cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in phytochelatins and their biosynthetic intermediates in red spruce ( Picea rubens Sarg.) cell suspension cultures under cadmium and zinc stress

Cell suspension cultures of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) were selected to study the effects of cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) on phytochelatins (PCs) and related metabolites after 24 h exposure. The PC2 and its precursor, c-glutamylcysteine (c-EC) increased two to four- fold with Cd concentrations ranging from 12.5 to 200 lM as compared to the control. However, Zn-treated cells showed a less than twofold increase in c-EC and PC2 levels as compared to the control even at the highest concentration of 800 lM. In addition, unidentified higher chain PCs were also found in both the Cd and Zn treated cells and they increased significantly with increasing concentrations of Cd and Zn. The cellular ratio of PC2 : Cd or Zn content clearly indicated that Cd (with ratios ranging from 0.131 to 0.546) is a more effective inducer of PC2 synthesis/accumulation than Zn (with ratios rang- ing from 0.032 to 0.102) in red spruce cells. A marginal decrease in glutathione (GSH) was observed in both Cd and Zn treated cells. However, the GSH precursor, cysteine, declined twofold with all Cd concentrations while the decrease with Zn was 1.5-2-fold only at the higher treatment concentrations of Zn as compared to control. In addition, changes in other free amino acids, polyamines, and inorganic ions were also studied. These results suggest that PCs and their biosynthetic intermediates play a significant role in red spruce cells protecting against Cd and Zn toxicity.
Kant's Contribution to Moral Education: The Relevance of Catechistics.

Kant’s deontological ethics, along with Aristotle’s virtue ethics and Mill’s utilitarian ethics, is often identified as one of the three primary moral options between which individuals can choose. Given the importance of Kant’s moral philosophy, it is surprising and disappointing how little has been written on his important contributions to moral education. Kant argues for a catechistic approach to moral education. By memorising a series of moral questions and answers, an individual learns the basic principles of morality in the same way that Martin Luther believed an individual should learn the tenets of Christianity. The difficulty, however, is that this approach appears to violate a central tenet of Kantian morality: virtuous acts must be performed out of respect for the moral law itself, not due to habituation. This paper demonstrates Kant’s significant contribution to moral education by showing how a catechistic moral education establishes the foundation necessary for autonomous action.
A Reflection Based, Pulsed THz Imaging System with 1 mm Spatial Resolution

Operating in reflection and using single pixel, whiskbroom scanning to generate images, we report on a THz imaging system with a spatial resolution of 1 mm and a post detection SNR of 67 dB. The source in the system is an ErAs:GaAs photoconductive switch, , and the detector is a waveguide mounted, zero-bias Schottky diode operating at a center frequency of 600 GHz and a 3 dB bandwidth of 200 GHz. The high output power of the photoconductive switch and large instantaneous bandwidth of both switch and detector allow the system to achieve this high post detection SNR in a 60 Hz bandwidth when reflecting off a specular metal target at a standoff of 4 cm. The spatial resolution is superior to that predicted by the standard Rayleigh criterion as expected from the systems' Gaussian (non uniform) illumination, but is inferior to the Sparrow Criterion due to the presence of system noise, and discrete rounding of sample amplitudes.
Cockroaches, drunkards, and climbers: Modeling the evolution of simple movement strategies using digital organisms

Even the simplest of organisms may exhibit low-level intelligent behaviors in their directed movements, such as in foraging. We used the Avida digital evolution research platform to explore the evolution of movement strategies in a model environment with a single local resource that diffuses to produce a gradient, which organisms have the ability to follow. Three common strategies that evolved, Cockroach, Drunkard, and Climber, exhibit how both environmental constraints and historical contingency play a role in the emergence of intelligent behaviors. The evolved programs are also suitable for use in controllers on robots.
How to market-manage a QoS network

This paper describes a control mechanism for a future Internet. It is an economic mechanism that enables users to choose different pairs of price/QoS priority levels for network services at the user time scale. The user time scale means that prices vary at a rate suitable for human beings to respond to those price changes. The changes might happen on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. We believe that such an economic control mechanism at a medium time scale, which is coupled with a technical rate control mechanism at a short time scale, is a simple and cost-reducing system that can provide quality of service to end-users. We show that the approach proposed enables network service providers to react to network congestion appropriately and provide end-users with high flexibility in service selection. After discussing different Internet pricing principles, we describe the market-managed test network, the QoS pricing and charging software for network services, and the experiments run on a DiffServ network. We present a theoretical model based on Markov chains that can represent the proposed market-managed network. Finally, we present results from the analysis of the theoretical model as well as measurement results from the DiffServ network. We show that the behavior of such a system depends on the user's net benefit, the prices for the network services, as well as on the heterogeneity of the user pool.
Successful Catheter Fulguration of the His Bundle in a Postoperative Mustard Patient after Unsuccessful Fulguration of Ectopic Atrial Foci

Incessant supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) resistant to pharmacological agents may cause cardiac dysfunction requiring more aggressive therapy. We present the case of a 12-year-old postoperative Mustard patient who developed biventricular heart failure due to an atrial ectopic tachycardia resistant to amiodarone. Using endocavitary direct current fulguration techniques, catheter ablation of the His bundle was successfully performed after unsuccessful attempts at ablation of the ectopic atrial foci. After placement of a permanent transvenous rate responsive ventricular pacemaker, the patient's clinical status and cardiac function improved. Endocavitary fulguration of the His bundle is technically feasible after the Mustard procedure and should be considered for treatment of selective cases of pharmacologically resistant SVT.
Nutritional modulators of bone remodeling during aging

Bone mass declines progressively with age in both men and women from the age of approximately 30 y. Increased longevity will inevitability be associated with an increase in the incidence of osteoporosis, its associated complications, and incurred health care costs. Current pharmacologic approaches focus on inhibiting bone resorption in those with osteoporosis but do little to improve bone mass. Increased understanding of the cellular events responsible for normal bone formation has led to multiple pathways that can be targeted to positively influence bone mass. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been shown to stimulate bone formation, and the BMP2 gene was recently linked to osteoporosis. BMP-2 therefore represents one potential molecular target to identify new agents to simulate bone formation. Research is accumulating on the positive effects of dietary sources that stimulate the BMP2 promoter and their effects on bone formation. Flavonoids and statins occur naturally in food products and have been shown to promote bone formation. It may be possible to influence peak bone mass by dietary means and to decrease the risk of osteoporosis in later life. To ease the future burden of osteoporosis, focusing on prevention will be key, and this could include dietary interventions to stimulate bone formation.
POM121 and Sun1 play a role in early steps of interphase NPC assembly

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) assemble at the end of mitosis during nuclear envelope (NE) reformation and into an intact NE as cells progress through interphase. Although recent studies have shown that NPC formation occurs by two different molecular mechanisms at two distinct cell cycle stages, little is known about the molecular players that mediate the fusion of the outer and inner nuclear membranes to form pores. In this paper, we provide evidence that the transmembrane nucleoporin (Nup), POM121, but not the Nup107–160 complex, is present at new pore assembly sites at a time that coincides with inner nuclear membrane (INM) and outer nuclear membrane (ONM) fusion. Overexpression of POM121 resulted in juxtaposition of the INM and ONM. Additionally, Sun1, an INM protein that is known to interact with the cytoskeleton, was specifically required for interphase assembly and localized with POM121 at forming pores. We propose a model in which POM121 and Sun1 interact transiently to promote early steps of interphase NPC assembly.
Improving digital ink interpretation through expected type prediction and dynamic dispatch

Interpretation accuracy of current handwriting applications can be improved by providing contextual information about an ink samplepsilas expected type. We have developed a novel approach that uses a classic machine learning technique to predict this expected type from an ink sample. With this approach, we can create a ldquodynamic dispatch interpreterrdquo by biasing interpretation differently according to the predicted expected types of the ink samples. When evaluated in the domain of introductory computer science, our interpreter achieves high interpretation accuracy (87%), an improvement from Microsoftpsilas default interpreter (62%), and comparable with other previous interpreters (87-89%), which, unlike ours, require additional user-specified expected type information for each ink sample.
Role of Tissue Factor in Hemostasis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Development

Tissue factor (TF) is best known as the primary cellular initiator of blood coagulation. After vessel injury, the TF:FVIIa complex activates the coagulation protease cascade, which leads to fibrin deposition and activation of platelets. TF deficiency causes embryonic lethality in the mouse and there have been no reports of TF deficiency in humans. These results indicate that TF is essential for life, most likely because of its central role in hemostasis. In addition, aberrant TF expression within the vasculature initiates life-threatening thrombosis in various diseases, such as sepsis, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Finally, recent studies have revealed a nonhemostatic role of TF in the generation of coagulation proteases and subsequent activation of protease activated receptors (PARs) on vascular cells. This TF-dependent signaling contributes to a variety of biological processes, including inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and cell migration. This review focuses on the roles of TF in hemostasis, thrombosis, and vascular development.
The cytoplasmic domain of L-selectin interacts with cytoskeletal proteins via alpha-actinin: receptor positioning in microvilli does not require interaction with alpha-actinin

The leukocyte adhesion molecule L-selectin mediates binding to lymph node high endothelial venules (HEV) and contributes to leukocyte rolling on endothelium at sites of inflammation. Previously, it was shown that truncation of the L-selectin cytoplasmic tail by 11 amino acids abolished binding to lymph node HEV and leukocyte rolling in vivo, but the molecular basis for that observation was not determined. This study examined potential interactions between L-selectin and cytoskeletal proteins. We found that the cytoplasmic domain of L-selectin interacts directly with the cytoplasmic actin-binding protein alpha-actinin and forms a complex with vinculin and possibly talin. Solid phase binding assays using the full-length L-selectin cytoplasmic domain bound to microtiter wells demonstrated direct, specific, and saturable binding of purified alpha-actinin to L-selectin (Kd = 550 nM), but no direct binding of purified talin or vinculin. Interestingly, talin potentiated binding of alpha-actinin to the L-selectin cytoplasmic domain peptide despite the fact that direct binding of talin to L-selectin could not be measured. Vinculin binding to the L-selectin cytoplasmic domain peptide was detectable only in the presence of alpha-actinin. L-selectin coprecipitated with a complex of cytoskeletal proteins including alpha-actinin and vinculin from cells transfected with L-selectin, consistent with the possibility that alpha-actinin binds directly to L-selectin and that vinculin associates by binding to alpha-actinin in vivo to link actin filaments to the L-selectin cytoplasmic domain. In contrast, a deletion mutant of L-selectin lacking the COOH-terminal 11 amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain failed to coprecipitate with alpha-actinin or vinculin. Surprisingly, this mutant L-selectin localized normally to the microvillar projections on the cell surface. These data suggest that the COOH-terminal 11 amino acids of the L-selectin cytoplasmic domain are required for mediating interactions with the actin cytoskeleton via a complex of alpha-actinin and vinculin, but that this portion of the cytoplasmic domain is not necessary for proper localization of L-selectin on the cell surface. Correct L-selectin receptor positioning is therefore insufficient for leukocyte adhesion mediated by L-selectin, suggesting that this adhesion may also require direct interactions with the cytoskeleton.
Dichotomous effects of latent CMV infection on the phenotype and functional properties of CD8+ T-cells and NK-cells

CMV markedly alters the phenotype and function of NK-cells and T-cells and has been linked to immunosenescence. We show here that subjects with effective CMV control (evidenced by low CMV IgG titers) have functional responses to CMV that are driven by either NKG2C+ NK-cells or CMV-specific T-cells (15 of 24 subjects), but not both. These data indicate that people with effective CMV control are either NK-cell or T-cell responders, and corroborates the idea that NK-cells have rheostat-like properties that regulate anti-viral T-cell responses. Whether or not lifelong CMV control through either NK-cell or T-cell responses have implications for immunosenescence remains to be determined.
Has the Law of the Sea Convention Strengthened the Conservation Ability of the International Whaling Commission

Current International law governing marine mammals, including cetaceans (whales), consists of customary principles and provisions of relevant international agreements, including the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).1 Article III of the ICRW allowed for the establish ment of an International Whaling Commission (IWC or Commis sion) to regulate global whale stocks and the commercial whaling industry.2 This article discusses the history of the three structural weaknesses of the ICRW (as well as the regulatory power of the
Methodological Factors in the ELM

In the preceding chapter we outlined the postulates of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. In the remainder of this volume we will review the evidence for the ELM. Before turning to this, however, it would be useful to cover some general methodological issues that arise in testing the ELM. We will first briefly address the procedures we have employed to assess attitudes and attitude change in our experiments. Then we will discuss procedures for assessing and operationalizing the three basic constructs in the ELM: argument quality, peripheral cues, and message elaboration. Finally, we discuss individual differences in the likelihood of message elaboration.
CALCIUM ACTIVATED NEUTRAL PROTEINASE IN DEMYELINATING DISEASES

Since calpaun expression is upregulated in activated glial/inflammatory cells in EAE, increases in calpaun activity and expression may be a result of cell activation, and thus present in all inflammatory responses. Future studies employing calpaun-specific inhibitors are therefore needed to (1) elucidate the role(s) of calpaun in autoimmune demyelinating diseases and (2) evaluate the potential for possible therapeutic benefits associated therewith.
Autonomous Flight Path Planning for Traffic Monitoring in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this research, ground-based wireless sensor networks and unmanned aircraft are used to determine optimal flight paths to ensure longer dwell times over areas of high activity. Sensor nodes placed in rugged, austere, or dangerous locations may be difficult to access. Ground-based data collection agents can be limited by range and terrain. Multi-hopping data between sensor nodes are subject to communication range limits, while energy reserves of nodes handling the highest data traffic decay at a faster rate. The unmanned aircraft is ideally suited to overcome these limitations. The scenario proposed in this research utilizes the unmanned aircraft to fly an optimal flight path within the wireless sensor network, collect their data, determine which sensor nodes are experiencing the most activity in their sensing range. Once the sensor nodes with the highest activity rates are identified, a new optimal flight path is calculated to ensure longer flight times times over those particular sensors, while maintaining or decreasing flight times over sensors with less or no activity. When multiple unmanned aircraft are employed, sensors are clustered by euclidean distances to a centroid by a k-means clustering algorithm. Optimal flight paths are determined by solving an optimal control problem using direct collocation methods. Single and multiple unmanned aircraft solutions are presented.
A Survey of Four Illnesses and Their Relationship to Intracultural Variation in a Mexican-American Community

their ethnomedical properties (Rubel 1960, 1964; Samora 1961; Madsen 1964; O'Nell 1975; Trotter and Chavira 1975, 1981); their epidemiological, public health, and community health characteristics (Rubel 1964; Trotter 1982; ColladoArdon, Rubel, and O'Nell 1983; Rubel and O'Nell 1978; Rubel, O'Nell, and Collado-Ardon 1984); their relationships with poisonous treatments (PAHO/ WHO 1981; Trotter et al. 1983; Trotter 1985a); and their correspondence with specific medically recognizable conditions (Rubel, O'Nell, and Collado-Ardon 1984; Trotter 1985b; Trotter, Ortiz de Montellano, and Logan 1989). Other articles explore their meaning in terms of broader anthropological issues in Mexican-American communities (see Foster 1953; Weaver 1973; Rosaldo 1985; Rubel 1966). A significant element missing from the above explorations is a community-based survey of the frequency of treatment of these ailments, and their correlational relationships with key cultural variables, such as gender; ethnic self-identification; levels of Spanishand English-language usage and preference; English and Spanish writing skills; Anglo and MexicanAmerican peer group associations; pride in informant's own ethnicity; place of birth of informant, informant's parents, and grandparents; place where informant was raised; food preferences; and entert inment preferences-conditions that help define intracultural variation and cultural orientation in Mexican-American communities.
Single-Incision Carpal Tunnel Release and Distal Radius Open Reduction and Internal Fixation: A Cadaveric Study.

Background The safety of surgical approaches for single- versus double-incision carpal tunnel release in association with distal radius open reduction and internal fixation remains controversial. Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify critical structures to determine if a single-incision extension of the standard flexor carpi radialis (FCR) approach can be performed safely. Methods Nine cadaveric arms with were dissected under loupe magnification, utilizing a standard FCR approach. After the distal radius exposure was complete, the distal portion of the FCR incision was extended to allow release of the carpal tunnel. Dissection of critical structures was performed, including the recurrent thenar motor branch of the median nerve, the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve (PCBm), the palmar carpal and superficial palmar branches of the radial artery, and proximally the median nerve proper. The anatomic relationship of these structures relative to the surgical approach was recorded. Results Extension of the standard FCR approach as described in this study did not damage any critical structure in the specimens dissected. The PCBm was noted to arise from the radial side of the median nerve an average of 6.01cm proximal to the proximal edge of the transverse carpal ligament. The PCBm became enveloped in the layers of the antebrachial fascia and the transverse carpal ligament at the incision site, protecting it from injury. The recurrent motor branch of the median nerve, branches of the radial artery and the median nerve proper were not at risk during extension of the FCR approach to release the carpal tunnel. Conclusions Extension of the standard FCR approach to include carpal tunnel release can be performed with minimal risk to the underlying structures. This exposure may offer benefits in both visualization and extent of carpal tunnel release.
Identifying crystallization- and incorporation-limited regimes during vapor-liquid-solid growth of Si nanowires.

The vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism is widely used for the synthesis of semiconductor nanowires (NWs), yet several aspects of the mechanism are not fully understood. Here, we present comprehensive experimental measurements on the growth rate of Au-catalyzed Si NWs over a range of temperatures (365–480 °C), diameters (30–200 nm), and pressures (0.1–1.6 Torr SiH4). We develop a kinetic model of VLS growth that includes (1) Si incorporation into the liquid Au–Si catalyst, (2) Si evaporation from the catalyst surface, and (3) Si crystallization at the catalyst–NW interface. This simple model quantitatively explains growth rate data collected over more than 65 distinct synthetic conditions. Surprisingly, upon increasing the temperature and/or pressure, the analysis reveals an abrupt transition from a diameter-independent growth rate that is limited by incorporation to a diameter-dependent growth rate that is limited by crystallization. The identification of two distinct growth regimes provides insight into ...
Issues regarding the generation of an end-to-end Hall thruster computational model

Twoand three-dimensional computational models of the acceleration channel and the plume of Hall thrusters have been developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This research describes the issues in integration of the two models which would result in a single, stand-alone application characterizing end-toend thruster physics. These issues include defining the input parameters to the plume model, measuring their sensitivity to variation, and exploring double ionization. A two-dimensional analytic surface model was enhanced to include the effects of the angle of incidence on the sputtering yield. Simulated results were compared with experimental data and show good agreement with the inclusion of the correction factor for the angular dependence.
The glory that was wrong: el “Chino Malo” approximates Nuyorico

Nicknamed “Chino Malo,” Chinese American painter and art collector Martin Wong's proximity to the Puerto Rican Lower East Side in the 1980s has been under-elaborated and eclipsed to some degree by his collaborations with the Nuyorican literary figurehead Miguel Pinero. By isolating a selection of minor paintings from that legacy – including Chain Saw Heart (Portrait of Joaquin Aganza) (1984), Rapture (1988), and Stanton Near Forsyth Street (1983) – the author contends that a poetics of proximity unfolds through which the national, racial, sexual, and even aesthetic internal orders of Nuyorico are suspended, disturbed, and reframed. The author describes Wong's poetics as a series of persistent queer advances that unsettle Nuyorico's “good” center and develops proximity as a critical alternative to theories of acculturation that hold sway in Latina/o studies. He then figures la maldad signaled by Wong's nickname as an aesthetic posture or attitude. Mal movement or comportment – to defer fear of committing m...
God's Idioms: Sermon Belief in Donne's London

AbstractScholars have predominantly understood the sermon in the age of Donne as a didactic and sanctioned form for promulgating Christian doctrine, particularly in contrast to the potentially vola...
Authorship and Intellectual Labor

As we have seen, the testimonies that writers present in published interviews do not produce unmediated truths about composition; quite the contrary. Interviews provide metaphorical accounts of writing that take their place within a long tradition of discourse about compositional origins. Moreover, self-reported recollections of past writing activities are often imprecise, incomplete, and inaccurate. They have little to offer as evidence about actual writing practices. Authors perform identities and supply stories about writing in interviews to explain themselves, in order to seem interesting, to exercise their creativity, to engage and expand their readership, or to advance their professional and commercial reputations. They also respond to prompting, prodding, and provocation by interviewers eager to have their own notions and concepts approved by recognized authority figures. Interviews retrospectively construct (and necessarily constrict) long and complicated writing processes into short memorable anecdotes and images.
Strain Variation in the Immune Response to Human Factor VIII in Normal and Hemophilic Mice.

Abstract Approximately 25–30% of Hemophilia A patients make inhibitors after treatment with therapeutic Factor VIII (fVIII). The ability to predict which patients may respond with inhibitors would be important in order to identify suitable patients for tolerance therapies prior to exposure to fVIII and the development of high inhibitor titers. Advances in identifying the nature of the fVIII mutations (inversion, stop codons, etc), HLA linkage and other factors have suggested these as important predictors of inhibitor responsiveness. As a step toward identifying other genetic factors that may predispose for inhibitor formation, we immunized both fVIII−/ − (knockout; C57Bl background) and fVIII sufficient mice of different MHC backgrounds with human fVIII (i.e. therapeutic doses, intravenously in saline with no adjuvant). Our hypothesis was that fVIII sufficient mice would only respond to epitope differences between human and mouse fVIII and that this response would be more sensitive to genetic variation. Our results showed a clear hierarchy of responsiveness both in terms of T-cell proliferation and ELISA titers in the following order: CAST/Ei>BALB/c > B10.A; CBA>C57Bl/6. Despite being bred on a C57Bl (low responder) background, knockout mice made the strongest response to human fVIII, presumably due to the lack of tolerance to mouse epitopes. These results suggest that MHC plays a role in fVIII responsiveness, as it does in the response to fIX or fVIII delivered via an adenovirus vector ( http://www.abstracts-on-line.com/abstracts/hemphiladelphia03 ; Lozier, 2003; Brown et alia, J. Thromb. Haemost. 2:111–118, 2004). Thus, it may be possible to map additional loci responsible for inhibitor formation in future studies. Moreover, the fact that fVIII sufficient mice respond to intravenous fVIII points out a unique immunogenic quality of this molecule that appears to be unlike most other plasma proteins. This offers the additional possibility of developing mutated fVIII molecules that lack this inherent immunogenicity.
Coherent Dempster–Shafer equilibrium and ambiguous signals

Abstract This paper reappraises the Dempster–Shafer equilibrium, a novel solution concept for signaling games introduced by Eichberger and Kelsey (2004), and suggests a new refinement approach. It is demonstrated that if the types of the Sender–but not messages–are assumed to be ex-ante unambiguous, then the Receiver’s conditional Choquet preference derived by the Dempster–Shafer updating rule coincides with subjective expected utility. This property of the pessimistic updating rule narrows the pooling, but not separating, Dempster–Shafer equilibrium to be behaviorally equivalent to the perfect Bayesian equilibrium. Moreover, if one refines the separating Dempster–Shafer equilibrium a la Ryan (2002a) by imposing the belief persistence axiom, then no deviations from the perfect Bayesian equilibrium are feasible. To eliminate Ryan’s type of behavior, a less stringent refinement based on the notion of coherent beliefs is elaborated.
The Importance of Disclosure for Sexual Minorities in Oncofertility Cases

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual/transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) population is an understudied and underserved population often referred to as sexual minorities [1]. The labels “lesbian, gay, and bisexual” refer to sexual orientation [2, 3]. The terms “transsexual” and “transgender” refer to gender identities where an individual does not identify with the sex assigned to him or her at birth (i.e., biological sex) [2, 3]. The labels “queer” and “questioning” may be used to refer to either sexual orientation or gender identity [4, 5]. There are several other terms associated with this community (e.g., “gender fluid, genderqueer, two-spirit”) as well as nomenclature used within these groups that is typically not acceptable to be used by nonmembers (e.g., dyke) [6, 7]. It is estimated that 3–12 % of the United States population identifies as gay, lesbian, or bisexual and 1–3 % are transgender [8].
Carpatizine, a novel bridged oxazine derivative generated by non-enzymatic reactions

Carpatizine (1), a new bridged oxazine derivative, was isolated from a marine-derived Streptomyces strain SNE-011. The structure was fully determined by spectroscopic analysis, ECD calculations and chemical methods. A plausible non-enzymatic reaction mechanism from daryamide D leading to carpatizine was presented, which was confirmed by chemical transformation.
Effect of Atmospheric Deposition and Weathering on Trace Element Concentrations in Glacial Meltwater at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT Glaciers are reservoirs of atmospherically deposited trace elements that are released during melt. Weathering in glacial environments also contributes solutes to proglacial streams. To investigate the relative importance of atmospheric deposition and weathering on trace element chemistry of glacial streams, we sampled supraglacial and proglacial meltwater at two glacierized catchments in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, which is located downwind of agricultural/industrial emissions and dust sources. Concentrations of major ions (Mg2+, K+, Na+, Ca2+, SO42-), alkalinity, conductivity, and a subset of trace elements (U, Mo, Sr, Rb, Li, Ba) were low in supraglacial meltwater but increased in proglacial streams because of water-rock interactions. In contrast, concentrations of the trace metals Mn, Co, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Hg had relatively high concentrations in supraglacial meltwater and decreased downstream. These metals are not abundant in the local bedrock and thus are likely sourced from atmospheri...
Facilitators and Barriers for Advance Care Planning Among Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the U.S.: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature

Growing evidence suggests a low engagement in advance care planning (ACP) among ethnic minorities in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from prior research about ACP among ethnic minorities. An extensive literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases. After applying inclusion criteria, 26 studies were included. Four categories of facilitators and barriers to ACP were identified: (1) Socio-demographic factors, (2) health status, literacy and experiences, (3) cultural values, and (4) spirituality. Socio-demographic factors showed inconsistent findings regarding their association with ACP engagement. Worse health status and knowledge about ACP are common facilitators across ethnic minority groups, whereas mistrust toward the health care system was a barrier only for Blacks. Collectivistic cultural values influenced ACP engagement among Latinos and Asian Americans; however, spirituality/religion played an important role among Blacks. The implications for culturally competent approaches to promote ACP and future research directions are discussed.
Planning pharmaceutical clinical trials under outcome uncertainty

Abstract The rise in attrition in new drug development projects in the pharmaceutical industry has spurred activity in the optimal planning and scheduling of pharmaceutical clinical trials. One challenge in the scheduling of clinical trials is that the success of each clinical trial is not known until the trial is completed. In this work, we discuss the development of a mathematical model to schedule clinical trials assuming the outcome of each clinical trial is known. The model is then extended to account for outcome uncertainty using a multistage stochastic program (MSSP). The MSSP for the clinical trial planning becomes computationally intractable as the number of products increases, and real-world-sized problems may contain as many 500 candidate products. One solution to address this computational complexity is to develop fast heuristics, which can approximate the MSSP solution. This work presents two heuristics, a decomposition algorithm based on solving multiple two-stage stochastic programs (MTSSP) and a knapsack problem-based decomposition approach (KDA). Both heuristics provide feasible solutions, which are tight bounds on the MSSP solution. The computation time for KDA is up to five orders of magnitude faster than solving the deterministic equivalent problem of the MSSP, enabling the solution of very large instances of the clinical trial planning problem. Next, a branch-and-bound algorithm that reduces the space complexity of the clinical-trial-planning MSSP is discussed. The algorithm couples progressive hedging (PH) and KDA to generate dual and primal bounds iteratively. Despite its slower convergence time, its first iteration provides both a primal and a dual bound for the MSSP, and hence generating a feasible solution and providing information regarding its quality at its first iteration for real-world-sized clinical trial problems.
Separation of Variables

Three cardinal linear second-order partial differential equations have collectively driven the development of the entire subject. The first two we have already encountered: The wave equation describes vibrations and waves in continuous media, including sound waves, water waves, elastic waves, electromagnetic waves, and so on.
Helping Older Adolescents Search for Meaning in Depression

This paper examines some ways that logotherapy (Frankl, 1984) can be used with older adolescents struggling with depression. The focus of treatment is on the adolescent's initiating and sustaining a search for meaning.
The Consequences of Foraging for Reproductive Success

A central assumption of foraging theory is that foraging success is an appropriate and adequate measure of fitness. This assumption typically takes the form of an implied direct correlation between the net rate of energy intake and reproductive success of a forager (Schoener 1971, Pyke, Pulliam & Charnov 1977, Krebs 1978). However, few studies explicitly test the relationship between foraging success and fitness, and virtually no attention has been paid to the point that foraging success is at best an extremely indirect estimator of fitness. Although a relationship between foraging and reproduction is a reasonable assumption, other aspects of the life history of a species can conceivably modify the benefits of successful foraging.
Assessing high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment of prostate cancer with hyperpolarized 13 C dual-agent imaging of metabolism and perfusion.

The goal of the study was to establish early hyperpolarized (HP) 13 C MRI metabolic and perfusion changes that predict effective high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation and lead to improved adjuvant treatment of partially treated regions. To accomplish this a combined HP dual-agent (13 C pyruvate and 13 C urea) 13 C MRI/multiparametric 1 H MRI approach was used to measure prostate cancer metabolism and perfusion 3-4 h, 1 d, and 5 d after exposure to ablative and sub-lethal doses of HIFU within adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate tumors using a focused ultrasound applicator designed for murine studies. Pathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of the ablated tumor demonstrated fragmented, non-viable cells and vasculature consistent with coagulative necrosis, and a mixture of destroyed tissue and highly proliferative, poorly differentiated tumor cells in tumor tissues exposed to sub-lethal heat doses in the ablative margin. In ablated regions, the intensity of HP 13 C lactate or HP 13 C urea and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI area under the curve images were reduced to the level of background noise by 3-4 h after treatment with no recovery by the 5 d time point in either case. In the tissues that received sub-lethal heat dose, there was a significant 60% ± 12.4% drop in HP 13 C lactate production and a significant 30 ± 13.7% drop in urea perfusion 3-4 h after treatment, followed by recovery to baseline by 5 d after treatment. DCE MRI Ktrans showed a similar trend to HP 13 C urea, demonstrating a complete loss of perfusion with no recovery in the ablated region, while having a 40%-50% decrease 3-4 h after treatment followed by recovery to baseline values by 5 d in the margin region. The utility of the HP 13 C MR measures of perfusion and metabolism in optimizing focal HIFU, either alone or in combination with adjuvant therapy, deserves further testing in future studies.
Striving for Success: Academic Adjustment of International Students in the U.S.

Few studies have provided an examination of the academic component of acculturation. This study sought to extend the work in this area by examining factors impacting academic adjustment of international students in the US and compare results to factors of psychological adjustment. Predictors of academic adjustment were investigated with a sample of 122 international students. Hierarchical regressions revealed length of stay in the U.S., English proficiency, and help-seeking predicted academic adjustment, whereas age and attachment to the university community predicted psychological adjustment. Psychological adjustment was associated with acculturation strategy and cultural distance. Results suggest the need for targeted support interventions to facilitate psychological and socio-cultural adjustment in each domain.
The neuromoral theory of antisocial, violent, and psychopathic behavior

The neuromoral theory of antisocial behaviors argues that impairment to the neural circuitry underlying morality provides a common foundation for antisocial, violent, and psychopathic behavior in children, adolescents, and adults. This article reviews new findings in two research fields since this theory was first proposed: brain mechanisms underlying moral decision-making, and brain systems subserving antisocial behaviors. The neuromoral theory is updated to take into account new empirical findings. Key areas implicated in both moral decision-making and the spectrum of antisocial behaviors include fronto-polar, medial, and ventral prefrontal cortical regions, and the anterior cingulate, amygdala, superior temporal gyrus, and angular gyrus / temporoparietal junction. It is hypothesized that different manifestations of antisocial behavior are characterized by differing degrees of neuromoral dysfunction, with primary psychopathy, proactive aggression, and life-course persistent offending being more affected, and secondary psychopathy, reactive aggression, and crimes involving drugs relatively less affected by neuromoral dysfunction. Limitations of the current model, social contextual factors, neural remediation interventions, ascertaining whether the affective or cognitive component of empathy is most implicated, and directions for future research are outlined. One forensic implication of the model is that significant impairment to the neuromoral circuit could constitute diminished criminal responsibility.
Policing For Profit: The Political Economy of Law Enforcement

In recent years numerous observers have raised concerns about "policing for profit," or the deployment of law enforcement resources to raise funds for cash-strapped jurisdictions. However, identifying the causal effect of fi scal incentives on law enforcement behavior has remained elusive. We model the effects of fiscal incentives on traffic safety enforcement, fi nding that rules allocating a greater share of fine revenues to deploying jurisdictions may induce increased enforcement effort by patrol officers, and consequent reductions in unsafe driving behavior, with only indeterminate effects on the frequency of citations. We test this model using citation and accident data from Saskatchewan, Canada between 1995 and 2016, for towns policed under the province's contract with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. We find that fiscal rules reducing the share of fine revenue captured by the province in towns above a sharply defi ned population threshold increase the frequency and severity of accidents in these towns, but have no effects on the frequency of traffic stops. We also fi nd that cited drivers in towns just below this threshold are given fewer days to pay their fines and are less likely to pay their fi nes on time, leading to higher risks of late fees and license suspension. These results are robust to the use of both data-driven regression discontinuity and local randomization inference strategies. We observe no discontinuities in the citation and accident data at the threshold during the period prior to the introduction of these fi scal rules, in the areas "near" these jurisdictions, within which the province receives 100% of fi ne revenue throughout our period of interest, or at any of multiple placebo thresholds constructed on either side of the actual population threshold.
Chloride effect on the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution vs elimination of cyclic vinyloxazolidinones and oxazolines

Abstract The introduction of catalytic amounts of lithium chloride, or the utilization of chloride containing catalyst sources completely inhibited elimination in the Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution of vinyloxazolidinones and oxazolines.
People of Russian Heritage

The Russian Federation (Russia), the largest country in the world with a population of over 142 million, is composed of 21 republics and covers parts of two continents, Asia and Europe. The diversity of Russians reflects the degree of acculturation, individuality, and the variant characteristics of culture (see Chap. 1) as well as the physical size of the country. Under Communism all media were controlled, disseminating only information that the government wanted people to know. This chapter focuses on Russians who are immigrants to the US, most of whom are well educated. Given the complicated history of Russian immigration, most of the information in this chapter pertains to immigrants who emigrated in the latter part of the twentieth century.
Just Figures: A Method to Introduce Students to Data Analysis One Figure at a Time

Quantitative data analysis skills are basic competencies students in a STEM field should master. In this article, we describe a classroom activity using isolated figures from papers as a simple exercise to practice data analysis skills. We call this approach Just Figures. With this technique, instructors find figures from primary papers that address key concepts related to several of their course learning objectives. These figures are assigned as homework prior to class discussion. In class, instructors teach the lesson and include a 10- to 20-minute discussion of the figures assigned. Frequent and repeated discussion of paper figures during class increased students' confidence in reading and analyzing data. The Just Figures approach also increased student accuracy when interpreting data. After six weeks of Just Figures practice, students scored, on average, three points higher on a 20-point data analysis assessment instrument than they had done before the Just Figures exercises. In addition, a course in which students consistently practiced Just Figures performed just as well on the data analysis assessment instrument and on a class exam dedicated to paper reading compared with courses where students practiced reading three entire papers. The Just Figures method is easy to implement and can effectively improve student data analysis skills in microbiology classrooms.
Obesity May Not be Protective in Abdominal Stab Wounds.

Context: Current protocols for the management of abdominal stab wounds were established based on retrospective data from prior decades. Few have investigated whether higher body mass index (BMI) affects outcomes after these injuries. Aim: The aim was to determine the effects of obesity on outcomes in abdominal stab wound patients. Setting and Design: This was a retrospective cohort study at a Level I university-associated trauma center in the United States. Materials and Methods: We reviewed medical records of 100 adult patients admitted to our trauma center with abdominal stab wounds. Demographics, types of internal organ injury, gastrointestinal (GI) resection and repair, mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS), units of blood transfused within 24 h of admission, need and indications for exploratory laparotomy, surgical site infections (SSI), and need for re-operation were compared between obese and nonobese patients. Statistical Analysis: Categorical and continuous outcome variables were compared between the two groups using Chi-squared and independent-samples t-tests, respectively. BMI was evaluated as a predictor of outcomes using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Records of 100 adult abdominal stab wound patients were reviewed. Twenty-five patients were obese. The obese group was older (38.76 vs. 31.23, P= 0.018). Rates of therapeutic laparotomy were similar between obese and nonobese patients (20 [80.00%] vs. 64 [85.33%]). Obesity was associated with longer LOS (9.6 vs. 6.5, P= 0.026). In the multivariate analysis, increasing BMI was an independent predictor of need for GI resection (odds ratio: 1.10 [1.02–1.18], P= 0.018). One patient from the obese group died. Conclusions: Obese patients with abdominal stab wounds have longer LOS than nonobese patients. Increasing BMI was an independent predictor of need for GI resection.
Zebrafish Pigment Pattern Formation: Insights into the Development and Evolution of Adult Form.

Vertebrate pigment patterns are diverse and fascinating adult traits that allow animals to recognize conspecifics, attract mates, and avoid predators. Pigment patterns in fish are among the most am...