cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reconstructing Sunyaev–Zel'dovich clusters in future cosmic microwave background experiments

We present a new method for component separation aimed at extracting Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) galaxy clusters from multifrequency maps of cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. This method is designed to recover non-Gaussian, spatially localized and sparse signals. We first characterize the cluster non-Gaussianity by studying it on simulated SZ maps. We then apply our estimator on simulated observations of the Planck and Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) experiments. The method presented here outperforms multifrequency Wiener filtering, both in the reconstructed average intensity for given input and in the associated error. In the absence of point source contamination, this technique reconstructs the ACT (Planck) bright (big) cluster central y parameter with an intensity that is about 84 (43) per cent of the original input value. The associated error in the reconstruction is about 12 and 27 per cent for the 50 (12) ACT (Planck) clusters considered. For ACT, the error is dominated by beam smearing. In the Planck case, the error in the reconstruction is largely determined by the noise level: a noise reduction by a factor of 7 would imply almost perfect reconstruction and 10 per cent error for a large sample of clusters. We conclude that the selection function of Planck clusters will strongly depend on the noise properties in different sky regions, as well as the specific cluster extraction method assumed.
Low-temperature force microscope with all-fiber interferometer

Abstract A low-temperature force microscope has been demonstrated which is suitable for both repulsive and attractive mode (including magnetic) imaging. This instrument uses microfabricated cantilevers and an all-fiber interferometer for remote sensing of cantilever deflection. The all-fiber interferometer is ideal for remote sensing, since the only connection between the microscope and the outside environment is a single optical fiber. This allows all electronic components to operate at room temperature far from the mechanical portion of the microscope. The microscope mechanics are enclosed in a cylindrical vacuum chamber which is inserted into a helium storage Dewar for refrigiration. The sample holder is fitted with either a superconducting magnet capable of 200 Oe or a permanent magnet for higher fields. The instrument has been used successfully for topographic imaging and magnetic force gradient imaging at 5 and 300 K. An appendix to this paper gives practical information for constructing the all-fiber interferometer.
Current treatment options for colon cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), the dissemination of cancer cells throughout the lining of the abdominal cavity, is the second most common presentation of colon cancer distant metastasis. Despite remarkable advances in cytotoxic chemotherapy and targeted therapy for colon cancer over the last 15 years, it has been repeatedly shown that these therapies remain ineffective for colon cancer PC. Recently, there has been a rapid accumulation of reports that cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) prolongs the life of colon cancer PC patients. Here, we will review the clinical presentation, the mechanisms of disease progression, and current treatment options for colon cancer PC, with a focus on the benefits and limitations of CRS-HIPEC.
Chemical Self-assembly for Electronic Applications

The current state of spontaneous formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on different substrates as well as on nanoparticles (referred to as monolayer-protected clusters, MPCs) is surveyed. Attention is then focused onto the assembly and self-assembly of nanoparticles (including MPCs), polymers, and polyelectrolytes into two-dimensional (2D) arrays and three-dimensional (3D) networks. Examples are given for the potential electronic applications of SAMs, MPCs, and the 2D and 3D structures fabricated from them and from polymers and polyelectrolytes. These examples include the formation of junctions, heterojunctions, and single-electron-transfer devices.
A revision of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the Eimeria spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from rodents in the Tribe Marmotini (Sciuridae)

All published papers on Eimeria spp. from rodents in the Marmotini Tribe are reviewed and each described species is evaluated in an historical context (i.e., beginning with the oldest description). Many of these species descriptions from marmotine rodents are invalid when considered within either the spirit or the letter of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. In addition, several previous authors erroneously assumed that Eimeria spp. of this host group were highly host-species specific. Thus, many eimerian species described to infect members of this tribe that were originally found in different hosts are morphologically indistinguishable, and several of these are considered to be conspecific. The names of those species that were most similar are synonymised and, using the guidelines of the International Code, the species for which the original descriptions were inadequate are considered to be species inquirendae (Ride et al., 1985, p. 264). The number of named eimerian species in the Marmotini is reduced from 40 to 26 valid species; these are E. airculensis, E. beckeri, E. beecheyi, E. berkinbaevi, E. callospermophili, E. citelli, E. cynomysis, E. deserticola, E. eutamiae, E. franklinii, E. hoffmeisteri, E. lateralis, E. ludoviciani, E. menzbieri, E. monacis, E. morainensis, E. os, E. ovata, E. pseudospermophili, E. spermophili, E. surki, E. tamiasciuri, E. vilasi, E. volgensis and E. yukonensis, and one new name is included. Nine junior synonyms are identified and five species inquirendae and one nomen nudum are discussed. Where needed, the identification errors in the published literature are clarified.
Customer Advisory Groups: Another Way to Listen to the Marketplace

Customer advisory groups (CAGs) are formal groups of customers (referring physicians, patients, health insurance brokers, etc.) who meet regularly to share their ideas and to provide feedback to proposed or existing marketing strategies, programs, and activities. While CAGs are very prevalent in other industries they appear to be relatively underutilized in health care. This article provides an overview of how CAGs work, their advantages and disadvantages, tips on how to make them work better, and insights from interviews with 39 healthcare chief marketing officers on their use of CAGs.
Is the Intensity of Copper Use Still Declining in the USA

This article examines several deficiencies in the standard procedure for calculating the intensity of metal use. It then investigates the possibility that the long-term decline in the intensity of copper use in the USA, which has persisted for more than four decades, has in recent years come to an end, even though the standard measures of intensity of use indicate a continuation of the downward trend, albeit at a slower rate. If true, the implications are significant for the copper industry worldwide, because the USA is the largest national market for copper. In addition, consumption trends in many other countries in some respects follow those in the USA. The results do provide some support for the hypothesis that intensity of copper use in the USA is no longer falling. They also indicate that the standard procedure significantly underestimates USA copper consumption and in turn intensity of use.
Adaptation of a Haptic Robot in a 3T fMRI

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides excellent functional brain imaging via the BOLD signal 1 with advantages including non-ionizing radiation, millimeter spatial accuracy of anatomical and functional data 2, and nearly real-time analyses 3. Haptic robots provide precise measurement and control of position and force of a cursor in a reasonably confined space. Here we combine these two technologies to allow precision experiments involving motor control with haptic/tactile environment interaction such as reaching or grasping. The basic idea is to attach an 8 foot end effecter supported in the center to the robot 4 allowing the subject to use the robot, but shielding it and keeping it out of the most extreme part of the magnetic field from the fMRI machine (Figure 1). The Phantom Premium 3.0, 6DoF, high-force robot (SensAble Technologies, Inc.) is an excellent choice for providing force-feedback in virtual reality experiments 5, 6, but it is inherently non-MR safe, introduces significant noise to the sensitive fMRI equipment, and its electric motors may be affected by the fMRI's strongly varying magnetic field. We have constructed a table and shielding system that allows the robot to be safely introduced into the fMRI environment and limits both the degradation of the fMRI signal by the electrically noisy motors and the degradation of the electric motor performance by the strongly varying magnetic field of the fMRI. With the shield, the signal to noise ratio (SNR: mean signal/noise standard deviation) of the fMRI goes from a baseline of ˜380 to ˜330, and ˜250 without the shielding. The remaining noise appears to be uncorrelated and does not add artifacts to the fMRI of a test sphere (Figure 2). The long, stiff handle allows placement of the robot out of range of the most strongly varying parts of the magnetic field so there is no significant effect of the fMRI on the robot. The effect of the handle on the robot's kinematics is minimal since it is lightweight (˜2.6 lbs) but extremely stiff 3/4" graphite and well balanced on the 3DoF joint in the middle. The end result is an fMRI compatible, haptic system with about 1 cubic foot of working space, and, when combined with virtual reality, it allows for a new set of experiments to be performed in the fMRI environment including naturalistic reaching, passive displacement of the limb and haptic perception, adaptation learning in varying force fields, or texture identification 5, 6.
An Epilepsy Mutation in the Sodium Channel SCN1A That Decreases Channel Excitability

Mutations in three voltage-gated sodium channel genes, SCN1A, SCN2A, and SCN1B, and two GABAA receptor subunit genes, GABRG2 and GABRD, have been identified in families with generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+). A novel mutation, R859C, in the Nav1.1 sodium channel was identified in a four-generation, 33-member Caucasian family with a clinical presentation consistent with GEFS+. The mutation neutralizes a positively charged arginine in the domain 2 S4 voltage sensor of the Nav1.1 channel alpha subunit. This residue is conserved in mammalian sodium channels as well as in sodium channels from lower organisms. When the mutation was placed in the rat Nav1.1 channel and expressed in Xenopus oocytes, the mutant channel displayed a positive shift in the voltage dependence of sodium channel activation, slower recovery from slow inactivation, and lower levels of current compared with the wild-type channel. Computational analysis suggests that neurons expressing the mutant channel have higher thresholds for firing a single action potential and for firing multiple action potentials, along with decreased repetitive firing. Therefore, this mutation should lead to decreased neuronal excitability, in contrast to most previous GEFS+ sodium channel mutations, which have changes predicted to increase neuronal firing.
DISTRIBUTION OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN A POLLUTED SALINE LAKE, ONONDAGA LAKE, NEW YORK1,2,3

SUMMARY Onondaga Lake, possibly the most polluted lake in New York State, supports an algal flora characteristic of a eutrophic lake with an admixture of saline species. Floral diversity is noteworthy under the circumstances. Seasons in the lake may be identified by the succession of flora. High salinity of lake water results in layering at the outfall (as in an estuary, in reverse) such that river water may enter the lake at the outlet despite continuous net outflow. Certain species of algae appeared first at the outflow station and then spread through the lake. Phosphorus and nitrogen are never limiting, although seasonal diminution in the latter may influence the composition of the flora. Silica diminution was related to blooms of diatoms and may then be limiting for further growth of diatom populations. No obvious controlling relationship exists between herbivores and phytoplankton populations. The euphotic layer is typically much shallower than the thermocline. Therefore turbulence and mixing may play an important role in controlling certain populations. A brief midsummer clearing in 1969, characteristic for the lake, resulted in serious oxygen depletion and cannot be accounted for with the available data. Among metals, chromium and copper are high in the lake as the result of industrial discharges. The former may be inhibiting, the latter probably is inhibiting to algal growth. Consequently, measures underway to “clean up” the lake may result in increased blooms. Biomass calculations have been made for the major phytoplankters, and a list of 82 species is presented.
Interactions of persistent sodium and calcium-activated nonspecific cationic currents yield dynamically distinct bursting regimes in a model of respiratory neurons

The preBotzinger complex (preBotC) is a heterogeneous neuronal network within the mammalian brainstem that has been experimentally found to generate robust, synchronous bursts that drive the inspiratory phase of the respiratory rhythm. The persistent sodium (NaP) current is observed in every preBotC neuron, and significant modeling effort has characterized its contribution to square-wave bursting in the preBotC. Recent experimental work demonstrated that neurons within the preBotC are endowed with a calcium-activated nonspecific cationic (CAN) current that is activated by a signaling cascade initiated by glutamate. In a preBotC model, the CAN current was shown to promote robust bursts that experience depolarization block (DB bursts). We consider a self-coupled model neuron, which we represent as a single compartment based on our experimental finding of electrotonic compactness, under variation of gNaP, the conductance of the NaP current, and gCAN, the conductance of the CAN current. Varying these two conductances yields a spectrum of activity patterns, including quiescence, tonic activity, square-wave bursting, DB bursting, and a novel mixture of square-wave and DB bursts, which match well with activity that we observe in experimental preparations. We elucidate the mechanisms underlying these dynamics, as well as the transitions between these regimes and the occurrence of bistability, by applying the mathematical tools of bifurcation analysis and slow-fast decomposition. Based on the prevalence of NaP and CAN currents, we expect that the generalizable framework for modeling their interactions that we present may be relevant to the rhythmicity of other brain areas beyond the preBotC as well.
Quantifying osteotome sharpness: comparing the major manufacturers

Objective. (1) To develop a method for quantification of osteotome sharpness in a rhinoplasty model, using artificial bone; (2) to demonstrate changes in osteotome sharpness over multiple uses; and (3) to compare osteotomes from different manufacturers in terms of sharpness and cost.Study Design. Prospective surgical model.Setting. Academic hospital and engineering research facility.Methods. Osteotomes were used to make 4-cm cuts through 4-mm wedges of artificial bone. Sharpness was assessed at baseline and following 1, 4, 7, and 10 uses by measuring the load required to cut a #2 Prolene suture. Changes in sharpness from baseline were measured over time, and comparison of manufacturers was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Cost per use was computed for each osteotome.Results. Five osteotomes were tested (Biomet, Black & Black, Miltex, NexEdge, Storz). At baseline, the Storz osteotome was sharpest (1.74 lb, P < .001), followed by Miltex and Biomet (2.50 lb, 2.68 lb) and NexEdge and Black & Blac...
Multiple Quantum Coherence Dramatically Enhances the Sensitivity of CH and CH2 Correlations in Uniformly 13C-Labeled RNA

One-bond 1H,13C and geminal 1H,1H dipolar interactions are normally the dominant causes of 1H and 13C transverse relaxation in NMR experiments applied to 13C,15N-labeled RNA in solution. Proton,carbon multiple-quantum coherences, where all heteronuclei connected by single bonds are evolved simultaneously in the transverse plane, however, are not affected by these strong dipolar interactions. Consequently, the transverse lifetimes, or T2 values, of these resonances can be dramatically extended. Here, we show that pulse sequences can be written that take advantage of this effect to enhance the sensitivity with which CH and CH2 correlations are observed in uniformly 13C,15N-labeled RNA oligonucleotides. In heteronuclear multiple-quantum correlation experiments, CH and CH2 correlations are detected with a sensitivity that is enhanced by about a factor of 3 relative to heteronuclear, single-quantum experiments for a 13C,15N-labeled 36mer RNA oligonucleotide and a constant time period of 25 ms. By including 1H,...
Plasma Cells in Chronic Endometritis are Easily Identified When Stained with Syndecan-1

Background: Chronic endometritis has been observed in 3–10% of women with irregular uterine bleeding who undergo endometrial biopsy. The diagnosis of chronic endometritis rests on the recognition of plasma cells in endometrial tissue that may show a prominent spindle cell stromal component, and is frequently difficult to date. Syndecan-1 is a cell-surface proteoglycan that is expressed on the cell surface of plasma cells. Design: Eighteen endometrial curettage cases with the diagnosis of chronic endometritis and 25 endometrial curettage cases of dysfunctional uterine bleeding, in females under the age of thirty-five in whom no other histopathologic changes were noted, were reviewed for the presence of plasma cells. Sections were then stained with syndecan-1. Results: All of the chronic endometritis cases showed easily visible syndecan-1 staining of plasma cell membranes. None of the cases of dysfunctional uterine bleeding showed presence of plasma cells in either the hematoxylin and eosin stained or syndecan-1 stained sections. Conclusions: In cases of suspected chronic endometritis in which no plasma cells can be found on hematoxylin and eosin stained slides, syndecan-1 may be an effective adjunct in the identification of plasma cells and thus aid in the diagnosis of chronic endometritis.
Designing a Weight Gain Prevention Trial for Young Adults: The CHOICES Study

Background Young adults are at risk for weight gain. Little is known about how to design weight control programs to meet the needs of young adults and few theory-based interventions have been evaluated in a randomized control trial. The Choosing Healthy Options in College Environments and Settings (CHOICES) study was funded to create a technology-based program for 2-year community college students to help prevent unhealthy weight gain. The purpose of this article is to (1) provide a brief background on weight-related interventions in young adults; (2) describe the study design for the CHOICES study, the conceptual model guiding the research and the CHOICES intervention; and (3) discuss implications of this research for health educators. Translation to Health Education Practice Our experiences from the CHOICES study will be useful in suggesting other theory-based models and intervention strategies that might be helpful in programs attempting to prevent unhealthy weight gain in young adults. In addition, th...
l-Arabinose Release from Arabinoxylan and Arabinogalactan Under Potential Gastric Acidities

ABSTRACT Arabinofuranosyl groups are present in many hemicelluloses as single or multiple units attached to the main xylan or galactan chain where they are sensitive to acid hydrolysis. Under acidic conditions of the human stomach, up to 10% of the L-arabinose is released from the hemicellulose of corn hull, larch wood, and banana peel hemicellulose.
Zero-Mass Divergences in Expansions about Chiral and Scale Symmetry

Singularities of expansions in the symmetry-breaking parameters of chiral- and scale-asymmetric theories are studied, in the tree approximation, in polynomial Lagrangian models. The singularities are related to the appearance of zero-mass scalar fields, not necessarily Goldstone particles, at the radius of convergence of the expansion. Methods of avoiding these singularities are presented.
Tumors Producing Human Tumor Necrosis Factor Induce Hypercalcemia and Osteoclastic Bone Resorption in Nude Mice

We used a Chinese hamster ovary cell line that had been transfected with the human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene and constitutively produced TNF when transplanted in nude mice to study the effects of continuous production of TNF on calcium homeostasis. Continuous exposure to TNF caused increased osteoclastic bone resorption and humoral hypercalcemia in these animals. The mice bearing TNF-producing tumors were significantly hypercalcuric compared to mice bearing control tumors, but urinary cAMP excretion was unchanged. Mice bearing Chinese hamster ovary cell tumors containing the empty vector did not demonstrate hypercalcemia or increased bone resorption. This model system using transfected cells to continuously produce cytokines in vivo is more analogous to the pathophysiological conditions present in patients than intermittent injections and can produce much longer exposures than infusion pumps. Such model systems should allow a better understanding of the role of factors involved in humoral hypercalcemia.
Cellugyrin and Synaptogyrin Facilitate Targeting of Synaptophysin to a Ubiquitous Synaptic Vesicle-sized Compartment in PC12 Cells

Cellugyrin represents a ubiquitously expressed four-transmembrane domain protein that is closely related to synaptic vesicle protein synaptogyrin and, more remotely, to synaptophysin. We report here that, in PC12 cells, cellugyrin is localized in synaptic-like microvesicles (SLMVs), along with synaptogyrin and synaptophysin. Upon overexpression of synaptophysin in PC12 cells, it is localized in rapidly sedimenting membranes and practically is not delivered to the SLMVs. On the contrary, the efficiency of the SLMV targeting of exogenously expressed cellugyrin and synaptogyrin is high. Moreover, expression of cellugyrin (or synaptogyrin) in PC12 cells dramatically and specifically increases SLMV targeting of endogenous synaptophysin. Finally, we utilized the SLMV purification scheme on a series of non-neuroendocrine cell types including the mouse fibroblast cell line 3T3-L1, the Chinese hamster ovary cell line CHO-K1, and the monkey kidney epithelial cell line COS7 and found that a cellugyrin-positive microvesicular compartment was present in all cell types tested. We suggest that synaptic vesicles have evolved from cellugyrin-positive ubiquitous microvesicles and that neuroendocrine SLMVs represent a step along that pathway of evolution.
Photosynthetic rates in four tropical African fresh waters

SUMMARY. Seasonal changes in photosynthetic rates of phytoplankton and underwater light in four Kenyan fresh waters (Lake Naivasha, Crescent Island Crater, Oloidien Lake and Winam Gulf) were measured in 1973 and 1974. Daily variations in water temperature were only slightly less than seasonal changes, and complete vertical mixing usually occurred each day. Well oxygenated water from top to bottom provided evidence for daily mixing. The vertical profiles of photosynthetic rates in the four lakes had the familiar feature of subsurface maxima. Of the photosynthetically available radiation (PAR), 1% coincided with the limit of detection of photosynthesis in Naivasha and Crescent Island Crater. The PAR at the depth of the maximal photosynthetic rate was higher for Naivasha (mean= 1.71 einsteins (E) m−2) than for the Oloidien and Crescent Island Crater (means = 1.23 and 1.20 E m−2 h−1, respectively). The maximal rates of photosynthesis (mg O2 m−3 h−1) were usually higher in Oloidien (260–750) and Winam Gulf (230–640) than in Naivasha (150–240) and were least in Crescent Island Crater (50–180). Chlorophyll-a concentrations were directly related to photosynthetic rates. Because of the inverse relation between euphotic zone depth and maximal photosynthetic rates, the areal rates varied less among the lakes than the volumetric rates (i.e. 3.0–12.1 g O2 m−2 day−1). The efficiency of utilization of PAR expressed on a molar basis ranged from 6.1 to 1.9 mmol O2 E−1, but was usually 2–4 mmol O2 E−1. The seasonal changes over a 12-month period in the areal photosynthetic rates ranged from a 3-fold variation in Oloidien and Crescent Island Crater to a 1.5-fold variation in Naivasha. In Winam Gulf over a 5-month period a 2.3-fold variation occurred.
Instabilities and transition in the wall boundary layers of low-disturbance supersonic nozzles

Linear stability analysis and experimental nozzles were employed in studying means to control Tollmein-Schlichting (TS) waves and Taylor-Goertler (TG) vortices at transition points along walls in a supersonic wind tunnel. It was hoped that control of the TS waves and TG vortices would cause the wall flows to remain laminar, thereby reducing the turbulence noise in the tunnel. The test nozzles injecting the waves and vertices had Mach numbers from 3 to 5. TG vortices triggered transition, while axisymmetric nozzle flows suppressed it. TS waves were controllable with favorable pressure graients at Mach 3.5. Finally, advances were made in the capability of predicting the locations of the transition points.
The North Pacific Oscillation: observations compared with simulations in a general circulation model

The study of the sea level pressure and the surface air temperatures in the North Pacific region in a 23-year integration of the Oregon State University coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model has shown that there is a signature of the North Pacific Oscillation in the model, comparable to that recorded in observations. In the model, the NPO index was defined in terms of an opposition in sign of mean temperature anomaly between two regions in the North Pacific region, close to those found in observations (viz. Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Edmonton, Canada). Fluctuations of this index prompted the grouping of some of the 23 model years as those when the temperature at the model equivalent of Dutch Harbor was above normal and that at the model equivalent of Edmonton below normal (analogous to Aleutian above in observations), while other years displayed the opposite scenario (Aleutian below). Composites of sea level pressure, surface air temperatures, precipitation and sea surface temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere were found to be at times strikingly similar to those documented in observations by Rogers.
Existence of a Phase Transition in a Continuous Classical System

A rigorous proof is given for the existence of a phase transition in the Widom-Rowlinson model in two dimensions.
Oxygen-Affinity of Hemoglobin is Regulated by Effector-Linked Dynamic Modulations of High-Frequency Thermal Fluctuations

Heterotropic effectors reduce the O2-affinity of hemoglobin (Hb) as much as >10\3-folds: P50 = 0.4 → 200 mmHg, Klow = 0.3 → 0.004 mmHg-1, and Khigh = 10 → 0.004 mmHg-1. However, there are no detectable changes in either static T/R-quaternary and associated tertiary structures or the stereochemical and electronic structures of the heme coordination that are attributable to such changes in the O2-affinity of Hb, upon binding of the heterotropic effectors to either T(deoxy)- or R(oxy)-Hb1,2, indicating that the O2-affinity of Hb is not regulated by static T/R-quaternary and associated tertiary structures of Hb and that the reactivity (or the O2-affinity) of the heme Fe itself is not altered1, in sharp contrast to the mainstream idea of the heme-centric regulation of the O2-affinity in Hb3. Our 6ns-molecular dynamics simulations4,5 indicated that the amplitudes of very high-frequency (>GHz) thermal fluctuations of the globin matrix are entropically enhanced by the dissociation of O2 from oxy-Hb and/or binding of heterotropic effectors to deoxy- and oxy-Hb, in parallel to the reduction of the O2-affinity. The rate of dissociation of O2 from oxy-Hb is enhanced by the effector-linked enhanced thermal fluctuations, which simultaneously reduce the rate of geminate-recombination of O2. This results in the reduction of the apparent O2-affinity of Hb by heterotropic effectors.References: 1 Yonetani & Kanaori, BBA 1834 (2013) 1873-1884; 2 Kanaori et al., BBA 1807 (2012) 1253-1261; 3 Perutz, Nature 228 (1970) 726-739; 4 Laberge & Yonetani, Biophys. J, 94 (2008) 2737-2751; 5 Yonetani & Laberge, BBA 1784 (2008) 1146-1158.
Space - time spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in 2 states: A preliminary analysis

This study preliminarily assesses spatial patterns of the spread of two common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, in Virginia and California. In particular, we ask how spread patterns correlate with locations of recently deployed military personnel. In Virginia, higher prevalence rates of STDs were found almost consistently in the counties with or adjacent to military installations. However, the equivalent correlation was not found in California.
A Working People: A History of African American Workers Since Emancipation Steven A. Reich. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.

A Working People: A History of African American Workers Since Emancipation Steven A. Reich. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.In 1982, William H. Harris published The Harder We Run, a concise narrative of black workers since the end of slavery that has been used in scores of undergraduate labor and African American history courses. Steven Reich's A Working People is a worthy successor to Harris's outdated work. It is a didactic, accessible overview of African American workers since emancipation, which provides a solid base for general readers and suggestive research possibilities for those wishing to probe more deeply. A strong bibliographic essay and thirty-six pages of primary source documents bolster research efforts.Reich, an associate professor of history at James Madison University, is known for his work on the Great Migration, the six mi Ilion-person exodus from the South to the North undertaken by African Americans from 1910 to 1970. Although Reich pays attention to Southern workers, four of the book's six chapters deal more extensively with Northern workers. Reich's justification for this is familiar to scholars of black labor history: the lost promises of Reconstruction. Social and political decisions to forgo land redistribution, continued military occupation of the South, or a thorough political reorganization of the region produced what historian Eric Foner dubbed an "unfinished revolution." As Reich shows, Southern African American workers-including longshoremen, laundresses, timber workers, and miners-struggled heroically at times, but terror, political disenfranchisement, and poverty were the salient features for postwar Southern black workers.Dreams of a more open society and the appeal of industrial labor lured legions of African Americans to the North, where they found work easier to obtain than justice. The North was no Promised Land of tolerance, and black families found themselves segregated by custom rather than by law. They were generally denied desirable jobs in favor of hard, dirty, dangerous, and undercompensated work. Even those jobs, however, were better than could be obtained in the South. Whenever job markets were glutted, as they were during the 1920s and during both world wars, African Americans trekked northward.In many respects, the modern civil rights movement was stimulated as much by northern as by southern racism. Reich documents the deplorable record of organized labor in advancing anything that resembled biracial solidarity. Reich is somewhat myopic in that he too closely identifies the pre-New Deal labor movement with the American Federation of Labor (AFL), most of whose affiliates excluded black workers altogether. …
The role of social norm clarity in the influenced expression of prejudice over time

Social influence has been shown to be a powerful, but underexamined, tool in altering prejudice-related attitudes. Most notably, hearing one person condemn or condone discrimination can influence another person to do the same (Blanchard, Crandall, Brigham, & Vaughn, 1994). The current study assesses a potential underlying mechanism that may determine the extent to which participants are socially influenced to alter their prejudice-related beliefs: the clarity of the social norm regarding the expression of prejudice. In addition, the study assesses longer-term effects of social influence (see Stangor, Sechrist, & Jost, 2001). Results from 270 participants revealed that the extent of social influence was predicted by the clarity of the social norm for displaying prejudice and that participants were influenced both immediately and one month later by others’ opinions. We discuss the theoretical implications of the finding that one person can produce lasting change in another person’s prejudice-related belief system.
Asymptomatic Cryptococcemia in Resource-Limited Settings

Despite increasing availability of anti-retroviral therapy, invasive cryptococcal disease continues to be a leading cause of death among HIV-infected individuals in resource-limited settings. Screening asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals with advanced immunosuppression for serum cryptococcal antigen clearly identifies a population at high risk of cryptococcal meningitis and death. However, screening with serum cryptococcal antigen alone identifies a heterogeneous clinical population, many of whom have mild clinical symptoms, sub-clinical meningeal infection, or fungemia. Currently, there is wide variation in practice and little evidence to guide the use of anti-fungal and anti-retroviral treatment for asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia (ACA). Furthermore, implementing a targeted screening and treatment intervention for ACA presents numerous operational challenges for already overburdened health care systems in resource-limited settings. While such an intervention shows promise, there are critical gaps in our understanding of ACA and its implications in the outpatient setting and an urgent need for additional research in this area.
Tidal De-spin of Planets and Satellites

RECENTLY, Peale and Gold1 have shown that the non-synchronous rotation of Mercury is likely to be a consequence of tidal friction. They point out that in an eccentric orbit the spin of an axially symmetric planet will not relax to the orbital mean motion, but instead will approach a final value which is somewhat larger. The final spin rate will be somewhere between the mean orbital angular velocity and the orbital angular velocity at perihelion. The precise value for the final spin is determined by the condition that the net tidal torque on the planet around each orbit be equal to zero. The spin rate at which this condition is satisfied is determined by the frequency and amplitude dependence of the planet's ‘Q’ (1/Q is the specific dissipation function2). According to Peale and Gold: “The condition discussed here is based on the supposition that the solar torque exerted on the tidal bulge exceeds that exerted on any permanent deformation from axial symmetry. In the converse case a period of 88 days for the rotation would indeed result.” This last statement, if true, would imply that Mercury's principal moments of inertia, in the plane perpendicular to its spin axis, differ by less than a few parts in 107. This value is very small when compared with the values known for the Moon—another solid, slowly rotating body.
Thrombin-receptor activation and thrombin-induced brain tolerance.

The authors previously found that pretreatment with a low dose of thrombin attenuates the brain edema induced by a large dose of thrombin or an intracerebral hemorrhage, and reduces infarct volume after focal cerebral ischemia (i.e., thrombin preconditioning). This study investigated whether thrombin preconditioning is caused by activation of the thrombin receptor, also called protease-activated receptor. In the in vivo studies, thrombin-induced brain tolerance was eliminated by RPPGF (Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe), a thrombin-receptor antagonist. Pretreatment with a thrombin-receptor agonist reduced the amount of edema induced by a large dose of thrombin infused into the ipsilateral basal ganglia 7 days later (81.3 +/- 0.7% vs. 82.6 +/- 0.8% in the control, P < 0.05). In the in vitro study, low doses of thrombin (1 or 2 U/mL) did not induce cell death. However, doses greater than 5 U/mL resulted in dose-dependent lactate dehydrogenase release (P < 0.01). Thrombin and thrombin receptor-activating peptide preconditioning reduced lactate dehydrogenase release induced by a high dose of thrombin (10 and 20 U/mL), whereas RPPGF blocked the effect of thrombin preconditioning in vitro. Western blots indicated that p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases were activated after thrombin preconditioning. Finally, inhibition of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases activation by PD98059 abolished the thrombin-preconditioning effect. Results indicate that thrombin-induced brain tolerance is in part achieved through activation of the thrombin receptor. Activation of the thrombin receptor in the brain may be neuroprotective. The protective effect of thrombin preconditioning is achieved through the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase signal-transduction pathway.
Protein high-force pulling simulations yield low-force results.

All-atom explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations are used to pull with extremely large constant force (750–3000 pN) on three small proteins. The introduction of a nondimensional timescale permits direct comparison of unfolding across all forces. A crossover force of approximately 1100 pN divides unfolding dynamics into two regimes. At higher forces, residues sequentially unfold from the pulling end while maintaining the remainder of the protein force-free. Measurements of hydrodynamic viscous stresses are made easy by the high speeds of unfolding. Using an exact low-Reynolds-number scaling, these measurements can be extrapolated to provide, for the first time, an estimate of the hydrodynamic force on low-force unfolding. Below 1100 pN, but surprisingly still at extremely large applied force, intermediate states and cooperative unfoldings as seen at much lower forces are observed. The force-insensitive persistence of these structures indicates that decomposition into unfolded fragments requires a large fluctuation. This finding suggests how proteins are constructed to resist transient high force. The progression of helix and sheet unfolding is also found to be insensitive to force. The force-insensitivity of key aspects of unfolding opens the possibility that numerical simulations can be accelerated by high applied force while still maintaining critical features of unfolding.
Phased cell division in natural and laboratory populations of marine planktonic diatoms

Abstract Phytoplankton samples were collected every 2 h and examined for percentage of dividing cells (doublets) during different times of the day. Thalassiothrix nitzschioids Grunow and Tropidoneis antarctica Grunow, var. polyplasta Gran, showed diurnal peaks in cell division at 1700. Thalassiosira rotula Meunier showed a nocturnal peak in cell division at 0300, while Chaetoceros vanheurckii Gran consistently exhibited low cell division rates with no apparent peaks. A culture of T. rotula kept under a similar L:D cycle to that present in the field (16:8 L:D) showed a diurnal peak in cell division at 1700. It appears from these data and recent literature that several factors are involved in the regulation of phased cell division in phytoplankton, including temperature, L:D cycle, nutrients, and size selective grazing by zooplankton.
Multicriteria analysis: Managing complexity in selecting a student-information system

Seattle University recently decided to replace three separate, computerized student-information systems with a single, integrated system. The complexity of this decision was managed with a multicriteria method which was used to evaluate alternative systems. The method took into account the many and sometimes conflicting concerns of the people who would use whatever system was finally selected. Multicriteria analysis not only provided a way of managing a large amount of information, but apparently reduced people's resistance to change. The method is simple in structure and can be adapted to different kinds of decisions and decision-making processes encountered by institutional researchers.
Phosphorus sorption by major agricultural soils of Alaska

Abstract Surface soils from ten soil series representing five great groups were collected from Alaska. These soils were selected from the important agricultural areas covering a wide geographic distribution. These soils can be divided into two distinct groups based on their parent material: loess and volcanic ash. Phosphorus sorption maxima were calculated based on the Langmuir isotherms. The volcanic ash soils (Cryandept and Cryorthods) showed an average P‐sorption maxima of 10,122 mg/kg and loess soils averaged 3,934 mg/kg. Both groups have similar portions of phosphorus in the organic form (19%) and occluded form (8 to 9%). The nonoccluded‐P in the volcanic ash soils and the loess soils was 68% and 43% respectively, and the Calcium‐P was 4% and 29% respectively. Regression analysis indicated that aluminum and iron are primarily responsible for P‐sorption. The dithionite extractable Al is responsible for P‐sorption in volcanic ash soils, while oxalate extractable Al is responsible for P‐sorption in loes...
Preoperative ventriculostomy and rebleeding after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Object. Despite the widespread use of ventriculostomy in the treatment of acute hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), there is no consensus regarding the risk of rebleeding associated with ventriculostomy before aneurysm repair. This present study was conducted to assess the risk of rebleeding after preoperative ventriculostomy in patients with aneurysmal SAH. Methods. The authors reviewed the records of all patients with acute SAH who were treated at a single institution between 1990 and 1997. Thus, the records of 304 consecutive patients in whom an aneurysmal SAH source was documented on angiographic studies and who had presented to the authors' institution within 7 days of ictus were analyzed. Rebleeding was confirmed by evidence of recurrent hemorrhage on computerized tomography scans in all cases. Forty-five patients underwent ventriculostomy for acute hydrocephalus after aneurysmal SAH at least 24 hours before aneurysm repair. Ventriculostomy was performed within 24 hours of ...
Subhepatic collections complicating laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Percutaneous management

Ten patients with subhepatic fluid collections complicating laparoscopic cholecystectomy were successfully treated by interventional radiological procedures. The series included five abscesses, three hematomas, one biloma, and one serous collection. Abdominal pain or fever developed from 3 to 21 days after the laparoscopic intervention. All patients were asymptomatic 72 h after percutaneous drainage and there were no complications related to the procedure. Subhepatic fluid accumulations are common findings after laparoscopic cholecystectomies and have been considered an unreliable indicator of infection or other postoperative complications. However, the significance of these collections should not be underestimated in symptomatic patients. In such cases we propose diagnostic aspiration and drainage, when necessary, to safely and promptly establish the precise diagnosis and treatment. More serious complications can be avoided by early percutaneous intervention.
Application of genetic algorithms to optimal tailoring of composite materials

Abstract Composite materials tailoring refers to the concurrent manipulation of the materials composition and internal architecture to achieve the desired properties. Since the wide variety of material combinations, reinforcement geometries and architectures to choose from poses a bewildering task of selection, a systematic approach to optimal materials tailoring is of much practical importance in the engineering design of composites, and is addressed in this article. The study presents an optimal tailoring framework based on the combinatorial optimization technique of genetic algorithms in conjunction with a property model base consisting of analytical micro-structure-property relationships. Optimum designs are reported for case studies involving property requirements that are typical of selected practical applications. The present approach is systematically compared with the alternative approach based on the simulated annealing technique reported previously by the authors. The comparative studies are used to draw general inferences concerning the relative merits of both these approaches in the context of optimal composite materials tailoring.
Expansion of likelihood ratio for signals in Gaussian noise

It is shown that the coefficients of the Taylor expansion of the likelihood ratio for random signals in Gaussian noise are proportional to the mean-square estimates of the successive powers of the signal evaluated at zero. A similar relationship holds for the expansion of the logarithm of the likelihood ratio.
Inter-domain redox communication in flavoenzymes of the quiescin/sulfhydryl oxidase family: role of a thioredoxin domain in disulfide bond formation.

Flavoproteins of the quiescin/sulfhydryl oxidase (QSOX) family catalyze oxidation of peptide and protein thiols to disulfides with the reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. QSOX family members ...
Identification by diagonal gel electrophoresis of nine neighboring protein pairs in the Escherichia coli 30 S ribosome crosslinked with methyl-4-mercaptobutyrimidate.

The 30 S ribosomal subunits of Escherichia coli were allowed to react with methyl-4-mercaptobutyrimidate under conditions in which amidine linkages were formed between lysine e-amino groups in ribosomal proteins and the imidate group of the bifunctional reagent. Cross-linking between sulfhydryl groups close enough to form intermolecular disulfide bonds was promoted by mild oxidation of the modified ribosomes. Crosslinked protein-protein dimers were separated by diagonal electrophoresis in polyacrylamide/dodecyl sulfate gels. Disulfide linked dimers were first separated by electrophoresis in the oxidized form in one dimension, then cleaved by mild reduction to regenerate their monomeric components prior to electrophoresis in the second dimension. Preliminary identification of the paired proteins was obtained from the molecular weights of the monomeric and crosslinked species. Final identification of the proteins in each dimer was established by electrophoresis of the monomeric proteins in a two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system containing urea. The following nine dimers, five of which have not been reported previously, were identified: S2–S3, S4–S6, S4–S8, S4–S9, S4–S12, S5–S8, S5–S9, S7–S8 and S7–S9.
Fluid structure coupling algorithm

Abstract A fluid-structure-interaction algorithm has been developed and incorporated into the two dimensional code PELE-IC. This code combines an Eulerian incompressible fluid algorithm with a Lagrangian finite element shell algorithm and incorporates the treatment of complex free surfaces. The fluid structure, and coupling algorithms have been verified by the calculation of solved problems from the literature and from air and steam blowdown experiments. The code has been used to calculate loads and structural response from air blowdown and the oscillatory condensation of steam bubbles in water suppression pools typical of boiling water reactors. The techniques developed here have been extended to three dimensions and implemented in the computer code PELE-3D