superfluid thickness is less than a monolayer. The transitions are found to be controlled by the Kosterlitz-Thouless critical line, but a strong broadening of the transition is observed as the 3 He concentration is increased. Analyzing the broadening in terms of a KT vortex-pair theory modified for the the finite powder size yields a vortex core parameter which increases nearly linearly with added 3 He. Also observed in these measurements is a temperature-dependent and 3 He-dependent depletion of the superfluid density at low temperatures, which is thought to arise from the high-frequency ripplon/third sound excitations of the film.
Finding Shade from the

This article suggests that the practice of International Trade Commission (ITC) commissioners not to deliberate or share opinions among the themselves before releasing their decisions in antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) cases is at once shortsighted, anti-intellectual, and ultimately unnecessary. The plain language and legislative history of the federal Government in the Sunshine Act - the ITC's apparent procedural reason not to deliberate or share opinions - simply does not apply, either to informal background discussions among the commissioners designed to clarify issues and expose varying views, or to the sort of meetings where the commissioners might discuss AD/CVD cases. The article concludes that the ITC should reconsider its overly-restrictive interpretation of the Sunshine Act in order to allow commissioners to engage in private informal background discussions to exchange information and ideas among themselves. Such a change would significantly aid the ITC in producing well-reasoned, thoughtful, and fair AD/CVD decisions.
Written in Blood: Applying Shape Grammars to Retinal Vasculatures.

Purpose Blood vessel networks within the retina are crucial for maintaining tissue perfusion and therefore good vision. Their complexity and unique patterns often require a steep learning curve for humans to identify trends and changes in the shape and topology of the networks, even though there exists much information important to identifying disease within them. Methods Through image processing, the vasculature is isolated from other features of the fundus images, forcing the viewer to focus on the complex vascular feature. This article explores an approach using a grammar based on shape to describe retinal vasculature and to generate realistic and increasingly unrealistic artificial vascular networks that are then reviewed by ophthalmologists via digital survey. The ophthalmologists are asked whether these artificial vascular networks appeared realistic or unrealistic. Results With only three rules (initiate, branch, and curve), the grammar accomplishes these goals. Networks are generated by adding noise to rule parameters present in existing networks. Via the survey of synthetic networks generated with different noise parameters, a correlation between noise in the branch rule and realistic association is revealed. Conclusions By creating a language to describe retinal vasculature, this article allows for the potential of new insight into such an important but less understood feature of the retina, which in the future may play a role in diagnosing or helping to predict types of ocular disease. Translational relevance Applying shape grammar to describe retinal vasculature permits new understanding, which in turn provides the potential for new diagnostic tools.
A Radio Frequency Nonreciprocal Network Based on Switched Acoustic Delay Lines

This paper demonstrates the first nonreciprocal network based on switched low-loss acoustic delay lines. The four-port circulator is built upon a recently reported frequency-independent, programmable, nonreciprocal framework based on switched delay lines. The design space for such a system, including the origins of the insertion loss (IL) and harmonic responses, is theoretically investigated, illustrating that the key to better performance and low-cost modulation signal synthesis lies in a large delay. To implement a large delay, we resort to in-house fabricated low-loss, wideband lithium niobate (LiNbO3)SH0 mode acoustic delay lines employing single-phase unidirectional transducers. The four-port circulator, consisting of two switch modules and one delay line module, has been modularly designed, assembled, and tested. The design process employs time-domain full circuit simulation, and the results match well with measurements. An 18.8-dB nonreciprocal contrast between IL (6.6 dB) and isolation (25.4 dB) has been achieved over a fractional bandwidth of 8.8% at a center frequency 155 MHz, using a record low switching frequency of 877.19 kHz. The circulator also shows 25.9-dB suppression for the intramodulated tone and 30 dBm for IIP3. Upon further development, such a system can potentially lead to future wideband, low-loss chip-scale nonreciprocal radio frequency systems with unprecedented programmability.
Concepts as Tools Not Rules: a Commentary on (Re-) Defining Racism

In (Re-) Defining Racism, Alberto Urquidez argues that conflicting philosophical accounts over the definition of racism are at bottom linguistic confusions that would benefit from a Wittgensteinian-inspired approach. In this essay, I argue that such an approach would be helpful in disputes over the definition of metaphysically contested concepts, such as “race,” or semantically contested concepts, such as “racialization.” I disagree, however, that such insights would prove helpful or do very little for disputes concerning normatively contested concepts, such as “racism.”
A phase 2 study of belinostat and SGI-110 (guadecitabine) for the treatment of unresectable and metastatic conventional chondrosarcoma.

TPS11578Background: Conventional chondrosarcoma (cCS) accounts for 25% of primary bone cancers and is the second most common primary bone tumor after osteosarcoma. Surgical resection is the primar...
Metabolic heterogeneous zone assessed by 18FDG-PET is predictive of postablation mortality in patients with ventricular tachycardia

PURPOSE We sought to study the predictive value of the metabolic heterogeneous zone (HZ) as determined by 18 Fluorodeoxyglucose (18 FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) viability studies in ventricular tachycardia (VT) patients. METHODS PET studies utilizing 82 Rubidium (82 Rb) tracer for perfusion and 18 FDG tracer for viability were analyzed using PMOD (PMOD Technologies) and further analyzed using 684-segment plots. 18 FDG uptake was normalized to the area with maximal perfusion on the rest 82 Rb study. Metabolic scar, HZ, and healthy segments were defined with perfusion-normalized 18 FDG uptake between 0%-50%, 50%-70%, and >70%, respectively. RESULTS Thirty-four VT patients (age, 63 ± 12 years) were evaluated with 18 FDG-PET viability study. Most (n = 31) patients underwent VT ablation. Patients were categorized to HZ < median versus HZ ≥ median based on a median HZ area size of 21.0 cm2 . HZ size was significantly larger in the deceased group than the alive group (35.2 cm2 vs. 18.1 cm2 , p = .01). Deaths were significantly higher in HZ ≥ 21 cm2 group than HZ < 21 cm2 group (58.8% vs. 11.8%, p = .005). Survival analysis showed significantly higher mortality in the HZ ≥ 21 cm2 group than the HZ < 21 cm2 group (HR = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.3-12.6, p = .016). In a multivariable analysis, HZ was found to be an independent predictor for all-cause mortality (HR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.12, p = .01) CONCLUSIONS: Increased HZ size of myocardium was associated with increased mortality. Metabolic HZ quantification may be of value in risk stratification and management of ischemic and nonischemic patients with VT.
Shaw’s Saint Joan: Martyred Vision

This chapter provides an innovative approach to Shaw’s Saint Joan (1923). While acknowledging scholars who have seen Irish elements within the play, the approach proceeds with an in-depth analysis of the play and its relationship to James Connolly. It is not the chapter’s contention that the play is about Connolly, but rather that the play contains unmistakable elements of Connolly’s 1916 death, as Shaw understood it. Establishing the details of Connolly’s plight from the Rising to his execution that Shaw had access to, the Connolly elements, even presence, become vivaciously evident within the play. All of which is rooted in Shaw’s Preface to Saint Joan that reveals his conscious approach to the process of history, which reverberates through much of Shaw’s lifework. The chapter achieves a new revelation of Saint Joan, revealing a deep tapestry previously unconsidered.
Suicide in American Cities

Suicide rates have risen over the past two decades in the United States of America (USA). Rates are higher in rural settings, but more total suicides occur in urban areas. Understanding risk and protective factors prevalent in urban areas is essential in reducing the individual and public health impact of suicide. Lower rates of suicide in urban settings derive less from underlying differences in mental distress than from variation in access to care and to highly lethal means of suicide. Culturally appropriate interventions incorporating intersectional perspectives are needed to prevent and reduce suicide among people of color, particularly Native American and Black youth, and among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations. The Zero Suicide Initiative aims to coordinate multi-level suicide prevention interventions across sites of healthcare, and may be particularly well-suited to urban areas, where sources of care are more densely available and healthcare contacts may be more frequent.
Exploiting Locality in Program Graphs

The success of multithreaded systems depends on how quickly context switching between threads can be achieved. A fast context switch is only possible if threads are resident in fast but small memories. This limits, however, the number of active threads and thus the amount of latency that can be tolerated. The generality of dataflow makes it difficult to fetch and execute a sequence of logically related threads through the processor pipeline, thereby removing any opportunity to use registers across thread boundaries. Relegating the responsibilities of scheduling and storage management to the compiler alleviates this problem to some extent. In conventional architectures, the reduction in memory latency is achieved by providing (explicit) programmable registers and (implicit) high-speed caches. Amalgamating the idea of caches or register-caches within the dataflow framework can result in a higher exploitation of parallelism and hardware utilization. This paper investigates the suitability of cache memory in a dataflow paradigm. We present two heuristic schemes that allow the detection, exploitation, and enhancement of temporal and spatial localities in a dataflow graph (dataflow program). Dataflow graphs are partitioned into sub-graphs while preserving localities, and sub-graphs are distributed among the processors in order to reduce cache misses and communication cost. Simulation results showing the performance of the partitioning algorithms are presented and analyzed.
Spectral Domain OCT Documented Resolution of Pseudophakic Cystoid Macular Edema after Intravitreal Triamcinolone

Cystoid macular edema (CME) is an important cause of visual loss after cataract surgery. Treatment is usually with topical anti-inflammatory agents, with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents and steroids used intravitreally in resistant cases. Even though time-domain Stratus OCT can quantify the macular thickness, it cannot prognosticate visual outcomes due to the poor resolution of images, especially the outer segment-inner segment junction. Spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) by its ability to acquire large number of images in a short span of time provides high resolution cross-sectional images of the retina, which not only highlights the underlying pathological changes, but in addition can prognosticate visual recovery. We describe pre and post SD-OCT features of a case of refractory CME who was treated with intravitreal triamcinolone actetonide.
Manganese: Organometallic Chemistry

Ever since the characterization of Mn2(CO)10 in 1954, manganese has played an important role in the development of organometallic chemistry. In some ways, however, manganese has not been as prominently utilized in synthesis and catalysis as some other transition metals such as iron, cobalt, chromium, and so on. The low cost of the metal, its accessible oxidation states, and the versatility of its many reaction pathways suggest that manganese will play a feature role in the organometallic chemistry of the future. Herein, new developments in organomanganese chemistry are described. There have been significant advances in insertion reactions, nucleophilic additions to coordinated arenes, and the chemistry of manganese-coordinated carbenes, vinylidenes, and cymantrenes. Of special interest are the recent demonstration of manganese-mediated activation of strong covalent bonds in sulfur and nitrogen heterocycles and the construction of organomanganese coordination networks via self-assembly of modular quinonoid complexes. Keywords: manganese; carbonyls; insertion reactions; carbenes; cymantrenes; coordination networks; bond activation; π-hydrocarbon ligand; cyclometallation; hydrodesulfurization
Hershey, Alfred Day (1908–1997)

This article has no abstract. Keywords: Hershey, Alfred Day (DNA for cellular reproduction)
Physical Disability and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

Interpersonal Theory of Suicide constructs were examined in individuals with physical disabilities, a population identified as having heightened suicidal ideation. Students (N = 184) answered online-based self-report questionnaires. Students with physical disabilities (n = 49) were expected to endorse higher levels of constructs relative to other students (n = 133). Analyses of covariance indicated that those with disabilities reported higher perceived burdensomeness, but not thwarted belongingness, fearlessness about death, or suicidal ideation. Suicide prevention efforts, particularly in university settings, may benefit from focusing on reducing perceived burdensomeness in this population, as these individuals may be at heightened risk.
Enhanced Fe3+-Reducing Capacity Does Not Seem To Play a Major Role in Increasing Iron Absorption in Iron-Deficient Rats

Some eucaryotic organisms, including many plants, yeast and mice, have a higher iron uptake during iron deficiency because the capacity to reduce Fe3+ from the environment to Fe2+ is greatly enhanced. To determine whether this occurs in rats, a common experimental model for iron absorption in humans, we compared the in vivo capacity to reduce intraluminal Fe3+ in iron-deficient and normal rats. We also measured potential Fe(3+)-reducing components within the intestinal lumen and on the mucosal surface. Iron-reducing capacity was higher in iron-deficient rats, by a significant (P = 0.026) but modest 20%, in parallel with higher mucosal weight (R2 = 0.501, P = 0.003). In vitro iron reduction by lumen contents was correlated with mucosal weight, even though mucosal tissue was not present in the assays. This capacity was not related to ascorbic acid, glutathione or other nonprotein sulfhydryls. Mucosal ferric reductase activity was higher in iron-deficient rats in parallel with higher tissue weight, but the specific activity did not differ and the higher total activity was not associated with the brush border fraction. The role of endogenous Fe3+ reduction in regulating iron absorption should be investigated in humans and in other experimental models.
CP violation in non-leptonic Ω- decays

Abstract We estimate the size of the CP -violating rate asymmetry for the decay Ω − →Ξπ . Within the standard model we find a value of 2×10 −5 , and it could be as much as ten times larger if new physics is responsible for CP violation. Even though our calculation suffers from the usual uncertainty in the estimate of hadronic matrix elements, we find a rate asymmetry that is significantly larger than the corresponding one for octet-hyperon decays.
TeamWATCH demonstration: a web-based 3d software source code visualization for education

TeamWATCH is a three-dimensional source code visualization and team collaboration tool. The Web-based version of TeamWATCH can be used to visualize properties of files and revisions in a source code version control repository. It helps project managers and developers to quickly assess the progress of software projects. In the educational setting, instructors and teaching assistants can use it to monitor student team projects. A demonstration of TeamWATCH is described in this paper. How it can be integrated with Code Hunt for instructor use is also discussed.
Lateral phase separations in binary lipid mixtures: Correlation between spin label and freeze-fracture electron microscopic studies

Abstract 1. 1.Spin label measurement have been performed on the hydrated binary lipid system, dielaidoyl/dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine in order to determine the state of lipid fluidity as a function of temperature. The results are interpreted in terms of a binary phase diagram describing lateral phase separations within the plane of the lipid bilayer membrane. 2. 2.For a given temperature and composition the phase diagram rationale imposes certain restrictions on local lipid fluidity and composition. At intermediate temperatures the lipid bilayers are expected to contain domains of different composition. Critical predictions of the spin label-derived phase diagram have been tested using freeze-fracture electron microscopy. The results show that the phase diagram approach can be profitably applied to the understanding of lipid distribution in bilayer binary lipid systems.
Low-temperature NOx reduction with ethanol over Ag/Y: A comparison with Ag/γ-Al2O3 and BaNa/Y

Abstract A multistep mechanism has been elucidated for the reduction of NO x in the presence of ethanol over silver-exchanged zeolite Y (Ag/Y). Ethanol reacts with O 2 and/or NO 2 to form acetaldehyde at temperatures as low as 200 °C. Surface acetate ions, formed from the oxidation of acetaldehyde, react with NO 2 to yield nitromethane, a critical intermediate in subsequent deNO x chemistry. CN − , NC − , and NCO − are intermediates likely bound to silver ions. Both CN − and NC − are stable toward reaction under experimental conditions. A significant difference exists between the catalytic activities of Ag/Y and Ag/ γ -Al 2 O 3 ; oxidation of ethanol to acetate at low temperature is significantly faster over Ag/Y than over Ag/ γ -Al 2 O 3 , and both NO 2 and O 2 are effective oxidants over Ag/Y. With Ag/Y, pretreatment with either O 2 or H 2 does not affect the yield of N 2 , which approaches 60% and remains constant for at least 5 h, making this catalyst promising for NO x reduction.
Expression of background potassium channels in rat DRG is cell-specific and down-regulated in a neuropathic pain model

Neuropathic pain is associated with hyperexcitability of DRG neurons. Despite the importance of leakage potassium channels for neuronal excitability, little is known about their cell-specific expression in DRGs and possible modulation in neuropathic pain. Multiple leakage channels are expressed in DRG neurons, including TASK1, TASK3, TRESK, TRAAK, TWIK1, TREK1 and TREK2 but little is known about their distribution among different cell types. Our immunohistochemical studies show robust TWIK1 expression in large and medium size neurons, without overlap with TRPV1 or IB4 staining. TASK1 and TASK3, on the contrary, are selectively expressed in small cells; TASK1 expression closely overlaps TRPV1-positive cells, while TASK3 is expressed in TRPV1- and IB4-negative cells. We also studied mRNA expression of these channels in L4-L5 DRGs in control conditions and up to 4 weeks after spared nerve injury lesion. We found that TWIK1 expression is much higher than TASK1 and TASK3 and is strongly decreased 1, 2 and 4 weeks after neuropathic injury. TASK3 expression, on the other hand, decreases 1 week after surgery but reverts to baseline by 2weeks; TASK1 shows no significant change at any time point. These data suggest an involvement of TWIK1 in the maintenance of the pain condition.
Correlation of Polarizabilities with Van Der Waals Interactions in π-systems

This work aims to (i) provide a semiquantitative relationship that can be used to estimate the binding energy, equilibrium separation, and potential energy surface (PES) for supermolecules consisting of benzene and small polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in parallel configuration and (ii) give a qualitative description of π−π interactions between PAHs. We compute the one-dimensional PES of benzene translated parallel to various PAHs within the framework of second-order Moller−Plesset (MP2) perturbation theory. For PAHs of small MW difference, we observe a linear correlation between the binding energy and the number of carbon atoms in the supermolecule. The PES of these supermolecules is fit to an (exp-6) function whose variables are subsequently used to derive a mass-centered potential energy function as a function of the number of carbon atoms in the supermolecule. The linear dependence of the binding energy in the supermolecular series examined here can be directly correlated to the average polari...
Pitted cones and domes on Mars: Observations in Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae using MOC, THEMIS, and TES data

[1] Domes and cones with summit pits located in Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae were studied using MOC and THEMIS images and a TES-derived thermal inertia map. North of 40.5°N latitude, the features have a dome-like morphology, and south of that latitude, the morphology is more cone-like. Layering is apparent in the summit craters of fresher looking southern cones, and asymmetric aprons were observed in some instances. Some of the northern domes also display layering in their summit craters, but asymmetric aprons were not observed. The northern domes can also display multiple summit pits or no summit pits at all and can occur in association with higher-albedo “pancake” features. The northern domes are higher in albedo but have apparent thermal inertias that are lower than the surrounding plains. The apparent thermal inertia values of the southern cones range from values comparable to the surrounding plains to slightly lower. From the TES thermal inertia map, we infer that the thermal inertia values of the pitted cones are between those of basaltic fine dust and sand, while those of the surrounding plains are closer to that of basaltic sand. While a unique interpretation of the origin of the pitted cones is not possible with the available data, we do not find compelling evidence to suggest an origin related to either basaltic volcanism or ground-ice. Instead, an origin for these features through some combination of mud volcanism and evaporite deposition around geysers and/or springs is most consistent with the observations.
Engineering Escherichia coli for production of C12–C14 polyhydroxyalkanoate from glucose

Demand for sustainable materials motivates the development of microorganisms capable of synthesizing products from renewable substrates. A challenge to commercial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), microbially derived polyesters, is engineering metabolic pathways to produce a polymer with the desired monomer composition from an unrelated and renewable source. Here, we demonstrate a metabolic pathway for converting glucose into medium-chain-length (mcl)-PHA composed primarily of 3-hydroxydodecanoate monomers. This pathway combines fatty acid biosynthesis, an acyl-ACP thioesterase to generate desired C12 and C14 fatty acids, β-oxidation for conversion of fatty acids to (R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoAs, and a PHA polymerase. A key finding is that Escherichia coli expresses multiple copies of enzymes involved in β-oxidation under aerobic conditions. To produce polyhydroxydodecanoate, an acyl-ACP thioesterase (BTE), an enoyl-CoA hydratase (phaJ3), and mcl-PHA polymerase (phaC2) were overexpressed in E. coli ΔfadRABIJ. Yields were improved through expression of an acyl-CoA synthetase resulting in production over 15% CDW – the highest reported production of mcl-PHA of a defined composition from an unrelated carbon source.
Manganese potentiates lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of NOS2 in C6 glioma cells through mitochondrial-dependent activation of nuclear factor kappaB.

Neuronal injury in manganese neurotoxicity (manganism) is thought to involve activation of astroglial cells and subsequent overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2). Manganese (Mn) enhances the effects of proinflammatory cytokines on expression of NOS2 but the molecular basis for this effect has not been established. It was postulated in the present studies that Mn enhances expression of NOS2 through the cis-acting factor, nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB). Exposure of C6 glioma cells to lipopopolysaccharide (LPS) resulted in increased expression of NOS2 and production of NO that was dramatically potentiated by Mn and was blocked through overexpression of mutant IκBα (S32/36A). LPS-induced DNA binding of p65/p50 was similarly enhanced by Mn and was decreased by mutant IκBα. Phosphorylation of IκBα was potentiated by Mn and LPS and was not blocked by U0126, a selective inhibitor of ERK1/2. Mn decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased matrix calcium, associated with a rise in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was attenuated by the mitochondrial-specific antioxidant, MitoQ. Blocking mitochondrial ROS also attenuated the enhancing effect of Mn on LPS-induced phosphorylation of IκBα and expression of NOS2, suggesting a link between Mn-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and activation of NF-κB. Overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant of the NF-κB-interacting kinase (Nik) prevented enhancement of LPS-induced phosphorylation of IκBα by Mn. These data indicate that Mn augments LPS-induced expression of NOS2 in C6 cells by increasing mitochondrial ROS and activation of NF-κB.
High Throughput Analysis of Chiral Compounds Using Capillary Electrochromatography (CEC) and CEC-Mass Spectrometry with Cellulose Based Stationary Phases.

To fulfill the ever-growing demand for rapid chiral analysis, this research presents an approach for high throughput enantiomeric separations and sensitive detection of model chiral analytes using capillary electrochromatography (CEC) with UV and MS detection. This was achieved utilizing a short 7 cm CEC columns packed with cellulose tris (3,5-dimethyl-phenylcarbamate) (CDMPC) or sulfonated cellulose tris (3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (CDMPC-SO3) chiral stationary phases (CSPs) applying outlet side injections in CEC-UV. The separation performance was compared between CDMPC and CDMPC-SO3 CSPs for rapid enantio-separation in CEC-UV mode. In addition, using a high sensitivity UV-flow cell in combination with outlet side injections, the S/N and hence the limit of detection of the chiral drug could be improved. The 7-cm packed column was also used with traditional inlet injections for CEC coupled to a low-cost single-quadrupole MS. While outlet side injection was not possible in CEC-MS due to instrumentation c...
Notch effects and crack propagation analysis on kenaf/polypropylene nonwoven composites

Abstract This paper has studied the open-hole and pin filled-hole effects on the tensile properties of Kenaf/Polypropylene Nonwoven Composites (KPNCs) in production of automotive interior parts. The influence of specimen width-to-hole diameter (W/D) ratios of 6, 3, and 2 on failure load was studied. Two sample thicknesses of 3 mm and 6 mm were evaluated. Mechanical properties of the KPNCs in terms of uniaxial tensile, open-hole tensile (OHT), and pin filled-hole tensile (FHT) were measured experimentally. A preliminary model by extended finite element method (XFEM) was established to predict the failure load and simulate crack propagation of 3 mm thick open-hole and pin filled-hole specimens. Good agreement was found between experimental and simulation results. By calculating the stress concentration factor Kt for brittle materials, the net section stress factor Kn for ductile materials, and the strength reduction factor Kr, it was found that KPNC was relatively ductile and insensitive to the notch.
Violence is the answer

We U.S. Americans deplore violence. We're incensed by domestic incidents such as the bombings of the World Trade Center and the Oklahoma City federal building, and we even decry incidents abroad such as the recent bombings of an Israeli bus and the Paris subway. Likewise, we often lament having to live in the highly violent society the U.S. has generally become. But American society suffers from far more than its “illegitimate” violence, only a tiny portion of which is perpetrated by people we call terrorists. Arguably, even more violence is generated by “legitimate” behavior, committed by individuals and by institutions—ranging from corporations to governments—that we never label as terrorists at all. Violence, on various levels, is standard behavior in U.S. society. It is justified by rationales ranging from the “buyer beware” to “the need for domestic order” to “protecting U.S. interests” to “promoting national security.”. Thus, much American violence—and a good deal of terror—is tolerated, perhaps eve...
Connections between the Cosmic Baryon Fraction, the Extragalactic Ionizing Background, and Lyman Break Galaxies

We reassess constraints on the cosmological baryon density from observations of the mean decrement and power spectrum of the Ly? forest, taking into account uncertainties in all free parameters in the simplest gravitational instability model. The uncertainty is dominated by that of the photoionizing background, but incomplete knowledge of the thermal state of the intergalactic medium also contributes significantly to the error budget. While current estimates of the baryon fraction from the forest do prefer values that are somewhat higher than the big bang nucleosynthesis value of ?b h2 = 0.02 ? 0.001, the discrepancy is at most about 3 ?. For instance, assuming the highest estimate of the ionizing background, as indicated by recent measurements of a large escape fraction from Lyman break galaxies by Steidel, Pettini, & Adelberger, we find ?bh2 = 0.045 ? 0.008. A recent measurement of the ionizing background from the proximity effect by Scott et al., on the other hand, implies ?bh2 = 0.03 ? 0.01. We provide an expression from which future likelihoods for ?b h2 can be derived as measurements of the ionizing background improve?consistency among constraints from the forest, nucleosynthesis, and the microwave background will provide a powerful test of the gravitational instability model for the forest and for large-scale structure in general. We also develop a formalism that treats lower bounds on the baryon density in a statistical manner, which is appropriate if only a lower bound on the ionizing background is known. Finally, we discuss the implications of the escape fraction measurement for the age, structure, and stellar content of Lyman break galaxies. We show that the observed hard spectrum from Lyman break galaxies requires a very young age (less than about 1 million years) and/or a top-heavy initial mass function. We also build a model in which an extended (non-disk-like) gas distribution allows a large escape fraction.
iPhone Apps for First Aid: A Content Analysis

The present study examines the content of current iPhone apps to determine whether the apps adhere to accepted first aid guidelines and if adherence to first aid guidelines between paid apps and free apps is significantly different. This study involved a content analysis of 65 iPhone apps related to first aid. Adherence scores are presented including a list of apps with the best adherence scores. Apps developed by nationally recognized first aid organizations should be considered the best apps to download because of adherence to evidence-based first aid guidelines.
The Impact of Parental Divorce on College Students' Intimate Relationships and Relationship Beliefs

Abstract The present study examined the impact of parental divorce on college students from divorced and intact families on measures of intimacy and relationship beliefs. Analyses indicated that students from divorced families did not experience lower levels of intimacy than children from intact families. With the exception of one relationship belief, students from divorced families did not hold more dysfunctional relationship beliefs than students from intact families. While not directly pertinent to the hypotheses, variables mediating adjustment to divorce were examined, several of which had rarely been previously assessed, including social support, level of stress, and amount of attachment to parents.
The Two Kornai Effects

Abstract Kornai's theories of a “soft budget constraint” study a firm that receives state assistance when expenses exceed revenues. Such assistance is characteristic of classical socialism. It is well known that Kornai contended that a soft budget constraint increases input demands. He also predicted a second effect that has received less attention: input demands exhibit lower price responsiveness. The Second Kornai Effect may be defined in terms of slopes of input demands as Kornai did, or in terms of elasticities. A simple soft budget constraint model is used to review the First Kornai Effect and to examine the two versions of the Second Kornai Effect.
Therapy for Alopecia Areata in Mice Using Parathyroid Hormone Agonists and Antagonists, Linked to a Collagen-Binding Domain

Alopecia areata is a common form of hair loss in which autoimmune-mediated destruction of hair follicles causes patchy hair loss, for which there is no adequate therapy. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) induces the hair cycle and promotes hair growth. PTH-CBD is a fusion protein of PTH and a bacterial collagen-binding domain (CBD), leading to targeted delivery to and retention in the skin collagen. We tested the effects of a single dose of PTH-CBD (low or high dose) on an animal model for alopecia areata, the C3H/HeJ engrafted mouse. In all the treated animals, there was a rapid (1–4 days) increase in hair growth, with sustained effects observed over a 2-month period (7/10 total treated mice