cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Error Bounds for Non-smooth Correlations

In this Chapter we analyze correlation functions of the type: $$\begin{aligned} {\mathcal T}( \partial ^{\alpha _1} G_1(h) \, \partial ^{\alpha _2} G_2(h) \ldots ) \; , \quad h \in {\mathcal A}_d \; , \end{aligned}$$ (8.1) where \(G_i\)’s are only piecewise continuous and the discontinuities occur inside the essential spectrum of h. We establish that, if the discontinuities occur inside the mobility gaps of h, then the canonical finite-volume algorithm presented in Chap. 5 continues to display a rapid convergence to the thermodynamic limit. Key to the error estimates is the Aizenman–Molchanov bound (Aizenman and Molchanov, Commun Math Phys 157:245–278, 1993, [2], Aizenman and Warzel, Random operators: disorder effects on quantum spectra and dynamics, 2015, [3]), which is discussed and adapted to the present context.
X-ray Radiocatalytic Activity and Mechanisms of Bismuth Complex Oxides

Radiocatalysis is a process analogous to heterogeneous photocatalysis wherein activation occurs through absorption of ionizing radiation rather than visible or ultraviolet photons. Past studies have examined common metal oxide nanoparticles, yet the mechanistic and catalyst design differences between radio- and photocatalysis in aqueous suspensions are not fully understood. Herein, we report X-ray activity of highly attenuating bismuth complex oxides in driving degradation of phenol. Suspensions of Bi2WO6, BiPO4, and TiO2 (for comparison) showed highly disparate results under 205 kVp X-ray irradiation which did not correlate with established photocatalytic activities. Smaller catalyst particle size and two-dimensional morphology was found to be critical in discouraging the formation of unreactive interior electron–hole pairs during X-ray excitation, as revealed by luminescence measurements. Ultimately, Bi2WO6 was most effective at mineralizing phenol, showing the highest oxidative radiocatalytic mineraliz...
Computational Simulations of DNA Polymerases: Detailed Insights on Structure/Function/Mechanism from Native Proteins to Cancer Variants

Genetic information is vital in the cell cycle of DNA-based organisms. DNA polymerases (DNA Pols) are crucial players in transactions dealing with these processes. Therefore, the detailed understanding of the structure, function, and mechanism of these proteins has been the focus of significant effort. Computational simulations have been applied to investigate various facets of DNA polymerase structure and function. These simulations have provided significant insights over the years. This perspective presents the results of various computational studies that have been employed to research different aspects of DNA polymerases including detailed reaction mechanism investigation, mutagenicity of different metal cations, possible factors for fidelity synthesis, and discovery/functional characterization of cancer-related mutations on DNA polymerases.
Treatment Patterns and Survival Outcomes for Patients with Small Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder.

Abstract Background Small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCaB) is a rare tumor without a standard treatment algorithm. Treatment patterns and survival outcomes from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) may provide insight into optimal treatment strategies. Objective To investigate the relationship between overall survival (OS) and treatment strategy. Design, setting, and participants This was an observational study of treatment-naive patients who received treatment from 2004 to 2013. Patients with cT1–4aN0M0 SCCaB were identified from the NCDB, a hospital-based tumor registry that captures >70% of incident cancer cases in the USA. Intervention Treatment strategies included local therapy alone, chemotherapy (CT), radiation therapy (RT), chemoradiation therapy (CRT), radical cystectomy (RC), and RC plus chemotherapy (RC+C). Outcome measurements and statistical analysis OS was analyzed as a function of treatment modality adjusting for patient, demographic, and tumor-related factors. The Kaplan-Meier survival method, and the log-rank test and Cox regression were used for univariable and multivariable analyses. Results and limitations We identified 856 patients with median follow-up of 18.3 mo. The median OS for the entire cohort was 20.7 mo (95% confidence interval [CI] 18.3–23.2) and estimated 3-yr and 5-yr OS were 37.5% and 28.2%, respectively. The most common treatment modality was CT (225 patients; 26.3%) followed by CRT (203 patients; 23.7%) and RC+C (201 patients; 23.5%). The median OS was 18.4 mo (95% CI 15.2–21.5) for CT, 34.1 mo (95% CI 22.5–45.8) for CRT, and 32.4 mo (95% CI 20.8–44.1) for RC+C. OS did not significantly differ between CRT and RC+C ( p =0.42). On multivariable analysis, the best OS was associated with CRT (hazard ratio [HR] 0.41, 95% CI 0.32–0.53; p p Conclusions RC+C and CRT are associated with better OS compared to monotherapy among patients with SCCaB. Patient summary Small cell carcinoma of the bladder is a rare and highly aggressive cancer. According to National Cancer Database data, radical cystectomy plus chemotherapy and chemoradiation therapy are associated with better overall survival compared to monotherapy.
The Antibiotic Novobiocin Binds and Activates the ATPase That Powers Lipopolysaccharide Transport

Novobiocin is an orally active antibiotic that inhibits DNA gyrase by binding the ATP-binding site in the ATPase subunit. Although effective against Gram-positive pathogens, novobiocin has limited activity against Gram-negative organisms due to the presence of the lipopolysaccharide-containing outer membrane, which acts as a permeability barrier. Using a novobiocin-sensitive Escherichia coli strain with a leaky outer membrane, we identified a mutant with increased resistance to novobiocin. Unexpectedly, the mutation that increases novobiocin resistance was not found to alter gyrase, but the ATPase that powers lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transport. Co-crystal structures, biochemical, and genetic evidence show novobiocin directly binds this ATPase. Novobiocin does not bind the ATP binding site but rather the interface between the ATPase subunits and the transmembrane subunits of the LPS transporter. This interaction increases the activity of the LPS transporter, which in turn alters the permeability of the outer membrane. We propose that novobiocin will be a useful tool for understanding how ATP hydrolysis is coupled to LPS transport.
Multimodal Composition Pedagogy Designed to Enhance Authors’ Personal Agency: Lessons from Non-academic and Academic Composing Environments

Abstract This article argues that composing in multiple modes, especially when accompanied by revision and self-reflection, enhances compositional fluidity and encourages the exercise of personal agency. To illustrate and support their claims, the authors describe and share student work from two non-academic multimodal composing contexts as well as one college writing class.
Testing Target Congruence Theory on Emotional Abuse Victimization Experienced by Heterosexual and LGBQ College Students

Criminological theories traditionally used to explain crime and deviance have now been applied to explain physical intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by heterosexual and LGBQ victims. Nota...
Crossing the Implementation Chasm: A Proposal for Bold Action

As health care organizations dramatically increase investment in information technology (IT) and the scope of their IT projects, implementation failures become critical events. Implementation failures cause stress on clinical units, increase risk to patients, and result in massive costs that are often not recoverable. At an estimated 28% success rate, the current level of investment defies management logic. This paper asserts that there are “chasms” in IT implementations that represent risky stages in the process. Contributors to the chasms are classified into four categories: design, management, organization, and assessment. The American College of Medical Informatics symposium participants recommend bold action to better understand problems and challenges in implementation and to improve the ability of organizations to bridge these implementation chasms. The bold action includes the creation of a Team Science for Implementation strategy that allows for participation from multiple institutions to address the long standing and costly implementation issues. The outcomes of this endeavor will include a new focus on interdisciplinary research and an inter-organizational knowledge base of strategies and methods to optimize implementations and subsequent achievement of organizational objectives.
Optimized Access-Time Scheduling in Quantum Networks Using Realistic Quantum Memories

We propose a novel schedule for accessing states stored in real quantum memories that allows manifold increase in long-distance entanglement generation rate. The schedule suggests that nested networks should rapidly reset lower level memories and wait longer before resetting higher nesting levels.
Creating a culture and environment for active learning success

Active learning and active learning classrooms have received renewed interest in recent years. Active learning can be broadly considered as any activity that involves the student in the learning process, requiring that students think about what they are doing[3]. While the positive effects of active learning on students' academic performance and perceived experience are widely reported[1], there are a number of barriers that have limited greater adoption. These barriers include limits on faculty time, institutional resources to create active learning spaces, concerns about student resistance and resentment, instructional preferences, and misunderstandings about what constitutes active learning and related benefits[2][4].
Trajectories of heroin use: A 15-year retrospective study of Mexican-American men who were affiliated with gangs during adolescence

Abstract Background Heroin use is a public health concern in the United States. Despite the unique etiology and patterns of heroin use among U.S. Latinos, long-term heroin trajectories and health consequences among Latinos are not well understood. This study aims to document the distinct heroin use trajectories for a group of street-recruited (non-treatment), young adult Mexican American men living in a disadvantaged community who were affiliated with gangs during their youth. Methods One-time interviews conducted between 2009–2012 in San Antonio, TX collected retrospective data from a sample of 212 Mexican American young adult men who reported using heroin at least once. Group-based trajectory modeling was applied to determine discrete developmental trajectories of heroin use. ANOVA, Chi square tests, and multinomial logistic regression examined current (past year) social and health indicators among each trajectory group. Results Five discrete heroin trajectories groups were identified: low use (n = 65); late accelerating (n = 31); early decelerating (n = 26); late decelerating (n = 38); and stably high (n = 52). Varying social and health consequences were found among the trajectory groups. Conclusion This study describes the unique heroin use trajectories and social and health outcomes among a high-risk subgroup of Mexican American men. The findings suggest that early intervention and intervention available in easy to access non-treatment spaces may be especially useful for groups of people who use relatively less heroin.
Finding an equivalent Hot-Mix Asphalt for Cold-in-Place recycled asphalt using laboratory testing and numerical analysis

Abstract Cold-in-Place Recycling (CIR) asphalt material is gaining increased popularity due to its innovative properties, performance and recycling values. However, detailed material properties of this material are required to design pavement using the CIR materials. This study finds out an equivalent conventional Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) which behaves very similar to the CIR material. As a first step, detailed properties of the CIR materials used in Colorado has been measured in the laboratory. Then, the performances of ten pavements which are built using the CIR are predicted using the AASHTOWare Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical (ME) Design (PMED) software. Then, different HMA mixes are used to run the PMED software and are compared with the performance of the CIR material. Results show that the PMED software analysis showed the PMED-predicted IRI and rutting values are close to the values measured in the field. However, the PMED-predicted fatigue cracking values are less than values measured in the field. CIR material behaves very similar to the HMA SX (75) PG 58-28 mix and thus may be used in place of CIR while analyzing a pavement using the PMED software.
The chromosome 4q21 gene (AF-4/FEL) is widely expressed in normal tissues and shows breakpoint diversity in t(4;11)(q21;q23) acute leukemia

The chromosomal translocation, t(4;11)(q21;q23), is the most common type of 11q23 chromosomal abnormality, being highly prevalent in infant acute leukemias and associated with a poor prognosis. The t(4;11) results in the fusion of an 11q23 gene (MLL, HRX, Htrx-1, or ALL-1) and a 4q21 gene (AF-4 or FEL). To further evaluate the 4q21 gene and its role in t(4;11) acute leukemia, we have cloned a 38-kb genomic region and mapped exons of the AF-4 gene. The 4q21 breakpoints in 19 cases of t(4;11) acute leukemia were analyzed by Southern analysis and pulsed-field gels. Seventeen of the 19 cases had breakpoints on chromosome 4q21 that were scattered in this 38 kb region. Expression of the AF-4 gene was studied in a total of 28 various nonhematopoietic, hematopoietic, and t(4;11) leukemic cell lines. The AF-4 gene was expressed in all cell lines as a major and a minor transcript. In addition to the normal transcripts, two fusion transcripts from the derivative 11 and derivative 4 chromosomes were identified in all t(4;11) cell lines except B1, which had only the der(11) transcript. These findings suggest that the breakpoints on 4q21 cluster over a broader area than do the breakpoints in the 11q23 gene, and that der(11) encodes the fusion RNA found consistently in leukemia cells.
The biological, biographical, and biospheric dimensions of puberty onset: Using Bio3Science to frame transdisciplinary health research on puberty

Introduction: This paper uses the case of puberty to characterize a new health science framework called Bio3Science and to provide an example of how trending research on biosocial mechanisms can be put to use to bridge siloed disciplines as well as the translational gap. Examined as an intricate, open-ended problem of scientific understanding, puberty offers a window to examine how three dimensions of human life – biology, biography, and biosphere – can be understood to shape human health and disease. Methods: Using the Bio3Science framework, a biosocial model of puberty was developed and critiqued by an interdisciplinary group of health science and social science researchers in a design studio setting. Results: The design and critique process resulted in a model and new conceptual framework that depicts puberty as a highly variable life experience that integrates multiple dense interactions and context-specific responses; within this model, the gene regulatory network (GRN) transformed from a biological to a biosocial mechanism, with conceptual and concrete applications. Conclusions: By providing a new, generalizable framework for understanding the integration of biology, biography, and biosphere in health research, opportunities emerge for more interdisciplinary work puberty, but also and more broadly, for more collaborative, inter-epistemological health research through the Bio3Science framework. Keywords: Bio3Science, puberty, biosocial, gene regulatory network, normality
Assessing and Managing Opioid-Related Side Effects in Children and Adolescents

Opioids are still widely used in the management of severe acute and chronic pain in children. However, there are increased concerns related to both the acute side effects and chronic problems, which include the potential for abuse and addiction. A thorough knowledge of the mechanism of action of opioids is critical to the understanding of the pathogenesis of the various opioid-related side effects and facilitates appropriate prophylactic and therapeutic interventions to mitigate the incidence and severity of the same. In addition, the use of multimodal therapy, when possible, helps reduce the amount of opioid needed for pain relief and, thereby, decreases the incidence and severity of side effects. Opioids prescribed for home administration after discharge must be accompanied by family education about safe administration, storage, and disposal of medication.
Investigating Controller Evolution and Divergence through Mining and Mutation

Successful cyber-physical system controllers evolve as they are refined, extended, and adapted to new systems and contexts. This evolution occurs in the controller design and also in its software implementation. Model-based design and controller synthesis can help to synchronize this evolution of design and software, but such synchronization is rarely complete as software tends to also evolve in response to elements rarely present in a control model, leading to mismatches between the control design and the software. In this paper we perform a first-of-it-skind study on the evolution of two popular open-source safety-critical autopilot control software – ArduPilot, and Paparazzi, to better understand how controllers evolve and the space of potential mismatches between control design and their software implementation. We then use that understanding to prototype a technique that can generate mutated versions of code to mimic evolution to assess its impact on a controller’s behavior.We find that 1) control software evolves quickly and controllers are rewritten in their entirety over their lifetime, implying that the design, synthesis, and implementation of controllers should also support incremental evolution, 2) many software changes stem from an inherent mismatch between continuous physical models and their corresponding discrete software implementation, but also from the mishandling of exceptional conditions, and limitations and distinct data representation of the underlying computing architecture, 3) small code changes can have a dramatic effect in a controller’s behavior, implying that further support is needed to bridge these mismatches as carefully verified model properties may not necessarily translate to its software implementation.
The Residuum of Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse: Coming to Terms in Couple Relationships

Childhood exposure to physical violence and sexual abuse is a public health concern and is empirically connected to poor outcomes in adulthood. The present study was designed to assess dyadic assoc...
Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy Combinations for Lung Cancer

Positive results from recent immunotherapy trials of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have coincided with a greater appreciation for the impact of radiation therapy (RT) on tumor immunity. Here, we summarize key clinical findings and ongoing efforts to combine immunotherapy and RT for the treatment of NSCLC. The role of immunotherapy for NSCLC has expanded significantly following the pivotal approvals of nivolumab and pembrolizumab for metastatic NSCLC, maintenance durvalumab in unresectable stage III NSCLC, and atezolizumab for metastatic NSCLC. Several small early-phase trials have demonstrated the ability of RT to elicit clinically significant tumor immunity. These positive findings support current trial efforts combining RT with immunotherapy for NSCLC. Recently initiated trials of RT and immunotherapy hold significant promise in expanding the therapeutic options for NSCLC. Optimization of therapy will require careful patient selection to yield meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes.
Combining 3D-Printed Models and Open Source Molecular Modeling of p53 To Engage Students with Concepts in Cell Biology.

Students learn best when engaged, for example with student-centered learning strategies that allow them to experience concepts through multiple modes, including kinesthetically (1–4). In STEM fields, easy access to tools such as 3D printers and open-source molecular structure viewers has provided affordable and practical alternatives to engage students by allowing them to model biologically relevant entities—including molecules and electron orbitals—and their functions (5–15). In this report, we describe the combined use of 3D-printed macromolecular models and Jmol (an open-source Java 3D molecular structure viewer) to facilitate students’ engagement with molecular concepts in cancer biology. While the literature has demonstrated the individual utility of 3D-printed models and Jmol exercises in the undergraduate classroom, we chose to combine these complementary activities to deepen students’ understanding of the relationship between structure and function of macromolecules through multimodal learning (16–18). This report’s modules focus on the biology, structure, and function of the human p53 protein, a tumor suppressor molecule famous for coordinating DNA repair, senescence, and apoptosis and for its frequent mutation in many different types of human cancers (19). The role of p53 as a transcription factor that binds DNA and activates target gene expression exemplifies the close relationship between macromolecular structure and cellular function. Student engagement is also encouraged by the relevance and relatability of the content, including the importance of p53 to human disease states that have touched many of their lives at a personal level. We share two modules: one that was implemented at the undergraduate level and the other at the graduate level. To complete these modules, students used a 3D-printed model of p53 bound to DNA, its corresponding Jmol files, and database and literature searches to answer a series of questions. In the process of doing this work, students had the opportunity to review and integrate previously learned content that helped them hit the ground running with course material.
A Preliminary Look at State Structures for Regulating Financial Services

Within the past thirty-five years approximately fifty nations have consolidated their financial regulatory agencies into either a single integrated agency or into two semi-integrated agencies. The United States has resisted this trend, due in part to a concern that the costs of such significant consolidation would exceed its benefits. The existing studies that compare the costs of the consolidated regulators around the world with the United States regime have often been discounted because they have been unable to control for differences in culture and regulatory intensity between those other countries and the United States. This article attempts to address this problem by examining the costs of six different regulatory structures used by the states within the United States, which range from separate agencies for each financial services industry to a single agency that regulates all financial services. As a result, this study provides a better picture of whether consolidation within the United States might result in any cost savings.  Assistant Professor of Risk Management and Insurance, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, B.A. 1985, College of William and Mary; M.A. 1987, Johns Hopkins University Nitze School of Advanced International Studies; J.D. 1994, University of Chicago School of Law. E-mail: ebrown49@gsu.edu Research stipends from the University of St. Thomas School of Law and Georgia State University were of assistance in the preparation of this Article. † B.A. University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D. Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.
Nutrient restriction synergizes with retinoic acid to induce mammalian meiotic initiation in vitro.

The molecular machinery and chromosome structures carrying out meiosis are frequently conserved from yeast to mammals. However, signals initiating meiosis appear divergent: while nutrient restriction induces meiosis in the yeast system, retinoic acid (RA) and its target Stra8 have been shown to be necessary but not sufficient to induce meiotic initiation in mammalian germ cells. Here, we use primary culture of mouse undifferentiated spermatogonia without the support of gonadal somatic cells to show that nutrient restriction in combination with RA is sufficient to induce Stra8- and Spo11-dependent meiotic gene and chromosome programs that recapitulate the transcriptomic and cytologic features of in vivo meiosis. We demonstrate that neither nutrient restriction nor RA alone exerts these effects. Moreover, we identify a distinctive network of 11 nutrient restriction-upregulated transcription factor genes, which are associated with early meiosis in vivo and whose expression does not require RA. Our study proposes a conserved model, in which nutrient restriction induces meiotic initiation by upregulating key transcription factor genes for the meiotic gene program and provides an in vitro platform for meiotic induction that could facilitate research and haploid gamete production. Retinoic acid is necessary but not sufficient to induce meiosis. Here, the authors use primary mouse undifferentiated spermatogonia culture to show that nutrient restriction, an inducer of yeast meiosis, combined with retinoic acid induces meiotic gene and chromosome programs in mammalian germ cells.
Education and Visual Reminders Fail to Reduce Overuse and Waste in Interhospital Transfers to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Introduction As healthcare costs continue to rise, initiatives to reduce costs while maintaining high-quality care become a priority. Nonclinically indicated studies add to this cost, especially during interfacility transfers when studies are often repeated. Also, unnecessary evaluations add to nonmonetary costs such as pain, radiation exposure, and iatrogenic anemia. This study aimed to establish the frequency of redundant testing on interfacility transfers to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and then implement an education-based quality improvement strategy for waste reduction. Methods In the preintervention period (September 2018-February 2019), we collected data on patients transferred to the PICU from any outside facility. Investigators evaluated studies repeated within 6 hours and deemed them redundant or indicated. We then determined a rate of patients with redundant studies as the first aim. This result prompted an educational intervention focused on testing stewardship. Investigators then collected data in the postintervention period (July-December 2019) and compared the rate of redundant studies. Results Study efforts identified 150 patients in the preintervention period and 131 in the postintervention period, establishing a 21%-25% frequency of redundant testing. Education and visual reminders failed to reduce this testing. Conclusion This study established a baseline rate of redundant testing on transferred patients to the PICU. An educational intervention alone did not produce significant change.
Transition metal-free photodecarboxylative amination of redox-active esters with diazirines

Due to the prevalence of nitrogen-containing compounds in medicine, materials, and related fields, the search for general, mild methods for electrophilic amination remains an area of intense research. Diazirines have been recently demonstrated to serve as electrophilic amination reagents that afford diaziridines, versatile heterocycles that are readily transformed into amines, hydrazines, and a variety of nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Here we report the phosphine-mediated, photodecarboxylative amination of redox-active esters with diazirines. This method is transition metal-free, uses inexpensive photoactivators under mild conditions, and offers a significantly enhanced scope and yields for primary redox-active esters. Furthermore, the stability of diazirines to blue light (456 nm) is demonstrated, paving the way for further research into other photochemical amination methods with these unique heterocycles.
Carbon monoxide and cultured rat heart cells. I. Inhibition of cell growth and maintenance of beating rate.

Abstract Neonatal rat heart cells were separated into cultures which contained mostly endothelioid cells or mostly beating muscle cells. Cultures of each type were exposed to an atmosphere containing 75% carbon monoxide for up to 26 days. Carbon monoxide reduced cellular density, total protein, DNA and the percentage of viable cells in both types of culture. The beating rate of untreated muscle cell cultures declined, presumably due to endothelioid cell overgrowth. Carbon monoxide inhibited such overgrowth and prevented the usual timerelated reduction in beating rate. It had no apparent direct effect on either the morphology or function of spontaneously beating heart muscle cells. Although the effects of carbon monoxide on growth or beating rate were not evident until after day 6 of treatment, similar effects of hydrocortisone were seen as early as the second day in culture. The delay in the effect of carbon monoxide was not related to a change in the cells with time. Carbon monoxide treatment depressed the specific activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase. The number of lysosomes in muscle cells was reduced by carbon monoxide. Its effect on lysosomes is proposed as a mechanism for its toxicity.
Beyond first-order satisfaction: fixed points, interpolants, automata and polynomials

In the last decade, advances in satisfiability-modulo-theories (SMT) solvers have powered a new generation of software tools for verification and testing. These tools transform various program analysis problems into the problem of satisfiability of formulas in propositional or first-order logic, where they are discharged by SMT solvers, such as Z3 from Microsoft Research. This paper briefly summarizes four initiatives from Microsoft Research that build upon Z3 and move beyond first-order satisfaction: Fixed points--μZ is a scalable, efficient engine for discharging fixed point queries over recursive predicates with logical constraints, integrated in Z3; Interpolants--Interpolating Z3 uses Z3's proof generation capability to generate Craig interpolants in the first-order theory of uninterpreted functions, arrays and linear arithmetic; Automata--The symbolic automata toolkit lifts classical automata analyses to work modulo symbolic constraints on alphabets; Polynomials--a new decision procedure for the existential theory of the reals allows efficient solving of systems of non-linear arithmetic constraints.
Crossing, Creolization, and the African Roots of American Culture

Group Harmony: The Black Urban Roots of Rhythm and Blues. Stuart L. Goosman. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005. 291 pp. Right to Rock: The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race. Maureen Mahon. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2004. 317 pp. Crossovers: Essays on Race, Music, and American Culture. John Szwed. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005. 283 pp.
Adherence to a dietary fat intake reduction program in postmenopausal women receiving therapy for early breast cancer. The Women's Intervention Nutrition Study.

PURPOSETo evaluate the feasibility of integrating a program based on dietary fat intake reduction into adjuvant treatment strategies for postmenopausal women receiving therapy for early breast cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSTwo hundred ninety postmenopausal women with localized (stage I to IIIa) breast cancer receiving conventional systemic therapy provided informed consent and were randomized in a multicenter trial to either a dietary intervention group receiving a program of individualized instruction for reducing total fat intake or a dietary control group with minimal dietary counseling.RESULTSSignificantly reduced (P < .001) fat intake (in terms of percent calories derived from fat) was observed in the intervention group versus the control group at 3 months (20.3% +/- 2.4% v 31.5% +/- 2.6%, mean +/- SD, respectively) and maintained throughout 24 months of observation. The 50% reduction in daily fat-gram intake (from 66 +/- 23 to 33 +/- 14 g, P < .001) seen at 6 months was associated with reduced saturate...
Maize ZmALMT2 is a root anion transporter that mediates constitutive root malate efflux

Root efflux of organic acid anions underlies a major mechanism of plant aluminium (Al) tolerance on acid soils. This efflux is mediated by transporters of the Al-activated malate transporter (ALMT) or the multi-drug and toxin extrusion (MATE) families. ZmALMT2 was previously suggested to be involved in Al tolerance based on joint association-linkage mapping for maize Al tolerance. In the current study, we functionally characterized ZmALMT2 by heterologously expressing it in Xenopus laevis oocytes and transgenic Arabidopsis. In oocytes, ZmALMT2 mediated an Al-independent electrogenic transport product of organic and inorganic anion efflux. Ectopic overexpression of ZmALMT2 in an Al-hypersensitive Arabidopsis KO/KD line lacking the Al tolerance genes, AtALMT1 and AtMATE, resulted in Al-independent constitutive root malate efflux which partially restored the Al tolerance phenotype. The lack of correlation between ZmALMT2 expression and Al tolerance (e.g., expression not localized to the root tip, not up-regulated by Al, and higher in sensitive versus tolerance maize lines) also led us to question ZmALMT2's role in Al tolerance. The functional properties of the ZmALMT2 transporter presented here, along with the gene expression data, suggest that ZmALMT2 is not involved in maize Al tolerance but, rather, may play a role in mineral nutrient acquisition and transport.
Optimizing Shape of Femtosecond Laser Pulses for Homodyne Detection of Nonlinear Optical Signals

Based on homodyne detection of weak nonlinear signals with our spectral reshaping technique, pulse shapes are optimized for fast nonlinear imaging using femtosecond mode-locked lasers.
Impact of aircraft size and seat availability on airlines¿ demand and market share in duopoly markets

Abstract We build a nested logit model to study the roles of aircraft size, together with service frequency, seat availability and fare, in airlines’ market share and total demand in non-stop duopoly markets. We find that airlines can obtain higher returns in market share from increasing service frequency than from increasing aircraft size, and our study confirms an S -curve effect of service frequency on airlines’ market share. We find that the available capacity per flight––net of capacity absorbed by connecting passengers––affects market share in the same manner whether it is derived from a larger proportion of a smaller aircraft or smaller proportion of a larger one.
Copper Immersion Deposition on Magnesium Alloy: The Effect of Fluoride and Temperature

A study was carried out to examine copper immersion deposition on AZ91 magnesium alloy in a hydrofluoric acid-containing bath. The role of fluoride and the effect of bath temperature were investigated. The study was performed by measuring the ac impedance and open-circuit potentials in combination with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy surface analysis. Results showed that the effect of both HF concentration and temperature on copper immersion deposition is significant, via affecting the surface film formation on the magnesium surface. A model for understanding the copper immersion deposition process is depicted based on surface characterization and the electrochemical measurements.
Gamma-gamma angular correlation studies in 132Xe

Directional γ-γ correlations were done for the (1.14÷0.773) MeV and (0.520÷0.773) MeV cascades in 132Xe. The mixing ratio for the 1.14 MeV transition was determined and the 2.58 MeV level was assigned spin 3−, consistent with the belief that the level was an octupole vibration state. This resulted in a discussion of the systematics of the lowest 3− level of neighboring even nuclei.
Rhyodacites of Kulshan caldera, North Cascades of Washington: Postcaldera lavas that span the Jaramillo

Abstract Kulshan caldera (4.5×8 km), at the northeast foot of Mount Baker, is filled with rhyodacite ignimbrite (1.15 Ma) and postcaldera lavas and is only the third Quaternary caldera identified in the Cascade arc. A gravity traverse across the caldera yields a steep-sided, symmetrical, complete Bouguer anomaly of −16 mGal centered over the caldera. Density considerations suggest that the caldera fill, which is incised to an observed thickness of 1 km, may be about 1.5 km thick and is flat-floored, overlying a cylindrical piston of subsided metamorphic rocks. Outflow sheets have been stripped by advances of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, but the climactic fallout (Lake Tapps tephra) is as thick as 30 cm some 200 km south of the caldera. Ten precaldera units, which range in 40Ar/39Ar age from 1.29 to 1.15 Ma, are dikes and erosional scraps that probably never amounted to a large edifice. A dozen postcaldera rhyodacite lavas and dikes range in age from 1.15 to 0.99 Ma; rhyodacites have subsequently been absent, the silicic reservoir having finally crystallized. At least 60 early Pleistocene intermediate dikes next intruded the caldera fill, helping energize an acid–sulfate hydrothermal system and constituting the main surviving record of an early postcaldera andesite–dacite pile presumed to have been large. Most of the pre- and postcaldera rhyodacites were dated by 40Ar/39Ar or K–Ar methods, and 13 were drilled for remanent magnetic directions. In agreement with the radiometric ages, the paleomagnetic data indicate that eruptions took place before, during, and after the Jaramillo Normal Polarity Subchron, and that one rhyodacite with transitional polarity may represent the termination of the Jaramillo. Most of the biotite–hornblende–orthopyroxene–plagioclase rhyodacite lavas, dikes, and tuffs are in the range 68–73% SiO2, but there were large compositional fluctuations during the 300-kyr duration of the rhyodacite episode. The rhyodacitic magma reservoir was wider (11 km) than the caldera that collapsed into it (8 km).
Giant magnetoresistance studies in (Co,Fe)Ag films

Abstract Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) has been observed in thin films of Co and Fe in Ag. The best results were obtained in the Ag-rich samples with a maximum value of 25% in Co20Ag80 at 30K. The GMR values are slightly increased upon annealing. Magnetic data show a magnetic transition below room temperature characteristic of a spin-glass or superparamagnetic behavior. Microstructure studies with conventional TEM showed a single face centered cubic phase, consisting of veryfine grains with sizes below 100A. Upon annealing, separation of the two components is achieved with substantial grain growth.
Alveolar Epithelium: Beyond the Barrier

I am deeply honored to have been awarded an American Thoracic Society Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishment for 2014. Over the last 20 years, it has become clear that the alveolar epithelium, my area of research focus, is not simply a gas exchange surface and barrier to leakage of fluid and protein into the alveoli, but is an active participant in the pathogenesis of a number of lung diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis. Recognition by this Award stimulates a review of the awardee’s contributions to the field, as summarized in this perspective.
Kerley B lines in total anomalous pulmonary venous connection below the diaphragm (type III)

Abstract A case is presented of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection below the diaphragm, with roentgenographic evidence of pulmonary edema, interstitial edema and a normal cardiac silhouette. These findings led to a diagnosis of pulmonary venous obstruction proximal to the mitral valve. Our findings confirm that the morphologic substratum of Kerley B lines is predominantly edema of the interlobular septum.
The role of the phoPQ operon in the pathogenesis of the fully virulent CO92 strain of Yersinia pestis and the IP32953 strain of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

At the genomic level, Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis are nearly identical but cause very different diseases. Y. pestis is the etiologic agent of plague; whereas Y. pseudotuberculosis causes a gastrointestinal infection primarily after the consumption of contaminated food. In many gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, PhoP is part of a two-component global regulatory system in which PhoQ serves as the sensor kinase, and PhoP is the response regulator. PhoP is known to activate a number of genes in many bacteria related to virulence. To determine the role of the PhoPQ proteins in Yersinia infections, primarily using aerosol challenge models, the phoP gene was deleted from the chromosome of the CO92 strain of Y. pestis and the IP32953 strain of Y. pseudotuberculosis, leading to a polar mutation of the phoPQ operon. We demonstrated that loss of phoPQ from both strains leads to a defect in intracellular growth and/or survival within macrophages. These in vitro data would suggest that the phoPQ mutants would be attenuated in vivo. However, the LD(50) for the Y. pestis mutant did not differ from the calculated LD(50) for the wild-type CO92 strain for either the bubonic or pneumonic murine models of infection. In contrast, mice challenged by aerosol with the Y. pseudotuberculosis mutant had a LD(50) value 40× higher than the wild-type strain. These results demonstrate that phoPQ are necessary for full virulence by aerosol infection with the IP32953 strain of Y. pseudotuberculosis. However, the PhoPQ proteins do not play a significant role in infection with a fully virulent strain of Y. pestis.
The political timing of errors in inflation forecasts

Errors in inflation forecasts do not display a regular electoral rhythm over the entire post-war period. These results are consistent with the work of McCallum (1978) who explored a sample of similar length and failed to find an electoral pattern in unemployment rates. However, if unanticipated inflation is regarded as a lagging indicator of policy effectiveness, then the data do suggest that three of the four most recent administrations have enjoyed a certain success in manufacturing a pre-election upturn.
Performance and operational upgrades of X-Ray Streak Camera photocathode assemblies at NIF

X-ray streak cameras are used at the National Ignition Facility for time-resolved measurements of inertial confinement fusion metrics such as capsule implosion velocity, self-emission burn width, and x-ray bang time (time of brightest x-ray emission). Recently a design effort was undertaken to improve the performance and operation of the streak camera photocathode and related assemblies. The performance improvements include a new optical design for the input of UV timing fiducial pulses that increases collection efficiency of electrons off the photocathode, repeatability and precision of the photocathode pack assembly, and increase the input field of view for upcoming experiments. The operational improvements will provide the ability to replace photocathode packs between experiments in the field without removing the diagnostic from the Diagnostic Instrument Manipulator (DIM). The new design and preliminary results are presented.
ROBOT_S: An interactive robot simulation language

Abstract While it may not be practical to realize a tentative robot design as an actual robot, there is no question of the practicality of a simulation, ROBOT_S is a program in which the foundation for a comprehensive simulation environment is laid. A graphical robot is created to which physical attributes may be assigned, and whose movement may be dictated by a user-installed dynamic model and control law. A simple robot command language has been developed, by which the manipulator may be commanded to move, during which simulation data of state variables is collected and graphed.
Short wavelength operation of the CH3F Raman FIR laser

Using the isotopic species13CH3F in the methyl-fluoride Raman laser, we have observed kilowatt-level laser pulses which can be tuned over a series of intervals that are centered on pure-rotational transitions in thev3 ground state with initial-state J values between 35 and 43, inclusively. Taken together, these tuning intervals cover ∼35% of the spectrum between 142 and 174 μm. Several straightforward improvements in the experimental setup, including the use of isotopically purer13CH3F, should enhance the spectral coverage in this region.
Herpetic whitlow of the digits

Herpes simplex viral infection of the digits, also known as herpetic whitlow, is a rather common hand problem encountered in dental and medical personnel. Treatment is controversial. This report summarises the author's successful experience in a series of ten patients using a non-operative local care technique, supplemented when indicated by a systemic antiviral agent.
Steady-state production of olefins in high yields during the oxidative coupling of methane: Utilization of a membrane contactor

Abstract Oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) catalysis has been studied extensively in recent years, with the goal of using abundant natural gas resources for the production of feedstock olefins. We have developed an integrated recycle system which includes a Mn/Na 2 WO 4 /SiO 2 catalyst for the conversion of methane to ethane, ethylene, and propylene and a membrane contactor for the continuous removal of olefins from the gas stream. The olefins, complexed by aqueous Ag + ions, are subsequently released into the gas phase at 760 Torr. Olefin yields up to 75% with an olefin purity of 85% (principally ethylene) can be achieved at a gas recycle ratio of 11.
A physiologist's view of the N‐methyl‐D‐Aspartate receptor: An allosteric ion channel with multiple regulatory sites

Article de synthese sur le complexe recepteur au N-methyl D-aspartate (recepteur des aminoacides excitateurs) et sur les cinq domaines de liaisons repertories
Optimum conditions for growth of cyanobacteria on solid media

The colony forming ability of single cells or very short filaments of 7 strains of cyanobacteria was tested on media solidified by agar or by agar substitutes (Gel Gro or Gel Rite). In addition, the effect of various methods for preparation of agar media on colony forming ability was measured. High efficiency colony formation for most of the strains required that the agar be autoclaved separately from the salts in the medium. The addition of thiosulfate, but not buffer, significantly increased the plating efficiency of most strains.
Goal-performance relations: the effects of initial task complexity and task practice

The current study was conducted to examine the effects of task complexity and task practice (trials) on the goal-performance relationship. Specific, difficult goal assignments were predicted to enhance performance on a complex task only in later task practice. On a simpler task, specific, difficult goal assignments were predicted to enhance performance in early task practice and to disrupt performance in later task practice. The results indicated that goals exerted the predicted effects in the simple task version but had no effect in the complex task version. Possible relationships between amount of task practice and stages of skill acquisition are discussed for tasks differing in complexity. The results are also discussed in terms of cognitive resource demands and self-regulatory processes. Implications for the effectiveness of goals in relation to task complexity and task trials are also discussed.