cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
US rural land value bubbles

Real estate bubbles have attracted much attention in the research literature following substantial growth in prices. Given the recent subprime mortgage crisis, this article is concerned with the related problem of possible bubbles in rural land values, given that at the margin urban real estate exerts pressure on rural land markets. Land is the most important financial asset for the agricultural economy, and income risk caused by farmland price volatility creates economic hardship for rural communities. Farmland valuation remains to a large extent a puzzle as it is only partially explained by fundamentals including inflation. This article tests the hypothesis of a price bubble in the real option value to future land development using land value data for all 48 contiguous US states and finds strong evidence that a short-run bubble has been active in recent years.
Storage and oxidation stabilities of biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil

Abstract The present work investigates the storage and oxidation stabilities of 100% biodiesel (B100) derived from waste cooking oil. Physical properties and chemical composition of B100, including viscosity, density, peroxide value, heat of combustion, acid number, and phase behavior, were measured. The analysis showed that this B100 contains over 60% unsaturated esters. The long-term storage stability was studied based on ASTM D4625 which simulates up to two years storage by holding samples at 43 °C. Modified ASTM D5304 and D2274 tests were conducted to investigate oxidation processes of B100. An extended ASTM D2274 method was also employed to investigate the influence of oxidation time on stability. The influence of long-term storage and oxidation reactions on physicochemical properties and phase behavior was investigated using ASTM methods. The existence of three stages of B100 oxidation was identified based on the property changes after the modified ASTM D5304 and D2274 tests.
Self-perceived vision in farming, forestry, and fishing occupations

Using data from the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 NHANES questionnaires, we evaluated self-perceived vision difficulty in individuals with a history of farming, forestry, and fishing (FFF) occupations. A self-perceived vision difficulty indicator was derived from responses to 3 separate measures. Those indicating farming, forestry, or fishing as longest job worked were classified as having an FFF history and compared to those reporting any other occupation. Logistic regression analyses utilizing NHANES sampling weights were conducted. After controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, and income-to-poverty ratio, those with an FFF history were 76% more likely to report vision difficulty than those having an alternate occupational history. Personal protective equipment and routine optometric examination may be particularly prudent for this occupational group.
Spin transfer measurements for pp-->pp at 800 MeV

The spin depolarization parameters ${D}_{\mathrm{NN}}$, ${D}_{\mathrm{SS}}$, ${D}_{\mathrm{LS}}$, and the spin transfer parameters ${K}_{\mathrm{NN}}$, ${K}_{\mathrm{SS}}$, ${K}_{\mathrm{LS}}$ have been measured for $\mathrm{pp}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{pp}$ at 800 MeV. Angular range is 21 to 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} c.m. for the $D$ parameters, and 46 to 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} c.m. for the $K$ parameters. Typical uncertainties are about \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.025. These data, when combined with previous data make possible a complete isovector phase shift and amplitude analysis at 800 MeV.
Anatomy of the platysma and lip depressor muscles. A simplified mnemonic approach

The popularity of submental suctioning, platysmaplasty neck lifts, and now Botulinum A exotoxin injections into the neck has increased dramatically. A detailed working knowledge of clinical platysma and lip depressor muscle anatomy is of paramount importance to successfully anesthetize and block the treated areas, to avoid injury to important vessels, nerves, and deeper cervical structures, and to optimally treat the problem areas. A simple, user-friendly knowledge can be obtained by remembering simple mnemonics relating to (1) specific target areas, (2) anatomic relationships, and (3) topographic clinical landmarks.
A Rapid Assay for the Lactogenic Activity of Rat Chorionic Mammotropin

SummaryA sensitive bioassay for the lactogenic activity of rat chorionic mammotropin, a secretion of the midpregnancy rat placenta, utilizes the synergism of this hormone with prednisolone acetate to induce mammary secretion in the intact, immature, male rat. Activity in locally injected solutions is detected by the appearance of distended alveoli in stained whole mounts of the treated mammary gland. The contralateral, untreated gland serves as a control. Reliable responses to extracts containing RCM have been produced in 2-4 days, depending upon dosage and number of injections.
Wound-induced calcium waves in alveolar type II cells

Alveolar type II epithelial (ATII) cells repopulate the alveolus after acute lung injury. We hypothesized that injury would initiate signals in nearby survivors. When rat ATII monolayers were wounded, elevations in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) began at the edge of the wound and propagated outward as a wave for at least 300 microns. The [Ca2+]i wave was due to both influx of extracellular Ca2+ and release of intracellular Ca2+ stores. Reducing Ca2+ influx with brief treatments of ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid or Gd3+ reduced both the amplitude and the apparent speed. Draining intracellular Ca2+ stores by pretreatment with cyclopiazonic acid eliminated the [Ca2+]i wave. Therefore, the [Ca2+]i wave depended critically on intracellular Ca2+ stores. [Ca2+]i elevations propagated over a break in the monolayer, suggesting that extracellular pathways were involved. Furthermore, extracellular factors from injured cells elevated [Ca2+]i in uninjured cultures. We conclude that wounding produces a [Ca2+]i wave in surviving cells and part of this response is mediated by soluble factors released into the extracellular space during injury.
Exploring the Small Bowel: Update on Deep Enteroscopy

Deep enteroscopy allows for the diagnosis and treatment of small bowel disorders that historically required operative intervention. There are a variety of endoscopic platforms using balloons and rotational overtubes to facilitate small bowel intubation and even allow for total enteroscopy. Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding is the most common indication for deep enteroscopy. By visualizing segments of the small bowel not possible through standard EGD or push enteroscopy, deep enteroscopy has an established high rate of identification and treatment of bleeding sources. In addition to obscure bleeding, other common indications include diagnosis and staging of Crohn's disease, evaluation of findings on capsule endoscopy and investigation of possible small bowel tumors. Large endoscopy databases have shown deep enteroscopy to be not only effective but safe. Recent research has focused on comparing the diagnostic rates, efficacy, and total enteroscopy rates of the different endoscopic platforms.
Hepatic artery infusion of chemotherapy as a treatment for hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer.

Hepatic artery infusion (HAI) of chemotherapy as a treatment for hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer has become more commonly used after the introduction of the totally implantable hepatic artery pump in the early 1970s. Floxuridine (FUDR) is the generally used chemotherapy agent in the pump because of its high solubility and high extraction rates by the liver on the first pass of the chemotherapy through the hepatic circulation. HAI has been used mainly to treat unresectable liver metastases in patients who have liver metastases only. The other scenario for pump use has been as an adjuvant therapy after resection of all metastatic disease in the liver. The rationale for HAI includes the unique dual blood supply of the liver allowing chemotherapy given into the artery and sparing the normal cells, which get their predominant blood supply from the portal vein. The details of pump design will be reviewed. Complications from HAI are specific for this therapy and will be reviewed. Treatment of unresectable liver metastases with HAI has been the subject of a number of prospective randomized studies. These will be presented, along with newer phase II studies. Three randomized studies on the usefulness of HAI after hepatic resection will be presented.
Vitamin contents of pre-prepared foods sampled from a hospital food service line.

Results of this study suggest that it may be advisable to consider vitamin supplementation for hospital patients, especially those on restricted diets or with limited appetites, whose needs may not be met by institutional foods.
Narrative transportability, leisure reading, and genre preference in children 9–13 years old

ABSTRACTLeisure reading behavior is a key predictor of educational success. Transportability is a trait that determines how likely an individual is to become involved in a story, and past research has suggested that involvement may be related to leisure reading behavior. However, available measures of transportability have not been validated with children or related to leisure reading. To address this gap, children 9–13 years old (N = 136) completed a revised version of the Transportability Scale. A 13-item version of the scale was found to be unidimensional, reliable, and predictive of 6% of the variance in leisure reading (above and beyond sex, age, reading ability, and student performance). Transportability was also related to genre preference and several interesting sex differences emerged. The Transportability Scale provides researchers with a psychometrically sound measure of narrative involvement to advance research on leisure reading.
SAT0201 Dermatomyositis and Pregnancy: Assessment of Disease Activity and Pregnancy Outcomes Complicated by Maternal Dermatomyositis

Background The effect of pregnancy on Dermatomyositis (DM) disease activity and on maternal and fetal outcomes in patients with DM is unclear1,2. Objectives Evaluate disease activity and pregnancy outcomes complicated by maternal dermatomyositis. Methods A total of 10 patients with 21 pregnancies from a cohort of 438 DM patients of child-bearing potential, diagnosed between 2006 and 2015 from two centers, were eligible for interview with a specific questionnaire regarding pregnancy and fetal outcomes. Results Weakness, rash and arthritis were the most common clinical symptoms that improved during pregnancy in affected patients (Figure 1). In 16 out of 18 pregnancies, patients experienced weakness. Weakness improved during 13 pregnancies (81.3%), stayed the same during 2 pregnancies (12.5%), and worsened during one (6.3%). All 10 patients experienced cutaneous rash during all 18 pregnancies carried to live birth. Cutaneous rash improved during 13 pregnancies (72.2%), remain unchanged during 3 (16.7%), and worsened during 2 (11.1%). Five patients experienced arthralgias or arthritis in a total of 11 pregnancies. Symptoms improved during 10 of these pregnancies (91%) and worsened during one (9%).There were no cases of interstitial lung disease, cancer or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome among the 10 patients studied. One patient suffered from pre-eclampsia while diagnosed with DM. 3 total pregnancy losses: two early miscarriages ( Conclusions Pregnancy does not appear to carry a worse prognosis for DM patients and all but one of our patients experienced improvement in clinical symptoms during pregnancy. References Iago PF et al. Pregnancy in adult-onset idiopathic inflammatory myopathy: Report from a cohort of myositis patients from a single center. Semin Arthritis Rheum, 2014. 44 (2):p.234–240. Oddis, C.V., et al., Incidence of polymyositis-dermatomyositis: a 20-year study of hospital diagnosed cases in Allegheny County, PA 1963–1982. J Rheumatol, 1990. 17(10): p. 1329–34. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Deciding with science

From fracking and nuclear power to alternative medicine and climate change – why is scientific input so often distorted or ignored where it is truly critical? Robert P Crease looks for some answers.
SMAC mimetic combined with conventional chemotherapy agents yields synergy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

4884 Standard chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer often uses doublet combinations of cisplatin or carboplatin with gemcitabine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, or etoposide. While clinical responses and survival benefits are seen these are very modest and new more effective therapies are needed. As one approach to this problem we recently developed a small molecule mimetic of SMAC, a mitochondrial protein that inhibits the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) as a potential new chemotherapy agent (Li L, et. al. Science. (2004) 305: 1471-1474). Here we explore SMAC mimetic as a potential therapy for NSCLC, as well as the benefits of using it in conjunction with traditional chemotherapies. We tested 50 non-small cell lung cancer lines (NSCLCs) for their in vitro sensitivity to the SMAC mimetic or combined with other chemotherapy agents in a 96 hour MTS assay. Most NSCLC lung cancer lines were completely resistant to treatment with the SMAC mimetic alone (IC50 >>10μM). However, 10/50 NSCLC lines were killed by the SMAC mimetic alone at IC50s
Analysis of MEG signals of spreading cortical depression with propagation constrained to a rectangular cortical strip: I. Lissencephalic rabbit model

Currents produced during spreading cortical depression (SCD) in a gyrencephalic species (swine) were studied with magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electrocorticography (ECoG). SCD, initiated using electrical stimulation of the cortex, was constrained to propagate within a rectangular cortical strip in order to simplify the interpretation of the underlying currents. The ECoG signals monitored along the strip revealed that SCD propagated from an initiation site on the gyrus at a rate of 7.9+/-3.2 mm/min (n=23), entered the deep coronal sulcus and in most cases emerged from the other side of the sulcus, continuing to propagate across the next gyrus at a rate of 5.9+/-2.7 mm/min (n=22). The apparent propagation velocity within the sulcus was reduced to 1.7+/-0.8 mm/min (n=21). Strong MEG signals were observed as SCD entered the sulcus. The direction of magnetic field was opposite for SCD's on opposite banks of the sulcus. The currents were directed from a superficial layer to deeper layers of the cortex. The characteristics of SCD and associated MEG patterns from a gyrencephalic species may be similar to those in human patients during migraine aura.
Hierarchical Carbon-Coated Ball-Milled Silicon: Synthesis and Applications in Free-Standing Electrodes and High-Voltage Full Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries have been regarded as one of the most promising energy storage devices, and development of low-cost batteries with high energy density is highly desired so that the cost per watt-hour ($/Wh) can be minimized. In this work, we report using ball-milled low-cost silicon (Si) as the starting material and subsequent carbon coating to produce low-cost hierarchical carbon-coated (HCC) Si. The obtained particles prepared from different Si sources all show excellent cycling performance of over 1000 mAh/g after 1000 cycles. Interestingly, we observed in situ formation of porous Si, and it is well confined in the carbon shell based on postcycling characterization of the hierarchical carbon-coated metallurgical Si (HCC-M-Si) particles. In addition, lightweight and free-standing electrodes consisting of the HCC-M-Si particles and carbon nanofibers were fabricated, which achieved 1015 mAh/g after 100 cycles based on the total mass of the electrodes. Compared with conventional electrodes, the light...
Asymmetric Relations: Internal Conflicts and the Horror of Incest

Abstract Incest can increase an individual’s inclusive and individual fitness if the opportunity cost of incest is sufficiently small. As a corollary, genetic conflicts are possible between the two parties of an incestuous dyad if they have different opportunity costs. The opportunity costs of casual sex usually are greater for females than for males. Therefore, females are predicted to be more averse to incest than are males. Genetic conflicts also are possible between an individual’s maternal and paternal genomes because of asymmetries of relatedness. Large asymmetries of maternal and paternal relatedness are present between half-siblings, and in the relationship of offspring to parents. These asymmetries raise the possibility of strong internal conflicts between an individual’s maternal and paternal genomes over the costs and benefits of incest. Taboos and other social sanctions may serve to increase male opportunity costs and thus serve as a disincentive to incest.
Enticing Students to Pursue STEM-Related Careers Through Cyber-Driven Learning

This chapter presents ideas for teachers to engage learners in activities that enhance critical thinking and problem solving. STEM initiatives have been in place for many years, and the Next Generation Science Standards continue to support interdisciplinary learning and crosscutting themes in Science education. Teachers need to possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that support problem-based learning as well as cyber-driven methods in order to move from the “sage on the stage” to the “guide on the side.” Methodology to adopt this philosophy is explored.
System evolution prediction and manipulation using a Lotka–Volterra ecosystem model

System evolution prediction is critical for designers to make R&D and outsourcing decisions. Many descriptive models are used for this purpose, but they have several limitations. In this paper, we extend the Lotka–Volterra equations as an ecosystem model to predict the performances of the system and its components. This model comprises a set of differential equations that describe symbiosis, commensalism, and amensalism relationships between a system and multiple components. We associate every parameter in the model with its causal factors, develop a three-step application of the model, and illustrate the application through a case study on passenger airplane fuel efficiency. Our model identifies the key components in a system. The identified components help designers generate strategies to boost system performance.
Automation and interoperability of a nurse-managed insulin infusion protocol as a model to improve safety and efficiency in the delivery of high-alert medications:

The administration of high-alert medications requires the use of enhanced systems to prevent errors. One commonly used system relies on independent verification of dose changes by a second clinicia...
Can the protein/carbohydrate (P/C) ratio of exopolymeric substances (EPS) be used as a proxy for their ‘stickiness’ and aggregation propensity?

Abstract Microbially secreted exopolymeric substances (EPS), rich in polysaccharides and proteins, make up an important part of natural organic matter in the ocean, especially marine snow. While the attention in the oceanographic literature is focused more on the role of polysaccharides and less of proteins in EPS functions, the role of proteins, especially the role of the protein/carbohydrate (P/C) ratio of particles and colloids (macromolecular fraction) remains to be explored. EPS associated with particles forms a biofilm, where proteins are not only involved in cell surface attachment, but also in the stabilization of the biofilm matrix, and the development of a three-dimensional biofilm architecture. Here, we provide a perspective based on the most recent literature on EPS, marine oil spills and waste water treatment to describe the relationship between the P/C ratio of EPS and a number of biophysical properties related to biopolymer aggregation propensity, e.g., relative hydrophobicity, surface activity and surface tension, attachment efficiency, light-induced chemical crosslinking, and sedimentation efficiency of marine snow in marine environments.
COVID-19 current controversies.

This July 2020 issue of JME introduces a new section, “COVID-19 Current Controversies,” which will be a recurring section in each issue for the foreseeable future. This issue reflects on some of the most pressing ethical issues that have arisen roughly 6 months into the pandemic. Kathleen Liddell and colleagues examine important legal considerations at play in ventilator allocation decisions raised by the pandemic.1 They point out that ethics-based triage protocols that argue from the principle of “saving the most lives” by withholding or withdrawing ventilators from certain patients could violate the law (U.K. and elsewhere). Patients’ legal rights are not suspended during this crisis, they remind us. The mere action of ventilator removal (extubation and proning) may constitute battery without consent, for example. Moreover, there may be problems with “evidentiary weakness” in some of the prognostic models used to inform such decisions. And, decisions that are inconsistent, subjective, and/or discriminatory may be deemed illegal. Those developing policies need to consider and consult various areas of law including criminal law (eg, murder, battery, negligence, manslaughter), human rights law, civil law (eg, battery, negligence, duty of care, consent), public and administrative law (eg, discrimination, case law), law on decision-making for incapacitated adults, professional regulations, and derogations from current law (eg, immunities and indemnities). Liddell et al offer 10 concrete, legally informed recommendations for those developing triage-policies to consider. Michael Parker and colleagues take on the issue of contact tracing using mobile apps and point out that such apps can enable people to emerge more safely from lockdowns, which provides a strong autonomy-based argument in favour …
Foliated Quantum Field Theory of Fracton Order.

We introduce a new kind of foliated quantum field theory (FQFT) of gapped fracton orders in the continuum. FQFT is defined on a manifold with a layered structure given by one or more foliations, which each decompose spacetime into a stack of layers. FQFT involves a new kind of gauge field, a foliated gauge field, which behaves similar to a collection of independent gauge fields on this stack of layers. Gauge invariant operators (and their analogous particle mobilities) are constrained to the intersection of one or more layers from different foliations. The level coefficients are quantized and exhibit a duality that spatially transforms the coefficients. This duality occurs because the FQFT is a foliated fracton order. That is, the duality can decouple $2+1\mathrm{D}$ gauge theories from the FQFT through a process we dub exfoliation.
A signal sub-space based approach for mitigating wind turbine clutter in fast scanning weather radar

Removing turbine clutter from weather radar observations has become an essential problem in the community since wind turbine clutter signals (WTC) cannot be filtered using traditional clutter filtering. This paper addresses the problem of mitigation of WTC using knowledge of local precipitation and WTC signals to retain the maximum amount of precipitation and retrieve the filtered radar IQ data. The proposed algorithm uses the Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) to detect the range gates affected by WTC, and signal subspace estimation to mitigate the turbine clutter. The performances of the turbine clutter identification and suppression algorithms are also studied by a common evaluation technique of combining clear air wind turbine data and precipitation data.
Functional diversity and coexistence of herbaceous plants in wet, species-rich savannas

Trait differences among plant species can favor species coexistence. The role that such differences play in the assembly of diverse plant communities maintained by frequent fires remains unresolved. This lack of resolution results in part from the possibility that species with similar traits may coexist because none has a significant fitness advantage and in part from the difficulty of experimental manipulation of highly diverse assemblages dominated by perennial species. We examined a 65-year chronosequence of losses of herbaceous species following fire suppression (and subsequent encroachment by Pinus elliottii) in three wet longleaf pine savannas. We used cluster analysis, similarity profile permutation tests, and k-R cluster analysis to identify statistically significant functional groups. We then used randomization tests to determine if the absence of functional groups near pines was greater (or less) than expected by chance. We also tested whether tolerant and sensitive species were less (or more) likely to co-occur by chance in areas in savannas away from pines in accordance with predictions of modern coexistence theory. Functional group richness near pines was lower than expected from random species extirpations. Wetland perennials with thick rhizomes and high leaf water content, spring-flowering wetland forbs (including Drosera tracyi), orchids, Polygala spp., and club mosses were more likely to be absent near pines than expected by chance. C3 grasses and sedges with seed banks and tall, fall-flowering C4 grasses were less likely to be absent near pines than expected by chance. Species sensitive to pine encroachment were more likely to co-occur with other such species away from pines at two of the three sites. Results suggest that herb species diversity in frequently burned wet savannas is maintained in part by a weak fitness (e.g., competitive) hierarchy among herbs, and not as a result of trait differences among co-occurring species.
Alleviating phytotoxicity of soils biosolarized with almond processing residues

Abstract Biosolarization is a method for controlling soil pests and pathogens where biomass amendments are incorporated into soil and fermented under thermophilic conditions. Endogenous and fermentative organic acid biopesticides derived from the amendments can disinfest soil without the use of potentially harmful chemical fumigants. However, these biopesticides can be phytotoxic if they linger through crop establishment. This study assessed the phytotoxicity of soils amended with prominent agricultural residues – almond hulls and shells – with and without simulated biosolarization. Germination indices (GI) calculated from radish seedlings were used to measure phytotoxicity of soil amended with 0.3125 to 2.5% biomass by dry weight. Biosolarized soils were initially highly phytotoxic, and GI was negatively correlated to the concentration of succinic, acetic, and lactic acid found in treated soils. Aeration of biosolarized soil successfully improved GI and decreased organic acid concentrations. Decreasing almond residue particle size to less than 0.5 mm also aided phytotoxicity removal for certain biosolarization scenarios. This study concludes that biosolarization with low amendment rates (0.3–0.6%) would be ideal for field application, as they generated high initial organic acid accumulation (27–131 mM), but phytotoxicity could be eliminated after only one week of aeration. The results of this study will be useful for formulating land application strategies for almond residue biomass and addressing a key barrier to adoption for biosolarization as a fumigant alternative.
STUDIES ON THE FOOD UTILISATION OF THE LARVAE OF EUPTEROTE MOLIFERA FED WITH CYTHION TREATED RICINUS COMMUNIS LEAVES

Effect on food utilisation of Eupterote molifera la TVae fed with cythion treated Ricinus communis leaves were studied. The sublethal concentrations used were 5, 25 and 50 mg/1. There was no considerable change in the first instar larvae; changes in food consumption, assimilation, conversion, assimilation efficiency, growth officiercy and gross production efficiency of subsequent instars due to pesticide concentration were noted,
Speech Recognition for Individuals with Voice Disorders

Voice has become a common form of interacting with computing systems. Automatic speech recognition (ASR), voice interfaces, and interactive dialogue systems are already established as popular technologies. Speech-based interaction will continue to grow in the future and generally, voice-interaction is here to stay. The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of the field of ASR for individuals with voice disorders including a briefing on foundational acoustic and phonetic concepts as well as some of the basics of voice disorders. After introducing these foundations, the field of ASR is reviewed focusing on the characterization of different ASR algorithms. The primary contribution of this chapter is the introduction of a new nomenclature to discuss systems that recognize speech from individuals with voice disorders. This new characterization of ASR systems focuses on how the system handles speech from individuals with voice disorders, introducing the terms disorder-independent, disorder-dependent, and disorder-adaptive speech recognition systems. This chapter takes this new characterization one step farther by establishing a leveling system that describes the difficulty of the speech recognition problem based on the amount of both implicit (noise derived from the voice itself) and explicit (noise added from the environment or recording equipment) noise in the speech sample. Through these new characterizations and nomenclature, this chapter works to more accurately categorize the work in the field. After defining a clearer system of classification of strategies for accomplishing difficult speech recognition, approaches to model speech at the different levels are described. Pulling from the most successful methods of dealing with explicit noise in speech recognition systems, we evaluate the field of disordered speech recognition, identify key strategies for recognizing disordered speech, and posit which methodologies from the field of explicit-noise-robust ASR systems might be successful in the domain of disordered speech recognition. The chapter ends in a discussion around how speech disorders present an accessibility challenge to voice interfaces and argues that this accessibility barrier will only continue to grow with the proliferation of voice-based technologies if we don’t take action now to make these technologies inclusive.
Sexual agreements and perception of HIV prevalence among an online sample of partnered men who have sex with men.

Stemming from recent evidence that between one- and two-thirds of new HIV transmissions among men who have sex with men (MSM) occur within main partnerships, research and programmatic efforts have begun to recognize the role of the male–male dyad in shaping HIV risk. Central to this new focus has been studies detailing the presence of sexual agreements, which provide guidelines governing permissions around sex with partners outside of the relationship. Using a Facebook-recruited sample of US-partnered MSM (n = 454), this study examines the associations between reporting of sexual agreements and perceptions of HIV prevalence among male sex partners, friends, and local and national MSM populations. Men who perceived that 10–20 % (OR 6.18, 95 % CI 1.28–29.77) and >20 % of their male sex partners were HIV positive (OR 2.68, 95 % CI 1.02–7.08) had significantly higher odds of reporting having an open agreement with their current main partner than men who perceived that less than 10 % of their male sex partners were HIV positive. Partnered men with open sexual agreements may have more sexual partners than those who report monogamy, possibly leading to heightened perceptions of HIV risk, which may result in reporting of perceptions of greater local HIV prevalence. Additionally, men who have made agreements with their partners may have done so due to concerns about HIV risks, and may also be more aware of increased risks of HIV infection, or may have greater knowledge of HIV prevalence through discussions of serostatus with sex partners. Attention is needed to develop prevention efforts, such as toolkits and resources that enable men to form sexual agreements that are based on comprehensive knowledge of the potential risks for acquisition of HIV.
A Simple Protein Precipitation-based Simultaneous Quantification of Lovastatin and Its Active Metabolite Lovastatin Acid in Human Plasma by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry using Polarity Switching

Lovastatin is an anti-cholesterol lactone drug indicated for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. It is converted to the β-hydroxy acid form (lovastatin acid) in vivo, which is the major pharmacologically active metabolite. Here, we describe the development and validation of an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)-based method utilizing polarity switching for the simultaneous quantification of lovastatin and lovastatin acid in human plasma. Simple protein precipitation extraction and direct injection of the extracted samples without drying/reconstitution showed good recoveries of both analytes (~70%). The developed method exhibited satisfactory intra-day and inter-day accuracy and precision. The interconversion between lovastatin and lovastatin acid during sample preparation and storage was minimal (< 1.9%). The lower limits of quantification were 0.5 and 0.2 nM (or 0.2 and 0.084 ng/mL) for lovastatin and lovastatin acid, respectively, using only 50 μL of plasma during extraction. The validated method was successfully applied to analyze plasma samples obtained from a healthy human subject who enrolled in a clinical drug interaction study involving lovastatin.
Cesarean delivery in nulliparous women for failed oxytocin-augmented labor: Route of delivery in subsequent pregnancy

Fifty-eight patients experienced cesarean section for termination of their first term pregnancy subsequent to a failed trial of oxytocin therapy. Cephalopelvic disproportion and "failure to progress" were the sole indications for the initial cesarean section. All 58 women returned to our hospital for a subsequent trial of labor during the years 1977-1979 inclusive, and 40 of the 58 were able to have a vaginal delivery. Parameters investigated included first and subsequent pregnancy birth weights; birth weight difference; duration and maximal dose of oxytocin; status of the cervix at admission, prior to oxytocin, and before cesarean section; and the clinical and/or radiologic estimation of pelvic dimensions. Subsequent birth weight less than 3,500 gm was the only statistically significant factor associated with a high rate of vaginal delivery.
Analytical techniques for cell fractions. VII. A simple gradient-forming apparatus.

Abstract A simple gradient device is described which allows convex gradients to be formed for use in zonal centrifuge rotors. The configuration chosen produces very rapid mixing of the very viscous sucrose solutions. By varying the total volume of the mixer, the shape of the gradient may be altered within rather wide limits. With large volume mixers, gradients may be obtained which are very nearly linear with radius when placed in the sector-shaped compartments of the rotor. With smaller volume mixers, gradients that are convex with respect to radius when in position in the rotor may be generated which are more useful where high-capacity high-resolution separations are required.
ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE BREAKDOWN DURING SINGLE MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS.

The movements of muscles have been a source of continuing wonderment throughout the ages and have posed intriguing questions to many fields of science. Members of this Society have had a long and continued interest in this matter and one of these questions, the immediate energy source for muscle contraction, has been much studied during this century. The oxidation of the postulated giant molecule inogen was disproved by Fletcher & Hopkins in 1907, then the formation of lactic acid from glycogen was rejected by Lundsgaard (1930). He showed that, in the presence of iodoacetate, muscle could contract many times without producing lactic acid. However, they did form inorganic phosphate during a long series of contractions and it was soon found that this came from a phosphagen, phosphorylcreatine. On the basis of heat changes rather than the then unknown, but actually quite comparable, free energy changes, Lundsgaard (1930, 1934) showed that in a series of contractions this splitting of phosphorylcreatine could be directly related to the energy output of isolated stimulated muscle. This has been confirmed for large series of twitches by Carlson & Siger (1960) and Mommaerts, Seraydarian & Marechal (1962). It turned out that in muscle extracts phosphorylcreatine had the simple role of re-forming adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from adenosine diphosphate (ADP) (Lohmann 1934). The view that adenosine triphosphate is the real energy source was supported by the finding of Engelhardt & Ljubimowa (1939) that the main structural protein of muscle, myosin, is an enzyme able to split ATP, and by the work of the schools of Szent-Gyorgyi (see review 1953) and Weber (see review 1958) and many others on isolated enzymes, reconstituted actomyosin threads, and glycerinated muscle models.
Effect of non-magnetic organic cation (A) on the magnetic properties of ANiII[FeIII(ox)3], and N(n-C3H7)4+

Abstract The effect of the non-magnetic organic cation A on the magnetic properties of molecule based material ANiII[FeIII(ox)3] with A = N (n- C 4 H 9 ) 4 + and N(n-C3H7)4+ has been measured in the temperature range of 5–300 K under different conditions. The compounds are ferrimagnetic with T N =28 and 25 K, respectively. Spin-glass-like states have been observed below TN. The MZFC(T) and MFC(T) plots branch out at Tbranch and this branching, represented by a power law, is highly magnetic field dependent. The non-magnetic cation A plays an important role in determining the magnetic exchange interaction and the disordered states below TN.
Ultrastructural Morphology of Leukemic Cells From 14 Dogs

Transmission and/or scanning electron microscopic features of leukemic cells from seven dogs with myelomonocytic leukemia, four dogs with monocytic leukemia, and three dogs with lymphocytic leukemia were studied. Few ultrastructural features distinguished normal cells from leukemic cells. Nuclear to cytoplasmic asynchrony, abnormal cytoplasmic granules, nuclear pockets, and cytoplasmic fibrillar bundles were seen more frequently in leukemic cells. Small ridges or ruffles and a few microvilli were surface characteristics of cells from dogs with myelomonocytic leukemia. An occasional cell had large undulating ruffles. Cells from dogs with monocytic leukemia and lymphocytic leukemia usually had smoother surfaces.
LC-MS/MS determination and pharmacokinetic study of lacidipine in human plasma.

A robust, specific and fully validated LC-MS/MS method as per general practices of industry has been developed for estimation of lacidipine (LAC) with 100 μL of human plasma using lacidipine-13C8 as an internal standard (IS). The API-4000 LC-MS/MS was operated under the multiple reaction-monitoring mode. A simple liquid–liquid extraction process was used to extract LAC and IS from human plasma. The total run time was 3.0 min and the elution of LAC and IS occurred at 1.96 and 1.97 min; this was achieved with a mobile phase consisting of 5 mm ammonium acetate buffer–acetontrile (15:85 v/v) at a flow rate of 0.60 mL/min on a Zorbax SB C18 (50 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column. A linear response function was established for the range of concentrations 50–15,000 pg/mL (r > 0.998) for LAC. The current developed method has negligible matrix effect and is free from unwanted adducts and clusters which are formed owing to system such as solvent or mobile phase. The developed assay method was applied to an oral pharmacokinetic study in humans and successfully characterized the pharmacokinetic data up to 72 h. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Concerted proton-electron transfer between ascorbic acid and cytochrome b561

Ascorbic acid is an essential reductant in biology but its reducing power is paradoxical. At physiological pH the predominant form of ascorbate (the monoanion) is a poor electron donor because it oxidizes to the energetically unfavorable neutral free radical. The ascorbate dianion forms the relatively stable semidehydroascorbate radical anion and is a powerful electron donor but its concentration at neutral pH is insufficient to produce the reaction rates observed. For example, ascorbate rapidly reduces cytochrome b561 from adrenal medullary chromaffin vesicles. This fast reaction rate may be rationalized by a mechanism involving concerted proton-electron transfer rather than electron transfer alone. This would permit reduction of the cytochrome by the abundant ascorbate monoanion but would circumvent formation of unfavorable intermediates. This may be a general mechanism of biological ascorbic acid utilization: enzymes using ascorbic acid may react with the ascorbate monoanion via concerted proton-electron transfer.
17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases: Physiological Roles in Health and Disease

Abstract Androgens and estrogens play crucial roles in the growth and development of sex organs. Interconversion of these hormones between biologically active and inactive forms is catalyzed by 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) isozymes. Aberrations in the regulation or expression of the various 17β-HSD isoforms has been implicated in the genesis/progression of hormonally dependent cancers of various tissues, including ovary, breast and prostate; in the predisposition of women with upper body obesity to several types of diseases, such as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus; and in the abnormal development of sexually ambiguous individuals, as seen in 17β-HSD-deficient male pseudohermaphrodites. Of the five known 17β-HSD isozymes, deleterious mutations in the type 3 isoform were found to give rise to male pseudohermaphroditism. The 16 mutations characterized to date include 12 missense mutations, three splice junction mutations, and one small deletion that results in a downstream premature stop codon. 17β-HSD has also been studied in other species. The most notable species difference observed is the placental expression in humans of the 17β-HSD type 1 isoform.
Insufficient effort responding: Examining an insidious confound in survey data

Insufficient effort responding (IER; Huang, Curran, Keeney, Poposki, & DeShon, 2012) to surveys has largely been assumed to be a source of random measurement error that attenuates associations between substantive measures. The current article, however, illustrates how and when the presence of IER can produce a systematic bias that inflates observed correlations between substantive measures. Noting that inattentive responses as a whole generally congregate around the midpoint of a Likert scale, we propose that Mattentive, defined as the mean score of attentive respondents on a substantive measure, will be negatively related to IER's confounding effect on substantive measures (i.e., correlations between IER and a given substantive measure will become less positive [or more negative] as Mattentive increases). Results from a personality questionnaire (Study 1) and a simulation (Study 2) consistently support the hypothesized confounding influence of IER. Using an employee sample (Study 3), we demonstrated how IER can confound bivariate relationships between substantive measures. Together, these studies indicate that IER can inflate the strength of observed relationships when scale means depart from the scale midpoints, resulting in an inflated Type I error rate. This challenges the traditional view that IER attenuates observed bivariate correlations. These findings highlight situations where IER may be a methodological nuisance, while underscoring the need for survey administrators and researchers to deter and detect IER in surveys. The current article serves as a wake-up call for researchers and practitioners to more closely examine IER in their data.
The conformational properties of ribosomal protein S1

The proton NMR spectrum of S1 reveals that S1 has considerable tertiary structure in physiological buffers, but more structural flexibility than normal for globular proteins. S1's NMR spectrum is independent of the method of preparation.
Conditional expression of interferon-γ to enhance host responses to pulmonary bacterial infection

Strategies to augment host defense against pulmonary infection run the risk of inducing excess pulmonary inflammation and tissue injury. To address this problem, we investigated conditional expression in lung tissue of the murine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) transgene. A recombinant adenoviral vector (AdTetIFN) was constructed by placing a murine IFN-gamma cDNA downstream of a tetracycline (Tet)-responsive promoter, inserted into a replication-defective adenoviral vector. Co-infection of target cells with AdTetIFN and a second vector encoding a reverse tetracycline controlled transactivator allowed doxycycline (Dox)-regulated IFN-gamma production. We then administered 10(8) plaque-forming units (PFU) of AdTetIFN to mice by intratracheal injection. When the mice were provided with Dox in drinking water (0.5mg/ml in 5% sucrose), there was significant release of IFN-gamma in lavage fluid by ELISA in comparison to mice on water/sucrose alone (399+/-74 pg/ml vs undetectable, p<0.01). IFN-gamma in lavage fluid was associated with upregulation of Class II Major histocompatibility complex markers on alveolar macrophages by flow cytometry, suggesting macrophage activation. We then injected AdTetIFN into mice three days prior to challenge with 10(4) CFU Klebsiella pneumoniae. Test mice were maintained on water+Dox and control mice on water+sucrose. Bacterial burden was assayed in lung tissue at serial intervals. At 24h after challenge, mice on doxycycline had significantly lower infection burden in comparison to mice on water/sucrose (0.77+/-0.05 colony forming units/lung for 10(8) PFU AdTetIFN plus Dox compared to 1.4+/-0.11 colony-forming units/lung for AdTetIFN without Dox, p<0.05). Survival of the vector treated mice given doxycycline in drinking water was also enhanced. Microscopic examination of lavaged cells showed a significant increase in pulmonary neutrophils in the AdTetIFN+Dox mice in comparison to AdTetIFN+sucrose mice (16+/-1.0 x 10(5) vs 10+0.8 cells/lung, p<0.05). We conclude that local release of IFN-gamma can be selectively activated to enhance neutrophil recruitment and host resistance to bacterial pneumonia.
Prior and prejudice

To best interpret new sensory information, populations of sensory neurons must represent the lessons of past experience. How do they do this? The same solution to this problem is now reported in two very different sensory systems, providing a classic example of computational convergence.