cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Children's Cognitive Reflection Shapes Their Science Understanding.

Learning science requires contending with intuitions that are incompatible with scientific principles, such as the intuition that animals are alive but plants are not or the intuition that solids are composed of matter but gases are not. Here, we explore the tension between science and intuition in elementary-school-aged children and whether that tension is moderated by children’s tendency to reflect on their intuitions. Our participants were children between the ages of five and twelve (n = 142). They were administered a statement-verification task, in which they judged statements about life and matter as true or false, as well as a cognitive reflection test, in which they answered “brain teasers” designed to elicit an intuitive, yet inaccurate, response that could be corrected upon further reflection. Participants also received a tutorial on the scientific properties of life or matter, sandwiched between two blocks of the statement-verification task. We found that participants’ performance on the statement-verification task, which pitted scientific conceptions against intuitive conceptions (e.g., “cactuses are alive”), was predicted by their performance on the cognitive reflection test, independent of age. Children who demonstrated higher levels of cognitive reflection verified scientific statements more accurately before the tutorial, and they demonstrated greater gains in accuracy following the tutorial. These results indicate that children experience conflict between scientific and intuitive conceptions of a domain in the earliest stages of acquiring scientific knowledge but can learn to resolve that conflict in favor of scientific conceptions, particularly if they are predisposed toward cognitive reflection.
Abstract B105: The impact of ancestry on mutational and immune signatures in triple-negative breast cancers

Background: Oncologist found that Androgen Receptor (AR) therapies work in 10% of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) patients. Recently we published that women with AR- TNBC, Quadruple Negative Breast Cancer (QNBC), have an Immune basal Signature that’s particularly prevalent in AA women. AA women at a similar mean age of incidence as QNBC AA (47) have increased chances of methylation as a Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) compared to white women. For this reason, we explored QNBC patients to see what correlation may exist between AR, ancestry, immune signatures, and HRD. Methods: We analyzed mRNA expression and HRD events in 987 tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Samples were dichotomized as AR positive or negative using mean gene expression cutoff. Global Ancestry was calculated using Structure. Immune signatures were obtained from TIMER. Mutational Signatures were determined from COSMIC. Linear regression models, forest plots, and Correlation Plots were made using R packages. Pathway analysis was done using the Hallmarks geneset in GSEA and Pathway Studio. Results: Our analysis found significant upregulation of PD-1 (p = 0.001), PD-L1 (p = 0.037), and CTLA-4 (p Citation Format: Raymond W Hughley, Clayton Yates, Paz Polak. The impact of ancestry on mutational and immune signatures in triple-negative breast cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr B105.
The selection of reference genome and the search for the origin of SARS-CoV-2

Abstracts The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has a great impact on the whole world. In a theory of the origin of SARS-CoV-2, pangolins were considered a potential intermediate host. To assemble the coronavirus found in pangolins, SARS-CoV-2 were used a reference genome in most of studies, assuming that pangolins CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are the closest neighbors in the evolution. However, this assumption may not be true. We investigated how the selection of reference genome affect the resulting CoV genome assembly. We explored various representative CoV as reference genome, and found significant differences in the resulting assemblies. The assembly obtained using RaTG13 as reference showed better statistics in total length and N50 than the assembly guided by SARS-CoV-2, indicating that RaTG13 maybe a better reference for assembling CoV in pangolin or other potential intermediate hosts.
Community College as a Gateway to Baccalaureate Success for International Students

Chapter 10|18 pages Community College as a Gateway to Baccalaureate Success for International Students By Veronika Rozhenkova, Elizabeth S. Park The number of international students in the United States that transfer from community college to university continues to increase; yet, few studies have examined the college experiences of these students. Upon enrollment in a four-year institution, they become a part of the campus’s international student population and are frequently not being recognized as a potentially different subgroup of students with their own academic characteristics, challenges and needs. In this chapter, we aim to contribute to this knowledge by examining a case of a selective four-year public research university and comparing its international transfer students’ characteristics with those of traditional international students. Additionally, we identify potential ways of providing more adequate institutional support services for the targeted student population. We conclude with thoughts on extending this line of literature to better support transfer international students in their academic trajectory towards baccalaureate success.
Citrus Huanglongbing is an immune-mediated disease that can be treated by mitigating reactive oxygen species triggered cell death of the phloem tissues caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus

Abstract The immune system is critical for keeping animals and plants healthy from pathogens. However, immune-mediated diseases are also common for human. Immune-mediated diseases have not been reported for plants. Here, we present evidence that citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by phloem-colonizing Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is an immune-mediated disease. CLas infection of Citrus sinensis stimulated systemic and chronic immune response in the phloem tissues including reactive oxygen species (ROS) production as indicated by H2O2, callose deposition, and induction of immune related genes. Systemic cell death of companion and sieve element cells, but not surrounding parenchyma cells, was observed following ROS production triggered by CLas. ROS production triggered by CLas localized in phloem tissues. The H2O2 concentration in exudates extracted from phloem enriched bark tissue of CLas infected plants reached a threshold of killing citrus protoplast cells, which was suppressed by uric acid (a ROS scavenger) and gibberellin. Foliar spray of HLB positive citrus with antioxidants (uric acid and rutin) and gibberellin significantly reduced both H2O2 concentrations and cell death in phloem tissues induced by CLas and reduced HLB symptoms. RNA-seq analyses of CLas infected and health C. sinensis support that CLas causes oxidative stress. In sum, HLB is an immune-mediated disease and both mitigating ROS via antioxidants and promoting plant growth can reduce cell death of the phloem tissues caused by CLas, thus controlling HLB.
Solar energetic particle event doses in LEO : Sensitivities to event spectra, orbital parameters, and geomagnetic field conditions

This paper presents a study of the sensitivities of calculated doses to the skin, ocular lens of the eye and bone marrow, for crewmembers in low Earth orbit, to variations in solar energetic particle event fluence levels and spectral hardness, spacecraft orbital inclination, geomagnetic field storm levels (Kp index), and spacecraft shielding thickness. In general, doses increase for higher inclination orbits, for higher Kp indices, and for harder SPE spectra. The predicted doses sometimes change dramatically for even small variations in the assumed conditions. For large events in high inclination orbits, with a highly disturbed geomagnetic field, doses can be very hazardous to crews.
Tradition on Fire: Polydoxy, Orthodoxy, and Theological Epistemology

This article explores four accounts of fire in texts that have become influential to theological epistemology, written by Luce Irigaray, Rene Descartes, George Fox, and Blaise Pascal. Each of these fires represents an epistemological conversion to a particular way of knowing about God. While the authors of the Keller and Schneider volume resist a strict binary opposition between polydoxy and orthodoxy, the book as a whole—whether inadvertently or inescapably—functionally reduces orthodoxy to a single epistemological viewpoint, diagnosed by Irigaray as the Logic of the One. This singular view of orthodoxy has two drawbacks. First, it is inadequate to the multiplicity of Christian orthodoxies. It cannot account for the fires of Fox and Pascal, or for the orthodoxies that threatened them. Second, polydoxy itself is limited. Reading all orthodoxies through the lens of Irigaray's critique re-inscribes the Logic of the One that she protests. Furthermore, this pattern belies the relationality that polydoxy emphasizes. Thus, the continuing development of polydoxy might require attending to the specific multiplicities of orthodoxy itself.
A prototypical system to virtually reconstruct high energy fracture events

This paper presents a new computational system that seeks to estimate the dynamics of fracture event from a 3D CT image of the fractured limb and the (assumed) intact contra-lateral limb. A model of the intact limb anatomy prior to injury is estimated from the image of the intact contra-lateral limb, and a model of the fractured limb anatomy after injury is estimated from the image of the fractured limb. Fracture reconstruction software aids in estimating an intact limb model which characterizes the limb in terms of its soft tissues and fractured bone fragments at the time prior to the fracture event. The system then virtually simulates fracture events by impacting the reconstructed limb model using a hypothesized impacting object, i.e. the strike object, and applying a physics-engine to simulate the dynamics of the fracture event. A maximum likelihood estimation framework is applied to score fracture events based on how well they re-create the fracture pattern observed in the fractured limb image. Initia...
Measurements of exponential gain and saturation of SASE at the APS LEUTL

The possibility of using self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) to achieve a peak X-ray brightness nearly 11 orders of magnitude greater than available at today's third-generation light sources has in recent years generated tremendous excitement in the synchrotron light source community. With continued refinement in electron beam sources, electron beam control and metrology, and undulator magnet technology, this dream is rapidly approaching reality. The Advanced Photon Source (APS) Low-Energy Undulator Test Line (LEUTL) free-electron laser (FEL) project is designed to explore the SASE process in the visible through vacuum ultraviolet spectral range, the current limit of the technology. At present we have made measurements of the SASE process at 530 nm and 385 nm. We will present these measurements, in particular the growth of quantities such as intensity, spectrum, and microbunching along the length of the undulator. Measurements of these properties at and beyond the saturation point will also be presented. The experimental measurements will then be compared with theory and simulation.
Time Windows-based Team Performance Measures: Design and Implementation

Team Performance Measures (TPM) are pivotal to the evaluation of both individual and team performance in a team environment. We propose a temporal construct called time windows to collect TPM. The design and implementation time windows within a multi-user, multi-modal team-in-the-loop simulation test bed known as TASP (Team Aegis Simulation Platform) is discussed. Finally, a sample performance analysis based on time windows is conducted.
Supply Management Options: National Impact and Policy

Abstract Supply management can be defined as a national program authorized by federal legislation designed to use production control regulations rather than price to match the supply of milk with the demand for milk. A supply management program may be voluntary or mandatory. Voluntary supply management carries an incentive to participate, but mandatory supply management carries a penalty for failure to comply. The comprehensive purpose of supply management is to return to milk producers high enough milk prices to permit average dairy farmers to enjoy a satisfactory standard of living and avoid excess production. Historically, price has been used to balance supply and demand, but the accelerating technological gains in milk production are generating increasing concerns as to whether the rapid restructuring of the dairy farm sector due to supply driven prices is an acceptable consequence of a market-oriented dairy policy. Alternative supply management programs continue to be defined. It is evident from the Canadian experience that production controls can balance supply and demand while achieving significantly higher prices for quota milk. However, negative impacts on demand and farm structure have accompanied the program.
Changes in the Character of Polar Stratospheric Clouds Over Antarctica in 1992 Due to the Pinatubo Volcanic Aerosol

Vertical profiles of aerosol concentration were measured on 8 occasions from McMurdo Station, Antarctica (78°S), between late August and early October 1992. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) were observed on 6 of these soundings. The characteristics of PSCs, are ozone, were quite different above and below about 16 km. Above 16 km PSCs were variable in time, with particles >1.0 μm radius contributing significantly to the surface area, generally <8 μm2 cm−3. Below 16 km PSCs were much more stable and were dominated by high concentrations of smaller particles, <1.0 μm, with surface areas of 20–30 μm2 cm−3. This lower layer coincided with the altitude of the primary Pinatubo volcanic aerosol as measured in mid September and October, and with the 4 km region of the atmosphere where ozone was virtually completely destroyed over Antarctica in 1992.
The sensitive period for ototoxicity of Kanamycin in mice: morphological evidence

The ototoxicity of kanamycin was investigated in mice treated with the drug either from 6 to 9, 10 to 13, or 15 to 18 days of age. The results showed extensive damage to the outer-hair-cell (OHC) receptors of the cochlea in the 10–13-day group; some less severe damage to the OHC was found in the 6–9-day group, and little damage was observed in the 15–18 day group. The present finding is consistent with the view that the mouse cochlea is most vulnerable to the ototoxic effect of kanamycin during the period of its rapid development, i.e., between 10 and 13 days of age.
Subnanomolar detection limit application of ion-selective electrodes with three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) carbon solid contacts

Solid-contact ion-selective electrodes (SC-ISEs) can exhibit very low detection limits and, in contrast to conventional ISEs, do not require an optimization of the inner filling solution. This work shows that subnanomolar detection limits can also be achieved with SC-ISEs with three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) carbon contacts, which have been shown recently to exhibit excellent long-term stabilities and good resistance to the interferences from oxygen and light. The detection limit of 3DOM carbon-contacted electrodes with plasticized poly-(vinyl chloride) as membrane matrix can be improved with a high polymer content of the sensing membrane, a large ratio of ionophore and ionic sites, and conditioning with a low concentration of analyte ions. This permits detection limits as low as 1.6 × 10−7 M for K+ and 4.0 × 10−11 M for Ag+.
Magnetically controlled plasma waveguide for laser wakefield acceleration

An external magnetic field applied to a laser plasma is shown to produce a plasma channel at densities relevant to creating GeV monoenergetic electrons through laser wakefield acceleration. Furthermore, the magnetic field also provides a pressure to help shape the channel to match the guiding conditions of an incident laser beam. Measured density channels suitable for guiding relativistic short-pulse laser beams are presented with a minimum density of 5 × 1017 cm−3, which corresponds to a linear dephasing length of several centimeters suitable for multi-GeV electron acceleration. The experimental setup at the Jupiter Laser Facility, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where a 1 ns, 150 J, 1054 nm laser will produce a magnetically controlled channel to guide a < 75 fs, 10 J short-pulse laser beam through 5 cm of 5 × 1017 cm−3 plasma is presented. Calculations presented show that electrons can be accelerated to 3 GeV with this system. Three-dimensional resistive magneto-hydrodynamic simulations are used to design the laser and plasma parameters, and quasi-static kinetic simulations indicate that the channel will guide a 200 TW laser beam over 5 cm.
II. Therapeutic Effects of Alternating Current Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is the third most common cause of severe disability in patients between the ages of 15 and 50 years. The cause of the disease and its pathogenesis remain unknown. The last 20 yea...
Cytokine-Mediated Apoptosis in Cardiac Myocytes: The Role of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Induction and Peroxynitrite Generation

Increased production of nitric oxide (NO) after induction of the cytokine-inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS or NOS2) in cardiac myocytes and other parenchymal cells within the heart may in addition to contributing to myocyte contractile dysfunction also contribute to the induction of programmed cell death (apoptosis). To investigate the mechanism(s) by which increased NO production leads to apoptosis, we examined the role of NO in primary cultures of neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) after induction by the cytokines interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interferon gamma (IFNgamma) or exposure to the exogenous NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNAC) or peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)). Both SNAC (1 mmol/L) and ONOO(-) (100 micromol/L), but not their respective controls (ie, N-acetylcysteine and pH-inactivated ONOO(-)), induced apoptosis in confluent, serum-starved NRVMs at 48 hours. Similarly, incubation of NRVMs with IL-1beta and IFNgamma for 48 hours resulted in an increase in iNOS expression, nitrite production, and programmed cell death. Both the cytokine-induced nitrite accumulation and myocyte apoptosis could be completely prevented by the nonselective NOS inhibitor L-nitroarginine (3 mmol/L) or the specific iNOS inhibitor 2-amino-5, 6-dihydro-6-methyl-4H-1,3-thiazine (AMT, 100 micromol/L). NO-mediated myocyte apoptosis was not attenuated by the inhibition of soluble guanylyl cyclase with ODQ, nor could apoptosis be induced by the incubation of NRVMs with 1 mmol/L 8-bromo-cGMP, a cell-permeant cGMP analogue. However, NO-mediated apoptosis was significantly attenuated by the superoxide dismutase mimetic and ONOO(-) scavenger Mn(III)tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP, 100 micromol/L). NO/ONOO(-)-mediated apoptosis was associated with increased expression of Bax with no change in Bcl-2 mRNA abundance. Furthermore, apoptotic cell death was also confirmed in adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVMs) when grown in heteroculture with IL-1beta- and IFNgamma-treated rat cardiac microvascular endothelial cells. Therefore, cytokine-induced apoptosis in NRVMs and ARVMs is mediated by iNOS induction, ONOO(-), and associated with an increase in Bax levels.
Game Design Narrative for Learning: Appropriating Adventure Game Design Narrative Devices and Techniques for the Design of Interactive Learning Environments.

The purpose of this conceptual analysis is to investigate how contemporary video and computer games might inform instructional design by looking at how narrative devices and techniques support problem solving within complex, multimodal environments. Specifically, this analysis presents a brief overview of game genres and the role of narrative in popular adventure game design, along with an analysis of how narrative supports problem solving in adventure games. Additionally, an analysis of the underlying structure used in game design for developing narratives is presented along with design heuristics for constructing narratives for educational purposes.
The Professor, Pluralism, and Pedagogy: A Reflection

This essay discusses concrete approaches for faculty to use when teaching a student body whose demographics and cultural backgrounds are significantly different from that of the professor. As a white political scientist from the north teaching at a historically black university in the south, this work is particularly concerned with the dynamics of race and gender. However, the lessons from this essay are applicable to all of us who need to construct space in which our students can challenge their own preconceived notions. If the United States and other pluralistic democracies claim that our very strength is found in the sharpening of our individual interpretations against competing ideas to best approximate the truth, how can we replicate this process in our increasingly diverse classrooms? What might this dynamic look like when the professor at the front of the room is radically different in significant ways from the students he or she teaches? For our classroom this means that pluralism must be real. It...
Rethinking warfarin reversal

Warfarin and other vitamin K antagonists are very effective for the treatment and prevention of both arterial and venous thromboembolism. Recombinant factor VIIa may not be as effective as previously thought for the urgent reversal of warfarin.
Identification of both positive and negative domains within the epidermal growth factor receptor COOH-terminal region for signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activation.

The cytoplasmic region of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) contains an intrinsic tyrosine kinase (697–955) followed by a 231-residue-long COOH-terminal tail (C-tail), which contains multiple tyrosine residues. To examine the role of the EGFR C-tail in signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activation, a series of EGFR C-tail truncations were constructed. Transient transfection of 293 cells with EGFR lacking the C-tail, i.e. Y974ΔEGFR or Y992ΔEGFR, led to EGF-independent or constitutive STAT activation, whereas EGF-dependent STAT activation was restored with truncations made COOH-terminal to the next tyrosine residue, i.e.EGFR-Y1045Δ. Transfection with the-truncated form EGFR-Y954Δ resulted in the loss of STAT activation, suggesting that the sequence between Tyr974 and Tyr954 is essential for STAT activation. Phosphopeptide competition analysis revealed multiple tyrosine residues within the C-tail that can act as the docking sites for both Stat1 and Stat3. A region that negatively regulated STAT activation was also identified, extending from Tyr1114 to Glu1172, consistent with the ability of this region to recruit a suppressor of cytokine signaling factors SOCS1 and SOCS3. When cotransfected with the full-length EGFR, but not Y992ΔEGFR, SOCS1 or SOCS3 inhibited STAT activation by EGF in 293 cells. This suggests that both SOCS1 and SOCS3 can negatively regulate EGFR activation, presumably by inducing ubiquitination-dependent EGFR degradation upon ligand binding. These findings may therefore offer clues to how the EGF receptor C-tail regulates STAT activity.
Confirmatory factor analysis of the Early Arithmetic, Reading, and Learning Indicators (EARLI).

Despite growing interest in early intervention, there are few measures available to monitor the progress of early academic skills in preschoolers. The Early Arithmetic, Reading, and Learning Indicators (EARLI; DiPerna, Morgan, & Lei, 2007) were developed as brief assessments of critical early literacy and numeracy skills. The purpose of the current study was to examine the factor structure of the EARLI probes via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a sample of Head Start preschoolers (N = 289). A two-factor model with correlated error terms and a bifactor model provided comparable fit to the data, although there were some structural problems with the latter model. The utility of the bifactor model for explaining the structure of early academic skills as well as the utility of the EARLI probes as measures of literacy and numeracy skills in preschool are discussed.
CT detection of serious internal and skeletal injuries in patients with pelvic fractures

Rationale and Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of patients with known pelvic fractures who have additional findings of intraabdominal injury, as diagnosed at abdominal computed tomography (CT), and to determine if patients with specific types or patterns of fractures are more likely to have additional injuries. Materials and Methods. The authors reviewed the medical records of 200 consecutive patients (125 women, 75 men; age range, 4–86 years) who had been admitted to a level 1 trauma center with osseous pelvic injury secondary to blunt trauma and who had undergone abdominal CT examinations. Abdominal CT findings in these patients were classified as negative, positive, or minimal and correlated with mechanism of pelvic fracture. Results. Sixty-five (32%) of the 200 patients had negative CT findings, 43 (22%) had findings attributable to the trauma but required no follow-up, and 92 (46%) had positive findings that required nonsurgical management or exploratory laparotomy. Additional pelvic fractures were identified in 63 (32%) patients. The highest prevalence of additional injuries was in patients with Malgaigne fractures (four of 15, 27%) or bilateral pubic rami fractures (six of 18, 33%). Conclusion. CT examinations revealed that 135 (68%) of 200 patients with pelvic fractures secondary to blunt trauma had concomitant internal or skeletal injuries and that 92 (46%) patients had injuries severe enough to require nonsurgical management or exploratory laparotomy. Patients with bilateral pubic rami fractures or Malgaigne fractures were particularly prone to additional injuries; therefore, abdominal CT examinations are recommended in these patients.
Resveratrol prevents rapamycin-induced upregulation of autophagy and selectively induces apoptosis in TSC2-deficient cells

The mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway is hyperactivated in a variety of cancers and disorders, including lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), which are characterized by mutations in tumor suppressors TSC1 or TSC2. The concern with the use of mTORC1 inhibitors, such as rapamycin or its analogs (rapalogs), is that they cause upregulation of autophagy and suppress the negative feedback loop to Akt, which promotes cell survival, causing the therapy to be only partially effective, and relapse occurs upon cessation of treatment. In this study, we investigate the use of rapamycin in combination with resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol, in TSC2-deficient cells. We tested whether such combination would prevent rapamycin-induced upregulation of autophagy and shift the cell fate toward apoptosis. We found that this combination treatment blocked rapamycin-induced upregulation of autophagy and restored inhibition of Akt. Interestingly, the combination of rapamycin and resveratrol selectively promoted apoptosis of TSC2-deficient cells. Thus, the addition of resveratrol to rapamycin treatment may be a promising option for selective and targeted therapy for diseases with TSC loss and mTORC1 hyperactivation.
Congenital lenticular pigmentation

Editor,—Pigment deposits on the anterior lens capsule may be seen in a variety of conditions. In this case report, we describe unusual bilateral pigmentation of the anterior lens surface in a young woman. Recognition of this benign condition should diminish the clinician’s concern that other potentially progressive disorders such as pigmentary glaucoma are likely. ### CASE REPORT A 21 year old white woman with myopia was referred for evaluation of pigmentary dispersion syndrome. There was no previous history of ocular inflammation, trauma, or use of topical or systemic medications. There were no visual complaints. On examination, her best corrected visual acuity was 20/15 right eye and 20/20 left eye with −1.25 D sph both eyes …
Ultra-dark graphene stack metamaterials

We present a fabrication method to achieve a graphene stack metamaterial, a periodic array of unit cells composed of graphene and a thin insulating spacer, that allows accumulation of the strong absorption from individual graphene sheets and low reflectivity from the stack. The complex sheet conductivity of graphene from experimental data models the measured power transmitted as a function of wavelength and number of periods in the stack. Simulated results based on the extracted graphene complex sheet conductivity for thicker stacks suggest that the graphene stack reflectivity and the per-unit-length absorption can be controlled to exceed the performance of competing light absorbers. Furthermore, the electrical properties of graphene coupled with the stack absorption characteristics provide for applications in optoelectronic devices.
Atlantic City memories

Fifty years ago, the Atlantic City meetings, held the first week in May of every year, were attended by all the elite of American academic medicine and all who wanted to join that group. Part of the magic of those meetings was that professors and neophytes took each other seriously and talked to each other.
Fracture of a unidirectional B-Al composite with a circular hole

Abstract Data is presented from a testing programme investigating fracture of unidirectional B-Al composites with central circular cutouts. The B-Al strips studied were found to exhibit stress concentration size effects previously reported for epoxy matrix composites. Comparisons of the data with a point and average stress fracture criteria are examined. An expression for the approximate stresses in an orthotropic plate has been substituted in a recently advanced fracture criterion and found to be in good agreement with experimental data.
Copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes of bis(2-aminoethyl)sulfide

Abstract The following complexes of bis(2-aminoethyl)sulfide (daes) have been prepared and characterized: Ni(daes)Cl2, Ni(daes)2X2 where X = PF6−, Cl−, Br−, I−, NO3−, Cu(daes)X2 where X = Cl− and Br− and Cu(daes)(C2H3O2)(ClO4. Magnetic, spectral and conductivity data indicate that the copper complexes are probably five coordinate whereas the nickel complexes are six coordinate pseudo-octahedral structures. A trans facial configuration is postulated for the Ni(daes) 2X2 complexes based on a study of stereomodels as well as the observation of strong tetragonal distortion from octahedral symmetry in the electronic spectra of these complexes at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. The ligand exerts a medium strong ligand field, having Dqxy = 1172 cm−1 and Dqz = 970 cm−1.
Health Problems in a Large Cohort of Americans Traveling to Developing Countries

Background: Millions of Americans visit developing countries each year, however, little is known about their health during travel. This study describes health problems in a large cohort of American travelers during and after their trip. Method: A 2‐year survey of 784 travelers (95% follow‐up) was conducted for persons traveling for ≥ 90 days. At the pretravel visit, travelers were given a postcard to record adverse health events. Following travel, standardized telephone interviews were performed for any positive responses, or if the card was not returned. All travelers were contacted 2 months after return to determine late occurring illness and compliance with antimalarials. Results: Travelers had a mean age of 44 years, a median duration of 19 days, and visited 123 countries. An illness was reported by 64% (1.6 illnesses per traveler). Ill travelers were more often female, and traveled longer than those who were not ill; depending upon destination, each day of travel increased by 3 to 4% the chance of becoming ill. Diarrhea was most common, occurring in 46%; 34% met a strict definition for traveler's diarrhea. Respiratory illness occurred in 26%, skin disorders in 8%, acute mountain sickness in 6%, motion sickness in 5%, accidents and injuries in 5%, and isolated febrile episodes in 3%. Medical care was sought by 8% of all travelers and 12% of those reporting illness. On return, 26% of travelers were ill, 56% of whom became ill after return. Diarrhea, respiratory illness, skin disorders, and febrile syndromes were most common, and 46% of those who were ill sought medical care. Complete compliance with antimalarials was 80%. Noncompliant individuals usually discontinued medications on return. Side effects were reported by 4% of those taking chloroquine, 11% of those taking chloroquine plus proguanil, and 14% of those taking mefloquine, with half of these neuropsychiatric. The incidence of documented malaria was 3.8 cases per 1,000 travelers. Conclusions: Many travelers experience adverse health events during and after travel to the developing world. Attention to the prevention and therapy of traveler's diarrhea, prophylaxis of malaria, management of respiratory illness, personal safety, and access to medical care during travel, and, recognition of clinical syndromes after return, will help to improve the traveler's health.
Sesquiterpene lactones and other constituents of Arnica acaulis

Abstract Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Arnica acaulis resulted in isolation of 12 known helenanolides, one new melampolide baileyin acetate and the transfused guaianolides florilenalin acetate and 11 α H , 13dihydroflorilenalin acetate as well as other relatively common plant constituents. The implications for the biogenesis of helenanolides and the chemotaxonomic situation in Arnica are discussed.
Hyperosmolar stress induces neutrophil extracellular trap formation: implications for dry eye disease.

Purpose. To determine if hyperosmolar stress can stimulate human neutrophils to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and to investigate potential strategies to reduce formation of NETs (NETosis) in a hyperosmolar environment.
The role of oxygen in regulating neural stem cells in development and disease

Oxygen (O2) is a substrate for energy production in the cell and is a rapid regulator of cellular metabolism. Recent studies have also implicated O2 and its signal transduction pathways in controlling cell proliferation, fate, and morphogenesis during the development of many tissues, including the nervous system. O2 tensions in the intact brain are much lower than in room air, and there is evidence that dynamic control of O2 availability may be a component of the in vivo neural stem cell (NSC) niche. At lower O2 tensions, hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF1alpha) facilitates signal transduction pathways that promote self-renewal (e.g., Notch) and inhibits pathways that promote NSC differentiation or apoptosis (e.g., bone morphogenetic proteins). Increasing O2 tension degrades HIF1alpha, thus promoting differentiation or apoptosis of NSCs and progenitors. These dynamic changes in O2 tension can be mimicked to optimize ex vivo production methods for cell replacement therapies. Conversely, disrupted O2 availability may play a critical role in disease states such as stroke or brain tumor progression. Hypoxia during stroke activates precursor proliferation in vivo, while glioblastoma stem cells proliferate maximally in a more hypoxic environment than normal stem cells, which may make them resistant to certain anti-neoplastic therapies. These findings suggest that O2 response is central to the normal architecture and dynamics of NSC regulation and in the etiology and treatment of brain diseases.
Balance deficits after sports-related concussion in individuals reporting posttraumatic headache.

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic headache (PTH) may affect neurocognition after sports-related concussion. To our knowledge, no studies have examined how PTH affects balance after concussion using dynamic posturography. The purpose of this study is to compare balance after concussion between athletes reporting PTH and athletes not reporting PTH. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, repeated-measures design with participants grouped by presence of postinjury report of headache. Balance testing was conducted on 108 concussed collegiate athletes (age, 18.83 ± 1.27 yr; height, 180.92 ± 10.01 cm; mass, 83.29 ± 19.62 kg). Presence of PTH during the first postinjury test session (group) and test time (baseline, postinjury) served as the independent variables. The composite equilibrium score and the somatosensory, vestibular, and visual ratio scores served as dependent variables. A 2 X 2 mixed model analysis of variance was used to analyze each outcome measure. RESULTS: Significant decreases in all four measures assessed were noted after concussion compared with preseason baseline measures (P < 0.05). Significant group by test-time interactions were observed, suggesting that composite equilibrium (F 1106 = 6.6089; P = 0.012) and vestibular ratio (F 1106 = 7.156; P = 0.009) scores are affected by the presence of PTH. Athletes reporting PTH also demonstrated worse visual ratio scores compared with individuals not experiencing PTH (F 1106 = 4.26; P= 0.041). No other significant findings were observed for the somatosensory ratio score. CONCLUSION: Current literature proposes that PTH is associated with cognitive deficits. Our study indicates that PTH may also contribute to increased balance deficits. We believe the deficits may be a result of increased sensory organization challenges after injury. Clinicians should be mindful of these findings when managing concussed athletes reporting headache.
Technical research note: The effect of double deals on consumer attitudes

Abstract Two types of consumer sales promotions, advertised reference price and free premium with purchase, were manipulated in a 3 × 3 analysis of variance design to investigate the effect of double retail deals on consumer attitudes. Results suggest that the effect of a free premium on consumer attitudes depends on the level of the advertised reference price. Counter to expectations, at low levels of advertised reference price, consumers' brand image and perceived quality are more favorable when the value of the free premium is low than when the value of the free premium is high. At a high level of advertised reference price, consumers' brand image and perceived quality are less favorable when the value of the free premium is low, than when the value of the free premium is high. At a medium level of advertised reference price, consumers' product attitudes are similar across free premium values. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Aspirin intolerance: I. Frequency in an allergic population

Abstract The frequency of intolerance to aspirin in a total population of asthma and/or rhinitis was 89 out of 3,781 or 2.4 per cent. In the asthmatic group, the frequency was 4.3 per cent. Those asthmatics with negative allergy skin tests had significantly more aspirin intolerance (6.8 per cent) than did those with positive skin tests (3.5 per cent) (p
A test of Murdock’s D scale technique using an unusual stimulus set

Murdock’s D scale technique predicts that when D%, a measure of stimulus discriminability, is plotted against stimulus position, a U-shaped curve will always result, with end stimuli being more discriminable than middle stimuli. This prediction was tested on a stimulus set in which the middle stimuli were widely separated and the end stimuli were closely spaced. The middle stimuli were found to be the most discriminable. When the data were adjusted for response bias by Doherty’s procedure, they still did not fit the prediction derived from Murdock’s method.
Factorisation of satellite terms in the N-particle dual amplitude☆

Abstract Complete factorisation of the N particle dual amplitude with satellite terms is exhibited explicitly in a formalism using harmonic-oscillator-like creation and destruction operators.
Suppressing the segregation of granular mixtures in rotating tumblers

While an understanding of the dynamics of segregation has begun to emerge, controlling segregation continues to be a complicated problem. The use of time-modulation—via selective baffle placement—in order to suppress segregation in rotating tumblers is explored. Bidisperse (size or density), cohesionless granular materials in quasi-two-dimensional (2-D) rotating containers are studied by means of simulations and experiments. Results are presented in two main configurations for the placement of the baffles, (1) axial placement, and (2) attached to the periphery of the tumbler. Both experiments and simulations indicate that baffles attached at the periphery are ineffective in reducing segregation, while baffles axially located in the tumbler generate periodic flow inversions and dramatically reduce both density and size segregation. Qualitative and quantitative evidence is presented, in terms of the intensity of segregation. Theoretical and scale-up arguments are provided for the practical implementation of this approach. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
Investigation of Microbubble Boundary Layer Using Particle Tracking Velocimetry

Particle tracking velocimetry has been used to measure the velocity fields of both continuous phase and dispersed microbubble phase, in a turbulent boundary layer, of a channel flow. Hydrogen and oxygen microbubbles were generated by electrolysis. The average size of the microbubbles was 15μm in radius. Drag reductions up to 40% were obtained, when the accumulation of microbubbles took place in a critical zone within the buffer layer. It is confirmed that a combination of concentration and distribution of microbubbles in the boundary layer can achieve high drag reduction values. Microbubble distribution across the boundary layer and their influence on the profile of the components of the liquid mean velocity vector are presented. The spanwise component of the mean vorticity field was inferred from the measured velocity fields. A decrease in the magnitude of the vorticity is found, leading to an increase of the viscous sublayer thickness. This behavior is similar to the observation of drag reduction by polymer and surfactant injection into liquid flows. The results obtained indicate that drag reduction by microbubble injection is not a simple consequence of density effects, but is an active and dynamic interaction between the turbulence structure in the buffer zone and the distribution of the microbubbles.
A Statistical Description of Temperature Finestructure in the Presence of Internal Waves

Abstract We have developed a statistical model describing a random field of internal waves passively oscillating a random, locally horizontally uniform temperature finestructure. Here we define finestructure to be non-internal wavelike temperature fluctuations of any vertical scale caused by phenomena such as horizontal intrusions or geostrophic eddies. The model allows one to examine the effects of finestructure upon all relevant measurable statistical quantities of the temperature field as a function of the vertical scale of the finestructure. Also, the effects of the time variation of the finestructure itself are considered. The model was fit to data obtained during the 3-week Mid-ocean Acoustic Transmission Experiment (MATE) in summer 1977 new Cobb seamount in the northeastern Pacific. Various spectra and coherences estimated from temperature time series and vertical profiles were used to make an assessment of the finestructure as well as establish the consistency of the model. Temperature variance me...
A Site-Directed Mutagenesis of Pro-urokinase Which Substantially Reduces Its Intrinsic Activity†

Single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator or pro-urokinase is a zymogen with an intrinsic catalytic activity which is greater than that of most other zymogens. To study the structural basis for this activity, a three-dimensional homology model was calculated using the crystallographic structure of chymotrypsinogen, and the structure−function relationship was studied using site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic analysis. This model revealed a unique Lys300 in pro-urokinase which could form a weak interaction with Asp355, adjacent to the active site Ser356. It was postulated that this lysine, by its e-amino group, may serve to pull Ser356 close to the active position, thereby inducing the higher intrinsic activity of pro-urokinase. This was consistent with the published finding that a homologous lysine (Lys416) in single chain tissue plasminogen activator when mutated to serine induced some reduction in activity. To test this hypothesis, a site-directed mutant with a neutral residue (Lys300 → Ala) wa...
Mutational analysis of putative calcium binding motifs within the skeletal ryanodine receptor isoform, RyR1.

Abstract The functional relevance of putative Ca2+ binding motifs previously identified with Ca2+ overlay binding analysis within the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor isoform (RyR1) was examined using mutational analysis. EF hands between amino acid positions 4081 and 4092 (EF1) and 4116 and 4127 (EF2) were scrambled singly or in combination within the full-length rabbit RyR1 cDNA. These cDNAs were expressed in 1B5 RyR-deficient myotubes and channel function assessed using Ca2+-imaging techniques, [3H]ryanodine binding measurements, and single channel experiments. In intact myotubes, these mutations did not affect functional responses to either depolarization or RyR agonists (caffeine, 4-chloro-m-cresol) compared with wtRyR1. However, in [3H]ryanodine binding measurements, both Ca2+ activation and inhibition of the EF1 mutant was significantly altered compared with wtRyR1. No high affinity [3H]ryanodine binding was observed in membranes expressing the EF2 mutation, although in single channel measurements, the EF2-disrupted channel could be activated by micromolar Ca2+ concentrations. In addition, micromolar levels of ryanodine placed these channels into the classical half-conductance state, thus indicating that occupancy of high affinity ryanodine binding sites is not required for ryanodine-induced subconductance states in RyR1. Disruption of three additional putative RyR1 calcium binding motifs located between amino acid positions 4254 and 4265 (EF3), 4407 and 4418 (EF4), or 4490 and 4502 (EF5) either singly or in combination (EF3–5) did not affect functional responses in 1B5 myotubes except that the EC50 for caffeine activation for the EF3 construct was significantly increased compared with wtRyR1. However, in [3H]ryanodine binding experiments, the Ca2+-dependent activation and inactivation of mutated RyRs containing EF3, EF4, or EF5 was unaffected when compared with wtRyR1.