cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heteroaggregation between PEI-coated magnetic nanoparticles and algae: effect of particle size on algal harvesting efficiency.

Colloidal interactions between magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) and algal cells are of paramount significance to magnetophoretic separation of algal biomass from water. This study evaluated the size effect of magnetic NPs (MNPs) coated with polyethylenimine (PEI) on the separation efficiency of Scenedesmus dimorphus as well as on the recovery efficiency of MNPs from algal biomass. Results showed that algal harvesting efficiency (HE) increased from ca. 60% to 85% as the diameter of PEI-coated MNPs increased from 9 to 53 nm. Likewise, algal recovery capacity (algae/MNPs, w/w) also showed the same size dependence. But a large size (247 nm) led to a decline of algal HE, which was correctly interpreted by a settling model that predicts large sizes of MNPs could eventually reduce the settling velocity under magnetophoresis. The extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek theory revealed that the particle size and PEI coating both influenced the interaction energies (e.g., energy barrier) between MNPs and algae. Parti...
Usage Behavior of Household Water Treatment Devices in Shanghai Residents

[Objective]To understand the usage behavior and knowledge regarding household water treatment devices(water filters) among residents in Shanghai,and to provide scientific evidence for guiding residents how to use household water filters properly.[Methods]By multistage and cluster sampling strategy,320 residents were recruited and completed questionnaires on usage behavior and knowledge about household water filters.χ2test was used to analyze data obtained from the questionnaires[.Results] Drinking water treatment was the main purpose of household water filters(93.8%,300/320).Of the investigated households that had used water filters for more than 2 years,15.2%(30/197) didn’t replace strainer cores or filter membranes.There was no obvious difference in the proportions of directly drinking treated water among the residents using different types of water filters(P0.05).Regarding the knowledge of water filters,91.3%(292/320) of the households didn’t know the treating capacity of water filters they were using,nearly 10%(29/320) didn’t think the strainer cores or filter membranes should be regularly replaced,and 34.4%(110/320) believed that all of the pollutants in the municipal supply water could be filtered by household water filters.[Conclusion]The residents investigated have misconceptions on the usage and knowledge of water filters.Therefore,it is necessary to strengthen public education on correct usage of water filters to reduce potential health risks.
High and Reversible Ammonia Uptake in Mesoporous Azolate Metal–Organic Frameworks with Open Mn, Co, and Ni Sites

A series of new mesoporous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) made from extended bisbenzenetriazolate linkers exhibit coordinatively unsaturated metal sites that are responsible for high and reversible uptake of ammonia. Isostructural Mn, Co, and Ni materials adsorb 15.47, 12.00, and 12.02 mmol of NH3/g, respectively, at STP. Importantly, these near-record capacities are reversible for at least three cycles. These results demonstrate that azolate MOFs are sufficiently thermally and chemically stable to find uses in recyclable sorption, storage, and potentially separation of chemically challenging and/or corrosive gases, especially when designed to exhibit a high density of open metal sites.
Violence, power-with, and the human right to democracy

Introduction We have described some positive normative directions that are enabled by globalization’s facilitation of communication across borders. But equally striking is its facilitation of transnational forms of violence. Over the past period, we have witnessed salient examples of transnational violent terrorist attacks, as on 9/11, as well as transnational responses to them via the introduction of a coordinated security apparatus and the extension of forms of militarization across borders. Numerous other globalized forms of violence also permeate contemporary politics, including the proliferation of private military firms, transnational criminal and sex trade networks, and new forms of war-making tied to global economic and political processes. In this chapter, I want to consider how our conceptions of power and democracy can be expanded in order to better counter these forms of transnational violence. The empirical democratic peace hypothesis – that democratic states tend not to go to war against each other – is often introduced as evidence to support democratization as a way to mitigate violence between nation-states. But it is not clear whether or how such a hypothesis could apply to more transnational forms of violence, carried out especially by nonstate actors. Moreover, the conceptual interrelations that underlie this peace hypothesis and especially the connections between power, democracy, and violence are not well understood.
Prior Cocaine Experience Impairs Normal Phasic Dopamine Signals of Reward Value in Accumbens Shell

Dopamine signals have repeatedly been linked to associative learning and motivational processes. However, there is considerably less agreement on a role for dopamine in reward processing, and therefore whether neuroplastic changes in dopamine function following chronic exposure to drugs of abuse such as cocaine may impair appropriate valuation of rewarding stimuli. To quantify this, we voltammetrically measured real-time dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core or shell while rats received unsignaled deliveries of either a small (1 pellet) or large (2 pellets) reward. In drug-naive controls, core dopamine signals did not discriminate between reward size at any point, while in the shell dopamine encoded magnitude differences only in a slower postpeak period. Despite this lack of discrimination between rewards by the peak DA response, controls easily discriminated between reward options in a subsequent choice task. In contrast, phasic dopamine reward signals were strongly altered by cocaine experience; core dopamine decreased peak response but increased discrimination between reward magnitudes while shell lost phasic responses to reward receipt altogether. Notably, animals with cocaine-associated alterations in dopamine signals for reward magnitude failed to subsequently discriminate between reward options. These findings suggest that cocaine self-administration alters the ability for dopamine signals to appropriately assign value to rewards and thus may in part contribute to later deficits in behaviors that depend on appropriate outcome valuation.
Plasmid DNA encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles as a model non-viral vector for gene therapy

B78 Purpose: In gene therapy, while viruses have been most commonly used as vectors to effectively deliver the genes to cells, this approach remains fraught with the potential for viral toxicity. Non-viral vectors are therefore highly sought after. The purpose of this study was to investigate one such approach by developing biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles of pDNA (pEGFN1-Luc) as a non-viral gene delivery system. Methods: PLGA 50:50, a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer, was used to encapsulate pDNA using a modified solvent evaporation technique. A fixed amount of calcium chloride was added with the pDNA or with the external aqueous phase. The nanoparticles were evaluated for surface morphology, particle size, zeta potential, efficiency of encapsulation, structural integrity of pDNA, and transfection efficiency. The efficacy of DNA delivery and gene expression after addition of nanoparticles to Huh-7 cells was examined in a kinetic study by fluorescence imaging. Results: SEM photographs showed that the pDNA loaded nanoparticles were smooth and spherical, and the zeta potential varied between -16 mV and +0.67 mV. An analysis of the particle size distribution revealed that 90% of the particles were less than 1 µm and the median size varied from 500 nm 1086 nm. The nanoparticles containing calcium chloride pretreated pDNA showed higher encapsulation efficiency compared with the nanoparticles prepared with naked pDNA and calcium chloride in the external aqueous phase. The agarose gel electrophoresis showed that the encapsulated pDNA maintained its structural integrity during and after the encapsulation process. The results of the in vitro transfection assay showed that the nanoparticles prepared with the calcium chloride pretreated pDNA had significantly higher GFP and luciferase expression. Conclusion: When using the solvent evaporation technique to prepare pDNA loaded nano-particles, pretreatment of pDNA with calcium chloride results in positively charged nanoparticles which showed higher encapsulation efficiency. These nanoparticles also showed higher transfection efficiency. Acknowledgement: This work was funded in part by the NIH/NIGMS grant # GM08008-32, NASA grant # NCC3-946-S4, Louisiana Board of Regents RC/EEP (2006-16), NIH grant# 5P20CA118768-02, and Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium.
Comparison of Open Drainage Versus Closed Catheter Irrigation for Treatment of Suppurative Flexor Tenosynovitis

Background: The purpose of this study was to review the outcomes associated with different surgical treatments in the management of suppurative flexor tenosynovitis (SFT). Methods: Patients treated...
Phytoremediation Potential of Helianthus annuus and Hydrangea paniculata in Copper and Lead-Contaminated Soil

This study was conducted to assess the hyperaccumulation and phytoremediation potential of copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) in Hardy ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) and the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus). The study also investigated the capacity of these two plants to transpire the metals in a temperature-controlled greenhouse. Plants were grown for 4 weeks and periodically watered with known elemental concentrations of copper oxide nanoparticles, copper sulfate, and lead nitrate. Both H. annuus and H. paniculata accumulated significant amounts of Cu and Pb to be classified as hyperaccumulator species. H. annuus took up significant amounts of Cu in the shoots, specifically the leaves (Cu max. = 1368 ppm), and easily translocated it from stem to leaf (translocation factor (TF) ranged from 2.7 to 81.0). Pb was not as easily taken up and translocated (TF = 0.6) as Cu was by this species. H. paniculata took up Cu and Pb in high concentrations but preferentially stored more metals in the stems (Cu max. = 1757 ppm; Pb max. = 780 ppm) than in the leaves (Cu max. = 126 ppm; Pb max. = 35 ppm). The translocation ability of H. paniculata was much lower for both metals compared to H. annuus. Both Cu and Pb transpired from H. annuus at concentrations of 0.04 and 0.005 ppm, respectively.
A Highly Sensitive Enzymatic Catalysis System for Trace Detection of Arsenic in Water

Arsenic (As) is an extremely toxic element that exists in the environment in different chemical forms. The detection of arsenic in potable water remains a challenging task. This study presents a highly sensitive enzymatic catalysis system for trace sensing of inorganic arsenic in water. This is the first enzyme-catalyzed fluorescence assay capable of detecting arsenic at concentrations below the allowable level adopted by the World Health Organization (10 ppb in drinking water). The enzyme catalytically produces fluorescent NADH in the presence of arsenate, which enables facile detection of arsenate at concentrations in the 0 - 200 ppb range. Calibration curves made at a set time interval allow accurate determination of unknown arsenic samples. This method holds potential for interfacing with automated analytical sampling systems to allow arsenic determinations in environmental health applications.
Parathyroid hormone regulates fates of murine osteoblast precursors in vivo

Teriparatide, a recombinant form of parathyroid hormone (PTH), is the only approved treatment for osteoporosis that increases the rate of bone formation. Teriparatide increases osteoblast numbers by suppressing osteoblast apoptosis and activating bone-lining cells. No direct evidence for teriparatide's actions on early cells of the osteoblast lineage has been demonstrated. Here, we have employed a lineage-tracing strategy that uses a tamoxifen-dependent, promoter-driven cre to mark early cells of the osteoblast lineage in adult mice. We show that teriparatide increases the numbers of osteoblast precursors and drives their differentiation into mature osteoblasts. Unexpectedly, following withdrawal of teriparatide therapy, bone marrow adipocytes increased dramatically in number. Some of these adipocytes derived from cells marked by Sox9-cre expression weeks earlier. Continued therapy with teriparatide prevented the appearance of adipocytes. Selective, inducible deletion of the PTH receptor in Sox9-cre cells demonstrated that PTH receptor expression is required for teriparatide-mediated increases in early osteoblast precursors. The increase in early precursors after teriparatide administration was associated with robust suppression of precursor apoptosis without affecting their rate of proliferation. Thus, teriparatide increases the numbers of early cells of the osteoblast lineage, hastens their differentiation into osteoblasts, and suppresses their differentiation into adipocytes in vivo.
Synthesis and characterization of fatty acid modified amines with improved water barrier properties

Abstract Fundamental studies aimed at elucidating the key contributions to corrosion performance are needed to make progress toward effective and environmentally compliant corrosion control. Epoxy/amine systems are typically employed as barrier coatings for corrosion control, however, the curing agents used for coating applications can be very complex, making fundamental studies of water and oxygen permeability challenging to carry out. Creating model building blocks for epoxy/amine coatings is the first step in carrying out these studies. This work demonstrates the synthesis and characterization of model amine building blocks from saturated fatty acids and diethylenetriamine (DETA) with tunable hydrophobicity. The glass transition temperature ( T g ) of modified amine samples suffered a 45–50 °C T g reduction, which has been attributed to a loss of labile hydrogens available for crosslinking in these samples. It was observed that the fatty acid modified amines exhibited a reduced diffusivity to water of up to 50%. This has been attributed to the increased tortuosity of samples with a pendant aliphatic chain in the network. Samples with modified amines were observed to have lower solubility of water ( S ) of up to 30%. We propose that the reduction in S can be caused by a dilution of oxygen in the polymer network due to the addition of aliphatic pendant chains.
Security by design: teaching secure software design and development techniques

This paper is the first paper in a series of papers that describe the development of a "Security by Design" approach for teaching secure software design and development techniques. The focus of this paper is the design and development of the formal model for Internet of Things systems. Following papers will discuss proposed methods for incorporating the formal model and design and testing techniques into the core computer science curriculum and the results of student's research projects. The approach has been piloted with undergraduate students developing Internet of Things systems. The approach includes a formal model for Internet of Things systems; a set of design, development, and analysis tools and techniques; secure software development practices; and security testing practices. The goal of the design and analysis tools is to advance the students' knowledge of design patterns for Internet of Things systems and to and highlight potential cybersecurity and performance issues early in the design process. The techniques have been taught across a three-semester sequence of courses; Software Development; Introduction to Cybersecurity; and Secure Software Development. The techniques have been applied by undergraduate students developing several prototype Internet of Things research projects. The results gained from the student projects developed during the pilot period are being used to evaluate the effectiveness of the course materials and tools and techniques; and to guide future tool and curriculum development.
A systemic intervention research agenda for reducing inequality in school outcomes

ABSTRACTPersistent education inequality is a complex problem in the United States, and, despite efforts to promote equity, education performance and attainment remain highly related to characterist...
Beclin-1-dependent autophagy protects the heart during sepsis

Background: Cardiac dysfunction is a major component of sepsis-induced multiorgan failure in critical care units. Changes in cardiac autophagy and its role during sepsis pathogenesis have not been ...
Etiology and Mechanisms of Chronic Abdominal Pain

Pain is a complex and multidimensional process which involves physical, emotional, and perceptual integration. It has the fundamental objective of survival and protecting against tissue damage. In normal conditions, this process is adaptive and has a protective role, which is usually self-limited. However, in pathological conditions neuroplastic changes lead to persistent increased perception and responsiveness to noxious stimuli, or response to normally non-noxious stimuli. Such changes can occur in primary afferent terminals (peripheral sensitization) but also in the spinal cord and in the brain (central sensitization) in both neurons and glia, thereby altering the processing of sensory information. Recent information suggests that intestinal microorganisms have the ability to alter intestinal sensation and perhaps may alter mood as well, as there is a bilateral communication between luminal gut inhabitants and the peripheral and central nervous systems. These processes are very important in the development and persistence of visceral pain in several locations, predominantly gastrointestinal chronic pain syndromes.
MODES OF OCCURRENCE OF ENVIRONMENTALLY· SENSITIVE TRACE ELEMENTS IN COAL

Coal utilisation, especially coal combustion, causes the release of many inorganic elements into the environment. Various pollution control procedures and devices are used by the coal industry to minimise the release of these elements. Selective mining and coal cleaning procedures reduce the amount of the inorganic constituents in coal prior to combustion. Electrostatic precipitators, chemical additives, baghouses, and flue-gas scrubbers reduce particulate and element emissions after combustion.
Lean manufacturing and quick changeover.

Mass industrial production makes possible significantly to increase productivity of labour and to reduce costs compared to other production systems. In spite of this there are reserves for improvement. The article analyses the production of suction tube and suction modules at the firm Robert Bosch, Ceske Budějovice and highlights reserves consisting in the speed-up of changeover times in assembly lines for a new production batch. By change of the routing it was possible to reduce the original operation time of 81,1 min down to 14,5 min. This result was achieved due to new work organization within manufacturing cells. Time saving makes in average 20,7 % of the shift time.
Pressure-induced magnetic transition in manganite (La0.75Ca0.25MnO3).

Low temperature Mn $K$-edge x-ray magnetic circular dichroism and x-ray diffraction measurements were carried out to investigate the stability of the ferromagnetic ground state in manganite ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.75}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.25}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ under nearly uniform compression using diamond anvil cells. The magnetic dichroism signal gradually decreases with pressure and disappears at 23 GPa, and meanwhile a uniaxial compression of ${\mathrm{MnO}}_{6}$ octahedra along the $b$ axis is observed to continuously increase with pressure and become anomalously large at 23.5 GPa. These changes are attributed to a ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic transition that is associated with orbital ordering at high pressure.
Neumann Eigenfunctions and Eigenvalues

This chapter contains some simple facts and more advanced results on Nuemann eigenfunctions related to the hot spots conjecture.
Nondestructive determination of freshness indicators for tilapia fillets stored at various temperatures by hyperspectral imaging coupled with RBF neural networks.

Abstract This study develops a reliable radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs) to estimate freshness for tilapia fillets stored under non-isothermal conditions by using optimal wavelengths from hyperspectral imaging (HSI). The results show that, for tilapia fillet stored at −3, 0, 4, 10, and 15 °C and non-isothermal conditions, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), total aerobic counts (TAC), and the K value increase whereas sensory scores decrease with increasing storage time. To simplify the models, nine optimal wavelengths were selected by using the successive projections algorithm (SPA), following which SPA–RBFNN models were built based on the selected wavelengths and the values of TVB-N, TAC, K, and sensory evaluations for tilapia fillets store isothermally. The ability of the models based on HSI to predict the freshness indicators were verified for tilapia fillets stored under non-isothermal conditions. HSI thus has an excellent potential for nondestructive determination of freshness in tilapia fillets.
Incarceration Trends for Juvenile Offenders: An Exploration of Race and Gender

Although the number of juveniles placed in secure facilities has decreased dramatically over the past decade, there are still questions on whether this is uniform among race and gender. This study ...
Leveraging Intra-Day Temporal Variations to Predict Daily Cyberattack Activity

Cyber attacks against organizations are occurring with increasing regularity. Defensive systems are in place that can detect malicious traffic within a network. However, these systems can only provide analysis after malicious activity has occurred. What if one can forecast the number of cyberattacks expected for a future day with reasonable accuracies? This paper investigates the use of Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models to forecast daily counts of different cyberattack types against multiple targets. Smaller measurement periods are used to better capture temporal trends in attack data and increase forecasting accuracy, reducing error by over 14% compared to naive predictions based on average historical occurrence rates. Aggregation techniques are employed to construct a daily forecast using a number of smaller predictions, providing over 11% more accuracy than standard ARIMA models based on daily counts. Temporal intensity variations are leveraged as regressors to further improve model accuracy by over 11% compared to aggregated forecasts. The ARIMA with intensity-based regressors were put into testing to perform predictions up to 7 days in advance, and achieved over 15% improvement over the baseline. ARIMA is able to reduce forecasting error compared to naive approaches, showing that cyber incidents do not occur completely randomly and could be captured and modeled with statistical time series forecasting techniques.
Evaluation of Measured Strain Responses to in Situ Vehicular Loading for Typical Asphalt Pavements

To characterize the dynamic behavior of typical asphalt pavements, which is induced by a complex loading system coupled with environmental effects, full-scale field tests were conducted on instrumented sections with embedded sensors. The impacts of vehicular loading factors and pavement temperature on strains at the bottom of asphalt layers were analyzed in the presence of in situ dynamic loading. According to orthogonal array tests, the impact levels of loading factors were quantified through analysis of variance. Furthermore, the temperature conversion factors of measured strain were explored using regression analysis. These results show that the measured strains present an asymmetry over time. The strain response goes up with increasing axle load and decreases with growing speed. Compared to the speed and the tire inflation pressure, the axle load plays a dominant role in strain responses. The estimated temperature conversion factor facilitates the strain conversion between non-standard temperature conditions and a required reference temperature.
Antibiotic Resistance of Salmonella Enterica Isolated from Whole-Muscle Beef Cuts and Beef Carcasses in Mexico

ObjectivesA substantial number of cattle are raised in Mexico and imported into the U.S., however due to lax regulations, protocols for use of antibiotics in animals are not always properly followed. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Salmonella enterica recovered along the beef production chain in Southeastern Mexico. Materials and MethodsA total of 120 Salmonella enterica isolates were recovered from whole-muscle beef cuts samples (n = 60) and beef cattle carcasses at harvest (n = 60) in 2 cities in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico (Cancun and Merida). All Salmonella isolates were recovered using standard microbiological methods in a previous study. A frozen stock cultures of each isolate was streaked onto blood agar plates and incubated at 37°C for 18 h. Susceptibility profiles were determined using the Sensititre (Trek Diagnostic Systems, Westlake, OH) automated antimicrobial susceptibility system with the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Gram Negative plate format CMV3AGNF. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for each of the 14 antimicrobials tested was interpreted using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards for microdilution broth methods and NARMS breakpoints. Fourteen antimicrobials were tested: amoxicillin/clavulanic acid 2:1 ratio (AUG2), ampicillin (AMP), azithromycin (AZI), cefoxitin (FOX), ceftiofur (TIF), ceftriaxone (AXO), ciprofloxacin (CIP), chloramphenicol (CHL), gentamycin (GEN), nalidixic acid (NAL), streptomycin (STR), sulfisoxazole (FIS), tetracycline (TET), trimethoprim/sulfamethohazole (SXT). Statistical analyses were performed using the GraphPad Prism software to determine statistical differences among the antibiotics tested. ResultsOverall, 68 (56.7%) S. enterica isolates exhibited resistance to at least one or more antibiotic. Furthermore, the isolates displayed 19 different resistance phenotypes. Among the whole-muscle beef cuts isolates, 61.7% (37/60) were considered resistant, most commonly to TET (21.6%), followed by multidrug-resistance (MDR) phenotypes to AMP-CHL-STR-TET-SXT (10.8%) and AMP-CHL-TET-SXT (8.1%). Among carcass isolates, 51.7% (31/60) were deemed resistant, most frequently to NAL (18.4) and TET (15.8%). Additionally, the most common MDR phenotypes among carcass isolates were the phenotype CHL-STR-TET-SXT (10.5%) and the phenotype CHL-NAL-STR-TET-SXT (7.9%). No significant differences were found between the resistance patterns across multiple antibiotics (p-value > 0.05). ConclusionIn Mexico, antimicrobial resistance, and in particular, multidrug-resistance may be of concern due to the high prevalence of Salmonella along the beef production chain. An initial investigation like the one presented here contributes to a broader global understanding of the potential exposure to drug-resistant Salmonella through food, thus providing insight into the need for control strategies to avoid the spreading of antibiotic resistant Salmonella in Mexico.
Simulating Complex Social-Behavioral Systems

Social-behavioral systems are complex. Consequently, they are often assessed using simulation. Particularly valuable is the artificial society approach, in which the social-behavioral system is examined using an agent-based dynamic-network simulation. Historically such models were far removed from real-world systems, costly to build, difficult to maintain, and costly to validate. While these problems still exist, there are practices that, if followed, reduce these problems, support model re-uses, and increase model scalability and veridicality. The practices are predicated on the assumption that context matters. Consequently the purpose of the simulation drives how the model is built, analyzed and validated. These practices are rooted in the unalterable fact that human systems are distinct from physical and mechanical systems and so require fundamentally different types of, and guidelines for, modeling and validation.
Origin and Nature of Electromagnetic Interference in X-band Weather Radars

Weather radars are experiencing an increasing amount of strong interferences caused by artificial radio sources, such as telecommunications systems, with a negative impact on radar quantitative measurements. In most European countries, operational weather radars operate at the C-band, in the 5.6 GHz frequency band, which is shared with Radio Local Area Networks (RLAN) and Wireless Local Area Networks. The impact of these telecommunications systems in weather radar measurements has been already discussed in literature.
Outcomes of Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT) in Patients with t (11;14) Multiple Myeloma(MM)

Introduction MM is a clonal disorder of malignant plasma cells. Standard of care for newly diagnosed MM is induction with triplet regimen chemotherapy followed by ASCT. Patients are stratified based on cytogenetic analysis as being high risk and standard risk. t(11;14) comprises ∼ 15-20% of newly diagnosed MM, making it the most common translocation. t(11;14) has been classified as standard risk. However, it is now increasingly being considered as intermediate risk, conferring inferior outcome compared with standard-risk MM.(Walker, Wardell et al. 2012) Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 806 pts with newly diagnosed MM who underwent ASCT at our institution. Pts were stratified as high risk in the presence of t(4;14), t(14;16), gain 1q or del17p.by FISH. PFS and OS rates were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank tests were used to compare the PFS and OS between the two groups. The Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR). Results Among 806 patients, 156 pts (19.4%) were positive for t(11;14). 81.5% of pts were 65 yrs or younger, and 59% were males. There were no significant differences in pt characteristics (see table) Median PFS from ASCT in pts with t(11;14) was 3.0 yrs (95% CI: 2.3-4.3) vs. 3.3 yrs (95% CI: 2.8-3.8) in those without t(11;14)[HR=1.03, 95% CI: 0.82-1.29, p=0.81. There was no statistical difference in OS from ASCT [HR of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.70-1.33, p 0.84)]. 5 yr PFS rate was 37% for pts with t(11;14) & 53% in pts without. 5 yr OS rate was 65% for pts with t(11;14) & 66% for those without. Conclusion t(11;14) is a common cytogenetic abnormality in MM. According to our analysis, there is no significant difference in outcomes following ASCT in both high risk and standard risk subgroups. t(11;14) MM is predicted to be BCL-2 dependent and the use of BCL-2 inhibitors in induction or post-ASCT maintenance is an attractive option to improve outcomes.
Salivary Bioscience Research in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine

Since their inception, the fields of health psychology and behavioral medicine have largely adopted a biopsychosocial approach to understanding health and the manner in which psychological and social factors “get under the skin.” Facilitated by advances in salivary bioscience, great strides over the past several decades have been made in understanding the biological processes by which such factors influence health and disease. Health psychology and behavioral medicine research have integrated advanced clinical and laboratory assessments of relevant immune system and neuroendocrine markers in saliva to identify mechanisms, stress processes, and evaluate the impact of clinical intervention on physiological systems. This chapter highlights contributions of salivary bioscience to health psychology and behavioral medicine with an emphasis on research related to understanding adjustment to chronic illness and the influence of psychological and social factors on disease processes. Research utilizing salivary markers of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity, sympathetic nervous system activation, as well as other neuroendocrine and immune processes has greatly contributed to our understanding of psychological adaptation to illness and the composition of clusters of adjustment-related symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and depression. In addition, documented changes in salivary levels of health-relevant biomarkers in response to behavioral interventions have contributed to a new definition of intervention efficacy. This broad synthesis of the literature emphasizes a more integrated biopsychosocial framework for understanding health and well-being.
Mesozooplankton grazing minimally impacts phytoplankton abundance during spring in the western North Atlantic.

The impacts of grazing by meso- and microzooplankton on phytoplankton primary production (PP) was investigated in the surface layer of the western North Atlantic during spring. Shipboard experiments were performed on a latitudinal transect at three stations that differed in mixed layer depth, temperature, and mesozooplankton taxonomic composition. The mesozooplankton community was numerically dominated by Calanus finmarchicus at the northern and central station, with Calanus hyperboreus also present at the northern station. The southern station was >10 °C warmer than the other stations and had the most diverse mesozooplankton assemblage, dominated by small copepods including Paracalanus spp. Microzooplankton grazing was detected only at the northern station, where it removed 97% of PP. Estimated clearance rates by C. hyperboreus and C. finmarchicus suggested that at in-situ abundance these mesozooplankton were not likely to have a major impact on phytoplankton abundance, unless locally aggregated. Although mesozooplankton grazing impact on total phytoplankton was minimal, these grazers completely removed the numerically scarce > 10 µm particles, altering the particle-size spectrum. At the southern station, grazing by the whole mesozooplankton assemblage resulted in a removal of 14% of PP, and its effect on net phytoplankton growth rate was similar irrespective of ambient light. In contrast, reduction in light availability had an approximately 3-fold greater impact on net phytoplankton growth rate than mesozooplankton grazing pressure. The low mesozooplankton grazing impact across stations suggests limited mesozooplankton-mediated vertical export of phytoplankton production. The constraints provided here on trophic transfer, as well as quantitative estimates of the relative contribution of light and grazer controls of PP and of grazer-induced shifts in particle size spectra, illuminate food web dynamics and aid in parameterizing modeling-frameworks assessing global elemental fluxes and carbon export.
Between the Cracks: Filling Space with Polygonal Shapes

A proof is given, for a large class of polygons, of a conjecture of Shier concerning his algorithm for the disjoint but otherwise random placement of successively smaller copies of an arbitrary sha...
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance and Cardio Metabolic Markers in Firefighters.

Objective To evaluate if serum polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were associated with cardiometabolic markers. Methods Serum PFAS were evaluated in 38 Arizona firefighters and 49 participants from the 2009 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Cardiometabolic markers including carotid intima-medial thickness (CIMT) were measured in the firefighters. Results Firefighters had elevated perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and lower perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA) compared to NHANES participants; for nine of the other 12 PFAS the values were not significantly different. There were significant negative associations among firefighters between perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA) and total cholesterol and PFUA and interleukin-6. PFAS concentrations were not associated with CIMT. Conclusion PFHxS levels were elevated in firefighters compared to NHANES subjects. Serum PFAS concentrations were not associated with increased cardiometabolic risk measures in this population of firefighters.
Extreme dimensions - how big (or small) can tailed phages be?

This month’s Genome Watch highlights the search for unusually large (or small) tailed phages driven by metagenomics. This month’s Genome Watch highlights the search for unusually large (or small) tailed phages driven by metagenomics.
Increased mortality among smokers with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

e19036Background: Recent studies have shown smoking to be an independent risk factor for MDS. We aimed to assess whether smoking is associated with worse outcomes among patients (pts) with MDS at M...
A dose-sensitive OGT-TET3 complex is necessary for normal Xist RNA distribution and function

Author(s): Martin, Elizabeth Allene | Advisor(s): Panning, Barbara | Abstract: Female (XX) mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) differ from their male (XY) counterparts because they have lower levels of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). This difference in DNA modifications is a result of having two X chromosomes (Xs), both of which are active at this developmental stage. To test whether OGT is one of the X-linked proteins that regulate 5mC and 5hmC in mESCs, we manipulated OGT dose in XX and XY mESCs. We found that OGT abundance controls cytosine modifications, implicating OGT targets in 5mC and 5hmC regulation. Our quantitative comparison of the O-GlcNAcylated proteome in XX and XY mESCs revealed that O-GlcNAc modified TET3 peptides were more abundant in XX mESCs, which reflected an increase in TET3 amount in these cells. In addition to differing in abundance, TET3 and OGT distribution were also different in XX and XY mESCs. In XX cells, TET3 and OGT were enriched in the nucleus, while they were predominantly cytoplasmic in XY cells. TET3 and OGT occur in different high molecular weight complexes in XX and XY mESCs. When OGT is expressed from one X in XX mESCs, OGT and TET3 are predominantly cytoplasmic and 5mC/5hmC levels increase, indicating that OGT is one X-linked regulator of DNA cytosine modifications. To directly query whether TET3 is necessary for the female-specific 5mC and 5hmC in mESCs we generated homozygous TET3 mutant XX mESCs. In these cells, 5mC and 5hmC levels were decreased relative to wildtype XX mESCs, without dramatic gene expression changes. To investigate the developmental significance of TET3, examined the effects of this mutation on the ability of cells to undergo X chromosome inactivation (XCI) an epigenetic change that occurs when mESCs are differentiated into the next developmental stage, epiblast-like (mEpiL) cells. The establishment of XCI is characterized by the up-regulation of a non-coding RNA, Xist RNA, which remains in the nucleus and ‘coats’ the X concomitant with silencing. In TET3 mutant XX mEpiLCs Xist RNA exhibits abnormal distribution and silencing defects. These results link the activity of a dose-sensitive complex containing X and autosomal proteins to regulation of cytosine DNA modifications and XCI.
Holistic 2.5D Chiplet Design Flow: A 65nm Shared-Block Microcontroller Case Study

Traditionally, different components of a system are integrated through Printed Circuit Boards (PCB). The long traces on PCB have severe power loss and limit the bandwidth of the interconnects between the components. Advanced packaging offers high-bandwidth, low power, and high-performance inter-die communications with compact sizes and dense pin arrays. 2.5D integration further provides better thermal dissipation, lower cost, and higher yield compared to 3D stacking. Novel CAD tool flows dedicated to 2.5D chiplet designs are essential to enable flexible and efficient 2.5D system designs. In this paper, we present our design, optimization, and analysis methodologies and a design case study implementing an ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller system using a holistic 2.5D tool flow. We use TSMC 65nm as our chiplet implementation technology with a modified metal stack referring to 2.5D Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging (FOWLP) solutions. We also discuss design techniques for chiplet reuse and the Drop-in design approach to develop low-power, low-cost, and high-performance flavors of a 2.5D system. We compare the 2.5D system with its 2D counterpart to validate the holistic design flow.
Climate change education for transformation: exploring the affective and attitudinal dimensions of children’s learning and action

In response to growing recognition for the mental health impacts of climate change, understanding the full range of children’s psychological experiences in climate change education (CCE) contexts i...
Solubilization chromatography : Ketones

Abstract The elution of ketones through ion-exchange resins with aqueous solutions of acetic acid or the lower alcohols as eluents has been studied. A mixture of seven ketones, the highest being undecanone-2, was separated by this technique. The elution of ketones with aqueous solutions of a salting-in salt was also studied.
Nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia in guinea pigs: influence of diets containing beets with varying amounts of nitrate, and the effect of ascorbic acid, and methionine.

Experiments were conducted with young, male guinea pigs to investigate the influence of feeding a vegetable with naturally occurring low and high amounts of nitrate, and the influence of dietary supplementation of ascorbic acid and methionine on nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia. Freeze-dried red table beets were incorporated into experimental diets. They contained either a low or high amount of nitrate from manipulation of nitrogen fertilization rates during their growing period. High nitrate- containing beet diets, or nitrate added to diets, did not induce methemoglobinemia. High nitrate diets fed to guinea pigs enhanced nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia. Low nitrate-containing beet diets seemed to "protect" guinea pigs from nitrite toxicosis. Purified diets containing \% added L-ascorbic acid slightly reduced nitrite-induced methemoglobin blood levels of normal guinea pigs compared to those fed 0.02% ascorbic acid, but there was an additional 50% reduction when 1% methionine and 1% or 2% ascorbic acid were included in the diet. J. Nutr. 103: 419-424, 1973.
Legacies Versus Politics: Herbert Hoover, Partisan Conflict, and the Symbolic Appeal of Associationalism in the 1920s

The concept of a policy legacy has come into widespread use among scholars in history and the social sciences, yet the concept has not been subject to close scrutiny. We suggest that policy legacies tend to underexplain outcomes and minimize conventional politics and historical contingencies. These tendencies are evident in the revisionist literature on American politics in the aftermath of the First World War. That work stresses continuities between wartime mobilization and postwar policy, especially under the auspices of Herbert Hoover and the Commerce Department. We maintain that a rupture marks the transition between the war and the Republican era that followed and that the emphasis on wartime legacies distorts the political realities of the Harding–Coolidge era. We conclude by noting the risks of policy legacy approaches in historical analysis.
Mechanism of known environmental teratogens: drugs and chemicals.

Basic principles of teratology and mechanisms of teratogenesis applicable to human exposures to environmental drags and chemicals are discussed. The available clinical and experimental animal literature on environmental agents alleged or known to cause human malformations Is critically reviewed and summarized.
Bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble: 21 cm measurements of the high-redshift universe

I review the potential insights to be gained from 21 cm measurements of the high-redshift universe. At the highest redshifts (z ~ 30– 150), the gas appears in absorption against the cosmic microwave background (CMB) because collisions drive the spin temperature T_S below the CMB temperature T_(CMB). In this epoch, 21 cm fluctuations trace the matter power spectrum and its growth history. At z < 30, collisions become inefficient and T_S → T_(CMB). However, hot collapsed minihalos and proto-filaments in the cosmic web appear in emission, allowing us to trace the beginnings of structure formation. Once the first luminous objects appear, they flood the universe with Lyα photons. Fluctuations in the radiation field induce 21 cm fluctuations through variations in the coupling between the spin and kinetic temperatures of the gas. The temperature fluctuations saturate once the radiation background becomes substantial and X-rays have efficiently heated the universe. During this reionization era the 21 cm signal traces the gas density and the ionization field. The resulting fluctuations will offer enormous insight into the nature of the sources driving reionization and their interactions with the intergalactic medium.
Cache conscious Walsh-Hadamard transform

The Walsh-Hadamard Transform (WHT) is an important algorithm in signal processing because of its simplicity. However, in computing large size WHT, non-unit stride access results in poor cache performance leading to severe degradation in performance. This poor cache performance is also a critical problem in achieving high performance in other large size signal transforms. We develop a cache friendly technique that improves the performance of large size WHT. In our approach, data reorganization is performed between computation stages to reduce cache pollution. Furthermore, we develop an efficient search algorithm to determine the optimal factorization tree based upon problem size and stride access in the decomposition. Experimental results show that our approach achieves up to 180% performance improvement over the state of the art package on Alpha 21264 and MIPS R10000. In addition, the proposed optimization is applicable to other signal transforms and is portable across various platforms.
Ultrafast pump-probe reflectance study of multiferroic Eu 0.75 Y 0.25 MnO 3

We measured the pump-probe reflectance relaxation time in multiferroic Eu0.75Y0.25MnO3. The relaxation time can be tuned by magnetic field and follows the temperature dependence of the low-energy spectral weight that includes phonons and electro-active magnons.
Broken symmetry and the cosmological constant

The hypothesis that the Higgs field has also a cosmological character is proposed. The experimental consequences are an upper limit on the mass of the scalar boson, ${m}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}l4.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}27}{m}_{e}$, and an implication that the universe will recontract.
Exploring Variations in Contracting for Services Among American Local Governments: Do Politics Still Matter?

During the previous two decades, researchers have conducted an array of empirical studies of local government contracting for services. Some of the more recent findings have suggested that this for...
Capacity fairness of WDM networks with grooming capabilities

This paper addresses the issue of capacity fairness in WDM networks with traffic grooming capabilities, supporting lower- rate circuit-switched traffic streams. Traffic grooming in WDM networks, is defined as the act of multiplexing, demultiplexing and switching lower rate traffic streams onto higher capacity lightpaths. In such a network, in addition to add/drop and full wavelength switching features, some or all of the network nodes can be provided with the capability to switch lower-rate traffic streams from one wavelength on an input port to another wavelength on an output port. Call requests arrive randomly and can request a lower-rate traffic connection to be established between the node pair. The call requests that ask for capacity nearer to the full wavelength capacity are bound to experience higher blocking than those that ask for a smaller fraction. This difference in loss performance is more pronounced as the traffic switching capability of the network is increased. In this paper, we study the capacity fairness of existing dynamic wavelength assignment algorithms.