cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote sensing evidence for a possible 10 kilometer in diameter impact structure in north-central Niger

Abstract Remote sensing investigations of West Africa reveal a roughly 10 km in diameter, circular feature in north-central Niger. The circular feature is located within Early Devonian fluvio-marine sedimentary strata about 100 km to the north of a suite of igneous ring dikes located in the Air Massif. Whether the circular feature is related to the ring dikes, structural doming, or an impact crater can be evaluated from earlier geologic mapping (Black, 1967) and image analyses. Previous mapping indicates that the circular feature is defined by outcrops of Devonian Idekel sandstone and the Late Proterozoic, weakly-metamorphosed molasse of the Proche-Tenere Formation. Absent in published lithologic descriptions of these sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks are diapiric evaporite deposits that could produce the observed circular morphologies. Lithologies that define the circular feature are confirmed by classification techniques using the ENVI software platform and band ratios/math from Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2A data. Spectral profile comparisons between the igneous intrusive rocks exposed in the Air Massif, outcrops of sedimentary rock that are proximal to the circular feature, and desert sand confirm that the sedimentary rocks mapped by Black (1967) define the circular feature. The shallow subsurface structure, revealed through Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C data, and 3-D modeling using Sentinel 1A data, is also not consistent with nearby ring dike structures. These data suggest that the circular feature did not likely form as a magmatic intrusion close to the time of sedimentary rock deposition. We propose that the circular feature formed from either a meteorite impact after deposition of the host sedimentary units or by some other, but less likely, geologic process. Confirmation of an impact explanation for the circular feature would require sample analysis and inspection for shock-metamorphosed materials.
Can BISP be used for Poverty Reduction

The overall purpose of this research is to understand the dynamics of the social safety nets (Benazir Income Support Program, BISP) under the present circumstances of Pakistan, the role in the economy, the designing of the program and impact on poverty alleviation. The further the study evaluates if the program BISP has achieved its objectives and analyses its designing, payment mechanism, targeting techniques, the capacity and quality of the organization. This research implements a mix of qualitative and quantitative techniques. For the quantitative part, the researcher conducted a field study to collect data. The specific objectives of the study may be summarized as to make a thorough review of different social safety nets being run in different countries across the globe with special reference to Pakistan; to analyse the benefits of the program and to see how these could be maximized; and to find out the gaps in the current social safety net program (BISP) and to improve it through provisioning of policy measures and recommendations.
Barriers for access to isolated liver metastasis treatment in colon cancer in the United States.

833Background: Multidisciplinary treatment of stage IV colon cancer with isolated hepatic metastases implies patient’s access to quality healthcare. Here, we evaluate barriers for access to hepatic...
Social Imitation in Cooperative Multiarmed Bandits: Partition-Based Algorithms with Strictly Local Information

We study distributed cooperative decision-making in a multi-agent stochastic multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem in which agents are connected through an undirected graph and observe the actions and rewards of their neighbors. We develop a novel policy based on partitions of the communication graph and propose a distributed method for selecting an arbitrary number of leaders and partitions. We analyze this new policy and evaluate its performance using Monte-Carlo simulations.
Overexpression of the 3′-Untranslated Region of Myelin Proteolipid Protein mRNA Leads to Reduced Expression of Endogenous Proteolipid mRNA

The current studies focus on what mechanisms regulate the concentration of PLP mRNA in cells. The PLP mRNA is very stable and these studies suggest that its stability is regulated by a trans-acting factor specific to oligodendrocytes. In order to test whether the 3′untranslated region (3′UTR) of the PLP mRNA might regulate PLP RNA stability, C6 cells were transfected with cDNAs that expressed either luciferase or luciferase fused to the 3′UTR of PLP. Although transgene expression was low, in cells transfected with the PLP 3′UTR, there was a significant decrease in the endogenous PLP mRNA. These cells showed a distinct change in morphology and in adhesion properties. Thus, there may be a role for plp gene products in cell adhesion, which was downregulated in these cells, or an unknown function may be encoded by the PLP 3′UTR. Transgenic mice that overexpress enhanced green fluorescent protein fused to the PLP 3′UTR under control of PLP regulatory sequences were tested for the expression of the endogenous PLP mRNA. Three of four lines of transgenic mice had decreased endogenous PLP mRNA, relative to their non-transgenic littermates; the EGFP-PLP 3′UTR mouse line that expressed the highest level of transgene mRNA had a 54% reduction in PLP mRNA. We hypothesize that the PLP mRNA is regulated by elements in the 3′UTR and stabilizing proteins specific to oligodendrocytes, and that in cells that overexpress the PLP 3′UTR, these stabilizing proteins may be insufficient to maintain the normal level of the endogenous PLP mRNA.
Abstract P288: The Effect of a Time Restricted Eating Approach vs. Standard Heart Healthy Dietary Counseling on Cardiometabolic Health Measures in Adults With Abdominal Obesity: A Randomized Pilot Trial

Introduction: Basic and population level research suggest that meal timing and circadian rhythms are linked with cardiometabolic health. However, interventions that aim to optimally align meal timi...
The carbon: 234Thorium ratios of sinking particles in the California current ecosystem 2: Examination of a thorium sorption, desorption, and particle transport model

Abstract Thorium-234 ( 234 Th) is a powerful tracer of particle dynamics and the biological pump in the surface ocean; however, variability in carbon: thorium ratios of sinking particles adds substantial uncertainty to estimates of organic carbon export. We coupled a mechanistic thorium sorption and desorption model to a one-dimensional particle sinking model that uses realistic particle settling velocity spectra. The model generates estimates of 238U 234 Th disequilibrium , particulate organic carbon concentration, and the C: 234Th ratio of sinking particles, which are then compared to in situ measurements from quasi-Lagrangian studies conducted on six cruises in the California Current Ecosystem. Broad patterns observed in in situ measurements, including decreasing C:234Th ratios with depth and a strong correlation between sinking C:234Th and the ratio of vertically-integrated particulate organic carbon (POC) to vertically-integrated total water column 234 Th, were accurately recovered by models assuming either a power law distribution of sinking speeds or a double log normal distribution of sinking speeds. Simulations suggested that the observed decrease in C: 234 Th with depth may be driven by preferential remineralization of carbon by particle-attached microbes . However, an alternate model structure featuring complete consumption and/or disaggregation of particles by mesozooplankton ( e.g. no preferential remineralization of carbon) was also able to simulate decreasing C:234Th with depth (although the decrease was weaker), driven by 234Th adsorption onto slowly sinking particles. Model results also suggest that during bloom decays C:234Th ratios of sinking particles should be higher than expected (based on contemporaneous water column POC), because high settling velocities minimize carbon remineralization during sinking.
PIK3CA mutations in lipomatosis of nerve with or without nerve territory overgrowth.

Lipomatosis of nerve is a rare malformation characterized by a fibrolipomatous proliferation within peripheral nerve. Lipomatosis of nerve most frequently involves the median nerve, and manifests clinically as a compressive neuropathy. However, 30–60% of cases are associated with tissue overgrowth within the affected nerve’s territory (e.g., macrodactyly for lipomatosis of nerve in the distal median nerve). Somatic activating PIK3CA mutations have been identified in peripheral nerve from patients with lipomatosis of nerve with type I macrodactyly, which is now classified as a PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum disorder. However, the PIK3CA mutation status of histologically confirmed lipomatosis of nerve, including cases involving proximal nerves, and cases without territory overgrowth, has not been determined. Fourteen histologically confirmed cases of lipomatosis of nerve involving the median (N = 6), brachial plexus (N = 1), ulnar (N = 3), plantar (N = 2), sciatic and superficial peroneal nerves (N = 1 each) were included. Ten cases had nerve territory overgrowth, ranging from macrodactyly to hemihypertrophy; and four cases had no territory overgrowth. Exome sequencing revealed “hotspot” activating PIK3CA missense mutations in 6/7 cases. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction for the five most common PIK3CA mutations (p.H1047R, p.H1047L, p.E545K, p.E542K, and p.C420R) confirmed the exome results and identified an additional six cases with mutations (12/14 total). PIK3CA mutations were found in 8/10 cases with territory overgrowth (N = 7 p.H1047R and N = 1 p.E545K), including two proximal nerve cases with extremity overgrowth, and 4/4 cases without territory overgrowth (p.H1047R and p.H1047L, N = 2 each). The variant allele frequency of PIK3CA mutations (6–32%) did not correlate with the overgrowth phenotype. Three intraneural lipomas had no detected PIK3CA mutations. As PIK3CA mutations are frequent events in lipomatosis of nerve, irrespective of anatomic site or territory overgrowth, we propose that all phenotypic variants of this entity be classified within the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum and termed “PIK3CA-related lipomatosis of nerve”.
Adaptive Safety with Control Barrier Functions

Adaptive Control Lyapunov Functions (aCLFs) were introduced 20 years ago, and provided a Lyapunov-based methodology for stabilizing systems with parameter uncertainty. The goal of this paper is to revisit this classic formulation in the context of safety-critical control. This will motivate a variant of aCLFs in the context of safety: adaptive Control Barrier Functions (aCBFs). Our proposed approach adaptively achieves safety by keeping the system’s state within a safe set even in the presence of parametric model uncertainty. We unify aCLFs and aCBFs into a single control methodology for systems with uncertain parameters in the context of a Quadratic Program (QP) based framework. We validate the ability of this unified framework to achieve stability and safety in an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) simulation.
Exceptionally large, atypically located spindle cell lipoma

Spindle cell lipomas are a rare subtype of lipoma typically occurring in the shawl region of middle-aged men with a characteristic histological appearance consisting of mature adipocytes, ropey collagen and spindle cells. Those of extraordinary size or atypical anatomic location require a proper immunohistological workup to rule out more ominous malignancy. The authors report the rare presentation of a 54-year-old man with a large mass of the left palm causing discomfort and paresthesia for 6 months. Radiographs showed a radiolucent mass without mineralisation or bony involvement. MRI demonstrated a non-contrast-enhancing homogeneous lipomatous mass encompassing flexor tendons of the palm. Elective excisional biopsy and immunohistological analysis were consistent with spindle cell lipoma measuring 11 cm × 7 cm × 4 cm. This case is the largest spindle cell lipoma of the hand reported in the literature and appears to be the largest described in the upper extremity.
A correlation of the refractive index to the melting point and molecular weight of some organic compounds

Die Beziehungen zwischen Kristallbau, Form und Anordnung der Molekule einerseits, Refraktion und Doppelbrechung anderseits werden unter Hinweis auf die einschlagige Literatur kurz besprochen. Kristalloptische Messungen konnen Auskunft uber die Anordnung von Molekulen bekannter Struktur im Kristall geben und sie sind wertvoll fur das Studium der Molekulorientierung in Fasern, Kunststoffen, Kautschuk, Proteinen und bei der Muskelkontraktion. Kenntnis des kristalloptischen Verhaltens erleichtert ferner die Untersuchung der Kristallstruktur mit Rontgenstrahlen.
Apartheid and the Bureaucracy

The discussion begins with a brief historical overview of racial oppression and exploitation in South Africa, including the period of apartheid. The critical role played by the bureaucracy in realizing the National Party’s vision for a racially separated and white dominated South Africa is explained. The discussion then shifts to the apartheid bureaucracy’s formal structure, demographic character, values and norms, and capacity and performance. This descriptive analysis sheds light on why successive ANC governments have sought to reform the public service, and in particular, to transform it into a representative bureaucracy. The apartheid bureaucracy presents a paradox: while it possessed impressive capabilities and achieved notable successes, it was also plagued by chronic deficiencies that limited its efficiency and effectiveness and necessitated major administrative reforms.
Homeless rights: a call for change

Human rights, while broad in their universal definition, are distinctly identifiable when the absence of such rights threatens an individual’s quality of life or likelihood of survival. Social grou...
Temporal changes in plasma membrane lipid content induce endocytosis to regulate developmental epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dramatic change in cellular physiology during development and metastasis which involves coordination between cell signaling, adhesion, and membrane protrusions. These processes all involve dynamic changes in the plasma membrane, yet how membrane lipid content regulates membrane function during developmental EMT remains incompletely understood. By screening for differential expression of lipid-modifying genes over the course of EMT in avian neural crest, we have identified the ceramide-producing enzyme neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) as a critical regulator of a developmental EMT. nSMase2 expression begins at the onset of EMT, and in vivo knockdown experiments demonstrate that nSMase2 is necessary for neural crest migration. Further, we find that nSMase2 promotes Wnt and BMP signaling, and is required to activate the mesenchymal gene expression program. Mechanistically, we show that nSMase2 is sufficient to induce endocytosis, and that inhibition of endocytosis mimics nSMase2 knockdown. Our results support a model in which nSMase2 is expressed at the onset of neural crest EMT to produce ceramide and induce membrane curvature, thus increasing endocytosis of Wnt and BMP signaling complexes and activating pro-migratory gene expression. These results highlight the critical role of plasma membrane lipid metabolism in regulating transcriptional changes during developmental EMT programs.
Extreme Events and Overreaction to News

The presence of both systematic under-and-overreaction to news in financial markets is a major puzzle. We propose a systematic predictor of under-and-overreaction to news: the extremeness of the associated distribution of fundamentals. Using a comprehensive database of corporate news events, we identify substantial heterogeneity in both reactions to news and extremeness of fundamentals across types of corporate events. We document overreaction to more extreme event-types, such as leadership changes, M&A, and customer announcements, and underreaction to less extreme event-types such as earnings announcements. We show this is consistent with diagnostic expectations, a model of belief formation based on the representativeness heuristic. The model further predicts greater trading volume holding fixed fundamentals and more sensitive belief changes to more extreme corporate events, which we confirm in the data. We calibrate our model and show that it quantitatively matches the key features in our data.
SCD Inhibition Protects from α-Synuclein-Induced Neurotoxicity But Is Toxic to Early Neuron Cultures.

Here we report the independent discovery and validation of Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) as a modulator of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) induced pathology and toxicity in cell-based Parkinson’s Disease models (PD). We identified SCD as top altered gene from transcriptional profiling in primary neurons exogenously expressing αSyn with the amplified familial PD mutation 3K. Thus, we sought to further explore SCD as a therapeutic target in neurodegeneration. We report that SCD inhibitors are toxic to early human and rat neuron cultures while displaying minimal toxicity to late cultures. The fatty acid product of SCD, oleic acid, fully rescues this toxicity in early cultures, suggesting on-target toxicity. Furthermore, SCD inhibition rescues αSyn 3K induced toxicity in late primary neurons. We also confirm that SCD inhibitors reduce formation of αSyn accumulations while oleic acid increases these accumulations in an αSyn 3K neuroblastoma model. However, we identify a caveat with this model where αSyn 3K levels can be suppressed by high SCD inhibitor concentrations, obscuring true effect size. Further, we show that both SCD1 or SCD5 knockdown reduce αSyn 3K accumulations and toxicity, making both a putative drug target. Overall, we confirm key findings of published data on SCD inhibition and its benefits in αSyn accumulation and stress models. The differential neurotoxicity induced by SCD inhibition based on neuron culture age must be accounted for when researching SCD in neuron models and has potential clinical implications. Lastly, our gene profiling studies also revealed novel putative genes connected to αSyn neurotoxicity that are worth further study. Significance Statement There is no disease-modifying therapeutic for those suffering from Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Recent research has shown stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) inhibition to ameliorate alpha-synuclein (αSyn) related pathology and neurotoxicity in pre-clinical PD models. The use of neuronal cell models to study PD related pathology is critical for developing putative therapeutics. In this work we demonstrate important caveats in cellular PD models when studying SCD inhibition. We also independently identified SCD and other genes as potential targets for PD. Overall, this work supports SCD as a clinical target and adds important considerations for studying SCD in in vitro models.
Disaster Image Classification Using Capsule Networks

When a disaster happens, affected individuals may use social media platforms, such as Twitter or Facebook, to ask for help or post information about the disaster. From a disaster response point of view, it is important to filter posts, in particular, text and images that provide situational awareness information, in a timely manner. For image classification, capsule networks have shown superiority over convolutional neural networks (CNN). Given their success in other application domains, in this study, we used capsule networks to classify disaster images as Informative or Non-informative. Using publicly available images collected from several disasters, we compared capsule network models with ResNet-18 models, for both in-domain and cross-domain settings. The results showed that the capsule network models had better performance for all the disaster datasets considered in the in-domain experiments, and also for most of the cross-domain pairs of disasters used in the study.
Clarifying Values of Surgical Providers to Improve Care for Transgender Patients Undergoing Gender-Affirming Surgery

Study Objective Minimal literature exists addressing surgical providers’ own personal views in the context of caring for transgender patients. We created a pilot Values Clarification survey administered to operating room personnel with the objective of engaging participants in a process of self-examination to better elucidate their values, unconscious biases, and concerns that ultimately impact care for this patient population. Design An anonymized survey created consists of 23 questions with a series of 5-point Likert Scale statements pertaining to participants’ understanding, biases, comfort and attitudes towards transgender individuals and gender affirming surgery. Setting Questionnaires were developed through Qualtrics online program and distributed to participants through a secure institutional email platform. Patients or Participants Pilot survey was sent to operating room staff including nursing, scrub technicians, and administrative staff at one academic hospital. Inclusion criteria comprised of personnel that would have peri-operative clinical interactions with patients undergoing gender-affirming surgery. Interventions N/A. Measurements and Main Results There were 18 respondents to the survey. There were ambivalent beliefs surrounding gender-affirming surgeries with 27%(N=5) who “neither agree nor disagree” to surgery being medical necessary. 39% (N=7) of participants were neutral and 16% (N=3) “disagreed” that patients under the age of 25 are certain of their own gender identity. 50% (N=9) “neither agreed nor disagreed” and 11% (N=2) “agreed” there is an increased risk of regret after undergoing gender-affirming surgery under the age of 25. 77% of participants reported overall comfort with directly participating in gender affirming surgery cases. Conclusion Preliminary data suggests the need to improve the knowledge of transgender issues, explore provider values towards individuals undergoing gender affirming surgery and whether age is a component for concerns, and promote increased comfort in caring for this patient population. Our goal is to utilize this data to finalize our Values Clarification Curriculum in which we can later educate surgical providers to expand awareness and improve care for transgender individuals.
Biosecurity and research: Minimizing adverse impacts

Because of concerns about bioterrorism and biological weapons, the United States recently instituted security regulations governing a list of pathogens and toxins. The regulations seem daunting, and this is causing researchers to decide whether or not they want to possess a listed agent. The authors of this Policy Forum believe a workable balance between security and research can and must be achieved; they discuss how that balance could be reached.
The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP): common issues in fielding a team.

Thirty-five years of empirical research have continuously documented the potential negative impact of patient assaults on staff. The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP) is a voluntary, peer-help, systems-wide crisis intervention debriefing approach for employee victims of these assaults. ASAP has been associated with providing needed clinical support for victims, declines in violence, and cost-effectiveness in service delivery. A previous paper outlined the basic steps needed to field an ASAP team. This paper continues to address this need by outlining the most commonly encountered ASAP problems and solutions that have evolved in the first eight years of ASAP programs. The implications are discussed.
Prison Fine Arts and Community College Programs: A Partnership to Advance Inmates’ Life Skills

This chapter describes the contribution of art education to the wider project of prison education, and posits a “natural partnership” between prison arts and community college programs in prisons.
On normal solvability of the Riemann problem with singular coefficient

Suppose G is a singular matrix function on a simple, closed, rectifiable contour r. We present a necessary and sufficient condition for normal solvability of the Riemann problem with coefficient G in the case where G admits a spectral (or generalized Wiener-Hopf) factorization G+AG_ with Gl1 essentially bounded. The boundedness of G?1 is not required when G takes injective values a.e. on r.
The telecommunications and data acquisition report

Developments in Earth-based radio technology are reported. The Deep Space Network is discussed in terms of its advanced systems, network and facility engineering and implementation, operations, and energy sources. Problems in pulse communication and radio frequency interference are addressed with emphasis on pulse position modulation and laser beam collimation.
The Possible Significance of the Thymus Gland in the Syndrome of Hyperthyroidism

Excerpt It is significant that in reviewing the many reports concerning the relation of the thymus gland to hyperthyroidism one finds relatively few reports of careful histologic study of the affec...
Cross-judging: tribunalization in a fragmented but interconnected global order

This paper explores connections, parallels, contact points, and dissonances between increasing adjudication in international criminal law/human rights and international trade/investment.
Bronze Age wetland/scapes: Complex political formations in the humid subtropics of southwest China, 900–100 BC

Abstract The reconstruction of complex political formations in tropical and subtropical environments has long been challenged by the ephemeral nature of archaeological deposits and the detectability of a settlement hierarchy. This paper presents findings from systematic archaeological surveys in the Lake Dian basin in southwest China to evaluate processes of political differentiation during the Bronze Age (ca. BC 900–100) and identified with the protohistoric kingdom of Dian. We discuss the problems of interpreting political consolidation based on mono-centers and ranked site size distributions. Our approach considers the contingent forms that ‘built’ landscapes can take in the humid subtropics in an effort to understand the variable relationship between politics and spatial scale. Combining traditional survey as well as subsurface methods suited for intensively worked paddy landscapes, we discuss the emergence and timing of multiple nucleated settlements as indicative of peer polity dynamics in the basin and examine the formation histories of large shell mound sites to highlight physical modifications that embedded central places during the Bronze Age period. We show that the boundary between on-site and off-site, living and non-living spaces is not solely determined by the availability of prime land but also by spatial conventions with discrete cultural and historical ramifications. By contextualizing macroscale views on complexity with an understanding of local scales of landscape transformation, we provide an alternative to models of pristine state formation based in temperate alluvial environments.
Piezoresistive effects in thick film resistors for strain sensing applications

Experimental investigations of piezoresistive effects in thick-film resistors were performed by measuring longitudinal and transverse gauge factors as a function of applied strain on two different substrates' thickness. The relative change in resistance of the thick-film resistors studied was linear, symmetric, reproducible, and free of measurable hysteresis for strain between 0 and +or-1000 microstrain. A gauge factor of approximately twice that previously reported was obtained. The suitability of this technology for strain-sensing applications is discussed. >
Somatosensory and multisensory properties of the medial bank of the ferret rostral suprasylvian sulcus

In ferret cortex, the rostral portion of the suprasylvian sulcus separates primary somatosensory cortex (SI) from the anterior auditory fields. The boundary of the SI extends to this sulcus, but the adjoining medial sulcal bank has been described as “unresponsive.” Given its location between the representations of two different sensory modalities, it seems possible that the medial bank of the rostral suprasylvian sulcus (MRSS) might be multisensory in nature and contains neurons responsive to stimuli not examined by previous studies. The aim of this investigation was to determine if the MRSS contained tactile, auditory and/or multisensory neurons and to evaluate if its anatomical connections were consistent with these properties. The MRSS was found to be primarily responsive to low-threshold cutaneous stimulation, with regions of the head, neck and upper trunk represented somatotopically that were primarily connected with the SI face representation. Unlike the adjoining SI, the MRSS exhibited a different cytoarchitecture, its cutaneous representation was largely bilateral, and it contained a mixture of somatosensory, auditory and multisensory neurons. Despite the presence of multisensory neurons, however, auditory inputs exerted only modest effects on tactile processing in MRSS neurons and showed no influence on the averaged population response. These results identify the MRSS as a distinct, higher order somatosensory region as well as demonstrate that an area containing multisensory neurons may not necessarily exhibit activity indicative of multisensory processing at the population level.
Trait-based affective processes in alcohol-involved “risk behaviors”

This study tested a theoretical model of alcohol use, markers of extreme intoxication, and risk behavior as a function of trait affect, distress tolerance, and affect-based behavior dysregulation. Positive affective pathways to risk behavior were primarily expected to be indirect via high levels of alcohol use, while negative affect paths were expected to be more directly associated with engagement in risk behavior. In addition, we expected trait affectivity and distress tolerance would primarily exhibit relationships with alcohol use and problems through behavioral dysregulation occurring during extreme affective states. To evaluate these hypotheses, we tested a SEM with three alcohol-related outcomes: "Typical" alcohol use, "blackout" drinking, and risk behavior. High trait negative affect and low tolerance for affective distress contribute to difficulty controlling behavior when negatively aroused and this is directly associated with increased risk behavior when drinking. In contrast, associations between positive urgency and risk behaviors are indirect via increased alcohol consumption. Positive affectivity exhibited both inverse and positive effects in the model, with the net effect on alcohol outcomes being insignificant. These findings contribute important information about the distinct pathways between affect, alcohol use, and alcohol-involved risk behavior among college students.
Synthesis and Physical Properties of Highly Sulfonated Polyaniline

Sulfonated polyaniline (SPAN) is a self-doped conducting polymer. It has a high water solubility and a novel pH-dependent DC conductivity that is of interest for fundamental science and also for applications in such areas as rechargeable battery and pH control technologies. We report here the extensive characterization and details of synthesis of a new form of sulfonated polyaniline (LEB-SPAN) which shows novel or significantly improved chemical and physical properties. LEB-SPAN has a high sulfur to nitrogen ratio (S/N) of ∼0.75, 50% larger than that previously reported for EB-SPAN, S/N ∼0.50. This change in composition leads to significant alteration of the properties including an order of magnitude increase in the room temperature DC conductivity to ∼1 S·cm-1, nearly double the solubility in water, and a completely different pH dependence of the oxidation potential (E1/2). For LEB-SPAN the DC conductivity is unaffected by pH over the range 0 ≤ pH ≤ 14, strikingly different from the behavior of both pare...
Geometric Origin of Hexagonal Close Packing at a Grain Boundary in Gold

Using electron microscopy, we identify local, intergranular regions of hexagonal close-packing at a grain boundary in gold. By analyzing the topological defects that connect this layer to the adjacent face-centered cubic grains, we explain the geometric origin of this interfacial reconstruction. We extend this analysis to predict the stacking arrangements found over a range of intergranular misorientations. These results help to unify our understanding of the defects that control the behavior of polycrystalline materials by showing how line defects that are already well understood in the bulk also can determine the atomic arrangements at grain boundaries.
Descriptive Statistics for Nonparametric Models I. Introduction

An overview is given of an approach to the definition of descriptive characteristics of populations and to their estimation. The emphasis is on the robustness and efficiency of the estimators. Detailed summaries will be found in successive papers of the series dealing with the problems of location, scale and kurtosis.
Phase I clinical and pharmacokinetic study of menogaril (7-con-O-methylnogarol) in previously treated patients with acute leukemia

Fifteen patients with relapsed or refractory acute leukemia were treated in this phase I study of menogaril (7-con-O-methylnogarol), a nogalamycin anthracycline derivative. Doses ranged from 50 mg/m2/day to 130 mg/m2/day, administered daily for 5 days. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed at each dose level and confirmed the findings of pharmacokinetic data derived from previous studies in patients with solid tumors. All patients experienced grade 4 hematologic toxicity and the dose limiting toxicity was mucositis. Two patients, one with acute myeloid leukemia and one with acute lymphoid leukemia, achieved complete responses. The AML complete response lasted 10 months and the ALL patient died in CR at 2 + months. Both patients were treated at a dose of 100 mg/m2/day for five days. At this dose, a second induction or consolidation course could be given without severe mucositis, and this is the dose recommended for further phase II studies in leukemia using this schedule.
Postnatal Development of Mouse Liver: Increasing RNA Polymerase Activity and Orotic Acid Incorporation

RNA polymerase activity and incorporation of 3H-orotic acid into RNA in livers of young mice were investigated. Total RNA polymerase activity of isolated liver nuclei increased approximately three-fold during the first 30 days after birth. Assays with α-amanitin revealed that both RNA polymerase I and II activity increased over this period. Chromatographic fractionation of solubilized RNA polymerases confirmed that the ratio of polymerase I to polymerase II activity was similar at 1 day and at 30 days of age. Incorporation of 3H-orotic acid into total liver RNA in intact animals also increased during this period. The results are compared with the increase in cell number and cell size in postnatal liver development.
A survival motor neuron:tetanus toxin fragment C fusion protein for the targeted delivery of SMN protein to neurons

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a degenerative disorder of spinal motor neurons caused by homozygous mutations in the survival motor neuron (SMN1) gene. Because increased tissue levels of human SMN protein (hSMN) in transgenic mice reduce the motor neuron loss caused by murine SMN knockout, we engineered a recombinant SMN fusion protein to deliver exogenous hSMN to the cytosolic compartment of motor neurons. The fusion protein, SDT, is comprised of hSMN linked to the catalytic and transmembrane domains of diphtheria toxin (DTx) followed by fragment C of tetanus toxin (TTC). Following overexpression in Escherichia coli, SDT possessed a subunit molecular weight of approximately 130 kDa as revealed by both SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analyses with anti-SMN, anti-DTx, and anti-TTC antibodies. Like wild-type SMN, purified SDT showed specific binding in vitro to an RG peptide derived from Ewing's sarcoma protein. The fusion protein also bound to cultured primary neurons in amounts similar to those achieved by TTC. Unlike the case with TTC, however, immunolabeling of SDT-treated neurons with anti-TTC and anti-SMN antibodies showed staining restricted to the cell surface. Results from cytotoxicity studies in which the DTx catalytic domain of SDT was used as a reporter protein for internalization and membrane translocation activity suggest that the SMN moiety of the fusion protein is interfering with one or both of these processes. While these studies indicate that SDT may not be useful for SMA therapy, the use of the TTC:DTx fusion construct to deliver other passenger proteins to the neuronal cytosol should not be ruled out.
A Comprehensive Selection of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Analysis in a Predatory Lady Beetle, Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a reliable, rapid, and reproducible technique for measuring and evaluating changes in gene expression. To facilitate gene expression studies and obtain more accurate RT-qPCR data, normalization relative to stable reference genes is required. In this study, expression profiles of seven candidate reference genes, including β-actin (Actin), elongation factor 1 α (EF1A), glyceralde hyde-3-phosphate dehydro-genase (GAPDH), cyclophilins A (CypA), vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (ATPase), 28S ribosomal RNA (28S), and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S) from Hippodamia convergens were investigated. H. convergens is an abundant predatory species in the New World, and has been widely used as a biological control agent against sap-sucking insect pests, primarily aphids. A total of four analytical methods, geNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper, and the ΔCt method, were employed to evaluate the performance of these seven genes as endogenous controls under diverse experimental conditions. Additionally, RefFinder, a comprehensive evaluation platform integrating the four above mentioned algorithms, ranked the overall stability of these candidate genes. A suite of reference genes were specifically recommended for each experimental condition. Among them, 28S, EF1A, and CypA were the best reference genes across different development stages; GAPDH, 28S, and CypA were most stable in different tissues. GAPDH and CypA were most stable in female and male adults and photoperiod conditions, 28S and EF1A were most stable under a range of temperatures, Actin and CypA were most stable under dietary RNAi condition. This work establishes a standardized RT-qPCR analysis in H. convergens. Additionally, this study lays a foundation for functional genomics research in H. convergens and sheds light on the ecological risk assessment of RNAi-based biopesticides on this non-target biological control agent.
Traumatic Rupture of Interventricular Septum Proved by Cardiac Catheterization

A rare complication of trauma to the heart is rupture of the interventricular septum. The diagnosis of an acquired lesion of the septum can be reasonably made from history and cardiac catheterization and early recognition is of importance if immediate surgical correction is indicated.
Exercise-induced changes in schedule controlled behavior.

Abstract This experiment was designed to measure the direct effect of acute exercise on performance of an operant task in rats. Treadmill exercise was manipulated along two dimensions: speed and duration. Separate groups of rats (n=12) were tested under a multi-component time-out fixed-ratio (MULT TO FR) schedule following four exercise treatments. The first group of animals (Group A) ran at a constant speed for four different periods of time. A second group (Group B) ran for a constant period of time at four different treadmill speeds. For both groups, running took place just before operant test sessions. Operant responding on test days was compared with operant responding on the immediately preceding day. Both exercise duration and exercise speed had significant effects on operant performance.
Reflected wave modeling in heterogeneous acoustic media using the De Wolf approximation

A fast modeling method based on multiple-forescattering single-backscattering (MFSB) approximation, i.e. the De Wolf approximation for calculating reflected (or backscattered) wave fields in 3D heterogeneous acoustic media is introduced. The method is much faster than full wave finite difference or finite element methods. The formulation is especially suitable for the configuration of surface reflection surveying. When discontinuities in a medium are not very sharp or parameter perturbations of heterogeneities are not very strong, reverberations between heterogeneities or resonance scattering can be neglected. However, for large volume heterogeneous media or long propagation distances the accumulated effect of multiple forward scattering becomes very important for both forward modeling and inverse problems. In such cases, the Born approximation is not valid while the De Wolf approximation can be applied. After renormalizing the multiple scattering series of the Lipmann-Schwinger equation, a MFSB approximation for acoustic waves is derived and a fast dual-domain computation scheme is presented, in which the multi-screen one-way wave propagator is used. Finally numerical examples are given to demonstrate the validity of the method.
National Ignition Facility commissioning and performance

The National Ignition Facility at LLNL recently commissioned the first set of four beam lines into the target chamber. This effort, called NIF Early Light, demonstrated the entire laser system architecture from master oscillator through the laser amplifiers and final optics to target and initial X-ray diagnostics. This paper describes the major installation and commissioning steps for one of NIF's 48 beam quads. Using a dedicated single beam line Precision Diagnostic System, performance was explored over the entire power versus energy space up to 6.4 TW/beam for sub-nanosecond pulses and 25 kJ/beam for 23 ns pulses at 1w. NEL also demonstrated frequency converted Nd:Glass laser energies from a single beamline of 11.3 kJ at 2w and 10.4 kJ at 3w.
Thermal accommodation of atomic hydrogen with a liquid-4He surface.

The accommodation coefficient is calculated for H atoms scattering from a liquid${\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{4}$He surface. Sticking collisions are found to dominate the accommodation process. Calculated results are approximately a factor of 2 smaller than reported experimental results. A simple model describing the cooling of a flux of H atoms by a cold liquid-He-coated container is also presented.
Inhibition of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary tumor growth by aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists

The antitumorigenic activities of 6-methyl-1,3,8-trichlorodibenzofuran (6-MCDF), 8-methyl-1,3,6-trichlorodibenzofuran (8-MCDF) and 6-cyclohexyl-1,3,8-trichlorodibenzofuran (6-CHDF) were investigated in the 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) rat mammary tumor model. At doses of 5, 10 or 25 mg/kg per week, both 6-MCDF and 8-MCDF significantly inhibited mammary tumor growth and at the 5 mg/kg per week dose >50% growth inhibition was observed. In contrast, 6-CHDF was inactive at the 5 mg/kg per week dose and the structure-antitumorigenicity relationships (6-MCDF/8-MCDF>6-CHDF) correlated with structure-antiestrogenicity (rat uterus) studies and the relative binding affinities of these compounds for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The antitumorigenic activity of 6-MCDF or 8-MCDF in the mammary was not accompanied by any significant changes in liver/body weight ratios, liver morphology or induction of hepatic CYP1A1-dependent activity which is one of the most sensitive indicators of exposure to AhR agonists. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis of mammary tumor mRNA and protein extracts, respectively, confirmed the presence of AhR suggesting that AhR-mediated signaling pathways are functional in rat mammary tumors. These results define a relatively non-toxic group of AhR agonists which exhibit potent antitumorigenic activity in the DMBA-induced rat mammary tumor model (<1 mg/kg per day), and therefore represent a new class of indirect-acting antiestrogens which have potential for clinical treatment of mammary cancer.
In-situ atomic-force microscopy of laser-conditioned and laser-damaged HfO2/SiO2 dielectric mirror coatings

Atomic force microscopy was used to determine in-situ the nm-scale morphological changes that occur on dielectric optical coatings as a result of laser illumination. Of particular interest is a process called laser conditioning in which the damage threshold of the films is increased by a factor of 2 to 3 when the film is first illuminated at fluences below the damage threshold. The optical coating studied was a highly refractive dielectrical multilayer mirror (HR) consisting of many alternating quarter-wave layers of HfO2 and SiO2 at 1.06 micrometers . The top layer was a (lambda) /2 SiO2 overcoat. Laser beam specifications were: 1.06-micrometers wavelength, 8- to 10-ns pulsewidth. Laser beam spot sizes ranging from 85 micrometers to 1.4 mm in diameter. The maximum scan range of the AFM was 80 micrometers . A survey of the as-deposited surface shows mostly hillocks approximately 200 nm in diameter and 10 nm in height. The predominant surface irregularity is micrometers -scale domes associated with the well known nodule defects. Laser illumination causes nodule defects to be easily ejected from the coating surface. Further damage may propagate from the resulting craters. These nodule defects therefore determine the damage threshold of the film. Using the AFM we have shown that for illumination at fluences below the nodule ejection threshold we observe a decrease in the surface roughness of the nodule defects and hillock structure of the as-deposited film. The subtle changes in these surface features may be an indication that the film is being mechanically stabilized, thus providing the observed conditioning effect.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Peru Undercurrent: a study in variability

Abstract Moored current meter measurements over the inner continental margin off Peru began in November 1981 at 5° and 10°S and continued until March 1985. Although disturbances, ranging from El Nino to long-line fishing and biological fouling, hindered obtaining an adequate description of the Peru Undercurrent at 5°S, the measurements at 10°S from October 1983 to March 1985 do provide a stationary description. The dominant variability is in the 50-day band; a relationship to the ubiquitous tropical atmospheric oscillation and to the Equatorial Undercurrent is suggested at these frequencies. The Peru Undercurrent flows poleward over the inner slope and outer shelf with a well-defined core near 150m, where the O (100 day) mean speed is O (l0 cms −1 ) with periods of several days to 2 weeks during which sustained poleward flow exceeds 25 cm s −1 . Geostrophic and direct measurements are in good agreement as to location and structure of the poleward How but magnitudes may differ by a factor of two. The transport of the Peru Undercurrent is about 1 Sv at 10°S and has the proper depth, location and magnitude to supply the coastal upwelling to at least 15°S. Variability in the 10- and 20-day band can be traced to variability in the meridional component of equatorial currents near 110°W. The Peru Undercurrent exhibited no seasonal cycle but high variability at periods longer than 30 days before El Nino and at periods shorter than 20 days during El Nino.
Theories whose resplendent models are homogeneous

Buechler proved that ifT satisfies certain conditions, then all resplendent models ofT are homogeneous. Here the theories whose resplendent models are all homogeneous are characterized as satisfying a pair of conditions (weaker than Buechler’s). It follows from the characterization that if all resplendent models ofT in some uncountable power are homogeneous, then all resplendent models ofT are homogeneous.