cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Basics of Process Simulation With ProMax

In this chapter, the basics of process simulation with ProMax (BR&E, 2017) will be demonstrated through a step-by-step guide in modeling a simple n -octane production case. The concept of simulation is based on a sequential modular approach and follows the onion model for flowsheet synthesis (see Chapter 1 for details).
Hardware setting optimization for a 1mm 3 resolution clinical PET system

We are constructing a dual-panel PET system dedicated to locoregional imaging (e.g. breast, head/neck, etc). The modular data acquisition electronics uses the RENA-3 application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to read out position-sensitive avalanche photodiodes (PSAPDs). The RENA-3's settings must be optimized to extract the best timing resolution and ADC dynamic range mapping performance. In the constructed dual-panel system prototype, which has a sensitive area of 160mm by 33mm by 64mm, two PSAPDs are replaced by a board that injects synchronized charge pulses into the readout system to simulate coincident PSAPD hits. A capacitor divider network then splits the charge pulse into a saturated timing trigger channel and an energy channel. We tested the effects of different timing to energy charge division ratios, as well as data acquisition trigger thresholds, on timing resolution and ADC dynamic range. Using a high charge division ratio of 5:100,000 achieved timing resolution improvements of 28% at 100 keV, 13% at 200 keV, and 9% at 300 keV, as well as a 30% improvement in ADC dynamic range usage in comparison to a 27:100 ratio. The measured timing jitter was 4.06 ns, 2.61 ns, and 2.33 ns FWHM for input pulse energies higher than 300 keV when using trigger acquisition thresholds of 40, 65, and 100 keV, respectively.
Waring’s problem for cubes

In his book Meditationes Algebraicae, published in 1770, Edward Waring stated without proof that every nonnegative integer is the sum of four squares, nine cubes, 19 fourth powers, and so on. Waring’s problem is to prove that, for every k ≥ 2, the set of nonnegative kth powers is a basis of finite order.
Auxin-Regulated Elongation: A Summary Hypothesis

Auxin has been studied for fifty years as a regulating hormone in many developmental phenomena (1). Much of this work has been devoted to its effect on cell enlargement (2–6); however, our accumulated knowledge of auxin-regulated cell enlargement does not include an understanding of its primary mode of action. In the 1960’s the “gene expression” hypothesis of Key, and others (4) was popularly accepted. In the early 1970’s, however, the “wall acidification” (7) hypothesis of Rayle and Cleland (5) and Hager et al. (8) was proposed. It has been supported in numerous reports (5).
Ichthyosis Vulgaris and Other Disorders of Cornification

Ichthyosis vulgaris (IV) is the most common disorder of cornification and is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the filaggrin gene (FLG). IV is inherited in a semidominant manner; heterozygotes show mild, often subclinical symptoms, whereas homozygotes present with chronic, severe symptoms. In contrast to most other forms of ichthyosis, individuals with IV develop skin scaling at least a few months after birth or beyond. Classic manifestations are climate-variable scaling, especially on the lower extremities, hyperlinear palmar and sole markings, and sometimes keratosis pilaris. Diagnosis is clinical; however, light microscopic evaluation of skin specimens often shows a decreased-to-absent granular layer, because of the reduction in pro-filaggrin-containing keratohyalin granules. The deficiency in filaggrin results in a poor epidermal barrier with increased transepidermal water loss and an increased risk of atopic dermatitis, sometimes with the later development of asthma, food allergies, and allergic rhinitis. The most common mutations causing IV are R501X and 2282del4 mutations; however, mutations are population-specific. IV is treated by application of emollients, especially containing urea or alpha hydroxy acids.
Surgery in Gynecologic Oncology: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Many people say that nothing new occurs in surgery, we just keep recycling old surgical procedures and think we have discovered something new! I hope to convincingly disprove that myth. It is 37 years since I graduated from medical school.All of the topics that I will discuss in this rapid overview involve changes that I have personally seen come about over those years involving the surgery of gynecologic cancer.
Controlled Unfair Adaptive 360 VR Video Delivery over an MPTCP/QUIC Architecture

Distributing high-quality 360 VR content to clients with modern networks using existing delivery techniques is economically challenging at scale. Despite the abundance of research in multihomed delivery and client-side adaptive bitrate (ABR) algorithms, current techniques continue to suffer from similar fundamental laws; namely the reliance on inflexible networks, inaccurate network models, and rigid control rules leading to suboptimal performance. This paper proposes a unique approach to address many of these limitations. First, through the implementation of a modified version of an MPEG initiative called Server and Network Assisted DASH (SAND) for use in multipath networks enabling opportunistic messaging between the client, server, and network. Secondly, through the optimization of ABR algorithms that were generated using reinforcement learning and finally, by active management of multipath enabled transport protocols. Testbed experimental results revealed that our technique outperformed many state-of-the- art ABR algorithms in multipath networks. The average multipath differential delay decreased by 30% or more and outperformed standard Multipath TCP (MPTCP) and Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC) in key quality of experience (QoE) metrics by up to 20%.
Pediatric hospitalizations and in-patient mortality from all-terrain vehicle crashes, 2006-2016

PurposeTo evaluate trends in national frequency of hospitalizations and in-patient mortality in the United States for children injured in all-terrain vehicle crashes during the past decade.MethodsR...
Exploring carbonate reef flat hydrodynamics and potential formation and growth mechanisms for motu

Abstract Atolls, which develop as reef-building coral platforms extend to near sea level, typically consist of a shallow reef flat encircling a central lagoon. Often, sub-aerial islets, known as motu or reef islands, consisting of sand, gravel, and coral detritus, can be found perched atop the reef flat. Here, we use hydrodynamic numerical modeling (XBeach) to better understand the role of waves and wave-driven currents on the reef flat and the processes driving motu formation and evolution. By differing representative reef-flat geometry (e.g. width and water depth), we investigate the effects of varying wave climate on hydrodynamics and resultant bed shear stresses across the reef flat. Model results suggest that as a reef flat shallows, bed shear increases, then, after passing a critical value, decreases again. Using these results, we hypothesize that reef flats should attain a critical water depth just at the threshold for sediment mobilization, resulting in a constant depth reef flat in both abrasional and depositional settings. As reef flats widen, prograding into the back-reef lagoon, shear stress decreases across the flat, with a minimum in shear stress arising approximately midway on the reef flat. Motu formation would be expected to initiate at this mid-flat nucleation site, either from a storm, when coarse sediment is mobilized and deposited, or gradually as the reef flat widens. A mid-flat deposit need not be subaerial to form a motu—sediment piled shallower than the critical depth would continue to accumulate. Once a motu is present, reef-flat shear stress directions reverse and the motu shoreline should prograde seawards until reaching a relatively narrow critical reef-flat width (~200 m). Together, these results suggest that reef flats and motu spatially self-organize through a series of morphodynamic feedbacks.
The Effect of Multiple Intelligence(s) on Academic Success: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Many thesis, dissertations, and articles have been written on whether the concept of multiple intelligence has achieved the expected success in educational environments that has been established in accordance with the multiple intelligence principle and whether such developments have had a positive influence on the attitudes of students towards their learning. In other words, what kind of results do these scientific reports show? The research conducted in this paper seeks to determine the answer to this question through a meta-analysis and to determine if the creation and implementation of learning and teaching activities based on multiple intelligence models have had a positive influence on the academic success of students and have engendered positive attitudes towards learning. Within the context of this research, the following moderating factors were incorporated into the research; the level of education with which the studies dealt, the lesson under discussion, and the geographical region in which the studies were conducted and the year of publication of the studies concerned. These moderating factors did not seem to create any divergence in the results of the research regarding academic success. With respect to moderating factors, while no differences existed regarding the level of education, differences were observed in the relationship with the lessons, the geographical region and the academic year under observation within the studies.
The Projected Care Trajectory for Persons with Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a complex neurologic disease that requires both medical management and self-management. People with epilepsy and their families complete many transitions throughout the health care system in managing this disease. This article reviews key transitions for people with epilepsy and discusses strategies for improving these transitions.
Hiding in the Open: Portraits of Trans Partners (Birth-Age Eight)

This chapter presents portraits of each of the ten research partners who were interviewed for the study. It provides glimpses into their lives as young children. The research partners ranged in age, race, gender identity, socioeconomic status, location of origin, and setting of early childhood education (public, private, or home) attended. The portraits primarily focus on their out-of-school experiences—their personalities, families, interests, and lives at home.
Fishing in hot waters threatens phenotypic diversity

In Focus: Morrongiello, J. R., Sweetman, P. C., & Thresher, R. E. (2019). Fishing constrains phenotypic responses of marine fish to climate variability. Journal of Animal Ecology, 88, 1645-1656. Forces of unnatural selection, such as climate change and harvest, are rarely studied in concert, yet hold the great potential to act synergistically on individual performance, susceptibility to harvest, tolerance to warming temperatures, and ultimately population persistence and resilience. In this paper, Morrongiello et al. (2019) used long-term monitoring of a site-attached temperate reef fish, the purple wrasse (Notolabrus fucicola), to test novel predictions about how fisheries management and climate variability could alter individual growth rates and thermal reaction norms within and across stocks. Otolith growth increments were collected from three south-east Australian populations between 1980 and 1999, pre- and post-harvest, throughout an intensive warming spell. Using hierarchical models to partition variation in growth within and between individuals and populations, Morrongiello et al. detected increased average growth rate with warming, a release from density dependence post-harvest, and a fishing-by-warming interaction that decreased diversity in thermal growth reaction norms because large individuals that tend to better tolerate warm temperatures were effectively culled from the population. This study outlines the importance of determining which phenotypes are more resilient to increasing temperatures, how fisheries should manage for them, and how such collective knowledge could help preserve and even promote resilience of managed populations to increasing temperatures in ecosystems threatened by climate change.
Bridging the gap between evacuations and the sharing economy

This paper examines the opportunities for addressing evacuations by leveraging the sharing economy. To support this research, we use a mixed-method approach employing archival research of sharing economy actions, 24 high-ranking expert interviews, and a survey of individuals impacted by Hurricane Irma in 2017 (n = 645). Using these data, we contribute to the literature in four key ways. First, we summarize sharing economy company actions in 30 U.S. disasters. Second, we discuss results from 24 expert interviews on 11 sharing economy benefits (ranging from resource redundancy to positive company press coverage) and 13 limitations (ranging from driver reliability to the digital divide). Experts included six directors/executives of emergency/transportation agencies, two executives of sharing economy companies, and eight senior-level agency leaders. Third, we use these interviews, specifically negative opinions of the sharing economy, to inform our Hurricane Irma survey, which contributes empirical evidence of the feasibility of shared resources. Despite just 1.1% and 5.4% of respondents using transportation network companies (TNCs, also known as ridesourcing and ridehailing) and homesharing respectively during the Irma evacuation, some respondents were extremely willing to offer their own resources including transportation before evacuating (29.1%), transportation while evacuating (23.6%), and shelter for free (19.2%) in a future disaster. We also find spare capacity of private assets exists for future evacuations with just 11.1% and 16% of respondents without spare seatbelts and beds/mattresses, respectively. Finally, we conclude with practice-ready policy recommendations for public agencies to leverage shared resources including: communication partnerships, surge flagging (i.e., identifying and reducing unfair price increases), and community-based sharing systems.
Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors and atrial fibrillation in the cardiovascular and renal outcome trials

Dapagliflozin is a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that has recently been shown to reduce the incidence of reported episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter in the DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial. This raises the question regarding whether SGLT2 inhibitors can reduce the incidence of AF in a high-risk population. We searched for trials comparing SGLT2 inhibitors to placebo in high-risk individuals with or without diabetes (ie, cardiovascular and renal outcome trials) and that reported the incidence of AF as a serious adverse event. The EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, CANVAS, CANVAS-R, the DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial, CREDENCE, DAPA-HF, VERTIS-CV and DAPA-CKD were included. The incidence of AF, reported as a serious adverse event, was 0.9% in individuals who received an SGLT2 inhibitor compared to 1.1% in those who received placebo. Pooled results showed a significantly lower incidence of AF in individuals with and without diabetes (relative risk 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.67,0.93). This review suggests that there is a significantly lower risk of incident AF for individuals on SGLT2 inhibitors versus placebo. While there was a statistically significant lower incidence of AF, reported as a serious adverse event, more research is needed to evaluate its clinical significance.
Updates in the management of moyamoya disease

Abstract Moyamoya is a rare, steno-occlusive cerebrovascular disorder that often presents as ischemic or hemorrhagic intracerebral events. This review provides an overview of various surgical revascularization techniques used in treating Moyamoya disease including direct, indirect, and combined revascularization, as well as the benefits, drawbacks, and indications of each technique. The future role of novel perioperative preventative methods in the treatment of Moyamoya disease is also discussed.
Nailing Down a Notoriously Elusive Cancer Target: Direct Inhibition of MYC by a Covalent Small Molecule.

Direct inhibition of the transcription factor MYC is widely recognized as one of the thorniest challenges in cancer drug discovery. In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Boike et al. (2020) discover a covalent MYC inhibitor that selectively targets a single cysteine residue in an unstructured region of the protein.
Spiritual Health First Aid for Self-Care: Nursing During COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: Nurses who provided care to patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) and supported patients in their transition from life to death in the absence of patients' families have been especially needful of spiritual self-care. A spiritual first aid kit can help nurses cope with these difficult times. Spiritual self-care is vital for all nurses to renew and preserve the psychological, spiritual, and physical self.
The End of Friction? Property Rights and Contract in the 'Newtonian' World of On-Line Commerce

The conventional account lists four types of transaction costs: - Identifying potential buyers and sellers; - Negotiating deals; - Measuring performance, e.g., metering use; and - Enforcing agreements. Despite recent hype, cyberspace is not truly Newtonian because it does not eliminate all of these sources of friction. Enforcement costs in particular are still considerable with existing technology. With an eye toward these transaction costs, this Essay discusses one aspect of law in the on-line environment: the respective roles of contract and property rights. I discuss why property rights are necessary in cyberspace, notwithstanding predictions that low transaction costs will allow contract to usurp property rights in this setting. The possibility of a break in the chain of privity means that property rights -- which can be thought of as an "off the shelf" contract -- will still be necessary. In other words, contract formation may be costless, but monitoring post-contract execution behavior will often not be. Property rights will thus continue to be necessary to permit enforcement against parties not in contractual privity with information providers. The ease of contract formation informs the analysis of another important legal issue -- the "fair use" doctrine in copyright law. Conditions in cyberspace at least partially undermine the prevailing "market failure" theory that informs this doctrine. Instead of abandoning the doctrine, which I believe serves some important goals, I advocate a different theory. At least where markets are robust, I argue that we should return to the redistributive roots of the doctrine, in effect giving low transaction-cost subsidies for certain users of copyrighted works.
Communication Challenges and Solutions for Distributed Battery Management and Second Life Arrays

In the past, distribution of signals within traction batteries has been carried out with wires. For example, lengthy voltage cell sense leads for lithium batteries ran from cell terminals to centralized controllers. The industry is moving to wireless data to replace wiring. A key enabler to wireless powertrain networking is the ability to exploit redundancies within multiple signals so as to reduce the required networking bandwidth. We provide an approach for bandwidth reduction which uses unsupervised learning in order to develop the training sets for long short term memory that reduces the number of signals transmitted.
Attitudes, Aptitudes, Barriers and Knowledge of Pain Physicians towards Palliative Care Practice - A National Survey, India.

Objectives: The bio-psycho-socio-spiritual model is a common management approach in palliative care (PC) and chronic pain medicine (CPM), adopted by PC Physicians and Pain Physicians (PPs), respectively. There is a dearth of services and personnel of PC in India. As PPs are familiar with pain management and the bio-psycho-socio-spiritual model, we hypothesised that they would be willing to incorporate PC in their practice and therefore, sought to understand their attitudes/aptitudes/barriers/knowledge towards it. Materials and Methods: We did a cross-sectional cohort study through a national survey of Indian PPs. The ten- item validated, survey questionnaire was mailed to 1300 PPs having E mail and registered with Indian Society for Study of Pain. Results: We received responses from 6.6% of the PPs. About 10.39% did not want to practice PC; the rest were either practicing or wanted to, or were unable to. 81.8% had 10 years and the rest had not practiced. About 70% were motivated by human suffering or had “personal reasons.” About 40.26% had no barriers; the rest cited stress or lack of infrastructure/knowledge/skills/time/financial compensation. The majority chose institutional courses for training and the popular choice of duration of the course was 3 months. The opinion on financial viability/non-viability of PC was equally divided among the respondents. About 62.3% had “knowledge” but half of them lacked “skills;” 27.6% lacked both; the rest had no inclination towards PC. About a third felt multi-disciplinary care was feasible while half felt that it was partially feasible. Conclusion: Policy-makers, at regional to global levels are strategizing options for popularizing PC since it supports the dualistic model of cure and care, most essential for both, chronic-debilitating or life-limiting illnesses. The poor response to our survey was a major limiting factor. However, among the respondents, the majority showed both aptitude and a favourable attitude for PC practice. The inability to identify major barriers for not choosing PC did not support our hypothesis. However, we feel that PPs are a cohort who can be motivated/ encouraged to take up some form of brief, comprehensive courses in PC so that they can be conversant with the specific knowledge and skills needed to practice the multi-dimensional aspects of PC in their own settings.
Lino, Patrícia. O kit de sobrevivência do descobridor português no mundo anticolonial. Prefácio de Anna M. Klobucka, posfácio de Patrícia Martins Marcos, Douda Correria, 2020.

O kit de sobrevivencia do descobridor portugues no mundo anticolonial, published in late 2020, is the creation of Patricia Lino, a Portuguese researcher, poet, multimedia artist, and assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her book is ostensibly an instruction manual for forty items included in a fictitious “survival kit” meant to help Portuguese national chauvinists navigate the rough waters of contemporary political correctness, multiculturalism, and historical revisionism.
Abstract 67: GSK-3 Dephosphorylation by PP2A Modulates Age-dependent Cardiac Growth and Hypertrophic Response

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a known negative regulator of cardiac hypertrophic response and much remains unknown about its dephosphorylation process that activates GSK-3. Since GSK-3 function is regulated by PI3K, age based assessment of cardiac hypertrophic response was measured in PI3Kγ knockout (PI3Kγ KO) mice. Interestingly, we observed marked reduction in heart size in PI3Kγ KO mice compared to littermate controls. Consistent with the reduced size, we observed elevated PP2A activity and dephosphorylation mediated activation of GSK-3 in PI3Kγ-KO hearts. Mechanistically, we found that higher PP2A activity in PI3Kγ-KO was due to PP2A methylation mediated by elevated PP2A methyl transferase (PPMT-1) activity. To test in vivo whether PI3K activity regulates GSK-3 dephosphorylation mediated cardiac growth, we generated mice with cardiac specific overexpression of inactive PI3Kγ (PI3Kγinact) and constitutively active PI3Kγ (myrPI3Kγ) in the PI3Kγ-KO background. Age based hypertrophic response and cardiac function was assessed by heart weight/body weight ratios and echocardiography. The heart size was significantly increased in PI3Kγinact (LVEDD- 3.41+/- 0.12) and myrPI3Kγ (LVEDD- 3.73 +/- 0.14) overexpressing mice, when compared to WT (LVEDD- 3.00 +/- 0.15) mice at 18 months age, indicating that kinase activity of PI3Kγ is inconsequential for age-dependent regulation of cardiac growth. Similar cardiac growth due to overexpression of active and inactive form of PI3Kγ suggests that the kinase independent function potentially overrides the kinase activity of PI3Kγ. Correspondingly, PP2A activity was normalized and was associated with decreased GSK-3 dephosphorylation with overexpression of PI3Kγinact. This led to normalization of heart size in these mice compared to PI3Kγ-KO littermates correlating with the decreased GSK-3 dephosphorylation and consequent inhibition of GSK-3 activity. Regulation of PP2A mediated dephosphorylation of GSK-3 by PI3Kγ combined with similar level of increased cardiac growth in PI3Kγ-KO mice with cardiac overexpression of PI3Kγinact or myrPI3Kγ, suggests a non-canonical role of PI3Kγ in hypertrophy of the heart due to age related increase in mechanical demand.
Teratology of the beetle Tenebrio molitor: III. Ultrastructural alterations in the flight musculature of the pupal-winged adult

Abstract The present report deals at an ultrastructural level with some of the internal aspects of a malformation or teratology (“pupal-winged adult”) found in the beetle Tenebrio molitor . The flight muscle of two types of pupal-winged adults was examined, and the pattern of muscular degeneration in the teratological insects is presented. By comparison with normal Tenebrio flight musculature, it is seen that, while externally the wing of the pupal-winged adult is pupal in form, the ultrastructural characteristics of the flight muscle are those of an adult beetle. The fine structural alterations in the flight muscle of the teratological insects include disorientation and dissolution of myofilaments, alterations in the Z lines, hypertrophy of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, glycogen abnormalities, and swelling, enlargment, and destruction of mitochondria. The possible metabolic dysfunctions that lead to, or result from, the ultrastructural alterations are considered.
Conformation of ionizable poly Para phenylene ethynylene in dilute solutions

The conformation of dinonyl poly para phenylene ethynylenes (PPEs) with carboxylate side chains, equilibrated in solvents of different quality is studied using molecular dynamics simulations. PPEs are of interest because of their tunable electro-optical properties, chemical diversity, and functionality which are essential in wide range of applications. The polymer conformation determines the conjugation length and their assembly mode and affects electro-optical properties which are critical in their current and potential uses. The current study investigates the effect of carboxylate fraction on PPEs side chains on the conformation of chains in the dilute limit, in solvents of different quality. The dinonyl PPE chains are modeled atomistically, where the solvents are modeled both implicitly and explicitly. Dinonyl PPEs maintained a stretched out conformation up to a carboxylate fraction f of 0.7 in all solvents studied. The nonyl side chains are extended and oriented away from the PPE backbone in toluene and in implicit good solvent whereas in water and implicit poor solvent, the nonyl side chains are collapsed towards the PPE backbone. Thus, rotation around the aromatic ring is fast and no long range correlations are seen within the backbone.
Calling the Shots: Aboriginal Photographies

The phrase ‘calling the shots’, the title of this remarkable collection, indicates who is in charge of a situation, and it highlights an intellectually refreshing approach: the decolonising of phot...
Fatigue loads for wind turbines operating in wakes

Abstract Loads for a wind turbine operating in the wake of an upstream wind turbine was investigated with the objective of identifying the load generating changes in the wind field parameters compared to a free flow situation. The investigation was based on the measurements from the offshore wind farm Vindeby in Denmark. The following wind field parameters were included in the wind field analysis: Wind speed deficit, turbulence intensity, horizontal shear and turbulence spectrum length scale. The identified wind field changes were implemented in the aeroelastic code HawC, which was used to predict the wind turbine loads. For both free flow and wake cases, good agreement with measured loads was obtained. The most important load generating parameters for the wind farm in Vindeby were the increased turbulence intensity and the reduced turbulence length scale. The increased fatigue loading in the wind farm compared to free flow was found to be between 5% and 15%, depending on the wind farm layout. The load increase caused by wake effects was found to be the same for an offshore and a land site.
Beta-adrenergic receptors and cyclic adenosine monophosphate generation in human fetal lung.

ABSTRACT: We designed experiments to determine whether β-adrenergic receptors are present and functional in human fetal lung during the 2nd trimester of gestation. To determine the presence of β receptors, characterize their binding sites, and assess changes in receptor with gestational age, we performed radioligand binding assays with the specific, high-affinity β antagonist,I25I-iodocyanopindolol, in membrane particulates from the lungs of 2nd trimester abortuses (15-23 wk). Binding of 125I-iodocyanopindolol was saturable and of high affinity (dissociation constant = 40 pM). Binding was stereo selective as determined by competition studies with (—) and (+) stereoisomers of propranolol. Agonist affinities (isoproterenol > epinephrine » norepinephrine) were consistent with a predominance of 0-2 receptors; this predominance was confirmed by competition studies with the specific β-2 receptor antagonist ICI 118-551 (75% β-2, 25% β-1). The concentration of β-adrenergic receptors increased with gestational age. To assess the functional coupling of the β receptors, we tested the ability of receptor occupancy to activate adenylate cyclase. For this assay, we incubated minced human fetal lung with β agonists and determined the amount of cAMP generated. β Agonists stimulated cAMP generation more than 2-fold. We conclude that β- adrenergic receptors are present and functional in human fetal lung as early as the 2nd trimester.
Two-center exchange interactions in rare earth doped materials

Two-center exchange interactions between rare earth ion and ligands are taken into account as a source of new contributions to the energy transfer resulting in sensitized luminescence. The consequences of the exchange of two electrons are described in an algebraic form by the so-called Dirac's identity after prior transformation of the radial functions localized on ligand to the coordinate frame of the central ion. This procedure enables one to use for the description of electrostatic interactions a simple multipole one-center expansion. The energy transfer amplitude is defined within the free ionic system approximation adopted for the rare earth ion, and its value is modified in a perturbative way by the contributions caused by the influence of crystal field potential produced by the surrounding ligands. The general expressions are defined in the terms of double tensor operators that determine isotropic and anisotropic parts, symmetric and antisymmetric ones.
Source regions and storm effectiveness of frontside full halo coronal mass ejections

[1] Full halo coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupting from the side of the Sun facing Earth, i.e., frontside full halo CMEs, are considered to be a likely cause of major, transient geomagnetic storms. However, this hypothesis has not been tested over a full solar cycle. We compare all frontside full halo CMEs observed during the first half of solar cycle 23, from 1996 to the end of 2000, with moderate or larger storms at Earth. We show that the association of frontside full halo CMEs with such storms tends to decrease from 1997 to 2000, though this decreasing trend is not monotonic. We examine the locations of the frontside full halo CMEs from 1996 to 2000 with respect to two kinds of coronal closed field regions: bipolar closed field regions between opposite-polarity open field regions and unipolar closed field regions between like-polarity open field regions. We find that even during solar maximum when the occurrence frequency of the two kinds of regions is nearly the same, the central positions of the frontside full halo CMEs are mostly located under the bipolar coronal streamer belt, suggesting that most full halo CMEs originate in the bipolar coronal helmet streamers that are sandwiched between coronal holes having opposite magnetic polarity. Because the inclination of the heliospheric current sheet increases toward solar maximum, the fraction of CMEs emitted into the ecliptic decreases, and the inclination of associated flux ropes increases. These effects help to explain the solar cycle effect on the storm effectiveness of frontside full halo CMEs.
Controlling the Reactivity of Chlorinated Ethylenes with Flavin Mononucleotide Hydroquinone

Reduction rate constants of the chlorinated ethylenes cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-DCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) reacted with flavin mononucleotide hydroquinone (FMNH2) under anoxic conditions were investigated. FMNH2 was produced in methanol solvent by the photoreduction of FMN. In aqueous solution, FMN was not fully reduced to FMNH2 but instead yielded the semiquinone radical FMNH*. However, when FMN was anchored to nanocrystalline TiO2, band gap irradiation resulted in electron transfer from the TiO2 conduction band to FMN, thus yielding FMNH2. The FMNH2 generated in aqueous solution on the TiO2 surface was a stronger reductant toward chlorinated ethylenes, relative to FMNH2 in solution. Furthermore, by combining the reactivity of the TiO2 conduction band electrons [TiO2(e-(CB)] with FMNH2, reduction rate constants for the chlorinated ethylenes increased by 2 orders of magnitude relative to FMNH2 alone. The results show how biological molecules such as FMNH2 could have significant effects toward the remediation of organic pollutants.
Some Functions of Deviant Behavior and Normative Flexibility

This paper examines a series of instances which call attention to the positive functions of deviance for social structures. Among the latent functional contributions are the role of the deviant in arousing the community to the consequences of the breach of its norms, and the fact that deviance may be considered the very "ground" of normalcy. Various structural and situational circumstances which lead the group to tolerate or even to foster deviance are considered. Criminal deviance is distinguished from nonconformist innovating behavior; and various types of innovating departures from normalcy are considered from the dual viewpoint of structurally induced motivation and of impact on group structure.
Spectroscopy and imaging of the cosmic diffuse UV background radiation

The UVISI instruments, comprising five spectrographic imagers and four imagers, will fly on a DoD mission in the early 1990s. We analyze, in a preliminary way, the applicability of these instruments to resolution of outstanding problems in the nature of the celestial cosmic diffuse ultraviolet background radiation.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Block and graft copolymers by selective cationic initiation. II. Synthesis and characterization of styrene‐isobutylene block copolymers by use of chlorobrominated alkanes

The synthesis and characterization of a new block copolymer, poly(styrene-b-isobutylene) (PSt-b-PIB), is described. The synthesis involves the initiation of an isobutylene polymerization by a polystyrene molecule containing a terminal tertiary bromine (PSt-Br), in conjunction with diethylaluminum chloride coinitiator. The species PSt-Br is in turn synthesized by initiating the polymerization of styrene selectively by the tertiary chlorine of the 2-bromo-6-chloro-2,6-dimethylheptane/Et3Al initiator system in the absence of chain transfer. The conditions conducive for selective initiation by tertiary chlorine have been worked out. The pure block copolymer, PSt-b-PIB, is obtained by selective extraction and some of its properties were determined, e.g., solubility and film behavior, Tg, and intrinsic viscosity versus temperature. The intrinsic viscosity (in toluene) exhibits a maximum and a minimum in the temperature range from 15 to 55°C.
Developmentally regulated protease expression during sea urchin embryogenesis

A temporal study of protease expression employing the technique of SDS-PAGE gelatin substrate zymography revealed a definitive appearance of proteases during early development in the sea urchins, Lytechinus pictus and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. The levels of these proteases increase substantially during gastrulation in each species. The two major proteases with relative molecular masses of 57 and 50 kDa were found to be inhibited by the zinc chelator, 1,10-phenanthroline, the more nonspecific metal chelator, EDTA, and the reducing agent, dithiothreitol. The serine protease inhibitor, benzamidine, exerted no effects on the activities of these proteases, and both enzymes exhibited activity in the neutral to slightly basic pH range. Treatment of embryos with actinomycin D, an inhibitor of transcription, beginning up to 9 hr after fertilization, inhibited the subsequent appearances of the two proteases 48 hr after fertilization, as well as any morphological changes associated with gastrulation. Treatments beginning 15 and 21 hr after fertilization resulted in increased levels of proteases that correlate with arrests at successively more advanced stages of gastrulation. SDS-PAGE zymographic analyses of five different embryo fractions indicated that the 57- and 50-kDa proteases are localized in the blastocoel, and blastocoelic protease activity was further confirmed microscopically by in situ zymography. Hence, the 57- and 50-kDa proteases are characterized as metalloproteases. Their expression is dependent on transcription of the embryonic genome, and their spatiotemporal appearance suggests an involvement in blastocoelic matrix remodeling during gastrulation. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chronic ethanol treatment upregulates the NMDA receptor function and binding in mammalian cortical neurons.

Abstract In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic ethanol exposure on NMDA-mediated increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) by means of fluorescent measurement of [Ca2+]i with Fura-2AM in mammalian cortical cultured neurons, and the radioligand [3H]MK-801 binding to cortical neuronal membranes. Chronic exposure of the cortical neurons to ethanol (50 mM, 5 days) did not produce any change in the cell protein, morphological appearance, and the resting [Ca2+]i; however, it significantly enhanced the NMDA-mediated increase in [Ca2+]i. The EC50 value of NMDA was not significantly altered following chronic ethanol exposure, however, its Emax value was increased by ∼ 45%. Furthermore, chronic ethanol exposure increased the specific [3H]MK-801 binding in cortical neuronal membrane preparation by ∼ 30%. The enhancement of the NMDA-mediated increase in [Ca2+]i and the increase in [3H]MK-801 specific binding were reversed following 48 h ethanol withdrawal. Additionally, this enhanced NMDA response and the increased [3H]MK-801 specific binding were susceptible to blockade by the concomitant chronic exposure of the cortical neurons to the NMDA receptor competitive (20 μM CPP), and non-competitive (1 μM MK-801) antagonists, but not by the non-NMDA receptor antagonist, CNQX (10 μM), and the L-type calcium channel blocker, nitrendipine (10 μM). Taken together, these results suggest that chronic ethanol exposure upregulated the NMDA receptor function and binding in cortical cultured neurons, and this increased NMDA receptor function is a NMDA receptor-mediated process. This altered NMDA receptor function may be responsible for the chronic ethanol-induced behavioral consequences and withdrawal syndrome associated with chronic ethanol exposure.
On fast generation of cosmological random fields

The statistical translation invariance of cosmological random fields is broken by a finite survey boundary, correlating the observable Fourier modes. Standard methods for generating Gaussian fields either neglect these correlations, or are costly, or both. Here we report on a fast and exact simulation method applicable to a wide class of two-point statistics that requires the simulation of a periodic grid of only twice the survey side with fast Fourier transforms. Super-survey modes, dominating the covariance of power spectra beyond linear scales in galaxy surveys and causing the correlation of large and small scales, "beat coupling", or "super-sample" covariance, are precisely accounted for in non-linear transformations of the Gaussian field. As an application, we simulate the CFHTLS $\sim 7^\circ \times 7^\circ$ W1 galaxy density field, modeled as a Poisson sampling of a lognormal density field. We show that our simulations produce power spectra, $A^*$-power spectra, counts-in-cells probability distributions as well as covariances perfectly consistent with the data. In addition, our technique reproduces the information plateau beyond linear scales as observed previously in Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxy catalogs and in $N$-body simulations. Our method is thus an efficient yet powerful simulation and prediction tool for galaxy survey data and covariances.
Pressure-reduction support surfaces: A review of the literature

This review of the literature summarizes research completed during the past 10 years with regard to pressure-reduction support surfaces. Data are summarized within Tables, focusing on each type of support surface (foam overlays, air overlays, and replacement mattresses) with the corresponding tissue interface pressure research and clinical trials. The review is intended to provide an evidence-based platform for selecting a support surface in clinical practice.
CCL11 (eotaxin‐1): A new diagnostic serum marker for prostate cancer

BACKGROUND The recent recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer was based, in part, on the lack of demonstrated diagnostic utility of serum PSA values in the low, but detectable range to successfully predict prostate cancer. Though controversial, this recommendation reinforced the critical need to develop, validate, and determine the utility of other serum and/or urine transcript and protein markers as diagnostic markers for PCa. The studies described here were intended to determine whether inflammatory cytokines might augment serum PSA as a diagnostic marker for prostate cancer. METHODS Multiplex ELISA assays were performed to quantify CCL1, CCL2, CCL5, CCL8, CCL11, CCL17, CXCL1, CXCL5, CXCL8, CXCL10, CXCL12, and IL-6 protein levels in the serum of 272 men demonstrating serum PSA values of <10 ng/ml and undergoing a 12 core diagnostic needle biopsy for detection of prostate cancer. Logistic regression was used to identify the associations between specific chemokines and prostate cancer status adjusted for prostate volume, and baseline PSA. RESULTS Serum levels for CCL1 (I-309) were significantly elevated among all men with enlarged prostates (P < 0.04). Serum levels for CCL11 (Eotaxin-1) were significantly elevated among men with prostate cancer regardless of prostate size (P < 0.01). The remaining 10 cytokines examined in this study did not exhibit significant correlations with either prostate volume or cancer status. CONCLUSIONS Serum CCL11 values may provide a useful diagnostic tool to help distinguish between prostatic enlargement and prostate cancer among men demonstrating low, but detectable, serum PSA values. Prostate 73: 573–581, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nightside ionosphere of Mars: Modeling the effects of crustal magnetic fields and electron pitch angle distributions on electron impact ionization

[1] The night side ionosphere of Mars is known to be highly variable: essentially nonexistent in certain geographic locations, while occasionally nearly as strong as the photoionization-produced dayside ionosphere in others. The factors controlling its structure include thermospheric densities, temperatures and winds, day-night plasma transport, plasma temperatures, current systems, solar particle events, crustal magnetic fields, and electron precipitation, none of which are adequately understood at present. Using a kinetic Monte Carlo approach called Mars Monte Carlo Electron Transport (MarMCET), we model the dynamics of precipitating solar wind electrons on the nightside ionosphere of Mars to study the effects of these last two factors on ionospheric density and structure. We calculate ionization rate profiles and, using simple assumptions concerning atmospheric chemistry, also calculate electron density profiles, total electron content, and equivalent ionosphere slab thickness. We present the first model investigation of the coupled effects of crustal magnetic field gradients and precipitating electron pitch angle distributions (PADs). Including such effects, particularly in cases of nonisotropic PADs, is found to be essential in accurately predicting ionization rate and electron density profiles: peak ionization rates can vary by a factor of 20 or more when these effects are included.
Influence of IL-12 on interferon-γ production by bovine leucocyte subsets in response to bovine respiratory syncytial virus

Abstract The cytokine IL-12 is a key molecule in the regulation of CD4+T cell development and specifically potentiates the development of T helper 1 responses in mouse and man. However the biological effects mediated by bovine IL-12 have not been defined in cattle. To produce the expression of the two mature proteins a polyprotein approach was used. This system is employed by positive strand viruses and encodes both products from a single open reading frame (ORF). The 2A region of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) encodes a site that appears to undergo auto-cleavage. Here the 2A was flanked by sequences encoding the p35 and p40 polypeptides of the heterodimeric cytokine to mediate their cleavage. Formation of the correct heterodimeric structure is an absolute requirement for IL-12 biologic activity. Using bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and ovalbumin (OVA) we studied the effects of IL-12 on the responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to these antigens, in vitro. The presence of IL-12 markedly influenced the level of IFNg secreted by these cells, and although IL-12 induced IFNg production in the absence of antigenic stimulation, IFNg production was accelerated and augmented in response to IL-12 and antigen. Analysis of the T cell subsets by flow cytometry showed that CD4+ T cells comprised the largest contributors to IFNg production. The WC1+ gd T cells did not appear to contribute to the production of IFNg.
An agenda for ultra-large-scale system research for global health informatics

This extended abstract describes the characteristics of Ultra- Large-Scale Systems (ULSS) and the gaps in our understanding of these systems. We compare the characteristics of ULSS with the desired characteristics for national and global health information systems. Using the methodology proposed for the US Department of Defense and representative global health scenarios, we identify a strategy to develop a research agenda in Ultra-Large-Scale-Systems for Global Health Informatics.