cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population balance between producing and nonproducing hybridoma clones is very sensitive to serum level, state of inoculum, and medium composition

Secreting and nonsecreting hybridoma populations derived from the murine hybridoma cell line 167.4G5.3 were each grown in batch culture in low serum and serum-free media. Under serum-free conditions, a secreting population gained on a predominantly nonsecreting population and competed with the existing antibody-deficient cells effectively. It was found that this competition was sensitive to state of inoculum and medium composition. We conclude that the competition between a secreting and nonsecreting, or more generally, a producing and nonproducing, population is important; the appearance of the latter may not be a significant setback in terms of expected product titer.
Photoemission Electron Microscopy of TiO2 Anatase Films Embedded with Rutile Nanocrystals

Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) excited by x-ray and UV sources is used to investigate epitaxial anatase thin films embedded with rutile nanocrystals, a model system for the study of heterocatalysis on mixed-phase TiO2. Both excitation sources show distinct contrast between the two TiO2 phases, however, the contrast is reversed. Rutile nanocrystals appear darker than the anatase film in X-ray PEEM images but brighter in UV-PEEM images. Topography-induced contrast is dominant X-ray PEEM imaging, whereas work function contrast, dominates for UV-PEEM. Work function contrast results from the differences in work function and surface defect state densities between the two phases near the Fermi level. This assertion is confirmed by UPS data that shows the rutile work function to be 0.2 eV lower and a greater occupied valence band density-of-states in rutile (100) than in anatase (001). Since the boundaries between rutile nanocrystals and the anatase film are clearly resolved, these results indicate that PEEM studies of excited state dynamics and heterocatalysis are possible at chemically intriguing mixed-phase TiO2 interfaces and grain boundaries.
Genetic Mechanisms in Apc-Mediated Mammary Tumorigenesis

Many components of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway also play critical roles in mammary tumor development, yet the role of the tumor suppressor gene APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) in breast oncongenesis is unclear. To better understand the role of Apc in mammary tumorigenesis, we introduced conditional Apc mutations specifically into two different mammary epithelial populations using K14-cre and WAP-cre transgenic mice that express Cre-recombinase in mammary progenitor cells and lactating luminal cells, respectively. Only the K14-cre-mediated Apc heterozygosity developed mammary adenocarcinomas demonstrating histological heterogeneity, suggesting the multilineage progenitor cell origin of these tumors. These tumors harbored truncation mutation in a defined region in the remaining wild-type allele of Apc that would retain some down-regulating activity of beta-catenin signaling. Activating mutations at codons 12 and 61 of either H-Ras or K-Ras were also found in a subset of these tumors. Expression profiles of acinar-type mammary tumors from K14-cre; Apc(CKO/+) mice showed luminal epithelial gene expression pattern, and clustering analysis demonstrated more correlation to MMTV-neu model than to MMTV-Wnt1. In contrast, neither WAP-cre-induced Apc heterozygous nor homozygous mutations resulted in predisposition to mammary tumorigenesis, although WAP-cre-mediated Apc deficiency resulted in severe squamous metaplasia of mammary glands. Collectively, our results suggest that not only the epithelial origin but also a certain Apc mutations are selected to achieve a specific level of beta-catenin signaling optimal for mammary tumor development and explain partially the colon- but not mammary-specific tumor development in patients that carry germline mutations in APC.
Reframing "Social Origins" Theory: The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere

A recent article by Salamon and Anheier proposes a new theoretical approach to explaining patterns of nonprofit development cross-nationally—the social origins approach. Although it focuses on a br...
Youth Suicide Prevention: A Survey of Public School Superintendents' Acceptability of School-Based Programs

From a random sample of members of the 2000-2001 membership directory of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), public school administrators' acceptability ratings of three school-based programs for the prevention of adolescent suicide were examined. A total of 210 (46%) respondents examined a description of a suicide prevention program and completed a measure designed to evaluate the acceptability of suicide prevention programs. Three suicide prevention programs were evaluated for their acceptability, and included: (a) school-wide curriculum-based programs presented to students; (b) in-service presentations to school staff; and (c) self-report screening programs for students. The results indicated that superintendents rated the staff in-service training and curriculum-based programs as significantly more acceptable than the school-wide screening program. In addition, the school-wide screening program was rated as significantly more intrusive by school psychologists than the staff in-service training or curriculum-based prevention programs. Limitations of the study and future research directions are discussed.
Increased enkephalin in brain of rats prone to overconsuming a fat-rich diet

Recent studies have shown that the opioid enkephalin (ENK), acting in part through the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), can stimulate consumption of a high-fat diet. The objective of the present study was to examine sub-populations of Sprague-Dawley rats naturally prone to overconsuming a high-fat diet and determine whether endogenous ENK, in different brain regions, is altered in these animals and possibly contributes to their behavioral phenotype. An animal model, involving a measure of initial high-fat diet intake during a few days of access that predicts long-term intake, was designed to classify rats at normal weight that are either high-fat consumers (HFC), which ingest 35% more calories of the high-fat than low-fat chow diet, or controls, which consume similar calories of these two diets. Immediately after their initial access to the diet, the HFC compared to control rats exhibited significantly greater expression of ENK mRNA, in the PVN, nucleus accumbens and central nucleus of the amygdala, but not the arcuate nucleus or basolateral amygdala. This site-specific increase in ENK persisted even when the HFC rats were maintained on a chow diet, suggesting that it reflects an inherent characteristic that can be expressed independently of the diet. It was also accompanied by a greater responsiveness of the HFC rats to the stimulatory effect of a PVN-injected, ENK analogue, D-ala2-met-enkephalinamide, compared to saline on consumption of the high-fat diet. Thus, normal-weight rats predicted to overconsume a fat-rich diet exhibit disturbances in endogenous ENK expression and functioning that may contribute to their long-term, behavioral phenotype.
Bi2O3 Solubility of Bi-based Pyrochlores and Related Phases

Bismuth oxide solubility in Bi2O3–ZnO–Nb2O5 and Bi2O3–MgO–Nb2O5 (BMN) pyrochlore systems was investigated and the solubility limits were identified. Differences in the solubility behavior between the two Bi-pyrochlore systems investigated were analyzed and explained through crystal chemistry concepts. For the BMN system, the dielectric constant was enhanced, and a systematic shift occurred in the dielectric relaxation loss peak to higher temperatures with increases in the excess bismuth are reported in the BMN system. The relationship between solubility and the shift in the dielectric loss curve was analyzed under the scope of possible relaxation mechanisms.
Hydrogen diffusion and pressure control of encapsulated MEMS resonators

We have investigated the diffusion of hydrogen through the oxide and silicon of our single-wafer vacuum package. We have encapsulated micromechanical silicon resonators in vacuum beneath a 20 /spl mu/m polysilicon layer. While we have not been able to measure any change in pressure of parts at room temperature over a period of nine months, we have been able to accelerate the diffusion of hydrogen through the encapsulation using elevated temperatures. While placing encapsulated resonators in elevated temperature, we select the furnace gas condition to diffuse hydrogen gas in or out. This is an enabling step toward forecasting long-term hermiticity of the encapsulation, and it provides the ability to set the pressure inside the encapsulation with a simple set of furnace processes. Also, the ability of the encapsulation to withstand more than twenty of these temperature cycles between room temperature and 300/spl deg/C-400/spl deg/C is evidence of the robustness of the package.
When should a cervical collar be used to treat neck pain

Neck pain is one of the most prevalent and costly health problems in the United States. It remains a complex, subjective experience with a variety of musculoskeletal causes. Although, cervical collars are a seemingly benign intervention, they can have adverse effects, especially when used for longer periods of time. It is feared that a long period of immobilization, can result in atrophy-related secondary damage. Many physicians cite anecdotal evidence of their clinical utility and soft cervical collars are often prescribed by convention for patients complaining of neck pain. The use of cervical collars to treat neck pain is an area of controversy. This review article examines the current evidence and studies related to recommending cervical collars for neck pain of a variety of etiologies.
Feeding Mechanisms of Babesia equi

SYNOPSIS. Electron microscope and time lapse, phase contrast cinematography studies on Babesia equi organisms within equine red blood cells revealed that this hemoprotozoon has two organelles possibly involved with ingestion of nutrients: a cytostome that takes in hemoglobin from the host cell and a tubule that extends from the main body of the parasite through the erythrocyte to the blood plasma and appears to ingest plasma during periods of rapid growth and development.
fMRI Investigation of Working Memory for Faces in Autism: Visual Coding and Underconnectivity with Frontal Areas

Brain activation and functional connectivity were investigated in high functioning autism using functional magnetic resonance imaging in an n-back working memory task involving photographic face stimuli. The autism group showed reliably lower activation compared with controls in the inferior left prefrontal area (involved in verbal processing and working memory maintenance) and the right posterior temporal area (associated with theory of mind processing). The participants with autism also showed activation in a somewhat different location in the fusiform area than the control participants. These results suggest that the neural circuitry of the brain for face processing in autism may be analyzing the features of the face more as objects and less in terms of their human significance. The functional connectivity results revealed that the abnormal fusiform activation was embedded in a larger context of smaller and less synchronized networks, particularly indicating lower functional connectivity with frontal areas. In contrast to the underconnectivity with frontal areas, the autism group showed no underconnectivity among posterior cortical regions. These results extend previous findings of abnormal face perception in autism by demonstrating that the abnormalities are embedded in an abnormal cortical network that manages to perform the working memory task proficiently, using a visually oriented, asocial processing style that minimizes reliance on prefrontal areas.
An overview of the Jahob analysis system: project goals and current status

We present an overview of the Jahob system for modular analysis of data structure properties. Jahob uses a subset of Java as the implementation language and annotations with formulas in a subset of Isabelle as the specification language. It uses monadic second-order logic over trees to reason about reachability in linked data structures, the Isabelle theorem prover and Nelson-Oppen style theorem provers to reason about high-level properties and arrays, and a new technique to combine reasoning about constraints on uninterpreted function symbols with other decision procedures. It also incorporates new decision procedures for reasoning about sets with cardinality constraints. The system can infer loop invariants using new symbolic shape analysis. Initial results in the use of our system are promising; we are continuing to develop and evaluate it.
Visual mental imagery and perception produce opposite adaptation effects on early brain potentials

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during a rapid adaptation paradigm to determine whether visual perception and visual mental imagery of faces recruit the same early perceptual processes. The early effect of face and object adaptors, either perceived or visualized, on test stimuli, was assessed by measuring the amplitude of the N170/VPP complex, typically much larger for faces than for other object categories. Faces elicited a robust N170/VPP complex, localized to posterior ventrolateral occipitotemporal cortex. Both visualized and perceived adaptors affected the N170/VPP complex to test faces from 120 ms post-stimulus, reflecting effects on neural populations supporting early perceptual face categorization. Critically, while perceived adaptors suppressed the amplitude of the N170/VPP, visualized adaptors enhanced it. We suggest that perceived adaptors affect neural populations in the neocortex supporting early perceptual processing of faces via bottom-up mechanisms, whereas visualized adaptors affect them via top-down mechanisms. Similar enhancement effects were found on the N170/VPP complex to non-face objects, suggesting such effects are a general consequence of visual imagery on processing of faces and other object categories. These findings support image-percept equivalence theories and may explain, in part, why visual percepts and visual mental images are not routinely confused, even though both engage similar neural populations in the visual system.
Prospective randomized trial of insulin glargine in acute management of diabetic ketoacidosis in the emergency department: A pilot study

Objectives The objective was to determine the efficacy of coadministration of subcutaneous (SQ) insulin glargine in combination with intravenous (IV) insulin for treating diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Methods This was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial comparing coadministration of insulin glargine and IV insulin (experimental) with IV insulin (standard care control). The setting was emergency departments (EDs) in two hospitals in Houston, Texas. Patients presenting with blood sugar ≥ 200 mg/dL, pH ≤ 7.3, bicarbonate (HCO3) ≤ 18 mg/dL, ketonemia or ketonuria, and anion gap ≥ 16 between November 2012 and April 2013 were enrolled. All patients received IV insulin. Additionally, the experimental group was given SQ insulin glargine within 2 hours of diagnosis. Upon closure of anion gap, patients in the control group were subsequently transitioned to long-acting insulin. In the study group, IV insulin was discontinued and long-acting SQ insulin was reinstituted 24 hours after initial introduction. The primary outcome of time to closure of anion gap (TCAG) was compared between groups using a general linear model (GLM), adjusting for initial anion gap, etiology, and presence of comorbidities. Similarly, the secondary outcome hospital length of stay (LOS) was adjusted for age, etiology, and hospital site in the GLM. Rate of hypoglycemia and intensive care unit (ICU) admission was compared using Fisher's exact test while ICU LOS was compared using Wilcoxon's two-sample test. Results A total of 40 patients were enrolled in this pilot trial. The estimated mean TCAG was 10.2 hours (SE ± 6.8 hours) in the experimental group and 11.6 hours (SE ± 6.4 hours) in the control group (p = 0.63). The estimated mean hospital LOS was 3.9 days (SE ± 3.4 days) in the experimental group and 4.8 days (SE ± 3.6 days) in the control group (p = 0.66). Incidents of hypoglycemia, rates of ICU admission, and ICU LOS were similar between the groups. Conclusions Coadministration of glargine in combination with an insulin infusion in the acute management of DKA is feasible. Further study is needed to determine the true efficacy in terms of TCAG and hospital LOS.
Serum testosterone and the risk of prostate cancer: potential implications for testosterone therapy.

Objective: A potential risk of testosterone replacement therapy is an increase in the incidence of prostate cancer, but it is unclear whether higher levels of serum testosterone are associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer. We prospectively evaluated serum androgen concentrations and prostate cancer risk. Method: Included were 794 members of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. We estimated the rate ratio (RR) of prostate cancer by entering serial measures of serum total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, sex hormone binding globulin, calculated free testosterone, and free testosterone index (FTI) into a Cox proportional hazards regression model with simple updating. Results: Higher calculated free testosterone was associated with an increased age-adjusted risk of prostate cancer {RRs by quartile: 1.00, 1.52 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.93-2.50], 1.16 (95% CI, 0.61-2.20), 2.59 (95% CI, 1.28-5.25); P trend = 0.03}, which persisted after excluding measures in men <45 years of age [RRs by quartile: 1.00, 1.33 (95% CI, 0.78-2.25), 1.26 (95% CI, 0.68-2.33), 1.89 (95% CI, 0.99-3.61); P trend = 0.03]. Compared to men with eugonadal FTI (≥0.153), men with hypogonadal FTI had a decreased risk of prostate cancer (RR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.31-0.82). Conclusion: Higher levels of calculated serum free testosterone are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. These findings suggest that men receiving testosterone therapy should be regularly monitored for prostate cancer and underscore the need for prospective trials of testosterone therapy incorporating incidence of prostate cancer as a primary safety end point.
"Playing the game" of story problems: Coordinating situation-based reasoning with algebraic representation

a b s t r a c t This study critically examines a key justification used by educational stakeholders for placing mathematics in context -the idea that contextualization provides students with access to mathematical ideas. We present interviews of 24 ninth grade students from a low-performing urban school solving algebra story problems, some of which were person- alized to their experiences. Using a situated cognition framework, we discuss how students use informal strategies and situational knowledge when solving story problems, as well how they engage in non-coordinative reasoning where situation-based reasoning is discon- nected from symbol-based reasoning and other problem-solving actions. Results suggest that if contextualization is going to provide students with access to algebraic ideas, sup- ports need to be put in place for students to make connections between formal algebraic representation, informal arithmetic-based reasoning, and situational knowledge.
Analysis of nonlinear termination networks for coupled lossy and dispersive transmission lines

Based on an algorithm developed by the authors, multiple transmission lines with skin effect losses and dispersive characteristics are analyzed by the volume equivalent principle, and the scattering matrix (S omega ) and characteristic impedance matrix (Z/sub 0 omega /) of the transmission lines are obtained. The (S omega ) and (Z/sub 0(w)/) are then transformed by the inverse fast Fourier transform (FFT) into the time domain. The scattering matrix representation is multiplicative in nature, which leads to a time-domain formulation as a set of convolution integrals. Instead of attempting to solve a set of coupled convolution integral equations by the multivariable Newton-Raphson method, which may occasionally be unstable, the authors generate a set of object functions and apply a multivariable optimization technique, referred to as the modified Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, to attain the solutions. The new method, which is quite general, reduces to the special cases derived in many previous publications. >
ABSOLUTE FITNESS, RELATIVE FITNESS, AND UTILITY

It is well known that (1) natural selection typically favors an allele with both a large mean fitness and a small variance in fitness; and (2) investors typically prefer a portfolio with both a large mean return and a small variance in returns. In the case of investors, this mean-variance trade-off reflects risk aversion; in the case of evolution, the mathematics is straightforward but the result is harder to intuit. In particular, it is harder to understand where, in the mathematics of natural selection, risk aversion arises. Here I present a result that suggests a simple answer to this question. Although my answer is essentially identical to one offered previously, my path to it differs somewhat from previous approaches. Some may find this new approach easier to intuit.
VALIDATION OF A RISK-BASED NUMERICAL MODEL FOR PREDICTING DEEP-DRAFT UNDERKEEL CLEARANCE

AbstractThe channel analysis and design evaluation tool (CADET) is a numerical program to determine the optimum dredge depth for the offshore portions of entrance channels. A brief description of the theoretical basis and risk assessment in CADET is presented. Validation comparisons between CADET predictions and field measurements of wave-induced vertical motions at Ambrose Channel, New York, are presented. Prototype ship motions were measured with a differential global positioning system in April 1998 along three 488-m-long reaches. Comparisons were made with six ships, three tankers and three containerships, during inbound and outbound transits. In general, the CADET predictions matched the field measurements reasonably well, especially considering the wave heights were relatively small during the measurement period.
Role of the Medical Consultant

Preoperative medical consultation and perioperative management of the surgical patient have become important components of the clinical practice of internists, particularly hospitalists, as well as other primary care physicians and subspecialists.
Autonomous robot: An intellectual way of infusing microcontroller fundamentals into sophomore students

Use of microcontrollers has become inevitable in almost every field of engineering. Thus in our program, we have adhered to the idea that knowledge in microcontroller fundamentals is necessary for all types of engineering majors. However, the difficulty arises when a traditional classroom teaching with examples and non-creative projects instill boredom amongst students. Students fail to make the connection of how important this understanding will be in their future studies, be it mechanical, electrical or other majors. We feel there is a missed opportunity to engage engineering students early in their program with a highly relevant and easily tangible experience working with intellectual microcontroller-based projects. In order to improve the experience, we introduce our students to the basics using laboratory exercises on the Arduino platform and then transition to a full-featured in-house autonomous robot platform for the final project. The paper first talks about our current approach in teaching microcontroller topics to the students followed by the need to develop the autonomous robot platform. The robot platform was developed in-house by the undergraduate students using the available in-house resources. The autonomous robot utilizes a commercial chassis, wheels and tracks along with geared DC motors that include embedded quadrature position encoders. In addition to the chassis, the undergraduate students have also used off-the-shelf hardware for robot control and Arduino interface for student developed code. The paper then talks about the various kinds of laboratory exercises and projects that can be implemented on this platform by the students in their introductory digital systems course that they take as sophomores. We further include student assessment data that supports our approach and shows that the students appreciated this intellectual way of learning microcontroller fundamentals so that they can apply the concepts they have learned in a logical and sequential manner to solve practical engineering problems. Finally, we conclude the paper with lessons learned and ideas for an improved learning experience.
Requirements for Stability

We investigate whether a homogeneous system is stable with respect to breakup into a composite system of two or more homogeneous subsystems. Criteria to avoid breakup lead to requirements for the dependence of the entropy and thermodynamic potentials on their natural variables. For stability, the entropy must be a concave function of its natural variables (all extensive) and the internal energy must be a convex function of its natural variables (all extensive). The thermodynamic potentials (Helmholtz, enthalpy, Gibbs, Kramers) must be convex functions of their extensive variables and concave functions of their intensive variables. Properties of Legendre transformations are used to derive the stability requirements for intensive variables. Local stability criteria depend on the signs of second order partial derivatives. When these stability criteria are violated, there can be locally unstable regions and metastable regions that are locally stable but globally unstable. Then transformations can occur. Principles of Le Chatlier and Le Chatlier-Braun elucidate the approach to equilibrium.
Pharmacokinetics and safety of posaconazole delayed-release tablets for invasive fungal infections

Posaconazole is a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal agent with potent activity against various pathogenic fungi, including yeast and moulds. Clinical studies have demonstrated that this agent is efficacious as prophylaxis against invasive fungal infections in patients at high risk, and may also be useful as salvage therapy against invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis. However, the bioavailability of posaconazole following administration by oral suspension, which was the only formulation clinically available for many years, is highly variable and negatively influenced by several factors. Because of this, many patients had subtherapeutic or undetectable posaconazole levels when the oral suspension was used. To overcome this limitation, a delayed-release tablet was developed and is now available for clinical use. Hot-melt extrusion technology is used to combine a pH-sensitive polymer with posaconazole to produce a formulation that releases the drug in the elevated pH of the intestine where absorption occurs rather than in the low-pH environment of the stomach. This results in enhanced bioavailability and increased posaconazole exposure. Studies in healthy volunteers have demonstrated significantly higher and more consistent exposures with the tablet formulation compared to the oral suspension. In addition, pharmacokinetic parameters following administration of the tablets were not significantly affected by medications that raise gastric pH or increase gastric motility, and the tablets could also be administered without regard to food. Similar results have also been found in patients at high risk for invasive fungal infections who have received posaconazole tablets. The tablet formulation also appears to be well tolerated to date, although data regarding clinical efficacy are needed.
Impact of Mentors During Adolescence on Outcomes Among Gay Young Adults

Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement study datasets, this study examined whether natural mentoring relationships during adolescence were associated with young adult outcomes among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons. Outcomes in three domains were investigated: education and employment, psychological wellbeing, and substance use and abuse. Results indicated that LGB persons reporting natural mentors during adolescence were about three times as likely to graduate from high school as those without. Discussion surrounds strategies to foster mentoring relationships within the school environment or community.
INSECT FOLIVORY IN AN ANGIOSPERM-DOMINATED FLORA FROM THE MID-CRETACEOUS OF UTAH, U.S.A.

The Soap Wash flora contains 152 angiosperm leaf fossils from the Albian–Cenomanian boundary of central Utah. The flora exhibits many well-preserved examples of insect folivory for which the extent and type of damage on each leaf was recorded. Fewer than half of the specimens in the collection exhibit insect damage and most of the leaf damage affects less than five percent of the leaf area. Damage was distributed unevenly across the 18 leaf morphotypes described in the flora. Nineteen damage types were recognized. Most of the damage was of a generalized type, dominated by indiscriminate removal of leaf tissues (whole leaf feeding). We observed no correlation between leaf mass per area (MA) and the degree of damage by herbivores, which contrasts with Cenozoic and modern patterns. The low rate, modest area, and low diversity of damage type is similar to patterns reported through the Late Cretaceous and is consistent with a plateau in insect folivore diversity that persisted through the end of the Mesozoic. The preponderance of generalized damage types dominated by whole leaf feeding may reflect (1) the early stage in angiosperm radiation represented by this flora, and (2) the associated lag in folivore diversification and specialization.
Decrements in Neurobehavioral Performance Associated with Mixed Exposure to Organic and Inorganic Lead

In 1990, 222 current employees of a chemical facility in the eastern United States that manufactured tetraethyl lead were administered a neurobehavioral test battery, tests of olfactory function and peripheral vibration threshold, and questionnaires that assessed neuropsychiatric symptoms. A cumulative variable of exposure to inorganic and organic lead was derived from 12 years of personal industrial hygiene sampling data and an occupational history interview that assessed work in each of 29 exposure zones in the lead area. The range of assigned exposure intensities in these 29 zones was 4-119 micrograms/m3 for organic lead and 1-56 micrograms/m3 for inorganic lead. Cumulative lead exposure and exposure duration were defined as categorical variables (four groups) in multiple linear regression models. The adjusted mean differences in neurobehavioral test scores were estimated by comparing the average scores of the moderate, high, and highest exposure groups with the low exposure (reference) group. After adjustment for premorbid intellectual ability, age, race, and alcohol consumption, neurobehavioral test scores were poorer as measures of both cumulative lead exposure and exposure duration increased; many of the associations evidenced dose-response relations. Associations were observed in most cognitive and functional domains tested, but were most common in two domains: manual dexterity and verbal memory/learning. On the affected neuropsychologic measures, the groups with the highest exposure averaged scores 5-22% lower than those of the reference groups. Overall, the data revealed generally consistent and coherent associations between two measures of lead exposure and poorer neurobehavioral test performance.
Thermodynamics of Organic Transformations in Hydrothermal Fluids

Hydrothermal fluids obtain organic compounds through diverse pathways. In submarine systems organic compounds are already dissolved in seawater that is heated and transformed into hydrothermal fluids through water-rock reactions. Microbes inhabiting hydrothermal systems produce metabolites that enter the fluids, and cells can be carried into the reaction zones by circulating fluids and pyrolyzed. Analogous sources of organic compounds can be anticipated in continental systems with the possible addition of novel plant- and soil-derived organic compounds from the surface. In addition, hydrothermal systems possess large potentials for abiotic organic synthesis that may add a novel suite of compounds. When sedimentary rocks are present, ancient biogenic organic matter can be mobilized or transformed by hot fluids. These transformations accompany the generation of petroleum, coal, and other fossil fuels, suggesting that expectations for hydrothermal transformations can be built on those that occur in sedimentary basins. Likewise, some types of ore deposition are accompanied by transformations of organic compounds, and metal-organic complexes may be involved in enhancing the transport of metals in ore-forming and other crustal fluids. With these thoughts in mind, this review starts with an inventory of the types of organic compounds found in hydrothermal systems and some ways that hydrothermal organic compounds are transformed. Methane can be generated biotically and abiotically from organic or inorganic reactants, and since it lacks a carbon-carbon bond, some researchers would not consider it to be an organic compound. Nevertheless, more data exist for methane in hydrothermal fluids than for any organic compound that fits the definition. Methane has been quantified in continental and submarine hydrothermal fluids, fumarolic gases associated with hydrothermal systems, oil-field brines, deep fluids in sedimentary basins and igneous basement rocks, fluids associated with active serpentinization, and fluid inclusions in minerals from ore deposits, sedimentary basins, and deep crustal settings (recent examples include: …
Traumatic brain injury increases levels of miR-21 in extracellular vesicles: implications for neuroinflammation

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an important health concern and effective treatment strategies remain elusive. Understanding the complex multicellular response to TBI may provide new avenues for intervention. In the context of TBI, cell-cell communication is critical. One relatively unexplored form of cell-cell communication in TBI is extracellular vesicles (EVs). These membrane-bound vesicles can carry many different types of cargo between cells. Recently, miRNA in EVs have been shown to mediate neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. To explore the role of EV-associated miRNA in TBI, we isolated EVs from the brain of injured mice and controls, purified RNA from brain EVs, and performed miRNA sequencing. We found that the expression of miR-212 decreased, while miR-21, miR-146, miR-7a, and miR-7b were significantly increased with injury, with miR-21 showing the largest change between conditions. The expression of miR-21 in the brain was primarily localized to neurons near the lesion site. Interestingly, adjacent to these miR-21-expressing neurons were activated microglia. The concurrent increase in miR-21 in EVs with the elevation of miR-21 in neurons, suggests that miR-21 is secreted from neurons as potential EV cargo. Thus, this study reveals a new potential mechanism of cell-cell communication not previously described in TBI.
Building Secure Cloud Architectures Using Patterns

Patterns abstract good practices to define basic models that can be used to build new systems and evaluate existing systems. Security patterns join the extensive knowledge accumulated about security with the structure provided by patterns to provide guidelines for secure system requirements, design, and evaluation. We built a catalog of over 100 security patterns, which is still growing. We complement these patterns with misuse patterns, which describe how an attack is performed from the point of view of the attacker and describe how it can be stopped. We integrate patterns in the form of security reference architectures (SRAs) and we extend them to their ecosystems. We show how to build a SRA for clouds and their ecosystems. The use of patterns can provide a holistic view of security, which is a fundamental principle to build secure systems. The patterns and reference architectures are shown using UML models and examples are taken from my two books on security patterns as well as from my recent publications.
Bacillus subtilis Protects Public Goods by Extending Kin Discrimination to Closely Related Species.

Kin discrimination systems are found in numerous communal contexts like multicellularity and are theorized to prevent exploitation of cooperative behaviors. The kin discrimination system in Bacillus subtilis differs from most other such systems because it excludes nonkin cells rather than including kin cells. Because nonkin are the target of the system, B. subtilis can potentially distinguish degrees of nonkin relatedness, not just kin versus nonkin. We examined this by testing a large strain collection of diverse Bacillus species against B. subtilis in different multicellular contexts. The effects of kin discrimination extend to nearby species, as the other subtilis clade species were treated with the same antagonism as nonkin. Species in the less-related pumilus clade started to display varied phenotypes but were mostly still discriminated against, while cereus clade members and beyond were no longer subject to kin discrimination. Seeking a reason why other species are perceived as antagonistic nonkin, we tested the ability of B. subtilis to steal communally produced surfactant from these species. We found that the species treated as nonkin were the only ones that made a surfactant that B. subtilis could utilize and that nonkin antagonism prevented such stealing when the two strains were mixed. The nonkin exclusion kin discrimination method thus allows effective protection of the cooperative behaviors prevalent in multicellularity while still permitting interactions with more distant species that are not a threat.IMPORTANCE Multicellular systems like bacterial biofilms and swarms rely on cooperative behaviors that could be undermined by exploitative invaders. Discriminating kin from nonkin is one way to help guard against such exploitation but has thus far been examined only intraspecifically, so the phylogenetic range of this important trait is unknown. We tested whether Bacillus subtilis treats other species as nonkin by testing a single strain against a diverse collection of Bacillus isolates. We found that the species in the same clade were treated as nonkin, which then lessened in more distant relatives. Further experiments showed that these nonkin species produced a cooperative good that could be stolen by B. subtilis and that treating each other as nonkin largely prevented this exploitation. These results impact our understanding of interspecies interactions, as bacterial populations can interact only after they have diverged enough to no longer be a threat to their cooperative existences.
Revising a Basic Statistics Course

Members of the faculty of Le Moyne College made sweeping changes in the basic statistics course provided for the social and life sciences by the Department of Mathematics. The departments involved ...
An actor-partner interdependence analysis of cognitive flexibility and indicators of social adjustment among mother-child dyads

Abstract Social adjustment is a critical aspect of a highly satisfying and quality life. The goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between cognitive flexibility and three indicators of social adjustment (i.e., social skills, social support, and loneliness) among mother-child dyads. Actor-partner interdependence models were conducted on self-reported indicators of cognitive flexibility, social skills, social support, and loneliness from 146 mother – child dyad (N = 292). The results showed that one's own cognitive flexibility predicted higher social skills and social support, as well as lower levels of loneliness for both mothers and adult children. Partner effects also revealed that child cognitive flexibility predicted higher levels of social support for mothers. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed in detail.
Evaluations of Sexual Assault Prevention Programs in Military Settings: A Synthesis of the Research Literature

The prevention of sexual assault (SA) in the U.S. military is a significant priority. This study applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to a literature search that identified research evaluating SA prevention programs conducted within military settings. Only six studies published between 2005 and 2016 met criteria for inclusion in the review. Studies demonstrated high heterogeneity in the: (1) conceptual framework of the prevention approach; (2) target population and timing of administration; (3) study recruitment methods; (4) methodological design; (5) method of delivery, program dosage and theory of change; and (6) outcome administration and efficacy. Scientific rigor according to the Oxford Center for Evidence-based Medicine was also variable. Several gaps in the research base were identified. Specifically, research evaluating SA prevention programs have only been conducted among U.S. Army and U.S. Navy samples. Most studies did not examine whether program participation was associated with reductions in rates of sexual violence. Studies also lacked utilization of a long-term follow-up period. Additionally, studies did not reflect the types of SA prevention programs currently being implemented in military settings. Taken together, further research is needed to enhance the evidence base for SA prevention in the military, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the approaches currently being conducted with service members.
Exact Distribution of a Spaced Seed Statistic for DNA Homology Detection

Let a seed , S , be a string from the alphabet {1,*}, of arbitrary length k , which starts and ends with a 1. For example, S = 11*1. S occurs in a binary string T at position h if the length k substring of T ending at position h contains a 1 in every position where there is a 1 in S . We say that the 1s at the corresponding positions in T are covered . We are interested in calculating the probability distribution for the number of 1s covered by a seed S in an iid Bernoulli string of length n with probability of 1 equal to p . We refer to this new probability distribution as C nSp , for covered , with S being the seed. We present an efficient method to calculate this distribution exactly . Covered 1s represent matching positions detected in DNA sequences when using multiple hits of a spaced seed. Knowledge of the distribution provides a statistical threshold for distinguishing true homologies from randomly matching sequences.
Regulation of Cellular Responses to Bacterial Endotoxin

Of late, the innate and adaptive immune systems have been compared and contrasted in a considerable literature; the evolutionary conservation of innate immunity has also been pointed out [1, 2, 3]. In particular, there are remarkable parallels when the innate immune responses to microbial pathogens by lower organisms and mammals are compared [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The innate immune system functions to provide signals to the host that microbial pathogens are present. This response is designed to up-regulate host defense mechanisms that either directly kill the pathogen or keep the infection in check until the adaptive immune response is fully active. In man, and in experimental model systems, infection with Gramnegative bacteria has been extensively studied in order to define the mechanisms that control recognition of this class of bacteria. It is now generally agreed that studies with endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) purified from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria offer an alternative and simpler system than that of intact bacteria to define the recognition mechanisms operative within the innate immune system.
A Case of Bing-Neel Syndrome Successfully Treated with Ibrutinib

Bing–Neel syndrome is a rare manifestation of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia characterized by lymphoplasmacytic cells’ infiltration into the central nervous system. We present a case of a 74-year-old patient with a known diagnosis of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia and newly depressed consciousness. Flow cytology of his cerebral spinal fluid demonstrated a lambda light chain-restricted population of B-cells consistent with a CD5+ CD10+ B-cell lymphoma. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested involvement of the left optic nerve sheath and the bilateral orbital and parietal parenchyma and leptomeninges. He was diagnosed with Bing–Neel syndrome and treated with intrathecal liposomal cytarabine, intravenous high-dose methotrexate, and rituximab without improvement. Subsequently, he started treatment with ibrutinib 560 mg daily and concurrent rituximab. Within three months, he showed clinical and radiologic improvement. The patient has continued on ibrutinib and has now been stable for over 36 months. This represents the longest reported period of successful treatment of Bing–Neel syndrome with ibrutinib.
Performance measurement indicators in the healthcare industry: a systematic review

This systematic review addresses a gap in the literature on performance appraisal systems for healthcare workers. The study explores the efficiency of employee performance measurement systems in providing accurate measurement of the performance of healthcare workers across various job types with a particular focus on performance indicators associated with soft skills. Cochrane guidelines for performing a systematic search in disciplinespecific and in multidisciplinary databases were supplemented with an independent manual search of relevant studies. Twenty-three articles were identified and classified into three categories: performance measurement systems, evaluation and development of measuring tools, and problems of measuring performance of medical practitioners. The review revealed that there is no comprehensive approach to performance evaluation in healthcare. The identification of soft skills as a performance indicator was lacking and none of the implemented performance measurement systems were reported to be effective. Implications for further research to focus on the development of performance measurements for all workers in the healthcare industry were highlighted.
The Collaborative Cross: A Systems Genetics Resource for Studying Host-Pathogen Interactions

Host genetic variation has a major impact on infectious disease susceptibility. The study of pathogen resistance genes, largely aided by mouse models, has significantly advanced our understanding of infectious disease pathogenesis. The Collaborative Cross (CC), a newly developed multi-parental mouse genetic reference population, serves as a tractable model system to study how pathogens interact with genetically diverse populations. In this review, we summarize progress utilizing the CC as a platform to develop improved models of pathogen-induced disease and to map polymorphic host response loci associated with variation in susceptibility to pathogens.
Time-resolved laser absorption imaging of ethane at 2 kHz in unsteady partially premixed flames

In this work, laser absorption imaging is expanded in temporal resolution capability to kilohertz measurement rates by coupling sparsely sampled wavelength scanning and digital image postprocessing for diffraction correction. The setup employs an interband cascade laser near 3.34 μm to backlight an unsteady flame for species-specific 2D imaging of ethane (C2H6) with a high-speed infrared camera. Injection-current laser tuning is achieved with a high-duty-cycle square wave that involves a sparse number of data samples per scan to recover an integrated absorbance area for the target ethane feature, thereby minimizing the number of camera frames needed. In conjunction, an image-by-image computational diffraction pattern removal scheme is employed based on inverse Fourier transformations with the aim to reject high spatial frequencies associated with diffraction while preserving spatial resolution of the flow field, without averaging in time. These methods are applied to achieve species-specific 2D cinematography of ethane absorption in an unsteady partially premixed flame with a spatial resolution of ∼415 μm and a temporal resolution of 2 kHz.