cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma: clinicopathologic study of 20 cases.

Context.—Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare, high-grade malignancy of bone or soft tissue with a unique, biphasic histology and poor prognosis. Because of its rarity and variable length of disease-free survival, the natural history of the disease remains poorly understood. Objective.—To present clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic features of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma from one of the largest case series collected by a single, senior-level bone pathologist. Design.—Twenty cases were reviewed in consultations spanning 45 years. Results.—Eighteen tumors (90%) originated in bone, and 2 tumors (10%) were of extraskeletal origin. Of the skeletal tumors, locations included craniofacial bones (n = 9; 50%), ribs and chest wall (n = 4; 22%), sacrum and spinal elements (n = 3; 17%), and lower extremities (n = 2; 11%), whereas soft tissue tumors were located about the scapula (n = 1; 50%) and lower extremity (n = 1; 50%). Plain radiographs demonstrated calcified, osteolytic lesions with extraoss...
Four lives: History as biography

(1971). Four lives: History as biography. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 74-90.
Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity of photo-crosslinked maleic chitosan–polyethylene glycol diacrylate hybrid hydrogels

Abstract Synthetic hydrogels are important biomaterials for many biomedical applications and hydrogels produced via photo-gelation have shown particular promise. In this paper, we describe a new family of biodegradable hybrid hydrogels fabricated in aqueous solution via long wavelength UV photo-crosslinking using maleic chitosan and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) as precursors. The maleic chitosan precursor was prepared by a simple one-step chemical modification of chitosan, with high yields, and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. Maleic chitosan and PEGDA precursors at a wide range of weight feed ratios were mixed in aqueous solution and directly photo-crosslinked for 10 min under a long wavelength UV light (365 nm) using 4-(2-hydroxyethoxy) phenyl-(2-hydroxy-2-propyl) ketone (Irgacure 2959) as photoinitiator. It was observed that as the weight feed ratio of maleic chitosan to PEGDA decreased the pore sizes of the hydrogel samples decreased, thereby increasing the densities of the hydrogel networks and producing a lower swelling ratio and a higher compressive modulus. The molecular weight of PEGDA had a similar effect. Preliminary cell cytotoxicity tests of both the maleic chitosan precursor and maleic chitosan/PEGDA hydrogels, based on the MTT assay and live–dead assay, respectively, showed that these new chitosan-based biodegradable biomaterials were relatively non-toxic to bovine aortic endothelial cells at low dosages.
Thermally stable polyester polymers for second‐order nonlinear optics

We report electro‐optic and thermal stability properties of a novel thermostable fluorene‐based polyester polymer. The electro‐optic coefficient, r33, at 810 nm is 2.6 pm/V for a poling field of 0.5 MV/cm. This value is comparable to that obtained from many reported side‐chain polymers. Isothermal decay measurements of the charge transfer absorption band and electro‐optic effect demonstrate that the chemical stability of the fluorene molecule appears to dominate over orientational relaxation in the decline of the electro‐optic response at elevated temperatures.
Practicing what we teach – ethical considerations for business schools

The raging cynicism felt toward businesses and business leaders is a by-product of perceived violations in the social contracts owed to the public. Business schools have a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on present and future business leaders, but ‘practicing what we teach’ is a critical condition precedent. This paper presents frameworks for ethical practices for assessing the social contracts owed by business schools in their role as citizens in the larger community. We identify the ethical implications of business school practices to guide the development of tools for self-assessment and to focus on delivering the implied duties owed to the stakeholders of business schools.
Modeling and enhancement of piezoelectric power extraction from one-dimensional bending waves

Vibration-based energy harvesting has been heavily researched over the last decade to enable self-powered small electronic components for wireless applications in various disciplines ranging from biomedical to civil engineering. The existing research efforts in this interdisciplinary field have mostly focused on the harvesting of deterministic or stochastic vibrational energy available at a fixed position in space. Such an approach is convenient to design and employ linear and nonlinear vibration-based energy harvesters, such as base-excited cantilevers with piezoelectric laminates. However, persistent vibrations at a fixed frequency and spatial point, or standing wave patterns, are rather simplified representations of ambient vibrational energy. As an alternative to energy harvesting from spatially localized vibrations and standing wave patterns, this work presents an investigation into the harvesting of one-dimensional bending waves in infinite beams. The focus is placed on the use of piezoelectric patches bonded to a thin and long beam and employed to transform the incoming wave energy into usable electricity while minimizing the traveling waves reflected and transmitted from the harvester domain. To this end, performance enhancement by wavelength matching, resistiveinductive circuits, and a localized obstacle are explored. Electroelastic model predictions and performance enhancement efforts are validated experimentally for various case studies.
Tape Recorder Speeds Photometry

For anyone who must engage in the tedious measurements of many line deflections with a non-recording microphotometer, saving of time is worth considering. Most photometers require several hand manipulations per reading—location of the line, correction for parallelism, reading traverse, etc.—plus the recording of each item of data. We suggest that the recording step may be efficiently accomplished by speaking into a tape recorder rather than by writing the data down. The hand and eye are thus relieved of one assignment and the reading rate improved.
A SIMPLE APPROACH TO ENHANCE DETECTION IN CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

In spite of the fact that it offers several advantages, capillary electrophoresis (CE) continues to lag behind HPLC in routine use, mainly due to poor sensitivity of detection. In this paper, the sensitivity of detection is greatly improved through the combination of several simple steps: longer (50–100 cm, long), and wider (75–100 μm, i.d.) capillaries to hold extra sample volume and improve both the signal to noise ratio and provide better separation. Simultaneously, the analysis is performed under general stacking methods in order to decrease the band width. In order to utilize the wider capillaries, the separation was also performed with special buffers, which generate low current: zwitterionic, low ionic strength, or with added ethylene glycol. Based on these modifications, compounds such as procaineamide and mycophenolic acid were analyzed with detection limits in par with the HPLC, but with much better plate numbers and at much less operating costs. Furthermore, this approach was extended to the an...
Properties of H. volcanii tRNA Intron Endonuclease Reveal a Relationship between the Archaeal and Eucaryal tRNA Intron Processing Systems

To better understand the relationship between archaeal and eucaryal tRNA introns and their processing systems, we have cloned the gene encoding the tRNA intron endonucleases from the archaeon H. volcanii. The gene encodes a 37 kDa protein that appears to be present as a homodimer under native conditions. Recombinant forms of this protein were expressed in E. coli and found to cleave precursor tRNAs lacking full mature tRNA structure, a property observed for the native endonuclease. Comparative sequence analysis revealed that similar proteins existed in other Archaea and that these proteins have significant similarity with two subunits of the yeast tRNA intron endonuclease. These results provide evidence that the archaeal and eucaryal tRNA intron processing systems are related and suggest a common origin for tRNA introns in these organisms.
Mobile product search with bag of hash bits

The advent of smart phones has provided an excellent plat- form for mobile visual search. Most of previous mobile visual search systems adopt the framework of "bag of words",in which words indicate quantized codes of visual features. In this work, we propose a novel mobile visual search system based on "bag of hash bits". Using new ideas for hash bit selection, multi-hash table generation, and hamming-distance soft scoring, we overcome the problem of bit inefficiency affecting the traditional hashing approaches, and achieve promising accuracy outperforming state of the art. The framework is also general in that general feature type can be used for generating the hash bits. Demos and experiments over a large scale product image set demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Single-molecule observations of surfactant diffusion at the solution-solid interface.

Individual fatty acid molecules adsorbed at the interface between hexadecane and fused silica have been tracked using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Two cooperative diffusive mechanisms are observed: continuous small-scale Brownian motion and occasional large “jumps.” The continuous diffusion exhibits evidence of confinement. The effective interfacial diffusion coefficients for each mechanism increase systematically with temperature; an Arrhenius analysis gives an activation barrier of ∼50 kJ/mol for “jumping” and an upper limit of ∼10 kJ/mol for confined diffusion.
Treatment of invasive Aspergillosis in children with hematologic malignancies.

The respiratory tract is the most common organ involved with Aspergillosis in children with hematologic malignancies. AlsoAspergillus species tend to invade blood vessels resulting in systemic dissemination to multiple organs. Early diagnosis and treatment are pivotal to the patient’s outcome. A high index of suspicion should be maintained in children who have profound neutropenia and present with prolonged fever that is unresponsive to systemic antibiotics. Several diagnostic modalities should be used simultaneously in order to confirm the diagnosis in an expedited manner. Combination and sequential antifungal therapy have been shown to be of added benefit. Surgical intervention is associated with a high mortality rate, but may be indicated in children with a localized disease. In this article the authors review the epidemiology, microbiology, pathology, and clinical manifestations of invasive aspergillosis in children with hematologic malignancies. Current diagnostic approach, medical, and surgical treatment options are discussed.
Ability of Four Emergent Macrophytes to Remediate Permethrin in Mesocosm Experiments

Increased focus is being placed on the ability of native vegetation to mitigate potential harmful effects of agricultural runoff, especially pyrethroid insecticides. Replicate 379 L Rubbermaid tubs (1.25 m (l) 9 0.6 m (w) 9 0.8 m (h)) were planted with individual species of cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides), cattails (Typha latifolia), bur- reed (Sparganium americanum), and powdery alligator-flag (Thalia dealbata), all common wetland macrophytes found in the Mississippi Delta, USA, agricultural region. Per- methrin-enriched water (target concentration, 5 l gL -1 ) was pumped in at a 4-h hydraulic retention time at one end of the tub and discharged at the far end. Water samples were collected from discharge at 1-h intervals for 12 h and analyzed for permethrin concentrations. Permethrin removal rates were compared for the four different plant treatments and nonvegetated sediment-water controls. Results indicated that no particular single plant species was more effective at removing permethrin in water relative to unplanted controls. Overall mass reductions (from inflow to outflow) for cis-permethrin ranged from 67% ± 6% in T. latifolia to 71% ± 2% in L. oryzoides. The trans-per- methrin overall mass reductions ranged from 76% ± 4% in S. americanum to 82% ± 2% in the unplanted control. Sediment and plant samples collected at the study con- clusion indicated that 77%-95% of measured permethrin mass was associated with sediment for mesocosms planted with L. oryzoides, T. latifolia, and T. dealbata. Conversely, mesocosms planted with S. americanum had 83% of measured mass associated with the plant material. Specific plant-pesticide retention studies can lead to improved planning for best management practices and remediation techniques such as constructed wetlands and vegetated agricultural drainage ditches.
No Place of Their Own: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of the research reported here was to explore with mothers and children the experience of having no place of their own. The researcher used Parse's theory of human becoming as a framework in this exploratory descriptive study. For the participants in this study the experience of living without a place of their own is: a sense of gratitude for protection, mingling with the discomfort of restriction and exposure, giving rise to fears and reassurances as detachment from cherished others surfaces discordance with unfamiliar patterns, while novel engagements bring pleasure as insights and struggles surface new possibles as well as disillusionment. Suggestions for theory expansion and further research are discussed.
Swelling-induced microchannel formation in nonlinear elasticity

We study the effect of swelling on the axisymmetric deformation of a circular cylinder. A continuum description of swelling is established on the basis of a specific generalization of nonlinear elasticity for incompressible materials. This theory is used to analyse microchannel formation and channel growth. We show that certain kinds of material constitutive laws in conjunction with certain types of variable swelling fields are capable of inducing this formation and growth process without the aid of an externally applied traction. The solutions are presented as a bifurcation from the standard solution that involves no channel formation. The channel formation solution is found to be energetically preferable to the standard solution.
Network Science and the Effects of Music Preference on Functional Brain Connectivity: From Beethoven to Eminem

Most people choose to listen to music that they prefer or ‘like’ such as classical, country or rock. Previous research has focused on how different characteristics of music (i.e., classical versus country) affect the brain. Yet, when listening to preferred music—regardless of the type—people report they often experience personal thoughts and memories. To date, understanding how this occurs in the brain has remained elusive. Using network science methods, we evaluated differences in functional brain connectivity when individuals listened to complete songs. We show that a circuit important for internally-focused thoughts, known as the default mode network, was most connected when listening to preferred music. We also show that listening to a favorite song alters the connectivity between auditory brain areas and the hippocampus, a region responsible for memory and social emotion consolidation. Given that musical preferences are uniquely individualized phenomena and that music can vary in acoustic complexity and the presence or absence of lyrics, the consistency of our results was unexpected. These findings may explain why comparable emotional and mental states can be experienced by people listening to music that differs as widely as Beethoven and Eminem. The neurobiological and neurorehabilitation implications of these results are discussed.
The Molecular Basis for Histone H4- and H2A-Specific Amino-Terminal Acetylation by NatD

Summary N-terminal acetylation is among the most common protein modifications in eukaryotes and is mediated by evolutionarily conserved N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs). NatD is among the most selective NATs; its only known substrates are histones H4 and H2A, containing the N-terminal sequence SGRGK in humans. Here we characterize the molecular basis for substrate-specific acetylation by NatD by reporting its crystal structure bound to cognate substrates and performing related biochemical studies. A novel N-terminal segment wraps around the catalytic core domain to make stabilizing interactions, and the α1-α2 and β6-β7 loops adopt novel conformations to properly orient the histone N termini in the binding site. Ser1 and Arg3 of the histone make extensive contacts to highly conserved NatD residues in the substrate binding pocket, and flanking glycine residues also appear to contribute to substrate-specific binding by NatD, together defining a Ser-Gly-Arg-Gly recognition sequence. These studies have implications for understanding substrate-specific acetylation by NAT enzymes.
Sublimation growth of nonpolar AlN single crystals and defect characterization

Sublimation growth of nonpolar AlN single crystals was investigated. The crystals were prepared in two methods: By slicing along the m -plane from c -plane-grown thick crystals, and by heteroepitaxial growth on m -plane SiC substrates. Defects of the crystals were observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope. Dislocation density in AlN/SiC (0001) decreased significantly at about 1.5 μm above the interface, while stacking faults initiated from the interface toward the growth surface in AlN/SiC (1–100). With increasing crystal thickness, the dislocation density decreases up to 5 × 104/cm2 at the thickness of 10 mm. In the AlN single crystal grown on SiC (0001), it is noteworthy that the dislocations are localized around the AlN/SiC interface and that far fewer dislocations occur near the growth surface. High-crystallinity AlN thick single crystals could be grown on SiC (0001) substrates. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Amino acid release at the spinomedullary junction after inflammation of the TMJ region in male and female rats.

Abstract Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are painful conditions that are more prevalent in women than men. This study tested the hypothesis that acute inflammation of the TMJ region evoked sex-related changes in amino acid transmitter concentrations at the trigeminal subnucleus/upper cervical cord (Vc/C 2 ) junction, the major terminal zone for TMJ sensory afferents. Microdialysis samples were collected in male, intact and ovariectomized (OvX) female rats after injection of mustard oil into the TMJ region (TMJ-MO) under barbiturate anesthesia. Males displayed increases in glutamate, aspartate and serine at 5 min and secondary increases 40–45 min after TMJ-MO. Intact and OvX females given low dose estrogen (LE2) displayed increases in glutamate, aspartate and serine at 5 min but no secondary increase at 40 min, while OvX females given high dose estrogen (HE2) revealed no increases after TMJ-MO. Glycine increased 20 min after TMJ-MO in males and cycling females, but not in OvX rats. Perfusion of high potassium through the probe evoked similar increases in glutamate, aspartate and glycine in all groups. In separate experiments, perfusion of the glutamate–aspartate reuptake inhibitor, l -trans-2,4-pyrrolidine dicarboxylate (PDC), through the probe caused a prompt elevation in glutamate that was significantly greater in HE2 than LE2 females or males. These results suggested sex hormone status affects glutamatergic neurotransmission at the Vc/C 2 junction by acting, in part, through modulation of glutamate reuptake. Altered amino acid transmitter release and/or availability at the Vc/C 2 junction may contribute to differential processing of sensory input from the TMJ region in males and females.
Why Decisions Fail: Avoiding the Blunders and Traps That Lead to Debacles

- Tells the stories behind the stories of such famous debacles as EuroDisney, Barings Bank, Ford Pinto, the Waco siege, and the Challenger tragedy - Shows how to avoid the most common blunders and traps that lead to disaster - Offers lessons about what works, what doesn't, and why from a twenty-year study of 400 decisions - Speaks to managers by dealing with decisions that they must confront on a daily basis Based on the his analysis of 400 strategic decisions made by top managers in areas such as products and services, pricing and markets, personnel policy, technology acquisition, and strategic reorganization, Nutt estimates that two-thirds of all decisions are based on failure-prone or questionable tactics. He uses the fifteen monumental decision-making disasters to illustrate the potential consequences of these common tactical errors and traps and then details successful alternative decision-making approaches. Why Decisions Fail translates decades of award-winning research into practical terms that managers can use to improve their own decision-making practices.
Hierarchical graphene nanoribbon assemblies feature unique electronic and mechanical properties.

Graphene nanoribbons present intriguing electronic properties due to their characteristic size and edge shape, and have been suggested for a wide range of applications from electronics to electromechanical systems. To bridge the scales from their nanostructural geometry—the key for their unique properties—to the requirements critical for large-scale electronics and device applications, here we propose a de novo hierarchical material assembled from functionalized graphene nanoribbons stabilized through hydrogen bonds, mimicking the structure of beta-sheet proteins. By investigating their mechanical and electronic properties through first principles calculations, we demonstrate that hierarchical graphene nanoribbons not only preserve the unique electronic properties of individual graphene nanoribbons in the bulk, but are also energetically and mechanically stable. Specifically, we find that the energy gap of the bulk material shrinks as the width of the constituting graphene nanoribbons increases. The tuning of bulk material properties through controlling the nanostructure enables the synthesis of a broader class of biomimetic multifunctional mechanomutable and electromutable nanomaterials for electromechanical applications.
The feedback control of the vertical Bridgman crystal growth process by crucible rotation: two case studies

In this work, we consider the feedback control of flows within the vertical Bridgman crystal growth process. We investigate the use of crucible rotation, via feedback control algorithms, in suppressing oscillatory flows in two prototypical vertical Bridgman crystal growth configurations—a laminar flow regime driven by a time-oscillatory furnace disturbance and a time-varying regime driven by strong buoyant forces. Proportional, proportional–integral, and input–output linearizing controllers are applied to the vertical Bridgman model to attenuate the flow oscillations. Simulation results show that for the first configuration, crucible rotation is an appropriate actuation method for feedback control. In addition, nonlinear control provides superior performance to P and PI control. For the latter case, crucible rotation is less effective, due to its exacerbating effect on the inherent time-dependent flows within this system. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A short, stereocontrolled, and practical synthesis of alpha-methylomuralide, a potent inhibitor of proteasome function.

An efficient and practical synthesis of α-methylomuralide (3), a selective inhibitor of proteasomes, has been developed as outlined in Scheme 1. Among the advantages of this route of synthesis over previously described approaches are (1) ease of scale-up and (2) high yields (28% overall yield of α-methylomuralide from 6) and stereocontrol (including high enantiocontrol). The synthesis is well suited to the production of 3 in the quantities needed for material-intensive in vivo investigations.
Apparent Metabolizable Energy Needs of Broilers from Two to Four Kilograms as Influenced by Ambient Temperature

Abstract During winter production, the optimum temperature set points for heavy broilers (>3.4 kg) approaching market weight are subject to debate in commercial practice. Apparent ME needed to optimize nutrient utilization may be influenced by ambient temperature. This experiment examined potential interactive effects of AME × ambient temperature from 36 to 60 d of age. A 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used. Dietary treatments were diets formulated to 3,175, 3,220, 3,265, and 3,310 kcal of AME/kg. Two temperature regimens were provided consisting of variable temperature regimen (VTR) or constant temperature regimen (CTR) set points. The VRT was 21.1°C from 36 to 38 d of age, 20.2°C from 39 to 42 d of age, 18.9°C from 43 to 46 d of age, 17.8°C from 47 to 50 d of age, 15.6°C from 51 to 54 d of age, and 12.8°C from 55 to 60 d of age. The CTR was 21.1°C from 36 to 60 d of age. Significant AME × temperature interactions were observed for cumulative BW, BW gain, feed consumption, feed conversion, and mortality. In the CTR, increasing AME led to increased BW gain but not in the VTR. As dietary AME increased, the improvement in feed conversion was more pronounced in the CTR than the VTR. With the VTR, decreasing AME increased feed consumption. The experimental treatments did not influence abdominal fat percentage or total breast meat yield. These data provide evidence that broilers exposed to CTR respond to increased AME.
Variations of the Northern Hemisphere atmospheric energetics: 1948-2000

Abstract Many studies have shown evidence of a major climate change in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The change comprises a reversal of the sea surface temperature anomaly pattern in the North Pacific Ocean, a lowering of the atmospheric geopotential height in the North Pacific, altered frequency and intensity of cyclones/anticyclones and severe storms in the mid-and high latitudes, along with an “abrupt” increase of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) average surface air temperature. What do these changes mean in terms of the nature of the NH atmospheric circulation in the warmer climate? Do they indicate changes of the atmospheric energy cycle and conversion/ exchange between various energy forms in the atmosphere? In which latitude regions are such changes in the energetics most significant? These are some of the questions examined in this study for the period 1948–2000 using the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data. Major results of this study show significant increases of both the NH mean and eddy kinetic energy in ...
Swift J1644+57 gone MAD: the case for dynamically-important magnetic flux threading the black hole in a jetted tidal disruption event

The unusual transient Swift J1644+57 likely resulted from a collimated relativistic jet, powered by the sudden onset of accretion onto a massive black hole (BH) following the tidal disruption (TD) of a star. However, several mysteries cloud the interpretation of this event, including (1) the extreme flaring and ‘plateau’ shape of the X-ray/ -ray light curve during the first t ttrig 10 days after the ray trigger; (2) unexpected rebrightening of the forward shock radio emission at t ttrig months; (3) lack of obvious evidence for jet precession, despite the misalignment typically expected between the angular momentum of the accretion disk and BH; (4) recent abrupt shut-o in the jet X-ray emission at t ttrig 1:5 years. Here we show that all of these seemingly disparate mysteries are naturally resolved by one assumption: the presence of strong magnetic flux threading the BH. Just after the TD event, is dynamically weak relative to the high rate of fall-back accretion ˙ M, such that the accretion
Overexpression of Cytosolic Glutamine Synthetase. Relation to Nitrogen, Light, and Photorespiration

In plants, ammonium released during photorespiration exceeds primary nitrogen assimilation by as much as 10-fold. Analysis of photorespiratory mutants indicates that photorespiratory ammonium released in mitochondria is reassimilated in the chloroplast by a chloroplastic isoenzyme of glutamine synthetase (GS2), the predominant GS isoform in leaves of Solanaceous species including tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). By contrast, cytosolic GS1 is expressed in the vasculature of several species including tobacco. Here, we report the effects on growth and photorespiration of overexpressing a cytosolic GS1 isoenzyme in leaf mesophyll cells of tobacco. The plants, which ectopically overexpress cytosolic GS1 in leaves, display a light-dependent improved growth phenotype under nitrogen-limiting and nitrogen-non-limiting conditions. Improved growth was evidenced by increases in fresh weight, dry weight, and leaf soluble protein. Because the improved growth phenotype was dependent on light, this suggested that the ectopic expression of cytosolic GS1 in leaves may act via photosynthetic/photorespiratory process. The ectopic overexpression of cytosolic GS1 in tobacco leaves resulted in a 6- to 7-fold decrease in levels of free ammonium in leaves. Thus, the overexpression of cytosolic GS1 in leaf mesophyll cells seems to provide an alternate route to chloroplastic GS2 for the assimilation of photorespiratory ammonium. The cytosolic GS1 transgenic plants also exhibit an increase in the CO2 photorespiratory burst and an increase in levels of photorespiratory intermediates, suggesting changes in photorespiration. Because the GS1 transgenic plants have an unaltered CO2 compensation point, this may reflect an accompanying increase in photosynthetic capacity. Together, these results provide new insights into the possible mechanisms responsible for the improved growth phenotype of cytosolic GS1 overexpressing plants. Our studies provide further support for the notion that the ectopic overexpression of genes for cytosolic GS1 can potentially be used to affect increases in nitrogen use efficiency in transgenic crop plants.
Cytotoxicity and variant cellular internalization behavior of water-soluble sulfonated nanographene sheets in liver cancer cells

Highly exfoliated sulfonated graphene sheets (SGSs), an alternative to graphene oxide and graphene derivatives, were synthesized, characterized, and applied to liver cancer cells in vitro. Cytotoxicity profiles were obtained using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, WST-1[2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, and lactate dehydrogenase release colorimetric assays. These particles were found to be non-toxic across the concentration range of 0.1 to 10 μg/ml. Internalization of SGSs was also studied by means of optical and electron microscopy. Although not conclusive, high-resolution transmission and scanning electron microscopy revealed variant internalization behaviors where some of the SGS became folded and compartmentalized into tight bundles within cellular organelles. The ability for liver cancer cells to internalize, fold, and compartmentalize graphene structures is a phenomenon not previously documented for graphene cell biology and should be further investigated.
Evidence for facultative heterotrophy in cultured zooxanthellae

The locus of symbiotic dinoflagellates within host cells provides a habitat which could potentially be exploited by the alga through heterotrophic uptake of host-derived organic substrates. Using zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium sp.) isolated from the tropical sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella collected from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, the effect of various potential organic substrates on growth in vitro was assessed in Erdschreiber seawater medium (ES) supplemented with organic compounds. Zooxanthellae maintained at 5 to 7 μE m-2 s-1 (below compensation irradiance) grew heterotrophically when supplied with 100 μM glycerol, glycolate, acetate, malate, or propionate, and grew in darkness on 100 μM propionate. Zooxanthellae exposed to irradiance below compensation were able to utilize carbon sources in the unsupplemented ES medium for slow growth, but generally the growth rate of cultured zooxanthellae was a function of incubation irradiance. Zooxanthellae incubated for 10 wk in unsupplemented ES at 5 to 7 μE m-2 s-1 were capable of growth at this low irradiance, but were also capable of net photosynthetic oxygen production at higher irradiances. This suggests that zooxanthellae can be photoautotrophic or facultatively heterotrophic. An estimate for the duration of mitosis (td) is made on the basis of growth rate of cultured zooxanthellae in log-phase; this estimate of td=4.88 h is less than half the estimated td for zooxanthellae in situ.
LDV measurements and analysis of gas and particulate phase velocity profiles in a vertical jet plume in a 2D bubbling fluidized bed

A laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) technique has been developed to simultaneously measure the gas and particulate phase velocities in a high-speed jet plume in a 2D bubbling fluidized bed. The laser, optics, and signal processing filters were configured to eliminate problematic laser-beam intensity fluctuations, which can contaminate Doppler signals in optically dense flows. In order to avoid damaging the optical access windows, the high-speed gas jet was seeded with small ice crystals. LDV bursts from the bed particles and gas tracer ice crystals were simultaneously recorded. The Doppler signals from the tracer crystals and bed particles were differentiated based on their burst intensity and coincidence to yield the particulate and gas phase velocities at a given location within the jet plume. Example gas and particulate phase velocity profiles and the associated measurement uncertainties are presented.
Intracellular recordings during VF: role of ion channels from experiments and computer models

The authors have developed a method incorporating an isolated rabbit heart and a floating microelectrode which allows not only intracellular recordings during normal sinus rhythm (NSR) and ventricular fibrillation (VF), but also permits control over extracellular ion concentrations and the concentrations of drugs delivered to the heart. Using this method, they analyzed the maximum depolarization velocity during NSR, VF, and VF while perfusing with tetrodotoxin (VF/TTX). These results are compared with those obtained from a one-dimensional (1-D) propagation model of ventricular cells undergoing premature re-excitation and reduced sodium conductance. To better simulate reentrant activation analogous to VF, a 2-D model of coupled network of cells was constructed. The activity of sodium channels was inferred by analyzing the action potentials and sodium channel conductances generated by the 2-D model. >
AGE AND UNDERSTANDING SPEAKERS WITH SPANISH OR TAIWANESE ACCENTS

This pilot study concerned the intelligibility of accented speech for listeners of different ages. 72 native speakers of English, representing three age groups (20-39, 40-59, 60 and older) listened to words and sentences produced by native speakers of English, Taiwanese, and Spanish. Listeners transcribed words and sentences. Listeners also rated speakers' comprehensibility, i.e., listeners' perceptions of difficulty in understanding utterances, and accentedness, i.e., how strong a speaker's foreign accent is perceived to be. On intelligibility measures, older adults had significantly greater difficulty in understanding individuals with accented speech than the other two age groups. Listeners, regardless of age, were more likely to provide correct responses if they perceived the speaker easier to understand. Ratings of comprehensibility were highly correlated with ratings of accentedness.
Structural ultrafast dynamics of macromolecules: diffraction of free DNA and effect of hydration

Of special interest in molecular biology is the study of structural and conformational changes which are free of the additional effects of the environment. In the present contribution, we report on the ultrafast unfolding dynamics of a large DNA macromolecular ensemble in vacuo for a number of temperature jumps, and make a comparison with the unfolding dynamics of the DNA in aqueous solution. A number of coarse-graining approaches, such as kinetic intermediate structure (KIS) model and ensemble-averaged radial distribution functions, are used to account for the transitional dynamics of the DNA without sacrificing the structural resolution. The studied ensembles of DNA macromolecules were generated using distributed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and the ensemble convergence was ensured by monitoring the ensemble-averaged radial distribution functions and KIS unfolding trajectories. Because the order–disorder transition in free DNA implies unzipping, coiling, and strand-separation processes which occur consecutively or competitively depending on the initial and final temperature of the ensemble, DNA order–disorder transition in vacuo cannot be described as a two-state (un)folding process.
Financial and Labor Market Determinants of Mortgage Delinquency Rates: McLean County, IL, 1985-2011

It is generally understood that the 20072009 recession in the United States had its roots in the real estate market. To quote Schiller (2008): “a speculative bubble in the housing market (...) has now caused ruptures among many other countries in the form of financial failures and a global credit crunch” (p. 1). There is a growing body of literature on the economic impact of the bursting of this “speculative bubble”. Efforts have been directed at examining how financial institutions have been impacted and at considering different efforts to re-regulate this industry. As the economic recovery from this particular recession has been slower than after previous contractions, particularly in terms of job creation, research efforts have also focused on labor markets. In this paper, we examine the interplay between financial and labor market factors and the real estate market at the local level. We study McLean County, Illinois, since this county, while being the largest in the state in terms of square mileage, has a median income level and a home ownership rate comparable to those of Cook County –where the City of Chicago is located. This article is available in The Park Place Economist: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol20/iss1/14 The Park Place Economist, Volume XX 53 FINANCIAL AND LABOR MARKET DETERMINANTS OF MORTGAGE DELINQUENCY RATES: MCLEAN COUNTY, IL, 1985-2011
Colorimetric Determination of Atropine, Homatropine, Scopolamine, and Their Derivatives by the Ferric Hydroxamate Method

The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for the quantitative analysis of the salts of the solanaceous alkaloids in the presence of their hydrolysis products. The salts taken were atropine sulfate, homatropine hydrobromide, homatropine methyl-bromide, scopolamine hydrobromide, and scopolamine methyl-bromide. The ferric hydroxamate procedure was used. The conditions necessary for a reproducible reaction were established; a procedure of sufficient sensitivity was developed which will allow unit dose analysis; and an analysis was developed which will permit the salts of the solanaceous alkaloids to be quantitatively analyzed in the presence of their degradation products.
Oxybis(dimesitylborane) dichloro­methane hemisolvate

The title compound, C36H44B2O·0.5CH2Cl2, contains an almost linear O—B—O linkage [177.23 (15)°] and approximately orthogonal [interplanar angles 89.49 (5) and 80.77 (4)°] trigonal planar B centers, consistent with the previously reported non-solvated structure [Cardinet al. (1983). J. Chem. Res. (S), p. 93]. Inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­actions exist between mesityl groups, with a C—H⋯centroid separation of 3.6535 (18) A. The dichloromethane mol­ecules lie on twofold rotation axes.
Development and initial psychometric examination of the Home Safety and Beautification Assessment in mothers referred to treatment by child welfare agents

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children, with approximately 45% of injuries occurring in and around the home. Rates of home injury are particularly high in the homes of caregivers who are referred for intervention services by child welfare agents. However, there are few validated methods of home safety assessment available. The Home Safety and Beautification Assessment (HSBA) was developed to assist intervention planning specific to home safety and appearance in a sample of 77 mothers who were referred to treatment by Child Welfare Services. Exploratory factor analysis of HSBA items indicated that safety and appearance factors emerged across rooms in the home, and internal consistencies were good. For each room, the sums of assessors' safety and appearance intervention priority item scores were correlated with the assessors' global safety and appearance ratings of the entire home, respectively. The participants' overall room attractiveness scores were correlated with the assessors' overall room appearance intervention priority scores, whereas the participants' ratings of overall room safety were not correlated with the assessors' overall room safety intervention priority scores. Participants' scores on the Abuse subscale of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, personal income, and education level were not associated with the assessors' home safety and appearance intervention priority ratings, suggesting the HSBA is assessing constructs that are distinct from child abuse potential and socioeconomic status. The results support the HSBA in a sample referred to treatment by child welfare agents. (PsycINFO Database Record
Immunodeficiency associated with ethanol abuse.

Many study findings have suggested that ethanol (ETOH) abuse results in changes in the immune system. Susceptibility to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, opportunistic infections, tumors, and autoimmune diseases are believed to be sequelae of these changes (1,2).
Social Ties as Predictors of Economic Development

A social network is not only a system of connections or relationships, but pathways along which ideas from various communities may flow. Here we show that the economic development of U.S. states may be predicted by using quantitative measures of their social tie network structure derived from location-based social media. We find that long ties, defined here as ties between people in different states, are strongly correlated with economic development in the US states from 2009---2012 in terms of GDP, patents, and number of startups. In contrast, within-state ties are much less predictive of economic development. Our results suggest that such long ties support innovation by enabling more effective idea flow.
Population Dynamics of the Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Its Larval Parasites on Whorl Stage Corn in Pheromone-permeated Field Environments

Two fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), pheromonecomponents were examined to determine their effect upon the population dynamics of this pest and its larval parasites in south Florida. (Z)-9-Dodecen-1-ol acetate (Z9DDA) and (Z)-9-tetradecen-1-ol (Z9TDA) were evaporated in different 1.1-ha blocks of field corn in 1982 during spring and summer. Neither Z9DDA nor Z9TDA had any significant effect on the level of FAW parasitization by the two principal parasite species, Chelonus insularis Cresson (82.1%)and Temelucha difficilis Dasch. (9.7%). The percentage of FAW larvae parasitized in each of the first four instars was positively correlated with the percentage of available larvae in a given instar within the total population. The sex ratio for C. insularis shifted from ca. 1:1 (female:male) during the spring to ca. 1:4 during the summer months, but the reduced proportion of females during summer did not lower parasitization levels by C. insularis.
The Application of ß“-Alumina As A Solid State Laser Host

Ion exchanged s“-aluminas display a number of interesting optical properties which suggest that the material is well suited for application as a solid state laser host. Small platelets of Nd3+ Ion exchanged β“-alumina exhibit laser action with gain coefficients many times greater than YAG. The versatility of the ion exchange process enables one to form a wide variety of compounds with different active ions and concentrations, thereby allowing the study of many different effects within a single host crystal.
Reporting of Reactivity for Heterogeneous Photocatalysis

The absence of standardization in both the measurement and the reporting of heterogeneous photocatalysis reactivity data has prevented quantitative comparisons between different photocatalysts and advances in fundamental understanding of the photocatalysis reaction, respectively. The call for adoption of a standard photocatalysis measurement procedure, to prevent masking of the photocatalysis reactivity by saturation of light absorption or mass transfer effects, was recently proposed to allow ranking of different photocatalysts for their performance and comparison of reactivity reported from different laboratories. 1,2 Adoption of the standardized measurement protocols by photocatalysis researchers is indeed critical for advancing the heterogeneous photocatalysis field. Standardized reactivity measurement, however, still does not address fundamental aspects of the photocatalysis process (e.g., structure−activity relationships), which would require normalizing the reactivity per number of surface photocatalytic active sites as is practiced for heterogeneous catalysis. 1 Most heterogeneous photocatalysis publications report the photocatalyst performance as mass normalized Turnover Rate (TORm: moles converted or produced per gram of photocatalyst per unit of time), as a consequence of the ease of determining the number of product moles formed, most commonly by chromatography, and simply weighing the mass of the employed photocatalyst. This viewpoint (i) examines the pros and cons of various methods in reporting photocatalysis reactivity (TORm, TORs (molecules converted or produced per m 2 of photocatalyst per unit time), and TOF (moles converted or produced per photoactive surface site of photocatalyst per unit time)), (ii) shows how TOF can be determined for heterogeneous photocatalysts from surface characterization methods that provide the number of photoactive surface sites per gram (Ns) of photocatalysts, and (iii) demonstrates how fundamental photocatalytic structure−reactivity relationships can be determined by using the TORs and TOF methodologies
The Determination of Corticoids and Related Steroid Analogs by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

High-performance reverse-phase liquid chromatographic data on 28 corticoids and related steroid analogs, plus methyl and propyl parabens, are presented. Retention values, relative to acetone, are reported for each steroid on Bondapak Phenyl/Corasil, Bondapak C18/Corasil, and micro(micron) Bondapak C18 columns, and methanol/water or acetonitrile/water mobile phases. Ultraviolet detector response data for four of the steroids and calculated efficiencies for the three different reverse-phase columns are given. Chromatograms showing the separations of four steroids plus methyl and propyl parabens obtained on each of the three columns are also presented.
Evaluation of Formation Flight as a Fuel Reduction Strategy Given Realistic Flight Dispatching Constraints

Formation Flight (FF) between two or more transport aircraft offers the potential to save fuel burned by the trailing aircraft due to the upwash effect created by the wake vortices generated from the lead aircraft. The upwash reduces the amount of lift required to be generated by the trailing aircraft and therefore reduces drag due to lift. Studies and experiments have been conducted (Reference 1,2,3) to determine how much drag reduction is possible between two or more aircraft in formation, and also to determine the technical and operational challenges that need to be overcome so that formation flight can be viable. The primary emphasis up to this point has been tactical considerations, identifying the trajectory related issues with two aircraft cruising together in formation spaced 1,000 to 5,000 feet apart, (Picture 1) and maintaining adequate separation while the trailing aircraft stays in the correct location within the lead aircraft‟s vortices.