cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Organelle RNA recognition motif-containing (ORRM) proteins are plastid and mitochondrial editing factors in Arabidopsis

Post-transcriptional C-to-U RNA editing occurs at specific sites in plastid and plant mitochondrial transcripts. Members of the Arabidopsis pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) motif-containing protein family and RNA-editing factor Interacting Protein (RIP, also known as MORF) family have been characterized as essential components of the RNA editing apparatus. Recent studies reveal that several organelle-targeted RNA recognition motif (RRM)-containing proteins are involved in either plastid or mitochondrial RNA editing. ORRM1 (Organelle RRM protein 1) is essential for plastid editing, whereas ORRM2, ORRM3 and ORRM4 are involved in mitochondrial RNA editing. The RRM domain of ORRM1, ORRM3 and ORRM4 is required for editing activity, whereas the auxiliary RIP and Glycine-Rich (GR) domains mediate the ORRM proteins' interactions with other editing factors. The identification of the ORRM proteins as RNA editing factors further expands our knowledge of the composition of the editosome.
Characteristics analysis of norovirus outbreak in Beijing Dongcheng District, 2014

Objective To analyze norovirus epidemic features and characteristics distribution in the Dongcheng District of Beijing,and provide a reference for the perfection of disease prevention and control measures. Methods Field epidemiological investigation and descriptive analysis were used to analyze the epidemic report and case data of the treatment in 2014. Results In Dongcheng District, a total of 6 cases were treated caused by the norovirus virus. The number of the cumulative cases was 174, including the laboratory confirmed 41 cases(23.56%), pathogen carriers 1 case(2.63%). There was no severe case and death. The cancer rate was between 9.00% and 46.51%. Outbreaks were in the early summer(March-June) and early winter(November). No outbreak appeared in the other months. Cases were all students, average age 6.70±1.32 years of age, sex ratio of 1.20:1. The viral RNA positive specimens were 44(32.59%). The genotyping results showed that the three outbreaks were caused by virus GⅡ6 type,others were caused by GⅡ4, GⅡ7 and GⅡ17 type. Conclusion In the future, the most principle work on the virus epidemic prevention and control should be put on kindergartens and primary schools.
Stochastic hydro-thermal scheduling optimization: An overview

Abstract This paper presents an overview about the hydro-thermal scheduling problem. In an electrical power system power generators have to be scheduled over a time horizon in order to supply system demand. The scheduling problem consists in dispatching the available generators to meet the system electric load while minimizing the operational costs related to fuel and possible load curtailments. In a system with a large share of hydro generation, different from a thermal dominant power system, the uncertainty of water inflows play an important role in the decision-making process. In this setting the scheduling of generators has to be determined considering different future possibilities for water availability. Also, in the existence of a cascade system, the availability of water to produce electricity in hydro plants is influenced by decisions taken in upstream reservoirs. These issues complicate the hydro-thermal scheduling problem that often in the literature is modeled as a multi-stage stochastic program. In this paper we aim to give an overview about the main ideas behind this problem. We present model formulations, a solution technique, and point out to new developments related to this research.
Ethnic differences in electrocardiographic amplitude measurements.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy regarding ethnic differences in electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns because of potentially confounding socioeconomic, nutritional, environmental and occupational fa...
Why Some Managers Expect to Benefit from Public Policies and Others Do Not

Governments often provide assistance to firms, especially energy-efficiency and renewable-energy businesses (Marcus, Anderson, Cohen, and Sutliffe, 2010). For example, in the 1970s the U.S. federal government offered subsidies to firms that developed solar panels and tax credits to consumers who purchased these products (Marcus, 1992). There have been a host of such programs, including the 2009 Economic Stimulus Act, which allocated more than $27 billion in direct and indirect aid to energy-efficiency and renewable-energy businesses (See Table 4.1). The government, for example, has provided tax credits to firms producing wind power, enabling them to sell more products and services, or sell them sooner, than otherwise would be economically feasible. Past research suggests that managers in energy efficiency and renewable energy businesses often are the beneficiaries of government policies. By making substitute products and services less attractive, public policies such as mandated performance standards, taxes, and other programs lift public awareness and increase interest in the products and service that energy efficiency and renewable energy businesses offer (Gale & Buchholz, 1987; Russo, 2001; Sine, Haveman, & Tolbert, 2005).
A Retrospective Analysis of Precision Medicine Outcomes in Patients With Advanced Cancer Reveals Improved Progression-Free Survival Without Increased Health Care Costs

Purpose:The advent of genomic diagnostic technologies such as next-generation sequencing has recently enabled the use of genomic information to guide targeted treatment in patients with cancer, an approach known as precision medicine. However, clinical outcomes, including survival and the cost of health care associated with precision cancer medicine, have been challenging to measure and remain largely unreported.Patients and Methods:We conducted a matched cohort study of 72 patients with metastatic cancer of diverse subtypes in the setting of a large, integrated health care delivery system. We analyzed the outcomes of 36 patients who received genomic testing and targeted therapy (precision cancer medicine) between July 1, 2013, and January 31, 2015, compared with 36 historical control patients who received standard chemotherapy (n = 29) or best supportive care (n = 7).Results:The average progression-free survival was 22.9 weeks for the precision medicine group and 12.0 weeks for the control group (P = .00...
Leadership and Spirituality

This chapter underscores the importance of spirituality in the workplace and its role in leading organizations. It focuses specifically on contributing to readers’ awareness about the vital difference between religion and spirituality. The chapter builds on the premise that fundamental problems facing our organizations and the society today can only be solved at the level of human spirit. The material paradigm is not suited to deal with germane problems that shape our today’s world (Vasconcelos A.F.. Cadernos EBAPE.BR 13.1, pp. 183–205). The chapter further postulates that the real spirituality is not indifference to the world but love and compassion born out of identifying oneself with all beings. It presents Gandhi as an exemplary spiritual leader who stirred the conscience of humanity by demonstrating the power of spirit over material things and extended the gospel of love and peace from personal level to the social arena. It also draws upon the vision of the Vedānta philosophy of unity of all existence as unfolded in the Bhagavad Gītā.
Real Estate Home Pricing: Hedonic model variables and Community Amenities Roles

Forecasting a home sale asking price using traditional hedonic pricing models is problematic: buyers have lost confidence in the marketΓCOs response to such forecasted asking prices. With the restriction of federal and state funding sources for community services home buyers may face increased property taxes depending on the community they select. In turn this may affect the prices and neighborhoods that they search in. This study examines whether hedonic model variables remain viable for sales price forecasting and whether the level of available community services affects town selection decisions for home buyers. All data was developed from databases in the public domain. The study focuses on an examination of variance as measured within a linear regression model.
FRACTURE BEHAVIOR OF SiC FIBER/Si3N4 COMPOSITE

Abstract Silicon nitride matrix CMC (Ceramic Matrix Composite) with 5 vol% chemically vapor deposited SiC fiber has been fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing at 1400 – 1500 °C. By using MgO and MgF 2 mixture as a sintering additives, composites having 95% relative density was successfully fabricated at 1500 °C, rather lower temperature than that for ordinal sintering of silicon nitride. The composite showed not brittle and non-linear fracture behavior with consuming extraordinary big fracture energy (70000 – 80000 J/m 2 ). The composite had ultimate flexural strength of 590 MPa and fracture toughness of about 15 MPa√m. Much amount of fiber pull-out was observed. The pull-out happened due to slipping of not only at fiber/matrix interface but also at the interface between core carbon fiber and SiC sheath.
A Microsample Tensile Test Application: Local Strength of Impact Welds Between Sheet Metals

Microsample tensile testing was conducted to evaluate the quality of impact welds created by vaporizing foil actuator welding. Tensile test samples with a gauge length of 0.6 mm were electro-discharge machined out of welds created between 1-mm-thick aluminum alloy type 6061 (AA6061) sheets and 6-mm-thick copper (Cu110) plates. Aluminum sheets were used as flyers, while copper plates acted as targets. Flyer sheets in T6 as well as T4 temper conditions were utilized to create welds. Some of the welds made with T4 temper flyers were heat treated to a T6 temper. It was found that the welds made with T4 temper flyers were slightly stronger (max. of 270 MPa) than those produced with T6 temper flyers. Generally, failure propagated in a brittle manner across the weld interface; however, elemental mapping reveals material transfer on either member of the welded system. This work proves the feasibility to apply microsample tensile testing to assess impact welding, even when conducted with flyer sheets of 1 mm or less, and provides insight that is complementary to other test methods.
Abstract A03: Formins stabilize cell-ECM adhesions during invasion onset

The onset of local invasion typically defines the transition from benign to malignant tumors. This pathological definition has clear implications for cell behaviors governing invasion onset, which nonetheless remain mysterious. Thus we asked whether established cytoskeletal regulators contributed specifically to invasion in multicellular ensembles. We investigated roles of actin nucleators from the formin family and the Arp2/3 complex during collective invasion by two cell types: tumor explants from PyMT mice, and acini of Manin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells, which initiate collective invasion in response to Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF). Contrary to our expectations, inhibition of Arp2/3 did not prevent invasion in either cell type. The pan-formin inhibitor SMIFH2, however, drastically reduced invasive fronts in both cell types. This phenotype was specific to 3D invasion, as formins were dispensable for 2D motility by single cells or cell collectives. We identified Diaphanous 1 (Dia1) and FHOD1 as formin family members required for invasion by MDCK acini. Live imaging of Dia1 knockdown acini revealed that while they formed transient extensions into the collagen, these were too unstable to support invasion. Despite these defects, Dia1 knockdown cells could deform the collagen matrix locally and exerted traction stresses equal to controls. Stiffer, bundled collagen gels potentiated invasion by control acini but could not rescue invasion by Dia1 knockdown acini. We then imaged acini in which GFP-Lifeact and mCherry-Myosin Light Chain were coexpressed as they invaded into labelled collagen. During invasion onset, we observed formation of subcellular actomyosin puncta on minute timescales. These puncta could adhere stably and alter collagen even while the cell continued to change shape and migrate within the acinus. Such adhesions formed rarely and with unstable dynamics in Dia1 knockdown acini. Thus formins may contribute to malignancy through molecular and physical mechanisms distinct from overall cell contractility. Rather, they mediate invasion in 3D contexts where competing cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions make stringent local requirements of adhesion stability. This work provides a bridge between cell motility in 3D and canonical models of 2D migration. Citation Format: Tim Fessenden, Yvonne Beckham, Mathew Perez-Neut, Guillermina Ramirez-San Juan, Margaret L. Gardel. Formins stabilize cell-ECM adhesions during invasion onset. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology; 2016 Jun 25-28; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A03.
Technology of Hiping Complex Shape Parts with Dual Chemical Composition and properties from Metal Powders: Trends of its Development in the USSR

Recently the need for powder parts operating at high temperatures, stresses and in agressive media has grown greately. Complex shape parts with dual chemical composition and properties made with the help of HIP method can fully meet the operation requirements. The main trends of developing such technology in the USSR are: production of high strength powder parts by HIP method without consequent plastic deformation; using high quality powders; production of parts with variable cross-sectional properties meeting the operational requirements; introduction of aerospace technologies into national economy.
Is Target-Date Mutual Fund Underperformance Rational?

This article investigates the performance of target date mutual funds (TDMFs) relative to several passive indexes by using widely accepted mutual fund performance measures—Sharpe, Sortino, and Omega ratios; FF-3; and FF-6—and find that TDMF performance is negative and significant in nearly all performance measures. The authors also find that TDMFs provide other benefits for investors searching for a choice between active and passive investing. They speculate that several investor biases may explain the paradox of the popularity and underperformance of TDMFs. The results of this article are very important for choice architects and individual investors responsible for retirement plan decisions in that TDMFs fill the current void in retirement plan offerings and will most likely continue to rise in popularity. This article also reveals the need to develop measurement tools designed specifically to determine the performance of TDMFs.
First Giant Steps Toward a Cell Atlas of Atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis—a chronic inflammatory disease of the artery wall—is the underlying cause of major clinical cardiovascular diseases.1–3 Cells within atherosclerotic lesions are heterogeneous and dynamic.1–3 Their pathological features have been characterized by histology and flow cytometry and more recently, by bulk-tissue omics profiling. Despite this progress, our knowledge of cell types and their roles in atherogenesis remains incomplete because of masking of differences across cells when using genomic measurement at bulk level.4 Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has catalyzed a revolution in understanding of cellular heterogeneity in organ systems and diseases.5 In the current issue, studies by Winkels et al6 and Cohain et al7 advance our understanding of leukocyte heterogeneity in atherosclerosis using scRNA-seq providing great promise for discovery of novel molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Article, see p 1661 Using a 10x genomics scRNA-seq platform, Winkels et al6 characterized CD45+ leukocytes from aortas of Apoe −/− mice fed chow or Western type diet for 12 weeks. A total of 11 leukocyte subpopulations were distinguished, including T cells (5), B cells (2), NK (natural killer) cells (1), monocytes (2), and macrophages (1), and confirmed by a 35-marker mass cytometry panel. A subsequent B-cell–focused analysis identified and functionally validated 3 subpopulations. They also applied a deconvolution method8 leveraging mouse scRNA-seq data to infer human atherosclerosis cell composition in bulk mRNA expression data of 126 human carotid plaques from the Biobank of Karolinska Endarterectomies (BiKE). The proportion of deconvoluted memory T cells was inversely associated, albeit weakly, with the rate of cardiovascular disease events, providing a hint that unbiased analyses may identify leukocyte subpopulations that drive adverse clinical events. Cohain et al7 performed scRNA-seq, using the Drop-seq platform, to characterize CD45+ leukocytes from aortas of Ldlr −/− mice fed …
Improving Hydrologic Modeling Using Cloud-Free MODIS Flood Maps

AbstractFlood mapping from satellites provides large-scale observations of flood events, but cloud obstruction in satellite optical sensors limits its practical usability. In this study, we impleme...
Characterization of AISI 304L stainless steel powder recycled in the laser powder-bed fusion process

Abstract During part fabrication by laser powder-bed fusion (L-PBF), an Additive Manufacturing process, a large amount of energy is input from the laser into the melt pool, causing generation of spatter and condensate, both of which have the potential to settle in the surrounding powder-bed compromising its reusability. In this study, AISI 304 L stainless steel powder is subjected to seven reuses in the L-PBF process to assess the changes in powder properties that occur as a result of successive recycling. The powder was characterized morphologically by particle size and shape distribution measurements, chemically through inert gas fusion for evaluation of oxygen content, and microstructurally by X-ray diffraction for phase identification. The evolution in powder properties was used to explain observed performance differences obtained by the Hausner ratio and a Revolution Powder Analyzer for quantifying flowability. The results show that recycled powder coarsens and becomes more spherical, accrues oxygen, and accumulates delta ferrite as it is reused. Due to the change in powder morphology, recycled powder exhibited improved flowability in comparison to the virgin powder.
Transient parkinsonism associated with acute Legionnaires’ disease

A 44-year-old right-handed man with a 5-day history of non-productive cough associated with subjective fevers/chills and night sweats presented to the emergency department with slurred speech. Radiography and urine antigen testing confirmed the diagnosis of Legionella pneumonia. The hospital course was complicated by acute hypoxic respiratory failure that required 7 days of invasive mechanical ventilation. Following extubation, the patient had dysarthria and developed new parkinsonism features. Brain imaging revealed a non-specific focal lesion in the left frontal lobe of unclear significance. Ciprofloxacin was decided as the final antibiotic of choice for its favourable central nervous system profile. Levodopa–carbidopa was initiated to help activate the basal ganglia. The patient had complete resolution of pneumonia and transient parkinsonism. He was able to regain most of his baseline functional status with intensive rehabilitation.
Effects of pelleting and storage of a complex nursery pig diet on lysine bioavailability.

The effects of pelleting and storage of a complex nursery pig diet (28% lactose and 1.4% lysine) on lysine bioavailability were assessed in a chick bioassay. The nursery diet was steam-conditioned at 60 degrees C for 45 s and then pelleted through a 5-mm die with a depth of 38 mm. Samples of meal and pelleted diet were placed in metallic feeders in an occupied nursery facility for 1 wk (warm) or were stored at 4 degrees C (cool). For the standard-curve bioassay, a total of 144 8-d-old chicks were offered the following dietary treatments: 1 to 3) a basal diet (lysine deficient) and two levels (.08 and .16%) of added lysine (from L-lysine-HCl); 4 and 5) two positive controls (.7% added lysine with or without 10% of the nursery diet); and 6 to 9) basal diet plus 10% of one of the four nursery diet samples (meal or pellet stored cool or warm for 1 wk). Pelleting had no effect (P>.10) on lysine bioavailability, probably because pelleting conditions (temperature, humidity, and pellet size) were not aggressive enough to result in detectable effects on lysine utilization. However, storage in the nursery facility for 1 wk reduced (P .10) interactions were observed. Furthermore, true digestibility of lysine in the four pig diet samples was estimated in a cecectomized cockerel digestibility assay using 15 adult Single-Comb White Leghorn cockerels. Lysine digestibility in all samples was high (average of 94%) and was not affected (P>.10) by treatment. We conclude that the pelleting conditions used in our experiments did not decrease lysine utilization. More research is needed to define thermal processing conditions that might cause protein quality deterioration. However, typical warm and humid environmental conditions encountered in modern nursery facilities have a negative effect on protein quality of diets rich in reducing sugars and lysine.
Differential Neurobehavioral Effects of Cross-Modal Selective Priming on Phonetic and Emotional Prosodic Information in Late Second Language Learners.

Purpose Spoken language is inherently multimodal and multidimensional in natural settings, but very little is known about how second language (L2) learners undertake multilayered speech signals wit...
Preliminary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking and vaping in college students.

We examined tobacco use changes in young adult college students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on smoking and vaping. First, we evaluated changes in tobacco use from pre to post campus closure focusing on smoking and electronic nicotine vaping frequency (days) and quantity (cigarettes/cartridges per day). Also, given the potential protective effects of pausing (temporarily or permanently discontinuing) smoking or vaping, we evaluated its predictors. We hypothesized that generalized anxiety and moving home would increase the odds of pausing. We also explored effects of COVID-related news exposure and seeking on tobacco use. We re-contacted young adults two years after they completed a study on alcohol and marijuana co-use. A subset (N = 83; 26.6% of the 312 respondents) were enrolled in college and reported use of cigarettes (n = 35) and/or e-cigarettes (n = 69) in the week prior to their campus closing (PC). Paired sample t-tests compared smoking and vaping frequency and quantity PC to past-week use since closing (SC). Multivariate logistic regression models were fit to examine predictors of pausing. Both smoking and vaping frequency decreased from PC to SC; however, decreased frequency did not correspond to reduced quantity. Twenty-four participants (28.9%) paused past-week use SC. Higher anxiety and moving home (versus living independently) were related to increased odds of pausing, whereas COVID-19 related news exposure and seeking were related to decreased odds of pausing. Characterizing COVID-19 related tobacco use change provides insights into how college students respond to novel health threats and informs potential interventions.
Simeon Poisson and the Stanley Cup Finals

The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America currently comprised of 31 teams. Their seasons culminate with the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The top sixteen teams (eight in each conference) qualify for the playoffs. The conference champions face off in the final round, known as the Stanley Cup Finals. The authors show that goals scored per game in the Stanley Cup Finals follow a Poisson distribution. Using the results of all 438 Stanley Cup Final games played since 1939 (when the Finals became a best-of-seven series), chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests show that the observed distribution of goals scored per game by series winners, series losers, and game losers closely approximate a Poisson theoretical model. The combined number of goals scored by both finalists and goals scored by game winners do not
Hollywood, Washington, and the Making of the Refugee in Postwar Cinema

This article explores a pair of postwar Hollywood films: Illegal Entry (Universal-International, 1949) and Lady Without Passport(MGM, 1950). The movies dramatize the nation's uneasy effort during this era to distinguish “refugees” from “illegal aliens.” Both revolve around upstanding US government investigators falling for gorgeous, foreign ladies who are caught up in the underworld of human smuggling. Written, filmed, and shown at a moment in which the United States was debating how and whether to legally recognize, for the first time, the special status of refugees’ claims to enter the nation, the plots of both films wrestle with the question of what such claims might mean. On the surface, both movies praise U.S. efforts at immigration control; at the same time, both also call such efforts into question in the face of migrants’ hardships. But the behind-the-scenes history of the films’ production is equally noteworthy, for it reveals the curious circuitry by which new narratives around refugees were generated at this volatile postwar moment. Drawing on archival research in Hollywood and Washington DC, I tell the story of how these films grew out of a strange collaboration between movie producers and government officials, all invested in forging “reality entertainment” that projected their vision of the US immigration regime onto the nation's silver screens.
Two Young Men with Mediastinal Masses

Introduction The myeloid/lymphoid neoplasms with eosinophilia and gene rearrangement (MLN-Eos) are a rare group of hematopoietic neoplasms with diverse and often perplexing presentations that can cause challenges, and even potential pitfalls, for the diagnostic pathologist.1 The MLN-Eos demonstrate a male predominance, often strikingly so. While these MLN-Eos occur across a range of ages, the median age of onset is typically in the 40s, younger than in many other types of cancer, indicating that this is not a typical age-related cancer. Clinically these patients may show fatigue, pruritis, hepatosplenomegaly, and other protean symptomatology associated with eosinophilia, including restrictive pulmonary fibrosis, restrictive cardiomyopathy due to endomyocardial fibrosis, and eosinophilic gastritis or dermatitis as well as direct mass-forming symptoms. Often there is elevated tryptase and vitamin B12 associated with the granulocytic hyperplasia.
An Investigation of the Use of Self-Regulated Strategy Development to Teach Long Division to Students with or At-Risk for Emotional Disturbance

Division is an essential skill for math fluency and achievement in higher-order math skills. Using a partial quotients algorithm is one way to support a student’s ability to develop both conceptual and computational knowledge of long division. We used the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) framework to develop lesson plans and a mnemonic to guide students through the long division process. Using a multiple-baseline across participants design, SRSD instruction resulted in a functional relation between the intervention and both correct answers and rubric scores. The intervention was implemented by a practitioner with high levels of fidelity and had high levels of acceptability from both teacher and student perspectives. We present limitations and future directions in this area.
Update in Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes

The diagnosis and treatment of chronic pelvic pain have shifted from organ-specific to multifactorial, multidisciplinary, and individualized approach. While many organizations have had diverse outlooks on classification and treatment plans, new research has identified varied clinical phenotypes and updated classification systems. These phenotypes are based on pain, gender, symptomatology, and comorbid pain syndromes. These new classification systems allow a multimodal therapeutic approach and evaluation of patients. Multidisciplinary care, including urology, gynecology, gastroenterology, neurology, psychology, physiotherapy, and pain medicine, is also further recognized for adequate management of patients with chronic pelvic pain because of its variable etiology. The purpose of this review is to emphasize these changes and discuss management strategies.
Superfluidity in Sympathetic Cooling with Atomic Bose-Einstein Condensates

The dynamical structure of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate limits the efficiency of the condensate in cooling slow impurity atoms. To illustrate the point, we show that an impurity atom moving in a homogeneous zero-temperature condensate is not scattered incoherently if its velocity is lower than the condensate sound velocity $c$, limiting cooling to velocities $v\ensuremath{\ge}c$. This striking effect is an expression of superfluidity and provides a direct means to detect the fundamental property of superfluidity in atomic condensates. Furthermore, we show that the fermionic lithium isotope, ${}^{6}\mathrm{Li}$, is a reasonable candidate for sympathetic cooling by a ${}^{23}\mathrm{Na}$ condensate.
The interaction of proteins with hydroxyapatite: I. Role of protein charge and structure☆

The criteria for elution of proteins from hydroxyapatite columns were examined as a function of (1) protein isoelectric point (22 proteins with isoelectric points between 3.5 and 11.0); (2) ionic nature of eluant (Na salts of PO4, F-, Cl-, SCN-, ClO-4, and CaCl2); and (3) structural differences between related proteins. It was found that proteins can be classified into three groups: (1) basic proteins, which elute at similar, moderate molarities of PO4, F-, Cl-, SCN-, and ClO-4, and low (less than 0.003 M) Ca2+; (2) acidic proteins which elute at about equal moderate molarities of PO4 and F-, but do not elute with Ca2+ and usually not with Cl-; (3) neutral proteins, which elute with PO4, F-, and Cl-, but show a strong anion specificity, and do not elute with Ca2+ or SCN-. Furthermore, individual specific polar groups are not in general crucial to binding or desorption, and variations in structure, other than major loosening, do not influence strongly the pattern of protein-hydroxyapatite interaction.
Periscope, up! Monitoring microbes in the intestine

Dendritic cells below the epithelium layer are now reported to send processes in between epithelial cells, while maintaining the integrity of the tight junctions. This mechanism could sample intestinal fluids for pathogens to aid immunologic protection of the host.
Modeling the field-scale relationship between dielectric constant and water content in heterogeneous systems

[1] Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can be used to obtain information about the variation in the dielectric constant of the subsurface. The sensitivity of a soil's dielectric constant to the presence of water therefore makes water content estimation by GPR possible. The dielectric constant derived from GPR data, however, is also influenced by the geometric distribution of water in the subsurface. We show that this causes the relationship between the dielectric constant and water content to become scale dependent in complex geologic systems. We have derived dielectric constant-water content relationships that account for subsurface geometries in spatially correlated random media that can be characterized using geostatistics. From these relationships we illustrate that the importance of scale effects are strongly dependent on the variance and the anisotropy of the water content in the subsurface; in some cases, ignoring scale effects will not significantly impact the estimation of water content, while in other cases, large biases can occur. This work provides a conceptual framework for the predictive modeling of field-scale dielectric constant-water content relationships.
Localization of adenylate cyclase in Dictyostelium discoideum. II. Cytochemical studies on whole cells and isolated plasma membrane vesicles.

Abstract Cytochemical procedures for the localization of adenylate cyclase and 5′-nucleotidase were performed on stationary phase cultures of axenically grown Dictyostelium discoideum . To confirm the cytochemical observations made in vivo, similar studies were done on an isolated plasma membrane vesicle fraction known to contain both enzyme activities. In vivo, reaction product indicative of adenylate cyclase activity was seen only at the intracellular aspect of the plasma membrane while 5′-nucleotidase reaction product was only seen at the cell membrane predominantly in association with the extracellular aspect of the membrane. The polarization of reaction products on opposite sides of the plasma membrane was also observed in the isolated membrane vesicle fraction indicating that the membrane vesicles formed by amphotericin B lysis of these cells are derived from the plasma membrane. However, the membrane vesicles appeared inverted (inside-out) by the cytochemical observations. The cytochemical localization of these enzymes in plasma membrane vesicles both complements and confirms the observations made in vivo. Based on previous biochemical data and on the present cytochemical observations, it is concluded that the probable active site of adenylate cyclase faces the intracellular aspect of the plasma membrane and the probable active site of 5′-nucleotidase faces the extracellular surface of the plasma membrane.
Radar interference blanking in radio astronomy using a Kalman tracker

[1] Radio astronomical observations of highly Doppler shifted spectral lines of neutral hydrogen and the hydroxyl molecule must often be made at frequencies allocated to pulsed air surveillance radar in the 1215–1350 MHz frequency range. The Green Bank telescope (GBT) and many other observatories must deal with these terrestrial signals. Even when strong radar fixed clutter echoes are removed, there are still weaker aircraft echoes present which can corrupt the data. We present an algorithm which improves aircraft echo blanking using a Kalman filter tracker to follow the path of a sequence of echoes observed on successive radar antenna sweeps. Aircraft tracks can be used to predict regions (in bearing and range) for the next expected echoes, even before they are detected. These data can then be blanked in real time without waiting for the pulse peak to arrive. Additionally, we briefly suggest an approach for a new Bayesian algorithm which combines tracker and pulse detector operations to enable more sensitive weak pulse detection. Examples are presented for Kalman tracking and radar transmission blanking using real observations at the GBT.
The Harmony of Spinoza and Leibniz

According to a common reading, Spinoza and Leibniz stand on opposite ends of the modal spectrum. At one extreme lies ‘‘Spinoza the necessitarian,’’ for whom the actual world is the only possible world. At the other lies ‘‘Leibniz the anti-necessitarian,’’ for whom the actual world is but one possible world among an infinite array of other possible worlds; the actual world is privileged for existence only in virtue of a free decree of a benevolent God. In this paper, I challenge both of these readings. Spinoza is no necessitarian and Leibniz is no anti-necessitarian – at least as these characterizations are usually understood. Rather, I contend, Spinoza and Leibniz are both anti-essentialists; they believe that the modality of objects (both individually and as collected into a possible world) can vary relative to how those objects are conceived. This shared commitment to anti-essentialism allows them to consistently affirm both necessitarianism and its denial, relative to different ways of conceiving the world. Their embrace of this modal
Synaptic Activity and the Construction of Cortical Circuits

Vision is critical for the functional and structural maturation of connections in the mammalian visual system. Visual experience, however, is a subset of a more general requirement for neural activity in transforming immature circuits into the organized connections that subserve adult brain function. Early in development, internally generated spontaneous activity sculpts circuits on the basis of the brain's "best guess" at the initial configuration of connections necessary for function and survival. With maturation of the sense organs, the developing brain relies less on spontaneous activity and increasingly on sensory experience. The sequential combination of spontaneously generated and experience-dependent neural activity endows the brain with an ongoing ability to accommodate to dynamically changing inputs during development and throughout life.
Highly effective poly(ethylene glycol) architectures for specific inhibition of immune receptor activation.

Architectural features of synthetic ligands were systematically varied to optimize inhibition of mast cell degranulation initiated by multivalent crossing of IgE−receptor complexes. A series of ligands were generated by end-capping poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymers and amine-based dendrimers with the hapten 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP). These were used to explore the influence of polymeric backbone length, valency, and hapten presentation on binding to anti-DNP IgE and inhibition of stimulated activation of RBL cells. Monovalent MPEG5000−DNP (IC50 = 50 nM), bivalent DNP−PEG3350−DNP (IC50 = 8 nM), bismonovalent MPEG5000−DNP2 (IC50 = 20 nM), bisbivalent DNP2−PEG3350−DNP2 (IC50 = 3nM) and DNP4−dendrimer ligands (IC50 = 50 nM) all effectively inhibit cellular activation caused by multivalent antigen, DNP−bovine serum albumin. For different DNP ligands, we provide evidence for more effective inhibition due to (i) preferential formation of intra-IgE cross-links by bivalent ligands of sufficient length, (ii) self-...
Contrast in diaphanography of the breast.

Diaphanography is an imaging technique used in diagnosis of breast disease including cancer. The breast is illuminated with low intensity light and the transmission pattern of red and near‐infrared radiation is detected, amplified, reconstructed and displayed in a monitor. The instrumentation for diaphanography has evolved empirically, mostly through clinical practice, without a very clear understanding of the scientific basis of the technique. This research is concerned with investigating theoretically the dependence of the contrast produced by a lesion in a diaphanography image on the size, depth at which a tumor is located, photon energy, and photon angular flux distribution. Contrast calculations using the dotcomputer code in a two‐dimensional geometry showed that decreasing the size of a tumor by 50% decreases the contrast by a factor of 3 and 4 for 695‐ and 853‐nm photons, respectively. Decreasing the size of the normal tissue where a tumor is imbedded by 25% (from 4 to 3 cm) does not change the contrast very much (less than 20%) for both 695‐ and 853‐nm photons. The contrast for 950‐ and 695‐nm photons is comparable while the values for 853‐nm photons are smaller by a factor of 5 for similar cases. The contrast was also found to be dependent on the angle at which the diffuse light is detected after it transverses the host tissue, maximum contrast was found for 695‐ and 853‐nm photons at about 55°. For a detection angle of 77° the contrast observed is 3× and 12× smaller for 695‐ and 853‐nm photons, respectively. For smaller angles such as 18° the contrast was found to be a factor of 2 and 4 smaller for 695‐ and 853‐nm photons, respectively. It was also found that a tumor perturbs the photon flux density over very short distances in normal tissue (the effect is very localized). The flux recuperates at a distance of about two diffusion lengths. The condition that the lesion must be located next to the skin surface where a detector or camera is placed overrides any other effect.
Preparation of Ultra-Fine MgO•Al2O3 Spinel Powder and its Metallurgy Behavior in Medium Carbon Steel

Micron, sub-micron and nanometer sized MgO•Al2O3 ultra-fine powders were prepared by gel precipitation, solid-phrase synthesis, sol-gel and flame throwing pyrogenation methods. XRD analysis shows that the all of the ultra-fine powder is pure with a single MgO•Al2O3 spinel phase. The size is measured by laser granularity analyzer and the average size is 60, 505 and 1780 nm with quite uniform distribution. MgO•Al2O3 spinel powder with different granularity were sprayed into molten medium carbon steel in MgO crucible and MoSi2 furnace at 1873 K. Quantitative microscopic examination shows that big particle inclusions are reduced and small particle inclusions increased, and the average size is reduced. Data comparison from spraying different size powders shows that spraying MgO•Al2O3 of nanometer tends to cause more small inclusions. The sprayed steel samples were rolled and heat treated for the mechanical properties tests, which shows spraying nanometer MgO•Al2O3 is the best way to improve mechanical property.
Podokinetic after-rotation in a simulated reduced gravity environment

Stepping in place on a rotating platform for a period of 15 minutes induces an adaptive response, podokinetic after-rotation (PKAR), which causes a blindfolded individual to inadvertently rotate when attempting to step in place on the floor. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether lower extremity load receptors were involved in this adaptation. As load receptor input is critical for locomotion, we hypothesized that manipulating load via body weight support (BWS) would influence PKAR. Eleven healthy female volunteers performed 15 minutes of stepping in place on a rotating treadmill (stimulation), followed by 10 minutes of stepping in place (response) without vision on a stationary surface. Response and stimulation periods were with 50% body weight support (BWS) and without body weight support (NoBWS) in all four possible combinations (BWS-BWS, NoBWS-NoBWS, BWS-NoBWS, and NoBWS-BWS). Conditions were randomly assigned to all subjects and performed on four separate occasions at least 48 hr ...
Development of solidification microstructures in the presence of fibers or channels of finite width

Abstract Directional solidification studies in a transparent succinonitrile system have been carried out in the presence of single or multiple fibers. The solute-rich region and the solute bands which form as the interface approaches the fibers are discussed. The microstracture formation in small interfiber spacings has been examined and it is shown that the development of microstructure depends on (a) the interfiber spacing, (b) the angle between the two fibers and (c) the orientation of fibers with respect to the growth direction. Experimental studies have also been carried out to examine systematically the microstructural development in well-characterized rectangular channels of controlled widths. Under given experimental conditions of growth rate, temperature gradient and composition, it is shown that the microstructure changes from dendritic to cellular to a nearly planar interface as the width of the channel is reduced. Furthermore, for certain channel widths, half-dendritic or half-cellular structures have also been observed. The various implications of these observations for the fundamental understanding of microstructural evolutions and for the applied aspects of solidification of composite materials are discussed.
Rare epithelial sheets with "cancer-like" nuclei presenting against a background of cytologically normal-appearing endometrial epithelium in endometrial brush samplings: establishing a differential diagnosis.

Liquid-fixed Tao brush samples showing small quantities (less than 10%) of endometrial epithelial sheets with cancer-like nuclei that are admixed with benign endometrium raise a concern about false-positive cytology interpretations. This paper details 7 cases along with the outcomes of three prior papers that touch on the differential diagnosis of "small amounts of atypical epithelium with cancer-like nuclei." Liquid-fixed, cytocentrifuge-processed Tao brush endometrial samples from 7 women showing "small amounts of atypical epithelium with cancer-like nuclei" were followed up by hysterectomy. Clinical presentations, diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, and tissue outcomes are detailed. Four women had hyperplastic polyps (three with focal atypical complex hyperplasia, and one with focal atypical simple hyperplasia). One had endometrial microcarcinoma. One had p53-positive endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma (EIC). One had endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN). The differential diagnosis of the index cytological finding, "small quantities of endometrial epithelial sheets with cancer-like nuclei admixed with benign endometrium," includes hyperplastic polyp, EIC, microcarcinoma/EIN, and carcinoma metastatic to the endometrium. Combining endometrial brushing, endovaginal sonography/sonohysterography, and selective immunostaining may be useful for both detecting and sorting out these lesions. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;21:378-386.
Regional assignment of human tissue factor gene (F3) to chromosome 1p21-p22

Tissue factor, or coagulation factor III, is a membrane-bound glycoprotein and acts as a cofactor for factor VII-dependent initiation of blood coagulation. The tissue factor gene (F3) was previously assigned to human chromosome 1, region p21-pter. The present report has further refined the mapping position to 1p21-p22 using a cDNA probe for the tissue factor gene and in situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes.
Optical Probes of Chain Packing Structure and Exciton Dynamics in Polythiophene Films, Composites, and Nanostructures

This mini-review on the photophysics of poly-alkyl thiophenes (e.g., P3HT) and its blends with electron-acceptor moeties such as fullerenes (e.g., PCBM) and carbon nanotubes focuses on highlights of recent literature on spectroscopic probes of exciton formation, diffusion, charge-separation, and transport in these materials. The literature in this area is vast: more than 3000 papers have been published in on P3HT (and related materials) and applications to organic solar energy harvesting devices over the last 20 years. Thus, no single review can capture the breadth and depth of this research. Here, we attempt to highlight some of the exciting new research efforts aimed at understanding photophysical proc- esses in organic photovoltaic materials. This mini-review is organized as follows: First, a summary of the theoretical framework commonly used to describe fundamental physical processes of charge generation in organic (polymeric) semi- conductor materials is presented. We then discuss recent exciting results on ultrafast spectroscopic probes of exciton dynamics in these materials. Finally, we present highlights of new research on polymer nanostructures (nanoparticles and nanofibers) and their exciting applications to organic photo- voltaics. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 50: 1121-1129, 2012