cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic covalent hydrogels as biomaterials to mimic the viscoelasticity of soft tissues

Abstract The extracellular matrix (ECM) and its mechanical properties play an important role in regulating the cellular responses that occur during tissue regeneration, wound healing, and disease progression. A growing body of research, especially in the fields of mechanobiology and matrix biology, has been devoted to elucidating how the ECM mechanical environment, both in vitro and in vivo, influences cell fate and function. Synthetic materials that faithfully recapitulate key mechanical properties of native tissues provide an important means to understand the mechanisms by which cells sense and remodel their surrounding mechanical environments. However, tissue mechanics is inherently complex, exhibiting dependencies on many timescales. This review highlights recent progress in synthetic biomaterials, particularly polymer networks that capture critical aspects of the dynamic mechanical properties of soft tissues by exploiting dynamic covalent chemistries. Finally, future directions and opportunities in the development and application of viscoelastic biomaterials are discussed.
Temperature affects the host hematological and cytokine response following experimental ranavirus infection in red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Pathogen-host interactions are important components of epidemiological research, but are scarcely investigated in chelonians. Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), are recognized as a model for frog virus-3 infection (FV3), a ranavirus in the family Iridoviridae that infects multiple classes of ectothermic vertebrates. Previous challenge studies observed differences in disease outcome based on environmental temperature in this species, but the host response was minimally evaluated. We challenged red-eared sliders with an FV3-like ranavirus at both 28°C and 22°C. We monitored several host response variables for 30 days, including: survival (binary outcome and duration), clinical signs, total and differential leukocytes, and select cytokine transcription in the buffy coat (IL-1β, TNFα, IFYg, IL-10). After 30 days, 17% of challenged turtles survived at 28°C (Median survival time [MST]: 15 days, range: 10-30 days) and 50% survived (MST: 28.5 days, range: 23-30 days) at 22°C (range 23-30 days). The most common clinical signs were injection site swelling, palpebral swelling, and lethargy. The heterophil/lymphocyte ratio at 22°C and interleukin-1 beta (IL1β) transcription at both 22°C and 28°C were significantly greater on days 9, 16, and 23 in FV3 challenged groups. Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-10 were transcribed at detectable levels, but did not display significant differences in mean relative transcription quantity over time. Overall, evidence indicates an over-robust immune response leading to death in the challenged turtles. FV3 remains a risk for captive and free-ranging chelonian populations, and insight to host/pathogen interaction through this model helps to elucidate the timing and intensity of the host response that contribute to mortality.
Anamorphic detection for adaptive optics line-scan OCT

We introduce an anamorphic detection paradigm to optimize spatial and spectral resolution in adaptive optics line-scan OCT, wherein an improved light collection efficiency and signal roll-off compared to traditional methods was demonstrated. The benefits for in vivo imaging were exemplified by retrieving nanometer-scale light-induced optical path length dynamics at high speed in individual cones. The high speed, sensitivity and cellular-scale resolution of the resulting adaptive optics line-scan OCT instrument offers a robust and sensitive biomarker for retinal function in health and disease.
MicroRNAs on the move: microRNAs in astrocyte-derived ApoE particles regulate neuronal function.

In this issue of Neuron, Li et al. (2021) demonstrate that ApoE lipoprotein particles shuttle miRNAs from astrocytes to neurons, leading to inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis and an increase in histone acetylation in neurons.
6-Year-Old Girl With a Luteinized Follicular Ovarian Cyst and an Estradiol Level > 1,000 PG/ML

Background: Precocious puberty in girls is defined as onset of secondary sexual characteristics, such as breast development, before 8 years of age. To differentiate between central and peripheral precocious puberty, laboratory and imaging evaluation is helpful. When gonadotropins are low but estradiol is elevated, results may suggest a primary ovarian source of estrogen production. Small ovarian cysts are not uncommon, are benign and self-resolve. However, large ovarian cysts are rare, let alone ones requiring surgical removal. Clinical Case: A 6 year 7 month old girl presented with several days of breast tenderness and palpable bilateral breast tissue noted by her mother. There was no history of vaginal bleeding. There were no reported exposures to estrogen-containing products. Her mother reached menarche at age 14 years. The patient was born full term and was otherwise healthy. On exam, her height was at the 90-95th %ile (mid-parental height at the 95th %ile) and her growth velocity was 10.9 cm/yr. She had Tanner 2 breasts (1 cm breast bud on the left and 1.5 cm on the right), Tanner 1 pubic hair and no axillary hair, body odor, acne or cafe-au-lait macules. A bone age was read as 6 years at a chronological age of 6 years 7 months. A laboratory evaluation revealed an estradiol of 1,029 pg/mL (<15 pg/mL), LH <0.02 mIU/mL, FSH <0.09 mIU/mL, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) 410 ng/dL (<91 ng/dL), AFP 2.3 ng/mL (<6.1 ng/mL), beta-hCG <2 mIU/mL, TSH 2.41 mIU/L (0.5-3.2 mIU/L), and free T4 0.9 ng/dL (0.9-1.4 ng/dL). Pelvic ultrasound revealed a large unilocular cystic structure measuring 6.5 x 4.1 x 6.1 cm in the left adnexal region with no left ovary visualized. The right ovary appeared prepubertal. The uterus was prepubertal in appearance with endometrial thickness of 2 mm. Abdominal ultrasound showed no evidence of a suprarenal mass. A laparoscopic cyst resection was completed, given the risk of left ovarian torsion. Cytology was negative; pathology revealed a luteinized follicular cyst. Repeat labs in one month showed a prepubertal estradiol level of 6.7 pg/mL with LH 0.02 mIU/mL and FSH 0.38 mIU/mL. 17-OHP normalized to 29 ng/dL. Breast tissue had regressed. Conclusion: This case describes the rare finding of a large luteinized follicular ovarian cyst that required surgical removal in a 6-year-old girl in the setting of a significantly elevated estradiol level. Luteinized follicular cysts have been described in newborns, though rare. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of a luteinized follicular cyst in this patient’s age group. Laboratory and imaging evaluation should be considered in girls presenting with precocious puberty, despite the extent of thelarche, as the clinical examination does not always correlate with degree of estradiol elevation. This is especially important if clinical changes are acute and other features are consistent with puberty, such as rapid linear growth.
Extracellular Peptide Signaling and Quorum Responses in Development, Self-Recognition, and Horizontal Gene Transfer in Bacillus subtilis

This chapter focuses on the mechanisms of extracellular peptide signaling that Bacillus subtilis utilizes to control gene expression involved in sporulation, the ComA-mediated general quorum response, and horizontal gene transfer. This signaling provides mechanisms for the cell to monitor population density and to distinguish whether neighboring cells are similar or different. All the responses described are stimulated by high population densities. The focus of the chapter is cell-cell signaling mediated by peptides. Horizontal gene transfer plays an important role in bacterial evolution. It is often regulated by cell-cell signaling, including the pheromone-responsive conjugal plasmids of Entercoccus faecalis, the autoinducer-sensing conjugal plasmids of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and competence development in Streptococcus and Bacillus species. Self-recognition during B. subtilis competence development likely serves to limit competence development to conditions when DNA from closely related bacteria will be present. Cell-cell signaling influences the activity of integrative and conjugative element (ICEBs1) in two ways. First, signaling via host-encoded regulators indicates a high population density and the proximity of potential mating partners. Second, the signaling pentapeptide PhrI is produced by ICEBs1-containing cells and is used to inhibit transfer to potential partners that already contain the element. B. subtilis competence and sporulation are also regulated by two regulators, ComK and Spo0A, that are parts of multiple autoregulatory loops. They involve both positive and negative feedback regulation and help establish and maintain stable subpopulations of cells that exhibit specific patterns of gene expression and follow specific developmental fates.
Cyclins and gap junctions in liver growth and repair

Cyclin and gap junction proteins are intimately involved in cell regulation and communication. In fact, both gene families are dramatically modulated during the synchronized cell cycles induced by liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy. This chapter begins with an introduction to the cyclin gene family, and continues with a discussion of the various cyclin functions in cellular control, with emphasis on eukaryotic cells and in particular the mammalian liver. Finally, we discuss gap junction proteins and their roles in liver growth and repair.
The relevance of long-duration TLP stress on system level ESD design

An analysis of long-duration TLP stress will be performed on ESD clamps representative of the mo commonly used ESD protection strategies. It will be shown that snapback-based High Voltage devices featur static filamentary conduction after triggering. This leads to failure for TLP pulse widths in excess of 100ns, we below the expected power scaling levels. The need for long TLP testing to establish ESD protection robustnes in the system level stress regime will be demonstrated.
A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION LITERACY COURSES IN MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES

A content analysis of textbooks used for instruction of information literacy courses in Masters in Library and Information Studies programs was conducted. The hypotheses was that these courses identified specific competencies of information literacy at various stages of learning and differentiated between lower-level basic skills from upper-level more sophisticated skills. This paradigm was exemplified by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (2003). Chi-square (?2) analyses of the frequencies with which educational levels starting from K-12 through graduate school occurred were conducted. Textbooks that contained any of the following information literacy themes met the selection criteria: (a) determining information needed, (b) accessing the information, (c) critically evaluating and synthesizing retrieved information, (d) integrating and applying knowledge, and (e) understanding the economic, legal, and social implications of information production and dissemination. Contrary to the hypotheses, the results revealed that emphases were on grouped competencies such as K-12 or undergraduate, rather than on graded incremental proficiencies. Educational levels K-12 were found to have significantly more citations than expected. Frequencies of references to college levels decreased as the learning levels advanced. There was no mention of the junior level. Emphases on lower-level basic information literacy skills were revealed by higher frequencies of references to sophomore than those of senior. Moreover, graduate level had only eight mentions out of a total of 361 observations. Taken as a whole, these courses fell short of the scholarly expectations of clearly identifying between lower-level basic skills from upper-level more sophisticated skills.
Towards a unified theory of operational and axiomatic semantics

This paper presents a nine-rule language-independent proof system that takes an operational semantics as axioms and derives program reachability properties, including ones corresponding to Hoare triples. This eliminates the need for language-specific Hoare-style proof rules to verify programs, and, implicitly, the tedious step of proving such proof rules sound for each language separately. The key proof rule is Circularity, which is coinductive in nature and allows for reasoning about constructs with repetitive behaviors (e.g., loops). The generic proof system is shown sound and has been implemented in the MatchC verifier.
Self-duality, four-forms, and the eight-dimensional Yang-Mills/Dittmann-Bures field over the three-level quantum systems

Utilizing a number of results of Dittmann, we investigate the nature of the Yang-Mills field over the eight-dimensional convex set, endowed with the Bures metric, of three-level quantum systems. Parallelling the decomposition of eight-dimensional Euclidean fields by Corrigan, Devchand, Fairlie and Nuyts, as well as Figueoroa-O'Farrill and others, we investigate the properties of self-dual and anti-self-dual four-forms corresponding specifically to our Bures/non-Euclidean context. For any of a number of (nondegenerate) 3 x 3 density matrices, we are able to solve the eigenequation of the associated Hodge * operator with respect to the Bures metric. We obtain sets of (traceless) twenty-eight real eigenvalues, consisting of four singlets and three octets. The associated four-forms are found to exhibit quite simple behaviors, though we are not able to derive them in full generality.
On extensions of flows in the presence of sets of singularities

Measure preserving (m.p.), flows in ℝn may have intersecting trajectories. This kind of singularity may prevent the uniqueness or, in other cases, even the existence of a m.p. flow with a given velocity field v, without contradicting the “integrability condition”:Δv = 0 in a weak sense. Examples are constructed to prove that, in ℝn n > 3, these phenomena can not be ruled out by the proposed condition, veL2, or by any condition on the moments of v. Thus the question of a useful criterion, especially for the study of non stationery flows (e.g. those described by Navier-Stokes equations) remains open. On the positive side, a criterion is given which ensures that a measure preserving flow, with veLp p > 1, has no flux through compact sets, e.g. sets of possible singularities, whose “dimension” is low enough. (The “dimension”, as used here, is not necessarily integral.) The upper bound on the “dimension” increases with p via an inequality which is optimal (possibly not strictly) as shown by the examples.
Veterans’ Post-Secondary Education: Keeping the Promise to Those Who Serve

Current veterans returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq who plan on pursuing a college education are facing new and unique challenges rarely faced by their predecessors. Despite having at their disposal the most generous educational benefit programs, many are finding success difficult. A combination of social, bureaucratic, and institutional barriers beleaguer a veteran pursuing a degree; accordingly, it is necessary for us to remove these obstacles since veterans enhance classrooms with their experiences. The United States government must also provide veterans with a bridge to integrate into the job market.
Evaluation of fuzzy instructions in a RISC processor

The authors report the results of dynamic measurements which evaluate the effectiveness of an application-specific microprocessor for fuzzy control and fuzzy information processing. They propose to specialize a microprocessor architecture for fuzzy-theoretic operations using quantitative techniques developed by designers of the reduced instruction set computing (RISC) architecture. In particular, the introduction of specialized instructions is considered. Experimental results show that it is possible to achieve as high as a 2.5 speedup for a program for fuzzy control by introducing two instructions, min and max. >
High flux ultrafiltration nanofibrous membranes based on polyacrylonitrile electrospun scaffolds and crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol coating

Abstract In this study, we demonstrated a high flux thin film nanofibrous composite (TFNC) membrane system based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) electrospun scaffold coupled with a thin barrier layer of cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). With carefully chosen structural parameters (i.e., a mid-layer PAN scaffold with porosity of about 85% and cross-linked PVA top coating with thickness of about 0.5 μm), the demonstrated TFNC membrane system shall be very useful for ultrafiltration (UF) applications, exhibiting a very high flux (i.e., 12 times higher than that of conventional PAN UF membranes) and excellent rejection ratio (>99.5%) for separation of oil/water mixture (1500 ppm in water) over a long time period (tested up to 190 h) in a practical pressure range (up to 130 psig).
Precision of statistics derived from Missouri statewide angler surveys.

Abstract We assessed the validity of using statewide telephone survey data to develop estimates of total angler effort and effort by water category (e.g., ponds and streams) for individual water bodies, management regions, and north–south geographic regions. Angler hours and trips for individual reservoirs and put-and-take trout parks were found to vary by less than 30% for both estimates, but effort estimates for individual streams and five classes of small impoundments were highly variable and imprecise because of the low number of cooperators fishing these waters. We found that survey results from 40 cooperators and 195 cooperator trips were required to obtain estimates of angler hours and angler trips, respectively, such that the variation of those estimates would be less than 30% for at least 80% of the water bodies meeting that sample size. We recommend that statewide surveys be used to assess only effort for water bodies that receive statewide use, that is, for those that draw from a very large reg...
Research on transnational Yucatec Maya-speakers negotiating multilingual California

This project combined methodologies from linguistic anthropology, participatory action research and interactional sociolinguistics. Data was collected from participant observation, four case studies, extensive interviews and a language and literacy survey. Multilingual conversations were recorded and analyzed with Conversation Analysis, with a focus on actions and identities as they emerge through enacted stance. The analysis was informed by concepts taken from the anthropology and sociology of transnationalism. The study shows four Maya-speaking individuals negotiating highly multilingual social worlds, where English, when it appears, is more often lingua franca than dominant code, and where participants use their various languages strategically and contingently to accomplish their various goals. These choices are constrained by their status as workers at the bottom rung of a social field characterized by undocumented status and the persistence of colonial discourses. Recommendations for research and practice based on research findings include: (i) reconsideration of second language pedagogies for such immigrant populations (ii) the use of stance in the analysis of multilingual conversations (iii) more research on undocumented status and how it contributes to the silencing of minority language populations and (iv) the use of participatory research methods in studies of undocumented and indigenous communities.
Surgical treatment of Peyronie's disease

Peyronie's Disease (PD) is a sexually debilitating disease resulting in significant psycho-logic stress for many men. Urologists have an opportunity to help men suffering from PD to improve their lives. Appropriate treatment should be individualized and tailored to the patient's expectations, disease history, physical examination findings, and erectile function. This review is intended to share the experiences of other urologists in the surgical approach to PD.
Smoking and weight change after new health diagnoses in older adults.

Background Smoking and patterns of diet and activity are the 2 leading underlying causes of death in the United States, yet the factors that prompt individuals to adopt healthier habits are not well understood. Methods This study was undertaken to determine whether individuals who have experienced recent adverse health events are more likely to quit smoking or to lose weight than those without recent events using Health and Retirement Study panel survey data for 20 221 overweight or obese individuals younger than 75 years and 7764 smokers from 1992 to 2000. Results In multivariate analyses, adults with recent diagnoses of stroke, cancer, lung disease, heart disease, or diabetes mellitus were 3.2 times more likely to quit smoking than were individuals without new diagnoses ( P P P Conclusions Across a range of health conditions, new diagnoses can serve as a window of opportunity that prompts older adults to change health habits, in particular, to quit smoking. Quality improvement efforts targeting secondary as well as primary prevention through the health care system are likely well founded.
Ethanol production by 107 strains of yeasts on 5, 10, and 20% lactose.

Kluyveromyces marxianus, K. lactis, Candida pseudotropicalis, C. versatilis, Brettanomyces anomalus, B. claussenii et trichosporon melibiosaceus en cultures discontinues
Proteomic analysis of chemonaive pediatric osteosarcomas and corresponding normal bone reveals multiple altered molecular targets.

With a view to identify the proteins involved in transformation, metastasis or chemoresistance in pediatric osteosarcoma, we carried out a new experimental approach based on comparison of the proteomic profile of paired samples of osteosarcoma and normal bone tissues from the same patient. The proteomic profiles of five pairs of cell lines (normal vs tumoral) were obtained by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. We detected 56 differential protein spots (t test, p < 0.05). Subsequent protein characterization by nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS enabled us to identify some of these proteins, 16 of which were chosen on the basis of the change of their relative abundance between osteosarcomas and paired normal bones and also because their involvement was supported by the genomic analysis. Two of the 16 proteins, Alpha-crystallin B chain (CRYAB) and ezrin (EZR1), were selected for further studies: an immunohistochemical analysis of a TMA (tissue microarray) and real-time PCR for a set of 14 osteosarcoma/normal-bon...
A rapid assay for insect juvenile hormone esterase activity.

Abstract A rapid new assay is proposed for analyzing insect juvenile hormone esterase activity. The assay is based on . 99% of radiolabeled juvenile hormone being extracted into an isooctane phase while > 99% of the juvenile hormone acid remains in the basic aqueous-methanol phase. The assay is more rapid and less expensive than conventional chromatographic assays while yielding almost identical values of similar precision. This is the first rapid assay proposed for isomerically pure, commercially available juvenile hormone I.
Quantum Algebra Structure of Exactly Soluble Quantum Spin Chains

We consider a large class of quantum spin chains, whose Hamiltonians commute with generators of a quantum algebra and which are integrable. We argue that the corresponding transfer matrices also commute with the quantum algebra. For the spin chain, we show that the Bethe states are highest weight states of Uq[su(2)].
The ABCs of AMD

The identification of mutations causing age-related macular degeneration paves the way for earlier diagnoses and studies of pathogenic mechanisms.
Competition Among Plants

Competition is a word of various meanings. In biology, it originally was introduced to account for the low survival rate of the potential offspring of all creatures. The number of seeds formed by a pea plant may be a dozen; most annual plants produce hundreds or thousands of seeds; cottonwood trees and orchids seeds run to the millions; and, in the case of fern and mushroom spores, there are billions formed by a single individual. Since in a state of equilibrium each plant can be replaced by only a single other one, processes were considered that eliminated the excess offspring (such as the activity of predators). With Darwin's evolution theory, competition took on additional meaning in relation to survival of the fittest. Competition was not anymore a struggle between equals, but a mechanism to award superiority. Competition became a contest, and considerations of combat, struggle, territorial exclusion, and even war entered in the wake of Darwin's ideas. As Warming (1) states, competition is "a consideration of the means by which plants oust each other from habitats." But, it is hard to conceive of any mechanisms by which stationary plants can combat each other to result in an ousting. In an important experimental investigation, Clements, Weaver, and Hanson (2) studied competition. They concluded that "Competition is purely a physical process. With few exceptions, such as the crowding up of tuberous plants when grown too closely, an actual struggle between competing plants never occurs .. .. In the exact sense, two plants, ino matter how close, do not compete with each other as long as the water-content, the nutrient material, the light and heat are in excess of the needs of both. When the immediate supply of a single necessary factor falls below the combined demands of the plants, competitionr begins." When growing sunflower, wheat, and other plants at different distances of each other, Clements et al. (2) found that the closer the plants were spaced to one another, the more they inhibited each other. But, it appeared fromn their data (see Table 1) that: (i) all plants in a competition plot were equally reduced in growth, and (ii) with increasing density of the planting, the production of the plants per unit area tended to reach a maximum value, whichwas not changed, with further decreases in spacing. This is a common experience in all agricultural spacing tests, a result that shows that this form of competition does not provide a mechanism for selection, since all individuals are equally inhibited. The same experience was gained from observations in the field. In the center of Death Valley near the headquarters of the National Monument, with an average yearly rainfall of about
Adenosine suppresses excitatory glutamatergic inputs to rat hypoglossal motoneurons in vitro

Short-latency excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), evoked by electrical stimulation lateral to the hypoglossal motor nucleus, were recorded from rat hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs) in brainstem slices. EPSPs were markedly suppressed or abolished by kynurenic acid (1 mM), showing that they were glutamatergic. The adenosine receptor agonist 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA, 100 nM) reduced EPSP amplitude to 42% of control, while the agonist 2-chloroadenosine (2-CA, 0.5-50 μM) caused a dose-dependent reduction of the EPSP. The adenosine receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, 0.1-1 μM) increased the EPSP amplitude to 124% of control, and blocked EPSP reduction by CCPA or 2-CA. CCPA, 2-CA and DPCPX did not significantly alter HM input resistance or membrane potential. These data indicate that excitatory glutamatergic inputs to rat HMs are modulated by adenosine A1 receptors, most probably at a presynaptic site. This modulation may be especially significant in hypoxic responses of HMs.
Economical management of engineering information

Abstract A typical installation which contains 50,000 significant items of equipment would traditionally be supported by over 250,000 spare parts and 500,000 key documents. Documents and associated data, such as P&IDs, loop sheets, data sheets and spare parts listings, are being supplied in many forms ranging from integrated CAD packages to simple paper solutions. How therefore, do you organize this information, eliminate duplication and ensure end users are able to retrieve native form information without the need to know document numbers?
Righting past wrongs: can import promotion policies counter hysteresis from past trade protection in the presence of switching costs?

Abstract This paper presents a formal model to characterize claims that past trade protection provides ‘profound legacies’ of market advantages for formerly-protected firms. The model, which involves duopoly competition and buyer switching costs, is used to evaluate the effects of proposed policy solutions: voluntary import expansions implemented through a buyer constraint and/or an import subsidy. Although a buyer constraint alone cannot fully eliminate the hysteresis effect on firms’ profits, it can when combined with an import subsidy that covers buyers’ switching costs. Implementation through the import subsidy alone, however, does more than merely shift rents towards the foreign firm; it actually promotes a more competitive market outcome.
Hermitian structure for linear internal waves in sheared flow

Motivated by the problem of linear mode conversion between ducted internal gravity waves in a sheared flow, we construct a variational principle based on a Hermitian evolution operator, obtained from Larsson's Hamiltonian formalism.
The M-Series Absorption Spectrum of Metallic Bismuth

With a vacuum spectrometer and sputtered bismuth films as absorbers, the five $M$-absorption edges were obtained. The large discrepancies between computed and observed wave-lengths of Bi ${M}_{\mathrm{IV}}$ and ${M}_{\mathrm{V}}$ were verified. The ${M}_{\mathrm{I}}$, ${M}_{\mathrm{II}}$ and ${M}_{\mathrm{III}}$ discrepancies were found to be of the order of experimental error. To explain the ${M}_{\mathrm{IV}}$ and ${M}_{\mathrm{V}}$ discrepancies it is assumed that electrons from ${M}_{\mathrm{IV}}$ and ${M}_{\mathrm{V}}$ levels, in an absorption act, go to virtual lattice levels above the filled conduction, or valence, levels of the crystal for the elements Ta73 to Th90. Data on, and Kronig's theory of, secondary x-ray absorption are shown to support this view. The application of the ordinary x-ray selection rule $\ensuremath{\Delta}l=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$, $\ensuremath{\Delta}j=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$ or 0 in $M$ absorption, suggested by Siegbahn, is further discussed. That there is a definite selection rule operating in $M$ absorption there is little room to doubt.
Chemical composition of Loblolly pine wood as related to specific gravity, growth rate, and distance from pith

The alpha-cellulose, hemicellulose, holocellulose, lignin, and extractive contents of wood removed from stems of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and factorially segregated by specific gravity, rings from the pith, and growth rate were determined from sample chips. The independent relationships of each factor with chemical composition are described.
Athenian Democracy: Modern Mythmakers and Ancient Theorists

Recent archaeological and textual studies by classical scholars give us new ways of thinking about Athenian democracy. Morgens Hansen, for example, has calculated the seating capacity of the Pnyx, the site where the Athenians held their assemblies. By figuring out how much space a seated adult Athenian male would occupy, he has concluded that the assembly in the fourth century B.C. could have held at most 6,000 people. That is a third or fourth of the potential participants (Hansen 1983, 18). Another classical scholar argues that attendance was considerably below this and concludes: “The Athenians had never seen a full meeting of the citizen body, though the very idea of democracy is predicted on it. From the very start they must have accepted that any assembly was bound to be a sample of the citizenship—and not even a random sample” (Carter 1986, 193). Other questions worthy of being asked but not asked before are now raised: How were votes actually counted? How does one calculate a closely divided vote when there are 6,000 people sitting in the assembly?In one of the classic books on Athenian democracy published in 1957, the author claimed: “Prima facie the Athenian democracy would seem to have been a perfectly designed machine for expressing and putting into effect the will of the people” (Jones [1957] 1964, 3). Hansen, with his calculations of the seating capacity of the Pnyx, and scholars questioning the degree to which and how citizens really engaged in the political life of Athens, are motivated by this perspective on ancient democracy.
Another dimension to survival: predicting outcomes with fetal MRI versus prenatal ultrasound in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Abstract Purpose A major determinant of survival in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is severity of pulmonary hypoplasia. This study addresses the comparative effectiveness of prenatal methods of lung assessment in predicting mortality, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and ventilator dependency. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients born with isolated CDH between 2004 and 2008. Lung-to-head ratio (LHR) and observed-to-expected LHR (OELHR) were obtained from prenatal ultrasounds. Percent-predicted lung volume (PPLV) was obtained from fetal MRI (fMRI). Postnatal data included in-hospital mortality, need for ECMO, and ventilator dependency at day-of-life 30. Results Thirty-seven patients underwent 81 prenatal ultrasounds, while 26 of this sub-cohort underwent fMRI. Gestational age during imaging study was associated with LHR ( p =0.02), but not OELHR ( p =0.12) or PPLV ( p =0.72). PPLV, min-LHR, and min-OELHR were each associated with mortality ( p =0.03, p =0.02, p =0.01), ECMO ( p p p =0.03), and ventilator dependency ( p p p =0.02). For each outcome, PPLV was a more discriminative measure, based on Akaike's information criterion. Using longitudinal analysis techniques for patients with multiple ultrasounds, OELHR remained associated with mortality ( p =0.04), ECMO ( p =0.03), and ventilator dependency ( p =0.02), while LHR was associated with ECMO ( p =0.01) and ventilator dependency ( p =0.02) but not mortality ( p =0.06). Conclusion When assessing fetuses with CDH, OELHR and PPLV may be most helpful for counseling regarding postnatal outcomes.
Isolating the Epstein-Barr Virus gp350/220 Binding Site on Complement Receptor Type 2 (CR2/CD21)

Complement receptor type 2 (CR2/CD21) is essential for the attachment of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) to the surface of B-lymphocytes in an interaction mediated by the viral envelope glycoprotein gp350. The heavily glycosylated structure of EBV gp350 has recently been elucidated by x-ray crystallography, and the CR2 binding site on this protein has been characterized. To identify the corresponding gp350 binding site on CR2, we have undertaken a site-directed mutagenesis study targeting regions of CR2 that have previously been implicated in the binding of CR2 to the C3d/C3dg fragments of complement component C3. Wild-type or mutant forms of CR2 were expressed on K562 cells, and the ability of these CR2-expressing cells to bind gp350 was measured using flow cytometry. Mutations directed toward the two N-terminal extracellular domains of CR2 (SCR1-2) reveal that a large contiguous surface of CR2 SCR1-2 is involved in gp350 binding, including a number of positively charged residues (Arg-13, (Arg-28, (Arg-36, Lys-41, Lys-57, Lys-67, and Arg-83). These data appear to complement the CR2 binding site on gp350, which is characterized by a preponderance of negative charge. In addition to identifying the importance of charge in the formation of a CR2-gp350 complex, we also provide evidence that both SCR1 and SCR2 make contact with gp350. Specifically, two anti-CR2 monoclonal antibodies, designated as monoclonal antibodies 171 and 1048 whose primary epitopes are located within SCR2, inhibit binding of wild-type CR2 to EBV gp350; with regard to SCR1, both K562 cells expressing an S15P mutation and recombinant S15P CR2 proteins exhibit diminished gp350 binding.
Simulations of the production of attosecond pulses via harmonic generation using a variable-lengthscale preplasma as relativistic mirror

Summary form only given. The generation of attosecond laser pulses is an area of active research. This research is motivated by the potential for these pulses to serve as powerful new tools for probing the physics of entirely new regimes and timescales. Consequently, the generation of attosecond pulses using the interaction of a femtosecond-scale laser pulse with a solid target, preceded by a variable-length-scale pre-plasma, is investigated computationally using the particle-in-cell code OSIRIS 2.0. The relationship between the final pulse spectrum and the pre-plasma scale length is investigated and presented. The impact of the initial laser intensity on these relationships is also investigated and presented. Finally, the characteristics of the resulting attosecond pulses are analyzed and presented. These simulations were performed in support of an experimental investigation performed using the HERCULES laser facility.
Experimental study on the behavior of segmented buried concrete pipelines subject to ground movements

Seismic damage to buried pipelines is mainly caused by permanent ground displacements, typically concentrated in the vicinity of the fault line in the soil. In particular, a pipeline crossing the fault plane is subjected to significant bending, shear, and axial forces. While researchers have explored the behavior of segmented metallic pipelines under permanent ground displacement, comparatively less experimental work has been conducted on the performance of segmented concrete pipelines. In this study, a large-scale test is conducted on a segmented concrete pipeline using the unique capabilities of the NEES Lifeline Experimental and Testing Facilities at Cornell University. A total of 13 partial-scale concrete pressure pipes (19 cm diameter and 86 cm long) are assembled into a continuous pipeline and buried in a loose granular soil. Permanent ground displacement that places the segmented concrete pipeline in compression is simulated through the translation of half of the soil test basin. A dense array of sensors including linear variable differential transducers, strain gauges, and load cells are installed along the length of the pipeline to measure its response to ground displacement. Response data collected from the pipe suggests that significant damage localization occurs at the ends of the segment crossing the fault plane, resulting in rapid catastrophic failure of the pipeline.
Aspects of physiology of Histoplasma capsulatum. (A review).

Yeast and mycelial forms of several strains of Histoplasma capsulatum have been analysed with respect to their ability to grow on a defined medium with or without the amino acid supplement. It appeared that whereas mycelial cells of all strains tested were prototrophic, the yeast cells of most strains stringently required L-cysteine for growth. This was due to the absence from these cells of an active form of an enzyme, sulfite reductase, normally needed for cysteine biosynthesis. We have found that the yeast cells of two strains (Downs and G 184 B) can grow without cysteine supplement if L-serine is added to the medium. These cells have an active sulfite reductase but the enzyme disappears when cysteine is added. Thus, the regulation of sulfite reductase is different in mycelium and yeast — the enzyme is constitutive or repressible, respectively.
Kierkegaard on the limits of Christian epistemology

"The difficulty with Socrates," says Kierkegaard at one point in his journal, "is not to understand his teaching but to understand Socrates himself: how much more so with regard to Christ. By this a period is put to all speculation, for its secret is to turn the whole thing around."2 If there is a difficulty with Christianity then it is not primarily a problem of explaining how a person might come to believe or know a peculiar set of claims, teachings, or propositions about a human being who, once upon a time, claimed to be "the God" (Guderi). Christianity, as Kierkegaard reminds us, is not a doctrine, but a way of life that depends on a person's willingness to understand Christ. But understanding Christ, for Kierkegaard, is not primarily a cognitive or intellectual matter. Philosophers such as Kierkegaard's pseudonym Johannes Climacus might derive a good deal of intellectual exercise from the dialectical acrobatics we find in books such as the Philosophical Fragments and the Concluding Unscientific Postscript. At the end of the day though the conditions for the possibility of understanding Christ cannot be given by an epistemological
All-fiber-optic infrared multispectral radiometer for measurements of temperature and emissivity of graybodies at near-room temperature.

An all-fiber-optic infrared multispectral radiometer for measurements of temperature and emissivity of graybodies at near-room temperature was constructed. Different spectral regions in the radiometer were obtained by use of hollow glass waveguides (HGWs) as filters. Using HGWs instead of bulk filters was advantageous because each HGW can be used as two different spectral filters when a dual-band IR detector is used. In addition, HGWs are much cheaper than the bulk IR filters that are usually used in such applications. For one graybody with a mean emissivity of 0.71, the estimated mean errors obtained for sample temperature, ambient temperature, and sample emissivity for all measured temperatures were 0.50% (∼1.65 K), 0.48% (∼1.4 K), and 7.3% (∼0.052) respectively. For a second graybody with a mean emissivity of 0.8 the estimated mean errors were 0.35% (∼1.2 K), 0.48% (∼1.4 K), and 5.0% (∼0.04), respectively.
Molecular evolution and expression of the CRAL_TRIO protein family in insects.

CRAL_TRIO domain proteins are known to bind small lipophilic molecules such as retinal, inositol and Vitamin E and include such gene family members as PINTA, a-tocopherol transfer (ATT) proteins, retinoid binding proteins, and clavesins. In insects, very little is known about either the molecular evolution of this family of proteins or their ligand specificity. Here we characterize insect CRAL_TRIO domain proteins and present the first insect CRAL_TRIO protein phylogeny constructed by performing reciprocal BLAST searches of the reference genomes of Drosophila melanogaster, Anopheles gambiae, Apis mellifera, Tribo- lium castaneum, Bombyx mori, Manduca sexta and Danaus plexippus. We find several highly conserved amino acid residues in the CRAL_TRIO domain-containing genes across insects and a gene expansion resulting in more than twice as many gene family members in lepidopterans than in other surveyed insect species, but no lepidopteran homolog of the PINTA gene in Drosophila. In addition, we examined the expression pattern of CRAL_TRIO domain genes in Manduca sexta heads using RNA-Seq data. Of the 42 gene family members found in the M. sexta reference genome, we found 30 expressed in the head tissue with similar expression profiles between males and females. Our results suggest this gene family underwent a large expansion in lepidopteran, making the lepidopteran CRAL_TRIO domain family distinct from other holometabolous insect lineages.
Analyses of global sea surface temperature 1856–1991

Global analyses of monthly sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies from 1856 to 1991 are produced using three statistically based methods: optimal smoothing (OS), the Kalrnan filter (KF) and optimal interpolation (OI). Each of these is accompanied by estimates of the error covariance of the analyzed fields. The spatial covariance function these methods require is estimated from the available data; the time-marching model is a first-order autoregressive model again estimated from data. The data input for the analyses are monthly anomalies from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office historical sea surface temperature data set (MOHSST5) (Parker et al., 1994) of the Global Ocean Surface Temperature Atlas (COSTA) (Bottoraley et al., 1990). These analyses are compared with each other, with COSTA, and with an analy- sis generated by projection (P) onto a set of empirical orthogonal functions (as in Smith et al. (1996)). In theory, the quality of the analyses should rank in the order OS, KF, OI, P, and COSTA. It is found that the first four give comparable results in the data-rich periods (1951-1991), but at times when data is sparse the first three differ significantly from P and COSTA. At these times the latter two often have extreme and fluctuating values, prima facie evidence of error. The statistical schemes are also verified against data not used in any of the analyses (proxy records derived from corals and air temperature records from coastal and island stations). We also present evidence that the analysis error estimates are indeed indicative of the quality of the products. At most times the OS and KF products are close to the OI product, but at times of especially poor coverage their use of information from other times is advantageous. The methods appear to reconstruct the major features of the global SST field from very sparse data. Comparison with other indications of the E1 Nifio - Southern Oscillation cycle show that the analyses provide usable information on interannual variability as far back as the 1860s.
The Wind Stress Patterns over the Indian Ocean During the Summer Monsoon of 1979

Abstract A detailed analysis of the wind stress patterns over the Indian Ocean was made from 1 May to 31 July 1979. A combination of cloud motion and ship data obtained once per day was used to diagnose the surface-wind patterns to a degree of detail not possible in the past for an individual season. These data show the monsoon development and the fluctuations of the Somali Jet and the Southern Hemispheric tradewinds. Wind stress patterns produced by two traveling tropical storms are discussed. These combined to exert an unusually high westerly wind stress on the equator before the monsoon developed.
A krypton-85 beta-ray source for the irradiation of liquids in flow systems

Abstract These experiments relate to the use of Kr85 gas, contained in a thin-walled glass bulb, as a β-ray source for the irradiation of liquid materials contained in an annular space surrounding the bulb. A pilot model, charged with 300 mc of Kr85 has been operated successfully over a period of 15 months.
Risk factors for recurrent stenosis following successful coronary angioplasty.

The major limitation of coronary angioplasty is recurrent stenosis. Patient, clinical, and procedural factors at the time of angioplasty were correlated with the presence or absence of angiographically documented recurrent stenosis or continued patency. Patients with single-vessel, multilesion disease had a lower incidence of recurrence than those with single-vessel, single-lesion disease (22.2% v 37.3%). Patients with multivessel disease had the highest rate of recurrent stenosis (45%). Sex and age did not predict recurrence. Patients with more severe symptoms, patients without prior myocardial infarction (MI), and insulin-dependent diabetic patients were more likely to have recurrent stenosis. Of the lesion variables, a severe stenosis or a low gradient before angioplasty, the absence of an intimal tear after angioplasty, and left anterior descending artery lesions correlated with a higher recurrence rate. Inflation times ≥30 seconds and a greater total number of inflations correlated with a higher recurrence rate. Multivariate analysis showed the following variables to be important predictors of recurrence: Canadian Heart Class, history of myocardial infarction, gradient before angioplasty, artery dilated, number of inflations, severity of stenosis before angioplasty, and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Precipitation of zinc sulfide by hydrolysis of thioacetamide in the presence of hydrazine hydrochloride

Abstract Zinc sulfide can be precipitated quantitatively from solutions buffered at pH 2 using thioacetamidehydrazine hydrochloride mixtures as precipitants. Optimum results are obtained using equimolar quantities of thioacetamide and hydrazine hydrochloride. Coprecipitation of cobalt sulfide was studied using citrate-citric acid, and sulfate-bisulfate buffers. Optimum separations are achieved using a sulfate-bisulfate buffer containing ammonium thiocyanate.