cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A general synthesis of specifically deuterated nucleotides for studies of DNA and RNA

An efficient procedure is described for the preparation of ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides with deuterium incorporated at the 1', 4', or 5' position. Three intermediates-[1-2H]-D-ribose, [4-2H]-D-ribose, and [5-2H(2)]-D-ribose-were prepared by chemical synthesis and subsequently converted to ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides via enzymatic reactions. Milligram quantities of the desired products were obtained with an average deuterium content of 96+/-1%.
Responses of xeric-adapted rodents to waterloading.

SummaryDipodomys merriami, D. agilis and Meriones unguiculatus excreted orally administered water loads at rates slower than those reported for white rats. Dehydrated animals retained all, or almost all, of an initial load of 5 ml/100 g for at least 6 hours. Animals fed lettuce before loading excreted 40% of the load in 123 to 504 minutes; rate of excretion was inverse to the aridity of the species' habitats. The rate of diuresis doubled or tripled after a second or third loading, but a residue of conservation remained. None of the species showed “difficulty in excretion” after being conditioned by the first loading.
Induction of two cytochrome P450 genes, Cyp6a2 and Cyp6a8, of Drosophila melanogaster by caffeine in adult flies and in cell culture.

Abstract To examine whether caffeine, the most widely used xenobiotic compound, would induce insect cytochrome P450 or CYP gene expression, upstream DNA fragments of Cyp6a2 (0.12, 0.26, 0.52 and 0.98-kb) and Cyp6a8 (0.06, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 0.8-kb) genes of Drosophila melanogaster were individually fused to the firefly luciferase (luc) reporter gene. Promoter activities of these constructs were examined in Drosophila SL-2 cells using luciferase assays. Activity of 0.2- and 0.8-kb upstream DNA of Cyp6a8 was also measured in transgenic female flies. When these flies were treated with 2 mM pure caffeine or Vivarin caffeine, both DNA fragments showed a 4–5-fold induction of promoter activity. Endogenous Cyp6a8 and Cyp6a2 genes in these flies also showed caffeine-induced expression. In addition, both 0.2- and 0.8-kb DNAs showed differential basal and caffeine-induced activity in head, ovaries, gut, cuticle plus fat body and malpighian tubules. However, in all tissues 0.8-kb DNA always showed higher basal and caffeine-induced activities compared to the 0.2-kb DNA, suggesting that the additional DNA present in the 0.8-kb fragment has sequences that enhance both activities. In SL-2 cells, all reporter constructs of each Cyp6 gene showed significantly higher basal activity than the empty vector. Sequences that boost basal activity are located in − 265/− 129 and − 983/− 522 DNA of Cyp6a2, and − 199/− 109 and − 491/− 199 DNA of Cyp6a8 genes. While the 0.12- and 0.1-kb upstream DNAs of Cyp6a2 and Cyp6a8 genes respectively did not show caffeine-inducibility in SL-2 cells, the longest upstream DNA of each gene gave the highest level of induction. Caffeine-responsive sequences are not clustered at one place; they appear to be dispersed in − 983/− 126 and − 761/− 109 regions of Cyp6a2 and Cyp6a8 genes which also contain many binding sites for activator protein 1 (AP1) and cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CRE-BP). Significance of these binding sites in caffeine-inducibility has been discussed.
Infection of the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae), with Rickettsia parkeri: first report from the State of Delaware

The molecular detection of Rickettsia parkeri in a Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, collected in Delaware represents the first evidence of the human pathogen R. parkeri associated with A. maculatum in the state. A total of five adult (2 male and 3 female) Gulf Coast ticks were collected from tick drags conducted during a two-day sampling event (21–22 May 2012) at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, near Smyrna, Delaware. All specimens were tested for the presence of Rickettsia with a genus-specific quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay; one of the female specimens tested positive. This specimen was then assessed for the presence of Rickettsia parkeri and Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae by two species-specific qPCR assays. The presence of R. parkeri DNA was detected, whereas Candidatus R. andeanae DNA was not.
Estimating Pile Set-up Using 24-h Restrike Resistance and Computed Static Capacity for PPC Piles Driven in Soft Lousiana Coastal Deposits

In this paper, the CPT-based predicted ultimate pile resistances (Rp) were compared with the measured pile resistances (Rm) at different elapsed time for the piles driven into saturated soft clays where piles displayed significant set-up effect. The measured pile resistances were based on 115 restrike records collected from 95 production piles, and 74 records of 9 tested piles. The predicted ultimate pile resistances were calculated from the LCPC, the Schmertmann, and the de Ruiter–Beringen methods, respectively. With the significant pile set-up effect taken into account, the relationship between measured resistances and predicted capacities at different times after pile installation were investigated. The ratios of the measured pile resistances to the predicted capacities scattered in a large spectrum. The ratios fluctuated and stayed within a range of 0.6–1.6 for different CPT methods since end of initial driving until more than 2 months after pile installation. Plots of the ratios versus the predicted pile capacities using different CPT methods have revealed that the ratio (Rm/Rp) presented a strong dependence on the predicted capacities. Great research efforts have been devoted to the analyses of the ratios of the 24-h measured resistance to the predicted capacity based on different CPT methods, in an attempt to find a feasible empirical correlation. It is found that a simple linear relationship exists between the quad root of the ratio and the predicted capacity. The developed empirical equations will give pile foundation engineers an insight into the ultimate resistances of driven piles demonstrating significant pile set-up effects. Pile set-up makes pile resistances grow with time, and it might be one of the reasons that cause the frequently reported large discrepancy between calculated static capacity and measured resistance at a certain time after pile installation.
Clavulanic Acid Inactivation of SHV-1 and the Inhibitor-resistant S130G SHV-1 β-Lactamase INSIGHTS INTO THE MECHANISM OF INHIBITION

Clavulanic acid is a potent mechanism-based inhibitor of TEM-1 and SHV-1β-lactamases,enzymesthatconferresistancetoβ-lactamsinmany Gram-negative pathogens. This compound has enjoyed widespread clinical use as part of β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitor therapy directed against penicillin-resistant pathogens. Unfortunately, the emergence of clavulanic acid-resistant variants of TEM-1 and SHV-1 β-lactamase significantly compromise the efficacy of this combination. A single amino acid change at Ambler position Ser130 (Ser → Gly) results in resistance to inactivation by clavulanate in the SHV-1 and TEM-1β-lactamases. Herein, we investigated the inactivation of SHV-1 and the inhibitor-resistant S130G variant β-lactamases by clavulanate. Using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, we detected multiple modified proteins when SHV-1 β-lactamase is inactivated by clavulanate. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry was used to study tryptic digests of SHV-1 and S130Gβ-lactamases (± inactivation with clavulanate) and identified peptides modified at the active site Ser70. Ultraviolet (UV) difference spectral studies comparing SHV-1 and S130Gβ-lactamasesinactivatedbyclavulanateshowedthattheformation of reaction intermediates with absorption maxima at 227 and 280 nm are diminished and delayed when S130Gβ-lactamase is inactivated. We conclude that the clavulanic acid inhibition of the S130G variantβ-lactamase must follow a branch of the normal inactivation pathway. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the intermediates formed in the inactivation process of inhibitor-resistant β-lactamases and suggest how strategic chemical design can lead to novel ways to inhibit β-lactamases.
Reproducibility of Responses to Telephone Interviews: Demographic Predictors of Discordance in Risk Factor Status

The reproducibility of responses to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questionnaire was examined across the demographic strata used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments for reporting prevalence estimates (specifically age, sex, income, employment, and marital status), as well as race/ethnicity, which has been previously examined. The authors administered the questionnaire twice, 21-94 days apart, to randomly selected residents of Massachusetts (response rates: first administration, 68% of eligible households; second administration, 68% of persons who completed the first interview). Initial interviews were conducted in March and October 1992. Among 448 respondents to both interviews, group mean distributions of seven demographic characteristics and 19 risk factors were highly consistent across the two interviews. Discordance in individual risk factor status ranged from 1.2% to 21.8% (median, 7.8%) and was symmetric in direction, i.e., as many respondents were considered at increased risk on the basis of the first interview and at low risk on the basis of the second interview as the reverse. Kappas ranged from 0.30 to 0.90 (median, 0.75). Education, household income, and interval between administrations were not associated with prevalence of discordance for any risk factor. Sex, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, and employment status were each predictive of variation in discordance for one or more risk factors, but no consistent effect of any individual demographic characteristic across risk factors was observed. The questionnaire has relatively uniform and generally good reproducibility across all demographic strata used for monitoring the Health Objectives for Year 2000 and other chronic disease surveillance activities.
Iteration Strategy for Upwind/Relaxation Solutions to the Thin-Layer Navier-Stokes Equations

AN efficient iteration strategy for supersonic flow solutions to the parabolized and thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations is described. Modifications are made to a previously developed upwind/relaxation algorithm to suppress the upstream influence within the subsonic part of the boundary layer through restriction of the streamwise pressure gradient. A "parabolized" solution then is efficiently obtained by marching downstream and locally iterating each crossflow plane to convergence. The parabolized solution, fully conservative and second-order-accurate, provides an excellent solution for problems without strong adverse streamwise pressure gradients. If necessary, the thin-layer solution may be recovered by further iteration using the original upwind/relaxation algorithm.
Practical Assessment of Real-Time Impact Point Estimators for Smart Weapons

There are numerous ways to estimate the trajectory and subsequent impact point of a projectile. Some complex methods are highly accurate and require a lot of input data while others are fairly trivial and less accurate but require minimal input data. Projectile impact point predictors IPPs have three primary error sources: model error, parameter error, and initial state error. While model error typically shrinks as model complexity increases, parameter and initial state errors grow with increasing model complexity. Since all input data feeding an IPP are uncertain to some level, the ideal IPP for an overall situation is not clear cut by any means. This paper examines several different projectile IPPs that span the range of complex nonlinear rigid projectile models to simple vacuum point mass models with the intent to better understand relative merits of each algorithm in relation to the other algorithms and as a function of parameter uncertainty and initial state error. Monte Carlo simulation is employed to compute impact point statistics as a function of the range to the target for an indirect fire 155-mm spin stabilized round. For this specific scenario, results indicated neglecting physical phenomena in the formulation of the equations of motion can degrade impact point prediction, especially early in the flight. Adding uncertainty to the parameters and states induces impact point errors that dominate model error contributions. Impact point prediction errors scaled linearly with parameter and state errors. All IPPs investigated converged to the actual impact point as the time at which the estimate took place approached the time of impact.
Hostility, Hostile Detachment, and Conflict Engagement in Marriages: Effects on Child and Family Functioning

This study examined the relations between patterns of marital communication, child adjustment, and family functioning. Couples with a 4- or 5-year-old child were divided into three groups (N = 126) based on observed patterns of emotional communication: Hostile couples showed a cumulative increase in negative speaker behaviors over the course of a high-conflict marital discussion; hostile-withdrawn couples showed a cumulative increase in both negative speaker and negative listener behaviors over the course of the interaction; and engaged couples showed a cumulative increase in both positive speaker and listener behaviors over the course of the interaction. The families of these three types of couples were then compared on child outcomes (i.e., peer relations, behavior problems), parenting quality, co-parenting quality, and family-level functioning. Differences in marital violence and marital satisfaction between marital couples were also examined in relation to family risk. Families in which couples were hostile-detached showed the most negative outcomes. Hostile-detached couples were more likely than hostile or conflict-engaging couples to use more power-assertive methods of discipline; to be ineffective in co-parenting their child; to have family units that were less cohesive, less playful, and more conflictual; and to have children that exhibited behavior problems. Results also indicated that marital typology still accounted for significant variance in child outcome after controlling for marital violence and marital satisfaction. Differences in the absolute degree of negative behaviors also did not account for results. Findings are discussed in terms of the detrimental impact of marital conflict on child and family functioning.
Application of quick and simple plant bioassays to assess the genotoxicity of environmental pollutants--detection of potential health hazards of air, water and soil contaminants.

Pollution has been created by human activities for the fulfillment of the greedy desires of human beings for comfort, convenience and enjoyment ever since the invention of the wheel. However, the intensity and severity of pollution has emerged as a serious and grave problem only in the last few decades. In order to reduce pollution to a tolerable level, and thus avoid the eventual total destruction of the ecosystem and at the same time to minimize human affliction and misery of human suffering, the pollution problem should be faced in realistic terms.
The Dividend Discount Model

This note focuses on the dividend discount model (DDM), or Gordon Growth Model, as it is sometimes called. In practice, the DDM appears in many forms. The note examines its role in estimating the intrinsic value of an equity security and as a model for estimating the required return on equity. The note also explores the DDM's link to price-earnings ratios, a widely followed market multiple, and the sustainable rate of growth.
Commercial Drones and the Phantom Menace

Unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”) — commonly referred to as “drones” — get a lot of bad press. Their operations are portrayed as a clear and present danger to privacy and property rights — the constitutional equivalent of falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater for First Amendment purposes. In regular conversation, the pejorative “drone” is used instead of the proper “UAV” to connote danger, imminent and otherwise. This is understandable given the technology’s military origins. “Drones” are hunter-killer robots with scary names like “Predator” and “Reaper.” They are scary “smart” with robust intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance capabilities. In the “war on terror,” they stalk human beings with indefatigable persistence and kill them with “Hellfire” missiles. Unfortunately, this context overshadows the many civil and commercial uses of UAVs, including natural gas pipeline monitoring, agriculture remote sensing, and aerial cinematography. This article is the first to examine the current UAV regulatory environment as applied to the media and entertainment industry.
Understanding Intergovernmental Relations, Twenty-five Years Hence

This article reviews Deil Wright’s textbook, Understanding Intergovernmental Relations, and assesses its current relevance to its field of coverage. Wright’s last edition of this book was published...
Exercise: A cause of osteoarthritis?

A common question posed to rheumatologists by both patients and physicians is 'What is the role of exercise in arthritis?' Practitioners and patients want to know if regular exercise is a risk factor for the later development of osteoarthritis. This article briefly reviews the epidemiology of osteoarthritis and exercise and risk factors associated with the development of osteoarthritis in athletes. It also reviews how musculoskeletal tissues respond to loading in normal and injured states. Finally, the topic of exercise for arthritic patients is reviewed, and recommendations are given.
Endoscopic abdominoplasty, mastopexy, and breast reduction.

Endoscopy allows the surgeon to perform delicate procedures through minimal incisions that can be made at strategically placed and remote sites to avoid visible scars. This is an important goal in the field of aesthetic surgery, in which scars are undesirable and may sometimes compromise the final aesthetic result. This article presents the author’s experience with the use of endoscopic methods in abdominoplasty, masto-pexy, and breast reduction.
Why do we always blame the storage stack

Much research effort has been devoted to improving the performance of the I/O stack in mobile devices, but limited time has been spent evaluating mobile application performance from the user's perspective. In this paper, we try to understand how applications running on the newest devices behave with respect to this metric. We develop a methodology for quantifying user-perceived latency and use it to evaluate four common application benchmarks with I/O stack optimization on two of the latest smartphones. Contrary to our expectation, we find that (i) these applications respond reasonably fast and (ii) the user-perceived latency does not drastically (at most 11:8%) benefit from I/O stack optimizations.
A brief introduction to the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases

The National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases (NDB) is a research data bank with a broad agenda and approach to important clinical, regulatory, epidemiological, safety, effectiveness, outcome and patient care questions that cannot be answered by conventional data banks. It has systematic, ongoing quality control programs that assure high quality data. NDB-developed programs result in very efficient analytic capabilities and rapid publication.
IIS and ModSecurity

Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) is a web server available on all versions of Windows Server, as well as on the various Windows desktop systems. It is considered a server role, and is installed using the roles and features components on Windows Server. As a web server, IIS can run multiple web sites on multiple ports using multiple protocols. It can also be managed locally or remotely through the graphical tool IIS Manager. Configuration information is stored in .xml configuration files, which can be manipulated with command-line tools. Access to IIS web sites can be controlled in a number of ways, including filtering by properties of the client or the request. Authentication of remote clients can be done via HTTP basic authentication, but can also take place using Windows authentication methods. Web sites can be protected by SSL, using either self-signed certificates, certificates signed by a local signing server, or by a commercial CA. Customizable logging to plain text log files is provided, and PowerShell can be used to parse these logs.
Spot scanning with a rapid cycling proton beam: Dose delivery algorithms

A rapid cycling proton beam has several distinct characteristics that are superior to a slow extraction synchrotron: the beam energy and energy spread, beam intensity and spot size can be controlled and varied spot by spot. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of using a spot scanning beam from a rapid-cycling-medical-synchrotron (RCMS) at 10 Hz repetition frequency in proton therapy. The versatility of the RCMS beam in proton therapy is illustrated by two examples: (1) a cylindrical volume embedded in a water phantom irradiated by a single field and (2) a spherical volume in a water phantom irradiated by two parallel opposed fields. A uniform dose distribution is to be delivered to the volumes. The Monte Carlo code, Geant4, is used to validate the dose distributions in each example. Monte Carlo codes can also be used in actual treatment plans to optimize beam spot distributions. Transverse delivery algorithms are developed to produce uniform distributions in each transverse plane in the two examples. Longitudinally, different proton energies are used in successive transverse planes to produce the SOBP required to cover the volumes. In general, uniformity of dose distribution within 3% is obtained for the cylinder and 3.5% for the sphere. The transverse algorithms require only few hundred beam spots for each plane. The algorithms may be applied to larger volumes by increasing the intensity spot by spot for the same delivery time of the same dose. The treatment time can be made shorter than 1 minute for any field configuration and tumor shape. The unique beam characteristics of a spot scanning beam from a RCMS at 10 Hz repetition frequency are used to design transverse and longitudinal algorithms to produce uniform distribution for any arbitrary shape and size of targets. The proposed spot scanning beam is more versatile than the existing spot scanning beams in proton therapy with better beam control and lower neutron dose.
New Insights into the Molecular Structure and Regulation of the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore

The mitochondrial permeabilty transition (mPT) is believed to be a major cell death pathway during neurodegenerative diseases, traumatic brain injury and stroke. Excessive release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain triggers intracellular Ca+2 overload and leads to the opening of the mitochondrial permability transition pore (mPTP). We have recently characterized a novel large conductance ion channel located in the membrane embedded c-ring of F1F0 ATP synthase, which we suggest forms the pore of mPT. The F1F0 ATP synthase is a multi-subunit enzymatic complex that couples proton translocation across the inner membrane to ATP synthesis. The c-ring of ATP synthase F0 domain is connected to the F1 catalytic domain through the central and peripheral stalks. We show now that the ATP synthase F1 subdomain detaches from F0 under glutamate-induced excitotoxicity and cell death. In patch clamp recordings we find that the F1 catalytic portion of the ATP synthase gates the c-subunit channel. We also find that mutations of specific amino acid residues within the channel reduce its conductance and protect neurons from glutamate-induced excitotoxic death.We are currently investigating further the molecular mechanisms of c-subunit channel conductance, its regulation and its role in cell life and death. These findings will lead to a structure-based drug design of specific therapeutic compounds targeting mPTP for the treatment of neurological disorders and stroke.
Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis in Pregnancy

Abstract Background Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is an uncommon form of glomerulonephritis and it can be particularly difficult to predict outcomes and manage women with this disorder during pregnancy. Materials and Methods The management of 3 successful pregnancies in women with MPGN from 1 center and previously described cases from the world literature are reviewed. This includes a number of large studies of pregnancy in women with underlying glomerular disease as well as small case series and individual reports. Courses of these pregnancies, maternal and fetal outcomes, and management, when described, were included in this review. Results Some successful outcomes used antiplatelet therapy and plasmapheresis, but high-dose intravenous, followed by oral, corticosteroid therapy was used most frequently in patients with successful outcomes. Conclusions The data provided is meant as a guide for clinicians who provide care for women with MPGN who are considering pregnancy or women who present with this disorder while pregnant.
A defensive endosymbiont fails to protect aphids against the parasitoid community present in the field

1. The value of protective mutualisms provided by some facultative endosymbionts has been well demonstrated in the laboratory, yet only recently has their effectiveness in the field been studied. ‘Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa’ is known to defend aphids from parasitoid wasps in laboratory trials. However, the efficacy of this defence varies among parasitoids, suggesting that protection will vary spatially and temporally depending on parasitoid community composition. 2. This demonstrated specificity and a dearth of studies on Hamiltonella in the field prompted the authors to quantify parasitism rates of Hamiltonella-infected and -uninfected Aphis craccivora Koch aphid colonies in a manipulative field study. 3. It was found that A. craccivora in central Kentucky alfalfa were parasitised by Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) and Aphelinus sp. Surprisingly, Hamiltonella infection did not lower successful parasitism by the naturally occurring parasitoid wasps. Whether Hamiltonella was effective against L. testaceipes was subsequently tested in a controlled laboratory assay, and no effect on parasitism rate was found. 4. This study emphasises the fact that defensive symbionts sometimes provide no tangible defensive benefits under field conditions, depending on parasitoid community composition. It is hypothesised that the protective mutualism may be beneficial in geographically localised areas. When the symbiosis is effective against a local parasitoid community, aphid clones may experience eruptive population growth and rapidly disperse across a large area, allowing spread to habitats with different parasitoid communities where the mutualism is an ineffective defence.
Preliminary study on an improved weight updating for fuzzy c-means with applications to image segmentation

Fuzzy c-means is a popular clustering algorithm which allows a single data point to belong to more than one class at any given point. It has been used for a variety of applications especially when the applications are subjective and ambiguous. Image segmentation is one such application in which the decision of a certain pixel belonging to a particular cluster is very fuzzy. The weight associated with every data point is very important as it controls the decision of assigning the data point to a particular cluster. In this study, two novel methods of updating weights that take into account the goodness of clustering and spatial relationships are proposed in order to improve the results of clustering. Fuzzy c-means with our proposed method of updating weights is applied to different kinds of images to perform image segmentation.
Urban Form, Air Pollution, and Health

Urban form can impact air pollution and public health. We reviewed health-related articles that assessed (1) the relationships among urban form, air pollution, and health as well as (2) aspects of the urban environment (i.e., green space, noise, physical activity) that may modify those relationships. Simulation and empirical studies demonstrate an association between compact growth, improved regional air quality, and health. Most studies are cross-sectional and focus on connections between transportation emissions and land use. The physical and mental health impacts of green space, public spaces that promote physical activity, and noise are well-studied aspects of the urban environment and there is evidence that these factors may modify the relationship between air pollution and health. Urban form can support efforts to design clean, health-promoting cities. More work is needed to operationalize specific strategies and to elucidate the causal pathways connecting various aspects of health.
Antigen uptake and trafficking in human intestinal epithelial cells.

Primary intestinal epithelial cells, human colonic adenocarcinoma cell lines (DLD-1, Caco-2, and HT-29), and monocytes were used as model systems to study antigen uptake, antigen-presenting cell properties, as well as the kinetics of antigen uptake in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC). Intracellular staining of fluoresceinated tetanus toxoid was not evident in the IEC until after 30 min of incubation at 37°C, whereas in monocytes intracellular punctate staining of fluoresceinated tetanus toxoid was evident after 5 mins. In polarized Caco-2 cells antigen could be internalized at both the apical and basolateral surfaces with polarized transport. When analyzed by electron microscopy, gold-labeled tetanus toxoid was internalized and found within endosomes and multivesicular bodies, but not within the lysosomal compartments by 60 min. By 2 hrs, gold-labeled tetanus toxoid was evident in the secondary lysosomes. These results demonstrate that tetanus toxoid follows an endocytic pathway in intestinal epithelial cells and that the kinetics of antigen uptake is slower than that of conventional antigen-presenting cells.
Hapke mixture modeling applied to VNIR spectra of mafic mineral mixtures and shergottites: Implications for quantitative analysis of satellite data

©2018 The Authors. Meteoritics & Planetary Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Meteoritical Society (MET).This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use,distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Systematic Monitoring of the Implementation of a Case Management Model

A systematic approach for monitoring case management service provision and the results obtained when this approach was applied to a program for community-dwelling elders with severe mental illness are presented. A detailed, closed-ended, daily service log was used to collect data on 713 client-contact days. Participants (N = 24) were predominantly female (71%), were White (63%) or African American (37%), and tended to have diagnoses of either schizophrenia (42%) or major depression (21%). Services were delivered most frequently in the client's home (47%), the program office (35%), or by phone (27%); most frequent activities were monitoring psychiatric symptoms/medications (62 %), and monitoring physical symptoms or medications or both (54%). Service characteristics did not differ with regard to demographics but did vary with living situation and psychiatric diagnosis. The findings point to the need for flexible programs capable of meeting diverse service needs as well as the utility of a daily service log in studying case management.
Lester R. Dragstedt

Lester Dragstedt was born in anaconda, Montana, the son of Swedish immigrant parents. His entire college and professional education took place at the University of Chicago, where he received a B.S. degree in 1915, a master's degree in physiology in 1916, a Ph.D. in physiology in 1920, and the M.D. degree (from Rush) in 1921. His first academic appointment was as a physiologist at the State University of Iowa. In 1925 Dragstedt was recruited by Dallas B. Phemister to help design the new University Hospital research facilities on the campus of the University of Chicago. Following completion of this responsibility Phemister appointed Dragstedt as Associate Professor of Surgery, stating, “I can teach surgery to a physiologist; I am interested in teaching physiology to surgeons.” In 1947 Dragstedt succeeded Phemister as chairman, a post he occupied until his retirement in 1959. Dragstedt was regarded as a skilled clinician as well as a dexterous and artistic surgeon. But he was particularly recognized for his contributions as physiologist-surgeon in the treatment of diseases of the pancreas, parathyroids, and especially diseases of the stomach. In 1943, he performed a transthoracic vagotomy on a patient with a duodenal ulcer who refused to accept the standard operation, subtotal gastrectomy. A lesser known but classical work of Dragstedt and his coworkers is reproduced here for this series. Dragstedt was the originator of the skin-grafted ileostomy in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The author describes a complete “take” of the split-thickness graft in four patients, although he observed that the “resulting ileostomy looked somewhat like a penis.” One can only surmise about the psychologic disability that would be produced. The stoma could, however, be fitted with an appliance that would minimize the risk of abdominal wall digestion. When reading the article and understanding the experimental studies proposing the possible causative organism of ulcerative colitis, one is impressed by Dragstedt's creative thinking. Dragstedt's renown as a basic scientist was illustrated by his election to the National Academy of Sciences. Following his Chicago retirement he became again a full-time physiologist with appointments as research professor in both the department of surgery and the department of physiology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Active until the end, he died at his summer home on Elk Lake, Michigan on July 16, 1975.
Critical Behavior of Polymorphic Smectic-A Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystal molecules with long aromatic cores and polar head groups are characterized by competition between two order parameters with incommensurate natural wave vectors. As a result, a rich variety of polymorphic smectic-A (and also smectic-C) phases are observed. Such polymorphism in “frustrated” smectic liquid crystals was first discovered experimentally [1] and discussed theoretically [2] in 1979 by the Bordeaux liquid crystal group. By 1983, this group, in collaboration with A. M. Levelut, had characterized the structures, determined the phase diagrams, and explored some of the physical properties of a large variety of these new thermotropic liquid crystal compounds [3-5].
Excitation Process and Swelling of Nerve Fibers

It is now firmly established that nerve fibers swell transiently when they are excited1-4. A variety of nerve cells were also shown to undergo rapid swelling when excited5,6. Viewed from a colloid chemical standpoint, this transient swelling is a very interesting phenomenon. In my opinion, however, the real significance of this phenomenon lies in the fact that it throws new light on the mechanism of nerve excitation. As is generally known, many present-day neurobiologists employ equivalent electric circuits of the nerve membrane in explaining their experimental data. The physicochemical basis of these equivalent circuits is obscure. Our analyses of non-electrical manifestations of excitation process furnish a basis for an alternative, physico-chemically oriented interpretation of the excitation process.
INSOMNIA TREATMENT IN ADULTS OVER AGE 50 WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN: EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Insomnia is prevalent among adults with osteoarthritis (OA), a common degenerative disorder for which age is a primary risk factor. Research suggests that cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) in older adults with comorbid chronic pain can improve sleep, with weaker effects on reported pain. In the current pilot study, we tested whether CBTi improved OA-related physical limitations and quality of life, as well as insomnia, as these factors are important contributors to well-being in aging. Thirty three adults, ages 51 to 74 years (Mean (SD) age=60.8(6.8)), with OA-related knee pain and insomnia were randomized to 6-session CBTi (n=16) or a weekly phone contact control group (n=17). The Insomnia Severity Index, WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index scales (pain, stiffness, and physical limitations), and WHO Quality of Life domain scales (physical health, psychological, social, environment) were assessed prior to randomization and 8-weeks later. General linear models indicated that participants in the CBTi group relative to the control group showed significantly larger declines over time in insomnia severity (p<.001), and larger improvements in OA-related symptoms based on total score on the WOMAC (p=.03), which was due to reductions in physical limitations (p=.01), but not pain (p=.47). WHO Quality of Life physical health (p=.001) and environment (p=.04) domain scores showed significantly larger improvements in the CBTi group compared to the control group. Age did not play a significant role in outcomes. CBTi is a promising approach to improve well-being and promote healthy aging among adults with comorbid osteoarthritis pain and insomnia.
Syntax programming

This paper describes a new programming technology that is to syntax analysis as formal logic is to logic programming, and which we have accordingly named syntax programming. The table-driven nature of bottom-up parsers provides this approach with a number of attractive features, among which are compactness, portability, and introspective capability. Syntax programming has been successfully used for a number of applications, including expert system construction and robot control as well as non-AI problems.
An inherent T cell deficit in healthy males to C. neoformans infection may begin to explain the sex susceptibility in incidence of cryptococcosis

Cryptococcus neoformans, the causative agent of cryptococcosis, causes ~ 181,000 deaths annually, with males having a higher incidence of disease than females (7M:3F). The reason for this sex bias remains unclear. We hypothesized that this disparity was due to biological differences between the male and female immune response. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors were isolated and infected with C. neoformans ± exogenous testosterone or 17-β-estradiol. C. neoformans, B, T, and NK cell proliferation was quantified by flow cytometry. Cytokine analysis was conducted via protein array or ELISA. Serological testing was conducted to determine previous exposure to C. neoformans. C. neoformans proliferated more in male PBMCs. T cell percentages in both sexes were lower in infected versus uninfected cells. Male PBMCs had lower CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells percentages during infection compared to females. Cytokine profiles showed differences in uninfected male and female PBMCs, which subsided during infection. Only one donor was sero-negative for prior C. neoformans exposure. There was an effect of estrogen in one dataset. These results suggest that males show an inherent deficit in T cell response during infection, which may contribute to the increased incidence of disease in males.
Unattended automated office blood pressure measurement: Time efficiency and barriers to implementation/utilization.

Unattended automated office blood pressure (BP) measurement (u-AOBP) improves office BP measurement accuracy and reduces white-coat BP elevation, but there are reservations about its time efficiency in primary care. We used time-stamp methodology to measure u-AOBP procedure times performed without a rest period in 130 patients during routine clinic visits to three primary care clinics with 2.5-4.9 years u-AOBP experience. We documented the clinical activities of 30 medical assistants during the u-AOBP procedures. We also assessed MA and clinician satisfaction and knowledge about u-AOBP performance and interpretation. Median u-AOBP procedure time was <5 minutes, and MAs engaged in productive clinical activities during 83% of the procedures. Ninety-three percent of MAs and 100% of clinicians in the clinics agreed that u-AOBP is an efficient method to improve hypertension management. Barriers to effective u-AOBP implementation and ongoing utilization included initial difficulty incorporating u-AOBP into clinic workflow and medical staff knowledge deficiencies concerning correct u-AOBP performance and interpretation despite prior training and experience with the procedure. Intensive u-AOBP education and training programs are needed to facilitate effective u-AOBP implementation into primary care. The time required to perform u-AOBP can be utilized productively by staff.
Die chirurgische Therapie der Tumorembolie der V. cava bei Nierenzellkarzinom

Trotz Tumorzellembolie der V cava inferior (VCI) ist bei R0-Resektion des Nierenzellkarzinoms eine Kuration moglich. Bei Ausdehnung des Tumors in der VCI proximal der Vv. hepaticae und distal des Atrium dextrum (Stadium III) wird die Anwendung eines temporaren Venen-bypass beschrieben. Von 7/1996 bis 4/1998 wurde bei 5 Patienten die Tumornephrektomie samt Thrombembolektomie der VCI in folgender Technik vorgenommen: Isolierung der infradiaphragmalen VCI, temporare Okklusion des Lig. hepatoduodenale, temporarer extrakorporaler femoro-axillarer veno-venoser Bypass mittels Biomedicus-Pumpe. Damit gelang jeweils die vollstandige Tumorentfernung aus der VCI unter Sicht bei minimalem Blutverlust ohne kardiopulmonale Komplikationen. Bei einem Follow up von 21, 16, 9, 2 und 1 Monat sind die Patienten bisher komplikati-ons-, rezidiv- und metastasenfrei.
Heritage Trekking: Toward an Integrated Heritage Studies Methodology

In this paper, we propose a methodological intervention for the field of heritage studies: heritage trekking. Involving story-trekking, mapping, and data integration, heritage trekking draws from i...
Compressed Sensing of Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) With Nonrectangular Scans

Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has become the main stay for materials characterization on atomic level, with applications ranging from visualization of localized and extended defects to mapping order parameter fields. In recent years, attention has focused on the potential of STEM to explore beam induced chemical processes and especially manipulating atomic motion, enabling atom-by-atom fabrication. These applications, as well as traditional imaging of beam sensitive materials, necessitate increasing the dynamic range of STEM in imaging and manipulation modes, and increasing the absolute scanning speed which can be achieved by combining sparse sensing methods with nonrectangular scanning trajectories. Here we have developed a general method for real-time reconstruction of sparsely sampled images from high-speed, noninvasive and diverse scanning pathways, including spiral scan and Lissajous scan. This approach is demonstrated on both the synthetic data and experimental STEM data on the beam sensitive material graphene. This work opens the door for comprehensive investigation and optimal design of dose efficient scanning strategies and real-time adaptive inference and control of e-beam induced atomic fabrication.
A mechanistic understanding of oxygen isotopic changes in the Western United States at the Last Glacial Maximum

Abstract At the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), records suggest drier conditions in the northwest United States and wetter conditions in the southwest United States relative to present-day as well as widespread changes in the isotopic composition of water. However, the mechanisms responsible for these changes remain ambiguous. Here, we explore differences in western United States hydroclimate between the LGM and preindustrial with a water isotope tracer enabled Earth System Model. We then use proxy forward models to compare simulated and recorded δ18O in speleothems. We find that the pattern of hydroclimate response in the western United States at the LGM relates to a combination of 1) increased frequency and southward shifted wintertime extratropical cyclones in the North Pacific, 2) greater rainout of moisture as it moves over the continent, and 3) reduced evaporation in the cooler LGM climate. The simulated lower δ18O of precipitation at the LGM relates predominantly to an increase in cool season moisture removal efficiency, with a secondary contribution from relatively more cool season precipitation. Both surface temperatures and North American ice sheets contribute to these hydroclimate changes at the LGM. Comparisons between δ18O from proxy forward models and speleothem records in the western United States show general agreement at the LGM, with increasing depletion moving towards the continental interior. This study highlights the similarities and differences between hydrologic and δ18O changes at the LGM and emphasizes the utility of model-proxy comparison for interpretation.
Software design for image mapping and analytics for high throughput phenotyping

Abstract Phenotyping is essential for the advancement of plant breeding and quantitative genetics. Image-based high throughput phenotyping (HTP) is a game changer to expedite a breeding pipeline by supporting large coverage and image analysis for morphological and spectral signature of the plant canopy. To meet the demand of a cost-effective and globally consistent HTP solution, a customized analytic tool, Image Mapping & Analytics for Phenotyping (IMAP), was developed to implement high throughput image processing and deliver plot-level metrics of plant phenotypes. IMAP is open source software written in Python and designed to provide data visualization and batch processes through algorithms for GIS interface, geometric and radiometric calibrations, geo-fencing, segmentation, and gridding. IMAP was applied and validated on aerial images collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a manned aerial vehicle (MAV) on soybean field that was prepared for a drought resistance study under two different water treatments. The gridding algorithm extracted field boundary and delivered plot-level spectral analysis from aerial images in 1–4 s depending on the image size and the number of plots. The high correlation (R2 = 0.90 in vegetation and 0.89 in leaf area) between UAV and MAV images indicated the consistent performance of IMAP software in calculating the plot-level metrics and proved successful deployment of a high throughput phenotyping pipeline through a series of image processing and gridding algorithm in a batch process.
Examining cyber security implementation through TLS/SSL on academic institutional repository in Indonesia

Indonesia is one of the countries that implement Institutional Repositories (IR) in their academic world. According to the National Library of Indonesia, there are more than 7890 academic IR in Indonesia. However, there is no research investigating the institutional repository's security aspect in the Indonesian academic institutional repository. This paper will explore Indonesian academic IR's security by examining how to secure a connection between the network with encrypted communication to ensure that an intruder does not compromise the relationship between the server and the browser. This research's methodology is conducting experimental on the best institutional repository in Indonesia involving a private and public university. Some serious finding is that most Indonesian Academic Institutional Repositories have vulnerable security issues in their SSL and TLS and can cause a severe problem for their information asset's security in the future. The conclusion is that Indonesian academic institutions' security is not secure, and they need to consider this issue seriously. Create better security intervention for IR with the latest high-quality technology and policy to protect the information asset such as user, administrator, and visitor personal data and valuable digital objects in Indonesian academic IR.