cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Property Rights and Water Access: Evidence from Land Titling in Rural Peru

Summary Insecure land tenure and property rights are an impediment to infrastructure access and services for households in many developing countries. This paper explores whether alleviating this impediment through a land-titling program in rural Peru is associated with improvements in household water sources, as well as sanitation and electricity services. The economics literature on the links between property rights and investment decisions has amassed; yet due to the necessity of water for life, the high fixed costs associated with water infrastructure construction, and the positive externalities that can result from water provision, it is not obvious how water services might respond to land tenure improvements. Utilizing the phased-in program timing in a quasi-experimental design, we exploit the differences in implementation timing across space in conjunction with the differences in program impact across households that held property titles prior to the project and those that did not. Results from this modified difference-in-differences method indicate that land titling is associated with small in magnitude, but statistically significant increases in water access. Larger gains in sanitation and electricity services are found. We investigate the channels through which this improved access occurs and find evidence of investments in all three services via either government or water utilities. We find evidence of individual household investment only in the case of sanitation. Taken together, these results indicate that land titles are important, but not sufficient to increase access to water and other services.
Diagnosis of Ovarian Carcinoma by Cul-de-sac Aspiration

The need for earlier diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma is obvious. The same statement was being made for cancer of the cervix twenty years ago. Yet today the mortality rate from cancer of the cervix has decreased by fifty per cent, largely because cytologic examinations have detected the disease at an earlier stage.
Public land managers and sustainable urban vegetation: The case of low-input turfgrasses

Abstract In urban ecosystems, public land managers are responsible for making complex decisions about vegetation and the management of public spaces that have ecological, economic, and social consequences. Across the globe, the question is whether to move from commonly used vegetation options that require multiple inputs (e.g. water, fertilizer, pesticides) and intensive management (e.g. mowing, re-seeding) to more sustainable, low-input, low-management vegetation varieties. Little is known about urban public land managers’ perceptions and beliefs about low-input turfgrass (e.g. fine fescue species) and their willingness to encourage such environmentally sustainable practices for public lands or support low-input vegetation conversion programs for private residential yards in their cities. We surveyed U.S. public land managers in Minnesota and New Jersey metropolitan areas about their preferences and beliefs regarding low-input turfgrass, specifically cool season fine fescue, and related those beliefs to opportunities for urban environmental sustainability. Overall managers showed favorable views towards low-input turfgrasses suggesting an interest in conversion to more sustainable management. Also, they demonstrated significant support of municipal programs to convert both public and private lands to low-input turfgrasses. Educational attainment and employer type were found to be responsible for most differing viewpoints among managers. This study suggests public land managers may not be a barrier to sustainable vegetation change, but rather important facilitators. More work needs to be done to understand this phenomenon globally and evaluate public land managers’ roles in the transition to low-input vegetation as well as capacity to anticipate future challenges for vegetation in the urban ecosystem, more broadly.
Rhetorical Education and Global Higher Education in an Age of Precarity

This chapter introduces the significant movement for international and global higher education in the American University system, pointing to how individual institutions and national initiatives have sought to internationalize the curriculum. The chapter explores how rhetorical education is often ignored in many global higher education programs, despite the stated importance of communication skills in their educational outcomes. In response to global higher education initiatives and their often-stated goal of producing global citizens, this chapter argues for a more grounded understanding of transnational rhetorical citizenship.
Interpreting phononic Bragg band gaps through finite system dynamics and transfer functions

This work presents an effort to understand the evolution of Bragg scattering band gaps in the context of the transfer functions of finite Phononic Crystals (PCs). Following the dispersion analysis of an infinite PC based on a single unit cell, an analytical derivation of the natural frequencies of a finite PC with a given number of cells is presented. Next, the transfer function between the tip displacement of a finite PC and a force exerted at the other end is derived in closed-form, and used to establish an understanding of the band gap formation in the finite setting. The analysis reveals that the phenomenon can be attributed to the split of poles around the center of the band gap and the absence of any poles within it. The formation mechanism is then discussed in light of several numerical examples with different combinations of system parameters and number of cells.
Material microenvironmental properties couple to induce distinct transcriptional programs in mammalian stem cells

Variations in a multitude of material microenvironmental properties have been observed across tissues in vivo, and these have profound effects on cell phenotype. Phenomenological experiments have suggested that certain of these features of the physical microenvironment, such as stiffness, could sensitize cells to other features; meanwhile, mechanistic studies have detailed a number of biophysical mechanisms for this sensing. However, the broad molecular consequences of these potentially complex and nonlinear interactions bridging from biophysical sensing to phenotype have not been systematically characterized, limiting the overall understanding and rational deployment of these biophysical cues. Here, we explore these interactions by employing a 3D cell culture system that allows for the independent control of culture substrate stiffness, stress relaxation, and adhesion ligand density to systematically explore the transcriptional programs affected by distinct combinations of biophysical parameters using RNA-seq. In mouse mesenchymal stem cells and human cortical neuron progenitors, we find dramatic coupling among these substrate properties, and that the relative contribution of each property to changes in gene expression varies with cell type. Motivated by the bioinformatic analysis, the stiffness of hydrogels encapsulating mouse mesenchymal stem cells was found to regulate the secretion of a wide range of cytokines, and to accordingly influence hematopoietic stem cell differentiation in a Transwell coculture model. These results give insights into how biophysical features are integrated by cells across distinct tissues and offer strategies to synthetic biologists and bioengineers for designing responses to a cell’s biophysical environment.
Racial disparities in clinic follow-up early in life among survivors of congenital heart disease.

Objective The current study aims to identify the rates of lapses in care and loss to follow-up before age one through age five for white and nonwhite congenital heart disease (CHD) survivors. Nonwhite CHD survivors were hypothesized to experience an earlier lapse in care and be lost to follow-up than whites. Design Patients were from a large pediatric hospital and had (1) at least one outpatient cardiology clinic visit or cardiac surgery visit before the age of one and (2) a diagnosis of moderate or complex structural CHD. Cardiology outpatient utilization rates were tracked from before age one through age five. Lapse in follow-up was defined as not having at least one outpatient cardiology visit per year, and loss to follow-up was not returning after a lapse in care by age five. Race was categorized as white and nonwhite. Covariates included sex, insurance type, noncardiology inpatient and outpatient hospital utilization, and CHD severity. Results The sample included 1034 patients. Overall, 75.7% experienced a lapse in care with only 41.6% of those returning by age five. Nonwhites experienced lapses in care at younger ages than whites. Nonwhites had a 53% increased risk of lapse in care. Medicaid patients and those with moderate CHD diagnoses also had an increased risk for lapse in care. Conclusions Lapse in care appears prevalent among CHD survivors by age five, with nonwhites demonstrating elevated risk. Future multisite prospective studies should include the assessment of parental knowledge, barriers to accessing care, and satisfaction with care.
Oral ribavirin for paramyxovirus infection after alemtuzumab‐containing reduced‐intensity conditioning HCT regimen

Aerosolized ribavirin has been used in pediatric immunocompromised patients to treat acute respiratory viral infections, but oral ribavirin may be a less expensive alternative that allows for outpatient therapy. Oral ribavirin has compared favorably to aerosolized ribavirin in adult studies, but data on safety are lacking in pediatric populations. Four cases are described in which oral ribavirin was used to treat viral respiratory infections in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants at a Children's Hospital, demonstrating safety and feasibility.
Grain-size-dependent remanence anisotropy and its implications for paleodirections and paleointensities – Proposing a new approach to anisotropy corrections

Abstract Paleomagnetic data provide information on the evolution of the Earth's magnetic field, and are used to reconstruct plate motions. One fundamental assumption underlying these interpretations is that the magnetization of a rock reliably records the direction and intensity of the magnetizing field, i.e. that the magnetization is parallel to the field direction, and the intensity of magnetization is proportional to the field strength. Preferred alignment or anisotropic distribution of magnetic grains can affect both the direction and the intensity of magnetization. Therefore, correction techniques, employing the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), thermal remanence (ATRM), or anhysteretic remanence (AARM) are used to account for these effects. We find that AARM within the same rock can vary dramatically with coercivity/grain size, so that anisotropy corrections can also depend on how AARM was measured. A consequence of the dependence of AARM on coercivity is that although a specimen may have been magnetized in a single direction, different grain size fractions may record magnetizations in different orientations. These directional variations, as revealed during progressive alternating field (AF) demagnetization, could erroneously be interpreted as changes in field or reorientation of the rock unit, when in reality they are related to grain-size-dependent remanence anisotropy. Similarly, intensity variations caused by grain-size-dependent anisotropy may bias paleointensity estimates. These observations have important consequences for studies on the evolution of the Earth's magnetic field, magnetic overprinting, and paleogeographic reconstructions.
Changes in femoral bone mineral density after total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Bone loss after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may lead to periprosthetic fractures that are associated with significant costs (morbidity, economic, etc.) and pose a challenge to operative fixation. This meta-analysis quantifies the change in bone mineral density (BMD) of the distal femur after primary TKA. A systematic review of six databases was performed by two independent reviewers. Studies that reported bone density after knee arthroplasty were identified and inclusion/exclusion criteria was applied. Data were extracted and analyzed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software. Fourteen studies were included in the analysis. The average decrease in BMD was 0.09 [0.05, 0.13], 0.14 [0.08, 0.20], 0.16 [0.10, 0.23], and 0.16 [0.12, 0.20] g/cm2 at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively, corresponding to a 9.3%, 13.2%, 15.8%, and 15.4% BMD loss. A high degree of heterogeneity existed between the studies (I2 > 90% at most time points). In summary, there is a rapid and significant 15% decrease in BMD in the first 6 months after TKA that is sustained to 24 months. Better understanding regarding how perioperative optimization of bone health may affect BMD loss and the incidence of periprosthetic fracture is essential. Therapeutic Level II.
A Reinforcement Learning–Based Method for Management of Type 1 Diabetes: Exploratory Study

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is characterized by chronic insulin deficiency and consequent hyperglycemia. Patients with T1DM require long-term exogenous insulin therapy to regulate blood glucose levels and prevent the long-term complications of the disease. Currently, there are no effective algorithms that consider the unique characteristics of T1DM patients to automatically recommend personalized insulin dosage levels. Methods: This research presents a model-free data-driven RL algorithm, namely Q-learning, that recommends insulin doses to regulate the blood glucose level of a T1DM patient, considering his or her state defined by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, body mass index, engagement in physical activity, and alcohol usage. In this approach, the RL agent identifies the different states of the patient by exploring the patient’s responses when he or she is subjected to varying insulin doses. On the basis of the result of a treatment action at time step t, the RL agent receives a numeric reward, positive or negative. The reward is calculated as a function of the difference between the actual blood glucose level achieved in response to the insulin dose and the targeted HbA1c level. The RL agent was trained on 10 years of clinical data of patients treated at the Mass General Hospital. Results: A total of 87 patients were included in the training set. The mean age of these patients was 53 years, 59% (51/87) were male, 86% (75/87) were white, and 47% (41/87) were married. The performance of the RL agent was evaluated on 60 test cases. RL agent–recommended insulin dosage interval includes the actual dose prescribed by the physician in 53 out of 60 cases (53/60, 88%). Conclusions: This exploratory study demonstrates that an RL algorithm can be used to recommend personalized insulin doses to achieve adequate glycemic control in patients with T1DM. However, further investigation in a larger sample of patients is needed to confirm these findings.
Levels of outpatient prescribing for four major antibiotic classes and rates of septicemia hospitalization in adults in different US states - a statistical analysis

Rates of sepsis/septicemia hospitalization in the US have risen significantly during recent years. Antibiotic resistance and use may contribute to those rates through various mechanisms, including lack of clearance of resistant infections following antibiotic treatment, with some of those infections subsequently devolving into sepsis. At the same time, there is limited information on the effect of prescribing of certain antibiotics vs. others on the rates of septicemia and sepsis-related hospitalizations and mortality. We used multivariable linear regression to relate state-specific rates of outpatient prescribing overall for oral fluoroquinolones, penicillins, macrolides, and cephalosporins between 2011 and 2012 to state-specific rates of septicemia hospitalization (ICD-9 codes 038.xx present anywhere on a discharge diagnosis) in each of the following age groups of adults: (18-49y, 50-64y, 65-74y, 75-84y, 85 + y) reported to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) between 2011 and 2012, adjusting for additional covariates, and random effects associated with the ten US Health and Human Services (HHS) regions. Increase in the rate of prescribing of oral penicillins by 1 annual dose per 1000 state residents was associated with increases in annual septicemia hospitalization rates of 0.19 (95% CI (0.02,0.37)) per 10,000 persons aged 50-64y, of 0.48(0.12,0.84) per 10,000 persons aged 65-74y, and of 0.81(0.17,1.40) per 10,000 persons aged 74-84y. Increase by 1 in the percent of African Americans among state residents in a given age group was associated with increases in annual septicemia hospitalization rates of 2.3(0.32,4.2) per 10,000 persons aged 75-84y, and of 5.3(1.1,9.5) per 10,000 persons aged over 85y. Average minimal daily temperature was positively associated with septicemia hospitalization rates in persons aged 18-49y, 50-64y, 75-84y and over 85y. Our results suggest positive associations between the rates of prescribing for penicillins and the rates of hospitalization with septicemia in US adults aged 50-84y. Further studies are needed to better understand the potential effect of antibiotic replacement in the treatment of various syndromes, including the potential impact of the recent US FDA guidelines on restriction of fluoroquinolone use, as well as the potential effect of changes in the practices for prescribing of penicillins on the rates of sepsis-related hospitalization and mortality.
Revisiting the Concept of Stability in the General Theory of Crime

The general theory proposes that self-control exerts a relatively stable effect on behaviors across the life course. Most studies have examined the stability of self-control itself, rather than whe...
Modified Atmosphere Packaging Systems Influence Myoglobin Oxidation of Ground Beef in Led and Fluorescent Lighting

ObjectivesColor is the most important factor in decision making for the consumer in the retail setting. The objective of this study was to determine the color stability of ground beef patties under three different retail lighting conditions in three different packaging types. Materials and MethodsUSDA Choice chuck rolls were first ground through a coarse 10 mm plate and then reground through a fine 4.5 mm plate and then formed into 27 patties (113.4 g). Patties were then assigned into one of three packaging treatments: HO₂–MAP (80% O₂: 20% CO₂), LO₂–MAP (20% O₂: 20% CO₂: 60% N₂), or overwrap with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Then each packaging type was then assigned to deli cases (5°C) with one of three retail lighting conditions: low-UV fluorescent bulbs (FLO) with an average lux of 244, light emitting diode (LED) with an average lux of 732, and no light (DRK). Patties were removed on storage d 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 for analysis of L* a* b*, lipid oxidation by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and percentage of myoglobin states. The entire experiment was replicated three times. Data was ran using the GLIMMIX fuction of SAS and significance was determined at P LO₂–MAP > PVC, with averages on 15.88, 14.34, and 12.63, respectively. Lighting type also had an affect (P = 0.0005) on a* where DRK = FLO > LED, with averages of 15.32, 14.31, and 13.22, respectively. There was a decrease (P 3 > 7 > 10 > 14, with averages of 23.56, 19.56, 12.98, 8.70, and 6.70, respectively. Lighting type did not affect (P = 0.1045) TBARS. TBARS decreased (P LO₂–MAP (51.61, 50.84, and 49.45, respectively) and metmyoglobin (MMb; P = 0.0025) where LO₂–MAP > HO₂–MAP = PVC (47.21, 43.92, and 45.16, respectively). Oxymyoglobin values were impacted by storage day where storage d 1 = 3 > 7 > 10 = 14, with averages of 55.68, 54.6, 50.45, 46.48, and 45.95, respectively. Deoxymyoglobin (DMb) followed the same trend with storage d 1 = 3 > 7 > 10 = 14, with averages of 6.45, 6.33, 3.87, 1.63, and 1.42, respectively. Inversely, MMb increased over time with storage d 1 = 3 < 7 < 10 = 14, with averages of 37.87, 39.07, 45.68, 51.89, and 52.65, respectively. There were no differences between lighting type on OMb (P = 0.2410), DMb (P = 0.5229), or MMb (P = 0.2736) percentages. ConclusionThe use of HO₂–MAP in retail settings will increase redness in ground beef patties regardless of lighting source, indicating that a movement toward LED lights in the retail setting will not be detrimental to discoloration in products packaged in HO₂–MAP.
Action-Based Model Checking: Logic, Automata, and Reduction

Stutter invariant properties play a special role in state-based model checking: they are the properties that can be checked using partial order reduction (POR), an indispensable optimization. There are algorithms to decide whether an LTL formula or Buchi automaton (BA) specifies a stutter-invariant property, and to convert such a BA to a form that is appropriate for on-the-fly POR-based model checking.
Family history and pelvic organ prolapse: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Numerous analytic observational studies assess family history as a risk factor for POP and report a wide range of associations. This review aims to systematically evaluate the role of family history of POP in relation to POP risk and its recurrence. A review was performed of the PubMed/MEDLINE database with search criteria specifying family history, risk factors, POP, and their synonyms as title/abstract keywords, as well as MESH terms, up to March 2020. We aggregated evidence across studies with fixed effects (FE) and random effects (RE) meta-analysis. Forty-three articles underwent full-text review. Eighteen independent studies evaluating the relationship between family history of POP and POP risk in 3639 POP cases and 10,912 controls were eligible for meta-analysis. Four studies evaluating family history and POP recurrence in 224 recurrent cases and 400 non-recurrent cases were eligible for inclusion into another meta-analyses. A positive family history of POP is on average associated with 2.3- to 2.7-fold increased risk for POP (RE OR = 2.64; 95% CI = 2.07, 3.35) as well as a 1.4-fold increased risk for POP recurrence (FE OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.00, 2.08). Meta-analysis estimates of POP risk varied by study design, definition of family history, and model adjustment status. We found evidence that publication bias and recall bias are a possibility. Family history of POP is a risk factor for both POP presence and recurrence. However, reported magnitudes may be overestimates due to confounding, recall bias, and publication bias.
Potential of the maize race 'Cateto' to improve US corn belt hybrids

Because many exotic maize races are thought to have a different evolutionary history from the U.S. races, they could possibly contribute favorable alleles for physical grain quality traits. The present study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of exotic inbreds from Uruguay, Argentina, South Africa, and Taiwan representing Cateto, intermediate, and non-Cateto races to improve U.S. Corn Belt hybrids, especially for their physical grain quality. The inbreds were crossed to two U.S. Corn Belt inbreds, Mol7 and B73, which represent the Lancaster and Iowa Stiff Stalk heterotic patterns, respectively. Evaluation of the 18 testcrosses (F^'s), their F2, and backcross generations along with four checks was done during summer, 1989, at three locations, two in Iowa and one in Missouri, using a randomized complete block design. Significant differences were found among races for 1000 kernel weight, test weight, grain yield, and moisture content. The entry crosses and generations showed significant differences for all the traits (i.e., 1000 kernel weight, test weight., breakage, grain yield, and moisture content). Significant differences were also found between testers for all the traits except moisture. However, entry x tester interaction was significant only for breakage and yield whereas entry x generation interaction was significant for all the traits except breakage.
Making Tools that People Will Use: User-Centered Design in Computational Biology Research

User-Centered Design (UCD) focuses on deeply understanding the needs of users and ensuring these needs are met by tools and software. UCD methodology aims to make tools easier to use, reduce time spent in development and the need for user support, as well as make it easier to create and maintain documentation. The goal of UCD is to ultimately make a tool that meets user needs and is a pleasure to use. This workshop will give an overview of UCD and several examples of how UCD practices are already being used at several institutions. Attendees will leave with ideas of how to incorporate UCD into their tool development as well as general resources to get started.
The neighbourhood social environment correlates with meeting 24-h movement behaviour recommendations in females: a cross-sectional study using the 2019 National Survey of Children's Health.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the neighbourhood social environment and meeting recommendations for 24-h movement behaviours in youth. Participants were a sample o...
Temporal shifts in the abundance and preferred habitats of yellowfin and bigeye tuna larvae in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract The influence of environmental conditions on the relative abundance of Thunnus albacares (yellowfin tuna) and Thunnus obesus (bigeye tuna) were investigated to determine the extent of the early life stage suitable habitat of these species in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Thunnus albacares and T. obesus larvae were commonly found (31–50% frequency of occurrence per year) in the northern GoM (26–28°N, 91–96°W), and a significant intra- and inter-annual variability in abundance of T. albacares and T. obesus was observed with higher abundance recorded in July surveys (1.3 larvae 1000 m−3 for both species) and during the Summer 2009 (1.9 and 1.7 larvae 1000 m−3, respectively). Generalized additive models (GAMs) indicated that larvae of T. albacares and T. obesus were more common and at higher abundance in water masses with moderate to high salinity (28–36), high temperature (29 °C), positive sea surface height. Species-specific environmental preferences determined with GAMs were then combined with summer environmental data over eight years (2007 to 2015) to predict the spatial coverage of suitable habitat of both species in regions beyond the 100-m isobath. Habitat suitability predictions indicated that the location and extent of highly suitable habitat of T. albacares and T. obesus larvae varied across years with the highest areal coverage in 2015 (70%) and 2010 (73%), respectively. Both T. albacares and T. obesus larvae were more commonly observed and at higher abundance off the continental slope and at margins of the Loop Current and associated warm-core eddies in the northern GoM. Because changes in environmental conditions influenced the spatio-temporal distribution of T. albacares and T. obesus larvae, habitat suitability models are valuable tools for identifying critical areas of the GoM inhabited by tuna larvae and this information can also be used to assess potential impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on the recruitment and population dynamics of tunas.
rduino Controlled Pick n Place RoboticArm.

This document is an introduction to designing a multiple degree of freedom robotic manipulator. The goal of the robot is to sort an object based upon the objects color. The robot will be a synthesis of several linkages, servo motors, an Arduino system, and an end-effector. The design must be able to autonomously determine what object to move and where to place it. The robot will have a maximum reach of 24 horizontally. The operating conditions include being able to sort several different colored spheres within the area of a 180° up to 16 from the base of the arm. Sorting consists of picking up the object from a random position near the base and moving it to a storing location near the edge of the defined operating range. With the following performance criteria and a limited budget, the final design will enter a competition to determine the most robust, and effective robotic manipulator.
Severe congenital chorioretinitis caused by congenital lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection.

Abstract Purpose To describe a case of congenital lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a potentially severe and under-diagnosed etiology of congenital chorioretinitis. Observations A 5-month old boy presented with esotropia. Examination revealed light perception vision in the right eye and normal fixation and following behavior in the left eye, and a 50PD esotropia with full versions. The external, anterior segment, and pupil exams were normal. Fundus examination demonstrated slightly pale optic nerves, numerous geographic atrophic and hyperpigmented lesions along the vascular arcades in both eyes that extended into the fovea of the right eye. Head computed tomography (CT) imaging demonstrated bilateral cerebral volume loss with consequential ex vacuo dilation of the lateral ventricles and scattered intracranial calcifications. Serum IgG and IgM titers for toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), syphilis, and zika were all negative. Upon communication of negative TORCHS titers, the mother recalled a severe rat infestation of their home during the pregnancy. A LCMV antibody titer was then ordered and which resulted positive for IgG antibodies. Conclusions and Importance Congenital LCMV infection is an under-recognized cause of congenital chorioretinitis.
Professor of English, Linguistics, and Religion

This article reexamines cultural curriculum and marginalized youth at-risk for gang involvement. While the literature expresses various approaches to addressing the gang problem in the United States, including comprehensive gang initiative models, get tough policies, and comprehensive peace campaigns to stop the violence. All of these initiatives have seemingly done little to stop gang membership among school age youth. Education has proven to be the most significant means to improve an individual’s life chances, but African American students, in particular, are performing worse than Whites on an average. If society is to reach these youth through education, we argue that a new classroom pedagogy is needed. To this aim, creating a culturally responsive classroom through hip hop may be the answer to engage troubled youth in the classroom.
STUDIES ON THE AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS PROTEIN. VI. THE AMINO ACID SEQUENCE OF TRYPTIC PEPTIDE 6.

Abstract The amino acid sequence of tryptic peptide 6 of TMV protein, occupying sequential positions 72 through 90, has been reinvestigated because of different allocations of the leucine residue number 76 in the original reports of the two major groups of workers concerned with the primary structure of TMV. The results reported establish the sequence, Tyr-AspNH 2 -Ala-Val-Leu-Asp-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Ala-Leu-Leu-Gly-Ala-Phe-Asp-Thr-Arg. This sequence is the same as originally reported from this laboratory and is also in full agreement with the recently revised sequence of Anderer and Handschuh. The position of the leucyl residue in question was extensively investigated and established by the use of limited hydrolysis of tryptic peptide 6 with dilute acid or with enzymes. The general utility of limited hydrolysis for the determination of amino acid sequence of peptides is demonstrated.
Electronic transitions in chromium (III) complexes—III. Luminescence quantum yields and lifetimes

Abstract The luminescence quantum yields and lifetimes of a group of β-diketone chelates of chromium have been measured. The changes in these quantities with ligand are ascribed to the variation in the non-radiative transition probabilities from the 4 T 2 and 2 E states to the ground state. A wave length dependence is observed in some cases which appears to be correlated with the energy of the lowest ligand triplet state.
Toward an organizational DSS: A process-oriented approach

Dr. R.K. Iyer is Assistant Professor, Dept. of Information Systems and Management Science at the University of Texas at Arlington, and obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Prior to joining UTA, Dr. Iyer was with Onan Corpoation for over 10 years and served in various managerial positions, including Director of Corporate Planning. Dr. Iyer has presented several papers at various national meetings and has published in several national proceedings. Dr. Iyer was the recipient of the 1985 Outstanding Contributed Paper Award at the National Meeting of the IFPS Users Association. He is an active member of the Decision Sciences Institute and is a Certified Systems Professional (CSP). His current research interests include decision support systems and their applications to global business operations and strategies, expert systems and their implementation in organizational decision making, and applications of information teclmology to competitive and strategic decision processes.
Reduced ion transport in erythrocytes of male Sprague-Dawley rats during starvation.

Although several studies have suggested that the reduced activity of the Na+-K+ pump during starvation is a source of energy conservation, the hypothesis has not been tested in intact cells, nor has the contribution of passive permeability been considered in a controlled animal study. In this study three components of K+ influx (Na+-K+ pump = ouabain sensitive, cotransport = bumetanide sensitive and leak = both ouabain and bumetanide insensitive) and Na+ influx were measured with 42K+ and 24Na+ in intact red blood cells of adult male rats. During starvation rats lost an average of 28% of their body weight; pump K+ influx in cells stabilized for 2 h in incubation medium fell from 7.03 +/- 0.74 (SEM) to 4.82 +/- 0.25 mueq/(mL cells.h) with cell [Na+] of 6.4 +/- 0.9 and 4.4 +/- 0.2 mmol/L cells, respectively. Maximized Na+-K+ pump activity in Na+-loaded cells was also lower in cells of starved rats than in those of controls and was inversely correlated with extent of weight loss in the starved rats. Leak K+ influx was reduced from 0.73 +/- 0.08 to 0.47 +/- 0.03. Lower Na+ influx in cells of starved rats was not significant statistically, although alteration in passive Na+ transport was apparent. The results indicate decreases in both active and passive components of ion turnover of erythrocytes of rats during starvation.
Who shall be called language disordered? Some reflections and one perspective.

This paper discusses some issues involved in identifying children who have language problems. The perspective taken is that (a) the goal of identification must be clearly distinguished from other g...
Actively seeking activating sequences.

I thank R. Brent, I. Cartwright, L. Keegan, Z. Liu, M. Ptashne, and M. Xu for comments. I apologize that the page limit did not permit citation of all relevant work. This work was supported in part by the AHA and the NSF.
THE EFFECT OF EPINEPHRINE UPON SEMEN PRODUCTION IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL1

DURING THE PAST TWO DECADES evidence of a relationship between the adrenal medulla and the gonads has been accumulating. Chidester (i) reported that when fowls were fed desiccated whole adrenal gland for 10 days body weight decreased. Eaton et al. (2) observed that when chicks were fed 0.5 grains of suprarenal medulla daily from the 12th to 89th day of life they weighed 53.75 grams less than the controls and that the testes of the controls were 37 per cent heavier than thegonads of the medulla-fed males. Riddle and Minoura (3) transplanted whole adrenal glands into ring doves and found that the testes of birds receiving the transplants were smaller than those of the controls but that the ovaries of transplanted females were larger than the ovaries of the controls
Ghost Tumors of the Central Nervous System: Definition, Clinical Implications, and Proposal of Classification.

Background A ghost tumor (GhT) is a space-occupying lesion with radiologic features consistent with the diagnosis of tumor that on further investigation is revealed not to be a tumor, although definitions in the literature are inconsistent, and the incidence of GhT remains undefined. Methods A review of the pertinent literature was performed to identify pediatric patients in whom a misleading initial diagnosis of space-occupying lesion was described. Analysis of the differentiating features of the final diagnosis and related clinical and radiologic issues was performed. Results GhT may be categorized as follows: GhT I, lesions spontaneously disappearing during follow-up, also known as "vanishing tumors"; GhT II, nonneoplastic space-occupying lesions showing a tumor appearance, also known as "tumor-like lesions"; GhT III, anatomic variants of normal structures mimicking a tumor, also defined as "false tumors." The most deceptive conditions and critical points in the differential diagnosis of these cases were discussed. Conclusions GhT is an entity with significant implications in regard to treatment and outcome. In this context, the integration of clinical and radiologic clues is crucial for a careful differential diagnosis and a consistent diagnostic approach, which is necessary for adequate decision making regarding management. A thorough radiologic work-up is mandatory. Atypical radiologic images should raise a high level of suspicion, including incidental lesions, which are encountered with increasing frequency in daily practice as a result of greater access to radiologic examinations, increasing sensitivity of imaging, and the impact of defensive medicine. A wait-and-see policy should be considered whenever indicated.
Mixed-precision evaluation of two-electron integrals by Rys quadrature

Abstract A mixed precision implementation of two-electron integrals is demonstrated to have two benefits: (a) computations can be performed reliably in 32-bit precision on architectures for which 32-bit precision is significantly faster than 64-bit precision (e.g. graphical processing units), and (b) numerical results that match those using higher than 64-bit precision can be recovered without a significant penalty associated with performing the entire computation in higher precision. A justification is presented for using mixed precision in the Rys two-electron integral quadrature algorithm, together with timings and numerical results using a variety of floating-point types. The code discussed here presents a systematic way to control the accuracy of the Rys algorithm, regardless of the types and numbers of integrals.
Cadmium: tissue distribution and binding protein induction in the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta

The freshwater painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, was used to investigate (a) the distribution of an injected dose of 109Cd in tissues over a period of 192 h (8 days) and (b) the effect of non-isotopic cadmium injection on tissue metal-binding protein levels. Cadmium is cleared from the blood with 9% remaining in the circulation at 192 h. 109Cd is found in all tissues, but is accumulated preferentially in liver, kidney, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. The liver is the primary site of Cd accumulation, accounting for 46.4% of the injected dose by 192 h and the highest Cd concentration (cpm/mg tissue). Steroidogenic tissues and the oviduct accumulate significant amounts of 109Cd and the isotope is present in yolk. An increase in tissue metal-binding protein level after non-isotopic CdCl2 injection is consistent with 109Cd distribution, in that metal-binding protein concentration after CdCl2 injection is highest in liver, followed by pancreas and kidney with low, but with significant levels of cadmium-binding protein in gonads and steroid target organs. We conclude that the liver is the major site of storage after a single injection of isotopic cadmium and induction of a metal-binding protein may be an adaptive response to exposure to cadmium.
Program understanding behaviour during enhancement of large-scale software

This paper reports on a software understanding field study during the enhancement of large-scale software. The participants were professional software maintenance personnel from industry. The paper reports on the general understanding process, the kinds of actions programmers preferred during the enhancement task, the level of abstraction at which they were working, and role of hypotheses in the enhancement strategies they used. The results of the observations are also interpreted in terms of the information needs of these personnel during the enhancement task. We found that programmers work predominantly at the code and algorithmic levels with differences depending on the stage of the enhancement. They frequently switch between levels of abstraction. The programmers' main concerns are with what software does and how this is accomplished, not why software was built a certain way. These questions guide the work process. There was strong indication that memory (over)load is an issue. This is, of course, related to the size of the software. Information is sought and cross-referenced from a variety of sources from application domain concepts to code-related information, outpacing current maintenance environments' capabilities which are mostly stratified by information sources, making cross-referencing difficult. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tissue distribution of C14-labeled bacterial polysaccharide in guinea pig, rat, mouse and rabbit.

SummaryTissue distribution of C14-labeled K. pneumoniae polysaccharide-complex has been studied in guinea pig and rat after intravenous, intraperitoneal and subcutaneous injection, and in the mouse and rabbit after intravenous injection. The polysaccharide entered the blood stream from the peritoneal cavity more rapidly in the rat than in the guinea pig, while absorption from subcutaneous tissues was more rapid in the guinea pig. After intravenous injection, there were marked differences in tissue concentration of labeled polysaccharide in the 4 animal species. By simple extraction procedures, approximately 30% of the label in liver and mesenteric lymph nodes of the rat has been recovered in a polysaccharide retaining the haptenic property of the original polysaccharide.
γ-secretase-dependent cleavage initiates notch signaling from the plasma membrane

Notch signaling is critical to animal development, and its dysregulation leads to human maladies ranging from birth defects to cancer. Although endocytosis is currently thought to promote signal activation by delivering activated Notch to endosome-localized γ-secretase, the data are controversial and the mechanisms that control Notch endocytosis remain poorly defined. Here, we investigated the relationship between Notch internalization and signaling. siRNA-mediated depletion studies reveal that Notch endocytosis is clathrin-dependent and requires epsin1, the adaptor protein complex (AP2) and Nedd4. Moreover, we show that epsin1 interaction with Notch is ubiquitin-dependent. Contrary to the current model, we show that internalization defects lead to elevated γ-secretase-mediated Notch processing and downstream signaling. These results indicate that signal activation occurs independently of Notch endocytosis and that γ-secretase cleaves Notch at the plasma membrane. These observations support a model where endocytosis serves to downregulate Notch in signal-receiving cells.
Evidence in favour of Exner isokinetic method to determine activation parameters

Calcul des parametres d'activation sur la decarboxylation d'une serie d'ions dinitro-benzoate substitues en -4 en solution aqueuse
Set stability of differential equations

Abstract In recent years numerous definitions of stability having a more quantitative nature than most classical stability definitions have been presented by various investigators. These definitions involve known specific bounds on solutions of tho differential equation in question. In this paper a now type of stability (‘set stability’) is introduced which generalizes upon and in some respects unifies those recent endeavours in ‘ quantitative stability theory ’. The usual ‘Liapunov technique’ is employed in obtaining sufficient conditions for the various forms of set stability.
Peer learning in an introductory computer science course

A problem in teaching large introductory computer science courses is to overcome the impersonality of the large lecture class and to provide more personal attention to individual students. Our approach is to use peer learning experiences to instill in students the need to take responsibility for their learning and for the learning of those around them. Recent work has shown that educational quality for students and productivity for faculty can be enhanced through use of peer-learning environments where students do not just learn and faculty do not just teach.The novel aspects of our work are to apply group learning in a large introductory computer science class setting and to expect more responsibility on the part of students for their learning. In support of these goals we have introduced the use of upper-level undergraduate students to help facilitate student group interaction. In addition, we have developed software to minimize the administrative overhead of handling many groups and for students to electronically record group learning activities.
Images in clinical medicine. Radiographic evidence linking tobacco use and lung cancer.

A 72-year-old man presented for evaluation of progressive dyspnea and cough. He reported smoking one to two packs of cigarettes a day since the age of 15 years. Standard chest radiography showed a suspicious lesion in the right thoracic cavity. Computed tomography of his chest revealed bullous emphysema (thick arrow), a tumor involving the middle lobe of the right lung (thin arrow), and a pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket (asterisk). Biopsy of the lesion confirmed the presence of non–small-cell lung cancer.
Liver angiomyolipomas: A clinical, radiologic, and pathologic analysis of 22 patients from a single center

Background Liver angiomyolipomas (AML) are mesenchymal neoplasms with an uncertain clinical behavior. The spectrum of presentation, imaging and histologic features, and outcomes were analyzed in all patients treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Methods Demographics, disease, pathologic, treatment, and outcome-related variables for consecutive patients were reviewed retrospectively. All imaging studies obtained at presentation were reexamined, categorized, and compared using Fisher and Wilcoxon tests. Results Between 1989 and 2010, 238 patients with AML were seen and 22 (9.3%) had liver involvement (exclusive = 17; combined with kidney = 5). The median age was 53 years; 18 were females, and 15 had symptoms. AML was not suspected at initial presentation in any patient. Fat-containing neoplasms on imaging were larger ( P = .03), with more heterogeneous enhancement compared with fat-poor neoplasms ( P = .001), but none of the imaging/histologic features correlated with outcome. Thirteen patients underwent resection (R0 = 9), 4 were observed, 2 received chemotherapy, 2 embolization, and 1 embolization plus intra-arterial chemotherapy. Two patients treated with R0-resection recurred and 2 treated with chemotherapy progressed, but no patient died of AML-related causes. At a median follow-up of 36 months, 7 patients were free of disease, 13 were alive with disease, 1 died of an unrelated cause, and another was lost to follow-up. Conclusion AMLs are rare neoplasms with an indolent course in most patients. Subtypes based on fat content are recognized, but clinical behavior does not seem to be different. Recurrence after resection is not associated with disease-related mortality. Resection may be unnecessary in selected asymptomatic patients if the diagnosis can be established definitively.