cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Addressing the immunopathogenesis of atopic dermatitis: advances in topical and systemic treatment

Several immunologic mediators-phosphodiesterase (PDE), interleukin (IL), small molecules, and Janus kinase-have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, and evidence has shown that blocking these mediators can help modify the disease process. Several new topical medications have been developed that target the enzyme PDE; crisaborole was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, and phase II studies have been completed on OPA-15406. The phase III clinical trial results of the systemic medication dupilumab, an inhibitor of the IL-4 receptor α subunit (which inhibits both IL-4 and IL-13 signaling), are currently being reviewed by the FDA.
Brick Masonry Shells

A survey of brick masonry shells, their historical evolution, current use, and cost is provided to assist structural engineers in the rediscovery of this time honored architectural idiom. Information is provided on arches in which vaults, domes, and other shells had their origin. The development and current use of reinforced brick masonry is surveyed. A method for determining preliminary cost estimates of brick masonry shells is presented.
Oregon State University's Steer-a-Year program: Integrating classroom learning and hands-on experience

The Steer-a-Year course is designed to provide classroom and hands-on experience, industry-student interaction, and student group problem-solving opportunities. It is a cooperative agreement between the Department of Animal Sciences and the Oregon Cattlemen's and Cattlewomen's Associations. Steers are donated to the program by beef producers, fed a high concentrate ration to a target BW and condition, and marketed as either carcass or retail beef. After feed and management expenses are deducted, the Department of Animal Sciences retains one-half of the profit to be used for beef facilities improvements, and the other half is distributed to the donor's choice of either the Oregon Cattlemen's or Cattlewomen's Association. Approximately 30 steers have been donated to the program annually each of the past eight years. The donor receives updates regarding steer performance during the feeding period and carcass data following harvest of the animal. Students and instructors feed and manage the steers. The instructor uses classroom time to provide information to enable students to make informed management decisions. Officers are elected from within the class each term. Student officers are responsible for ensuring that cattle are managed and fed appropriately, and they lead the class in writing and sending producer updates. An evolving facet of the program is processing and marketing. Steers are sold locally through the Clark Meat Science Center. Students are encouraged to participate in a separate course in which they process the steers into retail product. In this manner, students can be involved in procurement, management, processing, and marketing. The course is challenging for the instructor since it requires management of lecture material, cattle health and feeding, producer and employee rapport, and student participation to ensure annual success of the program in terms of student learning and public relations. The course is very well received by students, most of whom have labeled it as a great learning experience.
Longitudinal trends and predictors of statin use among patients with diabetes

Aim Statins reduce morbidity and mortality among patients with diabetes, but their use remains suboptimal. Understanding trends in statin use may inform strategies for improvement.
Hyperspectral expansion microscopy

Expansion microscopy (ExM) is a new tissue preparation technique that has the potential to revolutionize immunofluorescence imaging for histology [1, 2]. By physically expanding a biological specimen embedded in a dense swellable polymer, one can achieve an effective increase in resolution of «5X using an ordinary fluorescence microscope. The probes used for immunofluorescence in ExM are standard fluorescent conjugated antibodies and proteins. The photosensitivity of these fluorophores limit their usable lifetime and emission brightness. These limitations significantly reduce their effectiveness in ExM since the 5X lateral expansion results in an ≈125X reduction in signal per focal volume. In addition, traditional fluorophores have broad excitation and emission spectra that limit multiplex imaging to the number of spectra that can “fit” into the spectral bandwidth, largely comprising visible wavelengths.
Image Analysis Software as a Strategy to Improve the Radiographic Determination of Fracture Healing.

Objectives To develop and validate an unbiased, accurate, convenient, and inexpensive means of determining when an osseous defect has healed and recovered sufficient strength to allow weight bearing. Methods A novel image processing software algorithm was created to analyze the radiographic images and produce a metric designed to reflect the bone strength. We used a rat femoral segmental defect model that provides a range of healing responses from complete union to nonunion. Femora were examined by x-ray, micro-computed tomography and mechanical testing. Accurate simulated radiographic images at different incident x-ray beam angles were produced from the micro-computed tomography data files. Results The software-generated metric (SC) showed high levels of correlation with both the mechanical strength (τMech) and the polar moment of inertia (pMOI), with the mechanical testing data having the highest association. The optimization analysis yielded optimal oblique angles θB of 125 degrees for τMech and 50 degrees for pMOI. The Pearson R values for the optimized model were 0.71 and 0.64 for τMech and pMOI, respectively. Further validation using true radiographs also demonstrated that the metric was accurate and that the simulations were realistic. Conclusions The preliminary findings suggest a very promising methodology to assess bone fracture healing using conventional radiography. With radiographs acquired at appropriate incident angles, it proved possible to accurately calculate the degree of healing and the mechanical strength of the bone. Further research is necessary to refine this approach and determine whether it translates to the human clinical setting.
In Pursuit of a cm-Accurate Local Geoid Model for Ohio

As part of its strategic plan for 2008–2018 [The NGS Ten Year-Plan, Mission, vision and strategy, 2008–2018], the National Geodetic Survey has resolved to engage in activities which would allow for the development of a 1-cm accurate national gravimetric geoid for the conterminous US. In this regard, the Ohio Department of Transportation has been collaborating with the OSU SPIN Laboratory in height modernization activities for the state of Ohio. Presented in this paper are the results of an investigation used to evaluate the quality of gravity and height data needed to produce a cm-accurate geoid in Ohio.
2013 Special Issue: Mirror neurons, language, and embodied cognition

Basic mechanisms of the mind, cognition, language, its semantic and emotional mechanisms are modeled using dynamic logic (DL). This cognitively and mathematically motivated model leads to a dual-model hypothesis of language and cognition. The paper emphasizes that abstract cognition cannot evolve without language. The developed model is consistent with a joint emergence of language and cognition from a mirror neuron system. The dual language-cognition model leads to the dual mental hierarchy. The nature of cognition embodiment in the hierarchy is analyzed. Future theoretical and experimental research is discussed.
Biodiversity, Origin of

A good fossil record of life on earth is available since the beginning of the Cambrian Period about 545 million years ago. Over the interval between then and now, there has been a substantial increase in biodiversity interrupted by many extinction events which caused sharp but relatively brief dips in biodiversity. Modern-day biodiversity is close to the highest it has ever been.
Kinetics of Ion Exchange of Zr/Sn(IV) Phosphonate–Phosphate Hybrid Materials for Separation of Lanthanides from Oxidized Actinides

The kinetics of ion exchange of Zr/Sn(IV) phosphonate–phosphate hybrid ion exchange materials have been studied with several types of ions of specific interest to nuclear fuel recycling including N...
Missing Body Camera Videos: Evidentiary Fairness Beyond Blame

Responding to calls for accountability, transparency and better evidence, police departments have rapidly adopted body cameras. Recording policies require the police to record more law enforcement encounters than ever before. But what happens if officers do not record? This is an important growing area of controversy. Based on the collection and coding of police department body camera policies, this article reveals widespread detection and enforcement gaps regarding failures to record as required. More than half of the major-city departments in the sample have no provisions on consequences for not recording as required — and several have protections against discipline. The article discusses how the labor-management structure of departments and the individual-blame nature of disciplinary processes render internal departmental enforcement of recording rules challenging. As the central framers of conduct rules for police and gatekeepers of evidence, courts have an important role to play in addressing the missing video problem. The challenge is how to frame remedies that avoid judicial inquiry deterrence — reluctance to address missing video issues because it would entail messy and costly collateral mini-trials on whether recordings are missing for legitimate reasons or due to officer malfeasance. This article proposes three judicial pretrial remedies that proceed from a more administrable evidentiary fairness perspective: exclusion of partial recordings, favorable inferences, and pattern and practice detection harnessing systemic facts accumulated by courts across criminal cases.
Reflecting on Am I a Black Woman or a Woman Who Is Black? A Few Thoughts on the Meaning of Intersectionality

It has been an amazing 11-year journey since I wrote this piece that I will now attempt to reflect on. During this time, some of the issues/concerns I asserted in the initial piece are still germane to me and I am still confronting how I do intersectionality. In this chapter, I am less concerned with “updating” or “talking back” to “Am I a Black Woman or a Woman who is Black”; instead I want to focus a bit more on how I have grappled with the questions/issues I raised in that article. I conclude with a critical reflection of where I am regarding my relationship to and with intersectionality—both personal and professional. This reflection will not be “perfect”, but it will be my truth (a cornerstone for me as I practise intersectionality). As a practice, I am committed to self-reflection, community empowerment, truth telling, and most importantly justice and liberation—and I bring this all to my studies of intersectionality and public policy.
The role of kinematic interaction on measured seismic response of soil-foundation-structure systems

Abstract Kinematic interaction transfer functions, defined as the ratio of foundation input motion to free field motion, are commonly applied, while the motion measured at the foundation may differ from that of a hypothetical foundation input motion. Results from series of centrifuge experiments on a foundation-structure model, and two foundation models revealed that: (1) inertial interaction significantly affects the lateral and rocking transfer functions around structural flexible-base natural frequencies; (2) while amplitudes of the lateral transfer functions of the foundation-structure model are smaller than those of the two other the physical models, amplitudes of the rocking transfer functions are larger; thus, using available models may lead to over-reduction and over-introduction of lateral and rocking foundation motions, respectively; (3) the effect of foundation mass is not significant; (4) increasing the motion intensity decreases the incoherence parameters; and (5) incoherence parameters had good correlations with ground motion parameters and soil shear wave velocity.
Sin and Sovereignty in the Lives of Urban Baptists in Zimbabwe

What is the relation between divine and human action in the world? To understand how a certain group of Christians reckon human capacity and divine authority, I explore articulations of two theolog...
Urinary bladder fistulae and the role of CT cystography: a pictorial review

Various conditions such as inflammation, malignancy, surgical manipulations, and radiation therapy can lead to the development of urinary bladder fistulae. Although many of these fistulae are suspected clinically, imaging plays a major role in confirmation and planning of subsequent treatment. Computed tomography (CT) cystoscopy provides useful details regarding the fistulous track and the anatomy of the region. This article aims to provide a succinct review of bladder fistulae and the role of CT cystography in their management.
Quality of Care and Self-Reported Health: Effects Beyond Individual-Level Factors?

Health inequalities between the United States and other developed nations, as well as within the country have been well-documented. Much of this research addresses demographic and socioeconomic differences in health outcomes, but less research has focused on the impact of quality of care. Using data from the 2014 University of California Los Angeles California Health Survey Interview (CHIS), I analyze the effect of availability, timeliness and continuity of healthcare on self-reported health, controlling for socioeconomic, environmental, demographic and race variables in a probit regression. To increase the health of all Californians and decrease health disparities, it is important to understand the factors that need to be addressed. This paper shows that these factors are not only at the hands of the larger population, but directly under the control of the health care system.
For better or for worse: Marital status transitions and sexual life in middle and later life:

Marital status and marital status transitions have known implications for adults’ mental and physical quality of life. Less attention has been paid, however, to the implications of marital status a...
Associative models fail to characterize transitive inference performance in rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta)

It has been suggested that non-verbal transitive inference (if A > B and B > C, then A > C) can be accounted for by associative models. However, little is known about the applicability of such models to primate data. In Experiment 1, we tested the fit of two associative models to primate data from both sequential training, in which the training pairs were presented in a backward order, and simultaneous training, in which all training pairs are presented intermixed from the beginning. We found that the models provided an equally poor fit for both sequential and simultaneous training presentations, contrary to the case with data from pigeons. The models were also unable to predict the robust symbolic distance effects characteristic of primate transitive choices. In Experiment 2, we used the models to fit a list-linking design in which two seven-item transitive lists were first trained independently (A > B…. > F > G and H > I …. > M > N) then combined via a linking pair (G+ H-) into a single, 14-item list. The model produced accurate predictions for between-list pairs, but did not predict transitive responses for within-list pairs from list 2. Overall, our results support research indicating that associative strength does not adequately account for the behavior of primates in transitive inference tasks. The results also suggest that transitive choices may result from different processes, or different weighting of multiple processes, across species.
Purification and properties of hydrogenase from Clostridium pasteurianum W5.

Abstract Hydrogenase from Clostridium pasteurianum W5 prepared by a previously reported method was found to be heterogeneous. A new procedure has been developed which achieved a 320-fold purification with an 11% recovery of the enzyme activity. This represents a 6.6-fold increase in specific activity over the previously reported value. Such preparations showed a maximal activity ( V ) of about 4000 μmoles H2 evolved/min/mg protein when assayed in the presence of ferredoxin and 1 mM methyl viologen. Hydrogenase so prepared has a molecular weight of 60 500 and did not dissociate into subunits when treated with sodium dodecylsulfate and 2-mercaptoethanol. Hydrogenase has 12 half-cystine residues per molecule and a preponderance of acidic amino acids. This hydrogenase does not contain molybdenum or copper but has about 12 iron atoms and 12 acid-labile sulfur groups per molecule. All of the iron atoms are resistant to anaerobic treatment with o- phenanthroline . Methyl viologen, benzyl viologen, methylene blue and ferredoxin can each serve as the sole electron carrier for the purified enzyme.
The role of biofilms on the formation and decay of disinfection by-products in chlor(am)inated water distribution systems

Abstract This study investigated the role of biofilms on the formation and decay of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in chlorine (Cl2) or monochloramine (NH2Cl) disinfected reactors under the conditions related to drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs). Biofilm analysis results revealed that at 0.5 mg/L of disinfectant residual, both Cl2 and NH2Cl were not effective to remove biofilms. As the disinfectant residual increased, biofilms could be eradicated by Cl2, while remaining biofilms were still present even under the highest allowable NH2Cl dose (4 mg/L) for 25 days. Low DBP formation was observed under the recommended minimum Cl2 residual (0.5 mg/L), which could be attributed to limited Cl2 reactions with biofilms, as well as a combination of the volatilization and biodegradation of DBPs. However, when Cl2 residuals reached 2 mg/L, DBP concentrations in bulk water increased sharply beyond the DBP formation of the feed solution, with trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids being the most prevalent DBP species. The sharp increase was temporary for 15 days because of the removal of biofilms. For unregulated DBPs, high levels of haloacetonitriles were observed as attached biofilms reacted with the increased Cl2 dose and provided an additional organic nitrogen source for nitrogenous DBP formation. When maximum Cl2 residual (4 mg/L) was applied, no further increase of DBPs was observed because of biofilm eradication. For NH2Cl disinfection, the DBP levels were much lower than those of Cl2 disinfection, with small differences in DBP formation for different NH2Cl residuals. Overall, this study provides insights into optimizing disinfection protocols for water utilities by balancing the benefits of disinfection application for biofilm control with minimized toxic DBP formation in DWDSs.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Latinx Patients With COVID-19 in Comparison With Other Ethnic and Racial Groups.

Background There is a limited understanding of the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the Latinx population. We hypothesized that Latinx patients would be more likely to be hospitalized and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) than White patients. Methods We analyzed all patients with COVID-19 in 12 Massachusetts hospitals between February 1 and April 14, 2020. We examined the association between race, ethnicity, age, reported comorbidities, and hospitalization and ICU admission using multivariable regression. Results Of 5190 COVID-19 patients, 29% were hospitalized; 33% required the ICU, and 4.3% died. Forty-six percent of patients were White, 25% Latinx, 14% African American, and 3% Asian American. Ethnicity and race were significantly associated with hospitalization. More Latinx and African American patients in the younger age groups were hospitalized than whites. Latinxs and African Americans disproportionally required the ICU, with 39% of hospitalized Latinx patients requiring the ICU compared with 33% of African Americans, 24% of Asian Americans, and 30% of Whites (P < .007). Within each ethnic and racial group, age and male gender were independently predictive of hospitalization. Previously reported preexisting comorbidities contributed to the need for hospitalization in all racial and ethnic groups (P < .05). However, the observed disparities were less likely related to reported comorbidities, with Latinx and African American patients being admitted at twice the rate of Whites, regardless of such comorbidities. Conclusions Latinx and African American patients with COVID-19 have higher rates of hospitalization and ICU admission than White patients. The etiologies of such disparities are likely multifactorial and cannot be explained only by reported comorbidities.
Challenges with Estimating the Effect of Anti-Contagion Policies on the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study documents some challenges with estimating the effect of various policy interventions on the COVID-19 pandemic It shows that the same dynamics of the
VANGUARD®crLyme: A next generation Lyme disease vaccine that prevents B. burgdorferi infection in dogs

Lyme disease, a public health threat of significance to both veterinary and human medicine, is caused by the tick (Ixodes) transmitted spirochete, Borreliella burgdorferi. Here we report on the immunogenicity and efficacy of VANGUARD®crLyme (Zoetis), the most recent canine Lyme disease vaccine to be approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. VANGUARD®crLyme is a subunit vaccine consisting of outer surface protein A (OspA) and a recombinant outer surface protein C (OspC) based-chimeric epitope protein (chimeritope) that consists of at least 14 different linear epitopes derived from diverse OspC proteins. The combination of OspA and the OspC chimeritope (Ch14) in the vaccine formulation allows for the development of humoral immune responses that work synergistically to target spirochetes in both ticks and in mammals. Immunogenicity was assessed in purpose-bred dogs. A two-dose vaccination protocol resulted in high antibody titers to OspA and Ch14 and vaccinal antibody reacted with 25 different recombinant OspC variants. Efficacy was demonstrated using an Ixodes scapularis -purpose bred dog challenge model. Vaccination with VANGUARD®crLyme provided protection against infection and prevented the development of clinical manifestations and histopathological changes associated with Lyme disease.
Total Motile Sperm Count in Adolescent Boys with Varicocele is Associated with Hormone Levels and Total Testicular Volume

Purpose:The risk factors for future infertility in adolescents with varicocele are controversial, and little is known about the association between hormone levels and semen parameters. Semen analys...
The First 100 Years: The Centennial History of Loyola University Chicago School of Law

This is a history of the School of Law of Loyola University Chicago from its founding in 1908 to the present day.
Everybody hurts: Self-employment, financial concerns, mental distress, and well-being during COVID-19

Abstract Adopting an abductive approach, in this paper we use two studies to examine the relationships between financial worries and well-being amongst the self-employed during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study 1 of 4806 participants from the Understanding Society’s COVID-19 survey of the UK population, we find that financial worries were associated with higher mental distress for self-employed when facing reduced work hours. In Study 2, in a sample of 1794 participants from the six-country COVID study, we find that higher than expected fall in income mediates the association between self-employment and happiness. The findings have implications for research regarding financial worries, distress, and well-being of the self-employed.
Transition management practices on Wisconsin dairies stratified by Transition Cow Index

The Transition Cow IndexTM (TCI) is intended to provide an objective measure of transition cow management in a dairy herd. TCI represents the difference between the actual first-test 305-day projected milk produced by a cow and a predicted yield, which is calculated using historical information from each cow. A negative TCI indicates underperformance, whereas a positive TCI indicates that an individual cow's performance has surpassed her predicted level of production. The objective of this study is to describe herd size, rolling herd average, prefresh and fresh pen duration of stay, as well as prefresh and fresh pen bunk space per cow on Wisconsin dairies after stratification by TCI.
Layout Optimization of Short De-embedding Structure for Accurate On-Chip Inductor Characterization

A potentially significant limitation of typical short structure in de-embedding launch line inductance with ground-signal-ground (GSG) padsets is revealed in this paper. It is shown that the calculated inductance (L) value with conventional open-short-pad (OSP) de-embedding is significantly higher than the actual value. With the help of electro-magnetic (EM) simulations, the mechanism behind this inaccurate short de-embedding for L calculation is demonstrated. A simple alternative short structure is proposed to alleviate this issue. The proposed structure is extensively validated using well calibrated EM simulations across inductor geometries. Finally, measured result of spiral inductor with GSG padsets validate the merit of the proposed approach.
Social Media in the Post-Truth and Political Manipulation Era: Let’s Re-Debate Michael Gorman Vs. Web 2.0

This piece introduces the special issue of Internet Reference Services Quarterly: debate on the use of social media in the post-truth era. It reviews of the debate of Michael Gorman Vs. Web 2.0 in ...
Role of Coronary Artery Calcium Testing for Risk Assessment in Primary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Review.

Importance Current guidelines recommend a few different approaches to the use of coronary artery calcium (CAC) testing as a tool for risk assessment and decision-making regarding drug therapy for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Observations Coronary artery calcium testing is not recommended for universal screening, particularly in patients at very low or high predicted risk for ASCVD, where its yield and utility for altering clinical decisions are limited. Use of CAC testing appears to be optimal when used in selected patients who are at intermediate or borderline risk of ASCVD as a sequential decision aid after initial quantitative risk assessment and consideration of individual patient risk-enhancing factors (eg, strong family history of premature ASCVD, chronic kidney disease). Although convincing clinical trials have not been completed, observational studies strongly suggest that, in those at intermediate risk, CAC testing can meaningfully reclassify risk and can support improved targeting of drug therapy to patients most likely to benefit. Conclusions and Relevance This narrative review summarizes the evidence available about the appropriate role of CAC testing for ASCVD risk assessment. Coronary artery calcium testing should be used selectively in patients who are at intermediate risk of ASCVD, when there is persistent uncertainty after performing standard risk assessment using traditional risk factors in a risk score, and after consideration of additional individual risk-enhancing factors. In these situations, the result of the CAC test can be helpful to clarify whether the patient’s true risk is high enough to justify initiation of primary prevention medications, such as statins or aspirin.
Exhibition Review. Home Alone Together, curated by Aaron Rosen and S. Billie Mandle

The review focuses on the exhibition Home Alone Together, a project that collates the work of twenty-five different artists from across the globe and probe the theme of domesticity.
The Principle and Politics of Liberty of Conscience

Many on the left agree with conservatives that the current free exercise rule insufficiently protects religious minorities. The challenge is to articulate an approach that protects liberty of conscience without endangering the political equality that is essential for any democracy. This Comment argues for a conception that presumptively protects liberty of conscience while erecting democratic guardrails. This interpretation of free exercise is warranted and might even attract crosscutting support on the Roberts Court. Yet the Comment also offers reasons to be concerned that the approach could be deployed in the service of a problematic political program. Given that practical reality, lawyers and academics face a difficult choice among several strategies, all of which have serious drawbacks.
An odyssey through learning and evolution

Learning is a property of living animals, and so it, like other biological processes, is the product of evolutionary processes. Several questions arise when learning is viewed from an evolutionary contexto One is why animals should learn at all. Phrased in evolutionary terms, this is the question of the adaptive significance of learning. A second relates to similarities in how natural selection works at the species level to how reinforcement operates at the level of individuals during their lifetime. Are they indeed identical processes operating at different levels? A third question is the generality of learning principies across species and situations. A fourth is the extent to which learning processes revealed iri the laboratory are revelant to understanding learning as it occurs in the natural environment. These four questions are the focus of this paper.
The Heat of Dissolution of Gibbsite at Bayer Digestion Temperatures

The heat of reaction of gibbsite in caustic solution has been reported by various sources; the average value being 140 kcal/kg Al2O3. Although this value has been determined from solubility or calorimetric data at normal Bayer precipitation temperatures, it has been widely used in Bayer process mass and energy calculations at digestion temperatures. However, using correlations for gibbsite and Bayer liquor heat capacity, and National Bureau of Standards heats of formation data, the heat of dissolution of gibbsite at Bayer digestion temperatures (145°C) has been calculated at 200 kcal/kg Al2O3. This paper describes the theoretical thermodynamic treatment and the experimental verification (by calorimetry) of this higher value.
All-Atom Simulations Of Protein Folding And Unfolding

Publisher Summary The chapter focuses on the all-atom simulation of protein folding and unfolding. The pathway and funnel ideas are not mutually exclusive. A pathway view is essentially a subset of the funnel view. It imagines that there are common features of the conformations that a peptide chain assumes as it travels different routes down the funnel. These common features can then be used to describe a pathway by which an unfolded structure finds its way to the native structure. The results of molecular dynamics simulations of protein unfolding suggest a unification of the funnel and pathway views of protein folding. The funnel-shaped free energy surface described by statistical mechanics and simplified protein models is a robust and accurate model for the energy surface of random heteropolymers. Protein refolding simulation is still by far the longest continuous all-atom molecular dynamics simulation published. It is unlikely that it will lose that status in the near future. Additionally, as discussed earlier, truly meaningful data are best obtained from several simulations of the same system. Thus, it is probable that the pathways from these simulations will be biased toward hydrophobic collapse and that the simulations have not been adequately validated by comparison with experimentation. In addition, other fundamental flaws to this approach have been pointed out recently. To do this in a statistically relevant fashion, it is necessary to simulate many examples of the same substructure with different sequences and from proteins with different folds.
Tunable coloration with flexible high-contrast metastructures

We demonstrate novel high contrast metastructures with nearly all optical power concentrated in the −1st order diffraction and, when embedded in a flexible substrate, color change is achieved simultaneously in a multiple-color pattern by design.
Antioxidant properties of myocardial fuels

Oxidative metabolism of blood-borne fuels provides myocardium the energy required to sustain its contractile performance. Recent research has revealed that, in addition to supplying energy, certain fuels are able to detoxify harmful oxidants and bolster the myocardium's endogenous antioxidant defenses. These antioxidant capabilities could potentially protect the myocardium from the ravages of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates generated upon reperfusion of ischemic myocardium. This article reviews experimental evidence that two fuels, pyruvate and acetoacetate, provide such antioxidant protection. Pyruvate's antioxidant properties stem in part from its α-keto carboxylate structure, which enables it to directly, non-enzymatically neutralize peroxides and peroxynitrite. Also, citrate, which accumulates in pyruvate-perfused myocardium following anaplerotic pyruvate carboxylation, supports NADPH production to maintain glutathione:glutathione disulfide (GSH/GSSG) redox potential, the central component of the myocardial antioxidant system. Like pyruvate, acetoacetate restores GSH/GSSG and increases contractile function of post-ischemic stunned myocardium, although some of its antioxidant mechanisms may differ from pyruvate's. Both compounds restore β-adrenergic signaling and inotropism, which are compromised in stunned myocardium. N-acetylcysteine, a pharmacological antioxidant that does not provide energy, duplicated the salutary effects of pyruvate and acetoacetate on post-ischemic β-adrenergic signaling and GSH/GSSG. These findings reveal novel, energy-independent mechanisms for enhancement of post-ischemic cardiac performance by metabolic fuels.
Förster resonance energy transfer microscopy and spectroscopy for localizing protein-protein interactions in living cells.

The fundamental theory of Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) was established in the 1940s. Its great power was only realized in the past 20 years after different techniques were developed and applied to biological experiments. This success was made possible by the availability of suitable fluorescent probes, advanced optics, detectors, microscopy instrumentation, and analytical tools. Combined with state-of-the-art microscopy and spectroscopy, FRET imaging allows scientists to study a variety of phenomena that produce changes in molecular proximity, thereby leading to many significant findings in the life sciences. In this review, we outline various FRET imaging techniques and their strengths and limitations; we also provide a biological model to demonstrate how to investigate protein-protein interactions in living cells using both intensity- and fluorescence lifetime-based FRET microscopy methods.
Factors affecting analytical values of beeswax and detection of adulteration

Various factors that could affect analytical values for beeswax, and so also detection of adulteration, have been investigated. Ester value determination was checked using synthetic monoesters. Gas liquid chromatographic analysis of overheated wax confirmed that free acids decreased on heating and also showed loss of unsaturated hydrocarbons and of monoesters. The saponification cloud point detected as little as 1% of a paraffin mp 83 C (chain length C20–C60) but only 6% or more of a paraffin mp 53 C (chain length C20–C35). Gas liquid chromatographic analysis of the hydrocarbon fraction of waxes containing these paraffins detected 1% of either paraffin, but only the low melting paraffin was estimated accurately. The presence of 2.5% of carnauba wax in beeswax was detected and estimated by gas liquid chromatography.
Stable unmerging in linear time and constant space

Abstract In the Summer 1985 issue of SIGACT News , Santoro enquired about the space-time complexity of unmerging. Suppose that two sorted lists A and B of total size n are merged to produce the list L. The problem is to separate L into A and B in sorted order. An optimal algorithm is presented which unmerges in O(n) time using O(1) extra space, and which is stable.
Acquisition and reconstruction of the principal components of an image: A novel MRI technique for reducing scanning time

This article describes a novel MRI technique as well as its variant, which use prior knowledge to acquire and reconstruct the principal components of an image to reduce scanning time. Examples in the application of this technique are given. The implications of these results and the potential in the application of the functional imaging are discussed.
Superior longitudinal fasciculus and language functioning in healthy aging.

Abstract Structural deterioration of brain tissue in older adults is thought to be responsible for the majority of age-related cognitive decline. Disruption of widespread cortical networks due to a loss of axonal integrity may also play an important role. Research examining correlations between structural change and functional decline has focused heavily on working memory, processing speed, and executive processes while other aspects of cognition, such as language functioning, have received less attention. The current study aimed to determine whether age-related changes in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), are responsible for the deterioration in language functioning associated with age. Subjects included 112 right-handed volunteers (ages 19–76). For each subject, the SLF of the left hemisphere was reconstructed from diffusion tensor images (DTI). Mean fractional anisotropy (FA) values were extracted from parietal (SLFp) and temporal (SLFt) bundles. Language functioning was measured using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), Boston Naming Test (BNT), Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), and Semantic Fluency Test (SFT). Regression analyses revealed that males and females showed a different pattern of decline in FA across adulthood. For males, greater SLFt FA was significantly associated with increased COWAT performance, and there was a positive relationship between both age and SLFp FA with BNT scores. In females, greater SLFp FA was related to lower COWAT performance. Taken together, the results suggest that white matter integrity of the SLF follows a different pattern of decline in adulthood for males and females, and this decline differentially affects language functioning.
SU-FF-J-09: A Novel Non-Rigid Image Registration Algorithm for Radiation Therapy Using P-Element Based Biomechanical Model (PBM)

Purpose: Daily pre‐treatment volumetric imaging can be acquired with onboard CT or MR simulator. This imaging can be used for adaptive radiotherapy (ART) provided deformations occur on time scales >15–30 min. A necessary component of ART is automatic, fast and robust deformable registration. An algorithm using p‐element based biomechanical model (PMB) is presented. Its performance is compared with published algorithms. Method and Materials: PBM achieves successful registration using a coarse mesh by “automatic adaptivity”, whereby convergence is achieved by iteratively increasing the order of the polynomial used for fitting without necessarily requiring mesh refinement (i.e. distance scaling of mesh element), resulting in linear scaling in computation time. A conventional biomechanical model (BM), which utilizes second order polynomial, requires mesh refinement at each iteration for convergence, resulting in an exponential scaling in computation time. For intra‐modal deformations, the performance of PBM was compared with Demons method (DM) for T1‐weighted MR and CT using simulated transformations and clinical data. Results: DM resulted in certain anatomical structures either missing or misplaced since it assumes that pixel intensity does not change between the target and reference images for the same structure. PBM and BM provided similar results in terms of faithful structural connectivity and accuracy, and were superior to DM. The number of p‐elements in PBM was 360, much less than the 1616 elements in BM, allowing for automatic mesh generation to be more robust for PBM. Furthermore, mesh refinement was necessary in BM in order to achieve convergence. The computation time for PBM was 15% less than BM, and 100% more than DM. Conclusion: PBM provides a superior accuracy compared to DM. It has accuracy comparable to BM but with reduced computation time.
Reflection in Problem Solving and Design

This paper describes and discusses how the principles enunciated by Schon were applied in teaching a senior‐level course in problem solving and design. The main objective in teaching students to be reflective is to develop higher cognitive skills, enabling them to be independent and creative problem solvers. By providing students with an active learning environment, it is possible to introduce them to the control and regulation aspects of metacognition.The paper describes the problem solving and design process, and demonstrates how Schon's concepts are applied in a classroom situation for encouraging reflection. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated through observations made by students as well as by the instructors. The effort needed to apply Schon's ideas are by no means easy. Probably, the most difficult part is in descending from the hard, high ground of the theorist to the messy, boggy swamp below of the practitioner. The results of the study demonstrate how stereotyped classroom instructio...
Crystal structure of Lyme disease variable surface antigen VlsE of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Abstract VlsE is an outer surface lipoprotein ofBorrelia burgdorferi that undergoes antigenic variation through an elaborate gene conversion mechanism and is thought to play a major role in the immune response to the Lyme disease borellia. The crystal structure of recombinant variant protein VlsE1 at 2.3-A resolution reveals that the six variable regions form loop structures that constitute most of the membrane distal surface of VlsE, covering the predominantly α-helical, invariant regions of the protein. The surface localization of the variable amino acid segments appears to protect the conserved regions from interaction with antibodies and hence may contribute to immune evasion.
Urocortin II Regulates NFAT Transcription Factor in Adult Rabbit Cardiac Myocytes

Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) transcription factors play a key role during cellular remodelling associated with hypertrophy and heart failure (HF). We tested the hypothesis that the cardioprotective peptide Urocortin II (UcnII) regulates translocation and activation of NFAT.Rabbit ventricular myocytes were infected with recombinant adenoviruses encoding for NFAT-GFP fusion proteins (isoforms NFATc1 and NFATc3). The subcellular distribution of NFAT was quantified as the ratio of NFATnuc to NFATcyt fluorescence (RNFAT) and nuclear-cytosolic NFAT translocation was expressed as changes of RNFAT. Under basal unstimulated conditions NFATc3 was predominantly localized in the cytoplasm, whereas NFATc1 displayed a nuclear localization. UcnII (100 nM) caused NFATc1 export to the cytoplasm (RNFAT decreased from 2.25 to 1.03 after 24 hrs). UcnII did not affect nuclear-cytosolic NFATc3 distribution.UcnII-induced NFATc1 export to the cytoplasm was significantly (P<0.05) reduced (by 58-79%) by inhibition of guanylate cyclase (ODQ, 10 μM), calcineurin (Cyclosporin A, 1 μM), and GSK3s (Alsterpaullone, 1 μM). Inhibition of PI3K (Wortmannin, 300 nM) and nuclear transport protein crm1 (Leptomycin B, 40 nM) prevented the redistribution of NFATc1 to the cytoplasm completely.In ventricular myocytes from failing rabbit hearts, nuclear localization of NFATc3 was significantly enhanced compared to normal myocytes (RNFAT 0.78 vs. 0.58). Stimulation of HF myocytes with UcnII resulted in a translocation of NFATc3 back to the cytoplasm (RNFAT=0.56). In HF myocytes the nuclear localization of NFATc1 was less pronounced compared to normal myocytes (RNFAT: 1.97 in HF vs. 2.86 in normal ventricular cells). UcnII induced a further redistribution of NFATc1 out of the nucleus (RNFAT=0.97).We conclude that UcnII enhances the export of NFAT from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in ventricular myocytes involving the PI3K/cGMP/PKG/calcineurin- and PI3K/Akt/GSK3s-pathways and could thus positively affect remodeling in hypertrophy and HF.
Activation of mammalian carcinogens to bacterial mutagens by microsomal enzymes from a pelecypod mollusk, Mercenaria mercenaria

Several kinds of neoplastic diseases have been described in mollusks collected from the field. The etiology of these lesions is unknown; however, the involvement of chemical carcinogens has been suggested. Experimental models for chemically-induced neoplasia in bivalves have yet to be developed. We have obtained data which suggest that aromatic amines may be more appropriate candidates than polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for putative molluscan carcinogens. Digestive gland enzymes from a bivalve mollusk, Mercenaria mercenaria, were found to be able to convert aromatic amines to frameshift mutagens as detected by the Ames Salmonella tester strains. Extensive mutagenesis was obtained with 2-aminoanthracene, 2-aminofluorene, 2-acetylaminofluorene and 4-amino-trans-stilbene which are all mammalian procarcinogens. Mutagenic activation of benzo[a]pyrene and 3-methylcholanthrene was minimal. Low levels of aromatic amine-activating enzyme(s) were found in all tissues examined, but activity was greatest in the digestive gland. Enzymatic activity was heat-labile, NADPH-dependent, and apparently not inducible by polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclor 1254).
Michele Tracy Berger and Cheryl Radeloff. Transforming Scholarship: Why Women's and Gender Studies Students are Changing Themselves and the World. New York: Routledge, 2011.

Transforming Scholarship: Why Women's and Gender Studies Students are Changing Themselves and the World marks a significant rite of passage for our interdiscipline. Focusing on what Women's and Gen...
Binning methodology for nonparametric goodness-of-fit test

In this paper, we develop a simple procedure for goodness-of-fit test. One feature of its construction is the use of "binning" transform of the sample observations. This enables us to define suitably a design variable and a response variable and they are shown to follow asymptotically a nonparametric regression model, under which the regression function corresponds to the population density function. As a result, the problem of testing density is formulated as assessing the parametric fits of a regression function against its nonparametric alternatives. Many nonparametric tests based on curve estimation technique could be incorporated, and we shall extend here the tests (Fan et al. , 2001; Zhang, 2001) based on local polynomial smoother combined with nonparametric likelihood-ratio. The resulting procedure is capable of testing not only the conventional simple null hypotheses, but also certain types of composite null hypotheses. Simulation studies illustrate the power of this procedure.