cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and partial characterization of the antiviral protein from Phytolacca americana which inhibits eukaryotic protein synthesis.

Abstract The antiviral protein from the pokeweed plant ( Phytolacca americana ) which inhibits eukaryotic protein synthesis has been purified to homogeneity and its molecular weight has been determined by two physical methods. The protein consists of a single polypeptide chain of an approximate molecular weight of 27,000. The inhibitory effect of this protein on the synthesis of polyphenylalanine in a cell-free system from Artemia salina suggests that this protein acts in an enzymatic manner on eukaryotic ribosomes. It is also demonstrated that polyphenylalanine synthesis on A. salina ribosomes is more sensitive to inhibition by this protein than on rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes.
Performance of state based key hop (SBKH) protocol for security on wireless networks

State based key hop (SBKH) protocol is a novel, simple encryption scheme that uses RC4 encryption technique in a way that provides robust security with reduced processing cost, compared to 802.11 security protocols: wired equivalent privacy (WEP) and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) protected access (WPA). Low processing cost makes SBKH suitable for battery-operated devices, such as wireless sensors, and ease of implementation and maintenance make it suitable for small office home office (SOHO) user nodes. We present a performance analysis of the SBKH protocol and compare it with a performance analysis of WEP and WPA. The analysis reveals that SBKH is significantly more power efficient in terms of processing compared to WEP, WPA 1.0 and WPA 2.0 for all packet sizes.
Thyroid Hormone Promotes Postnatal Rat Pancreatic β-Cell Development and Glucose-Responsive Insulin Secretion Through MAFA

Neonatal β cells do not secrete glucose-responsive insulin and are considered immature. We previously showed the transcription factor MAFA is key for the functional maturation of β cells, but the physiological regulators of this process are unknown. Here we show that postnatal rat β cells express thyroid hormone (TH) receptor isoforms and deiodinases in an age-dependent pattern as glucose responsiveness develops. In vivo neonatal triiodothyronine supplementation and TH inhibition, respectively, accelerated and delayed metabolic development. In vitro exposure of immature islets to triiodothyronine enhanced the expression of Mafa, the secretion of glucose-responsive insulin, and the proportion of responsive cells, all of which are effects that were abolished in the presence of dominant-negative Mafa. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we show that TH has a direct receptor-ligand interaction with the Mafa promoter and, using a luciferase reporter, that this interaction was functional. Thus, TH can be considered a physiological regulator of functional maturation of β cells via its induction of Mafa.
The New School Finance Litigation or Why Race Discrimination in Public Education is More than Just a Tort

A trend has developed in education discrimination cases that has yet to be the focus of significant scholarly attention. Lawyers have begun to argue and courts to accept that equal educational opportunity for children of color poses a problem of distributive justice rather than a problem of corrective justice. Accordingly, these new cases do not turn on proof of racially invidious misconduct, but on the existence of racially disproportionate misfortune. For example, the trial court judge in Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. New York, the most recent school finance litigation in that state, held that the disparate racial impact of New York's school funding formula violates the implementing regulations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 B even though plaintiffs did not allege that the state engaged in intentional race discrimination. That case, and several others like it, have brought race back into the conversation about equal educational opportunity in the United States in a way that harkens back to Brown v. Board of Education. This article argues that the distributive approach that the Supreme Court took in Brown I B and that is the basis of the recent trend in education discrimination litigation B is more appropriate than the corrective course the Court chose in most of its desegregation cases. It contends that distributive justice best suits education discrimination cases because it better accounts for and responds to the experience of race discrimination in public schools. Indeed, given the central role that public education plays in a democratic society, corrective justice is simply inappropriate to resolve claims of discrimination in the distribution of that essential community resource. At a time in United States history when there is still a significant racial gap in standardized test scores, the remedies in many desegregation cases have been exhausted, affirmative action programs in educational institutions are under attack, and programs for non-English speaking K-12 students and remedial programs for college students are being scaled back or eliminated, it is particularly important to explore distributive approaches to ensuring that students of color have an equal chance for equal public education. The article explains why the implementing regulations of Title VI should provide a promising way to pursue that goal.
Soil moisture distribution under drip irrigation and seepage for potato production

Abstract Keeping soil moisture content at field-capacity in the root zone tends to maximize crop yield. However, this is challenging in sandy soils with a shallow water table and low water holding capacity. Seepage irrigation (SEP) relies on capillarity water movement from a water table to irrigate the crop, creating uneven soil moisture distribution across the field, which could be improved with drip irrigation. The objectives of this study were to evaluate irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) for potatoes and soil moisture distribution uniformity of two drip tape installation depths (surface at 0.05 m, SUR and subsurface at 0.15 m, SUB) as an alternative method to SEP. The design of the experiment was a randomized complete block with irrigation treatments as main plots, and potato varieties (Atlantic, Fabula, and Red LaSoda) as subplots. The volume of water applied, water table level, and soil volumetric water content were continuously measured for two seasons, 2011 and 2012. Drip irrigation significantly increased the moisture distribution uniformity in the potato ridge. The majority of the plant root system was concentrated in the upper soil layer (∼0.3 m), regardless of irrigation treatment. Similar marketable yield between SUR and SEP were achieved for Fabula and Atlantic in the first season, while lower yields were reported for Red LaSoda under drip in both years. The SUB produced lower yield in both years attributed to limited water capillarity. Drip irrigation reduced water use 48% and 88% in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Higher IWUE was obtained with drip compared to SEP for all varieties in 2012. The SEP used more irrigation water to supply the crop than SUR resulting in a difference in IWUE of 5.7 kg m −3 . The SUR was capable of adequately irrigating the potato shallow root producing similar yield to SEP for Atlantic and Fabula varieties.
Supplementary Appendix for Presidential Appointments and Policy Priorities

Previous studies of presidential appointments have consistently found that presidents place their most competent appointees into agencies responsible for policy issues high on their agendas. Using a survey with an embedded experimental manipulation, we examine whether members of the public, when given the backgrounds of fictional presidential appointees, are able to infer the president’s policy priorities based on the perceived competence of the appointees. Results suggest that perceived policy importance is positively associated with perceptions of competence, and negatively associated with perceptions of favoritism or patronage — characterized here as the nomination of campaign fundraisers. Moreover, these same factors are associated with increased levels of support for the President’s policy positions in the policy areas for which the nominees are responsible. Our findings suggest presidential appointments can influence perceptions of — and support for — policy priorities.
Parallel mechanisms suppress cochlear bone remodeling to protect hearing

Abstract Bone remodeling, a combination of bone resorption and formation, requires precise regulation of cellular and molecular signaling to maintain proper bone quality. Whereas osteoblasts deposit and osteoclasts resorb bone matrix, osteocytes both dynamically resorb and replace perilacunar bone matrix. Osteocytes secrete proteases like matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP13) to maintain the material quality of bone matrix through perilacunar remodeling (PLR). Deregulated bone remodeling impairs bone quality and can compromise hearing since the auditory transduction mechanism is within bone. Understanding the mechanisms regulating cochlear bone provides unique ways to assess bone quality independent of other aspects that contribute to bone mechanical behavior. Cochlear bone is singular in its regulation of remodeling by expressing high levels of osteoprotegerin. Since cochlear bone expresses a key PLR enzyme, MMP13, we examined whether cochlear bone relies on, or is protected from, osteocyte-mediated PLR to maintain hearing and bone quality using a mouse model lacking MMP13 (MMP13−/−). We investigated the canalicular network, collagen organization, lacunar volume via micro-computed tomography, and dynamic histomorphometry. Despite finding defects in these hallmarks of PLR in MMP13−/− long bones, cochlear bone revealed no differences in these markers, nor hearing loss as measured by auditory brainstem response (ABR) or distortion product oto-acoustic emissions (DPOAEs), between wild type and MMP13−/− mice. Dynamic histomorphometry revealed abundant PLR by tibial osteocytes, but near absence in cochlear bone. Cochlear suppression of PLR corresponds to repression of several key PLR genes in the cochlea relative to long bones. These data suggest that cochlear bone uniquely maintains bone quality and hearing independent of MMP13-mediated osteocytic PLR. Furthermore, the cochlea employs parallel mechanisms to inhibit remodeling by osteoclasts and osteoblasts, and by osteocytes, to protect hearing. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that confer site-specific control of bone remodeling has the potential to elucidate new pathways that are deregulated in skeletal disease.
Fatal Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae septicemia in a captive Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhyncus Obliquidens)

One male of a group of seven Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) died after a brief period of nonspecific clinical signs. Four beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) and four harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) were managed in the same water system. Gross examination of the dolphin revealed only moderately enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Histopathology revealed small to massive numbers of gram-positive bacilli, usually intravascular, in all tissues. Bacteria were both extracellular and present in macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils. Aerobic bacterial culture of lung, liver, kidney, and spleen yielded pure cultures of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Based on clinical course, histopathology, and bacteriology, a diagnosis of acute erysipelas septicemia was made. None of the other cetaceans or pinnipeds exhibited clinical signs.
St. John: Not Such a Saint

This case discusses the pharmacokinetic interaction between cyclosporine and St. John’s wort, resulting in renal failure. Cyclosporine is a cytochrome P450 3A4 and P-glycoprotein substrate and St. John’s wort is a 3A4 and P-glycoprotein inducer.
Inflammatory Cells of the Lung: Macrophages

The lung is an immunosuppressed organ, where reactions to inhaled foreign bodies are highly regulated. Macrophages play a key role in the pulmonary regulatory process as a major immune constituent of the alveolar, as well as interstitial, spaces. The macrophage is an important component of the innate immune system that plays a strong regulatory role as a vital link with adaptive immunity. This chapter provides an overview of the lung macrophage, its role in the regulation of lung immunity, and its response to toxic exposures and consequences to the host. Due to its important functions and location in the lungs, the macrophage is a critical target for xenobiotic-mediated lung injury. Xenobiotic agents have been implicated in various forms of lung injury from inducing immunosuppression to chronic inflammation through effects on the alveolar macrophage. In addition, subpopulations of macrophages have been described where unique phenotypes are the result of their mechanism of activation. The first portion of this chapter will describe the normal structure and functions of macrophage populations in the lung and the second portion will address macrophage responses to xenobiotic exposures. Plasticity of macrophage phenotypes may be central in regulating the fine balance required for normal lung physiology. To this end, this chapter describes the role of pulmonary macrophages with respect to environmental exposures. The functions and activities of macrophage subpopulations will be discussed in relation to alterations of those functions following environmental exposures. Although a great deal of information has been obtained, more questions remain. There are still undiscovered cytokines and even responses of the alveolar macrophage, as well as mechanisms of xenobiotic action that will alter our thinking in the future.
Progressive Care of Obese Patients

Obese patients have complex needs that complicate their care during hospitalization. These patients often have comorbid conditions, including hypertension, heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea, pressure ulcers, and difficulty with mobility. Obese patients may be well served in the progressive care setting because they may require more intensive nursing care than can be delivered in a general care unit. Progressive care nurses have core competencies that enable them to safely and effectively care for obese patients. A plan of care with interdisciplinary collaboration illustrates the integrative care for obese progressive care patients. (Critical Care Nurse 2016; 36[4]:58-63).
Structural Dynamics of Calmodulin in Regulation of Calcium Release in Health and Disease

Regulation of the cardiac calcium release channel, ryanodine receptor (RyR), by calmodulin (CaM) is disrupted by oxidation and disease-causing mutations. However, the structural basis for this regulatory change and the role CaM plays in the development of heart failure and arrhythmias is not well understood. Several studies suggest that the modulatory role of CaM is closely tied to its conformation when bound to RyR, but the association between structure and function is largely unknown. Testing the hypothesis that the modulatory action of CaM on RyR is caused by structural changes in the CaM-RyR complex, and establishment of these structure-function connections will be crucial in the analysis and treatment of heart disease. To address this clear deficit of knowledge, we use site-directed spectroscopic techniques to characterize structural changes that contribute to calcium deregulation in the heart. The approach is to prepare CaM mutants that contain a single Cys on each of the two lobes, then attach probes to those sites and measure intramolecular distance distributions using time-resolved spectroscopy. Previous studies from this lab employed EPR (DEER) spectroscopy, but the present study focuses on time-resolved FRET, in order to obtain sufficient sensitivity to study CaM bound to RyR in sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes. We will compare these measurements with those of CaM bound to a peptide corresponding to the CaM binding domain of RyR (RyR1 residues: 3614-3643), a comparison that has not been previously investigated. Ryanodine binding measurements were performed to ensure functional integrity of labeled CaM constructs.
Rewarding Community-Engaged Scholarship: A State University System Approach

The need for new and revised structures to reward new forms of scholarship is being examined nationally and globally. It is also being examined on campuses that make up the University of Massachusetts system, all which are classified by the Carnegie Foundation for Community Engagement. This paper reports on the collective exploration by the five campuses of the University of Massachusetts to understand whether the existing academic policies sufficiently and appropriately rewarding community engagement and publically engaged scholarship enact the core mission of the University of Massachusetts to effectively generate knowledge, address social issues, and fulfill its academic and civic purposes.
Conservation genetics of an endangered grassland butterfly (Oarisma poweshiek) reveals historically high gene flow despite recent and rapid range loss

In poorly dispersing species gene flow can be facilitated when suitable habitat is widespread, allowing for increased dispersal between neighbouring locations. The Poweshiek skipperling [Oarisma poweshiek (Parker)], a federally endangered butterfly, has undergone a rapid, recent demographic decline following the loss of tallgrass prairie and fen habitats range wide. The loss of habitat, now restricted geographic range, and poor dispersal ability have left O. poweshiek at increased risk of extinction. We studied the population genetics of six remaining populations of O. poweshiek in order to test the hypothesis that gene flow was historically high despite limited long-distance dispersal capability. Utilising nine microsatellite loci developed by PacBio sequencing, we tested for patterns of isolation by distance, low population genetic structure and alternative gene flow models. Populations from southern Manitoba, Canada to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA are only weakly genetically differentiated despite having low diversity. We found no support for isolation by distance, and Bayesian estimates of historical gene flow support our hypothesis that high levels of gene flow previously connected populations from Michigan to Wisconsin. Prairie grasslands have been reduced tremendously over the past century, but the low mobility of O. poweshiek suggests that rapid loss of populations over the past decade cannot be simply explained by fragmentation of habitat. As a species at high risk of extinction, understanding historical processes of gene flow will allow for informed management decisions with respect to head-starting individuals for population reintroductions and for conserving networks of habitat that will allow for high levels of gene flow.
Water Dissociative Adsorption on NiO(111): Energetics and Structure of the Hydroxylated Surface

The energetics of the reactions of water with metal oxide surfaces are of tremendous interest for catalysis, electrocatalysis, and geochemistry, yet the energy for the dissociative adsorption of water was only previously measured on one well-defined oxide surface, iron oxide. In the present paper, the enthalpy of the dissociative adsorption of water is measured on NiO(111)-2 × 2 at 300 K using single-crystal adsorption calorimetry. The differential heat of dissociative adsorption decreases with coverage from 170 to 117 kJ/mol in the first 0.25 ML of coverage. Water adsorbs molecularly on top of that, with a heat of ∼92 kJ/mol. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce the measured energies well (all within 17 kJ/mol) and provide insight into the atomic-level structure of the surfaces studied experimentally. They show that the oxygen-terminated O-octo(2 × 2) structure is the most stable NiO(111)-2 × 2 termination and gives reaction energies with water that are more consistent with the calorime...
Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program for CFTR Mutation Detection and Gene Sequencing to Identify Cystic Fibrosis.

All newborn screening laboratories in the United States and many worldwide screen for cystic fibrosis. Most laboratories use a second-tier genotyping assay to identify a panel of mutations in the C...
Effect of subcooling, flow rate and surface characteristics on flow boiling performance of high performance liquid cooled immersion server model

The dramatic increase in data center power consumption due to amplified global data traffic, combined with the demand for compact and energy-efficient data centers, have resulted in liquid immersion cooling gaining a prime focus as a thermal management strategy. As the technology finds its way to commercial applications, extensive knowledge on the effect of critical operational and system parameters on thermal performance is more essential than ever. The experimental study discussed in this paper addresses this by investigating the effect of subcooling, mass flow rate and surface enhancement on the flow boiling performance of a small form factor cooling system with vertically-oriented array of heaters that simulate electronic chips on a printed circuit board. Heat flux values up to 20.5 W/cm2 were achieved with a bare silicon surface for the highest subcooling and flow rate used in this study. Experiments were also conducted on two surface enhancements attached to the bare die — a sintered copper microporous heat sink and a heat sink with an array of microscale fins. With microfinned surface heat flux values up to 20.8 W/cm2 were achieved at surface temperatures less than 70°C. For the microporous surface, even higher heat flux values were achieved with increase in subcooling and flow rate.
Elucidating the Structures of Amyloid Oligomers with Macrocyclic β-Hairpin Peptides: Insights into Alzheimer’s Disease and other Amyloid Diseases

ConspectusIn the more than a century since its identification, Alzheimer’s disease has become the archetype of amyloid diseases. The first glimpses of the chemical basis of Alzheimer’s disease began with the identification of “amyloid” plaques in the brain in 1892 and extended to the identification of proteinaceous fibrils with “cross-β” structure in 1968. Further efforts led to the discovery of the β-amyloid peptide, Aβ, as a 40- or 42-amino acid peptide that is responsible for the plaques and fibrils. At this point, a three-decade-long marathon began to elucidate the structure of the fibrils and identify the molecular basis of Alzheimer’s disease. Along the way, an alternative model began to emerge in which small aggregates of Aβ, called “oligomers”, rather than fibrils, are the culprits that lead to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease. This Account describes what is known about the structures of the fibrils and details our research group’s efforts to understand the structural, biophysical, and bio...
"The real point is control": the reception of Barbara McClintock's controlling elements.

In the standard narrative of her life, Barbara McClintock discovered genetic transposition in the 1940s but no one believed her. She was ignored until molecular biologists of the 1970s "rediscovered" transposition and vindicated her heretical discovery. New archival documents, as well as interviews and close reading of published papers, belie this narrative. Transposition was accepted immediately by both maize and bacterial geneticists. Maize geneticists confirmed it repeatedly in the early 1950s and by the late 1950s it was considered a classic discovery. But for McClintock, movable elements were part of an elaborate system of genetic control that she hypothesized to explain development and differentiation. This theory was highly speculative and was not widely accepted, even by those who had discovered transposition independently. When Jacob and Monod presented their alternative model for gene regulation, the operon, her controller argument was discarded as incorrect. Transposition, however, was soon discovered in microorganisms and by the late 1970s was recognized as a phenomenon of biomedical importance. For McClintock, the award of the 1983 Nobel Prize to her for the discovery of movable genetic elements, long treated as a legitimation, may well have been bittersweet. This new look at McClintock's experiments and theory has implications for the intellectual history of biology, the social history of American genetics, and McClintock's role in the historiography of women in science.
Volume-of-Fluid Methods for Partial Differential Equations

In this paper, we give an overview of a set of methods being developed for solving classical PDE’s in irregular geometries, or in the presence of free boundaries. In this approach, the irregular geometry is represented on a rectangular grid by specifying the intersection of each grid cell with the region on one or the other side of the boundary. This leads to a natural conservative discretization of the solution to the PDE on either side of the boundary. This method has been used for a broad range of free boundary problems, including material interfaces in compressible (Noh and Woodward, 1976; Miller and Puckett, 1996) and incompressible (Hirt and Nichols, 1981; Puckett et al., 1997) flows, shocks (Chern and Colella, 1987; Bell, Colella and Welcome, 1991), and combustion fronts (Bourlioux and Majda, 1995; Hilditch and Colella, 1995; Pilliod and Puckett, 1997). In the case where the surface being represented in this way is an irregular domain boundary, these methods are often referred to as Cartesian grid or embedded boundary methods (Purvis and Burkhalter, 1979; Young et al., 1991). There has been considerable progress in the development of methods for generating the underlying grid description for complex three-dimensional geometries (Aftosmis, Berger and Melton, 1998), which makes this approach particularly attractive for complex engineering problems. These methods have been used in a variety of unsteady fluid dynamics problems, including inviscid compressible flow in three dimensions (Pember et al., 1995a), incompressible flow in two dimensions (Almgren, Bell, Colella and Marthaler, 1997; Calhoun, 1999) and low-Mach number combustion in an axisymmetric burner (Pember et al., 1995b).
Can Different Four-State Crossbridge Models Explain Latch and the Energetics of Vascular Smooth Muscle?

Ca2+ binding to troponin and the resulting thin filament conformational change acts as a switch in striated muscle that enables crossbridges to bind to actin and cycle (Ruegg, 1986). This allosteric “Ca2+-switch” mechanism generates only two primary crossbridge states: free and attached (Huxley, 1957).
Recombinant G protein-coupled receptor expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for protein characterization

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane proteins that mediate signaling across the cellular membrane and facilitate cellular responses to external stimuli. Due to the critical role that GPCRs play in signal transduction, therapeutics have been developed to influence GPCR function without an extensive understanding of the receptors themselves. Closing this knowledge gap is of paramount importance to improving therapeutic efficacy and specificity, where efforts to achieve this end have focused chiefly on improving our knowledge of the structure-function relationship. The purpose of this chapter is to review methods for the heterologous expression of GPCRs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including whole-cell assays that enable quantitation of expression, localization, and function in vivo. In addition, we describe methods for the micellular solubilization of the human adenosine A2a receptor and for reconstitution of the receptor in liposomes that have enabled its biophysical characterization.
Carotid endarterectomy: who needs it?

Although carotid endarterectomy is one of the most frequently performed operations in this country, recent evidence casts doubt on its advisability, particularly for patients with ocular manifestations of cerebral ischemia. The following evidence is that: the risk of future stroke in untreated patients with amaurosis fugax, retinal plaques, and infarcts is less than 3% per year, far lower than that expected for cerebral (hemispheric) transient ischemic attacks (TIAs); the perioperative risk of stroke and death after endarterectomy may be much higher than previously suspected; and aspirin is a comparatively risk-free and moderately effective alternative to endarterectomy. Because of the questions raised about the risk-to-benefit ratio of endarterectomy, patients with ocular manifestations of cerebral ischemia should be considered for this operation only as part of a proposed randomized collaborative study.
Mutational basis of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency.

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT, EC 2.4.2.7) catalyzes the synthesis of AMP from adenine and 5-phosphoribosyl1-pyrophosphate. In APRT deficiency (McKusick 102600), adenine is oxidized by xanthine oxidase to the highly insoluble and nephrotoxic derivative, 2,8-dihydroxyadenine. The accumulation of this compound in the kidney can lead to stone formation and eventual renal failure (Simmonds et al. 1989).
Placing police shootings in context and implications for evidence based policy: an exploration and descriptive analysis of these incidents in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia from 1990–2010

ABSTRACTBecause little traditional data is available on police shootings, this study utilized a content analysis of newspaper stories to examine the frequency, nature and context of police shooting...
Multi-stage Collaborative filtering for Tweet Geolocation

Data from social media platforms such as Twitter can be used to analyze severe weather reports and foodborne illness outbreaks. Government officials use online reports for early estimation of the impact of catastrophes and to aid resource distribution. For online reports to be useful they must be geotagged, but location is often not available. Less then one percent of users share their location information and/or acquisition of significant sample of geolocation messages is prohibitively expensive. In this paper, we propose a multi-stage iterative model based on the popular matrix factorization technique. This algorithm uses the partial information and exploits the relationship of messages, location, and keywords to recommend locations for non-geotagged messages. We present this model for geotagging messages using recommender systems and discussion the potential applications and next steps in this work.
In ovo metabolism and yolk glucocorticoid concentration interact to influence embryonic glucocorticoid exposure patterns

Abstract Vertebrates release glucocorticoids during stressful events. If stress occurs during reproduction, the resulting offspring can show altered phenotypes that are thought to arise from increased exposure to maternal glucocorticoids. Developing offspring can metabolize maternal glucocorticoids, which can alter the pattern of exposure they encounter. For egg laying vertebrates, we are just beginning to understand how embryonic steroid metabolism impacts embryonic exposure to maternal glucocorticoids. Here we injected three doses of radioactive corticosterone into Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) eggs to determine the degree of embryonic exposure at days six and nine of development. We found that increasing injection dose increased the amount of radioactivity found in the embryo at day six but by day nine the effect of injection dose disappeared as the amount of radioactivity within the embryo dropped to equivalent levels for all three doses. Interestingly, when examined as a percentage of initial dose, there were no differences between treatment groups at any time points. Importantly, using thin-layer chromatography we characterized that some free steroid, putatively identified as corticosterone, does reach the developing embryo. Together, our data suggest that the in ovo metabolism of maternal corticosterone can eventually eliminate it from the egg, but before this happens, embryos developing in eggs with elevated amounts of maternal corticosterone are exposed to higher levels early in development. This has important implications for how we understand the developmental steroid environment and the mechanisms underlying maternal stress effects.
Income of the Elderly Population Age 65 and Over, 2007

The U.S. retirement income system -- including employment-based retirement plans, Social Security, individual saving, and post-retirement employment -- can be assessed in part by examining the income of the current elderly population (age 65 and older). This paper reviews the latest available data on the older population’s income (from the U.S. Census Bureau’s March 2008 Current Population Survey) and how it has changed over time, as well as how the elderly’s reliance on these sources varies across demographic characteristics. The PDF for the above title, published in the May 2009 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another May 2009 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Consumer Engagement in Health Care: The Use of Lower Cost-Sharing.”
GatewayNet: a form of sequential rule mining.

The gateway hypothesis (and particularly the prediction of developmental stages in drug abuse) has been a subject of protracted debate since the 1970s. Extensive research has gone into this subject, but has yielded contradictory findings. We propose an algorithm for detecting both association and causation relationships given a discrete sequence of events, which we believe will be useful in addressing the validity of the gateway hypothesis. To assess the gateway hypothesis, we developed the GatewayNet algorithm, a refinement of sequential rule mining called initiation rule mining. After a brief mathematical definition, we describe how to perform initiation rule mining and how to infer causal relationships from its rules (“gateway rules”). We tested GatewayNet against data for which relationships were known. After constructing a transaction database using a first-order Markov chain, we mined it to produce a gateway network. We then discuss various incarnations of the gateway network. We then evaluated the performance of GatewayNet on urine drug screening data collected from the emergency department at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. A de-identified database of urine drug screenings ordered by the department between August 1998 and June 2011 was collected and then restricted to patients having at least one screening succeeding their first positive drug screening result. In the synthetic data, a chain of gateway rules was found in the network which demonstrated causation. We did not find any evidence of gateway rules in the empirical data, but we were able to isolate two documented transitions into benzodiazepine use. We conclude that GatewayNet may show promise not only for substance use data, but other data involving sequences of events. We also express future goals for GatewayNet, including optimizing it for speed.
Tetrachloroethylene Metabolism Resulting from Domestic Respiratory Exposure: Pharmacokinetic Considerations Relevant to Risk Assessment

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models describing the uptake, metabolism, and excretion of xenobiotic compounds are now proposed for use in regulatory health-risk assessments. In this study we compare how different scenarios for domestic respiratory exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE) from ground water influence the extent of PCE metabolism predicted using a PBPK model. Indoor exposure patterns we use as input to the PBPK model are realistic ones generated from a three-compartment model describing volatilization of PCE from domestic water into household air. Values we use for the metabolic parameters of the PBPK model are estimated from data on urinary metabolites in workers exposed to PCE. It is shown that for respiratory PCE exposure due to typical levels of PCE in ground water, use of time-weighted average air concentrations with a steady-state PBPK model yields estimates of total metabolized PCE similar to those obtained using completely dynamic modeling, despite considerable uncertainty in key exposure- and metabolic-model parameters. These findings suggest that, in this case, risk estimation taking pharmacokinetics into account may be accomplished using simple analytic methods.
A Brief Introduction to Plasma Accelerators

This work describes the physics of plasma waves and plasma accelerators. The superiority of plasma accelerators over conventional accelerators has generated renewed interest in these devices with the advent of ultra-fast laser technology. The ponderomotive force produced by ultra short laser pulses interacting with the plasma is considered and the resulting acceleration gradient is derived from first principles. Electron injection is described. Beam driven, including electron beam and proton beam, plasma waves are proposed as the future of high energy plasma accelerators.
Landscape Architects as Related to the Landscape/Nursery Industry: I. Impact on Demand for Plant Material

Abstract A survey of landscape architects in Georgia was conducted to help growers and landscape contractors work more closely with this group. We received 62 completed surveys for a 37% response. ...
Layer-by-Layer Hydrogen-Bonded Antioxidant Films of Linear Synthetic Polyphenols

We report on the role of the chemical structure of polyphenol pendant groups in linear antioxidant polymers in their assembly and chain intermixing within layer-by-layer (LbL) films, as well as in the antioxidant performance of interfacial assemblies. When assembled with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) within hydrogen-bonded films, the antioxidant polymers—poly(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl methacrylamide) (P2HMA) and poly(3,4,5-trihydroxybenzyl methacrylamide) (P3HMA)—which contain catechol- and gallol-like moieties, respectively, generated films with drastically different structure and functionality. Specifically, while catechol-based P2HMA deposited within LbL films linearly with a low increment of mass increase per step, the growth of P3HMA/PEO films was strongly exponential. Dramatic differences in chain intermixing and layering in these films are revealed by the application of neutron reflectometry using deuterated PEO, dPEO, to create marker layers. Differences in film structure strongly affected film antioxidant...
Changing the System

Despite widespread knowledge that the current practice of health care is injuring our physicians, very little has been done on a systems level to mitigate its spread. Responsibility for this trend is shared across a variety of domains. Women physicians carry a growing and disproportionate burden of burnout, outpacing men with an estimated 20–60% increased odds of suffering from this preventable epidemic. We will offer a framework within this chapter that organizations might use to develop strategies and tactics for reducing physician burnout, including an awareness of issues related to women physicians in particular. The framework is derived from five basic categories of work: efficiency, engagement, team building, career development, and well-being.
Antecedents and financial impacts of building brand love

Abstract Brand love has garnered increasing interest among practitioners and scholars, but little is known about how marketing actions drive brand love, and whether and how brand love transmutes to firm profitability. Using longitudinal brand love data collected from more than 20,000 customers of 152 corporate brands and financial data of firms who own these brands during 2006–2017, the authors examine the antecedents and financial impacts of building brand love. The results show that advertising investments help firms build brand love with diminishing returns after reaching an optimal point, whereas R&D investments positively contribute to brand love. The analyses further show that although brand love does not affect firm profitability and market value in the short term, it increases firm profitability and market value in the long term. More important, the results indicate that the positive effect of brand love on firm performance is stronger for hedonic brands, for firms in product categories that matter greatly to consumers, and those operating in highly competitive markets. Overall, the findings have important implications for marketing theory and provide actionable insights for managers into how to build and manage brand love.
Peer Victimization Among Detained Youth: The Impact of Callous-Unemotional Traits

There are limited studies examining associations between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and peer victimization, with some research suggesting a positive association between these two constructs and other studies indicating no association. However, no research to date has examined these associations among justice-involved youth, and CU traits may operate differently for youth who are involved in activity that results in detainment. The current study attempts to further clarify these associations by examining links between CU traits and peer victimization and examining CU traits as a moderator of associations between each form of victimization and depression symptoms, a common adjustment outcome associated with peer victimization. Finally sex differences in associations were considered. Self-reported measures were collected from 269 detained youth (75% male). Regression analyses indicated that CU traits were negatively associated with relational victimization. In contrast, CU traits were either unrelated or positively related to physical victimization, depending on whether the variance associated with relational victimization was considered. CU traits did not moderate links between both forms of victimization and depression symptoms for males or females. Findings suggest that CU traits may operate differently with various forms of victimization among justice-involved youth, with CU traits consistently linked to lower levels of relational victimization. It may be that the impact of CU traits depends on contextual/situational factors.
Analysis of patients' and caregivers' psychosocial functioning in colorectal conditions: comparison of diagnosis, gender, and developmental functioning

To evaluate the psychosocial functioning of caregivers and patients with anorectal malformation (ARM), Hirschsprung disease (HD), spinal conditions, and idiopathic constipation (IC) during the beginning of participation in bowel management program (BMP). In this retrospective study, Parent Stress Scale (PSS, parent-report) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, parent-proxy; SDQ-S, self-report for 11 years and older) were used to evaluate parental stress levels and behavioral functioning, respectively. Descriptive and comparative statistical approaches were applied to summarize the data and to determine differences in scores between diagnoses, gender, and developmental functioning. Two hundred patients and caregivers participated in BMP during the study period. PSS scores were significantly higher for caregivers of patients with IC than ARM. Statistical differences in SDQ were found for patients with IC versus those with ARM, male versus female patients, and patients with developmental delays versus those without delays. No significant differences were found in SDQ-S scores between these groups. Key findings suggest that level of parental stress and behavioral concerns were significantly influenced by diagnoses, and partly by gender and presence of developmental delay. Thus, psychosocial support may need to be tailored based on these findings to provide optimum quality of care for patients and families.
Fiduciary Duties and Disclosure Obligations in Proxy and Tender Contests for Corporate Control

This article will examine the fiduciary duties and disclosure obligations present in proxy and tender contests for corporate control. While the thrust of the discussion will be centered on the obligations of boards of directors and management, the roles of other participants in the process will also be surveyed. Although several of the relevant principles can be definitively set forth, it bears emphasis that a number of troublesome issues remain unresolved. At the same time, due to the complexities and breadth of the subjects involved, certain issues will receive more extensive treatment than others. The article will address relevant fiduciary and disclosure concepts in the context of battles for corporate control in the following manner. Initially, the responsibilities of financial and other intermediaries will be discussed. Thereafter, the article will present an overview of the general fiduciary and disclosure obligations of boards of directors and management. Subsequently, commentators' perceptions of the duties of target management in the tender offer setting will be presented. Finally, the article will analyze particularly relevant recent judicial decisions regarding the fiduciary duties and disclosure obligations of boards of directors and management in proxy and tender offer contests.
Doublesex mediates species-, sex-, environment- and trait-specific exaggeration of size and shape

Context-dependent trait exaggeration is a major contributor to phenotypic diversity. However, the genetic modifiers instructing development across multiple contexts remain largely unknown. We use t...
Five Things to Know About Section 230

This essay, written primarily for Canadian readers, explains five things that Canadians need to know about Section 230, the U.S. law that's become the legal foundation of the modern Internet.
Outcomes of Anti-Spike Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Pregnant Women with Mild to Moderate COVID-19

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-spike monoclonal antibodies (MAb) in the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in high-risk patients who are pregnant. MethodsThe database of patients treated with monoclonal antibodies in the Mayo Clinic Midwest region was reviewed for patients who were pregnant at the time of infusion. Manual chart review was performed to collect demographic details as well as COVID course for both the mother and the infant if delivered. The data are presented using descriptive methods. ResultsWe identified fifty-one pregnant patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who were treated with MAb (4 with bamlanivimab monotherapy, 3 with bamlanivimab-etesevimab combination, and 44 with the casirivimab-imdevimab combination). No adverse effects were reported, and no patient required COVID-19 related hospitalization. Twenty-nine patients delivered healthy babies, there was one case of intrauterine fetal demise secondary to a congenital Ebstein anomaly (not related to MAb treatment), and twenty-one were uncomplicated pregnancies. ConclusionMAb infusions were well tolerated in pregnant patients considered at high risk for COVID-19 complications, with no observed adverse effects to mother or fetus. Although preliminary data suggest MAb therapy in pregnancy is safe, further research is recommended to fully assess safety and efficacy in pregnancy. TEACHING POINTSO_LIAnti-spike monoclonal antibody therapy is well tolerated in high-risk pregnant patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 C_LIO_LINo adverse effects of anti-spike monoclonal antibody administration were observed in either the mother or fetus. C_LI