cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
To Etch or not to Etch

Monocrystalline metallic nanoparticles are preferable for plasmonic applications, but grow preferably in polyhedral shapes which deviate from the pervasive spherical shape. Our simulations show that dimers of octahedral Au nanoparticles have higher field enhancement in the gap compared to dimers of spherical Au nanoparticles.
7 – Power System Analysis

This chapter deals with the analysis of power systems. Power system analysis is concerned with understanding the operation of the system as a whole. Generally, the system is analyzed either under steady-state operating conditions or under dynamic conditions during disturbances. The primary analysis tool for steady-state operation is the so-called power flow analysis, where the voltages and power flow through the system are determined. This analysis is used for both operation and planning studies and throughout the system at both the high and low transmission voltages. This chapter introduces the basic concepts in power system analysis, namely modeling issues, power flow studies, and dynamic stability analysis. The concepts are illustrated on simple power system representations. In real power systems, power-flow studies and system stability studies are routinely carried out for enduring the reliability and security of the electric grid separation. While the basic concepts are summarized in this chapter on simple examples, the real power systems are large-scale, nonlinear systems. The large interconnected nature of electric networks makes the computation aspects highly challenging.
The Developmental Sequence and Relations Between Gesture and Spoken Language in Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder

In typical development, gestures precede and predict language development. This study examines the developmental sequence of expressive communication and relations between specific gestural and language milestones in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who demonstrate marked difficulty with gesture production and language. Communication skills across five stages (gestures, word approximations, first words, gesture-word combinations, and two-word combinations) were assessed monthly by blind raters for toddlers with ASD participating in an randomized control trial of parent-mediated treatment (N = 42, 12?30 months). Findings revealed that toddlers acquired skills following a reliable (vs. idiosyncratic) sequence and the majority of toddlers combined gestures with words before combining words in speech, but in contrast to the pattern observed in typical development, a significant subset acquired pointing after first words.
Age doesn't matter much: hybrid visual and memory search is preserved in older adults.

We tested younger and older observers’ attention and long-term memory functions in a “hybrid search” task, in which observers look through visual displays for instances of any of several types of t...
Visible light optical coherence tomography angiography (vis-OCTA) facilitates local microvascular oximetry in the human retina

We report herein the first visible light optical coherence tomography angiography (vis-OCTA) for human retinal imaging. Compared to the existing vis-OCT systems, we devised a spectrometer with a narrower bandwidth to increase the spectral power density for OCTA imaging, while retaining the major spectral contrast in the blood. We achieved a 100 kHz A-line rate, the fastest acquisition speed reported so far for human retinal vis-OCT. We rigorously optimized the imaging protocol such that a single acquisition took < 6 seconds with a field of view (FOV) of 3×7.8 mm2. The angiography enables accurate localization of microvasculature down to the capillary level and thus enables oximetry at vessels < 100 µm in diameter. We demonstrated microvascular hemoglobin oxygen saturation (sO2) at the feeding and draining vessels at the perifoveal region. The longitudinal repeatability was assessed by < 5% coefficient of variation (CV). The unique capabilities of our vis-OCTA system may allow studies on the role of microvascular oxygen in various retinal pathologies.
Galvanic oxidation processes (GOPs): An effective direct electron transfer approach for organic contaminant oxidation.

Abstract The activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for organic contaminant oxidation usually relies on the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROSs). However, the ubiquitous anions and natural organic matter can easily scavenge ROSs and/or PMS, resulting in lower efficiencies and/or the formation of toxic byproducts. Relying on the unique long-distance electron transfer property, the recently developed Galvanic Oxidation Process (GOP) successfully achieved bisphenol A (BPA) degradation when BPA and PMS were physically separated in two reactors. In this study, we systematically investigated the performance of GOP at different PMS or BPA concentrations, pH, and ionic strength (IS) in both PMS and BPA solutions. The kinetic modeling employing the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model at different BPA concentrations suggested that although BPA and PMS were physically separated, the oxidation of the adsorbed BPA and reduction of the adsorbed PMS still followed a similar mechanism to that in traditional heterogeneous catalytic processes. The anions in the target water showed little impact on BPA degradation; higher IS enhanced the solution conductivity but inhibited BPA and electrode interactions, resulting in increased and then decrease BPA degradation rate. The electrodes presented high stability with a rate increase of 12% after 13 times of uses, and their hydration significantly facilitated BPA degradation but reduced the current by decreasing the potential difference between the anode and cathode. The graphite sheet itself without catalyst coating was also capable of shuttling electrons, while the use of a graphite fiber anode increased the BPA degradation by near 100% because of the larger surface area. The developed continuous stirred-tank reactor coupled with GOP (CSTR-GOP) achieved stable BPA degradation in less than 35 min and its scaling up is promising for future applications.
Native Processing of Single Guide RNA Transcripts to Create Catalytic Cas9/Single Guide RNA Complexes in Planta

The present CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing dogma for single guide RNA (sgRNA) delivery is based on the premise that 5'-and 3'-nucleotide overhangs negate Cas9/sgRNA catalytic activity in vivo. This has led to engineering strategies designed to either avoid or remove extraneous nucleotides at the 5' and 3' termini of sgRNAs. Previously, we used a Tobacco mosaic virus viral vector to express both GFP and a sgRNA from a single virus-derived mRNA in Nicotiana benthamiana. This vector yielded high levels of GFP and catalytically active sgRNAs. Here, in an effort to understand the biochemical interactions of this result, we used in vitro assays to demonstrate that nucleotide overhangs 5', but not 3', proximal to the sgRNA do in fact inactivate Cas9 catalytic activity at the specified target site. Next we showed that in planta sgRNAs bound to Cas9 are devoid of the expected 5' overhangs transcribed by the virus. Furthermore, when a plant nuclear promoter was used for expression of the GFP-sgRNA fusion transcript, it also produced indels when delivered with Cas9. These results reveal that 5' auto-processing of progenitor sgRNAs occurs natively in plants. Toward a possible mechanism for the perceived auto-processing, we found, using in vitro-generated RNAs and those isolated from plants, that the 5' to 3' exoribonuclease XRN1 can degrade elongated progenitor sgRNAs, whereas the mature sgRNA end products are resistant. Comparisons with other studies suggest that sgRNA auto-processing may be a phenomenon not unique to plants, but present in other eukaryotes as well.
Alix and Syntenin-1 direct amyloid precursor protein trafficking into extracellular vesicles

Endosomal trafficking and amyloidogenic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) is believed to play a role in the neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent evidence has suggested that packaging and secretion of APP and its amyloidogenic cleaved products into small extracellular vesicles (EVs) may facilitate uptake of these neurotoxic factors during disease progression. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying trafficking of APP into EVs are poorly understood. In this study, the mechanism and impact of APP trafficking into extracellular vesicles (EVs) were assessed by a series of inducible gene knockdowns. We demonstrate that vesicle-associated proteins Alix and Syntenin-1 are essential for proper subcellular localization and efficient EV secretion of APP via an endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT)-independent pathway. The neurotoxic C-terminal fragment (CTFβ) of APP is similarly secreted in association with small vesicles. These mechanisms are conserved in terminally differentiated neuron-like cells. Furthermore, knockdown of Alix and Syntenin-1 alters the subcellular localization of APP, sequestering the precursor protein to endoplasmic reticulum and endolysosomal compartments, respectively. Finally, transfer of small EVs containing mutant APP confers an increase in reactive oxygen species production and neurotoxicity to human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons and naive primary neurons, an effect that is ameliorated by Alix and Syntenin-1 depletion. Altogether these findings elucidate a novel mechanism for understanding the intracellular trafficking of APP and CTFβ into secreted extracellular vesicles, and the resultant potential impact on neurotoxicity in the context of Alzheimer’s disease amyloidopathy.
Contribution to the Realization of a Smart and Sustainable Home

Home automation is the set of connected objects that make the house itself connected. We sometimes even speak of an automated or intelligent home. However, connected objects allow the house to react automatically according to one or more events. This document presents a contribution to the realization of a wireless smart and also sustainable home. The house concerned by the construction is powered by a renewable, clean, and free energy source which is photovoltaic energy. Then, the house management system is based on an Arduino and embedded microprocessor-based systems. This work is a hybridization between several disciplines such as computer science, electronics, electricity, and mechanics. Next, a smart and sustainable home is characterized by many benefits like resident comfort, security, and energy-saving. The first part of this project focuses on building a model with the modules used (sensors, actuators, Wi-Fi interface, etc.). The second part is reserved for the implementation of the system and to make it controllable via a smartphone or a computer.
Montesquieu’s Dur-Commerce thesis

This essay seeks to clarify a facet of Montesquieu’s doux-commerce thesis. On the one hand, I agree with the scholarly consensus that Montesquieu was a doux-commerce thinker. Indeed, I argue that f...
Age of onset and behavioral manifestations in Huntington's disease: An Enroll-HD cohort analysis.

Huntington's disease is associated with motor, cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. Behavioral symptoms may present before, after, or simultaneously with clinical disease manifestation. The relationship between age of onset and behavioral symptom presentation and severity was explored using the Enroll-HD database. Manifest individuals (n=4,469) were initially divided into three groups for preliminary analysis: early onset ( 59 years; n=512). Incidence of behavioral symptoms reported at onset was highest in those with early onset symptoms at 26% (n=126), compared to 19% (n=678) for mid-adult onset and 11% (n= 56) for late onset (p<.0001). Refined analysis, looking across the continuum of ages rather than between categorical subgroups found that a one-year increase in age of onset was associated with a 5.6% decrease in the odds of behavioral symptoms being retrospectively reported as the presenting symptom (p<.0001). By the time of study enrollment, the odds of reporting severe behavioral symptoms decreased by 5.5% for each one-year increase in reported age of onset. Exploring environmental, genetic and epigenetic factors that affect age of onset and further characterizing types and severity of behavioral symptoms may improve treatment and understanding of Huntington's disease's impact on affected individuals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Boys' advantage on the fractions number line is mediated by visuospatial attention: Evidence for a parietal-spatial contribution to number line learning.

The study tested the hypotheses that boys will have an advantage learning the fractions number line and this advantage will be mediated by spatial abilities. Fractions number line and, as a contrast, fractions arithmetic performance were assessed for 342 adolescents, as was their intelligence, working memory, and various spatial abilities. Boys showed smaller placement errors on the fractions number line (d = -0.22) and correctly solved more fractions arithmetic problems (d = 0.23) than girls. Working memory and intelligence predicted performance on both fractions measures, and a measure of visuospatial attention uniquely predicted number line performance and fully mediated the sex difference. Visuospatial working memory uniquely predicted fractions arithmetic performance and fully mediated the sex difference. The results help to clarify the nuanced relations between spatial abilities and formal mathematics learning and the sex differences that often emerge in mathematical domains that have a visuospatial component.
Diasporic inquiries into South Asian women’s narratives: alien domiciles: edited by Shilpa Daithota Bhat, Maryland, Lexington Books, 2020, 230 pp., US$95.00 (Hardback), ISBN 978-1-4985-9176-8

Ambitious in its scope, Shilpa Daithota Bhat's Diasporic Inquiries into South Asian Women's Narratives, examines notions of homing, domicile, and alienness in South Asian women's narratives. Bhat's...
Protein Source and Muscle Health in Older Adults: A Literature Review

Research shows that higher dietary protein of up to 1.2 g/kgbodyweight/day may help prevent sarcopenia and maintain musculoskeletal health in older individuals. Achieving higher daily dietary protein levels is challenging, particularly for older adults with declining appetites and underlying health conditions. The negative impact of these limitations on aging muscle may be circumvented through the consumption of high-quality sources of protein and/or supplementation. Currently, there is a debate regarding whether source of protein differentially affects musculoskeletal health in older adults. Whey and soy protein have been used as the most common high-quality proteins in recent literature. However, there is growing consumer demand for additional plant-sourced dietary protein options. For example, pea protein is rapidly gaining popularity among consumers, despite little to no research regarding its long-term impact on muscle health. Therefore, the objectives of this review are to: (1) review current literature from the past decade evaluating whether specific source(s) of dietary protein provide maximum benefit to muscle health in older adults; and (2) highlight the need for future research specific to underrepresented plant protein sources, such as pea protein, to then provide clearer messaging surrounding plant-sourced versus animal-sourced protein and their effects on the aging musculoskeletal system.
Liposomes for oral delivery of protein and peptide-based therapeutics: challenges, formulation strategies, and advances

Throughout the past decade, there has been a rapid growth in the development of protein/peptide-based therapeutics. These therapeutics have found widespread applications in the treatment of cancer, infectious diseases, and other metabolic disorders owing to their several desirable attributes, such as reduced toxicity, diverse biological activities, high specificity, and potency. Most protein/peptide-based drugs are still administered parenterally, and there is an unprecedented demand in the pharmaceutical industry to develop oral delivery routes to increase patient acceptability and convenience. Recent advancements in nanomedicine discoveries have led to the development of several nano and micro-particle-based oral delivery platforms for protein/peptide-based therapeutics and among these, liposomes have emerged as a prominent candidate. Liposomes are spherical vesicles composed of one or more phospholipid bilayers enclosing a core aqueous phase. Their unique amphiphilic nature enables encapsulation of a diverse range of bioactives/drugs including both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds for delivery. Against this backdrop, this review provides an overview of the current approaches and challenges associated with the routes and methods of oral administration of protein/peptide-based therapeutics by using liposomes as a potential vehicle. First, the conventional and innovative liposome formation approaches have been discussed along with their applications. Next, the challenges associated with current approaches for oral delivery of protein and peptide-derived therapeutics have been thoroughly addressed. Lastly, we have critically reviewed the potential of liposomes utilization as vehicles for oral delivery of proteins emphasizing the current status and future directions in this area.
Explaining "-splain" in digital discourse

Combining digital discourse analysis and Citizen Sociolinguistics, methodological frames that contend with the effects of evolving digital practices, I present an approach to studying sociolinguistic trends by investigating how social media users talk about what language is doing. This approach is applicable to research on a wide range of linguistic and cultural contexts. The particular focus in this paper, however, is on U.S.-based social issues and linguistic features of American English as they appear in pieces of digital discourse from the micro-blogging platforms Twitter and Tumblr. Situated within the highly fractured sociopolitical climate of the pandemic-afflicted United States, the language under discussion provides a glimpse of some historically relevant sociocultural beliefs and attitudes towards the role of gender and racial identity in sociopolitical discourse. Focusing on uses of -splain, a metapragmatic bound morpheme, the paper demonstrates how social media users assemble lexical, discursive, and other semiotic resources as means for negotiating sociopragmatic appropriateness. The analysis shows how the usage of words like mansplain encompass the sociolinguistic process of enregisterment through practices of linguistic reflexivity, creativity, and regimentation – practices that are essential aspects of interaction and participation in social media. Using these enregistered metapragmatic words problematizes imbalances in users’ sociopragmatic ideologies, namely who can or cannot say what, to whom, and in what manner. I show how creative metapragmatic language is deployed to discuss issues of entitlement and epistemic authority in communicative dynamics. I draw on theoretical frames that reveal how the recontextualization and resemiotization of -splain words and other metapragmatic neologisms are performances of identity. I also show how splain-mediated communication facilitates users in achieving their own discursive intentions to point out language in judgmental and/or lighthearted manners. I assert that attention to metapragmatic neologisms in the perspective of Citizen Sociolinguistics enhances the analytical repertoire of digital discourse analysis.
Monitoring grazing use: Strategies for leveraging technology and adapting to variability

On the Ground • Collection, interpretation, and application of use-based monitoring data across large landscapes is challenging given the inherent variability in growing conditions and field-based estimates. • We present several approaches on leveraging geospatial data and technology to cope with this variability including weather and climate data, satellite remote-sensing data and associated tools, as well as livestock GPS collars. • Field-based estimates also can be improved with more careful consideration of field methods and improved observer training and calibration. • Planning and co-implementing of use-based and long-term landscape monitoring can inform causes of declining or improving rangeland health and better inform adaptive management.
Safety and Immune Effects of Blocking CD40 Ligand in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background and Objectives Costimulation by CD40 and its ligand CD40L (CD154) is important for the functional differentiation of T cells. Preclinical studies have recognized the importance of this costimulatory interaction in the pathogenesis of experimental models of multiple sclerosis (MS). To determine safety, pharmacokinetics, and immune effect of a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) against CD40 ligand (toralizumab/IDEC-131) in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Methods This single-institution open-label dose-escalation study (phase I) enrolled 12 patients with RRMS to receive 4 doses of 1, 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg of humanized αCD40L (toralizumab) IV infusion every other week. Patients were followed up to 18 weeks, annually, and finally at 5 years. In addition to safety and pharmacokinetics, other secondary and exploratory measurements are immune effects, clinical, MRI, laboratory, and neuropsychological evaluations. Results Fifteen adverse events, all of mild to moderate severity, were considered to be of possible or of unknown relationship to treatment. No serious adverse events, including thromboembolic events, occurred during the 18-week defined study period. Annual and long-term follow-up at 5 years revealed no delayed toxicity. Pharmacokinetics were nonlinear between the 5 and 10 mg/kg dose groups. The serum half-life of toralizumab was consistent between the dose groups with a mean of 15.3 days (SD = 1.9). Flow cytometry revealed no depletion of lymphocyte subsets. An increase in the CD25+/CD3+ and CD25+/CD4+ ratio and a shift toward an anti-inflammatory cytokine response were seen after treatment. Discussion Our study suggests that blocking CD40L is safe and well tolerated in patients with RRMS while increasing CD25 + T cells and anti-inflammatory cytokine profile. These findings support further studies to assess the efficacy of blocking CD40L as a potential treatment of RRMS. Classification of Evidence This study provides Class IV evidence on the safety, pharmacokinetics, and immune effects of an mAb to CD40L in patients with RRMS.
Assessment of Patient Preferences for Telehealth in Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Health Care.

Importance Telehealth use greatly increased in 2020 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient preferences for telehealth or in-person care are an important factor in defining the role of telehealth in the postpandemic world. Objective To ascertain patient preferences for video visits after the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency and to identify patient perceptions of the value of video visits and the role of out-of-pocket cost in changing patient preference for each visit modality. Design, setting, and participants This survey study was conducted using a nationally representative sample of adult members of the RAND American Life Panel. The data were obtained from the American Life Panel Omnibus Survey, which was fielded between March 8 and 19, 2021. Main outcomes and measures Preferences for video visits vs in-person care were analyzed in the survey. The first question was about participants' baseline preference for an in-person or a video visit for a nonemergency health issue. The second question entailed choosing between the preferred visit modality with a cost of $30 and another modality with a cost of $10. Questions also involved demographic characteristics, experience with video visits, willingness to use video visits, and preferences for the amount of telehealth use after the COVID-19 pandemic. Results A total of 2080 of 3391 sampled panel members completed the survey (participation rate, 61.3%). Participants in the weighted sample had a mean (SE) age of 51.1 (0.67) years and were primarily women (1079 [51.9%]). Most participants (66.5%) preferred at least some video visits in the future, but when faced with a choice between an in-person or a video visit for a health care encounter that could be conducted either way, more than half of respondents (53.0%) preferred an in-person visit. Among those who initially preferred an in-person visit when out-of-pocket costs were not a factor, 49.8% still preferred in-person care and 23.5% switched to a video visit when confronted with higher relative costs for in-person care. In contrast, among those who initially preferred a video visit, only 18.9% still preferred a video visit and 61.7% switched to in-person visit when confronted with higher relative costs for video visits. Conclusions and relevance This survey study found that participants were generally willing to use video visits but preferred in-person care, and those who preferred video visits were more sensitive to paying out-of-pocket cost. These results suggest that understanding patient preferences will help identify telehealth's role in future health care delivery.
Analysis of a Viral Agent Isolated from Multiple Sclerosis Brain Tissue: Characterization as a Parainfluenzavirus Type 1

Abstract A virus originally isolated from cell cultures obtained by lysolecithin-induced fusion of human multiple sclerosis brain cells with CV-1 cells has been analyzed for its antigenic, RNA, and polypeptide compositions, and for selective biological properties. Our findings establish that this isolate, designated 6/94 virus, contains a 50S RNA genome and is, as yet, indistinguishable from Sendai virus in its antigenic and total polypeptide compositions. Despite these similarities, the 6/94 and Sendai viruses differ in certain phenotypic properties. 6/94 virus is markedly less cytocidal for chick fibroblasts, especially at 37 C and, after β-propiolactone inactivation, it possesses a greater capacity for cell fusion and a lower toxicity than does comparably treated Sendai virus. In addition, 6/94 virus shows greater hemolytic activity.
Genomic medicine for cancer diagnosis.

Genomic diagnostics in cancer has evolved since the completion of the Human Genome Project and the advancements made in diagnosis and therapy in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Among the diseases to achieve limited success or potentially benefit from diagnostic genetic testing are thyroid cancer, Burkitt's lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, adrenocortical carcinoma, and colorectal cancer. With increased understanding of genomics, genetic tests should improve diagnosis and help guide medical and surgical management. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015 111:24–30. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nutritional aspects of HIV infection.

SUMMARY Wasting may not be an inevitable consequence of HIV infection but may be a consequence of multiple nutritional insults that are additive without periods of replenishment in between. Protein energy malnutrition in AIDS patients may be consequential to underlying illness and concomitant to death as a result of that illness or may hasten a patient's demise, that is, starvation with fatal loss of body cell mass. Mortality is closely related to weight loss. Malnutrition may be a result of decreased intake, malabsorption, altered metabolism, or any combination of the three. Nutritional strategies to prevent PEM include appetite stimulation, early nutritional supplementation with oral supplements, and the diagnosis and treatment of malabsorption and underlying infections. More aggressive measures such as gastrostomy or jejunostomy tube placement and total parenteral feedings are still being evaluated. Nutritional supplementation to enhance the immune system or manipulate metabolism may be adjunctive to the above strategies. Early intervention and attention to nutritional status may have long-term benefits to patients with this disease.
Short Sleep Duration: Effects on Nutrient Intake and Mood State

It is unclear whether the primary mechanism for weight gain in sleep-deprived college students is through changes in nutrient intake, negative mood states, or alterations in energy status. Purpose: We aimed to determine short sleep duration ( 0.05)...
Stability Criterion for a Linear Oscillatory Parabolic System with Neumann Boundary Conditions

This paper presents a stability criterion for a class of distributed parameter systems governed by linear oscillatory parabolic partial differential equations with Neumann boundary conditions. The results of numerical simulations that support the criterion are presented as well.
Authority, Social Theories of

Authority is a relation that exists between individuals, in which one does as indicated by another what he or she would not do in the absence of such indication. With this as background, the article presents the ‘premodern’ notions of authority developed by Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Weber; and then the perspective given by Arendt, according to which these notions are grounded in an ontological tradition whose time has passed. This leads to the point of view of Lukes, according to which it is unavoidable that multiple perspectives exist in the understanding of authority. These perspectives are associated with the different degrees of solidity that one can give to social composites such as culture, language, social groups, and individuals themselves. The article then presents the perspectives of Friedman, Flathman, Raz, and Zambrano. They reveal that the authority relation is as solid as the beliefs that justify individual choices that, at the interpreted level, are labeled as ‘ruling’ and ‘following.’ The article concludes by pointing out how our understanding of the authority relation may change as a consequence of recent developments in the cognitive science literature, as pioneered by Varela, regarding the nonexistence of a solid, centralized, unitary self.
Lipid droplet de novo formation and fission are linked to the cell cycle in fission yeast.

Cells sequester neutral lipids in bodies called lipid droplets. Thus, the formation and breakdown of the droplets are important for cellular metabolism; unfortunately, these processes are difficult to quantify. Here, we used time-lapse confocal microscopy to track the formation, movement and size changes of lipid droplets throughout the cell cycle in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In theory, the number of lipid droplets in these cells must increase for daughter cells to have the same number of droplets as the parent at a reference point in the cell cycle. We observed stable droplet formation events in G2 phase that were divided evenly between de novo formation of nascent droplets and fission of preexisting droplets. The observations that lipid droplet number is linked to the cell cycle and that droplets can form via fission were both new discoveries. Thus, we scrutinized each fission event for multiple signatures to eliminate possible artifacts from our microscopy. We augmented our time-lapse confocal microscopy with electron microscopy, which showed lipid droplet 'intermediates': droplets shaped like dumbbells that are potentially in transition states between two spherical droplets. Using these complementary microscopy techniques and also dynamic simulations, we show that lipid droplets can form by fission.
Neurobiological Factors in Aggressive Behavior

The author's aim was to review literature in the neuro-sciences and psychiatric clinical research reports about biological factors in aggression and the patho-physiological mechanisms that accompany aggression in neuropsychiatric syndromes. Method Studies were located through computer searches of relevant experimental reports and review articles mainly from the last 25 years. Results: Several studies using neuroimaging and neurophysiological and neuro-pathological research techniques have identified lesions in the limbic structures, temporal lobes, and frontal lobes of the brain in abnormally aggressive individuals. Several reports have associated deficiency or dysregulation of serotonin with homicidal, suicidal, and impulsive behavior. However, few studies have focused on polypeptides or second messenger systems, although abnormalities in these systems have been reported in patients with neuropsychiatric syndromes who have shown aggressive behavior. Even fewer studies focus on the correlation of brain st...
Mineral—solution equilibria in sparingly soluble mineral systems

Abstract Recent solubility, electrokinetic, spectroscopic and flotation studies in our laboratory on apatite and calcite in aqueous electrolytes indicate complex mineral—solution interactions which can alter surface characteristics of these minerals markedly in the presence of each other. In the case of systems containing such sparingly soluble minerals, understanding of the mineral—solution chemical equilibria under different physico-chemical conditions becomes important for developing schemes for processing them. The chemical equilibria in heterogeneous systems involving salt-type minerals are investigated in this work. Stability relations have been analysed on the basis of bulk equilibria for calcite, apatite, magnesite, calcite—apatite, calcite—dolomite, apatite—dolomite, gypsum—anhydrite, calcite—gypsum, calcite—apatite—dolomite and calcite—magnesite— dolomite systems. The role of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which under most laboratory experimental conditions cannot be avoided, has been emphasised. Theoretical results have been correlated with experimental data reported in the literature.
Differences in Parent Versus Child Perceptions of Child's Dietary Intake in Normal Weight and Overweight Children

Text: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in reporting of child’s dietary intake by the child and his/her parent. A food frequency questionnaire was administered separately to both a child and his/her parent. Children were asked to report their dietary intake on the food frequency questionnaire and parents were asked to report their child’s dietary intake on the same type of questionnaire. Participants were selected from children’s community programs. A convenience sample of 59 children (31 healthy weight and 28 overweight, 30 females and 29 males) ranging in age from 9 years to 14 years of age with a mean age 11.2 2.0 years and 59 parents (55 mothers and 4 fathers) participated in the current investigation. Analysis of variance was conducted for each variable to determine differences in reporting dietary intake of the child’s dietary habits between the parent and his/her child. Differences in reported total calories, total carbohydrate, total fat, saturated fat, fiber, and sodium (p 0.05) were found between children and parents and reported differences in calcium intake was not demonstrated. No differences were demonstrated in the reported intakes by the parent and child with respect to the child’s weight or gender. There may be dissociation between the children’s self-report of dietary intake and their parent knowledge of their child’s dietary, which should be considered when nutritionally counseling children.
Multiscale modeling for biologists

Biomedical research frequently involves performing experiments and developing hypotheses that link different scales of biological systems such as, for instance, the scales of intracellular molecular interactions to the scale of cellular behavior and beyond to the behavior of cell populations. Computational modeling efforts that aim at exploring such multiscale systems quantitatively with the help of simulations have to incorporate several different simulation techniques because of the different time and space scales involved. Here, we provide a nontechnical overview of how different scales of experimental research can be combined with the appropriate computational modeling techniques. We also show that current modeling software permits building and simulating multiscale models without having to become involved with the underlying technical details of computational modeling. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Diamond scribing and breaking of silicon for MEMS die separation

We describe a post-release die separation process for 1 0 0 silicon wafers with polysilicon surface micromachines using a combination of diamond scribing and mechanical breaking. The theoretical basis of scribing is reviewed and the theoretical relationship between scribe force and median crack depth was experimentally verified. Also the relationship between the scribe angle and the median crack depth as well as the stress to fracture is described. Scribe speed and scribe wear were also investigated. The results from our experiments were used to develop a process that had yields above 80% for two types of electrostatic MEMS actuators.
Corrections in the catalogue of oligonucleotides produced by digestion of Escherichia coli 16S rRNA with T 1 RNase

SINCE its initial publication1, the catalogue of oligonucleotides generated by T1 RNase digestion of Escherichia coli 16S RNA has undergone a number of revisions and refinements2–5. At present the literature contains two rather dissimilar documented versions of this catalogue2,3 and disagreements hold for 50% of sequences octamer and larger3. Confusion is not relieved by recent publications concerning the 16SrRNA primary structure6,7 that now incorporate some of the oligomer sequences of Uchida et al.3 but reject others, without resort to new evidence, however.
Novel Step Detection Algorithms for Photobleaching Analysis of Protein Complexes with Many Subunits

Single molecule photobleaching of fluorescently labeled protein complexes is an effective technique for counting constituent subunits and has been applied to determine the stoichiometry and oligomerization of several different transmembrane proteins including voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, as well as the makeup of the cellulose synthesis complex. Fluorophore bleaching occurs as a random process, resulting in discrete intensity drops over time. Step detection algorithms can be used to identify these steps within noisy signals in order to determine the total number of fluorescent subunits within a protein complex. Reliable identification of steps can become difficult however, when high numbers of subunits are present. Here, we present two step detection algorithms, one based on modified t-testing and another based on the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), that perform at higher levels of precision than existing algorithms and account for temporal changes in variance within a signal, which is expected in photobleaching experiments. We also present a method for determining a unitary step amplitude associated with bleaching of a single fluorophore based on a Gaussian Mixture Model.
Formation of noble metal nanoparticles within a polymeric matrix: nanoparticle features and overall morphologies

Colloidal noble metal nanoparticles dispersed within a polymeric, protective matrix and exhibiting tailored nanoparticle features are of growing technological interest. Such nanoparticle features include the nanoparticle size, size distribution, shape, and morphology. This essay describes some options to influence these by the variation of several parameters, such as the metal precursor type, the preparation method and conditions, and the protective polymer. Further variability of these metal-polymer systems is provided by the option to modify the overall morphology, that is, the additional tailoring of the location and distribution of the metal nanoparticles within the polymer matrix. Some examples based on block copolymer micelle systems are described.
Biological Sciences: Amino-acid Sequence of the Carboxyl Terminal Octapeptide of Human Haptoglobin β Chain

HAPTOGLOBIN (Hp) is an α2-glycoprotein which exhibits the unique property of binding free haemoglobin stoichiometrically. The haemoglobin binding sites were found to be located mainly on the larger of the dissimilar polypeptide chains, the β chain1–3. The amino-acid sequence of the α chains has been reported4. We have determined the sequence of the carboxyl terminal octapeptide of the haptoglobin β chain.
From polygons to politics: Everyday practice and environmental governance in Veracruz, Mexico

This article argues that everyday practices can matter as much as organized social movements or outright resistance in environmental governance outcomes. While governance has become an important analytical category for understanding the institutional and epistemological systems through which resources are accessed and managed, existing characterizations of environmental governance are based on organized social movements and/or institutional re-scalings. This research reveals how state strategies to govern resources and reorder space were thwarted by the everyday practices of both farmers and state actors. Using a case study from a historic coffee-producing region in Veracruz, Mexico, this article presents ethnographic data to demonstrate how government attempts to control the environment are bound together in mutually constitutive processes of transformation with the actual places, peoples, and practices that make up the landscape.
Analysis of overall heat balance in self-heated proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells for temperature predictions

Abstract The effect of self-heating and cooling by natural convection on a sustainable temperature of PEM fuel cell stacks was studied. Overall mass and heat balance equations are combined to predict self-heated temperatures at various operating conditions. Analyses show that the effect of a heat loss coefficient is more important than other variables such as air flow rate and surrounding temperature. The stack design variables such as active cell area and number of cells also have significant influence on self-controlled temperature. A lower Ohmic resistance of cells is expected to allow a wider range of current load applications. The proposed model can also be used to evaluate heat loss coefficient from measured stack performance and temperature data. Experiments performed on a seven-cell stack of 50 cm 2 active area were used to provide data for the validation of the model.
Conjugate phenylselenolactonization coupled with allylic selenoxide rearrangement for functionalizing dienylacetic acids

Abstract Use of the title reactions for the regioselective, and stereoselective functionalization of a range of dienylacetic acids, available from simple organoiron chemistry, is presented.
A simple guide to the interpretation of clinical trial results

Introduction The understanding and appropriate interpretation of results of clinical trials are fundamental to critical analysis and clinical decision-making. Reports should differentiate between statistically and clinically signifi cant results. Content This article will provide a guide to interpreting clinical trial results; by exploring the importance of ‘P’ values, the size and precision of a treatment effect and the incorporation of confi dence intervals into the description of the treatment effect, for both dichotomous and continuous variables. Discussion and Conclusions The results of clinical trials should only be used clinically after applying a combination of critical analysis, clinical acumen and common sense. The decision on whether the treatment would be clinically worthwhile must be judged according to the size of the treatment effect, the potential for harm, fi nancial cost, and the patient's likely experience of the intervention.
Rapid cooling of silicon (111)-melt interfaces by molecular dynamics

Abstract Equilibrium and rapidly quenched Si(111)-melt interfaces have been simulated by molecular dynamics using the Stillinger-Weber potential for silicon. The rapidly quenched interface locks into a meta-stable state with zero growth rate. Both the equilibrium and quenched states have very sharp interfaces, the interfacial region being confined to approximately one layer. The implications of this behavior and its comparison with simpler spherically symmetric systems are discussed.
Social Support, Positive College Events, and College Satisfaction: Evidence for Boosting Effects1

On the basis of previous research on college satisfaction and Cohen and Wills'(1985) social support framework, we hypothesized that structural social support has a main effect on college satisfaction and that the effect of positive college events on college satisfaction is boosted by self-esteem and belonging functional social support. Analyses were based upon a convenience sample of 392 community college students enrolled in psychology courses. Structural social support had a main effect on college satisfaction, and positive college events interacted with self-esteem functional social support. The beneficial effect of positive college events on college satisfaction increased as the level of self-esteem functional social support increased.
Analysis of zolpidem in postmortem fluids and tissues using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Zolpidem is a nonbenzodiazepine sedative hypnotic drug used for the short-term treatment of insomnia. While quite effective in producing sedation, zolpidem has potentially hazardous side effects when put in the context of complex tasks. Therefore, to more fully understand the postmortem concentrations of zolpidem, our laboratory has developed a sensitive method for the quantitation of zolpidem in biological specimens. Additionally, we have evaluated the distribution of zolpidem in various postmortem tissues and fluids from 10 aviation fatalities. This method incorporated a modified acetonitrile 'crash and shoot' extraction and a Waters Xevo TQ-S with an Acquity ultra-performance liquid chromatograph. The linear dynamic range was 0.4-800 ng/mL. The extraction efficiencies ranged from 78 to 87%, depending on the concentration. Postmortem blood zolpidem concentrations in these 10 cases ranged from 7.6 to 76.5 ng/mL. The highest concentrations of zolpidem present in each victim were found in the liver, spleen, lung and kidney tissues. Distribution coefficients for zolpidem were determined for each of the specimen types analyzed. These coefficients are expressed relative to the blood concentration in each case. This method proved to be simple, accurate and robust for the identification and quantitation of zolpidem in postmortem fluids and tissues.
Anion inhibition of monoamine oxidase.

Abstract It was found that rat liver monoamine oxidase is inhibited by various anions and that the degree of inhibition depends on which of two substrates, serotonin or tyramine, is used to test the monoamine oxidase activity. In addition, the inhibition by anions is affected by pH and temperature in ways that differ with the two substrates: for example, with rising temperatures inhibition of tyramine deamination by salts increases while inhibition of serotonin deamination decreases. The differential inhibition of MAO by anions suggests the existence of more than one active site or more than one enzyme subunit in rat liver monoamine oxidase. The relative substrate specificity of the inhibitions by anions suggests that there might exist other substrate-specific inhibitors.
A method for the measurement of season and duration of oyster collection: Two case studies from the prehistoric south-east U.S. coast

Abstract Models of prehistoric seasonal settlement movements along the south-east U.S. coast have been based on ecological and historical documents. Few direct measurements of archaeological data have been applied towards testing these models. A method for the determination of season of oyster collection in archaeological middens has been recently forwarded by a number of authors. An alternative and complementary method of determining season of collection of oysters that employs the measurement of a parasitic gastropod, the impressed odostome ( Boonea impressa = Odostomia impressa ) is forwarded. The method is applied to two case studies of late prehistoric contexts at Meeting House Field, St Catherines Island, Georgia and Harrison Homestead, Amelia Island, Florida.