cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reversible Effects of Long-Term Caloric Restriction on Protein Oxidative Damage

The age-associated increase in oxidative damage in ad libitum-fed mice is attenuated in mice fed calorically restricted (CR) diets. The objective of this study was to determine if this effect results from a slowing of age-related accumulation of oxidative damage, or from a reversible decrease of oxidative damage by caloric restriction. To address these possibilities, crossover studies were conducted in C57BL/6 mice aged 15 to 22 months that had been maintained, after 4 months of age, on ad libitum (AL) or a 60% of AL caloric regimen. One half of the mice in these groups were switched to the opposite regimen of caloric intake for periods up to 6 weeks, and protein oxidative damage (measured as carbonyl concentration and loss of sulfhydryl content) was measured in homogenates of brain and heart. In AL-fed mice, the protein carbonyl content increased with age, whereas the sulfhydryl content decreased. Old mice maintained continuously under CR had reduced levels of protein oxidative damage when compared with the old mice fed AL. The effects of chronic CR on the carbonyl content of the whole brain and the sulfhydryl content of the heart were fully reversible within 3-6 weeks following reinstatement of AL feeding. The effect of chronic CR on the sulfhydryl content of the brain cortex was only partially reversible. The introduction of CR for 6 weeks in the old mice resulted in a reduction of protein oxidative damage (as indicated by whole brain carbonyl content and cortex sulfhydryl), although this effect was not equivalent to that of CR from 4 months of age. The introduction of CR did not affect the sulfhydryl content of the heart. Overall, the current findings indicate that changes in the level of caloric intake may reversibly affect the concentration of oxidized proteins and sufhydryl content. In addition, chronic restriction of caloric intake also retards the age-associated accumulation of oxidative damage. The magnitude of the reversible and chronic effects appears to be dependent upon the tissue examined and the nature of the oxidative alteration.
Local leader election, signal strength aware flooding, and routeless routing

We have identified a fundamental operator in wireless networks that we named the local leader election in which the goal is to select a node in a spatially close neighborhood. We present a simple and efficient solution to the local leader election problem by making use of both: (i) implicit synchronization points, commonly observable by all nodes in the same neighborhood, and (ii) the prioritized backoff delay, dependent on the desired probability of each node becoming a leader. We then show that both flooding and routing are instances of the local leader election problem, so our general solution naturally applies. By relating the backoff delay to the signal strength of the received packet, we have designed a variant of flooding named signal strength aware flooding (SSAF) that can improve its efficiency. By using a different metric to derive the backoff delay, we have designed a new generation wireless routing protocol, that we named the routeless routing protocol that possesses several interesting properties.
Effective energy function for proteins in solution.

A Gaussian solvent-exclusion model for the solvation free energy is developed. It is based on theoretical considerations and parametrized with experimental data. When combined with the CHARMM 19 polar hydrogen energy function, it provides an effective energy function (EEF1) for proteins in solution. The solvation model assumes that the solvation free energy of a protein molecule is a sum of group contributions, which are determined from values for small model compounds. For charged groups, the self-energy contribution is accounted for primarily by the exclusion model. Ionic side-chains are neutralized, and a distance-dependent dielectric constant is used to approximate the charge–charge interactions in solution. The resulting EEF1 is subjected to a number of tests. Molecular dynamics simulations at room temperature of several proteins in their native conformation are performed, and stable trajectories are obtained. The deviations from the experimental structures are similar to those observed in explicit water simulations. The calculated enthalpy of unfolding of a polyalanine helix is found to be in good agreement with experimental data. Results reported elsewhere show that EEF1 clearly distinguishes correctly from incorrectly folded proteins, both in static energy evaluations and in molecular dynamics simulations and that unfolding pathways obtained by high-temperature molecular dynamics simulations agree with those obtained by explicit water simulations. Thus, this energy function appears to provide a realistic first approximation to the effective energy hypersurface of proteins. Proteins 1999;35:133–152. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
DNA replication and UV-induced DNA repair synthesis in human fibroblasts are much less sensitive than DNA polymerase α to inhibition by butylphenyl-deoxyguanosine triphosphate

In mammalian cells, both semiconservative DNA replication and the DNA repair patch synthesis induced by high doses of ultraviolet radiation are known to be inhibited by aphidicolin, indicating the involvement in these processes of one or both of the aphidicolin-sensitive DNA polymerases, alpha and/or delta. In this paper, N2-(p-n-butylphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine-5'-triphosphate, a strong inhibitor of polymerase alpha and a weak inhibitor of polymerase delta, is used to further characterize the DNA polymerase(s) involved in these two forms of nuclear DNA synthesis. In permeable human fibroblasts, DNA replication and ultraviolet-induced DNA repair synthesis are more resistant to the inhibitor than DNA polymerase alpha by factors of approximately 500 and 3000, respectively. These findings are most consistent with the involvement of DNA polymerase delta in these processes.
How does leadership affect information systems success? The role of transformational leadership

We examined the positive impact of transformational leadership on IS success in organizations via two psychological mechanisms of system users'-perceived organizational support and systems self-efficacy. Our conceptual model was assessed using a sample of 251 employees from a multi-national bank in Korea. Overall, our results supported the hypothesized relationships: transformational leadership was positively related to system users' IS success, and both perceived organizational support and systems self-efficacy of the system users mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and IS success. The results call for manager's attention to the importance of transformational leadership development in organizations.
Singularity of collapsed Q‐8 finite element

The ability of the collapsed Q-8 finite element to model strain singularities is studied in this paper. It is shown that its ability to model an r−1 singularity in strains depends strongly on the element size and number of Gauss points used for sampling stresses inside an element.
Optimal inflation in a model of inside money

Abstract There are several models of outside money in which some inflation accomplished through lump-sum transfers is optimal. It is shown here that inflation can be optimal in a model of inside money, essentially the model in Cavalcanti and Wallace (1999) . The possibility of inflation comes about via the trades between people who can issue inside money, monitored people, and those who cannot, nonmonitored people. Inflation occurs at the optimum if the monitored people spend more in such meetings when they are buyers than they receive in such meetings when they are sellers.
Structural studies of crystalline oligosaccharides VI: Crystal structure and conformation of benzyl‐4,6‐O‐benzylidene‐3‐O‐benzoyl‐β‐D‐galactoside

Monsaccharides are the building blocks of polysaccharides and hence are the simplest sugar molecules to study the conformation and molecular structures of sugars. Benzyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-3-O-benzoyl-β-D-galactoside is a key intermediate in the synthesis of polysaccharides. Crystal structural investigation of the title compound was undertaken to establish their chemical structure as well as to study their solid state conformation. Crystals of the title compound, obtained from water/methanol, are orthorhombic, space group P212121, with cell dimensions a=11.290 (4), b=9.941 (1), c= 21.442(2)A, V= 2406A3, Z=4, Dobs= 1.42 gm/cm3, Dcalc=1.423 g/cm3, 2886 reflections were collected on a CAD-4 diffractometer. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined to a final reliability index of 4.7%. The galactoside sugar has the chair conformation with C2' and C5' deviating from the mean plane of the other atoms of the sugar. The 4,6-O-benzylidene ring also has a chair conformation with the benzoyl group proximal to O6'. The crystal structure is stabilized by O-H…O hydrogen bonds involving O2' as donor and three C-H…O hydrogen bond interactions. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched polyacrylates

i,ii three-arm star, 2 six-arm star, iii and comb iv architectures by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in order to determine why SCLCPs synthesized by non-living polymerizations often exhibit extremely broad phase transitions, and to find an ideal architecture for generating SCLCPs with more fluid mesophases. However, the most branched analog of poly[11-(4'-cyanophenyl-4"-phenoxy)undecyl acrylate] would be a hyperbranched polymer generated by homopolymerization of an inimer (initiator monomer), which would also enable us to determine if high degrees of branching hinders the ability of the polymer to form a liquid crystalline phase. (Although numerous dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers have been synthesized with mesogens attached only at their periphery, or within the main-chain of the polymer, none have been synthesized with the mesogen attached as a side chain throughout the branched structure.) "Hyperbranched polyacrylates" have been synthesized previously by self-condensing vinyl polymerizations (SCVPs) 5 of various inimers using controlled radical techniques such as ATRP; 6,7 however, all have used the alkyl ester substituent to incorporate the initiating site, which leaves no possibility for functionalizing the inimer with an ester substituent corresponding to any known linear polyacrylate. We therefore designed the inimer shown in Scheme 1, which minimizes the chemical variation between the linear and resulting hyperbranched polyacrylate; i.e. the inimer incorporates a free alkyl ester in addition to the requisite acrylate and α-halo functional groups, and the resulting hyperbranched polymer has an ester group attached to every other carbon atom along the polymer backbone, with a nonfunctionalized alkyl ester attached as a free side chain, both of which are features of linear polyacrylates. This talk will compare different synthetic routes for making these inimers, polymerization results, as well as structural characterization of the resulting hyperbranched polymers and their properties.
Family Values and Business Ethics: An International Study

This study compares the attitudes of international college students concerning personal versus business ethics, the environment, and competition. The sample consists of 999 business students from Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, Spain, and the United States. While Hofstede's cultural constructs were significant for two of our five research questions (one on family values and the other with ethical practices), Paulus' (1986) Image Management Subscale was significant for three of the research questions. Our data do not support gender differences in ethical sensitivity after controlling for social desirability response bias on an international sample.
Transport Infrastructure and Macroeconomic Performance in European Countries: Dynamic Panel Data Approach

The share of investment in transport infrastructure of the gross domestic product (GDP) has risen substantially in central and eastern European countries, and the effectiveness of public investment in transport infrastructure to improve economic performance is receiving increasing attention. This paper explores the dynamic impact of transport infrastructure on employment, GDP, exports, and industry production in European countries. With the use of data from 1995 to 2010, the paper analyzes the causality among variables in a dynamic panel framework. The results reveal that transport infrastructure and macroeconomic indicators are cointegrated and a significant unidirectional causal relationship exists from public investment in transport infrastructure to economic performance. The findings of this paper support the traditional notion that an increase in government spending on transport infrastructure contributes to economic growth. More specifically, the paper finds that transport infrastructure is a forcin...
Buddhism, Mindfulness, and Transformative Politics

AbstractThis article examines whether the American cultural phenomena of the practice of Buddhism or the Buddhism-derived technique of mindfulness are likely to be helpful to the political left. It summarizes the central teachings of the ancient Buddhist texts, with particular focus on the issues of mindfulness and politics. It also reviews the political history of Buddhist countries. The author argues that although modern Buddhism has shed its historical embrace of absolutist monarchy in favor of republicanism, and although there is some ideological overlap between Buddhism and the American Left, Buddhism in America is too small a movement for it to be of much significance for progressive politics. Mindfulness appears to be capable of becoming a much larger phenomenon, but its separation from its Buddhist origins makes it also unlikely to be strategically important for the Left.
The Philosophy of Race, by Atkin Albert

There are not many books that are addressed to a general audience and cover a wide range of topics in the philosophy of race. And few of those include discussions of cutting-edge work in the field....
Comparison of Frames for Choosing a Social Welfare Function

Experiments test (a) whether the maximin rule (Rawls, 1971) or the utilitarian rule (Harsanyi, 1955) is preferred by subjects in concrete resource allocation decisions under some form of a "veil of ignorance", and (b) whether an original position-like decision frame in which the subject is a "veiled particpant" (VP) leads to greater support for the maximin rule than does the stance of an "impartial spectator" (IS). An experiment in the U.S. with consumer items indicates that utilitarianism is generally competitive with the maximin rule and that a VP framing does not enhance support for the maximin rule when goods are of minor value (i.e., not "primary"). Early results from a second experiment in Turkey concerning health care resources indicate that support for the maximin rule significantly exceeds that for the utilitarian rule (for both VP and IS framings) when the goods to be distributed are clearly important, and that the VP framing may indeed amplify this preference. Further experiments are needed to test for cultural effects.
Pesticide Drift. II. Mist-Blower vs. Aerial Application of Sprays

This experiment compares insecticidal drift resulting from a mist blower with an aerial application made simultaneously to alfalfa in late afternoon. Beneath target and at all distances downwind the mist blower resulted in greater drift. Target alfalfa had 127 and 111 ppm insecticide, and alfalfa ½ mile downwind had 0.27 and 0.14 ppm from the mist blower and plane, respectively. Glass-plate collections at 165,330, 660, and 1320 feet down-wind were in agreement with alfalfa residues. Total air borne insecticide collected at 165 and 330 feet downwind in ethylene glycol air scrubbers from the mist blower was 6 times that of the aerial application.
The Present Status of the Established Parasites of Popillia Japonica Newman

Of the five established parasites of the Japanese beetle three are true parasites of Popillia Japonica in Japan and two are parasites of allied Popillia occurring in Chosen (Korea). Considering these, Tiphia popilliavora gives much promise as an effective parasite of Popillia in the primary area of heavy beetle infestation, this no doubt being due to proper seasonal adjustment in relation to its host. The Korean Tiphia vernalis also seems to show proper seasonal adjustment, and the growth of the colonies in Pennsylvania and New Jersey indicates that the species may be of much economic value in the future. With the Diptera in all three species there seem to be obstacles in the new or present environment which limit their increase. In Centeter cinerea there seems to be a direct response to climatic conditions which throws it out of alignment with its host. In Prosena siberita the difficulty seems to be with the host, that is, the climatic conditions are such that it has responded with practically a one-year cycle, which is not favorable to the parasite. Also, in the case of Dexia ventralis the lack of a two-year cycle of the host is not favorable and the new habitat does not supply the necessary secondary hosts which might carry the species over the periods when Popillia is in the pupal and adult stages. The only solution for these ill adjustments, as seen by the writer, depends on the use of these parasites in the future when the host has extended its range into new environments, in zones climatically different from. the present center of parasite introduction. Popillia Japonica presents three markedly different conditions in its life cycle in Japan as one progresses northward from Yokohama to Sapporo. This alone is sufficient evidence to indicate that as the species spreads northward in the United States, a two-year cycle will become more and more evident and will undoubtedly parallel the condition as described for Koiwai and Sapporo, Japan. With Centeter cinerea the writer is of the opinion that a more northern climate is necessary to bring about a proper delay in its emergence so that it will appear with its host, and that only under these conditions can the parasite be of any economic value in the control of P. japonica. In the case of Prosena siberita this parasite is likely to be of value in the biological control of P. japonica in regions where a two-year cycle occurs, thus supplying host material more timely and abundantly for the parasite. Dexia ventralis has succeeded in producing two generations per year, apparently without alternate hosts and under adverse conditions. It is believed by the author that this species may be of considerable economic value in controlling P. japonica in regions where this host has an abundant supply of belated two-year larvae in the soil. Native Scarabaeidae if present in sufficient abundance. might also serve as alternate hosts.
Probing Two-Photon Molecular Properties with Surface-Enhanced Hyper-Raman Scattering: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study of Crystal Violet

The surface-enhanced hyper-Raman scattering spectra of crystal violet are experimentally measured and theoretically calculated for excitation energies spanning the two lowest-lying electronic states (12,700–27,400 cm–1). The theory and experiment are in qualitative agreement over the measured energy range, indicating that first-principles calculations capture many of the complex resonance contributions in this prototypical octupolar system. The discrepancies between theory and experiment are investigated by comparing spectra obtained in different local environments as well as from higher-order surface-enhanced spectroscopies. A comparison between relative surface-enhanced hyper-Raman scattering band ratios plotted as a function of excitation wavelength and crystal violet’s absorption spectra elucidates correlations between groups of vibrations and the excited-electronic states. Our results suggest that the spectral features across the range of resonance excitation energies (∼15,500–27,400 cm–1) are domina...
The enzymic conversion of linoleic acid into 9-(nona-1',3'-dienoxy)non-8-enoic acid, a novel unsaturated ether derivative isolated from homogenates of Solanum tuberosum tubers.

1. A major component of the lipids in aqueous (pH7.5) homogenates of tuber tissue from Solanum tuberosum was isolated and characterized as 9-(nona-1′,3′-dienoxy)non-8-enoic acid. 2. This novel unsaturated ether fatty acid derivative, which contains a butadienylvinyl ether function, has the structure: [Formula: see text] and is formed from linoleic acid by a sequence of enzymic reactions. 3. A precursor of the unsaturated ether derivative is 9-d-hydroperoxyoctadeca-10,12-dienoic acid, formed by the action of S. tuberosum lipoxygenase on linoleic acid. 4. An enzyme that converts the fatty acid hydroperoxide into the unsaturated ether derivative was isolated from S. tuberosum . The pH optimum of this enzyme is approx. 9, although the overall conversion of linoleic acid into the ether derivative is maximal at pH7.5. 5. An unusual feature of this pathway is the insertion of an oxygen atom into the alkyl chain of a fatty acid. 6. This novel mechanism may play a role in the breakdown of polyunsaturated fatty acids to volatile products in plants.
Hypervascularity Predicts Complete Pathologic Response to Chemotherapy and Late Outcomes in Breast Cancer.

Abstract Background Our objective was to investigate the relationship between asymmetric increase in breast vascularity (AIBV) and pathologic profiles of breast cancer. We also addressed the prognostic performance of AIBV and of vascular maps reduction after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in predicting pathologic complete response (pCR) at surgery and outcome at follow-up. Materials and Methods Two hundred nineteen patients with unilateral locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) underwent magnetic resonance imaging before and after NAC. Axial, sagittal, and coronal maximum intensity projections were obtained in a subjective comparative evaluation. Asymmetrical versus symmetrical breast vascularity was defined through number of vessels, diameter, and signal intensity. Kaplan-Meier methodology was employed for late survival (31.4 ± 18 months follow-up). Results AIBV ipsilateral to LABC occurred in 62.5% ( P P P = .001). After NAC, the vascular map was significantly reduced, particularly in patients with pCR ( P P = .036). A trend towards worse late survival existed among patients with AIBV before NAC. We did not observe statistically different survival according to the variation of vascularity after NAC. Conclusion LABC with ipsilateral AIBV before NAC is associated with more aggressive pathologic profiles. Nonetheless, it is more sensitive to NAC and shows a higher frequency of pCR. The persistence of AIBV after NAC entails a worse late prognosis and should prompt more aggressive therapeutic strategies.
Novel Organophosphate Ligand O-(2-Fluoroethyl)-O-(p-Nitrophenyl)Methylphosphonate: Synthesis, Hydrolytic Stability and Analysis of the Inhibition and Reactivation of Cholinesterases.

The organophosphate O-(2-fluoroethyl)-O-(p-nitrophenyl) methyphosphonate 1 is the first-in-class, fluorine-18 radiolabeled organophosphate inhibitor ([18F]1) of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In rats, [18F]1 localizes in AChE rich regions of the brain and other tissues where it likely exists as the (CH3)(18FCH2CH2O)P(O)-AChE adduct (ChE-1). Characterization of this adduct would define the inhibition mechanism and subsequent postinhibitory pathways and reactivation rates. To validate this adduct, the stability (hydrolysis) of 1 and ChE-1 reactivation rates were determined. Base hydrolysis of 1 yields p-nitrophenol and (CH3) (FCH2CH2O)P(O)OH with pseudo first order rate constants (kobsd) at pH 7.4 (PBS) of 3.25 × 10–4 min–1 (t1/2 = 35.5 h) at 25 °C and 8.70 × 10–4 min–1 (t1/2 = 13.3 h) at 37 °C. Compound 1 was a potent inhibitor of human acetylcholinesterase (HuAChE; ki = 7.5 × 105 M–1 min–1), electric eel acetylcholinesterase (EEAChE) (ki = 3.0 × 106 M–1 min–1), and human serum butyrylcholinesterase (HuBChE;...
Risk of Febrile Seizure Recurrence and Outcome

The influence of febrile episodes, a risk factor for recurrence of febrile seizures, and outcome in 180 children followed prospectively after their first febrile seizure, were studied at the University of Oulu, Finland.
Superdiffusion of two-dimensional Yukawa liquids due to a perpendicular magnetic field

Stochastic transport of a two-dimensional (2D) dusty plasma liquid with a perpendicular magnetic field is studied. Superdiffusion is found to occur especially at higher magnetic fields with $\ensuremath{\beta}$ of order unity. Here, $\ensuremath{\beta}={\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}/{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{pd}$ is the ratio of the cyclotron and plasma frequencies for dust particles. The mean-square displacement $\mathrm{MSD}=4{D}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}{t}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ is found to have an exponent $\ensuremath{\alpha}g1$, indicating superdiffusion, with $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ increasing monotonically to $1.1$ as $\ensuremath{\beta}$ increases to unity. The 2D Langevin molecular dynamics simulation used here also reveals that another indicator of random particle motion, the velocity autocorrelation function, has a dominant peak frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\text{peak}}$ that empirically obeys ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\text{peak}}^{2}={\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}^{2}+{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{pd}^{2}/4$.
Putting the squeeze on superconductivity

Superconductivity is a fascinating quantum state of matter that has captured the imagination of physicists for over a century. The pioneering theoretical work of Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer described the superconducting state as a phase-coherent condensate of electrons bound into Cooper pairs, whose distinguishing hallmark, the order parameter, reflects the symmetry of the pair wave function. According to the laws of quantum mechanics, the wave function describing a pair of electrons must possess either even or odd parity. The vast majority of conventional low-temperature superconductors possess order parameters that are approximately isotropic ( s -wave), in which the electron spins form a singlet state and hence are of even parity. The small handful of high-temperature superconductors, such as the cuprate and iron-based families, have more complex pairing symmetries (such as d -wave symmetry) but nonetheless are also described by an even-parity state. Odd-parity superconductors are much more elusive and may harbor exotic properties such as Majorana fermions and non-Abelian statistics. On page 148 of this issue, Steppke et al. ( 1 ) apply extremely large uniaxial pressures to single crystals of Sr2RuO4, one of the strongest candidates for odd-parity superconductivity, and find a dramatic enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature ( T c) as well as an unexpected change in the superconducting properties under large strains.
Importance of Characteristics of Graduating Seniors with Respect to Positions in Public Accounting

The study uses a multiple criteria technique for investigating the perceived importance of Student Characteristics from the viewpoint of securing a position in public accounting. Subjects are asked to choose between candidates with varying profiles. Then salience weights are estimated for the characteristics presented in the profiles.
Formation and maintenance of a forced pool-riffle couplet following loading of large wood.

Abstract Pool-riffle maintenance has been documented in numerous studies, but it has been almost impossible to characterize detailed natural pool-riffle formation mechanisms because of the lack of baseline data prior to pool establishment. In 2013, a study was conducted on the Blackledge River in Connecticut to document the formation of a new pool-riffle couplet on a section of river that had previously been studied from 1999 to 2001. In 2001, the study reach contained a scour hole with a residual depth of 0.08 ± 0.09 m downstream of a 1930s paired deflector with no identifiable riffle immediately downstream. At this time, a large, severely undercut, hemlock tree was noted along the left bank. Sometime between fall 2001 and 2004, the tree fell perpendicular to flow across the channel and formed a large wood (LW) jam and new pool-riffle couplet several meters downstream of the old scour hole. Pool spacing along the reach decreased from 4.47 bankfull widths (BFW) in 1999 to 3.83 BFW after the new pool-riffle couplet formed. The new pool has a residual depth, the water depth of the streambed depression below the elevation of the immediate downstream hydraulic control, of 1.36 ± 0.075 to 1.59 ± 0.075 m, which resulted from a combination of 1.32 ± 0.09 m or less of incision below the old scour hole (95.6% or less of the depth increase) and up to 0.18 ± 0.09 m of downstream deposition and associated backwater formation (13.2% or less of the depth increase). To assess dynamic stability of the pool-riffle couplet over several flood cycles, surficial fine-sediment and organic material along the reach were quantified. The 23-m-long pool stores 25.7% of the surficial fine grained sediments and 15.4% of organic material along a 214-m-long reach that includes one additional artificially created pool. An adjacent 50-m-long secondary channel impacted by the LW jam stores 65.3% of the surficial fine-grained sediments and 54.8% of organic material along the full reach.
Lysosomal Hydrolases and Inflammatory Materials

Acute inflammatory reactions, regardless of etiology, are recognized by the presence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes at sites of tissue damage. During the past two decades, it has become appreciated that these cells are not merely innocent bystanders to the events which occur at an inflammatory site, but play an active role in the mediation of tissue injury and suppuration. Central to this role are the inflammatory substances contained within these cells, particularly those sequestered within their cytoplasmic granules, or lysosomes. The nature and mode of action of these substances are the subjects of this chapter. Particular attention will be directed toward human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and relationships between these cells and other inflammatory mediator systems in the production of human disease.
“How do humans make sense?” multiscale dynamics and emergent meaning

Abstract The challenges posed by the composite nature of sense-making encourage us to study how that composite is dynamically assembled. In this paper, we consider the computational underpinnings that drive the composite nature of interaction. We look to the dynamic properties of recurrent neural networks. What kind of dynamic system inherently integrates multiple signals across different levels and modalities? We argue below that three fundamental properties are needed: dynamic memory, timescale integration, and multimodal integration. We argue that a growing area of investigation in neural networks, reservoir computing, has all these properties (Jaeger, 2001). A simple version of this model is then created to demonstrate “emergent meaning,” using a simplified model communication system.
The Multitude of Approaches to Urban Ethnography: Blessing or Curse?

Krase discusses the utility of traditional and more recently developed ethnographic techniques for the study of contemporary cities. Each, he notes, has unique strengths and weaknesses, and in combination with each other they are invaluable in the service of documentation, analysis and illustration of complex social activities and physical environments. In this chapter he looks at the value of ethnography for applied, public or otherwise ‘humanistic’ goals. He shows how the abstract ideas of urban theorists are made more explicit by a close-up focus on competing spatial practices: the vivid descriptions of ethnographers adding necessary texture to their broader sweeps of urban life and rendering the scenes more understandable. Krase gives examples of ethnographic practices employed to examine race, class and gentrification in Brooklyn, New York, over a period of four decades, and considers the opportunities for innovation offered by technological advances in data collection, analysis and the presentation of findings.
Mining framework usage graphs from app corpora

We investigate the problem of mining graph-based usage patterns for large, object-oriented frameworks like Android—revisiting previous approaches based on graph-based object usage models (groums). Groums are a promising approach to represent usage patterns for object-oriented libraries because they simultaneously describe control flow and data dependencies between methods of multiple interacting object types. However, this expressivity comes at a cost: mining groums requires solving a subgraph isomorphism problem that is well known to be expensive. This cost limits the applicability of groum mining to large API frameworks. In this paper, we employ groum mining to learn usage patterns for object-oriented frameworks from program corpora. The central challenge is to scale groum mining so that it is sensitive to usages horizontally across programs from arbitrarily many developers (as opposed to simply usages vertically within the program of a single developer). To address this challenge, we develop a novel groum mining algorithm that scales on a large corpus of programs. We first use frequent itemset mining to restrict the search for groums to smaller subsets of methods in the given corpus. Then, we pose the subgraph isomorphism as a SAT problem and apply efficient pre-processing algorithms to rule out fruitless comparisons ahead of time. Finally, we identify containment relationships between clusters of groums to characterize popular usage patterns in the corpus (as well as classify less popular patterns as possible anomalies). We find that our approach scales on a corpus of over five hundred open source Android applications, effectively mining obligatory and best-practice usage patterns.
Familial Prion Diseases Modeled in Cell Culture

The central pathogenic event in prion diseases is the posttranslational conversion of PrPC, a normal cell-surface glycoprotein, into PrPSc, the principal constituent of infectious prion particles (reviewed by Prusiner, 1996). This transformation, which is hypothesized result from a change in the conformation of the polypeptide chain, has been studied both in vivo using transgenic mice (Scott et al., 1996) and in vitro using purified proteins and synthetic peptides (Bessen et al., 1995; Kaneko et al., 1995). The approach we have chosen to take is a cell biological one, focusing on the biosynthesis, posttranslational processing, and cellular trafficking of PrPC and PrPSc in cultured cells (Harris et al., 1996). The techniques we employ include metabolic labeling, immunochemical analysis, microscopy, and subcellular fractionation. The primary advantage of a cell biological approach is the ability to study the formation of PrPSc in the context of the membranes, organelles, and cellular cofactors that are likely to be important in mediating the conversion process.
What improves MD cancer screening recommendations

e13547Background: Guidelines provide guidance but patient (PT) medical factors and preferences alter recommendations. We studied PT factors that alter the correct recommendation (CR) and physician ...
Energy-Efficient CO2 Capture from Flue Gas by Absorption with Amino Acids and Crystallization with a Bis-Iminoguanidine

We report a hybrid solvent/solid-state approach to CO2 separation from flue gas, consisting of absorption with aqueous glycine or sarcosine amino acids, followed by crystallization of the bicarbona...
The Extremal Function and Colin de Verdière Graph Parameter

The Colin de Verdi e re parameter $\mu(G)$ is a minor-monotone graph parameter with connections to differential geometry. We study the conjecture that for every integer $t$, if $G$ is a graph with at least $t$ vertices and $\mu(G) \leq t$, then $|E(G)| \leq t|V(G)|-\binom{t+1}{2}$. We observe a relation to the graph complement conjecture for the Colin de Verdiere parameter and prove the conjectured edge upper bound for graphs $G$ such that either $\mu(G) \leq 7$, or $\mu(G) \geq |V(G)|-6$, or the complement of $G$ is chordal, or $G$ is chordal.
Evidence-Based Review of Vaginal Native Tissue Hysteropexy for Uterovaginal Prolapse.

Importance As surgical techniques evolve in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and patient preferences are better understood, more studies are investigating uterine-sparing procedures for efficacy, safety, and potentially improved quality of life. Much of the literature reflects the use of mesh material in uterine-sparing procedures, and there is a paucity of data regarding the safety and efficacy of native tissue uterine-sparing procedures for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. Objective To summarize existing evidence regarding objective and subjective outcomes of uterine-preserving procedures including the Manchester procedure (MP) as well as native tissue uterovaginal hysteropexy with repairs, namely, uterosacral hysteropexy (USH) and sacrospinous hysteropexy (SSH), compared with outcomes of total vaginal hysterectomy (TVH) with repairs for the management of uterovaginal prolapse. Evidence Acquisition A review of the literature included MEDLINE, Cochrane, and clinicaltrials.gov databases. Results Few level 1 data exist comparing outcomes of native tissue hysteropexy to vaginal hysterectomy for management of uterovaginal prolapse. In general, outcomes of the MP for the management of uterovaginal prolapse revealed that compared with TVH it is associated with shorter operative times, lower estimated blood loss and risk of blood transfusion with no difference in hospital stay, and similar quality of life and sexual function outcomes. Retrospective data suggest no difference with respect to recurrent prolapse of any compartment between USH and TVH with repairs. Level 1 data reveal that SSH has been shown to have similar 1-year outcomes and safety compared with TVH with native tissue suspension. Women with stage 4 prolapse who undergo an SSH may be at higher risk of recurrence and may benefit from an alternative method of apical prolapse repair. Conclusions and Relevance More level 1 data are needed in order to robustly understand long-term differences in outcomes between native tissue uterine-conserving versus vaginal hysterectomy surgical approaches in women with uterovaginal prolapse.
The many faces of synapsid cranial allometry

Previous studies of cranial shape have established a consistent interspecific allometric pattern relating the relative lengths of the face and braincase regions of the skull within multiple families of mammals. In this interspecific allometry, the facial region of the skull is proportionally longer than the braincase in larger species. The regularity and broad taxonomic occurrence of this allometric pattern suggests that it may have an origin near the base of crown Mammalia, or even deeper in the synapsid or amniote forerunners of mammals. To investigate the possible origins of this allometric pattern, we used geometric morphometric techniques to analyze cranial shape in 194 species of nonmammalian synapsids, which constitute a set of successive outgroups to Mammalia. We recovered a much greater diversity of allometric patterns within nonmammalian synapsids than has been observed in mammals, including several instances similar to the mammalian pattern. However, we found no evidence of the mammalian pattern within Therocephalia and nonmammalian Cynodontia, the synapsids most closely related to mammals. This suggests that the mammalian allometric pattern arose somewhere within Mammaliaformes, rather than within nonmammalian synapsids. Further investigation using an ontogenetic series of the anomodont Diictodon feliceps shows that the pattern of interspecific allometry within anomodonts parallels the ontogenetic trajectory of Diictodon. This indicates that in at least some synapsids, allometric patterns associated with ontogeny may provide a “path of least resistance” for interspecific variation, a mechanism that we suggest produces the interspecific allometric pattern observed in mammals.
Changing Disease Prevalence, Incidence, and Mortality Among Older Cohorts: The Health and Retirement Study

Background This article investigates changes in disease prevalence, incidence, and mortality among four cohorts of older persons in the Health and Retirement Study. Methods We examine two cohorts initially aged 51 to 61, whom we call younger cohorts, and two older cohorts aged 70 to 80 at the start of observation. Each of the paired cohorts was born about 10 years apart. We follow the cohorts for approximately 10 years. Results The prevalence of cancer, stroke, and diabetes increased in later-born cohorts; while the prevalence of myocardial infarction decreased markedly in both later-born cohorts. The incidence of heart disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke decreased among those in the later-born older cohort; while only the incidence of myocardial infarction decreased in the later-born younger cohort. On the other hand, diabetes incidence increased among those in both later-born cohorts. Death rates among those with heart disease, cancer, and diabetes decreased in the later-born cohorts. The declining incidence of three cardiovascular conditions among those who are over age 70 reflects improving population health and has resulted in stemming the increase in prevalence of people with heart disease and stroke. Discussion While these results provide some important signs of improving population health, especially among those over 70; trends for those less than 70 in the United States are not as positive.
Dynamic Tensile Behavior of Soft Ferromagnetic Alloy Fe-Co-2V

Fe-Co-2V is a soft ferromagnetic alloy used in electromagnetic applications due to excellent magnetic properties. However, the discontinuous yielding (Luders bands), grain-size-dependent properties (Hall-Petch behavior), and the degree of order/disorder in the Fe-Co-2V alloy makes it difficult to predict the mechanical performance, particularly in abnormal environments such as elevated strain rates and high/low temperatures. Thus, experimental characterization of the high strain rate properties of the Fe-Co-2V alloy is desired, which are used for material model development in numerical simulations. In this study, the high rate tensile response of Fe-Co-2V is investigated with a pulse-shaped Kolsky tension bar over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. Effects of temperature and strain rate on yield stress, ultimate stress, and ductility are discussed.
NanoThermoMechanical AND and OR Logic Gates

Today’s electronics cannot perform in harsh environments (e.g., elevated temperatures and ionizing radiation environments) found in many engineering applications. Based on the coupling between near-field thermal radiation and MEMS thermal actuation, we presented the design and modeling of NanoThermoMechanical AND, OR, and NOT logic gates as an alternative, and showed their ability to be combined into a full thermal adder to perform complex operations. In this work, we introduce the fabrication and characterization of the first ever documented Thermal AND and OR logic gates. The results show thermal logic operations can be achieved successfully through demonstrated and easy-to-manufacture NanoThermoMechanical logic gates.
6 – Impact on composite plates in contact with water

This chapter deals with the impact of a mass on a composite plate in contact with water, a problem encountered when marine vehicles hit floating debris. Impacts on composite structures have been studied extensively over the years but the new aspect that has not been investigated adequately is that the presence of the water affects the dynamics of the structure and also that of the projectile. The water opposes the motion resulting in a higher effective mass of the projectile and it also drastically reduces the natural frequencies of the plate. Modeling this problem requires adequate models for the plate including its interaction with the fluid, for the projectile, and for the local deformations in the contact zone. The different options for model development are presented and results show a wide range of impact responses depending on the ratio between the mass of the projectile and that of the plate. The presence of the water affects the impact duration, the maximum contact force, and the shape of the force versus time curve.
Energy spectra of reactor neutrinos at KamLAND

The upcoming reactor neutrino experiment, KamLAND, has the ability to explore the large mixing angle solution to the solar neutrino problem. Here, we investigate the precision to which KamLAND should be able to measure these parameters, utilizing the distortion of the energy spectrum of reactor neutrinos. Incomplete knowledge of the fuel composition of the reactors will lead to some error on this measurement. We estimate the size of this effect.
Buzz about RT-qPCR: An RT-qPCR formulation for SARS-CoV-2 detection using reagents produced at Georgia Institute of Technology

Widespread testing for the presence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in individuals remains vital for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic prior to the advent of an effective treatment. Challenges in testing can be traced to an initial shortage of supplies, expertise and/or instrumentation necessary to detect the virus by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), the most robust, sensitive, and specific assay currently available. Here we show that academic biochemistry and molecular biology laboratories equipped with appropriate expertise and infrastructure can replicate commercially available SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR test kits and backfill pipeline shortages. The Georgia Tech COVID-19 Test Kit Support Group, composed of faculty, staff, and trainees across the biotechnology quad at Georgia Institute of Technology, synthesized multiplexed primers and probes and formulated a master mix composed of enzymes and proteins produced in-house. Our in-house kit compares favorably to a commercial product used for diagnostic testing. We also developed an environmental testing protocol to readily monitor surfaces across various campus laboratories for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Our blueprint should be readily reproducible by research teams at other institutions, and our protocols may be modified and adapted to enable SARS-CoV-2 detection in more resource-limited settings.