cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relevance of multiple sclerosis cortical lesions on cortical thinning and their clinical impact as assessed by 7.0-T MRI

This study aimed to investigate at 7.0-T MRI a) the role of multiple sclerosis (MS) cortical lesions in cortical tissue loss b) their relation to neurological disability. In 76 relapsing remitting and 26 secondary progressive MS patients (N = 102) and 56 healthy subjects 7.0-T T2*-weighted images were acquired for lesion segmentation; 3.0-T T1-weighted structural scans for cortical surface reconstruction/cortical thickness estimation. Patients were dichotomized based on the median cortical lesion volume in low and high cortical lesion load groups that differed by age, MS phenotype and degree of neurological disability. Group differences in cortical thickness were tested on reconstructed cortical surface. Patients were evaluated clinically by means of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Cortical lesions were detected in 96% of patients. White matter lesion load was greater in the high than in the low cortical lesion load MS group (p = 0.01). Both MS groups disclosed clusters (prevalently parietal) of cortical thinning relative to healthy subjects, though these regions did not show the highest cortical lesion density, which predominantly involved frontal regions. Cortical thickness decreased on average by 0.37 mm, (p = 0.002) in MS patients for each unit standard deviation change in white matter lesion volume. The odds of having a higher EDSS were associated with cortical lesion volume (1.78, p = 0.01) and disease duration (1.15, p < 0.001). Cortical thinning in MS is not directly related to cortical lesion load but rather with white matter lesion volume. Neurological disability in MS is better explained by cortical lesion volume assessment.
A Scoping Review of Research into the Origins of Cynicism Among Medical Trainees.

There is a perception that medical trainees begin their training idealistic and full of excitement. Yet, there is growing recognition in scholarly literature that this idealism is replaced by cynicism as a result of the training process itself. The ultimate goal of this study was to review the current literature on cynicism during medical training in order to identify factors that engendered its development. Equipped with this information, medical education can expand data collection regarding cynicism in order to further inform the development of solutions to combat it. This scoping review was conducted with a broad search for published articles across three medical education databases using search terms “cynicism in medical students.” Additional relevant articles were added from reference lists of included articles. Articles on cynicism in practicing professionals were excluded as were articles that focused on burnout. The search identified 161 unique articles; 30 articles merited full reading and 19 ultimately met inclusion criteria. Emergent themes comprised three categories: causes of cynicism, variations of cynicism among populations, and outcomes of cynicism. Within these 3 categories, 9 sub-categories were also extracted. From Kopelman’s perspective (Kopelman in JAMA 250(15):2006–10, [11]), the presence of cynicism verifies that students’ ideals are still alive because they recognize that things could be better and are disappointed that they are not; cynicism may be preferable to despair. This review revealed that trainees have not suffered a death of their ideals, but a burial. Corrective action may be able to excavate what was lost—an idealistic approach to medical training.
Aboveground Herbivory Influences Belowground Defense Responses in Maize

The European corn borer (ECB; Ostrinia nubilalis) is an economically damaging insect pest of maize (Zea mays L.), an important cereal crop widely grown globally. Among inbred lines, the maize genotype Mp708 has shown resistance to diverse herbivorous insects, although several aspects of the defense mechanisms of Mp708 plants are yet to be explored. Here, the changes in root physiology arising from short-term feeding by ECB on the shoot tissues of Mp708 plants was evaluated directly using transcriptomics, and indirectly by observing growth of western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) larvae. Mp708 defense responses negatively impacted both ECB and WCR larval weights, providing evidence for changes in root physiology in response to ECB feeding on shoot tissues. There was a significant downregulation of the root transcriptomes following short-term ECB feeding, including genes needed for direct defense (e.g., proteinase inhibitors and chitinases). Our transcriptomic analysis also revealed specific regulation of the genes involved in hormonal and metabolite pathways in the roots of Mp708 plants subjected to ECB herbivory. These data provide support for the long distance signaling-mediated defense in Mp708 plants and suggest that altered metabolite profiles of roots in response to ECB feeding of shoots likely negatively impacted WCR growth.
Science Desk: General Overview

This viewgraph presentation discusses information sharing and other management procedures between related groups of scientists. ScienceOrganizer is an information repository and digital library for use by distributed scientific project teams which enables the storage and retrieval of heterogeneous project information in multiple formats. Over time, usage by persons results in the development of an increasingly information-rich knowledge base and network. Some of the engineering details include the determination of useful navigation hubs by which users can most easily navigate the information management system.
Preparing the Marketing Manager for Crisis

Recent press reports detailing the success of new industrial enterprises are often misleading. In actuality, failure rates remain high and the vast majority of new ventures will not survive for five years. Advances the notion that, while failure is sometimes beyond the immediate control of company owners (trade and embargo policies barring entry of products, natural disasters such as fire or earthquake destroying company facilities), an impressive number of potential crises can be prevented. Further, mitigation steps such as crisis marketing planning can minimize the negative impact on cash flow and company image that often emerges from disaster. A firm that integrates this planning into its strategic plan (and concurrently informs potential investors that it has pondered and planned for worst‐case scenarios) is ultimately better prepared to cope with crisis and reassure stakeholders.
Pricing Barriers on Underlyings with Time-Dependent Parameters

The purpose of this note is to explain the technique and the results obtained by C.F.Lo et al. in their papers on the pricing of barriers on underlyings whose evolution is given by the Black-Scholes model with time-dependent parameters, with formulae that cover (almost) fully the profusion of barrier options traded on the market.
Engineering properties of fresh-water ice

The principal engineering problems requiring knowledge concerning the properties of ice are prediction of the maximum force that ice might exert on a structure and determination of the load that can be placed safely on an ice cover. The properties of ice relevant to these problems are discussed. Particular attention is given to the dependence of Young's modulus on the frequency of the stress, strain-rate dependence of the yield and fracture strengths, and the ductile to brittle transition. It is shown that the strain-rate dependence of these properties is consistent with information on the stress dependence of dislocation velocity on the basal plane. The tensile and compressive strengths are also shown to be consistent with current theories of crack initiation and propagation.
Development of Big Five Domains and Facets in Adulthood: Mean-Level Age Trends and Broadly Versus Narrowly Acting Mechanisms

Data from a cross-sectional sample (N = 601 men and women) and a longitudinal sample (N = 125 women) were used to test hypotheses about the development of Big Five domains and facets from early adulthood through middle age. Analyses of mean-level age trends indicated that overall Agreeableness and Conscientiousness increased with age and that several facets showed distinctive trends that replicated across the samples. Cross-sectional analyses of trait intercorrelations and covariances indicated that interrelations between the Big Five domains, and between their more specific facets, were quite similar at older versus younger ages. Finally, longitudinal analyses of individual-level changes indicated that (a) different people's personalities changed in markedly different ways; (b) these changes were predominantly independent, rather than correlated, across Big Five domains; and (c) the pattern of change correlations between Big Five facets could be explained by the facets' interrelations at the first assessment time. Taken together, these results suggest that a complete understanding of personality development requires consideration of facet-level traits and that adult personality development is predominantly influenced by narrowly acting mechanisms that each affect a single Big Five domain, or a small cluster of related facets, rather than by broadly acting mechanisms that simultaneously affect previously independent traits.
Lymphoscintigraphy in melanoma of the upper and lower limbs: Using 99mTc-Phytate preoperative scintigraphy in identifying sentinel lymph node

2055 Objectives Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin. When melanoma begins to lymphogenous metastasis, it follows regular stage which goes to sentinel lymph node(SLN). So we would know the whole lymph nodes9 possibility of metastasis with sentinel-lymphogenous metastasis. The administration of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy could help to have clinical information, possibility and ranges of lymphectomy. Especially it could reduce the operation time. In this study, we try to figure out the accurate region of SLN in patient with upper or lower limb melanoma. Methods We performed lymphoscintigraphic studies in 20 patients with melanoma on the upper or lower limbs for surgery. We used 99mTc-PHYTATE using 26gauge-1cc syringe, 1 mCi per 0.1 ml. We injected the radiopharmaceutical subcutaneously on the site of 12, 3, 6 and 9 clockwise direction which is 2~3mm away from primary tumor each. If the region was on the upper limb we had images on hand, elbow and shoulder. On lower limb, we had ankle, knee and pelvic images. When we had SLN images straightly, we marked on patients9 skin on front and lateral point of SLN. Results In lymphoscintigraphy, 8 patients among 20 had melanoma on upper limb. 2 were found on elbow region and 6 were found on axillary region. 12 patients had melanoma on lower limb. 4 were found on popliteal region and 8 were found SLN on inguinal area. In 16 patients, we found SLN on early static scan. The patients who confirmed SLN on delayed images were 4. After the examination, patients went to an operating room. Lymphoscintigraphy helped to find exact SLN when the surgeon examine with gamma-prove. Conclusions Lymphoscintigraphy helps to find the SLN in melanoma of the upper or lower limbs quickly and accurately. Moreover, it helps to decide to the range of lymphadenectomy and localization. It could help to prevent metastasis and recurrence to other organs so that the patients9 survival time will be longer and it also could reduce the surgery time
Technology and Global Affairs

Technology has always played an important role in global politics, economics, security, and culture. It has continuously shaped the structure of the global system, its actors, and the interactions between them and vice versa. However, theories of International Relations (IR), and in particular those of International Political Economy (IPE), have performed little to theoretically conceptualize technology as a powerful factor within explanations of change in global affairs. Although technology often is implicitly present in the theories of IR and IPE, it is often interpreted as an external, passive, apolitical, and residual factor. This essay argues that to develop a better understanding of transformation in global affairs, technology has to be integrated more systematically into the theoretical discussions of IR/IPE. Technology should be understood as a highly political and integral core component of the global system that shapes global affairs and itself is shaped by global economics, politics, and culture. This paper makes the case for an interdisciplinary approach, which systematically incorporates insights of Science and Technology Studies (S&TS) to provide a better understanding of how technology and the global system and politics interact with each other. In so doing, it opens the field to a richer understanding of how global systemic change is impacted by technology and how global politics, economics, and culture impact technological evolution.
Career Education in the Public Schools

Research in Action, a private anthropological consulting firm, has been conducting an ethnographic program evaluation for a Hartford Board of Education career education program. Developed with funding from the United States Department of Labor, the Youthwork program was conceived by the funding source as an experimental program in youth training and employment which would be documented on an ongoing basis in order to develop policy on youth employment. While 49 other Youthwork sites are participating in a quantitatively oriented cross-site evaluation, the contract between Research In Action and the Board of Education calls for an objective case study documentation intended to, provide perspective to local program staff and administrators. The comprehensive ethnographic analysis will also provide the Department of Labor with qualitative data which will also be a useful supplement to the quantitative cross-site analysis of the other Youthwork programs. Anthropologists involved in this project include Merril...
Does obesity really make the femur stronger? BMD, geometry, and fracture incidence in the women's health initiative-observational study.

Heavier individuals have higher hip BMD and more robust femur geometry, but it is unclear whether values vary in proportion with body weight in obesity. We studied the variation of hip BMD and geometry across categories of body mass index (BMI) in a subset of postmenopausal non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Cohort (WHI-OS). The implications on fracture incidence were studied among NHWs in the entire WHI-OS. Baseline DXA scans of hip and total body from 4642 NHW women were divided into BMI (kg/m2) categories: underweight ( 40). Femur BMD and indices of bone axial (cross-sectional area [CSA]) and bending strength (section modulus [SM]) were extracted from DXA scans using the hip structure analysis (HSA) method and compared among BMI categories after adjustment for height, age, hormone use, diabetes, activity level, femur neck-shaft angle, and neck length. The association between BMI and incident fracture was studied in 78,013 NHWs from the entire WHI-OS over 8.5 ± 2.6 (SD) yr of follow-up. Fracture incidence (cases/1000 person-years) was compared among BMI categories for hip alone, central body (hip, pelvis, spine, ribs, and shoulder girdle), upper extremity (humerus and distal), and lower extremity (femur shaft and distal but not hip). Femur BMD, CSA, and SM were larger in women with higher BMI, but values scaled in proportion to lean and not to fat or total body mass. Women with highest BMI reported more falls in the 12 mo before enrollment, more prevalent fractures, and had lower measures of physical activity and function. Incidence of hip fractures and all central body fractures declined with BMI. Lower extremity fractures distal to the hip trended upward, and upper extremity incidence was independent of BMI. BMD, CSA, and SM vary in proportion to total body lean mass, supporting the view that bones adapt to prevalent muscle loads. Because lean mass is a progressively smaller fraction of total mass in obesity, femur BMD, CSA, and SM decline relative to body weight in higher BMI categories. Traumatic forces increase with body weight, but fracture rates at the hip and central body were less frequent with increasing BMI, possibly because of greater soft tissue padding. There was no evident protective effect in fracture rates at less padded distal extremity sites. Upper extremity fractures showed no variation with BMI, and lower extremity fracture rates were higher only in the overweight (BMI = 25–29.9 kg/m2).
HBV et al.

Hepatitis Viruses of Man. By A.J. Zuckerman and C.R. Howard. Pp.269. (Academic: 1980.) £16.80, $39.
The Impact of Telefacsimile Service upon Interlibrary Loan in Georgia Libraries

Abstract In May 1990, a questionnaire on telefacsimile usage was mailed to interlibrary loan personnel at 109 libraries in Georgia which had telefacsimile machines, and eighty responses were received. Results of the survey are reported and analyzed, including possible implications for state and area networks in regards to such factors as how to request fax service, the amount of time allowed to fill a request, and costs.
Identifying Performance Obstacles among Intensive Care Nurses

In this paper, we compare findings of two studies aimed at identifying performance obstacles among intensive care nurses. The first study is a qualitative study where data was collected from 15 intensive care nurses using individual, semi-structured interviews. The second study is a cross-sectional study conducted among 298 nurses from 17 intensive care units (ICUs) of seven hospitals using a questionnaire survey. Based on the results of these two studies, the most commonly experienced performance obstacles among ICU nurses include inadequate help from others, tools and equipment, ineffective inter-provider communication, materials and supplies, poor physical work environment, and family issues. The results of these two studies have implications regarding efforts aimed at redesigning ICU work organization in order to reduce nursing workload and improve quality of working life and quality and safety of care.
Encouraging the Development of Social Competence in Young Children.

To help children develop social competence, teachers need to understand differences between popular and unpopular children, know how to assess social competence, and employ techniques which aid the development of children's social skills. In general, popular children have developed skills and strategies which allow them to interact with their peers in various situations. Unpopular children engage in behaviors which are detrimental to peer interaction. Their behaviors and lack of skills increase the likelihood of peer rejection. Knowing how to interact with peers successfully is vitally important, for research shows that early popularity is associated with later positive outcomes, while early unpopularity is associated with later negative outcomes. To identify children who are rejected, neglected, or popular, teachers can employ several methods, including sociometric ratings and rankings, the picture nomination technique, informal observations, and checklists such as the California Preschool Competency Sca...
Experimental kerosene pneumonitis in primates: relevance to the therapeutic management of childhood poisoning.

SUMMARY 1. Fifteen baboons were utilized to investigate whether secondary bacterial invasion followed experimentally-induced kerosene pneumonia. They were divided into two groups and used as their own controls, following intratracheal injection of either normal saline or kerosene (0·3 ml/kg). 2. The baboons were X-rayed daily for 3 days and lung biopsies taken for histology, aerobic and anaerobic culture. When killed on day 4, all lungs were examined macroscopically, weighed and lung weight/body weight ratios calculated, while biopsy material was handled as above. 3. In spite of repeated anaesthesia, biopsies, pneumothoraces and atelectasis, no organisms were seen histologically, nor were any aerobic or anaerobic organisms cultured. 4. The results strongly suggest that secondary bacterial infection following kerosene-induced pneumonitis is rare.
Control of K+ channels by G proteins.

Heterotrimeic G proteins are thought to couple receptors to ionic channels via cytoplasmic mediators such as cGMP in the case of retinal rods, cAMP in the case of olfactory cells, and the cAMP cascade in the case of cardiac myocytes. G protein-mediated second messenger effects on K+ channels are dealt with elsewhere in this series. Recently, membrane-delimited pathways have been uncovered and an hypothesis proposed in which the α subunits of G proteins directly couple receptors to ionic channels, particularly K+ channels. While direct coupling has not been proven, the membrane-delimited nature has been established for specific G proteins and their specific K+ channel effectors.
Magnetic interactions in the high-spin iron(III) oxooctaethylchlorinato derivative [Fe(oxoOEC)(Cl)] and its pi-cation radical [Fe(oxoOEC.)(Cl)]SbCl6.

The preparation and characterization of the β-oxochlorin derivative [3,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-(3H)-porphin-2-onato(2−)]iron(III) chloride, [Fe(oxoOEC)(Cl)], and its π-cation radical derivative [Fe(oxoOEC•)(Cl)]SbCl6 is described. Both compounds have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray structure determinations, IR, UV/vis/near-IR, and Mossbauer spectroscopies, and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements. The macrocycles of [Fe(oxoOEC)(Cl)] and [Fe(oxoOEC•)(Cl)]SbCl6 are both saddled, and [Fe(oxoOEC•)(Cl)]SbCl6 is slightly ruffled as well. [Fe(oxoOEC)(Cl)] shows a laterally shifted dimeric unit in the solid state, with a mean plane separation of 3.39 A and a lateral shift of 7.39 A. Crystal data for [Fe(oxoOEC)(Cl)]: triclinic, space group P1, Z = 2, a = 9.174(2) A, b = 13.522(3) A, c = 14.838(3) A, α = 95.79(3)°, β = 101.46(2)°, γ = 104.84(3)°. Upon oxidation, the inter-ring geometric parameters increase; the mean plane separation and the lateral shift of the dimeric unit o...
Microhomology directs diverse DNA break repair pathways and chromosomal translocations

Chromosomal structural change triggers carcinogenesis and the formation of other genetic diseases. The breakpoint junctions of these rearrangements often contain small overlapping sequences called “microhomology,” yet the genetic pathway(s) responsible have yet to be defined. We report a simple genetic system to detect microhomology-mediated repair (MHMR) events after a DNA double-strand break (DSB) in budding yeast cells. MHMR using >15 bp operates as a single-strand annealing variant, requiring the non-essential DNA polymerase subunit Pol32. MHMR is inhibited by sequence mismatches, but independent of extensive DNA synthesis like break-induced replication. However, MHMR using less than 14 bp is genetically distinct from that using longer microhomology and far less efficient for the repair of distant DSBs. MHMR catalyzes chromosomal translocation almost as efficiently as intra-chromosomal repair. The results suggest that the intrinsic annealing propensity between microhomology sequences efficiently leads to chromosomal rearrangements.
Unraveling the Pathophysiology of Sjogren Syndrome-Associated Dry Eye Disease

Sjogren syndrome (SS) is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. Early clinical manifestations of SS are primarily decreased tear and saliva secretion, leading to dry eye and dry mouth syndromes, but in its later stages, it can become systemic, even resulting in B cell lymphomas. The use of new animal models, coupled with new technologies, is providing exciting insights into the pathogenesis, genetic predisposition, and, possibly, early diagnosis of SS. This article reviews newly described features of SS identified in experimental animal models and their relationship to human disease. New technologies, such as genomics and proteomics, may permit identification of potential candidate genes and biomarkers for disease diagnosis. Current studies using appropriate animal models in parallel with studies of human subjects are rapidly establishing a foundation for new intervention strategies that go beyond merely treating symptoms.
Clinical implication of p53 mutation in lung cancer.

Lung cancer development involves multiple genetic abnormalities leading to malignant transformation of the bronchial epithelial cells, followed by invasion and metastasis. One of the most common changes is mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. The frequency of p53 alterations in lung cancer is highest in small cell and squamous cell carcinomas. A genetic “signature” of the type of p53 mutations has been associated with carcinogens in cigarette smoke. The majority of clinical studies suggest that lung cancers with p53 alterations carry a worse prognosis, and may be relatively more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. An understanding of the role of p53 in human lung cancer may lead to more rational targeted approaches for treating this disease. P53 gene replacement is currently under clinical investigation but clearly more effective means of gene deliver to the tumor cells are required. Novel approaches to lung cancer therapy are needed to improve the observed poor patient survival despite current therapies.
Drosophila regulate yeast density and increase yeast community similarity in a natural substrate.

Drosophila melanogaster adults and larvae, but especially larvae, had profound effects on the densities and community structure of yeasts that developed in banana fruits. Pieces of fruit exposed to adult female flies previously fed fly-conditioned bananas developed higher yeast densities than pieces of the same fruits that were not exposed to flies, supporting previous suggestions that adult Drosophila vector yeasts to new substrates. However, larvae alone had dramatic effects on yeast density and species composition. When yeast densities were compared in pieces of the same fruits assigned to different treatments, fruits that developed low yeast densities in the absence of flies developed significantly higher yeast densities when exposed to larvae. Across all of the fruits, larvae regulated yeast densities within narrow limits, as compared to a much wider range of yeast densities that developed in pieces of the same fruits not exposed to flies. Larvae also affected yeast species composition, dramatically reducing species diversity across fruits, reducing variation in yeast communities from one fruit to the next (beta diversity), and encouraging the consistent development of a yeast community composed of three species of yeast (Candida californica, C. zemplinina, and Pichia kluvyeri), all of which were palatable to larvae. Larvae excreted viable cells of these three yeast species in their fecal pools, and discouraged the growth of filamentous fungi, processes which may have contributed to their effects on the yeast communities in banana fruits. These and other findings suggest that D. melanogaster adults and their larval offspring together engage in ‘niche construction’, facilitating a predictable microbial environment in the fruit substrates in which the larvae live and develop.
Enhancement of Convective Precipitation by Mesoscale Variations in Vegetative Covering in Semiarid Regions

Abstract It is hypothesized that planting bands of vegetation with widths of the order of 50–100 km in semiarid regions could, under favorable large-scale atmospheric conditions, result in increases of convective precipitation. These increases, which could be greater than those associated with the uniform vegetating of large areas, would occur through three major mechanisms. The first would be the modification of the environment to a state more conducive to the formation of moist convection through an increase of low-level moist static energy. This increase would be associated with a decrease in albedo, an increase in net radiation, and an increase in evapotranspiration. The second important mechanism would be the generation of mesoscale (horizontal scale of 20–200 km) circulations associated with the surface inhomogeneities created on this scale by the vegetation. The third mechanism would be the increase of atmospheric water vapor through decreased runoff and increased evaporation. A number of observati...
Picket and Other Fences in Biological Membranes

Nakada et al. revisit the controversial question of whether membrane lipids are able to diffuse from the axon of a neuron into the soma. Using single molecule imaging of a fluorescent phospholipid, the authors show that a diffusion barrier in the axon initial segment blocks the diffusion of lipids.
Is 20% of a loaf enough?

As a result of recent successful studies on lung cancer screening, 12,000 deaths can be averted if screening is implemented. A variety of considerations make this important although it is not clear we are ready for a policy change on screening.
Charge exchange measurements of mhd activity during neutral beam injection in the princeton large torus and the poloidal divertor experiment

The horizontally scanning, multiangle charge-exchange analyzers on the Princeton Large Torus (PLT) and the Poloidal Divertor Experiment (PDX) were used to study the effects of MHD activity on the background ion distribution function and on the beam ion slowing-down process during high-power neutral injection. Sawtooth oscillations were observed in the fast ion flux on PLT and PDX, and measurements with neutral beams providing local neutral density enhancement indicate that ions are transported radially when these events occur. With near-perpendicular injection in PDX, at the lower toroidal fields necessary to maximize beta, rapid, repetitive bursts of greatly enhanced charge-exchange flux were observed. These are associated with the ''fishbone'' MHD instability, and a substantial depletion of the perpendicular slowing-down spectrum below the injection energy was seen. A simple phenomenological model for this loss mechanism was developed, and its use in simulation codes has been successful in providing good agreement with the data. The behavior and characteristics of this model are well matched by the direct theoretical calculations.
The maximum yield problem: Distortion in the yield curve due to age structure

Abstract An unselective harvest is sustainable if the per capita removal rate balances the net per capita growth rate of the population. If the function relating the growth rate to population density is known, finding the density at which the maximal total harvest rate may be achieved is a simple exercise in parameter optimization. In age-structured populations the per capita growth rate is related in a complicated way to the age-specific vital rates upon which density feedbacks directly operate. Generally, the function relating the per capita growth rate to density will resemble a log transform of the function relating age-specific fecundities to density. Accordingly, maximum yield is attained at a population density that is closer to the saturation density than we would expect on the basis simply of substituting the functional form of the density dependence of fecundity into the parameter optimization model derived for the case without age structure. The amount of the discrepancy increases with the intensity of the density feedback and with the degree to which the reproduction of a cohort is dominated by reproduction taking place during a span of ages that is small relative to the generation time.
Reaction kinetics of temperature cycled cyclotrimethylenetrinitamine (RDX)

Abstract The effects on kinetic constants as a function of temperature cycling of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), Grade A, has been investigated using isothermal DSC and Henkin time—to—explosion methods. Temperature variations were used to simulate storage and aerodynamic heating conditions which could be experienced by the high explosive in a munition. Some variations in the kinetic constants suggest an increase in the sensitivity of the BDX.
Computational screening and design of S100B ligand to block S100B–p53 interaction

The binding of S100B to p53 disables the biological function of p53 as a tumor suppressor and thus causes cancer. It is very important to explore the interaction between S100B and p53 and to develop inhibitors to block the interaction in anti-cancer development. In this work, the interaction of S100B to p53 was studied using molecular dynamics (MD) at the atomic level and organic molecules have been identified as potential inhibitors to block the S100B-p53 interaction. It was indicated in the simulations that S100B residues around GLU45 and GLU46 play an important role in the binding of S100B to p53. The three dimensional structure of S100B obtained from S100B-p53 complex (PDB ID: 1DT7) was used as the target protein receptor. Multiple LUDI screenings for S100B ligands were performed using different searching radii 6.23 A, 7.23 A, 8.23 A, 9.23 A and 10.23A with a searching center which was defined as the geometrical center of S100B residues that are within 5A from the p53 C-terminal peptide in the complex. Potential organic compounds were screened from the ZINC database using LUDI program implemented in Cerius2 package and evaluated as potential S100B ligands to block the S100B-p53 interaction. The top-scored compounds were selected for binding affinity calculation. The results show that these top-scored ZINC compounds bind in the location where p53 binds and interact with S100B in a similar fashion as p53, and therefore it is expected that they have the potential to block S100B from binding to p53. The ADME and toxicity properties of the potential S100B ligands were also evaluated.
Cavity microstructure and kinetics during gas tungsten arc welding of helium-containing stainless steel

Helium was implanted in type 316 stainless steel, through tritium decay, to levels of 0. 18, 2. 5, 27, 105, and 256 atomic parts per million (appm). Bead-on-sheet welds were then made using the gas tungsten arc (GTA) process. Intergranular cracking occurred in the heat-affected zones (HAZs) of specimens with helium concentrations equal to or greater than 2.5 appm. No such cracking was observed in helium-free control specimens or in specimens containing the lowest helium concentration. In addition to the HAZ cracking, brittle, centerline cracking occurred in the fusion zone of specimens containing 105 and 256 appm helium. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy results indicated that both the HAZ cracking and centerline cracking in the fusion zone resulted from the stress-induced growth and coalescence of cavities initiated at helium bubbles on interfaces. For the HAZ case, the cavity growth rate is modeled and shown to predict the experimentally measured 1-second time lag between peak weld temperature and the onset of cracking.
Not All Group Exchange Structures Are Created Equal Effects of Forms and Levels of Exchange on Work Outcomes in Virtual Teams

Electronic communications collected from 233 undergraduate business students in 50 virtual teams were coded to identify group exchange structures. Results revealed four types of structures: unified...
A Molecular Profile of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis from Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common form of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome defined by the characteristic lesions of focal glomerular sclerosis and foot process effacement; however, its etiology and pathogenesis are unknown. We used mRNA isolated from laser-captured glomeruli from archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded renal biopsies, until recently considered an unsuitable source of mRNA for microarray analysis, to investigate the glomerular gene expression profiles of patients with primary classic FSGS, collapsing FSGS (COLL), minimal change disease (MCD), and normal controls (Normal). Amplified mRNA was hybridized to an Affymetrix Human X3P array. Unsupervised (unbiased) hierarchical clustering revealed two distinct clusters delineating FSGS and COLL from Normal and MCD. Class comparison analysis of FSGS + COLL combined versus Normal + MCD revealed 316 significantly differentially regulated genes (134 up-regulated, 182 down-regulated). Among the differentially regulated genes were those known to be part of the slit diaphragm junctional complex and those previously described in the dysregulated podocyte phenotype. Analysis based on Gene Ontology categories revealed overrepresented biological processes of development, differentiation and morphogenesis, cell motility and migration, cytoskeleton organization, and signal transduction. Transcription factors associated with developmental processes were heavily overrepresented, indicating the importance of reactivation of developmental programs in the pathogenesis of FSGS. Our findings reveal novel insights into the molecular pathogenesis of glomerular injury and structural degeneration in FSGS.
The Effect of Selected Chemicals on the Alkaloidal Yield of Datura Tatula Linné

A study was made on the effect of naphthoxyacetic acid, zinc insulin, and diethyl‐stilbestrol on the alkaloidal yield of Dutura tatula Linne under field conditions. In each case Tween® 20 was added to the test and control solutions. Diethylstilbestrol did not appreciably affect the percentage of alkaloid in the test plants, while plants treated with naphthoxyacetic acid and with zinc insulin did show some effect in regards to alkaloid content. Data concerning the dry weight of the plants indicated that Tween® 20, when applied to the soil surrounding the plant, may be a factor in causing an increase in dry weight, but further study is necessary before conclusions can be drawn.
Photoinduced-Electron Transfer between Guanine Bases and Silver Nanoclusters Enables Increased Shelf Life

We studied the interactions between DNA-templated fluorescent silver nanoclusters and nearby guanine bases. Fluorescence quenching by guanine due to photoinduced charge transfer has been reported for many widely used organic dyes. In contrast, we found that for red- and infrared-emitting fluorescent Ag nanoclusters (NCs), formed on DNA templates, interactions with nearby guanine bases tended to protect these NCs against oxidation, making them brighter and more stable in aqueous solution. Nanoclusters formed in the absence of guanine-rich DNA changed from a red-emitting reduced NC into a green-emitting oxidized species in a few hours in air-saturated solutions. In contrast, when guanine bases were brought close to the NCs, through DNA hybridization, guanine served as an electron donor and reducing agent, which prevented the Ag NCs from being quickly oxidized in air-saturated solutions, increasing the stability from hours to days. In addition, hybridization with guanine-rich DNA could be used to reduce the already oxidized NCs back to the red-emitting reduced ones. Single-stranded DNA templates were also designed with a nanocluster formation sequence and a guanine-rich sequence at each end. Similarly, we found that the guanine-rich tail helped stabilize the fluorescence of the red-emitting NC fluorophores, in comparison to single-stranded templates with only cluster formation sequences but no guanine-rich tails. Using this strategy, we have designed a DNA sequence that produces a highly emissive Ag NC fluorophore with an extended shelf life, which should prove useful in a variety of biological applications, including fluorescence imaging and biosensing.
Hydration and Distribution of Ions at the Mica-Water Interface

Molecular-scale structures of mica surfaces in electrolyte solutions reveal how ion and interfacial hydration control cation adsorption. Key differences are obtained for ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{Sr}}^{2+}$ using resonant anomalous x-ray reflectivity: ${\mathrm{Rb}}^{+}$ adsorbs in a partially hydrated state and incompletely compensates the surface charge, but ${\mathrm{Sr}}^{2+}$ adsorbs in both fully and partially hydrated states while achieving full charge compensation. These differences are driven by balancing the energy cost of disrupting ion and interface hydration with the electrostatic attraction between the cation and charged surface.
Computer Simulation of Photophoretic Force on Rapidly Vaporizing Heterogeneous Droplet

The theoretical/computational study is focused on the photophoretic (radiometric) effect caused by nonuniform absorption of anisotropic, high-temperature thermal radiation within a layered droplet. Transient values of the photophoretic force acting on the shrinking droplet are estimated by numerical integration of the momentum flux carried by vapor molecules interacting with the droplet's surface of nonuniform temperature. The corresponding stress tensor of the surrounding nonequilibrium gas is calculated by application of the results of the kinetic theory of evaporation of small droplet suspended in its own vapor. The radiant heat dissipation within the microheterogeneous, layered droplet is simulated by an application of the Monte Carlo method. Specific computations are performed for small droplets of ultrafine coal-water slurry (CWS) suspended in superheated steam and irradiated from one side to a high-temperature blackbody radiation. The conditions are simulating the situation of primary atomized CWS ...
Antifungal treatment and chronic rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammatory disease with a multifactorial etiology. Antifungal therapy is not routinely used to treat it. However, evidence implicating fungi in some forms of CRS recently has been published. Controversy exists as to whether fungi identified in sinonasal cultures are always pathogenic. Immunologic evidence supporting the role of fungi in the pathogenesis of CRS is also debated. Topical antifungal therapy is more widely used than oral therapy, with amphotericin B irrigation being the most common. Although some studies show benefit from this irrigation, others refute the efficacy. Although oral antifungal agents are used uncommonly, itraconazole is the most commonly used drug. The efficacy of oral itraconazole in CRS has never been assessed in a clinical trial. Given the current evidence, the use of antifungals to treat CRS is controversial and has limited indications.
Thrice Muted Tale: Interplay of Art and Politics in Hisaye Yamamoto’s “The Legend of Miss Sasagawara”

Despite a growing recognition of the ways race and gender shape literature, one still discerns a separation of scholarship between those who see themselves primarily as cultural critics and those who engage exclusively with literary texts. The one group tends to view close reading-associated with New Criticism-as conservative and elitist; among the other group are critics who suspect that works by women or people of color are being studied today on purely ideological grounds. Through exploring "The Legend of Miss Sasagawara" by Hisaye Yamamoto, a woman writer of Japanese descent, I wish to demonstrate the intricate relationship between aesthetics and politics, between textual silence and social repression.' The formal structure of the story cannot be appreciated fully without knowledge of the underlying and deliberately muted concrete historical situation. At the same time, only through a detailed textual analysis can one ferret out the political allusions hidden between the lines.2 The way "The Legend" conceals and reveals political persecution substantiates Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar's insights regarding women's "anxiety of authorship"-that it is frequently projected onto a "mad" female character-but a theory focusing on gender alone cannot do justice to the complexity of "The Legend." This haunting story portrays a nisei (second-generation Japanese-American) woman driven "insane" by the combined pressures exerted upon her as an "other"-but not only as woman-in her own family, ethnic community, and American society at large. This essay attempts to unravel the tripartite exclusion of Miss Sasagawara and the means by which it is enforced. To tease out the concatenate elements and to unfold the Chinesebox structure of the story, I will look at domestic, communal, and political relations, respectively. In the portion devoted to domestic and communal analysis I deliberately read close to the text. The final
Antithrombotic effects of DMP 728, a platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, in a canine model of arterial thrombosis

The platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor (GPIIb/IIIa, fibrinogen receptor) represents the final common pathway for platelet aggregation. Inhibition of GPIIb/IIIa with antibodies or peptides containing the RGD sequence has been reported to prevent arterial thrombosis. We examined DMP 728 [(cyclic[D-2-amino-butyryl-N2-methyl-L-arginyl-glycyl-L-aspartyl-3-(a min o- methyl-benzoic acid], methanesulfonic acid salt], a cyclic peptidomimetic, GPIIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, for prevention of thrombosis and rethrombosis in a canine model of carotid artery thrombosis. Dogs were anesthetized, and both carotid arteries were instrumented with an electrode, a flow probe, and a stenosis. A 300-microA current was applied to the intimal surface in the right carotid artery (RCA, control) through the electrode; time to occlusive thrombus formation and thrombus mass was noted. The RCA served as the control vessel; the left carotid artery (LCA) served as the test vessel after DMP 728 administration (0.1 or 1. mg/kg, intravenously, i.v.). As compared with controls, occlusive thrombus formation was reduced by both doses of DMP 728 (control 100% n = 12; 0.1 mg/kg i.v. 17%, p < 0.05, n = 6; 1.0 mg/kg i.v. 0%, p < 0.05, n = 6), time to occlusion was increased (p < 0.05), and thrombus weight was reduced (p < 0.05). Ex vivo platelet aggregation was inhibited in all groups. In a second group of animals, a carotid artery thrombus was formed and lysed with anisoylated plasminogen activator complex (APSAC; 0.05 U/kg intraarterially, i.a.) with or without DMP 728.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Multiple forms of rat liver glycogen synthetase b.

A procedure is reported for the acquisition of highly purified rat liver glycogen synthetase b. In density gradient centrifugation experiments 2 major peaks of synthetase b activity were found in the absence of ligands, plus small amounts of higher molecular weight components. The heavier peak appeared to be a dimer of the lighter peak and was of approximately 258, 000 to 284, 000 molecular weight. In the presence of ligands a single, nearly symmetrical peak of activity was obtained corresponding to the heavier of the 2 peaks. Similar observations were made with disc gel electrophoresis experiments where the presence of G-6-P converted the major component to a species of lower mobility. Preincubation of certain preparations of synthetase b with G-6-P also produced a marked time-dependent increase in activity.
Optimal control of tubular reactors. Part II. Jacketed configuration with step feed disturbance

The optimal unsteady control of a jacketed tubular reactor with and without heat generation due to chemical reaction in response to a step disturbance in the feed stream concentration is computed. More rigorous control action was found to be necessary for the case with heat generation than without heat generation. Convergence of the method was also investigated with fixed and free final time.
Sudden cardiac death: An increasingly recognized presentation of apical ballooning syndrome (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy)

We present an unfortunate case of a previously healthy woman who suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the setting of severe emotional distress, likely due to apical ballooning syndrome. This case highlights the fact that although patients with apical ballooning syndrome typically do well following recovery from transient left ventricular dysfunction, they should be monitored closely in the acute setting due to the potential for life-threatening arrhythmias.