cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BH3I-1 DERIVATIVES INHIBIT THE FILAMENTOUS GROWTH OF THE CEA10 STRAIN OF ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS

Recent and exciting advances in medical therapies for cancer and organ failures have greatly extended the life span of afflicted patients. However, these therapies often place the patient at risk for potentially lethal fungal infections. As the number of immunocompromised patients continues to rise, there has been an increase in associated opportunistic fungal infections. Treatment options for invasive mycoses caused by Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus are surprisingly limited. A. fumigatus is the most common Aspergillus species associated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, accounting for over 60% of cases. Aspergillus grows as a filamentous mold with true hyphae originating from the germination of asexual conidia. A. fumigatus is not a dimorphic fungi as is the case with C. albicans, however, as both grow in hyphal form it seems possible that small molecules that inhibit the transition of C. albicans budded cells to hyphal growth (often referred to as the germination of blastoconidia) may also inhibit the germination of Aspergillus conidia. We tested BH3I-1 and derivatives against A. fumigatus strain CEA10 in YPD media. BH3I-1 and five of the derivatives inhibited at a 200μM concentration based on general observation via microscopy as well as eleven showing promising inhibition at possible different concentrations. Out of these inhibiting molecules, seven also shown inhibition within the prior C. albicans assay. We are currently employing a micro-plate reader to obtain quantitative levels of inhibition with increasing concentrations of molecule. Molecule 54 at the 300μM concentration showed similar inhibition to that of BH3I-1 at the same concentration.
Review article: the many potential roles of intestinal serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) signalling in inflammatory bowel disease.

SummaryBackground Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is an important mediator of every major gut-related function. Recent investigations also suggest that 5-HT can influence the development and severity of inflammation within the gut, particularly in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aim To review the roles that the intestinal serotonin signalling system plays in gut function, with a specific focus on IBD. Methods We reviewed manuscripts from 1952 to 2017 that investigated and discussed roles for 5-HT signalling in gastrointestinal function and IBD, as well as the influence of inflammation on 5-HT signalling elements within the gut. Results Inflammation appears to affect every major element of intestinal 5-HT signalling, including 5-HT synthesis, release, receptor expression and reuptake capacity. Importantly, many studies (most utilising animal models) also demonstrate that modulation of selective serotonergic receptors (via agonism of 5-HT4R and antagonism of 5-HT3R) or 5-HT signal termination (via serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can alter the likelihood and severity of intestinal inflammation and/or its complicating symptoms. However, there are few human studies that have studied these relationships in a targeted manner. Conclusions Insights discussed in this review have strong potential to lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic tools to improve the management of IBD and other related disorders. Specifically, strategies that focus on modifying the activity of selective serotonin receptors and reuptake transporters in the gut could be effective for controlling disease activity and/or its associated symptoms. Further studies in humans are required, however, to more completely understand the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the roles of 5-HT in this setting.
Improving care collaboration for NICU patients to decrease length of stay and readmission rate

Background Medically complex patients in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) typically require long hospitalisations and care from multiple subspecialists. Scheduled multidisciplinary discussions could improve collaboration and continuity of care and thereby improve patient outcomes. The specific aims of the project were to decrease the average length of hospitalisation by at least 1 day and improve parent satisfaction ratings on a standard questionnaire by the end of our project’s first year, and to maintain a stable (or decreased) cause-related (30-day) readmission rate. Methods We designed a quality improvement project to enhance collaboration and continuity of care for medically complex infants cared for in the NICU of Brenner Children’s Hospital. Weekly multidisciplinary team meetings were held to discuss the long-term plan for patients who met specific criteria. Attendees included attending neonatologists, paediatric surgeons, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, a social worker, a nurse coordinator for palliative care, a family support coordinator, the NICU Nurse Manager, a hospital chaplain, mid-level providers, bedside nurses, a nurse quality improvement leader and the leaders and database manager for the quality improvement project. When needed for specific patients, a bioethicist was included. Results One year after implementing the project, the average duration of hospitalisation had decreased by 6.5 days. Cause-related readmission rates decreased from 3.33% to 0.95%. Parent satisfaction scores did not change significantly. Conclusions Weekly multidisciplinary meetings to coordinate and provide continuity of care for medically complex neonates in our NICU was associated with improved patient outcomes.
Dirty Fires: Cosmic Pollution and the Solar Storm of 1859

In 1859 Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson witnessed the first solar flare ever observed from earth. The resulting solar storm, which lasted from 28 August to 2 September, remains perhaps the strongest space weather event ever recorded by humans. On earth, the storm led to extraordinary displays of the aurora borealis, but it also led to electrical surges in telegraph machines across the northern hemisphere, in some cases causing the equipment to spark and catch fire. Ideas about the sun were transforming rapidly during the nineteenth century. While the sun was often associated with purity, heavenly light, and warmth, developments in thermodynamics led to increasing anxieties about its decline or ‘heat death’. The Victorians also imagined the sun in industrial terms, both as a kind of engine and as a form of potential pollution. For observers of the 1859 solar storm, the blood-red displays of the aurora borealis were both beautiful and threatening, a form of contaminating cosmic fire capable of altering day-to-day experience. Solar prominences and solar storms brought attention to the unnerving power of the sun to disrupt human activity, not by becoming too faint in an eventual heat death, but rather by sending powerful jets of energy towards the planet that would pollute and overwhelm human systems.
Disrupting power/entrenching sovereignty: The paradox of human rights education

While human rights education (HRE) provides the tools for emancipation, it remains susceptible to appropriation by authoritarian regimes who seek to entrench state power. Classification scholars who typologize approaches to HRE fail to acknowledge that state entities could employ human rights discourse to reinforce state sovereignty. Consequently, this article develops the idea of HRE as sovereignty, to describe states that employ human rights language to reinforce power, and HRE as disruption, to acknowledge the existence of social justice movements that operate outside legally based human rights frameworks to challenge state power. Furthermore, the article argues that HRE as sovereignty and disruption has its genesis in the global South, primarily as a response to the universalizing mission embedded in global human rights discourse.
Reducing psychological barriers to therapy via contemplation and self-affirmation.

Contemplating seeking therapy may evoke threats to self-integrity that lead to avoidance of treatment, but eliciting self-affirmation, a psychological process that temporarily bolsters self-integrity, may forestall those threats. The present study utilized a randomized experimental design to test th
Neural evidence for the contribution of holistic processing but not attention allocation to the other-race effect on face memory

Multiple mechanisms have been suggested to contribute to the other-race effect on face memory, the phenomenon of better memory performance for own-race than other-race faces. Here, two of these mechanisms, increased attention allocation and greater holistic processing during memory encoding for own-race than other-race faces, were tested in two separate experiments. In these experiments event-related potentials were measured during study (the difference due to memory, Dm) and test phase (old/new effects) to examine brain activation related to memory encoding and retrieval, allowing for selective investigations of these memory sub-processes. In Experiment 1, participants studied own-race (Caucasian) and other-race (Chinese) faces under focused or divided attention. In Experiment 2, participants studied own-race (Caucasian) and other-race (African American) faces presented upright or upside down (i.e., inverted). Both experiments showed decreases in memory performance when attention allocation or holistic processing was reduced, but these effects were similar for own-race and other-race faces. Manipulations of holistic processing, but not attention allocation, influenced the neural other-race effects during memory encoding. Inverted own-race faces showed similar neural patterns as upright other-race faces, indicating that when holistic processing of own-race faces was reduced, these faces were encoded similarly as upright other-race faces. No influences of the experimental manipulations on other-race effects during memory retrieval were found. The present study provides the first neural evidence that increased holistic processing during memory encoding contributes to the other-race effect on face memory.
A comparative study of the small forms of adenosine deaminase from various organisms.

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) (EC 3.5.4.4) catalyzes the hydrolytic deamination of adenosine to inosine. Three forms of ADA have been reported in tissues of various sources. These enzyme forms are designated as A, B and C forms, corresponding to molecular weights of 200,000, 100,000 and 34,000 respectively (1). In higher mammals, the B form was found absent in those tissues studied; whereas the prevalent A and C form enzymes are interconvertible (2,3). It was reported that the A and C form ADA from mammalian sources showed extensive cross-reactivity immunochemically (4,5,6) indicating the similarity of the two enzyme forms. It was later shown that the large A form ADA was a complex of the small C form enzyme and a nonenzymatic binding protein, the complexing protein, which may be a soluble (7.8) or membrane-bound glycoprotein (9,10).
The Shin Tokaido to Developing New Treatments in Medicine: Unbiasedness

The road you take determines where you get. Sometimes alternate ways can get you to the same place, but few are routes of choice, the king’s highway. To get to answers about the efficacy of treatments in clinical medicine, and in cancer treatment in particular, my choice for the king’s highway is the unbiased way. There may be some whose sense of direction is so good that they will get to the right answer no matter how they go. They don’t need to use a king’s highway. These remarks are not directed to them.
Use of Fast-Responding Voltage-Sensitive Dyes for Large-Scale Recording of Neuronal Spiking Activity with Single-Cell Resolution

Optical recording with fast voltage sensitive dyes makes it possible, in suitable preparations, to simultaneously monitor the action potentials of large numbers of individual neurons. Here we describe methods for doing this, including considerations of different dyes and imaging systems, methods for correlating the optical signals with their source neurons, procedures for getting good signals, and the use of Independent Component Analysis for spike-sorting raw optical data into single neuron traces. These combined tools represent a powerful approach for large-scale recording of neural networks with high temporal and spatial resolution.
[Journal First] Data Scientists in Software Teams: State of the Art and Challenges

The demand for analyzing large scale telemetry, machine, and quality data is rapidly increasing in software industry. Data scientists are becoming popular within software teams. For example, Facebook, LinkedIn and Microsoft are creating a new career path for data scientists. In this paper, we present a large-scale survey with 793 professional data scientists at Microsoft to understand their educational background, problem topics that they work on, tool usages, and activities. We cluster these data scientists based on the time spent for various activities and identify 9 distinct clusters of data scientists and their corresponding characteristics. We also discuss the challenges that they face and the best practices they share with other data scientists. Our study finds several trends about data scientists in the software engineering context at Microsoft, and should inform managers on how to leverage data science capability effectively within their teams.
Postoperative Seroma Formation After Posterior Cervical Fusion with Use of RhBMP-2: A Report of Two Cases.

Case We present 2 cases of postoperative seroma formation following posterior cervical fusion with the use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2). Conclusion Although some who advocate for the off-label use of rhBMP-2 in patients undergoing posterior cervical spine fusion believe it to be safe, relatively little has been published regarding complication rates. We believe that rhBMP-2 carries a risk of seroma formation in patients who undergo posterior cervical fusion, which necessitates the use of a postoperative drain. Surgeons should have a low threshold for obtaining postoperative magnetic resonance imaging in a symptomatic patient.
Data-Driven Multi-Agent Email Generators

We present a method for generating realistic-looking emails for multi-agent simulations, motivated by the needs of cyber ranges. Our approach uses a distributed model of email threads which represents communication graphs learned from an email corpus. This explainable model uses a template-based generation system, also learned from an email corpus. Social network analysis measures are used to compare system-generated with human-generated email data. This generation system enables more rapid implementation of novel scenarios unrelated to the original corpus.
A One-Dimensional Turbulence-Based Closure Model for Combustion LES

ABSTRACTA large-eddy simulation (LES) closure method for the filtered density function (FDF) and reactive scalars’ conditional means in a turbulent non-premixed flame is developed and validated. Th...
Low Incidence of Hospital-Onset Clostridium difficile Infection in Sickle Cell Disease.

C. difficile in Sickle Cell Disease A review conducted at the Westchester Medical Center showed a significantly lower incidence of Clostridium difficile infection among patients hospitalized for pr...
On the Artificial Upward or Downward Deviation of One Eye

I have referred above to one more fact which appears to speak against the hypothesis of always equal innervation of both eyes. If we hold a very weak prism with the base up or down in front of one eye, a previously fixated point appears in double images lying over one another, though they flow together after a while. The double images fuse because the eye behind the prism is rotated slightly upward or downward, so that both lines of sight no longer lie in one plane. It is best to arrange the experiment so that the weak prism is first held with the base outward and then, after simple vision is reachieved, is slowly rotated about the line of sight until the base lies exactly upward or downward (Donders). The more often one performs this experiment, the stronger the prism which one can use in this way. I have myself used a prism mounted in an eye-glass frame and have gone to continuously stronger prisms and finally compensated for one of eight degrees, though only with great effort and for a very short time.
Misrecognition and Epistemic Injustice

In this essay I argue that epistemic injustices can be understood and explained as social pathologies of recognition, and that this way of conceptualizing epistemic injustices can help us develop proper diagnostic and corrective treatments for them. I distinguish between two different kinds of recognition deficiency—quantitative recognition deficits and misrecognitions—and I ague that while the rectification of the former simply requires more recognition, the rectification of the latter calls for a shift in the mode of recognition, that is, a deep transformation of the recognition dynamics so that other forms of recognition can emerge. Arguing against incremental recognitional approaches that aim only at increasing social visibility/audibility, I examine communicative dysfunctions around the phenomenon of racist violence in order to show how problems of misrecognition persist and become recalcitrant even when quantitative recognition deficits disappear.
Writing Nature with Darwin, Darwinism and Jung

Charles Darwin and C. G. Jung were revolutionary thinkers about the role of human beings in the natural world. While Darwin’s Origins of Species (1859) sought to remove both God and “man” from the centre of the understanding of nature, C. G. Jung, one generation later, aimed to remove the ego from the central definition of human nature. Although both theorists have been explored for their conceptual ideas, neither has been seriously considered as writers, and in particular as writers of nature and human nature. This paper shows how similar these authors are in treating the unknowable in the psyche and history as of major significance. In particular, both writers require the resources of ancient myth, especially of nature as an Earth Mother goddess in order to represent the inconceivable. The paper also looks at the new critical practice of “literary Darwinism,” which, while viable in its own terms, suffers from being neither “literary,” nor “Darwinian.”
Five-factor personality domains and job performance: A second order meta-analysis

Abstract Several meta-analyses have investigated the job-related validities of the traits associated with the Five-Factor Model (FFM). The presence of second-order sampling error, however, might complicate the interpretation of these meta-analyses (i.e., random error across different meta-analyses). The current paper therefore evaluates variability across different meta-analyses and tests for key moderators (i.e., performance criteria, sources of ratings, and context). Results suggested that the variation in the predictive validity of several FFM traits and facets across multiple performance criteria was attributable to second-order sampling error. However, true variation existed for some moderators such as sources of personality information (self-reports versus informant reports). The current analyses therefore enhance knowledge about the usefulness and generalizability of personality traits in work contexts.
Vps39 is required for ethanolamine-stimulated elevation in mitochondrial phosphatidylethanolamine

Mitochondrial membrane biogenesis requires the import of phospholipids; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain elusive. Recent work has implicated membrane contact sites between the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and vacuole in phospholipid transport. Utilizing a genetic approach focused on these membrane contact site proteins, we have discovered a 'moonlighting' role of the membrane contact site and vesicular fusion protein, Vps39, in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) transport to the mitochondria. We show that the deletion of Vps39 prevents ethanolamine-stimulated elevation of mitochondrial PE levels without affecting PE biosynthesis in the ER or its transport to other sub-cellular organelles. The loss of Vps39 did not alter the levels of other mitochondrial phospholipids that are biosynthesized ex situ, implying a PE-specific role of Vps39. The abundance of Vps39 and its recruitment to the mitochondria and the ER is dependent on PE levels in each of these organelles, directly implicating Vps39 in the PE transport process. Deletion of essential subunits of Vps39-containing complexes, vCLAMP and HOPS, did not abrogate ethanolamine-stimulated PE elevation in the mitochondria, suggesting an independent role of Vps39 in intracellular PE trafficking. Our work thus identifies Vps39 as a novel player in ethanolamine-stimulated PE transport to the mitochondria.
Multiscale characterization of exhaust and crankcase soot extracted from heavy-duty diesel engine and implications for DPF ash

Abstract Engine-dynamometer bench tests were performed to evaluate the severity of engine operation resulting in oil degradation, set limits for drain intervals and provide recommendations for oil formulators to develop an additive package offering enhanced engine hardware protection. Engine oil was sampled at specified intervals to monitor depletion of additives, changes in viscosity, soot agglomerates and wear elements. A myriad of characterization techniques such as temperature resolved XRD, TEM, EDS, BET, Raman, DLS, TGA and ICP-OES are employed to develop a holistic understanding of crankcase soot interaction with lubricant additives influencing soot-induced wear, and oxidative properties of exhaust soot trapped in the DPF. XRD phase analysis of residue left behind after crankcase soot oxidation showed the presence of crystalline compounds embedded in the soot structure (CaSO4, Ca3(PO4)2, and Zn3(PO4)2); exhaust soot showed no crystalline compounds and had 85 wt% less residue after oxidation compared to crankcase soot. The residue inevitably forms ash precursors that are trapped in the DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) affecting the filtration performance and fuel efficiency of the vehicle in the longer run. The turbostratic structure of both soot samples remains the same prior to oxidation; however, the embedded crystalline and amorphous species in the crankcase soot structure are different compared to exhaust soot. Ex-situ experiments were performed on soot-ash mixture with heated microscopy stage to allow for better visualization of ash formation, sintering and transport properties in the DPF channels. Findings in the study help in developing a comprehensive insight into ‘soot ecosystem’ in diesel engine vehicles.
Sonographic Evaluation of Peripheral Sciatic Nerve Injury: A Case Study:

Traumatic peripheral nerve injury is not a common finding in the general population but is increasingly being recognized and diagnosed in trauma and emergency medicine settings. Peripheral nerve in...
Ironía Judicial: El Problema de las Opiniones Igualmente Divididas en el Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico (Judicial Irony: The Problem of Equally Divided Opinions by the Puerto Rico Supreme Court)

Spanish Abstract: Analisis del problema de opiniones igualmente divididas emitidas por el Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico. English Abstract: Analyses the problem of equally divided opinion in the Puerto Rico Supreme Court.
Non-Domination or Practices of Freedom? French Muslim Women, Foucault, and the Full Veil Ban

This article proposes a conception of freedom understood as practices. Based on Michel Foucault’s work on the ethics of the self, I develop a conception of freedom that exceeds liberation and distinguishes between genuine practices of freedom and practices of the self that are unreflective responses to systems of government. I develop and illustrate this conception through an engagement with the recent French ban on full veils in public spaces and the ethnographic literature on European Muslim revival movements. I reconstruct how Muslim women relate to alternative discourses through specific practices of the self. These practices reveal that French Muslim women actively contest discourses of secularism and liberation that construct them as inherently passive and in need of tutelage. The conception I develop sheds light on some shortcomings of Philip Pettit’s notion of freedom as non-domination. I argue that the proposed account is useful to, first, criticize the centrality of the opposition between arbitrary and non-arbitrary power in the definition of freedom. Second, show that the predominant engagement with the external dimension of freedom in Pettit makes it difficult to capture the particular subjective practices that make up freedom and its development in the presence of power and/or attempts at domination.
Accuracy of Predicting Twins By Rectal Palpation in Dairy Cows

Dairymen in the USA look upon twinning in dairy cows as an undesirable and unwanted event because of the strong association with abortions, stillbirths, dystocias, retained fetal membranes, uterine infections, infertility, increased culling and possible reduced milk production. The possible causes associated factors and consequences of twinning have been reviewed.(1-4) Unfortunately there is evidence that twinning in dairy cows is increasing.5 Whether the adverse effects of twinning can be eliminated or reduced by improved feeding and management practices has not been substantiated. In order to apply such practices, there must be an accurate method to determine the presence of twins. The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of rectal palpation in predicting twins in 25 herds.
Potential for DNA-based identification of Great Lakes fauna: match and mismatch between taxa inventories and DNA barcode libraries

Potential for DNA-based identification of Great Lakes fauna: match and mismatch between taxa inventories and DNA barcode libraries
The Interactive Effects of Drought and Herbivory on Ecophysiology of Trees

Independently, either drought or herbivory can have severe, negative impacts on growth, physiology, and survival of trees. When these two stressors occur simultaneously, their cumulative impact on tree performance is often assumed to be synergistic, i.e., greater than expected based on simple additive effects from either stressor alone. There are thousands of published studies on the effects of drought or herbivory, yet very few have tested the assumptions of their combined impacts on tree performance. Drought affects several physiological processes that reduce carbon assimilation, while herbivory elicits a number of carbon-expensive defense mechanisms. Given that both drought events and herbivory (e.g., insect outbreaks) are expected to occur with increased frequency and intensity with climate change, research on the effects from these combined stressors on tree performance is critical for predicting future forest health and productivity. In a study that did consider both stressors, the overall combined impacts were, contrary to assumptions, antagonistic because the effect of drought stress dominated tree growth and physiology, thus outweighing the effects from herbivory. Nevertheless, synergistic effects were observed on some plant traits when the relative intensities of each stressor were considered. Consequently, the impacts from combined drought and herbivory were trait-specific, intensity-dependent, and unpredictable from the effects of single stressors.
Toluene degradation by Pseudomonas putida F1. Nucleotide sequence of the todC1C2BADE genes and their expression in Escherichia coli.

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of the todC1C2BADE genes which encode the first three enzymes in the catabolism of toluene by Pseudomonas putida F1 was determined. The genes encode the three components of the toluene dioxygenase enzyme system: reductaseTOL (todA), ferredoxinTOL (todB), and the two subunits of the terminal dioxygenase (todC1C2); (+)-cis-(1S, 2R)-dihydroxy-3-methylcyclohexa-3,5-diene dehydrogenase (todD); and 3-methylcatechol 2,3-dioxygenase (todE). Knowledge of the nucleotide sequence of the tod genes was used to construct clones of Escherichia coli JM109 that overproduce toluene dioxygenase (JM109(pDT-601]; toluene dioxygenase and (+)-cis-(1S, 2R)-dihydroxy-3-methylcyclohexa-3,5-diene dehydrogenase (JM109(pDTG602]; and toluene dioxygenase, (+)-cis-(1S, 2R)-dihydroxy-3-methylcyclohexa-3,5-diene dehydrogenase, and 3-methylcatechol 2,3-dioxygenase (JM109(pDTG603]. The overexpression of the tod-C1C2BADE gene products was detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The three E. coli JM109 strains harboring the plasmids pDTG601, pDTG602, and pDTG603, after induction with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside, oxidized toluene to (+)-cis-(1S, 2R)-dihydroxy-3-methylcyclohexa-3,5-diene, 3-methylcatechol, and 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-2,4-heptadienoate, respectively. The tod-C1C2BAD genes show significant homology to the reported nucleotide sequence for benzene dioxygenase and cis-1,2-dihydroxycyclohexa-3,5-diene dehydrogenase from P. putida 136R-3 (Irie, S., Doi, S., Yorifuji, T., Takagi, M., and Yano, K. (1987) J. Bacteriol. 169, 5174-5179). In addition, significant homology was observed between the nucleotide sequences for the todDE genes and the sequences reported for cis-1,2-dihydroxy-6-phenylcyclohexa-3,5-diene dehydrogenase and 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl-1,2-dioxygenase from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707 (Furukawa, K., Arimura, N., and Miyazaki, T. (1987) J. Bacteriol. 169, 427-429).
Cosmic Histories of Stars, Gas, Heavy Elements, and Dust in Galaxies

We investigate a set of coupled equations that relates the stellar, gaseous, chemical, and radiation contents of the universe averaged over the whole population of galaxies. Using as input the available data from quasar absorption-line surveys, optical imaging and redshift surveys, and the COBE DIRBE and FIRAS extragalactic infrared background measurements, we obtain solutions for the cosmic histories of stars, interstellar gas, heavy elements, dust, and radiation from stars and dust in galaxies. Our solutions reproduce remarkably well a wide variety of observations that were not used as input. These include the integrated background light from galaxy counts from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths, the rest-frame optical and near-infrared emissivities at various redshifts from surveys of galaxies, the mid-infrared and far-infrared emissivities of the local universe from the IRAS survey, the mean abundance of heavy elements at various epochs from surveys of damped Ly? systems, and the global star formation rates at several redshifts from H?, mid-infrared, and submillimeter observations. The chemical enrichment history of the intergalactic medium implied by our models is also consistent with the observed mean metal content of the Ly? forest at high redshifts. We infer that the dust associated with star-forming regions is highly inhomogeneous and absorbs a significant fraction of the starlight, with only 41%-46% of the total in the extragalactic optical background and the remaining 59%-54% reprocessed by dust into the infrared background. The solutions presented here provide an intriguing picture of the cosmic mean history of galaxies over much of the Hubble time. In particular, the process of galaxy formation appears to have undergone an early period of substantial inflow to assemble interstellar gas at z 3, a subsequent period of intense star formation and chemical enrichment at 1 z 3, and a recent period of decline in the gas content, star formation rate, optical stellar emissivity, and infrared dust emissivity at z 1.
The semileptonic lifetime of the D meson

The full treatment, both nonperturbative - through O(1/m_c^3) - and perturbative - through O(alpha_s) and BLM type O(alpha_s^2) - of the semileptonic lifetime of the D meson is given. A dedicated discussion of the numerics involved is made, with the result that the leading order prediction plus corrections fail to match experiment. To explain the difference, a model of duality is invoked, where it is shown that the asymptotic nature of the nonperturbative expansion may be responsible for the theoretical experimental discrepancy. A particularly interesting conclusion which follows from the model is that any attempts to extract alpha_s from tau decays are doomed, since the same duality violating mechanism is at work here.
Low-temperature titanium-based wafer bonding

Low-temperature Ti-based wafer bonding and its mechanisms have been investigated, namely, Ti/Si, Ti/SiO 2 , and Ti/Ti bonding. The bonding is carried out at 400°C with 10 kN down-force for 2 h in vacuum. Nearly void-free bonding and strong mechanical integrity were obtained in all three cases. Interfacial characterization by Auger electron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy indicates that Ti/Si bonding is based on a solid-state amorphization at 400°C, whereas Ti/SiO 2 bonding is attributed to an interfacial reduction reaction. In Ti/Ti bonding, migration of Ti leads to significant grain extrusion across the bonding interface. A double bonding/thinning process, including both Ti/Si- and Ti/SiO 2 -based wafer bonding at back-end-of-the-line conditions, has been demonstrated on patterned wafers.
Metabolism of Aromatic Compounds in Bacteria PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE CATECHOL-FORMING ENZYME, 3,5-CYCLOHEXADIENE-1,2-DIOL-1-CARBOXYLIC ACID (NAD+) OXIDOREDUCTASE (DECARBOXYLATING)

Abstract The conversion of 3,5-cyclohexadiene-1,2-diol-1-carboxylic acid (DHB) to catechol has been shown to be catalyzed by a single protein from the bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus. The enzyme was purified by ultracentrifugation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. Its molecular weight is approximately 94,600 (by sedimentation equilibrium) and the molecular weight of its subunits is approximately 24,000 (by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis). The proposed mechanism of the reaction is dehydrogenation of DHB to an unstable β-ketoacid which decarboxylates to form catechol.
The design of H- and V-pol waveguide slot array feeds for a scanned offset dual-polarized reflectarray

A unique experimental mission being designed by NASA/JPL is the wide swath ocean altimeter (WSOA). A unique offset-fed reflectarray antenna design was developed to meet the requirements of the mission's two antennas. Each antenna has two feeds located off-focus to produce two beams scanned /spl plusmn/3.3/spl deg/ from nadir. Waveguide slot arrays were selected as the feeds for the reflectarray for their efficiency, low mass, high power-handling capability, and the relative ease with which to implement amplitude and phase tapers. Amplitude tapers are required to achieve the required secondary beamwidths and phase tapers are required to focus the feed energy on the reflectarray, since the reflectarray is located in the near-field of the feeds. While the design of waveguide slot arrays is not new, this particular design effort shows that very good results can be achieved on a first attempt using established slot array design techniques and commercial software for the waveguide power divider network. The design process is discussed in detail.
Effect of cyclosporine on colchicine secretion by the kidney multidrug transporter studied in vivo

The multidrug resistance (MDR) transport protein is a normal constituent of proximal renal tubules although its function has not been defined in vivo. We find that colchicine, an MDR substrate, is secreted into urine by a process which is distinct from the organic cation transporter responsible for tetraethylammonium and N-methylnicotinamide secretion. Cyclosporine (CsA), which reverses MDR in vitro presumably by inhibiting the MDR transporter, inhibits colchicine renal secretion but does not inhibit the net secretion of the organic cation, ranitidine, or the organic anion, p-aminohippurate. After CsA (2 mg/kg i.v.), colchicine renal clearance decreased from 6.23 +/- 0.46 to 3.58 +/- 0.31 ml/min.kg (P less than .05), glomerular filtration rate was unchanged (4.21 +/- 0.08 and 3.88 +/- 0.17 ml/min.kg, before and after CsA, respectively; P = .09) and colchicine secretory ratio decreased from 1.48 +/- 0.11 to 0.92 +/- 0.07 (P less than .05). Cremophor (CsA vehicle) increased colchicine renal clearance (6.77 +/- 0.29 to 7.7 +/- 0.3 ml/min.kg, P less than .05) and colchicine secretory ratio (1.425 +/- 0.071 to 1.621 +/- 0.061, P less than .05). The inhibition of colchicine secretion was long-lived lasting at least 30 hr after CsA. Thus, colchicine is actively secreted into urine by the multidrug transporter in vivo. CsA profoundly inhibits colchicine secretion into urine while having no effect on the secretion of the organic cation ranitidine or the organic anion p-aminohippurate.
The Vasa Vasorum in Atherosclerosis: The Vessel Within the Vascular Wall.

One of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) often is caused by plaque rupture or erosion. It is, therefore, understandable that ongoing studies attempt to detect vulnerable plaque to understand the mechanism of plaque rupture and develop tools to predict
Remote cognitive assessments for patients with multiple sclerosis: a feasibility study:

Background:measuring cognitive function in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be challenging given the obstacles faced when traveling to testing centers.Objective:the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of remote cognitive assessment in patients with MS using the automated neuropsychological assessment metrics (ANAM–MS) and the symbol digit modalities test (SDMT).Methods:patients meeting the McDonald criteria for MS (n = 24) were randomized to complete the live-in-office condition or a remote-in-office condition first, with all patients completing both sessions. Patients (n = 20) then completed a final remote-in-home testing session. Both remote sessions were proctored by a psychologist using a secure telehealth connection.Results:scores on the live SDMT differed from scores in the two remote settings F(2, 38) = 4.46, p = 0.018. However, summary scores on the ANAM–MS were similar across the three settings, F(2, 36) = 2.21, p = 0.124. Satisfaction with telehealth testing was high o...
Some further comments on the DNA-protein coding problem: A correction and a note

An error appearing in the proof of Theorem 4 of a previous paper of the author’s (1959,Bull. Math. Biophysics,21, 289–97) is pointed out, and a new proof of the theorem is supplied. We also obtain a corollary from Theorem 3 ofloc. cit. which reveals the existence of a hitherto unrecognized class of codes.
Analysis of the 5′ end of the rat plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase isoform 3 gene and identification of extensive trinucleotide repeat sequences in the 5′ untranslated region

We have characterized the 5' end of the rat gene encoding isoform 3 of the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase using S1 nuclease protection and DNA sequence analysis. The 5'-untranslated region consists of over 900 nucleotides and includes a 217-nucleotide sequence composed of alternating tracts of TCC and ACC trinucleotides. Analysis of genomic sequences 5' to the transcription initiation site revealed potential binding sites for transcription factors that are active in muscle and brain.
Back-averaging: an accelerated iterative method for simulating plasma diffusion

Abstract A fast accurate multi-stage numerical method, back-averaging, is developed, analyzed, and optimized. The technique is used to solve an alternating dimensional numerical simulation of fusion plasma transport based on nonlinear resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations. The geometry of the model is a complicated time-dependent two-dimensional configuration of flux contours analogous to a doublet. Numerical convergence rate comparisons of the optimized back-averaging method with various other iterative techniques for solving the numerical problem show that optimized back-averaging is the fastest method of all those considered. Moreover, to accomplish convergence in a practical length of time for extremely peaked profiles and complicated time varying configurations, back-averaging is essential. Further, with a miminum of additional computation, optimized back-averaging yields extreme accuracy.
A graph-based approach for computational model of bone microstructure

Osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become fragile and more likely to break, can greatly affect our health. Nearly half of all women now age 50 will someday have a broken bone due to osteoporosis. The diagnosis of osteoporosis is commonly done by tests that measure the amount of bone mass and predict the risk for fracture. However, the currently available techniques for the diagnosis of osteoporosis are limited due to the lack of good measurements of bone quality.In this paper, we develop a graph approached bone microstructure model, which is capable of enabling quantitative assessment of bone mineral density and bone microarchitecture. Our paper focuses on microstructural bone modeling and quantitative characterization of the quality and fractural risk based on the microscopic bone structure. First, we illustrate the process of development on a three-dimensional bone structure model whose properties are similar to those of bone microarchitecture. Next, we list problems of the current measurements of bone strength and quality based on bone mineral density (BMD). Last, we introduce our measurements to quantitatively assess bone quality based on the bone model.
Processing time-constrained aggregate queries in CASE-DB

In this paper, we present an algorithm to strictly control the time to process an estimator for an aggregate relational query. The algorithm implemented in a prototype database management system, called CASE-DB, iteratively samples from input relations, and evaluates the associated estimator until the time quota expires.In order to estimate the time cost of a query, CASE-DB uses adaptive time cost formulas. The formulas are adaptive in that the parameters of the formulas can be adjusted at runtime to better fit the characteristics of a query. To control the use of time quota, CASE-DB adopts the one-at-a-time-interval time control strategy to make a tradeoff between the risks of overspending and the overhead, finally, experimental evaluation of the methodology is presented.
Pattern of height growth for southern pine species

Abstract Along with unique features, the dynamics of a given forest stand have much in common with the known dynamics of previously studied stands. The assumption that two points are necessary and sufficient to determine any growth curve made it possible to condense the accumulated knowledge on height growth to 16 types; further research showed that this number can be reduced to three. This study introduces a harmonizing function permitting the ultimate compression of growth information to one height growth pattern. The harmonizing function complements growth equations; it describes the cross-section of growth curve families, that is, their values at the same age. The constructed growth pattern and the harmonizing function contain all possible site index curves for fast-growing species. Even though the growth pattern requires less information than the Chapman–Richards equation (two versus at least three points), it is more accurate than the equation fitted to three points. Compared with the one-point approach realized in site index curves, the deviation of the pattern from the actual growth is three times smaller. Although it has wider applicability than a particular set of site index curves, the application of the developed pattern requires more information. While the selection of a site index curve from a given set is based on one height–age pair, the growth pattern requires two height–age pairs. The pattern uncovers the information implicit in the two measured heights and is capable of representing stand growth in both stable and variable environments. A step-by-step application of the pattern and the harmonizing function for reconstructing height growth from two points is provided.
In vivo 1H MRS study of potential associations between glutathione, oxidative stress and anhedonia in major depressive disorder

Inflammation and oxidative stress are important mechanisms that have been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant antioxidant in human tissue, and a key index of antioxidant capacity and, hence, of oxidative stress. The aims of this investigation were to examine possible relationships between occipital GSH and dimensional measures of depressive symptom severity, including anhedonia – the reduced capacity to experience pleasure – and fatigue. We hypothesized that the magnitude of anhedonia and fatigue will be negatively correlated with occipital GSH levels in subjects with MDD and healthy controls (HC). Data for eleven adults with MDD and ten age- and sex-matched HC subjects were included in this secondary analysis of data from a previously published study. In vivo levels of GSH in a 3 cm × 3 cm × 2 cm voxel of occipital cortex were obtained by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) on a 3T MR system, using the standard J-edited spin-echo difference technique. Anhedonia was assessed by combining interest items from depression and fatigue rating scales, and fatigue by use of the multidimensional fatigue inventory. Across the full sample of participants, anhedonia severity and occipital GSH levels were negatively correlated (r = −0.55, p = 0.01). No associations were found between fatigue severity and GSH in this sample. These preliminary findings are potentially consistent with a pathophysiological role for GSH and oxidative stress in anhedonia and MDD. Larger studies in anhedonic depressed patients are indicated.
On some dynamical diagrams of chemical reaction engineering.

A brief historical survey of some of the influential types of diagrams that have been used in chemical reaction engineering is given. These include the phase plane, the simple autocatalytic diagram, and the stroboscopic phase plane.
Immunocytochemical localization of GABA in the cochlear nucleus of the guinea pig

Abstract The immunocytochemical distribution of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) wasa determined in the cochlear nucleus of the guinea pig using affinity-purified antibodies made against GABA conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Light microscopic immunocytochemistry shows immunoreactive puncta, which appear to be GABA-positive presynaptic terminals, distributed throughout the cochlear nucleus. In the ventral cochlear nucleus, the puncta are often found around unlabeled neuronal cell bodies. While occasional labeled small cells are found in the ventral cochlear nucleus, most GABA-immunoreactive cell bodies are present in the superficial layers of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. Based on size and shape, immunoreactive cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus are divided into 3 classes: medium round cells with diameters averaging 16μm, small round cells with average diameters of 9μm and small flattened cells with major and minor diameters averaging 11 and 6μm respectively. Labeled fusiform and granule cells are not seen. A similar distribution of label was seen using antibodies against glutamic acid decar☐ylase. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry of the anteroventral cochlear nucleus shows GABA immunoreactive boutons containing oval/pleomorphic synaptic vesicles on cell bodies and dentrites. Other major classes of terminals, including those with small round, large round and flattened synaptic vesicles are unlabeled.