cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved Synthetic Route to Heteroleptic Alkylphosphine Oxides

A new method for the synthesis of heteroleptic alkylphosphine oxides (R2R1P═O, where R ≠ R1) from secondary phosphine oxides (or SPOs, R2HP═O) is presented. These reactions were fast at room temperature, sterically selective, high yielding, and >95% pure after an aqueous wash. Deprotonation of an SPO generates a phosphinite anion ([R2P–O]−) that was found to be highly selective for nucleophilic P–C bond formation (as opposed to O–C bond formation) with alkyl halides. Surprisingly, most strong organometallic bases failed to deprotonate SPOs to their respective phosphinite anions (pKas for most SPOs are <27). Only sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (NaHMDS) cleanly formed the phosphinite anion, which was stable in solution (0.1 M, 23 °C in THF) for over 24 h. The need for a very specific base to deprotonate suggests that both ion pairing and the conjugate acid play a role in stabilizing the phosphinite anion. Phosphinite anion reactivity followed the expected trend for an SN2 mechanism on reaction with alkyl h...
A mild halogenation of pyrazoles using sodium halide salts and Oxone

Abstract A mild, inexpensive, and operationally simple pyrazole halogenation method utilizing Oxone and sodium halide salts is reported. This work documents 17 examples of alkyl, aryl, allyl, and benzyl substituted 4-chloro and 4-bromopyrazoles, obtained in up to 93% yield. Reactions are performed in water under ambient conditions and generation of organic byproducts is avoided.
Simultaneous glucose sensing and bioenergy harnessing

We describe herein the construction of a glucose biosensor system that senses glucose without the use of potentiostat and harness usable electrical energy from glucose to power a digital electronic device simultaneously. This system is powered by a single enzymatic glucose biofuel cell comprising a highly dense mesh network of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and enzymes that results in the immobilization and direct electrical connection of the enzymes. The bioanode is functionalized with pyroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase, while the biocathode is functionalized with bilirubin oxidase. The glucose biofuel cell assembly and its performance were investigated under physiological conditions (pH 7.4 and 37 °C) at which a maximum open circuit voltage of 548.2 mV, short circuit current density of 7.19 mA/cm2 and peak power density of 1.475 mA/cm2 were obtained in 20 mM glucose. The nominal electrical power generated from the single glucose biofuel cell (∼ 548 mV) was amplified to 3.2 V using a two stage electrical power amplification circuit and a capacitive element functioning as a glucose transducer. The self-powered glucose biosensor exhibited a linear dynamic range of 1 mM–45 mM and a high sensitivity of 92.51 Hz/cm2.mM when simultaneously sensing glucose and powering a glucometer. Additionally, the system demonstrated excellent operational stability over a 53-day period.
Accelerated Irrigation Canal Flow Change Routing

AbstractIn a traditional automated upstream controlled canal with a downstream buffer reservoir, the process to fill the buffer reservoir requires one step: the inflow to the canal is increased, an...
Intercultural Communicative Competence and Online Exchanges: A Systematic Review.

One of the goals of foreign language (FL) education is to produce intercultural speakers. Telecollaboration can act as a catalyst for promoting language skills development, intercultural communicat...
Obstructive lymphangitis precedes colitis in murine norovirus-infected Stat1-deficient mice

Murine norovirus (MNV) is an RNA virus that can prove lethal in mice with impaired innate immunity. We found that MNV-4 infection of Stat1-/- mice was not lethal, but produced a 100% penetrant, previously undescribed lymphatic phenotype characterized by chronic-active lymphangitis with hepatitis, splenitis, and chronic cecal and colonic inflammation. Lesion pathogenesis progressed from early ileal enteritis and regional dilated lymphatics to lymphangitis, granulomatous changes in the liver and spleen, and, ultimately, typhlocolitis. Lesion development was neither affected by antibiotics nor reproduced by infection with another enteric RNA virus, rotavirus. MNV-4 infection in Stat1-/- mice decreased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (Vegf) receptor 3, Vegf-c, and Vegf-d and increased interferon (Ifn)-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. However, anti-IFN-γ and anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antibody treatment did not attenuate the histologic lesions. Studies in Ifnαβγr-/- mice suggested that canonical signaling via interferon receptors did not cause MNV-4-induced disease. Infected Stat1-/- mice had increased STAT3 phosphorylation and expressed many STAT3-regulated genes, consistent with our findings of increased myeloid cell subsets and serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, which are also associated with increased STAT3 activity. In conclusion, in Stat1-/- mice, MNV-4 induces lymphatic lesions similar to those seen in Crohn disease as well as hepatitis, splenitis, and typhlocolitis. MNV-4-infected Stat1-/- mice may be a useful model to study mechanistic associations between viral infections, lymphatic dysfunction, and intestinal inflammation in a genetically susceptible host.
Measurement of Transport Interaction in Membranes

To determine the minimum number of transport parameters for a given type of membrane system, precise measurements at different stationary states must be combined. Close control of the boundary conditions in the stationary states is therefore necessary.
Novelties of Light with Photonic Crystals

Within the past several years “photonic crystals” have emerged as a new class of materials providing capabilities along new dimensions for the control and manipulation of light. These materials are viewed ideally as a composite of a periodic array of macroscopic dielectric or metallic scatterers in a homogeneous dielectric matrix. A photonic crystal affects the properties of a photon in much the same way that a semiconductor affects the properties of an electron. Consequently, photons in photonic crystals can have band structures, localized defect modes, surface modes, etc. This new ability to mold and guide light leads naturally to many novel phenomena associated with light — phenomena that have not been possible with traditional materials.
Sun and Immunosurveillance

In the broadest sense, immunosurveillance refers to the ability of the immune system to detect and respond to foreign substances. These foreign substances, or antigens, can be microorganisms, foreign cells or tissues, complex molecules, such as proteins or carbohydrates, or even simple chemicals that bind to host cells and proteins. The body normally encounters all of these antigens on a continual basis, with one exception. Exposure to foreign tissues does not occur in nature, except perhaps during pregnancy. Thus, the immune system has an elaborate, highly efficient mechanism for ridding the body of something it seems not to encounter normally. Not believing that evolution would have permitted such folly, Thomas [1] and Burnet [2] independently proposed in the 1950s that allograft rejection evolved as a means of eliminating cancer cells that arose within the body.
Product Market Performance, Switching Costs, and Liquidation Values: The Real Effects of Financial Leverage

We model the interaction of product market competition and firms' financing decision when firms face capital market imperfections and consumers face switching costs. In our model, consumers anticipate that capital market frictions may drive their supplier out of business and account for welfare losses that firm bankruptcy imposes upon them. Likewise, managers, when investing in long-term market share building, take into account the possibility of business failure and the residual value they may capture from the firm's liquidation process. Our theory yields four central implications. In response to a negative shock to demand: (1) more leveraged firms will experience significant market share losses; (2) the market share losses of more leveraged firms will be more pronounced in industries where low debt usage is the norm; (3) the market share losses of more leveraged firms will be more pronounced in industries where consumers face higher switching costs; and (4) the market share losses of more leveraged firms will be magnified in industries where asset liquidation is less efficient. Using detailed firm- and industry-level data from U.S. manufacturers over the 1990-91 recession, we present empirical evidence supporting our model's predictions. We later expand our empirical analysis, studying a large panel of firms over the various phases of the full business cycles contained in the 1976-96 period. Results from these broader tests provide additional evidence in support of our theory.
Some Recent Developments in the Study of Tropical Wave Disturbances1

Since 1966, two types of wave motions have been discovered in the tropical stratosphere. These have been identified with the two gravest modes of a family of equatorial waves. These waves are characterized by downward phase propagation, which renders them important in the vertical transport of energy and zonal momentum. In the tropical lower troposphere there exists a separate class containing wave modes which do not propagate vertically, one of these being the familiar easterly wave. The role of these two classes of waves in the tropical general circulation is discussed and the possible energy sources for the waves are enumerated.
Re: A Comment on “Introducing Excess Return on Time-Scaled Contributions”

1. Yindeng Jiang 1. is an investment officer at the University of Washington Investment Management Company in Seattle, WA. (jiangyindeng{at}gmail.com) 1. To order reprints of this article, please contact David Rowe at d.rowe{at}pageantmedia.com or 646-891-2157. We appreciate the
Nanotechnology Awareness of First-Year Food and Agriculture Students Following a Brief Exposure

There is a great need for professionals trained to work in the field of nanotechnology, particularly in food and agriculture. However, the general public knows very little about nanotechnology; therefore, few students entering college seek out educational opportunities that will lead to careers with a focus on nanotechnology. This study was conducted to determine whether typical first-year seminar activities, including lectures, readings, and hands-on demonstrations, impact students’ perception and interest in the study of nanotechnology. In fall 2004, 514 first-year food and agriculture students at Purdue University were briefly exposed to nanotechnology through two 50-minute nanotechnology seminars and a related reading. Eighteen of these students also participated in nanotechnology-based, hands-on activities. A Nanotechnology Awareness Survey (measuring exposure, awareness, motivation, and knowledge) was administered before and after this brief nanotechnology exposure. Participants in the hands-on activities responded to open-ended questions about their motivations to pursue education and careers in nanotechnology. Analysis of 335 survey responses indicates that students show significant increases in nanotechnology exposure and awareness after the brief nanotechnology exposure. Students also showed significant increases in knowledge from pre- to post-survey. However, motivation was not affected, though a larger fraction of the hands-on demonstration participants expressed motivation to pursue a nanotechnology-related educational or career path. Typical first-year seminar activities appear to be sufficient to raise students’ awareness and knowledge of nanotechnology. However, these activities, at least in the short term, are not sufficient to raise students’ motivation to pursue further educational or career opportunities in nanotechnology.
Source term estimation in the presence of nuisance signals.

Abstract Many source-term estimation algorithms for atmospheric releases assume the measured concentration data are influenced only by the releases of interest. However, there are situations where identifying a short-term release from an unknown location in the presence of long-term releases from a different location is of interest. One such example is determining if part or all of a typical magnitude concentration of a radioactive isotope in a sampler came from a nuclear explosion, such as the explosion announced by DPRK in 2013, while medical isotope facilities and nuclear power plants were also operating in the region. An estimation algorithm has been developed for the case where a short-duration release is confounded by a long-term nuisance signal associated with an additional release location. The technique is demonstrated using synthetic release data for a hypothetical medical isotope production facility and a hypothetical puff release from a different location. The algorithm successfully determines the location (within 30 km) and time-varying release rate (within a factor of 2) for the medical isotope production facility and the location (within 60 km), time (within 6 h), and release magnitude (within a factor of 4) of the puff release.
Item response bias in angler expenditures.

Item response bias associated with the reporting of recreation-related expenditures was examined in a survey of anglers fishing in New York State. Nonresponse to the at-location expenditure item wa...
The Impact of the Maturity and Source of the Risk-Free Rate in Equity Estimation Under the CAPM

There is divergence of opinion among academics and practitioners on the appropriate maturity and source of the risk-free rate when applying the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). For projects with betas near one, this divergence should be immaterial. What is not clear is how far project betas can diverge from one before these differences become significant. This cannot be readily ascertained perusing risk-free rate and market risk premium values published in textbooks and research since different data sets are used. Using standardised, readily available data sets and employing the methodologies proposed by three popular corporate finance textbooks, the results of this paper indicate that, except for a very narrow set of circumstances for betas near one, different risk-free rate maturity and source choices can significantly impact project selection via expected equity returns. However, even though statistically significant, for a given data source (current/historical) the maturity choice is well within cost of capital estimation variation expected by practitioners. For a given term, more variation occurs across source selection. Since the practitioner may have to justify the input parameters used for estimating equity costs for capital budgeting projects, this study focuses on the empirical consequences of choosing a particular set of CAPM input parameters over alternatives.
Public Service or Propaganda? How Americans Evaluate Political Advocacy by Executive Agencies

Objective Executive agencies of the federal government frequently engage in explicit political advocacy, exhorting the public to adopt policy positions and engage in political actions. This advocacy conflicts with legal restrictions on unelected bureaucrats. It is unclear what the public thinks of this kind of advocacy. We assess whether Americans judge this advocacy based on principles about acceptable political processes or based on policy goals. Methods We use observational and experimental data from two national surveys of American adults to assess the role of policy preferences in acceptance of political advocacy by executive agencies. Findings We find that Americans approve a broad range of public communications from executive agencies, but approval of political appeals is highly sensitive to whether an individual shares the policy goal of the agency. Conclusions Policy agreement, rather than preferences about process, drives Americans' attitudes toward this kind of advocacy. Americans support political advocacy by executive agencies when it dovetails with their own policy preferences or partisanship and oppose it when these agencies advocate for policies that contradict their own preferences or partisanship. Indeed, they do not draw any distinction between unelected bureaucrats and elected politicians when it comes to evaluating these forms of advocacy.
Spatiotemporal analysis of a final-state shape resonance in interferometric photoemission from Cu(111) surfaces

Photoemission from solid targets includes the excitation and motion of electrons inside the substrate, followed by their propagation in vacuum and detection. It thus depends on the electronic band structure of the solid in the two distinct spectral domains of bound initial and continuum final states. While the imprint of the static (initial-state) valence electronic structure of solids on photoemission spectra is routinely examined in standard photoemission spectroscopy in the energy domain, state-of-the-art time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy allows, in addition, the scrutiny of photoelectron propagation in the electronic continuum. Within a quantum-mechanical model for attosecond time-resolved interferometric photoelectron emission from solids, we calculated photoemission spectra as a function of the delay between the exciting primary attosecond pulse train and assisting infrared (IR) laser pulse. Accounting for final-state interactions of the photoelectron with the IR laser electric field and the periodic substrate, our numerical results for interferometric photoemission from the $3d$-valence band of Cu(111) surfaces show a striking resonantly enhanced sideband yield at photoelectron kinetic energies near $24\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$, in conjunction with a pronounced increase of the photoelectron wave-function amplitude inside the solid on a length scale of a few nanometers. This resonant shift of final-state photoelectron-probability density towards the bulk can be interpreted as an increase in the photoelectron propagation time in the solid and is commensurate with the resonantly enhanced spectral sideband-phase shifts observed in recent two-pathway two-photon interference spectra by Kasmi et al. [Optica 4, 1492 (2017)].
Fluid moment and force measurement based on control surface integration

The moments and torques acting on a deforming body determine its stability and maneuverability. For animals, robots, vehicles, and other deforming objects locomoting in liquid or gaseous fluids, these fluid moments are challenging to accurately measure during unconstrained motion. Particle image velocimetry and aerodynamic force platforms have the potential to resolve this challenge through the use of control surface integration. These measurement techniques have previously been used to recover fluid forces. Here, we show how control surface integration can similarly be used to recover the 3D fluid moments generated about a deforming body’s center of mass. We first derive a general formulation that can be applied to any body locomoting in a fluid. We then show when and how this formulation can be greatly simplified without loss of accuracy for conditions commonly encountered during fluid experiments, such as for tests done in wind or water channels. Finally, we provide detailed formulations to show how measurements from an aerodynamic force platform can be used to determine the net instantaneous moments generated by a freely flying body. These formulations also apply more generally to other fluid applications, such as underwater swimming or locomotion over water surfaces.
Velcro-like mannose and slime-like sialic acid interactions guide self- adhesion and aggregation of virus N-glycan shields

The surfaces of cells and pathogens are covered with short polymers of sugars known as glycans. Complex N-glycans have a core of three mannose sugars, with distal repeats of N-acetylglucosamine and galactose sugars terminating with sialic acid (SA). Long-range slime-like and short-range Velcro-like self-adhesions were observed between SA and mannose residues, respectively, in ill-defined monolayers. We investigated if and how these adhesions translate when SA and mannose residues are presented in complex N-glycan shields on two pseudo-typed viruses brought together in force spectroscopy (FS). Slime-like adhesions were observed between the shields at higher ramp rates, whereas Velcro-like adhesions were observed at lower rates. The complex glycan shield appears penetrable at the lower ramp rates allowing the adhesion from the mannose core to be accessed; whereas the whole virus appears compressed at higher rates permitting only surface SA adhesions to be sampled. The slime-like and velcro-like adhesions were lost when SA and mannose, respectively, were cleaved with glycosidases. While virus self-adhesion in FS was modulated by glycan penetrability, virus self-aggregation in solution was only determined by the surface sugar. Mannose-terminal viruses self-aggregated in solution, while SA-terminal ones required Ca2+ ions to self-aggregate. Viruses with galactose or N-acetylglucosamine surfaces did not self-aggregate, irrespective of whether or not a mannose core was present below the N-acetylglucosamine surface. Well-defined rules appear to govern the self -adhesion and -aggregation of N-glycosylated surfaces, regardless of whether the sugars are presented in ill-defined monolayer, or N-glycan, or even polymer architecture
“My Hands Are Tied”: Abortion Restrictions and Providers’ Experiences in Religious and Nonreligious Health Care Systems

Context Abortion is generally prohibited in Catholic hospitals, but less is known about abortion restrictions in other religiously affiliated health care facilities. As religiously affiliated health systems expand in the United States, it is important to understand how religious restrictions affect the practices of providers who treat pregnant patients. Methods From September 2016 to May 2018, in-depth interviews were conducted with 31 key informants (clinical providers, ethicists, chaplains and health system administrators) with experience working in secular, Protestant or Catholic health care systems in Illinois. A thematic content approach was used to identify themes related to participants' experiences with abortion policies, the role of ethics committees, the impact on patient care and conflicts with hospital policies. Results Few limitations on abortion were reported in secular hospitals, while Catholic hospitals prohibited most abortions, and a Protestant-affiliated system banned abortions deemed "elective." Religiously affiliated hospitals allowed abortions in specific cases, if approved through an ethics consultation. Interpretation of system-wide policies varied by hospital, with some indication that institutional discomfort with abortion influenced policy as much as religious teachings did. Providers constrained by religious restrictions referred or transferred patients desiring abortion, including for pregnancy complications, with those in Protestant hospitals having more latitude to directly refer such patients. As a result of religiously influenced policies, patients could encounter delays, financial obstacles, restrictions on treatment and stigmatization. Conclusions Patients seeking abortion or presenting with pregnancy complications at Catholic and Protestant hospitals may encounter more delays and fewer treatment options than they would at secular hospitals. More research is needed to better understand the implications for women's access to reproductive health care.
Establishing upper bounds in English monolingual and Heritage Spanish-English bilingual language development

Quantificational elements such as some pose a challenge to young language learners, given their vague meaning and ability to take on an upper-bounded interpretation (relative to all) in certain con...
An uncommon guest is masked in fisheries landings: The case of the endemic sub-population of red spiny lobster Panulirus penicillatus (Decapoda: Palinuridae) in Costa Rica

Abstract Fishery landings composition in tropical developing countries is formed of high diversity of species and some of them are not well-reported in landings or national fisheries statistics. This is particularly the case of the endemic red spiny lobster Panulirus penicillatus (Olivier, 1791) on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The red spiny lobster is a circumtropical species which has the most extensive global distribution of all the species of spiny lobsters. In order to fill the gap of knowledge regarding the spatial distribution of this species in the eastern Pacific Ocean and highlight its importance to fishing communities, this study focused on data collected from a dive-based bentho-demersal fishery on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Environmental and fishing effort data were recorded as an input for fitting site-occupancy models to get estimates of occurrence and probability of detection. The most parsimonious model structure for detection suggested that the covariates of diving time and water column visibility had an important effect on detection probability. For the occupancy part of the model, the depth gradient had the strongest effect, with high probability of lobster encounters in shallow rocky reefs near the coastline. These findings point towards an enlargement of the area of occurrence of the endemic sub-population of P. penicillatus to which sampled animals belong. Further, it is discussed potential ecological and fishery factors that explain the low occurrence of the red spiny lobster at this restricted area of the eastern Pacific continental shelf. As a result, a set of research guidelines and management recommendations are suggested for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of this endemic species within the region.
Endoscopic Management of the Dilated Gastrojejunal Anastomosis

Weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) occurs in 25–50% of patients in 5–10 years after RYGB, and is attributed to multiple factors including metabolic, behavioral, psychological and anatomical changes. Studies have demonstrated that a dilated gastrojejunal stoma ≥15 mm is an independent risk factor associated with weight regain and that the diameter of stoma demonstrates a positive linear correlation with the amount of weight regain. Intraluminal endoscopic interventions for the treatment of a dilated gastrojejunal stoma can be broadly divided into endoscopic plication and ablation/resection techniques. Several of these techniques that have been studied to mitigate weight regain and/or to achieve additional weight loss after RYGB are no longer available or routinely performed. However, in the past 5 years, endoscopic transoral outlet reduction (eTOR) with the Overstitch endoscopic suturing device has emerged as the primary and most widely used endoscopic RYGB revision procedure. The eTOR procedure has level one evidence demonstrating safety and efficacy with 8.5%, 6.9% and 8.8% total weight loss at 1, 3, and 5 years respectively. Argon plasma coagulation has emerged as an additional option with a recent randomized controlled trial demonstrating significant weight loss compared to diet and exercise alone. Additional ablation techniques such as modified EMR/ESD, RFA, over-the-scope clipping and cryotherapy remain experimental or investigational approach at this point. Endoscopic revision procedures are a safe and effective treatment of weight regain after RYGB and should be offered as a part of a multidisciplinary management strategy as an early intervention to halt post-RYGB weight regain.
Keep calm or get excited? Examining the effects of different types of positive affect on responses to acute pain

Researchers typically assume that all forms of positive affect (PA) are equally beneficial for attenuating the physiological stress response. We tested whether this association is more nuanced by e...
Unique imaging appearance of neurosarcoidosis as a solitary cystic mass with mural enhancement

Background Sarcoidosis is an idiopathic, granulomatous, and multi-system inflammatory disorder that can also involve the central nervous system in the form of meningeal, parenchymal, or cranial nerve involvement. Imaging findings can be non-specific and may overlap with other inflammatory, infectious and neoplastic processes, and posing diagnostic challenges. Parenchymal involvement in neurosarcoidosis (NS) predominantly manifests as either non-enhancing white matter lesions or as enhancing parenchymal granulomas. Granulomas usually manifest as multiple solid lesions with nodular enhancement. Case description A 72-year-old man presented with right-eye visual field changes with the non-contrast head computed tomography showing a large cystic lesion in the left frontoparietal lobe. Subsequent contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging study revealed a large cystic mass with irregular rim enhancement and mural nodule concerning for glial neoplasm. Cyst decompression with biopsy and histopathological analysis revealed gliosis and prominent perivascular granulomatous inflammation with mixed picture of CD4 and CD8-positive cells suggestive of sarcoidosis. Further subsequent work-up showed mediastinal and cervical lymphadenopathy which on biopsy showed non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, consistent with sarcoidosis. Conclusion Herein, we report unique imaging findings of a NS case manifesting as a solitary cystic intraparenchymal lesion with an enhancing nodular component, mimicking primary intra-cranial tumor. This appearance is highly atypical and rarely been reported earlier.
Quenching of single photon avalanche photodiodes with dynamic resistive switches

In this work, a dynamic metallic filamentary resistive switch (MFRS) is used to quench the avalanche in a single photon avalanche photodiode (SPAD). The experimental results and simulations are consistent with an interpretation that, the MFRS is in a high resistance state when the avalanche occurs. This enables the quenching of the avalanche sufficiently within a short time. This increases the voltage drop across the MFRS, which switches the MFRS to its low resistance on-state and the recharging process is greatly accelerated because of the lowered R-C time constant. This leads to a sharp avalanche pulse shape and a fast detection speed.
Factors associated with adherence to evidence-based recommendations for covid-19 prevention among people with cardiovascular disease

Introduction: The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued behavioral recommendations to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). No studies h...
Role of the parental NF1 carrier in effects of pharmacological inhibition of anaplastic lymphoma kinase in Neurofibromatosis 1 mutant mice.

Abstract Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorder and tumor syndrome, is associated with cognitive impairments, including in executive function and sleep-related problems. Consistent with the human data, NF1 heterozygous (Het) mice show impaired spatial learning and memory in the water maze and extinction of contextual fear memory. It is not clear whether neurological phenotypes might depend on the parental carrier. In this study, we compared the behavioral and cognitive performance of NF1 Het and wild-type litter mates with either the father (PC) or the mother (MC) as the NF1 carrier on a F1 C57BL/66/129SvJ background. The behavioral and cognitive phenotypes and responsiveness to Alk inhibition in heterozygous NF1 offspring depended on whether the parental carrier was maternal or paternal. Alk inhibition (20 mg/kg) increased activity levels during the dark period in NF1 Het PC, but not MC, mice. In the water maze, NF1 Het PC, but not MC, mice showed reduced cognitive flexibility and impaired ability to locate the third hidden platform location, which was improved by Alk inhibition (3.6 mg/kg). Consistent with reduced cognitive flexibility, WT, but not NF1, mice showed better performance in the third than second water maze probe trial. Finally, Alk inhibition (10 mg/kg) increased baseline activity of NF1 MC, but not PC, mice during the fear conditioning test. Thus, the effective dose depends on the behavioral test and genotype but indicates that in NF1 patients cognitive flexibility might be particularly sensitive to Alk inhibition.
Similarities between Cases

Several approaches to multivariate analysis begin by assessing the similarities of each case in a dataset to each other case in the dataset, basing the measure of similarity on the values of the set of variables that have been recorded for each case. Such measures of similarity are called similarity coefficients. The notion of similarity between cases in this instance is exactly what common sense implies. Two cases are quite similar if they have similar values for each of the variables measured and less similar if they have rather different values for each of the variables. Actual objects with physical measurements provide a clear illustration, for example the projectile point measurements in Table 22.1. Looking first at the length measurements for the four projectile points, we would easily recognize that Points 1, 2, and 3 are quite similar with regard to length, while Point 4 is rather different. Looking at thickness, however, we would equally quickly say that it is Point 2 that stands out as different from the group. Yet a different pattern emerges with regard to weight: here Points 1 and 4 are quite similar (identical in fact), and Points 2 and 3 are identical to each other but different from 1 and 4.
Penile cancer chemotherapy.

Penile cancer has attracted little attention because of its rarity in the USA and Europe. However, in certain countries of Africa (e.g., Uganda), and Asia (e.g., Japan), and North America (e.g., Puerto Rico, Mexico), it is quite common [15]. Thus, a current knowledge of the therapy of penile carcinoma is important in order to provide optimal care to this large group of people and to formulate clinical trials that will improve care.
COMPLEMENTATION OF LECITHINASE ACTIVITIES BY CLOSELY RELATED PSEUDOMONADS: ITS TAXONOMIC IMPLICATION

Abstract Bates, Janice L. (University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Ky.) and Pinghui V. Liu. Complementation of lecithinase activities by closely related pseudomonads: its taxonomic implication. J. Bacteriol. 86:585–592. 1963.—A lecithinase activity was demonstrated by a mixture of cell-free extracts from two strains of closely related pseudomonads, neither of which was able to show this activity when grown alone. One component, from B-2265 (Pseudomonas aureofaciens var. nonliquefaciens), was heatlabile, nondialyzable, and antigenic. The other component, from 22/3 (P. fluorescens), was relatively heat-stable, nondialyzable, and nonantigenic. Antisera produced with the component of B-2265 alone neutralized the activity of the complete enzyme made up with both components, as well as that of similar enzymes of related species, such as P. aureofaciens, P. chlororaphis, and P. fluorescens. The taxonomic implication of these findings is discussed. The suggestion is made that determination of the serological specificity of an enzyme or its antigenic subunits is a more reliable criterion for establishing relationships of bacterial strains than methods depending on the overall similarity of biochemical activities.
Using Indicators to Measure Sustainability Performance at a Corporate and Project Level

More and more businesses are aligning their activities with the principles of sustainable development. Therefore they need to adapt their ways of measuring corporate performance. However, it includes issues which may be outside the direct control of the organisation, that are difficult to characterise and often are based on value judgements rather than hard data. The difficulty in measuring performance is further complicated by the fact that many corporations have a complex organisational structure, with different business streams, functions and projects.
Quantitative analysis and modelling of hepatic iron stores using stereology and spatial statistics.

Summary Hepatic iron overload is a common clinical problem resulting from hyperabsorption syndromes and from chronic transfusion therapy. Not only does iron loading vary between reticuloendothelial stores and hepatocytes, but iron is heterogeneously distributed within hepatocytes as well. Since the accessibility of iron particles to chelation may depend, in part, on their distribution, we sought to characterize the shape and scale of iron deposition in humans with transfusional iron overload. Toward this end, we performed a histological analysis of iron stores in liver biopsy specimens of 20 patients (1.3–57.8 mg iron/g dry tissue weight) with aid of electron and light microscopy. We estimated distributions related to variability in siderosomal size, proximity of iron centres and inter-cellular iron loading. These distributions could be well modelled by Gamma distribution functions over most of the pathologic range of iron concentrations. Thus, for a given liver iron burden, a virtual iron-overloaded liver could be created that served as a model for the true histologic appearance. Such a model may be helpful for understanding the mechanics of iron loading or in predicting response to iron removal therapy.
The genus of the n-octahedron: Regular cases

The n-octahedron On, also denoted K(2,2, …, 2) or Kn(2), is the complete n-partite graph with two vertices in each partite set. The formula for the (orientable) genus of On is conjectured for all n and proved for n ≠ (mof 3). Triangular embeddigns are possible precisely when n ≠ 2 (mod 3), and the formula is established by exhibiting such embeddings.
Proceedings of the 2nd ACM SIGACT-SIGMOD symposium on Principles of database systems

The papers in this volume were presented at the Second ACM SIGACT-SIGMOD Symposium on Principles of Database Systems at the Colony Square Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia, March 21-23, 1983, sponsored jointly by the ACM Special Interest Group for Automata and Computability Theory and the ACM Spcial Interest Group for the Management of Data.The articles in this proceedings were selected on November 30, 1982 at a meeting of the program committee from 118 abstracts submitted in response to the call for papers. The articles generally represent preliminary reports of ongoing research and it is anticipated that many of these articles will appear in more polished form in scientific journals.
[46] Thiol coenzymes of methanogens

Publisher Summary Methanogens, along with the extreme halophiles and sulfur-dependent thermophiles, are members of the Archaea, a group (a domain) of prokaryotes more closely related to eukaryotes (the Eucarya) than to the other domain of prokaryotes, the bacteria. Methanogens can also reduce sulfur to sulfide, but they do not appear to obtain energy from this process. They depend on the thiol/disulfide chemistry of two cofactors for energy conservation. Their distinguishing characteristic—methane formation—can be viewed as a means to generate a heterodisulfide that is subsequently reduced by molecular hydrogen in a transmembrane process that leads to the formation of a transmembrane proton gradient. Among the methanogens, this unique mechanism of energy conservation is mediated by two novel thiol cofactors. This chapter focuses on these two cofactors. Among the novel cofactors, two are thiol containing compounds and are unique to the methanogens: 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid (coenzyme M or HS-CoM) and N-7-mercaptoheptanoyl-O3-phospho- l -threonine (HS-HTP). Coenzyme M functions as the final methyl-carrying cofactor in methanogenesis in the form of 2-methylthioethanesulfonic acid (methyl-CoM). HS-HTP functions as the electron donor in the reductive demethylation of methyl-CoM to methane catalyzed by the methylreductase. The chapter describes the physiological roles for these cofactors.
Never a Fee

Historical and legal research challenges the staffing industry's claim that it charges “no fees” to workers, and provides scholarly support for the spreading “right-to-know” movement among temps and contract workers for the disclosure of hidden, and often exorbitant, agency markups.
The influence of cathodic polarization and simulated inflammation on titanium electrochemistry

This study evaluated the influence of simulated inflammation and cathodic polarization on the electrochemical properties of commercially pure titanium (CpTi) and titanium–6%aluminum–4%vanadium (Ti6Al4V). Normal conditions immersed the metals in phosphate buffered saline at open circuit potential (OCP). Inflammatory conditions immersed the metals in a 150 mM hydrogen peroxide titrated to pH = 5.0 at OCP. Cathodic inflammatory conditions immersed the metals in the inflammatory electrolyte at −1 V versus Ag/AgCl. Cathodic polarization scans revealed a more electropositive corrosion potential (Ecorr) and an increased corrosion current density (Icorr) for both metals after incubation at inflammatory conditions (CpTi: Ecorr = 171 mV, Icorr = 147 nA/cm2 and Ti6Al4V: Ecorr = 241 mV and Icorr = 413 nA/cm2) as compared to normal conditions (CpTi: Ecorr = −249 mV, Icorr = 19 nA/cm2 and Ti6Al4V: Ecorr = −263 mV and Icorr = 11 nA/cm2). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed the polarization resistance (Rp) decreases and constant phase element (CPE) magnitude increases for both metals when comparing normal (CpTi: Rp = 3.5 MΩ cm2, CPE = 35 µS sα/cm2 and Ti6Al4V: Rp = 6.5 MΩ cm2 and CPE = 30 µS sα/cm2) to inflammatory (CpTi: Rp = 79 kΩ cm2, CPE = 55 µS sα/cm2 and Ti6Al4V: Rp = 230 kΩ cm2 and CPE = 56 µS sα/cm2) to cathodic inflammatory (CpTi: Rp =24 kΩ cm2, CPE = 290 µS sα/cm2 and Ti6Al4V: Rp = 12 kΩ cm2 and CPE = 250 µS sα/cm2) conditions. These observed changes are consistent with the formation of a thin and defective oxide film. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy revealed that inflammatory conditions increased dissolution of both metals and that the addition of cathodic potential significantly increased the dissolution of the beta phase elements of Ti6Al4V. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 1445–1453, 2014.
The stress of litigation: do we still have something to fear?

Abstract Twenty-seven years into the malpractice “crisis” in the United States, physicians continue to be subject to the threat of litigation. They know that they can be sued even when they meet the standard of care. This threat gives rise to a range of specific fears that represent an ongoing emotional burden for practitioners and contribute to work dissatisfaction. This article identifies a range of these fears and suggests ways to cope with them.
Sociophysiology of Squirrel Monkeys

Primate sociophysiology is an emerging discipline concerned with understanding the proximate mechanisms that contribute to the generation and maintenance of species-typical social systems. Studies of squirrel monkeys illustrate that sociophysiological processes are more varied than is commonly assumed with respect to both the effective social dimensions that influence physiological function and the nature of concomitant physiological effects. For adult squirrel monkeys, a major consequence of social stimulation is altered regulation of pituitary-adrenal, pituitary-gonadal, and autonomic function. In females, socially-induced physiological changes appear to be independent of specific interindividual relationships with other adults, whereas in males, many sociophysiological effects can be understood only when specific relational attributes are considered. In all instances, adult relationships are associated with distinctly different sociophysiological profiles than have been found for the mother-infant relationship and do not conform to the stress/buffering model within which they are often interpreted.
Al)GaInP laser with lateral confinement by epitaxial growth on nonplanar substrates

The authors present an AlGaInP/GaInP strained QW laser with AlGaAs cladding layers grown over nonplanar substrates. Excellent device quality and performance is obtained on substrates patterned with ridges prior to epitaxial growth. The lateral current and carrier confinement achieved by exploiting the disordering of the neutral superlattice at ridge sidewalls with shallow angles results in a threshold current density for 5- mu m-wide stripes that is one-half that of conventional devices. The potential of this device for high electrical-to-optical conversion makes it well suited for applications to dense addressable laser arrays. >
Identification of a unique library of complex, but ordered, arrays of repetitive elements in the human genome and implication of their potential involvement in pathobiology.

Approximately 2% of the human genome is reported to be occupied by genes. Various forms of repetitive elements (REs), both characterized and uncharacterized, are presumed to make up the vast majority of the rest of the genomes of human and other species. In conjunction with a comprehensive annotation of genes, information regarding components of genome biology, such as gene polymorphisms, non-coding RNAs, and certain REs, is found in human genome databases. However, the genome-wide profile of unique RE arrangements formed by different groups of REs has not been fully characterized yet. In this study, the entire human genome was subjected to an unbiased RE survey to establish a whole-genome profile of REs and their arrangements. Due to the limitation in query size within the bl2seq alignment program (National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI]) utilized for the RE survey, the entire NCBI reference human genome was fragmented into 6206 units of 0.5 M nucleotides. A number of RE arrangements with varying complexities and patterns were identified throughout the genome. Each chromosome had unique profiles of RE arrangements and density, and high levels of RE density were measured near the centromere regions. Subsequently, 175 complex RE arrangements, which were selected throughout the genome, were subjected to a comparison analysis using five different human genome sequences. Interestingly, three of the five human genome databases shared the exactly same arrangement patterns and sequences for all 175 RE arrangement regions (a total of 12,765,625 nucleotides). The findings from this study demonstrate that a substantial fraction of REs in the human genome are clustered into various forms of ordered structures. Further investigations are needed to examine whether some of these ordered RE arrangements contribute to the human pathobiology as a functional genome unit.
Most sea urchin maternal mRNA sequences in every abundance class appear in both polyadenylated and nonpolyadenylated molecules.

Abstract The sequences in poly(A)-containing and -deficient RNA accumulated in sea urchin eggs were analyzed by hybridization to cDNA and single-copy genomic DNA. The reaction of poly(A) egg RNA to its homologous cDNA occurs over five orders of R0t. A standard computer fit to the reaction curves indicates three abundance classes with 32% of the poly(A) RNA in highly abundant sequences, 13% in moderately abundant sequences, and 55% in rare sequences. The calculated number of averaged-sized, 3000-nucleotide-long mRNA sequences in each of these classes was 2, 44, and 4600, respectively. Reactions of cDNA to total and poly(A)-deficient RNA indicate that less than half of the molecules containing any individual sequence carried a poly(A) segment large enough to bind to oligo(dT). A saturation hybridization to single-copy DNA complementary to egg RNA indicated that all rare class sequences are polyadenylated. About one-third are adenylated on 30 to 50% of their molecules; the remaining rare sequences are polyadenylated on about 5% of their molecules. Most sequences present in poly(A) RNA molecules in the egg are found associated with polysomes following fertilization. About 80 to 85% of the poly(A) maternal mRNA sequences in cDNA which reanneal to total sea urchin DNA react as-single-copy sequences, while 15 to 20% react as repetitive DNA sequences.