cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rational engineering of type II restriction endonuclease DNA binding and cleavage specificity

The type II restriction endonucleases are indispensible tools for molecular biology. Although enzymes recognizing nearly 300 unique sequences are known, the ability to engineer enzymes to recognize any sequence of choice would be valuable. However, previous attempts to engineer new recognition specificity have met limited success. Here we report the rational engineering of multiple new type II specificities. We recently identified a family of MmeI-like type II endonucleases that have highly similar protein sequences but different recognition specificity. We identified the amino-acid positions within these enzymes that determine position specific DNA base recognition at three positions within their recognition sequences through correlations between their aligned amino-acid residues and aligned recognition sequences. We then altered the amino acids at the identified positions to those correlated with recognition of a desired new base to create enzymes that recognize and cut at predictable new DNA sequences. The enzymes so altered have similar levels of endonuclease activity compared to the wild-type enzymes. Using simple and predictable mutagenesis in this family it is now possible to create hundreds of unique new type II restriction endonuclease specificities. The findings suggest a simple mechanism for the evolution of new DNA specificity in Nature.
CURVE VEERING OF EIGENVALUE LOCI OF BRIDGES WITH AEROELASTIC EFFECTS

The eigenvalues of bridges with aeroelastic effects are commonly portrayed in terms of a family of frequency and damping loci as a function of mean wind velocity. Depending on the structural dynamic and aerodynamic characteristics of the bridge, when two frequencies approach one another over a range of wind velocities, their loci tend to repel, thus avoiding an intersection, whereas the mode shapes associated with these two frequencies are exchanged in a rapid but continuous way as if the curves had intersected. This behavior is referred to as the curve veering phenomenon. In this paper, the curve veering of cable-stayed and suspension bridge frequency loci is studied. A perturbation series solution is utilized to estimate the variations of the complex eigenvalues due to small changes in the system parameters and establish the condition under which frequency loci veer, quantified in terms of the difference between adjacent eigenvalues and the level of mode interaction. Prior to the discussion of bridge frequency loci, the curve veering of a two-degree-of-freedom system comprised of a primary structure and tuned mass damper is discussed, which not only provides new insight into the dynamics of this system, but also helps in understanding the veering of bridge frequency loci. To study this more complicated dynamic system, a closed-form solution of a two-degree-of-freedom coupled flutter is obtained, and the underlying physics associated with the heaving branch flutter is discussed in light of the veering of frequency loci. It is demonstrated that the concept of curve veering in bridge frequency loci provides a correct explanation of multimode coupled flutter analysis results for long span bridges and helps to improve understanding of the underlying physics of their aeroelastic behavior.
Synaptotagmin I, a Ca2+ sensor for neurotransmitter release

The discovery that Ca(2+) triggers rapid neurotransmitter release has prompted the search for the Ca(2+) sensor. There is now general agreement that the vesicle-associated Ca(2+)-binding protein, synaptotagmin I, is required for the tight temporal coupling between Ca(2+) influx and synaptic vesicle fusion. However, the precise mechanism of Ca(2+)-sensing by synaptotagmin I is still under debate despite intensive investigation using genetic, biochemical and electrophysiological tools. Here, we discuss many of the genetic manipulations from the past few years that have shed light on the Ca(2+)-sensing function of synaptotagmin I. We also present our view as to how the Ca(2+) signal is translated rapidly into membrane fusion at fast chemical synapses.
Moxifloxacin (BAY12-8039), a New 8-Methoxyquinolone, Is Active in a Mouse Model of Tuberculosis

Moxifloxacin (BAY12-8039) is a new 8-methoxyquinolone shown to be active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro. We tested moxifloxacin for activity in mice against M. tuberculosis CSU93, a highly virulent, recently isolated clinical strain. The MIC of moxifloxacin for the CSU93 strain was 0.25 microg/ml. The serum moxifloxacin concentration after oral administration in mice peaked within 0.25 h, reaching 7.8 microg/ml with doses of 100 mg/kg of body weight; the maximum concentration and the analysis of the area under the concentration-time curve revealed dose dependency. When mice were infected with a sublethal inoculum of mycobacteria and then treated with moxifloxacin at 100 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks, the log10 CFU counts in the organs of treated mice were significantly lower than those for the control group (0.6 +/- 0.2 versus 5.6 +/- 0. 3 in the lungs and 1.5 +/- 0.7 versus 4.9 +/- 0.5 in the spleens, respectively; P < 0.001 in both organs). The effectiveness of moxifloxacin monotherapy was comparable to that seen in mice receiving isoniazid alone. Combination therapy with moxifloxacin plus isoniazid was superior to that with moxifloxacin or with isoniazid alone in reducing bacillary counts in the organs studied. Using a sensitive broth-passage subculture method, we demonstrated that 8 weeks of treatment with moxifloxacin (100 mg/kg per day) or with moxifloxacin plus isoniazid (100 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg, respectively, per day) sterilized the lungs in seven of eight and in eight of eight mice, respectively. Among surviving bacilli isolated from animals infected with a high-titer inoculum and treated for 7 weeks with low-dose moxifloxacin (20 mg/kg per day), breakthrough resistance to moxifloxacin was not observed. These results indicate that moxifloxacin is highly effective in reducing M. tuberculosis infection in mice and has activity comparable to that of isoniazid. Combination therapy with moxifloxacin and isoniazid was highly effective, suggesting that moxifloxacin may be useful in multiple-drug regimens for human tuberculosis.
Undergraduate research mentoring model in construction engineering and management

The construction industry is a major player in the nation's economy. The complex nature of the construction industry, coupled with the challenges of global competitiveness and changing regulatory requirements, has created the need for providing higher levels of education, experience, and training for construction professionals. An essential and integral component of the required education and training must be the research training of undergraduate civil and construction students, encouraging them to pursue advanced education and research careers in this area. With this in mind, the writer developed a Research Experiences for Undergraduates ~REU! summer program at Western Michigan University that focuses on construction engineering and management issues and problems. This construction-oriented undergraduate research training program is the first REU site in the United States to be funded by the National Science Foundation. This paper will describe the structure of the REU program, the types of activities undertaken by the REU participants, and the results of the program evaluation and assessment.
The Effects of Interactivity on Information Processing and Attitude Change: Implications for Mental Health Stigma

Interactive media such as the Web have become a popular and important vehicle for communicating health information. However, little attention has been given to theorizing and empirically testing the effects of interactive media and the theoretical construct of interactivity. In this paper, we clearly identify and define the nature of interactivity examined. We then develop and test a theoretical model of website interactivity on information processing, involvement with communication, and attitude change in the context of stigma of mental illness. The results of an experiment revealed that interactivity of the website had positive main and moderating effects on dependent variables, while involvement with communication played a significant role in explaining the effects of interactivity. Implications for future research and for health communication campaigns for mental illness stigma are discussed.
Ultrastructural study of Chlamydia trachomatis surface antigens by immunogold staining with monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract Surface antigens of Chlamydia trachomatis were studied by immunogold staining with monoclonal antibodies and by electron microscopy. The serovar- and subspecies-specific epitopes were the most surface accessible. The species- and genus-specific epitopes were the least surface exposed. Similar serological specificity as that in the microimmunofluorescence test was demonstrated by immunogold staining.
Computer control for low-order time-delay systems†

Sampled-data control of low-order continuous-time dynamic systems with time delays is considered. A class of controllers which will transfer the state of the infinite dimensional delay system to the zero state in finite time is determined. The control algorithms require very little data storage and are easily implemented on any digital computer.
Estimating the Impact of Las Vegas Poker Rooms on Slot and Table Game Business Volumes: Does Poker Really Carry Its Weight?

The casino industry’s trade literature is replete with claims that live poker rooms drive other casino business volumes, but the only evidence supporting those claims is anecdotal. Claims of this kind arise because poker’s revenue contributions are often lower than those of other games, despite poker’s current popularity. Still, many operators offer poker rooms because they accept this contribution concept as a basic truth. Using an established theoretical model, this study estimates the effects of poker rooms on slot and table game performance at three different Las Vegas resorts. Although the results were mixed, they raise a serious question about whether the idea of poker as a demand generator is accurate. In only one of the three resorts did the analysis find a significant and positive relationship between poker room business volume and slot and table game play. While these overall results cannot be directly generalized, and casinos may have their own reasons for offering poker rooms, casino managers ...
Ritual Violence in a Two-Car Garage:

Sociologist Scott Melzer goes inside suburban Fight Clubs to see why men are risking their bodies to take up arms, to bond, and to exorcise childhood experiences of emasculation.
Adventures in the field: conducting an interpretive case study of strategic management consultants

The paper presents the author's approach and experiences in conducting an interpretive case study of strategic management consultants (H.K. Klein and M.D. Myers, 1999; W.J. Orlikowski and J.J. Baroudi, 1991) and their use of IT. The purpose of the study was to understand how knowledge workers learn to use information technology in their work and to build theory related to this topic. The situated learning theory, legitimate peripheral participation (J. Lave and E. Wenger, 1991), provided the basis for data collection and analysis. The paper discusses: the research strategy and design; issues related to data collection, analysis and interpretation; ethical and validity considerations; and lessons learned, which confirm and extend those presented in texts about conducting field research. The paper is intended to assist other researchers interested in conducting in-depth field studies in dynamic environments filled with information technology, especially when autonomous, highly educated knowledge workers are involved.
Coarse root elongation rate estimates for interior Douglas-fir.

Accurate estimates of root growth rates are important for root system modeling, and the spread of root systems may be an important determinant of belowground site occupancy. Estimating root system growth rates is complicated because missing, discontinuous, and false annual growth rings make root cross sections difficult to age. These irregularities can occur even in roots of dominant conifers with rare or absent stem growth ring abnormalities. Incomplete rings were noted in the root growth rings of nine co-dominant interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) trees. Coarse root (> 1.0-cm diameter) elongation rates were estimated by fitting a geometric mean regression line to ring count and lateral distance data. In all nine roots examined, the geometric mean regression slope was well within the range of the 95% confidence interval for the ordinary least squares regression of lateral distance versus age, suggesting that measurement error may have been negligible. Coarse root elongation rates (which ranged from 2.8 to 15.3 cm year −1 and averaged 7.4 cm year −1 ) in the interior Douglas-fir trees studied were much lower than those reported by others. This discrepancy may be a result of limited soil water availability, soil heterogeneity (both soil water content and soil texture were highly variable across short distances) and fragmentation of belowground growing space.
Hypnotizability, Posttraumatic Stress, and Depressive Symptoms in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Abstract This study assessed whether high hypnotizability is associated with posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms in a sample of 124 metastatic breast cancer patients. Hypnotic Induction Profile Scores were dichotomized into low and high categories; posttraumatic intrusion and avoidance symptoms were measured with the Impact of Events Scale (IES); hyperarousal symptoms with items from the Profile of Mood States; and depressive symptoms with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression Scale. High hypnotizability was significantly related to greater IES total, IES intrusion symptoms, and depressive symptoms. A logistic regression model showed that IES total predicts high hypnotizability after adjusting for depressive symptoms and hyperarousal. The authors relate these results to findings in other clinical populations and discuss implications for the psychosocial treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
Predictors of Web-Student Performance: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Reasons for Taking an On-Line Class

Abstract This study investigated college students’ personal choices for taking web-based courses and whether their self-efficacy for the course content and technological components would predict their performance in on-line sections of a class. Students (n=122) who enrolled because they enjoyed web-based learning environments or were curious about web courses had higher self-efficacy and better class performance than students who enrolled solely because of course availability. Data are also presented regarding the relationships between self-efficacy, on-line course activity, and the formation of cyber-learning communities. These results are discussed with regard to their implications for educational research and applications for web-based instruction.
Reviewing NSF proposals: effective proposal writing via the review process

This tutorial focuses on the NSF proposal review process. Via close examination of the review process, participants gain an understanding of how to write good reviews and how to improve their own proposal writing. The tutorial covers the following topic areas: the proposal review process from submission of a proposal to award or decline; elements of a good review; NSF merit criteria (intellectual merit and broader impacts); elements of a good proposal; and how to volunteer to review proposals. The tutorial uses a structured guided-interactive methodology to lead participants through each topic by introducing related issues, engaging participants in group exercises designed to explore and share their understanding of the issues, and then providing some "expert" opinion on these issues. Good and bad examples and a Top Ten List of Do's and Don'ts will be provided.
Erratum: This article corrects: "Hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck".

In the Original Research article entitled “Hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck,” published in the October 2015 issue of the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine (2015;16(5):786–787. DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2015.6.27582), there were the following errors in the published article: 1. On page 786, the following authors should have been included: Phillip Aguiniga, Jason Blake. They are research assistants at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield, California. We apologize for this error.
Age Associated Alteration in DNA Damage and Repair Capacity in Turbatrix Aceti Exposed to Ionizing Radiation

SummaryExcision repair capacity was measured in young and old Turbatrix aceti (phylum Nematoda) following exposure to ionizing radiation. Both repair synthesis and removal of 5,6-dihydroxydihydrothymine type (glycol) base damage were quantitated. At least two-fold higher glycol levels were produced in the DNA of young than of old nematodes for the same radiation dose. Young worms also excised glycol damage more rapidly and completely than old worms. Both peak repair synthesis activity and completion of repair synthesis occurred at earlier times during post-irradiation incubation in young nematodes. The data indicate there is a significant age-associated difference in both the incidence and removal of ionizing radiation damage in T. aceti which is used as a model of the ageing process.
Clarification of field characters for three freshwater sharks and a photographic atlas of Glyphis glyphis and G. garricki from the Adelaide River, Northern Territory, Australia

Eighty-two Glyphis glyphis, one G garricki and two Carcharhinus leucas were caught at six localities in the Adelaide River on 66 gill-netting trips from mid-May to mid-December during 2001, 2003-05 and 2009. Photographs are presented that differentiate these euryhaline sharks. The small second dorsal fin of C. leucas clearly separates it from Glyphis species. The waterline (i.e. junction of dark dorsal and pale ventral colouration) on G glyphis extends just under the eye whereas it extends well below the lower margin of the eye in G garricki. Photographs showing shark bite marks on other species are presented. Because of the presence of G glyphis under 610 mm TL with umbilical scars, it is postulated that Marrakai Creek is a nursery area and an important juvenile habitat of this species especially from September-December.
Do United States Supreme Court Justices Write Less Frequently as They Age

Proponents of eliminating life tenure for United States Supreme Court justices often contend that the status quo encourages justices to cling to their positions long after their productivity and overall capability have declined. In this account, the tendency of justices to overstay their welcome results from a combination of the Court’s shrinking docket, availability of law clerks to assume the burden of case selection and to aid in drafting opinions, and the unwillingness to let one’s political opponents fill one’s seat. But do justices actually become less productive as they age? This study examines one particular manifestation of productivity that rests fully within the control of individual justices: the propensity for writing separate opinions. Using data from the Burger and Rehnquist Courts, it finds, on balance, that while older justices do experience a decline in their authorship of concurrences and dissents, this decline is small relative to other factors influencing the propensity to write, such as justices’ ideological location on the Court and case-specific considerations.
Combination of Hansen Robotic system with cryocatheter in a challenging parahisian accessory pathway ablation

A perceived distinctive feature of cryoablation is the stability (cryoadherence) of the catheter tip during cold temperatures at the desired location, even during tachycardia. We report the case report of a young patient with a parahisian accessory pathway where stability of the ablation catheter was not achieved despite using the cryocatheter with a steerable sheath. Ultimately, stability at the desired location was achieved robotically by means of Hansen system (Hansen Medical, Mountain View, CA, USA).
Discoloration of Egg Shells from Feeding High Levels of Certain Tetracyclines

Abstract A field case involving a greenish-yellow discoloration of egg shells recently came to our attention. The condition appeared following the inadvertent addition of extremely high levels of chlortetracycline to a commercial laying diet. Since various tetracyclines, including chlortetracycline, have been shown to accumulate in osseous tissues (Buyske et al., 1960) and to discolor the teeth of human infants (Wallman and Hilton, 1962), experiments were initiated to (1) test three tetracyclines for their shell-discoloring properties and (2) estimate the level of chlortetracycline required to cause detectable discoloration. White Leghorn pullets that had previously been selected for similar rates of lay and feed intake were fed corn-soya diets containing various tetracyclines as indicated in Table 1. Each diet was fed to five individually caged pullets. Eggs were scored for shell color on an arbitrary 1–7 scale during a pretest period and daily during a 5-day feeding period and 3-day post-feeding period… .
A Few Thinking about Higher Education DevelopmentAdapt Network Information Technology

This paper expounds network informationtechnology influencing higher education, and pointsout adapting its countermeasure.
Judith S. Kestenberg’s Dance/Movement Therapy Legacy: Approaches with Pregnancy, Young Children, and Caregivers

This article will present several dance/movement therapy (DMT) applications of the Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP), designed by Judith Kestenberg and colleagues. Starting with pregnancy and the Prenatal Project, and following children through age six with their caregivers, the article describes the author’s early DMT work at Judith Kestenberg’s Center for Parents and Children, and continues to the present. Kestenberg’s developmental phases from birth through age six are presented, along with issues concerning children and caregivers; also covered are examples of practical interventions. The KMP is used as a springboard for understanding the origins of aggression, along with theoretical underpinnings of Kestenberg’s research, and practical applications for both dance/movement therapists and caregivers.
Massive pelvic hemangiopericytoma.

AbstractHemangiopericytoma, an uncommon mesenchymal tumor that may be benign or malignant, may occur anywhere in the body because of its origin from capillaries. Frequently presenting as an enlarging, painless pelvic mass, patients may experience urinary retention due to obstruction as in the case described.
Comparison of 4D flow and 2D velocity-encoded phase contrast MRI sequences for the evaluation of aortic hemodynamics.

The purpose of this study was to compare aortic flow and velocity quantification using 4D flow MRI and 2D CINE phase-contrast (PC)-MRI with either one-directional (2D-1dir) or three-directional (2D-3dir) velocity encoding. 15 healthy volunteers (51 ± 19 years) underwent MRI including (1) breath-holding 2D-1dir and (2) free breathing 2D-3dir PC-MRI in planes orthogonal to the ascending (AA) and descending (DA) aorta, as well as (3) free breathing 4D flow MRI with full thoracic aorta coverage. Flow quantification included the co-registration of the 2D PC acquisition planes with 4D flow MRI data, AA and DA segmentation, and calculation of AA and DA peak systolic velocity, peak flow and net flow volume for all sequences. Additionally, the 2D-3dir velocity taking into account the through-plane component only was used to obtain results analogous to a free breathing 2D-1dir acquisition. Good agreement was found between 4D flow and 2D-3dir peak velocity (differences = -3 to 6 %), peak flow (-7 %) and net volume (-14 to -9 %). In contrast, breath-holding 2D-1dir measurements exhibited indices significantly lower than free breathing 2D-3dir and 2D-1dir (differences = -35 to -7 %, p < 0.05). Finally, high correlations (r ≥ 0.97) were obtained for indices estimated with or without eddy current correction, with the lowest correlation observed for net volume. 4D flow and 2D-3dir aortic hemodynamic indices were in concordance. However, differences between respiration state and 2D-1dir and 2D-3dir measurements indicate that reference values should be established according to the PC-MRI sequence, especially for the widely used net flow (e.g. stroke volume in the AA).
What Might Have Been: Women’s Traditional Interests

What might the school curriculum have looked like if women had been involved in its planning from the start? Women are not all alike, of course, and it would be a mistake to suppose that they could be represented by a single, universal mind. Indeed, to build on that supposition would be to repeat the error made by so many men in the past. However, it is undeniable that women lived for centuries under the expectation that they would spend their lives maintaining a family and household. In the “best” homes and families, girls learned at home how to manage this challenging work. But how should these “best” homes be described? Just as we must continually deepen our exploration of what should be meant by a “better adult,” we must similarly examine the nature of “best homes.” If we can discover some powerful possibilities, it would make sense to include this information in the school curriculum.
Extending the QUDA Library with the eigCG Solver

While the incremental eigCG algorithm [ 1 ] is included in many LQCD software packages, its realization on GPU micro-architectures was still missing. In this session we report our experi- ence of the eigCG implementation in the QUDA library. In particular, we will focus on how to employ the mixed precision technique to accelerate solutions of large sparse linear systems with multiple right-hand sides on GPUs. Although application of mixed precision techniques is a well-known optimization approach for linear solvers, its utilization for the eigenvector com- puting within eigCG requires special consideration. We will discuss implementation aspects of the mixed precision deflation and illustrate its numerical behavior on the example of the Wilson twisted mass fermion matrix inversions
Optimal Initial Therapy for Pleural Empyema

Empyema thoracis has remained a persistent clinical challenge since being described in the Hippocratric corpus.1 Fundamental therapeutic goals are well established: removal of infected fluid, disruption of loculations, and lung re-expansion. Historically, surgical therapy was accomplished with chest tube drainage and/or thoracotomy. The advent of video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), fibrinolytic agents, and image guided catheter placement techniques provides an increased array of options. Appropriate therapeutic options are based on the characteristics of the empyema. However, there is a frustrating lack of standardization in the literature relative to empyema staging.
Ge-spacer technology in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs for mm-wave applications

GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are the most promising option for power amplification at frequencies above 30 GHz. However, the difficult technology of nitride devices has hindered the aggressive scaling of these transistors needed for high frequency applications. Also, the need of a relatively thick passivation layer to avoid current collapse in these transistors has significantly limited the high frequency performance of the devices. In this paper, we introduces an advanced technology which uses a Ge sacrificial layer to fabricate passivated AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with gate lengths down to 90 nm, while maintaining a high breakdown voltage and minimum parasitic capacitances. Using these devices, we demonstrate record high frequency performance at both small and large signal levels
Multi-Iteration Approach to Studying Tracer Spreading Using Drifter Data

AbstractA novel multi-iteration statistical method for studying tracer spreading using drifter data is introduced. The approach allows for the best use of the available drifter data by making use of a simple iterative procedure, which results in the statistically probable map showing the likelihood that a tracer released at some source location would visit different geographical regions, along with the associated arrival travel times. The technique is tested using real drifter data in the North Atlantic. Two examples are considered corresponding to sources in the western and eastern North Atlantic Ocean, that is, Massachusetts Bay–like and Irish Sea–like sources, respectively. In both examples, the method worked well in estimating the statistics of the tracer transport pathways and travel times throughout the entire North Atlantic. The role of eddies versus mean flow is quantified using the same technique, and eddies are shown to significantly broaden the spread of a tracer. The sensitivity of the results...
Gênero e Sexualidade na Educação Contemporânea

Nos ultimos anos, com o crescimento dos movimentos sociais LGBT e do Feminismo, tem se tornado bastante frequente o debate sobre temas como genero e sexualidade. Esta tematica influenciou a Educacao, visto que os comportamentos de discriminacao comecam na infância e se intensificam na adolescencia. Sendo assim, este trabalho buscou fazer uma reflexao acerca das questoes de genero e sexualidade na educacao atualmente. Observou-se que ha politicas que embasam a pratica dos profissionais da educacao acerca da tematica, como por exemplo, os Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais da educacao brasileira, no entanto ainda sao registrados diversos desafios na aplicacao desses programas. Ha falta de compreensao acerca dos fenomenos culturais que sustentam as praticas de discriminacao sexual e de genero; e muitos conceitos essenciais ainda nao sao claramente difundidos entre os profissionais da area, fazendo com que os agentes de mudanca recorram a acoes reducionistas e baseadas em seus proprios principios morais. Conclui-se que as acoes que visam tais profissionais sejam trabalhadas continuamente, utilizando-se de ferramentas que visem a reflexao critica.
A novel technique for conducting creep experiments in equibiaxial elongation

A recently developed rheological technique known as continuous lubricated squeezing flow (CLSF) is adapted to perform constant stress, or creep, experiments in equibiaxial elongation flows of polymer melts. By modifying the CLSF technique, which was developed for constant strain rate deformations, we demonstrate that the technique can also be used to generate constant stress flows. Measured steady state viscosities are compared to constant rate elongation results for polymer melts having different molecular characteristics. Linear polymers show strain softening and compare well in constant stress and constant strain rate deformations. The branched polymer shows strain hardening and a viscosity that is slightly higher in constant stress for low rates. Limitations of the current version of the CLSF technique for creep flows are also briefly discussed.
A SAPA Project Update: On the Structure of phrased Self-Report Personality Items

Two large samples were collected to evaluate the structure of traits in the temperament domain. In both samples, participants were administered random subsets of public-domain personality items from a larger pool of approximately 700 items. These data broadly cover the most widely used, public-domain measures of personality (though this breadth is not likely free of theoretical bias). When combined with a third, previously-shared dataset that used the same methodological design [4], the sample includes more than 125,000 participants from more than 220 countries and regions. Re-use potential includes many types of structural, correlational, and network analyses of personality and a wide range of demographic and psychographic constructs. The data are available in both rdata and csv formats.
CDK4/6 inhibitors sensitize Rb-positive sarcoma cells to Wee1 kinase inhibition through reversible cell cycle arrest

Research into the biology of soft tissue sarcomas has uncovered very few effective treatment strategies that improve upon the current standard of care which usually involves surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Many patients with large (>5 cm), high-grade sarcomas develop recurrence, and at that point have limited treatment options available. One challenge is the heterogeneity of genetic drivers of sarcomas, and many of these are not validated targets. Even when such genes are tractable targets, the rarity of each subtype of sarcoma makes advances in research slow. Here we describe the development of a synergistic combination treatment strategy that may be applicable in both soft tissue sarcomas as well as sarcomas of bone that takes advantage of targeting the cell cycle. We show that Rb-positive cell lines treated with the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib reversibly arrest in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, and upon drug removal cells progress through the cell cycle as expected within 6-24 hours. Using a long-term high-throughput assay that allows us to examine drugs in different sequences or concurrently, we found that palbociclib-induced cell-cycle arrest poises Rb-positive sarcoma cells (SK-LMS1 and HT-1080) to be more sensitive to agents that work preferentially in S-G2 phase such as doxorubicin and Wee1 kinase inhibitors (AZD1775). The synergy between palbociclib and AZD1775 was also validated in vivo using SK-LMS1 xenografts as well as Rb-positive patient-derived xenografts (PDX) developed from leiomyosarcoma patients. This work provides the necessary preclinical data in support of a clinical trial utilizing this treatment strategy. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(9); 1751-64. ©2017 AACR.
CMV and Other Virus-Safe Products: Leukoreduction and Virus Inactivation

Publisher Summary The prevention of infectious disease transmission requires additional, complementary approaches to remove or inactivate viral contaminants in blood components prior to transfusion. Filtration of blood components prior to transfusion is currently used clinically to decrease the incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) transmission. The chapter discusses the role of leukofiltration as well as several methodologies in preventing infectious disease transmission and maintaining the safety of the blood supply. The blood components have undergone additional screening or processing steps to reduce the risk of viral transmission. Many transfusion services employ CMV serology to maintain an inventory of CMV-seronegative components, which historically have been regarded as the gold standard for reducing the incidence of transfusion-transmitted CMV infections in selected patient populations. Leukoreduction of packed red blood cell and platelet units, usually accomplished by filtration, decreases the incidence of adverse transfusion outcomes, including alloimmunization to human leukocyte antigens, febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions, transfusion-mediated immunosuppression, and transmission of leukocyte-associated infectious agents. Solvent/detergent plasma is prepared for treating the pool with the solvent tri(n-butyl)phosphate and detergent Triton X-100 to inactivate any contaminating lipid-enveloped viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus. Advances in molecular biological techniques over the past decades allow coagulation factors—such as factor VIII—to be expressed and purified in vitro, virtually eliminating concerns of infectious disease transmission that still plague factor VIII concentrates prepared from human plasma.
Managing Pain in Patients With Chronic Medical Illnesses and Serious Mental Illnesses.

Objectives:This study investigated the use of opioid treatment plans that included the implementation of opioid dependence risk with a validated screening tool and opioid dependence risk tool (UDT)...
A pressure drop model for condensation accounting for non-equilibrium effects

Abstract A mechanistic pressure drop model is proposed in this paper for condensation in horizontal smooth round tubes in order to account for the non-equilibrium effects. The model makes use of a flow regime map and void fraction correlation as well as a mechanistic heat transfer model that are all developed for condensation of superheated vapor in a vapor-compression system. The model provide seamless transition between single-phase and two-phase regions including the superheated, condensing-superheated, two-phase, condensing-subcooled and subcooled regions. Diabatic flow visualizations are used to analyze the effects on pressure drop from the formation of waves. An enhancement factor to represent the frequency and magnitude of the waves is established using Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The two-phase pressure drop is modeled based on the single-phase pressure drop correlations, the flow regimes, void fractions as well as the enhancement factor. Data obtained from R134a, R32, R1234ze(E), R1233zd(E) and R245fa with mass fluxes from 100 kg m−2 s−1 to 400 kg m−2 s−1 and heat fluxes from 5 kW m−2 to 15 kW m−2 inside two different tubes of 4 and 6 mm are used to validate the model.
Clinical Assessment in Neuromuscular Disorders

The clinical history and neurological examination are critical in the accurate diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases. In many situations, the manifestations are so specific that a diagnosis is made on clinical grounds. Other times, the diagnosis is suspected but is confirmed only after further biochemical, electrodiagnostic (EDX), histological, or genetic investigations. This chapter focuses on the clinical manifestations of neuromuscular disorders. More comprehensive monographs on the neurological examination exist.
Infectious disease of the spine. Diagnostic and treatment considerations.

SUMMARY Excellence in treating spinal infections demands recognition of the fact that all spine infections are potential disasters. One needs to possess a complete knowledge of the pathology and pathogenesis of these disorders. An aggressive diagnostic approach is required. Surgery may be required for diagnosis, abscess drainage, neurologic involvement, deformity, or refractoriness to conservative therapy. Selection of the proper operation, as well as its skillful execution, are prerequisites. These goals, along with the appropriate use of antibiotics, and, most importantly, vigilance for the presence of spinal infection, will allow us to avoid the high rates of morbidity and mortality experienced by others in the past.
Pandering for Profit: The Transformation of Health Charities to Lobbyists

This study explores the metamorphosis of three major voluntary health agencies — American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and American Lung Association — from charities supported primary by donations into lobbying organizations seeking taxpayers’ funds and grants from commercial enterprises in exchange for supporting private or political initiatives only peripherally related to their charitable missions. Prior to the 1980s, lobbying was all but nonexistent, limited to seeking increased funding for disease research. Fearing loss of tax-exempt status, health charities largely avoided political advocacy. The AIDS movement revealed that vast sums could be acquired from government by intense lobbying, and this advocacy evidently did not threaten tax-exempt status. All three of these charities copied the AIDS movement and targeted tobacco tax revenues at the state level. The American Lung Association, in particular, has acted as a public relations flack for both government agencies and corporations — selling its charitable reputation as a selfless entity concerned only with public health for self-interested purposes. The implications of this transition for both the charities themselves and the public interest are analyzed and discussed.
Late Paleoindian Land Use In The Oklahoma Panhandle: Goff Creek And Nail Playa

Late to terminal Paleoindian populations are well represented in surface collections from the Oklahoma Panhandle. Themost prominent complexes are Plainview and Frederick-Allen. These groups ‘ remai...
Seismic risk analysis of wind turbine support structures

Abstract: Probabilistic models are developed to predict deformation, shear, and moment demands on wind turbine support structures subject to seismic excitations, and environmental (wind, wave, and current) and operational loadings. The probabilistic models are formulated starting from existing deterministic models and developing correction terms that capture the inherent bias. The correction terms and a model error are assessed using data obtained from detailed three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analyses of a set of wind turbine systems that consider different design parameters and account for the dynamic soil–structure interaction. The proposed probabilistic seismic demand models provide unbiased predictions of the seismic demand on support structures and properly account for the underlying uncertainties. The developed demand models are used to compute fragility estimates of an example support structure defined as the conditional probability of not meeting specified capacity levels.
How Children Identify Events from Visual Experience

ABSTRACTThree experiments explored how well children recognize events from different types of visual experience: either by directly seeing an event or by indirectly experiencing it from post-event ...
Comparing neurodevelopmental outcomes at 30 months by presence of hydrocephalus and shunt status among children enrolled in the MOMS trial.

Purpose To evaluate for differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 30 months of age for children enrolled in the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) based on the presence of hydrocephalus and cerebral shunts. Methods Children with no hydrocephalus (N= 27), children with shunted hydrocephalus (N= 108), and children with unshunted hydrocephalus (N= 36) were compared at 30 months of age on the Bayley II Mental and Psychomotor Indices, the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 and the Preschool Language Scale, 4th edition. Generalized linear models were used to adjust for factors significantly different between the groups at baseline. Additional analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of the severity of hydrocephalus. Results In unadjusted comparisons, statistically significant differences were noted between the three groups on the Peabody Gross Motor Quotient and thus the Total Motor Quotient. After adjustment, no statistically significant differences were identified. In subanalyses, children with more severe hydrocephalus fared worse on the Peabody Fine Motor Quotient (median 88 versus 94, p= 0.005), the Total Motor Quotient (median 70 versus 73, p= 0.02) and both Preschool Language Scale subtests (auditory comprehension: median 93 versus 104, p= 0.02 and expressive communication: median 95 versus 104.5, p= 0.01) and thus the total score (median 92 versus 105, p= 0.004). These results remained significant in the multivariable adjusted model. Conclusion No neurodevelopmental differences were noted with children enrolled in MOMS across the three hydrocephalus/shunt groups, although severity of hydrocephalus was associated with poorer outcomes.
Factors Associated With Unrestrained Young Passengers in Motor Vehicle Crashes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Unrestrained child passengers are at significant risk of crash-related injury. Previous researchers using nationally representative crash data from 1992 to 1993 found an association between driver and passenger safety-belt use. Our objective in this study is to investigate factors associated with young, unrestrained passengers in fatal and nonfatal motor vehicle crashes using updated national crash data. METHODS: We analyzed 2011–2015 Fatality Analysis Reporting System and National Automotive Sampling System data and included vehicles with a young passenger (≤19 years old) in a crash. Driver and passenger characteristics were compared by using bivariate analyses separately for fatal and nonfatal crashes. Logistic regression analyses were performed on a combined data set to predict passenger restraint use. RESULTS: In unadjusted bivariate models, unrestrained drivers had a higher probability of having an unrestrained passenger across all passenger age groups for both fatal and nonfatal crashes. In multivariate logistic regression models that included both fatal and nonfatal crashes and were adjusted for several driver and passenger characteristics, unrestrained drivers had a higher risk of having an unrestrained young passenger across all age groups. CONCLUSIONS: In both fatal and nonfatal crashes, a driver being unrestrained is a strong predictor of the child passenger also being unrestrained. Policy and regulation to better ensure that drivers are properly restrained (eg, expanding primary seat-belt laws to all states) may serve as effective means for increasing rates of proper child-occupant–restraint use.
The Development of Critical Consciousness and its Relation to Academic Achievement in Adolescents of Color

Critical consciousness, the process by which individuals come to understand, analyze, and take action against systems of oppression, is associated with several positive youth outcomes. However, little research has considered how the core components of critical consciousness (critical reflection, political agency, critical action) are associated with academic achievement. The present study explored the extent to which the developing critical consciousness of adolescents of color (N = 364) over 4 years of high school predicted academic achievement, as measured by grade point average (GPA) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Results demonstrated that adolescents? critical reflection and critical action intercepts predicted SAT scores whereas critical reflection and critical action slopes predicted GPAs. Political agency was not predictive of either academic outcome.
Biological Status Assessment of Coral Reefs in Southern Puerto Rico: Supporting Coral Reef Protection Under the U.S. Clean Water Act

AbstractStates and other jurisdictions may protect coral reefs using biological water quality standards outlined by the United States Clean Water Act (CWA). Such protection will require long-term, ...
Isotopic-Perturbation NMR Study of Hydrogen-Bond Symmetry in Solution: Temperature Dependence and Comparison of OHO and ODO Hydrogen Bonds

Is a hydrogen bond symmetric, with the hydrogen centered between two donor atoms, or is it asymmetric, with the hydrogen closer to one but jumping to the other? The NMR method of isotopic perturbation has been used to distinguish these. Previous evidence from isotope shifts implies that a wide variety of dicarboxylate monanions are asymmetric, present as a rapidly equilibrating mixture of tautomers. However, calculations of hydrogen trajectories across an anharmonic potential-energy surface could reproduce the observed isotope shifts in a phthalate monoanion. Therefore, it was concluded that those isotope shifts are instead consistent with isotope-induced desymmetrization on a symmetric potential-energy surface. To distinguish between these two interpretations, the 18O-induced isotope effects on the 13C NMR chemical shifts of cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboxylate monoanion in chloroform-d and on the 19F NMR chemical shifts of difluoromaleate monoanion in D2O have been investigated. In both cases the isotope effects are larger at lower temperature and also with deuterium in the hydrogen bond. It is concluded that these behaviors are consistent with the perturbation of an equilibrium between asymmetric tautomers and inconsistent with isotope-induced desymmetrization on a symmetric potential-energy surface.