cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nucleotide-binding resistance gene signatures in sugar beet, insights from a new reference genome.

Nucleotide-binding (NB-ARC), leucine-rich-repeat genes (NLRs) account for 60.8% of resistance (R) genes molecularly characterized from plants. NLRs exist as large gene families prone to tandem duplication and transposition, with high sequence diversity among crops and their wild relatives. This diversity can be a source of new disease resistance, but difficulty in distinguishing specific sequences from homologous gene family members hinders characterization of resistance for improving crop varieties. Current genome sequencing and assembly technologies, especially those using long-read sequencing, are improving resolution of repeat-rich genomic regions and clarifying locations of duplicated genes, such as NLRs. Using the conserved NB-ARC domain as a model, 231 tentative NB-ARC loci were identified in a highly contiguous genome assembly of sugar beet, revealing diverged and truncated NB-ARC signatures as well as full-length sequences. The NB-ARC-associated proteins contained NLR resistance gene domains, including TIR, CC and LRR, as well as other integrated domains. Phylogenetic relationships of partial and complete domains were determined, and patterns of physical clustering in the genome were evaluated. Comparison of sugar beet NB-ARC domains to validated R-genes from monocots and eudicots suggested extensive Beta vulgaris-specific subfamily expansions. The NLR landscape in the rhizomania resistance conferring Rz region of Chromosome 3 was characterized, identifying 26 NLR-like sequences spanning 20 MB. This work presents the first detailed view of NLR family composition in a member of the Caryophyllales, builds a foundation for additional disease resistance work in B. vulgaris, and demonstrates an additional nucleic-acid-based method for NLR prediction in non-model plant species.
Low-Density Language Bootstrapping: The Case of Tajiki Persian

Low-density languages raise difficulties for standard approaches to natural language processing that depend on large online corpora. Using Persian as a case study, we propose a novel method for bootstrapping MT capability for a low-density language in the case where it relates to a higher density variant. Tajiki Persian is a low-density language that uses the Cyrillic alphabet, while Iranian Persian (Farsi) is written in an extended version of the Arabic script and has many computational resources available. Despite the orthographic differences, the two languages have literary written forms that are almost identical. The paper describes the development of a comprehensive finite-state transducer that converts Tajik text to Farsi script and runs the resulting transliterated document through an existing Persian-to-English MT system. Due to divergences that arise in mapping the two writing systems and phonological and lexical distinctions, the system uses contextual cues (such as the position of a phoneme in a word) as well as available Farsi resources (such as a morphological analyzer to deal with differences in the affixal structures and a lexicon to disambiguate the analyses) to control the potential combinatorial explosion. The results point to a valuable strategy for the rapid prototyping of MT packages for languages of similar uneven density.
The Postnatal Endocrine Surge and Its Effects on Subsequent Sexual Growth

After 1–2 weeks of birth, a newborn experiences a surge in serum concentrations of gonadotropins and sex steroids. The gonadotropins follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) attain peak levels at 2–3 months of postnatal life, stimulating an elevated output of sex steroid hormones (testosterone, estradiol, and inhibin B) from the gonads. This postnatal endocrine surge is sometimes called “mini-puberty” because the concentrations of both gonadotropins and sex steroids reach levels that are not seen again during childhood until puberty. The high levels of gonadotropins and sex steroids during this time provide pediatric endocrinologists with a baseline for assessing the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis during infancy. The period over which these hormones remain elevated varies by hormone and by sex, but the duration of exposure is at least several months. Elevated levels of testosterone in male infants during postnatal life appear to have enduring effects on the growth of male external genitalia and on sperm production. Experiments on non-human primate males suggest that the postnatal endocrine surge may also be involved in shaping sexual motivation but not sexual orientation. Much less is known of the effects of the postnatal endocrine surge on sexual growth in females; however, it is clear that high levels of FSH stimulate follicular maturation in the ovary during the postnatal period. Some research on non-human primates also suggests that the skeletal and immune systems may be sensitive to postnatal endocrine events.
Professional societies and African American engineering leaders: Paving pathways and empowering legacies

Diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is a global issue. The challenging issues facing the world relating to STEM diversity cross national borders and require leveraging the talents of diverse constituents.1 Active international efforts at inclusive talent development are being undertaken to empower persons from groups historically underrepresented in STEM communities.2,3 The US National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) reports that in the United States, African Americans are one of the most underrepresented minority groups in engineering relative to their population. This is in spite of a great deal of progress in “growing African American scientists, engineers, and technologists since the Howard University School of Engineering opened in 1910.”4 The number of African Americans in engineering at all degree levels is not representative of their percentage in the US population. Table I shows a sampling of 2016 data from a National Science Foundation (NSF) survey of doctoral recipients in engineering.5 Figure 1 illustrates a snapshot of African American representation in US colleges of engineering. These statistics show that African Americans remain underrepresented relative to US demographics.6–8
Contradictory Rhetoric: Disassembling “Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote ”

Although Menard’s version of the Quijote follows Cervantes’s verbatim, Menard’s ideas seem original because of numerous intervening factors including time, history, tradition, and even the progression of criticism throughout the centuries. This study of Borges’s story as a contradictory text is founded upon the strong base of existing criticism, but adds a new level of analysis by addressing textual rhetorical devices and style, elements that have not yet been studied comprehensively.
The influence of the chemical composition representation according to the number of species during mixing in high-pressure turbulent flows

Mixing of several species in high-pressure (high-p) turbulent flows is investigated to understand the influence of the number of species on the flow characteristics. Direct numerical simulations are conducted in the temporal mixing layer configuration at approximately the same value of the momentum ratio for all realizations. The simulations are performed with mixtures of two, three, five and seven species to address various compositions at fixed number of species, at three values of initial vorticity-thickness-based Reynolds number, Re_0, and two values of the free-stream pressure, p_0, which is supercritical for each species except water. The major species are C_7H_(16), O_2 and N_2, and the minor species are CO, CO_2, H_2 and H_2O. The extensive database thus obtained allows the study of the influence not only of Re_0 and p_0, but also of the initial density ratio and of the initial density difference between streams, Δρ. The results show that the layer growth is practically insensitive to all of the above parameters; however, global vortical aspects increase with Re_0, p_0 and the number of species; nevertheless, at the same Re_0, p_0 and density ratio, vorticity aspects are not influenced by the number of species. Species mixing produces strong density gradients which increase with p_0 and otherwise scale with Δρ but, when scaled by Δρ, are not affected by the number of species. Generalized Korteweg-type equations are developed for a multi-species mixture, and a priori estimates based on the largest density gradient show that the Korteweg stresses, which account for the influence of the density gradient, have negligible contribution in the momentum equation. The species-specific effective Schmidt number, Sc_(α,eff), is computed and it is found that negative values occur for all minor species – particularly for H_2 – thus indicating uphill diffusion, while the major species experience only regular diffusion. The probability density function (p.d.f.) of Sc_(α,eff) shows strong variation with p_0 but weak dependence on the number of species; however, the p.d.f. substantially varies with the identity of the species. In contrast, the p.d.f. of the effective Prandtl number indicates dependence on both p_0 and the number of species. Similar to Sc_(α,eff), the species-specific effective Lewis-number p.d.f. depends on the species, and for all species the mean is smaller than unity, thus invalidating one of the most popular assumptions in combustion modelling. Simplifying the mixture composition by reducing the number of minor species does not affect the crucial species–temperature relationship of the major species that, for accuracy, must be retained in combustion simulations, but this relationship is affected for the minor species and in regions of uphill diffusion, indicating that the reduction is nonlinear in nature.
What is done with questionable foods? The infant formula example

What is done with foods of questionable quality such as those that are outdated or recalled? There is no agency of government that tracks such foods, so they might re-enter the food stream, whether legally or illegally. This can put people’s health at risk. This is a major issue in relation to infant formula because infants are highly vulnerable and for a time formula can constitute their entire diet. There is a need for clear law for the management of questionable foods and for active enforcement of the law. There is also a need for transparency for the entire process of handling questionable foods.
An investigation of listener envelopment utilizing a spherical microphone array and third-order ambisonics reproduction.

Listener envelopment (LEV), the sense of being surrounded by the sound field, is a perception that has been found to be related to the overall impression of a concert hall. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the perception of LEV and the direction and arrival time of energy from spatial room impulse responses (IRs). IRs were obtained in a 2000-seat concert hall using a 32-channel spherical microphone array and analyzed using a third-order plane wave decomposition. Additionally, the IRs were convolved with anechoic music and processed for third-order Ambisonic reproductions and presented to subjects over a 30-loudspeaker array. Instances were found in which the energy in the late sound field did not correlate with LEV ratings as well as energy in a 70–100 ms time window. Follow-up listening tests were conducted with hybrid IRs containing portions of an enveloping IR and an unenveloping IR with crossover times ranging from 40 to 140 ms. Additional hybrid IRs were studied wherein portions of the spatial IRs were collapsed into all frontal energy with crossover times ranging from 40 to 120 ms. The tests confirmed that much of the important LEV information exists in the early portion of these IRs.
Spontaneous superimposed preeclampsia: chronology and expression unveiled by temporal transcriptomic analysis

Preeclampsia (PE), a multifactorial pregnancy-specific syndrome accounting for up to 8% of pregnancy complications, is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. PE is also asso...
The Association Between Primary Care Physician Compensation and Patterns of Care Delivery, 2012-2015.

As health systems seek to incentivize physicians to deliver high-value care, the relationship between physician compensation and health care delivery is an important knowledge gap. To examine physi...
Flavored \( \mathcal{N} \) = 4 SYM — a highly entangled quantum liquid

We studyN = 4 SYM theory coupled to fundamentalN = 2 hypermultiplets in a state ofnite charge density. The setup can be described holographically as a cong- uration of D3 and D7 branes with a non-trivial worldvolume gaugeeld on the D7. The phase has been identied as a new form of quantum liquid, where certain properties are those of a Fermi liquid while others are clearly distinct. We focus on the entanglement among the avors, as quantied by the entanglement entropy. The expectation for a Fermi liquid would be a logarithmic enhancement of the area law, but wend a more drastic en- hancement instead. The leading contributions are volume terms with a non-trivial shape dependence, signaling extensive entanglement among the avors. Atnite temperature these correlations are conned to a region of size given by the inverse temperature.
Effect of Rifaximin Treatment on Endotoxemia and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans.

Context The gut microbiome is a source of inflammatory factors such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) that influence metabolic homeostasis. Rifaximin is a well-tolerated antibiotic that may reduce LPS. Objective We sought to develop a method to accurately assess postprandial endotoxemia and to determine whether rifaximin treatment improves metabolic homeostasis in obese humans with metabolic syndrome. Design and setting Plasma LPS, adipose inflammation, glucose and lipid metabolism, and insulin sensitivity were evaluated in a clinical research setting. Participants Twelve obese human research participants with prediabetes or three features of metabolic syndrome participated. Intervention The research participants were randomized to placebo control or rifaximin soluble solid dispersion (80 mg/d) treatment groups and treated for 12 weeks. Outcome measures We evaluated changes in insulin sensitivity with a euglycemic clamp; changes in lipid and glucose metabolism with oral lipid and glucose tolerance tests; changes in plasma LPS during the lipid tolerance test; and changes in adipose tissue and systemic inflammation by measuring inflammatory cytokines. Results Rifaximin treatment slightly worsened insulin sensitivity (P = 0.03), did not improve glucose or lipid homeostasis, and did not significantly improve adipose tissue inflammation. Our efforts to accurately assess plasma LPS using limulus amebocyte lysate assays revealed that the majority of LPS is masked from detection by limulus amebocyte lysate assays, but can be unmasked using a pretreatment step with protease. Unmasked LPS increases during the lipid tolerance test, but rifaximin treatment did not reduce this. Conclusions Rifaximin treatment did not lower plasma LPS or improve metabolic homeostasis in obese humans.
Promoting and Protecting Child Rights in the Daily Practice of School Psychology

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989) can serve as a lens to guide the work of school psychologists with students, teachers, parents, and the community on a daily basis. There are five guiding principles in the Convention which lay the framework for decision-making regarding child rights. The first guiding principle defines a child as any person below the age of 18. The next guiding principle articulates that children’s best interests be made a priority during decision-making. These principles are considered throughout the chapter, which specifically focuses on the following three guiding principles: non-discrimination (Article 2); the right to life, survival, and development (Article 6); and respect for the views of the child (Article 12). Following discussion of the guiding principles and Convention articles that fall within these principles, case studies describe situations in which school psychologists use the child rights perspective. This chapter serves as a guide for how an individual school psychologist can uphold the principles of the Convention.
The value of rubella IgG avidity test in the diagnosis of recent rubella infection

Objective To evaluate the value of rubella IgG avidity test in the diagnosis of recent rubella infection.Methods We detected the rubella IgG avidity of three groups of serum samples:48 acute infection samples from BIOMEX seroconversion panels RP-001,RP-014 and RP-011,38 rubella IgM positive samples,978 past infection samples (IgG positive IgM negative).Results All the acute infection samples from BIOMEX seroconversion panels RP-001 (50 days after infection),RP-014 (42 days after infection),RP-011 (71 days after infection) show IgG low avidity.Of the 38 rubella IgM positive samples,24 samples show IgG low avidity,9 samples show IgG high avidity,6 samples show grey zone.Of the 978 past infection samples,963 samples show IgG high avidity,9 samples show IgG low avidity,6 samples show grey zone.Conclusions Rubella IgG avidity test can be used to rapidly distinguish between past and acute infection.Of the rubella IgM positive samples,about 25％ show IgG high avidity,indicate past infection,so it is important to detect IgG avidity for this population. Key words: Rubivirus; Immunoglobuling G
A research on spatial correlation and spatial cluster pattern of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province from 2013 to 2017

Objective To investigate the spatial correlation and spatial cluster pattern of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province from 2013 to 2017. Methods The HFRS surveillance data during 2013 - 2017 were collected from China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. Software ArcGIS 10.3 was used to analyze the spatial distribution, and global autocorrelation analysis (Moran's I) and hot spot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi) were used to analyze the spatial autocorrelation. Spatial cluster pattern was explored by trend surface analysis and directional distribution. Results In 2013 - 2017, the global Moran's I was 0.117 6 (P > 0.05), 0.349 8 (P 0.05), 0.276 3 (P < 0.05), and 0.394 8 (P < 0.05), respectively. The Getis-Ord Gi analysis showed that there were 7, 8, 8, 8, 15 hot areas with high incidence of HFRS during this period, respectively, which were part of townships in Jiangling County, Shashi District, Jianli County, and Honghu City. The cold spot area with low incidence of HFRS was only detected in 2015, and it was part of the township in Shashi District and Jingzhou District. The trend surface analysis showed that the inverted-U type curve could reflect the HFRS distribution from northern to southern, and it was also from eastern to western. The directional distribution showed that the HFRS cases were distributed in the north-central part of Jingzhou in 2013 - 2017, and they were inconsistent with the distribution of the Yangtze River system. Conclusions The incidence of HFRS has an obvious spatial clustering characteristic, and the areas at high risk are mainly in the north-central part of Jingzhou City. The spatial cluster pattern of HFRS has nothing to do with the Yangtze River system. Key words: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; Spatial autocorrelation analysis; Trend surface analysis; Directional distribution
Photoionization mass spectrometry: III. Comparison of photon and electron impact excitation of cis- and trans-2-decene☆

Abstract Mass spectra of cis - and trans -2-decene were obtained at 15, 20, 23 and 26 eV by electron impact and 950 A (13.0 eV), 826 A (15.0 eV) and 584 A (21.2 eV) by photoionization using synchrotron radiation. The spectral differences are discussed primarily in terms of energy transfer function differences.
CAR T-cell therapy-related neurotoxicity in paediatric acute lymphocytic leukaemia

Background The advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has created a paradigm shift in the management of patients with refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL). The aim of this study is to correlate imaging findings of CAR T-cell therapy related neurotoxicity with clinical course and eventual clinical outcome, with the hope that it will bring us a step closer to the identification of potential imaging biomarkers that may allow more accurate prognostication and risk stratification of patients. Procedure Our imaging database was queried from January 2018 to April 2020 to identify paediatric patients who fulfil the following criteria: (a) diagnosed with ALL, (b) underwent CAR T-cell therapy, and (c) had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain studies performed before and after CAR T-cell therapy. A total of seven patients were included and all MRI studies were analysed by a paediatric neuroradiologist for the presence of acute neuroimaging findings post CAR T-cell infusion. Acute neuroimaging findings are defined as new imaging findings detected within 28 days of CAR T-cell infusion. Results Three out of four patients with acute neuroimaging findings had sustained complete remission for more than 6 months, while all three patients without acute neuroimaging findings had positive minimal residual disease (MRD) within 1 month. Both patients with acute diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement showed clinical improvement within 1-2 days. Conclusions Acute neuroimaging findings may be a potential imaging biomarker for peak neurotoxicity and treatment response, and it is not necessarily associated with poor outcome, as previously reported.
Growth options, risk dynamics, and cost of capital: Evidence from U.S. corporate control transactions

Abstract We provide empirical evidence on recent models on the evolution of systematic risk around growth option exercise related to takeover announcements. Consistent with theory, the risk differential between the merging firms influences the evolution of bidder systematic risk. We find that the cost of capital decreases (increases) when the growth option’s underlying assets (i.e., the target firm) are less (more) risky than the bidder’s assets in place. Furthermore, the impact on the cost of capital is larger, the bigger the difference between the pre-transaction risk of the bidder and the target. Firm characteristics such as the relative size of the firms and information asymmetry affecting the bidder also impact risk dynamics. Our findings help clarify conflicting predictions in the finance literature, thus allowing for more informed capital structure decisions by financial managers when considering growth option exercise.
Sex Differences in the Gut-Brain Axis: Implications for Mental Health

The purpose of this article is to highlight how sex differences in the gut-brain axis may contribute to the discrepancies in incidence of neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders between females and males. We focus on autism spectrum disorder, psychotic disorders, stress and anxiety disorders, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease and additionally discuss the comorbidity between inflammatory bowel disorder and mental health disorders. Human and animal studies show that sex may modify the relationship between the gut or immune system and brain and behavior. Sex also appears to modify the effect of microbial treatments such as probiotics and antibiotics on brain and behavior. There is emerging evidence that assessing the role of sex in the gut-brain axis may help elucidate the etiology of and identify effective treatments for neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Reconsidering edgework theory: Practices, experiences, and structures:

This article clarifies and revises the sociological theory of voluntary risk taking known as edgework. The concept has three distinct aspects: material practices, embodied experiences, and supporti...
A NEW SPECIES OF CRYPTANTHA RESTRICTED TO DUNES IN NORTHWESTERN BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

Cryptantha arenophila Rebman & M.G.Simpson (Boraginaceae) is described as new. This species is restricted to sandy dunes near San Quintin, Baja California, Mexico and adjacent coastal regions. It is similar to the more common Cryptantha patula Greene in stem vestiture, calyx morphology, and inflorescence morphology. Cryptantha arenophila differs from that species in having significantly larger corolla limbs and narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic leaves with obtuse-rounded leaf apices, as opposed to linear to narrowly lanceolate leaves with acute to obtuse leaf apices in C. patula. In addition, nutlets of C. arenophila tend to have more numerous and shorter tubercles, while those of C. patula have tubercles that are less dense and larger, although variation in this species needs further investigation. The dune habitats where the type locality of C. arenophila occurs are currently under severe impacts from animal grazing and off-road traffic, necessitating the conservation of these regions.
Metabolic syndrome and new onset diabetes after transplantation in kidney transplant recipients

Luan FL, Langewisch E, Ojo A. Metabolic syndrome and new onset diabetes after transplantation in kidney transplant recipients. Clin Transplant 2010: 24: 778–783. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) and new onset diabetes after transplant (NODAT) are common in kidney transplant patients. We studied the relationship between the two conditions and their impact on metabolic and cardiovascular risk profiles. Methods: All non-diabetic patients transplanted between 1999 and 2005 who were followed up to 2006 were included. MS and NODAT were determined. Kaplan–Meier survival and various regression analyses were performed to determine the clinical correlates for both conditions and their association with various cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Among 591 patients, 314 (53.1%) had MS and 90 (15.2%) developed NODAT. The two conditions were highly associated with each other as 84 patients with NODAT also had MS (14.2%). Elevated body mass index and fasting glucose levels at transplant were risk factors for both conditions, whereas weight gain after transplant was associated only with MS. African American, old age, and hypertension-related ESRD were risk factors for NODAT. Finally, the presence of MS was associated with reduced kidney function and elevated uric acid levels, whereas the presence of NODAT with elevated pulse pressure. Conclusions: MS and NODAT are highly prevalent and significantly associated with impaired metabolic and cardiovascular risk profiles. Early identification of such conditions may facilitate targeted therapeutic intervention.
Physical methods used to study core histone tail structures and interactions in solution.

The core histone tail domains are key regulatory elements in chromatin. The tails are essential for folding oligonucleosomal arrays into both secondary and tertiary structures, and post-translation...
CMEs and Space Weather

Although it has been appreciated for some time that solar wind disturbances drive major geomagnetic activity, there is now a better understanding of the solar causes of these disturbances. In particular, the identification of CMEs at the Sun as the primary source of the most geoeffective disturbances has given new impetus and inspiration to the space weather forecasting enterprise. Basic research on the CME initiation and propagation processes is expected to lead to improved physical understanding that translates to predictive schemes. The National Space Weather Program Implementation Plan briefly outlines what needs to be done in a set of bullets that are repeated here for perspective. These plans aside, we can already see new ideas and data sets in this volume that have the potential to be incorporated into space weather applications, in many ways the ultimate test of our understanding.
Relating transient storage to channel complexity in streams of varying land use in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

[1] Transient storage processes are important to biogeochemical cycling in many streams and depend greatly upon stream fluvial structure. Fluvial geomorphic structure establishes patterns of surface water and subsurface head distributions, often driving hyporheic exchange through steps, riffles, and meanders, and controls the potential for in-channel dead zone storage in side pools, eddies, etc. We performed stream tracer experiments and geomorphological assessments (topographic thalweg surveys, channel dimension measurement, and sediment size analyses) in six streams in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, two agricultural streams, two urban streams, and two reference streams surrounded by native vegetation, to relate stream water transient storage to channel complexity. We propose that the inclusion of agricultural and urban streams increases the range of channel complexity and transient storage response over an assessment of numerous reaches within a single land use type. Stream tracer experiments were performed in each of the six reaches with slugs of Rhodamine WT (RWT). Downstream RWT breakthrough curves (BTCs) were simulated with a one-dimensional solute transport model, STAMMT-L, capable of simulating several transient storage residence time distribution types. As an indication of transient storage, relative BTC residence times were compared to timescale of advection, tadv (taken to be the time of peak tracer concentration). Reference streams were geomorphically complex, agricultural streams were intermediate, and urban streams were least complex. Urban streams had the shortest total relative residence times (<5tadv) and short mean storage residence times (0.34 hour, n = 2), and reference streams consistently had the longest total relative residence times (13–20tadv) and the longest mean storage residence times (1.82 hours, n = 2). These results indicate that increased geomorphic complexity increases the potential for transient storage, likely both in the channel and in the subsurface, as demonstrated in reaches in a range of land use settings.
A household survey of health and illness in Rural Bolivia

Information on the health needs of rural populations is meager in most parts of Latin America. This presents a critical problem for Bolivia, a country actively planning the expansion of medical and preventive health services to rural communities. While the Bolivian Government has established a health information system to report births, deaths, and utilization of medical services, marked underreporting limits this system’s usefulness. Hence, until a more comprehensive information system can be established at the national level, surveys of local populations provide the only available and effective means of gathering community-based health data. As part of a program to expand care services for rural communities, the Government of Bolivia and the United States Agency for International Development have jointly established a demonstration project to deliver lowcost health services to the Montero region of central Bolivia. Basic preventive and medical services are to be provided by locally recruited health “promoters” at the community level, while health workers with more advanced
Treating self-injurious behavior of a retarded child by overcorrection

Overcorrection procedures applied to chronic self-injurious behavior of an 8-year-old rubella syndrome boy produced rapid suppression of self-injury. The procedure was implemented at school and at home with control maintained 24 hr a day. The results suggest that overcorrection may be useful in certain cases of self-injurious behavior and is a procedure that can be consistently applied by staff and parents.
National geodatabase of tidal stream power resource in USA

Abstract A geodatabase of tidal constituents is developed to present the regional assessment of tidal stream power resource in the USA. Tidal currents are numerically modeled with the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) and calibrated with the available measurements of tidal current speeds and water level surfaces. The performance of the numerical model in predicting the tidal currents and water levels is assessed by an independent validation. The geodatabase is published on a public domain via a spatial database engine with interactive tools to select, query and download the data. Regions with the maximum average kinetic power density exceeding 500 W/m 2 (corresponding to a current speed of ∼1 m/s), total surface area larger than 0.5 km 2 and depth greater than 5 m are defined as hotspots and documented. The regional assessment indicates that the state of Alaska (AK) has the largest number of locations with considerably high kinetic power density, followed by, Maine (ME), Washington (WA), Oregon (OR), California (CA), New Hampshire (NH), Massachusetts (MA), New York (NY), New Jersey (NJ), North and South Carolina (NC, SC), Georgia (GA), and Florida (FL).
DNA-based optomechanical molecular motor

An azobenzene-capped DNA hairpin coupled to an AFM is presented as an optically triggered single-molecule motor. The photo- induced trans to cis isomerization of azobenzene affects both the overall lengthofthemoleculeandtheabilityoftheDNAbasestohybridize.Usinga combinationofmoleculardynamicssimulationsandfreeenergycalculations the unfolding of both isomers along the O5 0 -O3 0 extension coordinate is monitored. The potentials of mean force (PMFs) along this coordinate indicatethattherearetwomajordifferencesinducedbyphotoisomerization. The first is that the interbase hydrogen bond and stacking interactions are stable for a greater range of extensions in the trans system than in the cis system. The second difference is due to a decreased chain length of the cis isomer with respect to the trans isomer. These differences are exploited to extract work in optomechanical cycles. The disruption of the hairpin structure gives a maximum of 3.4 kcal mol -1 of extractable work per cycle with an estimated maximum efficiency of 2.4%. Structure-function insights into the operation of this motor are provided, and the effect of the cantilever stiffness on the extractable work is characterized.
Synthetic amphiphilic peptide models for protein ion channels

Ion channel proteins are important for the conduction of ions across biological membranes. Recent analyses of their sequences have suggested that they are composed of bundles of alpha-helices that associate to form ion-conducting channels. To gain insight into the mechanisms by which alpha-helices can aggregate and conduct ions, three model peptides containing only leucine and serine residues were synthesized and characterized. A 21-residue peptide, H2N-(Leu-Ser-Ser-Leu-Leu-Ser-Leu)3-CONH2, which was designed to be a membrane-spanning amphiphilic alpha-helix, formed well-defined ion channels with ion permeability and lifetime characteristics resembling the acetylcholine receptor. In contrast, a 14-residue version of this peptide, which was too short to span the phospolipid bilayer as an alpha-helix, failed to form discrete, stable channels. A third peptide, H2N-(Leu-Ser-Leu-Leu-Leu-Ser-Leu)3-CONH2, in which one serine per heptad repeat was replaced by leucine, produced proton-selective channels. Computer graphics and energy minimization were used to create molecular models that were consistent with the observed properties of the channels.
Thinking outside the curve, part II: modeling fetal-infant mortality

Greater epidemiologic understanding of the relationships among fetal-infant mortality and its prognostic factors, including birthweight, could have vast public health implications. A key step toward that understanding is a realistic and tractable framework for analyzing birthweight distributions and fetal-infant mortality. The present paper is the second of a two-part series that introduces such a framework. We propose estimating birthweight-specific mortality within each component of a normal mixture model representing a birthweight distribution, the number of components having been determined from the data rather than fixed a priori. We address a number of methodological issues related to our proposal, including the construction of confidence intervals for mortality risk at any given birthweight within a component, for odds ratios comparing mortality within two different components from the same population, and for odds ratios comparing mortality within analogous components from two different populations. As an illustration we find that, for a population of white singleton infants, the odds of mortality at 3000 g are an estimated 4.15 times as large in component 2 of a 4-component normal mixture model as in component 4 (95% confidence interval, 2.04 to 8.43). We also outline an extension of our framework through which covariates could be probabilistically related to mixture components. This extension might allow the assertion of approximate correspondences between mixture components and identifiable subpopulations. The framework developed in this paper does not require infants from compromised pregnancies to share a common birthweight-specific mortality curve, much less assume the existence of an interval of birthweights over which all infants have the same curve. Hence, the present framework can reveal heterogeneity in mortality that is undetectable via a contaminated normal model or a 2-component normal mixture model.
Evaluation of numerical schemes for solving a conservation of species equation with chemical terms

Abstract Numerical methods are investigated for solving a system of continuity equations that contain linear and nonlinear chemistry as source and sink terms. It is shown that implicit, finite-difference approximations, when applied to the chemical kinetic terms, yield accurate results when the equations are linear, but give poor results when the equations are nonlinear. In fact, when the equations are nonlinear, the implicit finite-difference scheme will be unstable if Δt is large. It is shown that for urban and larger scale air quality simulation models, the advection and chemical terms can be handled separately for each time step. This technique yields results that are more accurate than implicit treatments of the chemistry.
Zeolite-supported ruthenium oxide catalysts for photochemical reduction of water to hydrogen

Abstract Ruthenium oxide on zeolite Y was made by thermal decarbonylation of Ru 3 (CO) 12 followed by heating in air. The morphology of the RuO 2 was strongly dependent on the temperature at which oxidation was carried out. The size of the RuO 2 particles increased from 2–5 to >50 nm as temperature was increased from 100 to 400 °C. Particle shape was also altered, being spherical at low temperatures and fibrous-like with specific crystals faces (1 0 1) exposed at higher temperatures. The photocatalytic activity of RuO 2 /zeolite Y for H 2 formation from H 2 O was examined using the system Ru(bpy) 3 2+ , Na 2 EDTA and methylviologen (MV 2+ ). The rate of hydrogen evolution peaked with the RuO 2 /zeolite Y generated at 200–300 °C. The initial catalytic activity of RuO 2 /zeolite Y was poorer than Pt, but better than powder RuO 2 . However, the extent of MV 2+ decomposition was less with the RuO 2 catalysts allowing for longer term use. The decomposition of MV 2+ was due to the photochemical instability of the methylviologen radical. By attaching the Ru(bpy) 3 2+ -moiety covalently to the RuO 2 –zeolite surface, the viologen radical is generated close to the catalyst. This system also resulted in H 2 production, but with no detectable MV 2+ decomposition.
Adenosine release: A potential explanation for the benefits of ticagrelor in the PLATelet Inhibition and Clinical Outcomes trial?

Objective The objective of the study was to hypothesize on the potential mechanism explaining the surprising mortality benefit of ticagrelor in the PLATO trial. Background In PLATO, the mortality reduction (107 deaths) numerically exceeds the myocardial infarction prevention benefit (89 events), making it a hitherto unmatchable achievement of ticagrelor over active comparator. If confirmed, such an impressive mortality advantage will be critical for the further success of ticagrelor to compensate for its otherwise unfavorable safety profile. In fact, such an impressive survival represents an entirely unexpected benefit, which will serve as a key point in the drug approval process and subsequent use in clinical practice. Methods The potential association of ticagrelor as a promoter of blood adenosine serving as adenosine agonist is assessed. Results Multiple properties of adenosine, which can be closely matched with both clinical benefits and adverse events after ticagrelor, suggest that this novel pyrimidine is not a pure antiplatelet agent. Unquestionably, ticagrelor potently inhibits platelet activity via established mechanism of P2Y12 receptor blockade, probably chronically increasing blood adenosine levels and ultimately contributing to the vascular outcome benefit observed in PLATO. Conclusions Future randomized trials of ticagrelor in acute heart failure, sudden death prevention, and treatment of atrial fibrillation are warranted and will expand our understanding of the potential role of adenosine in the outcome benefit after pyrimidines.
Too Old to Train or Reprimand: The Role of Intergroup Attribution Bias in Evaluating Older Workers

The purpose of this study was to explore the role rater and target age play in the evaluations of poorly performing workers. Intergroup attribution theory suggests that rater age predicts the attributions made for the poor performance of older workers. In this study, 203 supervisors in various industries completed measures of causal attribution and evaluations for a poorly performing hypothetical subordinate. Compared to the poor performance of younger targets, the poor performance of older targets was more likely to be attributed to external and controllable causes by older raters and more likely to be attributed to stable causes by younger raters. These attributions predicted willingness to punish and likelihood to provide training. Our findings were partially supported by intergroup attribution theory and suggest that this theory may be useful in understanding how older workers’ performance is evaluated. This is one of the first studies to utilize intergroup attribution theory among supervisors in exploring how older workers are evaluated in the workplace and to demonstrate that the theory predicts how older workers’ poor performance will be attributed. Our study provides evidence that when evaluating a poorly performing older target, older raters will be more inclined to attribute this performance to controllable causes and thus be more punitive than younger raters. Further, we provide some evidence that raters will be more punitive and less willing to provide training when evaluating poorly performing targets to whom they are similar.
Flow cytometric DNA analysis of neuroblastoma. Correlation with histology and clinical outcome

Clinical and histologic features of 38 cases of neuroblastoma were compared with data obtained by flow cytometric DNA analysis. Favorable clinical outcome was associated with an aneuploid stem line (P less than 0.01) and a low percentage of tumor cells in the S, G2, and M phases of the cell cycle (P less than 0.005). These favorable cytometric features were also associated with a favorable clinical stage (1, 2, 4s), and histologic evidence of Schwann's cell and ganglion cell differentiation. Consideration of cytometric data improved the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive efficiency of a current system for histologic grading of neuroblastoma.
Hydrogen peroxide induces spawning in mollusks, with activation of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase

Addition of hydrogen peroxide to seawater causes synchronous spawning in gravid male and female abalones, and certain other mollusks as well. This effect is blocked by exposure of the animals to aspirin, an inhibitor of the enzyme catalyzing oxidative synthesis of prostaglandin endoperoxide. Hydrogen peroxide activates this enzymatic reaction in cell-free extracts prepared from abalone eggs (a very rich source of the prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase); this effect appears to reveal a fundamental property of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthesis. Applicability of these findings to both mariculture and medical purposes is suggested.
The Effects of Low-Flow Ischemia on K+Fluxes in Isolated Rat Hearts Assessed by87Rb NMR

This study investigated whether Na+/K+ATPase is inhibited and KATPchannels activated during low flow ischemia (LFI) by monitoring Rb+uptake and efflux from rat hearts using87Rb NMR. In the uptake experiments, isolated Langendorff perfused hearts were exposed to Rb+-containing Krebs-Henseleit buffer (2.14 mm+3.76 mmK+) for 60 min. When Rb+uptake started the flow of perfusate was decreased from 10 to 1 ml/min/g wet weight for 44 min and then returned to normal. The rate of Rb+uptake and its equilibrium level decreased to 40 and 65% of the control (no ischemia) levels, respectively. Phosphocreatine and cytoplasmic [ATP]/[ADP] measured by31P NMR decreased by half, intracellular pH (pHi) decreased to 6.8±0.1, and Pi increased two-fold. In wash-out experiments the hearts were pre-loaded with Rb+for 30 min following which Rb+wash-out was initiated. Four minutes later, flow was either decreased in the absence or presence of 10μm2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), or 0.1 mmDNP was infused at normal flow for 20 min. LFI resulted in biphasic Rb+efflux; during the initial phase, which lasted 8 min, the rate constant (k×103/min) did not differ from control (43±3). The efflux was slightly inhibited by 5μmglibenclamide (36±6) or 100μm5-hydroxydecanoic acid (32±4). In the second phasekdecreased to half its initial value (18±2). More significant changes in energy state caused by LFI+10μmDNP had no effect on the efflux kinetics. Similar changes in energy state induced by 0.1 mmDNP at normal flow were associated with activation of Rb+efflux (71±5). DNP-stimulated Rb+efflux was inhibited by acidosis (pHipHe=6.7) produced with 5 mmmorpholinoethane sulphonic acid (53±5) and by 100μmadenosine (58±7). We suggest that accumulation of ischemic products such as H+and adenosine decreases activation of KATPchannels in rat hearts.
Neutral reactions involving hydrogen and other minor constituents

Experimental laboratory work is reviewed for the kinetics of 21 neutral, elementary reactions involving H, OH, HO2, H2, CO, N2O, CH4, and Na.
Phase I changes needed for planning HST large programs

Over one-third of HST observing time in the past two cycles has been dedicated to proposals with allocations greater than 100 orbits. This has led to scheduling difficulties in HST's traditional two-phase proposal process. We describe the changes that were made to the Cycle 13 Phase I proposal process that were needed to assist users and planners later on in Phase II. Some traditionally Phase II information is now requested with large proposals submitted in Phase I so users (and planners) can determine the feasibility of scientific constraints in planning the large observations. Since HST proposers use the Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT) for both Phases, moving Phase II processing into the Phase I interface was more straightforward than would have been possible with RPS2 (the old Phase II tool). We will also describe the expected changes to internal procedures in planning these large proposals after Phase I acceptance.
Optical design with spherical index gradients.

The aberrations of lenses containing spherical index gradients are considered. Coordinate transformations from spherical to rectangular geometry are presented. These transformations enable calculation of the index polynomial in rectangular coordinates and subsequent calculation of aberration coefficients and ray trace data. The ability to alter the sign of the gradient aberration contribution by simply changing the curvature of the gradient is demonstrated.