cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of 3-phenylsulfonyl-2-trifluoromethyl-1H-indoles: A copper catalyzed cyclization approach

Abstract 3-Sulfonyl and 3-aroylindoles have attracted special attention because of their interesting biological activities, particularly for the development of antiviral and anticancer compounds. Based on the importance of the trifluoromethyl group in biological active molecules, we have developed a synthetic pathway for the preparation of a series of 3-phenylsulfonyl-2-trifluoromethyl-1H-indoles in two steps starting from readily available methyl-phenylsulfones. The starting methylsulfones underwent reaction with trifluoroacetimidoyl chlorides using LDA/THF at −40 °C to produce a mixture of trifluorometylimino/enamino-β-sulfonylphenyl intermediates, which were then cyclized using a copper (II) catalyst to give the title compounds in moderate to good yield.
The New England earthquake of January 7, 1925

Summary An earthquake occurred on the morning of January 7, 1925. It was felt in eastern Massachusetts, and adjacent parts of Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine. Distance from Harvard seismograph forty-five kilometers. Epicentral area thought to be near Cape Ann. Not felt at sea. Closely related to an earthquake area in northeast Massachusetts. Radius of periphery of disturbed area from epicentral area,—maximum seventy-five miles, minimum fifty miles. Maximum intensity barely V, Rossi-Forel Scale.
Collaborative interactions to enhance gas binding energy in porous metal–organic frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are potentially useful materials for hydrogen and methane storage. However, the weak interactions between the MOF host and gas guest molecules have limited their storage capacities at elevated temperatures. In this issue, Alkordi et al. [IUCrJ (2017), 4, 131-135] illustrate an example of a porous MOF with a suitable pore size and unique pore surface for enhanced interaction with hydrogen molecules, providing the promise of further increasing the gas binding affinity through collaborative interactions.
Side-to-Side Tracheobronchoplasty to Reconstruct Complex Congenital Tracheobronchial Stenosis

Background Long segment tracheobronchial stenosis is a rare congenital anomaly that can also occur in combination with abnormal bronchial arborization. Long segment tracheal reconstruction in the setting of a supernumerary bridging bronchus has been reported; however, these repairs can be particularly complex. We present our experience using the bridging bronchus to augment long segment tracheal stenosis with a side-to-side tracheobronchoplasty. Methods Four patients with complex long segment tracheobronchial stenosis involving a bronchus suis (right upper lobe bronchus) and a bridging bronchus presented with refractory respiratory distress requiring urgent tracheal reconstruction. Patient 1 was initially managed with modified slide tracheoplasty and tracheostomy. Patients 2, 3, and 4 were managed with single-stage procedures. All patients underwent definitive long segment tracheobronchoplasty consisting of a side-to-side anastomosis between the bridging bronchus and the right upper lobe bronchus. Results Age at surgery was 569, 69, 24, and 142 days, respectively. Weight at surgery was 9.3, 4.3, 2.7, and 5.9 kg. All patients were weaned from mechanical ventilation at 84, 13, 47, and 8 days after side-to-side tracheobronchoplasty. All patients were alive and free from tracheostomy at follow-up of 6.7, 3.8, 2.7, and 0.5 years. Conclusions Side-to-side tracheal reconstruction is feasible in severe cases of long segment tracheal stenosis with a right upper lobe bronchus and a bridging bronchus. This technique can be successfully applied in high-risk patients and in the neonatal period and can provide excellent midterm results.
Perceptions of Successful Aging among Older Adults in Bangladesh: An Exploratory Study

To analyze older adults' definitions of successful aging in Bangladesh. The purposively selected study sample comprised twelve participants who were aged over 60. Interviews using in-depth semi-structured questionnaires were conducted based on participants' chosen mode, either face-to-face, or by phone. Findings of this study support that successful aging is multidimensional - that is - for Bangladeshis successful aging encompasses dimensions such as adaptation to an aging body, financial security, family and intergenerational care, and social participation. Older adults' emphases on all these dimensions were qualitatively different from those relevant in western societies. Bangladeshis see disease and disability as a normal part of aging and do not emphasize freedom from disease or longevity as much as North Americans and the US-focused successful aging discourses do. Family care is a key component of successful aging in Bangladesh. While in western models functional independence has been emphasized, for Bangladeshi older adults' adaptations to changing body, co-residing with children, being financially, physically, and emotionally dependent on family and receiving their care are viewed as normal and appropriate. Cross-cultural comparisons in this study suggest that what it means and entails to age well differ across cultures. This study highlights the need among health professionals to understand Bangladeshi culture, with its specific beliefs and values, as it relates to the views of aging well.
Heterozygote galactocerebrosidase (GALC) mutants have reduced remyelination and impaired myelin debris clearance following demyelinating injury

Genome-wide association studies are identifying multiple genetic risk factors for several diseases, but the functional role of these changes remains mostly unknown. Variants in the galactocerebrosidase (GALC) gene, for example, were identified as a risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis (MS); however, the potential biological relevance of GALC variants to MS remains elusive. We found that heterozygote GALC mutant mice have reduced myelin debris clearance and diminished remyelination after a demyelinating insult. We found no histological or behavioral differences between adult wild-type and GALC +/- animals under normal conditions. Following exposure to the demyelinating agent cuprizone, however, GALC +/- animals had significantly reduced remyelination during recovery. In addition, the microglial phagocytic response and elevation of Trem2, both necessary for clearing damaged myelin, were markedly reduced in GALC +/- animals. These altered responses could be corrected in vitro by treatment with NKH-477, a compound discovered as protective in our previous studies on Krabbe disease, which is caused by mutations in both GALC alleles. Our data are the first to show remyelination defects in individuals with a single mutant GALC allele, suggesting such carriers may have increased vulnerability to myelin damage following injury or disease due to inefficient myelin debris clearance. We thus provide a potential functional link between GALC variants and increased MS susceptibility, particularly due to the failure of remyelination associated with progressive MS. Finally, this work demonstrates that genetic variants identified through genome-wide association studies may contribute significantly to complex diseases, not by driving initial symptoms, but by altering repair mechanisms.
Kite-free P - and Q -polynomial schemes

LetY = (X, {R i } o≤i≤d) denote aP-polynomial association scheme. By a kite of lengthi (2 ≤ i ≤ d) inY, we mean a 4-tuplexyzu (x, y, z, u ∈ X) such that(x, y) ∈ R 1,(x, z) ∈ R 1,(y, z) ∈ R 1,(u, y) ∈ R i−1,(u, z) ∈ R i−1,(u, x) ∈ R i. Our main result in this paper is the following.
Quantitative Analysis of Smooth Progression in Traffic Signal Systems

AbstractTraffic signal coordination has been widely used to provide smooth progression for platoons on signalized arterials to enhance performance measures such as travel times, number of stops, an...
TRICYCLICS AND MAO INHIBITORS: RATIONAL POLYPHARMACY IN TREATMENT–RESISTANT DEPRESSIONS

Abstract Depressed patients unresponsive to either the tricyclic drugs or MAO inhibitors can often safely benefit from combined treatment with both drugs given together. A review of the literature in both man and animal concerning adverse drug interactions as a result of combined tricyclic and MAO inhibitor therapy reveals that the interpretation of data is fraught with many difficulties. Those data available permit the conclusion that there has been premature closure regarding this matter on the part of the medical community and drug regulatory bodies which detract from a safe and potentially highly effective treatment modality in otherwise drug (and/or ECT) refractory individuals.
Once more unto the breach: Kant and Newton

Watching the stream of papers and monographs on Kant these days, one might think the Sage of Konigsberg cared little for anything besides the metaphysics of modality and the nature of obligation. That is a far cry from the real Kant, whose first and last writings, nearly six decades apart, were on the foundations of exact science, with steady, robust contributions to that field every decade or so. The zenith of his dialogue with classical physics was about two-thirds into his career and culminated in the masterful Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science of 1786, henceforth ‘‘Foundations.’’ Michael Friedman’s book is the latest, most valiant attempt to tackle it. In form and proportion, it evokes Aristarchus of Samothrace annotating Homer; in aim and content, it recalls Porphyry explaining Aristotle: six hundred pages of commentary on the most difficult hundred pages in all philosophy of physics. Friedman sets himself the task of making transparent sense of every utterance in a small book that, by a combination of difficult matter, historical distance, and taxing prose, is often impenetrable. He succeeds by any measure, with a poise that belies the titanic efforts it cost him. In the process, he sets a new standard for interpreting Kant’s philosophy of science and early modern natural philosophy more broadly. He clarifies opaque passages with enviable ease and deploys at length the technical prowess that made him legendary among specialists.
Who knows how to treat systemic light chain amyloidosis

A rarely noted aspect of the era of novel agents and explosive new knowledge in the clonal plasma cell diseases is how short the half-life of relevant information has become, and how this churning has challenged clinical thinking.
Climate Change Activism Among Latino and White Americans

Research indicates that Latinos have particularly strong pro-environmental attitudes and support for policies to reduce climate change. This study explores differences in climate change activism (i.e., contacting government officials) between Latino and non-Latino White citizens in the United States, and the individual and social factors that predict engagement. Two parallel, nationally representative surveys find that Latinos (n = 1,433) are more likely than Whites (n = 861) to report having contacted a government official in the past and are more willing to contact officials in the future. Key predictors of Latinos’ significantly higher levels of political engagement include greater risk perceptions, egalitarian worldviews, pro-environment injunctive norms, collective political efficacy, and greater social network effects. Competitive mediation analyses find that stronger risk perceptions best predict differences in climate change activism between Latinos and Whites. Climate change communicators might particularly seek to amplify Latinos’ pro-climate tendencies (e.g., heightened risk perceptions) and social norms to encourage greater climate action by this vital and growing segment of the U.S. population.
NATIONAL TRENDS AND OUTCOMES OF ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION ON EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS IN USA

Essential hypertension (HTN) is a chronic disease and a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and mortality. Essential HTN is typically managed in outpatient setting. This study was done to identify the burden imposed by Essential HTN on the emergency departments (ED) in USA. We used
Employment Outcomes, Financial Burden, Anxiety, and Depression Among Caregivers of African American Cancer Survivors.

PURPOSE:Caregivers of cancer survivors may need to take time off work or make other employment changes to handle caregiving demands. Work impacts of caregiving, financial burden, and psychosocial o...
Management of the Sexually Abusive/Harassing Actions of Inmates Directed Towards Correctional Staff: The Impact of Policy and Training Upon Exposure and the Corrections Workplace Culture

This research study examined data obtained from the One Voice corrections organization to identify the existence of policy and training regarding sexually abusive/harassing behaviors by inmates dir...
3D Drone Base Station Placement and Resource Allocation With FSO-Based Backhaul in Hotspots

Deploying a Drone Base Station (DBS) over a hotspot area is a promising solution to improve the user Quality of Service (QoS) by helping the Macro Base Station (MBS) transmit traffic to the users. Essentially, the DBS, which works as a relay node between the users and the MBS, can increase the users’ data rates by virtue of more likely short-distance Line of Sight (LoS) communication links. Furthermore, deploying DBS is more cost-effective and flexible as compared to deploying small cells. The DBS can employ Free Space Optical (FSO) links for backhauling between the DBS and the MBS. In this paper, we study the 3D deployment and resource allocation of a DBS in a given hotspot area with the objective of maximizing the throughput in the access link under the constraint of user QoS, the capacity of the backhaul link, and total available bandwidth and power. To solve the problem, we first decompose the primal problem into two subproblems, i.e., the 3D DBS placement problem and the resource allocation problem. Second, we propose a cyclic iterative algorithm to solve the two sub-problems separately and use the output of one as the input of the other. The performance of the algorithm is demonstrated via extensive simulations.
Principles of mRNA control by human PUM proteins elucidated from multi-modal experiments and integrative data analysis

Abstract The human PUF-family proteins, PUM1 and PUM2, post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by binding to a PUM recognition element (PRE) in the 3’ UTR of target mRNAs. Hundreds of PUM1/2 targets have been identified from changes in steady state RNA levels; however, prior studies could not differentiate between the contributions of changes in transcription and RNA decay rates. We applied metabolic labeling to measure changes in RNA turnover in response to depletion of PUM1/2, showing that human PUM proteins regulate expression almost exclusively by changing RNA stability. We also applied an in vitro selection workflow to precisely identify the binding preferences of PUM1 and PUM2. By integrating our results with prior knowledge, we developed a ‘rulebook’ of key contextual features that differentiate functional vs. non-functional PREs, allowing us to train machine learning models that accurately predict the functional regulation of RNA targets by the human PUM proteins.
Women, Criminal Records, and Certificates of Relief: An Experimental Study

Few studies have examined the impact of criminal history on hiring outcomes for women and even fewer studies have explored the effectiveness of mechanisms aimed to improve hiring outcomes for women...
Litigating Federal Health Care Legislation and the Interstices of Procedure

On November 11, 2011, the University of Richmond Law Review held its annual Allen Chair Symposium, focused on the litigation challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). Recognizing that much had already been written about the constitutionality of the ACA, but that less scholarly attention had been focused on issues such as jurisdiction, standing, ripeness, and severability, the Symposium was entitled “Everything but the Merits.” The timing of this Symposium was both prescient and awkward. Three days after the Symposium was held, the Supreme Court took certiorari on a group of the ACA cases and scheduled an extraordinary three days of argument. Of course once the Court decides these cases, prognostications will be of little significance. Fortunately, the pieces that follow offer insights that go far beyond the issues of the ACA litigation, examining a range of issues about constitutional litigation.
Local Electronic Properties of Coherent Single-Layer WS2/WSe2 Lateral Heterostructures

Lateral single-layer transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) heterostructures are promising building blocks for future ultrathin devices. Recent advances in the growth of coherent heterostructures have improved the structural precision of lateral heterojunctions, but an understanding of the electronic effects of the chemical transition at the interface and associated strain is lacking. Here we present a scanning tunneling microscopy study of single-layer coherent TMD heterostructures with nearly uniform strain on each side of the heterojunction interface. We have characterized the local topography and electronic structure of single-layer WS2/WSe2 heterojunctions exhibiting ultrasharp coherent interfaces. Uniform built-in strain on each side of the interface arising from lattice mismatch results in a reduction of the bandgap of WS2. By mapping the tunneling differential conductance across the interface, we find type-II band alignment and an ultranarrow electronic transition region only ∼3 nm in width that arises from wave function mixing between the two materials.
Pretense and Pathology: Philosophical Fictionalism and its Applications

In this book, Bradley Armour-Garb and James A. Woodbridge distinguish various species of fictionalism, locating and defending their own version of philosophical fictionalism. Addressing semantic and philosophical puzzles that arise from ordinary language, they consider such issues as the problem of non-being, plural identity claims, mental-attitude ascriptions, meaning attributions, and truth-talk. They consider 'deflationism about truth', explaining why deflationists should be fictionalists, and show how their philosophical fictionalist account of truth-talk underwrites a dissolution of the Liar Paradox and its kin. They further explore the semantic notions of reference and predicate-satisfaction, showing how philosophical fictionalism can also resolve puzzles that these notions appear to present. Their critical examination of fictionalist approaches in philosophy, together with the development and application of their own brand of philosophical fictionalism, will be of great interest to scholars and upper-level students of philosophy of language, metaphysics, philosophical logic, philosophy of mind, epistemology, and linguistics.
A theorem of Briançon-Skoda type for regular local rings containing a field

Let (R,m) be a regular local ring containing a field. We give a refinement of the Briancon-Skoda theorem showing that if J is a minimal reduction of I where I is m-primary, then Id+w ⊆ Jw+1a where d = dimR and a is the largest ideal such that aJ = aI. The proof uses tight closure in characteristic p and reduction to characteristic p for rings containing the rationals.
Parallel querying with non-dedicated computers

We present DITN, a new method of parallel querying based on dynamic outsourcing of join processing tasks to non-dedicated, heterogeneous computers. In DITN, partitioning is not the means of parallelism. Data layout decisions are taken outside the scope of the DBMS, and handled within the storage software; query processors see a "Data In The Network" image. This allows gradual scaleout as the workload grows, by using non-dedicated computers.A typical operator in a parallel query plan is Exchange [7]. We argue that Exchange is unsuitable for non-dedicated machines because it poorly addresses node heterogeneity, and is vulnerable to failures or load spikes during query execution. DITN uses an alternate intra-fragment parallelism where each node executes an independent select-project-join-aggregate-group by block, with no tuple exchange between nodes. This method cleanly handles heterogeneous nodes, and well adapts during execution to node failures or load spikes.Initial experiments suggest that DITN performs competitively with a traditional configuration of dedicated machines and well-partitioned data for up to 10 processors at least. At the same time, DITN gives significant flexibility in terms of gradual scaleout and handling of heterogeneity, load bursts, and failures.
Ironies, Inconsistencies, and Intercollegiate Athletics: Title IX, Title VII, and Statistical Evidence of Discrimination

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 generally prohibits sex discrimination by education institutions that receive federal funds. In a series of recent cases, the courts have applied this prohibition to intercollegiate athletics. They have generally reached three conclusions: cutting back on women's teams usually violates the statute; cutting back on men's teams usually does not; and the basic test for equal athletic opportunities requires parity between the number of positions on women's and men's teams and the proportion of women and men in the school's overall enrollment. In this article, we argue that only the first of these conclusions has much to be said for it, and only if it is women's teams alone that are cut or that are cut more drastically than men's teams. The second and third contradict settled principles under other civil rights statutes about how to achieve equal treatment and how to use statistical evidence. "Levelling down," by cutting either women's or men's sports alone, decreases opportunities for one sex exclusively and should be disfavored for that reason. Moreover, the discrimination prohibited by the statute should not be defined by using simplistic statistical tests. Instead, colleges and universities should be given the flexibility to comply with the statute by taking account of more complicated factors that affect the pool of students who can realistically participate in intercollegiate athletics.
Pure Painting and Mottled Colour

On the eve of World War I, Guillaume Apollinaire announced the birth of ‘pure painting’. Scholars have typically understood this as an early version of mid-century theories of abstract art; however, that interpretation ignores the poet’s close association with Robert and Sonia Delaunay. Those artists were deeply influenced by M. E. Chevreul, a nineteenth-century colour theorist who showed that complementary hues appear more pure when seen simultaneously. Most often discussed in relation to the phenomenological changes that occur when red and green are viewed side-by-side, simultaneous contrast suggests an alternative view of purity. For the Delaunays, pure painting was not a retreat from the world, but a way of making its dichotomies and conflicts more visible.
Degrees of Freedom

This short article deals mainly with (i) defining of the term degrees of freedom; (ii) the relation of degrees of freedom to the χ2, t, and F distributions and associated hypothesis testing; (iii) relations among these three distributions, and between them and other distributions (normal, exponential, and Cauchy), when degrees-of-freedom parameters assume certain values; (iv) noninteger degrees of freedom; and (v) issues pertaining to reporting of results for publication. Keywords: χ2 distribution; t distribution; F distribution; noninteger degrees of freedom; normal distribution; exponential distribution; Cauchy distribution; reporting for publication
Low Emission, Liquid Fuel Combustion System for Conventional and Alternative Fuels Developed by the Scaling Analysis

The objective of this study is to develop a theoretical basis for scalability considerations and design of a large scale combustor utilizing flow blurring (FB) atomization. FB atomization is a recently discovered twin-fluid atomization concept, reported to produce fine spray of liquids with wide range of viscosities. Previously, we have developed and investigated a small scale swirl-stabilized combustor of 7-kWth capacity. Spray measurements have shown that the FB injector’s atomization capability is superior when compared to other techniques, such as air blast atomization. However, despite these favorable results, scalability of the FB injector and associated combustor design has never been explored for large capacity, for example, for gas turbine applications. In this study, a number of dimensionless scaling parameters that affect the processes of atomization, fuel-air mixing, and combustion are analyzed, and scaling criteria for the different components of the combustion system are selected. Constant velocity criterion is used to scale key geometric components of the system. Scaling of the nonlinear dimensions and complex geometries, such as swirler vanes and internal parts of the injector is undertaken through phenomenological analysis of the flow processes associated with the scaled component. A scaled up 60-kWth capacity combustor with FB injector is developed and investigated for combustion performance using diesel and vegetable oil (soybean oil) as fuels. Results show that the scaled-up injector’s performance is comparable to the smaller scale system in terms of flame quality, emission levels, and static flame stability. Visual flame images at different air to liquid ratio by mass (ALR) show mainly blue flames, especially for ALR > 2.8. Emission measurements show a general trend of lower CO and NOx levels at higher ALRs, replicating the performance of the small scale combustion system. Flame liftoff height at different ALRs is similar for both scales. The scaled-up combustor with FB injector preformed robustly with uncompromised stability for the range of firing rates above 50% of the design capacity. Experimental results corroborate with the scaling methodology developed in this research.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
CAMEO: modeling human activity in formal meeting situations

We present CAMEO, the Camera Assisted Meeting Event Observer, which is a physical awareness system designed for use by an agent-based electronic assistant. CAMEO is used to observe formal meeting environments and infer the activities of people attending them.
On relative residual bounds for the eigenvalues of a Hermitian matrix

Abstract Let H be a Hermitian matrix, X an orthonormal matrix, and M = X∗HX . Then the eigenvalues of M approximate some eigenvalues of H with an absolute error bounded by ‖ HX − XM ‖ 2 . The main interest in this work is the relative distance between the eigenvalues of M and some part of the spectrum of H . It is shown that distance depends on the angle between the ranges of X and HX .
The incremental garbage collection of processes

This paper investigates some problems associated with an argument evaluation order that we call “future” order, which is different from both call-by-name and call-by-value, In call-by-future, each formal parameter of a function is bound to a separate process (called a “future”) dedicated to the evaluation of the corresponding argument. This mechanism allows the fully parallel evaluation of arguments to a function, and has been shown to augment the expressive power of a language.We discuss an approach to a problem that arises in this context: futures which were thought to be relevant when they were created become irrelevant through being ignored in the body of the expression where they were bound. The problem of irrelevant processes also appears in multiprocessing problem-solving systems which start several processors working on the same problem but with different methods, and return with the solution which finishes first. This parallel method strategy has the drawback that the processes which are investigating the losing methods must be identified, stopped, and re-assigned to more useful tasks.
Computational models of metasomatic processes

Abstract It is possible to calculate quantitative models of chemical transfer by metasomatic processes if rock density values are available with chemical analyses. A unique solution for the magnitude and sign of chemical transfer can be obtained only if the volume change or absolute variation in any chemical constituent can be established. However, even if evidence for volume change and chemical behavior is ambiguous, constraints can be placed on the chemical and physical characteristics of the chemical transfer process by making calculations based on reasonable assumptions.
Phenylsulfonic acid as a mediating agent in histamine-human gamma globulin interactions

Abstract By the method of equilibrium dialysis it was found that histamine does not bind in vitro to representative human and bovine proteins at 0°C. A modified protein formed by coupling the diazonium salt of p -sulfanilic acid was found to form a stable complex with histamine. The energy of binding of the first mole of histamine to this modified protein has been determined to be −1391 cal.
“Square” hysteresis loops in phase-switching Nb-doped lead zirconate stannate titanate thin films

Niobium-doped lead zirconate stannate titanate thin films have been prepared by a modified sol-gel spin on technique, utilizing the hydrolysis-resistant precursor lead acetylacetonate. Films of compositions in the antiferroelectric tetragonal and antiferroelectric orthorhombic phases were prepared and phase-switched with the application of appropriate electric fields. A distinctly “square” hysteresis response was observed in a low titanium, low tin, orthorhombic composition, with a maximum polarization, Pmax, of 40 μC/cm2 and switching field values of Ef = 175 kV/cm and Ea = 75 kV/cm, while varying degrees of squareness, along with lower polarizations and switching fields, were observed in the higher tin, tetragonal compositions. Electric field-induced strains of up to 0.33% have been measured in the orthorhombic composition, with tunable electromechanical coefficients. Film properties showed only slight variation with electrode size over a range of diameters from 0.8 mm to 6.35 mm; large area electrodes are vital for practical actuator and sensor devices. With a capacitance density of 30–35 μF/cm2, films of the orthorhombic composition are promising as power plane decoupling capacitors in multichip modules.
Closely Related Tree Species Differentially Influence the Transfer of Carbon and Nitrogen from Leaf Litter Up the Aquatic Food Web

Decomposing leaf litter in streams provides habitat and nutrition for aquatic insects. Despite large differences in the nutritional qualities of litter among different plant species, their effects on aquatic insects are often difficult to detect. We evaluated how leaf litter of two dominant riparian species (Populus fremontii and P. angustifolia) influenced carbon and nitrogen assimilation by aquatic insect communities, quantifying assimilation rates using stable isotope tracers (13C, 15N). We tested the hypothesis that element fluxes from litter of different plant species better define aquatic insect community structure than insect relative abundances, which often fail. We found that (1) functional communities (defined by fluxes of carbon and nitrogen from leaf litter to insects) were different between leaf litter species, whereas more traditional insect communities (defined by relativized taxa abundances) were not different between leaf litter species, (2) insects assimilated N, but not C, at a higher rate from P. angustifolia litter compared to P. fremontii, even though P. angustifolia decomposes more slowly, and (3) the C:N ratio of material assimilated by aquatic insects was lower for P. angustifolia compared to P. fremontii, indicating higher nutritional quality, despite similar initial litter C:N ratios. These findings provide new evidence for the effects of terrestrial plant species on aquatic ecosystems via their direct influence on the transfer of elements up the food web. We demonstrate how isotopically labeled leaf litter can be used to assess the functioning of insect communities, uncovering patterns undetected by traditional approaches and improving our understanding of the association between food web structure and element cycling.
Collisional studies involving low energy helium ions and mercury bromide

Abstract Electronic excitation of Hg and the HgBr radical has been observed during collisions of HgBr 2 and He + /He 2 + ions at different laboratory kinetic energies. Emission cross-sections of the most intense mercury atomic lines and a molecular band of the HgBr (B 2 Σ, ν=0→X 2 Σ, ν=22) transition have been measured at different projectile ion energies.
Recombinant human interleukin-3 enhances the in vitro survival of mononuclear phagocytes from the peripheral blood of very low birth weight premature infants at birth

Interleukin 3 (IL-3) is a pluripotent hematopoietic growth factor that stimulates proliferation, differentiation, and function of multiple cell lineages. We examined the effects of recombinant human I
Upconverted Emission from Pyrene and Di-tert-butylpyrene Using Ir(ppy)3 as Triplet Sensitizer

Metal-to-ligand charge-transfer sensitized upconverted fluorescence in noncovalent triplet energy transfer assemblies is investigated using Ir(ppy)3 as the sensitizer (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine) and pyrene or 3,8-di-tert-butylpyrene as the triplet acceptor/annihilator. Upconverted singlet fluorescence from pyrene or 3,8-di-tert-butylpyrene resulting from triplet−triplet annihilation (TTA) is observed following selective excitation of Ir(ppy)3 in deaerated dichloromethane solutions using 450-nm laser pulses. In both systems, the TTA process is confirmed by the near quadratic dependence of the upconverted fluorescence intensity on incident light power, measured by integrating the upconverted delayed fluorescence kinetic traces as a function of incident excitation power. At the relatively high concentrations of pyrene that were utilized, pyrene excimer formation was detected by its characteristic broad emission centered near 470 nm. In essence, selective excitation of Ir(ppy)3 ultimately resulted in the simulta...
The roles of cell size and cell number in determining ovariole number in Drosophila.

Abstract All insect ovaries are composed of functional units called ovarioles, which contain sequentially developing egg chambers. The number of ovarioles varies between and within species. Ovariole number is an important determinant of fecundity and thus affects individual fitness. Although Drosophila oogenesis has been intensively studied, the genetic and cellular basis for determination of ovariole number remains unknown. Ovariole formation begins during larval development with the morphogenesis of terminal filament cells (TFCs) into stacks called terminal filaments (TFs). We induced changes in ovariole number in Drosophila melanogaster by genetically altering cell size and cell number in the TFC population, and analyzed TF morphogenesis in these ovaries to understand the cellular basis for the changes in ovariole number. Increasing TFC size contributed to higher ovariole number by increasing TF number. Similarly, increasing total TFC number led to higher ovariole number via an increase in TF number. By analyzing ovarian morphogenesis in another Drosophila species we showed that TFC number regulation is a target of evolutionary change that affects ovariole number. In contrast, temperature-dependent plasticity in ovariole number was due to changes in cell–cell sorting during TF morphogenesis, rather than changes in cell size or cell number. We have thus identified two distinct developmental processes that regulate ovariole number: establishment of total TFC number, and TFC sorting during TF morphogenesis. Our data suggest that the genetic changes underlying species-specific ovariole number may alter the total number of TFCs available to contribute to TF formation. This work provides for the first time specific and quantitative developmental tools to investigate the evolution of a highly conserved reproductive structure.
Protection against Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Young CBA/J Mice by Low-Dose Kanamycin

Animal studies indicate that a combination of kanamycin (KM) and noise produces a synergistic effect, whereby the threshold shift from the combination is greater than the sum of the shifts caused by either agent alone. Most such studies have focused on adult animals, and it has remained unclear whether younger, presumably more susceptible, animals show an even greater synergistic effect. The present study tested the hypothesis that young CBA/J mice receiving a low dose of KM (300 mg/kg, 2×/day, s.c.) from 20 to 30 days post-gestational age followed by brief noise exposure (110 dB SPL; 4–45 kHz, 30 s) would show greater noise-induced permanent threshold shifts (NIPTS) than mice receiving either treatment alone. Noise exposure produced 30–40 dB of NIPTS and moderate hair cell loss in young saline-treated mice. KM alone at this dose had no effect on thresholds. Surprisingly, mice receiving KM plus noise were protected from NIPTS, showing ABR thresholds not significantly different from unexposed controls. Mice receiving KM prior to noise exposure also showed significantly less outer hair cell loss than saline-treated mice. Additional experiments indicated protection by KM when the noise was applied either 24 or 48 h after the last KM injection. Our results demonstrate a powerful protective effect of sub-chronic low-dose kanamycin against NIPTS in young CBA/J mice. Repeated kanamycin exposure may establish a preconditioned protective state, the molecular bases of which remain to be determined.
ASIC PROTEINS REGULATE SMOOTH MUSCLE CELL MIGRATION

The purpose of the present study was to investigate Acid Sensing Ion Channel (ASIC) protein expression and importance in cellular migration. We recently demonstrated that Epithelial Na(+)Channel (ENaC) proteins are required for vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration; however, the role of the closely related ASIC proteins has not been addressed. We used RT-PCR and immunolabeling to determine expression of ASIC1, ASIC2, ASIC3 and ASIC4 in A10 cells. We used small interference RNA to silence individual ASIC expression and determine the importance of ASIC proteins in wound healing and chemotaxis (PDGF-bb)-initiated migration. We found ASIC1, ASIC2, and ASIC3, but not ASIC4, expression in A10 cells. ASIC1, ASIC2, and ASIC3 siRNA molecules significantly suppressed expression of their respective proteins compared to non-targeting siRNA (RISC) transfected controls by 63%, 44%, and 55%, respectively. Wound healing was inhibited by 10, 20, and 26% compared to RISC controls following suppression of ASIC1, ASIC2, and ASIC3, respectively. Chemotactic migration was inhibited by 30% and 45%, respectively, following suppression of ASIC1 and ASIC3. ASIC2 suppression produced a small, but significant, increase in chemotactic migration (4%). Our data indicate that ASIC expression is required for normal migration and may suggest a novel role for ASIC proteins in cellular migration.
Teacher Retention and Attrition in Public Schools: Evidence From SASS91

Abstract Teacher retention and attrition were examined by conducting discriminant function analyses on data gathered from the 1990–91 Schools and Staffing Survey and the 1991–92 Teacher Follow-up Survey. The sample size of this study was 3,612 (weighted N = 2,404,592). Among the three groups of teachers who stayed in the same school (stayers), moved to another school voluntarily (movers), or left teaching of their own accord (leavers) between the 1990–91 and 1991–92 school years, stayers can be statistically distinguished from movers and leavers on personal characteristics, school characteristics, and their perceptions of school- and profession-related issues. Policy suggestions based on the findings include building into teaching a career ladder, empowering teachers, providing incentives to teachers working in schools with more disadvantaged students, and taking a multiple-perceptive approach to the issue of teacher retention and attrition.
Immunoregulators in the nervous system.

The nervous system, through the production of neuroregulators (neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and neuropeptides) can regulate specific immune system functions, while the immune system, through the production of immunoregulators (immunomodulators and immunopeptides) can regulate specific nervous system functions. This indicates a reciprocal communication between the nervous and immune systems. The presence of immunoregulators in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid is the result of local synthesis--by intrinsic and blood-derived macrophages, activated T-lymphocytes that cross the blood-brain barrier, endothelial cells of the cerebrovasculature, microglia, astrocytes, and neuronal components--and/or uptake from the peripheral blood through the blood-brain barrier (in specific cases) and circumventricular organs. Acute and chronic pathological processes (infection, inflammation, immunological reactions, malignancy, necrosis) stimulate the synthesis and release of immunoregulators in various cell systems. These immunoregulators have pivotal roles in the coordination of the host defense mechanisms and repair, and induce a series of immunological, endocrinological, metabolical and neurological responses. This review summarizes studies concerning immunoregulators--such as interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, interferons, transforming growth factors, thymic peptides, tuftsin, platelet activating factor, neuro-immunoregulators--in the nervous system. It also describes the monitoring of immunoregulators by the central nervous system (CNS) as part of the regulatory factors that induce neurological manifestations (e.g., fever, somnolence, appetite suppression, neuroendocrine alterations) frequently accompanying acute and chronic pathological processes.
Environmental management: Integrating ecological evaluation, remediation, restoration, natural resource damage assessment and long-term stewardship on contaminated lands

Ecological evaluation is essential for remediation, restoration, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), and forms the basis for many management practices. These include determining status and trends of biological, physical, or chemical/radiological conditions, conducting environmental impact assessments, performing remedial actions should remediation fail, managing ecosystems and wildlife, and assessing the efficacy of remediation, restoration, and long-term stewardship. The objective of this paper is to explore the meanings of these assessments, examine the relationships among them, and suggest methods of integration that will move environmental management forward. While remediation, restoration, and NRDA, among others, are often conducted separately, it is important to integrate them for contaminated land where the risks to ecoreceptors (including humans) can be high, and the potential damage to functioning ecosystems great. Ecological evaluations can range from inventories of local plants and animals, determinations of reproductive success of particular species, levels of contaminants in organisms, kinds and levels of effects, and environmental impact assessments, to very formal ecological risk assessments for a chemical or other stressor. Such evaluations can range from the individual species to populations, communities, ecosystems or the landscape scale. Ecological evaluations serve as the basis for making decisions about the levels and kinds of remediation, the levels and kinds of restoration possible, and the degree and kinds of natural resource injuries that have occurred because of contamination. Many different disciplines are involved in ecological evaluation, including biologists, conservationists, foresters, restoration ecologists, ecological engineers, economists, hydrologist, and geologists. Since ecological evaluation forms the basis for so many different types of environmental management, it seems reasonable to integrate management options to achieve economies of time, energy, and costs. Integration and iteration among these disciplines is possible only with continued interactions among practitioners, regulators, policy-makers, Native American Tribes, and the general public.
Prenatal and postnatal mortality of offspring of cyclopropenoid fatty acid-fed rats.

SummaryCyclopropenoid fatty acids fed to female rats in the form of Sterculia foetida oil caused a decrease in mating behavior, fertility, and fetal and newborn viability. At the 3% level in the diet, S. foetida oil completely prevented reproduction. At the 2 and 1% levels, it caused pre- and postpartum death of offspring. No teratological effects were observed, but degenerative changes and necrosis inconsistent with survival were seen in fetal and newborn livers and kidneys. Hemorrhages into the lung alveoli resulting in anoxia appeared to be the immediate cause of postpartum death.
NeuroSoccer: Neural Network Q-Learning (Abstract Only)

Q-Learning is a type of reinforcement learning which learns how to optimize an agent's choice of actions in a given environment based on experience. Typically, Q-Learning is implemented using a lookup table indexed by state/action tuples. For many applications, this approach can be difficult or impossible, as their state space is too large or cannot accurately be captured in a table. A neural network can act as a function approximator for the Q-Learning Table. This reduces learning time and allows for generalization on unvisited states The neural network can be trained using the Back propagation algorithm with the state/action tuple as input and the output of the update rule as the new target value. The weights of the network are updated to produce the correct output value for inputs in the training set. We have implemented this technique in a 2-D simulation of soccer, where agents learn how to maneuver the ball in order to score a goal.
Mutagenicity evaluation of metal oxide nanoparticles by the bacterial reverse mutation assay

Nanomaterials have been emerging as a new group of contaminants in the environment. We reported the use of a bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames assay) to evaluate the mutagenicity of five metal oxide nanoparticles Al(2)O(3), Co(3)O(4), CuO, TiO(2), and ZnO in this study. Results showed the mutagenicity was negative for four nanoparticles (Al(2)O(3), Co(3)O(4), TiO(2), and ZnO) up to 1000mug/plate to all three tested strains without S9 metabolic activation. Using a preincubation procedure and high S9 (9%) activation, TiO(2) and ZnO induced marginal mutagenesis to strain Escherichia coli WP2 trp uvrA. CuO displayed low mutagenic potential to Salmonella typhimurium TA97a and TA100 at specific concentrations. However, the colony inhibition effect of CuO was predominant to the strain E. coli WP2 trp uvrA. A dose-dependent inhibition of Escherichia coli WP2 colony was found under CuO exposure at concentration range of 100-1600mug/plate. No growth inhibition of tested bacterial strains by Al(2)O(3), Co(3)O(4), and ZnO was observed at the concentrations used.
Comparison of the spectrum of a sunspot-like star with a sunspot

A typical sunspot umbra has an effective temperature, gravity, and strong magnetic field strength similar to the dM1e star AU Microscopii. We compare STIS, Chandra, EUVE, and FUSE spectra of AU Mic with typical spectra of sunspots to characterize the major differences and then compare models of AU Mic with sunspot models. We find that the emission, heating rates, and differential emission measure distributions are very different for AU Mic and sunspots, and conclude that the root cause of the difference lies in the very different geometries of the two magnetic fields.