cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bottom Boundary Layer Flow Profiling System: ABSTRACT

An autonomous profiling system is being developed to measure physical and optical properties in ocean-bottom boundary layers. System sensors will include electromagnetic current meters, temperature sensors, transmissometers, and water sample bottles affixed in a vertical array to a bottom-supported instrument frame at heights ranging from 0.25-5.00 m (1-16 ft) above its base. The instrumentation will measure high-frequency property fluctuations (5 Hz) as well as mean values. High-capacity tape recorders will permit unattended deployments for up to 3 months. Field tests will be conducted in the Gulf of Mexico. The stress exerted by currents on the sea bottom is an important parameter in sedimentologic studies. The level of bottom stress governs the occurrence and the mode (suspension or bed load) of sediment transport. Of particular importance to the determination of bottom stress is the accurate quantification of stress components containing a vertical turbulent velocity term. Direct measurements of this and other high-frequency quantities that control the rates of erosion, deposition, and scour will provide a better understanding of sediment transport dynamics in modern environments and permit the development of rigorous criteria for interpreting ancient marine deposits. Ocean-bottom boundary layers are characterized by high turbulence levels. An understanding of the flow dynamics thus requires a knowledge of the turbulence field. A large body of evidence indicates that suspended sediment modifies flow dynamics by changing the characteristics of both the mean and turbulence fields. An important change is the reduction in the magnitude and change in direction of the bottom stress. The profiling system will measure turbulence and suspended-sediment quantities contemporaneously. This sampling scheme will allow the determination of flow-sediment interactions and, for the first time, will provide data necessary for the validation of theoretical models of particle-laden flow. The profiling system is a third-generation device that has an improved capability over any other existing profilers. It is the only one with the capability of evaluating the effects on currents and bottom stress of suspended sediments or temperature gradients very near the sea bed. End_of_Article - Last_Page 447------------
Effects of interstitial cystitis on the acoustic startle reflex in cats.

Objective—To compare acoustic startle reflexes (ASRs) of healthy cats and cats with interstitial cystitis (IC). Animals—28 healthy cats (11 males and 17 females) and 20 cats with IC (13 males and 7 females). Procedures—To evaluate the effect of neutering on ASRs, ASRs in neutered and unneutered healthy cats were measured. To evaluate the effect of housing facility acclimation on ASRs in cats with IC, ASRs were measured in cats with IC within 1 month after arrival at the housing facility and again 2 to 3 months after arrival. To evaluate the effect of the environment on ASRs, ASRs were evaluated in all cats with and without IC after acclimation but before and then after environmental enrichment. Results—Neutering led to a significant decrease in overall ASR in the healthy cats. Habituation to the housing facility resulted in a significant decrease in overall ASR of female but not male cats with IC. Environmental enrichment led to a significant decrease in ASR in cats with IC but not in healthy cats. Conclu...
Aging 5 Years in 5 Minutes: The Effect of Taking a Memory Test on Older Adults’ Subjective Age

How old one feels-one's subjective age-has been shown to predict important psychological and health outcomes. The current studies examined the effect of taking a standard memory test on older adults' subjective age. Study 1 showed that older adults felt older after taking a standard neuropsychological screening test and participating in a free-recall experiment than they felt at baseline. Study 2 showed that the effect was selective to older adults: Younger adults' subjective age was not affected by participating in the memory experiment. Study 3 showed that the subjective-aging effect was specific to memory, as taking a vocabulary test for a similar amount of time did not affect older adults' subjective age. Finally, Study 4 showed that simply expecting to take a memory test subjectively aged older adults. The results indicate that being in a memory-testing context affects older adults' self-perception by making them feel older.
Strategy, Selection, and Candidate Competition in U.S. House and Senate Elections

In the context of congressional elections research on candidate competition, two lines of inquiry have received a considerable amount of scholarly attention. The first deals with the issue of strategic candidate emergence in seeking to identify the conditions under which experienced candidates will challenge incumbents. The second focuses on the question of incumbents' career choices, particularly in terms of their decisions to seek reelection or retire. While past research has treated these questions as mutually exclusive, I argue in this article that such explanations are incomplete due to the complementary nature of the approaches. To unify these related research agendas, I develop a theoretical model of strategic interaction between congressional challengers and incumbents and test the model with House and Senate elections data from 1976 to 2000 using a strategic probit technique. The results both confirm and challenge a number of findings in the literature on candidate competition.
Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and susceptibility to targeted therapy in lung cancer

According to 2002 estimates, 1.35 million people were diagnosed with and 1.18 million died of lung cancer worldwide. Recently, a new class of medications targeting signal transduction pathways has come into focus in the treatment of various malignancies. In lung cancer, the molecules gefitinib and erlotinib which target the intracellular kinase domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), cause significant tumour responses and, in the case of erlotinib, a survival benefit in patients with previously treated cancers. Responses were most pronounced in female non-smokers with adenocarcinoma histology. These patients were found more likely to harbour mutations of the receptor kinase domain, including in-frame deletions in exon 19 (such as deletions of codons 746-750) and point deletions in exon 21 (such as L858R). Other EGFR kinase domain mutations have been found to confer resistance (T790M) or differential susceptibility to erlotinib and gefitinib (E884K). Gene amplification of EGFR also may predict sensitivity, although the mechanism by which this occurs is unclear, because level of expression detected by immunohistochemistry has not been correlated with increased sensitivity. Phenotypic and genotypic epithelial to mesenchymal transition may be an indicator of resistance to EGFR kinase inhibitors. In this article, we review efforts that have been undertaken to identify genomic determinants of drug susceptibility to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, with particular focus on the role of gene mutations.
Dynamics of Nasal Irritation from Pulsed Homologous Alcohols

Relatively, few studies have focused on how nasal irritation changes over time. To simulate the rhythm of natural respiration, subjects received 3-s pulses of volatile organic compounds interspersed with 3-s pulses of clean air. Each trial, subjects received 9 pulses of a chemical vapor over about 1 min. Subjects rated nasal irritation from each pulse using magnitude estimation. Within a trial, compound and concentration were fixed. Compound (ethanol, n-butanol, or n-hexanol) and concentration (4 levels for each compound) varied across trials. For all stimuli, rated irritation decreased over time (adaptation). Plots of log-rated intensity versus elapsed time were approximately linear (intensity decreased by a fixed ratio per unit time). Interestingly, the slopes of intensity versus time functions differed very little: Regardless of concentration and compound, rated irritation decreased by about 32% over the 9 pulses. The basic mechanism of short-term adaptation may be the same for the 3 alcohols studied. Regardless, these data suggest that very simple models might be able to describe some aspects of perceptual dynamics quite well.
Reactions of [MCl2(Ph2PCH2SCH3)2] (M = Pd or Pt) with [Rh2(μ-Cl)2(CO)4]. Preparation of a Ph2PCH2SCH3-bridged palladium-rhodium complex

Abstract When cis -[PtCl 2 (Ph 2 PCH 2 SCH 3 ) 2 ] and [Rh 2 (μ-Cl) 2 (CO) 4 ] are allowed to react at ambient temperature cis -[PtCl 2 (CO)(Ph 2 PCH 2 SCH 3 )] and [Rh 2 Cl 2 (CO) 2 (μ-Ph 2 PCH 2 SCH 3 ) 2 ] are formed. By performing the reaction at −50°C the intermediate [PtCl(Ph 2 PCH 2 SCH 3 ) 2 ][RhCl 2 (CO) 2 ] may be identified. In contrast [PdCl 2 (Ph 2 PCH 2 SCH 3 ) 2 ] reacts with [Rh 2 (μ-Cl) 2 (CO) 4 ] tp yield the mixed metal complex [PdRhCl 3 (CO)(μ-Ph 2 PCH 2 SCH 3 ) 2 ].
Protamine 1: Protamine 2 stoichiometry in the sperm of eutherian mammals*

We have compared the relative proportion of protamine 1 (P1) and protamine 2 (P2) bound to DNA in the sperm of a variety of eutherian mammals to obtain insight into how these two proteins interact in sperm chromatin. Gel electrophoresis (combined with microdensitometry) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to determine the content of the two protamines, and the identity of each protein was confirmed by amino-terminal sequencing or amino acid analysis. The sperm of all species examined contained P1, but P2 was found to be present only in certain species. Unlike the fixed ratio of core histones that package DNA into nucleosomes in all somatic cells, the proportion of P2 present in mature sperm was found to be continuously variable from 0 to nearly 80%. These results show that P1 and P2 do not interact with each other or DNA to form a discrete complex or subunit structure that is dependent upon particular P1/P2 stoichiometries. Data obtained from a number of closely and distantly related species also indicate that while the P2 content of sperm chromatin is allowed to vary over a wide range during the course of evolution, the relative proportion of P1 and P2 are tightly regulated within a genus.
ADMA: its role in vascular disease

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is the most potent endogenous vasodilator and, by virtue of its anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic effects, it is an endogenous anti-atherogenic agent. Accordingly, impairment of NO synthesis or bioactivity may increase the risk of vascular disease. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of the NO synthase pathway. Plasma levels of ADMA are increased in patients with vascular disease, or with risk factors for vascular disease. Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that ADMA may mediate the adverse effects of traditional risk factors on endothelial vasodilator function. By impairing endothelial function, ADMA may contribute to pulmonary or systemic hypertension, as well as to vascular disease. Several drugs known to treat cardiovascular disease also reduce plasma ADMA levels, such as angiotensin receptor antagonists, converting enzyme inhibitors, and insulin sensitizing agents. Plasma ADMA may be a common mediator of endothelial dysfunction induced by vascular risk factors. Insights into the mechanisms by which plasma ADMA is regulated may lead to new therapeutic knowledge.
Financial Constraints, Antitakeover Protection, and Corporate Innovation: An Empirical Analysis using Antitakeover Legislation

We examine the impact of financial constraints on the relation between antitakeover protection and corporate innovation. On one hand, potential information asymmetry problems in financially constrained firms can exacerbate the entrenchment effect associated with increased antitakeover protection. On the other hand, the disciplinary role of financial constraints in the deployment of corporate resources can mitigate the entrenchment effect, allowing the shareholder interest effect to dominate. Using the passage of business combination (BC) laws to identify an exogenous variation in antitakeover protection, we find that corporate innovative activities significantly increase in the post-adoption periods for financially constrained firms incorporated in states that adopted the laws, evidence that is consistent with the mitigating effect hypothesis. Our results are robust to controlling for firm and year fixed effects, and are not subject to potential reverse causality in the passage of antitakeover laws.
THE EFFECT OF AGE AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ON DEALATION IN SOLENOPSIS INVICTA (HYMENOPTERA:FORMICIDAE) FEMALE ALATES

The fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) queen produces a primer pheromone that prevents dealation (wing removal) of cohabiting female alates presumably by suppressing endogenous titers of juvenile hormone (JH). Alates are released from the effects of this primer pheromone when they are separated from the queen by physical disturbance, queen death, or mating flights. We investigated whether maturity influences the time at which female alates shed their wings. Results indicated that dealation rates were not different for newly-eclosed (sexually immature) or sexually mature alates. The dealation inhibitory pheromone did not suppress the casting of wings in newly-eclosed female alates that were relieved of their antennae. Dealation normally occurs within 1 h of a mating flight, whereas uninseminated alates isolated from colony members shed their wings significantly later. Therefore, dealation in the context of the colony and after mating flights appears to occur via separate mechanisms.
H2O2 signals 5-HT-induced ERK MAP kinase activation and mitogenesis of smooth muscle cells

Our previous studies have shown that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) induces cellular hyperplasia/hypertrophy through protein tyrosine phosphorylation, rapid formation of superoxide (O 2 − ), and extrac...
On The Interaction of ESD, NBTI and HCI in 65nm Technology

A comprehensive study on the interaction between ESD, NBTI and HCI on silicide blocked (SBLK) PFET devices is presented for a state-of-the-art 65nm bulk technology. ESD behavior of thin and thick oxide devices are shown to have opposite channel length dependence. The study of NBTI-ESD interaction on thin oxides devices shows that non-destructive ESD pre-stressing worsens the NBTI degradation. On the other hand NBTI pre-stressed thick oxide devices show high on-resistance during ESD characterization. It is shown that in thin oxide long channel length devices at high temperature pure NBTI is the worst case degradation mode whereas in short channel length devices combined "HC-NBTI" degradation dominates. Furthermore, we observed that while a SBLK PFET is HC stressed at high temperature then NBTI also takes place simultaneously, resulting in "HC-NBTI" co-activation, which is found to be channel length dependent. Finally, we have shown that HC degradation is worse at high temperature than at room temperatures due to this NBTI co-activation.
Active Server Pages

Active Server Pages (ASP) and ASP.NET are two popular server-side programming technologies developed by Microsoft Corporation. They are used for Web-based applications such as online storefront, Web-based e-mail, human resources systems, inventory systems, online banking, and informational sites. The ASP framework was introduced in 1997 and quickly gained popularity due to its relative ease of use. ASP.NET was introduced in 2002 and offers rich functionality through a large “base class library” of built-in objects. It is a central component of Microsoft's .NET strategy and has extensive support for Web services using XML and SOAP. It is designed to offer the scalability, reliability, security, and functionality required by large-scale corporate information systems. Keywords: .NET strategy; ASP.NET; object-oriented programming languages; script; scripting languages; server-side programming technologies
The Latin textual basis of Genesis A

Received scholarly opinion regards Genesis A as an Old English versification of the Latin text of Genesis in Jerome's Vulgate revision of the bible. This view has prevailed in modern editions of the poem, which normally print a critical text of the Vulgate Genesis in their apparatus. The textual basis of Genesis A is perhaps ‘vulgate’ in character in so far as the poem renders Genesis readings that were commonly known in Anglo-Saxon England, but the identification of this base text with that of the Hieronymian Vulgate remains an untested hypothesis. Ten years ago A. N. Doane printed a list of readings in the Old English text which show affinity with the ancient versions of Genesis that emerged before the completion of Jerome's translation, readings associted with the Vetus Latina or Old Latin bible. Doane did not, however, challenge the long-standing belief that Genesis A follows a single, lost exemplar that contained in all essentials the text established by Jerome. The present study attempts to survey, without any preconceptions, all the details in the poem that might derive from Latin sources; its intention is to make a first step towards the recovery of the Latin textual basis of Genesis A.
Zoogeographical relationships of the littoral ascidiofauna around the Antarctic Peninsula, in the Scotia Arc and in the Magellan region*

Three Spanish Antarctic research cruises (Ant-8611, Bentart-94 and Bentart-95) were carried out in the South Shetland Archipelago (Antarctic Peninsula) and Scotia Arc (South Orkney, South Sandwich and South Georgia archipelagos) on the continental shelf and upper slope (10-600 m depth). They have contributed to our knowledge about ascidian distribution and the zoogeographical relationships with the neighbouring areas and the other Subantarctic islands. The distribution of ascidian species suggests that the Scotia Arc is divided into two sectors, the South Orkney Archipelago, related to the Antarctic Province, and the South Georgia Archipelago (probably including the South Sandwich Archipelago), which is intermediate between the Antarctic Province and the Magellan region.
Cat scratch disease.

Introduction Cat scratch disease (CSD), a regional lymphadenitis affecting those lymph nodes draining dermal and/or conjunctival sites of inoculation, probably is the most common cause of chronic lymphadenopathy among children and adolescents. Adults account for only 10% to 20% of cases. It usually presents as a benign, self-limited disease involving tender regional lymphadenopathy that frequently has been present for 3 weeks or longer. In most cases the infection is preceded by a cat scratch or other close contact with a cat (generally an immature one). This infection9s association with cat scratches was described first by Robert Debre in 1931. Since then, the spectrum of CSD has been expanded to include the presence of various skin rashes, such as erythema nodosum and erythema multiforme, ocular involvement, and constitutional symptoms such as fatigue and fever. In addition, many case reports of CSD have included descriptions of atypical clinical manifestations such as central nervous system involvement, arthritis, osteomyelitis, and severe chronic systemic disease. Most recently, two possible etiologic agents of CSD have been identified: a fastidious, pleomorphic gram-negative bacillus, Afipia felis, and a rickettsial pathogen named Rochalimaea henselae. Epidemiology CSD appears to occur worldwide and is seen in all regions of the United States. Cases may be seen sporadically all year long, but it appears to have a seasonal preference.
Plant genus Elaeagnus: underutilized lycopene and linoleic acid reserve with permaculture potential

Introduction. Elaeagnus is a genus in family Elaeagnaceae found wild or grown as ornamental plants for its dense shrub-like structure, fragrant blossoms and silvery foliage. However, in recent times a convincing number of findings supporting the nutritional potential of its fruit has been published. Materials and methods. A literature search was conducted using the keywords ‘elaeagnus ’ ‘silverberry’, ‘oleaster’, ‘antioxidant’ and ‘permaculture’ to compile a meaningful review for fueling research interest on this genus. The nutritional and pharmacological relevance of genus Elaeagnus was explored and human health-related nutrients identified. Results and discussion . The tiny oblong fruit of genus Elaeagnus with red flesh and pericarp speckled with gold and silvery spots have been found to be edible. In fact, it has shown promise to be developed as a functional food owing to its richness in antioxidants phenolics acids (benzoic acid, cinnamic acid) and flavonoids (myricetin, epigallocatechin gallate). An abundance of antoxidant lycopene in its fruit has been revealed. The perceived health benefits of the fruit are blood alcohol removal, pain alleviation, wound healing, cancer prevention, antimicrobial and expectorant etc. Conclusion. Despite immense food and medicinal potential, the fruit of this genus are languishing in obscurity, and yet to reach mainstream market.
The Sonic Witness: On the Political Potential of Field Recordings in Acoustic Art

ABSTRACT Contemporary sonic artworks often use field recordings from places of historic or social significance to address political issues. This article discusses relevant works for radio and fixed media by Peter Cusack, Jacob Kirkegaard, Eliska Cilkova, Anna Friz and Public Studio, Stephane Garin and Sylvestre Gobart, Ultra-red, and Matthew Herbert and outlines how they use both audio and visual/textual information to create awareness of the issues inscribed in these places, from current environmental concerns to the memory of genocide and displacement.
Integrating Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback into Mindfulness-Based Therapies

Practitioners using heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) often must supplement the biofeedback training with other therapeutic techniques. In this article, I describe some of the ways in which my interns and I integrate a mindfulness-based therapy called ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) into our biofeedback based clinical protocols. I describe some aspects of the HRVB, provide a short overview of ACT, and discuss how they can be combined.
HYPNOTIC TRANCE: The Old and the New

It has been a long and tumultuous journey for the practice of hypnosis. From the temples of ancient Greece to the hospitals of the 20th century, hypnosis has proven itself time and again to be an effective medical and psychological intervention. The responsibility now lies with clinicians and researchers to continue this practice into the 21st century and beyond.
A Method Used to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the College Teacher

QNE of the topics often discussed when professors get together is the recognition of excellence in teaching. Portions of two workshops held for agricultural economists in 1962 and 1963 were devoted to "classroom instruction and teaching methods" and "standards of excellence for effective teaching."2 R. L. Kohls wrote an article entitled "A Proposal for Improving Extension and Collegiate Teaching," which appeared in the May 1964 JOURNAL OF FARM ECONOMICS. Kohls argues in part that "what is needed is a conscious effort to restore professional status to the teaching function and also to devise ways of measuring and awarding differentials in quality of teaching activities."3 This paper presents a method used at Rutgers-The State University, to measure the effectiveness of the teacher.
24 – COUPLED LINEAR STEADY STATES

This chapter focuses on coupled linear steady state that truly comes into its own when spontaneous vector processes that are coupled—that is, occur simultaneously and influence each other. It is useful to consider certain features in the thermodynamics of coupled linear steady states that parallel concepts in equilibrium thermodynamics. While they are not strict analogies, these correspondences do help in understanding the formal aspects of linear steady-state thermodynamics. In the thermodynamics of coupled linear steady states one employs the parallel concepts of the entropy production and energy retention representations to express the generalized fluxes and forces—the phenomenological equations and phenomenological coefficients—as well as the quantities of transport in terms of one or the other of the two pivotal functions. Although different in form, the two representations are entirely equivalent just as the entropy and energy representations of equilibrium thermodynamics.
FLOW AND ACOUSTIC RADIATION FROM REALISTIC TACTICAL JET C-D NOZZLES

This paper describes a study of sound generated by supersonic jets such as those emanating from the exhausts of high-performance military aircraft. Four different nozzles are employed: one convergent nozzle and three convergent-divergent nozzles with design Mach numbers of 1.3, 1.5 and 1.65. All four nozzles have been built as laboratory-scale test articles and large-eddy simulations have been applied to jet flows from the C-D nozzle with a design Mach number of 1.5. They are all studied at their design Mach number and at an underexpanded condition. The convergentdivergent nozzles are also studied at an overexpanded condition. CFD and shadowgraph both show that these nozzles produce a shock at the nozzle throat which is present whether the nozzle is operated at design or offdesign. Acoustic measurements also show that shock-associated noise is generated even at the design condition. Examination of the curve of OASPL as a function of fully-expanded Mach number has found no minimum at or near the design Mach number.
Temperature and Reproductive Success in Oncopeltus fasciatus, O. unifasciatellus, Lygaeus kalmii, and L. turcicus

The influence of temperature on insects, as well as a variety of other organisms, has been the subject of much study, especially with respect to such physiological functions as metabolism, growth, development, and diapause (Andrewartha and Birch 1954, Bursell 1964). Surprisingly little attention, however, has been paid to the relationship between temperature and reproductive success, although this is of critical importance in any analysis of species distribution. It is our purpose to consider briefly this relationship by comparing 4 ecologically similar species of insects with differing geographical ranges, including both tropical and temperate regions.
New perspectives in transplantation through intravital microscopy imaging.

Purpose of review Rejection of transplanted organs is a complex and highly dynamic immune process. Two-photon laser-scanning intravital microscopy (LSIM) allows for real-time, deep tissue, high-resolution imaging in physiological conditions. The recent application of this technology to study organ rejection started to provide a clearer picture of the spatiotemporal immunological dynamics of organ rejection. Recent findings To date, LSIM has been applied to transplanted skin, islet, and kidney in mice, as well to constantly moving organs such as transplanted lung and heart. To characterize the dynamics of innate and adaptive immune cell infiltration, time-lapse imaging of various fluorescent-reporter mice was performed. Overall, these studies revealed differences between the anatomical location of infiltrating neutrophils and monocytes in various transplanted organs. In addition, the dynamics of lymphocytic infiltration revealed different transendothelial migration routes in vascularized versus nonvascularized transplanted tissues. Summary LSIM is a very powerful tool that can be used to carefully dissect the immune cells dynamics in rejection and in tolerance induction in transplantation. Many dynamic biological processes can only be investigated using LSIM. Thus, LSIM promises to greatly enhance our knowledge in transplantation immunobiology and will help tailoring specific therapeutics in relation to the transplanted tissue.
CONCURRENT VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF 2D KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF FRONTAL PLANE MOTION DURING RUNNING

Purpose: Three‐dimensional motion analysis is the “gold standard” for evaluating kinematic variables during treadmill running. However, its use is limited by temporal and financial restraints. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent validity and reliability of 2D video analysis for frontal plane kinematic variables during treadmill running.
Genetic Evidence for Differential Regulation of Corneal Epithelial and Stromal Thickness.

Central corneal thickness (CCT) is a continuously distributed quantitative trait.1–4 As a sum of the thickness of the three corneal tissue layers (the epithelium, stroma, and endothelium), CCT remains relatively stable over time within individuals, but varies widely between individuals and ethnicities.5–10 Extreme variations in CCT are often associated with rare connective tissue disorders such as brittle cornea syndrome and osteogenesis imperfecta,11–15 whereas modest differences are associated with relatively common diseases such as keratoconus16 and risk of primary open-angle glaucoma.17–19 Central corneal thickness is one of the most heritable human traits, with estimates of up to 0.95 reported.2,3,14,20–22 Despite this high heritability and the fact that CCT has been implicated in several human diseases, currently known genetic variations explain only a small fraction of this phenotypic variability. Of the genes known to influence the normal range of CCT variation, most were identified in human genome-wide association studies (GWAS).13,16,23–25 Several of the currently known CCT-influencing factors include genes that have an impact on collagen,16,24,25 a major structural component of the stromal layer. Other CCT-influencing genes have unknown function, including ZNF469, a zinc-finger encoding gene, mutations in which can cause brittle cornea syndrome.13,16,25 Although important progress has been made toward understanding how the genes identified by GWAS to date contribute to CCT variability, these account for <10% of the total heritability; the vast majority of CCT inheritance remains to be explained. Current knowledge of CCT-influencing variations points to a potentially large number of genes that might be considered as candidates based on pathway or homology predictions. One means of identifying genes that quantitatively influence CCT is phenotype-driven mouse genetics. The mouse and human cornea are very similar in structure and function,26 and are therefore likely to be influenced by similar genetic pathways. Based on the demonstration that corneal thickness is continuously distributed among inbred strains of mice,1 we have initiated approaches to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) that influence CCT. Here we report results from crosses between two inbred strains of mice. These identify several previously unknown CCT-influencing QTL, and also demonstrate that distinct genetic pathways regulate the thicknesses of the corneal epithelium and stroma.
Is Receptor Heterogeneity Relevant to the Anxiolytic Actions of Benzodiazepine Receptor Ligands

The presence of saturable, stereoselective recognition sites for benzodiazepines (BDZ) in the central nervous system (Squires and Braestrup, 1977; Mohler and Okada, 1977) provided the stimulus to synthesize and evaluate potential anxiolytics devoid of the myorelaxant and hypnotic properties associated with ‘classical’ 1,4-BDZ. During the past decade, more than half a dozen chemically distinct (that is, unrelated to 1,4-BDZ) structures have been reported to bind with high affinities to these BDZ receptors (BDZR), with at least as many compounds reported to possess anticonflict (and/or anxiolytic) actions devoid of significant hypnotic and/or myorelaxant potential (reviewed in Skolnick and Paul, 1988). Even so, the mechanism(s) by which a BDZR ligand can effect a selective anxiolytic action has not been well defined either on a molecular or neuroanatomical level. This chapter will critically review the relationship of receptor heterogeneity to the putative ‘anxioselective’ actions of BDZR ligands.
A Coarse-Grained Model of Stratum Corneum Lipids: Free Fatty Acids and Ceramide NS.

Ceramide (CER)-based biological membranes are used both experimentally and in simulations as simplified model systems of the skin barrier. Molecular dynamics studies have generally focused on simulating preassembled structures using atomistically detailed models of CERs, which limit the system sizes and time scales that can practically be probed, rendering them ineffective for studying particular phenomena, including self-assembly into bilayer and lamellar superstructures. Here, we report on the development of a coarse-grained (CG) model for CER NS, the most abundant CER in human stratum corneum. Multistate iterative Boltzmann inversion is used to derive the intermolecular pair potentials, resulting in a force field that is applicable over a range of state points and suitable for studying ceramide self-assembly. The chosen CG mapping, which includes explicit interaction sites for hydroxyl groups, captures the directional nature of hydrogen bonding and allows for accurate predictions of several key structu...
Atomic Layer Deposition of AlF3 Using Trimethylaluminum and Hydrogen Fluoride

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) of AlF3 was demonstrated using trimethylaluminum (TMA) and hydrogen fluoride (HF). The HF source was HF-pyridine. In situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurements were used to study AlF3 ALD. The AlF3 ALD film growth was examined at temperatures from 75 to 300 °C. Both the TMA and HF reactions displayed self-limiting behavior. The maximum mass gain per cycle (MGPC) of 44 ng/(cm2 cycle) for AlF3 ALD occurred at 100 °C. The MGPC values decreased at higher temperatures. The MGPC values were negative at T > 250 °C when TMA and HF were able to etch the AlF3 films. Film thicknesses were also determined using ex situ X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. The AlF3 ALD growth rate determined by the ex situ analysis was 1.43 A/cycle at 100 °C. These ex situ measurements were in excellent agreement with the in situ QCM measurements. FTIR analysis monitor...
Another tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistance mutation within the BCR-ABL kinase domain: chasing our tails?

The clonal selective pressure of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in the treatment of oncogene-addicted malignancies can result in the emergence of kinase domain ‘gatekeeper’ mutations that confer...
Critical Source Selection in Social Sensing Applications

Social sensing has emerged as a new data collection paradigm in networked sensing applications where humans are used as "sensors" to report their observations about the physical world. While many previous studies in social sensing focus on the problem of ascertaining the reliability of data sources and the correctness of their reported claims (often known as truth discovery), this paper investigates a new problem of critical source selection. The goal of this problem is to identify a subset of critical sources that can help effectively reduce the computational complexity of the original truth discovery problem and improve the accuracy of the analysis results. In this paper, we propose a new scheme, Critical Sources Selection (CSS) scheme, to find the critical set of sources by explicitly exploring both dependency and speak rate of sources. We evaluated the performance of our scheme and compared it to the state-of-the-art baselines using two data traces collected from a real world social sensing application. The results showed that our scheme significantly outperforms the baselines by finding more truthful information at a faster speed.
A Short-Term Group Intervention in the Context of Ongoing Individual Psychotherapy

During the spring of 1989, while the senior author was a psychology intern at a large medical center in New York City, she co-led a short-term, insight-oriented psychotherapy group for patients who had contracted genital herpes. Her co-leader was a male psychology intern. The second author was their supervisor in his capacity as Chief of the Group Psychotherapy Program at the same medical center.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Contributes to Mitochondrial Exhaustion of CD8+ T Cells.

Tumor antigen-specific T cells rapidly lose energy and effector function in tumors. The cellular mechanisms by which energy loss and inhibition of effector function occur in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are ill-defined, and methods to identify tumor antigen-specific TILs that experience such stress are unknown. Processes upstream of the mitochondria guide cell-intrinsic energy depletion. We hypothesized that a mechanism of T-cell-intrinsic energy consumption was the process of oxidative protein folding and disulfide bond formation that takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) guided by protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and downstream PERK axis target ER oxidoreductase 1 (ERO1α). To test this hypothesis, we created TCR transgenic mice with a T-cell-specific PERK gene deletion (OT1 + Lckcre+ PERK f/f , PERK KO). We found that PERK KO and T cells that were pharmacologically inhibited by PERK or ERO1α maintained reserve energy and exhibited a protein profile consistent with reduced oxidative stress. These T-cell groups displayed superior tumor control compared with T effectors. We identified a biomarker of ER-induced mitochondrial exhaustion in T cells as mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), and found that PD-1+ tumor antigen-specific CD8+ TILs express mtROS. In vivo treatment with a PERK inhibitor abrogated mtROS in PD-1+ CD8+ TILs and bolstered CD8+ TIL viability. Combination therapy enabled 100% survival and 71% tumor clearance in a sarcoma mouse model. Our data identify the ER as a regulator of T-cell energetics and indicate that ER elements are effective targets to improve cancer immunotherapy.
Community resilience: A meta-study of international development rhetoric in emerging economies

Understood generally, community resilience (CR) is the ability of communities to adapt, absorb, mitigate, and recover from shocks and stressors in such a way that facilitates positive future outcom...
Treatment of prolonged tacrolimus toxicity using phenytoin in a haemodialysis patient

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE Treatment of tacrolimus toxicity includes holding tacrolimus and supportive care. The objective is to describe considerations for pharmacologic induction of tacrolimus metabolism. CASE DESCRIPTION A 52-year-old male with a failed renal transplant on chronic haemodialysis developed tacrolimus toxicity due to a drug-drug interaction with darunavir/ritonavir. Tacrolimus concentrations were >60 ng/mL for 10 days despite holding tacrolimus and darunavir/ritonavir. Development of encephalopathy prompted initiation of phenytoin to induce tacrolimus metabolism. Tacrolimus concentration was <2 ng/mL within 4 days and mental status normalized. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION Phenytoin metabolic induction is a therapeutic option for prolonged tacrolimus toxicity.
A tool for performance analysis of GPU-accelerated applications

Architectures for High-Performance Computing (HPC) now commonly employ accelerators such as Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). High-level programming abstractions for accelerated computing include OpenMP as well as RAJA and Kokkos---programming abstractions based on C++ templates. Such programming models hide GPU architectural details and generate sophisticated GPU code organized as many small procedures. For example, a dot product kernel expressed using RAJA atop NVIDIA's thrust templates yields 35 procedures. Existing performance tools are ill-suited for analyzing such complex kernels because they lack a comprehensive profile view. At best, tools such as NVIDIA's nvvp provide a profile view that shows only limited CPU calling contexts and omits both calling contexts and loops in GPU code. To address this problem, we extended Rice University's HPCToolkit to build a complete profile view for GPU-accelerated applications.
New bat locality records from Cuba with emphasis on the province of Matanzas

Here we provide a compilation of bat distribution records based on neontological and paleontological data, updating the known distribution in Matanzas province, the Isle of Pines, and Central Cuba. From 97 collecting localities in the Province of Matanzas, we report 27 taxa out of the 34 known from the Cuban archipelago; 21 of them are extant while the other six are extinct. Antrozous koopmani and Natalus primus are considered locally extinct in Matanzas, as in most of the archipelago today, but had a wider distribution in the past that lasted until very late in the Holocene. The extinct endemics, Artibeus anthonyi, and Phyllops vetus, are reported for the first time in the province, and the distribution records of Phyllops falcatus, Lasiurus pfeifferi, Lasiurus insularis, Chilonatalus macer, and Eumops ferox are updated and expanded. These records make Matanzas the second richest province in bat diversity of the Cuban archipelago and an area of considerable conservation potential.
Youth Perspectives of Prescription Pain Medication in the Opioid Crisis

Objective To characterize current youth perspectives of prescription pain medication. Study design In total, 1047 youths aged 14-24 years were recruited by targeted social media advertisements to match national demographic benchmarks. Youths were queried by open-ended text message prompts about exposure and access to prescription pain medication, perceived safety of prescribed and nonprescribed medication, and associations with the word “opioid.” Responses were analyzed inductively for emerging themes and frequencies. Results Among 745 respondents (71.2% response rate), 439 identified as female (59.3%), 561 as white (75.8%), and mean age was 18.3 ± 3.2 years. Previous exposure to prescription pain medication was reported by 377 respondents (52.0%), most commonly related to dentistry (32.8%), surgery (19.2%), and injury (12.0%). Nonmedical sources of access to prescription pain medication were identified by 256 respondents (36.9%) and medical sources other than their doctor by an additional 111 respondents (16.0%). Three additional themes emerged from youth responses: (1) prescribed medication was thought to be safer than nonprescribed medication, based on trust in doctors; (2) risks of addiction and overdose were thought to be greater for nonprescribed medication; (3) respondents had a widely ranging understanding of the word “opioid,” from historical to current events, medical to illicit substances, and personal to public associations. Conclusions Although youths are aware of the opioid crisis, they perceive less risk of prescription pain medication prescribed by a doctor, than from other sources. Policies should target education to youth in clinical and nonclinical settings, highlighting the risks of addiction and overdose with all opioids.
Experiments with Vibrating Plates

When Sophie Germain attempted to develop a theory for vibrating plates of variable thickness, she was aware of the complexity and importance of the problem. She had to build especial plates to carry out her own experiments. Her memoir of 1825 begins with a review of the relevant literature, citing papers by Euler, Bernoulli, Lagrange, Chladni, Poisson, Navier, Savart, and Italian physicist Giordano Riccati.
Turning up the heat in turbulent thermal convection

Convection is buoyancy-driven flow resulting from unstable density stratification in the presence of a gravitational field. Beyond convection’s central role in myriad engineering heat transfer applications, it underlies many of nature’s dynamical designs on larger-than-human scales. For example, solar heating of Earth’s surface generates buoyancy forces that cause the winds to blow, which in turn drive the oceans’ flow. Convection in Earth’s mantle on geological timescales makes the continents drift, and thermal and compositional density differences induce buoyancy forces that drive a dynamo in Earth’s liquid metal core—the dynamo that generates the magnetic field protecting us from solar wind that would otherwise extinguish life as we know it on the surface. The structure of the Sun itself relies on convection in the outer layers to transfer heat from the interior to radiate away from the surface. The key feature of convection is transport: Thermal convection actively transports the heat that generates the density variations that produce the buoyancy forces, and determining the rate at which “heat rises” in turbulent convection is one of the most important open problems in fluid dynamics. In PNAS, Iyer et al. (1) report the results of large-scale computational simulations revealing heat transfer rates in accord with one of two competing theories for turbulent convection in the strongly nonlinear regime. The problem that Iyer et al. address is one of longstanding interest and tremendous influence. Inspired by Henri Benard’s (2) turn of the 2 0 t h century experiments, Lord Rayleigh (3) introduced a minimal mathematical model for buoyancy-driven thermal convection in 1916. His model for what has come to be known as “Rayleigh–Benard convection” consists of a layer of fluid between impermeable horizontal boundaries separated vertically by distance H and held at fixed temperatures differing by Δ T , the higher temperature being on the … [↵][1]1Email: doering{at}umich.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Effects of dietary energy level and supplemental protein source on performance of growing steers and nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance in lambs.

Four experiments were conducted to evaluate three crude protein (CP) sources (urea, U; soybean meal, SBM; corn gluten meal, CGM) in diets based on corn silage (high energy) or grass hay (low energy). In Exp. 1 and 2, growing steers were fed all combinations of energy and protein source at 10.5 or 12% CP. Steers fed high energy diets or 12% CP had improved (P less than .05) daily gains and feed:gain over 84 d. Protein source had no effect (P greater than .05) on performance except that steers fed U consumed more (P less than .05) feed than those fed CGM. Steers were fed experimental diets to a common weight and switched to an 85% concentrate diet for finishing. During finishing, steers fed low energy diets in the growing period consumed more (P less than .05) feed and had increased (P less than .05) feed:gain compared with those fed high energy diets. Growing lambs were fed the same diets as steers. At 10.5% CP, lambs fed high energy diets had higher (P less than .05) digestibilities of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N) and fiber components, and retained more (P less than .05) N. For lambs on 12% CP, high energy diets had higher (P less than .05) DM and OM digestibilities and lower (P less than .05) N digestibilities. At 12% CP, energy level had no effect (P greater than .05) on N retained. Protein source had no effect (P greater than .05) on N retention. There appeared to be no advantage in supplementing with ruminally undegradable proteins, i.e. CGM, in these experiments.
Baseline Competency and Student Self-efficacy in Data Literacy: Evidence from an Online Module

This article documents the degree of baseline data literacy displayed by high school students and college students. It employs data collected from an online instructional module produced by the Fed...
In vitro and in vivo preclinical studies predict REGEN-COV protection against emergence of viral escape in humans

Summary Monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are a clinically validated therapeutic option against COVID-19. As rapidly emerging virus mutants are becoming the next major concern in the fight against the global pandemic, it is imperative that these therapeutic treatments provide coverage against circulating variants and do not contribute to development of treatment emergent resistance. To this end, we investigated the sequence diversity of the spike protein and monitored emergence of minor virus variants in SARS-COV-2 isolates found in nature or identified from preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies and in the clinic. This study demonstrates that a combination of noncompeting antibodies not only provides full coverage against currently circulating variants but also protects against emergence of new such variants and their potential seeding into the population in a clinical setting.