cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A split-bernstein approach to chance constrained programs

This paper presents a new computationally scalable framework for accurate solution of chance constrained programs. A Bernstein approximation is used to transcribe the chance constraint into a deterministic constraint, relying heavily upon the evaluation of exponential moment generating functions. This computationally burdensome task is readily handled with Markov chain Monte Carlo integration. To address the conservatism of the MCMC/Bernstein approach, a new split-exponential moment generating function is proposed, thereby significantly improving the optimality of the obtained approximation. It is shown through illustrative examples that the new split-Bernstein approach provides near-optimal results to chance constrained programs.
Separation of screw-sensed particles in a homogeneous shear field

Abstract The Stokes motions of three-dimensional screw-sensed slender particles in a homogeneous shear field are investigated, including the effects of buoyancy. Conclusions are drawn about the possibility of achieving a separation of mixtures of right- and left-handed particles. The linearity of the Stokes equations allows complex flows to be solved by adding the effects of the several terms which describe the flow in which the particle is immersed. The homogeneous shear flow considered here consists of three such terms; solutions for a series of 12 unit motions are sufficient to determine the hydrodynamic resistance tensors. The forces and torques experienced by screw-sensed particles are calculated from these 51 resistance tensors, using slender-filament theory. The results allow an estimate of the range of buoyancy parameters for which gravitational sedimentation can be neglected. The fundamental component of the particle motion is a rotation, at approximately the same angular velocity as that of the fluid. Superimposed on this are variations, of large period, in the particle orientation. A phase plane analysis is used to find the terminal orientations. Very long calculation times are required for the phase portrait. An approximate method based on azimuthally-averaged equations is developed to avoid the requirements for long time integration.
Eigenvalue intervals for a two-point boundary value problem on a measure chain

We study the existence of eigenvalue intervals for the second-order differential equation on a measure chain, xΔΔ (t) + λp(t)f(xσ(t)) = 0, t ∈ [t1, t2], satisfying the boundary conditions αx(t1) - βxΔ(t1) = 0 and γx(σ(t2)) + δxΔ(σ(t2)) = 0, where f is a positive function and p a nonnegative function that is allowed to vanish on some subintervals of [t1, σ(t2)] of the measure chain. The methods involve applications of a fixed point theorem for operators on a cone in a Banach space.
Lumbee Native American ancestry and the incidence of aggressive histologic subtypes of endometrial cancer.

Objective The Lumbee Indian tribe is the largest Native American tribe in North Carolina, with about 55,000 enrolled members who mostly reside in southeastern counties. We evaluated whether Lumbee heritage is associated with high-risk histologic subtypes of endometrial cancer.
Bayesian analysis of rare variants in genetic association studies

Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies facilitate the detection of rare variants, making it possible to uncover the roles of rare variants in complex diseases. As any single rare variants contain little variation, association analysis of rare variants requires statistical methods that can effectively combine the information across variants and estimate their overall effect. In this study, we propose a novel Bayesian generalized linear model for analyzing multiple rare variants within a gene or genomic region in genetic association studies. Our model can deal with complicated situations that have not been fully addressed by existing methods, including issues of disparate effects and nonfunctional variants. Our method jointly models the overall effect and the weights of multiple rare variants and estimates them from the data. This approach produces different weights to different variants based on their contributions to the phenotype, yielding an effective summary of the information across variants. We evaluate the proposed method and compare its performance to existing methods on extensive simulated data. The results show that the proposed method performs well under all situations and is more powerful than existing approaches.
Changes in spine loading patterns throughout the workday as a function of experience, lift frequency, and personality.

Abstract Background context Psychosocial stressors have been associated with low back pain reporting. However, response to psychosocial risk factors may be dependent on the individual's personality type that, in turn, can affect muscle recruitment and spine loading. This study explores how personality might be associated with spine loading during repetitive lifting performed throughout an entire work shift. Purpose Assess spine loading as a function of an individual's personality type during repetitive, long-term exposure to a materials handling tasks. Study design Laboratory experiment where experienced and inexperienced participants performed repetitive, asymmetric lifts at various load and lift frequency levels throughout a series of 8-hour exposure periods. Spine loads were monitored throughout the work period. Patient sample Twelve novice and 12 experienced materials handlers who were asymptomatic for back pain. Outcome measures Spine compression, anterior-posterior (A/P) shear, and lateral shear at the L5–S1 level. Methods Participants were categorized into personality types based upon the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator. An electromyography-assisted biomechanical model was used to assess spine compression, A/P shear, and lateral shear throughout the exposure period. Results The results indicate that intuitors had higher shear spinal loading regardless of moment exposure, lift frequency, and time through the work period, compared with the sensor personality type. In addition, higher spine compressive and shear forces occurred in the perceiver personality compared with the judgers' personality trait, regardless of moment and, often, lift frequency. Novice lifters typically experienced greater spine loading. Conclusions The results suggest that when there exists a personality–job environment mismatch, spinal loading increases via an increase in antagonistic co-contraction. The trends suggest that inherent personality characteristics may play a role in one's motor control strategies when performing a repetitive lifting task.
Intergenic exchange maintains identity between two human lambda light chain immunoglobulin gene intron sequences

Abstract Evidence for gene conversion or unequal double crossover in the human lambda light chain immunoglobulin locus is presented. The high level of J2C2-J3C3 intron cross-hybridization, the identity of the J lambda and J lambda 3 coding and intron sequences, the presence of multiple base differences between the C lambda 2 and C lambda 3 coding regions, and the presence of both the unconverted and converted alleles in the normal gene pool, suggest that a recombinational event has resulted in the conversion of the J lambda 2 coding and intron sequences to those of J lambda 3 and its flanking sequences. Intergenic exchanges, such as the one described here, may provide a mechanism to maintain sequence homogeneity and functionality among the duplicated members of the human lambda gene family.
Equality-based binary resolution

A major event in automated reasoning was the introduction by Robinson of resolution as an inference principle that is complete for the first-order predicate calculus. Here the theory of binary resolution, based strictly on unification, is recast to incorporate the axioms of equality. Equality-based binary resolution is complete without making use of paramodulation and leads to refutations that are less than half as long as standard refutations with the equality axioms. A detailed discussion is given of the first major use of a theorem prover based on this new method.
Leveraging Service Composition Relationship to Improve CPU Demand Estimation in SOA Environments

Service oriented architecture (SOA) helps dynamically construct composite services out of a set of low-level atomic services to satisfy customer requirements. For the purpose of capacity planning and resource provisioning, it is important to understand these services' demand for system resources, e.g., CPU. In this paper, we propose a black-box method for estimating CPU demand of service requests based on linear regression between the observed request throughput and resource utilization level. A key advantage of our method is that its input data (i.e., request-processing throughput and resource utilization) can be easily obtained without intrusive software instrumentation. Moreover, we observe that, in an SOA environment, the service composition relationship (i.e., how low-level atomic services are connected into a composite service) is either known in advance or can be discovered through various means. We leverage this composition relationship to further improve the quality of CPU demand estimation. By analyzing the dependency between a composite service and its constituent low-level atomic services using linear algebra, our method can eliminate the collinear problem introduced by the service composition relationship. Moreover, our method can further reduce the number of unknown variables in the linear regression problem, and hence reduce the time duration needed to collect input data. In a dynamic SOA environment, this translates into faster response to changing workloads and more accurate estimation. We demonstrate these advantages of our method over a baseline method through extensive evaluation.
The Research Basis for Robert Whitaker's “Anatomy of An Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America

Whitaker has been writing about the treatment of the mentally ill for over 12 years. In Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America, he examines what appears to be a trend toward poorer long-term outcomes for persons with major mental disorders, as compared to the era before modern psychopharmaceuticals. He posits that the timing is not coincidental, but that modern medications may be a contributing factor to these outcomes. Specifically, the medications are not very effective (i.e., that group outcomes for persons on modern psychotropic medications are minimally or not significantly better than placebo). More disturbingly, he reports that these medications are more than just ineffective, but may result in deleterious outcomes (i.e., that over time, many current pharmaceuticals may be altering the symptoms, course, and duration of several Axis I major mental illnesses). The author explicates the connections of medication to the changes in the prevalence and course of illness for persons with schizophrenia, unipolar and bipolar affective disorders, as well as anxiety disorders and disorders arising in childhood. He supports his propositions with references to research studies. Those cited include naturalistic studies as well as placebo-controlled medication trials of the present era. In this column I attempt to provide an informed analysis of several of the major research papers that underpin the theses, and some implications of the book and these studies for today’s psychiatric nurse professionals. This column is delimited to a review of cited research for only one diagnostic category: unipolar depression. In addition to the studies cited by Whitaker, I will report the findings on several newer studies in this same area. (Please see the book review
Load balancing for multi-robot construction

In distributed multi-robot construction it is important to set the relative rates at which different construction sites receive raw building materials. Otherwise, subtasks finish at different times introducing unnecessary delays. We present a feedback algorithm to achieve robust load balancing in routing building materials for stochastic, distributed, multi-robot construction systems. We express global behavior in terms of local reactive behavior via Guarded Command Programming with Rates and prove correctness of the load-balancing controller for a wide range of conditions. We adapt a proof from earlier work on controlling Stochastic Chemical Kinetic systems and illustrate the algorithm on the Factory-Floor robotic testbed [1].
Lymphoma of the breast: a mimic of inflammatory breast cancer.

Background: Unusual presentation of breast lymphoma with signs and symptoms suggestive of inflammatory breast cancer. Discussion: Lymphoma of the breast is uncommon whether it is primary or secondary. Most breast lymphomas are of B cell origin. The most frequent mode of presentation is a painless breast mass. The clinical presentation of localized left breast erythema and edema with an associated left breast mass is common for an inflammatory breast cancer but highly unusual for lymphoma of the breast. Conclusion: In patients with a left breast mass associated with erythema and edema, the differential diagnosis should include breast lymphoma in addition. Background Lymphoma of the breast is uncommon and it constitutes 0.04% to 0.5% of malignant breast neoplasms [1]. Treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. We report a patient who presented with physical exam mimicking an inflammatory breast cancer however had secondary involvement of the breast by regional lymphoma. The clinical presentation was highly unusual which made the diagnosis a challenge.
Perioperative multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

A SIGNIFICANT number of our patients are critically ill at the time of surgery or are at risk for perioperative critical illness (Table 1). 1-6 The spectrum of care these patients require includes preoperative examination, evaluation, and counseling; intraoperative monitoring and management; acute postoperative therapy in the recovery room or intermediate care unit; and postoperative treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). Many anesthesiologists remain hospital-based physicians and some choose to be hospitalists or intensivists. 7's Therefore, it is timely to review the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), which is frequently initiated by perioperative stress or traumatic insult, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), the most devastating sequelae of severe inflammation. 9 This report presents a case management approach to care of adults with evolving SIRS and MODS. The case scenarios touch on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, natural history, as well as conventional, innovative, controversial, and future therapies in patients with SIRS/MODS.
Destruction of invariant circles

Let in be an exact, area-preserving, monotone twist diffeomorphism of the cylinder and let 10 be a Liouville number. We will show that arbitrarily close to in the C ∞ topology there exists a C ∞ diffeomorphism with no homotopically non-trivial invariant circle of rotation number ω.
Measurement invariance of the kidney disease and quality of life instrument (KDQOL-SF) across Veterans and non-Veterans

Background Studies have demonstrated that perceived health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients receiving hemodialysis is significantly impaired. Since HRQOL outcome data are often used to compare groups to determine health care effectiveness it is imperative that measures of HRQOL are valid. However, valid HRQOL comparisons between groups can only be made if instrument invariance is demonstrated. The Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF) is a widely used HRQOL measure for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) however, it has not been validated in the Veteran population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the measurement invariance of the KDQOL-SF across Veterans and non-Veterans with CKD.
Can Foreign Stock Investors Influence Policymaking

Foreign portfolio stock investors (FPSIs) often attach political criteria to their investment choices, sometimes in the hope of pressuring policymakers in boycotted markets to adjust their policies...
RNA polymerase III transcripts and the PTB protein are essential for the integrity of the perinucleolar compartment.

The perinucleolar compartment (PNC) is a nuclear substructure present in transformed cells. The PNC is defined by high concentrations of certain RNA binding proteins and a subset of small RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III), including the signal recognition particle RNA and an Alu RNA as reported here. To determine if the PNC is dependent on pol III transcription, HeLa cells were microinjected with the selective pol III inhibitor, Tagetin. This resulted in disassembly of the PNC, whereas inhibition of pol I by cycloheximide or pol II by α-amanitin did not significantly affect the PNC. However, overexpression of one of the PNC-associated RNAs from a pol II promoter followed by injection of Tagetin blocked the Tagetin-induced PNC disassembly, demonstrating that it is the RNA rather than pol III activity that is important for the PNC integrity. To elucidate the role of the PNC-associated protein PTB, its synthesis was inhibited by siRNA. This resulted in a reduction of the number of PNC-containing cells and the PNC size. Together, these findings suggest, as a working model, that PNCs may be involved in the metabolism of specific pol III transcripts in the transformed state and that PTB is one of the key elements mediating this process.
Leaf temperature and energy exchange

Leaf temperatures were measured by means of an infrared radiometer. Sunlit leaves were as much as 20°C above air temperature. Shade leaves averaged 1.5°C below air temperature during the daytime. Quantitative calculations of the energy exchange for a leaf are made showing the distribution of energy into solar and thermal radiation, reradiation by the leaf, convection exchange, and transpiration. From the observed temperatures it is shown that transpiration must play a relatively strong role in reducing leaf temperatures, and that convection is a relatively inefficient process.
Modeling the integrated management of velvetleaf in a corn–soybean rotation

Abstract The objectives of this study were to model the influence of herbicides, wilt disease, and mechanical treatments on velvetleaf population dynamics, annualized net return (ANR), and economic optimum threshold (EOT) in a 20-yr rotation involving alternate years of corn and soybean. Mechanical treatments were interrow cultivation in corn and rotary hoeing in soybean. Herbicides at a quarter (¼×) rate or lower did not reduce velvetleaf seed banks without mechanical treatments in the absence of wilt. Herbicides at full (1×) and half (½×) rates decreased velvetleaf seed banks 95% within 6 and 20 yr, respectively, when there was no wilt. Herbicides at ½× rates with mechanical treatments reduced the seed bank 95% in only 10 yr, but mechanical treatments did not increase the rate of seed bank decline with 1× rates. Wilt infection had to occur annually to reduce velvetleaf seed banks as effectively as herbicides at 1× rates alone. ANR was maximized with herbicides at reduced rates, even though they were not...
Adapting workflow technology to design-based research: development of a method for organizing the messiness of research in technology-rich online learning environments

A fundamental challenge of design-based research is that there are many variables that affect success of a design. Designers collect large amounts of data, but limited time and resources make analysis difficult and conclusions uncertain. Workflow technology is utilized in business and applied science environments to automate work processes and reveal "know-how," often tacit in scientific processes, which facilitate multiple levels of reuse. We developed a method for representing activity in an experimental online course as workflow expressions. Bielaczyc's (2006) Social Infrastructure Framework (SIF) is utilized to identify important variables, and comprehensive data mining (CDM) techniques are used to recover data from course session modules and activity logs. In this paper we review the literature related to our theoretical framework, describe the CDM-based methodology, and give an example of how we are using it to support design-based research within an online college course.
Introduction to Nuclear Medicine

The terms specific to nuclear medicine (NM) section will be displayed in italics when first mentioned, and the same abbreviations will be used from its first appearance to subsequent NM chapters. Only essential information is described in this book, but references to more detailed articles will be provided from publicly retrievable sources, including the Internet (e.g., Wikipedia) and medical journals.
Influence of hydrological, biogeochemical and temperature transients on subsurface carbon fluxes in a flood plain environment

Flood plains play a potentially important role in the global carbon cycle. The accumulation of organic matter in flood plains often induces the formation of chemically reduced groundwater and sediments along riverbanks. In this study, our objective is to evaluate the cumulative impact of such reduced zones, water table fluctuations, and temperature gradients on subsurface carbon fluxes in a flood plain at Rifle, Colorado located along the Colorado River. 2-D coupled variably-saturated, non-isothermal flow and biogeochemical reactive transport modeling was applied to improve our understanding of the abiotic and microbially mediated reactions controlling carbon dynamics at the Rifle site. Model simulations considering only abiotic reactions (thus ignoring microbial reactions) underestimated CO2 partial pressures observed in the unsaturated zone and severely underestimated inorganic (and overestimated organic) carbon fluxes to the river compared to simulations with biotic pathways. Both model simulations and field observations highlighted the need to include microbial contributions from chemolithoautotrophic processes (e.g., Fe+2 and S−2 oxidation) to match locally-observed high CO2 concentrations above reduced zones. Observed seasonal variations in CO2 concentrations in the unsaturated zone could not be reproduced without incorporating temperature gradients in the simulations. Incorporating temperature fluctuations resulted in an increase in the annual groundwater carbon fluxes to the river by 170 % to 3.3 g m−2 d−1, while including water table variations resulted in an overall decrease in the simulated fluxes. We conclude that spatial microbial and redox zonation as well as temporal fluctuations of temperature and water table depth contribute significantly to subsurface carbon fluxes in flood plains and need to be represented appropriately in model simulations.
The origin of intracellular structures in Ediacaran metazoan embryos

Animal embryo-like fossils from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, South China, have been interpreted as the earliest metazoan fossils, significantly predating the radiation of biomineralizing animals and macroscopic bilaterians during the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition. The exceptional cellular and intracellular preservation of the Doushantuo fossils can provide tantalizing glimpses into the organellic structures of these multicellular eukaryotes. The organelle-like features are distinguishable in light, electron, and X-ray imaging, a distinction that has been assumed to be a result of compositional variation. Combined electron microscopic and X-ray tomographic analyses, however, reveal that crystalline textural variation may also contribute to the visibility of these intracellular structures. Specifically, cell lumina and lipid vesicle-like (or yolk granule-like) structures are preserved as nanometer-sized, randomly oriented apatite crystals, whereas cell boundaries and nucleus-like structures are preserved as botryoidal aggregates of micrometer-sized apatite crystals. These textural differences render contrast in electron and X-ray imaging, and they also indicate two mineralization stages, with the botryoidal aggregates at the cell boundaries and nucleus-like structures representing late-stage overgrowth or void-filling cementation. These findings suggest that, while the Doushantuo intracellular structures may occupy the same topological position as strongly degraded nuclei and vesicles, they do not represent organelles with intact enclosing membranes. Instead, the membrane-like structures that characterize the nucleus-like structures are mostly late-stage cements, critically undermining recent hypotheses about the nature of nuclear division and the non-animal holozoan affinity of the Doushantuo fossils, which assume a biological origin of such membrane-like structures.
Experimental and Mechanistic Modeling of Fast Pyrolysis of Neat Glucose-Based Carbohydrates. 2. Validation and Evaluation of the Mechanistic Model

A computational framework based on continuous distribution kinetics was constructed to solve the mechanistic model that was developed for fast pyrolysis of glucose-based carbohydrates in the first part of this study [Zhou et al. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2014, 53. DOI 10.1021/ie502259w]. Comparing modeling results with experimental yields from fast pyrolysis over a wide range of reaction conditions validates the model. Agreement between model yields of final pyrolysis products with experimental data of fast pyrolysis of cellulose at temperatures ranging from 400 to 600 °C and maltohexaose, cellobiose, and glucose at 500 °C showed that the mechanistic model was robust and extendable. In comparison to our previous model [Vinu, R.; Broadbelt, L. J. Energy Environ. Sci. 2012, 5, 9808–9826], the mechanistic model presented in this work incorporating new findings from experiments and theoretical calculations showed enhanced performance in capturing experimental yields of major products such as levoglucosan-pyranose,...
A Study of Drying Characteristics of Paramichelia baillonii

Drying characteristics of Paramichelia baillonii timber were investigated based on the 100 ℃ test method.The results showed that the timber was easy to be dried,the major drying defects were initial crack and twist deformation with the levels of 3.The drying rate reached at 2,belonging to quick drying grad.Cross-section deformation rate was from grade 1 to 2,no internal cracks.To overcome the defects,it was suggested that the thickness of the timber to be dried should be between 25 to 30 mm.
Detection of Bacteria Using Inkjet-Printed Enzymatic Test Strips

Low-cost diagnostics for drinking water contamination have the potential to save millions of lives. We report a method that uses inkjet printing to copattern an enzyme–nanoparticle sensor and substrate on a paper-based test strip for rapid detection of bacteria. A colorimetric response is generated on the paper substrate that allows visual detection of contamination without the need for expensive instrumentation. These strips demonstrate a viable nanomanufacturing strategy for low-cost bacterial detection.
Clomipramine for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects about 2 percent of the U.S. population and can be quite disabling. Clomipramine is the only drug approved for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Its efficacy is unique among tricyclic antidepressants and may be related to its relatively high potency in affecting serotonergic neurotransmission. The drug has many anticholinergic effects, but it is relatively well tolerated by the patients for whom it is effective. A 0.4 percent incidence of seizures, a potentially serious side effect, has been observed. Other antidepressants that are relatively selective for serotonergic (as opposed to noradrenergic) transmission may be as effective as clomipramine in the treatment of this disorder; controlled studies are under way. Clomipramine at low doses is also effective in the treatment of panic disorder and has been used successfully in the treatment of premature ejaculation.
Codified Hashtags for Weather Warning on Twitter: an Italian Case Study.

INTRODUCTION: During emergencies increasing numbers of messages are shared through social media platforms becoming a primary source of information for lay people and emergency managers. For Twitter codified hashtagging is emerging as a practical way to coordinate messages during emergencies and quickly identify relevant information. This paper considers a case study on the use of codified hashtags concerning weather warning in Italy in three different regions. METHODS: From November 3rd to December 2nd 2014, tweets identified by the 3 codified hashtags #allertameteoTOS, #allertameteoLIG and #allertameteoPIE were retrieved, collecting a total of 35,558 tweets published by 7361 unique tweets authors, with the aim to assess if codified hashtags could represent an effective way to align formal and informal sources of information during weather related emergencies. An auxiliary R-package was built to lead the analytics used in this study. Authors performed a manual coding of users, hashtags and content of messages of all Twitter data considered. RESULTS: Content analysis showed that tweets were overwhelmingly related to situational updates, with a high percentage containing geo-location information. Communication patterns of different user types were discussed for the three contexts. In accordance with previous studies, individuals showed an active participation primarily functioning as information hub during the emergency. DISCUSSION: In the proposed cases codified hashtags have proven to be an effective tool to convey useful information on Twitter by formal and informal sources. Where institutions supported the use of the predefined hashtag in communication activities, like in Tuscany, messages were very focused, with more than 90% of tweets being situational updates. In this perspective, use of codified hashtags may potentially improve the performance of systems for automatic information retrieval and processing during disasters. Language: en
Inhibitors of Cyclic AMP- and Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases

Publisher Summary The cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases PKA and PKG serve as primary targets for the second messengers cAMP and cGMP, respectively. The structural similarities of PKA and PKG have posed a formidable obstacle in the design of selective inhibitors that specifically target cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases and show little inhibitory potency to other basophilic Ser/Thr-kinases. The domain structures of PKA and PKG dictate key target sites for putative inhibitors. It illustrates the three distinct classes of inhibitors and their various sites of actions. The regulatory components of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases each harbor two tandem cyclic nucleotide binding sites that allow allosteric and cooperative control of kinase activity. Rp-phosphorothioate derivatives of cAMP and cGMP competitively inhibit cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases by stabilizing the enzymes in their inactive holoenzyme states. A large pool of derivatives, moderate selectivity, and cell membrane permeability are regarded as their advantages as tools in intact cell studies. However, partial antagonism and limited potencies restrict their versatility. The catalytic components of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases contain two target sites for inhibitors: the ATP-binding site, and the substrate binding site. ATP-analogs are a highly resourceful group of protein kinase inhibitors. Cell membrane permeability and limited selectivity highlight their advantages and disadvantages, respectively. Peptide-derived inhibitors present the most potent and selective group of PKA and PKG blockers. Low cell membrane permeability remains their main obstacle in cellular research.
Evolution of the pore structure during the early stages of the alkali-activation reaction: An in situ small-angle neutron scattering investigation

The long-term durability of cement-based materials is influenced by the pore structure and associated permeability at the sub-micrometre length scale. With the emergence of new types of sustainable cements in recent decades, there is a pressing need to be able to predict the durability of these new materials, and therefore nondestructive experimental techniques capable of characterizing the evolution of the pore structure are increasingly crucial for investigating cement durability. Here, small-angle neutron scattering is used to analyze the evolution of the pore structure in alkali-activated materials over the initial 24 h of reaction in order to assess the characteristic pore sizes that emerge during these short time scales. By using a unified fitting approach for data modeling, information on the pore size and surface roughness is obtained for a variety of precursor chemistries and morphologies (metakaolin- and slag-based pastes). Furthermore, the impact of activator chemistry is elucidated via the analysis of pastes synthesized using hydroxide- and silicate-based activators. It is found that the main aspect influencing the size of pores that are accessible using small-angle neutron scattering analysis (approximately 10–500 A in diameter) is the availability of free silica in the activating solution, which leads to a more refined pore structure with smaller average pore size. Moreover, as the reaction progresses the gel pores visible using this scattering technique are seen to increase in size.
Reduced bacterial growth and increased osteoblast proliferation on titanium with a nanophase TiO 2 surface treatment

Background The attachment and initial growth of bacteria on an implant surface dictates the progression of infection. Treatment often requires aggressive antibiotic use, which does not always work. To overcome the difficulties faced in systemic and local antibiotic delivery, scientists have forayed into using alternative techniques, which includes implant surface modifications that prevent initial bacterial adhesion, foreign body formation, and may offer a controlled inflammatory response. Objective The current study focused on using electrophoretic deposition to treat titanium with a nanophase titanium dioxide surface texture to reduce bacterial adhesion and growth. Two distinct nanotopographies were analyzed, Ti-160, an antimicrobial surface designed to greatly reduce bacterial colonization, and Ti-120, an antimicrobial surface with a topography that upregulates osteoblast activity while reducing bacterial colonization; the number following Ti in the nomenclature represents the atomic force microscopy root-mean-square roughness value in nanometers. Results There was a 95.6% reduction in Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive bacteria) for the Ti-160-treated surfaces compared to the untreated titanium alloy controls. There was a 90.2% reduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (gram-negative bacteria) on Ti-160-treated surfaces compared to controls. For ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli, there was an 81.1% reduction on the Ti-160-treated surfaces compared to controls. Similarly for surfaces treated with Ti-120, there was an 86.8% reduction in S. aureus, an 82.1% reduction in P. aeruginosa, and a 48.6% reduction in ampicillin-resistant E. coli. The Ti-120 also displayed a 120.7% increase at day 3 and a 168.7% increase at day 5 of osteoblast proliferation over standard titanium alloy control surfaces. Conclusion Compared to untreated surfaces, Ti-160-treated titanium surfaces demonstrated a statistically significant 1 log reduction in S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, whereas Ti-120 provided an additional increase in osteoblast proliferation for up to 5 days, criteria, which should be further studied for a wide range of orthopedic applications.
Nanoparticle-Mediated X-Ray Radiation Enhancement for Cancer Therapy

Metallic nanoparticles with a high atomic number release Auger electrons in response to external beam X-ray radiation. When these nanoparticles are selectively delivered to tumors, they have the potential to locally enhance the effects of radiation therapy. Optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of these nanoparticles, however, remains a challenging and time-consuming task. Here we describe three different assays that can be used to experimentally quantify and optimize the in vitro therapeutic efficacy of nanoparticle-mediated X-ray radiation enhancement. These include an IC50 extended dose response curve, clonogenic cell survival assay, and immunoblotting. Collectively, these assays provide information about whether a given nanoparticle provides radiosensitization, the extent of the radiosensitization, and the potential mechanism of radiosensitization.
The important role of social care at the end of life

Nurses and their health colleagues recognise instinctively that dying is a process, not an event. They know that the ‘end-of-life phase’ might last months or even beyond a year (and in the case of some conditions it is accepted that death might come suddenly at any time over several years). During that time, many people nearing the end of life are likely to have more contact with social care professionals or other social care staff than with health professionals. Social care staff can make a real difference to an individual’s end-of-life care, particularly in ensuring their wishes and preferences are met, e.g. in relation to preferred place of care. This requires partnership working between nurses, other health professionals and social care, particularly in the sharing of information, to ensure coordinated, well-planned care. Community nurses and hospital nurses involved in discharge planning are ideally placed to involve social care colleagues in planning, providing and coordinating the care of those approaching the end of life and their families. To that end, the National End of Life Care Programme (NEoLCP), working with its social care advisory group, published Supporting People to Live and Die Well: a Framework for Social Care at the End of Life …
Partially compromised specification causes stochastic effects on gut development in C. elegans

The C. elegans gut descends from the E progenitor cell through a series of stereotyped cell divisions and morphogenetic events. Effects of perturbations of upstream cell specification on downstream organogenesis have not been extensively investigated. Here we have assembled an allelic series of strains that variably compromise specification of E by perturbing the activation of the gut-specifying end-1 and end-3 genes. Using a marker that allows identification of all E descendants regardless of fate, superimposed with markers that identify cells that have adopted a gut fate, we have examined the fate of E lineage descendants among hundreds of embryos. We find that when specification is partially compromised, the E lineage undergoes hyperplasia accompanied by stochastic and variable specification of gut fate among the E descendants. As anticipated by prior work, the activation of the gut differentiation factor elt-2 becomes delayed in these strains, although ultimate protein levels of a translational ELT-2::GFP reporter resemble those of the wild type. By comparing these effects among the various specification mutants, we find that the stronger the defect in specification (i.e. the fewer number of embryos specifying gut), the stronger the defects in the E lineage and delay in activation of elt-2. Despite the changes in the E lineage in these strains, we find that supernumerary E descendants that adopt a gut fate are accommodated into a relatively normal-looking intestine. Hence, upstream perturbation of specification dramatically affects the E lineage, but as long as sufficient descendants adopt a gut fate, organogenesis overcomes these effects to form a relatively normal intestine.
Greater Frequency of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Is Associated With Lower Prevalence of Peripheral Artery Disease.

Objective—Although fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, its association with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is less certain. We...
Cigarette smoke-induced bronchoconstriction: causative agents and role of thromboxane receptors.

Hong, Ju-Lun, and Lu-Yuan Lee. Cigarette smoke-induced bronchoconstriction: causative agents and role of thromboxane receptors. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(5): 2053–2059, 1996.—Inhalation of cigarette smo...
Dual-polarization radar rainfall estimation over tropical oceans

AbstractDual-polarization radar rainfall estimation relationships have been extensively tested in continental and subtropical coastal rain regimes, with little testing over tropical oceans where the majority of rain on Earth occurs. A 1.5-yr Indo-Pacific warm pool disdrometer dataset was used to quantify the impacts of tropical oceanic drop-size distribution (DSD) variability on dual-polarization radar variables and their resulting utility for rainfall estimation. Variables that were analyzed include differential reflectivity Zdr; specific differential phase Kdp; reflectivity Zh; and specific attenuation Ah. When compared with continental or coastal convection, tropical oceanic Zdr and Kdp values were more often of low magnitude (<0.5 dB, <0.3° km−1) and Zdr was lower for a given Kdp or Zh, consistent with observations of tropical oceanic DSDs being dominated by numerous, small, less-oblate drops. New X-, C-, and S-band R estimators were derived: R(Kdp), R(Ah), R(Kdp, ζdr), R(z, ζdr), and R(Ah, ζdr), whic...
Evaluation of the renin–angiotensin system in a congenic renin Dahl salt‐sensitive rat

When an approximately 30 centiMorgan (cM) region of chromosome 13 containing the renin gene from the Dahl salt-resistant rat (R) was introgressed into the Dahl salt-sensitive rat (S), the resulting congenic rat (designated S.R-Ren) had a systolic blood pressure on a 2% (w/w) salt diet that was 24 mmHg lower than that of its S counterpart. Due to the large size of the transferred segment (over 30 million bp), the question remained as to whether or not the renin gene was the cause of the blood-pressure difference between the strains. We evaluated the role of the renin-angiotensin system in S.R-Ren and S rats fed a 0.05% salt diet by examining differences between strains in (1) expression of renin in three tissue types, (2) the blood-pressure response to blockade of both angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin II receptors, and (3) pressure natriuresis. No differences were found in renin levels in plasma, kidney or adrenal gland between strains. The blood-pressure responses to the angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor captopril and to the angiotensin II-receptor blocker saralasin in conscious S and S.R-Ren rats were similar. Furthermore, renal function, evaluated by a pressure-natriuresis index that took into account both the time and the arterial pressure needed to excrete an acute salt load, did not differ between strains. Our findings therefore fail to demonstrate a role for the renin gene in conferring lower blood pressure in the congenic rat and suggest that there is an unknown arterial-pressure-regulating locus in this 30 cM region of chromosome 13.
Zonal structure effect on the nonlinear saturation of reverse shear Alfven eigenmodes

A gyrokinetic ion/fluid electron hybrid model is used to study the nonlinear evolution of reverse shear Alfven eigenmodes (RSAE) driven by energetic particles. When only the energetic particle nonlinear effects are included, the saturation amplitude of a single-n RSAE follows the trapping scaling, δB/B∼(γ/ω)2. When the nonlinear effects of thermal ions and electrons are included, zonal structures are force generated but do not affect the saturation amplitude for γ/ω≤0.03. No spontaneous generation of zonal structures is observed, in contrast to ion-temperature-gradient-driven modes. At larger energetic particle drive, the effects of zonal structures cause a significant reduction in the RSAE saturation amplitude. The reduction is not caused by the zonal flow shearing of the RSAE, but by the force-generated n = 0 component in the thermal ion distribution function and the electron density. These n = 0 perturbations lead to nonlinear evolution of the RSAE mode structure and enhance damping.
A Meta-Analysis of the Impact of Natural Disasters on Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Youth

Although exposure to natural disasters can lead to diverse mental health (MH) outcomes in youth, most child disaster MH research has focused on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). To highlight the likelihood of other MH outcomes, we meta-analyzed studies that have examined other (non-PTSS) internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in youth exposed to natural disasters. We used PRISMA guidelines to systematically gather studies that have examined the association between natural disaster exposure and non-PTSS internalizing and/or externalizing problems in samples of children and adolescents. Analyses of random effects models of 62 studies examining non-PTSS internalizing problems and 26 studies examining externalizing problems showed exposure to natural disasters was significantly associated with non-PTSS internalizing, rmean = .18, k = 70, and externalizing problems, rmean = .08; k = 31, in youth. Moderator analyses revealed a stronger association between disaster exposure and non-PTSS internalizing problems in countries with a "medium" Human Development Index (HDI) ranking, r = .56, than in countries with "high," r = .15, and "very high," r = .16, HDI rankings. We also found a stronger association between disaster exposure and externalizing problems in countries with a medium HDI ranking, r = .54, versus high, r = .05, and very high, r = .04, HDI rankings, and based on parent, r = .16, compared to child, r = -.01, report. Results support the need for assessment of multiple postdisaster MH outcomes to inform comprehensive interventions. We also include a discussion of the state of the disaster MH research.
Summary of General Discussion

Dr. Tice began the General Discussion by introducing Dr. T. A. Tsongas (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA) and by indicating a desire to achieve an overall consensus among the European, American, and Japanese investigators participating in the symposium, with regard to the applicability, reliability, and utility of SCE analysis.
Second Harmonic and Sum Frequency Studies of Chemical Equilibria and Phase Transitions at Liquid Interfaces

An interface is the region between any two bulk media. All chemical systems contain interfaces and in many cases important chemistry, e.g. reactions at biomembranes, heterogeneous catalysis, etching of semiconductors and electrochemistry, occurs at these interfaces.1 The primary characteristic differentiating an interface from the bulk is the asymmetry of the interface; the environment looks different as one moves to one side or the other of an interface. Asymmetric forces affect the chemical composition, the organization and orientation of species, equilibrium constants, pH and the motion of species at the interface. Thus interfaces exhibit unique properties that have spawned much interest and many technological applications.
Hepatitis C virus infection and the kidney.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common chronic viral infection, affecting ∼71 million people worldwide. HCV is a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus belonging to the flavivirus family, with significant sequence diversity categorized into six genotypes. Acute HCV infection is generally asymptomatic or may cause flu-like symptoms and rarely jaundice. Approximately 20% of those infected will mount an immune response that successfully clears the virus, while the remaining 80% develop a chronic infection with persistently elevated HCV RNA that leads to chronic hepatitis. After 20–30 years of infection, patients may develop cirrhosis, which can lead to the need for liver transplantation, hepatocellular carcinoma or death.