cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficiency of General Estimating Equations Estimators of Slopes in Repeated Measurements: Adding Subjects or Adding Measurements?*

In controlled clinical trials, subjects are often evaluated at baseline and intervals across a treatment period. In most trials, the treatment period and the number of time points are predetermined by design. When the primary goal is to estimate and compare the rate of change in outcome variables over time, investigators are often confronted with difficult decisions of maintaining a balance between increasing the number of study subjects and increasing the number of measurements for each subject. In this paper, we present a method to evaluate the relative benefit of adding subjects versus adding measurements in terms of the efficiency of the general estimating equation (GEE) estimator of slope coefficients in repeated measurements.
The shape of development

This project examines the shape of conceptual development from early childhood through adulthood. To do so we model the attainment of developmental complexity levels in the moral reasoning of a large sample (n = 747) of 5- to 86-year-olds. Employing a novel application of the Rasch model to investigate patterns of performance in these data, we show that the acquisition of successive complexity levels proceeds in a pattern suggestive of a series of spurts and plateaus. We also show that there are six complexity levels represented in performance between the ages of 5 and 86; that patterns of performance are consistent with the specified sequence; that these findings apply to both childhood and adulthood levels; that sex is not an important predictor of complexity level once educational attainment has been taken into account; and that both age and educational attainment predict complexity level well during childhood, but educational attainment is a better predictor in late adolescence and adulthood.
Chapter 78 – Liver and Biliary Tract

The major site of lymphoid cells in the healthy liver is the portal area, which has a predominance of CD3 + T lymphocytes. Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic (impaired excretion of bile acids) disease. The fundamental pathologic process is the—T cell–mediated inflammation and destruction of interlobular and septal bile ducts, a process referred to as nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis. Evidence suggests that PBC is a generalized mucosal disease, which provides a basis for considering whether its etiology involves enterohepatic circulation of toxins and/or infectious agents. A distinctive feature of PBC is a marked polyclonal hyper-gammaglobulinemia. Serum IgM, IgG, and IgA levels all are elevated, but the most striking elevation is in the IgM level, which may be greater than five times normal. The concept of molecular mimicry of autoepitopes by peptides of microorganisms is particularly important for PBC because of the propensity of several viruses to specifically target the liver.
Selenium deficiency alters thyroid hormone metabolism in guinea pigs

In guinea pigs, activity of glutathione peroxidase in most organs is markedly lower than in organs of other rodents despite comparable dietary intakes and tissue levels of selenium. To determine if metabolism of selenium with respect to other selenoproteins also differs in guinea pigs, we measured the effects of selenium intake on thyroid hormone metabolism. Weanling male Hartley Albino guinea pigs were fed a selenium-deficient Torula yeast-based diet, or the same diet supplemented with 0.5 mg selenium/kg diet as sodium selenate for 72 d. Growth was impaired in guinea pigs fed the unsupplemented diet. Activity of glutathione peroxidase was higher in tissues and plasma of supplemented guinea pigs than in selenium-deficient animals. However, it was still far lower than reported values for other rodent species. In selenium deficiency, activity of type 1 5'-iodothyronine deiodinase was 60% less in liver and 45% less in kidney. Concentration of thyroxine was 68% lower in kidney of selenium-deficient animals, and levels of 3,3',5-triiodothyronine in kidney and plasma were 44 and 31% lower, respectively. Thus, with the exception of thyroxine concentrations, thyroid hormone metabolism responds to selenium deficiency in guinea pigs as it does in rats, although the magnitude of that response is not as great.
A general pediatric approach to evaluating a short child.

1. Susan R. Rose, MD* 2. Maria G. Vogiatzi, MD† 3. Kenneth C. Copeland, MD‡ 1. *Professor of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 2. †Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill College of Cornell University, New York, NY 3. ‡Professor of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Okla After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the most critical test for evaluating the growth of a child. 2. Discuss the implications of decreased growth velocity after age 3 years. 3. Name the two most common normal variations resulting in short stature during childhood. 4. Characterize the growth velocities of children who have constitutional delay of growth and adolescence or familial short stature during the first 2 or 3 years after birth. 5. Recognize what a low weight-for-height ratio suggests. 6. List clues suggestive of syndromic or genetic disorders. 7. Describe how children who have congenital growth hormone deficiency may present in the newborn period. Achild’s growth pattern is a strong indicator of his or her general health. However, it may be difficult to distinguish between normal and abnormal growth. The purpose of this review is to highlight differences between growth patterns seen in normal variations of growth and those seen in pathologic conditions. In this review, growth patterns associated with normal variations or pathologic conditions are presented in the context of growth velocity, weight-for-height, and dysmorphic physical features. The most critical factor in evaluating the growth of a child is determining growth velocity (regardless of the absolute height). The simplest method of identifying whether a growth velocity is normal for age is to observe whether the child’s height pattern is “crossing” percentile lines on a linear growth curve. (The most up-to-date growth curves can be found on the Web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/growthcharts .) Accurate height measurements performed at 6-month intervals and plotted to the year and month of age on the growth curve are an inexpensive means of identifying whether growth velocity is normal. Still more precise determinations of growth rate can be determined by using growth velocity charts. In addition to growth velocity, …
Intel's Alleged Schemes Affected U.S. Consumers

This short piece explains how the first unit discounts or rebates allegedly given by Intel on their X86 chips could harm competition, innovation, and PC purchasers in this crucial $33 billion/year market. For these reasons, their discounts or rebates could violate European Competition law and U.S. Antitrust law.
Low oxygen levels in earliest Triassic soils: Comment and Reply REPLY

We thank Huggett and Hesselbo for their interest in our work and substantial agreement with our conclusions when they state, “We do not dispute the possibility of a postapocalyptic greenhouse, nor that this could explain the existence at high latitudes of a mineral normally associated with low-
Sobre carnes y vidas desnudas en "Tiempo de Silencio" de Luis Martín-Santos

Bajo el contexto del franquismo, este ensayo analiza la des-subjetivizacion del sujeto espanol que dicho periodo se propuso efectuar. A partir de la lectura de Tiempo de Silencio de Luis Martin-Santos, el articulo intenta demostrar que el Estado franquista redujo al sujeto y su cuerpo en carne moldeable a partir de la cual dar nacimiento al nuevo sujeto espanol
The Effects of Cutaneous Fatty Acids on the Growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the Etiological Agent of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS)

White Nose Syndrome (WNS) greatly increases the over-winter mortality of little brown (Myotis lucifugus), Indiana (Myotis sodalis), northern (Myotis septentrionalis), and tricolored (Perimyotis subflavus) bats. It is caused by a cutaneous infection with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) are much more resistant to cutaneous infection with Pd, however. We thus conducted analyses of wing epidermis from hibernating E. fuscus and M. lucifugus to determine their fatty acid compositions, and laboratory Pd culture experiments at 4.0–13.4°C to determine the effects of these fatty acids on Pd growth. Our analyses revealed that the epidermis of both bat species contain the same 7 fatty acid types (14:0, 15:0, 16:0. 16:1, 18:0, 18:1, & 18:2), but the epidermis of M. lucifugus contains: a) more stearic (18:0) acid, b) less palmitoleic (16:1) acid, c) less myristic (14:0) acid, and, d) less oleic (18:1) acid than that of E. fuscus. The growth of Pd was inhibited by: a) myristic and stearic acids at 10.5–13.4°C, but not at 4.0–5.0°C, b) oleic acid at 5.0–10.6°C, c) palmitoleic acid, and, d) linoleic (18:2) acid at 5.0–10.6°C. One set of factors that enables E. fuscus to better resist cutaneous P. destructans infections (and thus WNS) therefore appears to be the relatively higher myristic, palmitoleic, and oleic acid contents of the epidermis.
Comparative results of prolonged hypothermic storage of canine kidneys preserved with hyperosmolar colloid (TP-II) or crystalloid (Euro-Collins) solution.

Abstract: The function of kidneys stored for 48 to 72 hours in hypertonic crystalloid, intracellular solution, Euro-Collins (360mOsm./l.), was compared with those stored in a new hyperosmolar (520mOsm./l.) colloid solution designated as TP-II. The TP-II solution contained less K2HPO4 (1.05 gm./l.) and KH2PO4 (317 gm./l.) and more glucose (40 gm./l.) than the Euro-Collins, and also had an albumin concentration of 4.3 gm./dl. Kidneys obtained from beagle dogs were flushed with either Euro-Collins or TP-II solution (4C). Hypothermic storage followed for either 48 or 72 hours, prior to autotransplantation into the iliac fossa and contralateral nephrectomy. Four experimental groups were transplanted as follows: group 1 (n = 8) and group 2 (n = 7) received kidneys that were flushed with 250ml. of Euro-Collins or TP-II solution, respectively, prior to 48 hours hypothermic storage. Group 3 (n = 5) and group 4 (n = 5) received kidneys that were flushed in the same way as those in groups 1 and 2, respectively, but ...
Adenosine A3 agonist cardioprotection in isolated rat and rabbit hearts is blocked by the A1 antagonist DPCPX

Adenosine A3 agonists have been shown to protect ischemic rat and rabbit myocardium. However, these agonists have been reported to exert A3 independent effects, and no cardiac A3 receptor has yet been identified. We thus tested whether A3 agonist protection is due to A1receptor activation. Isolated rat and rabbit hearts were subjected to 25 and 45 min of global ischemia, respectively. Rat hearts pretreated with adenosine (100 μM), the A3 agonist 2-chloro-N 6-(3-iodobenzyl)-adenosine-5′-N-methyluronamide (Cl-IB-MECA, 50 nM), and vehicle recovered 73 ± 2%, 75 ± 4%, and 46 ± 4%, respectively, of preischemic left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) after 30 min of reperfusion. The A1 antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX, 100 nM) blocked the beneficial effects of Cl-IB-MECA (51 ± 5%) and adenosine (47 ± 6%). In rabbit hearts, the beneficial effects of the A3 agonistN 6-(3-iodobenzyl)-adenosine-5′-N-methyluronamide (50 nM) and the A1 agonist 2-chloro-N 6-cyclopentyladenosine (100 nM) on postis...
Communication Tools in Healthcare: Basics

Efficient communication is crucial to the successful functioning of any team. This allows healthcare professionals to collaborate by assuming complementary roles, cooperate, share responsibility, and make decisions effectively. When the individuals responsible for patient care do not communicate effectively, patient safety is at risk and medical errors can occur. There are many tools to help relay critical information, with several being highlighted in this chapter.
Wise Man of The Wilds: Fatherlessness, Fertility, and the Mythic Exemplar, Kongzi

There is no more salient figure in early Chinese literature than Kongzi and yet he remains a figure about whose beginnings we know very little. The present essay explores this paradox of bibliographic salience and biographic silence through an in-depth examination of the principal narratives of the Kongzi legend from the Shiji and the Kongzi jiayu, paying particular attention to the language of their respective accounts of the birth of the sage. Finding a distinct lack of fit between the form and content of these these stories, I propose a narrative alternative drawn from the early Han weishu accounts of Kongzi's beginnings. Finding in this alternative a more coherent fit between language and narrative structure as well as recurrent themes such as divine visitation, infertility, jiaomei sacrifice, and cranial disfigurement, vestiges of which are also found in the accounts of Wang Su and Sima Qian, the essay suggests that the weishu texts preserve a fuller popular legend of fertility sacrifice by the childless coordinated with the winter solstice also present in the very name Kongzi and resonating with the charter myth of the Zhou, “Sheng min.” The evident implication of this finding is that the historicity of Kongzi is arguable. The name is more like a mythic literary fiction and probably began, as did that of Hou Qi, as a symbolic deity that was made historical in one of its many Warring States incarnations, that one transmitted to us exclusively through the normative biographical tradition.
US Domestic Extremist Groups

US domestic extremist groups have increased in number and are intensively utilizing the Internet as an effective tool to share resources and members with limited regard for geographic, legal, or other obstacles. Researchers find that monitoring extremist and hate groups’ web sites and analyzing their usage and content have become time consuming and challenging. In response, this chapter describes the development of automated or semiautomated methodologies for capturing, classifying, and organizing domestic extremist web site data and using them for analysis. We found that by analyzing the hyperlink structures and content of domestic extremist web sites and constructing social network maps, their interorganizational structure and cluster affinities could be identified. Such analysis results could help experts in terrorism, law enforcement, intelligence, and policy making domains better understand the domestic extremist phenomena and eventually boost our national security.
Nonlinear optical observation of coherent acoustic Dirac plasmons in thin-film topological insulators

Low-energy collective electronic excitations exhibiting sound-like linear dispersion have been intensively studied both experimentally and theoretically for a long time. However, coherent acoustic plasmon modes appearing in time-domain measurements are rarely observed due to Landau damping by the single-particle continua. Here we report on the observation of coherent acoustic Dirac plasmon (CADP) modes excited in indirectly (electrostatically) opposite-surface coupled films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Using transient second-harmonic generation, a technique capable of independently monitoring the in-plane and out-of-plane electron dynamics in the films, the GHz-range oscillations were observed without corresponding oscillations in the transient reflectivity. These oscillations were assigned to the transverse magnetic and transverse electric guided CADP modes induced by the evanescent guided Lamb acoustic waves and remained Landau undamped due to fermion tunnelling between the opposite-surface Dirac states.
The Helicobacter pylori Autotransporter ImaA Tempers the Bacterium's Interaction with α5β1 Integrin.

ABSTRACT The human pathogen Helicobacter pylori uses the host receptor α5β1 integrin to trigger inflammation in host cells via its cag pathogenicity island (cag PAI) type IV secretion system (T4SS). Here, we report that the H. pylori ImaA protein (HP0289) decreases the action of the cag PAI T4SS via tempering the bacterium9s interaction with α5β1 integrin. Previously, imaA-null mutants were found to induce an elevated inflammatory response that was dependent on the cag PAI T4SS; here we extend those findings to show that the elevated response is independent of the CagA effector protein. To understand how ImaA could be affecting cag PAI T4SS activity at the host cell interface, we utilized the Phyre structural threading program and found that ImaA has a region with remote homology to bacterial integrin-binding proteins. This region was required for ImaA function. Unexpectedly, we observed that imaA mutants bound higher levels of α5β1 integrin than wild-type H. pylori, an outcome that required the predicted integrin-binding homology region of ImaA. Lastly, we report that ImaA directly affected the amount of host cell β1 integrin but not other cellular integrins. Our results thus suggest a model in which H. pylori employs ImaA to regulate interactions between integrin and the T4SS and thus alter the host inflammatory strength.
Experimental-Statistical Investigation of Testing Variables of a Semicircular Bending (SCB) Fracture Test Repeatability for Bituminous Mixtures

Given the fact that fracture is a primary distress causing pavement failure, it is important to identify and characterize the fracture/cracking properties of asphalt concrete mixtures and to include them in pavement design processes. This study examined the testing variables for a reliable and practical semicircular bending (SCB) fracture test to evaluate the fracture characteristics of asphalt concrete mixtures at intermediate service temperatures. An integrated experimental-statistical approach was employed to identify testing variables by which repeatable SCB test results can be achieved. Using a typical Nebraska asphalt mixture, five critical testing variables (i.e., the number of testing specimens, specimen thickness, notch length, loading rate, and testing temperature) of the SCB test were investigated due to their significant effects on mixture fracture characteristics. Statistical analysis of test results indicated that approximately six specimens/replicates were a reasonable sample size that could properly represent asphalt concrete fracture behavior of a typical dense-graded mixture. Then, the coefficient of variation (COV) of the mixture fracture energy for six specimens was used to evaluate the effects of other remaining test variables. A range of a specimen thickness of 40 to 60 mm, a notch length from 5 to 40 mm, and a testing temperature between 15 and 40°C showed the reasonably low COV value of fracture energy at around or less than 10 %. The loading rates (0.1 to 10 mm/min.) attempted in this study did not show any significant differences in the testing repeatability.
Pearls & Oy-sters: Plasma cell meningitis An uncommon complication of multiple myeloma

We report a case of plasma cell meningitis (PCM) presenting as a first-time seizure. Shilpa Deshmukh (Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center) edited the manuscript for non-intellectual content.
Design of an online course on Knowledge-Based AI

In Fall 2014 we offered an online course on Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence (KBAI) to about 200 students as part of the Georgia Tech Online MS in CS program. By now we have offered the course to more than 1000 students. We describe the design, development and delivery of the online KBAI class in Fall 2014.
Nickel-Catalyzed Asymmetric Reductive Cross-Coupling To Access 1,1-Diarylalkanes

An asymmetric Ni-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling of (hetero)aryl iodides and benzylic chlorides has been developed to prepare enantioenriched 1,1-diarylalkanes. As part of these studies, a new chiral bioxazoline ligand, 4-heptyl-BiOX (L1), was developed in order to obtain products in synthetically useful yield and enantioselectivity. The reaction tolerates a variety of heterocyclic coupling partners, including pyridines, pyrimidines, indoles, and piperidines.
Combinative Capability and Value Creation in Technological Scope Expansions

We study the relation between a firm’s combinative capability and value creation in the context of technological scope expansion. On a sample of Compustat firms that applied for U.S. patents betwee...
Measurement of the density of liquid aluminum alloys by an X-ray attenuation technique

Aluminum alloy casting is becoming an increasingly important field of study, due to its widespread demand, especially in the transportation industries. As more powerful and inexpensive computers have become available to simulate the casting process, more cast aluminum components are being designed and optimized by computer simulation. However, simulating the casting process is limited, because the important physical properties of the materials (e.g., liquid density) are not always known. This study presents the construction of a relatively simple apparatus for measuring the density of aluminum-based alloys in the solid and liquid states, at temperatures up to 900 C. The authors measured one of the more important physical properties of a casting alloy, the solidification shrinkage, for a commercial aluminum alloy, Al-319. They find that while the thermal expansion of the alloy in both the solid and liquid states is similar to that of pure aluminum, the density of the liquid alloy is lower than one would estimate by averaging the atomic volumes of the pure liquid components.
Cross-Cultural and Spaceflight Psychology: Arenas for Synergistic Research

Shortly after the competitive Moon Race the United States and the Soviet Union joined together for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, an activity that drew attention to cross-cultural issues in space missions. In 1978, the Soviets began their Interkosmos, or “guest cosmonaut,” program, whereby non-Soviet cosmonauts joined Soviet crews on space stations, while Europeans developed Spacelab which flew with the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia in 1983. Over the years, the largely symbolic Interkosmos program grew into flights involving true international partnerships, and NASA drew payload specialists from an increasing array of nations. In the 1990s, astronauts joined cosmonauts on Mir, and today the International Space Station routinely hosts international crews. Over the past 50 years, both cross-cultural and spaceflight psychology have matured, and we develop the thesis that each offers opportunities and benefits to the other. After sampling relevant research on cultural dimensions, values, and social axioms, we present the culture assimilator and other methods as potential aids for preparing personnel for future missions. We stress the need for additional research on other cultures, especially China, whose representatives are likely to become increasingly prominent in mission planning, management, and execution. We end with a brief discussion of cautions and limitations and conclude that even as spaceflight psychology will benefit from cross-cultural psychology, cross-cultural psychology will benefit from behavioral research pertaining to space.
A biaxial strain-based expansion mechanism for auxetic stent deployment.

BACKGROUND Auxetics, a special class of materials, tend to expand both in the radial and longitudinal directions when a unidirectional tensile force is applied. Recently, studies have come up with new designs for auxetic vascular and nonvascular stents which are deployed with commercial balloon catheters. There are some inherent limitations associated with a unidirectional application of expansion force in the effective deployment of stents. This work proposed a solution to some of these limitations through the use of a biaxial mode of a predetermined strain-based expansion mechanism. METHOD The design incorporated a pressure-activated crank-slider mechanism. Fabrication of a prototype for experimental verification was carried out through milling and high-speed lathe machining. The testing of the device employed the use of auxetic stents, fabricated from a biocompatible polymer. A finite element study is presented to extrapolate experimental results to a broader range of operation and working conditions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The expansion mechanism is similar in operation to the opening of an umbrella. The length of the connected auxetic stent increases when internal hydraulic pressure is applied. The degree of linear expansion in 1 direction influences the expansion of auxetic stent in the lateral direction. As the device exerts pressure longitudinally, a larger amount of the force is distributed on the unit cells/hinges which ultimately results in an increased expansion of the stent.
Bronchiolitis Care in the Hospital.

Background Viral bronchiolitis is a common cause of hospitalization in young children, but despite a variety of therapeutic options, the mainstay of treatment remains supportive care. Objective To examine the most recent evidence for supportive care measures and pharmacologic options in the treatment of bronchiolitis in the hospital setting. Method MEDLINE search with expert medical librarian for publications on management and therapies for bronchiolitis. Results Evidence does not support the use of bronchodilators, racemic epinephrine, deep suctioning, systemic corticosteroids, or antibiotics in the absence of a concomitant bacterial infection, as these treatments do not change the course of illness or shorten length of stay (LOS). Nebulized hypertonic saline is not routinely recommended, though it may provide some benefit for patients with anticipated prolonged LOS. Continuous pulse oximetry should not be routinely used in stable patients as it may be associated with longer LOS. Supplemental oxygen should be used to maintain oxyhemoglobin concentrations ≥90%, a level lower than what many clinicians may have used previously. Current evidence suggests high-flow nasal cannula may reduce intubation rate, but its effect on LOS is unclear. Intravenous or nasogastric tube hydration should be used when oral hydration is not sufficient. Conclusion Overall, bronchiolitis remains a self-limited disease whose mainstay of therapy is supportive care.
The astrophysical consequences of intervening galaxy gas on fast radio bursts

We adopt and analyze results on the incidence and physical properties of damped Ly$\alpha$ systems (DLAs) to predict the astrophysical impact of gas in galaxies on observations of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). Three DLA measures form the basis of this analysis: (i) the HI column density distribution, parameterized as a double power-law; (ii) the incidence of DLAs with redshift (derived here), $\ell(z)=A+B \arctan(z-C)$ with $A=0.236_{-0.021}^{+0.016}, B=0.168_{-0.017}^{+0.010}, C=2.87_{-0.13}^{+0.17}$ and (iii) the electron density, parameterized as a log-normal deviate with mean $10^{-2.6} cm^{-3}$ and dispersion 0.3dex. Synthesizing these results, we estimate that the average rest-frame dispersion measure from the neutral medium of a single, intersecting galaxy is DM$^{NM}_{DLA}=0.25$ pc/cm^3. Analysis of AlIII and CII* absorption limits the putative warm ionized medium to contribute DM$^{WIM}_{DLA}<20$pc/cm^3. Given the low incidence of DLAs, we find that a population of FRBs at z=2 will incur DM(z=2)=0.01 pc/cm^3 on average, with a 99% c.l. upper bound of 0.22 pc/cm^3. Assuming that turbulence of the ISM in external galaxies is qualitatively similar to our Galaxy, we estimate that the angular broadening of an FRB by intersecting galaxies is negligible ($\theta<0.1$mas). The temporal broadening is also predicted to be small, $\tau \approx 0.3$ms for a z=1 galaxy intersecting a z=2 FRB for an observing frequency of $\nu=1$GHz. Even with $\nu=600$MHz, the fraction of sightlines broadened beyond 25ms is only approximately 0.1%. We conclude that gas within the ISM of intervening galaxies has a minor effect on the detection of FRBs and their resultant DM distributions. Download the repository at this https URL to repeat and extend the calculations presented here.
Melanoma of the Face and Mohs Micrographic Surgery: Nationwide Mortality Data Analysis

BACKGROUNDAlthough Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), narrow margin excision (NME), and wide margin excision (WME) are commonly used to treat melanoma of the face, there is a paucity of data comparing mortality outcomes for each method.OBJECTIVETo determine the association between surgical method used
The Angular Momentum Eigenvalue Problem (Revisited)

So far, we have solved the angular momentum eigenvalue problem very specifically in the coordinate representation for the case of the orbital angular momentum eigenfunctions, the well-known spherical harmonics. Let us look at this problem once more from a much more general point of view, which can be taken over for anyangular momentum problem, or even more generally for any problem involving three hermitian operators with the same commutation relations as the L x , L y , and L z . We want to solve the problem of finding the simultaneous eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the two (commuting) operators , and L z .
Spt6 Association with RNA Polymerase II Directs mRNA Turnover During Transcription.

Summary Spt6 is an essential histone chaperone that mediates nucleosome reassembly during gene transcription. Spt6 also associates with RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) via a tandem Src2 homology domain. However, the significance of Spt6-RNAPII interaction is not well understood. Here, we show that Spt6 recruitment to genes and the nucleosome reassembly functions of Spt6 can still occur in the absence of its association with RNAPII. Surprisingly, we found that Spt6-RNAPII association is required for efficient recruitment of the Ccr4-Not de-adenylation complex to transcribed genes for essential degradation of a range of mRNAs, including mRNAs required for cell-cycle progression. These findings reveal an unexpected control mechanism for mRNA turnover during transcription facilitated by a histone chaperone.
Conservation Principles, and Environmental Transformation and Transport

Every moment, a wide range of contaminants, in significant quantities, is either deliberately or accidentally released into the environment worldwide. The intensity of these releases has grown along with the economic, industrial and social development of the countries of the world since the early 1950s. Thus, more often than not the sources of these contaminants and the resulting environmental pollution are attributed to industrial activities. However, other activities such as the use of pesticides in agriculture, the uncontrolled disposal of waste and waste discharge, or the handling and disposal of contaminants in landfills that are not properly constructed or monitored, and many other similar activities also contribute to environmental pollution. The effects of this pollution on the ecosystem and on the health of populations have been documented in numerous technical publications world wide. In certain cases the levels of environmental pollution and health effects outcomes are alarming. The degradation of the environment and its adverse health effects is more pronounced in developed nations but developing nations are not immune to this problem. They will see this same degradation if the mistakes of the past are repeated and lessons are not learned, especially for those regions of the world where environmental regulations are not strictly enforced. It is also clear that, in a modern society, it is not possible to eliminate totally the release of the contaminants into the environment altogether. Thus, it is important to understand the principles and mechanisms that may be used in understanding and describing the transformation and transport of contaminants in the environment. The goal of achieving this knowledge would be to use this information in appropriate management practices to minimize the adverse effects of environmental pollution.
Remembering the Early Days of Polymer Science

Three conferences may be taken as characteristic for the early development of polymer science: The meeting of the Deutscher Naturforscher gesellschaft in Duesseldorf in 1926 where Staudinger successfully upheld his concept of the existence of macromolecules against powerful opposition, the Faraday Society Meeting in Cambridge in 1935 where Carothers presented his classification of addition and condensation polymers, and the First Polymer Conference of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in Liege in 1947 where polymer science established itself as an accepted and vigorous member of chemical disciplines.
Fractional magneto-hydrodynamics: Algorithms and applications

Abstract We present two discretization methods for solving the fractional magneto-hydrodynamic (FMHD) equations with the fractional Laplacian defined in bounded domains. In the first method, we add a pseudo-pressure in the magnetic field equation to enforce that the magnetic field is divergence-free. In the second method, the magnetic field satisfies the divergence-free condition automatically with the no-slip boundary condition for the velocity and the perfectly conducting boundary condition for the magnetic field equation. In addition, we propose a discretization method for solving the modified fractional magneto-hydrodynamic (M-FMHD) equation. The divergence-free condition is preserved by employing the stream function in the M-FMHD system. Numerical experiments with fabricated solutions show that all three methods exhibit second-order accuracy in time for the velocity and magnetic fields. The pseudo-pressure and pressure also exhibit second-order convergence in time for small values of time step, however the pressure exhibits 1.5-order for convergence for large values of time step size when the fractional order α = 1 . We use the spectral decomposition method for spatial discretization, and we demonstrate that exponential convergence is achieved for all fields and for any fractional order. We also applied these methods to solve the lid-driven cavity flow with and without magnetic field, and we observe new flow patterns emerging as the fractional order varies.
The Staging of Contested Servicescapes

Identifying the abundance of servicescapes whose meaning and identity can be contested by customers, and recognizing the necessity for managing these environments, this study investigates and provi...
Harmonization of clinical data across Gen3 data commons.

e18094Background: Gen3 is an open source software platform for developing and operating data commons. Gen3 systems are now used by a variety of institutions and agencies to share and analyze large ...
An elastic-network-based local molecular field analysis of zinc finger proteins.

We study two designed and one natural zinc finger peptide each with the Cys2His2 (CCHH) type of metal binding motif. In the approach we have developed, we describe the role of the protein and solve...
Arterial Anatomy for Prostatic Artery Embolization

The variants associated with prostatic artery anatomy add to the challenge associated with PAE. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with the internal iliac branching patterns and the typical courses of the branches. The prostatic artery can arise from any branch of the internal iliac artery, but it most commonly arises from the internal pudendal artery, the obturator artery, or the anterior division itself.
Quinoxaline radical-bridged transition metal complexes with very strong antiferromagnetic coupling

A new family of radical-bridged compounds, (Cp*2Co)[M2Cl4(dpq)] (M = Fe (1), Co (2), Zn (3)), (dpq = 2,3-di(2-pyridyl)-quinoxaline) is reported. Magnetic studies, DFT and ab initio calculations reveal strong antiferromagnetic metal-radical interactions with coupling constants of J = -213.1 and -218.8 cm-1 for 1 and 2, respectively.
The Kirby-Xiao Intraoral Injection Technique: A Novel Method to Improve Perioral Cosmesis with Hyaluronic Acid Filler-A Review

Perioral cosmesis is an important component of facial aesthetics. The perioral region is prone to revealing signs of aging due to repetitive movements and various environmental factors. While it is well established that perioral aesthetics can be effectively treated with hyaluronic acid dermal filler, there is limited published data available on injection techniques specifically designed for perioral rejuvenation. In this article, we review the perioral anatomy and current percutaneous filler injection techniques for perioral cosmesis. We then present a novel intraoral filler injection approach to improve perioral aesthetics with minimal downtime and high patient satisfaction.
Better Scripts, Better Games: Smarter, more powerful scripting languages will improve game performance while making gameplay development more efficient.

The video game industry earned $8.85 billion in revenue in 2007, almost as much as movies made at the box office. Much of this revenue was generated by blockbuster titles created by large groups of people. Though large development teams are not unheard of in the software industry, game studios tend to have unique collections of developers. Software engineers make up a relatively small portion of the game development team, while the majority of the team consists of content creators such as artists, musicians, and designers.
Management pathways for the successful reduction of nonpoint source nutrients in coastal ecosystems

Abstract Eutrophication remains a threat to coastal habitats and water quality worldwide. The U. S. Clean Water Act resulted in reductions of nutrient loading from point sources but management of nonpoint sources (NPS) of nutrients remains challenging despite efforts over at least three decades. The hydrological factors, best management practices (BMPs) and regulatory mechanisms that target nutrient NPS and improve coastal ecosystem function are poorly understood. We identified three case study sites in the U.S. with sufficient NPS management and monitoring history to quantify changes in estuarine habitat and water quality following BMP implementation and regulation targeting nutrient NPS. Utilizing publicly available data, we compared sites that are geographically distant and hydrologically distinct. We found that BMPs targeting NPS loads from surface waters into Roberts Bay (Florida) and Newport Bay (California) significantly reduced nutrient concentrations and harmful algal blooms within ∼ 20 years. Improvements occurred despite concurrent human population growth within both watersheds. Conversely, we found that the majority of BMPs implemented within the Peconic Estuary (New York) watershed targeted surface waters despite a dominance of nitrogen inputs (97%) from groundwater and atmospheric sources. Declines in habitat and water quality in Peconic Estuary may be due to a failure to control the dominant nutrient sources and the long residence time of nitrogen in groundwater. Compared to surface water, reducing groundwater and atmospheric nutrients face greater technical and financial challenges. Improvements to Peconic Estuary may occur with further reductions in surface water inputs and as nutrients leach out of the groundwater. Although the effectiveness of specific NPS BMPs has been examined at small spatial scales, our study is the first to quantify improvements at a watershed scale. We showed that successful NPS management pathways are those which targeted the dominant sources of nutrients to coastal ecosystems and applied multiple BMPs within watersheds.
Rethinking Mental Health

It is not uncommon for a new field of study like global health to find itself caught between two distinct habits of mind that shape the development of disciplines. As noted by geophysicist-turned-ethnographer Franz Boas, one is the tendency of the human mind to “put confused impressions into order” and to rationalize perceptual experience with explanatory principles. The other habit is a sentient one, one less interested in reducing nature to the abstractions of the intellect and more interested in finding beauty, wonder and emotional satisfaction in the nuances of perceptual experience.
THE 200° LONG MAGELLANIC STREAM SYSTEM

We establish with certainty that the Magellanic Stream (MS) is some 40{sup 0} longer than previously known and that the entire MS and Leading Arm system is thus at least 200{sup 0} long. With the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), we conducted a {approx}200 deg{sup 2}, 21 cm survey at the tip of the MS to substantiate the continuity of the MS between the Hulsbosch and Wakker data and the MS-like emission reported by Braun and Thilker. Our survey, in combination with the Arecibo survey by Stanimirovic et al., shows that the MS gas is continuous in this region and that the MS is at least {approx}140{sup 0} long. The MS tip is composed of a multitude of forks and filaments. We identify a new filament on the eastern side of the MS that significantly deviates from the equator of the MS coordinate system for more than {approx}45{sup 0}. Additionally, we find a previously unknown velocity inflection in the MS tip near MS longitude L{sub MS} {approx}-120{sup 0} at which the velocity reaches a minimum and then starts to increase. We find that five compact high-velocity clouds cataloged by de Heij et al. as well as Wright's Cloud are plausibly associatedmore » with the MS because they match the MS in position and velocity. The mass of the newly confirmed {approx}40{sup 0} extension of the MS tip is {approx}2 x 10{sup 7} M{sub sun} (d/120 kpc){sup 2} (including Wright's Cloud increases this by {approx}50%) and increases the total mass of the MS by {approx}4%. However, projected model distances of the MS at the tip are generally quite large and, if true, indicate that the mass of the extension might be as large as {approx}10{sup 8} M{sub sun}. From our combined map of the entire MS, we find that the total column density (integrated transverse to the MS) drops markedly along the MS and follows an exponential decline with L{sub MS} of N{sub H{sub i}} = 5.9 x 10{sup 21}exp(L{sub MS}/19.{sup 0}3) cm{sup -2}. Under the assumption that the observed sinusoidal velocity pattern of the LMC filament of the MS is due to the origin of the MS from a rotating LMC, we estimate that the age of the {approx}140{sup 0} long MS is {approx}2.5 Gyr. This coincides with bursts of star formation in the Magellanic Clouds and a possible close encounter of these two galaxies with each other that could have triggered the formation of the MS. These newly observed characteristics of the MS offer additional constraints for MS simulations. In the Appendix, we describe a previously little discussed problem with a standing wave pattern in GBT H I data and detail a method for removing it.« less
Experimental and Biophysical Modeling of Transcription and Translation Dynamics in Bacterial- and Mammalian-based Cell-Free Expression Systems

Cell-free expression (CFE) systems have been used extensively in system and synthetic biology as a promising platform for manufacturing proteins and chemicals. Currently, the most widely used CFE system is in vitro protein transcription and translation platform. As the rapidly increased applications and uses, it is crucial to have a standard biophysical model for quantitative studies of gene circuits, which will provide a fundamental understanding of basic working mechanisms of CFE systems. Current modeling approaches mainly focus on the characterization of E. coli-based CFE systems, a computational model that can be utilized to both bacterial- and mammalian-based CFE has not been investigated. Here, we developed a simple ODE (ordinary differential equation)-based biophysical model to simulate transcription and translation dynamics for both bacterial- and mammalian-based CFE systems. The key parameters were estimated and adjusted based on experimental results. We next tested four gene circuits to characterize kinetic dynamics of transcription and translation in E. coli- and HeLa-based CFE systems. The real-time transcription and translation were monitored using Broccoli aptamer, double stranded locked nucleic acid (dsLNA) probe and fluorescent protein. We demonstrated the difference of kinetic dynamics for transcription and translation in both systems, which will provide valuable information for quantitative genomic and proteomic studies. This simple biophysical model and the experimental data for both E. coli- and HeLa-based CFE will be useful for researchers that are interested in genetic engineering and CFE bio-manufacturing.
Chlorination and safe storage of household drinking water in developing countries to reduce waterborne disease

Simple, effective and affordable methods are needed to treat and safely store non-piped, gathered household water. This study evaluated point-of-use chlorination and storage in special plastic containers of gathered household water for improving microbial quality and reducing diarrhoeal illness of consumers living under conditions of poor sanitation and hygiene. Community families were recruited and randomly divided into intervention (household water chlorination and storage in a special container) and control (no intervention) households. Microbes in stored household water were extensively inactivated by 1-5-mg/L doses of hypochlorite. Escherichia coli levels in stored household waters were
Cognitive performance in Alzheimer's disease patients receiving rivastigmine for up to 5 years.

Summary This analysis aimed to assess mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores in patients with Alzheimer's disease who received rivastigmine, an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, for up to 5 years. Rivastigmine data came from two pooled open-label extensions of four 6-month, randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Projections of decline, had the same patients not been treated, were made using a baseline-dependent mathematical model. MMSE data were available for 1998 rivastigmine-treated patients and 657, 298 and 83 were still on treatment at 3, 4 and 5 years, respectively. The mean (±SD) baseline MMSE score was 19.3 (±4.9). Projected mean scores in model-based untreated patients declined below 10 points on the MMSE at about 3 years, while the mean MMSE score of patients who remained on rivastigmine stayed above 10 points for 5 years.
t-J model for a bilayer: Coexisting superconductivity and planar-flux phases

We study the bilayer generalization of the $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ model with both hopping and exchange coupling between the two layers. Within the enlarged mean-field parameter space, we find dimerized, $s+id$, flux ladder and planar flux phases. Of particular interest is the planar flux phase that persists farther away from half-filling, and coexists with, and even stabilizes, ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$-superconductivity. The orbital currents in the phase generate staggered moments that are rotated away from the $c$-axis.
Beyond “caste‐typing”?: Caroline Robinson Jones, advertising pioneer and trailblazer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a biographical review of the career of the late Caroline Robinson Jones (1942‐2001) in order to understand her challenges and contributions to the advertising profession. Prior to her death, she was considered the foremost African‐American woman in the advertising business. She was the first black woman to serve as a vice president of a major mainstream advertising agency and also established a respected agency bearing her own name. This paper focuses on Jones' contributions to marketing practice and her experiences as a woman of color in the advertising industry.Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses a traditional historical narrative approach largely based on archival materials housed in the Caroline Jones Collection at the Archives Center of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. Relevant secondary literature was also employed to provide appropriate context.Findings – While the advertising industry has historicall...