cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decade-scale stability and change in a marine bivalve microbiome.

Predicting how populations and communities of organisms will respond to anthropogenic change is of paramount concern in ecology today. For communities of microorganisms, however, these predictions remain challenging, primarily due to data limitations. Information about long-term dynamics of host-associated microbial communities, in particular, are lacking. In this study, we use well-preserved and freshly collected samples of soft tissue from a marine bivalve host, Donax gouldii, at a single site to quantify the diversity and composition of its microbiome over a decadal timescale. Site-level measurements of temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a allowed us to test how the microbiome of this species responded to two natural experiments - a seasonal increase in temperature and a phytoplankton bloom. Our results show that ethanol-preserved tissue can provide high-resolution information about temporal trends in compositions of host-associated microbial communities. Specifically, we found that the richness of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) associated with D. gouldii did not change significantly over time despite increases in water temperature (+1.6°C due to seasonal change) and chlorophyll a concentration (more than nine-fold). The phylogenetic composition of the communities, on the other hand, varied significantly between all collection years, with only six ASVs persisting over our sampling period. Overall, these results suggest that the diversity of microbial taxa associated with D. gouldii has remained stable over time and in response to seasonal environmental change over the course of more than a decade, but such stability is underlain by substantial turnover in the composition of the microbiome.
Retail Marketing of Menthol Cigarettes in Los Angeles, California: a Challenge to Health Equity.

INTRODUCTION Sales of menthol cigarettes continue to increase, accounting for a third of the US cigarette market. Retail marketing of menthol cigarettes is a contributing factor to tobacco-related health disparities. To inform regulation to address associated disparities, we examined retail marketing strategies for menthol cigarettes and their features and characteristics in relation to neighborhood racial/ethnic composition. METHODS We used multilevel regression models to examine associations of neighborhood racial/ethnic composition and store type with menthol cigarette sales outcomes, including availability, exterior advertising, price promotions, and price in a sample of tobacco retailers (N = 673) in Los Angeles County neighborhoods with a median or below-median household income. We also recorded the prices of Newport cigarettes (the highest selling menthol cigarette brand in the United States) and blu disposable menthol e-cigarettes. RESULTS Overall, 94.5% of retailers sold menthol cigarettes, 31.2% displayed menthol cigarette price promotions, and 30.2% displayed at least one menthol cigarette advertisement on their exterior. Adjusting for racial/ethnic zip code cluster and store type, stores located in predominantly African American neighborhoods showed significantly higher odds in the availability of Newport cigarettes than stores in Hispanic neighborhoods (OR = 0.21; 95% CI, 0.09-0.53; P = .001) or non-Hispanic White (OR = 0.12; 95% CI, 0.05-0.31; P < .001) neighborhoods. Stores located in predominantly African American neighborhoods displayed significantly higher odds of having price promotions for menthol cigarettes and storefront advertisements than those in Hispanic neighborhoods (OR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.30-0.88; P = .02 and OR = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.13-0.48; P < .001, respectively). CONCLUSION In 2016 and 2017, menthol cigarettes were widely available in Los Angeles County across racial/ethnic neighborhoods. We found a disproportionate number of storefront advertisements and price promotions for menthol cigarettes in stores located in predominantly African American neighborhoods along with the lowest advertised pack price. This evidence supports tobacco control policies that restrict menthol cigarette sales in the retail environment.
Applications of Squeeze Theorem to Limiting Processes Involving Riemann Integration

The goal of this Classroom Capsule is to illustrate applications of the Squeeze Theorem, specifically when calculating limits of Riemann Integrals of sequences of functions. Students are first expo...
Scalp Leiomyosarcoma: Diagnosis and Treatment During a Global Pandemic With COVID-19

Leiomyosarcoma is an aggressive, uncommon sarcoma effecting smooth muscle tissue. Prompt tissue diagnosis and staging workup are keys to preventing distant metastasis. Identification of this rare sarcoma has become increasingly difficult with decreased ability to seek out non-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) medical care. The pandemic has caused a widespread healthcare demand with providers reaching their full capacity causing care and resources to be shifted to the pandemic. We have experienced an 83-year-old male who significantly delayed to seek any medical attention for his scalp lesion for several months due to a combination of fear and decreased available appointments. Since the patient presented with a delayed scalp leiomyosarcoma, he required an extensive excision and flap reconstruction for the lesion. This case sheds light on the importance of weighing the risks and benefits associated with cancer management during the pandemic for both patients and healthcare providers. The healthcare system's response to the pandemic also played a role in this case as well, with shorter appointment times and decreased frequency of follow-up. As a result, the pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on the diagnostic pathway for cancer. This case report discusses the difficulties in diagnosing and treating a rare cancer such as scalp leiomyosarcoma amidst the global pandemic and the importance of telemedicine in improving future outcomes.
Risk Identification and Prediction for COVID-19 Mortality: Risk Identification and Prediction for COVID-19 Mortality

This paper studies several key metrics for COVID-19 using a public surveillance system data set. It compares the difference between two case fatality rates: the naive case fatality rate, which has been frequently mentioned in media outlets, and one which is the sample estimate for the mortality rate. A logistic regression model is applied to modeling the daily mortality rate. The conclusion is that time, gender, age and some of their interactions, appear to have a significant impact on the mortality rate; the daily mortality rate has been decreasing since the outbreak; males older than 60 has been the most vulnerable group. The receiver operating characteristics curve and the curve under the area show that the proposed logistic model is capable of predicting the outcome of a reported case with accuracy as high as 89%. These findings are helpful in assessing the magnitude of the risk posed by the COVID-19 virus to certain groups, predicting outcome severity, and optimally allocating medical resources such as intensive care units and ventilators.
The Lung Elastin Matrix Undergoes Rapid Degradation Upon Adult Loss of Hox5 Function

Hox genes encode transcription factors that are critical for embryonic skeletal patterning and organogenesis. The Hoxa5, Hoxb5 and Hoxc5 paralogs are expressed in the lung mesenchyme and function redundantly during embryonic lung development. Conditional loss of function of these genes during early postnatal stages leads to severe defects in alveologenesis, specifically in the generation of the elastin network, and animals display bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or BPD-like phenotype. Here we show the surprising results that mesenchyme-specific loss of Hox5 function at adult stages leads to rapid disruption of the mature elastin matrix, alveolar enlargement, and an emphysema-like phenotype. As the elastin matrix of the lung is considered highly stable, adult disruption of the matrix was not predicted. Just two weeks after deletion, adult Hox5 mutant animals show significant increases in alveolar space and changes in pulmonary function, including reduced elastance and increased compliance. Examination of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of adult Tbx4rtTA;TetOCre;Hox5afafbbcc lungs demonstrate a disruption of the elastin network although the underlying fibronectin, interstitial collagen and basement membrane appear unaffected. An influx of macrophages and increased matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12) were observed in the distal lung three days after Hox5 deletion. In culture, fibroblasts from Hox5 mutant lungs exhibit reduced adhesion. These findings establish a novel role for Hox5 transcription factors as critical regulators of lung fibroblasts at adult homeostasis.
Role of manganese peroxidases and lignin peroxidases of Phanerochaete chrysosporium in the decolorization of kraft bleach plant effluent.

The role of lignin peroxidases (LIPs) and manganese peroxidases (MNPs) of Phanerochaete chrysosporium in decolorizing kraft bleach plant effluent (BPE) was investigated. Negligible BPE decolorization was exhibited by a permutant, which lacks the ability to produce both the LIPs and the MNPs. Also, little decolorization was seen when the wild type was grown in high-nitrogen medium, in which the production of LIPs and MNPs is blocked. A lip mutant of P. chrysosporium, which produces MNPs but not LIPs, showed about 80% of the activity exhibited by the wild type, indicating that the MNPs play an important role in BPE decolorization. When P. chrysosporium was grown in a medium with 100 ppm of Mn(II), high levels of MNPs but no LIPs were produced, and this culture also exhibited high rates of BPE decolorization, lending further support to the idea that MNPs play a key role in BPE decolorization. When P. chrysosporium was grown in a medium with no Mn(II), high levels of LIPs but negligible levels of MNPs were produced and the rate and extent of BPE decolorization by such cultures were quite low, indicating that LIPs play a relatively minor role in BPE decolorization. Furthermore, high rates of BPE decolorizationmore » were seen on days 3 and 4 of incubation, when the cultures exhibit high levels of MNP activity but little or no LIP activity. These results indicate that MNPs play a relatively more important role than LIPs in BPE decolorization by P. chrysosporium.« less
A Smooth Source Function Method for Including Scattering in Radiatively Driven Wind Simulations

The winds of the hot, luminous, OB-type stars are driven by line-scattering of the star’s continuum radiation flux. Several kinds of observational evidence indicate that such winds are highly structured and variable, and it seems likely that a root cause of this variability is the known strong instability of the line-driving mechanism. Previous simulations of the nonlinear evolution of this instability have been based on a pure-absorption approximation which, for reasons of computational expense, have completely neglected any dynamical effect of the diffuse, scattered radiation. The present paper describes a new, Smooth Source Function approximation method which enables computation of the diffuse force with only very modest (~20%) increase in timing. Initial results of simulations incorporating this approximation indicate the diffuse radiation can have dramatic effects in eliminating the intrinsic variability often seen in pure-absorption models, and in bringing the steady-state velocity laws into close agreement with previous results based on Sobolev theory and comoving frame transfer solutions. Nonetheless, such wind models remain advectively very unstable in that only quite small (~1%) base perturbations still lead to strong shocks and dense clumps in the wind within a stellar radius of the surface.
Lateral Migration and Orientation of Elliptical Particles in Poiseuille Flows

The simulations of elliptical particles in a pressure driven flow are performed using a lattice Boltzmann (LB) method. Effects of multi-particle interaction on the lateral migration and orientation of both neutrally and non-neutrally buoyant particles are investigated. Low and itermediate solid concentrations in terms of area fraction f a =13, 25, and 40% are included in these simulations.
Clinical predictors for the aetiology of peripheral lymphadenopathy in HIV-infected adults.

Objective To determine the etiology and clinical predictors of peripheral lymphadenopathy in HIV-infected individuals during the antiretroviral (ARV) era in a non-Tuberculosis endemic setting.
Neural Networks as First Level Triggers in Scintillating Fiber Detectors

The use of trained feed-forward neural networks has the promise of providing a novel approach to performing extremely fast pattern recognition which could be incorporated into a first-level trigger in particle detectors such as the one proposed by the Solenoidal Detector Collaboration (SDC) at the Superconducting Super collider (SSC). Extensive Monte Carlo simulations specifically written for high energy particle physics, in addition to neural network simulator programs, are being used at UTD and at the SSC Laboratory to train and test the accuracy, efficiency, and speed of these networks. The final goal of this research is to determine the optimum architecture, training process and most cost efficient method of hardware implementation.
The relationship of health care transition readiness to disease-related characteristics, psychosocial factors, and health care outcomes: preliminary findings in adolescents with chronic kidney disease

Purpose The current study utilized the Disability-Stress-Coping Model to conceptualize how disease-related risk factors (disease severity, age of diagnosis, and disease burden) and psychosocial resilience factors (coping efficacy, family cohesion, and quality of life) influence health care transition (HCT) readiness when controlling for age and disease severity [1]. Additionally, the impact of low HCT readiness on emergency room visits and medication adherence was examined. Methods The sample was comprised of 41 adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who ranged in age from 13 to 18 years (Mean=15.7). Multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results None of the disease-related factors were associated with HCT readiness. Of the psychosocial factors, only family cohesion was a significant predictor and accounted for 10% unique variance. Transition readiness was significantly related to both the number of self-reported emergency room visits and medication adherence such that high readiness was related to fewer visits to the emergency room and better medication adherence; these variables accounted for 6.4% and 14.9% of the unique variance respectively. Conclusion These findings suggest that disease-related risk factors may be less critical to predicting transition readiness than resilience factors such as family cohesion. Additionally, when adolescents have low transition readiness they are likely to experience significant negative health outcomes.
SW1PerS: Sliding windows and 1-persistence scoring; discovering periodicity in gene expression time series data

Identifying periodically expressed genes across different processes (e.g. the cell and metabolic cycles, circadian rhythms, etc) is a central problem in computational biology. Biological time series may contain (multiple) unknown signal shapes of systemic relevance, imperfections like noise, damping, and trending, or limited sampling density. While there exist methods for detecting periodicity, their design biases (e.g. toward a specific signal shape) can limit their applicability in one or more of these situations. We present in this paper a novel method, SW1PerS, for quantifying periodicity in time series in a shape-agnostic manner and with resistance to damping. The measurement is performed directly, without presupposing a particular pattern, by evaluating the circularity of a high-dimensional representation of the signal. SW1PerS is compared to other algorithms using synthetic data and performance is quantified under varying noise models, noise levels, sampling densities, and signal shapes. Results on biological data are also analyzed and compared. On the task of periodic/not-periodic classification, using synthetic data, SW1PerS outperforms all other algorithms in the low-noise regime. SW1PerS is shown to be the most shape-agnostic of the evaluated methods, and the only one to consistently classify damped signals as highly periodic. On biological data, and for several experiments, the lists of top 10% genes ranked with SW1PerS recover up to 67% of those generated with other popular algorithms. Moreover, the list of genes from data on the Yeast metabolic cycle which are highly-ranked only by SW1PerS, contains evidently non-cosine patterns (e.g. ECM33, CDC9, SAM1,2 and MSH6) with highly periodic expression profiles. In data from the Yeast cell cycle SW1PerS identifies genes not preferred by other algorithms, hence not previously reported as periodic, but found in other experiments such as the universal growth rate response of Slavov. These genes are BOP3, CDC10, YIL108W, YER034W, MLP1, PAC2 and RTT101. In biological systems with low noise, i.e. where periodic signals with interesting shapes are more likely to occur, SW1PerS can be used as a powerful tool in exploratory analyses. Indeed, by having an initial set of periodic genes with a rich variety of signal types, pattern/shape information can be included in the study of systems and the generation of hypotheses regarding the structure of gene regulatory networks.
Parental Job Loss and Children's Educational Attainment in Black and White Middle-Class Families

Objectives. We aim to understand why blacks are significantly less likely than whites to perpetuate their middle-class status across generations. To do so, we focus on the potentially different associations between parental job loss and youth's educational attainment in black and white middle-class families. Methods. We use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), following those children “born” into the survey between 1968 and 1979 and followed through age 21. We conduct multivariate regression analyses to test the association between parental job loss during childhood and youth's educational attainment by age 21. Results. We find that parental job loss is associated with a lesser likelihood of obtaining any postsecondary education for all offspring, but that the association for blacks is almost three times as strong. A substantial share of the differential impact of job loss on black and white middle-class youth is explained by race differences in household wealth, long-run measures of family income, and, especially, parental experience of long-term unemployment. Conclusions. These findings highlight the fragile economic foundation of the black middle class and suggest that intergenerational persistence of class status in this population may be highly dependent on the avoidance of common economic shocks.
Fast databases with fast durability and recovery through multicore parallelism

Multicore in-memory databases for modern machines can support extraordinarily high transaction rates for online transaction processing workloads. A potential weakness, however, is recovery from crash failures. Can classical techniques, such as checkpoints, be made both efficient enough to keep up with current systems' memory sizes and transaction rates, and smart enough to avoid additional contention? Starting from an efficient multicore database system, we show that naive logging and checkpoints make normal-case execution slower, but that frequent disk synchronization allows us to keep up with many workloads with only a modest reduction in throughput. We design throughout for parallelism: during logging, during checkpointing, and during recovery. The result is fast. Given appropriate hardware (three SSDs and a RAID), a 32-core system can recover a 43.2 GB key-value database in 106 seconds, and a > 70 GB TPC-C database in 211 seconds.
Warm Ambient Temperature Decreases Food Intake in a Simulated Office Setting: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: We hypothesized that exposure to temperatures above the thermoneutral zone would decrease food intake in young adults in a sedentary office environment over a 2-hour period. Methods: Participants wearing standardized clothing were randomized to perform routine office work in either within the thermoneutral zone, considered control (19-20°C), or above the thermoneutral zone considered warmer (26-27°C) treatment in parallel-group design (n=11 and 9, respectively). Thermal images of the inner canthus of their eye and middle finger nail bed, representing proxies of core and peripheral temperatures, respectively, were taken at baseline, 1st, and 2nd hour during this lunchtime study. Relative heat dissipation was estimated as peripheral temperature. General linear models were conducted to examine the effects of thermal treatment the calories intake and potential mediation. Researchers conducted the trial registered as NCT02386891 at Clinicaltrials.gov during April- May 2014. Results: During the 2 hours stay in different ambient temperatures, the participants in the control conditions ate 99.5 kcal more than those in the warmer conditions; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Female participants ate about 350 kcal less than the male participants (P=0.024) in both groups and there was no significant association between calories intake and participant’s BMI. After controlling for thermal treatment, gender and BMI, the participant’s peripheral temperature was significantly associated with calories intake (p=0.002), suggesting a mediating effect. Specifically, for every 1°C increase in peripheral temperature indicating reduced heat dissipation, participants ate 85.9 kcal less food. Conclusions: This pilot study provided preliminary evidence of effects of thermal environment on food intake and the decreased food intake in the experimental (warmer) environment is potentially mediated through thermoregulatory mechanisms.
Social context evokes rapid changes in bat song syntax

The capacity to modify vocal syntax to changes in social context is an important component of vocal plasticity and complexity in adult vertebrates, especially in human speech. The ecological significance of this behaviour has been well established in some avian species but not in mammals where complex, multisyllabic vocalizations are rare. The Brazilian free-tailed bat, Tadarida brasiliensis, is a mammal that sings like a bird, producing hierarchically structured songs that vary in the order and number of phrases (i.e. syntax) from one rendition to the next while simultaneously following specific organizational rules. Here, we used playback experiments to examine the function of songs and tested whether song syntax is correlated with social context. Free-tailed bats responded rapidly and robustly to echolocation calls that mimicked a bat flying past the roost but did not respond to conspecific song playbacks. We compared songs that were directed at a passing bat with songs that were produced spontaneously and found that bats produced longer songs with different phrase content and order when singing spontaneously than when singing to bats approaching their roost. Thus, free-tailed bats quickly varied song composition to meet the specific demands of different social functions. These distinct singing behaviours are similar to those of some songbirds, suggesting that bats and birds have converged upon a similar set of production modes that may reflect common neural mechanisms and ecological factors.
Identity announcement in mass society: The T‐shirt

This article examines the modern dilemma of individual identity: The opportunity for announcing the individual identity, but only through products and typifications provided by a shifting and uncertain mass culture. This dilemma takes on an even greater degree of social abstraction, as Simmel noted, in that it is primarily through their sheer appearance that we are able to know people. It is in the study of everyday life that connection between the individual and relationships to the larger society may be found, as Simmel described. In this article, we look at an important aspect of everyday life that has been ignored by sociology: the T‐shirt. We find that students’ descriptions of their favorite T‐shirts fall into four categories (idiosyncratic, commercial, elitist, and utilitarian). We discuss these categories and their implications.
High power photonic crystal distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers emitting at 4.5 μm

Quantum cascade lasers possess very small linewidth enhancement factor, which makes them very prominent candidates for realization of high power, nearly diffraction limited and single mode photonic crystal distributed feedback broad area lasers in the mid-infrared frequencies. In this paper, we present room temperature operation of a two dimensional photonic crystal distributed feedback quantum cascade laser emitting at 4.5 μm. peak power up to ~0.9 W per facet is obtained from a 2 mm long laser with 100 μm cavity width at room temperature. The observed spectrum is single mode with a very narrow linewidth. Far-field profile has nearly diffraction limited single lobe with full width at half maximum of 3.5o normal to the facet. The mode selection and power output relationships are experimentally established with respect to different cavity lengths for photonic crystal distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers.
Diseases of Tropical Perennial Crops: Challenging Problems in Diverse Environments.

The world’s oldest ecosystems are found in the tropics. They are diverse, highly evolved, but barely understood. Diseases that impact crops in these regions can be significant contraints to production, especially when they occur in lowland environments with high rainfall and uniform, warm temperatures; respites from disease pressure there are often infrequent. Difficulties in managing diseases in the humid tropics are multiplied when the affected crops are perennial. The favorable conditions for disease development and the presence of susceptible host tissue over long periods make diseases of tropical perennial crops serious management challenges. This topic is introduced with a few concepts on the occurrence and development of these pathosystems. Peculiar aspects and scenarios that influence the types of and extent to which different diseases develop are summarized. Measures that are useful on annual or short-term crops may be ineffective against these diseases. They are scientifically interesting problems. New vectors, as for mango malformation, or pathogens, as for bunchy top of papaya, are associated with some of the diseases. And some of the diseases are caused by two or more distinct taxa; for example, citrus greening, mango malformation, Panama disease, and tracheomycosis of coffee. Some of the most important diseases are host-specific and are caused by either coevolved or new-encounter pathogens. Resistance, the most effective tool with which many of these diseases are managed, is usually available in coevolved pathosystems but may be uncommon in new-encounter situations. Inadequate host resistance can be a significant barrier in the management of both coevolved and new encounter diseases. General tactics are described that are useful against diseases of tropical perennials. The successful management of plant disease utilizes several principles and practices, regardless of the host and environment in which it is grown. These include the avoidance, exclusion, and eradication of the causal agents. Host protection is of great importance, as is the identification and incorporation of resistance in the host plant. All of these approaches are discussed with tropical perennial examples.
Community-supported agriculture: a sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture?

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) seeks to create a direct relationship between farmers and those who eat their food—farm members or shareholders. Data from a five-year study of eight CSA farms are used to examine the perceptions and behavior of farm members in three different ways: their motivations for membership, the role of women in initiating and maintaining farm membership, and how the extent of membership participation relates to member perceptions about and commitment to their farms. We interpret the significance of our results using Gidden's concept of modernity and Etzioni's concept of communitarianism. Finally we raise questions about the long-term sustainability of CSA, given the lifestyle and needs of the farmers in tension with the constraints and competing values of shareholders.
Spinal Cord Glia and Interleukin-1 Do Not Appear to Mediate Persistent Allodynia Induced by Intramuscular Acidic Saline in Rats

Abstract Spinal glial activation and consequent interleukin-1 (IL-1) release are implicated in pain facilitation induced by inflammation/damage to skin and peripheral nerves. It is unclear whether pain facilitation induced at deep tissue sites also depends on these. We investigated whether spinal IL-1 and/or glial activation mediates bilateral allodynia induced by repeated unilateral intramuscular injections of acidic saline to rats. Given the prominent role of spinal IL-1 in various bilateral pain models, we predicted that intrathecal IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) would suppress bilateral allodynia in this model as well. Surprisingly, neither single nor repeated intrathecal injections of IL-1ra affected allodynia, measured by the von Frey test, induced by prior intramuscular acidic saline compared with vehicle-injected controls. In addition, we tested the effect of 2 additional intrathecal manipulations that are broadly efficacious in suppressing glially mediated pain facilitation: (1) a glial metabolic inhibitor (fluorocitrate) and (2) the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL-10). Like IL-1ra, fluorocitrate and IL-10 each failed to reverse allodynia. Finally, we observed no significant activation of glial cells, as assessed by immunohistochemistry of glial activation markers, in the lumbar spinal cord in response to intramuscular acidic saline. Taken together, the present data suggest that acidic saline-induced bilateral allodynia is created independently of glial activation. Perspective From converging lines of evidence, the current studies suggest that persistent bilateral allodynia induced by repeated intramuscular acidic saline is not mediated by spinal IL-1 and/or spinal glial activation. As such, this might represent the first evidence for pain facilitation occurring in the absence of glial involvement.
Challenges and advances in treating hoarding

This article introduces an issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session devoted to understanding, assessing, and treating hoarding disorder (HD). After a case example is presented, the proposed the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition criteria for HD are discussed, and the problems associated with hoarding are discussed from a psychotherapeutic and public health perspective. The articles in this issue are then outlined and summarized. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 67:1–5, 2011.
Consistency of Menas' conjecture

We prove the consistency of the following conjecture of Menas with ZFC: For every regular uncountable cardinal k and λ a cardinal >k, if X is a stationary subset of P k λ then X splits into λ <k many disjoint stationary subsets. We will prove the consistency of the conjecture by showing that is holds in L, the class of constructible sets
Nitric oxide regulates Angiopoietin1/Tie2 expression after stroke

Abstract We tested whether the nitric oxide donor, (Z)-1-[ N -(2-aminoethyl)- N -(2-ammonioethyl) aminio] diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DETA-NONOate), increases expression of Angiopoietin (Ang1)/Tie2, which may play a role in regulating angiogenesis and vascular integrity after stroke in rats. Wistar rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and treated with or without DETA-NONOate. Stroke rats treated with DETA-NONOate show significantly increased Ang1, Tie2 and Occludin expression in the ischemic border compared with control stroke animals ( p
AHR2 knockdown prevents PAH-mediated cardiac toxicity and XRE- and ARE-associated gene induction in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants often present in aquatic systems as complex mixtures. Embryonic fish are sensitive to the developmental toxicity of some PAHs, but the exact mechanisms involved in this toxicity are still unknown. This study explored the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in the oxidative stress response of zebrafish to the embryotoxicity of select PAHs. Embryos were exposed to two PAHs, benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF; a strong AHR agonist) and fluoranthene (FL; a cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) inhibitor), alone and in combination. CYP1A, CYP1B1, CYP1C1, and redox-responsive genes glutathione s-transferase pi 2 (GSTp2), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), the glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLc), MnSOD and CuZnSOD mRNA expression was examined. CYP1 activity was measured via an in vivo ethoxyresorufin-O-deethlyase (EROD) activity assay, and the area of the pericardium was measured as an index of cardiotoxicity. BkF or FL alone caused no deformities whereas BkF+FL resulted in extreme pericardial effusion. BkF induced CYP activity above controls and co-exposure with FL inhibited this activity. BkF induced expression of all three CYPs, GSTp2, and GCLc. BkF+FL caused greater than additive induction of the three CYPs, GSTp2, GPx1, and GCLc but had no effect on MnSOD or CuZnSOD. AHR2 knockdown protected against the cardiac deformities caused by BkF+FL and significantly inhibited the induction of the CYPs, GSTp2, GPx1, and GCLc after BkF+FL compared to non-injected controls. These results further show the protective role of AHR2 knockdown against cardiotoxic PAHs and the role of AHR2 as a mediator of redox-responsive gene induction.
Synthesis of hyperbranched degradable polymers by atom transfer radical (Co)polymerization of inimers with ester or disulfide groups

Degradable hyperbranched polymers with multiple alkyl halide chain ends were synthesized by the atom transfer radical polymerization of inimers containing ester (2-(2'-bromopropionyloxy)ethyl acrylate) or disulfide (2-(2'-bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl 2"-methacryloyloxyethyl disulfide) groups. Both the homo- and copolymerizations (with styrene in the former case and methyl methacrylate in the latter) were studied. The hyperbranched polymers derived from the ester-type inimer were hydrolytically degradable under basic conditions, whereas those derived from the disulfide-containing inimer could be efficiently degraded in the presence of reducing agents such as tributylphosphine.
Particle-core coupling around Ni: a study of the subshell closure at N=40

Abstract The existence of a subshell gap at neutron number N =40 is investigated in the odd-mass Ni and Cu isotopes using the Particle-Core Coupling Model (PCM). The calculated properties are in good agreement with the existing experimental data, suggesting that 68 Ni is a good core for the adjacent nuclei. Evaluation of the 2 + 1 excitation energies, two-neutron separation energies, and pairing properties of the Ni isotopes reveals discontinuities at neutron number N =40. These data support the existence of a significant neutron subshell gap at N =40, for Z =28. The systematic behavior of the proton single-particle energies extracted from the particle-core coupling calculations for the odd-mass Cu isotopes is discussed in terms of monopole shifts. The effect is consistent with the existence of a neutron subshell gap at N =40.
Heterosexual Attendance at Gay Events: The 2002 Parada Livre Festival in Porto Alegre, Brazil

This paper reports on a quantitative survey designed to characterize the public who attended Parada Livre 2002, a festival in Porto Alegre, Brazil organized around free sexual expression. Of particular interest was attendance at the event by heterosexual-identified individuals, a sub-population generally ignored in research to date on large-scale events of this sort. Questionnaires were completed by 176 Parada attendees. The questionnaires covered demographics, social movement participation, attitudes about HIV/AIDS and homosexuality, and motivations for attending the festival. Analysis gauged significant differences by gender and sexual orientation. Slightly more than half (52.1%) of the sample self-identified as heterosexual. Compared to attendees with non-normative sexual identities, heterosexuals were more likely to be women and less likely to be politically engaged in terms of social movement participation. Heterosexual attendees were slightly less gay-positive, but no less likely to know a lesbian, gay or travesti, or person with HIV/AIDS. Implications of study findings for scholarly understandings of cultural and political organization around sexual diversity in Brazil are discussed.
Flexible recession: the temporary staffing industry and mediated work in the United States.

The evolution of the temporary staffing industry (TSI) in the US is examined, with particular reference to the structural functions of temporary work during the boom of the 1990s, the 'flexible' recession of 2001, and the subsequent 'jobless' recovery. It is argued that the TSI is increasingly playing a systemic, macroregulatory role in the US labour market, where it now accounts for a disproportionate share of the costs of labour-market adjustment. The development path of the TSI is closely intertwined with the wider restructuring of the US economy, where it has assumed a significant presence as a purveyor of low-cost, flexibly mediated labour. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.
Prevention of periodontal disease in the future

Existing knowledge about periodontal disease is sufficient to permit the interested individual to carry out a preventive program which can result in preventing the major forms of the disease from developing. It is likely that the sooner such a program is started in a person's lifetime, the likelier it is to succeed. With the additional knowledge obtained from current avenues of research, clinical microbiology and immunology will become applicable to the management of selected forms of periodontal disease, both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Some of the information gained may help in fostering the establishment of a desirable microbial flora and in better control of potentially pathogenic strains. The implementation of an effective preventive program for periodontal and other dental diseases will vary on a regional basis depending on political, economic, social and ethical considerations.
Dislocations and static quadrupolar broadening in some alkali halide single crystals

Abstract The static line broadening studies in single crystals of LiBr and NaBr revealed the existence of predominant quadrupolar interactions with imperfections. Analyses of free induction decay shapes showed that the central component is Gaussian and the satellite components have Lorentzian line shapes. From the measurements of half widths of these satellites it has been possible to estimate dislocation densities in these crystals. Thus obtained values for dislocation densities are comparable to the previous determinations and estimations in other alkali halide crystals.
Reproductive function in mice exposed to neonatal irradiation

Abstract Lifetime reproductive function following irradiation on the day of birth was studied in nine genotypes of mice obtained by crossing three inbred strains, BALB/Gw, K/Gw, and S/Gw, in all possible ways providing three inbred genotypes and six hybrid genotypes. The mice of each genotype were exposed to single whole-body 250 pkv X-ray dosages of 0R, 20R, 80R, 160R, and 320R. The experimental design gave an oppurtunity of relating radiation responses to the various genetic categories of offspring (inbreds versus hybrids, reciprocals, and so on). Mice were mated at 75 days of age to untreated mice of the Z/Gw strain. The incidence of sterility was increased appreciably only after exposures of 160R and above. Following 320R sterility was much higher in females than in males. The total number of litters and progeny also was affected adversely by neonatal irradiation. Females, in both cases, exhibited more severe effects than did the males. Compared to mice irradiated as 7 1 2 day old fetuses, neonatally-irradiated males females had decreased reproductive capacity and neonatally-irradiated males had increased reproductive capacity. No effects due to irradiation were noted in either the sex ratio of the progeny or the survival of progeny to 21 days of age. Heterosis due to strain crossing was observed in all measures of reproductive performance. Differential genotypic responses to neonatal irradiation were indicated by significant genotype x radiation interactions for reproductive responses.
Initial performance of a CW chemical laser

The performance of a continuous HF chemical laser is presented in this paper. Population inversion was obtained by diffusion of H2 into a supersonic jet containing F atoms [H2+F → HF(v)+H1 ΔH=−31.7 kcal/mole]. A peak power of 630 W was obtained with an F atom flow rate of 0.040 mole/sec, and the efficiency of conversion of chemical energy to laser energy was 12%. The performance of a corresponding DF laser is also given. Major laser output is from 2-1 and 1-0 transitions for both lasers. Radiation is at 2.6 to 2.9μm and 3.6 to 4.0μm for the HF and DF lasers, respectively. The ratio of DF to HF laser power is 0.7 under similar flow conditions.
Stagnation-point ablation of carbonaceous flat disks. I Theory

The process of ablation is calculated for the stagnation region of a flat disk in a radiation-dominated, massive-blowing environment produced in a ballistic range filled with argon. Flow environments are determined by solving the boundary-layer equations while radiative transfer is calculated through a line-by-line spectral computation. The resulting wall heat-transfer rates are coupled with an existing material's response code to determine surface recession and char thickness. The calculation is performed for six 5-cm-diam models made of carbon-phenolic and carbon-carbon composite launched in the Track-G facility at the Arnold Engineering Development Center. Significant surface recessions are predicted to occur for these models due mostly to radiative heating.
DNA-directed assembly of barcoded nanowires onto glass slides for biosensing applications

With the increasing interest in simultaneous detection of specific DNA hybridization events, the development of methods to measure multiple DNA interactions at one time is of great importance. Conventional microarrays allow thousands of DNA hybridization interactions to be measured at once, however, this method of detection is limited by high cost as well as the stability and characteristic properties of fluorescent dyes. Here, barcoded nanowires are investigated as replacements for fluorophores on glass surfaces such as those used in microarrays. Potential advantages of nanowires include ease of reflectance-based optical read-out, the large number of tags available, and ability to distinguish multiple hybridizations occurring in a single DNA spot. A method of attaching DNA to glass microscope slides was developed which includes the use of a carboxy terminated silane to derivatize glass slides for DNA attachment. Also determined here is the efficiency of using nanowires as tags in complementary DNA hybridization events. An average of ~5% nonspecific binding was reported for nanowire attachment for all samples.
La réaction aristocratique avant 1789 : l'exemple de l'armée (suite)

L'anoblissement par les charges municipales, tres courant au debut du XVIIe siecle, subit de fortes restrictions en 1667. Vers la fin du XVIIIe siecle, 7 charges de maire ou de lieutenant de maire, dans cinq villes, continuaient A anoblir leur titulaire, pour un service d'une duree de 4 A 20 ans ; mais elles n'ajoutaient pas grand-chose A l'effectif de la noblesse. Dans trois autres villes, cependant, les postes d'administration municipale continuerent A jouer un role important jusqu'en 1789. A Paris, outre 3 offices administratifs qui anoblissaient seulement apres 20 ans, les charges d'echevin conferaient la noblesse apres seulement 2 ans. Deux hommes nouveaux chaque annee, beaucoup d'avocats, mais aussi des financiers et des docteurs, entraient dans ces charges. Il en allait exactement de meme A Lyon, sauf que les marchands et les financiers penetraient ici plus nombreux dans l'echevinage. A Toulouse, il y eut une lutte severe au sujet de la composition du capitoulat qui, A certaines epoques, avait donne jusqu'A 7 nobles nouveaux par an ; la plupart d'entre eux etaient de la region, mais il y en avait aussi un certain nombre qui n'avaient jamais vu la ville. La lutte aboutit A une serieuse reduction du nombre de roturiers admis dans ces charges anoblissantes, mais meme lA 31 roturiers obtinrent la noblesse de cette maniere entre 1774 et 1789. Les 31 de Toulouse, ajoutes aux 30 de Lyon, aux 35 de Paris, aux 4 maires de Nantes et A quelques autres dans d'autres villes donnent un total d'environ 100 roturiers anoblis par les charges municipales entre 1774 et 1789.
Linked Systems Project, Part 1: Authorities Implementation

The Linked Systems Project, directed towards implementing computer‐to‐computer communications, consists of two major program components. One component is the development of the Standard Network Interconnection. The other is the creation of a practical application: Authorities Implementation. This article describes the design and use of the Authorities application. The next article (p.71) describes the Standard Network Interconnection.
Combat the disaster: Communications in smart grid alleviate cascading failures

Cascading failure is one of the most catastrophic events in power grid, which refers to large scale power system outage caused by the rampant spread of small scale system fault or even single device failure. Its disastrous result is expected to be mitigated in the scope of smart gird, in which communication enabled smart devices exchange critical information to preclude such events. To carry the concept into reality, one pivotal step is quantitative study of the benefit smart grid can bring, i.e., to what extent smart grid can improve power system stability, specifically, in combating cascading failure? We identify three aspects, time, space, and scale, which are needed for thorough evaluation of the impact of a cascading failure, and further propose a new cascading failure model which is able to depict all three aspects with numerical results. Our observations explicitly suggest that communication between power devices is essential in alleviating the impact of cascading failure, and that even a basic information exchange among limited number of power devices could significantly ameliorate the aftermath of a cascading failure in power grid.
Multiparameter singular systems: Nondissective approaches

Singular systems of differential equations of the form Ax' + Bx = f are considered. The difference between the dissective or deflation approachs and derivative loading are discussed. Examples are given to show how derivative loading can sometimes be helpful in analyzing multiparameter systems.