cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Full Gamut Wall Tunability from Persistent Micelle Templates via Ex Situ Hydrolysis.

The predictive self-assembly of tunable nanostructures is of great utility for broad nanomaterial investigations and applications. The use of equilibrium-based approaches however prevents independent feature size control. Kinetic-controlled methods such as persistent micelle templates (PMTs) overcome this limitation and maintain constant pore size by imposing a large thermodynamic barrier to chain exchange. Thus, the wall thickness is independently adjusted via addition of material precursors to PMTs. Prior PMT demonstrations added water-reactive material precursors directly to aqueous micelle solutions. That approach depletes the thermodynamic barrier to chain exchange and thus limits the amount of material added under PMT-control. Here, an ex situ hydrolysis method is developed for TiO2 that mitigates this depletion of water and nearly decouples materials chemistry from micelle control. This enables the widest reported PMT range (M:T = 1.6-4.0), spanning the gamut from sparse walls to nearly isolated pores with ≈2 A precision adjustment. This high-resolution nanomaterial series exhibits monotonic trends where PMT confinement within increasing wall-thickness leads to larger crystallites and an increasing extent of lithiation, reaching Li0.66 TiO2 . The increasing extent of lithiation with increasing anatase crystallite dimensions is attributed to the size-dependent strain mismatch of anatase and bronze polymorph mixtures.
Recognition of Emotion Intensities Using Machine Learning Algorithms: A Comparative Study

Over the past two decades, automatic facial emotion recognition has received enormous attention. This is due to the increase in the need for behavioral biometric systems and human–machine interaction where the facial emotion recognition and the intensity of emotion play vital roles. The existing works usually do not encode the intensity of the observed facial emotion and even less involve modeling the multi-class facial behavior data jointly. Our work involves recognizing the emotion along with the respective intensities of those emotions. The algorithms used in this comparative study are Gabor filters, a Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG), and Local Binary Pattern (LBP) for feature extraction. For classification, we have used Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Nearest Neighbor Algorithm (kNN). This attains emotion recognition and intensity estimation of each recognized emotion. This is a comparative study of classifiers used for facial emotion recognition along with the intensity estimation of those emotions for databases. The results verified that the comparative study could be further used in real-time behavioral facial emotion and intensity of emotion recognition.
The Radical Nature of Mary Astell’s Christian Feminism

This chapter argues that Mary Astell’s Christian Religion as Profess’d by a Daughter of the Church of England (1705) was central to her feminist ideas, rather than limiting them—a position taken by most scholars, and especially by those who term her a conservative. Astell was totally devoted to the importance of reason and its link to faith and religious belief. Her primary motivation was reason’s guarantee of an independent and thoughtful Christianity for women. This acceptance of the centrality of reason and its links to faith seems to contradict her dedication to a scripturally-directed religion, and one under the control of political and religious governors. But in many ways it allowed her to develop a feminism not found in others. She stressed equality and independence, granting little standing to men to direct women’s religion and only granted authority to God’s anointed leaders of church and state. Such an analysis allowed her to adopt a conservative political stance while assuming a quite radical one as regarding women’s relationship to men. And in this work, which primarily addressed proper Christian principles, she introduced views compatible with her more central feminist texts, namely the Serious Proposal and Reflections upon Marriage. By focusing on the mind, individual agency, and unjust patriarchal values, she was able to pursue both a strong critique of the status quo and to hone in precisely on the status of women, in ways not before accomplished.
Understanding race-ethnic disparities in hospital arrival after stroke symptom onset (P3.259)

Objective: To identify predictors of pre-hospital delay after stroke symptom onset in race-ethnic minorities Background: African-Americans and Hispanics are less likely than Caucasians to arrive to the hospital in time to receive tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute stroke. Identification of barriers to early hospital arrival is critical to eliminating race-ethnic disparities in stroke care. Design/Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of data prospectively collected for the Stroke Warning Information and Faster Treatment randomized clinical trial, which compared an interactive educational program versus enhanced educational materials on hospital arrival times in recurrent stroke/transient ischemic attack. Patients were interviewed at the time of the stroke to assess stroke knowledge and reasons for coming to the emergency department (ED). Results: Knowledge that a stroke occurs in the brain differed between Hispanic (69%) and African-Americans (66%) versus Caucasians (88%, p=0.001). Pain was incorrectly identified as a stroke symptom more often by Hispanics (63%) and African-Americans (44%) than Caucasians (37%, p=0.001). Concern about symptoms was the most common reason for coming to the ED for Hispanics (48%) and Caucasians (51%) but not African-Americans (41%). 52% of African-Americans said that another person encouraged them to come to the ED. There was no difference in knowledge of stroke risk factors between race-ethnic groups. Conclusions: Limited knowledge of stroke symptoms may partially explain disparity between race-ethnic groups in hospital arrival. Disclosure: Dr. Springer has nothing to disclose.
P493 Determination of Chlamydia trachomatis organism load in men with Non-Gonococcal Urethritis (NGU)

Background The ability to quantify the organism load of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) using a commercial assay could expand insights from epidemiological studies. This approach can be applied to routine diagnostic testing, and multiple specimen types. Approximate CT organism load was determined in urine from men with NGU, with and without co-infections, by comparing the results from each positive sample to a set of CT standards using the Abbott Realtime m2000 (m2000) platform. Methods Urine specimens, collected from men participating in the Idiopathic Urethritis Men’s Project (IUMP), were tested on the m2000 for CT. Additional testing included Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum. Standards were prepared by diluting CT elementary bodies (EB) into the collection device at six concentrations. CT organism load was determined by comparing the instrument generated delta cycle (DC) value from each CT positive urine to the standard curve. Calculated means were compared by t-test (p Results Two hundred and six men were tested for CT and 83 (40.3%) were positive. The DC values for 81/83 (97.3%) CT positive samples fell within the range of the standard curve. The mean DC value was 12.15 (range 0.19–16.96) which equated to a mean CT organism load of 1.4×106 EB/ml urine (range 2.22×102-9.97×106). There was no difference between the mean organism load in specimens from men who did and did not have co-infections with other STIs, 2.04×106 versus 1.38×106 EB/ml, (p≥0.05). Conclusion CT load determination can be performed on urine specimens using the m2000. This could facilitate straightforward load determination in settings where routine testing is performed. In men with NGU, the CT organism load is high and no difference in CT load was observed in men with CT mono-infections and men co-infected with CT and other STIs. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Confronting Ageism and the Dilemmas of Aging: Literary Gerontology and Poetic Imagination—Baranskaya to Marinina

Literary gerontology, a relatively new field of scholarship, endeavors to contemplate, analyze, and examine social, cultural, and biological expectations and ageist stereotypes as well as to query perceptions, representations, and misrepresentations of aging and old age, frailty and dementia, forms of victimization, family relationships, and the experience of daily life. Research requires the examination of both external and internal perspectives of social gerontology and its expression in literary and linguistic forms. These may include discourses emerging from a theoretical distance (gerontology, biology, demography, psychology, philosophy, etc.) as well as discourses stemming from subjective or experiential knowledge (diaries, autobiography, prose, poetry as well as common proverbs and adages). This essay endeavors to investigate Russian cultural stereotypes of the constructs of aging not only via Eriksonian psychosocial theory, Ol’ga Krasnova’s challenge to ageist delusions, or the United Nation’s World Report on Aging and Health, but through the poetic imagination as reflected in literary discourse expressed in a vividly imagined portrait gallery of older male and female heroes, and the linguistic discourse inhabiting the cultural legacy of proverbs and sayings. For example, while Natalya Baranskaya’s 1968 story “Provody” (The Retirement Party) offers readers a chance to evaluate the effect of retirement on the heroine’s identity, by 1999 Prizrak muzyki (The Spector of Music), Aleksandra Marinina’s novel, provides a radical alternative to the image of the old woman as victim. Meanwhile, Irina Muravyova and Ludmila Ulitskaya vividly envisage images of older women as victimizers. In contrast, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya’s “Most Vaterloo” (Waterloo Bridge, 1995) and Ludmila Ulitskaya’s “Vtorogo marta togo zhe goda” (March Second of That Year, 1991) proffer the poetic imagination as agency, challenging society’s culturally imposed ageist stereotypes, while Denis Dragunsky’s and Tatyana Tolstaya’s narratives suggest how older male heroes retrospectively and prospectively imagine and contemplate alternatives of aging and dying. Text in English DOI: 10.25285/2078-1938-2020-12-2-146-168
j_psi Suppression and the Quark-Gluon Plasma

All measured Feynman x_f distributions of the ratio, R, of j_psi production in nuclei relative to production on protons fall off with x_f. They show [2] that absorption of charmonium cannot be the only source of j_psi suppression and that energy loss of the constituents of the incident proton prior to the j_psi production, because of the exponential sqrt(s) dependence of the charmonium cross section, should not be neglected. Including the effects of initial state energy loss we find that the latest measured Pb-Pb j_psi cross sections do not provide any evidence for deconfinement.
Improving population health in resident clinics: increasing pneumonia vaccination rates in adults 65 years and older.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a significant bacterial pathogen, especially in the elderly. There are two types of pneumococcal vaccines, one with polysaccharides from the capsule of 23 serotypes (PPSV23) and one with polysaccharides from 13 serotypes that have been conjugated to a protein (PCV13). Both vaccines decrease the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease and are recommended for all people ≥65 years of age. We found the vaccination rate against S. pneumoniae in patients ≥65 years of age in our resident physician continuity clinics was 59.85%, which is considerably lower than the vaccination rate of 69.16% in our attending physician clinics. The aim of our study was to double the number of vaccinations given in the resident physician clinics over a 1-month period without compromising workflow or unduly burdening the rooming nurse or resident physicians. For our primary intervention, we assigned a designated nurse with expertise in vaccinations the task of reviewing charts ahead of clinic visits then pending the order for the appropriate pneumococcal vaccine. Our secondary intervention was the education of physicians through pocket cards, verbal encouragement and email reminders. χ² test was conducted to compare the proportion of patients 65 years or older who were vaccinated between the intervention and control groups. The results indicated that the intervention group patients were 2.61 times (95% CI 1.18 to 6.10) more likely to be vaccinated compared with the control group patients (20% vs 8.7%, χ2 (1)=5.16, p=0.02, Cramer’s V=0.16). The intervention resulted in more than doubling the number of vaccinations in the intervention group compared with the control group. Moreover, poststudy interviews and surveys indicated our workflow is sustainable and amendable to wider use within the resident physician clinics.
The integration of immune checkpoint inhibitors with VEGF targeted agents in advanced gastric and gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma: a review on the rationale and results of early phase trials

Several targeted therapies have shown efficacy in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GEJC), including anti-angiogenic agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Ramucirumab, an anti-VEGFR2 antibody, has shown efficacy in GC, but the benefits are limited, in part due to MET-mediated resistance. Other VEGF targeted agents like VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with broad multi-kinase inhibitory spectrum like regorafenib and cabozantinib have also shown modest single agent activity in early phase trials. For immune checkpoint inhibitors, pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) monotherapy confers survival advantage as 3rd line therapy for the PD-L1 expressing GC and GEJC population and has been approved for use in this setting. Extensive tumor microenvironment immune modulatory effects from antiangiogenic agents have been demonstrated from preclinical data which support the clinical study rationale of dual blockade of VEGF and immune checkpoint. In addition, FDA has approved combinations of anti-VEGF/VEGFR with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents in hepatocellular carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma. Promising clinical activity has been demonstrated in patients with refractory GC/GEJC when treated with dual blockade combination with antiangiogenic agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors like PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in several phase I/II trials. This review highlights the trials investigating these novel combinations as well as their preclinical rationale.
Refusing educational desire: negotiating faith and precarity at an underground Chinese Christian school

In the last decade, a Reformed Christian education movement has grown among urban underground churches in China, with the emergence of unsanctioned religious schools that reject state-run education...
PRP for Scarring Alopecia

Scarring alopecia, also referred to as cicactricial alopecia, is characterized by an irreversible inflammatory destruction of hair follicles, which are replaced with scar tissue and hair loss patches. Scarring alopecia can have a significant psychological and emotional stress on patients due to its poor prognosis and common failure of current treatments compared to non-scarring alopecia (Katoulis et al., J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 13;137–42, 2015). Recently, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a promising therapy for treating hair loss disorders. Although there is growing body of evidence showing the efficacy and safety of PRP in non-scarring alopecia, such as androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and alopecia areata (AA), there is scarce evidence on the clinical benefits of PRP in scarring alopecia (Juhasz et al., J Drugs Dermatol. 19(7):736–41, 2020; Dubin et al., J Am Acad Dermatol. 83(5):1294–97, 2020; Shapiro et al., J Am Acad Dermatol. 83(5):1298–303, 2020). In this chapter, we explore how PRP may be effective in treating scarring alopecia and summarize the evidence from the literature and the authors.
Generalization of Taylor’s Added-Mass Formula for Two Bodies

The Taylor formula expresses the added masses of a single body, moving with six degrees of freedom, in terms of the system of hydrodynamic singularities which generate the irrotational flow about the body. In this paper, the formula is further generalized for the case when another moving body is present. This work was stimulated by a study of the hydrodynamic interactions between an ice mass and a ground-based offshore structure. The results are applied to calculate the variation of the added masses as a rectangular cylinder approaches a circular one. A new simple relation between the added masses of a rectangle moving parallel to its longer or shorter side, and a more complete table of the added- mass coefficients for various thickness-length ratios than was previously available, is presented in an appendix.
Scale dependence of intragranular porosity, tortuosity, and diffusivity

[1] Diffusive exchange of solutes between intragranular pores and flowing water is a recognized but poorly understood contributor to dispersion. Intragranular porosity may also contribute to the “slow sorption” phenomenon. Intragranular pores may be sparsely interconnected, raising the possibility that accessible porosity and diffusive exchange are limited by pore connectivity. We used a pore-scale network model to examine pore connectivity effects on accessible porosity, tortuosity, and diffusivity in spherical particles. The diffusive process simulated was release of a nonsorbing solute initially at equilibrium with the surrounding solution. High-connectivity results were essentially identical to Crank's analytical solution. Low-connectivity results were consistent with observations reported in the literature, with solute released at early times more quickly than indicated by the analytical solution, and more slowly at late times. Values of accessible porosity, tortuosity, and diffusivity scaled with connection probability, distance to the sphere's exterior, and/or the sphere's radius, as predicted by percolation theory. When integrated into a conventional finite difference model, the scaling relationships provide a consistent and physically sound way to incorporate such nonuniformities into models of intragranular diffusion.
Geochemical, metagenomic and metaproteomic insights into trace metal utilization by methane-oxidizing microbial consortia in sulphidic marine sediments

Microbes have obligate requirements for trace metals in metalloenzymes that catalyse important biogeochemical reactions. In anoxic methane- and sulphide-rich environments, microbes may have unique adaptations for metal acquisition and utilization because of decreased bioavailability as a result of metal sulphide precipitation. However, micronutrient cycling is largely unexplored in cold (≤ 10°C) and sulphidic (> 1 mM ΣH_(2)S) deep-sea methane seep ecosystems. We investigated trace metal geochemistry and microbial metal utilization in methane seeps offshore Oregon and California, USA, and report dissolved concentrations of nickel (0.5–270 nM), cobalt (0.5–6 nM), molybdenum (10–5600 nM) and tungsten (0.3–8 nM) in Hydrate Ridge sediment porewaters. Despite low levels of cobalt and tungsten, metagenomic and metaproteomic data suggest that microbial consortia catalysing anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) utilize both scarce micronutrients in addition to nickel and molybdenum. Genetic machinery for cobalt-containing vitamin B_(12) biosynthesis was present in both anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and sulphate-reducing bacteria. Proteins affiliated with the tungsten-containing form of formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase were expressed in ANME from two seep ecosystems, the first evidence for expression of a tungstoenzyme in psychrophilic microorganisms. Overall, our data suggest that AOM consortia use specialized biochemical strategies to overcome the challenges of metal availability in sulphidic environments.
Prison Segregation: Symposium Introduction and Preliminary Data on Racial Disparities

This short essay introduces the Michigan Journal of Race & Law Journal’s symposium, Inhumane and Ineffective: Solitary Confinement in Michigan and Beyond. I look at the extremely limited available demographic information about prisoners in solitary confinement, and present preliminary data that supports a working hypothesis of racialized skew in isolated confinement, compared to the already highly skewed demographics of general prison population. In four of eight datapoints (representing prisons in Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, and New York), non-white prisoners are substantially overrepresented in supermax facilities; statistical testing confirms that the difference is statistically significant. (In three of the other four — Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island — the small overrepresentation is not statistically significant; likewise, the tiny proportion of underrepresentation in Maryland lacks statistical significance.) The essay concludes with the customary call for further research.
Optimization of yeast-based production of medicinal protoberberine alkaloids

Protoberberine alkaloids are bioactive molecules abundant in plant preparations for traditional medicines. Yeast engineered to express biosynthetic pathways for fermentative production of these compounds will further enable investigation of the medicinal properties of these molecules and development of alkaloid-based drugs with improved efficacy and safety. Here, we describe the optimization of a biosynthetic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for conversion of rac-norlaudanosoline to the protoberberine alkaloid (S)-canadine. This yeast strain is engineered to express seven heterologous enzymes, resulting in protoberberine alkaloid production from a simple benzylisoquinoline alkaloid precursor. The seven enzymes include three membrane-bound enzymes: the flavin-dependent oxidase berberine bridge enzyme, the cytochrome P450 canadine synthase, and a cytochrome P450 reductase. A number of strategies were implemented to improve flux through the pathway, including enzyme variant screening, genetic copy number variation, and culture optimization, that led to an over 70-fold increase in canadine titer up to 1.8 mg/L. Increased canadine titers enable extension of the pathway to produce berberine, a major constituent of several traditional medicines, for the first time in a microbial host. We also demonstrate that this strain is viable at pilot scale. By applying metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies for increased conversion of simple benzylisoquinoline alkaloids to complex protoberberine alkaloids, this work will facilitate chemoenzymatic synthesis or de novo biosynthesis of these and other high-value compounds using a microbial cell factory.
In situ processing of Nannochloropsis oculata algal biomass using a mixed bed ion-exchange resin as a heterogeneous catalyst

Ion-exchange resins have the ability to convert microalgae-derived lipids into esters and other recoverable organics. The presented research evaluated the use of mixed bed ion-exchange resins for in situ processing of Nannochloropsis oculata algal biomass to recoverable organics within a co-solvent system. The impact of various processing conditions (resin loading, resin type, biomass drying, solvent type, solvent volume, and biomass sonication) on the reaction yield of recoverable organics was investigated. Multiple analytical chemical approaches were used to characterize lipids within the biomass and to identify the converted reaction products. Each reaction system studied produced more than 20 recoverable organics in addition to the normally desired ester products. Phytol was observed as predominant reaction product in each system. The highest ester yield (approaching 60% biomass lipid to ester conversion) was observed with air-dried algae processed at 50 °C at a mixing rate of 550 rpm for 2 h. © 2014 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genes encoding meningococcal vaccine antigens are present in nonpathogenic bacteria found in the human microbiome

Abstract. Meningococcal meningitis, caused by Neisseria meningitidis, is a serious bacterial infection characterized by inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain. Meningococcal vaccines currently in use fail to protect against N. meningitidis strains belonging to serogroup B. A new vaccine, Bexsero®, has recently been developed by Novartis for use against serogroup B meningococci. This vaccine contains five different protein components: fHbp, NHBA, NadA, GNA1030 and GNA2091. Although the vaccine has been designed to elicit the production of antibodies that kill N. meningitidis, it is possible the antibodies could also affect other beneficial bacteria living in or on the human body that express similar surface antigens. The goal of the current study was to assess this possibility by using bioinformatics approaches to search for the five vaccine antigen-encoding genes in all microorganisms represented in the Human Microbiome Project reference genome database. The fHbp gene was found in N. cinerea ...
XPS studies on strontium compounds

Abstract XPS measurements have been made on strontium carbonate, strontium oxide and strontium nitrate pellets and on strontium plate. For the latter substrate, the composition of the surface overlayer formed after prolonged exposure to dry air and the composition of the overlayer after scraping under doubly filtered argon has been examined. The effect of floodgun setting on the binding energies of the scraped strontium plate has been investigated. Finally, the effect of argon ion etching on the composition of the surface of scraped strontium plate has been examined.
Coding and reimbursement for obstetric-gynecologic services.

Obstetrician-gynecologists, like physicians in other fields, are faced with increasing restrictions on payment levels and coverage, and increasing oversight by third parties regarding the appropriateness of procedures. Adoption of new payment rules and methods by many insurers compounds the situation by decreasing reimbursement even further. In addition, the development of technologic advances in the specialty often outpaces the ability of payers to recognize the contribution or value of a new procedure or treatment modality, and to compensate for it properly. The new era of medical practice is clearly one of accountability to many parties. Patients properly demand accountability for quality care. Payers demand accountability for not only cost-effective but appropriate care. The employer purchasers of a health care plan demand accountability for demonstrating the value of a particular procedure or service that, if used inappropriately, may drive the costs of the company's health plan higher. The result of all these demands is increased scrutiny of services provided by physicians to patients. The key to proper identification of these services is the correct use of diagnostic and procedural codes. Two Coding Systems
Rapid Spectrophotometric Analysis of Soil Phosphorus with a Microplate Reader

The demands of environmental phosphorus (P) research require that laboratories process a large amount of samples accurately and efficiently. The application of tools common to molecular biology is evaluated for their practical use in expediting the measurement of Bray P, total P, and P sorption isotherms using microcentrifuges, precision multichannel pipetters, microplates, and microplate readers (multi-sample colorimeters). These results show that the methods introduced here provided reliable data with error ranges comparable to similar wet chemistry analyses. The micro-scale techniques allow the laboratory processing of thousands of Bray P, total P by standard additions and P sorption curves efficiently and accurately and therefore provide a suitable alternative to the conventional macro-scale batch sizes for these standard soil P tests.
Transitional adherence and persistence in the use of aldosterone antagonist therapy in patients with heart failure

Background Aldosterone antagonist therapy is recommended for selected patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. Adherence to therapy in the transition from hospital to home is not well understood. Methods We identified patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction who were ≥65 years old, eligible for aldosterone antagonist therapy, and discharged home from hospitals in the Get With the Guidelines–Heart Failure registry between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2008. We used Medicare prescription drug event data to measure adherence. Main outcome measures were prescription at discharge, outpatient prescription claim within 90 days, discontinuation, and adherence as measured with the medication possession ratio. We used the cumulative incidence function to estimate rates of initiation and discontinuation. Results Among 2,086 eligible patients, 561 (26.9%) were prescribed an aldosterone antagonist at discharge. Within 90 days, 78.6% of eligible patients with a discharge prescription filled a prescription for the therapy, compared with 13.0% of eligible patients without a discharge prescription ( P Conclusion Most eligible patients were not prescribed aldosterone antagonist therapy at discharge from a heart failure hospitalization. Eligible patients without a discharge prescription seldom initiated therapy as outpatients. Most patients who were prescribed an aldosterone antagonist at discharge filled the prescription within 90 days and remained on therapy.
The verbal loop hypothesis and the effects of similarity on recognition and communication in adults and children

The verbal loop hypothesis, which holds that verbal description underlies the recognition and communication of visual forms, was tested by determining whether performances in these two tasks were comparably affected by similarity. In the recognition task S attempted to select a previously presented test color from an array of four colors. In the communication task one S described a test color in an array of four, and then another S attempted to use this description to select the test color from the array. The similarity of the test to the other array colors was varied in both tasks, and 6-year-olds and adults served as Ss. The results supported the verbal loop hypothesis as similarity affected recognition and communication in the same way for both adults and children.
OSSE Observations of the Soft Gamma-Ray Continuum from the Galactic Plane at Longitude 95°

We present the results of OSSE observations of the soft gamma-ray continuum emission from the Galactic plane at longitude 95°. Emission is detected between 50 and 600 keV where the spectrum is fitted well by a power law with photon index -2.6 ± 0.3 and flux (4.0 ± 0.5) × 10-2 photons s-1 cm-2 rad-1 MeV-1 at 100 keV. This spectral shape in this range is similar to that found for the continuum emission from the inner Galaxy, but the amplitude is lower by a factor of 4. This emission is due to either unresolved and previously unknown point sources, or diffuse electron bremsstrahlung, or a combination of the two. Simultaneous observations with OSSE and smaller field-of-view instruments operating in the soft gamma-ray energy band, such as X-ray Timing Explorer or Beppo-SAX, would help resolve this issue. If it is primarily diffuse emission due to nonthermal electron bremsstrahlung, as is the >1 MeV Galactic ridge continuum, then the power in low-energy cosmic-ray electrons exceeds that of the nuclear component of the cosmic rays by an order of magnitude. This would have profound implications for the origin of cosmic rays and the energetics of the interstellar medium. Alternatively, if the emission is diffuse and thermal, then there must be a component of the interstellar medium at temperatures ~109 K.
Neutralizing Epitopes on the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Fusion Glycoprotein

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis, but despite decades of research a safe and effective vaccine has remained elusive. The viral fusion glycoprotein (RSV F) plays an obligatory role in the entry process and is the major target of neutralizing antibodies, making it an attractive target for vaccine development. This review will summarize the recently determined structures of RSV F in the prefusion and postfusion conformations and describe the location and properties of neutralizing epitopes on RSV F, including the newly identified prefusion-specific epitopes. The influence of these findings on vaccine development will also be discussed, with a focus on the rational design and optimization of vaccine antigens.
Holocene climate inferred from glacier extent, lake sediment and tree rings at Goat Lake, Kenai Mountains, Alaska, USA

Lake sediment, glacier extent and tree rings were used to reconstruct Holocene climate changes from Goat Lake at 550 m asl in the Kenai Mountains, south-central Alaska. Radiocarbon-dated sediment cores taken at 55 m water depth show glacial-lacustrine conditions until about 9500 cal. yr BP, followed by organic-rich sedimentation with an overall increasing trend in organic matter and biogenic silica content leading up to the Little Ice Age (LIA). Through most of the Holocene, the northern outlet of the Harding Icefield remained below the drainage divide that currently separates it from Goat Lake. A sharp transition from gyttja to inorganic mud about AD 1660 signifies the reappearance of glacier meltwater into Goat Lake during the LIA, marking the maximum Holocene (postglacial) extent. Meltwater continued to discharge into the lake until about AD 1900. A 207 yr tree-ring series from 25 mountain hemlocks growing in the Goat Lake watershed correlates with other regional tree-ring series that indicate an average summer temperature reduction of about 1°C during the 19th century compared with the early–mid 20th century. Cirque glaciers around Goat Lake reached their maximum LIA extent in the late 19th century. Assuming that glacier equilibrium-line altitudes (ELA) are controlled solely by summer temperature, then the cooling of 1°C combined with the local environmental lapse rate would indicate an ELA lowering of 170 m. In contrast, reconstructed ELAs of 12 cirque glaciers near Goat Lake average only 34 ± 18 m lower during the LIA. The restricted ELA lowering can be explained by a reduction in accumulation-season precipitation caused by a weakening of the Aleutian low-pressure system during the late LIA. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An efficient algorithm for constructing a cryptosystem which is harder to break than two other cryptosystems

Abstract Suppose that two organizations with their own separate cryptosystems are put into a context in which they must communicate. An example might be two businesses—accustomed to using different commercial cryptosystems—which have recently merged. Each might mistrust the security of the other's cryptosystem. But neither could quarrel with a process which took their two cryptosystems and yielded a third cryptosystem which was demonstrably at least as strong as either of the original two. This paper constructs a practical working model of such a “least upper bound” of two cryptosystems.
Mutational analysis of Cvab, an ABC transporter involved in the secretion of active colicin V.

CvaB is the central membrane transporter of the colicin V secretion system that belongs to an ATP-binding cassette superfamily. Previous data showed that the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of CvaB are essential for the function of CvaB. N-terminal domain of CvaB possesses Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteolytic activity, and two critical residues, Cys32 and His105, have been identified. In this study, we also identify Asp121 as being the third residue of the putative catalytic triad within the active site of the enzyme. The Asp121 mutants lose both their colicin V secretion activity and N-terminal proteolytic activity. The adjacent residue Pro122 also appears to play a critical role in the colicin V secretion. However, the reversal of the two residues D121P - P122D results in loss of activity. Based on molecular modeling and protein sequence alignment, several residues adjacent to the critical residues, Cys32 and His105, were also examined and characterized. Site-directed mutagenesis of Trp101, Asp102, Val108, Leu76, Gly77, and Gln26 indicate that the neighboring residues around the catalytic triad affect colicin V secretion. Several mutated CvaB proteins with defective secretion were also tested, including Asp121 and Pro122, and were found to be structurally stable. These results indicate that the residues surrounding the identified catalytic triad are functionally involved in the secretion of biologically active colicin V.
Decreased heat shock response upon adipose differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells

Summary In order to gain a better understanding of the regulation of heat shock gene (hsp) expression in terminal cell differentiation, we evaluated the effects of heat shock on the synthesis of HSPs, the abundance of mRNA hs P, and the heat shock transcription factor (HSTF) DNA-binding activity in the 3T3-L1 fibroblasts and adipocytes. We showed that the heat shock (42°C) induction of synthesis of HSPs was significantly greater in the undifferentiated fibroblast than the differentiated adipocyte cultures. In particular, the heat shock induced synthesis of HSP 72 was at least 10 times greater in the fibroblasts than in the adipocytes. Analysis of mRNA of hsp 89α, hsp 89β, hsp 70, and hsp 25 by Northern blot hybridization showed that the expression of these mRNAs was very, if not strictly, dependent on heat shock of the cells; the abundance of these heat inducible mRNAs was significantly higher in fibroblasts than in adipocytes. Quantitation of the HSTF DNA-binding activity by gel retardation assay demonstrated a specific decrease in this activity in the differentiated cells. These results provide evidence of a decreased transcriptional activation of heat shock genes upon adipose cell differentiation.
Presidential Vetoes in the Early Republic: Changing Constitutional Norms or Electoral Reform?

Historians, political scientists, and legal scholars have long debated the origins and development of the executive veto in the early United States. Some scholars argue that the power was originally conceived as quite limited. These scholars argue that until Andrew Jackson used the veto against the recharter of the Bank of the United States, the veto was limited to unconstitutional or administratively unworkable legislation. Others argue that no such norms existed and that the veto was always understood as an important legislative power of the president and that early presidents used it as such. I argue that neither account provides an adequate explanation of the development and usage of the veto in the early republic. I claim that early veto usage was quite different, not because of constraining constitutional norms, but because the electoral conditions that generate equilibrium vetoes had yet to emerge.
Applications of an Animal Model in the United States Beef Cattle Industry

Abstract The theory of mixed linear models is finding widespread application in the United States beef cattle industry. At least 15 beef breeds have developed or are in the process of developing national genetic improvement programs based on best linear unbiased prediction procedures and the animal model (or reduced animal model). These 15 breeds represent over 600,000 new registrations each year. The commercial industry is moving rapidly toward acceptance of genetic values on yearling bulls from these programs. Both single trait and multiple trait analyses are conducted depending on breed and traits analyzed. All breeds have developed models for maternally influenced traits. At present, primary emphasis is on growth; however, some breeds have included such traits as calving ease and hip height. Interest is developing among breeders for genetic evaluations of carcass traits. Procedures have been developed for generating genetic values on a daily basis for young animals that are not included in the major analys is due to the time of year their records were obtained. These interim genetic values provide information between major analyses.
A computational approach to resolve cell level contributions to early glandular epithelial cancer progression

Three-dimensional (3D) embedded cell cultures provide an appropriate physiological environment to reconstruct features of early glandular epithelial cancer. Although these are orders of magnitude simpler than tissues, they too are complex systems that have proven challenging to understand. We used agent-based, discrete event simulation modeling methods to build working hypotheses of mechanisms of epithelial 3D culture phenotype and early cancer progression. Starting with an earlier software analogue, we validated an improved in silico epithelial analogue (ISEA) for cardinal features of a normally developed MDCK cyst. A set of axiomatic operating principles defined simulated cell actions. We explored selective disruption of individual simulated cell actions. New framework features enabled recording detailed measures of ISEA cell activities and morphology. Enabled by a small set of cell operating principles, ISEA cells multiplied and self-organized into cyst-like structures that mimicked those of MDCK cells in a 3D embedded cell culture. Selective disruption of "anoikis" or directional cell division caused the ISEA to develop phenotypic features resembling those of in vitro tumor reconstruction models and cancerous tissues in vivo. Disrupting either process, or both, altered cell activity patterns that resulted in morphologically similar outcomes. Increased disruption led to a prolonged presence of intraluminal cells. ISEA mechanisms, behaviors, and morphological properties may have biological counterparts. To the extent that in silico-to-in vitro mappings are valid, the results suggest plausible, additional mechanisms of in vitro cancer reconstruction or reversion, and raise potentially significant implications for early cancer diagnosis based on histology. Further ISEA development and use are expected to provide a viable platform to complement in vitro methods for unraveling the mechanistic basis of epithelial morphogenesis and cancer progression.
Clinic-wide Intervention Lowers Financial Risk and Improves Revenue to HIV Clinics Through Fewer Missed Primary Care Visits

: We calculated the financial impact in 6 HIV clinics of a low-effort retention in care intervention involving brief motivational messages from providers, patient brochures, and posters. We used a linear regression model to calculate absolute changes in kept primary care visits from the preintervention year (2008-2009) to the intervention year (2009-2010). Revenue from patients' insurance was also assessed by clinic. Kept visits improved significantly in the intervention year versus the preintervention year (P < 0.0001). We found a net-positive effect on clinic revenue of +$24,000/year for an average-size clinic (7400 scheduled visits/year). We encourage HIV clinic administrators to consider implementing this low-effort intervention.
Fractionation of the cataleptic bracing response in rats

Abstract In haloperidol-treated rats, bracing, i.e., resistance to displacement along a horizontal surface, was found to involve four components: gripping by the digits, extension by the limbs, stiffening of the body axis and arching the vertebral column towards the displacing force. Labyrinthectomy weakened the bracing of the forequarters as did application of a head bandage. Labyrinthectomy, when combined with head bandage, completely abolished all forequarter bracing responses. Neither manipulation affected the bracing responses of the hindquarters. The hindquarter bracing reaction was abolished by application of an abdominal bandage, which left most of the forequarter responses intact. Isolation of fore- and hindquarter bracing responses revealed that whereas gripping by the digits and extension by the limbs could occur independently in either part of the body, stiffening of the body axis and arching of the vetebral column originated in the hindquarters. However, although these latter components of bracing originate in the hindquarters, as evidenced by their abolition with application of an abdominal bandage, their recruitment into the anterior of the body only occurred when the bracing of the forequarters was unimpaired. Either labyrinthectomy or head bandage prevented stiffening and arching of the vertebral column from occurring in the forequarters, even though these procedures had no effect on the hindquarters. Labyrinthectomy, head bandage and abdominal bandage all fractionated the bracing response over a wide range of haloperidol dosages (0.5, 1.0, 2,5, 5,0 and 7.5 mg/kg).
THE SYNTHESIS OF COVALENTLY LINKED TETRAARYLPORPHYRIN DIMERS

A new and general synthesis of porphyrin dimers is described. The synthesis involves the reaction of dibromoalkanes with phenolic porphyrins, such as 5(4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tritolylporphyrin, to form σ-bromoalkyl porphyrin ethers. The latter compounds are then reacted with a second phenolic porphyrin to give porphyrin dimers. A mixed metalloporphyrin dimer has been prepared which contains both V(IV) and Cu(II). The compounds have been examined spectroscopically. The free-base porphyrin dimers show a splitting of the intense Soret band. This is interpreted as indicative of weak singlet energy transfer between the covalently linked porphyrins.
The Michigan Militia: Political Engagement or Political Alienation?

The split within the Michigan Militia leadership highlights a disagreement between competing factions about the role militia groups should play in the political system. Norm Olson, the deposed commander of the group, rejects political participation entirely and focuses on the militia's paramilitary role. The leadership that replaced him under Lynn VanHuizen and Tom Wayne actively engages the political system, using tactics resembling those of modern interest groups. Despite continued challenges to VanHuizen and Wayne's leadership, the Michigan Militia has maintained this focus. Ada Finifter's classic conception of the multiple dimensions of political alienation is utilized as a framework from which to understand these different views of political participation. Strategies that restrict or stigmatize traditional forms of political participation by militia groups may, in certain cases, increase the likelihood of violence and should be carefully considered in light of this risk.
Ramanujan Sums in the Context of Signal Processing—Part II: FIR Representations and Applications

The mathematician Ramanujan introduced a summation in 1918, now known as the Ramanujan sum c_q(n). In a companion paper (Part I), properties of Ramanujan sums were reviewed, and Ramanujan subspaces S_q introduced, of which the Ramanujan sum is a member. In this paper, the problem of representing finite duration (FIR) signals based on Ramanujan sums and spaces is considered. First, it is shown that the traditional way to solve for the expansion coefficients in the Ramanujan-sum expansion does not work in the FIR case. Two solutions are then developed. The first one is based on a linear combination of the first N Ramanujan-sums (with N being the length of the signal). The second solution is based on Ramanujan subspaces. With q_1, q_2,..., q_K denoting the divisors of N; it is shown that x(n) can be written as a sum of K signals x_(qi) (n) ∈ S_(qi). Furthermore, the i_(th) signal x_(qi) (n) has period q_i, and any pair of these periodic components is orthogonal. The components x_(qi) (n) can be calculated as orthogonal projections of x(n) onto Ramanujan spaces S_(qi). Then, the Ramanujan Periodic Transform (RPT) is defined based on this, and is useful to identify hidden periodicities. It is shown that the projection matrices (which compute x_(qi) (n) from x(n)) are integer matrices except for an overall scale factor. The calculation of projections is therefore rendered easy. To estimate internal periods N_∞ <; N of x(n), one only needs to know which projection energies are nonzero.