cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endless Conflicts: Detecting Molecular Arms Races in Mammalian Genomes

Recurrent positive selection at the codon level is often a sign that a gene is engaged in a molecular arms race - a conflict between the genome of its host and the genome of another species over mutually exclusive access to a resource that has a direct effect on the fitness of both individuals. Detecting molecular arms races has led to a better understanding of how evolution changes the molecular interfaces of proteins when organisms compete over time, especially in the realm of host-pathogen interactions. Here, we present a method for detection of gene-level recurrent positive selection across entire genomes for a given phylogenetic group. We deploy this method on five mammalian clades - primates, mice, deer mice, dogs, and bats - to both detect novel instances of recurrent positive selection and to compare the prevalence of recurrent positive selection between clades. We analyze the frequency at which individual genes are targets of recurrent positive selection in multiple clades. We find that coincidence of selection occurs far more frequently than expected by chance, indicating that all clades experience shared selective pressures. Additionally, we highlight Polymeric Immunoglobulin Receptor (PIGR) as a gene which shares specific amino acids under recurrent positive selection in multiple clades, indicating that it has been locked in a molecular arms race for ~100My. These data provide an in-depth comparison of recurrent positive selection across the mammalian phylogeny, and highlights of the power of comparative evolutionary approaches to generate specific hypotheses about the molecular interactions of rapidly evolving genes.
Effect of high-frequency oscillation on pressure delivered by high flow nasal cannula in a premature infant lung model.

Objective This study describes the effect of high-frequency oscillation on airway pressure generated by high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in a premature infant lung model. Design/methods A premature in 0.5 or 1.0 mL/cmH 2 O, respiratory rate (RR) of 40 or 60 breaths per min, and tidal volume of 6 mL. Oscillation was achieved by passing the HFNC supply flow through a 3-way solenoid valve operating at 4, 6, 8, or 10 Hz. Airway pressure at the simulated trachea was recorded following equilibration of end-tidal CO 2 both with and without oscillation. Results Superimposing high-frequency oscillations onto HFNC resulted in an average decrease in mean airway pressure of 17.9% (P = .011). The difference between the maximum and minimum airway pressures, ∆ P min-max, significantly increased as oscillation frequency decreased ( P 4 L/min ( P = .031). CO 2 clearance was 13.1% greater with the 1.0 vs 0.5 mL/cmH 2 O compliance at oscillation frequencies less than 8 Hz ( P = .015). Conclusion In this in-vitro study we demonstrate that delivered mean airway pressure decreases when applying high-frequency oscillation to HFNC, while still improving CO2 clearance. The combination of improved CO 2 clearance and reduced pressure delivery of this novel noninvasive modality may prove to be a useful improvement in the respiratory care of infants in respiratory distress.
Long term follow-up in congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Abstract Survivorship of patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) has created a unique cohort of children, adolescents and adults with complex medical and surgical needs. Morbidities specific to this disease benefit from multi-specialty care, and the long term follow up of these patients offers a tremendous opportunity for research and collaboration. Herein we aim to offer an overview of the challenges that modern CDH survivors face, and include a risk-stratified algorithm as a general guideline for a multi-specialty follow up program.
Validation of a fast semi-analytic method for surface-wave propagation in layered media

Green’s functions provide an efficient way to model surface-wave propagation and estimate physical quantities for near-surface processes. Several surface-wave Green’s function approximations (far-field, no mode conversions and no higher mode surface waves) have been employed for numerous applications such as estimating sediment flux in rivers, determining the properties of landslides, identifying the seismic signature of debris flows or to study seismic noise through cross-correlations. Based on those approximations, simple empirical scalings exist to derive phase velocities and amplitudes for pure power-law velocity structures providing an exact relationship between the velocity model and the Green’s functions. However, no quantitative estimates of the accuracy of these simple scalings have been reported for impulsive sources in complex velocity structures. In this paper, we address this gap by comparing the theoretical predictions to high-order numerical solutions for the vertical component of the wavefield. The Green’s functions computation shows that attenuation-induced dispersion of phase and group velocity plays an important role and should be carefully taken into account to correctly describe how surface-wave amplitudes decay with distance. The comparisons confirm the general reliability of the semi-analytic model for power-law and realistic shear velocity structures to describe fundamental-mode Rayleigh waves in terms of characteristic frequencies, amplitudes and envelopes. At short distances from the source, and for large near-surface velocity gradients or high Q values, the low-frequency energy can be dominated by higher mode surface waves that can be captured by introducing additional higher mode Rayleigh-wave power-law scalings. We also find that the energy spectral density for realistic shear-velocity models close to piecewise power-law models can be accurately modelled using the same non-dimensional scalings. The frequency range of validity of each power-law scaling can be derived from the corresponding phase velocities. Finally, highly discontinuous near-surface velocity profiles can also be approximated by a combination of power-law scalings. Analytical Green’s functions derived from the non-dimensionalization provide a good estimate of the amplitude and variations of the energy distribution, although the predictions are quite poor around the frequency bounds of each power-law scaling.
Source triangulation utilizing three-dimensional arrivals: Application to the search for the ARA San Juan submarine

On Nov. 15, 2017, an intense acoustic event coincident with the disappearance of the Argentine navy submarine, ARA (Armada Argentina) San Juan, was recorded on the hydroacoustic network established to enforce compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Analysis by Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) scientists, based on two hydroacoustic and one seismic detection, provided a likely origin within an error ellipse of 19 km by 12 km; analysis based solely on the main arrival detected at the two hydroacoustic stations gave an error ellipse of ∼500 km by ∼25 km [Nielsen, Zampolli, Le Bras, Mialle, Bittner, Poplavskiy, Rozhkov, Haralabus, Tomuta, Bell, and Grenard, in European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Vol. 20, EGU2018-18559 (2018)]. The large major axis depends on uncertainty in establishing the event time, while the minor axis depends on precision in the ocean state estimate used to model propagation speed. This paper demonstrates how three-dimensional (3-D) propagation features can also be used in source triangulation, in particular when no seismic detection is available. A mode-based 3-D propagation model is implemented to reconstruct the propagation path of a 3-D arrival bathymetrically refracted from the continental slope. This additional arrival provides a third (virtual) station to decouple the location and time of the event and triangulate the event. This improvement is commensurate with the CTBTO analysis, but does not rely on the additional seismic station detection.
Mitigating inter-channel crosstalk non-uniformity in microring filter arrays of photonic NoCs: work-in-progress

Photonic networks-on-chip (PNoCs) employ photonic links with dense-wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) of channels for parallel signal traversal, along with arrayed microring resonator (MR) filters for parallel signal reception, to enable high-bandwidth on-chip data transfers. Unfortunately, DWDM induces nonuniform inter-channel crosstalk in an MR filter array, which degrades the communication reliability in the link. Overcoming this reliability degradation requires non-uniformly distributed signal power across the utilized data-channels in the link. This increases the total laser power consumption of the link, compared to the ideal case where the crosstalk distribution in the MR filter array is uniform. This paper presents a novel design of MR filter array with minimized crosstalk non-uniformity, which can achieve total optical laser power savings of up to 34% of the link power budget.
The Requirement of Fih Study Sites and New Role of Japan for Early Clinical Development: The Pharmaceutical Companies' View

ABSTRACT Recently one of the major trends of anti-cancer development has shifted to molecularly targeted drugs due to remarkable progress of cancer biology and cancer science. Translational research, including biomarker investigations and preclinical pharmacology studies, has been proactively introduced before first in human (FIH) studies in order to raise the success rate of total clinical development from FIH to registration. Regrettably the success rate of registration has not been improved, even though the total research costs before FIH studies have increased. Reductions in clinical development costs were taken as the first step to resolve this issue; Cost reduction such as selecting study sites in Asian countries except for Japan. Asian study sites, like Korea, have improved their quality and skill in conducting clinical studies and are now almost qualified enough for FIH or POC studies. Japanese study sites have made great efforts to improve the quality and capacity. Now again many pharmaceutical companies are starting to pay attentions to Japanese study sites as a leader of early development in Asian region. This means the industry is now moving forward to the second step. Most of companies are engaging in external collaborations for translational researches and early clinical development in order to increase the success rate of early clinical development and to speed up the total development. In other words, study sites, which can proactively collaborate with the industry for translational research and conduct investigator initiated trials, will be chosen as an FIH study site or a POC study site. Here, I will make a presentation about how Japan sites can be chosen as an FIH study site or a POC study site as well as a new role for Japanese study sites for early clinical development.
7 – Bioluminescence in the sea

: This chapter begins with a brief introduction to the generation of light in bioluminescence in marine organisms, the uses of bioluminescence, and the distribution of bioluminescence in the ocean. The chapter then focuses on the instrumentation designed to measure bioluminescence and the propagation of bioluminescence in and out of the water column. Two case examples are used to illustrate current approaches to the propagation bioluminescence and the incorporation of these techniques into hydrodynamic models. The chapter ends with applications and future directions for bioluminescence research.
Special issue: 2018 Quebec elections

Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA Amy G. Mazur You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar Correspondence to Amy G. Mazur. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Reprints and Permissions Mazur, A.G. Special issue: 2018 Quebec elections. Fr Polit (2020). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41253-020-00126-6 Download citation Published: 24 June 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41253-020-00126-6
Private Equity, Consumers, and Competition: Evidence from the Nursing Home Industry

This paper studies how product market competition can shape how private equity (PE) acquisitions impact consumers. We examine PE acquisitions in the nursing home industry and find that PE-owned facilities exhibit greater "competitive sensitivity:" they compete more aggressively when competitive incentives are strong and exploit market power more aggressively when competitive incentives are weak. Our study leverages variation in competitive incentives deriving both from geographic differences in local market concentration, as well as from a pro-competitive policy that helped consumers better compare nursing homes. Our findings suggest that policymakers and regulators concerned about the impact of PE ownership on consumers should pay careful attention to the concentration of markets where PE acquisitions occur and consider pro-competitive policies as a tool to influence PE, mitigating or even reversing its potentially adverse consequences.
Turn-on Performance Comparison of SiC SingleDriver Module (SDM) and Multi-Driver Module (MDM)

Parallel connection of MOSFETs is often used to increase the current handling capability of power modules. Traditional single-driver multi-chip module (SDM) needs to slow down the driving speed by using current balancing gate resistor in order to counter the influence of asymmetric gate loop parasitic parameters which tend to cause transient current unbalance and intrinsic oscillation. Consequently, the SDM performance is comprised from the switching loss point of view. Therefore, multidriver multi-chip module (MDM) which uses individual driver to drive each device is proposed. This paper developed analytical models to characterize the transient current sharing and inherent oscillation for the turn-on process of the SDM and MDM. Based on the developed model, the performance of the SDM and MDM are compared. The advantages and disadvantages of the MDM are quantitatively presented. Experiments are conducted to verify the analysis.
A MULTI-MINERAL INTERVENTION TO MODULATE COLONIC MUCOSAL PROTEIN PROFILE: Results from a 90-day trial in healthy human subjects

The overall goal of this study was to determine if Aquamin(R), a calcium- and magnesium-rich natural product, would alter the expression of proteins involved in growth-regulation, differentiation and barrier formation in the colon. Thirty healthy human subjects were enrolled in a three-arm, 90-day interventional trial in which Aquamin(R) (provided daily to deliver 800-mg of calcium per day) was compared to calcium alone and placebo. Before and after the 90-day interventional period, colonic biopsies were obtained. Biopsies were evaluated by immunohistology for expression of Ki67 (a proliferation marker) and for CK20 and p21 (differentiation markers). Tandem mass tag-mass spectrometry-based detection was used to assess levels of multiple proteins. As compared to placebo or calcium, Aquamin(R) reduced the level of Ki67 expression (20%). Neither intervention altered CK20 expression, while a trend toward increased p21 was observed with calcium and Aquamin(R) (117% and 99% respectively). In the proteomic screen, Aquamin(R) treatment resulted in many more proteins being upregulated or downregulated (1.5 fold-change with [≤]2% false-discovery rate) than placebo. Included among the upregulated proteins were cytokeratins, cell-cell adhesion molecules and components of the basement membrane. Many of the downregulated proteins were those involved in proliferation and nucleic acid metabolism. Calcium alone also altered the expression of many of the same proteins but not to the same extent as Aquamin(R). We conclude that daily Aquamin(R) ingestion alters protein expression profile in the colon that could be beneficial to colonic health. These data warrant additional studies with a larger sample size to validate these findings. Prevention RelevanceA multi-mineral approach reduced proliferation and induced differentiation in ex vivo settings and has been shown to decrease colon polyp incidence in mouse (polyp-prevention) studies. The findings from a 90-day trial in human subjects (presented here) demonstrated improved biomarker-modulation efficacy, warranting to conduct the polyp-prevention trial in at-risk human subjects.
Hypertension preserves the magnitude of microvascular flow‐mediated dilation following transient elevation in intraluminal pressure

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to measure flow-mediated dilation (FMD) prior to and following transient increases in intraluminal pressure (IILP) in resistance arterioles isolated from subjects with and without coronary artery disease (CAD) (CAD and non-CAD) and non-CAD subjects with hypertension. METHODS Arterioles were isolated from discarded surgical tissues (adipose and atrial) from patients without coronary artery disease (non-CAD; ≤1 risk factor, excluding hypertension), with CAD, and non-CAD patients with hypertension (hypertension as the only risk factor). To simulate transient hypertension, increased IILP was generated (150 mmHg, 30 min) by gravity. Arterioles were constricted with endothelin-1, followed by FMD and endothelial-independent dilation prior to and following exposure to IILP. RESULTS IILP reduced FMD in non-CAD and CAD arterioles relative to pre-IILP (p <.05 at 100 cmH2 O). In contrast, arterioles from non-CAD hypertensive subjects exhibited no reduction in maximal FMD following IILP (p = .84 at 100 cmH2 O). FMD was reduced by L-NAME prior to IILP in non-CAD hypertensive patients (p < .05 at 100 cmH2 O); however, following IILP, FMD was inhibited by peg-cat (p < .05 at 100 cmH2 O), indicating a switch from NO to H2 O2 as the mechanism of dilation. CONCLUSIONS Acute exposure (30 min) to IILP (150 mmHg) attenuates the magnitude of FMD in non-CAD and CAD resistance arterioles. The presence of clinically diagnosed hypertension in non-CAD resistance arterioles preserves the magnitude of FMD following IILP as a result of a compensatory switch from NO to H2 O2 as the mechanism of dilation.
Analysis and Modeling of Metamaterial Absorbers

We present an analytic model of ideal absorbing metasurfaces. These metasurfaces consist of arrays of electrically responsive elements that are placed over a ground plane, or else a corresponding array of likewise electrically responsive metamaterial elements. The coupling between the metamaterial elements and the ground plane is known to produce an overall magnetic response, and this magnetic response cancels the reflected wave from the ground plane [1, 2]. Patch antenna absorbers are unique in that they have experimentally demonstrated remarkably good absorption of transverse-magnetic waves over nearly all angles of incidence. Since the coupling between the ground plane and the patch antennas is an essential part of the behavior of the resonator, the absorber is difficult to model analytically using standard effective medium theory techniques. Other analytic models of patch antenna absorbers are scarce [4], and none attempt to model the nearly perfect off-axis absorption of the patch antenna absorber. We aim to provide a good conceptual understanding of the patch antenna absorber through a rigorous and purely analytic model for arbitrary angles of incidence.
IMPROVING TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF) FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Tax increment financing (TIF), a popular economic development tool across the United States, often falls short of its promise to revitalize struggling neighborhoods. TIF earmarks property tax revenue increases (or “increments”) in a designated area that are expected to result from new development and real estate appreciation generated by the TIF. Enabled by the state, city governments typically create new TIF districts and specify their goals, permitted expenditures, and terms of operation. This practice allows cities to divert revenues of overlying governments—such as counties or school districts—to fund economic development, rationalizing that diverted revenues would not exist “but for” the economic activity TIF funds. Therefore, in theory, there is no loss to overlying governments, and developers receive no subsidy unless they spur development. Indeed, TIF’s power lies in its potential to bring together private- and public sector actors to stimulate growth. Local governments should provide extensive, easily accessible information about TIF use, revenues, and expenditures, and they should document progress toward clearly articulated goals. TIF spending is fundamentally different from other government spending; districts are often not subject to ordinary democratic controls, thus meriting much more reporting and transparency. Furthermore, municipal legislators should be able to make evidence-based adjustments to TIF districts, such as limiting durations or dissolving those that do not meet the jurisdiction’s objectives. Researchers should study, document, and explain the mixed outcomes of TIF and expand knowledge about the types of TIF expenditures that best promote economic development. To date, academic studies of TIF document mixed outcomes but do not clearly identify factors that explain variations in outcomes of TIF use in various geographic areas.
Phase 2a randomized clinical trial of dupilumab (anti-IL-4Rα) for alopecia areata patients.

BACKGROUND Treatments for alopecia areata (AA) patients with extensive scalp hair loss are limited, and recent evidence supports a role for type 2 T-cell (Th2)-immune response in AA. Dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody inhibiting Th2 signaling, approved for type 2 diseases including atopic dermatitis, was evaluated in AA patients. METHODS Alopecia areata patients with and without concomitant atopic dermatitis were randomized 2:1 to receive weekly subcutaneous dupilumab (300 mg) or placebo for 24 weeks, followed by another 24-week dupilumab open-label phase. The primary outcome was change from baseline in the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score at week 24; secondary outcomes included a range of measures of hair regrowth. RESULTS Forty and 20 patients were assigned to the dupilumab and placebo arms, respectively. At week 24, disease worsening was documented in the placebo arm, with a least-squares mean change in the SALT score of -6.5 (95% confidence-interval [CI], -10.4 to -2.6), versus a change of 2.2 (95% CI, -0.6 to 4.94) in the dupilumab arm (p < .05). After 48 weeks of dupilumab treatment, 32.5%, 22.5% and 15% of patients achieved SALT30 /SALT50 /SALT75 improvement, respectively, while in patients with baseline IgE ≥ 200 IU/ml response rates increased to 53.8%, 46.2%, and 38.5%, respectively. Moreover, baseline IgE predicts treatment response with 83% accuracy. No new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSIONS This hypothesis-driven trial is the first to indicate the possible pathogenic role of the Th2 axis and Th2 targeting in AA patients. Patient selection based on baseline serum IgE levels may improve treatment results (Clinicaltrials.gov number, NCT03359356).
Understanding the Single Atom Doping Effects in Oxygen Reduction with Atomically Precise Metal Nanoclusters

As a critical part of the fuel cell system, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been extensively investigated. Here we report the ORR performance catalyzed by atomically precise, heterometal-do...
Solving a large energy system optimization model using an open-source solver

Abstract Open-source energy models are becoming more widely used for electric power systems planning. The solutions for these models are often computed using commercial optimization solvers, which require licensing fees that can be a potential barrier for certain organizations and researchers. This study explores the ability of the open-source COIN-OR linear programming (CLP) solver to compute solutions for the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model—a large-scale, open-access electricity system planning model for the United States developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). We find that open-source solvers, such as CLP, require some reduction of model size and detail. Although the solutions for reduced-form models may differ from full-featured models, we demonstrate that reduced-form solutions for ReEDS can still provide useful insight about drivers of power sector evolution. This research can help the modeling community better understand how open-source solvers can be applied to large-scale planning tools, and the potential steps that may be required to implement them.
Mechanism of Tissue Oxygen Transport Enhancement by Fluorocarbon Blood Substitutes at Normal Hematocrit

Fluorocarbon based emulsions have long been suggested as artificial blood substitutes. In previous experimental studies with Fluosol DA ® (Green Cross Corp., Osaka, Japan) these emulsions have been found to enhance oxygen transport to the cat retina following exchange transfusion in cats breathing 100% oxygen. These cats had severely reduced hematocrits. Nevertheless enhancement occurred even though the arterial blood carried much less oxygen than before the exchange. In these studies the reduced blood viscosity contributed to a significant increase in blood flow. In more recent studies with a concentrated emulsion, Oxygent TM HT (Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp., San Diego, CA), similar enhancements have been observed at normal hematocrit even with extremely small amounts of added emulsion. In these studies there was only a negligible increase in arterial blood oxygen content and no apparent change in either blood viscosity or flow. Although the early results with exchange transfusion could be explained by increased blood flow, the more recent results are quite puzzling. Why did the tissue PO2 increase with no change in blood PO2, content or flow even with less than one volume percent of the fluorocarbon added to the blood?
Frequency domain design of a control law for active control of rotating stall in an axial flow compressor

The controller design is executed in two primary phases. In the first phase, an input-output model of the compressor is developed to recover the frequency response of the spatial mode dynamics. The representation of the compressor dynamics in this form facilitates the controller design process. In the second phase, a feedback controller having the structure u/sub i/=K/sub i/e/sup j/spl beta/i/y/sub i/ is designed to maximize the stability of the i/sup th/ spatial mode where y/sub i/ denotes the i/sup th/ spatial harmonic. Maximum performance is limited by the output saturation of the air injectors. The design of K/sub i/ and /spl beta//sub i/ is realized using a feedback control notion referred to as sensitivity. The controller is designed for an analytical compressor model comprised of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (NODE). These NODEs are derived from a reduction of the Moore-Greitzer partial differential equations. The paper concludes with a discussion of designing dynamic controllers which may achieve performance beyond the control law u/sub i/=K/sub i/e/sup j/spl beta/i/y/sub i/.
Barriers to total quality management in the Department of Defense

Reliability and maintainability are discussed as subsets of the assurance sciences. Total quality management (TQM) covers all of the assurance sciences, with significant emphasis on the human and organizational systems underlying all production processes. When the Air Force Logistics Command initiated TQM, a number of challenges had to be overcome to achieve the full potential of the program. These barriers included a lack of worker motivation, opposition of existing management, and lack of effective communication. >
Epidemiology of Ostertagia ostertagi in warm temperate regions of the United States

Abstract For many years our general knowledge on the epidemiology of Ostertagia ostertagi in the U.S.A. was based on research conducted in Scotland and England. During the last 10 years, epidemiologic investigations on O. ostertagi and other gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle have been conducted in various sections of the U.S.A. and Canada. Definite seasonal patterns of O. ostertagi larval inhibition have been demonstrated, but occurrences of the Type I and Type II clinical entities have not been adequately described and associated with the epidemiology of the parasite. All information to the present time suggests that there are seasonal differences in ostertagiasis based on a north and south plane, with larval inhibition occurring during autumn in the north and during spring in the south and parts of the west. Under environmental and management conditions of the south and those other regions where O. ostertagi is significant and summer is the dominant season, some minimal numbers of inhibition-prone O. ostertagi may be acquired during autumn and winter. However, the early pre-Type phaphase (acquisition of inhibition-prone larvae) begins in late winter and reaches peak levels during spring. From January to April, young cattle between weaning and 16 months of age may be affected by Type I disease. Pasture transmission basically ceases from late spring into autumn with consistent high temperature and alternating wet and dry periods. From late summer through autumn (occasionally earlier), Type II disease is possible primarily in yearling cattle and also in order cattle. September and October are months of greatest prevalence. The probability of Type II disease effects occurring, i.e. effects ranging from mild clinical signs and minimal production loss to acute disease and deaths, is dictated by numbers of worms present and characteristics of maturation of inhibited larvae, which in turn may be influenced by current weather factors and management conditions, as well as those of the previous winter and spring.
Neurotics and the Influence of Age on Sort Variables

The Structured-Objective Rorschach Test (SORT) was individually administered to 100 neurotic patients in a VA Hospital and divided into 2 age groups, 28–42 and 43–68. The raw scores for their 15 SORT variables were compared. At the .05 level, the mental functioning ability to generalize (W) increased with age, while the attention to detail (Dd) decreased with age.
Herbicidal properties of the antibiotic monensin

The agricultural antibiotic monensin caused herbicidal injury to 1- to 2-week-old seedlings of seven weed and two crop species when applied at 10 -4 M as a foliar spray in the greenhouse. The non-ionic surfactant tergitol TMN (0.1 ml litre -1 ) aided foliar absorption of monensin and increased herbicidal injury. Fresh weight reductions ranged from 20 to 75% (compared to control seedings treated with tergitol alone) 65 h after spray application of 10 -4 M monensin with tergitol. When root-fed at 10 -4 M, monensin (without tergitol) caused death in all nine species within 24-72 h after treatment. Monensin supplied to roots at 10 -5 M caused fresh weight reductions in spurred anoda [Anoda cristata], velvetleaf [Abutilon theophrasti] and prickly sida [Sida spinosa] of 43, 32 and 23%, respectively. Substantial growth effects also occurred in hemp sesbania [Sesbania exaltata] and sicklepod [Cassia obtusifolia] (33 and 15% reductions in fresh weight, respectively) ; jimsonweed [Datura stramonium] and johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense] had the least fresh weight reductions. Injury included chlorosis, necrosis, desiccation and leaf abscission. Cotton and okra were the most tolerant of all species tested ; however, three malvaceous weeds were severely damaged by the compound. When root-fed at 10 -6 M, monensin caused limited injury. Monensin exhibited some degree of selectivity among these crop and weed species and caused greater injury in light-treated than dark-treated plant tissues.
Pregnancy and Mental Health Among Women Veterans Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan

Abstract Background: Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) may experience significant stress during military service that can have lingering effects. Little is known about mental health problems or treatment among pregnant OEF/OIF women veterans. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of mental health problems among veterans who received pregnancy-related care in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Methods: Data from the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) deployment roster of military discharges from October 1, 2001, through April 30, 2008, were used to assemble an administrative cohort of female OEF/OIF veterans enrolled in care at the VHA (n = 43,078). Pregnancy and mental health conditions were quantified according to ICD-9-CM codes and specifications. Mental healthcare use and prenatal care were assessed by analyzing VHA stop codes. Results: During the study period, 2966 (7%) women received at least one episode of pregnancy-related care, and 3...
A Latent-Variable Modeling Approach Toassessing Interrater Reliability, Topic Generalizability, and Validity of a Content Assessment Scoring Rubric

This article describes the limitations of certain statistical techniques and approaches for handling multiple criteria in assessing reliability, concurrent validity, and generalizability. The article also suggests alternatives to using these approaches on performance assessment measures. The application of the latent variable modeling approach to the data revealed a significant improvement in the degree of interrater reliability, concurrent validity, and generalizability (over raters and topics) on a scoring rubric. The improvement in concurrent validity was particularly noticeable. However, it should be noted that one of the main limitations of this study was the use of a small number of subjects, which could have affected the validity of some of the findings.
What Is the Most Important Skill/Quality in the Engineering Workplace? [The Way I See it]

I think the most important skill/quality in the engineering workplace would have to be critical thinking supported by great communication skills. I feel as if these skill/qualities are highly important and valuable because an engineer has to be able to think beyond the norm and stay ahead of the “game.” In the engineering workplace, there is a lot of critical thinking and problem solving on a daily basis.
Characterization of new and degraded mirrors with AES, ESCA and SIMS

Abstract Samples representing each stage of second surface mirror production were examined with AES, ESCA and SIMS, in combination with ion sputtering. Finished mirrors exposed to the exterior environment were also analyzed. Significant weathering had already occurred on a 6 month old soda-lime-silicate glass that was intended for use in the Barstow solar pilot plant. Such weathering may adversely affect the quality of mirrors produced from this glass. Further glass-water reactions occur during the silvering step, which was demonstrated by the detection ofdeuterium into the glass on mirrors made from D2O silver solutions. In addition, diffusion of silver into the glass matrix was found, even on freshly prepared mirrors. Diffusion effects were separated from sputter broadening by a comparison of depth profiles of wet process deposited silver on float glass and electron beam deposited silver on quartz. Copper and silver layers were intermixed to a greater extent than expected from published diffusion or miscibility data. The results are consistent with a model of copper and silver layers existing as microcrystalline islands, having dimensions smaller than the spatial resolution of the techniques used, and support recent SEM data. On degraded specimens, sulfur was strongly associated with the reacting edge of the copper films, while chloride was similarly associated with the silver films, implying that these elements are important corrosive agents. The source of the sulfur and chloride may be either the backing paint or airborne particulates. Chloride may also be left from the sensitization step. Initial degradation may involve attack from the paint side on the copper film as well as reaction at the silver-glass interface. Water appears to accelerate the degradation.
Modeling fluorescent light distributions in scattering media

It is hoped that the non-invasive optical characterization of physiological features of normal and diseased epithelia can be assessed through the fluorescent emission of such tissues. With a high percentage of cancers arising in the epithelium, the characterization of carcinogenesis in such tissues is imperative. Fluorescent emission from the epithelium, e.g. oral mucosa, has been shown to be sensitive to physiological features, such as cellular morphology, and the amount and types of biochemical agents present in the tissue. Efforts to distinguish the spectral signatures of diseased and healthy states of tissues from fluorescence have been confounded by the distortion of the intrinsic fluorescent signature as a result of wavelength dependent absorption and scattering within the tissue. Theoretical models of light propagation in biological media are required for understanding the distortion of the intrinsic fluorescence arising from compromised tissues. In this work we model the distortion of the intrinsic fluorescence emitted from a tissue with wavelength dependent optical properties, arising from varying blood and water content, using the radiative transport equation. As an example, we demonstrate the ability of blood and water content to distort the signal of a white light source as it is embedded deeper into a tissue.
Effect of feeding fermented milk on the incidence of chemically induced colon tumors in rats

Abstract The effect of feeding skim milk fermented by Streptococcus thermophilus or Lactobacillus bulgaricus on the incidence of chemically induced colon tumors was studied in rats. Weanling Fisher‐344 rats were fed chow plus skim milk (SM), chow plus SM fermented by S. thermophilus, chow plus SM fermented by L. bulgaricus, or chow plus water until sacrifice at 36 weeks, or before if moribund. Colon tumors were induced by s.c. injections of 1,2‐dimethylhydrazine hydrochloride during weeks 3 through 22. The control (chow + water) group received saline injections. The survival rate of the rats fed fermented milks was significantly higher than that of the rats fed nonfermented milk. The latter had a significantly higher incidence of ear‐duct tumors than the rats receiving fermented milk. The percentage of rats showing colon tumors was similar among all three experimental groups. The control group did not have any tumors. The rats receiving fermented milk had a significantly higher incidence of small‐intestin...
Citation and Correction of Deficiencies in Osteopathic Graduate Medical Education Programs: Opportunities for Improvement

Since 2008, the American Osteopathic Association has gathered data on osteopathic graduate medical education program compliance with the association's correction of deficiencies processes. The purpose of the current article is to look at those data to discover trends and identify patterns and areas for improvement for osteopathic graduate medical education. In addition to providing quantitative data, the author also uses qualitative data to explain why corrective action plans are recommended for denial.
Making sense of nonsense GABAA receptor mutations associated with genetic epilepsies

Nonsense mutations that generate premature translation–termination codons (PTCs) are responsible for approximately one- third of human genetic diseases. PTCs in both voltage- and ligand-gated ion channel genes, including those for sodium, potassium, nicotinic cholinergic receptor and GABA A receptor channels, have been associated with genetic epilepsies but the epilepsy syndromes they cause are variable. It was recently proposed that two well-established molecular pathways, nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD), determine the effects of PTCs in GABA A receptor subunit genes associated with genetic epilepsies on the cellular fates of mutant subunit mRNAs and proteins. Activation of these different molecular mechanisms might contribute in part to different clinical phenotypes in patients with GABA A receptor subunit gene PTCs and thus different approaches for treatment of their genetic epilepsies might be required.
Iminoribitol transition state analogue inhibitors of protozoan nucleoside hydrolases.

Nucleoside N-ribohydrolases from protozoan parasites are targets for inhibitor design in these purine-auxotrophic organisms. Purine-specific and purine/pyrimidine-nonspecific nucleoside hydrolases have been reported. Iminoribitols that are 1-substituted with meta- and para-derivatized phenyl groups [(1S)-substituted 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-d-ribitols] are powerful inhibitors for the nonspecific nucleoside N-ribohydrolases, but are weak inhibitiors for purine-specific isozymes [Parkin, D. W., Limberg, G., Tyler, P. C., Furneaux, R. H., Chen, X.-Y., and Schramm, V. L. (1997) Biochemisty 36, 3528−3534]. Binding of these inhibitors to nonspecific nucleoside hydrolase occurs primarily via interaction with the iminoribitol, a ribooxocarbenium ion analogue of the transition state. Weaker interactions arise from hydrophobic interactions between the phenyl group and the purine/pyrimidine site. In contrast, the purine-specific enzymes obtain equal catalytic potential from leaving group activation and ribooxocarbenium...
Group social context and children's aggressive behavior.

Very little is known about the influence of the social-psychological context on children's aggressive behavior. The purpose of this research was to examine the interrelations of group contextual factors and the occurrence of aggressive behavior in 22 experimental play groups of 7- and 9-year-old African-American boys. Group context was examined before, during, and after an aggressive act as well as during nonaggressive periods. The results showed that there are dimensions of group context (i.e., negative affect, high aversive behavior, high activity level, low group cohesion, competitiveness) that were related to the occurrence of aggressive behavior between 2 children in the group. Group context influenced how children reacted to aggression between its members (e.g., siding with the victim), which in turn influenced the quality of the postaggression group atmosphere. This study suggests that individual-within-context information be incorporated into theories of aggression among children.
Fidelity and yield in a volcano monitoring sensor network

We present a science-centric evaluation of a 19-day sensor network deployment at Reventador, an active volcano in Ecuador. Each of the 16 sensors continuously sampled seismic and acoustic data at 100 Hz. Nodes used an event-detection algorithm to trigger on interesting volcanic activity and initiate reliable data transfer to the base station. During the deployment, the network recorded 229 earthquakes, eruptions, and other seismoacoustic events.The science requirements of reliable data collection, accurate event detection, and high timing precision drive sensor networks in new directions for geophysical monitoring. The main contribution of this paper is an evaluation of the sensor network as a scientific instrument, holding it to the standards of existing instrumentation in terms of data fidelity (the quality and accuracy of the recorded signals) and yield (the quantity of the captured data). We describe an approach to time rectification of the acquired signals that can recover accurate timing despite failures of the underlying time synchronization protocol. In addition, we perform a detailed study of the sensor network's data using a direct comparison to a standalone data logger, as well as an investigation of seismic and acoustic wave arrival times across the network.
Preliminary experience with the VersaPoint bipolar resectoscope using a vaporizing electrode in a saline distending medium.

Abstract Objective To evaluate a new bipolar resectoscope that uses physiologic saline as a distending medium. Design Clinic-based, prospective, non-randomized study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting A free-standing ambulatory surgical facility. Patients Eleven women with menorrhagia or menometrorrhagia and four with menorrhagia and infertility. Intervention Hysteroscopic removal of submucosal myomas with concomitant endometrial ablation in seven patients. Measurements and Main Results Complete removal of the submucosal myoma was achieved in all 15 patients. Eight patients had a European Society of Gynecologic Endoscopy type II myoma, five had a type I, and two had a type zero. Five patients had multiple myomas. There were no complications. Conclusions The bipolar resectoscope is effective in the removal of submucosal myomas and in this series allowed completion of several cases that probably could not have been done with a traditional monopolar resectoscope.
Reachable Sets for Linear Dynamical Systems

The properties of reachable sets for linear dynamical systems for specified control sets are discussed. Iterative procedures for determining numerical approximations of the reachable set are suggested and methods of obtaining an admissible control function which transfers an initial state to as near a prescribed target as possible is described. The problem of reachability with multiple control constraints is discussed and certain aspects of reachability for time-invariant systems with adjustable parameters is considered.
Herbaceamide, a chlorinated N-acyl amino ester from the marine sponge, Dysidea herbacea

Abstract Herbaceamide (1) was isolated from Dysidea herbacea. The structure and partial stereochemistry were assigned on the basis of spectroscopic comparison with dysidenin (2) and synthetic analogs.
Suppression of Flame Contamination with the Sprayer—Burner Sheath in Emission Flame Photometry

An auxilary device has been used in tests done to measure contamination suppression achieved with a sheathed sprayer–burner in emission flame photometry. Sodium has been used as analyte and contaminant. Oxygen was utilized as sheath gas for oxygen–hydrogen flames.
Effect of Inlet Humidity Condition on the Air-Side Performance of an Inclined Brazed Aluminum Evaporator

Abstract The effect of air inlet humidity condition on the air-side heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics for an inclined brazed aluminum heat exchanger has been investigated experimentally. For a heat exchanger with a louver angle of 27°, fin pitch of 2.1 mm and flow depth of 27.9 mm, a series of tests are conducted for the air-side Reynolds numbers of 80–400, with variation of inlet humidity condition. The heat transfer data are obtained for wet condition only and the pressure drop data are measured for both dry and wet conditions. The inlet air temperature and relative humidity range are 12 °C and 60–90%, respectively. The inclination angles ( θ ) from the vertical position are 0, 14, 45, and 67° clockwise (leeward direction). The inclination angles affect moderately the sensible heat transfer coefficient for wet condition, and the pressure drops for both dry and wet conditions increase systematically with the inclination angle. The heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics under wet condition are not influenced substantially by the air inlet humidity for θ ⩽45°. The effect of the louver directions at the inlet and outlet of the inclined heat exchanger on the performance is also addressed.
Assessing the distribution of parameters in models of ligand-receptor interaction: to log or not to log

It is quite common to see experimental data analysed according to a variety of models of ligand-receptor interaction. Often, parameters derived from such models are compared statistically. The most commonly employed statistical analyses contain explicit assumptions about the underlying distributions of the model parameters being compared, yet the validity of these assumptions is not often ascertained. In this article, Arthur Christopoulos describes a general approach to Monte Carlo simulation of data, and outlines how the analysis of such simulated data may be used to address the question of the distribution of model parameters. The results of such an exercise can guide the researcher to the appropriate choice of statistical test or data transform.