cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Crisis to Disengagement, 1896–99

If the hegemony described in the previous chapter was the objective pursued up to 1896 it was not to be the one sought thereafter. At first glance, it seems implausible that after many years of build-up Germany’s southern African policy should change abruptly at the very moment when the most daring steps were being taken and when the government’s conduct was most subject to popular acclaim. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that the Kruger telegram represented the high water mark of German interest in the Transvaal and that thereafter activity declined markedly. As in the case of the diplomatic adjustments that followed the departure of Caprivi in 1894, the cause of this transformation was a shift in the balance of power within the Reich’s administrative elite. So far as opinions on South African matters were concerned, this body was composed of two competing factions: those with aspirations in the region and those without. Prior to the Kruger telegram, German policy had largely been determined by those members of the government who favoured intervention and the establishment of Germany as a major factor in the politics of the region. Their strategy was carried to its logical extreme, namely a clash with Britain, because, though opposition to their views existed, it was always too weak to have any effective influence over the direction of policy. However, over the course of 1896 and the early part of 1897, this situation was transformed. During this period, a number of events occurred that gave credence to the outlook of those who opposed an active German role in southern Africa and thereby enabled the proponents of this viewpoint to alter the balance of power within the Reich government in their favour.
Improving Blog Polarity Classification via Topic Analysis and Adaptive Methods

In this paper we examine different linguistic features for sentimental polarity classification, and perform a comparative study on this task between blog and review data. We found that results on blog are much worse than reviews and investigated two methods to improve the performance on blogs. First we explored information retrieval based topic analysis to extract relevant sentences to the given topics for polarity classification. Second, we adopted an adaptive method where we train classifiers from review data and incorporate their hypothesis as features. Both methods yielded performance gain for polarity classification on blog data.
Electrophilic trapping of α-lithio dienyl sulfones

Abstract 1-Arylsulfonyl-1,3-dienes may be deprotonated in the presence of a strong base and subsequently trapped by several different electrophilic functional groups.
Model analysis of bidirectional interference in two-stage labeled-ligand immunoassays.

Abstract Objectives Immunoassays involving sample incubation followed by a wash step prior to introduction of labeled analyte are potentially subject to both positive and negative interference (bidirectional interference) by a competing ligand. We examine this phenomenon from a theoretical standpoint using a mathematical model for sequential-step immunoassays in the presence of interferent. Design & methods Competitive binding to antibody between analyte and interferent was modeled for sequential-step immunoassays. A primary assumption was that the ratio of affinity constants between the intended analyte and the interferent reflected the ratio of dissociation rate constants, with the higher dissociation rate constant for the lesser affinity ligand. Results Relationships of parameters (relative affinity constants, relative concentrations) for analyte and interferent were determined for conditions in which bidirectional interference can occur, for both steady-state and non-steady-state sample incubation conditions. Non-steady state sample incubation conditions can enhance the effects of an interferent. Homogeneous assay formats utilizing labeled ligand without a wash step can also demonstrate bidirectional interference, but positive interference is favored under such formats. Conclusions Model calculations demonstrate the theoretical basis for bidirectional interference in two-stage immunoassays. Results delineate constraints on conditions in which bidirectional interference can occur.
Sexual dimorphism of the pulmonary transcriptome in neonatal hyperoxic lung injury: identification of angiogenesis as a key pathway.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is characterized by impaired alveolar secondary septation and vascular growth. Exposure to high concentrations of oxygen (hyperoxia) contributes to the development ...
Strict Scrutiny, Public Opinion, and Affirmative Action on Campus: Should the Courts Find a Narrowly Tailored Solution to a Compelling Need in a Policy Most Americans Oppose?

The Courts should never bow to public opinion in finding a racially discriminatory law is a good thing. Strict scrutiny demands that the courts disregard any such popular opinion and determine for themselves whether such a law is the narrowly tailored response to a compelling need. Hence even supposing that Jim Crow laws were popular among Americans, the judiciary’s function was to be a counterweight to such popular sentiment. But what about the other way around? If popular opinion opposes racially discriminatory policies, should those policies ever survive strict scrutiny? This essay takes the position that in such a case, the concept of the judiciary as a counterweight to popular opinion evaporates. The point of strict scrutiny is to put a very firm thumb on the scale against laws and policies that discriminate on the basis of race. If most American believe that a racially discriminatory law or policy is bad public policy, it is not easy to see how the courts could find it a narrowly tailored response to a compelling need.
Assessing quality of randomized trials supporting guidelines for laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery.

Abstract Background Recent studies have highlighted the risk of bias and the fragility of results in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical practice guidelines created by the Society for Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) for fragility, statistical power, and risk of bias. Materials and methods We screened the SAGES clinical practice guideline references for qualifying RCTs. RCTs were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool 2.0. We used the fragility index and fragility quotient to evaluate the robustness of trial results and conducted a power analysis using G*Power to determine if trials were adequately powered. Results Twenty-two (40.7%) of the 54 trials that we assessed were rated as having a high risk of bias, 17 (31.5%) were rated as having a low risk of bias, and 15 (27.8%) were rated as having some concerns. The median fragility index was 2.5 (interquartile range 1-7). The median fragility quotient was 0.021 (interquartile range 0.003-0.045). Mean sample size was 108, and the mean loss to follow-up was eight patients. Eight of 33 trials (24.2%) were found to be underpowered according to the sample size used in the primary outcome. Conclusions Guidelines created by SAGES are supported by RCTs that are frequently fragile or underpowered or have a high risk of bias. Future RCTs should utilize the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement, implement strategies to minimize loss to follow-up, and use properly powered sample sizes.
MicroRNA-Mediated Therapy Modulating Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption Improves Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Objective—There are currently no effective treatments for the prevention of dementia associated with vascular cognitive impairment. MicroRNAs regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional le...
Symbolic approximation of feedforward neural networks

Multiple layer feedforward neural networks are often viewed as black boxes as the knowledge stored in the connection weights of these networks is generally considered incomprehensible. This paper suggests a solution to this deficiency of neural networks by proposing a backtracking tree search procedure for converting the weights of a neuron into a symbolic representation and demonstrating its use for understanding and symbolic approximation of feedforward neural networks. Several examples are presented to illustrate the proposed symbolic mapping of neurons.
Prenatal Assessment and Perinatal Management of Suspected Airway Compromise in the Fetus and Neonate

Prenatal evaluation of suspected airway disorders is critical to the survival of a fetus with a potentially compromised airway at birth. There are numerous causes of airway obstruction, which can be functionally divided into extrinsic and intrinsic causes. The etiology of the obstruction and the degree of airway compromise determines the need for and the type of intervention required. Extrinsic airway obstruction is one of the most common causes of airway compromise at birth, there are multiple conditions that can cause extrinsic airway compression: e.g., cervical teratoma, vascular malformations, and epignathus. Intra-thoracic lesions such as teratoma, bronchogenic cyst, and CPAM can also cause extrinsic compression. Complete intrinsic airway obstruction will cause the clinical syndrome known as congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS); this syndrome is fatal without prenatal or perinatal intervention. Fetal imaging, using both ultrasound and fetal MRI, plays a central role in diagnosing the precise cause and level of obstruction, which in turn guides interventional planning. Early recognition and referral to a fetal care center with expertise in the diagnosis and management of fetal and neonatal airway compromise and experience with ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) to airway procedures offers these fetuses the best opportunity for a favorable outcome.
Muted Signals in Academe: Letters of Recommendation and Grade Inflation

One morning at coffee several years ago (ok, so it’s more like twenty), Eli told a funny story about his writing of a letter of recommendation for a top student. After having written several very favorable paragraphs, Eli concluded the letter by saying that “He simply couldn’t recommend the student too highly.” When he looked at what he had written, Eli said, “I realized that one could interpret the concluding sentence as either high praise or damning! The sentence was completely ambiguous!” To Eli and his inadvertent stumbling upon this ambiguous recommendation, I owe a debt of gratitude.
Energy Load Forecasting using Deep Learning Approach-LSTM and GRU in Spark Cluster

Electric load forecasting has a significant role in power grids in order to facilitate the decision making process of energy generation & consumption. Long term forecasting is not feasible as there might be an uncertainty in the prediction because of irregular increase in the demand for power with the growing population and dependency on electric power. Since the behaviour of electric load time series is very much non-linear and seasonal, Neural Networks are best suited model for learning the Non-Linear behaviour within the data and for forecasting purpose. This paper deals with the Recurrent Neural Networks based Models: Long-Short-Term-Memory (LSTM) and Gated-Recurrent-Unit (GRU) to deal with this challenge. Observations have been made based on the distributed implementation of various configurations of LSTM-RNN & GRU-RNN on spark clusters for hyper parameter tuning purpose and deploying best suited configuration with least RMSE value using apache memos resource management.
Simultaneous Electrosynthesis of Syngas and an Aldehyde from CO2 and an Alcohol by Molecular Electrocatalysis

A tandem cell for artificial photosynthesis with CO2 and water as the oxidants and an organic alcohol as the reductant is described. The use of molecular catalysts with high activity and selectivity, in an appropriate cell configuration, leads to electrochemical reduction of CO2 and water to CO and H2 (syngas) in tandem with benzyl alcohol oxidation to benzaldehyde. A faradaic efficiency (FE) of ∼70% for the formation of benzaldehyde was obtained with simultaneous syngas generation with varying ratios of H2 and CO at the cathode. The maximum energy efficiency obtained for the electrochemical cell was 17.6%.
Administrative claims data to support pragmatic clinical trial outcome ascertainment on cardiovascular health.

Background/aimsHealth plan administrative claims data present a cost-effective complement to traditional trial-specific ascertainment of clinical events typically conducted through patient report o...
Marine and Coastal Hazard Assessment for Three Coastal Oil Rigs

A forecasting and hazard assessment system for oil dispersion from Italian oil rigs was set up within the framework of a national research project. The system is based on 3D hydrodynamic, mesoscale resolving models providing forcing fields for a Lagrangian module of oil dispersion and slick evolution (oil transport and transformation). The tool provides,daily, the outputs of numerical simulations of possible oil spills from extraction platform sites. In this work we present the results for the 3 platforms closest to the Italian coast. Aside the operational usage, the numerical outputs are also stored and adopted to compute statistics of the slick distributions in the coastal and marine areas of interest. The hazard was assessed by means of two different indices (Hazard Index and Occurrence Index) based on the operational system outputs, for the estimation of the hazard at sea (marine hazard or aerial hazard). As short forecasts (2 days long) often do not allow the oil to reach the coast, an extra set of long-period simulations has been performed in order to compute a third Hazard Index (Coastal Hazard Index) suitable to estimate the hazard along the shorelines.\\ The adopted methodology allowed, as a whole, to assess both coastal and marine oil spill hazard due to oil spill extraction activities. The indices constitute a basic informative layer on which the environmental risk could be also evaluated, once opportunely combined with coastal vulnerability and sensitivity layers.
Photobiomodulation as a potential therapeutic strategy for improving cognitive and functional outcomes in traumatic brain injury

Abstract Cognitive impairments are common in individuals that have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and these cognitive disturbances can impact vocational outcomes and quality of life. There is emerging evidence that noninvasive photobiomodulation (PBM) treatment applied to the brain may be a viable option for treating the cognitive symptoms of TBI. In animal models of TBI, PBM treatment has been found to enhance mitochondrial function, promote neural repair, and improve learning and memory. Studies in healthy human subjects indicate that PBM treatment can enhance cognitive performance in humans as well. Case-based studies in TBI patients suggest that PBM therapy can improve cognitive outcomes in clinically diagnosed TBI patients, particularly in the domains of processing speed, inhibitory control, and verbal learning and memory. However, the findings in TBI patients are preliminary, and further work is necessary. Further clinical trials that are sufficiently powered and include placebo controls, double-blinded designs, and a comprehensive battery of outcome assessments will provide additional clarity about the efficacy of PBM as a therapy for cognitive dysfunction in TBI.
Lack of phenotypic variation in larval utilization of pea aphids in populations of the ladybeetle Hippodamia convergens

Abstract The convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens) is a generalist natural enemy that is utilized extensively in augmentative biological control across the United States. Recent studies have pointed to both genetic and phenotypic differences in Western (California) versus Eastern (Kansas) populations of the species. Here we investigate phenotypic differences in their utilization of pea aphids in (a) Eastern versus Western populations, (b) Hybrid Eastern and Western populations versus their progenitor populations, and (c) within population competition rates in Eastern, Western, and Hybrid populations. Across eight replicate treatments, we find no phenotypic differences (P > 0.2), contradicting previous genetic and behavioral studies. Hybrid F1 populations however show an overall greater percentage weight gain, potentially indicative of a hybrid vigor effect, and greater fitness of augmented populations of the species.
The April 1992 Cape Mendocino Earthquake Sequence: Seismo-Acoustic Analysis Utilizing Fixed Hydrophone Arrays

The oceanic T-waves of earthquakes associated with the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake sequence were recorded and analyzed using fixed hydrophone arrays located throughout the north-east Pacific Ocean. The T-waves of these events were well recorded with high S/N ratios and strong acoustic energy present over a 0–64 Hz bandwidth. The smallest event recorded by the hydrophone arrays from the sequence had a local magnitude of 2.4. The hydrophone records of the three largest shocks in the sequence (ML 6.9, 6.2, 6.5) exhibited both T-waves and lithospheric phases from these events. Low-pass filtering (2 Hz) of the lithospheric phases yielded a clear P-wave arrival for epicentral distances of 6 aftershock, possibly the result of a submarine slide. The direct P-wave hydrophone records from the second large aftershock showed a relatively high-amplitude, high-frequency arrival, consistent with seismic analyses which used this information to infer rupture direction. The rupture direction was toward the location of the cable break, thus rupture directivity possibly played a role in initiating the slide event. Modelling of the T-wave propagation path, using the Parabolic Equation model, produced estimates of the acoustic transmission loss from epicenter to receiver. The transmission loss to the most distant phones is typically 10-20 dB , and can be as large as 50–70 dB for acoustic propagation paths that cross the continental margin. The amount of acoustic energy each earthquake released into the ocean at the seafloor–water interface was estimated applying the transmission loss and instrument response to the recorded T-wave signals. This acoustic source power level was calculated for 41 events with magnitudes over a recorded range of 2.4≤ML≤6.9, with 17 of these events having their seismic moment estimates available through the NEIC. Ground displacement spectra were estimated from the acoustic power spectra and showed no indication of a corner frequency. Thus empirical analyses relating source level to magnitude and seismic moment were necessary to quantitatively derive an earthquake's size from hydrophone records. The results of indicator variable regression analyses suggest that T-wave source level increases linearly with the event's local magnitude and seismic moment. Furthermore, the source power level versus magnitude relationships for oceanic and continental earthquakes are significantly different, probably illustrating differences in the seismic and acoustic propagation paths from hypocenter to the hydrophone receivers. The results indicate that acoustic measurements provide a reasonable estimate of magnitude and seismic moment of an oceanic earthquake that was not detected by land-based seismic networks.
A Note about the Individualized TMS Focality

Abstract A particular yet computationally successful solution of an inverse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) problem is reported. The goal has been focusing the normal unsigned electric field at the inner cortical surface and its vicinity (the D wave activation site) given a unique high-resolution gyral pattern of a subject and a precise coil model. For 16 subjects and 32 arbitrary target points, the solution decreases the mean deviation of the maximum-field domain from the target by a factor of 2 on average. The reduction in the maximum-field area is expected to quadruple. The average final deviation is 6 mm. Rotation about the coil axis is the most significantly altered parameter, and the coil moves 10 mm on average during optimization. The maximum electric field magnitude decreases by 16% on average. Stability of the solution is enforced. The relative average de-focalization is below 1.2 when position/orientation accuracies are within 3 mm/6 degrees, respectively. The solution for the maximum normal field may also maximize the total field and its gradient for neighboring cortical layers III-V (I wave activation).
Genetic and environmental factors underlying keratinocyte carcinoma risk

Recent large-scale GWAS and large epidemiologic studies have accelerated the discovery of genes and environmental factors that contribute to the risk of keratinocyte carcinoma (KC), which includes basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This Review summarizes the genomic regions associated with SCC and BCC risk, examines the genetic overlap between SCC and BCC, and discusses biological pathways involved in SCC and BCC development. Next, we review environmental factors that are associated with KC risk, including those that are shared between SCC and BCC as well as others that associated with only one type of KC. We conclude with a critical appraisal of current research and potential directions for future research.
Provider Variability in the Management Patterns of Increased Nonacid Reflux

Increased nonacid reflux is diagnosed in a subgroup of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease who often present with reflux symptoms refractory to proton-pump inhibitor therapy. Despite the prevalence of this condition, the management approach for patients with increased nonacid reflux can often be varied and unclear. Our primary aim was to investigate physician management patterns for patients who had received a diagnosis of increased nonacid reflux on impedance-pH studies. Reflux studies in patients with increased nonacid reflux per Lyon Consensus criteria and management approaches were retrospectively reviewed. Reflux symptom survey, manometry findings, reflux symptom association (RSA) on reflux testing, immediate posttesting management information, and managing provider information were assessed. A total of 43 subjects in total were analyzed. Management plan after a diagnosis of increased nonacid reflux was decided by a gastroenterologist in over 95% of cases and varied greatly with no changes being the most common. Even among subjects with + RSA on reflux monitoring, no change in management was the most common action, although this occurred much less frequently compared to subjects with − RSA (28.6% vs. 78.6%, p < 0.01). When change in therapy occurred, medical treatment with baclofen was the most common choice (21.4%). Other management changes included medications for visceral hypersensitivity and antireflux surgery, although these changes occurred rarely. Abnormally increased nonacid reflux is frequently encountered on impedance-pH studies; however, management decisions vary significantly among gastroenterologists. When treatment change is implemented, they are variable and can include lifestyle modifications, medication trials, or antireflux surgery. Future development of standardized management algorithms for increased nonacid reflux is needed.
Pathogenic ATM Mutations in Cancer and a Genetic Basis for Radiotherapeutic Efficacy

Background Radiation therapy is one of the most commonly used cancer therapeutics but genetic determinants of clinical benefit are poorly characterized. Pathogenic germline variants in ATM are known to cause ataxia-telangiectasia, a rare hereditary syndrome notable for marked radiosensitivity. In contrast, somatic inactivation of ATM is a common event in a wide variety of cancers, but its clinical actionability remains obscure. Methods We analyzed 20 107 consecutively treated advanced cancer patients who underwent targeted genomic sequencing as part of an institutional genomic profiling initiative and identified 1085 harboring a somatic or germline ATM mutation, including 357 who received radiotherapy (RT). Outcomes of irradiated tumors harboring ATM loss-of-function (LoF) mutations were compared with those harboring variants of unknown significance. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results Among 357 pan-cancer patients who received 727 courses of RT, genetic inactivation of ATM was associated with improved radiotherapeutic efficacy. The 2-year cumulative incidence of irradiated tumor progression was 13.2% vs 27.5% for tumors harboring an ATM LoF vs variant of unknown significance allele, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.34 to 0.77, P = .001). The greatest clinical benefit was seen in tumors harboring biallelic ATM inactivation (HR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.06 to 0.60, P = .005), with statistically significant benefit also observed in tumors with monoallelic ATM inactivation (HR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.35 to 0.92, P = .02). Notably, ATM LoF was highly predictive of outcome in TP53 wild-type tumors but not among TP53-mutant tumors. Conclusions We demonstrate that somatic ATM inactivation is associated with markedly improved tumor control following RT. The identification of a radio-sensitive tumor phenotype across multiple cancer types offers potential clinical opportunities for genomically guided RT.
Chiral Liquid Crystal Lenses Confined in Microchannels

It is known that the liquid crystalline smectic-A phase has geometric defects, called focal conic domains, which can be used as gradient-index microlenses. Cholesteric (chiral nematic) phases also have topological defects with a central symmetry and a singularity at their center. We explore a weakly chiral system in which both types of defects can be present in the same material at different temperatures, and with this strategy we create lenses whose focal length is tunable with temperature. We measure the focal length of the tunable lenses, and we investigate the behavior of the defects near the phase transition. We identify the experimental conditions that make the simultaneous presence of the smectic focal conic domains and the circular cholesteric domains possible, such as the concentration of chiral dopant and the rate of heating and cooling. The transformation of focal conic domains into circular cholesteric domains is a new example of memory at the phase transition between smectic-A and nematic liquid crystals.
Presumed activated retinal astrocytes and Müller cells in healthy and glaucomatous eyes detected by spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

Purpose To investigate presumed activated retinal astrocytes and Muller cells (ARAM) detected by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and to investigate its presence in healthy controls as well as its relationship to posterior vitreal detachment (PVD) and glaucoma. Methods This retrospective study involved 1337 eyes of 805 controls between ages 8 and 90, and 250 eyes of 146 patients with glaucoma between the ages of 28 and 95. Subjects were counted as possessing ARAM only if they met the following criteria: (1) a patchy, discrete, glittering appearance on SLO, (2) a distinct, flat, hyper-reflective layer at the internal limiting membrane on at least one B-scan crossing the glittering area and (3) absence of any surface wrinkling retinopathy. The diagnosis of PVD was based on both the patient's clinical examination and imaging data. Frequency tables were used to describe categorical variables and differences were compared by means of χ2 . Analyses were separated based on right and left eye, first on controls and then between glaucomatous eyes and age-similar sex-matched controls. Results ARAM was found in both healthy controls and patients with glaucoma at similar frequencies. There was no association between having glaucoma and the presence of ARAM. ARAM was not different between the sexes but was associated with age and having a PVD. Conclusions This large retrospective study found that ARAM can be seen in healthy controls, is associated with PVD and possibly independently with age, and occurred at similar frequency in glaucomatous eyes.
Estimating Abundance of Desert Mule Deer Using Fecal DNA–Based Capture-Recapture

Wildlife conservationists and managers often need to estimate abundance and demographic parameters to monitor the status of populations, and to ensure that these populations are meeting management goals. DNA capture-recapture surveys have become increasingly common in situations where physical surveys are consistently difficult or counts are small or variable. Desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus) inhabit rugged terrain, occur at low population densities, and demonstrate cryptic behaviors, making monitoring and assessing population status difficult. We assessed the effectiveness of a fecal DNA–based capture-recapture method for estimating abundance and survival of desert mule deer. We designed and implemented a fecal DNA sampling design focused at water sources during the dry season (June–July) of 2015–2017 in the Little Chuckwalla Mountains (study area ∼968 km2) located in the Sonoran Desert of southeastern California. We conducted 6, 5, and 4 surveys in 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. We used the capture-recapture data in the POPAN open-population model to estimate abundance and the Cormack–Jolly–Seber model to estimate annual survival. We detected 234, 193, and 211 unique individuals in 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. Over the 3-year study, population abundance estimates ranged from 386 in 2015 (95% CI, 264–509) to 301 in 2017 (95% CI, 260–342). Precision (i.e., coefficient of variation [CV]) of male and female abundance estimates ranged from 7% to 16%, and CV for males and females combined ranged from 5% to 15%. Annual apparent survival for females and males was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.59–0.98) and 0.71 (95% CI, 0.51–0.85), respectively. We concluded that fecal DNA–based capture-recapture is an effective method for estimating abundance and survival of desert mule deer. This approach could be expanded to encompass additional areas adjacent to our study site, with the potential to monitor the larger metapopulation of desert mule deer in the Sonoran Desert of California. More generally, DNA mark-recapture may be widely applicable to other species that congregate around water sources (or any required resource) during part of the year. Results from this study will be useful for developing population monitoring plans and for studies evaluating the effects of human development or environmental factors on desert mule deer and other desert ungulates.
Psychological Resilience in West Point Graduates: Results From a Nationally Representative Study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with psychological resilience in a nationally representative sample of West Point graduates. Aims: The aims of this study wer...
Assessment of factors related to carbohydrate intolerance I: OGTT glucose AUC (LB299)

The OGTT is a gold standard in assessing carbohydrate intolerance (CI) and insulin resistance. However, the test is costly and time consuming. This study examined whether a CI survey could predict response to an OGTT. 108 women (31.6±13 yr, 34.7±7% body fat, 25.3±4 kg/m2) donated fasting blood samples, completed a CI inventory, had body composition and health measures determined, and underwent a 75 g OGTT in which glucose samples and perceptions of CI symptoms were obtained at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. Pearson product correlations were performed to determine which factors correlated with OGTT glucose AUC. Results revealed significant correlations (p<0.05) in GAUC (264±46 mg/hr/dL) to G120 AUC (r=0.43), glucose AUMC (r=0.97), Cmax (r=0.91), fasting insulin (r=0.26), HOMA (r=0.30), height (r=-0.28), resting HR (r=0.19), BMC (r=-0.36), BMD (r=-0.32), FFM (r=-0.28), being overweight since very young (r=0.27), and slowly gaining weight after age 30. These findings indicate that OGTT GAUC is positively co...
Interaction Between Glycolipids and Wheat Flour Macromolecules in Breadmaking

Publisher Summary The significance of interaction among macromolecules in dough and bread from wheat flour is well recognized, but has been studied rather little for several reasons. To start with, the tendency has been to separate wheat or wheat flour into its components, and to obtain as much useful information as possible on those components. The idea was that to study interaction, one must first know what is interacting. Secondly, the more sophisticated research tools that were borrowed from biochemical investigations of specific plant or animal components required quite extensive changes and modifications for adaptation in cereal chemistry. Finally, only recently have biochemists developed a limited number of methods to study interaction among macromolecules. The usefulness of the methods is often limited, their implementation wrought with many difficulties, and their interpretation—to say the least-controversial. But, as in many other areas, the difficulties have prompted some interesting studies. And, while much is yet to be confirmed and much more to be determined and found, in several research centers throughout the world, cereal chemists have come up with quite significant findings. This chapter concentrates mainly on the interaction between glycolipids and proteins, though some of the discussion concerns the involvement of other lipids with proteins, as well as interaction between glycolipids and starch. This chapter is divided into four major parts: The evidence for interaction, the chemistry of the interacting participants, the mechanism of interaction, and the significance in breadmaking.
Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. VI. NK1.1+, CD3+ LAK effectors are derived from CD4-, CD8-, NK1.1- precursors.

Abstract Normal murine splenocytes cultured with IL2 for 6, but not 3, days contained an NK1.1 + , CD3 + lytically active subset. These lymphocytes were not derived from NK1.1 + precursors since NK1.1 + cells, purified by flow cytometry, failed to express CD3, as determined by the 145-2C11 mAb, on their surface even after culture with IL2 for 6 days. Instead, the precursors of the NKl.1 + , CD3 + effectors were contained in a B cell-depleted CD4 − , CD8 − , NK1.1 − splenic subset. Freshly obtained CD4 − , CD8 − , NK1.1 − splenocytes were mostly CD3 + , CD5 + , B220 − , had no spontaneous lytic activity against YAC-1, and were unable to mediate anti-CD3 directed lysis against FcR-bearing target cells. Culture of the CD4 − , CD8 − , NK1.1 − splenocytes with IL2, for 6 days, resulted in the development of NK1.1 + , CD3 + , B220 + effectors 40% of which were CD5 dim and 20–25% of which expressed TCR-β8 as determined by the F23.1 mAb. The acquisition of NK1.1, B220, and lytic activity by this triple-negative subset was readily inhibited by cyclosporine A (CSA). On the other hand, CSA had no effect on the acquisition of B220 or lytic activity by NK1.1 + precursors obtained by flow cytometry sorting. Moreover, all of the NK1.1 + cells generated by IL2 culture of splenocytes obtained from mice depleted of NK1.1 + lymphocytes (by in vivo injection of anti-NK1.1 mAb) coexpressed CD3 on their surface and were thus distinct from classical NK cells. These findings demonstrate tjiat splenic NK cells do not express or acquire CD3; that the NK1.1 + , CD3 + LAK effectors are derived from an NK1.1 − precursor; and that CSA is exquisitely selective in its inhibitory effect on LAK generation.
Student Teacher and Cooperating Teacher Tensions in a High School Mathematics Teacher Internship: The Case of Luis and Sheri

We investigate interpersonal difficulties that student teachers and cooperating teachers may experience during the teaching internship by exploring the tension between one high school mathematics student teacher and his cooperating teacher. We identified seven causes of this tension, which included different ideas about what mathematics should be taught, how it should be taught, and a strained personal relationship. We compare these findings with results from interviews with six other student teachers and eight of their mentors to explore the uniqueness of this case. We also offer suggestions for better preparing student teachers and cooperating teachers for the teacher internship.
Mechanisms of beta-adrenergic receptor desensitization and resensitization.

Publisher Summary Desensitization represents the summation of several different processes, including receptor phosphorylation, receptor sequestration (defined as the agonist-induced translocation of receptor away from the plasma membrane), enhanced degradation of intracellular messengers, and degradation of receptor protein. Rapid receptor desensitization, however, appears to be mediated by uncoupling of the receptor from its respective G protein, a consequence of receptor phosphorylation. In the case of the β 2 -adrenergic receptor ( β 2 AR), phosphorylation by two distinct classes of serine-threonine kinases leads to receptor desensitization. The first class, the second-messenger—dependent kinases—cyclic adenosine monophosphate (CAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein kinase C—phosphorylate and directly uncouple β 2 AR from G s . Because these kinases phosphorylate receptors in an agonist-independent manner, this process permits cross-talk between receptor families. The second class of enzymes, the G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs), plays a highly specialized role in receptor desensitization because only agonist-occupied receptors serve as substrates for these enzymes. In the case of GRKs, the very signal that promotes activation of the G protein and the effector (that is, ligand binding) also promotes the desensitization of that specific receptor. Once uncoupled from the G protein, receptor function can be restored only by receptor dephosphorylation, a process termed resensitization . The phosphatases and regulatory mechanisms involved in this resensitization process have only recently begun to be elucidated and are included in this chapter.
Immunofluorescent Staining of Salmonella Species with Flagellar Sera

Salmonellae stained with flagellar sera by either the direct or indirect fluorescent-antibody technique fluoresced at the cell surface. Investigations showed that fimbriae, flagellar material, and capsule antigens were not the participating antigens in this reaction. Cell surface staining was inhibited by mannose but was unaffected by glucose, galactose, lactose, maltose, and sucrose. Specific absorption of the flagellar sera by intact cells and purified somatic antigen showed that O antigens were the site of the surface staining. The advantages of using flagellar sera in fluorescent-antibody screening of materials for the presence of salmonellae are discussed.
Interkingdom gene fusions

Genome comparisons have revealed major lateral gene transfer between the three primary kingdoms of life - Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Another important evolutionary phenomenon involves the evolutionary mobility of protein domains that form versatile multidomain architectures. We were interested in investigating the possibility of a combination of these phenomena, with an invading gene merging with a pre-existing gene in the recipient genome. Complete genomes of fifteen bacteria, four archaea and one eukaryote were searched for interkingdom gene fusions (IKFs); that is, genes coding for proteins that apparently consist of domains originating from different primary kingdoms. Phylogenetic analysis supported 37 cases of IKF, each of which includes a 'native' domain and a horizontally acquired 'alien' domain. IKFs could have evolved via lateral transfer of a gene coding for the alien domain (or a larger protein containing this domain) followed by recombination with a native gene. For several IKFs, this scenario is supported by the presence of a gene coding for a second, stand-alone version of the alien domain in the recipient genome. Among the genomes investigated, the greatest number of IKFs has been detected in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, where they are almost always accompanied by a stand-alone alien domain. For most of the IKF cases detected in other genomes, the stand-alone counterpart is missing. The results of comparative genome analysis show that IKF formation is a real, but relatively rare, evolutionary phenomenon. We hypothesize that IKFs are formed primarily via the proposed two-stage mechanism, but other than in the Actinomycetes, in which IKF generation seems to be an active, ongoing process, most of the stand-alone intermediates have been eliminated, perhaps because of functional redundancy.
RIG-I mediates an antiviral response to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus

In the cytoplasm, the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) senses the RNA genomes of several RNA viruses. RIG-I binds to viral RNA, eliciting an antiviral response via the cellular adaptor MAVS. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a negative-sense RNA virus with a 5′-monophosphorylated genome, is a highly pathogenic zoonotic agent with significant public health implications. We found that, during CCHFV infection, RIG-I mediated a type I interferon (IFN) response via MAVS. Interfering with RIG-I signaling reduced IFN production and IFN-stimulated gene expression and increased viral replication. Immunostimulatory RNA was isolated from CCHFV-infected cells and from virion preparations, and RIG-I coimmunoprecipitation of infected cell lysates isolated immunostimulatory CCHFV RNA. This report serves as the first description of a pattern recognition receptor for CCHFV and highlights a critical signaling pathway in the antiviral response to CCHFV. IMPORTANCE CCHFV is a tick-borne virus with a significant public health impact. In order for cells to respond to virus infection, they must recognize the virus as foreign and initiate antiviral signaling. To date, the receptors involved in immune recognition of CCHFV are not known. Here, we investigate and identify RIG-I as a receptor involved in initiating an antiviral response to CCHFV. This receptor initially was not expected to play a role in CCHFV recognition because of characteristics of the viral genome. These findings are important in understanding the antiviral response to CCHFV and support continued investigation into the spectrum of potential viruses recognized by RIG-I.
A Spatial Analysis of Radar Reflectivity Regions within Hurricane Charley (2004)

Regions of 35-dBZ radar reflectivity returns are examined within a landfalling hurricane to determine whether these regions are composed of stratiform, convective, or transition-type precipitation. After calculating spatial attributes of the reflectivity regions such as elongation and edge roughness within a GIS, discriminant analysis is performed to determine whether the 35-dBZ regions are more similar to 40-dBZ regions of convective precipitation or to 30-dBZ regions of stratiform precipitation. Results show that within the outer region rainbands of Hurricane Charley (2004) a sharp horizontal reflectivity gradient exists, indicating that 35-dBZ regions are similar in shape to adjacent convective regions of 40-dBZ reflectivity values. Within the interior region, the 35-dBZ regions are identified as transition regions similar to those found within mesoscale convective complexes rather than being strictly stratiform or convective in nature. The rain rates produced by the reflectivity regions are examined using rain gauge and radar estimates. In 32% of cases, the 35-dBZ regions produced rain rates in excess of 10 mm h 21 , exceeding both the radarestimatedrain rates and the 8.4 mm h 21 rain rate ascribedto 35-dBZregionsby the tropicalZ–Rrelationship. Thus, 35-dBZ regions surrounding the convective cores of additional landfalling TCs should be examined to determine whether they also represent transition-type rainfall regions capable of producing convective rainfall rates exceeding 10 mm h 21 .
Heterogeneous hydrogen and deuterium transfer in the excited state of 2-methylbenzophenone in ether-pentane-alcohol glasses at 77 K

Abstract The phosphorescence decays of benzophenone, 2-methylbenzophenone (OMBP), 3-methylbenzophenone, 4-methylbenzophenone (PMBP), and deuterated analogues of the ortho and para derivatives have been observed at 77 K in ether-pentane-alcohol glasses. The decays were fitted to gaussian distributions of exponentials. An isotope effect on the decay is observed in the OMBP case, but not for PMBP. All decays, except those of the two OMBP derivatives, were well fitted to single-moded distributions of 5–6 ms with standard deviations of about 1 ms. The somewhat faster and markedly less homogeneous decay of the OMBP derivatives is attributed to internal hydrogen abstraction whose rate is dependent on the conformation of the molecule and is competitive with radiative and other non-radiative decay pathways. Supporting this hypothesis is the observation of a fluorescence attributed to the appearance of the appropriate ortho -quinodimethane enol.
Rapid, ultra-sensitive detection of gas phase elemental mercury under atmospheric conditions using sequential two-photon laser induced fluorescence

We have examined the sensitivity of sequential two photon laser induced fluorescence (LIF) detection of elemental mercury, Hg(0) in the gas phase. The most sensitive approach involves an initial laser excitation of the 6(3)P1-6(1)S0 transition at 253.7 nm, followed by excitation with a second laser to the 7(1)S0 level. Blue shifted fluorescence is observed on the 6(1)P1-6(1)S0 transition at 184.9 nm. The excitation scheme, involving sequential excitation of two atomic transitions, followed by detection of the emission from a third is extremely specific and precludes detection of anything other than atomic mercury. Using our 10 Hz laser system we have achieved a detection sensitivity of 0.1 ng m(-3) at a sampling rate of 0.1 Hz, i.e. averaging 100 laser shots at a pressure of one atmosphere in air. At low concentrations we sampled simultaneously with an automated mercury analyzer (Tekran 2537A), to ensure accuracy. We have examined the linearity of the technique, generating flows containing mercury concentrations between 1 and 10,000 ng m(-3) using a permeation tube and dynamic dilution, but relying on the concentrations given by the Tekran at low levels and the concentration calculated from dilution at high levels. We find that the detection is linear over the five orders of magnitude that we were able to vary the concentration. Our measured detection limits in He and Ar are much lower as these gases are inefficient fluorescence quenchers.
A simple high performance liquid chromatography method for determination of rebamipide in rat urine.

Abstract Rebamipide is a mucoprotective agent commonly used to prevent nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drug-induced gastrointenstinal side effects [1] . Human plasma and urine analysis of rebamipide utilizing high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been reported [2] . Recently, we reported on the plasma levels of rebamipide in presense or absence of celecoxib or diclofenac in rats [3] using a modified HPLC method of detection developed by Jeoung et al. [4] . To tailor the method towards use in urinary rebamipide extraction and analysis, the following modifications were made: • To compensate for high concentrations of rebamipide found in urine, a new rebamipide stock solution was prepared with a final concentration of 50,000 ng/mL. • Rat urine calibration standards were obtained within the range of 50–1000 ng/mL and 1000–50,000 ng/mL. • Plasma samples were replaced with urine samples.