cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Skin Carcinogenesis, Mammals Versus Amphibia

The successful induction of cancer on the skin by means of topical applications of appropriate chemicals has been known to depend largely on the species employed and on the method of application. Carcinogenesis results in a high percentage of mice when their skins are treated with solutions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, but much less frequently in rats and rarely in guinea pigs. Only recently have studies been undertaken to try to elucidate the reasons for these profound differences in susceptibility. It was suspected for a long time that the pilosebaceous apparatus was the site of origin of the chemically induced cutaneous cancers. In 1945 Lacassagne and Latarjet (1) found that areas of skin depilated by ultraviolet light irradiation or hairless surgical scars were refractory to carcinogenesis by 3-methylcholanthrene. In 1947 Suntzeff, Carruthers and Cowdry (2) demonstrated that the epidermis of newborn mice, before the appearance of hair follicles, was refractory to a single dose of 3-methylcholanthrene. In 1949 Liang (3) studied the site of origin of cutaneous tumors after application of the same carcinogen by means of an ingenious method of epidermal whole mounting, and localized this site at the junction between the hair follicles and the basal epidermal layer. In 1951 Billingham, Orr and Woodhouse (4) found by epidermal transplantation that interfollicular epithelium treated with carcinogens and transplanted to another site without its hair follicles did not give rise to any tumors, whereas epithelial tumors developed from the area of origin, grafted with untreated epidermis, where the only epithelial structures exposed to the carcinogen were the hair follicles.
Neck circumference and cardiovascular outcomes: Insights from the Jackson Heart Study.

Background Emerging data suggest that neck circumference (NC) is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors. Limited research is available regarding the association between NC and cardiovascular outcomes in African Americans. Methods Using data from the Jackson Heart Study, we included participants with recorded NC measurements at baseline (2000-2004). Baseline characteristics for the included population were summarized by tertiles of NC. We then calculated age- and sex-adjusted cumulative incidence of clinical cardiovascular outcomes and performed Cox proportional-hazards with stepwise models. Results Overall, 5,290 participants were categorized into tertiles of baseline NC defined as ≤37 cm (n = 2179), 38-40 cm (n = 1552), and >40 cm (n = 1559). After adjusting for age and sex, increasing NC was associated with increased risk of heart failure (HF) hospitalization (cumulative incidence = 13.4% [99% CI, 10.7-16.7] in the largest NC tertile vs 6.5% [99% CI, 4.7-8.8] in the smallest NC tertile), but not mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, or coronary heart disease (all P ≥ .1). Following full risk adjustment, there was a nominal increase in the risk of HF hospitalization with increasing NC, but this was not statistically significant (hazard ratio per 1-cm increase, 1.04 [99% CI, 0.99-1.10], P = .06). Conclusions In this large cohort of African American individuals, a larger NC was associated with increased risk for HF hospitalization following adjustment for age and sex, but this risk was not statistically significant after adjusting for other clinical variables. Although NC is not independently associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events, it may offer prognostic information particularly related to HF hospitalization.
Youth of Color in Care: Intersecting Identities and Vulnerabilities

Youth of Color are disproportionately placed in foster care, often with families who don’t share their cultural background. Youth of Color in foster care also must navigate experiences linked to the child welfare system, including reason for foster placement, multiple placements, maltreatment, and high turnover of child welfare professionals. These foster care-related experiences, typically reflecting systemic inequities, can interact with and compound those experiences Youth of Color have regarding varied social identities, including race, ethnicity, birth family history and current issues (e.g., incarceration of one or both parents), immigrant status, sexual identity and gender identity, maltreatment experience, and disability. Ethnic-racial socialization and other important socialization processes can support the healthy identity development of these youth. Foster parents, tasked with the responsibility of supporting the development of Youth of Color, and often in transracial/transethnic placements, may face challenges in providing these needed socialization processes. Drawing on the extant literature, this chapter will present a multileveled discussion of the experiences of prejudice and bias foster youth face, with a focus on the systemic inequities among diverse youth in foster care, the individual challenges youth with different social identities face, socialization processes that can support these youth, and challenges foster parents face in supporting foster youths’ healthy identity development.
Mexican cartel expansion: a quantitative examination of factors associated with territorial claims

Since the war on Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) began, shortly after Felipe Calderon took office as president in 2006, violence has become the norm in many parts of Mexico. Numerous cartel leaders have been killed or captured during this time, and new leaders have filled the power vacuum. Throughout this process, warring cartel factions have staged intense battles over territory. In this context, DTOs have expanded their territories and their reach. Yet there remains a gap in the collective knowledge on why certain territories are selected over others. While there is a burgeoning literature on the mobility of organized crime groups, it remains new and open to various paths of exploration and analysis. This research builds on the mobility literature, examining the territorial selection of Mexican DTOs. Using a cross-sectional design, the authors examine territorial selection via the issuance of narco-messages. Various factors in the selection of territory are explored.
David Lowenthal and the genesis of critical conservation thought

David Lowenthal’s doctoral biography of George Perkins Marsh, published in 1958, not only brought Marsh into public view as a ‘prophet of conservation’, but arguably created the beginnings of what ...
A multi-context feature learning approach to identify disease-specific gene neighborhoods

Analyzing gene networks in a specific phenotype state can provide important insights into pathways and biological processes underlying the onset and progression of the disease. Specifically, analyzing gene neighborhoods around key disease-driver genes and transcription factors can lead to discovery of regulatory networks and novel therapeutic targets. Traditional methods to decipher these regulatory networks mostly rely on transcriptomic signals and do not incorporate the different functional contexts available, making them inadequate to model the inherently complex relationships between genes and their neighborhoods. We present a neural network-based representation learning framework which uses both co-expression and functional gene contexts to learn continuous gene representations. It can be used to extract distributed representations of genes in normal (e.g., control, wild-type, etc.) and perturbed states (e.g., disease, knockout, etc.) by integrating co-expressed gene pairs from multiple transcriptomic datasets. To show the utility of this approach, we trained our model on whole lung tissue transcriptomic studies of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) to generate disease-specific gene representations. We compare the gene features from our method with two other representation learning methods by generating and analyzing the regulatory gene neighborhoods of known transcription factors in the lung tissue. Using several TF-target gene set libraries, we show that the regulatory gene neighborhoods by our method are biologically relevant.
Novel clinical subphenotypes in COVID-19: derivation, validation, prediction, temporal patterns, and interaction with social determinants of health

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is heterogeneous and our understanding of the biological mechanisms of host response to the novel viral infection remains limited. Identification of meaningful clinical subphenotypes may benefit pathophysiological study, clinical practice, and clinical trials. Here, our aim was to derive and validate COVID-19 subphenotypes using machine learning and routinely collected clinical data, assess temporal patterns of these subphenotypes during the pandemic course, and examine their interaction with social determinants of health (SDoH). We retrospectively analyzed 14418 COVID-19 patients in five major medical centers in New York City (NYC), between March 1 and June 12, 2020. Using clustering analysis, four biologically distinct subphenotypes were derived in the development cohort (N = 8199). Importantly, the identified subphenotypes were highly predictive of clinical outcomes (especially 60-day mortality). Sensitivity analyses in the development cohort, and re-derivation and prediction in the internal (N = 3519) and external (N = 3519) validation cohorts confirmed the reproducibility and usability of the subphenotypes. Further analyses showed varying subphenotype prevalence across the peak of the outbreak in NYC. We also found that SDoH specifically influenced mortality outcome in Subphenotype IV, which is associated with older age, worse clinical manifestation, and high comorbidity burden. Our findings may lead to a better understanding of how COVID-19 causes disease in different populations and potentially benefit clinical trial development. The temporal patterns and SDoH implications of the subphenotypes may add new insights to health policy to reduce social disparity in the pandemic.
Control of Extensive Chorioptic Mange in Confined Dairy Cattle

Chorioptic mange causes unsightly scabs with pruritus at the base of the tail of confined dairy cattle. Recommended treatment requires drugs with impractical milk withdrawals, and thus mange is a problem in US dairies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a one-time whole-herd treatment with an approved product for use in lactating dairy cattle.
Aversive Conditioning of Spatial Position Sharpens Neural Population-Level Tuning in Visual Cortex and Selectively Alters Alpha-Band Activity

Processing capabilities for many low-level visual features are experientially malleable, aiding sighted organisms in adapting to dynamic environments. Explicit instructions to attend a specific visual field location influence retinotopic visuocortical activity, amplifying responses to stimuli appearing at cued spatial positions. It remains undetermined both how such prioritization affects surrounding nonprioritized locations, and if a given retinotopic spatial position can attain enhanced cortical representation through experience rather than instruction. The current report examined visuocortical response changes as human observers (N = 51, 19 male) learned, through differential classical conditioning, to associate specific screen locations with aversive outcomes. Using dense-array EEG and pupillometry, we tested the preregistered hypotheses of either sharpening or generalization around an aversively associated location following a single conditioning session. Competing hypotheses tested whether mean response changes would take the form of a Gaussian (generalization) or difference-of-Gaussian (sharpening) distribution over spatial positions, peaking at the viewing location paired with a noxious noise. Occipital 15 Hz steady-state visual evoked potential responses were selectively heightened when viewing aversively paired locations and displayed a nonlinear, difference-of-Gaussian profile across neighboring locations, consistent with suppressive surround modulation of nonprioritized positions. Measures of alpha-band (8-12 Hz) activity were differentially altered in anterior versus posterior locations, while pupil diameter exhibited selectively heightened responses to noise-paired locations but did not evince differences across the nonpaired locations. These results indicate that visuocortical spatial representations are sharpened in response to location-specific aversive conditioning, while top-down influences indexed by alpha-power reduction exhibit posterior generalization and anterior sharpening.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It is increasingly recognized that early visual cortex is not a static processor of physical features, but is instead constantly shaped by perceptual experience. It remains unclear, however, to what extent the cortical representation of many fundamental features, including visual field location, is malleable by experience. Using EEG and an aversive classical conditioning paradigm, we observed sharpening of visuocortical responses to stimuli appearing at aversively associated locations along with location-selective facilitation of response systems indexed by pupil diameter and EEG alpha power. These findings highlight the experience-dependent flexibility of retinotopic spatial representations in visual cortex, opening avenues toward novel treatment targets in disorders of attention and spatial cognition.
Neutrophil elastase-regulated macrophage sheddome/secretome and phagocytic failure.

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have defective macrophage phagocytosis and efferocytosis. Several reports demonstrate that neutrophil elastase (NE), a major inflammatory protease in the CF airwa...
Comparing Essay Errors Of L1 And L2 First-Year Composition Students At GMU

Location: Dewberry Hall With over 34,000 students representing 123 countries, George Mason University is a vastly diverse university with students bringing different learning experiences and skill sets with them into the classroom. The study that our team conducted analyzes the essays of native English speakers, as well as the essays of students for whom English is their second language. Our objective when conducting this research was to observe the essays for signs of syntactic complexity and patterns of language errors. Specifically, we looked for subordinating clauses, transitions, subject/verb agreement, article usage, run-on sentences, and fragments. We found that some errors in L1 and L2 populations were consistent with our expectations, but others reveled a more complex understanding of the linguistic norms of the groups studied. The results of these findings will give professors of all disciplines and modalities insight to the challenges that first-year L1 and L2 students confront when faced with a writing assignment.
Mammography Screening Among the Elderly: A Research Challenge

Abstract Background Randomized trials demonstrate clear benefits of mammography screening in women through age 74 years. We explored age- and race-specific rates of mammography screening and breast cancer mortality among women aged 69 to 84 years. Methods We analyzed Medicare claims data for women residing within Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results geographic areas from 1995 to 2009 from 64,384 non-Hispanic women (4886 black and 59,498 white) and ascertained all primary breast cancer cases diagnosed between ages 69 and 84 years. The exposure was annual or biennial screening mammography during the 4 years immediately preceding diagnosis. The outcome was breast cancer mortality during the 10 years immediately after diagnosis. Results After adjustment for stage at diagnosis, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, comorbid conditions, and contextual socioeconomic status, hazard ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) for breast cancer mortality relative to no/irregular mammography at 10 years for women aged 69 to 84 years at diagnosis were 0.31 (0.29-0.33) for annual mammography and 0.47 (0.44-0.51) for biennial mammography among whites and 0.36 (0.29-0.44) for annual mammography and 0.47 (0.37-0.58) for biennial mammography among blacks. Trends were similar at 5 years overall and stratified by ages 69 to 74 years, 75 to 78 years, and 79 to 84 years. Conclusions In these Medicare claims and Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results data, elderly non-Hispanic women who self-selected for annual mammography had lower 10-year breast cancer mortality than corresponding women who self-selected for biennial or no/irregular mammography. These findings were similar among black and white women. The data highlight the evidentiary limitations of data used for current screening mammography recommendations.
Regioselective Synthesis of 4-, 5-, and 6-Alkyl and Dialkyl 5,6-Dehydroisoquinuclidines from Phenylvinylsulfone Cycloadducts of N-Ethoxycarbonyl-1,2-Dihydropyridines

Abstract A regioselective route to 4-, 5-, and 6-alkyl or 4,5-, 4,6-, and 5,6-dialkyl-5,6-dehydroisoquinuclidines 1a-f is described.
Molecular weight of bacteriophage PBS2 DNA.

Abstract The molecular weight of bacteriophage PBS2 DNA has been determined by viscoelastic retardation time experiments to be 1.50 × 108.
Capillary electrophoretic chiral separations using β-cyclodextrin as resolving agent. II: Bases : chiral selectivity as a function of pH and the concentration of β-cyclodextrin

Abstract An equilibrium model, first developed to describe the pH and cyclodextrin (CD) concentration dependence of the electrophoretic mobilities as well as the separation selectivities observed during the capillary electrophoretic (CE) separation of the enantiomers of weak acids, is extended to cover the separation of the enantiomers of weak bases as well. Model parameters are derived from three series of CE experiments: (i) one with cyclodextrin-free background electrolytes of varying pH values to obtain the ionic mobilities and base dissociation constant of the weak base enantiomers, (ii) one with constant, low pH background electrolytes with varying concentrations of β-cyclodextrin to obtain the mobilities and formation constants for the protonated base enantiomer-β-cyclodextrin complexes, and (iii) one with constant, high pH background electrolytes with varying concentrations of β-cyclodextrin to obtain the formation constants for the nonprotonated base enantiomer-β-cyclodextrin complexes. Homatropine was used as a model substance to test the validity of the model and an excellent agreement has been found between the calculated and the measured mobility and selectivity values. Baseline separation of the enantiomers of homatropine could be achieved in less than 15 min using a pH 6.25 phosphate buffer, which contained 15 mM β-cyclodextrin.
Modeling physical systems by complex structural objects and complex functional objects

This paper describes the general properties of complex objects in engineering designs. There are two types of complex objects: (i) the complex structural objects which describe the physical composition of the design, and (ii) the complex functional objects which describe the behavior of the design and its components. Data manipulation operations on complex structural objects are governed by a set of structural invariants. Similarly, the validation of functional abstraction is governed by a set of functional invariants. The structure-function interactions are represented by interaction objects that describe a set of mappings. These three object types constitute the Structure-Function paradigm. The S-F paradigm can be used to represent engineering designs and active environments, monitor manufacturing operations and industrial processes, and carry out simulations.
Protein and Nucleic Acid Enzymes

As is true of any catalyst, the defining quality of every enzyme is the ability to enhance chemical reactivity without altering the thermodynamic equilibrium of the reaction catalyzed. An enzyme's catalytic proficiency is measured by its rate enhancement factor, a parameter that equals v enz/v non, where v enz and v non are the reaction velocities in the presence and absence of an enzyme respectively. Although the rates of uncatalyzed reactions are often too slow to be determined under physiologic conditions, enhancement factors of enzymes are thought to range typically from 109 to 1017, with a few approaching 1022 and others falling well below 100. Each catalytic cycle shares common features: (1) the enzyme must combine with its substrate, which is then converted into the transition state; (2) and this least stable reactant configuration then undergoes equipartition (i.e. half of the time, reforming EnzymeSubstrate complex, and just as often proceeding to form EnzymeProduct complex, the latter followed by product release). After each catalytic reaction cycle, an enzyme returns to its original form, such that an enzyme's action is without any effect on the reaction's equilibrium constant. Because product release is so often the slowest step in catalysis, discrete bond-making and bond-breaking steps, and even the formation of covalent intermediates, rarely hinder catalysis. The rates of highly perfected enzymes are limited only by the diffusion-limited availability of substrate; other enzymes are so sluggish that each complete catalytic cycle operates on the seconds to minutes timescale. In terms of natural selection, however, an organism accrues no competitive advantage should one of its enzymes evolve catalytic proficiency beyond that needed for efficient metabolism. Keywords: Catalytic Antibody; Catalytic Proficiency; Energase; Enzyme; Protein Enzyme; RNA Enzyme
Improving e-learning outcomes through purposeful peer interactions: three helpful recommendations to ensure success

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide some guidelines to help organizations improve e-learning initiatives through the use of purposeful interactions among trainees. Design/methodology/approach – The recommendations suggested in this paper are based on a review of research that was conducted in the area of e-learning. Findings – The addition of quality online and face-to-face peer interactions may be a way to combat some of the major problems associated with training online. Decisions about just how meaningful interactions should be incorporated depend on the nature of the training program, what you hope to accomplish and your financial and time constraints. Practical implications – This paper provides helpful information for organizational leaders or managers who are interested in implementing e-learning initiatives or those looking for recommendations on how to improving current e-learning outcomes. Originality/value – This paper will be of value to those who are involved in organizational t...
Collaborative Data Mining on a BDI Multi-agent System over Vertically Partitioned Data

This paper presents a collaborative learning protocol dealing with vertical partitions in training data, i.e., The attributes of the instances are distributed in different data sources. The protocol has been modeled and implemented following the Agents and Artifacts paradigm. The artifacts provide Weka based learning tools to induce and evaluate Decision Trees (a modified version of J48), While the agents manage the workflow of the learning process, using such tools. The proposed protocol, and slightly faster variation, are tested with some known training sets of the UCI repository, comparing the obtained accuracy against that obtained in a centralized scenario. Our collaborative learning protocol achieves equivalent accuracy to that obtained with centralized data, while preserving privacy.
Analysis and design of critically damped power distribution network for high performance microprocessor systems

Based on the design oriented time domain and frequency analysis of the lumped model of power distribution network (PDN) involving high performance microprocessor core, packaging, PCB and power source, this paper presents simple design equations to realize the critically damped transient response at the microprocessor load. In order to realize the critically damped PDN with flat output impedance magnitude, a systematic method of sizing the decoupling capacitors to be used in the distributed model of PDN is described. Simulation results are presented, verifying the validity of the systematic design methodology.
Nüshu: a curriculum of women’s identity

This paper looks at the curricular functions of nushu, a phonetic script invented by women in Jiangyong County, Hunan Province, China, and a set of social practices that went with it. Largely barred from learning to read and write Chinese script, the women of Jiangyong County taught nushu to each other, passing the knowledge from generation to generation. Scholars have examined nushu from the perspectives of anthropology, linguistics, literature, literacy, and women’s studies. This paper examines nushu from the perspective of curriculum theory. Nushu, after all, was an educational practice: a group of women who made themselves literate and transmitted this literacy across generations. This paper focuses on autobiographical ballads, one genre of writings within the nushu corpus. These autobiographical narratives present, in what they say and do not say, certain portraits of women’s lives. Using narrative analysis, this paper reveals how nushu texts and practices together form a curriculum shaping the way in which these women could present their identities.
Structural basis for forming the prion-like MAVS filament on the mitochondrial membrane (599.1)

Mitochondrial anti-viral signaling (MAVS) protein is a critical adaptor required for innate immune responses against RNA viruses. In virus-infected cells MAVS forms prion-like aggregates to activate antiviral signaling cascades, but the underlying structural mechanism is unknown. Here we report cryo-electron microscopic structures of the helical filaments formed by both the N-terminal caspase activation and recruitment domain of MAVS and a truncated MAVS lacking its C-terminal transmembrane domain. Both structures display a left-handed three-stranded helical filament, revealing specific interfaces between individual subunits that are dictated by electrostatic interactions between neighboring strands and conserved hydrophobic interactions within each strand. Point mutations at multiple locations of these two interfaces impaired filament formation and antiviral signaling. Super-resolution imaging of virus-infected cells revealed the spatial features of rod-shaped MAVS clusters on mitochondria. These results...
Tolerability and clinical efficacy of oral immunotherapy with house dust mites in a model of canine atopic dermatitis: a pilot study

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, life-long disease. In humans, immunotherapy (IT) is the only treatment that can alter the course of AD. Oral IT is appealing owing to the ease of administration and the potential for increased compliance. The purposes of this study were to investigate the tolerability, clinical efficacy and effects on allergen-specific IgE of oral IT using a canine AD model. Thirteen atopic beagles sensitized to house dust mites (HDMs) were randomly divided into two groups. One group received daily oral doses of HDMs while the other group received vehicle only for 7 months. The investigator evaluating the dogs was blinded to the allocation of treatments. Prior to and after 2 and 7 months of IT, dogs were challenged daily with HDMs for 3 days concurrently, and clinical signs were scored using a modified Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI). Prior to and at completion of oral IT, serum was collected for measurement of allergen-specific IgE. Oral IT was well tolerated, and no adverse effects were noted. Analysis of variance showed no significant effect of time, group and group × time interaction for CADESI scores. In addition, there were no significant differences in allergen-specific IgE levels. In conclusion, it appears that oral administration of HDMs is well tolerated in these atopic beagles but that this protocol was not sufficient to induce clinical improvement. Further, longer-term studies will be necessary to explore the potential of oral IT in veterinary medicine.
Bluecoats and Tar Heels: Soldiers and Civilians in Reconstruction North Carolina – By Mark L. Bradley

Given the United States' ongoing experience in Iraq and the growing literature on occupation during the Civil War, this study is a timely arrival. It is also a welcome addition to Reconstruction hi...
Five Year Prostate-specific Antigen Outcomes after Caesium Prostate Brachytherapy

Aims: To report 5 year prostate-specific antigen outcomes in men undergoing prostate brachytherapy with caesium 131 at a single institution. Materials and methods: All patients who underwent prostate brachytherapy with caesium 131 at our institution and had at least 24 months of follow-up were included in this study. The results are reported by risk group (low, intermediate and high) as well as by treatment received (monotherapy, combination therapy or trimodal therapy). The Phoenix definition (absolute nadir plus 2 ng/ml) was used to define biochemical freedom from disease (BFD). Results: Four hundred and eighty-five patients underwent prostate brachytherapy with caesium 131 at our institution and 367 patients had at least 24 months of follow-up and were included in this analysis. Using the Phoenix criteria, 5 year actuarial BFD was 96.0% for patients in the low-risk category, 92.7% for patients in the intermediate-risk category and 82.9% for patients in the high-risk category. By treatment category, 95.7% of men treated with monotherapy had BFD, 84.9% of men treated with combination therapy had BFD and 92.0% of men treated with trimodal therapy had BFD. Conclusions: The present study showed that prostate brachytherapy with caesium 131 achieves excellent oncological outcomes at 5 years.
Landscape filtering of hydrologic and biogeochemical responses in managed catchments

Here, we examine hydrologic and biogeochemical responses of managed catchments regarding the degree of stochastic, nonlinear filtering of hydro-climatic and anthropogenic drivers. We utilize three types of analyses to examine the time-series records of catchment responses: (1) statistical analysis, based on probability distribution functions (pdfs); (2) temporal Lorenz inequality, based on Gini coefficients, and (3) contingency or memory assessment, based on spectral analysis. We present analytical expressions for pdfs and statistical moments for several catchment responses, explicitly linking stochasticity of drivers and catchment filtering properties. We also examine relative temporal inequality of two catchment signals: Φ G = G 2/G 1, where G i is the Gini coefficient of each signal. We use spectral analysis to evaluate the relative memory of two signals: Φ α = α 2/α 1, where α i is the slope of spectral power versus frequency of each signal in log–log plots. We use these metrics to evaluate: (1) filtering of precipitation (P) inputs to discharge (Q) outputs from four locations in different moisture regimes in the US, and identify human impacts on catchment hydrology; and (2) dominance of hydrologic variability for nitrate wet deposition flux (Ω) patterns for nine US urban sites, and in the patterns of exported solute loads in intensively managed catchments. Our analyses of long-term monitoring in selected managed catchments suggests that increasing human impacts on landscapes: (1) cause hydrologic and biogeochemical processes to exhibit increasing functional homogeneity; (2) contribute to shifts in memory between catchment drivers and responses; and (3) decrease the temporal inequality of nutrient export dynamics.
DNA sequence and RNA transcription through a site of recombination in a non-neurovirulent herpes simplex virus intertypic recombinant

RE6 is a herpes simplex type-1 (HSV-1) x herpex simplex type-2 (HSV-2) intertypic recombinant that cannot replicate in the adult mouse nervous system. In the accompanying report, we have shown that HSV-1 sequences between 0.698 and 0.721 map units can restore a partial neurovirulent phenotype to RE6. In this report, we have used comparative DNA sequence analysis of RE6, 17syn+ (HSV-1) and HG52 (HSV-2) to demonstrate that this region contains a site of recombination between HSV-1 and HSV-2 sequences in RE6. High resolution transcription analysis has demonstrated that three readily detected transcripts are present in this region of the genome. In addition, the 5′ end of a low abundance 5 kb transcript was also located in the right-hand portion of this region. All the transcripts encoded by HSV-1 and HSV-2 in this region of the genome are expressed by the RE6 recombinant. This and our sequence data suggest that the lack of neurovirulence in RE6 is not due to a simple loss in the expression of a transcript or to a defect in a protein encoded by a gene at the site of recombination.
Mothman: Monster, Disaster, and Community

From 1966 to 1967, a small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia was abuzz with sightings of a creature known as “the Mothman.” At the crescendo of these sightings, the town suffered a bridge collapse killing 46. Today, Mothman has become a patron of Point Pleasant and is honored with a statue, a museum and research center, and an annual festival. This paper analyzes the religious dimensions of the relationship between the sightings and the disaster. It is argued the Mothman legend has served an important role in the community's recovery from the disaster. In turn, the disaster had a key role in transforming Mothman from a creature of terror into a source of community and shared identity.
Effects of arachidonic acid hydroperoxides on vascular and non-vascular smooth muscle

The omega-6 and omega-9 hydroperoxides of arachidonic acid (AA) caused dose-dependent contraction of rabbit aortic strip (RAS) and guinea pig ileum (GPI) at concentrations between 5 and 200 microM. At these concentrations, arachidonic acid had no effect in these preparations. The contractions could not be blocked by indomethacin, methysergide, phenoxybenzamine, propranolol, diphenhydramine, scopolamine, or the SRS-A antagonist FPL-55712, but were abolished by the calcium channel blocker nimodipine. In both tissues, the hydroperoxides initiated a sustained contraction. The onset of GPI contraction however, was much faster than the response of RAS to these hydroperoxides. 15-HPETE produced a more sustained contraction than 12-HPETE in both RAS and GPI. These results suggest that hydroperoxides generated from AA by the action of lipoxygenase can directly induce smooth muscle contraction and this effect is probably mediated through altering calcium fluxes in these smooth muscle preparations.
Analysis of Transient Behavior of Radioisotopes in Insect Food Chains

Recent studies suggest that an average biological half-life for a trophic level may be calculated from the transient behavior of radioisotopes introduced into food chains. Following introduction of a radioactive tracer, successive trophic levels show characteristic delays in reaching maximum concentrations. The time required to reach maximum concentrations often is longer for higher-level consumers. The authors have observed such transient behavior in a tulip poplar forest experimentally trunk-inoculated with /sup 137/Cs. Its subsequent redistribution among the canopy, the forest floor, and their associated food chains has been described elsewhere. In successive years, each autumnal leaf drop has resulted in an additional pulse of /sup 137/Cs to the floor of this forest, producing sequential increases and then decreases in the radiocesium content of detritus-feeding arthropods and their predators. Maximum concentrations of /sup 137/Cs reached during transient fluctuations and the time lags between peaks in different trophic levels are related to the turnover rates within each trophic level. Thus, the patterns of accumulation revealed by field sampling may be analyzed to yield estimates of average loss rates for entire trophic levels. This paper provides a model describing such transient behavior and illustrates its application with laboratory and field data. Success with thismore » model using radionuclides encourages us to suggest its application to studies of the dynamics of other constituents in food chains. 17 references, 3 figures.« less
Rheological behavior of thermotropic flexible main-chain polyesters based on 4,4′-dioxy-2,2′-dimethyl azoxybenzene mesogens. I. Oscillatory shear behavior

The rheological properties of fractionated thermotropic nematic polyesters 4,4′-dioxy-2,2′-dimethyl azoxybenzenenonanediyl (n = 7) (AZA-9) and dodecanediyl (n = 10) (DDA-9) have been determined under oscillatory shear in the nematic and isotropic phase. A markedly more pronounced shear thinning characterizes the polydisperse DDA-9 polymer as compared to the fractionated polymer in the nematic state. This difference becomes less pronounced in the isotropic phase. In all cases, the elastic compliance J′ in the isotropic state is much lower than in the nematic state. The values of relaxation time λ, although lower in the isotropic state, are not very different in the nematic state. The loss tangent tan δ is significantly higher in the isotropic phase for lower molecular weights. For molecular weights of 13,000 and above, this difference becomes smaller and shifts to lower angular frequencies. For AZA-9 and DDA-9, η→0 the limit of the dynamic viscosity can be represented by η* = M with a value of α similar for both phases and approximately equal to 4.
Quantification of oxidative posttranslational modifications of cysteine thiols of p21ras associated with redox modulation of activity using isotope-coded affinity tags and mass spectrometry.

Abstract p21ras GTPase is the protein product of the most commonly mutated human oncogene and has been identified as a target for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Posttranslational modification of reactive thiols, by reversible S-glutathiolation and S-nitrosation, and potentially also by irreversible oxidation, may have significant effects on p21ras activity. Here we used an isotope-coded affinity tag (ICAT) and mass spectrometry to quantitate the reversible and irreversible oxidative posttranslational thiol modifications of p21ras caused by peroxynitrite (ONOO−) or glutathione disulfide (GSSG). The activity of p21ras was significantly increased after exposure to GSSG, but not to ONOO−. The results of LC-MS/MS analysis of tryptic peptides of p21ras treated with ONOO− showed that ICAT labeling of Cys118 was decreased by 47%, whereas Cys80 was not significantly affected and was thereby shown to be less reactive. The extent of S-glutathiolation of Cys118 by GSSG was 53%, and that of the terminal cysteines was 85%, as estimated by the decrease in ICAT labeling. The changes in ICAT labeling caused by GSSG were reversible by chemical reduction, but those caused by peroxynitrite were irreversible. The quantitative changes in thiol modification caused by GSSG associated with increased activity demonstrate the potential importance of redox modulation of p21ras.
Tubuloglomerular feedback in a dynamic nephron

A dynamic model for a short-looped mammalian nephron is developed to study tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF). Evolution equations for salt and urea concentrations and for fluid flux in the nephron are derived and coupled to a resistance network that serves as a schematic model of the glomerulus and associated structures. The evolution equations, which are semi-linear hyperbolic partial differential equations, are solved by the method of flux-corrected transport. The implementation and testing of this method is described and numerical results are presented. This investigation suggests that: (i) the concentrating nephron exhibits high gain, i.e., a small increase in single nephron glomerular filtration rate produces a large increase in the salt concentration of tubular fluid in the cortical thick ascending limb at the macula densa; (ii) the nephron, as a concentrating system, acts as a low-pass filter, i.e., high frequency pressure oscillations (1 Hz) of a prescribed amplitude at the proximal tubule produce relatively low amplitude oscillations in tubular concentrations, while low frequency oscillations (1/30 Hz) produce relatively high amplitude oscillations in tubular concentrations; and (iii) as a consequence of long time delay in TGF, some perturbations in afferent arteriolar blood pressure induce sustained periodic oscillations similar to those observed in recent experiments.
Stiffness modulation of locking plate constructs using near cortical slotted holes: a preliminary study.

Objectives:Axial stiffness is a critical mechanical parameter in fracture plating. Standard locked plates allow minimal opportunities for stiffness alteration, and current methods are arbitrary and may lead to stiffness mismatch between the implant and bone. Milling the near cortex into a slot allow
Photoelectron emission spectroscopy of inorganic cations in aqueous solution

Threshold energies Et are determined for photoelectron emission by 20 inorganic anions in aqueous solution (7.1 < Et < 9.1 eV). Calculated values of Et for Cl−, Br−, I− agree with experiment. The Et are correlated with charge-transf absorption spectra.
Pinhole detection in thin foils used in space plasma diagnostic instrumentation

The efficiency of thin foils which are used for charge state modification, start/stop pulse triggering, and UV shielding in space plasma diagnostic instrumentation is highly sensitive to pinholes in the foil. In this study, we present a high resolution method to map pinhole locations and sizes in thin foils based on the different transmission properties of incident ions through holes and hole‐free regions of the foil. Results are presented for 200‐eV ions transmitted through 0.2‐, 0.5‐, and 1.0‐μg/cm2 carbon foils. Acceleration of transmitted ions into the imaging detector increases both the imaging resolution and the contrast between holes and hole‐free regions of the foil.
Choice of situations and congruence models of interactionism

Abstract Recent studies of person-situation interactions have focused nearly exclusively on the statistical rather than reciprocal form of the concept. In an attempt to reverse this trend, two models of reciprocal interactionism are offered: choice of situations and congruence response models. The choice model proposes that individuals select situations and avoid others on the basis of certain underlying needs and dispositions. According to the congruence model, individuals should experience greater positive affect and less negative affect in situations which are congruent with their personality characteristics. Individuals indicated the frequency with which thay had recently participated in various recreation situations and also reported the affects they felt when in those situations. Some support was found for both models of interactionism, thus the choice of model appeared stronger. Implications of the choice model for the personality consistency issue and personality assessment are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered.
Acute occlusion in multiple lesion coronary angioplasty: Frequency and management

Abstract Among 3,548 patients undergoing a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty procedure, 714 had multilesion angioplasty (1,550 lesions) in a single session. Acute occlusion occurred in 22 patients (3.1%) and 29 lesions (1.9%). The patients were classified into a group undergoing multivessel angioplasty (348 patients, 785 lesions) and a group undergoing multilesion single vessel angioplasty (366 patients, 765 lesions). The rate of acute occlusion was similar in both patient groups. The multivessel angioplasty group had a 2.9% rate per patient (n = 10) and a 1.7% rate per vessel; the multilesion single vessel group had a 3.3% rate per patient (n = 12) and a 2.1 % rate per lesion. Five of the 10 patients from the multivessel group with acute occlusion, but only 1 of the 12 patients with occlusion in the single vessel multilesion group, required emergency open heart surgery. No patient in either group died as a consequence of coronary angioplasty. Occlusion occurred during angioplasty in 15 of the 22 patients, and 1 to 24 h after angioplasty in 7 of 22 patients. In the group with multivessel angioplasty, acute occlusion during the procedure was mainly linked with hypotension during the second vessel dilation, whereas in this group with delayed vessel closure and in the multilesion single vessel group, existence of intimal tearing constituted the most important factor for acute occlusion (12 of 16 patients). Closure of vessel per major coronary system was evenly distributed in the multivessel group, whereas significantly more left circumflex vessels closed in the single vessel multilesion group (6.1% versus 1.3% in the left anterior descending coronary artery and 1.1 % in the right coronary artery; p The multilesion angioplasty procedure is associated with acceptable risk. However, with an increasing amount of myocardium at risk, procedural risk is higher if more than one vessel system is dilated. Staged multivessel angioplasty with serial angioplasty on different vessel systems on separate days should be considered if factors predisposing to acute occlusion, such as hypotension or intimal tear, are present after the first dilation.
Aharonov-Bohm interaction of cosmic strings with matter.

It is shown that generically cosmic strings will interact with matter via their pure gauge potential. The cross section is purely geometrical, and does not vanish in the limit of zero string size. The mechanism is the Aharonov-Bohm effect, which is already known to cause scattering of charged particles off an infinitesimally thin solenoid. A related mechanism for particle production is also discussed.
Mechanical and Optical Behavior of Double Network Rubbers

Stress, strain, and optical birefringence were measured for a series of peroxide-cured natural rubbers, having both isotropic and double network structures. The residual stretch (permanent set) for the latter ranged from 2.0 to 4.5, with elastic moduli that were an increasing function of this residual strain, as found in previous works. A small birefringence, ca. 10-5, was observed for the unstressed double networks, and its magnitude increased with increasing residual strain. The sign of this birefringence corresponded to extension of the (undeformed) double networks. Under stress, the birefringence followed the stress optical law. The double network properties were interpreted using the constrained-chain model of rubber elasticity, with the assumption of independent, additive contributions from the two component networks. The calculated results differed from the experimental findings, in particular underestimating the residual strain. This failure is a consequence of the overprediction of the stresses during compression, a limitation common to molecular theories of rubber elasticity. The modeling of the double networks does account qualitatively for the sign of their unstressed birefringence, which is due to the stress- optical coefficient being larger in tension than in compression. This particular deviation from the stress- optical law is known from both theory and experiment.