cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A thermally targeted peptide inhibitor of symmetrical dimethylation inhibits cancer-cell proliferation

Targeting splicing machinery components is an underdeveloped strategy for cancer therapy. Uridine-rich small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (UsnRNPs) are essential spliceosome components that recognize splice sites in newly transcribed RNA. The major spliceosomal snRNPs are comprised of UsnRNA bound by a ring of Sm proteins. The survival of motor neuron (SMN) complex provides specificity for binding of Sm proteins to UsnRNAs. Three of the seven proteins that comprise the Sm core possess post-translationally modified C-terminal symmetric dimethylarginine (sDMA) residues which promote binding of these proteins to SMN. Here we describe a peptide inhibitor of sDMA that is capable of interfering with SMN/SmB interaction. The inhibitory peptide was attached to elastin-like polypeptide, a thermally responsive macromolecular carrier, in order to increase its stability and allow enhancement of its cellular uptake by thermal targeting. The fusion polypeptide inhibited the interaction of SMN/SmB, inhibited proliferation, and induced apoptosis in HeLa cells.
Absorption of dissolved organic species from water using organically modified silica that swells

Abstract Organically modified silica that rapidly and reversibly swells to >3 times their dry volume have been recently described. Here, these organosilica materials were demonstrated to have the ability absorb trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), methyl t -butyl ether (MTBE), toluene, naphthalene, acetone, 1,4-dioxane, and 1-butanol from water. Direct experimental comparisons indicated that swellable organically modified silica (SOMS) has in many instances greater capacity than activated carbon and molecular sieves and possesses the ability to capture a wide range of dissolved polar and non-polar organic contaminants. The absorption of organic species to SOMS is enhanced by matrix expansion leading to non-selective capture of organics beyond what could only be attributed to physisorption. This process appears to be facilitated by initial adsorption events unlatching the collapsed matrix leading to the opening of nanometer-scale pores within the tensioned SOMS material, thus providing volume for absorption. Partition coefficients for the absorption of organic species from water by SOMS ranged from 2.8 × 10 5 to 1.0 × 10 2 , and vary depending on polarity of the contaminant, concentration, and the total mass of contaminant absorbed. Maximum capacity exceed three times the dry weight of the absorbent under conditions of high contaminant concentration. SOMS was repeatedly regenerated with mild thermal treatment (60–110 °C) in air to evaporate absorbates from the matrix which could be subsequently collected. Only a slight decrease in effectiveness is observed after regeneration. Absorption is equally effective from salt water. Minimal loss of capacity and affinity is lost when extracting environmentally relevant concentrations of TCE from a topsoil/water mixture, presumably due to a molecular sieving effect.
Bipolaris halepense: a new species from Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass).

Bipolaris halepense sp. nov. from diseased leaves of johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) in North Carolina is described. On leaves of susceptible johnsongrass plants, B. halepense induces ovate lesions 5-10 x 2-4 mm with straw-colored centers and dark-pigmented margins. Conidia of B. halepense are larger than those of B. sorghicola, which is a common foliar pathogen of Sorghum spp., and B. halepense has a much broader host range than B. sorghicola. In addition, the lesions of B. halepense on leaves of johnsongrass generally lack the zonate pattern typical of B. sorghicola lesions on johnsongrass. Morphologically, conidia of B. halepense most resemble those of B. maydis, a foliar pathogen of corn (Zea mays), but B. halepense is only weakly pathogenic to corn and did not mate with fertile isolates of either mating type of B. maydis. Bipolaris halepense induced lesions on numerous monocot and dicot plants in greenhouse tests, but failed to sporulate on detached leaves of dicots tested, or several of the monocots. Bipolaris halepense sporulated in lesions on detached leaves of johnsongrass with 24 h incubation at high relative humidity and on detached leaves of sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) and sundangrass (S. sudanense) within 48 h.
On first-order structural phase transitions—II. The omega transformation in Zr-Nb alloys

The one-dimensional, anharmonic, Landau model for the omega transformation is recalled in a quantitative form for the Zr-20Nb alloy using estimated values for the various force constants. This becomes the starting point for a quantitative examination of the transformation using the formalism developed in Part I, the companion paper. A negative depression is found in the k-space elastic free energy modulus at a point off-set to higher angles from kω, the Bragg peak position for the ideal omega structure. Thermodynamic arguments based on this result suggest that the omega fluctuations are small ellipsoidal wave packets formed by a wave vector off the ideal value kω. Good qualitative agreement is found between the measured diffuse intensity of Moss et al. and the fluctuation intensity calculated from the thermodynamic theory.
Temporal Trends in Hospitalization Rates for Older Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract Background Over the last 15 years, substantial advances have been made in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Little information is available, however, on whether these treatments have resulted in reduced rates of hospitalization and acute exacerbations among COPD patients. This retrospective cohort study examined changes in hospitalization rates among Medicare beneficiaries with COPD from 1999 to 2008. Methods We analyzed data from 424,418 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries enrolled between 1999 and 2008 who were diagnosed with COPD. We examined temporal changes in the frequency of hospitalization and acute exacerbations among Medicare beneficiaries with COPD. Results Over the 10-year study period, the hospitalization rates for COPD patients—adjusted for age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, region, and number of comorbidities—decreased: from 131 to 107 per 100 person-years for all causes ( P P P P Conclusion Between 1999 and 2008, hospitalization rates decreased substantially among Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with COPD.
An Evaporation Model for Formation of Carbonates in the ALH84001 Martian Meteorite

Small, discoid globules and networks of magnesium-iron-calcium carbonates occur within impact-produced fracture zones in the ALH84001 Martian meteorite. Because these carbonates contain or are associated with the hydrocarbons, single-domain magnetite and iron-sulfide grains, and purported microfossils that collectively have been cited as evidence for ancient Martian life, it is critically important to understand their formation. Previous hypotheses for the origin of the carbonates involve either alteration of the rock by hydrothermal fluids at relatively low temperatures, or formation from a CO2-rich vapor at high temperatures. This paper explores an alternative mechanism–direct precipitation from a ponded evaporating brine infiltrating into fractures in the floor of an impact crater. Such a model can be reconciled with the observed carbonate compositional zoning and extreme stable-isotopic fractionations. If the carbonates formed in this manner, this removes a possible obstacle to the proposed existence ...
Comparison of bone age readings by pediatric endocrinologists and pediatric radiologists using two bone age atlases

Background Pediatric endocrinologists at a children’s hospital were concerned that bone age readings by radiologists frequently differed from their readings by >1 year.
Therapeutic strategy and psychoanalytic technique.

The role of therapeutic strategy within psychoanalytic technique is described. An antistrategic bias inherent in certain aspects of the “classical” technique is explored in relation to the historical development of psychoanalysis. Clinical expertise, which includes the making of strategic or tactical choices, is relegated to the “unofficial,” due in part to this negative bias impeding the study of technical differences in favor of general agreement about a theory of technique that may differ considerably from actual clinical work. A case is presented that illustrates strategic choices in the management of a severe character resistance in a supervised analysis. Some consequences of a negative bias against therapeutic strategy as it relates to psychoanalytic training is described.
Subjective Expectations and Asset-Return Puzzles

In textbook expositions of the equity-premium, riskfree-rate and equity-volatility puzzles, agents are sure of the economy's structure while growth rates are normally distributed. But because of parameter uncertainty the thin-tailed normal distribution conditioned on realized data becomes a thick-tailed Student-t distribution, which changes the entire nature of what is considered "puzzling" by reversing every inequality discrepancy needing to be explained. This paper shows that Bayesian updating of unknown structural parameters inevitably adds a permanent tail-thickening effect to posterior expectations. The expected-utility ramifications of this for asset pricing are strong, work against the puzzles, and are very sensitive to subjective prior beliefs-even with asymptotically infinite data.
Butterfly: a conversation-finding agent for Internet relay chat

The Internet enables groups of people throughout the world to interact to discuss issues, get assistance, learn, and socialize. However, when there are thousands of loosely defined groups in which a user could potentially participate, the problem becomes finding the groups of most interest. In this paper we focus on the domain of Internet Relay Chat real-time text messaging, and describe a “social butterfly” agent called Butterfly that samples available conversational groups and recommends ones of interest. We discuss Butterfly’s motivation, usage, realworld design constraints, implementation, and results. Finally, we introduce work in progress on a multi-agent approach that has grown out of our experience with Butterfly.
Kinetic limitations on the use of redundancy in robotic manipulators

The kinematic specification of motion for redundant manipulators has relied primarily on a formulation which treats the redundant degrees of freedom as independent from those required to maintain a desired end-effector trajectory. While such a formulation is conceptually appealing, it has been shown to be physically inaccurate when applied to the kinetic behavior of redundant manipulators. Here, the kinetic effects of homogeneous solutions are analyzed with emphasis on placing realistic limitations on how redundancy can be utilized without adversely affecting the primary goal of a desired end-effector trajectory. It is shown that it is possible to identify manipulator configurations which possess the desirable characteristic of being able to either remove or impart a homogeneous velocity while simultaneously reducing the torque requirements on the manipulator. The conditions which govern these configurations are shown to be directly related to the conditions for guaranteeing global stability for the local torque minimization formulation. >
Equivalence Proofs for Multi-Layer Perceptron Classifiers and the Bayesian Discriminant Function

This paper presents a number of proofs that equate the outputs of a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) classifier and the optimal Bayesian discriminant function for asymptotically large sets of statistically independent training samples. Two broad classes of objective functions are shown to yield Bayesian discriminant performance. The first class are “reasonable error measures,” which achieve Bayesian discriminant performance by engendering classifier outputs that asymptotically equate to a posterioriprobabilities. This class includes the mean-squared error (MSE) objective function as well as a number of information theoretic objective functions. The second class are classification figures of merit (CFM mono ), which yield a qualified approximation to Bayesian discriminant performance by engendering classifier outputs that asymptotically identify the maximum a posteriori probability for a given input. Conditions and relationships for Bayesian discriminant functional equivalence are given for both classes of objective functions. Differences between the two classes are then discussed very briefly in the context of how they might affect MLP classifier generalization, given relatively small training sets.
Organizational Hope: Reaffirming the Constructive Task of Social and Organizational Inquiry

This paper develops the construct of organizational hope as a methodological imperative for studying and strengthening organizations. It calls on organizational scholars and practitioners to move beyond the critical impulse by advancing "textured vocabularies of hope" that affirm the best and most promising dimensions of social and organizational life and provide a moral image of the future to guide collective action. This can be accomplished by defining hopeful research agendas and choosing methods of inquiry that explore and illuminate the hopes and aspirations of a broad range of organizational members. After clarifying the concept of textured vocabularies of hope, this paper undertakes a thorough analysis of hope by tracing the construct throughout the Western intellectual tradition, highlighting four of hope's enduring qualities, and offering a set of propositions that extends the implications of organizational hope to our task as scholars and practitioners.
Building collaborative graphical interfaces in the audicle

Emergence is the formation of complex patterns from simpler rules or systems. This paper motivates and describes new graphical interfaces for controlling sound designed for strongly-timed, collaborative computer music ensembles. While the interfaces are themselves minimal and often limiting, the overall collaboration can produce results novel beyond the simple sum of the components -- leveraging the very uniqueness of an ensemble: its strength in numbers. The interfaces are human-controlled and machine-synchronized across a dozen or more computers. Group control, as well as sound synthesis mapping at each endpoint, can be programmed quickly and even on-the-fly, providing a second channel of real-time control. We show examples of these interfaces as interchangeable plug-ins for the Audicle environment, and also document how they are used in a laptop ensemble.
A waveform-based power estimator for variable power loads

This paper proposes a method to derive an estimator that predicts the power consumption of variable power loads from a subset of higher current harmonics without requiring a full analysis of the internal circuit of the load. The method exploits structural features of the current waveforms consumed by the load to develop the estimator. The computation involves Gaussian elimination of a cyclotomic field representation to compute the estimator coefficients, avoiding floating-point computational error. Experimental results have shown that the proposed algorithm can derive estimators that can extract the power consumption of variable speed drives, computers, or light dimmers from fixed power loads in aggregate measurements.
Long-term potentiation in the Eocene

The first ten years of long-term potentiation (LTP) research are reviewed. Surprisingly, given the intensity of current interest, the discovery paper did not trigger a wave of follow-on experiments. Despite this, the initial work laid out what ultimately became standard questions and paradigms. The application of the then still novel hippocampal slice technique oriented LTP towards basic neuroscience, perhaps somewhat at the cost of lesser attention to its functional significance. The use of slices led to the discovery of the events that trigger the formation of LTP and provided some first clues about its extraordinary persistence. Signs of the intense controversy over the nature of LTP expression (release vs receptors) emerged towards the end of the first decade of work. What appears to be lacking in the literature of that time is a widespread concern about LTP and memory. This may reflect a somewhat different attitude that neurobiologists then had towards memory research and a perceived need to integrate the new potentiation phenomenon into the web of established science before advancing extended arguments about its contributions to behaviour.
Synthesis, structure, and substitution reactivity of a new bi-oxo capped molybdenum cluster: (Mo3(μ3-O)2(μ-O2CCH2Cl)6(H2O)2(OH)) +

Abstract A new bi-oxo capped molybdenum carboxylate, [Mo 3 (μ 3 -O) 2 (μ-O 2 CCH 2 Cl) 6 (H 2 O) 2 (OH)] + , was synthesized by refluxing [Mo 3 (μ 3 -O) 2 (μ-O 2 CCH 3 ) 6 (H 2 O) 3 ] 2 + in chloroacetic acid for 20 h (T = 110 °C). Using ion-exchange chromatography (0.5 M NaClO 4 eluant), the trinuclear molybdenum ion was isolated and allowed to crystallize slowly (T = 4 °C) as the perchlorate salt (yield 23%). Upon dissolution of the compound in methanol-d 4 , substitution of the terminal ligands for solvent occurs readily in which the observed exchange rate constant is k obs 298K = 5.3 × 10 − 5 (± 0.3) s − 1 and activation parameters equal to ΔH ‡ = 130 (± 10) kJ mol − 1 and ΔS ‡ = 111 (± 33) J mol − 1 K − 1 . From the kinetic data, we find that ligand substitution follows a dissociative pathway and that rates of substitution are faster than expected when compared to the molybdenum acetate analog. Herein, we report the synthesis, crystallographic study, and substitution reactivity of a new molybdenum bi-oxo capped cluster with bridging chloroacetate ligands.
Mandibular force profiles of extant carnivorans and implications for the feeding behaviour of extinct predators

A biomechanical approach is used to model the mandibles of extant carnivoran predators (felids, canids, and hyaenids) as beams to gain insight into feeding behaviours. Because bite force applied at any given point along the mandible should be proportional to external dimensions at an analogous location (interdental gaps) on the mandible, patterns of variation in these dimensions will reflect the adaptation of the jaw to specific loads. The mandibular force profiles of extant carnivorans closely reflect particular feeding behaviours. Solitary hunters relying on a powerful canine bite to subdue their prey have a strong mandibular symphysis, while pack hunters delivering shallow bites have a relatively weaker one. Symphyseal shape also gives insight into the feeding behaviour of a predator: (1) a deeper-than-long symphysis indicates that stresses induced by the canine bite (or while cracking bones with the anterior dentition) are more important than those induced by struggling prey; (2) an equidimensional symphysis indicates that the symphyseal region is optimally designed to resist torsional stresses induced during prey capture and/or bone cracking; (3) a longer-than-deep symphysis indicates that stresses related to prey capture are predominant over those induced by the canine bite or while cracking bone. Mandibular force profiles of juvenile carnivorans also reflect documented ontogenetic changes in feeding behaviour. Because variation in mandibular cross-sectional properties are interpretable in terms of documented behaviours among extant predators, mandibular force profiles are developed to gain insight into the feeding behaviour of two extinct predators, Panthera atrox and Canis dirus. Results indicate that the feeding behaviour of P. atrox differed slightly from that of modern lions, as the powerful paws restrained prey more efficiently, while C. dirus hunted in a similar fashion to the gray wolf, although it may not have been an efficient bone cracker. Both extinct predators are inferred to have had a more powerful bite than their extant relatives.
A spreadsheet-based model for teaching the agronomic, economic, and environmental aspects of bioenergy cropping systems

In order to assess and compare the economic and environmental sustainability of newly emerging bioenergy cropping systems, students need a comprehensive computer-based tool for cataloging attributes of various proposed bioenergy feedstock crops. We have developed a spreadsheet-based model whereby students develop financial budgets; energy budgets, and carbon budgets, for various bioenergy cropping systems. This paper details the rationale and development of the teaching tool spreadsheet-based model. At the beginning of the semester, students working in small groups consisting of 2-3 individuals are assigned ownership of a ''virtual farm'' in a designated geographical region. Throughout the semester, as particular bioenergy crops are discussed in lecture, the students use the teaching model to develop economic, energy, and carbon budgets for each crop specific to the geographical aspects of their virtual farm. The computer spreadsheet model helps students determine the approximate farmgate value of bioenergy feedstocks and determine the carbon and energy footprint associated with the various cropping systems. At the conclusion of the semester, students use the model generated results to contrast and compare their farm's bioenergy cropping system economic and environmental performance to that of farms situated in other geographical areas. End-of-semester student evaluations of the course resulted in ratings of ''superior'' or ''above average'' for student interest and all other parameters associated with the course. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the teaching tool and a motivation and willingness for students to acquire knowledge of bioenergy based systems as part of their formal education to prepare for future employment opportunities.
Fossil Decapod Crustacea From the Late Cretaceous Coon Creek Formation, Union County, Mississippi

Over 1,300 fossil decapods have been collected from the Upper Cretaceous Coon Creek Formation in Union County, Mississippi. The fauna is dominated by Dakoticancer australis Rathbun, 1935 (raised from subspecies rank) (49%), with smaller proportions of numerous other taxa: Protocallianassa mortoni (Pilsbry, 1901) (26.9%); Hoploparia tennesseensis Rathbun, 1926 (10.1%); Linuparus canadensis (Whiteaves, 1885) (4.7%); Tetracarcinus subquadrata Weller, 1905 (2.8%); Notopocorystes testacea (Rathbun, 1926) (2.7%); Paguristes whitteni, new species (2.8%); Raninella tridens Roberts, 1962 (0.8%); Eryma flecta Rathbun, 1926 (0.3%), and Cristipluma mississippiensis, new species (0.1%). Paguristes whitteni, new species, is represented by an enigmatic series of 30 claws. Cristipluma mississippiensis, new species, is based on a single specimen. Its scarcity in the shallow water Coon Creek fauna attests to the probability of Cristipluma already at that time inhabiting deep water (as is the case with the recent retroplumids found mostly in deep Indo-Pacific waters).
Utility of improvised video‐camera collars for collecting contact data from white‐tailed deer: Possibilities in disease transmission studies

Rapidly evolving electronic technology enables wildlife researchers to collect previously unobtainable data. To explore possibilities of using deer-borne cameras (DBCs) to collect behavioral data from an animal's point of view, we constructed DBCs and deployed them on 26 adult male white- tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) within a closed population (405-ha fenced area) in southern Texas just prior to the breeding season during autumn 2010. Our DBCs consisted of global positioning system collars with attached motion-activated trail cameras. We obtained 21,474 video clips from 17 functional DBCs over a period of 14 days. Individual-based data are invaluable in disease and population modeling; therefore, we confirmed the identify of 37 individual deer in field of view of DBCs based on ear tags, collar numbers, and antler characteristics (e.g., point counts, relative mass, tine length). Additionally, we recorded 85 contacts, including 36 with identifiable deer, involving breeding (n ¼ 1), sparring (n ¼ 63), grooming (n ¼ 5), and muzzle contact (n ¼ 16). Our results demonstrate the value of using DBCs to record direct contacts and associated behaviors and even to enable estimation of contact rates, thus improving the understanding of the potential for transmission of disease pathogens. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Geographic disparities in late stage breast cancer incidence: results from eight states in the United States.

Late stage of cancer at diagnosis is an important predictor of cancer mortality. In many areas worldwide, cancer registry systems, available data and mapping technologies can provide information about late stage cancer by geographical regions, offering valuable opportunities to identify areas where further investigation and interventions are needed. The current study examined geographical variation in late stage breast cancer incidence across eight states in the United States with the objective to identify areas that might benefit from targeted interventions. Data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program on late stage breast cancer incidence was used as dependent variable in regression analysis and certain factors known to contribute to high rates of late stage cancer (socioeconomic characteristics, health insurance characteristics, and the availability and utilization of cancer screening) as covariates. Geographic information systems were used to map and highlight areas that have any combination of high late stage breast cancer incidence and significantly associated risk factors. The differences in mean rates of late stage breast cancer between eight states considered in this analysis are statistically significant. Factors that have statistically negative association with late stage breast cancer incidence across the eight states include: density of mammography facilities, percent population with Bachelor’s degree and English literacy while percent black population has statistically significant positive association with late stage breast cancer incidence. This study describes geographic disparities in late stage breast cancer incidence and identifies areas that might benefit from targeted interventions. The results suggest that in the eight US states examined, higher rates of late stage breast cancer are more common in areas with predominantly black population, where English literacy, percentage of population with college degree and screening availability are low. The approach described in this work may be utilized both within and outside US, wherever cancer registry systems and technologies offer the same opportunity to identify places where further investigation and interventions for reducing cancer burden are needed.
The Nature of Gentrification

Gentrification research provides many important insights into the transformation of contemporary urban landscapes, yet more careful attention to nature's role in this process is necessary. This essay begins by highlighting how gentrification research has traditionally overlooked the environmental factors of gentrification and continues by showing how researchers are beginning to account for the urban natural environment in gentrification processes. Such an environmentally sensitive approach to gentrification—one that accounts for nature being used by powerful groups as a tool of social power but also leaves room for it to be a dynamic material actor—can aid scholars' understanding of this important urban process.
Surgical Advances in Bladder Cancer: At What Cost?

Abstract Bladder cancer is the most expensive cancer to treat from diagnosis to death. Frequent disease recurrence, intense follow-up, and expensive, invasive techniques for diagnosis and treatment drive these costs for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Fluorescence cystoscopy increases the detection of superficial bladder cancer and reduces costs by improving the quality of resection and reducing recurrences. Radical cystectomy with intestinal diversion is the mainstay of treatment of invasive disease; however it is associated with substantial cost and morbidity. Increased efforts to improve the surgical management of bladder cancer while reducing the cost of treatment are increasingly necessary.
Comparing Correlations Between Four-Quadrant And Five-Factor Personality Assessments

For decades, some of the most popular devices used in educating students and employees to the values of diversity are those that are based on a four-grid identification of behavior style. The results from the scoring of the instruments provide individual profiles in terms of a person’s assertiveness, responsiveness, and preferred tone of interacting with his environment. In the past decade, a five-factor framework has gained in popularity as an assessment instrument. The scope of the current paper is a comparison of a four-factor instrument (questionnaire) to a five-factor instrument (questionnaire) to establish correlations between the two. If the information can be seen as being complimentary rather than disconnected, then users will benefit from synergy as they encounter different instruments throughout their careers. Also, duplication of effort in terms of using multiple instruments may be reduced.
The beta-carboline DMCM produces hypoalgesia after central administration

DMCM (Methyl 6, 7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate), an “inverse agonist” at benzodiazepine receptors, produced a dose-related (0.5-20 μ/rat) elevation in the latency of rats to respond to a noxious thermal stimulus 20 min after i.c.v. administration. By 50 min after administration, no hypoalgesia could be detected. In animals given 5.0 μg of DMCM centrally, systemic injection of the opioid antagonist naltrexone HCl (0.75-7.0 mg/ml/kg) resulted in significant attenuation of hypoalgesia only at the highest dose tested. These results are discussed in terms of the role played by GABAergic central mechanisms in the activation of endogenous pain control systems.
The Vowels of English and Russian: An Acoustic Comparison

(1953). The Vowels of English and Russian: An Acoustic Comparison. WORD: Vol. 9, Slavic Word No. 2, pp. 354-361.
Body burdens of heavy metals in Lake Michigan wetland turtles

Tissue heavy metal concentrations in painted (Chrysemys picta) and snapping (Chelydra serpentina) turtles from Lake Michigan coastal wetlands were analyzed to determine (1) whether turtles accumulated heavy metals, (2) if tissue metal concentrations were related to environmental metal concentrations, and (3) the potential for non-lethal sampling techniques to be used for monitoring heavy metal body burdens in freshwater turtles. Muscle, liver, shell, and claw samples were collected from painted and snapping turtles and analyzed for cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. Turtle tissues had measurable quantities of all eight metals analyzed. Statistically significant correlations between tissue metal concentrations and sediment metal concentrations were found for a subset of metals. Metals were generally found in higher concentrations in the larger snapping turtles than in painted turtles. In addition, non-lethal samples of shell and claw were found to be possible alternatives to lethal liver and muscle samples for some metals. Human consumption of snapping turtles presents potential health risks if turtles are harvested from contaminated areas. Overall, our results suggest that turtles could be a valuable component of contaminant monitoring programs for wetland ecosystems.
ADDITIONS TO THE HYPOGEOUS MYCOFLORA OF COLORADO II. SCLEROGASTER XEROPHILUM (BASIDIOMYCETES, HYMENOGASTRALES)

SUMMARY A new hypogeous basidiomycete, Sclerogaster xerophilum, from Colorado is described and a similar North Carolina species, S. minor, is redescribed. The genus Sclerogaster has been differentiated from other Hymenogastrales by having a thick, byssoid mycelium surrounding the sporocarp, yellow gleba, small locules, small cylindric basidia, and globose to subglobose, thick
Black Strategic Voting or Genuine Republican Support:The 2014 Mississippi Senate Race

In this paper we examine the 2014 Republican Primaries/Runoffs and the general election for the U.S. Senate Race in Mississippi. Preliminary analyses reveal that black cross over vote for a Republcan incumbent in the Republican primary helped to defeat a Tea Party candidate, Chris McDaniel. However, the results of the general election reveals that the black vote was simply a strategic vote against McDaniel and not for Cochran. Although, a small segment of blacks have been supporting Cochran in recent years.
Human iPSC-derived endothelial cell sprouting assay in synthetic hydrogel arrays.

Abstract Activation of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) by growth factors initiates a cascade of events during angiogenesis in vivo consisting of EC tip cell selection, sprout formation, EC stalk cell proliferation, and ultimately vascular stabilization by support cells. Although EC functional assays can recapitulate one or more aspects of angiogenesis in vitro , they are often limited by undefined substrates and lack of dependence on key angiogenic signaling axes . Here, we designed and characterized a chemically-defined model of endothelial sprouting behavior in vitro using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells (iPSC-ECs). We rapidly encapsulated iPSC-ECs at high density in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel spheres using thiol-ene chemistry and subsequently encapsulated cell-dense hydrogel spheres in a cell-free hydrogel layer. The hydrogel sprouting array supported pro-angiogenic phenotype of iPSC-ECs and supported growth factor-dependent proliferation and sprouting behavior. iPSC-ECs in the sprouting model responded appropriately to several reference pharmacological angiogenesis inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor, NF-κB, matrix metalloproteinase-2/9, protein kinase activity, and β-tubulin, which confirms their functional role in endothelial sprouting. A blinded screen of 38 putative vascular disrupting compounds from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s ToxCast library identified six compounds that inhibited iPSC-EC sprouting and five compounds that were overtly cytotoxic to iPSC-ECs at a single concentration. The chemically-defined iPSC-EC sprouting model (iSM) is thus amenable to enhanced-throughput screening of small molecular libraries for effects on angiogenic sprouting and iPSC-EC toxicity assessment. Statement of Significance Angiogenesis assays that are commonly used for drug screening and toxicity assessment applications typically utilize natural substrates like Matrigel TM that are difficult to spatially pattern, costly, ill-defined, and may exhibit lot-to-lot variability. Herein, we describe a novel angiogenic sprouting assay using chemically-defined, bioinert poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels functionalized with biomimetic peptides to promote cell attachment and degradation in a reproducible format that may mitigate the need for natural substrates. The quantitative assay of angiogenic sprouting here enables precise control over the initial conditions and can be formulated into arrays for screening. The sprouting assay here was dependent on key angiogenic signaling axes in a screen of angiogenesis inhibitors and a blinded screen of putative vascular disrupting compounds from the US-EPA.
The Integra® Titan™ Reverse Shoulder System

The Integra® Titan™ Reverse Shoulder System was designed to complement the Titan™ Modular Shoulder System of implants. The systems are based off of a platform set of humeral stems that attach to either an anatomic or reverse body. This platform stem facilitates conversion from a primary to reverse shoulder arthroplasty without the need to remove a well-fixed humeral stem (Fig. 40.1). The primary stem is 90 mm in length and is smooth distally with proximal flutes for rotational control. There is a roughened surface for bone ingrowth about the proximal portion of the flutes. The stem is sized from 6 to 16 mm in 1-mm increments that allows a press fit into the humeral diaphysis. Smooth cemented stem options are also available in 90, 125, and 165 mm lengths. Open image in new window Fig. 40.1 a Anteroposterior radiograph of a patient following Titan total shoulder replacement. The patient developed a chronic subscapularis deficiency with implant instability that ultimately required revision to a Titan reverse total shoulder (b). Notice that the stem remains in place and the anatomic body is converted to a reverse body
Theoretical guarantees for poisson disk sampling using pair correlation function

In this paper, we study the problem of generating uniform random point samples on a domain of d dimensional space based on a minimum distance criterion between point samples (Poisson-disk sampling or PDS). First, we formally define PDS via the pair correlation function (PCF) to quantitatively evaluate properties of the sampling process. Surprisingly, none of the existing PDS techniques satisfy both uniformity and minimum distance criterion, simultaneously. These approaches typically create an approximate PDS with high regularity, and inherently present high risk for sample aliasing. Our new formulation based on PCF introduces a new approach to evaluate PDS properties which leads to theoretical bounds on the size of a PDS in arbitrary dimensions as well as a faster algorithm to create better quality samplings than the current PDS approaches.
Sky is not the limit: semantic-aware sky replacement

Skies are common backgrounds in photos but are often less interesting due to the time of photographing. Professional photographers correct this by using sophisticated tools with painstaking efforts that are beyond the command of ordinary users. In this work, we propose an automatic background replacement algorithm that can generate realistic, artifact-free images with a diverse styles of skies. The key idea of our algorithm is to utilize visual semantics to guide the entire process including sky segmentation, search and replacement. First we train a deep convolutional neural network for semantic scene parsing, which is used as visual prior to segment sky regions in a coarse-to-fine manner. Second, in order to find proper skies for replacement, we propose a data-driven sky search scheme based on semantic layout of the input image. Finally, to re-compose the stylized sky with the original foreground naturally, an appearance transfer method is developed to match statistics locally and semantically. We show that the proposed algorithm can automatically generate a set of visually pleasing results. In addition, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm with extensive user studies.
On mean convergence of Lagrange-Kronrod interpolation

It is known that Lagrange interpolation to any continuous function on [-1, 1] at the zeros of an orthogonal polynomial converges in the mean. In this paper we study mean convergence of Lagrange-Kronrod interpolation where the nodes are the n zeros of an orthogonal polynomial of degree n and the n + 1 zeros of the associated Stieltjes polynomial of degree n + 1. A sufficient condition for mean convergence, due to P. Erdos and P. Turan, is shown to hold for the first-, the third- and fourth-kind Chebyshev weight functions.
The Utility of Metal Ion Trends in Predicting Revision in Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Arthroplasty

Abstract Background There is a paucity of data examining metal ion levels over time. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 59 patients (69 hips) with an articular surface replacement total hip arthroplasty. We reviewed prerevision cobalt and chromium concentrations over time. Results Seventy-one percent of patients who were revised and had multiple ion measurements (12/17) demonstrated increasing cobalt ion levels or elevated ion levels over time. There was a trend toward an elevated risk of revision for increasing cobalt and chromium levels starting at 12 and 4 ppb, respectively; this was significant for chromium levels above 7 ppb (hazard ratio 22.35, P = .001). Similarly, there was a trend toward an elevated risk of pseudotumor formation for increasing cobalt and chromium levels starting at 5 and 2.5 ppb, respectively; this was significant for cobalt levels above 7 ppb (hazard ratio 6.88, P = .027). Conclusion In this paper, cobalt and chromium levels levels above 5 and 2.5 ppb started to demonstrate an increased risk of ARMD, and should be considered as a lower cutoff for discussion with patients about the potential for future revision.
Thermal and Photoinduced Copper-Promoted C-Se Bond Formation: Synthesis of 2-Alkyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones and Evaluation against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

2-Alkyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones, represented by ebselen (1a), are being studied intensively for a range of medicinal applications. We describe both a new thermal and photoinduced copper-mediated cross-coupling between potassium selenocyanate (KSeCN) and N-substituted ortho-halobenzamides to form 2-alkyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones containing a C–Se–N bond. The copper ligand (1,10-phenanthroline) facilitates C–Se bond formation during heating via a mechanism that likely involves atom transfer (AT), whereas, in the absence of ligand, photoinduced activation likely proceeds through a single electron transfer (SET) mechanism. A library of 15 2-alkyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-ones was prepared. One member of the library was azide-containing derivative 1j that was competent to undergo a strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition. The library was evaluated for inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) growth and Mtb Antigen 85C (Mtb Ag85C) activity. Compound 1f was most potent with a minimal in...
The Perception of Daily Temperatures as Evidence of Global Warming

AbstractUnlike the scientific definition of global warming (GW), public discussion often links the existence of GW to daily temperatures rather than long-term averages. Previous research found that daily weather is perceived as personal experiences with GW. Additionally, prior beliefs about GW can affect interpretations of such experiences as evidence for the existence of GW. However, previous studies demonstrating that beliefs affect interpretations of experiences were based on correlational designs—limiting causal inferences—and relied only on self-reports of remembered personal experiences instead of direct interpretations of weather. The authors present the first randomized experiment investigating how people interpret daily temperatures in terms of the evidence that it provides about GW, clarifying the psychological causes for different interpretations of the same experiences across individuals. They test the influence of knowledge about (and beliefs in) GW on the interpretation of daily temperatures...
Predictors of Retention among African Americans in a Randomized Controlled Trial to Test the Healthy Eating and Active Living in the Spirit (HEALS) Intervention.

Introduction: Retention of racial/ethnic minority groups into research trials is neces­sary to fully understand and address health disparities. This study was conducted to identify participants’ characteristics associ­ated with retention of African Americans (AAs) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a behavioral intervention. Methods: Using data from an RCT con­ducted from 2009 to 2012 among AAs, participant-level factors were examined for associations with retention between three measurement points (ie, baseline, 3-month, and 12-month). Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare retained participants to those who were not retained in order to identify important predictors of retention. Results: About 57% of participants (n=238) were retained at 12 months. Baseline char­acteristics that showed a statistically signifi­cant association with retention status were age, marital status, body mass index (BMI), intervention group, enrollment of a partner in the study, and perceived stress score (PSS). Multivariable logistic regression that adjusted for age, BMI, and PSS showed the odds of being retained among participants who enrolled with a partner was 2.95 (95% CI: 1.87-4.65) compared with participants who had no study partner enrolled. The odds of being retained among participants who were obese and morbidly obese were .32 and .27 (95% CI: .14-.74 and .11-.69), respectively, compared with participants who had normal weight. Conclusion: Having a partner enrolled in behavioral interventions may improve retention of study participants. Researchers also need to be cognizant of participants’ obesity status and potentially target reten­tion efforts toward these individuals. Ethn Dis. 2017;27(3):265-272; doi:10.18865/ed.27.3.265.
An Analysis of Citation Recommender Systems: Beyond the Obvious

As science advances, the academic community has published millions of research papers. Researchers devote time and effort to search relevant manuscripts when writing a paper or simply to keep up with current research. In this paper, we consider the problem of citation recommendation by extending a set of known-to-be-relevant references. Our analysis shows the degrees of cited papers in the subgraph induced by the citations of a paper, called projection graph, follow a power law distribution. Existing popular methods are only good at finding the long tail papers, the ones that are highly connected to others. In other words, the majority of cited papers are loosely connected in the projection graph but they are not going to be found by existing methods. To address this problem, we propose to combine author, venue and keyword information to interpret the citation behavior behind those loosely connected papers. Results show that different methods are finding cited papers with widely different properties. We suggest multiple recommended lists by different algorithms could satisfy various users for a real citation recommendation system.
Oligonucleotides Targeting TCF4 Triplet Repeat Expansion Inhibit RNA Foci and Mis-splicing in Fuchs' Dystrophy.

Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is the most common repeat expansion disorder. FECD impacts 4% of U.S. population and is the leading indication for corneal transplantation. Most cases are caused by an expanded intronic CUG tract in the TCF4 gene that forms nuclear foci, sequesters splicing factors and impairs splicing. We investigated the sense and antisense RNA landscape at the FECD gene and find that the sense-expanded repeat transcript is the predominant species in patient corneas. In patient tissue, sense foci number were negatively correlated with age and showed no correlation with sex. Each endothelial cell has ∼2 sense foci and each foci is single RNA molecule. We designed antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to target the mutant-repetitive RNA and demonstrated potent inhibition of foci in patient-derived cells. Ex vivo treatment of FECD human corneas effectively inhibits foci and reverses pathological changes in splicing. FECD has the potential to be a model for treating many trinucleotide repeat diseases and targeting the TCF4 expansion with ASOs represents a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent and treat FECD.
Ethanol Analysis in Postmortem and Human Performance Forensic Toxicology Cases

Ethanol analysis is probably the most common procedure performed in forensic and analytical toxicology laboratories worldwide. Ethanol poisoning is very important in both clinical and forensic inve...