cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A fluorescent turn-on probe for cyanide anion detection based on an AIE active cobalt(II) complex

A new tetradentate polypyridine ligand that displays aggregation induced emission (AIE) characteristics has been synthesized. A coordination complex with CoCl2 has been prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The Co(II) complex retains the AIE activity of the ligand in aqueous solution while also exhibiting a selective turn-on fluorescence response in the presence of cyanide anion. A complex : CN− binding stoichiometry of 1 : 2 was indicated via Job plot analysis and the limit of detection for CN− was determined to be 0.59 μM. The fluorescence response is attributed to coordination of CN− by the AIE active Co(II) complex, resulting in decreased solubility in aqueous medium and concomitant generation of larger nanoaggregates as revealed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. The sensitivity and selectivity displayed by this sensor for CN− over other anions renders it a candidate probe for CN− detection in aqueous environments.
Initiation, continuation of use and cessation of alternative tobacco products among young adults: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION Diverse non-cigarette alternative tobacco products are increasingly popular in the United States. This study investigates the reasons why young adults initiate and continue the use of these products, as well as potential motivations and approaches for quitting. Products assessed include cigarettes, little cigars/cigarillos (LCCs), smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, and hookahs. METHODS We conducted 60 telephone interviews, of 30-minute duration, with tobacco users enrolled in colleges in Georgia. Qualitative analysis was used to identify themes emerging from the data. RESULTS Reasons for initiation, continued use, and (potential) cessation showed similarities and differences across products. Most commonly cited reasons for initiation included: peer influence (all products), flavors/tastes (all products except cigarettes), and easy environmental access and/or low costs (LCCs, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes). Participants discussed several influences on continued use, such as peer influence (cigarettes, LCCs, and hookahs), stress management (all products except hookahs), and use with other substances (cigarettes, LCCs, and hookahs). Primary motivations for cessation mentioned by participants were family responsibilities (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and hookahs) and health concerns (all products except e-cigarettes). Frequently used cessation strategies included avoidance of other tobacco users (cigarettes, LCCs, and hookahs) and a reduction of nicotine intake (cigarettes and e-cigarettes). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that researchers should consider the differences in reasons for use and discontinued use of tobacco products in order to develop targeted messaging strategies, particularly noting the differential impact of interpersonal influences and health concerns. We also point to a need for regulatory action that limits diversification and accessibility of different products.
A systematic review of features identification and extraction for behavioral biometrie authentication in touchscreen mobile devices

Today, mobile devices are being widely used in personal and professional life. By increasing the popularity of touchscreen platform as an input method in mobiles phones, touch gesture behaviour is becoming more significantly important in interaction with the phone. Due to increasing demand for safer access in touchscreen mobile phones, old strategies like pins, tokens, or passwords have failed to stay abreast of the challenges. By utilizing touch gesture behaviour biometric techniques, the authentication mechanism will improve and would make it more difficult for a shoulder surfer to replay the password, even if he observes the entire gesture. The purpose of this research is to conduct a systematic literature review SLR for the current state-of-the-art in the field of touch features gesture. The results of this research identified thirteen touch features followed by the previous studies (PSs) to authenticate users. However, based on the schemes followed by the previous studies (PSs) there was not any scheme that extract and use all touch features for mobile user authentication. There are number of areas of future work that could be carried out to advance upon this research and within the area of authentication on mobile devices. Each of the pervious study (PS) extracted only one or more features. The maximum number of features used in S14 year 2014 and S15 year 2015 were seven features. Extracting thirteen touch features and use them for the authentication will be one contribution in future work.
Childhood Place Attachments

There is a long history of cultural assumptions regarding children’s special affinity or bond for certain places, much of it antedating modern psychology. Within psychology, the subject is more ambiguous. The term attachment evokes a long history of theory and research that has measured the degree to which young children seek to keep a primary caretaker in sight and hearing, showing distress at separation and joy at reunion not merely for the sake of the satisfaction of physical needs but for the value of her presence (Maccoby & Masters, 1970; Sears, 1972). Much of this work has been inspired by the psychoanalytic theory of object relations. A naive reader might suppose that this literature explores people’s relations with objects—with things—which must involve things in their places; but a reader schooled in psychological jargon knows that in this case “object” almost invariably means “mother.” Yet the confusion is not merely naive, as object relations theorists have usually assumed that a child’s feelings for places and things develop as an extension of its relations with its mother. As a result, it has not been clear whether place attachments should be considered merely secondary effects of social attachments, or whether they have an independent existence.
Abstract WP107: Estrogen Deficiency Induces Microbiota Dysbiosis Impacting Stroke Outcome in Female Rats

Introduction: Stroke is more prevalent in older population, and among this demographic, older women are at a higher risk for stroke, with worse outcomes and poorer recovery. Recent advances have suggested that intestinal bacteria affect stroke outcome and cardiovascular events. Emerging evidence suggests that interactions between gut microbiota and estrogens are critical in maintaining homeostasis in healthy premenopausal individuals. However, the mechanistic link between estrogen deficiency and gut microbiome among acute brain disorders has not been well established. Methods: Fecal samples from adult (cyclic, 5 months old) and middle-aged (acyclic, 12 months old) Sprague-Dawley female rats at pre (0d) and post (5d) middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were analyzed by Illumina-sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Animals were tested for infarct volume and sensory motor performance pre and/or post stroke. Rats were sacrificed at the early (2d) or late (5d) acute phase after MCAO to collect serum and tissue samples for histological and biochemical analyses. Results: Diversity of the gut microbiome was significantly decreased in estrogen-deficient middle-aged females at 0d (pre stroke) compared to estrogen-sufficient adult animals. Middle-aged rats at 5d post stroke had the most profound alterations in their microbiome, as significant separations were observed on PCoA plots of Unifrac distances. Middle-aged rats presented a larger infarct size as well as a significantly worse sensory motor function at 2d and 5d post MCAO as compared to adult female rats. Middle-aged rats had significantly increased gut leakiness at 5d post stroke compared to adult group. Moreover, the gut microbiome community was significantly altered by reproductive age, as evidenced by the increased members of Bacterroidates ( S24-7 and Parabacteroides ); and decreased members of the genus Akkermansia ; and decrease members of the genus Bacillus in middle-aged female rats, suggesting a role for these bacteria in estrogen deficiency and stroke severity. Conclusions: These data provide the first evidence that reproductive age induces microbiome dysbiosis and gut leakiness in middle-aged female rats and underscores the link between microbiota and stroke outcome and severity.
Implications of an Institutional View of Education for the Study of Educational Effects

One can see modern education as a nationwide or worldwide system of organized interaction, structuring the experience and learning of students around the world in regularized ways. The image is that of a standardized processing system. The students being processed, in such a line of thought, are more complex than those of material processing systems but still can be treated as objects of analysis. They vary more in their tractability and in their susceptibility to the treatments of the system. More complex, they vary in their motivation to participate as objects of education. Further, they have their own laws of endogenous development, and therefore appropriate treatment may vary over time. Finally, they vary in various matters of culture or perception and in this may relate reflexively to the system that processes them—they may react, for instance, to such expectations as the thought that the degree they get may have value.
Role of Nutraceuticals on Nrf2 and Its Implication in Cancer Prevention

“Nutraceuticals” have recently become a hot topic for the commercial world and the biomedical community. It is postulated that nutraceuticals are relatively non-toxic food supplements with many health benefits including prevention of cancer. Many nutraceuticals are antioxidants by nature; isothiocyanates and polyphenols have been extensively researched in many laboratories including ours. This chapter will cover nutraceuticals from the mechanistic perspectives, and how they would interact with Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), which is the master regulator of the antioxidant response to counteract oxidative stress. Nrf2 deficient (knockout; KO) mice lack response to some nutraceutical cancer chemopreventive agents suggesting the important role of Nrf2 in cancer prevention. Nrf2 is also shown to have protective function against inflammation, a pathological process that is implicated in many diseases including carcinogenesis. Scientific evidence on the role of nutraceuticals on Nrf2 in anti-oxidative stress coupled with anti-inflammatory will also be discussed in this chapter.
Regulation of Gene Expression in Adipose Cells by Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

In fat cells polyunsaturated fatty acids are both substrates for, and products of, triacylglycerol metabolism. Dietary fatty acids are efficiently incorporated into the triacylglycerol droplet under lipogenic conditions while rapidly mobilizing them during lipolytic stimulation. Hence, the flux and magnitude of the fatty acid pool in adipocytes is constantly changing in response to hormonal, metabolic and genetic determinants. Due to the rapidly changing flux of fatty acids, the majority of genes encoding enzymes and proteins of lipid metabolism are largely refractory to long-term regulatory control by fatty acids. Only at extremes of high or low lipid levels, or under pathophysiological conditions, do adipose genes respond by up- or down-regulating gene expression. Despite the lack of responsiveness to lipids in adipose tissue, a surprisingly large number of genes have been characterized recently as lipid responsive when assayed in heterologous systems. These observations suggest an endogenous negative element exists in the lipid signaling pathway in adipocytes.
Design of Freight Traffic Networks

Most of the industrial freight traffic for the supply of materials and the distribution of products is performed in networks which serve to bundle the shipments and to reduce transport costs. Often these networks are operated by external carriers. We consider various types of such networks and the related design problems, both from the view of a manufacturer and of a carrier. A focus of the paper is on the modelling aspects within a common framework model, in particular on the definition of transport cost functions. Moreover, the recent literature on relevant network design methods is reviewed and two application cases are presented.
Lipids and Women's Health: Recent Updates and Implications for Practice.

Abstract The obstetrician/gynecologist frequently serves as the primary care physician for women. Specialty-specific guidelines vary in screening recommendations for lipid disorders; women's health...
Diffusion-weighted imaging characteristics of methotrexate-induced acute encephalopathy

Methotrexate (MTX)-induced encephalopathy is a grave complication in patients with malignancies. The early diagnosis of acute encephalopathy was difficult by conventional computed tomography (CT), and T1- or T2-weighted magnet resonance (MR) imaging. We report that the diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging is useful for early detection of acute leukoencephalopathy.
Speed journal clubs: A novel application of literature evaluation and presentation at a non-teaching hospital

Abstract Background Traditional journal clubs are incorporated into pharmacy education and are typically thirty to sixty minutes in duration. Multiplying this by the number of students and residents makes journal club discussions a significant time commitment for participants, preceptors, and pharmacy staff members. The purpose of this study was to develop an activity that enhances participants’ ability to interpret and summarize the findings of a study in a brief and concise manner. Educational Activity and setting: After independently evaluating their chosen journal article, students/residents were grouped into pairs. One presenter in each pair had five minutes to present to their partner, with two minutes for questions and answers; the partner presented in the same manner. Groups then rotated and repeated the activity. Assessment of the activity included session debriefing and an online questionnaire. Findings Twenty-six questionnaires were returned (response rate 90%). The majority of respondents (88%) felt they learned how to concisely summarize and present pertinent information from a published journal article. Respondents (81%) also felt that they will use these skills in their practice. Furthermore, respondents found that their presentation and listening skills improved with each round (89% and 85%, respectively). Time spent on journal clubs decreased per experiential time frame from approximately four hours to 90 minutes. Summary A novel journal club activity that is termed “speed journal clubs” was well received, offered opportunities for education on several topics in a short time, enhanced skills in concise communication, and decreased the amount of time spent on journal clubs.
Watchman Occlusion in Long-Standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Larger Left Atrial Appendages With Greater Residual Leak

Abstract Objectives This study sought to compare patients with and without long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (LSPAF) undergoing Watchman left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion. Background An increased burden of atrial fibrillation is associated with progressive left atrial remodeling and enlargement. Methods Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) measures of LAA ostial diameter and depth, device compression, and residual leak were evaluated in 101 consecutive Watchman cases. The patients were categorized into LSPAF (n = 48) or non-LSPAF (n = 53) groups and compared. Results The average LAA ostial diameter for LSPAF versus non-LSPAF by TEE omniplane at 0° was 21.1 ± 4.1 mm versus 18.2 ± 3.6 mm (p = 0.0002); at 45° was 18.7 ± 3.4 mm versus 16.3 ± 3.1 mm (p = 0.0004); at 90° was 19.6 ± 3.8 mm versus 16.2 ± 3.4 mm (p = 0.00001); and at 135° was 21.0 ± 4.1 mm versus 18.0 ± 4.1 mm (p = 0.0005). The average LAA depth for LSPAF versus non-LSPAF by TEE at 0° was 28.1 ± 6.4 mm versus 25.2 ± 4.9 mm (p = 0.02); at 45° was 27.9 ± 5.8 mm versus 25.1 ± 4.3 mm (p = 0.007); at 90° was 27.2 ± 5.2 mm versus 22.8 ± 3.7 mm (p = 0.0001); and at 135° was 25.6 ± 5.4 mm versus 21.5 ± 3.8 mm (p = 0.0001). In successfully treated patients, 77% of the LSPAF group received larger device (27, 30, or 33 mm) implants versus only 46% in the non-LSPAF group (p = 0.003). While both groups had similar rates of moderate (3 to 5 mm) leaks at implant (2% vs. 0%; p = 0.14), 27% of the LSPAF vs. 4% of the non-LSPAF group had moderate leaks (p = 0.04) on 6-week follow-up TEE. Conclusions Patients with LSPAF have significantly larger LAA sizes, require larger devices, and have more residual leak on follow-up TEE. LSPAF may represent a higher risk group that warrants more stringent long-term follow-up.
Thwarting Replication Attack Against Memristor-Based Neuromorphic Computing System

Neuromorphic architectures are widely used in many applications for advanced data processing and often implement proprietary algorithms. However, in an adversarial scenario, such systems may face elaborate security attacks including learning attack. In this article, we prevent an attacker with physical access from learning the proprietary algorithm implemented by the neuromorphic hardware. For this purpose, we leverage the obsolescence effect in memristors to judiciously reduce the accuracy of outputs for any unauthorized user. For a legitimate user, we regulate the obsolescence effect, thereby maintaining the accuracy of outputs in a suitable range. We extensively examine the feasibility of our proposed method with four datasets. We experiment under different settings, such as activation functions and constraints such as process variations, and estimate the calibration overhead. The security versus cost and performance versus resistance range tradeoffs for different applications are also analyzed. We then prove that the defense is still valid even if the attacker has the prior knowledge of the defense mechanism. Overall, our methodology is compatible with mainstream classification applications, memristor devices, and security and performance constraints.
EZH2 Downregulation Augments the Effect of Irradiation in Reducing Pancreatic Cancer Cell Proliferation in vitro.

OBJECTIVE Pancreatic ductal carcinoma has a 5-year survival rate of 9%. This makes it the 4th leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Advanced-stage diagnosis and limited treatment options contribute to poor prognosis. Thus, there is an urgent need for new approaches to treatment. Enhancer of Zeste 2 (EZH2), a catalytic subunit of the multi-protein histone methyltransferase, known as the polycomb repressive complex, has been implicated in carcinogenesis. E2H2's downregulation has been shown to have a therapeutic effect in B cell lymphomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined the effect of EZH2 downregulation in combination with irradiation on the proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2) in vitro. EZH2 downregulation was accomplished by treatment of cells with small interfering RNA (siRNA) or EPZ. To do this, cell survival was assessed over a 96 hr (short-term) by ATP measurement and immunohistochemical assessment of Phosphohistone 3 (PHH3), Ki-67 and CC3 over two weeks (long-term) by clonogenic assay. RESULTS EZH2 downregulation resulted in the decreased proliferation of PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cells within short-term assays with maximal reduction at 72 hr. Irradiation reduced cell proliferation beginning at 96 hr and continued over the long-term. Irradiation with EZH2 downregulation reduced cell proliferation between 48 and 72 hr. This combined treatment reduced cell proliferation by 3 to 14% as compared to those treated with irradiation alone at two weeks. PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cells exhibited similar responses to EZH2 downregulation and irradiation, but to different degrees. siRNA or EPZ were equally effective in EZH2 downregulation. CONCLUSIONS EZH2 downregulation in combination with irradiation reduces PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cell proliferation more than irradiation alone. This study affirms the role of EZH2 downregulation for radiosensitization in pancreatic cancer treatment.
Improving AML Classification Using Splicing Signatures

Mutations in spliceosomal components are prevalent in myelodysplastic syndromes, but less so in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, aberrant splicing is prolific in AML, suggesting deregulated splicing could contribute broadly to tumorigenesis. Elevated stress responses correlate with splicing dysfunction across myeloid malignancies, representing potentially novel therapeutic targets.See related article by Anande et al., p. 3597.
Game Theory-Based Framework for Modeling Human–Vehicle Interactions on the Road:

New application domains have faded the barriers between humans and robots, introducing a new set of complexities to robotic systems. The major impediment is the uncertainties associated with human ...
Secondary Side Considerations for Boundary Layer Transition Flight Experiment

The Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) Flight Experiment is to launch soon on a sounding rocket to obtain hypersonic data on a complex geometry with swept leading edges and concave surfaces. BOLT was...
Differences in the free energies between the excited states of Aβ40 and Aβ42 monomers encode their aggregation propensities

The early events in the aggregation of the intrinsically disordered peptide, amyloid-β (Aβ), involve transitions from the disordered free energy ground state to assembly-competent states. Are the fingerprints of order found in the amyloid fibrils encoded in the conformations that the monomers access at equilibrium? If so, could the enhanced aggregation rate of Aβ42 compared to Aβ40 be rationalized from the sparsely populated high free energy states of the monomers? Here, we answer these questions in the affirmative using coarse-grained simulations of the self-organized polymer-intrinsically disordered protein (SOP-IDP) model of Aβ40 and Aβ42. Although both the peptides have practically identical ensemble-averaged properties, characteristic of random coils (RCs), the conformational ensembles of the two monomers exhibit sequence-specific heterogeneity. Hierarchical clustering of conformations reveals that both the peptides populate high free energy aggregation-prone ([Formula: see text]) states, which resemble the monomers in the fibril structure. The free energy gap between the ground (RC) and the [Formula: see text] states of Aβ42 peptide is smaller than that for Aβ40. By relating the populations of excited states of the two peptides to the fibril formation time scales using an empirical formula, we explain nearly quantitatively the faster aggregation rate of Aβ42 relative to Aβ40. The [Formula: see text] concept accounts for fibril polymorphs, leading to the prediction that the less stable [Formula: see text] state of Aβ42, encoding for the U-bend fibril, should form earlier than the structure with the S-bend topology, which is in accord with Ostwald's rule rationalizing crystal polymorph formation.
Viral Science: Masks, Speed Bumps, and Guard Rails

The speed of science, especially while solving the recent pandemic puzzles, is causing concerns. We describe some salient issues as well as a framework for making the process of publishing, organizing, and retrieving scientific literature more efficient. Emerging building blocks leveraging AI, including natural language processing tools such as SciSight from the Allen Institute for AI, that permit faceted navigation and research group detection are highlighted.
Recognition and Positive Freedom

The presentation argues that a recognitive account of positive freedom, understood as reconciliation with society, cannot be achievable within the ambit of a capitalist society.
Cancer Treatment Modalities Systemic and Locoregional Approaches: Challenges and Opportunities of Multidisciplinary Approaches

Substantial progress toward the treatment of cancer has been achieved in the past decades, both in systemic and locoregional approaches. Locoregional therapies are essential for curative-intent treatments, and surgical resection remains the most common method to control localized cancers. Radiation therapy also has a vital role (with or without concurrent chemotherapy) for locoregional control. In addition, image-guided procedures such as embolization and ablation have gained relevance with recent improvements in technology, both with curative and palliative intent. Systemic therapy is essential in localized cancers and to eradicate undetectable metastasis and, in the neoadjuvant setting, to decrease the size of tumors and allow for better surgical resection/radiation. Moreover, systemic therapy is the cornerstone approach for the treatment of metastatic cancer. Although cytotoxic chemotherapy still forms the basis of many cancer treatment regimens, in recent years the development of targeted therapy and immunotherapy has led to improved outcomes with decreased toxicity.
BMP/TGF-β signaling as a modulator of neurodegeneration in ALS

This commentary focuses on the emerging intersection between BMP/TGF-β signaling roles in nervous system function and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease state. Future research is critical to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of this intersection of the cellular processes disrupted in ALS and those influenced by BMP/TGF-β signaling, including synapse structure, neurotransmission, plasticity, and neuroinflammation. Such knowledge promises to inform us of ideal entry points for the targeted modulation of dysfunctional cellular processes in an effort to abrogate ALS pathologies. It is likely that different interventions are required, either at discrete points in disease progression, or across multiple dysfunctional processes which together lead to motor neuron degeneration and death. We discuss the challenging, but intriguing idea that modulation of the pleiotropic nature of BMP/TGF-β signaling could be advantageous, as a way to simultaneously treat defects in more than one cell process across different forms of ALS.
The Radical Intermediates of Photosystem II

The solar water-splitting protein complex, photosystem II (PSII), catalyzes one of the most energetically demanding reactions in nature by using light energy to drive the catalytic oxidation of water to dioxygen. Light-driven electron and proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions, which are exquisitely tuned by smart protein matrix effects, are central to this water-splitting chemistry. PSII contains a series of charge-transfer cofactors, such as the special chlorophylls, pheophytin, primary and secondary plastoquinones, tetranuclear manganese-calcium-oxo cluster, and two symmetrically placed redox-active tyrosine residues, YD and YZ, that participate in the charge-transfer reactions. These cofactors are functionally very distinct and the versatility is provided by their distinct local environments in PSII. This chapter focuses on providing the reader with an outline of the primary electron transfer reactions of PSII and a description of the structure and function of the charge-transfer cofactors that participate in the primary electron transfer pathway.
Gaining trust: The construction of corporate ethos in Alibaba's U.S. IPO

This work-in-progress paper reports from a case study project on the construction of corporate ethos in the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the Chinese ecommerce company, Alibaba, in 2014. In the field of rhetoric, ethos has been conceptualized and re-conceptualized by classical and contemporary scholars. Rhetorical ethos is used in this case study as an interpretative tool. Meanwhile, (tacit) knowledge generated in this case study may help refine existing theories on ethos. This paper reports the complexity of Alibaba's U.S. IPO from a narrative constructed by pieces of evidence the researcher collected from observing the case to date. Three sources of evidence emerged as good data sources: the IPO prospectus, the electronic roadshow, and the online news media reactions in English and Chinese language environments and related documents. This paper explicates rhetorical ethos through a brief review of classical and contemporary scholarly works, explains why IPOs are worth the attention of researchers in technical and professional communication, introduces research questions, outlines the research methodology, and shares preliminary findings.
The impact of power grid to the performance of on-chip antennas

The impact of realistic metal interference structures which can significantly modify the characteristics of on-chip antennas such as a power grid and data lines have been investigated primarily using EM simulations. The power grid reduces the antenna pair power gain, however, the gain reduction is tolerable. In the presence of a power grid, metal structures near an on-chip antenna have greatly reduced impact on antenna characteristics.
Teaching Pure & Mixed Bundling using a Spreadsheet

Adams & Yellen's (1976) classic analysis of commodity bundling is the backbone of most discussions of pure and mixed bundling in undergraduate economic texts. This paper incorporates a spreadsheet based on Adams & Yellen's bundling model that quickly calculates total revenue or total profit using a variety of pricing tactics. This frees up a lot of time doing repetitious calculations, and can be better used discussing different pure and mixed bundling examples compared to other pricing tactics.
Contrasting cascades: insectivorous birds increase pine but not parasitic mistletoe growth

1. Intraguild predation occurs when top predators feed upon both intermediate predators and herbivores. Intraguild predators may thus have little net impact on herbivore abundance. Variation among communities in the strength of trophic cascades (the indirect effects of predators on plants) may be due to differing frequencies of intraguild predation. Less is known about the influence of variation within communities in predator-predator interactions upon trophic cascade strength. 2. We compared the effects of a single predator community between two sympatric plants and two herbivore guilds. We excluded insectivorous birds with cages from ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa trees parasitized by dwarf mistletoe Arceuthobium vaginatum. For 3 years we monitored caged and control trees for predatory arthropods that moved between the two plants, foliage-feeding caterpillars and sap-feeding hemipterans that were host-specific, and plant damage and growth. 3. Excluding birds increased the abundance of ant-tended aphids on pine and resulted in an 11% reduction in pine woody growth. Mutualist ants protected pine-feeding aphids from predatory arthropods, allowing aphid populations to burgeon in cages even though predatory arthropods also increased in cages. By protecting pine-feeding aphids from predatory arthropods but not birds, mutualist ants created a three-tiered linear food chain where bird effects cascaded to pine growth via aphids. 4. In contrast to the results for tended aphids on pine, bird exclusion had no net effects on untended pine herbivores, the proportion of pine foliage damaged by pine-feeding caterpillars, or the proportion of mistletoe plants damaged by mistletoe-feeding caterpillars. These results suggest that arthropod predators, which were more abundant in cages as compared with control trees, compensated for bird predation of untended pine and mistletoe herbivores. 5. These contrasting effects of bird exclusion support food web theory: where birds were connected to pine by a linear food chain, a trophic cascade occurred. Where birds fed as intraguild predators, the reticulate food webs linking birds to pine and mistletoe resulted in no net effects on herbivores or plant biomass. Our study shows that this variation in food web structure occurred between sympatric plants and within plants between differing herbivore guilds.
Effect of Ursodeoxycholic acid on methionine adenosyltransferase activity and hepatic glutathione metabolism in rats

Effect of Ursodeoxycholic Acid on Methionine Adenosyltransferase Activity and Hepatic Glutathione Metabolism in Rats
Five Secondary Teachers: Creating and Presenting a Teaching Persona.

This qualitative study investigates the ways that five secondary teachers developed and presented personae. The researcher collected and analyzed data using a theoretical frame based in social psychology, including Goffmanâ€™s Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959), and Miles and Hubermanâ€™s (1994) three-step approach to qualitative data analysis. Findings indicate that teachers drew on three major realmsâ€”the physical, psychological, and socialâ€”when constructing classroom personae. Implications include increased opportunities for teacher reflection on persona and its effects.
Reliable distributed computing with Avalon/Common Lisp

An overview of these novel aspects of Avalon/Common Lisp is presented: (1) support for remote evaluation through a new evaluator data type; (2) a generalization of the traditional client/server model of computation, allowing clients to extend server interfaces and server writers to hide aspects of distribution, such as caching, from clients; (3) support for failure atomicity through automatic commit and abort processing of transactions; and (4) support for persistence through automatic crash recovery of atomic data. These capabilities provide programmers with the flexibility to exploit the semantics of an application to enhance its reliability and efficiency. Avalon/Common Lisp runs on IBM RTs on the Mach operating system. Though the design of Avalon/Common Lisp exploits some of the features of Common Lisp, e.g., its packaging mechanism, all of the constructs are applicable to any Lisp-like language. >
Cord Blood Leptin Reflects Fetal Fat Mass

Objective To explore the relationship between leptin levels and fat mass at the time of birth to test the hypothesis that the level of leptin in the fetal circulation is primarily an index of fetal fat mass. Methods Leptin concentration was measured in cord blood obtained from the offspring of 42 women. Trimmed, drained placental weight and neonatal morphometrics were obtained after delivery. Results The ranges in maternal weight (46.7-93.2 kg), weight gain (3.2-22.6 kg), percent body fat (10-34%), placental weight (290-688 g), birth weight (2.63-4.32 kg), neonatal fat mass (179-782 g), and cord blood leptin (1.7-26.7 ng/mL) were wide. The only morphometric variable that explained a significant portion of the variation in cord blood leptin levels was neonatal fat mass (r2 = 0.41), and this relationship was not significantly improved by best subset regression of additional fetal and placental morphometric variables (r2 = 0.46). Conclusion These data support the hypothesis and suggest that in the fetus, as in the child and the adult, fat mass is the major determinant of circulating leptin levels.
A Hierarchical Clustering Algorithm Based on GiST

The hierarchical clustering is an important method of clustering analysis. This kind of method can decompose the data into different levels, and the clustering result has a hierarchical coarseness to fine representation characteristic. In this paper, a new hierarchical clustering method based on GiST is proposed, which could store the structure of the tree generated during the clustering procedure in the hard disk. So it can support very detail analyzing procedure. The users can discover the relationship among clusters conveniently with this method.
Potential Cation and H+ Binding Sites in Acid Sensing Ion Channel-1

Acid sensing ion channels (ASICs) are cation-selective membrane channels activated by H+ binding upon decrease in extracellular pH. It is known that Ca2+ plays an important modulatory role in ASIC gating, competing with the ligand (H+) for its binding site(s). However, the H+ or Ca2+ binding sites involved in gating and the gating mechanism are not fully known. We carried out a computational study to investigate potential cation and H+ binding sites for ASIC1 via all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on five systems. The systems were designed to test the candidacy of some acid sensing residues proposed from experiment and to determine yet unknown ligand binding sites. The ion binding patterns reveal sites of cation (Na+ and Ca2+) localization where they may compete with protons and influence channel gating. The highest incidence of Ca2+ and Na+ binding is observed at a highly acidic pocket on the protein surface. Also, Na+ ions fill in an inner chamber that contains a ring of acidic residues and that is near the channel entrance; this site could possibly be a temporary reservoir involved in ion permeation. Some acidic residues were observed to orient and move significantly close together to bind Ca2+, indicating the structural consequences of Ca2+ release from these sites. Local structural changes in the protein due to cation binding or ligand binding (protonation) are examined at the binding sites and discussed. This study provides structural and dynamic details to test hypotheses for the role of Ca2+ and Na+ ions in the channel gating mechanism.
FORMATION AND PHASE TRANSITION OF VO2 PRECIPITATES EMBEDDED IN SAPPHIRE

Crystallographically coherent precipitates of vanadium dioxide (VO{sub 2}) have been formed in the near-surface region of single crystals of sapphire (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) using a combination of ion implantation and thermal treatments. As in the case of either bulk VO{sub 2} single crystals or thin films of VO{sub 2}, the thermally induced semiconductor-to-metal phase transition of the embedded VO{sub 2} precipitates is accompanied by a large hysteretic change in the infrared optical transmission. The VO{sub 2} precipitate transition temperature (T{sub c}=72 to 85h{degree}C) is higher than that of bulk VO{sub 2} (T{sub c}=68h{degree}C) and is sensitive to the implantation conditions. The present results show that the damage resulting from the coimplantation of vanadium and oxygen into an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} host lattice dictates the final microstructure of the VO{sub 2} precipitates and, consequently, affects the transition temperature, as well as the optical quality of the VO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} surface-nanocomposite precipitate system. {copyright} {ital 1999 Materials Research Society.}
Physiological characteristics and their relationship to performance in off-road cycling

This study investigated physiological, anthropometrical, and training characteristics of off‐road competitive cyclists, and the relationship between these variables and off‐road race performance. E...
Evidence for the presence of gabamide on the web of orb weaving spiders

Abstract The principal water-soluble amine on the webs of some orb weaving spiders has been variously identified as GABamide and 2-pyrrolidone. We present evidence supporting the identification of this compound as GABamide.
cis-platinum(II) diamine dichloride causes mutation, transformation, and sister-chromatid exchanges in cultured mammalian cells

Abstract The anti-tumor agent cis-platinum (II) diamine dichloride caused dose-dependent toxicity in V79 Chinese hamster cells and in secondary Syrian hamster embryo cells. Chromosome aberrations were induced and positive dose—response relationships were observed for induction of sister-chromatid exchanges and 6-thioguanine-resistant mutations in V79 cells and morphologic transformation of secondary Syrian hamster embryo cells. These findings suggest that this chemical is a potential human carcinogen.
Female mating status affects mating and male mate-choice in the copepod genus Acartia

Mating in many copepod species is not random; moreover, individuals have preferences for certain qualities in their mates. This study tested whether female mating status (virgin versus mated) affects mate choice in males in the copepod species Acartia tonsa and Acartia hudsonica, both in laboratory and field populations. In addition, the costs and benefits associated with mating twice versus once for females of both species were tested in laboratory studies. In both A. tonsa and Acartia hudsonica, males mated more frequently with virgin females compared with females that had already mated, suggesting that female reproductive status is important for mating and mate choice. Frequencies of females carrying double spermatophores in the field (at three sites and seasonally within a site) were consistently low, implying that mate choice for female reproductive status is present in natural populations as well. In Acartia hudsonica, the frequency of females carrying double spermatophores was positively related to spermatophore volume and male and female sizes, but negatively related to temperature. No such relationships were found for A. tonsa. However, the frequency of females carrying double spermatophores decreased as the season progressed. In both copepod species, there was no difference in the number of nauplii produced, length of fertilization or lifespan between females that had mated twice compared with those that had mated only once. Hence, there was no particular cost or benefit to mating a second time. Our findings suggest that female reproductive status is important for mating success in these two coastal copepod species and that this is most likely due to male mate-choice.
Combined partial deficiencies of carnitine palmitoyltransferase II and mitochondrial complex I presenting as increased serum creatine kinase level.

Increased serum creatine kinase level is a marker of neuromuscular disorders. When combined with exercise intolerance, muscle cramps, fatigue, myoglobinuria, or muscle weakness, metabolic myopathies of a variety of causes should be considered. We encountered an adolescent male with a persistently high serum creatine kinase level and chronic fatigue who was found to have combined partial defects of carnitine palmitoyltransferase II and mitochondrial complex I. Metabolic myopathy may present with chronic fatigue and a persistently high serum creatine kinase level but without muscle weakness and may be attributable to combined enzyme defects. (J Child Neurol 2002;17:304-306).
SU-E-T-176: Improved Collimator Scattering Factor (Sc) Measurements for Small Fields Using Build-Up Caps in Robotic Radiosurgery.

Purpose: The Monte Carlo calculation algorithm in the MultiPlan (Accuray, Palo Alto, CA) treatment planning system used for CyberKnife (Accuray) roboticradiosurgery requires in‐air measurements. In this study, results were compared for the impact of build‐up caps using a diode detector for small field in‐air measurements.Methods: Two acrylic caps custom‐made for the SFD diode detector (IBA, Germany) of two thicknesses were compared against free‐in‐air measurements. The 1.5 and 5 cm thicknesses correspond to Dmax and a depth beyond the range of electron contamination, respectively. A Blue Phantom (IBA) was used to position the diode 80 cm SAD.Measurements were made for all 12 fixed cones ranging from 5 to 60 mm. Results: For the 5 mm cone, there is a 15.6% and 20.0% difference in the Sc factor between the 1.5 cm and 5 cm buildup caps, respectively, versus the free‐in‐air measurement. For the 7.5 mm cone, the difference is 6.3% and 10.4% for the 1.5 cm and 5 cm buildup caps, respectively, versus the free‐in‐air measurement. While generally decreasing, the Sc factor for either buildup cap does not agree within 2% to free‐in‐air measurements until the cone used is larger than 40 mm. Overall, the two buildup caps yield similar Sc factors and the differences observed are attributed to electron contamination. Conclusions: The Monte Carlo calculation algorithm used by the CyberKnife planning manual does not refer to any build‐up caps. This study has shown that, particularly for small fields, there are large differences in Sc factors measured with and without buildup caps. In general, for fields smaller than 10 mm, build‐up caps should be carefully chosen, especially in commissioning data.
Evaluation of the Pentium 4 for imaging applications

In the past few years, programmable mediaprocessors (e.g., Hitachi/Equator Technologies MAP-CA and Texas Instruments TMS320C6x) have been replacing ASICs and other hardwired components in imaging applications (e.g., medical imaging modalities, machine vision systems, and video conferencing). Due to the high performance requirements of many imaging applications, older general-purpose processors were not suitable for these kinds of applications. For instance, in 1993 the TMS320C80 was about 50 times faster than the Intel 486 processor. However, recent advances in the architecture and instruction sets of general-purpose processors have closed the gap significantly in performance between these processors and programmable mediaprocessors. For example, the MMX, SSE, and SSE2 extensions to the Pentium 4 instruction set give the Pentium 4 a legitimate multimedia instruction set that is comparable to the instruction sets found in mediaprocessors, thus further blurring the boundary between general-purpose processors and mediaprocessors. The combination of the instruction set extensions and a new architecture that supports very high clock frequencies give the Pentium 4 performance in imaging functions comparable to high performance mediaprocessors and thereby make the Pentium 4 a candidate for applications where its large size, high cost, and high power consumption are not overriding issues.
Scattered Thoughts On Baffling Problems

The techniques and status of the design approaches to system baffling, the comouter analysis, the BRDF measurements, and the theories of surface scattering are discussed.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Continuous intrathecal sufentanil for postoperative analgesia.

Implications Intrathecal sufentanil via continuous infusion can be effectively used for postoperative analgesia.
Critical non-linear dispersive equations: global existence, scattering, blow-up and universal profiles

We discuss recent progress in the understanding of the global behavior of solutions to critical non-linear dispersive equations. The emphasis is on global existence, scattering and finite time blow-up. For solutions that are bounded in the critical norm, but which blow-up in finite time, we also discuss the issue of universal profiles at the blow-up time.
Charge-Dipole Model for the Universal Field Dependence of Mobilities in Molecularly Doped Polymers

Using the general result that the mobility $\ensuremath{\mu}$ of charge carriers driven in a spatially correlated random potential by an electric field $E$ can be expressed in terms of the Laplace transform of a particular correlation function related to the random potential, we demonstrate that the exponential dependence of $\ensuremath{\mu}$ on $\sqrt{E}$ universally observed in molecularly doped polymers arises naturally from the interaction of charge carriers with randomly distributed permanent dipoles.
The design, fabrication and evaluation of a MEMS PZT cantilever with an integrated Si proof mass for vibration energy harvesting

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) piezoelectric energy harvesting device, a unimorph PZT cantilever with an integrated Si proof mass, was designed for low vibration frequency and high vibration amplitude environment. Pt/PZT/Pt/Ti/SiO2 multilayered films were deposited on a Si substrate and then the cantilever was patterned and released by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching. The fabricated device, with a beam dimension of about 4.800 mm × 0.400 mm × 0.036 mm and an integrated Si mass dimension of about 1.360 mm × 0.940 mm × 0.456 mm produced 160 mVpk, 2.15 μW or 3272 μW cm−3 with an optimal resistive load of 6 kΩ from 2g (g = 9.81 m s−2) acceleration at its resonant frequency of 461.15 Hz. This device was compared with other demonstrated MEMS power generators.
Studies on the identity of bound coumarin in sweet clover.

Abstract Experiments are described which demonstrate that certain fluorometric methods of analysis measure both the β-glucoside of o -coumaric acid and the β-glucoside of coumarinic acid as bound coumarin. Other experiments indicate that certain other methods of analysis detect only the β-glucoside of coumarinic acid as bound coumarin. Methods are described for the separation and detection of the β-glucosides of coumarinic, o -coumaric, and melilotic acids by paper chromatography. Evidence is presented which shows that the β-glucoside of coumarinic acid is identical with bound coumarin.