cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Community-based childhood obesity prevention intervention for parents improves health behaviors and food parenting practices among Hispanic, low-income parents

Given the current prevalence of childhood obesity among Hispanic populations, and the importance of parental feeding behaviors, we aimed to assess the impact of the evidence-based Healthy Children, Healthy Families (HCHF) intervention on responsive food parenting practices (FPPs) in a low-income Hispanic population. This community-based pilot study used a non-experimental pre/post within-subjects design. Parents (n = 94) of children aged 3–11 years old were recruited to participate in an 8-week, weekly group-based intervention. The intervention was delivered to nine groups of parents by trained paraprofessional educators over a two-year period. Children participated in a separate curriculum that covered topics similar to those covered in the parent intervention. Parents completed self-administered pre/post surveys, which included demographic questions, seven subscales from the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire, and the 16-item HCHF Behavior Checklist. Descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests were used to analyze data from parents that completed the intervention. Fifty-two, primarily Hispanic (93%) parents completed the intervention (39% attrition rate). For parents who completed the intervention, there was a significant increase in one of the feeding practice subscales: encouragement of balance and variety (p = 0.01). There were significant improvements in several parent and child diet and activity outcomes (p ≤ 0.01). Although attrition rates were high, parents completing the study reported enjoying and being satisfied with the intervention. For parents who completed the intervention, reported ‘encouragement of balance and variety’, in addition to several health behaviors significantly improved. Larger studies utilizing an experimental design, should further explore the impact of the HCHF curriculum on improving certain FPPs and health behaviors that contribute to obesity.
Two new species of blind, forest litter-inhabiting ground beetles from the subtribe Anillina (Carabidae: Trechinae: Bembidiini) from eastern U.S.A.

Two new species of anilline ground beetles are described from the Appalachian Mountains of eastern United States. The description of Serranillus septentrionis n. sp. is based on specimens collected in montane areas of western Virginia (37°25.33’N, 79°45.43’W). This species extends the range of the genus approximately 200 km north of its closest known congeners, S. dunavani (Jeannel) and S. jeanneli Barr, and differs from them mainly in characters of the male genitalia. A key is provided that will allow separation of these three species without dissection. The description of Anillinus cherokee n. sp. is based on specimens collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and nearby areas of Nantahala National Forest, western North Carolina (35°21.33’N, 83°56.05’W). The species is externally similar to A. loweae Sokolov and Carlton and A. steevesi Barr, and differs from those species in characters of the male genitalia.
Die soziale Konstruktion der US-mexikanischen Grenze

Grenzen von Nationalstaaten sind soziale Konstrukte. Sie gehen — mit Ausnahme von Inselstaatsgrenzen — im Allgemeinen auch nicht mit bedeutenden topographischen Veranderungen der Umgebung einher, sondern existieren vornehmlich deswegen, weil Nationalregierungen freiwillig oder unter Zwang die Ubereinkunft treffen, eine politische Teilung zu vermarken. Diese internationalen Grenzziehungen werden durch feierliche Vertrage formalisiert, die soziale Konstruktion von Grenzen findet jedoch durch die alltagliche Reproduktion von Vorstellungen und Mythen statt. Eine dieser Vorstellungen ist, dass internationale Grenzen unverzichtbare Trennlinien zwischen Gebieten unterschiedlicher sozialer Qualitat bilden.
Imaging of salivary gland pathology

The major salivary glands can be affected by a variety of acute or chronic, systemic, and neoplastic conditions. Several modalities can be used for salivary gland imaging, each with its own advantages and limitations. The article reviews the optimal imaging modality for different clinical scenarios, the typical imaging appearance of commonly encountered pathologies, and seeks to provide a framework for generating an appropriate differential diagnosis. Additionally, with regard to neoplastic conditions, the goals of the review are to highlight features suggestive of benign or low-grade lesions versus high-grade malignancy, while recognizing the limitations of imaging in making specific histologic diagnoses.
A nitric oxide synthase–like protein from Synechococcus produces NO/NO3− from l-arginine and NAPDH in a tetrahydrobiopterin- and Ca2+-dependent manner

Nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) are heme-based monooxygenases that convert l-Arg to l-citrulline and nitric oxide (NO), a key signaling molecule and cytotoxic agent in mammals. Bacteria also contain NOS proteins, but the role of NO production within these organisms, where understood, differs considerably from that of mammals. For example, a NOS protein in the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7335 (syNOS) has recently been proposed to function in nitrogen assimilation from l-Arg. syNOS retains the oxygenase (NOSox) and reductase (NOSred) domains present in mammalian NOS enzymes (mNOSs), but also contains an N-terminal globin domain (NOSg) homologous to bacterial flavohemoglobin proteins. Herein, we show that syNOS functions as a dimer and produces NO from l-Arg and NADPH in a tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B)-dependent manner at levels similar to those produced by other NOSs but does not require Ca2+-calmodulin, which regulates NOSred-mediated NOSox reduction in mNOSs. Unlike other bacterial NOSs, syNOS cannot function with tetrahydrofolate and requires high Ca2+ levels (>200 μm) for its activation. NOSg converts NO to NO3− in the presence of O2 and NADPH; however, NOSg did not protect Escherichia coli strains against nitrosative stress, even in a mutant devoid of NO-protective flavohemoglobin. We also found that syNOS does not have NOS activity in E. coli (which lacks H4B) and that the recombinant protein does not confer growth advantages on l-Arg as a nitrogen source. Our findings indicate that syNOS has both NOS and NO oxygenase activities, requires H4B, and may play a role in Ca2+-mediated signaling.
Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Comparison of Two IRTree Models to Investigate the Impact of Full Versus Endpoint-Only Response Option Labeling:

In this study, we examined the results and interpretations produced from two different IRTree models—one using paths consisting of only dichotomous decisions, and one using paths consisting of both...
WHO PUT THE ‘SOCIAL’ IN MOBILE AND SOCIAL PAYMENT PLATFORMS? RE-READING SIMMEL AND COLLEAGUES IN LIGHT OF THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION

This research considers the Cambrian explosion (Nelms, Maurer, Swartz, & Mainwaring, 2017) of mobile and social payment technologies from a perspective that integrates classical theorizing on money and payments (Mauss, 2002; Simmel, 2005) and more recent work (Bandelj, Wherry, & Zelizer, 2017; Dodd, 2014; Maurer, 2015; Zelizer, 2017), as well as research coming out of the $2 and $2 at the $2 at Amsterdam. The paper negotiates mobile and social payment apps and the social realities that they stand upon and applies theoretical viewpoints from these key authors to the emerging technologies, based on a contemporary investigation of what 'social' entails in social payment spaces. The empirical core of this work-in-progress employs the walkthrough method (Light et al., 2016), and compares select mobile and social payment platforms. Furthermore, researchers content-analyze app store screenshots, as well as app descriptions and user comments. Preliminary analysis maps these apps on a continuum of sociality/publicness, with Venmo and its social feed on the liberal side of the spectrum, apps that integrate into messenger services in the middle (e.g. Apple Pay Cash, Square Cash, Google Pay), and apps borne out of banking (Zelle) on the conservative side. Criteria for analysis follow conceptual categories from the literature, such as visibility, objectivity, freedom from everything personal, gifting, earmarking capacities, and other features.
Role of toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) in voluntary alcohol consumption.

Abstract Overactivation of neuroimmune signaling has been linked to excessive ethanol consumption. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a major component of innate immune signaling and initiate anti- and pro-inflammatory responses via intracellular signal transduction cascades. TLR7 is upregulated in post-mortem brain tissue from humans with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and animals with prior exposure to ethanol. Despite this evidence, the role of TLR7 in the regulation of voluntary ethanol consumption has not been studied. We test the hypothesis that TLR7 activation regulates voluntary ethanol drinking behavior by administering a TLR7 agonist (R848) during an intermittent access drinking procedure in mice. Acute activation of TLR7 reduced ethanol intake, preference, and total fluid intake due, at least in part, to an acute sickness response. However, chronic pre-treatment with R848 resulted in tolerance to the adverse effects of the drug and a subsequent increase in ethanol consumption. To determine the molecular machinery that mediates these behavioral changes, we evaluated gene expression after acute and chronic TLR7 activation. We found that acute TLR7 activation produces brain region specific changes in expression of immune pathway genes, whereas chronic TLR7 activation causes downregulation of TLRs and blunted cytokine induction, suggesting molecular tolerance. Our results demonstrate a novel role for TLR7 signaling in regulating voluntary ethanol consumption. Taken together, our findings suggest TLR7 may be a viable target for development of therapies to treat AUD.
Brain and Human Body Modeling 2020: Computational Human Models Presented at EMBC 2019 and the BRAIN Initiative® 2019 Meeting

This open access book describes modern applications of computational human modeling in an effort to advance neurology, cancer treatment, and radio-frequency studies including regulatory, safety, and wireless communication fields. Readers working on any application that may expose human subjects to electromagnetic radiation will benefit from this book’s coverage of the latest models and techniques available to assess a given technology’s safety and efficacy in a timely and efficient manner. Describes computational human body phantom construction and application; Explains new practices in computational human body modeling for electromagnetic safety and exposure evaluations; Includes a survey of modern applications for which computational human phantoms are critical.
Impact of vitiation on flow reactor studies of jet fuel combustion chemistry

Abstract Flow reactors are commonly employed in investigations of the pyrolysis and oxidation chemistry of fuels. Typical flow reactors use either electrical heaters or vitiation heaters to provide the energy to preheat the reactants to the desired experimental conditions. The present study seeks to determine the impact of vitiation on flow reactor studies of fuel combustion chemistry by conducting both fuel pyrolysis and oxidation experiments in a flow reactor in which either an electrical heater or a vitiation heater is used as the energy source. Other than the heater all other aspects of the flow reactor are identical. Two fuels relevant to air-breathing propulsion systems were investigated – Jet A and JP-10. Profiles of the stable reaction products were measured using gas chromatography for a temperature of 1030 K at a pressure of 1 atmosphere, with residence times between 30 ms and 70 ms. The primary hydrocarbon products for Jet A pyrolysis and oxidation were C2H4, C3H6, CH4, C4H8, C6H6 and C7H8. For JP-10, in addition to these species, cyclopentene (C5H8) and cyclopentadiene (C5H6) were measured. Under the conditions investigated, vitiation decreases the reaction times scales for both pyrolysis and oxidation. However, the product yields at a fixed fuel conversion were nearly identical for both the vitiated and non-vitiated experiments. Current kinetic models for Jet A and JP-10 pyrolysis and oxidation adequately captured the observed effects of vitiation on the stable species profiles.
Optimizing the performance of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) enabled battery electric vehicles through a smart charge scheduling model

A smart charge scheduling model is presented for potential (1) vehicle-to-grid (V2G) enabled battery electric vehicle (BEV) owners who are willing to participate in the grid ancillary services, and (2) grid operators. Unlike most V2G implementations, which are considered from the perspective of power grid systems, this model includes a communication network architecture for connecting system components that supports both BEV owners and grid operators to efficiently monitor and manage the charging and ancillary service activities. This model maximizes the net profit to each BEV participant while simultaneously satisfying energy demands for his/her trips. The performance of BEVs using the scheduling model is validated by estimating optimal annual financial benefits under different scenarios. An analysis of popular BEV models revealed that one of the existing BEVs considered in the study can generate an annual regulation profit of $454, $394 and $318 when the average daily driving distance is 20 miles, 40 miles and 60 miles, respectively. All popular BEV models can completely compensate the energy cost and generate a positive net profit, through the application of the scheduling model presented in this paper, with an annual driving distance of approximately 15,000 miles. Simulation analysis indicated that the extra load distribution from the optimized BEV charging operations were well balanced compared to the unmanaged BEV operations.
Development and Application of Spring Hinge Models to Simulate Reinforced Ductile Concrete Structural Components under Cyclic Loading

AbstractDuctile concrete materials with randomly oriented fibers have been studied to improve the strength, displacement capacity, and damage tolerance of reinforced concrete structural components ...
Importance of Radiologists in Optimizing Outcomes for Older Americans with Acute Abdomen.

Abstract Background Patients presenting with acute abdominal pain often undergo a computed tomography (CT) scan as part of their diagnostic workup. We investigated the relationship between availability, timeliness, and interpretation of CT imaging and outcomes for life-threatening intra-abdominal diseases or “acute abdomen,” in older Americans. Methods Data from a 2015 national survey of 2811 hospitals regarding emergency general surgery structures and processes (60.1% overall response, n = 1690) were linked to 2015 Medicare inpatient claims data. We identified beneficiaries aged ≥65 admitted emergently with a confirmatory acute abdomen diagnosis code and operative intervention on the same calendar date. Multivariable regression models adjusted for significant covariates determined odds of complications and mortality based on CT resources. Results We identified 9125 patients with acute abdomen treated at 1253 hospitals, of which 78% had ≥64-slice CT scanners and 85% had 24/7 CT technicians. Overnight CT reads were provided by in-house radiologists at 14% of hospitals and by teleradiologists at 66%. Patients were predominantly 65-74 y old (43%), white (88%), females (60%), and with ≥3 comorbidities (67%) and 8.6% died. STAT radiology reads by a board-certified radiologist rarely/never available in 2 h was associated with increased odds of systemic complication and mortality (adjusted odds ratio 2.6 [1.3-5.4] and 2.3 [1.1-4.8], respectively). Conclusions Delays obtaining results are associated with adverse outcomes in older patients with acute abdomen. This may be due to delays in surgical consultation and time to source control while waiting for imaging results. Processes to ensure timely interpretation of CT scans in patients with abdominal pain may improve outcomes in high-risk patients.
A Series-Hierarchical Iterative Learning Controller for Multi-Stage Systems

Multi-stage actuators are becoming more common in practice as the desire for larger work areas is combined with demands for higher precision. Systems such as these exist throughout the manufacturing and digital process environments which perform repetitive tasks. Iterative learning control (ILC) is a control strategy suited for such repetitive tasks. However, complex systems like these often exhibit coupling between individual stages. This letter presents a series-hierarchical ILC strategy (SH-ILC) that employs similar coupling between unique ILC algorithms to improve tracking performance in each stage of actuation. A numerical example of a dual-stage actuator (DSA) is provided, and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed SH-ILC achieves improved reference tracking performance over a comparable multivariable ILC approach.
Racial Stacking Among Special Teams Units in American College Football

Racial stacking refers to a form of racial discrimination structured within the organization of sports teams and franchises. It is a persistent and pervasive social problem. The concept, first introduced in the 1970s, documents the active process of selecting and assigning players to particular positions on the field of competition based on a players’ racial or ethnic background. The concept extends to the selection of positions of governance and oversight within sports organizations, such as coaches, managers, scouts, and front office staff. Although there has been a breadth of research on offensive and defensive positions of American football teams, no studies to date have examined Special Teams, a unit or collection of positions on a football team tasked with kicking (including field goals), punting and kick-off, and punt returns. The current study fills a gap in the literature and utilizes visual analysis of media guides and game film of all twelve football teams in the Pacific-12 intercollegiate athletic conference for three consecutive seasons (2016–2018), analyzing the racial demographics of all positions within these Special Team units. Findings from this study confirm the persistent presence of spatial centrality and racial stacking within Special Teams units of American college football, reproducing racial discrimination within college sports and American higher education today. Findings also contribute to a more nuanced understanding of figurative centrality within the racial stacking literature.
Management and Microbiology of Perforated Appendicitis in Pediatric Patients: A 5-Year Retrospective Study

This study aims to assess the current epidemiology and microbiology of perforated appendicitis, how antibiotic choice and duration correlate with meaningful clinical outcomes, and whether serial white blood cell (WBC) counts provide clinical value. Five-year retrospective cohort study, 2015–2019, among 333 consecutive children, ages 0–18 years, treated at St. Louis Children’s Hospital for perforated appendicitis. Main outcomes included length of stay (LOS), postoperative abscess formation, and readmission. Statistical analysis was performed with uni- and multi-variate analyses. Intra-abdominal cultures most commonly grew Bacteroides fragilis (52%) and Escherichia coli (50%). Patients who initially received broad-spectrum antibiotics (meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, fourth-generation cephalosporins) for perforated appendicitis had greater rates of postoperative abscess formation (25% vs. 12%, p < 0.01) and LOS (7.0 vs. 5.7 days, p < 0.01). Similarly, antibiotics at time of discharge were associated with greater postoperative abscess formation (22% vs. 9%, p < 0.01) and LOS (6.4 vs. 5.6 days, p = 0.02). However, discharge with strictly oral antibiotics was not correlated with greater LOS, postoperative abscess formation, or readmission rates compared to discharge without antibiotics. Serial WBC counts had no predictive value for LOS, postoperative abscess formation, or readmission. Bacteroides fragilis and E. coli were the most common intra-abdominal microbes for perforated appendicitis among our cohort. In non-critically ill children, the routine use of broad-spectrum antibiotics or continuation of antibiotics beyond discharge was not correlated with improved clinical outcomes. Additionally, WBC counts were not correlated with meaningful clinical outcomes.
Celebrity, Resilience, and Communication: The Role of Some Good News During the Covid-19 Pandemic

This chapter considers the role of celebrities and entertainment personalities in the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. As the United States began quarantining and social distancing, the usual coverage of celebrities “just like us” shifted. Not only did the activities change so did the voice, as paparazzi could no longer snap celebrities eating out or meeting with friends. Celebrity pandemic communication operated in many ways: by not communicating, by promoting safety-oriented behaviors, acting as virtual entertainers, and sharing cautionary tales. For this paper, we will analyze the online show Some Good News that emerged in March 2020. Hosted by John Krasinski, the show’s purpose was clear: as the news focused almost entirely on the global Covid-19 numbers, SGN would work to promote positive news meant to be a bright alternative for audiences. This chapter will explore how SGN offered an outlet that ultimately reinforced the role of celebrity culture as influential role models, aspirational motivators, and behavioral leaders even as it served an important need for audiences during the early months of 2020.
Institutionalizing renewable electricity: the long-term potential for policy learning

Renewable electricity (RE) remains an elusive goal for many in the United States. However, particularly as a result of wind power in the past decade, RE is a growing segment of the United States economy and state energy portfolios. As a result, officials at every level of government, federal, state, and local, continue to be confronted with policy choices relating to the expansion of renewable electricity generation (REG). This paper examines the potential long-term effects of the construction of utility-scale (20+ megawatts or MW) REG power plants on the public lands, defined here as those lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The argument following suggests that these facilities contain the potential to institutionalize REG in a way that can inform policy learning within the energy sector at all levels of government, particularly intergovernmental policy collaboration.
Global Competitive Strategy: The global business organization

The great Chicago architect, Louis Sullivan, urged builders to let “form follow function.” The same advice holds for managers designing the business organization. As business historian, Alfred D. Chandler observed: “structure follows strategy.” After choosing the company's strategy, managers should adjust the structural design of the organization to accomplish it. The international business poses important problems in organizational design. This chapter emphasizes the manager's choice of the horizontal structure of the firm – that is, the divisions of the organization. The overall structure of the international organization depends on the company's global strategy. The corporate strategy of a multi-business company refers primarily to the company's choice of what businesses it wishes to operate. Corporate strategy thus entails maintaining some existing businesses, withdrawing from some businesses, and entering new ones. The process of expanding the company's range of business is referred to as diversification. Based on their choices about what businesses the company will operate, managers then establish the company's divisions; these divisions are an important aspect of the organizational structure of the company. A market-based divisional structure is the best way to implement the company's global strategy. This organizational structure makes the best use of the information generated by the manager's “Star Analysis.” The market-based divisional structure allows the company to take advantage of the best features of the home country, supplier countries, customer countries, and partner countries.
Virulence Mechanisms of Cryptococcus gattii: Convergence and Divergence

This chapter describes what we have learned so far as well as many outstanding questions regarding the virulence of Cryptococcus gattii. It documents the available evidence for convergence and/or divergence of virulence mechanisms in the closely related pathogen, C. neoformans. The chapter summarizes some key features that distinguish C. gattii from C. neoformans. These distinguishing features reveal major differences in shape, antigenicity, and assimilation abilities that might underpin differences in the virulence mechanisms of C. gattii and C. neoformans. The availability of gene manipulation systems has accelerated characterization of C. gattii gene functions and evaluations of their relevance in virulence. A systematic study of host-pathogen interactions is critically dependent upon the availability of genetic tools for manipulation of the pathogens and tractable animal models to investigate the host factors critical in the infectious processes. The chapter also discusses primary and accessory determinants of C. gattii virulence. The primary determinants are capsule, melanin, thermal tolerance, psuperoxide dismutase, trehalose, and phenotype switchinghospholipases. Accessory determinants include mating locus, transcription factor STE12α, protein kinase A (PKA), comparative genomics, extracellular secretory products, ecological fitness, and antifungal susceptibility profiles. A better understanding of C. gattii virulence mechanisms would lead to more effective therapeutic options and the possible development of a C. gattii vaccine strategy, especially for areas of high incidence and for veterinary use.
Predicting reports of unmet expectations among rheumatology patients.

Objective Approximately 25% of patients report unmet expectations after their doctor visits. In a longitudinal study of rheumatology patients, we examined whether changes in health status could predict unmet expectations. Methods Arthritis patients (n = 177) responded to 2 surveys (baseline and 6-month followup). Both surveys contained questions on health status (functional status, pain, helplessness, psychological status) and visit duration. The followup survey contained questions on postvisit unmet expectations. Factors associated with unmet expectations were determined. Results Fifty-eight patients (33%) reported unmet expectations, most often for information (47%) and new medications (31%). Unmet expectations were more common among patients with greater baseline helplessness (odds ratio [OR] 1.9, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.0–3.6) and short doctor visits at followup (OR 5.6, 95% CI 2.4–13.1). Unmet expectations were less common among those experiencing a decline in pain (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1–0.9). Conclusion Attention to the patient's level of pain and helplessness and duration of the visit may limit reports of unmet expectations.
An Analysis of Seasoned Equity Offerings by Equity REITs, 1991 to 1995

This article examines the valuation effect around the filing and offer dates of seasoned equity offerings by Equity REITs over the period 1991 to 1995. Based on a much larger sample, our finding of a significantly negative reaction to filing announcements corroborates the evidence in Howe and Shilling (1988). Our analyses indicate that the valuation effect is impacted more by the information content of the filing than any tax-based explanations. We find a significantly negative valuation effect on the offer day as well. The effect persists even after adjustment of returns by the bid-ask bounce induced by excessive selling of shares in the secondary market by institutional investors to take advantage of offer price discounts. While we attribute the result partly to order flow imbalance around the offer day, this finding is inconsistent with extant literature merits and further investigation.
Sovereign Wealth Funds and the Efficient Management of the Wealth of Nations

This comment considers arguments for and against stricter regulation of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), either by tightening securities laws or increasing the tax burden on SWFs. Concerns about SWFs fall into two broad categories: fears that (1) investments will be politically, rather than financially, motivated, and that (2) to the extent that SWFs are politically motivated in their investment choices, they are inefficient investors that distort capital markets. While acknowledging these legitimate concerns, this comment explains how foreign equity investment by such funds may paradoxically promote global capital market efficiency.
Descriptions of Difficult Conversations between Native and Non-Native English Speakers: In-Group Membership and Helping Behaviors

This study illustrated the perceptions of native English speakers about difficult conversations with non-native English speakers. A total of 114 native English speakers enrolled in undergraduate communication courses at a regional state university answered a questionnaire about a recent difficult conversation the respondent had with a non-native English speaker. A thematic analysis of their responses revealed that helping occurred when the non-native speaker was considered to be a customer, in-group member, or “fellow human being.” Helping behavior was characterized by actions that fostered understanding between the interactants and aided the non-native speaker in completion of a task or goal. Non-helping occurred when the non-native speaker was considered to be an out-group member violating role expectations or cultural norms.
Hydrocarbon Reaction Mechanisms

The sections in this article are Introduction Acid–Base Catalysis Carbocations and Their Reactions Nature and Formation of Carbocations Carbenium Ions Carbonium Ions Reactions of Carbenium Ions Intramolecular Reactions Hydride and Alkyl Shifts β-Elimination β-Scission Cyclization Intermolecular Reactions Reactions with Alkanes: Hydride Transfer Disproportionation Reactions with Alkenes: Dimerization Reactions with Aromatics Catalytic Reactions Involving Carbocation Intermediates Alkene Oligomerization and Polymerization Isomerization Cracking Alkylation Transalkylation of Aromatics Aromatization of Alkanes and Alkenes Coke Formation Steric Influence of the Catalyst Metal Surface Catalysis Skeletal Isomerization of Hydrocarbons Hydrogenation of Alkenes Hydrogenolysis and Homologation of Alkenes Acknowledgments Keywords: hydrocarbon reactions; carbocations; carbenium ions; carbonium ions; β-scission; hydride transfer; transalkylation; aromatization; isomerization
A MADS Box Protein Consensus Binding Site Is Necessary and Sufficient for Activation of the Opaque-Phase-Specific Gene OP4 of Candida albicans

The majority of strains of Candida albicans can switch frequently and reversibly between two or more general phenotypes, a process now considered a putative virulence factor in this species. Candida albicans WO-1 switches frequently and reversibly between a white and an opaque phase, and this phenotypic transition is accompanied by the differential expression of white-phase-specific and opaque-phase-specific genes. In the opaque phase, cells differentially express the gene OP4, which encodes a putative protein 402 amino acids in length that contains a highly hydrophobic amino-terminal sequence and a carboxy-terminal sequence with a pI of 10.73. A series of deletion constructs fused to the Renilla reniformis luciferase was used to functionally characterize the OP4 promoter in order to investigate how this gene is differentially expressed in the white-opaque transition. An extremely strong 17-bp transcription activation sequence was identified between -422 and -404 bp. This sequence contained a MADS box consensus binding site, most closely related to the Mcm1 binding site of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A number of point mutations generated in the MADS box consensus binding site as well as a complete deletion of the consensus site further demonstrated that it was essential for the activation of OP4 transcription in the opaque phase. Gel mobility shift assays with the 17-bp activation sequence identified three specific complexes which formed with both white- and opaque-phase cell extracts. Competition with a putative MADS box consensus binding site from the promoter of the coordinately regulated opaque-phase-specific gene PEP1 (SAP1) and the human MADS box consensus binding site for serum response factor demonstrated that one of the three complexes formed was specific to the OP4 sequence.
Effect of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide on the Viability of Serratia marcescens

Campbell, Jack E. (University of California, Berkeley), and R. L. Dimmick. Effect of 3% hydrogen peroxide on the viability of Serratia marcescens. J. Bacteriol. 91:925-929. 1966.-Populations of Serratia marcescens were exposed to 3% H(2)O(2) at temperatures from 0 to 20 C. The reaction appeared to follow an Arrhenius plot, but variable numbers of diminutive colonies were found after cell numbers started to decrease. Colony numbers varied on different sampling media and increased when additional incubation was imposed. The overall reaction was sensitive to age of culture, and growth capabilities of treated samples varied with time of treatment, especially during times when no loss of viability was noted. Catalase activity per cell did not correlate with changes in sensitivity; iron added to growth medium increased catalase activity and decreased sensitivity, but not in the same manner. Although the fundamental reaction is presumably molecular in nature, present methods of viability assay measure more than single events and are not suitable for these studies.
Guaranteed convergence ratio of systems with time-varying uncertainties

When the system is subject to possibly fast time varying uncertainties, there does not appear to be similar constraints discussed in the literature. This paper discusses one possible constraints of this type: a certain proportion of state change rate must be used for state convergence. When the uncertainty is absent, this constraint is equivalent to constraining the poles of the system to be within some circle with damping ratio at least at some specified value. The criterion is formulated in the form of a matrix inequality. This criterion can often be combined with other constraints expressible in the form of LMI or BMI without significantly complicating the numerical procedure. The state feedback control problem is also discussed.
Louise Phillips, Anabela Carvalho & Julie Doyle (Eds.), Citizen Voices: Performing Public Participation in Science and Environment Communication

Copyright © 2014 (Lindani Mbunyuza-Memani, lindani.memani@siu.edu). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd). Available at http://ijoc.org. Louise Phillips, Anabela Carvalho, and Julie Doyle (Eds.), Citizen Voices: Performing Public Participation in Science and Environment Communication. Bristol, UK: Intellect Ltd., 2012, 231 pp., $35.50 (paperback).
Thermal Mitigation of Urban Storm Water by Level Spreader–Vegetative Filter Strips

A study was conducted in Louisburg, North Carolina, to determine the effect of level spreader–vegetative filter strip (LS-VFS) storm-water control measures (SCMs) on runoff temperature and thermal loading. Two LS-VFS systems draining an urban catchment were monitored during the summers of 2008 and 2009. The first VFS was 7.6 m wide and entirely grassed. The second was 15.2 m wide, with the first-half grassed and the second-half wooded. Runoff temperatures and thermal loads from the urban catchment tended to peak toward the beginning of a storm event. Median and maximum storm temperatures were significantly reduced across both the 7.6-m and 15.2-m LS-VFSs. However, median and maximum effluent temperatures for both filter strip lengths were significantly greater than the 21°C trout threshold. Mean and median effluent temperatures from the 15.2-m LS-VFS were slightly lower (<1°C) than those from the 7.6-m LS-VFS, which may show the impact of increased filter strip width and/or the shading from wooded vegetat...
Identification of an initial site of interaction and possible helix destabilizing activity preceding initiation of protein synthesis from retrovirus RNA.

Abstract Hybrid arrest of translation initiation (HARTI) assays with a series of oligodeoxyribonucleotides demonstrated that in rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL), the initial binding of protein synthesizing components to Rous sarcoma virus RNA requires only the penultimate guanosine and cap structure. Assays of DNA: RNA heteroduplex stability in RRL suggest that helix destabilizing activities then play a role in subsequent initiation of protein synthesis.
A model for the stretch-mediated enzymatic degradation of silk fibers.

Abstract To restore physiological function through regenerative medicine, biomaterials introduced into the body must degrade at a rate that matches new tissue formation. For effective therapies, it is essential that we understand the interaction between physiological factors, such as routine mechanical loading specific to sites of implantation, and the resultant rate of material degradation. These relationships are poorly characterized at this time. We hypothesize that mechanical forces alter the rates of remodeling of biomaterials, and this impact is modulated by the concentration of enzymes and the duration of the mechanical loads encountered in situ. To test this hypothesis we subjected silk fibroin fibers to repeated cyclic loading in the presence of enzymatic degradation (either α -chymotrypsin or Protease XIV) and recorded the stress–strain response. Data were collected daily for a duration of 2 weeks and compared to the control cases of stretched fibers in the presence of phosphate buffered saline or non-stretched samples in the presence of enzyme alone. We observed that incubation with proteases in the absence of mechanical loads causes a reduction of the ultimate tensile strength but no change in stiffness. However, cyclic loading caused the accumulation of residual strain and softening in the material’s properties. We utilize these data to formulate a mathematical model to account for residual strain and reduction of mechanical properties during silk fiber degradation. Numerical predictions are in fair agreement with experimental data. The improved understanding of the degradation phenomenon will be significant in many clinical repair cases and may be synergistic to decrease silk’s mechanical properties after in vivo implantation.
A new look at the Lanczos algorithm for solving symmetric systems of linear equations

Abstract Simple versions of the conjugate gradient algorithm and the Lanczos method are discussed, and some merits of the latter are described. A variant of Lanczos is proposed which maintains robust linear independence of the Lanczos vectors by keeping them in secondary storage and occasionally making use of them. The main applications are to problems in which (1) the cost of the matrix-vector product dominates other costs, (2) there is a sequence of right hand sides to be processed, and (3) the eigenvalue distribution of A is not too favorable.
Science and Technology in India: The Digression of Asia and Europe

This article argues that science and technology were thriving in eighteenth-century India. The establishment of colonial rule however, ended the indigenous traditions of elite support disrupting the positive environment in which innovations had been occurring. These observations challenge assumptions held by many historians that relative to India, Europe grew rich in the nineteenth century because science and technology flourished in Europe alone. The evidence suggests that new approaches need to be taken in order to understand how science and technology informed the making of inequalities that are reflected in today's world.
CYTOLOGY OF DIFFERENTIATING TRACHEARY ELEMENTS II. STRUCTURES ASSOCIATED WITH CELL SURFACES

During the differentiation of helical secondary walls in tracheary elemrents of Beta vulgaris L. and Cucurbita maxima Duchesne special structures were recognized on both sides of the plasmalemma in variously fixed material. Microtubules oriented parallel with the expected orientation of microfibrils in the cell wall occur near the inner side of the plasmalemma. Inclusions in the form of vesicles and tubules occur between the plasmalemma and the wall in pockets apparently
Computational modeling of inhibitor release and transport from multifunctional organic coatings

A computational code that was originally designed to model crevice corrosion was extended to multifunctional coatings on Al alloys exposed to thin layers of electrolytes. The model is able to calculate the transient distributions of potential, current density, and all chemical species concentration, enabling the dynamic simulation of inhibitor release, inhibitor transport, and sacrificial cathodic protection. The model has been applied to both inhibitor release from and aggressive anion capture by hydrotalcites (HTs) pigments in epoxy primer coatings applied to AA2024-T3. Computational studies were carried out to investigate the effects of HT/vanadate (HT/V) epoxy coating system parameters including scratch size, inhibitor release rate, Cl− gettering rate (GR), cathodic kinetics on the bare AA2024-T3, and solution layer thickness on system performance. The analyses of the computational results have quantified the important factors controlling successful corrosion inhibition by inhibitor release from coatings. The pH-dependence of the steady state inhibitor release rate was found to be the most important parameter controlling system performance. Cl− gettering can also reduce the aggressiveness of solution at long times, especially when considered in conjunction with inhibitor release. However, the ion exchange capacity required poses stiff design challenges involving the loading of the ion exchanger into the resin and the service conditions. The effectiveness of inhibition decreased significantly for the larger scratch sizes. The cathodic kinetics within the scratch play an important role in determining the ability of a given inhibitor to function effectively. When the scratch is the cathode in the galvanic couple with the substrate under the coating, inhibition was more effective. For the conditions simulated here, the net effect of a decreased solution layer thickness is to increase the protection ability of the system. The increase in the inhibitor concentration overcomes the decrease in the pH at the anode.
Effects of male courtship and gonadal steroids on pair formation, egg‐laying, and serum LH in Canvasback ducks (Aythya valisineria)

The effects of social stimuli on the reproductive physiology of female birds have been widely studied. This study examined the endocrine and behavioural responses of female Canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) to changes in the behavioural and endocrine states of the male, as signalled by his courtship displays. Male Canvasbacks exposed to female conspecifics exhibited a variety of courtship displays which increased significantly with testosterone administration. However, the testosterone-increased courtship displays of males did not increase female receptivity or serum LH, or stimulate reproductive development or egg-laying in unpaired females placed with them. Females confined in cubicles within a pen that held breeding pairs and a free-swimming flock had higher serum LH levels and laid more eggs than did females in cubicles in another pen without breeding pairs or a free-swimming flock. This suggests that social factors, such as vocalizations from a flock and breeding pairs, may increase serum LH and egg-laying in unpaired females. Oestradiol implants in female Canvasbacks did not elevate receptivity to courting drakes, nor did they stimulate pair formation, nesting activity, or egg-laying behaviour. Testosterone implants in drakes and oestradiol implants in females decreased serum LH in each group. These results show that increasing the amount of courtship is not adequate to stimulate pairing behaviour or increases in reproductive hormones. Thus, our results suggest that female receptivity to male courtship may be a key determinant of pair formation and consequent synchronization of the behaviour patterns between members of a pair of wild birds. Our results may further suggest a dissociation between effects of courtship and pair formation in wild Canvasbacks.
Reaction graphs for rearrangements of pentagonal-bipyramidal complexes

Abstract The reaction graphs for pentagonal-bipyramidal structures have 504 vertices when enantiomerism is considered, and 252 vertices when it is ignored. Smaller subgraphs are presented in detail, obtained from the above integral reaction graphs by contracting two pairs of opposite edges in four-membered circuits into a single edge. Based on the symmetries of these smaller graphs with 24 and 12 vertices, respectively, considerations on the two integral reaction graphs are presented. Chemically relevant species are discussed.
Asymmetric Broca's area in great apes

Brodmann's area 44 delineates part of Broca's area within the inferior frontal gyrus of the human brain and is a critical region for speech production, being larger in the left hemisphere than in the right - an asymmetry that has been correlated with language dominance. Here we show that there is a similar asymmetry in this area, also with left-hemisphere dominance, in three great ape species (Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus and Gorilla gorilla). Our findings suggest that the neuroanatomical substrates for left-hemisphere dominance in speech production were evident at least five million years ago and are not unique to hominid evolution.
Vectors carrying two separate T-DNAs for co-transformation of higher plants mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens and segregation of transformants free from selection markers

Novel 'super-binary' vectors that carried two separate T-DNAs were constructed. One T-DNA contained a drug-resistance, selection-marker gene and the other contained a gene for beta-glucuronidase (GUS). A large number of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) transformants were produced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 that carried the vectors. Frequency of co-transformation with the two T-DNAs was greater than 47% GUS-positive, drug-sensitive progeny were obtained from more than half of the co-transformants. Molecular analyses by Southern hybridization and polymerase chain reactions confirmed integration and segregation of the T-DNAs. Thus, the non-selectable T-DNA that was genetically separable from the selection marker was integrated into more than a quarter of the initial, drug-resistant transformants. Since various DNA fragments may be inserted into the non-selectable T-DNA by a simple procedure, these vectors will likely be very useful for the production of marker-free transformants of diverse plant species. Delivery of two T-DNAs to plants from mixtures of A. tumefaciens was also tested, but frequency of co-transformation was relatively low.