cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulus Responsive 3D Assembly for Spatially Resolved Bifunctional Sensors

3D electronic/optoelectronic devices have shown great potentials for various applications due to their unique properties inherited not only from functional materials, but also from 3D architectures. Although a variety of fabrication methods including mechanically guided assembly have been reported, the resulting 3D devices show no stimuli-responsive functions or are not free standing, thereby limiting their applications. Herein, the stimulus responsive assembly of complex 3D structures driven by temperature-responsive hydrogels is demonstrated for applications in 3D multifunctional sensors. The assembly driving force, compressive buckling, arises from the volume shrinkage of the responsive hydrogel substrates when they are heated above the lower critical solution temperature. Driven by the compressive buckling force, the 2D-formed membrane materials, which are pre-defined and selectively bonded to the substrates, are then assembled to 3D structures. They include "tent," "tower," "two-floor pavilion," "dome," "basket," and "nested-cages" with delicate geometries. Moreover, the demonstrated 3D bifunctional sensors based on laser induced graphene show capability of spatially resolved tactile sensing and temperature sensing. These multifunctional 3D sensors would open new applications in soft robotics, bioelectronics, micro-electromechanical systems, and others.
An error estimation procedure for plate bending elements

Procedures for identifying and eliminating errors inherent in individual finite elements and those due to the discretization of the continuum are presented. The elemental errors are identified through the use of an element formulation procedure based on physically interpretable strain gradient interpolation functions. The use of physically interpretable notation allows these errors to be eliminated using rational arguments. The discretization errors are identified by comparing the finite-element solution with a smoothed superconvergent solution. The errors thus identified are used to guide an adaptive mesh refinement procedure which produces improved results.
Recipients of Public Insurance Have Increased Mortality Post-LVAD

Purpose LVADs have revolutionized the care of end-stage heart failure patients. Utilizing block-group census data to characterize neighborhood-level socioeconomic status(nSES), we set out to examine the effect of nSES & public versus private insurance status with respect to overall mortality and readmission. Methods We performed a retrospective review of LVAD recipients bet. Jun 2006 & Dec 2016 at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (n=239). Primary outcomes were time to death and time to readmission. Results Patients' demographics are shown in Table 1. Patients on public insurance displayed a higher hazard of death post-LVAD compared to private insureds (Fig. 1; log-rank p=0.0004). Medicaid, Medicare, and Medicaid-Medicare dual-enrollment were significant independent predictors of death, with an associated ≥3 fold hazard of death. TR of varying severity was also a significant independent predictor of mortality (Table 2). Median household income (MHI) was not associated with any primary outcomes. Conclusion LVAD recipients on public insurance were at higher mortality risk compared to private insureds. Block-group level MHI failed to predict mortality and 1 year readmission for these patients. More work is needed to properly contextualize the SES impact on LVAD outcomes.
Economic and Adoption Impacts of Modern Irrigation Technologies at River Nile State of Sudan: A Case Study Alfalfa Fodder-legume Crop

Advanced technologies have the potential to raise water use efficiency and water productivity per unit, labour efficiency can also be improved. The research reported in this paper seeks to evaluate the economic impacts of modern irrigation technologies’ adoption and its application to the alfalfa winter-season fodder crops grown in the River Nile State of North Sudan (RNS). Integrated analytical techniques were applied to attain the aims of the study. A descriptive statistical analysis for crop water applied and crop water requirements for the main crops in area of the study. GAMS, CropWat4 and SPSS were used to evaluate modern and conventional farming systems and their irrigation water performance. Different production activities, concerned with winter-season crops were identified, with emphasis on alfalfa legume crop to illustrate different irrigation technology levels in the RNS. The model constraints were also examined including irrigation water, land and labour. Model scenarios were developed to investigate possible production options and to examine the different agricultural resource levels and policy implications that might affect the adoption of these new technologies. The model findings revealed that conventional irrigation systems were not economically feasible options compared to modern ones. This reflects actual farmers' behaviour, particularly for irrigation water, and indicates that water is the main resource constraint. The study findings investigate water resources policies in developing countries that may cause great distortions resulting in negative effects on resources use. This study concluded that investment and application of advanced irrigation technologies in different agricultural sectors are needed.
Predictors of transfer behaviours in adult university students

Adult students are critical to addressing the college completion crisis. Retention and completion for adults lags behind students who enter college directly from high school. However, higher educat...
Inclusive Design: Accessibility Settings for People with Cognitive Disabilities

The advancement of technology has progressed faster than any other field in the world and with the development of these new technologies, it is important to make sure that these tools can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. Accessibility options in computing devices help ensure that everyone has the same access to advanced technologies. Unfortunately, for those who require more unique and sometimes challenging accommodations, such as people with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS), the most commonly used accessibility features are simply not enough. While assistive technology for those with ALS does exist, it requires multiple peripheral devices that can become quite expensive collectively. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a more affordable and readily available option for ALS assistive technology that can be implemented on a smartphone or tablet.
Diagnostic friedman test in hydatidiform mole and chorionepithelioma

Abstract We have presented the technique of a fractional Friedman test, which can be carried out in any laboratory capable of performing clinical Friedman tests. The average minimal amounts of urine necessary to produce positive reactions in the various weeks of pregnancy are given. These findings form the basis of the quantitative Friedman tests. Results of the quantitative tests of 7 cases of hydatidiform mole and 3 cases of chorionepithelioma are reported. While 4 of the patients with mole showed evidence of excessive gonadotropic hormone in the urine, the other 3 patients did not. Thus we may not rely entirely on this finding in all types of hydatidiform mole. Two patients with chorionepithelioma showed the gonadotropic hormone present in considerable concentration. It is felt that the ordinary qualitative test will suffice for diagnosis in chorionepithelioma, but that the quantitative test will often prove of value in this condition. Since 2 of the 3 chorionepitheliomas developed consequent to the expulsion of hydatidiform moles, the necessity of following postmole cases with monthly Friedman tests for a period of at least one year is emphasized. It is further pointed out that certain complications of pregnancy, namely hyperemesis gravidarum and multiple pregnancy, may also show an excess of the gonadotropic hormone in the urine. Hence, these conditions must be kept in mind in making differential diagnoses. These findings of gonadotropic substance in the urine have been confirmed by quantitative studies on blood serum. These latter are not included, since it is felt that the urinary determinations will suffice for clinical application.
Professional Ethics in the College and University Science Curriculum

Scientific ethics is a subset of professional ethics, the special rules of conduct adopted by those engaged in one of the pursuits regarded as professions, such as law, medicine, engineering and science. Professional ethics derive from a moral ideal based on service. This ideal leads to a pair of bargains: an internal bargain that defines the internal code of practice within the profession, and an external bargain that defines the relationship between the profession and society. This article develops the internal and external bargains that are the basis of scientific ethics from both an historical and a philosophical perspective and makes suggestions as to how the teaching of scientific ethics can be integrated into the undergraduate curriculum.
Qualities related to success in women's physical education professional preparation program

Abstract Sixty-nine physical education majors were used as subjects in an attempt to identify those personal and physical qualities of women physical education students which would most effectively predict success in the professional preparation program of physical education. The criteria of success included the cumulative academic index, a rating by the faculty, and a rating by the student's peer group. Predictive variables consisting of measures of physical fitness, general motor ability, temperament traits, mental ability, interests, and values were evaluated. The single predictive variable yielding the highest positive relationship with success in the professional preparation program was physical fitness; the value and interest variables showed practically no relationship. The best combination of variables for predicting success was the physical fitness index, the active temperament trait score, and the mental ability score.
Chemical stability of dexamethasone sodium phosphate after reconstitution in 0.9% sodium chloride injection and storage in polypropylene syringes

The chemical stability of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (1mg/mL and 0.1 mg/mL) in 0.9% sodium chloride injection was studied at 25 deg C in polypropylene syringes by means of a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic assay method. The concentrations of the drug were directly related to peak heights, and the percent relative standard deviation based on 5 injections was 1.5. The benzyl alcohol did not interfere with the assay procedure at 278 nm. The products of decomposition separated from the intact drug. At a concentration of 1mg/mL, the loss in potency was 1% after 22 days of storage and less than 3% at a concentration of 0.1mg/mL after storage for 22 days. The pH value of the injection (1mg/mL) decreased from 7.3 to 7.2 after 22 days of storage and from 6.5 to 6.3 in the 0.1-mg/mL sample. The physical appearance of the injection did not change.
Neural Networks and Structured Knowledge: Knowledge Representation and Reasoning

This collection of articles is the first of two parts of a special issue on “Neural Networks and Structured Knowledge.” The contributions to the first part shed some light on the issues of knowledge representation and reasoning with neural networks. Their scope ranges from formal models for mapping discrete structures like graphs or logical formulae onto different types of neural networks, to the construction of practical systems for various types of reasoning. In the second part to follow, the emphasis will be on the extraction of knowledge from neural networks, and on applications of neural networks and structured knowledge to practical tasks.
Excess carrier lifetime in Hg1−xCdxTe by population modulation spectroscopy

A contactless optical technique for measuring carrier lifetimes and defect levels in Hg0.7Cd0.3Te is presented. The technique is based on measuring the modulation of the absorption of a probe beam with E Eg. Initial data on near intrinsic and p-type samples indicates that the dominant recombination mechanism in stoichiometrically doped p-type samples is due to Shockley-Read defect levels associated with the mercury vacancies.
Use of a state-wide administrative database in assessing a regional trauma system: the New York City experience.

Abstract Background A successful regional trauma care system should concentrate severely injured patients within trauma centers, and should improve severity-adjusted outcomes. We compared injured patients' outcomes in New York City's level 1 trauma centers and nontrauma centers. Study design We analyzed 1998–2000 New York Statewide Planning and Cooperative Research System (SPARCS) data for 103,725 adult discharges from 70 New York City hospitals (15 level I trauma centers), using ICD-9CM codes 800–950. Their 227 DRG's were aggregated into 7 clinical injury classes. A severity index was extracted from each refined DRG, and deaths, age, and gender were analyzed. Regression analysis predicted death from age, gender, severity index, and trauma center discharge, with separate analyses of the three largest clinical classes, and estimated excess mortality because of trauma center discharge. Results Level 1 trauma centers discharged 48.2% of injured patients, with higher mean annual discharges per hospital (1,046 discharges per TC vs. 437 per NTC, p Conclusions New York City's trauma system concentrates injured patients in trauma centers on the basis of injury class rather than severity, but does not produce improved adjusted mortality outcomes for injured patients.
Linking stress to immunity

The MAP3K kinases are thought to mediate signaling 'downstream' of the Toll-like receptors. Analysis of the MAP3K ASK1 demonstrates additional complexity in Toll-like receptor signaling pathways involving reactive oxygen species.
Rutin: a phagostimulant for the polyphagous acridid Schistocerca americana

Rutin was demonstrated to be a phagostimulant for the grasshopper Schistocerca americana across a very wide concentration range. The effect was not maintained over a period of days if the insects had already ingested a large amount, but when individuals were given different concentrations on disks as supplements to their lettuce diet, they tended to self select a moderate quantity on a daily basis. In long term experiments on food utilization and growth rates using artificial diet, no beneficial effects of rutin could be demonstrated. Ingested rutin was absorbed and some of it deposited in the cuticle. Most was excreted as the aglycone quercetin. The possible functional significance of the phagostimulatory effect is discussed.
Detection of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin genes by a nested polymerase chain reaction

Abstract Severe invasive disease associated with group A Streptococcus (GAS) has recently increased in frequency. Isolates of GAS from normally sterile sites were examined for the streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin genes spe A, spe B and spe C to determine if they play a role in this disease. Four primers for each gene were used in a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) configuration. The first PCR generated fragments of 818, 1106, and 801 bp, respectively, for the extotoxin genes. The second PCR generated fragments of 500, 912 and 654 bp for the spe A, spe B and spe C genes using the fragments from the first PCR as template. Of 62 strains tested, 35 (56%) contained the spe A gene, and 17 (27%) contained the spe C gene. All GAS strains studied, regardless of disease association, contained the spe B gene. These data corroborate accumulating evidence that the genes encoding pyrogenic exotoxin types B and C are not associated with severe invasive streptococcal illness including streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome. This PCR-based gene detection system has clinical and epidemiologic applications because of its ease of performance, non-isotope labelling, high specificity and sensitivity, and lack of requirement of purified DNA.
Nickel-catalyzed Negishi arylations of propargylic bromides: a mechanistic investigation.

Although nickel-catalyzed stereoconvergent couplings of racemic alkyl electrophiles are emerging as a powerful tool in organic chemistry, to date there have been no systematic mechanistic studies of such processes. Herein, we examine the pathway for enantioselective Negishi arylations of secondary propargylic bromides, and we provide evidence for an unanticipated radical chain pathway wherein oxidative addition of the C–Br bond occurs through a bimetallic mechanism. In particular, we have crystallographically characterized a diamagnetic arylnickel(II) complex, [(i-Pr-pybox)NiIIPh]BArF4, and furnished support for [(i-Pr-pybox)NiIIPh]+ being the predominant nickel-containing species formed under the catalyzed conditions as well as a key player in the cross-coupling mechanism. On the other hand, our observations do not require a role for an organonickel(I) intermediate (e.g., (i-Pr-pybox)NiIPh), which has previously been suggested to be an intermediate in nickel-catalyzed cross-couplings, oxidatively adding ...
Activation of Real-World Knowledge in the Solution of Word Problems

This article describes two studies that examine factors influencing children's access to real-world knowledge during the solution of word problems. In the first study, based on work in Brazil by Carraher, Carraher, and Schliemann (1987), children were asked to solve arithmetic problems presented in three contexts: (a) as word problems, (b) in simulated store situations, and (c) as symbolic computations. Brazilian children were both more successful and more likely to use mental, informal strategies when solving word problems than when solving symbolic computations. We did not find the same results with our U.S. sample; no effects of context were found in either strategy use or success. Comparison of U.S. and Brazilian children's responses suggested that children may tend to access real-world content when the numbers in a word problem match the problem content, and a second study was conducted to test this interpretation. Children were presented with word problems in which the problem content either matched...
The Surgeon and the HIV-Infected Patient-Reply

In Reply.— Dr Shewell enunciates an understandable concern among physicians that the law requires them to treat patients infected with HIV but provides little employment protection if they seroconvert in the course of practicing medicine. The probable enactment of the Americans With Disabilities Act (which would ban discrimination against handicapped people in the private as well as the public sector) only reinforces the point made in the AIDS Litigation Project that health care providers may not discriminate against patients infected with HIV. This means that providers may not test patients without their consent, arbitrarily refer infected patients to other providers, or refuse to treat them. The reason for these strict legal requirements is that HIV infection is a handicap under federal and state law. Persons cannot be discriminated against because of their disability, any more than they can because of their race or gender. The law, of course, does not
Bladder cancer and coffee drinking: a summary of case-control research

An association between coffee drinking and cancer of the lower urinary tract (LUT) was first suggested 20 years ago and has been the subject of many epidemiological studies. We have undertaken a critical review and statistical summary of 35 case-control studies of this association published between 1971 and 1992. Predefined methodological criteria were applied to the available reports. Studies were classified as either meeting the criteria (core studies) or failing to satisfy at least one of the requirements for design or analysis (non-core studies). The summarised data from the 8 core studies showed no evidence of an increase in risk of LUT cancer with coffee drinking in men or women after adjustment for the effects of cigarette smoking (odds ratio 1.07 [95% CI 1.00-1.14] for men, 0.91 [0.81-1.03] for women). The measures of association from the non-core studies were higher on average than those from the core studies, although the inclusion of these data in an overall summarised estimate did not substantially change the findings from the core analysis. We conclude that the best available data do not suggest a clinically important association between the regular use of coffee and development of cancer of the LUT in men or women.
The Role of Oxygen and Reduced Oxygen Species in Nitric Oxide-Mediated Cytotoxicity: Studies in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Model System

Abstract The cytotoxicity of nitric oxide (NO) is well established, yet the mechanism(s) of its cytotoxicity is (are) still undefined and a matter of significant interest and speculation. Many of the previously proposed mechanisms for NO-mediated cytotoxicity involve interactions between NO and molecular oxygen (O 2 ) and/or O 2 -derived species such as O − 2 and H 2 O 2 . The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae represents a useful model system for evaluating the role of O 2 and O 2 -derived species in NO-mediated cytotoxicity. This study examines the contribution of O 2 and O 2 -derived species to NO-mediated cytotoxicity in the yeast S. cerevisiae. NO-mediated cytotoxicity was determined to be O 2 -dependent. However, this O 2 dependence was only minimally due to the generation of O 2 -derived species such as O − 2 and/or H 2 O 2 .
Cervical cancer prevention in the era of prophylactic vaccines: a preview for gynecologic oncologists.

Abstract Objective: The recent approval of a vaccine to prevent HPV infection is an important advance in cervical cancer prevention. This article is intended to provide gynecologic oncologists with a comprehensive background in modern cervical cancer prevention strategies. Methods: We describe and contrast the quadrivalent and bivalent vaccines. More established cervical cancer prevention strategies are reviewed, with comments on the impact of HPV vaccination. Clinical guidance is provided for use of the approved quadrivalent vaccine. Safety and side effects of both vaccines are reviewed and future questions and challenges are explored. Results: It is vitally important that both vaccinated and unvaccinated women continue to fully engage in cervical cancer prevention, including cervical cancer screening, follow-up of abnormal screens, and treatment of premalignant lesions. A quadrivalent virus-like particle vaccine has now been approved for use in girls and women ages 9 to 26. A bivalent vaccine may be available soon. Vaccine efficacy in clinical trials has been outstanding, with 100% protection against HPV-type-specific cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II and III. Conclusions: Comprehensive cervical cancer protection now includes prophylactic vaccination for girls and young women in addition to screening and treatment of premalignant changes. Gynecologic oncologists will continue to play an important role in promoting optimal prevention practices.
Tricyclic antidepressant drug action correlates with its tissue levels in anterior neocortex

In the behavioral reversal of learned helplessness in the rat by imipramine, a strong correlation is found between "cure" of helplessness and drug level in anterior neocortex, the locus of drug action in this model of depression. This suggests that the delayed onset of therapeutic action of antidepressant drugs is due to the time required to achieve adequate drug levels at the site of their action.
Mapping the dayside ionosphere to the magnetosphere according to particle precipitation characteristics

A long standing and vexing problem in magnetospheric physics is mapping the ionosphere to the magnetosphere. To date almost all information on the topic has come from magnetic field mappings. Herein a complementary approach is tried: regions are identified based on the plasma characteristics as observed by low-altitude satellites. Using an automated identification scheme applied to approximately 60,000 individual satellite passes through the dayside oval, probability maps are computed for observing various types of plasma precipitating into the ionosphere. The synthesis of the various individual maps allows the construction of an ionospheric map into the magnetosphere based on plasma characteristics. The results suggest a cusp which is about 2.5 hours in total local time extent; an LLBL which typically extends to about 0900 MLT; and a mantle which reaches to about 0800/1600. Consistent with earlier results, the extension of the nightside region of discrete aurora into the dayside is far more substantial at dusk than at dawn.
Reversible “Irreversible” Inhibition of Chymotrypsin Using Nanoparticle Receptors

Anionically functionalized amphiphilic nanoparticles efficiently inhibit chymotrypsin through electrostatic binding followed by protein denaturation. We demonstrate the ability to disrupt this "irreversible" inhibition of chymotrypsin through modification of the nanoparticle surface using cationic surfactants. Up to 50% of original chymotrypsin activity is rescued upon long-chain surfactant addition. Dynamic light-scattering studies demonstrate that chymotrypsin is released from the nanoparticle surface. The conformation of the rescued chymotrypsin was characterized by fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy, indicating that chymotrypsin regains a high degree of native structure upon surfactant addition.
Synthesis and characterization of high performance, transparent interpenetrating polymer networks with polyurethane and poly(methyl methacrylate)

Transparent, interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) materials were synthesized using polyurethane (PU) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). PMMA contributed to the transparency and rigidity necessary for use in impact-resistant applications, whereas PU contributed to toughness. Several factors affecting the physical properties, such as the ratio of PU to PMMA, curing profile, inclusion of different isocyanates for the PU phase, and use of an inhibitor in the PMMA phase, were investigated. Full-IPNs were synthesized so that the two polymer networks would remain entangled with one another, and domain sizes of each system were reduced, mitigating phase separation. Both simultaneous IPNs, polymerization of monomers occurring at the same time, and sequential IPNs, polymerization of monomers occurring at different temperatures, were synthesized for studying the reaction kinetics and final morphologies. The phase morphology and the final thermal and mechanical properties of the IPNs prepared were evaluated. Findings suggest that samples containing ∼80 wt% PMMA, 1,6-diisocyanatohexane 99+% (DCH), and an inhibitor with the MMA monomer created favorable results in the thermo-mechanical and optical properties. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
The role of multiplier bounds in efficiency analysis with application to Kansas farming

Abstract As long recognized, the problem of efficiency involves both technical and economic facets. Determination of the technically efficient firms provides the base for economic analysis. Values in terms of prices or costs must be introduced into the problem to work towards finding firms which might be regarded as overall efficient. That problem came to the forefront in a 1984 study to find the best site for location of a Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) in the state of Texas. Application of a modern value-free frontier method called Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to the data, which was primarily engineering and geological in character, showed five of the six feasible sites were technically efficient. However, additional socioeconomic/environmental data provided ‘price-cost’ inequality bounds for the mathematical multipliers in the DEA problem. Including those bounds in the analysis, which was called an Assurance Region (AR), reduced the number of efficient sites from five to one. In 1988, the U.S. Department of Energy in national competitionactually selected the site identified by the bounding method for location of the SSC. In this paper, the AR concept is defined for efficiency analysis of the linear production possibility set. As applied here to 83 farms, we use only the special case of AR consisting of separate linear homogeneous restrictions on the input and output multipliers. When applied to the technically efficient farms, the AR principles reduced the number of candidates for overall efficiency from 23 to 8 in one case (Ratio Model) and from 44 to 13 in another case (Convex Model).
Steganography using the minimax eigenvalue decomposition

This paper presents result of applying the minimax eigenvalue decomposition (MED), a morphology type transform, that hides data within digital images as part of a flexible, computationally robust algorithm. This new algorithm presents a general method for hiding information within an image, although the strength of this algorithm lies in authentication. Authentication is the establishment of ownership of digital information, and is a type of watermarking. While no self-authenticating techniques are currently known, the algorithm presented here provides a certain level of self-authentication regardless of the particular information embedded in the data. The algorithm is applied to ten different images acquired over the internet, three of which are included in this document. Information in the form of a binary bit stream is inserted into each image data. A measure is created to determine how close an image containing message data is to its original image. A visual comparison is also performed. Keys, or information separate from the message data that is generated by the embedding techniques, are used to establish authenticity of the image data. This is different from most current steganography techniques that rely on embedded data integrity to establish authenticity. An analysis of the results is presented.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The infrastructure of the mitochondrial matrix

Abstract The concentration of the enzymes in the matrix of rat-liver mitochondria is over 50% by weight and they probably exist and behave as a multienzyme complex rather than as enzymes in solution. Changes in the volume of the matrix causing alterations in the concentration of the enzymes and their substrates and metabolites probably play a role in metabolic control.
Psychiatric manpower productivity of United States medical schools.

Abstract This study reports the number of graduates, number of those entering a first postgraduate year (PGY-Is) in psychiatry, and productivity (PGY-is/graduates) for each of 127 United States medical schools in 1982. Among schools, there were 18 to 299 graduates, 0 to 14 PGY-Is, and 0% to 15.2% productivity. With 16,012 graduates and 645 PGY-Is, psychiatric manpower productivity nationally was 4.0%. Comparisons of high-producing and low-producing schools in 1978 and 1982 showed substantial lack of consistency in productivity over time. The authors discuss the results in reference to the responsibility of Departments of Psychiatry to increase their psychiatric manpower productivity.
Yeast DNA ligase IV mutations reveal a nonhomologous end joining function of BRCT1 distinct from XRCC4/Lif1 binding

LIG4/Dnl4 is the DNA ligase that (re)joins DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) via nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), an activity supported by binding of its tandem BRCT domains to the ligase accessory protein XRCC4/Lif1. We screened a panel of 88 distinct ligase mutants to explore the structure–function relationships of the yeast Dnl4 BRCT domains and inter-BRCT linker in NHEJ. Screen results suggested two distinct classes of BRCT mutations with differential effects on Lif1 interaction as compared to NHEJ completion. Validated constructs confirmed that D800K and GG(868:869)AA mutations, which target the Lif1 binding interface, showed a severely defective Dnl4–Lif1 interaction but a less consistent and often small decrease in NHEJ activity in some assays, as well as nearly normal levels of Dnl4 accumulation at DSBs. In contrast, mutants K742A and KTT(742:744)ATA, which target the β3-α2 region of the first BRCT domain, substantially decreased NHEJ function commensurate with a large defect in Dnl4 recruitment to DSBs, despite a comparatively greater preservation of the Lif1 interaction. Together, these separation-of-function mutants indicate that Dnl4 BRCT1 supports DSB recruitment and NHEJ in a manner distinct from Lif1 binding and reveal a complexity of Dnl4 BRCT domain functions in support of stable DSB association.
Change in Higher Education: Not Enough, or Too Much?

Change is a perennial struggle for campuses. Trustees, presidents, policymakers, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community groups all seek to alter some aspect of colleges and universities. Common wisdom is that higher education faculty, staff, and administrators do not want to change and are slow to innovate. This article examines the challenges of change from a macro perspective, using insights from studies of change and leadership, and the perspective of change agents, to provide a new hypothesis of why change is difficult: the presence of too many simultaneous and competing change initiatives, not the unwillingness of campus constituents to engage in change, prevent progress. Concentrated institutional action is impeded by too many stakeholders interested in different types of change, a lack of synergy among change initiatives, an inability to create priorities, leadership turnover, a pressure for leaders to innovate rather than implement, and the movement away from core institutional purposes i...
An examination of the site and mechanism of action of torasemide in man.

Acute clearance studies were performed in normal subjects to determine the site and mechanism of action of torasemide (isopropyl-1-methyl-3 phenylamino-4 pyridil-3 sul-phonyl-3-urea), a new diuretic agent, in the human kidney. The drug caused no change in glomerular filtration rate or effective renal plasma flow. Sodium excretion rose to 16% of filtered load, whereas there was a chloriuresis of 23%. During maximal water diuresis, the drug caused an increase in urine flow rate and a decrease in solute-free water clearance. Administration of the drug during hypertonic saline infusion into hydropenic subjects resulted in a marked decrease in water reabsorption from the collecting duct. Torasemide caused no change in phosphate excretion or in the percentage of filtered bicarbonate excreted, nor was urinary pH or net hydrogen ion excretion affected by the drug. The data suggest that the primary site of action of torasemide is the medullary portion of the ascending limb of the loop of Henle.
Improved overlay control using robust outlier removal methods

Overlay control is one of the most critical areas in advanced semiconductor processing. Maintaining optimal product disposition and control requires high quality data as an input. Outliers can contaminate lot statistics and negatively impact lot disposition and feedback control. Advanced outlier removal methods have been developed to minimize their impact on overlay data processing. Rejection methods in use today are generally based on metrology quality metrics, raw data statistics and/or residual data statistics. Shortcomings of typical methods include the inability to detect multiple outliers as well as the unnecessary rejection of valid data. As the semiconductor industry adopts high-order overlay modeling techniques, outlier rejection becomes more important than for linear modeling. In this paper we discuss the use of robust regression methods in order to more accurately eliminate outliers. We show the results of an extensive simulation study, as well as a case study with data from a semiconductor manufacturer.
No Lone Wolf: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Creating Safe Schools for LGBTQ Youth Through the Development of Allies

Research suggests that bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth is a national problem that requires immediate intervention. The purpose of this article is to (a) discuss the critical need for a multidisciplinary approach to creating safe schools for sexual minority youth utilizing a social justice framework, (b) present an allyhood model to serve as a training framework, and (c) offer an exemplar for schools. By embracing a multidisciplinary approach to address the safety and belonging needs of LGBTQ youth, school psychologists and counselors can become leaders of systems-level change, poised to make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ students.
On measures of the Earth's magnetic and electric activity and correlations with solar activity

When attempting to find correlations between manifestations of the sun's activity and those of the earth's magnetic and electric activity, three points require immediate consideration: (1) What shall be taken as an adequate measure of the sun's activity with respect to such radiations and emanations as are likely to have an effect upon the magnetic and electric fields of the earth? (2) What shall be taken as an adequate measure of the earth's magnetic activity, or of the earth's electric activity? (3) What quantities shall be taken as defining the so-called normal or undisturbed condition of the earth's magnetic field, or of the earth's electric field?
Passive decomposition of multiple mechanical systems under coordination requirements

We propose a general control framework for multiple mechanical systems interacting with environments and/or humans under coordination requirements. The key innovation is the passive decomposition which enables us to achieve the two requirements of such systems simultaneously: motion coordination and energetic passivity of the closed-loop system. It decomposes the system dynamics into shape system addressing the coordination aspect, locked system representing overall dynamics of the coordinated system, and dynamic couplings between the locked and shape systems. The dynamic couplings can be cancelled out without violating passivity. Thus, the coordination aspect (shape system) and the dynamics of the coordinated system (locked system) can be decoupled from each other while enforcing passivity. Also, by designing the locked and shape controls to enforce passivity of their respective systems, passivity of the closed-loop system is guaranteed. We analyze and exhibit geometry of the passive decomposition and the locked and shape systems.
Risk modifiers for concussion and prolonged recovery.

CONTEXT: Currently, no consensus exists for grading the severity of concussions. Identification of risk factors that may affect concussion risk and the likelihood of prolonged recovery can be of value to providers who manage concussion. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Relevant studies were identified through MEDLINE (1996-2011) using the keywords concussion, postconcussive syndrome, and risk or risk factor. Targeted searches for specific risk factors were conducted with additional keywords, such as gender and migraine. Manual review of reference lists was also performed to identify pertinent literature. RESULTS: For risk factors of concussion, history of prior concussion and female sex have the most supporting evidence. Sports with consistently high risk for sustaining a concussion include football, men's ice hockey, and women's soccer. Younger athletes appear to be more susceptible to concussion, but data are limited and inconsistent. Protective equipment does not definitively alter concussion risk, though it protects against other injuries. Symptoms such as long headaches, migraines, amnesia, and multiple symptoms appear to be associated with prolonged recovery. Younger age may also increase the risk of prolonged concussion. CONCLUSION: High-quality evidence for risk modifiers in concussion remains sparse. Prior concussion, collision sports, female sex, and women's soccer are the strongest known risk factors. Evidence for most other factors is inconclusive. Language: en
In vivo biosynthesis of L-[35S]Cys-arginine vasopressin, -oxytocin, and -somatostatin: rapid estimation using reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography.

L-[35S]Cys-arginine vasopressin, -oxytocin, and -somatostatin were purified from hypothalami and neurohypophyses 4 h after rats received L-[35S]Cys via the third ventricle. After acetic acid extraction, Sephadex G-25 filtration, and chemoadsorption to C18-silica (Sep-Pak cartridges), the labeled peptides were rapidly separated by gradient elution, reversed phase, high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The identity and isotopic purity of the labeled peptides were determined by several reversed phase HPLC procedures in conjunction with chemical modification. The labeled peptide fractions were at least 50% radiochemically pure. Using this HPLC isolation procedure, incorporation of L-[35S]Cys into each peptide was determined in hydrated and dehydrated rats. Label incorporation into arginine vasopressin and oxytocin in the hypothalamus and the neurohypophysis of dehydrated rats was 2–3 times greater than that in hydrated rats. Incorporation of label into hypothalamic and neurohypophyseal somatostatin was ...
Properties of Acidic Whey Protein Gels Containing Emulsified Butterfat

Changes in physical properties of whey protein gels following addition of emulsified fat were investigated. Gels were made by heating mixtures of dialyzed whey protein isolate at pH 4.60 with and without emulsified fat droplets. Addition of emulsified fat improved the gel-like qualities of these systems. Gel strength progressively increased upon addition of emulsified fat up to 30.00% by weight. Mean droplet size 1.85 km produced the greatest reinforcement of gel strength. Gels made with intermediate concentrations of protein were most sensitive to the effect. The elastic moduli and viscosities of whey protein gels at pH 4.60 increased with fat content, whereas syneresis decreased upon addition of fat.
Entanglement-based communications

Abstract Based upon quantum entanglement, a simple algorithm for the instantaneous transmission of messages (chosen at random) to remote distances is proposed. A special class of situations when such transmissions are useful is outlined.
Differential binding of thyroxine and triiodothyronine to acidic isoforms of thyroid hormone binding globulin in human serum

The differential availability of thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) to liver from the circulating thyroid hormone binding globulin (TBG)-bound pool suggests that the two thyroid hormones may bind to different TBG isoforms in human serum. In the present study, the binding of [125I]T4 and [125I]T3 to human serum proteins was investigated by using slab gel isoelectric focusing and chromatofocusing. In normal human male serum, [125I]T4 was localized to four isoforms of TBG called TBG-I, -II, -III, and -IV, with isoelectric points (pI's) of 4.30, 4.35, 4.45, and 4.55, respectively. [125I]T3 was localized to only two isoforms of TBG, TBG-III and -IV, with pI's that were identical with those for [125I]T4. In normal female serum, [125I]T4 was localized to the same four isoforms of TBG as those of normal male serum, while [125I]T3 was localized to TBG-II, -III, -IV, and -V (pI = 4.65). In pregnant female serum, [125I]T4 was localized to five isoforms, whereas [125I]T3 was localized to four. IEF was also performed with male serum loaded with various concentrations of unlabeled T3. The Ki values of T3 binding to TBG-I, -II, -III, and -IV were 5.0, 2.4, 0.86, and 0.46 nM, respectively. The TBG isoforms in normal male serum were also separated by sequential concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity chromatography and chromatofocusing (pH range of 3.5-5.0). T4 preferentially bound to the most acidic isoforms of TBG in the pI range of 3.8-4.0, whereas the less acidic fractions (pH 4.0-4.2) bound both T4 and T3. In conclusion, this study shows that T4 and T3 do not bind to a single competitive binding site on TBG. Instead, T4 is preferentially bound by the most acidic TBG isoforms owing to a 10-fold lower affinity of T3 for these proteins.
Time Dependent Solutions to the s, S Inventory Problem

The transient solution for the probability density of the stock level is found for the s, S inventory model. The density is found at the end of each demand period and thus the solution is for discrete time. Results are obtained for general demand where there is zero delay in delivery of orders and where there is a λ-period delay in delivery. Examples are given for exponential demand and for gamma distributed demand.
The Case for Nanogeoscience

In the last 200 years, geoscience has been about the convergence of sciences and technologies, particularly from the fields of chemistry and physics, while adding techniques, observations, and reasoning that seem to be wholly "geologic" in origin and nature. However, more recently, geoscience has also become an actively participating domain of at least three of the four major "NBIC" (nano-bio-info-cogno) enterprises, namely nanoscience and technology, modern molecular biology, and information technologies. This article will emphasize perhaps the least obvious of these connections, the "nano" aspects of the geosciences, and also adds a few aspects of the influence of modern molecular biology. There is no question that these new convergences are beginning to change the way geoscientists think about Earth, with critical applications in many areas of modern environmental science.
Environmental regulation of annual schedules in opportunistically-breeding songbirds: adaptive specializations or variations on a theme of white-crowned sparrow?

Abstract How birds use environmental cues to time breeding, migration and molt has been the subject of intensive study for nearly 90 years. Most work has focused on seasonal breeders; opportunistic breeders have been presumed to differ fundamentally from seasonal taxa in ways that facilitate coping with unpredictable environments. Understanding patterns and mechanisms of opportunists’ responses to environmental cues can reveal the extent to which different environments require specialized adaptations of cue response systems. In this review we will present our perspective on how patterns and mechanisms of environmental cue response of three groups of opportunists—zebra finches, crossbills and Darwin’s finches—compare with seasonal breeders. Long-standing predictions regarding tonic activity of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone system have been confirmed in at least some opportunists. However, opportunists resemble seasonal breeders in some surprising ways, illustrating basic similarity among taxa facing very different timing challenges. For instance, many opportunists completely regress the gonads outside breeding times, rely on initial predictive cues (both photic and non-photic) to regulate timing and rate of reproductive development, and in some cases even appear to display internal changes in responsiveness to environmental cues (i.e., cycles of reproductive refractoriness and sensitivity). Although advantages of unrestricted temporal flexibility are intuitively clear for animals coping with unpredictable habitats, the available data on these opportunists indicate that in all but the most extremely capricious situations the advantages of flexibility may be at least partly outweighed by contrasting advantages of following a reliable temporal schedule.