cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuroendocrine regulation of insect development

Insect development is characterized by a series of post-embryonic growth cycles, each culminating with a cuticular molt. Towards the end of each cycle, tissues respond to a complex hormonal millieu and become committed to express the cellular products of their future developmental stage. This hormonal millieu is largely specified by hormones released from two types of endocrine glands; the ecdysone producing prothoracic glands, and juvenile hormone producing corpora allata. Quantitative and qualitative features of the hormonal environment defined by the activities of these glands are largely under neuroendocrine and interendocrine control. As expected, a complex circuit of feedback loops integrates these systems. Specific examples of these developmental endocrine circuits are illustrated with our work on the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta.
Follow-up Study of 105 Patients Who Left Treatment

Attention is focused in this chapter on 105 patients who left the six methadone maintenance programs after their first interview and who were reinterviewed in the community a year later. Before discussing the findings from this follow-up study, it is pertinent to address the issue of retention in methadone maintenance treatment.
Effects of hydrogen bonding on the gas-phase reactivity of didehydroisoquinolinium cation isomers

Two previously unreported isomeric biradicals with a 1,4-radical topology, the 1,5-didehydroisoquinolinium cation and the 4,8-didehydroisoquinolinium cation, and an additional, previously reported isomer, the 4,5-didehydroisoquinolinium cation, were studied to examine the importance of the exact location of the radical sites on their reactivities in the gas phase. The experimental results suggest that hydrogen bonding in the transition state enhances the reactivity of the 1,5-didehydroisoquinolinium cation towards tetrahydrofuran but not towards allyl iodide, dimethyl disulfide or tert-butyl isocyanide. The observation of no such enhancement of reactivity towards tetrahydrofuran for the 4,8-didehydroisoquinolinium and 4,5-didehydroisoquinolinium cations supports this hypothesis as these two biradicals are not able to engage in hydrogen bonding in their transition states for hydrogen atom abstraction from tetrahydrofuran. Quantum chemical transition state calculations indicate that abstraction of a hydrogen atom from tetrahydrofuran by the 1,5-didehydroisoquinolinium cation occurs at the C-1 radical site and that the transition state is stabilized by hydrogen bonding.
The Use of Incorrect Informative Priors in the Estimation of MIMIC Model Parameters with Small Sample Sizes

Recently, advancements in Bayesian structural equation modeling (SEM), particularly software developments, have allowed researchers to more easily employ it in data analysis. With the potential for...
Musculoskeletal Injuries Are Commonly Reported Among Gastroenterology Trainees: Results of a National Survey.

Endoscopy-related musculoskeletal injuries are increasingly recognized among gastroenterologists. While injury rates and risk factors have been studied among practicing gastroenterologists, little is known about rates among trainees during fellowship. This study analyzes the prevalence of endoscopy-related overuse injuries and risk factors for injuries among a national sample of gastroenterology (GI) fellows. We also surveyed GI fellowship program directors and fellows about perceptions of overuse injuries during GI training. We distributed a 29-item electronic survey to GI fellows at accredited programs in the USA in April 2016. Survey items included demographic information, questions pertaining to injuries, and level of agreement on the importance of ergonomics training in GI fellowship. Additionally, we distributed a 7-item electronic survey to fellowship program directors evaluating perception of overuse injuries and prevention during fellowship training. Fisher’s exact test determined factors associated with sustaining an injury. An estimated 1509 fellows received the survey. Eleven percent (n = 165) of gastroenterology fellows completed the survey. Twenty percent reported having a musculoskeletal injury. Female gender was the only factor associated with a higher rate of reported injury (p < 0.01). The most common injuries reported were thumb and other hand-related pain (n = 28 [64%]). Musculoskeletal injuries may affect up to 20% of GI fellows. Female fellows more frequently report injuries and may be at particularly high risk which has not been found in previously reported surveys of practicing gastroenterologists. Standardized curricula on ergonomic considerations and injury prevention are needed to enhance GI fellowship training and reduce injury rates.
Endotypes of severe allergic asthma patients who clinically benefit from Anti-IgE therapy

Omalizumab, a recombinant monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, is effective in treatment of severe allergic asthma. We prospectively compared the underlying type 2 cytokines and epithelium derived cytokines in bronchial tissues between omalizumab responsive and non-responsive severe allergic asthma patients. Fourteen of 23 patients with unstable severe allergic asthma improved their asthma control after 4 months of omalizumab treatment (Responders), while 9 failed to improve (Non-Responders). Most of Responders were type 2-high endotype (12/14) with up-regulated expression of IL-33, IL-25 and TSLP in their bronchial tissues, while most of Non-Responders were type 2-low endotype (8/9). Repeated bronchoscopic biopsy was done in 9 responders after omalizumab treatment, and showed a decline in IL-13, IL-33, IL-25 and TSLP expression in the bronchial tissues. Among 14 Responders who continued omalizuamb treatments to a total 12 months, 6 patients achieved a well control of asthma (ACT≥23), while 8 patients required additional treatment for asthma symptoms and had more rhinosinusitis co-morbidities and higher IL-17A expression in their bronchial tissues. Most of severe allergic asthma patients who benefited from omalizumab treatment were IL-33, IL-25 and TSLP aggravated type 2-high endotype. Rhinosinusitis with or without fungus exposure should be evaluated in patients who partially responded to omalizumab treatment.
Strength and Temporal Variance of the Default Mode Network to Investigate Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Service Members with Psychological Trauma

Background:There is a significant number of military personnel with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) who suffer from comorbid posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS). Although there is e...
Reconfigurable Ferroelectric Transistor–Part II: Application in Low-Power Nonvolatile Memories

In Part I, we proposed reconfigurable ferroelectric transistors (R-FEFETs) with a unique property of dynamic modulation between the volatile (logic) and nonvolatile (memory) modes of operation with the help of a control signal. They showcase excellent robustness in the presence of gate leakage with larger hysteresis in the nonvolatile mode with respect to ferroelectric FETs (FEFETs) and higher ON current in the volatile mode compared with standard FETs. Using the unique attributes of R-FEFETs presented in Part I, we explain the dynamics of transition between various modes of operation for circuit-level applications in this paper. We propose a 3T nonvolatile memory design that offers significant power savings over FEFET-based memories by virtue of the control terminal. Our analysis shows that the proposed R-FEFET memory exhibits 55% lower write power and 37%–72% lower read power at iso access time and 33% lower area compared with a recently proposed standard FEFET-based memory.
All-optically triggerable organic/inorganic photonic devices

Optical resonant cavities form the foundation for a wide range of integrated optical components. While a high performance laser requires a high quality factor (Q) cavity, other types of devices, like modulators, rely on the cavity resonant wavelength being tunable. Numerous mechanisms based on the thermo-optic and electro-optic effects have been leveraged to create switchable or tunable devices; however, these are very power hungry and/or require complex control machinery. In the present work, we graft an air-stable, optically triggerable functional group to the surface of an ultra-high-Q optical cavity. The Aazobenzene functional group switches from trans to cis upon exposure to blue light, and it can be thermally triggered to revert to the initial trans state. Using a single tapered optical fiber waveguide, blue and near-IR light can be coupled into the device simultaneously. When the blue light interacts with the Aazo group, the resonant wavelength blue shifts. Upon exposure to a CO2 laser, the resonant wavelength returns to its initial position. Several different aspects of the device operation were investigated, including the kinetics of the switching, the effect of switching via a resonant or non-resonant optical field, and sterics of the switching. Notably, by tuning the surface density of the Aazo groups using a multi-material surface chemistry, it is possible to control the magnitude of the shift.
An Electronic Medical Record-Based Discharge Disposition Tool Gets Bundle Busted: Decaying Relevance of Clinical Data Accuracy in Machine Learning.

Abstract Background Determining discharge disposition after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) has been a challenge. Advances in machine learning (ML) have produced computer models that learn by example to generate predictions on future events. We hypothesized a trained ML algorithm’s diagnostic accuracy will be better than that of current predictive tools to predict discharge disposition after primary TJA. Methods This study was a retrospective cohort study from a single, tertiary referral center for primary TJA. We trained and validated an artificial neural network (ANN) based on 4368 distinct surgical encounters between 1/1/2013 and 6/28/2016. The ANN’s ability to identify discharge disposition was then tested on 1452 distinct surgical encounters between 1/3/17 and 11/30/17. Results The area under the curve and accuracy achieved during model validation were 0.973 and 91.7%, respectively, with 25% of patients being discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Within our testing data set, 6.7% of patients went to SNFs. The performance in the testing set included an area under the curve of 0.804, accuracy of 61.3%, sensitivity of 28.9%, and specificity of 93.8%. Conclusions This is the first prediction tool using an electronic medical record–integrated ANN to predict discharge disposition after TJA based on locally generated data. Dramatically reduced numbers of patients discharged to SNFs due to implementation of a bundled payment model lead to poor recall in the testing model. This model serves as a proof of concept for developing an ML prediction tool using a relatively small data set and subsequent integration into the electronic medical record.
Discrimination of wear and non-wear in infants using data from hip- and ankle-worn devices.

Introduction A key component to analyzing wearable sensor data is identifying periods of non-wear. Traditionally, strings of consecutive zero counts (e.g. >60-minutes) are identified indicating periods of non-movement. The non-movement window length is then evaluated as wear or non-wear. Given that non-movement is not equivalent to non-wear, additional criteria should be evaluated to objectively identify periods of non-wear. Identifying non-wear is especially challenging in infants due to their sporadic movement, sleep frequency, and proportion of caregiver-generated movement. Purpose To use hip- and ankle-worn ActiGraph wGT3X-BT (wGT3X-BT) data to identify non-wear in infants. Methods Fifteen infant participants [mean±SD; age, 8.7±1.7 weeks (range 5.4–11.3 weeks); 5.1±0.8 kg; 56.2±2.1 cm; n = 8 females] wore a wGT3X-BT on the hip and ankle. Criterion data were collected during two, 2-hour directly observed periods in the laboratory. Using raw 30 Hz acceleration data, a vector magnitude and the inclination angle of each individual axis were calculated before being averaged into 1-minute windows. Three decision tree models were developed using data from 1) hip only, 2) ankle only, and 3) hip and ankle combined. Results The hip model classified 86.6% of all minutes (wear and non-wear) correctly (F1 = 75.5%) compared to the ankle model which classified 90.6% of all minutes correctly (F1 = 83.0%). The combined site model performed similarly to the ankle model and correctly classified 90.0% of all minutes (F1 = 80.8%). Conclusion The similar performance between the ankle only model and the combined site model likely indicates that the features from the ankle device are more important for identifying non-wear in infants. Overall, this approach provides an advancement in the identification of device wear status using wearable sensor data in infants.
Antecedents, concurrent correlates, and potential consequences of young adult solitary alcohol use.

Objective Research on young adults has found solitary alcohol use to be positively associated with negative emotions, coping motives for drinking, and negative alcohol-related consequences, but most research has been cross-sectional and based on samples of college students. We examined associations across multiple time points within a sample that was diverse with respect to educational status and age. Methods A community sample (N = 754, ages 18-26; 56% female) completed surveys at baseline, monthly for 2 years, and at 30-month postbaseline. Multilevel and single-level regression models assessed longitudinal and concurrent associations between solitary drinking and potential correlates, adjusting for frequency of alcohol use. Results Moderate depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with a greater likelihood of solitary drinking in drinking months in the subsequent 2 years (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 2.22, 95% CI [1.54-3.20]). During those 2 years, both depressive symptoms and coping motives were positively concurrently associated with solitary drinking at the between- and within-person level. Although solitary drinking in a particular month had a small and nonsignificant association with negative alcohol-related consequences, the proportion of drinking months that involved solitary drinking was positively associated with negative alcohol-related consequences across months. More solitary drinking during monthly data collection was associated with greater likelihoods of hazardous drinking and moderate depressive symptoms at 30-month follow-up, but these associations were not statistically significant after adjusting for earlier measures of drinking and depressive symptoms. Conclusions The findings point to the importance of considering the drinking context when screening and providing treatment for alcohol misuse. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
CD5+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a narrative review.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous entity, and cell surface cluster of differentiation (CD) 5 expression may represent a distinct subset. Here, we provide a narrative review o...
Clinical Outcomes After Trimodality Therapy With Dose-Escalated Neoadjuvant Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Trimodality therapy (TMT) with preoperative chemoradiation followed by surgical resection is used in the management of locally-advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Traditionally, preoperative radiation doses ≤54 Gy are used due to concerns regarding excess morbidity, but little is known about outcomes and toxicities after TMT with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) to higher doses. We investigated whether clinical outcomes were different after TMT with IMRT using less than definitive doses of 7 days were significantly associated with decreased OS when controlling for sex, surgical approach, post-operative grade ≥3 toxicity, and mean lung dose. CONCLUSION We found no increased rate of post-TMT complications in patients receiving higher doses using IMRT. Survival outcomes or LOS did not differ based on radiation dose, but increased LOS was associated with worse OS. Larger prospective studies are needed to further examine outcomes after IMRT in patients with LA-NSCLC receiving TMT.
A Review of Interpretation of Bloodstain Evidence at Crime Scenes

Crime scene reconstruction, and bloodstain pattern interpretation in particular, although potentially very powerful investigative approaches, are misunderstood, misused, and abused areas of forensic science. Misinformation aboundsl and a coherent source of reliable information is needed. However, writing a text on crime scene reconstruction or bloodstain pattern interpretation is no easy task. If it were, such a text would probably have been written some time ago. Certainly, the importance of this area of forensic science has been widely recognized for about 20 years, largely as a result of Herbert MacDonell's publications and courses. Clearly, a book dealing with bloodstain pattern interpretation would be expected to be very welcome. Unfortunately, the present book does not deliver on the promise implicit in its title. It offers little in the way of scientific insight or discussions of general principles.
The Effects of Oral Controlled Exposure on Colostrum Characteristics in Swine

v Chapter 1. Dissertation Organization 1 Chapter 2. The History of Oral Controlled Exposure in Swine, Applications in Veterinary Medicine and Basic Aspects of Porcine Immunology 2 Introduction 2 Oral Controlled Exposure Background 4 Basic Swine Immunology 6 Immunological Review of Swine Gastrointestinal Tract 9 Swine Placenta Physiology and Colostrum 11 Clostridium Perfringens 15 References 20 Chapter 3. Methods For Characterizing Oral Control Exposure in Swine from Field Settings 31 Abstract 3
Efficient and Ad Hoc Estimation in the Bivariate Censoring Model

A large number of proposals for estimating the bivariate survival function under random censoring has been made. In this paper we discuss nonparametric maximum likelihood estimation and the bivariate Kaplan-Meier estimator of Dabrowska. We show how these estimators are computed, present their intuitive background and compare their practical performance under different levels of dependence and censoring, based on extensive simulation results, which leads to a practical advise.
Effects of whitewater parks on fish passage: a spatially explicit hydraulic analysis

ABSTRACT Evaluating and designing channel spanning structures for successful fish passage requires description of hydraulic conditions at scales meaningful to fish. We describe novel approaches combining fish movement data and hydraulic descriptions from a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model to examine the physical processes that limit upstream movement of trout across 3 unique in-stream structures at a whitewater park (WWP) in Lyons, Colorado. These methods provide a continuous and spatially explicit description of velocity, depth, vorticity, and turbulent kinetic energy along potential fish swimming paths in the flow field. Logistic regression analyses indicate a significant influence of velocity and depth on limiting passage success and accurately predict greater than 87% of observed fish movements. However, vorticity, turbulent kinetic energy, and a cost function do not significantly affect passage success. Unique combinations of depth and velocity at each WWP structure reflect variation in passage success. The methods described in this study provide a powerful approach to quantify hydraulic conditions at a scale meaningful to a fish and to mechanistically evaluate the effects of hydraulic structures on fish passage. The results of these analyses can be used for management and design guidance, and have implications for fishes with lesser swimming abilities.
Cyclic-inelastic deformation and fatigue resistance of notched-thin aluminum plates

The results of experiments designed to develop data to assess the accuracy and utility of the critical location concept in applications of fatigue-crack nucleation analysis at notch roots are presented and discussed. Fully reversed and nonzero mean-stress data are presented over a range of lives which encompass both elastic and inelastic deformations for thin-notched specimens and smooth specimens made of 2024 T351 aluminum-alloy sheet. Notch-root strains were measured via an extensometer, whereas the formation of small cracks was detected via an eddy-current transducer. Data reported indicated the validity of the assumption that smooth and notched specimens form cracks at the same cycle number when identical deformation histories are imposed at their respective critical locations. They also serve to demonstrate the accuracy and utility of the critical-location approach in analysis to predict the formation of small cracks at notches in coupons and components.
Quantum Mechanics in Curved Spacetimes Stochastic Processes on Frame Bundles

It is customary, nowadays, to pay homage to path integration at the beginning of a course in Quantum Physics—but later on to use only its most obvious properties. So much so that it is often said that, “Feynman path integrals are mathematically meaningless.” “We only know how to integrate gaussian path integrals.” “A path integral is only the solution of a parabolic partial differential equation, satisfying some initial conditions.”
Evidence of the Meyer-Neldel Rule in InGaAsN Alloys: Consequences for Photovoltaic Materials

We present data showing the potential adverse effects on photovoltaic device performance of all traps in InGaAsN. Deep-level transient spectroscopy measurements were performed on InGaAsN samples grown by both metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and RF plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy. For each growth technique, we studied samples with varying nitrogen composition ranging from 0% to 2.2%. A deep hole trap with activation energy ranging between 0.5 and 0.8 eV is observed in all samples. These data clearly obey the Meyer-Neldel rule, which states that all traps have the same emission rate at the isokinetic temperature. A fit of our trap data gives an isokinetic temperature of 350 K. We find that the emission time for all deep hole traps is on the order of milliseconds at room temperature. This means that both deep and shallow traps emit slowly at the operating temperature of solar cells—thus, the traps can be recombination centers.
Developmental Learning Theory in the First Year: From Regression to Progression

The traditional first-year curriculum in American law schools takes incoming law students as novice or dualistic thinkers, in the nomenclature of developmental learning theorists. Thus the traditional first-year curriculum emphasizes the determinate nature of law and practice, and the role of authority in the law, just to name two features. But while our incoming students may, in fact, be novices in the law, they are increasingly sophisticated thinkers in other areas of their lives and in their moral reasoning abilities. They can deal with indeterminacy, and they can be agents of development (not merely recipients of knowledge), outside the law. Moreover, they can apply these capabilities to their legal studies. In treating first-year students as novices, the traditional legal curriculum neglects these capabilities. Worse, it regresses first-year students as thinkers and as moral reasoners on conventional developmental continua. In contrast to the traditional curriculum, actual legal work in the first year - where students take responsibility for actual legal work, with all its attendant indeterminacies - builds upon the capabilities that our students bring to law school and thus promotes their intellectual development, their ethical reasoning skills, and their development as professionals.
PREDICTION OF READING DIFFICULTY FROM PARENTAL PRESCHOOL REPORT: A 3- YEAR FOLLOWUP

The Minnesota Child Development Inventory (MCDI) was used to describe the developmental status of 59 children before the start of kindergarten. Three years later children were classified in one of four categories, based on the amount of supplemental reading instruction necessary during the three-year period. A number of variables from the MCDI were highly correlated with this continuum of difficulty in mastering reading, with parental report of the child's general development and knowledge of letters and numbers being most signifi- cant. Significant correlations with group achievement tests also were obtained. The findings should encourage the inclusion of parent reports by persons using or constructing preschool screening measures.
When War Won Out: Bosnian Peace Plans Before Dayton

The elements bearing on the prospects for a political settlement in Bosnia-Herzegovina came together in 1995 in a way that made peace possible. These included a forceful US lead in the negotiations, a protracted NATO air campaign, a shift in the local balance of power adverse to the Bosnian Serbs, expulsion of the Serbian population from Krajina, and a readiness of Serbian President Milosevic to negotiate a settlement on behalf of the Bosnian Serbs. These elements were not present in 1992-94 when two earlier mediation efforts collapsed before peace plans that had a measure of acceptance from the parties to the conflict could be put into effect. The particular internal features of the three plans and the distinctions between them did not cause two of them to fail and one to succeed. To conclude that the 1992-93 plans would have had a chance of succeeding if the United States or the Europeans had used military force to support them is probably not wrong but it misses an important point. There are moments in a dynamic situation when external inputs produce maximum effects while at other times the cost of intervention to achieve a given result is likely to be higher. In catastrophe theory, the condition when external input produces maximum effect within the system is called metastability. The author urges that in analyzing negotiating situations the notion of ripeness take into account the concept of metastability.
Make it just as normal as possible with humor

Abstract Perspectives on humor of families who have a member with a disability were examined using a qualitative methodology. Findings offer complex and challenging lessons for those who work with and for families of children with disabilities. I compared the traditional view that families of children with disabilities go through a constant process of grieving and sadness with newly emerging views of accepting relationships and making life as typical as possible with the help of humor.
Distribution and determinants of patient satisfaction in oncology with a focus on health related quality of life

Cancer patients usually undergo extensive and debilitating treatments, which make quality of life (QoL) and patient satisfaction important health care assessment measures. However, very few studies have evaluated the relationship between QoL and patient satisfaction in oncology. We investigated the clinical, demographic and QoL factors associated with patient satisfaction in a large heterogeneous sample of cancer patients. A cohort of 538 cancer patients treated at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) was assessed. A patient satisfaction questionnaire developed in-house by CTCA was used. It covered the following dimensions of patient satisfaction: hospital operations and services, physicians and staff, and patient endorsements for themselves and others. QoL was assessed using the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30). The clinical, demographic and QoL factors were evaluated for predictive significance using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The mean age of our patient population was 54.1 years (SD = 10.5, range 17-86), with a slight preponderance of females (57.2%). Breast cancer (n = 124) and lung cancer (n = 101) were the most frequent cancer types. 481 (89.4%) patients were "very satisfied" with their overall experience. Age and several QoL function and symptom scales were predictive of overall patient satisfaction upon univariate analysis. In the multivariate modeling, only those with a score above the median on the fatigue measure (i.e. worse fatigue) had reduced odds of 0.28 of being very satisfied (p = 0.03). Patient fatigue, as reported by the QoL fatigue scale, was an independent significant predictor of overall patient satisfaction. This finding argues for special attention and programs for cancer patients who report higher levels of fatigue given that fatigue is the most frequently reported symptom in cancer patients.
A pedogenic goethite record of soil CO2 variations as a response to soil moisture content

Abstract The terrestrial carbon cycle and the role of atmospheric CO 2 concentrations in controlling global temperatures can be inferred from the study of ancient soils (paleosols). Soil-formed goethite and calcite have been the primary minerals used as a geochemical proxy for reconstructing atmospheric p CO 2 from ancient terrestrial records. In the case of goethite, optimum sampling strategies for reconstructing p CO 2 focus on the portion of the soil profile that displays steep gradients in both soil CO 2 concentration and δ 13 C values of soil CO 2 such that a keeling plot can be developed for a given soil and atmospheric p CO 2 can be calculated from it. We report data from a Carboniferous paleosol that depart from the expected linear trends. The results indicate that pedogenic goethite is sensitive to variations in the isotopic composition of soil CO 2 , over a range of timescales, and can record these variations in the carbon isotope composition and mole fraction of Fe(CO 3 )OH in solid solution with goethite. We explore possible environmental conditions that can drive these changes as a function of either moisture controlled variations in soil respired CO 2 or in the residence time of carbon in soils. The implications of this result are overestimation of paleoatmospheric p CO 2 from pedogenic goethite.
Deviation inequalities for continuous martingales

Abstract We consider a broad class of continuous martingales whose local modulus of continuity is in some sense deterministic. We show that such martingales have Gaussian probability tails, provided we appropriately normalize them by their quadratic variation. As other applications of our methods, we provide energy inequalities and prove a new sufficient condition for the joint continuity of continuous additive functionals of Brownian motion indexed by their Revuz measures.
The Maquiladora Industry: Economic Solution or Problem?

The Maquiladora Industry: Economic Solution or Problem? Khosrow Fatemi (editor). New York: Praeger Publishers, 1990. 262 pages, bibliography, index. $47.95 (cloth). ISBN 0–275–93357–1.
Wave Modeling of Long Island Coastal Waters

Abstract Simulating waves nearshore (SWAN) and steady state wave (STWAVE) nearshore wave transformation models were applied to Long Island, New York, coastal waters to investigate regions of wave focusing and their relationship to offshore shelf and shoal zone morphology. Model simulations extended from 1 February 1999 through 28 February 1999, and encompassed five wave events in which measured significant wave heights exceeded 1.5 m. For many of the storm events, wave energy along the coast was concentrated at Montauk, Westhampton, central Fire Island, Jones Island, and Long Beach. The focusing and structure of wave energy at Westhampton appears to be related to infragravity wave influenced morphology between Shinnecock and Moriches inlets. Wave energy concentration along central Fire Island was the result of shoaling and refraction around a submerged terrace offshore of Watch Hill. In addition the investigation illustrates the benefit of using multiple models to compute wave transformation processes.
Replication and expression of a recombinant Sindbis virus in mosquitoes

A recombinant Sindbis virus, TE/3'2J/ANTI-S, containing LaCrosse virus small segment cDNA in antisense orientation, was inoculated into Aedes triseriatus mosquitoes. Virus replication and LAC-ANTI-S RNA expression were analysed temporally and spatially. TE/3'2J/ANTI-S virus titre peaked at 5.0 log10 TCID50 in heads 6-9 days post infection (p.i.) and decreased to 3.4 log10 TCID50 by 37 days p.i. Salivary glands contained 4.4 log10 TCID50 of virus 6 days p.i.; titres were lower in other organs. LAC-ANTI-S RNA levels paralleled virus titre. SIN E1 antigen was detected in many mosquito organ systems, but in specific cells and tissues of some organs. TE/3'2J/ANTI-S virus exhibited different cellular tropisms in salivary glands of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes.
Asymptotic behavior of eigenvalues of Schrödinger type operators with degenerate kinetic energy

We study the eigenvalues of Schrodinger type operators T + λV and their asymptotic behavior in the small coupling limit λ 0, in the case where the symbol of the kinetic energy, T (p), strongly degenerates on a non-trivial manifold of codimension one (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Evaluation of sex-typed tasks by black men and women

Two studies examined the relationship of sex of subject, sex-typing of tasks, and prior task experience on self-confidence ratings of Black men and women. In both investigations, women's self-confidence tended to vary as a function of task type, while men's self-confidence remained relatively stable across all tasks. Prior experience with the task was highly correlated with self-confidence ratings for men and women and moderated the effects. The variations in the findings of Studies I and II and implications for future research are discussed.
Effect of elevated extracellular glucose concentrations on transmembrane calcium ion fluxes in cultured rat VSMC

Blood flow autoregulation is impaired in early diabetes mellitus, predisposing the renal microcirculation to injury. These hemodynamic changes have been strongly implicated in the development and progression of diabetic glomerulopathy. Blood flow autoregulation is predominantly a myogenic reflex which is strongly dependent on Ca2+ uptake by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Because impaired blood flow autoregulation may be responsive to glycemic control, the present study examined the effects of elevated extracellular glucose concentrations on basal, voltage sensitive and receptor operated Ca2+ uptake by VSMC. Confluent cultured rat VSMC were exposed to: (1) control medium (CM; 5 mM glucose); (2) high glucose medium (HGM; 10 to 30 mM glucose); or (3) osmotic control medium (OCM; glucose 5 mM + L-glucose 25 mM or mannitol 25 mM). A threshold glucose concentration of 15 mM markedly and maximally depressed basal Ca2+ uptake by VSMC (HGM 52% vs. CM). In addition, HGM significantly depressed voltage sensitive Ca2+ uptake by VSMC as determined by responses to BAY K 8644 (10(-7) M) or high extracellular [K+] (65 mM, HGM 50% vs. CM). HGM similarly depressed pressor hormone-stimulated Ca2+ uptake (AVP or Ang II 10(-7) M) by VSMC. The effects of HGM on Ca2+ uptake were time exposure dependent and reversible. Ca2+ uptake by VSMC in the presence of OCM did not differ from CM. Elevated extracellular glucose concentrations thus exert a direct and profound effect on basal, voltage sensitive and receptor operated Ca2+ uptake by VSMC. These observations may provide a biochemical basis for glucose-induced dysregulation of regional blood flow autoregulation in early diabetes mellitus.
Automated detection of ureteral wall thickening on multi-detector row CT urography

We are developing a computer-aided detection (CAD) system for automated detection of ureteral wall thickening on multi-detector row CT urography, which potentially can assist radiologists in detecting ureter cancer. In the first stage of our CAD system, given a starting point, the ureter is tracked based on the CT values of the contrast-filled lumen. In the second stage, the ureter wall is segmented and the ureter wall thickness is estimated based on polar transformation, separation of the ureter wall from the background and measuring the wall thickness. In this pilot study, a limited data set of 20 patients with 22 abnormal ureters was used. Fourteen patients had a total of 16 ureters with malignant ureteral wall thickening. Two of the patients had malignant wall thickening in both the left and right ureters. The other six patients had 6 ureters with benign ureteral wall thickening. All malignant wall thickenings were biopsy-proven. The benign thickenings were determined by biopsy or by 2-year follow-up. In addition 3 normal ureters were used to determine the false positive (FP) detection rate of the CAD system. The tracking program successfully tracked the 25 ureters (22 abnormal and 3 normal) and detected 90% (20/22) of the ureters having wall thickening with 2.3 (7/3) FPs per ureter. 93% (15/16) of the ureters with malignant wall thickening and 83% (5/6) of the ureters with benign wall thickening were detected. The missed ureteral wall thickenings were developed asymmetrically around the part of the ureter filled with contrast and the detection criteria in our current CAD system was not able to identify them reliably. The preliminary results show that our detection system can track the ureter and can detect ureteral wall thickening.
Base Part Identification in Mechanical Assemblies Using Interaction Graphs for Redesign Toward a Star Architecture

This paper explores base part identification in mechanical assemblies using interaction graphs. It presents a methodology for analyzing and migrating toward a star architecture during product redesign, where the base part is the central element in the design upon which assembly variations can be configured, thus making it possible to migrate toward modular design architecture. This paper reviews past work related to architectural orientations, part interfaces, and part connectivity. A methodology for architecture analysis during product redesign is then presented using a computer mouse example.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Chloroquine susceptibility in malaria: dependence on exposure of parasites to the drug.

Abstract Chloroquine-resistant P. berghei is as susceptible to chloroquine as chloroquine-susceptible P. berghei when adequately exposed for short periods of time (1 hour) in vitro . In both cases 3.1 mM chloroquine causes a significant decrease in infectivity of the parasites whereas 0.31 mM chloroquine is without effect. Since there is no evidence that chloroquine has a peculiar mechanism of action in vitro , these results support the hypothesis of inadequate exposure of intracellular parasites as the cause of chloroquine resistance.
Quinacrine promotes replication and conformational mutation of chronic wasting disease prions

Quinacrine’s ability to reduce levels of pathogenic prion protein (PrPSc) in mouse cells infected with experimentally adapted prions led to several unsuccessful clinical studies in patients with prion diseases, a 10-y investment to understand its mechanism of action, and the production of related compounds with expectations of greater efficacy. We show here, in stark contrast to this reported inhibitory effect, that quinacrine enhances deer and elk PrPSc accumulation and promotes propagation of prions causing chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal, transmissible, neurodegenerative disorder of cervids of uncertain zoonotic potential. Surprisingly, despite increased prion titers in quinacrine-treated cells, transmission of the resulting prions produced prolonged incubation times and altered PrPSc deposition patterns in the brains of diseased transgenic mice. This unexpected outcome is consistent with quinacrine affecting the intrinsic properties of the CWD prion. Accordingly, quinacrine-treated CWD prions were comprised of an altered PrPSc conformation. Our findings provide convincing evidence for drug-induced conformational mutation of prions without the prerequisite of generating drug-resistant variants of the original strain. More specifically, they show that a drug capable of restraining prions in one species/strain setting, and consequently used to treat human prion diseases, improves replicative ability in another and therefore force reconsideration of current strategies to screen antiprion compounds.
The ring expansion of a dimethyl-substituted vinylcyclobutene derivative by metal complexes that can undergo an inner-sphere electron transfer

Abstract The ring expansion of a dimethyl-substituted vinylcyclobutene derivative to the corresponding dimethyl-substituted cyclohexadiene or aromatic compound was studied. It was found that metal complexes of Ni(I), Ti(III), Sm(II), and Fe(II), which can undergo an inner-sphere electron-transfer reaction, allow the rearrangement to occur at room temperature. Other oxidation states of these metals and complexes that can only undergo an outer-sphere electron-transfer process do not promote this ring expansion reaction.
The federal role in energy R & D

ABSTRACT This paper documents and analyzes recent trends in Federal energy research and development programs. In light of the marketplace philosophy of the present Administration, the possible benefits of a strong Federal research program versus the potential advantages of relying on private sector research programs to develop new technology alternatives are analyzed in some detail. The impacts of the Reagan budget cuts and other initiatives on several major energy programs, including nuclear power, photovoltaics, and conservation, are also analyzed. This analysis reveals some of the difficulties inherent in attempting to project the consequences of particular policy decisions in a complex and changing environment, and identifies some of the problems of trying to evaluate the success of particular programs or actions on a limited time scale.
Stable sliding preceding stick-slip on fault surfaces in granite at high pressure

The distance of stable sliding before sudden slip on fault surfaces in granite decreases rapidly as the confining pressure is increased. At a pressure of 6 kb the amount of stable creep is very small or absent. Two orders of magnitude change in strain rate has no effect on the distance of stable sliding. Our results suggest that in the earth, fault creep should predominate in the shallow crust but in the deep crustal layer most of the stresses are probably relieved by sudden earthquake type of motion. Below the crust high temperature would promote stable-slip so in this region creep would once more predominate.
Stabilizability of two classes of contraction semigroups

This paper studies the strong stabilizability of two classes of Hilbert space contraction semigroups: (i) strict contraction semigroups, which include those with strictly dissipative generators; and (ii) isometric or unitary semigroups. The former class is already weakly stable, while the latter is not strongly stable over the whole space. Our tool is the functional model of Hilbert space contractions; hence, strong stability of the semigroup is studied via stability of its cogenerator. It is shown that a strict contraction semigroup is, in general, not strongly stabilized by the feedback −B*, while an isometric or a unitary semigroup is strongly stabilized by the same feedback, providedB is not compact.
Existence of Bayesian Estimates for the Polychotomous Quantal Response Models

This paper investigates the existence of Bayesian estimates for polychotomous quantal response models using a uniform improper prior distribution on the regression parameters. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the propriety of the posterior distribution with a general link function are established. In addition, the sufficient conditions for the existence of the posterior moments and the posterior moment generating function are obtained. It is also found that the propriety guarantees the existence of the maximum likelihood estimate.
EXPERIMENTAL NEPHRITIS IN RATS INDUCED BY INJECTION OF ANTI-KIDNEY SERUM : II. CLINICAL AND FUNCTIONAL STUDIES.

The glomerulonephritis induced in rats by nephrotoxin was characterized clinically during its initial phase by severe albuminuria, cylindruria, and anasarca, but not by hematuria. Rapidly fatal nephritis was produced by injecting relatively large amounts of anti-kidney serum at frequent intervals. In such cases the blood urea mounted rapidly; the urea clearance fell; and death occurred within about 2 weeks. A milder nephritis of the chronic type was induced by giving smaller quantities of anti-kidney serum in either single or divided doses. In these instances there was no immediate alteration of the urea clearance. Lipemia and plasma protein deficit appeared with the development of anasarca. The majority of rats which survived the initial stage of this experimental nephritis continued to show marked albuminuria with casts until they died or were sacrificed months later. Some of these animals showed retardation of growth and a progressive fall of the urea clearance. Terminally there developed marked retention of urea, plasma protein deficit, anemia, and hypertension.
SLO-2 isoforms with unique Ca2+- and voltage-dependence characteristics confer sensitivity to hypoxia in C. elegans

Slo channels are large conductance K+ channels that display marked differences in their gating by intracellular ions. Among them, the Slo1 and C. elegans SLO-2 channels are gated by calcium (Ca2+), while mammalian Slo2 channels are activated by both sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−). Here, we report that SLO-2 channels, SLO-2a and a novel N-terminal variant isoform, SLO-2b, are activated by Ca2+ and voltage, but in contrast to previous reports they do not exhibit Cl− sensitivity. Most importantly, SLO-2 provides a unique case in the Slo family for sensing Ca2+ with the high-affinity Ca2+ regulatory site in the RCK1 but not the RCK2 domain, formed through interactions with residues E319 and E487 (that correspond to D362 and E535 of Slo1, respectively). The SLO-2 RCK2 domain lacks the Ca2+ bowl structure and shows minimal Ca2+ dependence. In addition, in contrast to SLO-1, SLO-2 loss-of-function mutants confer resistance to hypoxia in C. elegans. Thus, the C. elegans SLO-2 channels possess unique biophysical and functional properties.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of MspI restriction endonuclease in complex with its cognate DNA.

The MspI restriction endonuclease is a type II restriction enzyme. Unlike all other restriction enzymes with known structures, MspI recognizes the palindromic tetranucleotide sequence 5′-C/CGG and cleaves it as indicated by the `/' to produce DNA products with 5′ two-base overhangs. Owing to the nature of its cleavage pattern, it is likely that MspI would represent a new structural class of restriction endonucleases. Crystals of the dimeric MspI restriction enzyme bound to a duplex DNA molecule containing the specific recognition sequence have been obtained by vapor-diffusion techniques in the presence of polyethylene glycol as precipitant. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 50.2, b = 131.6, c = 59.3 A, β = 109.7°. The crystals contain one dimeric complex in the asymmetric unit. A complete native data set has been collected to a resolution of 2.05 A by cryo-crystallographic methods, with an Rmerge of 4.0%.
Baseline assessment of heavy metal concentrations in surficial sediment from Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Heavy metal inputs to coastal Alaska ecosystems are driven by sediment loads from glacial meltwater and river outflows. This study characterized the spatial distribution of 16 major and trace metals in five strata in Kachemak Bay, as well as sediment total organic carbon content and grain size. Homer Harbor, a shallow harbor within the study area, contained elevated metal concentrations compared to the other strata. Outside the harbor, several metals, including Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn, were significantly higher in the eastern strata than in the western portions of the bay. The opposite was true for a few other metals, such as Hg. However, most metal concentrations were below the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s sediment quality guidelines for sediment toxicity to benthic communities.