cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methods for using clinical laboratory test results as baseline confounders in multi-site observational database studies when missing data are expected.

Purpose Our purpose was to quantify missing baseline laboratory results, assess predictors of missingness, and examine performance of missing data methods. Methods Using the Mini-Sentinel Distributed Database from three sites, we selected three exposure–outcome scenarios with laboratory results as baseline confounders. We compared hazard ratios (HRs) or risk differences (RDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from models that omitted laboratory results, included only available results (complete cases), and included results after applying missing data methods (multiple imputation [MI] regression, MI predictive mean matching [PMM] indicator). Results Scenario 1 considered glucose among second-generation antipsychotic users and diabetes. Across sites, glucose was available for 27.7–58.9%. Results differed between complete case and missing data models (e.g., olanzapine: HR 0.92 [CI 0.73, 1.12] vs 1.02 [0.90, 1.16]). Across-site models employing different MI approaches provided similar HR and CI; site-specific models provided differing estimates. Scenario 2 evaluated creatinine among individuals starting high versus low dose lisinopril and hyperkalemia. Creatinine availability: 44.5–79.0%. Results differed between complete case and missing data models (e.g., HR 0.84 [CI 0.77, 0.92] vs. 0.88 [0.83, 0.94]). HR and CI were identical across MI methods. Scenario 3 examined international normalized ratio (INR) among warfarin users starting interacting versus noninteracting antimicrobials and bleeding. INR availability: 20.0–92.9%. Results differed between ignoring INR versus including INR using missing data methods (e.g., RD 0.05 [CI −0.03, 0.13] vs 0.09 [0.00, 0.18]). Indicator and PMM methods gave similar estimates. Conclusion Multi-site studies must consider site variability in missing data. Different missing data methods performed similarly. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Corporate Social and Financial Performance: An Integrative Review

During the last decade, organizations (especially large corporations) have been facing ever-increasing stakeholder pressure demanding ‘good corporate citizenship’ from business. This pressure means that, among other things, nonmarket strategies are increasingly important for effective executive decision making (Baron, 2006). Nonmarket strategies can be observed and measured in a wide variety of ways. However, as is evident from Part I, corporate social performance (CSP) can be regarded as a central outcome of business nonmarket strategies. For the purpose of the empirical analysis presented in this chapter, CSP is defined as ‘a business organization’s configuration of principles of social responsibility, processes of social responsiveness, and policies, programs, and observable outcomes as they relate to the firm’s societal relationships’ (Wood, 1991a, p. 693). This is the definition that Swanson elaborated upon in her remodeling of CSP in Chapters 1 and 2 (where she conveyed these concepts as a means-end continuum).
Applying Corporate Climate Principles to Dental School Operations

Decades of research have shown that organizational climate has the potential to form the basis of workplace operations and impact an organization’s performance. Culture is related to climate but is not the same. “Culture” is the broader term, defining how things are done in an organization, while “climate” is a component of culture that describes how people perceive their environment. Climate can be changed but requires substantial effort over time by management and the workforce. Interest has recently grown in culture and climate in dental education due to the humanistic culture accreditation standard. The aim of this study was to use corporate climate principles to examine how organizational culture and, subsequently, workplace operations can be improved through specific strategic efforts in a U.S. dental school. The school’s parent institution initiated a climate survey that the dental school used with qualitative culture data to drive strategic planning and change in the school. Administration of the same survey to faculty and staff members three times over a six-year period showed significant changes to the school’s climate occurred as a new strategic plan was implemented that focused on reforming areas of weakness. Concentrated efforts in key areas in the strategic plan resulted in measurable improvements in climate perception. The study discovered that culture was an area previously overlooked but explicitly linked to the success of the organization.
CARVUPP: Computer Assisted Radiological Visualisation Using Parallel Processing

A parallelised volume rendering algorithm has been constructed and implemented on a network of INMOS´ transputers. The technique offers great flexibility in terms of expansion to any number of processors available to the user and achieves a good speed-up factor. It is well suited to objects represented by a number of 2-dimensional slices and our main use for it has been Computerised Tomography (CT) data of human anatomical structures. At present using 16 T8 transputers we can, on average, render and display a volume of 6 MBytes of data in about 12 seconds with full shading. The original voxel densities are retained throughout the process so that different features within the volume of data can be identified, rotated in 3-d and displayed.
Urban Outcasts: A Comparative Sociology of Advanced Marginality, Loïc Wacquant. Polity Press, Cambridge, UK (2008), p. 342

Urban Outcasts is a comparative analysis of marginalized urban neighborhoods. Wacquant primarily bases his study on the ghettos of Chicago and the working class banlieues of the industrial ring of ...
Characteristic Proinflammatory Serum Cytokine Profiles In Patients with B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Abstract 3595 Background: Cytokines are posited to play a critical regulatory role on the survival of the B-cell neoplastic clone in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). AIM: The primary goals of this study were 1) to define additional relevant cytokines, growth factors and chemokines in CLL pathophysiology and 2) to correlate abnormal cytokine levels with disease stage, relevant hematological data and multiple prognostic factors. METHODS: A novel bead-based protein array system was employed to simultaneously measure 38 proinflammatory cytokines in the sera of CLL patients (N=116) and healthy age and sex matched controls (N=30). These results were correlated with Rai stage, β2-microglobulin level, LDH, CD38 expression and cytogenetic abnormalities. RESULTS: We first confirmed previous observations that TNFα, IL-1α, IL-1RA, IL-10, sIL-2Rα, VEGF and sCD40 ligand are significantly elevated in patients with CLL as compared with healthy controls. Expanding on the current literature, we demonstrated perturbations in an additional 15 serum cytokines in affected individuals. Compared to healthy controls, CLL patients had an increase in serum levels of IL-3 (p=0.002), IL-7 (p=0.008), INF-2α (p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The Perils of Feeling In-Between: The Experiences of Emerging Adult Novice Teachers

This paper explores whether emerging adults who are also new teachers experience any negative consequences connected with the “in-between” feeling of emerging adulthood. A survey was administered to 58 first-year teachers to identify teachers who were satisfied and dissatisfied with their classroom management experiences. A subsample of 16 teachers were interviewed to elicit their narratives of becoming adult and becoming a teacher. Teachers used three frameworks to define and describe the experience of adulthood. Completing the Adult Checklist is a global status identified by the attainment of social role markers associated with adulthood. Feeling Adult is a subjective experience of adulthood that varies across contexts and is dependent on comparisons of the self with others. The third framework, Seen As Adult, is the establishment of adult status in the perceptions of significant others. Teachers dissatisfied with their classroom management were found to say that they did not Feel Adult in their classrooms and that they were not Seen As Adult by their students or other teachers. Implications are discussed for the study of difficulties encountered by emerging adults who take on roles in which they are expected to act in an adult capacity.
Being There (Or Not): Teen Dads, Gendered Age, and Negotiating the Absent-father Discourse:

Using in-depth interviews with twenty-six teen fathers, I explore how these young men negotiate the absent-father discourse in making sense of their identities as young dads. I find that teen fathe...
Dimethyl fumarate versus interferon for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple Sclerosis (P6.381)

Objective: To investigate efficacy of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) versus interferon b-1a (IFNb-1a) in controlling disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Background: Phase II and III clinical trials on DMF reported significant reduction in clinical and radiological disease activity in RRMS patients treated with DMF compared to placebo. There is currently no study comparing DMF versus INFb-1a. Design/Methods: Clinical and imaging data were retrieved from RRMS patients who were enrolled in CLIMB study and were put on either INFb-1a (years: 2008–2013) or DMF (years: 2013–2015) for at least one year. Our primary endpoint was proportion of patients with at least one clinical relapse within 3–15 months after treatment onset. Annualized relapse rate, proportion of patients with a new T2 or gadolinium enhancing and proportion of subjects who achieved no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) status, were the secondary endpoints. We accounted for confounders using logistic regression and inverse probability weighting. Results: 319 (91on INFb-1a, 228 on DMF) were included. Baseline demographics were comparable between groups except for age, disease duration and number of previous treatments being higher and relapse rate in the prior year being lower in DMF-treated group. Proportion of patients having clinical relapse(25% vs. 9%; OR=1.82; P=0.0002) or a new MRI lesion(31% vs. 9%; OR=2.43, P= Conclusions: DMF was associated with less clinical and radiological disease activity compared to INFb-1a. Study Supported by: EMD-Serono Disclosure: Dr. Sattarnezhad has received research support from EMD Serono and Verily. Dr. Healy has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec Worldwide Medical Biostatistics MS Advisory Board. Dr. Healy has received research support from Merck Serono SA, Verily Life Sciences, Genentech, and Novartis. Dr. Baharnoori has nothing to disclose. Dr. Diaz-Cruz has received research support from EMD Serono and Verily. Dr. Stankiewicz has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, Novartis, Sanofi Genzyme, Biogen Idec, Genentech, and Bayer as a consultant. Dr. Weiner has received personal compensation for activities with Genentech and Tiziana Life Sciences. Dr. Weiner has received research support from EMD Serono, Miragen, Sanofi, Teva and Verily. Dr. Chitnis received personal compensation for activities with Roche-Genentech and Sanofi-Genzyme. Dr. Chitnis received research support from EMD Serono, Biogen, Novartis and Verily.
An Evaluation of the Rotterdam Rules

On 11 December 2008 the General Assembly of the United Nations formally adopted a new regime for the transportation of most goods in international trade, a new Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, known as the Rotterdam Rules. Not yet in force, the Rotterdam Rules are now under consideration by governments around the world as the new, global, twenty-first century regime for international transport law. The Rotterdam Rules are long and complex. Is this the long-awaited document that will unify the disparate rules that now govern this important area of international law?
RAPD analysis of Percid populations

The recent declines of Percids (Stizostedion lucioperca and S. volgense) in Russian Kuibyshev basin prompted to study the rapid DNA structuring of their populations. Pikeperches, riverperch (Perca ...
Bonferroni and Holm approximations for Šidák and Holland-Copenhaver q-values

I describe the use of the Bonferroni and Holm formulas as approximations for Sidak and Holland–Copenhaver formulas when issues of precision are encountered, especially with q-values corresponding to very small p-values. Copyright 2013 by StataCorp LP.
The acquisition of Focus in L2 Spanish

This paper examines the strategies used by speakers of Spanish as a second language (L2) for marking Information Focus, a phenomenon found at the syntax–discourse interface. Sorace and colleagues h...
The M&A

This technical note offers an example of a thoroughly complete pitch book for use as a basis for class discussion and learning. Actual pitch books are almost never made available for public use. This presentation was prepared by a group of Darden students in April 2001 for a jury of M&A executives from United Technologies Corporation who judged this work to be of excellent quality, among the best they had seen in any setting. A separate validation of the deal concept is given in the final exhibit, which records the announcement by General Electric of its acquisition of Heller on July 30, 2001. In reviewing this document, the student must assess both its form and content, from the standpoints of both the presenter and the audience. Why is each exhibit and section included in the document? What analytical work underpins the exhibits? What might explain the presentation format? What oral comments might one offer in making this presentation to a group of executives?
Transgenerational sperm DNA methylation epimutation developmental origins following ancestral vinclozolin exposure

A number of environmental factors from nutrition to toxicants have been shown to promote the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and phenotypic variation. This requires alterations in the germline (sperm or egg) epigenome. Previously, the agricultural fungicide vinclozolin was found to promote the transgenerational inheritance of sperm differential DNA methylation regions (DMRs) termed epimutations that help mediate this epigenetic inheritance. The current study was designed to investigate the developmental origins of the transgenerational DMRs during gametogenesis. Male control and vinclozolin lineage F3 generation rats were used as a source of embryonic day 13 (E13) primordial germ cells, embryonic day 16 (E16) prospermatogonia, postnatal day 10 (P10) spermatogonia, adult pachytene spermatocytes, round spermatids, caput epididymal spermatozoa, and caudal sperm. The DMRs between the control versus vinclozolin lineage samples were determined for each developmental stage. The top 100 statistically significant DMRs for each stage were compared. The developmental origins of the caudal epididymal sperm DMRs were assessed. The chromosomal locations and genomic features of the different stage DMRs were investigated. In addition, the DMR associated genes were identified. Previous studies have demonstrated alterations in the DMRs of primordial germ cells (PGCs). Interestingly, the majority of the DMRs identified in the current study for the caudal sperm originated during the spermatogenic process in the testis. A cascade of epigenetic alterations initiated in the PGCs appears to be required to alter the epigenetic programming during spermatogenesis to modify the sperm epigenome involved in the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance phenomenon.
Myoglobinuria in Autopsy Pathology: Relevant and Potentially Unrecognized:

BackgroundMyoglobin-related renal injury (MRRI) is a significant cause of acute renal injury and may result in death. Common etiologies in forensic pathology include trauma and drug abuse. This stu...
Bedside Measures of Frailty and Cognitive Function Correlate with Sarcopenia in Patients with Cirrhosis.

Frailty and sarcopenia are associated with mortality and poor outcomes among patients with cirrhosis. Frailty is multifactorial but due in part to sarcopenia and cognitive dysfunction. Data are limited regarding the correlation of bedside frailty and cognitive function measures with sarcopenia. To evaluate the correlations between frailty measures and muscle indices from computed tomography (CT). We prospectively enrolled 106 patients with clinically compensated cirrhosis (and no prior hepatic encephalopathy). All patients underwent CT scan and cognitive testing (via inhibitory control test, ICT), and were subject to hand grip, 30-s chair stands, mid-arm muscle area (MAMA), and a four-question algorithm based on the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) predictive of minimal HE. We evaluated Spearman correlations between all measures as well as the sensitivity and specificity of each measure for falls. In total, 106 (35.3%) patients (55 men) had CT scans to measure skeletal muscle area and quality. Hand grip correlated strongly with skeletal muscle area (correlation coefficient 0.64, p < 0.001) and mildly with ICT performance (0.34, p = 0.002). However, for women, the strongest correlation with hand grip was ICT performance (0.60, p < 0.001). Chair stand performance correlated best with SIP (correlation coefficient − 0.35, p < 0.001). MAMA was not correlated with CT-based muscle indices among women but was for men. Poor chair stand performance (< 10/30-s) had a sensitivity/specificity for falls of 73%/54%; low muscle radiation attenuation (density) was 40%/80% sensitive/specific. Bedside measures of physical function, muscle bulk, and cognitive performance are correlated with CT-based muscle measures. Bedside measures of frailty may provide an advantage over sarcopenia for outcome assessment that should be confirmed prospectively.
Evaluating the influential factors for pushbutton utilization at signalized midblock crosswalks

Abstract This study applied Logistic Regression (LR) on observational survey data to evaluate the factors associated with pedestrians’ utilization of pushbuttons at signalized midblock crosswalks. The study data was collected from twenty signalized midblock crosswalks located in Las Vegas, Nevada. These crosswalks are equipped with either Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), Circular Rapid Flashing Beacons (CRFBs), Circular Flashing Beacons (CFBs), Traffic Control Signals (TCSs), or Pedestrians Hybrid Beacons (PHBs). The regression results revealed the association between pushbutton utilization and various human, infrastructure, and traffic related factors. Among the human factors, the arrival sequence to the crosswalks was found to have the highest impact on warning light activation tendency, as first arriving pedestrians were eight times more likely to press the pushbutton. Moreover, males, the elderly, children, and teens are also less likely to press pushbuttons. Furthermore, pedestrians involved in secondary activities such as carrying/holding things in their hands, have relatively low odds ratio of pressing the pushbutton, while phone use was a statistically insignificant factor. Of the infrastructure factors, in comparison to TCSs and PHBs, all flash-based signal types (CRFBs, CFBs. and RRFBs) are associated with increased pushbutton pressing. The crosswalks located in residential locations are also associated with higher odds of pressing the pushbutton, as compared to the ones located in mixed land. A greater number of lanes and higher oncoming vehicle speeds are associated with higher odds of pressing a pushbutton. These findings can be crucial to city engineers and planners in improving pedestrian safety at midblock crosswalks.
Xenopus Interferon Complex: Inscribing the Amphibiotic Adaption and Species-Specific Pathogenic Pressure in Vertebrate Evolution?

Several recent studies have revealed previously unknown complexity of the amphibian interferon (IFN) system. Being unique in vertebrate animals, amphibians not only conserve and multiply the fish-like intron-containing IFN genes, but also rapidly evolve amniote-like intronless IFN genes in each tested species. We postulate that the amphibian IFN system confers an essential model to study vertebrate immune evolution in molecular and functional diversity to cope with unprecedented pathophysiological requirement during terrestrial adaption. Studies so far have ascribed a potential role of these IFNs in immune regulation against intracellular pathogens, particularly viruses; however, many knowledge gaps remain elusive. Based on recent reports about IFN’s multifunctional properties in regulation of animal physiological and defense responses, we interpret that amphibian IFNs may evolve novel function pertinent to their superior molecular diversity. Such new function revealed by the emerging studies about antifungal and developmental regulation of amphibian IFNs will certainly promote our understanding of immune evolution in vertebrates to address current pathogenic threats causing amphibian decline.
Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in US-Bound Refugees: 2009–2017

Refugees are an often understudied population and vulnerable to poor health outcomes. No large-scale analyses have evaluated the prevalence of overweight and obesity in US-bound refugees. Using data obtained from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Electronic Disease Notification system, we quantified the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adult US-bound refugees by nationality from 2009 through 2017. This repeated cross-sectional analysis used CDC data to quantify and examine body mass index (BMI) trends in US-bound adult refugees during 2009–2017. Utilizing data from an overseas medical exam required for all US-bound refugees, we determined BMI for 334,746 refugees ≥ 18 years old who arrived in the United States during January 1, 2009–December 31, 2017. We calculated and compared the prevalence of overweight and obesity as well as changes in demographic characteristics (age, sex, and nationality) by year. Adjusted prevalence and prevalence ratios (APR) for yearly trends were assessed using a modified Poisson regression model with robust error variances. After adjusting for age, sex, and nationality, we observed a significant linear trend in the prevalence of overweight/obesity with an average annual relative percent increase of 3% for refugees entering the United States from 2009 through 2017 (APR = 1.031; 95% CI 1.029–1.033). The adjusted prevalence of overweight/obesity increased from 35.7% in 2009 to 44.7% in 2017. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in US-bound refugees increased steadily over the analysis period. Investigation into pre-migration and post-resettlement interventions is warranted.
Federalism and the welfare state in Latin America

Prominent accounts of federalism lament its functioning in Latin America. Instead of fiscally independent, competitive subunits holding their central governments accountable, Latin America’s region...
CHAPTER IX – Compressibility Effects

Publisher Summary Compressibility effects can be broadly classified into those related to angle of attack stability and those that arise from speed changes. The first kind is felt in both neutral point and maneuver point positions, but the second kind affects only neutral point location. The angle-of-attack effects are counted by use of appropriate values associated with each Mach number. The changes in the aerodynamic parameters over the Mach number range depend entirely on the airplane configuration. The chapter discusses the typical subsonic configurations that are limited in speed to Mach numbers below force break. These airplanes usually have fairly high aspect ratio aerodynamic surfaces—wing and tail—of reasonable thickness. As Mach number increases, starting from incompressible speeds, the following changes take place: (1) the wing and tail slopes-of-the-lift-curve increase with the trend predicted by the Prandtl–Glauert rule, (2) the wing aerodynamic center moves forward, and (3) the wing downwash increases somewhat as a result of the effective reduction of aspect ratio in accord with the Prandtl–Glauert transformation. The discontinuities in aerodynamic effectiveness can be reduced by the use of thin, uncambered airfoil sections and lower aspect ratio. The Mach number at which the break occurs can be delayed by sweep. Some control can be retained by using an all-moving tail instead of elevators, and by reducing the tail's compressibility relative to the wing by using more sweep and lower aspect ratio than on the wing. It may even be possible to drive an airplane of this configuration into the supersonic region.
Larvae of Musca domestica (common house fly) found intraoperatively in a male breast abscess

A 62-year-old male with type 2 diabetes mellitus presented to our nationally accredited breast center with bilateral breast masses present for 7 years and new-onset pink nipple discharge for severa...
Bernoulli Randomness and Biased Normality

One can consider $\mu$-Martin-Lof randomness for a probability measure $\mu$ on $2^{\omega}$, such as the Bernoulli measure $\mu_p$ given $p \in (0, 1)$. We study Bernoulli randomness of sequences in $n^{\omega}$ with parameters $p_0, p_1, \dotsc, p_{n-1}$, and we introduce a biased version of normality. We prove that every Bernoulli random real is normal in the biased sense, and this has the corollary that the set of biased normal reals has full Bernoulli measure in $n^{\omega}$. We give an algorithm for computing biased normal sequences from normal sequences, so that we can give explicit examples of biased normal reals. We investigate an application of randomness to iterated function systems. Finally, we list a few further questions relating to Bernoulli randomness and biased normality.
Multiplex PCR Assays for the Detection of One Hundred and Thirty Seven Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Associated With Cattle

Escherichia coli carrying prophage with genes that encode for Shiga toxins are categorized as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) pathotype. Illnesses caused by STEC in humans, which are often foodborne, range from mild to bloody diarrhea with life-threatening complications of renal failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome and even death, particularly in children. As many as 158 of the total 187 serogroups of E. coli are known to carry Shiga toxin genes, which makes STEC a major pathotype of E. coli. Seven STEC serogroups, called top-7, which include O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157, are responsible for the majority of the STEC-associated human illnesses. The STEC serogroups, other than the top-7, called "non-top-7" have also been associated with human illnesses, more often as sporadic infections. Ruminants, particularly cattle, are principal reservoirs of STEC and harbor the organisms in the hindgut and shed in the feces, which serves as a major source of food and water contaminations. A number of studies have reported on the fecal prevalence of top-7 STEC in cattle feces. However, there is paucity of data on the prevalence of non-top-7 STEC serogroups in cattle feces, generally because of lack of validated detection methods. The objective of our study was to develop and validate 14 sets of multiplex PCR (mPCR) assays targeting serogroup-specific genes to detect 137 non-top-7 STEC serogroups previously reported to be present in cattle feces. Each assay included 7-12 serogroups and primers were designed to amplify the target genes with distinct amplicon sizes for each serogroup that can be readily identified within each assay. The assays were validated with 460 strains of known serogroups. The multiplex PCR assays designed in our study can be readily adapted by most laboratories for rapid identification of strains belonging to the non-top-7 STEC serogroups associated with cattle.
A CMOS Microwave Broadband Adaptive Dual-Comb Dielectric Spectroscopy System for Liquid Chemical Detection

An integrated ultra-wideband (UWB) microwave coherent dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) system, with two on-chip frequency combs with a tunable and slightly different repetition frequency rates, is presented for liquid chemicals detection. One of the frequency combs interrogates a coplanar waveguide (CPW) planar transmission line sensor loaded with the material under test (MUT) while the other identical empty sensor is excited by the second comb. Two frequency combs are then heterodyned using a UWB mixer to generate the dual-comb output that represents the properties of the MUT from microwave frequencies mapped to low-frequencies eliminating the need to use high-frequency analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). To achieve detection of both real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivity of liquid samples, an adaptive sampling method along with phase-locking of all sources are utilized. The 3–10 GHz microwave DCS system fabricated in 65 nm CMOS, occupies 1.98 mm2 an area and consumes ~72 mW from a 1 V supply. To verify the chemical detection, MUTs including methanol, ethanol and water results at the output of DCS system in this paper are presented.
Constraints on surface temperature 3.4 billion years ago based on triple oxygen isotopes of cherts from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, and the problem of sample selection

ABSTRACT Studies of Earth9s surface temperature before 3.0 Ga have focused heavily on the oxygen isotopic composition of silica-rich sedimentary rocks called cherts. Interpretation of the results have suggested early surface temperatures ranging from as high as 70 ± 15 °C down to those that differ little from modern values. A major controversy centers on whether differences in the oxygen isotopic compositions of cherts over time reflect changing surface temperatures, changing ocean isotopic composition, or post-depositional diagenetic and metamorphic effects. We here present results of triple oxygen measurements of 3.472 Ga to 3.239 Ga cherts from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa. The best preserved samples based on geological evidence have Δ917O and δ918O values that plot generally on or near the equilibrium fractionation line for silica precipitated out of modern, ice-free sea water. Geologic considerations allow many potentially useful samples to be eliminated for paleotemperature analysis because of proximity to younger mafic intrusions or interactions with meteoric waters during deposition, both of which tend to lower preserved isotopic values. Our results of triple-O isotopic analyses of a suite of samples representing deposition under open marine, shallow shelf conditions suggest that Archean surface temperatures were well above those of the present day, perhaps as high as 66 to 76 °C. They demonstrate that geologic context, including depositional setting and post-depositional history, requires careful assessment before the significance of oxygen isotopic results can be evaluated.
A Cooling Method Based on Thermoelectric Effect-Peltier Cooling System

Energy consumption throughout the world has been increasing in recent years and is a major concern due to its effect on climate change. According to NASA, climate change has led to stronger hurricanes, more droughts and heat waves, sea level rise, and a prediction that the arctic will be ice-free by mid-century. One of the most notable energy consumption methods, which negatively affect the climate, is the heating and cooling of buildings. As a result, minimizing the need for energy use in buildings for heating and cooling application is a widely explored field of research. While energy efficiency has drastically improved in recent years, the use of harmful refrigerants, such as R-410a, has already taken a huge toll on the environment. This presented a need for the cooling and heating of buildings without the use of harmful refrigerants. An alternative method of refrigeration is the use of Thermoelectric Modules (TEMs) due to their nature of having no mechanical moving parts, being highly reliable, compact in size, light in weight, requiring no working fluid, and most importantly: require no use of refrigerants. Our project aims to design and create a fully functioning system which uses TEMs as an alternative for cooling and heating of common spaces.
Camping, weather, and disasters: Extending the Construal Level Theory

Abstract Camping is an outdoor accommodation and type of recreation that is susceptible to weather and climate change. Camping—in addition to the relationships camping shares with weather— remains understudied despite the subsectors’ salient economic impact and high participation rate. The observable effects of non-meteorological/climatological (e.g., pandemic) is also a topic that has received limited attention. Accordingly, we introduce the Camping-Weather-Disaster (CWD) framework to examine the concurrent impact of weather and the COVID-19 disaster on post-disaster camping trip plans among leisure travelers in the 48 contiguous United States (n = 2442). Extending the Construal Level Theory, the CWD framework considers traveler construal (i.e., understanding) of a disaster and psychological distance (i.e., mental frame of reference) from a disaster alongside empirically observable state-level weather and COVID-19 cases. Results demonstrate that (1) concrete construal about timing and distance of travel is positively related to post-disaster camping trip plans; (2) weather is a significant predictor of post-disaster camping trip plans where there are regionally fewer COVID-19 cases; and (3) state-level COVID-19 cases are the most salient predictor of post-disaster camping trip plans where there are regionally more COVID-19 cases. Although the study context is camping, the CWD framework can be applied to other subsectors of tourism to build understanding and adaptive capacity to future natural conditions and disasters.
Mass spectrometry as a tool for structural biology: crosslinking-MS and native-MS methods to study the RNA Pol II - Mediator holoenzyme (778.6)

The Mediator complex plays a central role in transcriptional regulation by relaying gene specific regulatory signals to the general transcriptional machinery. The yeast holoenzyme between mediator and RNA pol II consists of 33 subunits totaling over 1.5 MDa in size. The large size precludes atomic resolution crystallography of the entire assembly. Hence hybrid methods of structure determination are necessary, integrating various techniques including: crystallography of stable subassemblies, cryoEM of the intact complex, and mass spectrometry (MS). Mass spectrometry based structural techniques including chemical crosslinking and native-MS provide spatial restraints that guide and constrain the modeling process. Crosslinking measurements map interacting protein-protein surfaces through the identication of amino acid residues that have been covalently modified by heterobifunctional reagents. Native MS permits the determination of stably associated assemblies of proteins in the gas phase. We focus on the deve...
Decoding Calcium Signaling

Calcium ions are crucial second-messenger molecules and are particularly important during T cell development and activation. In their Perspective, [Winslow and Crabtree][1] discuss the identification of two ion channels that are key regulators of the calcium response during activation of T cells ([ Badou et al .][2] and [ Launay et al .][3]). [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/307/5706/56 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/307/5706/117 [3]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/306/5700/1374
Analysis of Stress and Moisture Induced Changes in Fractured Rock Permeability at the Yucca Mountain Drift Scale Test

Abstract This paper presents a coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical analysis of a large-scale underground heater test conducted in unsaturated fractured welded tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Key processes in this study are thermal-hydrological (TH) changes in fracture moisture content and thermal-mechanical (TM) changes in fracture aperture, which both contribute to changes in local fracture-permeability. The soundness of the modeling approach and in particular the model for thermal-mechanical induced changes in fracture permeability is demonstrated through good agreement between simulated and measured changes in air-permeability in several boreholes at DST. This shows that a continuum modeling approach is appropriate and indicates that fracture opening/closure caused by changes in fracture normal stress is the dominating mechanism for TM-induced changes in permeability at the site.
Exploding Wires as a Source of X Rays

The electrical explosion of metallic conductors in vacuum differs in many respects from explosions in gases at atmospheric pressures. The emission of x rays is one* of the distinguishing features of explosions conducted in a vacuum. Diagnosis of the emitted x radiation throws light on the basic processes responsible for the emission, namely, the interaction of strong electric fields with the ionized matter of the exploding conductors. It is the purpose of this work to indicate methods of producing sufficient amounts of x radiation needed for study of these processes, to deduce some of the characteristics of the emitted radiation, and to relate them to the electrical characteristics of the exploding conductors.
Establishment of a foreign antigen secretion system in mycobacteria

In order to develop recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG into a useful multivaccine vehicle, we established a foreign antigen secretion system in mycobacteria in which an extracellular alpha antigen of Mycobacterium kansasii was utilized as a carrier. By using this system, a B-cell epitope (Glu-12-Leu-Asp-Arg-Trp-Glu-Lys-Ile-19) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 p17gag, which was identified by a fusion protein-based method, has been successfully obtained from BCG along with the alpha antigen. This is the first report of expression and secretion of a foreign viral antigen from BCG. It is possible that the system can become a universal vaccination vehicle applicable to protection against various infectious diseases.
Structures of Central Bulges and Nuclei of Galaxies

The isophotal surfaces of central bulges of normal spirals, often described as ‘spheroidal’, are shown to depart from ellipsoids of revolution and to resemble MacLaurin or Jacobi spheroids with zonal distortion; two typical examples, NGC 4565, 5746, are illustrated. Weaker examples are NGC 2683, 4594 and 891. Stronger examples are NGC 7332 and 128.
In support of fatty acid synthase (FAS) as a metabolic oncogene: Extracellular acidosis acts in an epigenetic fashion activating FAS gene expression in cancer cells

Relatively little information exists on the ultimate molecular mechanisms by which the lipogenic enzyme Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS) is differentially overexpressed in a biologically aggressive subset of human malignancies. Since the microenvironment of solid tumors contains regions of poor oxygenation and high acidity, it has recently been suggested that cancer-associated FAS is a novel metabolic oncogene conferring a selective growth advantage upon stresses such as hypoxia and/or low pH. Here, we performed transient transfection studies with a 178-bp FAS promoter fragment harboring a complex Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins (SREBP)-binding site to evaluate whether extracellular low pH and/or hypoxia may act in an epigenetic fashion by inducing changes in the transcriptional activation of FAS gene in cancer cells. First, MCF-7 breast cancer cells cultured in acidosis (pH 6.5), but not under hypoxia or in the presence of hypoxia mimetics, demonstrated a more than two-fold increase in the transcriptional activity of FAS promoter-reporter constructs compared with control cells grown under standard culture conditions (pH 7.4). Second, the up-regulatory effect of extracellular acidosis on the transcriptional activation of FAS gene was not observed when the FAS promoter was truncated at the SREBP-binding site. Third, MCF-7 cells engineered to overexpress the Her-2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene exhibited a SREBP-dependent activation of the FAS promoter-reporter construct up to three-fold higher than that found in wild-type MCF-7 cells, while extracellular acidosis resulted only in a marginal increase of Her-2/neu-promoted activation of FAS gene. This study reveals for the first time that extracellular acidosis can work in an epigenetic fashion by up-regulating the transcriptional expression of FAS gene in breast cancer cells, a stimulatory effect that is equally mimicked by well-characterized oncogenic stimuli such as Her-2/neu. These findings, altogether, support the "metabolic oncogene" theory for FAS overexpression in cancer cells.
Demystifying Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy—Are We Close?

The cause of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is still elusive, despite multiple studies over the past few decades. This review assesses recent progress in the understanding of risk factors (situations that predispose patients to SUDEP) and terminal events (events immediately associated with death) that potentially contribute to SUDEP. Recent studies strongly support a close relationship between seizure episodes (especially generalized convulsions) and SUDEP. The lethal nature of some seizure-induced cardiorespiratory events has been documented fortuitously in rare patient cases, and these events have been consistently reproduced in SUDEP animal models. Nonetheless, SUDEP likely does not have a single cause, and risk factors identified thus far may vary in importance among persons with epilepsy. In the absence of a complete understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying SUDEP, potential preventive measures for high-risk patients are offered for consideration. Seizure control is most important for reducing SUDEP risk. Circumstantial data suggest that heightened supervision of patients with frequent seizures may be beneficial. Relatively simple interventions may be sufficient to interrupt potentially lethal events such as periictal suffocation or apnea. However, application of these preventive measures to all epilepsy patients has not been proven to substantially reduce the rate of SUDEP. Additional clinical and laboratory investigations are needed to identify and confirm pathogenic factors and preventive measures.
People Skills: Change Management Tools-Leading Teams

This is the fourth in a series of columns about some of the most effective models, methods, and processes of organization development (OD), a discipline that offers much to the OR/MS practitioner determined to help clients solve real-world problems. Because it is based on a systemic view of organizations, OD includes the whole universe of fuzzy people issues that increasingly determine the success or failure of efforts to implement otherwise flawless technical solutions.
Radiation Effects in Charge Coupled Devices

Charge coupled devices (CCD s) exhibit a number of advantages (low cost, low power, high bit density) in their several applications (serial memories, imagers, digital filters); however, fairly elementary theoretical considerations indicate that they will be very vulnerable to permanent radiation damage, by both neutrons and ionizing radiation, and to transient upset by pulsed ionizing radiation. Although studies of permanent ionizing-radiation damage in CCD's have been reported, little information has been published concerning their overall nuclear radiation vulnerability. This paper presents a fairly comprehensive experimental study of radiation effects in a 256-cell surface-channel, CCD shift- register. A limited amount of similar work is also presented for a 128-cell surface-channel device and a 130 cell peristaltic CCD shift register. The radiation effects phenomena discussed herein, include transient-ionizing- radiation responses, permanent ionizing- radiation damage to transfer efficiency, charge-carrying capacity and input transfer gate bias, and neutron damage to storage time--determined from dark current and charge-up time measurements. (auth)
Time-targeted therapy (TTT): Proof of principle using doxorubicin and radiation in a cultured cell system

We test the hypothesis that a pulse of the anti-cancer agent doxorubicin renders cells more sensitive to ionizing radiation in a strongly time-specific, dose-specific manner.We have treated cultured cells from a human tumor line, HepG2, with graded doses of two agents: doxorubicin (Dox) and ionizing radiation (XR), delivered in sequence-specific, time-specific, dose-specific patterns. We observe a strong increase in cell killing, up to 120 fold, between pulsed treatment with Dox followed exactly 4 hours later with acute XR. This effect is more pronounced for larger doses of irradiation (>7.5 Gy). These data demonstrate proof of principal in a model system that timing between agents may be an exceptionally important variable in using combined, multi-modal therapy in the treatment of cancer. Since the levels of Dox needed to induce substantial increases in cellular radiosensitivity may be achievable in vivo, we suggest that this phenomenon, which we refer to as time-targeted therapy (TTT), be considered for...
TESTICULAR ACID PHOSPHATASE IN GIANT SILKMOTHS.

Abstract Results of disk electrophoresis indicate that at least two enzymes in S. cynthia pupal testicular homogenates and three in those of H. cecropia possess relatively high acid phosphatase activity. The Cynthia pupal enzyme system shows a pH optimum at 5·6 and displays zero order kinetics for 3 hr at 37·5°C. When the enzyme concentration is increased a linear relationship is obtained between enzyme and substrate concentration. The activity of the testicular enzyme is highest in the pupal testis, decreases to 50 per cent of that value during adult development, and rises to 75 per cent of the pupal value before emergence of the adult moth. In addition, the pH optimum differs at specific developmental stages. The acid phosphatase appears to be mainly a soluble enzyme except when tested against nucleotides whereupon half of the activity remains in the pellet fraction. A nucleotidase may be present in the testis and is particularly potent when deoxyribonucleotides are used as substrates.
Local connectedness in topological groups

Abstract This paper gives several conditions sufficient for a topological group to be locally connected, locally path connected, or almost locally path connected. Structural theorems for non-locally connected groups arise, such as a limitation on the types of subspaces that can occur as somewhere dense subsets, and the meagerness of conjugacy classes in many instances. Improvements are given to certain open, or almost open, mapping theorems. New observations are made about the associated locally path connected topology of a topological group.
Elucidation of isomeric structures for ubiquitin [M + 12H]12+ ions produced by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Gas-phase deprotonation reactions, hydrogen-deuterium exchange reactions and collision-induced dissociation (CID) were used to distinguish between two isomeric forms of [M + 12H] 12+ produced from the protein ubiquitin. Ions were generated by electrospray ionization and studied in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. For [M + 12H] 12+ formed directly from the electrospray process, deprotonation reactions with ammonia and 2-fluoropyridine yield non-linear pseudo-first-order kinetic behavior that indicates the presence of two ion structures. The fraction of ions that undergo the fastest deprotonation reactions, and is presumably the least energetically stable isomer, accounts for ∼60% of the [M + 12H] 12+ produced by electrospray. In reactions with D 2 O and CD 3 OD, the [M + 12H] 12+ which are deprotonated faster exchange the first 11 ± 1 hydrogens more readily that the remaining [M + 12H] 12+ population. Results from CID experiments, obtained as a function of reaction time with the amines, also indicate the existence of more than one [M + 12H] 12+ structure. The CID fragmentation patterns provide information about the general locations of the charge sites. Surprisingly, evidence for only one structure (the slow-reacting, more stable species) is found for [M + 12H] 12+ that is produced by gas-phase deprotonation of [M + 13H] 13+ , which is the 'fully protonated' form of ubiquitin. These results are discussed in terms of ubiquitin isomers related to protonation site and three-dimensional conformation.