cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction effects of climate and land use/land cover change on soil organic carbon sequestration.

Abstract Historically, Florida soils stored the largest amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) among the conterminous U.S. states (2.26 Pg). This region experienced rapid land use/land cover (LULC) shifts and climate change in the past decades. The effects of these changes on SOC sequestration are unknown. The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the change in SOC stocks in Florida to determine if soils have acted as a net sink or net source for carbon (C) over the past four decades and 2) identify the concomitant effects of LULC, LULC change, and climate on the SOC change. A total of 1080 sites were sampled in the topsoil (0–20 cm) between 2008 and 2009 representing the current SOC stocks, 194 of which were selected to collocate with historical sites (n = 1251) from the Florida Soil Characterization Database (1965–1996) for direct comparison. Results show that SOC stocks significantly differed among LULC classes – sugarcane and wetland contained the highest SOC, followed by improved pasture, urban, mesic upland forest, rangeland, and pineland while crop, citrus and xeric upland forest remained the lowest. The surface 20 cm soils acted as a net sink for C with the median SOC significantly increasing from 2.69 to 3.40 kg m − 2 over the past decades. The SOC sequestration rate was LULC dependent and controlled by climate factors interacting with LULC. Higher temperature tended to accelerate SOC accumulation, while higher precipitation reduced the SOC sequestration rate. Land use/land cover change observed over the past four decades also favored the C sequestration in soils due to the increase in the C-rich wetland area by ~ 140% and decrease in the C-poor agricultural area by ~ 20%. Soils are likely to provide a substantial soil C sink considering the climate and LULC projections for this region.
P1C-4 Strain Imaging Using a Rectilinear 2-D Array: Preliminary Results

Ultrasound-based strain imaging is an imaging technique that detects variations in tissue stiffness. To date, such techniques have largely been done in two dimensions (azimuth and axial) using 1D linear or phased arrays. With 2D arrays, 3D strain imaging could improve the detection of stiffer malignant tumors by reducing out-of-plane decorrelation noise, reducing user-dependence of the imaging process and providing additional clinically significant data about the tumor such as the three-dimensional shape and volume of the tumor. In this paper, we describe our initial efforts in 3-D elasticity imaging where 2 orthogonal strain images of a gelatin phantoms with a 6 mm diameter stiff cylindrical agar inclusion have been acquired using a 4 cm times 4 cm 2D array
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: an historical overview

The clinical hallmark of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is episodic hemoglobinuria, and it was this feature that captured the attention of European physicians in the latter half of the 19th century, resulting in careful observational studies that established PNH as an entity distinct from paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria and march hemoglobinuria. Curiosity about the etiology of the nocturnal aspects of the hemoglobinuria led the German physician Paul Strubing to develop the prescient hypothesis that the erythrocytes of PNH are abnormally sensitive to hemolysis when the plasma is acidified during sleep because of accumulation of carbon dioxide and lactic acid as a result of slowing of the circulation. Investigation of the intricate pathophysiology that underlies the abnormal sensitivity of PNH erythrocytes to hemolysis in acidified serum produced a number of remarkable scientific achievements that involved discovery of the alternative pathway of complement, identification of the membrane proteins that regulate complement, discovery of a novel mechanism for attachment of proteins to the cell surface, and identification of the genetic basis of the disease. These discoveries were made steadily over a period of more than 100 years, and each generation of physicians and scientists made important contributions to the field. The mysteries of PNH have been solved in a particularly satisfying way because the precision and orderliness of the solutions made clearly understandable what had seemed at the times prior to resolution to be problems of nearly insurmountable complexity. The history of PNH is an inspirational reminder of the elegant complexity of nature, the rewards of curiosity and the power and beauty of science.
Mutational Analysis of Stubble-stubbloid Gene Structure and Function in Drosophila Leg and Bristle Morphogenesis

The Stubble-stubbloid (Sb-sbd) gene is required for ecdysone-regulated epithelial morphogenesis of imaginal tissues during Drosophila metamorphosis. Mutations in Sb-sbd are associated with defects in apical cell shape changes critical for the evagination of the leg imaginal disc and with defects in assembly and extension of parallel actin bundles in growing mechanosensory bristles. The Sb-sbd gene encodes a type II transmembrane serine protease (TTSP). Here we use a Sb-sbd transgenic construct to rescue both bristle and leg morphogenesis defects in Sb-sbd mutations. Molecular characterization of Sb-sbd mutations and rescue experiments with wild-type and modified Sb-sbd transgenic constructs show that the protease domain is required for both leg and bristle functions. Truncated proteins that express the noncatalytic domains without the protease have dominant effects in bristles but not in legs. Leg morphogenesis, but not bristle growth, is sensitive to Sb-sbd overexpression. Antibody localization of the Sb-sbd protein shows apical expression in elongating legs. Sb-sbd protein is found in the base and shaft in budding bristles and then concentrates at the growing tip when bristles are elongating rapidly. We propose a model whereby Sb-sbd helps coordinate proteolytic modification of extracellular matrix attachments with cytoskeletal changes in both legs and bristles.
Kinetics of hydrogen-deuterium exchange and kinetic isotope effects in inosine-5′- monophosphate and inosine-3′5′- monophosphate determined by laser Raman spectroscopy†

The rates (kH) of deuterium exchange of 8-CH groups, as well as the rates (kD) of protium exchange of 8-CD groups in 5′-IMP and cIMP, were measured by laser Raman spectrophotometry over the temperature range 30–80°C. The kH, or ‘forward’ rates, were determined from exchange in D2O solutions, while the kD, or ‘reverse’ rates, were determined from exchange in H2O solutions of the nucleotides. The hypoxanthine nucleotides were found to exchange with rates intermediate between those of corresponding adenine and guanine nucleotides, reported previously. The values obtained for the rate constants as a function of temperature (k=A exp (-Ea/RT)) yield the following Arrhenius activation energies and frequency factors. For 5′-IMP: EaH=25.5±0.6 kcal mol−1, AH=2.61×1015h−1; EaD=24.9±0.6 kcal mol−1, AD=4.32×1014h−1. For cIMP: EaH=22.2±0.6 kcal mol−1, AH=2.52×1013h−1; EaD=21.4±0.6 kcal mol−1, AD=3.93×1012h−1. The lower activation energy for cIMP accounts for its more rapid exchange vis-a-vis 5′-IMP, confirming the trend observed also for adenine and guanine nucleotides. Moreover, as in the cases of adenine and guanine isomers, the differential exchange between cyclic and 5′-nucleotides of hypoxanthine is large at lower temperatures and small at higher temperatures. These results confirm that exchange at 8-C is influenced by the ribosyl phosphate group. The present data also provide evidence of small kinetic isotope effects in the 8-C exchange reactions. For 5′-IMP, kH/kD≈2.5, and for cIMP, kH/kD≈1.7. The isotope effects of 5′-IMP and cIMP are close to the values observed for guanine nucleotides. Finally, Raman vibrational spectra of four isotopic modifications of the hypoxanthine nucleotides are compared to provide specific assignments of the Raman bands to vibrations of the purine skeleton and its exocyclic substituents.
Membrane damage-induced vesicle–vesicle fusion of dysferlin-containing vesicles in muscle cells requires microtubules and kinesin

Mutations in the dysferlin gene resulting in dysferlin-deficiency lead to limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2B and Myoshi myopathy in humans. Dysferlin has been proposed as a critical regulator of vesicle-mediated membrane resealing in muscle fibers, and localizes to muscle fiber wounds following sarcolemma damage. Studies in fibroblasts and urchin eggs suggest that trafficking and fusion of intracellular vesicles with the plasma membrane during resealing requires the intracellular cytoskeleton. However, the contribution of dysferlin-containing vesicles to resealing in muscle and the role of the cytoskeleton in regulating dysferlin-containing vesicle biology is unclear. Here, we use live-cell imaging to examine the behavior of dysferlin-containing vesicles following cellular wounding in muscle cells and examine the role of microtubules and kinesin in dysferlin-containing vesicle behavior following wounding. Our data indicate that dysferlin-containing vesicles move along microtubules via the kinesin motor KIF5B in muscle cells. Membrane wounding induces dysferlin-containing vesicle–vesicle fusion and the formation of extremely large cytoplasmic vesicles, and this response depends on both microtubules and functional KIF5B. In non-muscle cell types, lysosomes are critical mediators of membrane resealing, and our data indicate that dysferlin-containing vesicles are capable of fusing with lysosomes following wounding which may contribute to formation of large wound sealing vesicles in muscle cells. Overall, our data provide mechanistic evidence that microtubule-based transport of dysferlin-containing vesicles may be critical for resealing, and highlight a critical role for dysferlin-containing vesicle–vesicle and vesicle–organelle fusion in response to wounding in muscle cells.
Internalized homophobia and health issues affecting lesbians and gay men

factor in various aspects of ill-health, and may affect both the progression of illness and healthThis paper investigates the concept of internal- related decision-making processes with significant ized homophobia in both theory and research effect on the prevention of illnesses such as HIV relating to lesbian and gay health. It offers a infection. However, a number of theorists have contemporary and critical review of research in argued that internalized homophobia is both frethis area, and discusses a range of recent findings quently used uncritically with regard to its conrelating to a range of health issues including ceptualization and operationalization, and without HIV and AIDS. Whilst the concept has a reson- due concern for its sociopolitical consequences ance for gay men and lesbians, and is widely (i.e. to repathologize the ‘sick’ lesbian or gay used in ‘lesbian and gay-affirmative’ interven- individual and focus attention away from the tions, the paper demonstrates that research more salient issues of cultural and institutionalized findings have been equivocal and the term is heterosexism). My aim is to provide a synthesis often used without full consideration of its which examines research suggesting an important sociopolitical consequences. The paper con- relationship between health and internalized homocludes that the concept does have a valuable phobia whilst deconstructing the concept and role to play in health promotion work with offering a discussion of the potential effects on lesbians and gay men but invites further discus- gay and lesbian communities in contemporary sion and examination of the construct. British society.
APPL1 mediates adiponectin-stimulated p38 MAPK activation by scaffolding the TAK1-MKK3-p38 MAPK pathway

The adaptor protein APPL1 mediates the stimulatory effect of adiponectin on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we show that, in C2C12 cells, overexpression or suppression of APPL1 enhanced or suppressed, respectively, adiponectin-stimulated p38 MAPK upstream kinase cascade, consisting of transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MKK3). In vitro affinity binding and coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed that TAK1 and MKK3 bind to different regions of APPL1, suggesting that APPL1 functions as a scaffolding protein to facilitate adiponectin-stimulated p38 MAPK activation. Interestingly, suppressing APPL1 had no effect on TNFα-stimulated p38 MAPK phosphorylation in C2C12 myotubes, indicating that the stimulatory effect of APPL1 on p38 MAPK activation is selective. Taken together, our study demonstrated that the TAK1-MKK3 cascade mediates adiponectin signaling and uncovers a scaffolding role of APPL1 in regulating the TAK1-MKK3-p38 MAPK pathway, specifically in response to adiponectin stimulation.
Randomized controlled study on the use of multiple-dose activated charcoal in patients with supratherapeutic phenytoin levels.

Introduction. We conducted a prospective randomized controlled study on the influence of multiple doses of activated charcoal (MDAC) in patients with supratherapeutic serum phenytoin levels; Methods. Patients with serum phenytoin levels greater than 30 mg/L upon presentation to the ED were recruited from two urban teaching hospitals. Patients enrolled were older than 18, nonpregnant, able to tolerate activated charcoal by mouth and able to give written consent. They were randomized to receive 50 g activated charcoal by mouth every 4 hours or no activated charcoal. They continued in the study until the patient was discharged or the serum level was <25 mg/L. Serum levels were drawn every 6 hours initially, then every 24 hours after the 1st day. The presence of gait abnormalities and nystagmus was recorded and mini-mental status exam (MMSE) scores were collected from each patient enrolled. Time to reach subtoxic levels was recorded; Results. Seventeen patients were enrolled in the study. Seven patients recei...
The Impact of Economic Hardship on Black Families and Children: Psychological Distress, Parenting, and Socioemotional Development

Family processes affecting the socioemotional functioning of children living in poor families and families experiencing economic decline are reviewed. Black children are of primary interest in the article because they experience disproportionate shares of the burden of poverty and economic loss and are at substantially higher risk than white children of experiencing attendant socioemotional problems. It is argued that (a) poverty and economic loss diminish the capacity for supportive, consistent, and involved parenting and render parents more vulnerable to the debilitating effects of negative life events, (b) a major mediator of the link between economic hardship and parenting behavior is psychological distress deriving from an excess of negative life events, undesirable chronic conditions, and the absence and disruption of marital bonds, (c) economic hardship adversely affects children's socioemotional functioning in part through its impact on the parent's behavior toward the child, and (d) father-child relations under conditions of economic hardship depend on the quality of relations between the mother and father. The extent to which psychological distress is a source of race differences in parenting behavior is considered. Finally, attention is given to the mechanisms by which parents' social networks reduce emotional strain, lessen the tendency toward punitive, coercive, and inconsistent parenting behavior, and, in turn, foster positive socioemotional development in economically deprived children.
BOOK REVIEW: Fish Conservation: A Guide to Understanding and Restoring Global Aquatic Biodiversity and Fishery Resources. G. S. Helfman. 2007. Island Press, Washington, DC. 584 pp. $170 cloth, $85 paperback.

Gene Helfman loves fish. He admits to this on the very first page of his new book, Fish Conservation: A Guide to Understanding and Restoring Global Aquatic Biodiversity and Fishery Resources. It is...
Retention of inorganic oxyanions by organo-kaolinite.

A natural kaolinite (KGa-1b) was treated with the surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA-Br) to a level twice that of the cation exchange capacity (CEC). Sorption of nitrate, arsenate, and chromate by the resultant organo-kaolinite was then quantified. Sorption of each oxyanion was well-described by the Langmuir isotherm. Sorption of nitrate was the greatest, with a Langmuir sorption maximum of 24 mmol/kg, although chromate showed the highest sorption affinity of 20 L/kg. Sorption of nitrate, arsenate, and chromate on organo-kaolinite was at least two orders of magnitude greater than their sorption on unmodified kaolinite. Desorption of the bromide counterion indicated that each of the oxyanions was retained by ion exchange on an HDTMA bilayer formed on the organo- kaolinite. Chromate sorption on the organo-kaolinite was unaffected by solution pH in the range 5-9, but decreased at pH 11 due to competition of OHfor anion exchange sites. Similarly, chromate exchange by organo-kaolinite was reduced in the presence of high background levels of chloride. Chromate was effectively retained when flowing through a packed bed of organo-kaolinite: after an input of more than 40 pore volumes, the effluent concentration of chromate was less than 10% of the input con- centration, and 90% of the original HDTMA remained on the organo-kaolinite. The results demonstrate that properly prepared organoclays can remove oxyanions, as well as nonpolar organics, from contaminated waters. # 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Formation of regularly interstratified serpentine-chlorite minerals by tetrahedral inversion in long-period serpentine polytypes

Serpentinite from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, consists of a variety of fme-grained serpentine minerals, chlorite, randomly interstratified serpentine-chlorite, and a series of phases based on regular interstratification of serpentine and chlorite (SxCy, where x and y are integers). Within the resolution of the AEM technique, all layer silicates have the same Mg-rich, AI-rich, Cr-rich, and Fe-poor compositions. Regularly interstratified serpentinechlorite minerals are frequently intimately intergrown with serpentines that have repeat distances identical to those of the regular interstratifications. Thus, dozyite (SICI, (3= 90°) is intimately associated with serpentine with three-layer octahedral order (1,1,11).Longer period polysomes (S2C" SIC2, S2C2, S,C3, S3C2, and S,C4, all with (3 = 90°) are each accompanied by serpentines with equivalent c-axis periodicities. SxCy phases apparently form by selective growth ofIbb chlorite units from 1,11octahedral sequences in long-period serpentines. All microscopic structural evidence is consistent with the formation of regular interstratifications by tetrahedral inversion within existing serpentine. Atomic resolution images reveal that the tetrahedral sheet is displaced by a13.where it inverts to form the 2:1 layer. A :ta13 shift is required for hydrogen bonding between OH of the newly formed brucite-like interlayer and 0 atoms of the 2: 1 layer. The sense of the shift is determined by the strong interactions between the octahedral cations in the brucite-like interlayer and the Si in the 2: 1 layer (direct superimposition, previously described as a type-a interaction, is strongly unfavorable). Distortion at the inversion point probably lengthens Si-O bonds in the next tetrahedra, facilitating relocation of Si on the other side of the basal 0 plane. Reversal of the octahedral slant in the 2:1 layer occurs because the +a13 tetrahedral shift necessitates repositioning of 0 and OH coordinating octahedral cations, requiring movement of octahedral cations from type-II to type-I positions. Except in the 2: 1 layers, the stacking and octahedral slants are inherited. The result is a series of regular interstratifications characterized by a single octahedral slant (specifically, Ibbb,l) and bl3 stacking disorder. This analysis reveals the importance of cation-cation interactions in determining the relative stability of pairs of 1:1 layers and in controlling the detailed structures oflayer silicates formed in solid-state serpentine-to-chlorite reactions. Because similar constraints apply to formation of serpentine from chlorite by direct structural modification, the common 1T lizardite polytype may be produced from both IIbb and Ibb chlorites.
Comparison of electron width models for fast line profile calculations

Abstract The first non-vanishing term in the perturbation expansion of the electron contribution to the line width, commonly used in spectral line broadening by plasmas, was previously expressed in terms of the thermally averaged bremsstrahlung Gaunt factor. The approximations in the derivation, however, suggest that the result is uncertain. The electron width formula is tested with the hydrogen Balmer series and found suspect. Calculations for the He II Lyman series also display similar difficulties. The limitation of this electron width formulation is traced to the absence of an explicit strong collision cutoff beyond which the second-order theory is invalid.
Environmentally effective photocatalyst CoO-TiO2 synthesized by thermal precipitation of Co in amorphous TiO2

Abstract We report the enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO2 by the surface decoration of CoO nanoparticles to degrade paraoxon. The CoO nanoparticles are precipitated in situ during heat treatments of Co doped amorphous TiO2 and enhance the degradation by 11–24 times that of pure TiO2 or Rh2O3–TiO2 or the oxide nanoparticles under white light (natural sunlight and fluorescence light). The enhanced activity is a combined result of visible light absorption by CoO and effective electron-hole separation at the CoO–TiO2 interfaces.
College Students' Perceptions of Employment-Based Marital Dyad Types

This study examined college students' perceptions of different marital dyads: head-complement, husband-as-senior-partner, equal-partner, wife-as-senior-partner. Data from 461 college students were collected using a person perception experiment within a self-administered questionnaire. Results include: the head-complement dyad was perceived as least stable, least fair for the wife and husband, least satisfying for the wife, and least acceptable. The husband-as-senior partner dyad was perceived as the dyad in which the husband was the most satisfied compared to the wife. The equal-partner dyad was perceived as most fair and satisfying for both spouses, and the most stable and acceptable/preferred dyad. The husband was perceived as the least satisfied compared to the wife in the wife-as-senior-partner dyad. There were no main effects for subject gender.
An efficient algorithm for solving the median problem on real road networks

The objective of the median problem is to optimize the location of a facility so that the sum of demand-weighted distances from a set of demand points is minimized. In this article, an algorithm fo...
Multichannel EEG-based biometric using improved RBF neural networks

Electroencephalogram (EEG) brainwaves have recently emerged as a promising biometric that can be used for individual identification. In this study, we present a new visual stimuli-driven, non-volitional brain responses based methodological framework towards individual identification. The non-volitional mechanism provides an even more secure way in which the individuals are not aware of security credentials and thus can not manipulate their brain activities. Given the intercorrelated structure of brain functional areas, instead of making the identification decision relying on any single EEG channel, we propose a new identification approach based on the decision-level fusion of multichannel EEG signals, using the Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network and its improved versions. Specifically, the identification decision is determined according to the identification patterns reflected from multiple EEG channels over the desired brain functional region. We evaluate the performance of our proposed methods based on four different visual stimuli and four independent EEG channels. Experimental results show that, the proposed fusion technique can significantly improve the identification accuracy, compared to the conventional single channel based solution. For RBF network, the accuracy of identifying 37 subjects could reach over 70%, which is better than the average accuracy of about 55% achieved through individual channels. For the improved RBF networks, the frequency-based decision making could reach the accuracy of 90%, while the probability-based method could reach over 91%. Our study lays a foundation for future investigation of more accurate and reliable brainwave-based biometrics.
“To H-1B or Not to H-1B?” Social Closure and Inequality in Immigrant Work Visa Approvals

This study examines how immigration policies, as implemented by U.S. government agents, shape migration and employment outcomes of skilled foreign nationals. Using a unique dataset, which encompass...
Effects of L-tetrahydropalmatine on Neuronal Apoptosis and the Expression of Caspase-3 Protein after Focal Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion Injure in Rats

Objective To explore the effects of l-tetrahydropalmatine(L-THP)on neuronal apoptosis and the expression of Caspase-3 in cerebral cortex after transient focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion injure in rats.Methods The experimental rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:sham group,model group,L-THP high dose group(40 mg kg-1 d-1) and L-THP low dose group(20 mg kg-1 d-1).Transient focal cerebral ischemia reperfusion model of rats' middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) was induced by inserting a nylon filament through left internal carotid artery.After 1 h MCAO the nylon filament was withdrawn to allow reperfusion.At 6,24,48 h of reperfusion,neurological deficit was scored,neurons apoptosis in ischemic cerebral cortex was characterized by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase mediated uridine 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling(TUNEL) staining.The expression of Caspase-3 was determined by immunohistochemistry method.Results TUNEL positive neurons and the expression of Caspase-3 appeared at 6 h after reperfusion and increased gradually,it reached at peak value at 24 h and reduced gradually at 48 h.The time phase of Caspase-3 protein expression was consistent with that of neuronal apoptosis.Compared with model group at each time point of the reperfusion,in L-THP high dose group and L-THP low dose group,TUNEL positive neurons were markedly decreased(P0.05),the expression of Caspase-3 were significantly lower(P0.01) and neurological deficit scores were significantly reduced(P0.05).Conclusion L-THP protects neurons from ischemis-reperfusion mediated damage by inhibiting the expression of Caspase-3 protein and decreasing neuronal apoptosis.
Knowledge of hepatitis C in medical staff of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture

Objective To investigate the hepatitis C knowledge among doctors in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.Methods 800 doctors from 8 counties in Yanbian were chosen in this study.Data was collected by face to face interview with questionnaire.Results The total correct rate was 59.75%.The correct rate of infectious diseases doctors was not different from the others(χ2=0.102,P0.05).The correct rate of all subgroups was below 63%.Conclusion The doctors in Yanbian are lack of hepatitis C knowledge.The training is needed to improve the knowledge of hepatitis C in doctors.
Ultraviolet upconversion enhancement in triply doped NaYF4:Tm3+, Yb3+ particles: The role of Nd3+ or Gd3+ Co-doping

Abstract Upconversion (UC) particles are currently under intensive investigation, normally for their visible instead of ultraviolet (UV) light luminescence under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. As a commonly studied host, NaYF4 in particular is known to have low phonon energy and high UC efficiency. Here, we present our work on enhancing UC luminescence in the UV region by adding a third dopant into a binary-doped NaYF4:Yb3+,Tm3+ host. More specifically, neodymium (Nd3+) or gadolinium (Gd3+) ions was co-doped into parent NaYF4:20mol%Yb3+,0.5mol%Tm3+ UC particles to enhance their UV UC luminescence. Experimental results demonstrated that these particles exhibited the highest degree of UV UC enhancements when co-doped with 0.05mol% Nd3+ or 2.0mol% Gd3+, expanding the potential of this type of materials into many possible applications by directly converting NIR irradiation into UV light. Fundamentally, the UV UC emission dependence of these triply doped NaYF4:Yb3+,Tm3+ particles with different Nd3+ and Gd3+ doping concentrations was investigated in terms of ground state absorption, excited state absorption and energy transfer UC mechanisms.
Average? Ideal? Desirable? A brief overview of height-weight tables in the United States

Insurance companies have dominated the development of height-weight tables. Initially, tables indicated average weights for insurees, revealing weight gains with increasing age. While pneumonia and tuberculosis were leading causes of death, underweight was considered undesirable because it was associated with those conditions. Extra weight was then thought to represent a reserve that could be drawn upon in time of illness. As those diseases were brought under control, the risk factors in overweight received increased attention. Since the 1940s, tables have been developed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company for "ideal" and "desirable" weights, defined as weights associated with the lowest mortality rate. Body frame size, although poorly defined, was factored into the tables. The data base and philosophy of the tables have been questioned by some researchers. Recently, Metropolitan issued 1983 height and weight tables based on life insurance statistics. Weights for height are slightly higher than in the previous (1959) tables. Although stated weights are those associated with the lowest mortality, they are not labeled "ideal" or "desirable". A method for determining body frame size through measurements of elbow breadth is presented. Health care providers should be aware of the latest revisions of these widely used tables, their philosophy, and data source to ensure most suitable use.
C-Reactive Protein

Of the 1.5 million heart attacks and 600 000 strokes that occur in the United States each year, almost half will affect apparently healthy men and women with normal or even low cholesterol levels. Older age, smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure all contribute to risk of heart disease. However, you may well have family members or friends who suffer from heart disease yet have few, if any, of these traditional risk factors. In an effort to better determine risk of heart disease and prevent clinical events, many physicians have begun to measure C-reactive protein (CRP) as a routine part of global risk assessment. This inexpensive and simple approach to heart disease evaluation has recently been endorsed by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by the American Heart Association. When measured with new “high sensitivity” CRP assays, levels of CRP less than 1, 1 to 3, and greater than 3 mg/L (milligrams per liter) discriminate between individuals with low, moderate, and high risk of future heart attack and stroke. CRP testing, however, is not a replacement for cholesterol evaluation. Rather, CRP testing should be used along with cholesterol and other traditional risk factors to determine individual risk. Evidence also indicates that individuals with high CRP levels are at increased risk of developing diabetes. This Cardiology Patient Page explains the clinical use of CRP and suggests methods for prevention of heart disease for patients found to have elevated levels of CRP. CRP is a critical component of the immune system, a complex set of proteins that our bodies make when faced with a major infection or trauma. CRP was discovered nearly 70 years ago by scientists exploring the human inflammatory response. The role CRP plays in heart disease, however, has only recently been uncovered. Everyone makes CRP, but …
Immortalization of human AE pre-leukemia cells by hTERT allows leukemic transformation.

// Shan Lin 1,* , Junping Wei 1,* , Mark Wunderlich 1 , Fu-Sheng Chou 1 and James C. Mulloy 1 1 Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Research Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: James C. Mulloy, email: // Keywords : immortalization, hTERT, t(8;21) fusion genes, human HSPC Received : April 14, 2016 Accepted : June 13, 2016 Published : August 05, 2016 Abstract Human CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) expressing fusion protein AML1-ETO (AE), generated by the t(8;21)(q22;q22) rearrangement, manifest enhanced self-renewal and dysregulated differentiation without leukemic transformation, representing a pre-leukemia stage. Enabling replicative immortalization via telomerase reactivation is a crucial step in cancer development. However, AE expression alone is not sufficient to maintain high telomerase activity to immortalize human HSPC cells, which may hamper transformation. Here, we investigated the cooperativity of telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), the catalytic subunit of telomerase, and AE in disease progression. Enforced expression of hTERT immortalized human AE pre-leukemia cells in a telomere-lengthening independent manner, and improved the pre-leukemia stem cell function by enhancing cell proliferation and survival. AE-hTERT cells retained cytokine dependency and multi-lineage differentiation potential similar to parental AE clones. Over the short-term, AE-hTERT cells did not show features of stepwise transformation, with no leukemogenecity evident upon initial injection into immunodeficient mice. Strikingly, after extended culture, we observed full transformation of one AE-hTERT clone, which recapitulated the disease evolution process in patients and emphasizes the importance of acquiring cooperating mutations in t(8;21) AML leukemogenesis. In summary, achieving unlimited proliferative potential via hTERT activation, and thereby allowing for acquisition of additional mutations, is a critical link for transition from pre-leukemia to overt disease in human cells. AE-hTERT cells represent a tractable model to study cooperating genetic lesions important for t(8;21) AML disease progression.
High spatiotemporal resolution of river planform dynamics from Landsat: The RivMAP toolbox and results from the Ucayali River

Quantifying planform changes of large and actively migrating rivers such as those in the tropical Amazon at multidecadal time scales, over large spatial domains, and with high spatiotemporal frequency is essential for advancing river morphodynamic theory, identifying controls on migration, and understanding the roles of climate and human influences on planform adjustments. This paper addresses the challenges of quantifying river planform changes from annual channel masks derived from Landsat imagery and introduces a set of efficient methods to map and measure changes in channel widths, the locations and rates of migration, accretion and erosion, and the space-time characteristics of cutoff dynamics. The techniques are assembled in a comprehensive MATLAB toolbox called RivMAP (River Morphodynamics from Analysis of Planforms), which is applied to over 1500 km of the actively migrating and predominately meandering Ucayali River in Peru from 1985 to 2015. We find multiscale spatial and temporal variability around multidecadal trends in migration rates, erosion and accretion, and channel widths revealing a river dynamically adjusting to sediment and water fluxes. Confounding factors controlling planform morphodynamics including local inputs of sediment, cutoffs, and climate are parsed through the high temporal analysis.
Pakistan’s Dependence and US Patronage: The Politics of ‘Limited Influence’:

Despite having poured billions of dollars of aid into Pakistan’s economy and its military over the years, there is a general acceptability among scholars and policymakers that the United States exe...
Thiazolothiazole Fluorophores Exhibiting Strong Fluorescence and Viologen-Like Reversible Electrochromism

The synthesis, electrochemical, and photophysical characterization of N,N′-dialkylated and N,N′-dibenzylated dipyridinium thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole derivatives are reported. The thiazolothiazole viologens exhibit strong blue fluorescence with high quantum yields between 0.8–0.96. The dioctyl, dimethyl, and dibenzyl derivatives also show distinctive and reversible yellow to dark blue electrochromism at low reduction potentials. The fused bicyclic thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole heterocycle allows the alkylated pyridinium groups to remain planar, strongly affecting their electrochemical properties. The singlet quantum yield is greatly enhanced with quaternarization of the peripheral 4-pyridyl groups (ΦF increases from 0.22 to 0.96) while long-lived fluorescence lifetimes were observed between 1.8–2.4 ns. The thiazolothiazole viologens have been characterized using cyclic voltammetry, UV–visible absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, spectroelectrochemistry, and time-resolved photoluminescence. The electrochromic p...
Escape Behavior of Side-Blotched Lizards in Response to Model Predators

Few field studies have tested for geographic variation in escape behavior and even fewer have examined responses of prey to multiple predators despite most prey occurring in multipredator environments. We performed 458 escape trials on Side-blotched Lizards (Uta stansburiana Baird and Girard, 1852) from 10 populations that differed in predator abundances. We quantified escape behavior of Side-blotched Lizards when approached with one of two model predators: a lizard (Great Basin Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores N.M. Smith and Tanner, 1972)) or a snake (Western Yellow-bellied Racer (Coluber mormon Baird and Girard, 1852)). Our results suggest that the escape responses of Side-blotched Lizards (flight initiation distance, distance fled, refuge entry) do not differ when approached by either a model predatory lizard or a model predatory snake. Nor do the escape responses of individual Side-blotched Lizards differ in relation to the abundances of predatory lizards or snakes in the local environment. Ra...
Plato on law-abidance and a path to natural law

In his later depiction of an ideal city, the Laws, Plato does not move from rule by experts to the rule of law, as often claimed, since law is also basic to the Republic. Rather, he now sees educat...
Comparative therapeutic effects of plant-extract synthesized and traditionally synthesized gold nanoparticles on alcohol-induced inflammatory activity in sh-sy5y cells in vitro

The present study describes potential beneficial and adverse effects of plant-extract synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on ethanol toxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Although kudzu root extract (K), edible-gum extract (G), alone or in combination (KG), reduced Au3+ into AuNPs, the extract's composition and the reaction temperature determined their size (AuNPKG(90 37) 37) < AuNPG(90,50)). The surface of each AuNP contained the extract's active ingredients, that were analyzed and confirmed using laser desorption ionization (LDI)) and low-matrix laser desorption-ionization (LMALDI). AuNPKG-50 was (i) least toxic to SH-SY5Y cells, but most effective in suppressing the adverse effects of ethanol on SH-SY5Y cells, and (ii) more effective than a combination of free kudzu and gum extracts. The beneficial and adverse effects of AuNPs may have been modified by the formation of proteins corona. This study provides a proof of concept for possible application of plant-extract synthesized AuNPs in mitigating ethanol toxicity.
Confronting the Base Rate Problem: More Ups and Downs for Cognitive Scatter Analysis

Within the professional literature, it is frequently suggested that interpretation of cognitive profile scatter may be useful for generating a host of clinical inferences. To wit, Hale et al. (Psychology in the Schools, 45, 838–858, (2008)) posit that cognitive scatter is a defining characteristic of specific learning disability and that individuals with learning disabilities may have higher levels of scatter compared to normal controls. To investigate the tenability of this claim, the present study employed diagnostic efficiency statistics and other recommended psychometric methods (e.g., receiver operative characteristic curve, Bayesian nomogram) to test whether cognitive scatter could accurately distinguish between individuals with and without a known learning disability (LD) diagnosis in the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition KABC-II; Kaufman and Kaufman (2004a) normative sample. Results indicated that increasing levels of cognitive profile scatter identified individuals with LD at no better than chance levels. The current negative results add to a growing corpus of research questioning the utility of many of the interpretive procedures that are utilized by school psychologists for commercial ability measures. In particular, it is suggested that clinicians who interpret cognitive profile scatter may risk diagnostic overconfidence and in the case of LD identification, unacceptable levels of false positive decisions attributable to error. Implications for evidence-based assessment in school psychology are discussed.
Formation of shelf stable Pickering high internal phase emulsions (HIPE) through the inclusion of whey protein microgels

High internal phase emulsions (HIPE) prepared using whey protein microgels (WPMs) as a surfactant were demonstrated to have substantially higher stability than HIPEs prepared using similar loadings of non-gelled whey protein isolate (WPI) or Tween 20. Microgel colloids were prepared from WPI solutions by heat treatment at 85 °C in a narrow pH range (5.8-6.0) to particle sizes of approximately 90, 160 and 350 nm in diameter. ζ-potentials of the WPM increased in negativity with decreasing particle size from -7.4 ± 2.5 down to -21.1 ± 0.9 at 90 nm. All WPMs conferred high stability to corn oil based HIPE when used as an emulsifier. Light microscopy and cryo-scanning electron microscopy showed that both increasing WPM concentration and decreasing WPM particle size produced increasingly smaller and more hexagonally shaped corn oil emulsion droplets; WPI and Tween 20 based HIPE droplets were generally smaller and spherical in shape. The HIPE (75% w/w corn oil) produced with 1% (w/w) WPM as an emulsifier showed stability through 6 months storage at 4 °C at all WPM sizes tested, while the HIPE prepared with 1% (w/w) WPI or Tween 20 exhibited significant creaming. WPM and WPI based HIPE both showed thermal stability at 70 °C and 95 °C while the heating of Tween 20 based HIPE resulted in droplet coalescence and oil-phase separation. HIPE production with WPMs significantly improved the viscoelastic properties of the HIPE, imparting drastic increases in yield stress, critical stress, complex modulus and elastic modulus over HIPE prepared with WPI or Tween 20. The more rigid rheology of the WPM HIPE indicated by these data is likely the primary mechanism driving the improved stability of these emulsions.
Whither the 100th Meridian? The Once and Future Physical and Human Geography of America’s Arid–Humid Divide. Part II: The Meridian Moves East

AbstractThe 100th meridian bisects the Great Plains of the United States and effectively divides the continent into more arid western and less arid eastern halves and is well expressed in terms of vegetation, land hydrology, crops, and the farm economy. Here, it is considered how this arid–humid divide will change in intensity and location during the current century under rising greenhouse gases. It is first shown that state-of-the-art climate models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project generally underestimate the degree of aridity of the United States and simulate an arid–humid divide that is too diffuse. These biases are traced to excessive precipitation and evapotranspiration and inadequate blocking of eastward moisture flux by the Pacific coastal ranges and Rockies. Bias-corrected future projections are developed that modify observationally based measures of aridity by the model-projected fractional changes in aridity. Aridity increases across the United States, and the aridity gr...
Early Ambulation Among Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients Is Associated With Reduced Length of Stay and 30-Day Readmissions

Background: Early ambulation (EA) is associated with improved outcomes for mechanically ventilated and stroke patients. Whether the same association exists for patients hospitalized with acute heart failure is unknown. We sought to determine whether EA among patients hospitalized with heart failure is associated with length of stay, discharge disposition, 30-day post discharge readmissions, and mortality. Methods and Results: The study population included 369 hospitals and 285 653 patients with heart failure enrolled in the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry. We used multivariate logistic regression with generalized estimating equations at the hospital level to identify predictors of EA and determine the association between EA and outcomes. Sixty-five percent of patients ambulated by day 2 of the hospital admission. Patient-level predictors of EA included younger age, male sex, and hospitalization outside of the Northeast ( P 4 days) compared with those in the bottom 25% (odds ratio, 0.83; confidence interval, 0.73–0.94; P =0.004). Among a subgroup of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, we found that hospitals in the highest quartile of rates of EA demonstrated a statistically significant 24% lower 30-day readmission rates ( P P for trend test. Conclusions: Multivariable-adjusted hospital-level analysis suggests an association between EA and both shorter length of stay and lower 30-day readmissions. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.
A retrospective on Obama’s judges: diversity, intersectionality, and symbolic representation

Despite abundant attention to the judicial selection of U.S. Supreme Court justices, most federal legal disputes are resolved in the lower federal courts. Who the judges are and how they make their...
Release of lipopolysaccharide by EDTA treatment of E. coli.

Abstract The treatment of E. , coli with ethylenediaminetetraacetate which causes an increase in permeability also results in the rapid release of 35 to 50% of the cell wall lipopolysaccharide. Since the same conditions produce negligible loss of several other cell components, it is possible that the release of lipopolysaccharide is a direct result of EDTA action on the cell surface. This treatment may be a useful tool in the isolation of chemically pure lipopolysaccharide.
Appraisal of the emergency nurse practitioner specialty role

The role of the Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) has evolved as a specialty and is appreciated within the context of the 2008 Consensus Model document (APRN Consensus Work Group & National Council of State Boards of Nursing APRN Advisory Committee, 2008). The first in a series of five articles, this article describes the appraisal of the ENP role as well as the specialty and the distinctive role of the ENP. The second article, Emergency Nurse Practitioner Practice Analysis: Report and Implications of the Findings, presents research to support the scientific basis of emergency specialty practice and content validity for a national certification program. Article 3, Beyond Competencies; Practice Standards for Emergency Nurse Practitioners: A Model for Clinicians, Educators, and Employers, introduces a new conceptual model that defines the specialty of emergency care's knowledge, skills, and abilities identified by the ENP practice analysis as practice standards not traditional competencies. In Article 4, Proposed Standardized Educational Preparation for the Emergency Nurse Practitioner, essential content for ENP preparation within graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs. The fifth article, Envisioning the Future for ENPs: Implications for Clinical Practice, Education, Research, and Health Policy, describes how ENPs are envisioning and impacting the future of emergency care and how their evolution can serve as a model for development of other advanced practice nursing specialties.