cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The epigenetic regulation of adipose tissue plasticity.

Adipose tissue is a highly plastic organ that dynamically changes its tissue size, cellular composition, and function in response to various nutritional and hormonal changes. For instance, white adipose tissue (WAT) can expand its volume by 10 times under an obese state through hypertrophy (enlarged adipocyte size) and hyperplasia (increased adipocyte number), whereas it rapidly shrinks by lipolysis upon fasting or cold exposure, thereby supplying fatty acids to peripheral organs (1). It is worth noting that adipocytes are long-lived cells with a turnover rate of approximately 10 y in humans (2, 3). What molecular mechanism allows the proper maintenance of adipose tissue plasticity for such a long time? The paper by Park et al. (4) provides compelling evidence that DNA methylation by DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) serves as a critical epigenetic regulator of adipose tissue plasticity and maintenance. DNA methylation is a key determinant of cell-type-specific transcription (5). Accordingly, the authors first determined the fat-specific DNA methylation profile in mice by analyzing publicly available datasets, such as adipocyte promoter capture Hi-C, bisulfite sequencing, and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data. The authors showed that adipocyte-specific DNA methylome was enriched in the distal enhancers and … [↵][1]1Email: skajimur{at}bidmc.harvard.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Gamifying accelerometer use increases physical activity levels of individuals pre-disposed to type II diabetes.

Abstract Physical activity is important for preventing obesity and diabetes, but most obese and pre-diabetic patients are not physically active. We developed a Fitbit-based game called MapTrek that promotes walking. We recruited obese and pre-diabetic patients. Half were randomly assigned to the control group and given a Fitbit alone. The others were given a Fitbit plus MapTrek. The MapTrek group participated in 6 months of weekly virtual races. Each week, participants were placed in a race with 9 others who achieved a similar number of steps in the previous week’s race. Participants moved along the virtual route by the steps recorded on their Fitbit and received daily walking challenges via text message. Text messages also had links to the race map and leaderboard. We used a Bayesian mixed effects model to analyze the number of steps taken during the intervention. A total of 192 (89%) participants in the control group and 196 (91%) in the MapTrek group were included in the analyses. MapTrek significantly increased step counts when it began: MapTrek participants walked almost 1,700 steps more than the control group on the first day of the intervention. We estimate that there is a 97% probability that the effect of MapTrek is at least 1,000 additional steps per day throughout the course of the 6-month intervention and that MapTrek participants would have walked an additional 81 miles, on average, before the effect ended. Our MapTrek intervention led to significant extra walking by the MapTrek participants.
Endovascular stent implantation for aortic coarctation: parameters affecting clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate safety and efficacy of endovascular stenting for aortic coarctation (AC) and to explore the effect of clinical parameters and stent characteristics on outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS Clinical data of all patients with AC who had attempted transcatheter stenting between 2004 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Eligible patients had native or recurrent AC with systemic arterial hypertension and resting arm-leg pressure gradient > 20 mmHg. Exclusions included distance between takeoff of cervical arteries and stenotic aortic lesion < 10 mm, contraindication to antithrombotic therapy, bodyweight < 25 kg, and secondary hypertension. RESULTS A total of 20 patients (75.0% with native lesions) were included with a mean age of 18.4 years and a mean bodyweight of 59.2 kg. Procedure was successful in 90.0% of cases with an immediate drop in the invasive pressure gradient across lesions. On a median follow-up of 12 months (range, 8 to 144.9 months), coarctation reoccurred in five patients, but four of them required intervention after a median of 104.4 months with successful outcomes. Cheatham Platinum stents were significantly associated with lower rates of recoarctations and reinterventions. At the latest follow-up, three out of six patients with persistent hypertension had no recoarctation. Analysis showed that the need for antihypertensive therapy was not influenced by clinical parameters, aortic arch geometry, or stent characteristics. CONCLUSION Treating AC with stent implantation is a safe and successful procedure. Using Cheatham Platinum stents appears to be associated with better outcomes. The persistence of arterial hypertension despite successful stenting remains a complex and challenging phenomenon.
Different thresholds in the prediction of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using neural network and Logistic model

COPD is substantially under-diagnosed because of the un2deruse of spirometry. It is worthwhile to explore clinical prediction models for COPD without the help of spirometry. How to define an appropriate risk threshold in the context of clinical application is a key challenge. In this paper, Logistic and neural network models were established to predict individuals’ risk estimates. Different threshold were set to explore the change of classification. For the prediction of COPD, it is reasonable to consider a range of acceptable risk thresholds to weigh the benefit of a true positive and the harm of a false positive. For individuals, continuous risk predictions are more useful than risk groups. The specificity and the positive predictive value should be given more priority in the choice of threshold for COPD prediction, also the benefits of true positives and the harms of false positives should be considered.
Angelo Poliziano’s Preface to the Miscellaneorum Centuria Prima: An Edition with Commentary and Translation

This new edition, with translation and commentary, of Angelo Poliziano’s preface to his Miscellaneorum Centuria Prima should help us to appreciate Poliziano’s importance as a source for Erasmus’ Collectanea adagiorum and Adagiorum Chiliades.
Precision and content range of a parent-reported item bank assessing lower extremity and mobility skills in children with cerebral palsy

Aim The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties, content range, and measurement precision of a lower extremity physical functioning and mobility skills item bank (LE85) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method Lower extremity functioning and mobility skill items were administered to 308 parents of children (169 males, 139 females; mean age 10y 8mo, SD 4y) with spastic CP (145 diplegia, 73 hemiplegia, 89 quadriplegia; [for one person type of CP was unknown]) classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (75 level I, 91 level II, 79 level III, 37 level IV, 26 level V). Additional legacy measures were administered to assess concurrent validity. Psychometric characteristics, differential item functioning, content range, and score precision were examined. Results The LE85 had acceptable psychometric properties. Content range matched the ability range of the sample population and exceeded legacy measures with minimal differential item functioning. The LE85 had good correlation with the Paediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument, Functional Independence Measure for Children, Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire, and Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory – CP module (range r=0.63–0.86). Precision of the LE85 and 10-item simulated computer adaptive test scores outperformed legacy measures. Interpretation The LE85 appears to be suitable to administer as a computer adaptive test to measure lower extremity physical functioning and mobility in children with CP.
Meditation with Young Children

Recently I experienced a time of great stress and change in my family life and felt a need for a stable means to center myself. I became interested in meditation and received some instruction in breathing and focussing exercises from an experienced meditator who introduced me to concentration and insight techniques. She told me to focus my attention on a center point between the eyebrows in the middle of my forehead. I practiced this every evening for six months and noticed a gradually increasing awareness of bodily relaxation, greater insight into my feelings and emotions, and a recognition of what seems to be an inner wisdom.
Methods for Cyclic Di-GMP Detection

The first decade of the 21st century has seen an explosion of interest in the bacterial second messenger signal cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP). The study of c-di-GMP during this period has been fueled by the development of methods to visualize and quantify this molecule. This chapter reviews the history of the development of methods for c-di-GMP detection, summarizes the currently available technologies, and highlights the new challenges that must be overcome to deepen one's understanding of this molecule and its actions. The methods to measure and quantify c-di-GMP from living cells have sprung forth from the early work of the Benziman laboratory. Two major approaches, two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (2D-TLC) and HPLC-MS-MS, currently dominate the approaches to quantify the intracellular levels of c-di-GMP, and it is likely that these two techniques will remain important tools in the toolboxes of researchers in this field. However, to gain a further understanding of this signaling molecule, new technologies measuring c-di-GMP at the single-cell level and in localized regions of the cells must be developed. The development of the new technologies will ensure the continuing renaissance in the study of c-di-GMP signaling.
Influenza A Subtyping: Seasonal H1N1, H3N2, and the Appearance of Novel H1N1

Influenza virus subtyping has emerged as a critical tool in the diagnosis of influenza. Antiviral resistance is present in the majority of seasonal H1N1 influenza A infections, with association of viral strain type and antiviral resistance. Influenza A virus subtypes can be reliably distinguished by examining conserved sequences in the matrix protein gene. We describe our experience with an assay for influenza A subtyping based on matrix gene sequences. Viral RNA was prepared from nasopharyngeal swab samples, and real-time RT-PCR detection of influenza A and B was performed using a laboratory developed analyte-specific reagent-based assay that targets a conserved region of the influenza A matrix protein gene. FluA-positive samples were analyzed using a second RT-PCR assay targeting the matrix protein gene to distinguish seasonal influenza subtypes based on differential melting of fluorescence resonance energy transfer probes. The novel H1N1 influenza strain responsible for the 2009 pandemic showed a melting profile distinct from that of seasonal H1N1 or H3N2 and compatible with the predicted melting temperature based on the published novel H1N1 matrix gene sequence. Validation by comparison with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention real-time RT-PCR for swine influenza A (novel H1N1) test showed this assay to be both rapid and reliable (>99% sensitive and specific) in the identification of the novel H1N1 influenza A virus strain.
Special Education Subgroups under NCLB: Issues to Consider.

Background/Context: There are few empirical studies exploring the alleged conflict between the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine what impact the No Child Left Behind Act has had on students with disabilities. Research Design: Specifically, using large data sets from three different states, this article examines how the students with disabilities subgroup has fared under the No Child Left Behind Act. Under NCLB, there are four different subgroups: race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, limited English proficiency, and students with disabilities. If any one of these subgroups fails to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under NCLB, the entire school fails. Findings: This study found that schools fail to make AYP most often because of the students with disabilities subgroup. The failure of the special education subgroup to make AYP occurs mainly because the students with disabilities subgroup is expected to maintain the exact same proficiency levels as their general education peers—a standard that has proved to be problematic because special education students often start out with lower average test scores than general education students. In addition, the students with disabilities subgroup is the only subgroup in which actual limitations on ability to learn might come into play. The existence of these limitations calls into question the wisdom of trying to close the general education‐special education “achievement gap” at the same pace as the race- or class-based achievement gaps. In addition to quantitative methods, this study also used legal research techniques to examine the legal impact that the two laws are having on students with disabilities. Conclusions: The study found that although judicial challenges may be one route to try to change the law, pressure at the state and local levels by educators and parents of students with disabilities working together with the U.S. Department of Education may have an impact as well.
Climate Change Litigation: Opening the Door to the International Court of Justice

This chapter examines the potential for the International Court of Justice to serve as a forum for climate change litigation. It begins by assessing the potential legal and political implications of an International Court of Justice decision on climate change. It then proceeds to evaluate various jurisdictional basis upon which the Court could agree to hear cases implicating climate change. Finally, the chapter provides an overview of the law the law applicable to climate change litigation before the Court.
Catecholamine levels and treatment in chronic heart failure

Neurohormonal activation is well studied in chronic heart failure, and covers aspects such as abnormalities of plasma catecholamines, particularly since plasma noradrenaline levels have been found to predict impaired prognosis in heart failure patients. This review will concentrate on the information available on circulating levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. It will discuss how catecholamine levels change during different disease stages from myocardial infarction to severe chronic heart failure. It has been clearly shown that angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors exert particularly beneficial effects in heart failure patients with raised catecholamine levels. Nevertheless, reviewing how a variety of drug and non-drug interventions affect catecholamine levels and patients' survival. it is concluded that the effect on catecholamine levels does not directly correlate with a survival benefit of the respective intervention. Despite their prognostic significance, due to the development of new prognostic markers for patients with chronic heart failure, the overall clinical value of spot catecholamine levels remains limited.
Integration of Slicing Methods into a Cultural Algorithm in Order to Assist in Large-Scale Engineering Systems Design

Programmers often employ knowledge-based heuristic approaches in the application of solving programming problems. Program slicing is one tool used to acquire such knowledge within the area of Software Engineering to support the debugging, testing, maintenance and understanding of programs. Program slicing is the determination of the set of all the statements in a program that directly or indirectly affects the value of a variable occurrence. Genetic Programming is the process of using evolutionary techniques to identify information that can be used to identify the location of problems in program code. We believe that within a Cultural Algorithm framework, a testing analysis agent can be implemented utilizing slicing techniques in order to produce more accurate program metrics.
Timing of intense magmatic episodes in the northern and central Sierra Madre Occidental, western Mexico

The ∼400,000 km 2 calc-alkalic Sierra Madre Occidental volcanic field is the largest component of the Tertiary ignimbrite flare-up of western North America. Laser-fusion 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology of sanidine and anorthoclase from ignimbrites sampled within three areas of concentrated geologic mapping in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango provides the first examination of fine-scale temporal fluctuations within this significant area of the ignimbrite flare-up. Overall, the 112 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages range from 28 to 46 Ma, with a separate group near 24 Ma. The oldest ages (40–46 Ma, with a strong cluster at 44–46 Ma) are found only along the eastern margin of the field. The predominant age concentration (28–36 Ma) is found across two east-west traverses of the volcanic field that are separated by 500 km. Within this interval, there are strong concentrations at 28–30 Ma, ca. 33 Ma, and 35–36 Ma in the northern traverse, and at 30–31 Ma and at 31.5 Ma in the southern traverse. A cluster of ages near 24 Ma is present in the western part of both traverses. Ignimbrite sequences of similar age are oriented in belts generally parallel to the axis of the Sierra Madre Occidental volcanic field. The belts partly overlap but are progressively younger toward the west. This geographic pattern fits with numerous studies that relate the position of arc magmatism to the delamination/rollback of the subducted Farallon slab. However, a more difficult challenge is to reconcile a pattern of discrete, brief (∼2 m.y.) and intense episodes of magmatism to behavior of the Farallon plate.
Environmental disaster education at the university level: an integrative approach

Abstract Because of the highly complex nature of chemical and nuclear accidents, efforts aimed at prevention, preparedness and response require the melding of many types of knowledge and the close collaboration of a wide range of professions. Nevertheless, the need for such integration and cooperation is not always strongly emphasized in university-level curricula. As a result, developing professionals have few opportunities to learn and practise unified models of environmental accident management. In an effort to foster a more integrative approach, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, has launched the “Environmental Disasters” project. The project crosses disciplinary boundaries with respect to both curriculum and enrollment. In terms of curriculum, the project examines chemical and nuclear accidents from a multi-dimensional perspective, considering not only regulatory, scientific and policy issues, but also the public health, social, and psychological implications. In terms of enrollment, the project brings together students from the full range of fields that are involved with environmental accidents, including engineering, public health, public administration, social work, psychology, nursing, communications, medicine, and environmental studies. Emphasizing the need for a collaborative approach, students work in multi-disciplinary teams as they explore theory, case studies and current research. In addition, the student teams develop detailed plans for addressing the effects of a chemical or nuclear disaster. With environmental accidents representing an on-going threat to health and safety, the approach discussed in this article may provide a useful model for environmental disaster education at the university level.
The impact of relationship quality on attitude toward a sponsor

Purpose – The purpose of the current study is to advance understanding of sponsorship effectiveness by investigating the impact of the quality of the relationship between a consumer and a sport property on sponsorship effectiveness.Design/methodology/approach – A model was developed to examine linkages among relationship quality, sincerity, attitude toward sponsor and intention to purchase a sponsor's product. The measurement model was tested using confirmatory factory analysis. The relationships in the hypothesized model were tested using simultaneous equations.Findings – The results indicate that positive attitude toward a sponsor and intention to purchase said sponsor's product(s) are more likely to occur among the customers who perceive a higher degree of relationship quality with the sport property and believe the sponsor motives are sincere.Research limitations/implications – A conceptual model of sponsorship effectiveness was developed and empirically tested. The tested model provides an expanded v...
Transport of Cd and Zn to seeds of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) during specific stages of plant growth and development.

The accumulation of excess Cd in the seeds of cereal and other crops compromises their commercial value and presents a potential risk to human health. Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] is a moderate accumulator of heavy metals such as Cd and Zn, and the seeds are consumed throughout the world, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. The study here examined the transport of Cd into Indian mustard plants and to seeds as a function of external Cd and the stage of the life cycle (vegetative growth, flowering and seed set) to identify critical developmental windows where transport from roots to seeds was the greatest. Plants were also treated simultaneously with Zn to determine if Zn fertilization mitigated the transport of Cd to seeds. Plants treated with Cd during the seed set accumulated the highest concentrations of Cd, exceeding 8 mg kg- I dry weight in some instances. Cadmium accumulated during vegetative growth was not highly redistributed to seeds. No effects of Zn were observed with regard to Cd redistribution to seeds. This may be because of the relatively small Zn : Cd ratios tested. However, the results suggest that if Zn fertilization is to be used to reduce the Cd accumulation in seeds of this species, that plants should be treated during the seed set stage. As the seeds of Indian mustard consistently accumulated Cd to concentrations that exceed acceptable limits for food crops, additional study of Cd redistribution in this species is warranted.
Affinity purification of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase using derivatized epoxy-activated Sepharose gels.

Abstract Improved affinity chromatography procedures for the purification of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase are described. An earlier affinity purification method using immobilized 7-methoxycitronellyl thiol (MCT) sporadically produced final enzyme preparations containing major impurities. To eliminate these impurities, we tested alternate ligands, spacer arms, and ligand concentrations. A series of alkyl and aryl thiols coupled to epoxy-activated Sepharose were found to exhibit markedly different binding characteristics as compared with commercially available alkyl- and aryl-Sepharose gels. Using one of these new matrices, benzylthio-Sepharose, cytosolic epoxide hydrolase from mouse liver was purified over 100-fold, appeared homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and was obtained with 60–90% recovery of enzyme activity. The impurities previously observed with the MCT-Sepharose procedure were reduced or eliminated by using an MCT ligand concentration of 5 microequivalents per gram or less. MCT-Sepharose and benzylthio-Sepharose provide rapid and convenient one-step procedures for obtaining purified cytosolic epoxide hydrolase from numerous species and tissues.
The middle construction and ergativity

Etude comparative, dans le cadre de la theorie du liage et du gouvernement, du phenomene de construction " faussement reflexive " dans une langue ergative (Dyirbal), et une langue accusative (Francais)
A case of Hashimoto's encephalopathy: Association with sensory ganglionopathy

We report a case of Hashimoto's encephalopathy with prominent unsteadiness of gait. Nerve conduction studies and electromyographic findings were consistent with a sensory ganglionopathy. Symptoms and clinical findings resolved with high-dose corticosteroid therapy and paralleled the levels of anti-microsomal antibodies. Sensory ganglionopathy seems to be another aspect of the broad clinical syndrome labeled Hashimoto's encephalopathy.
More About the Massive Schwinger Model

Abstract The massive Schwinger model is quantum electrodynamics of a Dirac particle of mass m and charge e in 1 + 1 dimensions. It is known that the physics of the model depends on an arbitrary parameter independent of e and m, an angle, θ,|θ| ⩽ π. I give a physical explanation of this angle, and explain why a corresponding parameter does not appear in (3 + 1)-dimensional electrodynamics. I also compute some quantitative properties of the theory for both weak coupling, e ≪ m, and strong coupling, e ≫ m, and conjecture a qualitative description of the model that interpolates smoothly between weak and strong coupling. A typical quantitative result is that for weak coupling and |θ| ≠ π, the number of stable particles in the theory is 4 m 2 π e 2 1 ( 1 − θ 2 / π 2 ) [ 2 3 − In ( 2 + 3 ] + O ( 1 ) I do similar computations for a generalization of the model with “flavor SU(2), ” i.e., with two fermions of equal charge and mass. For weak coupling the results are very much like those for the massive Schwinger model, but for strong coupling there are some surprising differences.
Structure and soft magnetic properties of FeAl/FeN multilayered films with high BS and μ

Abstract The structural and soft magnetic properties of FeAl/FeN multilayer films with high spontaneous induction B S and permeability μ are investigated. The thickness of the FeAl layer is fixed at about 675 A, while that of the FeN layers is varied from 135 to 675 A. For the larger thicknesses of FeN layer the X-ray diffraction patterns contain peaks from γ'-Fe 4 N and α-Fe. The peaks become narrower when the FeN layers become thicker. Atomic force microscopy reveals that the grain size is smaller for films with thinner layers of FeN. B S is high (16 kG) and almost independent of the thickness of the FeN layer. The coercivity H c decreases and μ increases when the FeN layer becomes thinner. When the thickness of the FeN layer is 135 A, the coercivity is low (about 1 Oe), μ is high (2000 at 13 MHz), and μ changes little from 1 to 13 MHz. These results can be understood qualitatively on the basis of an increase of μ caused by enhanced coherent rotation in small particles.
Towards a framework of sustainability indicators for ‘communication for development and social change’ projects:

This article presents an overview of the emergence of sustainability themes in communication for development and argues that there is an urgent need for a framework of sustainability indicators for communication for development and social change projects around the world. It fills a crucial gap in the growing body of literature by first synthesizing the most relevant data currently produced by global and local institutions, NGOs, UN-based organizations, academics, and professionals regarding assessment indicators for development projects, and second, produces a framework of sustainability indicators that can be used by a wide variety of people in the field to assess the sustainability of existing projects and the sustainable potential of planned ones. It then tests the framework in two representative cases.
An exploration of key connections within sales‐marketing interface

Purpose – The paucity of empirical research on the sales‐marketing interface necessitates a detailed exploration of linkages that can forge stronger connection between these two functions. This paper aims to explicate the boundary conditions that may affect the role played by structure, language, and process linkages in forging sales‐marketing connections, and to identify additional linkages that may play an important role in this interface.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 47 sales and marketing professionals across different organizations in diverse industries were interviewed.Findings – The research finds that certain boundary conditions (e.g. organizational hierarchy, time horizon) may influence how structure, language, and process linkages may operate in this interface. It also extends linkage repertoire by identifying two critical linkages: social and philosophical. Its managerial contribution lies in stressing the importance of: vertical and horizontal communication bridges; marketing's flex...
Rossi's Reactors - Reality or Fiction?

A tabletop prototype of a new kind of nuclear device was demonstrated at the University of Bologna, several months ago. It generated thermal energy at the rate of 12 kW. A set of one hundred of such interconnected devices, able to generate energy at a much higher rate (up to 1000 kW) is said to be now commercially available. The inventor claims that the energy was produced via nuclear fusion of hydrogen and nickel. This note addresses conceptual difficulties associated with such interpretation. Experimental facts reported by the inventor seem to conflict with accepted knowledge. This, however, should not be a justification for the rejection of experimental data. Refutations and confirmations should be based on independently performed experiments.
Hemodynamic changes as a function of classical aversive conditioning in human subjects.

Eleven subjects underwent a discriminative classical aversive conditioning paradigm while heart rate, stroke index, and hence cardiac index were continuously monitored. Ten out of 11 subjects showed heart rate decreases to the conditioned stimulus at the time of shock onset. This decrease in rate did not change other hemodynamic parameters. The hemodynamic response to the unconditioned stimulus was an increase in heart rate and cardiac index even though stroke index decreased. These results suggest that the conditioned heart rate changes in human heart rate conditioning are too small to alter other hemodynamic variables.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF BANGIA FUSCOPURPUREA IN CULTURE. I. EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND PHOTOPERIOD ON THE MORPHOLOGY AND REPRODUCTION OF THE BANGIA PHASE12

SUMMARY The Bangia phase of Bangia fuscopurpurea was grown in laboratory culture in a variety of photoperiod and temperature regimes. Plants of the Bangia phase grown from 2 types of asexual spores, monospores and conchospores, exhibited growth differences under similar growing conditions. Plants derived from monospores grew more rapidly and matured earlier than those derived from carpospores. Day length and temperature were found to significantly influence growth rule, maturation, and plant size. Long day lengths resulted in more rapid growth in filament length and diameter and earlier spore formation and spore release. Maximum filament length was observed in a 12/12 hr light-dark cycle at 15 C. Spore formation and release were delayed by decreasing day length or temperature. Temperature and photoperiod were also found to influence the type of spores produced by the Bangia phase. When grown at 22 C, the Bangia phase produced only monospores, which reproduced the Bangia phase. At 9 C, with photoperiods of 11 hr or more of light, the Bangia phase produced carpospores which gave rise to the alternating Conchocelis phase. The conditions under which sporogenesis occurred determined the spore type differentiated.
Radiation from flexural vibrations of the baseplate and their effect on the accuracy of traveltime measurements

We analyse the problem of radiation of seismic waves by a vibroseis source when the baseplate is subject to flexure. A theoretical model is proposed to account for baseplate flexure, generalizing the well-known model of the vibroseis source of Sallas and Weber, which was developed for a rigid plate. Using the model proposed, we analyse the effect of flexure on the properties of seismic waves. We show that the flexure does not contribute to the far-field and mainly affects the readings of the reference accelerometer that is used to measure the force applied to the ground; these readings generally become dependent on the location of the sensor on the plate. For muddy and sandy soils, the effect of flexure on baseplate-acceleration measurements is nonetheless pronounced at the high end of the vibroseis frequency band only (∼100 Hz), and is negligible at all frequencies for stiffer soils. The corresponding phase lags introduced by the flexural vibrations at high frequencies lead to errors in the traveltime measurements (through the cross-correlation function) of up to 0.6 ms for muddy soils and less for denser soils. We show the existence of an optimal position of the reference sensor on the baseplate and also propose a general method of eliminating the phase lag due to the baseplate flexure in acceleration measurements.
Response of Suppressed Conifer Seedlings to Release from an Aspen-pine Overstorey

Seedlings of white pine, red pine, and white spruce which had germinated in a spot-seeding experiment, and which had been suppressed for 27 years under a mature aspen-pine stand were released in 1950. The development of a new dense stand of aspen suckers permitted conifer growth rates of about 0.3 m per year for the next 30 years (not as rapid as for open grown trees) yet limited white pine weevil damage. The stand was thinned in 1980 to remove the aspen and all but the best stem of the coniferous species at each seed spot.
Aggregation of polyalanine in a hydrophobic environment

The dimerization of polyalanine peptides in a hydrophobic environment was explored using replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations. A nonpolar solvent (cyclohexane) was used to mimic, among other hydrophobic environments, the hydrophobic interior of a membrane in which the peptides are fully embedded. Our simulations reveal that while the polyalanine monomer preferentially adopts a beta-hairpin conformation, dimeric phases exist in an equilibrium between random coil, alpha-helical, beta-sheet, and beta-hairpin states. A thermodynamic characterization of the dimeric phases reveals that electric dipole-dipole interactions and optimal side-chain packing stabilize alpha-helical conformations, while hydrogen bond interactions favor beta-sheet conformations. Possible pathways leading to the formation of alpha-helical and beta-sheet dimers are discussed.
Observation of a two-neutron cascade from a resonance in O-24

A new resonance having a relative decay energy of $~0.6$ MeV has been observed above the two-neutron separation energy in $^{24}\mathrm{O}$ at an excitation energy of $~7.5$ MeV. The new level was found to directly feed the first excited state in $^{23}\mathrm{O}$, an $E=0.045(2)$-MeV resonance, through the measurement of neutron-neutron correlations. Energy level comparisons with $^{23}\mathrm{O}$ suggest that this new level in $^{24}\mathrm{O}$ is dominated by an unpaired neutron in the $\ensuremath{\nu}0{d}_{3/2}$ single-particle orbital coupled to a single hole in the $\ensuremath{\nu}0{d}_{5/2}$ single-particle orbital. Establishment of this two-neutron discrimination technique provides a means for investigating high-lying excited states in neutron-rich nuclei.
Poisson structures of superfluids

Abstract We present noncanonical Poisson brackets for four theories of superfluids: irrotational 4 He, rotating 4 He, anisotropic liquid 3 He-A without spin, and anisotropic liquid 3 He-A with spin included.
Enzymatic activity of free-prostate-specific antigen (f-PSA) is not required for some of its physiological activities.

BACKGROUND Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a well known biomarker for early diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. Furthermore, PSA has been documented to have anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic activities in both in vitro and in vivo studies. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism(s) involved in regulation of these processes, in particular the role of the serine-protease enzymatic activity of PSA. METHODS Enzymatic activity of PSA isolated directly from seminal plasma was inhibited specifically (>95%) by incubation with zinc2+. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were utilized to compare/contrast the physiological effects of enzymatically active versus inactive PSA. RESULTS Equimolar concentrations of enzymatically active PSA and PSA enzymatically inactivated by incubation with Zn2+ had similar physiological effects on HUVEC, including inhibiting the gene expression of pro-angiogenic growth factors, like VEGF and bFGF, and up-regulation of expression of the anti-angiogenic growth factor IFN-γ; suppression of mRNA expression for markers of blood vessel development, like FAK, FLT, KDR, TWIST-1; P-38; inhibition of endothelial tube formation in the in vitro Matrigel Tube Formation Assay; and inhibition of endothelial cell invasion and migration properties. DISCUSSION Our data provides compelling evidence that the transcriptional regulatory and the anti-angiogenic activities of human PSA are independent of the innate enzymatic activity. Prostate 71:1680–1690, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Upstream to downstream: stormwater quality in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The focus of this research was upon consequences of urban stormwater runoff entering two streams in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Mayaguez is the largest urban area of the western side of the island of Puerto Rico and provides an excellent point of reference to monitor the affects of urban development on water quality in a tropical climate. The two monitored streams were Quebrada del Oro and Cano Majagual. The research hypothesis asks, “Does stormwater runoff from urban development measurably affect the water quality of downstream receiving water by raising the conductivity, temperature, and flow quantity characteristics during storm events in comparison to upstream water quality?” In essence, the results for Quebrada del Oro agreed with the hypothesis of this project, while Cano Majagual produced results different from the hypothesis primarily due to the absence of non-urbanized land use for both upstream and downstream sections as well as the buffering capacity of a large wetland just upstream of the downstream instrument location of Cano Majagual. Both streams showed signs of stream impairment according to the temperature criteria (32°C or 90°F) set by the Junta de Calidad Ambiental and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Dissolved oxygen levels of the streams were severely affected by water temperature and oxygen-consuming matter within these stream systems, making dissolved oxygen and temperature important water quality parameters for tropical climates.
The nature of task interference in hypnotic dissociation: an investigation of hypnotic behavior.

Abstract Ss were 15 highly hypnotizable college students capable of performing a manual task (key-pressing according to a simple pattern) following a posthypnotic signal, with the task out of awareness (“subconscious”). The “subconscious” task was sometimes performed alone, while S was presumably resting, and sometimes simultaneously with color-naming, always “conscious.” Control conditions included “conscious” key-pressing, both alone and simultaneous with colornaming. Most of the effects were in errors in key-pressing beyond those in the “conscious” condition alone: when “conscious” pressing was attempted simultaneously with color-naming; equally when “subconsciousJ' key-pressing w s performed alone; by a greater amount when performed “subconsciously” with color-naming. Maintaining dkociation apparently requires cognitive dort, hence adding to task interference. Individual differences were noted in departures from the average findings, with no evidence for performances of any Ss improved substantially b...
Postnatal glucocorticoid therapy for prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia: routes of administration compared

Postnatal systemic and inhaled glucocorticoid therapies continue to be used in the management of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Systemic dexamethasone therapy has been studied longer than aerosolized glucocorticoid therapy. Several prophylactic trials of systemic dexamethasone therapy demonstrated a reduction in the incidence of BPD and neonatal mortality. However, evidence of potentially serious acute and long-term adverse effects has reduced enthusiasm for use of systemic dexamethasone therapy. Although no trial to date of inhaled glucocorticoid therapy showed a reduction in the incidence of BPD, some studies demonstrated secondary pulmonary benefits with few short-term adverse effects. This article compares the clinical efficacy and safety of these two routes of administration of glucocorticoid therapy.
Preparation and Properties of Pyrolytic Silicon Nitride

Silicon nitride has very attractive electrical, physical, and chemical properties which are of great interest for microelectronic devices. Until recently, most methods that have been reported in literature produce silicon nitride in the form of powder, needles, ribbons, or flakes. Recently, Sterling and Swann reported that continuous films of silicon nitride have been obtained. A new pyrolytic method for preparing pinhole‐free continuous silicon nitride film is described. Films have been successfully prepared in the temperature range of 750°–1100°C. Some physical and chemical properties of those films are summarized.
A Stochastic Mortar Mixed Finite Element Method for Flow in Porous Media with Multiple Rock Types

This paper presents an efficient multiscale stochastic framework for uncertainty quantification in modeling of flow through porous media with multiple rock types. The governing equations are based on Darcy's law with nonstationary stochastic permeability represented as a sum of local Karhunen-Loeve expansions. The approximation uses stochastic collocation on either a tensor product or a sparse grid, coupled with a domain decomposition algorithm known as the multiscale mortar mixed finite element method. The latter method requires solving a coarse scale mortar interface problem via an iterative procedure. The traditional implementation requires the solution of local fine scale linear systems on each iteration. We employ a recently developed modification of this method that precomputes a multiscale flux basis to avoid the need for subdomain solves on each iteration. In the stochastic setting, the basis is further reused over multiple realizations, leading to collocation algorithms that are more efficient than the traditional implementation by orders of magnitude. Error analysis and numerical experiments are presented.
Competing interactions create functionality through frustration

Like Buridan's Ass—and somewhat ironically—we often feel frustrated if given more choice than expected. Yet, the converse appears to be true as well. Frustration that results from the impossibility of satisfying all competing interests simultaneously itself implies a greater diversity of distinct behaviors for the overall system. Nature seems to use just this unsettling device of built-in conflict to ensure adaptability and functionality at many levels of organization, ranging from the molecular scale, as in protein-conformational dynamics, to the macroscopic scale, as in socioeconomic processes. Identification and quantitative characterization of the precise sources of frustration is key to understanding the workings of existing systems and the ability to design new, useful systems. This task, however, is difficult for two reasons: (i) direct computational studies of systems with many states are almost always costly and often are simply out of reach for today's computer technology, and (ii) once the calculation is done, even bookkeeping and grouping states are usually unobvious, again because the states are so many. In this issue of PNAS, Materese et al. (1) accomplish both tasks for the native state dynamics of a small protein, eglin c, which inhibits serine protease. By identifying the key conflicts between different physical interactions, they move us toward the goal of designing proteins that are not just sculptures but can also function.
An Upper Bound on the Loss from Approximate Optimal-Value Functions

Many reinforcement learning approaches can be formulated using the theory of Markov decision processes and the associated method of dynamic programming (DP). The value of this theoretical understanding, however, is tempered by many practical concerns. One important question is whether DP-based approaches that use function approximation rather than lookup tables can avoid catastrophic effects on performance. This note presents a result of Bertsekas (1987) which guarantees that small errors in the approximation of a task's optimal value function cannot produce arbitrarily bad performance when actions are selected by a greedy policy. We derive an upper bound on performance loss that is slightly tighter than that in Bertsekas (1987), and we show the extension of the bound to Q-learning (Watkins, 1989). These results provide a partial theoretical rationale for the approximation of value functions, an issue of great practical importance in reinforcement learning.
μ-Opiate receptor binding in the medial preoptic area is cyclical and sexually dimorphic

Abstract The density and distribution of μ- and κ-opiate receptors in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of male and female rats across the estrous cycle was examined using quantitative in vitro autoradiography of [3H]D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5-enkephalin (DAGO), [3H]naloxone and [3H]bremazocine binding. While no difference in κ-receptor labeling was observed across sex or estrous stage, selective μ-receptor labeling with [3H]DAGO revealed a significant variation of density and distribution in the MPOA across the estrous cycle and between sexes. A dense concentration of μ-receptors located in the central, sexually dimorphic portion of the MPOA was observed during metestrus and diestrus in females, but not during proestrus nor in males. This region appeared to be the same as that labeled similarly using [3H]naloxone. These results suggest that a regional substrate for functional activation by endogenous opiod peptides (e.g. β-endorphin) is cyclically regulated in females, which may explain the gonadal streoid-dependent effects of MPOA β-endorphin on lordosis and luteinizing hormone secretion in females.
Social Work Assessment: Case Theory Construction:

intervene effectively, social workers need to make sense of clients and their situations. A case theory approach to assessment pro- vides a framework to formulate assessments that are clear and directly related to the real-world problems clients present Explaining the problem situation, case theory forms the foundation for selection of intervention strategies and methods to achieve change. Build- ing case theory requires practitioner abilities to form concepts, relate concepts into propositions, develop hypotheses, and organize these into a coherent whole. Including case background information, observations and relevant professional literature, case theory pre- sents an accurate and cogent comprehension of the client Two case examples of depression illustrate the important relationship among concepts, empirical referents, propositions, general theorles, and intervention, highlighting how case theory guides practice. AN OVERARCHING INQUIRY DIRECTS this article: How do social workers figure out what is going on with clients? Embedded within is another question: What is the point of this knowledge? I offer here a case theory framework for use by social workers to make sense of cli- ents and their situations and connect that comprehension