cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Statewide Evaluation of the California Medical Supervision Program Using Cholinesterase Electronic Laboratory Reporting Data

The California Medical Supervision program is designed to protect workers who regularly mix, load, or apply the highly toxic Category I and II organophosphates and carbamates from overexposure by monitoring cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition in plasma and red blood cells. Since January 2011, testing laboratories are required to report test results electronically to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation who shares it with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment for evaluation. The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of this reporting in evaluating the effectiveness of the Program for illness surveillance and prevention. From 2011 to 2013, we received more than 90 000 test results. Despite data gaps and data quality issues, we were able to perform spatial and temporal analyses and developed a screening tool to identify individuals potentially at risk of overexposure. The data analysis provided some evidence that the Program is effective in protecting agricultural workers han...
Methods and infrastructure in the era of accelerator-centric architectures

Computer architecture today is anything but business as usual, and what is bad for business is often great for science. As Moore's Law continues to unwaveringly march forward, despite the ceasing of Dennard scaling, continued performance gains with each processor generation has become a significant challenge, and requires creative solutions. Namely, the way to continue to scale performance in light of power issues is through hardware specialization. Hardware accelerators promise not only orders of magnitude in performance improvements over general purpose processors, but sport similar energy efficiency gains. However, accelerators are equal parts problem solver as they are creator. The major problem is designing and integrating accelerators into a complex environment within the stringent SoC design cycles. Given that each accelerator has a rich design space and convoluted implications and interactions with the memory system, better mechanisms for studying this new-breed of SoC are needed. To usher in the new era of computer architecture, we have built Aladdin: a high-level accelerator simulator enabling rapid accelerator design. Aladdin was recently extended to operate in conjunction with gem5 to study memory system interactions. In this paper we will recount the operation and utilities of Aladdin and gem5-Aladdin, concluding with a case study of how Aladdin can be used to optimize DNN accelerators.
Region growing based joint sparsity model for hyperspectral image analysis

Hyperspectral imagery (HSI) consists of hundred or thousand of spectral bands and provides a wealth of spectral information. Although several parametric and non-parametric classifiers have been built with the purpose of efficiently and fully utilizing the spectral information in HSI, few of them are designed to exploit the underlying sparsity in HSI. In recent work, a joint sparsity model (JSM) based on the sparse representation theory was developed for HSI classification. In JSM, contextual information of HSI was exploited, where a rectangular window is employed to select neighboring pixels of a test pixel with the goal of providing spatial context to traditional per-pixel spectral classification. In this work, we propose a region growing approach to select the neighboring pixels of a test sample instead of the rectangular window and hence further improve the performance of such sparse representation classifiers. Experimental results with two different types of real-world hyperspectral datasets are reported to quantify the efficacy of the proposed approach.
Commemorating catastrophe: 100 years on

Memory is always about the future. When political conditions change, so do narratives about the past. This essay attempts to show the present-mindedness of commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War in various parts of Europe. One case in point is the Russian rediscovery of the trilogy of a strong leader, a strong army, and a strong church in internet narratives of the Great War, in song, in poetry and in prose. Another is the stress on local rather than national narratives of commemoration, on memories rather than on memory, in a Western Europe with a troubled politics of national populism and resistance to full European integration. A third is the fracture between Western European secularized narratives of war and Eastern European and Middle Eastern sacred narratives of war. All show a profoundly divided historical landscape painting by profoundly divided contemporary commentators on the past.
Thermodynamic constraints on limestone-based arsenic removal from water

Limestone-based material is effective for reducing arsenic concentrations below the current US limit of 0.010 mg/L for drinking water, typically resulting in final concentrations of about 0.004–0.006 mg/L (4–6 parts per billion). However, in laboratory and field testing, reductions to the 1 ppb range are difficult to achieve with limestone unless other material such as iron is added. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis show the formation of calcium arsenate on limestone after arsenic removal. The arsenic removal mechanism with untreated limestone appears to be the formation of a low-solubility precipitate of calcium arsenate hydroxide, in the form of Ca5(AsO4)3OH (arsenate apatite). Likely reactions and thermodynamic data show strongly negative Gibbs free energy changes and indicate a theoretical removal limit of about 4 ppb for arsenic using native limestone. Impurities in limestone, such as iron, also could enhance the removal process. The solubility product of arsenate apatite is approximately 10−40. This low solubility appears to account for the stability of the waste product after arsenic removal with limestone.
Tremelimumab in combination with microwave ablation in patients with refractory biliary tract cancer (BTC).

365Background: Treatment option for patients with advanced BTC is limited and prognosis is poor with a median survival of less than 1 year in the locally advanced or metastatic setting. It has been...
Raman, Mid-IR, and NIR spectroscopic study of calcium sulfates and mapping gypsum abundances in Columbus crater, Mars

Abstract Calcium sulfates, including gypsum, bassanite, and anhydrite, have been identified on Mars by orbital and in situ remote sensing observations. A comprehensive spectroscopic study of three calcium sulfates in laboratory was performed. Raman, mid-infrared (mid-IR), and near infrared (NIR) spectra of the samples were acquired. The assignments for fundamental modes are made in the Raman and the mid-IR spectra and for overtones and combinational modes in the NIR spectra. Finally, we performed a case study to derive the abundance of gypsum in Columbus crater on Mars using the spectral unmixing analysis method. Our results show high abundance of gypsum and moderate abundance of hydrated sulfate without any basaltic glass or amorphous weathering products, which indicates these deposits could have formed through precipitation and evaporation and is consistent with the deep lake hypothesis proposed by previous studies.
A Few Recollections of Stephen

On the evening after Stephen Hawking's funeral in Cambridge on March 31, 2018 a dinner for attendees who had come from far away was hosted by Paul Shellard, the Director of the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology. I was asked me to speak for five minutes on my recollections of Stephen. This article is an slightly edited copy of my speaking text.
Co-Determination in Germany: A Socio-Political Model with Governance Externalities

The paper analyzes the socio-political roots of co-determination with special emphasis on the factors that led to the adoption of the 1976 Law, and discusses the impact of this law on corporate governance. The paper argues that co-determination was not designed with firm level corporate governance -- that is the control of management by the owners of the company -- in mind. Rather, its purpose was to bridge the gap between capital and labor in society, or to provide social governance over private capital. It is generally held that co-determination has achieved this socio-political goal. However, co-determination also affects firm level governance, or produces governance externalities. This has become increasingly evident in recent years when -- in times of economic difficulties and international competition -- problems in the existing corporate governance structure surfaced. The paper suggests that while co-determination cannot be made responsible for most of the inherent weaknesses in the existing corporate governance system, it has raised the costs of firm level governance and affected the dynamics among the three major parties involved in corporate control, shareholders, employees, and managers. Management is the party that benefits most from this arrangement, because it is in a position to choose its coalition partner from two fractions, who, because of their inherent antagonism as representatives of labor and capital, are less likely to cooperate with each other. This outcome also casts some doubts over the effectiveness of co-determination as social governance over private capital.
Docosahexaenoic acid and butyrate synergistically induce colonocyte apoptosis by enhancing mitochondrial calcium accumulation

We have previously shown that butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid fiber fermentation product, induces colonocyte apoptosis via a nonmitochondrial, Fas-mediated, extrinsic pathway. Interestingly, fermentable fiber when combined with fish oil containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) exhibits an enhanced ability to induce apoptosis and protect against colon tumorigenesis. To determine the molecular mechanism of action, the effect of DHAand butyrate cotreatment on intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis was examined. Mouse colonocytes were treated with 50 Mmol/L DHAor linoleic acid (LA ) for 72 h F butyrate (0–10 mmol/L) for the final 24 h. Cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca 2+ levels were measured using Fluo-4 and Rhod-2. DHAdid not alter basal Ca 2+ or the intracellular inositol trisphosphate (IP3) pool after 6 h butyrate cotreatment. In contrast, at 12 and 24 h, DHA- and butyrate-treated cultures exhibited a 25% and 38% decrease in cytosolic Ca 2+ compared with LAand butyrate. Chelation of extracellular Ca 2+ abolished the effect of thapsigargin on the IP3-releasable Ca 2+ pool. DHAand butyrate cotreatment compared with untreated cells increased the mitochondrial-to-cytosolic Ca 2+ ratio at 6, 12, and 24 h by 73%, 18%, and 37%, respectively. The accumulation of mitochondrial Ca 2+ preceded the onset of apoptosis. RU-360, a mitochondrial-uniporter inhibitor, abrogated mitochondrial Ca 2+ accumulation and also partially blocked apoptosis in DHAand butyrate cotreated cells. Collectively, these data show that the combination of DHA and butyrate, compared with butyrate alone, further enhances apoptosis by additionally recruiting a Ca 2+ -mediated intrinsic
A modular industry-centered program for photonics and integrated photonics certification

Although demand for photonic technology is rapidly growing, there is a shortage of qualified workers to fill the industrial positions being created. At present, most photonics programs are available only at the graduate level; of the few undergraduate programs that exist, most are four-year engineering degrees. There is an unmet need for programs that can rapidly prepare students with minimal preparation to work as technicians in the optics and photonics industry. We report on a collaboration among Stonehill College, Bridgewater State University, and AIM Photonics Academy of MIT to create a unique photonics technician training and certification program that could serve as a template for other colleges or for other educational and manufacturing partnerships. This program, prepared with input from industry, consists of a mix of online, classroom, and lab courses (including both real-world and virtual experiments), with emphasis on hands-on experiences and apprenticeships with local companies. It is designed to rapidly develop practical skills in students who either have no prior technical background or who desire to quickly move into photonics from another technical area. The curriculum development model is modular, easily adapted across manufacturing sectors, focusing on skills sought by industry partners, with mechanisms in place for periodic feedback from employers. A clearinghouse for instructional materials will be created to house course outlines, syllabi, and teaching strategies for use by other institutions. Additionally, the curriculum will be sustained by making it “stackable” with other modules, training programs, and certifications aimed at other manufacturing specializations.
Novel synchronous nasal involvement of inverted papilloma and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis with confirmed human papillomavirus isolated from nasal septum and middle turbinate: a case report.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is a chronic disease of viral origin affecting the larynx, trachea, and lower airways. Inverted papilloma, most commonly originating from the lateral nasal wall, is typically a single, expansile, locally aggressive tumor that remodels bone around the site of origin. We report a case of histopathologically proven inverted papilloma occurring in a 50-year-old Caucasian man with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis affecting his nasal cavity, larynx, and trachea. This constitutes the first report of nasal involvement in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Viral in situ hybridization studies demonstrated evidence of human papillomavirus in both the septum and middle turbinate subsites. Repeat nasal excision with margin analysis is planned. This report emphasizes the importance of considering a broad differential diagnosis in patients with papillomata, and obtaining comprehensive histopathologic evaluation of lesions in multiple subsites in order to rule out inverted papilloma or overt malignant transformation, particularly if high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes are identified. 4
Incident Substance Use Disorder Following Anxiety Disorder in Privately Insured Youth

Abstract Purpose Anxiety disorders in childhood might be associated with an increased risk of substance use disorders. Incident substance use–related diagnoses were quantified in the 2 years after youth were newly diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and in a similar cohort of youth without diagnosed anxiety. Methods Privately insured youth (10–17 years) were identified in a commercial claims database who were newly diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (2005–2014), treatment naive, and without baseline substance-related disorder diagnoses. The comparison cohort included age, sex, region, and date matched youth with equivalent baseline exclusions. We used Kaplan–Meier estimator to calculate 2-year cumulative incidence of substance use disorder diagnosis following a new office-based anxiety disorder diagnosis (or match date for comparison cohort). Results In 131,271 youth with a new anxiety disorder diagnosis (male = 41%, median age = 14 years), 1.5% (95% confidence interval = 1.5–1.6) had an incident substance use disorder diagnosis 1 year after their anxiety diagnosis, 2.9% (95% confidence interval = 2.8–3.0) by 2 years. Over the same period, .5% and 1.1% of the comparison cohort had incident substance use disorder diagnoses (n = 1,321,701). In the anxiety cohort, 2-year incidence was higher in youth aged 14–17 years (4.6%) versus 10–13 years (.7%). Incidence of substance use diagnosis varied by anxiety disorder (e.g., 2-year incidence: 4.3% for post-traumatic stress disorder, 3.0% for generalized anxiety disorder). Conclusion Approximately 3% of youth newly diagnosed with anxiety received an incident substance use disorder diagnosis within 2 years, almost threefold the incidence in youth without an anxiety diagnosis, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and prevention of substance-related disorders in pediatric anxiety.
Exploring Positive Classical Conditioning Procedure Effects on Evaluations of Children, Thoughts About Children, and Behaviors Toward Children: Two Experiments.

Exposing parents to a positive classical conditioning (+CC) procedure can (a) prompt positive evaluations of children, (b) alter judgments made about children from their behavior, and (c) reduce ha...
Amplification Techniques for the Detection of Misfolded Prion Proteins in Experimental and Clinical Samples

This article describes two methods for amplifying prions present in experimental and clinical samples: the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assay and the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay. Protocols for preparation of amplification substrate and analysis of results are included in addition to those for the individual assays. For each assay, control and suspect samples are mixed with appropriate amplification substrate, which is whole brains from mice in the case of PMCA and recombinant prion protein produced in bacteria for RT-QuIC, followed by cyclic amplification over a number of cycles of sonication (PMCA) or shaking (RT-QuIC) at a consistent incubation temperature. The resultant amplification products are then assessed either by western blotting (PMCA) or based on fluorescent emissions (RT-QuIC). The equipment and expertise necessary for successfully performing either assay vary and will be important factors for individual laboratories to consider when identifying which assay is more appropriate for their experimental design. © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Basic Protocol 1: Prion amplification via protein misfolding cyclic amplification Support Protocol 1: Collection of whole brains from mice and preparation of normal brain homogenate Basic Protocol 2: Prion amplification via real-time quaking-induced conversion Support Protocol 2: Preparation of recombinant truncated white-tailed-deer prion protein.
The impact of navigation system display size and environmental illumination on young driver mental workload

Abstract Driver distraction is a major cause of road crashes and has a great influence on road safety. In vehicles, one of the common distracting sources is navigation systems (NSs). The navigation system (NS) can distract the driver due to following directions and reading the provided information through its display. These tasks take the driver’s attention from the primary task of driving and may cause poor driving performance, increasing the risk of crashes. In this paper, the effect of the environment (i.e., urban areas and rural areas), the navigation system display (NSD) size, environmental illumination, and gender on young drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 years mental workload was investigated using a simulated driving experiment. To evaluate each driving condition, the NASA-TLX (NASA Task Load Index) workload assessment tool, and a distraction evaluation element, were introduced and used to assess the overall workload, the workload subscales and the distraction by the NSD. The assessment showed a higher perceived overall workload for urban areas and night driving as compared to a rural areas and daytime driving. Moreover, the results showed a greater perceived distraction by the NSD in urban areas compared to driving in rural areas. The subjects also felt distracted when using the small NS compared to using the large NS. The study concluded that urban areas driving, and night driving creates higher perceived workload than rural areas and daytime driving. Furthermore, small NSD leads to more perceived distraction than large NSD while driving. The NSD designers may utilize this research findings to optimize NSD designs to improve driving safety, performance and comfort. Moreover, this study contributes to our understanding of the effect of the NSD size on driving workload and distraction.
HIV-1 subtypes and primary drug resistance among recently infected men who have sex with men in China

Objective To investigate HIV primary drug resistance among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China,subtyping and primary drug resistance analysis were carried out with BED-EIA positive samples.Methods Subjects were recruited in 13 provinces.Samples confirmed to be antibody positive were tested by BED-EIA and then subtypes and primary drug resistance analysis of 214 recently infected samples were performed by PCR and sequencing.Results Subtypes of CRF01_AE,CRF07_BC and B'accounted for 62.5％ 、28.8％ and 8.7％ of 104 samples amplified.Drug resistance mutations were identified in 20.2％ patients.Potential resistance,low-level resistance,intermediate resistance and high-level resistance were respectively found in 13,6,4 and 2 individuals.Drug resistance mutation in reverse transcriptase region occurred most frequently. Protease inhibitor,nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor and non-nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor related mutation were respectively identified in 7.69％,6.73％ and 10.6％ samples.Drug resistance prevalence was 14.4％.Conclusions Drug resistance among recently HIV-infected MSM merits adequate attention and baseline drug resistance testing before antiretroviral therapy initiation for gay men is necessary. In addition, intensified management of infected patients,strengthened intervention efforts were needed for response to the possible severe challenge by primary drug resistance prevalence among Chinese MSM population in the future. Key words: HIV; MSM; recently infected; subtypes; primary drug resistance
GFDLECG: PAC Classification for ECG Signals Using Gradient Features and Deep Learning

ECG signal classification is a popular topic in healthcare for arrhythmia detection. Recently, ECG signal analysis using supervised learning has been investigated with the goal to help physicians to automatically identify the premature atrial complex (PAC) heartbeats. PAC may be a sign of underlying heart conditions, which may change to supraventricular tachycardia that increases the possibility of sudden death. In this paper, we propose a data-driven approach, GFDLECG, which is based on ECG behavior to detect abnormal beats. We extract further features from ECG using the gradient feature generation algorithm. We also build the classification model by utilizing the gated recurrent unit (GRU) and the residual fully convolutional networks with GRU to learn long short-term patterns of ECG behaviors.
Whole-Exome Sequencing Identifies a Novel POLG Frameshift Variant in an Adult Patient Presenting with Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia and Mitochondrial DNA Depletion.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndromes are a group of autosomal recessive disorders associated with a spectrum of clinical diseases, which include progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO). They are caused by variants in nuclear DNA (nDNA) encoded genes, and the gene that encodes for mtDNA polymerase gamma (POLG) is commonly involved. A splice-site mutation in POLG, c.3104+3A > T, was previously identified in three families with findings of PEO, and studies demonstrated this variant to result in skipping of exon 19. Here, we report a 57-year-old female who presented with ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, muscle weakness, and exercise intolerance with a subsequent muscle biopsy demonstrating mitochondrial myopathy on histopathologic evaluation and multiple mtDNA deletions by southern blot analysis. Whole-exome sequencing identified the previously characterized c. 3104+3A > T splice-site mutation in compound heterozygosity with a novel frameshift variant, p.Gly23Serfs 236 (c.67_88del). mtDNA copy number analysis performed on the patient’s muscle showed mtDNA depletion, as expected in a patient with biallelic pathogenic mutations in POLG. This is the first reported case with POLG p.Gly23Serfs 236, discovered in a patient presenting with features of PEO.
Structuring IS Outsourcing Contracts for Mutual Gain: An Approach to Analyzing Performance Incentive Schemes

As information systems managers come under increasing pressure to improve the cost performance of information processing, outsourcing has become an important management strategy. Although information systems outsourcing is now a major industry, it is still a new decision problem for many managers. As managers gain more and more experience with IS outsourcing, satisfaction with vendor performance is becoming a major issue. Key to managing outsourcing relationships is the outsourcing contract. These contracts assign responsibilities and rewards for the parties. However, improperly or incompletely written contracts have lead to adverse problems. How then are managers to choose from a set of options that which is most appropriate for their firm? Outsourcing problems are complex and
Pseudonym-based anonymity zone generation for mobile service with strong adversary model

The popularity of location-aware mobile devices and the advances of wireless networking have seriously pushed location-based services into the IT market. However, moving users need to report their coordinates to an application service provider to utilize interested services that may compromise user privacy. In this paper, we propose an online personalized scheme for generating anonymity zones to protect users with mobile devices while on the move. We also introduce a strong adversary model, which can conduct inference attacks in the system. Our design combines a geometric transformation algorithm with a dynamic pseudonyms-changing mechanism and user-controlled personalized dummy generation to achieve strong trajectory privacy preservation. Our proposal does not involve any trusted third-party and will not affect the existing LBS system architecture. Simulations are performed to show the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.
Circulatory shock in pregnant sheep

Uteroplacental and fetal hemodynamics and oxygen transfer were studied in near-term pregnant sheep during progessively induced hemorrhagic shock and blood reinfusion. When the perfusing pressure fell to 50 or 60 mm. Hg, uteroplacental vascular resistance increased significantly and the blood flow fell more than the arterial pressure. These hemodynamic changes were probably related to the approaching of the critical closing pressure, although adrenergic stimulation cannot be ruled out. During maternal shock, uteroplacental oxygen transfer and fetal blood oxygen tension decreased markedly. Ductus arteriosus flow increased strikingly, most likely because of the fall in fetal blood Pot. This increase contributed to the maintenance of a normal fetal effective cardiac output during maternal shock. Despite an unaltered fetal effective cardiac output, umbilical blood flow decreased slightly and fetal oxygen consumption decreased significantly.
Improving Distribution Efficiency of Hard‐to‐Place Deceased Donor Kidneys: Predicting Probability of Discard or Delay

We recently showed that DonorNet 2007 has reduced the efficiency of kidney distribution in the United States, particularly for those with prolonged cold ischemia time (CIT), by requiring systematic allocation of all kidneys regardless of quality. Reliable early identification of those most likely to be discarded or significantly delayed would enable assigning them to alternate, more efficient distribution strategies. Based on 39 035 adult kidneys recovered for possible transplantation between 2005 and 2008, we created a regression model that reliably (AUC 0.83) quantified the probability that a given kidney was either discarded or delayed beyond 36 h of CIT (Probability of Discard/Delay, PODD). We then analyzed two PODD cutoffs: a permissive cutoff that successfully flagged over half of those kidneys that were discarded/delayed, while only flagging 7% of kidneys that were not eventually discarded/delayed, and a more stringent cutoff that erroneously flagged only 3% but also correctly identified only 34%. Kidney transplants with high PODD were clustered in a minority of centers. Modifications of the kidney distribution system to more efficiently direct organs with high PODD to the centers that actually use them may result in reduced CIT and fewer discards.
The investigation of dielectric barrier impact on the breakdown voltage in high voltage systems by modeling and simulation

Nonpressurized air is used extensively as a basic insulation medium in medium/high voltage equipment. An inherent problem of air-insulated designs is that the systems tend to become physically large. Application of dielectric barriers can increase the breakdown voltage and thereby decrease the size of the equipment. In this paper, the impact of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as dielectric barriers on breakdown voltage for DC and AC voltages were investigated by developing two geometric models. In the first model, it was assumed that a U-shaped electrode was covered with PVC dielectric. In the second model, it was assumed that PTFE dielectric was inserted in the air gap between electrodes. Both models were simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The simulation results were verified by experimentation in the lab. The results show that a layer of PTFE and PVC dielectrics behaved as a mechanical obstacle, and they increased the voltage breakdown channel. In addition, the residual charges over the barrier changed the electric field distribution, resulting in a significant increase in the breakdown voltage.
Use of a multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis method for molecular subtyping and phylogenetic analysis of Neisseria meningitidis isolates

The multilocus variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA) technique has been developed for fine typing of many bacterial species. The genomic sequences of Neisseria meningitidis strains Z2491, MC58 and FAM18 have been available for searching potential VNTR loci by computer software. In this study, we developed and evaluated a MLVA method for molecular subtyping and phylogenetic analysis of N. meningitidis strains. A total of 12 VNTR loci were identified for subtyping and phylogenetic analysis of 100 N. meningitidis isolates, which had previously been characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing. The number of alleles ranges from 3 to 40 for the 12 VNTR loci; theoretically, the numbers of alleles can generate more than 5 × 1011 MLVA types. In total, 93 MLVA types were identified in the 100 isolates, indicating that MLVA is powerful in discriminating N. meningitidis strains. In phylogenetic analysis with the minimal spanning tree method, clonal relationships, established with MLVA types, agreed well with those built with ST types. Our study indicates that the MLVA method has a higher degree of resolution than PFGE in discriminating N. meningitidis isolates and may be a useful tool for phylogenetic studies of strains evolving over different time scales.
Effects of sea‐level rise on barrier island groundwater system dynamics – ecohydrological implications

We used a numerical model to investigate how a barrier island groundwater system responds to increases of up to 60 cm in sea level. We found that a sea-level rise of 20 cm leads to substantial changes in the depth of the water table and the extent and depth of saltwater intrusion, which are key determinants in the establishment, distribution and succession of vegetation assemblages and habitat suitability in barrier islands ecosystems. In our simulations, increases in water-table height in areas with a shallow depth to water (or thin vadose zone) resulted in extensive groundwater inundation of land surface and a thinning of the underlying freshwater lens. We demonstrated the interdependence of the groundwater response to island morphology by evaluating changes at three sites. This interdependence can have a profound effect on ecosystem composition in these fragile coastal landscapes under long-term changing climatic conditions. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Proteus mirabilis MR/P fimbriae: molecular cloning, expression, and nucleotide sequence of the major fimbrial subunit gene.

Abstract Proteus mirabilis, a cause of serious urinary tract infection and acute pyelonephritis, produces several putative virulence determinants, among them, fimbriae. Principally, two fimbrial types are produced by this species: mannose-resistant/Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbriae and mannose-resistant/Klebsiella-like (MR/K) fimbriae. To isolate MR/P fimbrial gene sequences, a P. mirabilis cosmid library was screened by immunoblotting and by hybridization with an oligonucleotide probe based on the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the isolated fimbrial polypeptide, ADQGHGTVKFVGSIIDAPCS. One clone, pMRP101, reacted strongly with a monoclonal antibody specific for MR/P fimbriae and with the DNA probe. This clone hemagglutinated both tannic acid-treated and untreated chicken erythrocytes with or without 50 mM D-mannose and was shown to be fimbriated by transmission electron microscopy. A 525-bp open reading frame, designated mrpA, predicted a 175-amino-acid polypeptide including a 23-amino-acid hydrophobic leader peptide. The unprocessed and processed polypeptides are predicted to be 17,909 and 15,689 Da, respectively. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the processed fimbrial subunit exactly matched amino acid residues 24 to 43 predicted by the mrpA nucleotide sequence. The MrpA polypeptide shares 57% amino acid sequence identity with SmfA, the major fimbrial subunit of Serratia marcescens mannose-resistant fimbriae.
Continuum structures. II

A continuum structure function is a nondecreasing mapping from the unit hypercube to the unit interval. This paper continues the author's work on the subject, extending Griffith's definitions of coherency to such functions and studying the analytic properties of a continuum structure function based on Natvig's ‘second suggestion’.
Metal (Hydr)oxide Surface-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Chlorpyrifos-Methyl, Chlorpyrifos-Methyl Oxon, and Paraoxon

This work is concerned with the susceptibility of pesticides and their transformation products to mineral-surface-catalyzed hydrolysis in soils. Experiments were performed in an aqueous medium containing pH buffer [2.0-5.0 mM acetate or 3-(N-morpholino) propane sulphonic acid (MOPS)], 10 mM NaCl, and 0 to 25% methanol. Addition of 10 g L -1 TiO2, α-FeOOH, and Al 2 O 3 catalyzes the hydrolysis of the thionate (P=S) and oxonate (P=O) forms of chlorpyrifos-methyl [O,O-dimethyl O-(3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyl) phosphorothioate and 0,0 -dimethyl-0,3,5,6 -trichloro-2-pyridyl phosphate]. Paraoxon (O,O-diethyl 0-p-nitrophenyl phosphate) is also subject to surface-catalyzed hydrolysis, while zinophos (O,O-diethyl 0-2-pyrazinyl phosphorothioate) is not. The effects of pH and the identity of the metal (hydr)oxide surface are discussed in light of three possible mechanisms of catalysis: (i) metal ion coordination of the parent ester through the thionate-S or oxonate-O to enhance the electrophilicity of the P site; (ii) metal ion coordination and induced deprotonation of water to create a reactive nucleophile; and (iii) metal ion coordination of the leaving group to facilitate its exit. Because different methanol concentrations were employed to ensure solubility, ester-to-ester comparisons must be made with caution. It is apparent, however, that surface-catalyzed hydrolysis reactions provide a unique opportunity to explore the reactivity properties of soil mineral surfaces.
Interference of 6β-Hydroxycortisol in the Quantitation of Urinary Free Cortisol by Immunoassay and Its Elimination by Solid Phase Extraction

Abstract Objectives: To study the cross-reactivity of 6β-hydroxycortisol (6β-OHF) with anticortisol antibodies and subsequent interference with urinary free cortisol (UFC) quantitation in commercial immunoassay kits. A solid-phase-extraction (SPE) technique was evaluated for removal of 6β-OHF from the specimen. Methods: Interference by 6β-OHF was studied in three enzyme immunoassay and three radioimmunoassay kits. Interference was assessed by the multiple regression equation derived from a 4 × 4 matrix composed of four levels of cortisol and four levels of 6β-OHF. Sep-Pak Plus C18 cartridges were used to remove 6β-OHF from the specimens, and optimum conditions for fractionating 6β-OHF from cortisol were determined by eluting the cartridge with a stepwise increment in methanol concentration. HPLC was used to monitor cortisol and 6β-OHF in the sample and cartridge eluates. Results: Cross-reactivity of 6β-OHF with anticortisol antibodies was variable and depended on the cortisol kit used with a range from 0.1 to 10%. Multiple regression analysis indicated that 6β-OHF interfered positively with the cortisol assay regardless of cortisol concentrations. Extraction of UFC by methylene chloride as recommended by some immunoassay kits yielded a significant constant error to the UFC results which was nearly proportional to the added levels of 6β-OHF. SPE of samples completely removed 6β-OHF from the specimen when a 40% methanol elution step was included. Consequently, specimens processed in this manner did not show interference in UFC measurements even in samples spiked with 2.38 μmol/L of 6β-OHF. Conclusions: Elevated urinary 6β-OHF may be a significant source of interference in UFC immunoassays. SPE of samples prior to analysis would be a simple and inexpensive means for removing 6β-OHF from urine specimens, therefore, increasing accuracy and precision in UFC measurements by immunoassay.
Role of prostaglandins in gastroduodenal mucosal protection.

Prostaglandins protect the gastroduodenal mucosa from damage caused by diverse noxious agents. This protection (cytoprotection) occurs under experimental conditions where intraluminal acid is required for maximal expression of damage (e.g., stress, aspirin, and bile acids), as well as where damage occurs irrespective of the presence of acid (e.g., 100% ethanol, boiling water, and lye). Prostaglandins stimulate several factors felt to be important in maintaining normal mucosal integrity, such as mucus synthesis and secretion, mucosal bicarbonate secretion, mucosal blood flow, and cellular repair. Inhibition of the prostaglandin synthetic enzyme, cyclooxygenase, by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), is associated with increased gastroduodenal mucosal damage and ulceration. This damage is primarily the result of decreased tissue levels of prostaglandins, but may also be due to direct NSAID actions on the mucosa, as well as with shifting of arachidonic acid metabolism from synthesizing protective prostaglandins to increased production of injurious leukotrienes. There is also evidence that patients with peptic ulcer disease have a deficiency of gastroduodenal mucosal prostaglandin synthesis, so that prostaglandins may play a pathophysiologic role in this disorder. Prostaglandins have a unique ability to prevent NSAID-induced gastric damage in humans, and also appear to improve ulcer healing during the continuation of NSAID therapy.
The Fundamental Basis for Cyclopolymerization. VII. A Cyclopolymerization Study of Certain Allylcycloalkenes

Abstract The cyclopolymerization characteristics of 3-allylcyclopentene, 3 allylcyclopentene, 3-allylcyclohexene, and 4-allylohexene were studied and the extent of their cyclopolymerization by cationic initiation were compared with previously reported solvolysis results involving the same intermediate carbonium ion. The results of this study were also compared with previously reported results on 4-vinylcyclohexene and 1, 4-dimethylenecyclohexane. The allylcycloalkenes were also polymerized by metal alkyl coordination catalysts and the extent of cyclization in each case was determined. The polymers derived from these monomers invariably contained polymeric fractions (27 to 99%) which were soluble in non-polar organic solvents. Calculations based on NMR spectral data indicated the cationic polymers were 68 to 95% cyclized. The extent of cyclization was found to parallel the interolefinic separation in the monomer. Coordination polymerization yielded somewhat lower ratios of cyclizations (54 to 80%) in all c...
The Risk of Paradoxical Embolism (RoPE) Study: Developing risk models for application to ongoing randomized trials of percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure for cryptogenic stroke

Background Despite the diffusion into practice of percutaneous closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients with cryptogenic stroke (CS), the benefits have not been demonstrated, and remain unclear. For any individual presenting with a PFO in the setting of CS, it is not clear whether the PFO is pathogenically-related to the index event or an incidental finding. Further, the overall rate of stroke recurrence is low in patients with CS and PFO. How patient-specific factors affect the likelihood that a discovered PFO is related to an index stroke or affect the risk of recurrence is not well understood. These probabilities are likely to be important determinants of the benefits of PFO closure in CS.
Chromium dihydride (CrH2): theoretical evidence for a bent 5B2 ground state

Ab initio molecular electronic structure theory has been used to study two likely candidates for the quintet ground state of CrH2 at the self-consistent field, the single and double excitation configuration interaction (CISD), the single and double excitation coupled cluster (CCSD), and the single, double, and perturbative triple excitation coupled cluster (CCSD(T)) levels of theory. The largest basis sets utilized for geometry optimizations, designated two-f TZ2P, have a contraction scheme of Cr(14s11p6d2f/10s8p3d2f), H(5s2p/3s2p). At the CCSD(T) level of theory using this two-f TZ2P basis, a bent (C2v symmetry) 5B2 state is predicted to lie a mere 4·2 kcal mol-1 (4·5 kcal mol-1 including zero-point vibrational energy correction) lower in energy than linear (D∞h symmetry) 5Σg + HCrH. Theoretical predictions for the equilibrium geometry, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and isotopic frequency shifts of the 5B2 state compare favourably with the results of recent matrix isolation FT-IR work by Xiao, Hauge,...
On pelvic reference lines and the MR evaluation of genital prolapse: a proposal for standardization using the Pelvic Inclination Correction System

Five midsagittal pelvic reference lines have been employed to quantify prolapse using MRI. However, the lack of standardization makes study results difficult to compare. Using MRI scans from 149 women, we demonstrate how use of existing reference lines can systematically affect measurements in three distinct ways: in oblique line systems, distances measured to the reference line vary with antero-posterior location; soft issue-based reference lines can underestimate organ movement relative to the pelvic bones; and systems defined relative to the MR scanner are affected by intra- and interindividual differences in the pelvic inclination angle at rest and strain. Thus, we propose a standardized approach called the Pelvic Inclination Correction System (PICS). Based on bony structures and the body axis, the PICS system corrects for variation in pelvic inclination, at rest of straining, and allows for the standardized measurement of organ displacement in the direction of prolapse.
(N)-Methanocarba 2,N6-Disubstituted Adenine Nucleosides as Highly Potent and Selective A3 Adenosine Receptor Agonists

A series of ring-constrained (N)-methanocarba-5‘-uronamide 2,N6-disubstituted adenine nucleosides have been synthesized via Mitsunobu condensation of the nucleobase precursor with a pseudosugar ring containing a 5‘-ester functionality. Following appropriate functionalization of the adenine ring, the ester group was converted to the 5‘-N-methylamide. The compounds, mainly 2-chloro-substituted derivatives, were tested in both binding and functional assays at human adenosine receptors (ARs), and many were found to be highly potent and selective A3AR agonists. Selected compounds were compared in binding to the rat A3AR to assess their viability for testing in rat disease models. The N6-(3-chlorobenzyl) and N6-(3-bromobenzyl) analogues displayed Ki values at the human A3AR of 0.29 and 0.38 nM, respectively. Other subnanomolar affinities were observed for the following N6 derivatives: 2,5-dichlorobenzyl, 5-iodo-2-methoxybenzyl, trans-2-phenyl-1-cyclopropyl, and 2,2-diphenylethyl. Selectivity for the human A3AR...
Changing patterns of daily rhythmicity across reproductive states in diurnal female Nile grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus)

Abstract A suite of changes in circadian rhythms have been described in nocturnal rodents as females go through pregnancy and lactation, but there is no information on such patterns in diurnal species. As the challenges faced by these two groups of animals are somewhat different, we characterized changes in activity and core body temperature ( T b ) in female diurnal Nile grass rats ( Arvicanthis niloticus ) as they went through a series of reproductive states: virgin, pregnant, pregnant and lactating, lactating only, and post-weaning. The phase of neither rhythm varied, but the amplitude did. Females increased their overall levels of daily activity from early to late pregnancy, regardless of whether they were also lactating. The pattern of activity was less rhythmic during early than mid-lactation, in both non-pregnant and pregnant females, as a consequence of a decrease in daytime relative to nighttime activity. The T b rhythm amplitude dropped from mid-pregnancy through mid-lactation, and there were rises in T b troughs during the mid-light and mid-dark phases of the day, though pregnancy and lactation affected T b at these times in somewhat different ways. This study demonstrates that rhythms in diurnal grass rats change during pregnancy and lactation in different ways than those of nocturnal species that have been studied to date and that the effects of pregnancy and lactation are not additive in any simple way.
An example of the refinement of positional disorder modeled as compositional disorder in [5-(2-formylphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrinato]nickel(II).

The title compound, [Ni(C(45)H(28)N(4)O)], crystallizes in the space group I 42d and resides on a crystallographic fourfold rotoinversion axis with only a quarter of the complex in the asymmetric unit. The complex displays positional disorder as the one aldehyde group on the ligand can be located at four different positions. It was necessary to model this as compositional disorder to obtain a correct model and refinement. The practical approach to the refinement is explained.
Improvements in carbon-13 broadband homonuclear cross-polarization for 2D and 3D NMR

Abstract We describe a new multiple-pulse sequence (FLOPSY-8) for broadband homonuclear cross-polarization and compare it both theoretically and experimentally with the previous state of the art. FLOPSY-8 offers significant improvements in cross-polarization efficiency compared with the best alternative, and is especially useful for the large spectral bandwidths encountered in highfield carbon-13 NMR.
Treatability studies on different refinery wastewater samples using high-throughput microbial electrolysis cells (MECs)

Abstract High-throughput microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) were used to perform treatability studies on many different refinery wastewater samples all having appreciably different characteristics, which resulted in large differences in current generation. A de-oiled refinery wastewater sample from one site (DOW1) produced the best results, with 2.1 ± 0.2 A/m 2 (maximum current density), 79% chemical oxygen demand removal, and 82% headspace biological oxygen demand removal. These results were similar to those obtained using domestic wastewater. Two other de-oiled refinery wastewater samples also showed good performance, with a de-oiled oily sewer sample producing less current. A stabilization lagoon sample and a stripped sour wastewater sample failed to produce appreciable current. Electricity production, organics removal, and startup time were improved when the anode was first acclimated to domestic wastewater. These results show mini-MECs are an effective method for evaluating treatability of different wastewaters.