cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LIDAR: Lidar Information based Dynamic V2V Authentication for Roadside Infrastructure-less Vehicular Networks

Advancement of autonomous driving and vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) have demanded many applications requiring vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications as vehicles cooperatively share their traffic information (collected by sensors) with each other to improve driving safety, traffic efficiency and convenience. In order to secure V2V communications, authentication has been carried out in the presence of the central trusted authority and infrastructures. However, the scenarios where the infrastructures are not available have not been addressed well. In this paper, we propose LIDAR, a lidar information based authentication mechanism for V2V communication, to authenticate vehicles locally without involvement of a trusted authority and infrastructures. Our protocol utilizes the sensors installed in vehicles to verify the shared surrounding objects. The proposed scheme is robust against possible security threats such as man-in-the-middle attack. An extensive simulation is also conducted in an autonomous driving environment to evaluate our scheme.
Genetically diverse uropathogenic Escherichia coli adopt a common transcriptional program in patients with urinary tract infections

Abstract Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the major causative agent of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). A common virulence genotype of UPEC strains responsible for UTIs is yet to be defined, due to the large variation of virulence factors observed in UPEC strains. We hypothesized that studying UPEC functional responses in patients might reveal universal UPEC features that enable pathogenesis. Here we identify a transcriptional program shared by genetically diverse UPEC strains isolated from 14 patients during uncomplicated UTIs. Strikingly, this in vivo gene expression program is marked by upregulation of translational machinery, providing a mechanism for the rapid growth within the host. Our analysis indicates that switching to a more specialized catabolism and scavenging lifestyle in the host allows for the increased translational output. Our study identifies a common transcriptional program underlying UTIs and illuminates the molecular underpinnings that likely facilitate the fast growth rate of UPEC in infected patients.
Catalytic Umpolung Allylation of Aldehydes by π-Allylpalladium Complexes Containing Bidentate N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands

A series of π-allylpalladium complexes with neutral monodentate and bidentate ligands were prepared and examined for their ability to undergo stoichiometric umpolung allylation reactions with benzaldehyde. Neutral bidentate N-heterocyclic carbene ligands promote nucleophilic attack. Catalytic allylation reactions of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes are reported.
Cannabis-Related Impairment and Social Anxiety: The Role of Use to Manage Negative and Positive Affect in Social Situations.

Background and Objectives: Individuals with elevated social anxiety are thought to be at high risk for developing cannabis-related problems because they use cannabis to cope with anxiety-provoking ...
Librarian, Faculty, and Student Perceptions of Academic Librarians: Study Introduction and Literature Review

A survey concerning perceptions of academic librarians was conducted at a large, 4-year university with three populations: librarians, faculty, and undergraduate students. The high response rate an...
Beyond Freedom's Reach: An Imperfect Centering of Women and Children Caught within Cuba's Long Emancipation and the Afterlife of Slavery

This article examines Cuba's long process of gradual emancipation (from 1868–1886) and the continual states of bondage that categorize the afterlife of Cuban slavery. The article addresses deferred freedom, re-enslavement, and maintenance of legal states of bondage in the midst of “freedom.” It contends with the legacy of the casta system, the contradictions within the Moret Law of 1870, which “half-freed” children but not their mothers, and it analyzes the struggle for full emancipation after US occupation, with the thwarted attempt of forming the Partido Independiente de Color to enfranchise populations of color. The article argues that the desire to control the labor of racialized populations, and in particular the labor of black and indigenous women and children, unified Cuban and US slaveholders determined to detain emancipation; and provides an analysis of the re-enslavement of US free people of color at the end of the nineteenth century, kidnapped and brought to the Cuba as a method of bolstering slavery. The article draws on the scholarship of Saidiya Hartman and Shona Jackson to provide an assessment of the afterlife of Cuban slavery, the invisibility of indigenous labor, the hypervisibility of African labor in the Caribbean deployed to maintain white supremacy, and it critiques the humanizing narrative of labor as a means for freedom in order to address the ways in which, for racialized populations in Cuba, wage labor would emerge as a tool of oppression. The article raises an inquiry into the historiography on Cuban slavery to provide a critique of the invisibility of indigenous and African women and children. It also considers the role and place of sexual exchanges/prostitution utilized to obtain freedom and to finance self-manumission, alongside the powerful narratives of the social and sexual deviancy of black women that circulated within nineteenth-century Cuba.
Microstructure study of U–35 wt.% Zr alloy after quick annealing at 650 °C

Uranium–35 wt.% zirconium (U–35 wt.% Zr) alloy was annealed for 1 h and 24 h at 650 °C and characterized to understand the early-stage microstructure evolution. Dendritic microstructure with fine (∼300 nm in length) α-U precipitates clustered between dendrite branches were observed in the 1-h annealed sample. After 24-h annealing at 650 °C, the α-U precipitates coarsened, and the dendritic microstructure disappeared because of microstructure homogenization. Furthermore, microchemical homogenization observed with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis suggests that α-U precipitates are approaching thermodynamic equilibrium in the 24-h annealed sample. The findings from this study have potential impacts on the manufacturing and computer modeling of metallic nuclear fuel.
Machine learning and transport simulations for groundwater anomaly detection

Abstract This paper presents studies on modeling and algorithms for groundwater anomaly detection. Specifically, conductivity along with four other surrogates are used for identifying anomaly in groundwater, the one-class support vector machine (1-SVM) technique is utilized for model training, and real data from Colorado Water Watch is used for testing the model and algorithms. Design of code modules in Python is briefly discussed. Since groundwater contamination rarely happens in reality, we also use synthetic data from numerical simulations of flow and transport in porous media to test this model for anomaly detection.
Abstract PO-120: MYC drives temporal evolution of small cell lung cancer subtypes by reprogramming neuroendocrine fate

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive neuroendocrine tumor that is treated clinically as a single disease with poor outcomes. However, SCLC is recently recognized to comprise multiple molecular subsets with unique therapeutic vulnerabilities. Four distinct subtypes of SCLC have been defined based on expression of lineage-related transcription factors: ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3 or YAP1. The origins of these subtypes remain unknown. We use mouse and human SCLC models with a time-series analysis of single-cell transcriptome profiling to reveal that the oncogene MYC drives the dynamic evolution of SCLC subtypes by activation of Notch signaling. MYC cooperates with Notch signaling to promote a temporal shift from an ASCL1-to-NEUROD1-to-YAP1-positive state from a neuroendocrine cell of origin, whereas MYC promotes POU2F3+ tumors from a distinct cell type. SCLC molecular subtypes are therefore not distinct, but rather represent dynamic stages of MYC-driven tumor evolution. Treatment-naive human SCLC exhibits intratumoral heterogeneity in SCLC subtypes, suggesting this dynamic evolution occurs in patient tumors. These findings demonstrate that genetics, cell of origin, and tumor cell plasticity determine SCLC subtype. Given the reported unique therapeutic vulnerabilities of each subtype, we postulate that SCLC tumors represent a “moving therapeutic target” that may require more general, combinatorial, or plasticity-directed therapeutic approaches to combat this transcriptional flexibility. We anticipate that molecular subsets of other cancer types may also represent dynamic stages of tumor evolution. Citation Format: Abbie S. Ireland, Alexi M. Micinski, David W. Kastner, Bingqian Guo, Sarah J. Wait, Kyle B. Spainhower, Christopher C. Conley, Opal S. Chen, Matthew R. Guthrie, Danny Soltero, Yi Qiao, Xiaomeng Huang, Szabolcs Tarapcsak, Siddhartha Devarakonda, Milind D. Chalishazar, Jason Gertz, Justin C. Moser, Gabor Marth, Sonam Puri, Benjamin L. Witt, Benjamin T. Spike, Trudy G. Oliver. MYC drives temporal evolution of small cell lung cancer subtypes by reprogramming neuroendocrine fate [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Tumor Heterogeneity: From Single Cells to Clinical Impact; 2020 Sep 17-18. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(21 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-120.
An Edge Computing Method for Partial Discharge under the Power Internet of Things

The recognition of impulse interference for the partial discharge data on the edge computing platform can effectively reduce the false alarm rate in the risk assessment of gas insulated switchgear (GIS). Therefore, an edge computing method for partial discharge is proposed in the paper, which uses the similarity computing among the aggregation of data for each sensor after clustering to match homologous signals. Finally, the algorithm will jointly locate the interference signal and recognize the impulse interference signal by comparing the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of multiple UHF sensors in/out of GIS equipment. The training set, being consisted of partial discharge and interference signal from the test, is used to contrast the algorithms on the edge computing platform, the result of which indicates that the accuracy rate of the recognition of the impulse interference with the proposed algorithm is 81.4% on the computing platform, with the average processing time for each sample of 7.15s.
Enacting a rational actor: Roboadvisors and the algorithmic performance of ideal types

Weber famously invoked ‘ideal types’ as an analytic device with which to measure empirical reality against some hyper-rational fabrication. Case in point: non-professional (lay) investors appear to...
Abstract 14868: Promises of Transcatheter Tricuspid Valvular Interventions in Patients With Clinically Significant Tricuspid Regurgitation: A Meta-analysis

Introduction: Clinically significant tricuspid regurgitation is common especially in patients with structural heart disease and is independently associated with poor outcomes. Several transcatheter...
Rituals of ultimacy: a neurotheological account of James K.A. Smith’s post-secular liturgy

Andrew Newberg has argued for bringing neuroscience and theology into more fruitful dialogue through a methodology he calls neurotheology. Additionally, the Christian philosopher James K. A. Smith ...
Electronic and geometric structure of cationic and neutral chromium and molybdenum ammonia complexes.

High level quantum chemical approaches are used to study the geometric and electronic structures of M(NH3)n and M(NH3)n+ (M = Cr, Mo for n = 1–6). These complexes possess a dual shell electronic structure of the inner metal (3d or 4d) orbitals and the outer diffuse orbitals surrounding the periphery of the complex. Electronic excitations reveal these two shells to be virtually independent of the other. Molybdenum and chromium ammonia complexes are found to differ significantly in geometry with the former adopting an octahedral geometry and the latter a Jahn–Teller distorted octahedral structure where only the axial distortion is stable. The hexa-coordinated complexes and the tetra-coordinated complexes with two ammonia molecules in the second solvation shell are found to be energetically competitive. Electronic excitation energies and computed IR spectra are provided to allow the two isomers to be experimentally distinguished. This work is a component of an ongoing effort to study the periodic trends of transition metal solvated electron precursors.
Moisture content and aeration control mineral nutrient solubility in poultry litter.

Abstract Poultry litter waste is typically land-applied as a soil amendment but repeated application in the vicinity of poultry houses has led to phosphorus accumulation in soil. Such application can also lead to runoff that causes eutrophication. Most farmers store litter under dry conditions or compost the litter prior to land application, but it is not clear if these approaches are best from a nutrient management-perspective. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of moisture content and active aeration on soluble mineral forms of nitrogen and phosphorus in poultry litter incubated for roughly one month. Mineral forms of nutrients are immediately plant-available upon field application and also most conducive to low-cost stripping and recovery methods. Litters were incubated at 50% and 70% moisture content with and without active aeration. Litter aeration led to significant ammonia losses and a consequent decline in litter pH but it had no effect on phosphate solubility. Moisture content during litter incubation governed the levels of plant-available phosphate and nitrification. High (70%) moisture led to 41%–78% higher plant-available phosphate (4.2–4.8 mg/g litter) compared to litters with 50% moisture content (2.7–3.0 mg/g litter). In contrast, the 50% moisture litters experienced 5–6 fold higher levels of nitrification (0.11–0.12 mg NO3-N/g litter) than litters with 70% moisture content (0.02 mg NO3-N/g litter), regardless of aeration. The implication is that lower-moisture litter storage is likely best for field application because phosphate is less soluble under neutral-alkaline conditions and therefore less likely to end up in runoff. In contrast, higher-moisture litter storage may be amenable to low-cost processes to leach and recover phosphate from litter.
Cyber-slacking in the classroom

In the modern world of constant connectivity, it is difficult to detach students from technology. Today, we walk into classrooms that are filled with computers and Ethernet plugs. Students are carrying laptops, smartphones, and other devices into classrooms for their learning needs. Although technology in classroom has its benefits, many students constantly succumb to its use during class for non-class related purposes, thereby impacting their learning. This study draws upon the augmented version of the theory of planned behavior, social learning theory and the pedagogical literature to investigate the factors influencing students' attitudes and intentions to use technology during class for non-class related purposes. The hypothesized model was validated by conducting a survey to collect the data and using partial least squares for analysis. The results demonstrate that students' attitudes are influenced by student consumerism, escapism, lack of attention, cyber-slacking anxiety, and distraction by others' cyber-slacking behavior. Further, lack of attention is shaped by intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, class engagement, and apathy towards course material. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. We investigate the factors influencing students' intentions to cyber-slack in class.We used a survey to collect 267 usable responses and PLS to analyze the data.Attitude, SN, DN, and PBC influence students' intentions to cyber-slack.Consumerism, lack of attention, and other beliefs shape cyber-slacking attitude.Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influence students' lack of attention in class.
Contemporary nationwide patterns of self-reported prostate-specific antigen screening in US veterans.

Abstract Introduction and objectives The quality of medical care to US veterans, as provided by the Veterans Health Administration, has recently been subjected to heightened scrutiny. We sought to report prostate-specific antigen screening (PSAS) in a contemporary cohort of veteran men (VM) vs. nonveteran men (NVM). We hypothesize that VM are less likely to receive age-appropriate PSAS compared with NVM. Materials and methods We identified VM and NVM aged 55 to 69 years without history of prostate cancer who underwent PSA testing in the year preceding that of the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor and Surveillance System survey. The prevalence of PSAS among VM and NVM was determined in aggregate and on a state-by-state basis. Complex samples logistic regression models calculated the odds of PSAS based on veteran status, adjusted for patient/demographic characteristics. Results In all, 56,962 responses were collected, yielding a weighted estimate of 23.7 million men, of which 30.5% were VM. Overall, 45.2% (CI: 43.9%–46.5%) of VM reported PSAS compared with only 37.5% (CI: 36.5%–38.5%) of NVM. VM were more likely to have health insurance (92.0%; CI: 91.3%–92.8% vs. 86.2%; CI: 85.4%–87.0%) and a regular health care provider (89.0%; CI: 88.2%–89.8% vs. 85.9%; CI: 85.1%–86.6%) compared with NVM. Unadjusted prevalence of PSAS varied widely across the United States for VM and NVM. In multivariable analyses, VM had higher odds for PSAS (odds ratio = 1.10, CI: 1.02%–1.18%). Conclusions Contrary to our initial hypothesis, our findings suggest a continued pattern of greater preventive health services use by veterans. VM were more likely to undergo PSAS than NVM. This is, in part, attributable to better access to primary care and health insurance. Nonetheless, heterogeneity in screening practices remained largely dependent on geography.
Collegiate Grading System: Traditional or Non-Traditional

Grade inflation! Lack of standards! Credit/Kocredit grades! Non-traditional grading procedures! These are some of the vexing problems of this decade in higher education. The “ivory towers” have been involved in serious discussion/controversy about changes in grading practices. The traditional uses of grade point averages and the methods of computing grade point averages are subjects of much concern. Comments about nontraditional grades from some of the respondents in a 1974 survey of grading practices provide a good cxample of the controversy: Stupid and self-defeating-Absurd-Stay Away from Them-Absolutely Not!-We record history. We don’t change it.-Never-All grades must be recorded as his transcript is a historical record of a student’s academic life.’ A 197 1 study of grading policies by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) provided additional information :
The single-stranded DNA-binding protein of Deinococcus radiodurans

Background Deinococcus radiodurans R1 is one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known and is able to repair an unusually large amount of DNA damage without induced mutation. Single-stranded DNA-binding (SSB) protein is an essential protein in all organisms and is involved in DNA replication, recombination and repair. The published genomic sequence from Deinococcus radiodurans includes a putative single-stranded DNA-binding protein gene (ssb; DR0100) requiring a translational frameshift for synthesis of a complete SSB protein. The apparently tripartite gene has inspired considerable speculation in the literature about potentially novel frameshifting or RNA editing mechanisms. Immediately upstream of the ssb gene is another gene (DR0099) given an ssb-like annotation, but left unexplored.
Owning your mistakes

Most scientists admit to their errors but, as Eve Marder explains, the scientific community as a whole needs to rethink the way it recognizes achievement.
Naming speed and serial recall in poor and adequate readers

Abstract Digit-naming speed was significantly correlated with serial memory capacity when the memory test was given under nonrhyming conditions, but not when it was given under rhyming conditions which are presumed to cancel the effectiveness of phonetic coding. In addition, the digit-naming test accounted for all of the power of the nonrhyming memory test to discriminate between reading-disability and normal children. Based on these results, it was hypothesized that digit-naming speed is a measure of the ability to engage in high-speed phonetic coding, that this ability is impaired in poor readers, and that this impairment affects short-term memory span. Possible explanations of the relevance of phonetic coding speed to reading ability and to short-term serial memory are discussed.
Proof of a conjecture of Goodman

In Chapter X of The Structure of appearance the concept of linear array is given in terms of a two-place predicate “M” for matching. Also given in terms of “M” is the two-place predicate “B” for besideness. It is unnecessary to discuss here the formal definitions, since Goodman has proved that they are adequate to describe our presystematic ideas of linear array and besideness. Thus, we shall be concerned with a finite collection of elements with an assigned order satisfying:This order is not uniquely defined by the relation M; either of the two end points may be taken as the ‘first.’ We shall represent the order in diagrams by the convention that x is to the left of y if x < y. For x ≠ y, we shall define S(x, y), the distance between x and y, as one more than the number of elements strictly between them, in the order <; also, S(x, x) = 0. Thus S(x, y) = 1 if and only if x is beside y. The order is connected with the reflexive and symmetric matching relation M by the conditions(2) Bx, y ⊃ Mx, y,(3) Mx, y▪x ≤; u ≤ ν ≤ y▪ ⊃ ▪Mu, ν.Condition (3) is what Goodman calls the weak mapping rule. All arrays considered here must satisfy (3). To avoid trivial cases, we shall assume that not all elements match. There is a strong mapping rule,(4) Mx, y▪ ∼Mu, ν▪ ▪ ▪S(x, y) < S(u, ν),which it is desirable, but not necessary, for arrays to satisfy. An array which does satisfy (4) is called regular.
Normal esophageal body function: a study using ambulatory esophageal manometry.

Objective: The objective of this study was to establish normative ambulatory manometric data for contractions and contraction propagation in three levels of the esophagus. Methods: Twenty-five healthy volunteers underwent simultaneous ambulatory 24 h manometry. Concomitant 24 h pH studies were performed to exclude the presence of increased esophageal acid exposure. Pressures were recorded over a complete circadian cycle while patients continued with their normal lifestyles including eating and sleeping. Data were analyzed with a software program that was previously modified and validated and that enables quantitation of contractions in terms of efficacy. Results: The frequency of contractions was lowest during sleep, was increased when awake, and was highest during meals. Contraction amplitude increased during meals, providing a greater propulsive force for bolus transport. Similarly, the prevalence of peristaltic waves varied according to different physiologic states, i.e., while eating, upright, awake, and sleeping. An increased amplitude and prevalence of peristalsis resulted in an increase in manometric efficacy during meals. Conclusions: This study provides normative data for ambulatory manometry for comparison when studying patients with disease.
Characteristics of inner-city pregnant smoking teenagers.

Objective To describe baseline characteristics of inner-city pregnant adolescent smokers and examine these variables as potential predictors of long-term tobacco abstinence. Study Design Descriptive study design of the characteristics of pregnant adolescent smokers, with conceptual underpinnings from the Problem-Behavior Theory. Setting Recruitment and data collection were completed in inner-city outpatient clinics and public schools. Participants The study enrolled 142 pregnant smoking adolescents. Main Outcome Measures Self-reported smoking behavior (abstinence vs. smoking) assessed at 12 months from study enrollment was the criterion outcome variable. Variables from Problem-Behavior Theory, tobacco use, and demographics variables were selected as predictors of interest. Results Twelve months following study enrollment, 123 (87%) participants were smoking, with 19 (13%) reporting abstinence. Pregnant adolescents received messages of encouragement from parents and peers to quit smoking but complicated their pregnancies and smoking cessation efforts by concurrently consuming alcohol during the pregnancy. Conclusion Findings from this study support previous research on adolescent smokers and extend our knowledge to the inner-city pregnant adolescent smoker. These pregnant teenagers present many needs and challenges for the nurses responsible for their care.
Subepicardial aneurysm with impending cardiac rupture: a case of antemortem diagnosis and review of the literature

Subepicardial aneurysm is a rare, life-threatening complication of acute myocardial infarction. Relatively few cases are diagnosed early enough to allow for surgical intervention. Features of this unique aneurysm include abrupt interruption of the myocardium, a narrow neck, and a propensity for progressing to sudden transmural rupture. Literature review reveals only 20 reported cases, several of which were identified postmortem. Since the myocardial burrow may progress to pseudoaneurysm or frank rupture prior to the diagnosis being made, the true incidence is unknown. Invariably, the condition develops as a result of a myocardial rent occurring during the weeks to months following acute infarction, and it generally occurs within an area of thinned, infarcted myocardium. Successful surgical repair has been reported in several cases and is the only therapy shown to prevent progression to frank rupture. Antemortem diagnosis has been reported with transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and magnetic resonance imaging. Unfortunately, each of these imaging techniques appears to be limited by either inadequate sensitivity or slow acquisition. There remains no standard of reference among available diagnostic modalities. Rapidly obtained, contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the proper clinical setting may improve the ability of clinicians to identify this condition during a window of therapeutic opportunity, allowing surgical intervention to prevent fatal cardiorrhexis. Subepicardial aneurysm should be included in the differential diagnosis for patients presenting with chest pain following acute myocardial infarction.
Factors that modify the effects of prostaglandin on diet-induced acute pancreatitis in mice.

Taylor IL, Coelle EF, Adham NF. Factors that modify the effects of prostaglandin on diet-induced acute pancreatitis in mice. Scand J Gastroenterol 1985, 20(suppl 112), 101–105.Considerable disagreement exists as to whether prostaglandins improve survival in animals with experimental pancreatitis. in prior studies we have demonstrated a beneficial effect of prostaglandin in the choline deficient, ethionine supplemented diet model of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. in the present study we have examined the effects of 1) delaying treatment with 16-16–dimethyl prostaglandin E, (PGE?) till 24 h after introduction of the diet and 2) exposing animals to the test diet for 3 days instead of 2. Following delayed treatment mortality in the saline control group (57%) was significantly higher on the fourth day compared to the PGE2 treatment group (3%). However, the overall mortality on day 7 was not significantly different from that seen in the control group (43% versus 60%). in the second series of experiments, PGE2 ...
Re-Examining Alignment in a “Failed” L2 Autobiographic Research Interview

Contributing to a “social studies of interview studies,” this article addresses the treatment of “failed” autobiographic interviews. Taking a discursive constructionist approach, the author re-examines a problematic second language (L2) English interview with an immigrant man from Cambodia. Analysis focuses on the interactional management of (mis)alignment and how it contributed to the shape and outcome of the activity. By turning away from failure to accomplishment, and attending to the ways in which interviewee and interviewer use their differential linguistic and cultural expertise as topic and resource, the multi-layered activity takes on a new light that allows recognition of what was understood, shared, and ultimately achieved. The application of these insights for interview practice and analysis are discussed.
Interference of ouabain in cell-to-cell coupling.

Abstract When mouse cells are co-cultured with human cells in medium containing 1 μM ouabain, the steady-state culture content of 86Rb+ (a tracer for K+) is increased over that expected from the contents of the two types cultured separately. This increase is due to K+ transfer, presumably through gap junctions. Rescue of the human cells, which are sensitive to 1 μM ouabain, by K+ transfer from the mouse cells, which are not, may be expressed quantitatively by a function, index of cooperation, whose value for this combination of cells is usually 0.4–0.6. (In the absence of coupling, index of cooperation equals 0; theoretical maximum equals 1.0.) We now report that when the ouabain concentration was raised above 1 μM, the index of cooperation was correspondingly reduced. Similar observations were made on four different combinations of cells differing in sensitivity to ouabain but all capable of junctional communication under other conditions. The concentration of ouabain needed to block cooperation completely caused no detectable change in the steady-state K+ content of the donor cell, and was unaffected by substitution of a more ouabain-resistant donor or by a two-fold change in the proportion of donor and recipient cells in the co-culture. In confirmation, we observed that transfer of tritium-labeled nucleotides between cells was also blocked by treatment with ouabain. We interpret these results as indicating that ouabain interferes with functional communication, perhaps because of a local concentration of sensitive pump sites in junctional regions of the membrane, or because of inhibitory factors such as increased intracellular free Ca2+, that might result directly or indirectly from ouabain binding to the Na+,K+-ATPase.
New Borate Structures for Nlo Applications

By considering selected examples of new structure types, guidelines are set forth for the synthesis of new solid-state inorganic borates that are likely to have desirable properties for nonlinear optical applications. The structures of two new, noncentrosymmetric orthoborate fluorides BaCaBO3F and Ba7(BO3)3F5 demonstrate a feasibility for controlling linear optical properties and for producing noncentrosymmetric borates that melt congruently. The structure of SrLi(B3O5)3 represents an additional example of a noncentrosymmetric borate resulting from chirality of the B3O7 ring. In addition to potential practical value, crystals of the type AMOB2O5 (A = K, Rb, and Cs; M = Nb and Ta) provide a unique means for examining the structural dependent interrelationships of linear and nonlinear optical properties.
Sand Seals in Coho Salmon Redds: Do They Improve Egg Survival?

Abstract We investigated whether sand seals form in the upper egg pocket of salmonid redds and improve egg survival in a sediment-impacted coastal stream in northern California. Sand seals can potentially reduce infiltration of detrimental finer sand and silt into the lower egg pocket. We predicted sand seals would form when the redds were exposed to streamflows high enough to entrain coarse sand and form seals. Using artificial redds of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch, we conducted sediment analyses of the upper and lower egg pockets and found that protective sand seals formed in redds when discharge was two or more times the flow that entrains the median particle size of the streambed. When the coarse sand in the upper egg pocket was incorporated into a two-stage model that predicted survival to hatching and emergence, it greatly improved predictions in years with higher flows in both natural and artificial redds. However, the sand seals provided little protection when suspended sediment flux was high ...
Conal contribution to the electrocardiogram of chick embryo hearts.

Contraction of the conus arteriosus (conus) is visibly delayed in the tubular heart of the chick embryo, and since the electromechanical coupling interval of isolated conal segment is similar to other areas of the embryonic heart, the delayed contraction of the conus indicated an impedance in the spread of the depolarization wave across the ventriculo-conal (VC) junction. A surface electrode placed on the conus of hearts obtained from the 72-hour chick embryo records a deflection, termed the C wave, appearing between the QRS complex and the T wave. To establish that the C wave arose from below the atrioventricular sulcus, atria were removed from a series of hearts from 96-hour embryos and the electrogram revealed a C wave without a P wave. The VC junction responds to digitoxin just as the atrioventricular tissue. Digitoxin prolongs the interval between the QRS and the C wave prior to a complete block in a manner analogous to the PR interval increase prior to the development of the Wenckebach phenomenon or complete atrioventricular block. As the embryonic heart developed after 96 hours, the C wave was no longer identifiable in the ECG.
The effect of nanofibers on liquid–liquid coalescence filter performance

A number of factors influence the efficiency and the economics of the separation of dispersed liquid drops in an immiscible liquid–liquid mixture. One important factor that controls the performance of a filter medium in the separation is the fiber size. Electrospun polymer nanofibers have diameters in the nanometer range and are arbitrarily long. The experimental results in this work show that adding nanofibers to conventional micron-sized fibrous filter media improves the separation efficiency of the filter media but also increases the pressure drop. An optimum in the performance occurs (significant increase in efficiency with minimal increase in pressure drop) with the addition of about 1.6% by mass of 250 nm diameter nylon 6 nanofibers to 5 micron diameter glass fibers in the filters. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2005
In vivo studies of 144 breast masses by phase contrast diffuse optical tomography

We report our continued study of phase-contrast diffuse optical tomography (PCCDOT) for evaluating its fidelity in distinguishing malignant breast lesions form benign ones. 144 breast masses were examined from 134 patients, aging from 22~82 with the mean age of 56. Tissue optical parameters including refractive index, and absorption and scattering coefficients, were obtained and compared with their corresponding biopsy/pathology reports. In consistent with our previous study, malignant masses tended to have a decreased refractive index relative to their surrounding normal tissue, which acts as the key character to differentiate them from benign masses. The results show that the specificity is improved significantly over the previous smaller scale study (85% vs. 70%) due to the addition of significantly more benign cases, while the sensitivity stays about the same (81% vs. 82%) due to the similar number of malignant cases used compared to the smaller scale study.
Porosity and particle size effects on the gas flow characteristics of porous metals

Abstract Several models have been proposed in the past which relate the gas flow characteristics of a porous material to the pore microstructure. Such approaches require metallographic measurements to predict the permeability or inertial flow coefficients. The present study approaches the problem through the dominant adjustable extrinsic processing variables. Specifically, porosity and mean particle size are used to predict the gas flow coefficients for porous 316L stainless steel. Although such an approach proves successful, it is established that traditional processing variables (compaction pressure, sintering temperature and sintering time) have a significant influence on pore shape and therefore on gas flow. Such factors must be included in any comprehensive future predictive models of gas flow through porous metals.
The art and science of mentoring in psychology: a necessary practice to ensure our future.

Skillful faculty mentoring of graduate students is essential for producing the next generation of scholars. Unfortunately, the mentoring process is underappreciated and understudied. This article initially presents an overview of the extant literature. Subsequently, it borrows models from a related but more advanced field of study to stimulate the development of conceptual frameworks for guiding research on mentoring. Until the field progresses from its current state (i.e., an art) to a science, there will be few empirically informed answers regarding how to mentor effectively. Nevertheless, some suggestions are warranted and are offered in order to encourage effective mentoring.
Stemming the tide: rising diabetes prevalence and ethnic subgroup variation among Asians in Los Angeles County.

Abstract Objective The primary objective of this analysis was to examine the burden of diabetes among Asians and Asian subgroups in Los Angeles County, which has the largest county population of Asians in the U.S. Method Data were analyzed from 6 cycles of the Los Angeles County Health Survey, 1997–2011 (n = 47,282). Asian adults (n = 4672) were categorized into the following ethnic subgroups: Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, South Asian, and Other Asian. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine trends in prevalence, prevalence among Asian subgroups, and factors associated with diabetes. Results In 2005, we observed a rapid increase in diabetes prevalence among Asians compared to whites despite consistently lower BMI relative to other racial/ethnic groups. Diabetes prevalence was significantly higher among Filipinos and South Asians (> 10%) compared to East Asians and Vietnamese ( Conclusion Diabetes prevalence is increasing more rapidly among Asians compared to whites despite overall lower BMI. The significant heterogeneity among Asian subgroups highlights the need for disaggregated data and additional research to develop culturally appropriate interventions for diabetes prevention and control.
Characterization of the Reaction Products of Laser-Ablated Lanthanide Metal Atoms with Nitric Oxide. Infrared Spectra of the NLnO Molecules in Solid Argon†

This paper reports stretching frequencies of the novel NLnO lanthanide nitride, oxide molecules and the NCeO- and NPrO- anions in solid argon. Combination bands observed for NCeO, NPrO, NNdO, and NTbO confirm these assignments, and density functional calculations are presented to model the vibrational potentials of NCeO, NPrO, NNdO, NGdO, NTbO, and NLuO. The Ln−O frequencies of the NLnO molecules range from 800 to 720 cm-1, except for the case of NEuO, which is lower, near the EuO diatomic molecule. The Ln−N frequencies of the NLnO molecule depend on the availability of electrons for the LnN bond after the LnO double bond has been satisfied and, therefore, suggest the presence of three different bond orders, depending on the metal center. In NLuO, the Lu−N mode is 425.6 cm-1, and the Lu atom retains a filled f-shell; the Ce−N bond of NCeO has a higher frequency, 690.8 cm-1, and NPrO has a Pr−N mode at 900.8 cm-1, which is even higher than the PrN diatomic mode (857.9 cm-1). In addition, NO complexes with ...
EFFECT OF X-IRRADIATION OF ONE PARTNER ON HYBRID FREQUENCY IN FUSIONS BETWEEN CHINESE HAMSTER CELLS.

Sublines derived from V79 and B150 Chinese hamster cells lack hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) and thymidine kinase (TK) respectively. When these strains are cultivated together without virus treatment in HAT medium, hybrid colonies with normal enzymic patterns arise in high frequency. The ratio of proliferating hybrid colonies to the minority cell inoculum in mixed cultures is approximately 1/1000. This observation has been used to examine the effect of x-irradiation pretreatment of one cell type on the frequency of hybrid formation in mixed cultures. B150 cells (TK-) were irradiated in monolayer cultures at dose levels of 200–4000r (180 KV, 15 ma). After trypsinization, the irradiated cells were mixed with unirradiated V79 cells (subline 129, HGPRT-) and cultivated in HAT medium. The per cent decline in hybrid frequency as a function of x-irradiation was compared to the relative decline in viability of x-irradiated B150 cells when assayed in cultures alone. These curves diverged markedly, with the frequency of proliferating hybrids decreasing much less rapidly with radiation dose than survival of B150 cells. By contrast, when B150 cells were subjected to acute heat shock for graded intervals and subsequently mixed with untreated V79–129 cells, both viability of B150 cells and hybrid formation declined at the same rate. Our results suggest that lethally irradiated cells can still fuse with normal cells, and may contribute functional chromosomes to the hybrid karyotype. At limiting doses of x-irradiation this technique may be useful as a means for induced segregation of marker chromosomes.
Diurnal variation of serum and urine biomarkers in patients with radiographic knee osteoarthritis.

Objective To evaluate diurnal variation of biomarkers in subjects with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Methods Twenty subjects with radiographic knee OA were admitted to the General Clinical Research Center of Duke University for an overnight stay to undergo serial blood and urine sampling. Biomarkers measured included serum hyaluronan (HA), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), keratan sulfate (KS-5D4), aggrecan neoepitope (CS846), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), osteocalcin, transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), and type II collagen (CII)–related epitopes (neoepitope from cleavage of CII [C2C], carboxy-terminus of three-quarter peptide from cleavage of CI and CII [C1,2C], and type II procollagen carboxy-propeptide [CPII] in serum, and C-terminal telopeptides of CII [CTX-II] and C2C in urine). Results Levels of serum HA, COMP, KS-5D4, and TGFβ1 increased significantly from T0 (before arising from bed) to T1 (1 hour after arising). More diurnal variation in HA was observed in patients with higher daily mean HA concentrations. CPII increased significantly from T0 to T2 (4 hours after arising). Urinary concentrations of CTX-II were also found to vary with morning activity, decreasing significantly from T0 to T2. Urinary C2C concentrations increased significantly from T0 until T3 (early evening). No diurnal variations in CS846, hsCRP, osteocalcin, serum C2C, or C1,2C were observed. Six biomarkers (serum C2C, C1,2C, COMP, KS-5D4, TGFβ1, and urinary CTX-II) were associated with radiographic knee OA (expressed as the sum of Kellgren/Lawrence radiographic severity grades), with the strongest correlations observed with measurements obtained at later time points (either T2 or T3). Conclusion Our study results suggest that serum and urine sampling for HA, COMP, KS-5D4, TGFβ1, CPII, urinary CTX-II, and urinary C2C should be standardized in future OA clinical trials. Serum and urine sampling at late midday time points may be the optimal approach for OA studies, although this result should be validated in a larger cohort.
Ground Movements and Their Effects on Structures

This is a source book on the topic of both natural and man-induced ground motions that are of concern in engineering. It addresses a need that most practitioners of engineering have for a detailed guide to this subject. The book is multi-authored, with contributions from 19 specialists. It is multinational in a limited sense: Two of the authors are with Dames and Moore in San Francisco, while the rest work in the United Kingdom. Their specializations include a very good mix of mining engineering, geotechnical engineering, civil engineering, engineering geology, and engineering seismology. The book is timely because no other book addresses this important subject with such a breadth of expertise and in the light of present-day knowledge.
Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the Bacterial Metalloamidase UDP-(3-O-acyl)-N-acetylglucosamine Deacetylase (LpxC). Identification of the Zinc Binding Site†

UDP-3-O-(acyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase (LpxC) catalyzes the second step in the biosynthesis of lipid A in Gram-negative bacteria. Compounds targeting this enzyme are proposed to chelate the single, essential zinc ion bound to LpxC and have been demonstrated to stop the growth of Escherichia coli. A comparison of LpxC sequences from diverse bacteria identified 10 conserved His, Asp, and Glu residues that might play catalytic roles. Each amino acid was altered in both E. coli and Aquifex aeolicus LpxC and the catalytic activities of the variants were determined. Three His and one Asp residues (H79, H238, D246, and H265) are essential for catalysis based on the low activities (<0.1% of wild-type LpxC) of mutants with alanine substitutions at these positions. H79 and H238 likely coordinate zinc; the Zn(2+) content of the purified variant proteins is low and the specific activity is enhanced by the addition of Zn(2+). The third side chain to coordinate zinc is likely either H265 or D246 and a fourth ligand is likely a water molecule, as indicated by the hydroxamate inhibition, suggesting a His(3)H(2)O or His(2)AspH(2)O Zn(2+)-polyhedron in LpxC. The decreased zinc inhibition of LpxC mutants at E78 suggests that this side chain may coordinate a second, inhibitory Zn(2+) ion. Given the absence of any known Zn(2+) binding motifs, the active site of LpxC may have evolved differently than other well-studied zinc metalloamidases, a feature that should aid in the design of safe antibiotics.
A simple and sensitive radioreceptor assay for antischizophrenic drugs in blood

THE neuroleptics, comprised primarily of phenothiazines, butyrophenones and thioxanthenes, represent the major drugs used in treating schizophrenic symptoms. For several reasons, routine monitoring of patient blood levels of neuroleptics would be desirable. The dose requirement for therapeutic response varies markedly, related in major part to a wide range in blood levels1–4. Because the severe motor side effect of tardive dyskinesia5 may be very long-lasting and is apparently dose related, patients should be maintained on the lowest dose required for therapeutic efficacy5,6. While blood levels must exceed a threshold to elicit symptomatic improvement, too high a blood level may reduce the therapeutic response7–9. The available assays for plasma neuroleptics, including gas chromatography, fluorimetry, formation of radiolabelled derivatives4,10–14 and radioimmunoassay15,16 have not attained routine clinical use because of technical complexities or restrictions of specificity to single drugs. We describe here an assay for neuroleptics based on competition for dopamine receptor binding which is simple, sensitive, specific and suitable for routine clinical application.