cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D gaze point localization and visualization using LiDAR-based 3D reconstructions

We present a novel pipeline for localizing a free roaming eye tracker within a LiDAR-based 3D reconstructed scene with high levels of accuracy. By utilizing a combination of reconstruction algorithms that leverage the strengths of global versus local capture methods and user-assisted refinement, we reduce drift errors associated with Dense-SLAM techniques. Our framework supports region-of-interest (ROI) annotation and gaze statistics generation and the ability to visualize gaze in 3D from an immersive first person or third person perspective. This approach gives unique insights into viewers' problem solving and search task strategies and has high applicability in complex static environments such as crime scenes.
Survival of Hatchery Raised Red Drum Exposed to Abrupt Salinity Increases—Simulating Bay Stockings

AbstractAs part of a stock enhancement program in Texas, Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus are subject to a standard salinity acclimation protocol between the hauling trailer and stock site of 1 h per 10‰ salinity difference. In certain circumstances (hypersaline sites or drought) salinity differences can exceed 20‰ between hauling trailer and stock site. Information is needed on whether the current protocol is sufficient to investigate whether extending the acclimation time can improve survival. We conducted nine trials, each exposing pond-cultured Red Drum fingerlings to salinity increases of 10‰ (over 1, 2, and 3 h), 20‰ (over 2, 4, and 6 h), and no salinity change (control). Survival at 96 h following a change in salinity of either 10‰ or 20‰ was independent of the rate of increase in salinity. However, survival was lower among Red Drum subjected to an increase of 20‰ (survival, 61%) than to 10‰ (82%). Fish condition, length and weight of fish examined here had no significant effect on survival, across tri...
Resisting the Rosicrucians: Theories on the Occult Origins of the Thirty Years’ War

In The Rosicrucian Enlightenment Frances Yates theorized that the occult philosophy described in the Rosicrucian Manifestos of 1614 were attached to a political alliance uniting Protestant England with the Palatinate. Though modern scholars have largely rejected Yates’s argument, at least two writers in the early seventeenth century argued along similar lines, linking the Rosicrucians to the revolt that placed the Palatine Elector on the Bohemian throne, initiating the Thirty Years’ War. Friedrich Forner, Suffragan-Bishop of Bamberg, and Jean Boucher, a noted French controversialist, both saw the Rosicrucians as an occult conspiracy working to undermine Catholic states from within. The two author’s attack on the Rosicrucians contained a veiled critique of Renaissance monarchy. In the end both authors proposed a form of constitutional government intended to remedy the worst defects of Renaissance absolutism and ensure the survival of Catholicism in an age of religious war.
Species Specificity in the Phonotaxis of Female Ground Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Nemobiinae),

In two-choice phonotactic experiments females of the sympatric species Allonemobius fasciatus, A. allardi , and A. tinnulus were preferentially attracted to the calling songs of conspecific males. In the absence of choice, however, females of each species walked to a speaker playing a heterospecific calling song. Female response to calling song in these species is important in reproductive isolation, but it is not sufficient to prevent interspecific courtship and mating behavior in mixed species groups.
Competing Effects of Fluorination on the Orientation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Phosphonic Acid Monolayers on Indium Tin Oxide

Transparent conductive oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) are common substrates for optoelectronic devices, including organic light-emitting diodes and organic solar cells. Tailoring the interface between the oxide and the active layer by adjusting the work function or wettability of the oxide can improve the performance of these devices in both emissive and photovoltaic applications. The use of carefully designed surface modifiers that form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can allow the tuning of the surface of one oxide material to optimize its properties for use with a variety of different organic semiconductors or for different applications. Fluorinated phosphonic-acid-based SAMs can affect the interface dipole and the work function of a metal oxide. Fluorination may also affect the molecular packing and the orientation of the SAM once bound to the surface. We utilize angle-dependent near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy to determine the molecular orientations of octylphos...
Treating Veterans and Military Families: Evidence Based Practices and Training Needs Among Community Clinicians.

Little is known about the capacity of community providers to provide military informed evidence based services for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted a regional, web-based survey of 352 community mental health care providers that sought to identify clinical practices, training needs, and predictors of evidence based treatment (EBT) use for PTSD. Overall, 49 % of providers indicated they seldom or never use a validated PTSD screening instrument. Familiarity with EBTs, specifically prolonged exposure (PE; χ2(4) = 14.68, p < .01) and cognitive processing therapy (CPT; χ2(4) = 4.55, p < .05), differed by provider type. Of providers who received training in PE or CPT (N = 121), 75 % reported using treatment in their practice, which was associated with having received clinical supervision (χ2 (1) = 20.16, p < .001). Widely disseminated trainings in empirically supported PTSD assessment and treatment, and implementation of case supervision in community settings are needed.
Managing obesity: why diet is not enough.

Without a change in life-style, there is little chance that diet will achieve the goal of treatment of obesity, ie, maintenance of reduced weight. Biologic, experiential, and environmental factors all influence eating habits and energy expenditure.
Reactions between Criegee Intermediates and the Inorganic Acids HCl and HNO3 : Kinetics and Atmospheric Implications.

Criegee intermediates (CIs) are a class of reactive radicals that are thought to play a key role in atmospheric chemistry through reactions with trace species that can lead to aerosol particle formation. Recent work has suggested that water vapor is likely to be the dominant sink for some CIs, although reactions with trace species that are sufficiently rapid can be locally competitive. Herein, we use broadband transient absorption spectroscopy to measure rate constants for the reactions of the simplest CI, CH2 OO, with two inorganic acids, HCl and HNO3 , both of which are present in polluted urban atmospheres. Both reactions are fast; at 295 K, the reactions of CH2 OO with HCl and HNO3 have rate constants of 4.6×10(-11) cm(3) s(-1) and 5.4×10(-10) cm(3) s(-1) , respectively. Complementary quantum-chemical calculations show that these reactions form substituted hydroperoxides with no energy barrier. The results suggest that reactions of CIs with HNO3 in particular are likely to be competitive with those with water vapor in polluted urban areas under conditions of modest relative humidity.
Probabilistic Evaluation Framework for Fire and Fire Following Earthquake

This work provides a probabilistic framework to evaluate the performance of a structure under fire and fire following earthquake, by studying response of the structure for several limit states and incorporating uncertainties in demand and capacity parameters. The multi-hazard framework is then applied to a steel moment resisting frame (MRF) to evaluate the structural performance of the MRF under post-earthquake fires. The study develops probabilistic models for key quantities with uncertainty including fire load, as well as yield strength and modulus of elasticity of steel at elevated temperatures. The MRF is analyzed under several fire scenarios and fire locations. Results show that the location of fire in the frame (e.g., lower vs. upper floors and interior vs. exterior bays) affects the element response. Compartments in the interior bays reach limit states faster than those on the perimeter of the frame, and upper floors reach limit states sooner than lower floors. The post-earthquake damage does not affect the structural response under fire for the considered limit states, but post-earthquake fire increases the drift demand on columns located at the perimeter of the structure.
Detrital magnetite and chromite in Jack Hills quartzite cobbles: Further evidence for the preservation of primary magnetizations and new insights into sediment provenance

Abstract The magnetization of zircons from sedimentary rocks of the Jack Hills (Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia) provide evidence for a Hadean to Paleoarchean geodynamo, 4.0 to 4.2 billion years old. These magnetizations pass a microconglomerate test, attesting to the fidelity of Jack Hills zircons as recorders of these most ancient magnetic signals. The lack of pervasive remagnetization of the Jack Hills is also documented through a positive conglomerate test conducted on cobble-sized clasts. A key element of the latter test is the preservation of a high unblocking temperature magnetization that can survive peak metamorphic temperatures. Rock magnetic studies suggest the mineral carrier is magnetite. Herein, we investigate the magnetic mineral carriers in cobble samples through scanning electron microscope and microprobe analyses, conduct an inter-laboratory paleomagnetic study to evaluate sensitivities required to evaluate the weak magnetizations carried by the Jack Hills sediments, and assess provenance information constrained by the opaque minerals. These data confirm magnetite as a detrital phase and the presence of high unblocking temperature magnetizations, further supporting the posit that the Jack Hills sediments can preserve primary magnetic signatures. We note that some of these magnetizations are near the measurement resolution of standard cryogenic magnetometers and thus exacting laboratory procedures are required to uncover these signals. In addition to magnetite, the cobbles contain an assemblage of Mg poor Cr–Fe chromites, Ni-sulfides and pyrrhotite that suggest a source in a layered intrusion different from the granitoid source of the zircons. Any Hadean rock fragment in these sediments, if present, remains elusive.
Carnitine in Valproate-Induced Hyperammonemia

The effect of carnitine supplementation in valproic acid (VPA) treated patients presenting with hyperammonemia was investigated in 69 children and young adults seen at the Zentrum der Kinderheilkunde, Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt, and Universitat Erlanger, FRG.
Impact of Surfactant Structure on NAPL Mobilization and Solubilization in Porous Media

Additives such as surfactants are commonly used to enhance the remediation of oil-contaminated rocks. Although the majority of crude oils are light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs), they often contain heavy molecules such as asphaltenes that are classified as dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). Surfactants are able to reduce the interfacial tension between water and LNAPLs and enhance their mobilization. Furthermore, the formation of microemulsions by surfactants can promote the solubilization of DNAPLs and restore the wettability of contaminated surfaces. Numerous studies have indicated that surfactants can promote the cleanup of oil-contaminated rocks; however, the impact of surfactant structure on solubilization and mobilization is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the remediation of heterogeneous aquifer rocks using four different nonionic surfactants: n-dodecyl β-d-maltoside, Triton X-100, Biosoft N1-7, and Saponin. The goal was to develop an improved understanding of the role of th...
RORα-dependent Type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells Are Required and Sufficient for Mucous Metaplasia in Immature Mice

Early-life wheezing-associated respiratory tract infection by rhinovirus (RV) is considered a risk factor for asthma development. We have shown that RV infection of 6-day-old BALB/c mice, but not m...
A study of the activity of the muscles of mastication by myography and myotonography

The highly sensitive apparatus for recording myograms and tonograms of the muscles of mastication which we have described previously has been used to study the activity of these muscles in conjunction with strain gauges. From these experiments it is reasonable to conclude that a more profound analysis of masticatory activity can be made by simultaneous recording of tonograms and myograms. Tonography gives more precise information concerning muscular force, myography reveals features of articulation. It is advisable to use both methods simultaneously because they supplement each other.
Infection Control in Pediatric Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Systematic and Critical Analysis Review.

Infection associated with pediatric spinal deformity surgery can cause substantial postoperative morbidity and elevated health-care costs.Surgical site infections (SSIs) associated with pediatric spinal deformity surgery are multifactorial.Despite a large body of literature on this topic, there stil
Examining Embodied Struggles in Cultural Reentry Through Intersectional Reflexivity

In this article, the authors approach cultural reentry by emphasizing the body, affect, and performance. To do so, they methodologically adapt Jones and Calafell's (2012) call for intersectional re...
Aseptic revision total hip arthroplasty in the elderly : quantifying the risks for patients over 80 years old.

AimsThe aim of this study was to compare the rate of perioperative complications following aseptic revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients aged ≥ 80 years with that in those aged < 80 years, and to identify risk factors for the incidence of serious adverse events in those aged ≥ 80 years using a large validated national database.Patients and MethodsPatients who underwent aseptic revision THA were identified in the 2005 to 2015 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database and stratified into two age groups: those aged < 80 years and those aged ≥ 80 years. Preoperative and procedural characteristics were compared. Multivariate regression analysis was used to compare the risk of postoperative complications and readmission. Risk factors for the development of a serious adverse event in those aged ≥ 80 years were characterized.ResultsThe study included 7569 patients aged < 80 years and 1419 were aged ≥ 80 years. Multivariate analysis showed a higher risk of perioperative mortality, ...
Manipulating nanoparticle transport within blood flow through external forces: an exemplar of mechanics in nanomedicine.

A large number of nanoparticles (NPs) have been raised for diverse biomedical applications and some of them have shown great potential in treatment and imaging of diseases. Design of NPs is essential for delivery efficacy due to a number of biophysical barriers, which prevents the circulation of NPs in vascular flow and their accumulation at tumour sites. The physiochemical properties of NPs, so-called ‘4S’ parameters, such as size, shape, stiffness and surface functionalization, play crucial roles in their life journey to be delivered to tumour sites. NPs can be modified in various ways to extend their blood circulation time and avoid their clearance by phagocytosis, and efficiently diffuse into tumour cells. However, it is difficult to overcome these barriers simultaneously by a simple combination of ‘4S’ parameters for NPs. At this moment, external triggerings are necessary to guide the movement of NPs, which include light, ultrasound, magnetic field, electrical field and chemical interaction. The delivery system can be constructed to be sensitive to these external stimuli which can reduce the non-specific toxicity and improve the efficacy of the drug-delivery system. From a mechanics point of view, we discuss how different forces play their roles in the margination of NPs in blood flow and tumour microvasculature.
Urban parks and urban problems: An historical perspective on green space development as a cultural fix:

Why does everyone think cities can save the planet? Contemporary planning interventions promise salvation via spatial fixes that might reduce carbon emissions, boost metropolitan economies, and all...
Splenic Hemangiosarcoma in a Corn Snake, Elaphe guttata

An adult corn snake with a prominent mid-body swelling and history of anorexia presented for evaluation. Contrast radiographs were performed which showed a soft tissue opacity, likely an extraluminal mass, that compressed the gastrointestinal tract both ventrally and to the left. Surgical exploration showed a highly vascular, encapsulated, red mass and the mass was removed. Histopathology on the mass showed it to be a splenic hemangiosarcoma. Despite mass removal and aggressive supportive care, the snake died one and a half months later. This is the first report of splenic hemangiosarcoma in any reptile species and expands the list of known differential diagnoses for mid-body swellings in a snake.
High-Grade Gliomas

High-grade gliomas constitute one of the more widely studied and persistently challenging primary malignancies of the central nervous system. Historically identified by their clinical and histologic appearance, advancements in molecular genetics including the identification of MGMT and IDH1/2 have led to significant changes in how these tumors are classified and our ability to predict treatment response and survival as well as guide treatment. Despite this, the general treatment paradigm of surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation remains the standard of care with only modest advances in the overall prognosis of this disease. Long-term survival, particularly with glioblastoma multiforme, is rare, and treatment of recurrent disease is effectively palliative in nature. Nevertheless, as we expand our knowledge of the molecular basis of this disease, additional insight into prognosis and options for personalized therapies continue to offer the potential for improved outcomes.
A fifty-year odyssey: prospects for a cytomegalovirus vaccine in transplant and congenital infection.

Introduction: It has been almost fifty years since the Towne strain was used by Plotkin and collaborators as the first vaccine candidate for cytomegalovirus (CMV). While that approach showed partia...
Hybrid Risk-Aware Conditional Planning with Applications in Autonomous Vehicles

In this paper, we address the problem of risk-aware conditional planning where the goal is generating risk bounded motion policies in the presence of uncertainty. The problem is modeled as a chance-constrained Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (CC-POMDP) with one controllable agent and multiple uncontrollable agents, each of which can choose from a set of maneuver actions. The risk is defined as the probability of the controllable agent violating safety constraints. Off-line computations include generating a library of probabilistic maneuvers for the controllable agent and planning an initial motion policy to execute. During runtime, the conditional planner can quickly look up maneuver sequences to ensure risk bounds as the world around our agent evolves. We introduce the iterative RAO* heuristic search algorithm, which iteratively generates risk bounded conditional plans over a finite horizon. We demonstrate the performance of the provided approach on two planning problems of autonomous vehicles.
Mental Health and Women on Probation or Parole: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18)

This study examined the robustness of the proposed factor structure of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) in a sample of justice-involved women (N = 406). Efforts to assess accurately and interve...
Transcriptional Regulation of Human Hsp70 Genes: Relationship Between Cell Growth, Differentiation, Virus Infection, and the Stress Response

Our understanding of the regulation of the 70-kD family of heat shock genes during human development is necessarily reliant on information obtained from animal studies and from human cell lines which can be induced to differentiate. It has been reported that expression of certain members of the mouse 70-kD heat shock family is regulated during embryogenesis (Bensaude et al. 1983; Bensaude and Morange 1983; Kothary et al. 1987; see Chap. 10) and during spermatogenesis (Krawczyk et al. 1987a; Zakeri and Wolgemuth 1987; Allen et al. 1988; Zakeri et al. 1988; see Chap. 9). Such studies suggest that expression of human heat-shock genes is developmentally regulated. One can also argue, based on our current understanding of the function of this family of genes, that the 70-kD heat shock proteins must play an important role during development and that their expression must, of necessity, be tightly regulated during this process. Heat shock proteins appear to participate in the assembly-disassembly of macromolecular complexes (Georgopoulos and Ang 1990), in transport of polypeptides into organelles such as mitochondria (Chirico et al. 1988; Deshaies et al. 1988; Kang et al. 1990), in trafficking of polypeptides through the endoplasmic reticulum (Dorner et al. 1987), in vesicular uncoating (Ungewickell 1985), in the protection of newly synthesized proteins (Beckmann et al. 1990), and in protein degradation (Chiang et al. 1989). All of these processes must be critical to the successful execution of developmental programs, during which cells alter their patterns of protein synthesis and secretion respond to chemical and hormonal mediators, undergo morphological changes, migrate and interact with other cells, and undergo changes in their growth state. Considering also, as will be detailed in this chapter, the unique ability of the human hsp70 genes to show altered expression in response to environmental stimuli, it seems quite likely that the expression of these genes is highly regulated during development.
Molten Salt Hydrates in the Synthesis of TiO2 Flakes.

Herein, we present a method for the preparation of titanium dioxide with a relatively large surface area, mesoporosity, and good thermal stability. We show that by utilizing molten salt hydrates (M...
Design of Culinary Transformations: A Chemistry Course for Nonscience Majors

How do we engage students outside their major discipline? Recent curriculum changes have led to increases in nonlaboratory science course offerings for nonmajors to not only bolster science literac...
Defining Injection Attacks

This paper defines and analyzes injection attacks. The definition is based on the NIE property, which states that an application’s untrusted inputs must only produce Noncode Insertions or Expansions (i.e., NIEs) in output programs. That is, when applications generate output programs (such as SQL queries) based on untrusted inputs, the NIE property requires that inputs only affect output programs by inserting or expanding noncode tokens (such as string and float literals, lambda values, pointers, etc). This paper calls attacks based on violating the NIE property BroNIEs (i.e., Broken NIEs) and shows that all code-injection attacks are BroNIEs. In addition, BroNIEs contain many malicious injections that do not involve injections of code; we call such attacks noncode-injection attacks. In order to mitigate both code- and noncode-injection attacks, this paper presents an algorithm for detecting and preventing BroNIEs.
The Silver Lining to COVID-19: Avoiding Diabetic Ketoacidosis Admissions with Telehealth.

Background: The Stay at Home order in Colorado and The Stay Safe at Home order in California during COVID-19 pandemic have forced a majority of the endocrinologists/diabetologists to adapt to providing diabetes care remotely through telehealth. This may provide increased access to diabetes health care in certain settings. However, health care disparities continue to challenge availability of diabetes technologies for underprivileged communities. We report our experience with two patients providing diabetes care effectively and preventing hospital admissions by using telehealth. Methods: Two adult patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D): one new onset and the other one with established T1D are presented where telehealth facilitated by Clarity Software and the "Share" feature with the use of Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for management of diabetic ketosis and hyperglycemia. Results: Both patients were managed effectively virtually despite higher risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Shared glucose data through CGM facilitated frequent insulin dose adjustments, increased fluid and carbohydrate intake, and prevented hospital admissions in both cases. In the case of new onset patient with T1D, most of the education was done remotely by certified diabetes care and education specialists. Conclusion: Acute diabetes complication like DKA increases morbidity and mortality in addition to adding cost to the health care system. The current pandemic of COVID-19 has allowed newer ways (with the help of newer technologies) to manage high-risk patients with T1D and DKA through telehealth and may result in lasting benefits to people with T1D.
A study of thermal pressurization and potential for hydro-fracturing associated with nuclear waste disposal in argillaceous claystone

Abstract We present coupled Thermo–Hydro–Mechanical (THM) modeling of geologic nuclear waste disposal in argillaceous claystone, focusing on thermally-induced pressure changes and the potential for such pressure changes to induce hydro-fracturing. To investigate this possibility, we first conduct a three-dimensional repository scale model, with host rock properties, repository design, and nuclear waste decay heat functions derived from the French concept of geologic disposal in argillaceous claystone. The model simulations show that the highest potential for hydro-fracturing occurs between emplacement micro-tunnels (cells) at the center rather than at the edge of the repository. We further investigate the use of a two-dimensional single cell model as a simpler surrogate for a full three-dimensional model. Our results reveal that such geometric simplification is reasonably accurate for modeling coupled THM processes at the center of the repository, though it overestimates the likelihood for hydro-fracturing and substantially overpredicts ground surface uplift. A parameter study shows the importance of adjacent higher permeability geological layers that play a significant role in dissipating overpressure in the host rock layer. Finally, the study shows the importance of the spacing between emplacement tunnels, which if too short results in a higher fluid pressure and a strongly increased potential for hydro-fracturing. Overall, the study suggests, the limiting factor in the thermal management and design of a repository is not necessarily the maximum temperature in the engineered barrier system near the waste packages, but rather the more modest host rock temperature between emplacement tunnels, due to the potential for thermal damage.
Making Sense of We-Awareness: Experiences, Affordances, and Practices

My goal in this paper is to support the view that a certain way of being and acting together with others, we-part engagement in paradigmatically social practices, is among the basic ways of being human. The we-part awareness of multiple first-person loci of experience amounts to the group awareness, or we-awareness, that is neither above individuals nor an aggregate of instances of I-awareness in which I-awareness is modified either by some special group-related content or mode. When a group member is we-part aware, they, from their respective first-person perspective, experience the action as part of the collective and not merely as an “I” that adjusts to fit the corresponding social circumstances. We-part aware group members are in an agreement on group membership. The interactions shared as we-parts is one way in which the reciprocal interpretation of one another’s behavior that inferentialism considers the basis of I-Thou sociality may be constructed. My view also challenges inferentialism, because in a non-ideal discourse that is often infused with stereotype-based exclusion and power differentials, the practiced shared perspective may belong only to the agents from the traditionally dominating majority. Looking at which group domain we-part awareness encompasses illuminates that inferentialism needs to consider how a discourse participant’s status can be tainted by implicit bias.
Beyond Measurement: Managing for Results in State Government

In the 1990s all levels of government witnessed many reforms intended to enhance government performance. These reforms included a number of management techniques that focused on improving government’s strategic capacity. “Managing for results”
Secondary Post-traumatic Orbital Reconstruction

Secondary orbital reconstruction is considered one of the most complex issues in craniofacial trauma. However, the recent introduction of computer-assisted surgical planning and intraoperative navigation has revolutionized the management of this problem. Recent studies suggest that these technologies have significantly improved patient outcomes and improved the efficacy of secondary orbital repairs. By improving surgeon ease and comfort in achieving accurate bony reduction and fixation, these technologies are now becoming standard in the treatment of these difficult trauma scenarios. This chapter provides a framework that can be utilized by the maxillofacial surgeon when planning for secondary orbital surgery using the latest technology to optimize patient surgical results.
Other Statistical Lives.

While recent scholarship has considered how algorithmic risk assessment is both shaped by and impacts social inequity, public health has not adequately considered the ways that statistical risk functions in the social world. Drawing on ethnographic and interview data collected in interpersonal violence prevention programs, this manuscript theorizes three “other lives” of statistically produced risk factors: the past lives of risk factors as quantifiable lived experience, the professional lives of risk as a practical vocabulary shaping social interactions, and the missing lives of risk as a meaningful social category for those marked as at risk. The manuscript considers how understanding these other lives of statistical risk can help public health scholars better understand barriers to social equity.
Assessing Potentiation of the (α4)3(β2)2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor by the Allosteric Agonist CMPI.

Abstract The extracellular domain of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor isoforms formed by three α4 and two β2 subunits ((α4)3(β2)2 nAChR) harbors two high-affinity "canonical" acetylcholine (ACh) binding sites located in the two α4:β2 intersubunit interfaces and a low-affinity "non-canonical" ACh binding site located in the α4:α4 intersubunit interface. In this study, we used ACh, cytisine, and nicotine (which bind at both the α4:α4 and α4:β2 interfaces), TC-2559 (which binds at the α4:β2 but not at the α4:α4 interface), and (3-(2-chlorophenyl)-5-(5-methyl-1-(piperidin-4-yl)-1H-pyrrazol-4-yl)isoxazole (CMPI, which binds at the α4:α4 but not at the α4:β2 interface), to investigate the binding and gating properties of CMPI at the α4:α4 interface. We recorded whole-cell currents from Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing (α4)3(β2)2 nAChR in response to applications of these ligands, alone or in combination. The electrophysiological data were analyzed in the framework of a modified Monod-Wyman-Changeux allosteric activation model. We show that CMPI is a high-affinity, high-efficacy agonist at the α4:α4 binding site and that its weak direct activating effect is accounted for by its inability to productively interact with the α4:β2 sites. The data presented here enhance our understanding of the functional contributions of ligand binding at the α4:α4 subunit interface to (α4)3(β2)2 nAChR channel gating. These findings support the potential use of α4:α4 specific ligands to increase the efficacy of the neurotransmitter ACh in conditions associated with decline in nAChRs activity in the brain.
REGULATION OF SMAD FUNCTIONS THROUGH UBIQUITINATION AND SUMOYLATION PATHWAYS

Post-translational modifications by the ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like pathways have recently emerged as common mechanisms to regulate the turnover and functions of many transcription factors. Improper modifications of these regulatory proteins may play an important role in the initiation and/or progression of human diseases. Recent evidence suggests that stability, activity and signaling strength of Smads are fine-tuned via various post-translational modifications including, ubiquitination and sumoylation. Critical functions of the modifications are underscored by their functional consequence in TGF-β antiproliferative and transcriptional responses. Thus the modification of Smads may control diverse developmental processes and the pathogenesis of many diseases including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and fibrotic diseases. In this chapter, we will focus on the functions and underlying mechanisms of ubiquitin and SUMO modifications on Smads
Male Partners’ Perceived Pornography Use and Women’s Relational and Psychological Health: The Roles of Trust, Attitudes, and Investment

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of relationship trust in the links between young adult women’s perceptions of their male partners’ pornography use and their relational and psychological health. An additional purpose of this study was to examine the potential moderating roles of women’s attitudes toward pornography and relationship investment in the links between their male partners’ perceived pornography use and their relational and psychological health and between their male partners’ perceived pornography use and relationship trust. Participants included 359 young adult college women who were recruited at a large United States Southern public university and completed an online survey. Results revealed that women’s reports of their male partners’ pornography use were related to less relationship satisfaction and more psychological distress. In addition, relationship trust mediated the links between male partners’ perceived pornography use and relationship satisfaction and psychological distress. Results from the moderation analyses indicated that the direct effect of male partners’ perceived pornography use and relationship trust and the conditional indirect effects of male partners’ perceived pornography use on both relationship satisfaction and psychological distress were contingent on relationship investment. These findings indicated that when male partners’ perceived pornography use is high, women who have low or mean levels of relationship investment have less relationship trust. Finally, our results revealed that the relationship between male partners’ perceived pornography use and relational and psychological outcomes exist regardless of women’s own attitudes toward pornography.
Halomethyl-metal compounds : LIX. An Improved preparation of phenyl(fluorodichloromethyl)mercury, a useful fluorochlorocarbene precursor

Abstract An improved procedure for the preparation of phenyl(fluorodichloromethyl)mercury involving the reaction of phenylmercuric chloride with sodium methoxide and fluorodichloromethane in THF/methanol at −40° is described. This procedure gives PhHgCCl2F in high yield and generally of about 85% purity. Reactions of the PhHgCCl2F thus prepared with olefins [cyclohexene, cyclooctene, allyltrimethylsilane, vinyltriethylsilane, Me2CCHCl, Me2CC(Br)Me, CH2C(Me)CH2Cl and norbornene] gave the expected cyclopropanes in high yield. This mercury reagent added CClF to the CN bond of PhNCCl2, giving 1-phenyl-2-fluoro-2,3,3-trichloroaziridine and to the CS bond of thiobenzophenone. The thiirane formed was, however, unstable to the reaction and work-up conditions and only its desulfurization product, Ph2CCClF, could be isolated. Fluorochlorocarbene transfer from this mercurial also could be induced by the action of sodium iodide in DME. Evidence is presented which shows that PhHgCCl2F is more reactive in CClF transfer than indicated in a previous report.
Act Now (But How

Cool It. The Skeptical Environmentalist9s Guide to Global Warming. By Bjorn Lomborg. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2007. 257 pp. $21, C$27. ISBN 9780307266927. Marshall Cavendish, London, and Cyan Communications, London, 2007. 367 pp. £19.99. ISBN 9780462099125. Developing further a theme from earlier books, Lomborg advocates spending only modest amounts to lower carbon emissions and instead focusing on improving health and reducing poverty. He argues that the increased global wealth will in the long run allow a more effective response to climate change.
Immunosuppressive activity of rhesus monkey pregnancy serum

Abstract Normal pregnancy serum from the rhesus monkey was found to have immunosuppressive activity. Using two-way stimulation, the mixed lymphocyte response was suppressed as much as 80%. Control serum from nonpregnant females was not suppressive. The inhibiting factor was found to have the following characteristics: (1) it was nonspecific in activity; (2) it inhibited the mixed lymphocyte response 20% at in vitro concentrations of 1%; (3) it was heat stable (56° C for 30 minutes) and nondialyzable; (4) it was present in both the IgM- and IgG-containing fractions of pregnancy serum; (5) it was detected in postpartum and second and third trimester serum; and (6) it was at low levels or absent from the serum of two pregnancies which terminated in unexplained stillbirths.
Fine-Grained Acceleration of HMMER 3.0 via Architecture-Aware Optimization on Massively Parallel Processors

HMMER search used for protein Motif finding which is a probabilistic method based on profile hidden Markov models, is one of popular tools for protein homology sequence search. The current version of HMMER (version 3.0) is highly optimized for performance on multi-core and SSE-supported systems while maintaining accuracy. The computational workhorse of the HMMER 3.0 task-pipeline, the MSV and P7Viterbi stages together consume about 95% of the execution time. These two stages can prove to be a significant bottleneck for the current implementation, and can be accelerated via architecture-aware reformulation of the algorithm, along with hybrid task and data level parallelism. In this work we target the core-segments of HMMER3 hmmsearch tool viz. The MSV and the P7Viterbi and present a fine grained parallelization scheme designed and implemented on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). This three-tiered approach, parallelizes scoring of a sequence across each warp, multiple sequences within each block and multiple blocks within the device. At the fine-grained level, this technique naturally takes advantage of the concurrency of threads within a warp, and completely eliminates the overhead of synchronization. The HMM used for the MSV and P7Viterbi segments share several core features, with few differences. Hence the techniques developed for acceleration of the MSV segment can also be readily applied to the P7Viterbi segment. However, the presence of additional D-D transitions in the HMM for P7Viterbi induces sequential dependencies. This is handled by implementing the Lazy-F procedure as in HMMER 3.0 but for SIMT architectures in a warp-synchronous fashion. Finally, we also study scalability across multiple devices of early Fermi Architecture. Compared to the core-segments, MSV and P7Viterbi of the optimized HMMER3 task pipeline, our implementation achieves up to 5.4-fold speedup for MSV, 2.9-fold speedup for P7viterbi and 3.8-fold speedup for combined pipeline of them on a single Kepler GPU while preserving the sensitivity and accuracy of HMMER 3.0. Multi-GPU implementation on Fermi architecture yields up to 7.8× speedup.
Heavy Quark Dynamics in Heavy Ion Reactions

Collisions between heavy nuclei at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider liberate from the nuclear wavefunction of order 10,000 gluons, quarks and antiquarks. The system is dominated by gluons and up and down (anti) quarks. Heavy quarks, though having little effect on the overall equation of state, are critical as probes of the surrounding medium. We compare predictions from a scenario where the charm quarks escape the medium unaffected and fragment into hadrons in vacuum, and one where the charm quarks are swallowed up by the medium and reflect the overall system hydrodynamics.
Southern waters: the limits to abundance

Southern waters: the limits to abundance, by Craig E. Colten, Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University Press, 2014, xiv + 264 pp., US$79.95 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-4338-1587-4 Southern Waters examines the geographic and historical particularity of human--water relations in the southern United States. One of the central provocations of Southern Waters is to re-locate critical studies of water management and shortage in the U.S.A. away from the drought-prone territory of the West and, instead, examine shortage from the perspective of watery, humid climates. If the southern United States seems like an unlikely place to investigate water and the "limits to abundance", Colten makes a strong case for us to think otherwise, demonstrating how the South has been central to federal water management policies since the late nineteenth century. The book is framed historically, tracing the emergence and transformation of understandings of water and water management policy in the South from colonial encounters through flood control, and conservation. The first four chapters of the book, collectively entitled "excess", trace different cultural understandings of water and southern wetlands from the perspective of First Nations, European colonizers, and the science of health and sanitation. The first chapter demonstrates how the notion of abundance is tied to the colonial encounter, shaping settlement patterns and, in turn, social relations and encounters between colonizers and Native groups. Particular focus is put on the roots of European ideas of a water commons as a central organizing principle of riparian management policies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The second chapter traces the history of flood management in wetlands and swamps focusing on the divergent yet at times overlapping processes of draining and controlling the Atchafalaya wetland in Louisiana and the Everglades in South Florida. The third chapter more explicitly traces the emergence of federal flood policy for rivers and subsequently federal hurricane/storm surge protection, specifically how federal policies were guided by a complacency and normalization of flood and storm surge risk wherein "risk is not eliminated but deferred" (p. 86). The fourth chapter extends the conversation about risk and wet places towards the history of confronting water-borne disease in the South and how the South sought to minimize environmental risks by managing water. The second half of the book orients itself towards "shortage" in terms of water scarcity as well as declining access to shared, common fluvial resources. In the fifth and sixth chapters, Colten tracks the emergence of increased federal control of formerly state/locally governed water practices, reflecting an ideological shift in management practices away from abundance and towards managing limited resources. …
Inducing out‐of‐plane auxetic behavior in needle‐punched nonwovens

We describe here a heat-compression protocol used on needle-punched commercial nonwoven fabrics which induces an out-of-plane auxetic response in these treated fabrics. The as-received samples, however, are not auxetic and show a decrease in thickness when stretched uniaxially. Using micro-CT imaging it was found that the vertical fiber bundles/columns, produced in the needle punching step of fabric manufacture, are tilted and buckled as a result of the heat-compression treatment. It is suggested that it is likely the reorientation of these columns during subsequent uniaxial strain that drives thickness increase (auxetic response). Variation of instantaneous Poisson's ratio with axial strain for as-received and treated nonwovens.
Vice Careers: The Changing Contours of Sex Work in New York City

In the mid-1990s, changes to law enforcement strategies in New York City pushed many women working in the sex trade off of the streets and into the indoors. Increasing numbers of women began advertising sexual services in bars, over the Internet, and in print media, and conducting their work in their homes, hotels, and brothels. This study uses in-depth interviews and participant observation to examine the impact of this change on the life and work of women working in New York’s indoor sex trade. A critical finding is that as women move their work indoors, they begin to conceive of sex work as a profession and a career, rather than just a short-term means of employment. This “professional and careerist orientation” may have significant implications for the length of women’s tenure in sex work and ultimately, for their ability to exit the trade completely.
Glacier Extent During the Younger Dryas and 8.2-ka Event on Baffin Island, Arctic Canada

Greenland ice cores reveal that mean annual temperatures during the Younger Dryas (YD) cold interval—about 12.9 to 11.7 thousand years ago (ka)—and the ~150-year-long cold reversal that occurred 8.2 thousand years ago were ~15° and 3° to 4°C colder than today, respectively. Reconstructing ice-sheet response to these climate perturbations can help evaluate ice-sheet sensitivity to climate change. Here, we report the widespread advance of Laurentide Ice Sheet outlet glaciers and independent mountain glaciers on Baffin Island, Arctic Canada, in response to the 8.2-ka event and show that mountain glaciers during the 8.2-ka event were larger than their YD predecessors. In contrast to the wintertime bias of YD cooling, we suggest that cooling during the 8.2-ka event was more evenly distributed across the seasons.
SEARCH FOR SINGLE TOP QUARK PRODUCTION AT DØ

We present a review of searches for electroweak production of single top quarks at the Fermilab Tevatron proton–antiproton collider at $\sqrt{s}=1.96~{\rm TeV}$. Searches for s-channel and t-channel single top quark production have been carried out using secondary-vertex b-quark tagging and advanced event analysis methods in order to maximize the sensitivity to single top quark production. So far, no evidence for a single top quark signal has been found. However, 95% confidence level upper limits on the production cross-section have been set that improve upon previous limits by factors of two to three and are approaching the cross-section region predicted by the standard model.
Web service based hydrologic data distribution system

Hydrological modeling has been undergoing an exciting phase of transformation driven by rapid advances in remote sensing technology and computing power. In particular, NASA's Earth Observation System (EOS) suite of satellite platforms and sensors has made available a variety of biophysical measurements that have the potential to immensely advance the science and application of hydrology. These sensors use a variety of remote sensing technologies to make measurements of hydrological variables at several scales of spatial and temporal resolution. These rich datasets are available in a variety of data formats with different data access techniques, data quality issues and temporal and spatial extents that may be intimidating to the end user. As more and more watersheds become gauged and satellite instruments get deployed, it becomes important to make data availability and usage as streamlined as possible for potential users. We propose a Web Services based data distribution system to deliver remote sensing data to the hydrologic community. The use of Web Services for data delivery will permit hydrologists to directly integrate data sources into their hydrological models with minimal effort.