cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dengue after Zika: Characterizing impacts of Zika emergence on endemic dengue transmission

Abstract In 2015 and 2016, Zika virus (ZIKV) swept through many Latin American countries where dengue virus (DENV) is endemic. Dengue and Zika viruses are of the same family, share a vector and may interact competitively or synergistically through human immune responses. We examine dengue incidence data from Brazil and Colombia from before, during, and after the Zika epidemic. We find evidence that dengue incidence was atypically low in 2017 in both Brazil and Colombia. We investigate whether Zika incidence at the state or department level is associated with changes in dengue incidence and find mixed results. We use simulations to investigate expected impact of cross-protection or enhancement between dengue and Zika. Our simulations show that regardless of the mechanism, low periods of dengue incidence are followed by a resurgence in dengue cases. It is therefore likely that countries currently experiencing low levels of dengue incidence will experience large dengue seasons in the near future. By considering multiple combinations of DENV and ZIKV reproduction numbers, we demonstrate that the mixed results of our statistical models are not entirely unexpected. Correlations in DENV and ZIKV reproduction number could contribute to complicating or masking an association between their case counts.
The Impact of Altitude on Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders in Infants and Children

Millions of children worldwide reside at or sojourn to high-altitude locales and are therefore subjected to hypobaric hypoxic conditions. Such exposure is known to impact respiratory physiology including determinants of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs). This review aims to summarize emerging data on the effects of high altitude on SRBDs in infants and children, to highlight possible pathophysiologic consequences of these effects, and to outline specific topics requiring further investigation. Recent findings demonstrate that intermediate and high-altitude conditions increase central and obstructive respiratory event frequency both in healthy infants and children and in those with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing. These changes are most pronounced in infancy and in symptomatic children. Exposure to high altitude degrades cognitive performance and increases cardiovascular morbidity. Genetic factors which vary between specific populations modulate the high-altitude response and therefore limit the generalizability of these findings. High-altitude exposure worsens SRBD prevalence and severity when implementing scoring rules and diagnostic criteria developed at low altitude. Whether these changes in polysomnographic parameters contribute to the adverse cardiovascular and neurocognitive outcomes observed in high-altitude residents is of critical importance and requires further study.
The mystery of the shape parameter IV

Abstract This is the fourth paper of our study of the shape parameter c contained in the famous multiquadrics ( − 1 ) ⌈ β ⌉ ( c 2 + ‖ x ‖ 2 ) β , β > 0 , and the inverse multiquadrics ( c 2 + ‖ x ‖ 2 ) β , β 0 . The theoretical ground is the same as the third paper. However, we extend the space of interpolated functions to a more general one. This leads to a totally different set of criteria of choosing c.
Intelligent Feature Engineering for Cybersecurity

Feature engineering and selection is a critical step in the implementation of any machine learning system. In application areas such as intrusion detection for cybersecurity, this task is made more complicated by the diverse data types and ranges presented in both raw data packets and derived data fields. Additionally, the time and context specific nature of the data requires domain expertise to properly engineer the features while minimizing any potential information loss. Many previous efforts in this area naively apply techniques for feature engineering that are successful in image recognition applications. In this work, we use network packet dataflows from the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) and the Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) high performance computing systems to experimentally analyze various methods of feature engineering. The results of this research provide insight on the suitability of the features for machine learning based cybersecurity applications.
Phytotoxic responses of soybean (Glycine max L.) to botryodiplodin, a toxin produced by the charcoal rot disease fungus, macrophomina phaseolina

Toxins have been proposed to facilitate fungal root infection by creating regions of readily-penetrated necrotic tissue when applied externally to intact roots. Isolates of the charcoal rot disease fungus, Macrophomina phaseolina, from soybean plants in Mississippi produced a phytotoxic toxin, (-)-botryodiplodin, but no detectable phaseolinone, a toxin previously proposed to play a role in the root infection mechanism. This study was undertaken to determine if (-)-botryodiplodin induces toxic responses of the types that could facilitate root infection. (±)-Botryodiplodin prepared by chemical synthesis caused phytotoxic effects identical to those observed with (-)-botryodiplodin preparations from M. phaseolina culture filtrates, consistent with fungus-induced phytotoxicity being due to (-)-botryodiplodin, not phaseolinone or other unknown impurities. Soybean leaf disc cultures of Saline cultivar were more susceptible to (±)-botryodiplodin phytotoxicity than were cultures of two charcoal rot-resistant genotypes, DS97-84-1 and DT97-4290. (±)-Botryodiplodin caused similar phytotoxicity in actively growing duckweed (Lemna pausicostata) plantlet cultures, but at much lower concentrations. In soybean seedlings growing in hydroponic culture, (±)-botryodiplodin added to culture medium inhibited lateral and tap root growth, and caused loss of root caps and normal root tip cellular structure. Thus, botryodiplodin applied externally to undisturbed soybean roots induced phytotoxic responses of types expected to facilitate fungal root infection.
Digital media use and subsequent cannabis and tobacco product use initiation among adolescents.

Abstract Background Digital media engagement, such as browsing the internet or social media posting, may be associated with cannabis and tobacco product use initiation among adolescents. Whether certain digital media exposure confers greater – or reduced – risk for specific cannabis or tobacco products is unknown. Methods Adolescents completed surveys on digital media and substance use every 6 months from 2015 to 2017 (4 waves). Self-reported digital media use (14 items) was classified into six subcategories (e.g., “social media posting,” “reading news/articles & browsing photos”). Random-effect repeated-measures regression models examined the association of exposure to each digital media subcategory with subsequent cannabis or tobacco product use initiation in the next 6 months, among baseline cannabis and tobacco never-users (n = 1841; n = 1558, respectively). Results High frequency digital media use (multiple times/day) of “social media posting” (vs. no high frequency use; OR = 1.95; 95%CI:1.20–3.17) and “checking in” (OR = 1.71; 95%CI:1.23–2.38) was associated with greater odds of any cannabis product use initiation 6 months later. “Reading news/articles & browsing photos” was associated with decreased odds of initiation (OR = 0.52; 95%CI:0.34-0.79). “Checking in” and “reading news/articles & browsing photos” were similarly associated with any tobacco use initiation. “Chatting and shopping” was associated with greater odds (OR = 4.63; 95%CI:1.53–14.06) of e-cigarette initiation, but not of other product use initiation. Conclusions Some subcategories of digital media use conferred increased odds, others conferred reduced odds, and others were not associated with cannabis and tobacco use initiation. Research exploring mechanisms that put users of specific digital media at greater risk for substance use initiation is warranted.
Shaping Microglial Phenotypes Through Estrogen Receptors: Relevance to Sex-Specific Neuroinflammatory Responses to Brain Injury and Disease

In mammals, 17β-estradiol (E2), the primary endogenous estrogen, maintains normal central nervous system (CNS) function throughout life and influences brain responses to injury and disease. Estradiol-induced cellular changes are mediated through the activation of nuclear and extranuclear estrogen receptors (ERs), which include ERα, ERβ, and the G-protein coupled receptor, GPER1. ERs are widely expressed throughout the brain, acting as transcriptional effectors or rapidly initiating membrane and cytoplasmic signaling cascades in practically all brain cells including microglia, the resident immune cells of the CNS. Activation of ERs by E2 exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects through mechanisms involving the modification of microglial cell responses to acute or chronic brain injury. Recent studies suggest that microglial maturation is influenced by the internal gonadal hormone milieu and that their functions in the normal and diseased brain are sex specific. However, the role that each ER subtype plays in microglial development or in determining microglial function as the primary cellular defense mechanism against pathogens and injury remains unclear. This is partly due to the fact that most studies investigating the mechanisms by which E2-ER signaling modifies microglial cellular phenotypes have been restricted to one sex or age. This review examines the different in vivo and in vitro models used to study the direct and indirect regulation of microglial cell function by E2 through ERs. Ischemic stroke will be used as an example of a neurologic disease in which activation of ERs shapes microglial phenotypes in response to injury in a sex- and age-specific fashion. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: As the primary immune sensors of central nervous system damage, microglia are important potential therapeutic targets. Estrogen receptor signaling modulates microglial responses to brain injury and disease in a sex- and age-specific fashion. Hence, investigating the molecular mechanisms by which estrogen receptors regulate and shape microglial functions throughout life may result in novel and effective therapeutic opportunities that are tailored for each sex and age.
You got it wrong

Success can be defined in so many different ways. If you don’t believe me, just Google “What Does Success Look Like” and see how many different opinions you get. In my humble opinion, success ultimately comes down to how you define it in your own mind. It may be based on financial targets, career progression, work-life balance, family, health, your golf game score, or a combination of any of these plus many more variables that we don’t have time to explore.
Power Control of Hybrid Grid-Connected Inverter to Improve Power Quality

Hybrid grid-connected inverter (GCI), also called reconfigurable GCI or shunt-series-switched GCI, can be connected in shunt or series to the grid to improve power quality of the grid. Power control capability of GCI is a key element to apply the concept of hybrid GCI to different kinds of distributed energy resources. Different power control strategies including zero power injection, minimum apparent power injection, and zero oscillating power injection are presented in shunt and series mode of hybrid GCI by adjusting reference voltage. Mathematically derived equations of the optimal phase angle are presented for different strategies. Experimental results of 10kW of hybrid GCI prototype are also presented that hybrid GCI compensates 15% of voltage swell in series mode when zero reactive power injection strategy is applied.
Quantitative Assessment of Six Different Reagent Gases for Charge Transfer Dissociation (CTD) of Biological Ions.

Abstract Charge transfer dissociation mass spectrometry (CTD-MS) has been shown to induce high energy fragmentation of biological ions in the gas phase and provide fragmentation spectra similar to extreme ultraviolet photodissociation (XUVPD). To date, CTD has typically employed helium cations with kinetic energies between 4-10 keV to initiate radical-directed fragmentation of analytes. However, as a reagent, helium has recently been listed as a critical mineral that is becoming scarcer and more expensive, so this study explored the potential for using cheaper and more readily available reagent gases. A model peptide, bradykinin, and a model oligosaccharide, κ-carrageenan with a degree of polymerization of 4, were fragmented using a variety of CTD reagent gases, which included helium, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, argon and lab air. The CTD results were also contrasted with low-energy collision-induced dissociation (LE-CID), which were collected on the same 3D ion trap. Using constant reagent ion fluxes and kinetic energies, all five alterative reagent gases generated remarkably consistent sequence coverage and fragmentation efficiencies relative to He-CTD, which suggests that the ionization energy of the reagent gas has a negligible effect on the activation of the biological ions. The CTD efficiencies of all the gases ranged from 11-13% for bradykinin and 7-8% for κ-carrageenan. Within these tight ranges, the abundance of the CTnoD peak of bradykinin and the efficiency of CTD fragmentation of bradykinin both correlated with the ionization energy of the CTD reagent gas, which suggests that resonant charge transfer plays a small role in the activation of this peptide. The majority of the excitation energy for bradykinin and for κ-carrageenan comes from an electron stopping mechanism, which is described by long-range interactions between the reagent cations and electrons in the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) of the biological ions. The CTD spectra do not provide any evidence for covalently bound products between the biological ions and the more-reactive gases like hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, which implies that the high kinetic energies of the reagent ions make them unavailable for covalent reactions. This work demonstrates that any of the substitute reagent gases tested are viable options for future CTD-MS experiments.
Quality of Life Is Independently Associated With Neurocognitive Function in Patients With Brain Tumors: Analysis of a Prospective Clinical Trial.

Purpose We conducted the first prospective longitudinal study examining the independent association between patient-reported health-related quality of life (hrQoL) (physical, social/family, emotional, functional, and brain cancer-specific) and neurocognitive function (NCF), while controlling for mood symptoms in patients with primary brain tumors. Methods and Materials Patients with primary brain tumors (n = 59) receiving brain radiation therapy underwent hrQOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain), mood (Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories), and neurocognitive evaluation at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months postradiation therapy in a prospective clinical trial. Neurocognitive assessments measured attention/processing speed, memory, and executive function, including the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised (HVLT-R), and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test. Subjects underwent neurocognitive, mood, and hrQoL assessments in the same testing session. Multivariable linear mixed-effects models assessed associations between hrQOL and NCF over time, controlling for patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics as well as timepoint-specific patient-reported mood (ie, anxiety and depression symptoms). P values were adjusted for multiple comparisons. Results Higher physical hrQoL was associated with better verbal memory (HVLT-R Total Recall, P = .047), and higher functional hrQoL was associated with better executive function (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency Switching Total, P = .009) and verbal memory (HVLT-R Delayed Recall, P = .006). Higher brain tumor-specific hrQoL was associated with better verbal and nonverbal memory (HVLT-R Total, P = .004 and Delayed Recall, P = .030; Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Total, P = .049 and Delayed Recall, P = .049). There was no association between social/family or emotional hrQoL and NCF after controlling for mood. Conclusions Higher physical, functional, and brain tumor-specific hrQoL were associated with better executive function and memory among patients with primary brain tumors. Physical and functional impairments are correlated with cognitive performance. Interventions to maximize quality of life after treatment may influence neurocognition and vice versa.
Can camera traps be used to measure climate change induced alterations of the activity patterns of elusive terrestrial vertebrates

Abstract Climate change will accelerate the extinction rate of wildlife species in the Anthropocene. Identifying which species exhibit the capacity to be flexible in their activity patterns to avoid heat stress will help direct conservation effort to those species that lack resilience. We propose a framework for using photo capture data sets from camera trapping surveys to make conservation management decisions based on a combination of population trends and activity pattern shifts. After summarizing the basic design of typical camera trap surveys, we conduct a literature review of camera-trap-based activity pattern studies for select large tropical forest mammals. Based on our literature review we identified problems with data form and availability, data capture and image sampling, and sampling area and period, which may impede the application of camera trap technology to investigate behavioral resilience to climate warming. We conclude with eight important research questions that must be answered before our monitoring and management framework could be adopted to guide conservation efforts for large tropical mammals.
Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections

Tuberculosis, a scourge of humankind through the ages, has undergone a global resurgence in the past two decades. Classically, the term tuberculosis refers to disease caused by organisms of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, such as M. tuberculosis and M. bovis (Table 9.1).1 The most important disease in humans is produced by M. tuberculosis; infection due to M. bovis is mainly transmitted through the consumption of contaminated milk from infected cows, often presents as extrapulmonary disease, and has been virtually eliminated in developed countries by the pasteurization of milk.2
Repensando la función social y ética de una historia del cristianismo mundial

?Como escribir una historia congruente con el mensaje evangelico e incluyente del Cristianismo Mundial, con las herramientas y el desarrollo que la disciplina ha tenido hasta ahora? Una historia que sea capaz de abrirse a oir, entender, comprender e incluir las diversas voces de cristianos y cristianas de todo el mundo en su mas variada diversidad social, etnica, etaria. Voces que ansian contar y comprender su pasado, generalmente con el fin de entender su presente, porque necesitan transformarlo para tener un futuro. Una historia que no sea mas la imposicion de una sola memoria, la de los que detentan el poder y tienen la capacidad de contar el pasado, en la que los otros y las otras son subsumidos y alienados en esa unica memoria. ?Es posible una historia del cristianismo que supere la funcion social establecida a la disciplina por la modernidad?
Potentially Perverse Effects of Corporate Civil Liability

Inadequate civil regulatory liability can be an incentive for public enforcers to pursue criminal cases against firms. This incentive is undesirable in a scheme with overlapping forms of liability that is meant to treat most cases of wrongdoing civilly and to reserve the criminal remedy for the few most serious institutional delicts. This effect appears to exist in the current scheme of liability for securities law violations, and may be present in other regulatory structures as well. In this chapter for a volume on "Prosecutors in the Boardroom," I argue that enhancements of the SEC's enforcement processes likely would reduce the frequency of DOJ criminal enforcement against firms, an objective shared by many. Among other enforcement features, I address problems with the practice of accepting "neither admit nor deny" settlements in enforcement actions, a subject that has drawn greater attention since this chapter was published.
Peripheral Chemosensory Irritation: Fundamentals, Investigation and Applied Considerations

Peripheral chemosensory irritation (PCSI) is a pharmacological effect in which xenobiotics interact with sensory nerve receptors in skin and mucosae to produce local sensation (discomfort, itching, burning sensation or pain), together the development of local reflexes and systemic (autonomic) reflexes. The effects subside after removal of the irritant stimulus and do not result in long-term adverse sequelae. The principal sites where PCSI effects develop are the eye, respiratory tract and skin. The effects produced are protective in nature. For example, with the eye there is pain, increased lacrimation and blepharospasm; these effects give a biological warning of the presence of a PCSI material in the immediate environment, and are protective in nature. The peripheral sensory effects may underlie some of the characteristics associated with the various types of idiopathic environmental intolerance, including multiple chemical sensitivity. Since the local sensory and reflex effects resulting from exposure to a potent sensory irritation (PSI) substance may be detrimental to safe and efficient working conditions, in many cases they may be used as a basis for assigning airborne occupational exposure limits. This review chapter discusses the nature of the PCSI response, receptor interactions and mechanisms, factors influencing response to PCSI effects, quantitation of the response, methods for measuring the PCSI response and the practical implications and applications of chemosensory irritation. Keywords: chemosensory irritation; sensory receptor; trigeminal nerve; eye; respiratory tract; incapacitation; occupational exposure guidelines; in vitro studies; in vivo studies; environmental impact
The search for meaning—Symptoms and transvaginal sonography screening for ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND: The mortality rate of ovarian cancer is greater than that of all other major gynecologic malignancies. Detecting ovarian cancer at an early and curable stage long has been an objective of oncologists. Recently, it was reported that certain symptom patterns are informative for the presence of ovarian malignancy. In this article, the authors report on how symptoms and ultrasound predict ovarian malignancy. METHODS: Two hundred seventy-two women who were participating in annual transvaginal sonography (TVS) screening were selected from among 31,748 women who were enrolled. Symptom results were correlated with ultrasound and surgical pathology findings. RESULTS: TVS performed better than symptoms analysis for detecting malignancies (sensitivity, 73.3% vs 20%), and symptoms analysis performed better for distinguishing benign tumors (specificity, 91.3% vs 74.4%). The use of TVS and symptoms analysis in series resulted in poorer identification of malignancy (sensitivity, 16.7%) but improved the ability to distinguish benign tumors (specificity, 97.9%). Decisions using either symptoms or TVS combined in parallel had small increases in sensitivity (+3.3%) and had coordinated, small decreases in specificity (−5.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms did identify ovarian malignancies, but not as well as TVS. The current findings indicated that: 1) tumors that are negative by both ultrasound and a symptoms index are likely to be benign (specificity, >97%), and 2) adding symptoms information that has weight equal to the weight of ultrasound only slightly improves the discrimination of malignancy (sensitivity increase, +3.3%). Thus, a major benefit in discriminating malignancy was achieved through ultrasound, whereas the absence of symptoms in conjunction with an abnormal ultrasound (characterized by a low morphology index) indicated that the mass was benign and that surgery may not be required. Finally, informative symptoms can be expected to be absent in 80% of patients with ovarian malignancies. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Transfer of monoclonal antibodies into mammalian cells by electroporation.

Abstract A simple rapid and reproducible procedure for transferring monoclonal antibodies into mammalian cells by electroporation is described. Two functionally different monoclonal antibodies (Mab 3F3 and Mab 2B4) specific for asparagine synthetase (EC 6.3.1.1) were used for electroporation into HeLa, HT-5, and L5178Y D10/R (L-asparaginase-resistant) cells. The conditions were optimized so that the viability of the electroporated cells was very high (80-90%), and 90% of the viable cells had antibody incorporated. Electropermeabilized cells were structurally intact, and the high voltage electric pulse had no inhibitory effect on overall cellular DNA and protein synthesis. Incorporated immunoglobulins showed unaltered structural integrity and were functionally active. L5178Y D10/R cells incorporated with an antibody (Mab 3F3) known to be a potent inhibitor of tumor asparagine synthetase showed increased dependence on an exogenous source of asparagine in the culture medium, while the growth of cells incorporated with a control (noninhibitory) antibody (Mab 2B4) remained unaffected. These studies demonstrate that electroporation can be employed successfully for large scale transfer of antibodies into cultured mammalian cells for the study of cellular metabolism.
Abstract 12173: TEVAR versus Open Descending Thoracic Aortic Repair for the Treatment of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms: An Analysis of the Medicare Database

Introduction: Treatment of aneurysms of the descending thoracic aortic (TAA) was revolutionized with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Whether TEVAR or open descending thoracic aortic repair (ODTAR) is the most appropriate intervention for TAAs remains controversial. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that TEVAR would be associated with improved early survival, but have an increased late hazard phase of death compared with ODTAR. Methods: We reviewed Medicare patients with a TAA undergoing ODTAR (n= 1037) and TEVAR (n=2010) but no concomitant operation from 1999-2010. CPT codes were used to identify procedural characteristics. Survival distributions were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method; the log-rank test was used to compare differences between distributions. Analyses were repeated with using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis to account for differences between groups. A flexible parametric analysis was used to model the time varying hazard of TEVAR compared with ODTAR. R...
Development of inhibitory synapses among striatal neurons in vitro.

The development of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections has been studied in postnatal neurons from the caudate and putamen maintained in tissue culture. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials which were sensitive to the glutamate antagonist CNQX (6-cyano-7- nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione) appeared between 4 and 8 d in vitro. This is the first indication that glutamatergic excitatory neurons may be intrinsic to the striatum. Spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents appeared at approximately the same time, several days after process outgrowth. Antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the synthetic enzyme for GABA, labeled neurons which produce bicuculline- sensitive, inhibitory postsynaptic currents. GAD immunoreactivity and immunoreactivity to synapsin I, a synaptic vesicle-associated protein, became localized to discrete sites along neurites 4–8 d after plating. It is concluded that the punctate GAD immunoreactivity identified possible sites of presynaptic transmitter release.
High frequency microseisms from a known source

abstract Trains moving through the Rio Grande Valley at Socorro are a known isolated source of short-period microseisms. Power spectra at five different locations indicate that the train noise is confined to a narrow band ( Particle motions for randomly selected samples of train noise are extremely complex and no dominant component of motion—Rayleigh or Love—can be identified. However, for samples of noise showing the same regular frequency on all components of ground motion, a strong fundamental mode Rayleigh wave can generally be found. Phase-velocity measurements at a distance of about 17000 feet from the train indicate that a major amount of the train noise at Socorro is being propagated as a fundamental mode Rayleigh wave. The average of over two hundred phase velocity determinations was 1400 ft/sec, a value that corresponds closely to 0.92 of the shear velocity of the surface layer at the recording location. Other observations at the same location indicate normal dispersion of fundamental mode Rayleigh waves, but the change in phase velocity with frequency (in the range of 2 to 5 cps) appears to be quite small.
Preparation and Inverse‐Electron‐Demand Diels–Alder Reaction of an Electron‐Deficient Heterocyclic Azadiene: Triethyl 1,2,4‐Triazine‐3,5,6‐Tricarboxylate and 2,3,6‐Tricarboethoxypyridine

Preparation and inverse-electron-demand Diels–Alder reaction of an electron-deficient heterocyclic azadiene: triethyl 1,2,4-triazine-3,5,6-tricarboxylate and 2,3,6-tricarboethoxypyridine intermediate: ethyl thioamidooxalate intermediate: ethyl oxalamidrazonate reactant: diethyl dioxosuccinate product: triethyl 1,2,4-triazine-3,5,6-tricarboxylate Keywords: addition, to C;N; addition, to CS; annulation, heterocyclic-[6]; cyclization, condensation; cyclization, cycloaddition; Diels-Alder reactions; elimination, dehydration; replacement reactions, sulfur by hydrazine; ethanol; hydrazine, toxicity; hydrogen sulfide, toxicity; mercaptans, stench
Vocabulary and Syntactic Knowledge Factors in 5th Grade Students' Reading Comprehension.

In this study, we examined 5 th grade students’ levels of vocabulary knowledge and syntactic awareness relative to their reading comprehension performance. The aim was to explore the contributions of vocabulary and syntactic awareness as potential sources of reading comprehension difficulty for these readers. Overall, we found that both vocabulary knowledge and syntactic awareness contributed in significant yet unique ways to students’ reading comprehension performance. Students who showed weaknesses in vocabulary and syntax also performed poorly on measures of reading comprehension. Additionally, we found that syntactic awareness explained a small amount of additional variance in reading comprehension beyond what was explained by vocabulary. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of research and practice addressing the relationships among syntax, vocabulary, and reading comprehension for more and less skilled readers.
Institutional and Departmental Cultures: The Relationship Between Teaching and Research.

The ways in which faculty work, including teaching and research, occur within a cultural context. The author suggests ways to analyze departmental and institutional cultures and offers suggestions for academic leaders interested in nurturing cultures that value both teaching and research.
Stem cell factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor promote neuronal lineage commitment of neural stem cells

Stem cell factor (SCF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) were originally discovered as growth factors for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). It has been well defined that SCF and G-CSF contribute to regulation of lineage commitment for HSCs. However, little is known about whether SCF and G-CSF play roles in the determination and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Here we demonstrate the novel function of SCF and G-CSF in controlling cell cycle and cell fate determination of NSCs. We also observe that SCF and G-CSF promote neuronal differentiation and inhibit astroglial differentiation at the early stage of differentiation. In addition, our research data reveal that SCF in combination with G-CSF has a dual function in promoting cell cycle exit and directing neuronal fate commitment at the stage of NSC dividing. This coordination effect of SCF+G-CSF on cell cycle arrest and neuronal differentiation is through enhancing neurogenin 1 (Ngn1) activity. These findings extend current knowledge regarding the role of SCF and G-CSF in the regulation of neurogenesis and provide insights into the contribution of hematopoietic growth factors to brain development and remodeling.
Radiation and false-vacuum bubble dynamics.

It is shown that child universes may be detected by an external observer via radiation emitted by a restricted class of black holes associated with a generalization of the model of Blau, Guendelman, and Guth. The equations of motion for false-vacuum bubbles in Vaidya-Mallett metrics are derived and numerically solved. It is demonstrated that the evolution of the bubble differs from the standard Schwarzschild-de Sitter results. The luminosity as measured by an external observer is found to deviate from the normal Hawking luminosity, thus producing a signature for the existence of the child universe.
Mediators of affective responses to acute exercise among women with high social physique anxiety

Abstract Objectives This study represents ancillary analyses of data published by Raedeke, Focht, and Scales [2007. Social environmental factors and psychological responses to acute exercise for socially physique anxious females. Psychology of Sport and Exercise , 8 , 463–487] and examines whether enjoyment or task self-efficacy mediated the relationship between exercise environment (health- or appearance-oriented class atmosphere) and affective responses/future intentions or had independent associations with those outcomes. Design/Methods As a context in which to examine mediational relationships, volunteer female college students ( N = 99) with high social physique anxiety scores were randomly assigned to a health- or appearance-oriented condition. They completed affect and task self-efficacy measures pre- and post-exercise. Enjoyment and intentions were assessed post-exercise. Results/Conclusions Enjoyment mediated the relationship of class atmosphere on overall feeling as well as revitalization and exhaustion and partially mediated the relationship of class orientation with engagement and future intentions. Although task self-efficacy was an independent predictor of affective responses and intentions, it did not significantly mediate the effect of the social environment on these outcomes.
Cryptoses choloepi: A Coprophagous Moth That Lives on a Sloth

The larvae of the sloth moth, Cryptoses choloepi, live in the dung of the three-toed sloth, Bradypus infuscatus. Adult female moths apparently leave the fur of the sloth to oviposit when the sloth descends, once a week, to the forest floor to defecate. Newly emerged moths fly from the dung pile into the forest canopy to find a sloth.
Incorporating Environmental, Quality and Economic Considerations Into Early Product Development Stage

Environmental impact is becoming an important consideration in product development, such as recycling in electronics industry and air pollution in automobile industry, besides product quality and economic growth. Incorporating the environmental impact consideration into business practice as early as possible can lead to direct impact on both strategic planning in a firm and the final product, which will benefit the firm and its customers. However, many different types of business activities and levels of decision-making involved at the early stage make the simultaneous consideration of environmental impact, quality and cost hard to render. An investigation on the existing research has shown that the activity-based cost/environmental model, in a uniform representation (activity), is useful in relating business activities to the performance measures in terms of cost and environment impact resulting from these activities. In this work, the authors argue about the needs and issues on explicitly integrating quality concern into the existing activity-based cost/environmental model. The expanded model, i.e., Three-View Activity-Based Model, is intended to help construct a clear road map to represent “what is going on?” and facilitate the measure of “how well are we doing?” in a business firm with product development involved. Product quality is treated as a driver as environment and cost for the activities, which enables quantitative performance assessment of the product quality related activities. As a result of introducing the quality driver, the need to differentiate the activities directly related to product development from other activities is identified. This has led to a study on the classification of the activities and their relationship to environmental impact, product quality, and cost objectives along a product development process with life cycle considerations. The three-view activity-based model may make it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of activities against these objectives at early product development stage, and therefore, recommend changes for reshaping a firm’s strategic planning and improving current practice. Since our investigation is still at its preliminary stage, in this paper, we will present our initial results, and address research issues for the future work.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
TU‐G‐141‐02: Evaluation of Respiration Motion‐Corrected Cone‐Beam CT: Prospective Study in Lung

Purpose: Respiratory motion adversely affects the ability of cone‐beam computerized tomography (CBCT) to guide radiation treatment, due to blurring and streaking artifacts. In a prospective patient study, we evaluate respiratory motion‐corrected (RMC) CBCT efficacy in reducing motion artifacts and improving localization accuracy and whether a correction model derived from a respiration‐correlated CT (RCCT) at simulation is still valid at treatment. Methods: In an IRB‐approved study, lung cancer patients receive an RCCT at simulation, and on one treatment day receive an RCCT, respiratory‐gated CBCT, and a one‐minute CBCT. A respiration monitor of abdominal displacement is used during all imaging. One‐minute CBCT projections are sorted into 10 bins based on abdominal displacement and reconstructed. Each binned CBCT is deformed to the end expiration state using a model derived from RCCT and added to produce an RMC‐CBCT. Comparison is made between uncorrected CBCT (NoCorr), RMC(sim) CBCT using simulation RCCT, and RMC(tx) CBCT using treatment RCCT. The gated CBCT, gated at end expiration, serves as the criterion standard for comparison. Each CBCT is registered twice to the gated CBCT, first to align to spine, second to tumor in lung. Localization accuracy is defined as the difference between tumor and spine registration. Agreement in tumor shape with the gated CBCT is evaluated by calculating normalized cross‐correlation (NCC) of pixel intensities within the local tumor region. Results: NCC from RMC(tx) is higher in 12/13 cases compared to NoCorr, and in 7/13 compared to RMC(sim). Tumor position in RMC(tx) is in closer agreement with gated CBCT than for NoCorr in 11/13 cases. Tumor position between RMC(tx) and RMC(sim) agrees within 2mm in all cases. Conclusion: This correction method reduces motion artifacts and improves localization accuracy in nearly all cases. Motion correction based on the simulation day RCCT or on the treatment day RCCT yields similar results. NIH/NCI award R01 CA126993 and research grant from Varian.
Numerical simulations of acoustic-vortex interactions in a central-dump ramjet combustor

A potentially important source of large pressure oscillations in compact ramjets is a combustion instability induced by the interaction of large-scale vortex structures with the acoustic modes of the ramjet. These interactions have been studied using time-dependent, compressible numerical simulations of cold flow in an idealized ramjet consisting of an axisymmetric inlet and combustor. The simulations indicate a strong coupling between the flowfield and the acoustics of both the inlet and the combustor. Vortex rollup is observed near the entrance to the combustor at the first longitudinal acoustic mode of the combustor. A low-frequency mode is also observed in the simulations. This mode is determined by the acoustics of the inlet and causes major changes in the merging pattern of the vortices.
Ethnicity and Chicanos: Measurement of Ethnic Identification, Identity, and Consciousness

The conceptualization of ethnicity among Mexican-origin populations was explored within a multidimensional perspective. Specifically, the psychological aspects of ethnicity-ethnic consciousness, identification, and identity-were defined and operationalized. In addition, measures of political consciousness were developed to examine their relationships with these measures of ethnicity. Utilizing the pretest data from the National Chicano Survey of Mexicans in Detroit, levels of ethnicity were measured. Each measure proved to tap some aspects of ethnicity, yet reflect their varying levels of pervasiveness among the respondents. The interrelationships of these measures were not always positively correlated, suggesting a non-unidimensional view of ethnicity. Also, only selected measures of ethnicity had positive linkages to critical levels of political consciousness. Efforts to politically mobilize Chicanos who depend on cultural cues is a more complex process than expected. Research ramifications and directio...
Interleukins 2 and 12 produce recovery of cytotoxic function in tributyltin-exposed human natural killer cells.

Abstract Cytotoxic function of human natural killer (NK) cells is modulated by a variety of cytokines. Interleukins (IL) 2 and 12 are both potent stimulators of NK cell cytotoxic function. Tributyltin (TBT) is used in a variety of consumer products and industrial applications. TBT is found in dairy products, meat, and fish. We and others have shown that there are measurable levels of TBT in human blood. Butyltins appear to increase the risk of cancer and viral infections in exposed individuals. We have demonstrated that the ability of NK cells to kill tumor cells is greatly diminished after a l-h exposure to TBT and that this inhibition persists even after removal of the compound. In the current study we examine the effects of the NK-stimulatory ILs, IL2 and IL12, on the ability of NK cells to recover from the persistent inhibitory effects of a 1-h TBT treatment. Highly purified NK cells (>95% CD16 + ) or a lymphocyte preparation containing both T lymphocytes and NK cells were treated with 300 nM TBT and then allowed to recover for 24 h, 48 h, 4 days, and 6 days in TBT-free media containing no interleukin, 1000 U/mL IL2, 20 ng/mL IL l2, or a combination of IL2 plus IL12. Tumor killing function was then tested using a radioactive chromium release assay. As seen in our previous studies there is no recovery of NK cell cytotoxic function even after a 6-day recovery period when no interleukin is present in the medium. However, there is significant recovery of NK cytotoxic function when IL2, IL12, or the combination of IL2 plus IL12 is present in the medium during the recovery period.
Assessing post-census state poverty estimates

While the decennial census provides poverty figures for states and other subnational geographic units every ten years, their utility declines over the course of a decade. Consequently, there is growing interest in producing post-census estimates for a variety of indicators. This study extends recent efforts to estimate post-census poverty figures for states by producing such estimates using a multiple regression approach. The accuracy of the multiple regression estimates along with recently produced estimates from the Current Population Survey (CPS) are evaluated relative to the decennial census. The mean absolute percentage point error (MAPPE) using the ratio-correlation technique (1.56 percentage points) was somewhat higher than the MAPPE of 1989 CPS (1.37 percentage points) and an average of 1988–1990 CPS data (1.15 percentage points). However, a simple regression technique using data from 1979 to estimate poverty in 1989 produced a set of estimates where the MAPPE (1.37 percentage points) is nearly as accurate as the single-year CPS estimates. Estimates which average regression estimates and CPS-based estimates are more accurate than either regression or CPS estimates used alone. Several suggestions are offered for improving regression estimates.
Spin trapping investigation of peroxide- and isoniazid-induced radicals in Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase-peroxidase.

A new approach, the immuno-spin trapping assay, used a novel rabbit polyclonal anti-DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide) antiserum to detect protein radical-derived DMPO nitrone adducts in the hemoprotein Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase-peroxidase (KatG). This work demonstrates that the formation of protein nitrone adducts is dependent on the concentrations of tert-BuOOH and DMPO as shown by Western blotting and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We have also detected protein-protein cross-links formed during turnover of Mtb KatG driven by tert-butyl peroxide (tert-BuOOH) or enzymatic generation of hydrogen peroxide. DMPO inhibits this dimerization due to its ability to trap the amino acid radicals responsible for the cross-linkage. Chemical modifications by tyrosine and tryptophan blockage suggest that tyrosine residues are one site of formation of the dimers. The presence of the tuberculosis drug isoniazid (INH) also prevented cross-linking as a result of its competition for the protein radical. Protein-DMPO nitrone adducts were also generated by a continuous flux of hydrogen peroxide. These findings demonstrated that the protein-based radicals were formed not only during Mtb KatG turnover with alkyl peroxides but also in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, the formation of protein-DMPO nitrone adducts was accelerated in the presence of isoniazid.
DFT study of metal-complex structural variation on tensile force profiles

Abstract We present calculations on metal–ligand complexes for the evaluation of mechanical properties as they pertain to the inclusion in polymer-linked supramolecular complexes. To this end, we investigate the energy profiles of stretching various complexes according to external forces exerted on each complex via the attached polymer strands. Zn 2+ and Fe 2+ complexated by 2,6-bisbenzimidazolyl-pyridine (BP) were considered in the presence of tetrafluoro borate. We find that the yield characteristics are subject to a complex interplay of steric and electronic effects of the ligands and metal center.
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum

A common phenomenon in online discussion groups is the individual who baits and provokes other group members, often with the result of drawing them into fruitless argument and diverting attention from the stated purposes of the group. This study documents a case in which the members of an online community--a feminist web-based discussion forum--are targeted by a "troll" attempting to disrupt their discussion space. We analyze the strategies that make the troller successful and the targeted group largely ineffectual in responding to his attack, as a means to understand how such behavior might be minimized and managed in general. The analysis further suggests that feminist and other nonmainstream online forums are especially vulnerable, in that they must balance inclusive ideals against the need for protection and safety, a tension that can be exploited by disruptive elements to generate intragroup conflict.