cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of seedling age and cultivation density on agronomic characteristics and grain yield of mechanically transplanted rice

Delayed transplantation frequently occurs in mechanically transplanted rice in China, leading to a significant reduction in grain yield. Thus, determining how to compensate grain yield loss is crucial for improving rice cultivation technology. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of cultivation density and seedling age on agronomic traits and grain yield of mechanically transplanted rice. With increasing seedling age, rice tiller number, pre-anthesis dry matter accumulation, remobilization efficiency and contribution to grain yield, as well as post-anthesis photosynthesis amount decreased, causing reductions in the number of effective panicles, the total number of grains per panicle, the sink capacity per tiller, and grain yield. In rice transplanted at 30- and 35-day seedling ages, increasing cultivation density significantly enhanced the number of effective panicles and grain yield. Additionally, there existed strong, positive correlations between sink capacity per tiller and pre-anthesis dry matter remobilization efficiency and pre-anthesis dry matter contribution to grain yield. We conclude that in addition to cultivation density, enhancing the amount of pre-anthesis dry matter and the remobilization efficiency could be feasible for mitigating grain yield loss caused by delayed transplantation.
Uric Acid and the Risks of Kidney Failure and Death in Individuals With CKD

Background Serum uric acid concentrations increase in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may lead to tubular injury, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and intrarenal inflammation. Whether uric acid concentrations are associated with kidney failure and death in CKD is unknown. Study Design Prospective observational cohort study. Settings & Participants 3,885 individuals with CKD stages 2 to 4 enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) between June 2003 and September 2008 and followed up through March 2013. Predictor Baseline uric acid concentrations. Outcomes Kidney failure (initiation of dialysis therapy or transplantation) and all-cause mortality. Results During a median follow-up of 7.9 years, 885 participants progressed to kidney failure and 789 participants died. After adjustment for demographic, cardiovascular, and kidney-specific covariates, higher uric acid concentrations were independently associated with risk for kidney failure in participants with estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) ≥ 45mL/min/1.73m2 (adjusted HR per 1−standard deviation greater baseline uric acid, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.12-1.75), but not in those with eGFRs Limitations Potential residual confounding through unavailable confounders; lack of follow-up measurements to adjust for changes in uric acid concentrations over time. Conclusions Uric acid concentration is an independent risk factor for kidney failure in earlier stages of CKD and has a J-shaped relationship with all-cause mortality in CKD. Adequately powered randomized placebo-controlled trials in CKD are needed to test whether urate lowering may prove to be an effective approach to prevent complications and progression of CKD.
Populism, liberalism, and democracy

The right-wing populism ascendant today is a symptom of the failure of progressive politics. Central to this failure is the uncritical embrace of a neo-liberal version of globalization that benefit...
Observations of the Kondo effect and its coexistence with ferromagnetism in a magnetically undoped metal oxide nanostructure

In this work, we report unusual observations of Kondo effect and coexistence of Kondo effect and ferromagnetism in indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowires that were synthesized without incorporating any magnetic impurities. The temperature-dependent resistivity ($\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{-}T$) data exhibited an upturn below 80 K and then tended to saturate below 10 K. The $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{-}T$ and magnetoresistance data were analyzed using the $n$-channel Kondo model, and from the obtained values of $\mathbit{S}=1$ and $n\ensuremath{\sim}1$, the nanowires were expected to be an underscreened Kondo system. A model was also proposed to explain the formation of localized $\mathbit{S}=1$ spin centers in the ITO nanowires. This work could provide insights into the understanding of spin-related novel phenomena in metal oxide nanostructures.
The Geography of Education and the Education of Geography: Agricultural Extension and the Political Ecology of Education

The spatial nature of learning is increasingly a focus of geographic inquiry. I argue that the spatiality of education, which is where formal learning occurs, has the potential to shape students’ s...
Returning negative results to individuals in a genomic screening program: lessons learned.

In genomics, the return of negative screening results for rare, medically actionable conditions in large unselected populations with low prior risk of disease is novel and may involve important and nuanced concerns for communicating their meaning. Recruitment may result in self-selection because of participants’ personal or family history, changing the characteristics of the screened population and interpretation of both positive and negative findings; prior motivations may also affect responses to results. Using data from GeneScreen, an exploratory adult screening project that targets 17 genes related to 11 medically actionable conditions, we address four questions: (1) Do participants self-select based on actual or perceived risk for one of the conditions? (2) Do participants understand negative results? (3) What are their psychosocial responses? (4) Are negative results related to changes in reported health-related behaviors? We found disproportionate enrollment of individuals at elevated prior risk for conditions being screened, and a need to improve communication about the nature of screening and meaning of negative screening results. Participants expressed no decision regret and did not report intention to change health-related behaviors. This study illuminates critical challenges to overcome if genomic screening is to benefit the general population.
Specific Distribution of Some “Nonspecific” Afferents upon Individual Thalamic Reticular Nucleus Neurons

Publisher Summary This chapter studies the diffusely organized and neurochemically characterized nonspecific inputs using intracellular injections of Lucifer yellow in lightly fixed tissue slices in conjunction with tract tracing, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy (EM). The chapter explains that along with its cholinergic inputs, both an extrinsic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic input from the basal forebrain, strategically targeting somata and proximal dendrites, and a moderate noradrenergic input from the locus coeruleus are well poised to influence the excitability states of reticular nucleus neurons. Preliminary EM observations suggest that most rat reticular neuron dendrites receive several kinds of synaptic inputs, and do not make synaptic contacts upon other dendrites. While a thorough understanding of the influence exerted by the various nonspecific inputs to the reticular nucleus requires a comprehensive analysis of each of the afferent systems and their target neurons, it seems that several extrinsic modulators converge on individual reticular nucleus neurons and can affect thalamic gating mechanisms through their contacts.
MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF PHOTOTHERAPY: NEW CONCEPTS

Visible light phototherapy is the most common method for treating neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. It is estimated that 2% to 6% of all infants born in the United States and Britain receive phototherapy (1,2). This treatment has long been considered both safe and effective. Reported side effects of phototherapy are generally of little clinical significance and all disappear following cessation of illumination (1,3). However, recent in vitro studies showing that light of wavelengths between 350 and 450 nm is mutagenic for procaryotic and eucaryotic cells (4,5,6), and therefore potentially carcinogenic, have caused concern because all commonly-used phototherapy lamps emit radiation in this region (7).
High-risk pathological features at the time of salvage surgery predict poor survival after definitive therapy in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract Objectives Salvage surgical resection is the preferred treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients who develop locally recurrent disease after failing primary therapy. However, salvage surgical resection is not always feasible, and survival outcomes for those that do undergo salvage remain poor. It is well known that patients with adverse pathological features (extracapsular extension (ECE) of lymph nodes (LN), positive margins, perineural invasion (PNI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and multiple LN metastases) at the time of primary surgical resection are likely to have relatively poor outcomes. However, the impact of adverse pathological features on outcomes in the salvage setting remains controversial. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed 73 patients at a single institution from 2008 to 2017 who developed recurrence and subsequently underwent salvage surgery (SS) after definitive curative-intent therapy including radiation. Demographic and disease control outcomes were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate relapse free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Results Median age at diagnosis was 61 years (range 40–86), 49/73 (67%) were male, and 55/73 (75%) had smoked. Patients with any adverse pathological features at SS had worse RFS (HR 3.15 p = 0.0008) and worse OS (3.97 p = 0.0008). Patients who relapsed Conclusions Patients with adverse pathological features at time of salvage surgery as well as those who have an early recurrence after definitive treatment and salvage surgery have worse outcomes. Prospective studies are necessary to clarify which patients should receive more intense treatment at salvage.
Medication Management Capacity and Its Neurocognitive Correlates in Huntington's Disease.

OBJECTIVE Although medication management is a necessary daily activity for individuals with Huntington's disease (HD), medication management abilities and their relation to cognitive functioning have not been evaluated. METHOD Twenty individuals with HD and 20 healthy adults (HA) completed the Medication Management Abilities Assessment (MMAA). Individuals with HD also completed a self-report medication management measure and neuropsychological tests assessing executive function, retrospective memory, and prospective memory. RESULTS Individuals with HD performed significantly poorer and made more undertaking errors on the MMAA as compared to HA. No group differences were found in overtaking errors. In the HD group, significant associations were found between undertaking errors and perceived medication management ability as well as between MMAA task performance and measures assessing prospective memory and executive functions. CONCLUSIONS Medication management capacity was negatively affected in individuals with HD and may be associated with difficulty remembering to take medications in the future.
Natural Law and Protestant Reform: Lessons from the Forgotten Reformer1:

Despite Protestants’ suspicion of natural law ethics in their recent history, there are signs that in some Protestant circles a re-awakening to the importance of natural law is occurring. This is a...
Voter ID Laws and Voter Turnout

In recent years, many states have enacted laws imposing strict identification requirements for voting. Proponents contend such laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud while opponents claim the laws disenfranchise legitimate voters, particularly black and Hispanic voters. This paper uses data from 2000 to 2014 federal elections to examine whether these new identification laws reduce voter turnout, either overall or among minority groups. The results provide no evidence that strict identification laws affect overall turnout or black turnout. However, the results do indicate a small reduction in Hispanic turnout, but this effect is statistically significant only if state fixed effects are not included in the estimation.
Timeliness of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment: a single-center experience:

BackgroundLung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in America. Timely and appropriate care is critical in the management of lung cancer. We retrospectively reviewed our experience at the...
Compounds I of Horseradish and Yeast Cytochrome C Peroxidases

Hemoprotein Compounds I form a class of enzymic intermediates with the formal oxidation level of Fe(V), yet exhibiting diverse properties. Two examples which illustrate this diversity are the Compounds I of horseradish peroxidase and cytochrome c peroxidase. This report first presents the general characteristics of the latter protein. Next it describes and contrasts the properties of the Compounds I of these enzymes and discusses the recent determinations of their structure by electron-nuclear double resonance (endor), after first briefly describing this technique. These, and likely all, Compounds I are comprised of an oxy-ferryl (FeIV=0) center interacting to some degree with a free radical. Differences between the proteins reflect, in significant part, differences in radical, in coupling strength, and possibly in the properties of the oxy-ferryl center.
Commentary: Beware of Mismatch

Brief Summary Prosthesis-patient mismatch is prevalent during both surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve replacement, and severe PPM associated with poor long-term survival.
An Integrated Optimization Model for Distribution Center Location with Considerations of Population and Income

This paper uses optimization technique and decision making method to find the optimum location for a group of distribution centers. Two levels of distribution center location have been found out. The first level uses set covering methodology to obtain the location which is the location for regional distribution center. The second level uses Analytical Hierarchy Process to obtain the location which is the location for local distribution center. This problem finds the location for two levels of distribution center for the state of Ohio considering various factors and conditions, primarily focusing on population and income.
Secreted reporter assay enables quantitative and longitudinal monitoring of neuronal activity

The ability to measure changes in neuronal activity in a quantifiable and precise manner is of fundamental importance to understand neuron development and function. Repeated monitoring of neuronal activity of the same population of neurons over several days is challenging and, typically, low-throughput. Here, we describe a new biochemical reporter assay that allows for repeated measurements of neuronal activity in a cell type-specific manner. We coupled activity-dependent elements from the Arc/Arg3.1 gene with a secreted reporter, Gaussia luciferase, to quantify neuronal activity without sacrificing the neurons. The reporter predominantly senses calcium and NMDA receptor-dependent activity. By repeatedly measuring the accumulation of the reporter in cell media, we can profile the developmental dynamics of neuronal activity in cultured neurons from male and female mice. The assay also allows for longitudinal analysis of pharmacological treatments, thus distinguishing acute from delayed responses. Moreover, conditional expression of the reporter allows for monitoring cell type-specific changes. This simple, quantitative, cost-effective, automatable, and cell type-specific activity reporter is a valuable tool to study the development of neuronal activity in normal and disease-model conditions, and to identify small molecules or protein factors that selectively modulate the activity of a specific population of neurons.
Process Safety Across the Chemical Engineering Curriculum

Chemical process safety must be an integral part of a chemical engineer’s training. This training could be achieved through a course on chemical process safety, but the undergraduate chemical engin...
A multi-level analysis of upper elementary students’ performance on the STAAR reading exam: comparing growth trajectories of rural and non-rural school districts

We examined student reading achievement in rural and non-rural school districts in Texas. Our research questions probed the improvement in student performance over time, differences in the number o...
Counseling, Contraception, and Conception Rates in Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: A Retrospective Review

Abstract Objectives To determine conception rates, contraceptive use patterns, and frequency of counseling regarding pregnancy recommendations in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Study Design Using a database of bariatric surgery patients at our institution, we identified female patients aged 18 to 45 who underwent surgery from 2013 to 2018. Patient charts were reviewed for demographic information, documentation of counseling regarding pregnancy recommendations, conception during the postoperative period, and pre and postoperative contraception use. We examined rates of contraception use and used standard statistical tests to compare conception rates between groups. Results Of the 460 patients that met inclusion criteria and did not have a history of permanent contraception, 54% (95% CI 49–58) had documented postoperative contraception use, most commonly the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device followed by combination oral contraceptive pills. In the 18 months following bariatric surgery, 6% of patients (95% CI 4–8) had a documented pregnancy. Over 50% (95% CI 35–71) of pregnancies occurred in patients without documented postoperative contraception. Conclusions For bariatric surgery patients at risk of pregnancy, postoperative contraception use patterns and conception rates are not consistent with the recommendation to refrain from pregnancy for 18 months. Implications Individualized contraceptive counseling that includes a discussion of fertility and weight loss goals, planned bariatric procedure type, and patient preference should be implemented as part of standard preoperative care for patients at risk of pregnancy undergoing bariatric surgery.
Twisted Spatiotemporal Optical Vortex Random Fields

We present twisted spatiotemporal optical vortex (STOV) beams, which are partially coherent light sources that possess a coherent optical vortex and a random twist coupling their space and time dimensions. These beams have controllable partial coherence and transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM), which distinguishes them from the more common spatial vortex and twisted beams (known to carry longitudinal OAM) in the literature and should ultimately make them useful in applications such as optical communications and optical tweezing. We present the mathematical analysis of twisted STOV beams, deriving the mutual coherence function and linear and angular momentum densities. We simulate the synthesis of twisted STOV beams and investigate their free-space propagation characteristics. We discuss how to physically generate twisted STOV fields and lastly conclude with a summary and brief discussion of future research.
Hemorrhagic spinal melanotic schwannoma presenting as acute chest pain: A case report and literature review.

Background Melanotic schwannoma (MS) is a rare variant of peripheral nerve sheath tumor. MS commonly arises along the spinal nerve sheath. Patients most often experience pain along the dermatome of the affected nerve root. Symptoms development is usually insidious. About half of MS cases are associated with Carney complex, a multi-neoplastic disorder. The remaining cases arise spontaneously. About 10-44% of these tumors undergo malignant transformation. Case description We describe a case of hemorrhagic MS presenting as acute chest pain mimicking myocardial infarction, a presentation which has not yet been described in the literature. Neurologic examination did not reveal any abnormalities. Myocardial infarction was ruled out in the ER, and a chest CT angiogram was ordered for evaluation of PE or aortic dissection which revealed an intradural extramedullary dumbbell-shaped mass extending through the left vertebral foramen at the level of T8. MRI revealed a heterogenous mass that was hyperintense with T2 and hypointense with T1-weighted imaging. The patient underwent an open laminectomy of the left T8 and T9 vertebrae and gross total resection (GTR) of a hemorrhagic black tumor. Microscopic examination showed fascicles and nests of plump spindle cells with variable intracellular melanin. Immunohistochemistry showed the cells to be positive for S100, SOX10, HMB-45, and MART-1, confirming diagnosis of MS. Two months after the operation, the patient was doing well and is free of recurrence. Conclusion GTR is considered the optimal treatment for MS; radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be considered but have not been shown to improve patient outcomes.
A Preliminary study on the effect of cobalt supplementation on RB51 Brucella abortus antibody response in weaned beef calves

Cobalt (Co) is utilized by rumen microbial organisms for synthesis of vitamin B12, a necessary cofactor for vital metabolic pathways in lipid and carbohydrate energy metabolism. Cobalt supplementation has recently attracted attention because of increased carcass weight in feedlot cattle, and increased milk production in dairy cattle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of Co supplementation on humoral immune response to Brucella abortus vaccine in weaned beef calves. Twenty-seven beef steers weighing 450 lbÂ±50 lb (204 kgÂ±22.7 kg) were utilized in the study. Calves were randomly assigned to be fed supplemental Co at 0.1, 0.4, or 1.0 mg/kg of body weight in their diet, corresponding to the National Research Council (NRC) recommended level, 4 times the NRC recommended level, and 10 times the NRC recommended level. Higher levels of Co supplementation resulted in increased antibody response (Pâ¤0.004) to RB51 Brucella abortus vaccine.
A bio-based hydrolysis catalyst for the transesterification of triglycerides

Abstract Lipase is an environmentally friendly catalyst that can be used in biodiesel production. However, lipase is expensive, has shorter shelf life, and cannot withstand harsh reaction conditions. This study shows that an amino acid triad, L-histidine, l -serine, and L-aspartic acid, could successfully catalyze the hydrolysis reaction. Both lipase and the amino acid triad showed similar activity in the hydrolysis of triolein substrate. For soybean oil, lipase performed better at high substrate concentrations. In terms of glycerol yield, lipase and amino acid triads performed equally at low substrate concentrations, while lipase performed better at high substrate concentrations. Both Vmax and Km of the triad were smaller than those of lipase. This work proves that the free amino acids arrange around the substrate such that they can synergistically catalyze the hydrolysis reaction while also paves the way to the bottom-up design of the active site leading to the development of synthetic lipases.
Design of Anomaly Detection Functions for Controller Area Networks

Vehicles are becoming increasingly autonomous and connected, leading to an increase in the types of security threats to vehicles. Controller Area Network (CAN) is a serial bus system that is used to connect sensors and controllers (Electronic Control Units – ECUs) within a vehicle. ECUs vary widely in processing power, storage, memory, and connectivity. There is a need for efficient security countermeasures for protecting the CAN from various attacks. In this paper, we present a novel process to efficiently design functions that can be used for anomaly detection. Our earlier work successfully demonstrated the use of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Networks to perform anomaly detection. This paper focuses on the efficient design and testing of functions that are attack-resistant and can be used in our anomaly detection engine. Once trained, our system is capable of efficiently detecting anomalies in real-time. We report the results of our anomaly detection function design process. We also present the results of our overall anomaly detection engine that are used as inputs to our detection engine. Our function design process and anomaly detection engine have been tested on data from real automobiles. We present the results of our experiments and analyze our findings.
Patterns of adverse childhood experiences and mental health outcomes among American Indians with type 2 diabetes

Abstract Background Extensive research demonstrates that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are highly interconnected and have numerous health consequences well into adulthood. Yet, there is a dearth of focused research that examines ACEs and health inequities for American Indians (AIs). Objective To assesses the prevalence of ten types of childhood adversities, explore constellations of exposures, and examine whether there are differential risks of mental health outcomes according to sub-group classification. Participants and setting Adult AIs with type 2 diabetes from five reservation-based tribal communities in the Great Lakes region of the U.S. Methods Prevalence was estimated using a modified version of the World Health Organization's ACE-International Questionnaire. To examine heterogeneity in ACEs exposures, latent class analysis was used. Risk of mental health outcomes was calculated by class. Results The four most common ACEs reported were residing with someone who abused substances, witnessing household violence, incarceration of a household member, and sexual abuse. Three latent classes were identified: low risk (56.7%), family maladjustment with high probabilities of household violence, incarceration, and substance abuse (27.1%), and complex trauma (16.3%) with moderate to high probabilities of exposure to all ACEs. The most consistent differences in mental health outcomes were between the low risk and complex trauma classes. Conclusions Identification of a high number of participants in the low-risk class helps structure a more wholistic image of AI families, as negative stereotypes of AIs are abundant. For the minority of individuals in the complex trauma class, risk for chronic mental health challenges and co-morbidities appears to be high.
Video Coding Unit (VCU) : Hot Chips 2021

Video: top contributor to Internet traffic Video is >60% of the global Internet traffic – growth accelerated by Covid Resolutions & frame rates growing Complexity of the compression formats growing
An Airborne Coronal Emission Surveyor (ACES) for Solar Eclipse Observations

The Airborne Coronal Emission Surveyor (ACES) is a new imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) that will explore the large-scale coronal infrared (IR) emission spectrum during the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. ACES will fly along the path of totality on the NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (GV HIAPER) with a stabilized solar feed provided by the Airborne Stabilized Platform for InfraRed Experiments (ASPIRE). During the six-minute total eclipse, ACES will map emission line intensity in the 1–4 µm wavelength region over a 0.73◦ × 0.55◦ field of view (FOV).
A practical methodology for elastic-plastic fatigue crack growth

A practical methodology is being developed to characterize elastic-plastic fatigue crack growth (EPFCG) behavior. The methodology will be implemented in engineering software for crack growth analysis and life prediction of advanced reusable aerospace propulsion systems. The correlating parameter upon which the methodology is based is the range of the J-integral, ΔJ. Existing J solutions are summarized, and robust methods for developing new J solutions under various loading configurations are introduced and validated. Some practical crack growth algorithms required to translate a J calculation into a quantitative prediction of EPFCG life are highlighted. Crack closure plays a significant role in the engineering characterization of EPFCG rates, and simple algorithms to estimate closure stresses are described. Other algorithms address the tearing-fatigue interaction near final instability and the estimation of required material properties. Early results from experimental verification tests are reported.
Genetics and Physiology of Colicin-tolerant Mutants of Escherichia coli

Discovered in the 1920s by Andre Gratia, colicins are water-soluble proteins that when produced by certain proteins, can kill similar kinds of bacteria. Initially believed to be promising anti-bacterial agents, colicins soon proved to be poorly suited for the task and for decades were largely ignored by researchers. In 1963, Masayasu Nomura demonstrated that colicins are able to kill bacteria by damaging the membrane of the bacterial cell. As a result of Nomura's work, Luria turned his focus to colicins. While on leave at the Institut Pasteur in Paris in 1963, Luria found that one particular colicin, E1, made bacterial cells incapable of accumulating the substances they required to maintain the cell by effectively blocking the function of transport of proteins through the membrane. After he returned to MIT, the colicin work became the focus of his laboratory. Here, in one of his earliest published articles on the subject, Luria found that a series of colicin-tolerant mutants of a strain of E. coli, which adsorbed colicins but were not killed by them, were isolated and studied genetically and physiologically. He found three major classes of mutants, which he termed tol II (tolerant to colicins A, E1, E2, E3, and K), tol III (tolerant to A, E2, E3, and K), and tol VIII (tolerant to E1 only). He noted that these mutants were extremely sensitive to deoxycholate and to methylene blue, acridines, and several other compounds. Luria attributed this sensitivity to increased uptake due to selective alteration of the permeability barrier.
Quantum‐Chemistry‐Centered Normal Coordinate Analysis (QCC‐NCA): Application of NCA for the Simulation of the Vibrational Spectra of Large Molecules

Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful spectroscopic method that provides detailed information about the geometric and electronic structural properties of materials, compounds, and biomolecules. In the case of transition-metal complexes, for example, vibrational spectra allow for the determination of the oxidation and spin state of the metal. In addition, vibrational spectroscopy is of great value in monitoring the binding and activation of small molecules, especially diatomics X–Y (O2, N2, CO, NO, etc.) and their derivatives, by transition-metal complexes. Here, the coordination, reduction, protonation, derivatization, etc., of the diatomic can be monitored via the X–Y and metal-XY bond strengths. Usually, the corresponding X–Y and metal-XY vibrational frequencies are used for such correlations. This, however, is problematic because the energies of normal modes in general do not correlate directly with bond strengths, as they also depend on mode mixing and atomic masses. Because of this, it is much better to compare the X–Y and metal-XY force constants along a reaction coordinate or between different species to identify chemically important changes/differences in bond strengths. This poses one problem: force constants are obtained from normal coordinate analysis (NCA), but how can this type of analysis be performed routinely for large molecules with many vibrational degrees of freedom, especially if the interest is focused on a small subunit of the molecule (the metal-XY bond), whereas the other organic ligands L of the metal are of limited interest? The quantum chemistry centered normal coordinate analysis (QCC-NCA) provides a solution to this problem by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations to generate an initial force field, followed by refinement of the limited number of force constants of the metal-XY subunit only, whereas all other force constants remain unchanged. The available QCC-NCA software allows one to perform this kind of analysis with minimal effort. This article provides a general introduction to the QCC-NCA method and the underlying principles of vibrational analysis, combined with illustrative examples for applications from the area of the transition-metal mediated activation of N2, O2, and NO. Special focus is put on the electronic structures and reactivities of ferrous-heme nitrosyls, where the Fe–NO and N–O force constants have provided key insight into the activation of NO as a function of the trans ligand. The latest development with respect to the QCC-NCA method is the calculation of nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) intensities, which is described in the final sections of this article. Keywords: vibrational spectroscopy; normal coordinate analysis; force constants; Raman spectroscopy; nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy; density functional theory calculations; heme; metalloporphyrins; nitric oxide; heme nitrosyls; electronic structure
Chapter 11 Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels in Sensory Neurons

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the literature available on native voltage‐gated potassium (K v ) currents and K v channel subunit expression in nociceptive neurons and discusses the way these change in response to nerve injury. K v channels comprise a large and diverse set of ion channels. The potential of specific K v channels as therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain are also discussed in the chapter. The intrinsic electrical excitability of nociceptive neurons is an important component of the pain response. Nociceptor hyperexcitability associated with neuropathic pain is because of altered expression, localization, and/or the activity of voltage‐gated ion channels in the nociceptive membrane. Voltage‐gated potassium or K v channels are critical yet variable regulators of intrinsic excitability in mammalian neurons and recent studies have revealed changes in K v currents and K v channel subunit expression, with treatments that lead to nociceptor hyperexcitability and neuropathic pain. The precise molecular identities of some of the K v channels have been identified and these channels can be used as targets for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The K v channels are major determinants of a neuron's intrinsic excitability because of their important roles in setting the resting membrane potential, the frequency, duration, and amplitude of action potentials, and the extent and nature of forward and back‐propagating action potentials.
Imidazole alkaloids of Macrorungia longistrobus: Revised structures and total syntheses

Abstract By total synthesis, it was shown that the imidazole alkaloids dehydroisolongistrobine and isolongistrobine possess structures 1 and 2, respectively, rather than the structures proposed by Arndt, Eggers and Jordaan in 1969. Reaction of methyl 1-methylimidazole-5-carboxylate with phenylsulfonylmethyl magnesium bromide provided a β-ketosulfone which was alkylated with o-nitrobenzyl bromide to provide 6. In the key step, amino alcohol 10 and tetrahydroquinoline 8 were obtained through aluminum amalgam reduction of 6. 8 was converted to isomacrorine 12. 10 could be converted to 1 by a three-step sequence; 2 was obtained from 10 by acylation with 4-pentenoyl chloride, oxidation, and osmium tetroxide catalyzed periodate cleavage of the vinyl group. Comparison of samples of synthetic alkaloids 1 and 2 with the corresponding alkaloids from natural sources showed that the natural and synthetic samples of each were identical.
Scatterer identification via a subaperture filtering approach

This paper presents a subaperture filtering approach to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) scatterer identification. The scattering models used are based on the general theory of diffraction (GTD). Based on the properties of filtered subaperture sequences, an estimator for scatterer type is derived. A decision statistic, which measures the "likelihood" a specific type scatterer is present at a given location is presented. Using this statistic, estimates for scatterer type, range and amplitude can be obtained using an adaptive decomposition approach. To illustrate the ideas results are presented for synthetic data and comparisons are made with matching pursuits.
Recognition and delivery of effector proteins into eukaryotic cells by bacterial secretion systems.

The direct transport of virulence proteins from bacterium to host has emerged as a common strategy employed by Gram-negative pathogens to establish infections. Specialized secretion systems function to facilitate this process. The delivery of ‘effector’ proteins by these secretion systems is currently confined to two functionally similar but mechanistically distinct pathways, termed type III and type IV secretion. The type III secretion pathway is ancestrally related to the multiprotein complexes that assemble flagella, whereas the type IV mechanism probably emerged from the protein complexes that support conjugal transfer of DNA. Although both pathways serve to transport proteins from the bacterium to host, the recognition of the effector protein substrates and the secretion information contained in these proteins appear highly distinct. Here, we review the mechanisms involved in the selection of substrates by each of these transport systems and secretion signal information required for substrate transport.
Comments on a systematic review and meta-analysis of steroids for epidural injections in spinal stenosis

Dear editor We read with interest the manuscript by Liu et al1 a systematic review and meta-analysis of steroids for epidural injection in spinal stenosis. The results showed there was fair short- and long-term benefit for treating spinal stenosis with local anesthetic and steroids; however, the authors concluded that the meta-analysis suggested that epidural steroid injections provided limited improvement in short- and long-term benefits in lumbar spinal stenosis patients. This may be confusing to the readership. Fair evidence essentially provides moderate benefits, but the conclusion shows limited improvement. Further, the authors included a wide variety of studies which are not applicable to the meta-analysis. Issues include studies performed with or without fluoroscopy, with short-term and long-term follow-up, with local anesthetic or without local anesthetic, inter-laminar, caudal, and transforaminal approaches, and some very small studies. Multiple studies with variable bias were also included in the meta-analysis. Further, the risk of bias assessment appears to be inappropriate. For example, both studies by Manchikanti et al,2,3 even though identical, were rated differently showing variable bias. Further, multiple items were rated inaccurately which differed for each study even though they were identical. These two trials have been assessed in the past in multiple systematic reviews4–7 and were rated as high quality, meeting at least 8 of 12 criteria of Cochrane review criteria which have been compressed to 7 in this assessment with one trial3 scoring 4 of 7 and the second trial2 scoring 3 of 7 instead of both trials scoring 6 of 7. Further, the highly rated trial by Friedly et al,8 which has generated significant attention, has been met with criticism for its flawed analysis and extremely short follow-up period.9 We compliment Dr Liu et al on their effort. The analysis would be improved by better focus on appropriate inclusion criteria and precision in the establishment of criteria for homogeneity. Finally, appropriate methodologic quality or risk of bias are essential to reach unbiased clinically relevant conclusions.4–7,9,10
The Telescoping Effects of Public Campaign Funding: Evaluating the Impact of Clean Elections in Arizona, Maine, and New Jersey

Supporters of public campaign funding say it democratizes the election process; detractors say it fails to meet its intended goals and, in fact, has unexpected negative results. Examining data from Arizona and Maine, which have full public funding, and from New Jersey's “Clean Election” pilot program, has enabled us to determine empirically if critics are correct. We conclude that neither advocates of Clean Elections nor its detractors are completely accurate. Rather, public campaign funding enhances trends that already existed where it was implemented without sparking new ones. Related Articles Werfel. 2008. “A Modern Paradigm for Campaign Finance: Economic Markets and Lessons from History.” http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00353.x/abstract Reid and Moog. 2011. “Voter Information, Voter Participation, and the North Carolina Judicial Election Reforms: The Views of the Voters.” http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00353.x/abstract Partidarios del financiamiento publico de las campanas sostienen que democratiza el proceso electoral; los detractores sostienen que no cumple con sus metas previstas y que de hecho, tiene resultados negativos inesperados. Al examinar datos de Arizona y Maine, que cuentan con financiamiento publico total, y del programa piloto de New Jersey “Elecciones Limpias,” nos ha permitido determinar empiricamente si los criticos estan en lo correcto. Concluimos que ni los defensores de Elecciones Limpias ni sus detractores son completamente acertados. Mas bien, el financiamiento publico de las campanas mejora tendencias ya existentes donde es implementado, sin crear otras nuevas.
Trapped Electron Mode Turbulence Driven Intrinsic Rotation in Tokamak Plasmas

Recent progress from global gyrokinetic simulations in understanding the origin of intrinsic rotation in toroidal plasmas is reported with emphasis on electron thermal transport dominated regimes. The turbulence driven intrinsic torque associated with nonlinear residual stress generation by the fluctuation intensity and the intensity gradient in the presence of zonal flow shear induced asymmetry in the parallel wavenumber spectrum is shown to scale close to linearly with plasma gradients and the inverse of the plasma current. These results qualitatively reproduce empirical scalings of intrinsic rotation observed in various experiments. The origin of current scaling is found to be due to enhanced kll symmetry breaking induced by the increased radial variation of the safety factor as the current decreases. The physics origin for the linear dependence of intrinsic torque on pressure gradient is that both turbulence intensity and the zonal flow shear, which are two key ingredients for driving residual stress, increase with the strength of turbulence drive, which is R0/LTe and R0/Lne for the trapped electron mode. __________________________________________________
Measurability of the deuteron D state probability

It is shown that several two-body unitary transformations which arise in the theory of meson-exchange currents can change the percentage $D$ state of the deuteron, implying that this percentage is not a measurable quantity. The connection of these transformations to meson-exchange contributions to the quadrupole moment, rms radius, magnetic moment, and the asymptotic $\frac{D}{S}$ ratio of the deuteron is discussed.NUCLEAR STRUCTURE $^{2}\mathrm{H}$; $q$, $\ensuremath{\mu}$, $\ensuremath{\rho}$; meson-exchange currents; percent $D$ state.
Solution of structured non-stiff ODES

Abstract The solution of the initial value problem for a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), y ′ = f ( x , y ), by Runge-Kutta methods is considered. The structure to be exploited is that a large portion of the cost of evaluating f ( x , y ) arises in the evaluation of functions of the independent variable x only. It is shown that when the structure is favorable, there are methods which are considerably more efficient than those currently used in general purpose codes.
Free Speech and Child Protection on the Web

Since the Web first became widely used in the mid 1990s, it's been impossible to regulate all, or even most, of its content according to a single substantive standard. Instead, diversity and decentralization rule. To protect children or anyone else from content regarded as inappropriate or harmful, we must find user-centered alternatives that leverage the Web's decentralized social organization, rather than trying to fight it. Around the world, while regulators have struggled with laws that seek to restrict children's access to material that is otherwise legal for adults, Web technology developers have been building increasingly accurate and powerful content filters. These filtering approaches can be either the basis of parental empowerment technologies or tools for repression and censorship by authoritarian regimes. What should be clear by now, though, is that attempts at national or culturally narrow content regulation simply won't work in democratic societies
Regulation of nitrogen fixation. Nitrogenase-derepressed mutants of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

1. A new procedure is described for selecting nitrogenase-derepressed mutants based on the method of Brenchley et al. (Brenchley, J.E., Prival, M.J. and Magasanik, B. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 6122-6128) for isolating histidase-constitutive mutants of a non-N2-fixing bacterium. 2. Nitrogenase levels of the new mutants in the presence of NH4+ were as high as 100% of the nitrogenase activity detected in the absence of NH4+. 3. Biochemical characterization of these nitrogen fixation (nif) derepressed mutants reveals that they fall into three classes. Three mutants (strains SK-24, 28 and 29), requiring glutamate for growth, synthesize nitrogenase and glutamine synthetase constitutively (in the presence of NH4+). A second class of mutants (strains SK-27 and 37) requiring glutamine for growth produces derepressed levels of nitrogenase activity and synthesized catalytically inactive glutamine synthetase protein, as determined immunologically. A third class of glutamine-requiring, nitrogenase-derepressed mutants (strain SK-25 and 26) synthesizes neither a catalytically active glutamine synthetase enzyme nor an immunologically cross-reactive glutamine synthetase protein. 4. F-prime complementation analysis reveals that the mutant strains SK-25, 26, 27, 37 map in a segment of the Klebsiella chromosome corresponding to the region coding for glutamine synthetase. Since the mutant strains SK-27 and SK-37 produce inactive glutamine synthetase protein, it is concluded that these mutations map within the glutamine synthetase structural gene.
Comparison of scalar and vector diffraction modeling for deep-UV lithography

This paper describes investigations into scalar and vector diffraction modeling for 248 nm lithography. An experimental design approach was used to study the effects and interactions of coherence, polarization, and numerical aperture on a resist feature response. An exposure latitude response to achieve 10% linewidth control with +/- 0.3 micron of defocus was utilized. Both vector and scalar diffraction models were used to simulate process runs. Experimental comparisons were made using a variable NA, variable coherence deep-UV projection system, adapted for control of polarization at the aperture of the mask. Exposure latitude response surfaces are presented, along with details on isolated process runs.